11 Apr

ON SC RI PT I SU B

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

African mediators in Libya amid NATO strikes

French, UN forces fire on Gbagbo positions

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Pakistan export boom will not repair economy

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Gulf states call for Saleh to cede power Yemen government, opposition to meet in Saudi Arabia conspiracy theories

Creative chaos everywhere

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

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Brilliant Vettel maintains perfect start

don’t know what is happening in the Arab world.

I try to analyze things but I reach a dead end every time. I talked to friends and people on the streets. They are also mixed up. One week they think something, but the way things are progressing, they are forced to change their mind. Are these really revolutions which are happening around us? Are they true authentic revolutions? The only thing I believe in was when Bouazizi ignited revolution in Tunisia. I understand Tunisians. They suffered a lot of poverty and according to what my Tunisian friends used to feed me back, Ben Ali - and his wife especially - were real dictators.

Were people in Libya in the same boat? Did they suffer the same poverty? I met Libyan students studying in the West. They didn’t seem so suppressed, hungry and deprived. Or maybe these students belonged to the Gaddafi regime and loyalists.

I know they weren’t living in luxury like the citizens of an oil country, such as in the Gulf, but we cannot say that they were suffering like Tunisians or other Arab countries.

After we saw the real face of Gaddafi and his sons when the revolution started, we understood what was going on in Libya. NATO is saying Gaddafi cannot be removed by force. What does this mean? The West immediately announced they will freeze his assets which outnumber $130 billion. Was the idea just to confiscate his money and then leave him in Libya with a space for his tent in his native Tripoli and with a few oil wells so he can maintain his own empire and live in his fantasy like the King of Africa?

In my opinion he is an insult for Africa. He is the King of the Jungle.

Let’s take a look at Egypt now. Things are not settling down. The army is in control and there is a state of chaos in Egypt till now. Then comes Syria.

They are living in denial. Syria denies all that is happening and claims that there are foreign hands involved in the revolution there. They even claim that people who are killed in this uprising are killed by foreign hands. Which foreign hands are they referring to?

I talked to many of my Syrian friends who are against Assad, by the way, and they claim that they don’t want foreign interference in the country’s domestic affairs. Whatever we see from Syria is only by mobile cameras. No news agencies like Reuters or Jazeera are allowed on the ground to move freely.

We don’t know the truth of what is going on in this country.

What about the turmoil in Yemen? To whose interest is it? Suppose Saleh goes, who is coming in his place? If we think it is a conspiracy theory, who has interest in Yemen? Is it for the control over the Bab el Mandeb strait which is a strategic gateway?

And who wants to control it?

What about the Bahraini dilemma? Is it truly a Sunni-Shiite conflict? Does Iran really have a finger in that? What is going on in Bahrain started affecting things in Kuwait. Let’s not forget Jordan on the way.

However, in my opinion King Abdullah is a very shrewd ruler who knows how to pacify the anger of the people. He mingles with the crowds - both real Jordanians and Palestinians with Jordanian passports. He listens to all sides. He knows Jordan cannot live without Palestinians and Palestinians cannot live without Jordan.

In all this Palestine is forgotten. Israel has been bombarding Gaza for the past week. It is not even a lead story in the news any more. Many people start talking and believing that this was all orchestrated by the West to create a creative chaos in the Arab world which only serves Israel. Could it be true?

SANAA: Yemeni army officers lifted by anti-government protesters react during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh yesterday. — AFP

Assad loyalists fire at Sunnis in Syrian town Kuwaiti Islamist MPs bast ‘brutal crimes’ DAMASCUS: Syrian government forces killed at least four people and wounded 17 when they strafed a residential area of the coastal town of Banias with gunfire for hours yesterday, witnesses told AFP. A Syrian security officer was later killed and another was wounded when their

patrol was ambushed in the northwestern coastal town, the official SANA news agency reported. The latest deadly violence came one day after mourners in the southern town of Daraa, epicentre of more than three weeks of pro-democracy protests, buried around 20 demon-

strators killed by security forces.

In Kuwait, Islamist MPs strongly condemned massacres against civilians by Syrian security forces as they attempt to clamp down on a prodemocracy popular uprising. MPs Mohammad Hayef, Khaled Continued on Page 14

Mubarak summoned over deaths, graft Ex-prez slams smear campaign CAIRO: Egypt’s public prosecutor yes- to ask for the questioning of former terday ordered ousted president Hosni president Hosni Mubarak and his sons Mubarak and his sons to be ques- Gamal and Alaa,” the official news agency reported. tioned over violence Mubarak and his sons against protesters and will be questioned alleged corruption, about allegations and MENA state news legal complaints that agency reported. The they were “connected to announcement came the crimes of assault after the broadcast of against protesters, leadan audiotape in which ing to deaths and the former president injuries,” MENA said. He defended his reputation Hosni Mubarak would also be quizzed and after weeks of mounting protests calling for him to on allegations of graft, it added. An be put on trial. “The public prosecutor estimated 800 people were killed in Continued on Page 14 Abdel Magid Mahmud decided today

2 Bahraini Shiites die in custody DUBAI: Two Bahraini Shiite activists detained in the wake of anti-regime protests have died in detention, the Gulf kingdom’s interior ministry said yesterday. Ali Issa Saqer, 31, died at the hands of prison security guards after “causing chaos in detention”, police said in a statement posted on the interior ministry’s Twitter page. “Security men had to intervene to restore security ... but he resisted, forcing them to engage him, which resulted in him receiving several wounds,” it said. He died in hospital, police said, without specifying whether he was shot or had suffered other injuries. Police said Saqer was arrested on suspicion of having killed policemen by running them over with a car.

The ministry said another detainee,

Zakaraya Rashed Hassan, 40, arrested on April 2 for “inciting hatred against the regime and spreading fabricated news”, had been “found dead” in his prison cell.

A post-mortem examination showed sickle cell disease was the cause of death.

Human Rights Watch, meanwhile, said a leading opposition figure and rights activist, Abdul Hadi Al-Khawaja, was beaten up and arrested on Saturday in Manama. “The brutal beating of rights activist Abdul Hadi Al-Khawaja by police during a warrantless pre-dawn raid adds cruelty on top of illegality,” Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at HRW, said in a statement. In late March, the interior ministry said 24 people, four of them policemen, were killed in clashes during Continued on Page 14

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SANAA/RIYADH: Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh should hand over power to his vice president and allow the opposition to lead a transition government that would prepare new elections, Gulf Arab countries said yesterday. Saleh’s government and the opposition will meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss Yemen’s “unity, security and stability”, foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council said in a statement after talks in the Saudi capital. “The formation of a national unity government under the leadership of the opposition which has the right to form committees...to draw up a constitution and hold elections,” was a key principle of the Gulfsponsored meeting between the two sides, they said.

The meeting between the opposition and Saleh would be based on the understanding that Saleh transfers power to his vice president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. No date was scheduled for such a meeting. The GCC, which comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has been pushing Saleh over the past week to hold talks with opposition parties after two months of protests against his 32RIYADH: Kuwaiti Foreign year-long rule.

But on Friday, Saleh - Minister Sheikh Mohamlong regarded by the med Al-Sabah arrives to West as a vital ally attend an extraordinary against Al-Qaeda mili- meeting of GCC foreign tants - reacted angrily ministers yesterday. — AFP to comments from Qatar’s prime minister saying the mediation would lead to him standing down. “We don’t get our legitimacy from Qatar or from anyone else ... We reject this belligerent intervention,” Saleh told tens of thousands of supporters in the capital. On Saturday Yemen said it would withdraw its ambassador from Doha. A Gulf diplomat said Yemen had sought assurances that the GCC would only mediate and not dictate any outcomes.

Continued on Page 14

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

LOCAL Local Spotlight

Kuwaiti women in govt agenda!

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti and Serbian ministers signing cooperation agreements at Bayan Palace yesterday.

Kuwait, Serbia sign cooperative agreements KUWAIT: Several bilateral agreements between Kuwait and Serbia were signed here at Bayan Palace yesterday.

The signing ceremony was carried out in the attendance of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Serbian President Boris Tadic, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-

Sabah.

The agreements are as follows: A memorandum of understanding on joint defense cooperation, signed on behalf of the Kuwait government by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister and acting Defense Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and on behalf of the Serbian government by Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac.

An agreement between both coun-

tries for visa exemption of diplomats and state official passport holders, yet to be signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah on behalf of Kuwait and Foreign Minister, Vuk Jeremic for Serbia.

A trade agreement signed on behalf of the Kuwaiti government by Minister of Commerce and Industr y Hamad Rashid Al-Haroun and on behalf of the

Serbian government by Minister of Economy and Regional Development, Nebojsa Ciric.

An air service agreement between the two countries, signed on behalf of the Kuwaiti government by Minister of Communications and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs, Mohammad Al-Busairi and on behalf of the Serbian government by Foreign Minister, Vuk Jeremic. — KUNA

Uncertainty amongst Kuwait MPs KDA conference begins KUWAIT: The Kuwait Dental Association’s (KDA) fifteenth international over upcoming cabinet lineup conference opened yesterday under the patronage of the country’s carePlans to merge electoral constituencies KUWAIT: With speculation mounting about the lineup for His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed AlSabah’s new cabinet following his recent reappointment to the premier’s post, MPs continue to voice a variety of opinions on the changes they want to see, with some wanting to wait till the new cabinet is announced before offering their assessment. The new cabinet will be the seventh to be selected by HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed since he was first appointed as the country’s Prime Minister in 2006 by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. There is some uncertainty amongst parliamentarians over how much the new cabinet lineup will differ from the previous one, with the largest number of new appointments seen in his fourth cabinet in 2006, which saw 60 percent of the previous ministers changed for new ones.

This was still not enough for anti-government MPs, however, and the next cabinet reshuffle saw only 15 percent of changes in the government lineup. The subsequent one, the sixth such reshuffle following mass resignation in recent years, saw 55 percent of the ministerial positions once again awarded to new ministers, but as Kuwait saw in recent weeks this was still not considered sufficient by some MPs. A number of MPs have already voiced their outright rejection of the cabinet in any form due to its being led once more by HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed. One parliamentarian, Abdurrahman Al-Anjari, suggested that the new government would be “dead before it’s even born,” explaining that 22 MPs had voted in favor of a non-cooperation motion against HH Sheik h Nasser AlMohammed during the previous cabinet’s tenure, only two short of the minimum number required for the motion to be passed.

Another MP, Mubarak Al-Khurainij, said that he plans to walk out of the parliamentary session during which the new cabinet is

sworn in if he feels that the cabinet lineup selected by the premier is below parliamentarians’ expectations. In a press release issued on Saturday, Al-Khurainij demanded that at least 80 percent of the previous cabinet members be dismissed, with new ones appointed in their place.

Meanwhile, MP Dr. Salwa Al-Jassar has urged fellow lawmaker Dr. Rola Dashti to refrain from quoting her on issues related to whether or not she intends to accept or reject a ministerial role in the new cabinet if she is offered one, which, Al-Jassar asserted is “a decision that’s solely up to me to make.”

On a separate issue, the parliamentary interior and defense committee is expected to discuss a proposal to merge Kuwait’s existing electoral constituencies into a single constituency during a session to be held sometime between the end of April and the beginning of May, according to committee chairperson MP Shuwaib Al-Muwaizri. On another subject, the rapporteur of the parliamentary finance and economic committee, MP Abdurrahman Al-Anjari, has urged the cabinet to submit the amendments requested by the committee previously to the antiterrorism and anti-money-laundering legislation.

The MP was speaking after recent controversial statements by a senior US Treasury Department official, suggesting that Kuwait is the only GCC member country that has yet to introduce antiterrorism legislation. AlAnjari further explained that the committee had opted to request that the government submit the proposed amendments to the antiterrorism and anti-money-laundering legislation separately in order to avoid Kuwaiti charities facing charges of funding terrorist activities for such activities as building hospitals and providing humanitarian assistance in Hamas-ruled Gaza or Hezbollahdominated southern Lebnaon. — Al-Qabas

taker health minister, Dr. Helal Al-Sayer.

Representing the minister at the event, Ministry of Health (MoH) Assistant Undersecretary Dr. Qais Al-Duwairi said in his opening speech that the dentistry profession is an integral part of the health ministry’s comprehensive public healthcare program. The concern shown by the MoH for those working in dentistry and related professions is a clear indication of the government’s great care for all those involved in this field, he added.

The KDA represents all those working in the dental profession in the country in both the public and private sectors, including specialists in all the related fields, said Dr. Al-Duwairi, adding that the body has taken a great interest since its establishment in further developing this field through regularly holding conferences, seminars and workshops on issues of concern to dental professionals. He added that the KDA has represented all those involved in the dental professions in Kuwait at both regional and international events.

This year’s KDA conference will be the first such event to feature participation from members of the International Pediatric Dentistsí Association and the second to feature a number of workshops on various dentistryrelated issues.

Egyptian deportees sue Kuwaiti govt

Majority of MPs support PM’s reappointment KUWAIT: A lawmaker believes that the reappointment of His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah to the position of prime minister is an important message that goes in line with the majority opinion of the parliament. MP Ali Al-Rashid added that attempts made by fellow MPs to challenge the new cabinet are “solely attempts to create tension.”

“They keep talking about the failures of previous cabinets led by His Highness the Prime Minister but never asked themselves about the reasons for those failures,” the lawmaker continued. He cited tensions created by antigovernment coalitions as deliberate activities to foil any cabinet led by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser.

“We will stand against the political chaos that others try to force on Kuwaiti politics,” he insisted.

Al-Rashid said that the cabinet did not resign because of the grilling motions filed against many of its ministers but because

they realized a new cabinet was needed.

“The cabinet is aware of the fact that the interpellations will not stop,” he said, adding that filing interpellations before the cabinet is even formed is an abuse of constitutional tools. While addressing the lack of cooperation in the resigning cabinet, Al-Rashid explained that the Oil and Information Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah AlSabah failed to provide then Minister of Interior Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid Al-Sabah with a KOC Hospital report regarding the death of citizen Mohammad Al-Maimouni.

“There isn’t anything personal between myself and Al-Abdullah but I believe he definitely proved to be insufficient as a minister,” he added.

Al-Rashid said that there are no indications that a parliament dissolution could take place anytime soon, adding that adopting a political party system is the best way to solve the current political situation. — Al-Rai

Ruling family ministers to return KUWAIT: Almost all the ruling family members who held ministerial posts in the previous government will be returning to those positions in the new cabinet lineup, said a government insider on Saturday.

The sole exception to this is Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, who is likely to resume his portfolio as minister of oil but to pass responsibility for the Ministry of

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here are the women in the government’s agenda? I don’t mean in the upcoming formation of the government because only Allah knows how long it will last. This article today is about questioning when and where Kuwaiti women will be seen as a complete figure and as citizens with full rights, a mind and not just followers to obey and clap for a man’s choice and his decisions. I think it is time to see this matter with an open eye and a clear mind.

His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah is now the head of the seventh government under the reign of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah. Although the topic of who would be the next prime minister was given much debate among different parties the final decision is up to His Highness the Amir. The usual objection to the appointment of His Highness Sheikh Nasser has already been expressed, and everybody knows why, but this is not my topic today.

I am more concerned about the status of Kuwait’s women than with the government’s agenda. In fact, I do not see much encouragement for women’s input on the shape of the upcoming government. I think the circle of feminine faces that usually give info on this matter have nothing new to add and that they are too tied up with their own conflicts and differences.

I recently spoke with a lady we typically describe as an activist and told her that I really think the matter of appointing one to every government, and only in the position of the Ministry of Education, is not the only role for women in the government. I was surprised to hear that she is too frustrated to even attempt to make an offer or give an opinion on the matter because she feels like no one listens and no one cares.

I couldn’t help but wonder if we should all stand silent because no one will listen to us. I think the government and His Highness the Prime Minster will listen and act accordingly if women were sincere and believed in what they were calling for.

In the 50s and 60s Kuwaitis loved seeing their daughters work as teachers because it was a field where she didn’t have to mix with men! Every time I see the Ministry of Education be a woman I cannot help but recall that. I personally believe in the capability of Kuwaiti women. I see her being successful in many different fields but I think it is more related to a belief within herself. I hope this belief will not wait another century.

Information to another minister, the insider asserted.

The insider further suggested that it looks probable that former justice minister and Minister for Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Rashid Al-Hamad will be replaced, along with Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Mohammed Al-Afasi and Minister of Public Works Dr. Fadhil Safar. —Al-Jarida

KUWAIT: Eighteen Egyptian nationals who were deported from Kuwait last year for staging a demonstration in support of potential Egyptian presidential candidate Mohammed ElBaradei are suing the Kuwaiti government over the action in an American court.

One of the deportees, named as Walid Al-Nasr, who worked as a legal officer at Al-Dar Investment Company prior to the deportation, told Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai that the lawsuit had been filed at a federal court in New York, adding that one of the three lawyers representing the prosecutors is an Egyptian resident of Kuwait whilst the other two live in the United States.

Nasr further explained that in deporting the residents on the grounds of their private meeting, the Kuwaiti authorities had violated international regulations legislation pertaining to individuals’ political freedoms and protecting the right to peaceful demonstration. He added that Article 36 of the Kuwaiti constitution allows public gatherings, as well as referring to a verdict by the Constitutional Court in a 2006 case which ruled that it was unconstitutional to require people to obtain permission from the Ministry of Interior before holding a demonstration. — Al-Rai

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MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

local kuwait digest

$170,000 in every citizen’s pocket

By Dr Wael Al-Hasawi

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KUWAIT: A group photo of some participants and the organizers.

KUWAIT: Judging committee weighing the fish.

Sea Club fishing contest catches anglers’ interest Kuwait’s maritime tradition highlighted

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: More than 75 fishermen participated in the Kuwait Grand Fishing Competition held at the Kuwait Sea Sports Club (KSSC) on Saturday. This is the 37th such annual contest organized by the KSSC’s Sea Heritage Committee as part of its activities to highlight Kuwait’s traditional maritime professions. The 75 fishermen participated in 48 boats, although only 36 of these vessels completed the competition.

The event was held in cooperation with the Kuwaiti Fishing Union and the Fishermen’s Union, with members of both bodies making up the panel of judges, which was also responsible for ensuring that the correct

procedures were followed and that none of the participants were cheating. The competition, which was open to both the citizens and expatriate residents, was held in the Riksa area off Kuwait, which is renowned for the variety of marine life found there.

Saturday’s weather was ideal for the contest, with the competitors setting out in the morning and returning to the KSSC headquarters in the afternoon with their catch.

The judges panel then began weighing the contestants’ catch, after which it named the winners.

The judges’ panel also ensured that all the fish were caught by the fishermen and weeded out any cheats. “We have to make sure that the participants weren’t cheating,”

Kuwaiti male students uninterested in libraries KUWAIT: Students in Kuwait are increasingly abandoning public libraries. A recent survey found that some students do not even realize that their own schools have libraries. The survey, carried out by a local daily, featured the participation of more than 200 male and female students, the majority of whom believe that books found in local libraries don’t meet their educational demands. While 60 percent of females participated in the survey indicated that they often visit public or school libraries, 64 percent of men admitted that

they did not even once step into a library to see what kind of books they contain.

Also, 44 percent of the women surveyed believe that the quality of books in local libraries are ok while 42 percent of the men said they are not concerned with the quality of the books the line library shelves.

Meanwhile, 54 percent of female students and 60 percent of their male counterparts believe that libraries in general should have their collection of books updated to meet current educational requirements. — Al-Qabas

MPW braces for sewage plant reopening KUWAIT: Work is ongoing at the Mishref sewage plant in preparation for its reopening, which is scheduled for mid-May. The resumption of operations at the plant has been delayed several times since repairs got underway there due to various reasons, including maintenance work that couldn’t be completed on time.

Engineer Ali Abulbanat, the official spokesman for the plant’s maintenance and repairs division, explained that the main cause of delays has been the work being carried out on the main sewage pipeline coming into the plant. He further revealed that the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) is currently installing two gates for the plant’s manhole number two in order to defend against future problems. The plant, which treats the raw sewage to produce

clean water that can be used for irrigation purposes, went out of service on August 2009 a few days after its opening due to a massive malfunction which, among other things, allowed sewage to flood and completely ruin the hi-tech equipment used there. The aftermath of the crisis also included serious environmental threats as the MPW was forced to dump the raw sewage intended for treatment at the plant direct into the Gulf following a very basic treatment process.

Talking to reporters who toured the plant ahead of next month’s planned reopening, Abulbanat explained that the MPW has now introduced mechanics to protect the plant from serious damage in such cases as power cuts or a malfunctions in any of the equipment there.— Al-Qabas

Egypt accepts Jazeera flights CAIRO: Egypt yesterday gave the go ahead for Kuwaiti no frills airline, Jazeera Airways, to land in Cairo, after the airline agreed to abandon its low cost policy according to Egyptian regulations.

The Kuwaiti airline was given the okay after assurances it would be applying Egyptian rules and regulations, Head of Egypt’s Civil Aviation, Samih Al-Hafni said.

These conditions include complying to the country’s price policies, and adding a separate business passenger class to planes, among other regulations to do with flight booking.

Egypt does not allow low-cost airlines into the country on fears they would affect the performance of state airline, Egypt Air, according to Al-Hafni. — KUNA

KUALA LUMPUR: The Singapore Red Cross awarded yesterday the Kuwait Embassy in the country, for its efforts in support of charity.

Kuwaiti Ambassador to Singapore received at his office the Singapore Red Cross’s Chief Executive, Jennifer Geoff, who presented the embassy a certificate of recognition on behalf of the organization. During the encounter, Geoff expressed her gratitude for Kuwait’s responsible role towards humanitarian causes and unrelentless support of the organization’s aid activities in disaster-affected regions around the world.

explained one of the judges, Mohammed Al-Elewi, who’s also a member of the Fishermen’s Union’s inspection committee.

“In fact we uncovered three cases of cheating with fish they didn’t catch, and those competitors were disqualified from the competition. The total of all the participants’ catch was about 25 kilograms.”

The competition also highlights Kuwait’s maritime tradition, explained Ali AlQabandi, the head of the Sea Heritage Committee. “Through this competition, we aim to revive the profession and job of our fathers,” he told the Kuwait Times. “The club has set financial prizes for the winners with a total value of KD 3,750 for both categories of winners. In addition we set 30 other valu-

able prizes of electronics given away in a raffle draw that included all the participants.” Hamid Al-Sahaaf, who took first place with a total of 433 points, received the grand prize of KD1,000, while Ahmad Sadiq and Humoud Al-Harbin, with 379 points and 210 points respectively, ranked second and third. In the catch-weight category, Abdullah Chragh came in first, catching 10.100kg of fish in total. In second place was Ali Al-Seif, who caught fish weighing a total of 4.3 50 kg, while third place went to Ahmad Akbar, whose catch weighed a total of 4.050 kg.

The competition concluded with the presentation of trophies and medals to the winners.

conomic reports estimate that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are expected to achieve a $500 billion financial surplus this year, attributed mainly to the increasing oil prices that at one point reached $117 per barrel of Kuwaiti oil.

In an attempt to understand the impact of those numbers and what this surplus can achieve for countries of the region, let’s assume that the surplus reaches $5 trillion in the next ten years. Given the region’s estimated population of 30 million at the time, the average share of the individual from that surplus would be $170,000. This amount can be distributed as cash to every citizen, or used to build major projects to boost the standard of living in those countries.

However, aside from utopian hypotheses, we can find in reality that citizens in some GCC countries, such as Bahrain, still suffer from poor living conditions, or even poverty. Meanwhile in Kuwait, one of the richest GCC countries with a limited population of 1.126 million citizens, we find that infrastructure projects are almost nonexistent. Instead, we see our ministers proudly laying the foundation for a new hospital, which will be the first one built since the 80s. Also, we have roads that were built as temporary solutions in the 70s and a public university that was built in 1966 over a building that used to be a high school.

On a personal level, a Kuwaiti citizen still finds himself waiting 20 or even up to 30 years before receiving a house for his family from the government. On an industrial level we can say that Kuwait is perhaps the only country in the world that has no industrial projects to provide an alternative source of income other than oil.

Even the agricultural and food security sector only exists through the personal efforts of citizens that run their farms with limited support from the governments.

In the meantime, our struggling national airline is being sold cheap and private airlines are run through the sole efforts of their owners. Even the development plan was started with a struggle between the parliament and the Cabinet. Increasing surpluses can be a good thing for the state’s economy but what we actually need are actions that translate those numbers into real achievements.—Al-Rai

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LOCAL kuwait digest

Bullying, violence against children on the rise

Similarities in revolutions

By Sami Al-Nisf

Media plays important role KUWAIT: Violence against children inside schools has increased in all the six governorates of Kuwait. The number of registered cases of violence in the Ministry of Education reached 28,887 with more than 10,000 of the cases being committed by students in elementary school. “This is evidence of the increase and prevalence of violence amongst students,” said Siham Al-Freih, head of the Kuwait Society for Children’s Rights (KSCR). Al-Freih made her comments during a press conference yesterday at the organization’s headquarters for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on learning difficulties and disabilities.

Additional statistics published in the media show that the number of cases of violence amongst students has rapidly increased. “This increase is also registered in the brutality and intensity of the violence, which in some cases has even resulted in murder,” she added.

“This brutality is not only found amongst older students but also at younger ages.”

The Ministry of Education wants to respond to the negative trend in students’ behavior. “ The Ministr y established a center to accommodate students that suffered from domestic violence,” noted Bader Al-Dihani, Assistant Undersecretary for Education Development at the Ministry of Education. “The center is fully equipped to provide a homelike atmosphere for the resid-

KUWAIT: Siham Al-Freih, Dr Adam Al-Mawla and Bader Al-Dihani during the conference.

—Photo by Joseph Shagra ing students. Currently there are about 12 or 13 students at the center.”

Al-Dihani also pointed out the important role media plays on student violence. “Many cartoons por tray violence as courage and soap operas also encourage violence,” he point-

ed out. “All of this affects children watching such programs.

The Ministry produced 13 short films to be played in school, each about 5 minutes long and promoting the importance of mercy and tolerance. The problem with violence is not in the curriculum so we hope to train

teachers on how to spread good principles to their students.”

This conference was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, UNDP, and KSCR. “The conference was held to highlight the efforts of KSCR, increase awareness and train

Two school teachers in police custody for fight in Shuwaikh Brawl over a financial dispute KUWAIT: Police apprehended two school teachers for getting into a vicious brawl over a financial dispute between one of the teachers and the other teacher’s wife. Police responded to the location of the fight, a building in Shuwaikh used to accommodate university instructors. The two fighters, a Canadian and an American national, were detained and taken into custody at the local area’s police station. It was determined that the fight occurred after the Canadian teacher intervened to help his Ethiopian wife during an argument with the American teacher over money.

Apparently the two were arguing over an amount of money that the woman owed the American man from when the two were dating.

When police responded to the scene the woman was found trying to use a baseball bat against the American while the two teachers were entangled in a fight.

Fatal accident A 19-year-old citizen that was admitted to Adan Hospital in critical condition following a fatal car accident on Al-Ghous Street that left two others dead was pronounced dead inside the hospital’s intensive care unit. Paramedics pronounced the two other victims, aged 19 and 15, dead upon arriving to the site of the accident.

Suicide attempt An Indian woman was admitted to a hospital in critical condition after consuming pesticide in an attempt to kill herself. The victim, who works as a maid, was found lying motionless inside her sponsor’s house in Jahra and was rushed

to the hospital by her employer.

Meanwhile, a female citizen was admitted to a hospital after she attempted to kill herself by cutting her wrists while being held in a Rumaithiya police station. The victim, a PhD holder, was detained for insulting a police officer on duty.

Paramedics responded to the incident after it was reported that she was found bleeding heavily from a wound she inflicted upon herself with a sharp piece of plastic. The woman was questioned after she received medical attention.

Domestic violence A man was held for questioning after it was discovered that he inflicted several injuries to his sixyear-old son, including a broken finger. Police from the Al-Fintas police station were informed of the incident by the victim’s mother who explained that the youth’s father beat his son mercilessly because the two of them were having an argument. The father was held for questioning and potential charges.

Drug possession An Arab man was detained by police in Maidan Hawally for being in possession of drugs. The drugs were discovered after the car was pulled over by police for driving suspiciously. The driver was immediately arrested when police discovered that the man had 30 illegal drug pills concealed in his car.

Landmine found A bomb squad unit successfully retrieved a landmine that was found half buried near the police station at Failaka Island. Police officers informed bomb squad authorities

that a foreign object they found near their police station was an explosive. It was determined that the explosive was a remnant of the 1990 Iraq invasion.

Physical assault A man is facing physical assault charges after he slapped a school student hard enough to cause him severe ear damage for bullying his physically disabled son. Authorities at the Hawally police station were approached by the victim’s father who indicated that his son suffered a damaged ear drum after being attacked by a grown man outside of his school. When summoned for questioning, the suspect admitted that he slapped the boy and explained that he wanted to reprimand him for continuously bullying his physically disabled son who attends the same school.

Fugitive busted Authorities arrested a fugitive that was caught trying to escape the country on Salmi Road and his accomplice who tried to bribe customs officials for the fugitive’s release. The fugitive, a Pakistani man, was stopped at the border checkpoint when it was discovered that the man was wanted for nine previous offenses, including one in which he is accused of writing a fake KD 1 million check. While actions were being taken against the suspect a Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) national arrived and attempted to bribe authorities by offering them KD 10,000 for the suspect’s release. They were both arrested and referred to the proper authorities.

—Al-Watan, Al-Qabas, Al-Rai

KUWAIT: Chicken on sale in Salmiya shop which may have been chewed by stray dogs

Municipality destroys 1.5 tons of rotten foods

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Health and safety inspectors from Hawally Municipality yesterday destroyed 1.5 tons of foodstuffs found to be unfit for human consumption which were confiscated from a Salmiya area outlet and six roaming vendors.

Riyadh Al-Rabee’, the head of the Hawally Municipality’s emergency team, said that the foodstuffs confiscated from the outlet and subsequently destroyed included 86 chicken carcasses, which may have been chewed by stray dogs.

Al-R abee’ added that the

inspectors issued 350 separate citations to the store owner and various vendors, adding that a further 92 citations were issued to various outlets for erecting unlicensed advertising, hoardings or failing to erect identifying signs for their stores. A further 41 citations were issued to the outlet and the vendors for violating health and public hygiene regulations.

Elsewhere, meanwhile, the inspectors removed 20 illegal structures erected on state property, as well as issuing 21 warning notices instructing those responsible for erecting other structures to remove

them or face penalties. The inspectors also conducted a further 45 inspections based on complaints from members of the public.

Al-Rabee’ appealed to Kuwaiti citizens and expatriate residents to ensure that all food items they purchase are fit for human consumption and that their expiry dates have not passed, instructing any member of the public who spots any foodstuffs which do not meet these criteria or sees any other health and safety violations to phone the municipality’s emergency hotline on 1855550 or visit any municipality office in their area to report them.

n its latest issue the American Time Magazine published a report about the similarities between what is happening in the Arab world today in 2011 and what happened in Europe 1848.

The revolution started in Tunis, the country’s president fled abroad and then the revolution was transmitted swiftly through modern technology to another eight Arab countries. That was exactly what happened in Paris in 1848 when people revolted.

King Louis Philippe fled the country and the revolution spread to another eight European countries.

Systems and governments were changed and the report showed 12 similarities between the two revolutions. The European revolution subsided two years later and things returned as they were in the European countries when people realized that things were going from bad to worse instead of improving the economic situation.

I can add to that important report additional similarities between what happened in Egypt in 2011, Indonesia with Suharto in 1998 and Iran and the Shah in 1979. The rulers of these three countries remained in power for three decades and then fell as Democrats took office in the US; Obama, Clinton and Carter respectively.

The three rulers, with the help of the US and the West, made great achievements in the first few years of their rule; their economies stabilized and the public was fond of them. But, due to the long period they stayed in power their corrupt children and relatives angered the public. The international media’s attack against them and their decision to meet protests with violence made matters worse.

Protestors increased in number from thousands to millions in each of the three cases.

The Shah of Iran fell in 1979 due to a religious revolution, unprecedented in history and Suharto fell in 1998 due to a banking and economic revolution that was supported by students. The same thing happened with Mubarak in 2011. The Shah of Iran and Suharto were pronounced sick after they were removed from power and were left alone until they died. Mubarak has announced that he is sick and may remain for a long period of time without being arrested.

The three were accused of stealing billions of dollars from their countries; the Shah of Iran $25 billion, Suharto $35 billion, and Mubarak $70 billion. No proof was given for those accusations and no money was ever recovered. Suharto even won a case of compensation in Sept 2007 before he died against Asia Time amounting to $125 million. Due to false accusations against his wealth he also filed a case against the US Time Magazine for $27 billion. At the end, the three rulers accused their allies of causing their downfall and not their enemies. —Al-Anba

I

By Nawara Fattahova

individuals on how to confront the challenges of violence against children, eliminate it and focus on violence against disabled children,” said Dr Adam Al-Mawla, UN Coordinator and Representative of the UNDP in Kuwait. “This violence has many negative psychological and social effects on the disabled.”

UNDP provided technical consultation for a non-profit organization in coordination with the Higher Council for Planning and Development.

“This proves that Kuwait is taking the lead in caring for the disabled and in applying the recommendations of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN millennium development goals,” he added.

Grim discovery

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Police discovered yesterday that a 26-year-old Kuwaiti man who concerned passersby had reported as being unconscious in his vehicle was actually dead. The body was removed for autopsy and an investigation is underway into the cause of death.

Road accidents Two Kuwaiti men, both aged 20, were taken to Amiri Hospital after sustaining various injuries in a car crash yesterday. In a separate incident, a 33-year-old Egyptian man suffered head injuries, whilst a 24-year-old compatriot sustained heavy bruising to his left leg in a car accident on Ghazali Street near Shuwaikh. Both were taken to Sabah Hospital. In a third case, an 18-year-old Kuwaiti man was taken to Farwaniya Hospital after suffering a broken nose in a crash on King Fahad Road. Meanwhile, a 65year-old Kuwaiti man suffered lacerations to his scalp, whilst another Kuwaiti citizen sustained fractures to his right leg in a car crash in Wafra. Both were taken to Adan Hospital.

A group of students from KNES in one of the lectures

Students from KNES interacting in one of the lectures

Gulf Bank hosts KNES students KUWAIT: Gulf Bank yesterday announced that it has recently completed a hosting program for 25 students from Kuwait National English School (KNES) as part of INJAZ Kuwait’s Job Shadowing Program. The students visited the Bank’s main branch in Mubarak Al Kabeer, where they met with professionals to see first-hand how some of the departments operated on a day-today basis.

The students heard presentations from a number of the Bank’s specialist departments, including Marketing Communications, Anti Money Laundering (AML) Human Resources, Customer Contact Center (CCC), Learning and Development, Public Relations team and the Corporate team.

During the visits students had the opportunity to ask questions from the professionals within each team and hear and see actual examples of each department’s work.

Omar Al-Bassam, Assistant General Manager, Human Resources at Gulf Bank said: “We are delighted to once again support INJAZ Kuwait in this exciting initiative. Gulf Bank is committed to the development of Kuwaiti human resources for a better and more prosperous Kuwait. We continue to sup-

KNES students outside Gulf Bank’s Head Office port and encourage community initiatives in education, arts, sports, culture and other activities; encouraging people to succeed and realize their ambitions. As part of our commitment to our community, this initiative gave us an opportunity to contribute by educating young people about the interaction between various departments at Gulf Bank and the importance of teamwork in the workplace.”

Rana Kamshad, CEO for INJAZ in Kuwait said: “We appreciate Gulf Bank’s participation and support to our initiative by allowing our students to see and learn more about the day-to-day operations of the Bank. Our program aims to help the younger generation of Kuwait play a more active role in the country’s future development; developing entrepreneurial skills in the future business leaders of Kuwait.”

GCC to discuss Japan radiation leak effects on Gulf KUWAIT: Representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states will meet tomorrow (Tuesday) in Bahrain to discuss the potential effects and repercussions of the recent massive leak of radioactive materials from a Japanese reactor on the Gulf region.

Dr. Adel Al-Zayani, the Director General of Bahrain’s Environmental and Wildlife Protection Agency, said that the meeting was taking place at the recommendation of the participants in the previous GCC environmental bodies’ coordination committee meeting held in UAE on

April 5th and 6th.

Dr. Al-Zayani explained that the meeting would feature discussion of how to establish criteria for detecting increased levels of environmental radioactivity which could reach the Arabian Gulf from Japanese waters, in addition to other related topics.

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

local

No work permit restrictions on any nationality: MSAL KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) has not introduced any restrictions on the issuing of work permits to any Arab or other nationalities, despite rumors to the contrary, said a senior MSAL official on Saturday.

Mansour Al-Mansour, the MSAL’s Undersecretary for Labor Affairs, said that whilst there are certain restrictions in place based on security criteria, “we have not received any directives banning anyone, whether from the cabinet or the Ministry of Interior, which are concerned with the security of expatriates in this regard.”

Speaking on the sidelines of a cere-

mony held to honor the director of Ahmadi governorate’s labor division, Kathem Al-Shemmari, Al-Mansour explained that his department is at present primarily concerned with helping expatriate residents covered by the current Amiri amnesty who meet the criteria to amend and legalize their residency status in accordance with the rules governing the amnesty’s implementation. The senior MSAL official also revealed that the government will begin work on the establishment of a new manpower administration authority shortly after the formation of the new cabinet is completed. — Al-Jarida

MoI, MSAL work together to monitor mosque sermons KUWAIT: A joint team of officials from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (MAIA) is monitoring sermons ad lectures delivered in local mosques to ensure that they don’t promote extremist ideology.

The team was formed as part of the government’s efforts to fight all forms of extremist or fundamentalist ideology, with local Imams also instructed to pay extra attention to lectures and other activities taking part in their mosques other than the daily prayer ser vices themselves. “ These steps aim to prevent

mosques from being used as places to carry out practices that damage societal security,” said one insider, adding that lectures delivered in languages other than Arabic will also be recorded and translated to ensure that they don’t contain any material that promotes extremist or terrorist ideology.

The team insider further revealed that other steps are also being taken to clamp down on extremism, including thorough vetting of clerics invited to lecture in the country, as well as close monitoring of all publications distributed at the country’s mosques. — Al-Qabas

Phony Twitter account set up in PM’s name KUWAIT: An unidentified individual has fraudulently opened an account on social networking website Twitter in the name of the Kuwaiti Prime Minister, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, although the premier himself does not have any account on the site, said a senior official on Saturday.

Nayef Al-Rukaibi, the Undersecretary

for Domestic Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Diwan, said that the Twitter account set up in HH Sheikh Nasser AlMohammed’s name was entirely bogus and fraudulent.

Al-Rukaibi did not give any details of the individual behind the account, but warned that legal action would be taken against him or her. — KUNA

KUWAIT: EPA Chairman Dr Salah Mudhi touring the venue.

KUWAIT: Officials posing with guest EPA Chairman Dr Salah Mudhi at the exhibition venue yesterday. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Exhibition helps raise public awareness on environment Mishref Fairground hosts KEWE 2011

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The first Kuwait Environment, Water and Energy (KEWE-2011) exhibition was inaugurated yesterday at the Kuwait International Fair Ground (KIFG) in Mishref. The exhibition which will run from April 10 to 12, is being held under the patronage of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in conjunction with KIFG. Dr Salah Mudhi, the Environment Public Authority (EPA) Chairman and Abdul Rahman Al-Nasser, the KIFG Vice Chairman jointly inaugurated the event.

“This exhibition is the first of its kind in Kuwait,” Al-Nasser told the Kuwait Times, adding that the organizers hope to make it an annual event. “We are hoping that through this exhibition we can help the government raise public awareness on the issue of the environment, energy and water,” he explained.

The event is dedicated to companies and gov-

ernment agencies searching for a wide spectrum of advanced technologies, solutions and effective services.

Global climate change which has seen a steadily rising number of violent natural disasters worldwide has prompted government and private sector bodies to come up with environmentally effective tools to raise public awareness of the importance of caring for the environment.

Speaking about the current exhibition, KEWE’s Executive Chairman Ahmed Saleh Baabood explained, “The event will address a range of critically significant themes relating to the harmful effects of rapid population increase, and industrial and urbanization growth.”

At least 35 exhibitors from various local and international companies are participating in the event. Meshari Al-Mutawa, KIFCO’s Senior Marketing Coordinator, lauded the

companies and sponsors for their usual support and cooperation.

The three-day exhibition will also feature a number of environmentally-themed symposia, with numerous students taking part, along with several guest speakers including respected figures from both local and international environmental groups.

“We are happy that through this event, we’ll be able to gather fresh information about the environment which we can share with our people here,” said Al-Mutawa. “The good thing is that we have exhibitors like, for example, companies developing solar and wind energies. We have companies specializing in water desalination, and many more areas.”

The event is sponsored by Kuwait’s EPA, the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the Environment Preservation Industrial Company (Epic) and Al-Dow.

Kuwaitis united over defending security KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign

Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah AlSalim Al-Sabah said yesterday that all Kuwaitis are united over the defense of their country’s security, stability and sovereignty.

In press statements before heading to Saudi capital Riyadh to participate in an extraordinar y meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers Council, Sheikh Mohammad emphasized that Kuwait has taken all necessary measures to offer the recently-indicted members of the Iranian spying network in Kuwait a fair trial.

“We have helped and cooperated with their lawyers, banned press from tackling the issue to avoid expected public pressure on the court and reached out to their embassies to follow up the trial from the start to the end,” he said.

“But when the court delivered its verdict, it became clear that there was a spying network targeting the state security,” he added.

The minister criticized the Iranian reactions to the trial and the verdict. “At a time when we hoped to listen from our brothers in Tehran assertions that they respect Kuwait’s sover-

eignty, and vows to stop interfering in our internal affairs and to make our relations based on mutual respect, the Iranian reaction totally fell short of our expectations,” he pointed out. Sheikh Mohammad urged Iran to deal with such demands seriously.

Meanwhile, the top Kuwaiti diplomat noted that the GCC foreign ministers meeting would focus on the Gulf initiative for resolving the political standoff in Yemen.

But Sheikh Mohammad refused to reveal any details of the initiative till the end of the GCC ministers deliberations. — KUNA

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MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

Years

LOCAL

Book on Kuwait underground resistance ‘Khafji’ cell launched Reminder to people of brave role

Logistics firm acquitted on fraud charge KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Supreme Court has found a local logistics firm not guilty on charges of fraud brought by a finance company, ordering that a contract which the former firm signed to take out a loan from the latter be deemed void.

The finance firm had filed a lawsuit demanding that the logistics company pay it KD4,000 in compensation for a loan paid to the firm, which the finance company claimed had been unpaid, thus breaking the contract signed between representatives of the two companies.

The finance firm’s case fell apart, however, when the attorney for the logistics company, Mohammed Kamal, provided the court with documents showing that the manager who had supposedly signed the loan contract on behalf of the logistics company had actually resigned from his position there one day before the date on which the contract was signed. The lawyer also provided evidence showing that the loan funds were

Attorney Mohammed Kamal

deposited in this individual’s personal bank account rather than in the company’s.

Based on this evidence, the court ruled in favor of the logistics firm, ordering that charges be brought against the former manager there instead.

WASHINGTON: The Institute for Middle East Studies hosted here the launch of a book entitled “The Edge of War: Kuwait’s Underground Resistance Khafji 1990-1991” which recounts the dramatic story of the Kuwaiti resistance movement in Khafji during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. On this occasion, a special panel was held featuring Kuwait’s Ambassador to the US Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah, Former National Security Advisor to President George H. W. Bush General Brent Scowcroft, and Kuwaiti doctor and resistance figure Dr Farida Al-Habib, and they discussed the book and recalled the months of the occupation and the major role played by the resistance.

In a statement, Sheikha Hussah Sabah AlSalem Al-Sabah, who attended the book launch, said, “we have been waiting for this work for a while now, but on the occasion of the 20th Liberation anniversary, it was an opportunity to recall those memories, painful memories, but at the same time they are memories that have to be preserved for the next generation.”

“We do not want our children to forget, and we do not want them to feel hatred towards those who were one day enemies but have now become friends and brothers.”

“We have to cherish the great heroisms the Kuwaiti people have presented, whether in Kuwait or abroad,” she stressed.

She indicated that the Khafji resistance cell was chosen because it had contact with many resistance cells in Kuwait, noting that hopefully, there will be another work about all the resistance cells all over Kuwait.

In a preface to the book, Sheikha Hussah has written that Sheikh Ali Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, “one of the main characters in the story, was the inspiration for this book. But it was more than just Ali ... It was all those who fought against the Iraqi occupation; it was the resilience of ordinary people who did extraordinary things to combat a seemingly insurmountable fear.”

Sheikha Hussah said that the book “was a simple idea in remembrance of the work of a man named (Sheikh) Ali Sabah Al-Salem AlSabah who worked in Khafji and established the resistance there and had a wide contact with the resistance within Kuwait.”

“I believe that if Ali was among us today, he would not have approved that the role he played would be highlighted as he was a man who gave with nothing in exchange. And I, as his sister who understood him well, want to achieve something which he may have dreamt of recording; to cover all the heroic work of the Kuwaiti resistance.”

For his part, Sheikh Salem said that the launch of the book at this time comes as a reminder to the people of the “brave” role the Kuwaiti resistance played during the Iraqi invasion.” He stressed that the resistance “had a role

in protecting the Kuwaitis in Kuwait, and also played a role in helping the coalition forces in liberating Kuwait.”

He affirmed that the book comes at an “important time as it highlights once again the work of the Kuwaiti resistance, and this is important for the young generation whether, Kuwaitis or Americans, who did not live during that time and therefore have to read this book, know about the crimes that were committed by the Iraqi forces in Kuwait, and about the heroism of the resistance in Kuwait.”

For her part, Dr. Farida said that she was invited to the book launch to shed light on her own experience. She indicated that the Khafji team only met again 20 years later, when the researchers met with them for the book.

It was a “very emotional meeting when we met again for the first time after 20 years, to the extent that the strategic communication problems that we had at that time, which was critical, became amusing this time around, and we shared lots of funny stories, which did not look funny those days, but they are funny today.”

“We reaped the fruits of the efforts of our team, under the leadership of Sheikh Ali Sabah Al-Salem,” she remarked. “I am part of a workteam in Khafji border (area). People never realize that we were the liaison between the people in Al-Taef, the American, British, and allied forces; our own work also helped put some political pressure and pass a message to Saddam that there is ‘resistance’.”

“My message to this generation is ‘you have got to defend your country at all cost’,” she remarked.

At the same panel discussion, Sheikh Salem said, in every country’s history, people pass through “events that mark them, define them, and change them. The Iraqi occupation of Kuwait was such an event. It marked us, defined us, changed us.”

He indicated that “this book is about the horrors of occupation; but it is also about the heroics of the Kuwaiti people and, particularly, a small group of Kuwaitis working inside and outside Kuwait as a resistance movement to make life difficult for the Iraqi soldiers, very difficult, on a daily basis, and to pass information back and forth to the United states and coalition forces.”

“This book is very timely, because there are new generations that are coming in Kuwait and here, in the US,” and to them, the occupation and liberation is but history, he stressed. “I think the young generation has to be reminded of what happened, of the atrocities that took place, and the heroism that took place and also the heroism of the US military,” and the US leadership of the international coalition was “vital” for Kuwait’s liberation.

The eventual liberation affected the KuwaitUS relationship, recalling the saying, “every cloud

Mohammad Al-Yousufy with the Shaab Sea Club’s work team.

EVF, LOYAC sign agreement KUWAIT: The Environmental Voluntary Foundation’s (EVF) Kuwaiti Diving Team signed a cooperation agreement with the Lothan Youth Achievement Center (LOYAC), to increase the cooperation between the two organizations. The agreement was made following the success the two organizations shared with the release of an environmental awareness publication.

“The diving team is eager to work with LOYAC given its experience in working with young people,” EVF Board Director Waleed Al-Fadhel said during a

press statement. He further indicated that the joint project will help spread the team’s message of environmental awareness.

Regarding the ‘Our Environment, Our Future’ book published as a result of the collaboration, project supervisor and diving team member Dhari Al-Huwail acknowledged the great efforts being made to make the book a success and full of interesting environmental information. He suggested that it be distributed to students to increase their environmental awareness.

Deqbasi slams Israeli aggression against Gaza KUWAIT: The Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Ali Al-Deqbasi, has strongly condemned the most recent “continuous aerial and artillery assault” by Israeli forces against Gaza, which left a number of Palestinians, including civilians, dead.

Al-Deqbasi further appealed to the United Nations and the UN Security Council to take “immediate action to stop the Zionist massacres committed against the occupied [Palestinian Territories]”, citing specific actions such as “settlement building”, “attempts to ‘Judaize’ Jerusalem,” and “vandalizing graves in Jerusalem to make room for building settlements”, in addition to the “suffocation of the Palestinian economy through the apartheid separation wall.”

Al-Deqbasi also called upon the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference to demand an urgent

UN Security Council session to discuss the latest Israeli assault on Gaza, and the continuous Israeli activities against Palestinians.

In a separate statement, the Arab Parliament speaker urged the Syrian president to “respond to the demands of the Syrian people,” calling at the same time for an investigation to be opened in the casualties among civilians “protesting for rights to freedom, the cancelation of the emergency law, and enforcement of a party political system.”

Al-Deqbasi’s statements came ahead of a scheduled 5-day tour in the Arab region which began on Saturday in Qatar, and will subsequently see him visiting Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, in order to discuss means of boosting cooperation between the Arab Parliament and national parliaments in Arab countries.

has a silver lining.”

“If we want to look for a silver lining of the occupation we suffered 20 years ago; I thought about this quite deeply and I came up with 2 silver linings. First, the occupation united us as a people, identified us as a people.” “The second silver lining is that the occupation and eventual liberation re-defined our relationship with the United States. We got to know who our friends are,” he added.

The Iraqi invasion “took (the relationship) to a way different level. Rather than partners, we became allies. That was a major tipping point. It made our relationship grow by leaps and bounds.”

Sheikh Salem noted that “the final chapter in our relationship took place in 2003 when Kuwait was a staging point for operation Iraqi Freedom.

We gave access to almost a third of our country to enable the US Army to position itself to enter Iraq. That moved our relationship from a relationship of alliance to a strategic alliance ... From 1961 to 2003, we moved from friends to strategic allies.” President George W. Bush designated Kuwait in 2004 as a major non-NATO ally, which was “a symbolic thing that shows you where our relationship with the United States is today.”

“For Kuwait to be liberated there was a synergy, a perfect storm, that came against Saddam Hussein and his regime. The perfect storm was global. There was an international coalition that the US led and there was also another element of internal resistance that kept Kuwaitis alive.

Thank God for that perfect storm. They gave us our country back,” Sheikh Salem concluded.

For his part, Scowcroft said that President George H. W. Bush “was personally outraged by all this,” recalling receipt of news of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.

He indicated that the Kuwaiti Ambassador then “used to bring all the stories he had about the looting, about the horrible treatment of the Kuwaiti people by the Iraqi, and all that was taking place.”

Scowcroft affirmed that Bush “feels very strongly about this book because it brings back (the fact) that this was more than just a calculated military operation.”

In a foreword, George H. W. Bush says Sheikha Hussah “keeps alive the selfless heroism of those Kuwaitis who refused to cower in the face of Saddam’s inhumanity - and whose courage and love of country helped preserve Kuwait sovereignty during its hour of maximum peril.”

The US leader also wrote that he is “particularly pleased to know that future generations of Kuwaitis and students of Kuwaiti history can rely on the real-life tales of inspiration, now memorialized in the Edge of War, to understand what one generation of Kuwait patriots was willing to sacrifice to defend their rights and their homeland.” —- KUNA

Captain of the Shaab Sea Club’s karate team is awarded.

