May 18, 2012 by Al Watan Daily

FRIDAY, MAY 18 , 2012

@alwatandaily

Issue No. 1438

20 PAGES

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150 Fils with IHT

MPs to file five additional interpellations

Mohammed Al-Khaldi, Osama Al-Qatari and Ahmed Al-Shemmari Staff Writers

KUWAIT: It appears this summer will witness a countless stream of interpellations, even though the government will likely survive them all. On Thursday, five interpellations were announced, including three to be submitted by the Majority Bloc, while the Minority Bloc is to submit the other two motions. MPs Saifi Al-Saifi and Riadh Al-Adsani announced their plan to jointly question the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ahmad Al-Rujaib immediately after the grilling of the Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali. Meanwhile, MP Abdurrahman Al-Anjeri threatened to question His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber AlMubarak Al-Sabah over the issue of social securities and the freeze of assets of the General Manager of the Social Securities Authority Fahad Al-Rajaan. Additionally, MP Dr. Khaled Shakheer revealed during a press conference, that he will grill the Defense Minister over the F18 fighter jet-deal, which according to him, is being arranged by the ministry. The lawmaker further disclosed that the deal amounts to 2.5 billion Kuwaiti dinars, while urging the prime minister to halt the deal. This comes at a time when MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel stated that the ultimatum he had given the Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah will expire on Wednesday. The MP recently questioned the minister over the issues of dual nationals and illegal residents and warned that he will file another motion to grill the minister if he fails to address these

Greek exit could cost eurozone 100s of billions of euros FRANKFURT: A Greek exit from the euro zone could expose the European Central Bank (ECB) and the currency bloc it seeks to protect to hundreds of billions of euros in losses, landing Germany and its partners with a crippling bill. A Greek departure would take Europe into uncharted legal waters. The size of the burden other euro zone states could bear gives them a powerful incentive to keep Greece in the currency club. With most of Greek’s private creditors having taken heavy writedowns as part of the country’s second, 130 billion euros bailout, it is estimated that the ECB, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and euro zone nations hold approaching 200 billion of its debt. “In the event of an exit, they (Greece) will default. And the loss given default will probably be very high, high enough to eliminate the ECB’s capital,” said Andrew Bosomworth, senior portfolio manager at asset manager Pimco. “They might need recapitalization from governments, who are not exactly in the best position to provide additional capital.” Those are not the only losses the ECB and its national shareholders might face as is explained in detail below. Even once Greece had left the currency club, the costs to the rest of the euro zone would continue to mount as it would probably be compelled to avert a complete Greek collapse and wider contagion. More on 9

issues. Al-Juwaihel noted that the fresh interpellation motion he will file against Minister Al-Humoud will revolve around traffic violations and Article 11 of the Constitution. According to the MP, there have been about 25361 traffic violations recorded against the names of individuals who have not committed the violations so that the real perpetrators can have their licenses renewed. He called on citizens not to pay the citations issued against them unless they verify the matter. In another development, a fire engulfed a warehouse in Sabhan on Thursday. The 4,000 meter square facility contained four stores for electronic gadgets, tires, household utensils and accessories. Firefighting brigades, backed up by the Army, National Guard and Oil Sector firefighters, managed to contain the fire with no lives lost. Only one firefighter sustained injuries and was consequently transferred to hospital for medical attention. Correspondingly, the Ministry of Interior on Thursday launched a major crackdown involving about 1,000 military personnel with the aim of purging the Amghara Scrap yard of illegal manpower engaged in menial jobs as well as suspects. At least 850 of various Asian and Arab nationals were arrested and sent to the Deportation Center for further action. Citations were also issued against 180 shops found to be in violation of the set laws and regulations. In the process, security forces found various contraband, including hashish, heroin, pornographic films, liquor, shots and telephone gadgets used for illegal international calls. In other news, around 200 Bedouns (stateless Arabs) staged a protest Thursday evening in Teima where they chanted demands for nationality and freedoms. Patrol police and Special Forces moved to the site where the protesters were dispersed.

Health insurance to be granted for firemen

Kuwait’s energy consumption up by 66 percent: Study KUWAIT: Kuwait’s energy consumption, which makes up roughly 16 percent of the oil-rich Gulf nation’s oil production, has risen by 66 percent compared to the year 2000, according to a recent study. Kuwait consumes around 413,000 barrels per day, exceeding output rise of only 14 percent, showed the study, released by the Diplomatic Center for Strategic Studies. Kuwait’s growing energy consumption is a key challenge to strategic development goals in the country, added the study, a copy of which was obtained by KUNA. It deemed the hike in energy consumption a big problem not only to Kuwait but to several world countries as well. However, it listed main obstacles to Kuwait’s strategic oil plan targeting an output rise to four million barrels per day by 2020 as poor oil infrastructure and technological complications of stupendous oil and gas reserves development. Global oil industry in general is predicted to face major challenges in the coming decades amid expectations of high demand for oil hitting 35 percent by 2035, the study indicated. The Arab region, which has a population of 350 million, consumes 10.8 million barrels of energy, making up five percent of the world’s total energy consumption, it added. In Arab countries, per capita consumption of energy hits 11.4 barrels per annum, which is the fastest rate in the world. -KUNA

Mladic war crimes trial halted over ‘irregularities’

THE HAGUE: The war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic was abruptly halted on Thursday, just a day after it opened, because of prosecution “irregularities” in the high-profile case. The decision was announced by the presiding judge shortly after the prosecution described the “horror” of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre it says was orchestrated by Mladic, the worst atrocity in Europe since World War II. “The hearing is adjourned sine die (indefinitely),” said judge Alphons Orie, three hours into the trial’s second day at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. He said there were “irregularities” in the transfer of prosecution documents to the defense to enable it to prepare for the trial, but that the court hoped to announce a date soon for the resumption of proceedings. Mladic, the so-called “Butcher of Bosnia”, is charged on 11

counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the 1992-1995 Bosnian war, and in particular the Srebrenica massacre of almost 8,000 Muslim men and boys. Before the adjournment, prosecutors showed a series of videos taken in Srebrenica after the mass killings on July 11, 2005 in what was meant to be a UN-protected enclave. The footage showed the former general triumphantly entering Srebrenica and congratulating his men. In one video, the bodies of Srebrenica Muslims are stacked in piles along a road. In another, Mladic declares: “We give this town to the Serbs as a gift.” “Mladic himself was on the ground and personally involved,” prosecuting counsel Peter McCloskey told the court. Mladic, now 70, often shook his head during proceedings, though at times a faint smile crossed his lips as prosecutors played video of him giving orders to troops or speaking with journalists. -AFP

Paralyzed woman uses thoughts to move robotic arm

Local residents gather at the crash site of a light Mushshak plane after it crashed on a house in the Rashkai area, 160 kilometers northwest of the capital on May 17, 2012. (AFP) More on 5

A gathering of Bedoun (stateless Arabs) are seen holding the Kuwaiti ﬂag and posters of their Highnesses the Amir and Crown Prince, as they demonstrate for the right to citizenship, on Thursday, May 17, 2012. (Al Watan)

Three Palestinians ‘resume’ hunger strike

GAZA: Three Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are refusing food, despite the signing this week of a deal to end a mass prisoner hunger strike, Israeli and Palestinian officials said on Thursday. An official from the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, which tracks the well-being of the 4,700 Palestinians in Israeli jails, told AFP that “prisoners Mahmud Sarsak, Akram Rikhawi and Mohammed Abdel Aziz are still on hunger strike.” The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said none of the three had ever stopped their protest, even after prisoner leaders on Monday accepted a package of Israeli measures easing conditions in exchange for the end of a mass hunger strike that had grown to include about 1,550 detainees. Israel Prisons Services spokeswoman Sivan Weizman confirmed that Sarsak and Rikhawi were refusing food, but said they had briefly stopped their hunger strikes on Monday, before resuming them on Tuesday. There was no immediate confirmation from Weizman about Abdel Aziz. “They ate on Monday night with the rest of the prisoners who ended their hunger strike,” she told AFP of Sarsak and Rikhawi. “The prisoners then declared that they want to continue their hunger strike.” “Both are under medical supervision in the prison clinic in

Twitter joins Firefox effort to thwart online tracking SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter on Thursday took a stand for online privacy by backing a Firefox web browsing feature that lets people signal that they don’t want their Internet activity tracked. Nonprofit foundation Mozilla added a “Do Not Track” option last year that tells websites when visitors don’t want online behavior noted by snippets of code typically planted to target advertising or streamline services. “We’re excited that Twitter now supports Do Not Track and global user adoption rates continue to increase, which signifies a big step forward,” Mozilla public policy chief Alex Fowler said in a blog post. Nearly nine percent of people using Firefox on desktop computers and a fifth of those using the web browser on mobile gadgets have opted to use the Do Not Track feature, with its popularity highest in France, Netherlands, and the United States. US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chief technical officer Ed Felten announced while on a privacy panel at an Internet conference in New York City that globally popular one-to-many text messaging Twitter had signed on to the program. Websites have to agree to honor the desires of Firefox users not to be tracked, and the move by Twitter means it will abide by those wishes. -AFP

Ramle, near Tel Aviv, and in good condition.” Weizman said Sarsak began refusing food on April 4, and was calling on Israel to recognize him as a prisoner of war. Rikhawi is protesting his jailing without charge under an administrative detention order, which is issued by a military court and allows Israel to hold detainees without trial for renewable periods of six months. The use of administrative detention was a key inspiration for the mass hunger strike that swept through the Palestinian population in Israeli jails in recent months. Early this year, prisoner Khader Adnan drew international attention by refusing food for 66 days to protest his administrative detention, eventually winning a deal under which Israel agreed not to renew his detention order. He was followed by Hanaa Shalabi, who refused food for 43 days to protest her imprisonment without charge. She agreed to a deal under which Israel deported her from the West Bank to Gaza, where she must remain for three years. Other prisoners who began refusing food alongside Shalabi continued their hunger strike, and they were joined by hundreds more in April, prompting international organisations and foreign governments to express concern. -AFP

Small bombs go off in Bangladesh strike

Syria shells rebel bastion, opposition chief resigns

DAMASCUS: Syrian forces sent shells crashing into rebel stronghold Rastan on Thursday, a watchdog said, hours after President Bashar Al-Assad branded the armed opposition as “criminals” infiltrated by Al-Qaeda. Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 30 shells smashed into Rastan in a 10-minute period after midnight, and urged UN observers monitoring a shaky truce to immediately rush to the town in central Homs province. “The army is trying to gradually destroy Rastan,” Abdel Rahman told AFP. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Rastan has for months been the focus of an offensive by the regime as it attempts to regain control of the town, defended by the largest concentration of rebel soldiers in the country and More on 4 encircled by the army.

Donna Summer, Queen of Disco, dies at 63

NEW YORK: Disco queen Donna Summer, whose pulsing anthems such as “Last Dance,” “Love to Love You Baby” and “Bad Girls” became the soundtrack for a glittery age of sex, drugs, dance and flashy clothes, has died. She was 63. Her family released a statement, saying Summer died Thursday morning and that they “are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.” “Words truly can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time,” the statement read. Summer had been living in Englewood, Fla., with her husband Bruce Sudano. Summer came to prominence just as disco was burgeoning, and came to define the era with a string of No. 1 hits and her More on 17 beauty queen looks.

Disco queen Donna Summer, whose pulsing anthems such as “Last Dance,” ‘’Love to Love You Baby” and “Bad Girls” became the soundtrack for a glittery age of sex, drugs, dance and ﬂashy clothes, has died. She was 63. (AP)

ALWATAN DAILY

kuwait

friDAY, may 18, 2012

Kuwait ranks second globally in misuse of natural resources Sameer Fouad Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Kuwait ranked second worldwide among countries that misuse natural resources due to carbon emissions and also ranked second in the share per person in environment, which measures the increase in demand and human consumption of natural resources, compared to the ability of replenishing those resources. This indicator was issued by Swiss World Wildlife Fund in collaboration with Animal Society in London. It is worth noting that the top 10 countries worldwide are Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Denmark, United

States, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Holland, and Ireland. The fund’s general manager explained that humans drain 50 percent more than what the earth can produce permanently, and warned that if human’s consumption rate does not slow down, the previous rate will increase significantly by 2030. He imagined that even if humans discover two more planets like earth, their available resources will not be sufficient. He noted the increase in consumption rate of natural resources and the hot climate, in addition to achieving fast growth rates at certain periods, which increases the share in people living in Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE in the environment. He said that over 70 percent of the environment

print of those countries is a result of the high consumption rates of commodities and carbonic services, such as power, which makes carbon dioxide the most prominent environment print by 54 percent. He stressed that this reflects the dire need of decreasing emissions of carbon dioxide that changes the world climate. Moreover, UAE Minister of Environment and Water Rasheed Bin Fahad mentioned that the UAE is making developments to improve clean energy and encourage the ideal usage of natural sources. Meanwhile, a report stated that the environment print of countries with high income is five times more than

countries with low income. It added that the environment print has multiplied since 1966. The report went on to say that the misuse of natural resources has led to a drop in the number of animals, birds, and fish around the world by 30 percent during the past 40 years. The report revealed that the world had lost 13 million hectares of forests every year from 2000-2010, and called for lowering the demand for lands, water, and power, in addition to changing government policies regarding environment protection. However, countries must also increase their gross domestic product (GDP), therefore the report asked wealthy countries to focus on decreasing environment print; especially in the field of carbon dioxide emissions.

Safar: Turning country to oil capital is under study

Sheikha Fareeha Al-Ahmad on visit to Armenia

KUWAIT: The concept of making “Kuwait the world’s oil capital” will see the light after being studied comprehensively, Minister of Public Works, Minister of State for Planning and Development Fadhil Safar revealed on Thursday. On the fringes of a preparatory meeting for the country’s second mid-term development plan, Safar told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the idea of turning Kuwait into a world oil capital goes along with the concept of turning it also into a financial and commercial hub. This could be accomplished by offering a complete set of Kuwaiti oil and manufacturing industries

and providing job opportunities for 21,000 potential employees, the minister said during last night’s meeting that included the presence of representatives for the Kuwaiti oil and industrial sectors. The meeting provided a good opportunity to discusses some of the challenges that hinder the performance of these two sectors such as the lack of space to set up these industries and bureaucracy Ahmad AlArabied, a former leading figure in the oil industry, commented that more than 200 Kuwaitis academics and former leaders in the oil sector are writing out a framework document on their idea of “Kuwait as a world’s oil capital.” -KUNA

Human Rights organization investigates citizen’s torture in Cairo

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan (right) receives Sheikha Fareeha Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (left) on Thursday, May 17, 2012. (KUNA)

YEVERAN: President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received on Thursday Sheikha Fareeha Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, President of Kuwait Association for The Ideal Family at the presidential headquarters. Sheikha Fareeha met First lady of Armenia, Rita Sargsyan. During the meeting, they discussed issues of women, family and children in both countries.

She also met the Armenian Minister of Culture, Hasmik Poghosyan, tackling means of enhancing and bolstering cooperation between the two countries to better serve issues related to the family, women and children. The Armenian First Lady held a luncheon in honor of Sheikha Fareeha Al-Ahmad and the accompanying

delegation. Sheikha Fareeha, who also paid a humanitarian visit to a poor family in Armenia, was accompanied by the Kuwait’s Ambassador to Armenia Bassam Mohammed Al-Qabandi, Armenian Ambassador to Kuwait Fadi Sharshogliyan, and wife of the foreign minister of the Asian nation. -KUNA

KUWAIT: The Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) said in a statement on Thursday that it promised a delegation from the Kuwait Society for Human Rights (KSHR) to follow up on a case in which Kuwaiti police academy student, Abdulaziz Al-Enzi, was allegedly tortured recently in Cairo. The Kuwaiti delegation asked to investigate the case and called for penalizing the negligent officials. KHRS said in its statement that the Kuwaiti delegation visited Egypt’s capital city and met with the

Health insurance to be granted for firemen Hamed Al-Sayyed

Ataa Academy signs agreement to support special needs persons Mohammad Khalid Staff Writer

KUWAIT: The Chairman of Ataa Academy,Ahmad Al-Farisi, said that the academy exerts hard efforts to cooperate with the different Arab and International organizations who are interested aiding the disabled. He indicated that such cooperation aims at submitting better services to special needs persons. Speaking to the press on the sidelines of an agreement signed between the academy and the Albanian Center for Culture and Islamic Civilization, Al-Farisi said that Ataa Academy is the first Arab media academy of its kind in the Arab region. “The academy looks forward to gathering the biggest possible number of satellite channels and media means under the same roof in order to cater and help people with special needs, in addition to allow them to mingle with other society members and lead a normal life,” said Al-Farisi. He added that a special team, including special needs members, will be formed to train special needs people to be active society members. On his part, the Chairman of the Albanian center Farouq Borova expressed happiness for visiting Kuwait and signing the agreement, emphasizing that media means can play a significant role to enhance efforts of supporting humanitarian projects in the different relevant countries.

Staff Writer

Swazi parliament speaker extols KRCS humanitarian role KUWAIT: Speaker of the House of Assembly (lower house of the parliament of Swaziland) Prince Guduza Dlamini said Thursday Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) plays a great role in relief efforts worldwide. Speaking to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) here after his meeting with KRCS Deputy Chairman Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer, Prince Guduza said the society is implementing distinguished humanitarian relief programs in several countries hit by natural or man-made disasters. “The talks with Dr. Al-Sayer focused on ways to exchange experience and enhance cooperation and visit exchanges between the KRCS and the Baphalali Swaziland Red Cross Society (BSRCS),” he disclosed. “The meeting reviewed the relief efforts being made by KRCS in several disaster-hit places across the world,” he added Prince Guduza expressed his country’s desire to boost cooperation and the friendly ties with the State of Kuwait in all domains on coordinate stances on the regional and international issues. Prince Guduza, arrived here on Monday, May 14, leading a parliamentary delegation on an official visit to Kuwait. -KUNA

Secretary General of AOHR Ala’a Shalabi, as well as other relevant figures. They also discussed the latest developments of the case, given that the Kuwaiti student has been submitted to a Psychiatry Hospital in Cairo. The statement was released on the sidelines of the workshop which was held by AOHR for human rights’ activists. Such step is considered to be a significant one as some Arab countries are still undergoing the revolution of the Spring Arab.

KUWAIT: Firemen, who risk their lives to save people and their properties at all times, still feel that they have not been granted all their rights. Although they have been equalized with policemen lately, they still have many demands that have not yet been met by the Civil Service Commission, such as approving the health insurance project for firemen that is still being studied by the General Fire Service Directorate, Civil Service Commission, Ministry of Health, and other authorities. Al Watan met several officials at the General Fire Service Directorate and its union in order to shed light on the obstacles that face the implementation of the health insurance system for firefighters, and to determine the demands made by firefighters. It is worth noting that the annual cost for the implementation of the project reaches one million Kuwaiti dinars per year, where every fireman is allocated KD 200,000 every year. The concerned authorities are attempting to include all people working at the directorate and their families under the health insurance umbrella, in addition to civil employees. The Deputy General Manager (GM) of the General Fire Service Directorate Brigadier Youssef AlAnsari stressed that the directorate is keen to offer firefighters all means of health care. He added that the directorate has coordinated with several government authorities that have already applied the health insurance system on their employees, such as the oil sector.

He went on to say that the directorate cares for the health and safety of its employees, and noted that the preplanned coordination between the directorate and the Ministry of Health has prioritized medical treatment for firefighters; especially if they get injured on duty. Firefighters will also be favored during regular visits to hospitals and health centers, in addition to overseas treatment, if necessity demands. He revealed that many firefighters are sent overseas for medical treatment every year when they cannot be treated in Kuwait. He stated that after following safety regulations, the number of injured firefighters is constantly dropping, and stated that firefighters have been receiving the same benefits that policemen receive. He explained that this led to increasing their allowances, creating new allowances, increasing basic salary and pension, lowering age for retirement, and other privileges. Meanwhile, Deputy Fire Service Directorate General Manager for Financial and Administrative Affairs Brigadier Khaled Al-Tarkeet said that the directorate has taken great strides in implementing the health insurance system for firefighters. He added that a comprehensive study has been conducted regarding the project, but Article 40 must be amended, in order for the project to be applicable. He explained that a statement that stipulates that the directorate will pay for the expenses of health insurance for its employees must be added, and stressed that the directorate is keen to cover firefighters, civilians, and their families under the insurance umbrella.

US skateboarder: Kuwait could become tourist destination for skateboarding

KUWAIT: Seth Levy, a US skateboard instructor, firmly believed that Kuwait could have a lot of potential to become a tourist destination that would attract international and professional skaters. Levy described his first visit to Kuwait as “an exploratory mission.” He came to the Gulf country with little expectations but discovered a small active skateboarding community between the ages of (13 to 20 years old) who skated several times a week. Those kids “have a natural talent to become professional skateboarders. They only need guidance and places to ride,” said Levy in a cozy sit down with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) here Wednesday. “If they were given the right circumstances, those kids could become world-class professionals,” Levy emphasized. He went on saying that in order to achieve that proper concrete skate-parks should be set up in the country to provide venues where skaters could progress and grow to much higher levels in the sport.

The enthusiastic 24-year-old Levy, also a skatepark designer and a former professional skateboarder, has been in an endeavor to develop the skateboarding culture in countries that lack the landscape for such extreme sport; hence his focus on the Middle East region. Levy did not only visit Kuwait in 2011 but he also made other trips to Bahrain, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia to spread the word about skateboarding. As part of his long-term vision for skateboarding here, Levy said that he would like to bring competition to Kuwait by having a world cup for skateboarding. Skaters from around the world would come to compete not only with professionals but also with the local kids. A competition of such caliper would definitely encourage the kids here to perform better, said Levy. He explained that through his endeavor to spread the culture of skateboarding, he created his “Step Up” program to develop this sport within the country. He noted that the program involved three steps: the first step to set a good distribution strategy where local retailers are encouraged to sell

skateboarding parts at lower prices to make them affordable for everyone. The second step would be to work with private entities or with the government to provide good places for skateboarders to ride. Thirdly, holding public demonstration to show people what skateboarding is like. This time around, Levy did not come alone. He brought two of his fellow skateboarders, Lizzie Armanto, currently the number one ranked female skater in the United States and Ben Hatchell, one of skateboarding’s most popular young skaters. Aramanto, 19, and Hatchell, 22, came out here to help Levy to spread the word about skateboarding, share their experiences and talk about what this sport gave for them. On Thursday, May 17, the three conduct a skateboarding clinic and exhibition at the Marina Waves Skateboard Park, which is open to the public. On Friday, May 18, there will be a competition for local skaters at the Marina Waves Skateboard Park. The US Embassy, along with its partner Extreme Sports, is sponsoring Levy’s visit. -KUNA

(From right) US skateboarder Hatchell, Seth Levy and Lizzie Armanto on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. (KUNA)

ALWATAN DAILY

KUWAIT

fridAY, may 18, 2012

MP Al-Dallal says may submit article 79 amendment in different format Compiled by Al Watan Daily

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahamd Al-Sabah blocked a proposal by 31 of the 50 elected members of parliament (MPs) to amend the Constitution to make all legislation comply with Islamic law, an MP said on Thursday. The approval of Sheikh Sabah is needed for any constitutional change. On Wednesday, the Amir rejected a proposal that suggests amending Article 79 of the Constitution, saying that it is not compatible with Sharia (Islamic law). The reasons behind the rejection of the proposal were based on the fact that the Kuwaiti Constitution includes several articles which are Islamic-oriented, including the second article which states that Sharia is a main source of legislation. “His Highness the Amir is not in favor,” said Mohammad Al-Dallal, an Islamist MP and legal expert. The proposal was put forward by the Islamic Justice Bloc and signed by 31 lawmakers, he said. Islamist MPs have proposed amending the constitution in this way several times in the past. This time, they asked to change Article 79 to make Sharia “the

only source” of legislation rather than a major or main source as it is now. Political parties are banned in Kuwait so MPs have to rely on forming blocs in parliament. The 15-member Cabinet selected by the prime minister can also vote in parliament. “We must think again about convincing the Amir or submitting it again in another format,” Al-Dallal said. “Our society is a conservative society, a lot of people request that laws comply with Sharia. We also do not have a stable political system,” he said, adding such an amendment could help make lawmaking less chaotic. Like elsewhere in the region, Islamists have made political gains in the major oil producer. With many campaigning on an anti-corruption platform, Islamists increased their share of parliamentary seats in Kuwait after a snap election in February which ushered in its fourth parliament in six years. Kuwait, a regional US ally, is ruled by a Sunni Muslim monarchy and states Islam as its official religion. About 85 percent of Kuwait’s population is thought to be Muslim. The next biggest groups are expatriate Hindus and Christians.

MP Mohammad Al-Dallal (right) and MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji (left) are seen in parliamentary committee meeting held on Thursday, May 17, 2012. (Al Watan)

PM heads inaugural meeting of Police busts visa-trafficking racket Supreme Council of Privatization KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah headed Thursday the first meeting of the Kuwait Supreme Council of Privatization, held at Seif Palace. Addressing the council members, the Premier underlined the important role of the council in regulating the state agencies’ privatization plans. “Kuwait is facing great challenges of ending its economy’s dependence on oil revenues and moving to a diverse economy based on evenhanded cooperation between the private and public sectors to implement His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s desire to turn Kuwait into a financial and commercial hub,” Sheikh Jaber said. He pointed out that the state aims to help the private sector lead the Kuwaiti economy in the near future. Sheikh Jaber underlined that the Supreme Council of Privatization would steer

the restructuring process of state-owned companies to achieve the aspired economic progress. “The privatization program aims to bolster the competitiveness of local companies to improve the quality of their products, create job opportunities, end government control of the different economic activities and increase citizens’ contributions to the economy,” he said. The Prime Minister stressed that the privatization programs have to protect the rights of Kuwaiti employees and help them upgrade their skills to cope with the market demands, take necessary measures to oblige the private sector to protect the environment and raise the quality of products. He called for launching an awareness campaign to introduce the advantages of the privatization program to the people so as to assuage any fears they may harbor about it. -KUNA

Ambassador lauds strong Kuwaiti-Cypriot ties

Kuwaiti Ambassador in Cyprus Ahmed Salim Wuhaib and Cypriot Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Neoklis Sylikiotis during their meeting held on Thursday, May 17, 2012. (KUNA)

ANKARA: Kuwaiti Ambassador in Cyprus Ahmed Salim Wuhaib praised the Kuwaiti-Cyprus relations, stressing the need to bolster bilateral cooperation particularly in the economic domain. These remarks were made by Wuhaib following his meeting with Cypriot Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Neoklis Sylikiotis. The diplomat pointed out the meeting focused on means to bolster trade and industrial relations and tourism between the two countries. He also underlined the importance of exchanging visits between of-

ficials of Kuwait and Cyprus. These visits would buttress relations between the two countries and contribute to the strengthening of bilateral cooperation, the Ambassador said. He stressed that Kuwait and Cyprus have great economic potential that have not been invested yet to enhance bilateral trade and industrial relations. For his part, Cypriot Minister Sylikiotis stressed the importance of activating the signed joint agreements between the two countries as well as holding meetings between officials from both sides. -KUNA

Egypt’s tourism minister lauds ties with Kuwait CAIRO: Egyptian Minister of Tourism Muneer Abdel-Nour hailed Thursday Egyptian-Kuwaiti relations in diverse fields, especially tourism. Speaking at a meeting with a visiting Kuwaiti business delegation, led by Chairman of Kuwait House for National Business and Gulf Producers Union Yusuf AlEmeri, the Egyptian minister said Kuwaiti investments in Egypt, particularly in tourism, are on the increase. He said he had discussed with the Kuwaiti guests how Egypt can effectively capitalize on Arab initiatives and festivals aiming to promote and reactivate tourism in and travel to Egypt. For his part, Al-Emeri said he had discussed with the Egyptian minister of tourism ways and means of supporting tourism in Egypt by means of holding tourist festivals and activities. Kuwait has launched several initiatives to promote tourism in Egypt following the country’s Jan. 25, 2011 revolution, he said. -KUNA

MANAMA: Kuwait has arrested two men, a Gulf national and an Arab, for their alleged involvement in an extensive visa-trafficking racket, reported Gulf News. The pair allegedly brought into Kuwait 95 foreigners who paid them a total of 130,000 Kuwaiti dinars for their visas. The Gulf national reportedly claimed he had 15 companies and that he needed the visas to help bring in workers from abroad. The Arab national allegedly sold the visas to the foreigners lured by lucrative contracts in the

Journalists visit Indian Parliament

NEW DELHI: On the penultimate day of their ongoing five-day visit to India, the ten-member Kuwaiti journalist delegation visited the Indian Parliament and met Lok Sabha (Lower House) Speaker Meira Kumar and Rajya Sabha (Upper House) Chairman Hamid Ansari. Ansari is also the country’s Vice-President. As per the Indian Constitution, India’s Vice-President is also the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament). Both the Indian leaders laid out a hearty welcome to the visiting journalists and expressed hope that their visit would prove as a yet another milestone in solidifying the ‘close and strong ties between the two countries. Ansari, who had paid an official visit to Kuwait in 2009, told the journalist-delegates that both the nations enjoy ancient ties since the modern age and pre-oil times. “Imprints of Kuwait can still be seen along the Mumbai coast, where Kuwaiti traders used to once come to trade in spices and other commodities,” he said. He added that the Indian community working in Kuwait always praises their employers. “People-to-people relationship is very important as it proves in defining the foreign policy of any two countries,” he stated. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar hailed the age-old friendly ties between the two sides. She made a special emphasis about both India and Kuwait having democratic set up and a written Constitution. “Democracy has flourished in India for 60 years, and will continue to do so in future. It’s a multi-religion and multi-ethnic country, which is a house to the second largest Muslim population in the world,” she said. Replying to a question on the role of women in Indian politics, she informed the Kuwaiti journalists that there were “one million elected women representatives” in India at different levels, from village to corporations and local bodies. “Besides, some of the top positions in Indian politics, like President, Lok Sabha Speaker, Leader of Opposition and UPA Chairperson, are also occupied by women,” she added. To another question on the role of women politicians in improving India-Pakistan relations, she informed the delegates that the Speaker of Pakistani Parliament was a “close friend” of her. “Recently I visited Pakistan on an invitation from my Pakistani counterpart and I was overwhelmed by the warmth and love they showered on me. I have also invited Pakistani Parliament to visit India in near future,” she added. Before meeting the two Indian leaders, the Kuwaiti journalists also visited the Parliament Museum, where they had a glimpse of Indian art, culture, War of Independence, and India’s form of governance. -KUNA

country. However, the police discovered that the companies did not exist and that the foreigners were told to look for jobs in the country on the “free visa” basis. The Arab man who reportedly arranged for brining in the foreigners from different countries was given KD 300 (1,072 US dollars) for each of the visas he sold, a local Arabic daily Al-Anba reported on Thursday. The foreigners arrested for their role in the swindle said that they paid between KD 1,200

($4,290) and KD 1,500 ($5,361) for the visa. The police are now seeking to arrest all those involved in the trafficking racket discovered after the immigration and nationality undersecretary was tipped about the bogus companies owned by the Gulf national. According to the daily, the Gulf national whose identity was not revealed said that he set up his “business” in Kuwait after he discovered that trafficking in visas was relatively easy. The Arab said that he conducted his operations mainly in cafes where he offered services.

