10 Apr 2013

CR IP TI ON BS SU

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

Oil workers on strike, demand their rights

Egyptian pope blasts Islamist president

Real in last four despite defeat

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NO: 15774

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Uhuru Kenyatta sworn in as Kenya president

Opposition groups resume protests, call for freedom

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150 FILS

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www.kuwaittimes.net

JAMADA ALAWWAL 29, 1434 AH

Interior Minister under fire over ‘deal’ with Israeli firm

Max 33º Min 20º High Tide 12:01 Low Tide 06:10 & 18:07

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

Invading a security zone!

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

A

ren’t we a happy nation? We have funny, strange and sometimes even dangerous events happening nearly every day. Here is the latest: there was a bizarre discovery of a theft, mind you not from the mall, the souq or from the gold shop. It was not a gunpoint bank robbery with masked men. It was not petty theft of the cash from a gas station on a road side. It was a theft that happened in the heart of the Ministry of Interior and in the heart of Kuwait’s military base.

The theft took place in Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Academy for Security Sciences. The name of the academy is enough to protect it. Who would dare, for God’s sake, drive into the security academy to steal? Even if he had a military tank and decided to break into the warehouse to steal only 20,000 of M16 rifles and another 15,000 bullets for a 9 millimeter pistol.

May we know why there is no security in such high-security zone in Kuwait? Or were they away for dinner and left the post unsecured? Could you buy the theory that a total stranger who is a thief would dare enter that zone? Even if he was an experienced thief, how would he know the location of the warehouse and what was the right time to walk in when nobody was around.

The thief took out such a large quantity - which I am sure does not fit in a small box. Military equipment which weighs 660 kilos was definitely not a one-man job. Even two men cannot disappear with 660 kilos in 10 minutes. Excuse my conspiracy theories but whoever did that calculated it nicely - and surely is part of a group who has an insider. Or is it possible that all the perpetrators were insiders?

Only time will tell.

When the Ministry of Interior completes its investigation, we will find out who needed so many bullets and for what? Where did the thief plan to take the bullets? That many bullets, by the way, are enough to start a war. Whoever took the bullets, the truth of the matter is that now he is heavily-armed.

Since the region is in turmoil there are many places, I am sure you can guess, where these ammunitions can be put into use. Sadly, there is tension all around Kuwait and in Kuwait itself. It could be used in Syria, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, Bahrain or in Kuwait itself, God forbid. But the last thing I would imagine is that these ammunitions could be used to hunt pigeons in the farm area in Wafra.

Have a safe evening!

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (right) and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah attend the opening of the 19th Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) conference in Kuwait City yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 2)

Quake, aftershock rock GCC; 32 killed

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KUWAIT: The Opposition Coalition, an umbrella of several opposition groups and activists, is due to resume protests today with a public rally to press for the freedom of activist tweeters serving jail terms for tweets deemed offensive to the Amir. Titled “the elected government in combating suppressing freedoms”, the rally will be held just outside the Palace of Justice in Kuwait City. It will be the first rally following a lull for several weeks.

A number of activists and former MPs have been sentenced to several years in jail and some of them are currently serving the terms while others are waiting for the appeals. Many others are still on trial. All opposition groups will jointly hold another rally on Saturday night at the Square of Will outside the National Assembly building to protest the clampdown on opposition activists. It will be the first rally at the Square in a few months. After a series of huge protests and demonstrations, the opposition has remained quiet for the past several weeks due to differences within the ranks of the various groups over their program and protest movement.

In a related development, the liberal National Democratic Alliance (NDA) said yesterday it rejected demands by certain opposition groups to amend the second article of the constitution to make Islamic law as the sole source of legislation, insisting that this will transform Kuwait into a religious state. NDA called for strengthening democracy in Kuwait to transform it into a true civil nation.

The leftist Progressive Movement meanwhile said that a series of problems facing Kuwait are the direct result of taking the decision-making process hostage into the hands of the regime and the clampdown on freedoms. The Movement said in a statement that the trial of opposition leader and former MP Mussallam AlBarrak lacked the basic guarantees for a fair trial. The statement strongly lashed out at the new draft media law which stipulates stiff penalties against violators, adding that the bill imposes additional restrictions on electronic publications, tweeters and bloggers.

In another development, the public prosecution has referred Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud AlSabah to the special tribunal for trying ministers over allegations that the Interior Ministry has struck a deal with a Canadian company owned by an Israeli firm. The allegation was made in a request to grill the Interior Minister filed last month by MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan but the debate of the grilling was postponed by the National Assembly. A private lawyer however filed a lawsuit in the matter to the public prosecution. The special tribunal will investigate the case in order to find out whether there is sufficient evidence to press charges against the minister in a special court.

North urges foreigners in S Korea to evacuate

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Saudi registers first female lawyer RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has registered its first female trainee advocate, paving the way for women to practice as lawyers in the kingdom where strict Islamic sharia law applies, an activist said yesterday. “The road is open now to women to receive permits to practice as lawyers, after the registration of Arwa AlHujaili as the first trainee lawyer,” rights activist Walid Abulkhair said. Abulkhair posted on his Twitter

account a copy of the justice ministry’s certificate of Hujaili’s registration. “The (trainee) lawyer should be contracted by a lawyer who has been in service for more than five years... and should train for no less than three years,” he said. A trainee lawyer is allowed to practice, he said.

The ministry’s move would boost the status of women in the ultra-conservative kingdom, where

females need the consent of their male guardians in most legal procedures. Women are also banned from driving and have to cover from head to toe when in public. In October, the ministry said women lawyers would be allowed to plead cases in court starting November 2012. But the promise did not materialize. Women law graduates launched a campaign in 2011 demanding that they be allowed to plead in court.— AFP

600,000 ‘tricked and trapped’ in Mideast

PURI: Indians pay tribute beside a sand sculpture of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, made by sand artist Sudersan Pattnaik, at the Golden Sea beach in Puri, about 65 kilometers from the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneswar yesterday. — AFP (See Page 7)

AMMAN: An estimated 600,000 people are “tricked and trapped” into both forced employment and sexual exploitation in the Middle East, the UN’s labor agency said yesterday. The International Labor Organization, issuing the findings of a two-year study based on 650 interviews, called for an overhaul of employment practices in the region, notably an end to the “kafala” system of sponsorships. “Labor migration in this part of the world is unique in terms of its sheer scale and its exponential growth in recent years,” said Beate Andrees, head of an ILO program to combat forced labor.

“The challenge is how to put in place safeguards in both origin and destination countries to prevent the exploitation and abuse of these workers,” she said at the opening of a two-day conference on the issue in Amman, Jordan. The 150-page report entitled “Tricked and Trapped: Human Trafficking in the Middle East” was based on research carried out in Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates.

“Although data is scarce, the ILO estimates that there are 600,000 forced labor victims in the Middle East,” it said. The study singled out the kafala system, saying it was “inherently problematic” because it created an unequal power

dynamic between employers and workers. The system “governs the lives of most migrant workers in the Mashreq and Gulf Cooperation Councils countries”. “Reforming the kafala system would significantly improve labor migration governance in this regard,” it said.

The study criticized as insufficient laws that “reinforce underlying vulnerabilities of migrant workers” and restrict their ability to terminate employment contracts and to change employers. A lack of inspections kept domestic workers isolated and heightened their “vulnerability to exploitation,” said the study, warning against “the real risks of detention and deportation for workers who are coerced into sex work”.

In male-dominated economic sectors such as construction, manufacturing, seafaring and agriculture, “workers are routinely deceived with respect to living and working conditions, the type of work to be performed, or even the existence of a job at all,” it said. “Human trafficking can only be effectively tackled by addressing the systemic gaps in labor migration governance across the region,” said Frank Hagemann, ILO deputy regional director for Arab states. — AFP

LOCAL

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other dignitaries at the opening of the 19th conference of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union at the Sheraton Hotel yesterday.

— Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Arab world demands ‘a new era of justice’ Kuwait hosts AIPU Conference KUWAIT: The Arab world is facing numerous challenges due to the spread of corruption, lack of social justice and scarcity of job opportunities for Arab youth, President of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union and Kuwaiti House Speaker Ali Fahad Al-Rashed stressed at the 19th Arab InterParliamentary Conference, kicked off here yesterday. These challenges paved the way for the so called movement of the “Arab Spring” that stormed various parts of the Arab

they will only demand new era of justice and a better change,” He called on new ruling systems to draw a road map that will fulfill peoples’ needs.

All efforts should be exerted, within the frameworks of parliamentary organizations and institutes, to put an end to armed-disputes and spread peace and stability, Al-Rashed said, “ I hope all Arab lawmakers would take on their shoulders humanitarian and national responsibilities, to better understand the demands of the peo-

Amir attends opening of AIPU conference KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attended yesterday the opening of the 19th conference of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) at the Sheraton Hotel here.

On hand to greet the Amir at the venue were Kuwait’s House Speaker Ali Fahad al-Rashed and conference organizers.

Among other officials attending the conference were Kuwait’s former House Speaker Jassem Muhammad Al-Khorafi, Deputy Chief of the National Guards Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad AlSabah, Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah, and Acting

countries and created tension in the region, Al-Rashed noted in his opening speech.

He explained that the revolutions of the Arab Spring, which were initially aimed at protecting human rights and rejecting discriminations among the people, have not changed the face of democracy “for the better” nor improved the living standards in the Arab countries.

He further noted that “these revolutions that toppled unjust leaders will not accept new unfair leadership,

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud AlSabah.

The conference started with a number of speeches by AIPU secretary general Noureddine Bouchkouj, Arab Parliments president Ahmad Muhammad AlShamisi, International Parliamentary Union president Abdulwahed Al-Radhi, and Arab Parliamentary Union President and Kuwait’s House Speaker Ali Fahad Al-Rashed.

At the end of the opening ceremony of the conference, HH the Amir was given a commemorative gift marking the occasion. — KUNA

ple, afar from any violence.”

“Democracy is not a smooth road nor an easy task. To achieve it, there should be a pressing need for change, socially, economically and politically, that would restructure the whole society.” “Therefore this parliamentary event should voice out the aspirations of every Arab who would want to see positive changes in his life”, Al-Rashed further stressed.

At the Palestinian front, daily Israeli aggression and the expansion of settlements led to a fallback in the

Middle East peace process. According Palestine non-Member Observer State status at the United Nations is an acknowledgement of a Palestinain independent state, and an incentive to pressure Israel to commit to international laws. Al-Rashed reminded the assembly of the ongoing humanitarian crisis that is currently taking place in Syria. Reports show frightening facts of destruction and increasing violence against the Syrian people.

“These acts of violence are not only threatening the unity and solidarity of this brotherly Arab country but also the entire Arab region.” Hence, “It is of utmost importance to find a transitional mechanism that is more effective, to pressure the international community to put a halt to this constant bloodshed.”

The increasing number of Syrian refugees, Al-Rashid continued, need further aid to ease off their daily sufferings. As an outcome of this human distress, Kuwait hosted earlier this year a UN-sponsored donor conference for the Syrian people. “ I seized this opportunity to remind donor countries to honor their pledges” to speed up the process of elevating the Syrian pains.

The AIPU President also stressed the need for development reform that would boost the economy and investment in Arab states and face any future challenges. He encouraged to benefit from youth capabilities, to improve Arab economies. As an incentive, Kuwait established a two-billion dollar fund for entrepreneurs to launch their medium to small businesses. The State of Kuwait has also paid attention to investing in education, early childhood care facilities as a gesture to take under its wing the younger generations by protecting their rights.

Women, also, have given care and attention from the Kuwaiti leadership, Al-Rashed note. “Women are the core of any society; therefore, they have been encouraged to engage in all realms in order to be part of the country’s development process.” —KUNA

KUWAIT: The Ambassador of Democratic People Republic of Korea So Chang Sik hosted a dinner at his residence on Tuesday. Picture shows (R-L) Counsellor Choe Kang, Dr Ziyad AL-Alyan Kuwait Times Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Ambassador, Abd Al-Rahman AL-Alyan Editor-in-Chief of Kuwait Times, Counsellor Ju Rong Un and Javaid Ahmad of Kuwait Times. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

More women-only days at Meseelah Beach KUWAIT: Entrance to the Meseelah Beach will be restricted to female visitors on Sunday, Monday and Thursday every week, starting from April 15 this year, a senior official from Touristic Enterprises Company announced yesterday.

Meseelah Beach Supervisor Mohammad Al-Ablani explained that the decision was based on visitors’ feedback. He Mohammad Al-Ablani also announced that “special programs”, featuring various competitions and entertaining activities, would be held during the women-only days.

Surprise vehicle inspection at Hawally KUWAIT: The Hawally traffic department carried out a surprise campaign in the governorate region in cooperation with the technical test department to check out the vehicles in the governorate. The campaign was headed by chief of technical test department, Colonel Ibrahim Al-Sahli, and Lt Col Saad Al-Ryaib. A

total of 132 citations on different counts were handed out. The technical test personnel did check some of the vehicles and detained those found unsuitable for the road. The traffic department officials emphasized that such campaigns will continue in all areas to clean up the governorate of all cars unfit for the road.

EPA organizes inspection campaign at birds market KUWAIT: Teams from the Environment Public Authority (EPA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, launched a search campaign of the birds market in Al-Rai area yesterday to follow up on implementation of the ban on hunting of local and migrating birds.

During the campaign, the teams documented confiscation of 58 indigenous birds in violation of the said ban.

Furthermore, the first round conducted in the morning revealed that some sellers were involved in stealing eggs and hatchlings from nests, in stark violation of the directives of the EPA, the authority ’s Director of Public Relations Dr Khalid AlEnzi said.

The teams freed the birds immediately upon confiscation, both in the morning and evening period, and where needed, birds and chicks were put under the care of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources in preparation for future release into nature reserves. — KUNA

‘Unified Media’ stipulates jail term for religious offenders KUWAIT: The new media law approved by the cabinet on Monday stipulates a maximum of 10 years in prison for religious offenders, in addition to up to KD300,000 in fines for criticizing or misquoting His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince, a local daily reported yesterday, quoting sources familiar with the details of the law.

Except for the jail sentence for those found guilty of offending God Almighty, the Holy Prophets, the companions or wives of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), the law only stipulates fines for all other forms of offense. For example, a person found guilty of criticizing HH the Amir or HH the Crown Prince, or of quoting them without the permission of the royals’ respective dewans, are sentenced to fines of between KD50,000 and KD300,000.

The sources who spoke to Al-Anba on the condition of anonymity indicated that the regulations apply to opinions expressed on printed or broadcasted material, as well as to those published online. The law also stipulates a fine of between KD10,000 and KD100,000 for those found guilty of divulging information from secret documents or meetings, regardless of their accuracy. (Anba) Meanwhile, a “ministerial source” quoted by AlQabas yesterday confirmed that, as per the new law, dubbed as ‘the unified media law’, accounts on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks will to be monitored. The source, who wished not to be named, confirmed that the government would be looking to prosecute those posting offensive messages online, but failed to provide information on how their accounts will be monitored. (Qabas)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

LOCAL

Oil company workers on strike to demand rights Union warns of consequences

By Nawara Fattahova

Asian woman arrested with 4.5kg of heroin

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Drug enforcement agents arrested an Asian woman for possessing 4.5 kilograms of heroin, which is the largest amount of drugs caught this year.

Earlier, information was received about the accused bringing heroin for sale to drug users. After verifying the information, an approval was obtained from the public prosecutor to arrest and search the woman.

A search of her apartment led to the discovery of a large bag of heroin hidden in a secret place. She confessed that she brought the heroin from her home country. The woman, along with the contraband, was sent to the concerned authorities.

KUWAIT: More than 300 employees of the Oil Sector Services Co. went on a strike yesterday morning in front of the Salhiya Complex to press for certain demands that they said were their right. Some former MPs and representatives of the workers’ unions also participated in the strike.

Sa’ad Al-Khnayin, president of the Workers’ Union of Oil Sector Ser vices Company (OSSC) said that the strike was to press for the justified demands and to protest against the negligence shown by the company. He said the workers have refused to tow the policies of the company administration.

“We didn’t aim to go on a strike and waste even a minute of work, but we were forced to hold this strike due to the unjustified policies of the company. The management and the directors shut their doors and did not care about the dangers faced by the employees who face the fires daily and work in scorching sun,” he said, while being on strike.

This was the second strike for the OSSC employees after the one held in January 2012. “This is our first strike this year. The company cooperated with us last year after the strike and we won our justified rights.

This year also, we are demanding fair rights for the employees who are involved in firefighting and security sectors. Their colleagues in other companies are classified as people working in dangerous profession, while employees of this company are not although they do dangerous work and deal with fire on regular basis,” Al-Khnayin told the Kuwait Times.

According to him, the board of directors assumed the responsibility and the duty to defend the legal rights of the employees.

“We have various demands including the annual qualification, as the company is decreasing the qualification, while the eval-

Indian nurses end strike

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Hundreds of Indian nurses who went on strike on Monday have agreed to return to work after their company finally agreed to meet all of their demands.

Some 500 Indian nurses stopped working last Monday in protest of what they termed “mismanagement and violation of our basic rights”.

The protest partially paralyzed the operations of Mubarak Al-Khabeer Hospital and some other polyclinics where the nurses work, as confirmed by hospital director Dr Hassan Al-Dosary. The meeting yesterday was held at the office of Hadi Muhamad AlAnezi, the deputy director of Labor Relations Department, which is under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL).

The representatives of the nurses, comprising five male nurses and as many female nurses, met with Al-Anezi and GTC company owner Abdulazis Al-Awadhi in the presence of two representatives from the Indian Embassy - second secretary Dangui and Abdulla Kollorath. “We feel very happy about it. We felt contented especially when the owner agreed to all our demands,” a staff nurse acting as the spokesperson for the striking nurses told Kuwait Times yesterday.

The nurse, who requested not to be named, for the fear of retaliation, said: “Everything seems to be positive now. The meeting was a bit tense at first but took a turn for the better in the end. With the intervention of officials from MSAL, we were quite sure that everything would turn out fine,” he said.

According to the nurse, the deputy director of MSAL himself wrote down (in Arabic) the nurses’ demands and warned the company owner that if he failed to fulfil their demands, the ministry would be forced to cancel the company’s license.

“The company agreed and we’ll see their compliance in the next few days. As per our understanding, some of our demands will be implemented within the next two weeks,” he added.

Late last Monday, Al-Awadhi reportedly visited the striking nurses’ camps in Mahboula and invited their representatives in order to resolve their problems at his office the following day (Tuesday). “The good thing about what happened is that they agreed to all our demands, but it remains to be seen how and whether they will actually fulfil them. We explained to the MSAL deputy director that our strike last Monday was not a sudden outburst but was a result of the company’s failure to ful-

fil its long overdue promises,” he said. The written agreement, a copy of which was acquired by Kuwait Times, was dated April 9, 2013. The agreement included a provision for the nurses to be allowed to move to other companies after completing three years - the duration of the contract - with the company. In case of non-payment or delayed salary, the labor department can be approached and workers should be entitled to all their labor rights upon completion of the contract stipulated in the labor law (6/2010). The company has also been ordered to regularize its workers’ residency status within the next two weeks.

They will be entitled for an annual leave, too, unconditionally. The company will not be allowed to take any amount of money against any services rendered to the workers, such as through stamp duties and other government fees. In case of termination of employment, the workers will be given the right to obtain an employment certificate as stated in the labor law. And in case of transfer, the worker must also be given all required documents, such as passports.

In exchange, the Indian nurses have also agreed not to go on strike again in case of future problems. “Today, another set of promises were signed. The good thing about this one is that we signed the paper in front of MSAL deputy director and our embassy representatives. So we believe that our demands will be fulfilled,” the spokesperson concluded.

Late Monday night, Dr. Mohammad AlHaifi, the Minister of Health, announced the end of the nurses’ strike. Speaking to KUNA, he said the nurses agreed to end their strike after their employer promised to meet their demand. Al-Haifi did not elaborate on the nurses’ demands.

He added that 120 male and female nurses carried out their strike at the outpatient department and some wards of the hospital.

The company, which provides nurses to the Hawally health area, has agreed to meet the nurses’ demands, in line with the labor laws set by the ministry of social affairs and labor. Al-Haifi said he chaired a team from the ministries of health and social affairs and also met with the nurses at their residence to discuss their demands.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Indian Embassy in Kuwait.

The employer, he said, agreed to meet the nurses’ demands. The Indian embassy witnessed the agreement. The minister underscored the importance of the fact that the contract with the nurses was compatible with the labor laws of Kuwait.

KUWAIT: Some of the male nurses leaving their accommodation last Monday to attend the meeting called by their company officials in Mahboula. The first meeting ended with no agreement but yesterday, the meeting called by MSAL deputy director with Indian Embassy representatives reached positive outcome. —Photo by Ben Garcia

uation of the direct supervisors should be approved instead. Also, the employees should be adjudged according to the annual performance and not as per financial criteria. Also, the employees working at the headquarters should be treated equal to their colleagues working at outdoor locations,” he explained.

“Furthermore, we demand giving priority for existing employees in filling vacancies at the company. In addition, we demand paying for the overtime put in by the employees on monthly basis. Also, employees should be promoted to the rank of new supervisors in the security department. The job title of the firefighters needs to be changed and the security employees’ promotions are due. There is need to increase the number of firefighters, to classify firefighting and security positions as hazardous professions, to increase the number of vacancies at different departments at the company, apart from certain other demands,” Al-Khnayin further said.

He also warned of consequences if his demands were not met. “What’s coming will be worse. Today’s strike is just a warning to the company’s administration for its unjustified behaviour towards the employees and the administrative corruption. We will not end our strike until all our demands are fulfilled. We are planning to hold another strike next Tuesday if they failed to negotiate with us. After that, we will start striking work twice a week and later even more if our demands were not fulfilled,” he pointed out.

The strike badly affected the work. “The manipulation with the annual qualification of employees, that took place recently, disappointed them and affected their psychological condition. As a result, their productivity at work is also being affected. The employees still do a great job and make efforts to preserve and ensure the continuity of oil flow which is the main source of

The employees of OSSC on strike yesterday in front of Salhiya Mall. revenue for the national budget,” he further the Kuwait Bar Association, who expressed his support to the strikers. said.

On his part, Abdullah Al-Shimeri, the Al-Khnayin also warned about even newer demands in the future. “Later, we will Deputy of the Union stressed that the increase up our demands if the current Union has lost all hopes as the company ones were not fulfilled. The company will administration and the management have be surprised with our next action that they ignored all the letters sent to the chairman, do not even expect, as the employees are the Chief Executive Officer of the KPC, and fed up of the bad policies of the company even the Minister of Oil. “So, strike was the only way left to administration. The employees were oppressed and their rights were not grant- express our demands, and we consider this ed, so we have to fight for these,” he con- strike would be seen as an expression of rage against unjustified acts of the compacluded.

Officials and members from other ny and its officials. We thank all those who unions also attended the strike. These came and participated in this strike,” he included attorney Al-Hamidi Al-Sebei from noted.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

LOCAL In my view

In my view

Cut in luxury cars needed

Why the tables have turned on Assad

By Abdulrahman Al-Rashed

W

hat has altered the situation in Syria to the point that the Russians, whom the world called on to stop arming the regime, are now the ones calling on the world to stop arming the rebels and warning of the conflict’s graveness?

The Iranians had to communicate again with countries on the other side. The tables were turned and President Bashar Assad had to admit his ordeal in Damascus. It is Assad who is currently speaking about the capital’s battle and his preparations for it.

During his meeting with his state journalists a few days ago, it was him who advised his journalists to focus their reporting on a “peaceful solution” with the rebels.

By Labeed Abdal

labeed@kuwaittimes.net

T

he Ministry of Finance’s move to review the allocation of vehicles used for state officials, minimize their use for personal errands and limit it to only official and formal reasons is welcome. Similar measures need to be applied on other fronts also.

Having a stable oil production and international investments does not mean that public exchequer can become recklessly profligate and waste funds.

There are many financial reports, local and international, that confirm the healthy financial situation of the country. Kuwait is growing well compared with other gulf countries that suffered a real estate crash.

We must, by all means, direct our gains towards development which will secure tangible benefits for the people.

Our citizens and expats must feel the healthy economic changes, be these in the form of more construction activity, city modernization projects, oil, gas, medical facilities or education etc.

We must, by all means, direct our gains towards development which will secure tangible benefits for the people. Our citizens and expats must feel the healthy economic changes, be these in the form of more construction activity, city modernization projects, oil, gas, medical facilities or education etc.

Preventing wastage in governmental expenditure will definitely protect our budget from leakages and not distract from proper planning.

Also having new regulations that will end unproductive usage of vehicles by restructuring the mode of hiring vehicles will help.

Our MPs must not forget that any amount of pressures could be exerted on the budget. They must remember to fight back as such measures will tend to backfire at times. We can see that certain people keep clamouring for more consumerism and forget the real goal of increasing local production through commitment, responsibility and patriotism.

kuwait digest

Fifty years of setback

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

T

here is no doubt that the political system in Kuwait failed to evolve significantly or result in the development of the state ever since Kuwait achieved independence. In fact, it is apparent that the past 30 or perhaps 40 years have seen a setback on the development front combined with a decline of political growth.

The government has certainly been responsible for political and developmental setbacks that have hindered our journey towards civilization, but it is not the only one to have obstructed that path.

The national political forces, combined most recently with conservative groups, have participated actively in ensuring underdevelopment and distracting people away from their main issues and their basic rights. Since liberation, political groups focused entirely on allegations about misuse of public funds, and their alleged commitment to fighting corruption and stopping wastage of national wealth despite the fact that the same groups - especially when represented in parliament - proved to be the chief squanderer of public funds. They are also the ones who shut their eyes towards the corruption being practiced everyday in the form of administrative violations and daily abuse of the state’s services.

All political activity has been directed towards ostensibly protecting the public funds, including a major crisis that led to the resignation of Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah’s cabinet and the parliament’s dissolution. That happened even though the allegations of public funds or property

being used in political crimes were never proved.

In the meantime, the political activity remained centered around ‘defending the parliament’ while in reality attempts were being made to limit the parliament’s authority. Meanwhile, the people’s true freedoms and basic rights were either sought to be restricted or were reduced, without triggering any opposition or any form of reaction from politicians who were otherwise actively in the ‘opposition’.

In fact, political groups in many cases stood side by side with the government in restricting freedoms and rights. For example, lawmakers collectively ‘blessed’ the shameful press law that the government came up with, and also accepted the government’s point of view in limiting the freedom of assembly.

Furthermore, political groups which boycotted the last elections submitted a draft law to sentence anyone who offends religious figures to death, and, ironically enough, these same groups today condemn the jail sentences to those who offended HH the Amir.

Kuwait’s democratic system is losing on its parliamentary aspect gradually. Freedoms are being reduced, and public rights are being violated. These freedoms and rights are the backbone of public opinion, and perhaps the only bright side to Kuwait’s constitution.

Unfortunately, these are being subjected to attempts on the part of the government to restrict them, while political groups keep themselves busy protecting public funds. — Al-Qabas

kuwait digest

Executions ‘a wise decision’

By Waleed Al-Ghanim

D

uring investigations in a case involving an unsuccessful murder attempt a few years ago in Kuwait, the main suspect hailing from a Gulf state told interrogators that he had been monitoring his compatriot for two years, waiting for him to come to Kuwait. Once that happened, he said he followed him in order to kill him in Kuwait because the maximum punishment he could have received was a life in prison, something he said was fine with him, since in his own country he would have been sentenced to death for that crime.

The latest public executions in Kuwait were in my opinion a wise decision that would help quell the chaos prevailing through the country for the past few years. Such chaos are in the form of reckless attitude, lack of respect for the law, instances of deliberately causing harm to individuals and

What is happening to Kuwait?

We keep hearing almost everyday stories of people storming police stations, stealing patrol vehicles, exchanging gunfire inside hospitals and prisoners’ escape, as if we are living in a country that has the worst crime rate in the world. social groups, defiance of police officers on duty, battery assaults, armed struggles, possession of illegal weapons and murders.

What is happening to Kuwait? We keep hearing almost everyday stories of people storming police stations, stealing patrol vehicles, exchanging gunfire inside hospitals and prisoners’ escape, as if we are living in a country that has the worst crime rate in the world.

How come a small country known throughout history as being safe for Arab immigrants seeking a stable place to live in, turned into an increasingly chaotic region?

Any society can only stay protected if laws are enforced equally, irrespective of gender, race, social status or the nature of crime. It is the best way to thwart evil minds, and protect the innocent people. Delayed justice dispensing system, leniency in law enforcement and selective punishment are, on the other hand, three reasons for disrupting the stability of any country. Murder is the most gruesome of crimes that God Almighty called for the wrongdoer to be punished with a severity appropriate as per the crime. I urge Kuwait not to be affected by the criticism from human rights groups whose calls were not necessarily in line with common sense. — Al-Qabas

What was it that turned the tables?

During the past five months, the game has changed, and more players joined it. The rebels have more and better arms, and they have also received a lot of ammunition, intelligence data and political support. Five months ago, that is a year and a half after the revolution erupted, the latter turned from being an individualistic enthusiasm to an organized military group work. This is how the situation of the war changed in the past few months as the rebels received huge amounts of weapons - an amount no one else received before in the history of modern wars in a phase like this one!

Weapons are not the reason but the result. The first reason is that everyone admitted that there is a war in Syria that cannot be stopped. A majority of Syrians is determined to topple the regime no matter how long it takes and no matter how much blood is shed.

The second reason is that other options, particularly that of a peaceful solution, proved their failure to end the war. Mediators tried to convince Assad to step down and hand power to the Syrian people in order to maintain the country’s security, decrease suffering and prevent chasing others in exchange for his own safety and his group’s safety. It is for this purpose that the UN dispatched Lakhdar Brahimi.

Consultations were held with the Russians and the situation even reached the phase of negotiations over organizing Assad and his family’s departure to an exile of their choice.

Algeria was the most likely option. But whenever negotiators reached achieving a peaceful solution, Assad intentionally sabotaged the attempt. And so, after all peaceful solutions failed, opposing parties, except for Assad’s allies, resorted to the only choice

During the past five months, the game has changed, and more players joined it. The rebels have more and better arms, and they have also received a lot of ammunition, intelligence data and political support.

Five months ago, that is a year and a half after the revolution erupted, the latter turned from being an individualistic enthusiasm to an organized military group work. left to end the tragedy and that is supporting the revolution in all means possible. What changed the situation is that more players got involved in the past few months.

They implemented this policy and turned it into reality. They imposed the rebels as a group capable of toppling the regime and not only disturbing it.

They funded the rebels and helped them organize.

They established linked military entities. And suddenly, areas like Raqqa, Aleppo, Daraa, the Golan Heights and Homs became areas outside the regime’s control.

We all saw how a revolution without support maintains a state of mutiny for so long, like the case is with the Tamil insurgents in Sri Lanka, the separatists in Chechnya and dozens of other armed groups which do not have the ability to achieve decisive solutions but capable of remaining a source of insecurity for their rivals for decades.

Assad, with his ego and ignorance, pushed others to work against him. After he insisted to stay in power and after he failed negotiations, he pushed his troops to commit massacres on a semi-daily basis. Assad thought the Russians and Iranians are capable of protecting him, and he thought the hesitant West will continue to be its silent ally.

However, he now sees that being toppled is a mission which is very possible to accomplish.

Rebels march toward the capital every day and they are about to besiege the capital although his troops still control about 70 percent of the country.

Rebels from different brigades began infiltrating it in huge numbers.

Their armed power helped them target the airport, presidential palaces and security institutions.

There are almost daily battles across its neighborhoods. These battles forced the regime to alter its strategy and thus it launched attacks against neighborhoods it thinks rebels are based in them. If Assad had read the biographies of other dictators, he would have known that they had made one fatal mistake: Failing to sense danger. Saddam Hussein never believed the Americans were serious about invading Iraq and toppling him, and Muammar Qaddafi thought that the expensive deals he made with the West will be his ticket toward their cooperation with him.

This is why both men were toppled, and this is why they lost resorting to less harmful options.

Assad thought that Arab countries’ support of the revolution was only one through television stations and diplomatic propaganda, and he thus failed in taking these countries’ warnings and contacts seriously.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

LOCAL

Hydraulic drilling boosts oil production KUWAIT: A visiting international oil expert said yesterday that hydraulic drilling would largely increase oil well production by at least 50 percent, citing relevant findings following trial for over 30 years. Delivering a lecture at a symposium organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers branch in Kuwait, Mark Pearson said hydraulic drilling dated back to 1983 but its economic feasibility only appeared in 1988.

One of the fruitful experiments in hydraulic drilling took place in the North Sea in 1988, where oil well production increased nine-fold and remained at the same level for 10 successive years, he added.

For his part, Ihab Al-Sayed, marketing advisor at the Fox Consulting Services, the sponsor of the symposium, said his company’s sponsorship of the event stemmed from its keenness to present the latest thing in oil industry in order to transfer advancement to Kuwaiti oil companies and its engineers with the goal of contributing to boosting the efficiency and productivity of this vital sector in Kuwait.

He said the significance of the symposium springs from the fact it focuses on the field of oil wells, particularly hydraulic drilling by using multiphase drilling technology.

He noted that the international oil expert has developed very useful technologies in the extraction of oil from inaccessible places. —— KUNA

US embassy hosts conference on promoting tourism KUWAIT: Ambassador Matthew Tueller led a web conference on promoting travel and tourism to the United States on March 18. Building on a long history of mutually beneficial travel between the US and Kuwait, the Ambassador reached out to US businesses across the tourism and hospitality industry to share information about the Kuwaiti market and local interest in travel to the US for tourism, business, education, and medical treatment.

The Ambassador said that “the travel and tourism sector is the United States’ largest service export” and last year, the US “welcomed over 40,000 Kuwaiti visitors.” He also noted that “due to increased efforts and coordination at the US Embassy, visa processing in Kuwait is at an all time high and we hope to welcome even more Kuwaiti travelers in the future.”

The Ambassador and his Embassy team urged US businesses to consider opportunities to visit to Kuwait for trade events and tailor travel products for Kuwaiti customers.

The General Manager of Kuwait’s Mubasher Travel and Tourism Company, Ahmed Hamzawy, participated as a guest speaker during the conference to share information about Kuwaiti preferences and special requests when traveling for vacation.

He noted that the event was “a good opportunity to learn from our colleagues in the US and share ideas on how to create more opportunities for tourism travel to the US” He added that last year, “the US ranked as the eighth most popular destination for Kuwaiti travelers,” and highlighted the “many opportunities to promote the US as a top destination for travelers this summer.”

‘Kuwait to always cherish memory of Thatcher’

KUWAIT: Minister of Education and Higher Education Nayef Al-Hajraf, Kuwait Times Editor-inChief Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan, and other dignitaries are seen signing the book of condolence at the British Embassy yesterday. The dignitaries were there to extend condolences following the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who passed away on Monday.

— Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat LONDON: Kuwait yesterday praised the late Baroness Margaret Thatcher recalling her support for the Gulf State in 1990 when she served as prime minister of the United Kingdom in shadow of gloomy circumstances that engulfed the country as a result of the 1990-1991 occupation by Iraqi forces.

Minister of Information and

Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem AlHumoud Al-Sabah hailed the pivotal role played by the late former British premier in the liberation of the State of Kuwait and her honorable and historic stances in support of the country, said a statement released by the ministry. The official statement quoted the minister as affirming, “Stances

of the Baroness won’t be forgotten by the Kuwaiti people; her support for the government and people, as well as her unwavering backing of Kuwaiti legitimacy against the flagrant Iraqi aggression since its earliest hours.

“Her demise is a loss to international diplomacy,” he said, noting Baroness Thatcher’s “strong imprint on the political map” of the world. —KUNA

Drastic reduction in expat manpower ‘not possible’ Correction requires long term plan KUWAIT: No one among the leaders in the private sector would believe that it was possible to get rid of 100,000 workers every year to bring down the number of expat laborers by one million over the next ten years, as proposed by Social Affairs and Labor Minister Thekra Al-Rashidi. Several high ranking officials and executives said correcting demographic imbalance requires a long term plan which will have to incorporate certain crucial amendments to laws related to economic, social and security issues. The solution would have to be in consonance with the development of the economy.

Secretary General of the Manpower Restructuring Program and the State’s Executive System, Fawzi Al-Majdali, denied any intention on the part of the government to terminate the services of expat

laborers, adding that the minister’s proposal targeted the marginal laborers who constitute a burden on the government on one hand or who can be replaced by Kuwaiti workers in due course of time.

The Second Vice President of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industr y, Abdelwahab Al-Wazan, said hastening such decisions would amount to “jumping into the unknown” while economic expert Ali Rasheed Al-Bader complained that Kuwait lacked a clear strategy to invest in Kuwaiti human resources. This, he said, was only resulting in the structural flaws in the national economy to worsen.

Former Oil Minister Essa Al-Mazidi said it was impossible for the oil sector to shed the skilled labor since high returns were involved and the sector cannot wait for long term government plans to show

results. However, he agreed with the proposal and supported it but said it should be carried out in a systematic manner that reflected professionalism and a long term vision in decision making.

The president of Industries Union insisted on consulting expert economic authorities such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Real Estate and Banks’ Unions as well as NGOs about such proposals before presenting them for political discussion. He said the numbers of marginal labourers grew since supervision was weak, and now these labourers have become an essential part in the economy growth process.

Al-Korafi said logic has it that the state was heading to implement the development plan with its mega projects and hence “we will need this labor force to help

in building and construction.”

“So, we are forced to use them during the coming period and in turn will be difficult to implement this decision in practice as we execute electricity stations, Silk City project and other projects which will need skilled and marginal labor both,” he said.

Meanwhile, president of Realtors Association Tawfiq Al-Jarrah said the decision to get rid of 100,000 workers annually for ten years was in tune with the state’s policies to implement the development plan projects. He added that the issue also involved a humanitarian problem as rendering these people jobless would be against the concept of human rights. He said it is necessary to keep this in mind to avoid any harm to Kuwait’s reputation at the international level and in commercial circles.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

LOCAL

Asian man in police net for visa forgery Search for Jahra rapists KUWAIT: Immigration detectives arrested a man who admitted to forging visas ostensibly claiming sponsorship by Kuwaiti women but without their knowledge. Police first became aware of the case when a woman citizen filed a case after she discovered visas for a number of domestic workers registered under her sponsorship without her prior approval. Detectives monitored an Asian man who reportedly helped the woman finalize necessary paperwork regarding a beauty salon she owned. Police inquired with the woman after discovering that her genuine civil ID was used in the suspected visa transactions. The man was arrested after investigations revealed that he was involved in multiple forgeries. He confessed during the interrogation that he successfully forged visas for ten domestic workers using civil IDs of Kuwaiti women whom he convinced about his ability to quickly wrap up the required paperwork involving various state departments.

The man also admitted to forging visas issued by the Immigration General Department. Further investigations revealed that the man was deported from Kuwait a few years back, but

managed to return using a forged passport. He was referred to the Public Prosecution to face charges.

Sexual assault Three men allegedly sexually assaulted a domestic worker after kidnapping her in Jahra on Monday.

According to the police report, the Ethiopian woman was taking out the trash outside her Kuwaiti employer’s house when three youngsters forced her into their vehicle and drove to a remote location. The victim was raped repeatedly and then left outside a supermarket in Al-Ferdous where the suspects dropped her and escaped.

The woman was able to contact her sponsor who came to pick her up and immediately reported the case at the Taima police station.

Fatal crash A middle aged man died in an accident when a vehicle lost balance and overturned at the Artal (Convoy) Road towards Kabad on Monday.

Paramedics who arrived shortly after the accident was reported pronounced the 52-year-old Kuwaiti dead on the scene. His body was taken to

the coroner after detectives examined the scene. Investigations were on to determine the circumstances in which the accident occurred.

Qurain thefts A Kuwaiti man claimed in a complaint to the Qurain police station officers that his domestic worker decamped with cash and valuables. In his statement to the police, the man explained that he discovered theft of jewelry, cash and cell phones worth KD2900 in total just when his housemaid disappeared. He gave certain information about the Filipina woman, on the basis of which investigations were on.

Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti man reported the theft of his sports utility vehicle (SUV) at the Rumaithiya police station.

He said he found his 2009 Land Rover missing when he came out of his house, but failed to identify who could be the potential suspects. Police suspected that the theft could be linked to a network of auto thieves blamed for multiple auto thefts reported recently in Kuwait. This gang targets luxury vehicles that are then often smuggled outside the country.

Kuwait calls for conference to tackle terrorism, root causes UNITED NATIONS: The State of Kuwait has proposed holding an international conference under the auspices of the UN to discuss terrorism and set a definition for the global phenomenon and called for comprehensive tackling of the dangerous phenomenon that constitutes a threat to global peace.

The international community is now, more than ever, in need for rallying effort to finalize the comprehensive draft treaty, aspired to be unprecedented addition to international legal order, for sake of bolstering maintenance of international peace, security, and sovereignty and rule of law, said Mohammad Abdullah Al-Atiqi, the second secretary of the Kuwaiti mission.

Al-Atiqi, addressing the 16th session of the UN commission tasked

with terrorism, reiterated Kuwait’s support for a proposal to hold the international convention, under UN auspices, to organize joint international action to counter “the phenomenon of terrorism.”

The session of the UN commission is scheduled for April 8-16. Global threats caused by terrorism must prompt all states to engage in effective cooperation at the international level to confront and eradicate this phenomenon, said Al-Atiqi.

All member states of the UN are in consensus on condemning all forms of terrorism, regardless of identity of the perpetrators, for “it belongs to no religion or culture,” the Kuwaiti diplomat added. The commission member states have been involved in marathon talks, for more than 10 years, regarding the topics on the

table, namely the aspired agreement on a comprehensive treaty on terrorism. “It’s high time for serious and flexible action to reach a settlement, acceptable by all parties regarding the contentious issues, namely an accord on reaching an internationally-acceptable definition for terrorism, covering all its forms and manifestations, in adherence with principles and objectives of the United Nations, with no breach of international law,” he called.

Tackling terrorism begins with nipping its roots, he said, explaining that efforts must be exerted for improving peoples’ living conditions, fighting poverty and hunger, achieving sustainable development, establishing “wise leadership,” enforcing sovereignty of law, renouncing hatred, respecting all religions, and promoting a culture of tolerance and moderation, Al-

Zain opens third branch in Avenues KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications company in Kuwait, proudly inaugurated its third branch in the Avenues Mall, making it the only company that has three branches under one roof in one of the most vital areas in Kuwait.

The company stated in a press announcement, that the inauguration of the third branch located in the Grand Avenue, will aim to serve thousands of customers due to the massive number of mall visitors per day.

Omar Al-Omar, Zain’s Chief Executive Officer said: “Zain always looks for ways to serve its customers best, and by opening our third branch in this vital area, we are doing just that. Through our wide branch network, our customers can benefit from the variety of our services and products we offer. Our expansion strategy has focused to allocate branches in areas that are frequently visited such as residential and commercial areas.”

It is worth mentioning that Zain’s Grand Avenue branch is located amid the most luxurious brands in the mall providing a genuine concept of service quality along with the latest products. The branch will offer the latest types of mobile devices and touch screen devices in addition to mobile accessories along with all the latest promotions for customers to enjoy.

Al-Omar explained: “We strive to provide the best services and products to our customers according to the best international telecommunication standards while improving the performance of our branches with respect to the growing size of our customer base that currently exceeds 2.3 million customers. Zain’s successful expansion strategy of branch network and the broad base of our authorized dealers, allows us to receive customers requests and concerns and respond to them more swiftly and efficiently.” Al-Omar emphasized that

the company is proud of its leading position in acquiring the largest branch network in the country which reaffirms its commitment to its customers of providing the best services in all areas of Kuwait. The company strives to elevate customers to an entirely new era in the information technology sector while meeting their needs and demands at the same time.

In conclusion, Al-Omar said: “As the leading telecommunications company, Zain will continue its pledge of offering services and products that surpass customers expectations .”

It is worth mentioning that by opening the Grand Avenue branch, Zain brings its total number of branches to 70 branches, located across Kuwait. The Grand Avenue branch is the third branch in the Avenues Mall where its two other branches are located in Phase One of the mall as well as in the heart of the mall across Carrefour.

IT essential for upgrading inter-GCC communications MANAMA: Abdul-Latif Suraye’ AlSuraye’, Director General of Kuwait’s Central Agenc y For Information Technology (CAIT), affirmed yesterday the necessity of utilizing information technology for upgrading communication among member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and facilitating smooth inter-GCC information exchange.

IT authorities in the GCC are keen on securing connections among the member states through a single network, designed to facilitate citizens’ services, Al-Suraye’ said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of Bahrain International e Government Forum (2013), which

got underway here on Monday.

The exper t affirmed Kuwait ’s keenness to take part in key international conventions, stay abreast of latest innovations, and consider scientific research work in the field as well as to participate in workshops that address crucial issues, namely those related to IT devices and applications.

Kuwait is taking part in the forum with a delegation of experts, leaders, and representatives of government depar tments and apparatuses to share the country’s experience in the field of e-government.

Moreover, the forum constitutes an opportunity to interact with dele-

gations of various states to examine other countries’ experiences in the domain, exchanging expertise, and examining latest innovations.

Elaborating, Al-Suraye’s affirmed that the “information and technological revolution has imposed its influence, as a main engine for operational, utility, and economic sectors.

“Now, it plays main role on the course of development at the global level.”

He expressed hope the forum would end with recommendations for promoting this sector in the GCC countries and hailed substantial GCC governmental support for the field. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Under the patronage of the General Director of Fire Department, a ceremony was held yesterday morning to inaugurate the training building. Deputy General Manager Khalid Al-Mikrad stated that firefighters had to deal with different kinds of fires, whether it be in open areas and closed areas or with timbers and tyres, by using fire aid 2000. The same product was used for fighting fires caused by liquids leaking from airplanes. Heat protection suits were worn to avoid bodily contact with excessive heat. —- Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

North urges foreigners in S Korea to evacuate

4 die as Quake hits near Iran’s nuke city Bushehr Page 8

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‘Iron Lady’ mourned, opponents celebrate Funeral on April 17; World leaders hail Thatcher LONDON: Admirers of Margaret Thatcher yesterday mourned the “Iron Lady” who as Britain’s longest serving prime minister in over a century pitched free-market capitalism as the only medicine for her country’s crippled economy and the crumbling Soviet bloc. World leaders past and present, from Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to US President Barack Obama, led tributes the grocer’s daughter who sought to arrest Britain’s decline and helped Ronald Reagan broker an end to the Cold War. “The world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend,” said Obama. While world leaders praised the most powerful British prime minister since her hero Winston Churchill, the scars of bitter struggles during her rule left Britain divided over her legacy. Opponents celebrated in south London and the Scottish city of Glasgow, cheering her death and toasting to the death of “the witch” with champagne and cider.

“We’ve waited a long time for her death,” said Carl Chamberlain, 45, unemployed, sporting a grey ponytail and sipping on a can of cider in Brixton, London, the scene of riots in 1981. Loathed and loved, Thatcher crushed trade unions, privatized swathes of British industry, clashed with European allies and fought a war to recover the Falkland Islands from Argentina.

Yesterday’s newspapers told the story: “The Woman Who Saved Britain”, declared the Daily Mail while the Daily Mirror, lead on “The Woman Who Divided A Nation” in an article which questioned the grand, ceremonial funeral planned for next week. Thatcher’s body was removed overnight in a transit van with police escort from the Ritz Hotel where she had died on Monday morning following a stroke.

Thatcher’s final journey on April 17 will take her from a chapel inside the Palace of Westminster - where she deployed fearsome and forensic debating skills - to a St Paul’s Cathedral where she will arrive on a gun carriage drawn horses from Queen Elizabeth’s artillery. Accorded full military honors, Thatcher’s funeral is likely to be the grandest funeral for a British politician since Churchill’s state funeral in 1965. Thatcher did not want a state funeral. She will be cremated. Parliament will return from recess for a special session in her honor today.

IRON LADY The unyielding, outspoken Thatcher led her Conservative party to three election victories, governing from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous term in office for a British premier in over 150 years. She struck up a close relationship with Reagan taking a hostile view of the Soviet Union, backed the first President George Bush during the 1991 Gulf War, and was the first major Western leader to discover that Gorbachev was a man she could “do business with”. “Very few leaders get to change not only the political landscape of their country but of the world. Margaret was such a leader.

Her global impact was vast,” said Tony Blair, whose term as Labor prime minister from 1997-2007 he acknowledged owed a debt to the former leader of his Conservative opponents. Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron cut short a visit abroad and flags flew at half mast. “The real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn’t just lead our country, she saved our country,” Cameron said. Mourners laid roses, tulips and lilies on the doorstep of her house in Belgravia, one of London’s most exclusive areas. One note said: “The greatest British leader” while another said to “The Iron Lady”, a soubriquet bestowed by a Soviet army newspaper in the 1970s and which Thatcher loved.

But, in a mark of lingering anger at a woman who explained her belief in private endeavor by declaring “there is no such thing as society”, someone also left a bottle of milk; to many Britons, for scrapping free milk for schoolchildren as education minister in 1971, she remained “Maggie Thatcher, Milk Snatcher”. Having retreated into seclusion after being deposed by her party, the death of her businessman husband Denis in 2003 and creeping dementia had kept her out of the public eye for years. She had been in poor health for months.

COLD WARRIOR The abiding domestic images of her premiership will remain those of conflict: huge police confrontations with mass ranks of coalminers whose year-long strike failed to save their pits and communities; Thatcher riding a tank in a white headscarf; and flames rising above Trafalgar Square in the riots over the deeply unpopular “poll tax” which contributed to her downfall. To those who opposed her she was blunt to a degree. “The lady’s not for turning,” she told Conservatives in 1980 as some urged a “U-turn” on the economy in the facing of rising job losses and crashing poll numbers. She stuck to her plans to pare state spending but could thank extraordinary victory in the Falklands in 1982 for helping her bounce back to re-election.

Argentineans were less moved to praise her than Falklanders who called her “our Winston Churchill”. In South Africa, too, there was a coolness after her death as its new, democratic leaders recalled her prevarication on apartheid.

Among Irish republicans, she was remembered as the leader whose firm line saw 10 men starve themselves to death in British jails - and as one who survived the IRA’s deadliest attack on the heart of the establishment when it bombed her hotel in 1984.

In Europe, many in the east had warm words for her refusal to back down against Moscow and the inspiration of her reforms of a centrally planned economy. Among those were Chancellor Angela Merkel, a fellow chemist from East Germany who rose to become her reunited country’s first woman leader. In western Europe, where the late French Socialist president Francois Mitterrand once grappled with a conundrum he described as having “the eyes of Caligula but the mouth of Marilyn Monroe”, there was respect for her achievements though never great fondness for her “handbagging” lectures on saving money.

GROCERY SHOP TO WORLD STAGE Brought up in a flat with no hot water above the family grocery in the eastern English town of Grantham, Margaret Hilda Roberts learned thrift and hard work from her Methodist father Alfred before going to Oxford University to study chemistry.

She met her wealthy husband Denis, a divorcee a decade her senior, at a Conservative dinner party. They mar-

ried in 1951 but the young Thatcher faced snobbery from the party grandees: she was female and far too lowly. As Conservatives and Labour traded power and blame for an economic and diplomatic decline in the early 1970s, Thatcher was manoeuvring behind the scenes and surprised the party by winning the leadership from former premier Edward Heath in 1975.

She made her mark - after a makeover that changed her hair and her voice - by focusing on fiscal prudence and common sense - potent messages when made against the backdrop of the 1978-79 “winter of discontent” when strikes brought Britain’s economy to a halt and the Labor government seemed in thrall to the unions. Cutting taxes, liberalizing exchange controls and privatizing state-controlled behemoths, Thatcher transformed Britain’s economy and

helped strengthen the City of London as a global financial centre only challenged by New York.

The struggles that followed have left their mark on Britain. “Margaret Hilda Thatcher is gone but the damage caused by her fatally flawed politics sadly lingers on,” the National Union of Mineworkers, which Thatcher virtually destroyed during a failed year-long strike, said on its website. “Good Riddance.” “I found her to be confrontational, dogmatic, abrasive; she attacked people in her own country and didn’t listen to people in her own party,” recalled Caspar Joseph, 51, a history teacher in Manchester. “She was destructive, nihilistic.”

Her personal credo, founded on competition, private enterprise, thrift and self-reliance, gave birth to a political philosophy still referred to as “Thatcherism”. Millions in

Britain pay tribute to her radical policies, such as selling off of public housing to its tenants. But many recalled past bitterness, including in Northern Ireland where republican leader Gerry Adams said she had caused “great suffering”; she took a hard line during a hunger strike in which 10 prisoners died in 1981, and three years later she survived a deadly Irish bomb attack on her party conference.