Sea Clubs’ karate kids awarded KUWAIT: The Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC) held an event recently to award the martial arts members of the Shaab Sea Club and the Ras AlArdh Sea Club after passing tests coordinated by the Kuwait Karate Federation (KKF).

Mohammad Al-Yousefy, the TEC’s acting director of Beach and Sea Club Administration supervised and attended the event in addition to the Shaab Sea Club Supervisor Salem Al-Jeeran.

Al-Yousefy expressed his gratitude for the KKF and its Secretar y General Khalaf Al-Saiedi for their continued dedication to the annual event.

Sensei Izzat Hanafi observed the belt testing for a total of 70 karate students who were awarded medals and certificates for their success at the Mohammad Al-Yousufy, Salem Al-Jeeran and Sensei Izzat Hanafi in a group photo with the awarded event. martial arts students.

Captain of the Ras Al-Ardh Sea Club’s karate team receives an award.

Karate students show their medals and certificates in a photo with Sensei Hanafi.

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

Ouattara forces rape, kill, maim, during offensive: HRW

Israel, Palestinians float Gaza ceasefire Page 8

Page 8

1,000 Protesters defy army Army denies using live ammunition

CAIRO: Protesters chant slogans as they march following an attack by security forces in Tahrir Square. — AP CAIRO: More than 1,000 Egyptians protested in Cairo’s Tahrir Square yesterday after an overnight sit-in demonstration when the army backed down on a threat to disperse them. The protesters, who blocked the square with a charred army truck, barbed wire and beams, chanted against military chief Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who has been in charge since president Hosni Mubarak’s ouster in February. “The people demand the toppling of the field marshal,” they chanted, after spending a nervous night waiting for the army to carry out its warning that it would enforce a three-hour pre-dawn curfew.

Soldiers, backed by riot police, had dispersed an overnight protest in the iconic square before dawn on Saturday, with one protester shot dead. The military later warned it would clear out remaining protesters, keeping the demonstrators on edge throughout the night as the countdown began for the curfew.

Groups of young men whistled and banged at the barricades when they thought the military, which remained out of sight, was approaching, prompting others to run to them with sticks.

As the curfew neared its end, some protesters began to chant jokingly: “Hit us, hit us, you are taking your time and we’re bored.”

Their numbers waxed and waned throughout morning, with groups of protesters locked in arguments with passers-by who wanted them to leave the square, which remained closed to traffic. By the afternoon there were more than a 1,000 of them. Groups of protesters would rush to the barricades when their sentries yelled that “thugs” were sighted. There no noticeable military or police presence. The protesters faced mounting criticism from other groups that took part in the revolt that toppled Mubarak.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the best organized opposition movement, had from the start described protesters against the military as feckless “zealots.” “The Muslim Brotherhood condemns any attempt to weaken (the military’s relationship with

the people), and especially attempts to cause any split between the military and the people or to pit them against each other,” it said. “It is apparent that there are those who are striving to accomplish that from the remnants of the old regime, and some zealots who do not consider consequences,” it said.

A senior Brotherhood official, Essam Al-Erian, said yesterday that the group stood by the statement after the deadly clash and refused to comment on the military’s actions. State television and newspapers played up criticism by other opposition figures. The military has called the protesters “outlaws” and suggested they might be led by former ruling party officials. It denied using force or live ammunition against the protesters.

Since Mubarak quit, protesters have been holding regular Friday demonstrations, the last one tens of thousands strong, demanding that he and other former regime officials stand trial.

Saturday’s death was the first in the square since it became the focal point for the 18 days of protests that triggered Mubarak’s resignation on February 11. The army denied it was responsible for the death of a protester who was shot in the mouth, saying no fatalities were discovered when it cleared the square to enforce the curfew.

It said four soldiers and nine protesters were wounded.

“Those who remain in the square will be dispersed,” General Ismail Etman told reporters. But his warning was ignored by the demonstrators, who chanted slogans against the military.

“I’m not scared, I’m sad it came to this, but what right does the army have to attack us,” said one protester, Mohammed Abdel Al, as he prepared to take a nap on the square. Tantawi, who served as the ousted president’s defense minister for two of his three decades in power, has vowed to oversee a swift return to civilian rule after limited amendments to the Mubarak-era constitution were approved in a referendum last month. — AFP

NATO air strikes help break attack on east Libya town African leaders fly in to seek end to conflict TRIPOLI: A high-ranking African Union delegation arrived in Libya yesterday to try to negotiate a truce between Muammar Gaddafi’s forces and rebels seeking to oust him, an AFP reporter said. The peace mission came as NATO warplanes were in action against Gaddafi loyalists in the stricken port city of Misrata after regime forces killed at least 11 people there over the weekend, rebels said. In Brussels, an alliance official confirmed to AFP that NATO warplanes had destroyed 11 regime tanks on the road to the eastern Libyan town of Ajdabiya and another 14 tanks near Misrata.

The African mediators were welcomed to Tripoli by Gaddafi supporters holding the veteran Libyan leader’s picture and waving the green flags of his regime. Presidents Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania, Amadou Toumani Toure of Mali, Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo and Jacob Zuma of South Africa, had left Nouakchott in mid-morning and travelled separately to the Libyan capital. The delegation also includes Ugandan Foreign Minister Henry Oryem Okello, representing Yoweri Museveni, the fifth head of state making up the AU panel.

Earlier, the mediators reiterated their appeal for “an immediate end to all hostilities” and proposed a transition period to adopt reforms in the insurrection-hit country. During their twoday stay, the African leaders will meet representatives of

Gaddafi in Tripoli and those of the rebels in their eastern stronghold of Benghazi, Zuma’s office said. On the battlefield, rebels said yesterday they had captured 15 Algerian mercenaries and killed another three during fierce fighting in Ajdabiya the previous day.

Medics also said at least 12 rebels were killed in and around Ajdabiya over the weekend. Officials at Benghazi’s Jala hospital said it had received nine “martyrs” from the fighting and 14 wounded people, and a doctor at Al-Hawwara hospital said it had received three dead and three wounded. Air strikes on Misrata came yesterday morning, a rebel spokesman in the besieged town told AFP, calling the raids “a marked improvement in NATO intervention.” “They began the raids yesterday on the Gaddafi forces in the northwest of the town and near the centre of Misrata,” said the spokesman.

“In the morning, there were new raids but we are not able to verify the targets,” he said, adding that eight rebels were killed by pro-Gaddafi forces and 22 others were wounded on Saturday. A doctor at Misrata hospital gave AFP the same death toll for Saturday, saying they included civilians, while putting the number of wounded at 25. The doctor said the hospital had received three bodies yesterday, two rebels and a civilian, adding it was possible there could be more fatalities at other medical facilities. — AFP

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Ouattara forces rape, maim, kill, during offensive: HRW Gbagbo forces used lull to regroup: UN

GAZA CITY: Masked militants from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) pose for the media after reading a speech yesterday. — AFP

Israel, Palestinians float Gaza ceasefire JERUSALEM: Israeli and Palestinian officials floated a ceasefire on Sunday to end an upsurge of violence in Gaza, as Israel warned of a still stronger response if rocket fire from the coastal strip continues. In Cairo, the Arab League said it would call on the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone over Gaza after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that continued rocket fire

by Gaza militants would be dealt with harshly.

“If the criminal attacks against the Israeli military and civilians continue, Israel will respond with even more force,” he told reporters at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting. But both Israeli and Palestinian officials expressed support for a potential ceasefire, after days of rocket fire from Gaza and retaliatory Israeli air raids that have killed at least 18 Palestinians.

The flare-up came after an anti-tank missile fired from Gaza hit an Israeli school bus on Thursday, wounding two people including a minor, who was critically injured. Hamas has said the rocket fire was in response to Israel’s April 2 assassination of three senior members of the Islamist group. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said yesterday that Israel was ready to end the confrontation, if Hamas and other armed groups stopped firing.

“If they cease firing, we’ll cease firing,” he said. “We will act along the lines of what happens on the ground,” added Barak, who indefinitely postponed a trip to Washington as violence escalated. It was the first time that an Israeli minister had floated the possibility of a ceasefire since deadly clashes with the Palestinians broke out. Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza had previously announced a unilateral truce that unraveled before it had a chance to take hold, with militants firing dozens of rockets and mortar

rounds into southern Israel.

But on Saturday, a senior Israeli security official said Hamas’s political wing had asked Israel for a ceasefire. “The political branch of Hamas has sent a message asking for an Israeli ceasefire” in exchange for a halt to Palestinian attacks, the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said on Sunday that the group would be willing to stop firing if Israel announced a ceasefire. “The ball is in the court of the occupation,” Abu Zuhri told AFP. “Our message to the occupation is that a truce will be met with a truce.

“We are not interested in escalation and the Palestinian factions are defending themselves and the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli escalation,” he said. The armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement in Gaza said it would also be willing to commit to a bilateral ceasefire with Israel. But rockets and mortar shells continued to hit Israeli territory on Sunday, with an Israeli military spokeswoman saying that by late afternoon around 10 projectiles had been fired. On Saturday, Hamas declared a state of emergency in the face of the deadly Israeli reprisals against Gaza, ordering its security forces to “work 24 hours a day along with the civil defence and medical services to protect and save inhabitants taken as targets by the Zionist occupier.”

In Cairo, Arab League chief Amr Mussa said on Sunday the organization would ask the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over Gaza. Mussa told an emergency meeting of Arab League ambassadors that “the Arab bloc in the United Nations has been directed to ask for the convention of the Security Council to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza and impose a no-fly zone.” —AFP

DUEKOUE: Forces loyal to Ivory Coast’s democratically elected president killed hundreds of civilians, raped his rival’s supporters and burned villages during an offensive launched in the country’s west, a human rights group said.

Human Rights Watch called on Alassane Ouattara to investigate and prosecute abuses by his forces and those supporting his rival, strongman Laurent Gbagbo. The group also said that forces loyal to Gbagbo killed more than 100 civilians to retaliate against pro-Ouattara fighters who launched a major offensive advancing toward Abidjan.

Gbagbo is holed up in a bunker in his residence in Abidjan. After a decade in power, he still refuses to step aside even though the United Nations has ruled that he lost the November presidential election to Ouattara.

After four months of diplomacy, Ouattara gave the go-ahead for a military intervention led by fighters from a former rebel group. They swept across the country, advancing hundreds of miles (kilometers) and taking dozens of cities in a matter of days before being held up at the door of Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s biggest and most strategically important city.

The United Nations yesterday said that the Golf Hotel in Abidjan where Ouattara is based came under attack late Saturday and one peacekeeper was injured. UN spokesman Hamadoun Toure said that rockets and mortars landed on the hotel grounds shortly after UN forces came under attack nearby on Saturday evening. One peacekeeper was evacuated to hospital with serious injuries, he said.

Massere Toure, a communications adviser for Ouattara, denied that the hotel itself was targeted by the attack, which she said started when a patrol sent out from the hotel was ambushed by forces loyal to former president Gbagbo. Toure confirmed that stray bullets and at least one mortar landed on hotel grounds during the fighting. Gbagbo’s forces broke out of the presidential compound Saturday and advanced into position in the downtown core and near the Golf Hotel. But the human rights group warned there is more going on outside Abidjan. “While the international community has been focused on the political stalemate in Abidjan over the presidency, forces on both sides have committed numerous atrocities against civilians, their leaders showing little interest in reining them in,” said Daniel Bekele, Human Rights Watch Africa director in the report obtained by The Associated Press late Saturday.

People interviewed by the group described how pro-Ouattara forces “summarily executed and raped perceived Gbagbo supporters in their homes, as they worked in the fields, as they fled,

ABIDJAN: Men detained for unknown reasons by soldiers loyal to Alassane Ouattara react as they are seated in a gas station service bay to await questioning, at a republican forces operating base. — AP or as they tried to hide in the bush.” The report said that many of the abuses occurred from March 6-30, as villages in the west including Toulepleu, Doke, Blolequin, Duekoue and Guiglo fell to pro-Ouattara forces. The UN said peacekeepers and human rights officials discovered about 60 bodies in the western town of Guiglo.

The UN human rights agency said another 40 corpses were found lying the street in Blolequin, and many of them had been shot. Fifteen other bodies were found in Duekoue, where violence already has left at least 229 dead in recent weeks.

The report said that many were targeted for their ethnicity and Ouattara’s Republican forces have killed, raped, and pillaged the predominantly Guere population, who largely supported Gbagbo in the election. Abuses continued through March, culminating in the massacre of hundreds in Douekoue on March 29, the report said. Yesterday, rebels at roadblocks in Carrefour were armed with Kalashnikov rifles, AK-47’s, shotguns, hunting rifles and knives. They stood across from homes charred shells of homes.

Thousands of people gathered at the Roman Catholic Mission of St. Theresa of the Baby Jesus, which has become a refuge for 30,000 people.

Rice was being distributed and Medecins Sans Frontieres had set up a clinic. Ouattara had long

tried to distance himself from the northernbased fighters taking up his cause who fought in a brief civil war almost a decade ago that left the country split in two. Those fighters were accused of many atrocities at the time. But he appeared to change tack as the rebel fighters, which he renamed the “Republican Forces,” began their lightning assault on Abidjan. In recent weeks, a pro-Gbagbo militia had also been targeting Ouattara supporters, refugees told the AP. On March 28, pro-Gbagbo forces massacred more than 100 people in Blolequin, and killed 10 more northerners and West African immigrants in the town of Guiglo, the group said.

“To understand the tragic events in Ivory Coast, a line cannot be drawn between north and south, or supporters of Gbagbo and Ouattara,” Bekele said. “Unfortunately, there are those on both sides who have shown little regard for the dignity of human life.” In the report, Human Rights Watch called on Ouattara to “take decisive measures to address serious violations of international law by all forces, prevent further reprisals and acts of collective punishment, and urgently investigate and prosecute all those responsible for abuses.” More than a million people have fled their homes since the November elections, with some 130,000 cross the border to Liberia.— AP

Pentagon thinking twice on withdrawal from Iraq WASHINGTON: Eight months shy of its deadline for pulling the last American soldier from Iraq and closing the door on an 8-year war, the Pentagon is having second thoughts.

Reluctant to say it publicly, officials fear a final pullout in December could create a security vacuum, offering an opportunity for power grabs by antagonists in an unresolved and simmering Arab-Kurd dispute, a weakened but still active Al-Qaeda or even an adventurous neighbor such as Iran.

The US wants to keep perhaps several thousand troops in Iraq, not to engage in combat but to guard against an unraveling of a still-fragile peace. This was made clear during Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ visit Thursday and Friday in which he and the top US commander in Iraq talked up the prospect of an extended US stay. How big a military commitment might the US be willing to make beyond 2011? “It just depends on what the Iraqis want and what we’re able to provide and afford,” Gates said Thursday at a US base in the northern city of Mosul where US soldiers advise and mentor Iraqi forces. He said the US would consider a range of possibilities, from staying an extra couple of years to remaining in Iraq as permanent partners.

Less clear is whether the Iraqis will ask for any extension. Powerful political winds are blowing against such a move even as US officials assert that Iraqi leaders - Sunni, Shiite and Kurd are saying privately they see a need for help developing their air defenses and other military capabilities. US training of Iraqi forces up to now has focused on combating an internal enemy, including Al-Qaeda, rather than external threats.

If the Iraqis choose not to ask for more help, then Dec 31 probably will mark the end of US military intervention that was so close to failing when Gates became Pentagon chief in December 2006. He once said the US faced the prospect of a “strategic disaster” at the heart of the Middle East.

Meghan O’Sullivan, a top adviser on Iraq to President George W Bush when his administration negotiated the 2008 security agreement that set upcoming deadline for a final US military withdrawal, said time is too short to negotiate a full reworking of that legal pact. “The question is, can both sides agree on something more modest but which still provides an ade-

quate legal basis for a smaller number of American troops to stay in Iraq, with quite defined missions?” she said in an email exchange last week.

O’Sullivan is a professor of international affairs at Harvard University’s John F Kennedy School. There are now about 47,000 US troops in Iraq, less than one-third the total at the peak of the war four years ago. Sen. Lindsey Graham, a leading skeptic of the Obama administration’s plan to turn over the Iraq mission to the State Department in January, has called this a formula for failure. Graham, RSC, says the US needs to keep at least 10,000 troops in Iraq into 2012.

“If we’re not smart enough to work with the Iraqis to have 10,000 to 15,000 American troops in Iraq in 2012, Iraq could go to hell,” Graham said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on April 4. He said it was imperative that the US remain to “make sure Iran doesn’t interfere with the Iraqi sovereignty” and to help develop an Iraq that emerged from decades of oppressive rule by Saddam Hussein with no army, a crippled economy and a corrupted political order.

The top American commander in Iraq, Army Gen Lloyd Austin, says he has not yet been asked by the Pentagon to recommend any potential extension of the military mission.

Asked in an interview last week at his headquarters outside Baghdad whether he thinks a longer stay is in US interests, he declined to say. But it was clear from his comments about gaps in Iraq’s military capabilities that he thinks it’s too soon to hit the exits.

Austin said ordinary Iraqis have an unrealistic view of the strength of their army and police, in part because more than a year after a national election that eventually returned Nouri AlMaliki as prime minister, the government has neither a defense minister nor interior minister. “Certainly if you’re in the (Iraqi) military you understand you’re your capabilities and your gaps are, (but) if you’re an average citizen, unless somebody like a minister of defense or a minister of interior begins to explain that to you, you just don’t know,” Austin said. “If you see a lot of soldiers you think you have a lot of capability, but that may not be the case.” — AP

BAGHDAD: An Iraqi follower of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada AlSadr flashes a V for victory sign as he is lying on the ground while others burn an effigy of former US President George W Bush and US flags during a rally marking the eighth anniversary of the fall of the Iraqi capital to American troops. A powerful anti-American Shiite cleric has threatened to reactivate his feared militia in Iraq if US soldiers extend their stay. — AP

Kurdish activist to run in polls

MOSCOW: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s wife Svetlana lays flowers outside the Polish embassy to mark the one-year anniversary of the Polish presidential plane crash yesterday. — AP

Divided Poles mark crash anniversary, rap Russia WARSAW: Poland marked yesterday the one-year anniversary of a plane crash in Russia that killed president Lech Kaczynski and dozens of other high-profile Poles, amid bitter domestic divisions and sparring with Moscow. At 8:41 am (0641 GMT), the exact time of the April 10, 2010 tragedy in Smolensk, western Russia, a visibly emotional President Bronislaw Komorowski paid silent tribute to his predecessor and the 95 other victims at a memorial in a Warsaw church.

Komorowski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk placed candles at the foot of the memorial, a traditional mourning symbol in deeply Catholic Poland. Later, at a monument in Warsaw’s Powazki cemetery where many of the crash victims lie alongside past Polish icons, Komorowski honored the dead. “A year has gone by, a whole year since the moment when, for many of us standing here now in Powazki ceremony, the world collapsed,” he said.

He appealed for the tragedy not to be a source of strife. “A year on, we should see what is great, what is good, and what hurts so terribly, and also what is less important, such as division, dispute and political conflict,” he said. “One of the finest memorials we can build together is to care for the dreams and passion of those who died, so that they find followers who will carry their passion, dreams and hopes into the future,” he added. Underlining deep splits, how-

ever, the late president’s identical twin and former premier, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, boycotted official events.

The conservative opposition Law and Justice party (PiS), the twins’ political machine, organized a daylong gathering outside Warsaw’s presidential palace. As thousands of supporters held Polish flags aloft, Kaczynski laid a wreath. A makeshift shrine had been set up. At the foot of a birchwood cross was a model of Poland’s presidential Tupolev 154 jet broken in two. Lech Kaczynski’s delegation had been bound for a ceremony in the Katyn forest, near Smolensk, for some 22,000 captured Polish officers slain by the Soviet secret police in 1940. On Saturday, Warsaw protested the removal of an informal memorial plaque in Smolensk which stated that the crash victims were heading to Katyn. The foreign ministry warned Komorowski may not lay a wreath today when he meets with Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev there, but PiS demanded he cancel the trip outright. Yesterday, Russia expressed “bewilderment” at Polish protests over the switch of the plaque.

An official at the Russian foreign ministry said that Poland had been warned about the need to switch the sign. “ The Russian side had in advance informed Poland about the need to change the plaque, replacing it with a new one written in both Russian and Polish,” the unnamed ministry official told Russian news agencies. —AFP

ANKARA: Leyla Zana, a Kurdish rights activist and former legislator who spent a decade in prison convicted of links to Kurdish rebels, is hoping to make a comeback to Turkey’s parliament. A main Kurdish political party said yesterday it will back Zana and 60 other Kurdish politicians in the country’s June 12 parliamentary elections. They include six politicians who are currently in jail, charged with links to the Kurdish rebels.

All of the politicians will run as independents. The political group, the Peace and Democracy Party, is fielding independent candidates to overcome a 10 percent national threshold that keeps smaller parties out of parliament. Zana, 49, will run for a parliamentary seat to represent Diyarbakir, the main city in the mostly Kurdish southeast region, Peace and Democracy Party leader Selahattin Demirtas told reporters.

Six of the candidates the party is also backing are among scores of Kurdish activists who are on trial, charged of having ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. Turkey’s laws protect legislators from prosecution and the six would be released from prison if elected. Opinion polls show Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party, which is vying for a third term in office, is the front-runner ahead of the June vote. The Kurdish politicians will be trying to prevent the ruling party from making inroads in traditional strongholds in southeastern Turkey.

Zana was elected to parliament in 1991 but caused outrage when she added a few words in Kurdish while taking the oath for office, challenging rules that at the time barred the speaking of Kurdish in official settings. Parliament later voted to strip her of her legal immunity and she was tried by a court that convicted her of links to the PKK _ charges she has strongly denied. She spent 10 years in prison until her release in 2004. While in prison, she was awarded the European Parliament’s human rights prize, for her efforts to advance Kurdish minority rights. The PKK has been fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey since 1984. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people. Turkish officials frequently allege that the Peace and Democracy Party acts as the political wing for PKK militants - an accusation the party rejects. The party currently has 20 legislators in parliament. — AP

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Nigeria ruling party loses ground in poll Poll is litmus test ahead of presidential vote

ALPHEN AAN DEN RIJN: People grieve after laying flowers yesterday at the scene of a shooting at De Ridderhof shopping mall. — AFP

Dutch mourn shopping mall shooting victims AMSTERDAM: Memorial services were held yesterday in a quiet suburb outside Amsterdam to mourn six people killed by a gunman at a crowded mall, as investigators puzzled over his motive and struggled to explain how he was able to obtain and legally own five firearms in the Netherlands. The attacker, identified as 24year-old Tristan van der Vlis, opened fire in Alphen aan den Rijn with an automatic rifle on one of the first pleasant Saturdays of spring, authorities said.

In addition to the fatalities, he wounded at least 17 others, including two children, and dozens more suffered minor injuries, including one infant. Van der Vlis ended the rampage by shooting himself fatally in the head at the Ridderhof mall, bringing the death toll to seven. District Attorney Kitty Nooy said the investigation had uncovered two notes left by the killer, and more information in several files on his computer.

“What I can say about that is the broad lines, and this is, of course, very sad for the victims’ families, but that no clear motive can be found there,” she said. “This man was clearly suicidal, and the contents are more of a spiritual than a threatening nature.”

Twelve people remained in hospital yesterday, Mayor Bas Eenhoorn said at a news conference. The children with serious injuries were both girls, one aged 10 and one aged six, one of whom has since been released from hospital. Authorities did not publicly release victims’ identities, citing privacy reasons.

Alphen is about 20 miles (30 kilometers) southwest of Amsterdam. Church services

were held at the Goede Herderkerk (Good Shepherd Church). A church closer to the mall is cordoned off in connection with the ongoing forensic investigation into the shooting. “This hacks our society apart,” Eenhoorn said at a news conference. “I hope that people seek each other out to express their grief and their fears that are the result of this terrible incident.” A candlelight ceremony outside the mall was planned for yesterday evening.

Van der Vlis’ apartment building remained under police guard. Neighbors gave mixed comments about his character.

“He seemed to me to be a nice guy, he always greeted me nicely,” said Veronique Troon. But she said that one time he asked her about her native Brazil, saying: “‘that seems like a very, very dangerous country, don’t you think so?’ I found it very weird.”

An online condolence register has been signed more than 8,000 times.

“I always thought these terrible things only happen abroad, but now here too,” wrote Thea Hilbrants of Groningen, Netherlands. “Terrible, incomprehensible. I wish much strength for everyone touched by this.”

Queen Beatrix and Prime Minister Mark Rutte also have expressed their shock and sympathy for victims. Witnesses, including some interviewed by The Associated Press, said the blond-haired man wore camouflage trousers and a black jacket as he stalked through the mall, shooting people at random. The attack lasted around 10 minutes, and witnesses saw him changing magazines in his gun. —AP

LAGOS: Nigeria counted votes yesterday after millions turned out for parliamentary polls despite violence and delays, with early indications showing a loosening of the ruling party’s grip on the legislature. Deadly bomb blasts cast a shadow over a bid by Africa’s most populous nation to hold a credible vote after a series of violent and deeply flawed elections, but officials and activists said the polls were a marked improvement. The twicepostponed parliamentary polls on Saturday were the first of three crucial elections this month, with presidential elections April 16 and governorship and state assembly ballots on April 26.

Results were being announced in each voting district yesterday, though some areas of the country ’s north voted until 2:00 am because of high turnout, possibly delaying announcements there, residents said. “This is a basis which, in some elements, could be also improved,” said the head of a European Union observer mission, former Slovenian prime minister Alojz Peterle. “But if this spirit is maintained and the violence is absent, then we could wait for a positive report in the end.”

He called the violence over the weekend, while serious, “relatively isolated-it was not a general dimension of this election.” A major effort has been undertaken to organise credible polls, with the appointment of a respected academic to head the electoral commission, who ordered a series of reforms. The previous voter list littered with false entries, including Mike Tyson and Nelson Mandela, was thrown out and replaced with a new one, compiled by taking electronic prints from each finger of every voter.

More than 73 million people registered to vote. Safeguards meant to stop election day rigging and ballot-box snatching-major problems in Nigeria-were also in place. Local media reports said early results showed key losses for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

The speaker of the house of representatives, Dimeji Bankole, as well as the daughter of expresident Olusegun Obasanjo, a senator, looked set to lose their seats, several newspapers reported.

Early indications showed the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria with a strong showing in the country’s southwest, where the economic capital Lagos is located. The

Albanian faiths come together LAC: On an Albanian spring day, dozens of Muslims, Catholics and Orthodox Christians toil together up a steep, winding slope to St Anthony’s Church-different faiths all hoping for a miracle. Some of the pilgrims heading up the stoney path to the imposing church are barefoot and wedge their feet into cracks in rocks believed to have powers, including protection against disease. Others collect five white stones along the way and, in accordance with tradition, whisper to each before placing it back on the ground.

Ilir, a young Orthodox Christianity engineer, rubs his wallet on a rock, hoping for prosperity. “I have come to pray to God for my prayers to be granted this year,” he confides.

Catholic mother-of-two Mir is praying St Antony will save her marriage. “I have problems with my husband,” murmurs the young lawyer. “I come to

ask God to give me a son this year,” says Servete, a Muslim who has travelled to Lac, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of the capital Tirana, from Durres further west.

On their slow march up the hill, the pilgrims pass a cave where legend says St Antony slept; some leave clothing belonging to their children or sick loved ones needing a cure. The popular weekly pilgrimage is testament to the survival in Albania of a strong religious faith despite efforts of the 1945-1990 communist dictatorship to mercilessly root it out.

Repression and international isolation under the militantly atheistic regime, which banned all forms of religious expression, has today forged an original mix of faith, superstition, folk lore and tolerance.

The majority of Albania’s population of almost three million is Muslim but there are strong Orthodox and

LAC: Albanian children stand in front of St Antony statue during a mass held at Shna Ndou church. —AFP

Catholic minorities too. The different faiths tend to worship at the same places and people sometimes switch religions for convenience -which would shock many in less tolerant societies. Here, God is the “same for the Catholics, the Orthodox and the Muslims,” anthropologist Aferdita Onuzi told AFP. “All believe in a miracle that could change their life.”

With the communist dictatorship banning all religious practices in the country,” sociologist Artan Fuga said.

“Believers who could not practice their faith freely went to look for the divine where they could find it ... also using sacred places or objects from animist and pagan beliefs.” In an example, thousands of Albanians of all faiths come together each August on Tomorri mountain in the south of the country to honour both a pagan sun cult and the religious practices of an Islamic Sufi order, the Bektashi.

“Common attendance by Muslims and Christians to the places of worship is a widespread phenomenon in Albania,” said Besnik Mustafaj of the non-government Forum of Alliance of Civilizations. Many Albanians “during their eventful history, switched from one religion to another, because of economic necessities or more simply for practical questions,” said Lira Caushi, professor at Tirana’s university.

Albania was Christian when it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century and many of its people converted to Islam in order to get jobs in the Ottoman administration.

In an example that persists today, Albanians who want to emigrate to neighbouring Greece, an EU member, try to change their identity to prove they belong to Albania’s Greek minority-and in the process convert to Orthodox Christianity. Marriages between Muslims and Christians are frequent and many Albanians are at loss to say which religion they practice. Confusing perhaps, but it also explains Albania’s religious tolerance, says prominent writer Ismail Kadare, a precious commodity in religiously fraught time. “Cohabitation between the religions is peaceful,” he says.

This blending of religious practices, or syncretism, was strong in areas once ruled by the Ottoman Empire, like Albania, says British historian Mark Mazower in his book “ The Balkans”.

At the time, Christians collected “sacred earth” from around mosques or Muslim “tekkes”, or mausoleums. It is another tradition that survives today with Muslims and Christians praying together at a “tekke” in honor of dervish Hatixhe in Tirana at the start of every year. — AFP

IBADAN: Supporters of the Accord Party celebrate after they discovered they were reportedly leading after the counting of an election ballot papers. — AP

Congress for Progressive Change opposition, whose presidential candidate Muhammahu Buhari, an ex-military ruler, is seen as the main challenger to incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, appeared to make gains in the north. There was clear enthusiasm across the country to cast ballots despite a bomb attack on an electoral office on Friday night that killed 13 people and wounded dozens of others.

Two other explosions occurred in the northeastern city of Maiduguri on Saturdayone at a polling place and another at a vote collating centre.

Authorities had not officially confirmed any deaths, but sources said a number of people had been killed. There was also sporadic violence in other areas, including in the oil-producing Niger Delta, notorious for election rig-

ging and intimidation during past polls. “The elections were generally peaceful and smooth, although there were some perceived lapses which the commission will address in subsequent elections,” electoral commission spokesman Kayode Idowu said.

“There were also pockets of violence in some areas, but they did not affect negatively the overall conduct of the elections.” Speaking on Saturday evening, electoral commission chief Attahiru Jega also said the day appeared to have gone generally well. “There are also very few cases of ballot box snatching-evidently by politicians still living in the past,” he told journalists. “They still think that if they steal ballot boxes and steal ballot papers and steal result sheets, that they will still be able to declare fraudulent results.” — AFP

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Proof against 9/11 plotters revealed Chain of events masterminded before attacks

WASHINGTON: A young Libyan woman chants slogans in front of the White House in Washington on April 9, 2011 during a protest by Libyans and Syrians against the regimes of Muammar Gaddafi and Bashar Al-Assad. —AFP

Arab earthquake disrupts US counter-terror effort WASHINGTON: Arab unrest is shaking the foundations of US counter-terror efforts that have long relied on spy agencies under authoritarian regimes to help fight Islamist militants. With popular protests toppling rulers in Tunisia and Egypt and threatening leaders in Yemen and elsewhere, US intelligence agencies are struggling to adjust to a radically changed landscape, US officials, former intelligence officers and experts say. The United States for years has counted on Arab allies to back up its diplomatic and security interests, enlisting their help to combat Al-Qaeda with harsh tactics and interrogations.

But the political wildfire spreading across the region means US spy services will have to deal with new intelligence chiefs more wary of Washington and more reluctant to cooperate on covert projects that might be unpopular with their citizens. “The immediate effect, there’s no question, is that a lot of relationships which we have built over the years to fight AlQaeda and like-minded terrorists are over,” said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer.

Key figures who became trusted partners for American intelligence services such as Omar Suleiman, Egypt’s former spy chief, are now gone and their successors will likely be less willing to do Washington’s bidding, said Riedel, a fellow at the Brookings Institution. US officials are most alarmed at the fallout from upheaval in Yemen, where Al-Qaeda has already exploited a violent power struggle between President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his opponents.

“The focus of Yemeni intelligence is not on Al-Qaeda anymore, it’s on surviving and figuring out who’s going to be the next boss,” Riedel said. Anxious to see an end to protracted unrest, President Barack Obama’s administration has dropped its support for Saleh, urging him to peacefully hand over power. Even if some semblance of stability is restored in Yemen, Al-Qaeda will have emerged stronger, raising the threat of another attack on Western targets by the network’s affiliate there, Riedel said.

“Their safe-haven, their sanctuary is probably going to be safer and bigger when this

is all over than it is now.

“And that means the threat not only to the US but to Europe is going to go up as well,” he said. A US official acknowledged that the turmoil offered “opportunities” for Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, which has tried to blow up an airliner and cargo planes bound for US cities. “Our concerns are particularly acute in Yemen” the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. But while unrest had made working with Yemeni intelligence more difficult, the official said cooperation had not “shut down.”

The United States also had the means to go after extremists without having to rely other intelligence ser vices, he said.

“Counter-terrorism agencies also have capabilities to act on their own. So no one should think that the United States and our allies are totally dependent on liaison relationships to prosecute the fight against AlQaeda and its militant allies,” the official said. The CIA has carried out drone strikes on terror suspects in Yemen and on a much larger scale in Pakistan.

Though political upheaval may have disrupted US counter-terrorism work in the short term, some senior officials-including Defense Secretary Robert Gates-say that in the long run genuine democratic change could undercut the appeal of extremist groups that have thrived off of government repression. The juggernaut of popular revolts in the region has yet to seriously affect Saudi Arabia, arguably America’s most important ally on the counter-terrorism front. But relations are strained amid Saudi anger over the Obama administration’s decision to abandon its support of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down in February after mass street protests. The political earthquake in the Middle East will likely mark the end of an era for US power in the region and curtail the reach of American intelligence agencies, said Michael Desch, co-director of the University of Notre Dame’s international security program. “Part of the reality of the new world that we’re moving in to is we’ve got to recognize the limits of our influence,” Desch said. — AFP

Revamped leftist leads race for Peru presidency LIMA: Millions of Peruvians are about to head to the polls to vote for a new president in a tight race led by left-wing nationalist Ollanta Humala, who has returned with a softer image and promises to share more of the country’s wealth. Balloting is scheduled to begin throughout the Andean nation at 8:00 am (1300 GMT) Sunday and end at 4:00 pm (2100 GMT). Pollsters predict a second round runoff between Humala and right-wing populist Keiko Fujimori, daughter of jailed former president Alberto Fujimori, since no single candidate is likely to win more than half the vote. The possibility of having to choose between the two divisive figures concerns many moderates among the 20 million Peruvians required to vote for a successor to Alan Garcia.

But the volatile race is not over yet: exprime minister Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, known as “PPK,” appears close behind, followed by Peru’s first Indian president Alejandro Toledo.

The South American nation, which includes includes Amazon rainforest, the towering Andes and a Pacific coastline, has seen record growth in the past decade, backed by exports from its mineral-rich land and ocean rich in marine life. But more than a third of Peruvians still live in poverty, and many blame politicians for failing to help them catch up.

Ollanta Humala has promised a “great transformation and great redistribution of riches.” The 48-year-old former soldier, who fought Peru’s Maoist guerrillas in the 1990s, has brushed up his image in his second bid to take power after his narrow second round defeat in 2006. He has now publicly turned away from his former leftist mentor Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez toward the more moderate model of Brazil. Polls suggest he could win almost 30 percent of the first-round vote, while his rise sent shudders through the markets.

But Humala would not have a majority in the fractured Congress even if he managed to win a June 5 runoff. Fujimori benefits from die-hard supporters of her fatherthe iron-fisted president of the 1990s now jailed for human rights abuses during a clampdown on leftist guerrillas, but also remembered for reining in hyperinflation.

Her experience includes her public role as Peru’s “first lady” aged 19 following her parents’ divorce, and she frequently referred

WASHINGTON: US prosecutors compiled lots of evidence against the five men accused of having organized the September 11 attacks on the United States, but not until this week have details been fully revealed. The indictment charging self-professed mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others was unsealed when US Attorney General Eric Holder referred the case to the Defense Department for militar y trials instead of trials at a US federal court in New York. Holder said Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abd Al-Aziz Ali and Mustapha Ahmed Al-Hawsawi could have been prosecuted in federal court and blamed Congress for imposing measures blocking civilian trials of Guantanamo Bay inmates.

They will be tried in military courts in the US naval base in southeastern Cuba. The now-public details show that the United States, nearly 10 years after hijackers flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, reconstructed step by step the logistics of the five accused men. They compiled bank transactions, flight records, visa applications, and dozens of telephone conversations to create the most comprehensive account of the chain of events before the attacks. Implementation of the plan

began in 1999, when Sheikh Mohammed (referred to as “KSM”

by US officials) proposed to Osama bin Laden to use commercial airliners as missiles against US targets.

Until the last minute, according to the indictment, Sheikh Mohammed controlled the entire operation.

“From in or about December 1999, through in or about June 2000, AlQaeda selected operatives to pilot the airplanes to be hijacked and dispatched the operatives to the United States to obtain flight training and otherwise carry out the plot,” the indictment said.

Walid bin Attash, born in Saudi Arabia in 1979, traveled in first-class between Bangkok and Hong Kong, with a knife in his pocket “and approached the cockpit to test security measures.” He then took several other international flights, each time with his penknife undetected.

Meanwhile, Ramzi Binalshibh in Hamburg became friends with future hijacker Mohamed Atta. Binalshibh, a 38year-old Yemeni, applied four times for a visa to the United States in 2000 but was denied each time.

So, at the request of KSM, Binalshibh became an intermediary between KSM and the future hijackers. At the same time, from Dubai, KSM nephew Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, of Pakistan, provided flight simulation software to the hijackers and began

transferring money to US accounts.

Between January and June 2000, US investigators pinpointed 35 telephone calls between him and the hijackers. Mustapha Ahmed AlHawsawi, a 42-year-old from Saudi Arabia, was accused of being the principal financier of the attacks.

Bank transfers were made in small amounts so as not to arouse suspicion and different names were used each time. Tens of thousands of dollars arrived in US accounts, including for Zacarias Moussaoui, who was involved in the plot but was arrested a month before the attacks. In the United Arab Emirates, Al-Hawsawi monitored the operations and discussed them with KSM. Between July 9-16, 2001, Ramzi Binalshibh met with Mohamed Atta in Spain. The two men “discussed, among other aspects of the plot, potential targets for the hijacking attacks.” On July 23, KSM filed a visa application for the United States which was refused. At the end of August, he told bin Laden of the date for the attacks. Between September 4-10, the men made their way from the UAE to Pakistan.

Walid bin Attash was with bin Laden on September 11, after which the Al-Qaeda leader ordered him to Tora Bora in Afghanistan to prepare for an offensive. The five men, all of whom were arrested in

Pakistan, could face the death penalty if convicted. One year after the attacks, Pakistani police arrested Binalshibh at a home in a chic Karachi suburb. He was alone and didn’t put up a fight. In March 2003, Al-Hawsawi and Sheikh Mohammed were picked up by Pakistani special forces in a raid in Rawalpindi.

The indictment said the two men were “at a safe house where they possessed false identification and materials related to Al-Qaeda and the planning and execution of the September 11, 2001, attacks.”

Bin Attash and al-Aziz Ali were arrested by Pakistani police in April 2003. All five men disappeared into secret prisons until September 2006, when they reappeared at Guantanamo. Sheikh Mohammed is known to have been “waterboarded” or subjected to simulated drowning 183 times during his years in US custody, a method widely recognized as torture.

After his arrest in 2003 he was handed over to American agents who held him in secret prisons before sending him to Guantanamo. Sheikh Mohammed also claims to have personally beheaded US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 with his “blessed right hand” and to have helped in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six people. — AFP

KITCHENER: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper plays ball hockey with his staff on the tarmac prior to boarding his campaign plane, Saturday, April 9, 2011.— AP

Canadian Conservatives woo Toronto’s Asian vote

LIMA: Combo of recent pictures of Peruvian presidential candidates, Ollanta Humala (left, top) for Gana Peru party, Alejandro Toledo (right top), for Alianza Peru Posible party, Keiko Fujimori (left, bottom), daughter of former (now jailed) Peruvian President (1990-2000), Alberto Fujimori, for Fuerza 2011 party, and Pedro Pablo Kuckzynski for Alianza Por El Cambio party.— AFP to her father in the campaign.

“We defeated terrorism and inflation,” Keiko, now 35, said recently. The latest opinion polls gave her between 21 percent and 23 percent of the vote. Toledo-a 65-year-old who was born into Andean poverty but earned a US doctorate in economics-seeks to capitalize on growth achieved during his 2001-2006 presidency, but has suffered from a poor campaign. Meanwhile, 72-year-old former Wall Street banker Kuczynski rose recently with support from Lima’s elite.

The ruling APRA party on Saturday threw its support behind him in a bid to help a “candidate with democratic convictions” through to the second round. In a Lima coffee shop, 19-year-old textile design student Maria Jose Desolar said she would place her first ever vote for Kuczynski. “He’s the best prepared,” she said. “I’m nervous because Humala is crazy.” — AFP

TORONTO: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his ousted Conservatives are launching a charm offensive in Canada’s biggest city, hoping to win over the Asian vote and another shot at power. “Xie xie ... Xie xie,” said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney in broken Mandarin, thanking Chinese-Canadians who stopped briefly to shake his hand and pledge support at a Chinese supermarket in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto. His audience giggled at his pronunciation, but they seemed to appreciate his efforts to address them in their mother tongue. One by one, they posed with him in front of a Chinese flag. “Because the Conservatives have strong support in my electoral district in Calgary,

I’ve been delegated to help with the campaign in Mississauga,” Kenney said explaining his presence.

The race in this district ahead of the May 2 general elections is close and competition for the support of Canada’s minorities is fierce, he added. To win a majority in parliament, the Conservatives, ousted last month in a non-confidence vote, must win 12 more seats in this election-the fourth in seven years.

The latest polls show the party, which had ruled as a minority government before being toppled in a row over the budget, might be tantalizingly close to their goal.

Harper has headed two minority governments since 2006 and needs at least 40 percent support for a

technical majority. But after topping the benchmark in the early days of the election, support for the Tories has slipped back to around 38 percent. So the Conservatives have cranked their election machiner y into gear to woo Canadians of Asian descent in the Toronto area.

One-third of the 2.5 million people living in Toronto proper are Chinese-Canadian or from another Asian country, and the Tories have been buoyed by the election last year of a conservative-leaning mayor in the city. Their strategy to win votes from the Liberals and New Democrats is simple: a lot of handshaking and targeted election promises, such as making it easier for immigrants to have their foreign

professional credentials recognized. And so far, it seems to be working. Auto parts worker Wei Wu has lived in Canada for the past 40 years but has never voted in a federal election. “This year I will,” he said as he waited at a supermarket check-out.

“I hope the Harper government gets a majority,” he added, explaining he appreciated the tax cuts the administration previously rolled out. Grace Gu, who was born in the Philippines, said: “I like their immigration policy.” Canada has sought to boost legal immigration while cracking down on those tr ying to sneak into the country after the recent arrival of two rickety cargo ships carrying illegal migrants. — AFP

New start in America turns into 8-year official mess CHICAGO: Mercy Victor had a blueprint for starting over. Shortly after her husband was killed in a motorcycle accident in India, she arrived in Chicago. It was early 2003 and she’d left her nearly 4-year-old son home for what she thought would be a short separation until she launched her nursing career.

“America is everybody’s dream,” she says with a shy smile. “I thought I will have a good life here.” She passed her nurse’s licensing test.

She quickly found work. All was going according to plan. Then Victor became entangled in a mass of immigration red tape that has

left her confused, exasperated and more than eight years later, still separated from her son, now 11, and a husband in India she’s lived with for just one month in six years.

“Sometimes I’m so depressed, you know,” says Victor, rubbing her arms as she talks about problems with arthritis she links to stress. “I think I did not do anything wrong.

I pay all my taxes. I don’t owe money to anyone. I pay all my bills and I don’t take any free services. I feel I have a right to stay here just like anyone else.” Victor’s immigration problems began soon after her arrival. She was denied a green

card - to make her a permanent resident - because the nursing agency that hired her couldn’t verify it had money to pay her. Then her new employer, a suburban hospital, tried. But immigration officials said she had already been rejected that first time, she was here illegally because her visa had expired.

Mercy Victor was given a Hobson’s choice: Leave or be kicked out.

She’s hoping a judge in immigration court will overturn the decision that says she’s not eligible to stay here. But that’s been an agonizingly slow process; her next hearing is in August. Her current

lawyer, Scott D. Pollock, argues that the 41-year-old Victor - who also worked as a nurse in India - is being punished for technicalities that aren’t her fault. Before her court fight began, Victor returned to India in late 2005, remarried and spent 28 days there with her new husband and son. They all talk regularly, but haven’t seen each other since because she can’t travel outside the US. “If you have true love, you can withstand anything,” Victor says.

“And I know there will be a day when we can be together.” When that will be is uncertain.— AP

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Anti-Western messages grow among Afghanistan’s imams Sermons help incite UN killings KABUL: Enayatullah Balegh is a professor at Kabul University and preaches on Fridays in the largest mosque in central Kabul, where he advocates jihad, or holy war, against foreigners who desecrate Islam. After a fundamentalist US pastor presided over the burning of a copy of the Quran last month, there has been a growing perception among ordinary people that many of the foreigners in Afghanistan belong in just one category: the infidels. “The international community and the American government is responsible for this gravest insult to Muslims,” Balegh told Reuters in the blue-and-white tiled Hazrat Ali mosque. “I tell my students to wage jihad against all foreigners who desecrate our religious values. We have had enough.”

KATHMANDU: In this picture, Nepalese news reader Bijaya Poudel from national television channel Kantipur Television, reads the news by the light of a lantern at a studio. —AFP

Energy crisis leaves Nepal in the dark KATHMANDU: By the light of a single candle Shankar Prasad Bhandari strains his eyes as he tries to count out the correct change for a customer in his blacked out shop on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

Rolling 14-hour power cuts, triggered by a growing energy crisis, mean that much of life in the Nepalese capital and across the Himalayan nation functions by candlelight these days. The impact can been seen-or squinted at-ever ywhere.

Television stations broadcast evening news programs from studios in semidarkness, while schoolchildren face a daily race with the sunset to complete their homework.

The economic cost has been enormous, with industries forced to reduce operations and small businessmen such as Bhandari closing their shops before what used to be the profitable evening shopping rush. “I’m losing business and that’s making it hard to support my family,” the 42-year-old told AFP. Nepal generates a measly 643 megawatts of electricity a year-most of it from antiquated hydroelectric plants.

That is barely half of the national requirement and imports from India fail miserably to make up the shortfall.

Compounding the sense of public frustration is the fact that Nepal should, according to most experts, be an energyproducing powerhouse. Feasibility studies suggest the country’s vast mountain river system has the potential to generate up to 83,000 megawatts of hydropower. But investment in infrastructure has been almost non-existent, largely due to a 10-year civil war between the government and Maoist rebels that only ended in 2006.

Chronic political instability in the wake of the Maoist victory exacerbated the problem, and it is only since the election of a new prime minister in February — after a seven-month leadership vacuum-that the issue has started to be addressed. Last month, the government

declared an energy emergency and announced a $275 million initiative to expand power generation capacity by an extra 2,500 megawatts over the next five years. The plan envisages the construction of several hydroelectric projects and offers sweeping tax incentives to investors in the energy sector.

“If we don’t immediately address the energy crisis, the country will be pushed into a horrible situation,” said Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari. Nepal suffers from a double-bind in that the winter season-when demand for power is highest-is also the dry season when rivers run lower and hydro generation is reduced by up to 30 percent. The government’s current load-shedding policyshutting off power to certain areas at designated times to conserve electricityis likely to remain in force at least until June when the monsoon rains arrive.

Water resource expert Ratna Sansar Shrestha said he was skeptical of the government’s ambitious energy creation plan. “This is in line with the same lofty pronouncements of previous governments, who have promised 10,000 megawatts in 10 years or 25,000 megawatts in 20 years,” Shrestha said.

“Load-shedding is not a new phenomenon. We knew 10 years ago that we would face this. But nobody is serious about implementing the policies.

“I think this so-called plan will be no different from the others,” he said.

All crises provide opportunities and Nepal’s energy drought is no exception, offering a windfall for companies such as Techno Trade, which distributes diesel generators in Kathmandu. Sales executive Saroj Rai said the firm had seen a 30 percent sales surge this winter season compared with last year, with buyers including individual households, small businesses like Internet cafes and larger institutions such as banks. “You must install a generator if you want to run a business,” Rai said. —AFP

Protests in Kabul against the Quran-burning have not become violent but there are many other mullahs in the overcrowded capital whose sermons are filled with criticism of the foreigners fighting and working in Afghanistan. In Kabul’s northwest, firebrand Habibullah Asaam warns his congregation that all contact with non-Muslims is dangerous.

“The Jews and crusaders can never be friends of Muslims, they are the despoilers of our society and culture,” he said during Friday sermons. “Those who want them here are cowardly Muslims. Women avoid wearing veils, men chase fashion and show off, it’s all because of the foreigners,” he said.

With few Dari or Pashto-speaking foreigners in the country, the messages broadcast from mosques by loudspeakers often pass unnoticed by the people they are condemning. But the extent and impact of anti-Western sentiment was brought into stark relief last week when a protest in normally peaceful Mazar-i-Sharif city in the north ended with the frenzied killing of seven foreign UN workers. The demonstrators had spent hours listening to incendiary preaching from outspoken clerics like Abdul Rahoof Tawana, who told worshippers “we must avenge the burning of the Quran”.

After the attack, the provincial governor urged imams to avoid talking about politics and ordered police to round up audio tapes containing “hate” speeches. In a deeply religious country where most men go to Friday prayers every week, sermons are a critical part of efforts to battle insurgents who have emerged from religious schools and mosques, and usually claim the religious high ground. While there is no formal hierarchy like Christian churches, the government does have some leverage over the imams.

It pays the salaries of many of them, President Hamid Karzai can count many powerful clerics among his senior officials and advisers-Tawana is a member of Afghanistan’s national ulema, or council of senior clerics-and the Religious Affairs Ministry gives speech notes to some imams. “Sometimes

KABUL: An Afghan protester holds a banner during a peaceful protest. Clerics at a peaceful protest of about 300 people in Kabul said a US pastor who burned the Holy Quran should be prosecuted and Americans should withdraw from Afghanistan. —AP mullahs preach beyond whatever we want but there is no resources to control all mosques in the country,” Israr ul-Haq, a deputy for the department of Mosques and Other Holy Sites, told Reuters.

He said there are about 160,000 mosques in the country and only 3,000 of them are registered with the government. Others are built by the people and their imams are fed and supported by that neighborhood, he said. “Mullahs have their own problems. If they speak against government policies, they are either harassed or detained by security forces,” ul-Haq said. “If they speak in favor of the government, then they are killed by insurgents.” Karzai does not seem to have the appetite or influence to face down powerful clerics, and it is hard to follow the contents of sermons in thousands of smaller mosques scattered in remote towns and villages across the country. In rural areas where the Taleban

7 militants killed in Pakistan PESHAWAR: Pakistani officials said troops yesterday shot dead at least seven militants who infiltrated the northwestern district of Swat to escape an offensive in the neighboring tribal belt. The gunfight took place when troops intercepted the group trying to enter the Dherai area of Swat, where Pakistan carried out a sweeping military operation in 2009 that brought to an end two years of local Taleban control.