Kuwait undergoes remarkable economic progress under Amir: Ambassador Al-Tunaib

Kuwaiti Consul General in Hong Kong Bader Al-Tunaib (right) is handed a token of appreciation from an Asian diplomat on Wednesday, May 18, 2012. (KUNA)

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwaiti Consul General in Hong Kong Bader Al-Tunaib has lauded the remarkable economic and social development in Kuwait under the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. In a press statement, Al-Tunaib also hailed Thursday the distinguished bilateral relations between Kuwait and Hong Kong. “Kuwait is eager to develop and strengthen ties with Hong Kong as it works to diversify

its economy and turn into a commercial hub for the region,” Al-Tuniab said. These remarks were made by Al-Tuniab during a banquet, the diplomat held for Asian ambassadors and top diplomats. He pointed out that Kuwait has signed lately a number of important cooperation agreements with China, related to encouragement and protection of investments, double taxation avoidance, and economic cooperation - indications of strengthening the cooperation between the two nations. -KUNA

Embassy in Uzbekistan hosts charity exhibition for disabled, orphans

Diplomatic Attaché in the Kuwaiti Embassy to Uzbekistan Mohammed Lafi Al-Fuhaid receives letter of appreciation Thursday, May 17, 2012. (KUNA)

MOSCOW: Kuwait Embassy to Uzbekistan hosted a charity exhibition for the disabled and orphans on Wednesday. Diplomatic Attaché in the embassy Mohammed Lafi Al-Fuhaid told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the exhibition was held under the supervision of Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry and auspices of it Deputy Foreign Minister Oy-

bek Usmanov. Al-Fuhaid added that the exhibition showcased a variety of Kuwaiti traditional food, Arabic coffee and tea, along with desserts. The Kuwaiti diplomat noted that he had personally received a letter of appreciation from the Uzbek Deputy Foreign Minister for hosting the charitable event. -KUNA

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FRIDAY, may 18, 2012

Syria shells rebel bastion, opposition chief resigns DAMASCUS: Syrian forces sent shells crashing into rebel stronghold Rastan on Thursday, a watchdog said, hours after President Bashar Al-Assad branded the armed opposition as “criminals” infiltrated by Al-Qaeda. Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 30 shells smashed into Rastan in a 10-minute period after midnight, and urged UN observers monitoring a shaky truce to immediately rush to the town in central Homs province. “The army is trying to gradually destroy Rastan,” Abdel Rahman told AFP. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Rastan has for months been the focus of an offensive by the regime as it attempts to regain control of the town, defended by the largest concentration of rebel soldiers in the country and encircled by the army. Clashes across Syria continue despite an April 12 truce brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan as part of a six-point plan aimed at ending violence that has swept Syria since March 2011, when the uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad erupted. Al-Assad, in an interview with Russian state news channel Rossia-24, on Wednesday accused the West of ignoring violence by “terrorists” and said he would demand an explanation from Annan when he visits Damascus later this month. He complained that, since the arrival of the UN observers there had been an increase in “terrorist attacks” despite a reduction in “direct confrontation” between government forces and their foes. “The West only talks about violence, violence on the government side. There is not a word about the terrorists. We are still waiting,” he said. “I will ask him (Annan) what this is about” when he next visits Syria. Al-Assad denounced the armed opposition as a gang of “criminals” who he said contained religious extremists, including members of Al-Qaeda. He also said many “foreign

Bahrain warns Iran against meddling in its affairs

DUBAI: Bahrain on Thursday warned Iran to stop interfering in its internal affairs while affirming its support for a union between the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa made the remarks a day after Iran called on its people to protest on Friday against the union that Gulf officials say will start with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. “The union... is a demand by the people of the GCC,” Sheikh Khaled said according to the official BNA news agency, adding that Bahrain “rejects Iranian interference in the affairs of the kingdom.” The minister said that “every once in a while, we hear Iranian claims that Bahrain is the 14th governorate” of the Islamic republic and that Bahrainis want to “return to the motherland.” “This meddling and this Iranian stance is not just directed against Bahrain, but against everybody” in the Gulf bloc. Sheikh Khaled accused Iran of stoking tensions with its Arab neighbors, warning the Islamic republic would suffer the “consequences of these interventions.” But Iran hit back Thursday, with foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast saying “the proposed union or annexation of Bahrain to Saudi Arabia” would lead to the “disappearance” of the tiny Gulf archipelago. “It seems that internal problems - the repression by Bahraini leaders and the military of peaceful demonstrations and Saudi military intervention - have created an inappropriate situation. “We advise Bahrain’s leaders to change their ways and not aggravate the situation with such plans,” he added. Iran’s Islamic Propagation Coordination Council, which organizes state-backed protests, has urged citizens to protest on Friday against what they called “the American plan to annex Bahrain to Saudi Arabia and express their anger against the lackey regimes of Al-Khalifa and Al-Saud.” Saudi Arabia had earlier told Iran to keep out of its relations with Bahrain, a Shiite-majority but Sunni-ruled kingdom. Bahrain’s Shiite-led opposition meanwhile has called for protests on Friday against the union with Saudi Arabia. Tensions have escalated between Iran and its Gulf Arab neighbors since a Saudi-led Gulf force rolled into Bahrain in March 2011 to boost the kingdom’s security forces during protests against the monarchy. Shiite-dominated Iran has repeatedly voiced support for the protests in Bahrain and strongly condemned the deployment of Saudi-led forces. -AFP

A handout picture released by the Syrian opposition’s Shaam News Network on May 16, 2012 shows a group of Syrian soldiers announcing their defection to the opposition in Idlib, northwest of Syria. (AFP)

mercenaries” from Arab states fighting for the rebels had been killed. Russia, a key ally of Assad’s regime, cautioned Western powers on Thursday against launching “hasty” wars that could lead to the rise of radical Islamist factions and all-out regional war. “The consequence of hasty military operations in for-

eign states usually means that radicals come to power,” Russia’s premier and former president Dmitry Medvedev told a televised forum in Saint Petersburg. “And sometimes these actions - which undermine state sovereignty - could result in a fully-fledged regional war,” he said, in clear reference to Moscow’s current standoff with the West over Syria.

US military option on Iran ‘ready’: Envoy to Israel JERUSALEM: The United States has a military option “ready” if diplomacy fails to halt Iran’s controversial nuclear program, the US envoy to Israel has said, an Israeli newspaper reported on Thursday. “It would be preferable to resolve this diplomatically through the use of pressure than to use military force,” right-wing nationalist daily Makor Rishon quoted Daniel Shapiro as telling an Israeli bar association meeting this week. “But that doesn’t mean that option is not fully available,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “It is not just available, but it is ready, the necessary planning has been done to ensure that it is ready.” The United States, Israel and much of the international community believes Iran’s nuclear program masks a weapons drive, a charge Tehran denies, saying the program is for peaceful civilian energy and medical use. Washington has pursued a policy of pushing tough sanctions against Iran, while leaving the door open to a diplomatic resolution.

After a 15-month hiatus, Iran and the P5+1 powers - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany - held their first talks in Istanbul in midApril, which were described as “positive.” The parties agreed to more in-depth discussions in Baghdad on May 23. But Israel has expressed skepticism about the talks, warning they could simply give Tehran more time to pursue a weapon. And Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Monday that the demands being made of Tehran “are so minimalist that even if Iran were to accept all of them, it could still continue and advance its nuclear program.” Israel has publicly warned it is keeping all options, including a military strike, on the table when it comes to dealing with the Iranian nuclear program. Its stance on the issue has led to speculation that it could carry out unilateral military action, despite the caution of US officials who have repeatedly stressed that sanctions must be given a chance to work. -AFP

Turkey asks Israel to explain airspace ‘violation’: Report ANKARA: Turkey has sought an explanation from Israel in protest over an Israeli “violation” of the airspace of the Turkish northern part of Cyprus, the Anatolia news agency reported on Thursday. Turkey’s diplomats telephoned the charge d’affaires at the Israeli embassy in Ankara, Yosef Levi-Sfari, and demanded an explanation, Anatolia said, citing diplomatic sources. Contacted by AFP, Turkish foreign ministry officials said Ankara “has taken the necessary initiative on the issue,” without elaborating further. The Israeli aircraft violated the airspace of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) five times in Monday’s incident which saw Turkish fighter jets chase out the Israeli plane, the Turkish army command said in a statement. It gave no other details about the incident nor the type of Israeli plane involved in the alleged incursion over the breakaway Turkish Cypriot statelet, which is recognized only by Ankara. Israel and the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, led by Greek Cypriots, have both discovered

huge offshore natural gas deposits in the Mediterranean Sea and have tentatively discussed cooperation on delivering gas to European and Asian markets. The drilling for gas and oil in the seabed off Cyprus which began last year angered Turkey, which says it abuses the northern Turk Cypriots’ rights to the same resources. In April, Turkey launched its own exploratory drilling in the seabed offshore the TRNC in the north, drawing a sharp response from the government of Cyprus, which labeled the action as illegal. Turkey’s relations with Israel have soured since Israeli commandos in 2010 stormed a Turkish ship carrying activists trying to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, killing nine Turks. Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador and lowered diplomatic relations with the Jewish state to a second secretary level. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops occupied the northern third in response to a Greek-inspired coup in Nicosia aimed at union with Greece. -AFP

Syria-linked violence flared again on Thursday in the north Lebanon port city of Tripoli, where one person was killed and seven wounded, a security official said. The sectarian clashes erupted in the neighborhoods of Bab Al-Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen and saw both sides using rockets and machineguns, the official said. Jabal Mohsen is populated mainly by Alawites loyal to the regime of Al-Assad, who belongs to the same Shiite Muslim sect, while Bab Al-Tebbaneh residents support the opposition seeking to oust the president. Meanwhile, the head of Syria’s main opposition bloc, Burhan Ghalioun, announced on Thursday that he is resigning, pending the naming of his successor, just two days after his controversial re-election. “I will not allow myself to be the candidate of division, I am not attached to a position, so I announce that I will step down after a new candidate has been chosen, either by consensus or through new elections,” the Paris-based academic said in a statement. Ghalioun, who has led the Syrian National Council by consensus rather than through election since it was founded in October 2011, was re-elected as the main opposition group’s chairman in a vote held in Rome on Tuesday. He said he would remain a member of the SNC, “handin-hand with the young people who struggle, the young people of the revolution of dignity and freedom, until victory,” while urging all opposition groups to overcome their divisions. Ghalioun’s announcement came shortly after the Local Coordination Committees, a network of activists on the ground in Syria, threatened to pull out of the SNC over its “monopolisation” of power. More than 12,000 people, the majority of them civilians, have died since the Syrian uprising began, according to the Observatory, including more than 900 killed since the truce came into effect. The UN mission in Syria says it now has 236 military observers in the country. -AFP

Iraq summons Turkish envoy again as tensions grow BAGHDAD: Iraq has summoned Ankara’s ambassador in Baghdad to protest the behavior of two Turkish diplomats, the latest episode in a drawnout public row between the neighbors. An official from Iraq’s foreign ministry met Turkey’s ambassador, Younis Demirer, to complain about the Turkish diplomats in the cities of Basra and Mosul, a statement on the foreign ministry website said on Thursday. “Some activities conducted by the two Turkish General Consuls in Basra and Mosul ... are far from their Consular duties and obligations stated in the Vienna Convention for Consular Relations of 1963,” the statement said, without elaborating. It said that the meeting took place on Tuesday but did not say what the diplomats were accused of. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his Iraqi counterpart Nouri Al-Maliki have traded titfor-tat criticisms and accusations several times this year. Erdogan last month accused Al-Maliki of fanning tensions between Shiite Muslims, Sunni Muslims and Kurds in Iraq through “self-centered” behaviour.. Al-Maliki quickly responded that Turkey was becoming a “hostile state” with a sectarian agenda, saying it was meddling in Iraqi affairs and trying to establish regional “hegemony”. Iraq summoned Turkey’s ambassador at the time and Turkey responded by summoning Iraq’s envoy in Ankara. Analysts say mainly Sunni Turkey is worried that growing tensions in Iraq and violence in their mutual neighbor Syria may lead to a wider SunniShiite conflict in the region. Erdogan’s government has recently forged close ties with Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, which is embroiled in a row with the Baghdad government over claims to the city of Kirkuk and the region’s oil. Iraq is Turkey’s second largest trading partner after Germany with trade reaching 12 billion US dollars last year, more than half of which was with the Kurdish region. -Reuters

Yemen army says Al-Qaeda routed from southern town

ADEN: Yemeni troops sent Al-Qaeda fighters fleeing from the southern city of Loder on Thursday and pressed towards militant-controlled Zinjibar, military officials said, as an army offensive pushed into a sixth day. “We have cleansed Loder (of Al-Qaeda) and the fighters have been forced to flee,” a military official involved in the assault told AFP on condition of anonymity. He said that Al-Qaeda gunmen retreated from three positions on the outskirts of Loder, in southern Abyan province, which they have been trying to overrun for several months. Thousands of Loder residents took to the streets to celebrate the minor military victory while gunmen from the local militias danced and waved their guns in the air. “Today we accomplished a great victory against AlQaeda,” said Ali Ahmed, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees militia, comprising local residents who are fighting alongside the army against Al-Qaeda. “We will continue chasing them (Al-Qaeda) until they have been ousted from all of Abyan,” said Ahmed, referring to Yemen’s southern province where the extremists have taken control of several cities since May last year. The bodies of three soldiers, three local gunmen, and two Al-Qaeda fighters were discovered near the city Thursday, one military official said but gave no further details. One civilian was also killed and five others injured in an army raid on the town of Shaqra, also controlled by Al-Qaeda, a local official said. Thursday’s casualties bring the death toll from six days of fighting to at least 158, including 105 Al-Qaeda operatives, 23 soldiers, 17 civilians and 13 militiamen.

The Yemeni military, backed by US experts, will now turn their attention to Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan province which the jihadists have held for the past year. “We will now focus on Zinjibar,” said one military official speaking on condition of anonymity. The army has failed in several attempts to retake Zinjibar, but officials and diplomats said Wednesday that the military was making progress in its assault. The Yemeni air force pounded targets in the southern cities of Shaqra and Arqoub, both near Zinjibar late Wednesday, and fierce battles continue in the city’s vicinity. Also Thursday, a suspected US drone strike killed three Al-Qaeda militants in eastern Yemen, a local official said. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the three Al-Qaeda suspects were killed in a strike on their car in Shibam, a historic city in Yemen’s Hadramawt province. Air strikes on Al-Qaeda targets in Yemen have increased since the launch Saturday of the offensive against the extremist group and after newly-elected President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi vowed to fight the network. His latest pledge to destroy Al-Qaeda came just days after the White House announced that a plot by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the name given to the group’s local Yemen branch, to blow up a US airliner had been successfully thwarted. A force of around 20,000 soldiers from all regions in the south, are believed to be engaged in the operation. They are backed by the local militias in the towns and cities in the south that since the ouster of veteran leader Ali Abdullah Saleh have thrown their support behind the Yemeni military. -AFP

Yemeni armed tribesmen gather for a tribal meeting on the outskirts of Sanaa to discuss local conflicts on May 17, 2012. (AFP)

ALWATAN DAILY

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fridAY, may 18, 2012

Pakistani air force planes crash, four pilots killed President Zardari announces presence at the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago

PESHAWAR: Two Pakistani air force planes crashed in a residential area in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing all four pilots on board and injuring five people on the ground, police said. Residents of Nowshera city, where the planes went down, reported that the aircraft collided before they crashed, but the air force is still investigating, said police official Fazil Khan. The planes took off from an air force academy in nearby isalpur, said Mohammad Hussain, the Nowshera police chief. Local TV footage showed the twisted metal wreckage from one of the planes among a group of houses in Nowshera. The air force has suffered a series of crashes over the past year that it has said were the re-

sult of technical problems. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s president announced Thursday that he will attend the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago, accepting an invitation that was given after the country indicated it plans to end its six-month blockade of supplies meant for coalition troops in Afghanistan. Pakistan closed its Afghan border to NATO supplies in November in retaliation for American airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The route remains closed, but Pakistan’s Cabinet has authorized officials to conclude their negotiations with the US over reopening it. The government is likely to face domestic backlash once the supplies resume, partly because the Obama administration refused to apologize for last year’s attack and stop drone strikes in the country as demanded by Pakistan’s parliament. Hardline Islamist leaders on Thursday threatened to block the supply route if it does reopen, but it’s unclear how successful they would be. Anti-American sentiment is rampant in Pakistan, but the country’s powerful army has an interest in seeing the supplies resume because the move could free up over $1 billion in frozen US military aid. -Agencies

Security officials and residents gather near the wreckage of a Pakistan Air Force Mushshak aircraft after it crashed in Rashakai in northwest Pakistan May 17. (Reuters)

lande last year in the contest to run for president on the Socialist ticket, removes from the team an experienced former minister with a reputation as a fist-thumping left-winger.

Small bombs go off in Bangladesh strike DHAKA: Two small bombs exploded and protesters damaged vehicles in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka Thursday, during a nationwide strike and demonstration against the jailing of 33 opposition leaders, police said. Schools, shops and businesses were closed across Bangladesh and roads and highways were deserted as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and 17 allies enforced the day-long protest, their sixth in the past four weeks. The opposition anger was sparked by a Dhaka court decision on Wednesday to deny bail to 33 key figures, including ex-ministers and lawmakers, over charges stemming from an arson attack during an anti-government protest last month. The BNP has slammed the charges as baseless and fabricated, with party spokesman Nazrul Islam Khan saying they were “awestruck” by the court’s decision. Security has been tight across the country with 10,000 policemen patrolling the streets of Dhaka, city police spokesman Masud Ahmed told AFP, adding at least 15 people including a senior BNP official had been arrested. “Protesters also damaged vehicles this morning and torched four buses and a taxicab Wednesday,” he said. Two small bombs exploded outside a German technical school in Mirpur, Dhaka’s northwestern suburb, but no one was

Aubry, daughter of former European Commission chief Jacques Delors and architect of the 35-hour week as labor minister in the last French left-wing government of 1997-2002, told Le Monde newspaper she would stay away rather than settle for a consolation post. “I talked with Francois Hollande. He said he had settled for Jean-Marc Ayrault.We agreed that under this configuration my presence in the government made little sense.” Meanwhile, members of France’s new Socialist-led government are taking office and preparing for their first Cabinet meeting with President Hollande. The new prime minister, a moderate longtime legislator valued for his knowledge of Germany, named the Cabinet on Wednesday night. The ministers are taking office Thursday in ceremonies bidding farewell to their conservative counterparts who served under former President Nicolas Sarkozy. The new Cabinet meets later Thursday. It is half-male, half-female and includes allies, veterans and some new faces. Neither France’s new president nor the prime minister has previous experience in government. But Ayrault denied this would be a handicap. After the Cabinet meeting, Hollande heads off on a trip to the United States to meet President Barack Obama and attend G-8 and NATO summits. -Reuters

Chinese boats seized by North Koreans in rare public spat

Bangladeshi police detain an activist of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) during a nationwide strike in Dhaka May 17. (AFP)

injured, local police chief Kazi Wajed Ali told AFP. On Wednesday scores of people were injured as police fired rubber bullets at hundreds of opposition protesters who rioted in the northwestern town of Thakurgaon, home to the BNP’s second-highest official who was also denied bail. Bangladesh’s often turbulent politics have returned to near boiling point over the disappearance of a top regional figure

from the BNP, Ilias Ali, on April 17. The BNP fears Ali has been killed and accuses the elite Rapid Action Battalion security force of abducting him on government orders - an allegation that has been strongly denied by security forces and the government. Ali is the highest-profile opposition politician to have “disappeared” since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took power in January 2009. -AFP

BEIJING: North Korean officials have demanded payment before they will release Chinese fishing boats with a total of 29 men on board, Chinese media reported on Thursday, in a rare public spat between the neighbors and longtime allies. The Chinese owners of the boats said they were seized by a North Korean gunboat on May 8 in the Yellow Sea, between China and North Korea, the Beijing News reported. The owners said the vessels were fishing in Chinese waters. North Korea has not made any public comment on the case. The North Koreans holding the boats and sailors demanded payment of 1.2 million yuan (189,800 US dollars) for releasing them, then cut their price to 900,000 yuan and set a deadline of Thursday, Zhang Dechang, owner of one of the captured boats told the newspaper, which called the demand a “ransom”. The 29 sailors who were on board the boats are now in North Korea, said one captured seaman in a call with an owner, the newspaper added. The Chinese government would not publicly confirm any details about the reported incident. “China is maintaining close contact with North Korea through the relevant channels, and we hope this problem will be appropriately solved as soon as possible,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily briefing. “We have also stated to North Korea that it should ensure the legitimate rights of Chinese ship personnel.” China is the key economic and diplomatic backer of North Korea, seeing it as a buffer against US influence in the region. Beijing is a major supplier of food aid and oil to the North, which remains isolated by sanctions over its nuclear ambitions and rocket launches. China has been quietly pressing North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test, sources with knowledge of closed-door talks between the countries have told Reuters. -Reuters

Serbia votes for president under threat of protest

BELGRADE: Challenger Tomislav Nikolic may not win, but he can sure spoil the party as Boris Tadic bids for a new term as president of Serbia and the right to lead the country into talks on joining the European Union. For the third time since 2004, reformist Tadic is poised to defeat Nikolic in Sunday’s run-off, giving him five more years at the helm of Serbia as it slowly sheds the legacy of late strongman Slobodan Milosevic and the bloody collapse of Yugoslavia. But an acrimonious row over alleged election fraud and talk of a “fight” to defend the vote has revived memories of the dark days of a divided Serbia under Milosevic and threatens to overshadow a Tadic victory. Election authorities and foreign monitors found no evidence of the 500,000 votes Nikolic says were forged in parliamentary and first-round presidential elections on May 6. But he’s threatening to call supporters into the streets anyway, dumping on the steps of parliament sacks of ballot papers he says

Malaysia sentences three Mexicans to death over drugs

Philippine protesters to sail to disputed shoal

France’s outgoing Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry Francois Baroin (left) and newly appointed Minister of Industrial Renewal Arnaud Montebourg arrive for a handover ceremony at the Bercy Finance Ministry in Paris May 17. (Reuters)

holiday in France - before Hollande heads to summits in the United States of the G8 group of wealthy countries, and NATO. The withdrawal of Aubry, beaten by Hol-

NEWS IN BRIEF

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian court on Thursday sentenced to death three Mexican brothers and two other people for drug trafficking, rejecting the defense argument that evidence was tampered with. The Mexicans are from Sinaloa state, the cradle of their country’s drug trade, but have no criminal record at home. They were arrested at a secluded drug-making factory in 2008 and claimed they had been cleaning the place, not making drugs. Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Mohamad Zawawi Salleh convicted the five men, ruling that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. The death sentence is the mandatory penalty for drug trafficking in Malaysia. The other defendants are a Singaporean and a Malaysian. -AP

Hollande taps old hands, new faces for French government PARIS: French President Francois Hollande named a government dominated by moderate left-wingers on Wednesday after Socialist Party boss Martine Aubry, overlooked for the post of prime minister, said she no longer wanted to be part of the new cabinet. Hollande, sworn in on Tuesday as France’s first Socialist president in 17 years, named Pierre Moscovici as finance minister and Laurent Fabius as foreign minister, key posts under Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, like them a social democrat. Ayrault said the team of 17 men and 17 women, the vast majority of whom have not been ministers before, was the first in French history to respect total gender balance, and their first meeting on Thursday would deliver on a promise to cut their own salaries by 30 percent. “We’re already well-oiled and up and running,” Ayrault told France 2 public television. Moscovici takes charge of a stagnant economy lumbered with a jobless rate of almost 10 percent and the challenge of cutting heavy debts as Hollande launches his campaign against excessive austerity in Europe, a region that has been struggling with a financial market crisis for more than two years. The new lineup, which could change again after parliamentary elections finish on June 17, holds its first meeting on Thursday - a public

were stolen from him and his rightist Serbian Progressive Party, the country’s biggest party. “God only knows what happened,” said pollster Marko Blagojevic of the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy (CESID). But, he said, “It could lead to a serious rise in tensions.” The row has brought back unhappy memories for many Serbs who marched in the streets against rigged elections under Milosevic, finally toppling him in October 2000 after a decade of war and isolation. Tadic, 54, says his opponent, a former member of the ultranationalist Radical Party, is trying to undermine Serbian democracy and invent an excuse for his likely loss at the ballot box. The election, Tadic told the Serbian daily Kurir on Wednesday, “will decide the future and whether it will be safe and peaceful, or we will enter a period of instability and crisis.” Nikolic’s Progressives narrowly won the May 6 parliamentary election, but face being locked out of government by a renewed governing coalition announced last week between Tadic’s Democratic

Party and the third-placed Socialists once led by Milosevic. “If they don’t drop this, and there’s no sign the Progressives will drop this, then certainly doubt will hover over Tadic’s government if his party forms the government, and most probably it will,” said CESID’s Blagojevic. “That shadow of doubt will hang over his government regardless of whether or not the relevant institutions get to the bottom of the case.” Under the constitution, the prime minister is more powerful than the president. A victory for Nikolic on Sunday would usher in a period of difficult “cohabitation” with a Democrat-led government, with the president able to block or hold up legislation. The EU also wants more concessions on Kosovo, where Belgrade feeds a de facto ethnic partition four years after the Albanian-majority territory declared independence from Serbia with the backing of the West. “I’m not sure they realize how soon they will be tested,” said a senior Western diplomat in the region. “The scrutiny will be intense.” -Reuters

MANILA: Filipino protesters said on Thursday they plan to sail to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, amid efforts by rival claimants China and the Philippines to resolve a tense maritime stand-off. Led by Nicanor Faeldon, an outspoken former captain in the Philippines Marines, the group is to launch out toward Scarborough Shoal on Friday, his spokesman Kit Guerrero said Thursday. “They want to protest against the aggression being committed by China against our country,” Guerrero told AFP. He said at least two fishing vessels carrying Faeldon’s group were expected to arrive at the shoal later on Friday. -AFP

Attackers shot in Afghan governor’s compound KABUL: Four attackers, strapped with explosives, have died in clashes after storming a provincial governor’s compound in western Afghanistan, officials have said. Thursday’s attack targeted the offices of Mohammad Akram Khpalwak, current governor of southwestern Farah province. The assault began at 10:30am local time (04:30 GMT), when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives, killing himself at the entrance to the compound, Shamsul Rahman Zahid, the provincial police chief, told local media. A group of armed suicide bombers dressed in Afghan National Police uniforms then stormed the compound. -AFP

South Korea, US, Japan to hold talks on North SEOUL: South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold high-level talks next week about North Korea, Seoul’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, amid speculation Pyongyang is planning a nuclear test. Lim Sung-Nam, South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy, his Japanese counterpart Shinsuke Sugiyama and the US special envoy on the North Glyn Davies will meet in Seoul on Monday, said ministry spokesman Cho Byung-Je. “Through the high-level talks, the three countries will discuss developments on the Korean peninsula, North Korea and its nuclear issue following the April 13 long-range missile launch by the North,” Cho said. He said the three allies frequently held such talks, most recently in January. Speculation is growing that the North will stage another nuclear test or a border clash after the failure of its much-hyped long-range rocket launch on April 13. The North said its aim was only to put a peaceful satellite into orbit. But the UN Security Council strongly condemned the exercise as breaching a ban on the testing of ballistic missile technology, and tightened sanctions. The envoys are expected to assess the situation “and discuss the possibility of additional provocations from North Korea”, Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified foreign ministry official as saying. After the UN censured previous rocket launches in 2006 and 2009, Pyongyang responded with nuclear tests. Satellite photos show work under way at its test site but give no indication of whether or when a test will be staged. The North in recent months has been intensifying threats against South Korea and insulting its conservative President Lee Myung-Bak in extreme terms. It accuses his government of insulting behavior during celebrations in Pyongyang last month to mark the centenary of the birth of founding leader Kim Il-Sung. -AFP

ALWATAN DAILY

OPINION

FRIDAY, may 18, 2012

In dire need of a union to counter challenges Abdullah Al-Hadlaq

he recent declaration over the feasibility of consolidating a union between the kingdoms of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain has not only become inevitable; it must take concrete form while also keeping the door wide open for other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council to follow suit. This is an essential prerequisite, especially at this crucial point of time, if these countries feel the need to promote consolidate joint GCC action and further strengthen security and military cooperation to confront the repeated provocations of Iran. Moreover, the sudden and unexplained visit of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the island of Abu Musa that actually belongs to the United Arab Emirates, coupled with other fragile and explosive developments in the Gulf Arab region, regional and global issues pertinent to maintaining security and stability of peoples in the region must be taken seriously. I completely agree with the views and perceptions expressed by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, when he averred that the call of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz was indeed wise and legitimate and reflected his sincere desire of fortifying countries in the Gulf region and promulgating other aspects pertinent to civilization. I also support what Sheikh Khalifa considers as the “legitimate” right of each and every citizen in the Gulf to realize the transition from a “cooperation” entity to that of a “union” in immediate attempts to “ward off” any threats posed by Iran -- collectively, not individually. Sheikh Khalifa explained, and I agree with him once again, that when a call to transit from a “cooperation” to a “union” comes from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, who is entrusted with the security, safety and protection of the most sacred icons in the Muslim world (the Two Holy Mosques) - there cannot be even an iota of doubt that the monarch is the one and only personality who can be

Although we have wise and able leaders in the GCC, it is absolutely necessary to spread awareness among a broader base of peoples in order to cope with those wise and able leaderships.

entrusted with the security and stability of the Gulf Cooperation Council. And although we have wise and able leaders in the GCC, it is absolutely necessary to spread awareness among a broader base of peoples in order to cope with those wise and able leaderships. Challenges facing peoples in countries across the Arabian Gulf and in the region are not only several, they are varied; while the most dangerous challenges (in the form of threats and provocations) faced by them are those that are imposed by the arrogant Iranian leadership. The Iranian leadership has never respected the legitimate borders of countries surrounding their own country while their expansionist intentions have always marred its relationship with warm and friendly neighbors. It has never chosen to abide by international norms and conventions and its blatant and repeated interference in the internal affairs of countries in the region have now become legendary. It is even worse when the regime resorts to actually inciting its cronies in those Gulf countries to rebel against their own regimes through engaging in acts of terror while exerting all efforts to overthrow elected and legitimate regimes; not to mention the other fact that it antagonizes peoples against their own governments and actually has the audacity of seeking support of some foreign powers to realize its dangerous ambitions. This is the main reason why the Saudi monarch has called for the transition from a “cooperation” to a “union” in attempts to discourage and stop Iran from claiming Bahrain as its 14th province.

Arabs from the Coast, Arabs from Persia and Arabs from Ahwaz

It is only appropriate to call all Arabs living within the borders of Iran, including those from Khorasan, Tabriz, Shiraz, Mashhad and other Persian cities as “Arabs of Iran. Arabs have been living in Iran dating way back to the period of Islamic conquests, which were the largest ever migration of Arabs into Iran. In fact most of Iran’s Arabs today speak the Persian language since they have conveniently forgotten their Arab origins except for a negligible sprinkling of Ahwazi Arabs and those living along coasts and islands who still adhere to the Arabic language, customs and traditions and their sense of Arabism because these two regions are full of Arab tribes; especially those from the UAE with their imposing castles and fortifications still standing and resplendent in glory. Arabs living in Iran can be classified into three categories:

Ahwazi Arabs: It is a part of Iraq inhabited and controlled by Arabs since ancient times. They do not differ from the rest of Iraqis in terms of speaking the Arabic dialect, clothing, customs and traditions and mannerisms. Arabs living on coasts and islands: It is part of the Arabian Gulf that is inhabited and controlled by Arabs since ancient times. Sunni Arabs, who live on the eastern and western coasts of the Arabian Gulf, and tribes are

one people who used to traverse sea routes along Bandar King, Bandar Cancun, Coast of Shibekoh, the Emirate of Bushehr and Arab islands that lie along the coast. They also include Arabs from the East Coast (the Hula) who are tribes that lived in the Banders and coastal areas and islands near the entrance to Arabian Gulf off the island of Owal in Bahrain. These tribes include the Bano Malek, Bano Bashar, Bano Abidel, Bano Hammad, AlQawasim, Al Ali, Al Harmi, Al Nasuri, Al Marzouki and other tribes. The Arabs residing along the Northern Gulf are a group of coastal Arab tribes which inhabited ports far north of the Arabian Gulf such as Bandar Bushehr, Bandar Janaabah, Bandar Abadan, Al-Faw, Umm Qasr and Basra, and they are descendants of several tribes such as Al-Matarich, Zaab, Bano Saad, Bano Otbah, Bano Kaeb and Nano Tamim. The rest of the Arabs living on the western coast of the Arabian Gulf or the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula comprise the third part of the Arab Gulf basin. And since they all live united as one; on its banks; they all form resplendent shades of one single fabric as “Arabs of Arabian Gulf.” Arabs of Iran: They comprise the rest of the Arab civilization who lived in various areas of Iran such as the territory of Vlammers and Persian cities such as Awad, Kheng, and other cities with a Sunni majority. They took on the Iranian nationality because they lived with them over a period of several years, learned their language, customs and traditions in the process forgot that they were descendants of Arab origin. This proves clearly that the Arabs of Ahwaz and those living along the coasts and islands are indeed descendants of Arab origin; those who maintained their language and Arab identity, despite Iran’s futile attempts to obliterate their Arab identity. The Iranian Arabs are those Arabs that migrated to live in Iran and became Iranians with the passage of time.