Thatcher clearly relished her image and humiliated Geoffrey Howe, one of her most respected ministers, in front of the cabinet, helping to spur his resignation and her own downfall. But behind the doors of her Downing Street residence she would insist on making tea for her ministers, take care over her impeccable outfits and relax with whisky and water after the 18-hour days which became the norm of her rule.— Reuters

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

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

Iraq quietly marks decade since fall of Baghdad BAGHDAD: Iraq yesterday quietly marked a decade since US-led forces took control of Baghdad, sealing the ouster of Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime, but the country remains plagued by attacks and mired in crises.

Remembered the world over for the iconic images of Iraqis pulling down a statue of Saddam in central Baghdad’s Firdos Square-helped in no small part by an American military unit-the fall of the capital is a far more emotive day in Iraq than the anniversary of the invasion itself weeks earlier.

The day the statue fell on April 9, 2003, Saddam’s vaunted army had largely melted away, and was seen as defeated and demoralised. But the sense of elation felt by many Iraqis that day, at seeing a dictator who had ruled for more than two decades fall, was matched by a feeling of bitterness among others who felt their country had been occupied by a foreign power.

Those divisions in how April 9 is seen within Iraq have spurred the government to eschew any formal commemorations, and unlike in previous years, only the autonomous northern Kurdistan region is marking the occasion with a public holiday, rather than the

entire country. “Despite all the problems of the past decade, the overwhelming majority of Iraqis agree that we’re better off today than under Hussein’s brutal dictatorship,” Prime Minister Nuri alMaliki wrote in the Washington Post.

“Iraqis will remain grateful for the US role and for the losses sustained by military and civilian personnel that contributed in ending Hussein’s rule. These losses pale by comparison, of course, to those sustained by the Iraqi people.”

Though the war itself was relatively brief-six weeks after foreign troops invaded, then US president George W. Bush infamously declared the mission accomplished-its aftermath was bloody and fractious.

Caught between Shiite militia groups and Sunni insurgents, US and coalition forces paid a heavy price: some 4,800 foreign troops died in Iraq, more than 90 percent of them American. Iraqis suffered even more. Britain-based organisation Iraq Body Count recently estimated at least 112,000 Iraqi civilians died in the decade after the invasion, while thousands of soldiers and policemen were also killed. And along with the still-present violence, the country continues to suffer from near-constant political crises

typically attributed to a stalled reconciliation process. Ministers appeared to take a key step in that process this month, however, by unveiling sweeping reforms of laws barring those with links to Saddam’s regime from participating in public life. The draft amendments to the De-Baathification law, however, are likely to face strong opposition in parliament, which needs to approve the proposals.

Tuesday’s anniversary also comes at a significant political juncture in Iraq, barely 10 days ahead of provincial elections, the country’s first polls since US troops withdrew at the end of 2011.

The credibility of the vote has been drawn into question as a result of stillhigh bloodshed-a dozen candidates have been killed-and by a cabinet decision for a partial postponement that means only 12 of the country ’s 18 provinces will go to the polls.

Though markedly less powerful than in their 2006 and 2007 heyday, militant groups-particularly Al-Qaeda front group the Islamic State of Iraq-also remain capable of mounting mass-casualty attacks, and often target Shiite Muslims and the security forces in a bid to destabilise the country.

The violence is frequently blamed on

BAGHDAD: An Iraqi man walks past a billboard depicting the fall of executed dictator Saddam Hussein’s statue in Baghdad yesterday. Iraq quietly marked a decade since US-led forces took control of Baghdad, sealing the ouster of Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime, but the country remains plagued by attacks and mired in crises. — AFP political disputes between Maliki, a Shiite, and many of his erstwhile partners in Iraq’s unity government, allowing

militants to exploit divisions on the ground which give them room to manoeuvre. — AFP

32 die as Quake hits near Iran’s nuke city Bushehr Aftershock rocks GCC countries

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, along with US Secretary of State John Kerry, left, delivers remarks to the media at the start of their meeting at the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem, yesterday. — AP

Kerry wraps up ‘very constructive’ Mideast trip TEL AVIV: Top US diplomat John Kerry yesterday wrapped up three days of “very constructive” talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, pledging new efforts to help the West Bank economy as he sought to bring the sides back to the table.

Speaking to reporters shortly before leaving for London, a cautious Kerry said it was more important to find ways of resuming the long-frozen negotiations correctly rather than “quickly.”

On another key Middle East conflict, he said he would meet members of Syria’s opposition in London where he was to attend a summit of G8 foreign ministers.

His Jerusalem and Ramallah stopover was the second leg of a 10-day trip which will also take him on his first visit to Asia since taking over as Washington’s top diplomat. During the visit, Kerry met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in pursuit of what he called a “quiet strategy” for ending decades of mistrust between the two sides, who have not held direct talks since September 2010.

“Each of them made very serious and well-constructed suggestions with respect to what the road forward might look like,” he told reporters at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport just before leaving.

But “doing it right is more important than doing it quickly,” he said. On Monday night, Kerry held “very productive” dinner talks with Netanyahu and the two met for a second time early yesterday.

“We made progress ... and each of us agreed to do some homework” with the aim of “seeing how we can really pull all of the pieces together,” he said as Netanyahu reaffirmed his commitment to return to talks.

“I’m determined not only to resume the peace process with the Palestinians, but to make a serious effort to end this conflict once and for all,” the Israeli leader said, noting the key issues of security and of Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state.

Kerry also said the two had discussed “specific steps we could take to break the red tape” hampering Palestinian economic growth in a move he said would ultimately improve Israel’s security.

Earlier this week, Kerry said moves to bolster the teetering Palestinian economy “could be critical to changing perceptions and realities on the ground” although he did not elaborate. “ We are going to engage in new efforts, very specific efforts, to promote

economic development and remove... bottlenecks and barriers that exist with respect to commerce in the West Bank,” he said Tuesday.

It would involve “increased business expansion and private sector investment in the West Bank,” he added. During the Ramallah meeting, Abbas lobbied hard on the issue of freeing Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, saying it was a “top priority” for resuming talks.

“President Abbas made a passionate argument to me about the prisoners and I think the government of Israel has a full understanding of the potency of that issue,” Kerry said.

The fate of prisoners is a flashpoint issue closely watched by the Palestinian street which often sparks mass protests that tend to turn into clashes with the Israeli army.

In parallel to Kerr y ’s effor ts, Arab states are also seeking ways of reviving peace moves. Abbas attended a meeting of the Arab Peace Initiative committee in Doha on Monday. First proposed in 2002

by Saudi King Abdullah, the API offers Arab diplomatic recognition of Israel in return for its complete withdrawal from all occupied territories and a resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue.

Kerry admitted the API might not suit as a basis for negotiations “in its current format.”

But “any document where you have a proposal for peace and you have a dozen Arab countries willing to make peace... (is) an important contribution to the dialogue,” he said. Kerry’s shuttle diplomacy, however, is likely to face an uphill struggle with Israel’s army radio indicating Netanyahu’s rightwing coalition would reject a Palestinian request for a map of the future borders and refuse any “significant goodwill gestures.”

And Yediot Aharonot newspaper said Abbas flatly rejected a proposal by Kerry for a four-way meeting in Amman with the US and Jordan “unless Israel first took some sort of meaningful action.”

It also looked unlikely there would be any Israeli flexibility on the flashpoint issue of settlement building, with Housing Minister Uri Ariel ruling out any construction freeze in annexed east Jerusalem or the West Bank.

Abbas has ruled out any return to negotiations while Israel continues to build on land they want for a future state.

Meanwhile, Kerry said he would talk with Syrian opposition in London, although rebel leader Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib was not expected to attend. He refused to spell out whether Washington was mulling military aid to the rebels. — AFP

TEHRAN: A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck yesterday near the Gulf port city of Bushehr, home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant, killing at least four people, state television and officials said. Shocks from the quake were felt across the Gulf in Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, provoking panic in some office towers, witnesses reported. The 6.3 magnitude quake totally destroyed one village, a Red Crescent official told the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA), but the nearby Bushehr nuclear plant was undamaged, according to Iranian officials and the Russian company that built it.

Many houses in rural parts of the province are made of mud bricks, which have been known to crumble easily in quake-prone Iran. “Based on the most recent figures on the impact of the earthquake, 32 people have been killed and 850 injured,” said deputy governor of Bushehr province, Shahpour Rostami, Fars news agency reported.

Across the Gulf, offices in Qatar and Bahrain were evacuated after the quake, whose epicentre was 89 km southeast of the port of Bushehr, according to the US Geological Survey. The early afternoon shock was also felt in financial hub Dubai. The Russian company that built the nuclear power station, 18 km south of Bushehr, said the plant was unaffected. “Personnel continue to work in the normal regime and radiation levels are fully within the norm,” Russian state news agency RIA quoted an official at Atomstroyexport as saying.

Iran informed the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency that there was “no damage to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant and no radioactive release from the installation”, an agency statement said, adding that it was not currently seeking additional information. One Bushehr resident said the quake shook her home and the homes of her neighbors but they were not damaged. “We could clearly feel the earthquake,” Nikoo, who asked to be identified only by her first name, said. “The windows and chandeliers all shook.”

While initial fears about nuclear fallout receded, nearer the epicenter the rescue efforts ramped up into the night in search of survivors and to feed and house hundreds of residents who were traumatized by at least 14 aftershocks. A Red Crescent official told ISNA that 20 people had been saved by rescue teams searching through the rubble.

Reports in Iranian media spoke of landslides destroying buildings and crowds gathering in the town of Dashti from outlying areas in search of help. Military officials said army and police units had been deployed to maintain order. Water and electricity lines were severed and communities stayed in the streets because of the threat from aftershocks. In a statement, Iran’s most powerful authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, offered his condolences to the victims and urged authorities to extend all efforts to save lives and help the afflicted. —Agencies

Egypt pope blasts Islamist president CAIRO: The leader of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church yesterday blasted the country’s Islamist president over his handling of recent deadly sectarian violence, including an attack on the main cathedral in Cairo. The remarks by Pope Tawadros II underscore rising Muslim-Christian tensions in Egypt. They were his first direct criticism of President Mohammed Morsi since he was enthroned in November as the spiritual leader of Egypt’s Orthodox Christians. They are also likely to fuel political turmoil that has been roiling the country since the ouster of autocrat Hosni Mubarak two years ago. Egypt is already divided between two camps, with Morsi and Islamist allies in one and moderate Muslims, Christians and liberals in the other. The political schism is essentially over Egypt’s political future after decades of dictatorship, a divide that has been compounded by a worsening economy and tenuous security. An open conflict between Morsi’s government and the church could add a new and potentially explosive layer, pushing Egypt to the brink of civil strife. Tawadros also warned that the state was “collapsing” and described Sunday’s attack on the St. Mark Cathedral in central Cairo, which serves as the Coptic papal seat, as “breaching all the red lines.” He said Morsi had promised him in a telephone conversation to do everything to protect the cathedral, “but in reality he did not.”

Asked to explain, Tawadros, who spoke in a telephone interview to a political talk show aired on the private ONTV network, said it “comes under the category of negligence and poor assessment of events.” It was not clear whether he was accusing Morsi himself or whether he was addressing the president’s government.

Presidential spokesman Ehab Fahmy said Morsi was in “constant contact” with the church over Sunday’s violence and had dispatched three top aides to offer condolences to victims. In the violence, an angry mob of Muslims threw firebombs and rocks at the Coptic cathedral in Cairo, leaving two people dead. One of the two was identified as a Christian. The attack followed a funeral service for four Christians killed in sectarian clashes in a town north of Cairo early the day

before. A fifth person, a Muslim, was also killed. It was the deadliest sectarian violence since Morsi came to office nine months ago as the country’s first freely elected president. “The church has been a national symbol for 2,000 years,” Tawadros said. “It has not been subjected to anything like this even during the darkest ages ... There has been no positive and clear action from the state, but there is a God. The church does not ask for anyone’s protection, only from God.” Tawadros also criticized the president over his decision on Monday to revive a state body mandated to promote equality between Egyptians regardless of their religious

and ethnic background. Morsi’s decision was in response to the sectarian violence.

“Enough already of formations, committees and groups and whatever else,” Tawadros said.

“We want action not words and, let me say this, there are many names and committees but there is no action on the ground,” he added. Morsi has strongly condemned the recent violence and said that he considered any attack on the cathedral to be an attack on him personally. He also ordered an investigation into the violence. “Should we wait for instructions to start an investigation when something happens?” Tawadros said in response to Morsi’s order. “— AFP

Saudi Arabia denies man was sentenced to paralysis RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Justice Ministry has denied reports that a judge sentenced a young man to be surgically paralysed in retribution for stabbing a friend who was also left unable to move.

The case was originally reported in local media and prompted outrage from governments and human rights groups around the world, bringing renewed scrutiny to an Islamic legal system that has no sentencing guidelines or system of precedent in determining punishments.

“The ministry would like to announce that this is utterly incorrect, and in fact the judicial ruling was contrary to that. The judge had shied away from demanding this punishment,” the ministry said on its official Twitter feed on Monday.

The ministry issued a series of tweets on the subject, but did not reveal what the man’s sentence had in fact been. The Saudi Gazette reported last month the man had been

ordered to pay $270,000 or be paralysed for a crime he had committed 10 years earlier when he was 14 years old.

He had reportedly stabbed a school friend who was paralysed as a result. Human rights group Amnesty International described the reported sentence as “torture”.

The kingdom’s sharia justice system gives judges extensive leeway to reach verdicts and award sentences based on their own interpretation of the law. Capital punishment is common, and can be applied for crimes ranging from murder and armed robbery to drug smuggling and witchcraft.

King Abdullah ordered sweeping judicial reforms in 2007, including setting up specialist courts to handle criminal, financial, family and other cases, and retraining for judges.

However, the reforms have moved slowly in the face of what Saudi political scientists and some Justice Ministry officials describe as bitter opposition from conservatives. — Reuters

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

Armenian oppn cries foul as president is re-installed YEREVAN: Thousands of Armenians protested in Yerevan yesterday against the inauguration of President Serzh Sarksyan for a second term, alleging that his election had been fixed. Across town, Sarksyan said in his inauguration speech that developing the economy, ensuring the rule of law and deepening democracy were his top priorities, along with the peaceful resolution of a long-standing territorial dispute with Azerbaijan.

European monitors had said the Feb. 18 election was generally well conducted, but bemoaned a lack of competition after leading candidates pulled out fearing the outcome would be rigged.

Sarksyan’s tally of 58.6 percent was in line with opinion polls. Yesterday ’s peaceful crowd of some 12,000 was the biggest of the intermittent protests since the election. Demonstrators led by Raffi Hovannisian, who came second to Sarksyan according to the official count

but alleges that he won the vote, rallied in Yerevan’s central Freedom Square as the inauguration was held a few kilometres away.

“We say ‘No’ to false oaths, ‘no’ to false presidents,” Hovannisian, a U.S.-born former foreign minister, told supporters.

With security tight, demonstrators marched through the city after the rally but were stopped by police when they tried to approach the presidential residence and turned back toward Freedom Square. There has been no repeat of the violence that erupted after round-theclock protests following Sarksyan’s first election in 2008. Eight activists and two police were killed.

Foreign governments are watching for signs of instability in mostly Christian Armenia, a nation of 3.2 million that hosts a Russian military base and is at odds with its oil-rich, mainly Muslim neighbor Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-

Karabakh region. The mountain territory is in Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since a war that ended in 1994 with a shaky truce. There is still sporadic shooting and Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said yesterday that an Azeri officer had been shot dead on Monday evening by a sniper near the “line of contact”.

A military spokesman in the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh government called the Azeri statement “disinformation” and denied violating the truce.

Sarksyan said a peaceful settlement to the issue “will remain our priority for as long as necessary to arrive at a final solution”, while also promising to “enhance the level of our security”.

Years of mediation led by France, Russia and the United States have failed to resolve the dispute, and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev has not ruled out eventually resorting to force. — Reuters

YEREVAN: Armenian President Serge Sarkisian is sworn in during his inauguration ceremony in Yerevan, Armenia, yesterday. Armenian President Serge Sarkisian has been sworn in for another five-year term to lead the small former Soviet republic amid street protests by his opponents. — AP

Shooting spree leaves 13 dead in Serbia ‘Most of the victims were shot while asleep’

NAIROBI: Kenya’s 4th President Uhuru Kenyatta receives a symbolic sword of power from outgoing president Mwai Kibaki (2L) after he was sworn into office yesterday in Nairobi. Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in as Kenya’s fourth president yesterday to thunderous cheers from tens of thousands of supporters, despite facing trial on charges of crimes against humanity. — AFP

Uhuru Kenyatta sworn in as Kenyan president NAIROBI: Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in as Kenya’s fourth president yesterday to thunderous cheers from tens of thousands of supporters, despite facing trial on charges of crimes against humanity. “I do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Republic of Kenya,” said Kenyatta, the son of the country’s first president, clutching a bible as he took the oath of office.

Wearing a dark suit and red tie, he also pledged to “protect and uphold, the sovereignty, integrity and dignity of the people of Kenya”. Officials had to appeal for quiet as 60,000 people packed into Kenya’s national football stadium chanted Kenyatta’s name and roared in support as they danced.

William Ruto, who like Kenyatta faces trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity related to postelection violence five years ago, took the oath of office as vice-president. “I will always truly and diligently serve the people and the Republic of Kenya in the office of the deputy president,” Ruto said. “I will do justice to all without fear, favor, affection and ill will,” he added.

Kenyatta, one of Africa’s richest men, won the March 4 polls by more than 800,000 votes ahead of his nearest rival, outgoing Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The 51-year-old is Kenya’s youngest president. Security was heavy as Kenyatta loyalists, dressed in the red colours of the winning Jubilee Coalition party, waved and military bands played tunes to welcome the new leader and bid farewell to outgoing President Mwai Kibaki, 81, retiring after more than a decade in power. Kibaki handed over Kenya’s symbols of power-a sword and the constitution to Kenyatta, with both smiling broadly and shaking hands. The handover was followed by a booming 21-gun salute. Regional leaders and foreign diplomats watched as the full to capacity stadium danced and sang along to music and a military parade. Among the heads of state attending the ceremony were Ethiopia’s Hailemariam Desalegn, Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, South Sudan’s Salva Kiir, Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni. Odinga, who failed in his court bid to overturn Kenyatta’s

victory, did not attend. Western nations, many of which have a policy of only “essential contact” with ICC indictees, sent ambassadors to the ceremony. Many supporters packed in buses arrived long before dawn from central Kenya and the Rift Valley, strong support bases of Kenyatta and Ruho. “This is a great day,” 23-year-old student Martin Munyua told AFP. “People thought Uhuru could not be president but we showed them that we believe in him. This is our day to celebrate.”

“We have come to welcome our new sons to the State House,” said 35-year old high school teacher Jairus Koech, who travelled all night from the Rift Valley town of Eldoret to attend the celebrations. Odinga and civil society groups filed legal challenges alleging the March polls were marred by a series of irregularities that skewed the results.

However, Kenya’s Supreme Court last month unanimously ruled the election had been fair and credible and Odinga said he would respect the ruling.

The polls were peaceful apart from isolated incidents, avoiding a repeat of the ethnic killings and widespread violence that followed the 2007 election, when more than 1,100 people were murdered and several hundred thousand forced to flee their homes. Local media yesterday warned that Kenyatta faced a tough task in uniting the country. “Fortunately the country remained peaceful during the elections, but unfortunately many still feel disenfranchised,” The Star newspaper said in an editorial.

“A sense of national unity, patriotism, belonging and pride will only come about with a very deliberate program to heal the septic ethnic wounds that so pollute our politics,” the Daily Nation said. “We hope that magnanimity in victory will be reciprocated by grace in defeat.” Both Kenyatta and Ruto, who are due to appear at the ICC later this year for their trial in The Hague, said they will cooperate fully with the court. They deny the charges against them. Kenya, as a signatory of the Rome Statute of the ICC, would be expected to act on any arrest warrant issued by the court should the pair fail to appear for trial. — AFP

VELIKA IVANCA: A 60-year-old veteran gunned down 13 people in Serbia, including a baby, in a pre-dawn house-to-house rampage yesterday before trying to kill himself and his wife, police and hospital officials said. The man, identified as Ljubisa Bogdanovic, used a handgun in the shooting spree at five houses in Velika Ivanca, a village 50 kilometers southeast of Belgrade, emergency hospital spokeswoman Nada Macura said. The dead included six women, several of them his relatives.

Residents of the village described the suspect as a nice, quiet man. They said he first killed his son before leaving the house and then began shooting his neighbors, some of whom were still asleep. “He knocked on the doors and as they were opened he just fired a shot,” said resident Radovan Radosavljevic. “He was a good neighbor and anyone would open their doors to him. I don’t know what happened.” Neighbor Milovan Kostadinovic said the suspected killer was caught by a police patrol while on the way to his house.

“If they didn’t stop him, he would have wiped us all out,” Kostadinovic said, standing in front of his two-storey, red tile- roofed house - one of a dozen modest homes that make up the village, which is located on a lush green hill covered with fruit trees. “He shot himself when police stopped him.” Serbian police chief Milorad Veljovic said 12 people were killed immediately between 5 am and 5:30 am, and one person died in a Belgrade hospital. The man and his wife were both severely injured by the shootings and another person was also injured, the hospital spokeswoman said.

“We are all caught by surprise,” Veljovic told

reporters. “Most of the victims were shot while asleep.” He said the motive for the killings yesterday was unclear. The suspect had lost his job last year and fought as a Serb soldier in the war in Croatia in 1992, he said. Macura said the man had no known histor y of mental illness.

Kostadinovic’s wife Stanica said the man’s father had hanged himself when he was a young boy and his uncle had a history of mental illness.

Although such shootings are rare in Serbia,

weapons are readily available, mostly from the 1990s wars in the Balkans. Initial reports said the suspect had a license for the handgun. Police blocked off the village while forensic teams and investigators in white protective robes took evidence from homes where the shootings took place. Serbia’s last large shooting spree occurred in 2007, when a 39-year-old man gunned down nine people and injured two others in an eastern village. — AP

VELIKA IVANCA: Serbian police officers carry a body of a shooting victim in the village of Velika Ivanca, 40 kilometres south of capital Belgrade, yesterday. A man shot dead 13 relatives and neighbours, including a two-year-old child, in a tiny Serbian village yesterday, in the country’s worst killing spree in two decades. — AFP

Conspiracy theories fly; Poles mark presidential plane crash WARSAW: Three years after a jet crash in Russia killed a Polish president and 95 other people, conspiracy theorists in Poland are as adamant as ever that it was an assassination. The conservative opposition-led by the late Lech Kaczynski’s twin brother Jaroslaw-has accused leaders from Warsaw and Moscow alike of having a hand in the crash on April 10, 2010.

Many high-profile Poles died when the Russian-made Tu-154 airliner went down in thick fog while approaching Smolensk airport in western Russia. The delegation was en route to memorial ceremonies in Katyn for thousands of Polish army officers slain by the Soviet secret police in 1940, a massacre the Kremlin denied until 1990. Poland’s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party has repeatedly accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centre-right government of not taking Russia to task over what it insists was a botched investigation and cover-up.

Fuelling the fire is Moscow’s foot-dragging on handing over the wreckage to Poland, where around 30 percent of the population are PiS supporters. For today’s anniversary, the party has called for demonstrations at the Russian embassy and the presidential palace in Warsaw and will release a fresh report on the crash. A

Russian probe concluded in 2011 that the crew was under “psychological pressure” to land in dangerous weather, a report Warsaw slammed as incomplete and riddled with errors.

A Polish report attributed the crash to errors by the ill-trained crew, mostly blaming Poland but also faulting Russia for the sub-standard airfield and poor traffic control there. But it unequivocally ruled out “extremist versions” of events, including sabotage and third-party pressure on the crew to land despite bad weather.

Three Polish generals and 10 other senior officers were sacked, while the military unit responsible for flying public officials was dissolved and civilian pilots took over its duties.

But neither the probes nor the purges have convinced Antoni Macierewicz, a conservative PiS legislator and close Kaczynski ally. His parliamentary working group concluded the crash was an assassination masterminded by Tusk-the Kaczynski twins’ arch political rival-and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister at the time. “The latest studies reinforce our conviction that the catastrophe followed explosions,” Macierewicz said in a report to be published today. The analysis ignores that Polish prosecutors concluded that no explosive traces

were found on the wreck. Macierewicz alleges that a tune-up in Russia on the ill-fated jet not long before the crash had been “managed by Russian intelligence services”, while “Donald Tusk and Vladimir Putin were playing a game against president Kaczynski”.

Thirty-three percent of Poles said they “would not exclude” the possibility of an assassination, according to a survey published last month. The result sent the Tusk government-which had long viewed such allegations as the ravings of a lunatic fringe-scrambling to form a group of experts to refute the conspiracy theories one by one.

The deep political rift in Poland over the crash is likely to remain an issue during the 2015 presidential and parliamentary elections, says historian Antoni Dudek. Tusk has also taken a harder line with Moscow on the issue, accusing it in January of “ill will” because of delays in handing over the jet wreckage. Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski charged Moscow with trying to stir up trouble among Poles, and asked EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to convince the Russians to return the wreckage. Moscow has since promised it will upon completing its probe. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

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

6 Air Force cyber tools designated ‘weapons’ US Navy readies ‘laser attack’ weapon in 2014

BARCELONA: Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles waves during a campaign rally in Barcelona, state of Anzoategui, on Monday. Venezuela’s interim leader Nicolas Maduro urged opposition rival Henrique Capriles on Monday to join him in signing a pledge to recognize the results of the nation’s April 14 presidential election. — AFP

Chavez gone, but his family still has clout in Venezuela SABANETA: Sitting under the shade of mango trees in the childhood backyard of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro kicked off his election campaign with a sentimental chat with members of the ex-president’s family. Chavez’s five brothers regaled Maduro, the acting president, with stories of how they played marbles and ate mangoes as children on the grassy lawn.

It was all part of Maduro’s efforts to highlight his ties to the symbolically important family ahead of the presidential election on Sunday. “The family is here with you, fulfilling Chavez’s orders and his legacy, so Nicolas Maduro can be ratified by the people to continue accelerating the Bolivarian revolution,” said Chavez’s brother Adan, referring to the late leader’s socialist movement.

Perhaps inadvertently, the televised event was also a “who’s who” of powerful government officials: Chavez’s son-in-law, who is the vice president, a cousin who is second-incommand at state oil giant PDVSA, and Adan, who is the governor of their home state of Barinas. Chavez’s death last month shook the OPEC nation after 14 years of his self-styled socialist revolution. But it has done little to curb the influence of relatives whose blood ties to the messianic leader helped them gain considerable power.

Supporters of Chavez, a charismatic antipoverty crusader whose social spending won him the adoration of millions, see his immediate family as a symbol of the humble roots that gave birth to his “21st century socialism.”

Opposition critics deride them as a nepotistic clan that wields undue influence. In western Barinas, where Chavez grew up, adversaries slam them as an ersatz royal family that treats the sweltering plains state as their fiefdom.

Maduro, a 50-year-old former bus driver and the late president’s anointed successor, describes himself as a “son” of Chavez and has made the immediate family a central part of his campaign for the April 14 election. He told stories of how, in the wake of the failed 1992 coup that made Chavez famous, he used to meet with Chavez’s brothers Argenis and Adan, ducking in and out of Caracas metro

cars to ditch intelligence officers who were following them. “You are the brother of our commander Hugo Chavez, and we are his sons, which means you are our uncle and protector, a leader of this revolution,” Maduro told Adan Chavez onstage at a rally in Barinas.

BROAD INFLUENCE Chavez’s vitriolic insults, sweeping nationalizations and steady concentration of power during his rule led millions to revile and dismiss him as a dictator. But his nationalism and generous social spending also drew a nearreligious following among the poor, and his cult of personality and micro-managing style left everyone from street activists to cabinet ministers scrambling for his attention. Those with family connections rose through the ranks, and even after his death they remain key power brokers. His daughters Rosa Virginia and Maria Gabriela served at public events as stand-in first ladies for the twicedivorced Chavez, and were highly visible during the mourning following his death.

They have been important figures in Maduro’s campaign to reinforce his ties to Chavez, but have little evident political influence nor ambition. Rosa Virginia in 2007 married leftist activist Jorge Arreaza, who went on to become science minister and later Chavez’s bedside companion during the late president’s final weeks. He was sworn-in as vice president by Maduro hours after Chavez’s grand state funeral, standing alongside the glass-topped coffin of his late fatherin-law. Chavez’s cousin Asdrubal rose in less than five years from being a manager of a small oil refinery to vice president of PDVSA. Another of Chavez’s brothers, Argenis, runs the national electrical utility and is deputy electricity minister. Adan Chavez won the backing of the ruling Socialist Party to be elected in 2008 and 2012 as governor of Barinas, a post previously held by Chavez’s father, Hugo de los Reyes Chavez. The late president’s sympathizers scoff at the idea the family has undue influence or has benefited from nepotism, and insist they should continue to play a big role in politics if Maduro wins Sunday’s election, as is expected. — Reuters

Homeland Security deputy Lute to quit SAN FRANCISCO: The second-ranking official at the US Department of Homeland Security said she will resign shortly, ending four years as a champion of a civilian-controlled Internet. In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Jane Holl Lute, the sole deputy secretary at Homeland Security, said on Monday she would give notice this week and leave to pursue a role in international Internet affairs.

Lute said that she was leaving with the department on a strong footing in Internet matters, with its central role cemented by an executive order on cybersecurity issued by President Barack Obama in February. The order directs the civilian Department of Homeland Security to steer improvements in protections for private industry, instead of giving the lead to the military’s National Security Agency.

The preeminence of Homeland Security in patrolling the Internet is a big change from when Lute arrived there. “The national narrative on cyber has evolved,” she said. “It’s not a war zone, and we certainly cannot manage it as if were a war zone. We’re not going to manage it as if it were an intelligence program or one big law-enforcement operation.” The participation of the military and intelligence agencies in monitoring the Internet has not been definitively resolved.

The House of Representatives Intelligence Committee plans to consider a bill today that critics say would allow direct sharing of company data with the NSA. Lute’s planned exit follows the recent retirement of deputy under secretary for cybersecurity Mark Weatherford and others with expertise. “Jane Lute was a relentless voice of clarity in helping to define the proper purpose and role of government in securing the Internet,” said Google executive Vint Cerf, a founder of the Internet and co-author of the core protocols for Internet transmission.

“DHS can take advantage of some extraordinary talent at NSA, but it’s wise for us to keep that under civilian management.

That’s the way our Constitution says it’s supposed to work.” Lute came to the department under Secretary Janet Napolitano from the United Nations, where she served as an assistant secretary-general supporting peacekeeping missions. She worked at the National Security Council under Presidents

George HW Bush and Bill Clinton and before that in signals intelligence in the US Army.

Colleagues said her military background helped her stand up against defense officials, including NSA Director Keith Alexander, as they pushed for a greater role. Speaking privately, these colleagues recalled a meeting in 2011 about expanding a Pentagon pilot program for sharing classified threat information among defense contractors and federal agencies. Lute would not allow it to be expanded unless Homeland Security took control, aides said, and ultimately she prevailed.

“We needed to find a way to share information with the private sector” while preserving civil liberties, Lute said. Obama’s executive order creates similar networks between the government and critical industries beyond defense, and the Department of Homeland Security again is in charge. Lute’s supporters outside the government said they hoped her successor at the department also would make fighting for the agency’s role in the Internet a priority.

The 200,000-employee department also is responsible for customs enforcement, immigration services, emergency management and transportation safety. Lute said countries around the world are still grappling with how the Internet should be treated.

Though the Pentagon once spoke of cyberspace as a domain to be “dominated,” its language is more muted now. She said Homeland Security needs to attract and retain more highly skilled security experts. Its recruitment efforts have lagged behind those at the NSA, which has more cachet and a stronger reputation for technical ability.

And she said it was “incomprehensible” that Congress has not yet passed broad legislation that would do more on cybersecurity than Obama’s executive order. Recent Senate bills would give companies legal protection for sharing threat data with each other and with DHS. “We want to build the most secure cyber-economy on Earth,” Lute said. “We know what we need to do for that to happen, and the inability of legislation to pass to this point is inexplicable.” Lute said she was encouraged by some movement in the Congress in the past few months and is now more optimistic that a law would pass this year.— Reuters

COLORADO SPRINGS: The US Air Force has designated six cyber tools as weapons, which should help the programs compete for increasingly scarce dollars in the Pentagon budget, an Air Force official said on Monday. Lieutenant General John Hyten, vice commander of Air Force Space Command, which oversees satellite and cyberspace operation, said the new designations would help normalize military cyber operations as the US military works to keep up with rapidly changing threats in the newest theater of war.

“This means that the game-changing capability that cyber is going to get more attention and the recognition that it deserves,” Hyten told a cyber conference held in conjunction with the National Space Syposium in Colorado Springs. Hyten’s remarks came a month after US intelligence officials warned that cyber attacks have supplanted terrorism as the top threat to the country.

Spending on cyber security programs has gone up in recent years, but may face pressure given mandatory across-the-board cuts to the Pentagon’s planned spending on military equipment, programs and staff.

Hyten said the recent decision by Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh to designate certain cyber tools as weapons would help ensure funding. “It’s very, very hard to compete for resources ... You have to be able to make that case,” he said. Hyten said the Air Force is also working to better integrate cyber capabilities with other weapons.

He gave no details on the new cyber weapons, but the Pentagon has become more open over the past year about its work to develop offensive cyber capabilities in the face of escalating cyber attacks

by China, Russia, Iran and others. The United States and Israel are widely believed to have developed the Stuxnet computer virus that was used to attack an Iranian uranium enrichment facility, the first publicly known example of a virus being used to attack industrial machinery. Hyten said the Air Force planned to expand its cyber workforce of about 6,000 by 1,200 people, including 900 military personnel.

He said it took the Air Force decades to explain the central importance of space-based assets for warfare, but did not have time to wait with cybersecurity. “We have to do this quickly. We cannot wait. If we just let decades go by, the threat will pass us screaming by,” he said. Hyten said the Air Force was trying to leverage investment in cybersecurity already being made by private industry,

but still had work ahead to improve its interface with the companies that operate the largest computer servers, and any agreements would have to benefit both sides. “We have to bring resources to the table,” he said. “They don’t stay in business by doing things for free.”

‘LASER ATTACK’ WEAPON In another development, the US Navy said it is preparing to roll out a sea-based laser weapon capable of disabling small enemy vessels and shooting down surveillance drones. The laser system will be deployed in 2014, two years ahead of schedule, aboard the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport ship retrofitted as a waterborne staging base, the Navy said Monday. Chief of Naval Research Admiral Matthew Klunder said the cost of one blast of “directed energy” could be less than $1.

“Compare that to the hundreds of thousands of dollars it costs to fire a missile, and you can begin to see the merits of this capability,” he said in a US Navy statement. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Naval Sea Systems Command successfully tested high-energy lasers against a moving target ship and a remotely piloted drone. “The future is here,” ONR official Peter Morrision said.

“The solid-state laser is a big step forward to revo-

SAN DIEGO: This still image provided by the US Navy and taken from video shows a remote-controlled target aircraft as it is hit by the Laser Weapon System (LaWS) during an exercise conducted by the US Navy. The Laser Weapon System temporarily installed aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey in San Diego, California, is a technology demonstrator built by the Naval Sea Systems Command. Citing a series of technological breakthroughs, Navy leaders announced plans Monday, to deploy for the first time a solid-state laser aboard the USS Ponce in fiscal year 2014.— AP

Senators to add high-tech US visas, dispute details WASHINGTON: Senators finalizing a massive immigration bill are arguing over plans to boost visas for high-tech workers, Senate aides and industry officials say, with disputes flaring over how best to punish companies that train workers here only to ship them overseas. Sen Dick Durbin, D-Ill, who’s taken the lead in pushing to crack down on outsourcing firms, also is seeking higher wages for workers brought in on the H-1B visas that go to specially skilled foreigners, aides and officials say.

High-tech industry officials say his efforts risk punishing companies not involved in the abuses he’s trying to target, and lawmakers including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., are taking the other side.

The dispute comes as aides to four Democratic and four Republican senators have been racing to put the finishing touches on sweeping immigration legislation that would secure the border and grant eventual citizenship to 11 million people here illegally, while also allowing tens of thousands more high- and low-skilled workers into the country on new visa programs. Aides worked into the evening Monday on the high-tech visa issue, and senators resumed meeting in person yesterday after returning to Washington from a two-week spring recess. They were hoping to complete their legislation this week, though next week may be looking more likely. The high-tech visa question loomed as one of a few remaining unsettled matters.

At issue is overwhelming demand from companies like Microsoft, Apple and Google for the H-1B visas, which are now capped at 65,000 annually, plus 20,000 more that are reserved for foreign workers who have earned an advanced degree from a US university. On Friday, the Homeland Security Department announced that after less than a week of accepting applications, it already had received more requests than visas available for the 2014 budget year.

Faced with that demand, senators have contemplated lifting the cap to around

lutionizing modern warfare with directed energy, just as gunpowder did in the era of knives and swords.”

The laser runs on electricity, so the weapon “can be fired as long as there is power,” and is a lot safer than carrying explosives aboard ships. The New York Times, which said the USS Ponce would deploy to the Gulf, noted the Pentagon had a “long history of grossly inflating” claims for experimental weapons. Navy officials had acknowledged that the prototype laser was not yet strong enough to bring down a jet fighter or a missile, although those remained the long-term targets, The Times reported.

A March 14 report from the non-partisan Congressional Research Center said the new weapon was a potential game-changer in naval warfare. “Compared to existing ship self-defense systems, such as missiles and guns, lasers could provide Navy surface ships with a more cost effective means of countering certain surface, air, and ballistic missile targets,” the report read. Equipping Navy ships with lasers “could lead to changes in naval tactics, ship design and procurement plans for ship-based weapons, bringing about a technological shift for the Navy - a ‘game changer’ - comparable to the advent of shipboard missiles in the 1950s,” it added.— Agencies

100,000, with the ability to go as high as 150,000, aides and officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing, and they stressed the numbers remained in flux and no final decisions had been made. Such an increase would be a win for the tech industry, which has boosted its lobbying muscle in Washington in recent years. On a related issue, the legislation also is likely to allow permanent US residency to unlimited numbers of people who get advanced degrees in science, technology or math from US universities.

But the proposal to increase H-1B visas is focusing attention on problems with the current system. Daniel Costa, immigration policy analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, a leftleaning think tank, said the top 10 companies with the most H-1B visas last year were all firms that bring workers here to work at lower cost than Americans would, then send them back home. Many are technology companies based in India. “There need to be some major reforms before expansion happens,” Costa said.

Senate negotiators have discussed fees and other penalties for companies that use large numbers of H-1B workers, including requiring those with more than 30 percent of their workforce made up of H-1B workers to pay higher wages than others, and those with more than 50 percent of H-1B workers to pay higher wages still. There would potentially be a prohibition against a company hiring more than 75 percent of its workers on H-1B visas.

No such limit exists in current law. But Durbin has been pushing to block companies from hiring any more than 50 percent of their workers on H-1B visas, aides and officials said.

More problematically for US firms, he also is pushing for higher wages, which industry officials contend could result in H-1B workers getting paid more than their American counterparts. And he’s sought to push companies to make greater efforts to hire American workers first. —AP

WASHINGTON: With the Capitol Dome as a backdrop, Alberta Premier Alison Redford, second from left, meets with Canada’s Ambassador to the US Gary Doer, second from right, along with Cal Dallas, Alberta Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations, right, and Diana McQueen, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, yesterday. — AP

Mexican friar defies gangs to help migrants TENOSIQUE: In a brown friar’s robe and sandals, Tomas Gonzalez doesn’t look like a death threat-defying, government-challenging, hardcore migrants’ rights activist.

But appearances can be deceptive. “Everything that has been done to migrants in this country is because Mexican authorities have given permission for it to be done,” Gonzalez told migrants near Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala as he warned bluntly of abuses and human trafficking that often turn fatal. Gonzalez may look peaceful and harmless in his straw hat, but his defiant, tough-as-nails reputation has earned him the nickname “the tornado.”

Drug cartels have put a bounty on his meddlesome head. And authorities often prefer to look the other way where he is concerned. But Gonzalez, 39, keeps hammering away, demanding attention be paid to the crimes affecting migrants on a daily basis. A member of the Franciscan order, he and his colleagues run shelters where undocumented aliens are able to seek help on their secret trek through Mexico north to the promised land: the United States, which is at work on immigration reform.

It was here in the town of Tenosique, just 60 kilometers from Guatemala, that Gonzalez founded his first shelter two years ago, a stone’s throw from the first stop on the freight route that sees thousands of Central American and South American migrants risk their lives to reach the US border. The shelter is a place where migrants, already on a mission involving some desperation and high risk, can get a meal, a shower, treatment for injuries and a shoulder to cry on.

“When we find out that a (Mexican) immigration agent has beaten, mistreated, raped someone or aggressively followed them; when we find out that criminals in cahoots with authorities charge a migrant $100 to be allowed to move on without being detained, we cannot remain silent,” he said. This shelter has been rechristened “72” in memory of the number of Latin American migrants slain at a ranch in Tamaulipas state on their way to the US border in 2010. About 150 migrants pass through each day. “People here are really kind. With so much danger everywhere, you really feel safe here,” said Javier, a Guatemalan musician making a third try at getting into the United States.

DEATH THREATS AS ROUTINE In Tabasco state, where it is common for migrants to be kidnapped and killed, speaking out can be a death sentence. And Gonzalez has had plenty of death threats from those who want his voice silenced. On March 17, criminals nabbed a migrant and warned him that they would be “back for the father’s head, and for the heads of everyone who is speaking out,” shelter volunteers said. “They said their boss was really angry because several of his people had been thrown in jail, and they were organizing something from inside Honduras to come and kill me,” Gonzalez recalled of another threat.

His shelter boosted security measures and brought in police guards. “That doesn’t solve the problem, but it does inhibit the bad guys a bit,” said Ruben Figueroa, another migrants’ rights activist who works with the shelter. Gonzalez stressed: “I am a human being. I am worried about my team, worried about people being killed. These are very human things, but of course, I am not going anywhere. We are not leaving, and we are not closing.” The threats have come not only from the brutal Zetas drug cartel, founded by former military staff and blamed for many of the 20,000 kidnappings of migrants each year. Last year, army and police also harassed and detained Gonzalez and Figueroa. “They have lied about us. We have been slandered, really. —AFP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

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

Depression, anxiety, war in Pakistan’s tribal belt PESHAWAR: After nine friends and relatives were killed in a US drone strike four years ago, Mohammed Fahim took tranquillizers to blot out the nightmares. The 19 year-old is one of a growing number of Pakistanis living in the tribal areas on the Afghan border who has suffered from conditions related to depression, anxiety and mental health problems because of war.

US drone strikes, fighting between Pakistani Taleban and the army, mass displacement, chronic unemployment and disillusionment are all causing mental suffering on an unprecedented scale in northwest Pakistan, say psychiatrists.

Mohammed lost an eye in the January 2009 attack, but the mental scarring has been even more traumatic. The flashbacks are still sudden and powerful. “I feel like my head is exploding,” he says when he remembers how four uncles, a cousin and four neighbors died when they came round for tea in North Waziristan, the most notorious of Pakistan’s Taleban and AlQaeda bastions.

“We heard the sound of a missile. A fraction of a second later, they were all

dead, their bodies mutilated,” says Mohammed, who happened to be in the other room when the missile struck. He insists that no one in his family was associated with Islamist militancy. US officials say the covert drone war in Pakistan involves surgical, pin-pointed strikes against known killers that cause few if any civilian casualties.

The London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism has compiled press reports that indicate US drone strikes have killed up to 3,581 people in Pakistan, including as many as 884 civilians and 197 children since 2004.

“Depression is really high in Waziristan,” says doctor Muktar ul-Haq, head of the psychiatry department at the government-run Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, the largest city in the northwest. “There is uncertainty generally in Pakistan but particularly in this area. They are always apprehensive about the drones, about their life,” he said.

While drone attacks do bring patients “episodically” for treatment, he says, residents in Waziristan complain of living in

constant fear of drones that patrol in the skies above and the buzzing sound they say they emit. “The sound alone gives us psychological grief,” says Kaleemullah Mehsud, a man in his 30s from Waziristan, who spoke to AFP in Peshawar. Haq says his worst case was a man who became so aggressive and paranoid that he was admitted to the Lady Reading Hospital.

“He had no predisposition to psychiatric illness,” he said.

Instead Mehsud found a SIM card out on the family’s farmland one morning.

Popular belief has it that SIM cards emit signals, guiding the drones to attack. Haq said that after four hours, Mehsud developed “full-blown” psychotic delusions.

There are no statistics about the rise in psychological illness, but Mian Iftikhar Hussain, a psychiatrist with a private clinic in Peshawar, believes cases have increased three fold in recent years. “ There are multiple problems-the Afghan war and its spillover into Pakistan.

Migration, violence, kidnapping, poverty, unemployment,” he said. The most common conditions are anxiety, depression, a

mixture of the two, then psychosis, schizophrenia and cannabis-induced psychosis.

“Even soldiers come with somatic symptoms, with severe anxiety, these are related with the difficulty in coping with the stress going to the war front.” The waiting room of his clinic is packed with patients from the tribal belt, bearded men with a haggard look and women crying into their burqas. A mother of nine tells the doctor about the death of her relatives. A young man, hallucinating, shows the burns he has inflicted on his own arms.

Consultations last around 10 minutes.

Most patients are sent away with prescriptions, the more serious cases are referred for electro-convulsive therapy. In conservative Pakistani society, mental health problems have long been a stigma, but while that may be slowly changing, demand outstrips supply. Health services are basic to abysmal.

Many people are more focused on survival-food, water and shelter. Taking time and money out to treat depression is beyond the means of millions.

“Health and education are the lowest

priorities on the government agenda and among health, mental health is at the bottom,” said Hussain. According to the national association of psychiatrists, there is one psychiatrist for every 333,000 people in the country of 180 million. “The people we receive here are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Haq. “If we have two patients, multiply that by 100. Nobody knows that they are having these problems,” he added.

The few specialists lack time and resources. If they don’t know when they will see their patients again, they send them off with prescriptions for six months, sometimes longer.

There is a growing demand for locally made tranquillizers and anti-depressantscheap copies of expensive drugs manufactured in the West. Behind the counter of his Peshawar pharmacy, Abdullah has the ideal medication: a box of 30 anxietyinhibiting pills for $2.

“Before we didn’t have these type of products, I didn’t even know they existed.

But for several years, we’ve been selling loads of them,” he said. — AFP

Afghanistan helicopter crash kills 2 US troops Deaths raise to 25 of US troops killed this year

KABUL: Picture taken March 28, 2013 shows Afghan female prisoner Mariam at Badam Bagh, Afghanistan’s central women’s prison, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Mariam left her husband and hoped her husband’s cousin could help her and give shelter.

Instead he raped her. Mariam shot him afterwards in the head and turned the gun on herself. She woke up in the hospital three days later and was brought from there to the prison. — AP

Afghan women inmates accused of moral crimes KABUL: The 21-year-old Afghan woman said she fled her abusive husband only to be raped at gunpoint by a stranger who was supposed to help her. The man then settled in front of a TV set, putting the gun on a table by his side. Choosing her moment, Mariam grabbed it and shot her assailant in the head, then turned the gun on herself.

“Three days later I woke up in the hospital,” said Mariam, shyly removing a scarf from her head to reveal a partially shaved head and a long jagged scar that ran almost the length of her head where the bullet grazed her scalp. From the hospital, Mariam was sent to a police station and from there to Afghanistan’s main women’s prison, Badam Bagh, which in Pashto means Almond Garden. She is one of 202 inmates in a jail mostly filled with women serving time for so-called “moral” crimes. Many had sought justice for domestic violence or tried to run away from an abusive situation.

Under international pressure, Afghanistan has made some progress in advancing women’s rights after years of repressive Taliban rule that banned girls from going to school and forced women to wear all-encompassing burqas and leave their homes only when accompanied by a male relative. But the country remains a deeply conservative society run by men who most often turn to tribal jirgas that routinely hand down rulings offering up girls and women to settle debts and disputes.

Nowhere is this more evident than at the Badam Bagh prison, built by the Italian government six years ago to house female inmates from the Kabul area. The Associated Press recently was given rare access to the facility. More than two-thirds of the 202 inmates are serving sentences of up to seven years for leaving their husbands, refusing

to accept an arranged marriage, or leaving their parents’ home with a man of their choice, according to the prison’s director, Zaref Jan Naebi. The rest face theft, assault or narcotics charges. Two women are in jail on murder. Some of the women were jailed while pregnant, others with their small children. Naebi said 62 children are living with their imprisoned mothers, sharing the same gray, steel bunk beds and napping in the afternoon behind a sheet draped from the upper bunk, oblivious to the chatter and the crackling noises from the small TV sets shoved off to one side of the rooms.

Before the two-story prison, named for the sprawling almond orchard across the street, was built, female prisoners were held in rundown cement cellblocks in the center of Kabul in a jail that predated the Taliban.

Others were locked up in the notorious Pule-Charkhi jail, which also houses 1,300 male inmates. At Badam Bagh, six inmates live in cells originally intended to house four.

Mariam has spent the past three months in one of them, without any idea of why she was imprisoned, what charges she faces or when she can leave. “I haven’t gone to court.

I am just waiting,” Mariam said, hugging a ratty brown sweater to protect her from the damp cold of the prison.

While it might not be against the law to run away or escape a forced marriage, the courts routinely convict women fleeing abusive homes with “the intent to commit adultery,” which are most often simply referred to as “moral crimes,” says a United Nations report released last month. It also said most cases of abuse go unreported. The directorgeneral of prisoners, Gen Amer Mohammad Jamsheed, said about 650 women are jailed nationwide, and “most are in jail for moral crimes.” — AP

Indian MP threatens hunger strike over Playboy nightclub PANAJI: An Indian lawmaker has threatened to go on hunger strike if a Playboy nightclub is allowed to open in Goa, claiming it would promote prostitution in the tourist hub. Michael Lobo, a state legislator in India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is opposing a club proposed on Candolim beach-the first of dozens of Playboy outlets planned across the country.

“I will resort to hunger strike until death if the Playboy club is allowed in Goa,” Lobo told reporters in the southwestern state on Monday. “Playboy will project Goa as international destination for prostitution, which is a worrying sign for the tourism industry.” Despite assurances of no nudity in the clubs, Lobo said it was “obvious” nobody would pay for membership “just to sit and eat groundnuts. They will try to get value for money”. “Government will not be able to control the happenings inside the club once it is granted permission,” he added.

PB Lifestyle, the Indian franchisee of the Playboy brand, announced plans in

November to open 120 clubs, hotels, fashion cafes and shops in India over the next 10 years. Goa’s Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar says the application for the first such club is under consideration, but reiterated warnings that they would “never allow vulgarity”. In a bid to appease the country’s conservative values, Playboy has unveiled a new-look costume for the “bunny girl” waitresses in Indian outlets.

The traditional skimpy corset has been replaced with a sari-inspired twopiece costume, comprising a one-shoulder top, a bare midriff and a sheer, fulllength skirt with a split. The ears, bowties and fluffy tails remain.

“If they wear a transparent sari then we won’t allow it. If the fears raised by Lobo are true, the club will not be allowed,” Parulekar said. Playboy magazine remains banned in India, along with a host of other foreign “adult” publications, owing to obscenity laws banning material deemed “lascivious or appealing to prurient interests”. — AFP

KABUL: A NATO helicopter crashed in a field in eastern Afghanistan yesterday, killing two American service members. The US-led International Security Assistance Force said the cause of the crash is under investigation but initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time. It did not immediately identify the nationalities of those killed. But a senior US official confirmed they were Americans. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release the information ahead of a formal announcement.

The deaths raised to nine the number of Americans, including three civilians, killed in Afghanistan so far this month. A local official, Mir Baz Khan, said the helicopter crashed in an agricultural field in the Pachir Wagam district in Nangarhar province. Shir Azam, a teacher who lives in a village near the site, said he heard a loud explosion, then saw the helicopter in flames as it plunged to the ground.

Then, he said, more helicopters came and American troops sealed off the site. He also said he heard nothing to indicate any shooting before the crash. Americans and other foreign troops rely heavily on helicopters and other aircraft for transportation and to avoid roadside bombs and other dangers on the ground in the mountainous country. The deaths raised to at least 25 the number of American troops killed this year, according to an Associated Press tally.