When militants were ordered to stop and identify themselves they fired back and wounded two soldiers, a military statement said. “Resultantly own troops engaged

them and killed all of them,” it said. Six small machine guns and eight hand grenades were recovered, it added. The military said the insurgents were reportedly fleeing Mohmand, where Pakistan is waging an air and ground offensive against homegrown Taleban blamed for near-daily bomb attacks in the northwest.

Swat police chief Qazi Ghulam Farooq and local intelligence officials confirmed the clash and death toll. Taleban militants led by cleric Maulana Fazlullah took control of the scenic Swat valley in 2007. But the army retook Swat after launching a major

Tuesday, winning wide support amid rising public anger over rampant corruption scandals that have tainted Prime M inister Manmohan Singh’s government.

Hazare’s main demand was that activists be included on a committee tasked with draf ting an ombudsman bill, giving teeth to anti-corruption laws that could ensure potential prosecutions of government ministers and bureaucrats. The committee will be jointly led by a prominent human rights

NEW DELHI: Indian activist Anna Hazare, 73, displays to his supporters a government notification after breaking his hunger strike, Saturday, April 9, 2011. —AP

law yer, Shanti Bhushan, and Finance M inister Pranab Mukherjee, with people from pressure groups among its members.

The use of methods made famous

by Independence leader Gandhi, who pioneered fasting as a form of protest, Hazare’s frail resemblance to the father of the nation, and blanket media coverage helped the 73-year-old spread his message.

“I have been fighting corruption for 25 years, but my strength is weak,” the Hazare said, crediting technology and social media for boosting his ultimately successful campaign. “What happened this time is that corruption has increased so much in the country that not a day goes by without hearing about crores (millions) of rupees being lost in corruption,” he said. One such online petition linked to the hunger strike drew more than 500,000 signatures in 24 hours.

Thousands gathered in Delhi to watch Hazare break his fast, while protest march es were h eld in Ban galore, M umbai an d oth er cities. After prolonged negotiations, the Singh-led Congress government, fearing more controversy ahead of several state election s, c aved in to Haz are’s demands and promised to introduce the ombudsman bill in the n ex t par liamen tar y session .

Support for Hazare’s anti-corruption campaign was fuelled by a spate of scandals. Last October’s Commonwealth Games in India was viewed as riddled with graft, while the allegedly fraudulent sale of telecom licenses in 2008 caused losses estimated at billions of dollars to the treasury. —AFP

offensive against the Taleban in 2009 which displaced an estimated two million people.

More than 4,200 people have been killed across Pakistan in attacks blamed on Taleban and other Islamist extremist networks, which are based in the tribal belt, since government troops stormed a radical mosque in Islamabad in 2007. A White House report last week criticized Pakistan for having no clear path to triumph over insurgents and noted a deterioration in Pakistan’s tribal belt on the Afghan border, where Taleban and Al-Qaeda have carved out strongholds. —AFP

Bomb kills 3 in Kabul

Indian hunger striker doubted triumph NEW DELHI: An Indian septuagenarian whose 98-hour hunger strike against corruption ended with big concessions from government said yesterday he had no idea his campaign would win national support. “I did not know that this protest would spread throughout the countr y,” said Anna Hazare, a Mahatma Gandhi devotee, a day after his demands for changes to a new anti-graft bill were accepted. Hazare began the hunger strike in New Delhi on

are most active, Friday sermons are often in favor of the insurgency.

Khan Mohammad, an influential elder in southern Helmand province, said insurgents order imams to condemn NATO troops as “foreign invaders” and the government as a puppet regime. Among both those who were far away, and those who joined the Mazar riots but not the killing, there were many who did not condemn the violence. And although insurgents played a key role, it was ordinary protesters who overwhelmed security in the United Nations’ Mazar compound and helped hunt down the victims. Billions of dollars and nearly 10 years into the war, where diplomats point to schools, clinics and an army rebuilt with Western help, the fury that can drive or condone that kind of killing is something many Westerners do not want to look into. —Reuters

SRINAGAR: An Indian paramilitary soldier prepares to use a slingshot at Kashmiri protesters during clashes at a closed market yesterday. A two-day strike called by separatists to protest the assassination of a leading Muslim cleric and moderate separatist shut down much of revolt-hit Indian Kashmir. —AFP

KABUL: A roadside bomb killed three tribal elders in western Afghanistan yesterday, possibly in retaliation for their cooperation with the government. The men were driving to a meeting with villagers and other tribal elders about what sort of projects the Afghan government and international donors should fund when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb, killing all of them, officials said.

One of the dead, Sayid Ahmad, was the head of the group of tribal elders who organized the meeting, said Abdul Basir Kherkywi, the head of Farah’s provincial council. The meeting was common knowledge in the area and officials said the men were probably directly targeted. “The enemy probably knew they’d be driving on this road,” said Yonus Rasouli, the deputy governor.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taleban and other insurgent groups regularly target Afghans working with the government or international forces. —AFP

Big, fat Afghan weddings face govt restrictions KABUL: As a civil servant, Afghan Ahmad Mahfooz earns nearly 10 times the average annual salary in his impoverished homeland, but he still cannot afford to marry his fiancee. Already thousands of dollars in debt after hosting a lavish engagement party for 500 guests in December, Mahfooz says he doesn’t know how he will ever afford the kind of wedding his wife-to-be and her family expect. “I owe money to almost everyone I know, and I have no idea how I will ever earn enough to get married,” said the 27-year-old, one of a growing number of middle-class Afghans struggling with the escalating cost of weddings.

Since the fall of the Taleban nearly a decade ago, marriage ceremonies in Afghan cities have gone from being simple family affairs to lavish parties for up to 1,000 family and friends in specially-built wedding halls. The ability to put on such an ostentatious display of wealth has become a test of honor for the groom, who traditionally foots the entire bill himself and sometimes also has to pay a dowry to his bride’s family.

Concerned the high cost is forcing

young people to delay marriage, the Afghan government is considering banning extravagant weddings that experts say are often the result of competition between newly-rich clans. A new bill being put together by the justice ministry would restrict the number of guests at a wedding party to 300 and limit spending per guest to 250 afghanis (around $5). “Wedding parties have become like a competition to display wealth and influence,” said Abdul Majid Ghanizada, who heads the ministry’s civil law department.

“Most young people cannot get married because they cannot afford the cost, and that has to stop.” Sociologist Barayalai Fetrat said the extravagant ceremonies were a new and predominantly urban phenomenon in Afghanistan, which has seen a massive influx of foreign money in recent years in the form of aid and military spending.

“The billions of dollars that have flooded into Afghanistan have made some people very rich and those people have come up with new ways to display their wealth,” said Fetrat, a lecturer at Kabul University.

“Expensive weddings have no root in our culture,” he added, bemoaning the high social costs of the new trend in a country where the average annual income is just $540. But not everyone is happy about the proposed new law. Marriage is big business in Afghanistan’s urban centers, with more than 70 wedding halls in the capital Kabul alone, and their owners say the industry will collapse if the restrictions are implemented.

“Wedding halls are so convenient, people no longer have to invite hundreds of guests into their homes,” said Mohammed Salam Baraki, owner of the Uranus Wedding Hall. “If the new law is passed and enforced, the wedding hall business will be over.” For Kabul shop owner Bashir, who like many Afghans goes by one name, the planned legislation is too late. “I am still trying to free myself of my wedding debt,” complained the 29-year-old, who borrowed around $15,000 when he got married three years ago and has so far repaid only around half the debt. “But if I had not done what I did, my relatives would have thought less of me.” —AFP

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

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

Thailand ‘Red Shirts’ mark anniversary of bloody clash Protests to continue till govt claims responsibility

TOKYO: Protesters hold placards against nuclear power plant as they take to a street in a rally against nuclear power and its development yesterday. — AP

Japan set to stop pumping radioactive water into sea TOKYO: Japan hopes to stop pumping radioactive water into the sea yesterday, which should help ease concerns in neighboring China and South Korea over the spread of radiation from the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. But problems in restoring cooling systems at Japan’s crippled nuclear plant, hit by a tsunami on March 11, mean more contaminated water may eventually be pumped into the sea if the complex again runs out of storage capacity. Japan is struggling to regain control of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated its northeast on March 11, and is facing a major humanitarian and economic crisis.

“We cannot say what the outlook is for the next stage,” Hidehiko Nishiyama, a deputy director-general of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said yesterday. “As soon as possible we would like to achieve stable cooling and set a course towards controlling radiation.”

China and South Korea have criticized Japan’s handling of the nuclear crisis, with Seoul calling it incompetent, reflecting growing international unease over the month-long atomic disaster and the spread of radiation.

Japanese voting in local elections yesterday unday are expected to vent their anger over Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s handling of the nuclear crisis, further weakening him and bolstering opponents who will try force his resignation once the crisis ends. Results of the vote are expected today. The unpopular Kan was already under pressure to step down before the worst disaster to hit Japan since World War Two, but analysts say he is unlikely to be dumped during the nuclear crisis, which is set to drag on for months.

In Tokyo, around 5,000 people took to the streets in two separate anti-nuclear protests yesterday. Some carried placards reading ‘No More Fukushima’ and ‘No Nukes’; others danced and played musical instruments. One group of demonstrators marched to the offices of the operator of the stricken plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) . TEPCO apologized on Saturday for the crisis.

“I would like to apologize from my heart over the worries and troubles we are causing for society due to the release of radiological materials into the atmosphere and seawater,” Sakae Muto, a TEPCO vice president, told a news confer-

ence. Radiation from Japan spread around the entire northern hemisphere in the first two weeks of the nuclear crisis, according to the Vienna-based Preparator y Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.

Japan’s economy, the world’s third largest, is reeling from the triple disaster and several countries have banned or restricted food imports after detecting radiation. More critically, the nuclear crisis and power shortages have disrupted Japan’s manufacturing and electronics global supply chains, hitting computer and automakers in particular. Power blackouts and restrictions, factory shutdowns, and a sharp drop in tourists have hit the world’s most indebted nation, which is facing a damages bill as high as $300 billion-the world’s biggest for any natural disaster.

The government had called for restraint from Japanese to help the recovery effort, but families and friends were out in force at cherry blossom viewing parties, traditional events that herald spring, although some were toning down the usual alcohol-induced revelry in deference to the disaster victims. “It’s quieter than usual. There are lots of people but they’re a bit subdued,” said one middle-aged woman, strolling beneath the delicate pink blossoms. “The blossoms are in full bloom for us and we should appreciate them,” she said.

An unmanned drone helicopter is scheduled to fly over four reactors to video damage and gauge radiation in areas where workers are unable to safely enter. Remote-controlled trucks will be used to remove some of the radioactive rubble. Efforts to regain control of six reactors hit by the 15-metre high tsunami, which caused partial meltdowns to some reactor cores after fuel rods were overheated, has been hindered by 60,000 tons of radioactive water.

Japan’s Nuclear Industry and Safety Authority said efforts to restore cooling systems were not making clear progress.

TEPCO wants to start moving some of the highly contaminated water out of the way, a key step towards restoring the critical cooling system. “We may be able to use (electric) systems that are currently functioning for cooling, and that may speed up the cooling restoration. But there is no concrete and clear option,” said NISA’s Nishiyama. “It is one step forward, one step backwards.” — Reuters

BANGKOK: Thousands of red-shirted, antigovernment protesters gathered yesterday in Bangkok’s old quarter to mark the one-year anniversary of violent clashes with the military in which 26 people were killed and more than 800 wounded. “We are mourning the loss of innocent lives a year ago. We are remembering the violence against Thai people last year. We are asking for justice,” said protest leader Nattawut Saikua. No one has been declared responsible for the violence that began on April 10 last year when soldiers fought with thousands of protesters near the Phan Fah bridge and Rajdumnoen Road in Bangkok, near government buildings and the regional UN headquarters.

The red-shirted supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a graft-convicted populist billionaire ousted in a 2006 coup, said they would continue to hold protests until the government takes responsibility for the violence. Five soldiers and 21 civilians were killed, including Reuters television cameraman Hiro Muramoto, a 43-year-old Japanese national, on April 10 last year. Witnesses reported seeing flashes of gunfire from troops but the government blamed civilian deaths on shadowy, unidentified black-clad gunmen who were filmed in the area.

“Today we pay tribute to Hiro’s life but remain discouraged that the circumstances of his death are still unknown a year later. Hiro’s family and Reuters colleagues deserve to know how this tragedy occurred and who was behind it,” said Stephen Adler, Reuters editorin-chief. Police concluded on March 24 they had no evidence to indicate troops killed Muramoto, a reversal of preliminary findings by Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) that a soldier may have fired the fatal bullet. Authorities expect about 75,000 red shirts to gather until well past midnight, a turnout that would be the largest since unrest over April and May last year killed a total of 91 people, wounded more than 1,800 and sparked widespread arson in Bangkok. About 20,000 had assembled by early evening. “I was here last year. I never thought I would see this kind of cruelty in Thailand. I came back today because no one has been put in jail for it,” said one protester, 38-year-old electrician Samart Ngamwongyai.

Streets were festooned with banners bearing red-shirt slogans such as “fight for democracy” or “truth today”. One read: “You can’t kill us all.” Another said: “If Democracy wins in Tunisia and Egypt, we can win here.” “We are

here to pay tribute to our heros in heaven. Rest in peace. You helped us move one step closer to democracy. We will carry on your fight.

Please clap until heaven can hear us,” Payap Panket, a red shirt leader, said on stage to loud cheers.

One person wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the red-dot of the Japanese flag, his face painted white with the name “Hiroyuki” written across his forehead in black. He held a placard

BANGKOK: “Red Shirt” anti-government protesters wearing masks rally to mark the first anniversary of clashes between government troops and protesters yesterday. — AFP

reading “Who killed Hiroyuki?”, one of several references and tributes to the slain Reuters cameraman. About 2,100 police were deployed to the area. “They can gather as long as they want as long as it’s withinthe law and it doesn’t infringe on others’ rights,” Deputy Commander of Bangkok Metropolitan Police, Major General Amnuay Nimmano, told Reuters.

The mostly rural and urban poor United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, or the red shirts, took to the streets on March 12 last year demanding elections in festive rallies that descended into violence on April 10. On that night, soldiers failed repeatedly in attempts to dislodge the protesters from the area, at first firing tear gas and rubber bullets

Muramoto. The red shirts accuse Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of lacking a popular mandate and coming to power illegitimately, heading a coalition the military cobbled together after courts dissolved a pro-Thaksin party that led the previous government.

Abhisit, backed by the royalist establishment, says he was voted into office by the same parliament that picked his Thaksin-allied predecessors. His party plans to hold an election around the middle of this year. The election is expected to be close between Abhisit’s ruling Democrats and the red shirts’ parliamentary allies, the Puea Thai Party, and the outcome could be rejected by supporters of either party, fuelling more instability. — Reuters

Ishihara re-elected Tokyo governor in post-quake poll TOKYO: Shintaro Ishihara, famous for his often provocative nationalistic remarks, won a fourth term as Tokyo governor yesterday in local elections dominated by last month’s massive disaster in Japan.

Exit polls and media projections showed the novelist-turnedpolitician beat 10 other candidates in Tokyo’s election, as workers at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant continued their battle to cool overheating reactors. Ishihara, who has a penchant for controversy, easily overcame challenges from comedian-turned-provincial governor Hideo Higashikokubaru and 51year-old restaurant chain founder Miki Watanabe, public broadcaster NHK said.

In an election dominated by the disaster that struck Japan on March 11, when a quake and tsunami ravaged the northeast and sparked a

nuclear emergency, campaigning was muted and analysts said Ishihara’s win never looked in doubt. “If Tokyo comes to a halt, Japan comes to a halt,” the 78-yearold had told a crowd in the Ginza shopping district on the eve of the vote. “We can’t leave it to people who don’t seem to know much. I have stood up despite my advanced age,” he said.

“It’s about time to give up luxuries. Let’s save a little and give it to the countr y ’s reconstruction.

Otherwise, we will become a subject nation of China,” added Ishihara. He came under fire last month for describing the March 11 double catastrophe as “divine punishment”, claiming the tsunami had washed away the “greedy mind” of Japanese people. He later retracted the comment and publicly apologized.

Chinese police break up church service BEIJING: Beijing police yesterday detained dozens of worshippers from an unapproved Christian church who were trying to hold services in a public space after they were evicted from their usual place of worship, a parishioner said. Leaders of the unregistered Shouwang church had told members to gather at an open-air venue in Beijing for Sunday morning services, but police, apparently alerted to their plans, taped off the area and took away people who showed up to take part.

China’s Communist government allows worship only in state-approved churches, but many Christians belong to unregistered congregations. Such “house churches” are subjected to varying degrees of harassment by authorities. More than 60 million Christians are believed to worship in China’s independent churches, compared with about 20 million who worship in the state church, according to scholars and church activists.

A church member who went to the gathering spot for services and managed to evade police told The Associated Press that about 200 people were taken away and were being held at a local school. Their cellphones were confiscated, said the man, who would give only his English name, Kane, for fear of police reprisals. An AP videographer saw about a dozen people escorted by police onto an empty city bus and driven away. Shouwang pastor Yuan Ling said by telephone that he was unable to go to the venue because police had put him under house arrest Saturday night. Yuan said he knew of at least six other church members who were also under house arrest. Yuan said fellow parishioners also told him that many worshippers were being held at a school in Beijing’s Haidian district, though he wasn’t sure of the exact number.

Shouwang had been holding services at a

before coming under attack with grenades and responding with live ammunition. The government said soldiers used live fire only in selfdefense and denied soldiers were responsible for any deaths or injuries.

Relatives of some of the dead and wounded have filed civil lawsuits against three state agencies. The government has also faced intense diplomatic pressure from Japan to identify who fired the bullet that killed

Beijing restaurant until last week, when they were evicted. Chinese authorities have been on high alert for large public gatherings in the wake of anonymous online calls for anti-government protests modeled on demonstrations in the Middle East and North Africa. No major protests have occurred in China following the calls, but the security crackdown they sparked has resulted in the arrest or detention of dozens of public interest lawyers, writers, intellectuals and activists.

Ai Weiwei, an internationally known avantgarde artist who is also an outspoken government critic, became the highest-profile person targeted in the sweep when he was apparently detained at a Beijing airport a week ago. The Foreign Ministry says he is being investigated for alleged economic crimes, though Beijing police have yet to confirm he is in custody.

Ai was last seen being led away by police at the airport after being barred from boarding a flight to Hong Kong. About 50 pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong yesterday demanded Ai’s release, peacefully chanting “No to political persecution” outside the central Chinese government’s liaison office.

Opposition legislator Lee Cheuk-yan tossed a picture of Ai into the grounds of the compound.

Former British colony Hong Kong enjoys Western-style civil liberties as part of its special semiautonomous status under Chinese rule. On Friday, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called for Ai’s release and criticized China for what she said was a deteriorating human rights situation in the first part of 2011. Clinton made the remarks while announcing the release of the US State Department’s annual assessment of human rights around the world. It said China stepped

Tokyo was one of 12 prefectures where the post of governor was contested yesterday. Elections were also held for mayors in four major cities, members of 41 prefectural legislatures and 15 legislatures in major municipalities. Before the natural disasters ravaged Japan’s Pacific coast and battered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Tokyo, the elections were seen as an important gauge of public support for unpopular Prime Minister Naoto Kan. Kan, whose approval rating slipped below 20 percent before the disaster, faced a resurgent Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the main opposition, and revolt within his own Democratic Party of Japan.

His centre-left party, which ended half a century of almost unbroken conservative rule by the LDP with

an electoral landslide in 2009, did not field its own gubernatorial candidates in Tokyo and three other prefectures because of the likelihood of defeat.

The usual confrontational campaigning of a Japanese election has been markedly absent, with politicians and media focused on efforts to cool the reactors at Fukushima and on recover y efforts in the northeast. Watanabe, a rival candidate, had accused Ishihara of promoting nuclear power generation.

But, in a television debate, Ishihara denied he thought Japan should be totally dependent on nuclear power. Ishihara served in the national parliament as an LDP member before taking the helm of the capital city of 13 million people in 1999 as an independent. He was backed at yesterday’s polls by the LDP and another centre-right party. — AFP

Indonesia lawmaker ‘caught watching porn in parliament’ JAKARTA: An Indonesian lawmaker faces an ethics investigation after he was photographed apparently watching porn on his tablet computer in parliament, an official said yesterday.

Arifinto, who represents the conservative Islamic Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), was caught on camera on Friday looking at a pornographic image on the tablet, which he held slightly under his table, during a plenary session. The photograph, first posted on a local news website, was picked up by other media and sparked a public outcry on the Twitter microblogging site over the weekend. “Shameful. Just flog and stone (him). Improper!” user

@benimonzieur tweeted. The case is under investigation, House Ethics Council deputy chairman Nudirman Munir said yesterday.

“We’re carrying out intensive verification to see he had indeed violated the code of ethics,” he told AFP. “If proven true, this is a serious violation as he would have ruined the image and dignity of parliament. It’s best that he resign, or face dismissal,” Munir added.

Arifinto however claimed he had unintentionally opened an email link that led to “pornographic images”, the Jakarta Globe newspaper reported. “I stopped watching it and then erased it from my inbox,” he said. — AFP

Cambodia probes mass fainting of workers at Puma suppliers HONG KONG: A pro-democracy protester holds a picture of detained Chinese artist Ai Weiwei outside the China Liaison Office yesterday. — AP

up restrictions on critics and tightened control of civil society in 2010 by limiting freedom of speech and Internet access. China blasted back at Washington on Saturday with a statement on the Foreign Ministry’s website saying the US should reflect more on its own domestic rights abuses. “The US should stop interfering in other country’s internal affairs with this human rights report,” ministry spokesman Hong Lei was quoted as saying.— AP

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian authorities began an investigation yesterday into the mass fainting of about 800 workers at two factories that produce footwear for German sporting goods group Puma .

Workers suddenly fell sick on Saturday night and again yesterday morning at Universal Apparel (Cambodia) Co Ltd and Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd, which labor officials and workers identified as suppliers to Puma. “I was just feeling exhausted and dizzy,” Keopich Panha, a hospitalized 19-year-old shoe stitcher at Huey Chuen.

Phnom Penh Police Chief Touch

Naruth told Reuters his officers and the Labor Ministry were investigating the factories, where workers such as Keopich Panha typically earn about $61 a month.

“It could have been the workers were too tired. We will also look at work environment issues and whether there was enough air or oxygen,” he added. “We don’t know the conclusion yet.” Worker Soeum Ny, 24, said the smell from materials used in the manufacturing of sport shoes may have made workers sick.

“We are used to it now. This affects our health but there is nothing we can do,” she said. — Reuters

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Issues

Obama, Boehner rapport brightens

By Jeff Mason he spending cut pact that stopped a US government shutdown may not make Barack Oboama and John Boehner friends, but their relationship improved in ways that could help them mold compromises in battles to come. The US president, a Democrat, and the speaker of the House of Representatives, a Republican, have never had a close bond - and supporters from their respective parties probably prefer it that way.

Despite their differences, however, both men showed a common desire to avoid having the government close down, and their ability to forge a deal may bode well for future agreements on the 2012 budget, the debt ceiling and deficit.

After Republicans won control of the House in November congressional elections, Obama pledged to work harder to reach out to the opposition party. Critics say he got off to a slow start building bridges in the fiscal 2011 budget debate but, late or not, came on strong on Tuesday, calling Boehner and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to the first of several White House meetings. At one of those sit-downs on Wednesday night, after the president had returned from a campaign-style event in New York, they pored over printouts of the so-called “policy riders” that would have denied funding to programs such as Obama’s healthcare reform law and greenhouse gas regulation.

“The speaker chided us about maybe we wanted to find a faster copy machine,” said one official present for the meeting in the Oval Office, describing a long wait while a White House official made copies of the documents. “The president said we were doing it on mimeograph.” That levity was missing during a morning call two days later when the president told Boehner an agreement reached between them on the scope and make-up of spending cuts was not being reflected in lower level talks among staff. “The president called Speaker Boehner ... and said, ‘you know, I’m the president of the United States, you’re the speaker of the House. We are the two most consequential leaders in the United States government,’” one administration official told reporters. “We love our staffs, but this is about us,’” the official quoted Obama as saying. “We had a discussion and we need today, if we have any hope of keeping the government open, for from this point forward what we talked about last night ... to be reflected in the negotiations.”

Roughly 12 hours later, around 10:30 pm on Friday the two sides reached a deal, agreeing to cut $38 billion in spending during the last six months of this fiscal year. That result came at least in part because of the talks and strengthening - if not strong - relationship between Boehner and Obama. “They have a lot of respect for each other. I think they appreciate that the good of (the) nation requires a productive working relationship,” said a person close to Boehner. “They both believe the other operates in good faith. I think they are friendly, but not quite good friends at this point.

Maybe someday.”

Obama called Boehner late Friday night to thank him for his work - a gesture the White House hoped would show Obama’s desire to foster a friendly co-existence in Washington. “Hopefully it is a foundation that can be built on,” an administration official told reporters at the White House after the budget deal. “It should give us some faith that we can have more episodes of compromise and good work for the American people in the weeks and months ahead.”

Analysts said the talks showed the start of stronger relations. “I doubt Obama and Boehner will be vacationing together any time soon, but at least they’ve forged a working relationship that has been tested by a brinkmanship crisis,” said Larry Sabato, political science professor at the University of Virginia. “Given the much greater budget challenges ahead, they’ll have to continue to build on this beginning. Neither one can accomplish much without the other. The voters decided that, and the president and speaker have clearly realized that.” — Reuters

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Stagnation fears haunt Russian space program

By Alissa de Carbonnel ifty years after Yuri Gagarin blasted into orbit, descendants of the Soviet craft that carried him still generate pride and profit for Russia, but critics say the nation’s space program has slid into stagnation. As it celebrates the pioneering flight on April 12, 1961 that made Gagarin the first man in space, Russia nears another milestone: with the retirement of the US shuttle program this year, it will be the only nation fit to provide rides to the International Space Station. It is a distinction for a country with a history of space firsts, beginning with the 1957 launch of the satellite Sputnik.

US space agency NASA pays a newly raised price of nearly $63 million each time it sends an astronaut to the orbital station aboard a Russian Soyuz craft from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan - the launch pad for Gagarin’s flight. But half a century after Gagarin’s 108-minute voyage put the Soviet Union ahead in the Cold War space race, critics charge that reliance on Soviet designs as cash cows has stunted innovation, and that Russia has irretrievably lost its edge. “While we bask in the glory of having the only operating spacecraft, we are only making money off old rockets,” said Vladimir Gubarev, the Soviet spokesman for the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz program, which achieved the first docking of US and Russian spacecraft.

That Soyuz craft was modelled on the generation of ships that catapulted the first Soviet spacemen into orbit, such as Gagarin’s Vostok-1. “You know why we beat America?

For a really simple reason: We had the genius idea of making a sphere. Vostok was a ball and we found a man small enough to fit in it,” said Gubarev, who covered some 50 of the earliest launches as a space journalist.

Encumbered by a space suit, Gagarin, who was 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) tall, had to hunker down in a capsule just 2 m in diameter for his single orbit of Earth.

The single-use Soyuz owes its reputation for dependability to the long-secret mastermind of the Soviet space program, Sergei Korolyov, experts said. “The Soyuz runs like clockwork,” Sergei Shamsutdinov, space expert at Novosti Kosmonavtiki magazine.

“Our Soviet engineers, from the get-go, built the craft very well, and today still it is outfitted with 70s-era equipment, which runs beautifully.”

In the 1960s, Gagarin’s flight seemed to leap off the pages of fantasy novels, inspiring dreams of Martian colonies and imminent deep-space travel. But much of that initial rapture has now faded, leaving nostalgia among many in Russia for the days when the struggle between the two nuclear-armed superpowers fuelled and financed the pursuit of new horizons in science. US astronauts and Russian cosmonauts “were never enemies in space, but when we began cooperating on the ground they cut the funding,” said veteran cosmonaut Georgy Grechko, 79.

“Even the Americans would call us and say ‘launch something new, so they’ll give us money’.”

With competition eclipsed by cooperation, Russia’s space agency has survived over the past two decades by hiring out the third seat aboard the Soyuz to foreigners.

“Cooperation is good, but as the example of the international space station shows, it also leads to stagnation,” Russian space policy analyst Yuri Karash said, according to staterun news agency RIA. Gubarev said Russia had fallen so far behind it could achieve little better than a supporting role today in the most cutting-edge projects. “In the meantime, America will take its time out and build an entirely new spacecraft, so that five or six years down the line our Soyuz will be entirely redundant,” he said. “No serious money is spent on breakthrough projects.”

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Experts say China could soon challenge both Russia and the United States in space.

“The most important role will be played by

our Russian Soyuz craft now. But we cannot discount the Chinese, who are following their own path and doing all this independently,”

In this July 15, 1961 picture, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin stands in an open car outside the Russian embassy in London and waves to the crowd as he departs for home. — AP

Shamsutdinov told Reuters. NASA officials have voiced worries that the current budget financing will not be enough to fund a new rocket and capsule system for deep space travel. NASA’s proposed budget for fiscal 2011 is $18.7 billion, some five times higher than Russia’s.

Russian industry insiders say President Barack Obama’s decision to halt work on NASA’s next-generation Orion capsule threatens to take the wind out of a parallel Russian effort to design a replacement for the Soyuz that can fly beyond the International Space Station’s low 354-km orbit. “A little residual competition is a good thing,” Sergei Krikalev, 52, who heads Russia’s cosmonaut training centre after chalking up a record 803 days in space, told Reuters.

Addressing concerns about Russia’s role, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the country could take pride in handling over 40 percent of global space launches but must not be confined to the role of a “ferryman”. “Now Russia is returning to researching the planets of the solar system,” he said. Russia’s space agency will receive $753 million to ferry 12 US astronauts to the space station from 2014-2016, NASA announced last month. Russia raked in some $2.5 billion from NASA and partner agencies for 42 seats on Soyuz craft from 2007. Russia has increased space spending by some 40 percent per year during the last five years, according to Euroconsult, a consulting body that tracks the industry. It has earmarked 200 billion roubles ($7 billion) for space programs from 2010-2011. Some of the money will fund a new launch facility in Vostochny in far eastern Russia, where the first launches are anticipated in 2015 and the first manned launch in 2018. “Gagarin’s flight set the bar.

We were always the leaders in space exploration and we must uphold this status,” the current commander of the International Space Station, Dmitry Kondratyev, said in a pre-launch interview. — Reuters

Tokyo needs quake plan rethink

By Linda Sieg ore than 10,000 people dead, hundreds of thousands injured, nearly one million buildings destroyed, millions forced to evacuate and a fifth of Japan’s economy wiped out. That’s the scenario forecast if a huge magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits Japan’s capital of Tokyo, a disaster experts say has a 70 percent risk of occurring over the next 30 years. Tokyo planners have been working for decades to mitigate the damage from a quake of that scale and the country has some of the world’s strictest quake-resistance building standards.

But a month after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake - the biggest in Japan’s recorded history - and huge tsunami devastated northeast Japan, some say it’s time to prepare for far worse.

Tokyo had a tiny taste of what would happen when the March 11 quake, its epicentre about 300 km northeast, halted trains, stranded commuters, snarled phone communication, caused power shortages and within hours saw stores stripped of daily necessities such as bread and milk. “Many people said what happened was beyond expectations, but I believe it’s the responsibility of government to prepare for the unexpected,” said Hideo Higashikokubaru, who is running as an independent in Sunday’s election for Tokyo governor.

Experts agree Tokyo needs to rethink its plans, including what to do if disaster strikes nuclear power plants located even closer to the capital than the crippled Fukushima plant 240 km away, where engineers are trying to contain the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 25 years. “If a bigger earthquake strikes Tokyo, we might face a catastrophe,” said Takaaki Kato, a professor at the University of Tokyo’s International Center for Urban Safety Engineering and a member of a government advisory panel on disaster plans. “Preparation still isn’t enough for a magnitude 7.3 quake. Although there would be damage and people would suffer, it would be possible to recover,” he said. “But we need to revise policies so even if there is a quake of about magnitude 8.0, we can limit the damage and confusion.”

The last major earthquake to strike Tokyo was the 1923 magnitude 7.9 tremor that killed more than 140,000 people and dev-

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astated much of the capital and nearby Yokohama. A magnitude 7.3 earthquake would be bad enough, since Tokyo and nearby urban areas are now home to 35 million of Japan’s 128 million people and about one-third of its economy. A government report has forecast that a quake of that scale directly under Tokyo would kill up to 11,000 people, injure about 210,000, force 7 million to evacuate and cost the $5 trillion economy around $1 trillion in damages - three times the estimate for damage from the March 11 disaster.

Reconstruction costs would be a huge burden on a nation already staggering under public debt equal to about twice GDP. “Japan has enough savings surplus to fund reconstruction of (the quake-hit northeast) ... but if you had to multiply the costs for Tokyo, Japan would become dependent on foreign funds,” said Jesper Koll, director of equities research at JP Morgan in Tokyo. One question is how Tokyo would cope with a nuclear crisis closer to the capital, such as at Chubu Electric Power’s Hamaoka plant 200 km to the southwest. “There is no plan for a case in which the entire area becomes contaminated with radiation,” Kato said. “People would want to flee, but they couldn’t all at once. If that happens, we may have to evacuate children as was done during the war.”

The spectre of disaster in the capital has prompted an advisor to Prime Minister Naoto Kan to propose creating a shadow government in another part of Japan. “We need to think about either dispersing government functions or creating a backup system in western Japan,” Hosei University professor Takayoshi Igarashi told Reuters. Others say that is impractical given the huge cost. And while Tokyo-based companies are reviewing business continuity plans (BCP) in light of the recent disaster, a major dispersal of economic activity would be difficult. “You have to understand the dynamics of what makes cities like Tokyo grow and why companies take the risk. It’s because ... the decision-making process is there,” said Fouad Bendimerad, head of the Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative, a scientific group that promotes better disaster preparedness. “At the end of the day, taking risk will just be part of doing business,” he said. “There is no place in Japan that is safe from earthquakes.” — Reuters

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‘Sinbad town’ puts genie back in bottle SOHAR, Oman: Turbaned troops in armoured cars have put the genie of Arab revolts back in the bottle in Sohar, a reputed hometown of “Sinbad the Sailor” and focus of violent protests in normally sleepy Oman. As gas flares shoot up outside the industrial city on the Arabian Sea, a no-nonsense security deployment aims to ensure no repetition of the lawlessness of February 28 when a supermarket and government offices were torched.

Armoured cars, hundreds of soldiers in full combat gear, dozens of anti-riot police, a sinister-looking black water cannon and a helicopter on Friday ensured the weekly prayers in mosques passed off without incident.

“Omanis are not greedy. We don’t want too much, but we do want change and we want to be able to make a living and raise our families,” said a 28-year-old onlooker in Oman’s traditional “kumma” white flat cap and dishdasha robe. “We should also be a well-off country, like our neighbours. We have oil, we have gas, we have gold,” said the young man, who himself works for Oman’s police force.

Inspired by uprising across the Arab world, demonstrators at the southeast corner of the Middle East where 40 percent of the population are under 15 have been agitating for jobs, economic benefits and an end to corruption in Oman. Sultan Qaboos, ruler for the past four decades, has grown “out of touch with his people,” said the policeman, stressing that Omanis like others caught up in the “Arab spring” of revolt were no longer afraid to speak their mind. “Those soldiers over there, they only earn a monthly salary of 300 riyals ($780), like me. How can a family live on that?” he said. “If I was working in Qatar or Dubai, I would be making at least double that amount.”

A group of expats from the Indian subcontinent watched from a safe distance as the show of force outside mosques ensured that Friday - on the surface passed off as a “day of love and tolerance” as called for by the authorities. “The sultan has given them so much but all they want to do is sit at home and do nothing,” complained a Bangladeshi who works at a gold mine in the dark, jagged mountains outside town.

In Muscat, 200 km to the south of Sohar, pro-reform demonstrators are keeping up a sit-in demonstration despite offers on the table from Sultan Qaboos. In the face of protests, in which two people have been shot dead, he has announced the creation of 50,000 new jobs, a monthly allowance for registered job-seekers and a higher minimum wage for Omani private-sector

workers.

And the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council is to set up a $10-billion development fund for its two least wealthy members, Oman and Bahrain. The sultan, on the political front, has granted legislative powers to the Oman Council, or parliament, and sacked ministers accused by demonstrators of corruption in a major cabinet reshuffle. On the security front, dozens of alleged ringleaders of the unrest have been detained and the authorities have announced the seizure of arms and petrol-bombs allegedly for use at protests. —AFP

UAE detains 2 more activists DUBAI: Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have detained two more activists advocating democratic reforms in the oil-rich Gulf nation where most political activity is banned, a lawyer said yesterday. The pair includes one of the country’s most outspoken academics, Nasser bin Ghaith, who is a financial analyst and an economics professor at the Abu Dhabi branch of Paris’ Sorbonne university. He was detained Sunday in Dubai, said Mohammed Al-Mansouri, the lawyer and a fellow activist. He has frequently criticized the Gulf region’s ruling sheiks for refusing to consider all but the most limited of political reforms and for failing to provide a legal framework for the staggering economic development of the past decade.

The other activist, Fahad Salem Al-Shehhy, was detained late Saturday in Ajman, another of the federation’s emirates north of Dubai, Al-Mansouri said. Al-Shehhy has been participating in an online forum calling for free elections and other democratic reforms in the UAE, an alliance of seven sheikdoms run by ruling families. The forum had been led by Ahmed Mansour, a blogger and human rights activist, who himself was arrested on Friday in Dubai after he signed a petition in favor of an elected parliament. Police and government officials have not responded to calls for comment, and representatives of Sorbonne Abu Dhabi could not immediately be reached. —AP

Assad loyalists fire at Sunnis in Syrian Continued from Page 1

LAHORE: A Pakistani cyclist rides on a street covered with rose petals spread by wholesale dealers to dry them to supply to the market yesterday. — AP

Mubarak summoned over deaths, graft Continued from Page 1 clashes with police and the former president’s supporters during weeks of protests that led to Mubarak’s resignation on February 11. Yesterday’s announcement came hours after pan-Arab television network AlArabiya aired Mubarak’s first comments since he stepped down following weeks of anti-regime protests.

In the audio message, the 82-year-old complained he was the victim of a smear campaign. He pledged his assistance in a probe of his family’s foreign assets, but his defiance in threatening lawsuits against the media angered Egyptians who have been pressing for his trial.

MENA reported that the interior ministry has been asked to undertake the necessary security measures so Mubarak and his sons can be summoned. After he resigned, Mubarak and his family moved to a residence in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and although he faced a travel ban, his relative freedom remained a thorn in the side of the military rulers.

Mubarak said that both he and his family were the victims of “unjust campaigns and false claims that seek to ruin my reputation and challenge my integrity and my... military and political history”. Mubarak said he was prepared to assist the “public prosecutor to ask the foreign ministry of Egypt to communicate with all foreign ministries in the world asking them to reveal our assets abroad.” He criticised the media for reporting that he had “large properties” abroad, and denied he had foreign bank accounts. “I reserve my legal rights toward whoever tried to ruin me and my family’s reputation,” he said.

Weekly protests demanding Mubarak’s trial have attracted tens of thousands and eventually led to a deadly clash with soldiers early on Saturday morning after they tried to clear an overnight demonstration in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Defiant protesters, who accused

the military of complicity with the former president, remain in the square although the military had pledged to disperse them, raising fears of further clashes. The protesters, who blocked the square with a charred army truck, barbed wire and beams, chanted slogans against military chief Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who has been in charge since Mubarak’s ouster.

“The people demand the toppling of the field marshal,” they chanted, after spending a nervous night waiting for the army to follow through with its threat to enforce a three-hour predawn curfew. The military acknowledged that one person died on Saturday night from a gunshot wound but denied it used force or live ammunition to disperse the protesters. Despite its threat to remove the protesters, whom it called outlaws, the military backed down on early yesterday morning in a sign that it wished to avoid further confrontations.

The clash has put the military on the defensive. It is widely popular for not cracking down on protesters when it was called to the streets during the revolt that ousted Mubarak, but has faced increasing criticism for not putting Mubarak in the dock and for alleged rights abuses. The military has announced the appointment of a panel to investigate the former president, but has been criticised for delays in holding him and other former regime officials to account.

The judiciary has accelerated its probes and remands of former regime officials. After announcing that Mubarak would be summoned for questioning, news broke that his former prime minister Ahmed Nazif has been detained for 15 days on suspicion of corruption.

Mubarak’s son Gamal, once seen as the anointed heir, has already been summoned by a panel for questioning on alleged corruption. The same justice ministry panel has ordered Mubarak’s former chief of staff Zakaria Azmi to be detained for 15 days, also on corruption charges. — AFP

2 Bahraini Shiites die in custody Continued from Page 1 the month-long protests, led by Bahrain’s majority Shiites, calling for democratic reform in the Sunni-ruled kingdom. Bahrain’s security forces crushed protests on the streets on March 16, two days after a joint armoured contingent from its Sunni Gulf neighbours rolled in across a causeway linking the archipelago state to Saudi Arabia.

Security forces razed Manama’s Pearl Square monument where demonstrators were camped before being violently evicted. The Shiite-led opposition says about 400 people have since been arrested. Tanks remain deployed at entry points to Manama’s financial district, which had been another focal point of protests, although a curfew has been rolled back and some semblance of normality has returned to the capital. — AFP

SEHLA, Bahrain: Relatives film bruises on the body of Ali Isa Saqer, 31, yesterday. —AP

Al-Sultan, Dhaifallah Buramia and Waleed AlTabtabaei charged that Syrian security forces have committed “brutal crimes” against the civilians while the Arab and Muslim world remained silent.

In Banias, the civilian toll was at least four dead and 17 wounded yesterday from shooting by security forces in the Sunni neighbourhood of Ras Al-Nabee, where the Al-Rahman mosque has been a focal point of antiregime demonstrations. “The army and security forces and gunmen besieged the town from all sides and fired without interruption for several hours,” a university professor told AFP. “(President) Bashar Al-Assad is sending us a message: punish those who dare demand freedom with death,” he said.

The gunfire came from the Alawite neighbourhood of Al-Quz, two witnesses said, with one adding that it was “a real massacre with snipers shooting to kill”. A rights activist said the shots were aimed at the mosque and left “four dead and 15 wounded”. State news agency SANA said that a security officer was killed and another critically wounded in apparent retaliation. “At 4:00 pm, an army unit between Latakia and Tartus was ambushed by an armed group by the roadside in trees and buildings,” the agency quoted an official as saying.

“One officer was killed and another critically wounded, and several soldiers were also wounded. The armed forces are hunting down the elements of this armed group to arrest them and bring them to justice.”

Banias residents on Saturday had reportedly agreed to stage a rooftop protest at 10:00 pm to call for the fall of the regime, but by 8:30 all land lines and cell phones were cut. A witness said residents had set up checkpoints to guard their neighbourhoods against unrest.

All of the witnesses and activists who spoke to AFP requested anonymity, citing security concerns. Five people had already been wounded earlier yesterday in Banias in a drive-by shooting reportedly by plainclothes government agents - irregulars from the ruling Alawite minority known as “shabbiha” - in the Mediterranean town, according to a witness.

Seven cars “carrying people sent by the regime arrived in front of the (Sunni) Abu Bakr Al-Sidiq mosque

and their occupants opened fire” during morning prayers, the witness said. The perpetrators quickly took flight, although witnesses were able to record the licence plates of some of their vehicles. “The people behind this shooting are regime thugs and their names are known to us,” the witness said, and added that peaceful demonstrations had also been held in Banias on Saturday afternoon.

“Four people were hit in the feet and legs. The fifth sustained the most serious injury, an AK-47 bullet that went through his left chest lateral,” said a doctor, who was at the scene.

“The regime is trying to show that this is a SunniAlawite issue, but the Sunni people of Banias know that only a minority of thugs are cooperating with them,” said the other witness. “Banias is a city of 50,000 people.

We all know each other, and for sure we would know if there were infiltrators,” he said, adding Syrian state television was the only media allowed in Banias, similar to other flashpoints across the country.

Anti-regime demonstrations and clashes with security forces raged across the country on Friday leaving 28 dead, including 26 in Daraa, according to an updated toll by six Syrian rights groups. And on Saturday security forces shot at protesters in Daraa, wounding two people, an activist said, as a huge crowd buried the dead from the previous day. The organisations yesterday voiced their “concern at the determination of Syrian authorities to continue violating essential rights and freedoms.”

An unprecedented opposition movement erupted in Syria on March 15 challenging the regime of Assad, who has been in power since 2000, to introduce major political reforms. Assad, who has made only one public address since the start of unrest, yesterday told Bulgaria’s visiting foreign minister that “Syria was on the road to general reforms,” SANA reported. Since the political unrest erupted, the authorities have been pinning responsibility for protest-related violence on “armed groups,” and the interior minister warned on Saturday that he would act firmly. Assad last month ordered a legal committee to draft new legislation to replace emergency laws, in force since 1963, which give security services great leeway to crush dissent. — Agencies

Gulf states call for Saleh to cede power Continued from Page 1 “If there is a meeting it will be under the auspices of the GCC secretariat under one condition that the GCC will not get involved in the final decision,” he said. “The Yemenis won’t agree to the talks in Saudi unless they get a promise from the GCC that they won’t get involved.”

Qatar hosts the leading pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera, whose Yemen correspondents have had their credentials revoked for what Sanaa calls bias. Saudi Arabia is a key financier of the Yemeni government as well as many Yemeni tribes on its border.

Concerned about any deals under the Gulf mediation plan that would delay Saleh’s departure, tens of thousands of protesters marched in the capital Sanaa yesterday. “No, no to compromise,” chanted the crowd as they marched in the streets surrounding a weeks-long sit-in near Sanaa University.

Youth groups leading the sit-in later called for a campaign of civil disobedience in Sanaa on Monday

and Wednesday to protest against “the persistent committing of bloody massacres of peaceful protesters...by Saleh’s regime”. Violent clashes have continued almost daily over the past week, with at least 27 people killed. Security forces have used live ammunition and tear gas to rout protesters.

Saleh has sought Saudi mediation for some weeks, but analysts say that both Saudi Arabia and United States are now keen to arrange a quick exit for him.

Diplomats and opposition sources say he is manoeuvring to ensure that he and his sons do not face prosecution, the fate of the deposed rulers of Tunisia and Egypt, and the Saudi mediation could give him that guarantee. Saleh, a veteran political survivor, has warned of civil war and the break-up of Yemen if he is forced to leave power before organising new parliamentary and presidential elections over the next year.

He has seen a succession of generals, diplomats and tribal leaders announce their opposition to him

but also has organised large public displays of support in recent weeks.

But the killing of more than 100 protesters by security forces has begun to convince countries of the region that Saleh is now an obstacle to stability in a country that overlooks a shipping lane where over 3 million barrels of oil pass daily.

Some 40 percent of Yemen’s 23 million people live on less than $2 a day and one -third face chronic hunger. Exasperation with state repression and rampant corruption have poured fuel on the fire of the pro-democracy movement.

Even before the protests Saleh was struggling to quell a separatist rebellion in the south and a Shiite insurgency in the north - violence that has given the Arabian Peninsula branch of Al-Qaeda more room to operate.

In continued unrest, seven civilians were wounded when they were caught in the crossfire as army units fought Islamist militants who have taken control of several areas in the restive southern province of Abyan, a local official said. — Reuters

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Sri Lanka stick to Law

Kenyans dominate Paris Marathon PARIS: Kenyan runners dominated the Paris Marathon yesterday by achieving one-two finishes in the men’s and women’s races. Men’s winner Benjamin Kiptoo completed the 42.2-kilometer race in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 31 seconds. Compatriot Bernard Kipyego overtook Eshetu Wendimu of Ethiopia to finish second, 45 seconds behind.

Priscah Jeptoo captured the women’s race in 2:22:55, nearly two minutes ahead of fellow Kenyan Agnes Kiprop. Kiptoo made his move in the 37th kilometer to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish. The 32-year-old Kenyan also ran his fastest marathon, beating his previous personal best when he won the 2009 Rome Marathon in 2:07:17. Ten men were still in contention in the last 10 kilometers as they entered the Bois de Boulogne. Last year’s runner-up Alfred Kering of Kenya made a break in the 34th kilometer but failed to pull away and finished fourth. The leading group reached the halfway stage in 1:02:39.

Pacesetter John Komen of Kenya accelerated in the 23rd kilometer to break up a group that had already shrunk to 16 runners. —AP

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will not name a successor to head coach Trevor Bayliss until after the tour of England which starts next month. Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee chairman DS de Silva said because of the time factor they had appointed Stuart Law as interim coach for the England tour.

Law was assistant to Bayliss, who quit as head coach after four years at the end of the World Cup, where the Sri Lankans lost to hosts India in a dramatic final earlier this month.

Law, a former Australian cricketer, is one of four coaches short-listed by Sri Lanka Cricket to succeed Bayliss. “We’ve given Law a chance to handle the team on the England tour and see whether he is going to fit into the scene,” said De Silva. The other three coaches in the

Phelps takes 100 back

running for the top job are former coach Tom Moody, former assistant coach Trevor Penney and Mathew Maynard, the former England cricketer presently director of cricket at Glamorgan.

“We knew about two months ago that Trevor Bayliss was leaving so we advertised in the web and papers as well both internationally and locally.

Nine responded from which we shortlisted five persons,” said De Silva.

“Everybody showed interest to undertake the head coach position. We already interviewed two of them on the phone. One of the nine was (former Australian coach) John Buchanan.

“We wrote to Buchanan and he gave his terms but we cannot afford it. We have dropped him from the list,” he added. —Reuters

ANN ARBOR: Michael Phelps won his third event at the Michigan Grand Prix, beating Ryan Lochte in the 100 backstroke in a pool record 54.15 seconds Saturday. The victory came after Phelps struggled in the 200 butterfly, finishing fourth in 1:57.79. “It kind of stinks to have a run like I’ve had in that race end today, but it’s better to happen here than farther down the road,” Phelps said. “If this isn’t a wake-up call, I’m not sure what is.” China’s Wu Peng, who trains with Ann Arbor-based Club Wolverine won in 1:56.62. The victory came in Wu’s first head-to-head swim against Phelps and probably earned him a spot on the Chinese world championship team. “I’m very happy with my results today,” Wu said through a translator. “It could be a little bit better, but I’m pleased.

“I’m very glad I had this opportunity and it will allow me to further doing well in my competitions in the future.” Phelps won the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly Friday. Phelps has been building toward a full training cycle as he prepares for what is likely his final Olympic appearance in the 2012 London Games.—AP

Reds end Stormers’ winning streak WELLINGTON: Queensland beat South Sonny Bill Williams, Israel Dagg and Tom Africa’s Stormers 19-6 in the eighth round Marshall after rattling the Bulls with of rugby’s Super 15 to end the Cape Town- aggressive defense. Canterbury’s discipline based team’s six-match unbeaten run and was outstanding and its territorial domination was such that Springboks flyhalf replace it atop the championship table.

Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper kicked Morne Steyn had only one shot at goal 14 points as the Reds won for the sixth and that from long range - just before halftime in seven games. Only five points sepa- time.

