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A tribute to rich Arab heritage

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Recordbreaking loser Svetlana gets revenge

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In Qatar, Arab modern art gets its first museum

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Blood and tears in Bahrain

MANAMA: Bahraini women wait outside a hospital in Manama, yesterday where victims of the confrontation between anti-government protestors and riot police were being treated. Armed patrols prowled neighborhoods and tanks appeared in the streets for the first time after riot police with tear gas and clubs drove protesters from a main square where they had demanded sweeping political change. — AP (See Page 9)

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Gift yourself an antique

Rare gems on display

By Nawara Fattahova

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75-year-old wooden door made in India from 18 pieces from saj wood is one of the most unique items in one of Kuwait’s antique shops. The antique door which costs KD 7,300 was bought from a collector in India and is now part of The Westwood Heritage antique collection - a rare store for antiques which was founded 15 years ago in Salmiya and later shifted to Al-Rai. Soon, the Westwood Heritage store expanded and launched branch in Salwa and another one in Bida’a area.

A visit to the Westwood Heritage store in Al-Rai shows over 4,000 different items ranging from furniture and home accessories to decoration. There are hundreds of items in the store from different countries - from the Far East, China, India, Singapore, Thailand, Java, and other places. “The owner usually brings the items from collectors in these countries, especially from the villages, and small collectors,” said Ramesh VR, Showroom Manager of Al-Rai branch. The majority of the items in stock are classic furniture. Also there are many porcelain, textile, decorations and other items available. “Most of our items are unique and we have only a few items of each,” Ramesh said.

The diversity of items shows a diversity of tastes. “Some items are sold on the very first day. While other items may stay in the store for months or even a year or two,” he said, explaining that over the past 15 years, a wide range of customer network has been established that is always updated with our newest collections,” noted Ramesh. The Westwood Heritage does not hold sales, yet its customers can sometimes get discount for the items they want to buy. “Our items are reasonably-priced, so we don’t need to hold sales. Also, we always update items and add them to the website,” he said. In addition to furniture and home decorations, there is also jewelry available in the branch. These pieces of jewelry are designed by the daughter of the owner Paul Westwood who has six stores in the United Kingdom called the Westwood Rocks - they are an international brand,” Ramesh said. Westwood Heritage has a mix of traditional-style antique reproduction furniture with luxurious modern fabrics. A visit to the showroom in Al-Rai brings an experience of beautiful mix of pieces for every room in the house as well as some gift items.

—Photos by Joseph Shagra

Local FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

From the editor’s desk

Local Spotlight

50/20/5 is a week away!

A small request

By Muna Al-Fuzai

By Abd Al-Rahman Alyan muna@kuwaittimes.net

W

e are almost a week away from celebrating the golden days 50/20/5. Kuwait will be celebrating its 50th year of independence, 20th liberation day and the 5th year of His Highness the Amir’s assumption of power.

These are great occasions, but I was hoping to watch a rehearsal before the actual event is staged.

Now, there are two aspects that I think we need to consider. This year is special because 50/20/5 is not an annual event.

Also, half a century means something to all of us. Those who have experienced the Iraqi invasion have possibly lost someone dear to them. Most Kuwaitis have either lost a loved one or have suffered because of the invasion. So, this sad memory is worth remembering. Another important factor here is that it has been five years since His Highness Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah assumed power in the country.

Secondly, I thought that the month of February would be a month full of celebrations. I am still waiting to see a function take place. As far as I know, a committee is in charge of overseeing the events. I really hope that they will try and speed up because we are soon approaching the last week of

Editor-in-Chief

the month. Many media organizations have already stationed their crew in Kuwait to cover the news. We should be offering them something more than just official meetings. We should showcase Kuwait’s history, its present and also the future. I hope the foreign media will be able to witness a grand spectacle.

Another issue here is the typical parade that is held annually. The use of aerosol foam sprays has been banned this year. I wonder, however, if the ban will be completely controlled. I know that grocery shops (baqalas) have their ways of selling these items. I do not see any connection between celebrating your love for Kuwait and harming others with foam sprays. Those who spray foams on pedestrians must be stopped by police and penalized.

Also, I certainly do not appreciate the white lights that adorn Kuwait’s streets. Why are they fixated with the color white? Reckless children can be trained to express their love for Kuwait by organizing some Disney shows and drawing competitions. These will help channel their creativity and instill in them a sense of responsibility.

KUWAIT: Kuwait is all decked up to celebrate the national occasions in February. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

For thirty-something women, the biological clock is ticking

By Nisreen Zahreddine

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re you a female and, if so, do you feel that your biological clock is ticking more loudly with every passing birthday? What does it feel like to be in your thirties? Will people call you a spinster if you’re unmarried or start advising you to settle down fast? Maybe you could have some firming cosmetic surgery? Or demand more freedom? Will you start to listen to the voice of logic or will you become more irrational?

As a woman, one wonders about all these questions, for women’s minds are always ticking with such endless thoughts, with their fourth decade marking a transitional point in their lives and driving them to wonder more about their future, lifestyle, settling down, family, feminism and maybe even the kitchen; at this stage in life all these things become more important than ever before.

Let’s not get too carried away by the possibilities. A friend once told me that the golden years in a woman’s life are her thirties, when she realizes that she is a real lady. While

I am sure that this friend is greatly enjoying being a lady and having a wonderful family, what about others’ opinions? I set out to find whether or not others in the same age group felt equally positive about the ageing process.

One thirty-something interviewee, Sahar, said that she’s felt a lot of biological and other differences since passing the thirty-years mark. “I wanted to race with time more and do stuff I didn’t do when I was younger,” she explained. “I feel that I am running out of time and that my energy is being drained.”

Sahar explained that she sometimes feels that she would love to have kids because she may not have the opportunity to have them, adding that this consideration has influenced several other aspects of her life, such as her choice of partners for instance. “Young hectic guys don’t attract me anymore; although I’m extremely energetic my standards are different now when it comes to a soul mate,” she explained.

Another thirty-something, Rania, saw things differently, however, saying that she refuses to consider changing her lifestyle and

calming down just because she’s passed her twenties. “I want to enjoy my thirties, feel free, travel all around the world and enjoy my freedom,” she insisted. Rania is certainly not ready to see her wings clipped by domesticity as yet, wanting to keep on spreading them and soaring ever-higher.

“I have a program of trips lined up this year all around Europe and Latin America, I want to enjoy my freedom!” she asserted, rejecting the idea of modifying her attitude towards choosing a partner or changing her taste in men. “I am an artist; my soul is free and men have to respect the fact that I won’t be locked in a kitchen after hitting thirty,” she insisted.

These are two different opinions, both from women in their early thirties; whilst one has been strongly affected by entering this new phase of her life, the other has not.

Surely, however, there is still a large margin for merging the energetic free spirit of youth with the wisdom and maturity required for settling down and starting a family. Welcome to Planet Venus!

myopinion@kuwaittimes.net

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s you may all know, Kuwait is celebrating its 50th anniversary of independence, 20th anniversary of liberation from Saddam’s Iraqi invasion and 5th anniversary of His Highness the Amir’s reign. HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah has taken these celebrations to heart both locally and internationally.

The Kuwaiti government has invited leaders from all around the world to attend the celebration on 25th and 26th of February and Kuwaiti embassies will be celebrating this occasion across the world.

On a local level, the Amir has given every Kuwaiti citizen born before Feb 2, 2011 KD 1,000 as a celebratory gift. But it doesn’t stop there. Basic food necessities subsidized by the government, such as cheaper rice, chicken, tomato paste etc, are now offered to Kuwaiti households for free for the next two years. HH the Amir also ordered to drop cases filed by the government against media organizations and journalists.

The government got inspired by HH the Amir’s kindness and wiped out any debts Kuwaitis may have had in electricity, water, telephone and traffic violation bills.

Then, there were much-needed raises approved for many government employees in several ministries. I wouldn’t be surprised if the subject of writing off the debts of Kuwaitis is brought up again and approved by the government.

As a Kuwaiti citizen, I would like to thank HH the Amir and our government for their generosity towards this nation. This is not a one-off case as Kuwait has enjoyed this sort of generosity for many years. However, I have a small request, which I hope would reach HH the Amir and our government. Let’s not forget that throughout the history of Kuwait, we have had partners who have helped and served in the development of Kuwait. Partners who have contributed to the education of our children, partners who have catered to our homes, our streets, our hospitals; in short, partners who have served in every section of Kuwait’s industries and in every aspect of the social structure of our beloved country.

The partners I speak about are the expats who have come to make a living in Kuwait and who are now integrated into our society. I was hoping that since it’s a joyful occasion, maybe we can share our celebrations with them by canceling some of the charges they have to pay annually, such as the KD 50 medical insurance or maybe even discounted residency renewal fees or even free renewal for their residencies; or even better let’s just abolish the sponsorship system altogether. This is also a great opportunity to pardon all those who have violated the residency law and have to pay huge penalties. Perhaps, we could offer expats free education in Kuwaiti public schools and Kuwait University for their children. Your Highness, you are a generous man and Kuwait is known for its kindness. I hope you and the Kuwaiti government take some of these suggestions or all into consideration. God bless Kuwait and its Amir.

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FRIDAY, FebRUARY 18, 2011

By Ben Garcia

T

he Arab Organizations Building in Shuwaikh is not only a symbol of Arab unity, but is also considered a remarkable landmark. It is home to four regional Arab organizations.

Ziyad Raja M Khalil, an electrical engineer spelt for the Friday Times the story of the organization’s building. We wanted the building to be the most remarkable and outstanding administration building in the Middle East, Khalil said. “To achieve our goals, we agreed to mix the Arabesque architectural motif that is mixed with traditional and modern designs, provided they complement each other,” he added.

Visitors are mesmerized at the very entrance to the Arab Organizations Building. The portal is framed with cream colored concrete stones imported from Tunisia. The cream stones bear Arabesque designs which were hand-carved by Tunisian craftsmen. The leaf-like doorknobs weighing 1,200 kg [steel] each are Egyptian inspired designs and are covered with 2,472 small pieces of walnut wood carvings. The pattern used in the door designs are geometrical and foliage, typical to Arab art.

Khalil explained that the Arab Organizations Building strictly follows three distinguished Arab patterns; calligraphic, foliage and geometric designs. The calligraphic pattern uses Quranic versus, famous poems and proverbs. Foliage depicts plants and flowers that are no longer available today. It was Muslim artists’ attempt to depict flowers and plants in paradise after resurrection.

The Arab artists believed that the center of the circle is the balancing point. It signifies infinity, he said. “The center of the circle stands for God, the creator. God is constant and not subject to change; He is immortal; but creatures are subject to change, mortal. Now, in this door, the pieces of woods used here are neither nailed nor glued to expressed and reiterate that everything in this world is subject to change. The is to reiterate the philosophy of Islam that all things are subject to change, but not God,” he added.

The wall fountain [waterfalls] that can be seen to the left, upon entering the building, is made from mosaics that was crafted and inspired by Moroccan art [zellese]. According to Khalil, first, ceramic tiles, 10 x10 cm [size] using all the major colors, are made. From there, the tiles are cut into different shapes/sizes, using heavy a hammer from one side and a sharp chisel from the other. The tiles were cut depending on the required pattern. Once this was completed, they assembled the cut on a flat surface. The tile pieces were placed upside down to create a beautiful piece of art and designs which were then draped in waterfall designs. That specific design can be seen in the doorway and is represented in ceramic art that serves as the waterfalls that leads to the main lobby. According to Khalil, the idea of reiteration is the name of the game in the Arab world. “In Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Persia, it always maintains continuity of pattern,” he explained. “You will see most of the pattern in one area. Once they select the pattern, it was repeated on the flooring, wall, ceiling and even things seen inside. Customers cannot tell the artist what to do, they strictly follow a set pattern,” he reiterated.

In this region, the social habit and traditions are embedded into work of arts. “If I want to invite you to a family dinner, I will not invite you once; I will invite you many times to make sure that my message is taken. This is embedded in our customs; repeating words so as to reiterate the desire,” he said. That kind of belief is present in our social tradition which fascinatingly is reflected in our work of arts too,” he said.

The building is decorated with 2,400 hydroponic indoor plants, no soil added but only nutrients-filled hydro stones, “Every day, we add water [with nutrition] to our plants. Every week, we pump the old water from the plants and we replace it. We save materials, we don’t need the soil and we don’t spoil the marble which are all sensitive to dirt,” he continued.

Plant pots are handmade from Thailand. A decorative carpet displayed at the reception is a 150- year old carpet from Egypt in which Quranic verses have been inscribed. A wood scuplture in the middle of the lobby is a famous piece of art called ‘Samarkad Tree’ which was made by a Kuwaiti artist.

Photos show the mesmerising interior of the Arab Organizations Building.

— Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

A walk around The wall dividing the lobby and the library has carving that uses walnut wood from Egypt. “This partition is made out of 66,000 pieces of wood, neither glued nor nailed. It took three years to complete this wall,” he added. Located in the library is a remarkable work of spiral staircase that leads to the first’s floor library. The wood panel was made in Egypt and engraved with Arabic poetry. One of the greatest poetry ever encrypted in a wood panel reads: “I have many friends but the most loyal friend I have is my book.” A beautiful copper chandelier weighing about 700 kg is visible just above the spiral staircase. “That handmade chandelier was imported from Morocco. You may not see the calligraphy, but it is engraved with Quranic verses from the Holy Quran.”

The ceiling of the VIP reception of the multi-purpose hall is a magnificent handmade gypsum board created by Moroccan craftsmen. The same design is reflected on the floor and its wall in the side, although designed in granite and marble alike. In the upper portion is a marble screen 50 mm thick. The price [of the marble screen] then was $7,000-per sq meter, which not

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only enhances acoustic sounds but also lessens glare from the atrium on the upper portion. The idea of the marble screen was inspired from Mughal India. Opposite the multipurpose hall is a spacious VIP diwaniya room called Damascene Room.

The room has been designed using Syrian inspired motifs.

Similarly, a visitor is greeted not just by beautiful architecture but by several living plants and a few old trees that adorn the spacious atrium. The tall trees can be rotated to 360 degrees at any given time. This allows ample sunlight into the area, which is unhindered by the vast suspended glass wall which also represents ‘the game’ in the old traditional Arab houses. The building itself is patterned like a traditional Arab house called ‘housh’. The wide space in the atrium has been fully utilized. One side houses a private coffee shop with a number of tables and chairs. The atrium can be turned into a huge ballroom for a music concert.

At the atrium, you will certainly admire Egyptian ‘mashrabiya’ - an element of traditional Arabic architecture in use since the middle ages up to the mid twentieth century. Here it serves as a natural sun shade and also as a decorative covering that covers all eight floors of the building. In the ancient times, it was used by women. It is the tallest mashrabiya ever to be installed in the world, according to Khalil. The mashrabiya is made out of 4.8 million pieces of walnut wood from Egypt.

After spending about $114 million to achieve the goal, the building and its treasures present exquisite works of art.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Kuwaiti firms participate at Mobile World Congress

KUWAIT: Officials open the second dental conference and exhibition yesterday. — KUNA

Dental conference opens in Kuwait KUWAIT: The second dental conference and exhibition opened here yesterday under the auspices of Kuwaiti Minister of Health Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer. The event showcases the world’s latest technological achievements in the field of dental equipment and medication, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for Dental Affairs Dr Youssof Al-Duwairi said. “This chain of conferences and exhibitions aim to keep pace with the mobility of the scientific and technology in medial domain and provide platform for specialists to share experience,” Al-Duwairi said in an address to the opening ceremony on behalf of Al-Sayer.

“The conference focuses on the ideal of dental health for all age categories as well as the techniques of tooth surgeries and tooth planting,” he noted. Al-Duwairi added that the medical service in the dental domain has seen big qualitative developments, particularly in the field of cosmetic surgeries.

Meanwhile, chairman of the conference Dr Saqr AlHemeida said the gathering, organized by the dentistry department of the Ministry of Health, aims to upgrade the capacity of dentists through lectures, workshops and exhibitions. A constellation of the world’s most notable dentists will address the conference to convey their experience to Kuwait, he added. — KUNA

MADRID: A number of Kuwaiti companies took part at the Sixth Mobile World Congress (GSMA) in Barcelona with more than 1,300 companies displaying cuttingedge products and technology that will define the mobile future. Masiya’s CEO Ahmed Al-Ozairi said that his company in a tradition that has spanned a number of years is represented at Barcelona by a select group of delegates from both its Kuwait headquarters as well as its Abu Dhabi operation.

However, for the first time this year, Masiya is joined by both subsidiaries, Life Energy and PiXil. Al-Ozairi added: “As always, we are keenly awaiting all the new services and technology announcements that are being delivered this year,” pointing out that “however, what remains to be observed this time around - amidst the challenging financial environment - is the means by which organizations and global players face current speculation, and in what ways business modules are being morphed during these testing times.”

Masiya is a systems integrator and provider of IT and telecommunications solutions established in 2001 in Kuwait, with corporate branches in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Iraq; and active operations in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. For his part, the Business Development Manager of Life Energy Abdulraouf Al-Feeli, said: “Life Energy which was established in Kuwait in 2009, is committed to providing advanced stateof-the-art renewable energy solutions that are tailored to satisfy even the most unique and specific needs.”

He added that his company was seek-

ing through its very first participation in the Congress to identify the cutting-edge products and technology in this area, and was “eager to be inspired by industry leaders introducing the latest in technological advancements”.

PiXil’s CEO Omar Hamdi Abdon said: “We are honored to visit this year’s GSMA,

smart-phone platforms such as iPad, Android and BlackBerry.

The Leadership Summit hosts top CEOs across the board looking to discuss industry priorities with their peers; while the Government Mobile Forum is expected to bring together over 55 ministers and representatives from five continents pressed

Ahmed Al-Ozairi

Omar Abdon

as we view it as a “must” for any entity in the mobile industry. We visited the various sections of the exhibition to learn about the latest technological applications as well as App Planet Exhibition, which delivers the latest in application technologies to developers around the globe.” PiXiL, incepted in 2010, is an up-and-coming business development company specializing in application development for smart devices and other mobile computing devices, with experience in all major

to route the telecom industry out of the current financial crisis and to sustaining its long-term growth. It is expected to more than 52,000 people will visit the exhibition which opened on Monday and concluded yesterday. The Mobile World Congress is the mobile industry’s “must attend” event with more than 49,000 visitors in 2010. An integral part of Congress, the conference agenda features speakers representing the leaders of the world’s most innovative companies. — KUNA

Kuwait keen to boost China ties

DAMASCUS: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Syria Aziz Dihani presents the Kuwaiti donation to charitable association officials yesterday. – KUNA

Kuwait gives $30,000 to Syrian orphanage DAMASCUS: As a part of Kuwait’s continued support to charitable and humanitarian work in Arab and Muslim countries, a Syrian orphanage received a $30,000 Kuwaiti donation yesterday. “Under the guidance of Kuwaiti government, we present this donation to the Orphan Children’s Village Association and we hope to offer more donations to other charitable associations in Syria in the future,” Kuwaiti Ambassador to Syria Aziz Dihani told reporters today after presenting the Kuwaiti donation to the charitable association officials here. Dihani also

expressed Kuwait’s readiness to extend its hand to back Syria in many of the humanitarian work that serves the needy Syrian families.

Kuwait pays due attention to develop the mechanisms of humanitarian work in Syria and all Arab and Muslim countries, Dihani added. In a meeting with the Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Diyala Haj, Dihani hailed Syrian-Kuwaiti relations as “distinctive”, highlighting His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and President Bashar Al-Assad’s keenness on developing it more. — KUNA

GUNAGZHOU: Kuwait Consul to Guangzhou City Abdulwahab AlSaqr affirmed here yesterday that Kuwait was keen on bolstering relations with China, adding that his country was looking forward to extend commercial and investment ties with Guangdong province.

Speaking on the occasion of Kuwait’s national celebrations to be held next week, Al-Saqr said that “the consulate is hopeful and confident on establishing commercial and investment ties with Guangdong and other provinces”, affirming that was a move to bolster KuwaitiChinese relations.

The consulate, indicated the official, is keen on establishing the right conditions to pursue such goals, noting that amongst the steps was to open a direct route to Gunagdong via China Southern Airlines or Kuwait Airways. Al-Saqr also indicated that Kuwait was waiting for confirmation on the joint petroleum venture at Zhangjiang City which would be focal point for kick-starting commercial and economic relations with the city. — KUNA

Abdulwahab Al-Saqr

Kuwait seeks closer ties with Vietnam KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwait Ambassador to Vietnam Hamad Al-Jeteili voiced hope yesterday the bilateral ties and friendship between his country and Vietnam would be further enhanced in all domains. The private sector companies of both sides are working to meet the aspirations of their governments and peoples, the diplomat said. He made the remarks in an interview with Vietnam News daily newspaper on the occasion of Kuwait’s commemoration of its 50th Independence Day, 20th Liberation Day and the fifth

anniversary of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah’s assumption of power.

“Vietnam enjoys highly promising investment opportunities and its five-year development

Hamad Al-Jeteili

plan bears great promise of success,” he said, noting that the private sector is one of the main players in realizing the targets of the plan. Al-Jeteili noted that the South Asian nation has an investment-attractive atmosphere given its political, security and economic stability, and abundant human and natural resources. Dealing with the bilateral ties, he said Kuwait and Vietnam celebrated in January the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, noting that the ties kept growing steadily over the last three and half decades. — KUNA

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KUWAIT: (Left) Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali opens the national exhibition yesterday. (Right) The KUNA booth is seen at the exhibition.

— Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat & KUNA

Exhibition marks national occasions Government bodies’ role highlighted

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Kuwait International Fair Ground in Mishref is currently hosting an exhibition as part of the country’s national celebrations. The exhibition was opened yesterday by Minister of Finance Mustafa Al-Shamali. All of Kuwait’s ministries and government utilities are participating in the exhibition. In hall number 6, 7, and 8 public organizations and NGOs are presenting their services, and showcasing history and publications. In hall number 5, some private organizations are selling their products, especially those pertinent to national celebrations.

This exhibition is being held on the occasion of the country’s 50th anniversary of independence, 20th year of liberation, and the 5th year of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s

assumption of power. “Our celebrations will continue till the end of February, and we hope that the year of 2011 will be full of happiness.

Through this exhibition, we aim to show people the achievements of different ministries and organizations. I invite everybody to visit this exhibition,” said Al-Shamali.

The main purpose of this exhibition is to highlight the role played by governmental organizations and the private sector after independence, “The participants will show the stages in which infrastructure and buildings were developed. These took place in Kuwait after independence in 1961. It also reflects these establishments’ participation in Kuwait’s future plans. I hope that the visitor will benefit from this opportunity,” stated Abdulrahman AlNassar, Deputy Chairman of the Kuwait

UN sees ‘positive’ signals between Kuwait and Iraq UNITED NATIONS: UN Special envoy to Iraq Ed Melkert late Wednesday said the Kuwaiti prime minister’s visit to Iraq last month and his Iraqi counterpart’s visit to Kuwait this week are “positive signals” in the relations between the two neighboring countries. “I see a lot of positive signals,” Melkert said following a meeting with UN high-level officials regarding the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI). Asked what his message would be on the celebrations of Kuwait’s 50th anniversary of independence and 20th anniversary of liberation, he said they are indeed occasions for celebrations and that he will be in Kuwait for the celebrations. He said Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro will travel to Kuwait to represent SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon in the celebrations. The UN high-level coordinator for the missing Kuwaitis and property Gennady Tarasov will also be there.

Iraqi Ambassador to the UN Hamid Al-Bayati also said that Iraqi President Jalal Talabani will travel

to Kuwait to participate in the celebrations, describing the exchange of visits by the prime ministers of Kuwait and Iraq are “very successful.” On his feeling towards the anniversaries, Al-Bayati said “we in Iraq opposed Saddam and his occupation of Kuwait. We congrat-

ulate our brothers on the 20th anniversary of the liberation and we wish them success, and hopefully our brotherly relations will continue, as there is commitment and intention from both countries to solve all remaining issues in a satisfactory manner.”— KUNA

International Fair Company.

Participating bodies provide different services and information like the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) booth. Apart from providing brochures about their missions, they also provide information about their new service named ‘Balsam’. Through this project, they collect coins and money that passengers on Kuwait Airways flights donate. In addition, visitors can take a free blood test for diabetes.

The Petrochemical Industries Company is also making its presence felt, “We are glad to be participating in this exhibition. This is because we can see that all the people are happy. It is nice to see everyone living in peace. There are demonstrations and political problems in many countries. We thank God in the first place and our rulers for the harmony we enjoy,” noted

Fireworks scare daylights out of residents KUWAIT: The Interior Ministry’s Operations Room recently received more than 40 calls that reported the gunshots and explosions in the vicinity of Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate, security officers said. Police patrols scoured the area and learnt that the explosive sounds emanated from a fireworks display that was staged there.

Street fight Several young men were recently arrested at a Hawally shopping mall after creating a ruckus over a young woman. Two young men were trying to attract the girl’s attention and get her mobile phone number. This resulted in a quarrel between the friends.

Bribery attempt A Bangladeshi was arrested for attempting to bribe a police captain at Shamiya police station.

He wanted to secure his imprisoned friend’s release from prison. The suspect offered a KD 50 bribe to the officer.

KUWAIT: The assistant undersecretary of the Interior Ministry for border security Maj General Sheikh Mohammed Al-Yousif Al-Sabah honors a number of outstanding border security personnel for their devotion in safeguarding Kuwait’s borders. — KUNA

Dawood Al-Amiri, Communication Team Leader of Petrochemical Industries Co. The Ministry of Interior has set up different pavilions in hall number 6. People can enjoy various documents, photos, car plates, driving license and much more on display. “This exhibition presents the development of Ministry of Interior during the past 50 years. All sectors of the ministry are participating. Visitors can also find many of our useful publications,” Colonel Adel Al-Hashah told the Kuwait Times.

Al-Hashash also called upon people attending celebrations of National Day and Liberation Day to respect the rules and refrain from using foam sprays, which were banned by the Ministry of Commerce and the Municipality, “If the policemen receives any complaints, all foam sprays will be confiscated,” he added.

Abusive husband A citizen recently filed a complaint with the police against her husband, accusing him of alcoholism and physical assault. Upon being summoned to the police station and having learnt of the charges pressed against him, the

man lost his temper and assaulted the wife before policemen.

Policeman arrested Kuwait Central prison authorities recently arrested a policeman who tried to smuggle in drugs, mobile phone SIM cards and a memory card. The items were concealed under the back seat of his vehicle, said security officials. After thoroughly inspecting the vehicle, security agents found the banned items hidden inside a plastic bag.

Propaganda flyers State Security agents are currently working towards identifying the distributor of some flyers that described Egypt’s current political turmoil.

The leaflets were left on vehicles that were parked near a famous mall in Sharq. Some citizens reported the matter to police. Further investigations are in progress.

Domestic dispute A citizen lodged a complaint with police stating that her newly-wed son had forced her and his three sisters to evict the house they shared.

The mother has reportedly been in bad terms with her son’s wife, said security personnel. A case has been filed.

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13 killed in central Iraq car bomb

At least 25 injured in Sanaa clashes

Gaddafi supporters counter Libya’s ‘Day of rage’

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Bahrain crushes protest camp 3 dead, 231 hurt in clashes MANAMA: A man gestures toward the body of Mahmmoud Maki, who was killed during clashes between demonstrators and police yesterday. — AP

MANAMA: Troops in armored vehicles took control of Manama yesterday after police attacked anti-government protesters, killing three people and wounding 231 in Bahrain’s worst violence in decades. After riot police had cleared protesters from Pearl square before dawn, soldiers in at least 40 trucks and armored vehicles took control of the road junction demonstrators had tried to turn into a protest base like Cairo’s Tahrir Square. The crackdown by the Bahraini authorities appeared designed to snuff out the protests before they could gather momentum, unlike the sustained unrest that unseated Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak.

The main Shi’ite bloc Wefaq, which holds 17 of parliament’s 40 seats, planned to quit the assembly in protest. “We feel there was a decision to hurt people,” MP Ibrahim Mattar said. Abdul Jalil Khalil, who heads Wefaq’s bloc in parliament, said his group and six others had demanded that the government resign and make way for a new national unity

government. “This is an atrocity,” he said of the bloodshed. “Whoever took the decision to attack the protest was aiming to kill.”

He told Reuters about 60 people were missing, hours after the police raid.”Are they in prison or did they escape and are now hiding in houses? We don’t know,” he said, adding that his figure was based on calls received from worried relatives. Thousands of overwhelmingly Shi’ite protesters, emboldened by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, took to Bahrain’s streets three days ago demanding more say in the Gulf Arab kingdom where a Sunni Muslim family rules over a majority Shi’ite population.

Health Minister Faisal bin Yaqoob AlHamer said three people had been killed and 231 hurt in the police operation. Most had left hospital, but 36 were still receiving treatment, including one in intensive care. “It is most unfortunate,” he told Reuters at the bedside of a doctor hurt during the clash. Hamer said medical staff had been mobilized and all

health centers placed on alert to receive casualties.

A statement from Bahrain’s defense forces, quoted by the Qatar news agency, said about 50 security force members had been wounded by demonstrators using “swords, knives and daggers”. “Security forces had to fire tear gas and stun grenades to avoid losses,” the statement said, adding that the military had deployed in Manama “under orders to take all necessary measure to preserve peace and stability for citizens and residents”.

Gulf Arab foreign ministers were due to meet later in the day in Manama to discuss the unrest in Bahrain. Britain’s foreign minister, William Hague, voiced deep concern and urged the Bahraini police to use restraint. “It is crucial that the Bahraini government moves quickly to carry out its commitment to a transparent investigation into earlier deaths and extends this to include today’s events and any alleged human rights abuses,” he said. — Reuters

Ben Ali ‘in coma’ TUNIS: Deposed Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is “in a coma” in a Saudi hospital following a stroke, a family friend told AFP yesterday. The 74-year-old former leader slipped into a coma “two days ago” while being treated in a Jeddah hospital after suffering a stroke, according to the friend. AFP. “He had a stroke, and his condition is serious,” he said. Ben Ali and his family fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14 after a popular uprising ended his 23year grip on power in the north African country. Earlier, a spokesman for the interim government that replaced Ben Ali’s regime would neither confirm nor deny the reports that the ex-president was in hospital. Tunisia’s Le Quotidien newspaper reported yesterday that Ben Ali had suffered a stroke. — AFP

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At least 25 injured in Sanaa clashes Protestors attack with batons, stones SANAA: Fierce clashes between proand anti-regime protesters in Yemen’s capital Sanaa left at least 25 injured yesterday while police and protesters also clashed violently the southern city of Aden. About 2,000 protesters, mostly students, had just left Sanaa University headed for Tahrir Square, or Liberation Square, when they ran into regime supporters and clashes broke out for a fifth straight day. President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s loyalists were seen gathered and waiting near the university since early in the day and attacked the protesters with batons and stones.

The protesters, chanting “The people want to overthrow the regime,” responded by hurling stones. Police intervened with warning shots to separate the two sides, but later withdrew, as the protesters came under fire from Saleh supporters, a journalist in Sanaa

said. Fifteen of the injured were protesters and the rest were supporters of the regime, he said. A stone hit an AFP photographer, injuring his head, while regime loyalists beat up an AFP videographer. In Yemen’s tightly patrolled main southern city of Aden, an AFP reporter said violent clashes broke out yesterday for the second day in a row between protesters and police in alMansura neighborhood.

Two people were injured, according to witnesses. Heavy gunfire was also heard in the neighborhood as police tried to disperse protesters who took off from Al-Ruweishat bus station to the home of Yassin Askar who was killed along with another unidentified protester in similar clashes on Wednesday. Twenty people were wounded on Wednesday and a similar number have been arrested, a local offi-

SANAA: Yemeni anti-government protesters throw stones towards regime loyalists during clashes yesterday. —AFP

cial said. Demonstrators on Wednesday had hurled stones at police, set tyres and vehicles on fire and stormed a municipal building where heavy gunfire rang out. “Most of those arrested were held when they tried to storm into a police centre and the central prison in Al-Mansura (district) but they were stopped,” the official told AFP. Hundreds of protesters also broke into shops and three hotels, and set car tires ablaze and blocked roads. “The police intervened only when the protests turned violent,” he said. Saleh ordered the set up of an “investigative committee to inquire about the unfortunate riots that have occurred in some parts of” Al-Mansura, state news agency Saba reported yesterday. In Taez, south of Sanaa, protests continued for a sixth day as demonstrators carrying “Leave Ali” banners set up tents at a road intersection near AlHuraish Square after police chased them away.

The protesters have called for a “Day of Rage” today, with the authorities in Taez reacting with a heavy deployment of Republican Guard forces and the army.

In Ibb, southwest of Sanaa, hundreds of protesters took to the streets yesterday demanding that Saleh step down. Anger at rampant corruption has helped to fuel unrest in Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab world. In Sanaa, protests have becoming increasingly violent, despite Saleh-elected to a seven-year-term in September 2006 — urging dialogue on forming a government of national unity.

Besides poverty and unemployment, Saleh’s government is grappling a secessionist movement in the south, rebellion in the north, and a regrouping of Al-Qaeda on its soil. —AFP

Rights group wants funds cut to Palestinian forces JERUSALEM: The US and the European Union should cut off funds to Palestinian security services in the West Bank until the Palestinians investigate accusations of abuse against protesters, a human rights group said. Human Rights Watch said Wednesday that Palestinians demonstrating in support of Egypt’s anti-government protest movement were assaulted on three occasions, most recently at a Feb. 5 rally. There was no immediate comment from a Palestinian Authority spokesman.

The United States and European Union have poured millions of dollars into training Palestinian security forces in the West Bank, considering it a vital prerequisite for an independent Palestinian state. The Israeli army has praised the forces for maintaining law and order in West Bank cities once ridden with militant groups. But the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, has “repeatedly responded to peaceful demonstrations with violent attacks, even as its security services enjoy impunity for systematic torture,” said

Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “What further evidence could the US and the EU possibly need that they should not hand over even more money to Palestinian security agencies until they are held accountable?” Whitson asked in a news release issued Wednesday.

Demonstrators at the Feb. 5 rally, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, chanted slogans in support of Egyptian protesters. They also called on Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, which control rival governments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to reconcile. The rights group said plainclothes security officers at the rally groped female demonstrators and beat at least four protesters, dragging them to a police station. One man said he was interrogated throughout the night and was denied food and drink for 14 hours, Human Rights Watch said. Another said security officials accused him of tearing down a poster of President Mahmoud Abbas, beat him and demanded his e-mail and Facebook account passwords. —AP

TRIPOLI: A Libyan pro-government supporter holds a portrait of leader Muammar Gaddafi during a gathering to show support for the veteran leader who seized power in a 1969 coup, as Libya braced for a “Day of Anger”. —AFP

Gaddafi supporters counter Libya’s ‘day of rage’ TRIPOLI: Hundreds of supporters of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi rallied yesterday but there were reports on social media sites that some people had heeded opposition calls for a “day of rage.” Gaddafi opponents communicating anonymously online or working in exile had urged people to protest yesterday to try to emulate popular uprisings which unseated long-serving rulers in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt. In the capital of the oil exporting country there was no sign of any demonstrations, a Reuters reporter said, apart from the pro-Gaddafi demonstrators in the city’s Green Square chanting “We are defending Gaddafi!” and waving his portrait.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said Libyan authorities had detained 14 activists and writers who had been preparing the anti-government protests, while telephone lines to parts of the country were out or order. Libya’s Quryna newspaper reported that two young civilians were killed in clashes on Wednesday in the city of Al-Bayda, in the east of the country, and that the regional security chief had been removed from his post as a result.