With three weeks to go, April has already proven to be the deadliest month this year for Afghans and foreigners serving in the country, an ominous sign as the annual fighting season gets underway with improved weather. Fighting usually abates during the country’s harsh winter season. A roadside bomb also killed three civilians

and wounded three others as they were driving in Benghazi, Libya. The violence comes as US and NANGARHAR: An Afghan villager holds up a piece of wreckage near the site of a NATO helicopter crash in the Pachir Wa Agam district of Nangarhar province yesterday. A NATO helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan yesterday killing two US troops, officials said. — AFP in Nawa district of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, according to provincial government spokesman Mohammad Omer Zawak.

At least 107 people have been killed - 62 Afghan civilians, 36 Afghan security forces, six US service members and three American civilians, including Anne Smedinghoff, the first American diplomat to die on the job since last year’s attack

other foreign combat troops increasingly hand over security responsibilities to Afghan forces as they prepare to withdraw by the end of 2014.

The British Ministry of Defense said yesterday that the last commando group of Royal Marines to serve in Afghanistan was returning home after more than a decade in the country. — AP

US warns Sri Lanka of return to conflict COLOMBO: The United States has warned that Sri Lanka could face a return to conflict unless it probes war crimes allegedly committed by its troops and addresses the grievances of its minority Tamil population. Ambassador Michele Sison said Monday night that “important steps in achieving real reconciliation” had not even begun since Colombo declared an end to decades of separatist war in May 2009. “History has shown that societies that do not adequately address reconciliation and accountability usually return to a conflict situation at some point down the road,” Sison told a meeting of the Foreign Correspondents’ Association in Colombo.

“However difficult this process is, it is ultimately vital to the stability of Sri Lanka,” she added. The UN Human Rights Council condemned Sri Lanka last month for failing to investigate alleged war crimes in the final battle against Tamil Tiger separatists. Sison said Washington was working to build international consensus on further unspecified action against Colombo, either within the UN Human Rights Council or outside.

Rights groups have called for tougher action, including sanctions. They say up to 40,000 civilians were killed in the final months of fighting in 2009, a charge Sri Lanka denies.

Sison said Washington was concerned that repeated international calls to improve Sri Lanka’s human rights record had not been heeded. Attacks on independent media and journalists continued unabated, she said, while also raising concerns over the judiciary. Sri Lanka sacked the chief justice earlier this year, drawing further international condemnation. — AFP

MATALE: In this Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013, photo, a Sri Lankan worker unearths skeletons at a mass grave found in a hospital construction site in Matale about 105 kilometers (65 miles) north east of Colombo, Sri Lanka. A Sri Lankan presidential commission will be appointed to investigate a mass grave where more than 150 skulls and bones, most likely of Marxist rebels, who were killed a decade ago, were found last December. — AP

DHAKA: Bangladeshi police personnel stand guard during a nationwide strike called by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in protest against the detention of their leaders, in Dhaka yesterday. — AFP

One dies as Bangladesh police, protesters clash DHAKA: Rock-throwing protesters enforcing a general strike yesterday clashed with police, detonated home-made bombs and attacked vehicles in parts of Bangladesh, leaving one person dead and dozens injured.

A local police official said a truck driver died yesterday from fatal head injuries after being hit by rocks. The attack that killed the driver and injured several other people occurred in Bogra district 175 kilometers north of the capital, Dhaka. The police official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak publicly.

An alliance of 18 parties were enforcing the nationwide 36-hour strike that began yesterday to press for the release of more than 160 opposition politicians arrested in the last two weeks. Dozens of small bombs mostly explosives in tin pots - went off in parts of Dhaka, where protesters clashed with police firing tear gas, private television stations Somoy TV and Ekattar TV reported.

At least 25 people were injured, said the reports. Calling a general strike is a common tactic in Bangladesh to highlight opposition demands, and the latest strike came a day after a hardline Islamic group enforced a shutdown on Monday to demand that the government enact an anti-blasphemy law to try those who insult Islam and its prophet.

Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation, is governed by secular liberal laws. In the latest campaign, the country’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its 17 allies want Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to restore a constitutional provision that requires a neutral caretaker administration to supervise the next general election expected in early 2014.

Hasina abolished the system in 2011 after the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional.

The 18-party alliance is also opposing trials of several opposition politicians on charges of war crimes allegedly committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. Most of the 12 suspects belong to Jamaat-eIslami, an ally of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party headed by ex-premier Khaleda Zia. Bangladesh has been hit by a series of general strikes since Feb. 28 when the war crimes tribunal convicted a senior Jamaat leader, Delwar Hossain Saydee, of charges of rape and mass murder and sentenced him to death. Violence triggered by the sentence left about 70 people dead and hundreds injured across Bangladesh. Bangladesh has a history of political violence. The South Asian nation has witnessed two presidents slain and 19 failed coup attempts since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. — AP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

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

For US and N Korea, will crises ever end?

WASHINGTON: With tensions on the Korean peninsula soaring to include threats of nuclear war, frustration is mounting at what US policy experts see as the failure of all efforts to rein in North Korea. Decades of threats have waxed and waned despite myriad attempts to reach out for talks or punish the regime, as seen recently in the tightening of UN sanctions. North Korea watchers see a familiar pattern in which the communist state ramps up threats or takes actions such as missile launches or nuclear tests in a bid to show anger and force concessions from the United States.

Observers saw parallels between the latest crisis and 1994 when Pyongyang took on a bellicose tone as it faced pressure over its nuclear program at a time of political transitions in both North and South Korea. The 1994 crisis ended when

former US president Jimmy Carter flew to Pyongyang, setting the stage for a joint energy project that has been the inspiration for several initiatives since. “I still don’t find any of the latest North Korean rhetoric that shocking. It’s perfectly predictable,” said Joel Wit, a former State Department official who was in charge of implementing the 1994 energy agreement.

“The difference this time is that they have nuclear weapons,” said Wit, now a scholar at Columbia University. North Korea has threatened to attack the United States with nuclear weapons, although experts doubt it is able to. The United States, in turn, carried out runs by its nuclear-capable B-2 bomber as part of exercises with South Korea. Other new factors in the latest crisis include question marks over North Korea’s young

leader Kim Jong-Un and growing unhappiness from China over its smaller ally’s insolence.

Bruce Cumings, chairman of the history department at the University of Chicago and the author of several books on North Korea, said the 24-hour news environment had also changed the dynamics behind Pyongyang’s threats.

“You get instant attention on the World Wide Web which is so different than when I used to read their Central News Agency reports in the early ‘90s that would come a week late through Tokyo and you never knew if anyone would pay attention,” he said.

But Cumings said that North Korea’s tactics followed a pattern dating to even before the 1950-53 Korean War, when the communist leadership would threaten to destroy the South’s army. “It is

always the case with North Korea that when its back is put to the wall, it lashes out and it creates problems. It says: ‘If you want to sanction us, this is what you’re going to get’,” he said. Cumings warned that tensions “are inevitable as long as the United States and South Korea are not willing to engage with North Korea.”

“The North Koreans go about things in the worst way-they are their own worst enemy-but they keep saying that they want to talk to the United States in particular,” he said. But President Barack Obama’s administration has ruled out what is widely considered North Korea’s main aim-its symbolic recognition as a nuclear weapons state, seen by the regime as critical to ensure its survival.

The Obama administration, after long hesitation, last year sealed an aid-for-dis-

armament agreement with North Korea that fell apart in a matter of weeks after Pyongyang attempted to test a rocket.

The previous administration of George W. Bush similarly swung widely in its approach to North Korea. Bush famously grouped North Korea as part of an “axis of evil” and under his watch Pyongyang tested its first nuclear device.

But Bush, like Bill Clinton before him, tried late in his term to seal a historic farreaching agreement with North Korea.

Some US conservatives criticized the Bush outreach and have called for an entirely new approach.

Representative Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has called on the United States to avoid any future deals with North Korea and instead aim at toppling the regime.— AFP

North urges foreigners in S Korea to evacuate Pyongyang warns of impending ‘thermo-nuclear war’

BEIJING: Australia Prime Minister Julia Gillard (2nd-L) toasts with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (2nd-R) during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. — AFP

China, Australia agree on annual PM meetings BEIJING: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard agreed yesterday to hold annual prime ministerial meetings, as Chinese money drives Australia’s huge resource boom.

Li and Gillard held talks at the ornate Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where the visiting leader was greeted with full military honours including cannon fired from nearby Tiananmen Square.

Australia’s economy has benefited from Chinese demand for resources including iron ore, and China is now its largest trading partner with two-way business in goods and services worth Aus$128 billion (US$134 billion).

“Our two sides have decided that the prime ministers will have regular annual meetings either in a bilateral format or on multilateral occasions,” Li said, adding that Tuesday’s talks could be “regarded as the

annual meeting mechanism”.

Gillard congratulated Li on his selection last month as premier. “I am filled with optimism about the way we will be able to work together to take the relationship between our two countries forward,” she said.

Australia, which has a long-standing military alliance with the United States, also engages in defence cooperation with China, with which it has conducted live-fire naval exercises.

On Sunday, Gillard met President Xi Jinping at an annual conference of political and economic leaders on the southern island of Hainan. Cultural exchanges are also growing. China provides the greatest number of overseas students to Australia with 150,000 enrolments in 2012, and the second largest source of overseas visitors — 626,000 last year. — AFP

Filipinos may face death in Indonesia JAKARTA: Three Philippine men could face the death penalty in Indonesia after being caught trying to smuggle methamphetamine with a street value of $2.1 million into the country, an official said yesterday. The trio were arrested last week with the 15.3kilogram drugs haul after arriving from Hong Kong at the main airport serving the capital Jakarta, customs official Okto Irianto told reporters. “ They hid the crystal methamphetamine in 15 boxes of milk powder. Each brought five boxes in their suitcase,” he said.

The trio, whose names were not released, allegedly carried the drugs-which the official said had a street value of $2.1 million-with them in their hand luggage.

The men, one aged in his 40s, one in his 50s, and the third 61, admitted having pre-

viously smuggled drugs into other countries, according to Irianto. “They are professional couriers and this was their first attempt to smuggle drugs into Indonesia,” Irianto said. Police are quizzing them to find out more details about the drugsmuggling gang they worked with.

They could face the death penalty if found guilty under Indonesia’s tough drugs laws, Irianto said. Foreigners are frequently arrested for attempting to smuggle drugs into Indonesia, including many on Bali who are held in the resort island’s notorious Kerobokan prison. On Monday Briton Lindsay Sandiford lost her first attempt to appeal a death sentence imposed in January after she was caught arriving in Bali carrying cocaine with an estimated street value of $2.4 million. — AFP

NEW DELHI: Indian Muslims shout anti-Myanmar government and Buddhist monks slogans during a protest march near the Myanmar embassy in New Delhi yesterday against the killing of Muslims and the torching of Rohingya homes in Myanmar.

Indian Muslim organisations and civil society condemned the Burmese government in the strongest terms for its inaction and collaboration to stop violence against and expulsion of Rohingya people in Rakhine (Arakan) state. — AFP

SEOUL: North Korea said yesterday the Korean peninsula was headed for “thermo-nuclear” war and advised foreigners to consider leaving South Korea, as the UN chief warned of a potentially “uncontrollable” situation. Yesterday’s advisory-greeted largely with indifference-followed a similar one last week to foreign embassies in Pyongyang, to consider evacuating by April 10 on the grounds war may break out.

“The situation on the Korean Peninsula is inching close to a thermo-nuclear war,” the AsiaPacific Peace Committee said in a statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency. Saying it did not want to see foreigners in South Korea “fall victim”, the statement requested all foreign institutions, enterprises and tourists “to take measures for shelter and evacuation”.

The committee blamed the heightened war risk on the “warmongering US” and its South Korean “puppets” who were intent on invasion.

The “thermo-nuclear war” threat has been wielded several times in recent months-most recently on March 7 - despite expert opinion that North Korea is nowhere near developing such an advanced nuclear device. “It is our current assessment that there is no immediate risk to British nationals in South Korea,” a British embassy spokesman said, echoing similar statements from the US, French and other missions.

Last week’s warning to embassies in Pyongyang was also largely dismissed as empty rhetoric, with most governments making it clear they had no plans to withdraw personnel. “It’s almost comic,” said Daniel Pinkston, a North Korea expert with the International Crisis Group.

“They want to rattle the investment market, create pressure and make people nervous. “But it’s just not working. It’s as if they didn’t get a rise out of the embassies in Pyongyang, so they’re just moving on to the next target,” Pinkston said.

The South Korean stock market closed slightly up yesterday, before the KCNA statement was published. The Korean peninsula has been locked in a cycle of escalating military tensions since the North’s third nuclear test in February, which drew toughened UN sanctions.

Pyongyang’s bellicose rhetoric has reached fever pitch in recent weeks, with near-daily threats of attacks on US military bases and South Korea in response to ongoing South Korean-US military exercises.

PAJU: South Korean vehicles returning home from North Korea’s Kaesong arrive at the customs, immigration and quarantine office near the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Paju, north of Seoul, South Korea, yesterday. — AP Yonhap news agency yesterday cited South Korean intelligence as saying the North had completed preparations for an expected missile test-launch-possibly to coincide with April 15 celebrations for the birthday of late founder Kim Il-Sung. “Technically, it can fire off (a missile) tomorrow,” it quoted a senior military official as saying. Japan said Tuesday it had deployed Patriot missiles in its capital as a pre-emptive defense measure. UN secretary general Ban Kimoon said during a visit to Rome he had spoken to the Chinese leadership to try to calm tensions, and would discuss the issue with President Barack Obama tomorrow.

“The current level of tension is very dangerous, a small incident caused by miscalculation or misjudgement may create an uncontrollable situation,” he said. However yesterday’s threat was unlikely to worry South Korea’s foreign community of around 1.4 million that has calmly weathered the rhetorical storm thus far. “A few months ago I would be worried but by now I think they’re just trying to scare people,” said Jone Geyskens, 21, a Belgian studying in Seoul. “I know a lot of South Koreans, they don’t seem to

Asylum-seeker boat reaches Australia SYDNEY: A fishing boat packed with 66 asylum-seekers evaded detection in a “shocking” breach of border security to arrive at a busy port on the Australian mainland yesterday, officials said. The vessel was spotted within the harbour limits of Geraldton in Western Australia, more than 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) south of Australia’s Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island where asylum-seekers are usually intercepted.

“Customs and Border Protection have advised a suspected irregular entry vessel arrived within the harbour limits of Geraldton this afternoon,” Home Affairs Jason Clare confirmed.

“Initial indications suggest there are 66 people on board.” The West Australian newspaper said the boat, with men, women and children on board, was from Sri Lanka and had been at sea for more than six weeks before arriving at the port 425 km north of Perth.

Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett said he was “alarmed” that a boat could make it undetected to Geraldton, one of Australia’s busiest regional ports and the country’s second-largest for grain exports.

“This is a serious, unprecedented and unacceptable breach of Australia’s border security,” Barnett told reporters. “That a boat, laden with people, can sail into a busy regional port in broad daylight is shocking.”

Australia is facing a steady influx of asylum-seekers arriving by boat, many of whom use Indonesia as a transit hub. They pay people-smugglers for passage on leaky wooden vessels after fleeing their home countries.

Thousands also come from Sri Lanka, with Canberra currently funding a media campaign in the South Asian country to caution would-be boatpeople against undertaking the journey.

It is an inflammatory political issue in Australia and certain to dominate national elections due in September, despite the fact that overall arrival numbers are relatively low by global standards.

Steve Ranch, who manages the local Dome cafe in Geraldton, told reporters locals were stunned to see the wooden fishing boat approaching the shore about noon.

“At first people weren’t sure what was going on,” he said. “We thought it was a hoax or a publicity stunt, but then we saw the customs towing it away.” — AFP

be scared.” Earlier yesterday North Korean workers followed Pyongyang’s order to boycott the Kaesong joint industrial zone with South Korea, signaling the possible demise of the sole surviving symbol of cross-border reconciliation.

The North announced Monday it was taking the unprecedented step of pulling out its 53,000 workers and shutting the complex down indefinitely. Established in 2004, Kaesong has never closed before. Pyongyang’s move reflects the depth of the current crisis, which has otherwise been notable more for fiery rhetoric than action.

Kaesong, 10 kilometers inside North Korea, is a crucial hard currency source for the impoverished North, mainly through its cut of the workers’ wages. South Korean President Park GeunHye said the North’s action was “very disappointing” and displayed a total disregard for investment norms that would return to haunt Pyongyang in the future.

“If North Korea, under the full eyes of the international community, breaches international rules and promises like this, then there will be no country or company which will invest in North Korea,” Park said. — AFP

Japan deploys anti-North Korean missiles in Tokyo TOKYO: Japan has deployed Patriot missiles in its capital as it readies to defend the 30 million people who live in greater Tokyo from any North Korean attack, officials said yesterday.

Two Patriot Advanced Capability-3 surface-to-air missile launchers were stationed at the defense ministry in Tokyo before dawn, a ministry spokesman said, while Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said “we are proceeding with measures including deployment of PAC-3 as we are on alert”.

Local reports said batteries would be deployed in another two locations in the greater Tokyo area. “The government is making utmost efforts to protect our people’s lives and ensure their safety,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters yesterday morning.

“As North Korea keeps making provocative comments, Japan, cooperating with relevant countries, will do what we have to do. “For the moment, the most important thing is to implement sanctions under the UN Security Council resolutions,” Abe said.

Tokyo’s response thus far to the threats emanating from Pyongyang has been low key and yesterday’s moves are the most visible yet that it is rattled. On the streets of the capital, some people gave voice to that disquiet.

“If they fire a missile, there’s definitely going to be some damage. I am quite scared,” Yoshiharu Urata said. PAC-3 batteries will also be installed in the semi-tropical island chain of Okinawa, Onodera told a television program broadcast Monday.

He said Okinawa was “the place that is most effective in responding to emergencies... so we should deploy the unit in Okinawa on a permanent basis”.

Japan’s armed forces are authorized to shoot down any North Korean missile

headed towards its territory, a defense ministry spokesman said Monday. In addition to the PAC-3s, Aegis destroyers equipped with sea-based interceptor missiles have been deployed in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), the defense official said.

North Korea’s bellicose rhetoric has reached fever pitch in recent weeks, with near-daily threats of attacks on US military bases including in Japan and South Korea in response to ongoing South Korea-US military exercises.

Intelligence repor ts suggest Pyongyang has readied two mid-range missiles on mobile launchers on its east coast and plans a test-firing before the April 15 birthday of late founding leader Kim Il-Sung. But Toshimitsu Shigemura, professor of international relations at Waseda University, said Tokyo’s measures were purely precautionary and it was unlikely that Pyongyang would actually target Japan.

“This is a verbal war and it’s not accompanied by actual military actions,” he said.

“Government officials know from satellite images that Pyongyang has not mobilized its troops or weapons on the frontline, except that they moved mobile missile launchers to the east coast.”

He said a mis-targeted missile that might end up falling uncontrollably towards Japanese territory was most likely what Tokyo was readying for. Narushige Michishita of the National Graduate institute For Policy Studies said Pyongyang’s plan this time was to test-launch a midrange ballistic missile.

He said North Korea’s lack of experience meant there was a “risk of its ending in failure”. “In that case, the rocket is likely to fall towards Japan’s western region, instead of its possible target of the US territory of Guam,” he said. — AFP

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

Qaeda merges with Syria militia DUBAI: Iraq’s Al-Qaeda wing has united with a kindred Syrian group in the frontline of a struggle to oust President Bashar Al-Assad, sharpening a dilemma for nations that back the revolt.

The leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi said his group had trained and funded fighters from Syria’s Al-Nusra Front which is blacklisted by the United States - since the early days of the two-year-old uprising.

He said in a statement posted on Islamist websites and seen by Reuters yesterday that the two groups would operate under the joint title of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. “It’s now time to declare in front of the people of the Levant and the world that Al-Nusra Front is but an extension of the Islamic State of Iraq and part of it,” Baghdadi said. “We thus declare ... the cancellation of the name of the Islamic State of Iraq and the name of Al-Nusra Front and grouping them together under one name, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant,” he added.

The militant Islamist element of the Syrian conflict poses a quandary for Western powers and their Arab allies, which favor Assad’s overthrow but are alarmed at the growing power of Sunni Muslim jihadi fighters whose fiercely antiShiite ideology has fuelled sectarian tensions in the Middle East. A US analyst said the announcement was no game-changer, but reflected AlQaeda’s confidence in its position in Syria.

“I don’t think it necessarily changes anybody’s calculus since ... the United States already knew about this connection last year and there hasn’t been any change in policy per se by the United State or its allies in Syria in the last six months,” said Aaron Zelin, of the Washington Institute for Near East policy. Baghdadi’s statement, first reported by the US-based SITE monitoring service, could not immediately be authenticated, and there was no immediate comment from AlNusra on the merger.

Baghdadi said his group had deployed battlehardened fighters and sent funds to local AlNusra cells set up in Syria to lay the groundwork for the armed uprising - which grew out of antiAssad protests that erupted in March 2011 - but that it had refrained from announcing the link for security reasons. The Front burst into prominence early last year, when it claimed responsibility for several powerful bombings in the Syrian capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo.

Since then it has expanded operations nationwide, winning recruits among rebels who see it as the most effective fighting force against Assad’s troops, and taking a leading role in capturing territory in the north, south and east of Syria. In one day in November, SITE said Al-Nusra had claimed responsibility for 45 attacks in Damascus, Deraa, Hama and Homs provinces that reportedly killed dozens of people, including 60 in a single suicide bombing.

At least 70,000 people have been killed since protests led by Syria’s Sunni majority broke out against Assad, whose minority Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Al-Nusra has gained support as the violence and misery in Syria radicalizes a population used to living under Assad’s secular rule. Experts have long said Al-Nusra was receiving support from Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents in neighboring Iraq. In Iraq’s remote western desert region next to Syria, where cross-border Sunni tribal ties are strong, Iraqi security officials have said since last year that Islamic State of Iraq was regrouping and recruiting.

Al-Qaeda’s Iraqi wing and Syria’s Islamist insurgents share a hatred for Assad’s Alawitebased power and for Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri AlMaliki’s Shiite-led government, which they see as oppressors of Sunnis in both countries.

Baghdadi rejected demands by secular groups for a democratic Syria, saying the goal was an Islamic state. “By God, it is a bad price and a bad possession to have,” he said of democracy.

Insurgent recruitment has been spurred by growing protests against Maliki among Sunnis who feel sidelined since the fall of Saddam Hussein and the rise of the Shiite majority. AlQaeda in Iraq, which suffered serious setbacks before US troops left at the end of 2011, has bounced back with suicide bombings and wellcoordinated attacks across Iraq this year, including an ambush which killed 48 Syrian soldiers who had fled across the border.

Security officials say Anbar province, once the heartland of Al-Qaeda’s war on American troops, is again becoming a haven for the group as Iraqi forces struggle to cover a vast territory without the air support that US forces troops once supplied. A porous border where the Euphrates River snakes though both countries, and the remote caves and hills of the desert make ideal territory for insurgents to evade Iraqi security forces and smuggle arms and fighters between

IDLIB: Rebels from Al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat Al-Nusra sit on a truck full of ammunition, at Taftanaz air base that was captured by the rebels, in Idlib province, northern Syria. — AP Iraq and Syria.

In December, the US State Department designated Al-Nusra Front as a foreign terrorist organization, essentially classifying it as an affiliate of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Last week, Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri called in an Internet statement for the establishment of an Islamic state in Syria after Assad’s ouster, as a step towards the Islamist goal of re -establishing an Islamic caliphate over Muslim lands.

That prospect alarms many in Syria, from minority Druze, Christians, Alawites and Shiites to conservative but tolerant Sunnis who fear AlNusra would try to impose Taleban-style rule.

“Do all you can to ensure that the fruit of your struggle, God willing, is an Islamic state ... a state that would be a building stone in the return of the rightly-guided caliphate,” he said. — Reuters

Emirati jailed for ‘tweeting’ DUBAI: A court in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced a man to 10 months in jail after he tweeted details of the trial of his father and 93 other people accused of plotting to seize power in the Gulf Arab state, an Emirati activist said. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said last week that Abdulla AlHadidi was arrested on March 21 on charges of publishing “in bad faith” false details of a public trial session on the Internet.

The day before the arrest, officials from the Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi had informed Hadidi and several other relatives of the defendants family members would no longer be allowed to attend the trial, HRW said. Rights groups urged UAE authorities to grant full public access to the trial. A source close to the UAE government has said the trial was taking place in a “very transparent manner”.

UAE newspapers have said the defendants belong to Al-Islah, a local Islamist group which says it wants

peaceful reform. Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor said the Abu Dhabi court found Hadidi guilty of publishing on Twitter “with bad intent” what happened at the hearing. But the court acquitted him of using force and violence with public officials during the trial. Mansoor, who said he had spoken to one of the lawyers involved in the case said Hadidi’s attorney would appeal the sentence.

A source close to the UAE government said it “is not our practice to comment on court deliberations and rulings”. The state news agency WAM in January quoted the attorney general, Salem Saeed Kubaish, as saying that members of the group had sought to penetrate institutions of the state, including schools, universities and ministries. The defendants are accused of “belonging to an illegal, secret organization ... that aims to counter the foundations of this state in order to seize power and of contacting foreign entities and groups to implement this plan,” WAM said. — Reuters

in the

news

Pregnant wife burnt alive KATHMANDU: Police have arrested a man in rural Nepal after he allegedly killed his 22-year-old pregnant wife by stuffing her into a hay bale and setting it alight, an officer said yesterday. “We received a call from the husband that the woman had gone missing, but when our officers arrived on the scene they saw the body and were suspicious,” Niraj Jha, superintendent of police in Morang district said. He said that the man was arrested on suspicion of murder and would be presented in a local court later. The woman, Maina Bardewa Bhitrikoti, who was fourmonths pregnant, suffered burns on more than fifty percent of her body in the alleged murder in the early hours of Monday. Her mother told The Himalayan Times, a local daily, that she had planned to visit her daughter on the same day to discuss her recent complaints of “domestic issues”. The couple had been married for about two years and the husband, Prithvi, had returned from a stint working in Qatar eight months ago. Violence against women has garnered increased public attention in Nepal in the wake of protests in India catalyzed by the brutal gang-rape and death of a female student in New Delhi. “These cases of violence are not new,” Lily Thapa, a veteran Nepalese women’s rights activist said. “It’s just we’re hearing about them now because women’s groups have been empowered to report violence these days-it has always been around and it must be stopped,” she said. A protest demanding justice for gender-based violence survivors and an end to impunity has been staged continuously for the past 103 days outside the Kathmandu residence of the prime minister.

Saudi beheads man RIYADH: Saudi authorities beheaded a citizen in the northern town of Hael

yesterday after he was convicted of intentionally causing the deaths of three people during a car chase, the interior ministry announced. Talal bin Fayez Al-Shemmari “intentionally hit the car ” carr ying three men Abdelkarim Al-Shemmari, Mufawaz bin Falhi Al-Shemmari and Walid bin Radi Al-Shemmari-during a high-speed car chase “due to a dispute between them,” the ministry said. The three men being pursued were killed in the crash, said the statement carried by the official SPA news agency. Yesterday’s execution takes to 31 the number of people put to death in Saudi Arabia since the beginning of the year, according to an AFP count. In 2012, the kingdom executed 76 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The USbased Human Rights Watch put the number at 69.

12 UN peacekeepers killed JUBA: Five Indian peacekeepers and at least seven UN civilian staff were killed yesterday in an ambush in South Sudan, officials said, a day after warnings about spiraling violence there.

“Five peacekeepers from India with UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) killed in ambush in Jonglei,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin wrote on Twitter, adding that four had been wounded. He confirmed the deaths at the hands of unknown “rebels” to AFP and said the soldiers had been killed while “escorting a UN convoy”. Hilde Johnson, the top UN official in South Sudan, “condemns in the strongest terms the killing today of a number of peacekeepers and several civilian staff in an ambush by unidentified assailants,” a UN statement said. A UN source who asked not to be named said that “seven or eight” civilians were killed, who are believed to include South Sudanese staff.

14

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

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Issues

Soft and hard: The power in N Korea

By Lim Chang-Won rom smiling family man with a common touch to hardened military leader ready for all-out war: North Korea’s propaganda machine has given leader Kim Jong-Un a visual makeover in the past month. The rapid escalation in Pyongyang’s shrill, bellicose rhetoric in recent weeks has been matched by an equally swift shift of focus in the content of the images being disseminated by the state media.

As the North’s language has become ever more threatening, so the accompanying photographs have become discernibly more aggressive, both in general and in their particular portrayal of the young Kim JongUn. Immediately after Kim took power in North Korea following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in December 2011, there was a flurry of military-themed pictures, often showing Kim with senior army officers.

The obvious message was one of consistency-a new supreme commander who had the loyalty of the armed forces and intended to continue the “military first” policy that was his father’s main legacy. “In the company of the most senior military men, the young Kim presumably gained a measure of military credibility without even having served in the army,” said Katy Oh of the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia.

But by mid-2012, the tone had changed. The militarylinked photos were still there, but there were fewer of them and more of Kim cutting a smiling, benign, parental figure.

As well as the “on-the-spot-guidance” photo-ops of Kim’s visits to factories and schools-a propaganda staple stretching back to Kim’s grandfather and the North’s founding leader Kim Il-Sung-there were more intimate portraits. More extrovert and clearly more comfortable being seen and speaking in public that Kim Jong-Il, the new leader was shown enjoying himself and even taking a thrill ride at an amusement park. And increasingly there was his wife, a stylish, attractive woman who lent a refreshing touch of modernity and glamour to her husband and became something of a foreign media celebrity in her own right.

North Koreans are used to the dual image, which can otherwise seem contradictory, of their leaders being shown both as commanding military fighters, and comforting, almost maternal figures. In his book “The Cleanest Race,” B R Myers, an expert on North Korean propaganda, argues that North Korea has a race-based ideology that paints Koreans as more innocent and morally virtuous than foreigners, but not physically superior, thus requiring “guidance and protection” from a leader.

Towards the end of 2012 and following the North’s long-range rocket launch in December, the volume of military-themed pictures first increased and then dominated after the North conducted its third nuclear test in February. Suddenly Kim was everywhere, visiting military units on outlying frontline islands, perched on the prow of an unstable-looking open-topped boat, impervious to the wind and rain.

Photos had him in artillery pillboxes, surveying enemy positions on South-occupied islands through binoculars, always pointing and gesticulating like a conductor leading an orchestra of military officers.

When the North threatened the United States with nuclear attack, Kim was pictured at his desk in a war room, surrounded by top-ranking officers, with a map in the background showing projected missile strikes on US targets.

“The change really came after the nuclear test and the imagery quickly became menacing,” said Byeon Yeong-Wook, a photographer at the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper who has monitored and edited pictures from the North’s state media for years. “We might find some of the images exaggerated or even ridiculous, but the domestic audience in North Korea would connect immediately with the portrayal of a strong and brave leader,” Byeon said.

Some photos showed Kim himself with a handgun or rifle, while in others he monitored rifle training and artillery drills. When Kim is absent, the pictures can be graphically violent. One recent batch of photos released by the official Korean Central News Agencyvideo footage was also made available-showed trained army attack dogs going for the throat of a mannequin with the face of South Korean Defence Minister Kim Kwan-Jin.—AFP

F

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Backroom battle delaying reform of one-child policy

By Sui-Lee Wee and Hui Li wo retired senior Chinese officials are engaged in a battle with one another to sway Beijing’s new leadership over the future of the one-child policy, exposing divisions that have impeded progress in a crucial area of reform. The policy, introduced in the late 1970s to prevent population growth spiraling out of control, has long been opposed by human rights and religious groups but is also now regarded by many experts as outdated and harmful to the economy.

Former State Councillors Song Jian and Peng Peiyun, who once ranked above cabinet ministers and remain influential, have been lobbying China’s top leaders, mainly behind closed doors: Song wants them to keep the policy while Peng urges them to phase it out, people familiar with the matter said. Their unresolved clash could suggest the leadership remains torn over one of China’s most divisive social issues, said a recently retired family planning official. How quickly it is settled may shed light on whether new President Xi Jinping will ease family-planning controls on a nation of 1.3 billion people.

“The government needs to take care of the various voices,” the former family planning official said. For decades, Peng and Song - both octogenarians - have helped shape China’s family planning policy, which has seen only gradual change in the face of a rapidly ageing population that now bears little resemblance to the youthful China of the 1970s. They have starkly different views of China’s demographics.

From 1988 to 1998 Peng, 83, was in charge of implementing the one-child policy as head of the Family Planning Commission. In the mid 1990s she became Beijing’s highest ranking woman, serving as state councilor, a position superior to a minister. Like many scholars, she now believes it is time to relax the one-child policy. She first revealed publicly that her views had shifted at an academic conference in Beijing less than a year ago, a change rooted partly in economic concerns.

Many analysts say the one-child policy has shrunk China’s pool of labor, hurting economic

T

growth. For the first time in decades the working age population fell in 2012. By contrast, Song, 81, whose population projections formed the basis of the one-child policy, argues that China has limited resources and still needs a low birth rate to continue economic development. Otherwise, he has written, China’s population would skyrocket, triggering food and other resource shortages. It is not unusual in China for retired senior officials to influence highly sensitive political issues. Last year former President Jiang Zemin, now 86, played a key role in selecting the new members of the politburo’s standing committee.

A source close to Peng quoted her as saying that she recently wrote a letter to top officials in the new government, including Premier Li Keqiang, expressing her views. She sent the letter around the same time that Song had sent one of his own to the senior leadership, just before the 18th Communist Party Congress last November, the source added. Reuters has not seen copies of the letters, but has been told of their contents by the recently retired official from the Family Planning Commission. Peng declined to be interviewed for this article. Song also declined, but mailed a previously published essay to Reuters that gave his stance on China’s population situation.

HISTORIC RETHINK UNDERWAY There are signs that China may loosen the one-child policy. Former leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao both dropped the phrase “maintain a low birth rate” in their work reports to the party Congress in November - the first time in a decade that major speeches by top leaders had omitted such a reference.

Last month, Beijing merged the Family Planning Commission with the health ministry and shifted population policymaking to its powerful economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission - for the first time putting demographics at the heart of economic policy-making. If the government scraps the one-child policy, it would affect the lives of millions of Chinese and affect policy-making across society and the economy - from housing, education and health care to the labor mar-

ket, pensions and state investment.

The policy, which went into effect in 1980, was meant to last only 30 years and there are now numerous exceptions to it. But it still applies to about 63 percent of the population. Peng’s push for reform is buttressed by evidence from two-child pilot programs in four regions of the country. In none of them has their been a surge in births. Numerous studies have shown the detrimental effects of the one-child policy.

China’s labor force, at about 930 million, will start declining in 2025 at a rate of about 10 million a year, projections show. Meanwhile, its elderly population will hit 360 million by 2030, from about 200 million today.

A skewed gender ratio is another consequence. Like most Asian nations, China has a traditional bias for sons. Many families abort female fetuses or abandon baby girls to ensure their only child is a son. About 118 boys are born for every 100 girls, against a global average of 103 to 107. Family planning officials have been known to compel women to have abortions to meet birth-rate targets. Some cases have sparked national fury, such as when a woman in inland Shaanxi province was forced to abort her 7month pregnancy last year.

STUDYING MALTHUS Song became interested in the issue of population control during his years as a Moscowtrained missile scientist. “When I was thinking about this, I took Malthus’s book to research the study of population,” Song said in a 2005 interview with China Youth Magazine, referring to the English writer Thomas Malthus, who predicted in the 18th century that population growth would outstrip food production. Song was a protege of Qian Xuesen, a science advisor to former Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. During the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, Song was among scientists sent by Zhou to a remote northwest province for their protection. Those ties to the party’s founding members give Song clout with today’s leaders that few scholars or bureaucrats can match.

“His influence comes from the more direct and open channels of communication (he has)

with the central government,” said Li Jianmin, a population professor in Nankai University. In 2011, in an essay prepared for the Chinese Journal of Population Science but never published, Song described concerns over China’s ageing population as “an unfounded worry”. He forecast that China’s population, unchecked, would balloon to 2.2 billion in a century, according to a copy of the essay obtained by Reuters.

He concluded that zero population growth was “the ultimate goal of human society”.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a government think tank which publishes the journal, did not publish the essay after academics criticized it, according to a scholar familiar with the discussions surrounding the decision not to publish. A representative of the journal could not be reached for comment. In the copy of a published essay Song mailed to Reuters, he said that abandoning the one-child policy would result in grain shortages of 150 million tons a year.

OPPOSITION FROM THE PROVINCES It is far from clear that radical reform of the one-child policy will win the ideological battle in Beijing, despite Song now representing a minority view among demographers in China. A policy miscalculation in the world’s most populous nation carries enormous risks. During his career, President Xi has stressed that the population should be controlled. And many officials in China’s most heavily populated provinces - such as Henan and Shandong - believe the one-child policy is still necessary. A senior Family Planning Commission official said he did not expect any decision before June due to the restructuring of the commission. Many scholars and former family planning officials believe Xi will have no choice but to move to a two-child policy. The possibility of such a move is already under discussion now in Beijing, said Tian Xueyuan, a retired family planning scholar who worked with Song more than 30 years ago to draft the original one-child policy but who now supports reform. “This situation cannot remain unchanged,” Tian said. “As such there’s reason, a need and a possibility that there will be an appropriate adjustment to the policy.”— Reuters

On Britain’s streets, Thatcher divides in death as in life

By Alice Ritchie, Katy Lee lags have been lowered to half-mast at Britain’s parliament to mark the passing of Margaret Thatcher as flowers piled up at her London home-but at the other end of the political spectrum, leftwingers threw parties upon news of her death. On the streets of London’s financial district-whose power was fuelled by Thatcher’s deregulation of the financial sector-many passersby Monday reacted with sadness to the death of the 87-year-old former Conservative premier.

“It’s a shame, a crying shame. She’s a good woman,” said Alan Whiteford, a law firm employee. “It’s a sad day,” added banker Nick Daking. At Thatcher’s former home in central London, a pile of flowers was growing on the doorstep. “The greatest British leader and a true lady,” one card read. “You make Britain what it is.” But in the edgy south London neighborhood of Brixton, sworn enemies of the ex-premier known as the Iron Lady held a street party.

Holding placards saying “Rejoice Thatcher is dead”, around 200 people gathered in the neighborhood, a hotspot of alternative culture, and toasted her passing by drinking and dancing to hip-hop and reggae songs blaring from sound systems.

“I’m very, very pleased. She did so much damage to this country,” said one man brandishing an original newspaper billboard from 1990 announcing Thatcher’s resignation. Others scrawled “Good Riddance” on the pavement.

“We’ve got the bunting out at home,” said Clare Truscott, a woman in her 50s wearing a sparkly beret and holding a

F

homemade sign reading “Ding dong, the witch is dead”. “I’m from the north, where there were no jobs, where the industry was rapidly disappearing, and her policies ensured it went more quickly.” Brixton was the scene of fierce riots in 1981, two years after Thatcher became prime minister.

In Scotland’s biggest city Glasgow more than 300 people gathered to hold their own celebration. Anti-capitalist campaigners shouted, “Maggie, Maggie, Maggie” as the crowd replied “dead, dead, dead” before musicians entertained the revelers. Angela

McCormick, a socialist from Glasgow, said: “I’m here for a generation that didn’t have a future when they left school and didn’t have jobs. I’m here for the members of my family who have been devastated by the economic policies or the economic crimes of Margaret Thatcher in the 80s in Glasgow.”

Coal miners were among Thatcher’s bitterest foes during her 1979-90 premiershipand for one senior mining official, marking his birthday on Monday, her death was the icing on the cake. “I’m having a drink to it

LONDON: The letters on the outside of the Ritzy cinema are re-arranged in south London, in the early hours of yesterday to read ‘Margaret Thatcher Dead!!’ during a ‘party’ to celebrate the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. — AFP

right now,” David Hopper, regional secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in northeast England, told AFP with unabashed glee. “It’s a marvellous day. I’m absolutely delighted. It’s my 70th birthday today and it’s one of the best I’ve had in my life.”

Others on the left also hailed Thatcher’s departure as a cause for celebration. “We’ll be glad to see the back of her,” Judith Orr, editor of the far-left Socialist Worker weekly newspaper said. “She ruined the lives of tens of millions of working class people in Britain.... And she rejoiced in war.” That was one of her most disgusting moments, but there is a long list of crimes.”

Rights activist Peter Tatchell described Thatcher as “extraordinary but heartless”, saying she had presided over the decimation of Britain’s manufacturing base and introduced “Britain’s first new anti-gay law in 100 years”, Section 28. Yet he conceded that as Britain’s first and still only woman prime minister, she had achieved something significant.

“To her credit, she shattered the sexist glass ceiling in politics and got to the top in a man’s world.” A single daffodil was placed at the feet of a statue of Thatcher outside the lower chamber of parliament, the House of Commons, with a card saying: “You were an inspiration to women”. Online reaction to Thatcher’s death was just as mixed. “A great lady,” wrote Labor-supporting technology tycoon Alan Sugar. “She changed the face of British politics, created opportunity for anyone to succeed in the UK. RIP.” “May she burn in the hellfires,” tweeted left-wing firebrand lawmaker George Galloway.— AFP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

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Neville to leave Everton LONDON: Everton captain Phil Neville will leave the Premier League club at the end of the season after eight years with the Merseysiders, the former England international said yesterday.

The 36-year-old Neville joined Everton from Manchester United having won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the 1999 Champions League.

“I want to continue to play at the top level as long as I physically can, and will be weighing up my options before making a decision on my next move,” Neville said on the Everton website (www.evertonfc.com).

“I’ll now be doing everything I can to help Everton finish as high up the league table as possible.” Everton lie sixth, six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur but with a game in hand as they seek to qualify for Europe next season.

Neville, who has the sixth-highest number of Premier League appearances with 504, said he would leave Everton with immense pride. “It’s been an honor to play for and captain Everton Football Club. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time on Merseyside,” said Neville, who won 59 international caps. —Reuters

Life bans for match-fixing

SA appoints new chief

VALLETTA: Four Maltese players have been given life bans after being found guilty of match-fixing, the Malta FA announced yesterday. Three of the players - Gaetan Spiteri, Julian Briffa and Jermain Brincat - are on the books of top-flight clubs in Malta while Chris Brincat, the brother of Jermain, is a futsal player who has turned out for Malta’s national futsal team. Spiteri, who had spent his entire career with hometown club Hamrun Spartans before joining rivals Qormi on loan last year, has been sanctioned after being found guilty of colluding with Briffa to offer a bribe to a Sliema Wanderers player before a match against Hamrun in February last year.

No disciplinary action was taken against the Sliema player as investigations revealed that he had rejected the overtures of Briffa, a former Sliema player, and Spiteri. The match in question ended 1-1. A life ban was also given to Briffa but the Malta FA prosecuting officer is recommending a reduced sentence for the defender on the grounds that he co-operated fully with the investigators. The recommendation will be discussed at the Malta FA’s next annual general meeting later this year.

Jermain Brincat, who began this season with Maltese Premier League club Floriana, and his brother Chris, a Floriana futsal player, were both handed a life ban for their involvement in an attempt to fix the result of a Division One (second tier) match last September. —Reuters

MELBOURNE: Swimming Australia (SA) has appointed a new chief executive and high performance director as the governing body seeks to rebuild the sport in the wake of a dismal 2012 Olympic campaign and scathing reviews of its administration.

Mark Anderson, currently CEO of Hockey Australia, will take over from interim CEO Jeremy Turner, who stepped in after Kevin Neil resigned in the wake of the London Games, where Australia slumped to its worst performance in the pool in 20 years.

Michael Scott, who stepped down as performance director of British Swimming in November, will take up the high performance role. “We’ve gone through an exhaustive process to find the right people to lead our sport and we know Mark and Michael have the skills and acumen to take the organisation forward,” SA President Barclay Nettlefold said in a statement yesterday.

SA has endured a storm of criticism in recent months with allegations of bullying, drunkenness and the abuse of prescription drugs leading to a scathing external audit. The ‘Bluestone’ review released in February said slack management had allowed a “toxic” environment to develop in Australia’s Olympic swim team which reaped a solitary gold medal and no individual titles at the London Games.—Reuters

Brewers halt losing streak CHICAGO: Marco Estrada pitched seven effective innings and doubled home a run Monday, helping the Milwaukee Brewers stop a five-game slide with a 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the first game of the season at Wrigley Field.

Estrada (1-0) allowed two runs and five hits while bouncing back from a lackluster season debut against Colorado. The right-hander also drove in Alex Gonzalez with a drive into the gap in right-center during Milwaukee’s two-run seventh.

Norichika Aoki collected three more hits and Ryan Braun went 3 for 4 with two doubles after missing Milwaukee’s weekend sweep by Arizona due to spasms on the right side of his neck Welington Castillo belted a two-run homer for Chicago, which has dropped four in a row and five of six. Edwin Jackson (0-2) was hit hard in his first home game since he signed a $52 million, four-year contract over the winter, surrendering five runs and eight hits in six innings.

CLEVELAND: Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera No. 13 of the Cleveland Indians caught Brett Gardner No. 11 of the New York Yankees stealing second on this play in the fourth inning. —AFP

Yankees demolish Indians CLEVELAND: Travis Hafner drove in four runs in his return to Cleveland and Robinson Cano homered twice as injuryriddled New York ruined the Indians’ highly anticipated first home game under manager Terry Francona with an 11-6 win Monday.

Hafner hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Ubaldo Jimenez (0-1) and added an RBI single in the third. Cano connected in the fifth and sixth for the Yankees.

Hiroki Kuroda (1-1) shook off a shaky, 34pitch first and showed no signs of being bothered by a bruised right middle finger as the Yankees finally won a home opener after losing their own and Detroit’s last week. Mike Aviles hit a two-run homer in the eighth for Cleveland.

RED SOX 3, ORIOLES 1 In Boston, Daniel Nava hit a three-run homer, Clay Buchholz pitched seven shutout innings and the surprising Red Sox won their ninth straight home opener, beating Baltimore.

Nava broke open a scoreless duel between Buchholz (2-0) and Wei-Yin Chen (0-1) in the seventh inning with his second homer in two days.

The Red Sox are off to a strong start at 52 under new manager John Farrell.

Buchholz gave up three hits and three walks and struck out eight.

Andrew Bailey blanked the Orioles in the eighth before Joel Hanrahan allowed a solo homer by Adam Jones in the ninth, but got his third save.

ROYALS 3, TWINS 1 In Kansas City, Ervin Santana pitched eight strong innings, Alcides Escobar doubled home the go-ahead run and the Royals rallied to beat Minnesota in their home opener.

Santana (1-1), acquired from the Los Angeles Angels on Oct. 31 for minor league left-hander Brandon Sisk, gave up a run and eight singles. He struck out seven, walked

one and hit a batter. Santana allowed only four hits after the first inning, when the Twins scored their lone run.

Twins right-hander Kevin Correia (0-1) limited the Royals to five singles and no runs the first seven innings before Lorenzo Cain doubled to right-center to lead off the three-run eighth. After Chris Getz’s sacrifice bunt moved Cain to third, Alex Gordon singled him home to tie the score. Escobar’s double scored Gordon and chased Correia.

RANGERS 5, RAYS 4 In Arlington, Joe Nathan picked up his 300th career save when he got Ben Zobrist to look at a disputed strike three as Texas beat Tampa Bay. The Rays scored once in the ninth and had a runner on first with two outs when Zobrist took a full-count pitch and started to take his base. Plate umpire Marty Foster called strike three, and later acknowledged he made the wrong call.

AJ Pierzynski and Mitch Moreland hit consecutive home runs for the Rangers off Jeremy Hellickson (0-1) on his 26th birthday. Alexi Ogando (2-0) allowed only one run on three hits but needed 89 pitches to get through 5 1-3 innings.

MARINERS 3, ASTROS 0 In Seattle, Joe Saunders rebounded from a rough first start to throw 6 1-3 shutout innings and the Seattle Mariners debuted the new look of Safeco Field by sending Houston to its sixth loss in a row.

Kendrys Morales snapped Seattle’s 0-for14 drought with runners in scoring position by chopping an RBI single in the first and adding an RBI double in the third off Philip Humber (0-2).

Saunders (1-1) and the bullpen made it stand on a cool night with the stadium roof open. He combined with three relievers for the Mariners’ second shutout. Tom Wilhelmsen pitched a perfect ninth for his third save. — AP

REDS 13, CARDINALS 4 St.. Louis, Brandon Phillips kick-started a nine-run ninth inning with a tiebreaking bloop double and Shin-Soo Choo made amends for two botched fly balls with a three-run double, and the Reds spoiled the Cardinals’ home opener.

Mitchell Boggs (0-1), the stand-in closer for St. Louis, yielded six runs while getting only one out and the Cardinals needed four more pitchers to get out of the ninth.

Phillips added his 150th career homer for the Reds, who have won six of seven since losing in extra innings to the Angels on opening day. Jay Bruce had four hits and Chris Heisey doubled twice with an RBI. Sam LeCure (1-0) pitched an inning for the win.

Cardinals lefty Jamie Garcia matched his career best with 10 strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings and left with a 4-3 lead. Yadier Molina hit both of the fly balls dropped

by Choo in the first and sixth, and added an RBI single.

BRAVES 2, MARLINS 0 In Miami, Justin Upton went 4 for 4, including his sixth home run, and Paul Maholm allowed one hit in seven sharp innings to help Atlanta spoil Miami’s home opener.

The Braves earned their fourth consecutive victory and improved to 6-1, their best start since 2007.

The Marlins lost their third game in a row and fell to 1-6, their worst start since 2006. Announced attendance was 34,439, with thousands of empty seats and many tickets sold at discounted prices. Some fans pledged to stay away this season because they’re angry that owner Jeffrey Loria reverted to a frugal payroll only a year after the team opened a new ballpark built mostly with taxpayer money.

Maholm (2-0) remained unscored upon this season in 12 2-3 innings over two starts. He struck out seven and walked three.

Craig Kimbrel struck out Adeiny Hechavarria with two on to complete the two-hitter for his third save.

Upton hit a solo shot for a 2-0 lead against Kevin Slowey (0-2). Atlanta also scored in the fourth when Upton doubled, went to third on a flyout and came home on Dan Uggla’s groundout.

METS 7, PHILLIES 2 In Philadelphia, Matt Harvey threw seven impressive innings, John Buck hit a three-run homer and the Mets roughed up Roy Halladay in a victory over the Phillies.

Harvey (2-0) followed up a dominant first start with another sharp outing. He gave up one run, three hits and struck out nine. The 24-year-old righty allowed one hit and fanned 10 in seven scoreless innings against San Diego last Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Halladay (0-2) allowed seven runs and six hits in four-plus innings. He’s given up 12 runs in 7 1-3 innings in two starts after a tough spring.

GIANTS 4, ROCKIES 2 In San Francisco, Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer in the first inning, Buster Posey added a late RBI single and San Francisco snapped Colorado’s five-game winning streak.

Madison Bumgarner (2-0) won his sixth deci-

CHICAGO: Starlin Castro No. 13 of the Chicago Cubs hits a long fly ball with the bases loaded in the 9th inning to end the Opening Day game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. — AFP

MLB results/standings Boston 3, Baltimore 1; Milwaukee 7, Chicago Cubs 4; NY Yankees 11, Cleveland 6; Kansas City 3, Minnesota 1; Cincinnati 13, St. Louis 4; NY Mets 7, Philadelphia 2; Atlanta 2, Miami 0; Texas 5, Tampa Bay 4; Pittsburgh 5, Arizona 3; Seattle 3, Houston 0; San Francisco 4, Colorado 2.

American League National League Eastern Division Eastern Division W L PCT GB Atlanta 6 1 .857 Boston 5 2 .714 5 2 .714 1 NY Mets 3 4 .429 2 NY Yankees Washington 4 2 .667 1.5 Baltimore 3 4 .429 2 Philadelphia 2 5 .286 4 Tampa Bay 3 4 .429 2 Miami 1 6 .143 5 Toronto 2 4 .333 2.5 Central Division Central Division Cincinnati 5 2 .714 Chicago White Sox 4 2 .667 St. Louis 3 4 .429 2 4 3 .571 0.5 Kansas City Chicago Cubs 2 5 .286 3 Minnesota 4 3 .571 0.5 Pittsburgh 2 5 .286 3 Detroit 3 3 .500 1 Milwaukee 2 5 .286 3 Cleveland 3 4 .429 1.5 Western Division Western Division Colorado 5 2 .714 Oakland 5 2 .714 Arizona 5 2 .714 5 2 .714 Texas LA Dodgers 4 2 .667 0.5 Seattle 4 4 .500 1.5 San Francisco 4 3 .571 1 LA Angels 2 4 .333 2.5 San Diego 1 5 .167 3.5 Houston 1 6 .143 4 sion in a row against the Rockies. The left-hander began his career 0-3 against Colorado in five starts. He struck out five and walked five in 5 2-3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits.