“It’s a great night. It’s not very often you rate the first seven teams. The Canterbury Crusaders beat the defending champion can keep a Bulls side to zero,” Crusaders Bulls 27-0 for their fifth win in seven games, captain Kieran Read said. “It was an outmoving level with Queensland on 30 standing effort against a team that can kick points, one ahead of the Stormers and from anywhere, and we only gave them three ahead of New South Wales. The one opportunity.” Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell scored two of the Waratahs’ four Waratahs beat the Western Force 31-3.

The Otago Highlanders beat the tries as they beat the Force in Perth to comCheetahs 24-21, the Sharks beat the Lions plete a clean sweep of wins by Australian 27-3 and the ACT Brumbies edged sides in round eight. The Waratahs clinched Wellington 17-16. The Stormers led the a four-try bonus point in the 66th minute tournament for the most of the season, when Mitchell scored his second try of the missing the first round with a bye then night and his fifth of the season.

Charl McLeod scored an 82nd-minute beating the Lions, Cheetahs, Highlanders, Bulls — reversing the outcome of last try to give the Durban-based Sharks a fouryear’s final — and the Force. They had the try bonus point from its 27-3 win over struggling South best defensive record African rivals the in the tournament Lions. The scrumhalf entering Saturday’s squeezed over from a match and the Reds quick tap penalty also found their after the fulltime defense hard to buzzer had sounded crack. to give the Sharks Queensland was maximum points at able to play a sound home at Kings Park. territorial game, givFormer Lions playing Cooper the ers Louis Ludik and chance to kick four Willem Alberts, and penalties before his wing J.P. Pietersen replacement Mike Harris scored the only NEW ZEALAND: Bulls’ Flip van der Merwe crossed in the first try of the match in leaves the field with an injured eye half for the Sharks, against the Crusaders during the Super who dominated from the 74th minute. the fourth minute “We tried to attack Rugby match at Alpine Stadium. —AP when flyhalf Elton and it might have been pretty extravagant at times,” Reds Jantjies kicked the visitors’ first and only coach Ewen McKenzie. “But I’m pretty points.

The Brumbies edged the Hurricanes by pleased about how we won. “We came into the match feeling confident about out set one point in a match of desperate teams pieces and, apart from a few lineouts, I’m and desperate coaches. Both entered the pleased with the way things went.” match with only one win and both had to Stormers coach Alister Coetzee said the win to have any chance of featuring in the kicking game implemented by Cooper had playoffs later in the season.

Flyhalf Matt Giteau kicked four penalties proved decisive.

“The Reds played very well and we were to give the Brumbies their first win since surprised by their intensity and we were the season’s opening round and their first forced into mistakes,” said Coetzee. “They under coach Tony Rea, who replaced Andy got behind us with first-phase possession Friend five matches ago. The Hurricanes and Cooper’s tactical kicking turned us dropped to the bottom of the New Zealand around on a few occasions.” The Crusaders conference with one win from seven overcame the loss to injuries of All Blacks games under first-season coach Mark captain Richie McCaw and star flyhalf Hammett.

“It was a really pleasing effort, we stayed Daniel Carter to overwhelm the Bulls.

Replacement flyhalf Mat Berquist man- in there,” said Giteau. “It wasn’t pretty, but aged only four penalties from nine we got the win.” Auckland, Waikato and attempts, but Canterbury scored tries via Melbourne had eighth-round byes.-—AP

TORONTO: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf (right) tries to take the puck around Montreal Canadiens’ PK Subban during second period NHL hockey action. —AP

Canucks douse Flames in OT CALGARY: Christian Ehrhoff scored at 2:31 of overtime to help playoff-bound Vancouver Canucks wrap up the best regular season in franchise history. After rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the third, the Canucks got the victor y when Ehrhoff ’s slapshot from the blue line beat Henrik Karlsson between his pads.

Daniel Sedin had a pair of assists to clinch the NHL scoring race with 41 goals and 63 assists.

Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows also scored for Vancouver, which finishes the season with a team-record 117 points. Jarome Iginla and Mik ael Back lund scored for Calgary, which missed the playoffs for the second season in a row.

Sharks 3, Coyotes 1 At San Jose, California, Joe Pavelski scored his 20th goal of the season and Antti Niemi made 35 saves as San Jose wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the West. Ian White and Logan Couture also scored for the Sharks, who are assured of home-ice advantage for at least the first two rounds.

The Coyotes missed out on a chance to finish fourth in the conference and having home ice for the first round. Lauri Korpikoski scored for the Coyotes, who lost their third in four games.

Flyers 7, Islanders 4 At Philadelphia, Scott Hartnell and Andrej Meszaros each scored two goals to help Philadelphia clinch the Atlantic Division and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia opens defense of its conference championship next week against the seventh-seeded Buffalo Sabres. The Flyers won the division for the first time since 2003-04.

Kimmo Timonen and Danny Briere also scored for the Flyers.

Darroll Powe added an empty-netter with 1 second left. Michael Grabner, Travis Hamonic, John Tavares and PA Parenteau scored for the Islanders.

NEW ZEALAND: Bulls’ Wynand Olivier is tackled by the Crusaders during the Super Rugby match at Alpine Stadium. —AP

Ducks 3, Kings 1 At Los Angeles, Saku Koivu had a goal and an assist, and Dan Ellis made 43 saves to help Anaheim claim the four th seed in the Western playoffs.

Brandon McMillan and Francois Beauchemin also scored for the Ducks, who didn’t even clinch a playoff spot until Friday ’s 2-1 home win over the Kings. The Ducks will host a postseason series. Nashville and Phoenix both lost Saturday before Anaheim

won, leaving all three clubs with 99 points. Ryan Smyth scored and Jonathan Quick stopped 17 shots for the playoff-bound Kings.

Rangers 5, Devils 2 At New York, captain Chris Drury scored his first goal of the season in a surprise return to the lineup and Ryan McDonagh netted the first of his career as New York rallied for the win, then got some help to reach the playoffs.

The Rangers had to wait several hours to see if they would claim the No. 8 seed in the East, and they did when Carolina lost at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2. New York edged out Carolina by two points and will face Washington in the first round. Wojtek Wolski, Brandon Prust and Vinny Prospal also scored, and Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves. Nick Palmieri and Ilya Kovalchuk scored for the Devils.

Lightning 6, Hurricanes 2 At Raleigh, Nor th Carolina, Vincent Lecavalier had a goal and an assist as quick-starting Tampa Bay eliminated Carolina from playoff contention. Lecavalier, Dominic Moore and Steven Stamkos scored during a 6-minute, 32-second flurry in the first period. The Lightning led 4-0 midway through the second and held on to send the New York Rangers into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the East. Tampa Bay, the East’s No. 5 seed, will play fourth-seeded Pittsburgh in the first round.

Martin St. Louis had two assists

before he and Simon Gagne scored empty-netters in the final 2 1/2 minutes. Cory Stillman and Chad LaRose scored and Cam Ward stopped 29 shots for Carolina.

Panthers 1, Capitals 0 At Sunrise, Florida, Bill Thomas scored with 6:05 remaining and Tomas Vokoun made 28 saves to help Florida close the season by snapping a 10-game losing streak.

Washington clinched the top seed in the East on Friday when Philadelphia lost to Buffalo. The victory helped the Panthers avoid matching the NHL’s longest season-ending slide since the 1967 expansion.

Bruins 3, Senators 1 At Boston, Nathan Hor ton scored a tiebreaking goal early in the second period and Tim Thomas stopped 31 shots to help Boston win its regular-season home finale. It was the Bruins’ seventh win in 10 games and left them in contention for the East’s second seed with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Boston must win its regular-season finale Sunday in New Jersey to have a chance.

Daniel Paille and Rich Peverley had Boston’s other goals. Bobby Butler scored for the Senators, who missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons and fired coach Cor y Clouston and two assistants after the loss.

Blues 2, Predators 0 At St. Louis, Jaroslav Halak shut

out playoff-bound Nashville for the third time this season and T.J. Oshie scored from his knees early in the second period for St. Louis.

Halak stopped 24 shots for his seventh shutout. Alex Steen scored his 100th career goal with 49 seconds to go to clinch it for the Blues, who missed the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons.

Sabres 5, Blue Jackets 4 At Columbus, Ohio, Paul Gaustad scored the winner late on a power play, and four other Buffalo players scored in the season finale for both teams.

With the game tied 3-3, Drew Stafford and Gaustad, who also had an assist, scored on a fiveminute major to former Buffalo captain Craig Rivet for crosscheck ing Tyler Ennis. Jason Pominville added a goal and an assist, and Chris Butler and Ennis also scored for Buffal Kristian Huselius scored twice, and Derek Dorsett and Jared Boll also scored for Columbus.

Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 1 At Toronto, Brian Gionta scored two goals and Carey Price made 27 saves to help Montreal close the season as the No. 6 seed in the Eastern playoffs. Ryan White and Tomas Plekanec also scored for the Canadiens, who could have slipped to seventh with a loss but instead set up a first-round matchup against the rival Boston Bruins. Phil Kessel scored for Toronto, which missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.—AP

NHL results/standings Results and standings from NHL games on Saturday.

NY Rangers 5, New Jersey 2; Boston 3, Ottawa 1; Montreal 4, Toronto 1; Philadelphia 7, NY Islanders 4; Tampa Bay 6, Carolina 2; Florida 1, Washington 0; Buffalo 5, Columbus 4; St. Louis 2, Nashville 0; Vancouver 3, Calgary 2 (OT); Anaheim 3, Los Angeles 1; San Jose 3, Phoenix 1. OT = overtime win

X-Philadelphia X-Pittsburgh X-NY Rangers New Jersey NY Islanders X-Boston X-Montreal X-Buffalo Toronto Ottawa X-Washington X-Tampa Bay Carolina Atlanta Florida

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF 47 23 12 259 48 25 8 233 44 33 5 233 37 39 5 171 30 39 13 229 Northeast Division 46 24 11 244 44 30 8 216 43 29 10 245 37 34 11 218 32 40 10 192 Southeast Division 48 23 11 224 46 25 11 247 40 31 11 236 34 35 12 221 30 40 12 195

GA 223 197 198 207 264

PTS 106 104 93 79 73

192 209 229 251 250

103 96 96 85 74

197 240 239 264 229

107 103 91 80 72

Western Conference Central Division X-Detroit 46 25 10 257 238 102 X-Nashville 44 27 11 219 194 99 Chicago 44 28 9 255 221 97 St. Louis 38 33 11 240 234 87 Columbus 34 35 13 215 258 81 Northwest Division X-Vancouver 54 19 9 262 185 117 Calgary 41 29 12 250 237 94 Minnesota 38 35 8 201 230 84 Colorado 29 44 8 223 285 66 Edmonton 25 45 11 190 265 61 Pacific Division X-San Jose 48 25 9 248 213 105 X-Anaheim 47 30 5 239 235 99 X-Phoenix 43 26 13 231 226 99 X-Los Angeles 46 30 6 219 198 98 Dallas 42 28 11 224 228 95 X - clinched playoff spot Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L).

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sp orts

McIlroy leads Masters, staying cool on hot day AUGUSTA: The birdie putt from the back of the green. The raised left arm, holding the putter high.

The right fist slamming downward when the ball disappeared, followed by a cheer that rocked Augusta National. It was the defining moment for Rory McIlroy late Saturday afternoon at the Masters. And it was loud enough to rattle Tiger Woods.

That birdie on the 17th hole — which caused Woods to back off his shot ahead of him on the 18th hole — sent the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland to a 2-under 70 and gave him a four-shot lead going into the final round. It’s the largest 54-hole lead at the Masters since Woods led by nine

McDowell, who missed the cut but didn’t want to miss out on his countryman having a chance to give Europe another major.

“He just texted me and told me he loves me,” McIlroy said. “I don’t know if that’s him or the beer talking. No, it’s great to see him out there and I appreciate his support. He’s going to know how I’m feeling. Here’s a major champion and he got it done last year at Pebble. Hopefully, I can emulate that feeling and get a major myself.”

McIlroy was at 12-under 204 and will play in the final group Sunday with Angel Cabrera, who won the Masters two years ago and is the only major champion

who started the third round only three shots behind, never materialized. He squandered birdie chances with a fairway metal that went too long on the par-5 eighth, a 5-foot birdie putt that never had a chance on No. 9, a shocking miss for par from 2 feet on No. 11 and a three-putt par on the 15th after an amazing hook around the trees that barely cleared the water.

Woods shot 74, ending his streak of 16 rounds at par or better at a major he won four times. The final hole summed up his day, perhaps the tournament, and the state of golf as it prepares for the next generation. Woods was settling over his shot in the middle of the 18th fairway when McIlroy

AUGUSTA: Tiger Woods nearly falls backwards after hitting out of the rough on the 17th hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament. —AP strokes in 1997.

“It’s a great position to be in,” McIlroy said. “I feel comfortable with my game, comfortable with the way I prepared, and all of a sudden I’m finally feeling comfortable on this golf course. With a combination like that, you’re going to feel pretty good.” He is making it look easy.

That bounce in his step turned into a swagger as he walked to the 18th tee, ripped another drive and walked up to the 18th green to a loud ovation that could be a preview to a coronation.

Following him around was US Open champion Graeme

within six shots of McIlroy.

Cabrera has fallen to No. 97 in the world, with only two top 10s in the last year. He didn’t think he had much of a chance when he arrived at Augusta. But he’s starting to believe. “Now that I see that I’m playing well, I sure think I can do it,” Cabrera said.

The group at 8-under 208 also includes Charl Schwartzel (68), KJ Choi (71) and Jason Day, the 23year-old Australian who took the lead on the front nine with a long birdie on No. 5, but paid for his aggressive putting and had to settle for a 72.

The challenge from Woods,

holed his big putt on the 17th.

For so many years, it was Woods who delivered big birdies that made everyone else take notice. This time, it was McIlroy who forced Woods to back off. He then hit his approach over the green and missed a 6-foot par putt, leaving him seven shots behind.

“I just made nothing,” Woods said. “I hit the ball well all day. That wasn’t the problem. Take away the two three-putts there, a couple of unforced errors and it should have been a pretty good round.”

McIlroy didn’t have to make

any such excuses. He has made only three bogeys over three rounds, and no three-putts, always a key at the Masters. He and Day were tied for the lead at 9 under as they made their way through Amen Corner, and McIlroy seized control on the 13th.

A bold tee shot down the left side, where Rae’s Creek winds its way along the azaleas, gave McIlroy a clear shot on the green and he two-putted for a birdie.

Day attacked the flag in the back left corner and went long, into the second cut. His delicate chip rolled back toward him, he putted up the slope about 6 feet below the hole and missed the putt to make bogey. Day fell further behind as McIlroy played well beyond his 21 years.

The Australian was saved on the par-5 15th when his shot came up short, but stayed dry because the grass is not shaved as low as it normally is. He was able to get up-and-down for birdie to match another two-putt birdie by McIlroy.

On the 16th, both were on the bottom shelf. Day gunned his putt about 6 feet past the hole and missed it coming back. McIlroy rolled his with better pace to pick up an easy par, and another stroke.

Then came the 17th, where McIlroy hooked his approach around the pines to the back of the green, then holed the slick putt that unleashed his emotions and set off the loudest roar of the day.

“It was a bonus,” he said. “After I hit the tee shot, I would have just loved to walk away from that green with a 4 and moved on to the 18th tee. It was tracking the whole way and just dropped in the middle. It was great, because I had been waiting on a putt to drop all day, and for it to drop there, it was great timing.”

It was the third straight day for McIlroy and Day to play in the same group. Saturday was different, though, and as both tried to get into position for a green jacket, there was a lot less chatter.

“I still went out there and had fun,” Day said. “Obviously, I made a few disappointing choices. But I’m going to go out there tomorrow and I’ve got a game plan that I want to stick to. And if I can do that and hole some putts, hopefully I can try and chase them down.” If an international player wins, it will be the first time ever that Americans did not own any of the four majors or the Ryder Cup. —AP

NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma plays a one-handed shot during the Indian Premier League cricket match against Delhi Daredevils. —AP

Malinga strikes for Mumbai Indians IPL Twenty20 NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka pace bowler Lasith Malinga took five for 13 from just 3.4 overs to lead Mumbai Indians to an eightwicket victory over Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament yesterday.

Man-of-the-match Malinga dismissed David Warner for one, Venugopal Rao for 26 and Unmukt Chand, Morne Morkel and Ashok Dinda for ducks to skittle the hosts for 95 in 17.4 overs in the day/night game.

Skipper Sachin Tendulkar then struck a patient 46 not out to give 2010 finalist Mumbai Indians a winning start to the new season. The visitors scored 99 for two with 19 balls remaining.

Malinga, who lit up the World Cup with his speed and swing, dismissed Warner with a yorker and bowled Chand with a full length delivery in the space of three deliveries in the second over of the innings after Daredevils chose to bat first.

An aggressive Virender Sehwag fell for 19 to a direct hit by Tendulkar, while Australian Aaron Finch was caught at deep square leg by Ambati Rayudu off Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh as the visitors took a firm grip on the match at 40 for 4

after seven overs.

Naman Ojha (29) and Rao stitched a 42run stand for the fifth wicket before Malinga caught Ojha at long-off off left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza.

Irfan Pathan was run out for a duck before Malinga yorked Rao and Morkel in the space of three deliveries. Harbhajan had Umesh Yadav stumped for his second wicket and Malinga wrapped up the innings when he had Dinda caught by New Zealander James Franklin at mid-off.

Mumbai Indians lost South African Davy Jacobs early, bowled for one by countryman Morne Morkel, but Tendulkar anchored the innings in style.

Tendulkar, who brought up the winning runs with a boundary off left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan, put on 30 runs for the second wicket with Ambati Rayudu (14) and 68 for the unbroken third wicket with Rohit Sharma (27). New franchise Pune Warriors play Kings XI Punjab in Mumbai later yesterday.

Scores: Mumbai Indians 99-2 in 16.5 overs (Sachin Tendulkar 46 not out) def. Delhi Daredevils 95 in 17.4 overs (Naman Ojha 29; Lasith Malinga 5-13, Harbhajan Singh 2-14) —AP

Adamek of Poland outscores McBride

LAS VEGAS: Marcos Maidana of Argentina (right) punches Erik Morales of Mexico during their WBA interim junior welterweight championship boxing match. —AP

Maidana outpoints Morales LAS VEGAS: Marcos Maidana of Argentina o u t p o i n te d M e x i co’s f i ve - t i m e wo r l d champion Erik Morales on Saturday night to win the vacant WBA interim super lightweight title.

Two judges scored the bout 116-112 for Maidana (30-2) and the other had it even at 114. “ This was my toughest fight yet,” Maidana said. “But I knew it would be difficult so I trained hard and was prepared. ...

The fight was close but I came on strong in the end and feel I won the fight.” Maidana came out strong, dominating the older, slower Morales (51-7) in the first few rounds.

By the end of the second round Morales’ right eye was swollen shut.

Morales, a heavy underdog, appeared to be far past his prime in the early rounds, but was able to rally in the middle rounds to keep the fight close. “He may have won a close fight but it wasn’t a clean win for him,” Morales said.

“I thought I landed the better punches. I thought I won. I know I still had speed and velocity, but more importantly I had heart.”

In the co-main event, Rober t Guerrero unanimously outpointed Michael Katsidis to

take the vacant WBA and WBO interim lightweight titles.

Guerrero, the former IBF featherweight and super-featherweight champion, had winning scores of 117-108, 118-106, 118107 from the judges in the 12-round bout.

“I feel great,” Guerrero said. “I won two titles tonight. I’m a warrior and I’m ready to fight anyone.” Guerrero solidified his position as one of the top lightweights in the world, outslugging Katsidis and leaving his face battered.

On the undercard, former IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi earned a lopsided unanimous decision over Jose Miguel Cotto, Nobuhiro Ishida stunned the previously unbeaten James Kirkland with a first- round knockout, and super lightweight prospect Danny Garcia upped his record to 21-0 with an unanimous decision over former lightweight champ Nate Campbell.

In the preliminary fights, 2008 Olympic gold medalist Rakhim Chakhkiev remained undefeated with a third- round knockout of Har vey Jolley, and Mik ael Zewsk i also remained perfect with an unanimous decision over Clint Coronel. —AP

NEWARK: Top heavyweight contender Tomasz Adamek of Poland took a step toward a championship showdown with one of the Klitschko brothers, unanimously outpointing Ireland’s Kevin McBride on Saturday.

Adamek (44-1 with 28 knockouts) dominated from the outset, using his speed to outscore and outpunch his opponent, winning every round on all three judges’ scorecards. “When I moved to heavyweight, my dream was to get to fight for the heavyweight championship,” Adamek said.

“Now, I’ve made it. I’ll get that chance. I want that chance. This is my chance and I’m ready.” Adamek dominated from the outset, using his speed to outscore and outpunch his opponent, winning every round on all three judges’ scorecards. Judge Robert Grosso had the fight 120-107 in favor of Adamek, who now lives in the United States, while judges Lynn Carter and Larry Hazzard Jr. had the fight 119-108.

McBride (35-9-1), who lives in the US, entered the ring at a whopping 285 pounds (129 kilograms), 70 pounds (32 kilograms) heavier than Adamek.

McBride, who sent former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson into retirement in 2005, appeared out of shape and was sloppy for the entire fight, resorting to tactics such as pushing Adamek’s head down, throwing rabbit punches and even stepping on Adamek’s foot in the 11th round.

“Tomasz proved to me that he was a warrior,” said McBride, who said after the fight that he would more than likely retire from boxing. “He was hard to catch. I thought I could catch him later on, but I couldn’t get him. I wish I had another 12 rounds and maybe I could have caught him. Maybe if I lost 20 more pounds, I could have caught him. Speed kills and he has a lot of speed. I respect the man. I knew I was being hit.”

McBride was only competitive in the sixth round.

The rest of the fight belonged to Adamek. The crowd of 7,653 was heavily pro-Adamek, chanting “Polska!

Polska!” throughout the fight.

“This was a very good test,” Adamek said. “Every round in the ring is a good test for me. It’s like gold. I hit him hard, but I just needed to stay quick. To me, speed is power.” Adamek’s trainer, Roger Bloodworth, thought that the fight was a good tuneup. —AP

DURBAN: 800 m World Champion Caster Semenya competes in the 800 meter title at the South African national championships. —AP

Semenya clinches 800, 1,500 titles at S Africa nationals DURBAN: Caster Semenya powered to an 800- and 1,500-meter double at the South African national championships yesterday, impressing in her buildup to the 2011 world championships at which she hopes to retain her 800 title.

The world champion, formerly at the center of a gender-test controversy, was far too strong for the 800 field at Durban’s Kings Park Athletics Stadium. She led from the start and ran away from defending champion Mapaseka Makhanya to win in 2 minutes, 2.10 seconds.

The 20-year-old Semenya produced a burst of pace to come from way back and breeze past leader Lebogang Phalula to win the 1,500 in 4:12.93.

Semenya ran both races in the space of an hour and 20 minutes on the final day of the two-day nationals. She appeared to be holding back in both victories in hot and humid conditions in the east coast city.

In her favored two-lap event, Semenya went through the first 400 in 61 seconds but cracked on the pace down the home straight to pull well ahead of second-placed Makhanya, who was more than two seconds back in 2:04.52.

Semenya was in complete control throughout, running in sunglasses and the light blue and red colors of her province, Gauteng North.

Despite missing out on the sub-2 minute time she had targeted before the nationals, Semenya gave her season a significant boost ahead of the European Golden League meets and the worlds in Daegu, South Korea, which start in August.

“I was a little bit upset (to miss out on 2 minutes),” Semenya said in a TV interview. “I still have the season in Europe, I’ll try to get under two minutes in Europe as I didn’t manage it today.” Semenya hopes to defend her title in Daegu, two years after she won gold at the

2009 worlds and was ordered to undergo gender tests.

In Durban, the world champion was outside her season-best 2:01.77 - which she ran in March - but still claimed the national title she was unable to compete for in 2010 after being sidelined for 11 months because of the gender controversy. The Pretoria-based runner was finally cleared to compete again last July.

“I’m not thinking about those things anymore,” Semenya told the South African Press Association. “That’s in the past and I’m looking to the future.

“I’m just concerned with winning the world championships and the Olympics next year.”

Semenya also impressed in the 1,500 when she suddenly kicked into gear at the final bend, emerging from fourth place and running down Phalula to eventually ease to victory.

It was only Semenya’s second 1,500 race of the year. She has said she may run the 800 and 1,500 at the worlds and the 2012 London Olympics.

In the men’s 400 hurdles final, LJ van Zyl continued his early season form to win in a blistering 47.73 seconds, the second-fastest time ever by a South African and just outside the South African-record 47.66 seconds the 25-year-old Van Zyl just set in February.

The times are the two best in the world this year. Van Zyl was pushed all the way by defending champion Cornel Fredericks as the pair went shoulder to shoulder through 350 meters, with Van Zyl holding off his rival in the final sprint. Fredericks ran a personal best 48.14 for second, with Mozambican Kurt Couto third.

Former Commonwealth champion and 2010 silver medallist Van Zyl missed out at the South African nationals in the last two years. He finished fourth after a tactical blunder in 2009 and was disqualified for a false start last year. —AP

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Yankees pound Red Sox BOSTON: Russell Martin hit two of New York’s four home runs as the Yankees rebounded for a 9-4 win over Boston on Saturday, one day after becoming the only team to lose to the Red Sox this season.

Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano also went deep for the Yankees, who already have 18 homers through eight games. The Red Sox have allowed 19 in their eight games.

David Robertson (1-0) pitched 1 23 perfect innings after starter Ivan Nova was lifted with one out in the fifth with the Yankees leading 7-4. Clay Buchholz (0-2) allowed five runs and eight hits in 3 2-3 innings as Boston’s starters continued to struggle. Cano finished a triple short of the cycle.

BERLIN: Anna Dementieva of Russia performs to win the women’s beam final during the Artistic Gymnastics European Championships. —AP

Dementieva clinches European beam gold BERLIN: Russia’s Anna Dementieva claimed gold on the beam at the European gymnastics championships yesterday with Italy’s Carlotta Ferlito second and compatriot Elisabetta Preziosa taking bronze.

Germany’s Marcel Nguyen claimed gold yesterday on the men’s paralell bars at the European gymnastics championships with Epke Zonderland of the Netherlands taking silver and Greece’s Vasileios Tsolakidis bronze.

Nguyen, 23, won his first major individual title and Germany’s second gold of these championships with a winning tally of 15,525 pts, while Zonderland finished with 15,300 pts and Tsolakidis earned third place with 15,075 pts.

The new champion was returning from injury which kept him out of the 2010 world championships and picked up the hosts second gold after Philipp Boy won the all-around title on Friday.

The defending champion, France’s Yann Cucherat, failed to reach the final after being eliminated in the qualifying rounds.

On Saturday, favorites Krisztian Berki of Hungary and Britain’s Elizabeth Tweddle picked up gold medals on the pommel horse and uneven bars respectively at the European gymnastics championships.

The pair underlined their impressive form, 15 months from the London Olympics, by dominating their respective disciplines.

Berki, 26, the world pommel horse champion, took gold at Berlin’s Max Schmeling Halle with a winning tally of 15,625 pts ahead of France’s Cyril Tommasone’s 15,050 pts and Armenia’s Harutyum Merdinyan’s 14,950 pts.

This was Berki’s fifth European title on the

pommel horse having won gold at the 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009 events, as well as claiming the global title at last year’s world championships in Rotterdam.

Tweddle, 26, scored 15,100 pts with a brand new routine to claim her third straight victory on the uneven bars and add to the European golds she won in Birmingham last year and in Milan in 2009.

“The main feeling after coming off is relief,” she said. “I knew what I needed to do and although it wasn’t perfect, it was good enough.

“I had a long wait to compete and hadn’t even touched the bars for an hour so I was very anxious to get going. “I am really happy that I have put my new routine out there and come away with the gold medal.”

Romania, second in the medal table, claimed two golds as Sandra Izbasa won the final of the women’s vault after Flavius Koczi had earlier taken gold in the men’s floor exercise having won silver in the all-around event on Friday.

Germany’s ever-green Oksana Chusovitina, 35, who won Olympic team gold back at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games competing for the unified Russia, claimed a silver in the vault.

Russia lead the medal table with five medals, including two golds, two silvers and a bronze, as Konstantin Pluzhnikov won gold on the rings while compatriot Aleksandr Balandin took silver.

It was Russia’s second gold medal of these championships after teenager Anna Dementieva claimed the women’s all-around title on Friday.—AFP

Rangers 13, Orioles 1 At Baltimore, Adrian Beltre homered to cap a six-run third inning as Texas routed Baltimore to earn a doubleheader split.

In the first game, Orioles rookie Zach Britton (2-0) took a two-hitter into the eighth and Baltimore got homers from Nick Markakis and Mark Reynolds in a victory that ended the Rangers’ run as the last unbeaten team in the majors.

After going quietly in the opener, Texas unloaded on Orioles starter Jake Arrieta (1-1) in the nightcap. Arrieta gave up eight runs and six hits, including homers to Beltre and Mike Napoli, in 3 1-3 innings.

Beltre went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, and Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer in the ninth to finish with four RBIs. In the opener, the Rangers were seeking to match the franchise-record 7-0 start of the 1996 club.

But the defending AL champions fell behind 5-0 after three innings and never threatened to make up the difference. Colby Lewis (1-1) allowed five runs, four earned, in six innings to end a run of five straight wins by Texas starters.

White Sox 4, Rays 2 At Chicago, AJ Pierzynski hit a tworun double and Phil Humber pitched a career-high six innings to lead Chicago over the sputtering Tampa Bay Rays in a game that got a little testy at the end.

Felipe Lopez took exception to an inside pitch from Chris Sale in the

BOSTON: Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia dives and catches a sharp grounder hit by New York Yankees’ Mark Teixeira during the sixth inning of a baseball game. —AP ninth inning, then flipped his bat in the lanky left-hander’s direction after hitting a solo home run.

When Lopez crossed home plate, he and Pierzynski went nose-to-nose and jawed at each other for a couple of seconds, but there was no pushing or shoving. Lopez was led away by Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon as he made his way toward the dugout.

Sale finished up for his first save of the season.

One day after Manny Ramirez abruptly retired rather than face a 100-game suspension for a second violation of baseball’s drug policy, the Rays dropped to 1-7.

Royals 3, Tigers 1 At Detroit, Bruce Chen allowed three hits over six impressive innings to lead Kansas City past Detroit.

Wilson Betemit and Alcides Escobar drove in runs in the second inning for the Royals, and Jeff Francoeur added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.

The Royals’ previous four wins all came in their last at-bat, but they needed no dramatics this time with Chen (1-0) protecting the early lead.

Joakim Soria pitched the ninth and allowed a two-out homer by Ryan

Giants 3, Cardinals 2 At San Francisco, Miguel Tejada hit a two-run double that glanced off the glove of center fielder Colby Rasmus with two outs in the ninth inning as San Francisco rallied to beat St. Louis a few hours after receiving their World Series rings. The win came against Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin (0-1), who blew his third save in four chances and second in two days. Ramon Ramirez (1-0) pitched the ninth for the win and San Francisco secured its first series victory of the season. Rasmus hit a goahead homer in the seventh off Matt Cain.

Kuwait dominates Stock 1600cc Round 5 UAE Jet Ski DUBAI: Kuwait’s jet ski team took control of the stock 1600cc race that took place as part of round five of the United Arab Emirates’ Grand Prix, with its members finishing in the top four places.

Kuwait’s dominance was translated with reigning champion Mohammad Burabie’a finishing first, ahead of Mohammad Al-Baz, while Yousuf AlAbdul-Razzq and Saud Al-Sarraf finished in third and fourth place respectively.

Meanwhile, Khalid Burabie’a was able to achieve the second place in the super stock 1600cc pro race, in which

Mohammad Burabie’a also came fourth.

With these results, Al-Baz maintains his lead on top of the overall standings, while Mohammad Burabie’a regained the second place which he lost after failing to take part in the fourth round place that took place last February in Fujairah. Those results were made available to the press by Abdulwahab Al-Omar; head of Kuwait’s delegation, and from Abu Dhabi where the tournament is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan; chairman of the Abu Dhabi Sea Sports Club.

Athletics 1, Twins 0 At Minneapolis, Gio Gonzalez pitched six sharp innings as Oakland edged Minnesota. Gonzalez (2-0) allowed four hits with four strikeouts and two walks for the Athletics, who stranded 11 runners. Brian Fuentes earned his second save with 1 2-3 innings of scoreless relief.

Nick Blackburn (1-1) yielded an unearned run and five hits in six innings for the Twins, who are struggling with the bats. The top four hitters in Minnesota’s lineup went a combined 1 for 15 with a single and a walk. The only run of the game came when Kurt Suzuki scored on a throwing error by Twins shortstop Alexi Casilla in the sixth.

Indians 2, Mariners 1 At Seattle, Justin Masterson took a shutout into the seventh inning, striking out nine batters, as Cleveland benefited from one careless mistake by Seattle. The Indians won their sixth straight and are alone in first place in the AL Central for the first time since May 2008.

Cleveland got its only runs in the fourth, one scoring when Milton Bradley threw wildly to third on Orlando Cabrera’s sacrifice fly. The ball was kicked by pitcher Doug Fister into the Indians dugout, allowing Choo Shin-soo to score from second base on the error. Fister (0-2) allowed just one earned run in six innings for the Mariners, but Seattle dropped its sixth straight.

Angels 6, Blue Jays 5 At Anaheim, California, Maicer Izturis hit an RBI single with two outs in the 14th inning and Howie Kendrick hit his fourth homer in seven games as Los Angeles capitalized on a baserunner interference call in the 13th against Yunel Escobar to beat Toronto.

Dan Haren (2-0), scheduled to start Monday, pitched a perfect inning for the win as manager Mike Scioscia was forced to use nine pitchers.

Jon Rauch (0-1) struck out his first two batters in the 14th before Peter Bourjos hit a drive over the outstretched glove of left fielder Travis Snider for a double after Snider fell down. Izturis then lined an 0-2 pitch to right field to score Bourjos.—AP

Brewers’ Fielder has 4 RBIs to top Cubs MILWAUKEE: Prince Fielder drove in four runs with a career-high three doubles and Chris Nar veson pitched seven shutout innings as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-0 on Saturday.

Narveson (1-0) struck out nine and ran his scoreless streak to 13 innings over his first two starts after working out of trouble multiple times. Fielder doubled in his first three at-bats in the first, third and fifth innings against Matt Garza (0-1) as Milwaukee built a 5-0 lead.

Ryan Braun scored three runs and drove in another, and Nyjer Morgan tripled, scored, walked with the bases loaded and made a leaping catch near the wall to keep Alfonso Soriano from an extra-base hit.

Burabie’a in action. (Inset) Abdulwahab Al-Omar

Raburn before holding on for his second save.

Dodgers 4, Padres 0 At San Diego, Hiroki Kuroda came within one out of his third career shutout and Andre Ethier had a homer among his three hits to lead Los Angeles over San Diego in the regularly scheduled game.

Earlier in the day, Tony Gwynn Jr. singled in the go-ahead run against his former team with two outs in the 11th inning and the Dodgers won a game that had been suspended at 1:40 a.m. after four rain delays totaling 3 hours, 36 minutes. The game took nearly 24 hours to complete.

Kuroda (2-0) gave up six hits in the nightcap and dominated until the seventh, when he still managed to get out of a bases-loaded jam. He gave up two singles in the ninth before Jonathan Broxton came on and issued a walk to load the bases.

The game ended when Chase Headley was called out for interference for colliding with third baseman Casey Blake, who was going for Cameron Maybin’s dribbler between shor tstop and third. Broxton saved both games, giving him five this season. The suspended game resumed at 5:35 p.m. on a chilly but clear evening and ended at 6:55 p.m.

Phillies 10, Braves 2 At Atlanta, Carlos Ruiz hit a pinch-hit grand slam and drove in five runs as Philadelphia pitcher Roy Oswalt earned his first career victory over Atlanta. Oswalt (20) gave up five hits and two runs, one earned, in six innings. The Braves were the

only National League team Oswalt had not beaten. Brian Schneider gave the Phillies a 3-2 lead with his two -run homer off Brandon Beachy (0-1) in the fourth. The Phillies had 15 hits, including eight for extra bases.

Marlins 7, Astros 5 At Houston, Greg Dobbs homered and drove in three runs for Florida in place of Donnie Murphy, who moved to shortstop in place of injured All-Star Hanley Ramirez.

The Marlins trailed in the sixth inning before an RBI double by Mike Stanton made MILWAUKEE: Chicago Cubs’ Matt Garza it 4-2. Dobbs tied it with his two-out, two- pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers durrun homer that landed in the right-field ing the first inning of a baseball game. —AP bullpen.

Chris Coghlan and Omar Infante both hit MLB results/standings run-scoring doubles in the seventh before Dobbs pushed the lead to 7-4 with an RBI double in the eighth.

Results and standings from MLB games on Rockies 6, Pirates 4 At Pittsburgh, Ty Wigginton hit a tiebreaking, three-run double in the eighth inning to keep Colorado atop the National League West four straight days for the first time since 2006.

With the bases loaded, Wigginton ripped a shot off reliever Jose Veras (0-1) and past diving third baseman Pedro Alvarez into the left-field corner. At 5-2, the Rockies have tied the 1998 team for the secondbest start in franchise history.

Mets 8, Nationals 4 At New York, Carlos Beltran hit two early home runs and Ike Davis hit a long two-run triple in the sixth as the Mets got several vital hits while beating Washington. Chris Capuano (1-0) pitched six gutsy innings in his first start for the Mets — and first start in April since 2007 — as New York avoided losing its first two at home since 1997.

Taylor Buchholz pitched a perfect seventh and Bobby Parnell nearly gave the lead back in the eighth, before Francisco Rodriguez relieved with two outs and induced pinch-hitter Matt Stairs into a groundout. Rodriguez finished for his first save since Aug. 10.

Reds 6, D’backs 1 At Phoenix, Bronson Arroyo allowed one run — unearned because of his own throwing error — in six innings, Jonny Gomes doubled in two runs in the ninth and Cincinnati overcame a strong pitching performance by Daniel Hudson to beat Arizona. Arroyo (2-0) scattered eight hits as the Diamondbacks failed to convert two scoring threats in the first four innings, then Arizona reliever Juan Gutierrez’s throwing error cleared the way for the Reds’ four-run ninth. Hudson (0-2) gave up two runs on three hits in seven innings, striking out eight. Scott Rolen had an RBI single and Jay Bruce hit a sacrifice fly for the Reds in the first.—AP

Saturday. NY Yankees 9, Boston 4; Philadelphia 10, Atlanta 2; Chicago White Sox 4, Tampa Bay 2; Kansas City 3, Detroit 1; Baltimore 5, Texas 0; LA Dodgers 4, San Diego 2 (11 Innings); Florida 7, Houston 5; Texas 13, Baltimore 1; Colorado 6, Pittsburgh 4; NY Mets 8, Washington 4; Milwaukee 6, Chicago Cubs 0; Oakland 1, Minnesota 0; Cincinnati 6, Arizona 1; LA Dodgers 4, San Diego 0; LA Angels 6, Toronto 5 (14 innings); Cleveland 2, Seattle 1; San Francisco 3, St. Louis 2.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT Baltimore 6 2 .750 Toronto 5 3 .625 NY Yankees 5 3 .625 Tampa Bay 1 7 .125 Boston 1 7 .125 Central Division Cleveland 6 2 .750 Kansas City 5 3 .625 Chicago W Sox 5 3 .625 Minnesota 3 5 .375 Detroit 3 5 .375 Western Division Texas 7 1 .875 LA Angels 4 4 .500 Oakland 3 5 .375 Seattle 2 6 .250 National League Eastern Division Philadelphia 6 2 .750 Florida 5 3 .625 NY Mets 4 4 .500 Atlanta 4 5 .444 Washington 3 5 .375 Central Division Cincinnati 6 2 .750 Pittsburgh 5 4 .556 Chicago Cubs 4 4 .500 Milwaukee 4 5 .444 St. Louis 2 6 .250 Houston 1 7 .125 Western Division Colorado 5 2 .714 LA Dodgers 5 3 .625 San Francisco 4 4 .500 San Diego 3 4 .429 Arizona 3 4 .429

GB 1 1 5 5 1 1 3 3 3 4 5 1 2 2.5 3 1.5 2 2.5 4 5 0.5 1.5 2 2

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

S P ORT S

Kenseth ends 76-race drought FORT WORTH: Matt Kenseth broke a 76race NASCAR Sprint Cup winless streak by claiming the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday.

Kenseth led 169 of 334 laps at the high-banked track for his 19th career victory, his first since California in February 2009. Since his other win at Texas in 2002, Kenseth had four runner-up finishes, including last fall behind Denny Hamlin, and six other top-10 finishes at the track.

This time, the No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford was only trailing late behind Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch when both of those drivers were out of sequence on stops and trying to stretch fuel in hopes of catching a caution. Lucky for Kenseth, there were no yellow flags at the wrong time.

Kenseth went back ahead to stay with 13 laps to go when Busch had to make his final stop and give up a 8.2-second lead. Kenseth finished 8.315 seconds ahead of Clint Bowyer. “Over two years, I didn’t know if I’d get a chance to get here again,” Kenseth said in Victory Lane.

It was a weekend sweep at Texas Motor Speedway for car owner Jack Roush after Carl Edwards won the Nationwide race Friday night. Roush has 16 NASCAR wins in Texas — eight in Cup, seven in Nationwide and one in Trucks.

All four of Roush’s drivers finished in the top seven. Edwards finished third, 17 seconds back, with Greg Biffle fourth and polesitter David Ragan seventh.

Edwards took over the season points

lead by nine over Kyle Busch, who finished 16th.

Stewart had gone 58 laps since his last stop with 58 laps to go, and had nearly a 17-second lead over Kenseth and more than 19 seconds over Bowyer when he made his stop. Any chance for a victory ended when Stewart got penalized for speeding on pit road. He finished 12th, the last driver on the lead lap even though he coasted across the finish line after running out of fuel. Kurt Busch finished 10th.

While Kenseth had led only five laps in the first six races this season, he got to Texas coming off three consecutive finishes in the top six and had been in the top 12 for every race since an accident in the season-opening Daytona 500 led to a 34th-place finish. Kenseth became the career laps leader at Texas, pushing his total to 669 laps in 18 starts.

The first night race of the season was also the first ever run under the lights at Texas, which hosted its 21st Sprint Cup race since the track opened in 1997.

Denny Hamlin finished 15th and Kevin Harvick 20th.

Harvick had won the last two Cup races this season at Martinsville and California. Hamlin swept both races at Texas last season and was trying to become the first driver to win three consecutive Cup races at the track. Both had problems early in the race, Harvick getting a penalty in the pits on the first stop and Hamlin with some power problems in his car. —AP

FORT WORTH: Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500. — AP

Caroline to face Elena in Family Circle Cup final CHARLESTON: World number one Caroline Wozniacki defeated Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic 6-4 6-4 on Saturday to set up a final meeting with Russian Elena Vesnina at the Family Circle Cup. Dane Wozniacki broke eighth-ranked Jankovic five times but also suffered three breaks of serve herself in a hard-fought encounter that lasted one hour 47 minutes.

Wozniacki is seeking her third tournament victory of the year after title triumphs at Indian Wells and Dubai. Vesnina, ranked

56th in the world, has never won a WTA Tour event and will hope to break through in her fifth final.

The 24-year-old defeated China’s Peng Shuai 7-6 6-3, avenging her defeat in the quarter-finals in Doha in February. Vesnina has impressed this week, beating number two seed and defending champion Sam Stosur on her way to the final.

Wozniacki defeated Vesnina in the final at New Haven in August 2009 and has a 4-1 record against the Russian. — Reuters

HOUSTON: Ryan Sweeting of the United States returns a shot to Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, in the semifinals at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship tennis tournament. —AP

Sweeting upsets Karlovic HOUSTON: Wild card Ryan Sweeting upset former champion Ivo Karlovic 7-6 6-3 to advance to the final of the US Clay Court Championship on Saturday.

American Sweeting, who will face Japan’s Kei Nishikori for the title, survived three break points in the fourth game and rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the tie breaker with five consecutive points to take the first set.

Sweeting broke Croatian Karlovic’s serve to take a 4-2 lead over the 2007 champion in the second set and closed out the match on serve.

“I feel great here in Houston,” Sweeting said. “Ivo had a three-hour match and was in a little bit of pain out here today. I knew he’d be serving big, but you can’t let that bother you. You’ve just got to take care of your own serve.

“It’s good to get to my first final here in the States and here in Houston.”

In the other semi-final, Nishikori defeated Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-3 7-5 to reach his second ATP Tour final.

He won the Delray Open in 2008.

Nishikori dropped serve in the fourth and sixth game of the second set but recovered by breaking Cuevas in the fifth and 11th games. Nishikori’s serve was nearly broken again in the 12th game but he fought off two break points to close the match with a forehand volley.

“I played great today, grinding away despite not being good on serve. It was tough conditions, hot and humid, but I battled through,” said Nikishori, who can become Japan’s highest ranked male player ever with a victory over Sweeting.

Nishikori is currently ranked 61st in the world, but would better Shuzo Matsuoka’s career best of 46th if he defeats Sweeting. —Reuters

Faultless Vettel wins Malaysian Grand Prix MALAYSIA: Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany (center) leads other drivers during the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix.

SEPANG: Sebastian Vettel powered to victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix yesterday, the German registering his second pole-to-flag win in as many races to open his Formula One title defence.

McLaren’s Jenson Button drove a composed race to take second place, ahead of a spirited Nick Heidfeld who capitalised on a brilliant start to round off the podium places in his Renault.

“Fantastic job. In the heat we kept our heads cool. Thank you,” Vettel told his Red Bull team over the radio after winning his fourth race in a row. “A pleasure every weekend to be with you.

I’m loving it.” Vettel’s team mate Mark Webber did well to claim fourth place following a poor start as both Red Bulls ditched the KERS boost system mid-race after suffering reliability issues.

On an afternoon when nursing the tyres through each stint was key and the threat of rain always an issue, Vettel drove a faultless race from the front and navigated the flurry of pit stops with a minimum of fuss.

“I think he was the coolest guy here todayhis composure in the car, the way he controlled the race, looked after the tyres, did what he needed to when he had to,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told reporters.

The Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso took the next two places, with Lewis Hamilton finishing seventh on the track in the other McLaren after he and Alonso collided when they were fighting for third late on.

Two hours after the race, stewards imposed retroactive 20-second time penalties on the former world champions for driving infringements, dropping Hamilton to eighth place behind Japanese Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi.

Alonso’s position remained unchanged with Mercedes’s Michael Schumacher and Force India’s Paul di Resta making up the final two

points scorers. The Renaults enjoyed the best of the start, Heidfeld and Russian Vitaly Petrov storming down the outside to get past the Ferraris and Webber and threaten the McLarens and Red Bulls at the head of the field.

Heidfeld reached second place by turn one and held off Hamilton until the first change of tyres, when a poor stop dropped him down the order until he battled back late in the race to match Petrov’s third-place finish in Melbourne.

Once Hamilton was clear of Heidfeld, the Briton began to eat into Vettel’s lead, but two tardy stops saw him lose track position to Button, who despite having a faster car than his team mate, was never able to threaten the leader. “It was a really confusing race in a way, understanding or trying to understand the pit stops and whether it is worth looking after the tyres or not, so pretty tricky,” Button said.

“In the last stint, putting the prime tyre on, the car came alive, I had so much more grip.”

Webber had a woeful start and was shuffled down the pack to 10th place as he struggled with the KERS system Red Bull had opted against using in the season-opener in Australia.

Running a four-stop strategy, his best stint was the run to the chequered flag when he closed in on Heidfeld in the final three laps after both had leapfrogged Alonso and Hamilton when they were forced to pit late on.

“It’s tough to clear people when they have a better KERS,” Webber said. “Anyway, it was an interesting grand prix and we keep learning. It’s not our day yet but I’m pushing for it to come.”

Double world champion Alonso’s Ferrari improved as the race progressed and he was battling Hamilton for track position on the 45th lap when he damaged his wing after slamming into the back of the McLaren.

The Spaniard pitted immediately, while

MALAYSIA: Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany kisses his trophy after winning the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix. —AP Hamilton opted to change the tyres of his damaged car and Heidfeld and Webber overtook him with four laps remaining.

“Obviously I was close, the rear wing didn’t work for me in the last part of the race, so I couldn’t over take him (Hamilton) on the straight line which was the best possibility,” Alonso said.

“Unfortunately we touched each other, I broke the front wing and had to pit again. It cost me maybe the podium today, but we will try again in China.”

Vettel moved to 50 points with the victory, 24 ahead of Button with Hamilton and Webber a further four points adrift as the series heads to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix next Sunday. — Reuters

Lawson hits 10 3s in Nuggets’ win DENVER: Ty Lawson made his first 10 3-pointers Saturday and scored a career-high 37 points to lead the short-handed Denver Nuggets to a 130106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Lawson, who was banged up from Denver’s rough-and-tumble loss at Oklahoma City one night before, didn’t score until sinking a pair of free throws at the 6-minute mark of the second quarter.

He then hit 10 of 11 from beyond the arc, including six during a 9-minute stretch spanning halftime that turned a tight game (41-39) into a laughter. Martell Webster and Lazar Hayward led the Timberwolves with 15 points each.

Spurs 111, Jazz 102 At San Antonio, Richard Jefferson scored 20 points as San Antonio began resting up with the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference secured.

The Spurs (61-19) have two games left and are 1 1/2 games ahead of Chicago for the NBA’s best record. DeJuan Blair had 12 points starting in place of Antonio McDyess, who got the night off. Coach Gregg Popovich said he won’t be overplaying anybody through the next week. Al Jefferson led Utah with 23 points.

Bucks 108, Cavaliers 101 At Milwaukee, Drew Gooden had his first career triple-double and John Salmons scored 32 points for Milwaukee. Gooden had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for the Bucks, hitting double-digits in all three stat categories in the middle of the third quarter. Baron Davis scored 19 points and Ramon Sessions added 15 for the Cavaliers in a matchup between two teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Rockets 99, Clippers 78 At Houston, Chase Budinger, Kevin Martin and Brad Miller scored 16 points each, and Chuck Hayes had 12 points and 13 rebounds to lead Houston.

Goran Dragic had 14 points, seven assists and a career-high 10 rebounds in his first start for the Rockets since he was acquired from Phoenix at the trade deadline. Eric Gordon scored 19 points and Blake Griffin had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers.

Wizards 115, Hawks 83 At Washington, Andray Blatche scored 23 points and John Wall had 19 as Washington dealt playoff-bound Atlanta its fourth straight loss.

The reeling Hawks, who are set to play Orlando in the first round, are heading into the postseason in less than ideal shape.

Al Horford led the Hawks with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Joe Johnson had 16 as coach Larry Drew pulled his starters early in the fourth quarter. — AP

DENVER: Denver Nuggets center Nene (31), from Brazil, and Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (14) from, Montenegro, go after a rebound during an NBA basketball game. — AP

NBA results/standings NBA results and standings on Saturday.