The real perpetrators of acts of sabotage

firmly believe that, contrary to popular perception, it is not ordinary citizens or even expatriates that go around town and engage in acts of sabotage, vandalism as and destruction of public property. At this point of time, I am actually talking about all those fires that are deliberately ignited by unknown miscreants while a lot of people actually believe that such acts of destruction are actually the handiwork of prominent personalities; and who are under the erroneous impression that they will never be exposed or even prosecuted because of their status in society and connections at the highest levels in political circles. Even if there is a negligible iota of truth in the speculations nursed by these people that those acts of sabotage are the handiwork of prominent personalities in the country, I staunchly feel that thorough and extensive investigations should be carried out to identify these personalities and prosecute them accordingly before things get out of hand and they begin to inflict further damage and heavy losses on society. I cannot really comprehend the reasons why they repeatedly set fires to establishments and other business ventures unless of course; there are evil motives behind their acts like claiming insurance for example. Even in the event that these miscreants cease to engage in such hazardous acts of igniting fires and torching establishments, I am certain that they will surely come up with other heinous activities as was witnessed in the recent past when markets across the country were flooded with expired and rotten foodstuff. Can we even bring ourselves to point a finger at those people who engage in such horrendous activities? What apparatus has been put in place by the concerned authorities to identify, locate and refer these hooligans to the courts? Who are these people who have flooded the markets with consumables that could land people in hospitals or even to their graves? Does anyone even care to gauge the gravity of the situation; one that will slowly but certainly spiral out of control if not dealt with immediately? In fact, it is a real cause for concern that these miscreants are not even afraid of the long arm of the law as is evident in the fact that; not only are they over-flooding the markets with expired produce they are literally walking the streets like innocent residents blissfully unaware of all that is going on around them and more importantly; do not nurse the slightest fear or apprehension of being caught in action and referred to the concerned authorities. The main reason that they so blatantly go about engaging in such activities without fear or concern stems from the basic fact that they are men of status and most importantly; maintain close contacts with the upper echelons in society. These are the two main factors that actually encourage them to go about their heinous activities without any reservations. In fact it is downright deplorable that at the end of the day; the blame will eventually be laid squarely on all those innocent stateless residents (Bedoun) or some unsuspecting Asian expatriates who are always rendered to be scapegoats in cases like these.

How can these men go about their daily chores without nursing a feeling of guilt in their consciences? How can they overlook the underlying fact that; not only are they endangering the lives of innocent men, women and children, they are actually devastating the fragile fabric of their own societies through their atrocious and horrendous activities? What they do not realize that it is only a matter of time when their activities will be detected and their operations exposed before the people. It is only when they are brought to justice will they realize the folly of their criminal activities although that realization will come a wee bit too late. It is still not too late for them to come clean before the concerned authorities and confess all the pain and misery that they have inflicted on honest and unsuspecting victims over the past several years. * Dwelling on another issue, it is common knowledge that the Iranian embassy in Kuwait periodically organizes various events and celebrations; one of which is the Army Day that is organized in commemoration of the Iranian Revolution in which art and other cultural exhibitions are held. In sharp contrast to the hosting of events such as these, during the 25th International Book Fair that was held in Tehran, which included 1,200 booths that exhibited an extensive array of books, magazines and periodicals, Iranian officials on their routine rounds at the fairgrounds ordered the immediate closure of three booths simply because some of the books that were exhibited there were either written by Sunni writers or were published by publishing houses owned by Sunnis. Isn’t such a violation a sharp contradiction of religious freedoms; especially by those who theoretically claim that they respect, permit and promulgate religious freedoms!? * Let us all brace for a glorious accomplishment that could probably materialize in the very near future; God Almighty willing of course. The accomplishment that I am talking about is the reality of having one unified Gulf stand consolidated with a more unified Gulf confederacy. Such a step will no doubt incur the wrath of the one and only common archenemy since the realization of such a confederacy will, one and for all, put an end to all the evil schemes and vicious goals of all those traitors in Bahrain who are seeking to form an alliance with this archenemy. These traitors are simply petrified of the creation of such a confederacy because they are fully aware of the fact that the first priority of that confederacy will be to ensure the security, stability and overall unity of citizens of the Kingdom of Bahrain! * The atmosphere witnessed at the National Assembly was indeed tense when an incensed MP Mohammed Al-Juwaihel spat on his colleague when a session was actually in progress. In fact it was downright deplorable that some of the news agencies in the country, for reasons best known to them, refrained from publishing the offensive statements issued by that MP. In fact, the statements were deemed to be so offensive that owners of most of the affluent diwaniyas across Kuwait have refused to entertain the MP. One cannot really blame them for maintaining such a stance as the concerned MP only has himself to blame for his course of action.

CE”

R E A S OF “A I

Yousef Ahmad Al-Mandeel

Eventually, the blame will be laid squarely on innocent stateless residents (Bedoun) or some unsuspecting Asian expatriates who are always rendered as scapegoats.

Ali Farzat

Deliberate and intentional mistakes Khalid Sultan Al-Sultan

efore I dwell into more serious political issues in this article, I would like to take this wonderful opportunity of extending my heartiest congratulations and warm and sincere felicitations to our colleague Bilal Bu Qadoum for obtaining a PhD degree with honors. Eminent scholar Dawoud Al-Asaousi, Ali Husseinan, Mohammad Esa and I also felt honored after being accorded the gracious honor of attending the session of thesis discussion. Not only did we enjoy attending such a glorious occasion, we have surely benefitted from being part of such a distinguished dissertation. Moving on to another issue, I was recently afforded an opportunity of reading an article that was written by our colleague Salem Al-Taweel in response to certain points that were mentioned in one of my earlier articles. However, I was indeed saddened at the very thought that the article was full of contradictory notions and I cannot really comprehend the reasons why Salem Al-Taweel considered my response to his articles offensive and an insult to his literary intelligence while especially taking into

consideration the fact that I had studiously followed a certain style of writing that was so very similar to his own! Anyway, one of the contradictory points that Salem took the trouble of mentioned in his response lay in the fact that “sometimes he is in favor of changing or discouraging certain inappropriate and deviant practices that he witnesses in society through his own course of actions - in exemplary attempts to stop people from repeatedly engaging in those practices; especially in public. Ironically there have also been instances in which he has gone against his own stance through his own course of actions and insisted that those deviant practices should be discouraged - even if it involved the use of force. In fact, at his own insistence, he has even admitted the fact that he has, over the years, committed certain mistakes in this field but alleged that he had never ever advocated handing down punishments on culprits through force or violence; arguing that such course of actions falls within the sole jurisdiction and prerogatives of the law enforcement departments and courts under explicit instructions handed down by the country’s ruling regime.

Soon after, he confessed to his own mistakes committed in the past saying: “My friends and I had committed some petty mistakes during the course of our careers.” I have nothing against his confession that he and his friends did commit some mistakes in the past and that they regret committing those mistakes but I am surely concerned about the way he goes ahead and admonishes and attacks other persons who have committed mistakes despite the fact that they too have admitted committing those mistakes and have since repented and asked God Almighty for His forgiveness and mercy as well. We urge the honorable gentlemen to first judge his own character and demeanor before badmouthing and tarnishing the reputations of others. Forgiveness is in the hands of God Almighty and it is only unto Him that we should pray and seek refuge in His mercy through repentance and penance. Nothing else matters in this world since it is the will of God Almighty that offers us refuge and succor in times of need, in times that we sin, during times that we take the law in our hands and most importantly when we go against His will that he has deemed for mankind.

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views

friDAY, may 18, 2012

Power to Asia’s women Vishakha N. Desai Astrid S. Tuminez Project Syndicate

veryone’s eyes on areAsia’s rise. China, once dismissed as poor and backward, is now the world’s second-largest economy. India, with its huge population, scientific prowess, and entrepreneurial vitality, is another powerful engine of Asian growth. Add to this Japan and South Korea’s formidable economies, and Southeast Asia’s dynamism, and a picture emerges of rising wealth, confidence, and leadership. Yet few women in Asia make it to the top. Social norms undervalue girls and women, with sex-selection abortions resulting in an estimated 1.3 million girls per year not being born in China and India alone. Still, women have benefited from Asia’s economic development. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2011, rising prosperity has narrowed gender inequality in many countries. Women are making progress in health, education, economic opportunity, and political empowerment, which they can leverage for future leadership. Furthermore, family and dynastic factors have helped to catapult women to the highest political posts. Indeed, Asia has had more female heads of state than any other region in the world, which, together with economic success for some, creates an impetus for change in perceptions of women’s role, status, and capabilities. Data for indicators of women’s leadership in Asia, though limited, show that the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand are consistently among the top performers. With the addition of economic and occupational parameters - such as women in senior management positions, promotion rates, remuneration, and wage equality - these countries are joined by Singapore, Mongolia, Thailand, and Malaysia. While South Asia performs worst in overall gender equality and women’s attainment, it comprises three of the top five countries in terms of political empowerment (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India). South Asian countries also lead in terms of women in parliament (Nepal and Pakistan); women ministers (Bangladesh); and women leaders in sub-national government (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh). But being vaulted to leadership by family and dynastic connections is not a sign of greater gender equality. And, while affirmative action has also significantly increased women’s political representation, limited political leadership gains have yet to translate into real benefits for women in general. Moreover, while development has benefited women, the relationship between human development and female leadership is not directly proportional. Some of the Asian economies with the highest human development rankings, such as Japan and South Korea, are among the worst in terms of women in senior management, wage equality, remuneration, and political empowerment. Singapore and Hong Kong, too, display significant gender gaps in leadership, despite high human development. In Asia, many women - 70 percent in Japan, 53 percent in China, and 46 percent in Singapore - simply do not make the transition from middle to senior management. Women need more systematic support to facilitate their choice to pursue high-powered careers without giving up their roles as mothers and caregivers. Significant improvement is needed in mentoring, parental leave, childcare, and elder care, as well as more gender-equal retirement and pension schemes. Ultimately, entrenched social and cultural norms remain the most intractable obstacle to female leadership in Asia. A broad campaign is needed to educate people, change the valuation and perception of girls and women, and give women a more equal voice - at home and in public - in order

FILE -- US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (left) gestures while talking with United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi May 7, 2012. Hillary Clinton said she hoped the United States would elect a woman as president during her lifetime adding “women still suffered from a ‘glass ceiling’ in politics. (AFP)

Affirmative action programs can expedite female representation in leadership, but they take time to affect deeply ingrained social norms. to facilitate their transition to leadership roles. But education is only part of the solution. Affirmative action programs can expedite female representation in leadership, but they take time to affect deeply ingrained social norms. Over time, however, exposure to female leaders at the local level can reduce bias and boost the aspirations and educational achievement of young women, as is happening in India. Governments, particularly in China and India, can step up efforts to end sex selection. More laws - and better enforcement - are needed to reduce domestic violence against women, and to increase women’s bargaining power through broader property ownership, better access to legal and other support ser-

vices, and greater freedom to leave marriages. But there is reason to be optimistic: in Pakistan and Indonesia, encouraging examples show how partnerships among government, police, women’s groups, paralegals, and nongovernmental organizations can work to strengthen women’s voice and agency, and thus their potential to contribute more fully to society. Furthermore, Asia’s governments can nurture female leadership in two areas of economic activity in which women already feature heavily: agriculture and entrepreneurship. To be sure, the work tends to be low in productivity and scale, and women are often pushed into such jobs by poverty. But governments should seize the opportunity to pursue

America’s G-Zero moment Ian Bremmer Project Syndicate

he 2008 financial crisis marked the end of the global order as we knew it. In advance of the upcoming G-8 summit, it is impossible to overlook the fact that, for the first time in seven decades, the United States cannot drive the international agenda or provide global leadership on all of today’s most pressing problems. Indeed, the US has trimmed its presence abroad by refusing to contribute to a eurozone bailout, intervene in Syria, or use force to contain Iran’s nuclear breakout (despite strong Israeli support). President Barack Obama officially ended the war in Iraq, and is withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan at a pace constrained only by the need to save face. America is handing off the leadership baton - even if no other country or group of countries is willing or able to grasp it. In short, US foreign policy may be as active as ever, but it is downsizing and becoming more exacting about its priorities. As a result, many global challenges - climate change, trade, resource scarcity, international security, cyberwarfare, and nuclear proliferation, to name a

few - are bound to loom larger. Welcome to the G-Zero world, a more turbulent, uncertain environment in which coordination on global policy issues falls by the wayside. Paradoxically, this new environment, though daunting, is less troublesome for the US; in fact, it provides fresh opportunities for the US to capitalize on its unique position. The G-Zero world is not all bad for the US - if it plays its cards right. Many residual strengths take on greater importance in such a world, and America remains the world’s only true superpower and its largest economy - still more than twice the size of China’s. Its defense expenditures represent nearly half the world total, and exceed those of the next 17 countries combined. The dollar remains the world’s reserve currency, and investors’ scramble into US government debt at every peak in the crisis since 2008 has underscored America’s safe-haven status (even in crises that America caused). Likewise, the US continues to lead in entrepreneurship, research and development, higher education, and technological innovation. Moreover, it is now the world’s largest natural-gas producer and calorie exporter, which has reduced its vulnerability to price shocks or food shortages. No country rivals America’s promotion of the rule of law, liberal democracy, transparency, and free enterprise. While other countries certainly support these values, only the US has

US President Barack Obama talks to the members of the media after meeting with homeowners to discuss the housing crisis in Nevada at their Clear Acre neighborhood in Reno, Nevada, May 11, 2012. US officials will have to bolster America’s aging infrastructure, reform education and immigration systems and pursue long-term fiscal consolidation, analysts said. (Reuters)

been willing, healthy, and big enough to ensure that they prevail. So, as America curtails its global leadership, it will find itself in more demand. Consider Asia, for example. As China’s economic importance and regional influence grows, its neighbors are seeking to deepen ties with the US. Japan, Australia, Indonesia, and Taiwan have all recently closed trade and security-related deals with the US. Even Burma has gotten on board, resuming diplomatic engagement with the US while trying to work its way out of China’s shadow. In other words, in a G-Zero world, an increasingly aggressive global environment makes the US all the more appealing to countries seeking to hedge their bets. As a result, the US has an opportunity to act more precisely in its own interests. Supplying less leadership allows the US to weigh opportunity costs before taking action, and to select the issues and circumstances that suit it the best. In this environment, military intervention in Libya does not necessitate the same in Syria. The extent to which the US will capitalize on these opportunities remains to be seen. In fact, America’s short-term advantages pose the biggest obstacle to its long-term outlook. Call this the “safe-haven curse”: as long as the US remains the safest port in any storm, it faces no immediate pressure to address its weaknesses. For example, for all of the hand-wringing about America’s national debt, investors will continue to loan the US money. Over the long term, however, US policymakers must make steady progress in restoring confidence in the nation’s fiscal health by cutting politically sacred programs like social security, Medicare, and defense. Officials will have to put aside short-term motives and party orthodoxy to bolster America’s aging infrastructure, reform its education and immigration systems, and pursue longterm fiscal consolidation. America’s advantages in the G-Zero world afford it the chance to invest in the future. But, by cushioning against sufficiently calamitous risks, the same advantages allow the US to procrastinate. American politicians need to recognize the new G-Zero reality and rebuild America’s domestic sources of strength, even if only incrementally. If they do, the US will have the vigor and flexibility to shape the next world order. America’s political system usually works well in crises. But, thanks to its residual advantages in a leaderless world, the US need not rely on a crisis to precipitate action. It need only seize the G-Zero moment. * Ian Bremmer is President of Eurasia Group and author of Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World.

policies that provide women in these sectors greater access to capital, skills training (for example, in budgeting and financial planning), technology, and networks. Economic development correlates positively with gender equality. But, as the World Bank notes in its World Development Report 2012, gender equality is an independent value, not just an instrument for economic growth and efficiency. While the Bank highlights women’s progress in education, life expectancy, and labor-force participation, it also describes continuing problems, including the excessive death rates of girls and women in low- and middle-income countries, educational disparities, uneven economic opportunities, and unequal authority within and outside the home. From birth, girls in Asia face significant obstacles to fulfilling their human potential - especially their potential for leadership. It is time to remove the barriers. Empowering Asia’s women will benefit them and enrich the entire region. * Vishakha N. Desai is President of Asia Society. They have just released Rising to the Top? A Report on Women’s Leadership in Asia. * Astrid S. Tuminez is Vice-Dean (Research) of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore.

China suffers from moral crisis: Dalai Lama Adrian Croft Reuters

hina is beset by a moral crisis, widespread corruption and lawlessness, leading millions of Chinese to seek solace in Buddhism, Tibet’s exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, said on Monday.The Dalai Lama was in London to receive the $1.7 million Templeton prize for his work affirming the spiritual dimension of life. Speaking to reporters before the award ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, he said millions of young Chinese were showing an interest in spirituality. “Look at China now, the moral crisis, corruption - immense,” he said, adding that China had “no proper rule of law”. A survey two years ago found that 200 million Chinese followed Buddhism, including many who followed Tibetan Buddhism, he said. “Tibetan Buddhist culture I think (is of) immense benefit to millions of Chinese who are really passing through a difficult period like that,” he said. In the most tumultuous upheaval in China’s leadership in decades, the Communist Party banished its most controversial politician, Bo Xilai, from its ranks in April and detained his wife over the murder of a British businessman. China has ruled Tibet since 1950 when Communist troops occupied the country. The Dalai Lama escaped to live in exile in India after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel peace prize in 1989, said he would donate $1.5 million of the Templeton prize money to support British charity Save the Children’s work to combat malnutrition among children in India. The rest will go to scientific causes. Cameron Meeting

British Prime Minister David Cameron will meet the Dalai Lama later on Monday, Cameron’s office said. However, the meeting will not take place at Cameron’s official Downing St residence in a gesture to Chinese sensibilities. China voiced “strong dissatisfaction” after Cameron’s predecessor as Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, met the Dalai Lama, also away from Downing

The Dalai Lama told a British newspaper on Sunday he feared China might have plotted to kill him by training female agents with poison in their hair.

St, in 2008. Tibetan protests against Chinese rule have intensified in recent months. At least 32 Tibetans have set themselves on fire, mostly in southwestern China, since March 2011 to protest against Chinese rule in Tibet, according to Tibetan rights groups. At least 22 have died. The Dalai Lama has angered the Chinese government by refusing to condemn the protests and accusing Beijing of overseeing a “cultural genocide” against Tibetans. The Dalai Lama refused to say on Monday whether the self-immolations should stop or continue. “I think that is quite a sensitive political issue. I think my answer should be zero,” he said, noting that he had devolved political power to an elected leader last year. The Dalai Lama waded into a sensitive British political issue by saying that he might have joined anti-capitalist protesters who staged a four-month protest outside St Paul’s Cathedral if their motives were sincere and justified. Police and bailiffs cleared the protesters’ camp in February. The Dalai Lama told a British newspaper on Sunday he feared China might have plotted to kill him by training female agents with poison in their hair. But he said on Monday he did not know if the allegation was true as he had no way of checking. Asked what spiritual advice he would give to British people suffering from economic turmoil in the country, which is going through austerity and recession, the Dalai Lama said: “Please don’t feel helpless or hopeless... Work hard.” * Adrian Croft is a Reuters correspondent. The views expressed here are his own.

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Bus No. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 29 31 32 34 36 38 39 40 41 51 59 * 101 102 103 105 139 501 502 506 507 602

a re a b u s ro u tes

Origin

Orthopaedic Orthopaedic Kheitan * Messila Salmiyah * Kheitan * Salmiyah Orrthopaedic Al-Jleeb Al-Jleeb * Al-Jleeb Kheitan Salmiyah Jahra Gate Sulaibiya Al Jleeb Kheitan Jabriya Salmiyah Al-Jleeb Messilah Kheitan Fahaheel Kheitan Al Jleeb * Al-Jleeb * Fahaheel Fahaheel Jahra Fahaheel Jahra Gate Airport Fahaheel Al-Jleeb Al-Jleeb Fahaheel

Destination

Sharq Sharq Mirgab Mirgab Mirgab Jahra Gate Sharq Mirgab Sharq Mirgab Sharq Mirgab Mirgab Jabriya Sharq Mirgab Sharq Sharq Sharq Salmiyah Jahra Gate Sharq Sharq UN Circle Mirgab Mirgab Mirgab Mirgab Mirgab Al-Jleeb Fahaheel Mirgab Mirgab Jahra Gate Sharq Fahaheel

Via

Shuwaikh 4th Ring Rd Airport Rd Ras Salmiyah 4th Ring Rd 4th Ring Rd Hawalli Shuwaikh Kheitan Farwaniyah 3rd Ring Rd King Faisal Rd Hawalli Hawalli Andalus Shuwaikh Shamiyah Nuzha Farwaniyah Farwaniyah Bayan Shuwaikh Shuwaikh Al Rai 6th Ring Rd Al Hasawi Sabah Salem 3rd Ring Rd Jahra Rd Shuwaikh UN Circle Jahra Rd Fahaheel Rd Hawalli Shuwaikh Ahmadi

KD 70 KD 140 KD 40 KD 40 KD 40 KD 40 KD 40

VISITORS RESIDENTS

H.S.C. Barium Enema Barium Meal O.C.G. Ultrasound Ultrasound desfruct M.R.I.

KD 40 KD 50 KD 45 KD 45 KD 15 KD 130 KD 245

KD 40 KD 35 KD 30 KD 30 KD 10 KD 65 KD 180

eMbassies &

Ministry of

C omm u nic a tions Telephone for Test & Complaints

warsha@warsha.com

f or e x p a tri a tes

VISITORS RESIDENTS

C.T. Scan Angiogram I.V.P MCUG Asc Urothrogram Sinogram Sialogram

Tel.: Afghanistan 2532 9461 Algeria 2251 9220 Argentina 2537 9211 Austria 2255 2532 Australia 2232 2422 Azerbaijan 2535 5247 Bahrain 2531 8530 Bangladesh 2531 6042 / 3 Belgium 25722014 Bhutan 2251 6640 / 50 Bosnia 2539 2637 Brazil 2532 8610 Bulgaria 2531 4458 Canada 2256 3025 China 2533 3340 Cuba 2254 9361 Cyprus 2243 3075 Czech 2252 9018 Denmark 2534 1005 Egypt 2251 9956 Ethiopia 2533 4291 Eritrea 2531 7426 Finland 2531 2890 France 2257 1061 Germany 2252 0827 Greece 2481 7101 Georgia 2535 2909 Hungary 2532 3901 India 2253 0600 Indonesia 2483 9927 Iran 2256 0694 Italy 2535 6011 Japan 2530 9400 Kenya 25353314 / 25353362 Lebanon 2256 2103

Libya 2257 5183 Malaysia 2255 0394/5/6 Morocco 2531 2980 / 1 Netherlands 2531 2650 Niger 2565 2943 Nigeria 2562 0278 North Korea 2532 9462 Oman 2256 1956 Pakistan 2532 7651 Philippines 2534 9099 Poland 2531 1571 Qatar 2251 3606 Republic of Botswana 2538 3619 Romania 2484 5079 Russia 2256 0427 Saudi Arabia 2240 0250 Senegal 2257 3477 Slovak Republic 2535 3895 Somalia 2539 4795 South Africa 2561 7988 South Korea 2533 9601 Spain 2532 5829 / 7 Sri Lanka 2533 9140 Switzerland 2534 0172 / 5 Syria 2539 6560 Thailand 2531 7530 Tunisia 2252 6261 Turkey 2253 1785 UAE 2535 5764 UK 2259 4320 Ukraine 2531 8507 USA 2259 1001 Venezuela 2532 4367 Vietnam 2531 1450 Yugoslavia 2532 7548 Zimbabwe 2562 1517

2257 5182 2255 0384 2531 7423 2532 6334 2564 0478 2562 0296 2535 1097 2256 1963 2532 8013 2532 9319 2531 1576 2251 3604 2539 3529 2484 8929 2252 4969 2242 0654 2254 2044 2535 3894 2539 4829 2561 7917 2531 2459 2532 5826 2533 9154 2534 0176 2539 6509 2531 7532 2252 8995 2256 0653 2259 4339 2538 0282 2532 4368 2535 1592 2532 7568 2562 1491

Police stations Tel.:

Abu Halifa 2371 7656 Ahmadi 2398 0304 Ardiya 2488 1273 Bayan 2538 7762 Dahar 2383 0500 Dahiya 2256 0855 Dasma 2253 1917 Fahaheel 2391 2959 Faiha 2255 2693 Farwaniya 2471 1977 Ferdous 2489 0583 Fintas 2390 4388 Hawalli 2264 1116 Jabriya 2531 5855 Jahra Ind. Area 2457 5565 / 2458 7392 Jahra North 2455 2295 Jleeb Al Shouyoukh 2431 1234 Keifan 2483 2839 Kheitan 2472 2590 Mina Abdullah 2326 1144 Nugra 2261 6662 Omariya 2474 2160

Ambulance

Central Adan Amiri Hospital Da’iya Fahaheel Farwaniya Farwaniya Jahra Mubarak Al Kabir Sabah Salmiya Shuaiba

23940600 / 23941455 22422366 22510854 23919098 24883000 24725149 24570583 25311437 24815000 25739011 23261927

Private Hospitals

Al-Rashid Hospital Dar Al-Shifa Hospital Hadi Clinic London Hospital Mowasat Hospital Salam Hospital

Qadsiya 2257 4386 Qurain 2542 3772 Rabiah 2474 2160 Rawda 2256 0058 Riqqa 2394 1958 Rumaithiya 2562 4123 Sabah Al-Salem 2551 7229 Sabahiya 2361 5619 Salhiya (Kuwait City) 2242 7157 Salmi 2457 6576 Salmiya 2572 6950 Salwa 2562 6950 Shamiya 2484 5953 Sharq 2244 2466 Shuaiba Ind. Area 2326 1789 Shuwaikh 2481 3726 / 2484 4842 Sulaibekhat 2487 6555 Sulaibiya 2467 0672 Sulaibiya Ind. Area 2467 2728 Surra 2531 2220 Tayma’a 2457 1700 Wafra 2381 0412 Waha 2455 7902 Zour 2395 0160

Adan General Hospital Al-Sabah Chest Hospital Al-Sabah Maternity Hospital Amiri General Hospital As’ad Al-Hamad Dermatology Center Farwaniya General Hospital Ibn Sina Hospital Jahra General Hospital Mubarak Al-Kabeer General Hospital Subhan Renal Hospital Sulaibikhat Orthopedic Hospital

25624000 22802555 1828282 1883883 25726666 22533177

Private Health Centers/ Clinics

Boushahri Clinic British Medical Center Care Clinic International Clinic

Public Hospitals

cons u l a tes

Fax 2532 6274 2251 9497 2537 9212 2256 3052 2232 2430 2535 5246 2533 0882 2531 6041 2574 8389 2251 6550 2539 2106 2532 8613 2532 1453 2256 4167 2533 3341 2254 9360 2240 2971 2252 9021 2534 1007 2256 3877 2533 1179 2531 7429 2532 4198 2257 1058 2252 0763 2481 7103 2535 4707 2532 3904 2257 1192 2481 9250 2252 9868 2535 6030 2530 9401 25353316 2257 2182

centr a l 4 7 2 2 0 0 0

94904040

hospital charges

medical services

Call, sms, Email us

O n- s i t e I T s e r v i c e s

23940600 24815000 24848067 22450080

1885544 23713100 22610666 25745111

Public Health Centers/ Clinics:

Dasman Clinic Faiha Polyclinic Farwaniya Polyclinic Hawalli Polyclinic Inaya Germen Medical Center Sabah Al-Salem Clinic Salmiya Polyclinic Shamiya Clinic Shuwaikh Clinic Yarmouk Clinic

24832067 24883000 24840300 24575300 25312700 24840027 24874240

22447602 22545188 24726033 22611645 25750777 25524821 25723500 25610660 24848913 25336482

DOCTORS & DENTISTS

I N PR I VAT E PR AC T ICE

Andrology, Male Infertility and Impotence Specialist Abdullatif A. Al Salim 2533 4438

Dermatologist & Venereologists Fahad I. Al Othman 2266 5166 Taibah M. Almonayes 2573 7477 Dr. Mohamed Bo Hamra 2266 5166

Dentists & Oral Surgeons Ahmed Al Balool 2262 2211 Badri K. Al Rayes 2574 2557 Duha Al Shaqan 2264 4614 Ebraheem Behbehani 2573 0000 Farida Al Herz 2257 3883 Maria Blanaru 2573 0000 Najat Essa-Bahman 2262 4595 Najeeb Kassim 2573 9277 Salwa A. Abdulsalam 2573 0000 Kuwait Medical Center 2575 9044 / 5 Endocrinologists Latifa Al Dowaisan Kamal Abdulaziz Al Shome

Gastroenterologist Mohamed A. Al Shimali 2532 2030 - 2263 9955 Urologist Fawzi Taher Abul Ali Yousef Mehdi

2565 0064 2533 3501

General Practitioner Dina Al Rifai 2533 3501 - 2533 3502 Obstetricians & Gynecologists Samira Al Awadi 2573 8055 Ma’asouma Maksheed 2573 1275 Mohamed Gamal 2534 9077 Mai Al Snan 2532 1171

2572 8004 2532 9924

Ear, Nose & Throat Surgeons Hossam Eldin Abdulfattah 2574 5056 Abdulmohsen Mousa Jafar 2565 5535

Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Adel Quttainah

2562 5030 / 60

Ministries

Awqaf & Islamic Affairs Commerce & Industry Communications Defense Education Health Higher Education Electricity & Water Finance

2248 0000 2248 0000 2481 9033 2484 8300 2481 7702 2487 7422 2240 1300 2537 1000 2248 0000

Foreign Affairs Housing Information Justice, Legal & Administrative Affairs Energy Planning Social Affairs & Labour Public Works

2242 5141 2530 1000 2241 5301 2248 0000 2241 5201 2242 8200 2248 0000 2538 5520

RESTAURANT • Café Library Lounge Al-Manshar Rotana Hotel Tel: 23931000 Hang.Out Lounge Galleria 2000 Tel: 25755588 Song Bird Café Hilton Kuwait Resort Tel: 23725500 Chit Chat Café Restaurant Safir Hotel & Residences -Fintas Tel: 25455555 Lounge Café Safir Hotel & Residences -Fintas Tel: 25455555 The English Tea Room Sheraton Hotel Tel: 1835555 Waterlemon Al-Raya Tel: 22244797 Marina Mall Tel: 22997666 Le Pain Quotidien Palms Beach Hotel Tel: 25633684 Marina Crescent Tel: 22244942 Avenues Tel: 24954632 • Casual Dining Applebee’s Bneid Al-Gar Tel: 22407536 Fintas Tel: 23714559 Burgerhub Gulf road Tel: 22464818 Chili’s Bneid Al-Gar Tel: 22452200 Chili’s Al-Bida’a Tel: 22253120/1 Hard Rock Café Salmiya Tel: 25710004 Ruby Tuesdays Bneid Al-Gar Tel: 22444454 T.G.I. Fridays Bneid Al-Gar Tel: 22544300

• Chinese China Hut Tel: 25656226 China Express Jabriya Tel: 25342399 Salwa Tel: 25653230 China House Salmiya Tel: 25713339 / 60 China Lake Al-Blajat St. Tel: 25713072 / 3 China Town Salmiya Tel: 25652541 Greens Al-Wafra Complex Tel: 22516031

Tel: 1815050 • French Le Notre Gulf Road Tel: 25758888 • Indian Dawat Restaurant Bneid Al Gar Tel: 22411728 Abu Halifa Tel: 23724251 Al Alamia Mall, Jahra Tel: 24554642 Taal Restaurant Salmiya Beda’ Tel: 22253142 Winner’s Salmiya Tel: 25739954 Abu Halifa Tel: 23711374 / 5 Riggae Tel: 24895501 / 2 Jahra Tel: 24560088/8800

Gulf Royal Tel: 23925390-Fintas 22622556-Hawalli 25710448-Salmiya 22244795-Marina

Asha’s Tel: 22244502/3/9 Marina Crescent Tel: 24954700

Noodles Salmiya Tel: 25712233

Bukhara Sheraton Hotel Tel: 22422055

The Peacock Radisson Blu Hotel Tel: 25673000

Tourist Restaurant Kuwait City Tel: 22411702

Noodle Factory Avenues Tel: 24954751

Mugal Mahal Farwaniya Tel: 24726126/7 Fintas Tel: 23915588 Salmiya Tel: 25722223/4 Sharq Tel: 22425132

