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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

Medvedev clashes with Putin over Libya

US terror suspects seek to clear names

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AT&T to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion

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Djokovic powers past Nadal at Indian Wells

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Kuwait navy joins troops in Bahrain

Max 32 Min 14 Low Tide 07:05 & 19:27 High Tide 00:35 & 12:55

King says ‘foreign plot’ foiled in veiled charge against Iran `

MANAMA: Kuwaiti navy units have joined other Gulf forces deployed in Bahrain to contain a Shiite-led pro-democracy movement, the Bahraini army chief said yesterday. Marshal Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa “welcomed the arrival of Kuwaiti navy units” that have joined Peninsula Shield Gulf forces deployed in the country, the official BNA news agency said, without specifiying the size of the Kuwaiti force. Saudi Arabia has deployed over a thousand troops to Bahrain, while the United Arab Emirates sent 500 police and Qatar announced that it intends to send forces, but has not specified their number.

Kuwaiti Islamist MPs had announced they would move to question the prime minister in parliament for not sending troops to Bahrain. That came after the kingdom’s Shiite minority staged a rally to thank the government for not sending troops to Bahrain to help the Sunni-led government crackdown on their fellow Shiites. Pro-democracy protests in Bahrain began on Feb 14. Bahraini security forces carried out a bloody crackdown on the demonstrators after the forces from fellow Gulf Cooperation Council states arrived under the Peninsula Shield pact. Bahrain is also the base for the US Fifth Fleet, central to US military power in the oil-rich region.

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conspiracy theories

Well done Cairo!

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

I

t is awesome! It is unprecedented in the Arab world that a country in the region has just held a referendum. I am sorry... they do hold referendums but none of them are authentic. This was a serious, authentic and transparent referendum that took place in Egypt two days ago. The referendum was held over amending the Egyptian constitution. All my life I have been hearing news about election results or referendums in the Arab world. The funniest part is that the whole Arab world and I always predicted the results. It should be a vote in favor with 99.9 percent or if the regime is humble, down to earth and objective, it will give a result of over 95 percent of voters saying: “Yes, yes, yes.”

The turnout will also be 99.9 percent. That is not the funniest part. There would never be any absences. Nobody is sick on election day; nobody would be too busy to cast their ballot. The whole nation would come to testify their love for the beloved head of state. More to the extreme. Many would queue all night long to be first to cast their ballot. Even embassies in different parts of the world would hold elections with the same bombastic turnout and say “Yes!”. Do you know why they all used to say yes? Because nobody would dare say no.

Especially the ones living outside the country because the embassy staff would harass them and will count who came and who failed to come.

God is great. I never dreamt in my life that I will see an Arab country hold a genuine referendum. Hooray!

The pioneer is Egypt. This time around they did not even lie about the turnout. Out of the 45 million eligible voters some 41 percent cast their ballot. There were amazing results too. Some 18.5 million said “Yes” to changing the constitution and the remaining 4 million said “No”. In the past, not a single person ever said no. I love it! Congratulations! Well done Cairo!

The beautiful thing about the new constitution is that it introduces important amendments to the presidency, stating that the position can be held for only a four-year term and a president can serve only two terms. This erased the 40 and 30 years of ruling. No more ruling from the cradle to the grave! The president can no longer enforce martial laws. If he needs to do so, the decision has to go through a long process.

For example, martial law would be imposed only in joint agreement between president, parliament and the jurisdiction. Or even a referendum might be needed to be held for martial law to be imposed. Beautiful!

I have my own amendment to suggest provided that my brothers in Egypt accept it - the president should not be allowed to put his picture in every corner of the country. At the end of the day, the Egyptian revolution succeeded in introducing a pure democracy on par with the West. I hope that we will see such referenda take place in the rest of the Arab world.

SHAT AL-BEDIN, Libya: Libyan rebels gather around a burning T-72 tank belonging to forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi which were targeted the day before by a French air strike west of Benghazi yesterday. — AFP

FM meets Libyan oppn delegation

BORI, Bahrain: Bahraini Shiite mourners carry the coffin of Abdel Rasoul Al-Hujeiri during his funeral procession in this village outside Manama yesterday. — AFP

Jets hit Gaddafi compound KUWAIT/TRIPOLI: Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah held talks yesterday with a delegation of the Libyan opposition national council, visiting Kuwait for the first time. The delegation is headed by member of the interim national council Nasser Al-Mani, the official KUNA news agency reported, without providing details on the talks.

Several Kuwaiti MPs and political groups have urged the government to recognise the national council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people.

The Islamic Constitutional Movement called in a statement yesterday on the Kuwaiti government to sever ties with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and support the national council as the legitimate representative of Libya.

Meanwhile, more countries joined the operation to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya yesterday as the Arab League reaffirmed support for the measure, but Europe remained divided despite a UN appeal for unity.

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Syrians shout ‘No more fear!’

DARAA, Syria: Syrians chanting “No more fear!” held a defiant march yesterday after a deadly government crackdown failed to quash three days of massive protests in a southern city - an extraordinary outpouring in a country that brutally suppresses dissent. Riot police armed with batons chased away the small group without incident, but traces of earlier, larger demonstrations were everywhere: burned-out and looted government buildings, a dozen torched vehicles, an office of

the ruling Baath party with its windows knocked out. Protesters burned an office of the telecommunications company Syriatel, which is owned in part by the president’s cousin.

The unrest in the city of Daraa started Friday after security troops fired at protesters, killing five people. Over the next two days, two more people died and authorities sealed the city, allowing people out but not in as thousands of enraged protesters set fire to government

Rival tanks deploy in Sanaa Top generals defect

SANAA: Yemeni army officers react as they join anti-government protestors demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh yesterday. — AP

SANAA: Tanks were deployed in Yemen’s capital yesterday as a dangerous split opened between the military leadership after top generals joined the revolt against President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s regime. As some of his closest military and tribal allies abandoned him, the embattled leader refused to submit to calls for his resignation and claimed he had the support of the vast majority of people in the impoverished country.

“We’re still here... the great majority of the Yemeni people are with security, stability and constitutional law,” he said. “Those who are calling for chaos, violence, hate and sabotage are only a tiny minority.”

Tanks took up positions in key locations across Sanaa including at the presidential palace, the central bank and the Continued on Page 14

buildings and massed in their thousands around the city. Among the victims was 11-year-old Mundhir Masalmi, who died yesterday after suffering tear gas inhalation a day earlier, an activist told AP. A mass of demonstrators marched from the cemetery towards Al-Omari mosque after the burial of Raed Akrad, who was killed by security forces Sunday when they opened fire to disperse a protest.

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Liberal MPs pave way for grillings

By B Izzak KUWAIT: MPs Adel Al-Saraawi and Marzouk AlGhanem of the National Action Bloc today are due to file to grill Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd Al-Sabah over alleged corruption in various ministries and departments he is responsible for. The bloc has refused to specify the main issues of their planned questioning of Sheikh Ahmad, who is also the minister of housing and development, saying they will reveal the issues when they file the grilling.

The grilling has already been supported by the Popular Action Bloc and the Reform and Development Bloc and a number of independent MPs but several other lawmakers have opposed it.

It will be the first ever grilling against Sheikh Ahmad, although he has served as a minister for most of the past decade with a break of three years.

The grilling will open the way for a number of Continued on Page 14

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

LOCAL

107 Filipino housemaids repatriated to Manila Praise for Binay’s initiative

Local Spotlight

2011, slow down!!!

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: More than 100 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) were repatriated back to Manila from Kuwait last Thursday as part of Philippine Vice-President Jejomar Binay’s recent promise to expedite their return home. Binay visited Kuwait last month as a representative of president Noynoy Aquino for the Gulf state’s major national celebrations, as it marked the 50th and 20th anniversaries of independence and the fifth anniversary of His Highness the Amir’s investiture.

During his visit, Binay visited the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC) in Jabriya where he witnessed the overcrowded housemaid shelter. On witnessing the scenes there, he immediately instructed embassy officials in Kuwait to facilitate the women’s immediate repatriation, using the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) fund.

“He was deeply saddened about the conditions of runaway housemaids when he visited the shelter during his trip to Kuwait,” Vivo Vidal, the Philippine Labor Attache to Kuwait, told the Kuwait Times, just a few hours before the 107 housemaids left the country. “We immediately coordinated with local authorities and they were all very cooperative and we managed to arrange for the immediate repatriation of 107 housemaids. This mass-repatriation was made possible

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

KUWAIT: Vivo Vidal speaking with the Kuwait Times at his office.

KUWAIT: The runaway housemaids pictured as they left the embassy for Kuwait International Airport last Thursday. — Photos by Ben Garcia

through his [Binay’s] initiative,” he added.

Vidal added that repatriation efforts have been taking place on a daily basis, though in lower numbers. “Usually we have three to five [being repatriated to the Philippines] with the highest number being ten people being repatriated every day from our shelter,” he explained. “The reasons for the slow rate of repatriations vary, but it’s mostly because runaway housemaids have to go through tedious process that we have to fulfill in compliance with the wishes of the local authority here.” The senior diplomat admitted that

mass repatriation only happens when a fund is specifically set aside for the purpose, explaining that the Kuwaiti government also shares some of the costs of the repatriation process, mostly in the form of airline tickets.

“We have repatriated more than 500 housemaids, with Kuwait’s assistance, in the last year,” he revealed. “They [the Kuwaiti government] are very helpful in a way and have been conducting the same program every year with other embassies as well.”

The mass-repatriation of 107 house-

maids on Thursday leaves the remaining number of runaway housemaids at the shelter at less than 200, whose documents are now being processed to allow them to leave the country as soon as possible. The Filipino shelter receives a maximum of ten runaway housemaids each day, according to embassy welfare officer Yolanda Penaranda. The number had also surged in recent days as Kuwait implements a four-month amnesty for expatriates without the necessary immigration or work visas to allow them to leave the country.

ExxonMobil, Kuwait Energy announce winners of third Kuwait Science Fair KUWAIT: The third annual Kuwait Science Fair (KSF) competition has celebrated the accomplishments of some of the brightest young and aspiring scientists from schools across Kuwait, in an awards ceremony under the patronage of the Minister of Oil, Minister of Information, and Chairman of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

KSF founders, ExxonMobil Kuwait and Kuwait Energy, and partners announced the winners of the most innovative science projects judged during a four-day assessment by a panel of judges comprising of doctors, scientists, and engineers from renowned institutions in Kuwait.

The first prize winner, Saif Ahmed Elkholy, received a full scholarship in his discipline of choice from the American University of Kuwait (AUK), an international internship at Schlumberger, a cash prize of KD750, gift vouchers worth over KD100 in value, certificates honoring their participation and ranking, and the first place trophy.

The Kuwait Science Fair competition is the largest nation-wide annual competition, encompassing over 200 schools in Kuwait. The competition was founded in 2008

by ExxonMobil Exploration & Production Kuwait Limited and Kuwait Energy Company in a shared commitment to generate student interest and excitement in math and science and to help inspire Kuwait’s future scientists and innovators.

Nearly 350 students applied to participate in the Kuwait Science Fair by the end of the registration phase. The ‘Best 100’ ideas were announced last December and were qualified to continue developing their math and science innovations during the second phase, known as the experimental phase.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Farouk Al-Zanki, said: “The Kuwait Science Fair is an inspiring initiative that continues to motivate Kuwait’s young scientists — all it takes is a tour inside the KSF exhibition hall to see the projects for ourselves.

Math and science are two essential fields facing a decrease in professionals and we thank ExxonMobil and Kuwait Energy for establishing this educational and gratifying competition that helped inspire hundreds of young scientists to gain creative and innovative experiences in those fields.”

US Ambassador to Kuwait, Deborah Jones, in her honorary role as a ‘Chief Ambassador’ for the competition, said: “Every country across the globe needs more scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. I cannot stress enough how important it is to engage young minds in the fields of math and science at an early age. I am both humbled and honored for this role and for becoming part of an initiative that has inspired hundreds of young students in Kuwait over the years.”

The ‘Best 100’ students all received over KD100 in vouchers and two certificates honoring their ranking and participation in the competition. The second prize winner, Zainab Ahmad Abbas, received an internship at

Schlumberger and will receive KD500 in cash, two certificates honoring their participation and ranking, over KD100 in vouchers, and the second place trophy. The third prize winner, Omar Ali Ismail Abdulla, received KD350 in cash, two certificates honoring their ranking and participation, over KD100 in vouchers, and the third place trophy.

A founding member of the KSF competition, ExxonMobil Upstream Ventures Vice President for Europe, Caspian, Middle East and North Africa, Dr. Richard Vierbuchen, said: “This competition started three years ago with young and aspiring scientists from about 26 schools, and today, we have reached ambitious scientists from more than 85 schools. KSF helped inspire over 400 students to pursue careers in math and science in the last three years. This is a remarkable achievement for them and a great honor for us. We look forward to see these young scientists excel in the future.”

KUWAIT: The first prize winner receiving his award.

Also a founding member of the competition, Kuwait Energy Company, Public Relations Advisor, Abbas AlRasheed, said: “A few weeks ago, HH the Amir stressed the importance of human capital in the development of nations, which starts by the development of our youth.

The Kuwait Science Fair continues its contribution and investment in Kuwait’s future professionals. We have seen how their small ideas have grown into life-changing experiments, and we are certain that by helping them in their path towards innovation, we will witness positive developments in Kuwait’s future.”

Extending support to the competition, the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science (KFAS) Director of the Scientific Culture Directorate, Dr. Jasem Al

Besharah, said: “When we were invited to partner in the competition, we did not hesitate to support an initiative that has engaged students’ interest and capabilities in fields of science. We thank the founders for launching a great competition for students to express themselves outside the classroom.”

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) Public Relations Manager, Ali Hassan Murad, said: “At KPC, we believe in the importance of investing in programs that serve the development of our communities. The KSF competition is a great educational program that continues to support students’ development and encourages them to seek careers in the science and math field.”

Kuwait United Facilities Management (KUFM) CEO, Ahmad Yousef Al-Kandari, said: “We are proud to take part in the KSF competition for a second year in a row. Our chance to support students in their efforts to overcome science challenges is both priceless and rewarding. We look forward to seeing these young and bright students making valuable changes in the community in the upcoming years.”

The Information Technology Institute Managing Director, Jameel Aref, said: “As an educational institute, we were very impressed with what students have accomplished this year. The KSF has opened new prospects to many students and supported others in what they are most passionate about. We thank the founders for giving us the opportunity to support Kuwait’s young scientists.”

Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait Deputy Chief General Manager, Abdullah Al Sumait, said: “Math and science are core fields to our industry. In this time of age, we are supported by technology and mathematical reasoning in our everyday business. Developing generations from a young age which will support our nation’s advancement on the longterm is the key to sustaining our business. We hope to see today’s students continue in playing an influential role in their fields of interest.”

Asnan Clinic General Manager, Dr. Eisa Al-Eisa said: “Each day, an innovation helps bring solutions to a problem or a challenge. These innovations have helped millions of people across the world in so many positive ways, and these young scientists have proven that it can start right here with them. At Asnan, we believe in the importance of supporting young generations that will sustain development for better solutions, and the KSF provides the educational platform to start developing their abilities.”

The Scientific Center Chairman and Managing Director, Engineer Mijbil Almutawa, said: “This is the Scientific Center’s second year with the Kuwait Science Fair, and we take pride in seeing the students’ abilities and motivation strengthened throughout the competition, while admiring their innovations that reflect their vision of the world. A piece of advice to all our students: keep up the great work and we hope to see you excel in every way in the future.”

Absconding expats could soon lose residency status KUWAIT: Expatriate employees in Kuwait charged by their sponsors with absconding could soon lose their residency status immediately, according to unconfirmed reports in the local press which indicated that this strategy is being considered by the Ministry of Interior’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as a way of reducing the high numbers of illegal residents.

A senior MoI official is quoted in the news report are saying that in such cases the CID would immediately implement the article of the legislation covering expatriate workers, which legal protection for those charged with absconding by their sponsors would automatically be suspended in compliance with

Article 25 of the legislation covering expatriate workers.

This would mean that all expatriates facing such charges would be automatically classed as illegal immigrants and subject to the relevant penalties.

Speaking to Kuwaiti daily AlQabas on condition of anonymity, the CID official explained that, if introduced, the new procedure would allow all sponsors who reported employees missing to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) to then bring charges against those employees at any police station. If found guilty, those absconding employees could be sentenced to one month’s imprisonment or a maximum KD600 fine.

W

e are not yet in the middle of 2011 and yet crises, revolutions and natural disasters are coming at us from every way. I think, there are things that we can expect and handle, such as rebels revolting against dictatorships but of course no one can ever be ready for a natural disaster. The dilemma here is that while natural disasters bring unity to one nation, revolutions often throw nations into the threat of separation, civil wars and conflict.

Now, Japan’s earthquake was scary, damaged Japan and caused plenty of casualties. A sudden concern in the Gulf region is that a very peaceful country like Bahrain has rebels trying to oust a ruling family that has been in power for hundreds of years and replace it with another Shiite system! I think it is clear now that this will not happen.

The Libya situation is totally different. I think a person like Gaddafi will not leave unless the world forces him to, just like Saddam. Those people don’t think of themselves as president of a country, they think that their presence as eternal and that it is their job to make life hell for other people! I believe we have to be fair and thankful to the world powers, led by the USA, the UK and France, for their role this time. It seems to be the only way to stop someone like Gaddafi.

A man who thinks of himself as above all other humans needs to be removed by force to avoid the blood bath! This year 2011 did not have a nice beginning. We still have many more months to go so use your prayers for those who fight for freedom and peace.

Letters to Muna Alfuzai: Dear Muna, This is about your article on Bahrain: A lot of us here are really disappointed with Kuwait’s decision not to send troops. It was seen as a victory by those who turned our country into chaos and tried to overtake our government. We all know who was and still is influencing them. Our government took a really heavy blow and because they have access to world media we now look like Gaddafi’s supporters for standing by them. It really broke my heart to see Kuwait turn us down when we needed them the most, even though I consider it to be my second country. The media here needs to stand by us and we need all the support we can get because this is not over yet, not by a long shot. They will try to do the same in Kuwait now that they know Kuwait has sympathy for Bahrain’s protests. Action needs to be taken!

Regards, A concerned Bahraini citizen Dear Muna, Your articles are timely and touch the right notes.

The unrest in Bahrain is created by outsiders and the peaceful people of Bahrain need support. I am an expat Pakistani working in Kuwait and occasionally get a chance to work in Bahrain. I can say this much; the people of both countries are blessed.

Best regards, Shahid

Al-Salem denies rumors of tensions in ruling family KUWAIT: Sheikh Ahmed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah recently stressed that those he described as “tensioncreating MPs” were actually keen on supporting Kuwait, the ruler and the ruling family regardless of the fact that they so often grilled many ministers, reported Annahar.

After being invited to the camp of citizen Mohammed Bin Bossaiss Al-Mutairi, Al-Salem said that most grilling motions were meant to strengthen the grilled minister rather than politically embarrass him.

Al-Salem also described the local political arena as tense due to what he called a state of political desertification.

Al-Salem denied rumors regarding the ruling family’s recent division and disagreements. “The Kuwaiti people know the Al-Sabah family very well, love them and accordingly refuse to question its solidarity,” he said.

Furthermore, Al-Salem urged everyone to support the ruler and to not listen to any groundless rumors and stories.

Commenting on some calls to oust His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Al-Salem stressed that his cousin is a very generous man and has been since before he was appointed minister. “Electing a prime minister from the people does not suit Kuwait and it never will,” he said, pointing out that many MPs and ministers appoint their nearest and dearest family members and that such a policy would destabilize the whole state.

“So many MPs made their way to the parliament using their money,” he added. “They know themselves very well and know that they can’t do anything but follow instructions.” He called for more national unity and reminded everyone that the Iraqi invaders in 1990 did not differentiate between sects or tribes. Commenting on the bedoon issue, Al-Salem refused the name and insisted on calling them non-Kuwaitis.

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local

Amir attends KU graduation ceremony

KUWAIT: Kuwait University (KU) graduates were yesterday presented with their degree certificates at a graduation ceremony at the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sabah Theater.

The event was presided over and patronized by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah, who presented the graduating students with their degree certificates.

Before the ceremony began, HH the Amir was warmly welcomed

by Education Minister Dr Moudhi Al-Humoud and Kuwait University

Rector Dr Abdullatif Al-Bader.

The ceremony was also attended by HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, as well as National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi and First Deputy Prime M inister and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. A large number of sheikhs, senior officials and members of the graduates’ families were also present.

The ceremony began with the

National Anthem and a recital of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by keynote speeches from Dr Al-Humoud and the Kuwait University president, after which graduating student Kawthar Ali Noureddine delivered the valedictory speech on behalf of the graduates.

This was followed by HH the Amir presenting the graduating students with their degree certificates. At the end of the ceremony, HH the Amir was presented with a commemorative gif t to

KTUF holds human resources workshop

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: The Kuwait Trade Union Federation (KTUF) held a workshop yesterday for a number of government sector employees aimed at human resources development. Delivering the inauguration speech for the two-day event Faleh Al-Azmi, the deputy secretary of the federation, explained the important role workforce unions play in improving the quality of work in the country.

“Kuwait needs today more than any other time before to have trained staff and to constantly hold seminars, workshops and courses to ensure that the employees are up to date with the latest in all fields of work,” said Al-Azmi. He added that as a federation representing employees from all institutes of the public sector, KTUF finds it necessary that employees be capable of keeping up with the development plan proposed by the government. “The role of our Labor Education Institute, a subsidiary of the KTUF, was vital when it was first established in 1972 to train employees and educating them. Today we are bringing back the vital role this institute plays.”

He added that the courses and workshops will not be exclusive to Kuwaiti employees only.

“Expatriate labor forms a big percentage of staff in various government sectors and we find it necessary that they also receive training to stay up to par with the government ’s development plan,” he added.

The Labor Educational Institute president Mohammad Al-Harbi thanked the attendees and reiterated that it is important to have qualified staff competent enough to handle the multi-billion KD projects scheduled by the government. “Labor associations and unions must play an important role in the development of projects. If we want to build projects we must first ensure that we have built a qualified workforce and this is the aim of our institute. With the help of unions we will hold regular training courses and workshops in the future,” he said.

Guest speaker Nouriya Al-Saddani, the counselor of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, stressed that manpower is a very important asset and must be invested in. “We are handling a very important mission; to educate and train those building the future.

There are many projects that were postponed for years. It takes a great deal of courage to admit that we are behind and to start taking steps towards a better future.”

mark the event.

Minister Al-Humoud thanked the Amir for sponsoring and attending the graduation ceremony as a “great honor to the educational family”.

Addressing the ceremony, she said HH the Amir’s presence in the event reflects immortal values that could establish aspired societal renaissance.

She said this ceremony is an effort to celebrate a fruit of cooperation and cohesion among the sons of the nation, leadership and

people alike, and shows the uniqueness of the Kuwaiti society.

She quoted HH the Amir as considering the sons of the country as “the most precious wealth and best investment”.

The minister unveiled a fresh project to establish a second public university in Kuwait in order to provide more educational opportunities to Kuwaiti youth as part of an integrated system of governmental universities.

For their par t, many of the awarded universit y students

thanked HH the Amir for his keenness on attending the graduation ceremony as a sign of encouragement for them to work harder and make more achievements in all fields.

They said “the fact that HH the Amir allocated some time for meeting and awarding the graduates is a clear-cut evidence of his eagerness to stimulate ‘his sons’.”

They said this awarding by HH the Amir would cer tainly spur them to work harder to raise the name of their nation. —KUNA

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local

New hospitals, polyclinics will ease overcrowding, claims official

kuwait digest

The political bogeyman!

By Ali Al-Baghli

Moves to coordinate insurance system

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The tremendous pressure placed on Kuwait’s state hospitals, particularly by the burgeoning expatriate population, will be eased in the next three to four years with the construction of three new hospitals and 15 polyclinics to be funded by the introduction of a private medical insurance system, according to senior government officials. The new facilities, providing a total of 1,600 beds, will help greatly in relieving the current chaotic scenes of overcrowding and congestion and public hospitals, according to Mohammed Al-Munifi, the head of the establishing committee behind the Kuwait Health Assurance Company (KHAC), the body set up to coordinate the new health insurance system.

Speaking at a press conference held yesterday at the Safir International Hotel to offer potential investors a chance to find out more about the new system and answer their questions, AlMunifi explained, “M inisterial Resolution Number 586 of 2010 was issued to establish the Kuwait Health Assurance Company and conduct a public auction to sell a 26 percent ownership share to a strategic partner. This will resolve the long waiting period for patients to access healthcare services.”

The 26 percent ownership share will be sold to the highest bidder who will also contribute to the establishment and management of KHAC, according to Kuwait’s commercial legislation, the senior official added, explaining that the Kuwaiti government’s objective in

the auction process is to ensure the highest standards and practices of transparency, fairness, and non-discrimination. The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is the party responsible for conducting and supervising the auction for shares in the new company, which has a capital sum of KD 318 Million.

The establishment of the KHAC will also provide more opportunities for private sector interests in Kuwait, said AlMunifi. “This will increase the standard of health services in Kuwait,” he asserted. “The private sector today provides about 10 percent of [Kuwait’s] healthcare, which is a small market share. This percentage should be increased in the future through government support and providing health opportunities.”

The senior official insisted that the KHAC would realize significant profit margins from its first year of operation.

“The [levels of profit attained by the] company may reach KD 450 million within less than 10 years,” he asserted.

“The price of annual health assurance [per person] for the first 10 years has been set for 130 and KD 120 for the 10th year. The company has the right to increase these charges in case inflation in the country reaches more than 6 percent.”

Ahmad Nasuli from the Advisor y Company highlighted the fact that the cost of healthcare services per person in Kuwait increased sharply between 2002 and 2009, rising from KD 56 to KD 112. “According to the current law, a private hospital isn’t allowed to provide

medical care for patients suffering from infectious diseases, and this will apply to the new hospitals,” he explained. “In these cases, the government will receive 50 percent of the annual installment set by the government. The KHAC will provide healthcare services to both the citizens and expats.”

The Kuwaiti government has already allocated three sites for the construction of the new hospitals, in Jahra, Farwaniya and Ahmadi, and is set to sign renewable 20-year leasehold contracts with the KHAC for the locations.

The government has also granted the KHAC a three-year grace period during which the company will need to obtain the necessary licenses and complete the construction and equipping of the facilities.

Role of Kuwaiti workforce in development plan hailed KUWAIT: Opening addresses made at the second national labor conference which started Sunday under the theme of “Developing National Labor,” stressed the significant role of the Kuwaiti workforce in the development plan.

The speeches also stressed the importance attached within the plan for the national labor with the aim of transforming the country into a financial and trade center.

Chairman of the Civil Service Commission Abdulaziz Al-Zabin said at an address-delivered on behalf of His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah-that the conference comes as part of the state’s interest in the issues of economic development, national labor.

He added that the conference lends support to the Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP) through creating job opportunities to national labor, and encouraging them to work at non-governmental bodies.

National Employment Support Program provided more than 30,000 job opportunities, and effectively contributed to reducing unemployment to less than five percent, a globally acceptable percentage, compared to 8.3 percent in 2002.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of MGRP Waleed Al-Wuhaib said that-following 10 years of launching MGRP, and six years of holding the first national labor conference-the instructions made by His Highness the Amir was put into effect through the appointment of 60,000 of Kuwaitis at the private sector within the government’s interest in national labor as a strategic goal.

Al-Wuhaib added that the conference’s themes include displaying and studying themes of MGRP like organizing the labor force, achieving compatibility between educational outputs and labor market requirements, and the role of training and rehabilitation in creating cadres eligible to work at the private sector.

The themes also stress the importance of small-sized enterprises, and proposing necessary legislations and incentives that ensure the participation of national labor in managing and owning such projects.

He also stressed that the presence of national labor rose to a majority exceeding 60 percent in banks and financial institutions compared to 10 percent in 2001, while noting that rate of Kuwaiti employees at private sector rose from 1.3 percent in 2001 to 4.3 percent in the present time.

On his part, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning Dr Adel AlWugayyan asserted that the national labor data from 2001 to 2009 refers to an increase in the number of total workforce to more than 2.07 million with the growth rate of Kuwaitis among them reaching nearly 4.2 percent annually against a six percent for non-Kuwaitis.

Finally, Wugayyan said that the most daunting challenge facing the Kuwaiti labor market is represented in the intensive presence of national labor at the governmental sector as they account for about 81 percent of the total national workforce, while 19 percent of Kuwaitis only sought work at the private sector, and the number of those appointed at the state bodies in the recent years hit some 15,000 in 2008. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait marked Mother’s Day yesterday with various surprises, opportunities for dining and outing. Mothers were showered with love.

—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

I

n their attempts to save their positions in face of popular uprisings, Arab leaders have used ‘bogeys’ as a common way to intimidate people and the world against toppling their regimes.

These bogeys, Bogeymen, or however you pluralize that word, have failed to frustrate the revolutions and people of the Arab World.

Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, who will forever be known as the first leader to fall in the wave of popular Arab revolutions, tried to intimidate the people of Tunisia as well as the West by claiming that fundamentalists would try to control the country the moment he was ousted. However, following his dishonorable exit, and even after the return of Rashid Al-Ghannushi (a Muslim Brotherhood leader who spent 20 years in exile) no fundamentalist system or activity has occurred as Ben Ali claimed would happen.

Meanwhile in Egypt, the former president Hosni Mubarak claimed that he was the victim of a conspiracy run by Israel and the United States. He even went so far as to assert that he was protecting Egypt, or as he said “the beating heart of the Arab world,” from the dominance of Al-Qaeda or other Jihadist groups. After being ousted, it does not seem as though the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Egypt will get more than 30% of the seats in parliament if free elections were held.

In Yemen, president Ali Abdullah Saleh - who previously sought foreign help to fight off a large community of his people - the Houthis who he claimed were receiving support from Iran - warned that his ousting would allow Al-Qaeda to take control of his country. The Al-Qaeda threat has also been used by Muammar Qaddafi, who once warned that Libya would fall into the hands of extremists if he was ousted.

Since the beginning of the revolutions in the Arab World we have yet to hear any statement or announcement from an Al-Qaeda member about the alleged role they are playing in the collapsing of these regimes. Instead, the dominant force leading the demise of oppressive regimes is the people’s thirst for democracy and human rights; something more powerful than Al-Qaeda’s barbaric approach.

The ‘Iranian Bogeyman’ has also been used to describe the alleged allegiance of protestors in Bahrain. If there are people in Bahrain truly more loyal to Iran than to their own country then how come the Bahraini people almost unanimously voted in favor of independence during the plebiscite held in the 70’s?

Perhaps the most unreasonable allegation made to justify suppressing protest is the one used by the government of Syria; that ‘foreign hands’ are instigating the outbursts there. Last week a local Syrian daily published an article alleging that public communication authorities received complaints from citizens about text messages urging them to demonstrate and create chaos. The article further stated that tracking the source of the messages revealed that they were sent from an area located just north of Tel Aviv where an information center that belongs to the Israeli Army is located. I literally laughed out loud while reading that article.

It would’ve made sense if Syria enjoyed a similar level of safety and stability to that of Switzerland, which could’ve prompted Israel to disturb its peace out of envy. However, given the lack of democracy, deteriorating human rights, as well as the country’s miserable conditions in various fields I don’t think the people of Syria need to be enticed by Israel, the United States or even Satan himself to carry out a revolution against the regime! —Al-Qabas

40th KTS education conference begins

KUWAIT: Customs officers at Kuwait International Airport apprehended an Afghani man after becoming suspicious of his behavior, with X-rays showing that he had swallowed a prophylactic containing a kilogram of heroin in an attempt to smuggle the drug into the country. On being questioned, the foiled smuggler admitted he had been instructed to deliver the drug to an unidentified individual.

KUWAIT: The fortieth edition of Kuwait Teachers’ Society (KTS) Educational Conference opened yesterday, with this year’s event, entitled ‘Educational Curricula in Kuwait: Between Stressing Identity and Achieving Development,’ being patronized by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlSabah.

In her opening address at the event, Ministry of Education Assistant Undersecretary for Public Education Mona Al-Loghani stressed the importance of the conference’s theme and the crucial nature of these issues to the education system.

Speaking on behalf of education minister Dr. Moudhi Al-Humoud and as a representative of HH the Crown Prince, Al-Loghani said, “What we are talking about [at the conference] is not confined to curricula, but includes influential elements in the education process which are related to the values system that affects all curricular elements; foremost among these is consolidating the sense of belonging and helping our Arab identity to take root.”

The senior education ministr y official also stressed the importance of turning education into an effective tool for achieving sustainable development in Kuwait, hailing the efforts of male and

MP asks about new hospitals system KUWAIT: MP Aseel Al-Awadhi has submitted a number of parliamentary questions to health minister Dr. Helal Al-Sayer concerning his announcement at a recent press conference of the establishment of a shareholding firm to fund the construction of a number of new hospitals in the country for expatriates operating on the basis of private medical insurance payments.

The conference, held on March 7 under the patronage of development minister

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, also saw the announcement of a new public health authority to supervise both the public and private healthcare sectors in Kuwait, reported Al-Rai. In her questions to the minister, AlAwadhi asked whether feasibility studies had been carried out into separating the medical services provided to Kuwaitis and expatriate residents or into the introduction of separate nonprofit health insurance systems for both groups.

female teachers in this respect, “which we fully appreciate, given the great attention paid by the political leadership to education through sparing no effort and creating all possible conditions to achieve the aims of our beloved country.”

The next speaker, KTS chairman Mutaeb Al-Otaibi, said that the theme of this year’s conference and its focus on a sensitive national issue demonstrate the teachers’ society’s eagerness to play an active role in all educational issues and developments.

Al-Otaibi said that the curricula of educational institutions represent a key part of the education process, which he said has motivated the KTS to pay close attention to curricula generally and to making them the central issue for the conference given their crucial role in strengthening national values and overcoming challenges.

The first day of the three-day conference was scheduled to feature a symposium entitled ‘The School Syllabus and the Value System,’ which a large number of educationalists and sociologists were set to attend, as well as two workshops, one on ‘Values of Citizenship in Curricula and Their Part in Consolidating Identity,’ and the other on ‘Self-Education and Cooperative Learning as an Approach to Consolidating Identity and Achieving

MAIA conference KUWAIT: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (MAIA) hopes that its ‘Dialogue of Cultures’ conference, which begins today will be one of its most successful events to date in bridging the gap between the world’s cultures and civilizations.

This year’s annual conference, the second such event, will focus on the need to respect religions and religious symbols, said MAIA Undersecretary Dr. Adel Al-Falah in a press release issued yesterday. The conference is a serious initiative on the ministry’s part to achieve its vision of an advanced dialogue between cultures. —KUNA

KUWAIT: A huge blaze in an abandoned house in Hawally gutted the entire building, although firefighters managed to prevent it spreading to neighboring homes. There are suspicions that foul play may have been involved in the blaze, which broke out shortly after firefighters had returned to the local station after successfully extinguished another fire in a wooded area near the house. After putting out the house fire, firefighters discovered that large quantities of detergent, oil and other flammable materials had been stored in the empty home.

A

y

e niv rsar n

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

Years

local

4-member gang kidnaps, rapes male teen Maid held for assaulting children KUWAIT: A male teenager was kidnapped and raped by a gang of four men who threatened to harm him if he spoke to the police. The 16-year-old reported the incident to authorities anyway and told them that he was abducted in Ali Sabah AlSalem by three juveniles and a 21-year-old man. He explained that they sexually assaulted him and threatened to kill him with a knife if he told anyone what happened. The boy informed his father and the two reported the incident at a local police station. An investigation was launched in search of the assailants.

In a separate incident, a girl informed officials at the Rumaithiya police station that she was sexually assaulted after being drugged at a birthday party she attended recently, reported Al-Rai. The victim, who is from New Zealand, explained to police that her friend invited her to her birthday party at an apartment in Salmiya. She explained that she passed out shortly after having a drink and discovered that when she regained consciousness that she was assaulted. She filed a case with authorities and an investigation was launched.

Children assaulted A housemaid was arrested for beating up her sponsor’s chil-

kuwait digest

Kuwait’s abundant energy resource

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

U

sing solar power to generate electricity instead of creating energy by burning fossil fuel has been the goal of several countries around the world who wish to secure their needs for power while avoiding polluting the environment and damaging human health.

Talk about investing in solar energy projects in the Arab World isn’t something new, which is obvious if you consider the region’s long exposure to strong sun rays throughout the year; especially in the Gulf region. I remember hearing from the Ministry of Electricity and Water officials in Kuwait about the ministry’s interest in solar power projects with ideas in place to establish a plant with 280 megawatt production capacity.

Solar power is considered the best approach to generating electricity given the fact that the sun is a constant and unlimited resource. Solar power projects are less costly in terms of production and consumption compared to nuclear plants, not to mention their advantage from an environmental standpoint.

Several countries including the United States, Japan and Israel have been successful in this field.

America for example generates around 359 megawatts of electricity per day from nine solar power plants built in the desert between Lost Angeles and Las Vegas.

Kuwait, which gets a huge amount of sunlight for most of the year, can make use of this abundant resource to generate clean and renewable power instead of oil. — Al-Rai

Mega projects in industrial sector KUWAIT: The national industrial sector will witness upcoming mega projects that will tangibly contribute to efforts aimed at boosting the economy, Minister of Commerce and Industry Ahmad Al-Haroun has revealed.

The industrial sector, with the execution of these “expansion projects,” will turn into an effective contributor to the broad development strategy, said the minister, in a statement after sponsoring the annual ceremony for honoring employees of the Public Authority for Industry, held late on Sunday.

Promoting the industry is one of the necessary factors for realizing the desire of His Highness Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, for turning Kuwait into an international trade and finance hub, noted Al-Haroun, also pledging to spare no effort for aiding the industrialists.

The ministry is always keen on supporting the national product and removing all hindrances in the face of its marketing, said the minister, affirming the solid belief in the capacity of the national industrial cadres.

Industr y is one of the prime sectors for employment of the domestic labor, he added, thanking personnel of the authority for their efforts, assuring them that many industrial ventures would be launched in the coming few years.

Ali Al-Mudhaf, the director-general of the authority, confirmed that relentless efforts have been exerted for execution of mega ventures, including Sheddadiah industrial zone project, AlNaayem industrial town, the industrial technological complex, sector 11 in the industrial Subhan district, in addition to several projects for utilization of sea water.

Elaborating on the project in Sheddadiah, he indicated a contract for launching project would be signed in the summer.

As to Naayem project, it will be tendered in November, he said, affirming that the coming two years would witness a boom in the local industrial sector, with these two major ventures, as well as several others, outlined in the state five-year development plan. — KUNA

between them escalated into an argument and that the suspect took a gun out of his car and threatened to shoot him with it. A case was filed for further investigations.

ferred to the Babtain Burn Hospital from Adan Hospital where she was initially admitted. A case was filed at the Fintas police station.

Attempted assault A young non-Kuwaiti woman informed police that a person she met in her female friend’s apartment in Shaab attempted to rape her, reported Al-Watan. She explained that she managed to avoid being assaulted by fleeing the apartment through a window. The renter of the apartment was held for questioning to reveal the identity of those present at the party.

Gangsters held Police recently arrested a gang of eight responsible for carrying out several muggings in Salhiya, reported Al-Rai. Police had been looking for the Asian after several Asian laborers in the area reported being mugged. The arrest was made after police caught the thugs beating up a pedestrian. When questioned, the suspects admitted being responsible for several muggings in the area for the past three months and revealed that they collected a KD 500 ransom from the brother of a victim they held hostage inside a Jeleeb Al-Shuiykh apartment for two days.

Illegal hunting Police arrested 20 people for being in possession of weapons, reported Al-Qabas. It was reported that two of the people arrested had no licenses for the rifles in their possession. The group was arrested after Jahra police were informed that people were using Salmi Road as a location to hunt birds.

Murder threat A citizen pressed death threat charges against a person he said used a gun to intimidate him during an altercation over money, reported Al-Watan. In his statement to police he explained that he met the suspect, with whom he has previous dispute, on a street in Kabad. He said that the conversation

Suicide attempt A Filipina woman sustained second degree burns across her body after she set herself on fire in an attempt to kill herself, reported Al-Watan. The victim, who works as a housemaid in Mahboulah, was rushed to the hospital by paramedics after her Kuwaiti employer reported the incident. She was trans-

dren inside their home in Naeem, reported Al-Watan. The children were assaulted after being left in the custody of their Ethiopian maid. Police reported to the scene after receiving an emergency call from a next door neighbor whose little girl witnessed the children being beaten. The children’s parents were summoned to the police station where the maid was held.

Charges were pressed against the maid.

Hawally fight A young man was admitted to Mubarak Hospital’s intensive care unit with stab wounds to his back and shoulder, reported Al-Rai. The victim was brought to the medical facility in an ambulance that picked him up from the scene of a fight near a mall in Hawally. An investigation was launched by police in search of those involved in the fight.

Meanwhile, an Asian man was brought to Adan Hospital after he was stabbed by a friend of his with whom he had a fight with over money. An investigation was launched in search of the assailant, reported Al-Rai.

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

LOCAL

Grillings not influenced by Arab revolutions, insists Al-Saadoun Praise for Amir’s wise decision KUWAIT: Veteran lawmaker Ahmad AlSaadoun has insisted that current developments in Kuwait and the large numbers of grilling motions being presented against cabinet members are not affected by recent regional events, vowing to confront any person who talks about ousting Kuwait’s rulers. “When it comes to the security of Kuwait, we all will become like Mubarak Al-Noun”, Al-Saadoun said, referring to a Kuwaiti martyr who was shot dead by invading Iraqi forces after refusing to take down a poster of His Highness the late Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

Speaking in an interview on Al-Rai TV on Sunday, Al-Saadoun also praised HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s “wise” decision not to send Kuwaiti troops to Bahrain during the current turbulence there, stressing that dialogue is the best way to resolve the issue.

Al-Saadoun also discussed a meeting between him and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi many years ago, describing Gadaffi as “weird” and “contradictory”. Moreover, AlSaadoun said that while Gaddafi told him that he wished he had killed Saddam Husain with his gun at the 1970 Arab League Summit to prevent the first and second Gulf Wars, he still insisted that Kuwait should have given Iraq the Warba and Boubyan Islands.

The leading anti-government MP fiercely rejected allegations suggesting a connection between the grilling motion he plans to submit against His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah and attempts to achieve regime change.

“No one argue with HH the Amir’s absolute constitutional right of selecting the state’s prime minster”, Al-Saadoun insisted, whilst reiterating the right of MPs to file grilling motions against the premier and to bring no-cooperation motions against him as per the constitution.

Although he did not reveal the date on which his Popular Action Bloc is set to present its grilling motion against the premier, AlSaadoun indicated that the motion is to be debated during the April 19th session before

the next parliamentary recess. In the meantime, the lawmaker said that the bloc, which he heads, will support the grilling motion which the National Action Bloc intend to file against Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, State Minister of Housing and State Minister of Development Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad AlSabah, stressing that there has been no coordination between the PAB and Sheikh Al-Fahad whatsoever.

Meanwhile, Al-Saadoun, who is also a former parliamentary speaker, reiterated his rejection of HH the Prime Minister’s continuing in his current role. Whilst voicing respect for the premier as a person, the MP insisted “Kuwait is more important than persons.”

Issues he mentioned for inclusion in the grilling include the sale deal to sell the government’s share in Zain, recent discoveries of large amounts of rotten and inedible food being sold in local outlets, and the corruption discovered in the resale of locations in Abu Ftaira previously used as craftsmen’s studios.

“We have said clearly that the premier is not fit to run the country”, Al-Saadoun stressed, insisting that his bloc will not allow the current regional instability to be used as an excuse to allow corruption to continue.

“We have a constitution that, with the help of God Almighty, protects us from all troubles”, he said, adding that even in the darkest period of Kuwait’s history during the 1990/91 Iraqi Invasion, the constitution had enabled Kuwait to prevail.

Al-Saadoun also referred to “a group of influential people” who he said are running the country, adding that their names can be found “by tracking the names of companies awarded tenders and mentioned in the state’s official gazette”. In regards to constitutional amendments, the veteran parliamentarian said that the time is not right for such action to be taken at the moment. Meanwhile, MPs met in parliament on Sunday to coordinate on the grilling motions to be filed against various government members during the upcoming period.

It was also reported that the NAB, PAB and

other MPs had reached agreement on the sequence and timing of submitting their grilling motions. This means that the NAB is set to file its interpolation motion against Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad today (Tuesday), while the PAB will file its motion against His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah in early April, as Al-Saadoun said, and MPs Dr. Yousef Al-Zalzalah and Saifi Al-Saifi will file their motion against health minister Dr. Helal Al-Sayer at the beginning of May. NAB member Marzouq Al-Ghanim stressed in a press release issued on Sunday that the bloc would not back down from its plans to grill Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad, who is also Minister of State for Economic Affairs and for Development Affairs and Housing.

Meanwhile, other reports suggest that the PAB has rejected a request from the Development and Reform (DRB) to include questions on the Kuwaiti government’s stance towards the situation in Bahrain in its grilling motion against the premier, with PAB head MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun expressing doubts over raising this issue in the motion.

Despite this, the DRB is still expected to support the grilling motion against the premier, with DRB member Faisal Al-Mislem also reassuring NAB members during a recent seminar that his bloc will back their motion against Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad which concerns alleged violations in the areas of housing, development and sports. Although it supports the other motions, however, the DRB is still considering filing its own separate grilling motion against the premier jointly with independent Islamist MP Mohammed Hayef at some stage after the PAB’s grilling, according to a DRB insider.

On a separate issue, it was reported that after the cabinet approved the naturalization of 65 children born to previously naturalized Kuwaiti citizens during its weekly session last Sunday, the Ministry of Health immediately began receiving applications from stateless residents for issuance of birth certificates, receiving 400 applications during the first day.

Nigeria, Kuwait to sign cooperation accords ABUJA: Nigeria and Kuwait will sign three agreements for economic and commercial cooperation, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Nigeria announced yesterday.

Saad Abdullah Al-Assosi, also

the non-resident ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon and Benin, said in a statement, released by the diplomatic mission, that the two states would sign three accords for cooperation in these fields during an

upcoming two-day official visit to the Gulf state by the Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Aliyu Idi Hong.

The forthcoming mission by the minister, who would head a delegation of ranking officials,

would be the first of its kind since a long time ago, Al-Assosi said. It would be the fruit of the efforts, exerted by the Kuwaiti diplomats, for cementing the bilateral relations between the two countries, he added.

‘Gulf states succeeded in political modernization’ ABU DHABI: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Abdulrahman Al-Atiyya blamed protests in the Arab world on the “lack of understanding of the relationship between development and political participation”, while noting to the success of political modernization in Gulf states.

In a keynote speech delivered at the 16th annual conference of the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research yesterday, he said “many thought that Arab countries were characterized by poor political efficiency among their people, but recent events have proved the opposite.

“Political globalization has affected all aspects of life. We must realize that the flood of change is moving the earth beneath our feet and that any lack of awareness of the depth of looming changes may lead to extremely dire consequences.

“There are a number of reasons behind the current protests, including; disruption of development as a result of stagnation in political life; the absence of genuine channels for

comprehensive national dialogue; the growing gap between the culture of national youth and that of existing institutions; widespread poverty; and lack of oversight and transparency, which provides a fertile environment for corruption.”

In relation to the Gulf region, he said “GCC countries have realized the need for the political modernization of the development process, and the importance of participation and openness to citizens.

“In the beginning, there was a focus on economic development and education. In the next phase we entered a boom that had political dimensions, wherein we headed towards participation, began the implementation of reforms, and established and elected various representative councils in all the GCC countries.

On solving the recent political turmoil in Bahrain, he said “national dialogue is the key to solving the problems in the country. Dialogue is the safety valve with which to maintain achievements, promote citizenship, and prevent foreign interference. — KUNA

Kuwait Times photography competition 2011 Kuwait Times Photography Competition 2011 ends on 30th of March 2011. We are encouraging everyone who likes snapping pictures to submit as many photos as they can. The competition is open to everyone who is armed with a camera. One thing needs to be considered: the photos sent should have an original coupon stuck at the back which should include complete information. The last day for receiving entries is 2nd of April 2011. The coupon has to be given at the reception of Kuwait Times office in Shuwaikh. There will be a dinner party for the winning participants either at Crowne Plaza or Holiday Inn. We are very honored to have the professional judges whom we invited to choose among the best.

Three judges will be on the judging panel and will make the final choice of winners.

Uwe W. Wruck is a Commercial Photographer. He was born in 1954 in Germany. He was educated as a Photographer in Pyrmont/Hannover (BoPh). He holds a Master of Photography (MoPh, Bundesfachschule fuer Fotografie, Hamburg). He had education as Aerial Photographer for the Air Force in Germany (Munich).

He has been working in Germany Wruck for different studios, in the field of People, Still life, Food and Industrial Photography.

During that time he held several exhibitions of his photographic works in Hamburg, Hannover, Koeln (Photokina) and Munich. In 1983 he moved to Kuwait and started the Commercial Studio for Boushahri Studios and worked for Boushahri Camera Arts for 15 Years. In 1997 he founded with Reda Salem the “Photographics” and “Photogenics”. They operated a Commercial and Portrait Studio in Salmiya. In 2004 he started “Uwe W. Wruck Photography” in Jabriya. He has been working for the last 40 years in Photography publications in magazines and books and gained price winning competitions during this time. Much of his work in commercial photography can be seen in the shelves and freezers of supermarkets, magazines/newspapers and street posters etc. In 2004 he held an exhibition entitled “20 Years of Kuwait” (with 190 images of Kuwait). A year later he received a “KAAA” Award for Outstanding Advertising Photography. The same year he received prizes from KUNA and SAS Radison/Chevron Competitions. His past works reach into all fields of commercial photography. He says he still enjoys photography as a hobby and art.

The second judge is Konstantin Assenov, executive creative director at Paragon Marketing Communications.

He is a holder of a master’s degree in Fine Arts from the National Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Having more than 30 years of experience in the field of visual arts, graphic design, advertising, photography and mass communications, Konstantin had his works featured in several international books on graphic design, branding and corporate identity.

An active member of the IAA Kuwait Chapter, he has been part of judging panels at many creative awards.

Konstantin is the author of more than 200 logos, more

than half of which were created for companies in Kuwait.

An avid photographer, Konstantin has works published and used in a wide platform of media such as packaging, advertisements and profiles.

The third judge is Louai Alasfahani - Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Paragon Marketing Communication, an independent award winning agency with offices in Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman and Bulgaria - established in 2001. In January 2010 Louai Alasfahani raised to the rank President of the International Advertising Association (IAA Kuwait Chapter) from his previous rank as IAA Secretary General. Back in December 1996 Louai Alasfahani helped in the establishment of the IAA

Assenov

Alasfahani

Kuwait Chapter and has since its inception maintained his membership and support to make the local chapter the force it is today. He is also an active member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

Louai Alasfahani’s work over the past two decades has won him numerous local, regional and international creativity awards. His work can be enjoyed on the pages of more than 18 international book titles on the subject of creativity and design. His most coveted award till date is Kuwait’s 1st (and only) corporate social responsibility (CSR) award as Louai has a strong conviction in the power of communication and its positive effect on our lives when practiced responsibly.

When Louai Alasfahani was elected in 2005 to judge the Summit International Awards (SIA) he became the first - and till date, the only Arab national - to hold such honor. His continuous re-election to judge SIA and other local and regional competitions as well as being the official representative of both the Dubai Lynx and Cannes Lions festivals for creativity is an indication of the respect the industry has for his personal achievements and trust in his professional integrity. He is a regular guest speaker in numerous universities in Kuwait and the United Kingdom.

In his spare time, Louai Alasfahani regularly contributes articles to specialized trade magazines such as Arab Ad, GMR, Campaign ME, Communicate, Media Week, Byte, Al Tasweq Al Arabi, Aswaq, Awraq, Focus Intelligence report and others. In 2008 he created and still manages bloganubis.com - a blog on intellectual property, creativity and Integrated Marketing Communications that is oneof-its-kind in the Middle East. His passion is equally split between graphic design and photography.

International TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

Don’t bomb Libya, arm rebels: Iran’s Khamenei

52 feared dead in Pakistan coal mine explosion

Page 8 Page 11

Workers flee nuke plant as smoke rises

MIYAGI: A fishing boat sits amongst debris of houses and cars in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan yesterday. (Inset) Photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), gray smoke rises from Unit 3 of the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okumamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan yesterday.— AP FUKUSHIMA: Gray smoke rose from two reactor units yesterday, temporarily stalling critical work to reconnect power lines and restore cooling systems to stabilize Japan’s radiation-leaking nuclear complex. Workers are racing to bring the nuclear plant under control, but the process is proceeding in fits and starts, stalled by incidents like the smoke and by the need to work methodically to make sure wiring, pumps and other machinery can be safely switched on.