Washington 115, Atlanta 83; Houston 99, LA Clippers 78; Milwaukee 108, Cleveland 101; San Antonio 111, Utah 102; Denver 130, Minnesota 106.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT X-Boston 55 24 .696 X-NY Knicks 41 38 .519 X-Philadelphia 41 39 .513 New Jersey 24 55 .304 Toronto 21 58 .266 Central Division X-Chicago 59 20 .747 X-Indiana 37 43 .463 Milwaukee 33 47 .413 Detroit 28 51 .354 Cleveland 17 63 .213 Southeast Division X-Miami 55 24 .696 X-Orlando 50 29 .633 X-Atlanta 44 36 .550 Charlotte 32 47 .405 Washington 22 58 .275

GB 14 14.5 31 34 22.5 26.5 31 42.5 5 11.5 23 33.5

Western Conference Northwest Division X-Oklahoma City 53 26 .671 X-Denver 49 31 .613 X-Portland 47 33 .588 Utah 37 43 .463 Minnesota 17 63 .213 Pacific Division X-LA Lakers 55 24 .696 Phoenix 38 41 .481 Golden State 35 44 .443 LA Clippers 31 50 .383 Sacramento 23 56 .291 Southwest Division X-San Antonio 61 19 .763 X-Dallas 54 25 .684 X-New Orleans 46 33 .582 X-Memphis 45 34 .570 Houston 42 38 .525 X - clinched playoff spot

4.5 6.5 16.5 36.5 17 20 25 32 6.5 14.5 15.5 19

19

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

sp orts

Leverkusen down St Pauli BERLIN: Bayer Leverkusen cut Borussia Dortmund’s lead at the top of the Bundesliga to just five points yesterday as they came from behind to seal a 2-1 win at home against relegation-threatened St Pauli.

After Dortmund were held to a 1-1 draw at Hamburg on Saturday, secondplaced Leverkusen chipped away at Borussia’s lead and fought back as Germany striker Stefan Kiessling equalised before Lars Bender scored the winner.

The hosts had to dig deep after St Pauli’s Charles Takyi gave the guests a shock lead just after the break. With five games now remaining before the season finishes on May 14, Leverkusen have a crunch clash next Saturday at defending champions Bayern Munich.

The Bavarian giants are fourth-outside the Champions League places for next season-after drawing 1-1 at Nuremberg and sacked coach Louis van Gaal on Sunday with Leverkusen coach Jupp Heynckes set to take charge next season.

Second from bottom St Pauli are two points from safety and will play their next home game, against Werder Bremen on April 23, without spectators as punishment for the attack on an assistant referee by a fan ten days ago.

Earlier bottom side Borussia Moenchengladbach gave themselves a Bundesliga life-line with a shock 5-1 win over mid-table Cologne which

GERMANY: Leverkusen’s Sidney Sam (left) and St. Pauli goalkeeper Benedikt Pliquett challenge for the ball during the German First Division Bundesliga soccer match. —AP leaves the hosts four points from safety. ‘Gladbach are now in with a fighting chance of avoiding relegation after racing into a 3-0 lead after less than 40 minutes.

But Borussia have their work cut out with games against Mainz, leaders Dortmund, Hanover and Freiburg coming up with all four sides in the top half of the table. The bottom two teams in the Bundesliga are relegated automatically with the side 16th, third from bot-

tom, facing a play-off with the team third from top in the second division.

On Saturday, Hanover went third at the expense of Bayern with a 2-0 win at home to Mainz. Fresh from their 5-2 win at holder Inter Milan in the Champions League in midweek, Schalke 04 earned a 1-0 home over VfL Wolfsburg, whose ex-coach Felix Magath returned to Gelsenkirchen just three weeks after being sacked by the Royal Blues. — AFP

German League results/standings Borussia M’gladbach 5 (Arango 29, Reus 34, 39, Daems 65-pen, Nordtveit 67) Cologne 1 (Novakovic 50); Bayer Leverkusen 2 (Kiessling 66, L. Bender 77) St. Pauli 1 (Takyi 58).

Played Saturday Schalke 04 1 (Jurado 76) VfL Wolfsburg 0; Hamburg 1 (van Nistelrooy 39-pen) Borussia Dortmund 1 (Blaszczykowski 90+2); Freiburg 3 (Schuster 23, Cisse 60-pen, Butscher 78) Hoffenheim 2 (Ibisevic 34-pen, Babel 42); Hanover 96 2 (Ya Konan 45+1-pen, Pinto 59) Mainz 05 0; Nuremberg 1 (Eigler 60) Bayern Munich 1 (Mueller 5); VfB Stuttgart 2 (Kuzmanovic 26-pen, Pogrebnyak 39) Kaiserslautern 4 (Lakic 17, 79, Hoffer 68, Rivic 86).

German league table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): B’ Dortmund B’ Leverkusen Hanover B’ Munich Mainz Nuremberg Hamburg Freiburg Schalke

29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29

20 18 17 15 14 12 12 12 11

6 7 2 7 3 7 6 5 6

3 4 10 7 12 10 11 12 12

59 59 42 61 43 43 44 38 34

18 35 40 35 37 38 45 41 33

66 61 53 52 45 43 42 41 39

H’fenheim Cologne Kaiserslautern Bremen E’ Frankfurt V’ Stuttgart Wolfsburg St. Pauli B’M’gladbach

29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29

9 10 9 8 9 8 6 8 7

10 5 7 10 6 6 10 4 5

10 14 13 11 14 15 13 17 17

44 39 40 39 29 49 32 30 43

42 54 46 55 39 54 42 51 63

37 35 34 34 33 30 28 28 26

Napoli see off Bologna ROME: Napoli kept the pressure on Serie A leaders AC Milan with a composed 2-0 win at Bologna yesterday despite the absence of top scorer Edinson Cavani.

Giuseppe Mascara opened the scoring and a Marek Hamsik penalty secured the points as Napoli drew level with Milan.

Milan still lead due to a better head-to-head record while they could also re -establish their three-point lead at the top with victory at Fiorentina in the day’s late game.

But with six games left and missing their most effective player this season, Napoli proved they’re not going to give up their hopes of winning the title without a fight.

Asked how he felt being up the top, Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri replied: “It feels good and when you win it’s different.

“We need to try to win as much as possible. Today wasn’t an easy game, it was particularly hot but we did very well in the first half.

“We were under the cosh at the end but that’s to Bologna’s credit because they kept pushing right to the end.” In a largely lowkey first half, Napoli virtually sealed the three points with the only two clear chances they created.

The first came on the half hour mark but was helped in no small par t by Bologna goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano. Cristian Maggio crossed from the right and Ezequiel Lavezzi tried a clever flicked finish between his legs that was rolling wide of the far post with two defenders covering when Viviano dived out and pushed the ball straight into the path of Mascara who shot home.

ITALY: Bologna’s Gaby Mudingayi of Belgium (right) and Napoli’s Ezequiel Lavezzi of Argentina vie for the ball during a Serie A soccer match. —AP The second chance came on the stroke of half-time as Hamsik and Lavezzi both beat the offside trap, but, faced with a two-onone against Viviano, they almost fluffed their lines.

Hamsik tried to draw the goalkeeper and set-up his strike-partner but he failed to make Viviano commit and his pass was too soft, giving the Bologna stopper a chance to close down the Argentine.

Lavezzi tried to take the ball around him and Viviano brought him down, with a relieved Hamsik smashing home the spotkick. With a two-goal lead at halftime against a team that had created nothing, Napoli looked home and dry but Bologna were a transformed team after the restart. Marco Di Vaio tested goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis

with a fierce shot from distance and then moments later De Sanctis recklessly charged from his goal, was beaten to the ball

by Di Vaio but then watched on as the Bologna frontman somehow slotted his shot into the side-netting. Bologna top scorer Di Vaio was having a game to forget and his worst miss came nine minutes from time as he met a cross from Antonio Busce three yards out at the back post but scuffed his volley wide.

De Sanctis then came to his side’s rescue with a flying save three minutes from time to deny Matteo Rubin whose volley looked headed for the top corner. Lazio moved back into the top four and the crucial final Champions League qualifying position with a comfortable 2-0 win at home to Parma. — AFP

Italian serie A results/standings Juventus 3 (Rossi 50-og, Matri 63, Toni 83) Genoa 2 (Bonucci 7-og, Floro Flores 57); Bari 1 (Gazzi 33) Catania 1 (Maxi Lopez 44); Bologna 0 Napoli 2 (Mascara 30, Hamsik 45-pen); Cagliari 1 (Cossu 22) Brescia 1 (Caracciolo 61); Lazio 2 (Hernanes 23, Floccari 77) Parma 0; Palermo 2 (Kurtic 5, Pinilla 81) Cesena 2 (Parolo 90, Giaccherini 90); Sampdoria 1 (Maccarone 69) Lecce 2 (Di Michele 39, Olivera 66).

Playing later Fiorentina v AC Milan Played Saturday Inter Milan 2 (Cambiasso 66, Maicon 84) Chievo 0; Udinese 1 (Di Natale 88) Roma 2 (Totti 57-pen, 90).

Italian Serie A table ahead of yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): AC Milan Napoli Inter Milan Lazio Udinese Roma Juventus Palermo Cagliari Fiorentina Bologna

31 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 31 32

19 20 19 17 17 15 14 13 12 10 11

8 5 6 6 5 8 9 5 7 12 10

4 7 7 9 10 8 9 14 13 9 11

54 52 58 41 57 49 50 47 38 37 34

22 30 35 29 34 44 40 52 37 33 42

65 65 63 57 56 53 51 44 43 42 40

Genoa 32 10 9 13 31 37 Chievo 32 8 12 12 30 34 Catania 32 9 9 14 30 41 Lecce 32 9 7 16 35 53 Sampdoria 32 7 11 14 26 36 Parma 32 7 11 14 30 45 Cesena 32 7 10 15 29 45 Brescia 32 7 9 16 28 40 Bari 32 4 9 19 20 47 Note: Bologna deducted three points taxes and player salaries

39 36 36 34 32 32 31 30 21 for unpaid

Espanyol’s Euro hopes recede

FRANCE: Marseille’s French forward Andre-Pierre Gignac (right) challenges for the ball with Toulouse’s French defender Daniel Congre during their Division One soccer match. —AP

Marseille miss chance to pile pressure on Lille PARIS: Champions Marseille threw away the chance to pile the pressure on leaders Lille as they were held 2-2

by Toulouse in French league action yesterday.

Following Lille’s shock 1-0 defeat to Monaco on Saturday, Didier Deschamps’ side had a golden opportunity to close the gap to just one point at their Velodrome stadium. But despite Loic Remy opening after 30 minutes, the champions were playing catchup after Daniel Braaten levelled just before the break through the legs of goalie Steve Mandanda and Mauro Cetto headed in after 61 minutes. Andre-Pierre Gignac’s goal five minutes from time nevertheless ensured the hosts earned a share of the points. As the top three —

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League Liverpool v Man City Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

22:00

Spanish League Zaragoza v Getafe Al Jazeera Sport +2 Al Jazeera Sport 2 HD

22:00

Lille, Marseille and Rennes — disappointed this weekend Lyon could move third on Sunday night when they host Lens. Lille have 58 points from 30 games with Marseille three points behind and Rennes on 51, one point ahead of former multiple champions Lyon.

A first half strike from South Korean forward Park Chu Young ensured Lille suffered just their fourth defeat of the season on Saturday as Monaco moved out of the drop zone. Lille have lost an important tie with a view to claiming their first league title in 53 years. Third-placed Rennes’ title ambitions were further hit as they fell 2-0 at midtable Brest, leaving them four games without a win and in danger of being overtaken by Lyon.

The leaders were reduced to ten men after 37 minutes when Gervinho was given his marching orders, as their rivals showed a battling spirit which ensured they move out of the relegation zone into 14th place.

But it was a nightmare return from injury for Lille’s Adil Rami as his poor back pass to goalkeeper Mickael Landreau allowed Park to score the winning goal.

Although Lille monopolised the ball for long periods Rudi Garcia’s side seemed tense and unable to create real chances.

And faced with the incessant Monaco pressure, Gervinho lost his cool and was sent off for a foul on Adriano eight minutes before the break. Landreau did well to keep out a second Park effort four minutes into the second half. In Brittany, Brest opened with a superb first half goal from Nolan Roux under the eyes of Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish, who had come to watch Rennes goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez. — AFP

MADRID: Espanyol’s European hopes took a further knock yesterday as their poor form continued with a disappointing 0-0 draw away to Hercules.

With Athletic Bilbao losing 3-0 to Real Madrid and Sevilla only drawing 2-2 with Mallorca, Espanyol could have boosted their Europa League hopes while Hercules’ aim was to move out of the relegation zone. Espanyol have struggled badly since Christmas and had lost eight of the last ten games going into the match. There was little danger caused by either side in the first half but after the break Hercules pressed forward. Royston Drenthe carried the greatest threat and went clos-

est to scoring with a header which came back off the crossbar. Secondfrom-bottom Malaga remain behind Hercules on goal difference as they also drew 0-0 against Deportivo la Coruna. It was a result that suited the Galicians, who are also in relegation trouble, particularly after defender Laure Sanabria was sent-off.

Sporting Gijon followed up their win over Real Madrid last weekend with a 1-0 victory against Osasuna thanks to a David Barral strike while Racing Santander drew 1-1 with Levante. The visitors were heading for defeat following a Nano Rivas own goal but were rescued by Rafa Jorda in

the dying minutes. The fight for third place is between Valencia and Villarreal who are comfortably clear of the sides below them and later they go head-to head. “This is a game in which you can consider eight points are at stake, as there are those that you win and the other doesn’t while also the goal average,” said Valencia coach Unai Emery. “We need to be solid and play well for the full 90 minutes because Villarreal pressure a lot.” On Saturday, Barcelona took a fur ther step towards the title after coming from behind to beat Almeria 3-1 and maintain their eight-point lead at the top of the table. — AFP

Spanish League results/standings Sporting Gijon 1 (Barral 66) Osasuna 0; Hercules 0 Espanyol 0; Malaga 0 Deportivo La Coruna 0; Racing Santander 1 (Nano 32-og) Levante 1 (Jorda 89).

Playing later Atletico Madrid v Real Sociedad; Valencia v Villarreal Played Saturday Athletic Bilbao 0 Real Madrid 3 (Kaka 13-pen, 54-pen, Ronaldo 70); Barcelona 3 (Messi 52-pen, 91, Thiago 63) Almeria 1 (Corona 49); Real Mallorca 2 (Aki 16, De Guzman 43) Sevilla 2 (Negredo 31-pen, Rakitic 68).

Playing today Real Zaragoza v Getafe Spanish League table after yesterday’s early matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Barcelona Real Madrid Valencia Villarreal Sevilla A’ Bilbao Espanyol A’ Madrid Levante R’ Mallorca

31 31 30 30 31 31 31 30 31 31

27 24 17 16 13 14 14 12 11 11

3 4 6 6 7 3 2 6 6 6

1 3 7 8 11 14 15 12 14 14

85 72 46 48 48 47 38 45 34 33

16 22 35 31 46 45 43 41 41 42

84 76 57 54 46 45 44 42 39 39

S’ Gijon Santander Osasuna Sociedad Deportivo Getafe Zaragoza Hercules Malaga Almeria

31 31 31 30 31 30 30 31 31 31

9 9 9 11 8 9 7 8 8 5

11 10 8 2 11 7 9 6 6 11

11 12 14 17 12 14 14 17 17 15

29 31 36 40 25 41 29 28 39 32

35 45 37 51 40 49 43 48 62 54

38 37 35 35 35 34 30 30 30 26

Maidana outpoints Morales

16

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

Dementieva clinches European beam gold

17

Napoli see off Bologna in Italian League Page 19

LONDON: Arsenal’s Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas (center) vies for the ball during the game against Blackpool in the English Premiership football match. —AFP

Arsenal brush aside Blackpool Blackpool 1

Arsenal 3 BLACKPOOL: Arsenal closed the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United to seven points after goals from Abou Diaby, Emmanuel Eboue and Robin van Persie earned a 3-1 win at Blackpool yesterday. With Jens Lehmann making his first appearance for Arsene Wenger’s side since coming out of retirement in March, the visitors surged into a two-goal half-time lead.

Diaby scored his second of the season and Eboue managed his first of the campaign in the space of three minutes.

Gar y Taylor-Fletcher ’s effort gave Blackpool hope of a revival just after half time but that was extinguished when Van Persie finished off a counter attack to seal the win. Wenger’s team still have a game in hand on United, who have to travel to the Emirates on May 1, while Blackpool remain just one point above the relegation zone after extending their miserable run to one win in 12 matches.

Arsenal faced disruption before kick-off with Manuel Almunia picking up a knee injury in the warm up and having to be replaced by Lehmann.

Lehmann had an anxious early start as the Premier league strugglers enjoyed the better of the opening to the game at Bloomfield Road.

Charlie Adam picked out Ian Evatt with a corner to the near post and the Seasiders’ defender glanced his header just wide of Lehmann’s goal.

At the other end, Andrei Arshavin lobbed over after goalkeeper Richard Kingson and defender Craig Cathcart both went for Cesc Fabregas’s cross.

Lehmann did well to hold a Luke Varney

cross, with DJ Campbell and Jason Puncheon lurking at the near post and Evatt headed over from another Adam corner. But with 17 minutes gone, Arsenal cut the hosts apart with a swift break.

Diaby won the ball in his own half and fed Fabregas, who clipped into space down the left for Van Persie. And the Dutchman rolled a simple pass across the area for Diaby to tap in at the far post.

Arsenal doubled their lead three minutes later when Eboue swapped passes with Jack Wilshere, burst into the area past Varney and thumped a shot past Kingson.

Van Persie could have added a third when he was played in behind the Blackpool defence by Fabregas but his low shot was held by Kingson.

Blackpool’s Ghanaian goalkeeper was also forced into a fine save from Samir Nasri and the Frenchman also saw a prod at goal bounce wide off a post as Arsenal continued to press.

Van Persie also had a third effort ruled out for offside but in stoppage time, Lehmann did well to block from TaylorFletcher in a goalmouth scramble. After the break, Varney just failed to turn a shot on target from Adam’s free kick.

But six minutes into the second period, Blackpool struck back with a fine effort of their own. Wilshere brought down Varney on half-way but the referee waved play on and Jason Puncheon played DJ Campbell in behind the defence.

Lehmann pulled the Blackpool striker down but again advantage was played as Taylor-Fletcher squeezed a shot in at the far post. Keith Southern should have pulled the hosts level from Taylor-Fletcher’s cross but he failed to make contact with an attempted header.

Van Persie could have restored the advantage just after the hour but drove his cross-shot just past the post. But Van Persie made no mistake when he got on the end of a cross from Theo Walcott to score Arsenal’s third in the 76th minute.—AFP

EPL results/standings Aston Villa 1 (Collins 24) Newcastle 0; Blackpool 1 (Taylor-Fletcher 52) Arsenal 3 (Diaby 18, Eboue 21, Van Persie 76) Played Saturday Blackburn 1 (Hoilett 45) Birmingham 1 (Bowyer 32); Bolton 3 (Sturridge 14, 51, Lee 20) West Ham 0; Chelsea 1 (Malouda 67) Wigan 0; Man Utd 2 (Berbatov 12, Valencia 32) Fulham 0; Sunderland 2 (Shorey 10-og, Bardsley 31) West Brom 3 (Odemwingie 28, Mulumbu 54, Scharner 72); Tottenham 3 (Crouch 11, 34, Modric 18) Stoke 2 (Etherington 27, Jones 41); Wolves 0 Everton 3 (Beckford 21, Neville 39, Bilyaletdinov 45).

Playing today Liverpool v Man City English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd 32 20 9 3 70 32 69 Fulham 32 8 14 10 36 35 38 Arsenal 31 18 8 5 62 30 62 Stoke 32 11 5 16 39 42 38 Chelsea 31 17 7 7 55 25 58 Sunderland 32 9 11 12 35 45 38 Man City 31 16 8 7 50 27 56 Aston Villa 32 9 10 13 40 53 37 Tottenham 31 14 11 6 44 36 53 Blackburn 32 9 8 15 40 52 35 Liverpool 31 13 6 12 42 38 45 Birmingham 31 7 14 10 31 43 35 Everton 32 10 14 8 45 41 44 Blackpool 32 9 6 17 46 66 33 Bolton 32 11 10 11 46 43 43 West Ham 32 7 11 14 38 56 32 Newcastle 32 10 9 13 48 47 39 W’hampton 32 9 5 18 36 56 32 West Brom 32 10 9 13 46 59 39 Wigan 32 6 13 13 29 52 31

Rangers close gap on Celtic

LONDON: Aston Villaís English forward Gabriel Agbonlahor (center) vies with Newcastle United’s Spanish defender Sanchez Jose Enrique (left) and Newcastle United’s Argentinian defender Fabricio Coloccini during their English Premier League football match. —AFP

Collins’ header eases pressure on Houllier Aston Villa 1

Newcastle 0 LONDON: James Collins eased the pressure on Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier as his header secured a 1-0 win over Newcastle yesterday.

Collins had been fined two weeks wages by Houllier in March for his part in a health spa altercation with the Frenchman’s coaching staff, but the Wales defender doesn’t seem to hold a grudge judging by his impressive efforts at Villa Park.

He headed the only goal midway through the first half and spent the rest of the match keeping Newcastle’s forwards at bay as Villa moved five points clear of the relegation zone.

It was hardly a classic performance but even so it was a vital victory for Houllier after Villa fans vented their anger at the former Liverpool boss following a recent home defeat against Wolves.

As an added bonus, the win also went some way to avenging Villa’s 6-0 thrashing at Newcastle in August. The Magpies were the first to threaten and a dangerous left-wing cross from Jose Enrique picked out the run of Joey Barton at the far post, only for the midfielder to head well over.

Villa keeper Brad Friedel went down to his lef t to gather Nile R anger ’s low

attempt from Jonas Gutierrez’s throughball. But that bright start from Newcastle quickly faded after 24 minutes when Collins put Villa ahead.

Bar ton was penalised for bringing down Ashley Young, who took the freekick himself and Collins’ glancing header flew past goalkeeper Steve Harper into the far corner of the net.

Young had a shot deflected wide after finding plenty of space 20 yards out, then a goalbound header from Richard Dunne was blocked from the resulting corner by Young.

Villa thought they had scored again just before half-time but Darren Bent’s effort was harshly ruled offside. The hosts started the second period on the offensive and a mistake by Barton allowed Stiliyan Petrov to find Gabriel Agbonlahor in space on the left flank.

He had time to make ground into the Newcastle box and his curling shot was parried aside by Steve Harper. Villa were in the ascendancy and Harper went down to cling on to Agbonlahor’s low shot on the turn.

The home side appealed in vain for a penalty when Steven Taylor barged into England striker Bent af ter an hour.

Houllier’s side were still searching for the second goal and Collins had a goalbound header cleared from a Young corner.

Newcastle finally mounted a late rally and Friedel clung on to a Peter Lovenkrands header before blocking a low drive from Danish striker in injurytime.—AFP

GLASGOW: Nikica Jelavic’s superb free-kick fired Rangers to a 1-0 win at Hamilton yesterday that kept the champions in touch with leaders Celtic.

Walter Smith’s side were well below their best against the league’s bottom club, but they still managed to take the points as Jelavic curled home a first half free -kick after Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor had saved Dougie Imrie’s penalty.

Rangers are now two points behind Celtic and have played the same number of games as their Glasgow rivals, setting up the prospect of dramatic battle for the title over the final weeks of the season.

Smith believes the return to fitness of several key players could be a decisive factor as the Gers try to overhaul Celtic. “It will certainly help us, there is no doubt about that,” he said. “I would hope we would get a little bit of freshness.

“The players are giving a great deal so it’s not a complaint about my team today and I’m sure they will show a good reaction in Wednesday’s game at Aberdeen.”

Hamilton had a golden opportunity to take the lead when referee Alan Muir ruled that Steven Davis had fouled Imrie in the area with 16 minutes gone.

Imrie took the spot-kick himself but shot tamely at McGregor and the Scotland goalkeeper kept the scoreline level with an easy save.

Accies still looked capable of grabbing the opener and Ali Crawford whipped over a dangerous cross into the goal-mouth that was missed by David Buchanan before bouncing off Gary McDonald and just failing to cross the line.

Rangers applied some pressure of their own and Maurice Edu drew a decent block from Tomas Cerny before the goalkeeper prevented Jelavic’s pointblank strike from finding the back of the net moments later.

It wasn’t long before Croatian striker Jelavic was celebrating. A minute from the interval he was fouled by Alex Neil just outside the area and brushed himself off to bend his free-kick into the top corner.

Hamilton’s James Chambers should have done better with a shot from the edge of the box that he blasted well over early in the second half.

Edu had suffered a knock to his head earlier in the game and he was replaced by El-Hadji Diouf for the last 20 minutes and the on-loan Blackburn forward tried his luck with a shot that was blocked by Mark Carrington.

Accies almost snatched late leveller when substitute James McAlister unleashed a ferocious shot that produced a fine save from McGregor.—AFP Nikica Jelavic

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Banking sector profitability improves Page 22

Kuwait trading cautious, price index edges lower Page 24

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

GM registers 16% Q1 total sales rise in ME

IFC Fund completes major capital investments in AUB

Page 23

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BEIJING: A shopper browses through racks of clothing for sale at a store in Beijing yesterday. China said it had returned a trade surplus in March after the world’s number two economy posted its first trade deficit in nearly a year in February. — AFP

China posts first quarterly trade gap in 7 years Rising commodity prices push manufacturing costs SHANGHAI: China said yesterday it had posted its first quarterly trade deficit in seven years, despite a narrow surplus in March, as rising commodity prices pushed manufacturers’ costs higher.

China recorded a small trade deficit of $1.02 billion for the first quarter, its first since the beginning of 2004. But analysts said a large trade surplus was expected for the full year as its exports tend to grow later in the year.

“China’s demand is strong and the prices of bulk commodities are high currently, but the situation won’t last as China’s exports usually go up in the second half of each year,” UBS economist Wang Tao told Dow Jones Newswires.

Exports rose 26.5 percent on year in the first quar ter and imports were up 32.6 percent on

year. The quarter’s trade deficit was due to the strong rise in impor ts, the General Administration of Customs said in a statement.

“The value of imports in the first quarter hit a record high for the first time of more than $400 billion,” the customs administration said.

For the month of March, China bounced back to a $140 million surplus after posting a $7.3 billion-trade deficit in February-its first since March 2010. February’s slowdown was typical of China’s festive season, when factories ease off-and in most cases close-after cranking up production before the Lunar New Year holiday.

March exports rose 35.8 percent from the same month a year earlier, up from February’s 2.4 percent rise. Imports rose 27.3

percent, up from 19.4 percent in February. Rising prices for raw materials helped push up the value of imports.

The March surplus caught analysts by surprise. A Dow Jones poll of 13 economists had forecast a median monthly deficit of $4.0 billion for March.

In 2010, China posted a $7.24 billion deficit in March, as companies stocked up on imported raw materials, many of which were later processed into goods for export. For the full year, China posted a $183.1 billion surplus.

Analysts said the quarterly trade deficit suggested China was making progress in rebalancing its export-reliant economy. “The rebalancing is happening. It’s only a matter of time,” BNP Paribas economist Isaac Meng told Dow Jones, adding rising import prices were erod-

ing the surplus while domestic inflation was raising expor t prices.

Washington, one of the harshest critics of Beijing’s trade policy, acknowledged in March that China was taking steps to boost imports. US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said last month that China had no alternative but to shift its growth strategy towards relying more on domestic growth as demand weakens in the US and Europebut added it needed to do more.

China is planning to cut tariffs on imports as it seeks to boost domestic demand, state media has repor ted. The state -run China Daily quoted Vice Commerce Minister Zhing Shan last month as saying not only would the government cut tariffs, but it would also relax some restrictions on importers. — AFP

Iceland rejects debt deal again REYKJAVIK: Iceland faces more economic uncertainty and a drawn-out European court case after its voters rejected for a second time a plan to repay $5 billion to Britain and the Netherlands from a bank crash.

The British and Dutch governments voiced disappointment with the result of Saturday’s referendum, in which almost 60 percent of voters opposed the repayment deal. “We must do all we can to prevent political and economic chaos as a result of this outcome,” Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir told state television.

The issue will now be settled by the court of the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA), the European trade body overseeing Iceland’s cooperation with the European Union. “My estimate is

that the process will take a year, a year and a half at least, Finance Minister Steingrimur Sigfusson told a news conference.

The debt was incurred when Britain and the Netherlands compensated their nationals who lost savings in online “Icesave” accounts owned by Landsbanki, one of three overextended Icelandic banks that collapsed in late 2008, triggering an economic meltdown in the countr y of 320,000 people.

Economists have said failure to resolve the issue means Iceland faces delays ending currency controls, boosting investment and returning to financial markets for funding. But the centre-left coalition government said it would not resign despite the defeat.

“The government will emphasize maintaining economic and

financial stability in Iceland and continuing along the path of reconstruction which it began following the economic collapse of 2008,” it said in a statement. It said a fresh round of talks on further funding from the International Monetary Fund, which led a bailout for the island, would be delayed several weeks, but that it had enough foreign exchange reserves to cover debts maturing this year and next.

The proposed deal at issue in Saturday ’s vote set a clear timetable for repaying the Dutch and the British, including interest.

But voters rejected the idea that taxpayers should foot the bill for what they see as bankers’ irresponsibility. “I know this will probably hurt us internationally, but it is worth taking a stance,” Thorgerdun Asgeirsdottir, a 28-

year-old barista, said after casting a “no” vote. Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager said: “This is not good for Iceland, nor for the Netherlands. The time for negotiations is over. Iceland remains obliged to repay. The issue is now for the courts to decide.” Economists have said the court route could be much costlier. The government still hopes most of the debt will eventually be paid back from the estate of the bankrupt Landsbanki.

Ratings agencies were following the vote closely. Moody’s had said it might lower Iceland’s rating in case of a ‘no’.

Standard & Poor ’s analyst Eileen Zhang said a ‘no’ vote “might possibly result in a lengthy legal process and further uncertainties regarding the ultimate fiscal cost”. —Reuters

Kuwait’s strategic options in focus Euromoney Conference opens today KUWAIT: Euromoney Conferences, the conference division of the Euromoney, will open its third Kuwait finance event today. The conference will discuss strategic options for the financing of Kuwait’s development. “The holding of the conference now sends a signal, said Richard Banks, Euromoney’s director for EMEA Emerging Markets, in an interview.

“The time to develop in now,” said Banks “not at some mythical point in the future when all conditions will be perfect. Development is a process and not always a straightforward one - but it is always a necessary one. The world is moving forward and those who do not move with it will necessar y be left behind.” Excerpts from the interview: Questions: Seeing that this is the 3rd Euromoney Conference in Kuwait, can you explain why Kuwait is perceived as an interesting/attractive market?

Answer: Kuwait needs to invest some of its own capital in its own future. It will do this. The question is how and when.

Our conference will focus on developing structures, methods and strategies for this investment. We will advocate an efficient use of Kuwaiti capital for Kuwaiti objectives. We will also highlight the benefit of international capital and partnership in making the development of Kuwait a reality.

Q: What are the objectives of this conference? a: To develop the Kuwaiti financial sector to support wider national development b. To introduce international partners and capital to Kuwaiti projects c. To bring the Kuwaiti story to a wider international audience.

Q: What were the results of the first two conferences that took place in Kuwait? And what are the expected results of the upcoming conference? a: The first two conferences brought international opportunities to Kuwaiti

Richard Banks investors. We focused on the global economy and presented a number of interesting opportunities. b. We expect to have a series of strategies and recommendations for the deepening of the Kuwaiti financial sector.

Q: Can you tell us more about Euromoney conferences?

A: Euromoney is the world’s leading organizer of conferences for capital markets and cross-border investment. The company produces over 50 international events each year, from Austria to Zambia, for portfolio and direct investors, financial intermediaries, corporations, governments, banks and financial institutions.

Euromoney conferences offer financiers and policy-makers the opportunity to exchange ideas, develop new contacts and participate in informed, impartial and leading edge discussions. www.euromoneyconferences.com. The Euromoney Conference business grew out of Euromoney, the strategic magazine of international finance, money and capital markets that has long been regarded by the banking and investment community as the leading publication in its field.

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MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

business

Banking sector profitability improves despite LLP stress KAMCO RESEARCH REPORT KUWAIT: Driven by the volatility in capital and foreign exchange markets along with challenging business environment, non-interest income (fees and commission, investments and FX income) has been following a downward trend since 2008 when it reached a record high of KD 854.3 million. 2010 was not an exception as the banking sector was not able to grow its Non-interest income which dropped by 1 per cent to record KD 602 million. KFH generated around KD 216 million in non-interest Income (36 per cent of the sector), while NBK lagged behind with a noninterest income of KD 139.8 million.

NBK enjoys a leading position by generating the highest interest income among Kuwaiti banks with a value of KD 517.6 million followed by KFH with a financing income of KD 482 million.

Overall, total operating income for the sector was stagnant during 2010 at KD 1.8 billion despite the drop in interest and non-interest income; this was achieved by reducing financing cost and cutting operating expenses to adapt to the challenging business and economic environment.

Net Profit Kuwaiti banks were able to grow their bottom line results by 62 per cent during 2010 to KD 575.3 million up from KD 355.8 million, fueled by the reduction in loan loss provisions (LLP) booked during the year which dropped by 31 per cent to KD 507.7 million.

NBK remains the most profitable bank in Kuwait and was able to grow its net profit during 2010 by 13.7 per cent to KD 302 million. Therefore, NBK contributed to around 52.4 per cent of Kuwaiti banks’ net profits during 2010 down from a share of 74.6 per cent in 2009 when 3 out of the 9 listed banks reported together a net loss of KD 88 million. In 2007 KFH was the most profitable bank with a share contribution of 26.6 per cent of aggregate profits, NBK closely followed with a 26.4 per cent. However, KFH lost this leading role and was severely hit by the financial turmoil as net profit has been following a continuous downward trend since 2008 to reach KD 106 million in 2010 down from a historic high net profit of KD 275.3 million in 2007.

Despite this significant improvement in profitability, LLP continues to weigh down on banks’ profitability on the back of the deterioration in the quality of the sector’s loan portfolio in the aftermath of the financial turmoil that hit the region in 2008.

Revenue Stream Revenue stream for the local banks didn’t witness any major development during 2010 with all sources of income and operating profit remaining stagnant and tight.

Interest income generated by Kuwaiti banks dropped during 2010 by 10 per cent to KD 1.795 billion due to the tight credit conditions and drop in interest rates along with the stagnant growth in loan portfolio driven by elevated credit and market risk

which pushed banks to implement conservative lending policies. Net interest income was almost flat at KD 1.2 billion, while non-interest income edged down by 1 per cent, an indication of slowdown in economic activity in the private sector.

Operating Income The sector has maintained the same level of operating income since 2007 at around KD 1.8 billion, despite the challenging business environment and the repercussions of the financial crisis. However, elevating market

risk and provisioning weighed down on profitability and eroded part of operating profits. KFH generated the highest operating income during 2010 at KD 573.4 million, followed by NBK with an operating income of KD 498.6 million. This indicates that Kuwaiti banks still enjoy solid asset base and are well positioned to benefit from financing opportunities that might arise in the local market.

Loan Loss Provisions (LLP) and its Impact on Profitability Total provisions booked during the last 3 years (2008 to 2010) amounted to KD 2.1 billion, more than double the historic profits reported in the post-crisis year 2007 when banks’ net profit recorded a historic high of KD 1.03 billion. Looking forward, LLP will continue to put downward pressure on profitability during 2011 mainly due to the uncertainty in the local credit market and the high exposure to the local property market and stressed investment companies as well as local corporates.

Return on Average Equity for FY-2010 In line with the sector’s positive performance during FY 2010, core profitability ratio, Return on Average Equity (ROAE) improved to 10.4 per cent, up from 7.5 per cent in 2009, yet still below the 23.5 per cent recorded during 2007. The improvement in ROAE is mainly attributed to the lower provisioning and impairments losses for investment securities which recorded KD 508 million compared to KD 740 million in 2009.

Continuous recovery in net profit will be determined by the developments in the quality of banks’ loan portfolios and the level of provisions that will be booked to further cover NPLs as the NPLs coverage ratio (Available Provisions / NPLs) remains below 100 per cent. This means that additional provisions would be booked to reach the 100 per cent mark as per the regulations set by the Central Bank of Kuwait assuming that recovery of some NPLs is unlikely.

Net Interest Margin Net Interest Margin (NIM) which reached a peak of 3.3 per cent in 2008 saw a slight gradual downward movement over the period 2009-2010, to stand at 3.19 per cent in 2010, equivalent to the 4-year average over the period 2007-2010. The reason behind a decreasing NIM is mainly associated with the drop in interest differential as the various cuts on benchmark rates during the period 2008-2010 resulted in lower yield on interest earning assets while at the same the time funding cost witnessed no major decline in order for bank to maintain their deposit levels.

Kuwait Finance House is still in the lead, as it has consistently outperformed its peer group with a NIM of 4.19 per cent in 2010; however, followed the same downward trend during the last two years. National Bank of Kuwait and Boubyan bank recorded the second and third highest NIM of 3.35 per cent and 3.18 per cent, respectively.

Paolo De Renzis

LatAm, Mideast get a step closer thanks to BA-Iberia merger KUWAIT: British Airways and Iberia are placing their codes on a new tranche of one another’s flights, bringing Latin America closer for BA’s customers and the Middle East to the doorstep of Iberia’s travellers.

British Airways has placed its code on Iberia flights between Madrid and San Jose (Costa Rica) and Panama City. Iberia has added its code to British Airways flights to Bahrain, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait and Muscat.

Iberia will also add its code onto British Airways’ services to Cape Town and both airlines will share their Johannesburg flights. Iberia’s flights to Havana will also carry the BA code from mid April.

Paolo De Renzis, Regional Commercial Manager, Middle East, said: “Our customers in the UK and the Middle East are now seeing the real benefit of our merger with Iberia as we introduce these exciting routes to them. Latin America and Spain is a real draw for our travellers and it will be simpler for Iberia’s customers to access the Middle East.”

Customers are also now able to mix and match Iberia and British Airways’ flights to and from Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, Lagos and Cairo enabling them to access flights to suit either their schedule or their budget.

Bahrain’s Arcapita exits Indian investment MedPlus DUBAI: Bahrain-based Islamic investment firm Arcapita exited its Indian healthcare investment in MedPlus Health Services with returns of more than 60 percent over its own expectations, a company statement said yesterday.

Arcapita sold its stake in the Indian company to a consortium of private equity investors after becoming the largest shareholder in MedPlus in 2007 in a transaction valuing the company at $72 million. The statement did not give a figure for the sale amount.

The private equity firm maintains a positive outlook on India for investment opportunities, it said. “Throughout India, we continue to see opportunities in each of our asset classes of private equity, real estate and infrastructure,” Chief Executive Officer Atif Abdulmalik, said in the statement. “We are investing further resources to develop our business there and to satisfy what we believe is growing investor demand for high quality Indian investments.” Arcapita was badly hit by the financial crisis as it struggled to exit its investments due to global investor woes and its fee income from raising fresh funds in the Gulf Arab region collapsed. It expects to exit more investments to allow it to return to profit. The firm also has a $1.1 billion loan due in April 2012. Last month, AssetCo Plc, the largest outsourcing partner to the London Fire Brigade, rejected what it called an opportunistic takeover approach from the Islamic investment firm. —Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.271500 .4495000 .3970000 .3020000 .2860000 .2890000 .0062670 .0020000 .0748350 .7290950 .3870000 .0700000 .7147450 .0045000 .0450000

.2810000 .4580000 .4050000 .310000 .2950000 .2960000 .0063870 .0035000 .0755870 .7364220 .4070000 .0770000 .7219290 .0072000 .0560000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2756500 .2777500 .4516390 .4550790 .3991690 .4022100 .3042330 .3065500 .2884120 .2906090 .0535100 .0539170 .0445280 .0448670 .2911830 .2934010 .0354700 .0357400 .2192750 .2209450 .0032540 .0032780 .0000000 .0063270 .0000000 .0025250 .0000000 .0032830 .0000000 .0038850 .0750780 .0756500 .7316520 .7372260 .0000000 .3928570 .0735260 .0740860 .7165320 .7219910 .0000000 .0064970

US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.329 6.277 3.263 2.505 3.945 220.970 35.666 3.800

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

6.457 9.228 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 73.904 76.154 719.890 735.950 75.454

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 48.750 46.423 1.268 203.340 391.400 183.800 5.983 35.981

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 277.050 Euro 405.430 Sterling Pound 458.160 Canadian dollar 294.300 Turkish lire 183.460 Swiss Franc 311.010 Australian dollar 292.590 US Dollar Buying 275.850 GOLD 275.000 138.000 71.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees

SELL CASH SELL DRAFT 296.200 294.700 736.430 736.430 3.990 3.805 293.200 291.700 543.900 14.100 54.800 167.800 221.600 49.110 46.544 405.000 403.500 36.340 36.190 6.500 6.290

Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

0.033 0.249 0.246 3.360 392.980 0.187 93.810 47.600 4.340 220.400 1.877 52.600 719.250 3.340 6.620 76.600 73.930 221.610 44.180 2.687 458.400 45.600 308.500 5.900 9.570 196.263 75.560 277.300 1.260

0.032

391.380 0.186 93.810 3.950 218.900

Sterling Pound US Dollar

307.000 5.900 9.430 75.460 276.900

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 456.400 276.900

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees

Selling Rate 277.700 290.250 454.725 398.290 300.352 734.993 75.584 76.255 74.023 392.280 46.667 2.512 6.282

3.264 3.818 6.424 681.183 3.390 9.303 6.057 4.016 91.329

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. 719.070 3.270 6.460 76.170 73.930 221.610 44.180 2.505 456.400

GOLD 1,529.460

10 Tola

Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 276.800 3.275 6.300 2.530 3.810 6.470 75.465 73.995 735.900 46.430 461.200 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 393.300 5.750 406.600 295.200

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 276.450 Euro 403.300 Pound Sterling 456.200 Canadian Dollar 291.500 Japanese Yen 3.285 Indian Rupee 6.290 Egyptian Pound 46.450 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.504 Bangladesh Taka 3.799 Philippines Peso 6.450 Pakistan Rupee 3.273 Bahraini Dinar 736.400 UAE Dirham 75.400 Saudi Riyal 73.000 *Rates are subject to change

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

BUSINESS

Chevrolet enjoys a 28% surge in sales GM registers 16% Q1 total sales rise in Mideast DUBAI: March solidified a successful first quarter for General Motors in the Middle East. Dealers reported total sales of 11,651 vehicles in the month across Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC, which represented an increase of 13 percent over March 2010.

The strong performance in March, which represented a fourth consecutive month of double-digit growth, contributed to total sales of 29,870 vehicles for the first quarter of the year - up 16 percent compared to a year earlier.

Retail sales - purchases made by individual customers - in March soared 50 percent and increased 40 percent during the first quarter. Retail sales represented a healthy 72 percent of the company’s total sales in the region in March and 69 percent for the first quarter.

“GM Middle East had a good month and a solid first quarter of 2011, despite some unrest in the region and the tragic disasters in Japan,” said John Stadwick, President and Managing Director of GM Middle East Operations. “As we strive to focus on providing our customers with the best experience, both in sales and service, our customers are responding favorably to our cars, crossovers and sport utility vehicles.”

GM’s Newest Vehicles Continue to Drive Sales - Up 39 percent in March Combined sales for GM’s newly launched vehicles - the Chevrolet Cruze, Malibu, Camaro and Traverse; and Cadillac SRX and CTS Coupe - increased 39 percent during March and were up 13 percent for the first

One of the GM dealerships in the UAE

three months of the year.

Chevrolet sales up Chevrolet continues to attract new customers to the brand and posted vehicle sales growth of 22 percent in March and 28 percent for the first three months of 2011.

Passenger Cars Total sales of GM’s passenger cars improved 22 percent during March and grew by 33.5 percent over the first quarter.

Crossovers/Sport Utility Vehicles Across the Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac brands, total sales of Crossovers and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) increased by 11 percent in M arch. SUV sales for the first three months of 2011 were boosted by strong growth of the Chevrolet Tahoe and

Jet Airways offers special amnesty fares KUWAIT: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, introduced special ‘amnesty’ fares for travel from Kuwait to India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

These fares are available for sale with immediate effect until June 30, 2011.

Jet Airways recognizes its Corporate Social Responsibility and has always striven to extend its support to the Society in times of crises. Jaleel Khaled, Country Manager, Kuwait said, ìWith amnesty granted by the Government of Kuwait, Jet Airways is collaborating with the special fares offer to help these nationals travel more affordably to re-unite with their families and friends back homeî.

Additionally, to facilitate purchase of these special fare tickets for Indian Nationals, Jet Airways has set up a ticketing counter at the Indian embassy premises from Sunday to Thursday from 1430 to 1800 hours.

The Embassy of Bangladesh and the Embassy of Nepal are also informed about the amnesty fares and the nationals can contact Jet Airways Reservations and Ticketing at 22924455 or visit the Jet Air ways (India) Ltd, office at M-2, AlBabtain Waqf Culture Tower, Sharq, Kuwait to purchase the tickets. Jet Airways is committed to reach out to the members of the society in these difficult times.

Markaz is a cosponsor of the Euromoney Kuwait Conference KUWAIT: Kuwait Financial Centre “M ark az ”, one of the Middle East’s leading investment banking and asset management companies, is a co sponsor for t he Eu ro m o n e y Ku w ait Confe re n ce 2 0 1 1 t i tle d “Financing Development, Developing Finance” that Mariam Al-Suwailem will be held April 11-12, 2011 in Arraya Ballroom Marriott Courtyard, and co-hosted by Euromoney and The M inistr y of Finance. In the opening session, keynote addresses will be given by Dr Mustafa Jassem Al-Shamali, Minister of Finance, State of Kuwait, and Sheikh Salem AbdulAziz Al-Sabah, Governor, Central Bank of Kuwait.

The conference will commence its panel sessions by discussing the ambitious Kuwait development plan, its rationale, and what are its likely effects on the Kuwaiti financial sector. It will also consider the strategic role to be played by international financiers, advisers and investors. More panel sessions will be held, simultaneously and consecutively, covering a wide range of economic and strategic subjec ts which will include upgrading project finance capacity, and the role of local banking sector in financing the KDP’s projects.

Mariam Al-Suwailem, Assistant Manager -Media & Communications Department at Markaz, said “Our sponsorship of this conference reflects our firm belief in the importance of extending the debate surrounding the plan, the issue of the financial sector and its role in funding, specifically long-term, will remain pivotal in executing many of the plans’ large-scale projects. We also see Markaz as one of a handful of qualified local players who can play a role in providing advisory services for infrastructure projects, which will be executed within the framework of partnership between the public and private sectors. Moreover, we believe that any meaningful development can only happen when there is a backdrop of a true culture of knowledge and information.”

It’s worth mentioning that Markaz will participate in two panel sessions in the first day of the conference.

Ali Khalil, Chief Operating Officer at Markaz will speak in a panel session titled “Project Finance: Upgrading Capacity ” with a group of international speakers.

Abdulaziz Al-Bader, Manager, International Investment and Investment Advisory Department at Markaz will participate in a panel session titled “International Capital Market in Kuwait”. Markaz team will also be available at the company’s booth in the conference sponsors’ exhibition to answer any queries.

A Chevrolet dealership in the UAE

Chevrolet Suburban, which were up 25 percent and 22 percent, respectively, while sales of the Traverse crossover rose by 14 percent.

Pickups Total sales of Chevrolet and GMC pickups were up 50 percent in March and 74 percent for the first quarter with a 115 per-

cent increase in sales of the Chevrolet Silverado and 67 percent uplift in sales of the GMC Sierra in the first three months of the year.

IFC Fund completes major capital investments in AUB Landmark deal to support emerging markets in region KUWAIT: Ahli United Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Capitalization Fund announced the concluding of agreements to support the capitalization and expansion plans of AUB by investing $125 million in equity and $165 million in subordinated debt.

The agreement will also see the maturity date of the existing $200 million subordinated loan raised in 2006 extended from 2016 to 2018, thereby increasing its capital effectiveness for AUB. IFC Capitalization Fund’s investments in Ahli United Bank will provide longterm capital resources to the Bank as it expands regionally, and will strengthen its capital funding base in anticipation of the Basel III requirements coming into effect in 2013. The IFC and the IFC Capitalization Fund aim through these investments which represent the IFC Capitalization Fund’s first in the MENA region to fulfill their mandate in supporting banks deemed vital to the financial system of emerging markets and to facilitate and promote greater regional economic and financial integration.

“AUB is very pleased to expand and diversify its banking partnership with IFC and the IFC Capitalization Fund in a landmark capital raising transaction which will have a major impact on its regional

growth and business development. IFC has proved to be a reliable strategic partner especially in these challenging times,” said Adel El-Labban, Group CEO and Managing Director, Ahli United Bank.

“This deal is unique and distinctly significant in more ways than one. In size, it represents the largest investment by any international body in a financial institution anywhere in the region. In timing, it comes as a strong vote of confidence by the international financial community in the soundness, strong fundamentals and future outlook not only of AUB but of the financial sector in Bahrain and the region at large in these challenging times. More significantly, this deal demonstrates AUB’s success in mobilizing capital funding at optimal cost and in structuring a sophisticated mix of Tier I and Tier II capital, in a manner similar to its major OECD counterparts”, added El-Labban. “ The Capitalization Fund’s investments will support Ahli United Bank during a challenging time for markets in the Middle East and North Africa region,” said Marcos Brujis, who heads the IFC Capitalization Fund. “We look forward to facilitating the bank’s expansion and growth throughout the region.”

“The expansion of Ahli United Bank will support trade, financial flows, and

AUB Chairman Fahad Al-Rajaan

Rashad Kaldany, Vice-president for Asia, Eastern Europe, Middle East & North Africa, IFC

provide access to finance for underserved segments of society in the region’s frontier and emerging countries,” said Rashad Kaldany, IFC Vice President for Asia, Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa. “IFC and IFC Capitalization Fund’s support for a regional champion and longstanding partner in development like AUB demonstrates our confidence in the fundamen-

tals of economies in the Middle East and North Africa region. “ The IFC Capitalization Fund is a global equity and subordinated debt fund founded by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. It aims to support banks considered vital to the financial system of emerging market countries.

Gulf Bank announces winners of 13th Al Danah weekly draw for 2011 KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its thirteenth Al Danah weekly draw in 2011 on April 3, 2011, announcing a total number of ten Al Danah weekly prize draw winners, each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000. The ten winners are: Abdulreda Abdullah Ali Abdulrahman Ashkanani, Najat Mohammed Abdullatif Idrees, Hoor Fadel Aayad Al-Fadhli, Eid Ali Mohammad Al-Azmi, Bader Mohammad Fahad Al-Nowaiem, Rawan Ali Jawad AlFarhan, Saad Meshal Mezyed Al-Mutairi, Nouriya Jawad Mohammad Taqi, Dana Yahya Mahmoud Nasser and Mohammed Saleh Salem Al-Tewajer.

Gulf Bank encourages everyone in Kuwait to open an Al Danah account and/or increase their deposits to maximize their chances of becoming a winner in the upcoming weekly (KD1000 for 10 winners), quarterly (KD250,000 and KD500,000) and the annual draw (KD1 million). Gulf Bank’s Al Danah allows customers to win cash prizes and encourages them to save money. Chances increase the more money is maintained and the longer it is kept in the account. Al Danah also offers a number of unique services including the Al Danah Deposit Only ATM card which helps account holders deposit their money at their convenience; as well as the Al Danah calculator to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an Al Danah winner.

To be part of the Al Danah draws, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank ’s 53 branches, transfer on line, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance. Customers can also log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website, to find all the information regarding Al Danah or any of the Bank ’s products and ser vices or log on www.e-gulfbank.com/aldanahwinners, to find out more about Al Danah and who the winners are.

announces winners of Al-Najma draw KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account draw on 10th April 2011. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Abdulaziz Ashkanani.

No 1 2 3 4 5

Musaed Al Mazyed, Area Manager congratulating Al Danah weekly winner, Saad Meshal Mezyed Al-Mutairi.