Al-Bayda is not far from Benghazi, Libya’s second city, where, a witness told Reuters, protesters clashed with police and Gaddafi supporters on Tuesday night. Snatches of information were trickling out from parts of the country on an Arabic-language Facebook page used by opposition activists, but the sources were not clear and it was not possible to verify the details.

Building on fire One post said that protesters in Ar Rajban, near the border with Algeria, set fire to a local government headquarters. In Zenten, south-west of Tripoli, protesters shouted “We will win or die,” said another post, which also had a photograph of a building on fire. However, there was calm in Libya’s capital. On Omar Al-Mokhtar street, Tripoli’s main thoroughfare, traffic was moving as normal, banks and shops were open and there was no increased security presence.

The official Jana news agency reported that there were also rallies in support of Gaddafi in other cities. Though some Libyans complain about unemployment, inequality and limits on political freedoms, analysts say an Egypt-style revolt is unlikely because the government can use oil revenues to smooth over most social problems.

Libya has been tightly controlled for over 40 years by Gaddafiwho is now Africa’s longest-serving leader-and has immense oil wealth but the country has nevertheless felt the ripples from the uprisings in neighboring states. “We have problems,” Mustafa Fetouri, a Tripoli-based political analyst and university professor, told Reuters. “This is a society that is still behind in many ways, there are certain legitimate problems that have to be sorted out.

But he said: “I do not really see it (unrest) spreading...

Gaddafi remains well respected and if there is any kind of measure of his popularity I am sure he would come out with a majority.” Libya bans all political parties, public dissent is rarely tolerated and over his time in office, rights groups say, thousands of Gaddafi’s opponents have been put in prison. But Gaddafi and his supporters say Libya is a democracy because of his system of direct rule through grass-roots institutions called popular committees. —Reuters

International FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Cairo teen finds looted pharaonic statue CAIRO: A Cairo teenager found a priceless statue of Pharaoh Akhenaton near a garbage bin after it had been stolen from the Egyptian Museum during anti-regime protests, Egypt’s antiquities chief said yesterday. The museum’s world renowned collection was burgled and several artefacts went missing last month, including statues of King

Tutankhamun and Pharaoh Akhenaton. A 16-year-old protester found the sculpture near a rubbish bin in Tahrir Square, the focal point of the demonstrations which brought down president Hosni Mubarak, antiquities chief Zahi Hawass said.

He took the statue home, where his uncle Sabri Abdelrahman, a pro-

fessor at the American University in Cairo, recognized the piece and returned it to authorities, Hawass said.

“The statue is one of the most beautiful statues of Akhenaton, which highlights the skill of Egyptian artists at the time,” said Egyptian Museum director Tarek Al-Awadi. The statue would be restored before

going back on display in the museum.

Akhenaton was a ruler of the 13th Dynasty. Last year, Egypt announced that DNA tests had confirmed him to be the father of famed boy King Tutankhamun. Nationwide protests erupted in Egypt on January 25, which led to the overthrow of Mubarak and left at least 365 dead and scores more injured or detained. —AFP

13 killed in central Iraq car bomb Baghdad wants US to pay $1bn for damage

SHARM EL-SHEIKH: Tourists stroll on a beachfront promenade at a hotel as Egyptian navy vessels patrol off the coast of the Red Sea resort city yesterday. — AFP

Sharks and revolution empty Red Sea resorts SHARM EL-SHEIKH: Tourists have started trickling back to Egypt’s balmy Red Sea coast in the wake of its national uprising, but ghost town resorts are still reeling from crises that preceded the unrest. The beaches had emptied following a bizarre series of shark attacks late last year, and some souvenir vendors and other businesses here in Sharm El-Sheikh say they are still hurting from the global financial crisis. On Wednesday a few dozen tanned tourists in shorts and summer dresses made their way through the mostly deserted town centre, past empty Bedouin-style cafes with sheets spread over cushions to shield them from the dusty air.

“We are very pleased, because it’s empty and there are no Russians,” said Nick, who came from Devon in southwestern England with his wife and 10-year-old twins on a trip they booked “before the sharks and before the demonstrations.” The couple, who declined to give their last name, said their only regret was not waiting until travel operators began offering major discounts as hundreds of thousands took to the streets to demand the fall of Hosni Mubarak.

“As far as events in Cairo, you would never know, if you watch TV, that it’s the same country,” his wife Julia said.

“It’s like comparing New York to the rest of the United States.” Tourists from the former Soviet Union have long flocked to Sharm, where many signs are written in Russian, but these days most hail from Britain, which did not restrict travel to the Red Sea even at the height of the unrest.

There were no demonstrations in Sharm-a sprawling resort on the southern tip of the arid and mountainous Sinai Peninsula-but that was in part because locals did not want to scare away customers.

“Here in Sharm it was fine,” said Steffi Vetterli, a Swiss dive instructor who moved to town four years ago. “The people here are working. They don’t care about Cairo because they need the money,” she said. The reefs off Egypt’s Red Sea coast offer some of the best diving in the world, with sea turtles, barracudas and spotted eagle rays swimming through the florid coral, the cloudless desert sky reflected on placid waters.

Mottled whale sharks-docile giants that pose little danger to humans-will migrate through starting in June. But this year the dive centre where Vetterli works has had virtually no customers in weeks. — AFP

BAQUBA: A car bomb in the central Iraqi town of Muqdadiyah, northeast of Baghdad, killed 13 people on Thursday evening, a security official said. At least 35 others were wounded in the attack, which occurred at 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) outside a vehicle trading fair close to a police checkpoint, an official in the provincial security command said. In another development, Kurdish security guards opened fire on a crowd of protesters calling for political reforms in northern Iraq, killing at least two people, officials said, showing even war-weary Iraq cannot escape the unrest roiling the Middle East. The protest in Sulaimaniyah was the most violent in a wave of demonstrations that extended to the southern cities of Kut, Nasir and Basra.

Iraq has seen small-scale demonstrations almost daily in recent weeks, mainly centered in the impoverished southern provinces and staged by Iraqis angry over a lack of basic services like electricity and clean drinking water. The hundreds of Kurds demonstrating in the northern city of Sulaimaniyah, 160 miles (260 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Thursday, demanded political reforms from the regional government in the semiautonomous territory. Although Kurds generally enjoy a higher standard of living than the rest of Iraq, many have grown tired of the tight grip with which the ruling parties control the region and the economy.

The protesters moved from the center of the city to the headquarters of Kurdish President Massoud Barzani’s political party, where some protesters threw stones at the building. Kurdish security guards on the roof then opened fire on the demonstrators, sending people fleeing for cover. A local police and hospital official both said two people were killed in the incident, and the medical official said 47 people were injured.

Both the officials said the deaths and injuries were the result of shootings.

Neither wanted to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

An Associated Press reporter on the scene saw one teenager shot in the head and being carried away by policemen on the street who were trying to help the protesters. In the southern city of Basra, about 600 people gathered in front of the provincial headquarters, facing off against police protecting the building. With the exception of some

BASRA: Iraqi anti-government protesters carry a man who collapsed during a protest yesterday. — AP

pushing and shoving, witnesses said the protest was largely peaceful. “We are demanding that the Basra governor be fired because he has not done anything good for Basra,” said Mohammed Ali Jasim, a 50-year-old father of nine who came out to the protest in Iraq’s secondlargest city, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad.

Dozens of angry protesters also stormed the municipal building and set it on fire in the small town of Nasir, some 170 miles (270 kilometers) south of Baghdad, a police official in the nearby provincial capital of Nasiriyah said.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Five policemen were wounded after protesters hurled stones at the building and five protesters were arrested before a curfew was imposed on the town, the officer said. A day earlier in the city of Kut, about 2,000 stonethrowing demonstrators attacked local government offices, setting fire to some buildings, including the governor’s house. Kut is 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad.

The spokeswoman for Wasit province, Sondos al-Dahabi, said Thursday that three demonstrators were shot and killed, while the top health official for the province, Diaa al-Aboudi,

said he was only aware of one fatality, an Iraqi soldier. Iraq is one of the few countries with a democratically elected government in the Middle East but leaders here have not been immune from the anger engulfing the region. Iraqis have a long list of grievances against their leaders, including electricity that sometimes works only a few hours a day, unemployment that runs as high as 30 percent and rampant corruption.

Meanwhile Iraq’s capital Baghdad wants the United States to apologise and pay $1 billion for the damage done to the city not by bombs but by blast walls and Humvees since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

The city’s government issued its demands in a statement on Wednesday that said Baghdad’s infrastructure and aesthetics have been seriously damaged by the American military.

“The US forces changed this beautiful city to a camp in an ugly and destructive way, which reflected deliberate ignorance and carelessness about the simplest forms of public taste,” the statement said. “Due to the huge damage, leading to a loss the Baghdad municipality cannot afford...we demand the American side apologize to Baghdad’s people and pay back these expenses.”—Agencies

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Sectarian divisions haunt central Nigerian capital Ethnic rivalries polarize city JOS: An outsider crossing the dried-up gulley between two neighborhoods in this central Nigerian city might not notice he had stepped over one of its increasingly tense sectarian dividing lines. On both sides, stallholders sell freshly slaughtered meat and tropical fruit under umbrellas. Motorcycle taxis weave in and out of the traffic. Soldiers with AK-47s on the street corners are the only outward sign all is not well. “No Christians come here because they are scared. We used to have Christians running stalls here but now there is no trust,” said Umar, a Muslim, from behind a pile of mangoes and pineapples.

It is a sentiment mirrored on the other side of the gulley. “I don’t want Muslims in my market,” said Victor, the Christian owner of a meat stall five minutes away. Perched on a plateau in Nigeria’s “Middle Belt”, where the Muslim north meets the largely Christian south, Jos’s temperate climate and lush vegetation long made it a weekend retreat for Nigerians looking to escape the heat and hustle of other cities. But the colonial-style villas dotting the surrounding hills lie largely empty. The dusty streets of the city centre, lined with market stalls and strewn with rubbish, are shared by military patrols and nervous crowds who discuss rumors of the latest violence, now almost a daily occurrence.

More than 200 people have been killed in sectarian violence in and around Jos since a series of bombs shattered Christmas Eve celebrations almost two months ago. In the latest attack on Tuesday, a butcher stabbed a policeman to death as he tried to buy meat for a Muslim festival, triggering clashes in which another 10 people died. The bloodletting is not rooted in religious fervor, but in rivalry between mostly Christian ethnic groups who can trace their ancestry in the region back several generations-known as indigenes-and settlers from the Muslim north.

“There used to be mutual respect but the whole place is polarized, we have places we can’t go and the Christians have the same

thing,” said Khadijah Hawaja, a Muslim community leader who went to a Catholic school as a child. “It wasn’t always like this ... I’ve been here all my 47 years but now I send my children to school outside of this state,” she told Reuters, dressed in a headscarf and sitting in the small living room of her city-centre home.

Economic decline Thousands have been killed in clashes in the region over the past decade but the Christmas Eve bombings have unleashed a new wave of violence. Many of the killings take place in isolated villages in the hills around the city. The economy of Plateau state, of which Jos is the capital, had relied on the fruit and vegetable it supplies to cities across Africa’s most populous nation, and on tourism, after mining and manufacturing firms scaled down or moved away. Rivalry for scant economic opportunities combined with local government policies that have actively discriminated against non-indigenes have fuelled divisions.

“Jos used to be known for its tourism, people came here for holidays and weddings. It was such a beautiful place. With the violence, everyone has forgotten,” said Marcel Edegar, who has moved recently from the centre to a safer Christian suburb. It boasts two golf courses, a polo club and can even claim exBritish Prime Minister John Major as a former resident. But many shops are now boarded up, hotels shut and huge market areas left empty and vandalized.

“It has all affected the economy so badly.

Markets have been burned down, people are losing their livelihood. We rely on trade but people are fearful to come out and trade,” said Dauda Lamba, special media assistant to the Plateau state governor. Muslim groups complain of under-representation in local politics, saying it is dominated by indigenes.

Christians argue the same is true across Nigeria and they should not be expected to give up their rights. —Reuters

Ousted president will return to Madagascar JOHANNESBURG: Former Madagascan president Marc Ravalomanana will return to the island nation on Saturday to help prepare for new elections nearly two years after his army-backed ouster. The deposed president, who returns under the threat of arrest, declared himself as Madagascar’s rightful leader yesterday and said he is going back to start “desperately needed” talks that must pave the way to new polls. “I am the democratically elected and constitutional president of Madagascar,” he told a press conference in South Africa, where he has been in exile.

“I return to my country humbly, so that we can return to democracy, and together create a bright future for Madagascar.” The rule of his rival Andry Rajoelina, the armybacked opposition leader who ousted him in a coup in March 2009, was illegal and it was time for him to return home, he said. “I am going back to start genuine dialogue, which is desperately needed,” he said.

“Only a truly national consensus, forged

by the Malagasy people, through direct talks in our own country, can restore us to democracy-and can ensure that nobody can ever seize power illegally in Madagascar again,” he said. A Madagascan minister however warned Wednesday that Ravalomanana would be arrested if he returned. He was sentenced in absentia to life in prison and hard labour last year for the death of 30 opposition protesters killed by presidential guards as they attempted to march on the presidential palace on February 7, 2009.

“I know the risks facing my return, but cannot allow them to get in the way of us restoring democracy. I have nothing to fear.

I have done nothing wrong,” he said. “The regime is illegal. It cannot legitimate itself.

This is similar to the apartheid regime,” he said, referring to South Africa’s decades of white minority rule. Ravalomanana said he has informed South African authorities and will meet them yesterday afternoon about his plan to return to Madagascar.—AFP

PRISTINA: A Kosovo Albanian woman waits for the bus as flags are seen for sale in the background in preparation for the third anniversary of Kosovo’s declaration of independence. Yesterday, Kosovo marked the third anniversary of its unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia. —AFP

‘Difficult times’ for Kosovo on independence anniversary PRISTINA: Kosovo celebrated the third anniversary of its declaration of independence yesterday amid warnings from its president that it faced a struggle to cement its international credibility. Jakup Krasniqi, the interim president, said in a televised address that Kosovo had made good progress since it declared itself a sovereign state on February 17, 2008, much to the fury of its former Serbian rulers. But with the number of countries recognizing its independence now slowing to a trickle, and with the prime minister facing accusations that he was linked to organ trafficking, Krasniqi admitted that Kosovo was facing difficulties. “During the three years of independence, Kosovo has created a democratic system and the institutions of statehood... recording solid economic and social development,” he said in his address to the nation.

However, he warned that Kosovo had to confront the “difficult tasks of strengthening (its) international identity and credibility.” With the initial euphoria having long faded, the harsh realities of life in one of the poorest corners of Europe have led to disillusionment among the two million population. Kosovo’s unemployment rate stands at 40 percent while 45 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.

“Having your own country after the brutal oppression over us for decades by Serbia is the biggest gift the people could have in its lifetime,” 39-year-old engineer Astrit Maloku told AFP. “But, our leaders cannot use (independence) as an excuse for failing to make our life easier and better.” In addition to its economic woes, Kosovo is in political turmoil with Hashim Thaci, the prime minister, still trying to cobble together a fresh coalition after being forced into early elections in December. Although Thaci’s party did come out on top, he fell some distance short of an overall majority.

And Kosovo’s image has also taken a bat-

tering after Thaci and other senior officials were linked to organized crime and organ trafficking following a report by the Council of Europe. Thaci has strongly denied the claims which date back to the time when he was a leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army as it fought against Serb forces. The report states the KLA had special detention camps where Serbs and others accused of collaborating with Belgrade were held. Some of the prisoners, mainly Serbs, were allegedly killed and their organs harvested to sell on the black market.

Speaking at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Kosovo’s acting foreign minister Vlora Citaku repeated that the government both rejected and was “appalled” by the allegations in the report that “has regretfully harmed our international reputation”. Kosovo received a major diplomatic boost last July when the International Court of Justice ruled that the 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia did not violate international law. But the ruling has not triggered the hoped-for deluge of international recognition. Although the United States and most members of the European Union did recognize Kosovo as independent soon after the declaration, further recognition has been hard to come by despite intensive lobbying.

Despite the status dispute, Belgrade and Pristina have agreed to EU-brokered talks in order to ease strained relations. They are set to tackle basic issues, such as communications, transport and energy. As a date for the talks has yet to be set, Thaci promised in his anniversary address that the talks with Serbia would be one of the first tasks for the new government. “The new institutions of Kosovo will begin contacts and dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia about practical matters,” he vowed. However Pristina remains firm that any attempt to try and question the status of Kosovo would trigger an automatic retreat from the negotiating table. —AFP

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If caught, bin Laden will be sent to Gitmo WASHINGTON: What would the government do if Osama bin Laden, an FBI most-wanted terrorist for more than a decade, were captured? Washington is abuzz about questions whether bin Laden would ever see the inside of an American courtroom or where he might be imprisoned if he does not stand trial. The discussion, which on Wednesday bounced from Congress to the White House, is still mostly an academic exercise because there is no suggestion that the government is any closer to finding or capturing bin Laden, believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

For years, President Barack Obama’s administration has maintained that criminal courts were more than equipped to handle even the most serious terror cases, but when faced with that question Wednesday during a Senate hearing, CIA Director Leon Panetta said the administration probably would just send bin Laden to the US prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

That suggests that, at least under current US law, bin Laden would never be transferred to US soil to be tried in the civilian court system. Congress last year ordered that no federal money could be spent to ship prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to the US mainland. Bin Laden has been indicted and could stand trial in New York City. Panetta’s remarks indicate that given the choice, Obama would opt to use the Bush administration policy that the president has long criticized.

National Intelligence Director James Clapper told senators if

BRASILIA: Members of several worker unions carry a giant doll in the likeness of Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff as they protest for higher minimum wage, Wednesday Feb 16, 2011. Congress is expected to vote Wednesday on an increase in minimum wage, which currently is $290 (510 reals) per month. — AP

Turkey warns US over media comments ISTANBUL: Turkish officials have warned the new US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone against interfering in its domestic affairs after he commented on Turkey detaining reporters despite pledging support for press freedom. Prominent journalist Soner Yalcin and three colleagues were detained this week and were due to appear in court in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow the government.

“On the one hand there exists a stated policy of support for a free press. On the other hand, journalists are put under detention. We are trying to make sense of this,” Ricciardone told reporters on Tuesday.

Commenting on the case of Yalcin, owner of a website which is fiercely critical of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government, he said he did not know what the charges were and that this was a domestic matter for Turkey. His remarks drew a barrage of criticism from several Turkish officials. Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman of the ruling AK Party, said there was a line that ambassadors should not cross. “Of course, ambassadors cannot interfere in our internal affairs. They can’t design our domestic policy. They have an area designated for them on this subject,” he said in comments widely reported by Turkish newspapers yesterday. State Minister Egemen Bagis, Turkey’s chief negotiator in talks with the European Union, said the United States had itself detained reporters in the past for not revealing their sources. “The ambassador is very new. His comments about Turkey are not linked to his knowledge and experience, but what he has heard,” Zaman newspaper quoted Bagis as saying. “There are journalists in his own country who are in jail for not revealing news sources.”

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc joined the chorus, saying it was a matter for the courts if journalists were involved in illegal activity unrelated to freedom of expression. “Maybe the esteemed ambassador must serve a bit longer to see this detail,” Arinc said.

US President Barack Obama appointed Ricciardone as ambassador to Turkey-a US ally-at the end of December. Turkey has pushed through a series of political reforms with the aim of securing EU membership, but rights groups remain critical of its record on freedom of expression. Turkish courts are hearing a series of cases on alleged coup plots and journalists are among those detained. The latest trial of nearly 200 serving and military officers in the alleged “Sledgehammer” plot reflects a lingering mistrust between the traditionally secular establishment and a ruling party that critics say retains Islamist leanings.—Reuters

bin Laden were caught, there probably would be a debate about whether to try him. These plans were not echoed by the White House. “The president remains committed to closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay because as our military commanders have made clear, it’s a national security priority to do so,” spokesman Jay Carney said when asked about this. “I’m not going to speculate about what, you know, would happen if we were to capture Osama bin Laden.” Attorney General Eric Holder has been asked a similar question which he deflected, saying he hoped the United States will capture and interrogate bin Laden, but he does not expect that the Al-Qaeda leader will be taken alive.

The varied answers from Obama administration officials show that nearly 10 years after the worst terror attack on US soil, there is still not a clear message for what to do with the people suspected of being behind it. So far, no one has been prosecuted for the Sept 11, 2001, attacks. Panetta and Clapper offered their plans in response to a hypothetical question from the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen Saxby Chambliss. Chambliss asked what the government would do if it captured two of America’s most wanted terrorists, bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman Al-Zawahiri. “We would probably move them quickly into military jurisdiction at Bagram (in Afghanistan) for questioning, and then eventually move them probably to Guantanamo,” Panetta said. —AP

25 dead in Tanzania military blasts Pm says casualties may rise DAR ES SALAAM: A military ammunition depot in Tanzania’s largest city blew up overnight in a series of explosions that leveled homes, killed at least 25 people and wounded about 145 others.

Thousands ran for their lives, and 200 children have been unable to find their parents. Several houses and a school were leveled during Wednesday night’s explosions, which sent huge orange bursts into the night sky over Dar es Salaam. Debris showered parts of the city 10 miles (15 kilometers) from the Gongola Mboto military base where the depot was located. It was at least the second such ammunition depot explosion at a military base in Dar es Salaam since 2009.

Abdallah Shimbo, the army’s chief of staff, said yesterday that 25 people died from the blasts. A military spokesman said the explosions were accidental but gave no details. A hospital administrator, Mussa Wambura, said about 145 people were injured, some “badly hit by the blasts.” The blasts closed the city’s international airport, near the Gongola Mboto military base. Some 4,000 residents were evacuated to the national stadium in Dar es Salaam, which lies along the Indian Ocean in East Africa. When the explosions hit, thousands of people living in nearby neighborhoods fled, said Julius Kejo, a Red Cross worker helping at a shelter for displaced people. The blasts sent residents scrambling in all directions, scattering families and separating parents from their children.

“It was panic. It was many people moving away, because it happened in the night, thousands of people moving,” Kejo said. “People were just running, so some children were lost in the mobs of people.

Now at the centers we are trying to get them connected with their relatives.”

Hidan Ricco, the head of Tanzania’s Red

DAR ES SALAAM: A saloon car carries people fleeing their homes at Pugu-Majohe yesterday. — AP Cross disaster management team, said there were about 200 unaccompanied children at the stadium, some of whom are only months old. “We can’t figure out how these children ended up here,” he said. “We don’t know where are their mothers.” Selina Chacha, 30, was looking for two her boys - ages 8 and 10 - at the stadium. “I’m so sad that my children are still missing. I have been running up and down looking for my them but they are nowhere to be found,” Chacha said, whose house was only 1 mile (2 kilometers) from the blasts. Stella Philip, 23, was at home cooking when the explosions began. Her daughter Habiba Saleh, 8, who was playing outside at the time, is missing. “I have not seen such deafening blasts in my life,” she said. “After the blasts everyone ran for his life.” The military yesterday continued to move people

away from depots where munitions that haven’t detonated are stored, Kejo said.

“Even today they are telling people to get out of the area,” he said.

The military spokesman, Lt Col Kapambala Mgawe, said some buildings were still burning yesterday. The president visited the site of the blasts and met with victims. He tried to assure a still-jittery public that no more blasts would take place. Felician Luchagula, a 32-yearold health-related development worker, said he heard blasts beginning at around 9 p.m. Wednesday.

They continued for several hours.

“People are getting scared of what may happen to them. People are scared that if they live near a military base it might happen again,” he said. An accident at a Dar es Salaam military base in 2009 killed more than a dozen people. — AP

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Tour boat sinks in Vietnam 12 dead from 9 nations HA LONG BAY: An anchored boat packed with sleeping travelers sank early yesterday in Vietnam’s scenic Ha Long Bay, killing 12 people from nine countries in the deadliest tour boat accident since the country opened to foreign visitors 25 years ago.

Vacationers from the US, Britain, Australia, Japan, Russia, France, Sweden and Switzerland have been confirmed dead, along with a Vietnamese tour guide, the government said. All were trapped in the boat when it went down in about 30 feet (10 meters) of water close to several other vessels anchored near a small island about an hour’s sail offshore, an official said. Those who survived - nine foreigners and six locals - jumped into the water, where they were

rescued by other tour boats.

“The boat took one minute to sink,” said Stefano Corda, 35, of Palermo, Italy, who fled with a friend after feeling the boat lurch and hearing noises from on deck. “We went to the exit, and the boat was almost vertical,” Corda said. “I grabbed my friend, we went out and it was so fast.” Ha Long Bay is one of the country’s top tourist attractions, drawing more than 5 million visitors a year to the province where 1,600 stunning jagged rock formations rise out of the bay, forming tiny islands. Many visitors stay overnight on wooden boats equipped with sleeping cabins and eating quarters.

Survivors reported seeing a wooden plank on their ship ripping away at around 5

HA LONG BAY: Foreign tourists wait for a boat for a tour on Ha long Bay yesterday. —AFP

a.m. as the vessel was anchored for the night, followed by gushing water inundating the boat and quickly pulling it under near Titov island, about an hour from mainland’s shore, said Vu Van Thin, chief administrator of Quang Ninh province. The boat sank in about 26 to 33 feet (8 to 10 meters) of water.

“Crew members tried to stop the water from coming in and alerted the tourists who were sleeping, but the water came in and the boat sank quickly,” Thin said. “All of the 12 people who died were in the cabins.” Italian traveler Stefano Sacconi, 33, of Rome was in the bathroom around 4:20 a.m. when he thought he felt the boat buckling. He returned to bed in a cabin he was sharing with Corda.

“After 20 minutes, we started to hear tables and glasses falling from the top of the restaurant,” he said. “After that, my friend went out. He called me, ‘Come up! Come up!

Something’s wrong here! The boat is going down!”‘ They jumped from the junk and swam to another nearby ship. There were 27 people, including six crew members, aboard the boat and all have been accounted for, Thin said. The vessel, which is owned

by Truong Hai Co., was anchored alongside dozens of other cruise boats and weather conditions were calm at the time of the sinking. The dead have been sent to Bai Chay Hospital for identification, where survivors received treatment for minor injuries, said Ngo Van Hung, director of Ha Long Bay’s management board.

The official Vietnam News Agency published the victims’ names and ages, most of them aged 20 to 25. Seven were women.

They include a Briton, two Americans, one Japanese, one French, two Swedes, two Russians, one Swiss and one person of Vietnamese origin living in Australia, according to the government.

“This is a very rare and very unfortunate accident,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga. She said tour companies should improve safety measures in Ha Long Bay. Police have launched a criminal investigation into the cause of the accident, which remained unclear yesterday. Bai Chay Hospital deputy director, Giang Quoc Duy, said survivors “were in a panic.” “They were given first aid treatment and have already returned to their hotels,” he said.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry confirmed the survivors as two Danes, one German, two Italians, one American, one Australian, one French and one Swiss. —AP

TAIJIANG: In this photo, people perform dragon dance in fireworks to mark the lantern festival on Wednesday Feb 16, 2011. Yesterday marked the traditional Chinese lantern festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first month of Chinese lunar calendar. —AP

Cambodia asks Thailand to sign ceasefire deal PHNOM PENH: Cambodia will ask Thailand to sign a permanent ceasefire at a regional meeting next week following deadly clashes over a disputed stretch of border, and will request foreign monitors to make sure the truce holds. Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday Cambodia would ask for commanders from both armies to hold regular talks and for the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to send observers or troops to guarantee the ceasefire. “The situation now is that each side is accusing the other of shooting first, so don’t be afraid, we call for a third party for observation,” Hun Sen told a news conference, in a comment aimed at Thailand.

Hun Sen said he believed Thailand would not agree to any deployment of ASEAN observers in the border area but said Cambodia was willing to allow troops from any ASEAN countries to “police” his country’s army. His comments follow Monday’s call for restraint by the United Nations Security Council to end the standoff, which has killed at least three Thais and eight Cambodians and wounded dozens of soldiers and civilians on both sides. The fighting took place near the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple. Although an international court awarded the temple to Cambodia 49 years ago, both countries lay claim to a 4.6 sq km (1.8 sq mile) patch of land near it. Hun Sen had initially asked the Security Council to deploy peacekeepers at the border, but it said the problem should be solved at bilateral and regional meetings. —Reuters

Japan PM weakened by party revolt TOKYO: Japan’s centre-left Premier Naoto Kan, in power less than a year, faced a mutiny from a group of ruling party lawmakers yesterday that threatens his reform agenda and imperils his leadership. Sixteen lower house members loyal to Kan’s internal party rival, scandaltainted powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa, asked to leave the party’s group in parliament and said they may not support the government in crucial votes. If the rebels fail to vote with Kan’s Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) it could spell doom for the government, which already lacks the

two-thirds lower house majority needed to push through bills rejected by the upper house.

The mutineers said they were protesting Kan’s lack of leadership and failure to meet the pledges the DPJ made when it swept to power in 2009, ending half a century of conservative rule. The party executive rejected their request to leave the Diet group-but their bold move threw a spotlight on a deep party split on a day when, a Jiji Press poll said, support for the Kan cabinet plunged to 17.8 percent. “It’s becoming clearer and clearer in

the eyes of the Japanese people that the Kan government will not last long, which can also be seen in the low support rates shown in the recent polls,” said Tetsuro Kato, politics professor at Waseda University.

The premier, who took power last June, has struggled to tackle entrenched economic and social woes at a time when the conservative opposition controls the upper house and has threatened to block crucial budget bills. Japan’s economy, in the doldrums for two decades and hobbled by a greying population, was over-

taken last year by China as Asia’s biggest and faces stiff competition from emerging export powerhouse South Korea. Kan, Japan’s fifth premier in five years, has pledged to drive tough reforms through the divided parliament, to spur growth and reduce a public debt mountain twice the size of the five-trillion-dollar economy.

Standard & Poor’s last month downgraded Japan’s sovereign debt rating, saying it doubted that the Kan government-facing political gridlock-was capable of preventing Japan’s groaning debt burden from growing further. —AFP

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Govt under pressure from US Pak court adjourns US immunity case LAHORE: A Pakistan court yesterday put off ruling whether a US official accused of double murder has diplomatic immunity, threatening to prolong a crisis with Washington for another month. The court adjourned until March 14, prolonging tensions between the United States and Pakistan, where an anti-American population of 167 million is ruled by a weak and unpopular government closely allied in the US war in Afghanistan. The American, named as Raymond Davis, whom Washington insists has full diplomatic immunity, says he acted in selfdefense when he shot dead two men in a busy street in the eastern city of Lahore on January 27.

A third Pakistani died when struck by a US diplomatic vehicle that came to Davis’s assistance. The American was then arrested by Pakistani police, who have rubbished his claim of self-defense and accused him of double murder. “As the deputy attorney general has requested three weeks to submit a reply on the status of Raymond Davis, the case is adjourned until March 14,” Lahore high court chief justice Ijaz Mohammad Chaudhry said. The highest court in Punjab province had already given the foreign ministry 15 days to confirm whether Davis has full diplomatic statusas Washington insists-and is thus

immune from trial.

The Pakistan government is under enormous domestic pressure not to be seen as kow-towing to US demands for his release and has come under fire over how American officials are seemingly free to drive around with loaded weapons. US President Barack Obama this week demanded the American’s release, but the court in Punjab, where the main opposition party at the federal level controls local government, kept his name on the exit control list Thursday.

Pakistani lawyers who want Davis prosecuted argue that diplomatic immunity should not apply in cases of grave crimes. While shooting someone in selfdefense is legal in Pakistan, double murder qualifies as a serious crime.

Many Pakistanis remain suspicious about why Davis, who reportedly worked for a security contractor, was carrying loaded weapons and a GPS satellite tracking device. Neither have US authorities confirmed his name or precise job. Pakistan’s unpopular President Asif Ali Zardari and the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is struggling to keep his coalition in power, have refused to comment on Davis’ status, saying it is up to the courts to decide.

On Wednesday, Gilani even asked Islamic scholars to help, suggesting that

N Korea reports ‘bright halo’ over leader’s home SEOUL: A “big and bright halo” floated above Mt Paektu, revered by North Korea as the sacred birthplace of leader Kim Jong-il, to mark his birthday on Wednesday, state media reported. KCNA news agency, the secretive state’s main news outlet and renowned for its colorful propaganda, said the “mysterious natural wonder” occurred at the break of dawn. “The bright sun rose up, throwing its brilliant rays and the area of the Paektusan Secret Camp turned into a fascinating picturesque of spring. Then rarely big and bright halo persisted in the sky above Jong Il Peak for an hour, starting at 09:30,” it said. North Korean history books state Kim was born in a guerrilla camp in the thick forest of the mountain. Historians say it is more likely Kim, 69, was born in the Soviet Union where his father trained as anti-Japanese guerilla. There has been speculation that the volcanic mountain, dormant for a century on what is now the border between the North and China, may be showing signs of renewed activity. Some North Korea watchers say officials in Pyongyang are horrified by the prospect of any kind of renewed activity, or worse an eruption, that could destroy Kim’s legendary birthplace. —Reuters

the families might pardon the American and telling clerics that the government was caught between a public backlash and international anger. US Senator John Kerry, who is respected in Pakistan for negotiating a $7.5 billion aid package, made a 24-hour visit to express regret for the killings and promised that Davis would face a criminal investigation at home.

The United States has postponed a round of high-level talks with Afghanistan and Pakistan following failed attempts to get Davis out, and US lawmakers have threatened to cut payments to Pakistan unless he is freed.

Pakistan is under huge pressure from the United States to do more to root out Afghan Taleban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants from its northwestern region, which borders Afghanistan.

Islamabad denies persistent Western claims that its intelligence services still collude with Islamist fighters killing US forces in Afghanistan. Hundreds of Pakistanis have taken to the streets demanding that Davis be hanged over the killings and domestic media has been rife with allegations of a spy conspiracy. The widow of one of the men shot dead has committed suicide. A court last Friday remanded Davis in custody until February 25. —AFP

KARACHI: Supporters of Pakistani religious party Jammat-e-Islami carry an effigy during a protest against the visit of US Sen John Kerry and the statement of the US President Obama regarding release of a US consulate employee Raymond Davis who allegedly shot dead two Pakistanis. —AP

NATO, Afghan forces detain rebel leaders KABUL: NATO and Afghan forces captured leaders of an insurgent group in eastern Afghanistan, including one believed to be linked to last month’s suicide attack on a Kabul supermarket, the coalition said yesterday. Insurgent attacks elsewhere killed three, including a NATO service member.