“Our crisis is still going on. Our crisis is with the nuclear plants.

We are doing everything we can to bring this to an end,” Gov Yuhei Sato of Fukushima prefecture, where the plant is located, told the more than 1,000 people moved away from the plant into a gymnasium. “Don’t give up. We know you are suffering.” “Please get us out of here,” yelled Harunobu Suzuki, a 63-year-old truck driver.

What caused the smoke to billow first from Unit 3 at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant and later from Unit 2 is under investigation, nuclear safety agency officials said. Still, in the days since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami wrecked the plant’s cooling systems, both reactors have overheated and seen explosions.

Workers were evacuated from the area to buildings nearby, though radiation levels remained steady, the officials said.

Problems set off by the disasters have ranged far beyond the devastated northeast coast and the wrecked nuclear plant, handing the government what it has called Japan’s worst crisis since World War II. Rebuilding the ruined northeast coast may cost as much as

$235 billion. Police estimate the death toll will surpass 18,000.

Traces of radiation are tainting vegetables and some water supplies, although in amounts the government and health experts say do not pose a risk to human health in the short-term. China, Japan’s biggest trading partner, ordered testing of Japanese food imports for radiation contamination.

“Please do not overreact, and act calmly,” said Chief Cabinet spokesman Yukio Edano in the government’s latest appeal to ease public concerns. “Even if you eat contaminated vegetables several times, it will not harm your health at all.” Edano said Fukushima’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., would compensate farmers affected by bans on the sale of raw milk, spinach and canola.

The troubles at Fukushima have in some ways overshadowed the natural catastrophe, threatening a wider disaster if the plant spews more concentrated forms of radiation than it has so far.

The nuclear safety agency and Tokyo Electric reported significant progress over the weekend and yesterday. Electrical teams, having finished connecting three of the plant’s six units, worked to connect the rest by today, the utility said.

Once done, however, pumps and other equipment have to be checked, and the reactors cleared of dangerous gas , before the power can be restored. For instance, a motorized pump to inject water into Unit 2’s overheated reactor and spent fuel storage pool needs to be replaced, said Hidehiko Nishiyama, an official at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, or NISA. The crisis has brought renewed scrutiny to Tokyo Electric, a

wealthy, politically influential utility that has been accused in the past of safety violations. Days before the disaster, a NISA report criticized Tokyo Electric for failing to inspect crucial equipment related to cooling systems at Fukushima, though agency officials refused yesterday to draw a link between the inspection lapses and the breakdown of cooling systems after the tsunami. Radioactive iodine, which breaks down after a week, has been the most widespread contaminant found, but so have traces of cesium, which lasts decades and may cause cancer. That cesium was likely generated when nuclear fuel rods partially melted last week, NISA’s Nishiyama said, and is an indication of potential harm to the environment and how badly damaged some of the reactors are. Early yesterday, the Health Ministry advised Iitate, a village of 6,000 people about 30 kilometers (19 miles) northwest of the plant, not to drink tap water due to elevated levels of iodine. Ministry spokesman Takayuki Matsuda said iodine three times the normal level was detected there, about one twenty-sixth of the level of a chest X-ray in one liter of water.

The World Bank said in a report yesterday that Japan may need five years to rebuild from the disasters, which caused up to $235 billion in damage, saying the cost to private insurers will be up to $33 billion and that the government will spend $12 billion on reconstruction in the current national budget and much more later. Growing concerns about radiation add to the chain of disasters Japan has struggled with since the 9.0-

magnitude quake. The resulting tsunami ravaged the northeastern coast. All told, police estimates show more than about 18,400 died. More than 15,000 deaths are likely in Miyagi, the prefecture that took the full impact of the wave, said a police spokesman.

“It is very distressing as we recover more bodies day by day,” said Hitoshi Sugawara, the spokesman. Police in other parts of the disaster area declined to provide estimates, but confirmed about 3,400 deaths. Nationwide, official figures show the disasters killed more than 8,600 people, and leaving more than 13,200 missing, but those two lists may have some overlap. The disasters have displaced another 452,000, who are in shelters.

In an example of the tsunami’s force, the wave swept a collapsed house out of a devastated neighborhood in the city of Ishinomaki and deposited it near a river about 100 meters (yards) away. A 16-year-old boy and his grandmother who were trapped inside survived and were rescued Sunday when the boy, Jin Abe, was finally able to crawl out of the smashed home and get the attention of a police patrol. Abe told Japanese broadcaster NHK yesterday from his hospital bed: “I’m so relieved to be rescued.” He and his 80-year-old grandmother, Sumi Abe, were wedged under debris in the kitchen of their smashed two-story home and ate snacks and drank water from the nearby refrigerator as they lay trapped in the debris.

Yamaguchi and Associated Press writers Shino Yuasa, Mayami Saito and Elaine Kurtenbach reported from Tokyo. — AFP

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Don’t bomb Libya, arm Rebels: Iran’s Khamenei Iran leader says US seeks strategic ‘foothold’ in Libya

TRIPOLI: In this photo released by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from left to right, New York Times journalists Stephen Farrell, Tyler Hicks, Amba Levent Sahinkaya, Lynsey Addario and Anthony Shadid pose at the Turkish Embassy in Tripoli, Libya yesterday.—AP

Captured NY Times journalists released RAS AJDIR: Four New York Times journalists who were held captive in Libya for six days were freed yesterday by authorities and crossed the border into Tunisia, the newspaper said.

Reporter Anthony Shadid, photographers Tyler Hicks and Lynsey Addario and videographer Stephen Farrell left Libya at the dusty border crossing into Tunisia that has been used by tens of thousands of people fleeing violence. “We’re overjoyed to report that our four journalists missing in Libya since Tuesday morning are free and have arrived safely in Tunisia,” New York Times executive editor Bill Keller wrote in a message to staff. He said the paper had received confirmation from Libyan officials on Thursday that the four were in custody but would soon be freed. They were allowed to speak with relatives Thursday night, Keller wrote. The four had been handed over to the Turkish ambassador in Tripoli, said Rauf Denktas, a spokesman for the Turkish Embassy in Washington.

Keller’s note said the Turkish government played a key role in “overseeing the release” of its journalists and ensuring they reached Tunisia and “we are particularly indebted.” In a separate statement, the Times also thanked the British and US governments as well as members of the Libyan government who helped secure the journalists’ release.

Libyan authorities said the journalists were captured last week by forces loyal to Col. Muammar Gaddafi in Ajdabiya during fighting in the eastern part of the country. The New York Times reported that the four had entered the rebel-controlled area from Egypt without visas, as have many Western journalists.

Shadid’s father, Buddy Albert Shadid, said in a telephone interview from Oklahoma City that he spoke with his son at 6 am yesterday and with Shadid’s wife in Beirut about 40 minutes later. “It’s been draining. I was a nervous wreck.

Everything was complicated with the no fly zone,” Shadid said, referring to the

coalition force mounted as of Saturday to protect Libyans from strikes by Gadhafi’s forces. “The whole family is overjoyed and thrilled and appreciate all the support and love that the whole country has shown,” Shadid father said, adding that his son would fly to Beirut to be reunited with his wife, also a New York Times journalist.

He said his son was not at liberty to discuss details of his capture. Hicks’ father, Portis Hicks of Manhattan, said he, too, was “delighted.” “The story is Tyler’s to tell and the others to tell. I don’t know all about what they went through during the period they were in custody. The best part of the story is that they’re free,” he said by telephone. Portis Hicks said he had spoken to his son around 6 a.m. and “he sounded fine. He said he was OK.” Hicks said he was grateful to the Turkish government. Keller urged New York Times journlaists to exersize caution: “This is a reminder that real, boots-onthe-ground journalism is hard and sometimes dangerous work.” It was the second time that Farrell had been held captive.

In 2009, he was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan and was rescued by British commandos.

Shadid worked previously for The Associated Press, Washington Post and Boston Globe. He won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in 2004 and 2010 for his coverage of Iraq.

Hicks, a former photographer for The Wilmington Star-News in North Carolina and the Troy Daily News in Ohio, was named Newspaper Photographer of the Year in 2007 by Pictures of the Year International and won an Infinity award from the International Center of Photography in 2001. Addario also has worked for National Geographic and Time magazine and was part of The New York Times team that won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting.

She won a MacArthur Fellowship, known as the Genius Grant, in 2009.— AP

Fears Egypt vote to benefit Islamists CAIRO: Egypt’s first exercise in democracy in decades was hailed as a success yesterday, but the result of a key referendum has raised fears in some quarters that Islamists will hijack looming elections. Egyptians on Saturday voted 77 percent in favour of proposed constitutional amendments intended to guide the Arab world’s most populous nation through new presidential and parliamentary elections within six months.

The Muslim Brotherhood threw its huge influence and grassroots organisation behind a “yes” vote, although youth groups that spearheaded the protests which forced Hosni Mubarak to resign as president last month had called for a “no” vote.

They argued the timetable set by the military was too tight for them to organise at grassroots level, that the Muslim Brotherhood would benefit and that the changes to the Mubarak-era constitution were too limited.

In an editorial, the mass-circulation daily Al-Ahram said the referendum was a “win for democracy,” a view echoed by the stateowned Al-Gomhuria which said: “Everybody has won in this referendum, whether they voted yes or no.”

The Coalition of the Revolution’s Youth urged supporters not to feel defeated after the result, and called on everyone to respect the result of the “historic democratic process” and quickly begin work on the next phase.

“We are now on the doorstep of a new era, in which Egyptians will shape their state for decades to come... we must work to carry on fulfilling the ambitions of the revolution,” the group said on its Facebook page. But others felt more threatened by the result. “The referendum, while it was free of fraud, was not free of ‘influence’, especially by the Muslim Brotherhood and the religious trend in general,” wrote Suleiman Gouda in the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm.

“The mosques were used by these groups to influence the voters,” he said. The Muslim Brotherhood, the largest opposition movement in the country and officially banned in the Mubarak era, used its new found free-

CAIRO: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa speak at a press conference in Cairo yesterday. —AP dom-and organisational skills-to campaign for a “yes” vote. The group, and other more fundamentalist religious movements, presented the “yes” vote as a religious duty, though many at polling stations said they voted “yes” for the sake of “stability” rather than religious inclinations.

In the run-up to the vote, “the ‘yes’ camp had been warning people of suffering on the day of judgment if they don’t vote yes,” wrote columnist Salama Ahmed Salama in the independent daily Al-Shoruk.

Gouda urged the army to oversee the country’s handover to a secular figure.”The country must be handed over to an elected secular president, not to the Brotherhood, not because we are against them as a movement, but because the current exceptional circumstances work in their favour and not the others,” he wrote.

“There has to be fair competition.” More than 14 million Egyptians approved the constitutional amendments and four million said “no”, organising commission chairman Mohammed Attiya said. A total of 41 percent or 18.5 million of the estimated 45 million eligible voters turned out on Saturday to seize their first taste of democracy, after 18 days of demonstrations ended Mubarak’s 30 years of authoritarian rule, he added. —AFP

TEHRAN: If the West wanted to help Libyan civilians it would arm them rather than bombing Muammar Gaddafi, Iran’s leader said yesterday, accusing Washington of seeking a strategic “foothold” in oil-rich Libya. In a speech to mark the new Iranian year, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected US President Barack Obama’s assertion that opposition protesters in Iran were the same as prodemocracy masses that have risen up against autocratic governments across the Middle East.

Khamenei has welcomed the uprisings in the Arab world as part of an “Islamic awakening” and poured scorn on the West’s military moves to protect Libyan civilians. ‘“We condemn 100 percent how Gaddafi was and is dealing with the people ... the killing of civilians,” he said. “But we also condemn 100 percent the entrance and interference of America and the West.”

“They could have armed them, given them anti-aircraft batteries, instead they witnessed the massacre of the people for one month,” he told a packed shrine in the holy city of Mashhad. “You plan to use Libya as a foothold to be able to monitor the revolutionary future governments in Tunisia and Egypt. That is your corrupt intention,” Khamenei said to a crowd that chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Obama”.

The White House said its aim for the bombing-which began after a UN Security Council resolution endorsed action to protect civilians-was not regime change, but Russia, which abstained in the UN vote, likened the intervention to the medieval crusades.

Gaddafi’s concessions to the West over Libya’s nuclear programme showed Iran was right to continue to reject any curb to

TEHRAN: Iranian supreme leader’s official website shows Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seated in front of a portrait of his predecessor the late founder of the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomieni, as he addresses the nation yesterday in Tehran on the occasion of Noruz, the Iranian New Year.—AFP

its nuclear development-despite sanctions imposed by countries who fear Tehran might be building nuclear arms, Khamenei said.

Whereas Libya had given up its nuclear capacities in exchange for incentives that Khamenei compared to giving candy to a child, Iran “not only did not retreat but, despite all the efforts, officials tried to increase nuclear facilities year after year.”

While voicing suppor t for demonstrators in the region and condemning government repression, Iran has crushed protests at home and jailed scores of demonstrators since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed presidential election in June 2009. Khamenei lampooned Obama who, in what has become

an annual address to Iranians on their new year, said Iranians who staged huge post-election protests were driven by the same “forces of hope” as the people who brought down Mubarak.

“He says people in Tehran’s Azadi square are the same as people in Tahrir Square in Egypt.

He is right, every year (on the anniversar y of the Islamic Revolution) the people of this nation gather at Azadi Square and their slogan is ‘Down with America’,” he said. Iran calls the opposition movement a “sedition”, backed by Iran’s foreign foes. It has deployed large numbers of security forces to prevent efforts to rekindle the protests which were crushed at the end of 2009.

On the crackdown in Bahrain, where the Sunni Muslim ruling family has received military suppor t from neighboring Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Khamenei said it was wrong to see Iran’s moral support for the largely Shiite protesters as a sectarian matter.

“In Bahrain, there is no conflict between Shiites and Sunnis. it is rather a nation’s protest against the oppression that is being imposed on it.” “ We believe the Saudi government made a mistake. I t shouldn’t have done it (sending troops) and it is making itself hateful in the region,” he said. “They made a mistake and anyone else who does this (send troops) will make a mistake.”— Reuters

Iraqis warn Libyans against excessive optimism BAGHDAD: Eight years after their own country was plunged into chaos, Iraqis are warning Libyans against excessive optimism but insist that the international community had no option but military intervention to deal with a “sick” dictator. “Striking Libya was the only thing to do to liberate a country from the grip of a sick dictator clinging to power,” said Alaa alSamkari, a 38-year-old mechanic in Baghdad, referring to veteran Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.

“But an invasion is successful if it brings real democracy,” he said, speaking yesterday, eight years after invasion of Iraq. On March 20, 2003, a US-led coalition launched an offensive that in just a few weeks toppled Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein.

Eight years later, another UNbacked alliance began a wave of air strikes on Saturday aimed at protecting the Libyan people from a crackdown by forces loyal to Kadhafi following a popular revolt.

“At first I was happy that the regime was overthrown in Iraq, but from 2005, I realised that nothing was going to fundamentally change,” said Alaa al-Samkari, enjoying a day off from work for Nowruz, the Kurdish new year.

“Life is now worse than under Saddam Hussein because politicians cling to power but do nothing,” he said, a badminton racquet in hand, and surrounded by family members on an outing to Baghdad’s crowded Zawra park.

Iraq has in recent weeks been rocked by numerous protests against bureaucratic corruption and inefficiency. And although sectarian violence has plunged dramatically since its peak in 20062007, bomb attacks and kidnappings continue almost daily.

“The violence and everything

BAGHDAD: Iraqi families visit the Zawra Park in central Baghdad yesterday as they mark Noruz, an ancient Persian festival celebrated on the first day of spring in countries including Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan and Iran.—AFP that happened were unfortunately dishdasha. It is thanks to the 2003 Christian, said he had no such the price to pay” to oust Saddam, invasion that Jabri, a Shiite, was hopes for his own country, where said Mohammed Talqani, 68. reappointed as a judge after losing his co-religionists remain targets “Despite all that, the foreign inva- his job in the wake of a 1991 Shiite of Al-Qaeda extremists.

“Under Saddam Hussein, we sion was necessary,” added Talqani, uprising against Saddam.

He said he was “very optimistic” could live decently if we stayed an official with the youth and sports ministry, directing the activi- for the future of Libya, a country away from politics,” he recalled. “I ties of a group of boy scouts at the that he said “is nothing like” Iraq. knew from 2003 that the situation park. “How else can you deal with a “To prevent Libya from descending would not improve because the dictator who does not want to into violence, you just eliminate sectarian divisions were too deep.” relinquish power?” he asked, refer- Kadhafi and his entourage,” said He said he had chosen to leave ring to both Libya and his own the former magistrate. “Libya is not Iraq for ever because “it is more country. Faraj al-Jabri, 64, said he weighed down by sectarianism as painful to feel a stranger in your own homeland than in another recognised that the current Iraqi was Iraq because of Saddam.”

Bassem Anis, a professor of country.” He said he would leave government’s record “is not the medicine, said he too was con- for his self-imposed exile on April best.”

“But having democracy means vinced that Libya would recover 9, the day that the Iraqi capital that half the battle is won,” said the quickly if Kadhafi were to be over- Baghdad fell to the US-led forces retired judge, wearing a grey Arab thrown. But Anis, a 26-year-old eight years ago.— AFP

Iraqi AL- Qaeda group says behind army HQ attack BAGHDAD: Al Qaeda’s Iraqi affiliate has claimed responsibility for last week’s car bomb attack on an Iraqi army unit that killed at least eight soldiers, a group that monitors insurgent communications said yesterday. The bomb, which targeted an army headquarters in Iraq’s volatile northern Diyala

province, also wounded 30 others when it exploded last Monday.

Security forces foiled a second attack and defused a car bomb parked at the scene.

The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group for al Qaeda-linked insurgents, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement post-

ed on a radical Islamic website, the US-based SITE Intelligence Group said. According to SITE, the group said in the statement it “managed to bypass the security perimeter, break into the site and detonate the vehicle in the inner courtyard” of the headquarters.

While overall violence in Iraq

has dropped from the height of sectarian warfare in 2006-7, bombings and attacks are still a daily occurrence and insurgents are targeting Iraqi police and troops ahead of a full US military withdrawal at the end of the year, eight years after the 2003 US-led invasion.— Reuters

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Woman charged in Texas day care fire returns to US HOUSTON: A woman accused of fleeing to Nigeria after a fire at her Texas day care center killed four children began her trip back to the United States on Sunday to face manslaughter and other charges, a congresswoman said. Jessica Tata, 22, departed Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday and officials hoped she would be back in Houston within 24 hours, US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston said in a statement issued Sunday.

Authorities believe Tata fled to Nigeria two days after a Feb. 24 fire at her home day care center in Houston killed four children and hurt three others.

Tata has been charged with manslaughter, injury to a child and child abandonment amid accusations that she left the youngsters alone at her home day care center while she shopped at a nearby store.

Authorities believe the fire was ignited by a stove top burner that had been left on.

“I thank Ms. Tata and her family for coming together and helping her to make the right decision,” Lee said. “I am glad she decided to make the right decision, which is to return to this country of which she is a citizen in order to face the charges against her.” The US Marshals Service declined to provide details of the fugitive’s return itinerary. “It is the policy of the US Marshals to not comment on prisoner movements until they are complete,” said spokesman Jeff Carter. Fire investigators have said they received a tip that Tata, a Nigerian-born US citizen, had relatives in Nigeria and might flee.

In her Sunday statement, Lee expressed thanks to the US Embassy in Nigeria.

“I want to emphasize that all of the US officials, including the State Department, were continuously attentive to this matter,” she said. “I am also expressing my appreciation to the cooperative Nigerian officials.” A person answering a telephone call to Ron Tata of Houston, Jessica Tata’s brother, hung up Sunday. However, the brother told The Associated Press on Saturday that relatives in Nigeria had informed him early that day that his sister had turned herself in to the US Consulate. “She just felt really, really, really bad about the whole situation, especially for the families. It would be the right thing to do,” he said.

Donna Hawkins, spokeswoman for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, declined to comment on Tata’s return. News of Tata’s return was bit-

tersweet to Emmanuel Kajoh of the Houston suburb of Cypress, whose daughter Elizabeth died in the fire.

“I buried my daughter and I want to move on,” he said. Tata’s return “will not bring back my daughter. I’m moving on, trying to heal the wound, and that’s why I don’t really want to talk much about it.

The US Marshals Service, which was leading the search for Tata, had put the woman on its list of the 15 most wanted fugitives and offered a reward of up to $25,000. The Marshals Service offered no indication Sunday of whether the reward had been claimed or would be paid. Interpol, the international police agency, also had alerted its member countries, including Nigeria, that she was being sought by the United States.—AP

Obama’s dueling foreign policy: Friendship, might Lead-by-example diplomacy overshadowed by Libya RIO DE JANEIRO: Nowhere have President Barack Obama’s foreign policy approaches been in starker relief than during his unfolding travels in South America. Right now the use of military power in Libya is overshadowing his lead-by-example public diplomacy in his own hemisphere. As he heads for Chile after two days in Brazil, Obama has been a model in split-screen leadership. While he extended friendship to an increasingly influential Latin American neighbor, he also ducked into meetings and placed secure phone calls to approve missile attacks on Libya’s air defenses.

He’s not likely to escape the awkward, if not incongruous, contrasts during his stay in Santiago. During a news conference with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera he will take questions for the first time since allied forces began enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya with jets and warships. Then he will deliver a speech, meant to address the entire Latin American world, praising the democratic transitions in the Americas and holding them up as models for the world.

It certainly wasn’t planned that way.

“The world obviously is a complex place, with a lot of things going on at once, but it’s precisely that , a lot of things going on at once,” said White House national security aide Daniel Restrepo.

Obama, however, twice scrapped trips in 2010 to Indonesia and Australia, once to lobby for his health care bill, now law, and then because of the Gulf oil spill. In this case, with conflict in North Africa competing for his time with friendship in Latin America, Obama aides say his determination to complete his trip illustrates his commitment to US neighbors. Aides also pointed to elections in Egypt as evidence that not all is ablaze or in turmoil in the Middle East.

Still, his team was eager to portray him as fully engaged in Libyan decision-making, even as the photographs and television images showed him touring a Rio de Janeiro shantytown and gazing with his family at Christ the Redeemer, the massive Art Deco mountaintop statue that has come to symbolize Rio.

National security adviser Tom Donilon gave practically an hour-by-hour account of meetings, briefings and calls that Obama

led or participated in, including a call to King Abdullah of Jordan on Sunday.

“The president has been personally and

SANTIAGO: President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia and Sasha, arrive in Santiago, Chile yesterday.—AP

Republicans denounce Schwarzenegger clemency SACRAMENTO: California Republican Party delegates on Sunday denounced the decision by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to commute the manslaughter sentence of the son of a political ally, saying the action undermined the party’s message of being tough on crime while advocating for the rights of victims. The resolution approved during the state party’s spring convention in Sacramento condemns the former Republican governor’s action, which reduced Esteban Nunez’s prison sentence from 16 years to seven. Nunez, the son of former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, a Democrat, pleaded guilty for his role in the 2008 stabbing death of a college student in San Diego.

Schwarzenegger’s action during his final night in office angered the San Diego County district attorney and enraged the victim’s family. The governor’s office did not notify either party before the decision.

The resolution said the state Republican Party stands for tough punishment “for murderers and violent criminals” and notes that the party’s platform includes a statement saying victims’ rights are paramount.

Schwarzenegger’s action, it said, “created the appearance that a favor was done” for Fabian Nunez, who was one of Schwarzenegger’s closest allies in the Legislature and worked with him to pass California’s landmark greenhouse gas emissions law, which Schwarzenegger cites as one of his legacy accomplishments.

“Now, therefore be it resolved, that the California Republican Party condemns the commutation of the prison sentence for Esteban Nunez and further condemns the manner in which it was done, without concern for the victims and their suffering, and without respect for the message this action will send to potential criminals with connections to those in power,” the resolution states. The resolution was approved without comment from the delegates. A spokesman for Schwarzenegger, Daniel Ketchell, said the former governor declined to comment.

Esteban Nunez and others were convicted in the stabbing death of 22-year-old Luis Santos, a business student at San Diego’s Mesa College. Prosecutors say Nunez and his friends from Sacramento were upset about being kicked out of a fraternity party, had been drinking alcohol and were seeking revenge when they encountered a group of unarmed students that included Santos.

Three others were injured in the attack on the campus of San Diego State University, including two people stabbed by Esteban Nunez. The group then fled to Sacramento, where prosecutors say they hid and destroyed evidence. —AP

deeply involved in this every day,” Donilon told reporters in Rio. Back home, some members of Congress began pressing Obama to do a better job identifying the goal in Libya. “The president is the commander in chief, but the administration has a responsibility to define for the American people, the Congress and our troops what the mission in Libya is,” said House Speaker John Boehner, and to “make clear how it will be accomplished.” At the same time, Obama’s visit to Rio took on a lower profile Sunday. A speech originally set to be delivered outdoors before up to 20,000 people was moved into a historic opera house that seated about 1,800. His visit to the statue, initially set for Sunday morning, was moved to nighttime.

Aides said the changes were made for logistical considerations and to avoid the fog that had been shrouding the hills around Rio during the earlier hours of the day. Obama has also blended his Latin American visit with the events in the Middle East to advance a single theme. The successful transition of Latin American countries to democracy, he has argued, offers a template for a positive outcome in regions undergoing turmoil now. “For the United States and Brazil, two nations who have struggled over many generations to perfect our own democracies, the United States and Brazil know that the future of the Arab world will be determined by its people,” Obama said in his speech Sunday.

Within that theme has been a call for universal human rights, a message Obama will deliver again in Chile.

In that, some Chileans see a paradox as they recall the US support for the overthrow of President Salvador Allende in 1973. Protesters on Sunday in Santiago demanded that Obama apologize to the Chilean people for US interventions before and during the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. And Obama could face calls for turning over CIA and State Department records from that period to the Chilean judiciary. After Chile, Obama and his family will complete their Latin American tour in El Salvador.—AP

Canada’s Conservatives downplay deal to keep power OTTAWA: Canada’s minority Conservative government played down talk on Sunday that it was close to striking a deal that could help it survive a number of no-confidence votes in the weeks to come. The Conservatives, beset by ethical scandals, will present their budget on Tuesday and need the backing of one of three opposition parties to approve the document. If they fail and are defeated, Canada will be on course for its fourth election in less than seven years.

The opposition Bloc Quebecois, which seeks independence for the largely French-speaking province of Quebec, says it will back the budget if Ottawa hands over C$2.2 billion ($2.2

BRITISH COLUMBIA: Paper cranes are hung as Consul General of Japan Hideki Ito speaks during a prayer service for the people of Japan at Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Sunday .—AP

billion) for costs involved in harmonizing the provincial sales tax with the federal one. Raymond Bachand, Quebec’s finance minister, said he had initialed a draft deal on tax harmonization and was waiting for federal Prime Minister Stephen Harper to do the same.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s finished,” he told Quebec’s TVA television on Sunday, when asked whether the talks between the two sides had been concluded. Senior federal officials said there was no deal yet. “Discussions are ongoing in good faith with the government of Quebec but some points still remain unresolved and there’s a fair bit more work to do,” said Chisholm Pothier, chief spokesman for federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

Harper’s other hope for support is the left-leaning New Democrats, who want more help for seniors, more doctors and nurses in the health system as well as an end to the federal tax on heating oil. Flaherty says he cannot meet all these demands, but Ottawa may be tempted to reconsider after a series of scandals that have reinvigorated the opposition, despite polls showing the Conservatives would retain power if an election were held now.

A poll released on Sunday said the Conservatives had 38.6 percent support compared to 27.6 percent for the Liberals, 19.9 percent for the New Democrats and 10.1 percent for the Bloc Quebecois. The Nanos poll for the Globe and Mail newspaper and CTV said 22 percent of voters were undecided, and the poll had a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.

But the poll found voters opinion of Harper as a better leader than those of the other parties could be taking a hit in the wake of recent controversies, having slipped from what voters told pollsters earlier in the year. Last week police were asked to investigate allegations of misconduct by a former top Harper aide as well as by a former aide to a cabinet minister.

Last month, four Conservative officials were charged with violating financing rules during the 2006 election campaign that brought the party to power.

The main opposition Liberal Party says the government cannot be trusted and is spending too much money. The Liberals promise to raise corporate taxes and cancel a C$9 billion deal to buy fighter jets from Lockheed Martin. Legislators will have the chance on Friday to defeat the government over its spending plans. The Liberals will have the right that day to unveil a no-confidence motion that would be voted on immediately.

Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff said the Conservatives had provided “a target-rich environment” for his party, but was coy when asked when the election might be. “I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen this week but I’m ready for anything. We could go (to the polls) this week or next year,” he told CTV television on Sunday. — Reuters

Hugo Chavez condemns Libya airstrikes as ‘madness’ CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez condemned what he called “indiscriminate bombing” by the US and its allies in Libya, saying Sunday that the assault is unjustified and will only unleash more bloodshed.

Cuba’s government also criticized the attacks and called for the conflict to be resolved through negotiation. Chavez said the US is after Libya’s oil, and warned President Barack Obama not to try any similar intervention in the South American country. “With Venezuela, don’t even think about it, Mr. Obama,” he said. Chavez, who has long-standing ties to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, demanded the airstrikes be halted and echoed claims of civilian casualties

by Libya’s government, which said 48 people were killed.

“Civilian victims have now begun to appear because some bombs are launched — 200, 400 bombs from out there at sea _ and those bombs fall where they fall,” Chavez said during his weekly television and radio program. In Washington, however, the Pentagon said there were no reports of civilian casualties in the air assault. US Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, staff director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the strikes had inflicted heavy damage and largely silenced Gadhafi’s air defenses. “Libya is under imperial fire. Nothing justifies this,” Chavez said, holding up a newspaper showing an explosion on the front page.

“Indiscriminate bombing,” he said. “Who gave those countries the right? Neither the United States, nor France, nor England, nor any country has the right to be dropping bombs.” Chavez said African Union leaders were meeting in Mauritania to discuss the conflict.

“That’s what must be done, and going there to talk with the parties in the conflict, but not launching bombs, more bombs, more death,” Chavez said.

“Let’s try to help, to intercede between the parties,” he said. “A cease-fire, sitting down at a table. That’s the path when facing conflicts of this sort.” In Havana, Cuba’s foreign ministry said the Libyan conflict should be solved “through dialogue and negotiation, not by military means.” “Cuba expresses its strongest condemnation of foreign intervention in the interal conflict” of Libya, said a statement from the ministry read on Cuban television news. On Saturday, delegates at a meeting in Bolivia of the left-leaning ALBA bloc condemned the airstrikes by the US and its allies. The group includes Venezuela, Cuba and six other Latin American and Caribbean nations. “We repeat our message from Venezuela, from the ALBA: We demand a halt to the attack against Libya,” Chavez said Sunday. “What madness. ... It’s imperial madness.” Chavez used his customary term “the empire” for the United States, accusing it of trying to overthrow Gadhafi simply to seize control of Libya’s oil.

“They don’t care about the lives of the Libyan people,” he said. Chavez mocked US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for expressing support for popular uprisings in the Arab world. “Man, what cynicism,” Chavez said. “I hope a revolution blows up on them in the United States. Let’s see what they’re going to do,” he said. Chavez has suggested that reports of atrocities by Gadhafi’s troops have been overblown or unproven as the Libyan government has sought to crush the uprising by rebels.

Chavez’s criticisms were echoed by some non-ALBA nations, including Paraguay, where President Fernando Lugo said: “I regret that the United Nations has legitimized those attacks.” But Peruvian President Alan Garcia praised the US and its allies for defending Libyans against a regime that has attacked opponents to try to cling to power. “I think it’s very important that the world’s nations unite to prevent this type of butchery and massacres that aim to silence people’s just protests,” Garcia said in Lima.—AP

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

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

Portugal govt fights for survival amid crisis Main opposition parties tell govt won’t budge

LYON: A man looks on as he casts his vote for the first round of the local elections, in Lyon, central France, Sunday. —AP

Sarkozy’s party lags in local elections PARIS: French leftists and the resurgent far right enjoyed strong showings in local elections Sunday that left President Nicolas Sarkozy’s governing conservatives struggling to maintain prominence.

Sarkozy’s role in launching the international military intervention in Libya on the eve of the voting did not immediately appear to have swayed the outcome of the voting in France’s cantons.

The elections for France’s smallest administrative segment are relatively minor, but they are the last test of parties’ nationwide strength before next year’s presidential elections. Turnout was about 45 percent, low for France, the Interior Ministr y said. The prime minister, anguished by the low participation, urged voters to turn out for the runoffs March 27.

The opposition Socialists enjoyed the most votes overall with about 25 percent of votes, according to preliminary results Sunday night from the Interior Ministry.

Sarkozy’s UMP party and allied parties had about 32 percent of votes, Interior Minister Claude Gueant said. But French television and rival parties said the UMP

itself had less than 20 percent of the vote.

The far right National Front had about 15 percent of the vote, Gueant said. The party is riding the wave of popularity of its new leader, Marine Le Pen, who has tapped into worries about Muslim immigrants. Le Pen took the party leadership in January from her father, party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, an icon in French politics for decades who worried millions of French voters and neighboring countries when he made it into the runoff in 2002 presidential elections.

Recent opinion surveys have showed Sarkozy’s approval ratings at historic lows. Leftist voters are angry at his costcutting measures and say he is too cozy with corporate interests.

Many conservatives are disappointed that he has not been bolder about loosening up the labor market and hasn’t eased tensions between police and youth in suburban housing projects. A win in a cantonal election gives candidates a seat on councils overseei n g Fra n ce’s d e p a r t m e n t s, o r provinces. — AP

Ivory Coast forces claim 5th town; crisis deepens ABIDJAN: Military officials loyal to Ivory Coast’s internationally recognized president claimed yesterday to have seized a fifth town in the country’s far west, amid a deepening political crisis. Yesterday’s announcement came as thousands of youths gathered in the country’s commercial capital to volunteer for the army to defend the incumbent leader who refuses to step down.

In the west, Lacine Mara, a spokesman for the forces loyal to Alassane Ouattara, said Republican Forces fighters captured the town of Blolekin near Liberia’s border yesterday after an all-night battle. Col Hilaire Gohourou, a spokesman for the national army still loyal to incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo, refused to comment on the information. Over the weekend, he had reported that they had pushed back forces loyal to

Ouattara. The Republican Forces are made up of New Forces rebels loyal to Ouattara and defected soldiers from Gbagbo’s side. In Abidjan, an Associated Press cameraman estimated yesterday morning that thousands gathered in front of the defense ministry in response to a call to enlist from Charles Ble Goude, the leader of the Young Patriots organization.

Security forces loyal to Gbagbo fired mortars on a crowded marketplace last week, killing at least 25 people, an act resoundingly denounced by Western governments.

The U.N. also condemned the attack and said crimes against humanity may have been committed.

An African Union mediation panel has given Gbagbo until Thursday to sit down with Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner, to negotiate a transfer of power.— AP

LISBON: Just as Portugal appeared to have dodged the need for a bailout like Greece and Ireland, a domestic political spat was set yesterday to worsen its financial troubles and possibly spoil Europe’s efforts to put the sovereign debt crisis behind it. Portugal’s main opposition parties told the beleaguered minority government they won’t budge from their refusal to endorse a new set of austerity measures designed to ease a huge debt burden that is crippling the economy. The new steps are likely to be rejected in a parliamentary vote expected tomorrow and the timing could not be worse. A defeat in the vote, Prime Minister Jose Socrates warned, would trigger his government’s resignation, consigning Portugal to at least two months of political limbo just as officials were hoping to boost investor confidence in the country’s future.

The national political crisis also threatens to set back Europe’s broader plan to stamp out the debt market jitters , leaders at a twoday summit starting Thursday will seek to ratify key changes to the bloc’s rescue fund and spare Portugal the need to surrender policy decisions to outside authorities through a bailout.

The new European policy would allow the fund to purchase government debt, easing market pressure which has driven the borrowing costs of weak countries to unsustainable levels. European leaders hope the response will herald the end of the debt crisis that has dragged on for more than a year.

That deal, however, was contingent on Portugal implementing the austerity measures that are unlikely to survive the country’s political standoff. Portugal’s center-left Socialist government, which has insisted it doesn’t want or need a bailout, won the backing of the European Central Bank and the European Commission for that new austerity plan. The ECB has already been helping Portugal by buying its government debt and providing funds to its banks.

With the austerity plan at risk, Portugal’s political woes are likely to sow fresh uncertainty among investors who are nervous about the 17-nation eurozone’s fiscal soundness and prospects for economic recovery.

The big worry is that the high borrowing costs will continue to erode confidence and economic growth and eventually threaten the stability of much larger debt-heavy nations such as Spain, Belgium and Italy.

LISBON: Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, right, listens to Pedro Passos Coelho, leader of the main opposition party the center-right Social Democratic Party, PSD, as they meet yesterday at Lisbon’s Sao Bento palace, the premier’s official residence. —AP

“We think Portugal will eventually need to request a bailout,” said Emilie Gay, analyst at Capital Economics. The Portuguese government’s insistence that it can find its own path out of its difficulties “are not very credible any more,” she said.

Portugal has to find cash to meet bond repayments amounting to almost §9.5 billion ($13.48 billion) falling due in April and June. It has had no trouble raising money on markets so far, but it needs to lower steep borrowing costs that are pushing it into a downward spiral. The yield on its 10-year bond, for example, was at 7.4 percent yesterday, not far from euro-era records.

The debt market jitters are more than concerns for investors or governments , they have a real economic impact on a country and its people because they imply savage austerity measures. As in Greece and Ireland, standards of living plummet as the economy readjusts to lower wages and prices to become more competitive.

Portugal is following a similar path. Its scrawny economy has posted average annual growth of less than 1 percent over the past 10 years. During that time, it amassed massive

Security clampdown stifles Sudan protests KHARTOUM: Security fears and a heavy deployment of riot police in Khartoum and other northern Sudan cities yesterday prevented planned anti-regime protests from materializing, activists and witnesses said.

Police trucks were positioned in city centers and around university campuses from early in the day, after Facebook group Youth for Change called for peaceful, nationwide rallies against the regime of President Omar alBashir. The organizers, encouraged by events in Tunisia and Egypt and seeking to build momentum after thousands took

to the streets of north Sudan on January 30, accuse the government of a long list of failures.

These include rampant corruption, failing to prevent the secession of the south, rising prices and the eight-year conflict in Darfur, as well as 40 percent youth unemployment and human rights abuses by the security forces.

In Wad Medani, a town 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Khartoum, a group of around 200 students and civilians responded to the call, witnesses said, marching through the centre shouting: “We want freedom,” and “We want regime change.” But riot police

fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators and made a number of arrests, the witnesses said.

In the capital, police vehicles surrounded the Islamic University of Omdurman, while pro-government Islamist students at a rally at Khartoum University labeled those trying to organize the demonstrations “atheists” and agents of the United States and Israel. Witnesses also reported a large security deployment in the centre of El-Obeid, a city around 600 kilometers (370 miles) west of Khartoum, with police trucks surrounding the university.

Activists said protesters failed

Minister Josef Proell, who heads the Austrian People’s Party, issued a harsh statement demanding he do so.

In comments to Austrian radio Oe1, Strasser disputed the allegations against him, saying he did everything to try to blow the phony firm’s cover and that he had planned to provide police with evidence.

Slovenia’s Thaler soon followed suit, telling reporters yesterday he was resigning so that an investigation into “all facts and circumstance of this attempt at discreditation could proceed without any pressure.” “I did not cross the line of legality,” Thaler said. “I did not accept the money.”

Thaler insisted that he wanted the probe to get to the bottom of the affair and added that he had already appeared before Slovenia’s independent anti-corruption com-

mission. In Romania, meanwhile, Severin resigned his position as deputy chairman of the opposition Social Democracy Party until the situation was cleared up. He also was summoned to Brussels by the head of the Group of the Party of European Socialists to explain himself.

Severin was defiant at a news conference in Bucharest yesterday, saying he was targeted because he was “an influential Romanian” and the European Parliament did not need “influential Romanians” in the legislature. He denied doing anything illegal, or being corrupt.

Severin entered politics during the 1989 anti-communist revolt and was Romania’s foreign minister from 1996 to 1997.

He was forced to resign after he claimed that unidentified leading Romanian editors were employed

by Romania’s secret services. —AP

German man confesses to 350 counts of sexual abuse BERLIN: A German man has confessed to 350 counts of sexually abusing his children and forcing his daughter and stepdaughter into prostitution. Confessions are common in German trials and the news agency DAPD quoted prosecutors yesterday as accusing the man, identified only as Detlef S., of a “tactical maneuver” to get a shorter sentence. Prosecutors are recommending a prison sentence of 14 years and six months and

want the court to order the 48-year-old defendant to remain in detention beyond that to prevent him from offending again. The defense is asking for 9 1/2 years in prison after reading the man’s confession to 350 counts of sexual abuse in the Koblenz state court. The defendant previously admitted fathering eight children with his stepdaughter. A verdict and sentence is expected today. —AP

to mobilize because of security fears and the movement’s lack of organization. “It is because of the police presence, and because people are afraid of the national security attacking them,” said Mohammed, 24, an activist who was arrested at one of the protests in January. “Also there is no leadership. It is not an organized group,” he added. Human rights observers accuse Sudan’s feared national security officials, who have arrested scores of demonstrators since January, of sexually abusing and torturing activists detained in recent protests. —AFP

Macedonia takes Greece to UN world court over name

Two European lawmakers resign, deny bribery claims VIENNA: Two European Parliament lawmakers have resigned and a third has stepped down from his position in his party after a British newspaper reported they had agreed to propose legislation in return for bribes. The Sunday Times reported this weekend that former Austrian interior minister Ernst Strasser, former Slovenian foreign minister Zoran Thaler and former Romanian deputy prime minister Adrian Severin agreed to put forward amendments in the European Parliament in exchange for money. The report was the outcome of an eight-month investigation in which undercover Sunday Times reporters posed as lobbyists, the paper said.

The story has caused a stir in Brussels and claimed its first casualty on Sunday when Strasser resigned after Austrian Finance

foreign debt to finance its western European lifestyle.

The main opposition party, the center-right Social Democrats, agrees the country must reduce its debt load and has consented to previous austerity measures including tax hikes and pay cuts.

But it said the government’s latest austerity plan , the fourth set of measures in 11 months , goes too far because it hurts the weaker sections of society. Among the measures is a freeze on old-age pensions which Social Democrat leader Pedro Passos Coelho described yesterday as “deeply unfair.” The government has offered to negotiate changes to the package, but the opposition parties say they no longer trust the government because it didn’t consult them before presenting the measures to European authorities earlier this month.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Jorge Lacao said the deadlock would have “very grave consequences” for Portugal. The austerity measures have prompted a wave of strikes and street demonstrations. Workers with the national rail company and the Lisbon subway are due to walk off the job later this week. —AP

CAPE TOWN: A performer walks past as school children react during a march to parliament in the city of Cape Town, South Africa yesterday. —AP

More than 15,000 march for education in S Africa CAPE TOWN: More than 15,000 are marching in South Africa’s western city of Cape Town to demand libraries, computers labs and other resources for township schools, many of which are vastly underresourced.

Yoliswa Dwane, a spokeswoman for Cape Town-based Equal Education said yesterday that the government spent billions of rand on the World Cup, but has not

invested the same on basic education. South Africa, a country with one of the greatest disparities of wealth, still struggles to close the gap apartheid created between white and black schools. Only a third of third-graders in South Africa meet the minimum literacy and numeracy standards, according to national test results. Last year, a third of those taking final-year exams failed.— AP

THE HAGUE: Macedonia appealed to the United Nation’s highest court yesterday to rule that Greece illegally vetoed Skopje’s NATO membership bid because of a longsimmering dispute over its name. Greece claims its neighbor’s name, adopted after it broke away from Yugoslavia 20 years ago, implies claims on its own northern province which shares the same name, which Macedonia denies.

In the absence of a solution, Greece blocked its tiny Balkan neighbor’s bid to join NATO in 2008, and has threatened to do the same at the European Union. “Regretfully our bilateral relations are burdened with the unfortunate issue of the difference over the name of my country,” Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Miloshoski told judges at the International Court of Justice.

Miloshoski said Greece’s veto of Macedonia’s NATO membership breached a 1995 deal under which Greece agreed not to block membership of international organizations if it used the name “ The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.”

Macedonia’s legal team says it is not seeking a ruling on what the country’s name should be, saying that issue is being tackled by separate UN-brokered mediation.

“This case has been brought to ensure that the respondent upholds one of its key obligations under the 1995 interim accord,” Miloshoski said.

“Nothing more, nothing less.” Greece is scheduled to present its side of the argument beginning Thursday. The cour t’s president, Japanese judge Hisashi Owada, opened the hearing with a minute’s silence for the victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that shattered his home country, saying the court expressed its “deepest sympathy to the Japanese people.”— AP

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India arrests 2 Britons on past pedophilia verdict MUMBAI: Police yesterday re-arrested two British charity workers convicted of sexually abusing boys in their Mumbai shelter af ter their 2008 acquittal was overturned. The S u p re m e Co u r t o rdered Du ncan Grant and Allan Waters to serve the rest of their six-year prison terms on Friday. The two, who had pleaded innocent to the charges in trial, will

be placed again today in a prison in India’s central Maharashtra state, assistant police commissioner Iqbal Sheik said.

“The sexual abuse of children is one of the most heinous crimes,” the Supreme Court said in its ruling. “It is an appalling violation of their trust, an ugly breach of our commitment to protect the innocent.” The

court also ordered the men each to pay 20,000 British pounds ($40,000) in fines imposed during their 2006 conviction for sexually abusing children at the Anchorage Shelter Home that Grant set up in 1995 for street children in the Colaba neighborhood of Mumbai. Grant, 67, who also r an c h ildren’s c ha r i t i e s i n Tanzania, has already served three

years and two months of his sentence after being arrested in Dar es Salaam in 2004 on an international warrant and then surrendering in 2005 to Indian authorities.

Waters, 63, has served five years after being arrested in 2003 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The Supreme Court’s ruling overturned the Bombay High Court’s

July 2008 decision to acquit the men citing lack of evidence. The Bombay cour t had said none of the other children living at the Anchorage shelter had supported the testimony of the t wo vic tims. The shelter ’s m a na ge r, I nd i a n c i t i ze n Wi l l i a m D’souza, has finished a three-year sentence for aiding and abetting the crime.— AP

52 feared dead in coal mine explosion Only bodies recovered until now

QUETTA: Family members of stranded miners wait outside a coal mine in Sorange near Quetta, Pakistan yesterday.—AP

US army apologizes over ‘repugnant’ Afghan photos BERLIN: Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine published pictures yesterday of American troops posing over the bloodied body of a man it said had been killed illegally in Afghanistan, drawing an apology from the US army.

The magazine said one of the pictures showed a smiling Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock, who agreed last month to plead guilty to murder charges and testify against his co-defendants in a court martial, according to his lawyer.

In a statement, the US army said the photos depicted “actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army”. “We apologize for the distress these photos cause,” said the statement issued through the US embassy in Berlin.

Morlock is one of five soldiers charged with murdering three Afghan villagers whose killings were allegedly staged to look like legitimate combat casualties. The dozens of war-related photos seized as evidence are intensely embarrassing for the United States and have drawn comparisons with pictures of Iraqi prisoners taken by US military personnel at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2004.

The army said actions shown in the photographs were now the subject of the court-martial. “The photos appear in stark contrast to the discipline, professionalism and respect that have characterized our soldiers’ performance during nearly 10 years of sustained operations (in Afghanistan).”

The deal with prosecutors, subject to the approval of a military judge, calls for Morlock, 22, from Wasilla, Alaska, to serve no more than 24 years in prison, as opposed to the life term he faced if convicted of all charges in a trial. — Reuters

SORANGE: Rescuers used shovels and bare hands yesterday to dig out miners buried after a gas explosion deep in a coal mine in southwestern Pakistan, lining up wooden caskets to await the bodies from an accident that left 52 feared dead.

More than 200 people stood outside the mine waiting to help or hear news from the search, but since the accident Sunday only bodies, 27 of them, have been recovered.

“We have yet to dig out and search the remaining two wings, but there is zero percent chance we can get anybody alive,” said government mine inspector Iftikhar Ahmed. Ahmed said the mine, owned by the state-run Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, was declared dangerous two weeks ago due to the presence of methane gas, but the warning was ignored by the contractor working it. Methane gas is a major cause of coal mine explosions around the world. It can cause also cause asphyxiation. Ghulam Mohammad said he feared for the lives of his friends.

“None of my five roommates have been found dead or alive yet,” said the 30-year-old, who finished his shift just hours before the explosion. Seven of the victims recovered so far were from a single family from the Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan. The search for the bodies was slowed by the presence of the gas and the fragile state of the mine, which prevented the use of heavy machinery, he said. Ten of the dead were charred from the explosion and ensuing fire, while the others appeared to have been killed by falling debris or suffocation, said Ahmed.

The bodies were at a depth of about 2,000 feet (600 meters), but the mine continues down to 4,000 feet (1,200 meters). Ghulam Rasool, a 25-year-old miner who spent all morning searching for victims, said the work was exhausting and hampered by gas. “The mine’s wooden support has collapsed at many points, leaving huge chunks of debris blocking the way,” he said.

The mine is located in Sorange in Baluchistan province, 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of the provincial capital, Quetta. Mining , for gems, marble, granite, chromite and coal, is one of the only industries in much of Baluchistan and northwest Pakistan. But it has attracted very little foreign investment in recent years due to the precarious security situation. Accidents are commonplace. — AP

Afghanistan VP calls on militants to lay down arms MAZAR-I-SHARIF: In a speech marking the Afghan new year, Vice President Abdul Karim Khalili yesterday called on militants to lay down their weapons because the nation will never return to the days of hardline Taleban rule.

“We are going toward the light. We are never going back to the dark,” Khalili said at a historic blue-tiled mosque in the center of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. Efforts to reconcile with Taleban insurgents have not yet gained traction and violence continues across the nation. On Sunday night, a gunman killed an Afghan policeman outside the headquarters of Yosuf Khel district of Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan, said Mokhlis Afghan, a spokesman for the province.

The officer was trying to prevent the man from getting inside when he was shot. Also, NATO reported that a coalition service member died Sunday in a roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan. No details or the service member’s nationality were released.

The death raised to 88 the number of

international troops killed so far this year. Last year was the deadliest of the nearly decade-old war for coalition forces, with 701 killed, including 492 Americans.

Police in northeastern Badakhshan province said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from a strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 that struck the sparsely populated region.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck in the Hindu Kush region and had its epicenter 172 miles (277 kilometers) northeast of the Afghan capital. It was felt in Kabul and as far east as the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Khalili, one of two vice presidents in Afghanistan, said President Hamid Karzai would deliver a speech later Tuesday. It’s expected to outline the first sites where Afghan security forces will begin taking the lead for securing and defending their homeland.

“We are going to start a new chapter,” Khalili told hundreds who flocked to the shrine to celebrate the new year.

“The opposition should join the peace process to save the country.” Karzai is expected to announce that Afghan forces will soon replace NATO-led troops in charge of security at six sites across Afghanistan _ the first step in a transition that he hopes will leave his troops in control across the nation by the end of 2014.

The provincial capitals of Mazar-iSharif, Lashkar Gah in the volatile southern Afghanistan and Herat in the west are slated for the first phase of transition from NATO-led forces to Afghan soldiers and police, a Western official told AP earlier this month. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Karzai was to formally announce the sites in his speech.

In addition, all of Bamiyan and Panshir provinces, which have seen little to no fighting, and Kabul province, except for the restive Surobi district, are on the transition list, according to the official. Afghan security forces earlier took charge of security in the capital, Kabul.—AP

Afghan militants demand cellphone network shutdown KANDAHAR: The Taleban yesterday ordered mobile phone companies in the restive southern Afghan province of Helmand to switch off their networks, a spokesman for the insurgents told AFP. “All the mobile phone companies must switch off their signals in Helmand from tonight and until further notice,” Yusuf Ahmadi told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

He gave no reason for the move, but Taleban militants regularly demand that mobile phone companies switch off their networks, threatening to destroy antennae if they fail to comply. The insurgents fear that NATO-led forces can track them through phone signals and the order often comes at nightfall, when coalition operations against the Taleban are most common. There have been a number of attacks on mobile phone towers across the country and some guards have been killed.