• Continental Casper & Gambini’s Kuwait City Tel: 22430054 La Marina Sharq Mall Tel: 22426672 • Fast Food Burger King Tel: 22444466 Domino’s Pizza Tel: 1800800 Hardees Tel: 1888333 KFC Tel: 1888666 Little Caesar’s Tel: 1888855 Pizza Hut

Tikka Tel: 1822833 • International Al-Bustan Radisson Blu Hotel Tel: 25673000 Al-Hamra Sheraton Hotel Tel: 22422055 Al-Marsa Restaurant Le Meridien Tel: 22510999 Atrium Restaurant Courtyard Marriott Hotel

Tel: 22997000

L I S T I N G S

Beit 7 Kuwait City Tel: 22450871 Café Rio Al-Fanar Tel: 25732226 Dunes Ritz Hotel Tel: 22499911 Failaka Al-Manshar Rotana Hotel Tel: 23931000 La Brasserie JW Marriott Tel: 22455550 Ritz Shamiya Tel: 24820184 Shuwaikh Tel: 24844350 Square International Tel: 22437681 Test n’ Taste Villa Moda Tel: 24827010 Teatro Hilton Kuwait Resort Tel: 23725500

Kuwait City Tel: 22400737

Nino Gulf Road Tel: 22541900 Pizza Express Abdullah Al-Salem Tel: 22560273 Al-Bida’a Tel: 22253166 Airport Tel: 24342681 Tel: 23725500 Ricardo Sheraton Hotel Tel: 22422055 • Japanese Edo Shaab Tel: 22659590 Kei JW Marriott Hotel Tel: 22422650 Korea & Japan Restaurant New Park Hotel Tel: 25634200

Sakura Crowne Plaza Hotel Tel: 24742000

AlRoshinah Restaurant Safir Hotel & Residences -Fintas Tel: 25455555

Shogun The Palms Hotel Tel: 27070022

Il Forno Restaurant Courtyard Marriot Hotel Tel: 22997000 Johnny Carino’s Salmiya Tel: 22667050 La Piazza Kuwait City Tel: 24246639 Lorenzo

Manousha Salmiya Tel: 25722607 / 8

Al-Noukhaza Crowne Plaza Hotel Tel: 24742000

Fakhr Al-Din Restaurant Kuwait City Tel: 22423180

Villa Fairouz Shaab Tel: 22652030

Shrimpy Gulf Road Tel: 22563118 Totally Fish Marina Crescent Tel: 22244960/1

Garden New Park Hotel Tel: 25634200

Yeldes Palace Kuwait City Tel: 22455212

Kabab-Ji Tel: 1861616

Zahrat Tunis Hawalli Tel: 22662444/333

Mais Al-Ghanim Kuwait City Tel: 22402590

• Persian Kabab Al-Hijja Bnaid Al-Gar Tel: 22517512

Palm Palace Salmiya Tel: 25756331 Saj Express Kuwait City Tel: 22497822 Sarai Al-Bida’a Tel: 22253180/1 Shisha &

Sushi Club Al-Blajat St. Tel: 25712144 Wasabi Al-Bida’a Tel: 22253112 Kuwait City Tel: 22494000 • Lebanese Al-Berdawny Palace Tel: 25661117 Ayam Zaman Holiday Inn Tel: 18477777 Burg Al-Hamam Gulf Road Tel: 22529095

• Steak House Relais De L’Entrecote Al-Fanar Complex Tel: 25729600 Terrace Grill JW Marriott Hotel Tel: 22455550

Shabistan Crowne Plaza Hotel Tel: 24742000

The Gaucho Grill The Palms Hotel Tel: 25667370 -

• Seafood Al-Ahmadi Crowne Plaza Hotel Tel: 24742000

• Tex-Mex Chi Chi’s Salmiya Tel: 25625811

Al-Boom Radisson Blu Hotel Tel: 25756000

Tumbleweed Southern Grill Al-Bida’a Tel: 22253154/5

Maki Al-Blajat St. Tel: 25733561 Marina Waves Tel: 22244560

Flavors Restaurant Safir Hotel & Residences -Fintas Tel: 25455555

• Italian Ciro’s Pomodoro Kuwait City Tel: 22424004

Saj Express Kuwait City Tel: 22497822

Te l : 1 8 3 9 0 9 0

Salmiya - Jabriya - Keifan www.healthstop.com.kw

HOTELS

FIVE STAR Al-Manshar Rotana Hotel Crowne Plaza Kuwait Hilton Kuwait Resort JW Marriot Kuwait City Hotel Kempinski Julai’a Hotel & Resort The Regency Hotel & Resort Le Meridien Le Meridien Tower Marina Hotel Kuwait Movenpick Albid’a Movenpick Palms Beach Hotel & Spa Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts Refad Palace Safir International Hotel Kuwait Sheraton Kuwait Hotel & Towers Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait

23931000 24772000 23725500 22455550 1 844 444 25766666 22510999 22831831 22244970 22253100 24610033 22824060 25673000 23908630 22530000 22422055 25455555

FOUR STAR Carlton Tower Hotel The Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait El Joan Resort Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait

22452740 22997000 23281897 22415001

Ghani Palace Hotel Holiday Inn Khalifa Resort Kuwait Continental Hotel New Park Hotel Al Bastaki Hotel Al Dana Hotel Heritage Village Palace Hotel Shiik Flamingo Hotel & Resort Swiss-Belhotel Plaza Kuwait

25710301 1 847 777 23280144 22527300 25634200 22555081 23902760 22520600 1 821 111 25725050 22436686

THREE STAR Imperial Hotel Oasis Hotel Safari House Hotel Second Home Hotel Spring Continental Hotel Ibis Hotel Salmiya Ibis Hotel Sharq

22528766 22465489 22443136 22532100 25742410 25713872 22928080

TWO STAR International Hotel Kuwait Residence Hotel

25741788 22467560

Brent falls below $109, Greek fear weighs

BUSINESS

fridAY, may 18, 2012

m ar ket watc h KUWAIT 0.13% 6429

DUBAI 0.65% 1476

QATAR 0.15% 8455

OMAN

ABU DHABI

0.23% 5657

0.03% 2468

OIL MARKETS BAHRAIN

EGYPT

SAUDI

0.41% 1152

1.3% 4890

0.06% 7100

US Crude $93.28 $0.47 London Brent $111.71 $0.11 Kuwait Crude $106.67 $0.87 Information Courtesy: KAMCO

See page 10

CURRENCIES US Dollar

British Pound

Saudi Riyal

Qatari Riyal

Indian Rupee

Euro

Japanese Yen

UAE Dirham

Bahraini Dinar

Philippine Peso

Buy 0.2792 Sell 0.2797 Buy 0.3548 Sell 0.3555

Buy 0.4417 Sell 0.4426

Buy 0.003481 Sell 0.003488

Buy 0.0744 Sell 0.0746

Buy 0.07601 Sell 0.07615

Buy 0.07683 Sell 0.07667 Buy 0.7405 Sell 0.74194

Buy 0.005139 Sell 0.005128 Buy 0.006519 Sell 0.006499

Kuwaiti crude drops 87 cents, settles at $106.67 per barrel ‘Kuwait as world’s oil capital’ being studied

KUWAIT: The price of Kuwaiti crude oil went down 87 US cents to 106.67 US dollars per barrel (pb) in transactions on Wednesday, compared with $106.67 on the day before, reported Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) on Thursday. The global price of oil slipped Wednesday due to political and economical instability as an aftermath of the ongoing Greece debt crisis. Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works, Minister of State for Planning and Development Fadhel Safar revealed on Thursday that the idea of ‘Kuwait as a world’s oil capital’ will see the light after being studied comprehensively, On the fringes of a preparatory meeting for the country’s second mid-term development plan, Safar told KUNA that the idea of turning Kuwait into a world oil capital goes along with the concept of turning it also into a financial and commercial hub. This could be accomplished by offering a complete set of Kuwaiti oil and manufacturing industries and providing job opportunities for 21,000 potential employees, the minister said during last night’s meeting that included the presence of representatives for the Kuwaiti oil and industrial sectors. The meeting provided a good opportunity to discusses some of the challenges that hinder the performance of these two sectors such as the lack of space to set up these industries and bureaucracy Ahmad Al-Arabied, a former leading figure in the oil industry, commented that more than 200 Kuwaitis academics and former leaders in the oil sector are writing out a framework document on their idea of “Kuwait as a world’s oil capital.” -KUNA

Vast scope of boosting Indo-Kuwait trade: Indian Minister tells Kuwaiti journalists

NEW DELHI: India enjoys close relations with Kuwait and there is a tremendous scope of enhancing bilateral trade which stood at 12.3 billion US dollars last year, said Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna while meeting the tenmember delegation of Kuwaiti journalists in New Delhi,Thursday. He said the free media of both the countries could play a constructive role in bringing the two countries closer and diversifying the bilateral links. “Our ties have been defined by close geographical proximity and cultural affinity. People on both sides have known each other for centuries, and both the governments have also maintained regular high-level of contacts,” he said while welcoming the Kuwaiti journalists. Laying stress on enhanced bilateral trade and Kuwaiti investment in India, he said, “There is enough scope for Kuwaitis to make investments in India in different sectors. I may assure you that investment in India is always safe and solid with comparatively higher returns. Despite global slowdown, India has grown at a satisfactory pace since 2008, when the meltdown hit the developed economies of the world.” He further stated that India has set a target of making investments of one trillion US dollars in the next ten years, and “Kuwait can pitch in here”. To a question about US’ pressure on India to cut down oil imports from Iran, the Indian Minister told the Kuwaiti journalist-delegates that India and Iran enjoy civilizational ties, even as Iran meets nearly 11 percent of India’s crude oil needs. “And, we made it clear during the recent visit of US Secretary of State that no decision has been taken yet to reduce oil imports from Iran,” he said. He, however, acknowledged that due to US’ sanctions on Iran, India has been facing problems of payments for Iranian oil. Touching on India’s foreign policy, he said that his country wanted peace and tranquility in Asia and world over. “Our relations with our immediate neighbors Pakistan and China have been improving in the recent past, and all diplomatic efforts are being made to take them one step higher,” he added. To a pointed question about India’s recent military build-up across Chinese border, Krishna said: “We do safeguard our border like any other country does. Sometimes media reports create problems where there is none. There is a border concern with China and both the nations understand this. It’s a very long border and efforts are being made to resolve all border-related issues.” Allaying fears of tensions between India and China, he specifically pointed out that Indo-China trade stood at more than $74 billion last year. “If there was suspicion between the two sides, such a huge trade would never have been comprehended,” added the Indian Minister. Today was the last day of the Kuwaiti journalists’ visit to India. In a statement, the delegation’s Coordinator Adnan Khalifa Al-Rashed thanked the Indian and Kuwaiti Foreign Ministries for making their visit a success. He also thanked the Kuwaiti embassy in New Delhi and India’s embassy in Kuwait, KUNA correspondent in India and the Kuwait Television for giving a wide coverage. The delegation members included Chairman of Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) Ahmed Yousuf Behbehani, Editor-in-Chief of Arabic daily ‘Al-Anba’ Yousef Khaled Al-Mazrook, KUNA Editor-in-Chief Rashed Mohamad AlRuwaished, Editor-in-Chief of daily ‘Al-Nahar’ Emad Jawad Bukhamseen, Editor-in-Chief daily ‘Kuwait Times’ Abdul Rahman Yousuf Al-Alyan, Editor-in-Chief of ‘Al-Rai’ Majed Yousuf Al-Ali, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of daily ‘Al-Jarida’ Saoud Rashed Al-Anezi, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of weekly magazine ‘Al-Yaqaza’ Dalia Mostafa Al-Shater, delegation coordinator Adnan Khalifa Al-Rashed and photographer Majed Abdul Razaaq Al-Sabaej. -KUNA

Prices in Kuwaiti fils as of May 17, 2012 Courtesy: KAMCO

KSE ends session with red boards

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange’s KSX 15 index ended the Thursday’s trading session with a drop of 13.07 points to read 969.99 points. The price index lost 8.63 points to 6,429.09 points and the weighted index shed 3.86 points to 409.45 points. Trades came to 3,963 transactions, worth 21,085,145.288 Kuwaiti dinars and volume reached 208,919,382 shares. Top share for the day was that of Wethaq Takaful Insurance Company. The biggest loser was Nafais Holding Company, and top volume share was that of Al-Safwa Group Company. The 14 sector indices were mostly red upon closing. The KSX 15 is newly-created index reflecting performance of major listed companies. -KUNA

A woman withdraws money from a branch of Piraeus bank in central Athens on May 17, 2012. Some 700 million euros (894 million US dollars) were withdrawn from Greek banks on May 14, President Carolos Papoulias said, warning that the situation would worsen in coming days. Greece’s failure to form a government after a splinter vote at May 6 elections has stoked fears about the country’s future in the eurozone. (AFP)

US currency vis a vis Kuwaiti dinar rises

KUWAIT: Exchange rate of the US dollar against the Kuwaiti dinar on Thursday rose to 0.279 Kuwaiti dinars, the euro fell to KD 0.356, compared to Wednesday’s figures, said the daily bulletin of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK). Exchange rate of the Sterling pound dropped to KD 0.444, the Japanese yen remained stable,

at KD 0.003, whereas the Swiss franc slipped to KD 0.296. Many factors have been affecting the exchange market, namely Greece’s failure to form a coalition government after legislative elections, amid popular demands that the nation withdraw from the euro zone – thus feeding predominant jitters in the main markets. -KUNA

Greek exit could cost eurozone 100s of billions of euros

FRANKFURT: A Greek exit from the euro zone could expose the European Central Bank (ECB) and the currency bloc it seeks to protect to hundreds of billions of euros in losses, landing Germany and its partners with a crippling bill. A Greek departure would take Europe into uncharted legal waters. The size of the burden other euro zone states could bear gives them a powerful incentive to keep Greece in the currency club. With most of Greek’s private creditors having taken heavy writedowns as part of the country’s second, 130 billion euros bailout, it is estimated that the ECB, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and euro zone nations hold approaching 200 billion of its debt. “In the event of an exit, they (Greece) will default. And the loss given default will probably be very high, high enough to eliminate the ECB’s capital,” said Andrew Bosomworth, senior portfolio manager at asset manager Pimco. “They might need recapitalization from governments, who are not exactly in the best position to provide additional capital.” Those are not the only losses the ECB and its national shareholders might face as is explained in detail below. Even once Greece had left the currency club, the costs to the rest of the euro zone would continue to mount as it would probably be compelled to avert a complete Greek collapse and wider contagion. “Large-scale ECB intervention would be necessary to stabilize the system, along with intervention from Germany, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), its predecessor the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and the IMF, potentially costing hundreds of billions of euros,” said Georgios Tsapouris, investment strategist at Coutts. The ECB, which has its own paid-in capital of 6.4 billion euros, is essentially a joint venture between the 17 euro zone national central banks (NCBs). Combined, the Eurosystem of euro zone central banks has capital and reserves of 86 billion euros. The national central banks would divide up any losses between them according to the ‘capital key’ the ECB’s measure of countries’ stakes in its financing based on economic size and population. Germany would bear the biggest loss, some 27 percent of the total. France would take a big hit too. A Greek exit from the euro zone could cost the French taxpayer up to 66.4 billion euros and saddle the country’s banking system with 20 billion euros in lost loans, according to a study published on Tuesday by the IESEG School of Management in Lille. Smaller countries with less robust national central banks than the German Bundesbank would likely be still harder hit in relative terms. “The ECB and some of the NCBs with little lossabsorbing capital and reserves relative to their share of how a loss would be allocated across the Eurosys-

Iran’s parliament approves $462 billion budget

TEHRAN: Iran’s parliament on Thursday signed off on a 462 billion US dollar budget bill for the current Iranian year that is about 9 percent less than the budget approved in the previous calendar year, a consequence attributed to the new exchange rate of the US dollar. The Iranian currency has lost much of its value because of Western sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program. The new budget comes at a time when Iran is facing growing international pressure and isolation over its controversial nuclear program, which the United States and its allies maintain is geared toward developing atomic weapons. Iran has repeatedly dismissed the claim, arguing that the program is purely for peaceful purposes, such as generating electricity. The US has imposed new sanctions targeting Iran’s central bank while the European Union has imposed an oil embargo - measures Tehran has blasted as tantamount to a declaration of economic war on the Islamic Republic. The EU embargo is slated to go into effect in July. With its economy hurting, Iran this year increased the official exchange rate to 12,260 Iranian rials to the dollar. The previous budget was based on the rate of 10,500 rials per dollar. The country also increased the price of exporting oil to $85 from $81.5 per barrel. More than 80 percent of Iran’s foreign revenue comes from crude exports. After endorsement in parliament, the budget must still be approved by the Guardian Council, a constitutional watchdog, before it becomes law. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that the budget for this Iranian year, which runs through March 2013, is aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on oil revenues. Critics said the budget will lead to more reliance on oil income, more liquidity and inflation, which is now about 20 percent. -AP

tem would potentially see their capital and revaluation reserves written off,” Bosomworth said. However, with fresh Greek elections called for June 17 and an anti-bailout leftist party ahead in the polls, some within the EU’s corridors of power wonder whether the show is worth keeping on the road.

UAE current account surplus quadruples in 2011

Triple whammy

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) current account surplus quadrupled to 112.7 billion UAE dirhams (30.7 billion US dollars) in 2011 as both crude and non-oil exports soared, the central bank’s annual report showed on Thursday. The surplus surged to 8.5 percent of gross domestic product last year from 2.4 percent, or 26.6 billion dirhams, in 2010, according to a Reuters calculation. The 2011 calculation is based on a gross domestic product (GDP) estimate by the International Monetary Fund since the UAE’s statistics office has yet to release GDP data for last year. The member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) 2010 balance of payments data has been revised. Last year’s outcome is smaller than the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimate for a surplus of 9.2 percent of GDP, released following regular consultations with the country in February and March. The value of UAE hydrocarbon exports surged nearly 50 percent to 409.9 billion dirhams last year ($111 billion), helped by robust oil prices and higher output as a part of the OPEC drive to help cover shortfalls due to a civil war in Libya. Crude accounted for 81 percent of hydrocarbon exports of the UAE, one of the world’s top five oil exporters, with the rest almost evenly divided between gas and petroleum products. A Reuters poll in March showed analysts expecting the UAE’s hydrocarbon export revenue of $110 billion in 2012. Non-oil exports jumped 22 percent to 228.0 billion dirhams, while re-exports rose 23 percent to 396.5 billion, the data showed. Imports to the $360 billion economy, the second largest in the Arab world, were also up 23 percent last year, at 742.4 billion dirhams. The net balance on the UAE capital and financial account turned negative in 2011, reaching 60.4 billion dirhams, which indicates a net outflow of capital from the Gulf country, the central bank said. Direct investment soared 40 percent to 28.2 billion dirhams in 2011, the highest level since 50.4 billion in 2008, when the global crisis pierced Dubai’s property bubble. Remittances sent home by foreigners working in the UAE rose to 41.2 billion dirhams last year from 38.8 billion in 2010, the report showed. The UAE, which has one of the highest incomes per capita globally, served as a safe haven for last year for foreign capital seeking a refuge from the wave of social unrest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The central bank’s foreign currency assets increased to 169.4 billion dirhams in 2011 from 153.4 billion in the previous year. Its investments abroad into highly rated securities, government bonds and treasury bills rose to 72.3 billion dirhams from 68.4 billion in 2010, the report said. The UAE’s economic growth is forecast to ease to 3.1 percent this year, a Reuters poll showed in March, from the IMF estimated 4.9 percent in 2011, partly due to a global slowdown. -Reuters

The ECB and national central banks are exposed to Greece in three main ways: via Greek sovereign bonds the ECB holds, via Greek collateral they hold in return for ECB loans and via Greece’s liabilities for transactions over the euro zone’s TARGET2 payments system. The ECB has spent about 38 billion euros on Greek government debt with a face value of about 50 billion euros. Under a scenario described in German weekly Der Spiegel, the euro zone’s EFSF bailout fund could be used in the event of a Greek default to continue funding Greece’s debt obligations to the ECB. However, this would eat into the resources of the ‘firewall’, eroding its capacity to help other euro zone states which might well need to be protected if a Greek exit sparked contagion. An alternative scenario could see the national central banks turning to their governments to recapitalize the ECB. But going cap in hand to politicians for money they are desperately short of risks undermining the ECB’s independence. ECB loans to Greek banks are another way the central bank is exposed but in this case, although the ECB conducts these medium- and long-term lending operations (MROs and LTROs), the funds are distributed via the national central banks and carried on their balance sheets. A Bank of Greece financial statement on its website showed that as of January 31 it had lent out some 15 billion euros in MROs and 58 billion euros in LTROs - a total of 73 billion. It was holding 143 billion euros in assets eligible as collateral for euro zone monetary policy operations. Berenberg Bank economist Christian Schulz said that in the event of a Greek exit these loans and most of the collateral may be converted into a new Greek currency. Target risk

But any funds Greek banks had taken using ECB loan operations that had subsequently found their way out of Greece could pose a problem.These would be added to the Bank of Greece’s liabilities under the TARGET2 payments system. The Bank of Greece and other peripheral euro zone countries have built up liabilities within the euro zone’s cross-border payment system, TARGET2, due to a net outflow of payments to other countries in the bloc, a trend exacerbated by the debt crisis. -Reuters

ALWATAN DAILY

BUSINESS

friDAY, may 18, 2012

Brent falls Aramco launches below $109, Greek fear weighs Jizan, bidders revise Rabigh offer KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Aramco has invited bids for the construction of a new refinery in Jizan, an underdeveloped province bordering Yemen, industry sources said. Aramco has also asked for revised offers for one of nine construction packages to expand the Rabigh petrochemical complex with Sumitomo Chemical, they said on Thursday. The refinery in Jizan will have a capacity of 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) and is far from oilfields on the Gulf coast. Expected to be in operation in 2016, the refinery is part of plans by Aramco, increasingly looking to expand in downstream activities, to raise its domestic refining output capacity to 3.5 million bpd by 2016. Bidding for the nine Rabigh packages - including a hydrocracker, diesel hydrotreater, hydrogen production unit, crude

FILE- This April 20, 2012, file photo, shows a gas pump displaying a $100 sale in Barre Vt. Brent futures slipped below 109 US dollars on Thursday, hitting a fresh four-month low, as investors avoided riskier assets due to the deepening turmoil in Greece and fears of contagion spreading to other stressed euro zone economies. (AP)

distillation unit, vacuum distillation unit, and other units was due to close mid-August, sources said. Aramco and Sumitomo asked bidders to revise their proposals for a package called CP1 for cumene, phenol and cyclohexanone by May 30 with bidding validity due at the end of June. The revision is due to the cancellation of the CP2 package for caprolactam and Nylon-6, as CP1 provides feedstock for the cancelled package. South Korean group Daelim Industrial had submitted the lowest bids for CP1. Sources said last week, British company Petrofac and South Korea group Engineering and Construction were among contractors that will be part of building the second phase. -Reuters

Zain announces Ivan Kovalwon as winner of Direct Deduction Monthly Draw

LONDON: Brent futures slipped below 109 US dollars on Thursday, hitting a fresh four-month low, as investors avoided riskier assets due to the deepening turmoil in Greece and fears of contagion spreading to other stressed euro zone economies. A fall in US crude prices was limited by hopes that reversing flow on the Seaway oil pipeline would help reduce a supply glut at the land-locked delivery point at Cushing, Oklahoma. Brent crude futures slipped by 76 US cents to $108.99 a barrel by 1137 GMT, having hit $108.95, the lowest intraday price since Jan. 25. US crude slipped into negative territory, falling 12 cents to $92.67. On Tuesday, it hit $91.81, its lowest intraday level since November 3. “The oil market, like other risky assets, is within the grips of uncertainty surrounding the eurozone,” said Harry Tchilinguirian, BNP Paribas head of commodities strategy. The euro hovered near four-month lows and European shares extended losses. Earlier in the day, US crude rose on the expected reversal on Thursday of the Seaway pipeline piping oil from Cushing, the delivery point for US crude, to Houston, the country’s main refining centre on the Gulf Coast. “The Seaway pipeline reversal starts today and this could support WTI,” said Yusuke Seta, a commodity sales manager at Newedge Japan. He was referring to West Texas Intermediate, or WTI, an underlying crude for US crude futures.

Volatile spread

Brent’s premium over US crude, the Brent-WTI spread, fell to a six-week low of $15.48 a barrel, after widening to one-month high of $19.46 on Wednesday. Mark Thomas, head of energy Europe with brokerage Marex Spectron, expected the spread to remain volatile. He added the Seaway reversal might to be too small to clear supply overhang in the United States. “I do not believe the reversal will be enough to counter the inflow of extra crude going into Cushing from Canada and the rest of the US,” Thomas said. US crude inventories rose to their highest level in 21 years last week, government data showed on Wednesday. Talk of an emergency stock release also weighed on oil prices. Kyodo news agency reported that US President Barack Obama had moved to seek support to tap emergency oil reserves from other G8 leaders at a summit this weekend before the European Union’s July embargo of Iranian crude. The International Energy Agency remained ready to release emergency oil stocks if needed as oil prices remained a threat to the fragile global economic recovery despite a recent fall. The oil market showed limited reaction to potential tightening of US sanctions against Iran and remarks from the US ambassador to Israel. The ambassador said US plans for a possible military strike on Iran are ready and the option is “fully available”. Iran is due to resume talks with world powers next week over its disputed nuclear program. -Reuters

Growth figures show Japan on recovery track CAPITALS: Japan’s economy grew by a fasterthan-expected 1.0 percent in the three months to March, official figures showed Thursday, as rising domestic demand and a boost in exports kept it on the recovery path. Economy Minister Motohisa Furukawa said the economy, hit hard by last year’s quake-tsunami disaster and a surging yen, was likely to see further expansion in April-June, but warned of the possible impact of Europe’s debt crisis. Preliminary figures from the Cabinet Office showed 1.0 percent quarter on quarter growth in January-March gross domestic product, slightly above expectations for a 0.9 percent rise. It marked the third straight quarter of real gross

domestic product (GDP) growth for Japan, also buoyed by government reconstruction spending following the devastating natural disasters in March 2011. On an annualized basis, Japan’s economy grew 4.1 percent in the quarter, also beating expectations of 3.5 percent expansion. “Our country’s economy is continuing its upward movement,” Furukawa said. “Gradual growth is likely to continue in the AprilJune period and afterward, as reconstruction demand will underpin the economy,” he added. However, Furukawa also warned that “we need to be mindful of risk factors such as re-intensification in Europe’s sovereign debt crisis” amid increasing worries that under-pressure Greece will leave the 17-nation bloc. -AFP

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunication company in Kuwait, announces the winner of its monthly draw for customers who have subscribed to the recently launched Direct Deduction Service. Ivan Kovalwon, the first winner of the monthly draw, won 400 Kuwaiti dinars. Speaking on the occasion of the service’s convenience, Ahmed Alkandery Costumer Care Director from Zain said, “We launch this service as part of our strategy and commitment to provide value-added services to our customers and to create a synergy between them and our organization. This service is part of our strategy to promote initiatives that seek to provide convenience to all our customers.” The Direct Deduction Service offers a myriad of opportunities to our clients to win money in the start of every month. The first winner of the monthly draw will get KD 400 and the rest of the winners will each win KD 100. The Direct Deduction Service provides flexibility and comfort for Zain’s customers whose monthly bill will be paid automatically with a deduction from

A handout picture of Ivan Kovalwon receiving his award.

the subscriber’s bank account. Customers will no longer need to go to any of Zain’s branches or to pay their bills online. Also, customers who pay their bills by using the Direct Deduction Service will enjoy a three percent discount on their total bill

Gold off 4.5 month low on increased physical buying LONDON: Gold rose almost one percent on Thursday, bouncing off a 4.5 month low, as weaker prices attracted new physical buyers, but gains were likely to be limited as the euro was undermined by fears of a deepening debt crisis in Greece. Spot gold rose 0.6 percent an ounce to $1,547.86 by 0950 GMT, from 1,538.30 US dollars late in New York on Wednesday. The precious metal rose to a high of $1,553.36 earlier, as the euro briefly regained strength following a drop to a four-month low on Wednesday. Bullion plunged to $1,527 - its weakest since Dec. 29 - on Wednesday. US gold futures hit a high of $1,553.70 an ounce and were at $1,548.40, up 0.8 percent. The contract had plunged to a multi-month low of $1,526.70 on Wednesday. Gold, traditionally a safehaven asset, has been moving in tandem

with riskier assets such as equities, industrial metals and oil this year, as investors turned to the safety of the dollar. However, this may soon change, according to some. “Since yesterday we have seen more interest come through from physical buyers especially in India because prices have come down substantially,” said Afshin Nabavi, head of trading at MKS Finance. “But there is more upside than downside risk for gold at the moment as the political situation is very jittery with tension in Iran and economic problems especially in the euro zone. People will want to buy physical gold again. Those who went out since December are now waiting for prices to stabilize before getting in again.” Since last year, many investors have unwound their bullish bets in gold, cashing in the metal to cover for losses in other mar-

Iran petchem exports plunge nearly 90% on EU sanctions SINGAPORE: Iranian petrochemical exports have plunged nearly 90 percent in the last two weeks as most maritime firms, including those in Iran, cannot find insurance to transport cargoes due to EU sanctions, according to traders and shipping data. The impact EU sanctions are having on Iran’s 14 billion US dollar petrochemical industry offers a glimpse into how the OPEC member’s much larger crude and oil products trade could be affected once similar EU measures are imposed in July. “Petrochemicals are definitely an indication of what could happen to crude, but I doubt the impact will be as strong,” said Erik Nikolai Stavseth, a shipping analyst with Arctic Securities. EU sanctions prohibiting European insurers and reinsurers from covering tankers carrying Iranian petrochemicals came into effect on May 1, forcing out most of the ships operating in this niche market. Around 90 percent of the world’s tanker fleet, including those operated by Iran’s Petrochemical Transportation Company, is covered by Western-based protection and indemnity (P&I) clubs, which insure against personal injury and environmental clean-up claims. “So far, there has been no proper insurance available for shipping companies. The decline in exports is almost 90 percent and I don’t see that changing,” said a Singaporebased ship broker. Shipping data confirmed a sharp drop in Iranian petrochemical exports, which includes methanol, xylene and caustic soda, to around 60,000 tons a week in May from a weekly average of 350,000 tons last year. However, Iran’s deputy oil minister,Abdolhossein Bayat, told local media earlier this month that the country’s petrochemical exports had not declined despite EU sanctions. OPEC’s second-largest oil producer could be exporting more petrochemicals than what is evident from shipping data, as captains on some of Iran’s ships have turned off the black box transponders that monitor vessel movements. China buys Iranian petrochemicals

China, Iran’s top oil customer, is probably the only

starting from January 2012. Zain’s customers can subscribe for the Direct Deduction Service either at any of Zain’s branches after they show their civil ID and credit card, or by filling out the form on Zain’s website.

kets, after the turmoil in Europe raised the specter of a recession that threatens to hurt the global economy. But in China, gold demand hit a record high in the first quarter due to investor worries over inflation and property market curbs, the World Gold Council said on Thursday, bucking a lower trend in global consumption driven by higher gold prices. “Evidently, some buying on the dips emerged above December lows also with fresh physical inflows with prices starting to look attractive,” saidVTB Capital in a research note. “Some physical interest is welcome, but much more serious buying out of Asia needs to emerge for us to see a sustained recovery. For now, the investor community remains spooked and is unlikely to return to the market with full vigor unless we have a monumental credit event in Europe or a pronounced dollar retreat.” -Reuters

that problem,” Ramtin Hassan, a Tehran-based marine manager for the Iranian company, told Reuters in a telephone interview. Impact on crude