One of those was Carlos Gonzalez’s long homer to right in the third. The ball bounced off the pathway and splashed into McCovey Cove.

San Francisco extended its winning streak against the Rockies to seven games and bounced back from a 14-3 loss to St. Louis a day earlier when ace Matt Cain was tagged for nine runs in the fourth inning. Pence sent the first pitch he saw from Jorge De La Rosa (0-1) deep into the bleachers in left-center.Santiago Casilla got four straight outs, Jeremy Affeldt pitched a clean eighth and Sergio Romo allowed Josh Rutledge’s leadoff double in the ninth before striking out the side for his fourth save.

PIRATES 5, DIAMONDBACKS 3 In Phoenix, Andrew McCutchen drove in two runs, Garrett Jones homered and Pittsburgh snapped a five-game losing streak by beating Arizona. McCutchen doubled in a run in the Pirates’ three-run first inning and broke a 3-all tie with his sacrifice fly after Starling Marte’s leadoff triple in the fifth.

Jeanmar Gomez (1-0) got the victory in relief of Wandy Rodriguez, who left after 2 1-3 innings because of tightness in his left hamstring. Trevor Cahill (0-2) allowed four runs and four hits in five innings for the Diamondbacks, who had won four in a row and were coming off a three-game sweep at Milwaukee.

Jason Grilli pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save. Arizona didn’t get a hit in the last five innings. — AP

Pakistan captains Misbah, Hafeez deny rift reports LAHORE: Pakistan’s Test and one-day captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez again denied reports of a rift yesterday, saying the rumours were damaging the team.

Misbah had already denied similar reports on the team’s return from South Africa where Pakistan were routed 3-0 in Tests and were edged out 3-2 in the one-day series, defeats which local media blamed on differences within the side.

But former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt reignited the controversy on Tuesday, alleging Hafeez and team’s head coach Dav Whatmore had formed a nexus that left Misbah sidelined. “Both Hafeez and Whatmore support and back each oth-

er and that has put great pressure on Misbah, affecting his performance,” Butt told local media.

Pakistani cricket has a long and sorry history of infighting and Hafeez said Butt’s accusations were bad for Pakistan.

“Ijaz Butt is a respected person and he should have thought that such a statement affects a country’s image,” Hafeez, sitting alongside Misbah, told a press conference.

Misbah said Pakistan lost because South Africa played better. “I said this in South Africa, I repeated this on the team’s return and now I say this againwe lost because South Africa were a better team and the reason of our defeat was not differences,” said Misbah.

Hafeez, who replaced Misbah as one-day skipper in May last year, said the Pakistan team needed better and more positive support.

“Such baseless reports of differences do not help,” said Hafeez, who flopped with the bat in both Tests and one-dayers. Pakistan’s next assignment is the eight-nation Champions Trophy in England in June, and Misbah was upbeat. “Pakistan has done well in England so I am quite hopeful that we will achieve good results in the Champions Trophy,” he said.

Pakistan face India, South Africa and the West Indies in the group stage of the tournament, while defending champions Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand make up the other pool. — AFP

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Test and one-day captain Misbah-ul-Haq (right) is flanked

by Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez as he speaks during a news conference. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

S P ORT S

Five best players without a green jacket AUGUSTA: One of the most popular labels in golf is the best player to have never won a major, which can be looked at two ways. The bad news is that it means a player has never won a major. The good news is that he’s at least

5. TOM WEISKOPF

thought highly enough to be considered. The best player at Augusta National to have never won the Masters? That stings a little bit more.

Just ask Greg Norman, who lost by his own doing twice,

by an improbable chip-in and to a Spaniard who simply outplayed him. Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf won’t forget the 40-foot birdie putt by Jack Nicklaus on the 16th hole in 1975. Ernie Els came close, and he found out how

badly it hurt last year when he didn’t qualify to return.

Masters champions can return the rest of their lives.

Here’s five players haunted by never winning the Masters:

4. JOHNNY MILLER

3. ERNIE ELS

Miller falls into this category for his sheer talent and three runner-up finishes, though it certainly wasn’t a weekend collapse. He first showed potential in the majors with a 68-68 weekend at Augusta in 1971, finishing two shots behind Charles Coody.

He matched the low score of the final round in 1981 when Miller shot a 68, but all that did was give him a tie for second with Nicklaus, two shots behind Tom Watson. His best chance, as with Weiskopf, was in 1975.

Miller found himself 11 shots behind Nicklaus going into the weekend, but he answered with a 65 on Saturday to make up eight of those shots against Nicklaus. Even so, Miller still was four shots behind Weiskopf when he put together another sensational run of birdies.

Miller played in the last group with Weiskopf, and both were on the 16th tee when Nicklaus made his 40-foot putt. Miller wound up with a 66 and another silver medal.

The Big Easy was one shot out of the lead going into the weekend in 2000 and thought he had shot himself out of the tournament with a 74 in the third round to fall four shots behind. But he was right there with a chance when David Duval couldn’t keep pace with Vijay Singh. He had three good birdie chances at the end and didn’t make any of them, settling for a 68 to finish three shots behind Singh.

“I was really trying to push too hard,” Els said. That didn’t hurt nearly as bad as 2004.

In one of the best duels in years at the Masters, Els made an eagle at No. 8 and No. 13 and looked like this might be his year. He played two groups in front of Mickelson, and they were trading birdies throughout the back nine. Els closed with two pars for a 67, and then headed to the practice green to see if there would be a playoff.

He never saw Mickelson hit his 18-foot birdie putt. He didn’t have to see it. The cheer was deafening, and Els

picked up his golf ball and walked quietly to the clubhouse. “I played as good as I could,” he said. “What more can you do, you know?”

2. DAVID DUVAL

on the lead when his tee shot on No. 11 clipped a tree and dropped down, and it killed his momentum.

The next year, he was back for more.

Duval had the 36-hole lead until a 74 in the third round.

He still was right there and appeared to have the advantage when Singh found the water on the 11th. The hole location was in the one spot where relief is granted near the green, and Singh escaped with only a bogey. Duval hit into the water on No. 13 and thus ended his chances.

And then there was 2001, when he missed birdie putts of 12 feet and 6 feet on the last two holes, and wound up two shots behind Tiger Woods. That was only his second runner-up finish, but he went four straight years with a solid chance on the back nine and failed to win.

When he reached the top of the world rankings in 1999, Duval was the only player to be No. 1 in the world without ever having won a major. Most figured he would take care of that at the Masters. Much like Tom Weiskopf, Duval seemed to have a chance at Augusta every year.

Turns out the closest call might have been his first runner-up finish.

He was in Jones Cabin in 1998, having closed with a 67. He was poised to get into a playoff with Mark O’Meara, and club chairman Jack Stephens felt the same way. “Don’t worry, David. Nobody ever makes this putt,” Stephens told him.

O’Meara made the putt.

A year later, Duval recovered from a poor start and was closing in

Weiskopf doesn’t have a green jacket, but he at least got his name in the record book at Augusta National as the most runner-up finishes - four without ever winning. Worse yet for Weiskopf is that he had those four second-place finishes over seven years.

It wasn’t a lack of effort, and more than anything it was bad timing at Augusta. He was three shots out of the lead in 1969 and wound up one shot behind George Archer. Three years later, he couldn’t make up any ground against Jack Nicklaus, finishing three shots back. In 1974, he again was three shots back of Dave Stockton and finished behind Gary Player. The following year was painful.

Weiskopf had a one-shot lead over his nemesis, Nicklaus, and they went back-and-forth on the back nine until Nicklaus holed his long birdie putt on the 16th and Weiskopf never caught up. He missed a birdie putt on the 18th, and the Golden Bear had another green jacket.

He summed up his career best from the broadcast booth when asked what Nicklaus was thinking as he stood over an important shot. “If I knew what he was thinking,” Weiskopf said, “I’d have won this championship.”

1.GREG NORMAN Greg Norman is the face of suffering at Augusta National, the only debate being which one haunts him the most. He is most famous for his collapse in 1996, the year he tied the course record with a 63 in the opening round and still had a six-shot lead over Nick Faldo going into Sunday. The Shark missed a short putt on the 10th, three-putted for bogey from medium range on the 11th, hit into Rae’s Creek on the 12th. He dropped to his knees when his eagle chip narrowly missed on the 15th, and it was over for good with a tee shot into the water on the 16th. Norman had a 78 to finish five behind Faldo - an 11-shot swing.

That was his fault. Equally devastating was his playoff loss in 1987 against Larry Mize, who appeared to be in trouble to the right of the 11th green. The only thing that could stop Mize’s pitch was the hole, and it did. It was one of the most improbable birdies ever in a playoff at Augusta. Norman made a furious rally in 1986 and needed a birdie to win on the 18th. But his approach sailed over the green and he made bogey, leading to Jack

Nicklaus winning. And then there was 1999, when Olazabal matched his birdies and reduced Norman to another close call.

The Masters remains the only major that an Australian has never won. Whoever does will surely say, “This one is for Greg.” — AP

Stricker waits on advice from Tiger AUGUSTA: Steve Stricker could certainly do with a bit of Masters payback after giving his good friend Tiger Woods a valuable putting lesson during last month’s WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami.

Helped by Stricker’s advice, Woods went on to triumph by two shots over his fellow American at Doral, then won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on his next start to cement his status as a hot favourite for this week’s Masters at Augusta National.

While Woods returns with plenty of swagger to a venue where he is a fourtimes champion, Stricker remains bemused by his own relatively mediocre record in the year ’s opening major, despite his reputation as one of the best putters in the game.

“For the most part I’ve struggled here,” Stricker told reporters on Monday ahead of Thursday’s opening round. “I’m starting to feel a little bit more comfortable going around here but there are still a few things I haven’t figured out.

“I’ve gotten in my way mentally here I think more times than not ... just not committing to shots, not committing to lines, feeling a little overwhelmed about this place at times.”

Stricker ’s honey-smooth putting stroke is widely envied by his peers and he seems perfectly equipped to cope with the lightning-fast, heavily contoured greens at Augusta National.

In 12 previous Masters appearances, however, he has missed the cut five times while recording just two top-10s with a best finish of joint sixth in 2009.

“It’s a challenging spot and it’s a challenging course,” said the 46-year-old Stricker, who played 14 holes in practice with Woods on Sunday. “You’ve got to suck it up on a lot of shots and hit quality shots, and I haven’t done that at times.”

Stricker, whose best major finishes include three top-sixes at the U.S. Open and a runner-up spot at the 1998 PGA Championship, feels he has suffered at the Masters in recent years because of fairways which have become increasingly lush.

“You need to spin the ball here, and I’m not a spinner of the ball,” the American world number eight said. “I bring it in with some height, but I don’t put a lot of spin on it, and I think that’s a negative for me here.

“And I’m coming in with usually a club

or two more than some of these big hitters. But you know, shorter hitters have proven to have done well here over the years here, too ... Weirsy (Mike Weir) winning and Zach Johnson winning.

“I hit it just about the same distance as them. They have proven that you don’t need to bomb it to win here.” Asked whether Woods had given him any Masters advice during their practice round on Sunday, Stricker replied with a smile: “Ah, no. We were talking about pitching and chip shots and a little wedge play. “We were talking about that a lot. I was asking him what he does and what he tries to do, his action on the way back and on the way through. It’s mutual. We try to help out one another every once in awhile. “It’s just when things pop up. I’m

not afraid to ask him. He’s the best player in the world. He’s ranked number one now again, and it’s fun to bounce some ideas off him here and there.”

It has been eight years since Woods won his fourth green jacket at the Masters, his private life having imploded at the end of 2009 as a string of extramarital affairs was exposed, but Stricker fully expects Woods to be in the thick of the title hunt on Sunday.

“He’s hitting it nicely,” Stricker said of Woods who has triumphed three times in his last five PGA Tour starts. “Looks like he’s got a ton of confidence in that putter, too, which you need to go around here. “It looks like he’s comfortable in his game and what he’s doing. I expect him to be in the mix come Sunday for sure.” — Reuters

Guan ready for Masters at record-setting age

AUGUSTA: Fourteen-year-old Tianlang Guan of China during a practice round at the 77th Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. — AFP

AUGUSTA: Guan Tianlang answered questions about his readiness to play the Masters at the record-setting age of 14 when he gave two-times champion Ben Crenshaw a putting lesson at the 18th hole at Augusta National on Monday.

And the Chinese prodigy was not done, heading out at the end of the day with his idol, Tiger Woods, for nine more holes and taking time for some fun trying to skip balls across the pond at the par-three 16th with Woods and Dustin Johnson.

The 61-year-old Crenshaw, whose career was built on his ability as a putter, mentored the precocious Chinese during their practice round, advising the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion about the notoriously fast, sloping greens of Augusta.

At the 18th, the slightly built Guan hit his approach to the back of the green with the pin on the lower level down front.

Crenshaw stood behind Guan as they looked the putt over and with his longtime caddie Carl Jackson pointed out the line to the hole.

Guan gestured well left of the cup, but tried the line advised by Crenshaw. Hitting

the putt ever so gently, the ball barely reached the slope and trickled down, gained speed and rolled about eight feet past the hole. Then Guan came back and tried it his way. The willowy thin, baby faced teenager knocked a putt toward the left edge of the big green, running it up into the fringe to slow the ball before it rolled back on the green and curled to within four feet of the cup. Crenshaw, determined to try the line he had pointed out, made four attempts from the same position and ran all four putts farther past the hole than Guan’s initial stab.

“That’s great imagination,” Crenshaw caddie Jackson told Reuters as they walked from the green. “He’s very smart. He’s not bashful about this experience and asking questions.

He’s got talent.”

Crenshaw said he thoroughly enjoyed the round. “He’s way more mature than 14,” said Crenshaw. “I think we’re all asking ourselves what the heck were we doing when we were 14. He’s very accomplished and you could just tell that he lives and breathes it.

“He doesn’t over exert himself, he’s balanced.” Guan was equally impressive in his interview session, as he answered questions

in English with a very natural, self-assured demeanour.

Asked if he felt intimidated by joining the 93-player field featuring the world’s greatest players, eighth-grader Guan said: “I’m not going to say that.

“I think it’s going to be a little pressure to me, but I’m not going to push myself too hard. I’m going to enjoy the game.” Guan will lower by more than two years the Masters’ age standard set three years ago by Italy’s Matteo Manassero, but the Chinese is accustomed to being a trend setter.

He was the youngest player in the field when he won the Asian-Pacific Amateur that qualified him for the Masters. He was the youngest to win on the China Amateur Futures Tour, the China Amateur Tour and the China Amateur Open, and also won the Junior World Championship.

A relatively short hitter, the smooth swinging Guan outdrove Crenshaw but will be at a disadvantage this week, hitting hybrids or fairway woods into the longer holes.

Guan arrived at Augusta almost three weeks ago to become acclimated and has already played about seven rounds, but will

get further fine-tuning from some other giants of the game.

Besides his late-day practice with Woods and another long hitter in Johnson, Guan has arranged a practice round with twice winner Tom Watson and a spin through the Par-3 Contest with three-time champion Nick Faldo. “I have the confidence and I know I can play well. So I’m going to play like myself,” he said. “I’m not going to try to do too much.”

Guan took up the game at about age 4, taught by his father and inspired by watching Woods on television. “When I was probably three or four years old, I was looking at him win the Masters, and it’s pretty exciting to watch him,” Guan said about four-time winner Woods. “I played with him twice in the past couple years, and he gives me advice and I will say every time I play with him, I feel a lot better and give myself confidence.”

With golf added to the Olympic program, Chinese officials have begun promoting the sport and Guan said he believed his Masters’ appearance would help grow the game. “I think it’s good for Chinese golf, and good that more people get to know this game, to pick up this game,” said Guan. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

S P ORT S

Belgium sliding in Fed Cup BRUSSELS: Not so long ago, there was Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin dominating women’s tennis and turning little Belgium into a force in the sport.

Now, Belgium looks destined to sink into the third division of the Fed Cup with its top player possibly skipping the World Group II playoff against Poland this month, the No. 2 already having pulled out and the federation unwilling or unable - to shell out the money to pick the players’ favored surface.

Kim Clijsters

Belgium chose to play on indoor hardcourt when players are gearing up for the red clay season in Europe and the switch for one weekend did not sit well. “ We are preparing for clay and Belgium says hardcourt,” said Rudi Kuyl, the spokesman for Yanina Wickmayer, who confirmed yesterday that she won’t play.

In-form Kirsten Flipkens, Belgium’s current top player, said she would make a decision later. It could leave Poland’s fourth-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska and her sister Urszula facing no player from

the top 100 in in the world.

It is a far cry from the days when Clijsters and Henin battled each other for No. 1 in the world and, boosted by their play, Belgium won the Fed Cup in 2001 and reached the final in 2006.

In fact, the last time Clijsters played Fed Cup was also the last time Belgium won a tie in the competition, beating the United States 4-1 in February, 2011. What followed were four straight losses as Belgium dropped from the elite World Group to World Group II and now is in a playoff not to slip into the Europe-Africa continental zone. Even with the 35thranked Wickmayer and No. 23 Flipkens, it would have been tough going against Poland. If Flipkens also decides to drop out, Belgium’s top-ranked player in the tie could well be No. 181 Alison Van Uytvanck.

When it came to picking a surface, Walter Goethals, the secretary general of the federation organizing the match, said he was always in a bind.

“We had to take a decision on business logic two months ago,” Goethals told The Associated Press. “We didn’t know at the time whether they (Flipkens and Wickmayer) were going to play.”

Since the weather doesn’t facilitate playing outdoors in Belgium in mid-April, the federation would have to prepare an indoor clay court, and Goethals said it was simply too expensive.

“I won’t mention any prices but in the past, in Fed Cup and Davis Cup, we have lost a lot of money. And we cannot afford that anymore,” Goethals said.

Wickmayer has a history of back problems, and the surface situation meant she had to pull out, Kuyl said. “Surface changes can be bad and have affected Yanina before,” Kuyl said. “Now her coach is saying ‘sorry, we are preparing clay season and Stuttgart,’” the German indoor clay tournament which starts the day after the Fed Cup weekend.

Another issue is ranking points, Goethals said. “Fed Cup has none and so it comes second,” he said. If Belgium loses to Poland and drops a division, Goethals fears his top players might not want to return. Although that could bring some positives, as well. “Then we might have to rely on youth and precocious talent,” he said. “That is also how Clijsters and Henin pushed through.” — AP

Djokovic ankle worries eased PARIS: World number one Novak Djokovic’s hopes of competing at the Monte Carlo Masters next week received a boost following a scan on his ankle.

The 25-year-old injured his ankle while playing for Serbia in the Davis Cup against the United States at the weekend. Having undergone an MRI scan, no “structural damage to the joints or ligaments” showed up, he said on his official website. However, he added that he needed: “treatment and total rest for sev-

eral days” and could not guarantee his participation at Monte Carlo. He said a decision would be taken “depending on the development of the injury.”

Djokovic won both his singles rubbers to help Serbia reach the Davis Cup semifinals. He won a fourth Australian Open in January, beating Britain’s Andy Murray in the final, but has been off form recently, losing to Juan Martin del Porto in the Indian Wells semi-finals before falling to Tommy Haas in the last 16 at Miami. — AFP

ANAHEIM: Matt Beleskey No. 39 of the Anaheim Ducks stickhandles the puck through the neutral zone as Mark Fistric No. 45 of the Edmonton Oilers defends the play in the first period during the NHL game at Honda Center. — AFP

Leafs bury Rangers TORONTO: Phil Kessel scored twice to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Monday to open an important home-and-home series between the Eastern Conference rivals. Toronto (22-13-4) remained fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, moving four points ahead of idle Ottawa with its fifth win in six games.

Derek Stepan pulled New York into a 3-3 tie at 9:00 of the third period, but Kessel put Toronto back ahead 39 seconds later.

The Rangers (19-16-4) remain tied with the idle New York Islanders for seventh in the Eastern Conference with 42 points. James van Riemsdyk and Ryan O’Byrne also scored for Toronto. Rick Nash had the other two goals for New York.

BRUINS 6, HURRICANES 2 In Boston, Brad Marchand scored two goals, Tuukka Rask stopped 40 shots, and Boston scored a season-high in goals while winning for the fourth time in five games.

Rich Peverley, Andrew Ference, Jordan Caron and Nathan Horton each added a goal, and defenseman Dennis Seidenberg established a career-high with three assists for Boston, which moved a point behind Montreal in the Northeast Division.

Patrick Dwyer and Drayson Bowman scored for the Hurricanes, who lost for the 12th time in 13 games, 11 of them coming in regulation.

Carolina has allowed four or more goals in 10 of its last 14.

DUCKS 2, OILERS 1 In Anaheim, Radek Dvorak scored two goals, Jonas Hiller made 27 saves after missing four games because of an illness, and Anaheim moved closer to the second Pacific Division title in franchise history and first since its 2006-07 Stanley Cup championship season.

The Ducks lead Pittsburgh by one point for the NHL’s second-best overall record and trail Chicago by three with eight games remaining.

Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim’s captain and leading scorer, missed his third straight game because of a leg injury.

Defenseman Nick Schultz ended a 58-game

goal drought and Devan Dubnyk stopped 36 shots for the Oilers, who have lost three straight after a season-best five-game winning streak.

CANUCKS 2, COYOTES 0 In Vancouver, Ryan Kesler scored in his return to the lineup after a 20-game absence, Cory Schneider made 19 saves, and Vancouver moved four points up on idle Minnesota in the Northwest Division standings. Kesler returned from a foot fracture he sustained in his first game back after shoulder and wrist surgeries last summer.

Schneider picked up his fifth shutout of the season, tying Phoenix’s Mike Smith and Nashville’s Pekka Rinne for first in the NHL. Schneider and the Canucks had to kill off a penalty with just over a minute left in regulation when Kesler took a tripping penalty in the offen-

sive zone. But Keith Yandle missed a pass from Antoine Vermette and the puck went the distance for a short-handed empty-net goal credited to defenseman Dan Hamhuis.

FLAMES 3, AVALANCHE 1 In Denver, Mike Cammalleri broke a secondperiod tie and Joey MacDonald stopped 39 shots, helping Calgary snap a 13-game road winless streak.

Roman Cervenka also scored and Alex Tanguay added a short-handed goal to wrap up the win for the Flames in a game that featured the bottom two teams in the NHL. Before Monday, Calgary’s last victory away from home was Feb. 17 at Dallas.

Brad Malone scored his first NHL goal for the last-place Avalanche, who have dropped five straight games. — AP

NHL results/standings Boston 6, Carolina 2; Toronto 4, NY Rangers 3; Calgary 3, Colorado 1; Vancouver 2, Phoenix 0; Anaheim 2, Edmonton 1.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF Pittsburgh 29 10 0 127 NY Rangers 19 16 4 96 NY Islanders 19 16 4 113 New Jersey 15 14 10 92 Philadelphia 17 18 3 106 Northeast Division Montreal 25 8 5 120 Boston 25 9 4 108 Toronto 22 13 4 121 Ottawa 19 13 6 94 Buffalo 16 17 6 105 Southeast Division Washington 20 17 2 117 Winnipeg 19 19 2 98 Carolina 16 20 2 99 Tampa Bay 16 20 2 121 Florida 13 20 6 96

GA 95 94 119 106 118

PTS 58 42 42 40 37

91 81 109 85 118

55 54 48 44 38

110 120 121 114 132

42 40 34 34 32

Western Conference Central Division Chicago 29 5 4 128 83 62 St. Louis 21 14 2 106 98 44 Detroit 19 15 5 99 101 43 Columbus 16 16 7 91 104 39 Nashville 15 17 8 96 109 38 Northwest Division Vancouver 22 11 6 105 95 50 Minnesota 22 14 2 103 97 46 Edmonton 16 16 7 101 108 39 Calgary 14 20 4 102 134 32 Colorado 12 22 5 90 124 29 Pacific Division Anaheim 27 8 5 123 99 59 Los Angeles 22 13 4 114 96 48 San Jose 20 11 7 98 94 47 Phoenix 17 16 6 105 106 40 Dallas 18 17 3 104 117 39 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not

Ex-players call NFL brain-injury panel a ‘sham’

Gael Monfils in action in this file photo

Monfils beats Blake at US Clay Court Championships HOUSTON: Gael Monfils of France served 15 aces to beat John Blake of the United States 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the first round of the US Men’s Clay Court Championships on Monday.

Blake, once ranked No. 4, played his 51st match at River Oaks Country Club where he is a crowd favorite but Monfils won cheers for his performance in his first match in the city.

Monfils, who played in only 10 tournaments last year because of a knee injury, matched the sixth-highest total of aces in the tournament. He will next face topseeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain.

Rhyne Williams of the United States, playing on a wild card, beat Guido Pella of Argentina 7-5, 7-5 in an earlier firstround match.

Monfils broke Blake in the 11th game of the second set on three straight errors

by Blake and wrapped it up quickly with a love final game that included two aces.

He won at the first match point on Blake’s backhand error.

“I am 100 percent with the level the

way I played,” Monfils said. “I was happy the way I was moving. I can say it’s a nightmare (injury) behind me so I am very happy.”

Blake held after six break points in the eighth game of the first set but his serve failed him in the 10th game and the set eventually went to a tiebreaker. The score was tied at 3-3 in the tiebreaker when Monfils won three straight points and then capped the set with an overhead at set point.

“He really makes it tough out there,” Blake said. “He makes you work hard to win points and combining that with a pretty big first serve. When that’s going in, that makes a big difference.” Monfils applauded the crowd after his win but said he didn’t hear their cheers during the match. “It’s been four weeks since I played so I was more focused on winning this match and hoping there was no more pain,” Monfils said. “The crowd was very fair today. I knew it would be tough because James is a big favorite here.” — AP

PHILADELPHIA: Former NFL players trying to sue the league over concussion-linked injuries argued in court yesterday that the NFL “glorified” violence and profited from damaging hits to the head.

Players’ lawyer David Frederick also accused the league of concealing the emerging science about concussions over several decades, even after creating a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury committee in 1994.

“It set up a sham committee designed to get information about neurological risks, but in fact spread misinformation,” Frederick argued at a pivotal federal hearing to determine if the complaints will remain in court or be sent to arbitration. US District Judge Anita Brody’s decision could be worth billions to either side. About 4,200 of the league’s 12,000 former players have joined the litigation.

Some are battling dementia, depression or Alzheimer’s disease, and fault the league for rushing them back on the field after concussions. Others are worried about developing problems and want their health monitored.

A handful, including popular Pro Bowler Junior Seau, have committed suicide. NFL lawyer Paul Clement insisted that teams bear the chief responsibility for health and safety under the players’ collective bargaining agreement, along with others.

“The one thing constant throughout is these agreements put the primary role and responsibility on some combination of the players themselves, the unions and the clubs,” Clement argued.

“The clubs are the ones who had doctors on the sidelines who had primary responsibility for sending players back into the game,” he added at a news conference after the 40minute hearing.

U.S. District Judge Anita Brody appeared most interested in whether the contract is sufficiently specific about health and safety issues to keep the matter in arbitration.

“The thing that concerns me is you say it talks about it ‘all over,’” Brody said to Clement.

“It has to be really specific. That’s what I have to wrestle with.” Frederick said the contract is “silent” on latent head injuries, making the lawsuits appropriate.

Brody is not expected to rule for several months, and the cases could take years to play out if her ruling is appealed, as expected.

Players’ family members on hand for the hearing included Kevin Turner, a former Philadelphia Eagles running back now battling Lou Gehrig’s disease; Dorsey Levens, a veteran running back who made a 2012 documentary on concussions called “Bell Rung” and Mary Ann Easterling, whose husband, former Atlanta safety Ray Easterling, was the lead plaintiff in the litigation before he com-

mitted suicide last year. Attendees might have momentarily thought they were on the playing field, as a power problem at the federal courthouse caused muggy conditions in the courtroom. The judge insisted that the wellheeled crowd of lawyers remove their suit jackets. Frederick did so, while Clement declined.

Both more typically find themselves at the US Supreme Court, where Clement has fought gay marriage laws and state health care mandates, and Frederick has pursued consumer protection cases.

Their very presence signaled the importance of the litigation to both sides, on both a financial and public-relations grounds. —AP

RENNES: French Camille Lacourt performs during the men’s 100m backstroke semi-final as part of the France swimming championships. — AFP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

S P ORT S

Louisville beat Michigan for NCAA title ATLANTA: What a week for Rick Pitino! He’s elected to the Hall of Fame. His horse is headed to the Kentucky Derby. His son gets a prominent head coaching job. Then he caps it off with what he wanted most. Another national championship. For that, he can thank 13 of the grittiest guys he’s ever coached.

Luke Hancock produced another huge game off the bench, scoring 22 points, and Pitino became the first coach to win national titles at two schools when Louisville rallied from another 12-point deficit to beat Michigan 82-76 in the NCAA championship game Monday night.

“This team is one of the most together, toughest and hard-nosed teams,” the coach said. “Being down never bothers us. They just come back.” More like relentless to the very end.

They’re not stopping now, either. The players intend to hold Pitino to a promise he made: If they won a national title, he’d get a tattoo. Better leave a lot of space, coach, if you want to make this a tribute to the team. “I have a couple of ideas,” said Hancock, who became the first sub in tournament history to be designated as most outstanding player.

“He doesn’t know what he’s getting into.” “Our biggest motivation,” Peyton Siva added, “was to get coach a tattoo.”

That’s about the only thing that didn’t exactly turn out in Petino’s favor. Earlier Monday, he was introduced as a member of the latest Hall of Fame class. On Saturday, his horse won the Santa Anita Derby to set up a run for the roses. And last week his son got the coaching job at Minnesota.

The Cardinals (35-5) lived up to their billing as the top overall seed in the tournament, though they sure had to work for it.

Louisville trailed Wichita State by a dozen in the second half before rallying for a 72-68 victory. This time, they fell behind by 12 in the first half, then unleashed a stunning spurt led

by Hancock that wiped out the entire deficit before the break.

“I had the 13 toughest guys I’ve ever coached,” Pitino said. “I’m just amazed they could accomplish everything we put out there.”

No one was tougher than Hancock, who matched his season high after a 20-point effort in the semifinal victory over Wichita State. This time, he came off the bench to hit four straight 3-pointers in the first half after Michigan got a boost from an even more unlikely player.

Freshman Spike Albrecht made four

straight from beyond the arc, too, blowing by his career high before the break with 17 points. Coming in, Albrecht was averaging 1.8 points a game and had not scored more than seven all season.

Albrecht didn’t do much in the second half, but Hancock finished what he started for Louisville. He made it 5-for-5 when he hit his final 3 from the corner with 3:20 remaining to give the Cardinals their biggest lead, 76-66.

Michigan wouldn’t go away, but Hancock wrapped it up by making two free throws with 29 seconds left.

While Pitino shrugged off any attempt to make this about him, there was no doubt the Cardinals wanted to win a national title for someone else — injured guard Kevin Ware.

Watching again from his seat at the end of the Louisville bench, his injured right leg propped up on a chair, Ware smiled and slapped hands with his teammates as they celebrated in the closing seconds, the victory coming just 30 miles from where he played his high school ball.

Ware’s gruesome injury during the regional final will forever be linked to this tournament.

He landed awkwardly, snapped his leg and was left writhing on the floor with the bone sticking through the skin. On this night, he hobbled gingerly onto the court with the aid of crutches, basking in a sea of confetti and streamers.

Louisville again came out wearing Ware’s No. 5 on the back of their warmup jerseys; the front said, “Ri5e to the Occasion.” When the title belonged to the Cardinals, Ware put on a championship cap and got a big hug from Pitino. Then, they lowered the basket so the injured player could cut a strand out of the net.

This one belonged to him as much as anyone on the court. “These are my brothers,” Ware said. “They got the job done. I’m so proud of them, so proud of them.”

Siva added 18 points for the Cardinals, who closed the season on a 16-game winning streak, and Chane Behanan chipped in with 15 points and 12 rebounds as Louisville slowly but surely closed out the Wolverines (31-8).

Michigan was in the title game for the first time since the Fab Five lost the second of two straight championship games in 1993. Players from that team, including Chris Webber, cheered on the latest group of young stars.

But, like the Fab Five, national player of the year Trey Burke and a squad with three freshman starters came up short in the last game of the season.

ATLANTA: The Louisville Cardinals celebrate after they won 82-76 against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2013 NCAA Men’s Final Four Championship at the Georgia Dome. —AFP

ATLANTA: Michigan guard Trey Burke (3) shoots over Louisville center Gorgui Dieng (10) during the second half of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game. — AP “A lot of people didn’t expect us to get this far,” said Burke, who led the Wolverines with 24 points. “A lot of people didn’t expect us to get past the second round. We fought. We fought up to this point, but Louisville was the better team today, and they’re deserving of the win.”

Louisville has a chance to make it two national titles in 24 hours. The surprising women’s team faces Connecticut on Tuesday night in the championship game at New Orleans.

Good luck matching this breakneck finale.

The first half, in particular, might have been the most entertaining 20 minutes of the entire men’s tournament.

Burke started out on fire for Michigan, hitting his first three shots and scoring seven points to match his output from the semifinal victory over Syracuse, when he made only 1of-8 shots.

Albrecht took control when Burke picked up his second foul and had to go to the bench for the rest of the half. The kid whose nickname comes from his first pair of baseball spikes showed he’s a pretty good hoops player, knocking down one 3-pointer after another to send the Wolverines to a double-digit lead. When Albrecht blew by Tim Henderson with a brilliant hesitation move, Michigan led 33-21 and Louisville was forced to call timeout. The freshman was mobbed on the Michigan bench, as if the Wolverines had already won the national title, with one team-

mate waving a towel in tribute.

“That was honestly, probably back to high school days,” Albrecht said, remembering when he’s had a similar stretch. “Coach (John) Beilein doesn’t play guys with two fouls in the first half, so I knew I was in the rest of the half, and I was for tunately hitting shots.

Teammates were finding me. That’s about it.”

It didn’t last. Not against Louisville.

The Cardinals came back one more time.

“We just went into war right there with a great Michigan team,” Hancock said. “We needed a rally and we’ve been doing it for a couple of games straight, being down. We just had to wait and make our run.”

Burke, who played only six minutes in the first half because of the foul trouble, did his best to give Michigan its first championship since 1989. But he couldn’t do it alone.

Albrecht was held scoreless after the break, and no one else posted more than 12 points for the Wolverines.

Still, it was quite a run for a fourth-seeded team that knocked off No. 1-seeded Kansas with the greatest comeback of the tournament, rallying from 14 points down in the second half to beat the Jayhawks in the round of the 16. But they came up against the ultimate comeback team in the final.

“I’ve had a lot of really good teams over the years, and some emotional locker rooms, and that was the most emotional we’ve ever had,” Beilein said. “The team unity we had, the sacrifice we had from five seniors who did not

get to play very much, to these young guys buying into the team concept.

“We feel bad about it. There are some things we could have done better and get a win, but at the same time, Louisville is a terrific basketball team. We have not seen that quickness anywhere.”

Louisville had already pulled off a stunning rally in the Big East championship game — down by 16 in the second half, they won by 17 — and another against Wichita State. They surged back again behind their own ace off the bench.

Hancock matched Albrecht from the 3point stripe. Then, trapping the youngster and knocking the ball away, he set up a fast break that ended with Siva flipping up a lob that Montrezl Harrell slammed through for a dunk, capping a stunning 16-3 run in less than 4 minutes that gave the Cardinals their first lead of the night, 37-36.

Glenn Robinson III made two free throws with two seconds left to give Michigan a 3837 lead at halftime. But everyone knew this game was just getting started.

And when it was done, Pitino, Ware and the Cardinals were celebrating in the middle of the mammoth Georgia Dome, assuring the national title will stay in the bluegrass another year.

Last season, it was Kentucky winning it all, the same team that gave Pitino his first title in 1996. Now, he’s got another one — right down the road in Louisville.—AP

KFH, NBK & Gulf Bank notch convincing wins Kuwait Banks Club Cricket League — 2013 KUWAIT: Riding on a swashbuckling 92 runs in just 46 deliveries by opener Zahid, KFH retained the billing of being one of the top contenders for the title as they comfortably scored a 7 wicket victory over Boubyan Bank in Kuwait Banks Club cricket league tournament organized by Kuwait Cricket.

KFH won the toss and sent Boubyan to bat first on a slightly moisture laden pitch which assisted the KFH fast bowlers to made an early inroad to Boubyan battling line up. A brace of double wicket by fast bowler Nabeel sent back the openers but Hisham Mirza stood firm to tackle the KFH bowling as he with precise shots through the infield and over the boundary scored 25 runs.

Boubyan middle order batsmen Yasser ( 30 runs) and Irfan (26 runs) took control of the situation by adding 57 runs for the 6th wicket which enabled them to post a total of 113 runs

The victorious Gulf Bank Cricket team

in 20 overs.

Chasing 113 runs, KFH had an early set back as Boubyan opening bowler Irfan seaming the ball with accuracy got rid of two batsmen but the stocky opener Zahid on the other end played patiently to see off the menacing Boubyan bowlers and then settled to play a nerve cracking innings studded with 8 huge sixes and three hits to the fence.

Sparing no bowlers, Zahid stepped out to clout the spinners and any short pitched deliveries were pulled with awesome power to be awarded the Player of the match award. KFH scored 114 runs in just 13 overs.

National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) scored a convincing 112 runs victory over Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) in the ongoing Kuwait Banks Club cricket tournament organized by Kuwait Cricket at Sulaibiya.

Openers Shakty & Khurram gave NBK a fly-

ing start by posting 63 runs on board.

Khurram rotated the strike to contribute a valuable 26 runs and gave the team the much needed impetus an Shakty displaying copy book technique mixed aggression with caution and struck 2 huge sixes and 6 lovely hits to the fence to score a polished 51 runs.

After the openers departed, it was the turn of Saud & Kiran Lobo to continue to score freely and the duo played with great confidence and displayed excellent footwork to score runs on either side of the wicket. Kiran, fetched most of his runs relying on playing the square cut, his favorite stroke and was severe on anything pitched up to him to score 64 runs while Saud attacked with grit & determination to play an unblemished knock of 48 runs as they put on 107 runs fourth wicket partnership..

NBK scored 214 runs in their allotted 20

The victorious NBK cricket team

overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Shahzad 1-43 & Shankar 1-40 were the main wicket takers for ABK. AUB started their innings positively as openers Sunder & Shafiq played with their head down and in the fifth over Imran bowling a hostile spell bowled Sunder and then sent back Irfan (12 runs) with a beauty of a delivery.

Even though wickets kept tumbling, Abhishekh ( 19 runs) & Pervaiz (15 runs) did their best to hold the fort but the NBK bowler like a well oiled machine struck frequently to bowl ABK for 96 runs. Old war horse, Andrew Pinho bowling with nagging accuracy claimed 3-16 while Imran 2-15 & Saud 2-29 supported him well. Even though wicket less, Khurram bowled exceptionally well for NBK. Kiran Lobo was declared Player of the match for his battling display.NBK Ronnie, behind the sticks had a wonderful match claiming 4 victims.

In the third match of the day, Gulf Bank secured a well deserving victory over Kuwait International Bank. Batting first, KIB scored 139 runs in the allotted 20 overs. Ali Asgar & Khursheed playing sensibly well kept the score board moving with some quick singles and doubles but the introduction of Senthil applied brakes on KIB scoring as he ripped the KIB batting line up with a hat trick, the first one of the tournament. Ali Asghar top scored for KIB with 48 from 38 deliveries. Senthil had a match figure of 3 for 12 from 2 overs.

Chasing the modest total of 139, Gulf Bank started cautiously with all the top order batsmen contributing some valuable runs on the board and made it easy to chase the target convincingly with more than 3 overs to spare.

Tanveer was the top scorer with 31 runs from 17 balls. Senthil was declared Player of the match for his excellent bowling.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

S P ORT S

City still the noisy neighbor for Man Utd LONDON: Any professional footballer who doesn’t want to take on Manchester United should change jobs. United manager Alex Ferguson would surely say the same to any player of his who didn’t relish the challenge of being part of the team that everyone wants, or should want, to beat.

So ignore any suggestion that the Manchester derby on Monday night didn’t really matter, that it was essentially a dead rubber at the tail end of a strangely anti-climactic Premier League season.

Any match involving United always matters, or should, because it’s the biggest fish in English football and they’re the most fun to land.

The importance is double when United’s opponent is Manchester City, or even triple now that City is a genuine threat to United’s Premier League hegemony. The players in red and those in blue demonstrated that by going at each other like hammer and tongs at Old Trafford.

Contrary to expectations at the start of the season, this game proved not to be a Premier League title-decider. City’s

2-1 win only delayed but almost certainly won’t stop United from being crowned champion in a few more weeks.

Still, the passion expended by both sides made these among the most entertaining and frenetic 90 minutes of 201213. They also gave interesting pointers for 2013-14.

For starters, the United fans who held up a placard reading “Our players make history, your players make money” are being short-sighted, and not only because United’s players make plenty of money, too. Of course, the long underachieving blue half of Manchester would never have been able to lure such talents as Yaya Toure, David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero - all outstanding on Monday - if not for the sudden wealth that came with the Abu Dhabi takeover of City in 2008, which its fans celebrated by driving around its stadium, honking their car horns.

But this is no mere collection of mercenaries. Tevez didn’t scamper around like a gerbil on amphetamines for 92 minutes against United just for a bag of cash. It wasn’t only money that prompt-

ed Aguero to slalom through the United defense and score the winner in the 78th minute. Even his Argentina teammate Lionel Messi can’t have scored many goals that were better. Staying on his feet with Phil Jones breathing all over him and shooting from a rapidly closing angle past David De Gea, Aguero showed he should be among the league’s top scorers next season if fit.

From the commitment shown by manager Roberto Mancini’s players, from their grins and celebrations after the win, this was clearly about pride, not money.

Although City trails United by 12 points, it showed the gap is deceptive and isn’t an accurate reflection of their relative strengths.

“A derby is always a special game for us and to be able to win is massive,” City captain Vincent Kompany said. “I do believe the way we finish this season will have an impact on how we do next season. This is a good win to have under our belt and we will take it into the next season.” City, as Mancini suggested before this match, will need to strengthen its squad again this summer, just as United

did last summer with the addition of striker Robin van Persie. Perhaps add another striker to produce the 20 or so goals City has been missing this season and a zippy wide player or two who could give City more attacking options.

Still, even as is, City’s squad remains impressive. If its existing players consistently demonstrate as much purpose, intensity and team spirit as they did against United, then next season’s title race will again be between these two neighbors. That assumes, of course, that Chelsea is bedding in yet another new manager and that Arsenal remains wedded to underachievement.

And it also depends on City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan having more sense than Chelsea billionaire Roman Abramovich and not sacking Mancini in a fit of silly impatience at the end of this season.

After the very public dispute with Tevez last season over the forward’s apparent refusal to warm up during a Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, Mancini’s man-management has again been questionable at times this

season. Defender Micah Richards notably suggested that players weren’t comfortable with Mancini’s tactical switches in the Champions League. The Italian manager also was photographed in a training-ground tussle with high-maintenance striker Mario Balotelli, who then left in January and promptly started putting away goals for AC Milan and for Italy.

Still, Mancini isn’t doing too badly.

After the 6-1 trouncing of United last season and the 2-1 victory on Monday, City has now won back-to-back league fixtures at Old Trafford for the first time since 1972. Having won the FA Cup with Mancini in 2011, the club’s first silverware in 35 years, City could win it again this year. It plays Chelsea in the semifinal on Sunday. Only Ferguson and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea have successfully defended a Premier League title. It was always a big ask to expect Mancini would do that this year, too.

But City will be back next season, still capable and, most importantly, still wanting to beat the great Manchester United. And that, in football, is how things should be.—AP

Spurs feeling the heat in chase for fourth spot LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur forward Clint Dempsey says there has been a tense atmosphere at the Premier League club in recent weeks as they pursue a top four spot and a chance to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Spurs have been in the hunt for third place all season but lost twice in March and drew against Everton on Sunday to drop to fourth, with fifth-placed Arsenal now breathing down their neck just two points behind.

“It’s been tense. I’ve felt like that’s kind of what the atmosphere’s been. That’s the way it’s been the last few games,” Dempsey was quoted as saying in British media yesterday.

“It’s been noticeable in the last three home games,” the American added. “Who’s to say the reason why? Maybe a few injuries, maybe a lot of games. It makes it more interesting for people to watch. It’s a little bit more stressful but it’s a good stress.” There was welcome injury news for Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas on Monday,

however, when central defender Younes Kaboul, out with a knee injury since the first game of the season in August, completed an hour for the under-21s.

Dempsey said Tottenham’s position was preferable to battling relegation or having nothing to play for by being stuck in midtable. “At least we’re pushing to try to get that (Champions League) spot. Hopefully we have enough character to get the job done.

“I thought the boys showed a lot of character to fight back and get a point against Everton. It’s an important point.

You would have like to have got three but at least we fought back.

“We have the quality. It’s about being confident. It will be difficult all the way until the end of the season.” Tottenham’s next game is a Europa League quarter-final second leg tie away to Swiss club Basel on Thursday, the first leg was a 2-2 draw, before they take on second-placed Manchester City in the league on April 21—Reuters

SPAIN: PSG’s players take part in a training session at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on the eve of the UEFA Champions League football match against FC Barcelona. —AFP

Messi’s fitness keeps PSG guessing SPAIN: Lionel Messi has gone from being the first name on Barcelona’s team sheet to the last, as they await a late fitness test ahead of today’s Champions League quarter-final second leg at home to Paris St Germain.

The World Player of the Year is recovering from a hamstring strain picked up in Paris last week, when he scored in the 2-2 first-leg draw, though Barca proved they could survive without him by thrashing Real Mallorca 5-0 in La Liga on Saturday.

Despite fielding a weakened side, the leaders ran riot at the Nou Camp with a hat-trick from Cesc Fabregas and two from Alexis Sanchez but PSG are a tougher proposition than La Liga’s basement side.

Favourites Barca are chasing a fourth Champions League crown in eight seasons and leading marksman Messi usually provides the cutting edge on the big stage by setting up and scoring goals.

His mere presence provides a psychological lift to his side and a big headache for opponents.

The Argentine did some fitness work on Sunday and Spanish media reported he was one of a group of players who turned up to work on Monday despite the squad having been given the day off.

With La Liga all but in the bag, as Barca lead second-placed Real Madrid by 13 points with eight games left, coach Tito Vilanova may be

GUANGZHOU: China Guangzhou Evergrande’s Gao Lin (right) in action in this file photo. —AFP

Guangzhou poised for Asian knock-outs SINGAPORE: Marcello Lippi’s Guangzhou Evergrande knocked Thai strugglers Muangthong United out of the AFC Champions League and moved to within a whisker of the last 16 with a 4-1 rout yesterday. A quickfire double from Brazilian forward Muriqui sent Guangzhou on their way at Muangthong’s Thunderdome Stadium as the Chinese champions stretched their Group F lead to four points with two games to go. Unbeaten Guangzhou, seeking to become the 10-year-old tournament’s first Chinese winners, would have qualified for the knock-out phase if Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors had beaten Urawa Red Diamonds.

However, the game finished 2-2.

Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol also stood poised for next month’s home-and-away round of 16, despite dropping their first points of Group H in a 0-0 draw with Suwon Bluewings. And in the same group, Chinese team Guizhou Renhe kept their hopes alive when they snatched two late goals to beat Australia’s Central Coast Mariners 2-1 and climb from bottom place to third.

Generously funded Guangzhou were never likely to be troubled by Muangthong, their 4-0 victims at home last week, and it was no surprise when Muriqui, fed diagonally by captain Zheng Zhi, stabbed the opener with the outside of his boot on 40 minutes.

Three minutes later the Brazilian doubled Guangzhou’s advantage with a carbon-copy goal, only this time with the assist from Dario Conca and the ball curling into the same corner with the inside of his right boot.

Guangzhou were briefly troubled after half-time when a botched clearance rebounded into the path of Muangthong’s

Sarawut Masuk, who steered home a leaping header to pull one back.

But Zheng restored the two-goal cushion shortly afterwards, before defender Feng Xiaoting added gloss to the victory when a free-kick into the box was parried to his feet with four minutes to go.

Bottom team Muangthong now have no prospect of reaching the last 16, as one of the top two in the four-team group, while Guangzhou will expect to rubber-stamp their qualification in two weeks’ time against Japan’s Urawa.

Urawa, bidding to avenge last week’s 31 reverse to fellow former champions Jeonbuk, got off to a dream start in Jeonju when Daisuke Nasu and Tsukasa Umesaki put them two goals up after just seven minutes. Jeonbuk gathered their composure but they had a big slice of luck to thank for their first goal, six minutes after the break, when Brazilian midfielder Eninho saw his speculative cross sail over the keeper and into the goal. And in the dying seconds, former Middlesbrough striker Lee Dong-Gook laid off a knock-down in the box for Seo, who side-footed the equaliser which kept Jeonbuk second in Group F behind Guangzhou.

“It was disappointing to lose a goal after 90 minutes, but we fought very well, creating many chances,” said Urawa’s coach Mihailo Petrovic. “By taking one point from the draw, I think we can get through the group round.” In Guiyang, Mitchell Duke’s penalty put the Mariners in front just before half-time. But goals by Zlatan Muslimovic and Qu Bo in the 84th and 86th minutes grabbed three precious points for Guizhou and denied the Australians their first away win.—AFP

inclined to risk his prize asset against PSG. Vilanova also has to decide who will partner Gerard Pique in the centre of the defence as Javier Mascherano is out with a knee injury and Carles Puyol is a doubt as he recovers from knee surgery.

Inexperienced former youth-teamer Marc Bartra per formed well alongside Pique on Saturday but versatile full back Adriano Correia is close to fitness again and midfielder Alex Song could even be drafted in at the back.

“We’ll see what options we have against PSG,” Barca’s assistant coach Jordi Roura said. Eric Abidal’s emotional playing return as a substitute on Saturday, a year after having a liver transplant, puts him in the running but he is unlikely to start.

PSG’s influential centre back Thiago Silva is in the squad after sustaining a knee injury in the first leg and missing Saturday’s 2-0 win at Stade Rennes in Ligue 1.

On Saturday, coach Carlo Ancelotti had seven of the 11 players who started the first leg either on the bench or not even on the team sheet as he looked to rest tired legs.

Ancelotti, however, has a problem to solve in midfield due to the absence of the suspended Blaise Matuidi. David Beckham is a probable starter after a decent performance in the first leg, with the second holding midfielder spot likely to be between Italian Marco Verratti and

Frenchman Clement Chantome. Italy midfielder Thiago Motta could also play there but he has only featured once in more than two months because of a groin injury.

Jeremy Menez’s fine performance against Rennes may not have been enough for him to take the place of Ezequiel Lavezzi or Lucas.

Centre back Alex has recovered from a thigh problem and is in the squad. “We have to take it as a great day for us. We are in an extraordinary position,” sports director Leonardo told French media.

“Barcelona are 20 years into their project. PSG have started a great chapter in their history but the squad only started working together 20 months ago.”—Reuters

Matches on TV (Local Timings) UEFA Champions League

Barcelona v Saint-Germain Aljazeera Sport +4

21:45

Juventus v Bayern Munich Aljazeera Sport +5

21:45

Juve’s Conte cannot afford another selection mishap TURIN: Antonio Conte made an uncharacteristic hash of his team selection against Bayern Munich last week and the Juventus coach cannot afford to get it wrong again as his side chase a two-goal deficit yesterday.

The Serie A champions and leaders, lucky to escape with a 2-0 defeat after they were hopelessly outclassed in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, must also overcome the absence of suspended midfielder Arturo Vidal in the return.

The Chilean is arguably their most influential player after playmaker Andrea Pirlo although his absence could set the stage for young midfielder Paul Pogba, this season’s Juve revelation, who came off the bench in the first match.

Bayern Munich were crowned Bundesliga champions on Saturday with six games to spare but foregoed the traditional beer-showers and Lederhosen celebrations as they immediately turned their attentions to Wednesday’s match at the Juventus stadium, where no foreign team has won a game since it opened in 2011.

“We’ve hit our first major target, but if we want to crown the season we have to keep going,” said Uli Hoeness, president of the treble-chasing Bavarians.