Mobile phones are the primary means of communication in rural areas of Afghanistan such as southern Helmand province.—AFP

KABUL: Afghan women walk down of a mountain after watching the rising of holy mace outside the Sakhi Shrine on the occasion of Nawroz, a new year ceremony, in Kabul yesterday.—AP

DHARMSALA: Gadong Oracle, the second Tibetan state oracle stays in meditation as he prepares to go in to trance during a ritual at his monastery in Dharmsala, India yesterday.—AP

Tibet parliament prepares for Dalai Lama retirement DHARAMSALA: Tibet’s parliament-in-exile has formed a committee to hand over political power from the Dalai Lama, in a signal his devolution of power will get approval despite opposition from lawmakers. The 75-year-old Dalai Lama, the global face of the Tibetan exiled movement, shocked many Tibetans by announcing he would hand over power, seen as transforming the government-in-exile into a more assertive body in the face of Chinese pressure.

The move comes a day after 83,000 exiled Tibetans across the world voted to elect a new leader. Two of the main contenders have hinted they could move beyond the Dalai Lama’s “middle way”, the policy of negotiating some autonomy from China. “We have set a small committee to plan how to deal with the devolution of power. The committee will meet this afternoon, and the honorable speaker has instructed the parliament to submit a report,” said Samdhong Rinpoche, Tibetan prime minister-in-exile.

Many lawmakers fear a diminished presence for the Dalai Lama, whose trademark smile has brought Hollywood stars and the international spotlight to the Tibetan movement based in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama who has described himself as “semi-retired” and has called for reforms for decades, has rebuffed pleas from Tibetans to stay, stressing the importance of a democratically-elected leader to spearhead the movement. He will continue in his role as Tibet’s spiritual leader.

Tibetans fear that China will use the thorny issue of the Dalai Lama’s succession to split the movement, with one new Lama named by the exiles and one by China after his death. The three candidates are all younger than the Dalai Lama, and will have to answer to more frustrated young voters, many based in countries like the United States where the Tibetan cause is often seen in a simpler bad-versus-good battle rather than the real politics that many veterans in Dharamsala see. The result of the election will be known in April. That generation has criticised the “middle way” for producing no results despite a 2008 rebellion against Chinese rule in which at least 19 people-possibly hundreds-were killed.— Reuters

Militants kill four in Pakistan for US links DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Militants killed four men for allegedly providing the United States with information used in a recent drone attack that Pakistan claims killed many innocent civilians, Pakistani intelligence officials said yesterday.

Authorities found the bullet-riddled bodies of three Pakistanis and one Afghan in the North Waziristan tribal area with notes outlining their alleged role in the March 17 drone strike, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The Pakistanis were found in the Datta Khel area where the attack occurred, while the Afghan was discovered near Mir Ali, one of the main towns in North Waziristan, said the officials.

The notes found with the bodies warned that anyone who helps the US will face a similar fate, they said. Militants often kill alleged spies after drone attacks. Pakistani intelligence officials initially said the roughly three dozen people killed in last Thursday’s drone attack were militants meeting in a compound to discuss sending additional insurgents to Afghanistan to fight foreign forces.

But they changed their story the next day, saying the meeting consisted of two tribes who had asked the Taleban to help mediate a dispute over a nearby chromite mine. The attack killed 12 Taleban and 24 innocent tribesmen, they said.

The allegations sparked a rare condemnation by Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who has close ties with US military figures. Other senior Pakistani officials also criticized the attack, and the government said it would not participate in a trilateral meeting with the US and Afghanistan that Washington had proposed at the end of March in Brussels.

The US does not publicly acknowledge covert CIA drone strikes in Pakistan. But unnamed officials in Washington abruptly dismissed Pakistan’s claims, saying innocent civilians were not targeted in the strike. The US response could have been partly fueled by what many see as Pakistan’s two-faced policy on drone strikes. Pakistani officials often criticize them as violations of the country’s sovereignty, but the military is believed to provide intelligence for some of the strikes, and some of the drones are believed to take off from bases in Pakistan.—AP

TUESDAY, MARCH 22 2011

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

China takes hard line on activists, many missing Anxiety over Middle East-inspired protests

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition Anwar Ibrahim, left, and his wife Wan Azizah smile during a press conference at his party office headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday. Anwar has denied he is the man seen in a video having sex with an unidentified woman. —AP

Anwar denies being in sex video KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim denied yesterday he is the man seen in a video having sex with a woman, dismissing it as a political plot to undermine him while he is on trial for sodomy. The video was shown to journalists at a hotel yesterday by a person who refused to identify himself.

The person, accompanied by a few aides, did not identify the male figure in the video, but speculation spread on Twitter and blogs that he looked like Anwar, leading the opposition leader to quickly deny it.

Anwar, a married 63-year-old with six children, is on trial on charges he had sex with a 25-year-old male former aide. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of sodomy, a crime in this Muslim-majority country. He claims the charge is a government fabrication, but officials deny any conspiracy.

At a hastily called news conference, Anwar said the new video proved that he was the victim of “an evil plot by my political enemies in their attempt to

break the march” of the opposition.

Anwar’s allies said they believed it was a doctored recording.

“It’s a scurrilous attack which I categorically deny,” Anwar said. “I condemn the latest conspiracy to slander and embarrass myself and my family.” Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein denied authorities had any role in the video, according to the Malaysian Insider news website.

The man who released the video said it was made at a Kuala Lumpur hotel on the night of Feb 21, but Anwar insisted he had been at home with his family. The man said in a statement that he inadvertently found the recording.

Anwar said the timing of the video’s release was suspicious because it comes ahead of a key Malaysian state election on Borneo island expected next month.

Anwar’s three-party alliance, which made major inroads in 2008 national elections, is hoping to erode the ruling National Front’s grip in Borneo as part of efforts to eventually wrest federal power. —AP

Abu Sayyaf kidnaps three Filipino fishermen, 1 worker MANILA: Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped three fishermen in the southern Philippines and called their company to demand ransom in a reminder of the lingering danger from the battle-crippled terrorist group, police said yesterday.

Boat captain Renato Panisales and two crewmen were fishing off southern Sulu province Saturday when Abu Sayyaf gunmen approached on a motorboat and abducted them at gunpoint. The militants called the captives’ fishing company in nearby Zamboanga city on Sunday, apparently to demand ransom, police Director Felicisimo Khu Jr said.

In a separate kidnapping, three Abu Sayyaf gunmen seized restaurant caretaker Rolando dela Cruz yesterday in Lamitan town on Basilan island near Sulu. They fled aboard a jeep, which the militants later burned, regional military spokesman Lt Col Randolph Cabangbang said. Army troops and police pursued the kidnappers, who were pressured into abandoning Cruz near a remote village in Basilan’s Tuburan town late yesterday.

Government forces handed the victim back to Lamitan town officials, police said.

Cruz’s kidnappers were believed to be led by Abu Sayyaf commander Nurhassan Jamiri, who has been blamed for kidnappings, bombings and beheadings in predominantly Muslim Basilan, Cabangbang said.

Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf, notorious for bombings, kidnappings for ransom and beheadings, is blacklisted

by Washington as a terrorist organization. US-backed offensives have taken out several of its top leaders and hin-

dered its ability to launch bombings and other attacks. A government threat assessment report seen by The Associated Press last month said the 410 remaining Abu Sayyaf fighters, who remain without a central leader, have been hounded by funding problems, forcing them to kidnap even poor victims to get ransom.

The new kidnappings and a recent deadly bombing in Sulu indicate the danger posed by the militants despite their many battle setbacks and underscore the difficulty of fighting terrorism, Khu said.

Intelligence reports show the kidnappers and the fishermen were moving about in Sulu’s coastal town of Patikul, where the Abu Sayyaf has mountain strongholds, he said. Patikul officials were trying to establish contact with the kidnappers to negotiate because a rescue attempt might danger the hostages, Khu said.

“These people will not hesitate to harm if they’re cornered,” he said. The militants killed at least six hostages whose families failed to pay ransom immediately last year, according to the government report. At their strongest, the Abu Sayyaf seized 21 people, mostly European tourists, from the Malaysian resort of Sipadan in 2000, and abducted three Americans and 17 Filipinos from the Philippines’ Dos Palmas resort the following year.

The Sipadan hostages were freed, reportedly for huge ransoms. One of the three American hostages from Dos Palmas was beheaded, while a second was killed during an army rescue attempt. The third American was wounded but freed in the army rescue operation. —AP

BEIJING: The last time the prominent Chinese lawyer Jiang Tianyong was seen or heard from, he was visiting his brother in a Beijing suburb. Police grabbed him and threw him into a waiting van, pushing aside his elderly mother who had clung on to the vehicle.

Jiang is among dozens of well-known lawyers and activists across China who have vanished, been interrogated or criminally detained for subversion in recent weeks, a crackdown that human rights groups say is on a scale and intensity not seen in many years.

Activists say China’s massive security apparatus is using the government’s anxiety over possible Middle East-inspired protests as a pretext for the crackdown. “None of them will tell me anything about why he was taken away or where he has been taken to,” Jiang’s wife Jin Bianling said yesterday. She said that after her husband’s disappearance last month, a Beijing police officer told her verbally that “the case was being handled,” meaning he was under investigation. But her repeated efforts to get more details from police have been fruitless. More than 100 people have been questioned or followed by police or placed under house arrest, the Hong Kongbased Chinese Human Rights Defenders, or CHRD, said in a recent statement. It said Jiang and others who have disappeared for weeks were at risk of being tortured to extract confessions.

Human Rights Watch senior Asia researcher Nicholas Bequelin said the crackdown is even more serious than the one in December when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to a jailed Chinese dissident, Liu Xiaobo. He said it is also more extensive than when police questioned and detained activists involved in signing Charter 08, a manifesto for peaceful democratic reform that Liu co-authored, in 2008.

“There is a sense that the authorities want to put an end to the kind of open defiance of the government by rights activists, people who have been fairly active on Twitter and other social networks who were allowed for a couple of years to do that,” Bequelin said.

Beijing police did not immediately respond to a fax asking whether they had any of the activists in custody. China employs a wide range of extralegal measures to silence independent voices, including house arrest, 24hour surveillance and coerced stays in government guest houses. Such actions are especially common around politically sensitive occasions such as the national legislature’s annual session earlier this month.

Jiang is among a number of lawyers who

BEIJING: In this July 17, 2009 file photo, Chinese lawyer Jiang Tianyong looks at the half empty office of the Gongmeng rights group’s legal research center after it was closed down by Chinese authorities in Beijing, China. —AP

have played a leading role in China’s “weiquan,” or “rights defense” movement, which has sought to use legal means to hold the authorities accountable for abuses of power or infringements on the rights of people.

Some of the high-profile cases Jiang has taken include defending a Tibetan Buddhist cleric in 2009 against charges linked to the 2008 ethnic riots in Tibet. Jiang is also an outspoken advocate for people demanding compensation after being infected by HIV and AIDS from selling their blood or receiving tainted blood transfusions, an issue Beijing sees as highly sensitive.

Jiang needs medication daily to keep his high blood pressure at bay, but police have refused to convey his medicine to him, his wife said. “I worry about him all the time. What if the police are torturing him? But I don’t know what I can do,” Jin said.

Also missing are Teng Biao, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, and Tang Jitian, who was disbarred last year after he represented a member of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement.

The activist Ding Fangguan, who writes under the pen name Gu Chuan, is also missing.

The three lawyers were taken away Feb. 19, three days after they attempted to meet with a group of other attorneys to discuss ways to

help Chen Guangcheng, an activist being held under house arrest with his family despite having already served jail time.

The CHRD said 11 writers and activists in provinces ranging from southwestern Sichuan to coastal Jiangsu to northern Heilongjiang have been officially detained on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power,” or face the more serious charges of “subversion of state power,” and “endangering state security.”

An official detention usually leads to prosecution in court. The use of extralegal measures has unsettled other rights lawyers who wonder how far Beijing will stray from the rule of law that the government frequently says it promotes. “The law gives us the biggest certainty. But what I am seeing now is that it’s harder and harder to protect its authority,” said Li Fangping, another prominent rights lawyer. “I am definitely concerned about my safety because of the three lawyers’ disappearance.”

Teng’s wife, Wang Ling, said this was the lengthiest time her husband has been in police custody. Wang said her 5-year-old daughter has asked after her father. “I tell her that he is just out of town for work ... but I think she knows something because some days she tells me she worries that I will be caught and taken away.” — AP

N Korea accuses S Korea, US of border provocation SEOUL: North Korea warned South Korea it may retaliate after accusing US troops of conducting reconnaissance near the tense border and taking photos with women and drinking there. South Korea’s Defense Ministry and the American-led UN Command , which oversees an armistice that ended the Korean War in the 1950s, dismissed the accusations as groundless. They were “not true” and the North made similar accusations in the past, UN Command spokesman Kim Yong-kyu said.

The UN Command has jurisdiction over the demilitarized zone and command troops have only patrolled along the Korean demilitarized

zone, Kim and South Korean Defense Ministry officials said. North Korea’s conveyed the warning to South Korea on Sunday, accusing Seoul of permitting “the US imperialist aggressor troops” to come as close as some 65 feet (20 meters) from the border to monitor vehicle and personnel movements in the North, according to Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency.

A KCNA dispatch accused the US troops of bringing women to the area and take photos together, drinking and hurling liquor bottles to North Korean guard posts. “The North side warns that it will no longer tolerate the

above-said grave military provocation” that could trigger unspecified retaliation and cost human casualties, the KCNA said.

Tension on the peninsula sharply spiked last year after a warship was sunk and the North shelled a South Korean front-line island, killing a total of 50 South Koreans. North Korea denies it attacked the ship.

The Korean peninsula technically remains in state of war because the Korean War armistice has never been replaced with a peace treaty. About 28,500 US soldiers are stationed in South Korea to help deter potential North Korean aggression. — AP

Thai police arrest man for selling monarchy video BANGKOK: A Thai man faces up to 15 years in prison for selling video CDs containing an Australian TV news program about Thailand’s monarchy, his lawyer said yesterday.

Akachai Hongkangwan was arrested on March 11 on the charge of lese majeste, or disrespect for the monarchy, said Anont Nampa of the Rasadorn Prasong Law Center. The center was established in January to assist poor people charged with politically related crimes, and currently has six clients arrested for lese majeste.

Akachai was arrested for selling VCDs containing a segment on ABC’s Foreign Correspondent series from last April that was a serious examination of the future of Thailand’s monarchy, but included footage from a private video of Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn with his wife-to-be. Anont said Akachai acknowledged selling the VCDs, but denied he broke any law. He was released on bail on Friday.

The lese majeste law mandates a jail term of three to 15 years for “whoever defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir to the throne or the regent.”— AP

Myanmar cracks down on massage parlors in capital YANGON: Authorities in Myanmar have announced a ban on massage parlors and restrictions on restaurants and karaoke lounges in the country’s remote capital, Naypyitaw, in a bid to curb disguised prostitution, a newspaper reported yesterday. The privately run Myanmar Times newspaper said restaurants and karaoke lounges have been ordered to install transparent glass in their rooms, while beauty parlors will be required to install “adequate” lighting.

Many massage parlors are fronts for brothels, while the other venues also sometimes offer sexual services. Prostitution is illegal in Myanmar and anyone caught running a brothel can be imprisoned.

The newspaper said the measures were announced on March 8 for Pyinmana township, which is the previously settled area more than 220 miles (350 kilometers) north of Yangon around which the new capital was established in 2005. Parts of Naypyitaw are

custom-built to serve as the capital, with development restricted.

Pyinmana, a once sleepy place that served the logging industry, became a boom town of sor ts as the population skyrocketed.

Entertainment venues mushroomed, drawing young women from nearby districts and as far away as the country’s northeastern Shan State and causing concern among longtime residents about bad influences on local youth. —AP

MANILA: Filipino activists burn a mock US flag during a rally in Manila, Philippines yesterday. The group is condemning the bombings against Libya by the United States, Europe and other countries. —AP

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

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Issues

Recent history points to host of Libya war risks

By Peter Apps

F

oreign powers attacking Libya may hope air and missile strikes alone will topple Muammar Gaddafi and perhaps usher in democracy - but recent history suggests they could be in for a long and complex engagement. Air strikes aimed at halting ethnic violence had only limited effect in achieving their goals in Bosnia and Kosovo until backed with the threat of effective ground action or at least the deployment of well-armed peacekeepers. In Afghanistan, an air campaign and special forces support was enough to oust the Taleban from power after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks - but that war is far from over a decade on with thousands of NATO troops battling an ongoing insurgency.

In Iraq, more than a decade of sanctions, a no-fly zone and repeated bouts of air strikes that followed the end of the 1991 war helped Kurdish regions remain largely free from Saddam Hussein but otherwise allowed him to remain in power. A change in western policy and overwhelming military force swiftly ended his rule in 2003, but that proved the beginning of a bloody civil war and protracted US-led military intervention is only just drawing to a close. The speed with which Britain, the United States and France have found themselves effectively at war in Libya at a time when much attention was focused on Japan’s earthquake has meant there was little of the public debate that preceded the 2003 Iraq war.

“There’s obviously the issue of timing - that leaving things any longer would have allowed Gaddafi to produce a bloodbath,” said Anthony Skinner, associate director of political risk consultancy Maplecroft. “But it’s still far from a foregone conclusion that this will work.

Gaddafi obviously has a vested interest in dragging things out in the hope that he will survive. In the long run, stopping him might require the deployment of ground troops and there seems very little appetite for that and resources are very thin.”

The United Nations resolution that ushered in action to protect civilians specifically ruled out a foreign occupation but endorsed “all necessary measures” to protect civilians. Perhaps deliberately, that leaves many options including limited ground intervention in support of rebels already recognised by France as the legitimate government of Libya. The question, analysts say, is how much political will is really there - and what they want to achieve with it.

“The long-term goal, unspoken but well understood, is regime change,” wrote George Friedman, head of political risk consultancy Stratfor. “It should be remembered that in Iraq and Afghanistan ... regime change was merely the opening act. It is possible that the coalition partners haven’t decided on the strategy yet, or may not be in agreement.” France and Britain have both occasionally intervened in African civil wars in the past decade - such as in Sierra Leone in 2001 - but on the side of governments. Backing rebels against a strong central authority is a different matter - likely requiring more outside intervention should Gaddafi’s rule crumble or collapse.

“Once it looks possible to force a political process, the international community will need to back a diplomatic engagement,” said senior policy fellow Daniel Korski at the European Council on Foreign Relations, a veteran of reconstruction efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia and strong supporter of intervention in Libya. He said the European Union and NATO might have to be involved perhaps with the Arab League or African Union in what he called a “light-touch monitoring mission”. With French jets targeting Libyan armoured vehicles on the outskirts of Benghazi on Saturday, military action has already gone well beyond the “no-fly zone” initially suggested by Britain and France and endorsed by the Arab League.

Even with air strikes, most experts believe the rebels will need outside help to improve their currently nearnonexistent command and control capabilities. The bottom line, some strategists say, is that there are some things only ground forces can do. Once Gaddafi’s forces are mixed amongst civilian areas, there may be little air strikes can achieve without considerable “collateral damage”. “Air power has its limitations,” said Henry Wilkinson, lead analyst at security consultancy Janusian.

“It will not inflict a decisive blow, nor prevent attacks on civilians in all cases. Only ground forces can take territory, provide local security and impose their political will upon an enemy.”—Reuters

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

Terror suspects seek to clear names

By Chris Hawley and John Curran

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s the US ramps up efforts to root out homegrown terrorism, hundreds of people who have fallen under suspicion are in a state of limbo: Many say they have been singled out unfairly for scrutiny but have been neither charged nor cleared.

Some of them, mostly Muslims, have spent weeks in jail; others find it impossible to travel freely. Some say they have had their reputations destroyed by the news coverage.

Many were questioned or tracked, and say they felt violated and fearful.

Lawsuits filed by suspects since 2006 have pried millions of dollars in settlements from the government. The US Supreme Court this month heard one of the most serious challenges yet, the case of a Kansas man who claims his detention as a “material witness” destroyed his marriage and his career. Many plaintiffs say they recognize the security challenges the government faces after Sept 11; but in many cases, they complain, the government refuses to reveal why someone has attracted attention. Without that information, they argue, it is impossible to clear their names.

“It’s a runaround,” said Ayman Latif, an American who was stranded in Egypt for six months and questioned by US agents last year after his name appeared on a no-fly list.

“Maybe they had a hunch about something and my name came up and they were investigating it. But they wouldn’t tell me what that hunch was.” The FBI says it needs secrecy to protect sensitive investigations and to avoid giving terrorists clues for avoiding detection.

The government does not disclose how many people it investigates, but an Associated Press analysis gives a glimpse of how the number has grown. Federal terrorism referrals - cases in which investigators have contacted prosecutors for guidance have risen 44 percent since 2002, from 864 to 1,249 in 2010, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a research program at Syracuse University. At the same time, the number of people on the FBI’s consolidated terrorist watch list stands at 450,000, despite efforts since 2006 to winnow it down. Of those, 18,000 have been flagged for extra screening at airports.

About 10,000 people are on the no-fly list, 500 to 1,000 of them US citizens.

Some law enforcement experts say agents are simply doing their jobs by investigating leads, some of which pan out and some of which don’t. Moreover, police work is full of instances in which investigators know someone is up to no good, but they don’t have enough evidence to make an arrest. Charles Strozier, director of the Center on Terrorism at New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the nature of counterterrorism work means investigators must monitor people for long periods even though they have committed no crime.

“Counterterrorism work completely reverses the familiar process of police work, which is, you have a crime, you collect forensic evidence and then you go after the bad guy,” Strozier said. “In counterterrorism, everything must come before the crime is committed or you’ve completely failed at your task.” People who say they’re caught in limbo include: _ Yasir Afifi, a 20-year-old college student in Santa Monica, California, who found a tracking device on his car when he went for an oil change in October. He said he believes he attracted attention because his father was a Muslim cleric, he sends money to Egypt to support his two younger brothers, and he travels to see them about once a year. The FBI would not comment on his case. _ Pascal Abidor, an Islamic studies PhD student at McGill University in Montreal, who said he was frisked, taken off a train in handcuffs, put in a holding cell, fingerprinted and questioned after a border agent found on his laptop a picture of a militant rally he had downloaded for schoolwork. He has sued the Department of Homeland Security, saying

the agent had no right to go through his computer without a warrant. In court papers, the government said agents do, in fact, have such a right. The government did not say what raised its suspicions.

— Abe Mashal, a 30-year-old dog trainer and former Marine from St Charles, Illinois, who was not allowed on a Chicago-toSpokane flight in April because he had sent what he described as innocent e-mails to a Muslim cleric agents were watching. He said he refused to feed authorities information about fellow Muslims, and in June he joined 16 other people in a lawsuit challenging the way the FBI and Transportation Security Administration manage the terrorism watch

overseas,” the Justice Department said in a statement to the AP. But human rights groups say some of the government’s favorite investigative tools are prone to abuse: warrantless surveillance, aggressive searches at the border, secretive watch lists, and laws that allow investigators to detain people as “material witnesses” - people they want to testify at a trial or before a grand jury. In other cases, investigators find immigration violations that allow them to hold suspects for months or years. Authorities should have to explain to suspects why they are on the watch list and notify them if they have been cleared of wrongdoing, said Nusrat Choudhury, a lawyer for the American

Yasir Afifi

Pascal Abidor

Abdullah Al-Kidd

Pir Khan

list and no-fly list. The Justice Department and Homeland Security would not comment on any evidence they may have against Mashal, but in their response to the lawsuit, government lawyers argued that keeping terrorists in the dark about investigators’ techniques outweighs citizens’ right to know why they have been put on blacklists. In October, Homeland Security sent Mashal a letter saying it had reviewed his file and “it has been determined that no changes or corrections are warranted at this time.”

The House held hearings this month examining whether American Muslims are becoming “radicalized” to attack the United States. The government has warned that homegrown terrorism plots are on the rise and has redoubled efforts to root them out.

Federal investigators note that “lone wolf” attacks such as in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and the Times Square bombing attempt in May have put a new emphasis on finding radicals before they act. “Beyond the sheer number of disruptions and arrests that have come to light, homegrown extremists are increasingly more savvy, harder to detect and able to connect with other extremists

Civil Liberties Union who is representing people challenging the no-fly list. “Instead, people are kind of left in the dark,” Choudhury said. In a statement, the FBI responded: “If the Terrorism Screening Center publicly revealed each person who was on the terrorist watch list, terrorist organizations would be able to circumvent the purpose of the terrorist watch list by determining in advance which of their members are likely to be questioned or detained.”

This month, the US Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Abdullah Al-Kidd, a Kansas man arrested in 2003 as he tried to board a flight to Saudi Arabia to study Arabic and Islamic law. Al-Kidd was never charged with a crime, but prosecutors wanted him to testify against Sami Omar Al-Hussayen, a man charged with providing material support to terrorists. Like Al-Kidd, Al-Hussayen had attended the University of Idaho.

Al-Kidd was strip-searched repeatedly and held for 16 days in high-security cells, court documents show. For the next 15 months he was barred from traveling outside a fourstate area and had to make weekly calls to a court officer and submit to a monthly search

of his home. Al-Kidd said the stress destroyed his marriage and cost him his job delivering supplies to a store on Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. In the end, Al-Hussayen was acquitted of the terrorism charges but agreed to be deported for visa fraud. Al-Kidd was never called to testify in any trial. He has sued former Attorney General John Ashcroft, alleging he was deprived of his freedom.

The Justice Department says it uses its detention powers carefully and mainly in cases where it fears people will flee the country.

Sometimes the government simply gets the wrong suspect. Mistaken-arrest cases are becoming increasingly costly to taxpayers in the form of out-of-court settlements. Since 2006, the government has paid $2 million to an Oregon man jailed after the 2004 train bombings in Madrid, $250,000 to a man detained after an aviation radio was found in his hotel room near New York’s ground zero, and $1.8 million to seven men detained shortly after Sept 11. Another lawsuit moving through a New York court represents 1,200 men rounded up after Sept 11.

Law enforcement experts say such cases are a natural byproduct of aggressive detective work. “Show me any kind of criminal or national security activity where you have no false positives or no false negatives,” said James Carafano, a national security expert at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank. “If your metric of success is that no one’s ever going to be inconvenienced, ever, then the system is never going to be good enough.”

Other people have suffered from the publicity surrounding their arrests. Pakistani immigrant Pir Khan spent 76 days in solitary confinement last year after investigators detained him in the wake of the Times Square bombing attempt. Khan’s nephew, who was living with him, had once sent money home to Pakistan using a money-transfer system common among Middle Eastern immigrants, in which payments are passed along until they reach an immigrant’s family back home, according to investigators and Khan’s own lawyer. Attempted bomber Faisal Shahzad was one link in the chain.

In jail, other inmates yelled, “Terrorist!” at him, Khan said. His American-born wife received death threats. Reporters interviewed his neighbors, scoured his wife’s Facebook page for information and speculated on whether his marriage was a sham. Khan said his credit rating was ruined after bills and other mail started disappearing, and he lost his taxi. No terrorism charges were ever brought against him. But now he is fighting deportation as an illegal immigrant. He is living in a Boston suburb and working as a mechanic. “I lost a lot of things,” Khan said. “I have to put it behind my back and just get on with my life.”

Though Khan said he was questioned repeatedly about the bombings, the Justice Department said he was jailed solely because of immigration violations. Homeland Security said the decision to keep him in solitary was made by the sheriff ’s department in Plymouth County, Massachusetts which runs the jail. A sheriff’s spokesman, John Birtwell, said only that detainees who have been in the news are sometimes separated to protect them from other prisoners. Many suspects say they fear their names will forever carry a black mark.

Afifi, the California college student who found the tracking device on his car, said agents questioned him in front of his neighbors, hinted they knew about his new job and where he went on dates, and left him feeling frightened. In November, Afifi went to Egypt to visit relatives. When he returned to the US, two federal agents were waiting for him at the airport. He was detained and questioned for four hours about his trip, he said. Last week he filed a lawsuit challenging FBI rules allowing agents to track suspects electronically without a warrant. “I understand that maybe they have the right to do that to any American citizen as long as they think they have something against them,” Afifi said. “But I don’t know what they have against me, and that’s the problem.” — AP

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Medvedev clashes with Putin on Libya MOSCOW: President Dmitry Medvedev yesterday rebuked Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for comparing the West’s military action in Libya to a medieval crusade, in the most public clash yet between Russia’s rulers. Putin earlier yesterday slammed a UN resolution allowing military action on Libya as resembling a “medieval call to crusade”, in one of his most virulent diatribes against the West in years. In a hastily-convened briefing at his Gorky residence outside Moscow, Medvedev, wearing a bomber jacket emblazoned with the presidential insignia, openly contradicted Putin and said he largely supported the resolution.

With a grim expression on his face Medvedev added that using words such as “crusade” - expeditions by armies in the Middle Ages to end Muslim rule over the holy land - in reference to a Muslim country was unacceptable. “Under no circumstances is it acceptable to use expressions which essentially lead to a clash of civilisations. Such as ‘crusade’ and so on,” Medvedev said. “It is unacceptable. Otherwise, everything may end up much worse compared to what’s going on now. Everyone should remember that,” Medvedev said. He gave his qualified backing to the UN resolution on Libya, in remarks that are likely to further endear him to the West in the run-up to presidential polls in 2012. Russia refrained from using its veto on the resolution and instead abstained, a position that allowed the resolution to be passed. “I do not believe this resolution to be wrong. I believe that this resolution also reflects on the

whole our understanding of the events happening in Libya,” Medvedev said. “But not in everything. That’s why we did not use our veto right, it was a qualified refusal to veto, with rather clear consequences.We have done it consciously, those were my instructions to the foreign ministry and they have been implemented.”

Medvedev said it had to be remembered that what was happening in Libya is “the result of the appalling behavior of the Libyan leadership and the crimes it committed against its own people”. The comments directly contradicted Putin, who had described the entire resolution as “flawed”.

“The resolution by the Security Council, of course, is defective and flawed,” Putin told workers on a visit to a missile factory in the central Russian region of Udmurtia. “To me, it resembles some sort of medieval call to crusade when someone would appeal to someone to go to a certain place and free something there,” he said in televised remarks.

Medvedev took over the Kremlin in 2008 after Putin served two fouryear terms as president, with Putin immediately becoming a powerful prime minister. Russia is heading for presidential elections in 2012 and neither 57-year-old Putin nor his 44-year-old protege Medvedev ruled out standing but they have said they would agree who would run to avoid competing with each other. Analysts say that may not be easy as Medvedev has acquired a taste for power and Putin may be planning to return to the Kremlin for a third term. — AFP

Liberal MPs pave way for grillings Continued from Page 1 grillings in the pipeline. They include a planned grilling of the prime minister by the Popular Bloc and another by MPs Mohammad Hayef and Waleed AlTabtabaei, in addition to a grilling of Health Minister Helal Al-Sayer. There are threats to grill more ministers but have not materialised into serious threats yet.

The National Bloc has been vying to grill Sheikh Ahmad for several months, especially over the sports problems in the country, besides allegations of financial irregularities and corruption in several departments. Allegations of corruption in the Olympic Council of Asia headquarters in Salmiya is believed to be one of the main issues that will figure in the grilling after MP Saraawi raised the issue several times in the past. The grilling will not be listed on the National Assembly session agenda today because of its late submission, but will be listed and debated on the session of April 5. It is expected to lead to a noconfidence motion against Sheikh Ahmad and the voting on it if it is submitted will take place a week later.

Shiite MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan said yesterday that he

is opposed to the grilling of Sheikh Ahmad and the planned quiz against the prime minister because they are “motivated by personal reasons”. He however said he backs the the planned grilling against the health minister because of serious violations.

In another development, head of the Legal and Legislative Committee MP Hussein Al-Huraiti said yesterday the panel decided to delay a decision over the membership of MP Khalaf Dumaitheer for one week for more consideration. Huraiti said the committee heard the view of Dumaitheer and a number of legal experts over whether to scrap his membership in the Assembly or not and decided to hold another meeting on the issue on March 28. Several weeks ago, the court of cassation, the highest court in Kuwait, confirmed the conviction of Dumaitheer in a forgery case but refrained from issuing any sentence against him.

Under Kuwaiti law, refraining from issuing a sentence is nevertheless a conviction. And because the case is a felony, the lawmaker immediately loses his membership in the Assembly according to some legal experts but others insist exactly the opposite. The legal panel was asked to present its opinion on the case to the Assembly, which is expected to vote on it.

Syrians shout ‘No more fear!’

Continued from Page 1 “Just God, Syria and Freedom,” and “Revolution, revolution” chanted the demonstrators and an activist told AFP that they would keep up their protests “until all the demands were met”. “The people want the overthrow of corruption,” they chanted.

The slogan is a play on the words “the people want the overthrow of the regime,” the rallying cry of revolutions that overthrew the veteran rulers of Tunisia and Egypt and have spread across the Arab world.

Local notables have also demanded the release of political prisoners, the dismantling of secret police headquarters in Daraa, the dismissal of the governor, a public trial for those responsible for the killings and the scrapping of regulations requiring secret police permission to sell and buy property. Daraa’s secret police is headed by a cousin of Assad, who has emerged in the last four years from isolation by the West over Syria’s role in Lebanon and Iraq and backing for mostly Palestinian militant groups.

Yesterday, an AP team was allowed into Daraa, accompanied by two government minders who kept them away from protesters and would not allow photographs of the demonstrations. Army checkpoints circled the city and plainclothes officers were dispatched in key areas.

The military tightened security around the old part of the city that witnessed much of the violence.

Soldiers were stopping cars trying to go to the old part, checking people’s identity cards and searching the

vehicles to make sure no one is carrying weapons. The minders prevented the AP team from going to the old quarter.

A lawyer told the AP that criminal records were destroyed as people ransacked and burned the twostorey Palace of Justice, which houses a criminal court and a police station. Every room in the building was burned and more than 20 computers were stolen, lawyer Samir Kafri said.

About a dozen lawyers who gathered outside the building said the attack on the courthouse appeared to be organized as the attackers managed to destroy all files related to crimes such as drugs and arms dealings. Among the buildings set on fire were the offices of the antidrug department, about 200 m from the court. Municipal workers hosed down charred courtrooms covered in soot and ash, and security officers hung Syrian flags outside broken, scorched windows.

At the entrance of the city, the bottom of a giant picture of President Bashar Assad was torn.

The violence in Daraa has fast become a major challenge for Assad, who has tried to contain the situation by freeing detainees and promising to fire officials responsible for the violence. Many residents who spoke to the AP blamed what they called troublemakers who took advantage of the protests to loot and set state buildings on fire. But a man approached a reporter in the city center and said “all the troubles in the city is because of the corrupt governor.”

One human rights activist said

pro-democracy demonstrations spread yesterday to the towns of Jasim and Inkhil, near Daraa where thousands of people protested to demand reforms. In Inkhil, protesters stormed a police station and in Jasim about 2,000 people demonstrators chanted “peaceful, peaceful” and “Martyr, we will sacrifice ourselves for you,” according to an AFP correspondent.

Syria, a predominantly Sunni country ruled by minority Alawites, has a history of suppressing dissent.

Assad’s father and predecessor, Hafez, crushed a Muslim fundamentalist uprising in 1982, killing thousands. A city of about 300,000 near the border with Jordan, Daraa is a Sunni city that has been relatively peaceful, although it is suffering sustained economic effects from a drought. Many of the city’s residents work in agriculture. Prolonged disturbances in Syria would be a major expansion of the unrest tearing through the Arab world for more than a month after pro-democracy uprisings that overthrew the autocratic leaders of Tunisia and Egypt.

But protesters in Syria would face a tough time trying to pull off a serious uprising along those lines.

Despite the political repression and rights abuses, Assad remains popular among many in the Arab world, in particular, because he is seen as one of the few Arab leaders willing to stand up to Israel. It is also not clear how much support any uprising would have within the country. A few earlier attempts to organize protests through social networking sites fell flat. — Agencies

Kuwait navy joins troops in Bahrain Continued from Page 1 Meanwhile, Bahrain’s king said a foreign plot against his island state had been foiled, and the head of the GCC warned that interference by Shiite Iran in the Gulf Arab states would not be tolerated. “An external plot has been fomented for 20 to 30 years until the ground was ripe for subversive designs... I here announce the failure of the plot,” King Hamad bin Isa AlKhalifa was quoted as telling troops in a report by state news agency BNA. Had the plot succeeded, he said, it could have spilled into neighbouring states. The king thanked troops brought in from fellow Sunni-ruled neighbours to help quell weeks of protests by mainly Shiite Bahrainis calling for political reform.

King Hamad did not say who was behind the plot, but his comments came after a day of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions between Bahrain and Shiite power Iran. GCC SecretaryGeneral Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah told reporters in Abu Dhabi: “We reject any intervention in our internal affairs and among these countries (intervening) is Iran,” after he was asked about troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates being sent to Bahrain. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television channel quoted Bahrain authorities as saying communications systems had been sent from Iran to the Bahraini opposition.

The ferocity of last week’s government crackdown, in which Bahrain called in Gulf troops, imposed martial law and drove protesters off the streets, has stunned majority Shiites, the main force behind the protests, and enraged Tehran. Iran, which supports Shiite groups in Iraq and Lebanon, has complained to the United Nations and asked neighbours to join it in urging Saudi Arabia to withdraw forces from Bahrain.

Bahrain expelled Iran’s charge d’affaires on Sunday, accusing him of contacts with opposition groups, a diplomatic source said. The Iranian ambassador was asked to leave last week.

Iran expelled a Bahraini diplomat in response.

More than 60 percent of Bahrainis are Shiites. Most protesters have campaigned for a constitutional monarchy, but calls by hardliners for the overthrow of the monarchy have alarmed Sunnis. Shiites across the region have complained for decades of oppression by Sunnis, dominant throughout the Arab world. Bahrain’s political crisis has been the subject of a media war between pro-Iranian television channels and Bahraini state media. Each side accuses the other of incitement.

An uneasy calm spread through the city as Bahrainis returned to work and there were fewer checkpoints in the streets, though helicopters still buzzed over Shiite areas.

Shaking their fists and shouting “Down with Al-Khalifa”, about 2,000 people joined the fourth funeral procession in as many days for someone whose death during the unrest is blamed

by Shiites on the authorities. Waving black and Bahraini flags, mourners gathered in the Shiite village of Buri to bury 38year-old father-of-three Abdulrusul Hajair, found on Sunday apparently beaten to death. “We want to know the reson for this ugly crime and who is behind it,” said Youssef Al-Buri, his cousin. “Are people now getting killed for their identity? What is this country coming to now? Abductions? Beatings?

Murder?”

Another Bahraini Shiite, who has been found dead after he went missing for days was also buried yesterday. Police cars and military armoured vehicles surrounded the entrance to Buri but did not interfere with the funeral.

Bahrain’s largest Shiite opposition group Wefaq said police told Hajair’s family on Sunday to collect his body from hospital. Speaking at a 15-minute protest in front of the United Nations building in Manama on Sunday, a former Wefaq parliament member said almost 100 people had gone missing in the crackdown. — Agencies

MOSCOW: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev holds a new curved weapon as he visits the Interior special task force unit Zubr (bison) in Shchelkovo village outside Moscow yesterday. The weapon is designed to shoot from behind a corner and has a screen for targeting. — AP

FM meets Libyan oppn delegation Continued from Page 1 Tripoli accused both coalition forces and the rebels of breaking a ceasefire, which it had announced late Sunday, but rebel sources said Gaddafi’s troops were still pounding their western enclave of Misrata, killing 11 people and wounding dozens. Western forces had launched new air strikes on Libya overnight, flattening a building in leader Gaddafi’s Tripoli compound, about 50 m from the tent where he generally meets guests, with a cruise missile.

Angry Libyan officials said the strike had endangered civilians, but Britain said yesterday it had aborted an air raid because of a civilian presence. Operation Odyssey Dawn was launched Saturday to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973 aimed at stopping Gaddafi’s forces harming civilians as they battle an uprising. Gaddafi’s troops retreated 100 km from the insurgents’ capital of Benghazi after fierce strafing by coalition aircraft destroyed much of their armour, but beat off a rebel advance on their new positions in Ajdabiya yesterday. “The people of Misrata went into the streets and to the (city) centre, unarmed, in an attempt to stop Gaddafi’s forces entering the city,” a resident told Reuters by telephone.

“When they gathered in the centre the Gaddafi forces started shooting at them with artillery and guns. They committed a massacre,” the resident, who gave his name as Saadoun, added.

General Carter Ham, head of the US Africa Command, said that US forces had no mission to support a ground offensive by the rebels, but at the same time Gaddafi’s troops in the Benghazi area show “little will or capability to resume offensive operations”.

“This was a barbaric bombing which could have hit hundreds of civilians gathered at the residence of Muammar Gaddafi about 400 m away from the building which was hit,” Libyan spokesman Mussa Ibrahim told journalists taken to the site. He slammed the “contradictions in Western discourses,” saying: “Western countries say they want to protect civilians while they bomb the residence knowing there are civilians inside.”

The United States and France denied coalition forces would target Gaddafi, whose whereabouts were unknown yesterday, as did the head of Britain’s armed forces after Foreign

Secretary William Hague had refused to rule it out. A coalition official told AFP the strike had destroyed Gaddafi’s “command and control capability,” adding: “We continue to strike those targets which pose a direct threat to the Libyan people and to our ability to implement the no-fly zone” authorised by Resolution 1973. Diplomats said the Security Council would meet in private yesterday to consider a Libyan demand for an emergency session of the top UN body.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa meanwhile expressed full support for Resolution 1973, saying comments the previous day that the air strikes exceeded the UN mandate had been “misinterpreted”. “We are committed to the UNSC Resolution 1973, we have no objection to this decision, particularly as it does not call for an invasion of Libyan territory,” he said after a meeting in Cairo with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Ban appealed for unity over implementing Resolution 1973. “It is important that the international community speak with one voice to implement the second council resolution,” he said, adding that “strong and decisive measures” had been possible only because of Arab League support for a no-fly zone.

Belgian and Spanish warplanes began patrolling Libyan skies yesterday, Danish and French aircraft launched new missions, Italy helped to suppress air defences and Norwegian fighters left for Italian bases, respective official sources said.

However, Norway’s defence minister said its aircraft would not take action as long as it was unclear which country was commanding the multinational force. The NATO alliance is ready to back up the coalition intervening in Libya within “a few days,” French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said.

France had resisted handing the baton to NATO, fearing a backlash from the Arab world if the alliance intervenes.

But with most European Union powers still staying out, the bloc headed for a clash over the campaign in Libya as it met on the issue yesterday.

“It shouldn’t be a war on Libya,” said Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, while Bulgaria labelled military intervention an “adventure” driven by oil interests. Germany, which abstained on Resolution 1973, said the action in Libya justified Berlin’s decision not to take part. But ministers agreed to tighten political and economic screws

on Gaddafi, adopting a new slate of sanctions against his regime, and said the EU would mobilise its military and civil defence assets to protect a humanitarian mission in Libya if the UN requests it.

The United Arab Emirates said its involvement in Libya is limited to humanitarian assistance, after reports it would send warplanes to join Gulf neighbour Qatar in patrolling the nofly zone. Officials said US forces would be taking more of a back seat after the initial effort to destroy Libya’s defences, with other countries enforcing the no-fly zone. We will have a military role in the coalition. But we will not have the pre-eminent role,” US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told reporters. “It is pretty clear that we agreed to use our unique capabilities and with the breadth of those capabilities at the front end of this process, then we expected in a matter of days to be able to turn over the primary responsibility to others.”

Washington is keen not to be seen as leading the West’s biggest intervention in the Arab world since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, though Arab protests about the action against Gaddafi, who is widely detested, have been muted. Pentagon spokesman Vice Admiral Bill Gortney said the first strikes, involving B2 stealth bombers flown from the United States and more than 100 cruise missiles launched from ships offshore, had succeeded in “significantly degrading” Libyan air defences, and a no-fly zone was now effectively in place.

Britain’s defence ministry said British forces had joined in the second round of attacks, launching cruise missiles from a submarine in the Mediterranean. But military spokesman Major General John Lorimer said that British Tornado jets aborted an attack on Libyan air defence systems overnight because “information came to light that identified a number of civilians within the intended target area.” “This decision underlines the UK’s commitment to the protection of civilians,” he said.

Tripoli reported 48 dead and 150 wounded in the first strikes but said nothing about any casualties from the second round. Gaddafi promised Sunday “a long, drawn-out war with no limits” in a speech broadcast on state television but without appearing on camera, and Ham said Monday Washington knew little about his whereabouts. — Agencies

Rival tanks deploy in Sanaa Continued from Page 1 ministry of defence, but it was unclear what their orders were or who was in command. A statement from the country’s military command late yesterday said it remained loyal to Saleh and would not allow “any attack on democracy and the constitutional order”. “The armed forces announce that they remain faithful to their oath to the political leadership, directed by President Saleh,” the statement said.

In the first of a series of body blows to Saleh’s authority, General Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, commander of the Northwest Military District which includes Sanaa, had earlier announced he had joined the “revolution”. “The crisis is getting more complicated and it’s pushing the country towards violence and civil war,” he said in a statement.

“According to what I’m feeling, and according to the feelings of my partner commanders and soldiers... I announce our support and our peaceful backing to the youth revolution. We are going to fulfil our duties in preserving security and stability.”

One by one, dozens of officers of various ranks stood at the tent city near Sanaa University, where demonstrators have kept vigil since Feb 21 in spite of a wave of attacks, and publicly pledged to support the

revolt. Eastern Military district chief General Mohammed Ali Mohsen also threw his support behind the protesters, as well as at least two other generals, Nasser Ali Shuaybi in Hadramawt province and Faisal Rajab in southern Lahij province.

Sadiq Al-Ahmar, who leads the Hashid tribal federation, the largest in deeply tribal Yemen and a crucial source of Saleh’s power, told AlJazeera television it was time for the embattled president to make a “quiet exit”. “I announce in the name of all the members of my tribe that I am joining the revolution,” Ahmar said, calling for Saleh “to exempt Yemen from the bloodshed and make a quiet exit”.

The regime was internationally condemned after more than 50 people were killed there on Friday when loyalist gunmen opened fire on thousands of protesters from rooftops. The deputy speaker of parliament, Himyar Al-Ahmar, and the governor of the key southern province of Aden, Ahmed Qaatabi, resigned yesterday in protest at the treatment of demonstrators. The government has already lost the support of religious leaders and been weakened by the resignations of ministers, ambassadors and a host of ruling party MPs, but Saleh has refused to stand down until his term ends in 2013.

Saleh sacked his cabinet on

Sunday in a bid to placate opposition calls for sweeping reforms in the key US ally. As the pillars of his power buckled beneath him, Saleh sent Foreign Minister Abu Bakr AlKurbi on an urgent mission to Saudi Arabia with a secret message for the king, the state news agency reported. The defection of top military officers to the opposition is likely to complicate Washington’s support for Saleh, whom it sees as a guarantor of stability in a volatile country and a partner in the war against AlQaeda.

The White House said yesterday it has told the Yemeni government that the violence seen in Sanaa is “unacceptable” while French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Saleh was facing an “unavoidable” exit from power. US special forces are training Yemeni anti-terror units engaged against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which has allegedly attempted several attacks on US targets. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday strongly condemned the use of live ammunition against demonstrators in Yemen, and repeated international calls for dialogue and restraint. “ The Yemen government has an obligation to protect civilians. I call for the utmost restraint and end to violence,” Ban told reporters following talks with Arab League chief Amr Mussa in Cairo. — AFP

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Heynckes mulls Bayern move BERLIN: Coach Jupp Heynckes will leave Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the season and is considering an offer to return to Bayern Munich, he said yesterday.

Heynckes, who will be replaced at Leverkusen by Freiburg boss Robin Dutt, said he had yet to decide whether to return to struggling Bundesliga champions Bayern once Louis van Gaal leaves at the end of this campaign. “I have not said yes and no negotiations have taken place with Bayern until now,” he said in a statement, adding Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had called him “to offer the position”. “Then I also talked with my good friend (Bayern president) Uli Hoeness.” Heynckes’ most recent of two stints at Bayern was in 2009 when he took over for the last five games of the season to help them clinch second spot and Champions League qualification after the sacking of Juergen Klinsmann. Dutchman Van Gaal, who succeeded Heynckes in 2009 and led Bayern to the domestic double and Champions League final last year, has paid the price for a trophy-dry season this term by agreeing to leave a year before his contract was due to expire.—Reuters

German cyclist denies doping FRANKFURT: German cyclist Patrik Sinkewitz says he thought his positive test for human growth hormone was “a joke.” In an inter view with a German newspaper published yesterday, Sinkewitz denied he took banned substances despite becoming the first cyclist to test positive for HGH. The International Cycling Union announced Friday that Sinkewitz tested positive for HGH at the Grand Prix di Lugano on Feb. 27.

He could face a lifetime ban because he already has served a one-year doping suspension.

“I thought at first that it was a joke,” Sinkewitz told the Sueddeutsche newspaper. “But then I got it in writing.” “I can only say that I

did not take any banned substances,” Sinkewitz told the paper. Sinkewitz said he had requested a test of his “B” sample. “The fact is that they found a substance in me. Now I have to find out how that could be,” Sinkewitz said. Sinkewitz tested positive for testosterone in an out-of-competition test before the 2007 Tour de France and was fired by his T-Mobile Team.

He was banned for one year, half the usual suspension because he cooperated with German investigators and shared details about doping in cycling. The rider’s Italian team, Farnese Vini, said it was “not responsible” for the positive test and was prepared to fire Sinkewitz if he is found guilty of doping.—AP

Jacquelin wins Sicilian Open RAGUSA: France’s Raphael Jacquelin ended a four-year wait for his third European Tour title by winning the weather-delayed Sicilian Open yesterday.

A 2 1/2-hour delay due to lightning Sunday forced the leaders to play an extra day and Jacquelin held off a spirited challenge from England’s Anthony Wall in the tournament’s inaugural edition. Only one shot separated the pair when darkness forced them to abandon play through 12 holes Sunday. Wall twice wiped out the deficit early Monday morning, but double bogeyed the penultimate hole to give the 36-year-old Jacquelin the §166,660 ($235,000) winner’s prize. Jacquelin finished at 12-under, with Wall one shot behind, while Jose Manuel Lara of Spain and Joel Sjoholm of Sweden shared third, five shots back, on the Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa course. Jacquelin’s last win came at the Asian Open in 2007, and this victory vaults him back into the top 100 of the world rankings.

“It feels great, as you would expect it to feel,” Jacquelin said. “But it was not easy. Anthony made a couple of birdies and put the pressure on me right from the start.—AP

Stoner makes flying start in Qatar GP DOHA: Australian Casey Stoner won the floodlit Qatar MotoGP seasonopener for the fourth time in five years on Sunday ahead of Spaniards Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.

Starting from pole position after dominating all three practice sessions, Stoner beat Yamaha’s world champion Lorenzo by 3.44 seconds at the Losail circuit in a dream debut with the works Repsol Honda team. The Australian, who raced for Ducati last year, has now won 24 grands prix in the top category.

Spain’s Pedrosa, Stoner ’s Honda team mate, was struggling with a painful arm and looked exhausted after finishing just over five seconds behind the Australian, despite taking the lead on the opening lap and fighting an entertaining duel to the halfway point.

Valentino Rossi of Italy, winner of nine world titles across the classes but struggling with a shoulder injury, finished well off the pace in seventh in his first race with Ducati after leaving Yamaha.

“Definitely, it couldn’t be any better,” Stoner, the 2007 world champion, told reporters. “It’s a similar start to what we had when we won the world championship....we’ve had some fantastic starts to the season but everything with Honda so far has been just amazing, everything we’ve done with the bike over the pre-season,” he added.

Lorenzo had warned that Stoner and Pedrosa were the men to beat, with Honda fastest at every pre-season test, and had said he would be happy to be

on the podium.

The Mallorcan exceeded his own expectations and his delight was evident as he punched the air repeatedly as he cruised down the pitlane after taking the chequered flag.

On the victory podium, the Spaniard appeared the happiest of the three with the two Honda riders waving Japanese flags in solidarity with the victims of the devastating quake and tsunami.

“Not so many people thought about us for this race,” said Lorenzo. “But we believed in ourselves every day, better and better. Today I put everything I have on the track, I didn’t save anything. I was at the limit in every corner and every lap. “I almost crashed. When you go like this it is very easy to crash.”

Pedrosa took the lead at the start but was passed by Lorenzo while Stoner hit the front on lap two. The Spaniard overtook Lorenzo for second on the third lap and got back in front of the Australian for a brief stint.