FILE - Gas flares from an oil production platform, as an Iranian flag is seen in the foreground, at the Soroush oil fields in the Arabian Gulf, some 1,250 kilometers (776 miles) south of the capital Tehran in this July 25, 2005 file photo. Iranian petrochemical exports have plunged nearly 90 percent in the last two weeks as most maritime firms, including those in Iran, cannot find insurance to transport cargoes due to EU sanctions. (Reuters)

buyer of Iranian petrochemicals so far this month, traders said. Chinese firms, such as Nanjing Tankers and Sinochem Corporation, have been able to get insurance from domestic providers and were reaping huge profits from conducting the niche trade. Iran’s Petrochemical Transport Company has not had

the same success. It asked Iran’s main ship insurer, Kish P&I club, to provide cover but ship owners would not allow such a move, a PTC official said. “We have a problem with the P&I clubs.We are working on that and we have contacted some other P&I insurance companies, but up until now we cannot find any solution to

For crude shipments, Iran’s maritime companies do not face the same insurance problem. The country’s main tanker operator NITC has coverage from the Kish P&I club, but it does not have the fleet capacity to transport all of Iran’s 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in crude exports. Shipowners from Iran’s top oil buyers - China, India, Japan and South Korea - have asked their governments to provide sovereign guarantees in place of Western-based maritime insurance to enable their tankers to transport Iranian crude past June. “What Iran will have to do to sell their crude is just to provide a very large discount and they will find somebody to move their crude,” Stavseth said. Iran’s production has already felt some impact from sanctions, dropping to a two-decade low of 3.15 million bpd in April from around 3.5 million bpd last year, a Reuters survey shows. Britain is seeking to persuade fellow EU members to postpone the shipping insurance sanctions for crude by up to six months to avoid a spike in oil prices, diplomats said earlier this month. South Korea and Japan are asking the EU to give them access to European insurance for Iranian oil shipments even after the July 1 embargo comes into effect, the Korean economy ministry said on Monday. Asian oil buyers have also struggled to pay for Iranian oil as Western sanctions target Tehran’s central bank and financial institutions to pressure the member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to halt its disputed nuclear program. China, India, Japan and South Korea made deep cuts in Iranian imports in the first quarter. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, which handles most of Japan’s payments for oil imports from Iran, said on Thursday it had frozen transactions with Iranian banks after being ordered to do so by the New York District Court earlier this month. -Reuters

ALWATAN DAILY

BUSINESS

HSBC turnaround on target, sees revenue boost

HONG KONG: Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) doubled the annual revenue boost expected from its turnaround plan to two billion US dollars, as Europe’s biggest bank targets emerging markets and cost cuts to lead its battle to recover from the financial crisis and cope with new regulations. Chief executive Stuart Gulliver said on Thursday that, one year into the threeyear plan, HSBC was on target to meet profitability and cost savings targets. Gulliver said his biggest external worry “is absolutely how the euro zone plays out and whether Greece stays in ... and, frankly, whether markets take things into their own hands before June 17 (Greek elections).” HSBC, which makes over three-quarters of its profit outside Europe and North America, coped better in the crisis than many rivals, helped by its strength in fastgrowing Asian markets. It is now facing the same regulatory pressure as competitors to reduce its risks and has conceded it has more work to do to revive its lagging European and US businesses. “Investors have been skeptical about our ability to get our hands around HSBC. The skepticism was about anybody’s ability to move such a large firm and change its direction,” Gulliver told reporters on a conference call. “At the year one report card we can evidence that on things we can control we are demonstrating significant traction. We are delivering with good momentum given a difficult backdrop.” Mizuho Securities analyst Jim Antos in Hong Kong said, “HSBC should come out and be honest about it. In reality, there was a force majeure in Europe blowing up, and they will need more than three years to meet their targets”. HSBC’s London-listed shares were down 1.4 percent at 526.8 pence at 0855 GMT, compared with a 0.9 percent lower European bank index.The stock is up nine percent this year. The bank has achieved annualized cost savings of two billion dollars and expects that to rise to $3.5 billion by 2013, as set out by Gulliver, who is steering the bank back to its roots as a financier of global trade. It has sold 28 businesses, taking 14,000 staff off its payroll, and releasing about $55 billion risk-weighted assets, the bank said. The sales brought in $5.9 billion. Having focused on shrinking the bank, analysts and investors expected Gulliver may soon point to where HSBC is expanding. In addition to its core “home” markets of Britain and Hong Kong, Gulliver identified 20 priority growth markets around the globe, including Brazil, China, and India. Gulliver a year ago set out to get return on equity - a key measure of profitability - above 12 percent, and cut costs below 52 percent of revenue. The bank improved on both fronts in the first quarter from last year, with an underlying RoE near 11 percent and cost efficiency at 55 percent. HSBC said the integration of its four businesses - retail banking and wealth

KUWAIT: Marriott Kuwait Hotels announced in a press release on Thursday key milestone in its expansion plans and commitment to developing the hospitality sector in Kuwait. Kuwait Marriott Hotels will add to its existing portfolio of properties in Kuwait, Residence Inn, which is scheduled to open in 2015. The announcement comes as part of Marriott International, Inc. a long term agreement with Family United General to manage the Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City, bringing the total number of properties to be managed to four, which include JW Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Arraya Ballroom, as well as The new Residence Inn by Marriott. Owned by Family United General, Residence Inn will offer 143 spacious and modern studios, one, and two- bedroom suites. Designed as a service apartment for stays of five nights or more, each suite will include a fully functional kitchen and separate living area, flat screen TV and Marriott’s widely acclaimed bed and bath linens. Rates will vary depending on length of stay. A unique feature will be the Residence Inn lobby that will offer a communal environment and include a self-service lounge, casual restaurant and a meeting room. A “grab and go” kiosk/market offering snacks, basic food items, newspapers, magazines and various sundries will be located adjacent to the front desk. Residence Inn also features fitness facilities that allow travelers to continue with their regular routine of a healthy and

Thursday 17 May, 2012 Index Price index Weighted Index KSX 15

Change ź ź ź

-8.63 -3 68 -3.68 -13.07

balanced lifestyle. George Aoun, General Manager of Kuwait Marriott Hotels said, “This comes as a broader move to establish brand recognition via a worthwhile venture. We believe that Kuwait is an ideal fit to invest in luxurious brands that will accommodate the needs and desires of business and leisure travelers from around the world. With the growth in tourism, high disposable income, oil wealth and economic development, we assured that more Marriott properties will make its way through to the local market.” Kuwait Marriott Hotels currently houses the Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait City hotel, a business hotel centrally located within easy reach to the financial and business district and directly connected to Arraya shopping Mall. The spacious hotel rooms feature a large work desk, free breakfast and high-speed Internet. Club floor rooms feature business lounge access. Located on higher floors, leisure and recreational facilities offer luxurious amenities and attentive service. Marriott also manages the 1,500 sqm Arraya Ballroom, which is adjacent to the hotel, and is perfect for large gala dinners and social events. Ghazi F. Al Nafisi, Salhia’s Chairman & Managing Director said, “We are delighted to be part of a new and lucrative investment in the Marriott group .Hospitality is a flourishing sector granting us the opportunity to expand with a diverse portfolio and increase in volume of our current business. Some of our local commercial entities are Salhia plaza, Sahab tower in the Salhia commercial complex, Arraya tower, Arraya commercial offices in Arraya commercial center, and Salhia Tower in Bahrain bay.”

High

Low

6,437.72 413 13 413.13 983.06

6,456.19 413 24 413.24 983.06

6,417.99 408 39 408.39 966.52

Trades Value (KD)

146

20000

2 920 2,920

192

NAPESCO

360

102

AREFENRGY

126

45,500

5,733

GPI

256,501

16,839

ABAR

224

222

16,109 338,262

3,577 29,115

5 29

222 1009.18

ź ź

-10.0 -17.10

PIPE

118

116

294,991

34,588

116

-2.0

KFOUC

365

350

28,514

10,215

BPCC

610

600

656 268 656,268

394 271 394,271

ALQURAIN Basic Materials

222

218

11,892,169 12,871,942

2,627,599 3,066,673

234 279

222 998.89

Ÿ ź

KCEM

430

44,750

19,243

430

REFRI

178

170

26,000

4,590

CABLE

MARIN IKARUS

ALKOUT

management, commercial banking, global banking and markets, and private banking - would deliver incremental revenue of $2 billion, doubling the target it set last year. It is moving out of businesses that lack scale, do not make money or do not connect with other areas. There have been big US sales, and smaller moves in Europe, including closures in Georgia, Poland and Slovakia. HSBC last year sold its US credit card arm to Capital One Financial Corp for $2.6 billion more than the face value of the loans, and in Latin America, it has sold or plans to sell businesses in a string of countries, leaving it to focus on Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Asia has not been immune, with divestments in Japan and Thailand so far. It is in talks to sell its retail and wealth management business in South Korea. Return on equity (RoE), which topped 15 percent each year from 2004-07 before plunging to 4-5 percent in the financial market crisis, will come back under pressure as Basel III regulations come in. All banks face the same pressure to divert cash to their reserves, and that could cut up to 2 percentage points from HSBC’s RoE which reached 11 percent last year and held at that level in the first quarter of this year. HSBC’s Hong Kong-listed shares had their biggest one-day fall this year on Wednesday, losing 3.4 percent, and were last down 0.8 percent. -Reuters

Last Closing

6,429.09 409 45 409.45 969.99

Volume

High

Oil & Gas

FILE - This file photo taken on May 12, 2011 shows an HSBC logo displayed outside a branch in Hong Kong. HSBC doubled the annual revenue boost expected from its turnaround plan to two billion US dollars. (AFP)

Closing

Low

Security

IPG

The Residence Inn by Marriott Kuwait City adds to robust local expansion

Kuwait Marriott Hotels indicates rising potential in hotel industry

FRIDAY, may 18, 2012

Trades

1,340

1,320

1,396

1,847

SHIP

260

250

911,161

227,791

PCEM

860

840

103,254

87,925

PAPER

188

2,500

470

MRC

140

300

ACICO

248

9,000

2,232

GGMC

HCC

KPAK

KBMMC

NICBM

EQUIPMENT

182

178

24,700

4,408

NCCI

GYPSUM

SALBOOKH

212,180

7,984

AGLTY

410

400

399,730

161,041

EDU

Last

146

192

Change

ź Ÿ

126

360 67

ź ŷ

350

610

178

1,340 255

860 188

140

248 0

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ ź ź ŷ ŷ ŷ

180

400

37 0

ź ŷ

-8 0 -8.0

935 823 935,823

102 199 102,199

130

161,001

21,132

0.0

SRE

PEARL

282,458

11,078

0.0

TAM

232

88,869

20,618

AREEC

158

MASSALEH ARABREC

128 40

114 38

22,201 365,000

2,591 14,160

5 11

-25.0 0.0

-10.0 10.0

170,000

10,184

2,346,060

199,605

6.0

AQAR

ALAQARIA

145,000

5,510

5.0

MAZAYA

547,142

45,959

ADNC

-8.0

THEMAR

GRAND

0.0

TIJARA

65,000

2,730

TAAMEER

10,072

544

0.0

ARKAN

20.0 -10.0 0.0

0.0

ARGAN

ABYAAR

10,174,000

489,311

105

MUNSHAAT

2,350,650

90,343

FIRSTDUBAI

752,400

31,141

KBT

0.0

REAM

MENA

-5.0

ALMUDON

MARAKEZ

55,039

3,017

-4.0 0.0

REMAL Real Estate

350

340

1,000,133 58,157,614

345,667 2,716,415

62 971

KINV

FACIL

270

265

42,639

11,508

0.0

-4.0 0.0

-1.0 0.0

5.0

1,680

1,660

32,950

55,006

MTCC

310,005

30,210

UPAC

ALAFCO

290

252,379

73,190

MUBARRAD

1,105,300

70,935

LOGISTICS

290

280

2,092,500

594,443

SCEM

232,947

20,045

1,660

290 64

280 86

100

ź ŷ ź ŷ Ÿ ŷ

0.0

-10.0

NINV

144

142

128,020

18,189

-0.5

KPROJ

330

320

726,802

236,237

COAST

-40.0

TII

0.0

-1.0

SECH

IIC

SGC

-1.0

IFC

104

29,005,100

2,892,453

275

MARKAZ

116

10,000

1,160

KMEFIC

AIG

ALAMAN

ALOLA

148

144

1,872,202

273,307

ALMAL GIH

0 37

0 3,211,720

0 118,060

0 92

0.0

1.0

0.0

GCEM

102

1,995,050

201,865

FCEM

482,427

47,285

RKWC Industrials

0 8,913,264

0 1,695,850

0 410

0 985.09

ŷ ź

0.0 -5.40 5.40

KSH

0.0

NSH

PAPCO

114

CATTL

DANAH

290,001

26,940

POULT

ŷ ŷ

114 93 0

Ÿ ź ŷ

0.0

6,000

392

0 0

224

5,101 101

1,143 1 143

SULTAN

-10 10 4

-5 5

ALNAWADI

102

12 12,000 000

1 1,174 174

ALRAI

124

118

39,002

4,602

ZIMAH

UFIG

KOUTFOOD Consumer Services

0 618,464

0 113,196

0 77

0 982.21

ŷ ź

0 0.96 -0.96

720

690

2,276,665

1,602,256

141

690

-30

2,300

2,280

75,538

173,579

2,382,800 4,735,003

213,494 1,989,328

88 247

89 961.68

ź ź

-2 -20.84

1,040

-20

NBK

1,060

1,040

741,256

780,102

GBK CBK

420 0

410 0

475,624 0

197,328 0

19 0

420 0

ŷ ŷ

60 0

190

180

944,601 944 601

173,853 1 38 3

TAMINV

300,389

17,674

GNAHC

2,263

112

AMWAL

MASAR

ALIMTIAZ

-5 5 4

0 0

TAHSSILAT JEERANH

0 99

0 3,000

0 297

0 1

EKHOLDING

295

285

10,000 10 000

2,915 2 915

285

GFH

14,864,034

739,299

260

INOVEST Financial Services

966,500 115,260,242

60,068 7,667,365

30 1,560

62 999.65

ź ź

-1.0 -1.77

0 0

0 0.00

ŷ ŷ

0.0 0.00

345

25.0

6,088

FUTURE

170 49

352,438 352 438 464,239

59,914 59 914 22,748

10 6

118

112

7,288,724

3,649,572

332

977.50

3 3,130 130 38,877

7 17

-0.70

27,102 27 102 193,171

280

-20

122

2,500

305

FTI

122

118

0 81

0 99

78 0

116 1066.63

Ÿ ŷ ŷ ŷ

ź ŷ ź

ŷ ŷ

0.0

ALSHAMEL

SAFRE

49,987

1,217

-4.0

AJWAN

57,003

1,993

SPEC

500

490

55,000

27,150

-10.0

MASAKEN

5,000

240

DALQAN

-8.0 80

ALEID

MIDAN FLEX

0 38

0 9,990

0 380

0 2

13.0

122

118

30,621 30 621

3,722 3 722

BKIKWT Insurance

0 71,565

0 12,112

0 19

0 1036.79

ŷ Ÿ

0.0 7.60

AINV

SOKOUK KRE

0 56

0 55

0 845,425

0 46,731

0 26

0.0 -1.0

ź Ÿ

0.0 0.0

-4.0 1.0

-1.0

0.0 -9.0

-20.0 20 0 -1.0

0.0

0 0

500

3.0

0.0

0.0 0 0 21.64

4.0

ŷ Ÿ

WETHAQ

ŷ ź

AFAQ

ARIG

0 55

HAYATCOMM Technology

226

BAREEQ

0.0

2 2.5 5

244,900

29,659

0.0

3,199,605

80,101

0.0

85,968

1.0

0.0

KPPC

345

1.0

0.0

345

KUWAITRE

0.0

-2.0 20

SAFTEC

0.0

160

ASC

1.0 0.0

0.0

5.0

338

320,905

-1.0

40,260

534,825

140

0.0 0.0

1,021,515

600

-5.0

248,000

610

0.0

43,076,962

BOUBYAN

0.0

-5

3,773

0.0

160

-10

0.0

26,758

0.0 -1.0 1.0

164

0.0

2.0

ALSAFWA

690

138

0.0

AGHC

415

0.0

3.0

0 8

142

0.0

6.0

0 26,686

163

WINS

0.0

0 335,000

95,426

AINS

0.0

0 79

1,460,705

0.0

0 81

229,514

490

0.0

SHOP SENERGY

2,112,558

0.0

-10.0

680

2,450

2.0

10.0 3.02

624

415

5,000

0.0

8,920

700

490

0.0

420

490

0.0

KFIN

GINS

1.0

BIIHC

BURG

0.0

MAREF 0 Investment Instruments

1,858

1.0

0.0

20,667

6,636

0.0

-1.0

237,015

-10 10 0

280

0.0

ź ŷ

280

1.0

KINS

-2.5

UIC

Banks

5.0

0.0

880 275

0 3

-1.0

118

ŷ Ÿ

-1.0 -1.0

272 936 272,936

12 41

170 49

0.0

1.5

1,280,534

AUB ITHMR

0.0

20.0

5,707,941

94,684 617,760

0.0

7,653,001 7 653 001

-6.0 1.0

106,459 2,271,811

-2.0

220

UGB

-2.0

880 270

-0.5

226

2.0

0.0

NIND

890 275

610

186

00 0.0

MANAZEL

ALMUTAHED KIB

ABK

Ÿ ŷ

MANAFAE

94 0

ALMADINA

KCIC

270

NOOR

HITSTELEC 90 Telecommunications

128,339 0

FUTUREKID

1,368,873 0

SOOR

2,300

93 0

2,022

NMTC

95 0

26,833

ZAIN

EKTTITAB QURAINHLD

61,780

66,551

395

40,075

420

151,206

265

270

KSHC

ALSALAM

STRATEGIA

124

3,975

40,756

ŷ ŷ

37,638

15,000

0 0

146,682

973,014

265

260

265

280

EXCH

OULAFUEL

ALDEERA

TAIBA

ALSAFAT

MASHAER

ŷ ź

0 0

KHOT

-50

NIH

420

0 37

ISKAN MADAR

0.0

950

JAZEERA

148

MUNTAZAHAT

950

116

950

104

KAMCO

KCIN

280

-1.0

-5 -4.11

265

ź ź

385 983.54

8 8

64,804 64,804

325

170,010 170,010

380

390

142

YIACO Health Care

265

Ÿ Ÿ

OSOUL

350 1004.80

KFIC

0.0

2.0

ATC

IFAHR

EYAS

GLOBAL

0.0

104

MHC

-20.0 -1.03

34,709

ź ź

1,340 995.40

334,123

4 14

5,646

102

145,653

14,899 41,840

104

CABLETV

11,119 301,121

224

ź ź

1,340

57 85

AAYAN

BAYANINV

1,340

FOOD Consumer Goods

IFA

0.0

QCEM

MAYADEEN

CGC

1,020

-2.0

385,670

SANAM

385,734

AAYANRE

3,250

990

0.0

380

100,000

1,020

MABANEE

14 3

118

22,725 3,188

395,000 37,510

GFC

57 85

24,240

58 85

22,176

260,000

IRC ALTIJARIA

210

6.0 -0.21

185,619

102

380

ERESCO

400

116

UREC

380

ź Ÿ

838,062

122

610

KCPC

36,763,047

KGL

5,906

116 40

158

23 0

102

232

59,182 0

114

110

132

Change

INJAZZAT

SAFWAN

Last

INVESTORS

0.0

383,000 0

NAFAIS

Trades

108

Trades Value (KD)

110

154 0

Volume

132

HUMANSOFT

Low

URC

156 0

ź ŷ

High

209,096,362 21 116 125 21,116,125 3,988

NRE

10.0

CLEANING CITYGROUP

154 0

Security

Volume Value (KWD) Number of Trades

0 38

ŷ ź

0.0

-1.5 0.0 5.0

-3.0 0.0

00 0.0

0.0 -2.0

THURAYA

0.0

KCLINIC

0.0

AMAR Parallel Market

0 176,980

0 30,980

0 25

For more information, call 1 80 42 42, www.globalinv.net

0 985.81

ŷ ź

0.0 -12.13

STOCKS WITH NBK CAPITAL

ALWATAN DAILY friday, may 18, 2012

April 2009 May21, 17, 2012

1% 6%

1% 6% Oman

Dubai Qatar

-2%

-6%

Bahrain

GCC Best Performers

Saudi

17-Mar-12

17-Apr-12

S&P 20-Mar-09 GCC Large/ Mid S&P Pan 3-Feb-09 Arab Large/ 18-Feb-09 Mid Composite 19-Jan-09 5-Mar-09 4-Apr-09

-6%-2

19-Apr-0

Composite

Country (Index) Sa Saudi Arabia (Tadawul All Share Index)* Country (Index)

Index 7,100

UASa UAE (ADX Index) Saudi Arabia (Tadawul All Share Index)

2,468 5,250

Qa UAUAE Qatar (DSM Index) (ADSM Index)

Ku Kuwait (KSE Weighted Index)

Level 409

% Chg.

52 Wk High

YTD

% Chg.-

10.6% YTD

-0.9%

0.9%

52 Wk 7,931 High 453

52 Wk Low

52 Wk 5,916 Low 396

Turnover USD million

Turnover USD million 75

Mkt. Cap. 371,135 USD million 31,184 98,547

10.24 9.99

0.70 1.52

2,293 4,130

19 2,183

8,455 2,695

-0.2% 0.6%

-3.6% 12.8%

8,892 5,148

8,071 2,137

140 122

127,316 69,783

Ba Qa Bahrain Qatar(BSE (DSMIndex) Index)

1,152 5,590

-0.4% 3.9%

1,129 4,230

1 196

17,260 65,352

Jo Jordan (Amman General Index)

1,924

OmOman UAE(MSM (DFMIndex) Index)

5,657 1,745

Eg Egypt (EGX 30 Index)

OmOman (MSM Index)

Ba Bahrain (BSE Index)

M Morocco (Casa All Shares Index)

Eg Egypt (Hermes Egypt Index (HFI))*

Le Lebanon (Beirut SE Index)

Jo Jordan (Amman General Index)

Pa Palestine (Al-Quds Index)

M Morocco (Casa All Shares Index)*

Tu Tunisia (Tunis SE Index)

Le Lebanon (Beirut SE Index)* *Market Closed

Pa Palestine (Al-Quds Index)

4,890

5,478

1,681

9,883

463

1,177

2,825 457

10,621

5,124

1,094 546

Tu Tunisia (Tunis SE Index)* * Market Closed

3,282

9.0% -0.2%

0.2% 1.9%

-0.7% 6.6% 0.7% -18.8%

-1.3%

35.0%

5.1%

0.7%

0.6%

-3.4%

0.4%

-1.0%

0.0%

-6.8%

-11.1%

8.5%

0.0%

2.2%

-0.7%

-0.3%

2.4%

-4.3%

0.9% -

5,419 1,433

5,628

3,587

1,375 12,627

12,109 2,202

2,903

12,203

1,033

1,403

5,044 513

14,635

23.6%

739

-7.2%

1,301 316

6,082 5,860

-3.3%

7.7%

1,754 787

5,141

2,119

13.6%

21 718

8 305 79

4,224

1,913

1,572

1,164

2,551 460

9,406

4,091

1,043

2,837

407

17,750 37,413

10.07 6.87

56,198

9.61

12.54

63,640

7.67

1.29

2.85

1.56

6.28

33,782

12.71

9,854

16.31

0.84

2.15

9.09

59,990

1.08

18.36

8,507

1.54

8.07

2,472

1.68

14.46

10,461

1.34

3.95

1.82

6.47

2,079

0.86

8.67

6,576

2.50

13.85

1.92

SAUDI ARABIA *Market Closed

KWD 0.690 -13.1% -4.2% KWD 0.265 KWD 0.265 SAR 22.95

225 Saudi Industrial Inv. Grp.

101 Riyad Bank

AED 1.17 SAR 48.00

-2.5% -8.6%

SAR 24.70

-6.4%

115

13,102,082 10,348,669

IFC International Finance Co. (KUW)

ALQQurain Petrochemicals Industries Co. (KUW)

201 Basic Industries MASaudi Masraf Al Rayan (QA)Corp. (KSA)

Turnover (USD)

9,401,070

343,553,085 7,939,977 119,955,261 5,732,580

115 Bank (KSA) ZAIAlinma Zain Kuwait (KUW)

97,126,838

NBKNational Bank of Kuwait (KUW)

7,931 / 5,916

Tadawul Index 52 week High / Low

Turnover (SAR '000)

1,391,868,326

Market Cap. (SAR '000)

110

88,742,222

#N/A

17-Apr-12

S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite

17-May-12

% Chg.

#N/A

#N/A #N/A #N/A

#N/A

Turnover (SAR) 7020.SSE Etihad Etisalat Co. #N/A #N/A #N/A #N/A #N/A #N/A

1 Al Rajhi Bank

17-Mar-12

Close #N/A

#N/A

Worst Performers

104 100

64,280,166

#N/A

Highest Turnover

105

-6.8%

Turnover (USD)

MENA Highest Turnover

KCBAl Khalij Commercial Bank (QA)

Advance/Decline Ratio

-3.6% -8.9%

SAR 13.70

GCC Highest Turnover

67%

% of stocks trading above 1yr avg. price

-13.6%

KWD -4.3% Close0.222 % Chg.

7,100 (0.0%)

Tadawul Index (% Chg.)

120

95 17-Feb-12

ABABurgan Co. for Well Drilling

EMAEmaar Properties (UAE) Best Performers

Summary

% Chg.

USD 0.190

KFI Kuwait Finance House (KUW)

Rebased Performance

8.0%

ITH Ithmaar Bank

0.89 201 TAQ Abu Dhabi 1.74 Saudi Basic National IndustriesEnergy Corp. Co.

9.50

26,500

MENA Worst Performers

1.94 FAC ZAICommercial Zain KuwaitFacilities Co. 1.37 1.59 FAC Commercial Facilities Co. 0.88 238 Rabigh Petrochem.

9.02 8.85

52,581

1.01 1.77

11.54 7.29

18,727

328

8.17 10.24

15,024

9,980

3,418

65,222 264,263

8.0%

OMR 0.720

GCC Worst Performers

1.87

3.1%

QAR 21.60

BKMBankMuscat

PB1.44

2,775 10,090

0.7% 1.8%

12.00

4.0% 8.6%

AED 0.30

QGTQatar Gas Transport Co. PB

5.5% 8.8%

KWD 0.104 QAR 6.35

DEYDeyaar Development Co.

PE 16.72

2.7% 9.3%

1,476 406

Trailing

5.7% 9.8%

KWD 0.192 OMR 0.703

SULSultan Center Food Products Co. KCB Al Khaliji Commercial Bank

100,660

0.0% -4.0%

UAE (DFM(KSE Index) Ku Kuwait Weighted Index)

KWD 0.280 SAR 5.60

IKAGalfar IkarusEngineering Petroleum Industries Co. GEC & Contracting

Trailing

Mkt. Cap. USD million

% Chg.

KWD 6.1% Close0.104 % Chg.

### Kingdom Oula Fuel Marketing 3 428 Hldg. Co. Co.

Period's Liquidity Ratio (PLR x)*

Index Level

4 IFC International Finance Co.

Period's Liquidity 1 Ratio (PLR x)

-1

MENA Indices Highlights

MENA Best Performers

Kuwait

-1%

17-May-12

Abu Dhabi

-4%

Qatar

90 95 17-Feb-12 85

-2%

Tunisia Abu Dhabi

-1%

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Saudi Bahrain

101

Kuwait

Palestine Palestine

100

Oman

Saudi Dubai Dubai

105

100

Return DailyDaily Return (%)(%)

Dubai

Qatar Saudi

105

Qatar Oman

111

110

Morocco

110

Lebanon Oman

113

Kuwait Kuwait

113

DailyIndex Index Performance Snapshot Daily Performance Snapshot

Egypt Jordan Jordan

115115

Bull/Bear Indicator Bull/Bear Indicator

Bahrain Bahrain

Rebased RebasedPerformance Performance

#N/A

% Chg.

66.25 #N/A

#N/A

7020.SSE Etihad Etisalat Co.

66.25 -

#N/A

Saudi SE

Quotes Company Name 1 Al Rajhi Bank

Close 74.00

Daily % Chg.

High -

Low

Turnover (SAR '000)

1 Alinma Bank

13.25

1 Arab National Bank

29.40

2 Almarai Co.

68.75

Volume ('000) -

52-Week High 82.75

67.25

71.75

48.41

16.25

33.70

% Change

Low

on high -10.6%

YTD 6.5%

12 mths

14.4

27.9%

27,500,000

24.0

41.7%

30.5%

26.60

-12.8%

6.9%

-9.5%

1 Bank AlBilad

27.00

32.90

17.20

-17.9%

36.0%

40.6%

1 Banque Saudi Fransi

36.80

40.00

30.00

-8.0%

9.3%

4 Emaar the Economic City

11.20

13.60

6.20

1 Bank Al Jazira

4 Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Dev. Co. 7 Etihad Etisalat Co.

4 Jabal Omar Development Co. 4 Jarir Marketing Co.

4 Kingdom Holding Co.

2 National Industrialization Co.

2 Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Co. 1 Riyad Bank

1 Samba Financial Grp.

2 Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co.

1 Saudi Arabian Mining Co.

2 Saudi Basic Industries Corp. 3 Saudi Cement Co.

5 Saudi Electricity Co.

25.50 11.20

66.25

19.45

151.50 11.35

33.40

21.20

24.00

48.20

178.50

31.60

88.25

95.75

13.15

1 Saudi Hollandi Bank

27.00

2 1 Saudi Investment Bank 2 Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. 7 Saudi Telecom Co. 2

20.15

22 Saudi Industrial Investment Grp.

Saudi International Petrochemical Co.

Savola Group Co. 0 3 Southern Province Cement Co. 0 1 SABB 3 Yamama Saudi Cement Co.

2 Yanbu National Petrochemicals Co. 7 Zain - Saudi Arabia

23.95 17.00

16.55

31.90

-20.1%

50.4%

33,267,858

11.2

1.6

56.6%

9,520,000

69.25

50.00

-4.3%

26.2%

26.8%

46,375,000

165.00

108.67

35.3%

9,090,000

50.75

33.00

-34.2%

-17.9%

26.90

23.10

-10.8%

3.0%

22.90

13.10

28.20

56.75

11.10

-15.1%

7.05

-13.4%

21.10 42.40

-8.2%

12.85

17.75

-17.6%

15.50

-22.3%

21.30

15.55

-3.7%

54,790,709

-3.6%

24.45

21.00

2.0

10,716,300

10.0

7.6%

21.42 18.55

287,250,000

8.7%

29.30 25.30

-9.9%

-7.9%

-19.3%

4.9

42.9%

16.30

57.25

11.0

22.6%

98.00

44,625,000

-9.9%

-12.8%

-0.1%

17.9%

87.75

24.25

-0.5%

-5.4%

-12.3% -5.1%

nmf

1.6

28.7%

17,500,000

13.8

34,500,000

11.5

-10.3%

-4.9%

19.8%

12.8%

-6.6%

16.0%

43.5%

42.60

33.00

99.75

106.75

69.50

47.70

83.25

47.40

-42.7%

-31.9%

-21.2%

5.25

-20.9%

64.0%

26.4%

34.50

48.30 9.10

37.00

56.25

11.50

27.82 41.60

-6.8%

-14.1%

12.7% 9.8%

1.1

24,825,000

5.3%

22.0%

22.7

4.6

-9.1%

-19.0%

-1.4%

14.3

1.7

1.4

23.70

13,502,250

47.5

1.5

10.0

35.50

29,230,000

10.0

2.3

7,388,333

0.2%

43,380,000

nmf

1.6

1.5

26.1%

-4.9%

18,618,111

nmf

9.9

-5.3%

2.3%

2.0

1.2

24.9%

109.75

2.5

10.9

-15.7%

nmf

1.3

36,000,000

-11.6%

1.4%

8.8

0.8

1.6

3.4%

-15.1%

nmf

7.8

18,571,200

-10.8%

10.9

1.5

9.3

-22.1%

165.00

28.2

16.8

-8.8%

-24.8%

28.2%

18,076,830 42,061,764

200.00 37.50

8.8%

33.6%

12,096,000

31.2%

60.1%

7,650,000

24.4%

3.8

1.5

-5.2%

29.1%

54.5% 52.4%

1.2

2.0

-19.1% -17.6%

11.2

3.4

19.8

24,990,000

38.8

8,100,000

40.50

35.00

19,875,000

6.05

13.85

15.75

111,000,000

-18.5%

20.1%

Trailing PE

-1.7%

9.05

-4.2%

Market Cap. (SAR '000)

4.3%

1.3%

10,777,500 9,350,000

81,000,000

13,965,000 9,659,250

27,168,750

12,740,000

21.7 13.1

1.7 1.1

9.4

1.7

14.6

5.7

11.5 8.6

nmf

2.1

2.0

2.8

2.4

3.3

STOCKS WITH NBK CAPITAL

ALWATAN DAILY friday, may 18, 2012

KUWAIT Rebased Performance

Summary

Best Performers 6,429 (-0.1%)

KSE General Index (% Chg.)