“We now want to turn a super season into a super plus season. Not taking this chance of making the Champions League semi-finals, and then the cup semi-final next week, would be fatal.”

Last week’s match was the first time that Juventus have been so utterly outplayed since Conte took over at the start of last season and implanted his distinctive 3-5-2 system.

Juventus, who won Serie A unbeaten in

Conte’s first season, usually unsettle their opponents with high-tempo pressing and aggressive attacking but got a taste of their own medicine in Munich.

“I struggled to sleep the night after the match,” said defender Giorgio Chiellini. “We are not the side that played so badly in Munich, we are much better than that and are eager to turn the page as quickly as possible. I hope the one in Turin will be our game.

“We need to up the tempo and if we can put in a good performance in the return leg there’s still hope that we can get through,” he added. Part of the blame must lie with Conte’s team selection, particularly in attack where Juventus lack a big-name striker.

The coach, who routinely fields two strikers and rotates them to feature any combination among Mirko Vucinic, Sebastian Giovinco, Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri, selected his least regular pairing of Quagliarella and Matri last week.

Both looked pedestrian against the Bayern defence and Juventus immediately came to life after they were replaced midway through the second half by the Vucinic-Giovinco double act, Conte’s most used attacking partnership this season.

Conte’s midfield was also overrun as Stephan Lichtsteiner, who is also suspended on Wednesday, produced a subdued performance on the right. Juve missed Pogba’s physical strength and neat footwork alongside Pirlo, who was repeatedly muscled off the ball.

Conte may also consider replacing Federico Peluso with the more imposing Kwadwo Asamoah on the left flank. The Ghanaian was impressive in the first half of

the season but has struggled since returning from the African Nations Cup. Vidal is suspended after being booked for a challenge on Franck Ribery, although television replays showed that little if any contact was made and the Frenchman’s reaction made it look far worse than it was. Ribery later escaped a red card for appearing to stamp on Vidal’s calf muscle.—Reuters

TURIN: Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery controls the ball during a training session ahead of today’s Champions League, round of eight, return-leg soccer match against Juventus. —AP

Louisville beat Michigan for NCAA title

Pakistan captains Misbah, Hafeez deny rift reports

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Messi’s fitness keeps PSG guessing

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ISTANBUL: Galatasaray’s Emmanuel Eboue (left) fights for the ball with Real Madrid’s Fabio Coentrao during a Champions League quarterfinal soccer match. — AP

Real in last four despite defeat ISTANBUL: Real Madrid withstood a second-half onslaught from Galatasaray to qualify for their third successive Champions League semi-final 5-3 on aggregate, despite losing 3-2 on the night.

Already leading 3-0 from the first-leg last week, it took Los Blancos just eight minutes to build on their advantage as Sami Khedira crossed for Cristiano Ronaldo to prod home from close range.

However, after Ronaldo had missed a guilt edged opportunity to double his tally on the night, Galatasaray produced a remarkable comeback as Emmanuel Eboue thumped in an equaliser from the edge of the box.

Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba

then added two goals in a minute to ensure a nervy final 18 minutes for Madrid.

Alvaro Arbeloa saw two quick-fire yellow cards a minute from time to ensure he will miss the first-leg of the semi-final, before Ronaldo sealed Madrid’s path into the last four with another sweet strike in stoppage time.

Madrid had been warned about the wall of noise they would face in Istanbul but just like in the first leg, they started in perfect fashion.

Angel di Maria ought to have done better when his shot towards an open goal was deflected wide after Fernando Muslera had scampered from his line to deny Gonzalo Higuain just three minutes in.

However, the visitors continued to take the game to Galatasaray in the early stages and reaped their reward just five minutes later.

Mesut Ozil was once more the creator for the Spanish champions as he slipped Khedira through on the right side of the area and his driven cross was turned in by Ronaldo for his 10th goal in just 10 Champions League appearances this season.

Ronaldo then played in Di Maria for what would have been the visitors’ second on 25 minutes had it not been for an incredible save from Muslera to turn the Argentine’s driven effort over the bar. The hosts created hardly anything of note going forward in the first-half, but Sneijder did test Diego Lopez’s han-

dling with a powerful drive from the edge of the area after Madrid had switched off from a short corner seven minutes before half-time.

However, the momentum of the game swung in two incidents within 60 seconds of one another just before the hour mark.

Firstly, Ronaldo uncharacteristically scuffed wide with the goal at his mercy before Eboue sent a rocket of a shot into the top corner from Sneijder’s cut-back.

Sneijder then missed a glorious chance to put the home side in front as he side-footed Fabio Coentrao’s misplaced clearance wide.

The Dutch international made no mistake with his next opportunity though as he skipped past Raphael

Dortmund grab semi-final spot DORTMUND: Borussia Dortmund scored twice in added time to seal a dramatic 3-2 quarter-final, second-leg win at home to Malaga yesterday to reach the last four of the Champions League.

With Malaga leading 2-1 in the dying stages, Dortmund’s Marco Reus gave his side a glimmer of hope with a 91st-minute equaliser, but the Spaniards would still have gone through on away goals.

In the frantic closing seconds, Reus managed to stab the ball across the Malaga goal for Brazilian centre-back Felipe Santana to toe the ball over the line for the crucial third Dortmund goal to put the Germans in the last four.

Dortmund go through 3-2 on aggregate after last Wednesday’s first leg finished goalless and are into the semi-finals for the first time since 1998. Malaga winger Joaquin had given the Spaniards an early away goal before Poland striker Robert Lewandowski’s equaliser made it 1-1 at the break.

Second-half substitute Eliseu then looked to have put Malaga in the semis in their debut season in Europe’s top club competiton with a goal eight minutes from time, before Dortmund produced two goals in two magical minutes.

It was heart-break for Manuel Pellegrini’s side after the Malaga coach had to make a round-trip to his native Chile following the death of his father in the days before the game.

Dortmund continue their run as the only unbeaten team in the competition, but the winning goal came as late as the 93rd minute at the Signal Iduna Park.

Despite the hosts’ bright start, a mistimed clearing header from Dortmund centre-back Santana gave Malaga their first chance on 25

minutes, which the Spaniards pounced on to score the early away goal the Germans had dreaded.

When the ball fell to Joaquin, the former Spain winger pulled the ball back onto his left foot, out of reach of his marker Marcel Schmelzer, and rolled his shot through the legs of Neven Subotic and past goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller.

It meant Dortmund had to score twice, but they needed only 15 minutes to draw level as Germany star Marco Reus sublimely flicked on a pass between his legs and into the path of striker Lewandowski.

Despite the attention of three defenders, the Poland star needed no further invitation to slot in his sixth goal of the competition.

Dortmund had a nervous final few seconds of the half as an unmarked Joaquin came close to netting a second for Malaga.

Lewandowski forced Willy Caballero into a diving save early in the second half, while Weidenfeller produced an outstanding parry to keep out Joaquin’s header which looked destined for the bottom corner. Eliseu looked to have wrapped it up, 12 minutes after coming off the bench, when he knocked Julio Baptista’s rolling, goal-bound shot past Weidenfeller from close range to leave Dortmund reeling.

But with the hosts pushing forward frantically, left-back Jesus Gamez was tackled by Santana, and the loose ball fell to Marco Reus, who stroked it in to give Dortmund hope.

And Santana was Dortmund’s 11th-hour hero when he stabbed the ball over the line in a desperate scramble after Marco Reus’s shot across goal. — AFP

Varane and slotted confidently past Diego Lopez with 19 minutes to go.

And a minute later the tie was truly back in the balance as Drogba brilliantly backheeled Nourredine Amrabat’s cross into the far corner.

Arbeloa was then stupidly dismissed for two yellow cards in barely a minute as he first brought down Sneijder then saw a second booking for arguing with the referee.

But Madrid’s fears were eased in stoppage time when Karim Benzema pulled the ball back for Ronaldo to drill home and cap an incredible evening’s entertainment.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid honorary president Alfredo di Stefano has been admitted to hospital in Valencia due to

an ongoing heart condition.

The 86-year-old underwent a quadruple bypass at the same hospital in 2005 and has been kept under supervision after a routine check showed signs of an irregular heartbeat.

“Alfredo di Stefano has been admitted to the La Fe Hospital in Valencia for a regular check of his heart condition,” said a statement from the hospital.

“The patient is in a good condition and needs to undergo some routine tests to control his heart condition. “He will remain in hospital for a few days.”

Di Stefano is one of Madrid’s most celebrated players ever as he represented Los Blancos for 11 seasons between 1953 and 1964, winning five European Cups in the process. — AFP

Preview

European semis beckon for Fenerbahce, Basel

GERMANY: Malaga’s Argentinian goalkeeper Willy Caballero (left) and Dortmund’s midfielder Sven Bender vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg football match. — AFP

BERNE: FC Basel and Fenerbahce are wellplaced to reach a European semi-final for the first time in tomorrow’s quarter-final second legs, with Benfica and European champions Chelsea poised to join them.

Chelsea, Benfica and Fenerbahce all won by two goals at home in the first leg, a margin of victory which has generally proved sufficient in the competition’s recent past.

Meanwhile, FC Basel’s 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur last Thursday makes them favourites to go through at St JakobPark and continue their European odyssey.

Chelsea visit Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium, venue of their 2008 Champions League final defeat to Manchester United, with a 31 lead against Rubin Kazan and a 100 percent record in their five meetings against Russian clubs.

Benfica lead by the same score against Newcastle and Fenerbahce are 2-0 ahead against Lazio, who will be playing behind closed doors at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico because of racist behaviour and firework use by fans at previous home games.

Fulham and Steaua Bucharest are the only teams to have overturned two-goal, first leg deficits in the knockout stage of the competition since its name was changed from the UEFA Cup in 2009.

FC Basel, the only domestic champions among the eight quarter-finalists, will be playing their 18th European match of the season, a marathon which started against

Flora in Estonia on July 17.

Since then, they have played in Norway, Romania, Belgium, Ukraine, Hungary, Russia and Portugal. Basel’s 20-year-old Egyptian Mohamed Salah was the outstanding player in the first leg, let down only by his lack of ruthlessness in front of goal.

“If Mohamed could score as well, he would not be here any more, or he would not have come here in the first place,” Basel coach Murat Yakin quipped.

Tottenham, twice former winners of the old UEFA Cup, will be without Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and William Gallas for the match at St Jakob-Park.

Lazio, beaten UEFA Cup finalists in 1998, are unbeaten at home in the competition this season but will be playing their second home match behind closed doors as a punishment for the poor behaviour of their fans, which has marred their campaign.

Fenerbahce, whose most recent appearance in a European quarter-final ended in defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League five years ago, have lost on all six previous visits to Italy.

“I think playing without supporters is a disadvantage for any footballer, because you want to play for the supporters,” Fenerbahce forward Dirk Kuyt said.

“That’s the worst punishment a footballer can get. Hopefully it won’t happen again but we’ll be playing another silent game next week. —Reuters

Business

Egypt PM to visit Doha amid IMF loan talks Page 22 Gulf Bank wins ‘Best Retail Customer Service’ award

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

Page 23 Lew urges strong EU states to spur growth Page 25

Dubai hosts ASTA’s Int’l Destination Expo 2013 Page 26

This frame grab made available by Microsoft shows a scene from the latest in a series of scathing Microsoft ads against Google. The ads that say as much about the dramatic shift in the technology industry’s competitive landscape as they do about the animosity between Microsoft and Google. —AP

Microsoft mounts ads assault on Google Blitzkrieg enters third phase in a 5-month campaign SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft is skewering Google again with scathing ads that say as much about the dramatic shift in the technology industry’s competitive landscape as they do about the animosity between the two rivals.

The missive that began yesterday marks the third phase in a 5-month-old marketing campaign that Microsoft Corp derisively calls “Scroogled.” The ads, which have appeared online, on television and in print, depict Google as a duplicitous company more interested in increasing profits and power than protecting people’s privacy and providing unbiased search results.

This time, Microsoft is vilifying Google Inc for sharing some of the personal information that it gathers about people who buy applications designed to run on smartphones and tablet computers powered by Google’s Android software. Earlier ads have skewered Google’s long-running practice of electronically scanning the contents of people’s Gmail accounts to help sell ads and attacked a recently introduced policy that requires retailers to pay to appear in the shopping section of Google’s dominant search engine.

“We think we have a better alternative

Sharjah Islamic raises $500m in sukuk sale DUBAI: Sharjah Islamic Bank (SIB) sold a $500 million five-year Islamic bond at tighter pricing than initially indicated due to strong demand for sharia-compliant debt from the Gulf Arab region.

The sukuk, maturing in 2018, priced at par with a profit rate of 2.95 percent, at the lower end of the final guidance range of between 2.95 percent and 3 percent.

Islamic banks have stepped up sales of sharia-compliant debt to meet their liquidity requirements and also to increase their capital reserves. Demand for the sukuk was high, and the order book was over $2 billion when the official guidance was released. SIB, rated BBB+ by Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings, is 31-percent owned by the government of Sharjah, the third-largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait Finance House (KFH) holds a 20 percent stake in the Islamic lender.

Its existing sukuk, a $400 million 4.715 percent issue maturing in 2016, was bid at 106.9 cents on the dollar yesterday afternoon, according to Thomson Reuters data, to yield 2.4 percent.

One trader said the new issue offered a negligible premium for a two-year extended maturity, and that this may lead to a weakening in secondary markets. In recent bond and sukuk issues in the region, heavy bids caused pricing to tighten dramatically in the primary market, setting the bonds up to fall in the secondary market when it becomes clear that underlying demand for them at the final pricing is not as great as the order books suggested. Proceeds from the sukuk are expected to be transferred to the bank through a special purpose vehicle, according to a company prospectus.—Reuters

that doesn’t do these kinds of nefarious things,” said Greg Sullivan, Microsoft’s senior manager for Windows Phone, the business taking aim at Google’s distribution of personal information about buyers of Android apps.

Microsoft’s advertising barbs could potentially backfire. Even as they help draw attention to Google practices that may prod some consumers to try different services, they also serve as a reminder of Microsoft’s mostly futile - and costly attempts to trump its rival with more compelling technology.

“It’s always the underdog that does negative advertising like this, and there is no doubt that Microsoft is now the underdog,” said Jonathan Weber, who has been following Microsoft’s “Scroogled” campaign at search consulting firm LunaMetrics.

On the flip side, Google has evolved from an endearing Internet startup to an imposing giant running Web and mobile services that vacuum intimate details about people’s lives. Despite repeated management assurances about respecting personal privacy, Google has experienced several lapses that have resulted in regula-

tory fines, settlements and scorn around the world.

Beyond privacy, Google has been the subject of complaints that its practices are anti-competitive. Yesterday, a group of companies led by Microsoft said it has asked European authorities to investigate whether Google is acting unfairly by giving away its Android operating system to mobile device manufacturers on the condition that Google’s own apps, such as YouTube and Google Maps, are installed and prominently displayed.

Microsoft’s latest ads revolve around concerns already raised by privacy watchdogs. Critics argue that Google hasn’t adequately disclosed that customers’ names, email addresses and neighborhood locations are routinely sent to the makers of apps sold in Google’s online Play store.

At least one group, Consumer Watchdog, has complained to the Federal Trade Commission that Google’s apps practices represent an “egregious privacy violation.” Citing agency policy, FTC spokesman Jay Mayfield declined to comment on whether the complaint has triggered a formal investigation.

Google says it shares a limited amount

of personal information about customers to ensure they get better service and faster responses if any problems arise. The company says the practice is allowed under its terms of service - a document that most people rarely read in its entirety.

Microsoft says it doesn’t pass along personal details about customers buying apps for devices running its Windows Phone software. But there aren’t as many Windows Phone users or apps for that system as there are for Android.

The notion of Microsoft being well behind Google once seemed inconceivable. A decade ago, Microsoft was the world’s most powerful technology company, with its Windows operating system and Office productivity software pervasive on personal computers. Microsoft’s dominance had grown so extensive that US and European antitrust regulators spent years tr ying to rein in the Redmond, Washington, software company. Although Google was growing rapidly at the time, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and other skeptics dismissed the company as a “onetrick pony” that hadn’t proven adept at doing anything besides searching the Web and selling ads next to the results. — AP

Alafco picks Deutsche to advise on London listing DUBAI: Kuwaiti aircraft leasing company Alafco has hired Deutsche Bank to advise it on a potential sale of global depositary receipts (GDRs) in London, two bankers aware of the matter said yesterday.

The bank is looking at Alafco’s operations to ensure it is ready for the additional scrutiny that comes with a London listing, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the information is not public. A GDR represents a block of shares in a company. GDRs are often issued by firms in emerging market countries to allow foreign investors to buy the stock more easily.

Alafco’s parent company, Kuwait Finance House (KFH), said in January that some of the leasing firm’s shares may be listed on an international exchange and due diligence was planned, although it gave no further details. Alafco made a

profit of 25.6 million dinars ($89.7 million) in its last financial year ended on Sept. 30, 2012, a 45 percent decline from the previous year.

The timing of the GDR sale and the amount, if any, that a listing could raise were still unknown, the bankers said.

In response to Reuters queries on the planned listing, Alafco referred back to the statement in January, adding: “We are still conducting that study and we have not reported anything back to our shareholders.” Gulf companies have been looking to London and other stock exchanges outside the region for both initial and secondary listings as local markets struggle to shake off the impact of the 2008 market crash. Kuwait’s stock market soared in the mid-2000s as local firms used cheap credit to invest, only to collapse in 2008 as the financial crisis prevented the refinanc-

ing of those loans. The exchange’s benchmark index is still down 55 percent from its June 2008 peak. While there has been some improvement in market performance in regional bourses such as Dubai, which on Tuesday hit its highest since late 2009, over 40 percent of investors in the Middle East and Africa would prefer to invest overseas, a recent study by accountancy firm Ernst & Young showed.

Qatar’s Doha Bank plans a London GDR offering as part of a $1.6 billion capital increase, while Abu Dhabi-based NMC Healthcare completed a $187 million share sale in London last March.

KFH, one of the largest Islamic lenders in the Gulf Arab region, owns 53.69 percent of Alafco, according to its website.

State-run Kuwait Airways Corporation owns 11.47 percent and private investors hold the rest. — Reuters

Emaar not to take write-downs on Amlak investment D U B A I : E m a a r Pr o p e r t i e s, D u b a i ’s largest developer, will not “accept” a write-down of its investments in struggling property lender Amlak Finance, which is restructuring $1.9 billion in debt, Emaar chairman said yesterday.

Emaar, the builder of the world’s tallest tower, controls 45-percent of s h a r i a - co m p l i a n t m o r tg a g e l e n d e r Amlak, which was hard hit by the emirate’s property crisis in 2009.

“Emaar will not accept any write -

downs on its investment. We are still waiting for the government and the ministry of finance to decide on Amlak,” Emaar Chairman, Mohammed Alabbar, said on the sidelines of the developer’s annual general meeting in Dubai.“I can assure you that Amlak’s financials are way better than they we re t wo ye a r s a g o,” A l a b b a r s a i d, adding that Emaar has received 370 million dirhams ($100.74 million)from Amlak in the last two years. Amlak has

n o t t r a d e d s i n c e N o ve m b e r 2 0 0 8 , when its shares were suspended along with rival Tamweel, as credit markets dried up and Dubai real estate prices began a slump which would see them fall more than 50 percent from their peak.

Creditors of Amlak are considering a restructuring proposal from the indebted mortgage lender, the United Arab Emirates’ economy minister said in January.— Reuters

Dubai hits 4-month high; markets up MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Dubai’s measure hit a 4-month high yesterday as investors betting on upbeat first-quarter earnings extended a buying spree, while Saudi Arabia’s bourse also rose, breaking strong technical resistance. Dubai’s market climbed 2.4 percent to its highest close since November 2009 and is up 21 percent year-to-date.

The benchmark also eclipsed its previous 2013 year high set in late February. Investors usually cash in gains after qualifying for dividend payments and the market did retreat in March, but this year’s April surge has buoyed traders.“This year, the trend is different because other than the sentiment and liquidity improvement, shareholders have decided to put most of the dividends back into the market, which has helped the move,” said Mohammed Ali Yasin, managing director of Abu Dhabi Financial Services. “People are looking at next year’s dividends.”

Yasin predicted the market will make further gains in the second quarter. Emaar Properties rose 2.1 percent and Dubai Islamic Bank gained 6.7 percent. Shares in contractor Drake and Scull jumped 7.5 percent in heavy trade as investors bet the firm could be an acquisition target, traders said.

Abu Dhabi’s benchmark added 0.6 percent to reach its highest close since October 2009.

In Saudi Arabia, the measure climbed 0.4 percent to an 11-month high. The index broke strong resistance levels as banks supported gains. Saudi Investment Bank rose 4.9 percent. The lender on Sunday posted a 48 percent rise in quarterly profit.

SABB added 1.5 percent. After market hours, the bank posted an estimate-beating first-quarter profit of 948 million Saudi riyals ($252.79 million).

National Medical Care and contractor Abdullah Alkhodari each rallied 10 percent.

“There is an overall positive sentiment on the market on earnings - there is some speculation on stocks ahead of corporate earnings, which is driving up stocks,” said Mohammad Omran, a Riyadhbased financial analyst. In Egypt, the benchmark climbed 0.9 percent, up for a fourth session since April 3’s four-month low as local bargain hunters bought shares while foreigners remained net sellers.

National Societe Generale Bank rose 7.1 percent, Telecom Egypt gained 2 percent and Commercial Bank International added 0.5 percent.

The government is hoping to clinch a $4.8 billion loan deal with the International Monetary Fund in coming weeks as the country’s finances hit critical levels.

“The market was hit too fast and aggressively we’re seeing a decent breath of air,” said Mohamed Radwan, director of international sales at Pharos Securities. “But unless the rebound is backed up by economic reforms or an IMF deal, I think it will fade away soon.”

An official from Egypt’s Ministry of Finance said that the IMF is ‘unconvinced’ by the latest version of the country’s economic reform program and surprised by the extent to which economic conditions in Egypt have worsened, according to unconfirmed news reports in local media. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

BUSINESS

Egypt PM to visit Doha amid IMF loan talks

ABK announces partnership with Sheraton Kuwait KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait presents its ongoing ‘ABK Advantage’ program that enables its valued customers to benefit from special discounts at participating merchant outlets up to 45 percent.

To add variety to the range of outlets that offer discounts to ABK customers, the Bank recently partnered with Sheraton Kuwait to offer its Prestige and Emirates World MasterCard Customers an exclusive discount of 10 percent for their purchases across Sheraton’s restaurants which includes the Lebanese Le Tarbouche, Indian Bukhara, Iranian Shahrayar and the famous international Al-Hambra at both Sheraton and The Avenues in addition to the Italian Riccardo and the English Tea Lounge at

the Sheraton and the International Asseef at the Four Points by Sheraton Kuwait.

Sheraton Kuwait has recently opened branches of their restaurants at Grand Avenue in The Avenues Mall, where they serve gourmet cuisines prepared by expert chefs, served in a classy and vibrant ambience with distinguished service.

Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait has collaborated with a selection of retail stores and companies in Kuwait to offer their loyal customers special offers and instant exclusive discounts whilst using ABK cards. Including Sheraton Kuwait’s restaurants to this program ensures that ABK covers a new interesting ground to give value added benefits to its clients.

Kandil to meet Sheikh Hamad on financing CAIRO: Egypt’s prime minister was due in Qatar yesterday for talks with his country’s biggest Gulf Arab financial backer as Cairo is negotiating for an IMF loan to help ease a deepening economic crisis.

Hisham Kandil was to fly to Doha after attending the swearing in of Kenya’s new president in Nairobi, his office said. He is due to hold a joint news conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani today.

Qatar has provided Egypt with $5 billion in loans and grants since Islamist President Mohammed Morsi was elected last year and diplomats said Cairo was seeking further support as it faces a long, hot summer of power cuts and fuel shortages with or without a $4.8 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan. Qatar has been propping up Cairo’s sagging foreign

currency reserves - which hit a new low of $13.4 billion in March, less than the cost of three months’ imports - by making deposits in the Egyptian central bank.

Kandil’s visit follows three days of preparatory meetings by Egyptian central bank governor Hisham Ramez in Qatar, amid tension between Cairo and its major donor over two financial disputes, of which Egypt moved to defuse one on Monday. Egypt’s financial regulator is holding up a proposed joint venture between QInvest, majority owned by Qatar Islamic Bank , and EFG Hermes, the Middle East’s top investment bank.

EFG said the deal signed last year will expire if not approved by May 3.

The deal, which will place EFG’s main operations in a company 60 percent owned by QInvest, is politically sensitive in Egypt because both of EFG’s chief executives are on trial with

UK gas prices lower on LNG deliveries LONDON: British prompt gas prices lost ground yesterday as expected lower demand and milder weather would likely alleviate the impact of supply outages later this week, traders said.

The price of gas for Tuesday delivery fell to 72 pence per therm, down 1.30p from the end of trading on Monday, while the May contract traded 0.65p lower at 66.95p, further narrowing the gap between the two contracts as Britain moves into spring, when demand is more predictable.

Gas for immediate delivery fell 1 pence to 72.50 pence.

“We are seeing the end of the volatile trading conditions experienced in March, and the market looks a bit flat and lacking in volatility as weather gets warmer and demand falls back to the seasonal norm,” said one trader.

“The system looks relatively comfortable but if we see any additional outages to those already announced, there may be a need for more supply of gas from LNG terminals,” the trader added.

UK gas prices spiked towards record highs in recent weeks as abnormally cold weather, pipeline closures and production outages drained inventories and heightened fears of shortages.

But an increase in flows since the end of last week and recent deliveries of liquefied natural gas have taken some of the pressure off supply.

“We expect less need for storage with-

drawals for day-ahead to balance, adding a bearish signal,” analysts at Reuters Point Carbon said in a daily report. Traders said increased supply of LNG will mean Britain’s gas system is likely to deal with a shutdown of Rough - the country’s biggest storage facility - on Wednesday and Thursday, while Norway’s key gas processing plant Kollsnes will be out of action for 12 hours on Friday.

The South Hook LNG facility is likely to supply between 26-30 mcm a day for the remainder of the month, analysts said.

Three deliveries of LNG are expected at the terminal over the next week while another vessel, will likely arrive at the Isle of Grain on the 12 April.

Britain’s stored gas reserves increased 0.7 percent to 4.1 percent or 195 million cubic metres by late Monday, according to data from Gas Storage Europe, as supplies were pumped back into heavily-depleted storage sites.

The gas market was oversupplied by around 5 mcm this morning as demand was forecast at 280 mcm, compared with a seasonal norm of 262 mcm.

Requirements of gas are expected to ease later in the week as temperatures are forecast to rise towards a maximum of 15 degrees Celsius by the weekend.

“I’d expect to see demand to fall to 245255 mcm in the second half of this week so the supply outage at Kollsnes is unlikely to have much of an impact on prices,” the trader added. — Reuters

UAE introduces direct debit system for banks DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates central bank said yesterday it was introducing a direct debit system for commercial banks, a step which could ease a major problem for foreign businessmen operating in the country.

The system, to start on June 15, will let customers make regular, automatic payments from their bank accounts towards mortgage loans, credit card payments and personal loan instalments, the central bank

said. In the absence of such a system, postdated cheques are frequently used in the UAE as guarantees by businesses and individuals.

For foreign nationals, bouncing the cheques is a criminal offence rather than a merely civil one, causing some foreigners to be jailed. The UAE’s tough penalties for defaulting on cheques were relaxed for local citizens last October after a royal decree was issued. — Reuters

the two sons of ousted President Hosni Mubarak over allegations of illegal share dealings in relation to a 2007 transaction.

Qatar was also angered by Cairo’s decision to impose a 10 percent tax last month on investment gains from the takeover by Qatar National Bank of local lender National Societe Generale Bank, making QNB effectively overpay.

However, a finance ministry aide said on the eve of Kandil’s visit that the government had decided to cancel the tax on stock dividends and investment gains and would reimburse the revenue already levied to shareholders.

QNB said in December it planned to buy only the 77 percent stake in NSGB held by France’s Societe Generale but in February, the Egyptian regulator gave its approval on condition that the Qatari lender buy 100 percent of NSGB. — Reuters

Doha Bank seeks to double foreign profits by 2015

YANGON: Myanmar laborers unload pebbles from a ship, to be used at construction sites, in Yangon yesterday. A World Bank official said earlier this year that Myanmar has “enormous potential” as it undergoes reforms. — AFP

Aramco, Exxon offer up to 90,000T of May fuel oil SINGAPORE: Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company (SAMREF) is offering up to 90,000 tons of high viscosity fuel oil from its 400,000barrel per day (bpd) Yanbu refinery in May, traders said yesterday.

The 700-centistoke (cst) cargo is scheduled to load between May 5 and 9, traders said, adding that the tender closes April 15, with validity extending to April 16. Besides the high viscosity, the Yanbu cargoes are also high in density and sulfur and can be sold into either the Singapore or Fujairah bunker-blending market.

A March loading cargo of the Yanbu 700-cst cargo traded at a discount of $22 a ton to the

Singapore benchmark on a free-on-board (FOB) basis.

In 2012, a similar sized cargo for loading in early May was sold at a discount of $28 a ton to the Singapore benchmark, but traders said it was more likely these cargoes would be transacted closer to a discount of about $20 to $22 a ton. Besides the high viscosity, the Yanbu cargoes are also high in density and sulfur and can be sold into either the Singapore or Fujairah bunker-blending market.

The Yanbu refinery has been on planned maintenance since March 10 and is expected to be back online by the end of the month, traders said. — Reuters

DOHA: Doha Bank, Qatar’s fifth-largest lender by market value, plans to nearly double its profits from international operations by 2015, mirroring a strategy employed by other Gulf Arab lenders facing intense competition at home. The lender, which raised nearly $430 million from a rights issue last month, aims to increase its share of profits from overseas business to 15 percent, from 8 percent currently, Chief Executive Officer, R Seetharaman, said in Doha yesterday.

“We will set up a representative office and then look to convert it. I am not JP Morgan, so I have to gradually scale up,” he said.

The bank plans to open a representative office in Sharjah in the coming months, the third-largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, as part of the expansion plans, Seetharaman said.

It recently opened an office in Australia, becoming the first Qatari lender to establish a presence in the country.

Gulf lenders, including the likes of Qatar National Bank (QNB) and National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), are facing intense competition in their home markets and are seeking to expand regionally.

QNB recently bought the Egyptian arm of Societe Generale in a $2 billion deal, while NBAD brought in the banker who led Australia and New Zealand Banking Group’s push into Asia as its new chief executive earlier in April to aid its expansion plans.

Doha Bank, 17 percent owned by the Gulf state’s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, is seeking to increase its share capital by 50 percent to help address a weak capital position and help boost expansion.

A quarter of the planned capital increase was raised through the share sale, while the bank plans to raise the remaining amount from a share offering in London.

“I have multiple options. If regulatory approval comes in, then fine. As and when it is required, we will go for phase two,” Seetharaman said about the remaining capital raising plan.

Doha Bank shares closed down 0.7 percent against a flat Doha bourse yesterday. —Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Irani Riyal - cash

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 Egyptian pounds

.2770000 .4310000 .3680000 .3020000 .2780000 .2940000 .0040000 .0020000 .0771240 .7513970 .3930000 .0720000 .7366120 .0370000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2841000 GB Pound/KD .4338920 Euro .3707360 Swiss francs .3043390 Canadian dollars .2795430 Danish Kroner .0497330 Swedish Kroner .0443660 Australian dlr .2963730 Hong Kong dlr .0365940 Singapore dlr .2291130 Japanese yen .0029600 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0773800 Bahraini dinars .7538810 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0757800 Omani riyals .7382100 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - transfer

ASIAN COUNTRIES 2.898 5.218 2.899 2.273 3.264 230.610 36.775 3.637 6.913 9.768 0.271

.2880000 .4470000 .3760000 .3170000 .2920000 .3020000 .0069000 .0035000 .0778990 .7589480 .4110000 .0770000 .7440150 .0440000 .2862000 .4370990 .3734770 .3065880 .2816100 .0501010 .0446940 .2985640 .0368650 .2308060 .0028810 .0052870 .0022880 .0029190 .0036810 .0779520 .7594530 .4048090 .0763400 .7436660 .0069870

0.273

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

GCC COUNTRIES 76.164 78.477 741.850 758.600 77.772

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 40.350 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 41.240 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.332 Tunisian Dinar 179.670 Jordanian Dinar 403.330 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.916 Syrian Lier 3.103 Morocco Dirham 33.907 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 285.500 Euro 373.010 Sterling Pound 438.530 Canadian dollar 281.980 Swiss Franc 306.990 US Dollar Buying 284.300 GOLD 298.000 150.000 77.500

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL DRAFT 302.36 284.88 307.74 375.47 284.90 438.81 2.99 3.665 5.223 2.271 3.282 2.899 77.64 758.58 41.22 405.87 741.47 78.67 76.17

Selling Rate 285.250 283.775 438.880 372.030 305.970 755.205 77.640 78.300 76.030 402.105 41.260 2.271 5.240 2.895 3.628 6.904 699.735 3.870 9.935 4.030 3.375 93.600

Bahrain Exchange Company CURRENCY

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

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 Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

SELL CASH 308.000 283.500 307.000 369.000 286.000 437.000 3.300 3.740 5.400 2.450 3.450 2.975 78.300 757.850 41.300 413.000 740.000 78.500 76.500

British Pound Czech Korune Danish Krone Euro Norwegian Krone Scottish Pound Swedish Krona Swiss Franc

BUY Europe 0.4280890 0.0061692 0.0458774 0.3670342 0.0457902 0.4250480 0.0405000 0.3005754

SELL 0.4370890 0.0181692 0.0508774 0.3745342 0.0509902 0.4325480 0.0455000 0.3075794

Australasia 0.2874736 0.2342224 0.0001117

0.2994736 0.2442224 0.0001117

Canadian Dollar Colombian Peso US Dollars

America 0.2735911 0.0001466 0.2831500

0.2825911 0.0001666 0.2853000

Bangladesh Taka Cape Vrde Escudo Chinese Yuan Eritrea-Nakfa

Asia 0.0036089 0.0031651 0.0448615 0.0164867

0.0036639 0.0033951 0.0498615 0.0195867

Australian Dollar New Zealand Dollar Uganda Shilling

Guinea Franc Hg Kong Dollar Indian Rupee Indonesian Rupiah Jamaican Dollars Japanese Yen Kenyan Shilling Malaysian Ringgit Nepalese Rupee Pakistan Rupee Philippine Peso Sierra Leone Singapore Dollar Sri Lankan Rupee Thai Baht

0.0000443 0.0342129 0.0051782 0.0000243 0.0028506 0.0027910 0.0033109 0.0888385 0.0031262 0.0028717 0.0064542 0.0000729 0.2259556 0.0019711 0.0094615

0.0000503 0.0373129 0.0052422 0.0000294 0.0038506 0.0029710 0.0035409 0.0958386 0.0033262 0.0029117 0.0069242 0.0000759 0.2319556 0.0022731 0.0100615

Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Ethiopeanbirr Ghanaian Cedi Iranian Riyal Iraqi Dinar Jordanian Dinar Kuwaiti Dinar Lebanese Pound Moroccan Dirhams Nigerian Naira Omani Riyal Qatar Riyal Saudi Riyal Sudanese Pounds Syrian Pound Tunisian Dinar UAE Dirhams Yemeni Riyal

Arab 0.7503375 0.0392156 0.0129513 0.1485113 0.0000793 0.0001736 0.3968289 1.0000000 0.0001750 0.0218387 0.0012130 0.7300286 0.0777095 0.0755467 0.0479712 0.0031836 0.1778254 0.0762494 0.0012871

0.7588375 0.0412456 0.0194513 0.1503013 0.0000798 0.0002336 0.4043289 1.0000000 0.0001950 0.0458367 0.0018480 0.7410286 0.0784925 O.0761867 0.0485212 0.0034036 0.1838254 0.0776994 0.0013871

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 284.900 373.200 439.500 282.650 3.000 5.199 41.235 2.266 3.638 6.925 2.898 758.650 77.630 76.130

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

BUSINESS

Russia parliament confirms Putin ally as bank chief MOSCOW: The Russian parliament yesterday confirmed President Vladimir Putin’s economic advisor Elvira Nabiullina to head the central bank, even as she struck a hawkish stance on inflation and vowed not to stimulate growth through lower interest rates.

Russia’s lower house of parliament backed her candidacy in a 360-20 vote three weeks after Nabiullina was picked to succeed the respected outgoing Bank of Russia governor Sergei Ignatyev.

She is due to assume her post on June 24.

Analysts worry that Nabiullina-who until now served as Putin’s advisor and was seen as one of his closest economic confidantes-may be pliable to Kremlin pressure to lower rates to stimulate growth.

Russia’s inflation is outpacing forecasts and has been treading above seven percent

in recent months.

Growth meanwhile has slowed from last year’s tepid level of 3.4 percent. A top government official warned last month that it may slip to less than three percent for 2013. This has left the central bank in a quandary about how to tackle politically sensitive cost of living increases without stifling growth any further.

But Nabiullina stressed in her confirmation hearing that her main worry was about Russia’s current inflation rate. “Inflation at a level of seven percent still creates a lot of uncertainties,” Nabiullina said.

“Lowering inflation to between three and four percent should be the central goal of our monetary and credit policy,” she stressed.

Russia’s main interest rate has been kept steady at 8.25 percent for the past seven months. The latest central bank statement

however hinted of an easing of this level in the months to come.

Nabiullina said her primary aim will be to lower inflation so that banks could start charging lower interest rates for loans that could be used by businesses to expand their output. “I am far removed from the thought that the administrative lowering of the rates will stimulate growth,” she observed.

Nabiullina-a 49-year-old economist by training born in the mostly Muslim Russian region of Tatarstan-further argued that it was up to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s government to come up with a better strategy for improving investor confidence. “The central bank must look after growth... but the government must look after ensuring a better business climate and investment boost.”

She also promised to improve transparen-

cy in the opaque banking sector to solve problems stemming from “the huge capital outflow” from Russia into foreign-held deposits.

“We should be most concerned about the direct investment balance. And unfortunately, here we have a negative balance,” Nabiullina told the Duma. “We also have to look at outflows through illegal financial operations,” she noted. “The Bank of Russia must make sure that no questionable transactions are made through the Russian banking system.”

The central bank has optimistically forecast an outflows figure of $10 billion for 2013 — a marked improvement on the $54.1 billion figure recorded last year and the $80 billion seen in 2011. Analysts attribute capital flight to a stifling investment climate in which regulators can act in a seemingly arbitrary

manner to stop profitable projects and where corruption is rife.

Other contributing factors include a lack of sufficient court independence and the excruciatingly cumbersome business registration process.

But Russia’s central bank has recently noted that a lot of the cash was leaving Russia illegally through illicit cash operations and other “dubious” schemes.

Outgoing bank chief Ignatyev in February put the illegal capital flight figure for 2012 at $49 billion-equivalent to 2.5 percent of Russia’s gross domestic product.

He added that some of the money involved “payments for deliveries of drugs, (illegal) shipments, bribes and paybacks to officials.” Nabiullina yesterday called capital outflows “a huge problem”. —AFP

Gulf Bank wins ‘Best Retail Customer Service’ award The Banker Middle East honor

Gulf Insurance partners with ‘Thamin Kuwait 2013 Encyclopedia’ KUWAIT: Gulf Insurance, the leading company in providing insurance services in Kuwait and the Middle East, announced its participation through the first edition of ‘Thamin Kuwait 2013 Encyclopedia’. The encyclopedia, published by ‘ Thamin Voluntary’ this month under the auspices of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Gulf Insurance said its participation comes as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility program and its efforts to encourage young Kuwaiti people, while contributing to the development in the country.

Gulf Insurance added that its participation reflects its efforts to support the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for supporting young people. The company constantly seeks opportunities to motivate young Kuwaiti talents and to encourage the future leaders of our country.

The encyclopedia, which will be issued under the title ‘Thamin Kuwait’, will include 100 young Kuwaitis who have excelled in various areas so a form of documentation and reference. The encyclopedia will also be available online and distributed to various bodies, institutions and.

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has announced that it has received the ‘Best Retail Customer Service’ award in the region from Banker Middle East, the region’s leading banking industry magazine. Winners were chosen by a panel of industry experts drawn from international rating agencies and some of the region’s leading financial centers.

The ‘Best Retail Customer Service in the Region’ award underlines the high quality of Gulf Bank’s customer service through its ‘We Promise’ program when compared to other banks across the region.

The close relationship the Bank enjoys with its clients, and the gradual expansion of its network to 56 branches, operating throughout Kuwait, is a testament to the success of its customer-centric approach.

Gulf Bank launched it’s ‘ We Promise’ program in 2011, making five promises - guaranteed, to its customers: to deliver their Gulf Bank cards the same day; to disburse their loan the same day; to finance their dream car the same day; to deposit their salary early morning; and to keep queuing time below 10 minutes.

Michel Accad, Gulf Bank’s Chief

Executive Officer said: “It’s a great accomplishment and honor for Gulf Bank to receive this prestigious award and the recognition it represents. We are proud of our

cial products and services.

“Gulf Bank would not have this award, were it not for the commitment and hard work of the whole Gulf Bank team. I thank the Banker

levels of customer ser vice and innovation across a range of sectors, from basic banking products to high-end investment services.

The awards were established to set

reputation for excellent customer service but we also know we can’t be complacent; we must continually seek to exceed customers’ expectations, in terms of innovation and uniquely designed finan-

Middle East judging panel for this award.”

The Banker Middle East Awards are held each year to recognize businesses in the region that have excelled in providing exceptional

the highest benchmarks for the industr y. The award’s panel of judges nominates banks and financial organizations that have shown outstanding improvement and success over the past 12 months.

ADB warns of risks to Asia’s rebound Growth may inch up to 6.7% in 2014

Malabar Gold & Diamonds opens its showroom in Andheri West Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one of the world’s leading jewelry retailers, opened its first store in Mumbai at New Link Road, Andheri West.

The much awaited showroom was inaugurated by prominent Bollywood actress Hema Malini in the esteemed presence of Malabar Group Chairman Ahammed and company directors. The new showroom is part of the 40 new outlets planned by the group across the country this year. The highlight of the event was the presence of Hema Malini- the dream girl of Indian cinema, and yesteryears’ top actress who has been the brand ambassador since 2006.

The store’s interiors were innovatively designed with gleaming glass cases and designer brands on display. With beautiful design elements, the store will showcase an exquisite range of the exclusive brands of Malabar Gold & Diamonds such as Divine Indian Heritage Jewellery, Era - Uncut Diamond Jewellery, Mine - Diamond jewellery, Ethnix - Handcrafted designer Jewellery, Starlet - Kid’s Jewellery and Precia - Precious Gem Jewellery.

“We are happy to inaugurate our flagship showroom in Andheri West which is a shopping destination in Mumbai. This showroom in Mumbai is the group’s first outlet in Maharashtra and 87th worldwide. This opening is part of our 2013 plan to strengthen our retail presence across various parts of the country. The company plans to increase its worldwide retail network and is targeting to have 220 stores by the year 2015,” said MP Ahammed, Chairman, Malabar Group.

“I am delighted to be here as part of the inauguration of the First showroom of Malabar Gold &Diamonds in Mumbai. Every Malabar Gold & Diamonds opening has been special for me and the response from jewelry lovers for Malabar Gold & Diamonds fills me with immense pride. I have been a part of

Malabar Gold & Diamonds for over 6 years now and I feel extremely honored to be associated with this global jewelry retail chain,” said Brand Ambassador, actress HemaMalini.

Being the first day of the store, first sale of each article and brand was done by a renowned personality. The first sale of jewelry was received by Padmavibushan Capt Krishnan Nair, Chairman Emeritus and Founder Chairman, The Leela Group from Hema Malini.

“It is our pleasure to open our first showroom in Mumbai. We are looking forward to delight the residents of Mumbai with our exquisite collections of jewelry in gold, diamond and platinum. The launch of this showroom is a stepping stone to our entry into the western region of India,” said O Asher, Group Executive Director, Malabar Group.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds sell only BIS Hallmarked 916 Gold, IGI Certified diamond jewellery, and PGI certified platinum jewellery.

All products come with a detailed and transparent price tag with details like gross weight, stone weight, making charge, stone charge and net weight. This enables the customers to understand the product pricing easily and on their own. Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ valueadded services include lifelong free maintenance, one-year free insurance coverage and buyback guarantee for all its ornaments. The jeweler’s ‘Gold purchase scheme’ enables its customer to book gold on a monthly basis and to hedge against rising gold prices. The booking will carry an additional bonus benefit when the customers buy the ornaments.

Malabar Gold and Diamonds is also expanding its footprints across other Indian states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and NCR Region, UP and Punjab. Apart from Gulf countries, they are also looking at expansion in South Asia, other parts of Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, Europe and America.

HONG KONG: Economic growth in developing Asia is picking up, underpinned by China’s rebound and strength in countries such as Indonesia, the Asian Development Bank said in a report yesterday, while warning that political disputes pose an increased threat to growth.

The Manila-based lender’s 2013 Asian Development Outlook said some big dangers to regional growth have faded, such as the possibility of the euro common currency breaking up or a “US fiscal shock” stemming from brinkmanship over the debt ceiling in the world’s biggest economy. But it said that “political risks are emerging as the main threats to the region’s continued robust growth.” Political disputes are “calling into question the ability of authorities to find compromise solutions to nagging fiscal problems in the US, deepening austerity fatigue in the euro area and simmering border disputes in Asia.” Over the past year, several Asia nations have been roiled by territorial disputes, including a high-profile row between China and Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea. The ADB said developing Asia, which includes giant emerging economies such as China, India and Indonesia, will expand 6.6 per-

cent this year, unchanged from its previous forecast in December. Growth is forecast to inch higher to 6.7 percent in 2014. The region grew 6.1 percent in 2012, Developing Asia includes 45 developing or newly industrialized countries in Asia and the Pacific but excludes Japan.

The ADB said inflation would tick higher but would be kept in check, with consumer prices rising by 4 percent this year and 4.2 percent in 2014, up from 3.7 percent in 2012. The report warned policymakers to keep an eye on rising prices because as growing factory output eliminates slack in production capacity, “loose monetary policy risks reigniting inflation.” China’s economy, the world’s second biggest, will expand 8.2 percent this year after growing 7.8 percent in 2012, driven by strong domestic consumption and investment. The forecasts are both 0.1 percentage point higher than the ADB’s December prediction. China is rebounding from its deepest slump since the 2008 global crisis though analysts warn recovery will be shaky. China’s growth rate will ease to 8 percent in 2014 as authorities bring in policies aimed at reducing pollution and reducing the gap between rich and poor, the ADB said. —AP

Gulf Bank appoints Vikram Issar as GM Consumer Banking KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has announced the appointment of Vikram Issar as General Manager of Consumer Banking, who joined the Bank in March 2013.

Issar was previously with Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore where he was Chief Operating Officer for Products and Segments and Consumer Finance.

Prior to that, Issar was the Head of the Consumer Bank in Thailand, and before that in Bangladesh. He brings with him 22 years of managerial experience in banking, with a broad range of experience in a number of different Asian markets, including Singapore, Thailand, Bangladesh and India.

Michel Accad, Gulf Bank’s Chief Executive Officer said: “In his previVikram Issar ous role, Vikram delivered excellent results in revenue growth and performance.

His experience in the consumer banking industry will be very welcome as we continue to grow in this sector while we strive to provide customers with the best financial solutions. We welcome him to the Gulf Bank family and we are certain he will be a valuable asset to the retail banking team.”

ADB sees India growth picking up to 6% NEW DELHI: Domestic consumption could boost India’s slowing economy to 6 percent growth this year, but the country may still fail to reach that level if it does not follow through on reforms to encourage investment, the Asian Development Bank said yesterday.

High inflation, a key concern that is hampering India’s scope to jump start the economy with lower interest rates, is forecast to ease to 7.2 percent this year from 7.5 percent last year, the ADB’s Asian Development Outlook said. The growth forecast is an improvement over disappointing numbers last year but still far short of what Asia’s third-largest economy needs to create enough jobs for its huge, youthful population.

Just a few years ago, India was seen as a rising economic power that could even rival China, with its economy expanding at rates of over 9 percent. However, growth last year slowed to its lowest rate in a decade, estimated by the government at 5 percent.

The slowing growth has been paired with persistently high inflation. High prices, especially for food, limit the central bank’s scope to

reduce interest rates, although the Reserve Bank of India last month made its second cut this year to a key lending rate.

A population of 1.2 billion makes India a potentially blockbuster market. The ADB said in its forecast that domestic consumption, led by increased agricultural wages plus the prospect of exports reviving along with the global economy, will likely give a boost to India’s economy this year.

But that consumer demand is offset by increasingly hesitant investment blamed on regulatory snarls, overburdened infrastructure, laws limiting foreign investment in certain sectors and widespread corruption. India ranks a low 132 out of 195 countries on the World Bank’s annual ease of doing business survey.

More than half of India’s population is under 30 years old and some 13 million Indians reach working age each year. India’s finance ministry estimates the country needs at least 8 percent growth each year to create enough new jobs.

The ADB said GDP growth has the potential to reach 6 percent this year and 6.5 percent in 2014, but only if it takes steps to attract more

foreign investment.

“Revival of investment is extremely critical to return to a path of 8-plus percent growth,” said ADB senior economist Abhijit Sengupta.

“However the recent data does not show this is going to happen immediately,” he said. “Data from last year shows there is continuous downward trend in the announcement of new projects and an increase in the amount of shelved projects.”

The government recently has sought to encourage foreign investment through reforms in September including allowing more foreign investment in retail, aviation, broadcasting and insurance.

Those measures have already sparked a recent bump in investor interest. Malaysia’s AirAsia in February announced a budget airline joint venture with India’s Tata conglomerate. Swedish retail giant IKEA is moving ahead with plans to open dozens of stores across the country after the government relaxed restrictions on foreign retailers. Critics said the long-delayed arrival of foreignowned big box retailers would damage Indian small businesses.

However, Sengupta said India must open up further if it hopes to

regain its previous high rate of growth. “These are only the first steps towards improving the investment climate. It is pretty clear that further reforms are required to turn the investment cycle around,” he said.

Among the next reforms under consideration by the government are easing restrictions on foreign investment in India’s insurance industry and pension funds. Both are now capped at 26 percent, and the proposal is to raise that to 49 percent, which could result in billions of dollars of new investment, according to the ADB’s principal economist Rana Hasan.

A land acquisition bill that would ease the regulatory burdens for building roads, factories and other projects also is crucial in removing barriers to improving infrastructure and encouraging both domestic and foreign investment, he said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week promised a group of prominent Indian business leaders that the government would cut red tape and invest in badly needed infrastructure such as electricity and transport. He urged business leaders not to succumb to a “mood of negativism.” —AP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

BUSINESS

US airline complaints take off Can flyers fight back?

WASHINGTON: Consumer complaints against US airlines rose sharply in 2012, even as the carriers claimed a better record of on-time arrivals and luggage handling. Those disparate findings, from a report released on Monday, highlight the continuing tug of war between an industry struggling to find ways to make money and a traveling public often unhappy with those choices.

The Airline Quality Rating Report, produced by professors at Purdue and Wichita State Universities, found that even though airlines lost bags or arrived late less frequently, complaints from consumers rose by more than 20 percent from 2011. Of 11,445 complaints lodged with the US Department of Transportation against airlines flying

domestically, about 62 percent were in the following categories: flight problems, reservation, ticketing and boarding problems, or customer service problems. The report noted big increases in complaints about reservations, ticketing and boarding - up about 58 percent in 2012 to 1,668 complaints from 1,058 - and customer service, where complaints rose some 44 percent to 1,634 from 1,132.

At the same time, 81.8 percent of flights were on time in 2012 compared with 80 percent in 2011 and mishandled bag complaints declined to 3.07 incidents per 1,000 passengers in 2012 from 3.35 in 2011. An airline analyst says it makes sense that people are going to be unhappy with the airlines today. “As the industry continues to consoli-

date, capacity is rationalized and reduced, seats are packed closer and closer together and load factors get higher and higher. The travel experience becomes punishing,” says Robert Mann of R W Mann & Company, an airline industry analysis and consulting company. “Add fees for services previously considered part of the bargain and you have the recipe for discontent.”The study highlighted the growing incidences of “bumping,” when a passenger shows up at the airport and finds out his seat has been sold to someone else. The number of flyers subject to “involuntary denied boarding,” rose about 17 percent to nearly one in every 10,000. Passengers are bumped when a flight is over booked and the airline has to move them to a different flight. The

report is based on data collected by the DOT. Virgin America, included in the survey for the first time, received the highest quality ranking, followed by JetBlue Airways Corp and AirTran Airways. At the bottom of the 14-airline survey was United Airlines, where the rate of customer complaints almost doubled to 4.24 per 100,000 in 2012 from 2.21 per 100,000 passengers in 2011. A United spokesman defended the airline.