The detainees were identified as members of Hizb-i-Islami, a militant group made up of loyalists of regional warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Among those captured was the group’s Kabul-based “media emir” - typically a senior official responsible for disseminating

propaganda. He was arrested Wednesday in Parwan province.

NATO said the media emir, who was not identified, has ties to multiple militant groups, including the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Taleban, and was involved in suicide bombings in November and January. The most recent blast killed eight people in the Western-style Finest supermarket near embassies in the Afghan capital. The coalition said another leader of Hizb-i-Islami was captured nearby. A third top official in the group, responsible for commanding about 50 fight-

GAMSER: Two US Marines walk toward CH-53 helicopters at camp Dwyer yesterday. NATO and Afghan forces captured leaders of an insurgent group in eastern Afghanistan, including one believed to be linked to last month’s suicide attack on a Kabul supermarket. —AFP

ers, was captured in a separate raid in Khost province, NATO said. Also in Khost, the multinational force said it killed a member of the Haqqani network, a group with ties to the Taleban and al-Qaida, in an airstrike. NATO identified the insurgent as Salem and said he was the leader of a bomb-making cell.

Insurgents killed a member of the US-led multinational force in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday. NATO didn’t specify where the service member was killed. No nationality was provided. A total of 17 international service members have been killed so far this month.

Last year was the deadliest of the nearly decade-long war for international troops, with more than 700 killed, compared to just more than 500 in 2009.

The US plans to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in July. NATO soldiers are scheduled to pull out of the country by 2014, handing over responsibility for the country’s security to Afghan forces. A roadside bomb targeting an Afghan police patrol killed one policeman and a farmer in the Chahar Dara district in northern Kunduz province, said district police chief Gulam Mohyuddin.

Security has been deteriorating in Kunduz and across northern Afghanistan as NATO and Afghan forces concentrate much of their efforts on the Taleban heartland in the south and east of the country. A suicide bomber killed the Chahar Dara police chief and two others in his office last week. Elsewhere, coalition forces said they detained two insurgents suspected of making and deploying pressureplate bombs designed to target NATO and Afghan forces in Kandahar province. The arrests were part of a counterinsurgency sweep of the province’s Zhari district that included clearing more than 30 buildings believed to be used by insurgents, the coalition said. —AFP

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India scraps satellite deal Latest scandal to hit beleaguered government NEW DELHI: India yesterday scrapped a lucrative telecoms contract due to irregularities, dealing a fresh blow to the country’s embattled prime minister whose office was ultimately responsible for the deal. The main opposition party has accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of heading a corrupt government that has sold access to the world’s fastest growing mobile phone market at rock-bottom prices, depriving the state of billions of dollars in revenue and scaring off investors. The new controversy came a day after Singh denied talk he would resign, underscoring the gravity of the scandals.

Federal Law Minister Veerappa Moily said a contract to lease satellite space in 2005 to Devas Multimedia, a small firm, had been revoked after an investigation into how the deal was approved without a proper bid. The contract was granted by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Failure to seek the highest bid to access the satellite space, which can be used for wireless broadband and other data services, may have cost the state billions of dollars in lost revenue, according to Indian media reports. Devas paid $220 million for the lease, the media reports have said.

“We have gone to the root of the matter,” Moily told reporters, adding the contract between the government and Devas “shall be annulled forthwith.” The Congress party-led government is not at risk of collapsing because of its support from coalition allies, whose positions within government keep them from jumping ship. The nature of India’s political landscape also means many parties are more focused on winning state elections, including several that will come up over the next few months. The next general election is still three years away.

Allegations the government may have lost up to $39 billion in rev-

NEW DELHI: India’s former telecommunications minister Andimuthu Raja (center) is brought by federal agents to be produced at a court yesterday. India’s prime minister defended his embattled government against a string of corruption scandals Wednesday, saying the allegations would be thoroughly investigated and those involved would be punished, no matter their position. —AP enue after companies were awarded separate mobile licenses in 20072008 at low prices in return for kickbacks have caused months of parliamentary paralysis and rattled India’s markets. Singh’s former telecoms minister is under arrest along with a senior executive of Etisalat DB, whose company won one of the licenses.

The investigation into telecoms licensing reached the highest levels of corporate India on Wednesday when billionaire Anil Ambani, one of India’s richest men and chairman of No. 2 mobile firm Reliance Communications, was questioned

by police. Ambani was ranked by Forbes last year as the world’s 36th richest man, although the value of his listed assets has tumbled, with Reliance Comm and Reliance Infrastructure the two worst performing stocks over the past year on the main Sensex index.

JPMorgan on Wednesday slashed its target price on Reliance Comm by 49 percent, citing lower estimates for wireless and broadband segments and issues related to spectrum regulations. Reliance Comm shares rose 0.25 percent on Thursday, while Reliance Infrastructure ended up 1.6 percent

Bangladesh Nobel winner Yunus defies pressure DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus said yesterday he would not be forced out of the pioneering microfinance bank he founded despite pressure from the government.

Yunus, 70, who won the Nobel prize in 2006 for his work making small loans to poor entrepreneurs, was told by Finance Minister A.M.A Muhith to “stay away” from his Grameen Bank while it is being investigated by the government. “We established Grameen Bank through a special ordinance, with rules that are specific, according to which my current term as managing director is fully valid,” Yunus told AFP Thursday by email.

“The government has three representatives on the (Grameen Bank) board and they have unanimously approved these rules,” he added. Yunus said that in the interests of stability at the vastly popular bank-which has more than eight million customers, all of whom co-own the institution a

leadership transition would have to be handled carefully. “When the time comes, any transition will essentially require a friendly environment and support from the inside and outside stakeholders of the bank to ensure that we continue to be totally committed to our mission for and with the poor,” he said. Muhith’s calls for Yunus to go are the latest in what his supporters, including former Irish president Mary Robinson, said Wednesday were a series of “politically orchestrated” attacks on the microfinance pioneer. According to Bangladeshi rules, the retirement age for private bank executives is 65 so Yunus should leave now as he is five years beyond the limit, Muhith said this week.Following the release of a Norwegian documentary in December which accused Yunus and Grameen of malpractice, Yunus has been vilified in the Bangladeshi press and seen his bank become the target of a government investigation. —AFP

in a market that was 1.13 percent higher.

The Devas satellite reversal is troubling for Singh because his office was responsible. In the 2G mobile scandal, the licenses were granted by his telecoms minister.

The prime minister, who oversees the Department of Space, is accused of acting too late in cancelling the contract despite a government report in mid-2010.

“Devas proceeded with the project after required consent and approval were obtained within GOI (Government of India), culminating with Space Commission and Union

Cabinet,” Devas said in a statement on Feb 10. The ISRO, which reports to the Department of Space, leased transponders on two of its satellites to Devas Multimedia, granting it access to S-band telecom spectrum, worth potentially billions of dollars to communication providers. While not in extensive use, S-band spectrum is likely to become increasingly valuable in India’s rapidly growing mobile phone market, with its ability to provide wireless broadband and other mobile data services. Singh, who oversees India’s space ministry, denied in early February that any revenue had been lost.

Deutsche Telekom is an investor in privately-held Devas.

Parliament deadlock?

The last parliamentary session was halted by opposition protests demanding a probe into the telecoms scam, effectively stopping any reform bills such as one to make land acquisition easier for both industry and farmers. Singh’s government now appears close to agreeing to a broad, cross-party investigation into the 2G mobile scandal, paving the way for parliament to resume as normal for a Feb. 21 budget session. On Wednesday, Singh said he was willing to appear before a joint parliamentary committee, however the opposition is still pressing for a broader investigation.

The government can ill afford another deadlocked session, but most analysts expect a compromise to be reached by Feb 22.

Foreign investors have pulled hundreds of millions of dollars from the Indian stock market since the start of the year, while foreign direct investment (FDI) has fallen for three consecutive years, from 2.9 percent of GDP in 2008/09 to around1.8 percent of GDP in 2010/11. Some of this is connected with the global economic slowdown, but regulatory uncertainty is also a factor. —Reuters

Mumbai police to get drones to fight terror MUMBAI: Mumbai police, criticized for being underequipped and ill-trained to deal with the deadly 2008 attacks on the city, are to get unmanned drones to help fight terrorism, a report said yesterday. The Maharashtra state government has included 24 unmanned aerial vehicles on a list of equipment being procured for the force, the Mumbai Mirror newspaper said, without quoting sources. Funding for the 1.1-billion-rupee ($24 million) program, which includes high-powered assault rifles, bulletproof vests, baggage scanners and bomb detection kits, would be met by the state and central governments, it added.

Improving coastal security and modernizing

the police have been key issues since the attacks, which saw 10 Islamist militants arrive undetected by boat to launch a wave of attacks on high-profile targets in the port city. The gunmen, who hit three luxury hotels, a popular tourist restaurant, the city’s main railway station and a Jewish centre, killing 166 and injuring more than 300, were equipped with the latest technology and powerful weaponry.

In contrast, many Mumbai police officers were armed only with bamboo sticks, had no radio communications or protective body armor. The authorities were also criticized for a lack of co-ordination that hampered the response. —AFP

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Egypt tourism sees hope in revoution PAGE 19

NEW YORK: Traders Jonathan Corpina (left) and Edward Curran (right) work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. — AP

World stocks hit 30-month high Mideast unrest boosts safe-haven assets LONDON: World stocks hit a 30-month high yesterday, driven by strong corporate earnings and cautious optimism on the US economy from the Federal Reserve, while oil prices eased after hitting a 28-month high the previous day. Unrest spreading across the oil-rich Middle East and North Africa had pushed London Brent crude prices to a multi-month high of $104.52 a barrel, but they dipped 0.2 percent yesterday although the market remained volatile.

The political tensions also helped boost the appeal of safehaven assets, with the Swiss franc gaining ground while yields on US 10-year Treasuries eased. US stock index futures pointed to a mixed opening on Wall Street with futures for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both down 0.1 percent by 1104 GMT while the Dow Jones futures were up by the same margin.

Robust earnings and merger activity have boosted global equities recently. Data from Thomson Reuters StarMine showed three quarters of US companies met or beat market expectations for earnings in the fourth quarter. “Many people are still optimistic about the market because the global economy is doing well and earnings for large US companies have been quite good,” said Heinz-Gerd Sonnenschein, equity markets

strategist at Deutsche Postbank in Bonn. Adding to positive sentiment, minutes from the US Federal Reserve’s Jan 25-26 policy session showed officials raised their forecasts for economic growth last month, though they still expected slow progress in reducing unemployment. World equities measured by the MSCI All-Country World Index rose 0.3 percent, hitting their highest level since August 2008. The index has risen 4.6 percent so far this year, but its valuations remain modest against a 10-year average. The MSCI global index has a 12month forward price-to-earnings of 12.5 times against a 10-year average of 14.8, Thomson Reuters Datastream shows. The MSCI emerging market index was up 0.3 percent, though it is down 3.5 percent for the year as many investors have been shifting out of booming developing markets on concerns over inflation.

EMERGING MARKETS However, some remain positive on emerging market equities. “Emerging markets earnings remain solid and there are reasons to expect they will improve relative to developed markets,” Citigroup said in a note. “Emerging market relative valuations are at their lowest level since 2008. The pullback

provides an opportunity to buy.”

Europe’s FTSEurofirst 300 added 0.1 percent, aided by forecast-beating earnings from Swiss food group Nestle and computer consultancy Capgemini. In Asia, Japanese shares gained 0.3 percent, up for the fourth straight session to a 9-1/2 month closing high. Copper prices, however, continued to lose steam, falling for the third straight session. They were down 0.9 percent after hitting a record high on Monday with traders saying high prices above $9,000 a ton were cutting off some demand.

The dollar was down 0.3 percent at 0.9560 Swiss francs, while the euro fell 0.3 percent to 1.2977 francs. “If events in the Middle East do escalate we will see safe haven flows which will help the Swiss franc, but equities are still holding up for now,” said Kenneth Broux, market economist at Lloyds. The dollar was largely steady against a basket of major currencies. Persistent concerns about the euro zone’s ability to tackle its debt crisis continued to weigh on the euro. However, yields fell at a Spanish debt auction-seen as a test of investor sentiment towards debt-laden euro zone sovereign issuers-allaying fears the euro zone periphery would find it hard to issue long-term debt in tough market conditions.— Reuters

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IMF urges targeted subsidies in Mideast Unrest hurting economies WASHINGTON: The International Monetary Fund has urged Middle East countries to target government subsidies at the poorest households after a wave of social unrest toppled rulers in Egypt and Tunisia. The protests have highlighted the need to ensure that economic growth benefits everyone and not just a select few, IMF Director for the Middle East Masood Ahmed told reporters. “These events have brought into sharp focus the need for more inclusive growth and better governance,” Ahmed said.

With anger still smoldering in Egypt and Tunisia over rising prices, low wages and economic hardships, governments face a delicate balancing act in accommodating demands unleashed by the protests. Ahmed said while governments may feel the need to increase subsidies to ease social pressures, it would be more effective - and affordable-to target such assis-

tance at those who need it the most instead of providing general subsidies that also help the rich. “Instead of subsidizing products you’d be targeting people,” said Ahmed.

Such targeted assistance would also help ease the burden on the poor from rising global commodity prices, especially for food. “We think that it is important to improve and modernize the existing safety nets and to make them welltargeted and permanent,” Ahmed added. Such targeted social programs in countries such as Brazil and Mexico, in which governments provide the poor with cash in exchange for children going to school or mothers taking children to clinics, have been successful in tackling poverty.

Also, government subsidies on food most consumed by the poor are other examples of programs that have worked. “Even where transitioning to that kind of scheme ... there are things

you can do to look at what products you are subsidizing and whether those products are likely to be consumed by people who need them the most,” he added. Ahmed noted that fuel subsidies tend to be less effective in helping the poor than certain kinds of food subsidies. Surveys show that some 80 percent of poor families’ disposable incomes is spent on basic foodstuffs.

NO NEED FOR IMF FUNDING Ahmed said the turmoil in Egypt and Tunisia will impact economic growth but that neither country has requested IMF funding to deal with immediate pressures on their budgets. The largest impact on Egypt’s and Tunisia’s economies from weeks of political and social turmoil will be from a drop in tourism and foreign direct investment, he said. “If either the Tunisian or Egyptian authorities decide financial support

would be useful from the IMF then of course it will be ready to help,” he said. “But at this stage neither Tunisia nor Egypt have indicated that they feel financial support from the IMF is something they are looking to get right now,” Ahmed added.

He said it was hard to know when economic activity will rebound as it depends on how long it takes for tourism and investment-both important sources of foreign revenues-to pick up again. He said it was difficult to make firm projections for economic growth in Egypt because the situation was still unfolding. For Tunisia, however, the government’s 2011 growth forecasts of 2 to 3 percent were “reasonable,” he added. He said there would be pressure on Tunisian government finances, which would increase the budget deficit because of the fall in economic activity. — Reuters

Will India tighten belt in upcoming budget?

NEW DELHI: India’s Finance Minister will try to ease inflation-hit voters’ pain with a budget heavy on spending for food, fuel and fertilizer subsidies, while selectively lifting taxes to meet fiscal targets. Pranab Mukherjee, known to compromise on fiscal reforms to meet political needs, faces a tough time reining in inflation while keeping the economy on a highgrowth path when he presents his annual budget for 2011/12 in parliament on Feb 28. Last year, India rolled back about $10 billion of a $40 billion stimulus package implemented during the 2008 global financial crisis.

This year, the Congress party leadership is unlikely to make tough belt-tightening decisions. It is on the back foot over corruption scandals and faces elections in four major states. Stubbornly sticky inflation in Asia’s third largest economy, driven by food and other commodity prices, combined with a high fiscal deficit has prompted repeated calls from the central bank for fiscal consolidation.

However, New Delhi tends to bank on higher revenues rather than spending cuts, a formula that worked in the current fiscal year thanks to a windfall from the sale of 3G mobile bandwidth. Below are some questions and possible answers that the finance minister faces over the budget:

ment moves towards fiscal consolidation in 2011/12. The finance minister may also marginally lower government borrowings below this year’s 4.47 trillion rupees ($98 billion) to show his commitment to fiscal consolidation, though he will not have the cushion of revenue from the 3G spectrum auction in the new year. The government could raise up to 400 billion rupees from the sale of stakes in companies, partially offsetting a swelling food subsidy bill estimated at 700 billion rupees. A downturn in the stock market, however, has curbed investor appetite for new issues for the time being.

WILL INDIA FURTHER TRIM FISCAL STIMULUS? Since Mukherjee wants to reduce the fiscal deficit to 4.8 percent of gross domestic product in 2011/12 and 4.1 percent in 2012/13, he is expected to continue a gradual rollback of the fiscal stimulus package unveiled during 2008 global crisis. In last year’s budget, he trimmed the package by raising factory gate duties on all major items to 10 percent from 8 percent and reimposing the taxes on crude oil, petrol and diesel that were withdrawn in 2008.

The government rolled out its stimulus package in three phases during 2008 and 2009 by cutting taxes and lifting spending on infrastructure to prop up demand. Meanwhile, an effort to overhaul India’s tax system has been deferred until next year, meaning Mukherjee may hold off on raising tax rates across the board and instead lift rates only for goods such as cars and commercial vehicles, while bringing more services into the tax net.

HOW CAN INDIA CURB INFLATION WITHOUT HURTING GROWTH? This is a major challenge. India wants its economy to grow at 9 percent in 2011/12, up from about 8.5 percent this fiscal year, even as inflation remains well above government targets, at 8.23 percent in January. More infrastructure would help ease bottlenecks. The Planning Commission, a government body, has recommended an increase of up to 20 percent from last year’s $38 billion budgeted for sectors including roads, ports, airports and railways, as well as for health and education. Mukherjee may direct funds towards more production of milk, poultry, fish, vegetables and fruit, which have driven food inflation running at 11 percent annually.

WILL NEW DELHI FOLLOW THE FISCAL CONSOLIDATION PATH? Partially. Mukherjee could rely on a surge in domestic demand and global recovery to drive tax receipts to meet fiscal targets. The Indian central bank, which has raised rates seven times since March to tackle high inflation, hopes the govern-

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS ON OIL SUBSIDIES AND DUTIES? The widening gap between international crude prices, now over $100 a barrel, and domestic retail prices of diesel, cooking gas and kerosene, could force Mukherjee to slash levies on imported crude and domestic petroleum products. High inflation and upcoming state elections mean Mukherjee will not pass along the full impact of rising crude prices.

The oil ministry has urged Mukherjee to eliminate the 5 percent customs duty on crude and reduce duties on petrol and diesel to 2.5 per cent from 7.5 per cent.

MAJOR REFORMS Probably not. The government is focused on blunting opposition attacks over a series of corruption scandals and may announce a broad parliamentary probe into the huge 2G spectrum scandal.

At this time, it is unlikely to try anything controversial. Mukherjee will therefore probably not announce any major economic reforms such as opening the retail sector more broadly to foreign investors or raising foreign investment limits in insurance, although some reforms may be announced later. —Reuters

NEW DELHI: Ravi Batra, a fruit seller sits in his shop in an upscale INA market in New Delhi. In India, food inflation has stuck in the double digits for a year with a deep impact on India’s vast population. — AP

India’s Satyam offers $125 million to settle US lawsuit MUMBAI: Indian software exporter Satyam Computer Services said yesterday it will pay $125 million to settle a US class action suit, saying the step ends uncertainty over the fraud-hit firm’s recovery. The Hyderabad-based company, whose former chairman admitted overstating accounts to the tune of more than $3 billion, said the court in New York still needed to formally approve the deal. But if given the go-ahead, it “would release, among other things, (the plaintiffs’) claims against the company,” it said in a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

At least two class action shareholder suits were launched in the United States after former chairman B. Ramalinga Raju confessed to one of India’s biggest corporate frauds in January 2009.

He is currently on trial with a number of former top executives on a string of charges, including conspiracy, cheating and forgery. The company, now known as Mahindra Satyam, was bought by the mid-sized outsourcer Tech Mahindra, a unit of the tractors-to-holidays conglomerate Mahindra and Mahindra, in April 2009 for $600 million.

Last week, the company reported an upturn in quarterly net profit, sending its shares soaring and boosting confidence about the firm’s recov-

ery. A relieved Mahindra Group vice-chairman and managing director Anand Mahindra wrote on his Twitter account yesterday: “Class action suits settled. Last sword hanging over Mahindra Satyam removed.” Current chairman Vineet Nayyar earlier said the settlement brings to an end all legal liability against the firm in the United States and described the class action as “the biggest question mark” for the future of the company. “We had extended negotiations and last night we have signed an agreement to pay the amount as compensation,” Nayyar told reporters in a conference call.

The settlement would be paid through the company’s reserves, which stand at $444 million, he said, adding: “We will have no problems in raising the money.” The US judge is expected to give a preliminary verdict in a month, with a final judgment by mid-2011, Nayyar told reporters.

Nayyar said he was confident that any legal liability arising from the United States would not go higher. “We see it capped at $125 million,” he added. Satyam Computers announced in September 2010 that it was to delist from the New York Stock Exchange as it was not able to meet the US deadline to file restated financial accounts. —AFP

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$100 crude looms over Saudi talks RIYADH: A tide of unrest that has swept the Middle East and stoked oil prices above $100 a barrel is likely to dominate talks in Saudi Arabia next week designed to narrow the gap between consumer nations and resource-holders. The nearly 100 countries invited to the International Energy Forum on Tuesday include all 12 members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, led by Saudi Arabia.

Not all are expected to attend, with the oil minister of Iran, OPEC’s second biggest exporter after Saudi Arabia and holder of the group’s

rotating presidency, among those expected to stay away, sources have said. That means any OPEC discussion on the sidelines of the official agenda will be informal, although Saudi Arabia could still make a unilateral output pledge as it has done in the past to try to calm markets.

The leading exporter, with around 4 million barrels per day (bpd) of spare capacity, has said it is always ready to supply extra oil in case of need and its output has been steadily increasing, although its exports have not. Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi, who will initiate the official proceed-

ings with a speech on Tuesday, has not spoken publicly since the end of January when he said the market was well-supplied.

Other ministers and officials in comments this month have seen no need for emergency action and noted the popular revolts that have spread across the region since the toppling of the Tunisian and Egyptian presidents have not disrupted supply. “When the ministers meet in Saudi, I think all the market issues will be discussed, but for now there is no panic or worry,” said Ramzi Salman, advisor to Qatar’s oil minister.

The world’s biggest oil consumer the United States is sending its deputy energy secretary, rather than Energy Secretary Steven Chu, to Riyadh. A department of energy spokesman made a low-key statement, saying Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman will hold bilateral talks on “topics including the current state of conventional markets and efforts to foster the transition to a low-carbon energy future”. Saudi’s relationship with the United States is still crucial, but its ties with the world’s second biggest oil user China are deepening. —Reuters

Egypt tourism industry sees hope in revolution SHARM EL-SHEIKH: Egypt’s uprising emptied the hotels, casinos and bars of a tourist trade that employs one in eight Egyptians, but staff expect the recovery to be quick and the revolution to boost business in the long run. With its year-round warm beaches and wealth of pharaonic antiquities, Egypt earned nearly $11 billion from tourism in 2009, according to the tourism ministry, accounting for over a tenth of gross domestic product.

An 18-day upheaval prompted many countries to issue warnings against travel in Egypt, hamstringing the industry. Sites such as the Giza Pyramids, usually overrun with sunburned visitors, stood ominously empty. But workers in Sharm El-Sheikh, a Sinai peninsula resort that usually crams in package tourists by the jetful this time of year, say they hope future holiday-makers will be drawn to a country that threw off the shackles of authoritarian rule. “We have a good feeling for next time. People come here five, six times and they come back. Maybe next time they’ll have a good feeling, a feeling of freedom, you know,” said Mahmoud el-Helefy, 30, who manages a open-air seaside restaurant. Hotel occupancy in Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, another Red Sea tourist hub, sank to 11 percent from 75 percent after the unrest erupted on Jan. 25, the Egyptian Hotels Association said. During his brief time as vice president, Omar Suleiman said about 1 million tourists fled Egypt, costing it some $1 billion.

SYMPATHY It’s hardly the first time this decade that Egypt’s tourist trade has been forced to recover from a nearfatal disruption. From the Sept 11 attacks on the United States, to bombings on Sinai resorts, to Red Sea shark attacks, to last year’s Icelandic volcanoheadlines have a history of tearing through the business. Still, the overall trend has remained ever

upward. “I am very optimistic tourism will pick up very quickly because I think tourists find the revolution positive,” Hala el-Khatib, secretary general of the Egyptian Hotels Association, said, adding he did not see large-scale layoffs happening yet.

Mahmoud, a Sharm el-Sheikh tour operator who declined to give his full name because he preferred to go by his nickname “Mahmoud Crystal”, said he had not had a customer in over a week but he is used to cycles of boom and bust. “It’s a crazy city. It’s like a casino,” he said as he sat smoking cigarettes in his empty offices, guidebooks in Russian, Italian and English arrayed before him. Despite the drop in revenue, sympathy for the revolution runs deep among Sharm el-Sheikh residents. Many came from Cairo and the Nile Delta because there was no work at home. At a popular restaurant chain, the bar staff chanted revolutionary slogans on Wednesday night, recalling visits to Cairo’s Tahrir Square-the heart of the protest movement- and talking politics as they served beer to tourists. Many in the tourism industry share the anger at patronage and official corruption that was one of the principal complaints of the protesters. The former tourism minister now faces graft charges.

RECOVERY Two of Europe’s biggest travel companies said on Monday they would restart holidays from Germany to Egypt in March. The German units of British groups Thomas Cook and TUI Travel had cancelled holidays until the end of February. Some tourists have already shrugged off the unrest, especially Britons. Unlike many countries that discouraged all travel to Egypt during the unrest, Britain advised its citizens to avoid big cities like Cairo, Alexandria and Suez but did not warn them to keep away from resorts like Sharm El-Sheikh. —Reuters

CAIRO: An Egyptian passes in front of army tanks as he carries pretzels to sell them at the Nile river Corniche in Cairo. — AP

MANAMA: Bahraini anti-government protesters pray together at the Pearl roundabout. — AP

North Sea oil near 2-1/2-year high amid Mideast tension Unrest, Israel-Iran tension boost Brent LONDON: North Sea Brent crude oil steadied around $104 per barrel yesterday, near a two-anda-half-year high, as Israel-Iran tension and unrest in the Middle East stoked fears of a disruption of oil flows. Bahrain police stormed a square in Manama, killing at least three people as protests in the Middle East and North Africa, inspired by revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, gathered pace.

Clashes were reported in tightly controlled oil producer Libya, sandwiched between Egypt and Tunisia, and people there prepared to take to the streets for a “day of rage” after new protests erupted in Yemen, Iran and Iraq. The dollar hit a oneweek low against a basket of currencies on worries over rising Middle East tension. “All in all, the pace of change sweeping the region is truly mind-boggling, and we find it unlikely oil prices will ‘settle’ any time soon as long as this kind of upheaval continues to spread,” said Edward Meir, senior commodity analyst at brokers MF Global.

Brent crude for April delivery slipped 12 cents to $103.66 by 1200 GMT, after settling $2.14 higher at $103.78 on Wednesday, its highest close since September 2008, and off an earlier intraday high of $104.52. US crude for March delivery fell 26 cents to $84.73 a barrel, after settling up 67 cents at $84.99 on Wednesday, snapping three straight days of losses. A Reuters poll of analysts and banks suggested yesterday that Brent would drop later this year as the risk premium from unrest in the Middle East ebbs. “The current price is unsustainable,” said Carsten Fritsch, commodity analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. “Tension in the Middle East should calm down at some point, whereas (North Sea) output should normalize,” he said.

Nomura analyst Michael Lo said Middle East unrest

had added around a 5 percent risk premium to oil prices. “The risk premium could dissipate on any signs of the protests cooling off.” The spread between Brent and US crude held above $16 per barrel after hitting a record of $16.31 a barrel on Wednesday.

SUEZ Tensions between Israel and Iran kept pressure on markets. Suez Canal officials said yesterday plans by two Iranian naval ships to cross the waterway had been cancelled. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Wednesday the ships were expected to pass through the Suez Canal overnight en route to Syria in a move he described as a “provocation.”

US crude was depressed by industry data showing crude stocks rose last week, albeit less than expected. Also helping widen the Brent-WTI premium was the latest rise in inventory levels at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery point for the New York Mercantile Exchange oil futures contract.

Crude stored at the hub rose 250,000 barrels last week to 37.7 million barrels, just below the 38.3 million barrel record level hit in the week to Jan 28, the Energy Information Administration’s weekly data showed. In total, US crude stocks rose 860,000 barrels to 345.9 million barrels, its fifth straight weekly gain, but the increase was less than the forecast 2.2 million-barrel rise. A raft of US economic reports, due later, will shed light on the pace of growth and price pressures in the world’s biggest oil consumer. The US Labor Department will unveil first-time claims for jobless benefits for the week ended Feb. 12 at 1330 GMT. January consumer price data will also be released at 1330 GMT. — Reuters

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Africa struggles to develop rainy-day funds LONDON: “It’s raining now,” politicians told then-Nigerian finance minister Ngozi OkonjoIweala seven years ago, when she began to develop ways to save the country’s oil wealth for a rainy day. Okonjo-Iweala’s brainchild Excess Crude Account (ECA) began its short life in 2004, growing to as much as $20 billion in 2007. The ECA then dwindled to less than $1 billion, a victim of political wrangling between central and local government. Now Nigeria is giving resource revenue saving another try- under a different government, with a fresh set-up, initial capital of $1 billion, and a new legal framework. As sub-Saharan African countries unearth new resourcesGhana and Uganda are turning on oil taps for the first time- they face unprecedented chances to transform themselves. The World Bank estimates Africa needs to spend $93 billion a year in infrastructure, and is only spending half of that at the moment.

Africa-watchers say the continent does not have the ability to spend efficiently on infrastructure and is better-served saving some of its nearly-3 percent fiscal surplus for future needs. However, attempts to do so appear to be running into obstacles, not least in the struggle to stop governments from squandering their new-found wealth. But proper management of oil money is crucial for Africa, if it wants to build on its success in attracting yield-hungry investors into the vibrant frontier economies.

“It’s the biggest opportunity that Africa has ever had and is ever likely to have,” says Paul Collier, International Monetary Fund advisor to African governments including Nigeria and an Oxford University professor.

“The next decade is all about resources discovery in Africa. The scale of money dwarfs everything and if history repeats itself, it will be the biggest missed opportunity. It’s a vital matter that history does not repeat itself.”

Along with Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda, South Africa, Mozambique and Angola have said they are considering ways to create a state-owned fund to invest part of their oil wealth. But it’s proving difficult. Nigerian finance minister Olsegun Aganga proposed a new sovereign wealth fund last year but the fund has yet to be created, leading ratings agency Fitch to downgrade the country’s credit rating outlook. Nigeria faces elections in April, adding further uncertainty.

Ghana said a year ago it was looking into launching a sovereign wealth fund to channel surplus revenues from oil production, but again, there is little further news. Africa has seen as much as $1.8 trillion of illicit financial outflows-defined as the proceeds of bribery and theft by government officials and commercial tax evasion-in 1970-2008, according to think tank Global Financial Integrity.

TODAY VS TOMORROW Sovereign wealth funds form a powerful $3 trillion-plus industry managing windfall surpluses from oil and exports for future generations. The biggest funds, in Abu Dhabi, Norway, Singapore and China, operate at arm’s length from governments. They aim to invest in high-yielding assets with a longterm horizon-sometimes decades-to diversify their economies and avoid “Dutch disease”, named after the 1960s Dutch economic crisis following the discovery of North Sea natural gas. Rapid oil sector growth could make other industries less competitive, as happened to the Dutch, and lead to lower growth and development than those with fewer natural resources. —Reuters

Chevron and US agency set up Niger Delta fund Program aims to create jobs in restive region ABUJA: US oil firm Chevron signed a $50 million partnership with the US government’s development arm yesterday to try to help develop local businesses and boost community relations in Nigeria’s restive Niger Delta. The vast wetlands region flowing into the Gulf of Guinea is arguably Africa’s most heinous example of the “resource curse” where the continent’s biggest oil and gas industry sits amidst some of its least developed communities. Militants groups and community activists have regularly attacked oil infrastructure and kidnapped workers in the region in recent years, unrest which at its peak was costing the OPEC member around $1 billion a month in lost oil revenues.

A government amnesty in 2009 has brought more than a year of relative peace, but the frustrations felt among local youths about a lack of jobs and economic prospects remain. “Oil and gas companies are not massive employers,” Andrew Fawthrop, Chevron’s managing director in Nigeria, told Reuters ahead of the signing. The firm employs more than 2,000 people directly, more than 80 percent of them Nigerian, and over 20,000 including indirect employees in a country of 150 million. “The Niger Delta needs to build its non-oil and gas economy, it needs to use the revenues from oil and gas to help devel-

op other service and agriculture businesses,” he said. The agreement between USAID and Chevron’s Niger Delta Partnership Initiative, which supports education and healthcare projects, is overseen by independent trustees, who hope that it will become a platform through which others can invest. “One of the main goals is to set up an enterprise incubation centre where entrepreneurs with an idea can come and get both advice as well as funding,” said Jane Nelson, director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s corporate social responsibility initiative in the United States and one of the trustees.

Oil was first drilled in Nigeria in the 1950s.

Some say any help from the oil firms now is too little, too late. Chief Wilson Yoroki remembers the days when the main source of income for people in his village of Tsekelewu was fishing, carving canoes and making palm wine. Now, the palm trees are dying and the waters are too polluted to fish. “There is nothing we can do now.

The trees are gone, the fish are gone. All our young men run to the city in search of jobs but they can’t find any,” he told Reuters, stood among wooden homes perched on stilts over the murky water.

CHALLENGES INCLUDE CORRUPTION International oil firms have been vilified by

environmental activists and human rights campaigners, who accuse them of polluting the Niger Delta’s land and water and doing too little to help train local youths and create employment. But corrupt governments bear a heavy responsibility. Oil companies pay billions of dollars a year in taxes and royalties to the Nigerian state, and those trying to implement community development schemes say they have at times been hampered by a lack of local government interest or cooperation. Royal Dutch Shell, the first foreign oil firm to operate in Nigeria, also supports small businesses, agriculture, healthcare and education programs in the Niger Delta, but the relationships are not always easy to manage. Villagers in Bayelsa state threatened to shut down operations at its EA field earlier this month in protest at what they said was the Anglo-Dutch firm’s failure to live up to promises about local employment opportunities. Shell said it continued to work with the host communities. “In cases where skills are available locally, we employ the services of community contractors who are also required to engage workers from the locality,” spokesman Precious Okolobo said, adding Shell had spent 3.4 billion naira ($22 million) on projects in the 12 communities between 2007-2010. — Reuters

Stagnant wages, migration fuel Singaporean squeeze SINGAPORE: Singaporean Ramzi Mohamed is tired of sleeping in the living room of the twobedroom apartment he shares with his mother and older brother. His problem is that housing prices in the city-state are up almost 70 percent since 2006 while the 29-year-old gym administrator’s monthly salary of 1,200 Singapore dollars ($938) hasn’t budged in five years. “When I was 20, I thought I’d have my own place by 30,” Ramzi said. “Now that I’m almost 30, I wonder if that will ever happen.” Like tens of thousands of others living in the tiny island nation that boasts one of the world’s highest levels of GDP per person, Ramzi’s failure to realize his modest ambitions is no accident.