115

409 (-0.9%)

Advance/Decline Ratio

0.92 IKARUS.KSIkarus Petroleum Industries Co. 6,492 / 5,694 SULTAN.KSSultan Center Food Products Co.

53%

% of stocks trading above 1yr avg. price

110

KSE General Index 52 week High / Low

17-Mar-12

17-Apr-12

17-May-12

S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite

6.1%

0.280

5.7%

0.192

5.5%

0.104

4.0%

0.222

2.8%

Worst Performers Turnover (KWD) 2,892,453

IFInternational Finance Co.

95 17-Feb-12

OULAFUELOula Fuel Marketing Co.

Highest Turnover

100

% Chg.

0.104

28,134,493

Market Cap. (KWD '000)

104

International Finance Co.

21,073

Turnover (KWD '000) 105

IFC.KSE

453 / 396 ALQURAIN Qurain Petrochemicals Industries Co.

KSE Weighted Index 52 week High / Low

105

KSE Weighted Index (% Chg.)

A Qurain Petrochemicals Industries Co.

2,627,599

K Kuwait Finance House

1,460,705

ZA Zain Kuwait

1,602,256

N National Industries Grp. Holding

1,280,534

% Chg.

ABAR.KSE Burgan Co. for Well Drilling

0.222

-4.3%

FACIL.KSE Commercial Facilities Co.

0.265

-3.6%

NBK.KSE

1.040

ZAIN.KSE Zain Kuwait CGC.KSE

0.690

Combined Grp Contracting Co.

-4.2%

1.660

National Bank of Kuwait

-2.4%

-1.9%

KSE Weighted Index

Quotes Company Name

Daily % Chg.

High

A Agility

0.400

-1.2%

T Al Themar Intl. Holding Co.

0.086

A AREF Energy Holding Co.

0.126

A Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait

A Alafco Aviation Lease and Fin. Co. B Boubyan Bank

B Boubyan Petrochemical Co. B Burgan Bank

0.570

0.600

321

535

0.415

0.610

1.7%

0.415

-1.2%

1.660

-2.4%

-4.3% -

0.600

394

0.224

0.222

0.610

0.420 1.680

1.660

0.265

-3.6%

0.270

0.265

0.420

0.0%

0.420

0.410

0.395

1.5%

0.430

0.325

0.0%

1.300

0.365

0.255

0.116

0.019

0.275

0.270

618

0.330

0.320

236

0.415

123.4%

-6.5%

-29.5%

-9.5%

-11.8%

-28.3%

-29.5%

0.236

-19.1%

727

0.386

0.281

-15.8%

0.709

1.040

-1.9%

1.060

1.040

780

741

1.127

0.909

-7.7%

N National Industries Grp. Holding

0.226

1.8%

0.226

0.220

1,281

5,708

0.275

0.192

-17.8%

N National Real Estate Co.

0.132

1.5%

0.132

0.130

161

0.168

0.056

-21.4%

0.222

2.8%

0.222

0.218

2,628

11,892

0.226

0.186

-1.8%

N National Investments Company O Oula Fuel Marketing Co.

A Qurain Petrochemicals Industries Co. S Salhia Real Estate Co.

S Sultan Center Food Products Co. T Tamdeen Real Estate Co.

A The Commercial Real Estate Co. S The Securities House N Wataniya

0.142

0.0%

0.280

5.7%

0.246 0.104

0.144

0.280

0.260

0.102

-1.2%

0.085

0.0%

-4.2%

0.232 -

2.300

2.280

0.720

0.690

0.142

0.360

0.242

0.248

0.200

-13.5%

31.8

0.9

979,457

nmf

0.9

-21.2%

1,105,897

39.2

2.5

-3.7%

179,283

nmf

152,242

281,308

-53.2%

45.6

144,000

17.1

1.0

101,640 59,506

9.5

nmf

3.8

274,192

19.2

1.9

538,683

11.2

434,387

14.3

78,178

29.7

-7.7%

4,527,638

14.9

-13.1%

-14.7%

292,693

3.1%

34.7%

1187.9%

-9.2%

5.4%

-13.2%

280,500

101,721

-44.3%

-22.2%

-6.7%

-18.8%

-0.8%

18.3% 0.9%

nmf

12.7%

1,159,275

0.690

-36.1%

-23.3%

0.7

115,600

18.6%

1.080

0.6

22.6

-7.3%

2,277

nmf

86,564

155,959

1.880

0.8

nmf

-7.2%

26.9%

2.480

nmf

1.0

10.4%

1.3

17.6

-12.4%

174

2.0

24.0

126,130

0.067

30.8%

1.7

15.0%

0.097

0.0%

0.7

4.1

2.3

0.170

1.2

23.9

244,200

-13.3%

0.170

1.8

1.4

96,932

11.0%

-23.5%

1.6

30.2

124,422 -

0.7

30.8

623,412

1187.9%

0.7

25.8

26.1%

0.0%

3.7

nmf

-15.8%

-30.6%

8.3

9.3

83,500

-16.3%

nmf

12.1%

3.7%

1.8

10.0

24.1

-17.4%

4.0

142,242

285,265

2.2%

1.4

16.2

-19.1%

30.4%

-14.1%

11.4

7.8%

0.0%

1.4

46,537

0.093

0.216

4.3

nmf

1.2

0.136

0.270

nmf

2,003,873

21.1%

-45.4%

1.5

-26.9%

-30.6%

1.0

5.7

33.8

160,407

-27.4%

1.8

295,911

334 89

1,602

0.260

147

0.232

0.425

0.325

128

0.660

0.425

0.142

1.240

0.104

0.170

0.690

4.0%

-0.9%

0.085

0.232

2.300

Z Zain Kuwait

103

-17.3%

1.020

0.295

-7.4%

0.340

1.340

386

N National Industries Co.

2.0%

2,272

1.620

386

-16.8%

-17.2%

0.990

-13.6%

-28.3%

1.020

1.9%

0.690

2.0%

0.425

5.1%

0.963

1.020

N National Bank of Kuwait

641,161

0.5

19.0

94,500

7.0%

-7.7%

-35.8%

-1.2%

M Mena Holding

-17.8%

8.9%

-8.2%

37.1%

0.860

M Mabanee Co.

1,066,424

2,113 11

0.840

0.610

1.7%

5.0%

12.9%

-13.4%

0.226

3.4%

-15.2%

0.182

0.315

226,134

-5.6%

-16.3%

862,546

-15.9%

141.7%

0.485

nmf

136.7%

-10.3%

0.096

87,075

0.0%

-27.4%

0.138

0.162

1.240

-15.7%

-13.2%

-7.9%

18.9%

15.8

-16.3%

0.214

29,005

1,461

1.600

-5.5%

418,735

-2.5%

-14.4%

-9.4%

Trailing

Market Cap. (KWD '000)

8.1%

-16.3%

0.680

0.860

0.700

6.7%

12 mths

-52.8%

2,892

1.340

K Kuwait Projects Co. (Holding)

0.920

YTD

4.7%

0.096

1.340

0.0%

-47.1%

-20.2%

-1.5%

0.275

0.198

0.285

0.430

0.700

0.420 1.940

-3.2%

-19.3%

0.495

0.430

K Kuwait International Bank

1.340

0.410

0.0%

-1.4%

0.530

0.514

0.395

0.690

0.630

0.420

K Kuwait Finance House

0.0%

-4.5%

-22.7%

1.2%

0.530

0.085

0.420

1.320

0.104

0.610

0.543

0.420

1.340

-18.3%

656

-17.3%

0.280

0.132

-13.2%

0.355

230

0.570

476

JAJazeera Airways

0.226

0.657

-7.0%

197

0.192

6.1%

0.192

0.104

0.126

5.5%

P Kuwait Portland Cement Co.

0.079

0.610

0.126

0.192

F Kuwait Food Co.

0.104

0.0%

IK Ikarus Petroleum Industries Co.

K Kuwait Cement Co.

0.610

1.340

K KIPCO Asset Management Co.

0.248

252

C Gulf Cable and Electrical Industries Co.

IF International Finance Co.

on high

0.430

0.116

IF IFA Hotels & Resorts

% Change

Low

400

0.290

0.770

G Gulf Bank

161

High

0.290

C Commercial Bank of Kuwait G Global Investment House

0.400

52-Week

Volume ('000)

0.0%

0.222

F Commercial Facilities Co.

0.410

Turnover (KWD '000)

0.290

A Burgan Co. for Well Drilling

C Combined Grp Contracting Co.

Low

-7.1%

60,198

30.8%

-34.9%

2,972,199

13.5

1.2

nmf

1.6

0.9

16.6

0.6

9.1

11.0

1.5

10.4

1.6

UAE Rebased Performance

Summary

Best Performers 1,476 (0.7%)

DFM Index (% Chg.)

120

2,468 (0.0%)

ADSM Index (% Chg.)

27% DFM.DFM Dubai Financial Market 5.00 ARKAN.AD Arkan Building Materials Co. 1,754 / 1,301 SIB.ADSM Sharjah Islamic Bank

% of stocks trading above 1yr avg. price Advance/Decline Ratio

115

DFM Index 52 week High / Low

105

100

Highest Turnover

A Arabtec Holding

A ALDAR Properties

95 17-Feb-12

17-Mar-12 S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite

17-Apr-12 Abu Dhabi SE

11,890,001

E Emaar Properties

17-May-12

1.3%

1.81

1.1%

2.9%

1.2%

Worst Performers Turnover (AED) 14,685,314 TAQA.ADS Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. 13,852,205 ADIB.ADSM Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank 13,053,890 EMIRATES Emirates NBD

E Etisalat

100

0.81

381,814,172

Market Cap. (AED '000) 105

3.1%

0.88

148,856

Turnover (AED '000)

% Chg.

0.30

0.96

2,775 / 2,293 ARMX.DFM Aramex

ADSM Index 52 week High / Low

110

Close DEYAAR.D Deyaar Development Co.

7,886,957

S Sorouh Real Estate Co.

#N/A #N/A

% Chg.

1.17

3.10

2.72

#N/A

-2.5%

-1.3%

-0.7%

#N/A #N/A

Dubai FM

Quotes Company Name

1,237

1.17

-2.5%

1.18

1.17

0.60

0.7%

0.60

0.59

A Air Arabia

A Amlak Finance

Turnover (AED '000)

3.15

T Abu Dhabi National Energy Co.

A ALDAR Properties

Low

3.16

3.15

A Abu Dhabi National Hotels

High

0.0%

A Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank A Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

Daily % Chg.

3.10

2.00

0.99 1.02

-1.3%

3.10

0.0%

2.00

1.0%

1.01

3.06

4,377

3,730

1.36

1.14

3,684

6,229

0.76

286

1,000

0.97

13,054 -

2.93

2.89

13,852

A Arkan Building Materials Co.

0.81

1.3%

0.82

0.79

D Dana Gas

0.39

0.0%

0.40

0.39

2,641

0.29

1,113

2.97

2,672

C Commercial Bank of Dubai D Deyaar Development Co. D du

1.81

2.80 0.30

3.02

1.1% -

3.1%

0.3%

1.81 -

0.30

3.02

1.78 -

D Dubai Financial Market

0.96

2.9%

0.96

0.94

D Dubai Islamic Bank

1.89

0.0%

1.91

1.88

E Emirates NBD

2.72

-0.7%

2.79

2.72

E Emaar Properties E Etisalat F First Gulf Bank

G Gulf Cement Co. M Mashreq

N National Bank of Abu Dhabi N National Bank of Fujairah

N National Bank of Umm Al Qaiwain S Sharjah Islamic Bank

S Sorouh Real Estate Co. T Tamweel

2.90

8.78 8.76

1.26

67.00

0.0%

1.71

4.95

2.92

8.80 8.80

8.80 -

3,398 -

5,914 1,870

8.79 -

2,250 -

123

0.88

1.15

0.9%

1.16

1.14

5,116

0.35

933

U United Arab Bank

3.95

0.37

0.3%

0.8% -

0.97 2.93

0.37 -

0.95

7,887

2.91

323

13.3%

11.7%

17,626,132

5.4

0.8

-14.0%

-2.5%

-9.3%

7,283,250

7.0

0.8

-12.7%

-1.9%

0.3%

7,330,588

-31.0%

2,000,000

13,174

1.45

0.76

-31.7%

7.6%

-31.3%

4,044,278

4,761

3.46

1.18

-15.5%

92.9%

123.8%

1.45

0.71

-44.1%

-19.8%

-39.6%

-41.8%

-13.3%

-40.9%

1,891 -

6,736

3,785 891

1.96

0.57 -

1.69

-21.2% 0.0%

-7.7%

3.24

2.67

-13.5%

0.46

0.20

-34.1%

0.67

3.63

0.34

2.80

-16.8%

6,234

1.31

0.68

-26.8%

985

2.26

1.88

-16.4%

4.63

2.65

-41.3%

3.30

11.20 10.75

1.44

2.41

8.57 6.98

0.67

102.00

67.00

4.95

3.30

140

1.02

0.80

256 -

8,207 4,433 111

2,571 -

9.00

2.24

1.45 1.49

7.38

0.0%

0.6%

1.4%

40.8% 4.5%

0.0%

-2.2%

-28.0%

-3.8% 13.4%

77.5%

14.7

1.5

1,417,500

nmf

2,650,021

7.1

0.9

1,733,400

nmf

0.4

13,805,714

11.3

2,574,781

7,672,000

7,176,432

0.0%

1,034,582 -

5.1%

34,096,114

12.9%

-28.9%

2,520,000

0.7%

-17.8%

7,262,269

8.5%

-11.2%

3,935,785

4.50

3.28

-12.2%

41.5%

-11.2%

0.4

0.8

0.9

1.3

8.1

0.9

8.1

-33.8%

-26.3%

0.8

8.9

2,134,440

0.67

32.5%

nmf

13.8 18.5

2,736,000

-2.2%

8.6

5,445,000

-10.0%

-25.4%

1.0

1.8 1.0

-5.5%

0.24

4.5

2.4

11.9 7.0

15,117,147

-23.7%

2.82

nmf

0.3

69,415,909 26,280,000

50.0%

90.7%

4.2

-14.3% -5.8%

8.8%

-22.8%

1.4

0.9

0.6

0.0%

4.8%

11.9

1.1

8.9

-10.3%

-13.7%

nmf

0.5

17,664,592

-34.0%

8.5%

4,583,670

1,530,000

10.1

-8.2%

-34.3% -2.2%

0.6

-6.5%

-7.5%

-21.6% -18.5%

4.3

-0.7%

-12.5%

1.1

0.2

5,707,386

-2.6%

6.3

8.5

2,776,687

-0.4%

-23.9%

12.8%

-12.5%

-17.8%

14.2%

-12.1%

3.90

0.50

1.5%

1.63

0.53

-5.1%

-9.1%

1,673 601

Trailing

Market Cap. (AED '000)

-28.6%

14,685 5,266

2.92

12 mths

1.98

8.73 8.74

3.55

YTD

2.80

4,088

0.88

0.0%

500

11,890

1.2%

0.96

2.89

0.88

2.91

* Closing Prices, Turnover and Market Cap. in USD

0.2% 0.1%

8.80

U Union National Bank U Union Properties

0.4%

on high

2.69

1.0%

A Aramex

% Change

Low

3.32

2.00

52-Week High

393

2.92

A Arabtec Holding

Volume ('000)

7.1

1,150,000

12.4

1,228,903

nmf

2.7

0.5

0.4

0.5

4.8

0.7

11.4

2.0

0.5

STOCKS WITH NBK CAPITAL

ALWATAN DAILY friday, may 18, 2012

QATAR Rebased Performance

Summary

Best Performers 8,455 (-0.2%)

DSM Index (% Chg.)

115

DSM 52 week High / Low

44% ERES.DSMEzdan Real Estate Co. 0.50 BRES.DSMBarwa Real Estate Co. 8,892 / 8,071 DHBK.DSMDoha Bank

Market Cap. (QAR '000)

463,622,758

% of stocks trading above 1yr avg. price Advance/Decline Ratio

511,200

Turnover (QAR '000)

% Chg.

19.80

1.5%

26.70

1.0%

58.00

VFQS.DSM Vodafone Qatar

0.4%

8.91

QGTS.DSMQatar Gas Transport Co.

0.2%

16.13

0.1%

105

Highest Turnover

Worst Performers Turnover (QAR) 47,711,231 QIIK.DSM Qatar International Islamic Bank 28,913,427 QTEL.DSM Qatar Telecom 18,006,148 MARK.DSMMasraf Al Rayan

K Al Khalij Commercial Bank

MMasraf Al Rayan Q Qatar Telecom

95 17-Feb-12

17-Mar-12

17-Apr-12

17-May-12

S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite

15,931,803

IQIndustries Qatar

15,345,409

Q Qatar Gas Transport Co.

QIBK.DSM Qatar Islamic Bank QNNS.DSMQatar Navigation

% Chg.

49.95

-0.9%

117.20

-0.7%

77.30

-0.5%

26.70

-0.6%

66.10

-0.5%

Doha SM

Quotes Company Name A Aamal Co.

Close 16.26

Daily % Chg.

High

-0.4%

K Al Khalij Commercial Bank

17.00

C The Commercial Bank of Qatar

70.00

-0.1%

E Ezdan Real Estate Co.

19.80

1.5%

B Barwa Real Estate Co. D Doha Bank

26.70 58.00

-0.3%

Low

16.80

16.15

18.29

Turnover (QAR '000) 2,343

17.00

47,711

70.00

5,519

19.51

277

1.0%

26.80

26.45

12,852

0.4%

58.00

56.70

3,327

70.60 20.00

IQIndustries Qatar

137.60

-0.2%

139.40

137.10

15,932

Q Qatar Electricity & Water Co.

141.00

0.0%

142.00

140.90

765

49.95

-0.9%

50.20

49.90

3,526

Q Qatar National Bank

133.60

-0.1%

134.70

133.30

10,704

Q Qatar Telecom

117.20

-0.7%

118.30

117.20

18,006

M Masraf Al Rayan

Q Qatar Gas Transport Co.

Q Qatar International Islamic Bank Q Qatar Islamic Bank Q Qatar Navigation

26.70 16.13 77.30

66.10

V Vodafone Qatar

8.91

-0.6%

0.1%

-0.5% -0.5%

0.2%

27.05

16.22

77.80 67.00

26.65

28,913

16.10

15,345

77.30

2,844

66.00

8.96

High

142

% Change

Low

21.90

on high

18.3

1.5

26.25

-15.1%

-10.9%

-15.1%

10,389,628

7.6

0.9

50.00

-13.4%

-9.5%

8.2%

11,988,473

9.5

1.8

68.00

24.97

15.5%

16.11

-12.0%

-7.9%

-12.0%

76.30

-9.4%

-8.3%

56.20

45.50

22.50

141.73

122.73

153

123.30

55.80

454

86.70 9.22

-6.0%

-4.7%

-11.1% -5.7%

66.40

-23.8%

7.24

-3.4%

-4.9%

6,120,000

-4.4%

-4.1%

129.50

85.30

-16.7%

-5.0%

148.00

-5.4%

-13.1%

18.32

-18.1%

-1.0%

-10.8%

118.80

28.10

-5.6%

-20.7%

146.40

950

4,032

18.60

115

1,077

8,853,570

85.50 67.00

Trailing PE

-1.0%

79 58

Market Cap. (QAR '000)

12.5%

16.06

31.45

12 mths

-25.8%

18.00

482

YTD

14.00

2,707

5,317

8.72

52-Week

Volume ('000)

12.5

17,321,246

1.2

9.1

1.3

52,519,434

nmf

20,025,000

14.0

8,933,504

10.9

4.6

-4.3%

18,265,464

12.8

1.7

-13.6%

-23.6%

7,570,116

18.0%

11.5%

3.5%

-5.6%

1.0%

75,680,000

-3.1%

-7.5%

14,100,000

5.9%

-3.3%

7,560,869

1.2%

110.0%

93,483,853

86.9%

37,541,504 7,532,514

1.9

9.8

3.2

10.4

4.7

2.4

11.3

1.7

12.0

2.3

10.4

0.7

14.8

1.8

nmf

1.1

OMAN Rebased Performance

Summary

Best Performers 5,657 (0.2%)

MSM Index (% Chg.)

120

42% RNSS.MSMRenaissance Services

% of stocks trading above 1yr avg. price

1.50

Advance/Decline Ratio Turnover (OMR '000)

6,823,264

Market Cap (OMR '000)

#N/A

% Chg.

0.53

BKMB.MSMBank Muscat

2.1%

0.58

6,082 / 5,419 RCCI.MSM Raysut Cement Co. 3,251 BKDB.MSMBank Dhofar

MSM 52 week High / Low

110

0.7%

1.22

0.2%

0.44

#N/A

0.0%

#N/A

105 100

Highest Turnover

100

Worst Performers Turnover (OMR) 974,824 OCOI.MSM Oman Cement Co. 347,593 NBOB.MSMNational Bank of Oman

R Renaissance Services B Bank Muscat

131,661

O Oman Telecommunications Co.

90 17-Feb-12

17-Mar-12

17-Apr-12

17-May-12

S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite

67,156

O Oman Cement Co.

42,036

R Raysut Cement Co.

#N/A

% Chg.

0.65

-1.8%

0.29

#N/A

-0.4%

#N/A

BKDB.MSMBank Dhofar

#N/A

0.44

RCCI.MSM Raysut Cement Co.

0.0%

1.22

0.2%

Muscat SM

Quotes Company Name

Daily % Chg.

High

B Bank Dhofar

0.440

N National Bank of Oman

0.286

-0.4%

O Oman Telecommunications Co.

1.288

0.0%

R Renaissance Services

0.529

2.1%

B Bank Muscat

0.584

O Oman Cement Co.

R Raysut Cement Co.

0.648 1.220

0.0%

0.7%

-1.8%

0.2%

Low

0.442

Turnover (OMR '000) 1

0.440

0.588

High 2

348

0.580

52-Week

Volume ('000) 596

% Change

Low

0.532

on high

0.423

0.671

0.565

-17.3%

-2.4%

60.5%

132

102

1.425

1.041

-9.6%

0.544

0.525

975

1,842

0.950

0.458

-44.3%

0.647

1.220

104

1.220

0.287

0.693

0.416

1.250

0.711

-5.0%

50.0%

1.285

0.658

0.324

-8.3%

-6.5%

1.288

104

-17.3%

-12.3%

-11.7%

12 mths

-3.3%

-13.0%

0.275

0.290

YTD

Market Cap. (OMR '000)

-7.4%

12.1

316,895

8.8

15.5

244,000

14.5

17.5%

966,000

-2.9%

-44.1%

149,228

2.1

8.5

214,406

-1.6%

14.4%

484,051

1,049,328

12.3%

Trailing

1.2

1.5

8.4

2.2

nmf

0.9

2.5

BAHRAIN Rebased Performance

Summary

Best Performers 1,152 (-0.4%)

BSE Index (% Chg.)

115

42% BBK.BSE 1.00 AUB.BSE

% of stocks trading above 1 yr avg. price Advance/Decline Ratio

1,375 / 1,129

BSE 52 week High / Low

110

189

Turnover (BHD '000)

6,506,853

Market Cap. (BHD '000)

#N/A

Close BBK

Ahli United Bank

0.5%

0.61

#N/A

ITHMR.BSE Ithmaar Bank #N/A

% Chg.

0.40

0.0%

#N/A

0.19

#N/A

-13.6%

105

Highest Turnover

Worst Performers

101

100

Turnover (BHD) 69,390 ITHMR.BSE Ithmaar Bank 13,880 #N/A #N/A

IT Ithmaar Bank

B BBK

9,267

A Ahli United Bank

95 17-Feb-12

17-Mar-12 17-Apr-12 S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite

785

B Albaraka Banking Grp.

17-May-12 Bahrain SE

A Arab Banking Corp.

AUB.BSE

BBK.BSE

ABC.BSE

% Chg.

0.19

#N/A

Ahli United Bank

0.61

Arab Banking Corp.

0.46 -

BBK

0.40

-13.6%

#N/A

0.0% 0.5%

Quotes Company Name

Daily % Chg.

High

A Ahli United Bank*

0.610

0.0%

A Arab Banking Corp.*

0.460

B Albaraka Banking Grp.* B Bahrain Islamic Bank

B Bahrain Telecommunications Co. B BBK

IN Investcorp Bank*

IT Ithmaar Bank*

N National Bank of Bahrain U United Gulf Bank

* Closing Prices, Turnover and Market Cap. in USD

0.910 0.090

0.468

0.0% -

Low 0.610

0.910 -

0.5%

0.398

0.396

0.190

-13.6%

0.190

0.234

0.555

184 -

High

52-Week

Volume ('000)

0.610

0.396 797

Turnover (BHD '000)

966 -

on high

0.676

0.599

0.530

0.420

-13.2%

0.380

1.029

0.116 35

% Change

Low

0.486

0.420 797

0.240

0.600 0.424

0.857 0.082 0.390 797

-9.8%

YTD 1.2%

12 mths -9.1%

3,192,469

9.5%

-19.3%

1,430,600

-3.7%

19.4%

-2.5%

673,920

0.0%

-30.0%

637,560

-6.7%

474,725

-11.6%

-2.6%

-22.4%

0.0%

-5.7%

-4.3%

-11.6%

-22.4% -5.7%

0.065

-20.8%

192.3%

111.1%

0.234

-44.8%

-22.0%

-29.1%

0.545

Market Cap. (BHD '000)

-7.5%

-3.5%

923,172

Trailing PE

10.1 7.7

6.8

0.4

8.6

1.3

4.5

0.6

10.3

1.7

84,571

nmf

337,137

10.5

508,775

195,287

1.3

0.8

nmf

0.8

1.4 0.9

0.9

LIFE

Get the most from your nap As more people join the ranks of the sleep-deprived, experts say a daily nap may do a world of good. Then again, poor napping habits can leave you groggier than before. The National Sleep Foundation offers this advice about feeling refreshed after a nap: • Keep your nap to no more than 30 minutes. Sleeping longer can make you feel groggy, and cause you to have trouble sleeping at night. • Nap in a comfortable environment that’s cool, dark and quiet. • Don’t nap too late in the day, to avoid interfering with bedtime. • Don’t nap too early in the day either, as your body may not be ready for sleep again.

friDAY, may 18, 2012

Paralyzed woman uses thoughts to move robotic arm The BrainGate implant can decode a patient’s brain signals and instruct a robotic arm to reach and grasp objects

by strokes that left them unable to communicate or move. Much More Testing Needed

CHICAGO: Using just her thoughts, a 58-year-old paralyzed woman instructed a robotic arm to grasp a cup of coffee and guide it to her mouth where she sipped from a straw, the first drink she has been able to serve herself in 15 years. The woman is one of two patients in the ongoing trial of BrainGate neural interface, an experimental brain-computer interface technology that may one day give paralyzed individuals more mobility. “This is another big jump forward to control the movements of a robotic arm in three-dimensional space,” said John Donoghue, who leads the development of BrainGate technology and is the director of the Institute for Brain Science at Brown University in Rhode Island. “We’re getting closer to restoring some level of everyday function to people with limb paralysis,” said Donoghue, whose study was published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. To manage the feat, researchers used a tiny sensor about the size of a baby aspirin that is loaded with 96 electrodes designed to pick up nerve activity. Scientists implant that into a part of the brain called the motor cortex that is involved in voluntary movement. When a paralyzed patient implanted with the device thinks about moving an object, the electrodes pick up those nerve signals and send them to a nearby computer, which

FILE - In this April 12, 2011 image from video provided by braingate2.org, Cathy Hutchinson of East Taunton, Mass. sips a drink held by a robotic arm during a test at a long-term care residence for adults with neurological disease in Dorchester, Mass. (AP)

then translates them into commands to operate assistive devices, such as the robotic arms used in the study. So far, the experimental device has been used to allow

Australasia has hottest 60 years in a millennium, scientists find

Study of tree rings, corals and ice cores find unnatural spike in temperatures that lines up with manmade climate change

LONDON: The last 60 years have been the hottest in Australasia for a millennium and cannot be explained by natural causes, according to a new report by scientists that supports the case for a reduction in manmade carbon emissions reports The Guardian. In the first major study of its kind in the region, scientists at the University of Melbourne used natural data from 27 climate indicators, including tree rings, corals and ice cores to map temperature trends over the past 1,000 years. “Our study revealed that recent warming in a 1,000-year context is highly unusual and cannot be explained by natural factors alone, suggesting a strong influence of human-caused climate change in the Australasian region,” said the study’s lead researcher, Dr Joelle Gergis. The climate reconstruction was done in 3,000 different ways and concluded with 95% accuracy that no other period in the past 1,000 years match or exceeded post-1950 warming in Australia. The study, published in the Journal of Climate, will be part of Australia’s contribution

to the fifth Intergovernmetal Panel on Climate Change report, due in 2014. As part of the study, climate modelers used the natural data to analyze the impact of both natural events, like volcanic eruptions in the pre-industrial era, and the impact of human-induced climate change such as greenhouse gasses emissions on temperatures in the last millennium. Dr Steven Phipps, from the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, who carried out the modeling, said the study demonstrated strong human influence on the climate in the region. “The models showed that prior to 1850 there were not any long-term trends and temperature variations were likely to be caused by natural climate variability which is a random process,” he said. “But [the modeling showed] 20th-century warming significantly exceeds the amplitude of natural climate variability and demonstrates that the recent warming experience in Australia is unprecedented within the context of the last millennium.” Annual average daily maximum temperatures in Australia have increased by 0.75C since 1910. Since the 1950s each decade has been warmer than the one before it. Australia’s peak scientific body, the CSIRO, has said temperatures will rise by between 1C and 5C by 2070 when compared with recent decades. It predicts the number of droughts in southern Australia will increase in the future and that there will be an increase in intense rainfall in many areas.

patients to operate a computer cursor and control simple robotic devices. The latest study involved two patients, both paralyzed

Study finds coffee drinkers live longer MILWAUKEE: One of life’s simple pleasures just got a little sweeter. After years of waffling research on coffee and health, even some fear that java might raise the risk of heart disease, a big study finds the opposite: Coffee drinkers are a little more likely to live longer. Regular or decaf doesn’t matter.The study of 400,000 people is the largest ever done on the issue, and the results should reassure any coffee lovers who think it’s a guilty pleasure that may do harm. “Our study suggests that’s really not the case,” said lead researcher Neal Freedman of the National Cancer Institute. “There may actually be a modest benefit of coffee drinking.” No one knows why. Coffee contains a thousand things that can affect health, from helpful antioxidants to tiny amounts of substances linked to cancer. The most widely studied ingredient - caffeine - didn’t play a role in the new study’s results. It’s not that earlier studies were wrong. There is evidence that coffee can raise LDL, or bad cholesterol, and blood pressure at least short-term, and those in turn can raise the risk of heart disease. Even in the new study, it first seemed that coffee drinkers were more likely to die at any given time. But they also tended to smoke, drink more alcohol, eat more red meat and exercise less than non-coffee-drinkers. Once researchers took those things into account, a clear pattern emerged: Each cup of coffee per day nudged up the chances of living longer. The study was done by the National Institutes of Health and AARP. The results are published in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine. Careful, though - this doesn’t prove that coffee makes people live longer, only that the two seem related. Like most studies on diet and health, this one was based strictly on observing peo-

FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008 photo, espresso flows into a cup at a coffee house in Overland Park, Kan. (AP)

ple’s habits and resulting health. So it can’t prove cause and effect. But with so many people, more than a decade of follow-up and enough deaths to compare, “this is probably the best evidence we have” and are likely to get, said Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health. He had no role in this study but helped lead a previous one that also found coffee beneficial. The new one began in 1995 and involved AARP members ages 50 to 71 in California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Atlanta and Detroit. People who already had heart disease, a stroke or cancer weren’t included. Neither were folks at diet extremes - too many or too few calories per day. The rest gave information on coffee drinking once, at the start of the study. “People are fairly consistent in their coffee