His battle in the second half of the race was for second place, with the two Spaniards dicing with each before Lorenzo made his move stick with four laps remaining.

“In the middle of the race I started having a lot of problems again with my left arm,” he said. “I couldn’t control the bike any more and I just tried to slow down...I couldn’t grip really good or use the clutch in the proper way.”

Britain’s Cal Crutchlow finished 11th on his MotoGP debut with 13 finishers.—Reuters

DOHA: MotoGP Honda rider and first place winner Casey Stoner of Australia, takes a turn on his way to win the Grand Prix of Qatar at the Losail International Circuit. —AP

McLaren make ‘dramatic changes’ for F1 opener LONDON: McLaren have had a major rethink of their car for Sunday ’s Formula One season opener in Australia and hope to gain a second a lap after disappointing form in testing, team boss Martin Whitmarsh said yesterday.

“I’m not satisfied with where the car was on reliability or performance in the tests,” he told reporters in a conference call. “We have made some fairly dramatic changes, and those changes we’ll see in Australia.

“There’s some risk in that but I think it was the right thing to do and we’re hoping that risk comes off and the car is a lot more competitive,” he added.

Whitmarsh said the former world champions, overall runners-up last year, had changed the floor of the MP4-26 car and the exhaust system to a new and simpler design that should prove more reliable.

McLaren won in Melbourne last year with Britain’s 2009 world champion Jenson Button, whose hopes of a third successive Australian Grand Prix victory have receded as the car ’s problems became evident in testing at Spanish circuits.

Button has yet to do a race distance on a single day in the car due to problems with reliability. On his last day of

testing in Barcelona before heading for Australia, he did 57 laps compared to Fernando Alonso’s 141 in the Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton, the team’s 2008 world champion, won at the Albert Park circuit in 2008 but has also said the car is some way off being a winner.

Champions Red Bull, with Australian Mark Webber and 23-year-old world champion Sebastian Vettel, and Ferrari start as favourites this time round.

“The exhaust systems have become quite extreme on quite a lot of the cars,” explained Whitmarsh. “I think we in particular had a very extreme solution but they were not delivering, in my opinion, sufficient benefit for their complexity.

“We had some very creative ideas, some of which could have worked spectacularly well, but to work spectacularly well they had to be sufficiently durable to be raceable,” added the Briton.

“Frank ly, some of our solutions weren’t and that’s why I think we had to go back ... but I think in doing so we found some interesting performance.

So we’ll see.

“I think it will still be a challenging weekend but I’m hopeful that we’ll put on more than a second in per formance.”—Reuters

GLENDALE: Marian Hossa No. 81 of the Chicago Blackhawks skates with the puck past Rostislav Klesla No. 16 of the Phoenix Coyotes during the NHL game.—AFP

Rangers rally to beat Penguins PITTSBURGH: Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan scored power-play goals 11 seconds apart as part of a four-goal third period as the New York Rangers rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 in the NHL on Sunday.

New York took advantage when Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke received a 5-minute elbowing penalty 4:36 into the third. The Penguins then lost another man when Matt Niskanen was given a high-stick ing double -minor three minutes later. Gaborik tied the game at 2 with eight seconds remaining in the 5-on-3 advantage. Cooke’s penalty had just ended when Callahan scored the game-winner.

Henrik Lundqvist made 38 saves for the Rangers, who extended their winning streak to a season-high four games.

Canadiens 8, Wild 1 In St. Paul, Minneapolis, P.K. Subban scored three goals for his first NHL hat trick as Montreal had its biggest offensive output in more than three years. Ryan White gave visiting Montreal the lead just 31 seconds in. The Canadiens then led 2-0 after the first period and 6-0 after 40 minutes.

Andrei Kostitsyn, James Wisniewski, Travis Moen and Tom Pyatt also scored for the Canadiens, who got eight goals in a game for the first time since Januar y 2008. Mik ko Koivu scored a penalty-shot goal for the Wild with 7:46 remaining to end Alex Auld’s shutout bid.

Predators 4, Sabres 3 In Buffalo, New York, Blake Geoffrion scored three goals, including two in the final three minutes of regulation, as Nashville came back to beat Buffalo. Martin Erat scored off a Ryan Suter pass 27 seconds into

overtime to win the game for the Predators, who got their third road victory in 11 games.

The Predators are 7-2-2 in their past 11 games and have moved into a fifth-place tie with Los Angeles in the NHL’s tight Western Conference. Tim Connolly, Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Ennis scored second-period goals for the Sabres.

Devils 3, Blue Jackets 0 At Columbus, Ohio, David Clarkson scored twice and Martin Brodeur made 13 saves to earn his NHL-record 115th shutout as New Jersey beat Columbus.

Nick Palmieri also scored for the Devils, who are trying to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race. New Jersey is in 11th place, seven points behind eighth-

place Buffalo and the postseason cutoff.

The Devils had gone 23-3-2 in their last 28 games before backto-back losses to Ottawa and Washington this week damaged their playoff hopes. Steve Mason stopped 28 shots for the Blue Jackets, who have only won twice in the last 12 games.

remaining to level the score and send the game to over time.

Ellis redeemed himself by stopping Jarome Iginla on a breakaway 1:26 into overtime and finished with 37 saves.

Blackhawks 2, Coyotes 1 At Glendale, Arizona, Chris Campoli scored a power-play goal with 6:34 remaining as Chicago topped Phoenix. It was Campoli’s first goal for Chicago since he was acquired from Ottawa on Feb. 28.

Duncan Keith also scored for Chicago, which moved into six th place in the Western Conference. Eric Belanger scored for the Coyotes, whose five-game winning streak was ended. Phoenix hadn’t lost in regulation since March 3. —AP

Ducks 5, Flames 4 In Anaheim, California, Corey Perry scored two goals, including the game-winner 2:38 into overtime, as Anaheim held off Calgary.

The Ducks squandered an early 3-0 lead when goaltender Dan Ellis gave up four straight goals to the Flames to make it 43 with 12:50 left in the third.

Teemu Selanne then scored on a power play with 2:01

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Sunday.

NY Rangers 5, Pittsburgh 2; Nashville 4, Buffalo 3 (OT); New Jersey 3, Columbus 0; Montreal 8, Minnesota 1; Chicago 2, Phoenix 1; Anaheim 5, Calgary 4 (OT). (OT indicates overtime win) Western Conference Eastern Conference Central Division Atlantic Division Detroit 43 21 8 233 204 94 W L OTL GF GA PTS Chicago 39 25 8 234 202 86 Philadelphia 44 19 8 228 190 96 Nashville 38 25 10 190 172 86 Pittsburgh 41 23 8 208 177 90 Columbus 33 29 10 195 218 76 NY Rangers 39 30 4 215 179 82 St. Louis 32 31 9 201 214 73 New Jersey 34 34 4 154 182 72 NY Islanders 28 33 12 203 233 68 Northwest Division Boston Montreal Buffalo Toronto Ottawa

Northeast Division 39 22 10 213 40 26 7 200 35 28 9 214 32 31 10 192 27 36 9 164

175 185 208 225 223

88 87 79 74 63

Washington Tampa Bay Carolina Atlanta Florida

Southeast Division 42 21 10 198 39 22 11 214 33 29 10 201 30 30 12 202 29 33 10 182

176 217 214 238 198

94 89 76 72 68

Vancouver Calgary Minnesota Colorado Edmonton

47 37 35 27 23

17 27 30 36 39

9 10 8 8 10

238 226 185 198 175

172 103 214 84 204 78 250 62 237 56

Pacific Division San Jose 42 23 8 211 191 92 Phoenix 39 24 11 213 207 89 Los Angeles 40 26 6 197 176 86 Anaheim 40 27 5 204 208 85 Dallas 38 25 9 203 202 85 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

Russell advances in Round Three 8th Kuwait Open Bowling 2011 KUWAIT: Ronnie Russell of the United States put in a stunning performance in the Round 3 finals of the 8th Kuwait Open 2011 to advance into the next round together with the next 8 best finishers. Norway ’s Tore Togersen opened accounts with a high game of 276 to lead one of two women in the finals, Tannya Roumimper of Indonesia by 24 pins. The 42-yearold Norwegian could not hold the lead after Thailand’s Yannaphon Larpapharat snatched the lead with his own 276 in the second.

Ronnie Russell of the United States, who started off with 205, also registered 276 in his second

but followed it up with another big game of 266 in the third to move to the front ahead of the Thai.

Russell downed three addition games of 222, 215 and 257 to end the finals with a total of 1441 to win the round. Tannya Roumimper claimed second spot with 1365 plus 5 pins handicap each game.

Kuwait’s best finisher was Asian Championship Doubles silver medalist, Basel Al Anzi taking third spot with 1334 while newlycrowned ABF Tour TOC winner, Hussain Al Suwaidi of UAE finished fourth with 1321.

Making the cut for the next round from fifth to ninth were

Helen Johnsson (SWE-1306), Sayed Ibrahim Al Hashemi (UAE-1286), Tore Togersen (NOR-1283), Ayad Al Amiri (KUW-1278) and Yannaphon (THA-1274).

Asian Championship Masters gold medalist, Khaled Al Dubyyan of Kuwait missed the cut by 31 pins after finishing 10th position while Round 2 leader, Mahmood Al Attar also crashed out after a poor 158 in his final game. The top 9 would join the qualifiers from positions 8 to 14 to bowl another 6 games in Round 4 finals later at 5.OOpm. The top 8 after this round would meet the top 7 seeded qualifiers for tomorrow’s Round 5 finals.

Ronnie Russell

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Webb wins Founders Cup

PALM HARBOR: Gary Woodland celebrates with his trophy after winning the Transitions Championship golf tournament. — AP

Woodland clinches Transitions TAMPA: American Gary Woodland saved par with a 10-foot putt on the last hole to claim his first US PGA Tour title with a one -shot victory on Sunday at the Transitions Championship over compatriot Webb Simpson.

An in-form Woodland used an uncanny touch with his putter to post a fourunder-par 67 for a 15-under-par total of 269 on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.

Woodland, who earlier this year lost a playoff at the Bob Hope Classic, tied for fifth at Phoenix and tied for sixth at the Honda Classic, made all 17 putts he had from within 20 feet during the pressurepacked final round.

“I was struggling with the golf swing today. I think the adrenaline got the most of me all day,” said Woodland. “But the one thing that has really helped me in my career has been the putting and today it saved me. It won me a golf tournament.” Woodland’s dramatic par at the 18th was his only par on a rollercoaster last nine for the winner, who posted five birdies and three bogeys from the 10th.

A tightly-packed leaderboard gave way to a late duel between Woodland, 26, and the 25-year-old Simpson, who was tied for the lead as he played the 18th. Simpson hit his tee shot in the left

fairway bunker and his second shot through the green about 50 feet from the cup, close to where Woodland had been in the group before.

His strong chip ran 20 feet past the hole and Simpson missed the par putt that would have forced a playoff, killing his shot at capturing his maiden Tour victory. “Just one shot short is tough because you’re here four days and you work so hard. This opportunity comes not that often, so I’m a little disappointed,” said Webb, whose previous best finish had been a tie for fourth last year in Las Vegas. “But I’m sure looking back I’ll learn a lot from it and hopefully have many opportunities to win again.”

American Scott Stallings was third on 272 after shooting 70, with compatriot Brandt Snedeker (70) another stroke away. Third-round leader Justin Rose of Britain, who floundered with four bogeys in a row from the seventh, shot 74 and was in a group of six on 274 that also included compatriot Martin Laird (70) and Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe (73). “I felt really in control the beginning of the round,” said Rose. “Kind of a case of I didn’t really get anything out of the first six, seven holes. I hit a lot of good putts, burned a lot of edges early. “I just seemed to lose my focus.” —Reuters

Ahli United Bank, Kuwait enters final of AUB Trophy KUWAIT: An unbeaten century by Jagath Roshantha enabled Ahli United Bank, Kuwait beat Boubyan Bank convincingly at Ahmadi Cricket Ground for the coveted AUB Cricket Trophy conducted by KOC Cricket Committee.

AUB captain Mahmoud Bastaki won the toss and elected to bat in perfect batting conditions. AUB star openers Dinesh Kumar and Jagath Roshantha started in right earnest from the word go and were striking the ball to all parts of the ground.

Runs flowed from the bat of both the opening batsmen who put on a splendid partnership of 147 runs for the 1st wicket. In the midst of banging boundries and sixes, the pair did not hesitate in taking singles and twos.

Dinesh scored a delectable 54 before being stumped off the bowling of Mazer. Jagath Roshantha was

joined by Saud Qamar and the pair continued in the same vein hitting boundaries and sixes at will without being separated. At the end of 20 overs, AUB Kuwait scored a mammoth 217 runs for the loss of only one wicket .

Faced with a daunting task , Boubyan Bank batsmen fought hard but could not stand against the accurate attack of AUB bowlers and their innings folded for 114 runs .

Boubyan captain Faraaz was the only batsman with splendid stroke play scored 48 runs and Yasser 26 runs were the main contributors for Boubyan Bank.

Abdul Rasheed with 3 wickets, Saud Qamar with 2 wickets and Mahmoud Bastaki and Dinesh Kumar with a wicket each were the main wicket takers for AUB Kuwait. With this win, AUB Kuwait reached the final of their own trophy.

PHOENIX: Karrie Webb rallied to win the LPGA Founders Cup on Sunday for her second straight victory, shooting a 6-under 66 to beat Brittany Lincicome and Paula Creamer by a stroke. Lincicome had a chance to pull even with Webb on the final hole, but missed a 10-foot par putt.

“I didn’t think I’d be sitting here today talking about winning,” Webb said. “But now that I am, It’s such a great honor to win this tournament.” The 36-year-old Webb, who finished at 12-under 204, earned $200,000 for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and the Japan earthquake relief efforts in the charity event at Wildfire Golf Club.

Instead of paying the players, the tournament honoring the 13 LPGA Tour founders donated $1 million to charity — half to The LPGA Foundation and its LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program and half to the top-10 finishers’ designated charities.

The Reeve Foundation supports spinal cord research, treatment and rehabilitation for those living with paralysis. Kelvin Haller, Webb’s longtime coach back in Australia, is a quadriplegic. He was paralyzed in an accident 20 years ago. “ That’s why I’ve been associated with them. It’s near and dear to my heart,” Webb said. “I think they’ll understand that I’m splitting the $200,000 between them and the relief efforts in Japan. ... Japan, the fans, the people and many businesses over there have supported me throughout my entire career.

It’s just the least that I could do.” Webb now has 38 LPGA Tour victories, including a win three weeks ago in Singapore.After opening with a 71, Webb shot a 67 on Saturday, leaving her six strokes behind second-round leader Angela Stanford.

Stanford, who was at 12 under after opening with consecutive 66s, had three threeputt bogeys in a 75 Sunday that left her fifth at 9 under. “Bad putting,” Stanford said after the final round.

Webb tied Lincicome at 11 under with a 5-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th and took the lead with a tap-in birdie on the par-5 15th.

Lincicome then matched the Australian

PHOENIX: Karrie Webb of Australia poses with the championship trophy after the final round of the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup. — AFP Hall of Famer at 12 under with a short birdie putt of her own on 15. Webb made a 3-foot putt for par on the par-4 18th after leaving her approach shot in the fringe in front of the green.

Lincicome also ended up in the fringe

short of the final green, but ran her chip 10 feet past the hole and missed the putt for her second bogey of the week. Lincicome shot a 70, while Creamer had a 66. “I did a lot of good things. Just one bad hole,” Lincicome said. — AP

Final sprint lifts Farah to NYC Half-Marathon win NEW YORK: Mo Farah of England outsprinted Gebre Gebremariam in the final 200 meters of the NYC Half-Marathon on Sunday, edging the Ethiopian by 2 seconds in a scintillating finish along Manhattan’s West Side Highway.

The British runner raced past and then held off Gebremariam, the 2010 New York City Marathon champion, and American Galen Rupp to cover the 13.1-mile (21-kilometer) course in 1 hour, 23 seconds.

Gebremariam placed second in 1:00:25 and Rupp was third in 1:00:30. “I know (Gebremariam) has a great kick to the finish,” Farah said. “As we got closer to the line, I thought he would come with me, but I said to Galen, ‘Let’s do this thing.”‘ Caroline Rotich won the women’s race in 1:08:52, pulling away from fellow Kenyan Edna Kiplagat in the last mile (1.6 kilometers).

Kiplagat, also the reigning NYC Marathon champion, crossed in 1:09:00 and American Kara Goucher was third in 1:09:03.

The race was a confidence builder for Goucher, who is preparing for the Boston Marathon next month after returning to racing only recently following the birth of her son, Colt, less than six months ago. “I feel so relieved,” Goucher said. “Now I feel like I can really pull this out. I felt great.”

Goucher ran her first marathon in New York in 2008, finishing third in the fastest marathon debut by an American woman.Farah, Rupp and Goucher are all coached by three-time NYC Marathon champion Alberto Salazar.

Farah and Rupp were making their pro debuts at the half-marathon distance. Rupp had a nasty fall early in the race when he clipped defending champion Peter Kamais of Kenya, sending both down.

“Past the initial shock, I tried to calm down and relax, relax,” Rupp said. “I told myself that I am back up there, nothing serious injured and have to save energy for the finish.”

The race drew a deep international field, including Yuri Kano of Japan, who was invited to compete after the Nagoya International Ladies Marathon was canceled in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

“The people in New York really welcomed me and cheered out my name to encourage me. I would to return to run in New York again,” said Kano, who finished 21st in

1:14:59. “I can’t express how much it helps the people in Japan to know that people around the world are supporting them.”

Organizers said 10,225 runners started the course that took them on a loop through Central Park, down Seventh Avenue through Times Square, across 42nd Street, and along the West Side Highway to Battery Park. The winners earned $20,000 out of a total prize purse of $100,000. — AP

Chelsea owner to help Isinbayeva train in Russia MOSCOW: Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich will help rebuild an indoor arena in Volgograd to enable Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva train in her home city, the country’s athletics chief told Reuters.

Valentin Balakhnichyov said the Olympic champion and world record holder had met Abramovich in Zurich in December when they were part of Russia’s delegation bidding successfully to win the right to host the 2018 soccer World Cup. “I know that Yelena had asked for help to fix an indoor arena in Volgograd,” Balakhnichyov said yesterday. “The problem is it gets quite cold inside the arena in the winter, making it very difficult to train.

Also, the running track is quite old and needs to be replaced.”

Abramovich’s spokesman John Mann confirmed the report, telling Reuters: “Yes, it’s true that Yelena has approached Roman for help and the talks are ongoing.”

Isinbayeva’s decision to return to Volgograd from her base in Italy should speed up the process, Balakhnichyov said.

“I was quite surprised how smoothly the talks have gone. I know that Abramovich had already asked his people to find out what has to be done and how much it would cost,” he said.

“Hopefully, the work could be completed over the summer.” This month, Isinbayeva made headlines in Russia when she decided to leave coach Vitaly Petrov and return to her former mentor Yevgeny Trofimov following a series of poor performances in the last two years.

“Rebuilding the Volgograd arena should help not only Isinbayeva but all other athletes who train there,” Balakhnichyov said.

“As you know in Volgograd we have not one but three Olympic champions in athletics: Isinbayeva, (long and triple jumper) Tatyana Lebedeva and (high jumper) Yelena Slesarenko. “And we have many others who may follow in their footsteps,” he said, adding that the sports ministry would share the cost. “We also have athletes from the local youth sports academy who regularly train there, so (the) ministry will also get involved.” — Reuters

Red Bull’s big challenge is staying on top LONDON: Formula One has four rookie drivers this year and only one, Sauber’s 21-year-old Mexican Sergio Perez, is younger than world champion Sebastian Vettel.

It is all too easy, given everything that the 23-year-old German wunderkind has achieved on his rapid ascent to the pinnacle of world motorsport, to forget just how young the Red Bull driver is.

Yes, Vettel still looks and behaves at times like a cheeky schoolboy but the sport’s youngest points scorer, youngest pole sitter, youngest race winner and youngest champion has also shown a maturity way beyond his years.

That much was evident this week when Red Bull announced the German had extended his contract to the end of

2014, having conducted the negotiations himself without the help of a manager.

“For somebody so young to be in control of his own destiny in the manner that he has is very refreshing,” team boss Christian Horner told reporters ahead of next week’s season-opening race in Australia.

“He doesn’t have a big management group or organisation telling him what to do or where to do it. He is very much his own man and makes his own decisions.” Vettel made some big mistakes last year, and was dubbed the ‘crash kid’

by McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh after a jarring collision with then-champion Jenson Button, but he also got more right than wrong over the 19 races.

On far more occasions, he was let down by his car rather than his own errors. In fact, it was when the situation looked truly bleak that the youngster really revealed his inner strength.

“If you look at the way he delivered in those final five races, especially after Korea where we all left the track absolutely on the floor having been convinced that (Ferrari’s) Fernando (Alonso) had just taken an unassailable lead in the drivers’ world championship, the guy that was most upbeat on that long flight home was Sebastian,” said Horner. “He didn’t give up, he never stopped believing that he could do it. In that last sector of the championship, he hit a purple patch of form that was just phenomenal.” Red Bull won nine races last season, Vettel triumphant in five,

and started 15 from pole position with four one-two finishes.

Their success in taking both championships, their first titles, can be attributed to strong teamwork, considerable resources, a great car designed by Adrian Newey and two highly competitive drivers.

Those who thought Red Bull were simply a marketing concern intent on selling cans of energy drink and having a good time had better think twice.

Vettel’s contract extension, along with other key players such as Newey also being locked in, sent a clear signal to rivals that Red Bull are in for the long haul as serious contenders.

“I think Red Bull has demonstrated now that it’s not a flash in the pan, we’ve come a long way in a short space

of time,” said Horner, who has also pledged his future to the team.

“My target and focus is, having achieved what many people believed was insurmountable, to go on and repeat that. “Half the challenge is getting there. The bigger challenge is staying there and that is very much our target and challenge this year,” he added.

“You have to pinch yourself at times that Red Bull have, in an industrial unit in Milton Keynes, beaten Ferrari and they’ve beaten McLaren. It’s a hell of an achievement that we are keen to demonstrate wasn’t a lucky punch.”

The new car has looked quick and reliable in testing, with rivals already worried that the champions have been keeping something in reserve so as not to appear too dominant. —Reuters

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

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Villarreal see off Bilbao

ITALY: Napoli’s Edinson Cavani, of Uruguay (left) and Cagliari’s Alessandro Agostini fight for a the ball during a Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Cagliari in Naples. —AP

Inter, Napoli close on faltering Milan ROME: Inter Milan and Napoli closed in on AC Milan at the top of Serie A on Sunday on a day when Francesco Totti scored his 200th goal in the top flight.

Following Milan’s 1-0 loss at Palermo on Saturday, Giampaolo Pazzini’s 52ndminute strike was enough for a sluggish Inter to claim the three points against Lecce at the San Siro. Later, Edinson Cavani’s double in a 2-1 win over Cagliari re-awakened Napoli’s title challenge.

With eight matches left, the results mean Inter, at present trailing by two points, will go top should they defeat Milan in their next match-the derby coming up on April 3 following the break for international matches.

“The derby won’t decide the title there are 21 other points in play,” Inter coach Leonardo, who replaced Rafael Benitez when the gap to season-long leaders Milan was 13 points, told Italian broadcaster Rai. “It doesn’t matter who is in better form going into the match because the derby is such a one-off. It’s a difficult game to predict and especially strange to prepare for with the international matches.”

Napoli, who appeared to have thrown away a shot at the title after losing to Milan 3-0 three weeks ago, closed to within three points of the leaders with victory in Sunday’s late match.

Cavani opened the scoring from the spot four minutes into the second half af ter Ezequiel Lavezzi had been brought down in the box.

But Cagliari, thrashed 4-0 by Udinese last week, equalised seven minutes later through Rober t Acquafresca’s clever finish. Five min-

utes on though, Cavani slotted home his 22nd goal of the season to claim the points after a fine run from Marek Hamsik.

Fourth-placed Udinese are now just six points off the pace after a longrange effor t from Swiss midfielder Gok han I nler and a penalt y from Antonio Di Natale, his 25th goal of the campaign, saw them defeat Catania 2-0 for their fourth straight win.

In Sunday’s early match, Roma and Fiorentina played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Artemio Franchi stadium where Totti’s second double in a week pegged back the improving visitors who had twice gone ahead in the first half through Adrian Mutu and Alessandro Gamberini.

The draw maintains coach Vincenzo Montella’s unbeaten start in the league as Roma stay sixth, six points off the Champions League spots. Totti, now on 201 goals in Serie A, is within four of Roberto Baggio who lies fifth in the alltime list.

Inter, fresh from their Champions league success against Bayern Munich, began on the front foot against thirdfrom-bottom Lecce with Wesley Sneijder testing goalkeeper Antonio Rosati before bending a free kick into the sidenetting inside the first 20 minutes.

With Lecce refusing to roll over, Inter moved up the gears at the start of the second half. Pazzini, moments after seeing a header saved, spun his man just inside the box and finished unerringly into the corner to give the home side victory.

On Saturday, Palermo halted their five-match losing streak to bring coach Serse Cosmi a debut victory with a 1-0 win over Milan. —Reuters

MADRID: Marco Ruben’s header put Villarreal up to third in La Liga with a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, after Valencia fell to a solitar y Ivan R ak itic strike in a pulsating encounter with Sevilla.

Having impressed in qualifying for the Europa League quarter-finals by beating Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, Villarreal appealed more to their battling qualities to move up to 54 points with nine games left.

They took possession of the last automatic Champions League qualification place as Valencia dropped down to fourth on goal difference.

Unai Emery’s side have now lost their last two league games since being k nocked out of Europe’s elite club competition.

Bilbao slipped further off the top four in sixth with 42 points, one behind a fading Espanyol who fell 2-0 at lowly Malaga.

On Saturday, leaders Barcelona moved on to 78 points after beating Getafe 2-1 at home, maintaining their fivepoint lead over title rivals Real Madrid who won 2-1 at derby rivals Atletico Madrid.

An industrious Borja Valero created the opening for Ruben to score at Bilbao after 58 minutes, the Argentine striker powering a superb header beyond Gorka Iraizoz.

Villarreal clearly tired as the second half progressed, but for all Bilbao’s pressure they could not find a way past visiting goalkeeper Diego Lopez.

Valencia and Sevilla played at a frenetic pace at Mestalla with

SPAIN: Sevilla’s Alvaro Negredo (right) vies for the ball with Valencia’s Mehmet Topal from Turkey (right) during their Spanish League soccer match. —AP both sides hitting the woodwork twice and it was a surprise a goal did not arrive until the 70th minute.

Croatia midfielder R ak itic pounced on a loose ball to fire Sevilla ahead but they also had to thank goalkeeper Javi Varas for pulling off a string of spectacular saves.

Sevilla, who drew 1-1 with Barca last week , are seventh with 42 points but below Bilbao because of an inferior head-tohead record.

At the foot of the table, Jose

Rondon scored twice to boost Malaga’s bid for La Liga survival in a 2-0 home win over Espanyol.

The Venezuelan striker made the most of a defensive error to net early on and finished off a flowing attacking move in the 26th minute to make it two wins from two for Manuel Pellegrini’s outfit.

Malaga climbed to 18th in the standings with 29 points, one point from safety, ahead of Almeria and Hercules who both lost to stay on 26 points.

Free-falling Hercules hit the foot of the standings after a 4-0

thrashing at home to Osasuna, a fourth straight defeat, which saw their coach Esteban Vigo sacked. Almeria are 19th due to a superior head-to-head record af ter losing 1-0 at Spor ting Gijon.

In other games, R acing Santander ’s Mexican for ward Giovani Dos Santos, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, slid in to grab the decider in a 2-1 home win over Real Sociedad and Ruben Suarez’s last-minute free kick gave Levante a 1-0 win at Deportivo Coruna. —Reuters

Blatter ally slams FIFA presidency bid KUALA LUMPUR: A former top official of the Asian Football Confederation slammed Mohamed bin Hammam yesterday for challenging Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency, saying the organization would be “doomed” if the Qatari wins.

Peter Velappan, a Blatter ally who was the AFC’s general secretary from 1978 to 2007, said bin Hammam’s pledge to bring “new blood” into the leadership of world football was “the joke of the century.”

The Malaysian’s comments underscore bitter divisions that could increasingly become public following last week ’s announcement by bin Hammam, the current AFC president, that he would run to replace the 75-year-old Blatter.

“FIFA will be doomed if Hammam became the president,” Velappan told The Associated Press. “It would be very detrimental.” Bin Hammam announced his candidacy on Friday, mounting the first serious challenge to the FIFA head in nearly a decade.

Bin Hammam was traveling in France

yesterday and could not immediately be reached for comment, according to a representative of AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Velappan claimed that bin Hammam had led the AFC like “an autocrat” since becoming president of the organization in 2002 and was insincere in his pledge to bring more democracy, transparency and integrity to FIFA. “These are the very things he has not done in AFC,” he said. “There is no democracy in AFC.” He added he believed bin Hammam would try to “buy up” support to win the June 1 vote in Zurich. “He is definitely an underdog but you can’t rule out his influence,” Velappan said.

Bin Hammam recently spearheaded Qatar’s winning bid for the 2022 World Cup. The 61-year-old still needs the formality of being nominated by one of FIFA’s 208 national federations to run for the presidency.

In announcing his bid for president, bin Hammam said he would broaden FIFA’s decision-making power and spread its

wealth if elected. He proposed creating a new FIFA board to replace the existing executive committee, which some regard as concentrating power in too few hands.

“Sepp Blatter is a very experienced person and has made a significant contribution to the development of the game worldwide when he was a general secretar y and when he was elected as president,” bin Hammam said.

“But I also believe there is always a time limit for everything and now the time is for new faces, new blood, new air, too.”

Blatter, who has been nominated for reelection by Somalia, has led FIFA for 13 years.

“Blatter needs this (fourth term as president) to fight corruption in football, including FIFA,” and to tackle the problem of illegal football betting, Velappan said.

“This is not the time to challenge.” Bin Hammam has long held ambitions to lead FIFA, which has had only eight presidents in its 111-year history. If elected, he would be the first Asian to hold the post. —AP

Marseille title defence still on after PSG win PARIS: Olympique Marseille remained on track to retain their Ligue 1 title when they beat bitter rivals Paris St Germain 2-1 at home on Sunday.

First-half goals by Gabriel Heinze and Andre Ayew helped Marseille move up to second in the standings, four points adrift of pacesetters Lille who won 2-1 at Brest on Saturday.

Didier Deschamps’s side made up for their Champions League elimination against Manchester United on Tuesday by leapfrogging Stade Rennes and Olympique Lyon, who cancelled out each other in a 1-1 draw at Gerland stadium on Saturday.

“Technically and tactically, we have qualities. We needed a good state of mind after the United game,” Marseille midfielder

FRANCE: Marseille’s Ghanaian forward Andre Ayew (left) challenges for the ball with Paris Saint-Germain’s French defender Christophe Jallet (right) during their Division One soccer match. —AP

Benoit Cheyrou told Canal Plus.

“It’s not going to be easy but if we keep that state of mind we can go all the way.”

The result was a massive blow to PSG’s title hopes as the club from the capital was left in fifth place 10 points off the pace. “They were not that dangerous, but they were efficient and we were not,” said winger Ludovic Giuly.

PSG coach Antoine Kombouare’s decision to leave keeper Apoula Edel on the bench following a string of blunders and replace him with former French international Gregory Coupet did not change much.

Coupet left a huge gap to his right as Heinze conver ted a free k ick that gave Marseille the early lead after 16 minutes.

However the visitors hit back in the 27th minute when Nene benefited from a bad clearance to unleash a low shot that smashed into the post and Clement Chantome, following in, swept the ball past Steve Mandanda.

But Marseille were clearly the better side and Ayew headed home 10 minutes before halftime from an Andre-Pierre Gignac cross to give OM a well deserved advantage.

PSG stepped up a gear but Nene missed the target from close range before the break and Guillaume Hoarau was superbly denied by Mandanda 12 minutes into the second half.

Earlier, Monaco’s woes continued with a 1-0 home defeat against AS Nancy that left the club from the principality in the relegation zone in 18th place, three points from safety.

“We’ll now have to go to war if the want to s t ay i n L i g u e 1 ,” M o n a co k e e p e r Stephane Ruffier told French TV channel Foot Plus. —Reuters

GERMANY: New Schalke head coach Ralf Rangnick is presented by board members Horst Heldt and Peter Peters (from left) at the arena in Gelsenkirchen.

Rangnick follows Felix Magath who was dismissed last week. —AP

Vasco defeat Botafogo in Rio SAO PAULO: Playmaker Diego Souza scored a goal in his debut for Vasco da Gama in a 2-0 victory over Botafogo in the Rio Cup on Sunday.

The victory in the second stage of the Rio de Janeiro state championship gave Vasco the lead in Group A, ahead of Boavista and Flamengo. Flamengo played without the suspended Ronaldinho and was held to a 0-0 draw at Cabofriense.

In the Sao Paulo state tournament, Sao Paulo and Corinthians won to remain atop the 20-team standings, ahead of Palmeiras and Santos. Sao Paulo beat last-place Prudente 1-0 for its fourth victory in a row, while Corinthians defeated Americana by the same score following a goal by former Sporting striker Liedson.

Diego Souza, in his first match with Vasco since transferring from Atletico Mineiro, opened the scoring in the 58th minute at the Engenhao stadium, stealing the ball from a defender and then dribbling past Botafogo goalkeeper Jefferson before striking the net.

Striker Eder Luis sealed Vasco’s victory

with a neat half-bicycle kick from close range in the 60th. Diego Souza was one of Brazil’s most talked-about players when he played for Palmeiras in 2009, even making the national team, but he failed to play at his best with Atletico Mineiro last year.

Both Vasco and Boavista have nine points in Group A, but Vasco holds the tiebreaker advantage on goals scored. Botafogo, which still leads Group B despite the loss, struggled, in part, because of an uninspired attack by Uruguay striker Sebastian “El Loco” Abreu and Argentine forward German Herrera.

Guanabara Cup winner Flamengo played without playmaker Ronaldinho because of a one-match suspension on yellow cards, the same reason midfielder Thiago Neves missed the match in Macae.

On Saturday, Brazilian champion Fluminense lost 2-0 to Boavista in its first match since coach Muricy Ramalho quit after saying the club’s directors were unable to improve conditions as promised when they hired him last year. —AP

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

S P ORT S

Rampaul joy at ‘perfect ball’ CHENNAI: West Indies fast bowler Ravi Rampaul said he had delivered the “perfect ball at the perfect time” after dismissing India great Sachin Tendulkar in the World Cup. Tendulkar came into Sunday’s game needing just one more century to complete a hundred international hundreds.

But instead he was out for just two when, off the last ball of the first over of the match,

Rampaul produced a brilliant lifting delivery on the line of off-stump that cut away and took the shoulder of the bat before going through to wicketkeeper Devon Thomas.

Australian umpire Steve Davis rejected Rampaul’s raucous appeal but a sporting Tendulkar walked off anyway to a stunned silence from a capacity Chidambaram Stadium crowd. “It was the best ball of my cricket career,”

said 26-year-old Trinidad paceman Rampaul, who is of Indian descent. “It was one of those moments in life you dream of. When I saw him walk I felt great. It was an amazing feeling. I wasn’t sure how to celebrate. “Here was I, in one of the biggest matches of my career, getting the wicket of one of the greatest batsmen.

I felt really great to get such a massive breakthrough for the team,” Rampaul added. — AFP

Group A: Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada, Kenya Group B: Bangladesh, England, India, South Africa, West Indies, Ireland, Netherlands

Pakistan favorite against Windies DHAKA: Pakistan takes momentum and confidence into tomorrow’s first World Cup quarterfinal against a West Indies team that is lacking both. Pakistan sprung a surprise by finishing atop Group A and relegating Australia to third place by ending the threetime defending champion’s 34-match unbeaten run in the World Cup. West Indies won its three matches against the lower-ranked sides in Group B, but was beaten by the three higher-ranked teams and threw away winning positions in its last two games.

Against England, the West Indies went from 222-6 to 225 all out chasing 245, and in Sunday’s final group match against India, the last seven wickets fell for 34 runs. “The good thing is that it’s not the knockout stage,” captain Darren Sammy said of the group stage failures.

“If that happens (from now) then we will be going home. “It is a worrying thing for us but I still back the caliber of players we have. Once we put our heads down and play each ball on its merit we could come up with better shots — That’s something we must correct and correct very quickly.”

West Indies haven’t been helped by injuries, in particular to key batsman Chris Gayle who missed the game against Ireland with abdominal strain and was rested against India as a precaution.

“I know Chris and he won’t pass up an opportunity to play in a World Cup quarterfinal,” Sammy said. “I don’t think he has played in the World Cup quarterfinals. I know he will come out and give his all for the team.” Fast bowler Kemar Roach also sat out the India

match, but is expected to be fit to face Pakistan. That could leave the West Indies selectors with a tricky decision to make after Ravi Rampaul came in for his World Cup debut against India and collected his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals.

Pakistan, on the other hand, seems unlikely to be tempted to tinker with its lineup after the four-wicket win over Australia on Saturday.

Afridi’s team came into the tournament having lost three players to long-term bans following the spot-fixing scandal in England last year, but opened the World Cup with a thumping win over Kenya and followed it by beating co-host Sri Lanka.

“Despite all the problems, Pakistan is blessed with talent,” captain Shahid Afridi said. “It’s because of this talent that we are a dangerous team and can win against anyone. We now hope to carr y on the momentum.”

The 1992 champions haven’t quite shed their reputation for inconsistency, as a 110-run loss to New Zealand testifies, and that could offer West Indies some hope going into Wednesday’s game at Dhaka’s Sher-E-Bangla Stadium.

The Windies also have the benefit of having played at the ground before, in the nine-wicket thrashing of Bangladesh, although Pakistan played two warmup games there before the tournament.

Victory for Pakistan could mean a semifinal against fierce rival India at Mohali, but Afridi insisted he hasn’t thought that far ahead. “Our focus is on the quarterfinal,” he said. “First we have a must-win match against a dangerous opponent.”—AP

COLOMBO: Pakistan’s players walk off the pitch in this file photo at the end of Australia’s innings in their Cricket World Cup match. —AP

The big question, to walk or not to walk NEW DELHI: To walk or not to walk? The big question at the World Cup has been debated since the contrasting attitudes involving cricket’s two most prolific batsmen emerged on the weekend.

There’s been nothing pedestrian about the criticism for Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who stood his ground until he was given out on a TV umpire’s review despite knowing he’d got a thick edge to Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal in Colombo on Saturday.

Commentators and fans rushed to praise Sachin Tendulkar for deciding to walk in a caught-behind situation even when an umpire had ruled him not out six balls into his 450th limited-overs international. Headlines in yesterday’s Times of India Newspaper read: “Sachin Tendulkar puts integrity above quest for 100th ton.”

The Deccan Herald described Tendulkar, the “Little Master,” as a true gentleman and described his decision as “Walking tall on the cricketing pitch.” India ultimately won comfortably against the West Indies at Chennai.

That set up a quarterfinal between Tendulkar’s Indians and Ponting’s Australia, the three-time defending champions, sharpening the focus on the senior statesmen of each team. Tendulkar is universally admired for his sublime skill and unwaveringly calm demeanor.

Ponting has earned the grudging respect of most of the cricket world for a hard-nosed approach that has made him one of Australia’s most successful players and captains.

Ponting has never been what is known in cricket parlance as a “walker.” He believes that the lucky reprieves batsmen get when umpires err make up for the bad decisions they get at other times.

The problem is, the bad decisions are magnified these days with teams allowed to challenge calls and have them reviewed by a TV umpire.

The purists uphold the values of a bygone era when players of the “gentlemen’s game” adhered to unwritten rules of engagement and integrity. The hardened professionals in an increasingly cashdriven era point to the fact that not even the sport’s most sacred underpinning — that the umpire’s decision is final — carries weight any more.

India’s Sachin Tendulkar plays a shot in this file photo After all, the umpire decision referral system in play at the World Cup, and in many international series these days, gives each team he knew he was out could be reconciled as a batsman, how two chances per innings to question an umpire’s call and send it could he appeal for a catch when a rival batsman wasn’t sure for review by an official who has the benefit of video replay tech- he’d edged it. nology.

It will always be a matter for the individual. Ross Taylor, who “It’s nice to see people walking but that doesn’t happen now I was standing in as New Zealand captain and had to intervene to guess,” Pakistan coach and former fast bowler Waqar Younis said on cool McCullum down after the Jayawardene decision, said “it the weekend. “There is a system in place now so that you can’t depends upon the person.” get away with it. I mean people still take chances and why not?”

“You put it up to the batsman to make the decision and at the Waqar was talking about Sri Lanka end of the day you just hope the technology batsman Mahela Jayawardene’s decision is right,” he said. “And if the technology is not not to take Nathan McCullum at his word right, well then don’t use it.” Yuvraj Singh, when the New Zealander held a spectacwho guided India to victory with a century ular, diving catch in their Group A match after Tendulkar’s dismissal on Sunday, said he at Mumbai. McCullum was infuriated wasn’t surprised by his revered teammate’s when the third umpire decided that he decision to walk. couldn’t be conclusively, 100 percent “He felt that he has to walk and he walked. sure that McCullum had his fingers It is a personal decision. It should be left to under the ball when it first touched the the person concerned.” West Indies captain ground.

Darren Sammy was impressed with Jayawardene was given the benefit of Tendulkar’s attitude after he feathered an the doubt. In an earlier match, South inside edge off Ravi Rampaul to the wicketAfrican veteran Jacques Kallis only needkeeper in a stunning start to the last group ed to turn around and ask a rival fielder if match. he’d cleanly held a catch before he “It shows the measure of the man. He is a walked off, without consulting the true gentleman,” Sammy said. “After 17,000 umpire or asking for review. Apparently, runs, he could walk! That was brilliant on the that’s old school. Besides, the gesture is part of Sachin.” The International Cricket not always unanimously well received.

Council doesn’t take a public position on the Ponting’s former deputy, Adam “when to walk” issue, but does have a very Gilchrist, caused a stir when he walked in strict code of conduct governing players the World Cup semifinal against Sri actions and reactions on and off the field.

Lanka in 2003 after being given not out As debate continued yesterday, the ICC’s by the umpire. Paradoxically, some critpresident Sharad Pawar issued a general stateics questioned Gilchrist’s motivation. ment highlighting the success of the tournaThe main contention revolved around ment to date. “The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Gilchrist’s double duties as batsman and has attracted the attention of the world and it wicketkeeper, with the academic argu- Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting drives a has also provided a show case for the Great ment proffered that while walking when delivery in this file photo Spirit of cricket as well,” he said. —AP

World Cup quotes MUMBAI: “We are very concerned with the process to sell the remaining tickets to the public. With the significant demand and little availability there is potential for chaos and physical injury when the box office sales open. For this reason we strongly recommend that this sale of tickets be cancelled”— International Cricket Council (ICC) legal head David Becker in a letter to the governing body’s president Sharad Pawar after the official online ticket website crashed due to 10 million people chasing just 1,000 tickets to the final.

“We have received numerous complaints from our commercial partners, who have paid millions of dollars to receive rights and benefits which include the timely provision of tickets and hospitality. This is placing our sound relationships at breaking point”—Becker emphasises his concern.

“It is not a new thing...it’s difficult for the people who have lived in Europe and in America to understand”— Bangalore’s police commissioner Shankar Bidari defending the baton attacks on cricket fans angry that they could not buy tickets for England against India.

“We need to find better ways to distribute tickets but the reality is that if tomorrow’s match was at a 100,000 seater (stadium) we’d still not have enough tickets to go and satisfy the public demands”—ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat after fans clashed with police outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

“Looking forward to the game between India and England today...should be a cracker. My prediction a tie!”—Australia bowling great Shane Warne tweets before the England v India match started in Bangalore. The match ended in a tie.

“What a game! Halfway point - happy with tie, 10 overs to go disappointed with tie, 3 overs to go, delighted with tie. Overall v happy”—ailing fast bowler Stuart Broad tweets after he watched the England v India match from his hotel room. “In some ways we’re happy and in some ways we’re distraught. A great game of cricket”—England skipper Andrew Strauss after both teams had scored 338.

“The adulteration of the technology with human observation was the reason why we didn’t get that wicket. So I hope next time it will be either technology or human intention”—India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the not out decision given to England’s Ian Bell even though the review system suggested he was lbw for 17 against India. He went on to score 69. “I wouldn’t mind taking that wicket around with me, it’s fun to bowl on. You never complain when you come to India as a spinner “— Zimbabwe spinner Ray Price.

“When you are 111-5, I said... we could just potter around and get 220 off 50 overs... and the game would have been pretty boring to watch on TV. I just chanced my arm and said I’m going to be as positive as I can and I got a few away and didn’t look back really”—Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien after hitting the fastest World Cup century off 50 balls.

“It was shaping up to be a helluva match but here we are watching it monsoon down”—umpire Ian Gould on washout in the Australia v Sri Lanka match. “We have been involved in three very tight games of cricket so far in this World Cup. I think we are definitely doing our bit to advertise the 50-overs format”Strauss on beating South Africa by six runs.

“Kamran Akmal thinks being a wicketkeeper means letting the batsmen keep his wicket”—a fan tweets after the Pakistani dropped Ross Taylor when the New Zealand batsman was on nought and eight. He went on to score 131 not out. “If his batting was as good as Don Bradman’s he (Akmal) couldn’t score enough runs to make up for what he costs them with his keeping,” —former Australia captain Ian Chappell.

“Singles are the lifeblood of the game but the problem with India is a lot of batsmen are going for the glamour shots”— former India captain Sunil Gavaskar sums up why India lost nine wickets for 29 runs in their defeat by South Africa. “There was no doubts about the nick. I knew I hit it but as always I wait for the umpires to give me out. That’s the way I always played the game,” —Australia captain Ricky Ponting on why he refused to walk even though it was clear he had edged the ball while playing Pakistan.

“Bangladesh can still qualify...if India makes 781 in 50 overs and dismiss West Indies for 10 runs”—former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar works out the maths to see if co-hosts Bangladesh had any way of reaching the last eight. —Reuters

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

sp orts

Starry-eyed in World Cup game of fate NEW DELHI: Rival bowlers desperate to see the back of India’s flamboyant opener Virender Sehwag early at the World Cup can now blame the back of his shirt when they are being smashed to all corners of the ground.

The dashing opener, who used to have the number 44 on his back, is now sporting a numberless jersey at the tournament after advice from numerologists.

It seems to work with Sehwag in top form at the World Cup where he has 327 runs from five games at an average of 65.40.

Sehwag is not alone in his quirks and superstitions as most of the players in the Indian team are known to consult astrologers and numerologists while adhering to set routines in the hope of success.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni sports number seven, since his birth date is July 7, while Yuvraj Singh has a 12 to match his birthday of December 12. Yuvraj also sports a black thread believed to ward off evil spirits - on his wrist on advice from his mother. Promising Indian batsman Virat Kohli has no qualms in admitting he is superstitious.

“Earlier, I used to wear the same pair of gloves with which I’d

Tikolo bids farewell KOLKATA: Steve Tikolo signed off his 15-year Kenya international career on Sunday the same way he spent most of it, struggling in another losing cause, this time against Zimbabwe in their final World Cup match.

The grand old man of Kenyan cricket, enjoying his fifth World Cup after making his debut in 1996, was made captain for the day in the absence of Jimmy Kamande but from there on his team’s innocuous bowling and frail batting ruined his big day. The 39-year-old eventually took his leave on the wrong end of a 161-run defeat after his team surrendered meekly in just 36 overs after being set a 309-run target for victory at Eden Gardens. It left Kenya without a win in six World Cup matches. In his 134th match, Tikolo was trapped lbw for 10 by Ray Price.

“This was our last game in the tournament and we wanted to put up a good performance,” Tikolo, considered the best batsman never to have played test cricket, said ruefully afterwards. “I know we didn’t do that, especially with the ball up front and then batting-wise we lost wickets at regular intervals.” Tikolo, who first emerged in the showpiece event of 1996 against India, continued.

He reflected on a career which had seen its fair share of setbacks and the highlight being their shock run to the 2003 semi-finals.

“There have been ups and downs but I have enjoyed every moment. I have represented my country with lot of pride,” he said.

This match had in any case been largely for bragging rights between the two sides as neither had qualified for the quarter-finals next week from a group including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand. The Zimbabwe spin battery of Price, Prosper Utseya, Greg Lamb and Graeme Cremer did most of the damage, skittling Kenya for just 147 on a pitch which actually favoured the batsman.

“The wickets have spun a little bit for us. So it has been fantastic. “—Reuters

been scoring,” he told the Kolkata Telegraph. “That phase has gone as now I look for comfort. Now the superstition revolves around wearing black wristbands.”

Paceman Zaheer Khan attributes at least some of his success to his lucky charm-a yellow handkerchief that he keeps with him in every crucial match.

But it was a red one which did the trick for former Australian skipper Steve Waugh, a gift from his grandparents, while India’s Mohinder Amarnath, who played in the 1983 World Cup winning team, kept a red handkerchief with him.

Sachin Tendulkar is known to put on his left pad first and is fussy about his favourite bats. He would rather use a battered, taped-up bat than trust a new one.

His family doesn’t watch TV when he is batting, fearing that he will get out early if they do. Even fans try to do their bit to help their teams.

A radio station in New Delhi is running a campaign which urges listeners to do the same thing routinely on each day that India play. So there are fans drinking milk before the start of a match or sitting on the left side of the sofa all through the game.

“I only eat non-vegetarian stuff while watching India play,” said Pritam Sinha who works as a research associate in Delhi. “Be it fish, chicken or mutton. It brings India good luck and wards off evil forces.”

Former India captain and opener Krish Srikkanth recalled how members of the 1983 World Cup winning squad were asked not to move from their positions when Kapil Dev was batting to glory in a key match against Zimbabwe.

“The point was I was standing outside the dressing room on a cold, windy day, with a cup of coffee in my hand. And I didn’t move for the next two hours or so! I wanted to go to the toilet, but Man Singh (the manager) said ‘no’,” recalled Srikkanth of the match at Tunbridge Wells in England.

“To tell you the truth it wasn’t easy. Actually, it was tougher than battling it out there in the middle. “Believe me, it stayed that way till Kapil walked back with a triumphant 175 not out.

Not just me but the entire team stood at the same spots.

“It was one of the greatest knocks in any form of cricket, but I would like to think that I had, in my own little way, made a small contribution.”—AFP

India faces big challenge AHMEDABAD: India’s campaign in the World Cup faces its biggest challenge early in the knockout stages, against a team it would prefer to meet in the final.

The high-profile match between original favorite India and three-time defending champion Australia is eagerly awaited in a country almost obsessed with cricket. But sadly for Indian cricket fans, home advantage may not stand for much on Thursday.

Not only has the Indian Premier League made the country a second home for many players in the opposing squad, Australia also has a superb record on Indian soil.

Australia has won four of six bilateral limited-overs international series in India, with a win-loss record of 16-10. India won the most recent series against Australia in October last year, but that does not count for much because it was a 1-0 win with two washouts. The only other win in a home limited-overs series was way back in 1986, when India prevailed 3-2.

Australia won the World Cup for the first time the following year — in India.

Australia’s ODI series wins in India have been in 1984 (3-0), 2001 (3-2), 2007 (4-2) and 2009 (4-2). India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni knows exactly the challenge his team confronts against the world’s No. 1-ranked team.

“Of course it’s a very good side,” Dhoni said after Sunday’s win over the West Indies confirmed the quarterfinal pairings. “They play tough cricket, they’re quite expressive on the field at the same time.” The domestic media and millions upon millions of fans are expecting Dhoni to emulate Kapil Dev, who led India to victory in the 1983 World Cup. That only adds to pressure on the starstudded batting lineup, which is expected to always produce match-winning totals to compensate for weaker bowling and field-

CHENNAI: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (center facing camera) celebrates with team after bowler Harbhajan Singh (third right) took the wicket of West Indies’ Kieron Pollard in this file photo. —AP ing. It has resulted in several late collapses in the World Cup, including losing its last nine wickets for 29 runs against South Africa.

If statistics favor Australia on Indian soil, so does the record in World Cups. The last World Cup match India won against Australia was in 1987, one of its only two wins against the four-time champion in the

tournament.

India has lost seven World Cup games to the Aussies, including two lopsided affairs in the 2003 World Cup, when it went down by nine wickets in a group match at Centurion and lost in the final at Johannesburg by 125 runs.

Australia, of course, has been nearly invincible in recent World Cups, its surprise

loss to Pakistan on Saturday ending a 34match unbroken streak in the tournament.

But captain Ricky Ponting wasn’t worried about Australia’s first World Cup loss since 1999.