A flood of cheap immigrant labor and stiff competition for manufacturing jobs from Asian neighbors like China and Vietnam - has kept wages stagnant for many and widened the gulf between a very wealthy minority and the island’s poorest. Housing prices have skyrocketed as rapid population growth outstrips supply. At the same time, ostentatious signs of the wealth enjoyed by the elite have multiplied. That has put the government under pressure to loosen its tightfisted stance on welfare in the next national budget as it tries to defuse criticism its policies have worsened the plight of ordinary Singaporeans.

The government must also call general elections by February 2012. Analysts expect the ruling People’s Action Party, which has held power since independence in 1965, to maintain its overwhelming majority in parliament. But if poorer Singaporeans who feel left out of the country’s prosperity bring their discontent to the polls, the government could find itself with a weaker mandate and the beginnings of a stronger opposition.

“The lowest income group has struggled to stay afloat,” said Irvin Seah, an analyst at

SINGAPORE: A tourist boat passes the Marina Bay Sands casino resort complex in Singapore yesterday. — AFP Singapore’s biggest bank DBS. “Plainly, not everyone has benefited equally from the economic growth that has occurred over the past decade.”

Singapore’s economy, which relies on manufacturing, finance and tourism - grew a record 14.5 percent last year. Despite rapid economic growth, the UN says income inequality in Singapore has risen steadily over the last decade and is the second highest behind Hong Kong among developed nations. From 1998 to 2008, the bottom 20 percent of households saw their income drop an average of 2.7 percent while the salaries of the

richest 20 percent rose by more than half.

To be sure, the poor in Singapore as a whole are better off than their counterparts elsewhere in Southeast Asia - homelessness and hunger are almost nonexistent. The richest 20 percent of Singaporeans mostly live in private developments, and the rest of the population lives in housing built by the government, so slum areas of concentrated poverty don’t exist. The few opposition figures in tightly scripted Singapore are calling for more housing construction, a minimum wage and fewer foreigners. —AP

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Looming US budget shortfall of $4.6bn causes concern To tax or not to tax is the question

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S lawmakers have let only four tax breaks expire since the state’s Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee and a citizen commission on tax breaks began reviewing the state’s more than 500 exemptions in 2006.

Island thinks some tax loopholes-known as “tax preferences” at the Capitol-deserve a closer look. Like other lawmakers this year, he was vague in saying there was any one that needs closure.

But he said he wants more action on tax

President Barack Obama signs the middle-class tax cut bill in Washington, DC, on December 17, 2010. The measure will extend tax cuts for families at every income level, renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and enact a new one-year cut in Social Security taxes. —MCT Ninety-five favorable tax rates have been reviewed-starting with the oldest ones, enacted in 1891 — and those eliminated were worth just $5.7 million a year. Meanwhile, lawmakers are looking this year at extending some old tax breaks or creating new ones as they face a shortfall of up to $4.6 billion. But Democratic Sen Phil Rockefeller of Bainbridge

reviews to benefit taxpayers. And he is going back to look at a few of the exemptions that the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee and a citizen commission on tax breaks have recommended over the years for sunset or clarification. “It doesn’t look right to me. . . .

The average taxpayer would say, ‘You’ve invested a lot of effort’” in the audit review

committee to not make use of it.

The four tax breaks allowed to lapse: a temporary tax break bestowed on beef processors after a “mad cow” disease scare; a tax break for rural county software and deskhelp firms; and breaks on purchases of field burning equipment and patient-lifting equipment used by nursing homes and hospitals.

T-WORD NOT POPULAR Republicans and most Democrats have been chilly to eliminating tax exemptions this year or raising taxes. Republican Rep Gary Alexander of Thurston County says majority Democrats should work to balance the budget with existing revenue-despite a looming shortfall of up to $4.6 billion.

Democratic House Speaker Frank Chopp of Seattle has been reluctant to talk about closing exemptions. And House Ways and Means Chairman Ross Hunter-who managed to close a few tax breaks last year to raise several hundred million dollars-offered a blunt view Friday. The Medina Democrat said he can’t see getting a two-thirds legislative vote for a tax measure-after voters approved Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1053 last fall.

That’s not the way nurses, mental health counselors and other health care workers from Service Employees International Union 1199NW saw it when they marched on the Capitol on Thursday.

The more than 100 SEIU activists held a noisy protest outside a Bank of America branch in downtown Olympia before going to talk to lawmakers. They urged elimination of Washington’s generous tax exemption on interest that banks earn on first mortgages, and they want it to pay for health programs that are on the budget chopping block.

SEIU 1199 spokeswoman Linnae Riesen says I-1053 is no excuse for not looking at exemptions.

“We’re not buying that,” Riesen said after

the protest at the bank. “Voters never said, ‘Let’s cut health care.’” Reisen said “there is broad support” for House Bill 1847, introduced last week by Rep. Eileen Cody, D-Seattle. It would close tax breaks to collect $150 million to $200 million for the state’s Basic Health Plan, which subsidizes health insurance for 52,000 low-income people whose earnings are high enough to disqualify them from Medicaid.

Of the tax breaks in Cody’s package, SEIU and other advocates have put most of their attention on the bank tax break, which Hunter proposed to eliminate last year but was unable to get passed through the Senate. It would set a $100 million cap on the exemption for banks’ first-mortgage interest earnings-in effect hitting mostly giant out-of-state banks such as Bank of America, which bought up troubled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial.

The banking industry objects to Cody’s tax proposal and was able to defeat it last year when Hunter pushed for it and the Democratcontrolled Senate rejected it.

So far, lawmakers are looking more in the direction of Bank of America than in SEIU’s.

But if Rockefeller gets his way, lawmakers in both chambers might get a few more small tax breaks to look at. The Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences’ most recent report was issued in draft form in January. It recommends letting a few more tax preferences expire July 1, including: ● A temporary, $5 million break in the business and occupations tax for fruit and vegetable manufacturers, because too few jobs are being created or retained as a result. ● Similar breaks worth $3.3 million for seafood products manufacturing, $1.5 million for dairy products manufacturing and $1.1 million for fresh food processing. —MCT

Don’t blame the jobless

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egislators took a step toward revamping the state’s beleaguered unemployment-compensation system. A House committee gave the green light to a plan that mostly mirrors one advanced by Gov. Rick Scott. A similar bill is in the Senate.

Between them, the measures would slash employer unemployment tax rates, scale back the duration of state benefits from 26 to 20 weeks, and erect new hurdles the jobless would need to clear before collecting benefits. The proposals reflect a growing reform movement in Tallahassee.

Lawmakers say the goal is to create jobs and restore solvency to the state’s bankrupt unemployment trust fund, now $2 billion in hock to the federal government.

Both worthy goals. But the measures are a mixed bag that appear to take a stab at realizing those goals on the backs of those already battered by the economy.

Critics say the reform chatter thinly veils a business-friendly agenda. One fueled by a corrosive meme that casts

some of Florida’s more than 1 million unemployed as “slackers and malingerers” or scallywags bent on gaming the system.

Right. As if thousands are living the life of Riley on weekly checks that max out at $275. In any case, anecdotal evidence of abuse isn’t sufficient justification for changes that would harm Floridians who are dog paddling amid a 12-percent unemployment rate.

What is justified, however, is finding a way to pay off Florida’s $2 billion federal IOU-incurred after the state burned through its unemployment trust fund paying claims during a lingering recession. Even detractors of current legislative proposals concede the necessity of moving toward reform.

Just not in the exact direction the discussion’s headed. One critic, Andrew Stettner of the National Employment Law Project, called the proposals “the most vile package of legislation that has come up.”

Certain provisions of the reforms also give us heartburn. For instance,

trimming the number of weeks the jobless can collect benefits in this economy seems draconian.

The Senate bill also broadly expands the reasons for which a fired employee can be denied benefits.

Getting fired for insubordination, for example, could mean a loss of unemployment benefits under the bill.

Also troubling is trying to compel the jobless to take lower-paying work after getting unemployment for only 12 weeks. Low-wage workers, because of unemployment compensation caps, would be forced to take jobs at pay that would be difficult to sustain them.

And while we disagree with the longstanding provision that automatically gives workers the benefit of the doubt in claims disputes-which can let undeserving workers cash in-legislators need to go back to the drawing board. Removing the tilt toward employees could swing the pendulum widely in the employer’s favor.

On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with requiring proof that the unemployed are actively seeking work

Finance specialist Lois Williams-Norman is looking for work for the fifth time in 10 years in Rochester, New York, despite having an MBA and a career at Xerox and other corporations. —MCT while collecting payments. And ending double-dipping by employees who draw unemployment while receiving severance makes sense.

Unquestionably, Florida’s unemployment system needs a face-lift. But in responding to employers’ gripes over paying insurance rates that in January nearly tripled from minimum

rates of $25 per employee to $72 in the midst of a downturn, legislators must keep the big picture in mind.

They must look to modernize the system with an eye toward making it a steppingstone to finding good work.

Bottom line: Reformers mustn’t lose sight of their duty to soften the blow of job loss. — MCT

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Egypt, Israel and a strategic review In this Sept 28, 1995 file photo, US President Bill Clinton looks on as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (right) shakes hands with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat in the East Room of the White House in Washington, after the Middle East accord signing as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (left) and King Hussein of Jordan (second from left) look on. — AP

By George Friedman

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he events in Egypt have sent shock waves through Israel. The 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel have been the bedrock of Israeli national security. In three of the four wars Israel fought before the accords, a catastrophic outcome for Israel was conceivable. In 1948, 1967 and 1973, credible scenarios existed in which the Israelis were defeated and the state of Israel ceased to exist.

In 1973, it appeared for several days that one of those scenarios was unfolding.

The survival of Israel was no longer at stake after 1978. In the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the various Palestinian intifadas and the wars with Hezbollah in 2006 and Hamas in Gaza in 2008, Israeli interests were involved, but not survival.

There is a huge difference between the two. Israel had achieved a geopolitical ideal after 1978 in which it had divided and effectively made peace with two of the four Arab states that bordered it, and neutralized one of those states. The treaty with Egypt removed the threat to the Negev and the southern coastal

approaches to Tel Aviv. The agreement with Jordan in 1994, which formalized a long-standing relationship, secured the longest and most vulnerable border along the Jordan River.

The situation in Lebanon was such that whatever threat emerged from there was limited. Only Syria remained hostile but, by itself, it could not threaten Israel. Damascus was far more focused on Lebanon anyway. As for the Palestinians, they posed a problem for Israel, but without the foreign military forces along the frontiers, the Palestinians could trouble but not destroy Israel. Israel’s existence was not at stake, nor was it an issue for 33 years.

The Historic Egyptian Threat to Israel The center of gravity of Israel’s strategic challenge was always Egypt. The largest Arab country, with about 80 million people, Egypt could field the most substantial army. More to the point, Egypt could absorb casualties at a far higher rate than Israel. The danger that the Egyptian army posed was that it could close with the Israelis and engage in extended, high-intensity combat that would break the back of Israel Defense

Forces by imposing a rate of attrition that Israel could not sustain. If Israel were to be simultaneously engaged with Syria, dividing its forces and its logistical capabilities, it could run out of troops long before Egypt, even if Egypt were absorbing far more casualties.

The solution for the Israelis was to initiate combat at a time and place of their own choosing, preferably with surprise, as they did in 1956 and 1967.

Failing that, as they did in 1973, the Israelis would be forced into a holding action they could not sustain and forced onto an offensive in which the risks of failure - and the possibility would be substantial.

It was to the great benefit of Israel that Egyptian forces were generally poorly commanded and trained and that Egyptian war-fighting doctrine, derived from Britain and the Soviet Union, was not suited to the battle problem Israel posed. In 1967, Israel won its most complete victory over Egypt, as well as Jordan and Syria. It appeared to the Israelis that the Arabs in general and Egyptians in particular were culturally incapable of mastering mod-

ern warfare. Thus it was an extraordinary shock when, just six years after their 1967 defeat, the Egyptians mounted a two-army assault across the Suez, coordinated with a simultaneous Syrian attack on the Golan Heights.

Even more stunning than the assault was the operational security the Egyptians maintained and the degree of surprise they achieved. One of Israel’s fundamental assumptions was that Israeli intelligence would provide ample warning of an attack. And one of the fundamental assumptions of Israeli intelligence was that Egypt could not mount an attack while Israel maintained air superiority. Both assumptions were wrong. But the most important error was the assumption that Egypt could not, by itself, coordinate a massive and complex military operation. In the end, the Israelis defeated the Egyptians, but at the cost of the confidence they achieved in 1967 and a recognition that comfortable assumptions were impermissible in warfare in general and regarding Egypt in particular.

The Egyptians had also learned les-

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sons. The most important was that the existence of the state of Israel did not represent a challenge to Egypt’s national interest. Israel existed across a fairly wide and inhospitable buffer zone - the Sinai Peninsula. The logistical problems involved in deploying a massive force to the east had resulted in three major defeats, while the single partial victory took place on much shorter lines of supply. Holding or taking the Sinai was difficult and possible only with a massive infusion of weapons and supplies from the outside, from the Soviet Union. This meant that Egypt was a hostage to Soviet interests. Egypt had a greater interest in breaking its dependency on the Soviets than in defeating Israel. It could do the former more readily than the latter.

The Egyptian recognition that its interests in Israel were minimal and the Israeli recognition that eliminating the potential threat from Egypt guaranteed its national security have been the foundation of the regional balance since 1978. All other considerations - Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas and the rest - were trivial in comparison. Geography - the Sinai - made this strategic distancing possible. So did American aid to Egypt.

The substitution of American weapons for Soviet ones in the years after the treaty achieved two things. First, they ended Egypt’s dependency on the Soviets. Second, they further guaranteed Israel’s security by creating an Egyptian army dependent on a steady flow of spare parts and contractors from the United States. Cut the flow and the Egyptian army would be crippled.

The governments of Anwar Sadat and then Hosni Mubarak were content with this arrangement. The generation that came to power with Gamal Nasser had fought four wars with Israel and had little stomach for any more. They had proved themselves in Oct 1973 on the Suez and had no appetite to fight again or to send their sons to war. It is not that they created an oasis of prosperity in Egypt. But they no longer had to go to war every few years, and they were able, as military officers, to live good lives. What is now regarded as corruption was then regarded as just rewards for bleeding in four wars against the Israelis.

Mubarak and the Military But now is 33 years later, and the world has changed. The generation that fought is very old. Today’s Egyptian military trains with the Americans, and its officers pass through the American command and staff and war colleges.

This generation has close ties to the United States, but not nearly as close ties to the British-trained generation that fought the Israelis or to Egypt’s former patrons, the Russians. Mubarak had locked the younger generation, in their fifties and sixties, out of senior command positions and away from the wealth his generation has accumulated.

For this younger generation, the idea of Gamal Mubarak being allowed to take over the presidency was the last straw. They wanted the elder Mubarak to leave not only because he had ambitions for his son but also because he didn’t want to leave after more than a quarter century of pressure. Mubarak

wanted guarantees that, if he left, his possessions, in addition to his honor, would remain intact. If Gamal could not be president, then no one’s promise had value. So Mubarak locked himself into position.

The cameras love demonstrations, but they are frequently not the real story. The demonstrators who wanted democracy are a real faction, but they don’t speak for the shopkeepers and peasants more interested in prosperity than wealth. Since Egypt is a Muslim country, the West freezes when anything happens, dreading the hand of Osama bin Laden.

In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood was once a powerful force, and it might become one again someday, but right now it is a shadow of its former self.

What is going on now is a struggle within the military, between generations, for the future of the Egyptian military and

capability and interest.

As Israeli ideology becomes more militant and as its capabilities grow, Egypt may be forced to reconsider its strategic posture. As new generations of officers arise, who have heard of war only from their grandfathers, the fear of war declines and the desire for glory grows. Combine that with ideology in Egypt and Israel and things change.

They won’t change quickly - a generation of military transformation will be needed once regimes have changed and the decisions to prepare for war have been made - but they can change.

Two things from this should strike the Israelis. The first is how badly they need peace with Egypt. It is easy to forget what things were like 40 years back, but it is important to remember that the prosperity of Israel today depends in part on the treaty with Egypt. Iran is a distant abstraction, with a notional

In this Oct 6, 1993 file photo, Arafat joins Mubarak and Rabin to sit for photographers at the start of a historic meeting in Cairo. — AP

therefore the heart of the Egyptian regime. Mubarak will leave, the younger officers will emerge, the constitution will make some changes and life will continue.

The Israelis will return to their complacency. They should not. The usual first warning of a heart attack is death.

Among the fortunate, it is a mild coronary followed by a dramatic change of life style. The events in Egypt should be taken as a mild coronary and treated with great relief by Israel that it wasn’t worse.

Reconsidering the Israeli Position I have laid out the reasons the 1978 treaty is in Egypt’s national interest. I have left out two pieces. The first is ideology. The ideological tenor of the Middle East prior to 1978 was secular and socialist. Today it is increasingly Islamist. Egypt is not immune to this trend, even if the Muslim Brotherhood should not be seen as the embodiment of that threat.

Second, military technology, skills and terrain have made Egypt a defensive power for the past 33 years. But military technology and skills can change, on both sides. Egyptian defensiveness is built on assumptions of Israeli military

bomb whose completion date keeps moving. Israel can fight many wars with Egypt and win.

It need lose only one. The second lesson is that Israel should do everything possible to make certain that the transfer of power in Egypt is from Mubarak to the next generation of military officers and that these officers maintain their credibility in Egypt.

Whether Israel likes it or not, there is an Islamist movement in Egypt.

Whether the new generation controls that movement as the previous one did or whether they succumb to it is the existential question for Israel. If the treaty with Egypt is the foundation of Israel’s national security, it is logical that the Israelis should do everything possible to preserve it.

This was not the fatal heart attack. It might not even have been more than indigestion. But recent events in Egypt point to a long-term problem with Israeli strategy. Given the strategic and ideological crosscurrents in Egypt, it is in Israel’s national interest to minimize the intensity of the ideological and make certain that Israel is not perceived as a threat. In Gaza, for example, Israel and Egypt may have shared a common interest in containing Hamas, and the

next generation of Egyptian officers may share it as well. But what didn’t materialize in the streets this time could in the future: an Islamist rising. In that case, the Egyptian military might find it in its interest to preserve its power by accommodating the Islamists. At this point, Egypt becomes the problem and not part of the solution.

Keeping Egypt from coming to this is the imperative of military dispassion. If the long-term center of gravity of Israel’s national security is at least the neutrality of Egypt, then doing everything to maintain that is a military requirement. That military requirement must be carried out by political means.

That requires the recognition of priorities. The future of Gaza or the precise borders of a Palestinian state are trivial compared to preserving the treaty with Egypt. If it is found that a particular political strategy undermines the strategic requirement, then that political strategy must be sacrificed.

In other words, the worst-case scenario for Israel would be a return to the pre-1978 relationship with Egypt without a settlement with the Palestinians.

That would open the door for a potential two-front war with an intifada in the middle. To avoid that, the ideological pressure on Egypt must be eased, and that means a settlement with the Palestinians on less-than-optimal terms.

The alternative is to stay the current course and let Israel take its chances.

The question is where the greater safety lies. Israel has assumed that it lies with confrontation with the Palestinians. That’s true only if Egypt stays neutral. If the pressure on the Palestinians destabilizes Egypt, it is not the most prudent course.

There are those in Israel who would argue that any release in pressure on the Palestinians will be met with rejection. If that is true, then, in my view, that is catastrophic news for Israel. In due course, ideological shifts and recalculations of Israeli intentions will cause a change in Egyptian policy. This will take several decades to turn into effective military force, and the first conflicts may well end in Israeli victory. But, as I have said before, it must always be remembered that no matter how many times Israel wins, it need only lose once to be annihilated.

To some it means that Israel should remain as strong as possible. To me it means that Israel should avoid rolling the dice too often, regardless of how strong it thinks it is. The Mubarak affair might open a strategic reconsideration of the Israeli position. — Stratfor

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Why an office romance can derail your career W hen Pat Benatar sang “Love is a Battlefield,” she knew of what she spoke. Love can be rewarding but it can also be brutal. Romantic relationships don’t usually end painlessly. For this and several other reasons, an office romance can leave everyone involved-and not just the couple-in shambles. Office romances, even successful ones, can have a negative effect on co-workers, supervisors and the employer itself. Careers can be damaged, sometime irreparably. Before you get taken in by the idea that sharing a workplace with your partner could be fun, think about the possible ramifications.

Before you embark on an office romance and fall head over heels for a co-worker or the boss, consider these musical words of warning.

1. “Love’s Got a Hold on You”: Any romance can be distracting, never mind an office romance. When the object of your affection works with you, you may find yourself gazing at your sweetheart instead of tending to your job responsibilities.

2. “Looking Through the Eyes of Love”: An office romance can complicate the relationship between boss and subordinate. It changes your working relationship significantly. Offering criticism, or receiving it,

can be difficult. You may not be able to, or want to, look critically at your significant other’s work and you might not be receptive to his or her critiques of your work.

3. “Love is a Battlefield”: A disagreement at home will find its way to the office and a disagreement at the office will find its way home.

4. “Prisoner of Love”: You might stay in an office romance longer than you want to because you are afraid of damaging your working relationship.

5. “Breaking Up is Hard to Do”: You shouldn’t stay in a bad relationship, but

your fears that ending it will damage your working relationship are realistic.

Breakups are hard in general, but seeing your ex everyday can be grueling, even if both of you handle things in the best way possible.

Sometimes love can’t be denied. If your feelings about a co-worker are so strong that you can’t deny them any longer, in spite of the warnings you just read, remember, “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.” Don’t put your relationship on display. Your coworkers don’t need to, and as importantly don’t want to, be privy to the ups and downs of your relationship.

Set the rules

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ffice romances have been around for as long as offices (or other workplaces). While an office romance can be great for your social life, it can be like a train wreck as far as your career is concerned. Although you know you should avoid an office romance sometimes your judgment goes awry. If you find yourself in a relationship with a co-worker, a subordinate or your boss, these rules may help minimize the impact on your career.

1. Be discreet: With social networking sites and TV reality shows encouraging us to let the world into our most private moments, discretion may be a dying art. When it comes to office romance, it is much better to keep your relationship private than it is to flaunt it. This doesn’t mean you should lie about it. Just don’t put it out there for everyone to watch unfold.

2. Set rules and have an exit plan: Make sure you and your partner are on the same page. Decide how you will proceed with your relationship as far as the office is concerned. Also figure out how you will handle it if your relationship doesn’t succeed.

3. Be honest with each other: Honesty is, of course, important in any relationship, but dishonesty can add to the bitterness that often accompanies the end of a romance. You don’t want to end on bad terms, particularly because you will have to see each other regularly.

4. Don’t let your feelings get in the way of your job: This may take quite a bit of effort, but if your feelings for your partner influence how you do your job, you may find yourself looking for a new one (job and partner).

Damage control

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f Cupid strikes and you find yourself attracted to a coworker, these actions will minimize any possible damage to your career.

Know your organization’s written and unwritten policies about romantic, extramarital, or dating relationships.

Keep the relationship private and discreet until you are ready to publicly announce that you are a couple.

Behave discreetly in the workplace. Keep public displays of affection off limits at work.

Limit the number of people at work with whom you share this confidential information.

If your position and responsibilities require you to work together, attend the same meetings, and so on, behave professionally at all times. You are encouraged to be yourself, maintain and speak your continuing opinions, exhibit the same skills, and conduct yourself in the same manner as you did prior to the relationship.

Discuss, as a couple, the potential impact of your relationship on your work. (Will one employee have to leave a department or the company? Will your organization respond favorably to your relationship?) Know your company, and make a plan before the organization requests one .

Be happy and build a successful relationship that adds value to the world; produces well-adjusted children, should you choose to have them; and that adds great value and happiness to your life all through the years. Love, and romance in the workplace will likely increase as time goes by. Expect these relationships; be prepared in advance. careerplanning.about.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011 www.kuwaittimes.net

• The irony of creating art from steel • Clamor for glamour

The blue built-ins at the home of Franz and Annelies Leuthardt are a Mondrianinspired piece that holds their exercise equipment. — MCT

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Health FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Easily accessible health fixes S

ometimes we get sick, and sometimes it’s our kids that get sick, either way it is difficult enough to take care of ourselves and the kids without having to run to the doctors and the pharmacy on top of it. Conventional medicines also have many unpleasant side effects and work to mask symptoms rather than heal. With that in mind, it might be a good idea to turn to our kitchens first to see what we can do for ourselves when we are feeling under the weather.

One item that most kitchen pantries have is honey. Raw or natural honey is best and it is great for your health. You can use it for coughs, infertility, allergies, and other many other ailments. In fact many in the natural remedy field recommend using honey everyday as a supplement to your diet; it helps your immune system and keeps you well. There is nothing better than a little preventive medicine right?

Apple cider vinegar is good for many sicknesses and illnesses. If you are sick it is helpful to restore your ph balance, and it helps your immune system. You will also want to add this to your everyday diet as it is helpful in several ways to your body. Make sure you buy organic apple cider vinegar to get the most benefits out of your purchase.

Another common ailment is constipation, and it can be quite painful and uncomfortable.

There are two ways you can work with constipation. You can purchase karo syrup and take a teaspoon of this, or you can drink some prune juice. The karo syrup is also used for infants that are constipated. Either of these methods will help adults who constipation. In the future

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drink a lot of water with the fiber you consume.

Getting lots of fiber from green leafy veggies daily will help too.

For the little ones at home they often get diaper rashes. These can pop up from being in the diaper too long, being allergic to chemicals in disposable diapers, having too much juice, or their body’s disagreeing with what they have eaten. In any of these cases a good home remedy to use is corn starch. Corn starch is much like powder but without the scent. It is very dry and helps keep the rash and any sores dry. It can begin to heal the baby’s skin in little to no time.

The cost is nominal for the amount of times you can use it, and the comfort it brings to baby’s bottom and mommy’s ears.

There is a nice plant you can keep around your house for cuts and scrapes. It is called an Aloe plant and it is absolutely a great investment. When your child (or you) get cut all you have to do is break off a little piece of the end of the plant and use the oozing ointment on the cuts. It is also good for sun burn, as it is in most commercial products that treat sunburn.

Another home remedy you can use is for colds and flu. Fruits have a lot of vitamin C in them and this vitamin helps to get rid of these illnesses. Invest in a juicer and drink a lot of juice and eat a lot of fruits to decrease your time being sick.

There are several products we keep in our house that are perfect for home remedies, using these products will keep you at home and more comfortable during your illness. www.vineyardesigns.com

Keep that cold at bay

he best way to take care of colds is to prevent them with good nutrition and hand washing. But despite our best efforts, all kids will come down with a cold occasionally. The advantages of natural remedies are, among other things, that they are generally safer than allopathic remedies, less expensive and easier to administer. Here are some of the more common ways to help ease your child’s colds.

If your child has a fever, fight the urge to attempt to bring down his temperature.

Fever is quite helpful at limiting the course of an illness. Generally after a “good fever”, kids get better quickly. Unless your child is

listless and not responding to you normally, he’s probably fine. Better to assist his body’s natural attempts to heal itself. Allow your child to rest and avoid overstimulating him with too much TV or electronic media. Read to him, play card games and just hold him as much as possible. Allow the chores and other things to wait as much as possible.

If your child has a sore throat, ease it with warm salt water gargles. Honey lemon tea is also nice. Just squeeze a little fresh lemon juice into a mug of warm/hot water and a teaspoon of honey. Homemade chicken

broth is also very nice and serves to keep your child hydrated and nourished as well. Avoid giving your child decongestants and antihistamines when he has a cold.

These have been proven to have little effect on colds, and may even be harmful.

Using acupressure may ease the symptoms of a cold and your child may also enjoy it. Consult a guidebook on acupressure and follow suggestions for targeting the bladder, large intestine and lung pressure points.

Vitamin C, Echinacea and Goldenseal are all traditional remedies for colds. Give your

child weight and age appropriate doses of these remedies short term to boost his body’s efforts to heal.

If your child has trouble breathing, try a cool mist humidifier. Be sure to keep it scrupulously clean. Eliminate sugars as much as possible when your child is ill. The same holds true for junk foods. Supporting his body with good nutrition is very important at this time. Fresh vegetable juices, homemade soups and other easy to digest foods that provide hydration should be emphasized.

Health FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Acne home remedies A

cne is known as one of the most common and chronic skin disorders in the world today. Acne has been reported to affect millions of people. These people are of every gender, race, and age. Research has shown that it has been seen in the female population in the amount of 80 percent and the male population is shown to be 90 percent, in the teenage population. Acne is also known to occur in adults and infants as well. It normally is seen on the neck, face, back, and chest. This condition is both bothering and annoying and should be addressed, if at all possible.

There are many ways you can treat acne. One of these ways is through the use of natural acne treatments. Some of the more known natural acne treatments are with the use of lotions and cleansing agents. These are normally mainly made up of benzoyl peroxide, creams and gels that are made up of modified forms of vitamin A, and some antibiotics that are put on to the skin directly or can be taken orally.

The most basic and simple ways to prevent acne from ever developing is a good diet. This is one of the easiest natural acne treatments. A diet that is based on unprocessed and whole foods is a way to prevent acne from ever developing. This is why your doctor or nutritionist may recommend that you eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruit every day.

Research has shown that one natural acne remedy is foods that have healthy omega 3 oils.

Examples of these foods are flaxseeds and sardines.

Water has been shown to be a good remedy as well.

You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. When you do this you should increase your fiber intake as well for other health reasons.

There are also some effective nutritional vitamins and supplements that work to clear up your acne.

One of these is vitamin A. This has a very strong potential to be able to reduce the levels of sebum production. This should be done only under your doctor’s supervision. This can have side effects such as birth defects, decreased bone density, headaches, and even muscle and joint pain. It may be not worth the risk using this remedy.

You can avoid the use of vitamin A if you have an adequate intake of vitamin E, zinc, and beta carotene. Zinc has been shown to be a good remedy for acne. It is most helpful in the prevention of acne formation. It also has been shown to aid in the healing of blemishes and decreasing inflammation.

You can also use vitamin B6. It is an effective form of natural acne remedy. This is because vita-

min B6 can help in mid-cycle and premenstrual acne. You may also want to try some herbal remedies. These remedies may include yellow dock, sarsaparilla, cleavers, and burdock. These are effective because they are powerful lymph and blood cleansers where the infection sometimes starts.

Acne can also cause problems with self esteem which is another great reason to get it treated. If you try all of these natural remedies and you still experience acne, speak with a dermatologist and tell them you would like to take care of your acne without chemical products, they should have other options for you to use.

Beauty that goes skin deep

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czema is a common problem in babies and children. It presents as a red, scaly rash that itches and sometimes oozes when it blisters and breaks open. It can be extremely uncomfortable and even miserable for kids to endure, in severe cases. Thankfully eczema can and often does respond very well to natural remedies, sometimes to the point of clearing up completely. Here are some of the most common suggestions: Many natural minded physicians are convinced that eczema is mostly due to food allergies. If you can identify the allergen you can avoid it or pursue some other method of healing the immune system to the body doesn’t react to it. The most common allergens would be dairy products, wheat, soy and corn. Incidentally, advocates of raw (unpasteurized) milk claim that switching to raw milk has cleared up some cases of eczema.

Essential fatty acids have been associated with relief from eczema. Examples of this are the types of fats in fish, Evening Primrose Oil, Vitamin E, coconut oil, organic butter from grass fed cows, and Cod

Liver Oil. Talk with your health care practitioner about proper doses of these nutrients for your child.

Oatmeal baths can be helpful to ease the child’s itching. You can purchase colloidal oatmeal at drug stores, or make your own by grinding oats in your blender and then putting them in muslin tea bags.

Place one in your child’s bath water, and use tepid to warm water. Don’t over bathe your child or use soap. Then while your child’s skin is still wet, apply an organic lotion.

Avoid using harsh detergents when washing your child’s clothing. Maggie’s Soap Nuts might be the best choice since they are all natural and not irritating to the skin. If you use any type of detergent, do a double rinse to remove residues.

Probiotics can be helpful in healing a child’s gut imbalance. Foods such as naturally fermented and cultured vegetables (sauerkraut, kim chi, etc), kefir, yogurt and kombucha might help your child’s immune system to normalize and heal.

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Smart phones are making Wi-Fi hotspots hot again L

isa Helminiak, who uses her iPhone as a computer as much as to talk, has declared her independence from the slow cell phone network. Instead of using AT&T’s network, she’s using her phone’s Wi-Fi capability to connect to the Internet via speedier Wi-Fi hotspots.

“AT&T’s 3G cell network is kind of plodding,” said Helminiak, a partner in Minneapolis software company Azul 7.

“When I get on Wi-Fi, it’s definitely faster.”

That makes it more practical for her to view online maps and download iPhone apps, programs written specifically for the phones.

Helminiak is one of Owners of smart phones with Wi-Fi capability are increasingly jumping millions of smart off their slow cellular networks to use phone users whose phones have both celfaster Wi-Fi hotspots. Lisa Helminiak, lular and Wi-Fi capabilpartner in the Minneapolis software ity. These dual-confirm Azul 7, does just that with her nection smart phone iPhone. —MCT users are accelerating the growth in the

number of Wi-Fi hotspots, which are wireless Internet access zones a few hundred feet across. While there are a few big Wi-Fi hotspots, most are much smaller: at the airport, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and corporate offices.

A recent report by research firm In-Stat of Scottsdale, Ariz., predicts the use of hotspots will be up 47 percent worldwide this year, driven largely by smart phone use. The reason is speed. Cell phone networks typically can download data at a million bits per second - or less - over long distances. Wi-Fi hotspots use faster, short-range wireless links that are backed up by speedy wired Internet connections. As a result, hotspots are typically several times faster than cellular, say iPhone users in the Minneapolis area. (Cellular companies say faster cell networks are on the way in the next couple of years.)

The cell phone companies aren’t alarmed by the Wi-Fi trend, because it makes their phones more attractive and reduces congestion on the cell phone networks. (AT&T discourages iPhone users from downloading more than 10 megabytes at once via the cellular network.) AT&T was so convinced of the trend’s importance that it acquired for-pay Wi-Fi hotspot

provider Wayport in 2008. “The cellular companies are a major driver of Wi-Fi growth,” said Frank Dickson, research vice president for mobile Internet at In-Stat. “So we expect that more cell phones will have Wi-Fi.” This year 128 million cell phones with Wi-Fi were shipped worldwide, and in 2010 that will increase to 184 million, Dickson said. In response, the number of Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide is expected to grow 21 percent over the next year to 245,000, he said. “WiFi has gone from being in first-tier locations such as airports and firstclass hotels, to second-tier places such as convention centers to thirdtier locations that are less densely populated, such as small coffee shops, retail stores and malls,” Dickson said.