Musaed Al Mazyed, Area Manager congratulating Al Danah weekly winner, Bader Mohammed Fahad Al-Nowaiem

The winners of the Al Najma draw are :Names KD Batlah Barrak Salem Al-Hifi 7000 Sulaiman Ali Abbas Mohammed 7000 Sharifa Thamer Abeed Al Azmi 7000 Wafa Abdillatif Saif Abdullah 7000 Jamilah Barrak Mubarak Al-Azmi 7000

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw.

In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50. All existing customers will be given a grace period till June 27 to increase their balances and until that date they will be eligible to enter the weekly draw even with amounts less than KD 500.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

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Kuwait trading cautious, price index edges lower GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Trading on the Kuwait Stock Exchange remained cautious yesterday with the market benchmark indices being unchanged.

However, a drop was seen towards the end of the session closing the index at lower level.

Global General Index (GGI), market weighted, ended the day marginally down by 0.13 percent, at 203.49 point. Market Capitalization was up for the day at KD33.14bn. It was pushed up by Educational Holding Group that backed to index calculation after being excluded from the index since March 6. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 6,339.3 point, shedding 9 points (0.14 percent) to its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 99 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 40 equities retreated versus 30 that advanced. Yesterday’s performance was accompanied by diminishing trading activity with most of the trades conducted in the Real Estate sector. Total volume traded was down by 27.88 percent with 105.14mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD17.36mn (41.86 percent lower compared to the day before). The Real Estate Sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 38.20 percent of total shares. Services sector was the value leader, with 23.82 percent of total traded value. Zain was the most value traded in the market with KD1.98mn traded on the scrip. The scrip ended the day down by 1.45 percent at KD1.360.

Sector-wise Among sectoral indices, four indices managed to end the ses-

Egypt inflation rises to 11.5% in March on food CAIRO: Urban consumer inflation in Egypt accelerated in the year to March to an 11month high, pushed up by soaring food prices that contributed to the mass protests that eventually toppled President Hosni Mubarak.

Urban consumer inflation in Egypt rose to 11.5 percent in the 12 months to March, its highest level since April 2010, up from 10.7 percent in February. On a monthly basis, it increased to 1.4 percent in March from 0.1 percent in February.

Several economists had expected an increase in the rate- the most closely watched indicator of prices-as a result of a weaker pound and imported inflation. Analysts say they expect the central bank to keep rates steady this month to support an economy reeling from the impact of the popular revolt.

Hiking rates to combat food-driven inflation would have limited or no effect on overall prices. “The month-on-month number is high but this is to be expected given rising global commodity prices, ongoing supply shortages and a weaker currency,” said Liz Martins, economist at at HSBC Middle East. “Going forward, these factors, alongside expansionary government spending and higher wages, will keep prices elevated.”

Inflation in urban food and beverage prices, which account for 44 percent of the weighting of the basket Egypt uses to measure inflation, soared to 20.5 percent in the year to March, up from 18.2 percent in February.

Egypt, which relies on imports for at least half of its domestic consumption, is likely to

suffer further food price inflation after the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said global food prices could rebound as demand grows and supplies tighten. Investment bank CI Capital said it forecast that urban inflation would average 12.8 percent in 2011.

Anti-government protests fuelled by soaring prices, unemployment and demands for democratic reforms brought much of Egypt’s economy to a standstill for nearly three weeks until Mubarak resigned on Feb 11. Egypt’s economy has been hurt by a collapse in tourism and foreign investment since protests erupted on Jan 25.

The finance minister estimated on Monday that the political turmoil would reduce economic growth to 2.5-3 percent in the financial year to end-June from the government’s previous forecast of 6 percent. The economy grew by 5.1 percent in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010.

“With a much weaker growth environment, it will be harder for the central bank to raise rates to counter this pressure,” Martins said. The central bank on March 10 left its benchmark overnight deposit rate at 8.25 percent and the overnight lending rate at 9.75 percent, its 12th pause since it stopped lowering rates in September 2009.

It launched weekly repurchase agreements in the money market to keep shortterm interest rates under control after the political and economic turmoil of the past six weeks. The next policy meeting of the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is scheduled for April 28. — Reuters

Regional unrest to benefit Islamic insurance: Salama sion on a positive note. A gain of 1.72 percent on the share price of National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) pushed the Global Banking Index 0.23 percent higher. Meanwhile, Global Real Estate Index posted a 0.55 percent in daily gains, on the back of a 1.45 percent advance on the counter of Mabanee Company.

Al-Massaleh Real Estate Company was the biggest gainer in the sector. The scrip closed at KD0.089 up by 5.95 percent.

Global Investment Index was

the biggest gainer, adding 0.53 percent to its value. The index was pushed up by the rise of the larger sized company in the sector.

Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) added 3.85 percent to its share value. Food Index spearheaded decliners for the day, with 1.08 percent in daily losses. Share price of Kuwait Foodstuff Company (Americana) recoiled by 1.33 percent, to end the day at KWD1.480.

The Services Index shed 1.03 percent of its value, on the back of

1.32 percent drop on the counter of Agility.

Poor performance of the market’s blue-chip stocks pulled Global General Index to end the day in negative territory. The Large Cap (Top 10) weighted index closed down by 0.27 percent, at 217.99 points. The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $117.65 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $117.62 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

DUBAI: Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa should bolster growth within the Islamic insurance, or takaful industry as regional turmoil lifts demand, the chief executive of Salama Islamic Arab Insurance said yesterday.

Riots in countries like Egypt and Tunisia have resulted in an uptick in damage claims but have also raised awareness regarding the need for insurance, said Saleh Malaikah, Salama’s chief executive and vice chairman on the sidelines of a conference in Dubai.

“There has been a small effect. We are looking at claims of about 400,000 Egyptian pounds ($67,060),” he said. “But the effect on

people is that they want insurance. (The unrest) was a benefit in disguise.” Salama, which has seen double-digit gross premium growth in markets such as Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia, expects that trend to continue as demand for Islamic insurance products grow.

Malaikah added that Islamic finance has grown in markets such as the Gulf but have lagged in other MENA markets as authorities remained skeptical of Islamic finance for political reasons.

“With the changes taking place, it is allowing for democratization and moving towards an open economy,” he said. “This will facilitate (Islamic finance) definitely.” — Reuters

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Portuguese wary of bailout pain, blame politicians ALENQUER, Portugal: Portugal’s need for foreign aid has surprised few in a country where the signs of economic stagnation have been visible for years and politicians are widely regarded as part of the problem.

Alenquer, nestling between vineyardcovered hills 40 km (24 miles) north of Lisbon, is the perfect example: the skeleton of a shuttered textile factory stands at one end of the village and unfinished apartment blocks at the other.

The factory, closed down 15 years ago, is a reminder of how Portugal’s traditional industries were forced out of markets as cheaper goods flowed in from elsewhere, especially China.

But the empty apartments illustrate a more common story of how entire regions become depressed-politicians’ promises of a boom via public investment in huge infrastructure projects lure developers in droves, but only until the money runs out. A project for a new international airport near Alenquer was abandoned, leaving its population of around 30,000 disillusioned over time wasted and without a plan for the future.

That is a bit like the current national situation in Portugal, the third euro zone country, after Greece and Ireland, to seek aid, and where unemployment is already at a threedecade high of 11.1 percent.

The caretaker government predicts the economy will shrink 0.9 percent this year-its second recession in three years. It has already cut wages and hiked taxes across the board.

“It’s hard to understand how we reached a situation like this,” said Avelino Antonio, 63, while grilling fish at his 45-seat restaurant in Alenquer. “(Prime Minister Jose) Socrates may have a lot of blame but so do those who came before him.”

Manuel Guerra, 55, a doctor at a public hospital in Alenquer, is more direct. “The party political machines took over power a long time ago, thinking about themselves and not the good of the country,” he said.

Fears among Portuguese about the future are mounting, fed by reports from Greece and Ireland of the greater austerity and hardship introduced after Brussels and the IMF gave Athens and Dublin bailouts last year.

“People are terrified about what might happen to their lives,” said political analyst Marina Costa Lobo.

Last month, the government collapsed due to the rejection of an austerity plan.

That set off the events that led to last week’s request for a bailout which the Socialist government had resisted for months.

Now, Portugal is in potentially the most complicated political situation of the three euro countries that have sought aid. It has a caretaker government negotiating a bailout at the same time an election campaign is getting under way.

A snap election will be held on June 5.

“It is a moment of great ambiguity.

People are more prone to take part in protests and strikes. They are tired of the daily logorrhea by the politicians,” said Elisio Estanque, a sociologist at the University of

Coimbra. Social protest is growing, although it is overwhelmingly peaceful.

Trains and the undergrounds in Lisbon and Porto have had intermittent strikes for several weeks and public sector unions are planning a general strike on May 6. Several hundred thousand protested against austerity in two rallies in March.

Perhaps the toughest challenge for voters is who to elect at a time when politics have polarized into an endless blame game over who caused the crisis and forced the country to seek help.

The bailout has reminded many Portuguese of the hardship that followed the two previous times the country-in the late 1970s and early 1980s-went cap in hand to the IMF. Socrates, the caretaker socialist prime minister, blames the centre-right Social Democrats for creating the situation because they rejected austerity measures that were necessar y to soothe market nerves, making it impossible to continue governing.

The Social Democrats accuse the Socialists of not being truthful about the dire economic situation. “At this moment the political situation is really changing day by day, making it very difficult to predict what will happen,” said Costa Lobo.

Opinion polls have been showing the Social Democrats in the lead but few analysts are willing to count out Socrates, who is a strong campaigner. The worst scenario would be if no strong, majority government is voted in at the election, analysts say.

LISBON: A tram rides past the Portuguese Finance Ministry Saturday in Lisbon. On Friday, EU finance ministers agreed in Hungary to grant financial help to Portugal once the debtridden country has signed on to a radical overhaul of its economy. —AP

Ironically, the distrust by the Portuguese of their own politicians could make a bailout more palatable. “The IMF might be worse but at least there will be more controls on the politicians,” said Maria Domingas, a vegetable seller at a market stall. “The politicians are all the same.”

Many Portuguese recognize their country may have had it too easy since it first joined the European Union in 1986 after a

EU, IMF experts to discuss Portugal bailout tomorrow Irish govt support up despite bank bailout BRUSSELS: Experts from the European Commission, European Central Bank and IMF will visit Lisbon yesterday for talks on an 80-billion-euro bailout for Portugal, a commission spokesman said Saturday.

The mission will lay the groundwork for political-level talks between the socalled “troika” and Portugal’s political parties the following week, spokesman Cezary Lewanowicz told AFP. The experts will meet Tuesday with Portuguese finance ministry officials to discuss the “technical details” of the plan, worth $115 billion, Lewanowicz said.

The European Union and IMF offered to save Portugal from a debt crisis on Friday but warned that in return Lisbon would have to implement more public spending cuts, tax rises and far-reaching privatizations.

The commission hopes to meet with all of Portugal’s political parties to discuss the rescue program ahead of snap elections on June 5, Lewanowicz said.

“The goal is to have the strongest possible consensus and a clear commitment, whatever the outcome of the elections,” the spokesman said. Socialist Prime Minister Jose Socrates asked for the bailout after parliament last month rejected austerity measures proposed by his minority government, prompting his resignation.

Portugal is the third euro-zone country to go cap in hand to the EU and IMF after Greece and Ireland received multibillion bailouts last year.

Support for the party of new Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has increased since he came to power, despite an unpopular decision to pump more mon-

ey into nationalized banks, an opinion poll showed yesterday.

Kenny’s Fine Gael secured a record majority with coalition partners Labor at elections in February, but analysts said his standing might suffer as the government implements conditions of an 85 billion euro IMF/EU bailout agreed last year by the previous administration. The first national opinion poll since the election showed that 39 percent of those polled would vote for Fine Gael if an election were held tomorrow, up three points from the 36 percent who voted for the party on election day.The poll by the Red C agency for the Sunday Business Post showed that 35 percent of voters were impressed by the performance of the new government so far, while 30 percent were unimpressed.

Voters were particularly taken by Kenny’s performance on the international stage, where he has refused to compromise on Ireland’s low 12.5 percent corporate tax rate despite intense pressure from other European Union countries to raise it.

Of those polled, 43 percent said they thought Kenny had represented Ireland well in negotiations abroad, while 22 percent disagreed.

Voters were less satisfied with the government’s policy on banking, with 41 percent saying they were angry that the government was insisting on repaying a large portion of bondholders owed money by nationalised Irish banks. The government was widely criticized in the media for the decision, with commentators accusing Kenny’s party of reneging on an election promise to inflict more

BUDAPEST: Two people wearing a mask of French President Nicolas Sarkozy (right) and German Chancellor Angela Merker (2R) and activists of several national trade unions and European Trade Union Confederation march in Budapest downtown during a peaceful demonstration. European and local trade unions held a massive demonstration in Budapest to protest against austerity measures, which European finance ministers said were unavoidable. —AFP

pain on the bondholders despite opposition from fellow euro zone governments.

Kenny’s government said last week that it would recapitalize the Irish banking system to the tune of a further 24 billion euros and restructure state-owned lenders, hoping to draw a line under a legacy of reckless lending that led to economic collapse.

Thirty-eight percent of those polled

said the bank bailout and restructuring “was not what I voted for”, while 34 percent disagreed with that statement. Fine Gael’s coalition partners Labor saw their support fall one percentage point from election day to 18 percent, while leftwing nationalists Sinn Fein were up one point to 11 percent. The Red C agency questioned 1,001 adults on April 4-6 for the survey. — Agencies

China factories face shortages due to Japan quake BEIJING: Electronics and auto makers in China are facing a severe shortage of components after Japan’s twin disasters disrupted production, but the full impact will not be felt for weeks, analysts say.

The earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan’s northeastern coast on March 11 shattered infrastructure, caused power outages and forced temporary factory shutdowns-meaning shipments of key parts to China also stopped. “As many Chinese manufacturers have started drawing down inventories of components, more significant output loss... shall start showing in the next couple of weeks,” IHS Global Insight senior analyst Ren Xianfang told

AFP. Japan is a key supplier of components and equipment used in the assembly of cars, laptops, iPods, refrigerators and flat-screen televisions, and the country accounts for about 14 percent of China’s imports, according to UBS. “Given the importance of Japan in the supply chain of some electronics, chemicals and machinery products... we expect China’s related exports to the world might be affected as well,” UBS economists said in a research note.

The full impact of the supply problems will start to be seen in the coming weeks as electronics and auto makers use up the parts in stock and Japanese assembly lines remain idle or operate well below capacity, analysts say.

WUHAN: Workers assemble cars at the Shenlong Auto plant in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province. Electronics and auto makers in China are facing a severe shortage of components after Japan’s twin disasters disrupted production, but the full impact will not be felt for weeks, analysts say. —AFP

Some electronics companies have reported shortages due to the disasters, and prices of computer memory chips and semiconductors have risen sharply in the past month due to the supply crunch.

Personal computer maker Dell said last week it had experienced “relatively small” supply chain disruptions, while Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE said last month it expected supply problems to last for three to six months. Chinese computer giant Lenovo warned last month that supplies of its newly released tablet computer LePad could be restricted after Japan’s quake and tsunami disrupted production of memory chips.

But Lenovo president and chief operating officer Rory Read told Dow Jones Newswires that the company had closed holes in its supply chain. Research firm IHS iSuppli said that Apple could also face shortages of components for its new iPad 2. “The impact is significant but hard to estimate,” Andy Xie, an independent economist in Shanghai, told AFP. “We know the auto sector is already being hit.” But Japanese car makers Honda, Toyota and Nissan told AFP their assembly lines in China were operating normally-so far. “For now there is no change in the whole (year) production target,” said Honda Motor (China) Investment Co. spokesman Zhu Linjie. “However, it cannot be ruled out that we may make interim adjustments to production.”

Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company-Nissan’s joint venture with China’s Dongfeng Motor Group-said some suppliers in Japan had been “severely impacted” by the disasters and it was “taking countermeasures” to keep assembly lines running.

The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products said imports of luxury cars, memory chips, precision instruments and other key components would be “most affected” by the disasters.

Manufacturers may be able to source some devices from the United States and Europe-at a much higher price-but non-Japanese suppliers of “high-specification components” would be hard to find, said Ren. “I believe (the shortage) will be temporary-two to three months of very tight supply-but it depends on Japan,” Kevin Wang, director of China research at IHS iSuppli, told AFP. — AFP

four-decade dictatorship ended in 1974. It benefited from plenty of cash transfers from Brussels, much of it used on roads and other infrastructure.

“Our problem now is the same as when we joined the EU: will we use the help to do something for change or will it just be used to cover the hole so we can start to dig a new one,” said Sara Magalhaes, 37, a biology researcher at Lisbon University. — Reuters

German FDP shifts from tax cuts to euro stability BERLIN: Germans are more interested in the euro’s stability than tax cuts, the designated new leader of the ruling Free Democrats (FDP) said in an interview yesterday and hinted his party was shifting away from its tax cut mantra.

Philipp Roesler, who will take the reins of the junior partners in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right coalition next month, said the FDP now wanted to focus on debt reduction — moving away from its previous demands for tax cuts.

“If the new tax estimate in May shows revenues are better than expected, then I’d like to use any additional money for budget consolidation,” Roesler told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper.

A panel of independent experts will present the government with a new tax take estimate for this year in May. The tax estimate is then used by the government to shape its policies.

“We only have to look at Greece, Ireland and Portugal to see how important it is to have stable budgets,” Roesler said. Portugal bowed to pressure from financial markets and its European partners this week and became the third eurozone country after Greece and Ireland to request financial help from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

Roesler, whose FDP has plunged in opinion polls to 3 percent from the 14.6 percent it won in the 2009 election on a campaign pledge to push for lower taxes, said the FDP was still interested finding ways to reduce taxes.

“But the issue that’s interesting people right now is the stability of the euro,” he said. “How will lower taxes help them if their money depreciates dramatically? That’s especially true in Germany, where a lot of people fear monetary instability.”

The FDP, which sees itself as a guardian of German taxpayer interests, has until now been the leading voice inside the German government voicing opposition to euro zone rescue measures.

The FDP was nevertheless badly beaten in recent regional elections.

Health Minister Roesler, designated to replace Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle as FDP chairman and vice chancellor, hinted that the FDP’s position may be changing. Roesler will not formally take charge until an FDP party congress in mid May. Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle also said in an interview in Bild am Sonntag that tax cuts should be put on a back burner. “Budget consolidation has priority,” Bruederle said. “If the budget consolidation continues successfully, we’ll have scope for tax relief for the middle class.” — Reuters

MINSK: Belarusians queue to buy US dollars outside an exchange booth in Minsk yesterday. The economic troubles threaten to undermine the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, as Belarus runs out of cash and the best hope for a bailout seems to be Russia. — AP

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Pakistan export boom will not repair economy K AR ACHI: Af ter a year of unemployment and wondering if his family would be better off if he died, Pakistani textile worker Murad Ali has got the spring back in his step.

One of thousands laid off by textile bosses last year, the father of four is now back at work and one of those to benefit from a surge in Pakistani exports in the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30.

Experts say rising global commodity prices, a government decision to prioritize power supply to industry and currency devaluation that has made Pak istani produc ts more competitive, have fired an export boom. Compared with the same period last year, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan says textile exports such as silk rose 25.8 percent and agricultural produce, such as basmati, rose 6.2 percent from July to February 7, 2011.

The textiles sector is one of the key drivers of the Pakistani economy, accounting for 55 percent of all exports and 38 percent of the workforce, according to official figures.

Bosses have rehired staff who were laid off, but Ali is only getting a third of the salar y as a skilled garment worker that he used to command.

“I’m earning less than last year. It is difficult to live a better life due to price rises, but I’m happy,” Ali said. He has reenrolled his sons at school but his wife will continue to work as a maid. Money is too

textile tycoon Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, who employs more than 2,000 workers and predicts exports will rise 10 percent for the fiscal year 2010 to 2011. “Now with demand for Pak istani produc ts rising

modity prices and the government’s will to give top priority to the countr y ’s economy,” said Baig, an advisor to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The Asian Development Bank forecasts GDP growth

KARACHI: An employee adjusting spools of thread at a textile factory in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi. Experts say rising global commodity prices, a government decision to prioritize power supply to industry and currency devaluation that has made Pakistani products more competitive and fired an export boom. —AFP tight for her to go back to being a housewife.

“The situation has drastically changed in the favor of the country’s economy,” said

internationally we are employing more workers.

“Our exports are getting healthier because of an increase in international com-

for Pakistan of 2.5 percent for fiscal year 2011 despite pressures from unprecedented floods in 2010, with a relatively modest rebound to 3.7 per-

cent for fiscal year 2012.

But behind the headlines, experts warn that the exports boom is a mirage that barely even papers over how ailing the economy really is in a countr y where suicide and bomb attacks have k illed more than 4,200 people since 2007.

Pakistan suffers from a profound electricity crisis that restricts production to around 80 percent of its needs-a situation that will only worsen as the temperatures crawl higher in the coming months. The budget deficit has grown to 5.5 percent of GDP, above a 4.9 percent target for the current fiscal year to June 30.

To fund the shortfall, the government borrowed $4.4 billion from the central bank from July 1 to February 28, a move that worsened inflation, rather than raise taxes and cut spending as the IMF and World Bank would like.

British Prime Minister David Cameron last week joined a chorus of pleas from the United States on Pakistan to tax its wealthy, pointing to one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the world.

In November 2008, an increasingly bomb -torn Pakistan was rescued from the brink of bankruptcy thanks only to a rescue package from the IMF that hauled the nation back from inflation at a 30-

year high and fast-depleting reserves. Mohammad Sohail, head of the K arachi-based Topline Securities research and brokerage house, said the expor t boom would contribute to economic recovery, yet warned the gains were minimal.

“It is very fragile because the fiscal deficit is much higher than the target of 5.3 percent because of the government’s heavy borrowing from the central bank,” he said. “ The overall economic dynamics suggest that our growth rate may not be more than two-and-a-half percent this fiscal year. “Furthermore, the overall security situation in Pakistan is very uncertain, which is making the foreigners and local investors wary all the time.”

Independent economist A B Shahid said rising international oil prices had hit the countr y ’s economy hard, adding $4 billion to the oil bill.

Pakistan could have benefited more from 8-9 percent expor t growth, he said, by exporting cloth in its valueadded forms rather than raw cotton and yarn.

While Ali is content with life, he is also wary of uncertainties ahead. “Life has become too insecure.

Everyone is ill at ease. Let’s just wait and see.” —AFP

Obama inks spending bill after skirting shutdown Early confrontation prior to a broader budget war: Lawmakers WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama yesterday signed into law a temporary spending bill averting a US government shutdown and ending for now-a budget row between the Democrats and their newly empowered Republican foes. Party leaders clinched the agreement, including $38.5 billion of extra spending cuts, after intense bargaining, barely an hour before the federal government effectively ran out of money at midnight Friday. The showdown was just the first bruising engagement in a string of likely clashes between Obama’s Democrats and the Republicans, boosted by a new crop of conservative Tea Party movement lawmakers, as the president fires up his 2012 reelection bid.

Obama on Saturday made a surprise visit to the Lincoln Memorial-among the many national sites that would have closed in a government shutdown-to briefly talk to tourists.

“I just wanted to say, real quick, that because Congress was able to settle its differences, that’s why this place is open today and everybody is able to enjoy their visit,” Obama said after bounding up the steps of the memorial honoring America’s 16th president.

“And that ’s the k ind of future cooperation I hope we have going forward,” he added.

But that might not be the case.

Some Republicans are venting frustration at having not ex trac ted more from Democrats.

“People are angry across the country that we didn’t get a better deal,” congresswoman Michele Bachmann, a Tea Party favorite, told Fox News, adding that she was likely to vote against a deal for the remaining five months if more spending cuts are not included.

Lawmakers on both sides made clear that the latest battle was an early confrontation in a broader budget war. “This was not even act one. This was just the overture,” Democratic Representative Steve Israel told CNN on Saturday.

And looming is another spending issue, with international implications: Obama’s request to raise Washington’s ability to borrow. It’s an issue that has inflamed Tea Par ty faithful and has international investors worried about US default.

“Senate Republicans and House Republicans-and I hope many Democrats as well-are going to say ‘Mr President, in order to raise the debt ceiling

we need to do something significant about the debt,’” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

Republicans want to tie an debt limit increase to massive spending cuts.

Federal Reser ve Chairman Ben Bernanke said in recent congressional testimony that a default would be “extremely dangerous” and would end

September 30.

The Senate passed the temporary measure by voice vote, the House by a 348-70 margin at 12:39 am (0439 GMT ) Saturday. Obama boasted that cooperation born of difficult compromises yielded “the biggest annual spending cut in histor y ” at a time when Washington faced a projected annual shortfall of $1.65 tril-

within our means is the only way to protec t the investments that will help America compete for new jobs.”

House Speaker John Boehner told his restive Republican caucus behind closed doors he had sealed an agreement with the White House.

“This has been a lot of discussion and a long fight. But

WASHINGTON: US Rep. Steve King (R-IA) (C) leaves after a closed Republican Conference Meeting on the budget negotiations April 8, 2011 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The Obama Administration and congressional leaders have reached a deal that averts a government shutdown at midnight tonight. —AFP hopes of an economic recovery.

The budget agreement included a stopgap funding measure that lawmakers in both chambers raced to approve before midnight to give negotiators until Thursday to finalize the overall deal, which funds the government through the fiscal year ending

lion.

“S ome of the cuts we agreed to will be painful.

Programs people rely on will be cut back . Needed infrastruc ture projec ts will be delayed,” the president said.

He continued to sell the deal to the public Saturday, saying in his week ly radio address that “beginning to live

we fought to keep government spending down because it really will, in fact, help create a better environment for job creators in our countr y,” Boehner said af ter ward.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, his party’s lead negotiator, described a “grueling process. We didn’t do it at this late hour for drama.

We did it because it has been hard to arrive at this point.”

Anticipating a possible insurrec tion, Boehner told Republicans “this is the best deal we could get out of them,” according to two officials who attended the emotional gathering.

Earlier this month Republican Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, unveiled a plan to slash government spending by some $6 trillion over the next decade, in a direct rebuke to what he denounced as Obama’s free-spending ways.

“Washington has not been telling you about the truth of the magnitude of the problem we are facing,” R yan said Saturday, suggesting a titanic clash over government spending was brewing. “Each year the policy makers kick this can down the road,” he said.

Prior to the 11th-hour agreement, Obama had warned that a prolonged shutdown could jeopardize America’s slow recovery from the worst economic crisis since the 1930s Great Depression. A shutdown would have seen around 800,000 federal employees temporarily laid off, paychecks for combat soldiers delayed and national parks and monuments closed.

But operations vital to national security such as the war in Afghanistan, border ser vices and air traffic controllers would have gone on as normal.

The overall spending accord removed what Democrats had described as the biggest obstacle to a deal: a Republicancrafted measure stripping federal funding from the Planned Parenthood clinics that provide abortions. —AFP

Most Germans ‘in favor of Portugal aid’: Poll BERLIN: A narrow majority of Germans is in favor of the EU’s multi-billion-euro bailout package for crisis-hit Portugal, a poll suggested Sunday, with 90 percent believing it would not be the last.

The Emnid poll for the Bild am Sonntag weekly showed 50 percent agreed with the European Union’s decision to bail out debt-wracked Portugal

to the tune of around 80 billion euros ($115 billion).

According to the survey, 45 percent believed it was the wrong decision.

However, nine out of 10 of those polled thought that Portugal would not be the last euro-zone country to fall, as speculation mounts that Spain could be the next country to need a bailout

from Brussels.

Portugal last week became the third euro-zone country to go cap-in-hand to European authorities after Ireland and Greece. The latter bailout in particular was ex tremely unpopular in Germany, which, as the continent’s top economy, pays the most into the bailout pot.

Polls at the time showed Germans were strongly opposed to helping out the Greeks and a media campaign in the tabloids aroused diplomatic tensions between Berlin and Athens.

Bild, the mass-circulation daily, carried the front-page headline: “ Why should we pay for Greeks’ luxury pensions?” —AFP

Blocked tie-up with SGX may hurt Australia SYDNEY: When Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan declared his decision to reject Singapore’s proposed takeover of the local bourse a “no brainer”, critics fear he may have scared off future Asian investment.

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) announced plans in October to merge, hoping to create one of the world’s largest financial trading hubs and a rival to Hong Kong. But the Aus$8.4 billion ($8.8 billion) proposal hit opposition almost immediately, with Canberra lawmakers raising concerns about foreign ownership and Singapore’s human rights record.

Swan’s remarks in finally blocking the deal on Friday were unequivocal.”Let’s be clear here: this is not a merger.

It’s a takeover that would see Australia’s financial sector become a subsidiary to a competitor in Asia,” he said.

“It was a no brainer that this deal is not in Australia’s national interest.” Swan said the tie-up would have damaged Australia’s “economic and regulatory sovereignty”, and come at the risk of many financial sector jobs.

Nor would “becoming a junior partner to a smaller regional exchange” provide a gateway to Asian capital flows because the Singapore exchange had only limited links to the rest of Asia, he added.

Australian stockbrokers welcomed the government’s decision, which was backed by the Foreign Investment Review Board, saying the proposal had posed a threat to the nation’s ambitions to become a regional financial services centre. But the rejection of the takeover comes amid intense consolidation within world markets, and Swan’s critics said the failure of the Singapore bid would limit the Australian bourse’s ability to compete globally.

Matt Robinson, senior economist at Moody’s Analytics, said the harm would not stop at the market, with the decision sure to dent Australia’s reputation as a destination for foreign capital.

“Rejection on the grounds of loosely defined national interest generates a potentially toxic degree of sovereign uncertainty regarding future M and A (mergers and acquisitions) activity involving Australian companies,” said Robinson said in a written commentary. “The decision has likely damaged Australia’s reputation as a destination for foreign capital and will discourage foreign investors from considering future opportunities in Australia.”

Asian markets specialist Tony Naughton said it was a politically driven decision, with the ruling Labor party at an eight-year low in the polls and keen to make a show of strength. “The gist of it is ‘leave us alone, we’re getting on quite nicely’, obviously with the exchange rate at the moment, a still strong-going economy, demand for resources, we’re very self-sufficient,” said Naughton, head of economics at Melbourne’s RMIT University. —AFP

A

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MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

technology

Berlin moves from capital of cool to start-up haven BERLIN: Already a magnet for tourists and young artists, Berlin is attracting a new generation of Internet start-ups, changing the ways scientists interact or musicians store and share music.

So much so that US Internet giant Google is preparing to open a research centre in the German capital.

Based in the top floors of an anonymous building in former communist East Berlin, for example, SoundCloud, launched in 2008, is one of the fastest growing companies in the music world.

The online platform allows users to store and share music or sound without format restrictions. It jumped from two to three million users in three months at the end of 2010 and has now passed 3.5 million, just by word of mouth.

“We’re trying to help anybody to

express themselves with sound, whether it’s music or the little sounds of everyday life,” SoundCloud CEO and co-founder Alexander Ljung told AFP. David Noel, a 32-year-old Germanspeaking Belgian, is a driving force in the company, its “evangelist” in start-up lingo.

He explained enthusiastically how the platform has become a tool for academic lecturers, “field recorders” collecting bell chimes or bird songs, or for users who keep and share “sound moments,” like the moving voice-mail of a dying relative. Ljung, a 29 year-old sound engineer born in Britain and raised in Sweden, chose Berlin to set up shop after touring several European capitals. “Berlin offers a really interesting intersection of arts and very strong technology,” he said in a telephone interview from San Francisco, where he has a small

office. Ijad Madisch, CEO of ResearchGate, moved his company from Boston to Berlin at the end of 2010 on the advice of a venture capitalist sponsor, who told him “it’s either San Francisco or Berlin.”

“But it’s easier to find developers and programmers here than in Silicon Valley, where Google and Facebook hire all the workforce,” says the German-born virologist and research fellow from Harvard Medical School.

ResearchGate is an online portal which connects more than 800,000 scientists around the world, and expects to pass the million mark in the coming weeks. Free of charge for scientists, revenues come from institutions advertising for jobs or requiring help to organise events. “It’s very difficult to find answers from experts working in connecting fields, like medicine, biology,

or bio-statistics, and to get in touch with colleagues from different countries,” said Madisch, 30.

By signing up on the platform, researchers can access publications of interest to them, initiate collaborations, exchange experiences and “negative data.”

Scientists publish the results of successful research but not what they did wrong, therefore letting others make the same mistakes, Madisch explained.

The start-up’s more than 50 employees come from some 20 countries.

Morgane Hillen, a 22-year-old French woman, said she moved to Berlin without knowing a word of German after job stints in Britain and in Japan.

She works in customer support for ResearchGate, along with Italian, Greek, Norwegian or Spanish colleagues, each in

their own language.

SoundCloud’s staff has the same international make-up. Sharing office space with another start-up specialised in digital books, its 30-strong staff is a mix of 16 nationalities. Parker Higgins, a 23-year-old legal expert for SoundCloud, moved from New York to Berlin, “one of the coolest places in the world,” he says. “It’s a big enough city that whatever you’re interested in you can dive into.”

Germany’s reunified capital is now one of the most visited cities in Europe and its inner courtyards teem with artists exploring music or creating installations.

“A lot of people are attracted by Berlin, Berlin itself is a start-up,” said Alexander Ljung. “It’s growing fast, it’s fairly chaotic.

Nobody knows exactly where it’s going but it’s going in the right direction.” —AFP

Spinoffs from space programs Heavenly gadgets

PALO ALTO: Amir Michael, hardware design manager of Facebook, introduces Facebook’s new server during the media event, “behind the Scenes” to show the latest technology powering Facebook at their headquarters Palo Alto, California. Heiliger said Facebook is sharing technical specifications and design documents that went into creating Facebook’s improved efficiency in data centers and servers, which benefits include a 38 percent increase in energy efficiency and 24 percent cost savings. — AFP

Keeping Facebook from revealing everything MUNICH: The boss, your girlfriend, even dear old mom: These are just some of the people who might ask to join your Facebook “friends” list. But experts are quick to point out that you don’t have to reveal everything to everyone and you might want to think twice about who you befriend on Facebook.

“If you don’t want to show all 300 contacts equal portions of your vacation photos, you can use the settings to define a targeted private sphere,” says communication consultant Klaus Eck. The same applies to wall posts and other portions of your own Facebook page.

The first step is to click the Account link on the upper right-hand corner of the Facebook screen and then select Privacy Settings from the drop-down menu. Under the Sharing on Facebook section, you can select who will be able to read specific items, including status updates, photos or posts, as well as relationship statuses.

Exceptions to this list can be added under the Custom section to allow friends to read your wall, for example, but not your boss. This allows you to separate professional and private contacts.

“It requires a bit of effort, but it works,” Eck says.

It’s common today to get friend requests, even from people you don’t know. Many companies use the network to promote contact between customers and employees. “In communications fields it has started to replace email,” Eck says. The problem: “Most people want to

use Facebook primarily for private purposes, but then they add career contacts in as well.” The current trend in social networking is to mix business and pleasure.

In many companies, it’s now a prerequisite that employees be active with their private profile on Facebook - for marketing, public relations, and customer service purposes, Eck says. “If you don’t like it, you’ll need to find a way to adapt to it,” he points out. Refusing seems to be less acceptable socially within many companies.

Users on Facebook should come to terms with the fact that “friend” is a misnomer, Eck notes. “There’s no way that the 300 contacts that a young person might have are really all friends. People who appreciate that Facebook is no longer a private space are also more careful about what they publish about themselves,” he says.

The golden rule of the internet applies here too: Think twice before you post.

“We don’t all run around in our underwear on the street, either. And even if it’s only my 300 friends able to see my photos, that’s a far cry from the private sphere,” says Eck. Networking on Facebook does offer career benefits as well: relaxed conditions can often provide real opportunities, says Eck. “I have been seeing more and more frequently that Facebook members are writing on their wall that they are looking for a new job. In many cases a suitable contact then writes in with some kind of assistance.” — dpa

PARIS: What do ceramic teeth braces, artificial hearts, airbags, insulin pumps and Olympicscalibre swimsuits have in common? Answer: They originated in space. All these gadgets and hundreds more are spinoffs from technologies developed for the multi-billion-dollar space programmes that kicked into high gear 50 years ago when Yuri Gagarin became the first human catapulted into orbit.

Many of these offshoots began with a quest

by American, Soviet and European engineers for materials that could perform new tasks or withstand extreme temperatures, cosmic rays and the stresses of high or zero gravity. Socalled memory metals, for example, that flex and recover their shape in response to heat are used for shower valves to prevent scalding, surgical staples and tubing for reinforcing arteries called stents.

Sharper-than-steel scalpels, medical implants and even performance-enhancing golf clubs-stronger than titanium as elastic as plastic-are today derived from a related class of space-age alloys called liquid metals.

Likewise the flexible wire rims of your sunglasses... which may also feature a glass coating, developed to protect astronauts’ eyes from glint and glare. Often the product seems quite remote from the technology that spawned it. When swimwear maker Speedo set about making a faster suit, it turned to experts at NASA Langley Research Institute, who had specialised in studying friction and drag.

The resulting LZR line, launched in February 2008, quickly became de rigueur for competitive swimmers: more than nine out of 10 goldmedal winners at the Beijing Olympics six months later wore them. Other space-boosted sportsgear includes athletic shoes with a cushioning material designed by NASA for its spacesuits.

Healthcare monitoring devices have also been derived from space-related inventions.

Technology once used to gauge the temperature of distant stars and planets now monitors the body heat of humans by measuring, in less than two seconds, energy emitted by the eardrum. Automatic pumps that continuously deliver micro-doses of insulin-eliminat-

AICHI: This file photo taken on February 12, 2009 shows Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) unveiling its new H-2B rocket at their factory in the village of Tobishima in Aichi prefecture, near Nagoya. Asia’s extraterrestrial ambitions have rocketed from nowhere in the 50 years since the first human space flight, with China shooting for a 2020 manned moon mission while regional rivals India and Japan are fuelling up their own programs. — AFP ing the need for painful daily shots-are based on NASA satellite components developed for the Viking Mars mission. Technology created to track the health of astronauts in deep space has now been integrated into fitness machines: an infrared heartbeat transmitter strapped against the chest uses the heart rate to directly modulate exercise intensity.

And an artificial heart-pump, ten times smaller than earlier models, was inspired directly by systems that monitor fuel consumption on space shuttles.

Some applications have gone from cosmic to cosmetic. Using material from missiletracking devices, a company working with NASA invented translucent, shatter-resistant braces that have since been worn by hun-

Blu-ray: Medium of the future or heading for obsolescence?

BERLIN: Blu-ray Disc may have established itself as a film medium, but it has so far failed to emulate or supersede the success enjoyed by the DVD format.

Although it has taken Blu-ray time to establish itself against DVD in the marketplace, the technology still struggles in its battle against terabyte hard discs for PCs. Only a few notebook manufacturers sup-

port the format.

Despite the competition, Ralf Wolf, marketing director of Sony Optiarc Europe, believes Blu-ray’s many strengths will still see it enjoy longevity, especially when it comes to its use in film archives.

Blu-ray was initially intended to follow in the footsteps of the success of the DVD, which replaced the CD format within a short period.

Deadlock looms over Microsoft’s photo service BERLIN: A German privacy commissioner warned Microsoft he may prohibit its planned panorama photo service.

The US software company’s chief rival, Google, took a bruising in Germany one year ago when it launched a similar service, Street View. Some 250,000 Germans demanded their houses or apartments be removed from the collection of streetfrontage images before it went online.

Thomas Kranig, privacy commissioner of Bavaria state, who has legal powers to decree and punish, demanded that Microsoft promise to delete images on demand before its new service, Streetside, launches.

“We have agreed about many points, but on this one we differed,” Kranig told the German Press Agency dpa. “We’ll be discussing it again soon.”

He said that, if pushed, he would prohibit Microsoft publishing its street images. This would lead to a court battle.

Kranig is responsible for the issue because Microsoft’s main German office is in Munich.

A Microsoft spokesman said house owners and tenants would be able to go online after the service launches and mark those images which they consider an invasion of their privacy. Microsoft would delete or modify these within 48 hours, he said.

Google Street View was the first service to comprehensively depict German city streets.

After a massive public outcry, Google gave the Germans special treatment not accorded anywhere else, acting on all the objections before the service went live.

The controversy has since died and Germans have become active users of Street View.

Plans to extend Google Street View to Switzerland effectively died when a court agreed this week with a privacy advocate and imposed draconian limits on the service, requiring all images to be edited by hand. Microsoft said advance deletions would be very costly and would require it to create a special database listing the objectors. — dpa

dreds of thousands of smiling adolescents.

Shock-absorbent foams developed to protect astronauts from the brain-jarring effects of g-force are widely used in protective head gear, including for cyclists.

A light-weight, fibrous material five times stronger than steel-originally made for the Viking space vehicle parachute-will soon be integrated in radial tires of your next car, according to NASA. Even gourmet food fans have reason to hail space -based science.

Borrowing technology developed by ESA to study how fluids move in the bodies of weightless astronauts, Spanish producers can now measure with near-absolute precision the level of humidity in their high-priced hams.— AFP

CALIFORNIA: The Google logo is displayed at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. Google’s entry into the online travel sector was cleared for takeoff on April 8, 2011 as the US Justice Department gave the green light to its $700 million purchase of flight data company ITA Software. — AFP

But the dynamics of the market have changed with a universal format for storing data no longer what people are looking for, feels Wolf. “ The world today can best be described as hybrid,” he explains.

One of Blu-ray’s greatest advantages is that it is far more durable than DVD. The format also differs from a hard disc in that it has no optical elements, so it won’t wear out.

Recent consumer tests have shown that Blu-ray discs last a minimum of 15 years and can even store data for up to 30 years.

However, last year, another consumer survey indicated that DVD was the more reliable medium with just three of 11 Blu-ray discs saving the data satisfactorily.

“Over the years, consumers have been conditioned to use optical storage,” says Wolf. Not every technology is immediately accepted by the general public, even though Blu-ray offers increased storage capacity and an ideal method for archiving.

But now many customers are looking to Blu-ray in the same way that they previously favoured DVD. The industry possibly has to accept some responsibility for Bluray’s development and market growth. “Although Blu-ray is better than DVD, it came five years too late,” says Hartmut Gieselmann of German computer magazine c’t.

Too much time was spent investigating the issue of copy protection, which seriously hampered the medium’s development. A multi-

year battle against the HD-DVD format also had its effect.

Blu-ray burners for notebooks were also too expensive for too long, with prices only dropping below the 130-dollar mark recently, Gieselmann says.

Despite the lower prices, the Blu-ray format still can’t compete with the ever-cheaper terabyte hard discs. It is still far cheaper and faster to buy two hard discs.

Meanwhile, Apple boss Steve Jobs has declared the world is in the post-PC era. Small, slimline notebooks are increasingly dispensing with optical drives altogether.

“Large data files are swapped by means of uploading these days,” says Gieselmann, adding that Bluray might not even survive as an archiving medium. “Optical media will be as out in 20 years as diskettes are today,” he believes.

“Nobody can say what the situation will be like in 15 years,” says Wolf, in contrast. “We have just arrived in the era of HD.” Wolf is certain that there is a place in the future for Blu-ray. The industry is currently working hard on developing the technology further with, for example, data-rich 3D films in BDXL format, capable of holding up to 128GB (write-once) or 100GB (rewriteable).

The film industry is expected to be the new format’s biggest customer.

“But Blu-ray XL could also enjoy a breakthrough with users of 3D camcorders,” believes Wolf. — dpa

28

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

health & science

Self-defence for senior citizens ‘You don’t need to be really fit to take part’

HONG KONG: Yoga followers take part in a ‘Yogathon’ event in Hong Kong yesterday. The eight-hour non-stop event aimed to raise money for the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation (HKBCF) and promote public knowledge of the disease. Yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation. — AFP

Ways to fight spring fatigue BERLIN: The weather is getting warmer and the days longer, the first buds are sprouting and birds are back to chirping in the morning. Not everyone enjoys spring, though. Some people suffer from spring fever, whose symptoms include circulatory problems, lethargy and tiredness. For them, the switch to summer time in late March is especially upsetting.

But there are two pieces of good news for those who lack a spring in their step when winter wanes. First, there are ways for people to recharge their batteries.

Second, spring fever symptoms disappear no later than the end of April.

“By May, a balance has been reestablished,” said Thomas Weiss, a general practitioner and psychotherapist in the German city of Mannheim.

Spring fever is a sign that the body is acclimating to the new conditions, namely more ultraviolet (UV) radiation and warmth. Ill and elderly people have the greatest problems in adapting. And more women are affected than men, Weiss said.

The increased sunlight upsets the body’s hormonal balance. “More serotonin is produced because of the UV rays,” explained Michael Schellberg, a psychologist in Hamburg.

Serotonin is known as the “happiness hormone.” But it takes a while until serotonin has gained the upper hand over the hormone melatonin, which causes drowsiness. The body produces melatonin in greater amounts in the dark months of winter. The “struggle” between serotonin and melatonin exhausts the body.

Blood vessels also adjust to the warm season by expanding. Blood pressure drops and people become tired.

“A lot of bacteria become active at spring temperatures,” remarked Schellberg, noting another possible cause of fatigue. People often do not notice that they have an infection. Their bodies defend themselves without clear signs of illness, but they feel run-down.

The time switch in late March makes springtime even more difficult for sensi-

tive people. Losing an hour can knock them off their stride for days or even weeks because every healthy person has a biological clock.

“It’s situated on the lower floor of the brain-in the hypothalamus, to be precise,” said Horst-Werner Korf, director of the Senckenberg Chronomedical Institute in Frankfurt. The hypothalamus is the seat of the autonomic nervous system-also known as the vegetative nervous system-and is responsible for such things as maintaining blood pressure, controlling body weight and appetite, and regulating sleep and arousal.

People are not at the mercy of the body’s adaptive inadequacies, however.

To fight spring fatigue, Weiss recommends exercise, contrast showers, sauna sessions and stepping outside briefly without a jacket now and then during the cool months, for example to go to the mailbox.

“This boosts the body’s adaptability,” he said, adding that no-one would catch a cold from such a short outing into the cold. As regards saunas, he said it did not matter how hot they were. “ What’s important is that cold comes afterwards,” he said. Taking a lukewarm shower after a sauna session has no beneficial effect.

The mind also plays an important role in spring fever, so having the right attitude helps.

“Some people don’t really feel up to spring with all its activities,” Schellberg said. They have made themselves comfortable during the winter months, perhaps with food high in calories. In spring, life becomes lively again. Though it is time to get off the sofa, some people prefer to prolong their winter hibernation and find an excuse for it in spring fever.

There is no problem with that. After all, experts say, by May at the latest everyone has overcome the seasonal lethargy.

“Then, like it or not, people start feeling frisky,” Schellberg remarked. But until then, he said, outdoor exercise and light meals can ease the transition. — dpa

COLOGNE: Whether it’s a mugging in the park or bad behaviour on a bus, elderly people are often very afraid of being attacked or experiencing violence. Many don’t go outside their house at night because they may become a target.

Self-defence and self-assertiveness courses can help senior citizens reduce that fear.

Studies have shown that anyone who is confident rarely ends up being a victim.

“We’ve discovered that it’s getting increasingly difficult for women to go out in the evening,” says Gabriele Pechel, an advisor to Cologne’s archbishop on matters affecting elderly people.

Because the issue has steadily worsened in Cologne it was decided to offer senior citizens a course on how to feel confident and secure.

The aim is to “give women courage so their fears do not overcome them.” Pechel says that more security and confidence lead to a better quality of life.

In contrast to self-defence courses offered to young people, elderly people are not taught techniques such as ju-jitsu or kick boxing. “You don’t need to be really fit to take part,” explains Pechel. “The exercises have been designed so that any woman can do them.” Self-perception, concentration and simple self-defence techniques are taught.

Other techniques that participants learn is how to release yourself if someone is holding you or how to twist someone’s arm. What for some people might be considered “unfair” forms of defence, such as kicking or hitting someone on the throat or below the belt, are also practised.

A good self-defence course for the over 60s will teach pupils techniques that could be used by anyone. They should be easy to master and not require great strength. The goal is to be able to put your opponent out of action as quickly as possible because a senior citizen does not have the stamina for a long struggle.

Many towns and cities have courses on offer that don’t cost much or are even free.

Charity organisations, adult education centres or churches may offer them. In some areas police forces may also offer training in selfdefence techniques.

Self-defence techniques are taught to senior citizens.

Self-defence is not just about being able to repulse an attack.

“Ninety-five per cent of it is about avoiding a dangerous situation,” says Susanne Domnick, a pastor from the town of Friedberg where classes in self-defence are staged several times a year. “An elderly person cannot put up a defence against a brutal attack. They can, however, learn how to keep out of harm’s way.”

For example, if you encounter a group of rowdy teenagers you should try not to look them in the eyes and do not react to any insults they may throw at you. Try to avoid the group completely.

But if a situation escalates, even over 70year-olds should muster their courage. “No matter how old you are, you can always put up a defence,” says Pechel. You should come away from a self-defence course with an awareness of your own strengths.

“A person who stands tall and walks confidently is less often a target of attack.” It takes courage to hit back but sometimes you have

no other choice. Defending yourself does not depend on physical strength. “It’s about skill and accuracy.”

Some courses even teach techniques where you use a walking stick or umbrella.

Role games often form part of a course whereby one person plays the attacker and another the victim.

Police officer Peter Rettinger from Wurzburg advises not to be over enthusiastic and to exercise caution. After all, most attackers are physically much stronger than their elderly targets. “We recommend trying to deescalate the situation in most instances.”

You should not try to fend off a thief but simply give them your handbag instead. If you try to defend your property you might get injured.

“If you use force, the attacker might use force against you even though he may not have intended doing so,” says Rettinger. In some cases it can help to be loud. A cry for help will not necessarily be met by deaf ears. — dpa

Spring cleaning tips for allergy sufferers BERLIN: As winter draws to a close in the Nor thern Hemisphere and the weather gets warmer, many people start spring cleaning. Allergy sufferers need beware, though, because general house cleaning raises a lot of dust. Cleaning products, too, can irritate the respiratory tract.

“Anyone with a chronic respiratory illness or chronic lung disease such as asthma or chronic bronchitis should be careful during spring cleaning,” warned Harald Morr, chairman of the German Lung Foundation.

“Asthmatics, for example, generally suffer from overly sensitive bronchial tubes and airways.”

Cleaning solutions and contact with allergens can cause sneezing attacks, coughing and difficulty breathing, he said.

Such symptoms have various possible causes, and cleaning products alone are often to blame.

“When a person’s airways are extremely sensitive due to an illness, then chemicals and the contents of almost all cleaning agents are enough to irritate them-with very unpleasant consequences,” Morr said. He advised anyone who noticed that a cleaning product caused discomfor t in the throat or bronchial tubes to keep its concentration as low as possible. “ You can often dilute the cleaning agent with water somewhat,” Morr said. “This lowers the concentration of the offending irritants over the cleaning bucket and over the wiped areas-and also lowers the risks.”

While cleaning products irritate some people, allergy sufferers in particular find that their symptoms are aggravated by major cleaning. One possible cause is an allergy to dust mites.

“An estimated 10 per cent of the population in Germany have this allergy,” noted Anja

Schwalfenberg, a biologist at the German Allergy and Asthma Federation. Affected persons have an allergic reaction to dust mite allergens, which are found mainly in the microscopic creatures’ feces but also in their bodies. “When you clean, you raise dust and can come into contact with these allergy-causing substances, or allergens,” Schwalfenberg said. It can help to damp wipe, which raises less dust, she pointed out.