“United’s operations improved significantly in the fall of 2012 and we continue to meet or exceed our on-time standards and set new records for performance,” spokesman Charles Hobart says. “Customer satisfaction is up, complaints are down dramatically and we are improving our customers’ experience ...” —Reuters

Brazil’s weak trade balance data shows signs of recovery BRASILIA: Brazil’s trade balance has worsened considerably this year, but a sudden jump in the import of capital goods points to a coming recovery in industrial production as businesses invest in new machinery to drive Latin America’s largest economy.

Foreign Trade Secretary Tatiana Prazeres said the almost 12 percent increase in capital goods imports to $56 billion in the first quarter, compared to the same period last year, is reason to be optimistic about the Brazilian economy. “The increase in these purchases is an important signal of the future trend of economic activity,” Prazeres told Reuters in an interview in Brasilia.

The rise in imports of machinery and auto parts did not come at the expense of local production of capital goods, which also rose in the quarter, a further sign that industrial output may be responding to the series of stimulus measures that President Dilma Rousseff ’s government has applied to reignite solid growth in the once-booming economy.

For more than a year the Rousseff administration has cut interest rates, granted tax breaks, opened up infrastructure concessions to private entrepreneurs and granted billions of dollars in cheap loans to help local businesses. The results have been mixed, to say the least. Recent economic indicators show that the recovery remains uneven, with domestic demand still strong but private investment remaining anemic. This has been the main drag on an economy that slowed sharply to 0.9 percent growth in GDP last year from red-hot expansion of 7.5 percent in 2010.

The trade balance has also disappointed, with a deficit of $5.15 billion in the first three months of the year compared to a surplus of $2.42 billion the previous year.

But Prazeres says she is confident the surpluses will come back soon as the deficit is largely due to a surge in fuel imports last year that were tallied in this year’s balance.

A record harvest of soy and corn will also help clear the distortions caused by the change in accounting methods by the country’s tax agency. In the first week of April, Brazil scored a trade surplus of $311 million.

More importantly the increase in capital goods imports signals companies are starting to invest more. “It’s very positive to have more capital goods because that points to the recovery of the industrial output, higher investment and better prospects for Brazilian exports of manufactured products,” Prazeres said.

Sectors buying capital goods range from automakers and miners to information technology companies, she said. In the fourth quarter, investment in Brazil rose 0.5 percent, snapping a string of four straight quarterly declines, but still very weak in overall figures when compared to other emerging market giants. Investment in Brazil equals about 18 percent of its gross domestic product, well below that of fellow BRICS China and India that hover around 45 percent and 35 percent, respectively.

Massive investment in rapidly growing China and India means more opportunities for Brazilian exporters that go beyond the sale of traditional products like soy beans, corn and beef.

Prazeres said the BRICS, a group that includes China, India, Russia and South Africa, offer non-traditional markets that are a perfect destination for Brazil’s manufactured goods.

“The BRICS have phenomenal potential,” she said. “These are countries with large populations, a rising middle class and a promising consumer market that offer Brazil good opportunities.”

Trade between BRICS - that make up more than 40 percent of the world’s population and a fifth of global GDP - has for years been marred by overdependence on the sale of raw materials to fast-growing China, mainly iron ore and soy in Brazil’s case.

However, Brazilian businesses are starting to go beyond the sale of commodities and are beginning to sell more value added products to China, including machinery, water purifiers and wine, she said.

“China is the biggest buyer of Brazilian wine now,” Prazeres said. “You are starting to see Brazilian companies from different sectors finding their space in the Chinese market.” —Reuters

Brent rises above $105 on mild China inflation CHENNAI: Brent crude futures rose above $105 per barrel yesterday after data showed China’s inflation in March was slower than expected, giving it room to keep monetary policy easy and supportive of oil demand in the world’s second-biggest consumer.

Oil prices were also underpinned by worries over increasing tension in North Korea and a stalemate in talks between Iran and Western nations. “The softer-than-expected inflation is supportive to oil markets,” said Ben Le Brun, a market analyst at OptionsXpress in Sydney. “As the potential to tighten policy may now be on the back burner, this is more of a short-term relief.”

Front-month Brent futures rose 40 cents to $105.06 per barrel by 0644 GMT, after moving in a $2-range and finishing 0.5 percent higher in a choppy session on Monday.

US crude futures rose 20 cents to $93.56 per barrel. Brent may trade between $103 and $110 per barrel in coming weeks, LeBrun added. The contract has a good chance of breaking a resistance at $105.38, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said. China’s annual consumer inflation eased to 2.1 percent in March from February’s 3.2 percent while producer price deflation deepened, data showed yesterday. The data is likely to reduce the anxiety building among some investors that China’s policymakers may begin tightening monetary conditions early in the recovery cycle, especially amid concerns of a bubble in the property market.

Other data from China pointing to a moderate recovery may help to mitigate demand worries from the West that followed weaker than expected US jobs numbers and problems in Europe. Still, global oil demand is expected to pick up from the third quarter, analysts say.

The Brent-WTI spread which has narrowed to about $11 from $23 in early February, may narrow further as European concerns will weigh on Brent, while the start-up of new pipeline capacity that will alleviate a glut of crude at the Cushing, Oklahoma, hub for US oil contracts, will

keep the US crude contract well supported, analysts said. “ Worries about a potential European crisis following the recent flare -up in Cyprus, as well as the impact of austerity on activity in many of the advanced economies, will keep (Brent) prices somewhat contained,” National Australia Bank analysts said in a report.

“The gap between Brent and WTI prices is expected to gradually narrow over the year ahead,” the NAB analysts added. Geopolitical tensions may also keep prices elevated.

North Korea has nearly closed its last major project with its southern neighbor, fuelling speculation it will engage in some sort of provocative action-another nuclear weapons test or missile launch-in a crisis that has become one of the most serious on the peninsula since the Korean War ended in 1953. Tension has been rising since the United Nations imposed new sanctions against the North in response to its third test of a nuclear weapon in February. Pyongyang has been further angered by weeks of joint military exercises by South Korean and US forces and threatened both countries with nuclear attack. Iran’s dispute with the West over its nuclear program showed no signs of dissipating as weekend talks ended without a resolution, although Western diplomats said there were enough grounds to continue the dialogue.

“Any potential for war with North Korea, as well as the festering Iran issue, will keep a floor under the oil price,” said Le Brun. Oil markets are also awaiting key US inventory data for the week ended April 5, due on Tuesday and Wednesday. Data for the previous week had shown an inventory build last seen in 1990, dragging oil prices down to an eight-month low on Friday.

A Reuters survey of five analysts shows that crude stockpiles are expected to rise by 1.5 million barrels. Data from the American Petroleum Institute is expected yesterday, while the Energy Information Administration will release its data today. —Reuters

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

BUSINESS

Spain sees economy improving in early 2013 MADRID: Spain’s economy is faring a little better after an end-2012 slump and growth could even return by the end of 2013, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said yesterday as doubts grew over the prospects for debt-laden southern European economies. The Spanish economy had “clearly” improved from the final three months of 2012, when output plunged by 0.8 percent, De Guindos told an economic forum. The Spanish economic chief did not, however, predict an economic expansion in the first quarter of 2013.

“The first quarter of this year will be

clearly less bad than the previous quarter,” De Guindos said. Later, on the margins of the forum, he said the government expected gross domestic product to show a decline of 0.5 or 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2013, a further slight improvement in the second quarter and nearly zero growth in the third quarter. In the final three months of 2013, the government believed there was a “possibility” of positive economic growth for Spain on a quarterly basis, De Guindos said. The minister stressed, however, that his firstquarter estimate was based on incomplete data with all the figures for March

yet to come in.

Spain is immersed in a double-dip recession after failing to recover convincingly from the collapse of a decade-long property boom in 2008, an economic disaster that has sent the unemployment rate soaring to a record 26 percent. The Spanish economy, the euro-zone’s fourthlargest, contracted by 1.4 percent last year, the second worst yearly slump since 1970.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government is predicting a return to economic growth in 2014 if the country sticks to a program of cost-cutting measures

and of reforms aimed at improving economic efficiency. The government has admitted that it will have to revise its existing forecast for an economic dip of only 0.5 percent this year. The Bank of Spain is predicting a 1.5-percent plunge in output this year and only a “modest rebound” in 2014.

Doubts are growing over the prospects for southern European states that are fighting to slash deficits while their economies wallow in recession.

Portugal is preparing a new battery of spending cuts after the country’s constitutional court rejected a number of aus-

terity measures aimed at respecting the terms of its international bailout.

Spain recorded an annual public deficit equal to 7.0 percent of gross domestic product last year, missing a 6.3percent target it had agreed with the European Union. Now, the Spanish government wants Brussels to agree to relax its 2013 deficit target to about 6.0 of GDP from the previously agreed 4.5 percent, a government source said this month.

Spain also wants the European Union to agree to give it an extra year to bring its deficit to below the bloc’s ceiling of 3.0 percent of GDP, the source said. —AFP

Lew urges strong EU states to spur growth US Treasury chief meets German FM

HEFEI: Laborers working in a chemical plant in Hefei, central China’s Anhui province. China’s President Xi Jinping said on Monday, the days of “ultrahigh speed” growth in the economy — which many hope can spur a global recovery — are probably over, partly as a result of official efforts to transform the country’s growth model. —AFP

China inflation slows in March BEIJING: Inflation in China slowed faster than expected in March, official data showed yesterday, indicating that the recovery in the world’s second-largest economy is still weak. The news will allow the central People’s Bank of China to hold off tightening monetary policy further for the time being, boosting share markets, analysts said, but they warned problems remained for the economy.

China’s consumer price index (CPI) — a main gauge of inflation-came in at 2.1 percent last month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, down from 3.2 percent in February when prices spiked during the Lunar New Year holiday. Last month’s reading was lower than the median forecast of 2.4 percent in a poll of 16 economists by Dow Jones Newswires.

The easing CPI figure and a 1.9 percent fall in the producer price index, a leading indicator showing how much manufacturers are paying, underscored that recovery in China remained fragile, analysts said. “We have yet to see a surge in final demand ripple throughout the economy,” IHS Global Insight analysts Alistair Thornton and Ren Xianfang said in a research note.

“The recovery... has been largely government-driven, and has been underpinned by property froth and rampant shadow finance... This is not a healthy recovery.”

Month on month CPI fell 0.9 percent, the NBS said. In the first three months of the year inflation stood at 2.4 percent year-onyear, it added.

Food prices remained a leading driver of inflation in March, rising 2.7 percent year on year, although easing from a 6.0 percent increase in February. The cost of pork declined 5.5 percent from a year ago, apparently as consumers turned away from the meat after more than 16,000 dead pigs were found in a river that flows through Shanghai. The scandal highlighted China’s troubles with food safety, adding the country’s most popular meat to a growing list of food items rocked by controversy.

China has set its inflation target for this year at 3.5 percent, lower than last year’s goal of 4.0 percent but higher than the final rate for 2012, which stood at 2.6 percent.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch economists said they expect inflation to remain below 3.0 percent before mid-year, adding that concerns were overdone after price rises hit a 10-month high in February. “Calling for imminent monetary tightening in the past month also turns out to be premature as inflation pressure is not high, growth momentum is not strong and external conditions are still volatile,” said Lu Ting and Zhi Xiaojia in a report.

Beijing is expected to keep its monetary policy neutral in the first half of this year after an easing in the last six months of 2012 to boost growth, they said. Traders welcomed the data, with the Shanghai composite index 0.44 percent higher and Hong Kong up 0.92 percent.

Chinese shares have suffered in recent months owing to concerns about the world’s number two economy, while the recent spike in inflation fuelled expectations the government would tighten monetary policy to prevent runaway prices.

Inflation is a key issue for the ruling Communist Party as it brings with it the risk of popular discontent and the threat of social unrest.

The Chinese economy grew at its slowest pace in 13 years in 2012, with gross domestic product expanding 7.8 percent in the face of weakness at home and in key overseas markets. Its target for 2013 is 7.5 percent, the same as last year. China’s President Xi Jinping said Monday the days of “ultrahigh speed” growth in the economy-which many hope can spur a global recovery-are probably over, partly as a result of official efforts to transform the country’s growth model.

Chinese leaders have repeatedly vowed to retool the economy to emphasize consumer demand as the key growth driver rather than investment and exports. —AFP

France dodges recession despite anemic growth PARIS: France’s central bank forecast yesterday that the euro-zone’s second-biggest economy narrowly averted a recession in the first quarter, though business and trade date painted a picture of a still struggling economy.

The Bank of France estimated that the 2trillion-euro economy posted growth of 0.1 percent in the first three months of the year, unchanged from its previous call. If confirmed by official data due in May, the figure would mean France sidestepped what would have been its third recession since the 2008-2009 financial crisis after contracting by 0.3 percent in the final quarter of 2012.

Nonetheless, the central bank’s monthly business climate survey, which the forecast was based on, suggested the outlook for growth remains anemic, with manufacturing and services companies reporting weaker activity in March. The survey found industry sentiment slipped further away from its long-term average of 100 to 93 from 95 in February while its services sentiment index slipped to 88 from 89, hitting its lowest level since July 2009.

Companies are suffering from slumping domestic demand because consumers are

cautious about spending with an unemployment rate to 10.6 percent, the highest in more than a decade.

Foreign demand is not picking up the slack. Customs data published yesterday showed the trade deficit widened to 6 billion euros ($7.81 billion) in February, the widest gap between exports and imports since June 2012.

The trade deficit, one of the starkest symbols of France’s declining international competitiveness, worsened as exports dropped 1.9 percent month-on-month and imports fell 0.8 percent.

President Francois Hollande’s Socialist government has cut its 2013 growth forecast to about 0.1 percent from a previous target of 0.8 percent due to the gloomy outlook. Most private economists consider France will be lucky to post any growth at all this year. The feeble growth rate, which has forced the government to abandon a pledge to cut the public deficit to 3 percent of output this year, is increasingly straining public finances. Monthly budget data also published yesterday showed the deficit widened faster in February than a year ago as weak economic activity weighed on tax revenues. —Reuters

BERLIN: US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew urged Europe’s strongest economies to help spur growth, after talks with his German counterpart here yesterday, as part of a tour of euro-zone capitals. Lew told a joint press conference with Wolfgang Schaeuble that “the driver for economic growth will be consumer demand”, and added: “Policies that would help to encourage consumer demand in countries that have the capacity would be helpful”.

The Treasury chief, on his first European trip since taking over the post from Tim Geithner in February, reiterated remarks made in Brussels on Monday that the US had an “immense stake in a strong and prosperous Europe”. He told reporters in Europe’s top economy that Schaeuble and his team had been “working very hard to address Europe’s financial challenges and to make Europe more resilient”.

“As we continue to address many of our long term challenges, our economy’s strength remains sensitive to events beyond our shores,” Lew said.

EU leaders have struggled to chart a consistent path marrying German-led demands for austerity with calls to invest for growth, a subject set to feature when G20 leaders gather in Russia later this year.

However Schaeuble told reporters that “nobody in Europe sees this contradiction between consolidation and growth”. For his part, asked whether faster fiscal consolidation in the United States would be helpful to the euro-zone, the German minister stressed that European countries had enough on their plate working together on a common position. “We in Europe have enough ourselves to explain why Europe is as it is,” Schaeuble said. Lew said his talks with Schaeuble had also covered EU plans for a banking union, a

measure aimed at helping to ward off future financial turbulence that has rocked the euro-zone over the last three years.

A banking union is “critical to ensuring the long term stability of the euro area,” Lew commented.

came a day after talks in Brussels and Frankfurt and ahead of a meeting in Paris later yesterday with French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici. He is also set to meet Italian Finance Minister Vittorio Grilli. During his talks in Brussels

BERLIN: German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble (left) and US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew pose for photographers during a press conference yesterday in Berlin. Lew urged countries with the “capacity” to help spur growth, after talks with his German counterpart. —AFP On steps to combat tax evasion, Schaeuble said that the issue would be an important topic for discussion at an International Monetary Fund meeting next week. “We are working in the same direction,” he said. Lew’s meeting with Schaeuble

with top EU officials, including EU President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso, Lew stressed the US’s major interest in Europe’s recovery and reform efforts. —AFP

US economy ‘still far’ from desired state: Bernanke

BUCHAREST: Employees of chemical company OLTCHIM blow vuvuzelas during a protest in the front of Romanian Government headquarters in Bucharest yesterday. The plant of the second-biggest producer of chemicals and plastics in eastern Europe, was forced to shut down due to a cash crunch. Romania had promised the IMF and the EU to sell Oltchim. — AFP

Saudi firm set to buy out Indian partner DUBAI: Saudi Arabian family firm Dabbagh Group is in the advanced stages of buying out its Indian partner’s stake in a lubricant venture in the kingdom, a deal prompted by strategy differences between the partners, three sources aware of the matter said.

Jeddah-based Petromin is a joint venture between Gulf Oil International Group - a unit of family-owned Hinduja which owns a 49-percent stake, and Dabbagh with a majority 51 percent stake.

The strategic differences over the business, which sources say is valued at about $700 million, prompted Hinduja Group to hire Deutsche Bank last year to help review options, including a potential sale. Dabbagh Group, which has interests in food, real estate and automobile services among others, is partly financing the purchase through debt and has decided not to engage another party in the venture for the time being, one of the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter is not public.

“It’s pretty much a done deal now and they are waiting for some formal processes before signing it. Petromin is a profitable business and it makes sense for the Saudi family to keep it within the group,” the source said. The sources were not aware of the valuation of the stake being bought. A Hinduja Group spokesman in Mumbai declined to comment. Petromin did not respond to an email request seeking comment, while Dabbagh Group could not immediately be reached for comment.

The deal highlights the challenges faced by

international investors in the largest Gulf Arab economy where relationships with influential local partners and government can determine the eventual fate of businesses. On Monday, Malaysian construction firm MMC Corp Bhd said the Saudi government had terminated the rights of its joint venture with Saudi Binladin Group to develop the $30 billion Jazan Economic City in Saudi Arabia.

Another Saudi family conglomerate, Alhamrani Group, was considering the sale of its approximate two-thirds stake in a lubricant joint venture with Germany’s Fuchs Petrolub, sources told Reuters in May last year. Petromin, the oldest lubricant company in the Middle East and formed by royal decree in 1968, makes more than 150 lubricant products and exports to over 35 countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, according to its website.

Dabbagh Group and Gulf Oil International Group paid $200 million to buy Petromin in 2007 from a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Mobil Investments, an ExxonMobil affiliate.

In 2010, Hinduja said it was planning a $1 billion initial public offering for Petromin and had hired Saudi British Bank to run the process.

Hinduja said at the time Petromin had a production capacity of 300,000 metric tons for lubricants and greases combined. The IPO plans did not go ahead.

The Hinduja Group, which has interests across banking, media, power and automobiles in India, has a sizeable presence in the Gulf including Hinduja Bank in Dubai. —Reuters

WASHINGTON: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Monday that the US economy still has far to go to recover to an acceptable state of health. “Today the economy is significantly stronger than it was four years ago, although conditions are clearly still far from where we would all like them to be,” he said.

The statement, made in a speech on banking in Stone Mountain, Georgia, came as economists and investors seek signs on whether the US central bank is ready to tighten up its easy-money policy aimed at holding long-term interest rates down. Since December the Fed has stuck to its ultra-low rates and its $85 billion per month QE or “quantitative easing” bond purchase program, despite economic indicators that led many to believe the economy is picking up speed.

Bernanke has consistently tied the tightening of monetary policy to a substantial improvement in unemployment, with the rate currently 7.6 percent, and his statement echoed comments made in previous months that he was not satisfied with the pace of recovery.

On Friday the Labor Department reported that just 88,000 new jobs were generated in March, the slowest growth in nine months and well below the level needed just to keep the current jobless rate steady, much less lower it. At its regular policy meeting on March 20, the Fed said it remained concerned about the slow fall in joblessness and the slowing impact on the economy from tax increases launched on January 1 and deep government spending cuts instituted beginning March 1.

Despite some discussion in the FOMC’s January meeting that the QE program is increasingly risky for monetary management, Bernanke said most FOMC members had agreed that the bond purchases “continue to provide meaningful support to economic growth and job creation.”

“It’s very, very important that we act to address unemployment,” he said. The minutes from the March meeting, to be released Wednesday, could give more insight into how unified or split the panel was in that conclusion.

A few FOMC members have voiced worries that, with the Fed’s benchmark interest rate at 00.25 percent for over four years, and with other major central banks around the world pumping liquidity into their economies, that the risk of an uncontrolled burst of inflation is growing. —AFP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

BUSINESS

Ford goes further at the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour Dubai stop DUBAI: Ford is joining the Dubai stop of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour in an action-packed day at the Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, in Downtown Dubai this weekend, as one of the official sponsors. The event, under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, returns on its third year in the vibrant Emirate, on Friday, April 12.

As official automotive partner of the Middle Eastern leg of the Red Bull XFighters World Tour, Ford is featuring a number of engaging activations leading up to, and during, the event, while showcasing a dynamic array of youth appealing models including the Built Ford Tough and highly capable F-150 SVT Raptor trucks, the adrenaline-packed Focus ST and Mustang GT, the high-performance Edge Sport, as well as the twin turbo charged Explorer Sport.

Paul Anderson, Ford Middle East’s Regional Marketing director said: “We’re excited to partner with Red Bull to bring the X Fighters back to Dubai this year.

This is a great platform for us to show-

case the hottest Ford models and the Built Ford Tough trucks while engaging the youth with the latest and coolest technologies that Ford offers today.

“Fans of Red Bull X-Fighters will be delighted with the multiple activities we’ve got lined up for them. The public will get a chance to test their mettle in racing via remote-controlled races and action-packed simulator rides, which not only will get them to win some really cool prizes but will give a lucky winner and his friends to experience an exclusive VIP front seat right where the action is at the track,” Anderson added.

Ford action all the way Red Bull X-Fighters fans can join Ford’s activation area at the Burj Khalifa steps to score the fastest time for the remote controlled F-150 Raptor off road track. One lucky winner will win an exclusive seat for him and his friends right on the track where they can witness and live the adrenaline-packed stunts from the back of an F-150 Raptor.

Ford Middle East followers on Twitter have a chance to win exciting prizes if they spot the Red Bull X-Fighters F-150

trucks roaming around Dubai leading up to the event day, or even win tickets by tweeting back answers to the daily challenges.

During the day of the event, fans can experience the thrills of an off-roading experience with the Ford F-150 Raptor simulator ride which will allow the top score holder to walk away with a cool F150 Raptor remote controlled unit.

Besides catching some really cool photographs and get the chance to win a Ford Mustang for the weekend, Red Bull XFighters fans visiting the Ford activation area will get to check out first-hand the latest Ford product range featuring the highly-acclaimed Ford Mustang GT, the hottest hot hatch in town, the Focus ST, together with the high performance Ford Edge Sport as well as the twin-turbo-charged Explorer Sport featuring Ford’s powerful EcoBoost engine technology.

But perhaps one of the coolest shows, besides the Red Bull X-Fighters stunts to be expected that day, is a not-to-be missed drifting session with Abdul Hadi Qahtani, Captain of the Al-Jazirah Ford

Racing Team, as he brings the roar of500hp down to the ground in his mean Mustang RTR-D. Qahtani, holder of 15 regional drifting titles is set to deliver

Dubai hosts ASTA’s Int’l Destination Expo 2013 Strategy to raise N American visitors to city DUBAI: The world’s largest association of travel professionals arrived in Dubai this weekend as part of DTCM’s continuing strategy to increase the amount of visitors to the city from the North American market.

The International Destination Expo (IDE) is the annual gathering of The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), an association of 8000 United States based members and 950 international affiliates. Held in a different global city each year, IDE is a platform for ASTA’s members to experience the destination for themselves,

build a contact network of local suppliers and ultimately be in a knowledgeable and strategic position to promote and sell the destination to their clients.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM),commented: “North America is our 4th biggest source market for tourism, with almost 600,000 people from the United States, Canada and Mexico visiting Dubai in 2012. However, there is a huge opportunity to grow this market, with many Americans

unaware of Dubai’s tourism offer, let alone it being part of their consideration process when planning overseas holidays or business trips.

“The expansion of the Emirates Airline network in North America in recent years means that the market is now extremely well connected with Dubai. DTCM’s office in the region is focused on educating the supply chain to help fill those planes with travellers to our city.

Hosting ASTA’s International Destination Expo is a key part of this strategy - there is no substitute for travel agents experiencing the city for them-

selves and it is our intention that, at the end of IDE 2013, more than 600travel agents will return home as ambassadors for Dubai, and we will see significant impact on the growth of North American visitors.”

IDE 2013 (4th-7th April) began with a glittering opening ceremony on the beach at Jumeirah Beach Hotel ahead of a weekend of seminars, meetings, tours and excursions.

Delegates met with key Dubai organizations such as Emirates Airline, Jumeirah, JW Marriott Marquis, Starwood, IHG and 24 Degrees -all of

which supported Dubai’s hosting of IDE 2013 as well as tour operators, cruise operators, restaurants, attractions and hotel brands. They also had the opportunity to experience a number of key elements of the city’s tourism offer including the creek, souks, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Museum, Bastakia, the Burj Al Arab, The Palm Jumeirah, a desert safari, and Burj Khalifa.

Zane B Kerby, President and CEO of ASTA, commented: “ASTA chose Dubai as the host city of the ASTA 2013 International Destination Expo because the city is a world renowned destination that is garnering more and more interest from US travellers. More than 600 attendees, primarily agents from the United States, are here this week to experience Dubai firsthand. By gaining local knowledge and contacts, ASTA members will be better equipped to advise their customers of Dubai’s cultural and modern attractions. Those who qualify by meeting specific education requirements will leave Dubai as 2013 ASTA Dubai Specialists.”

Founded in 1931, ASTA’s mission is to facilitate the business of selling travel through effective representation, shared knowledge and the enhancement of professionalism. With members in 140 countries, ASTA is the world’s largest and most influential travel trade association.

Jackie Friedman, President of Nexion LLC, the premier full-service host agency for independent US based travel professionals, commented: “This is a wonderful opportunity for travel agents from the United States and our international chapters to fully experience what Dubai has to offer. By attending the educational sessions, engaging with suppliers at the tradeshow and taking advantage of the optional tours provided, they will leave here with the knowledge and confidence to sell Dubai as a destination.

“As the President of a network of over 3000 travel agents in the United States, I know how valuable this type of destination immersion is and I also know it will lead to increased sales.”

Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive ultimate deal on Chevrolet vehicles KUWAIT: Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive has started the month of April with a bang: anyone can now get up to KD 750 in cash upon purchasing a brand new 2013 Chevrolet vehicle of their choice. This exclusive and limited time offer gives customers the chance to own a new Chevrolet vehicle that perfectly suits their lifestyle and budget.

Luxury lovers can benefit from this limited time promotion by choosing the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze, a car that continues to evolve into one of Chevrolet’s most impressive vehicles in its segment, offering competitive amenities, safety features and space expected of a larger sedan while still providing the efficiency and value of a compact car. Now available with the new infotainment system ‘MyLink’, the 2013 Cruze offers more value for cus-

tomers than ever. Chevrolet MyLink is the brand-new and sophisticated infotainment system, which brings smartphone capabilities into the vehicle. Chevrolet MyLink aggregates content from a smartphone onto the seven-inch, high resolution, full color touch-screen display.

Available at a range of colors, the Cruze also proves to be the economical compact sedan drive as it is powered with a 1.8-liter engine that generates an impressive 140 hp.

Another featured 2013 Chevrolet vehicle is the all-new TrailBlazer that comes in LT and LTZ trim levels.

Available in two and four-wheel-drive con-

figurations, the TrailBlazer is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine that generates 239 hp with variable valve timing matched with a 6-speed automatic transmission that delivers an optimal balance of power, performance and fuel efficiency. All these features allow for a smooth and controlled drive in rough terrain without requiring drivers to press the brake pedal.

Rethought, reshaped and redesigned, the 2013 Traverse provides its owner with a new exterior design and impressive engineering developments. The 2013 Chevrolet Traverse Comfortably seats eight passengers and equipped with

Chevrolet’s MyLink infotainment system that provides 6.5 inches of touch screen interface for all entertainment needs. Apart from allowing one to access MP3 files, iPods, iPads and more, the MyLink system seamlessly integrates a smartphone’s capabilities into the vehicle via USB or Bluetooth. The 2013 Chevrolet Traverse is equipped with 360 degree safety system which includes StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System, six standard air bags for all three rows of seating.

Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive adds the finishing touch to the ownership experience with high-quality aftersale services. With the world’s biggest and most advanced automotive service center, customers do not have to worry about their vehicles’ service and maintenance needs.

only what Mustang and muscle car fans would expect: lots of engine roar, smoke and the usual rear-wheel drive power of America’s true muscle car.

Bukhamseen: Growth across board for Warba Insurance in FY2012 Record growth in profits at 66.9% KUWAIT: “Despite the local conditions the economy went through last year, 2012 can be considered as one of our best in terms of our achievements” said Anwar Jawad Bukhamseen - Chairman of Warba Insurance Co during the Annual General Assembly (AGM) of Shareholders held yesterday at Warba Insurances HQ in downtown Kuwait City. The Chairman said that these achievements are the result of a well thought out strategy placed by the board of directors to ensure sustainable growth and proficient risk management, with a capable execution by the executive management of the company drawing on their expertise and professionalism; and that of the human resources who have lived up to the challenge and all other stakeholders such as the rating agencies who have maintained their review of our progress and clients whose loyalty has been the beacon that we follow to serve them.

The AGM that was held to approve the financial results of the FY2012, was attended by 75.85 percent of shareholders who approved all items on the agenda.

During the meeting the chairman reviewed the improvement in the key financial indicators including written premiums and the noticeable development in the risk management procedures that have maintained the solidity of the company’s financial footing in the local market, a fact that continues to drive the company forward. Bukhamseen also greatly emphasized the rating that the company received in Sept 2012 from leading ratings agency S&P (BBB) with stable outlook as an indicator of its financial standing.

Distributions During his speech Bukhamseen reviewed the performance of the past three years staring 2010, noting that the first phase of a long term strategy had been concluded and the results have been satisfactory, most important of which is the solid base that the company can mount its competitive tactics within the market with reasonable growth rates, a strategy that yields continuous positive returns for investors. The AGM approved as such a 5 percent (5 fils) distribution for FY2012 to shareholders. Bukhamssen added “A number of factors have contributed to the achievement of several of our strategic goals, which are increasing market share and competitiveness, most prominent is the rejuvenation of the infrastructure for processing insurance business in its lifecycle and expansion in the local market for retail and corporate client in a unique offering to both. Bukhamseen explained that expanding reach to clients was an important goal of the three year plan and it has been achieved by opening branches, even though the local economy was challenging to say the least, where Warba Insurance profits surpassed KD 1 million at a growth rate of 66.9 percent Y-on-Y, reflecting a growth in revenues of 33.7 percentreaching KD 11.2M Y-on-Y, with a continued emphasis on growth in all reserves both capital and technical. He also cited the company’s market share of 12 percent in addition to a rise in its reinsurance operations which all lead to an increase in assets of 11.6 percent Yon-Y to KD 97.3M, and a rise in the shareholder equity of 3.2 percent to KD 47.4M Y-on-Y. 3 years Bukhamseen in his review of the accomplishments 2010-2012 indicated that progress for the overall economy and especially the insurance industry in 2013 will be subject to the developments, both local and regional, in politics and economics. During the AGM a new board of directors was elected and includes representatives from Bukhamseen Holding, Arabiya Investment Co, Arabiya Real Estate Co and Al Baraka Al Kuwaitiya Group GTC. Flexible Planning Bukhamseen also highlighted the accomplishments of the underscored the flexible plans that the company had made to handle the different situations that may affect the market, and contingency plans placed in order to counter any stress in the economy at large, not-

ing that the company had taken the necessary actions to counter any adverse effects that may arise, and highlighting the diversity of the company’s activities to counter the effects on the bottom line from these changes.

Bukhamseen deeply thanked the outgoing board members for their commitment to the constant development of the company, emphasizing the company’s efforts to maintain health shareholder equity and returns for clients. He said even though the growth in insurance market size is modest but awareness is growing as the market size reached almost $1Bn in 2012 stressing the company’s sustainable growth model for years to come. Bukhamseen pointed out the different market tactics the executive management used to improve the financial results, in addition to the constant revisiting of risk assessment policies, many of which have been realigned to the improved market situation that he hoped would continue during the coming years.

Future Plans On the future plans for the company, the Chairman accentuated the action plan for the next phase, which is primarily geared towards advancing returns from core insurance activities and enhanced competitive offerings based on available data and the increased competition from international companies that have entered the insurance market local. He stressed that only through product development and differentiation will insurance companies be able to provide quality services to individuals and corporations. He added that increasing the network of local branches, building strategic partnerships with leading companies in the field of insurance, and studying the development of insurance businesses regionally through strategic investments is going to be the focus of the company’s in order to expand the customer base and increase the company’s market share.

Investment activities Bukhamseen stressed that the investment strategy for the company in the foreseeable future will be based on diversification of revenues streams and risk over a large geographical footprint targeting highly liquid assets for investment in order to reduce effects from market turmoil. He highlighted the results of investment from FY2012 that rose 2.1 percent Y-on-Y to KD 36.5M as the investment revenue grew to KD 1.14M. He said that the strategy as investors in the coming year was to support these investments through advice, knowledge and the establishment of partnerships in high growth markets in pursuit of the directives of the State of Kuwait that encourage regional investment. The chairman stressed that all financial transactions with partner, sister and subordinate companies are being held to the highest standards of transparency and accountability noting that these transactions will be greatly enhanced over the coming years.

Human Resources As for the development of human resources, the Chairman said that the company strives to attract and accommodate youngeligible Kuwaiti talents that are competent to enhance the management structure of the company. This led to a high retention rate of nationals in the company thus leadin to an advanced program of skill development across the company.

In conclusion the Chairman directed is praise and deep thank to HH The Amir, HH The Crown Prince, HH Prime Minister & HE Minister of Commerce & Industry for their unending support for Kuwaiti businesses, and their continuous encouragement of serious Kuwaiti businessmen, he also pointed out a bright future for all lines of business in Kuwait thanking his executive team, general staff, reinsurance partners, rating agencies clients for their continued faith in the company and its leadership.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

technology

‘Don’t despair, repair’ - keeping electronics in austerity Britain LONDON: An innovative project in London is helping people to prolong the life of their electronic devices by repairing them and encouraging others to do learn to do the same. If you’re the kind of person who owns a mobile phone held together with sticky tape, or your laptop is running more slowly every time you flip it open, the Restart Project could come in extremely handy. It brings together volunteer repairers, technology enthusiasts and engineersand says that in tough financial times it is “preparing the ground for a future economy of maintenance and repair”.

At a recent event in the hip Primrose Hill district, a steady stream of visitors-of all ages-arrived clutching computers and other broken-down items, many having heard about the service via Twitter. At tables dot-

ted around the room, repairers helped open up the devices for inspection, while on the wall, a list kept track of which problems had been solved and which had not.

“Why throw something away when you can fix it?” said photographer Jon Freeman, who walked away a happy man after having his girlfriend’s laptop fixed.

He said he only wished he had heard about the service earlier as he had recently paid Apple for a new power cord for the laptop. “It would have been simple to fixApple charge £65 ($100, 76 euros).” Diogo Castro, a Portuguese man in his 20s, was not quite so lucky with his computer, but did get some valuable advice about what was wrong. “My first idea was to get a new one straight away, but unfortunately I couldn’t because of the money, so this

project helped me a lot,” he said.

Founded in 2012, the Restart Project is the brainchild of two adoptive Londoners, Ugo Vallauri, from Italy, and Janet Gunter, a British-American. Having worked in the developing world for several years, they were frustrated by the amount of waste they saw whenever they returned to the West, and looked for a way to encourage people to repair and reuse their broken gadgets.

“Every time we’d come back here we would see people upgrading, tossing perfectly good technology, or giving up on things without even having opened them,” exclaimed Gunter. “Would you take your car to the dump when you’ve never even popped open the bonnet?” Environmental goals aside, the pair also hope the events

will help counter the feelings of “disempowerment” people may feel from understanding virtually nothing about how everyday objects work. “When something breaks, people don’t know what to do about it,” said Vallauri. “They’ve lost trust in regards to professional repairers, they are pushed by markets and advertising to always look for the next big thing. People feel this frustration and tend to just get more and more new things, as opposed to making the best use of what they already have.” The ‘Restart parties’, as they are known, offer largely free repairs for all but the biggest items.

A key plank of the project’s ethos is to promote the work of skilled local repairers, and revive some of Britain’s war-time tradition of ‘make do and mend.’ As the project

grows, Gunter and Vallauri plan to start lobbying manufacturers to design more durable and easily repairable products, and have also lead workshops with students in local schools and universities.

“When you see an 11-year-old trying to open up an old VCR, and being mesmerised when you take the top off, and learning by retro-engineering how things work, you’ll immediately have a new person that’s not going to waste electronics”, said Vallauri. Though the project only began in mid-2012, the organisers have already received numerous enquiries about replicating it elsewhere in Britain and abroad. Should it succeed, the project’s slogan of ‘Don’t despair, repair’ could one day become a mantra for upgradeweary consumers around the world. —AFP

‘World’s greatest’ chef Adria eyes digital legacy

HANOVER: An employee works on a robot at the Hannover Fair in Hanover. —AP

Robot hot among surgeons but FDA taking a new look CHICAGO: The biggest thing in operating rooms these days is a million-dollar, multi-armed robot named da Vinci, used in nearly 400,000 surgeries nationwide last year - triple the number just four years earlier. But now the high-tech helper is under scrutiny over reports of problems, including several deaths that may be linked with it and the high cost of using the robotic system. There also have been a few disturbing, freak incidents: a robotic hand that wouldn’t let go of tissue grasped during surgery and a robotic arm hitting a patient in the face as she lay on the operating table.

Is it time to curb the robot enthusiasm? Some doctors say yes, concerned that the “wow” factor and heavy marketing have boosted use. They argue that there is not enough robust research showing that robotic surgery is at least as good or better than conventional surgeries. Many US hospitals promote robotic surgery in patient brochures, online and even on highway billboards. Their aim is partly to attract business that helps pay for the costly robot.

The da Vinci is used for operations that include removing prostates, gallbladders and wombs, repairing heart valves, shrinking stomachs and transplanting organs. Its use has increased worldwide, but the system is most popular in the United States. “We are at the tip of the iceberg. What we thought was impossible 10 years ago is now commonplace,” said Dr Michael Stifelman, robotic surgery chief at New York University’s Langone Medical Center.

For surgeons, who control the robot while sitting at a computer screen rather than standing over the patient, these operations can be less tiring.

Plus robot hands don’t shake. Advocates say patients sometimes have less bleeding and often are sent home sooner than with conventional laparoscopic surgeries and operations involving large incisions.

But the Food and Drug Administration is looking into a spike in reported problems during robotic surgeries. Earlier this year, the FDA began a survey of surgeons using the robotic system. The agency conducts such surveys of devices routinely, but FDA spokeswoman Synim Rivers said the reason for it now “is the increase in number of reports received” about da Vinci.

Reports filed since early last year include at least five deaths. Whether there truly are more problems recently is uncertain. Rivers said she couldn’t quantify the increase and that it may simply reflect more awareness among doctors and hospitals about the need to report problems. Doctors aren’t required to report such things; device makers and hospitals are.

It could also reflect wider use. Last year there were 367,000 robot surgeries versus 114,000 in 2008, according to da Vinci’s maker, Intuitive Surgical Inc. of Sunnyvale, California. Da Vinci is the company’s only product, and it’s the only robotic system cleared for soft-tissue surgery by the FDA. There are other robotic devices approved for neurosurgery and orthopedics, among other things.

A search for the company’s name in an FDA database of reported problems related to medical devices brings up 500 reports since Jan 1, 2012.

Many of those came from Intuitive Surgical. The reports include incidents that happened several years ago and some are duplicates. There’s also no proof any of the problems were caused by the robot, and many didn’t injure patients. Reports filed this year include: A woman who died during a 2012 hysterectomy when the surgeon-controlled robot accidentally nicked a blood vessel. A Chicago man who died in 2007 after spleen surgery. A New York man whose colon was allegedly perforated during prostate surgery. Da Vinci’s maker filed that report after seeing a newspaper article about it and said the doctor’s office declined to provide additional information.

A robotic arm that wouldn’t let go of tissue grasped during colorectal surgery on Jan 14.”We had to do a total system shutdown to get the grasper to open its jaws,” said the report filed by the hospital. The report said the patient was not injured. A robotic arm hit a patient in the face during a hysterectomy. The company filed that report, and said it is unknown if the patient was injured but that the surgeon decided to switch to an open,

more invasive operation instead.

Intuitive Surgical filed all but one of those reports. Complications can occur with any type of surgery, and so far it’s unclear if they are more common in robotic operations, but that’s part of what the FDA is trying to find out. Intuitive Surgical disputes there’s been a true increase in problems and says the rise reflects a change it made last year in the way it reports problems.

The da Vinci system “has an excellent safety record with over 1.5 million surgeries performed globally, and total adverse event rates have remained low and in line with historical trends,” said company spokeswoman Angela Wonson. But an upcoming research paper suggests that problems linked with robotic surgery are underreported. They include cases with “catastrophic complications,” said Dr. Martin Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon who co-authored the paper.

“The rapid adoption of robotic surger ... has been done by and large without the proper evaluation,” Makary said. The da Vinci system, on the market since 2000, includes a three- or four-armed robot that surgeons operate with hand controls at a computer system located several feet away from the patient. They see inside the patient’s body through a tiny video camera attached to one of the long robot arms.

The other arms are tipped with tiny surgical instruments. Robotic operations are similar to conventional laparoscopy, or “keyhole” surgery, which involves small incisions and camera-tipped instruments controlled by the surgeon’s hands, not a robot. Almost 1,400 US hospitals - nearly 1 out of 4 have at least one da Vinci system. Each one costs about $1.45 million, plus $100,000 or more a year in service agreements.

The most common robotic operations include prostate removal - about 85 percent of these operations in the US are done with the robot. Da Vinci also is often used for hysterectomies, Wonson said.

Makary says there’s no justification for the skyrocketing increase in robotic surgery, which he attributes to aggressive advertising by the manufacturer and hospitals seeking more patients. He led a study published in 2011 that found 4 in 10 US hospitals promoted robotic surgery on their websites, often using wording provided by the manufacturer.

Some of the claims exaggerated the benefits or had misleading, unproven claims, the study said.

Stifelman, the Langone surgeon, said it makes sense for hospitals to promote robotic surgery and other new technology to, but that it doesn’t mean that it’s the right option for all patients. “It’s going to be the responsibility of the surgeon ... to make sure the patient knows there are lots of options,” and to discuss the risks and benefits, he said.

His hospital expects to do more than 1,200 robotic surgeries this year, versus just 175 in 2008.

For a few select procedures that require operating in small, hard-to-reach areas, robotic surgery may offer advantages over conventional methods, Makary said. Those procedures include head and neck cancer surgery and rectal surgery. Some surgeons say the robotic method also has advantages for weight-loss surgery on extremely obese patients, whose girth can make hands-on surgery challenging.

“At the console, the operation can be performed effectively and precisely, translating to superior quality,” said Dr Subhashini Ayloo, a surgeon at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System in Chicago. Ayloo, who uses the da Vinci robot, last year began a study on the effectiveness of doing robotic obesity surgery in patients who need a kidney transplant. Some hospitals won’t do transplants on obese patients with kidney failure because it can be risky. In the study, robotic stomach-shrinking surgery and kidney transplants are done simultaneously. Patients who get both will be compared with a control group getting only robotic kidney transplants.

“We don’t know the results, but so far it’s looking good,” Ayloo said. Aidee Diaz of Chicago was the first patient and was taken aback when told the dual operation would be done robotically. “At first you would get scared. Everybody says, ‘A robot?’

But in the long run that robot does a lot of miracles,” said Diaz, 36. She has had no complications since her operation last July, has lost 100 pounds and says her new kidney is working well. —AP

HONG KONG: From foie gras noodles and liquid olives to air baguettes and mimetic peanuts, much of what elBulli chef Ferran Adria and his team created in their nearly 2,000 dishes defies transcription. Two years after closing the beachside Spanish restaurant-repeatedly lauded as the world’s best by those lucky enough to have dined there-Adria says he is now focused on preserving its legacy for future generations. Widely regarded as the world’s best chef and credited with having changed culinary history by reworking familiar ingredients into unfamiliar dining experiences, Adria, 50, is now turning his attention to cyberspace.

He plans to impose a sense of chronology to food online with his “La Bullipedia” project, a curated database into which he aims to incorporate every piece of gastronomic knowledge available. Like his culinary creations, it is highly ambitious. “The thing about the Internet is that it’s not in order,” he said in an interview in Hong Kong. “We don’t have an order of what has existed in cuisine. Today you search for ‘white asparagus’ and in English you have something like 1.5 million websites. Imagine how many you get in all languages.”

Adria was in Hong Kong last week to oversee a Sotheby’s auction of wines from elBulli, while a bid of nearly $30,000 won the chance to dine with him in his hometown of Barcelona.

“I’ll probably take them to the football as well,” he joked beforehand. Another auction will take place in New York towards the end of the month. Proceeds will go to the elBulli Foundation, the chef’s new non-profit research organisation, which is set to launch next year and is aimed at further developing his trailblazing approach to cooking. At the centre of it, he says, is the La Bullipedia project, which has been backed by Telefonica Digital and is scheduled to go live in 2015.

“We are taking fundamental aspects of digital technology such as algorithms and data and applying it to food,” he wrote on the BBC website last year. “We are putting the combined knowledge of elBulli online where people can adapt and modify it, and draw inspiration from some of the most innovative recipes ever created,” he wrote. “It’s a tool that gives information and knowledge. Then the cook puts in the soul,” Adria told AFP. “Take the chocolate tart as an example,” he said. “What are the best examples of chocolate tarts that led to the tart’s evolution? To create a new concept you have to have the information.

Because if you don’t have that information, that’s when you end up copying.”

‘A way of understanding life’ Adria, who joined the kitchen staff of elBulli in 1984, rocked the world of gastronomy by

using science to “deconstruct” and rebuild food into new textures, contexts and experiences.

The Michelin three-star elBulli was open for only six months of the year. It had one daily dinner seating offering a degustation menu of some 40 small dishes at around 250 euros ($320) per head. Each year about 8,000 diners were selected from a lottery system subscribed to by more than a million.

Singapore last year. “I’m very happy to see that Spanish cuisine is getting the recognition it deserves in Asia. Tapas cuisine is very similar to Chinese cuisine, it is made to share,” Adria said.

Innovation, he says, will remain at the heart of everything he does, but it will be increasingly assisted by the power of digital technology. “The world is changing super-fast, all concepts are changing. Thanks to the Internet, systems like

HONG KONG: Spanish chef Ferran Adria poses in a restaurant in Hong Kong. —AFP Britain’s Restaurant magazine ranked elBulli number one on its list of the world’s top 50 restaurants a record five times-in 2002 when the list was first published and between 2006 and 2009. “The legacy of elBulli was a way of understanding life,” Adria told AFP. “Chefs move around so often that it will be easy to transmit this legacy around the world. They are mentors to other chefs, those chefs to others and so on.”

Indeed-part of Adria’s Hong Kong visit was also to lend his support to his protege Alain Devahive Tolosa, who spent a decade in the elBulli kitchen and also worked in its food research laboratory. Tolosa has brought his Catalunya restaurant to the city after opening in

the Michelin star will have changed completely in ten years,” he said.

Food blogs-which have come to dominate Asia’s gastronomical discourse in particular, turning diners on to new foods and giving small eateries valuable exposure-have helped fuel a democratisation of food reviews, he said.

“Bloggers are just as important as Michelin stars, especially locally. If I (one day brought a restaurant) to Hong Kong, I’d feel more confident if I had two good reviews by bloggers than a good write-up in a guide,” he said. “But at the end of the day, everyone has to try to do things well. If you perform well there can be no problem.” —AFP

Huawei looks to earn faith of United States SHENZHEN: Chinese tech giant Huawei said Monday that it hoped to “solve the challenges and problems” it has in the United States after Washington labelled it a security threat last year.

CEO Guo Ping said the firm posed no risk to the United States, which in October said it and another Chinese telecoms firm, ZTE Corp., should be barred from contracts and acquisitions, adding it “cannot be trusted” to be free of influence from Beijing.

“Since we have never sold key equipment into the United States networks, there is no possibility for Huawei to pose a security threat to the United States,” Guo told a news conference at its Shenzhen headquarters. “There has never been any incident on our products threatening the cyber security of networks,” he said, adding that Huawei products are used in more than 140 countries.

“I believe one day we could potentially solve the challenges and problems in the US,” he said, adding that this could be achieved with “the spirit of sincerity, openness and transparency”.

The United States’ distrust of Huawei stems from what is seen as an increasingly assertive China that is pouring money into building up its military and, US defence officials have warned, its ability to potentially use high-tech means to disrupt US communications or information systems.

Huawei, founded by a People’s Liberation Army engineer Ren Zhengfei in 1987, has denied any ties with the Chinese government and called the October congressional report “an exercise in China-bashing”. Ren, a secretive figure who declines media interviews, set up the firm with just a few thousand dollars and built it into a $32-billion-dollar business. It has risen to become the world’s second-largest provider of

carrier network infrastructure after Sweden’s Ericsson. Guo comments came as the firm released its full-year earnings report, which showed it enjoyed a 32.76 percent rise in net profit to 15.4 billion yuan ($2.5 billion) in 2012, while revenue grew eight percent to 220.2 billion yuan. It also said it expects compound annual growth in revenue of 10 percent over the next five years. Ren’s daughter Cathy Meng, who is Huawei chief financial officer, told reporters at the news conference she was confident of the company’s growth, attributing to its “deep inside

understanding” of the industry.

Huawei saw a jump of 7.2 percent in revenues in Asia-Pacific excluding China, a 4.3 percent increase in the Americas and a growth of 6.1 percent in Europe, Middle East and Africa. China remained the company’s biggest market, where it saw growth in revenue of 12.2 percent to 73.6 billion yuan. Huawei has been trying to boost its overseas presence including a plan to open a research and development centre in Finland, and a February deal with Microsoft to offer an affordable smartphone in Africa. —AFP

HANOVER: Visitors look at a glass bike at Scheffler’s booth at the industrial trade fair in Hanover, central Germany on April 8, 2013. The fair running from April 8 to 12, 2013 will present a cross section of key industrial technologies. —AFP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

China bird flu outbreak is ‘devastating’ poultry sales China reports another bird flu death

RIGA: This picture shows Linards Liberts selling bottled birch juice and wine at a Kalnciema street market in Riga.— AFP

Birch juice season takes Latvia by storm RIGA: As spring melts away a long winter deep in Latvia’s vast forests, the stillness is almost imperceptibly broken by a rhythmic drip, drip, drip. A small black tube protrudes from the trunk of a leafless tree growing among spruces, birches and pines. Trickling from it, into a plastic bag suspended below, is a clear, sweet, watery sap which has been one of this country’s most popular drinks for centuries. Here, late March to midApril is “berzu sula”, or “birch juice” season.

Stalls groaning with bottles full of the sap have popped up by roadsides, while top chefs tout it as an essential ingredient in Latvian nouvelle cuisine and scientists, a health wonder.

Linards Liberts, the country’s foremost birch juice expert who has revamped its rustic image, is especially enthusiastic after this year’s long and bitterly cold winter. For him, even the snowiest cloud has a silver lining.

“The colder the winter, the sweeter the juice,” says the 34-year-old. “That’s why our birch juice is so special and why you can’t get it in France or Italy - it simply doesn’t get cold enough there for long enough. We’re lucky to have such harsh winters!” As soon as the temperature hits zero, he and throngs of other birch juice fans flock to forests, or their own back gardens, to tap Latvia’s millions of birches, distinguished by their brilliant white bark.

For Liberts, this delicately sweet fluid has become the life-blood of his business. “I deal with birch juice all year round, but for these two to three weeks, I am totally obsessed!” Liberts chuckles. At his small organic farm in the central Latvian town of Ikskile, his cellar would make any French winery proud. But instead of fermenting grape juice, it is stacked full of his birch juice products: still and sparkling syrup, lemonade and schnapps, all elegantly-bottled and premium-priced.