Other smart phone users agree that hotspots are the way to go.

Jamal Carlson of Minneapolis is always on the lookout for a Wi-Fi hotspot so he can connect his iPhone to the Internet at high speed. “A lot of times you can’t download songs on the spot unless you have a Wi-Fi connection,” said Carlson, a supervisor in the treasurer’s department at Fairview Health Services, a network of hospitals and clinics. The spread of free Wi-Fi at restaurants, coffee shops and other retail locations also has

spurred interest.

“If I can get free Wi-Fi, I grab it,” said Hastings iPhone user Anthony Alongi, director for the dislocated worker program at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, “because a Wi-Fi connection is superior to the cellular network in most instances.”

While it’s hard to prove cell phones are the reason, Wi-Fi use is up significantly at Caribou Coffee, which offers free access in its chain of coffee shops. There was a 15 percent increase in the number of times people logged in to Caribou Wi-Fi from June 2008 through November 2009 said Alfredo Martel, senior vice president of marketing for the Brooklyn Center-based chain. Where people seek out Wi-Fi varies. Alongi uses it when it’s free. Helminiak goes for secure networks.

Thad Gulden of Eden Prairie, Minn., who has an iPhone, says he uses Wi-Fi hotspots when he wants a better-quality video experience. “The Internet browsing experience isn’t very noticeably quicker on Wi-Fi, but YouTube videos load markedly faster,” he said. —MCT

Sound Advice

Olympus or Sony?

Q. I am purchasing a compact interchangeable lens camera and have seen you discuss the Olympus PEN and Sony NEX models. Both look good but I am leaning toward the Sony. Which one would you pick for yourself?

A. I love this class of camera, which combines the image quality and much of the flexibility of a digital SLR with small size and portability that makes them perfect for travel. I own both the Olympus and Sony systems and have used them extensively, coming to love them both for different reasons. Both have their advantages and make a great choice for anyone, but if I could only have one I would choose an Olympus PEN camera, specifically the $449 E-PL1 or the $599 E-PL2. They are the latest models and provide the best value and performance.

There are reasons some may want to choose the Sony NEX sys-

my PEN cameras they are a joy to camera. tem. Its larger sensor has higher behold as I marvel at the beautiful Despite the somewhat smaller resolution and more surface area color, tremendous detail and sensor, compared to the NEX the than the Olympus cameras, so it overall natural look they provide. performs better in low light. If you PEN models simply deliver better This is due to the optical quality of looking images straight out of the are doing a lot of video the $699 the Olympus lenses and the camcamera. When I look at images Sony NEX-5 is probably the best eras’ superior image processing, from choice because of its ability to which is acclaimed record 1080i video and the optical by reviewers and image stabilization of the two consumers alike. available zoom lenses. (The The in-camera Olympus models and Sony NEXimage stabiliza3 record 720p video.) The Sonys tion helps deliver also have an excellent night sharp results photography mode and create regardless of the super wide panoramic images lens used. very easily, even in 3D if you Olympus leads want. in available lensIf you simply want to enjoy es and accestaking pictures and create memosories. This will rable images, I have to give the change over time nod to the Olympus PEN cameras. as Sony fleshes out The system is much more extenits NEX system, but sive and the cameras have a familiar form factor that handles very Olympus E-PL2 Interchangeable Lens for now it isn’t even a race. well and reminds me of using a Camera is one of the latest models and pro- Olympus has an classic, high-quality rangefinder

vides value and performance. - MCT

optional electronic viewfinder and twice as many dedicated lenses available. Most lenses are very affordable and optical quality is excellent throughout. I saw some neat new Olympus accessories at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. There is the $80 PEN Pal, a Bluetooth module that sends pictures from a PEN camera to your cell phone for sharing, and the $60 MAL-1, a close-up lighting attachment. The MAL-1 mounts in the camera’s flash shoe and draws power from the camera, using two small LED spotlights on flexible arms to illuminate your subject.

Sony does not sit still, especially in the advanced camera market where it is thinking outside the box and making mighty strides.

There may come a day when my answer is different but for now it is the Olympus PEN system that I prefer. —MCT

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Cats don’t grow on trees

Cat rescuer says smiling kids make up for feline’s claws B en Roberts does it for the kids, not the cats. Yes, he’s rescued nearly 30 felines from the tippy tops of trees. He’s careful when he scoops them into a bag before descending to safety. But it’s reuniting children with their beloved pets and seeing their wide eyes and beaming smiles that make his side gig as a cat rescuer worth the climb. “I’m not a cat

Breslen Taylor, 8, and her mother, Michelle, hug their cat Puff-Puff after Ben Roberts scaled a 115-foot Douglas fir to rescue the animal, in Tacoma, Washington. — MCT photos

lover myself,” said the 31-year-old Puyallup, Washington, man. “I’m a cat liker - when I have to go get one.”

Roberts rescued his first cat five years ago and boasts a 100 percent success rate - excluding an African grey parrot that flitted from tree to tree and repeatedly eluded capture. His most recent rescue came at nightfall Jan 10.

Puff Puff, a black cat belonging to 8year-old Breslen Taylor, was going on his seventh night in a tree. Michelle Taylor, concerned about an expected storm and tormented by the cat’s meowing, asked Roberts for help.

With Breslen and her family anxiously watching from the deck, Roberts slipped on a harness and lanyards and shimmied up the 115-foot Douglas fir.

In less than an hour, Puff Puff was inside his rescuer’s bag and being lowered to the ground. “He found Puff Puff, Mommy, he got Puffy,” Breslen yelled in excitement. Taylor, who is slightly afraid of heights and couldn’t watch the rescue, said Roberts more than deserved his $150 fee.

Not all cat rescues have gone so smoothly, though. There was the time he had to use a handsaw to cut a cat off the top of a tree because the branches were too unstable to support Roberts’ weight. Or when a cat that kept backing away from Roberts eventually jumped out of the 70-foot tree and landed on a car windshield below.

The glass shattered, but the kitty lived.

He’s also been sent up a 200-foot tree to capture a baby falcon from its nest.

A hunter had a permit to harvest and train the bird, but he needed someone to fetch it.

It took Roberts seven hours to climb the massive trunk. As he reached for the falcon, the protective parents squawked and dive-bombed his head in futile protest. “Never again,” he swears. As an arborist for the City of Seattle and a resident firefighter in Graham, Roberts already had the makings of a cat rescuer.

So when fellow arborist Dan Kraus told him about a website he ran www.catinatreerescue.com - and asked if he’d like to be listed, Roberts jumped at the opportunity. The calls come at all hours of the day and night, though he’s noticed business picks up around full moons and in summer months. Roberts has pretty much cornered the business on cat rescuing in Pierce County, Wash.

Most fire departments opt out of pulling cats from trees in case they’re called out to an emergency with a person. Humane societies can’t do more than recommend an arborist or cat rescuer like Roberts.

Pet owners sometimes call for help after the frisky feline has been treed for hours but most wait three days before pleading for outside help.

Roberts recommends they let the cat come down on its own but will come to the rescue if needed. The longest he’s seen a cat stay in a tree was nine days. “I’ve never seen a dead cat in a tree,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen.” — MCT

Puff-Puff the cat spent six nights in a 115-foot Douglas fir before being rescued.

Ben Roberts, an arborist with the City of Seattle, climbs a 115-foot Douglas fir to rescue Puff-Puff the cat in Tacoma, Washington.

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ndian sweets or Mithai, are a type of confectionery that rely heavily on sugar, milk, flour and condensed milk, and cooked by frying, however the bases of the sweets vary by region. In the Eastern part of India for example, milk is a staple, and most sweets from this region are based on milk products. While Indians love their vast array of Indian food, their second love without a doubt, is the love for colorful sweets made at home or the complicated ones bought from nearest sweet shop. Here we would show you making of sweets easy with simple to do instructions. As India is rich in its heritage and culture, we have a plenty of festivals in line. Sweets are the most sought of dish offered to the deity. Indian sweets are large in color, shape and size. Their flavors are also distinct. Indian sweets are

For sugar syrup Sugar - 500 gms Water - 3 1/2 cups

Paneer Gulab Jamun

For Malai Milk - 1 liter Sugar - 1 cup Saffron - little Blanched and Sliced almonds, pistha - 2 tbl sps

Method 1. Prepare paneer and knead it to a smooth dough.

2. Make balls and flatten it.

3. Cook it in sugar syrup 4. Cover and keep it in the syrup for at least 6-8 hours.

5. Boil 1 liter of milk in heavy vessel till it is reduced to half of its quantity.

6. Add saffron, sugar and stir well till dissolved.

7. Remove boiled rasmalai from syrup. Press gently to remove excess syrup.

8. Put in cold water and squeeze again.

9. Put it in boiling milk and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from fire.

10. Garnish with fried almonds, pista nuts. Serve chilled in individual cups.

Ingredients Khoya (Reduced Dried Milk) - 1 cup, grated Paneer - 1/2 cup, mashed Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp Refined Flour - 4 tbl sp Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp Milk as required Oil to deep fry For the Sugar Syrup Water - 2 cups Sugar - 1 cup Method 1. Put the water and sugar in a heavy based pan and boil till the quantity is reduced in half.

2. Clear the syrup by removing the scum that may float on top.

3. Put the khoya, paneer, baking soda, flour and cardamom powder in a shallow bowl and rub it until the paneer looses its grainy texture.

4. Add a little milk and knead to bind into a soft dough.

5. Divide the dough into 16 parts and roll into balls.

6. Heat the oil in a kadai. Bring it to a heating point and then reduce the heat.

7. Deep fry the balls on low heat till they turn golden brown.

8. Remove with a slotted spoon.

9. Drain and add to the syrup.

10. Let it soak for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Rasmalai Note To make sugar syrup, boil sugar and water together and stir till sugar is dissolved completely.

Ingredients 1 litre milk 1/2 tsp. citric acid 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 cups water 2-3 drops rose essence Method 1. Heat the milk and bring to boil.

2. Cool the milk for a couple of hours. Remove the cream layer.

3. Reheat the milk and bring to a boil.

4. Add the citric acid dissolved in some water.

5. Stir slowly till the milk is fully curdled.

6. Keep as it is for 5 minutes.

7. Meanwhile heat the sugar and water in a wide sauce pan. Bring to a boil.

8. Strain the milk through a muslin cloth. Wash the chenna in the cloth under cold running water.

9. Press out the excess water and remove in a wide plate.

10. Gently knead into a soft dough by passing between fingers.

11. Make twelve equal sized balls of the dough.

12. Let them into the boiling water. Cover with a perforated lid. Boil for 13 to 15 minutes.

13. Take off from heat and cool them to room temperature.

14. Add essence and chill for at least 4 to 5 hours.

Rosogulla

Ingredients Paneer - prepared from 1 liter cow’s milk

prepared in 2 varieties - one is the milk based sweets like the Rabri, Peda, Rasbari, Burfi etc and the other is the flour based sweets which includes Ladoos, Malpua, Mohan Thal, Halwa etc. Indian sweets like the Sandesh, Gulab Jamun, Kalakand, Rosgollas, Mysore Pak, Kakinada Kaja, Putarekulu and many others are very popular all over India. It is said that no country has a wider selection of exotic, yummy sweets than in India. These two pages are dedicated to all the sweet-lovers out there. Forget about calories and just indulge yourself!

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Carrot Halwa Ingredients * 2 to 3 Big Carrots

Method

* 4 pods Cardamom

1. Wash the Cashews and Raisins and keep them ready.

2. Cut off the blemished ends of the Carrots, wash them, and then peel them.

3. Grate the carrots, and empty the grated carrots into a saucepan.

4. Add the Cashews, Raisins, Salt, Sugar, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Milk.

5. Heat the saucepan and bring the contents to a boil, while mixing.

6. When the milk has mostly evaporated you are done.

7. Serve with a sprinkling of Cinnamon powder on top.

* 1 pinch Cinnamon powder * 2 to 3 tea spoons Sugar * 1 pinch Salt * 1 table spoon Butter * 1/2 cup (120g) Cashew Nuts(Broken) * 1/2 cup (120g) Raisins * 1 cup (240ml) Milk

* 3 cups all-purpose flour * 1/4 cup rice flour * 1/4 teaspoon baking powder * 2 cups water

Badam Peda Jalebi

Syrup * 4 cups sugar * 3 cups water * ? teaspoon cream of tartar * red and yellow food coloring * 1 teaspoon rosewater

Ingredients 1 cup whole milk powder 2 cups milk 1/2 cup almonds 3/4 cup ghee 3 cups sugar a few drops almond essence a large pinch of saffron 1/4 cup warm milk Method 1. Blanch and skin the almonds. Grind to a very fine paste using 3/4 cup milk while grinding. Soak the saffron in 1/4 cup warm milk, mix thoroughly with the ground paste, and set aside.

2. Warm 1 cup of milk. Add the milk powder gradually to form a smooth paste. Add this to the ground almond paste and mix well.

3. Boil the sugar with 1 cup of water briskly until it dissolves. Strain, put back on fire and boil further until a thick syrup of one-thread consistency is obtained. Remove from fire and add the milk-almond mixture. Beat thoroughly.

4. Put back on fire and cook on moderate heat, gradually adding the ghee until the mixture starts to thicken and solidify. Keep stirring during this process. Add the almond essence. Remove from fire, spread on a greased plate and cool.

5. Take small pieces of this semi-solid mixture, and roll them into balls.

Then smoothen the balls, and flatten them into peda shapes. Alternately, press into sandesh moulds.

3 cups of vegetable oil for deep frying Method 1. Mix up the batter ingredients until smooth.

2. Let the batter sit unrefrigerated and uncovered overnight (about 12 hours).

3. Mix the sugar, water, and cream of tartar for the syrup.

4. Stir the syrup over moderate heat until the sugar is dissolved.

5. Put on high heat and boil for 5 minutes.

6. Let the syrup cool, and stir in the rosewater and food coloring (color it to light orange).

7. Put the vegetable oil in a wide wok-like dish, and heat to about 350∞F (175∞C).

8. Put the batter into a pastry bag with about a 1/4 inch opening. If it is too dry to squeeze out, mix in a bit of water.

9. Squeeze the batter into the oil, making a couple of figure 8s and loops on top of each other. The shape should be about 3 inches on its longest side.

10. Fry each jalebi until golden brown. Remove, let the oil drain off, then soak in syrup for a minute.

THEY ARE THE 99!

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend. One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost. His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life. Now, his luck is about to change - the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power. Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world. A force known as ... the 99!

THE STORY SO FAR : Samda’s pet stegosaur is growing too big to be a housepet — it’s getting into all kinds of mischief. But Dr. Ramzi interrupts to ask her, Jabbar, and Widad to deal with...a dragon?

The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2011, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.the99.org

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Traveling with a light wallet

The Banana Bungalow in San Diego is a 90 bed breezy and beachy hostel. — MCT

W

ith 30 bucks and an open mind, you can stay in some prime spots in California - on the Pacific Beach boardwalk in San Diego, for example, or a block from Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica or overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco or across from Union Square. We’re talking hostels, once regarded as the province of backpackers and bedbugs, but increasingly go-to places for a growing base of mobile and moneyed travelers. More than 250 hostels are scattered throughout the US, including 60 in California, offering a more social and budget-friendly alternative to hotel travel.

These days, travelers expect more than “no bugs and hot water,” says Maria Argyropoulos, vice president of operations for USA Hostels, which has locations in San Diego, Hollywood, San Francisco and Las Vegas. “Hostels throughout Europe and Australia are becoming way upscale, and that reflects the changing nature of the client. Now, travelers almost expect budget luxury.” And “budget luxury” is what they get. Domestic hostels range from sleek, modern 200-bed high rises in city centers to quaint 25-person beach cottages, and many are safe, clean places to stay. Most have 24/7 front-desk reception and security, and provide lockers to store belongings. Rates change according to season, number of beds in a room and location, but expect to pay $25 to $35 for a dorm bed in the summer, and $70 to $100 for a private room.

Today, hostellers contribute $1.4 billion to tourist revenues worldwide, and though the words “hostel” and “youth” are often paired, hostelling is by no means young-person exclusive.

As the struggling economy has widened the range of those seeking budget accommodations, hostellers note a corresponding increase in the age of patrons. Independently run momand-pop hostels are the heart of the industry, though Hostelling International, the brand name of the nonprofit International Youth Hostel Federation, leads the market in quantity and quality of hostels, with 4,000 hostels in 90 countries - 19 in California.

To sport the “HI” logo, hostels must conform to quality and sanitation standards. And no alcohol is allowed.

around 21 days. Accordingly, the LA hostels listed don’t allow LA residents, but the HI-Santa Monica is an exception.

Banana Bungalow Hollywood is of another era. Owner Joe Fazio describes the converted two-story 1960s building - formerly the Movietown Motel - as “retro, funky, cool.” That it is, although it’s also modern, clean and unapologetically tacky.

You’ll find an Astroturf tiki courtyard in the back and a movie room with blue vinyl theater seats. The “deluxe” private and dorm rooms (140 beds) all have kitchens en-suite, garishly colored according to theme, though the effect is, well, groovy.

Fazio also owns the 140-bed Banana Bungalow West Hollywood on Fairfax, just off the Melrose strip. Housed in a former retirement home, the WeHo location isn’t quite as California-cool as the original, though the outdoor thatched-roof Tiki bar is impressive.

Surf City Hostel keeps it simple. Besides a stellar location at the end of the Hermosa Beach promenade, crisp linens on the beds in the 60 rooms, half of which enjoy an unobstructed ocean view and a charmingly frazzled manager - French-born Odile Brock, who has been running the place for 15 years - $25

California hostels offer budget-luxury accommodations buys you the best deal on ocean breezes in the South Bay.

Here are some well-regarded California hostels we sampled: Los Angeles area HI-Santa Monica is the largest hostel in the US, with 260 beds. The kitchen is expansive, dorms are bright and spacious, the activity board is brimming with freebies and you’re a block from the beach. Many of the hostel’s numerous activities revolve around the Rapp Saloon, a local landmark nestled below the hostel. The saloon’s activities are open to travelers and residents alike, and range from the Friday open-mike poetry night to acting classes and salsa lessons, free for guests and open to the community (donations accepted). To assist true travelers on a budget, most hostels require out-of-county identification and enforce a maximum visitation limit - usually

San Francisco HI-Fisherman’s Wharf, housed in historic Fort Mason at the edge of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, feels like Camp San Francisco. The oldest hostel in the city slopes down to a hiking path that meanders from Fisherman’s Wharf to Marina Green along a panorama of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Cafe Franco, a funky coffee shop open to the public, provides free breakfast for hostel guests, lunch and $6 dinners of hearty vegetarian cuisine. HI-San Francisco City Center, with 162 beds, is tranquil Fort Mason’s bustling counterpart. Formerly the seven-story Atherton Hotel, the hostel still sports the hotel’s regal dark wood interior; rows of international flags flutter from the lofted ceiling over an ornate mahogany bar.

The Elements Hostel could exist only in the Mission District in San Francisco. The bright yellow and orange building, looming over vibrant Mission Street, houses the 29-room hostel, Medjool Restaurant and the popular Sky Terrace, a 360-degree view rooftop bar and restaurant. The interior of Elements is a hodgepodge of turquoises and reds, eclectic and clean enough, though it doesn’t quite feel like a hostel, because it lacks common areas and a kitchen. Pacific Tradewinds Hostel takes its nautical theme seriously. “Get off yer arse and get outside!” a sign declares at the entrance to the common area swathed in bright blues and nautical reds. Like all great ships, this one maximizes its small space. The benches that line the long hull of this ship double as storage units. The rooms are similarly skinny but bright, clean and well-maintained. All bathrooms are communal and coed.

The Green Tortoise, a cavernous 150-bed hostel looming over funky North Beach, is a hostel’s hostel, and owner and founder Gardner Kent is an old-time hosteller. All the hostel’s carpets are from Las Vegas, and the ballroom is a place you’d expect to walk in and find, as Kent puts it, a cancan show. In other words, the Green Tortoise embraces kitsch, and pulls it off.

Though cancan shows are not officially on the activity roster, this ballroom, with floor-to-ceiling windows, is where the magic happens, hosting the Green Tortoise’s thrice-weekly free dinners of hearty and healthy vegetarian fare, live music every Sunday night, and a weekly beer pong tournament.

San Diego HI-Point Loma, on a hill above downtown San Diego, in a quiet residential neighborhood, has a tranquil, campy feel. With 53 beds, it’s more like a bustling B&B than a Hostelling International. About half of Point Loma’s guests are from the US, many of them youth groups on retreats. When I stopped by, Girl Scout Troop 3909 from Forth Worth was working in the hostel’s industrial-sized kitchen preparing a traditional Filipino meal, which they shared with hostel guests as part of HI’s Cultural Kitchen youth-education program. Banana Bungalow San Diego announces itself. The 90-bed hostel is breezy, beachy and comfortable, but you’ll probably spend most of your time on the busy deck - from free barbecues twice a week and day-time people watching to sunset parties and live performances by local bands.

The USA Hostels San Diego building began life in the 1800s as a brothel, though the 23-room hostel in the Gaslamp Quarter has been through a few remodels since then. Murals cover the blue and yellow walls, many of which date from the years the building was the Grand Pacific Hostel before USA Hostels took it over in 1994. Guests walk up a grand central staircase to their lodgings, ranging from a cozy split-level private room - the bed is lofted above a mini-living room - to wood-paneled dorms. — MCT

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o your homework before you check in. Go to Hostelworld.com or Hostels.com to read reviews by other travelers and see current rankings, which tend to be reliable. Smaller hostels tend to have a stronger communal feel, though you’re in closer quarters with that community, while bigger hostels (100-200 capacity) can feel anonymous, which works if you’re on business or already traveling with friends. Most hostels give you bed linens at check in and expect you to turn them in at check out. Many offer free Wi-Fi but charge for use of their communal computers, usually about $2 for 20

minutes.

FOOD OPTIONS: Many hostels offer low-cost communal dinners, which vary from cafeteria-quality dishes to outdoor barbecues to the surprisingly gourmet. At Pacific Tradewinds, Sunday night dinner consisted of a full roast chicken, spicy Italian sausage, roast corn, mashed potatoes and a colorful salad of mixed greens, beets, green beans, tomatoes and bell peppers - the best $5 hostel dinner I’ve had.

Most hostels have a communal kitchen; boiling up some pasta and veggies is a great way to break the ice with other travelers. Check activity boards for

local farmers markets and grocery store locations.

Hostels are known for freebies - check to see what dinner outings or events are going on when you’re there. Breakfast is usually included in the rate (makeyour-own pancakes are ubiquitous), so are coffee and tea.

FREE SHUTTLES: Banana Bungalow locations offer free airport shuttle pickup from the Los Angeles and San Diego airports and free parking at their facilities. Check hostel websites for most up-to-date bus and public transport schedules, and for walking directions from bus and shuttle stops. — MCT

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Books

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Self-empowerment at the turn of a page D id you know that the self-help publishing industry is worth over $700 million annually? This means that a whole lot of people out there know that they lack something in their lives - and want to set out to change it by helping themselves. A popular joke is that the author of most of these self-help books is the one who’s helped the most and goes laughing to the bank at the end of the day but nonetheless, millions over the world claim that most of these

books have changed their lives for the better and continues to empower them to deal with everyday life. Here is a list of the top 10 books that have made a difference to anybody who has read it.

2. The Purpose-Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?

1. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Rick Warren (2002) The Purpose-Driven Life is a blueprint for Christian living in the 21st century - a lifestyle based on Gods eternal purposes, not cultural values.

Using over 1,200 scriptural quotes and references, it challenges the conventional definitions of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. In the tradition of Oswald Chambers, Rick Warren offers distilled wisdom on the essence of what life is all about. This is a book of hope and challenge that you will read and re-read, and it will be a classic treasured by generations to come.

Stephen Covey (1990) Stephen R. Covey’s incredibly successful book is a pathway to wisdom and power. It offers a revolutionary program to breaking the patterns of self-defeating behavior that keep us from achieving our goals and reaching our fullest potential, and describes how to replace them with a principle-focused approach to problem-solving.

Books 3. The Secret Rhonda Byrne (2006) Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it. In this book, you’ll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life — money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You’ll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that’s within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life.

4. Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - that the Poor and Middle Class Do Not Robert T Kiyosaki (2000) Personal-finance author and lecturer Robert Kiyosaki developed his unique economic perspective through exposure to a pair of disparate influences: his own highly educated but fiscally unstable father, and the multimillionaire eighth-grade dropout father of his closest friend. The lifelong monetary problems experienced by his “poor dad” (whose weekly paychecks, while respectable, were never quite sufficient to meet family needs) pounded home the counterpoint communicated by his “rich dad” (that “the poor and the middle class work for money,” but “the rich have money work for them”).

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Books

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

5. The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate

6. Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in your Work and Life

Gary Chapman (1995) In The Five Love Languages, you will find a couple’s guide to help you work as a team. Before you know it, you’ll learn to speak and understand the unique languages of love and effectively express your love as well as feel truly loved in return.

Spencer Johnson (1998) From one of the world’s acknowledged experts on management comes a charming parable filled with insights designed to help readers manage change quickly and prevail in changing times. Sometimes simple problems require simple answers. In just 96 pages, this humorous story uses simple metaphors and characters to encourage readers to embrace change and to adapt to new situations with an open mind and a motivated spirit.

8. Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring Yourself Melody Beattie (1992) Three years on the New York Times bestseller list, Codependent No More first identified attitudes, feelings, and behaviors now recognized as hallmarks of codependency.

Checklists, activities, and self-tests provide concrete tasks to help readers examine the nuances of codependency in their lives.

7. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment Eckhart Tolle (1999) It’s no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind.

9. Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples Harville Hendrix (1990) Here is an extraordinary practical guide to resolving problems, using 16 exercises to enhance communication, stop self-defeating behavior, and achieve mutual emotional satisfaction. With Hendrix’s advice, the all-too-common marital power struggle can be gradually transformed into a mutually beneficial process of spiritual and emotional growth.

10. The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity - A course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self Julia Cameron (1996) The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life. Still as vital today-or perhaps even more so-than it was when it was first published one decade ago, it is a powerfully provocative and inspiring work.

— www.abebooks.com

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Beauty

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Celebrity inspired makeup looks for 2011

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elebrities are like a goldmine when it comes to beauty and style inspiration! Check out some of the coolest makeup looks adopted by celebrities in 2011 and inspire yourself for your next ravishing makeup look! Celebrities have always been a great source of inspiration when it comes to makeup, fashion as well as hairstyles.

Find the celebrity you can identify yourself with and inspire yourself for your next new look.

The best celebrity inspired makeup looks for 2011 are the ones which maintain between the boundaries set by makeup artists for the new year as well as the makeup looks which suit the wearer perfectly.

Adapting the makeup to suit your facial features as well as skin tone is a must if you wish to look absolutely dazzling and the great news is that there are so many gorgeous makeup products available which can make the best of your skin, it’s amazing.

To ensure that makeup is truly your best friend you need to ensure that the celebrity inspired makeup look for 2011 suit your age, skin tone as well as the

new trends perfectly.

Kim Kardashian has always appeared in public looking fabulous regardless of the occasion, so she is a perfect muse to consider. Kim’s makeup has always leaned toward glamorous and super-feminine - if this style suits you, go bold with your makeup just like her. Because naturalness is the new must in 2011 when it comes to makeup, Kim selected for red carpet event a fabulous glam makeup which still maintains itself within the “in trend” boundaries. Her makeup is based on enhancing her eyes and bone structure without going to extremes. Foundation is a must if you wish to create a flawless looking base, so go for a shade that matches your skin tone perfectly.

Apply a lovely plum/brown eyeshadow to the eyelids and add drama to your eyes with false lashes.

Define your cheeks with a touch of bronzer blush for a lovely glow and keep your lips luscious using a nude colored lipstick or lipgloss. Carrie Underwood is a definite example of natural beauty and she is a perfect source of inspiration for girls and women of all ages. This look is fresh and perfect for day as well as evening wear, due to the subtle accents that bring out just the right facial features. If you’re all about natural beauty, take Carrie’s example and go mini-

mal. Create a flawless looking complexion using foundation and translucent or matte powder.

Apply a touch of blush to the apples of your cheeks, define subtly the eyes using an eyeliner pencil. Emphasize the length of your eyelashes using a black colored mascara. Complete your gorgeous makeup look with a coral lip gloss and you’ll definitely look adorable.

Lala’s 2011 Critic’s Choice Awards makeup choice put her in the spotlight as nothing can compare to a vintage glam makeup at an appropriate formal event. This type of makeup places a little bit of accent on the best facial features such as cheeks, eyes as well as lips. The cheekbones are well defined using a bronze blush, while the eyes are given a more depth through the use of soft shimmery eyeshadow. A lovely shimmery pink lip gloss finish off her look.

Sheer beauty has been Keri Hilson’s makeup choice at the 2011 Critic’s Choice Awards and we absolutely love her look. This makeup is a perfect match for day as well as evening occasions in which you want to subtly stand out but through natural beauty. The subtle, glowing look created using illuminating makeup products gives Keri a fresh, youthful look so if you love radiant skin, this makeup style is perfect for you. Create a flawless looking complexion using illuminating foundation and give your cheeks that healthy flush with a soft pink shimmery blush.

Bring out the eyes using a liquid black eyeliner and mascara. Keep the lips soft with pink nude lipstick. www.make-up.becomegorgeous.com

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Beauty

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

S

o the invitation has arrived, it may be the social event of the decade, or a fancy night out with your partner, not only will you need the perfect dress but you will need the perfect hairstyle. For a truly elegant look an updo is just what you are looking for. Updos are the perfect accompaniment for any evening dress and can be created from chin length to long hair.

One of the traditional updos which has been the mainstay of women for decades is the classic look. Using freshly washed hair which has been tightly curled begin at the crown and begin lightly teasing your hair near the roots. Work towards the front of your hair, creating body as you go. Take a small section giving a light twist which is then secured with a bobby pin allowing a short curl at the end.

Apply this action to the remaining hair. Small flowers or beads can be added throughout to decorate the style.

If you don’t have time to curl your hair sexy updos are still achievable. Part your hair on one side and brush smooth. Starting from the top begin loosely pulling your hair towards the back in loops. Secure each loop with a bobby pin. Work your way down until all of your hair is gently looped and pinned. You can either twist and pin the hair at the back or use a stylish butterfly clip to hold the hair in place.

Whether you want to have a lazy day beside the pool, show the office what you are made of or attend your best friend’s wedding, hairstyles with braids may be the perfect look for you. Forget the two straight lines from your playground days; braids have become the hassle free, classical look turning heads from the red carpet to the sports field. With a little experimentation there is a hairstyle with braids for you. For a relaxed, comfortable look with a difference, hairstyles with braids can be achieved quickly by adding a few small braids into the front of your everyday hairstyle. Start with an off centre zigzag part; on the broadest side separate two or three small sections of hair, approximately the width of one finger.

Braid each of these sections then loosely tuck them under your hair towards the back and secure with a few hidden bobby pins.

For a more elegant hairstyle with braids an adaption of the classic French braid can create a sophisticated style for any formal occasions. Create a small ponytail at the point you wish the braid to start. Begin braiding left to right adding a small amount of hair each time.

Pull the braid towards the back of the head and secure temporarily with a bobby pin.

Begin another braid either on the opposite side for a symmetrical look or lower down on the same side for a more modern hairstyle.

Gather the remaining hair into a bun; make sure you hide the ends of the braids beneath.

Secure the braids and bun with bobby pins.

Now you have a classical hairstyle with braids that complements any evening dress.

For those of you looking for a comfortable way to keep you hair off your face during a sporting match or at the gym there is another hairstyle with braids you can try. Part your hair down the middle using either a straight or zigzag part. Quickly braid each section towards the back and secure the ends into a pony tail. This style easily allows you to wear a hat while securing those small tendrils of hair which escape a regular ponytail during physical exercise. Not only will you feel great playing sport, you will look great too! Therefore no matter what your activity, a hairstyle with braids will give you the versatility you need to

create an individual style. Experiment with your hair type; shorter hair will complement up-styles while longer hair can be curled into classical styles which complement any occasion.

A very simple and easy updo is the Bohemian style. Updos like these are achieved quickly and do not require any extensive preparation. Use either a straight or zigzag part to divide your hair into two sides.

Starting on one side you need to separate two pieces of hair at the top, twist the hair together adding small amounts of the loose hair each twist. This is similar to how you would braid your hair. When all the hair on one side is incorporated secure the twist with a hair tie. Complete the same twist on the other side. The next step is to pull one twist around the back of your head and secure under the opposite twist. Repeat again with the other side. Add more bobby pins along the twist where needed to hold in place.

Updos range from the elaborate to the simple, all complimenting your evening wear. No matter what style you are looking for with a little practice you will easily be able to create the perfect look for your occasion.

All it takes is a few tricks to look like a queen

Ponytail Hairstyles - Not Just a Bad Hair Day We are all guilty of it, whether it is a bad hair day or we ran out of time trying to get the kids ready in the morning. We grab a hair tie and are done; a boring, but easy ponytail hairstyle. With a minute or two of extra effort you can convert your basic ponytail hairstyle into a beautiful and elegant look you can feel good about all day long. For anyone lucky enough to have naturally curly hair, a ponytail hairstyle which looks fantastic is easily achieved. After combing off your face, pull your hair to one side, secure low with a hair tie. Add a few pins to the other side to help the hair stay in place and you are done. For the rest of us we may need the aid of a curling wand and hairspray to help us achieve this beautifully flowing hairstyle. Curl your hair loosely, secure to the side as discussed above and cover in a light mist of hairspray to hold the look in place. This style is casual enough to wear every day and adds a little bit of elegance to your look.

For straight hair a sophisticated ponytail hairstyle to try is the sleek look. Dry your hair completely smooth, you may need to use a flat iron to help with the process. Comb your hair backwards and secure high on your crown with a hair tie. Spray liberally with hairspray to control any flyaway hairs you may have. For an added element of sleekness, separate a small section of hair from underneath your pony tail and wrap around the hair tie a few times. Secure the end underneath with a hidden bobby pin. This look is beautiful for a night out and will compliment any little black dress.

For a ponytail hairstyle with more body, a little bit of teasing is in order. Run your fingers up from your ears on both sides; hold this section of hair in one hand and with the other tease from the roots up. Apply hairspray to the teased section to hold the body. Let go of the hair and use a comb to gently pull your hair back into a high ponytail. This ponytail hairstyle adds a twist to your everyday look.

No matter what the occasion, or how much time you have, it is no longer necessary to resort to the same look every day. Your ponytail hairstyle can be altered quickly and easily to give you a versatile style which compliments your day and night life. www.hairstylesezine.com

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Spotlight

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Lesser known obyn is the kind of pop singer whose talents are so obvious to her devotees that her failure to command a huge following in America - as yet, anyway - can be a cause for moral outrage. There are grave injustices in the world, and one of them, it seems, is that the 31-year-old Swedish singer born Robyn Carlsson is not as popular as, say, Katy Perry or Lady Gaga, both of whom she is so obviously better than. The high dudgeon inspired by this pop-cultural inequity was summed up nicely in a headline from Entertainment Weekly last month that read: “Robyn Is Totally Amazing: So Why Isn’t She a Superstar?” It’s not an outrageous question because Robyn is, in fact, quite often amazing. Songs that live up to that superlative include a number of smart, mildly subversive dance-pop confections, including “Fembot,” “Dancing on My Own,” “Dancehall Queen” and the Snoop Dogg collaboration “U Should Know Better,” all of which were on last year’s confusing “Body Talk” project. The tripartite release involved two EPs and one full-length album that contained some of the songs from the EPs, plus other material.