Stem cell transplant patients show long term improvement

Spiral galaxies NGC 5426 and NGC 5427 interact with each other in this dramatic photograph. Whether the two galaxies will collide and merge is not yet known, but the mutual gravitation attraction has already created a bridge of stars. This pas de deux of the two galaxies, known jointly as Arp 271, will continue for tens of millions of years, creating new stars. Located 90 million light-years away towards the constellation of Virgo (the Virgin), Arp 271 stretches about 130,000 light-years across. (AFP)

In the trial, the woman and a 66-year-old man learned to do complex tasks with a robotic arm by imagining themselves moving their own arms and legs. The robotic arm was attached to a computer rather than their bodies. They tested the system using two robotic arms, one developed by the German Aerospace Center’s Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics and the other by DEKA Research and Development Corp, through funding from the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or DARPA. “Our goal in this research is to develop technology that will restore independence and mobility for people with paralysis or limb loss,” said Dr. Leigh Hochberg, a neuroengineer who holds appointments at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Brown University and Harvard University. Hochberg said there was much more work to do before that could happen. The researchers need to test the technology in many more patients. Currently, the sensor is connected to the computer through computer cables leading from the user’s skull, but ultimately the team envisions a wireless system that would be fully automated and remain stable for decades. The system also needs to be refined for speed and control. Even so, the findings are encouraging, Dr. Roderic Pettigrew, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health, which supports the research, said in a statement. “The researchers have begun the long, difficult process of testing and refining the system with feedback from patients, and they’ve found that it is possible for a person to mentally control a robotic limb in three-dimensional space. This represents a remarkable advance,” he said. -Reuters

NEW YORK: An injection of a patient’s own stem cells seems to help heal spinal cord injury in the long run, new research suggests according to LiveScience. Thirty percent of stem cell therapy patients showed significant functional or other improvements after 6 months. This study, following after an initial report of results on six patients, is the first attempt at direct spinal injection of a patient’s own stem cells for the treatment of spinal cord injury in humans. The latest data was reported in the May 2012 issue of the journal Neurosurgery. The stem cell transplantation was performed in 10 patients with permanent movement problems or paralysis after spinal cord injury. The researchers transplanted stem cells cultured from each patient’s own bone marrow, grew them in the lab into spinal cord cells, and injected them into the patient’s back. The researchers monitored the patients for improvement in their ability to move their arms and hands and to perform key activities of daily living. Imaging scans and tests of muscle activity were performed as well. Three of the patients showed “continuous and gradual motor improvement,” the authors write. In three more patients, the improvement was detectable, but less drastic. Six months after their injections, 60 percent of patients showed improvement

in motor power of the arms and hands. Of these, three patients had gradual improvement in the ability to perform daily activities - for example, preparing meals and typing on a keyboard. These three patients also showed significant changes in the spinal cord, including evidence of healing around the injured area of the spine. They also had improvement in studies of their muscle activity. These 3 patients that showed the most improvement came into the trial with “residual neurological function,” the authors write. This could mean that the treatment “is more likely to enhance the remaining neurological function rather than regeneration.” They call for further studies to understand the mechanism of improvement after MSC treatment and to clarify which patients with spinal cord injury are most likely to benefit. Additionally, the results support the safety of these blood marrow stem cells for use in treatments. The report shows not only the promise of stem cell treatments, but their safety. None of the ten patients had any permanent complications related to the transplantation. This helps to alleviate concerns that stem cell injection could lead to later problems like the development of tumors or calcifications.

drinking over their lifetime,” so the single measure shouldn’t be a big limitation, Freedman said. Of the 402,260 participants, about 42,000 drank no coffee. About 15,000 drank six cups or more a day. Most people had two or three. By 2008, about 52,000 of them had died. Compared to those who drank no coffee, men who had two or three cups a day were 10 percent less likely to die at any age. For women, it was 13 percent. Even a single cup a day seemed to lower risk a little: 6 percent in men and 5 percent in women. The strongest effect was in women who had four or five cups a day - a 16 percent lower risk of death. None of these are big numbers, though, and Freedman can’t say how much extra life coffee might buy. -AP

Study explores distraction’s role in pain relief

CONNECTICUT: Mental distractions can act as a form of pain relief, according to a new study reports HealthDay News. Study volunteers were asked to complete a difficult or easy memory task while a painful level of heat was applied to their arms. The participants perceived less pain when they were more distracted by the harder of the two memory tasks. Using functional MRI, the German researchers also found that the lower levels of pain were associated with reduced activity in the spinal cord. The findings show that the reduced pain associated with distraction isn’t just a mental process, but also a physical mechanism that reduces the amount of pain signals traveling from the spinal cord to the brain, said study author Christian Sprenger of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, in a journal news release. The pain-reducing effects of distraction involved endogenous opioids, which are naturally produced by the brain and play an important role in pain relief, according to the release. To confirm the findings, the study was repeated but with some participants receiving a drug that blocks the opioids produced by the body. Distraction was much less effective for those participants. The researchers said their findings lend support to the use of cognitive behavioral methods in treating pain.

ALWATAN DAILY

CULTURE

FRIDAY, may 18, 2012

Radisson Blu holds 17th art competition

General Manager of Radisson Blu Hotel Philippe Pelaud, Deputy Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Affairs Mohammad Al-Dahes, guest officials and winners of the event. Ricky Laxa Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Bearing the theme “We are the world” that speaks of unity amidst diversity among nationalities, cultures, religions and heritages, Radisson Blu Hotel Kuwait held its 17th art competition, participated by students from different schools that included children with special needs. As part of the on-going ‘Responsible Business’ program, the hotels collect funds for charity intended for the World Childhood Foundation, thus the participation of children is

essential to help other children who are in need of support; “Children helping Children”. Over 350 complimentary canvases were distributed to the students of twenty one foreign, private as well as special needs educational institutions participated in the competition. Radisson Blu Hotel aims to encourage the young artists to enhance and further develop their painting skills and creativities. The event was held under the patronage of Mona AlLoghani. All participating students and winners were honored in a special ceremony. After the exhibition, the artworks were up for sale. The 12 winners selected from the

Treasures of Italy’s Marche region on show at Vatican VATICAN CITY: If you wanted to admire masterpieces of religious art by Titian, Raphael, Lorenzo Lotto, Guido Reni, Carlo Crivelli and other masters in museums around Italy’s central Marche region, it could cost you a few weeks of time and a hefty hotel bill. Now, 50 paintings from 15 museums in the region rich in natural beauty and artistic heritage are on exhibition at the Vatican. Called “Meraviglie dalle Marche,” or Marvels from the Marche, the one-stop viewing for paintings from the region opened recently in the Braccio Carlo Magno exhibition space in St Peter’s Square. It includes works such as a lesser-known version of Raphael’s “Saint Catherine of Alexandria,” (the most famous one is in the National Gallery in Washington), Titian’s “Resurrection”, and Guido Reni’s “Annunciation” and “Saint Sebastian”. The paintings, spanning more than 400 years of Italian religious art, are on loan from public and Churchowned museums in Urbino, Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Fabriano, Loreto, Jesi and six other cities and towns in the Marche region. Although the exhibition includes only one painting by Raphael, he takes pride of place, if only because he is the Marche’s most famous artistic son, having been born in Urbino in 1483. Believed to have been painted when Raphael was about 18 years old, “Saint Catherine of Alexandria” measures only 15 cm by 40 cm, leading art historians to surmise that it was once part of a triptych whose other two pieces have gone missing.

It shows Saint Catherine in a reflective mood and standing on a wagon wheel and has a Latin inscription painted in gold on the back. The small painting was once part of the private collection of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and was bought by the National Gallery of the Marche after his death in 1989. Also on exhibition is one version of Guido Reni’s “St. Sebastian,” the martyr depicted, according to tradition, tied to a tree and shot with an arrow in his left side. The painting of the young, muscular saint, depicted with a only a loin cloth covering his middle, has become an icon of the gay community over the centuries. In his 1929 speech accepting the Nobel Prize for Literature, German writer Thomas Mann, who wrote about homosexuality in his novella “Death in Venice” and whose diaries released after his death revealed that he struggled with homosexuality throughout his life, said: “I have a favorite saint. I will tell you his name. It is Saint Sebastian, that youth at the stake, who, pierced by swords and arrows from all sides, smiles amidst his agony. Grace in suffering: that is the heroism symbolized by Saint Sebastian.” The exhibition is on display in the Braccio Carlo Magno, at the end of the left-hand colonnade of St Peter’s Square, until June 10. From July 10 to September 30, it will be on display at the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Buenos Aires, in honor of the fact that more than 40 percent of immigrants who left the Marche region went to Argentina. -Reuters

Is it curtains for Afghanistan’s fading silver screen?

KABUL: Clouds of hashish and cigarette smoke float across a screen showing a dancing Pakistani woman, who evokes yowls of excitement from the hundreds of Afghan men passing their time in one of the capital’s rundown cinemas. Once a treasured luxury for the elite, Afghan film connoisseurs are deeply distressed by the dilapidated state of their cinemas, which reflect an industry on the brink of collapse from conflict and financial neglect. “Before our audiences were educated. Now they are illiterates who understand nothing of cinema and come only to smoke (marijuana),” said Sayed Khalid Sadat, manager of Pameer cinema, which sits on a corner in the bustling centre of Kabul. Kabul’s cinemas show Pakistani films in Pashto, American action films and Bollywood to rowdy, largely unemployed crowds in pursuit of any distraction from their drab surroundings. It’s a far cry from the heyday of Afghan-produced film 40 years ago, when cinemagoers were required to wear suits or evening wear. Pameer is one of seven cinemas operating in the capital, down from the 23 Kabul boasted before the onslaught of the civil war in 1992, which razed two-thirds of the city. They all charge the equivalent of about one dollar per ticket. Later the Taliban banned cinema, music and television outright during their five-year rule, deeming them un-Islamic and ending a rich tradition in a country that started showing films in the 1920s during the rule of King Amanullah Khan, and shot its first movie in Lahore in 1951. Now Afghan directors are desperately trying to salvage what is left of their industry and its legacy but receive almost no support from the government or abroad. “We have international forces here and billions of dollars pouring in but none goes to developing our culture,” said Latif Ahmadi, a much-loved film director and head of state-run cinema agency Afghan Film, set up in 1968.

Some of the artworks on display.

He spoke to Reuters on its sprawling grounds, home to a hangar, editing suites and hauntingly empty corridors where dusty glass boxes hold the awards Afghan films won at various film festivals, mostly in the Soviet Union. Before Moscow’s disastrous decade-long war in Afghanistan, starting with its invasion in 1979, the Soviets exercised enormous influence in the country, giving large amounts of aid and supporting education and the arts. Their scholarships and training resulted in a slew of beloved classics produced in the 1970s-80s. The civil war abruptly brought Afghan cinema to an end: only one film was produced in the 1990s, a 1994 feature celebrating mujahideen fighters’ victory over the Soviets. “We want to have our own Afghan films, we want our cinema to improve,” said construction worker Nangyalia, 19, at the Pameer, its concrete walls adorned with Indian film posters with the bellies and shoulders of women blacked out by pen to observe Afghanistan’s ultra-conservative culture. Since the Taliban were ousted in 2001 and the NATO-led war began, films using Afghan settings and actors have enjoyed enormous success at home and abroad, such as Osama in 2003 and The Kite Runner in 2007, but were made with foreign funding. On its own, Afghanistan has only managed to make a couple of documentaries over the last decade. The government pays the salaries of Afghan Film’s 100 or so staff, but gives no money toward film production, or preservation. Ahmadi says the archives hold more than 7,000 film cases, containing decades of recorded events in Afghan history, along with 50 or so feature films. Partially ruined during the time of the Taliban, they are now at risk of being lost forever if not properly maintained or digitalized. “That would be the greatest tragedy of all,” Ahmadi said. -Reuters

artworks exhibited were Ghanam Dakheelallah-Aijal Bilingual School, Shaikha Al-Ajeel Al- Bayan Bilingual School, Dalal AL Abdulhadi-Al Bayan Bilingual School, Zeinab Dagher -Dasman Model School, Saad AlkatreshDasman Model School, Rhea Ashwini Chandy-Fahaheel Al Watanieh Indian Private School, Sonali Rane-Fahaheel Al Watanieh Indian Private School, Eyarin Islam-I.E.S. Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Nawal Baker Al-Salaimi- Ideal Education School, Farah Al Fozaie-New English School, Mai Yousef-New English School, Enas Al Habib-The American Academy for Girls, Yasmin Khaja -The American Acad-

emy for Girls, Zahra Al Shakhs-The American Academy for Girls and Defara Samiden-The English School Fahaheel. Commercial Bank of Kuwait’s customer participant winners list include; Vijay Anant, Naleena Murugesan, Abdalla Adel Al Matouq, Ali Ghazi and Sajida Yusuf. The Radisson Blu Hotel thanks the main sponsors of the event, Commercial Bank of Kuwait and co-sponsors--Zain, Kuwait Energy Co., Embassy of Switzerland, Al-Samer Stationary, Embassy of Canada, The British Council, Advanced Technology, Marafie Designs Company and Al Watan Daily for their support.

UK library acquires key early gospel for nine million pounds LONDON: A seventh century gospel discovered in a saint’s coffin more than 900 years ago, and the oldest European book to survive fully intact, has been acquired by the British Library for nine million pounds, the library said on Tuesday. The manuscript copy of the Gospel of St. John called the St. Cuthbert Gospel was produced in the northeast of England in the late 7th century and was placed in the saint’s coffin on the island of Lindisfarne, probably in 698. His remains were carried to the mainland when the monks and people of the island fled Viking invaders, and ended up in Durham where the coffin was opened in 1104 and the gospel discovered. Cuthbert’s body was reburied in the new Norman cathedral there and became

a focal point for pilgrims. “It is undoubtedly one of the world’s most important books,” said Scot McKendrick, head of history and classics at the British Library. “Most people who know about books know about the St. Cuthbert Gospel. The staggering fact is that we don’t have a European book that looks as it did when it was made before this. It’s quite astonishing.” According to the British Library, which has had the gospel on long-term loan since 1979 and exhibited it regularly, it will be displayed open temporarily after conservationists and curators deemed it safe to do so. The manuscript features an original red leather binding in excellent condition and is the only surviving “high status”

manuscript from this period of British history to retain its original appearance both inside and out. In 2010, the library was approached by auction house Christie’s who were acting on behalf of the gospel’s owners the Society of Jesus (British Province), or Jesuits. The national library was given first option to purchase the manuscript which was valued at nine million pounds. Scot said that Jesuits came into possession of the prized artifact in the middle of the 18th century. The Earl of Lichfield gave it to a priest who in turn passed it to Jesuits living in Europe. They later brought it to Stonyhurst, northwest England, explaining why it was formerly known as the Stonyhurst Gospel. -Reuters

Historic Amman Street abuzz after facelift FRANCE: Rainbow Street in Amman’s heart is abuzz again after posh 1920s-era homes were turned into restaurants, galleries and libraries, drawing hipsters, bohemians, intellectuals and hordes of tourists. After decades of oblivion, the street in the historic area of Jabal Amman has undergone a facelift, rejuvenating the once sleepy neighborhood. Tucked away along a kilometer-long cobblestone street flanked by the former homes of Jordan’s old aristocratic families, Rainbow Street is now one of Amman’s trendiest nightspots. It sits atop one of Amman’s seven hills and boasts majestic views from the shisha bars and cafes of terraced houses overlooking the Old City below and the ancient Citadel on Jabal al-Qala’a across. Renovation work was completed two years ago by city planners keen on bolstering tourism and Rainbow Street has since found its way into tourist guide books and travel websites. With more and more new eateries and art galleries opening up, it has attracted the likes of Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who once treated themselves and their children to ice cream from a local shop. Even King Abdullah II and his wife Queen Rania once took time off to dine at the trendy Sufra restaurant, which boasts “home-made” Jordanian cuisine served in traditional pottery ware. “Rainbow Street has become an attractive destination, particularly for tourists, thanks mainly to its historic buildings,” said Haitham Goussous, whose family owns and runs Sufra among other restaurants. “Some people come for the food, while others come to enjoy the overall atmosphere or for shopping.” Like most buildings in the area, Sufra was once a family home made of white stones, with large windows framed in wood, and patterned tiles that give the effect of a rug that has been unfurled on the floor. Two years ago the Goussous family renovated the house built by an Armenian family in 1930, but kept the old architecture as a tribute to the past. “We established this restaurant to attract those who are in a way nostalgic for heritage and like Jordanian atmosphere,” said Goussous, who returned home to help with the business after eight years in Canada and Ireland. Casually dressed youths mingle

alongside more conservative couples and young veiled women to explore the dozens of shops, shisha bars and the weekly arts and crafts market. “We hold concerts, art exhibitions and play silent black-andwhite movies and offer Internet services,” said Mustafa Abdel Fattah, the manager of Cafe des Artistes, which, decades ago, used to be a music shop. “We try to encourage young artists by displaying their paintings and other work here.We opened the place three years ago and we did not expect it to become popular. A lot of tourists visit us to enjoy the atmosphere as well as the art work.” At the nearby Duinde Gallery, visitors can sit and enjoy coffee or tea as they admire artworks and listen to the music of New Age composers and performers such as Jean-Michel Jarre and Yanni. “I used to receive 10 to 15 visitors a day when I first opened the gallery in the mid-1990s,” recalls Salam Canaan, a painter. “Now after I turned it into some kind of cafe gallery, around 100 people come every day to sit and enjoy the paintings,” he said. Named after an old cinema theatre, Rainbow Street was the pet project of the Greater Amman Municipality which spent $7 million to inject new life here. With little or no resources of its own to develop its economy, the desert kingdom of Jordan which like many regional countries has been caught in the global financial crisis depends largely on tourist revenues and foreign aid. Tourist receipts contribute 14 percent to gross domestic product in the cashed-

strapped country of around 6.5 million people “Rainbow Street was established in the 1920s and it represents an important part of Amman’s history,” said Musa Shubaki, head of GAM’s media department. “Many Jordanian leaders and politicians have lived in that area. GAM sought to preserve the street because it is significant to Jordanians,” he said. King Talal, grandfather of King Abdullah II, spent his childhood in a house on Rainbow Street during the 1930s. Renovations were launched in 2008 and took nearly two years to complete. “We paved the street in cobblestones, fixed sidewalks and built parking lots. People can enjoy panoramic views of Amman from there,” said GAM project manager Wael Momoni. One of the main differences between Rainbow Street and other Amman night spots is that here, city planners insisted on preserving the old architecture. There are no flashy high-rise buildings or giant neon signs, and the stone facades of the houses, some with porticoes and wrought-iron gates, have been preserved. “We did all of this in a way that does not affect the spirit and authenticity of the street, which has become an outlet for Jordanians,” Momoni said. One of the most popular hangouts lies in a side street and has been around even before the renovation project got underway: Books@Cafe, a two-storey house with a vast terrace and back garden boasting a bookshop and a cafe where quick meals are also served. -AFP

Jordanian youth play their guitars on Rainbow Street in Amman on May 6. (AFP)

ALWATAN DAILY

entertainment Song Of The Day

FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2012

Donna Summer, Queen of Disco, dies at 63

Fahad AlSabah Staff Writer

Song: Guardian Artist: Alanis Morissette Album: Guardian - Single Genre: Alternative In short: Alanis Morissette’s eighth studio album Havoc and Bright Lights has her teaming up with Guy Sigsworth again, the man behind her previous release, Flavors of Entanglement. Morissette’s lyrical prowess gets sharper on each record and her metaphors grow stronger still: “Now no more smiling mid crest-fall / No more managing unmanageables / No more holding still in the hailstorm / Now enter your watchwoman,” sings Morissette before belting “I’ll be your keeper for life as your guardian / I’ll be your warrior of care your first warden / I’ll be your angel on call, I’ll be on demand / The greatest honor of all, as your guardian”. To listen to the song visit www.alwatandaily.com E-mail your feedback to falsabah@alwatandaily.com

The Buzz Reality TV star died of natural causes: Coroner Authorities in Louisiana say a man who starred in the reality television show “Swamp People” died from natural causes. Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeff Wiley says the parish coroner, Dr. John Fraiche, made that determination after a preliminary autopsy on Mitchell Guist. Guist, who appeared in segments of the “Swamp People” with his brother, Glenn, died after collapsing Monday while working on a houseboat he was building on Belle River.Authorities tell The Advocate of Baton Rouge, La., Guist had just launched the houseboat and was pushing it when he collapsed. Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday in Gonzales. “Swamp People,” which airs on the History channel, features residents of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya swamp country during alligator hunting season. -AP

Beach Boys-inspired musical to open in Las Vegas The recently reunited Beach Boys aren’t just re-igniting interest in their catalog on concert stages these days - their pop classics will also be finding new life on the theatrical stage soon. “Surf the Musical,” which revolves around such Beach Boys chestnuts as “California Girls,” “I Get Around” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” is coming to the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino this summer, with a week of preview performances beginning on June 11 and an official opening night of July 17. Kristin Hanggi, who was nominated for a Tony award for “Rock of Ages,” will direct. Beowulf Boritt (“The Scottsboro Boys”) will serve as set designer, with “Jersey Boys”’ Howell Binkley handling lighting direction. The musical’s team also includes costume designer Gregory Gale (“Urinetown”), music producer Frank Filipetti and music director Ed Hamilton (“Promises Promises”). Darrel Maloney from “American Idiot” is also part of the “Surf the Musical” team, along with choreographers RJ Durell and Nick Florez. The play will offer audiences “a carefree story of good vibrations set in the nostalgic, happy times of the 1960s Southern California beach community,” according to Surf Productions LLC. “We want to capture the essence of what made the music great,” Hanggi said of the production. “Surf the Musical” will run nightly except for Thursdays. -Reuters

Prometheus writer teases possible sequels There is a thick veil of secrecy surrounding “Prometheus,” but co-writer Damon Lindelof hinted to fans this week that the upcoming science-fiction chiller may lead to sequels. The indication that more deep-space terrors could await even after the final credits roll on the film came during a studio-sponsored question-and-answer session on Twitter Wednesday. In response to a question about a possible “Prometheus” franchise, Lindelof replied, “If you like it and want more, there is TOTALLY a design for this story to continue in cool and unexpected ways.” Of course, “Prometheus” is a prequel of sorts itself to director Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic “Alien.” The director has stopped short of using the “p” word but has said that fans will recognize “strands of ‘Alien’s DNA” in the film. He also promised “a new, grand mythology” that gives credence to Lindelof’s hints that “Prometheus” was never intended as a one-off. “Prometheus” hits theaters on June 8. -Reuters

The wild bus ride of Broadway’s Priscilla to end

Donna Summer performs during the David Foster and Friends concert at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Oct. 1, 2011, in Las Vegas. (AFP)

this time for women’s rights. Soon after, Summer became a born-again Christian and faced controversy when she was accused of making anti-gay comments in relation to the AIDS epidemic. Summer denied making the comments, but was the target of a boycott. Still, even as disco went out of fashion she remained a fixture in dance clubs, endlessly sampled and remixed into contemporary dance hits. Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines, Summer was raised in Boston on gospel music. “Love to Love You Baby” was her US chart debut and the first of 19 No. 1 dance hits between 1975 and 2008 - second only to Madonna. During the disco era she burned up the charts: She was the only artist to have three consecutive double-LPs hit No. 1, “Live and More,” “Bad Girls” and “On the Radio.” She was also the first female artist with four No. 1 singles in a 13-month period, according to the Rock Hall of Fame, where she was a nominee this year. Her genre-defying sound helped her earn Grammy Awards in the dance, rock, R&B and inspirational categories.

She released a number of albums that have reach gold or platinum status, including the multiplatinum “Bad Girls” and “On the Radio, Volume I & II.” She had a number of top 10 Billboard hits, including “Hot Stuff,” “She Works Hard

for the Money” and “MacArthur Park.” She released her last album, “Crayons,” in 2008. It was her first full studio album in 17 years. She also performed on “American Idol” that year with its top female contestants. -AP

Chuck Brown, pioneer of ‘go-go’ funk music, dies WASHINGTON: Chuck Brown, who styled a unique mix of funk, soul and Latin party sounds to create go-go music in the nation’s capital, has died after suffering from pneumonia. He was 75. Brown, widely acclaimed as the “Godfather of go-go” for his pioneering sound, died Wednesday at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore. Hospital spokesman Gary Stephenson confirmed Brown had died after a hospital stay that began April 18. Thanks to Brown and his deep, gravelly voice, go-go music was uniquely identified with Washington. That’s where he continued to play the city’s club circuit to a loyal audience late in life. Mayor Vincent Gray said the nation’s capital will be a different place without him. Mournful admirers of the musician were called Wednesday evening to an impromptu candlelight vigil in Washington, where a sound truck was to blast a special Chuck Brown music mix to the crowd before a prayer session for him. “Go-go is D.C.’s very own unique contribution to the world of pop music,” he said. “Today is a very sad day for music lovers the world over.” In 2007 Brown told The Associated Press that go-go was influenced by sounds and fast beats he heard early in life, growing up in North Carolina and Virginia, combined with his experience later, playing with a Latin band. “Go-go is a music that continues on and on, and it’s a call and response communication with the audience,” Brown said.

FILE - In this Jan. 18, 2010 file photo, master of ceremonies Chuck Brown speaks during a program to celebrate the legacy of the late Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington. (AP)

Go-go was heavy on percussion with drummers as lead players, accented by guitar riffs, keyboards and horns. Sometimes the musicians would play for two or three hours without stopping. In between tunes, Brown would keep the thunk of percussion going

and talk to the crowd. Brown’s hit “Bustin’ Loose” with his group, the Soul Searchers, helped define gogo’s sound. It spent several weeks atop the R&B chart in 1979. Rapper Nelly later sampled Brown’s “Bustin’ Loose” in 2002 for his

Purple, Red and Yellow Wiggles leaving Aussie band SYDNEY: Three members of the children’s music quartet The Wiggles will be hanging up their colorful outfits and leaving the Australian band this year, with the Blue Wiggle the lone original member left dancing. Jeff Fatt (Purple Wiggle), Murray Cook (Red Wiggle) and Greg Page (Yellow Wiggle) will leave after the group wraps

up a “Celebration Tour” that begins this month and ends in Australia in December, the band said in a statement Thursday. The trio will no longer perform but will take on backstage, creative roles. Three replacements have already been chosen to join Anthony Field (Blue Wiggle), who helped found the group in

The wild - and exuberant - ride of “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” is coming to an end on Broadway. Producers said Wednesday that the musical, adapted from the 1994 film comedy, will close June 24 after 23 previews and 526 performances. The show is about three drag performers who set off through the harsh Australian desert in a beat-up bus and who on the way encounter the harsh reality of intolerance and do a lot of lip-syncing. It opened in March 2011 and won the Tony Award for costume design. One of the three leads, Tony Sheldon, also was nominated for leading actor in a musical. -AP

Will Smith meets UK Olympic hopefuls Hollywood star Will Smith took time out of his promotional schedule for “Men in Black III” to try his hand at Olympic sports in London. Smith met Olympic hopefuls ahead of the UK premiere of the film later Wednesday, shooting hoops with team GB Basketball captain Drew Sullivan and taking pointers on the hurdle from Perry Shakes-Drayton, a hopeful for the 400m event. Triple jumper Yamile Aldama tried to teach Smith, but found that the actor was more inclined to break into dance moves. Smith praised the athleticism of those he met, confessing that he himself has “never been really athletic.” -AP

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 1979 file photo, singer Donna Summer poses with three awards she won at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, Calif. (AP)

FILE - In this June 28, 2006 file photo, Australian children’s entertainers The Wiggles, Murray Cook (Red Wiggle), Greg Page (Yellow Wiggle), Jeff Fatt (Purple Wiggle), and Anthony Field (Blue Wiggle) make a special appearance at the Australian High Commission in London at the start of their UK tour. (AP)

1991. Since then, the group has earned worldwide renown with dozens of pop-influenced children’s albums, concert tours and a television show featuring singing, jumping, dancing and skits with recurring characters like Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus. The demands of touring and performing have taken their toll, and the three departing members want to spend more time with their families, Cook said. “We’ve been entertaining children around the world for 21 years and it’s important that we plan for the future so that The Wiggles can keep wiggling in the years to come,” Cook said in the statement. Page, who made a surprise return to the group in January after leaving five years earlier due to illness, said it was time to move on. “When The Wiggles asked me to return to the group last year I was excited at the thought of performing with the three guys that I started the group with 21 years ago,” Page said. “With Murray and Jeff’s decision to stop performing at the end of the year it’s a nice sense of closure to also end my time on stage during the final tour with all the original members of the group.” Performers Emma Watkins, Lachlan Gillespie, and Simon Pryce will become the new Yellow, Purple and Red Wiggles, respectively. -AP

massive hit “Hot in Herre,” which won Nelly a Grammy. Brown didn’t get credit at first, though, and “had to go through some legalities to get it right, but we knew, once we heard the song, that’s Chuck Brown,” said Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott, lead singer of the go-go band EU (Experience Unlimited.) In 2007, rapper Eve sampled Brown’s song, “Blow Your Whistle,” in her hit single “Tambourine.” Brown told the AP he admired such artists. “Go-Go had some influence on rap because a lot of rap musicians come to my shows,” he said. “Some of them were students at Howard University. People like Puff Daddy, he’s been to see us when he was a young Howard University student.” Spike Lee, a fan of Brown’s, used go-go for his movie “School Daze.” Elliot said Brown had been a father figure since he was a teen when he aspired to be a rocker like Jimmy Hendrix but realized he wouldn’t make it that way as a young black man.When he saw Brown perform, he said he “instantly knew” what he wanted to do. Brown’s daughter, Cherita Whiting, said he had died from complications with pneumonia and was gone too soon. “I just want to tell all his fans, thank you, for lovin’ our dad,” she said. “He had the best fans in the world.” In 2005, he was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. Washington was always his most loyal fan base, Brown told the AP, and he was happy to play here the rest of his life. -AP

Social Network writer to pen Steve Jobs film script PARIS: Sony Pictures Entertainment on Wednesday said that the Academy Award winning screenwriter behind “The Social Network” will write the script for a film about Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. Aaron Sorkin will adapt the hot-selling biography by journalist Walter Isaacson for the motion picture screen, according to Sony. “Steve Jobs’s story is unique: he was one of the most revolutionary and influential men not just of our time but of all time,” Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal said in a release. “There is no writer working in Hollywood today who is more capable of capturing such an extraordinary life for the screen than Aaron Sorkin; in his hands, we’re confident that the film will be everything that Jobs himself was: captivating, entertaining, and polarizing.” The project is being produced by Mark Gordon, Scott Rudin, and Guymon Casady, according to Pascal and Columbia Pictures president Doug Belgrad. Isaacson’s book titled simply “Steve Jobs” has sold more than two million copies since its release late last year and was the top-selling title at online retail powerhouse Amazon.com, according to industry statistics cited by Sony. Sorkin won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Social Network,” a blockbuster film based on Mark Zuckerberg launching what is now Facebook in his Harvard dorm room. Sorkin will make his directing debut with a film based on his adaptation of the book for the screen, according to Sony. -AFP

ALWATAN DAILY

AROUND TOWN / TIME OUT

FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2012

If you have an event you wish to include, please email: aroundtown@alwatandaily.com

Feature o f

graffiti

the day

moderately confused

Starbucks introduces new Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino

KUWAIT: To prepare for summer and the beautiful days, the international coffee company Starbucks invites everyone in Kuwait to discover two new beverages: the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino and the Whole Bean Tribute Blend Coffee. The latest in the Frappuccino series, the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino is an eminent iced frappé coffee drink and a creamy classic, which will delight fans in quest of new sensations. Composed of mocha sauce, milk, vanilla, chocolate shavings, Chantilly cream and a delicious coulis of red fruits, this new drink reveals a subtle mix of flavors. The perfect drink to delight your taste buds! Because quality and innovation are at the core of our concerns, Starbucks offers its clients the freedom to compose their drinks through its original 87000 recipes. Introduced for the first time, the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino is adapted to your wishes and tastes in order to offer you the best of coffee. Rana Shaheen, Starbucks Regional Communications and CSR

Month a t

manager in the MENA region, said: “The Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino(r) is one of the most requested new flavors for Frappuccino(r) blended beverages, and we’re pleased to be able to offer it this summer to our Moroccan customers. They can create the perfect Frappuccino(r) blended beverage for all of their summer moments, and then personalize and share their experiences with friends and family.” Starbucks continues to offer its clients in Morocco an intense and rich experience every day. That is why the brand is also launch-

ing a new coffee, the Whole Bean Tribute Blend Coffee. This blend features four of our highest quality beans: Aged Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, Sun-dried Ethiopia, and hazelnut-flavored Colombia. Coming from the four corners of the world, these flavors are carefully chosen and blended together to honor the most important part of our business: your satisfaction! For a gourmet break come and enjoy the Starbucks experience. The Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino and the Whole Bean Tribute Blend Coffee will take you on a new trip of mouth-watering flavors.