“I have only around 200 trees. Compared to

maple syrup production in Canada where even the smallest farms have thousands of trees, we’re Lilliput,” he smiles. Still, Liberts is attracting an international reputation. Following an appearance at the World Organic Food fair in Germany in February, he received so many orders he had to turn most away as he was short on sap. “People were amazed how fresh and pure the taste is, especially if they have only previously encountered the pasteurised, sweetened versions of birch juice that are popular in Belarus and Russia,” he says. Liberts is also doing his best to ensure birches are tapped in a way that causes the least possible damage. “The old-fashioned way is to drill a large hole right into the heart of the tree, but we prefer to do something more like modern keyhole surgery. Seven millimetres is the optimum width of the hole and you should not go into the tree more than three to four centimetres,” he warns, explaining that larger holes that damage trees only increase the flow by five to seven percent.

A powerful anti-oxidant The sap is also prized by eco-cosmetics maker Madara, one of Latvia’s most succesful businesses with outlets in 28 countries. Research into the sap’s anti-ageing properties at the University of Latvia, prompted the company to launch a new line of products last year promising a youthful glow. “Birch juice both stimulates the growth of dermal and epidermal cells, and delays cell ageing,” Madara founder Lotte Tisenkopfa-Iltnere told AFP. The studies by researcher Dr Janis Ancans show the organic sap’s array of benefits as a powerful anti-oxidant.

“Birch juice not only rejuvenates but also protects skin cells from oxidative stress, including Ultra Violet rays, environmental pollution and consequences caused by inflammation,” his recent study found. — AFP

SHANGHAI: China’s bird flu outbreak is “devastating” poultry sales, an industry group said yesterday as the death toll from the H7N9 virus rose to eight. Since China announced over a week ago that H7N9 avian influenza had been found in humans for the first time, the number of people confirmed to have been infected has risen to 28.

Chinese authorities say they do not know how the virus is spreading, though it is believed the infection is passing from birds to humans.

The World Health Organization ( WHO) has said there is no evidence H7N9 is passing from person to person-a development that could have the potential to trigger a pandemic. Authorities have advised the public to avoid live birds but offered reassurances that poultry and eggs that are still on sale are safe to eat if cooked properly. State media said that poultry sales had plunged in some areas of China, even regions that have so far recorded no human infections.

“It’s really a devastating blow to the market for broilers,” Qiu Baoqin, vice secretary general of China’s National Poultry Industry Association told AFP. “The impact is extremely big.” Broilers are young chickens sold ready for cooking. In the northern city of Shijiazhuang, daily chicken sales tumbled more than 50 percent from a week earlier at the city’s largest agricultural market, the state-backed China News

Service reported. Shanghai culled more than 111,000 birds, banned trading in live poultry and shut markets in a bid to curb the outbreak. Nanjing and Suzhou cities followed suit by banning live poultry sales.

Hangzhou culled poultry after discovering infected quail and will vaccinate more than 60,000 carrier

McNuggets for 20 yuan ($3.17), while emphasising in a publicity campaign that its food was safe.

China has been hit by a series of food scandals in recent years, some caused by producers deliberately using sub-standard or illegal ingredients, making the public wary over what they consume. The country was rocked by one of its biggest-

GUANGXI: Chicks gather in their enclosure in a chicken farm in Rongan, southwest China’s Guangxi province yesterday. — AFP pigeons kept by hobbyists, state media said. Domestic airlines have yanked chicken from the menu after complaints from passengers, the Shanghai Daily newspaper said.

And fast food giant McDonald’s slashed prices by more than 40 percent on a chicken item, offering 20

ever food safety scandals in 2008, when the industrial chemical melamine was found to have been illegally added to dairy products, killing at least six children and making 300,000 ill. A decade ago, China also faced accusations it covered up the outbreak of Severe Acute

Swanky beach enclave seeks relief from bird poop stench SAN DIEGO: La Jolla’s jagged coastline is strictly protected by environmental laws to ensure the San Diego community remains the kind of seaside jewel that has attracted swanky restaurants, top-flight hotels and some of the nation’s rich and famous, including billionaire businessman

Irwin Jacobs and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Tourists flock to the place. So do birds. Lots of birds. And with those birds comes lots of poop. So rather than gasping in amazement at the beautiful views, some are holding their noses from the stench coming from the drop-

pings that cake coastal rocks and outcroppings near its business district.

“We’ve had to relocate tables inside because when people go out to the patio, some are like ‘Oh my God. I can’t handle the smell,’” said Christina Collignon, a hostess at Eddie V’s, a steak and seafood restau-

FDA approves return of drug for morning sickness WASHINGTON: Talk about a comeback: A treatment pulled off the market 30 years ago has won Food and Drug Administration approval again as the only drug specifically designated to treat morning sickness. That long-ago safety scare, prompted by hundreds of lawsuits claiming birth defects, proved to be a false alarm. Monday’s FDA decision means a new version of the pill once called Bendectin is set to return to US pharmacies under a different name - Diclegis - as a safe and effective treatment for this pregnancy rite of passage.

In the intervening decades, the treatment is widely believed to have undergone more scrutiny for safety than any other drug used during pregnancy. “There’s been a lot of buzz about this. Nothing better has come along” to treat morning sickness in those 30 years, said Dr Edward McCabe, medical director for the March of Dimes, who welcomed the step.

“We know safety-wise, there’s zero question,” said Dr Gary Hankins of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, who headed one of the company-financed stud-

ies of Diclegis that led to its approval. US sales of Diclegis are expected to begin in early June, according to Canada-based manufacturer Duchesnay Inc. The company has long sold a generic version of the pill in Canada under yet another name, Diclectin.

For all the names, the main ingredients are the same: Vitamin B6 plus the over-thecounter antihistamine doxylamine, found in the sleep aid Unisom. US obstetricians have long told nauseated pregnant women how to mix up the right dose themselves. In fact, in 2004 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued guidelines calling the combination a first-line therapy.

The difference that prescription-only Diclegis would offer: Combining both ingredients with a delayed-release coating designed to help women take a daily dose before their nausea sets in. The return of an FDA-cleared treatment is needed, said ACOG spokesman Dr Jeffrey Ecker, an obstetrician at Massachusetts General Hospital who wasn’t involved in the study of Diclegis.— AP

X-cite by Alghanim Electronics presents Blueair Sense air purifier KUWAIT: Being the largest consumer electronics retailer in Kuwait that brings the latest and most exciting products in the world, X-cite by Alghanim Electronics exclusively presents the Blueair’s contemporary Sense air purifier that has won global recognition for its outstanding design excellence by beating over 4,600 competitors to win a ‘red dot: best of the best’ award, reserved for only the very best products with genuinely groundbreaking design. Innovated with love in Sweden, Blueair Sense was designed by the globally acclaimed Claesson Koivisto Rune architectural and design agency in the Swedish capital Stockholm to deliver an out of the box experience beyond efficiently cleaning allergens, viruses and other airborne indoor pollution. They created a contemporary glass and steel design for the Sense, providing a warm, tactile and highly efficient air purifier that helps to ensure the air people breathe indoors is as pure as nature intended.

A unique interactive motion-sensitive glass top allows users to change speeds with simple hand swipes above the scratchproof surface. The Blueair air purifier employs a second generation HEPA SilentPlus(tm) filtration system that removes germs, dust and smoke from the indoor air we breathe for enhanced health and wellbeing.

Founded in 1996, Blueair has strived ceaselessly to deliver both the best performing and best designed air purifiers that will enhance people’s health and wellbeing indoors at home, work and play, where many of us spend 90 percent of our time.

The award-winning Sense is the latest and

most avant-garde member of the Blueair family of indoor air purifiers, cleaning the air in rooms up to 14 sq. meters (150 sq. ft) of 100 percent of all pollutants every 12 minutes to give people indoor air as pure as nature intended.

Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed about 800 people globally, but the WHO has praised Beijing’s transparency for H7N9.

“The authorities seem to have learned the necessary lessons from the SARS outbreak,” the China Daily newspaper said in an editorial yesterday. As China battled the new strain, neighbouring Vietnam yesterday reported its first death in more than a year from the better known H5N1 bird flu strain, which has killed more than 370 people around the world.

Vietnam’s latest victim was a four-year-old child from a farming family. Neighbouring Cambodia has also been hit with a recent unexplained spike in deaths from H5N1, with eight so far this year.

Another southeast Asian country, Indonesia, said yesterday it would ban poultry products from China, sparking worries that a shortage of Chinese shuttlecocks made of duck feathers could put a damper on the popular sport badminton. Analysts said the bird flu outbreak could hurt China’s overall economy-the world’s second-largest-though the effect was expected to be temporary. “Past experiences told us that the negative impact from such epidemics won’t last too long and ensuing pent-up demand could be quite strong, so there is no need for panic,” China economist for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Lu Ting, said in a report.— AFP

SAN DIEGO: Pelicans and cormorants gather on the cliffs above the cove in the affluent La Jolla section of San Diego. — AP

rant perched on a cliff straight up from the guano-coated rocks. On a recent afternoon, tourists on spring break walked along the sea wall.

Some scrunched up their faces in disgust. “It smells like something dead,” said Meghan Brummett as she looked at the birds with her husband and children. The family was visiting from Brawley, a farming town two hours east of San Diego.

Biologists say the odor is the smell of success: Environmental protections put in place over the past few decades have brought back endangered species. Cormorants and brown pelicans nearly became extinct in the 1970s because of the pesticide DDT. The brown pelican was taken off the federal endangered species list in 2010, and its population, including the Caribbean and Latin America, is estimated at more than 650,000. The total US cormorant population is about 2 million. La Jolla is a state-designated area of “special biological significance.” That means California strictly regulates its waters to protect its abundant marine life, which also attracts birds. “We’re kind of a victim of our own success,” said Robert Pitman, a marine biologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service in La Jolla. “We’ve provided a lot of bird protections so now we’re getting a lot of birds.—AP

Time for pharmaceutical sector to redefine emerging markets Booz & Company’s study DUBAI: International pharmaceutical companies expect a significant rise in business activity in emerging markets over the next five years. The statement is one of the key findings in a recent research report by the international strategy consulting firm Booz & Company who interviewed executives from more than 25 of the top pharmaceutical companies, together covering some 50 percent of the total pharmaceutical revenues. 52 percent of the top managers who took part in the survey claim that, by 2018, more than 30 percent of their respective companies’ revenue will come from emerging markets. Today, the threshold is only 23 percent equating to $191 billion of revenue in emerging markets.

Nevertheless, companies should be aware that whilst there is huge potential here, variations within the emerging markets themselves, require different and tailored approaches.

“The BRICMT-countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, Mexico and Turkey) have become a viable alternative to Europe and the USA. In the nonestablished markets, pharma companies have a unique opportunity to enter early and shape the market,” said Stephan Danner, Partner with Booz & Company’s Health practice. The emerging markets have long been regarded as the “promised land” of the pharmaceutical industry, yet, so far, ambitious targets remain unachieved.

To effectively serve these markets, there is a change in thinking in the boardrooms: a greater proportion of operations will need to be bespoke to individual markets toadapt to local idiosyncrasies. Indeed, 27 percent of those surveyed see current strategies insufficiently tailored to local market conditions to be the biggest failing.One of the executives interviewed said,”one of our biggest mistakes was to treat emerging markets like mature markets. We were wrong. Pharmaceutical strategies have to fit a country’s individual needs and develop-

ment.”The findings of the study firmly point to localisation being the most effective way of driving growth in the emerging markets. Thus, 77 percent of survey participants deemed the deployment of local operational teams in BRICMT markets to be a sensible move. 67 percent have voiced their support for a local production unit, and 65 percent support the creation of a local R&D division.

These views are well supported by investment foundations: 78 percent are planning further expansion of local offices in BRICMT - a sign of the degree of trust companies have in the stability of these countries. “We have started witnessing an influx of global pharma manufactures focusing on optimizing their regional (Middle East) operations and setting up joint ventures and with regional public and private sector players, this will surely impact the sector positively” confirmed Gabriel Chahine, the partner leading the Healthcare practice at Booz & Company in the Middle East.

The adaptation to new market dynamics is expected to occur swiftly: in a matter of 5 to 10 years, 67 percent expect the Marketing & Sales functions within BRICMT countries to closely resemble those in established markets. This has clear consequences for the classical operating model of companies: the majority of interviewees expect that the weight of responsibility and ownership will gradually shift from the central HQs to regional subsidiaries; however challenges such as recruiting suitable local talents remain a large area of concern.

The winners will be the executives who thoroughly understand the challenges of their markets build key relationships and retain local talent. They will reap the rewards; not necessarily in the short-term but certainly on a sustainable, long-term basis.Moreover to complement this increased influx of global pharma manufacturers

we have witnessed a number of encouraging initiatives from different GCC governmentsto encourage private sector participation in the sector; this is a very important step given that most of the pharma procurement in the region is governmental driven. For example roughly around 60 percent of the pharmaceuticals sold in the KSA, the largest market in the region, are procured by the Ministry of Health said Jad Bitar, a Principalwith the Healthcare practice at Booz & Company.

It is important to bear in mind however that whilst emerging markets offer huge untapped potential, they also display a wide diversity in their stages of development.The BRICMT countries are much more developed than the socalled “2nd tier emerging markets” in South-East Asia and then Africa, and there is a huge difference in size. Yet, they are all regarded as “emerging markets”. The vast majority of decision makers remain cautious about these 2nd tier markets, despite the projected growth rates in Africa of 28 percent. Only 43 percent of pharmaceutical managers surveyed believed that the same steps being taken in the BRICMT countries wereworthwhile in 2nd tier markets. Collaborations with governments or local sales representatives are currently preferred here. “We are at a turning point where some regional manufacturers have commenced developing their capabilities and are now in a prime position to maximize their market presence and sales especially given the global economic climate as well as the pharmaceutical industry patent cliff (Several billions of branded pharmaceutical are expected to lose patency by the year 2018), I believe this is a golden opportunity which we need to maximize and make sure that we are all fit to grow and meet the expected upcoming market needs” concluded Raffi Boladian, an Associate at Booz & Company.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait holds annual appreciation night

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hat’s more fun than clicking a beautiful picture? Sharing it with others! Let other people see the way you see Kuwait - through your lens. Friday Times will feature snapshots of Kuwait through Instagram feeds. If you want to share your Instagram photos, email us at instagram@kuwaittimes.net

The British Embassy will be opening a book of condolences for Lady Thatcher. This will be open from 9am to 2:30pm 9-11 April.

Announcements NAFO Kuwait to present ‘Samanwayam’ AFO Kuwait, on the auspicious occasion of its 10th anniversary celebration ‘Samanwayam,’ proudly presents an eclectic dance and English musical show by renowned film actress and acclaimed danseuse Padmashree Shobhana along with the pulsing talents of team Kalarpana Chennai on May 10, 2013 at American International School, Maidan Hawally. Entry through invitation only.

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Aye Mere Humsafar n event with renowned artist from Indian Cinema. ‘Aye Mere Humsafar’ on Friday 12th April @ American International School (AIS). A concept of real voice from Bollywood. High energy orchestra with Melody Queen Alka Yagnik charming playback singer Vinod Rathod (accompanied by female playback singer & standup comedian Sangeeta Kopalkar and young standup comedian Ashok Mishra.

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Greetings

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bdallah Jivara Mansour received gifts and congratulations from his parents and family members on the occasion of his successful completion of second grade. All the best and bright future for Abdallah and his sisters.

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afir Hotel & Residences Kuwait Fintas held its 1st Annual Appreciation Night 2013 in honor and appreciation of all loyal customers and hotel partners. Held at the elegantly set up and glamorously decorated Al-Seif Ballroom, the event saw the attendance of more than 400 guests from the corporate, government officials, media partners and distinguished inhouse guests.

The show’s highlight was awarding the top 40 partners who have been most loyal to Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait Fintas in the three years since the

hotel opened in 2009. The evening featured live entertainment for the guests, including solo performances and traditional dance. The event was made even more colorful by the spectacular show of lights and display sponsored by Condor International, one of the leaders in Events Management in the region. Great prizes for the raffle draws were also provided by more sponsors from KLM, Kuwait Airways, Etihad Airways, Brigitte Salon Seba Med, Kid’s Land and Sadan International.

Saif Eddin Mohammed, General Manager said, “This has been a long anticipated event for the management

team of Safir Fintas, being the first time in three years that we officially express our gratitude and appreciation to our most loyal and valuable customers who have greatly contributed to the growth and success of this hotel. We are truly honored to present this humble token of our gratitude”.

Having served its purpose, the event has been a huge success for the management team, organizers and sponsors and greatly enjoyed by every guests who have attended. Safir Hotel & Residences Kuwait Fintas looks forward to duplicate the same in the years to come.

Christopher Charles-Marketing Manager of McDonald’s restaurant in Oman, Renimah Ali Al Mattar-Executive Vice President of United Real Estate Company, Ali K. Daud-Owner and Operator of McDonald’s restaurants in Oman-Development Licensee and President of Al Daud Restaurants LLC., and Ali Hassan Moosa-General Manager of United Real Estate Company in Oman, inside the McDonald’s at Salalah Gardens Mall.

KLM graduates 60 new leaders for Kuwait

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appy birthday to Ms. Amaya Wijeratne. We wish you all the best of the best things in life, just like you have given us smile in our faces every day. Wish you a best and joyful 13th birthday. From Appi, Amma, Dahara Akki, Neehara Akki and Achchiamma

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

uwait Leadership Mastery (KLM), funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) of the U.S. State Department, graduated 60 youth who completed a 5-month leadership program at Gulf University for Science & Technology (GUST).

“Tonight,” said Dr John P Hayes, director of KLM and head of Business Administration at GUST, “we graduate 60 master leaders who are well on their way to help build a better Kuwait.” The graduates learned several key skills for leadership and worked in teams to develop a campaign that would bring new ideas for change to Kuwait. The ideas revolved around the topics of sports/health, leadership, education reform, social responsibility, environment, business development and national unity.

KLM graduation speakers included US Ambassador Matthew Tueller and GUST’s chairman of the board of trustees, Dr Abdul Rahman AlMuhailan. Dr Muhailan told the audience, “The creativity and initiative of you young leaders, the future of our country, lays in your hands.

We strongly believe that human capital is key in achieving the goals we set for ourselves and our country. You go today with another tool added to your arsenal to be the builder of the future.” The 60 graduates were selected from more than 270 applicants last fall. KLM will continue as a student club where youth can learn about leadership skills.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information

In appreciation for their role and efforts, Dean of the faculty of petroleum and engineering, Kuwait University, Dr Hussein Ali Al-Khayyatt recently held a mass breakfast to the honors of the faculty employees and personnel. The breakfast was attended by professors, Habib Sha’ban and Mohammed Al-Failakawi in addition to the faculty’s administrative manager, Marzouq Al-Thaifieri.

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department.

All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visa and immigration matters including enquiries is conducted by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.goingtocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-imenquiry@international.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday. nnnnnnn

IDP Education holds Australian universities Open Day in Kuwait

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DP Education, a global leader in student placement services is organizing its semi-annual open day for Australian universities in Kuwait tomorrow at the Sheraton hotel. The event which starts at 5 pm will be inaugurated by Robert Tyson, Australian Ambassador to Kuwait. This edition of Australia Open day features 17 Australian Universities, including four Group of Eight Universities; The University of New South Wales,

Monash University, The university of Queensland and The University of Western Australia. Students interested in studying in Australia will have the opportunity to meet representatives of participating universities and obtain valuable information on the programs offered campus life, costs of living, career outcomes and many other details that are essential for their journey. Around 800 Kuwaiti students commenced their studies in Australia

in 2012, with almost 60 percent going for English language courses and around 20 percent for higher education.

“This is a major event for IDP Kuwait team that we carefully plan each time in order to ensure maximum benefit to students”, says Sujata Vora, IDP Kuwait business unit manager. “Our mission at IDP is to help students make the right decisions and be better placed for their overseas education “she adds.

IDP Education has been offering student placement services for more than 40 years and is partly-owned by Australian universities and has strong ties with all education institutions.

Moreover, IDP also offers student placement in the USA, UK, Canada and New Zealand, in addition to being coowner of IELTS, the internationally recognized English proficiency test, with the British Council and the University of Cambridge.

GUST hosts cross-culture adventure

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he opening ceremony began on this adventurous, exciting day at 10 am with a procession of costumed characters - students and faculty alike. Throughout this ceremony, and the day, all events were focused on the theme for the day - “English for Knowledge and Experience: A Cross-Culture Adventure.”

Once the costumed characters flowed through the crowd, national anthems were played; Dr Piers Smith, Chairperson of the English Department, officially opened the event; Dr Robert Cook, Vice President for Academic Affairs, welcomed all to this occasion; and Ambassadors and representatives from the United Kingdom and the United States added their congratulations. All the guests were then welcomed to a reception honoring their presence and participation on this day, during which a special English Day documentary was aired.

At 10:30, booths and displays, exhibited immediately in front of the fountain, outside from the Library, sprang into action. At this same time, DJ music was being played in the background.

Students found themselves enjoying the challenges of the many activities - an integrated art display, graffiti activity, a never-ending story, games, puzzles, a Cartoon Sketch Yourself Corner, “Me Know English” interviews, and many other competitions. These activities continued throughout the day.

From 11:00 am onwards, scenes from “Pygmalion,” “Richard the III’ and “Twelfth Night,” each separated by musical interludes, appeared in the main theater in the Conference Hall. Both students and faculty captivated the audience with their theatrical and musical skills. At this same time, students and faculty participated in an education seminar, “What Most Schools Don’t Teach,” held in the theater directly across from the Library.

1:00 pm, in the fountain area, all enjoyed the Food Festival, with a live saxophone performance, as presented by students. Foods from all over the world were available to taste and appreciate. As the clock moved to 2:00 pm, student created movies, “Mid-Summer Night’s Dream,” “The Amazing Yoghurt” and “The Importance of Being Earnest,” were shown between poetry, speech and short story contests.

At 3:30, the Kuwait English School Moonlight Quartet contributed very special entertainment.

This was only one of the highlights of this exciting day! The day concluded shortly before 4 pm with an award ceremony, where recognition was given to the winners of various contests. And, as the curtain was drawn on another GUST English Day, all agreed that it was a complete success.

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, would like to announce that as from 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central database for the exchange of data on shortstay (up to three months) visas between Schengen States. The main objectives of the VIS are to facilitate visa application procedures and checks at external border as well as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all the Schengen visa applications lodged by an applicant over five years and the decisions taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This will allow applicants to establish more easily the lawful use of previous visas and their bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, applicants will be required to provide their biometric data (fingerprints and digital photos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a simple and discreet procedure that only takes a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the Schengen visa application form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subsequent applications within 5 years the fingerprints can be copied from the previous application file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient processing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementation of the new VIS. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform the Kenyan community residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that the Embassy has acquired new office telephone numbers as follows: 25353982, 25353985 - Consular’s enquiries 25353987 - Fax Our Email address: info@kenyaembkuwait.com. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF MEXICO The Embassy of Mexico to Kuwait has the pleasure to announce the opening of its Consular Section where visa applications are already being handled. The Consular Section is open to the public from Sundays-Thursdays 09.00-12.00 hrs. at Cliffs Complex in Salmiya, Villa No. 6 (3rd floor). nnnnnnn

EMBASSY GREECE The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has the pleasure to announce that visa applications must be submitted to Schengen Visa Application Centre (VFS office) located at 12th floor, Al-Naser Tower, Fahad Al-Salem Street, Al-Qibla area, Kuwait City, (Parking at Souk Watia). For information please call 22281046 from 08:30 to 17:00 (Sunday to Thursday).

Working hours: Submission from 08:30 to 15:30. Passport collection from 16:00 to 17:00. For visa applications please visit the following website www.mfa.gr/kuwait. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF ALBANIA The Embassy of the Republic of Albania to the State of Kuwait would like to inform that on 03.04.2013, the new Albanian Ambassador, Kujtim Morina presented credential letters to His Highness, the Amir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah. The address of the embassy is the same: Al - Zahra, Block 8, Street 802, Villa 169, Kuwait,P.O.BOX 3090, Safat 13131. The ebassy offers consular services as well. Working hours are from 9:00 to 14:00, Sunday through Thursday.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 01:35 02:25 03:15 04:05 04:55 05:20 05:45 06:35 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 09:10 10:05 11:00 11:55 12:20 12:50 13:45 14:40 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:25 Baker 18:20 19:15 19:40 20:10 20:35 21:05 22:00 22:55

I Shouldn’t Be Alive Untamed & Uncut Wildest Arctic Shamwari: A Wild Life World Wild Vet Call Of The Wildman Dark Days In Monkey City Shamwari: A Wild Life Wildlife SOS The Really Wild Show Baboons With Bill Bailey Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer Dogs 101 Jeff Corwin Unleashed Wildest Arctic Animal Cops Philadelphia Call Of The Wildman Wildlife SOS RSPCA: On The Frontline Animal Precinct Wildest Arctic Dark Days In Monkey City The Really Wild Show Cats 101 Weird Creatures With Nick Groomer Has It Monkey Life Bondi Vet Call Of The Wildman Dark Days In Monkey City Wildest Arctic Wild Hawaii Wild France

00:40 Come Dine With Me 01:30 Masterchef: The Professionals 02:15 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 03:05 Mitch And Matt’s Big Fish 03:30 Cash In The Attic 04:15 Bargain Hunt 05:00 House Swap 05:45 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 06:35 French Food At Home 07:00 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 07:25 Rick Stein’s Spain 08:15 Homes Under The Hammer 09:10 Bargain Hunt 09:50 Antiques Roadshow 10:45 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 11:25 Masterchef: The Professionals 12:10 Come Dine With Me 13:00 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 13:30 French Food At Home 13:55 Cash In The Attic 14:40 Bargain Hunt 15:25 Antiques Roadshow 16:15 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:00 Homes Under The Hammer 17:55 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 18:15 The Good Cook 18:45 Baking Made Easy 19:15 French Food At Home 19:40 Come Dine With Me 20:35 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 22:15 Bargain Hunt

00:45 01:35 02:25 02:50 03:00 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:00 05:25 05:45 06:00 06:25 06:50 07:15 07:40 08:05 08:30

Wacky Races Duck Dodgers Dastardly And Muttley Dastardly And Muttley Dexter’s Laboratory Wacky Races Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show Bananas In Pyjamas Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Ha Ha Hairies Bananas In Pyjamas Lazytown Krypto: The Super Dog Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Cartoonito Tales

08:55 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:25 11:50 12:40 13:00 13:25 13:50 14:20 14:45 15:10 15:35 16:00 16:25 16:50 17:15 17:40 18:05 18:30 18:55 19:20 19:45 20:10 20:35 21:00 21:25 21:50 22:15 23:05 23:30 23:55

Lazy Town Baby Looney Tunes Krypto: The Super Dog Cartoonito Tales Jelly Jamm Gerald McBoing Boing Lazy Town Jelly Jamm Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Moomins Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tiny Toon Adventures The 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo Taz-Mania Tom & Jerry Tales Moomins The Garfield Show The Looney Tunes Show Tiny Toon Adventures Taz-Mania Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries The 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo Pink Panther And Pals The Looney Tunes Show Taz-Mania Puppy In My Pocket What’s New Scooby-Doo? Looney Tunes Dexter’s Laboratory Tom & Jerry Tales Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals Moomins

00:30 Grim Adventures Of...

01:20 Johnny Test 02:10 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Regular Show 03:50 Ben 10: Omniverse 04:15 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 04:40 Powerpuff Girls 05:05 Evil Con Carne 05:30 Cow & Chicken 06:00 Casper’s Scare School 06:30 Angelo Rules 07:00 Dreamworks Dragons: Riders Of Berk 07:25 The Amazing World Of Gumball 07:45 Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated 08:10 Evil Con Carne 08:55 Adventure Time 09:45 Regular Show 10:35 Angelo Rules 11:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 12:15 Hero 108 13:05 Mucha Lucha !

13:30 Angelo Rules 14:20 Evil Con Carne 15:10 Ben 10 16:00 Johnny Test 16:35 Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated 17:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 17:25 Dreamworks Dragons Riders Of Berk

00:15 01:10 02:05 03:00 03:55 04:20 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 11:50 12:45 13:40 14:35 15:05 15:30

Dual Survival Yukon Men Finding Bigfoot Mythbusters Border Security Auction Kings Baggage Battles How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Sons Of Guns Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Dual Survival Border Security Auction Kings Baggage Battles How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Dual Survival Yukon Men Finding Bigfoot Border Security Auction Kings Baggage Battles

16:00 Inventions That Shook The World 16:55 Dual Survival

00:05 00:30 01:00 01:50 02:15 02:45 03:35 04:25 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:25 11:15 12:05 13:00 13:50 14:20 14:45 15:10 16:00 16:55 17:45 18:35 19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:50

The Tech Show Weird Connections Prototype This Prank Science Prank Science Da Vinci’s Machines Prototype This Mighty Ships Gadget Show - World Tour The Tech Show Meteorite Men Space Pioneer NASA’s Greatest Missions Gadget Show - World Tour The Tech Show Smash Lab Nextworld Mighty Ships Meteorite Men NASA’s Greatest Missions Weird Connections Gadget Show - World Tour The Tech Show Space Pioneer Smash Lab Nextworld Robocar Meteorite Men Space Pioneer NASA’s Greatest Missions Gadget Show - World Tour The Tech Show Space Pioneer Prank Science

00:10 00:35 01:25 02:15 03:05 03:55 04:45 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:40 07:30 07:55 08:45 09:35 10:25 11:15 12:05 12:30 13:20 13:45 14:35 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 17:55 18:20 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:25 21:15 21:40 22:05 22:30 22:55 23:45

Hannah Montana Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Doc McStuffins Austin And Ally A.N.T. Farm Jessie Good Luck Charlie Austin And Ally Shake It Up Suite Life On Deck Hannah Montana Wizards Of Waverly Place Jessie A.N.T. Farm Austin And Ally Good Luck Charlie Jessie Shake It Up A.N.T Farm Austin And Ally Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place That’s So Raven Cory In The House Good Luck Charlie Jessie Wizards Of Waverly Place Phil Of The Future Hannah Montana Jonas Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:10 American Dragon 06:35 Iron Man Armored Adventures 07:00 Kickin It 07:25 Phineas And Ferb 07:50 Max Steel 08:15 Crash & Bernstein 08:40 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 09:05 Scaredy Squirrel 09:30 Ultimate Spider-Man 09:55 Zeke & Luther 10:20 Kick Buttowski

LARRY CROWNE ON OSN CINEMA

10:45 I’m In The Band 11:10 Pokemon: BW Rival Destinies 11:35 Rated A For Awesome 12:00 Mr. Young 12:25 American Dragon 12:50 Kick Buttowski 13:20 Pair Of Kings 13:45 Zeke & Luther 14:10 Kick Buttowski 14:35 I’m In The Band 15:00 Phineas And Ferb 15:25 Almost Naked Animals 15:50 Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja 16:15 Pair Of Kings 16:40 Mr. Young 17:05 Lab Rats 17:30 Slugterra 18:00 Crash & Bernstein 19:40 Mr. Young 20:05 Pair Of Kings 20:30 Crash & Bernstein 20:55 I’m In The Band 21:20 Rated A For Awesome 21:45 Rekkit Rabbit 22:10 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Scaredy Squirrel 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:00 00:55 01:25 03:15 03:40 04:10 05:05 07:50 08:20 10:15 12:05 13:05 14:05 York 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:30

Dirty Soap Style Star THS Style Star Extreme Close-Up E!es THS Style Star Opening Act THS Khloe And Lamar Married To Jonas Kourtney & Kim Take New Style Star E!es Extreme Close-Up Giuliana & Bill E! News Fashion Police E!es Kourtney And Kim Take Miami Chasing The Saturdays E! News Chelsea Lately

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Outrageous Food 00:55 Unwrapped 01:45 Guy’s Big Bite - Special 02:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:25 Unique Eats 03:50 Andy Bates Street Feasts 04:15 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 04:40 Chopped 05:30 Iron Chef America 06:10 Food Network Challenge 07:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 07:50 Unique Eats 08:15 Andy Bates Street Feasts 08:40 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 09:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:30 The Next Iron Chef 10:20 Extra Virgin 11:10 Everyday Italian 11:35 Unwrapped 12:00 Staten Island Cakes 12:50 Reza’s African Kitchen 13:15 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Extra Virgin 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 15:20 Guy’s Big Bite 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Reza’s African Kitchen 18:40 Guy’s Big Bite 19:05 Tyler’s Ultimate 19:30 Chopped 21:10 Iron Chef America 22:00 Charly’s Cake Angels 22:50 Unique Sweets 23:15 Unique Sweets 23:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Outrageous Food 00:55 Unwrapped 01:45 Guy’s Big Bite - Special 02:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:25 Unique Eats 03:50 Andy Bates Street Feasts 04:15 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 04:40 Chopped 05:30 Iron Chef America 06:10 Food Network Challenge 07:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 07:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 07:50 Unique Eats 08:15 Andy Bates Street Feasts 08:40 Andy Bates American Street Feasts 09:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:30 The Next Iron Chef 10:20 Extra Virgin 10:45 Extra Virgin 11:10 Everyday Italian 11:35 Unwrapped 12:00 Staten Island Cakes 12:50 Reza’s African Kitchen 13:15 Barefoot Contessa 13:40 Barefoot Contessa 14:05 Extra Virgin 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 14:55 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 15:20 Guy’s Big Bite 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:15 Reza’s African Kitchen 18:40 Guy’s Big Bite 19:05 Tyler’s Ultimate 19:30 Chopped 20:20 Chopped 21:10 Iron Chef America 22:00 Charly’s Cake Angels 22:25 Charly’s Cake Angels 22:50 Unique Sweets 23:15 Unique Sweets 23:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

00:30 01:20 02:05 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 15:20 15:45 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Dr G: Medical Examiner A Haunting Couples Who Kill Deadly Women I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner A Haunting Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Undercover: Double Life Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Street Patrol Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

Disappeared Undercover: Double Life Forensic Detectives On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Couples Who Kill Evil, I I Almost Got Away With It I Almost Got Away With It

00:00 BBC World News America 00:30 BBC World News America 01:00 Newsday 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 Newsday 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport 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 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 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 BBC World News 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 Hardtalk 18:00 Global With John Sopel 19:30 World Business Report 19:45 Sport Today 20:00 BBC World News 20:30 BBC Focus On Africa 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 23:30 Hardtalk

00:15 The Kimchi Chronicles Begin 00:45 Three Gorges Dam 01:40 Buenos Aires 02:05 Beirut, Lebanon 02:35 Stock Car 03:30 Colombia Ambush 04:25 05:20 Athens To Atlanta 06:15 New Forest 06:40 New York City 07:10 Route 62: The Longest Wine Route In The World Cont 07:35 The Kimchi Chronicles Begin 08:05 Three Gorges Dam 09:00 Buenos Aires 09:25 Beirut, Lebanon 09:55 Stock Car 10:50 Colombia Ambush 11:45 12:40 City Chase Rome, 1 13:35 Tossachs 14:00 Mexico City 14:30 Red And White Wine Goes Green 14:55 The Rice Chronicles 15:25 Ice City 16:20 London, Uk 16:45 Port of Spain, Trinidad 17:15 White Water Challenge 18:10 Cocaine Mule Mom 19:05 City Chase Rome, 1 20:00 Red And White Wine Goes Green 20:30 The Rice Chronicles 21:00 Tossachs 21:30 Mexico City 22:00 22:55 Norfolk 23:20 Greece - Athens 23:50 Thailand

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00

Ultimate Predators GPU Shane Untamed Hooked Man v. Monster World’s Deadliest Animals Shane Untamed The Real Serengeti Hooked Man v. Monster World’s Deadliest Animals How Big Can It Get World’s Weirdest Wild Case Files Shane Untamed I, Predator Man v. Monster World’s Deadliest Animals How Big Can It Get World’s Weirdest Wild Case Files I, Predator Man v. Monster

01: 01: 03: 04:4 06: 08: 10:4 12: 13: 15: 16: 18: 18: Ho

SEASON OF THE WITCH ON OSN ACTION HD 21:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 22:00 How Big Can It Get 23:00 World’s Weirdest

00:15 Get Rich Or Die Tryin’-18 02:15 The New Daughter-PG15 04:15 Secret Window-PG15 06:00 True Justice: Street Wars-PG15 08:00 Season Of The Witch-PG15 10:00 The New Daughter-PG15 12:00 Meteor Storm-PG15 14:00 Season Of The Witch-PG15 15:45 X-Men: First Class-PG15 18:00 Meteor Storm-PG15 20:00 Captain America: The First Avenger-PG15 22:30 The Avengers-PG15

01:00 33 Postcards-PG15 03:00 Contagion-PG15 05:00 Once Brothers-PG15 07:00 Ip Man 2-PG15 09:00 33 Postcards-PG15 11:00 Winx-FAM 13:00 Madea’s Big Happy FamilyPG15 15:00 A Fall From Grace-PG15 17:00 When Love Is Not EnoughPG15 19:00 Larry Crowne-PG15 21:00 One Day-18 23:00 The Disappearance Of Alice Creed-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 The New Normal 02:00 South Park 03:00 Hot In Cleveland 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Hope & Faith 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:30 Hope & Faith 09:00 Hot In Cleveland 09:30 How I Met Your Mother 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 13:00 Hope & Faith 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Ben And Kate 19:00 Modern Family 19:30 The Mindy Project 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Weeds

19:00 The Finder 20:00 Franklin & Bash 22:00 The Carrie Diaries

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Switched At Birth American Horror Story The Americans Greek House Of Cards Grey’s Anatomy Switched At Birth Emmerdale Coronation Street White Collar The Ellen DeGeneres Show Grey’s Anatomy House Of Cards Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show White Collar Switched At Birth Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show White Collar The Finder Franklin & Bash Awake The Carrie Diaries Greek

00:30 The Corruptor 02:15 Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ 04:15 The New Daughter 06:15 Secret Window 08:00 True Justice: Street Wars 10:00 Season Of The Witch 12:00 The New Daughter 14:00 Meteor Storm 16:00 Season Of The Witch 17:45 X-Men: First Class 20:00 Meteor Storm 22:00 Captain America: The First Avenger

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Friday After Next-18 Spread-R The Bad News Bears (1976) Hop-PG Zathura: A Space Adventure 3 Holiday Tails-PG15 The Bad News Bears (1976) Best In Show-PG15 3 Holiday Tails-PG15 Summer School-PG15 The Switch-18 Friday After Next-18

01:15 03:00 05:15 07:15 09:00 11:00 13:00 14:45 16:45 19:00 21:00 23:00

Elevator Girl-PG15 A Very Long Engagement-18 Super 8-PG15 Every Jack Has A Jill-PG15 Dragonfly-PG15 A Woman-PG15 Project Nim-PG15 Dragonfly-PG15 The Alamo-PG15 Vacuums-PG15 True Grit-PG15 Wuthering Heights-18

01:00 A View From Here-PG15 03:00 The Tourist-PG15 05:00 A Mother’s Choice-PG15 07:00 Puss In Boots-PG 09:00 Source Code-PG15 11:00 101 Dalmatians (1961)-PG 12:45 The Way-PG15 15:00 Big Miracle-PG 17:00 Source Code-PG15 18:45 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel-PG15 21:00 Best Laid Plans-PG15 23:00 Wanderlust-R

01:00 02:45 04:30 06:00 08:00 09:45 11:15 Rules 13:00 14:45 16:15 18:00 20:00 22:00 23:45

Micropolis Toyz Goin’ Wild Freddy Frogface Arrietty Pacific Pirates The Hairy Tooth Fairy 2 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick The Lucky Dragon Freddy Frogface Snowmen The Hairy Tooth Fairy 2 Cher Ami The Lucky Dragon Snowmen

00:00 Every Jack Has A Jill-PG15 02:00 Brave-PG 04:00 The 16th Man-PG15 05:00 The Birth Of Big Air-PG15 06:00 Jesse Stone: Innocents LostPG15 08:00 I Don’t Know How She Does It-PG15 10:00 A Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song-PG 12:00 Brave-PG 13:45 The Phantom Of The Opera At The Royal Albert Hall-PG15 16:30 I Don’t Know How She Does It-PG15

00:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 01:00 NRL Full Time 01:30 Premier League Darts

05:00 06:30 07:00 09:00 10:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 16:00 16:30 17:30 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:30 23:30

Super League NRL Full Time Super Rugby Super Rugby Highlights European Challenge Cup PGA Tour Highlights Super Rugby Highlights NRL Premiership NRL Full Time AFL Premiership Highlights Super Rugby Futbol Mundial ICC Cricket 360 PGA European Tour Weekly Inside The PGA Tour Trans World Sport AFL Premiership Highlights European Challenge Cup

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 12:30 13:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 20:00 23:00 23:30

WWE Bottom Line UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC The Ultimate Fighter NHL PGA Tour Highlights Super Rugby WWE Vintage Collection PGA Tour Highlights NRL Full Time ICC Cricket 360 AFL Premiership AFL Premiership Highlights Premier League Darts ICC Cricket 360 Futbol Mundial NHL HSBC Sevens World Series Futbol Mundial Premier League Darts

00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:30 17:30 19:30 21:00 21:30 22:30

NRL Full Time Top 14 Highlights World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Golfing World ITU World Triathlon Futbol Mundial Golfing World Asian Tour Highlights World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool Trans World Sport Top 14 Highlights ICC Cricket 360 Golfing World Asian Tour Highlights Futbol Mundial World Pool Masters World Cup Of Pool European Challenge Cup Super League Futbol Mundial Asian Tour Highlights Super League

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 20:00 22:00

WWE Bottom Line NHL Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line Ping Pong World US Bass Fishing NHL WWE Smackdown Triahlon UK Adventure Challenge UFC UFC The Ultimate Fighter NHL

00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30

Pawn Stars Storage Wars Ancient Aliens Storage Wars Storage Wars Texas American Pickers Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars American Restoration Ancient Aliens Pawn Stars Storage Wars Soviet Storm: WWII In The East Pawn Stars American Restoration Pawn Stars Storage Wars

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

Kuwait KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY (04/04/2013 TO 10/04/2013) SHARQIA-1 KON-TIKI (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) SHARQIA-2 THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) SHARQIA-3 OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) BAADSHAH (Telugu) BAADSHAH (Telugu) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) BAADSHAH (Telugu) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) MUHALAB-1 DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) MUHALAB-3 THE CROODS (DIG-3D) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) FANAR-1 IN THEIR SKIN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) FANAR-2 DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) FANAR-3 THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) MARINA-1 KON-TIKI (DIG)

SITUATION WANTED

FOR SALE

12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM 7:30 PM 9:45 PM 12:05 AM 12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM 2:00 PM 5:00 PM 4:15 PM 7:15 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 1:15 AM 1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:45 AM 1:45 PM 4:15 PM 6:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM 12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 12:15 AM 1:30 PM 3:45 PM 6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM 1:45 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 9:45 PM 11:45 PM 12:30 PM

KON-TIKI (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG)

2:45 PM 5:00 PM 7:30 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

MARINA-2 THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:30 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 10:45 PM 12:45 AM

AVENUES-1 OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) THE TALL MAN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:15 PM 8:30 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM

AVENUES-2 THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) 360º- 1 G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D)3:30 PM G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) 360º- 2 AL HAFLA (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) AL HAFLA (DIG) NO SUN+ TUE+WED

2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM 1:15 PM 5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM 1:15 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 8:00 PM 10:15 PM 12:30 AM

360º- 3 THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) SNITCH (DIG) SNITCH (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:45 PM 4:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:45 PM 11:00 PM

AL-KOUT.1 JURASSIC PARK (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) JURASSIC PARK (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D)

1:00 PM 3:30 PM 5:30 PM 8:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:45 AM

AL-KOUT.2 DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) AL-KOUT.3 OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG)

1:15 PM 3:30 PM 5:45 PM 8:15 PM 10:45 PM 1:00 AM 12:45 PM 3:00 PM 5:15 PM

KON-TIKI (DIG) OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG)

7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

BAIRAQ-1 G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) THE CROODS (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG-3D)

1:30 PM 3:45 PM 5:45 PM 7:45 PM 10:00 PM 12:15 AM

BAIRAQ-2 THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) DEAD MAN DOWN (DIG)

2:00 PM 4:00 PM 6:15 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM 12:30 AM

BAIRAQ-3 TRUTH OR DARE (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (DIG) KON-TIKI (DIG)

12:30 PM 2:30 PM 4:45 PM 7:15 PM 9:30 PM 12:05 AM

PLAZA BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) NO THU BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu)

3:30 PM 7:15 PM 10:15 PM 6:30 PM 9:30 PM

LAILA THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (DIG) G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (DIG)

6:00 PM 8:15 PM 10:30 PM

AJIAL.1 BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu)

7:00 PM 10:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:45 PM

AJIAL.2 BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu)

7:15 PM 10:15 PM 3:45 PM 6:45 PM 10:00 PM

AJIAL.3 CHASHME BADDOOR (DIG)(HINDI) CHASHME BADDOOR (DIG)(HINDI)

6:00 PM 9:00 PM

METRO-1 BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu)

7:00 PM 10:00 PM 3:30 PM 6:30 PM 9:45 PM

METRO-2 BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu) BAADSHAH (DIG) (Telugu)

7:15 PM 10:15 PM 3:45 PM 6:45 PM 10:00 PM

Mazda 3, model 2012, running 14,000 km, price KD 2,850, negotiable. Mobile: 66109046. (C 4372) 8-6-2013

Need a job in Kuwait, having MBA Degree + Indian driving license, K. Suresh Babu MBA. Contact: 00919440707761 or Mr. Balu 66195135. (C 4368) 6-4-2013

SITUATION VACANT A family is looking to hire a cook with experience in Kuwaiti and Indian cuisines.

Tel: 99005438. (C 4373) 10-4-2013

CHANGE OF NAME I, Tarun Kanti Paul and I, Mithu Paul parents of Supriti Paul, her Passport No. J6954961 hereby will change our daughter ’s name as Zeta Supriti Paul.

(C 4369)

112 THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION

I, Tarun Kanti Paul and I, Mithu Paul parents of Swaswati Paul, her Passport No. J6954985 hereby will change our daughter ’s name as Luna Shashati Paul. (C 4370) Sangam Sivakumar Raju, S/o Sangam Kodandarama Raju Indian Passport No. K3372636 issued at Hyderabad, India, date 02/04/2013 Passport resident 9/130 Rly Kodur YSR District 516001 (A.P) India, hereby change to Sangaraju Sivakumar Raju.

New resident 7/21 D, Gangireddypalem, Rajampet, Kadapa, A.P, 516115 India. (C 4371)

Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is

1889988 Prayer timings Fajr:

04:07

Shorook

05:28

Duhr:

11:49

Asr:

15:23

Maghrib:

18:11

Isha:

19:30

No: 15774

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines QTR JZR JZR QTR ETH GFA UAE ETD FDB MSR OMA QTR THY DHX FDB KAC JZR BAW JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ETD ABY QTR IRM FDB IRA ETD GFA MEA TMA JZR IRM JZR KAC KNE IZG UAE MSR THY CLX KNE KAC QTR FDB KAC

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 10/4/2013 Flt Route 148 DOHA 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 6130 DOHA 620 ADDIS ABABA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 643 MUSCAT 138 DOHA 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 69 DUBAI 412 MANILA 555 ALEXANDRIA 157 LONDON 529 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 344 CHENNAI 855 DUBAI 933 ABU DHABI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 1186 TEHRAN 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 301 ABU DHABI 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 213A BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 1188 MASHAD 561 SOHAG 284 DHAKA 470 JEDDAH 4167 MASHAD 871 DUBAI 610 CAIRO 766 ISTANBUL 792 LUXEMBOURG 480 TAIF 672 DUBAI 140 DOHA 57 DUBAI 790 MEDINAH

Time 0:15 0:20 0:40 1:00 1:45 1:55 2:25 2:30 3:10 3:15 3:20 3:30 4:35 5:10 5:50 6:15 6:20 6:30 6:40 7:25 7:30 7:45 7:50 8:05 8:20 8:25 8:30 8:50 9:00 9:10 9:15 9:25 9:30 10:40 10:55 11:00 11:35 11:45 12:00 12:05 12:10 12:40 12:45 13:00 13:10 13:15 13:25 13:40 13:45 13:50 13:55

IRC MSR SVA KAC KAC RJA JZR QTR IYE ETD JZR FDB UAE ABY SVA GFA UAL JZR KNE JZR KAC QTR KAC KAC FDB GFA KAC KAC KAC MSR KAC JAI FDB OMA ABY MEA AXB KLM ALK UAE ETD QTR GFA DHX QTR FDB AIC JZR UAL JZR JZR DLH JAI THY

6692 575 500 788 538 640 787 134 824 303 357 71 857 127 510 215 982 177 462 777 542 144 786 166 63 219 618 674 774 606 102 572 61 647 129 402 489 417 229 859 307 136 217 372 146 59 975 239 981 185 135 636 574 772

MASHAD CAIRO JEDDAH JEDDAH SHARM EL SHEIKH AMMAN RIYADH DOHA SANAA ABU DHABI MASHAD DUBAI DUBAI SHARJAH RIYADH BAHRAIN WASHINGTON DC DULLES DUBAI MEDINAH JEDDAH CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH PARIS DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI RIYADH LUXOR NEW YORK MUMBAI DUBAI MUSCAT SHARJAH BEIRUT COCHIN AMSTERDAM COLOMBO DUBAI ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI CHENNAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT MUMBAI ISTANBUL

14:00 14:15 14:30 15:00 15:50 15:55 16:15 16:15 16:30 16:35 16:50 16:50 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:45 17:50 18:15 18:25 18:30 18:40 18:55 19:05 19:10 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:35 20:00 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:35 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:45 22:00 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:40 22:40 23:00 23:10 23:20 23:45

Airlines AIC JAI UAL DLH THY QTR ETH UAE FDB MSR OMA ETD QTR QTR JZR FDB GFA THY JZR KAC BAW FDB KAC KAC ABY KAC UAE FDB QTR KAC ETD IRA IRM ETD JZR GFA KAC MEA TMA KAC JZR KAC JZR KAC IRM KNE JZR IZG MSR THY UAE

Departure Flights on Wednesday 10/4/2013 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 573 MUMBAI 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 637 FRANKFURT 773 ISTANBUL 6131 DOHA 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 613 CAIRO 644 MUSCAT 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 70 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 164 DUBAI 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 789 MADINAH 671 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 117 NEW YORK 302 ABU DHABI 602 SHIRAZ 1187 TEHRAN 934 ABU DHABI 356 MASHHAD 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 405 BEIRUT 225 DUBAI 175 FRANKFURT 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 786 RIYADH 785 JEDDAH 1189 MASHHAD 461 MADINAH 176 DUBAI 4168 MASHHAD 611 CAIRO 767 ISTANBUL 872 DUBAI

Time 0:05 0:20 0:25 0:30 2:20 2:30 2:45 3:45 3:50 4:15 4:20 4:20 4:25 5:15 5:35 6:30 7:00 7:10 7:25 8:00 8:25 8:25 9:15 9:25 9:30 9:35 9:50 9:55 10:00 10:00 10:15 10:25 10:30 10:30 11:00 11:25 11:30 11:55 12:00 12:10 12:25 12:30 12:50 13:00 13:10 13:10 13:20 13:45 14:00 14:10 14:15

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KNE FDB CLX QTR IRC MSR KAC SVA KAC KAC RJA JZR QTR ETD IYE FDB JZR ABY UAE SVA GFA JZR JZR UAL KNE QTR FDB GFA JZR MSR JAI FDB ABY KAC KAC OMA KAC MEA DHX KLM ETD ALK UAE KAC QTR KAC GFA DHX FDB KAC QTR KAC KAC

481 58 792 141 6693 576 673 503 617 773 641 238 135 304 824 72 538 128 858 511 216 184 266 982 471 145 64 220 134 619 571 62 120 361 331 648 351 403 171 417 308 230 860 381 137 301 218 373 60 205 147 283 415

TAIF DUBAI GIALAM DOHA MASHHAD SHARM EL SHEIKH DUBAI MADINAH DOHA RIYADH AMMAN AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI SANAA DUBAI CAIRO SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT BAHRAIN JEDDAH DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA MUMBAI DUBAI SHARJAH COLOMBO TRIVANDRUM MUSCAT KOCHI BEIRUT BAHRAIN DAMMAM ABU DHABI COLOMBO DUBAI DELHI DOHA MUMBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI ISLAMABAD DOHA DHAKA KUALA LUMPUR

14:15 14:30 14:45 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:45 15:45 16:00 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:20 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:50 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:40 18:45 19:25 19:35 19:50 20:05 20:30 20:35 20:40 20:45 20:50 20:50 20:55 21:05 21:15 21:50 22:05 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:45 23:50

34

stars CROSSWORD 155

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) There’s a certain pleasure in feeling well-grounded, and this moment would make a firm foundation for whatever you choose to build upon it. If your plans are already made, it’s time for the cornerstone to be laid. Go with what you’ve got, as there’s a no-frills feeling that’s saying keep it simple, take it slow. It’s a day you may be likely to form relationships with people based on a deep level of mutual appreciation and understanding for each other. You are in touch with your more sensitive and maybe even spiritual qualities. You are able to express a greater level of sensitivity and greater empathy than usual.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Friends seem to be out of sync with you just now and trying to get them to speak to you about where they are at will be a slippery affair. It’s best to back off, don’t push too hard, and let them make contact with you when they’re ready. They’ll spill the beans only when they feel comfortable about doing so. Your manner may not be warm or loving at the moment. You’re entering a period of emotional change and feeling two ways at once without getting too deep into either polarity is possible. This can be a very introspective time for you, go with the energy and you may clear up some perceptions you had about yourself and others.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

ACROSS 1. At a great distance in time or space or degree.