Entertainment Weekly overstated the case in describing Robyn as “virtually unknown in the US.” The Stockholm native not only had a pair of international hits in the late ‘90s - “Show Me Love,” and “Do You Know (What It Takes).” She also performed last year on the taste-making TV soap “Gossip Girl,” and “Dancing on My Own” was nominated for the Grammy for best dance recording.

But it’s true that “Body Talk” has failed to break out big time. And that is despite uniformly positive reviews and a surefire strategy that mixes contemporary R&B grooves with the infectious tunes that Sweden has been producing as steadily as Volvos and affordable build-your-own furniture since Abba’s 1970s heyday. That’s a state of affairs that Robyn is not particularly happy about, though not too distraught over, either. “I wish my songs were being played on the radio,” she said last week from Quebec, on a stop on a snowy North American tour that she said “feels like home.”

“It’s pop music,” she adds, underscoring the obvious. But the petite blonde who’s so big in her native country that she’s played the Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony twice is also patient when it comes to building an American audience around such clever, smack-talking ear-grabbers as her Wu-Tang Clan-referencing 2005 should-have-been-a-hit “Konichiwa B*****s.” “And I know my label is trying really hard to get my songs played on the radio. But I’ve chosen to tour instead.

I’m concentrating on that because I think that’s a better way to build a following for the long term.”

Robyn’s parents were both actors in a traveling alternative theater group. When she was 9, she made her acting debut in a production directed by Peter Stormare, the actor friend of her parents who played the murderer who fed partner in crime Steve Buscemi’s body into a wood-chipper in the movie “Fargo.”

As a girl, she loved the 1980s dancepop acts whose influence can still be heard on her music, such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, David Bowie, Prince, and especially, Swedish rapper-songwriter Neneh Cherry, who she describes as “the Swedish Singer Robyn coolest.” By the time she was 12, she had Carlsson performs at the VIP Room in Paris, France. —MCT recorded the theme song for a Swedish TV show.

When she was 16 she was signed to RCA, and working with the hit-makers Max Martin and Denniz Pop. The follow-up albums to her successful 1995 debut “Robyn Is Here” were never issued in the States, however.

Robyn says that she never went through any great trauma as she tried to transition from teen to adult artist. “My parents were never pushing me so hard to be a singer. I always did it because I wanted to.”

But as she tried to take control of her music, she found herself butting heads with her record label over the direction of her music. She formed her own Konichiwa label in 2005, which put out her album “Robyn,” and moved more toward electro-pop. She has continued to have success in her own country - she won four awards at the Swedish Grammy awards last month. And she was featured last year in a sketch on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” in which Wyatt Cenac was appalled to find that the biggest pop star in Sweden was dutifully amassing recycling at her modest, no-bling Stockholm apartment.

“Swedish pop stars live like our reality stars!” he cried out in horror.

Robyn will play select dates opening for Katy Perry’s American tour.

In a crowded field of female artists with outsized personalities making skin-baring, fashion-forward statements - Perry, Gaga and Rihanna, among them - Robyn is the non-sex kitten, making smart, savvy music that is irresistibly catchy but never merely crowd-pleasing. “I’m always dancing on my own,” she sings, off to the side rather than the life of the party, on the most overt bid for a pop hit on “Body Talk.” “I’m always going to feel like this person on the outside looking in,” she told the website Popjustice last year. It’s that slightly off-center perspective that makes her music compelling. “It’s easy to find a cool indie rock band,” she says, pinpointing her uncommon niche in the pop music landscape.

“And it’s easy to find an Ibiza-style European dance act. It’s not as easy to find something that’s in between.” — MCT

R

Lady Gaga

A Swedish star, so dim in our celebrity skies, yet so deserving

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Years

Arts

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

The irony of creating art from steel

S

ubodh Gupta is often the subject of conversation these days. A little more than two years have passed and Subodh Gupta is bigger than any other practicing, contemporary artist from India. I often wonder if Gupta achieved this success because he associated with the right network of institutional and individual power players in the industry.

Often I find that Gupta’s works have gained publicity less through critical analysis, and more because of record prices they have earned at auction, or because he has Western galleries that represent him, rather than niche galleries focusing on Indian art. I wonder about this because high auction records alone don’t make a work of art or an artist brilliant. And Western gallery representation is possibly a smart career move.

But moving beyond the politics of managing one’s artistic career, I want to look at the works themselves, in part to bring the discussion of Gupta back to the art, rather than the money. I do think that there are layers to the work that grow from the often quoted, and now trite association, to the UrbanRural dichotomy and the relationship of it to Gupta’s own meager beginnings. Those layers speak of Beauty - Beauty that can be looked upon as an antithesis to the idea of disparities between the different sections of Indian society, or as a mere objectification of the ordinary.

To begin with, we need to address the almost-immediate association that people make between Gupta’s use of utensils and the Duchampian idea of the found object. What most people seem to forget when they bring up this comparison is that Duchamp was not interested in the idea of the found object as a work of art. He didn’t intend for it to be ‘art’ but was instead presenting an irony of what is perceived and accepted (or not accepted) as being worthy of the tag ‘art object’. When Duchamp submitted the urinal titled The Fountain for a show organized by the Society of Independent Artists in 1917, he was actually critiquing the whole notion of the venture.

This was because the organization, of which Duchamp himself was a board member, claimed that it was a venue through which anyone could show works because there were no juries and no rejections. When Duchamp under anonymity submitted The Fountain, it was rejected. Duchamp made his point and art history took a drastic turn towards uncharted paths of debate on what constituted the idea of ‘art’. The context in which The Fountain is now perceived goes completely against what the artist intended. The everyday object that was by no means considered to be an object of Beauty, even in today’s context, and was put in as a work of art because of the inherent irony of it all, would now be worth millions both literally and art historically. And it is the art historical significance I am concerned with.

When Gupta uses the everyday object (utensils) it is with the full intention and knowledge of the fact that these objects are undergoing a transition from the everyday to that of objectified Beauty. Therefore, it is not a representation of the Duchampian idea of the found object, but rather a negation of it. It is not meant to challenge the idea of what constitutes art, and it is not a critique of art or the art world. It is an intentional act in which Gupta transforms the objects original function/meaning/intent so that he can call atten-

tion to the notions of idealized Beauty especially within the cultural norms of Indian society. The viewer is presented with an idea of Beauty, evident in what has now become an object of art, and will now be contemplated as such.

It is Beauty that becomes pertinent to the understanding of Gupta’s works. Louise Bourgeois said about Beauty, “Beauty is a series of experiences and a mystified expression of our own emotion.” Beauty has been the center of debate for artists and critics alike since the turn of the 20th century. Beauty was seen as being frivolous post- 1960’s, partially in reaction to the idealism of the early 20th century. When I look at Beauty in today’s context, I think it is far more capricious at this point in Mankind’s history than ever before. To understand how that idea functions in Gupta’s works, one must first understand it within the context of where he comes from and then how it relates to his practice globally.

to make the viewer notice how he (the artist), has violated the perfect, carefully painted surfaces that mimic the shine of unused vessels.

Yes, it is the new unused object that Gupta glorifies in all its grandeur through large paintings or installations, before the dirt and grime of usage can take that glimmer away. Before the Beauty of it fades in the eye of the beholder.

Gupta pushes this deliberate idea of beauty and perfection in society projected again and again by his repetitive placement of multiple objects. In doing so he transforms the ordinary into something more fantastic - an art object. The repetition of objects emphasizes the constant bombardment of the media as it seeks to market products day in and day out. It is a massive, symmetrical, gigantism of perfection with the shiny untainted coolness of steel utensils. It’s almost teetering on the lines of an overkill of flawlessness, that might leave you feeling disgusted if you see too much of it.

The work also takes a jab at the debate of whether Indian art needs to be more local (have conspicuous cultural references) or global (universal resonance) in its language. It feeds into the need for the Indianness that is argued against, but is unreservedly a part of Gupta’s art because of where he comes from. And this points to the fact that be it Western or Indian societal conditioning, the works give rise to very similar, one-layered interpretations at first (Remember my own reaction being very literal.). And in doing so, it mocks the viewer for being so superficial just as he/she might be functioning within the scheme of society making judgments of others and the self. That surface-level interaction most people have with art, wherein they look at the work and instinctively decide if it’s beautiful or not and to what degree, before making any other association is immediate in Gupta’s case. Perhaps the artist wants to stop at just that. Or perhaps he wants us to challenge our own ideas rather than his. www.whitewallmag.com

Today Beauty is directly associated with the good things in life - that’s how it is marketed. The idea of Beauty within the context of contemporary India is very important. There are inherent biases in the idea of Beauty and might I add ‘coolness’ as perceived and projected in India. They range from the now infamous Fair and Lovely Ad’s that spring from the notion that you have to be fair to be considered a beautiful woman worthy of a man’s attention, to the notion that you are ‘cool’ (another facet of Beauty) if you flaunt the latest branded accessories to college or are in a ‘live in’ relationship at twenty.

Gupta’s work is an expression of such definitions of perfection and Beauty, first at a visceral level, before he digs a little deeper. His steel wall sculptures and stand alone pieces are an expression of clean, defined, ‘stain-less’ precision. Even his recent canvases have dabs and streaks of paint slapped across the surface as if

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

42

Children code-crAcKer

connect the dots

spot the difference

43

Children

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

The Little Mermaid nce upon a time, in a splendid palace on the bed of the bluest ocean, lived the Sea King, a wise old triton with a long flowing white beard. He lived in a magnificent palace, built of gaily colored coral and seashells, together with his five daughters, very beautiful mermaids. Sirenetta, the youngest and loveliest of them all, also had a beautiful voice, and when she sang, the fishes flocked from all over the sea to listen to her. The shells gaped wide, showing their pearls and even the jellyfish stopped to listen.

The young mermaid often sang, and each time, she would gaze upwards, seeking the faint sunlight that scarcely managed to filter down into the depths. "Oh, how I'd love to go up there and at last see the sky, which everyone says is so pretty, and hear the voices of humans and smell the scent of the flowers!"

"You're still too young!" said her mother. "In a year or two, when you're fifteen.

Only then will the King let you go up there, like your sisters!" Sirenetta spent her time wishing for the world of humans, she listened to her sisters' stories, and every time they returned from the surface, she would ask them questions, to satisfy her curiosity.

And as she waited for the day when she too would be allowed to reach the surface of the sea and meet the unknown world, Sirenetta spent her time in her wonderful sea garden. At last, her long-desired birthday came. The night before, Sirenetta could not sleep a wink. In the morning, her father called her and, stroking her long golden hair, slipped a lovely carved flower into her locks.

"There, now you can go to the surface.

You'll breathe air and see the sky. But remember! It's not our world! We can only watch it and admire! We're children of the sea and have no soul, as men do. Be careful and keep away from them; they can only bring bad luck!" In a second, Sirenetta had kissed her father and was darting smoothly towards the surface of the sea.

She swam so fast with flicks of her slender tail, that even the fish could not keep up with her. Suddenly she popped out of the water. For the first time, she saw the great blue sky, in which as dusk began to fall, the first stars were peeping out and twinkling.

The sun, already over the horizon, trailed a golden reflection that gently faded on the heaving waves. High overhead, a flock of gulls spotted the little mermaid and greeted her arrival with shrieks of pleasure.

"It's so lovely!" she exclaimed happily.

But another nice surprise was in store for her: a ship was slowly sailing towards the rock on which Sirenetta was sitting. The sailors dropped anchor and the ship swayed gently in the calm sea. Sirenetta watched the men go about their work aboard, lighting the lanterns for the night.

She could clearly hear their voices. "I'd love to speak to them!" she said to herself. But then she gazed sadly at her long flexible tail, her equivalent of legs, and said to herself: "I can never be like them!" Aboard ship, a strange excitement seemed to seize the crew, and a little later, the sky became a spray of many colored lights and the crackle of fireworks filled the sky.

"Long live the captain! Hurray for his

O

20th birthday. Hurray! Hurray . . . many happy returns!" Astonished at all this, the little mermaid caught sight of the young man in whose honour the display was being held. Tall and dignified, he was smiling happily, and Sirenetta could not take her eyes from him. She followed his every movement, fascinated by all that was happening. The party went on, but the sea grew more agitated. Sirenetta anxiously realized that the men were now in danger: an icy wind was sweeping the waves, the ink black sky was torn by flashes of lightning, then a terrible storm broke suddenly over the helpless ship. In vain Sirenetta

lapped by the rippling water, trying to warm the young captain with her own body. Then the sound of approaching voices startled Sirenetta and she slipped back into deeper water. From the sea Sirenetta watched the man she had snatched from the waves turn towards the castle, without knowing that a mermaid had saved his life. Slowly swimming out to sea, Sirenetta felt that there on the beach she had left behind something she could never bring herself to forget. How wonderful those tremendous hours in the storm had been, as she had battled with the elements. And as she swam down towards

give me your lovely voice. You'll never be able to utter a word again! And don't forget! If the man you love marries someone else, you will not be able to turn into a mermaid again. You will just dissolve in water like the foam on the wave!" "All right!" said Sirenetta, eagerly taking the little jar holding the magic potion. The Witch had told Sirenetta that the young captain was actually a prince, and the mermaid left the water at a spot not far from the castle. She pulled herself onto the beach, then drank the magic potion. An agonizing pain made her faint, and when she came to her senses, she could mistily see the face she

screamed: "Look out! Beware of the sea . . ."

But the howling wind carried her words away, and the rising waves swept over the ship. Amidst the sailors' shouts, masts and sails toppled onto the deck, and with a sinister splintering sound, the ship sank.

By the light of one of the oil lamps Sirenetta had seen the young captain fall into the water, and she swam to his rescue.

But she could not find him in the high waves and, tired out, was about to give up, when suddenly there he was on the crest of a nearby wave. In an instant, he was swept straight into the mermaids arms.

The young man was unconscious and the mermaid held his head above water in the stormy sea, in an effort to save his life. She clung to him for hours trying to fight the tiredness that was overtaking her.

Then, as suddenly as it had sprung up, the storm died away. ln a grey dawn over a still angry sea, Sirenetta realized thankfully that land lay ahead. Aided by the motion of the waves, she pushed the captain's body onto the shore, beyond the water's edge. Unable herself to walk, the mermaid sat wringing her hands, her tail

her father's palace, her sisters came to meet her, anxious to know what had kept her so long on the surface. Sirenetta started to tell her story, but suddenly a lump came to her throat and, bursting into tears, she fled to her room. She stayed there for days, refusing to see anyone or to touch food. She knew that her love for the young captain was without hope, for she was a mermaid and could never marry a human.

Only the Witch of the Deeps could help her. But what price would she have to pay?

Sirenetta decided to ask the Witch. ". . . so you want to get rid of your fishy tail, do you? I expect you'd like to have a pair of woman's legs, isn't that so?" said the nasty Witch scornfully, from her cave guarded by a giant squid.

"Be warned!" she went on. "You will suffer horribly, as though a sword were cutting you apart. And every time you place your feet on the earth, you will feel dreadful pain!" "It doesn't matter!" whispered Sirenetta, with tears in her eyes. "As long as I can go back to him!"

"And that's not all!" exclaimed the Witch. "In exchange for my spell, you must

loved, smiling down at her.

The witch's magic had worked the spell, for the prince had felt a strange desire to go down to the beach, just as Sirenetta was arriving. There he had stumbled on her, and recalling how he too had once been washed up on the shore, gently laid his cloak over the still body, cast up by the waves. "Don't be frightened!" he said quickly. "You're quite safe! Where have you come from?" But Sirenetta was now dumb and could not reply, so the young man softly stroked her wet cheek.

"I'll take you to the castle and look after you," he said. In the days that followed, the mermaid started a new life. She wore splendid dresses and often went out on horseback with the prince. One evening, she was invited to a great ball at Court.

However, as the Witch had foretold, every movement and each step she took was torture. Sirenetta bravely put up with her suffering, glad to be allowed to stay near her beloved prince. And though she could not speak to him, he was fond of her and showered kindness on her, to her great joy. However, the young man's heart really

belonged to the unknown lady he had seen as he lay on the shore, though he had never met her since, for she had returned at once to her own land.

Even when he was in the company of Sirenetta, fond of her as he was, the unknown lady was always in his thoughts.

And the little mermaid, guessing instinctively that she was not his true love, suffered even more. From the Castle ramparts one day, a huge ship was sighted sailing into the harbour. Together with Sirenetta, the prince went down to meet it.

And who stepped from the vessel, but the unknown lady who had been for long in the prince's heart. When he saw her, he rushed to greet her. Sirenetta felt herself turn to stone and a painful feeling pierced her heart: she was about to lose the prince for ever. The unknown lady too had never forgotten the young man she had found on the beach and soon after, he asked her to marry him. Since she too was in love, she happily said "yes".

A few days after the wedding, the happy couple were invited for a voyage on the huge ship, which was still in the harbor.

Sirenetta too went on board, and the ship set sail. Night fell, and sick at heart over the loss of the prince, Sirenetta went on deck. She remembered the Witch's prophecy, and was now ready to give up her life and dissolve in the sea. Suddenly she heard a cry from the water and dimly saw her sisters in the darkness. "Sirenetta!

Sirenetta! It's us, your sisters! We've heard all about what happened! Look! Do you see this knife? It's magic! The Witch gave it to us in exchange for our hair. Take it! Kill the prince before dawn, and you will become a mermaid again and forget all your troubles!" As though in a trance, Sirenetta clasped the knife and entered the cabin where the prince and his bride lay asleep. But as she gazed at the young man's sleeping face, she simply blew him a furtive kiss, before running back on deck.

When dawn broke, she threw the knife into the sea. Then she shot a parting glance at the world she was leaving behind, and dived into the waves, ready to turn into the foam of the sea from whence she had come, and vanish. As the sun rose over the horizon, it cast a long golden ray of light across the sea, and in the chilly water, Sirenetta turned towards it for the last time. Suddenly, as though by magic, a mysterious force drew her out of the water, and she felt herself lifted high into the sky.

The clouds were tinged with pink, the sea rippled in the early morning breeze, and the little mermaid heard a whisper through the tinkling of bells: "Sirenetta, Sirenetta!

Come with us..." "Who are you?" asked the mermaid, surprised to find she had recovered the use of her voice. "Where am l?"

"You're with us in the sky. We're the fairies of the air! We have no soul as men do, but our task is to help them. We take amongst us only those who have shown kindness to men!" Greatly touched, Sirenetta looked down over the sea towards the prince's ship, and felt tears spring to her eyes. The fairies of the air whispered to her: "Look!

The earth flowers are waiting for our tears to turn into the morning dew! Come along with us.

Comic

C R O S S W O R D

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

ACROSS 1. Lacking in light.

4. Foul with waste matter.

10. An international organization based in Geneva that monitors and enforces rules governing global trade.

13. Fiddler crabs.

14. Wool of the alpaca.

15. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

16. Lighter consisting of a thin piece of wood or cardboard tipped with combustible chemical.

18. A former copper coin of Pakistan.

19. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

20. The boarding that surrounds an ice hockey rink.

22. Small genus of dioecious tropical aquatic plants.

24. (Sumerian) Goddess personifying earth.

25. Any place of complete bliss and delight and peace.

26. Patterned by having color applied with sweeping strokes.

30. Dry red table wine from the Rioja region of northern Spain.

34. The shape of a bell.

36. Lacking or deprive of the sense of hearing wholly or in part.

37. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

38. The 10th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

39. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

41. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

42. One-thousandth of an equivalent.

44. (folklore) A corpse that rises at night to drink the blood of the living.

47. Large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerine and grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin.

50. Obvious and dull.

54. Someone who copies the words or behavior of another.

56. Relating to or characteristic of or occurring in the air.

58. A Hindu prince or king in India.

59. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

60. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

63. Of or relating to or characteristic of Thailand of its people.

64. A complex red organic pigment containing iron and other atoms to which oxygen binds.

66. God of war and sky.

67. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

68. A group of Plains Indians formerly living in what is now North and South Dakota and Nebraska and Kansas and Arkansas and Louisiana and Oklahoma and Texas.

69. An associate degree in applied science.

DOWN 1. Slow to learn or understand.

2. The United Nations agency concerned with civil aviation.

3. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

4. King of Saudi Arabia since 1982 (born in 1922).

5. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

6. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

7. Airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc..

8. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.

9. (South African) A camp defended by a circular formation of wagons.

10. Impairment resulting from long use.

11. A sock with a separation for the big toe.

12. Predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin.

17. Tender and brittle.

21. Rise or heave upward under the influence of a natural force, as on a wave.

23. A town in north central Oklahoma.

27. A cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment).

28. 10 hao equal 1 dong.

29. Tropical woody herb with showy yellow flowers and flat pods.

31. An unabridged dictionary constructed on historical principles.

32. Immense East Indian fruit resembling breadfruit of.

33. A federation of North American labor unions that merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955.

35. A barrier constructed to contain the flow or water or to keep out the sea.

40. Top part of an apron.

43. The French-speaking capital of the province of Quebec.

45. Filled with fear or apprehension.

46. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

48. Pasture grass of plains of South America and western North America.

49. A state in midwestern United States.

51. Italian chemist noted for work on polymers (1903-1979).

52. A genus of Platalea.

53. (Greek mythology) King of Thebes who was unwittingly killed by his son Oedipus.

55. A deep prolonged sound (as of thunder or large bells).

57. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy.

61. (usually followed by `of') Released from something onerous (especially an obligation or duty).

62. The capital and largest city of Japan.

65. A crystalline metallic element not found in nature.

Yesterday’s Solution

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

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astry chef Jean-Luc Albin certainly can turn out a delicious traditional king cake-one with a premium brioche dough, rich with butter and eggs. But these days it’s his inspired variations on that classic that

File photo shows Mardi Gras King Cakes. he’s most passionate about. His Bourbon Street king cake, for example, with chocolate custard, bourbon and toasted pecans. Or there is his General Foster king cake with a banana’s Foster-type filling; the Woodlawn Plantation, with praline cream and Southern Comfort; or even the Pontchartrain, filled with Bavarian cream custard, sliced strawberries, almonds and whipped cream.

“Every year I do something a little different, some-

thing new,” Albin says. “It makes things interesting.”

Interesting, and perhaps unrecognizable to those first French settlers who brought the annual Mardi Gras celebration-as well as its king cake-to Louisiana 300 years ago. Traditional versions are a simple circle of buttery dough spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with a sugar icing. And while those still represent the dominant king cake, each year sees more variations as bakers pump them full of fruits, cheeses, chocolate and other flavors.

“The filled king cake trend started in the 1970s,” says Liz Williams, president of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans. “People wanted things that were sweeter and sweeter, and bakers wanted to be different. Before that king cakes looked the same and were pretty much the same.” These days, at least two dozen flavors and fillings are readily available.

In addition to most fruits, you also can get such exotic flavors as praline, cream cheese and almond paste.

At Navarre’s Famous King Cakes in Springfield, Louisiana, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of New Orleans, Earnie Navarre has even introduced a sweet potato praline king cake. “A friend of mine is a big fan of sweet potatoes, and he asked me to make a king cake with them for him,” Navarre said. “It’s a lot like a sweet potato casserole, with brown sugar and pecans.”

Rhonda Ruckman, pastry chef for the Donald Link restaurants and retail shop Butcher, was eager to experiment with some new flavors, after having been away from the city-and Mardi Gras-for several years. “I’m definitely doing the classic cake, but I wanted to try some new things,” Ruckman said. “I’m making a chocolate creme cake with a wonderful brioche dough, a layer of sour cream, devil food crumbs and chocolate chips.”

For most bakeries the cream cheese cakes, or a combination of cream cheese and fruit, is the most popular of the king cakes. With strawberry fillings close behind.

At Randazzo’s King Cakes, customers lined up by the hundreds to get their king cakes on Jan. 6 (or Twelfth Night), the traditional opening of the Carnival season.

File photo shows pastry chef Jean-Luc Albin as he shows off some of his Mardi Gras King Cake creations.—AP Randazzo’s offers a half-dozen flavors, it’s royal king cake, which is quartered off with cream cheese, apple, lemon and strawberry fillings in each section, and even a fleur-de-licious king cake, with black and gold icing in a nod to the “Who Dat” Saints fans. Manny Randazzo, the second generation to operate the bakery, says the new flavors may have their fans, but at his bakeries the traditional king cake remains the big seller. “It can get pretty crazy with all the fills, the double fills, the flavors,” Randazzo said. “But still 75 percent of our sales are still the traditional cake. People who say it’s dry or not flavorful enough have not had one with a rich brioche and the hint of cinnamon. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser.”—AP

Pampered songbirds vie for fame in Indonesia

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n a grassy field on the outskirts of Jakarta a young bird trainer is crouched beside an ornate cage, carefully spraying a fine mist of water over a canary called Samurai. The yellow songbird is being pampered as it waits to do battle in a bird singing contest-a popular hobby in Indonesia which is now a multi-million dollar industry with professional trainers, bird brokers and wealthy enthusiasts willing to pay thousands of dollars for prize-winning performers. When the call-up comes, Samurai’s trainer carries its cage into the small outdoor arena and gently hangs it alongside more than 40 other cages containing chirping canaries.

As the contest gets underway, the men who have placed their birds in the arena begin to shout and whistle from behind a perimeter fence. They clap their hands, wag their fingers and wave their arms up and down. It looks like a scene from the trading floor of a stock exchange, where brokers use frantic hand signals to buy and sell. But this peculiar behavior is designed to get the attention of the birds, which are trained to respond with continuous song. “Every contest venue is unique,” says Indonesian Association for Bird Conservation secretary Binsar. “In some places people quietly listen to the birds while drinking tea. But in others, spectators are screaming. It’s like listening to Metallica. It’s crazy.”

While the shouting makes it almost impossible for spectators to hear the songs of individual birds, six judges are stationed directly beneath the dangling cages, tuning into the chirps, whistles and tweets. After 20 minutes of competition, the judges confer and place a flag under the bird with the loudest and most interesting repertoire. Two men in the crowd high-five each other and go to collect their $200 prize. Samurai’s trainer shakes his head, dismayed the judges did not declare his bird the winner. The bird singing industry contributes more than $80 million per year to Indonesia’s economy through the sale of birds, the manufacture of cages and the production of live food like worms and crickets, according to a study conducted in 2006 by Oxford University and Birds Indonesia.

The study estimated almost a million songbirds are kept in cap-

tivity in the country, with about 75,000 people actively involved in bird singing competitions. Over the past decade, a number of birds have attained legendary status for their unique and dazzling performances. The most notable was a champion orange-headed thrush called Zemorana, which would “shake like an earthquake” during its repertoire. It was eventually sold by its owner for $30,000.

Bird singing enthusiasts go to great lengths to achieve success at competitions. Duta Ong, for example, has three full-time staff to clean, feed and train his flock of songbirds.

“You try to prepare the birds as much as you can,” the wealthy telecommunications executive says. “But still, they are living things.

Sometimes the performance is good, sometimes the performance is bad.” The 43-year-old started to collect birds about 10 years ago, when he longed for the sounds of nature he recalled as a child growing up in a rural Javanese village. Birdsong is rarely heard in the traffic-choked capital Jakarta. “You miss that situation where in the morning you can hear the birds singing, so you try to start by collecting birds,” he said. “I just collected one by one, and then suddenly, last time I counted, I had 130.”

For Ong, the thrill of the contest and the prestige of victory outweighs any financial motivation. “Sometimes when my birds are in peak condition, a lot of rich men try to buy them from me.

Sometimes they offer $20,000 but I say no. I am not trying to get money from this.” Only a handful of the 10 species used in contests are bred in captivity. The rest are caught in the wild as chicks. In recent years, conservation groups have tried to curb this threat by organizing contests exclusively for birds bred in captivity. The entry fee is cheaper and the prize money greater than in non-controlled events. “The objective is to reduce pressure to the natural bird population.” Indonesian Association for Bird Conservation chairman Dr Made Prana says. — AFP

Photo shows Indonesian telecom executive and bird enthusiast Duta Ong watches his pentet singing bird (scientifiic name: Lanius schach) before a competition in Tangerang outside Jakarta. — AFP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Italian singer and TV host Gianni Morandi performs with US actor Andy Garcia and Italian model Elisabetta Canalis on the stage of the Ariston Theatre in Sanremo, during the 60th Italian Music Festival on Wednesday.

—AFP

Ugandan president says may release rap album

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resident Yoweri Museveni says he might release an album after a rap he performed became a smash hit on Uganda’s radio stations and in its nightclubs. “I was very happy with the reaction of the youth because that means they are very thirsty for the music of their ancestors,” the 67-year-old told a news conference before elections tomorrow. “So after the election you may get quite a big album of the classics.” The leader, nicknamed “M7”, performed two children’s folk chants from his birthplace in Western Uganda at several election rallies over the last few months”Naatema akati” (I cut a stick) and “Mp’enkoni” (Give me the stick). Record producers then mixed the performances with hip-hop beats and audio of Museveni talking to the crowd about a genre of music that he said was new to him. “Today these

young people taught me about this ‘rap’. I was not following what they were saying.

Well, I can even give you some rap myself,” he says, before launching into a rhythmic rendition of the chants in his distinctive gravelly voice. The song was titled, “You want another rap?” after a question Museveni shouted to crowds of young people and quickly appeared for sale in Kampala. “Those poems which I gave to the youth are classical poems they were being recited before colonialism,” Museveni told reporters. “There are quite a number of other songs and recitals which I will make available to them.” Ruling party officials were pleased with the popularity of the song before the poll but issued warnings to some newspapers after they published doctored photographs of a topless Museveni with a muscled and heavily tattooed torso.—Reuters

Review: Stryper’s cover album a heavenly delight

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o this is what heaven is like for shred- reverential. The band adds its trademark layheads - wall-to-wall 1970s and ‘80s ered vocal and guitar harmonies to each headbanging track, but sticks faithfully to anthems, all turned up to the original arrangements, 11, played by one of the infusing each with the Stryper most talented and inspirasound and style while showtional bands of the hairing proper respect to the origmetal era. On “The inals. The best of the bunch is Covering,” Stryper sets an absolutely molten rendiscripture aside for a bit in tion of Deep Purple’s favor of the sheer joy of “Highway Star,” with a blazing plugging in, turning it way keyboard solo by quasi-band up and rocking out to a member Charles Foley. On dozen classic rock tunes. track after track, singer These are all songs the Michael Sweet summons up band grew up listening to In this CD cover image released unfathomable high notes, and loving, and the treat- by Big 3, the latest by Stryper some of which only dogs can ment they receive here is “The Covering” is shown. —AP hear.—AP

Tomlin, TobyMac lead Dove Award nominations

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hris Tomlin and TobyMac each got six nominations for the Dove Awards, the gospel and Christian music show that will be held in Atlanta for the first time. Jason Crabb and Chris August drew the second-most with five nominations apeice for the 42nd annual show, which was traditionally held in Nashville, Tennessee. Francesca Battistelli and Marvin Sapp each received four. It will air on April 24, which is Easter Sunday, on the Gospel Music Channel. The awards show will be hosted by ‘The View’ co-host Sherri Shepherd from the Fox Theatre in midtown Atlanta.

Battistelli, who welcomed her first child last year, is looking for her second straight award for best female vocalist. She’ll also compete for artist of the year against Tomlin, TobyMac, Tomlin, Crabb, Sapp, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound and Natalie Grant. “This has definitely been a whirlwind the last couple of years,” said Battistelli after the nominee announcement. “With me being a mom and a wife, this just adds to the mix. It’s very exciting and adds to the mix of my juggling life. I’m blessed.” Tomlin, who led all nominees and collected two awards in 2009, is up for best male vocalist and song of the year with “Our God.” He’ll seek his second career song of the year award.

File photo shows Chris Tomlin accepting the Other nominees are TobyMac, award for male vocalist of the year at the Dove MercyMe, Sanctus Real, Triumphant Awards show.—AP Quartet, Crabb, Chris August and Battistelli. TobyMac looks to claim the pop/contemporary song category for the second year in a row with “Get Back Up.” Gospel rapper Lecrae said he is focused on broadening the culture of hip-hop more within the gospel genre after being nominated for rap/hip-hop recorded song of the year and rap/hip-hop album of the year. “I represent a demographic, a culture of young people who are passionate about their faith,” Lecrae said. “I want to show that God isn’t just loving on one kind of sound. I just want to show how incredible he is.”—AP

Lifestyle FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Long lost silent movies returned to US

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n a cold underground bunker once packed with enough dollars to replenish the cash supply in the eastern United States in the event of a Soviet nuclear attack, “Gigi” lies silently near “An American in Paris”. In a room next door, a young woman who gave her name as Barbara works on “Little Brother”. Upstairs, one of Barbara’s colleagues is trying to make sense of “The Arab”. This is not a secret US interrogation site, but the state-of-the-art facility where the US Library of Congress holds and preserves the world’s largest collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings.

Last year, the four-million-piece collection at the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC), which includes 700,000 reels of film, swelled immeasurably in historical terms as Russia handed over digital copies of 10 US silent movies that were thought to have been lost. “The Arab”, directed in 1924 by Rex Ingram, who made a star of Rudolf Valentino in “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” a few years earlier, was one of the films returned to the United States by the Russia’s state film archives, Gosfilmofond.

In the 1920s, movies were made on film containing nitrate, a highly unstable and flammable chemical compound that sparked fires in cinemas when projectors ignited while playing movies. A study conducted some 30 years ago showed that about 75 percent of all US films produced during the silent-movie era have been destroyed or survived only in fragments. The same study found that most of the old movies from the silent era that have survived intact are held in foreign archives, not American ones. “American studios were turning out movies like sausages, and selling them around the world,” Patrick Loughney, director of the NAVCC, told AFP.

original American language inter-titles, either in scripts or cutting continuities that date from the era,” said Loughney, comparing the pain-staking work to archeology.

“If we can identify those and bring them back to the library, we can recreate the American language intertitles, take out the Russian lanA scene from the silent film called “The Arab” is shown on the editing station at the guage intertitles and ultimateLibrary of Congress Parckard Campus.—AFP ly restore the movies to as close an approximation as we “The attitude here was, if you like one Fred Astaire film, wait can of what American audiences saw when they were six months and there will be another one out. Foreign coun- released.” Russia isn’t the only country that has sent US-made tries that we sold the movies to looked after them better than movies back home. we did,” he said. A brisk trade in US movies sold to Russia New Zealand has sent back several movies and the NAVCC began in around 1910 and continued through the Soviet era is working with the Centre National du Cinema in France to right up to the outbreak of World War II, Loughney said. “The ship some 20,000 reels of early US-produced films for saferecords we have indicate that over 1,300 US feature films were keeping at the bunker-turned-archives, carved into the hilldistributed in Russia during that period,” said Loughney.