“To be honest I don’t think the loss hurt us at all,” Ponting said. “I know for the fact that the guys haven’t been thinking about the winning streak.” —AP

Testing times ahead for umpiring review system

COLOMBO: England players Eoin Morgan (left) and Matt Prior (center) are greeted by traditional dancers as the England cricket team arrives in Colombo. England meet Sri Lanka in a Cricket World Cup quarter-final match to be played on March 26. —AFP

Sri Lanka prepares for England in quarterfinals COLOMBO: Sri Lanka could not have asked for a more favorable draw for the World Cup quarterfinals, playing at home against an inconsistent England lineup that just scraped into the knockout stage.

The Sri Lankans won the last World Cup that was staged in Asia — in 1996 — and reached the final in the last edition before losing to Australia.

And the Sri Lankans are determined to send Muttiah Muralitharan, the alltime leading bowler in test and limitedovers cricket, into retirement with a second World Cup title.

Sri Lanka qualified comfortably, while England went through the most nerveracking results in the tournament with shocking defeats against Ireland and Bangladesh.

Andrew Strauss’ English squad held off the West Indies in a dramatic end to a must-win match last Thursday, then watched on TV in their New Delhi hotel as South Africa quashed the hopes of Bangladesh in the last Group B match, dragging England and India into the next stage with them.

A sensational high-scoring tie against India and victories over South Africa, Netherlands and the West Indies gave England seven points to make the knockout cut. “It’s been pretty incredible, tiring

and a little bit frustrating that we haven’t quite put it all together,” batsman Ian Bell said.

Despite its bumpy run in the World Cup, Strauss and England No. 3 batsman Jonathan Trott are in good form. Trott (336) has scored four half centuries and is second behind Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara (363) on the chart of leading runscorers in the tournament. Strauss is not far behind with 329 runs, including 158 in the tied game against India.

While English’s top order has handled the slow subcontinent wickets reasonably well, its fast bowlers — primarily Lancashire’s James Anderson — has disappointed. Anderson’s poor form — a combined 4-282 in five matches — forced Strauss to drop the 28-year-old paceman from the last match against the West Indies.

As expected, offspinner Graeme Swann has been the main wicket-taker for England with 12, three ahead of seamer Tim Bresnan. James Tredwell’s spin worked spectacularly well in his only match, returning 4-48 against West Indies. Strauss had to make some tough decisions when he gave opportunities to allrounder Luke Wright in place of veteran allrounder Paul Collingwood in a close 18-run win over the West Indies last

week.

Wright scored 44 while Tredwell did more than enough to justify his inclusion at Anderson’s expense. England had twice scored totals of more than 300 runs, but they might find it tough to score at R. Premadasa Stadium on Saturday.

Pakistan successfully defended 277-7 against Sri Lanka but in the other matches at the venue, teams batting first have failed to cross the 200-run mark. Sri Lanka looked set to post a decent total and were at 146-3 before rain abandoned its group match against Australia.

The defending champion Australians were skittled for 176 in a four-wicket loss to Pakistan on the weekend, ending a 34match unbeaten stretch at the World Cup. With the likes of Muralitharan and paceman Lasith Malinga among Sri Lanka’s ranks it will be an enormous test for the English batsmen. Bell believed England has enough firepower left to go ahead in the tournament.

“Three games, and we can win a World Cup,” he said. “It’s very clear to us what we have to do, and I’m sure there are a lot of teams around that don’t really want to play England because they don’t quite know what they’re going to get at the minute.”—AP

MUMBAI: The jury is still out on cricket’s controversial Decision Review System (DRS) a month after it made its World Cup debut.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said that the technology has improved correct umpiring verdicts by more than seven percent in the World Cup. But not everybody is convinced about its efficacy and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the world’s richest cricket body, remains a steadfast opponent.

Infuriated by Ian Bell’s apparent letoff for lbw in the tied India-England match, BCCI secretary N. Srinivasan wrote an angry letter to ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat, saying the incident exposed the inadequacy of the system. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni termed it “adulteration of technology with human thinking”. The ICC was forced to make a statement explaining the implications of the 2.5 metre rule which was used to rule Bell not out.

Ireland captain William Porterfield was left fuming at Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva’s decision to give Gary Wilson out lbw despite replays showing that he had offered a shot to a delivery that appeared to hit him outside the line of off-stump. The ICC was again prompt in reprimanding the Irish captain for publicly venting his ire. The technology used by the ICC to improve correct umpiring verdicts in this tournament has been far from satisfactory without the use of the cutting edge Hot Spot technology.

New Zealand questioned the DRS when Nathan McCullum was denied a caught-and-bowled decision against Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene.

Jayawardene was lucky to survive after the third umpire gave the benefit of doubt to the batsman though the catch looked clean from replays.

Tensions flared following the decision as stand-in New Zealand captain Ross Taylor and the bowler had a heated debate with the on-field umpires.

Taylor was asked if cricket should return to the old days when the fielders’ words were taken for granted. “I guess it depends on the person. Look

at Jacques Kallis, he asked the fielder if they caught it, and he trusts the word of the fielder,” Taylor said. South Africa’s Kallis decided to walk after asking England wicketkeeper Matt Prior if his edge had carried. “I guess you put it up to the batsman to make the decision and at the end of the day, you just hope the technology is right. And if technology’s not right, well then don’t use it,” Taylor said.

Strong words but, given that a decision can change the course of a match in the tournament, Taylor can not be blamed.

The DRS has also had an effect on umpires who are put under the spotlight when a successful review overturns their decisions. Former Australian

test umpire Darrell Hair is also sceptical about the possible overuse of technology. “I cannot help wondering how much of a confidence dent will be left on some of our ICC umpires when they begin to continually have decisions overturned,” he wrote in the journal of the New South Wales Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association.

Sri Lankan de Silva, one of the elite panel umpires, has already paid the price after a poor tournament and did not feature in any role in the ICC list for the quarter-finals. Both the system and the umpires are bound to come under further scrutiny when business end of the tournament kicks off tomorrow.—Reuters

Five magic moments NEW DELHI: Five magical moments from the first round of the 2011 World Cup: Lasith Malinga’s hat-trick Sri Lanka’s king of sling claimed a second World Cup hat-trick in a sixwicket haul against hapless Kenya in Colombo. Malinga sent back Tanmay Mishra, Peter Ongondo and Shem Ngoche in successive balls. In 2007, he had taken four in four balls against South Africa.

Kevin O’Brien’s record century Irish whirlwind Kevin O’Brien scored the fastest-ever World Cup century, off just 50 balls, as Ireland completed a stunning three-wicket win over England.

Shoulder to shoulder after quake tragedy Australia and New Zealand players stood shoulder to shoulder and observed a minute’s silence in Nagpur on February 25 in honour of the Christchurch earthquake victims. “We are neighbours and brothers,” said Australia skipper Ricky Ponting.

Tait v Tillakaratne Aussie speedster Shaun Tait and Sri Lanka opener Tillakaratne Dilshan squared up in Colombo and Tait won hands down. Dilshan edged through the slips to enrage the fiery Tait. The Sri Lankan then pulled away from the crease just as Tait went into his next delivery stride, before the speedster had his man next ball, courtesy of a slip catch.

Brother bother Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal’s calamitous performance behind the stumps against New Zealand unleashed a stream of criticism and paved the way for younger brother Umar to take over. That was until Umar hurt his finger and ankle in two training accidents and was accused by sections of the Pakistan media of feigning injury to save his brother’s job. —AP

Webb wins Founders Cup

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

Pakistan favorite against Windies

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Rangers rally to beat Penguins Page 15

INDIAN WELLS: Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain in their final match. (inset) Djokovic celebrates with the trophy after the finals of the BNP Paribas Open. —AFP

Djokovic stuns Nadal in final INDIAN WELLS: Novak Djokovic claimed his third ATP World Tour title in a perfect season by beating top-seeded Spaniard Rafa Nadal 4-6 6-3 6-2 in the final of the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Sunday.

The unstoppable Serb shrugged off the loss of the opening set to outlast the world number one in a gripping match lasting two hours 25 minutes at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, extending his remarkable record for the year to 18-0.

Australian Open champion Djokovic, who overcame Swiss world number two Roger Federer in the last four, broke Nadal twice early in the final set before sealing victory when the Spanish lefthander netted a forehand.

It was the Serb’s second triumph in the elite ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells, having first won the title here as a 20year-old in 2008.

“I am playing with a lot of confidence, I’m feeling the ball well on the court,” third-seeded Djokovic told reporters after celebrating victory by clenching both fists and yelling skywards. “I’m very dedicated.

“I have a big will to win each match I’m playing. It will not stop here, definitely. I want to keep on going, keep on playing good tennis.”

During the trophy presentation, Djokovic congratulated Nadal on “a great tournament”, before adding: “For me, you are the greatest player ever.”

Nadal, the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open champion, applauded the 23-year-old Serb for his third successive tournament win of the year.

“You started the season fantastic so all the best for the rest of the season,” the Spaniard said after his own record for the year slipped to 14-3. “Well done. I lost today but I lost to one of the greatest.”

Nadal was frustrated, though, after playing his best tennis of the tournament in the opening set before his service game fell

apart. “The first set I played really good, having the control of most of the points,” the 24-year-old Mallorcan said. “Then I started to serve really bad. I was thinking too much about the serve more than the game in that moment, so I stop a little bit the legs in that situation.”

Nadal had a dismal first serve percentage of 25 in the second set and 42 throughout the match.

“I can’t play with this percentage,” he said. “Nobody can play with this percentage. So the serve was the difference today in my opinion.”

The opening set went with serve until Nadal broke Djokovic in the fifth game but the Serb immediately broke back in the sixth, pumping his right fist in delight after hitting a backhand winner down the line.

However the Spaniard regained control by breaking Djokovic in the seventh, after his opponent dumped successive backhands into the net, to win the first set in 48 minutes.

The second set was almost a mirror image of the first with three successive breaks of serve paving the way for Djokovic to level the match.

He broke Nadal in the sixth game after the Spaniard hooked a forehand wide before failing to hold his own serve in the seventh.

The Serb immediately recovered, though, by again breaking in the eighth and he shook off a strong challenge by Nadal in the ninth, holding serve with his sixth set point after his opponent pushed a two-fisted backhand wide.

Roared on by flag-waving Serbian fans in the stadium’s upper tier, Djokovic effectively closed the door on the Spaniard with service breaks in the first and third games of the final set.

The Serb fired down aces to hold serve in the fourth and sixth games before wrapping up victory in the eighth on his first match point when Nadal dumped a forehand into the net.—Reuters

Lakers roll past Blazers LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 84-80 in the NBA on Sunday for their 12th win in 13 games.

Derek Fisher made back-to-back steals to put the Lakers ahead in the final three minutes before hitting a clinching jumper with 10 seconds left.

The Lakers played without starting center Andrew Bynum, who was suspended for two games on Sunday for his flagrant foul on Minnesota’s Michael Beasley two days earlier. Nicolas Batum scored 22 of his 25 points in the first three quarters for the Blazers, whose three-game winning streak was stopped.

Portland scored just 14 points in the fourth quarter on 5-for-18 shooting.

INDIAN WELLS: Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark poses with the trophy following her victory over Marion Bartoli of France during the finals of the BNP Paribas Open.—AFP

Top seed Wozniacki bags Indian Wells title INDIAN WELLS: Top seed Caroline Wozniacki held off a spirited fightback by Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli to win her 14th WTA title with a 6-1 2-6 6-3 victory in the Indian Wells final on Sunday.

The Danish world number one recovered from the surprise loss of the second set to end a marathon baseline slugfest in two hours eight minutes at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Wozniacki, beaten by Serb Jelena Jankovic in last year ’s final here, broke the 15th-seeded Frenchwoman three times in the final set, sealing victory when her opponent sent a backhand long.

The jubilant Dane threw both arms skywards to celebrate her second title of the year, having also triumphed at last month’s Dubai championships.

“It means a lot,” Wozniacki told reporters after earning $700,000 for her triumphant march to the Indian Wells crown. “It’s a big tournament, and I’m very, very happy. “It’s pretty much a two-week event, and you have days in between like in the grand slams. Once again, I showed that I can play great tennis, and I’ve beaten some really good players this week.”

Bartoli, who had booked her place in the final by crushing Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-1 6-3 in the last four, choked back tears as she applauded the triumphant Dane. “Sorry I am a bit in tears but it is more tears of tiredness,” said the 26-year-old, who will become world number 10 when the rank-

ings are issued on Monday. “Caroline, you make me cry today. I would like to congratulate you. You can be proud of yourself. I know your big goal is to get a grand slam and I am sure you will get it very soon.” Bartoli, who starts her unorthodox serve with a motion resembling an archer drawing back the bow, was delighted with her own performance over the last two sets.

“It was one of the best matches I ever played from the second set on towards the end,” said the Frenchwoman, who had been bidding to become the third-oldest women’s champion at Indian Wells. “We had some really nice shots from both of us. I really enjoyed playing it, even though I came up a bit short at the end. I pretty much gave everything on the court.”

The final began on a surprisingly cool, overcast morning at the California desert venue and Wozniacki, despite failing to hold serve in the third game of the match, broke her opponent three times to storm through the first set in 27 minutes.

The Dane continually moved the Frenchwoman from side to side with punishing ground strokes in lengthy rallies and seemed to be heading for a straight sets demolition. Bartoli then raised her performance several notches in the second set, breaking Wozniacki in the second and seventh games, after the Dane pushed a backhand wide, to level the match.—-Reuters

Rockets 110, Jazz 108 In Houston, Kyle Lowry had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Houston’s first triple-double of the season as the Rockets beat Utah.

With the win, Houston moved past Utah into ninth place in the Western Conference standings and is now within 1 1/2 games of idle Memphis in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Lowry got his first career triple-double and set a career high in rebounds, and Kevin Martin scored 34 points for the Rockets. Paul Millsap, back after missing five games with left knee tendinitis, scored 35 points for the Jazz, who have dropped seven of their last nine road games. Al Jefferson added 17 points and 19 rebounds.

Raptors 95, Thunder 93 In Oklahoma City, Amir Johnson made a layup with 1.4 seconds remaining to help Toronto stop a 14-game road losing streak.

Andrea Bargnani scored 23 points for the Raptors, who earned their first road win since Jan. 5 at Cleveland. Oklahoma City, which entered the game with a six-game winning streak, overcame a 10-point deficit at the end of the third to take a 93-90 lead with 1:31 left.

But Leandro Barbosa made a tying 3-pointer with 38.5 seconds left before Johnson won the game with his layup. James Harden scored 23 points for the Thunder.

Bucks 100, Knicks 95 In Milwaukee, Carlos Delfino scored a career-high 30 points and Brandon Jennings finished an assist short of a triple-double as Milwaukee defeated New York. Jennings had 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, and the Bucks built a 23-point first-quarter lead only to watch it evaporate by the fourth quarter.

Milwaukee is tied with Charlotte for ninth place in the Eastern Conference, 1 1/2 games behind Indiana for the final spot in the playoffs. —AP

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Zain announces ‘Hybrid’ service

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

Camaro drops its top for first time in ME

KSE gains marginally amid volatility

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NEW YORK: Deutsche Telekom Chairman and CEO Rene Obermann (left) and AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson pose for photos in New York. — AP

AT&T to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion NEW YORK: AT&T Inc said on Sunday it will buy TMobile USA from Deutsche Telekom AG in a cashand-stock deal valued at $39 billion that would make it the largest cellphone company in the US. The deal would reduce the number of US wireless carriers with national coverage from four to three, and is sure to face close regulatory scrutiny. It also removes a potential partner for Sprint Nextel Corp, the struggling No 3 carrier, which had been in talks to combine with T-Mobile USA, according to Wall Street Journal reports. AT&T is now America’s second-largest wireless carrier and T-Mobile USA is the fourth largest. The acquisition would give AT&T 129 million subscribers, vaulting it past Verizon Wireless’ 102 million. The combined company would serve about 43 percent of US cellphones.

For T-Mobile USA’s 33.7 million subscribers, the news doesn’t immediately change anything.

Because of the long regulatory process, AT&T expects the acquisition to take a year to close. But when and if it closes, T-Mobile USA customers would get access to AT&T’s phone line-up, including the iPhone.

The effect of reduced competition in the cellphone industry is harder to fathom. Public interest group Public Knowledge said that eliminating one of the four national phone carriers would be “unthinkable.” “We know the results of arrangements like this-higher prices, fewer choices, less innovation,” said Public Knowledge president Gigi Sohn, in a statement. T-Mobile has relatively cheap service plans compared with AT&T, particularly when comparing the kind that don’t come with a two-year contract. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said one of the goals of the acquisition would be to move T-Mobile customers to smart phones, which have higher monthly fees. AT&T “will look hard” at keeping T-Mobile’s no-contract plans, he said.

AT&T’s general counsel, Wayne Watts, said the cellphone business is “an incredibly competitive market,” with five or more carriers in most major cities.

He pointed out that prices have declined in the past decade, even as the industry has consolidated. In the most recent mega-deal, Verizon Wireless bought No. 5 carrier Alltel for $5.9 billion in 2009.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Rebecca Arbogast said the deal will face a tough review by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department. She expects them to look market-bymarket at whether the deal will harm competition.

Even if regulators approve the acquisition, she added, they are likely to require AT&T to sell off parts of its business or T-Mobile’s business. Verizon had to sell off substantial service areas to get clearance for the Alltel acquisition. To mollify regulators, AT&T said in a statement Sunday that it would spend an additional $8 billion to expand ultrafast wireless broadband into rural areas. Instead of covering about 80 percent of the US population with its so-called Long Term Evolution, or LTE network, AT&T’s new goal would be 95 percent, it said. That means blanketing an additional area 4.5 times the size of Texas. The network is scheduled to go live in a few areas this summer, but the full build-out will take years. The offer would help the FCC and the Obama administration meet their stated goals of bringing high-speed Internet access to all Americans. They see wireless networks as critical to meeting that goal-particularly in rural areas where it does not make economic sense to build landline networks. — AP

Mideast unrest to stall regional deals M&A values drop sharply DUBAI: Political unrest plaguing the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will delay planned deals with activity seen flat versus last year, Standard Chartered mergers and acquisitions executives said.

Ralf Pilarczyk, regional head of M&A, Standard Chartered MENA and Apoorva Shah, managing director M&A, Standard Chartered, said the current unrest has quelled appetite for activity and more deals may be delayed despite the region offering immense potential over the long-term.

“The deals that are on the radar right now may get announced but you may see a delay. With that in mind, activity being flat would be a possible outcome,” Shah told Reuters last week.

Middle East M&A values fell sharply during and after the financial crisis with buyers demanding better due diligence and sellers sticking to valuations at pre-

• StanChart focusing on fragmented industries

crisis levels.

However, most bankers had been optimistic of a rebound in activity heading into 2011. The value of deal activity in the region on average was expected to rise 20 percent this year to between $28 billion and $30 billion, according to a banker’s survey released earlier this year.

But the unrest rocking the region has changed the landscape. The UK lender aims to build on its global footprint which spans Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the executives said, adding that more Middle Eastern institutions were looking at emerging markets for deals.

“In terms of regional activity, we also see any increased interest when it comes to cross-border deals not only in the US or Europe but also towards Asia and Africa,” Pilarczyk said.

The bank is also eyeing several fragmented industries in the region-such as

healthcare, power and education-which are ripe for consolidation, the executives said. Completing deals in the region still faces several constraints including reluctance of sellers to lose control, value gap between buyers and sellers and a clear disinterest to depart with trophy assets, the executives said. Dubai, which is emerging from a crippling debt crisis, is restructuring state-linked firms and will need to make asset sales to repay creditors of its Dubai World conglomerate.

Bankers in the region were expecting to generate fees from restructuringrelated M&A activity, but few deals have been announced yet as sellers have bought more time to restructure debt from banks and are waiting for asset values to rise. “There is a certain lack of willingness here in the region to face difficult decisions and restructurings come along with making those difficult decisions,” Pilarczyk said.

Gulf markets muted as feel-good factor fades MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Most Gulf Arab markets rose yesterday, but gains prompted by Saudi Arabia’s latest $93 billion social spending plan were tempered by doubts over how this would be implemented.

Saudi Arabia’s index, the largest Gulf Arab market, rose 0.2 percent, having surged 4.5 percent on Sunday, with regional markets rallying after the kingdom offered $93 billion in social handouts in a bid to neuter dissent.

“I think we will have a day or two more to go, but then questions will start to come about the time frame for the Saudi stimulus and the costs associated to waste at the bureaucratic level,” said Robert McKinnon, ASAS Capital chief investment officer. “Much of the stimulus is going to the people that are happy and have jobs, or own companies and land. I don’t see any intent at actual reform. So it seems to me this is a PR stunt.” Market bellwether Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) rose 0.5 percent, but lender Samba Financial Group fell 0.9 percent.

“Attention towards stock and sector fundamentals remain distracted, with big-picture geopolitical events in Libya, Yemen and Bahrain dominating investor’s minds,” said Amro Halwani, a senior trader at Shuaa Capital in Riyadh.

“Whilst most markets across the GCC fret over the escalation of tensions, at least Saudi investors have the reassurance of massive government financial intervention, and therefore presumably a sensible floor under equity prices.”

Abu Dhabi’s index rose for a second day, climbing 0.5 percent, but Dubai’s benchmark ended a three-session rally, slipping 0.2 percent.

With domestic news flow limited, UAE markets will look towards first-quarter earnings for direction, said Walid Shihabi, Shuaa Securities chief executive in Dubai.

“I’m expecting more liquidity to start filtering

through into the UAE and the primary signs of that will be on (banks’) balance sheet,” he added.

National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank add 2.2 and 1.6 percent respectively.

Property-related stocks weighed on Dubai, with contractor Drake & Scull and builder Arabtec sliding 1 and 2 percent respectively. “Markets are at very attractive levels-now is a good time to accumulate, but one should always be aware of political risk,” said Adel Nasr, United Securities brokerage manager.

Unrest in Bahrain has eased in recent days. Today, the king said a foreign plot against his Sunni-led island state had been foiled, and the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council said interference by Shiite Iran in the Gulf Arab states would not be tolerated. Kuwait’s index climbed 1 percent on slim volumes.

“There’s a lot of volatility, with the market fluctuating and no clear trend because of the security situation in the region, Zain and the large number of companies that have yet to report their full-year results,” said Naser Al-Nafisi, general manager for Al Joman Center for Economic Consultancy in Kuwait.

Telecom operator Zain rose 1.5 percent. A company source told Reuters it would sign a preliminary contract to sell its quarter-stake in affiliate Zain Saudi by next week. This deal is continuing despite the UAE’s Etisalat withdrawing a $12 billion takeover bid for Zain, with the collapse of this deal sending the latter’s shares 4.4 percent lower on Sunday.

Zain previously proposed a 200-fils-per-share dividend, offering a 15 percent dividend yield at current prices. “Selling Zain Saudi will reduce some of Zain’s debt obligations and Zain’s dividend is helping support the stock,” said a Kuwait-based trader who asked not to be identified.

Oman’s index climbed 0.2 percent in its third straight gain, while Bahrain’s measure added 0.7 percent. Qatar index fell 0.6 percent. — Reuters

On Saturday, UAE telecom firm Etisalat scrapped its $12 billion offer to buy a controlling stake in Kuwaiti rival Zain, citing Zain’s divided board, extended due diligence and regional unrest.

“The Zain/Etisalat deal clearly shows how difficult it is to do an M&A deal in this part of the world,” said Pilarczyk.

Regionally, the UAE still accounts for a significant part of the overall M&A space but Qatar and Saudi Arabia are also gaining prominence, according to the executives. “Within MENA, the fee value for M&A in broad terms is 40 percent UAE still. Getting deals done in Saudi is quite difficult but it’s the elephant in the room. Qatar clearly is on an outbound buying spree,” Shah said.

M&A fees accounted for 47 percent of the overall activity in 2010, down from 55 percent in the previous year, according to Thomson Reuters league tables. — Reuters

Saudi oil exports steady DUBAI/KHOBAR: Saudi Arabia has produced just under 9 million barrels per day (bpd) so far in March, but its exports have not risen and spare crude has been put into storage, industry sources said yesterday. One source put production at 8.8 million bpd and another at 8.9 million bpd.

The figures are slightly below the 9 million bpd figure given out by a senior OPEC source last month, although one of the sources said Saudi Arabia was also producing around 200,000 bpd from the neutral zone, which it shares with Kuwait. Saudi Arabia has said it could provide additional light crude for Europe to make up for any shortfall left by Libya. Two sources, however, said yesterday the European refiners, who are most exposed to the disruption of Libyan crude, were not receiving more from Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s leading producer. “Saudi is now producing around 8.9 million barrels per day and not all of it is going out for exports, some is going into storage, so when and if European customers need more oil, we can meet their demand,” one of the sources said. “Saudi exports for March globally are within the 12-month average around 6.5-6.8 million bpd,” one of the sources said. Those figures refer to crude. In addition, the kingdom exports around half a million bpd of refined products, a source said.

European trade sources have also said they have not asked for extra crude and their demand has been reduced by seasonal refinery maintenance. One source said shipments to Europe from Saudi Arabia were on average between 500,000 bpd and 700,000 bpd and another said the norm was around 600,000 bpd.

Another source said, however, Saudi Arabia had produced some extra oil for Europe in March, while reducing shipments to Asia.

Oil last month hit a two-and-a-half year high of nearly $120 a barrel, driven by concern violence in OPEC producer Libya, which was producing around 1.6 million bpd until protests erupted earlier this year, could stifle exports for the long term. Markets are also nervous disruption could spread across the oil-producing Middle East. Brent crude was back around $116 a barrel yesterday after Western powers launched a second wave of air strikes on Libya.

Data supplied by Saudi Arabia has since last year shown an increase in the kingdom’s inventories. In addition to storage on its own territory, Saudi Arabia has said it could store crude in Japan, Egypt and the Netherlands, so that if necessary it could meet additional demand. — Reuters

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

business

Zain unveils ‘Hybrid’ service for corporate customers

GapCorp KSA Gets SAMA’s license RIYADH: GAPCORP KSA LLC, part of GAPCORP the leading and largest international extended warranty provider - today announced that it has been granted a licence from the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency [SAMA] to operate in the Kingdom and offer its world-class warranty business in the country. The licensing is a major step in the company’s growth and expansion plans in the region, aimed at building on its international reputation and expertise in extended warranty, especially in the automobile sector.

GAPCORP KSA is the one of the few companies in Saudi Arabia to receive the SAMA license.

With the license, the company plans to work with various insurance companies to provide Third Party Administration and Claims Handling Services. In his comments on the prestigious license, Nasser Watar, Chairman of GAPCORP KSA LLC, said: “ The licence from Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency exemplifies our capabilities as a world-class organization and reinforces our ability to deliver to the market demands within the Kingdom. It is a testimony to our world-class quality delivery standards, our operational efficiency in providing extended warranty to the sector and our adherence to the rigorous legal requirements associated with the same.”

He added: “To be among the few companies in the Kingdom to receive the license is in itself a great responsibility bestowed on us. We remain committed to fully abide by the requirements.”

GAPCORP is a leading entity in Third Party Administration across the GCC, MENA, South East Asia and USA. The company’s superior know-how in claims handling of automotive products enhances the ability for insurers to provide the ultimate customer satisfaction.

The company currently handles Third Party Administration in more than 32 countries worldwide and is used by multiple automobile companies for the extended warranty products and automotive insurance administration.

The company offers the F&I platform scheme a mechanism that provides auto dealers with a platform to manage the needs of their customers by creating a one-stop-shop for the consumer at the time of purchasing a vehicle.

GAPCORP already have a joint venture with Zuellig Group - one of the largest privately-held companies in South East Asia covering Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia under Asia Warranty Services and in the Gulf Council Countries under GAPGULF and in Europe through its European arm, the UKbased Euro Warranty.

Bahrain Feb inflation rises, UAE costs ease DUBAI: Inflation in unrest-hit Bahrain jumped to a fourmonth high in February on soaring food and transport costs, while price growth in the United Arab Emirates eased to its lowest pace in three months, data showed yesterday. Annual consumer price growth in Bahrain, hit by its worst public unrest since the 1990s, had been slowing in recent months to 0.9 percent in January, its lowest level since at least 2007.

Inflation in the small non-OPEC oil producer quickened again to 1.6 percent in February, the month when the protests started. On the month, living costs in the Sunni-ruled island kingdom climbed by 0.9 percent, the fastest pace in 17 months, up from a 0.3 percent increase in January, the data from the Central Informatics Organization provided to Reuters showed.

Analysts said robust global food prices and crude above $100 per barrel-near highest levels since September 2008 — were among factors behind the price rise as Bahrain, like other desert Gulf Arab nations, imports most of its food needs. —Reuters

Service available in a range of subscription packages

Omar Al-Omar, Zain Kuwait’s Chief Commercial Officer

KUWAIT: Zain Kuwait, the country’s leading network operator, has launched ‘Hybrid’, a service for corporate customers that controls staff invoices and gives them total control of expenses on postpaid lines with prepaid flexibility.

‘Hybrid’ distinguishes between business calls and private calls, allowing the corporate customer to set monthly limits on lines that are automatically turned into a pre-paid service when these limits are exceeded.

The subscription shall automatically return to postpaid status in the beginning of the new month.

Omar Al-Omar, Zain Kuwait’s Chief Commercial

Officer said “This service is yet another example of Zain’s commitment to provide efficient solutions for our corporate customers in the day-to-day running of their business.”

Al-Omar added “Controlling costs is a primary concern for most companies. We are removing this concern and in doing so, we are showing that we understand these concerns. Our focus is not only on the bottom line, but in forging enduring relations with our valued customers.”

Hybrid subscription packages range from KD 6, 12, 18, and 22. For futher details, visit your local Zain outlet or log on to www.kw.zain.com.

A continuous quest for balance Diversifying Economies DUBAI: The recent global crisis revealed an unexpected global fact: countries’ economies were and are not sufficiently diversified. That statement would probably come as a surprise to most of the national leaders responsible for economic development. After all, economic diversification has traditionally had a fairly narrow definition referring only to a countr y ’s mix of industries. Discussion of insufficiently diverse economies usually centers on countries whose entire industrial base relies on oil or another single resource, such as some nations in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

However, even countries that appear extremely diversified - such as the United States - may still be vulnerable to unexpected events.

Diversification explained Imagine that every country in the world falls along a continuum. At one end is a country with just a handful of companies producing a limited number of commodities, and sharing them with very few trading partners. Although such a country would be at severe risk of external shocks - for example, a sudden glut of one of its key products in global markets - the parameters of its economy are simple to track, and such threats are easy to predict. At the other end of the continuum is a country with a fully diversified economy in every possible sense - in its exports, investments, industries, sources of spending, labour pool, technology, and knowledge. It has anticipated and accounted for every possible risk and diversified its assets so thoroughly that even a complete collapse in one area cannot significantly damage the whole.

Both of those countries are pretty safe from global economic risk. The exposed countries are those in the middle of the continuum; at present, that includes every country in the world. “No single country has diversified its economy so completely that it will be protected from all shocks, but nearly all are so diverse, complex, and globally connected that they cannot fully anticipate

of over-concentration, including those that may not yet be evident. However, this task is not an easy one.

This effor t is an unending quest rather than a single hurdle. Seeking out the next potential source of over-concentration requires policymakers’ continuous energy, attention, and action as they attempt to shield their economies from unnecessary risk. Even as policymakers take a broader approach to diversification, moving beyond their industrial base, they must also take a deeper approach. For each single element of economic diversification, multiple ways to diversify can be found within that arena and the permutations are very nearly endless.

Although no country has achieved complete diversification, some are farther along the continuum than others.

Australia is a good example of a country that emerged relatively unscathed from the economic crisis thanks to its economic balance. Perhaps because of its geographic proximity to China and India, Australia saw the potential of these countries and began trading extensively with them and with other emerging markets prior to the economic crisis. As a result, Australia’s trade portfolio was sufficiently diversified when the crisis began, allowing it to avoid the shock of being undermined by the collapse of a single trade partner.

In Conclusion Comprehensive diversification is not simple to implement, because it requires ongoing calibration of every aspect of the national economy. Policymakers will need to be resolute in their determination to keep these risks under control, because properly managing the risks of over-concentration is critical to sustainable, long-term economic development.

“The global economic system is overly complex and becoming more so by the day. It may be difficult to begin the process of diversification now - but it could well be impossible in the future,” concluded Dr. Mazen Ramsay Najjar, Principal, Booz & Company.

Booz & Company Report each potential source of risk. In other words, although most nations aren’t aware of it and most economic leaders believe the opposite to be true, global economies are simply not sufficiently

Richard Shediac

diversified,” says Richard Shediac, Partner, Booz & Company.

Exposing Over-Concentration At present, there is little statistical data to prove the correlation between lack of diversification and economic instability, but the recent economic crisis has provided a plethora of anecdotal evidence that countries can be overconcentrated in any number of ways with too much reliance on consumer spending, exports, small business, large companies, or foreign investment.

Additionally, for countries, such as the US and UK, the problem is another form of over-concentration: Rather than too much trade, these countries have an overdependence on domestic consumers whose purchasing activities are largely financed by debt. “In the early days of the crisis (2008), consumption

made up 71 percent of GDP in the US roughly six times the share of exports.

During the economic contrac tion, household incomes declined and consumer confidence plummeted with devastating effects. Today, the US economy is still bogged down with high unemployment and low confidence. A perfect case in point of the dangers of over- concentration,” said Chadi N. Moujaes, Principal, Booz & Company.

Other countries find their economies overly dependent on one kind of company, with their enterprise bases either consisting primarily of small businesses or dominated by a few large conglomerates - each of which presents its own problems. Italy, for example, has a preponderance of small and medium-sized companies. Roughly 95 percent of Italian companies fall into this category, and they employ more than 80 percent of the Italian labour force. These companies are the first to shed jobs during a recession, making the country less able to ride out downward trends in the business c ycle. And then there are countries with a dispropor tionate amount of economic activity tied to a few large companies, as demonstrated by the US banks that undermined the national economy in 2008.

Achieving Balance It is important to note that policymakers should not attempt to undermine or eliminate the elements that are at the heart of their countries’ success.

Instead, policymakers should seek out counterbalances to these dominant influences to ensure they do not play a disproportionate role in the economy.

The fundamental question is whether the key elements of an economy are varied, flexible, and readily applicable to a variety of economic opportunities.

The imperative for policymakers is not only to monitor these elements but also to continually seek out potential areas

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2720000 .4455000 .3890000 .3030000 .2790000 .2745000 .0045000 .0020000 .0749570 .7302820 .3880000 .0710000 .7159100 .0045000 .0450000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2762000 .4477890 .3914310 .3053620 .2816640 .0524900 .0441280 .2767390 .0354170 .2176520 .0034130 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0752280 .7331120 .0000000 .0736730 .7179620 .0000000

US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.476 6.160 3.254 2.515 3.853 218.830 35.667

.2820000 .4550000 .3970000 .3120000 .2880000 .2820000 .0075000 .0035000 .0757100 .7376220 .4080000 .0780000 .7231050 .0072000 .0555000 .2783000 .4511940 .3944070 .3076840 .2838060 .0528890 .0444640 .2788430 .0356860 .2193070 .0034390 .0062190 .0025300 .0032740 .0038920 .0758000 .7386860 .3936350 .0742330 .7234210 .0064350

Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.864 6.356 9.175 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 74.192 76.451 722.700 738.820 75.749

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 50.750 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.844 Yemen Riyal 1.275 Tunisian Dinar 203.160 Jordanian Dinar 392.920 Lebanese Lira 184.600 Syrian Lier 6.033 Morocco Dirham 35.476 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 278.130 Euro 397.730 Sterling Pound 455.300 Canadian dollar 284.680 Turkish lire 175.630 Swiss Franc 312.510 Australian dollar 275.960 US Dollar Buying 276.930

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees

SELL CASH 281.500 737.890 4.170 286.300 545.000 14.100 53.300 167.800 50.040 397.500 36.300 6.370

SELL DRAFT 280.000 737.890 3.819 284.800

219.500 46.833 396.000 36.150 6.160

0.033 0.253 0.246 3.520 393.760 0.188 93.990 46.900 4.350 207.600 1.881 50.500 720.680 3.350 6.590 76.750 74.080 219.530 42.170 2.692 454.000 44.000 310.500 6.100 9.440 198.263 75.710 277.800 1.340

0.032

392.150 0.188 93.990 3.870 206.100

309.000 6.100 9.370 75.610 277.400

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 452.000 277.400

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees

Selling Rate 277.350 285.890 451.382 395.577 303.419 734.065 75.489 76.159 73.930 391.785 46.765 2.509 6.168

Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

3.249 3.824 6.358 680.323 3.523 9.249 6.050 3.938 91.214

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. 720.500 3.260 6.380 76.320 74.080 219.530 42.170 2.511 452.000

GOLD 1,484.780

10 Tola

GOLD 270.000 137.000 70.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

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

Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 277.400 3.255 6.170 2.520 3.830 6.405 75.630 74.180 737.500 46.755 455.400 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 394.100 5.750 398.900 288.700

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 277.100 Euro 394.000 Pound Sterling 452.000 Canadian Dollar 284.800 Japanese Yen 3.475 Indian Rupee 6.165 Egyptian Pound 46.720 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.509 Bangladesh Taka 3.825 Philippines Peso 6.365 Pakistan Rupee 3.247 Bahraini Dinar 737.750 UAE Dirham 75.550 Saudi Riyal 74.000 *Rates are subject to change

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

business

Camaro drops its top for first time in Mideast Leading motoring media experience the Camaro Convertible on the Yas Marina Circuit ABU DHABI: Scheduled to arrive in showrooms across the Middle East region in April 2011, the highly-anticipated 2011 Camaro Convertible gears up for action at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi on March 16, 2011. “ The introduction of the Convertible will further strengthen Camaro’s dominant position in the sports segment,” said Luay Alshurafa, Chevrolet Regional Brand Manager at General Motors Middle East Operations. “The new Convertible will attract new customers looking for top-down driving fun and precise engineering.”

The convertible is equipped with similar model configurations as the Camaro Coupe. The standard model has a 312-horsepower direct injection V-6 engine delivering 8 L /100km highway while the SS model features the 6.2L V-8 engine producing 426 horsepower.

The new Camaro Convertible enhanced body structure helps prevent cowl or steering wheel shake, for a strong, confident feel in all driving conditions. The top has a smooth, tailored fit, with acoustical foam in the headliner that helps deliver a quiet ride with the top up. The Camaro Convertible is offered in LT (V-6) and SS (V-8) trim packages with nine production exterior colors available and tops offered in black or tan. Rear parking assist is available on all convertible models.

Strong structure The Camaro’s architecture was designed to accommodate a convertible model, which means customers enjoy the fun of top-down cruising with coupe-like driving dynamics.

Four strategic reinforcements enhance the already-stiff body structure to eliminate common convertible maladies of cowl and steering wheel shake. They include: ● A tower-to-tower brace under the hood ● A transmission support reinforcement brace ● Underbody tunnel brace ● Front and rear underbody “ V ” braces “Our goal in development was to make the Conver tible match the Coupe as closely as possible in ride quality, handling and overall performance,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer.

A telling example of the Camaro convertible’s strength is evidenced in its suspension tuning - specifically, the lack of changes between the

Europe needs policy change to secure LNG, says Qatargas AMSTERDAM: European countries need to revise their policies on purchasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) or risk losing shipments to Asia, which favors long-term contracts, the chief executive of Qatargas said yesterday.

Sheikh Khalid Al-Thani, chief executive of top global LNG producer Qatargas, said European buyers prefer spot contracts, unlike their Asian counterparts.

Long-term contracts are considered more attractive to LNG suppliers, however, because they offer stable pricing.

“We have secured long-term contracts in Asia,” AlThani told a conference in Amsterdam. “Not much will remain for the spot market to sell.” Al-Thani said Europe will need to change energy policy and promote the use of gas as a way to cut carbon emissions, because gas-fired power stations emit less greenhouse gases than coal-powered ones.

“Changing energy policy means more (government) support to the gas industry,” Al-Thani said. “They (European buyers) need to be competitive with prices too.” He said the company would be looking for better deals in future and that cargoes could be diverted to Asia because of the availability of long-term contracts and stable prices.

Al-Thani also said Qatargas would send extra shipments of LNG to Japan, which wants to compensate for the nuclear power it lost in a devastating earthquake 10 days ago, but stressed it was too early to talk about the size of the shipments. “We are looking at the needs of our customers in Japan and for the ways to support them,” he said.

The earthquake that hit Japan last week took out about 9,702 megawatts of nuclear power, about a fifth of capacity.

To make up for that lost capacity, Japan may need additional volumes of oil and LNG as well as coal, according to analysts, with LNG being the most likely replacement. LNG producers across the Pacific and Middle East have offered to increase supplies to Japan to help make up for the power supply shortfall. Russia has said it can supply cargoes from its Sakhalin project, and South Korea said it will supply 400,000500,000 tons of the fuel. —Reuters

Invest AD hires new chief for Africa fund DUBAI: Invest AD, the Abu Dhabi-owned investment firm, said yesterday it has hired a new fund manager to join its Africa-focused equities fund.

Stephane Bwakira, previously an equities analyst with South African investment bank and asset manager Investec, will join the team managing the Invest AD - Emerging Africa Fund. The fund delivered a return of 19.3 percent in 2010, the Invest AD said in a statement.

“We’re going to be following actively the flow in fixed capital formation and related sectors-areas such as the cement sector, infrastructure companies and financial services,” Bwakira said in the statement.

Invest AD is owned by Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC), which focuses on countries closer to home and is a separate entity from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds.

Emerging and frontier equity funds in Africa attracted substantial net inflows in 2010 but the political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has cast a shadow on investment funds operating in the region. —Reuters

Convertible and Coupe models.

“To compensate for the reduced structure of an open car, engineers often will make the suspension softer, making the convertible a boulevard cruiser,” said Oppenheiser.

“Instead, we took the more difficult, but better path of bolstering structure rather than softening the suspension. We didn’t change a strut, bushing or spring rate from the Camaro Coupe.”

The result is a Convertible that preserves nearly all the acceleration, road-holding and performance capabilities of the Camaro Coupe.

Additional safety structural reinforcements are designed to improve noise and vibration characteristics, while also contributing to the elimination of cowl/steering wheel shake.

They include a hydrofromed tube in

the A-pillars, an inner reinforcement bracket in the windshield header, a reinforced front hinge pillar and reinforcements inside the rockers.

Exceptional top refinement At the outset, designers and engineers sought to eliminate the common appearance of convertible top support ribs and they succeeded, using composite knuckles rather than aluminum ones, as well as extending the top material below the belt line and revising the top’s stitch lines. The result is a top that has a smooth, taut and carefully tailored appearance that also retains the sleek roofline of the Coupe.

The power-folding top retracts in about 20 seconds. It is built in partnership with the same manufacturer as the Corvette Convertible top, and operates in a similar manner. That

means it folds in a simple “Z” pattern and latches with a single, convenient handle located at the center of the windshield header. Other convertible models in this segment still offer convertible tops with dual latches, forcing drivers into two-hand operations reaching across the car.

Once the latch is turned to the open position, the push of a single button lowers the windows and activates the top. The car doesn’t have to be parked for the top to be activated, allowing for spur-of-the-moment lowering while stopped at a stoplight.

The top is made of thick, durable canvas and it features acoustical headliner material that provides a quiet, coupe-like ride when the top is up. It also incorporates a glass rear window and rear window defogger.

Kuwait money growth eases Drop reflects slowdown in liquid deposits position KAMCO MONEY MARKETS REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait’s broad measure of money supply (M2) witnessed a reversal of the upward movement seen during the last five months, to drop by around 0.4 per cent or KD 112mn during January-2011 to KD25.4bn, reflecting slowdown in the expansion of liquid deposits and cash available with local banks.

The drop in M2 during was mainly driven by the decline in Quasi money which reversed the upward trend witnessed during the second half of 2010, to drop by around 1 per cent or KD175mn to stand at KD19.8bn as of 31st Jan11. Net Domestic Assets (NDA) grew by KD 130mn on the back of the increase in claims on private sector and government deposits which added around KD47mn and KD 83mn, respectively.

However, Net foreign assets saw a drop of KD246mn during Jan-11, therefore entirely offsetting the increase in NDA and hence weighing down on the growth in M2.

During 2010, M2 grew by a marginal 2.4 per cent or KD 590mn, in big part driven by the increase of KD700mn in the KD sight deposits that recorded KD 4.64bn at the end of December; nonetheless, this growth was partially offset by the drop of KD 176mn or 0.9 per cent in quasi money. The growth recorded in M2 during 2010 was much lower than the 13.9 per cent increase witnessed during 2009 where stock market volatility and low investors’ risk appetite played a key role in building up deposits with banks. Moreover, since the intensification of the financial turmoil in Sep-08, M2 surged by 18.5 per cent or KD 3.96 bn, with the bulk added during Nov-08 and the first quarter of 2009. Nevertheless, given the stringent lending strategies applied by local banks due to the higher risk of default by distressed companies, particularly investment firms, the growth in money supply was not successful in triggering an upward stimulus in credit facilities.

Deposits with local banks Total residents’ deposit continued last month downward movement to drop by around 0.3 per cent or KD79.2 mn, to end the month at KD28.39 bn. Private sector KD time and saving deposits dropped by a marginal 0.1 per cent or KD 23mn, while on the other hand, private sector sight deposits grew by 2 per cent,

adding a total of KD 78.9mn.

Private sector deposits, which hold a significant portion of local Banks’ deposit base with a percentage contribution of around 86.5 per cent, dropped by KD 96mn to stand at KD24.55 bn during Jan-11, while registering an increase of KD 523mn or 2.17 per cent during FY-2010. Moreover, private sector deposits denominated in Kuwaiti dinar compromised the majority of private sector deposits with a percentage contribution of 92 per cent or around KD 22.58 bn, whereas private sector deposits in foreign currencies constituted the remaining 8 per cent orKD1.96 bn.

Credit facilities During January-11, credit facilities extended by local banks recorded a marginal growth of 0.2 per cent or KD55 mn, to reach KD25.3 bn. Given the mixed movements seen during 2010, total credit facilities recorded a yearly growth of 0.4 per cent, or KD100 mn, compared to a growth of 17 per cent and 7 per cent during 2008 and 2009, respectively. The slowdown in credit facilities growth during 2010, is mainly as a consequence to the liquidity squeeze in the market, tight credit conditions, rise in default risk by stressed and highly indebted local firms along with the deterioration in the prices of financial assets which together pushed banks to implement conservative and strict lending policies.

Personal facilities which constitutes the largest component of credit facilities dropped by a marginal KD 2.4mn to stand at KD8.45bn at the end of January 2011, hence comprising around 33.2 per cent banks’ total loan portfolios. Credit facilities for the purchase of securities represented around 31.2 per cent of personal facilities and recorded around KD 2.6bn, down by KD82mn from Dec-2010 level. The structure of credit facilities with the highest percentage being in the stock market has exposed banks to a high default risk by individual investors who are heavily invested in the local and regional bourses, thus resulting in massive provisioning by Kuwaiti banks since the onset of the financial crisis in 2008 on the back of the surge in nonperforming loans which reached an unprecedented level or around KD2.99bn and KD2.50 bn during 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Aramco gas deal with Samsung worth $2.8bn KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia: Deals won last week

by Samsung Engineering to build Saudi Aramco’s natural gas liquids (NGL) project in Shaybah oilfield are worth $2.76 billion, industry sources said yesterday.

Last Wednesday, Aramco awarded South Korea’s Samsung Engineering the four construction packages, which make up for the construction of the project. It did not give the value for the deals.

Industry sources have estimated the cost of the project to range between $5 billion-$6 billion.

Samsung yesterday signed the contracts with Aramco, sources added. It will build the project’s inlet and gas treatment facility, NGL recovery and utility facilities, a cogeneration

plant and will upgrade gas handling facilities from existing Shaybah gas oil separation plants (GOSPs).

The project will process 2.4 billion cubic feet per day (cfd) of low-sulphur sweet gas from Saudi Arabia’s southeastern Shaybah oilfield, sending on 264,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) of NGLs for fractionation at a processing plant.

Shaybah is one of two new Aramco megaprojects to help meet gas demand rising at 5-6 percent annually in the world’s largest oil exporter.

The other is Wasit, to process gas from the non-associated Arabiyah and Hasbah offshore gas fields. Aramco awarded Wasit in January with deals were also lower than Aramco’s budget. —Reuters

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KSE ekes out marginal gains amid volatility GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait market managed to eke out some gains during yesterday’s session pushed by gains seen across all market sectors. Heavy weighted stock contributed to the positive performance with the large cap (top 10) index adding 2.23 percent to its value. The recent uptrend came in line with the gains seen in the Saudi market, the biggest stock market in the GCC, which saw a remarkable performance after the announcement of the economic reforms at the beginning of the week.

However, the KSE is still volatile as the political unrest in the region continues and some annual corporate results of heavy weighted companies are still undisclosed.

Global General Index (GGI), market weighted, ended the day up by 1.72 percent, at 200.78 point. However, on a year-to-date basis the index is still seen down by 10.18 percent. Market Capitalization was also up for the day at KD32.63bn. On the other hand, Kuwait Stock Exchange Price Index closed at 6,313.40 point, adding 61.80 points (0.99 percent) to its previous close.

Market breadth Advancers were winners during the session with the market breadth index tilted towards them. Out of 110 stocks being traded throughout the day, 67 managed to achieve gains against 16 stocks retreating.

Trading activity was modest compared to the day before with most of the trades conducted in the Services sector. Total volume traded was down by 11.5 percent with 146.7mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD26.97mn (21.2 percent lower compared to the day before).

Alone, the services sector accounted for 35.42 percent (51.98mn shares) of the shares traded during the day and 39.38 percent (KD10.62mn) of the value traded. Zain was the most value traded

in the market with KD5.36mn traded on the scrip. Zain’s share price closed at KD1.320, up by 1.54 percent for the day.

The Services Sector index ended the day up by 1.40 percent and helped pushing the market index higher.

Sector-wise Sector-wise, barring the insurance index which ended the day flat, all other market sectors saw their indices ending at higher levels. Heavy weight, Banking Index was the biggest gainer, adding 2.57 percent to its value. The biggest Kuwaiti bank, National Bank of Kuwait, was a prominent gainer in the sector, adding 5.45 percent to its share value.

Six other banks also ended the day with positive performance.

Global Investment Index was the

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

second biggest advancer, adding 2.01 percent to its value. Al-Safat Investment Company was the biggest gainer in the sector, adding 9.26 percent to its share price and made it to the top gainers list for the day. On the counter part, Kuwait Financing & Investment Company topped the losers list, shedding 7.14 percent of its share value.

Corporate news Gulf Bank got the approval from the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) yesterday, March 21, 2011 to extend the period for buying back or selling 10 percent maximum of its issued shares for additional six months as of April 14, 2011.

Kuwaiti telecoms operator Zain will sign a preliminary contract to sell a stake in affiliate Zain Saudi for $950mn

by early next week, a Zain source told Reuters. The preliminary agreement will make all sides liable to pay an undisclosed break fee if they back out of the deal, the source added. The Saudi stake sale had been a prerequisite of Etisalat’s $12bn takeover of Zain. Although Etisalat withdrew its offer on Saturday, Zain will still sell its quarter-stake in Zain Saudi to joint bidders Kingdom Holding and Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco), the source said.

Oil News The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes reached $110.54 a barrel yesterday, March 21, which is 2.28 percent higher compared with $108.08 recorded on Friday, March 18, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

Oil, gold push higher after strikes on Libya LONDON: Oil and gold climbed yesterday after Western powers launched strikes against Libya, stoking fears about more unrest in the Middle East.

Crude oil pushed higher in the wake of the second wave of airstrikes on Muammar Gaddafi’s forces after the United Nations approved intervention to protect civilians caught up in a onemonth-old revolt.

Brent crude for May rose 1.4 percent to $115.57 a barrel and by 1230 GMT, after moving as high as $116.22, while US crude for April gained 1.7 percent to $102.74 a barrel.

“With the nature of the external military involvement becoming clearer, there is a further escalation of the situation, and the damage to infrastructure might be larger, keeping Libya out of the oil market for longer,” said Amrita Sen, an analyst at Barclays Capital.

Unrest over the weekend also flared in Syria and Yemen in the wake of popular uprisings that toppled long-time leaders in Tunisia and Egypt earlier this year and a crackdown on protests in Bahrain last week. “The key is really how Saudi (Arabia) and Iran play out. Cool heads need to prevail. It’s contained at the moment, but if things worsen you see a Mideast premium very quickly,” said Jonathan Barratt, managing director of Commodity Broking Services.