4. An underground tunnel with recesses where bodies were buried (as in ancient Rome).

12. The part of the nervous system of vertebrates that controls involuntary actions of the smooth muscles and heart and glands.

15. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

16. A game played with young children.

17. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric.

18. A pilgrimage to Mecca.

19. Lying beneath what is revealed or avowed, especially being deliberately concealed.

20. One of the most common of the five major classes of immunoglobulins.

21. The phenomenon of resistance to motion through a fluid.

23. God of earth's fertility and peace and prosperity.

24. An anti-inflammatory drug that does not contain steroids.

26. An oil port in southern Iraq.

28. Genus of erect herbs of the Middle East having showy flowers.

31. A radioactive metallic element that is similar to tellurium and bismuth.

33. A German art song of the 19th century for voice and piano.

34. Garments (clothes or linens) that are to be (or have been) ironed.

38. Travel up, "We ascended the mountain".

41. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.

42. A sharp vibrating sound (as of a plucked string).

45. Projectiles to be fired from a gun.

46. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

47. Second brightest star in Perseus.

48. (Greek mythology) The winged goddess of the dawn in ancient mythology.

49. Having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading.

52. German philosopher and mathematician who thought of the universe as consisting of independent monads and who devised a system of the calculus independent of Newton (1646-1716).

55. Someone whose business is advertising.

56. German chemist who was co-discoverer with Lise Meitner of nuclear fission (1879-1968).

59. A complete metric system of units of measurement for scientists.

60. The herd of horses from which those to be used the next day are chosen.

66. The capital of Nationalist China.

69. Rank-smelling tropical American pigweed.

71. The month following March and preceding May. 72. Genus of scapose herbs of North and South America having large edible bulbs.

75. A master's degree in business.

76. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

77. Any of several cultivated sour cherry trees bearing pale red fruit with colorless juice.

78. An adult male person (as opposed to a woman).

79. (Judaism) Sacred chest where the ancient Hebrews kept the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments.

80. Do the pimproll.

81. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. King of Saudi Arabia since 1982 (born in 1922).

2. Any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent.

3. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.

4. (computer science) The part of a computer (a microprocessor chip) that does most of the data processing.

5. King of Wessex.

6. The cardinal number that is the sum of three and one.

7. Widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions for its fragrant flowers and colorful fruits.

8. Genus of large deciduous nut-bearing trees.

9. A religious belief of African origin involving witchcraft and sorcery.

10. The sound made by a cow or bull.

11. 3rd largest island in the world.

12. Type genus of the Amiidae.

13. Medium-sized tree having glossy lanceolate leaves.

14. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

22. Greek anatomist whose theories formed the basis of European medicine until the Renaissance (circa 130-200).

25. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

27. Deliver by singing.

29. 16th President of the United States.

30. Of or relating to a language that arises from contact between two other languages and has features of both.

32. United States assassin of President John F. Kennedy (1939-1963).

35. A lake in northwestern Russia.

36. A river in southeastern Australia that flows generally northwest to join the Darling River.

37. 100 groszy equal 1 zloty.

39. A glancing rebound.

40. A graphical recording of the cardiac cycle produced by an electrocardiograph.

43. (Hinduism) An ascetic holy man.

44. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

50. An association of people to promote the welfare of senior citizens.

51. A small flat triangular bone in front of the knee that protects the knee joint.

53. (Old Testament) The son of Abraham who was cast out after the birth of Isaac.

54. Slanting diagonally across the grain of a fabric.

57. A public promotion of some product or service.

58. Large heavy rope for nautical use.

61. A member of the extinct Algonquian people formerly living in northern Indiana and southern Michigan.

62. Shrimp-like planktonic crustaceans.

63. A subsidiary proposition that is assumed to be true in order to prove another proposition.

64. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

65. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

67. Someone who copies the words or behavior of another.

68. A republic in the Middle East in western Asia.

70. The capital and largest city of Norway.

73. A member of a Mayan people of southwestern Guatemala.

74. Alsatian artist and poet who was cofounder of Dadaism in Zurich.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

Some detective work on your part can ferret out an unknown fact or secret. This may be hard but it has its own merits as you’ll be able to win some recognition and additional support from them as well. You could also meet with important people of power and wealth and they’ll inspire you to take up additional commitments too.

You may find yourself looking for a little romance today or at least enjoying some emotional release. You have a special magnetism and attractive power now, and you are feeling intensely loving also. You may want to just get out and walk or exercise and get those endorphins worked up, you’ll feel better and look better to!

Cancer (June 21-July 22) A great time for being with people and especially giving something of yourself and your talents to others. You want to be seen and noticed. You receive appreciation and a positive response, and possibly an opportunity or personal contact which will be quite beneficial. Not too much will run smoothly or go your way today in your relationships, but if you keep working toward a goal you will make some progress. A change at home will be beneficial to you and everyone around you. Stop being so hard on yourself and realize you are who you are and you’re doing the best you can.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You may seek to recoup losses you have experienced in the past from a property deal or partnership break-up. If you feel you lack self-confidence in an area of work that you are actually very good at, bolster your confidence by assessing your many skills. There may be a new addition to your extended family soon. Sudden unexpected events, and breaking free of confining situations and relationships are very likely at this time. Your usual routine is likely to be disrupted now, either by someone pushing you to hard and to fast into a commitment you really aren’t ready for.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) At this time you have important discussions with women and with people you are (or once were) very close to. You may wish to visit, write, or make a telephone call to someone from your past. Connecting with your past is the feeling now, with an emphasis on seeing the past objectively. Memories and old feelings surface very clearly now. Maybe time to clear up some old issues. Your emotions are sensitized now and your intuitive, feeling nature is very strong. You will find yourself gripped by feelings of nostalgia and compassion. The memories of feelings and situations long forgotten come to the surface. See if you can find some resolution which allows you to move on.

Word Search

Libra (September 23-October 22) You could find yourself blurting out some inopportune remarks to people who’ve really got your back up recently - but it won’t be anything you can’t smooth over later. It’s a good idea to stick to home-ground when evening approaches, as a special person could ring your bell. You are very bold and adventurous right now and you cannot tolerate delays, restrictions, or any form of authority that prevents you from behaving exactly as you please. Your drive for personal freedom and insistence on your rights is pressing, and a confrontation in which you have to stand up for yourself is likely.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

OHHH my you are in a mood, this may last till the end of the month even! Parties, celebrations, social gatherings, music, dance, and vacations are very high on your priority list now. You are in a party mood and you seek fun and excitement. This is a good time for you in your emotional relationships. Your ability to express yourself confidently and openly wins you the respect and admiration of others. You can promote ideas and goals that you believe strongly in and. They quietly accept your proposals and ideas, and may even provide some support.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Mixed emotions may be the flavor of the day, and trying to sort them out verbally can be a confusing and ultimately unsatisfying process. Half an explanation is better than exhausting dissection of raw nerves, so patch things up as best you can and let circumstances take care of the rest. An intimate encounter, or a powerful desire to be close to and share your deepest feelings with someone is very likely now. Emotions and issues in a close relationship that has been bubbling beneath the surface for quite awhile may boil over at this time, possibly in a very disruptive way. All of your relationships intensify and you need to be aware of your tendency to act in a rather compulsive and or demanding way.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) This is a good time to spread your wings - perhaps travel, vacation, or get involved in something new. This is a wonderful time to socialize and meet new people. Unless other astrological influences at this time indicate differently, you will be in a relaxed, tranquil mood during this time. This is a good time to speak up and clear the air of any grievances you have been holding on to for some time. Personal subjects are the topic of discussion now. Reminiscing, remembering, daydreaming about and reflecting on the past is likely as well. Use what you may learn about yourself and your partner to grow together not apart.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Fleeting glimpses of larger things may come within view, but without time to follow up fully. Best to take notes on most relevant generalities, see how it may have changed by the same time next month. Big things take time. A significant conversation with a loved one as well as getting your own ideas and perceptions across to others is probable today. You may hear from someone who has important information for you, or feel a pressing need to email or call someone else in order to bring some matter in the open.

Communications of all kinds play an important role now.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Curiosity is strong, and pays off in ways you’d never suspect. Writing or speaking about radical social or technological ideas catches your interest, and could get you lots of positive attention. The study of unusual subjects appeals to you at this stage in your life, and you could find that you have a certain amount of genius in some such things. A “high-tech” phase. You may not appreciate your surroundings, or you feel as if someone younger than you does not measure up to your beliefs and standards. Your values may be at odds (just for the moment with those around you.

Give yourself some breathing space and remember you’re the more emotionally mature person in this relationship.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku

Yesterday’s Solution

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

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

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

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

Hawally

Al-Madeena

22418714

Al-Shuhada

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Faiha

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

Kaizen center

25716707

Rawda

22517733

Adaliya

22517144

Al-Jahra

25610011

Khaldiya

24848075

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Kaifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salem

22549134

Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Qadsiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Gar

22531908

Shaab

22518752

Qibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Qibla

22451082

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

Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Omariya

24719048

N Khaitan

24710044

Fintas

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36

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Tisdale likes mysterious bad boys

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he ‘Scary Movie V’ actress - who has previously dated musician Jared Murillo and music video director Scott Speer - admitted there are particular types of guys she is attracted to. She said: “There’s definitely a thing where I like the dark, mysterious bad boy.” However, she also admitted to a liking for “surfer, blond frat guys”.

Ashley, 27, favors an “old-school” approach to dating and would rather be honest about her feelings than play games with guys she likes. She told the new issue of America’s Maxim magazine: “I’m definitely old-school when it comes to dating.

“I’m not into the ‘game’ so much. If I like you, I’ll confront you and be open about it. Then I expect you to come after me.” The ‘High School Musical’ star has previously admitted she loves giving dating advice to people. She has said: “I give dating advice on a regular basis. It’s not that I’m any expert, but it’s always nice to share that with your friends.” Ashley’s biggest relationship tip relates to the importance of communication. She explained: “Communication is so key. Especially in this business, I’m always travelling and doing something else. So I think communication is the foundation of it all.”

Levine to receive BMI’s pop President’s Award

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aroon 5 frontman Adam Levine for president? Sort of. Broadcast Music Inc. announced Monday that Levine will receive the President’s Award at the 61st annual BMI Pop Awards on May 14. The event will be held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. It will also honor last year’s top songwriters in pop. BMI says the 34-year-old Levine was selected for his “outstanding achievements in songwriting and the global impact he has had on pop culture.” Maroon 5 has released four platinumplus albums, including last year’s “Overexposed.” The album features hits including “Payphone,” “One More Night” and “Daylight.” Levine is also a coach on the hit NBC series “The Voice.” BMI is a music rights management company that represents more than 500,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers.

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Swift has found herself a surfer boy

he ‘I Knew You Were Trouble’ warbler has reportedly moved on from One Direction stud Harry Styles with Hawaiian surfer John John Florence - nicknamed JJ - who she first met on a trip to Australia last November. A source told Britain’s Grazia magazine: “Taylor really hit it off with JJ when she was in Oz. She thought he was great fun, but it was around the same time she reignited her romance with Harry Styles, so she put it on a back-burner. “Taylor got in touch with JJ when she split from Harry and they went on a date when he was in America. Taylor and JJ both travel a lot for work but have planned a second date this month.” Professional surfer JJ appeared to confirm rumors the pair were dating when he was recently quizzed about their budding romance at a sporting event in Queensland, Australia. He confessed: “Yeah, you know, it’s kind of a secret thing going on right now. Can’t bust it out in the public just yet.” The 20-year-old sports star is the youngest person to have won the Vans World Cup of Surfing, and has a cameo role in Owen Wilson film ‘The Big Bounce’. An insider added: “Taylor seems extremely keen on JJ. He’s quite different to anyone she’s dated in the past, and while he’s in the spotlight, it’s his prowess as a surfer that she admires.” The 23-year-old blonde is famed for her ability to bounce back from a relationship quickly and was recently linked to BRIT Award-winning musician Tom Odell. She has previously dated Conor Kennedy, Jake Gyllenhaal, Taylor Lautner and John Mayer. Talking about her colorful love life, the singer recently lamented: “I have no idea if I’m going to get married or be single forever, or have a family or be on my own.”

Lopez wants Marc to be happy J

ennifer Lopez has given Marc Anthony’s new relationship her blessing. The ‘On the Floor’ hitmaker has remained close to her ex-husband since they split in July 2011 and she got on well with Topshop heiress Chloe Green when she met up with Marc and her to discuss their children, five-year-old twins Max and Emme. A source told the new UK issue of Grazia magazine: “Jennifer invited Chloe and Marc over to discuss the kids and the two women bonded. “She and Marc are still close. She wants him to be happy.” Chloe - the daughter Sir Philip Green is said to be so serious about her romance with Marc, 44, that she is considering a permanent move to America to be with him. A source close to the 22-year-old designer said: “Chloe and Marc have totally fallen for one another. She’s been looking into getting a place in New York, where they love to hang out, or Miami, where his family are based.” Jennifer, 43, is in a relationship with dancer Casper Smart, who, at 25, is 18 years younger than his superstar girlfriend.

Butler’s fans want less romance

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erard Butler’s fans wish he’d make fewer romantic comedies. The 44-year-old actor has enjoyed working on films like ‘P.S. I Love You’, ‘Playing for Keeps’ and ‘The Ugly Truth’ but his followers much prefer to see him in action roles. He said: “More people tend to say, ‘Why don’t you stop doing love stories? If I see you in another love story I’m going to put a knife through your brain!’ “I have done a few romantic comedies ... until they’re coming out of my head. But I really enjoy making them. I really enjoy making all types of movies.” In his latest movie, ‘Olympus Has Fallen’, Gerard plays a army ranger turned secret service agent who must save the President - played

by Aaron Eckhart - from a terrorist attack on the White House. When he watched the final edit, Gerard admits he was shocked by just how violent his character Mike Banning is. He added in an interview with Nuts magazine: “I didn’t realize how many knives to the brain there were before I watched the movie. “Then I was like, ‘Holy god! I don’t seem to kill anyone in any other way!’ But it’s a pretty effective way to kill somebody!”

Williams’ baby sickened by his music

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obbie Williams’ daughter threw up on him when she heard his new song. The ‘Candy’ hitmaker penned a heartfelt track for his six-month-old tot Theodora ‘Teddy’ Rose called ‘Go Gentle’, but his daughter seemed less than impressed when he serenaded her with it for the first time - and promptly projectile vomited on him.

Robbie told The Daily Mirror newspaper: “I wrote her a song called ‘Go Gentle’. “And I had a really lovely moment walking around the estate where we live, with the baby, and I sang this very, very sincere song ... and she threw up on me. “And I don’t know if that is bay for, ‘That is amazing, dad’, or ‘I have just thrown up because you make me nauseous’.

“I am choosing to think it is the first.” Robbie has also joked he plans to have live sex on stage during his ‘Take The Crown’ tour - which will be supported by Olly Murs - and promised fans copious amounts of nudity during his Amsterdam gig in July. He told The Sun newspaper: “I plan to do a lot of live sex on stage and I am practicing by having a lot of un-live sex, but it didn’t work out very well.” —Bangshowbiz

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Gomez ran away from Aniston

elena Gomez ran away from Jennifer Aniston because she was so star-struck. The ‘Spring Breakers’ actress was so “terrified” when she met the ‘Friends’ star - who is one of her acting idols - she walked away from her and admits that the awkward encounter is one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. In an interview with Radio Disney, she explained: “I ran away from Jennifer Aniston when she said, ‘Hi.’ I was terrified of her. I was scared, so I ran away and I’m really embarrassed about that.” The 20-year-old beauty blamed her strange behavior on watching Jennifer in hit sitcom ‘Friends’, in which the 44-year-old actress played Rachel Green for 10 years. She laughed: “I didn’t know what to do - it’s Rachel!” Meanwhile, Selena - who split from ‘Baby’ singer Justin Bieber last year has insisted that her new single, ‘Come and Get It’, is not about her former boyfriend. She said: “It’s not really about a specific person ... It exudes confidence and strength and that is something I’m willing to share with the world ... I want to represent something good and be a good example.” The star also revealed to Ryan Seacrest on his radio show that she is planning a huge bash to celebrate her 21st birthday in July. She added: “I’m gonna have a big party. It’s gonna end up at my house. I wanted to do like a hip-hop theme.”

37

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Models display creations by Tunisian designer Nadia at the first fashion festival week on April 4, 2013, in Tunis. —AFP

Tunis fashion festival combats flagging industry

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s designers unveiled their latest creations at a first Tunis fashion show, experts from Tunisia’s embattled textile sector studied ideas to revive a flagging industry. “Our main goal is to enhance the sector’s image and offer a welcoming place for people to swap ideas on how to start partnerships ... and encourage new creative talent,” said Samir Ben Abdallah, organizer of last week’s festival.

At the two-day event, models decked out in creations of young Tunisian designers strutted their stuff in front of international industry experts, artists and fashion addicts.

But in the conference halls, talk turned to the economy, as the Tunisian textile and cloth-

ing sector has been badly hit by the financial crisis sweeping its main clients, notably France.

Combined with the climate of insecurity that followed Tunisia’s January 2011 revolution, foreign investors have proved reluctant to plough fresh funds into the country. “A handful of foreign investors are prepared to launch projects here, but they are waiting to see stability return to the streets,” Samir Houet, director general of the Technical Centre of Textiles (CETTEX), told AFP. Around 70 Tunisian textiles firms have had to shut their doors since the revolution, he said. The industry’s current structure has added fresh challenges, with Tunisia failing to keep up

with changes in the sector, such as cheaper labor costs in other countries and fluctuations in demand from Europe. “The industry in Tunisia is in a very fragile state today. Its main handicap is its dependence on exports and its main clients who have undergone have upheavals,” said Francois-Marie Grau of France’s clothing industry union.

Out of more than 2,000 Tunisian textile and clothing businesses, 1,700 only deal in exports, basically working as sub-contractors for larger distributors. Moreover, the model has seized up, as shown by a 7.9 percent drop in exports in 2012 from the year before, according to official statistics. Grau said Tunisian businesses

“should seek growth opportunities where they are: in markets outside Europe where growth is still strong.” Tunisia’s textile manufacturers could also try to expand the range of products they offer, moving away from cheap clothing, said Daniel Harari, director general of multinational fashion company Electra.

“Tunisia should not compete on production costs alone, but it should work to improve its service quality and develop new skills,” he said.

For Harari, creativity and initiative in the industry are essential to move away from simple sub-contracting. Seyf Dean Laaouiti, a 25-yearold Taiwanese-Tunisian designer, wants just that. He dazzled the jury at the show with 14

outfits designed around the theme of “culture shock”, and dreams of winning worldwide renown for his Narcisso Domingo Machiaveli range.

“This festival is a chance for young talent to come out of the shadows and to express themselves and show off their vision,” he told AFP, dressed in an outfit inspired by a Coca Cola bottle: red trousers, leather jacket, studded shoes and a James Dean-style hairstyle. “In Tunisia there is beauty, fashion, creativity, joie de vivre and hope, not just social and political problems and economic woes,” insisted Naziha Nemri, artistic and technical director of the fashion show. —AFP

Wilde, Stone team up for Revlon walk O

Sotherby’s employee Nicolas Chow holds a ruby-ground Falangcai “Double-lotus” bowl of the Kangxi period (1662-1722), from the collection of Dr Alice Cheng, expected to fetch in excess of nine million USD, on display for the Sotheby’s Spring Sale 2013 in Hong Kong. —AFP

Chinese bowl fetches record price in Hong Kong

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rare red “lotus bowl” from the Chinese emperor Kangxi period of 1662-1722 has been sold for an eye-popping $9.5 million at a Hong Kong sale, auction house Sotheby’s said. The price set a new world record for any Chinese porcelain from the Kangxi period during the Qing dynasty after it was bought by a Hong Kong ceramics dealer for HK$74 million ($9.5 million), Sotheby’s said in a statement.

The ruby-ground “falangcai” bowl decorated with pink, yellow and blue lotuses was originally expected to fetch HK$70 million at the sale, part of Sotheby’s six-day spring

sale in the southern Chinese city that concluded on Monday. The auctioneer said the bowl broke a previous Qing Kangxi porcelain record in 2006, when a blue and white “Dragon” vase was sold for HK$22.52 million. Hong Kong has emerged as one of the world’s major auction hubs in art and drinks thanks to cash-rich mainland Chinese buyers who have a growing appetite for luxury items amid the country’s economic boom. A flower-shaped Chinese porcelain bowl from the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) fetched nearly $27 million at a Hong Kong auction last year. —AFP

livia Wilde and Emma Stone are getting ready to share the spotlight, and Wilde’s fiance might be there, too. Wilde and Stone will return as co-hosts of the 20th annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women in New York on May 4, and Wilde says fiance Jason Sudeikis may join her for the five-kilometer fundraiser.

Revlon and the Entertainment Industry Foundation also announced Monday that expectant mom Halle Berry will host the Los Angeles event for the seventh time.

It’s set for May 11. The EIF Run/Walk for Women has drawn nearly a million participants and donated more than $68 million to support women’s cancer research since it was established in 1994. No word on whether Berry’s baby-daddy, actor Olivier Martinez, or Stone’s beau, “Spider-Man” star Andrew Garfield, will join

Olivia Wilde and Emma Stone

Museum exhibitions come to movie theaters

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rom the people who brought live Metropolitan Opera performances to a movie theater near you comes the next bigscreen cultural attraction: museum art exhibits from around the world. It begins Thursday with a retrospective devoted to the portraits by Edouard Manet from the Royal Academy of Arts in London, screened to 450 theaters across the US and about 600 around the globe, with many locations scheduling encore broadcasts. Two more exhibits are already lined up: a June retrospective on the art of Edvard Munch from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway, and an October showing of works

by Johannes Vermeer from the National Gallery in London.

Unlike the live opera broadcasts, the art presentations are slickly produced documentaries giving viewers a VIP guided tour of current or recently ended exhibitions from noted art historian Tim Marlow, who lingers on each of the displayed works and explains why they are special. Curator interviews,

artist profiles and backstage tours fill out the 90-minute, high-definition show - for an average price of $12.50. “This is a way for an armchair traveler to come to the arts world, have it brought to them,” said Julie Borchard-

down his or her busy life and really take this in.”

For BY Experience, fine art is a natural next step in spreading culture to the masses, building on the niche success of its live series from the Met Opera and London’s

A film crew works on a film about an exhibit devoted to the portraiture of Edouard Manet at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. —AP Young, co-owner of BY Experience, the company distributing the broadcasts.

“Because it’s not live, we wanted to make sure that the programs are very immersive and contemplative, that the viewer has a chance to slow

National Theatre. The Met Opera series, for example, has grown every year since it was first beamed in 2006 to 98 theaters in four countries.

Today it’s seen in more than 1,900 theaters in 64 countries, with nearly 13 million tickets

sold since 2006, according to figures provided by the opera house. It had gross ticket sales of more than $57 million around the world for 11 performances during the 2011-12 season. Its Feb. 16 screening of “Rigoletto” took in $2.6 million in North America, ranking it No. 12 in the weekend box office, beating “Argo” and “Lincoln.”

Like the Met, which realized $11 million from the opera broadcasts last season, the participating art museums will get a cut of the profits. But will art exhibits work at the movies?

Unlike new opera and theater performances, just about every piece of art from current exhibitions can already be viewed over the Internet. And the exhibits will be a documentary film, not a live event. BorchardYoung said By Experience was encouraged by the response to what served as the pilot for its art exhibit series: “Leonardo Live,” a 90-minute film by Phil Grabsky on the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at London’s National Gallery that was viewed by 125,000 people in 21 countries. —AP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Annette Funicello, Mouseketeer and film star, dies A

nnette Funicello, who became a child star as a perky, cute-as-a-button Mouseketeer on “The Mickey Mouse Club” in the 1950s, then teamed up with Frankie Avalon on a string of ‘60s fun-inthe-sun movies with names like “Beach Blanket Bingo” and “Bikini Beach,” died Monday. She was 70. She died at Mercy Southwest Hospital in Bakersfield, California, of complications from multiple sclerosis, the Walt Disney Co said. Funicello stunned fans and friends in 1992 with the

When “The Mickey Mouse Club” ended, Annette (as she was often billed) was the only club member to remain under contract to the studio. She appeared in such Disney movies as “Johnny Tremain,” “The Shaggy Dog,” “The Horsemasters,” “Babes in Toyland,” “The Misadventures of Merlin Jones” and “The Monkey’s Uncle.” She also became a recording star, singing on 15 albums and hit singles such as “Tall Paul” and “Pineapple Princess.” Outgrowing the kid roles by the early ‘60s, Annette teamed with Avalon in a series of movies for American-International, the first film company to exploit the burgeoning teen market.

The filmmakers weren’t aiming for art, and they didn’t achieve it. As Halliwell’s Film Guide says of “Beach Party”: “Quite tolerable in itself, it started an excruciating trend.” But the films had songs, cameos by older stars and a few laughs and, as a bonus to latterday viewers, a look back at a more innocent time. The 1965 “Beach Blanket Bingo,” for example, featured subplots involving a mermaid, a motorcycle gang and a skydiving school run by Don Rickles, and comic touches by silent film star Buster Keaton.

Among the other titles: “Muscle Beach Party,” “Bikini Beach,” “How to Stuff a Wild Bikini” and “Dr Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine.” The beach films featured ample

ing that she noticed she had trouble walking - the first insidious sign of MS. When it was finally diagnosed, she later recalled, “I knew nothing about (MS), and you are always afraid of the unknown. I plowed into books.” Her symptoms were relatively mild at first, but gradually she lost control of her legs, and she feared people might think she was drunk. So she went public with her ordeal in 1992. She wrote of her triumphs and struggles in her 1994 autobiography, “A Dream Is a Wish Your

In this 1963 file photo, singer Frankie Avalon and actress Annette Funicello are seen on Malibu Beach during filming of ‘Beach Party,’ in California in 1963. —AP photos

In this Oct 20, 1990 file photo, actress and former Mickey Mouse Club member Annette Funicello arrives for the 15th annual Italian American Foundation dinner in Washington.

This 1955 file photo provided by Walt Disney Co, shows Annette Funicello, a ‘Mouseketeer’ on Walt Disney’s TV series the ‘Mickey Mouse Club.’ announcement about her ailment. Yet she was cheerful and upbeat, grappling with the disease with a courage that contrasted with her lightweight teen image of old.

“She will forever hold a place in our hearts as one of Walt Disney’s brightest stars, delighting an entire generation of baby boomers with her jubilant personality and endless talent,” said Bob Iger, Disney chairman and CEO. Avalon said Monday that Funicello never realized how beloved she was. “She would say, ‘Really?’” he told The Associated Press. “She was so bashful about it. She was an amazing girl.” He added: “She really had a tough existence.

It’s like losing a family member. I’m devastated, but I’m not surprised.”

The pretty, dark-haired Funicello was just 13 when she gained fame on Walt Disney’s television kiddie “club,” an amalgam of stories, songs and dance routines that ran from 1955 to 1959. Cast after Disney saw her at a dance recital, she appeared in mouse ears, a pleated skirt and a turtleneck sweater emblazoned with her first name. She soon became the most popular Mouseketeer in the cast, receiving 8,000 fan letters a month, 10 times more than any of the 23 other young performers. Her devotion to Walt Disney remained throughout her life.

“He was the dearest, kindest person, and truly was like a second father to me,” Funicello remarked. “He was a kid at heart.”

In this Jan 3, 1978 file photo, actress Annette Funicello recalls moments when she played a ‘Mouseketeer’ on ABC’s first successful daytime television show,’ The Mickey Mouse Club’ in Los Angeles, while she was taping an ABC Silver Anniversary Celebration special.

In this Oct 21, 1992 file photo, former ‘Mouseketeer’ Annette Funicello gets set to put her hands in the cement at Walt Disney Studios Theatre, in Burbank, Calif, as she is honored with the Disney Legend Award.

In this January 1978 file photo, executive producer Dick Clark welcomes former ‘Mouseketeer’ Annette Funicello to the party when ABC-TV presents ‘ABC’s Silver Anniversary Celebration,’ a gala four-hour telecast.

youthful skin. But not Funicello’s.

She remembered in 1987: “Mr Disney said to me one day, ‘Annette, I have a favor to ask of you. I know all the girls are wearing bikinis, but you have an image to uphold. I would appreciate it if you would wear a one-piece suit.’ I did, and I never regretted it.” The shift in teen tastes begun by the Beatles in 1964 and Funicello’s first marriage the following year pretty much killed off the beach-movie genre. But she was somehow never forgotten though mostly out of the public eye for years. She and Avalon staged a reunion in 1987 with “Back to the Beach.” It was during the film-

Heart Makes” - the title taken from a Disney song. In 1995, she appeared briefly in a television docudrama based on her book. And she spoke openly about the degenerative effects of MS. “My equilibrium is no more; it’s just progressively getting worse,” she said. “But I thank God I just didn’t wake up one morning and not be able to walk. You learn to live with it. You learn to live with anything, you really do.” “I’ve always been religious.

This just makes me appreciate the Lord even more because things could always be worse. I know he will see me through this.”

Funicello was born Oct. 22, 1942, in Utica, New York, and her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 4. She began taking dance lessons the following year and won a beauty contest at 9. Then came the discovery by Disney in 1955.

“I have been blessed to have a mentor like Walt Disney,” she said 40 years later.

“Those years were the happiest of my life. I felt that back then. I feel the same today.”

Asked about the revisionist biographies that have portrayed Disney in a negative light, she said, “I don’t know what went on in the conference rooms. I know what I saw.

And he was wonderful.” In 1965, Funicello married her agent, Jack Gilardi, and they had three children, Gina, Jack and Jason.

The couple divorced 18 years later, and in 1986 she married Glen Holt, a harness racehorse trainer. After her film career ended, she devoted herself to her family. Her children sometimes appeared on the TV commercials she made for peanut butter. — AP

Top ballerina quits Russia for new challenge in London O

A file picture shows Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet dancer Natalia Osipova playing Kitri during a dress reversal of ‘Don Quixote’ at the Royal Opera House in London. —AFP

ne of Russia’s biggest female ballet stars is leaving her full time job at a Saint Petersburg theatre to join London’s Royal Ballet, in the latest of a string of convulsions to hit the Russian dance world. Natalia Osipova told a Russian newspaper Monday she had been given an offer she “could not refuse” to be a principal dancer at Covent Garden and would from now on only appear as a guest soloist at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. Osipova and fellow ballet star Ivan Vasiliev, her partner on and off stage, had astonished critics in November 2011 when they quit the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow for the far smaller Mikhailovsky.

But now Osipova, regarded by some critics as the greatest Russian dancer currently performing, will be dancing full time at Covent Garden. To the surprise of many, Vasiliev will not be joining her. “At the end I received an offer that I could not refuse,” Osipova told the Kommersant daily in an interview, saying the decision was “above all linked to the repertoire” danced by the London company. “I will now be a guest ballerina at the Mikhailovsky, we will break the five year contract (signed in November 2011) and agree another one,” she added.

The departure of Osipova and Vasiliev in 2011 from the Bolshoi-where they had become its most bankable stars-had already left the Moscow company reeling. It also heralded a ghastly period for the Bolshoi which culminated in the acid attack on its director Sergei Filin, a crime over which leading dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko has now been accused. Osipova told Kommersant she did not expect she would see any repeat of the Bolshoi’s notorious internal intrigues in London.

“In Britain all promises and conditions are put down on paper-and not like what happens in Russia where everything is words. Working for this company (Covent Garden) is my desire and I want it with all my soul.” Defections of Soviet ballet stars like Rudolf Nureyev or Mikhail Baryshnikov to the West became iconic moments of the Cold War. However now cultural tensions have calmed and one American star, David Hallberg, now even dances for the Bolshoi.

Osipova has wowed critics with astonishing virtuosity in the great female roles of classical ballet, most recently on the Mikhailovsky’s London tour which garnered five-star reviews.

According to the Royal Ballet, her first performances as principal dancer will be as Juliet in Kenneth MacMillan’s version of “Romeo and Juliet”, partnered by the Cuban legend Carlos Acosta. —AFP

Audrey Tautou

‘Amelie’ actress Audrey Tautou to host Cannes opening ceremony

F

rench actress Audrey Tautou, best known for the 2001 film “Amelie”, will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the Cannes Film Festival next month, one of the organisers said yesterday. The opening ceremony of the 66th Cannes Film Festival will take place on May 15 with the closing ceremony on May 26, pay-TV operator Canal+ said. Director Steven Spielberg has already been announced as the head of the festival jury.

“Amelie”, set in Montmartre, was a crit-

ical and box office success in which Tautou played a shy waitress who set out to improve the lives of those around her.

Tautou’s latest film “L’Ecume des Jours” (“Mood Indigo”) by director Michel Gondry, opens in France later this month.

An adaptation of the Francois Mauriac novel “Therese Desqueyroux”, in which she starred, closed the festival last year.

The 2012 opening and closing ceremonies were hosted by “The Artist” star Berenice Bejo. —AFP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

lifestyle M U S I C

&

M O V I E S

Beyonce, Jay-Z Cuba visit had US Treasury Dept OK A Moroccan actor Mehdi Ouazzani poses with a frame from his role during an interview with the Associated Press in Casablanca, Morocco Monday. —AP photos

Morocco actor

amused by Satan-Obama comparisons

M

ehdi Ouazzani isn’t the devil, but he has played one on TV only he didn’t realize that some thought he looked like President Barack Obama while he was at it. A veteran Moroccan actor with decades of film experience, Ouazzani was bemused to wake up one morning and find that his role in The History Channel’s popular five-part miniseries “The Bible” had become the latest way for conservative commentators in the United States to needle the president.

“One morning somebody called me and said ‘you have to look at your email’ and I was so surprised,” Ouazzani told The Associated Press in Casablanca before jetting off to the remote desert town of Erfoud, where he’s playing a police inspector in a German crime drama. “For someone like me, a simple unknown actor, to find himself in a controversy like this even though it’s nonsense - it makes me known around the world, so it’s something positive,” he said with a chuckle. With gray hair pulled back in a ponytail, an expressive face and a slim Errol Flynn-style pencil mustache,

Moroccan actor Mehdi Ouazzani poses during an interview with the Associated Press.

Ouazzani doesn’t look a great deal like America’s 44th president - but then he doesn’t resemble a stereotypical Satan very much either.

It was only after an hour and a half of makeup and a heavy hooded robe in Morocco’s blazing desert that Ouazzani became the figure on a mountain top tempting Jesus. It’s this new look that laid the stage for the Obama comparisons. After the episode aired in mid-March, conservative firebrand commentator Glenn Beck tweeted to millions of his followers : “Does Satan look EXACTLY like Obama? Yes!” The cry was taken up by others and provoked a fierce response from Obama’s supporters that compelled the History Channel to announce it had “the highest respect” for Obama, and “it’s unfortunate that anyone made this false connection.”

Part of the resonance of the controversy was the sheer success of the miniseries, which had 13 million viewers for its first episode - beating out even “American Idol.” The final episode, featuring the passion of Christ, aired on Easter, March 31, and had 11.7 million viewers - competing handily with the season finale of cable favorite “The Walking Dead.” Conservative television personalities Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity were still talking about it weeks later on their shows, with Hannity telling “The Bible” executive

producer Roma Downey that he, too, thought the program’s Satan resembled Obama.

In a statement, Downey maintained that she and fellow producer and husband Mark Burnett “have nothing but respect and love our president, who is a fellow Christian,” adding that “false statements such as these are just designed as a foolish distraction to try and discredit the beauty of the story of the Bible.” It’s not Ouazzani’s first tour through the pages of Christianity’s holy book. He appeared in the 2006 mini-series “Ten Commandments” and the 2000 production “In the Beginning,” as well as a string of other biblical productions in the 1990s.

Previous film productions have taken advantage of this North African country’s stark deserts and lush palm groves to recreate ancient Palestine.

“I’ve seen several different Jesuses and Judases and I’ve played Satanic characters before, I played Judas.” Still, Ouazzani found playing Satan this time quite a challenge, as he tried to convey intensity with little more than his eyes, delivering the devil’s grim temptations to Jesus in sepulchral tones.

“I have a very expressive face, when African or Moroccan people talk, we talk with our faces,” he said, describing his scenes as the prince of darkness playing opposite Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado’s Jesus. “Satan taught me how to manage my close-ups, because Satan didn’t feel anything, didn’t suffer anything.” Ouazzani’s face lights up as he talks about the filming, displaying little real-life resemblance to his gloomy character in the movie.

Ouazzani praised the producers and the professionalism on the set, which dealt with its own set of challenges, including Morocco’s ample desert serpent population.

“Before you go to the set, there was a special person who knows about serpents and scorpions and they go through and clean everything,” said Ouazzani, describing how one of the snake wranglers even caught one in the middle of production. “He came into the middle of the set, he looked around and then went running and took up a snake from under the sand with his hand,” he said. Ouzzani said working on a series like “The Bible” has been particularly enjoyable because it gives him a taste of the Hollywood system - something many Moroccan actors yearn to do. “Hollywood is the only cinema where I really feel like an actor,” he said, “the rest feels do-ityourself.”

While dozens of American productions have been shot in Morocco, including “Gladiator,” “Kingdom of Heaven,” “Blackhawk Down,” “ The Bourne Ultimatum” and most recently the TV series “Game of Thrones,” they feature comparatively few Moroccan actors. Ouazzani ascribes being cast to luck and knowing the right people but speaking French, Spanish, Italian, English and Arabic hasn’t hurt. He credits his time as a flight attendant for the national airline, Royal Air Maroc, with putting him in daily touch with people from all over the world.

He started acting in his 20s and has appeared on the Spanish stage, played a police inspector in French movies, and will play a terrorist leader in an upcoming Spanish film about the 2011 bombing of a tourist cafe in Marrakech. And who knows, maybe a chance comment by a conservative commentator will open the gates to Hollywood. “Some good has come out of this,” he said, adding with a twinkle in his eye: “Before, I knew who Obama was, and now he knows me, and if he has time I’d like to invite him and his family for couscous in Morocco.” — AP

visit by American pop star Beyonce and rapper husband Jay-Z to Havana last week was a cultural trip that was fully licensed by the US Treasury Department, a source familiar with the itinerary said on Monday. The longstanding US trade embargo against Cuba prevents most Americans from traveling to the communistled island without a license granted by the US government.Three Cuban-American members of Congress, all Republicans from Miami and supporters of a firm stance on Cuba, have asked the Treasury Department to look into the licensing of the trip, prompting officials to seek more information from the organizers. Beyonce and Jay-Z celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in Havana and were greeted by big crowds as they strolled through the Cuban capital. The music industry power couple were instantly recognized as celebrities despite the past half-century of ideological conflict that separates the two countries.

The source told Reuters that the trip included visits with Cuban artists and musicians, as well as several nightclubs where live music was performed, and some of the city’s best privately run restaurants, known as “paladares.” The visit was planned as a “people-to-people” cultural visit and involved no meetings with Cuban officials, or typical tourist activity such as trips to the beach, the source said. Even a walk around the Old City of Havana, mobbed by crowds of excited Cuban spectators, was led by Miguel Coyula, one of the city’s leading architects.

Publicists for the couple did not return emails or phone calls seeking comment. Beyonce and Jay-Z were the latest American stars, joining actors Bill Murray, Sean Penn and James Caan who have also visited the Caribbean island in the past few years. But the pair were the first to cause such a stir everywhere they went. The couple arrived in Havana unannounced for a four-day visit on Wednesday on a flight from Miami. But word of their presence spread like wildfire, by text messaging and word of mouth.

Beyonce, who sang at President Barack Obama’s inauguration for his second term in January, was instantly recognized when she and Jay-Z, and their mothers, dined at La Guarida, the city’s top privately run restaurant, on their first night. The next day a crowd of several thousand people swarmed around them in Old Havana during a walk-about. They also visited a children’s theater group and several clubs where they heard live music, and occasionally took to the dance floor.

On Friday, they toured Cuba’s top art school and met with some young artists.

Government propaganda US Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart questioned the couple’s trip,

saying it was being used for Cuban government propaganda. Ros-Lehtinen, long a fierce critic of the Cuban government, said it was “very disconcerting that these two mega stars would go down to Cuba and vacation as if they were in a tropical paradise and not say one word about the brutality their hosts display against all pro democracy activists.”

Florida Senator Marco Rubio said the Obama administration’s cultural exchange programs “have been abused by tourists.” If the Treasury Department had licensed the trip “the Obama Administration should explain exactly how trips like these comply with U.S. law and regulations governing travel to Cuba,” Rubio said.

The Cuban government was unaware of the participants on the trip until shortly before they departed for Cuba, the source told Reuters, adding that the Cuban media made no official mention of the pair while they were in Havana, at

biggest music stars wading through crowds of fans they never knew they had,” said John McAuliff, executive director for the Fund for Reconciliation and Development, an organization working to normalize US relations with Cuba. He described the couple’s program as “characteristic of licensed trips undertaken by thousands of Americans every year.” While it has kept the embargo in place, the Obama administration has eased restrictions on travel to Cuba for academic, religious or cultural programs.

“People-to-people” visits, first promoted under President Bill Clinton in the 1990s, but reined in under President George W Bush, have been revived by the Obama administration to encourage more contact between Americans and Cubans, separated by just 90 miles (145 km) of ocean, but over half a century of ideological differences. A number of US firms are sponsoring Cuba trips, ranging from National

US singer Beyonce is seen in a private restaurant in Havana on April 4, 2013. — AFP the request of the singers. The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which handles licenses for travel to Cuba, said it does not comment on individual cases.

OFAC provides licenses to visit Cuba on a case-by-case basis for educational exchanges, and for programs that promote “people-to-people contact” and “contribute to the development of civil society in Cuba,” according to Treasury Department guidelines. Tourism is specifically prohibited by the guidelines, it states. “It’s hard to imagine a more people-to-people contact visit than the scenes witnessed last week on the streets of Havana with two of the United States’

Geographic to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to the American Automobile Association, resulting in a steadily growing stream of Americans to the island. Only licensed travelers and Cuban-Americans visiting relatives on the island are allowed to board special charter planes from Miami for the 50-minute flight to Cuba. Some US citizens dodge those requirements by traveling to Cuba via third countries.

Cuba does not stamp the passports of Americans who visit Cuba, making it easy to avoid detection. Criminal penalties for violating OFAC regulations range up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in individual fines. — Reuters

Jackie Chan

antiques plan angers Chinese

US actor Dustin Hoffman and Japanese actress Kirin Kiki pose for photographers as they hold mallets before opening a rice drink wood during a press conference to promote his latest movie ‘the Quartet’ directed by Hoffman in Tokyo yesterday. The film will be shown all over Japan from April 19. — AFP

Spotify’s Top 10 most streamed tracks T

he following list represents the top streamed tracks on Spotify from Monday, April 1, to Sunday, April 7:

United States 1. Imagine Dragons, “Radioactive” (Interscope Records) 2. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz, “Thrift Shop” (Macklemore) 3. Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors” (RCA Records) 4. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us” (Macklemore) 5. Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z, “Suit & Tie” (RCA Records) 6. Bruno Mars, “When I Was Your Man” (Atlantic Records) 7. Lil Wayne, “Love Me” (Cash Money Records) 8. P!nk, “Just Give Me a Reason” (RCA Records) 9. The Lumineers, “Ho Hey” (Dualtone Music Group Inc.) 10. Drake, “Started From the Bottom” (Cash Money Records) United Kingdom 1. Bastille, “Pompeii” (Virgin Records) 2. Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors” (RCA Records) 3. P!nk, “Just Give Me a Reason” (RCA Records) 4. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz, “Thrift Shop” (Macklemore) 5. The Saturdays, “What About Us” (Polydor Ltd (UK)) 6. Imagine Dragons, “Radioactive” (Interscope Records) 7. Bruno Mars, “When I Was Your Man” (Atlantic Records) 8. The Lumineers, “Ho Hey” (Dualtone Music Group Inc) 9. Disclosure, “White Noise” (Universal Island Records) 10. Avicii, “I Could Be the One (Nicktim Radio Edit) (Avicii vs Nicky Romero)” (Virgin Records). —AP

A

plan by Hong Kong film star Jackie Chan to move ancient Chinese buildings to Singapore has sparked controversy in a nation already sensitive about losing its artifacts, state media said yesterday. Beijing has pressured overseas auction houses to cancel the sale of antiques it says were looted during the 19th century in events it considers a national humiliation.

Ironically in a new film the martial arts actor-who has also drawn attention for making pro-Beijing comments-plays a character who steals bronze statues from France to return to China. But Chan now plans to give a Singapore university four of 10 traditional Huistyle sandalwood buildings that he bought 20 years ago, saying on his website: “I think it’s such a waste if they’re not displayed for people to appreciate”.

He said his decision came after he and the Hong Kong government failed to find land for the homes, whereas the Singapore University of Technology and Design showed care and enthusiasm about hosting the old buildings. But the Xinhua state news agency cited officials and social media users as arguing that the structures should stay in China, particularly in the eastern province of Anhui where the architectural style originates. “If those buildings are historical relics, they are not allowed to leave China,” Xinhua quoted Zhang Hongmin, an official at the provincial body for cultural heritage, as saying.

It also cited a user of China’s Twitter-like microblog service Sina Weibo who wrote: “They are Chinese buildings, why is there no place to put them?” A cultural heritage expert told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the government had not adequately preserved Hui-style structures and insufficient oversight had allowed them to be transplanted abroad.

But the report also quoted an official in Anhui’s Huangshan city, known for such buildings, as promising to “provide the best place, most experienced craftsmen and funding to welcome those ancient buildings home”. China has opposed international sales of artifacts it says were stolen in 1860 when, during the Second Opium War, British and French troops pillaged the Old Summer Palace in Beijing. — AFP

Annette Funicello, Mouseketeer and film star, dies

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013

38

BANGKOK: Handmade funny caricature key chains on sale in Sunday market. —Photo by Sherif Ismail

Thatcher had profound effect on

M

argaret Thatcher was not just a political titan, she was a cultural icon - skewered by comedians, transformed into a puppet and played to Oscar-winning perfection by Meryl Streep.

With her uncompromising politics, ironclad certainty, bouffant hairstyle and everpresent handbag, the late British leader was grist for comedians, playwrights, novelists and songwriters whether they loved her or - as was more often the case - hated her.

Satirical Target Thatcher’s free-market policies trans-

formed and divided Britain, unleashing an outpouring of creative anger from her opponents. A generation of British comedians, from Ben Elton to Alexei Sayle, honed their talents lampooning Thatcher.

To the satirical puppeteers of popular 1980s TV series “Spitting Image,” Thatcher was a cigar-smoking bully, a butcher with a bloody cleaver, a domineering leader ruling over her docile Cabinet. One famous sketch showed Thatcher and her ministers gathered for dinner. Thatcher ordered steak. “And what about the vegetables?” the waitress asked. “They’ll have the same as me,” Thatcher replied.

In the US, “Saturday Night Live” got in on the act - albeit more gently making the Iron Lady the subject of several skits. In one of them, Monty Python member Michael Palin played the prime minister shortly after her election in 1979, poking fun at her helmet of hair.

File photo of a Spitting Image puppet of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher now Baroness Thatcher’s, at Christie’s auction house in London, Spitting Image was a satirical puppet show televised in Britain in the 1980’s and 1990’s.—AP photos

This is a Sunday June 18, 2006 file photo of Elvis Costello as he performs with Allen Toussaint and the New Orleans Horn Section during the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles, Calif.

Musical opposition Pop was political in Thatcher’s day, as the bitter social divisions of the 1980s sparked an angry musical outpouring.

“Whenever I’m asked to name my greatest inspiration, I always answer ‘Margaret Thatcher,’” musician Billy Bragg, one of her most vocal opponents, said in 2009. “Truth is, before she came into my life, I was just your run-ofthe-mill singer-songwriter.”

Bragg was a member of the 1980s Red Wedge movement that campaigned against Thatcher and the Conservatives and for the Labour Party. “I see no joy, I see only sorrow, I see no chance of your bright new tomorrow,” sang The Beat, urging Thatcher to resign in “Stand Down Margaret.”

In “Tramp the Dirt Down,” Elvis Costello imagined the day of Thatcher’s death: “When they finally

put you in the ground, I’ll stand on your grave and tramp the dirt down.” Former Smiths frontman Morrissey went even further, lyrically fantasizing about “Margaret on the Guillotine.” But for some later musicians, Thatcher was a positive figure.

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell - who sported a Union Jack mini-dress as part of the 1990s girl group - tweeted Monday: “Thinking of our 1st Lady of girl power, Margaret Thatcher, a green grocer’s daughter who taught me anything is possible.”

Literary inspiration Thatcher has made appearances in several novels written or set in the 1980s. In Salman Rushdie’s 1988 book, “The Satanic Verses,” she was “Mrs Torture.” Despite his political opposition to Thatcher, Rushdie remembered her on Monday as a “considerate” woman who had offered him police protection after the novel brought a death sentence from Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini.

She was a major, though mostly unseen, presence in Alan Hollinghurst’s Booker Prize-winning 2004 novel “The Line of Beauty,” set during the height of Thatcher’s rule. The prime minister’s appearance at a Conservative lawmaker’s party - where she sends the crowd into a tizzy and dances to the Rolling Stones with the novel’s young protagonist forms the dizzying pivot of Hollinghurst’s tale of 80s power and excess.

Stage and screen star Thatcher’s transformation into a stage and screen character started not long after she took office. Thatcher’s personal papers include an account of an excruciating 1981 evening that she and her husband, Denis, spent at a West End farce titled “Anyone for Denis?” On stage, Thatcher remains a potent figure, a shorthand for the 1980s. In the Olivier- and Tony Award-winning musical “Billy Elliot,” coal miners sing “Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher,” a song with music by Elton John and lyrics that say: “We all celebrate today ‘cause it’s one day closer to your death.”

The London production of “Billy Elliot” kept the song in on Monday, after polling the opinion of the audience. West End theatergoers are currently flocking to see “The Audience,” a play about meetings between Queen Elizabeth II and the 12 prime ministers of her long reign. The play

is a gentle liberal drama, and Haydn Gwynne’s strident Thatcher is gently rebuked by the monarch over her opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa.

On-screen, the character of Thatcher had a jokey cameo at the end of the 1981 James Bond movie “For Your Eyes Only,” but for left-wing directors, she was no laughing matter. Stephen Frears’ “My Beautiful Laundrette” was one of several 1980s films that depicted Thatcher’s Britain as a land of poverty and racism as well as economic enterprise.

Others have mined the drama of a hardworking grocer’s daughter who became Britain’s first female prime minister. In the 2008 TV movie “The Long Walk to Finchley,” Andrea Riseborough played the young politician fighting for a seat in Parliament. The next year “Margaret,” with Lindsay Duncan, depicted the end of her career via a Cabinet coup in 1990. The most acclaimed recent screen Thatcher was Streep’s turn as the aged politician looking back on her life in the 2011 film “The Iron Lady.” Streep won an Academy Award for a performance that humanized a divisive character.

Streep said Monday that Thatcher’s political legacy was “worthy for the argu-

This is an undated film image provided by on Feb1, 2011 by The Weinstein Company, Meryl Streep as she portrays Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.”

ment of history to settle.” “It is hard to imagine a part of our current history that has not been affected by measures she put forward in the UK,” Streep said. “But to me, she was a figure of awe for her personal strength and grit.”—AP

This is a Thursday June 28, 2007 file photo of The Spice Girls, from left Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown as they pose for the photographers on the grounds of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London.