Carpets should have a low pile, so as to retain less dust, and be hoovered regularly, preferably with a special vacuum cleaner with a filter that traps the allergens instead of blowing them back out into the air of the room. Another potential spring cleaning threat is mould spores that can trigger an allergic reaction, noted Dirk Heinrich, a member of the German Otolaryngologists Association.

“Mould is most likely to

appear in rooms with high humidity, for example bathrooms or bedrooms that tend to be cool,” he said, pointing out that mould spores could be carried into other rooms and swept into the air there. “The spores can act as allergens and cause discomfort.”

So efforts should be spent to prevent mould from forming in the first place. “You’ve always got to ensure that humidity can escape from the rooms.

Thorough, regular ventilation is important,” Heinrich said.

If possible, doors and windows should be kept wide open during house cleaning. People who still experience irritation can buy a dust mask that covers their nose and mouth, Morr advised.

“A simple mask from a pharmacy or do-it-yourself store is usually sufficient to intercept dust, dust mites and mould spores as if in a filter,” he said. — dpa

Chemicals in clothing can cause allergic reactions MUNICH: If the crooks of your arms are suddenly covered with itchy red pustules, a new sweater may be to blame. Many textiles contain numerous chemicals that, if not bound tightly in the fabric, can rub off on the skin and cause allergic reactions.

“Textile contact dermatitis is typically characterized by delayed reactions such as redness, scaling and eczema. The symptoms usually appear hours, sometimes even days, after contact with the material,” noted Franziska Rueff, a dermatologist at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

The areas of the body most often affected are those having the most contact with clothing: the crooks of the arm, backs of the knees, armpits, groin area and buttocks.

“The reaction is intensified by the fabric rubbing against the skin and by sweating,” said Silvia Pleschka, a chemist for the German Allergy and Asthma Federation. Eczema of this kind can generally be treated topically with corticosteroid creams or ointments only.

Immediate allergic reactions are less common. “They include wheals, redness, rash, respiratory and circulatory problems, and even anaphylactic shock,” Rueff said. Quick action is important if such symptoms appear. “The affected person should immediately remove the article of clothing, wash the skin thoroughly and take an anti-allergenic that is effective against hay fever or nettle rash,” Rueff advised.

Textile contact dermatitis is more common in women than in men, Pleschka pointed out, because women wear close -fitting and colourful clothing more often. “Among the groups at risk are allergy and neurodermatitis sufferers, and, of course, people with sensitive skin or a sensitive bronchial system that reacts to smells and perfumes by constricting the airways.” For everyone with textile contact dermatitis, the question is what substance triggered it. This is not easy to answer. “We can’t manufacture any textiles nowadays without using chemical substances,” remarked

Heinrich Planck, director of the Institute of Textile Technology and Process Engineering in the southern German town of Denkendorf. Be it silk, cotton or polyester, the fibres have often been steeped in a veritable cocktail of dyes, textile resins and other substances.

“They lend beauty, colour, shine, wrinkle resistance and wearing comfort,” Planck said of the additives. Silver ions are also being used increasingly for their anti-microbial effect. The chemicals contained in an article of clothing are apparent neither to customer nor salesperson. They are not listed on the label either, so a different avoidance strategy is necessary. People who have an immediate allergic reaction to a textile should promptly lay it aside. They can also have a medical test that at least narrows down the group of chemicals that may have caused the reaction.

This, too, is of little help, however. “If a test shows someone to be allergic to a certain azo dye, for example, the person receives an allergy card stating same. —dpa

NUKU’ALOFA: This picture taken on January 2, 2011 shows large cans of corned beef on a supermarket shelf in Nuku’alofa. On Tonga’s supermarket shelves, huge cans of corned beef the size of paint tins replaced traditional fare such as fish and coconuts long ago — contributing to an obesity epidemic that sees the Pacific region ranked as the fattest in the world. — AFP

Australia to send smokers a plain message SYDNEY: Tobacco companies threatened legal action after the Australian government revealed a world-first anti-smoking initiative in which brand imagery would be banished from cigarette packets. British American Tobacco Australia spokesman Scott McIntyre said banning logos and forcing products into identical olive-green packaging would infringe copyright and invite court action to defend trademarks.

“The government could end up wasting millions of taxpayers’ dollars in legal fees trying to defend their decision, let alone the potential to pay billions to the tobacco industry for taking away our intellectual property,” he said.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon dismissed the

possibility of court challenges. “ We believe we’re on ver y strong legal grounds,” she said. “We’re not going to have ‘big tobacco’ scaring us with legal action.”

Roxon said the new rules, which need parliamentary approval, would take effect in January.

“We want to make sure that the glamour that might have been attached to smoking in the past is dead and gone,” she said. “Cigarette packs will now only show the death and disease that can come from smoking.”

Australia passed its first anti-smoking law a century ago and has one of the world’s lowest levels of smoking. Around 16 per cent of men and 14 per cent of women are regular smokers,

compared with 40 per cent and 32 per cent, respectively, in 1983. All forms of tobacco advertising are banned. In some jurisdictions, it is illegal to smoke on the beach, in open-air cafes and in private cars if there are children on board.

The World Health Organization had urged the government to mandate plain packaging because it increases the effectiveness of health warnings on packets.

“Australia is the first signatory and the first country in the world to commit to implementing these recommendations on plain packaging, and we’re proud of it,” Roxon said.

In a post on the website of national broadcaster ABC, a writer complained that the new

rules would infringe on a personal freedom.

“Maybe we should license all those who drink alcohol in unhealthy volumes as well? Or those who ride motorbikes? Or those who go skydiving or rock climbing as a hobby?” the blogger wrote.

But another posting praised the government for its stance, arguing that plain packaging was merited. “If it wasn’t a deterrent, then the cigarette companies wouldn’t spend millions fighting it,” the blogger said. “Everyone knows that you use the look and feel of your produce to increase sales (just ask Apple). Prettier products tend to sell more. It’s not the only factor of course, but it definitely has an effect.” — dpa

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Bleeding gums a sign of periodontitis Result of poor oral hygiene BERLIN: Bleeding gums, breath odour, loose teeth, and teeth sensitive to hot and cold food and drinks are all symptoms of periodontitis. A usually chronic gum infection, it is caused by bacteria on the teeth and is linked to illnesses including diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and rheumatism.

Smoking is seen as a risk factor. What can be done to stop it? Get rid of the bacteria, experts advise.

Many people think there is no harm in a little gum bleeding, noted Dietmar Oesterreich, vice-president of the German Dental Association. “But if all the teeth are affected, there is a permanent, approximately palm-sized wound through which bacteria can enter the body, which has to defend itself against them,” he said.

Periodontitis should therefore be treated.

According to experts, periodontitis is usually the result of poor oral hygiene. But general illnesses, smoking, stress and heredity can also play a role. An aggressive form of the infection, caused by certain bacteria, can befall people with a weakened immune system. “These germs don’t scurry around

the oral cavity. They stick to the teeth in what is called biofilm,” explained Sabine Koehler, a dentist in the German city of Aachen and executive board chairwoman of the German internet portal Dentists’ Medical Counselling Service. The biofilm can become dental plaque and harden into tartar, she said.

Metabolic products of the bacteria loosen the gums (gingiva) and cause inflammation. The gums swell and start to bleed. If the condition is allowed to persist, gingival pockets and bone loss can result. Then the teeth may become loose and even fall out.

Dentists have various ways to remove biofilm from the teeth and clean out gingival pockets. “The aim is to eliminate the inflammation by cleaning tooth surfaces thoroughly,” Oesterreich remarked. He said this could be done under local anaesthesia with a hook-like scraping tool or ultrasonic scaler.

In cases of advanced periodontitis, some of the inflamed gingival pockets may have to be surgically removed. “Sometimes we also treat it with antibiotics,” said Ulrich

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Schlagenhauf, president of the German Periodontology Society.

At Schlagenhauf’s clinic in the German city of Wuerzburg, a small-scale study of possible links between periodontitis and arterial damage was carried out. Physicians taking part in the study measured patients’ pulse wave velocity, which is elevated when arteries have become stiff due to arteriosclerosis, for example.

“The study was very small. There were only about 100 patients. But we have indications that many periodontitis patients have arterial damage,” Schlagenhauf said. “If an internist detects arterial damage, it’s probably worthwhile to send the patient to a dentist. Conversely, problems in the oral cavity can prefigure cardiovascular problems.”

Some people develop periodontitis even though they care for their teeth properly by brushing and using dental floss, interdental brushes and mouth rinses, Schlagenhauf said. Nevertheless, practicing proper oral hygiene twice daily is something everyone can do to greatly reduce the chance of infection. — dpa

Sweden to continue to sell Baltic Sea fish STOCKHOLM: Sweden accepted an offer from the European Commission to continue to sell fish caught in the Baltic Sea and major lakes in the Scandinavian country even though it contains dioxin.

Dioxins accumulate in the food chain, mainly in the fatty tissue of animals. They are highly toxic and believed to cause reproductive problems, and harm the immune system. The exemption to allow sales in Sweden of fatty fish such as salmon and herring even though some fish contain dioxin levels above European Union levels - was key to secure the livelihood of local fishermen, the government said.

“This provides jobs which is a prerequisite for rural areas to flourish,” Agriculture Minister Eskil Erlandsson said, adding that

the government would continue to focus on offering health advice to consumers.

The government said most people could eat fatty fish from the Baltic Sea once a week without any negative health effects.

The National Food Administration that had recommended not to extend the Swedish exemption was to increase its advisory work. Erlandsson said the exemption would help maintain the tradition of eating fermented herring - considered a delicacy by some especially in northern Sweden, but disliked by others. Environmental pressure groups including the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and the WWF criticized the government’s move, saying health hazards should have been given more consideration. — dpa

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Kuwait Marriott Hotels host annual Appreciation Corporate Night

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he JW Marriott Kuwait Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait Hotel and Arraya Ballroom hosted the Annual Appreciation Corporate Night at the Grand Arraya Ballroom.

The gala evening was sponsored by Hi Pro Event Management Company and Edge Advertising and Marketing Company, Etihad Airways and was attended by top VIP companies that have consistently supported the Hotels’ and Preference Plus Loyalty program members.

Addressing the gathering, General Manager of Kuwait Marriott Hotels, George Aoun said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our merchant partners who have been working very hard with us to keep the Marriott

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

Announcements ABCK focus on Health The American Business Council will be hosting its April 2011 General Meeting on Sunday, April 17th. Registration is open till Thursday, April 14th at noon. Those who are interested to attend, may contact the ABCK office at americanbusinesscouncil@gmail.com Musical show Voice invites one and all for the musical show on its 10th anniversary. Sensational singer Swathi is invited for the show which will be held on Thursday, April 14 at Carmel School.

Celebrating Vishu on April 15 Seva Darshan Kuwait will be celebrating this Vishu on April 15th, 2011 as Seva Dinam at the Indian Central School in Abbasiya, in the true spirit of our philosophical thought, seva dharma param dharma. Our families will be offering Visukkaineetam to the scores of children and parents who have no one to take care of them and have been residing in various shelters across the country.

NAFO to present Soorya’s ‘Sangamam’ National Forum Kuwait (NAFO Kuwait) is all set to bringing a spectacular, well conceptualized, a jewel in crown super cultural show ‘Sangamam’ for the art lovers of Kuwait, according to a press release.

Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra will inaugurate the first of its kind super show, scheduled for the evening of Friday, May 13, 2011 (6.00 PM) at the American International School Auditorium, Maidan-Hawalli.

name flying high in the Kuwaiti skies.

Kuwait Marriott Hotels today are one of the leading hotels in the country, and the recent opening of our new Soul & Spice restaurant in Cour tyard by Marriott Hotel the reiterates our commitment of offering the very best to our loyal guests and partners.”

The event which is one of the most sought after in the country, had a traditional Kuwaiti theme this year. The dÈcor and the set up was Arabian in its look and design. Guests enjoyed the delectable buffet at the event as well. The evening also featured an Award Ceremony where the top supporting companies were given elegant crystal plaques as well as airline tickets and hotel stays at different Marriott properties. The evening also witnessed a magnificent laser show.

The guests further enjoyed exciting

raffle draws where lucky winners took home prizes from the sponsors Eithad Airways, Kefan Optics and sister properties of the Marriott Hotels.

Highlighting the achievements of the Preference Plus Loyalty Program Country Director of Sales and Marketing Saif Eddin Mohammad profusely thanked the

partnering outlets.

The evening concluded with a grand raffle draw and all attending guests at the event took home special gifts.

Sinhalese celebrate New Year festival

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ri Lanka Jatika Pasela in Kuwait Jabriya celebrated their Sinhalese New Year festival on 18th March at Mishref co-operative society play ground.

This New Year program began with lot of funs with cultural games. This festival is named in Sinhala Hindu Avrudda.

All religions, Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist participated in games. Children and adults took part in all the games and enjoyed the daylong event. This Sinhalese New Year festival was organized by Jabriya Sri Lanka Jatika Pasela Committee members, school teachers and family members.

NAFO releases ‘Sangamam’ flyer

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n connection with the scheduled mega program Soorya’s “Sangamam’ on May 13, 2011, at the American International School, Maidan-Hawally at 6.00 PM, National Forum Kuwait (NAFO Kuwait), has released its program flyer.

Vijayan Karayil, former NAFO Vice-President and Joint S ecretar y of I ndian Communit y S chool Management, released the flyer by receiving a copy from M S Nair, the program convener. B S Pillai, President, Anil Kumar Secretary, EC members V R Anilkumar, and Madhu Menon were present on the occasion. For details about raffle coupons/invitations, contact 99260356, 66872372, 99591156. or contact @nafoglobal.com

Arpan’s ‘Kathakali 2011’ Arpan Kuwait, an Indian socio-cultural organization, will present ‘Kathakali 2011’ on Saturday, April 30 at 6.30 pm at the Indian Community School (Senior Girls), Salmiya as part of its initiative to promote Indian classical art and culture in Kuwait.

The show ‘Kalyanasougandhikam’, a very popular exotic dance drama, will be presented by renowned Kathakali performers from India Kalamandalam Vasudevan, Sasikala S Vellodi, Kalamandalam Sreekantan and Kalamandalam Sreekumar. A 30-minute demo will also be held by the performers prior to the show for the guests who are not familiar with Kathakali.

Kathakali, Kerala’s classical theatre, will be presented as a cross-cultural program before an august gathering comprising diplomats, Kuwaiti guests, dancers and theatre lovers.

Arpan is presenting the unique classical art form once again before the Kuwait’s elite audience on popular demand. For details, contact: 99716105, 97277151, 66872372 or 94063428.

Voice Kuwait 6th Anniversary Voice Kuwait celebrating its 6th anniversary “VISWAKALA 2011” on May 20th Friday from 4 pm to 9 pm at Carmel School Khaitan.

The program presided over Voice Kuwait president P.G.Binu formed new program committee for Viswakala 2011. P.C.Sukumaran (Chairman),Baiju Vijayan (Gen: Convener).

Leelamma Lakshmanan (Joint convener), C.K,Pradeepan, M.Sreenivasan (Refill), V.Shanil,Surendran Mathur, Gireev.P.Kumar, (souvenir), Raghunathan Achari, Deepa Baluchandran (finance), Saritha Rajan, K.Shajan (Arts), Pramod Kakkoth, Balasubramanyan (Stage), Pramod Manukkara, P.Sasidharan (food), Mohanan Achari, Unnikrishnan(transportation), N.Raveendran(Volunteer Captain), Satheesan Kunneru (Vice captain), Keloth Vijayan, Mini Krishna, M.T.Haridasan, K.S.Sajeev, Gireeshwayanad, V.U.Rajan, A.K.Vilasini, Sreekala Vipin,Salini Raju(reception) are the members of program committee.

Voice Kuwait is giving award to its member’s children who got highest mark in last S.S.L.C. either from Kuwait or from Kerala. The students those are eligible should give attested copy of their mark list to Area conveners or sent copy to voicekuwait2004@gmail.com General Secretary K.Chandramohanan gave welcome speech and Treasurer Raghunadhan Achari gave vote of thanks. For more information please contact 66950482,94419371.

Friends of Kannur celebrates ’versary

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riends of Kannur expatriates association (FOKE) celebrated its 6th Anniversary with a variety of colourful programs on April 1 at Al-Jeel Al-Jadeed School auditorium, Hawally. Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra was the chief guest to inaugurate the mega event. This year’s Golden FOKE award for the eminent personalities in various arts and cultural filed from Kannur district was given to famous South Indian film actor, screenwriter and director Sreenivasan. Even though there might be some political issues in the dis-

trict, Kannurians in general do not distinguish people in the name of religion or caste, Sreenivasan said. “I am proud that from the very beginning, we Kannurians do not follow the dowry system and Kannur is the only district where dowry system doesn’t prevail,” he added.

The program started with Rangapooja at 3 pm followed by colorful performance by the members and their families of FOKE. The official inauguration began at 5:30 pm. A rousing reception was given to the chief guests. Children lined up with decorative Muthukuda

and thalapoly to give a traditional welcome to Sreenivasan and Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra. The Ambassador inaugurated the event by lighting the lamp. Actor Sreenivasan received the Golden FOKE award from Malhotra. GV Mohan gave the award memento and Jayaram gave the cash award. The souvenir published as part of the anniversary celebration was released by Prabhakaran by handing over the first copy to T A Remesh, country head, Gulfmart. FOKE Chief patron IV Dinesh, General Secretary T V Jayan, promi-

nent personalities including Dr Shaji, AM Hassan etc gave felicitation speeches.

For the first time in Kuwait, chendamelam, the traditional Kerala drums were performed by ladies, keeping the audience spell-bound. Patriotic visual display by FOKE ladies wing from Kashmir to Kanyakumari to depict the true unity in diversity of Mother India was well received by the audience. Musical fusion, golden melodies dance, songs, orchestra, comedy skit, Oppana etc added colors to the event.

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Ambassador of Kyrgyz Republic expresses his appreciation of Ties Russian speaking club

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usuf Bek Sharif, the Ambassador of Kyrgyz Republic to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt and Qatar stationed at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, along with other dignitaries visited Ties Center. The ambassador was received by the General Manager of Ties, Abdulaziz Alduaij. After being introduced to TIES activities, he then made the acquaintance of a group of Kyrgyz expats and the Russian Speaking club members of TIES headed by Dr Mohamed Essa Ansari.

He expressed his deep and warmest thanks to Ties Russian speaking club and congratulated all responsible for enabling his visit and arranging such a big audience in such a short time. The ambassador was able to experience the meaning of the Ties slogan ‘Our Home is Your Home’. And congratulated Ties on catering for such a wide variety of nationalities, and vowed to do his best to start a bureau of Kyrgyz in Kuwait. He encouraged Kyrgyz expats to approach the Russian speaking club or the embassy in Riyadh for all their needs.

He even told the expats to “feel free to

call him directly” and pointed out that now Saudi and UAE nationals can get a visa on arrival at “Manas” airport in Kyrgyz and promised that he was doing his best to extend this facility to Kuwaitis.

He informed that the 20th anniversary of Kyrgyz will be held in Kuwait in August 2011.

He mentioned that around 600 Kyrgyz nationals are studying in Egypt in Al Azhar University, about 100 in Madena Munawara and 35 in Kuwait. When asked his opinions about Kuwait, he expressed his admiration for the Kuwaiti contributions to all countries worldwide and invited all members of the Ties Russian club to visit his country. He pointed out that in Kyrgyz temperature is only 20∞C in the capital and 0∞C in Narin in the summer.

The ambassador said that no word can express his happiness and appreciation for experiencing Ties Russian Speaking club, adding that those in charge of club possess great heart and wished Ties Russian speaking club success and blessings on all activities held within.

Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan mediates director of the Ties Center Engineer Abdul Aziz Al-Duaij and the president of the Centre for Russian Ties Dr. Mohammed Al Ansari.

PAS celebrates UKG graduation ceremony

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n Monday, April 4, the Pakistan Academy School (PAS), Ahmadi celebrated UKG (Kindergarten) passing out ceremony with full fervor at KOC Centre, Ahmadi. The chief guest of this mega event was the General Manager of Al-Hadaf AlMunir Educational Establishment Madam Alia Saad Munir Al-Mohannah. Waleed Khalid, the centre representative graced the event with his presence as the patron of this mega event.

Following the tradition of the past, the ceremony was attended by a large number of distinguished personalities from all walks of life to witness their kids leaping towards their future career.

The ceremony started with the verses from the Holy Quran followed by the blooming buds of LKG welcomed the participants rendering a “Sweet Song Welcome.

Prof Syed Zakir Ali, the principal addressed the audience, highlighted the salient features of the school activities during the past academic year both on and off the field and assured that in the coming years the Pakistan Academy School would be the best in Kuwait with the coordination of a dedicated, energetic, experienced and highly qualified staff. He, in very eloquent manner, congratulated the parents on their kids excellence and outstanding performance.

This mega show, anchored by Nimra Khalid had a variety of songs tableaus, prayers, dances and enchanting music that left and dug a deep memory in the guests hearts.

The kids were awarded credentials while a memorandum plaque was awarded to Waleed Khalid, the KOC representative as a token of his contributions by the sponsor Madam Alia Al-Mohannah.

Life Fellowship plans ‘Blossom 2011’

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he annual convention of Life Fellowship Kuwait, “Blossom 2011’ is scheduled to be held from 12th to 15th instant at the National Evangelical Church (NECK).

Dr. K Muralidar, General Secretary, Tribal Mission, Kerala will be the main speaker at the event.

A highly-talented medical practitioner, holding post graduate degrees and research fellowships in cardiology, started his career as a lecturer in the Dept of Cardiology at Sri Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology at Trivandrum, Kerala.

Shortly afterwards he took charge at

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

the Benzigar Hospital, Kollam as a consultant. In 1978 he left the job to take up the challenging position as a missionary doctor with the Tribal Mission.

Worship sessions at the convention will be directed by Joji Mammen, considered to be a maestro and George Thomas, another virtuoso, in symphony and orchestration respectively. Malayalam rendition will be provided for all messages.

Convention timings are from 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm on Tuesday 12th, Wednesday 13th, Thursday 14th and Friday 15th at the NECK sanctuary and parish hall. For further information and transport arrangements contact: Tel 66570818/ 24316769.

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, AlMutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form. All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed. To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website.

As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

The forms are available on the internet at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5257 E.PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5256E.P DF. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Embassy encourages all Australians to register their presence in Kuwait through Smartraveller Online (see link below).

Australians who are registered are asked to update their details. The information provided will assist us in contacting you in an emergency. www.smartraveller.gov.au Kuwait citizens can apply for and receive visit visas to Australia online at www.immi.gov.au. This usually takes two working days. All others visa applications are handled by the Australian Visa Application Centre Tel. 22971110.

Witnessing and certifying documents are by appointment only, please contact the Embassy on 2232 2422.

The Australian Embassy is open from 8.00am to 4.00pm, Sunday to Thursday.

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EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy. We are updating our database.

This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area - Block 6 - Street 9 - Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316.

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EMBASSY OF LAO

The Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic will be closed on 14th - 17th April 2010 of the occasion of Lao’s New Year and will reopen on 18th April 2010.

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Arpan holds session for children

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adies Wing of Arpan Kuwait held a session for the children of its members at Salmiya Garden last week. The kids demonstrated their artistic skills as they painted nature in its original splendor. The natural ambience of the garden inspired them and they skillfully displayed their talents during the session. Arpan Ladies Wing convener Rajeshwari Subbaraman and Joint Convener Kala Mohan led the session.

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN Should you come into contact with British nationals in or transiting Kuwait requiring consular assistance please have them contact us at the following new consular inquiry numbers: 972 71877 or 972 71922. Our new temporary switchboard number is 999693651 For the latest FCO travel advice please visit: www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-livingabroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-eastnorth-africa/kuwait The Embassy is open Sunday to Thursday 7:30am to 14:3Opm. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has moved its office to Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax- 25387719.

Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk ■■■■■■■

Kala holds Keraleeyam

“K

ala Kuwait Keraleeyam 2011 was held on Friday, April 8 at Indian Central School, Abbasiya. The program had been scheduled with an event of giving away “Kala Kuwait-Sambasivan Award” to the famous Malayalam Drama Artist Karivallur Murali and a stage presentation of Karivallur Murali’s famous One Act Play ‘Aboobakkarinte Umma Parayunnu’ performed by Rejitha Madhu. “Kala Kuwait-Sambasivan Award” was instituted in memory of eminent ‘Katha Prasangam’ artist late V. Sambasivan. The award comprises Rs 25,000 and citation. Karaivallur Murali was selected for the prize in view of his outstanding contribution to Malayalam Drama.

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on Thursday, April 14, 2011 on account of birthday of Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

The Chief Electoral Officers of the states of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry, where elections have been declared, have issued notification under Rule 8A of Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, allowing overseas electors to submit registration forms to exercise their franchise in their respective constituencies. Relevant application forms, guidelines for filling them, as well as postal addresses of the Electoral Registration Officers of all constituencies in India are on the website of the Election Commission of India (http://eci.nic.in) and Indian nationals in Kuwait desirous of exercising their franchise are advised to access the website. It is clarified that the attestation of Form 6A and other documents relating to the election process are to be done by the applicant himself/herself (i.e., self attestation) and not by the Embassy of India, Kuwait.

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00:45 Untamed And Uncut 02:35 Life In The Undergrowth 03:30 Life Of Mammals 04:25 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 05:20 The Most Extreme 06:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 07:00 Lemur Street 07:25 The Really Wild Show 07:50 Growing Up...: Clouded Leopard 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 10:05 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 11:00 Animal Precinct 11:55 Wildlife SOS 12:50 Animal Cops Miami 13:45 RSPCA: On The Frontline 14:10 Vet On The Loose 14:40 The Most Extreme 15:30 Planet Wild 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Natural Born Hunters 17:00 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:25 Animal Crackers 18:20 Into The Lion’s Den 19:15 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 20:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 21:05The Animals’ Guide To Survival 22:00 Planet Earth 22:55 Maneaters 23:50 The Most Extreme

00:15 00:45 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:00 04:30 04:50 05:10 05:35 05:45 06:05 06:25 06:50 07:05 07:25 07:45 08:10 08:20 08:40 09:00 09:25 09:40 10:10 10:40 11:25 12:20 12:50 13:20 14:10 15:45 16:35 17:20 17:50 18:20 19:10 20:00 20:45 21:15 21:45 22:40 23:30

Only Fools And Horses The Weakest Link Full Circle With Michael Palin The Weakest Link Paradox Dinnerladies Me Too Tweenies Teletubbies The Large Family Me Too Tweenies Teletubbies The Large Family Me Too Tweenies Teletubbies The Large Family Me Too Tweenies Teletubbies The Large Family Dinnerladies Dinnerladies The Weakest Link North And South Doctors Only Fools And Horses Full Circle With Michael Palin Dinnerladies North And South The Weakest Link Doctors Only Fools And Horses Full Circle With Michael Palin North And South The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City Spooks Dinnerladies

00:40 04:00 06:10 07:05 07:30 08:15 08:45 09:10 09:35 10:00 10:45 11:10 12:00 12:45

Antiques Roadshow Glamour Puds Antiques Roadshow Glamour Puds Fantasy Homes In The City Daily Cooks Challenge Trish’s Paris Kitchen Glamour Puds What Not To Wear Fantasy Homes In The City What Not To Wear Antiques Roadshow Fantasy Homes By The Sea Glamour Puds

13:05 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:25 Eating With The Enemy 17:05 Cooked 17:35 Chuck’s Day Off 18:00 How Not To Decorate 18:50 Eating With The Enemy 19:35 Cooked 20:05 Chuck’s Day Off 21:20 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 23:00 Come Dine With Me

00:00 BBC World News 00:10 My Country 01:00 BBC World News 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Asia Today 02:00 BBC World News 02:10 World Features 02:30 Our World 03:00 BBC World News 03:10 World Features 03:30 India Business Report 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Asia Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Asia Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 BBC World News 23:30 Hardtalk

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 01:55 02:20 Doo 02:45 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:35 06:00 06:25 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:20

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Tex Avery Looney Tunes Hong Kong Phooey The Garfield Show Scooby-Doo And ScrappyPopeye Classics New Yogi Bear Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! Tom And Jerry Duck Dodgers Popeye Hong Kong Phooey The Flintstones Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch Droopy And Dripple Looney Tunes The Flintstones Duck Dodgers Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Addams Family Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Tom And Jerry Dastardly And Muttley

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 10:45 The Scooby Doo Show 11:10 Wacky Races 11:35 The Jetsons 12:00 Popeye Classics 12:20 Looney Tunes 12:50 Top Cat 13:15 Droopy: Master Detective 13:40 Hong Kong Phooey 14:05 Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo 14:30 King Arthur’s Disasters 14:55 Tom And Jerry 15:20 Dastardly And Muttley 15:45 The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop 16:10 Scooby Doo Where Are You! 17:00 Duck Dodgers 17:25 Popeye 17:50 Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo 18:15 Looney Tunes 18:40 Pink Panther And Pals 19:00 The Garfield Show 19:25 The Addams Family 20:00 Johnny Bravo 20:30 The Scooby Doo Show 20:55 Tom And Jerry 21:20 Wacky Races 21:45 Dastardly And Muttley 22:10 The Scooby Doo Show 22:35 Top Cat 23:00 Popeye 23:25 The Jetsons 23:50 Duck Dodgers

00:05 Cow And Chicken 00:30 Cramp Twins 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Adventure Time 01:45 Eliot Kid 02:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 02:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 03:00 The Powerpuff Girls 03:15 Chowder 03:40 The Secret Saturdays 04:05 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:30 Ben 10: Alien Force 04:55 Best Ed 05:20 Skunk Fu! 05:45 Cramp Twins 06:10 Eliot Kid 06:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 07:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 07:25 Cow And Chicken 07:50 Best Ed 08:15 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 08:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 09:05 The Secret Saturdays 09:30 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 09:55 The Powerpuff Girls 10:20 Robotboy 10:30 Hero 108 10:55 Ben 10 11:20 Chowder 11:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 12:10 Camp Lazlo 12:35 George Of The Jungle 13:00 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 13:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 13:50 Ben 10 14:15 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 14:40 Squirrel Boy 15:05 Eliot Kid 15:35 Ed, Edd N Eddy 16:00 Cow And Chicken 16:25 Chop Socky Chooks 16:50 Skunk Fu! 17:15 Chowder 17:40 Best Ed 18:05 Hero 108 18:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 18:55 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 19:20 Ben 10: Alien Force 19:45 The Secret Saturdays 20:10 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 20:35 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 21:00 The Powerpuff Girls 21:25 Ed, Edd N Eddy

00:15 One Way Out 00:40 Destroyed In Seconds

ALONG CAME A SPIDER ON OSN ACTION HD

01:10 Destroyed In Seconds 01:35 Mythbusters 02:30 Cut In Half 03:25 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 04:20 How It’s Made 04:50 How Stuff’s Made 05:15 Destroyed In Seconds 06:05 X-Machines 07:00 Man Made Marvels Asia 07:50 American Chopper 08:45 How Stuff’s Made 09:10 How It’s Made 09:40 Mythbusters 10:30 Cake Boss 10:55 Border Security 11:25 Chop Shop 12:20 Ultimate Survival 13:15 Mythbusters 14:10 La Ink 15:05 Dirty Jobs 16:00 Chop Shop 16:55 Mythbusters 17:50 Extreme Fishing With Robson Green 18:45 Cake Boss 19:10 Border Security 19:40 Deconstruction 20:05 How Stuff’s Made 20:35 How It’s Made 21:00 Gold Rush: Alaska 21:55 Brew Masters 22:50 License To Drill 23:45 Black Gold

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:50 04:45 05:40 06:10 07:00 07:55 07:58 08:25 08:55 09:45 10:35 11:25 11:50 12:40 13:05 13:55 14:45 15:35 16:00 16:03 16:30 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 20:45 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

The Future Of...

The Gadget Show What’s That About?

The Colony The Colony Weird Or What?

How Stuff’s Made The Future Of...

Scrappy Races Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections How The Universe Works The Gadget Show How Stuff Works Green Wheels Scrappy Races One Step Beyond Engineered Nextworld Mega World The Gadget Show Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Brainiac How The Universe Works Mighty Ships Eco-Tech Sci-Fi Science Cool Stuff And How It Works The Gadget Show Mighty Ships Eco-Tech The Colony

HD 00:05 Unwrapped 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 00:55 Unwrapped 01:20 Unwrapped 01:45 Candy Convention 02:35 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 03:00 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 03:25 Guy’s Big Bite 03:50 Guy’s Big Bite 04:15 Good Eats - Special 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 05:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 05:50 Paula’s Party 06:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 07:00 Chopped 07:50 Guy’s Big Bite 08:15 Boy Meets Grill 08:40 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 09:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 10:20 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 10:45 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Paula’s Party 12:25 Good Eats - Special 12:50 Paula’s Best Dishes 13:15 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 13:40 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 14:55 Unwrapped 15:20 Boy Meets Grill 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Paula’s Best Dishes 17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 17:50 Ten Dollar Dinners 18:15 Paula’s Party 19:05 Good Eats - Special

00:20 01:10 02:00 02:45 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:35 09:00 09:25 09:50 10:10 10:35 10:50 11:15 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:20 14:40 14:55 15:20 15:40

Replacements Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Stitch Kim Possible Emperors New School Stitch Phineas And Ferb Kim Possible Suite Life On Deck Jonas La Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Imagination Movers Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Fairly Odd Parents Phineas And Ferb Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Have A Laugh A Kind Of Magic Phineas And Ferb Kim Possible

16:00 16:25 16:45 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:35

Hannah Montana Forever Sonny With A Chance Jonas La Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Forever Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Hannah Montana Phineas And Ferb Fairly Odd Parents Replacements Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas

06:00 Kid Vs Kat 06:20 Kick Buttowski 06:40 Pokemon 07:05 Phineas & Ferb 07:30 Phineas And Ferb 07:40 Phineas & Ferb 08:05 American Dragon 08:30 Kick Buttowski 08:50 Kid Vs Kat 09:00 Zeke & Luther 09:50 I’m In The Band 10:15 The Super Hero Squad Show 10:40 Suite Life On Deck 11:30 Escape From Scorpion Island (Cema) 11:55 Phineas & Ferb 12:40 Have A Laugh 12:45 Kid Vs Kat 13:50 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 14:40 Zeke & Luther 15:05 Suite Life On Deck 15:25 Z 15:35 Kick Buttowski 16:00 I’m In The Band 16:25 Suite Life On Deck 16:50 Zeke & Luther 17:40 Phineas & Ferb 18:30 Escape From Scorpion Island (Cema) 18:55 Pokemon 19:20 American Dragon 19:45 Aaron Stone 20:05 Z 20:15 Kid Vs Kat 20:40 Phineas & Ferb 21:05 I’m In The Band 21:30 Zeke & Luther 21:50 Phineas And Ferb 22:00 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 22:20 The Super Hero Squad Show

00:40 Style Star 01:30 E!ES 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Reality Hell 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 40 (More) Crimes of Fashion 07:45 Behind the Scenes 08:35 E! News 09:25 Giuliana & Bill 10:15 15 Most Infamous Child Star Mugshots 12:00 Extreme Close-Up 12:50 Fashion Police 13:15 Style Star 13:40 Keeping Up with the Kardashians 14:30 20 Acts of Love Gone Wrong 16:15 Behind the Scenes 17:10 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 18:00 Extreme Close-Up 18:50 Kendra 19:40 E!ES 20:05 The Soup 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:20 Kourtney and Kim Take New York 22:10 Extreme Close-Up 22:35 Style Star 23:00 Fashion Police 23:25 Keeping Up with the Kardashians

00:15 01:30 02:20 04:50 06:30 08:00 08:25 10:55 11:45 12:35 13:25 14:15 15:05 15:55 16:45 17:10 19:40 20:30 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Wrestling With Reality Gumball 3000: 2008 Sports Jobs LG Action Sports World... iEX 2009 Quattro Events 2009 Winter Dew Tour 09/10 Eds Up Untracked Fantasy Factory Carpocalypse World Combat League Eds Up Untracked Quattro Events 2009 Winter Dew Tour 09/10 Untracked Fantasy Factory Mantracker World Combat League Aiya TV Fantasy Factory

00:30 01:20 01:45 02:10 03:00 03:50 04:45 05:15 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 14:55 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 19:55 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00

The Will I Was Murdered Deadly Women: Face To Face On The Case With Paula Zahn I Almost Got Away With It The Will Ghosthunters Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Forensic Detectives Solved Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls The Will FBI Files Murder Shift Who On Earth Did I Marry?

I Was Murdered Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls The Will Forensic Detectives Solved FBI Files Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Murder Shift Who On Earth Did I Marry?

I Was Murdered I Was Murdered

FAST AND FURIOUS OSN MOVIES ACTION 22:25 Deadly Women: Face To Face 22:50 Couples Who Kill 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:30 Earth Tripping 01:00 Banged Up Abroad 03:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 04:00 Cooking The World 05:00 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 05:30 62 Days At Sea 06:30 Earth Tripping 07:00 Banged Up Abroad 09:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 10:00 Word Travels 10:30 Banged Up Abroad 11:30 Word Travels 12:00 Bondi Rescue 1 12:30 Bondi Rescue 2 13:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 14:00 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 14:30 Don’t Tell My Mother 15:30 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 16:00 Word Travels 16:30 Banged Up Abroad 17:30 Word Travels 18:00 Bondi Rescue 1 18:30 Bondi Rescue 2 19:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 20:00 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 20:30 Don’t Tell My Mother 21:30 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 22:00 Word Travels 22:30 Banged Up Abroad 23:30 Word Travels

00:00 02:00 04:00 PG15 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Children Of The Corn-18 Echelon Conspiracy-PG15 Wrong Turn 3: Left For DeadAlong Came A Spider-PG15 Timeline-PG15 Changing Lanes-PG15 The Fan-PG15 Timeline-PG15 Darkness Falls-PG15 The Fan-PG15 Goal III-18 Courage Under Fire-PG15

01:45 Whiteout-18 03:30 An Education-PG15 05:30 Charlotte Gray-PG15 07:30 Astro Boy-PG15 09:00 The Prince And Me 3: A Royal Honeymoon-PG15 11:00 Jump Tomorrow-PG15 13:00 Green Lantern: First Flight-PG 15:00 The Sorcerer’s ApprenticePG15 17:00 Chatterbox-PG 18:45 Agora-18 21:00 2:22-PG15 23:00 The Sorcerer’s ApprenticePG15

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Family Guy 02:00 Saturday Night Live 03:00 Just Shoot Me 03:30 The League 04:00 Family Guy 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 How I Met Your Mother 06:00 Yes Dear 06:30 The Drew Carey Show 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 08:30 Dharma And Greg 09:00 Just Shoot Me 09:30 How I Met Your Mother 10:00 Yes Dear 10:30 Seinfeld 11:00 The Drew Carey Show 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Dharma And Greg 13:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 13:30 How I Met Your Mother 14:00 Yes Dear 14:30 Kath And Kim 15:00 Two And A Half Men

15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 The Drew Carey Show 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Just Shoot Me 18:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 19:00 Seinfeld 19:30 Kath And Kim 20:00 Hot In Cleveland 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Comedy Central Presents 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

01:00 Juice-18 02:45 Pride And Glory-18 05:00 Amusement-18 07:00 Obsessed-PG15 09:00 Fast And Furious-PG15 10:45 The Rock-PG15 13:00 Juice-18 14:30 Armageddon-PG15 17:00The Fast And The Furious-PG15 18:45 Bugsy-18 21:00 Courage Under Fire-PG15 23:00 Borderland-18

00:00 02:15 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 PG15 16:00 18:15 20:00 22:00

Keeping The Faith-PG15 Dead Man On Campus-PG15 Management-PG15 Blank Check-FAM Hotel For Dogs-FAM Jack-PG15 Swing Vote-PG15 Ace Ventura : Pet Detective Jr.-

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:15 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

The Young Americans-PG15 In God’s Hands-PG Bottle Shock-PG15 Living Out Loud-PG15 Shine A Light-PG15 One Week-PG Motherhood-PG15 Sticks And Stones-PG Frost/Nixon-PG15 The Unloved-18 Black Lightning-PG15 Whatever-18

Keeping The Faith-PG15 Shorts-PG Land Of The Lost-PG15 Rock Slyde-PG15

01:00 Frida-18 03:00 Drumline-PG15 05:00 2012-PG15 07:30 Beauty And The Beast-FAM 09:00 Paper Man-PG15 11:00 Did You Hear About The Morgans?-PG15 13:00 The Soloist-PG15 15:00 Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs-FAM 17:00 Paper Man-PG15 19:00 The Bounty Hunter-PG15 21:00 2:22-PG15 23:00 The Hangover-18

00:00 Scooby-Doo Meets The Boo Brothers-FAM 02:00 My Fair Madeline-FAM 04:00 Kung Fu Magoo-FAM 06:00 Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home-FAM 08:15 Pollyworld-FAM 10:00 Kung Fu Magoo-FAM 12:00 Scruff In Midsummer Night’s Dream-FAM 14:00 My Fair Madeline-FAM 16:00 The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle-FAM 18:00 The Three Musketeers-PG 20:00 Little Match Girl-PG 22:00 Scruff In Midsummer Night’s

00:00 Sex And Lies In Sin City-18 02:00 American Teen-PG15

04:00 Ambrose Bierce: Civil War Stories-PG15 06:00 Who’s Your Caddy?-PG15 08:00 Fantastic Mr. Fox-FAM 10:00 End Of The Spear-PG15 12:00 Before You Say I Do-PG15 14:00 Hey Hey Its Esther Blueburger-PG15 15:45 Fantastic Mr. Fox-FAM 17:15 Avatar-PG 20:00 The Blind Side-PG15 22:15 Deadly Impact-18

00:15 Trans World Sport 01:15 World Hockey 01:45 ICC Cricket World 02:15 Premier League Darts 05:30 Trans World Sport 06:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 07:00 Scottish Premier League 09:00 NRL Premiership 11:00 Futbol Mundial 11:30 NRL Full Time 12:00 Live NRL Premiership 14:00 ICC Cricket World 14:30 Premier League Darts 18:00 NRL Premiership 20:00 Futbol Mundial 20:30 Live Goals On Monday 21:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 22:00 Scottish Premier League

01:00 03:00 03:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 10:30 12:30 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 23:00

NRL Premiership Mobil 1 The Grid AFL Premiership Total Rugby Futbol Mundial Golfing World AFL Premiership Scottish Premier League Golfing World Futbol Mundial Mobil 1 The Grid ICC Cricket World NRL Premiership Scottish Premier League Golfing World Mobil 1 The Grid World Hockey NRL Premiership Golfing World

01:00 02:00 03:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:30 10:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 21:00

WWE Vintage Collection WWE NXT UFC 128 UFC The Ultimate Fighter WWE Bottom Line British Triathlon Sports Adventure V8 Supercars Championship WWE SmackDown British Triathlon V8 Supercars Championship WWE Bottom Line WWE SmackDown UFC Unleashed

00:00 Fashion Police 00:30 Top 10 01:00 Fashion Avenue 01:55 Big Boutique 02:25 How Do I Look?

03:20 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

04:15 Married Away 05:10 Homes With Style 05:35 Area 06:05 Clean House 07:00 Big Boutique 08:00 Homes With Style 09:00 Fashion Avenue 09:25 Fashion Avenue 09:55 How Do I Look?

10:50 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

11:50 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

12:50 Clean House 13:45 Top 10 14:15 Mel B: It’s A Scary World 14:45 Jerseylicious 15:40 Ruby 16:35 Giuliana And Bill 17:30 Bridalplasty 18:25 Ruby: My Naked Truth 19:25 Big Boutique 19:50 Fashion Avenue 20:20 Clean House

Classifieds MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

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Accommodation available in Abbassiya for 1 Keralite bachelor in C-A/C flat opposite to JAS Intn’l Shipping, rent KD 50 elec/water included. Please call 66349475 / 1802255 Extn 308. (C 3253) 9-4-2011

C-A/C furnished big room available for Indian bachelor to share with Goan, Hindu small family on Amman Street, Salmiya.

Contact: 99408202.

(C 3250) 7-4-2011

corn starch!

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Accommodation available for executive bachelors/ working ladies/ couples in a semi-furnished bedroom, central A/C flat in Sharq, Kuwait City. Contact: 99682526. (C 3252)

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Toyota Corolla model 2009, white color, 1.8 engine, excellent condition, cash price KD 3400, installment possible.

Contact: 55074670. (C 3256) 11-4-2011 Toyota Corolla model 2004, golden color 1.8 engine, registration till 2702-12 excellent condition.

Price KD 1,950 negotiable.

Contact: 99105286.

(C 3251) 7-4-2011

SITUATION VACANT Small American family in Salwa needs full time, live in maid. Must speak English and have own iqama. Call 6683-8807 after 4pm. Will not answer missed calls.

8-4-2011

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited for a 30 year old Roman Catholic Keralite boy working in Kuwait in a well known private company for the last 3 years, from girls working preferably as staff nurse in Kuwait MOH hailing from a middle class family.

Contact: johnjoseph5678@gmail.com (C 3258) 11-4-2011 CHANGE OF NAME I, Shabbir Moizbhai Dahodwala, holder of Indian Passport No. J 4441363, son of Moizbhai F. Bhatia, change my name to Shabbir Moizbhai Bhatia.

(C 3258)

SITUATION WANTED Finance professional (Indian) well experienced in all areas of accounts & finance, of Single Corporation & Multinational Group seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 66126258.

(C 3241) 5-4-2011

No: 15055

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FOR SALE

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Double bedroom plus partition room C-A/C flat, new building in Abbassiya near Orma Jewellery, immediately with household items.

Call 66042122, 66083228.

(C 3257) 11-4-2011

Room available for Muslim couple with attached bath, in Qurtaiba Street, Hawally.

Call: 99333160. (C 3249)

1 or 2 average average spo r ts bars ba bar arrs ars s sports oz.. (50 to 75 g) lean me meat 2 or 3 oz eat att or fish

tt Avoid Avo oiid id foods foo ood ods hig h gh in fat fat high tt Drink plenty Drin ink nk pl p le ent en nty ty off water water to re hy yd drat ate e your you our u body b rehydrate

ACCOMMODATION

4

Squeeze and roll it Squeeze between bet ween your your hands What happens when yo ou quit squeezing? you

When you let go, the water runs back into the suspension, and it becomes liquid

When you’re yo ou’re finished, a little water wa ater will wash wash a the slime away away

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines JZR THY ETH UAE KAC DHX ETD FDB GFA QTR JZR FCX JZR KAC JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY ETD GFA MEA JZR IRC MSR GFA RBG KAC KAC MSR UAL RJA FDB OMA SVA

Flt 205 772 620 853 544 370 305 67 211 138 503 201 555 412 531 157 206 302 53 352 284 344 362 855 132 125 301 213 404 165 6521 623 219 3557 618 672 610 982 640 57 645 500

Arrival Flights on Monday 11/4/2011 Route DAMASCUS ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI CAIRO BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA LUXOR DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MANILA / BANGKOK ASSIUT LONDON ISLAMABAD MUMBAI DUBAI COCHIN DHAKA CHENNAI COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH ABU DHABI BAHRAIN BEIRUT DUBAI LAMERD SOHAG BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI CAIRO WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN DUBAI MUSCAT JEDDAH

Time 0:25 1:15 1:45 2:25 2:50 2:55 2:55 3:10 3:15 3:20 5:15 5:25 6:10 6:15 6:20 6:30 7:15 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:20 8:20 8:25 9:00 9:10 9:30 9:35 10:55 11:10 11:20 12:10 12:40 12:55 12:55 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:35 13:50 14:00 14:30

KNE KAC JZR QTR KAC KAC KAC MLR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY JZR ALK KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC FDB OMA JZR VOS MEA JAI KAC DHX KLM UAE GFA QTR UAL JZR TAR JZR DLH BBC PIA

745 788 257 134 546 550 118 403 303 857 215 510 777 239 127 213 227 104 542 786 744 614 774 674 975 61 647 179 81 402 572 552 372 445 859 217 136 981 135 327 185 636 43 239

JEDDAH JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA SOHAG NEW YORK COLOMBO / DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH DEIREZZOR COLOMBO / DUBAI LONDON CAIRO JEDDAH DAMMAM BAHRAIN RIYADH DUBAI CHENNAI / GOA DUBAI MUSCAT DUBAI BAGHDAD BEIRUT MUMBAI DAMASCUS BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN TUNIS DUBAI FRANKFURT DHAKA SIALKOT

14:45 15:00 15:10 15:15 15:30 15:35 16:15 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:50 18:00 18:35 18:50 19:00 19:15 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:30 20:00 20:10 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:40 20:45 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:35 23:00 23:45 23:55

Airlines AXB DLH KLM AIC PIA AFG THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD QTR JZR GFA BAW KAC FDB KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD GFA KAC MEA KAC JZR JZR JZR IRC KAC MSR GFA KAC RBG MSR RJA

Flt 390 637 447 982 206 406 773 620 854 68 371 306 139 164 212 156 545 54 671 256 787 549 617 856 126 133 302 214 165 405 541 776 212 238 6522 103 624 220 785 3558 611 641

Departure Flights on Monday 11/4/2011 Route MANGALORE / KOZHIKODE FRANKFURT AMSTERDAM AHMEDABAD / CHENNAI PESHAWER / LAHORE KABUL ISTANBUL BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN LONDON ALEXANDRIA DUBAI DUBAI BEIRUT JEDDAH SOHAG DOHA DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA ABU DHABI BAHRAIN ROME / PARIS BEIRUT CAIRO JEDDAH DEIREZZOR AMMAN LAMERD LONDON SOHAG BAHRAIN JEDDAH SOHAG / ALEXANDRIA CAIRO AMMAN

Time 0:25 0:40 0:55 1:05 1:10 2:00 2:15 2:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 5:00 6:55 7:10 8:25 8:35 8:40 9:00 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:50 10:00 10:15 10:20 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:05 12:10 12:20 12:30 13:10 13:25 13:30 13:35 14:20 14:30

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

FDB UAL OMA KAC KAC KNE SVA JZR KAC QTR KAC KAC VOS ETD MLR UAE GFA ABY JZR JZR SVA JZR ALK KAC FDB JZR KAC KAC OMA MEA JAI DHX KLM JZR UAE GFA FCX QTR KAC KAC TAR JZR UAL KAC

58 982 646 673 551 746 501 178 773 135 613 743 82 304 404 858 216 128 184 266 511 134 228 283 62 528 331 351 648 403 571 373 445 206 860 218 102 137 301 205 327 504 981 411

DUBAI BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI DAMASCUS JEDDAH JEDDAH DUBAI RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN DAMMAM BAGHDAD ABU DHABI DUBAI / COLOMBO DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH DUBAI BEIRUT RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI / COLOMBO DHAKA DUBAI ASSIUT TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT MUMBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN / AMSTERDAM DAMASCUS DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD DUBAI / TUNIS LUXOR WASHINGTON DC DULLES BANGKOK / MANILA

14:35 14:45 15:00 15:10 15:25 15:30 15:45 16:00 16:05 16:15 16:20 16:25 17:00 17:35 17:40 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 19:10 19:10 20:00 20:40 20:50 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:40 22:00 22:05 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:05 23:35 23:40 23:40

34

star CROSSWORD 284

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

s

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Understanding yourself at the soul level will bring you an understanding of humanity and the endless possibilities ahead. It is important to keep a tight rein on the purse strings now. In fact, this evening would be a good time to go over budgeting plans for this whole month. Extravagance is out until next month. Shopping for the essentials can be a fun undertaking, especially when you are with a friend or loved one. Shopping with your loved one may give you more clues into this person. Exotic health remedies may or may not relieve your physical complaints. You will, however, be successful in finding remedies to relieve stress.