GOLD The tension in the Middle East also boosted gold, but the main influence driving up prices was concern about the impact to global growth from the devastation in Japan.

Gold rose for a fourth day, getting additional support from a weaker dollar.

The gold price, set for its tenth consecutive quarterly gain, was last up 1 percent at $1,433.90 an ounce, having rallied by as much as 1.1 percent to a session peak at $1,435.50, its highest since March 9. Meanwhile, most-active US April futures were up 1.2 percent at $1,433.50. Last week, gold fell by as

much as 2.6 percent as the unfolding situation in Japan triggered a wave of selling in higher-risk assets, prompting investors to liquidate their bullion holdings to cover losses in other markets and analysts said the high level of risk aversion might see a repeat of this.

“It’s happening against a backdrop of elevated uncertainty from numerous places, which should give these safehaven type commodities a bid,” said Saxo Bank senior manager Ole Hansen.

Trading was subdued in industrial metals, caught between prospects of long-term demand for industrial metals to rebuild Japan’s infrastructure and concerns about conflict in Libya and the Middle East.

Copper’s modest gains were held in check after data showed China’s February imports of refined copper fell to a 27-month low because of holidays in the shortest month of the year and high inventories. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange tiptoed 0.1 percent higher to $9,521 a ton from Friday’s $9,510 close.

“We’ve seen equities rebound in Asia overnight and opening higher in Europe this morning, and the joint effort to try and remove (Libyan leader Muammar) Gaddafi is driving risk appetite higher,” Christin Tuxen, an analyst at Danske bank, said.

Wheat and corn prices gained around 1 percent, tracking the surge in oil prices, a raw material for fertilizer.

Chicago Board of Trade May wheat rose 0.9 percent to $7.30 a bushel. CBOT May corn gained 1.3 percent to $6.91 a bushel.

“The trade in grains is pretty choppy.

We had some strong rallies late last week after a big sell-off,” said Victor Thianpiriya, agricultural commodity analyst at ANZ in Melbourne.

He noted corn markets were particularly sensitive after news that US exporters sold over 100,000 tons of corn last week. —Reuters

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Aftermath of quake shakes forex markets NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Equity markets ended the week higher starting in Asia and ending in North America on Friday. After dropping over 14% on panic selling on Tuesday, the Nikkei gained 2.7% on Friday while the majority of European indices were slightly higher. The key news overnight was the G7’s announcement of a coordinated FX intervention to weaken the Yen. Five Central Banks (Fed, BOJ, BOE, ECB and BOC) agreed to a one-day intervention, the first since they supported the EUR in September 2000. On the back of the announcement, the Yen rallied from 79.20 up to 82.00, nearly 7% to finish the week at 80.60.

While USDJPY continues to remain the main focus, the market is paying close attention to all major crosses notably EURJPY, GBPJPY and CADJPY as the other central banks have committed to supporting the Bank of Japan in their own time zones. Euro ended the week well bid, despite all the downgrades that happened during the week.

The currency was able to reach a high of 1.4185 on the ECB intervention. The Sterling Pound was also one of the main benefiters of the coordinated effort of central banks and ended the week close to the high at 1.6235.

China, on the other hand, raised banks’ reserve ratio by 50 basis points judging that inflation remains a bigger threat to the world’s second largest economy.

During its meeting last week, the Federal Reserve kept its fed funds rate unchanged and reiterated that it will maintain the current quantitative easing program of buying $ 600 billion of Treasury securities until June 2011. In its statement following the meeting, the US central bank sounded more upbeat about the economy, especially with the falling unemployment rate.

Regarding inflation, their attitude is still relaxed about the rising prices and the

increased in January for a fourth month as companies in Germany, the region’s largest economy, boosted output to meet surging export orders. Production in the euro-zone rose 0.3% for a second month in January, in line with the estimated figure. Germany is driving the region’s expansion as governments from Portugal to Greece seek ways to restore investor confidence in their ability to tackle budget deficits and fight the debt crisis.

language shows that inflation is still not a concern for the moment. However, they did caution that the higher commodity costs could have a “temporary” impact on growth. Finally, the FOMC maintained the wording about keeping the fed funds rate low for an “extended period”.

Inflation Rising The cost of living in the United States climbed more than forecast in February, led by the highest food prices since 2008 and rising fuel costs. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased

Inflation pressure Inflation in the euro-zone accelerat-

ed in February to its highest level in more than two years. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the 17-nation region rose to 2.4% from 2.3% in January, confirming the market estimate. This figure is the highest since October 2008 and exceeds the ECB’s 2.0% limit for a third month, thus increasing pressure on the European Central Bank to raise interest rates in their upcoming meeting in April to fight price pressures. Even though markets are expecting the interest rate hike to happen soon, the aftermath of Japan’s earthquake has clouded global growth prospects and eroded investor sentiment, which could delay the execution of an eventual rate hike.

The number of unemployed people in the UK rose by 27,000 to 2.53 million for the three months ending January 2011, recording the highest levels since

0.5% month-on-month, the most since June 2009, higher than the expected 0.4% gain. Excluding the volatile food and energy costs, the so-called Core CPI rose 0.2% for a second month, also more than the estimated number.

Housing Sector Housing starts in the United Stated plunged to the lowest level in almost a year in February, making a hurdle for a recovery that the Federal Reserve said earlier during the week was on a “firmer footing”. Builders are battling foreclosures, falling home prices and moderate job growth, and home constructions dropped 22.5% to a 479,000 annual rate, higher than the expected drop of 5.0%.

Industrial production European industrial production

1994. The unemployment rate in Britain rose to 8.0% in January 2011, up 0.1% from the previous quarter. However, figures were mixed this month as the number of people claiming jobseekers’ allowance fell sharply and the private sector is adding more jobs than the public sector is losing. The figures left economists divided over whether unemployment would continue to rise as public sector job losses mounted and household incomes were squeezed.

Japan The Bank of Japan (BOJ) pumped a

record JPY 15 trillion ($184 billion) into money markets on Monday to protect the weak economy, as the Tokyo stock market nosedived following the devastating earthquake and tsunami. The Japanese central bank had hoped to calm the markets and incite banks to continue lending money and meet the likely surge in demand for post-earthquake funds. Later in the day, the central bank’s nine-member policy board gathered for a shortened meeting and voted unanimously to ease monetary policy. They announced that the BoJ will expand the size of their existing quantitative easing program by JPY 5 trillion, to JPY 40 trillion ($486.4 billion).

It also decided to keep its key interest rate at its current low level.

G7 Intervention The earthquake and tsunami that hit

Japan on March 11 have left the country battling on two fronts. On the one hand, consumer sentiment has been hit as a direct effect of the damages caused to the nuclear power plants and the rising risk of radiation leakage.

Consequently, equity markets witnessed a meltdown at the beginning of the week, with the Nikkei falling by 20% in two days. On the other hand, the Japanese Yen has broken its historical low against the US Dollar as markets are expecting the repatriation of foreign assets into Japan, and the insurance companies to buy substantial amounts of Yen to cover all the insurance costs.

On Friday, the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations agreed to join in a rare concerted intervention to restrain the soaring Yen after the wild week of panicky trading. The Bank of Japan kicked off the joint action at midnight, and early Friday the central banks of England, France, Germany, Italy and Europe followed suit. The US Dollar surged two big figures against the yen, leaving behind the record low of 76.25 hit on Thursday.The Bank of Japan is mainly looking for stability in the local currency, and therefore the successive interventions were engineered to be a series of small chunks, not in one massive splurge, in order not to cause an extreme weakness in the yen. After all, Japan has incurred substantial damage and will need to import enormous amounts of commodities for its rebuilding process, and a very weak currency can play a negative role. The equity market recouped some of its losses following the intervention given the improved risk sentiment.

Kuwait Dinar at 0.27765 The USDKWD opened at 0.27765 on Sunday morning.

Rates — 18 March 2011

Japan impact may run deeper than GDP hit Higher inflation to compound crises in emerging economies

NEW YORK: Specialist Christopher Trotta (third from right) works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. —AP

Saudi currency forwards fall as mood improves DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s one-year currency forwards fell to a one-month low yesterday, indicating bets the riyal will strengthen against the dollar, after the king announced new social handouts and as unrest in Bahrain calmed. Saudi currency forwards had held near their highest levels since January 2009 in recent weeks, as regional unrest that had toppled autocratic leaders in Egypt and Tunisia and spread to nearby Bahrain, Oman and Yemen, made investors jittery. The forwards fell to -25/-10 points yesterday, from Friday’s close of 10/30 points, swinging into negative territory — which implies expectations of a stronger currency-for the first time since late February, traders said. “Generally speaking the markets liquidity is taking over now coupled with the subsiding event risk, (and the) more quiet situation in Bahrain,” said a Dubai-based trader.

The Saudi forwards, among the most liquid in the Gulf, now imply a 0.1 percent firming of the riyal from its 3.75 peg to the greenback over the next 12 months.

Revolts in the Arab world that also led to a bloody uprising in oil-producing Libya had increased debt insurance costs and pressured stock markets across the Gulf, the world’s top crude exporting region, the stability of which is of global concern. But Saudi King Abdullah’s offer last week of

new social handouts worth $93 billion, aimed at easing tensions in the OPEC member, has boosted market confidence despite air strikes by Western powers on Libya. “Everything looks to be improving. At the moment it (Libya) is disregarded and they (players) are focusing on events closer to home,” said Lyndon Loos, head of forex trading for the Middle East and North Africa at Standard Chartered in Dubai.

“We might see a push a little bit lower from these levels, then obviously people will reassess the situation as things develop. But for the moment, we are definitely seeing some of the people, mainly Saudi names, hit the left-hand side quite aggressively,” he said. Saudi stocks extended gains yesterday after closing 4.5 percent higher on Sunday, buoyed by the king’s package, which amounts to nearly 30 percent of economic output when combined with February handouts of $37 billion.

Bahrain has stabilized since it introduced a state of emergency and security forces cracked down heavily on protesters last week, though the army still patrols the streets. Bahrain’s king said yesterday a foreign plot against his Sunni-led state had been foiled, and the head of the regional bloc Gulf Cooperation Council said interference by Shiite Iran in the Gulf Arab states would not be tolerated. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: The global economic impact from Japan’s earthquake and nuclear crisis may go beyond the modest GDP hit most number crunchers predict.

Macroeconomists have largely concluded that Japan won’t shave more than a few tenths of a percentage point off global growth, even though it is the world’s third-largest economy and looks likely to slip into a brief recession. Hung Tran, deputy managing director of the Institute of International Finance, said the direct GDP impact from Japan will most likely be “small and reversible,” but the indirect effects may be large and longlasting. The IIF’s market monitoring group, which includes bank executives and former policymakers, warned last week that Japan might cause investors to factor in a higher “uncertainty premium,” which would drive up the price of oil and other assets.

Oil-already elevated on violence in Libya and fears of unrest spreading in the Middle East-may get a longer-term boost as Japan’s experience prompts a global re-think of nuclear power. “ We were going to have a nuclear renaissance,” said Uri Dadush, an economist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former director of international trade for the World Bank.

“If this stops the nuclear renaissance, then there’s going to be an increase in demand for alternatives. Oil is one of them,”

Dadush added. The IIF said a sustained rise in energy prices would have “serious consequences for global growth and, notably, for inflation,” the IIF said.

Higher inflation compounds emerging market difficulties in containing price pressures and

JAPAN: A woman carries kerosene on a cart in Higashimatsushima, northern Japan yesterday. Kerosene was not available enough for her to fill all three containers. — AP

could prompt advanced economy central bankers to consider tightening monetary policy more quickly than planned, the IIF said.

Even before the earthquake,

US home sales fell 9.6% in February WASHINGTON: Fewer Americans bought previously occupied homes in February and those who did purchase them at steep discounts.

The weak rate of sales pushed home prices down to their lowest level in nearly 9 years.

The National Association of Realtors said yesterday that sales of previously occupied homes fell last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.88 million. That’s down 9.6 percent from 5.4 million in January. The pace is far below the 6 million homes a year that economists say represents a healthy market.

Nearly 40 percent of the sales last month were either foreclosures or short sales, when the seller accepts less than they owe on the mortgage.

One-third of all sales were purchased in cash — twice the rate from a year ago. In troubled housing markets such as Las Vegas and

Miami, cash deals represent about half of sales.

The median sales price fell 5.2 percent to $156,100, the lowest level since April 2002.

Millions of foreclosures have forced down home prices and more are expected this year.

Tight credit has made mortgage loans tough to come by. And some potential buyers who could qualify for loans are hesitant to enter the market, worried that prices will fall further.

High unemployment is also deterring buyers.

Job growth, while expected to pick up this year, will not likely raise home sales to healthier levels.

New home prices are now 45 percent higher than prices for previously occupied homes.

A more normal difference is about 15 percent, an indication that old homes on the market are being sold at comparatively cheap, and

inflation was complicating monetary policy. Minutes from the Bank of England’s latest policysetting meeting, due on Wednesday, are expected to show three of its nine committee members voted for a rate hike.

British inflation data, due

affordable, levels.

The number of first-time home-buyers rose to 34 percent of the market, partly because of rising rents. A more healthy level of first-time home-buyers is about 40 percent, according to the trade group.

But home prices and sales are uneven across the country. In Miami, where prices have dropped 18.6 percent since last year, sales have skyrocketed 46.4 percent over the same period. In St. Louis, where prices rose 8.2 percent over the past year, sales have fallen 8.6 percent. One obstacle to a housing recovery is the glut of unsold homes on the market.

Those numbers rose to 3.49 million units in February. It would take 8.6 months to clear them off the market at the February sales pace. Most analysts say a six-month supply represents a healthy supply of homes. — AP

today, will likely show a big jump in the consumer price index, although those figures are for February, well before the quake.

Indeed, the March 11 Japan dis-

aster has made this month’s batch of economic data look even more backward-looking than usual. For example, US durable goods orders for February may look strong in Thursday’s report, but that says nothing about what happened in March, when some manufacturers could not get enough parts from Japan.

Another Japan factor that may not show up as a direct GDP hit is currency volatility. The Group of Seven advanced economies stepped in on Friday to try to cap the yen’s rise, marking their first intervention in more than a decade. On the surface, this may seem like an aggressive response to a problem that is not expected to do more than dent GDP. Eswar Prasad, a Brookings Institution economist who teaches international trade policy at Cornell University, said the worry was that extreme currency moves can curtail trade. Global shippers have trouble hedging their currency exposure against wild swings, and private trade credit providers also get a bit nervous, he said.

The yen intervention was “a layer of insurance that the G7 leaders are trying to buy, and they can buy it relatively cheaply right now,” Prasad said. Dadush, the Carnegie economist, said the G7’s move was a quick and effective way to cool speculation in financial markets.

“Like in tennis, it’s a high-percentage play,” he said. — Reuters

Tablets, smartphones to spur Saudi Jarir growth RIYADH: Jarir Marketing Co, a Saudi office supplies and electronics retailer, expects higher sales of tablet PCs and smartphones to drive growth in 2011, its chairman said.

Muhammad Al-Agil also told Reuters that the Saudi king’s massive handouts, which include wage hikes, would provide a boon for retail sales. “We expect good growth mainly driven by (sales of ) tablets and we also expect strong growth in smart phones,” he said. “We also plan to open four stores, three in Saudi and one in Kuwait, today we have 28 stores.”

Jarir said in 2009 it planned to expand the number of its stores to between 40-45 stores by the end of 2013 with a goal of increasing sales to close to a billion riyals in 2012. Agil

projected Jarir would see gross marginswhich have been declining due to weak profitability on smartphones-at 19 percent by the end of the year from 17 percent in 2010.

“We expect to get back. Last year, we had low market share and to have a good market share we had to dump our prices. Now we see that our margin is going to improve this year,” Agil said, adding Jarir sold 158,000 smartphone sets and 19,000 tablet PCs in 2010. “Now we have 10 percent market share ... This will allow our gross margins to improve, may be 150 basis point. We expect to go back to a gross margin of 19 percent from 17 percent in 2010.” Jarir’s 2010 annual profit rose 7.2 percent to 401 million Saudi riyals ($106.9 million). — Reuters

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business

ECB warns on rates, Portugal gears for austerity vote LUXEMBOURG/PORTUGAL: A senior European Central Bank official sent a strong signal yesterday that interest rates would rise next month, as finance ministers met to hammer out details of a new anti-crisis package for the euro zone.

Portugal may come under fresh pressure to seek a bailout like Greece and Ireland this week if its minority government, which was preparing to send new austerity measures to parliament, fails to get them passed.

Despite that risk, investors have pushed up the bonds of countries on Europe’s vulnerable southern periphery in recent days, confident that EU leaders will sign off on a broad range of measures at a two-day summit starting on Thursday that will help prevent their debt crisis from spreading beyond Portugal.

The risk premium markets demand to hold Spanish 10-year debt instead of German benchmarks is at its lowest level since early February, and the euro is hovering above $1.41 for the first time in over four months.

“Whereas small Portugal is trundling towards a likely bailout more slowly than projected, much bigger Spain has moved a little away from the brink,” said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank.

Still, the longer-term risks to the single currency bloc remain

high. Ireland is resisting pressure from its euro zone partners to harmonize corporate tax rules in exchange for better terms on its 85 billion euro ($121 billion) rescue, and many economists are skeptical that Dublin and Athens can avoid a restructuring of their debt in the longer-term.

The solidity of Europe’s banks remains a concern, and regulators are still haggling over how tough capital requirements should be in a second round of stress tests that began earlier this month.

Added to that is the threat of higher interest rates, as the ECB looks set to follow through on its threat to tighten monetary policy next month to counter rising inflation risks despite uncertainty generated by the nuclear crisis in Japan.

Luxembourg’s central bank chief Yves Mersch, a member of the ECB’s governing council, said yesterday that the Frankfurtbased bank was prepared to act “decisively” and in a “timely” manner to ward off threats to price stability. He told a news conference that monetary policymakers were employing “very high vigilance” in the run-up to their next meeting on April 7thlanguage that clearly points to a hike in rates, which have been stuck at a record low of 1.0 percent since May 2009.

Higher rates could make it more difficult for countries like Greece, Ireland and Spain to

recover. All have a high percentage of floating rate mortgages, fragile banking sectors and major budget consolidation programs in place.

The immediate focus is Portugal, however, where opposition parties are threatening to block the minority Socialist government’s latest round of austerity measures-a move that could topple Prime Minister Jose Socrates and accelerate an EU/IMF rescue.

After meeting Socrates on Monday, the leader of the main opposition Social Democrats (PSD) reiterated plans to vote against the latest round of cuts, which are designed to help the government reduce its deficit to 4.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year.

“We reaffirmed that the measures presented by the government ... do not deserve the support or approval of the PSD since they lay out a profoundly unfair path for the Portuguese,” Pedro Passos Coelho told reporters.

A vote is expected on Wednesday, a day before the EU summit. European finance ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday afternoon to try to bridge stubborn differences on a range of issues ahead of the summit.

They must overcome Finnish opposition to a plan to increase the lending capacity of their rescue fund, the European

ATHENS: Blind demonstrators hold up the shutters of the entrance of the Greek ministry of finance during a protest rally in central Athens yesterday. Groups representing Greeks with disabilities are calling on the government end benefit cuts for disability programs as part of austerity measures in the crisis-hit country.—AP Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), to 440 billion euros via guarantees.

Ministers must also address concerns from several central and eastern European countries about burden-sharing in the fund that is to replace the EFSF in 2013.

In addition to guarantees, the 500 billion euro European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is

expected to include about 80 billion euros in capital. A half dozen eastern countries believe the formula used to determine their capital contributions unfairly penalizes poorer countries.

Ireland will also be at the top of the agenda after its new Prime Minister Enda Kenny resisted pressure from Germany, France and others to discuss any

changes to the country’s ultralow 12.5 percent corporate tax rate at a summit on March 11.

The Irish Times reported yesterday that Dublin was considering giving ground on new tax rules to win a one percentage point cut in its rescue loan ratesa concession euro leaders have already made for Greece in exchange for privatization pledges from Athens. —Reuters

World Bank tells East Asia to tighten, calm on Japan Inflation to remain big problem for region’s policymakers SINGAPORE/BEIJING: Inflation remains a major challenge and tighter monetary policies are needed across East Asia, the World Bank said yesterday, as it downplayed risks to regional growth from the devastating earthquake in Japan. In a semi-annual East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, the World Bank nudged up its 2011 growth forecasts, but said the big picture was that the fight against inflation would weigh on economies from China to Malaysia. “Last year was a very good year. East Asia led the world as far as recovery was concerned. Now the big question is can East Asia sustain that recovery?” said Vikram Nehru, World Bank’s chief economist for the East Asia and Pacific region.

“In the short term, there are already two big issues. First is the tragedy in Japan,” he said. “The second issue is that of inflation. I believe inflation is rising.”

While Japan would suffer short-term economic damage from the disaster earlier this month, the bank said its impact on the broader region should be limited to a quarter or two.

“As reconstruction efforts get under way, there should be a pick-up in economic activity that would boost growth,” said Ivailo Izvorski, lead economist for the World Bank in East Asia.

The World Bank predicted that the developing nations of East Asia will grow 8.2 percent in 2011, faster than the 7.8 percent forecast it made six months earlier, but a clear deceleration from the region’s estimated 9.6 percent growth in

2010. It warned that central banks in the region risk falling behind the curve in combating price pressures if they do not raise interest rates and let their currencies rise.

In the region’s biggest economy China, where authorities have used reserve requirements and other direct price controls to curb inflation, the Washington-based lender saw room for higher rates and a stronger yuan. “I would argue that there is further room for interest rate increases in China, there is further room for policy contraction,” Nehru said.

“I also know the authorities are doing a lot in cooling asset prices by making targeted action towards asset markets in particular areas, and that is also to be welcomed.”

Excluding China, developing East Asia will probably expand 5.3 percent this year, down from a 6.7 percent expansion last year, the report said. China, the world’s second-largest economy, is likely to grow 9.0 percent this year, slower than last year’s 10.3 percent pace, it added.

Not everyone agreed with the World Bank’s relatively sanguine outlook on Japan’s ability to recover. Speaking at a forum in Singapore, the country ’s Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said Japan’s nuclear crisis could hurt consumer and business confidence.

“Confidence is affected in a different way from a one-off natural disaster,” said Tharman, tipped to be the next head of the International Monetary Fund’s International Monetary and Financial

Committee.

Separately, Citigroup said that disruption to global manufacturing from Japan’s earthquake “is more serious than earlier thought.”

“We could see production of goods reliant on Japanese inputs without sufficient inventories temporarily stall, such as electronics, autos and shipbuilding,” Citi economists Johanna Chua and Brian Tan said in a note to clients.

The US bank said risks to growth appear greatest in Thailand, where manufacturers rely on electronics, car and chemical components from Japan. South Korea and Taiwan also turn to Japan for plastic and electronic components, but both also compete with Japan in many areas and may benefit from higher prices and market share gains. —Reuters

British budget looks for growth on a shoestring

Citigroup plans to resume dividend, reverse stock split NEW YORK: Citigroup plans to reinstate a quarterly dividend of a penny per share in the second quarter after launching a 1-for-10 reverse stock split. Yesterday’s announcement comes three days after the US Federal Reserve cleared the way for major lenders to increase their dividends. Banks had been forced to cut their dividends to preserve cash after the financial crisis that peaked in September 2008. That was a condition of the government’s massive bank bailout package. The Fed’s move last week was seen as a sign of the industry’s return to health, and some banks quickly announced plans to raise their dividends and buy back shares.

“Citi is a fundamentally different company than it was three years ago,” CEO Vikram Pandit said in a statement.

“The reverse stock split and intention to reinstate a dividend are important steps as we anticipate returning capital to shareholders starting next year.” Citigroup Inc. shares rose 11 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $4.61 in pre-market trading.

As a condition of the rescue, Citigroup cannot pay quarterly dividends to shareholders of more than 1 cent a share until 2012 unless it obtains consent from the three federal agencies — the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Citigroup received $45 billion in taxpayer support late in 2008. The government has now recouped all of that. Free from the government’s hand, Citigroup has been working to please the bank’s other shareholders. —AP

LONDON: Britain’s coalition government will seek to bolster a faltering economy without compromising its austerity program in an annual budget yesterday overshadowed by air strikes on Libya.

Finance minister George Osborne will have limited room for manoeuvre when he addresses a packed parliament, having introduced a raft of tax rises and spending cuts in the months since the coalition took power last May. The Conservative-led government has front-loaded cuts as it seeks to virtually eliminate a record budget deficit by 2015. Osborne plans to erase 81 billion pounds ($132 billion) of spending over the coming four years-an average of 19 percent for each government department.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts the deficit will fall from 10 percent of national output in 2010/11 to 7.6 percent in the next financial year as the cuts really start to bite. Prime Minister David Cameron has promised the “most pro-growth budget in a generation” while Osborne has talked of moving from “rescue to recovery” mode.

However, the economy shrank by 0.6 percent in the last three months of 2010. Latest consumer confidence surveys show that Britons are worried about rising inflation affecting basics like fuel and food and fearful about their job prospects.

The opposition Labor Party, in power for 13 years until last May, warns that the government is cutting harder and faster than a fragile economy can

Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne speaks during a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. —AP bear, while unions plan a mass demonstration in London next week. Osborne said yesterday there would be no diluting of austerity measures which have gone a long way to convince investors that despite record debt, Britain is a very different proposition to the likes of Greece and Portugal.

“That would be a huge mistake for this country,” Osborne told BBC Television. “We would lose economic stability and we would be back in the mess of wondering what is going to happen tomorrow to Britain’s credit rating. It is not going to happen.”

However, he did say he would not be seeking further tax increases or

spending cuts.

Sharp cuts for the defence budget have been thrown into sharp relief by Britain’s involvement in air operations over Libya. Analysts say but prolonged fighting could stretch Britain’s its armed forces and raise pressure on Cameron to rethink deep cuts.

Stronger-than-expected tax revenues may see borrowing undershoot forecasts by several billion pounds and give Osborne some leeway if the independent OBR forecasts it will recur, and it is not cancelled out by a weaker growth outlook.

The OECD last week downgraded its 2011 forecast for British economic growth to 1.5 percent and the OBR looks likely to pare back its forecast from 2.1 percent to around 1.7-1.8 percent. Borrowing had been forecast at 148 billion pounds in the current year.

Any shortfall this year may be offset by a slower decline than forecast in coming years if growth disappoints and high inflation takes its toll.

Osborne has dropped heavy hints that he will cancel an increased in fuel duty planned for April, bringing some limited relief to motorists and the haulage industry.

A government source said on Sunday that the budget would also scrap a planned inflation-linked increase on air passenger duty this year.

The Liberal Democrats, the junior members of the coalition, have said they expect to see further progress on exempting anyone earning less than 10,000 pounds from paying tax. —Reuters

PARIS: French luxury goods retailer PPR Chairman and CEO Francois-Henri Pinault poses at the end of a press conference in Paris yesterday to announce the launch of ‘PPR Home’. ‘The group launched PPR Home and is setting a new standard in sustainability and business practice in the luxury, sport and lifestyle and Retails sectors’, PPR said. —AFP

Kenya to remove tax exemptions in 2011/12 budget NAIROBI: Kenya plans to remove tax incentives in the 2011/12 (July-June) fiscal budget and widen collection to rope in more small businesses to increase revenues, Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta said yesterday.

Last week, the International Monetary Fund said east Africa’s largest economy could get an extra 40 billion shillings ($466 million) in tax by better collection of value added tax, widening tax brackets and cutting exemptions on imports.

Kenyatta said at present some value added tax exemptions given as investment incentives, were not beneficial and resulted in losses.

Kenya’s budget is tight as it puts in place a new constitution and spends on heavy infrastructure development.

“We are working towards trying to remove some of the types of incentives that had been introduced in the VAT tax regime that are not necessarily useful,” Kenyatta told a news conference.

“In many ways they have resulted to leakages and we hope to include those measures in the upcoming budget.” Kenya’s revenue for the first half of 2010/11 (July-June) fiscal year fell short by about 5 billion shillings ($59.21 million) to 303.1 billion shillings.

Kenyatta added that the government planned to get extra revenues from small businesses that operate informally.

“We are looking at how we can expand the our (tax) base to raise additional revenues by bringing in the informal sector to raise additional revenues,” he said. Kenyatta did not give details on specific tax exemptions. It normally holds its budget on the second Thursday in June.

Kenya, a net importer, exempts exporters from paying value added tax, which is charged at 16 percent. The International Monetary Fund said the global financial crisis had lead to deterioration of fiscal accounts, which had forced many countries to spend more , but called upon effective revenue collection.

“Very often these (tax) exemptions do not actually achieve what they are meant to achieve and they cause very large losses to the budget,” said Carlo Cottarelli, director of fiscal affairs at IMF. The Kenyan government and IMF are hosting a two-day conference to examine ways of increasing revenue collection in sub-Saharan Africa. IMF says that some countries in the region lose almost half their tax revenues through evasion. —Reuters

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TECHNOLOGY

EMC leads external disk storage systems market KUWAIT: EMC Corporation, the world leader in information infrastructure solutions, remains the top provider of external disk storage systems for the 14th consecutive year in factory revenue, according to the latest IDC Worldwide Quarterly Disk Storage Systems Tracker, March 2011.

EMC(r) gained share in all of the major markets it serves and has delivered a wide range of new technologies to address the growing markets for virtualization, next generation backup, cloud computing and big data.

Highlights

• According to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Disk Storage Systems Tracker (March 2011), EMC holds the number one position in revenue and terabytes shipped in the external disk storage systems market for 2010. EMC maintained its worldwide lead in the external RAID, total open networked storage (NAS combined with Open/iSCSI SAN), open Storage Area Network

(SAN) and Network Attached Storage (NAS) markets.

• According to IDC, this is the 14th consecutive year EMC has led the external disk storage systems market in terms of both revenue and terabytes shipped.

• In the NAS market, EMC extended its number one position in 2010 by growing significantly faster than the market on a year-over-year basis, according to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Disk Storage Systems Tracker (March 2011).

• The market share gains were the result of global customer acceptance of EMC’s wide range

of storage technologies. EMC has the most comprehensive and current storage product line available and in 2010 invested more than $2 billion in research and development. In addition, EMC invested substantially to expand its channel ecosystem and internal sales infrastructure.

• In January 2011, EMC further extended its technology leadership with the largest product introduction in storage industry history, unveiling more than 40 new products and technologies addressing the fastest growing areas of the industry, including big data and cloud computing. “EMC continues to lead the market because

customers and partners believe in our strategy, vision and ability to execute. The technology innovations and investments EMC made in 2010 are clearly being embraced by customers on their journey to the cloud,” said Pat Gelsinger, President and Chief Operating Officer, EMC Information Infrastructure Products.

“We entered 2011 putting even greater distance between ourselves and our competitors across our storage portfolio with the new EMC VNX(r) family of unified storage systems, new and enhanced products in our backup and archiving portfolio, and powerful new software offerings for our flagship VMAX(tm) storage system.

As customers continue to virtualize their data centers and standardize their consolidated environments onto a small number of trusted vendors, we believe EMC stands out as a best-ofbreed and best VMware-integrated information infrastructure provider.”

Google says Chinese govt blocking email services France fines Google for Street View privacy breach

SHANGHAI: This photo taken on March 9, 2011 shows employees at China-based company Ctrip in the call center of their headquarters in Shanghai. — AFP

Pocket monsters and battles with bricks: New games for on-the-go BERLIN: Cuddly monsters, Jedi warriors, and a young wolf saving the world with a paintbrush are all some of the forces for good coming to mobile gaming consoles in the near future.

The games will ensure plenty of entertainment for everyone. While the new Pokemon and the manga game Okamiden are slated for the Nintendo DS 150, the PSP will support the newest instalment of the Final Fantasy series as well as the Gods Eater Burst action adventure.

Meanwhile, Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars will work with all consoles.

Just before it releases the new 3DS, Nintendo has decided to put out one more Pokemon title for its old workhorse, the DS. The newest version of the series, traditionally released as a double pack, comes in black and white versions.

As usual, players must take characters they’ve created themselves on a quest for the rarest of the small monsters. The small cadre of three Pokemons rapidly expands during a foray through the wilderness.

In all, there are 150 new Pokemon to collect, although not all varieties are to be found in both game versions. Players who treasure a complete collection are going to have to buy both games - or trade them with friends via wireless connection.

Another new twist is that the playing field is different between the two versions. Plus, there are now seasons.

That leads to another new challenge. Some areas are not always reachable. For example, a lake blocks access to one region during the summer, meaning players have to wait until winter to cross the frozen water.

Additionally, some Pokemon are more or less common in certain seasons, depending on whether they hibernate or are more active in the winter. That means it’s worthwhile to search every region several times in a year.

Pokemon Black Edition and Pokemon White Edition both cost about 40 euros (56 dollars).

DS and PSP gamers can expect a new visit from the heroes of the Star Wars universe on March 24, but this time in the form of Lego figures.

After the original and newer trilogies were both reworked in Lego, it’s the turn of the Clone Wars, a TV series that takes place between episodes II and III of the newer Star Wars trilogy.

Episode -by-episode, players accompany the young Jedi Anakin Skywalker and his master Obi-Wan Kenobi on their adventures as they battle General Grievous and his droid

army.

The game includes epic battles, spaceship confrontations and lightsaber duels. Those familiar with the previous titles will quickly settle in and be pleased to find the improved level editor. Developers have also retained the humour typical of the series.

Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars will be released by Lucas Arts and cost about 40 euros for the DS and PSP. A 50-euro version is planned for the 3DS (March 25). The game is also available for XBox, Wii, PS3 and PC. Swords are also drawn in Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy, the offshoot of the successful Final Fantasy series and direct successor to Dissidia: Final Fantasy.

Once again, the heroes of the legendary role-playing game meet on the PSP to square off against one another. Unlike most fighting games, Dissidia 012 works with an experience point system: each character gets stronger from one fight to the next, learning new techniques on the way.

Another shared trait with its roleplaying brethren is the detailed history with numerous transition scenes.

Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy will be available March 25, costing about 40 euros in stores.

Namco Bandai’s Gods Eater Burst for the PSP costs about 40 euros. In this action-adventure, the world has been devastated by the horrible Aragami. The only hope is the socalled God Eater with its God Arcs, powerful weapons that take the form of a sword or a cannon and can actually destroy Aragami.

The Monster Hunter series is, without a doubt, the inspiration for Gods Eater Burst. And just like in Monster Hunter, four players can go on the hunt together. There are more than 100 missions to take, with 35 different enemies to fight.

Okamiden is also about fighting the forces of dark, this time on the DS. Its predecessor, Okami, has already been released on the PS2 and Wii. Chibiterasu - the son of the sun god Amaterasu, from the first part - is sent as a small wolf to a world where dark powers have sucked up all the power and colour.

Thankfully, there’s a magical paintbrush Chibiterasu can use. Guided by the stylus, he can bring flowers back into bloom, waterfalls back to flowing and trees back to life.

The paintbrush can also be used to erase obstacles and wipe away opponents. The innovative gameplay with its Asian graphics style and loveable figures is on sale for about 38 euros.

BEIJING: Google said yesterday the Chinese government is interfering with its email services in China, making it difficult for users to gain access to its Gmail program, amid an intensified Internet crackdown following widespread unrest in the Middle East.

Google Inc. said its engineers have determined there are no technical problems with the email service or its main website.

“There is no technical issue on our side; we have checked extensively. This is a government blockage carefully designed to look like the problem is with Gmail,” the company said in a brief statement. China has some of the world’s strictest Internet controls and blocks many popular social media sites, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. The government has intensified those efforts after pro-democracy protest erupted across the Middle East in January. Around that time, anonymous calls for protesters to gather for a “Jasmine Revolution” in China triggered a crackdown by Chinese authorities, who stepped up Web censorship and deployed huge numbers of police to planned protest sites.

No protests happened.

A Google spokesperson said users in China, the world’s most populous Internet market, have reported having intermittent problems with the service since the end of January.

Problems include difficulty accessing the home page for Gmail and problems sending emails when logged into the service. The instant messaging function is often not working as well.

Google officials said the blocking appears to be more sophisticated than other problems experienced by users in the past

because the disruption is not a complete block. In addition, a March 11 blog post by Google about security said the company had “noticed some highly targeted and apparently politically motivated attacks against our users. We believe activists may have been a specific target.” In the posting, Google declined to elaborate on which activists had been targeted or where the attacks had come from.

A company spokesperson refused to say if Google has raised the issue directly with Chinese government officials.

China’s Foreign Ministry had no immediate comments on Google’s accusation.

Google has had highly public run-ins with the Chinese government.

In January last year, Google announced that it would no longer cooperate with the government’s requirement to censor search results for banned sites. It also complained about major attacks on its website by Chinese hackers, suggesting the government may have been instigated the attacks.

Attacks were also mounted against email accounts by activists working on human rights in China at that time.

Google moved its Chinese-language search engine to Hong Kong, which operates under separate rules from the rest of mainland China.

Meanwhile, France’s privacy watchdog has handed down its largest fine ever against Google for improperly gathering and storing potentially sensitive data from Wi-Fi networks for its Street View application.

Yesterday ’s euro 100,000 ($141,300) fine sanctions Google for collecting personal data — including e-mails, web browsing

MOUNTAIN VIEW: TIn this photo taken March 7, 2011, Matt Potter of Google pedals Goggle’s new Street View Tricycle at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. France’s privacy watchdog has handed down its largest fine ever against Google yesterday, for improperly gathering and storing potentially sensitive data from Wi-Fi networks for its Street View application. —AP histories and online banking details — from 2007 to 2010 through its roaming cameramounted cars and bicycles. The fine by privacy watchdog CNIL is the first against Google over the data-gathering, which 30 coun-

Fujitsu top five vendors worldwide in server market DUBAI: Fujitsu has the highest growth among the top five vendors in the worldwide server market for 4Q10, according to the independent market research firm Gartner (Market Share Alert: Server Shipments, Worldwide, 4Q10; Moderate Finish in 2010 for the Server Market. With global year-onyear growth of 12.6 percent in server unit shipments, Fujitsu increased both sales and market share.

In the expanding x86 server market segment, Fujitsu also delivered the strongest growth among the top five server vendors, increasing global year-on-year sales of its PRIMERGY lines by 12.5 per cent in comparison to a market average growth of 6.3 percent. In EMEA,

PRIMERGY x86 industry standard servers enjoyed a huge 20.8 percent year-on-year growth in shipments, more than a factor of four times the average market growth of 4.8 percent.

Chandan Mehta, Product Manager at Fujitsu Technology Solutions said: “We believe the latest independent market figures underline that Fujitsu is on the right track by focusing on customer needs and delivering better long-term value.

We are also seeing the benefits of the global rollout of the Fujitsu SELECT partner program. Although we continue to focus on growing our market share, our strategy is not to achieve gains just by slashing prices.”

Chandan Mehta

tries have complained about. At least two other European countries are considering fines, while some others have ruled against penalizing Google. Google Inc. has apologized and says it will delete the data. — AP

News

in brief

SMS dictation and remote control storage BERLIN: Manufacturer Buffalo has introduced a new smartphone app for managing its Linkstation Quad.

Video and music files saved on the storage device can be viewed or played with an iPhone or Android mobile. The Linkstation, which comes with 4, 8 or 12 terabytes, starts at 489 euros (682 dollars). The app is free.

Asus presents a new external Blu-ray writer and tablet PC Berlin: Asus is offering a new Blu-ray writer. The BW12D1S-U, which features a USB 3.0 connection, should be able to write on blank discs at up to 12X speed. No information is yet available on price or the date it hits stores.

Another new item is the Eee Slate EP 121 tablet computer with Windows 7, scheduled for a March release for 999 euros (1,394 dollars). It comes with a Bluetooth-ready keyboard, 4 gigabytes of working memory and a 64-gigabyte SSD hard drive.

Dictate your text message Berlin: If you don’t want to type, you can now dictate your text messages on landline or mobile phones using Dictocom’s new Speech Short Message Service (SSMS). To use it, customers call up a local number and record their message. It is then automatically converted into a text message and sent to the desired recipient. Payments are through a pre-paid plan. A standard text message with 160 characters costs about 24 euro cents (0.33 cents).

Xtreamer presents new media player Berlin: Xtreamer is offering a new media player dubbed Ultra. The system includes a mini-PC with an Intel Atom processor (1.8 gigahertz) and 4 gigabytes of working memory. There is space for a 2.5-inch hard drive.

However, this is not included with the device. Neither is an optional WLAN adapter. The device sports DVI, VGA, HDMI and gigabit-ethernet ports, as well as six USB ports.

The Ultra costs around 200 euros (279 dollars). No release date has been set. —dpa

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health & science

Conquering skyscrapers to stay fit NEW YORK: Although they may be unable to leap tall buildings in a single bound, enthusiasts of tower climbing insist they can conquer skyscrapers, and stay fit, just by taking the stairs.

When it comes to multi-storey runups, the higher the rise, they say, the richer the challenge.

“They call it the vertical marathon,” New York-based securities analyst Brian Kuritzky said of his maiden climb up the 1,576 steps of the Empire State Building. “I have a lot of pride for the city, so to do a race up its most iconic item was special for me.”

Kuritzky, who on a spur-of-themoment bet tackled the Iron Man triathlon competition last year, is no

stranger to a workout challenge.

But he described last month’s Empire State Building Run up, in which 440 finishers triumphed, as “very intense, very tough.”

It was also very compact. “ The Iron Man took almost 16 hours, so to be done in 13.37 minutes is very appealing,” he said of his time, “and to have the challenge as well is very cool.”

To prepare for his run, Kuritzsky thrice scaled the stairs of his 30-storey apartment building in downtown Manhattan just so he could get a sense of the distance and how his legs would feel. Then he did it again.

“At a certain point you have to have mental fortitude,” Kuritzsky said.

“My legs shut down at the 60th floor (of the Empire State Building). At that point you can either stop or push through. A skyscraper run is an enticing thing to see how far you can push yourself.”

Fabio Comana of the American Council on Exercise said stair climbing can be a great conditional workout for the lower extremity and the cardio-respiratory system.

“The impact on joints is minimal, although there’s stress on the knees,” the exercise physiologist said. “It’s a great workout for the glutes,” he said, referring to the muscles in the buttocks.

Comana, who did some stair climbing while training for rugby,

said stair climbing works both energy systems-the aerobic, which uses a lot of oxygen in activities like running or swimming, and the anaerobic, which kicks in during short bursts of highintensity exercise, such as weight lifting or muscle-building.

“It’s a very effective form of training for both systems,” he explained.

“It fits well into the training regimens of spor ts like soccer and rugby, where you need both.”

Comana added that while stair climbing is not a full body workout because there is not much for the upper body, it’s great training for the lower half.

“I think it’s a great exercise for everyone,” he said. “As we age we

tend to lose strength in lower extremities before we do in upper extremities.”

Comana called stair-climbing a time-efficient workout that brings o u t t h e co m p e t i t i ve fe r vo r i n a person.

“You get to the top of the stairs, you are gassed,” he said.

Kuritsky is already eyeing the next steel mountain to conquer.

“I read there’s a race in Dubai,” he said of a run up the 163-story Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper.

“In Chicago, there’s a stair run up the John Hancock Building. And at the CN tower in Toronto I hear they let you go up as many times as you want.” —Reuters

WHO warns of ‘serious’ food radiation in disaster-hit Japan Radiation in food a ‘lot more serious’ TOKYO: The World Health Organisation said yesterday that radiation in food after an earthquake damaged a Japanese nuclear plant was a “serious situation”, eclipsing clear signs of progress in a battle to avert a catastrophic meltdown in the reactors. The March 11 earthquake and tsunami left more than 21,000 people dead or missing and will cost an already beleaguered economy some $250 billion, but Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the situation at the nuclear plant was slowly improving. Overshadowing the good news from the facility, however, was mounting concern that radioactive particles already released into the atmosphere have contaminated food and water supplies.

The health ministry has urged some residents near the plant to stop drinking tap water after high levels of radioactive iodine were detected.

Cases of contaminated vegetables and milk have already stoked anxiety despite assurances from officials that the levels are not dangerous.

The government has prohibited the sale of raw milk from Fukushima prefecture and spinach from a nearby area.

“Quite clearly it’s a serious situation,” Peter Cordingley, Manila-based spokesman for the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) regional office for the Western Pacific, told Reuters in a telephone interview.

“It’s a lot more serious than anybody thought in the early days when we thought that this kind of problem can be limited to 20 to 30 kilometres ... It’s safe to suppose that some contaminated produce got out of the contamination zone.”

He added that there was no evidence of contaminated food from Fukushima reaching other countries.

Japan is a net importer of food, but has substantial exports mainly fruit, vegetables, dairy products and seafood-with its biggest markets in Hong Kong, China and the United States.

The World Bank, citing private estimates of between $122 billion and $235 billion for the cost, said the disaster would depress Japanese economic growth briefly before reconstruction kicks off and gives the beleaguered economy a boost.

US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, asked by CNN whether the worst of Japan’s 10-day nuclear crisis was over, said on Sunday:

“Well, we believe so, but I don’t want to make a blanket statement.”

US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko added that radiation levels at the plant appeared to be falling.

However, the situation was far from under control. Japan’s nuclear safety agency said pressure was rising in the most threatening reactor, No. 3, which contains highly toxic plutonium, and this may have to be released by “venting” steam, a step taken last week that discharged low levels of radiation into the atmosphere.

If the cooling pumps cannot restart, drastic measures may be needed like burying the plant in sand and concrete.

Some expatriates, tourists and local residents have fled Tokyo over radiation fears.

Those who remain are subdued but not panicked. “ There’s no way I can check if those radioactive particles are in my tap water or the food I eat, so there isn’t much I can really do about it,” said Setsuko Kuroi, an 87-yearold woman shopping in a supermarket with a white gauze mask over her face.

Easing Japan’s gloom briefly, local TV on Sunday showed one moving survival tale: an 80-year-old woman and her 16-year-old grandson rescued from their damaged home after nine days.

Official tolls of dead and missing are rising steadily-to 8,450 and 12,931 respectively.

The death toll could jump dramatically since police said they believed more than 15,000 people had been killed in Miyagi prefecture, one of four that took the brunt of the

tsunami.

Scores of nations have pledged aid to victims, but little foreign relief supplies are visible in some devastated villages.

“All we have had is the clothes on our backs. But they are good enough. They’ve kept us warm through all of this,” said Machiko Kawahata as she, her daughter and granddaughter looked for clothes at a drop-off point in Kamaishi, a coastal town. “We will make do and we will make it through this.”

The 9.0-magnitude quake and ensuing 10metre (32-f t) tsunami made more than 350,000 people homeless. Food, water, medicine and fuel are short in some parts, and near-freezing temperatures during Japan’s winter are not helping.

While Japanese have been focused on the rescue operation rather than recriminations, media and others have raised questions over the government and plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) performance. There have been suggestions the nuclear drama was taking priority over the human suffering, and that the early response of some officials was slow and opaque.

TEPCO head Masataka Shimizu apologised at the weekend for “causing such trouble” at the plant but has not visited the site or made a public appearance in a week.

In a report submitted to the nuclear safety agency on Feb. 28, less than two weeks before the disaster struck, the operator told regulators it had failed to carry out some scheduled inspections at the Daiichi facility. —Reuters

Last stand of the Asian elephant JIA GABHARU: Every night when the rice is ripening in their fields, the young men climb into watchtowers to peer anxiously toward the Himalayan foothills from which the gray giants emerge. Before them, a 5-kilometer (3mile), high-voltage fence provides dubious defense against a crafty, brainy enemy. To their rear, patrols are mounted from settlements ringed by trenches and armed with spears, torches, stinging smoke bombs and sometimes guns and poison. Here, in India’s northeast state of Assam, is one of the hottest fronts of a heart-rending, escalating conflict. It is waged daily in villages, fields and plantations of 13 countries across Asia where forests and grasslands continue to shrink, igniting a turf war between one-time friends: land-hungry man and a simply hungry Elephas maximus, the Asian elephant.

The elephant’s survival is at best uncertain. In India and Sri Lanka, where the struggle is most intense, more than 400 elephants and 250 humans are killed each year. Deaths on both sides occur frequently in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and elsewhere. Sharks, by contrast, kill fewer than half a dozen swimmers a year worldwide.

Although the age-old bonds between human and elephant are yet to be totally severed, some angry villagers electrocute the animals with high tension wires or fell them with rifles, poison-tipped arrows and homemade rice liquor, an elephant favorite, laced with insecticides. Humans, often poor rural dwellers, suffer no less. In the village of Galighat in eastern Assam, accessible only by boat and foot, a rogue male elephant recently killed five residents in little more than a month, wrecking six houses in nighttime strikes, decapitating scores of banana trees and pilfering granaries.

The latest victim was Phulania Dutta, whose skull bones were still strewn on the earth near her obliterated home where eyewitnesses described how two nights earlier the elephant crushed her head and chest with a foreleg, then kicked her aside.

First, it knocked down the stilts of the raised bamboo and thatch house,

then began furiously stomping down on the rubble. Trapped under a wooden pillar, Dutta’s husband survived, but as the 48-year-old woman fled the ruin screaming, the elephant closed in for the kill. “We have applied for help from the government but nothing has come.

We have taken whatever precautions we can. We have prayed. But nothing works. We cannot coexist,” said villager Mohammed Abul Ali, looking over tattered clothing, pans and other meager possessions scattered among Dutta’s totally flattened home. A family dog and its puppy lay listlessly on what was once the roof.

Prospects for future coexistence, wildlife experts say, are bleak despite a

According to the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature, 38,500 to 52,500 wild elephants survive in Asia with only another 15,000 in captivity, having largely lost their traditional roles as loggers, trucks, battle tanks and prestige symbols of royal courts. An Asian elephant can weigh up to five tons. The larger African elephant, although more numerous, is also listed as an endangered species, subject to similar onslaughts. “Everyone knows the cause, even the layman, the villager, that the forest is finished, that the elephant has no place to remain safely and doesn’t have anything to eat, so they are coming out,” says Bhupendra Nath Talukdar, a leading wildlife officer in the

GAUHATI: In this photo taken, Feb. 23, 2011, elephants graze in a village which is on the edge of Kaziranga National Park, in Kaziranga, some 240 kilometers (150 miles) from Gauhati, India. Here, in India’s northeast state of Assam, is one of the hottest frontlines of a heart-rending, escalating conflict. —AP host of conservation projects, from biofencing to elephant tracking via satellite telemetry.

The past is a stark indicator of the endangered creature’s future. The animal has disappeared from some 95 percent of its historical range, an elephant empire which stretched from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Yellow River in northern China. Thailand, for example, harbored some 100,000 elephants at the beginning of the 20th century, but is down to less than 6,000 today.

Assam Forest Department. “In this battle, the elephant will be defeated easily,” he says. “It is really not a conflict with the elephant. It was their place and now we have occupied it.” But the elephant isn’t giving up without a fight, and in some places man has even had to surrender territory. Faced with daily crop raiding, the 45 families of Assam’s Rubberbeal village fled a decade ago while residents of a neighboring village remained but built tree houses for speedy getaways.

Only now, a few of the families are cau-

tiously returning to an eerie site. The creaking of wind-swept bamboo floats across fallow rice fields and tangled jungle vegetation blankets traces of abandoned homes.

The villagers hope that a now defunct electric fence can be restored.

But foolproof humane deterrents — killing of elephants is illegal in Asian countries — have yet to be found, and the highly intelligent animals rarely fall for the same trick twice.

At Jia Gabharu, in Assam’s elephantrife Sonitpur district, forest ranger Gopal Deka said he recently saw a bull sniff the 5-kilometer, 10,000-volt fence, then grab the branch of a banana tree to batten down the wires. Similar stories are heard of elephants kicking down fence posts or wielding their tusks, which don’t conduct electricity, to break through. They have been known to push in earth to fill trenches.

Some herds quickly habituate to traditional repellants like firecrackers, drums and torches, while others take a liking to formerly shunned crops, like citrus fruit, grown as buffer zones. In Bhutan, they have been seen eating oranges and in Sri Lanka even sampling chilies which the giants normally can’t tolerate.

Nevertheless, Nandita Hazarika, head of the Assam Haathi Project, says chili has proved probably the best defense for the 800 families the nongovernment organization is helping. In an adaptation from Africa, farmers mix ground chilies, automobile grease and tobacco and smear the paste on rope fences.