The Russians took “great care” of the old films, returning to side in Culpeper. “We suspect that there are quite a number of the United States high-quality digital copies of the 10 silent lost films among those films in France,” said Loughney.

The nine other films returned to the United States by Russia movies that could be transferred to 35-millimeter film. But were “Canyon of the Fools”, “Circus Days”, “The Conquest of before that happens, the NAVCC wants to restore the original American inter-titles-the frames in silent movies that show Canaan”, “The Eternal Struggle”, “Keep Smiling”, “Kick In”, the dialogue-of the movies. At the moment, in the copy of “Valley of the Giants”, “You’re Fired” and “Call of the Canyon”, “The Arab” returned by Russia, Ramon Navarro, who starred in which was the only one of the 10 that was incomplete. “Gigi” the movie as a young Bedouin in love with a Christian mission- and “An American in Paris” are among hundreds of thousands ary’s daughter, “speaks” in Russian Cyrillic script. NAVCC of reels of film held in the NAVCC’s master film vault, where sleuths are “looking in archives around the country to find the the temperature is kept just above freezing.—AFP (from left) Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and British director Tom Hooper pose for photographers on the red carpet for the premiere of the movie “The King’s Speech”.—AFP

Detroit to get RoboCop statue with fan funding

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rom sci-fi cult film, to Twitter phenomenon to Detroit landmark-in-the-making. Plans for a statue honoring RoboCop, the halfman, half-machine crimefighter of the 1987 movie of the same name, are moving ahead after a group of Detroit artists and entrepreneurs raised more than $50,000 via Facebook and an online fund-raising site. “It hit a sweet spot. It’s a fun and funny idea to build a statue of RoboCop,” said Jeff Paffendorf, who helped lead the project inspired by a whimsical suggestion sent to Detroit Mayor Dave Bing via Twitter last week.

Bing tweeted back at the time that there were no plans for a RoboCop statue, an off-hand remark that bounced around the Internet and generated calls for him to reconsider. “There’s violence in ‘RoboCop,’ but through the film RoboCop tries to do the right thing,” Paffendorf said. Bing’s office is still not convinced, but a spokeswoman said the city is studying how it could accept and display a gift RoboCop statue. “We know there are a lot of people that care deeply about the issue, and we respect that,” said Karen Dumas of

Bing’s office. “But I’m still not sure that RoboCop is the best message for the city of Detroit.”

Paffendorf said the RoboCop statue could go somewhere downtown if the city approves, perhaps near the landmark fist statue honoring legendary boxer Joe Louis. But if Detroit will not

‘King’s Speech’ awaits Oscar sweep? Not so fast!

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This 1990 file photo released by Orion Pictures Corp shows film director Irvin Kershner, right, and actor Peter Weller, portraying Robocop, during the making of “Robocop II.”—AP allow RoboCop on city-owned land, a nonprofit arts group plans to display the statue, he said.

Paffendorf said a sculptor and a metal artist have been chosen to complete the job.—AP

aving marched through Hollywood’s major guild awards with hardly a misstep, royal film “The King’s Speech” has in past weeks been a frontrunner to sweep through the Oscars, but that may be about to change. With only about 10 days to go before the world’s top film honors, Oscar pundits are re-thinking their picks, and as much as co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway are expected to bring a youthful glow to the awards show, the races for best actor and actress could offer some surprises, experts say.

The Academy Awards, where A-list movie stars like Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem will turn out in their finest gowns, jewelry and tuxedos, unrolls its red carpet on Feb 27, and already Hollywood is gearing up with a week of celebra-

tions leading up to its biggest night of the year.

But the really big show will be Sunday’s awards, where the tension is building not so much over whether “King’s Speech” will win best film, as expected. Rather, the question is: can it sweep through the other top categories?.

“It looks like a ‘King’s Speech’ coronation.

The question is how wide will its influence spread”, said veteran Oscar watcher Tom O’Neil of awards websites goldderby.com and theenvelope.com. Drama “The King’s Speech,” which tells how British King George VI overcame his stammer to rally his countrymen on the eve of World War II, is widely expected to win best film after picking up similar awards from Hollywood guilds representing actors, directors, writers and producers. —AP

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Designers feeling texture at

NY Fashion Week

Models walk the runway at the Oscar de la Renta Fall 2011 show. — AP photos

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uilting, lace, fur, leather. Designers are feeling texture for next fall. Oscar de la Renta’s patchwork coat in full floral, embroidered, striped, Jacquard glory told the story well Wednesday as New York Fashion Week headed into a final, furious stretch of runway shows. Even for de la Renta’s well-heeled woman, “It’s all about little thrills,” said Ken Downing, fashion director at Neiman Marcus. “Designers are inventing all these ideas of interesting fabrics.” It’s not your usual mixed media as we saw last autumn. Now, Downing said, “It’s hitting a fever pitch.”

The heart of the J Mendel house remains with fur, but the runway of Gilles Mendel was also dripping in luxe beading and appliques.

No time for basics in the shoe collection he debuted. Too busy with black broadtail to the ankle, black suede to the knee and mocha-colored silk satin up the thigh. A black, one-shoulder sheer by Michael Kors had ONLY the print as cover up top. His belted animal print coat in caramel is ready to be stroked.

Technique pleases Downing. It creates allure in the details. A sequined sheer scarf is a whisper in smoky gray as it teeters atop an updo on Donna Karan’s runway. Previews run through Thursday night before moving on to London, Paris and Milan, Italy.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA It was all there: glamour, luxury, color. De la Renta isn’t trendy, even if many of the trends that have made the rounds of the runways-texture, metallics, long layers and man-tailoring, among them-were offered here. These clothes are for women looking for the special investment pieces that can be worn a lifetime. He’s particularly known for embellishment, embroidery and showstopping eveningwear. Come fall, coats surely will be on that short list. Many were fur-cashgora combos and cashmere crocheted cardigans with fur hoods gave new life to a standby silhouette. Daytime dresses were slim, some with a simple belt at the waist or a ruffle around the neck. He did not shy away from color: There were bright blues, greens and reds. Options for black-tie include a sparkly midnight blue V-neck, long-sleeve gown with embroidered bursts that looked like nighttime stars.

The belle of the ball didn’t get a full length gown. She wore a gold floral-threadwork embroidered organza dress that hit below the knee.

MARCHESA The best revenge of a jilted lover is looking good, and the designers of Marchesa have given an exquisite makeover to Miss Havisham. Bring on the suitors! The inspiration for fall was David

ELIE TAHARI

Lean’s 1946 version of the Charles Dickens’ classic “Great Expectations.” The results were ethereal, almost ghostly at times, especially one with exaggerated Victorian shapes, or the whiteon-black beaded gown worn with a black lace jacket. Most looks were rooted in light-as-a-feather tulle, but so much of it was used, it took on the personality of something very strong. Add heavy embellishment and long pooling silhouettes, and you’ve got yourself some glamour. A light-gray strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline and chunky beaded bodice seemed destined for the Academy Awards red carpet. Surely Marchesa could make the silver portrait-collar dress with super-delicate lace floor length if the right starlet asked. How soon could the gowns be on a plane to Los Angeles? “We’d send them tonight!” Georgina Chapman said.

MICHAEL KORS The presentation of Kors’ 30th anniversary collection was a hit parade, revisiting his favorite fun, glamorous themes with an audience eager to cheer him on. There were references to disco and dancers, the boardroom, the beach and the ski slopes. Kors filled the front row at New York Fashion Week with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing, Emma Roberts and Bette Midler. His muse is interested in easy luxury. She can pull off a wrap coat in soft gray cashgora with a silky white charmeuse shirt and man-tailored trousers one day, and a beaded black jumpsuit with a sheer caftan over it the next.

For fall, his customer is getting jersey dresses with halter tops held up by silver necklaces, pajama-style evening pants, a big black puffer coat, a tan-colored, one-shouldered beaded gown, and fur-in smoke gray, rose pink or chocolate brown.

ANNA SUI Sui always strives for rocker-girlfriend, with a preference for the 1960s. For the fall, she brought together the graphic mod mood of London in that heyday and the ornate costumes of the Ballet Russes from 40 years before that. The culture clash worked on the runway. Sui sent out nine rapid-fire black-and-white outfits, including a fuzzy chenille herringbone and houndstooth dress, and a Deco-sequin embroidered tunic over an optic-print dress. The schoolgirl looks, such as a navy mosaic jumper, were wearable for the young as well as the young at heart, but the green maxi dress with a basket print and white collar was a little too costumey. “You design for so many different levels-the customer, the salability, the trends and I always throw one in for myself,” said Sui.

DANIEL VOSOVIC

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

ANNA SUI

ELIE TAHARI “It’s about love,” Tahari said backstage. “It’s about luxe, luxurious, luscious.” He went on to add leather, lace and leopard to the list. Tahari’s romantic line was grouped by color, changing from black to white, then fading to beige and darker browns and ending with burgundy. Chiffon flowed over lace or lace fell over chiffon to create sheer effects. Sleeves were wide and floating. Fox fur functioned as vests, scarves and stoles. Animal prints appeared on skirts, jackets and pants. Tahari said he sees the woman he dresses as “sexy and smart.” “It’s about dressing up,” he said. “It’s about looking beautiful while feeling good and being happy.”

DANIEL VOSOVIC “Project Runway” alum Daniel Vosovic opened with snowy wide-leg trousers topped with a sheepskin jacket. He added his own touch to wide legs with a long train in back of one pair.

Pencil skirts were in classic black, paired with matching buttonup blouses and large leather chokers that added a hipster vibe.

Host of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live,” Andy Cohen, observed from the front row. — AP

Marchesa

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eem Acra interpreted her classic evening gowns through her girlhood lens of forests and nature in her native Lebanon. The collection shown Wednesday at New York Fashion Week is based on memories of searching for amber-entrapped insects in the mountains of Beirut with her father. She infused the collection with jewel and crystal necklaces and pins shaped like beetles, dragon flies and spiders. They were worn at the waist and neck of her gowns.

“When you look at this collection then you realize, ‘Wow it does come from there,”‘ Acra said.

“This looks like amber. This looks like my father’s photography of all these insects. So we put it together. We said, ‘Wow that does look right.”‘ High-necked gowns had sheer sleeves that drape over the shoulders to form flowing capes. Colored insects pop up over a flowing black-and-white floral print dress with a black bow at the back of the neck. The green, brown and blue beaded bodice of a strapless gown is reminiscent of peacock feathers. Draped gowns, done with precise workmanship, are also in the line. “We rip, we fix. We rip, we fix. We rip, we fix,” Acra said. “Until it’s perfection.” She said her goal now is to design pieces that work for both young and older customers. Selena Gomez recently wore one of her dresses. “I wanted to push myself to be even more sophisticated than ever, which I think portrays in the earthy tones of the collection and jewel tones here and there,” Acra said. — AP

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

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aintings acquired by shadowy anonymous buyers paying record prices now hang in the light of day in Qatar in the world’s first museum devoted to modern Arab art. The masterpieces are displayed among other treasures

A general view shows Mathaf, the Arab Museum of Modern Art, in the Qatari capital Doha on December 30, 2010.—AFP

making a collection of almost 6,500 pieces in Mathaf (museum in Arabic), which has gathered works of Arab modern art masters previously scattered among private collections and national museums. “There was no museum devoted to Arab modern art in this part of the world,” said Nada Shaboutt, a

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ndia’s first comic book convention opens in the capital New Delhi tomorrow, with organizers expecting thousands of fans to prove the art form is thriving in the Internet age. Comic Con India will introduce the country’s booming youth market to new graphic characters including a warrior blessed by the sun god and a half-otter half-human superhero.

File photo shows the studio chief of Gotham Studios India, Jeevan J Kang, working on a sketch of comicbook hero Spider-Man at the Gotham Entertainment Group office in Bangalore. — AFP Jatin Varma, organizer of the two-day convention, told AFP that the effects of India’s recent economic dynamism have spread from big business into the alternative worlds of youth culture and underground art. “The number of artists working on comic books has grown, new graphic novels are being launched, bookstores are developing dedicated areas to display comics, it’s all pretty exciting,” he said. The Indian comic book is experiencing a renaissance after ten years in the doldrums. Many middle-class Indians grew up on a diet of Amar Chitra Katha (Immortal Picture Stories) comics, which specialised in Hindu myths, historical narratives and ancient folktales. But the arrival of cable television and video

guest curator and consultant at Mathaf.

Qatar, which had already established the largest museum of Islamic art in the region, opened the doors of Mathaf on December 30, 2010 as part of the state’s ambitious cultural policy. The new museum holds the largest collection of Arab paintings and sculptures in the world, including works by artists from most Arab countries. “We want Arab modern art to be recognized internationally,” the museum’s director Wassan al-Khudairi told AFP. Sheikh Hassan Al-Thani, a member of the Gulf state’s ruling family, donated his collection, which totals some 6,200 pieces, to the Qatar Foundation and the Qatar Museums Authority, which jointly established Mathaf.

Among the hundreds of works acquired at full price by anonymous buyers at Christie’s or Bonhams auctions in Dubai is a painting by Egyptian master Mahmoud Said (1897-1964) which sold at an April 2010 auction for 2.43 million dollars. Entitled “Les Shadoufs”, the work depicts Egyptian peasants drawing water from the Nile using the weighted pivot-and-bucket system of the picture’s name.

The price paid was the second highest ever paid for a painting by an Arab artist. “It is impossible to show all the works that we have here at one time,” Khudairi said, adding that Mathaf would organize regular thematic exhibitions.

The museum’s first exhibition spotlights some of the greatest Arab artists of the 20th century including Said, Syrian Fateh Al-Moudarres, Lebanese Paul Guiragossian and Shafiq Abboud, and Iraqis Dia Azzawi and Jawad Salim.

Mathaf is currently located in the outskirts of Doha in Education City. The building was previously a school but was redesigned for the museum by French architect JeanFrancois Bodin. The off-white building combines modern

games in the 1990s saw a sharp drop in readership.

“Indian stories suddenly felt too old-fashioned-kids were not excited by the idea that they were reading the same books their parents were raised on,” said Varma. Rina Puri, editor of Amar Chitra Katha series, put it more bluntly. “The Cartoon Network channel came to India and it pretty much halved our sales,” she said. With a steady drip of American cartoons and superhero movies, the young comic book reader ditched Hindu gods and goddesses for the adventures of Spiderman, Batman, X-Men and their ilk. “Every child wants to have some special powers. When I was growing up, I used to wonder where the Indian superheroes were,” Sanjay Gupta, president of regional Hindi-language publisher Raj Comics, told AFP. Gupta’s superheroes are defiantly Indian, drawing on popular cultural beliefs-and they are selling well. One series narrates the adventures of Nagraj (snake king), whose powers are based on ancient Hindu tales. Ostensibly an employee in a TV station, he can produce snakes out of thin air and has the ability to spew venom and destroy his enemies with a single bite.

“His eyes hypnotize, his poison breath sears and his bite kills.

Weapons do no harm him as his micro-snakes instantly heal the wounds,” explains his official Internet profile. The series also reflects contemporary Indian anxieties about crime, graft and terrorism. In 2009 Nagraj fought the militants responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, while recent stories have focused on Doga, a vigilante who wears a dog mask to conceal his identity while bringing corrupt politicians to justice. The revival of comic books will be underlined at Comic Con, with graphic artists rubbing shoulders with children as well as publishers keen to spot the next big thing. “We know this can’t be compared to international conventions like the San Diego Comic-Con, but we see this as a sound investment,” Comic Con India’s Varma said, vowing the event would become an annual fixture. “I expect a lot of comic book fans to turn up and hopefully the event will also inspire other people to enter the world of comic books once they see how much fun it can be.”

One key element to the convention is the potential for movie cross-overs- and Indian comic books and graphic novels are catching the eyes of film producers. “The recent success of films based on comic series have led to a reverse trail of people seeking the book that the film was based on,” Amruta Patil, one of the country’s most promising graphic novelists, told AFP.—AFP

exterior touches with an all-glass facade above the entrance, with traditional shapes and designs. The interior is predominantly white, except for the art, giving it a modern and antiseptic arty feel.

The museum is taking the first step “of discovering and archiving” Arab modern and contemporary art, before expanding its activities, Shaboutt said. The establishment of the museum is a part of “the process of cultural change underway in Qatar,” she added. The wealthy Gulf state of 1.5 million inhabitants, the majority of them foreigners, is trying to establish itself as a cultural hub in the Gulf region. It has competition from oil-rich Abu Dhabi, which is constructing a “cultural district” on Saadiyat Island that is to include eight museums, among them branches of the Guggenheim and Louvre.

In 2008, Qatar opened the Museum of Islamic Art, home to a rich collection of 800 artistic and historical treasures from three continents, illustrating Islamic culture from the seventh to the 19th centuries. The five-storey building, designed by Chinese-American architect I. M Pei, whose other projects have included the Pyramide du Louvre in Paris, was built on an artificial island 60 meters (yards) from the Doha Corniche. Qatar also has an ambitious program for higher education. Education City, which houses local branches of six American universities including Georgetown, Northwestern and Carnegie Mellon, is a project of the Qatar Foundation which is headed by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned, wife of the emir. — AFP

This image released by Christie’s in London shows a self portrait by Andy Warhol.—AP

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colossal self-portrait by “pope of pop” Andy Warhol sold for 10.8 million pounds (17.4 million dollars, 12.8 million euros) at Christie’s in London on Wednesday, doubling pre-auction expectations. The recently discovered 1967 piece, which measures six foot (1.8 metre) square, depicts Warhol with a hand to his mouth in what the auction house called “one of the most representative and iconic images of the artist.”

“It has been an incredibly exciting journey to work with a previously unknown work by Andy Warhol, particularly one with such historic importance,” Francis Outred, head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Christie’s Europe said. “We are thrilled to have been able to publish this work for the first time in our catalogue and to exhibit it to the public for the first time. “It drew great admiration both at the exhibition and in the saleroom,” Outred added. The painting is one of 11 large-scale self-portraits executed in 1967, a time when Warhol had established himself as the most important figure in the Pop Art movement.—AFP

Stars

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Aries (March 21-April 19) "There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls," said comedian George Carlin. "There are mornings when your dreams are more real and important than your waking life," says my favorite dream worker. "There are times when the doctor isn't feeling well, and only his patient can cure him," says I. Now it so happens, Aries, that in the upcoming week, your life is likely to pass through an alternate reality where all three of the above conditions will prevail -as well as other similar variants and mutations.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Hua Chi, a Buddhist monk in China, takes his devotions very seriously. For the last two decades he has performed as many as 3,000 prayers every single day in the same exact spot at his temple. Part of me admires his profound commitment, while part of me is appalled at his insane addiction to habit. It's great that he loves his spiritual work so deeply, but sad that he can't bring more imagination and playfulness to his efforts. I bring this up, Taurus, because I think it's a good time, astrologically speaking, for you to take inventory of the good things you do very regularly. See if you can inject more fun and inventiveness into them.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

To the scientist there is the joy in pursuing truth which nearly counteracts the depressing revelations of truth," said science fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft. The clear implication of this statement is that there's always a sense of loss that comes with discovering the way things really are. I protest this perspective. I boycott it. As proof that it's at least partially wrong, I offer up the evidence provided by your life in the days ahead. From what I can tell, the gratification that you feel while hunting down the truth will be substantial, and yet it will ultimately seem rather mild compared to the bliss that arrives when you find what you're looking for.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) People listen when Eric Schmidt speaks. He's the CEO of Google, a company that has major power in shaping the future of information. In recent months he has been riffing on the disappearance of privacy. Because our lives are becoming interwoven with the Internet, he believes it will become increasingly hard to keep any secrets. "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know," he says, "maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." This is especially true for you right now, Cancerian. In the coming weeks, I encourage you to maintain the highest standards of ethical behavior. The lucky thing about this situation is that news of the good deeds you do and smart moves you make are also likely to circulate far and wide.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Nine years ago, a friend of mine came to believe she had died in a previous incarnation by being thrown off a horse. From that time on, she felt stuck. She became convinced that her life energy would remain in a state of suspended animation until she learned to feel comfortable on a horse. Fear kept her from even attempting that for a long time, but recently she got up the courage to begin. Her efforts were bumpy at first, but rapidly improved. As she gained confidence as a rider, every other aspect of her life bloomed, too -- just as she'd suspected. I think her experience could be useful for you to learn from in the coming months, Leo. What's your biggest, oldest fear? Is there anything you could do to start dissolving it?

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

"I'm not confused," said poet Robert Frost. "I'm just well mixed." I would love that to be your motto in the coming weeks. You're entering a phase of your cycle when you should be extra curious about blending ingredients in new combinations. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that the cosmos will respond enthusiastically if you take steps to make yourself the embodiment of lush diversity. Celebrate complexity, Virgo! You will generate unexpected strokes of good fortune by experimenting with medleys and syntheses that appeal to the jaunty parts of your imagination.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

In addition to their standard offerings, the yoga teachers at Atlanta's Tough Love Yoga center (toughloveyoga.com) sometimes offer exotic variations.

During their "Metal Yoga" classes, for instance, the soundtrack for their stretching and breathing exercises is heavy metal music. Here's their promise: "Melt your face off in a very relaxing, healing way." That's the spirit I'd like to see you bring to your life in the coming week: vehemently intense but tenderly curative; wickedly fierce but brilliantly rejuvenating.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

I would love to see you play with your food this week. And draw pictures on walls.

And have conversations with winking statues and talking trees and magic toasters.

I'll be thrilled, Scorpio, if you watch cartoons about furry animals outwitting maniacal robots and if you entertain fantasies of yourself pushing a cream pie in the face of an obnoxious authority figure. But given how dignified and discreet you tend to be, I realize the chances of any of this actually happening are miniscule. Can I at least coax you into hopping, skipping, and dancing around a lot when no one's watching?

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) "Better keep yourself clean and bright," said George Bernard Shaw. "You are the window through which you must see the world." Take that advice to heart, Sagittarius. This is an excellent time for you to do any necessary work to get yourself cleaner and brighter. I'm not at all implying that you're a dusty, greasy mess. But like all of us, there's a continuous build-up of foreign matter that distorts the view and that must be periodically washed away. If you do it now, your work will be extra smart and effective.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

The state of Wisconsin is famous for its cheese, so it wasn't a big surprise when its state legislature decided to honor the bacterium that's essential in making cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Colby cheese. So as of last year, Lactococcus lactis is the official state microbe. I would love to see you decide upon your own most beloved microbe sometime soon, Capricorn. How about naming Ruminococcus or Peptococcus as your personal favorite among all of your gut flora? It's that time of year when it makes cosmic sense to acknowledge and appreciate all of the small and hard-to-see things that keep you thriving.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Don't put your shoes on before you put on your socks this week, OK? Refrain from polishing off a piece of cheesecake and a bowl of ice cream before dinner, and don't say goodbye whenever you arrive at a new destination. Catch my drift, Aquarius? Do things in the proper order, not just while engaged in the fundamental tasks of your daily rhythm, but also in the long-term processes you're carrying out. Each step in the sequence needs to prepare the way for the next step. Keep a clear vision of the organizing principle that informs your work.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Many people know John Mellenkamp's song "This Is Our Country" because it was used in a commercial for Chevy Silverado trucks. But if they've only heard it that way, they may be under a mistaken impression about its meaning. The ad quotes just a fraction of the lyrics, including "So let the voice of freedom / Sing out through this land / This is our country." What the ad doesn't include are other lines like "And poverty could be just another ugly thing / And bigotry would be seen only as obscene / And the ones that run this land / Help the poor and common man." Let this serve as a cautionary tale for you, Pisces.

Make sure you get the rest of every story -- not just the partial truth, but the whole freaking thing.

COUNTRY CODES Afghanistan 0093 Albania 00355 Algeria 00213 Andorra 00376 Angola 00244 Anguilla 001264 Antiga 001268 Argentina 0054 Armenia 00374 Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Bahamas 001242 Bahrain 00973 Bangladesh 00880 Barbados 001246 Belarus 00375 Belgium 0032 Belize 00501 Benin 00229 Bermuda 001441 Bhutan 00975 Bolivia 00591 Bosnia 00387 Botswana 00267 Brazil 0055 Brunei 00673 Bulgaria 00359 Burkina 00226 Burundi 00257 Cambodia 00855 Cameroon 00237 Canada 001 Cape Verde 00238 Cayman Islands 001345 Central African Republic 00236 Chad 00235 Chile 0056 China 0086 Colombia 0057 Comoros 00269 Congo 00242 Cook Islands 00682 Costa Rica 00506 Croatia 00385 Cuba 0053 Cyprus 00357 Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 Czech Republic 00420 Denmark 0045 Diego Garcia 00246 Djibouti 00253 Dominica 001767 Dominican Republic 001809 Ecuador 00593 Egypt 0020 El Salvador 00503 England (UK) 0044 Equatorial Guinea 00240 Eritrea 00291 Estonia 00372 Ethiopia 00251 Falkland Islands 00500 Faroe Islands 00298 Fiji 00679 Finland 00358 France 0033 French Guiana 00594 French Polynesia 00689 Gabon 00241 Gambia 00220 Georgia 00995 Germany 0049 Ghana 00233 Gibraltar 00350 Greece 0030 Greenland 00299 Grenada 001473 Guadeloupe 00590 Guam 001671 Guatemala 00502 Guinea 00224 Guyana 00592 Haiti 00509 Holland (Netherlands)0031 Honduras 00504 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Iceland 00354 India 0091 Indian Ocean 00873 Indonesia 0062 Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686

Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland)0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK)0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677 Somalia 00252 South Africa 0027 South Korea 0082 Spain 0034 Sri Lanka 0094 Sudan 00249 Suriname 00597 Swaziland 00268 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Syria 00963 Taiwan 00886 Tanzania 00255 Thailand 0066 Toga 00228 Tonga 00676 Tokelau 00690 Trinidad 001868 Tunisia 00216 Turkey 0090 Tuvalu 00688 Uganda 00256 Ukraine 00380 United Arab Emirates00976

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W h a t ’s O n FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

National, Liberation Day and HH the Amir’s assumption of Power Events

Cinemagic Programme Saturday, February 19th at 7:30pm NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS Director: Bahman Ghobadi Country: Iran Release: 2009 Genre: Drama Language: Persian | English Subtitle Awards: Cannes - Un Certain Regard, Special Jury Prize Thursday, February 24th at 7:30pm SURPRISE FILM Cinemagic Kuwait, is organizing these

events as part of its efforts to contribute to the development of an internationally competitive Kuwaiti audiovisual production industry, partly by bringing the filmmakers and audiences together and by Increasing the public’s interest in - and appreciation for - the art of film-making. Cinemagic movies are screened in the old Salmiya, on the roof on top of Alghanim Electronics and LG. There is a KD1 charge for the venue fees which includes refreshments, popcorn and much more.

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W h a t ’s O n FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Angamaly Pravasi Association Kuwait inauguration and New Year Fest

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ngamaly Pravasi Association Kuwait (APAK), the association of the migrants in Kuwait from the Angamaly Legislative Constituency of Kerala, functioning for the socio-cultural welfare of its members held its inauguration and New Year family fest on 21 January 2011 at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Auditorium Abbasia. The Chief Guest, the Transport Minister of the Kerala State, Mr. Jose Thettayil officially inaugurated the Association and the function.

The Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Mr. Ajai Malhotra and the General Secretary of the NGO Association of Kerala Mr. Murali delivered their felicitation.

The APAK President Saju Geo Thachil presided over the function and the General Secretary Mr. Poulose Thekkedeth delivered the welcome speech. Jacob Pynadath, the Advisory Board Chairman, briefed on the activities and functions of the association. Mr. Nigi Paily, Treasurer proposed the vote of thanks.

The function was enthralled with variety entertainment programs staged by the artist from different parts of Kuwait and was coordinated by the programs committee.

Hala February

PAWS - Volunteer Induction Day PAWS Kuwait is organizing Volunteer Induction Day at the new shelter on 18th of February from 10am - 12:30 pm.

Attendees will be given an introduction to PAWS and the different activities that we offer along with an overview of the volunteer role at each event. It will also be an opportunity to meet the team and network with other volunteers. Our volunteer coordinators will meet you at the gate and follow up with you on the following agenda: l Introduce the new volunteers to staff and existing volunteers. l Give a tour of the facility. l Introduce you to our shelter pets (dogs and cats); you will have change to feed dogs/cats, walk dogs, and play with cats. l Provide an overview of PAWS, its mission and history; give an outline of the services we provide, cover our day-to-day work and how the volunteer and their role benefit the PAWS. l Review the volunteer roles description and clarify the work you can perform. l Read and sign off on the Volunteer Agreement. l Introduce the volunteer to PAWS Volunteer Policy.

For more information visit: http://pawskuwait.org/blog/help-paws/volunteering-with-paws/

NBK Walkathon Registration started Sunday at NBK Walkathon Tent next to the Scientific Centre in Salmiya on Sunday, February 13 and continues until March 11, which is one day before the start of the walkathon. National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the best bank in the Middle East, announced the launching of its 17th Annual Walkathon on the 12th of March 2011 on the occasion of Kuwait’s celebration of 50 years over its independence, 20 years over its liberation from the Iraqi invasion and 5 years since H.H. the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jabir AlSabah assumed his post. The Walkathon event will also fea-

Information EMBASSY OF US The US Embassy will be closed on Sunday, Feb 20, 2011, in observance of President’s Day. The Embassy will reopen for normal business on Monday, February 21, 2011. Regular working hours are 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 pm, Sunday to Thursday. The Embassy’s telephone number is 2259-1001; fax number is 2538-0282.

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN

Announcements Abrar-Ul-Haq is coming to Kuwait during ‘Hala February’. For details contact 65840229.

Embassy

ture a host of functions, activities and competitions with rewarding prizes and rewards awaiting the participants.

NBK’s Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Bank & Community Committee, Nasser Musaed Al Sayer said that it has been clear that NBK’s Walkathon is growing year on year, and we are extremely thrilled to take our involvement with this exciting event to new levels. This year, we are expecting participation to be much more than previous walkathon which witnessed more the participation of more than 12,000 contesters”.

IMA youth wing sports day IMA YOUTH WING will hold a one day Sports Event on 18th Feb. Winners will take home exciting prizes. Cricket, Volleyball & Tug of war will be part of the event. For registration kindly call the below numbers 66031736, 60634301, 97214743 or Visit www.imayouthwing.org for more information.

Vanithavedi Kuwait 10th Year celebrations closing ceremony Office bearers, executive members and advisory board have great pleasure in inviting you to the 10th Year celebration Closing ceremony on Saturday 19th February 2011, 6 PM at United Indian School Abbasiya. Your esteemed presence is kindly solicited.

KEA Friendship Cup Football Tournament Keralite Engineers’ Association (KEA) proudly announces the 2nd KEA Friendship Cup Football tournament sponsored by Gulf Bank scheduled to commence from Feb 18, 2011, at the Al Sahel Sports Club, Abu Halifa. The KEA Friendship Cup tournament is open to all the Alumni Colleges of the Kuwait Engineer’s Forum and will continue for 5 weekends starting from the 18th February, not including the weekend of the Feb 25, 2011. Website: www.keakuwait.org

The British Embassy will be closed today on the occasion of the Prophet’s (PBUH) birthday holiday. The Embassy will reopen on Sunday Feb 20, 2011.

Visa and Consular Services The visa Application Centre (VAC) will be closed on the same dates above. The opening hours of the Visa Application Centre are 0930-1630. Application forms remain available online from the UKBAs’ website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or from the Visa Application Centre’s website: www.vfs-ukkw.com And also, from the UK Visa Application Centre located at: 413, First Floor, Al Banwan Building (Burgan Bank Branch Office Building), Al Qibla area, opposite Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City.

For any further inquiries, please contact the Visa Application Centre: Website: www.vfs-uk-kw.com E-mail: info@vfs-uk-kw.com Telephone: 22971170 The Consular Section will also be closed on the same dates. For information on the British Embassy services, visit the British Embassy website: www.ukinkuwait.fco.gov.uk

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays. Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no. 25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday. Embassy of India would like

to inform that application forms for passport/visa services and labor contracts that are on its website, www.indembkwt.org, have been upgraded to include the facility for online data entry. Affidavit forms on the embassy website have had this facility since May 6, 2009.

TV Listings FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

00:00 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

The Ellen Degeneres Show Good Morning America Supernatural Rescue Me Strong Medicine Good Morning America Law And Order Burn Notice The Ellen Degeneres Show Strong Medicine American Idol Burn Notice Live Good Morning America Law And Order The Ellen Degeneres Show Commander In Chief American Idol Survivor: Redemption Supernatural Rescue Me

00:50 01:45 02:40 03:35 04:30 05:25 06:20 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:40 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:20 13:50 14:45 15:10 15:40 16:30 17:30 18:00 18:25 19:20 20:15 20:40 21:10 22:05 23:00

Untamed And Uncut Ocean’s Deadliest Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz Pit Bulls And Parolees I Shouldn’t Be Alive Untamed And Uncut Animal Crackers Animal Crackers Meerkat Manor Night Growing Up...: Orang-Utan Breed All About It Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Ocean’s Deadliest Animal Precinct Wildlife Sos Wildlife Sos International Animal Cops Phoenix Rspca: On The Frontline E-Vets: The Interns Astrochimp Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Planet Wild Breed All About It Cats 101 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz Escape To Chimp Eden Snake Crusader With Bruce George Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Austin Stevens Adventures Whale Wars

17:10 Kings Of Construction 18:00 The Gadget Show 18:25 How Stuff’s Made 18:50 Brainiac 19:40 Sci-Fi Science 20:05 Sci-Fi Science 20:30 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 21:20 How It’s Made 21:45 The Gadget Show 22:10 Building The Future 23:00 Sci-Fi Science 23:25 Sci-Fi Science 23:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman

Toy Story 3 on Show Movies 00:30 01:00 01:30 02:20 03:10 03:40 04:10 04:40 05:00 05:20 05:40 05:50 05:55 06:10 06:30 06:50 07:10 07:20 07:25 07:40 08:00 08:20 08:40 08:50 08:55 09:10 09:30 09:50 10:10 10:20 10:25 10:35 11:05 11:35 12:25 13:15 13:45 14:15 15:05 15:35 16:05 16:35 17:25 18:15 18:45

My Family Last Of The Summer Wine The Weakest Link Casualty Eastenders Doctors Last Of The Summer Wine Balamory Tweenies Fimbles The Large Family Spot’s Musical Adventures Charlie And Lola Balamory Tweenies Fimbles The Large Family Spot’s Musical Adventures Charlie And Lola Balamory Tweenies Fimbles The Large Family Spot’s Musical Adventures Charlie And Lola Balamory Tweenies Fimbles The Large Family Spot’s Musical Adventures Charlie And Lola Last Of The Summer Wine Last Of The Summer Wine The Weakest Link Himalaya With Michael Palin Doctors Eastenders Casualty Last Of The Summer Wine Last Of The Summer Wine Last Of The Summer Wine Himalaya With Michael Palin The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders

19:15 20:05 20:55 21:45 22:15 23:00 23:15

Casualty Himalaya With Michael Palin The Weakest Link Doctors Doctor Who Doctor Who Confidential After You’ve Gone

00:00 00:25 00:50 01:20 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:25 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:25 05:50 06:20 06:55 08:00 08:30 08:55 09:40 10:30 11:15 12:05 13:00 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:05 15:35 16:05 16:35 17:20 18:05

Ching’s Kitchen Ching’s Kitchen The Naked Chef The Naked Chef Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Fantasy Homes By The Sea Bargain Hunt Sweet Baby James Sweet Baby James Ching’s Kitchen Ching’s Kitchen The Naked Chef The Naked Chef Antiques Roadshow Glamour Puds Glamour Puds 10 Years Younger Antiques Roadshow Fantasy Homes By The Sea 10 Years Younger Antiques Roadshow Fantasy Homes By The Sea Glamour Puds Glamour Puds Daily Cooks Challenge Daily Cooks Challenge Daily Cooks Challenge Daily Cooks Challenge Fantasy Homes By The Sea Bargain Hunt Sweet Baby James

18:30 18:55 19:20 19:45 20:15 20:45

Sweet Baby James Ching’s Kitchen Ching’s Kitchen The Naked Chef The Naked Chef Come Dine With Me

01:30 La Personne Aux Deux PersonnesPG15 03:30 Vanilla Sky-18 06:00 The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button-PG15 09:00 Under The Mountain-PG 11:00 Coraline-PG 13:00 Three Investigators-PG15 15:00 The Brothers Bloom-PG15 17:00 Benny And Joon-PG 19:00 Mrs Brown-PG15 21:00 Frida-18 23:00 Mesrine: Killer Instinct-18

00:40 01:35 02:30 03:00 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:10 09:40

Overhaulin’ Dirty Jobs Destroyed In Seconds Destroyed In Seconds X-Machines Mythbusters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Dirty Jobs X-Machines American Chopper How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Mythbusters

10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00

Cake Boss Border Security Overhaulin’ Ultimate Survival Mythbusters Miami Ink Dirty Jobs Overhaulin’ Deadliest Catch Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Deconstruction How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Fifth Gear

00:40 01:30 01:55 02:45 03:35 04:25 04:50 05:45 06:40 07:10 08:00 08:55 09:50 10:45 11:10 11:40 12:30 12:55 13:45 14:15 15:05 15:55 16:20

Kings Of Construction The Gadget Show 2012 Apocalypse Weird Or What?