This could consist of a shared body massage between you and a loved one. Keep notes on your dreams.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Stay within your budget—after the twentieth you will be able to see relief with financial problems. A surprising development at the end of this next week influences your finances for the better. Meanwhile, quit trying to prove a point. New ideas and an independent or pioneering mental attitude will take on more importance in your life at this time. You may find yourself in the library, researching or studying. Teaching, learning, communicating and social contacts have a way of outlining new directions in your life. There is much involvement with these activities now. This will be a pleasant period if you take time to relax completely. Things start happening in relationships that deepen and strengthen everyone.

Life situations are more fun now.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS

1. A place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone).

5. (Jungian psychology) The inner self (not the external persona) that is in touch with the unconscious.

10. A dark-skinned member of a race of people living in Australia when Europeans arrived.

13. Type genus of the Amiidae.

14. Large west African tree having large palmately lobed leaves and axillary cymose panicles of small white flowers and one-winged seeds.

15. (Scotland) A small loaf or roll of soft bread.

16. A quality of a given color that differs slightly from a primary color.

17. Strike with disgust or revulsion.

18. Fermented alcoholic beverage similar to but heavier than beer.

19. A resident of Utah.

21. Of or relating to or measured in ohms.

23. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

25. A watery solution of sugars, salts, and minerals that circulates through the vascular system of a plant.

26. United States labor organizer who ran for President as a socialist (1855-1926).

29. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

30. A hard gray lustrous metallic element that is highly corrosion-resistant.

33. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

36. Being of delicate or slender build.

38. Speak unfavorably about.

40. A Spanish female Gypsy.

42. (prefix) Opposite or opposing or neutralizing.

43. A state in midwestern United States.

44. Consisting of the musk-ox.

46. In addition.

53. Small Asian deer with small antlers and a cry like a bark.

58. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

59. Jordan's port.

61. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

62. An ugly evil-looking old woman.

63. Syncopated music in duple time for dancing the rumba.

64. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

DOWN 1. About three feet long exclusive of tail.

2. Prevent from being included or considered or accepted.

3. Tropical Asian starlings.

4. Triteness or triviality of style.

5. (Hindu) A manner of sitting (as in the practice of Yoga).

6. A period of time spent sleeping.

7. Challenge the honesty or credibility of.

8. A master's degree in business.

9. A town in central Belgium.

10. A unit of current equal to 10 amperes.

11. An island in Indonesia east of Java.

12. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

20. Before noon.

22. Genus of New Zealand mat-forming herbs or subshrubs.

24. Australian shrubs and small trees with evergreen usually spiny leaves and dense clusters of showy flowers.

27. Earn on some commercial or business transaction.

28. A very troublesome child.

31. A floor covering.

32. A Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Christ.

34. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

35. Highly excited.

37. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.

39. Flowering plant with two cotyledons.

41. A battle (1590) in which the Huguenots under Henry IV of France defeated the Catholics under the duke of Mayenne.

45. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

47. A Bantu language spoken in southern Zaire.

48. An unforeseen obstacle.

49. A fraudulent business scheme.

50. Located in or toward the back or rear.

51. A small cake leavened with yeast.

52. Decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers.

54. A vessel (usually cylindrical) with a wide mouth and without handles.

55. A Kwa language spoken by the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria.

56. The cry made by sheep.

57. A federal agency established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products.

60. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) This is a great day to be with others and to play together. If you begin a workout program or intensify one now, you will be happy with the results. We are talking endurance here, not necessarily body weight. Your intuition is sharpened and may lead you to new insights. Caution should be exercised before entering into a relationship or transaction impulsively today. Engaging in new projects or hanging out with new people can bring favorable results. Your family is super-understanding but you must be at least half as understanding of them and share some prime time with each member.

Interactions with parents, elderly relatives or long-time friends increase at this time.

A love relationship is getting better and better.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

There is much activity and involvement beginning with volunteer programs at this time. Remember to separate the two activities in your life as work in one avenue of life and volunteer in another avenue of life. The volunteer work you involve yourself with will help to create in you a great satisfaction that nothing else can bring to your doorstep. As you have probably learned, volunteer work in something where you have a passion can be the best expression of yourself.

This could mean guiding the handicapped person or taking meals to the homebound; stay a little while for a chat. New ideas and an independent or pioneering mental orientation take on more importance in your life at this time. You lead, others will follow.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Be aware that the aggravations today are short-lived. There will be flashes of psychic insights to guide you. Remember these feelings and stay in touch with your own sense of direction. Be prepared to travel later this month. Information comes to you through many new avenues at this time and it is all forward moving and positive. Your progress will take leaps and bounds toward the goals and directions of your designated path this year. One of the areas of progress will be in the follow-through capabilities that have been lacking in the past. Make a determined effort to become more interested in the progress of your city and your role in it. Perhaps you could involve your family or friends along with you, in some volunteer service.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Consciously, make your words positive today. Your highly critical eye is one of your strengths and when you express yourself in positive and practical ways, you move mountains. You spend so much time caring for others that you may neglect your own needs. If you suffer from migraines, avoid caffeine, alcohol, chocolate and salty foods. There are great opportunities today for spiritual lessons that will widen your scope of knowledge. You will need to be more flexible now as it seems you have to speed up your metabolism to keep up with the fun.

Avoid burnout by allowing time to just relax and take in the sights. Weather permitting, enjoy your surroundings with a little walk or glance around at the new growth and the birds.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Any activity you want to become involved with is enjoyable today. A short trip or a long travel plan may be considered or begun now. Minor irritations are short lived. You may feel intellectually competitive and could become irritated by trivialities—car games, perhaps. If you are traveling and have young children with you, don’t forget to stop for breaks and let them exercise a bit. If you are not traveling with children, this could be the weekend in which a new life is created. Emotional security, a sense of belonging and nurturing are all issues that are felt instinctively now. Someone asks for your help today and you should not hesitate to ask questions and gain information. Enjoy your trip, no matter how long or short— it can be exhilarating.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Today is the day to start a new adventure—you have good thoughts and ideas. The ability to communicate and describe what you see may be a reason for fine-tuning your thoughts into an outline for a book. You are very energetic today and would do well to grab a friend and bicycle for a ride through a nearby park or the neighborhood. You feel particularly independent, but bicycling is more fun with a friend. Some profound insights are available to you. Your sensitivity to others has increased and friendships are very important. Your circle of friends has enlarged quite a bit—it does not take much work to find someone with whom to enjoy some fun time. Tonight a big get-together with family is in order— perhaps a traditional gathering.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Personal popularity will come easily. This is a good time for surrounding yourself with friends and loved ones. You appreciate your particular situation and enjoy having support and giving support to those around you. This is a powerful time of recognizing as well as using your intuition. Ownership matters can be under pressure on the fifteenth. Do everything you can to assure your family’s security. If you are planning to invest in property, do so before the fifteenth.

No turkey for lunch today, you could fall asleep and not get your chores done. Perhaps you find this an ultra mundane day that has little or no imagination—escape. Get out and walk this afternoon. Perhaps some good conversations with a loved one will bring you balance.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

This is a harmonious time—not much of anything happens.

Romantic relationships are favored. Your personal magnetism is high.

Marriage and other close relationships give rise to great expectations and you have an opportunity to create a little magic in your life. This is a time to enjoy and appreciate your ties to others and to seek and promote harmony in the interaction between people. Your devotion and selflessness will reap unexpected rewards. If you are not engaged, there will be plenty of opportunities to communicate with someone new.

You feel popular and attractive. Social occasions are enjoyable. You may be feeling unhurried and a little lazy just now. Listen to the sounds of nature this evening— music or an ocean side restaurant.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Enjoy this time. Make it a period of true grace, healing and wisdom. This is more of a time for working on your own choices, where you have come to so far in life. This is not the time to try to solve any serious problems or make important decisions. It could be hard to think. Time can be set aside today for family interaction with giving as well as receiving a sense of support. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. Communication with friends and casual acquaintances may bring much laughter to your home this evening. A love of music, an appreciation for sensual pleasures and others of the finer things in life are the signs of the cycle that has begun for you.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Surprised to find family members up early and ready to do things together this Sunday morning, you may decide to join in the activities. Family togetherness will continue to deepen. Today, family members share pictures and purchase books and create a new tradition in your family called, picture update. Every year you could do this as a family group and always have good memories to mull over as you place the new pictures in each album.

Teaching, learning, communicating and social contacts have a way of outlining new directions in your life and there is much energy and involvement in this kind of activity. Financial arrangements with a willing relative can be successful today.

Commit to a strict budget you can live within.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

22433377 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22412284/5 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist 25340300

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581 22641071/2

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Salem soso

22618787

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

25339330

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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Years

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

lifestyle G O S S I P

Cox

still has

bond with Arquette ourteney Cox says she and estranged husband David Arquette will always share a “special bond”. The couple - who have a six-yearold daughter, Coco, together - announced their separation last October after 11 years of marriage and while Courteney is unsure of their future, she knows they will always be in each other’s lives. She told You magazine: “I don’t know what’s going to happen between David and me, but we’ll always have a special bond and I love him very much. No one ever wants to get divorced and when you get married, you think it’s going to be for life, so we’ll see. Taking care of Coco is the most important thing to us right now.” Courteney - who stars alongside David in new movie ‘Scream 4’ - says the couple are working on their problems to see if the marriage is worth saving. She said: “The important thing for us is to be open with one another. We’re pretty good about that, but we probably could have been a little better. “I feel like this is a very important time right now and one where I need to find out who and what I am, and it’s the same for David. It takes a lot of courage to switch things up and not drift in a relationship, so we’ll just have to see where it goes. All I really want is to be happy.”

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Neve Campbell has blasts sequels

Hendricks loves ad Men’ actress Christina Hendricks is obsessed with lipsticks and has “hundreds” of cosmetics, and also collects handbags.

Christina Hendricks has “hundreds” of lipsticks. The red-haired actress - who is married to actor Geoffrey Arend - loves adding color to her mouth and admits she can’t stop herself from buying make-up in different hues and experimenting with different cosmetic brands. She said: “I’ve got hundreds of lipsticks every color of the rainbow! My new favorite color is Cosmopolitan by Dolce & Gabbana. It’s really vibrant.” As well as Christina’s obsession with lipstick, the ‘Mad Men’ beauty is also a handbag collector and loves scouring internet auction retailer eBay for new bargain accessories. She added: “I’m always shopping on eBay. I love handbags - at the moment, I’m trying to find a vintage crocodile clutch. I have a ‘watching’ list on eBay. “Right now, I’m carrying a red Jimmy Choo bag from the Choo 24:7 collection. “I’ve also got the new Chloe Marcie. In Paris recently, I saw two girls carrying it - we were all like, ‘I have your bag.’ “

eve Campbell has blasted Hollywood for making so many sequels. The ‘actress - who recently reprised her ‘Scream’ role of Sidney Prescott for the fourth time - feels “sad” about the lack of originality in the film industry, which she accuses of ignoring “great” stories. She said: “Then we’re going back to versions of movies that were only out a short while ago. There are sequels and all theses prequels to all the sequels. It’s a terrible situation, it truly is. It makes me sad because there are so many great stories out there waiting to be told.” Neve also claimed Hollywood is even impacting on the world of books, as commissioning editors are only interested in the potential movie rights than can be generated by a novel. She said: “Every single comic, every single book is made into a film. Do you know an author pitching a book nowadays is asked to consider whether there’s a possibility of making a film from it? So films are even limiting the kinds of books we’ll be able to read.”

While Neve is unhappy about sequels, she defended creator Kevin Williamson’s decision to make ‘Scream 4’. She said: “What’s ‘Scream 4’ in the grand scheme of things? We made the last one, like, 12 years ago, c’mon! “I felt we’d done such a good trilogy we shouldn’t push our luck. Then Kevin pitched me his idea and I thought, ‘This could actually be really great.’ I knew it would be fun to see everyone again.”

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Bromfield thrilled

by Brand praise

‘M

ussell Brand made Dionne Bromfield blush with his compliments on her music.

The notorious ladies man - who is now married to singer Katy Perry - is the only celebrity the ‘Yeah Right’ singer has met who made her go weak at the knees. She told BANG Showbiz: “The only person I got star stuck by was Russell Brand, and I don’t know why. I talked to him, and I don’t know why - it’s only him that I’ve ever met that this happened with. I’d actually performed and he said, ‘Oh, you’re really good’, and I was astounded, I said, ‘Did he just say that?’ then I got a little hot and flush-y, I couldn’t help it!” The 15year-old star - who is no stranger to A-list stars, even hanging out with Justin Bieber - added she’d “hope” Russell is a fan of her music, and while she she’d like him to recommend her to his ‘Firework’ singer spouse, there’s another star she’s got her sights set on recording with. Dionne added: “Jessie J is phenomenal. She’s doing a couple of shows soon, and I’m hoping to check them out and I’m label buddies with her, so I’d love to do something with her, a duet or something.” ‘Yeah Right’ is available to download now, while Dionne’s second album ‘Good for the Soul’ will follow in the summer.

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Witherspoon’s family honeymoon eese Witherspoon took her children on her honeymoon.

The ‘ Water for Elephants’ actress married agent Jim Toth last month and the pair, along with Ava, 11, and seven-year-old Deacon - her kids with ex-husband Ryan Phillippe - jetted into Belize on April 4 for a romantic six-day stay. An onlooker told UsMagazine.com: “They definitely looked like a happy family. The kids seemed like they had no problem with him around.” Despite Reese’s superstar status, the foursome didn’t receive any special treatment as they landed in the tropical Central American country.

An eyewitness at the airport said: “They didn’t ask for any VIP treatment, walked off the plane like regular tourists, waited in the immigration line and waited to get their bags from the baggage carousel.”

Since Reese began dating Jim, she has always made sure that her children are her priority and when they tied the knot on March 26, they carefully planned the nuptials to include Ava and Deacon. A source said: “It was always Reese and Jim and Ava and Deacon.

The kids were included in everything, it was very sweet. “They were super-excited to be part of their mom’s day.

“There was so much love for Jim in that room.

The moment he walked in, everyone went wild and started cheering.

Ava and Deacon obviously adore him.”

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Phillippe glad to be hands-on dad

Lopez empowered by birth

yan Phillippe thinks his children would have been “assholes” if they had had nannies. The ‘Lincoln Lawyer’ actor - who has daughter Ava, 11, and seven-year-old son Deacon with ex-wife Reese Witherspoon - is “proud” of how grounded his kids are and thinks things would have been different if they hadn’t had such hands-on parents when they were younger. He said: “I imagine it would have been more difficult if we weren’t as hands-on as we were or allowed them to be raised by nannies - I think then they would become assholes. “But you’re constantly educating them - we have two incredible little people that we’ve raised. I’m proud of us for that fact.” Ryan who may be about to become a father for the third time as former lover Alexis Knapp claims she is carrying his child - is particularly delighted with the way his kids have grown up to feel fortunate about their wealth and always try and think of others. He said: “I grew up pretty humbly and my parents struggled to pay the bills. The life my children are living is completely different so I try to pass onto them the notion of how fortunate they are. “But one of the most rewarding things is when they come up with something themselves - my son the other day wanted to donate his piggy bank, which was a couple of hundred dollars in coins, and my daughter had an assignment where she wrote an incredibly eloquent, well thought out speech about clean water for Africa and she gave it in front of the whole school. Reese and I showed up and we both had tears coming down.”

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ennifer Lopez says giving birth is the most “empowering” thing she has done.

The 41-year-old singer-and-actress was inspired to launch her own charitable organization The Maribel Foundation - which is named after her husband Marc Anthony’s sister, who died from a brain tumor - after giving birth to twins Max and Emme, now three. She said: “What’s the most empowering thing I’ve

J

ever done? God. Probably giving birth. And as a direct result of that, setting up a charity with my sister Lynda. “It was a dream we had for a long time. Once we had babies we were ready to say, ‘Let ’s do it ’. We’re not claiming to change the world in one day, we’re just going to do our little part. “We always said we’d help women and children’s health and education and now it’s happening.” Jennifer also believes

that the more women are happy with themselves, the more likely they are to take in interest in their appearance. She said: “A part of how you take care of yourself on the outside reflects how you feel within. “If you become empowered on the inside, it will get reflected on the outside. I don’t believe for one second that’s a superficial thing, it is important.”

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MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

Years

lifestyle MUSIC & MOVIES

Prolific American film director

Sidney Lumet dies S

File picture shows director Sidney Lumet, right, receives an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences during the 77th Academy Awards telecast in Los Angeles, presented by actor Al Pacino. —AP photos

idney Lumet, an American film director known for inspiring top-notch performances from actors in a stream of classic films including “12 Angry Men,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Network” and “FailSafe,” died on Saturday at age 86, his Hollywood talent agency said. Lumet’s death at his Manhattan home was confirmed by Michelle Suess, a spokeswoman for International Creative Management in Los Angeles. Lumet was one of the leading film directors of the second half of the 20th century. He was prolific, directing more than 40 movies, and was versatile, dabbling in many different film genres. He shot many of his movies in his native New York.

Lumet received an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement in 2005. He had been nominated for Oscars five times without winning: as best director for “12 Angry Men” (1957), “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975), “Network” (1976) and “The Verdict” (1982), and for best screenplay as co-writer of “Prince Of The City” (1981). His films, nominated in a variety of categories for more than 50 Oscars, typically were unsentimental and well-crafted, exploring intelligent and complicated themes.

In a busy 12-year span — 1964 to 1976 — Lumet directed 18 films, including “FailSafe,” “The Pawnbroker,” “The Group,” “The Anderson Tapes,” “Serpico,” “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Network.” He continued to direct films well into his 80s. “He has the energy of a young man and the mind of a young man,” Oscarwinner Philip Seymour told the Houston

Chronicle. Hoffman starred in Lumet’s bleak crime melodrama “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” in 2007 when the director was 83. Lumet was acclaimed for his technical know-how and his ability to coax strong performances from actors. He drew some of the best career performances out of Hollywood stars such as Henry Fonda, Paul Newman, Al Pacino and Faye Dunaway. He directed 17 acting performances nominated for Oscars. ‘i try not to work with lunatics’ “Elia Kazan used to really try to get inside the head and psyche of everybody he worked with,” Lumet told the New York

Times in 2007, referring to the influential director. “I’m the exact opposite school. I don’t like to get involved.” He added, “And I try not to work with lunatics.” Many of his films were masterpieces. In the tense 1964 Cold War drama “Fail-Safe,” an electrical malfunction sends US bombers on a nuclear attack on Moscow, prompting the American president, played by Fonda, to sacrifice New York to atomic bombs to avert all-out war with the Soviet Union. In his film directorial debut, “12 Angry Men,” a lone dissenting juror played by Fonda struggles to convince other jurors, includ-

ing Jack Klugman and Lee J Cobb, of the innocence of an accused murderer.

In “Network,” TV executives exploit the ravings of an anchorman played by Peter Finch, who memorably shrieks, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” In 1973’s “Serpico,” Pacino plays an honest policeman who takes on the corruption of fellow New York cops. Pacino was back in 1975’s “Dog Day Afternoon,” about a man robbing a bank to pay for his male lover’s sex-change operation. Even some of Lumet’s misfires were memorable.

He directed “The Wiz” in 1978, adapting “The Wizard of Oz” with a black cast headed

by Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, but the resulting clunky musical was jeered by film critics.

Grammy-winning composer Quincy Jones, who worked with Lumet on five films, including “The Wiz,” said in a statement that Lumet’s films “made an indelible mark on our popular culture with their stirring commentary on our society.” Lumet was unsentimental about his own films. “I don’t look at my old work. When it’s done it’s done,” he said in a 2007 newspaper interview. “It’s very nice when your movie has a kind of resonance, when it stays with a person enough so that they start relating it to other things you’ve done. But I don’t.”

Born on June 25, 1924, Lumet served as an Army radar technician in World War II, then worked as a stage actor in New York and before directing acclaimed live TV dramas during the 1950s. He was married four times. — Reuters

The Judds let the secrets fly in TV documentary

deserve to celebrate where your relationship is now.’ So we said yes,” the flame-haired singer said.

Secrets and lies Wynonna, who has a solo career and hits like “She is His Only Need” and “No One Else On Earth,” said some of the hardest moments during filming were watching her mother talk about her own, long-concealed sexual abuse as a child.

“She told me about it when we went on tour, but to see her talk about it in front of the cameras...It was so hard to watch. I wanted them to shut the cameras down. “Then Ashley sends us her book and I wanted to say, ‘Mom don’t read it until the tour is over.’ But she’s going to read it whether I tell her to or not. I’m very protective of her, yet

French director brings swashbuckler to US

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ward-winning French director Bertrand Tavernier says he became a filmmaker because of his love of American Westerns as he visited the home of the classic genre to launch his latest movie. The 69-year-old, whose romantic swashbuck ler “ The Princess of Montpensier” is released in the US on

File photo shows French director Bertrand Tavernier poses during his US tour to promote his new movie “The Princess of Montpensier” in Los Angeles, California. —AFP

April 15, says the golden age of Hollywood cowboy movies filled him with the “physical pleasure” of filmmaking. “I became a director because of my admiration for westerns like ‘She wore a Yellow Ribbon’ (1949 by John Ford), ‘3:10 for Yuma’ (1957 by Delmer Daves),‘Bend of the River ’ (1952, by Anthony Mann) or ‘Pursued’ (1947 by Raoul Walsh).

“Suddenly I felt again what these directors must have felt, when they filmed cavalcades, landscapes,” he told AFP in Beverly Hills. “It was like going back to my roots, to what I felt when I was 15. “I saw myself again, a young cinema lover, discovering the fantastic sword fights in ‘Scaramouche’ by George Sidney (1952),” he added. Indeed, after his “In the Electric Mist” in 2009, made in the United States with Tommy Lee Jones and John Goodman, the Gallic cinema veteran has returned to his early passions: duels and horses.

“The Princess of Montpensier,” starring Lambert Wilson and Melanie Thierry, tells a story of passion and rivalry set against the savage Catholic/Protestant wars that ripped France apart in the 16th century.

“There is one thing I have tried to show very strongly in my latest films,” said Tavernier, who has won a number of French Cesar film awards, as well as a BAFTA in Britain for his 1989 movie “Life and Nothing But.” —AFP

Irish rock band U2 singer Bono performs next to guitarist The Edge on stage during the 360∞ Tour at Morumbi stadium, in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 9, 2011. —AFP

Bob Dylan and his band perform during his first-ever concert in Vietnam at the RMIT International University campus in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday. —AFP

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rocks Vietnam in special concert

Wynonna Judd

it’s between her and Ashley. I just have to figure out a way to deal with the dynamics,” she said.

Wynonna said she has not read Ashley’s memoir, published last week, but added; “It’s like if three people are on a car trip, and when they get back they each have their own version of the trip. I have to accept that and let her present her story.”

Wynonna admitted she has vulnerabilities of her own. “I’ve struggled for years with performer’s anxiety and have worked hard to accept myself personally. When I’m dealing with the music, I’m very comfortable and I know what I want. When I’m off by myself in the woods, I look up and go ‘God, am I okay as a mother, and am I a good daughter and sister?”“ She did not learn the name of her real father until she was 30, and said that for years she had found it hard to appear vulnerable toward her mother. “I think for so long I was good at being more sarcastic and rebellious and tough on her...(Now) I’m 46 and I can no longer blame my mom and talk to her the way I did. She is 65 and now I’m totally protective of her. There were moments when she would get emotional and I’d want them to turn the cameras off of her, let her have a moment.”

One of the more poignant scenes in the TV documentary is when Wynonna sings a song she wrote recently for her mother. “It’s hard to sing it knowing it’s so personal and so many people will see it,” she said. But amid the drama and chaos, there is plenty of humor in the series. “Like when my mom is being her usually silly self and I want to pull her hair out. “There was a lot of joy and laughter. I told the director I wanted him to put a lot of those moments in too.”—Reuters

Bob Dylan

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ynonna Judd grew up in front of her fans as half of the country singing duo The Judds. Now she and her mother, Naomi, are revealing some of their secrets on television in a documentary on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network. “I hope this show can be a testimony to what happens when you are ready to show up and roll your sleeves up, and get real and let secrets fly and lift the veil and be known,” Wynonna Judd told Reuters. The six-part series, starting on Sunday, was filmed as the sometimes warring duo teamed up in 2010 for their first concert tour together in 10 years.

The mother-daughter duo had no creative control over the series. “We had to allow them to take us for who we are, and boy did they! I know there are going to be moments where the viewers will say they can relate to me or my mom,” Wynonna said.

The Judds dominated country music in the 1980s, winning five Grammy Awards, selling more than 20 million albums, and having a string of hits including “Mama’s He’s Crazy,” and “Love Can Build a Bridge.”

But behind, and often in front of, the scenes, life was far from rosy. Wynonna didn’t always get along with her mother, and there was talk of arguments and disagreements on the road.

Naomi, now 65, was not honest with her oldest daughter about her real father, and Wynonna battled weight issues. Last week, both women revealed they had been sexually abused as children, and Naomi’s younger daughter, actress Ashley Judd, released a memoir with details of her own painful childhood. Wynonna, 46, credits her life coach for talking her into the TV documentary. “The coach said, ‘If there are any two people that I know, to know how far you guys have come, you have to do this because you

fter nearly five decades of singing about a war that continues to haunt a generation of Americans, legendary performer Bob Dylan is finally getting his chance to see Vietnam at peace. The American folk singer and songwriter was set to give a special concert yesterday evening in the former Saigon, where he’s expected to sing some of his classic anti-war tunes, nearly 36 years after the Vietnam War ended. “Bob Dylan’s music opened up a path where music was used as a weapon to oppose the war in Vietnam” and fight injustice and racism, said Tran Long An, 67, vice president of the Vietnam Composers’ Association. “That was the big thing that he has done for music.”

An was a student in Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, during the war and took to the streets with other Communist sympathizers calling for the killing to stop. He remains a big Dylan fan and has a large collection of the singer’s records.

Yesterday’s concert follows the 10th anniversary of the death of anti-war Vietnamese folk singer Trinh Cong Son, who was known as the “Bob Dylan of Vietnam.” The opening Vietnamese acts will play a tribute to Son, who remains highly popular.

Only about half of the 8,000 seats at RMIT University were sold, to a mix of Vietnamese and foreigners. With more than 60 percent of the country’s 86 million people born after the war, many young people here are more familiar with contemporary pop stars like Justin Bieber. But Dylan’s music during the tumultuous 1960s touched thousands of young people-many of them angry that a draft was being used to send young men off to die in Southeast Asia-to take to the streets and demand that Washington stop the war in Vietnam.

For some who were fighting in Vietnam’s jungles, Dylan’s music was a source of hope. “We listened to anything that spoke of peace. We called him the peace poet,” said Stan Karber, 60, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971 and has lived in Ho Chi Minh City for the past 15 years.

“I’ll be dancing here in a minute.” The fighting ended on April 30, 1975, when northern Communist forces seized the US backed capital of South Vietnam, reunifying the country. About 58,000 Americans were killed along with some 3 million Vietnamese.

Efforts are still ongoing in Vietnam and elsewhere to recover the remains of some 1,700 missing American soldiers. On Saturday in central Danang, remains believed to be those of US servicemen were repatriated for DNA analysis and identification. Dylan, 69, is one of the top foreign artists to perform in Vietnam, where big-name concerts are still rare and the Communist government maintains strict controls over expression. Dylan’s song list had to be preapproved by the government, but promoter Rod Quinton, general manager of Ho Chi Minh City-based Saigon Sound System, said no restrictions were placed on the extensive set list submitted. Dylan received criticism earlier this week following his first-ever shows in China for allowing the Communist government there to vet his song list. Two popular anti-war anthems, “The Times They Are a’Changin”‘ and “Blowin’ in the Wind,” were not performed at the Beijing and Shanghai shows. US based Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying: “Dylan should be ashamed of himself.” “The young Dylan wouldn’t have let a government tell him what to sing,” Brad Adams, executive director of the organization’s Asia division, said in the statement. “He has a historic chance to communicate a message of freedom and hope, but instead he is allowing censors to choose his playlist.”

Dylan’s US publicist referred questions to the promoters in Vietnam, who declined to comment. Vietnam, while prospering as one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, does not tolerate any challenge to its one-party rule. Rare protests are quickly quashed by security forces, and a spate of prominent prodemocracy activists have recently been arrested or given lengthy jail terms after calling for democracy. —AP

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MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

Years

lifestyle Tr a v e l The faces of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, (from left) George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, remain an enduring, iconic American image.—MCT photos

Following the steps of who created South Dakota monument L

ooking up at the faces carved into the rock of Mount Rushmore, you probably feel respect for these giants of American history. But follow the steep and dangerous trail to the top, and that respect likely extends to the hardy men who carved the monument.

Nearly 3 million people visit this shrine on the side of a mountain each year, none of them allowed to make the climb I was about to begin. I would follow in the steps of the miners who shaped Rushmore, hiking not far from proposed trails that could take the public closer than ever to the monument.

The path my small, ranger-led group took would lead to the capstone laid near the summit in 1998. Our way is clearer than the challenges faced by Gutzon Borglum and his crews that worked sporadically (when funding allowed) between 1927 and 1941, the year the sculptor died and his son Lincoln Borglum ended the project, unfinished. I learned quickly why the trail is closed to the public. At some points, I had to clamber on my knees,

unable to stretch my leg up to the next large rock. But once we started on the path, led by National Park Service rangers Amy Bracewell and Ed Menard, there was no turning back. (Actually, there would have been, had we visitors ignored cautions against photographing security cameras, booths or stairs en route.)

Much of the hike was uphill, and I spent most of it watching my feet, stopping occasionally to decide where to put them next: This steep rock? That tight spot? Will my foot get stuck here?

It was like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, only you had to be sure you were making the right choice, or you risked a twisted ankle or strained muscle. I learned the treachery of fallen ponderosa pine needles.

One wrong step meant slipping. My group fared better than the men who scaled the mountain for their pay.

None of them died during the work, but they had their share of accidents and injuries, historian and author Tom Griffith had told us on the bus ride

from Rapid City to Rushmore.

In one incident, dynamite used to carve the granite was detonated accidentally, blowing a man off the mountain and slamming workers to the rocks, he said. “They just had scrapes and bruises but were able to return to work in short order,” Griffith says. The work crews “might have been slow going up the mountain, but they weren’t slow about coming down because there was plenty of beer down here every day in Keystone,” Griffith said as we passed through the town of 311 people.

Rushmore’s design was not etched in stone, so to speak. Historian Doan Robinson’s idea was to depict explorers Lewis and Clark, Sioux chief Red Cloud and possibly other Western figures in the Black Hills’ Needles. Borglum, invited to do the work, instead chose the Rushmore site and national figures. He and Robinson ultimately agreed on who those figures would be: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. But that isn’t the order they

The back of George Washington at the summit of Mount Rushmore sits in a mostly wilderness area not open to the public.

were in at first. “They actually changed the composition of the memorial nine times to account for fissures and bad rocks,” Griffith told us. Jefferson’s lip had to be patched to fill a fissure, he said.

And Jefferson is above the others because cracks in his face forced carvers to move him higher.

On our climb, we spot a mountain goat that appears to be under Lincoln’s nose. The animal is a testament to the wilderness around the memorial area’s 1,278 acres. We climb farther and reach steep metal stairs. I welcome them after all those rocks. We’re escorted in small groups through a fence toward them.

Beyond are more stairs. We pause at the capstone that acknowledges Borglum’s plan to have a Hall of Records near the mountain’s summit. The vault underneath it contains panels explaining Rushmore’s carving, and panels with the words of historic documents.

These days, fireworks are stored in the cavern that was to be the hall’s entrance. Those fireworks are used for the memorial’s Independence Day

show, always on July 3. Some in our group navigate the last, shorter set of stairs and steep rock to the tops of Washington’s and Jefferson’s heads.

I put down my backpack, zip my camera into its protective case and slide on my stomach to get to the summit, never looking down. The surrounding wilderness seems endless. Only one winding road is visible, beyond the back of Washington’s head. We aren’t allowed to stand close to the edge-visitors below might spot us-so all I can see of the carvings is Jefferson’s nose.

I imagine making that climb nearly every day for years without the benefit of stairs. The miners who worked here did that to help create Borglum’s monument to US history. Then I imagine the descent. The dangers of the pine needles are magnified on the way down.

When we reach the bottom of Rushmore, we proceed to the Sculptor’s Studio, which displays Borglum’s scale model of the completed sculpture. The studio is angled so that you can see the actual Rushmore through a large win-

Carving out history at Crazy Horse Memorial

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ount Rushmore isn’t the only mountain carving to see in the Black Hills. Just 17 miles from the presidents is the Crazy Horse Memorial. A gigantic figure of the American Indian Crazy Horse is being cut from granite. When complete (no date is set), it will show the warrior pointing over the head of his horse. On June 3, the nonprofit project honoring all American Indians marked its 60th year in the making. Ten years ago on the same date, the completed head of the Lakota who helped defeat George Custer at Little Bighorn was unveiled.

And Sept. 6 will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Crazy Horse sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, who died in 1982. (It’s also the date of Crazy Horse’s death in 1877.) Ziolkowski’s wife, Ruth, along with many employees and seven of the 10 Ziolkowski children, continue to carry out the sculptor’s vision all year-rain, snow or shine-without government funding.

“We work with Mother Nature,” his widow, who turned 82 on June 26, tells a crowd of diners in the memorial’s Laughing Water Restaurant. Nobody knows what Crazy Horse really looked like. The 87 {-foot head atop a 563-foot

granite outcrop is a composite likeness that Ziolkowski (pronounced jewelCUFF-ski) formed from “word pictures” given in the 1940s by elderly American Indians who knew him.

A key part of the experience is to visit the theater to the left of the visitor center’s entrance to view the film Crazy Horse: Dynamite & Dreams. You may have heard about this sculpture for years, but you might not have known that Ziolkowski was invited to create the piece by Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear. “My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know that the red man has heroes, too,” a plaque above the information booth outside the theater says. These were the words of Standing Bear’s 1939 invitation to Ziolkowski.

After viewing the film, there’s more to explore: the Indian Museum of North America, the gift shop, the Crazy Horse model by Ziolkowski that’s 1/34 the size of what the finished sculpture will look like, and more. Ziolkowski says 95 percent of the displayed items at the memorial are donated.

Her husband went above and beyond the scope of the Crazy Horse tribute. In 1978, he started a scholarship

dow and compare the two works.

Not far away is an amphitheater. A University of South Dakota nursing school graduation had been in progress earlier. At the amphitheater, visitors can watch a 22-minute film narrated by actor Avery Brooks that tells the monument’s history.

Original footage shows Borglum and his crew at work. The film also touches on the negative effects that westward expansion had on American Indians. It segues between the lives of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. At the observation area toward the entrance to the memorial, visitors pose for pictures with the sculptures as a backdrop. About 30 people are gathered in the quiet, sharing a moment with the monument, the men it captures and the men who carved them in stone.—MCT

On some portions of the Great Wall of China, the lush mountainside engulfs the ancient structure.—MCT photos

for American Indian students.

Eventually, the memorial site owned by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation is expected to include the Indian University of North America and Medical Training Center. Ziolkowski is proud that the project has continued after her husband’s death. “Korczak didn’t want to become another white man who made a promise and didn’t keep his promise” to Indians, she says.—MCT

Camping on the Great Wall Ruth Ziolkowski, the wife of Korczak Ziolkowski, the late sculptor of the Crazy Horse Memorial, speaks to visitors.

The Crazy Horse Memorial

The head of Crazy Horse is almost 88 feet (87 feet, 6 inches) high. The Crazy Horse mountain carving will be 641 feet long by 563 feet high when complete.—MCT photos

M

y eagerness allowed me to storm up each thin step to the first lookout tower. We scaled the spindly stone trail, sometimes on all fours on the near-vertical parts, grabbing the cracked stone dotted with rocks and weeds. Huffing and puffing, I looked back to see my girlfriend, Amanda, far below. I caught my breath, letting her catch up. She remarked with a tinge of annoyance, “Aren’t we walking (gasp) on the world’s longest (wheeze) grave site?”

True. Accounts state that up to 10,000 workers have died building the Great Wall of China, which the Chinese call the Long Wall. It has been rebuilt, modified or lengthened through 2,500 years of Chinese history Sections built in the fifth century BC north of the current structure are nearly rubble.

It wasn’t until Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified China that the walls were linked, between 220 and 203 BC. This formed the Wan Li Chang Cheng (Ten Thousand Li Long Wall-li is a Chinese unit of length roughly

equal to a third of a mile). Qin Shi Huang also built for himself the mausoleum protected by the life-size Terra Cotta Warriors in China’s old capital, Xi’an.

Near Beijing, modern China and its quasi-capitalistic climate have taken full advantage here, as vendors, hawkers and advertisements are scattered among the towers along the wall. Parts of the wall are constantly being remodeled, especially Badaling, most popular because of its proximity to the capital. Some would say that here, tourists visit a section that’s only 20 years old. This isn’t to say you can’t find a truer piece along this, one of the wonders of the world.

Of the four areas near Beijing that are open to the public, the one we chose to visit, Mutianyu, is the highest and steepest section, considered a “wonder of the Great Wall.” It’s one of the wildest sections, with overgrown evergreens and cypresses and untouched segments, some unpassable by climbers. At times, the wall is perched on the crest of a mountain.

Mutianyu was built by the rulers of

Although cold and deterring signs, it is possible to camp out inside a lookout tower along the wall in the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China. the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), who built most of the wall seen today, on Qin Shi Huang’s united sections.

Mutianyu has more towers than other sections, allowing for great rest spots. We explored each tower, whether open and airy, cramped with a low ceiling, two-story, or in ruins that forced us to hike around.

Resting in each lookout tower, I couldn’t help but imagine how the Chinese used fires in each tower to signal an oncoming attack. A few guard towers further on, a rusty sign alerted us that to continue along the wall was hazardous. I was tempted to slide by and explore the next section, but the sun was falling and we were tired. Instead, we sat and scanned the panoramic view, alone, at sunset, atop the Great Wall. —MCT

A

y

e niv rsar n

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

Years

lifestyle T R A V E L

Spiritual

Bhutan

transforms visitors, itself

The Taktshang Monastery is one of the most familiar sites in Bhutan.

—MCT photos

L

ately, this holdout in a mostly modern world has been undergoing an incredible transformation of its own.

Protected by the sentry-like Himalayas and bordered to the north by China and the south by India, this isolated nation has been off the global radar. Until now. In 2005, the nation’s monarchy boldly announced its intentions to embrace democracy, a stunning development given the popularity of its king. In 2006, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck handed the throne over to son Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who is working on this transition. His coronation is still in the works.

News about this curious country, which is about half the size of Indiana, fueled a blitz of international media coverage. For the first time this spring, tiny, quiet Bhutan landed on the front page of American

newspapers. To the outside world, this relatively smooth political shift from monarchy to democracy seems downright bizarre. To Bhutan, it seems only natural. This, after all, is a country that uses a Gross National Happiness barometer, not a Gross National Product.

But it is also a nation that realizes its harmonic image can put money in the till.

Whether it’s a T-shirt featuring a cartoon image of a goofy-looking monk and the words “Gross National Happiness begins with a smile” on it or a key chain of the same-I own two-there is some, but by no means a lot, of tchotchkes for sale. That might encourage cynical snickers at Bhutan’s expense, but when you hear what is behind the Gross National Happiness movement, which includes promoting well-being and good health care, you real-

Terraced hillsides are a landscape feature in the Paro Valley in Bhutan.

A bridge crosses to the Punakha Dzong, one of the largest dzongs in Bhutan.

ize that something much more is at work here.

Undeniably, Bhutan is changing and modernizing. You see it in how people dress, the dirt roads being paved over in asphalt and the eyesore of satellite dishes cluttering up tiny villages. A more cosmopolitan feel wafts through Thimphu, where designer jeans and logoed T-shirts are slowly replacing the gho-the traditional robe-like dress for men. Given all these changes Bhutan manages to retain much of its old-style charm.

Even though 100,000 people live in Thimphu, the capital city still lacks a traffic light. Instead, traffic cops, celebrities in their own right, direct vehicles in the square. Other evidence of sticking to tradition can be found on the exteriors of homes adorned with paintings of erect penises, a real eye-catcher for tourists. The image pays homage to the phallus of Lama Drukpa Kunley, the divine madman. The Bhutanese revere this Tibetan-born saint, who wielded his “flaming thunderbolt of wisdom” to kill demons.

These factors-the environment, the culture, the religion, the people, the traditions-play major roles in enticing travelers to jack up their credit card and travel to what has been dubbed the real Shangri-La. Backpackers, though, might want to reconsider hopping online to reserve plane tickets.

The only way to get to Bhutan is by booking through a tour company. The country realizes it possesses something unique and precious, and is vigorously courting travelers while vigilantly trying to maintain control of how and where tourists venture. Some criticize shutting out backpackers as being too elitist, with only the rich allowed to visit. That is certainly debatable. Yet there is no denying that the environment is pristinely protected.

Most tour groups concentrate on the western midsection, traveling first to Paro, then Thimphu, and later the Punakha valley. That’s probably born out of necessity because there you will find more services, along with hotels. Numerous trek packages also are available, the most arduous being the nearly month-long Snowman Trek. I traveled with the Berkeley, Calif.,-based Backroads tour group. Two of the active travel company’s guides led the trip along with the seamless support from local guide Namgay Tsheringand and his staff. They answered numerous questions and provided insight into this magical land and its people.

They led us on some spectacular hikes that traversed farmlands and unspoiled countryside, and then showed us some of Bhutan’s most beautiful and amazing dzongs (monasteries). The Punakha Dzong, built in 1637, was one of my favorites.

Jacaranda trees lit up the outside of the building in gorgeous purple, welcoming us to walk over the bridge to a religious site where clergy spend their winter. Be sure to carve out a chunk of time marveling at the magnificent murals inside the Assembly Hall that detail the life of Buddha.

Highlights in Paro included touring the

Young monks peer out of a window at the Chorten Nebu monastic school for boys in Bhutan.

Dzongs - or monasteries - are spread throughtout Bhutan.

modest home of a local doctor and watching an archery contest. We even sampled some yak cheese (nasty, hard-as-brick stuff ) during a stop while winding our way up in coasters over to the Punakha Valley. One of my favorite experiences was a hot, somewhat strenuous hike up to the Chorten Nebu monastic school for orphaned boys in the Punakha Valley. The monks-or monklets as we affectionately called them-took a break from school, asked to wear our sunglasses and caps, and hammed it up for pictures.

Later, we ate lunch outside, barely finishing before a powerful downpour hit.

During the storm, we wandered through the monastery’s buildings and looked at an amazingly old and dusty altar. I took a break from the group and walked out on a balcony that overlooked the school. A teenage monk came and started to talk to me. I was surprised at how well he spoke English. “ Where are you from?” he asked.

“California,” I replied. Blank stare. “Uh,” I said, arching my eyebrows in a questioning gesture. “San Francisco?” His eyes lit up. He paused, then looked around me. “Where’s

your wife?” “I don’t have one,” I replied.

Never missing a beat, he asked: “How old are you?” “44.”

He just stared at me and then walked away. Later, one of the guides explained that if you weren’t a monk, then you surely must be married. As the trip continued, we met even more welcoming people and learned more about the culture. Our tour ended with a spectacular two-hour hike up to Bhutan’s best-known image-the Tiger’s Nest or Taktshang monastery. Built on the rock face of a cliff, the Tiger’s Nest requires a little legwork to get there-with its 2,165foot elevation gain-but it must not be missed. Those with an aversion to heights might have to fight back their fear, but it’s worth it. This beautiful spiritual heart of Bhutan was built near the cave where Guru Rinpoche meditated for three months. To say it was a magical spot seems trite. But with those prayer flags whipping around us as we trekked up to the monastery, I experienced yet another humbling moment. I almost felt like I had found my own lost horizon. And the prayer flags led me there. — MCT

Prolific American film director Sidney Lumet dies

37

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2011

A hot air balloon in the shape of a beetle takes off during the Montgolfiade festival, celebrating the lives of the hot air balloon pioneers the Montgolfier brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Etienne, in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday.—AP

Indian tattoos - traces of the divine

Royal wedding: The great and the good to gather

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occer star David Beckham will be there with his pop star wife Victoria. Elton John is attending with partner David Furnish. And the Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala will be there too, probably one of the few guests at the wedding of the year wearing orange Buddhist robes. The guest list for the April 29 union of Prince William and Kate Middleton is still being kept secret, but details have begun to leak out, with some coming forward to say they are attending and the Mail on yesterday’s newspaper claiming to have the official invitation roster. The palace dismissed the newspaper’s list as speculation. It won’t be clear until the day how the royal couple has balanced the protocol demands that they invite statesmen, diplomats, religious leaders, politicians and the like with invitations to the people they really want to see, particularly the crowd they made friends with when they met and fell in love at St Andrews University in Scotland.

Kate Reardon, editor of high-society magazine Tatler, said many prominent Britons acted as if they didn’t really care about receiving an invitation while secretly checking the mail every day to see if the coveted embossed invite had arrived.

“Everyone’s been hoping,” she said. The Mail on yesterday list describes an eclectic mixeveryone from fabulously wealthy friends of Prince Charles to a favored bartender and a yoga instructor from the Caribbean island of Mustique, long a hideaway for royals and rockers alike.

William and Middleton have showed their modern side by inviting a number of close friends, including some former sweethearts, the newspaper said. The wedding is not technically a state event, which somewhat limits the protocol requirements applied to the guest list. But royal obligations still dictate that a large number of the 1,900 or so seats go to guests from the world of politics, not actual friends of the couple. The couple have also invited many guests from the charities they work with, and Middleton has used her influence to invite the butcher, shopkeeper and pub owner from her home village of Bucklebury.

Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, head priest at London’s Buddhist Vihara temple, speaks to The Associated Press in London.—AP Some guests, like leading religious figures, have to be invited because of the magnitude of the event, even if they don’t actually have a friendship with the royal family.

Seelawimala, for example, has never met the couple, though he certainly hopes to when the big day comes. The head priest at the London Buddhist Vihara temple has been invited primarily to show the royal family and the British government’s respect for Buddhist tradition. “I’m very excited and a little bit nervous to take part in such a joyous occasion,” Seelawimala said.

“I would like to meet them, but I know they may not have a chance to meet all of their guests.” Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks also plans to attend, his office said, along with other religious figures. It is expected that the list will include Islamic and Hindu leaders as well as those from other faiths.

Guest lists have a way of expanding. Prime Minister David Cameron, has been invited, of course-so it would have been bad form not to invite Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. —AP

irish Giridhara’s arms are tattooed with Hindu gods, goddesses and sacred mantras. The spiritual designs are intricate but also hardly surprising for a man who once trained to be a priest. Shaven-headed, with gold earrings and a red tilak on his forehead, the 36-year-old tattoo artist looks relaxed in a sleeveless t-shirt, knee-length shorts and flip-flops at the Indian Ink tattoo convention.

The exhibition in Mumbai this weekend is billed as India’s first, with organizers hoping to tap into a growing interest in permanent body art among young Indians.

But Girish, an exhibitor at the event, knows that body art in India is not a new trend set by cricketers or movie stars. Tattooing has been an integral part of Indian tribal culture for centuries and no Hindu wedding is complete without the mehndi ceremony, where the bride’s hands and feet are elaborately decorated in non-permanent henna. “It (tattooing) is documented in the Vedas (scriptures) from the time of (the Hindu epic) The Mahabarahata. Lord Krishna had a tattoo done for his queen,” said Girish, who runs the Bramha Tattoo Studio in Bangalore. “It’s been around for a long time, then it disappeared for some reason. Now it’s come back,” he told AFP. Reality television shows like “LA Ink”-about tattoo artists and their clients in Los Angeles-have helped changed the modern mindset towards tattoos in India, he said.

“About five years back people didn’t want to go for tattoos. They used think it was only for junkies.

People are more open-minded now. It’s now being seen in a very good light.” That change has also influenced designs, with previously popular Western and Japanese art making way for styles reflecting India’s rich and varied artistic, reli-

File An artist tattoos an image of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ hero, Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, onto the back of a man at the India Ink Tattoo Convention in Mumbai.—AFP gious and cultural heritage and as a form of identity and self-expression. Girish’s route into tattooing was unconventional. He comes from a family of Hindu priests and studied in temples between the age of eight and 15 to become one himself.

He first became interested in body art aged eight, around the time of his threading ceremony-an initiation rite among upper-caste Hindu males to signify adult religious responsibilities-and developed his skills. “There was a lot of opposition in my family (to him becoming a tattoo artist),” he said.

“But we asked the scholars and they said tattooing can be taken as an occupation by a priest if it involves spiritual guidance and medicinal use. So, I started tattooing.” Even though he may not be a practicing priest in saffron robes, Girish still sees a divine element to his work. A tattoo, he says, is carried

with the soul after death and is a connection to the body’s past in the journey of reincarnation. He has also set himself a target of tattooing 10,000 people with the sacred Hindu syllable “om”, which he pays for himself.

“Many people can’t afford professional tattoos,” he explained.

“That’s why I’m doing it... I’ve already completed about 1,000.”

The sideline also allows him to educate the public about the dangers of getting cheap tattoos with unclean materials from untrained artists. “It’s very dangerous,” said Girish. “They can spread hepatitis, HIV and skin diseases. It (tattooing) needs to be safe and knowledge is very important.” The sentiments chime with those of the convention organizers, who want to raise public awareness about how to get tattoos safely as well as the profile of the country’s most talented artists.

Co-organiser Shibhanii Shah, a

An artist tattoos the back of a man at the India Ink tattoo convention.

25-year-old photographer and artist, said there were some 100,000 tattoo artists in India, demonstrating the potential for development. But she added: “We don’t have any rules on hygiene and that’s quite disappointing.

India needs to get that level where we can show our talent and be as good and as safe a place as anywhere in the world to get a tattoo.”—AFP

Kurt Geiger fuses statement styling with elegant simplicity

A

nostalgic 70’s mood makes its mark on the season for Spring Summer 2011. As a statement against the abundance of neutrals, an arresting pair of shoes in bold brights attracts attention this season. From glittering metallics to exotic prints, powerful platforms to evening flats, shoes pack a punch to offset the minimalism of dreamy pales and all-white looks.

The Kurt Geiger girl seeks stand-out accessories that make vivid statements in her wardrobe. In a season bursting with technicolor dreams, platform wedges are colour-blocked in bold color combinations and jewel-like tones that shimmer like sweetie wrappers. The collection is beautifully precise with simple shapes combined with wonderful shades of fuchsia, amethyst, magenta, coral red, emerald, cobalt blue, saffron yellow and tangerine orange.

Psychedelic brights and touches of neon punctuate the season on pointed kitten heels and sandals, the season has a playfulness that entices and delights in flights of fancy.

The collection experiments with detail in the form of textures and trims, metal studding and floral corsages. Accessorize solid colors with oversized flowers as part of the bold color block trend. Playful kitten heels are given a killer edge with fierce metalwork and cuff detailing. With a nod to yesterday’s glamour of Sobranie’s Black Russians with their iconic gold foil filter, cigarette heels and glittering metallics offer a shortcut to 24-carat glamour for both night and day.

Feline and reptilian references of python and water snake remind us of the exotericism in the natural world whilst the prints of Islamic tiles and artisan craftsmanship lend themselves to a

manmade aesthetic. Temper dazzling brights with understated but intensely glamorous sunbleached accessories in color combinations of brown, indigo, khaki and taupe. Dream of sundrenched days with golden desert-pale tones that incorporate a natural palette of undyed cotton canvas and leather, natural tan, terracotta, cinnamon and tobacco. Treat yourself to the latest collection of shoes and pamper your feet at “The Avenues” Phase II.