The same concoction, wrapped in straw or even inserted into dried dung, is used in chili rolls and “bombs” that are set afire to emit a stinging smoke, made more potent in Assam if the “bhut joloika,” perhaps the world’s hottest chili, is used. Elephants can also be clever tacticians. Staffer Dhruba Das has for four years been tracking a “gang” of half a dozen young bulls led by a massive male named Tara, who has taught his charges to open compound gates and neatly break into kitchens and food storage sheds without destroying them. —AP

DALLAS: In this Oct. 13, 2011 file photo, Dallas Wiens, 25, speaks during an interview in Fort Worth, Texas. Weins was critically burned in a 2008 high-voltage power line accident and received a full face transplant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, during the week of March 14, 2011.— AP

Hospital performs full face transplant BOSTON: A Boston hospital has performed the United States’ first full face transplant.

A team of more than 30 doctors, nurses and other staff at Brigham and Women’s Hospital under the leadership of Dr. Bohdan Pomahac worked for more than 15 hours to complete the operation last week.

The operation replaced the entire

facial area of 25-year-old patient Dallas Wiens, including the nose, lips, facial skin, muscles of facial animation and the nerves that power them and provide sensation. Betsy Nabel, president of Brigham and Women’s, called the procedure “a new milestone in ... transplant surgery.” The world’s first full-face transplant was per formed in 2010 at a Spanish hospital. —AP

Kids safest in rear-facing car seats until age two CHICAGO: Children should ride in rear-facing car seats longer, until they are 2 years old instead of 1, according to updated advice from a medical group and a federal agency.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued separate but consistent new recommendations yesterday. Both organizations say older children who’ve outgrown front-facing car seats should ride in booster seats until the lapshoulder belt fits them. Booster seats help position adult seat belts properly on children’s smaller frames.

Children usually can graduate from a booster seat when their height reaches 4 feet 9 inches (1.44 meters).

Children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat, the guidelines from both groups say.

The advice may seem extreme to some parents, who may imagine trouble convincing older elementary school kids — as old as 12 — to use booster seats.

But it’s based on evidence from crashes. For older children, poorly fitting seat belts can cause abdominal and spine injuries in a crash.

One-year-olds are five times less likely to be injured in a crash if they are in a rear-facing car seat than a forward-facing seat, according to a 2007 analysis of five years of US crash data.

Put another way, an estimated 1,000 children injured in forward-facing seats over 15 years might not have been hurt if they had been in a car seat facing the back, said Dr. Dennis Durbin, lead author of the recommendations and a pediatric emergency physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Toddlers have relatively large heads and small necks. In a front-facing car seat, the force of a crash can jerk the child’s head causing spinal cord injuries. Car seats have recommended weights printed on them. If a 1-year-old outweighs the recommendation of an infant seat, parents should switch to a different rear-facing car seat that accommodates the heavier weight until they turn 2, the pediatricians group says.

Luckily for parents, most car seat makers have increased the amount of weight the seats can hold. This year, about half of infant rear-facing seats accommodate up to 30 pounds, Durbin said. Ten years ago, rear-facing car seats topped out at children weighing 22 pounds. “The good news is it’s likely parents currently have a car seat that will accommodate the change,” Durbin said. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations appeared yesterday in the journal Pediatrics. —AP

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Health care overhaul taking root in divided US 30m Americans are without health insurance WASHINGTON: A year after President Barack Obama signed his health care overhaul, the law remains so divisive that Americans can’t even agree what to call it.

Even so, it is taking root in the land.

Whether it grows is another matter.

Polls show that about 1 in 8 Americans believe they have been personally helped already, well before the main push to cover the uninsured scheduled for 2014.

Still, issues of affordability and complexity guarantee ongoing problems, even if the Supreme Court upholds the landmark legislation that made health insurance both a right and a responsibility. The United States is the only developed nation that does not have a comprehensive national health care plan for all its citizens.

Supporters call it the Affordable Care Act, a shortened version of the official title Democrats gave their massive bill. It may be better known as “Obamacare,” the epithet used by Republicans seeking its demise. While Obama returns from Latin America on the signing anniversary tomorrow, administration officials will fan out across the US. Community commemorations that start Monday come as the health care battle moves to the states.

Even states suing to nullify the law’s requirement that most Americans carry health insurance are proceeding with building blocks of the new system.

About 50 million of America’s 300 million people are without health insurance. The government provides coverage for the poor and elderly, but most Americans rely on private insurance, usually received through their employers. However, not all employers provide insurance and not everyone can afford to buy it on their own. With unemployment stubbornly staying around 9 percent, many Americans lost their health insurance when they lost their jobs.

Families, small businesses and seniors are starting to feel the impact of dozens of insurance changes already in place. Interviews with people affected reveal it’s not always clear-cut.

In small-town Circleville, New York, Patti Schley says the law has made a dramatic difference.

Her daughter Megan, 23, was out of college, going without insurance as she tried to launch a wedding photography business. Last summer Megan started getting sick and rapidly lost weight. Doctors diagnosed a serious digestive system disorder that would make her uninsurable. But her parents were able to get her into a high-risk insurance pool created under the law, and this year Megan signed up for her father’s workplace plan, under a provision extending coverage for adult children up to age 26.

“As a mother of a sick child, you are concerned

Exeperince & excellence

whether your kid is 4 or 24,” said Schley, an office administrator. “We couldn’t wait for this to kick in.”

Things are working out for the Schleys, but the highrisk pools that provided the initial lifeline for Megan are faltering. Nationally, the latest count shows fewer than 12,500 people signed up, mainly because of waiting periods and high premiums.

Another mom with an uninsured daughter ran into a Catch-22 that illustrates the law’s complexity.

Mary Thompson of Overland Park, Kansas, was sure the law would finally let them get 11-year-old Emily on the family’s health insurance.

Insurers had repeatedly rejected Emily due to a birth defect of the spine, surgically corrected when she was an infant. The law requires insurers to accept children regardless of pre-existing health problems, a safeguard that will extend to people of all ages in 2014. But because Emily’s father is self-employed and the family buys its own coverage, things didn’t work out as expected. Certain “grandfathered” plans selling individual coverage are exempt from the law’s requirement to cover kids. The Thompsons’ plan was one. That meant they would have to apply for a whole new policy, and the mother, a breast cancer survivor, was unlikely to be accepted. “We would have had to start over with me — and I can’t start over,” said Thompson.

A social worker helped get Emily into Medicaid. In neighboring Missouri, an insurance company’s campaign to get small businesses to sign up by taking advantage of new tax breaks has yielded mixed results. One of the chief promoters of the idea is Ron Rowe, an executive of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. With some 150 previously uninsured businesses offering new coverage, his company’s efforts earned the praise of Obama administration officials.

But Rowe says many business owners found the math didn’t work for them. “The longer this has been out in the marketplace, the less appealing it’s been to smallbusiness owners,” he said. A typical employee with 10 workers would have to pay about $31,000 a year for health insurance, and get only 10 percent to 15 percent of that back through the new tax credit.

Rowe says his company is getting more interest from business owners by offering a cap on rate increases. No group is more sensitive to medical costs than senior citizens, whose votes are also critical to Democrats’ chances in the 2012 presidential election.

So far, alarms that Medicare cuts would compromise their care have not been borne out. But Democratic lawmakers engineered the cuts to take effect gradually, while new Medicare benefits are being provided up front. —AP

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IMA conducts Mega Desert Family Picnic

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undreds of people from different walks of life participated along with their families in IMA Desert Family Picnic 2011 hosted by Indian Muslim Association (IMA), Kuwait. The theme of the event was ‘Service to the Mankind is Service to the Creator. This was apparent in all the activities through out the picnic. Huge premises with separate tents for men and women and many small tents for basic amenities in a desert provided a great escape from the routine to the entire family members.

IMA’s Desert Picnic is a customary annual event which consists of educational discourses, entertainment interludes, sports, mushaira

(Urdu poetry session), several kinds of competitions and various other activities so that the entire family can rejoice in a leisurely atmosphere. Islamic books stall was available during the picnic with displayed various contemporary books in different Indian languages. Picnic started with the breakfast followed by brief morning session.

Mohammad Aslam President of IMA welcomed the audience. Khaja Arifuddin, an educationalist from Andra Pradesh graced the event as a guest and gave a discourse on “Importance of Charity”. Mushtaq Mehdi gave picnic guidelines to the entire participants to ensure disci-

pline and safety during the entire event.

Various sports activities such as volleyball, running race, cricket, tug of war etc were conducted separately for men and women. In a parallel session, many prominent Urdu poets participated in Mushaira and presented their poems to a big applause and appreciation from the audience.

Khalid Azmi conducted the Mushaira session.

Sharafuddin, highlighted the “Importance of Social Ser vice” in Islam during the Friday Sermon based on relevant Islamic teachings.

Sumptuous Hyderabad biryani prepared specially by the IMA volunteers was served to all

the participants for lunch.

Afternoon session included stage shows, cultural programs and multi media presentations under various relevant educational themes presented by the artists of IMA youth wing. It was one of the prime attractions of the picnic that added flavor to the atmosphere. Animations and cutting edge technology were employed to the whole stage activities.

During evening session Jamal Al-Noori, Chairman of Abdullah Nouri Society participated as guest of honor and distributed prizes to the winners of various competitions besides giving brief talk aptly to the occasion.

Announcements St Peter’s CSI Congregation Vacation Bible School of St Peter’s CSI Congregation is scheduled to be held from March 18 to April 1, 2011 at the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait (NECK ). Our Vicar, The Rev Binju Varghese Kuruvilla will be the Superintendent. Abraham Varghese, (children’s ministry, Kerala ), will be the Director. All children from 3 to 17 years old are invited to attend the VBS. This is a time for making new friends, singing , learning and fellowship. Please come and join and be blessed! For registrations and more details please visit the website www.csikuwait.org/vbs . For further enquiries and details, please email us at vbs@csikuwait.org or contact the VBS Secretary: 94416421.

Hurry! Only limited seats available!

Dr. B. Iqbal to launch Kala language website The leading Indian association in Kuwait, Kerala Art Lovers Association, KALA is launching the first phase of the interactive web portal www.pravasimalayalam.com which is ultimately a big leap, by the Malayalam Education Mission, which currently KALA is undertaking in Kuwait, with a much higher and Global Perspective. Under the directives and broad vision of Mr. John Mathew, renowned Social activist and Industrialist of Kuwait, a dedicated team has paved way for the Children from other areas of the globe to get the benefit of learning Malayalam and thereby our culture too. Utilizing the multimedia and IT resources, the first phase of the web portal is all set for the global take off. Former Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University and well known personality from Kerala Dr.B. Iqbal will formally launch the web portal at United Indian School on 25 March 2011 at 5 PM. The programme will commence with the commemoration of the legends EMS, AKG & Bishop Dr.Poulose Mar Poulose, who left us in the month of March. Further, the essay collection “Athijeevanathinte Kazhchappadukal”, written and compiled KALA President Mr. Sam Pynummodu will be formally released in the same function. All are welcome and the entrance is free. For more details kindly contact 66656642, 97817100, 99539492, 24317875 Music festival The Kuwait Chamber Philharmonia is organizing the First Kuwait International Music Festival to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of Kuwait.

Pathanamthitta association - membership campaign The executive committee of Pathanamthitta District decided to end this year’s (2010 April - 2011 March) membership drive by 31st of March 2011 as the General Body of the Association will be held in April to elect the new Office Bearers and Executive Committee. Residents of

Pathanamthitta District and persons of Pathanamthitta origin residing in other areas of Kerala, who are interested in joining Pathanamthitta District Association and who have not completed and submitted the Membership Form are requested to do so before 31st of March 2011. Our Areawise Committee members to be contacted for the Membership Form and submitting the completed Forms are as follows:Fahaheel/Mangaf/Abu Halifa/Ahmadi : Sunil Joy, email id: sunil_joy07@yahoo.co.in, Mobile no.

99420146, Harish Kumar, email id: harishkdm@gmail.com, Mobile no.

66991572.

Salmiya/Hawali/Kuwait City: Abraham Daniel, Email id: a.daniel63@hotmail.com,Mobile no.

97863052, Geetha Krishnan, Email id: geethkrishna@hotmail.com, Mobile no.

66361777, Sony Idiculla, email id: s_idiculla@yahoo.com, Mobile no.

97211683.

Abbassisya/Hasawi/Farwaniiya: Abu Peter Sam, Email id: abupetersam@hotmail.com, Mobile no. 97219734, Kuriakose (Alexander K.V.), kuiakosekadammanitta@yahoo.com, Mobile no. 97932815. Kurian Benny, email id. kurian.benny@yahoo.com, Mobile no. 66462726.

Sabu Oilckal, email id: sabuolickal@gmail.com, Mobile no.

97695664.

The following Office bearers can always be contacted for any information or if there is difficulty in reaching the Committee members listed above:Jose Mannil (Oommen George), President, Mobile no. 99722437 Benny Pathanamthitta (General Secretary), Mobile no. 66501482 Email id: pta.association@gmail.com KEA friendship cup The third and final round of league matches of the Gulf Bank sponsored 2nd Annual KEA Friendship Cup Football organized by the Keralite Engineers Association (KEA) will be held on Friday, 18 March, at the Al Sahel Sports Club, Abu Halifa. The matches will be AECK vs TKMCE and KEA vs NSSCE in Group A; TEC vs NIT and MACE vs CETA in Group B. The tournament has been rescheduled as no play was possible due to bad weather on March 11.

The semifinals will now be held on 25th March and the finals on 8th April.

Website: www.keakuwait.org

Pathanamthitta picnic Pathanamthitta District Association will be holding a family picnic on Friday 25th March 2011 at FINTAS GARDEN from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm. Members of Pathanamthitta Association and those who are interested to become members of Pathanamthitta District Association are invited to attend this Picnic. For more details and registration contact mobile nos. 99363448, 99722437 or 66501482 or email id:

IEI celebrates Family Day

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he Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait Chapter celebrated Family Day on Feb 17, 2011 in Spring Desert Camp at Mutla high land. It was a day with full of fun and enjoyment for entire family members and guests. The program started at 10 am with a welcome speech by the Chairman Syed Masih Haider Zaidi. Large number of families and children participated in the program. Science Club children as well as the ladies wing members exhibited their paintings, charts, models and creative works. Children of age four years and above performed their talents in music, dance and skit. variety of games were arranged for the participants in all age groups. Gifts were distributed to all the children who attended the function and the ladies who had participated in the art and craft exhibition. The event ended with bonfire plus band usic orchestra till 8:30 pm. The day was full of entertainment and all the participants enjoyed the IEI Kuwait Chapter ‘Family Day 2011’at Mutla Spring Desert Camp.

KES holds charity concert K uwait English School Band are presenting a charity concert in support of the people of Japan.

The concert will be held in The English School Auditorium in Salmiya at 7:30pm on Sunday March 27. The concert is held under the auspices of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society.

“On behalf of the Government and the people of Japan, I would like to express sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Government and all the people of Kuwait for their profound sympathy and support for the people of Japan on the destruction and the humanitarian sufferings caused by the devastating earthquake and Tsunami” Yasuyoshi Komizo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the State of Kuwait, said in a press release.

Tickets are available on a first come first served basis at Kuwait English School during school hours. KES is located in block 11 of Salwa in Street 9. Naoko Ueki, Manager at Fanar Mall, is providing tickets from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm at the Fanar Mall Management Office (25720317).

Tickets are also available at Kei Japanese Restaurant at Marina Crescent ( 22244360) and at the JW

Marriot Hotel (22422650).

“KES Band are performing to show they are in support of and as a gift to Japan, as a token of their sympathy and in hope for the future” said Rhoda Elizabeth Muhmood, KES Director. KES Band previous performances for charity include for the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Save the Children Fund, KACCH, the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, and for the Haiti Relief Fund last year. KES Band has also performed at the Dorchester Hotel in London, St John’s Smith Square, and at Millenium Dome in the year 2000.

On a tour of the Gulf in 2009, the band per formed at the Emirates Palace and the Madinat Jumeirah. In Kuwait, the Band has been called upon to perform on many special occasions, such as the celebration of 100 years of friendship between Kuwait and Britain, at embassies, official openings, conferences and farewell gatherings. Performing alongside the young musicians are conductors Ian Drummond and Stephen Tarry. Participating staff include James White, Donna Clarke, Tracey Drummond, Dragon Markovic and Helen Searle.

National, Liberation Day and HH the Amir’s assumption of Power Events

Conference U

nder the patronage of Dr Bader Al-Shuraiaan Minister of Electricity and Water, we accordingly invite you to attend the second Kuwait Electricity Conference and Exhibition today and tomorrow. The opening ceremony will be held at 1:00 pm today at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Al-Hashemi Hall.

KKMCC conducts election campaign program

K

uwait Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre, in the context of upcoming elections to the Kerala assembly elections conducted a campaign program in support of United Democratic Front. It turned out to be a program of UDF with the presence of representatives of all UDF related organizations in Kuwait.

Speakers praised central government for allowing the voting rights for non- resident Indians. Though it is not currently possible to cast their voting rights through overseas missions, now expatriates can cast their votes at their respective constituencies provided their names are in the voters list if they happened to be in the constituency at the election time.

This is a first step towards a complete voting rights, they mentioned. Speakers pointed that this opportunity to be capitalized and throw the LDF government who completely failed to deliver good to the state. Many promises remained unfulfilled. Two sectors which Kerala was so proud of - health and education was totally in disarray at the hand of LDF government. “Smart-city” which was an initiative UDF government could only succeeded by the intervention of M A Yusuf Ali, in the last minute of this out going govt., after a prolonged lapse of more than four and a half year.

The program began with the recital of Holy Quran by Ilyas Moulavi. Kuwait KMCC president Sharafuddin Kanneth presided over the function. Chairman Sayed Naser Al-Mashhoor inaugurated. M A Hilal, Varghese Puthukulungara, Samuel Chacko, Hareesh Tripoonithara, Chessil Ramapuram, Krishnan Kadalundi (Overseas Congress delegates), P M Mathew (Kerala Congress), Safeer P Haris (Socialist Janatadal), siddeeque Valiyakath, C P Abdul Azeez , Azeez Thikkodi, Haris Valliyoth, Azeez Vayandu spoke at the function.

General Secretary Basheer Batha welcomed the audience and treasurer Nazeer Khan rendered vote of thanks.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

Embassy Information 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.

IES welcomes the season with Spring Camp

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acation without participating in a rejuvenating atmosphere is unimaginable. The organizers Sheeba Balraj and Uma Maheshwari charted out a plan for a spring camp for the students of Indian Educational School to be held on March 18 and 19 and put it forward to the management. The idea was received with great enthusiasm and Kandelwal, the Vice Chairperson herself came forward with a variety of ideas.

March 18, 2011 dawned bright and clear and the spring camp was inaugurated by the Principal, T Premkumar with a welcome address and the lighting of the lamp. Twenty two students who had enrolled for the camp were all set for the

organizers to take them for their field trip as per the schedule planned after the first session on Yoga and a sumptuous breakfast. The visit to the museum, Taraq Rajab and then the cool beach with the swish of water was captivating. The tapping of the feet and the swaying of the body to the music in the aerobic classes was a sight to behold. Uma’s session on tongue twisters was a treat to all.

The personality development session by the Vice Principal Shaila Naik, on good manners was the icing on the cake. The students were taught how to behave in a congenial atmosphere and the lesson learnt would remain ever green. The students were asked to improvise various sit-

uations given and the manners were demonstrated through small skits presented by students impromptu. The warmth radiated from the camp fire ignited the spirit of zeal, inspiring students to exhibit their innate talents. Every child should be able to defend himself. The Tae-kwon-do martial art session for the Bhavanites did wonders. Balraj Kadyan, Dan 5,who had gracefully accepted our invitation to introduce this art to the students, deserves all admiration bestowed upon him. The art and craft, dramatics, embroidery, calligraphy, video viewing, tongue twisters , computer activity and what not?

The camp offered a plethora of activi-

ties. The culmination of the camp was the talent hunt and the fashion show. The students were served mouth watering and healthy food . They sat together to eat and to appreciate the blessings of God. The parents were invited to witness a stage show prepared during these two days and assess the outcome of the camp. Some parents expressed their satisfaction and appreciated the efforts of the camp on the stage. Students exhibited their newly acquired poise and self awareness that the camp was all about.

They gave their feedback boldly on the stage and bid a heavy adieu to the teachers before they were picked up by the school transport.

‘Kathakali

2011

’

Arpan to present

Pravasaandhra TDP opens office in Kuwait

P

ravasaandhra Telugu Desam Party, Kuwait opend office in Kuwait at Hawally recently.

Telugu Kala Samithi former president Bala Krishna opened this office as a Chief Guest.

Pravaasandhra Telugu Desam Party founder President Mulakala Subbarayudu, Honorary President K Venkata Siva Rao, General Secretary Malepati Suresh, Pidikiti Srinivasa Chowdary, B P Naidu, Perugu Srinu and others will make welfare activities through

Pravasandhra TDP and they wish to bring TDP rule in Andhra Pradesh, India. Gulf Wide Nandamuri fans President Darla Srinivasaachari, S Mubarak, Battina Subba Reddy, Polarapu Babu Naidu, Parita Yuva Saena President R Laxmipati Naidu, Rock Dance association President Eswar Babu, Telugu Lalita Kala Samithi President M Vengaiah Chowdary, K Mohan Babu, Mahatma Gandhi youth association President Mani participated in this event.

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rpan Kuwait, an Indian socio-cultural organization, will present ‘Kathakali 2011’ on Saturday, April 30 at 6:30 pm at the Indian Community School (Senior Girls), Salmiya as part of its initiative to promote Indian classical art and culture in Kuwait.

The show ‘Kalyanasougandhikam’, a very popular exotic dance drama, will be presented by renowned Kathakali per formers from India Kalamandalam Vasudevan, Kalamandalam Sasikala, Kalamandalam Sreekantan and Kalamandalam Sreekumar. A 30-minute demo will also be held by the performers prior to the show for the guests who are not familiar with Kathakali.

Kathakali, Kerala’s classical theatre, will be presented as a cross-cultural program before an august gathering comprising diplomats, Kuwaiti guests, dancers and theatre lovers. It was Arpan that brought Kathakali for the first time to Kuwait way back in 2005. Now, Arpan is presenting the unique classical dance drama once again before the Kuwait’s elite audience on popular demand.

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays.

Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no. 25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday. Embassy of India would like to inform that application forms for passport/visa services and labor contracts that are on its website, www.indembkwt.org, have been upgraded to include the facility for online data entry. Affidavit forms on the embassy website have had this facility since May 6, 2009.

The Chief Electoral Officers of the states of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry, where elections have been declared, have issued notification under Rule 8A of Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, allowing overseas electors to submit registration forms to exercise their franchise in their respective constituencies.

Relevant application forms, guidelines for filling them, as well as postal addresses of the Electoral Registration Officers of all constituencies in India are on the website of the Election Commission of India (http://eci.nic.in) and Indian nationals in Kuwait desirous of exercising their franchise are advised to access the website. It is clarified that the attestation of Form 6-A and other documents relating to the election process are to be done by the applicant himself/herself (i.e., self attestation) and not by the Embassy of India, Kuwait.

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN

Kuwait Zoo hosts KNES

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ll of Early Years including Kinder Heart Nursery children took several fun and educational trips to the Kuwait Zoo recently. The children were able to see all the animals we have been talking about up close and were better able to think and talk about wildlife. Places like the Kuwait Zoo are essential for children to develop awareness of animals, habitats and our Earth Home. If Kuwait’s environmental initiatives are to succeed, then young children must learn the value of resources.

Should you come into contact with British nationals in or transiting Kuwait requiring consular assistance please have them contact us at the following new consular inquiry numbers: 972 71877 or 972 71922. Our new temporary switchboard number is 999693651 For the latest FCO travel advice please visit: www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-livingabroad/travel-advice-by-country/middleeast-north-africa/kuwait The Embassy is open Sunday to Thursday 7:30am to 14:3Opm. EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN On the occasion of Pakistan National Day, a flag hoisting ceremony will be held at the Chancery premises in Jabriya, tomorrow at 08:00 am. All Pakistanis resident in Kuwait are cordially invited to attend the ceremony. Pakistan Embassy has also organized a National Day program with participation of Pakistani schools and Pakistani community. The program would open late afternoon on Wednesday 30th March, 2011 at Green Island, Al-daiyah, Gulf Road, Kuwait. The program would include a mini fair including traditional Pakistani food stalls and a stage performance by school children. The stage performance would start at 6:15 pm (entry is free for Pakistani community). The Embassy will remain closed for consular work on 23 March 2011. For details please contact: Mohammad Akbar 25327647 (from 08 am to 4 pm).

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00:50 Untamed And Uncut 01:45 Killer Crocs Of Costa Rica 02:40 Dogs 101 03:35 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 04:30 Planet Earth 05:25 Up Close And Dangerous 06:20 Untamed And Uncut 07:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 08:00 Lemur Street 08:25 Monkey Life 08:50 Corwin’s Quest 09:40 Breed All About It 10:10 Project Puppy 11:05 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 12:00 Animal Precinct 12:55 Wildlife SOS 13:50 Animal Cops Philadelphia 14:45 Sspca: On The Wildside 15:10 E-Vets: The Interns 15:40 Killer Jellyfish 16:30 Dogs 101 17:30 Monkey Life 18:00 Breed All About It 18:25 Must Love Cats 19:20 Incredible Journeys With Steve Leonard 20:15 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 22:05 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 23:00 Last Chance Highway 23:55 Shark Shrinks

00:30 Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive 01:00 Green Green Grass 01:30 The Weakest Link 02:15 Holby City 03:10 Eastenders 03:40 Doctors 04:10 Green Green Grass 04:40 Balamory 05:00 Tweenies 05:20 The Roly Mo Show 05:35 Spot’s Musical Adventures 05:40 The Large Family 05:50 Buzz And Tell 05:55 Penelope K, By The Way 06:10 Balamory 06:30 Tweenies 06:50 The Roly Mo Show 07:05 Spot’s Musical Adventures 07:10 The Large Family 07:20 Buzz And Tell 07:25 Penelope K, By The Way 07:40 Me Too 08:00 Tweenies 08:20 The Roly Mo Show 08:35 Spot’s Musical Adventures 08:40 The Large Family 08:50 Buzz And Tell 08:55 Penelope K, By The Way 09:10 Me Too 09:30 Tweenies 09:50 The Roly Mo Show 10:05 Spot’s Musical Adventures 10:10 The Large Family 10:20 Buzz And Tell 10:25 Penelope K, By The Way 10:40 Green Green Grass 11:40 The Weakest Link 12:25 Heart And Soul 13:15 Doctors 13:45 Eastenders 14:15 Holby City 15:10 Green Green Grass 15:40 Keeping Up Appearances 16:40 Heart And Soul 17:30 The Weakest Link 18:15 Doctors 18:45 Eastenders 19:15 Holby City 20:10 Heart And Soul 21:00 The Weakest Link 21:45 Doctors 22:15 Eastenders 22:45 Holby City 23:40 London Hospital

00:00 Come Dine With Me 02:05 Home For Life

02:55 Superhomes 03:45 Come Dine With Me 05:50 Home For Life 06:40 Antiques Roadshow 07:30 Daily Cooks Challenge 08:00 Cash In The Attic USA 08:25 Glamour Puds 08:50 10 Years Younger 09:35 Antiques Roadshow 10:25 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 11:10 What Not To Wear 12:00 Antiques Roadshow 12:50 Fantasy Homes In The City 13:35 Glamour Puds 14:00 Glamour Puds 14:25 Daily Cooks Challenge 15:55 Antiques Roadshow 16:45 Home For Life 17:35 Daily Cooks Challenge 18:35 Come Dine With Me 20:40 What Not To Wear 21:30 Antiques Roadshow 22:20 Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey 23:10 Rhodes Across China

00:00 BBC World News 00:30 Hardtalk 01:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 BBC World News America 03:00 BBC World News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Asia Today 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Asia Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Asia Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Asia Business Report 06:45 Asia Today 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 Hardtalk 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 Sport Today 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 World Business Report 14:45 Sport Today 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News

00:00 00:25 00:50 01:15 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:40 04:05 04:35 05:00 05:25 05:50 06:15 06:45 07:10 Doo 07:35 08:00

The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Popeye Tom And Jerry Top Cat Yogi’s Treasure Hunt Droopy: Master Detective King Arthur’s Disasters Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones Hong Kong Phooey A Pup Named Scooby-Doo The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Looney Tunes Popeye Classics Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley Tom And Jerry Kids

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 08:20 Top Cat 08:45 Pink Panther And Pals 09:10 The Scooby Doo Show 09:35 The Addams Family 10:00 Tom And Jerry 10:20 The Garfield Show 10:45 Looney Tunes 11:05 The Jetsons 11:30 King Arthur’s Disasters 11:55 The Flintstones 12:20Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo 12:45 Popeye 13:10 Wacky Races 13:40 Yogi’s Treasure Hunt 14:05 The Scooby Doo Show 14:30 Tom And Jerry 14:55 Looney Tunes 15:20 Duck Dodgers 15:45 Top Cat 16:10 Scooby Doo Where Are You! 16:35 Dexter’s Laboratory 17:00 Johnny Bravo 17:30 The Scooby Doo Show 17:55 Tom And Jerry 18:20 Top Cat 18:45 Dastardly And Muttley 19:10 Wacky Races 19:35 The Scooby Doo Show 20:00 The Garfield Show 20:25 The Addams Family 20:50 Duck Dodgers 21:15 Pink Panther And Pals 21:40 Tom And Jerry 22:00 The Jetsons 22:25 Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDoo

00:15 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 00:40 Chowder 01:05 Cow And Chicken 01:30 Cramp Twins 01:55 George Of The Jungle 02:20 Adrenalini Brothers 02:45 Eliot Kid 03:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 03:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 04:00 The Powerpuff Girls 04:15 Chowder 04:40 The Secret Saturdays 05:05 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 05:30 Ben 10: Alien Force 05:55 Best Ed 06:20 Skunk Fu! 06:45 Cramp Twins 07:10 Eliot Kid 07:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 08:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 08:25 Cow And Chicken 08:50 Best Ed 09:15 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 09:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 10:05 The Secret Saturdays 10:30 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 10:55 The Powerpuff Girls 11:20 Robotboy 11:30 The Life And Times Of Juniper Lee 11:55 Ben 10 12:20 Chowder 12:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 13:10 Camp Lazlo 13:35 George Of The Jungle 14:00 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 14:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 14:50 Ben 10 15:15 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:40 Squirrel Boy 16:05 Eliot Kid 16:30 Ed, Edd N Eddy 17:00 Cow And Chicken 17:25 Chop Socky Chooks 17:50 Skunk Fu! 18:15 Chowder 18:40 Best Ed 19:05 Hero 108 19:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 19:55 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 20:20 Ben 10: Alien Force 20:45 The Secret Saturdays 21:10 Bakugan Battle Brawlers

ENEMY OF THE STATE ON OSN ACTION HD

21:35 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 22:00 The Powerpuff Girls 22:25 Ed, Edd N Eddy 22:50 Robotboy 23:00 Camp Lazlo

00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:10 09:40 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:45

Chop Shop: London Garage Dirty Jobs Man vs Fish With Matt Watson Really Big Things Mythbusters How Does It Work How It’s Made Dirty Jobs Really Big Things American Chopper How Does It Work How It’s Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Chop Shop: London Garage Ultimate Survival Mythbusters Miami Ink Dirty Jobs Chop Shop: London Garage Mythbusters Deadliest Catch Cake Boss Border Security Deconstruction How Does It Work How It’s Made Stan Lee’s Superhumans Surviving Death Daredevils Monsters Inside Me

00:40 01:30 01:55 02:45 03:35 04:25 04:50 05:45 06:40 07:10 08:00 08:55 08:58 09:25 09:55 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:25 12:50 13:40 14:05 14:55 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:03 17:30 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 20:55 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:00 23:50

Mega World The Gadget Show The Future Of...

Mighty Ships Kings Of Construction How Does That Work?

Junkyard Mega-Wars Ecopolis Patent Bending Nextworld Scrapheap Challenge Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Sci-Fi Saved My Life How Does That Work?

The Gadget Show Nextworld Green Wheels Scrapheap Challenge Patent Bending Mighty Ships Kings Of Construction The Gadget Show The Future Of...

Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Brainiac Mega World Sci-Trek Sci-Fi Science Sci-Fi Science How It’s Made The Gadget Show Perfect Disaster Sci-Trek Sci-Fi Science

HD 00:40 Good Eats - Special 01:05 Unwrapped 01:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 01:55 Paula’s Party 02:45 Good Eats - Special 03:10 Good Eats - Special 03:35 Cooking Clubs 04:25 Fantasy Food Camps 05:15 Good Eats - Special 05:40 Unwrapped 06:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 06:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 06:50 Paula’s Party 07:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:00 Chopped 08:50 Guy’s Big Bite 09:15 Boy Meets Grill 09:40 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 10:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 10:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 10:55 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 11:20 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 11:45 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 12:10 Unwrapped 12:35 Paula’s Party 13:25 Good Eats - Special 13:50 Paula’s Best Dishes 14:15 Throwdown With Bobby Flay

00:00 KIM POSSIBLE 00:25 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS 01:15 STITCH 01:35 STITCH 02:00 Replacements 02:25 Replacements 02:50 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS 03:35 STITCH 04:25 Replacements 05:15 Emperors New School 06:00 Phineas & Ferb 06:45 KIM POSSIBLE 07:05 SONNY WITH A CHANCE YR 2 07:30 SHAKE IT UP 07:55 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE 08:20 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS 08:35 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE Y1 (CEMA) 09:00 HANDY MANNY 09:25 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 09:50 JUNGLE JUNCTION 10:10 IMAGINATION MOVERS 10:35 SPECIAL AGENT OSO 10:50 HANDY MANNY 11:15 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE Y1 (CEMA) 11:35 GOOD LUCK CHARLIE 12:00 JONAS LA 12:25 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS 12:42 HAVE A LAUGH 12:45 Phineas & Ferb 13:10 Hannah Montana 13:30 GOOD LUCK CHARLIE 13:55 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE 14:20 JAKE & BLAKE

14:40 14:55 15:20 16:25 17:08 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:22 18:25 18:45 20:10 20:25 20:50 21:12 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:35

HAVE A LAUGH A KIND OF MAGIC JONAS LA FISH HOOKS HAVE A LAUGH SHAKE IT UP WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE HAVE A LAUGH HANNAH MONTANA FOREVER TWITCHES Phineas & Ferb JAKE & BLAKE Hannah Montana HAVE A LAUGH Phineas & Ferb FAIRLY ODD PARENTS Replacements Hannah Montana SONNY WITH A CHANCE YR 2 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE Jonas

00:00 KSA 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:00 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:05 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 14:55 15:00 Cody 15:25 Cody 15:50 16:15 16:45 17:10 17:15 17:40 18:05 18:55 19:45 20:10 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:25 22:55 Cody 23:20

Programmes Start At 7:00am Kid vs Kat Kick Buttowski Pokemon Phineas And Ferb Kick Buttowski American Dragon Have A Laugh Zeke And Luther I’m In The Band The Super Hero Squad Show Suite Life On Deck Suite Life On Deck Escape From Scorpion Island Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Kid vs Kat Kid vs Kat Have A Laugh The Suite Life Of Zack And The Suite Life Of Zack And Zeke And Luther Suite Life On Deck Kick Buttowski Have A Laugh I’m In The Band Suite Life On Deck Zeke And Luther Phineas And Ferb Escape From Scorpion Island Pokemon American Dragon Aaron Stone Kid vs Kat Phineas And Ferb I’m In The Band The Suite Life Of Zack And The Super Hero Squad Show

00:15 Kendra 00:40 The Soup 01:05 Extreme Close-Up 01:30 E!es 03:15 Extreme Hollywood 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 05:30 Streets Of Hollywood 06:00 E!es 07:45 Behind The Scenes 08:35 E! News 09:25 Giuliana And Bill 10:15 THS 12:00 E! News 12:50 Extreme Close-Up 13:40 Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami 14:05 Kendra 14:30 THS 16:15 Behind The Scenes 17:10 Kourtney And Kim Take New York 17:35 Kourtney And Kim Take New York 18:00 E! News 18:50 Then And Now 19:40 THS 20:30 Style Star 20:55 Style Star 21:20 Kendra 22:10 E! News 23:00 Extreme Close-Up 23:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 23:50 Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami

00:00 00:50 01:40 02:30 03:20 04:10 05:00 05:50 06:40 07:30 09:00 10:15 11:05 11:55 2009 12:45 13:35 14:25 15:15 16:05 2009 16:55 17:45 19:00 19:50 20:40 21:30 22:20 23:10

00:15 00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:45 06:15 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:40

Final Fu Fantasy Factory Carpocalypse World Combat League Fantasy Factory Final Fu Glutton For Punishment Carpocalypse World Combat League iEX 2009 Quattro Events 2009 Lg Action Sports World...

Salad Days Ride Guide Mountainbike Untracked Fantasy Factory Carpocalypse World Combat League Ride Guide Mountainbike Untracked Quattro Events 2009 Lg Action Sports World...

Salad Days Untracked Fantasy Factory Glutton For Punishment World Combat League

Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab A Haunting Couples Who Kill Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Dr G: Medical Examiner Crime Scene Psychics Ghost Lab Diagnosis: Unknown Forensic Detectives Impossible Heists Diagnosis: Unknown

GOAL III ON OSN MOVIES ACTION 10:30 10:55 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:30 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:25

Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Disappeared FBI Files On The Case With Paula Zahn FBI Case Files Diagnosis: Unknown Real Emergency Calls Disappeared Forensic Detectives Impossible Heists FBI Files Diagnosis: Unknown Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls On The Case With Paula Zahn FBI Case Files Deadly Women: Face To Face Deadly Women

00:00 The Frankincense Trail 01:00 Banged Up Abroad 02:00 Word Travels 02:30 Word Travels 03:00 The Frankincense Trail 04:00 Banged Up Abroad 05:00 Departures 06:00 The Frankincense Trail 07:00 Banged Up Abroad 08:00 Word Travels 09:00 The Frankincense Trail 10:00 Banged Up Abroad 11:00 Pressure Cook 11:30 Madventures 12:00 Departures 13:00 Banged Up Abroad 14:00 Pressure Cook 14:30 Madventures 15:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 16:00 Banged Up Abroad 17:00 Pressure Cook 17:30 Madventures 18:00 Departures 19:00 Banged Up Abroad 20:00 Pressure Cook 20:30 Madventures 21:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 22:00 Banged Up Abroad

00:00 The Forsaken-18 02:00 Tears Of The Sun-18 04:00 From Hell-18 06:00 Obsessed-PG15 08:00 Enemy Of The State-PG15 10:15 Star Runners-PG15 12:00 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-PG15 14:00 Enemy Of The State-PG15 16:15 Fast And Furious-PG15 18:00 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-PG15 20:00 Death Race-18 22:00 Watchmen-18

Edition 16:30 The Drew Carey Show 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Just Shoot Me 18:30 According To Jim 19:00 Rita Rocks 19:30 Kath And Kim 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The Cleveland Show 22:30 Curb Your Enthusiasm 23:00 American Dad

01:00 03:15 05:30 07:15 09:00 10:30 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:15 21:00 23:45

National Treasure-PG15 From Hell-18 Children Of The Corn-18 Final Encounter-PG15 Virtuality-PG15 Independence Day-PG15 Serbian Scars-PG15 Virtuality-PG15 Face Off-PG15 Goal III-18 Watchmen-18 Blood River-18

00:00 Evolution-PG15 02:00 Futurama: Into The Wild Green Yonder-PG15 04:00 Hannah Montana Movie-PG 06:00 Adventures Of Power-PG15 08:00 The Wedding Singer-PG15 10:00 Car Babes-PG15 12:00 Dragnet-PG15 14:00 The Good Girl-PG15 16:00 Evolution-PG15 18:00 Magicians-18 20:00 Everybody Wants To Be Italian-PG15 22:00 High Life-18

01:00 03:15 05:15 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 14:45 16:45 19:00 21:00 23:15

Midnight Express-18 Underground-PG15 Punch-Drunk Love-18 From Mexico With Love-PG15 Bran Nue Dae-PG15 Racing For Time-PG15 Operating Instructions-PG15 One Week-PG In The Electric Mist-PG15 Amreeka-PG15 The Reader-18 My Own Private Idaho-R

00:30 Cold Mountain-18 03:00 Avatar-PG 05:45 Solaris-PG15 07:30 Cutting Edge: Fire And Ice-PG 09:00 Monsters Inc-FAM 11:00 Ice Castles-PG15 00:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 13:00 Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel-FAM 00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 01:00 The Colbert Report Global 15:00 Saved!-PG15 17:00 Monsters Inc-FAM Edition 19:00 Land Of The Lost-PG15 01:30 American Dad 21:00 Everybody Wants To Be 02:00 Billable Hours Italian-PG15 02:30 Kath And Kim 23:00 Titanic-PG15 03:00 Tracy Morgan: Black And Blue 04:00 American Dad 04:30 Hot In Cleveland 05:00 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 00:00 The Three Musketeers-PG 05:30 Coach 02:00 Au Pair 3: Adventure In 06:00 Yes Dear Paradise-PG 06:30 The Drew Carey Show 04:00 Scruff In Midsummer Night’s 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Dream-FAM 08:00 According To Jim 06:00 Fly Me To The Moon-PG 08:30 Coach 08:00 Flintstones: I Yabba Dabba 09:00 Just Shoot Me Do!-FAM 09:30 The Drew Carey Show 10:00 Scruff In Midsummer Night’s 10:00 Yes Dear Dream-FAM 10:30 Billable Hours 11:45 Legend Of Sleeping Beauty11:00 Coach PG 11:30 According To Jim 12:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 13:45 Au Pair 3: Adventure In Paradise-PG 13:00 Just Shoot Me 16:00 Dr. Dolittle 2-PG 13:30 Coach 18:00 Scooby-Doo And The Ghoul 14:00 Yes Dear School-FAM 14:30 Kath And Kim 20:00 Pete’s Dragon-PG 15:00 Hot In Cleveland 22:30 Legend Of Sleeping Beauty15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global PG

00:00 02:00 PG15 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

The Informers-18 Everything’s Gone GreenMorning Light-PG National Security-PG15 I Spy-PG Prisoner-PG15 Amelia-PG15 Nativity!-PG I Spy-PG The Box-PG15 Greenberg-18 Valentine’s Day-PG15

00:00 Goals On Monday 01:00 World Hockey 01:30 ICC Cricket World 02:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 02:30 Futbol Mundial 03:00 Scottish League Cup 05:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 06:00 World Hockey 06:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 07:00 Goals On Monday 08:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 08:30 ICC Cricket World 09:00 Trans World Sport 10:00 Scottish League Cup 12:00 Goals On Monday 13:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 13:30 Scottish Premier League 15:30 Trans World Sport 16:30 Super 15 18:30 ICC Cricket World 19:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 19:30 Goals On Monday 20:30 World Hockey 21:00 Futbol Mundial 21:30 Super League 23:30 ICC Cricket World

00:00 Trans World Sport 01:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 02:00 Goals On Monday 03:00 Dubai Int’l Racing Carnival 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 09:00 NRL Premiership 11:00 ICC Cricket World 11:30 World Hockey 12:00 Golfing World 13:00 NRL Full Time 13:30 Super 15 15:30 NRL Premiership 17:30 NRL Full Time 18:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 19:00 Golfing World 20:00 Trans World Sport 21:00 Scottish League Cup 23:00 Golfing World

00:00 UFC 128 Prelims 01:00 UFC 128 04:30 Airsports World 05:00 UFC Unleashed 06:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 WWE NXT 08:00 WWE SmackDown 10:00 Full Throttle 10:30 Superstock Powerboat Series 11:00 City Centre Races 11:30 Duathlon 2010 12:00 WWE Bottom Line 13:00 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge 14:00 Red Bull X-Fighters 15:00 UAE National Race Day Series 16:00 Superstock Powerboat Series 16:30 City Centre Races 17:00 Duathlon 2010 17:30 Full Throttle 18:00 WWE Bottom Line 19:00 WWE SmackDown 21:00 UFC 128

Classifieds TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

19-3-2011 ACCOMMODATION A central A/C single room available in Benaid Al Gar opposite Al-Salam hospital for working lady please contact: 97879611 from April 2011.

3 bachelor required for share with Mangalorean bachelor, big room, central A/C, big kitchen at old Regai. Contact: 99709823.

(C 3215)

22-3-2011

Sharing accommodation available for decent Kerala bachelor in Abbasiya near German Clinic. Call: 66941892. (C 3209) Sharing room accommodation available in Abbasiya near High Way Center. Family or working ladies with Keralite family.

Call: 99509436. (C 3211) Sharing Accommodation available for decent single bachelor separate room Mulhak in Jabriya near Hadi Hospital. From April 2011 onwards. Rent KD 65/-. Contact: 99546413.

(C 3213) 21-3-2011 Sharing accommodation available for a decent Indian Christian couple or two working ladies, near Salmiya garden. Please contact: 66884273, 25657832.

(C 3206) C-A/C big room available for executive bachelor to share with Indian, Goan small Hindu family, in Salmiya, Amman street.

Please call: 99408202.

(C 3207) Single room available, central A/C, for working ladies, ver y near to AlSalam hospital, Bneid AlGar from April 2011, please contact: 97879611.

(C 3203) Room available with attached bath in 2 bedroom apartment in Qurtaiba street, Hawally, rent KD 85. Call 55753797.

(C 3201)

One room available for a executive bachelor or a couple in a CA/C flat with a Goan family behind Metro Cinema, Farwaniya.

Contact: 97245851.

(C 3196) Sharing accommodation available (today onwards) with Christian family near highway center Abbassiya for couple or bachelor (single) couple KD 75, bachelor (single) KD 50.

Contact: 99645213. (C 3197)

FOR SALE Harvard sports (Made in USA) pool table in excellent condition for sale. Call 99777004. (C 3178)

22-3-2011

Items for sale in a single bedroom flat 1st floor opposite Ajmal Restaurant Abbasiya, from end of March 11.

Contact: 99585211. (C 3212) Toyota Yaris 2008 model 5 door Hitch-back dark silver color, alloy room, fog lights, digi shoilez, condition like new, 15,930 km done, installment possible, cash price KD 2,350. Tel: 99105286. (C 3214) 21-3-2011 Toyota Corolla 2004 model, white color, good condition, serious buyer can call: 60604853. (C 3198)

CHANGE OF NAME I, Achubatla Shaik Chan Basha, s/o Shaik Achulla Ghouse Saheb, resident of D.No. 2/20, Naidu-Varipalli village, H/o Itamapuram Penagaluru Mandal, K adapa D t, AP, I ndia presently residing in Kuwait, holder of Passport bearing No: G7935657, would be hencefor th known as Shaik Chand.

(C 3204) I, Achubatla Shaik Noorjahan, w/o, Shaik Chand, resident of D.No. 4/67-T, Usman Nagar R ajampeta - 516115,

K adapa D t, AP, India, presently residing in Kuwait, holder of Passport bearing No. E0642699 would be hencefor th known as Shaik Noorjahan.

(C 3205)

Devadanam, Passport No. F0684149, have changed my name to NASIR AHMAD. (C 3199) 19-3-2011

I, Achubatla Shaik Ayisha, d/o A.S. Chand Basha, resident of D.No. 2/20, Naiduvaripally village, H/o.

Itamapuram, Penagaluru Mandal, K adpa D t, AP, India, presently residing in Kuwait, holder of Passport bearing No. J0975666, would be hencefor th known as Shaik Ayesha.

(C 3205)

SITUATION WANTED

I, Achubatla Shaik Mohammed, s/o A.S. Chand Basha, resident of D.No. 2/20, Naiduvaripalli village, H/o Itamapuram, Penagaluru Mandal, K adapa D t, AP, India, presently residing in Kuwait, holder of Passport bearing No. G7935657, would be hencefor th k nown as Shaik Noor Mohammed. (C 3205) 20-3-2011 I have changed my name from Salim Mehboob Shaik h to SALIM MEHBOOB NAIKWADI, and fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name is Mehboob Ali Naik wadi. As per gazette no. X17039 Dt. 2nd Jan 2003. (C 3200) I, Vasanthada Nani Ratna Dev Ambedk ar S/O V

MECHANICAL ENGINEER: M.S, B.E - 6 years experience, an incisive professional with 6 years of experience in Industrial and Process Piping, looking for a job in local and MNC companies in Kuwait.

Qualifications of M.S & B.E in Mechanical Engineering is stationed at Kuwait for a month. Contact: 60789880.

(C 3208) 21-3-2011

MISCELLANEOUS Executive Srilankan working in a company needs good quality meals. Please call 97263962 for details.

(C 3202) 19-3-2011

MATRIMONIAL Egyptian Engineer, 49 years old, needs an Asian wife, working, serious and decent who recently came to Kuwait. Email: fathitemsah@yahoo.com (C 3210) 21-3-2011

Healthy Living

Is granola healthy?

Well, that depends on what type you eat. Granolas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; any rolled-oats cereal, baked and sweetened â&#x20AC;&#x201C; range from the plain to the overly fancy.

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Š 2011 MCT

FLIGHT SCHEDULE FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161 In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines PIA JZR ETH THY UAE QTR ETD JZR JZR AFR JZR KAC BAW KAC FCX KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE KAC QTR ABY ETD GFA IRA IRA JZR JZR JZR JZR MHK MSR UAL KAC DHX FDB SVA KAC JZR

Flt 239 267 620 772 853 138 305 529 207 6700 503 416 157 412 201 206 53 382 302 332 676 284 855 286 132 123 301 213 605 619 787 121 555 165 711 610 982 672 370 57 500 562 257

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 22/3/2011 Route SIALKOT BEIRUT ADDIS ABABA ISTANBUL DUBAI DOHA ABU DHABI ASSIUT DAMASCUS PARIS LUXOR JAKARTA / KUALA LUMPUR LONDON MANILA / BANGKOK BAHRAIN ISLAMABAD DUBAI DELHI MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM DUBAI DHAKA DUBAI CHITTAGONG DOHA SHARJAH ABU DHABI BAHRAIN ISFAHAN LAR RIYADH BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DUBAI BAGHDAD / NAJAF CAIRO WASHINGTON DC DULLES DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI JEDDAH AMMAN BEIRUT

Time 0:35 0:45 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:45 3:10 3:45 3:50 4:45 5:20 6:25 6:40 6:45 7:00 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:15 8:30 8:35 9:05 9:05 9:30 9:35 9:45 10:35 10:55 11:10 11:15 11:20 11:20 12:55 13:10 13:25 13:40 13:50 14:30 14:40 15:00

QTR KAC KAC MLR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR RJA JZR ABY ALK JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC SIA VOS FDB OMA JAI SYR KAC DHX GFA MEA QTR UAE UAL AIC JZR RBG JZR AXB DLH PIA

134 746 546 403 303 857 215 510 213 777 800 239 127 227 177 502 542 618 786 614 674 166 104 774 552 458 93 61 647 572 341 512 372 217 402 136 859 981 981 157 3553 135 389 636 205

DOHA ABU DHABI / DAMMAM ALEXANDRIA COLOMBO / DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH DEIREZZOR JEDDAH AMMAN AMMAN SHARJAH COLOMBO / DUBAI DUBAI BEIRUT CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI PARIS / ROME LONDON RIYADH DAMASCUS SINGAPORE / ABU DHABI KANDAHAR / DUBAI DUBAI MUSCAT MUMBAI DAMASCUS TEHRAN BAHRAIN BAHRAIN BEIRUT DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN CHENNAI / AHMEDABAD / HYDERABAD DOHA ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN KOZHIKODE / MANGALORE FRANKFURT LAHORE / PESHAWER

15:00 15:05 15:30 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:05 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:10 18:15 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:45 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:20 20:55 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:05 22:10 22:50 22:55 23:30 23:35 23:55

Airlines TAR AIC DLH PIA ETH THY UAE ETD JZR QTR AFR JZR RJA JZR JZR FDB KAC BAW KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD GFA IRA IRA KAC JZR KAC JZR JZR MHK KAC KAC JZR MSR KAC UAL

Departure Flights on Tuesday 22/3/2011 Flt Route 328 DUBAI / TUNIS 976 GOA / CHENNAI 637 FRANKFURT 240 SIALKOT 620 BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 554D ALEXANDRIA 139 DOHA 6700 DUBAI / HONG KONG 164 DUBAI 803 AMMAN 786 RIYADH 120 BAHRAIN 54 DUBAI 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 745 DAMMAM / ABU DHABI 561 AMMAN 101 LONDON / NEW YORK 856 DUBAI 124 SHARJAH 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 604 ISFAHAN 618 LAR 165 ROME / PARIS 212 DEIREZZOR 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 238 AMMAN 712 NAJAF / BAGHDAD 501 BEIRUT 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 551 DAMASCUS 982 BAHRAIN

Time 0:25 0:50 1:30 1:40 2:30 3:15 3:50 4:00 4:00 4:55 6:30 6:55 7:00 7:40 8:20 8:25 8:50 8:55 9:00 9:00 9:05 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:20 10:20 10:45 11:35 11:45 11:45 12:00 12:00 12:10 12:20 13:00 13:40 13:50 13:55 14:20 14:25

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

FDB DHX KAC KAC SVA KAC KAC KAC QTR MLR ETD VOS GFA UAE RJA ABY JZR SVA ALK JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC JZR KAC OMA JAI SYR SIA DHX KAC GFA MEA JZR KAC FCX QTR KAC UAE JZR RBG UAL KAC

58 371 673 617 501 613 511 773 135 404 304 82 216 858 801 128 156 511 228 134 283 361 62 351 528 343 648 571 342 457 373 677 218 403 206 381 102 137 301 860 502 3554 981 411

DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN TEHRAN RIYADH DOHA DUBAI / COLOMBO ABU DHABI BAGHDAD BAHRAIN DUBAI AMMAN SHARJAH DOHA RIYADH DUBAI / COLOMBO BAHRAIN DHAKA COLOMBO DUBAI COCHIN ASSIUT CHENNAI MUSCAT MUMBAI DAMASCUS ABU DHABI / SINGAPORE BAHRAIN DUBAI / MUSCAT BAHRAIN BEIRUT DAMASCUS DELHI BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI DUBAI LUXOR ALEXANDRIA WASHINGTON DC DULLES BANGKOK / MANILA

14:35 14:40 15:10 15:35 15:45 16:20 16:25 16:25 16:30 17:40 17:40 18:00 18:05 18:10 18:15 18:25 18:30 18:35 19:10 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:25 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:20 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:35 23:40 23:55

34

star CROSSWORD 264

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

s

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) A slow day calls for creative thinking and you are just the one to create a change, if change is needed. Your lighthearted, easygoing manner soon turns a frustrating day into a successful day. You can attract attention and get a line forming fast—any company would be fortunate to have you on their side. This could mean you are involved with some type of demonstration work that is catchy and grabs the attention of the customer. You end this workday with the feeling of a job-well-done. This evening you will do well in activities that include children, young people and your home. You could feel real harmony at this time for circumstances and those around you. Tonight you enjoy a long soak in a bath, or at the least, a good foot soak to relax.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This is a good time to enroll in a night school or take a correspondence course. You are unusually self-assertive with all the proper finesse that happily sways people to your way of thinking. Your willingness to be true to yourself makes you more appealing to others. Your power is showing and you are using it well. This is a time during which circumstances bend to your will and things have a way of working out smoothly. Here are real opportunities to complete and work out any difficulties and projects that require both long-term effort and a high degree of discipline. There are many positive love signals in your sign now. Sex, power and money are compelling aphrodisiacs now. Secrets, taboos and mysteries are appealing.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. Thigh of a hog (usually smoked).

4. Inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense.

10. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

13. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

14. Dried grape.

15. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

16. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

17. Generic term for inflammatory conditions of the skin.

18. Extremely pleasing.

19. A short introductory essay preceding the text of a book.

22. (biology) Of unlike parts or organs.

25. Being divided or separated.

29. The doctrine that reality consists of two basic opposing elements, often taken to be mind and matter (or mind and body), or good and evil.

33. Of or like a cecum.

35. Deprive of by deceit.

36. A legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body.

37. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

38. Mature female of mammals of which the male is called `buck'.

39. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

44. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

46. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

49. The compass point that is one point east (clockwise) of due north.

51. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

55. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

57. (prefix) Opposite or opposing or neutralizing.

60. The cry made by sheep.

61. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

62. In a foreign country.

64. To make a mistake or be incorrect.

65. A doctor's degree in dental surgery.

66. A member of an agricultural people of southern India.

67. A young woman making her debut into society.

DOWN 1. A collection of objects laid on top of each other.

2. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

3. Female equine animal.

4. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

5. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp.

6. Having a specified size.

7. The act of using.

8. French poet whose work influenced the surrealists (18541891).

9. A nucleic acid consisting of large molecules shaped like a double helix.

10. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

11. Divulge information or secrets.

12. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

20. A federally sponsored corporation that insures accounts in national banks and other qualified institutions.

21. Cut off the testicles.

23. A yellow trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group.

24. The capital of Nationalist China.

26. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

27. Wife or mistress of Zeus and mother of Apollo and Artemis in ancient mythology.

28. A hard gray lustrous metallic element that is highly corrosion-resistant.

30. Severe diabetes mellitus with an early onset.

31. Wild plum of northeastern United States having dark purple fruits with yellow flesh.

32. (archaic) A fitting reward.

34. Hungarian choreographer who developed Labanotation (1879-1958).

40. A small cake leavened with yeast.

41. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

42. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

43. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric.

45. A seaport in northwestern Italy.

47. Located at or near the back of an animal.

48. A river that rises in northeastern Turkey (near the source of the Euphrates) and flows generally eastward through Armenia to the Caspian Sea. 50. A lyric poet.

52. In bed.

53. Denuded of leaves.

54. Clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion.

56. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

58. A label made of cardboard or plastic or metal.

59. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank.

63. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Theories are important but they cannot come into fruition without some creative or intuitive help. This is where you come onto the scene today. Working through problems acted out with others may be the order of the day and hard to avoid. Lady Luck smiles brightly on you and nothing seems to slow your progress. Hint—finish one job before tackling another. An unexpected announcement can make you feel ten feet tall. A career achievement puts you on display. This afternoon, you will plan ways to reach out to others in order to help those who suffer. This could come about through a community program—whether you or someone else starts this program—the end results are most positive. Candles and good smells create a form of relaxation this evening.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

You work to gather and exchange information today that will help you stay aware and alert to important professional matters. You have a need to be respected and you work hard to gain respect and appreciation from all with whom you interact. You can expect a little boost today, some sort of extra support or recognition from those around you. You have a knack for organizing things and people. Appointments, phone calls and conferences gain your attention. An interest in a new intellectual pursuit may be fostered. Poetry and art may be possible later this afternoon. All types of relationships are favorable, especially the opposite sex. Your emotions are in balance, making sexual relations particularly meaningful.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Financial savvy and a practical turn of mind are qualities that take on greater importance in your life now. A wheeler-dealer attitude is prevalent now. This is a time when you can expect a little boost, some sort of extra support or recognition from those around you. This is not the time to switch careers or try to force change. This is a time that will stimulate your creativity and experimentation. You will find that you cannot keep everything the same and still get what you need so adjustments in your life flow may be necessary. Learn when to let go of the old—perhaps even comfortable things in order to make room for the new.

Your communication skills with friends and loved ones are positive and you may enjoy some time with them this evening.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Some of the people around you today are difficult to understand. This does not necessarily mean a different language. It could be that people are visiting around your work area and causing distractions. You may feel the need to become involved with their conversation but it would be best to tend to your own work now. You have a strong need for nurturing others just now and this energy could be best spent in a volunteer organization. Many organizations would be happy to have you working with them—think about this. Your family may want to join you in this endeavor so it may be time to sit down and talk about helping others and responsibility. This is an outgoing and very expressive cycle of experience for you. You enjoy creating new things.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

There is enthusiasm and quick-minded activity today. Your judgment is good and will lead to success. This is a time for imagination and creativity when it comes to ideas and thinking. This, coupled with the ability to put your thoughts into words, allows you to captivate and spellbind.

Perseverance in your work today should be exercised as much as possible, especially since slow and steady wins the race. An unhappy friend comes to visit you this afternoon. Your ability to listen helps them to hear what they need to do to make some positive changes in their life. Emotions in particular, or the feelings of those around you, may be very clear. You appear perhaps more charming and refined this evening when you visit a friend.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You display an urge to be recognized by co-workers for your hard work. Ideas and interaction with authority figures or older people may come about this morning. You may not appreciate the emotional energy of someone you meet today, but things will smooth out, given time. Someone could appear aggressive or pushy. You do not like the way a situation feels at the gut level, but there is not enough information to make any statement. Learning what makes people tick helps you to understand about life. Your instinctive orientation at this time is getting down to healing the roots of some disturbance. This evening there are thoughts of running away to join a circus as life does get stressful occasionally. All in good fun, you have a few friends that would join you.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) There is a heightened interest in health and diet today. This may have come to your attention while stepping on the scales this morning. Aim for achievement and create a plan. In the workplace today, you have an urge to get things organized into a rational system in order to make projects move along at a faster pace. Contacts with faraway people and places play a part in your afternoon. You and a friend will discuss education and travel—you may feel you need to further your education in another country. Higher education or philosophical contacts have a part in making good things happen. This evening you will be able to buy a special item you have been wanting for some time. Do not spend more than necessary just now.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

You are the one to notice that the plants in the office are few and far apart. You encourage the transition of springtime to enter the workplace by suggesting new plants. Plants help to keep stress in the workplace low and the color, aroma and oxygen tends to increase the energies in positive ways. Put your mind to work and take care of any details that you may have—mental discipline should come easily. Cautious and meticulous is the mode of the day. Checking and rechecking business at hand makes you one of the executive types of employees. A positive, take-charge type of attitude will take you far—especially if you have your own business. This concentration calls for deliberately taking fun breaks in order to balance your energies.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You may be considering ways in which to improve your financial status now. Without a short-term extra job, there may not be any opportunities right away to solve this dilemma. Creative endeavors, however, may bring surprises your way. Plan to show off your special talents as often as possible. You may still have time to prepare for a flea market or creative art show in your area— check it out! You may be pleased at the positive feedback that is just waiting to come your way. You communicate well with others. This evening you might work on your artistic talent, listen to a book or lecture on tape, plant some spring flowers, repair and complete jobs around the house, and/or begin work on a family vehicle. You are never still. Sleep comes quickly tonight.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

This can be one of your best days overall. Be aware of reckless activities and make it a point to bring a balance into your life. Slow and easy will get you to your goals in a satisfactorily manner. Much can be accomplished in the workplace today. Emotions are up and you may even find yourself pondering a bit on the meaning of life with a few of your co-workers. You feel at one with your situation. This is a productive and potentially satisfying day. While concentrating on ways in which to better your health, remember, plenty of water, regular meals and fruit juices will fill you up and get rid of the toxins as well. Eat foods high in fiber to avoid water retention and a clogged body. A swimming exercise or martial arts are good exercises, especially for your heart.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 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

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Years

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

lifestyle G O S S I P

Knightley

more beautiful with age

K

eira Knightley is becoming “more beautiful” with age. The 25-year-old actress has recently worked with her ‘Atonement’ director and frequent collaborator, Joe Wright on a commercial for Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle fragrance and Joe who first met Keira when she was 18 - thinks she is getting even more beautiful as she gets older. He said: “On a purely superficial level, she just gets more beautiful, which is very fair on the rest of us as we all get to admire her. “Plus her sexuality has developed - she’s no longer quite as innocent as she was. She was always bold but she’s a lot more secure in herself now.” Although Joe thinks Keira is stunning, he admitted what is most exciting about

her is how she has “taken control” of her image and style. He explained to Style magazine: “It’s like being asked why you love your wife and it’s rather bland to say she’s talented and beautiful and bold because it’s such a subjective thing. “I guess what I’m excited about is watching her develop. She’s her own woman with her own sense of purpose and her own mysteries. She’s not here to conform to a male fantasy. “I think Keira has taken control of her own image. What we tried to do [with the latest commercial] is turn it around so that it begins as a story about the male gaze, but becomes about the female gaze. The idea is the artifice of projected female sexuality.”

Hilton wants royal wedding invite P aris Hilton wants to get an invitation to the royal wedding. The 30-year-old hotel heiress - who is a “massive fan” of the British royal family - is reportedly “desperate” to attend the April 29 nuptials between Prince William and Kate Middleton, and has been bombarding her contacts in the hope of securing an invite to the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. An insider told the Daily Star newspaper: “Paris is a massive fan of the royals and counts Princess Diana among her idols, so she’s desperate to be seen at the wedding. She knows it will be an event not to be missed. “She’s been speaking

to all her contacts in the hope of getting an invite, but so far she hasn’t had any luck.” As well as idolizing William’s late mother Princess Diana - who was tragically killed in a car crash in Paris in August 1997 - the socialite recently admitted she would love to date the “hot” prince if he were to ditch Kate.

After meeting William in exclusive London nightspot Whisky Mist in 2008, Paris said: “I’d be more than happy to date William so long as he ditches the mousy girlfriend. “I couldn’t believe it when I met him. He was awesome and really hot.” Paris is currently dating nightclub mogul Cy Waits.

is losing her hair

T

he 24-year-old singer - who is well known for her ever-changing hairstyles, including a wool-like up do and a waist-length blonde wig - admitted she is worried about her locks because of the amount she has dyed them. She told People: “[I had to] get a chemical haircut because my blonde hair is falling out.” The ‘Born This Way’ hitmaker, who is naturally a brunette, also confesses she sleeps in her make-up every day of the week. Asked how often she goes to bed with her face full of make-up, Gaga said: “Seven. That’s not good for your skin, but I’m blessed with good genes.” However, she admits she no longer uses mascara and fake eyelashes because she thinks they are both old fashioned.

She said: “I think it’s more modern not to wear either. I just wear eyeliner.” Last week it was revealed Lady Gaga would receive a style award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The eccentric star will pick up the Fashion Icon award on June 6.

Gaga

Tatum is very competitive C

hanning Tatum was “very competitive” when filming ‘The Eagle’. Actor Jamie Bell, who stars alongside the Hollywood hunk, said they constantly challenged each other when filming the historical movie, about a roman soldier attempting to recover the lost roman eagle standard of his father’s legion. Jamie said: “I think when you’ve got actors that are really competent all around you at the action stuff, you have to really step up, you can’t push out on them - which is great because me and Channing are very competitive. “We spurred each other on, we competed over who has the best fight scene, the fastest horse, who can stay in the river for longer. “It was childhood stuff, but it was really good fun.”

‘Billy Elliott’ star Jamie, 25, added he struggled during some parts of the film, particularly when learning to ride a horse, which he feels made his character more believable and helped create a strong bond with his costars.

He added to website flicksandbits.com: “I couldn’t ride a horse before which I was very honest about.

Some actors lie about that, and I feel like the physical nature of getting it done was part of the struggle of the characters and the story, and it being their endurance and stamina which gets them through it. “I don’t think we had the same endurance and stamina, there were moments when we had to keep each other going and press on.” ‘The Eagle’ is in UK cinemas from Friday. — Bang Showbiz

Longoria dwarfed by cake

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K

atie Price is planning to buy a pink helicopter. The British star is taking flying lessons and hopes to have a helipad installed at her home so she can fly off at a moment’s notice.

Katie told The Sun newspaper: “I’m planning to get my own helicopter, a pink one, a proper Pricey one, just as soon as I pass my flying test. I’m going to have a helipad at my new house.

People might think it’s extravagant, but I’d like to see people following me in the air. “If people are bothering me, I’ll just zoom over their heads.” Katie has long been a fan of choppers and she arrived with her new boyfriend, Argentinean model Leandro Penna, by helicopter last week when they attended the horse racing at Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, South West England.

The 32-year-old star also admitted she has to communicate with Leandro -

who she met at Sir Elton John’s Oscars party on February 28, shortly after announcing her split from cage fighter Alex Reid - by “winking”, as she doesn’t speak his native language. She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “I don’t speak Spanish, and he doesn’t speak much English, but we communicate in other ways. Even simple things like winking.”

Katie - who has three children, Harvey, eight, Junior, five, and three-year-old Princess Tiaamii, from previous relationships - also boasted she has great career prospects in the US, and is planning to be spending much more time Stateside in the coming months.

However, she is against a permanent move to the country. She said: “I know people say you have to move to the States to break the States but I don’t need to do that. It’s already happening for me. So I don’t need to move there.”

va Longoria rounded off a week of birthday celebrations with a huge pink cake in Las Vegas. The ‘Desperate Housewives’ star turned 36 on March 15 and held a number of parties to celebrate, including a 1920s-themed bash and a trip to Disneyland, but the week culminated with a trip to the US gambling capital on Friday. Eva was accompanied by boyfriend Eduardo Cruz and friends as she ate at her Beso restaurant in the city before heading to Eve nightclub, where she was given the three-and-a-half-foot tall, fivetiered pink floral cake, which had ‘Eve’ written on it. Eva appeared to have put her divorce from husband of three years Tony Parker - which was finalized in January - behind, telling USmagazine.com at the party: “Everything in my life is great!” One onlooker revealed she and Eduardo were acting like a pair of “high school kids” at the bash. They said: “They were very affectionate, with Eva occasionally rubbing her hand on his face and touching his chin as they kissed. It was like two high school kids who just fell madly in love because they were always so touchyfeely.” Despite having enjoyed a whole week of celebrations, Eva said her Las Vegas party was her favorite, adding: “I’m exhausted. This was like saving the best for last.”

McConaughey a strict parent M

atthew McConaughey says he is a “fun” but strict parent. The 41-year-old actor - who has three-year-old son Levi and 15month-old daughter Vida with his partner Camila Alves - is a “playful” dad but uses his life experience to make sure his kids are well behaved. He said: “Discipline is very cool. We run a tight and fun shift. “I’m very playful but parents have the advantage of being around for so much longer. If we’re going to sit there and teach our kids that life has consequences, they’re going to turn 18 and go out in their own world. “ They ’re going to find it the hard way.

You do it early so they understand how the world works and what is expected of them, not only as a citizen, but as their family name, as a McConaughey, things like that.” Matthew admits his concern comes from watching other people do a bad job with their children and see them turn out to be “junk”. He revealed in an interview with the Daily Record newspaper: “I’ve known too many kids and some of them have been my friends - that did not turn out to be worth nothing because the parents let them do whatever they wanted to do. They’ve turned to be junk.” The ‘Lincoln Lawyer’ star recently confessed he thinks his children have given his life more meaning. He said: “I’ve got more to live for now, that’s for sure!

Obviously, you stop living as much for ‘me’ and living for ‘we’.

Everything I’m doing, my kids are doing with me ... every move I make has to do with them.”

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

Years

lifestyle Music and Movies

Bieber passes

Jackson at box office

T

he Biebs hasn’t disappointed on the big screen.

Paramount’s “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” has now surpassed Michael Jackson This Is It to become the most successful concert-themed movie at the domestic box office. Through Sunday, Justin Bieber had earned $72.2 million at the domestic box office. Sony’s “This Is It” grossed $72.1 million domestically.

However, This Is It still holds the worldwide record, having grossed $189.1 million overseas for a global total of $261.2 million. Usually, concert films don’t travel well. “Never Say Never” has grossed $10.8 million at the international box office, a solid number, considering that the Jonas Brothers’ concert film grossed only $4 million internationally, while “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour” earned $5 million. “Hannah Montana” grossed $65 million domestically.

Paramount insiders believe Justin Bieber could ultimately earn $20 million internationally. So far, the movie has done best in Latin America, where star’s fan base is strongest. Justin Bieber was produced by Paramount’s low-budget division Insurge Pictures. The studio has shied away from calling the film a concert movie, since it delves into Bieber’s childhood and rise to pop icon status. Paramount also took the unprecedented step of updating the movie with new footage early in its theatrical release, so as to encourage repeat business. The move worked.—Reuters

thumbs-up during the German TV game Canadian singer Justin Bieber gives the Augsburg, southern Germany, on March in show “Wetten Dass...?” (Let’s make a bet) 19, 2011.—AFP

‘Hobbit’

rway e d n u s t e g filming nd a l a e Z w e N in

F

ilming on Peter Jackson’s long-awaited adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” gets underway yesterday in Wellington, New Zealand, with everyone involved “raring to go,” Jackson’s assistant Matt Dravitski told New Zealand media. The start of filming on the two $500 million “Hobbit” films prequels to “The Lord of the Rings”-comes after setbacks that have included disputes over distribution rights to the films; financial difficulties of studios MGM and New Line; the departure of Guillermo Del Toro as director; industrial action’s bringing about NZ Actors Equity, which threatened to move the shoot from New Zealand; and Jackson’s hospitalization in February for a perforated stomach ulcer.

Martin Freeman, who stars in the title role as Bilbo Baggins, joked about the so-called “curse of ‘The Hobbit”“ last month: “There are some bits of bad luck associated with it [but] we’re ready to go-just as soon as 2015 comes around.” The company of 13 dwarves, Baggins and the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) have been in Wellington for the last two months preparing for the films.

“The Hobbit,” to be made as two 3D films, follows the journey of Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of 13 dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers and ultimately Baggins’ meeting with Gollum, where he gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring-the simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-Earth.

Joining Baggins on the quest are the Dwarves, played by Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield), Ken Stott (Balin), Graham McTavish (Dwalin), William Kircher (Bifur), James Nesbitt (Bofur), Stephen Hunter (Bombur), Rob Kazinsky (Fili), Aidan Turner (Kili), Peter Hambleton (Gloin), John Callen (Oin), Jed Brophy (Nori), Mark Hadlow (Dori) and Adam Brown (Ori).

Warner Bros. on Monday confirmed that Cate Blanchett (Galadriel), Andy Serkis (Gollum) and Elijah Wood (Frodo) will reprise their roles from Lord of the Rings. NZ actors Jeffrey Thomas and Mike Mizrahi also join the cast as Dwarf Kings Thror and Thrain, respectively. Filming, under the eye of director of photography Andrew Lesnie, will take place at Wellington Stone Street Studios, the village of Matamata and at other undisclosed locations around New Zealand.

The two films are said to be worth more Peter Jackson arrives at the premiere of “The than $1 billion to the NZ economy. The New Zealand government is providing incentives and Lovely Bones” in Los Angeles (file).—AP tax breaks worth around $100 million to the shoot. Also working on the films are production Fran Walsh, alongside Carolynne Cunningham. designer Dan Hennah, conceptual designers Executive producers are Ken Kamins and Zane Alan Lee and John Howe, composer Howard Weiner, with Philippa Boyens as co-producer.

Shore and makeup and hair designer Peter King.

“The Hobbit” films are co-produced by New Line Costumes are designed by Ann Maskrey and Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing proRichard Taylor. duction. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldTaylor is also overseeing the design and prowide theatrical distribution, with select internaduction of weaponry, armor and prosthetics, tional territories as well as all international telewhich are once again being made by Weta vision licensing being handled by MGM. The two Workshop. Weta Digital takes on the visual films are planned for release in late 2012 and effects for both films, led by the film’s visual 2013, respectively.—Reuters effects supervisor, Joe Letteri. Postproduction will take place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.

“The Hobbit” is produced by Jackson and

File Daniel Radcliffe

Anti-suicide Trevor Project to honor Radcliffe

D

aniel Radcliffe looks forward to a tolerant world where young people grow up unaffected by differences in sexual orientation. For the past couple of years, the “Harry Potter” star has been doing his part to make that a reality with his work with the Trevor Project, the leading organization for suicide prevention efforts among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youths. For his contribution, Radcliffe is being honored with the organization’s Hero Award at a ceremony in New York in June. “It’s fantastic,” Radcliffe told The Associated Press. “The fact that they think of what I’ve done by promoting awareness of the Trevor Project itself and the issues that it works to promote and help is a great honor.”

The Trevor Hero Award, announced yesterday, recognizes a person who serves as an inspiration to sexual minority youths and increases visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning, or LGBTQ, community.

Past Hero Award recipients include screen and stage actor Nathan Lane, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and former Miss America and “Ugly Betty” actress Vanessa Williams.

While privileged to be a part of this group carrying forward the organization’s life-saving work, Radcliffe said he feels a little bashful about it, too. “The people that are doing the heroic things are the people answering phones 24 hours a day in the Trevor call centers,” he said. “I think that out of everything that I’ve done so far in my career, I think this is absolutely one of the

most important, if not the most important, thing that I’m associated with.” Radcliffe, currently appearing in the Broadway revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” says audience members often acknowledge his work with the organization.

“I meet people at the stage door every night that thank me for what I’m doing with the Trevor project,” he said proudly.

The Trevor Project was founded in 1998 by filmmakers James Lecesne, Peggy Rajski and Randy Stone. Their 1994 film, “Trevor,” about a gay 13-year-old boy who tried to commit suicide after his friends learned of his sexuality, won the Academy Award for Film Short. The film was the catalyst for the birth of the organization after it was shown on HBO in 1998.

Radcliffe became aware of the Trevor Project in 2008 during his Broadway debut in a revival of “Equus.” Since 2009, he has appeared in public service announcements and has made public statements in support of the organization. The last installment of the “Harry Potter” franchise, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Harrows Part 2,” will be released in June.

Along with Radcliffe, who plays the title character in the “Harry Potter” movies,” the Trevor Project will honor Ernst & Young LLP with the Trevor 2020 Award, for a corporation that has provided support for the community and increased understanding of LGBTQ issues.—AP

Sammy Hagar says abducted by aliens

N

o doubt Sammy Hagar, a former lead singer for Van Halen, has enjoyed a lot of far out experiences in life, but yesterday, the rocker told perhaps his farthest out tale to MTV. He was abducted by aliens. Or, at least, his brain was. In an interview for his new book, “Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock” at mtvhive.com, Hagar lets go of what even he admits might make him “sound like a crazy person” to some readers.

He and the reporter are talking about dreams he claims to have had about UFOs, and when asked whether he believed he had been abducted, Hagar answers: “I think I have.” The reporter seemed surprised.

“What? Really? I was kidding. You seriously believe that?” he asks. Hagar laughs and goes on to explain that a passage in the book described as a dream in which he is contacted by aliens from outer space in California was, in fact, reality.

The tale describes how the beings tapped into his mind through a wireless connection. “It was real,” Hagar told the reporter, according to the story on MTV’s Hive website.

“They were plugged into me. It was a download situation ... Or, they uploaded something from my brain, like an experiment.”

Hagar goes on to describe another experience at the age of four where he believes he saw an alien space ship in broad daylight hovering over a country field where his family lived. The rock guitarist and vocalist is no stranger to wild times. He was a part of several bands, including Sammy Hagar Montrose, during the “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” era of the 1970s and 1980s, and during its heyday Van Halen was among the biggest acts in rock music.

In his book and in the interview with MTV’s Hive, Hagar lets the stories fly on the sex and drugs he did during those years, and he even has a few not-sonice things to say about another Van Halen lead singer, David Lee Roth, whom Hagar replaced in 1985.—Reuters

es for the Brit Awards 2011 at British singer Katherine Jenkins arriv The O2 Arena in London (file). —AP

Jenkins says 8th album returns to classical roots

B

ritish singer Katherine Jenkins says her eighth album will mark a return to her classical roots, after collaborating with famed pop producer David Foster on her previous release.

Jenkins told The Associated Press on the sidelines of her first solo Asian tour yesterday that the new release will feature a mix of classical, folk and musical numbers.

She said, “I don’t like to always follow the obvious path. I like to change direc-

tion every now and again. And I feel like it’s time to make a classical album.”

Jenkins performed with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong on Sunday. Her next performance will be with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday. —AP

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

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Here are

10 itineraries to use in exploring California’s

Orange County A child and his Mickey Mouse ears are silhouetted against the World of Color nightly light and water show at Disney California Adventure Park.

— MTC photos

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outh of Los Angeles and north of San Diego lies an intermittently magical 789square-mile realm where freeways hum and Disneyland flourishes, where immigrants remake old communities as new ones ripple across the hills. Many outsiders treat this place as they would a prosperous but hopelessly dull relative-the way some Europeans treat Belgium. Let’s remember, people, that Belgium has given us centuries of good waffles, beer and chocolate, not to mention the French fry and Jean-Claude Van Damme. So it is, sort of, with the OC There is more here than Disneyland and beaches. And so we bring you these inland Orange County close-ups: 10 micro-itineraries for travelers and locals alike. This is the second installment in our yearlong series that looks anew at Southern California. (We started with downtown Los Angeles in January, and we’ll come back to the O.C. coastline another day.)

On this expedition, we’re all about the big orange balloon, the big black cube, the epic and edgy malls, Richard Nixon’s old high chair and-because in the end, the mouse will not be denied-a few theme-park secrets.

What would Nixon do?

Disneyland can wait. First, consider the question they’ve printed on dozens of mugs and T-shirts at the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda, about 40 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. And get ready for a few more questions. Has anybody told Kevin Bacon, for instance, that Nixon got elected student body president at Whittier College by opposing the campus ban on dancing? The nine-acre Nixon complex is patrolled by legions of well-briefed docents in red and blue blazers, many of whom were among Nixon’s “silent majority” back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

The graves of the president and First Lady Pat are here. You’ll find a reflecting pool, a rose garden, displays detailing Richard Nixon’s path to the White House, his domestic and foreign programs, his trip to China. If you fill out a form, you can listen to those notorious White House tapes (which are being transferred to CD). Here’s former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger bragging about kicking the North Vietnamese “in the groin.” Hear the president engaging in small talk with Ray Charles, making get-well calls to ailing friends and dismissing the importance of “hinky-dinky espionage” by one political party against another. Until 2007, the site was run without government input by the Richard Nixon Foundation, a loyalist group.

The National Archives have since joined the party, as it were, bringing mountains of documents (and recordings) and a nonpartisan agenda. Sounds awkward-which makes it more interesting. (As of early 2011, the Watergate exhibit was still being redone.)

Whatever your agenda, come see your 37th president’s high chair, then step outside his modest childhood home-Nixon was born in

the farmhouse on this site in 1913 — and also see the helicopter that carried him from the White House that last time in 1974.

The mouse that ate Anaheim It’s a given. If you have kids-and maybe even if you don’t-you’re going to Disneyland.

And you’re probably going to like it, because they’re pros. So, brace for the bill — $76 for an adult day pass, $68 for kids ages 3-9 — and make your expedition easier by booking a night at a Disney hotel or one of the many “partner” hotels within walking distance. (If you live in Southern California, be sure to check for local discounts at www.mouseplanet.com.) Get to the park at opening (it varies by day; check the website) and make a beeline for a Fastpass (these are issued, for free, by machines at many popular rides that allocate head-of-line status for a designated period later in the day). Don’t get hung up on hitting every ride. And don’t leave eating to chance; you can book meals up to 60 days ahead at many restaurants at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park by calling (714) 7813463. Also, if you have an iPhone, there are several apps that tell you how long the line is for each ride. When your kids droop in the afternoon, retreat to the hotel for a nap or swim. Then return to the park for the nighttime stuff. If your family is doing a second Disney day, the Character Breakfast at Storytellers Cafe (in the Grand Californian Hotel adjoining the Downtown Disney District) is a fine way to start. But consider this: Much of Disney California Adventure Park will be renovated in 2011 and 2012. You might

Inside the Richard M Nixon Presidential LIbrary and Museum, in Yorba Linda.

A bicyclist passes through a group of statues in the Little Saigon area of Westminster.

If you go Where to stay: Ramada Maingate, 1650 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim 92802; (714) 772-0440, www.ramadamaingate.com. Across the street from Disneyland, with 186 rooms, heated pool, free parking, Wi-Fi and continental breakfast. Most rooms usually $89$169.

Ayres Inn, 3737 W Chapman Ave, Orange 92868; (714) 978-9168, www.ayresorange.com. Within two miles of Disneyland, Angel Stadium and the Honda Center. 129 rooms, pool and cafe. Rates $109-$119, breakfast and parking included.

Westin South Coast Plaza, 686 Anton Blvd, Costa Mesa 92626; (714) 540-2500, www.westinsouthcoastplaza.com. Has 393 rooms, connecting to South Coast Plaza by a pedestrian bridge over Bristol Street.

Weekend rates usually $109-$189, weekday rates often $279 or more.

prefer a certain nearby berry farm instead.

Where the boysenberries are Knott’s Berry Farm was up and running when Walt Disney was still a pup. It opened in the 1920s, and despite its high-speed, hightech rides, it feels more homespun than Disneyland. It also appears a little frayed around the edges. It’s also a lot cheaper than Disneyland: Adult admission is $46.99 to $56.99, with frequent discounts and annual passes for as little as $59.99. Los Angeles Times staffer Brady MacDonald, whose Funland blog has covered theme parks for the last four years, calls Knott’s “the best park in Southern California, if you’re trying to please everybody.” In other words, the rides range from little kids’ diversions to serious, knucklewhitening thrills, and the themes keep amusement park cognoscenti engaged. It really was a farm once; the world’s first commercial crop of boysenberries was raised here in the 1930s.

Now it has a hotel, an outpost of L.A.-based Pink’s Hot Dogs, a summer-only water park and Camp Snoopy for smaller kids. It also has the old-school Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner, but recent meals suggest that the restaurant’s best days may be behind it.

The Great Orange in the Sky You are respectfully invited to step aboard a giant orange and hover above a mostly idle military base in Irvine. Now, stop snickering and suspend ... yourself. It’s true that the Great Park-the gradual conversion of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro into a 1,347acre public playground in the middle of the OC-will be years in coming. But the Great Park Balloon is here now, a helium-filled ball with a people-carrying basket dangling beneath, and it’s free. Permanently tethered and big enough to hold 25 people at a time, it flies four days a week, rising 400 feet so you can see 40 miles on a clear day. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and 710 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 9 am -3 pm and 7-10 pm Saturdays and Sundays, wind and weather permitting. The ride (which began in 2007) typically lasts eight to 10 minutes, but that’s plenty of time to eye the hills and orderly subdivisions, assess the park’s recently planted strawberry fields and read the fine print: Someone stenciled a list of major historical events on the old runway surface. Flights are first-come, first-served; kids and pets welcome. There’s a free carousel too. Best day to fly: Sunday, when the fledgling Great Park farmers market is in session. If that bout with altitude isn’t enough, head about 2 miles southwest to the Irvine Spectrum Center mall, where the amusements include a 108-foot-tall Ferris wheel.

What to see: Disneyland, 1313 S Disneyland Drive, Anaheim 92802. Tickets and reservations, (714) 781-4400; vacation packages (714) 5205060; disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/.

Adults $76 a day; children ages 3 to 9, $68.

Knott’s Berry Farm, 8039 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, 90620; (714) 220-5200, www.knotts.com.

Adult admission, $56.99, or $46.99 for Southern California residents; children ages 311, $24.99.

Orange County Great Park, Sand Canyon Avenue exit off Interstate 5, Irvine 92623; (866) 829-3829; www.ocgp.org. See website for directions. Nixon Presidential Library & Museum, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda 92886; (714) 983-9120 (for National Archives staffers) or (714) 993-5075 (for Nixon Foundation staffers who handle special events), www.nixonlibrary.gov. Open daily.

Adult admission, $9.95; children 7-11 $3.75; children younger than 6 admitted free.

Surf, turf, balls and pucks If you’re looking for pro hockey or baseball in OC, all roads lead to Anaheim. The Ducks (hockey) play from early October through early April (longer if the team makes the playoffs), with 41 home games at the 17,174-seat Honda Center. Most adult tickets cost $20$110. (A seat at the glass fetches more than $300.) The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (blame owner Arte Moreno for the name) play baseball from April through October (longer if they make the playoffs), with 81 home games at 45,000-seat Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

Most adult tickets cost $16-$200. During the season, the ballpark offers behind-the-scenes tours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays ($3 for adults; (714) 940-2070). There’s a Metrolink/Amtrak stop at the edge of the Angel Stadium parking lot (also walkable from the Honda Center). To fill your belly before or after the sports, there’s the Catch on East Katella Avenue. Here are your surf, your turf, your taps, your multiple big screens. Impress friends (and appall others) by ordering the $49.95 OMG, a 4-pound burger with 10 slices of cheddar cheese and 2 pounds of fries.

Sharing is encouraged, but if you finish by yourself within an hour, the restaurant will give you $500. As of early February, just one guy had managed it.

Two words: biker bar First, build thirst. You can do this by taking a hike or a bike or horseback ride in the Santa Ana mountains or the foothills near Rancho Santa Margarita. Maybe Limestone Canyon & Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park or O’Neill Regional Park, where you can make the 3.2mile round-trip hike up Live Oak Trail to Ocean Vista Point, 1,492 feet above sea level, for a panorama of hills, suburban fringe and distant sea. Whichever trail you choose, head afterward to Cook’s Corner, a biker bar and burger joint that since 1926 has stood at Live Oak Canyon and Santiago Canyon roads in the Trabuco Canyon area. Jukebox. Pool table.

Sawdust on the floor. They say the kitchen was built from the remnants of an old Santa Ana Army Air Base mess hall. Whatever — it turns out tasty burgers. There are bands on the weekends, along with scores of bikers who fill the patio while their bikes gleam out front.

Santa Ana, urban and artsy Santa Ana has some of the OC’s grittiest corners, but it’s also home to a pair of worthwhile museums and a growing number of galleries.

The kid-focused Discovery Science Center stands beneath the big black cube at the edge of Interstate 5 (the cube conceals a facsimile rocket) and has hands-on exhibits that cover

populist themes such as the science of hockey, plus there’s a modest climbing wall. About four blocks south of the cube at Main and 20th streets is the more grown-up Bowers Museum.

The Bowers is a cultural museum, meaning it’s just as likely to tell you about Benjamin Franklin as it is to show you Chinese adornments or an amazing pair of red and gold African earrings (under glass in the lobby). It also has a children’s Kidseum space (1802 N Main St). If you want to see work by living homegrown artists, head to the nearby Artists Village area, park in the structure at North Broadway and West 3rd Street, and prowl gallery spaces such as the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (117 N Sycamore St), the Grand Central Art Center (run by Cal State Fullerton at 125 N Broadway) and the quirky old Santora Arts Building (207 N Broadway). The restaurants Gypsy Den and Memphis at the Santora are handy for a bite.

And if you go on a Santa Ana Artwalk (first Saturday night of every month), a few dozen nearby galleries will be open as well.

Fullerton after dark When night falls, downtown Fullerton hops.

This is especially true along Harbor Boulevard near the railroad tracks, where more than two dozen bars and restaurants cater to the hunger and thirst of Cal State Fullerton students and others. Count on young demographics, designate a driver or take Amtrak or Metrolink to Fullerton’s handsome old station. Within an easy walk you’ll find the Pint House, the Envy Ultra Lounge, the Mulberry Street Ristorante, Cafe Hidalgo, Branagan’s Irish Pub, Ziing’s Bistro & Bar, Heroes Bar & Grill and the Continental Room (which claims to be Fullerton’s oldest drinking establishment, dating to 1925) and plenty more.

Retail detail If you’re not shopping, the recession wins, right? Now more than 40 years old, South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa is still the biggest mall (by square feet) in California. Shoppers come from as far as Asia to roam the 280 stores and restaurants.

You can spend $3,600 on a hand-etched, limited-edition silver Bentley writing pen (at Paradise Pen) or $5.75 on a cup of tangy gumbo at Seasons 52 restaurant, which opened in late 2010. If you want to spend many, many hours here, you can sleep a block away at the Westin (weekend rates as low as $109). For a more intimate, semi-subversive shopping experience, head 1{ miles south on Bristol Street to the Lab, a slacker haven with about a dozen retail and restaurant tenants arrayed around a courtyard with couches and a magazine rack. Then cross Bristol and creep into the Camp, where chic sustainability is the order of the day.

Note the Patagonia shop, the bike shop, the soothing sayings stenciled on the parking lot blacktop. Now, surely, you’ve had enough shopping, so double back toward South Coast Plaza. Head into the Segerstrom Center for the Arts next door, where you can see a play at the South Coast Repertory, hear music in four venues or just watch the limos pull up in front of the snazzy buildings. Don’t forget to stick your head inside the tall, rusty steel sculpture by Richard Serra (“Connector,” 2006), mumble and listen for the eerie echo.

Please set your watches to 1940 Plaza Square (aka the Orange Circle) is a roundabout that serves as the heart of the city of Orange. It’s also a fine place for time travel, with hundreds of well-tended homes in the surrounding Old Towne Historic District dating from 1888 to 1940. Closer to the square, antiques shops huddle with a growing number of eateries. At Mr C’s Rare Records, customers such as 22-year-old Nathan Chase hunt for old gold in the vinyl bins because, he says, “everything is overproduced now.” —MCT

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

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Zebras and elephants graze in Tanzania.

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he lion isn’t sleeping tonight, and neither are most of the people around him. The eerie calls of male lions echo throughout the Serengeti at night. In a tent, even a luxury one, it is an unsettling sound, but the workers at the comfortable Kirawira Lodge in the western Serengeti smile reassuringly and insist that lions can’t work the zippers on the tent flaps. But even without opposable thumbs, there’s the matter of the menacing claws and sharp teeth that can bring down water buffaloes and tear wildebeest flesh from the bone. Canvas is no match for that, right? Tanzanians just laugh and reassure the wageni (tourists) that most lions don’t like the smell of humans.

This is Tanzania, where the wild things are. The Serengeti plains are awash in curious sounds and

A Tanzanian mask is displayed. —MCT photos

amazing sights. During the annual, famed Great Migration, as many as 2 million animals make their way to greener pastures. The herds of grunting wildebeest and starkly painted zebras seek out plentiful water and rich grass, creating a noisy, roiling sea of hooves and hair all around the safari vehicle. These herbivores are closely watched by lions, leopards and cheetahs-carnivores looking to grab a lame animal or a newborn.

Flailing wildebeest trying to ford the rivers attract the snapping teeth of huge crocodiles that lie in wait in the muddy water. Vultures and hyenas bring up the rear, hoping to pick clean

Tanzania’s food chain up close and personal the bones. All these parts of the food chain are monitored by camera-toting tourists and their safari guides. An adult lioness with a scarred hide and two fresh-faced juvenile lions have brought down a wildebeest and are gnawing on the carcass as five Land Rovers and Land Cruisers, necessary vehicles for the rough roads in the national parks, halt about 5 feet away, their occupants poking their heads out the pop-up roofs and frantically pressing the buttons on their digital cameras.

It’s best not to have unrealistic expectations about what will be on display in the wild, though. Every safari guide has an eye-rolling tale of demanding tourists who said their uncle/cousin/best friend went to Tanzania and saw a huge pride of lions dramatically kill an elephant, so “take us to that place, so we can see that.” Amid all these amazing animals and glorious landscape, it can be easy to overlook the people. There are about 100 tribes in the country, many of them with interesting traditions and ways of life that go back hundreds of years.

Around the Serengeti, the Datoga, Maasai and Hadzabe (also called Bushmen) are cultural highlights. Many safari companies can arrange for visits to villages where you can see the Datoga’s intricate jewelry-making and beadwork and the Hadzabe’s crude bows and arrows wielded skillfully by young men.

The Maasai live in villages surrounded by a thorny corral to protect their cattle at night.

Cattle are everything to the Maasai; in fact, they believe that they are the true owners of all cattle in the world. A visit to a Maasai village usually includes a welcoming song and dance, an exhibition of fire-making and a traditional contest in which young men, wearing sandals made of old tires, jump to win the hand of the woman they desire.

From the wide, grassy plains of north-central Tanzania, the land changes dramatically on the drive to cool, blue Mount Kilimanjaro near the border with Kenya. For those not up to huffing and puffing their way for days to the 19,340-foot summit, a day hike is a great alternative. A hike to the first camping spot on the Coca-Cola Route (so called because it’s so popular) is mostly one through lush trees, foliage and waterfalls, and offers many chances to view curious blue monkeys and colobus monkeys, which have wizened, old-man faces.

A short plane trip takes visitors to Zanzibar, the spice islands and home of azure water.

Zanzibar, made up of two main islands, has a unique history and reflects a hodgepodge of influences. The twisting streets of Zanzibar’s heart, Stone Town, display Moroccan, Indian and Arabic influences. Ancient carved doors and interesting shops stuffed with bric-a-brac are around every corner. Queen’s flamboyant frontman, Freddie Mercury, was born in Zanzibar, and many places claim a tie to the late singer, selling

all manner of Mercury merchandise.

There are lovely coral reefs and colorful fish around Zanzibar, so a snorkeling or scuba-diving adventure is a must. We take a ride on one of the crude wooden boats that bob on the waters around the main islands, motoring to tiny Prison Island. After an afternoon of goofing on the amazing buoyancy of the Indian Ocean as we snorkel, a visit to the tortoise sanctuary is another treasure of the islands. The Prison Island tortoises make happy noises when visitors arrive to feed them and scratch their necks, which are as rough and tough as elephant hide. The sun sets in stripes of yellow, pink and purple, putting its mark on our day of sun, saltwater and ocean breezes, and capping our trip to Tanzania.

If you go:

Many things about visiting Tanzania are obvious and apply to most trips, such as not carrying large sums of money on the street, and leaving extravagant jewelry at home. Here are a few other tips for the Tanzania traveler: Book your trip through a well-known tour operator or safari company. A good company will handle everything, including providing a knowledgeable driver who speaks English and arranging airport transfers, hotel bookings, a flight to Zanzibar and a spice tour there. Here are a few reliable companies that offer an array of services and activities: Thomson Safaris (thomsonsafaris.com), Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.com), Naipenda Safaris (naipendasafaris.com) and Good Earth Tours (goodearthtours.com). Rough Guides’ Tanzania and Zanzibar books are a great source of information about hotels, restaurants and sights.

International flights go into Kilimanjaro International Airport or Julius Nyerere

International Airport, which is in Dar Es Salaam, the largest city. Kilimanjaro is convenient to the mountain and is about a one-hour drive from Arusha, the jumping-off point for safaris, so it’s an ideal place to land. For those going to Zanzibar first, the Dar Es Salaam airport would be the best place to fly into.

You will need malaria preventive, which is in pill form, and some vaccinations. Before you leave, visit a travel clinic, where you can get shots along with prescriptions for malaria preventive and traveler’s diarrhea pills. You can get a tourist visa at an embassy before your trip, or have $100 in cash ready to give to customs and immigration when you land.

The latter involves waiting in a long line at the airport, however. You can use American dollars in many tourist-friendly places in Tanzania, but it’s a good idea to exchange some dollars for Tanzanian shillings. Most hotels and large shops take credit cards, and there are several ATMs in the cities. It is perfectly acceptable to haggle in Tanzania, except in nice boutiques or shops. You likely will be quoted a high price at the tourist markets and shops and can counter with a figure of up to half as much and typically be successful.

Tourists travel via safari vehicles, usually Land Rovers and Land Cruisers. Safari companies also use some small buses. Be sure to tip your driver, your guide on Mount Kilimanjaro and anyone else who works hard for you in this poor nation.

A set amount per day for your safari driver guide of $40-$60 (depending on the number of people in your group) is typical. Be polite and patient.

Rudeness and impatience are puzzling to Tanzanians. When on Africa time, you might arrive at your destination an hour or two later than expected. Relax and say, “Hakuna matata” (no worries). — MCT

A boy runs down a sidewalk in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Anti-suicide Trevor Project to honor Radcliffe

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our wedding colors are one of the first planning decisions you need to make. Not sure where to start? Just consider one of these fail-safe color palette ideas from WeddingChannel.com.

(new!)

wedding color ideas

1. Dove gray and peach Put a new twist on the “peaches and cream” look by subbing in soft gray for a sophisticated, chic look.

2. Shades of blue and cream This easy, breezy color palette is easy to personalize with patterns.

3. Crimson and black Nothing quite says urban chic and sophisticated like this romantic duo.

4. Shades of green For most brides, green is an automatic accent color because of the bouquets. But it can take center stage when shades of mint, lime and sour apple are grouped together (perfect for a summer wedding).

5. Violet, lavender and purple The same trick works for purple. If you can’t pick just one or two colors, then opt for a color palette like this one, featuring several shades within the same family.

6. Sunflower and dark gray Add a little sophistication to any summertime wedding by adding touches of gray to a bright hue, like golden yellow.

7. Lime and bubble gum pink Bright pink and lime scattered throughout the reception decor make for an instant laid-back, beachy vibe.

8. Ivory and moss Give your wedding a woodsy, rustic feel with these subdued, earthy colors.

9. Navy and tangerine Dress up your wedding with a classic formal color, like navy, but keep things from getting too stuffy with a vibrant hue, like tangerine.

10. Orange and deep fuchsia These oddball colors look pulledtogether when paired with a subdued brown accent color.

11. Turquoise and chocolate This color combination is the classic for a rustic yet elegant wedding.

12. Ecru and gold Accent this classic color palette with lots of warm candlelight and rich gold details in the room decor.

13. Brown, garnet and yellow Perfect for an October or November wedding; embrace the fall season with this rich color palette.

14. Powder blue and midnight black Mixing muted tones like this soft blue and a not-quite-jet-black midnight gives the wedding a sophisticated, formal feel.

15. Red and matte white While a red and white combo would be perfect for a traditional Chinese theme, you could just as easily use these colors for a preppy bayside wedding.

16. Steel and ice blue Give the groomsmen something they’ll love to wear, with this masculine color palette.

17. Mint green and pure white There’s something so classic and clean about this summery combination.

18. Black and white There’s plenty of room for variety and splashes of accent colors (think: magenta, yellow or lilac) with black and white as your backdrop.

19. Bright red and citrine Regal? You bet. These bold colors are ideal for an upscale ballroom affair.

20. Dusty rose and antique gold It’s soft and romantic; you can also give this combination a formal spin with gold charger plates and dusty pink peony centerpieces. —MCT

Mix and match different shades of purple for a lovely wedding palette.

— MCT photos

Wedding touches, big and small

(From left) Wedding gowns from BHLDN, Pleated Fantasy, $3,600; Tiered Tulip, $2,400; Ribboned Silk, $1,600. —MCT

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f you’re in the midst of planning a wedding, you’re in luck: Today’s brides-to-be have a wide range of stylish options. Let’s start at the top. It might seem like a lastminute detail, but a cake topper can make a wedding cake come to life and, more important, turn a tower of flour and fondant into a personal statement. Consider the work of paper sculptor Gwen Barba, who creates amazing toppers, made from acid-free paper, containing every last detail of a wedding dress, veil and tuxedo. She’ll even include glasses, dress embellishments and sculptures of your dog(s) if you so desire.

When the champagne and cake are gone, you can still display the modern take on a cake topper. (You can order her toppers at

Concarta-www.concarta.blogspot.com).

Jennifer Behr makes some of the most beautiful and original hair accessories available, and her bridal collection is no exception.

There are dramatic headpieces and veils made of feathers and lace for the bride who likes something just a little over the top and vintage-inspired headbands and clips for the woman who wants a touch of sparkle somewhere in her hair. A whimsical headpiece is also an easy way to add some character to a simple dress and create an unforgettable look. (Her headbands are available at www.jenniferbehr.com).

And finally, when I first heard about the bridal line BHLDN (under the Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie umbrella), all I could pic-

When the champagne and cake are gone, you can still display the modern take on a cake topper, like these paper sculpted wedding-cake toppers from Concarta. ture were short, reworked vintage dresses that would fit only a teenager and maybe some bridesmaid dresses made from creamcolored flannel.

But not only is the line well-priced, it’s also modern and romantic. The gowns are vintage-inspired and unexpected, and they come in nontraditional colors, such as light

Stars K

ate Middleton and Prince William are a match. Just check their horoscopes. The couple will be delighted to know their star signs, Capricorn and Cancer, indicate they are highly compatible and have a good chance of having a successful marriage, according to leading British astrologers. “They probably feel like soul mates,” said Wendy Stacey, chair of the Astrological Association of Great Britain. Take it as a bunch of hooey or a celestial peek into the future. Just keep in mind that The Associated Press reported in 1981

File photo shows Astrologer Wendy Stacey poses with star charts she drew up for Kate Middleton and Prince William at her home . — AP

gray and a graphic poppy-and-white floral print, as well as more traditional tones. The accessories look more like heirlooms.

There are salmon pink sling-backs with a dainty bow at the toe and a simple netted veil with tiny white bows. Prices range from $80 to $4,000. ( You can order at www.bhldn.com.) —MCT

align for Britain’s royal wedding that an astrologer warned that Prince Charles, who was born under the complex sign of Scorpio, would have a “stormy marriage” in his union with Princess Diana, born under the sensitive, intuitive Cancer star sign.

Everyone knows how that ended up. Jay Lucan, who works with the British Astrological and Psychic Society said the new royal couple have “75 percent relationship compatibility” based on their star chartsgiving them “definitely a good chance” of outlasting William’s parents in matrimony. Both Stacey and Lucan acknowledge they cannot

confirm the accuracy of their predictions for many reasons. The biggest drawback is not knowing Middleton’s exact time of birth; Prince William’s was publicly announced as a matter of national interest. So what do the couple’s birth dates tell us? For starters, Middleton, born on Jan 9, 1982, is a Capricorn (an earth sign) while William, born June 21, 1982, is a Cancer (a water sign). Each star sign is designated an element: air, water, fire and earth. “Cancers and Capricorns are opposites as water and earth,” Stacey explains. —MCT