Sudoku

Intermediate

Advanced

Elementary

General A n n o u n c e m e n t s

a glance tion with the management of the TIES Center, the TIES French Speaking Club (TIES FSC) is pleased to announce the summer course schedule for kids, starting Saturday. For more information please contact 25231015/6 or 97198222 or visit website www.tiescenter.net

IMAK organizes public program May 24/ Rawdah: Indian Muslim Association-Kuwait cordially invites you with family and friends for a public program - Protect yourself and your progeny from hell fire (Quran 66:6) on Thursday at Jamiyatul Islah Auditorium Rawdah, adjacent to highway 40. Dinner packet shall be served after the program. Contact: 99037240|66037944|66218674 for more details.

K’S PATH invites applicants for the adoption of pets Sepp is a Domestic Long Haired (DLH) male cat. He will be 2-years-old April 2012. This friendly, laid-back boy loves a good cuddle and likes a high vantage point in a cat tree or ledge to look out from. He would do best in a home with children over 12 years of age. To adopt, contact +965 67006122 or visit the website www.kspath.org

Carnatic concert Golden era club May 11 and 25/ 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. / Rumaithiya: Golden Era Club presents ‘The Eight Fold Path to Yoga’. Yoga here! Yoga there! Yoga everywhere! Yet, few comprehend Yoga’s true nature! Join Yoga Guru - Aacharya Shashikala Pushkarna - on this unique journey to the true ‘union’ between the mind, body and spirit. All seniors (60+) are cordially invited. Venue- House #34, next to Abu-Tammam Intermediate School for Boys, Sate Alhusari St., Block 2, Rumaithiya. For registration call 97172788/ 66208183 or drop a line to goldenera60@yahoo.com

Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main May 18/ 7 p.m. / Maidan Hawally: Indian Cultural Society presents” Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main” with renowned playback singer from Bollywood Abhijeet and world fame theater cum comedy king Umar Sharif from Pakistan. The Chief Guest for the event will be Ambassador of India, Kuwait. Also guest of honor will be prominent personalities from Kuwait and respected embassies from different countries. It will take place at Dr. Kamil Al Rayes Auditorium, AIS opposite Police Station. Contact numbers for your assistance and information: 97270386, 94450833.

French Summer Classes May 19/ TIES Center: For the sake of the welfare of kids, and in coopera-

May 24/ 6:30 p.m. / Jleeb Al Shoyoukh: Kalanjali Kuwait is organizing “Padma Vibhushan” “Chevalier” Dr. Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna Carnatic Concert at the Integrated Indian School auditorium, Jleeb Al Shoyoukh. Accompanying artistes are Violin - Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi (D/o Padma Vibhushan Dr. Lalgudi Jayaraman), Mrudangam - “Padmasri” Dr.Yella Venkateswara Rao, Ghatam - Sri Giridhar Udupa and Thambura - “Kalaimamani” Dr. Saraswathi. For more details send an email to kalanjaliq8@gmail.com

Mario is a gentle and affectionate 6-years-young Spitz male. This friendly boy does great with people and dogs of all ages.

International bazaar May 26/ 10 a.m.-3 p.m. / TIES Center: Stop by and have the opportunity to see and even own some international antiques on display and taste the delicious foods on display. Also have your name inscribed in Arabic calligraphy at no cost and have a taste of our Arabic ice cream. Various items will be available for sale, such as pashmina shawls, accessories, jewelry, Mexican food, Indian food, cosmetics, cookies, handbags, traditional Kuwaiti - style dresses and many more. For more information please contact 2523105/6 or 97228860.

New Toastmasters Club Second and fourth Tuesday/ 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. / Jabriya: A new Toastmasters Club is being formed and encouraging new members to join. Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. It is a non-profit international organization dedicated to improve member’s communication and leadership skills by attending and participating toastmasters meetings. For more information, please contact Khaled Al-Hashem at 65588824.

Dilbert

Open House for Indian Citizens Ambassador of India would be holding an Open House for Indian citizens to address their problems\grievances on Wednesdays of the second and the fourth weeks of every month between 1500 hrs and 1600 hrs in the Embassy. In case Wednesday is an Embassy holiday, the meeting will be held on the next working day. To ensure timely action/follow-up by the Embassy, it is requested that, wherever possible, Indian citizens should exhaust the existing channels of interaction/grievance redressal and bring their problems/issues in writing with supporting documents.

Royal Thai Embassy The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait wishes to invite Kuwaiti companies that deal business with Thai companies or those agencies of Thai commercial companies to visit the Embassy’s Commercial Office to register their relevant information to be part of the embassy’s business and trade database. The Royal Thai Embassy is located in Jabriya, Block 6, Street 8, Villa No. 1, Telephone No. 25317530 -25317531, Ext: 14.

Nancy

Horoscopes Aries: March 21 - April 19

Today is a good day to dream, Aries. Be aware that structured forces try to convince you that the route you want to take isn’t the most practical. You don’t necessarily have to be practical in order to be successful or prosperous. Use your imagination and let your creative spirit just lead you on. Find strength in your ability to recognize and understand the needs of others. Taurus: April 20 - May 20

You might feel like your emotions are up in the air, Taurus. As soon as you feel emotional, there may be a more structured force telling you to be reasonable. Both camps are valid, so try not to let one overpower the other. Don’t completely disregard your emotions when you are handling a situation. And don’t let your emotions take control of all your actions either. Gemini: May 21- June 21

Your head is filled with passion, Gemini, and you may be feeling a bit more sentimental than usual. The one difficulty with this is that there may not be an appropriate situation in which to express this emotion as fully as you might like. Try to navigate the waters towards a safe place where people around you support you.

Cancer: June 22 - July 22

Try not to get weighed down by emotions today, Cancer, but give them the opportunity to have their time in the spotlight. You may find that there is a strong force working to cover up the truth of what you really feel. Make sure you express yourself openly and honestly. At the same time, you don’t want be so overly dramatic that you just blow things out of proportion. Leo: July 23 - August 22

It may be difficult to express yourself fully today, Leo. Somehow the words aren’t coming out quite as clearly as you’d like. Powerful emotions are getting in the way. It will be difficult for you to find solid footing on a muddy surface. Don’t try to confine yourself to one way of doing something. Patience is a key virtue now. Wait until things clear before you proceed. Virgo: August 23 - September 22

You might need to hold your tongue today. People’s feelings are more easily hurt now and the slightest criticism could be misinterpreted as a terrible insult. When in doubt, keep your mouth shut. Turn your attention inward and focus on your emotions. Keep your mental chatter to a minimum and concentrate more on how you feel.

Libra: September 23 - October 22

You’ll find that you have a much better than usual connection with the people around you, Libra. Your psychic sense is acute, and you should use this sixth sense to pick up things that other people might miss. Don’t let the busy chatter of the day disrupt your connection with deeper thoughts and ideas. People are more malleable today than usual so exercise caution. Scorpio: October 23 - November 21

Be persistent and don’t give up the fight today, Scorpio. It might seem like you aren’t making progress and that it’s harder to make decisions about anything. You’ll find that other people are just as confused as you. Find a clever way to express what you feel. You can sort all these issues out with the help of others for as long as you’re in touch with the inner state of mind. Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

Your current plan of attack may run into some snags today, Sagittarius. This might be caused by an emotional need that you hadn’t recognized earlier. The problem is that your head may say one thing while your gut tells you something else. You might need to put everything on hold while you sort out this inner turmoil.

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19

You may need to take a more disciplined approach to your communication today, Capricorn. Try not to be harsh and limiting with your words. People respond to comforting expressions and a sympathetic tone. Cold, abrasive facts only aggravate an existing wound so try to tone things down. Allot yourself some quiet time to be alone and contemplate your state of mind. Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

This is an excellent day for you, Aquarius. You should find that things are running smoothly and to your advantage. Watch out for those who may want to just rain on your parade by bombarding you with information that doesn’t really connect with the way you feel. This information is unrelated to real issues - how you feel and why. Pay attention to your heart. Pisces: February 19 - March 20

You may feel rather lazy and out of touch today, Pisces. It could be that your emotions have taken a stronger hold on your psyche than your rational way of thinking. Therefore, making decisions might be quite difficult. In matters of the heart, you could feel more romantic than usual.

ALWATAN DAILY

SPORTS

FRIDAY, may 18, 2012

BASKETBALL

Celtics top 76ers 107-91 in Game 3 for 2-1 lead PHILADELPHIA: Kevin Garnett yapped his way down the court after big baskets and clearly enjoyed taking it to the 76ers. Rajon Rondo pushed the ball and relentlessly attacked the lane. Paul Pierce gutted out a knee injury and grinded his way to the free throw line. Boston hears the whispers that it’s too weary and too old to win another championship. By the time they forced Sixers fans to flee their seats, the Celtics proved it’s still too early to count them out. Garnett scored 27 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and used a dominant second quarter to help the Celtics beat the 76ers 107-91 on Wednesday night and take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Whistled for a costly illegal pick late in a Game 2 loss, Garnett crushed the Sixers early and never let them think about a fourth-quarter rally. Garnett scored 13 of Boston’s 32 points in the second quarter and the Celtics became the first team to win by double digits. Game 1 and Game 2 were each decided by one point. Rondo had 23 points and 14 assists. Pierce, playing with a banged-up knee, had 24 points and 12 rebounds. Game 4 is Friday in Philadelphia. “We just wanted to come out and establish who we are as a team,” Pierce said. That started with making Garnett a focal point. Garnett had somehow become forgotten in Boston’s offense in Game 2 until the fourth quarter. Coach Doc Rivers said the Celtics simply weren’t going to the 16-year veteran because they had established an offensive presence in the low post. The Celtics wouldn’t let that happen again. They needed Garnett at his best in Philadelphia, where the Sixers had won their last four postseason games. So much for that minor streak. Garnett made 12 of 17 shots and helped the Celtics outrebound the Sixers by 11 on the defensive boards. He buried those 10 to 16 footers with ease in the second quarter to turn a seven-point deficit into a 13point lead. Pierce had an MCL injury in his left knee rob him of his jumper and slow him down on both sides of the ball. He scored only 21 points combined in the first two games and failed to be the impact player the Celtics needed if they want to

Rajon Rondo (left) of the Boston Celtics lays up a shot against Jrue Holiday (right) of the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs, May 16, 2012. (AFP)

play deeper in the postseason. All that changed in Game 3. He charged the lane in the first quarter for a couple of angry-looking dunks. He even pounded the backboard for emphasis after one as if to show the Sixers he still had some lift in those legs. “That’s who he is,” Rivers said. “That’s how he’s been even when he’s healthy. Paul’s just a grinder.” He’ll need to do it again to hold off the Sixers. Thaddeus Young scored 22 points and Jrue Holiday had 15 for the Sixers. Lou Williams and Jodie Meeks each scored 13. Starters Elton Brand, Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner combined for only 11 points. Wearing their matching red 76ers logo T-shirts, fans fled for the exits at the 6-minute mark and the Sixers down 101-76. The Sixers hadn’t hosted a second-round game since 2003, when coach Larry Brown and All-Star Allen Iverson ruled the town. Julius Erving walked

out to a roaring ovation when he presented the game ball and Eagles quarterback Michael Vick watched from a suite. The Sixers hoped all the stars and hoopla that helped them knock off top-seeded Chicago would work again. Back to the drawing board. Young scored three baskets and the rest of the Sixers had only two in the decisive second quarter. “We ran into a Celtics team that had a real sense of purpose about them,” coach Doug Collins said. “You could see in moment one, they were looking to push that ball in every situation.” Garnett tortured them from long range, toyed with them from inside, and got some deserved rest on the bench in the final minutes wearing a longsleeve shirt. Garnett was whistled for a critical offensive foul late in Game 2 on a potential game-tying possession for the Celtics. All seemed forgiven by the time the Celtics raced to a 25-point lead. -AP

Thunder rally to edge Lakers 77-75 in Game 2

OKLAHOMA CITY: Even down late, the Oklahoma City Thunder are showing that they are never out. Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and the Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night. Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to claw back from that deficit in the closing stages of a game for the second time this postseason. The Thunder were also seven down with 2 1/2 minutes left in Game 1 against defending NBA champion Dallas in the first round. “They won’t quit. That’s not in their DNA,” coach Scott Brooks said. “They’re not wired that way and if they were, they wouldn’t be here. We’re not going to win every game but we’re going to fight to the last second of the game and we did that tonight. “If we would have gotten down on ourselves with 2 minutes to go, we would have lost by 12 and we would go to LA 1-1.” Instead, Oklahoma City takes a 2-0 lead into Game 3 on Friday night at Staples Center. Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who came up empty on their last six possessions after Bynum’s hook shot made it 75-68 with 2:09 remaining. After struggling throughout the second half and missing 20 of their first 27 shots, the Thunder suddenly came alive after Brooks called timeout following Bynum’s basket that gave Los Angeles its largest lead of the game. James Harden drove for a layup before Durant used his height advantage to reach up and tip away a pass from Bryant, who he was guarding. Durant ran out for a right-handed dunk at the other end before Russell Westbrook forced another turnover by aggressively challenging an outlet pass to Bryant along the sideline. Harden made the next stop, blocking Bryant’s jumper on the next Lakers possession and getting a layup in transition off it to cut the deficit to one in the final minute.

Bryant couldn’t connect again, this time on a 3-pointer, to give the Thunder the ball back with the chance to take the lead and Durant was able to make it happen. Steve Blake missed an open 3-pointer from the right side with about 5 seconds left after Metta World Peace couldn’t get the ball to Bryant on the inbounds play. Brown said he thought Bryant was open on the back side of the play, but World Peace apparently didn’t see him agreeing that Bryant was supposed to be the first option. “Blake was wide open.We didn’t have any timeouts left and he got a clean look, a really good look,” World Peace said. “He can knock that down.” Durant was then fouled with 0.3 seconds left and made his first try before missing the second on purpose - failing to hit the backboard or rim for a violation. The Lakers got a desperation try but World Peace’s long pass for Bynum was intercepted by Harden. Historically, the loss makes a huge difference. Los Angeles is 29-12 when splitting the first two games of a seven-game series and has lost 17 of 19 when falling into a 2-0 hole. The Lakers’ last comeback was in the 2004 West semifinals against San Antonio. The Thunder have won all nine of their series after leading 2-0, dating back to the franchise’s days in Seattle. Bryant was right at the heart of the meltdown, missing two shots and having a hand in two turnovers in the final 2 minutes. The first turnover came when Durant used his nearly 7-foot frame and impressive wingspan to come up with an energizing steal and fast-break chance. “He used his length on Kobe. Coming up with that steal was huge,” Brown said. “That’s what great players are supposed to do. They’re supposed to take on the challenge at the end of the game and he did. “He won the game for them, basically.” Westbrook added 15 points for Oklahoma City, which matched its lowest scoring total of the season but still gutted out the win. The Thunder had ripped apart the Lakers’ defense with their pick-and-roll attack in Game 1, scoring 119 points in a 29-point blowout. - AP

FORMULA ONE

Maldonado speaks of his concerns about his team CAPITALS: Pastor Maldonado spoke on Thursday of how he had feared a tragic ending to his astonishing Spanish Grand Prix success in Barcelona last weekend. The Williams garage caught fire at the Circuit de Catalunya as members of the Formula One team, including wheelchair-bound principal and founder Frank Williams, had gathered for a victory photograph. “At that moment I was so scared for all of us,” said Maldonado, the first Venezuelan to win a race and a 500-1 long-shot before sensationally putting his car on the front row in qualifying. “I think we were so lucky because we had no big damage and especially because our people

were okay,” the 27-year-old added in a conference call from the team’s factory in Grove, England. Maldonado, who started on pole after McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton was demoted to the back of the grid, was photographed carrying his 12-yearold cousin piggyback away from the smoke-filled pitlane. The cousin had been wearing a cast on his foot from a previous injury. “I saw my cousin who was with a small injury, I took him and brought him away from the box,” said Maldonado. “It was a difficult moment for all the team but we’ve been so happy even after that because of the win.” The victory was the first for former champions

McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton (center) of Britain waves after taking pole position next to second qualified Williams Formula One driver Pastor Maldonado (right) of Venezuela and third qualified Ferrari Formula One driver Fernando Alonso of Spain on May 12, 2012. (Reuters)

Williams in nearly eight years. Maldonado said he had seen happy faces at the factory when he returned to work, felt more motivated than ever and hoped to challenge again for victory in Monaco next week. “We will do our best. As you see, all the teams are so close, the championship is so close and the gap is so close,” he said. “We are getting better and better all the time. “At the moment we don’t have the quickest car on the track but we are doing our best and why not? Formula One is changing all the time. It’s going to be difficult but we will try again.” The Venezuelan, a winner in the GP2 support series in 2010, said Formula One had become more competitive because of the Pirelli tires and rule changes. There have been five different winners from five teams in the five races so far, something that only previously occurred in 1983. “The season is unpredictable. I think it is more competitive. It has become like a GP2 championship,” added the driver who had been aiming for a top-five finish in Barcelona and then surprised everyone. “It becomes very strong, the drivers can make the difference...it’s a bit boring when you see only one car winning.” Seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, who has yet to stand on the podium since he started his comeback in 2010 after three years out, has spoken out against tires that have to be carefully managed and that penalize those who race flat out all the time. Maldonado, who worked the tires perfectly in Barcelona, said that was the name of the game. “The tire degradation is quite big and it is true that you need to manage them. This is part of the race and it’s the same for everybody. There are no easy races. We need to adapt to the tires, to the rules, to the car,” he said. -Reuters

Olympics

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant shoots next to Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol during the third quarter in Game 2 of an NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference semifinal, in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. (AP)

TENNIS

Djokovic shows best and worst to reach quarter-finals

ROME: World number one Novak Djokovic demonstrated how to smash a racquet and how to cope with adversity as he reached the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters on Thursday. In a blustery wind, Djokovic mangled his racquet after losing the first set to Juan Monaco of Argentina but recovered from a break down in the second set to clinch a 4-6 6-2 6-3 win. From 1-2 in the second set it was as if somebody had flicked a switch as a dominant Djokovic won 20 of the next 24 points to level the match. Monaco, ranked 15th, could not sustain his level and Djokovic eased away to set up a meeting with Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. “I hope the children watching don’t do that,” a smiling Djokovic told a news conference, referring to his racketsmashing. “But I show my emotions out

there. That’s who I am. “I struggled with the wind today and I was a bit defensive and passive in the first set but once I was more direct I started to play much better.” Sixth seed David Ferrer and number seven Tomas Berdych both advanced to the last eight with straight-set wins. Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray were all due to play their thirdround matches later on Thursday. In the women’s event, Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was the first to book her place in the quarter-finals after a 6-2 5-7 6-2 victory over Sorana Cirstea. Serena and Venus Williams were both due on court later on Thursday while defending champion Maria Sharapova was scheduled to play Ana Ivanovic in the night match. World number one Victoria Azarenka pulled out injured on Wednesday. -Reuters

Greece formally hands flame to London ATHENS: Greece formally hands over the Olympic flame to a London delegation led by Princess Anne and including David Beckham on Thursday at the Panathenaic stadium where the first modern Games were held in 1896. Seb Coe, chairman of the London organizing committee LOCOG, spoke of a ‘massive, massive moment’ as the clock ticks down to the Games opening on July 27 while London Mayor Boris Johnson was typically ebullient. “It’s an amazing day for us. This is the moment when we prepare to take the torch and the eyes of the world are swiveling to London,” Johnson told reporters. “I think they will see a city that has made phenomenal progress in getting ready by any mea-

sure, London is extraordinarily well prepared.” Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as well as a former Games competitor, will receive the flame from the president of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Spyros Capralos, in the ceremony. Greek president Karolos Papoulias, whose debt-stricken country risks bankruptcy and an exit from the European single currency, is also due to attend after naming a caretaker Prime Minister in an emergency government on Wednesday to lead Greece to new elections next month. Greek rowing world champion Christina Giazitzidou carried the flame into the stadium, built in 330BC and reconstructed for 1896, after

it travels from its overnight perch on the golden rock of the Acropolis down through the center of Athens. The final two torchbearers were Greek weightlifter Pyrros Dimas and Chinese gymnast Li Ning, who lit the cauldron at the 2008 Beijing Games. The flame was kept overnight in lanterns at the British embassy in Athens and then flown on the golden-liveried ‘Firefly’, British Airways Flight 2012, to a navy base in Culdrose near Land’s End in south-west England. The 70-day, 8,000-mile (12,874-km) relay around Britain starts today and organizers hope it will spark an explosion of enthusiasm for the third Summer Games London has hosted. -Reuters

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns the ball to Juan Monaco of Argentina during their match at the Rome Masters tennis tournament May 17, 2012. (Reuters)

fridAY, may 18, 2012

SPORTS

Sports Editors Highlight NEW DELHI: Spanish giants Barcelona are setting up a football school in India as they expand their coaching network worldwide with the aim of training 10,000 youngsters in the next three years. The school in New Delhi, the first of its kind in India, will be managed by the club’s training arm FCBEscola and welcome 300 children aged between six and 14, club officials said. The Delhi school is set to be operational by the end of the year and plans are afoot to expand operations to other cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Goa, Pune and Ahmedabad. Four football academies supported by FIFA are being built in Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi, while English Premier League sides Liverpool and Manchester United organize regular camps for juniors. -AFP

Football

Bayern Munich keen to be part of ‘golden generation’ BERLIN: Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm says his side must beat Chelsea in Saturday’s Champions League final if they want to be considered part of the club’s “golden generation.” Bayern host Chelsea at Munich’s Allianz Arena with the Bavarian giants bidding to lift the trophy for the first time since 2001, having reached two of the last three finals. Lahm played in the Bayern team that lost 2-0 at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan in the 2010 final in Madrid. Current club president Uli Hoeness and chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, meanwhile, were part of the Bayern team that won consecutive titles in 1974, 1975 and 1976. Lahm will lead Munich out on Saturday eager to make history by lifting the Champions League trophy for the second time and claiming the club’s fifth overall European Cup title. “You need an international title if you want to become a golden generation,” said the 28-year-old.”You want to lift the cup when you are in a final. And of course it is nice to be the first one to lift it. I don’t have many more years at the top level.” Bayern have been licking their wounds since they were hammered 5-2 by Borussia Dortmund in last Saturday’s German Cup final and Hoeness has warned that FA Cup winners Chelsea are a dangerous side. “Chelsea are a team with their backs against the wall, because of their up-and-down season in the league,” he said.”If they lose the final, they will not be in the Champions League next season and we all know what that means for a team like Chelsea. Anyone

who thinks we have already won this match is certainly wrong.” Bayern are bidding to become the first team since Inter at San Siro in 1965 to win the European title on home soil and two years after defeat in Madrid, Lahm says the team has grown. “We have many players who were playing for us in 2010,” said Lahm. “We have developed, we have much more experience. The belief in winning the title is much bigger than two years ago.” Having been a ball boy in 1997 when the Champions League final was last played in Munich, Lahm admitted he never dreamed he would one day captain Bayern in a European final. “At the time, I definitely wasn’t dreaming that I would one day be competing for the trophy, it was simply too far away,” Lahm told Munich-based newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung. The Germany and Bayern captain was 13 years old when Dortmund claimed the trophy with a 3-1 win over Juventus on May 28, 1997 at Munich’s Olympic Stadium, which was Bayern’s previous home stadium. Despite the occasion, Lahm admitted he was underwhelmed by the experience. “It was nothing special.The same group of ball boys had been together the whole season for every home Bayern Munich game. We wore the same kit and there was no special briefing,” he said. Munich’s 69,000-seater Allianz Arena, Bayern’s home ground since 2005, will be sold out on Saturday, but the final will also be screened at the Olympic Stadium as the club received more than a million ticket applications. -AFP

Bayern Munich players congratulate Arjen Robbenafter he scored during the German cup ‘ DFB Pokal ‘ final football match, May 12, 2012. (AFP)

Montpellier must finish the job before celebrating PARIS: Montpellier must stay fully focused as they still need one point to secure their first Ligue 1 football title, coach Rene Girard warned ahead of their final game at Auxerre, even though fans are already planning a welcome parade. The Southerners, who are on 79 points, three ahead of second-placed Paris St Germain, will be crowned for the first time since the club was created in 1974

if they get at least a point at relegated Auxerre on Sunday. If PSG fail to win at Lorient, Montpellier will clinch the title regardless of their result in Burgundy. Players and fans are already planning to celebrate Champions League qualification with the team riding a double-decker bus to the city’s main square on Monday.

Montpellier’s players arrive on the field prior to the French L1 football match Montpellier vs Lille, May 13, 2012. (AFP)

Girard said the party would be a success only if they finished the job. “It’s always difficult to keep everybody focused,” he told reporters after being named best coach of the season. “The boys are fully aware that if we want to give our story a proper end, we need to go get this title. Otherwise, something will be missing.” Montpellier will be without suspended playmaker Younes Belhanda, who said this week he wanted to stay at the club next season after having previously considered moving. In Paris, no party has been scheduled as a Champions League spot was the minimum goal for the Qatari-backed club and players say they still have a small chance of stealing the league crown if they win at strugglers Lorient. Paris will be without suspended winger Jeremy Menez, while centre back Alex and midfielder Mohamed Sissoko are doubtful because of minor injuries. Lorient, who are 14th on 39 points, one above the relegation zone, will fight to stay in the top flight, along with seven other teams. Nineteenth-placed Dijon, who are two points from safety, travel to seventh-placed Stade Rennes, who are on 57, one behind fifth-placed Girondins Bordeaux, and are chasing the Europa League qualifying berth. Girondins, the 2009 champions who recovered from a poor start to the season, are one point ahead of sixth-placed St Etienne whom they visit on Sunday. “We know it was a long way back. We have to keep our goal in mind because we have not fulfilled it yet,” centre back Michael Ciani told the club website (www.girondins.com). -Reuters

No pressure on Team GB to select Beckham, says Coe ATHENS: David Beckham will have to earn his place in Britain’s Olympic football squad on skill and merit like any other player and can expect no special favors, London 2012 organizers said on Thursday. Speaking before the 37-year-old former England captain teamed up with a London delegation for the formal handing over of the Olympic flame, LOCOG chairman Seb Coe said there would be no attempt to twist the arm of Team GB manager Stuart Pearce.

Los Angeles Galaxy’s David Beckham scores a goal against the Montreal Impact during the second half of an MLS soccer match, May 12, 2012. (AP)

“We have put absolutely no pressure on Stuart Pearce at all,” he told reporters, a day after England manager Roy Hodgson named his provisional squad for the European championships in Poland and Ukraine next month. “Stuart has to pick the team that he thinks will lift that (Olympic) trophy. I wouldn’t expect any coach to be operating on any other basis, whether its wrestling or Olympic football,” added Coe.”You can never put pressure on coaches to choose people for any particular reason other than skill and

merit.” No longer a part of England’s international set-up and living in Los Angeles, Beckham has said repeatedly that he wants to play for the first United British football team to compete at the Olympics since 1960. The London-born LA Galaxy player’s presence in Athens and increasing involvement in the build-up to the Games has added to speculation he will be selected. Pearce, also a former England international whose playing career overlapped with Beckham, can choose three ‘over-age’ players in what is otherwise an under-23 squad and now has a clear picture of who is available.”Of course having David around the Olympic program is a fantastic thing but that is not for anyone other than Stuart to decide whether actually that brings ‘value added’ to the team,” said Coe. Hugh Robertson, the sports and Olympics minister who is also in Athens for the flame handover along with Britain’s Princess Anne and London Mayor Boris Johnson, endorsed Coe’s words. “You can’t have, in that highly competitive environment, a sentimental moment and pick somebody because it would be nice for the front page of the newspapers,” he said. “It is just not the way this process works any more. It would be lovely, yes, to see Beckham at the Olympics but he has to be there on the merits of his own performance and nothing else.” The announcement that Beckham, a global brand ambassador for Torch relay sponsor Samsung, would join the delegation in Athens and fly back with the flame on Friday was a main talking point on Wednesday. There were some who questioned whether it was right to give such prominence to an athlete who has no Olympic pedigree and whose star quality and glamour as a sporting pin-up could overshadow others, but Coe dismissed that. -Reuters

Liverpool will not be rushed into naming Dalglish successor

LONDON: Liverpool’s managing director Ian Ayre has said the club will not be rushed into naming Kenny Dalglish’s successor with potential candidates facing the tricky prospect of replacing a terrace hero who many feel was harshly treated. Former Chelsea boss Andre-Villas Boas, Borussia Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp and Wigan Athletic’s Roberto Martinez are among the early favourites to succeed Dalglish, who was sacked as manager on Wednesday. “What we want is the best, what we don’t want is to choose quickly or choose because there’s a time pressure,” Ayre said on the club website (www. liverpoolfc.tv) on Thursday. “It’ll be about finding the right person who can do the best job for Liverpool Football Club.” Angry fans bombarded social media sites and phone-ins when it was announced that Dalglish’s tenure at the club had ended only 18 months into his second spell as manager, echoing fan reaction when popular boss Rafa Benitez left the club in 2010. Despite an eighth-place Premier League finish and a series of disappointing forays in the transfer market, the 61-year-old Scot retained the faith of swathes of supporters who saw green shoots of recovery in the club’s successful cup campaigns. Dalglish ended a six-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup in February while an impressive FA Cup campaign included victories over Manchester United and Everton before ending in a final defeat by Chelsea. Dalglish, who won three league titles in his first spell as manager between 1985 and 1991, travelled to Boston earlier this week to meet the club’s principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner. His summoning and his subsequent sacking have drawn the ire of fans, who feel he deserved at least another year to improve the club’s flagging results. Dalglish’s popularity could become a millstone for any new manager, who could find himself swiftly under pressure if results begin badly. Former boss Roy Hodgson struggled to win over Liverpool fans who were angry that the Champions League-winning Benitez had been ditched after just one poor campaign. They quickly became vocal against the now England manager when results failed to pick up and he was sacked just six months into the job. Liverpool are likely to target a young and hungry manager with title experience and the owners have made it clear the priority of any Liverpool coach is to find value in an over-heated transfer market. The new manager will have to decide if he needs to overhaul the squad or keep faith with the players Dalglish brought in during an expensive buy-British transfer policy that yielded little reward last season. Dalglish spent heavily on the likes of Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing but these costs were largely offset by sales. A new manager may have to wheel and deal in a similar fashion.While Liverpool’s trophy-laden history ensures they remain an attractive proposition, the sacking of Dalglish has shown the club are unlikely to show patience with a manager that fails to drag them back into contention for Champions League qualification. The club are also keen to deny accusations that they are in a state of disarray heading into the transfer window, with no director of football following the sacking of Comolli and no first-team manager. “There is certainly no concern at my level or the board that we’re in disarray,” Ayre said. “We’re making the decisions we’re making and we’re doing the things we’re doing because they’re part of a bigger plan to take the football club forward.” -Reuters

Owen leaves Manchester United after injury-hit spell LONDON: Former England forward Michael Owen has left Manchester United after a frustrating three years at the club where he barely featured and his injury curse continued to strike. “The manager informed me after our testimonial match on Tuesday that the club would not be offering me a new contract,” Owen wrote on his Twitter page on Thursday. “I have loved every minute of the three years I have spent at such a fantastic club. I would like to thank the players, staff and fans for their support and wish them well for the future. I now plan to have a short holiday during which I will contemplate my next move.” The 32-year-old former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle United striker last played in a competitive Manchester United game in November. He signed from Newcastle on a free transfer in 2009 and went on to score 17 goals in 52 appearances, winning the 2011 Premier League title - his first English championship medal. His most notable United strike was an injury-time winner in the Manchester derby three years ago but City got the upper hand this term as they pipped their rivals to the title. Owen will hope to win a move to another Premier League team but faces a tough ask in resurrecting his once glittering career in which he was named 2001 European player of the year. -Reuters