Science Of The Movies How Stuff’s Made Thunder Races Robocar Patent Bending Human Cloning Catch It Keep It How The Universe Works Weird Or What?

Stunt Junkies The Gadget Show Human Cloning How Stuff’s Made Catch It Keep It Patent Bending Weird Or What?

Science Of The Movies Savage Planet 2012 Apocalypse

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 03:15 04:10 05:05 05:30 06:00 07:45 08:10 08:35 09:25 10:15 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:05 14:30 15:25 16:15 16:40 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:50 19:15 19:40 20:30 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50

Kendra Fashion Police Extreme Close-Up 40 (More) Crimes Of Fashion 25 Most Stylish Sexiest Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties Streets Of Hollywood THS Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes E! News Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane THS E! News Fashion Police Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami Kendra THS THS Behind The Scenes Behind The Scenes Keeping Up With The Kardashians Keeping Up With The Kardashians E! News Fashion Police Style Star E!es Behind The Scenes Chelsea Lately Fashion Police E! News Chelsea Lately Fashion Police Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami

00:40 01:05 01:30 01:55 02:20 02:45 03:35 04:00 04:25 05:15 05:40 06:05 06:30 06:50 07:35 08:00 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:20 11:45 12:10 12:35 13:25 13:50 14:15 14:40 15:30 15:55 16:20 16:45 17:35 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:15 20:05 20:30 20:55 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50

Good Eats Unwrapped Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Throwdown With Bobby Flay Barefoot Contessa Chopped Good Eats Good Eats Food Network Challenge Good Eats Unwrapped TEN DOLLAR DINNERS Paula’s Best Dishes Paula’s Party Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics Chopped Guys Big Bite Boy Meets Grill Good Deal with Dave Lieberman TEN DOLLAR DINNERS Paula’s Best Dishes Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Throwdown With Bobby Flay Unwrapped Paula’s Party Good Eats Paula’s Best Dishes Throwdown With Bobby Flay Ultimate Recipe Showdown Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Unwrapped Boy Meets Grill Chopped Paula’s Best Dishes Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics Good Deal with Dave Lieberman TEN DOLLAR DINNERS Paula’s Party Good Eats Guys Big Bite Throwdown With Bobby Flay Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa Chopped Good Eats Good Eats Food Network Challenge

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:00 04:50 05:45 06:15 07:10 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:30 10:55 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:30 15:55 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab A Haunting Dr G: Medical Examiner Dr G: Medical Examiner Dr G: Medical Examiner Black Museum Ghost Lab Mystery Diagnosis Forensic Detectives Hackers: Outlaws And Angels Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Royal Inquest Fbi Files Murder Shift Accident Investigator Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Royal Inquest Forensic Detectives Hackers: Outlaws And Angels Fbi Files Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Murder Shift Accident Investigator Fbi Case Files Disappeared

01:40 03:15 04:45 06:30 08:15 10:00 11:35 13:10 14:55 16:35 18:20 20:25 22:00 23:45

The January Man Till The End Of The Night Traces Of Red Dream Lover Gaily, Gaily Breakheart Pass Italian Movie Memories Of Me Impasse Tune In Tomorrow Asteroid Convicts They Call Me Mister Tibbs!

Crisscross

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00

Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Surfer’s Journal Surfer’s Journal Nomads Destination Extreme Bondi Rescue Banged Up Abroad Don’t Tell My Mother Bondi Rescue Bondi Rescue Surfer’s Journal Surfer’s Journal Nomads Destination Extreme Bondi Rescue Banged Up Abroad

By Any Means Market Values Weird And Wonderful Hotels The Frankincense Trail Treks In A Wild World Destination Extreme Bondi Rescue Banged Up Abroad

By Any Means Market Values Weird And Wonderful Hotels The Frankincense Trail Treks In A Wild World Destination Extreme

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00

Community Just Shoot Me The Daily Show With Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Sarah Silverman Program Hung South Park The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Coach Yes, Dear The Drew Carey Show Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Just Shoot Me

TV Listings FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

08:30 Coach 09:00 Yes, Dear 09:30 The Drew Carey Show 10:00 According To Jim 10:30 30 Rock 11:00 Coach 11:30 Yes, Dear 12:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 13:00 Just Shoot Me 13:30 Coach 14:00 Yes, Dear 14:30 Community 15:00 30 Rock 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 The Drew Carey Show 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Family Biz 18:30 The New Adventures Of Old Christine 19:00 Brothers 19:30 The Office 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Nut Case

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Chicago-PG15 Gone In Sixty Seconds-PG15 Last Chance Harvey-PG15 Anger Management-PG15 Hellboy II: The Golden Army-PG15 500 Days Of Summer-PG15 Legally Blondes-PG Old Dogs-PG Hellboy II: The Golden Army-PG15 In America-18 Toy Story 3-FAM Outpost-18

00:00 Martha Meet Frank, Daniel And Lawrence-PG15 02:00 Mystic Pizza-PG15 04:00 Mama’s Boy-PG15 06:00 Patch Adams-PG15 08:00 Evolution-PG15 10:00 Daddy Day Care-PG 12:00 Madagascar 2-PG 14:00 Mean Girls-PG15 16:00 Martha Meet Frank, Daniel And Lawrence-PG15 18:00 Bob Roberts-PG15 20:00 Friday-18

00:00 Gladiators: The Conspiracy-PG 02:00 Up-FAM 03:45 Robin Hood: The King’s Return-FAM 05:30 Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths-PG 07:00 Scooby-Doo And The Ghoul School 08:30 Scooby-Doo And The Loch Ness Monster-FAM 10:00 Up-FAM 12:00 Papelucho And The Martian-FAM 14:00 Scooby-Doo And The Ghoul School 16:00 Scooby-Doo And The Loch Ness Monster-FAM 18:00 Globehunters-PG15 20:00 Yogi And The Invasion Of The Space Bears-FAM 22:00 Papelucho And The Martian-FAM

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:30 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Bones In Plain Sight The Martha Stewart Show Big Love

04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

The View Mercy Emmerdale Turn Back Your Body Clock Big Love The Martha Stewart Show Mercy Big Love The View Emmerdale Turn Back Your Body Clock The Martha Stewart Show Bones In Plain Sight Mercy The View What’s Good For You No Ordinary Family C.S.I. Big Love The View Mercy

02:00 Trans World Sport 03:00 Snooker The Welsh Open 06:00 Brazil League Highlights 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 European Tour Weekly 07:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 08:00 Trans World Sport 09:00 Total Rugby 09:30 Live Super 15 11:30 Live Super 15 13:30 Total Rugby 14:00 European Tour Weekly 14:30 Futbol Mundial 15:00 Brazil League Highlights 15:30 Trans World Sports 16:30 ICC Cricket World 17:00 Live The All Sports Show 18:00 Live Dubai Int’l Horse Racing Carnival 22:15 Total Rugby 22:45 Live Aviva Premiership

The Simpsons Two And A Half Men The Tudors Bones Law And Order The Tudors The Simpsons Cold Case The Ellen Degeneres Show Two And A Half Men Law And Order Best And Worst (American Idol) The Ellen Degeneres Show The Simpsons Two And A Half Men American Idol Cold Case Bones 30 Rock Two And A Half Men The Ellen Degeneres Show How I Met Your Mother No Ordinary Family American Idol Survivor: Redemption The Pacific The Ellen Degeneres Show

00:00 Taking Woodstock-18 02:00 Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel-PG15 04:00 End Of The Spear-PG15 06:00 It Might Get Loud-PG15 08:00 Velveteen Rabbit-FAM 10:00 Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea-FAM 12:00 Alice In Wonderland-PG 14:00 Chatterbox-PG 16:00 Velveteen Rabbit-FAM 18:00 The Soloist-PG15 20:00 Toy Story 3-FAM 22:00 Dance Flick-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 PG15 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:45 21:15 23:00

Basic Instinct 2-R The Fast And The Furious-PG15 Dog Pound-18 Star Trek: Generations-PG G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra-PG15 Crouching Tiger, Hidden DragonDaylight-PG15 G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra-PG15 Snake Eyes-PG15 Bad Boys II-PG15 Blood And Bone-18 Outpost-18

Case 39 on Super Movies

01:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 19:00 21:00 22:00

Dubai Int’l Horse Racing Carnival Pool World Cup European Tour Weekly World Hockey Dubai Int’l Horse Racing Carnival ICC Cricket World European Tour Weekly Live PGA European Tour Total Rugby Futbol Mundial Live Snooker Super 15 The All Sports Show Live Snooker

01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00

WWE NXT UFC The Ultimate Fighter V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed WWE NXT Red Bull X-Fighters Full Throttle UAE National Race Day Series WWE NXT Airsports World Red Bull X-Fighters Full Throttle Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge Airsports World V8 Supercars Extra V8 Supercars Championship V8 Supercars Championship WWE NXT WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line Live Super League

01:15 Case 39-18 03:00 All’s Faire In Love-PG 05:00 The Invention Of Lying-PG15 07:00 When In Rome-PG15 09:00 The Prince And Me 3: Holiday Honeymoon-PG15 11:00 Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The DinosaursFAM 13:00 Aliens In The Attic-FAM 15:00 The Last Song-PG15 17:00 The Prince And Me 3: Holiday Honeymoon-PG15 19:00 The Lovely Bones-PG15 21:15 Duplicity-18 23:30 Surrogates-PG15

00:45 Point Blank-PG15 02:15 Lolita-PG15 05:00 Real Genius-PG15 06:45 Pick A Star-FAM 08:00 Wife vs. Secretary-FAM 09:25 Logan’s Run-PG 11:20 Never So Few-PG 13:20 Marlowe-PG 14:55 The Swordsman Of Siena-FAM 16:35 The Opposite Sex-PG 18:30 Screening Room, The - Human Rights-PG 18:55 The Unsinkable Molly Brown-FAM 21:05 Silk Stockings-FAM 23:00 Sweet Bird Of Youth-PG15

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:00 05:50 06:40 07:30 08:20 09:10 10:00 11:50 12:40 13:30 14:20 15:10 16:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:55 23:50

Rise And Fall Of The Spartans Battlefield Detectives Ancient Discoveries Deep Sea Detectives The French Revolution Inside The World Of Henry Viii Rise And Fall Of The Spartans Battlefield Detectives Ancient Discoveries Deep Sea Detectives The French Revolution Inside The World Of Henry Viii Rise And Fall Of The Spartans Battlefield Detectives Ancient Discoveries Deep Sea Detectives The French Revolution Inside The World Of Henry Viii Rise And Fall Of The Spartans Battlefield Detectives Ancient Discoveries Deep Sea Detectives Decoding The Past The Crusades How The Earth Was Made

00:17 01:00 01:50 02:00 02:45 03:17 07:17 08:00 08:45 09:17 13:00 13:45 15:17 16:00 16:45 17:17 18:00 18:45 19:00 20:00 20:30 22:17 23:00 23:40

Playlist Hit Us Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Playlist Playlist French Only Playlist Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Playlist Africa 10 Playlist Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Trace Video Mix New Playlist Playlist Club 10 Playlist

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00

Globe Trekker Nomad’s Land Great Scenic Railways-Australia Indian Times Tall Ship Explorers Globe Trekker Nomad’s Land

07:00 Panasia 07:30 Dream Destinations 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 10:00 Indian Times 11:00 Flavours Of Peru 11:30 Chef Abroad 12:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 Planet Food 15:00 Panasia 15:30 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 16:30 Great Scenic Railways-Us And Canada 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Chef Abroad 18:30 Flavours Of Scotland 19:00 Planet Food 20:00 Globe Trekker 21:00 Globe Trekker 22:00 Word Travels 22:30 Wild At Heart 23:00 Four Men And A Lady 23:30 Raiders Of The Lost Snow

00:15 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 00:40 Chowder 01:05 Cow And Chicken 01:30 Cramp Twins 01:55 George Of The Jungle 02:20 Adrenalini Brothers 02:45 Eliot Kid 03:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 03:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 04:00 The Powerpuff Girls 04:15 Chowder 04:40 The Secret Saturdays 05:05 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 05:30 Ben 10: Alien Force 05:55 Best Ed 06:20 Skunk Fu! 06:45 Cramp Twins 07:10 Eliot Kid 07:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 08:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 08:25 Cow And Chicken 08:50 Best Ed 09:15 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 09:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 10:05 The Secret Saturdays 10:30 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 10:55 The Powerpuff Girls 11:20 Robotboy 11:30 The Life And Times Of Juniper Lee 11:55 Ben 10 12:20 Chowder 12:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 13:10 Camp Lazlo 13:35 George Of The Jungle 14:00 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 14:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 14:50 Ben 10 15:15 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:40 Squirrel Boy 16:05 Eliot Kid 16:35 Casper’s Scare School 17:00 Cow And Chicken 17:25 Chop Socky Chooks 17:50 Skunk Fu! 18:15 Chowder 18:40 Best Ed 19:05 Hero 108 19:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 19:55 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 20:20 Adventure Time

00:00 BBC World News 00:30 Hardtalk 01:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Sport Today 02:00 BBC World News 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Asia Today 03:00 BBC World News America 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Asia Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Asia Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Asia Business Report 06:45 Asia Today 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 The Bottom Line 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report

Flight Schedule FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

IN CASE YOU ARE NOT TRAVELLING, YOUR PROPER CANCELLATION OF BOOKINGS WILL HELP OTHER PASSENGERS TO USE SEATS. Airlines WAN JZR TAR BBC ETH WAN WAN THY UAE QTR DHX GFA FDB ETD JZR KAC JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE KAC QTR ABY ETD GFA IRA JZR JZR JZR MEA IYE MSR MSR KAC FDB JZR UAL OMA KAC KAC JZR JZR QTR KAC WAN WAN MLR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR RJA JZR ABY

Flt 612 267 327 43 622 306 408 772 853 138 370 211 67 305 207 544 503 223 416 157 352 206 53 302 678 284 362 855 286 132 123 301 213 619 151 121 165 404 825 623 610 672 57 555 982 645 546 552 125 257 134 746 110 304 403 303 857 215 510 213 800 239 127

Arrival Flights on Friday 18/2/2011 Route ISTANBUL BEIRUT TUNIS / DUBAI DHAKA ADDIS ABABA CAIRO BEIRUT ISTANBUL DUBAI DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI ABU DHABI DAMASCUS CAIRO LUXOR ALEPPO JAKARTA / KUALA LUMPUR LONDON COCHIN ISLAMABAD DUBAI MUMBAI MUSCAT / DUBAI DHAKA COLOMBO DUBAI CHITTAGONG DOHA SHARJAH ABU DHABI BAHRAIN LAR DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT SANAA SOHAG CAIRO DUBAI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA WASHINGTON DC DULLES MUSCAT ALEXANDRIA DAMASCUS BAHRAIN BEIRUT DOHA ABU DHABI / DAMMAM DUBAI CAIRO COLOMBO / DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH DEIREZZOR AMMAN AMMAN SHARJAH

Time 0:45 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:45 1:50 2:10 2:15 2:35 2:45 2:55 3:05 3:05 3:10 3:50 4:40 5:20 5:40 6:25 6:40 7:35 7:40 7:45 7:55 8:10 8:15 8:20 8:30 8:35 9:05 9:05 9:30 9:35 10:50 10:55 11:10 11:20 11:55 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:25 13:50 14:00 14:10 14:15 14:30 14:35 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:15 16:20 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:05 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:40 17:45

ALK KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC IAC KAC KAC KAC FDB OMA JAI JZR JZR SVA DHX KAC VOS WAN GFA MEA QTR UAE JZR SAI JZR RBG UAL JZR DLH

227 502 542 618 614 674 166 575 102 774 562 61 647 572 179 201 506 372 786 81 104 217 402 136 859 157 441 185 3553 981 553 636

COLOMBO / DUBAI BEIRUT CAIRO DOHA BAHRAIN DUBAI PARIS / ROME CHENNAI / GOA NEW YORK / LONDON RIYADH AMMAN DUBAI MUSCAT MUMBAI DUBAI DAMASCUS JEDDAH BAHRAIN JEDDAH BAGHDAD DUBAI BAHRAIN BEIRUT DOHA DUBAI DOHA LAHORE / KARACHI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA FRANKFURT

18:10 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:50 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:15 20:35 21:00 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:40 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:15 23:35

Airlines UAL AXB IAC PIA DLH TAR ETH BBC THY FDB UAE ETD QTR DHX JZR JZR RJA JZR GFA KAC VOS JZR FDB BAW JZR KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY

Flt 981 390 982 206 637 328 623 44 773 68 854 306 139 371 554D 164 803 150 212 545 94 120 54 156 256 671 745 551 856 124

Departure Flights on Friday 18/2/2011 Route WASHINGTON DC DULLES MANGALORE / KOZHIKODE HYDERABAD / AHMEDABAD / CHENNAI LAHORE FRANKFURT TUNIS ADDIS ABABA DHAKA ISTANBUL DUBAI DUBAI ABU DHABI DOHA BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DUBAI AMMAN DOHA BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA DUBAI / KANDAHAR BAHRAIN DUBAI LONDON BEIRUT DUBAI DAMMAM / ABU DHABI DAMASCUS DUBAI SHARJAH

Time 0:45 0:45 1:05 1:10 1:30 1:40 2:30 2:35 3:15 3:45 3:50 4:00 4:55 5:45 6:30 6:55 7:00 7:10 7:15 7:50 8:00 8:20 8:25 8:55 9:00 9:00 9:05 9:10 9:40 9:45

QTR KAC ETD GFA KAC JZR IRA JZR KAC JZR KAC MEA KAC IYE MSR MSR FDB KAC JZR KAC OMA UAL KAC KAC JZR JZR KAC KAC QTR WAN MLR ETD GFA UAE RJA JZR ABY JZR SVA ALK WAN KAC KAC WAN FDB KAC JZR KAC OMA JAI JZR SVA DHX KAC GFA MEA KAC QTR KAC JZR UAE RBG SAI KAC

133 117 302 214 177 212 618 124 541 238 103 405 501 825 624 611 58 561 200 673 646 982 617 785 178 552 613 773 135 103 404 304 216 858 801 184 128 156 511 228 305 283 361 407 62 331 786 343 648 571 528 507 373 675 218 403 203 137 301 502 860 3554 442 411

DOHA NEW YORK ABU DHABI BAHRAIN FRANKFURT / GENEVA DEIREZZOR LAR BAHRAIN CAIRO AMMAN LONDON BEIRUT BEIRUT DOHA / SANAA SOHAG CAIRO DUBAI AMMAN DAMASCUS DUBAI MUSCAT BAHRAIN DOHA JEDDAH DUBAI ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN RIYADH DOHA DUBAI DUBAI / COLOMBO ABU DHABI BAHRAIN DUBAI AMMAN DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA RIYADH DUBAI / COLOMBO CAIRO DHAKA COLOMBO BEIRUT DUBAI TRIVANDRUM RIYADH CHENNAI MUSCAT MUMBAI ASSIUT JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN BEIRUT LAHORE DOHA MUMBAI LUXOR DUBAI ALEXANDRIA LAHORE BANGKOK / MANILA

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

10:00 10:00 10:20 10:20 10:30 11:45 11:50 12:00 12:00 12:10 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:30 13:55 14:35 14:45 14:45 15:10 15:15 15:25 15:35 15:45 15:50 16:00 16:20 16:25 16:30 17:05 17:40 17:40 18:05 18:10 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 19:10 19:15 20:15 20:20 20:35 20:50 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:30 22:35 22:45 23:00 23:10 23:35 23:50 23:55

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

ACCOMMODATION Abraq Khaitan single room available for decent Indian bachelor beside main road in C-A/C, new building with DSL line from 15th Feb or 1st March. Contact: 97523316 / 24745162.

(C 3039) 16-2-2011 C-A/C finished big room available for executive bachelor with small Goan Hindu family at Amman Street, Salmiya.

Please call: 99408202. (C 3119) One room for rent for a single or two bachelors with a Goan family behind Arbid Buildings in Farwaniya.

Contact: 97245851.

(C 3120) A spacious room with separate toilet to let from a flat in Bneid Al-Gar, ideal for a decent working couple or 2 ladies / bachelors. Call: 60914165. (C 3121)

15-2-2011 Sharing accommodation is available for a decent working Indian lady in Salmiya.

Contact: 25635450 / 99838117.

(C 3113)

One C-A/C room with separate bathroom available for rent in Farwaniya for couples/visiting families or decent executive bachelor, to share with Keralite family in a two bedroom hall CA/C flat. If interested please contact mob: 97508939.

(C 3116) 14-2-2011 One room available for Pilipino couples only to share with Pilipino family in Hawally behind Popeyes restaurant, interested please call: 66440968 / 66266105. (C 3110) 13-2-2011 Accommodation available for decent Keralite bachelor in Abbassiya near German Medical Care. Rent KD 37.5.

Call on 66941892. (C 3106) One independent room in a CA/C three bedroom flat in Ashbiliya, fully furnished is available with all facilities of home. Contact Afzal Shafi. Tel: 99714430. (C 3108) 12-2-2011

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Nativa 2008, GLS white color, low mileage 63,000km, well maintained, excellent condition, ready to

check, price KD 3,150.

Interested person call only.

Contact: 66015265. (C 3118) 15-2-2011 Camry 2001, excellent condition, next passing January 2012. Price KD 2,000/-, genuine buyers please contact: 99827113. (C 3105) 12-2-2011

SITUATION WANTED An Indian MBA (Finance) having 5 years experience in Kuwait seeking suitable placement in Investment/ Auditing/ Corporate Finance.

Fluent in English, Arabic & Hindi and proficient on MSOffice, Excel, Word and Power point. Please Call: 66516791.

(C 3109) Licensed practitioner of general sawing, advance diploma in Industrial Engineering, having 20 years experiences as Industrial Engineering manager in foreign countries, seeking suitable placement in garment or related industry. Contact: 66317879. Email: prabashpremasinghe@gmail.com (C 3112) 13-2-2011 A well qualified female

(Indian) with several years of experience with multinational organizations in Kuwait, as Ex. Secretary/ Admin.

Coordinator is looking for a full-time one shift job or part-time job. Contact: 94470318 or Email: ambilivarma@rocketmail.com (C 3107) 12-2-2011

MATRIMONIAL Matrimonial alliance are invited for our daughter working as a technician at the Ministry of Health Kuwait, from Marthomite/CSI/Orthodox, God fearing parents. Email: bg7445@gmail.com (C 3123) 17-2-2011

proposal9321@gmail.com (C 3101) 12-2-2011 CHANGE OF NAME I, Abdul Rahim Mohammed Bashir, holder of Indian Passport No. F6264365 hereby change my name to Abdul Rahim Mohammed Bashir Shaikh. (C 3122) 16-2-2011 I, Derick Flaman D’Souza, holder of Indian Passport No. F 9268120, hereby change my name to Derick Flaman Souza. (C 3115) I, Susan Kurian, D/O Malamon Thomas Kurian and

Achamma Kurian hailing from Ranny in Pathanmthitta District, Kerala, India has embraced the religion of holy Islam and change my name to Subeena Habeeb.

(C 3117) 14-2-2011

Proposals invited for graduate Marthomite boy 31 years, 182cms, working in Kuwait. Looking for girls working in Kuwait. Email: kmtharakan@hotmail.com (C 3111) 13-2-2011 Seeking proposals for Pakistani Muslim family daughter, 24 years, MSc. Chemistry, on job, tall, smart, well mannered.

Contact Email:

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 5622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 5752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 5321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 5739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 5757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 5732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 5732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz

4555050 Ext 510 5644660 5646478 5311996 5731988 2620166 5651426

General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi Dr. Yousef Al-Omar Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem Dr. Kathem Maarafi Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae

4555050 Ext 123 4719312 3926920 5730465 5655528 4577781 5333501

Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

2547272 2617700 5625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar 3729596/3729581 Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

2635047 2613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe Dr. Verginia s.Marin 8321 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly Dr. Salem soso

3729596/3729581 572-6666 ext 2655539 5343406 5739272 2618787

General Surgeons: Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 2610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 5327148

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra Dr. Mobarak Aldoub Dr Nasser Behbehani

5728004 5355515 4726446 5654300/3

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed Dr. Zahra Qabazard Dr. Sohail Qamar Dr. Snaa Maaroof Dr. Pradip Gujare Dr. Zacharias Mathew

5340300 5710444 2621099 5713514 3713100 4334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada) 5655535

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman 2636464 Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 5322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 2633135 Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 5339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 5658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 5329924 Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 5330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 5722290

Dentists: Dr Anil Thomas Dr. Shamah Al-Matar Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

3729596/3729581 2641071/2 2562226 2561444 2619557 2525888 5653755 5620111

Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 4555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 5339667

Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 2641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 2639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 2616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 5313120

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada

2639939 2666300

5722291 2666288

Neurologists: Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 5633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 5345875

Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

CALGARY: Kari Lehtonen No. 32 of the Dallas Stars keeps an eye on the play as his teammate Stephane Robidas No.3 defends against Rene Bourque No. 17 of the Calgary Flames during their NHL game. —AFP

Kings march over Blue Jackets COLUMBUS: Jarret Stoll had the only goal in the shootout, leading Los Angeles past the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Wednesday to extend the Kings’ points streak to 10 games.

The Kings’ spurt is their best run in 31 years.

Los Angeles can match the franchise record when it plays the eighth of a 10-game road trip at the New York Rangers yesterday.

Los Angeles also has points in eight straight road games for its top surge since 1984. The Blue Jackets forced overtime on Kris Russell’s goal with 1:23 left in regulation.

Andrei Loktionov had a goal and an assist, and Justin Williams and Drew Doughty also scored for the Kings. Jonathan Quick had 21 saves through overtime and stopped all three shots in the shootout.

Rick Nash and Jake Voracek each had a goal and an assist, and Derek MacKenzie had two assists for Columbus, which had won five of six.

Mathieu Garon had 26 saves.

Riemsdyk also scored for the Flyers, who improved their NHL-best road record to 19-6-3.

Daniel Briere had an empty-net goal and two assists. Rostislav Olesz and Booth scored for the Panthers.

Devils 3, Hurricanes 2 At Newark, New Jersey, Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 20th goal of the season and sixth in seven games as New Jersey took another step in its unlikely playoff push by beating Carolina.

Brian Rolston and Patrik Elias blew the game open with goals early in the third period as the Devils won for the 13th time in 16 games and moved within 12 points of eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Johan Hedberg made 25 saves for New Jersey, which was 27 points below the postseason cutoff line heading into its game against Tampa Bay on Jan. 9. The Devils are 13th in the East. Sergei Samsonov and Tuomo Ruutu scored for eighth-place Carolina.

Capitals 7, Ducks 6 At Anaheim, California, Alexander Semin completed his seventh career hat trick by scoring the tying and go-ahead goals in the final minutes as Washington rallied to snap its threegame losing streak with a victory over Anaheim.

Semin tied it with 8:23 to play and put the Capitals ahead with 1:47 left, ending the supremely streaky scorer’s 17-game goal drought.

Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry had a goal and three assists apiece for the Ducks, whose fourgame winning streak ended.

Penguins 3, Avalanche 2 At Denver, Tyler Kennedy scored a powerplay goal 4:10 into overtime and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 29 shots as Pittsburgh sent Colorado to its ninth straight loss. Joe Vitale and Jordan Staal added goals for the injuryplagued Penguins, who snapped a two-game skid.

Chris Stewart and Cameron Gaunce scored for the Avalanche, who are in the midst of their longest skid since moving to Denver for the 1995-96 season.

Flyers 4, Panthers 2 At Sunrise, Florida, Mike Richards and Andreas Nodl scored 65 seconds apart in the first period as Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia held on to beat Florida. James van

Maple Leafs 2, Sabres 1 At Buffalo, New York, Joey Crabb’s shorthanded goal midway through the third period snapped Toronto’s seven-game losing streak at Buffalo. Phil Kessel also scored for Toronto,

which hadn’t won in Buffalo since Dec. 12, 2008.

The Maple Leafs have beaten their Northeast Division rival only twice in 15 meetings. Paul Gaustad scored for the Sabres.

Blackhawks 3, Wild 1 At Chicago, Troy Brouwer’s perfectly placed centering pass went off a Minnesota defenseman for the tiebreaking goal in the third period to help Corey Crawford and Chicago win without ailing coach Joel Quenneville. Quenneville was admitted to a hospital with an undisclosed illness after he started feeling discomfort at home late Tuesday.

Assistant Mike Haviland was in charge with Quenneville away, and the Blackhawks responded with a much-needed victory in their first home game since a 4-2 loss to Minnesota on Jan. 25.

Crawford made 33 saves, and Brian Campbell also scored for Chicago. Jake Dowell added an empty-net goal with 59 seconds left, and Marian Hossa had two assists.

Flames 4, Stars 2 At Calgary, Alberta, Cory Sarich and Steve Staios scored just over two minutes apart in the third period to send surging Calgary past Dallas.

Sarich, a defenseman, gave Calgary the lead at 2:35 with his third goal of the season, a snap shot into the top corner from just inside the blue line. Then, with the Flames short handed, Staios fired a long slap shot past Kari Lehtonen for his second goal.

Olli Jokinen and Tom Kostopolous also scored for Calgary, which has used a 10-1-2 run to move into eighth place in the Western Conference _ one point ahead of Los Angeles.

Mike Ribeiro and Jamie Langenbrunner scored for Dallas, which played without leading scorer Brad Richards for the second game. —AP

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Wednesday.

Toronto 2, Buffalo 1; New Jersey 3, Carolina 2; Los Angeles 4, Columbus 3 (SO); Philadelphia 4, Florida 2; Chicago 3, Minnesota 1; Pittsburgh 3, Colorado 2 (OT); Calgary 4, Dallas 2; Washington 7, Anaheim 6.

Philadelphia Pittsburgh NY Rangers New Jersey NY Islanders

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF 38 14 5 190 36 19 4 176 30 24 4 162 23 30 4 123 21 29 7 155

GA 144 143 144 160 189

PTS 81 76 64 50 49

Boston Montreal Buffalo Toronto Ottawa

Northeast Division 31 19 7 175 31 20 7 153 27 23 6 165 25 27 6 150 18 30 9 129

139 146 166 178 190

69 69 60 56 45

Tampa Bay Washington Carolina Atlanta Florida

Southeast Division 34 17 6 175 30 18 10 160 27 23 8 170 25 23 10 167 24 25 7 148

176 149 178 188 152

74 70 62 60 55

Detroit Nashville Chicago Columbus St. Louis

Western Conference Central Division 34 16 6 187 30 19 8 151 29 22 6 180 28 23 6 155 25 21 9 148

163 135 159 172 164

74 68 64 62 59

Vancouver Calgary Minnesota Colorado Edmonton

Northwest Division 37 12 9 196 30 22 8 181 30 22 5 148 25 26 7 173 17 32 8 141

137 175 152 198 194

83 68 65 57 42

Pacific Division Phoenix 30 19 9 165 162 69 San Jose 31 21 6 160 152 68 Anaheim 32 22 4 165 164 68 Dallas 31 21 6 162 166 68 Los Angeles 32 22 3 160 135 67 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

New team, new faces as Super 15 begins WELLINGTON: Rod Macqueen’s Melbourne Rebels will usher in a new era for southern hemisphere rugby when they make their debut against the New South Wales Waratahs in the first round of the Super 15 tournament today.

The Wellington Hurricanes and Otago Highlanders play the first match of the expanded championship two hours before the Rebels run out for their first match at Melbourne. It will be the form of the competition’s newcomers, coached by Macqueen and captained by Stirling Mortlock, which will hold most interest in the first round of matches played within a new format of three country-based conferences.

In other matches, the Auckland Blues will play the Canterbury Crusaders, the ACT Brumbies will play the Waikato Chiefs, the Queensland Reds take on the Western Force and in

South Africa, the Sharks play the Cheetahs and the Lions will play the Bulls.

If the rebels are competitive against the Waratahs, the Super 15’s expansion and structure might be given credibility; if they are not — something that will take more than one match to discern — the wisdom of the expansion may be questioned.

Forming a fifth team out of Australia’s already stretched pool of players is a major gamble and although the Rebels have drawn on overseas talent and recruits from rugby league, the club’s depth seems shallow.

Macqueen is a gifted coach who guided Australia to the World Cup title in 1999 and to its first series win over the British and Irish Lions in 2001, and Mortlock an inspirational leader, but they have a hard task ahead as the Rebels attempt to establish them-

selves in a city without a rugby heritage and among teams already hardened to Super rugby.

Their opening clash against Waratahs has history if not context.

Matches in any sport between teams from New South Wales and Victoria states are hard-fought: tournament organizers have counted on those traditions of rivalry in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in inaugurating conference play.

That fervent inter-state rivalry might not yet encompass the Rebels whose challenges this season, off the playing field, include embedding themselves in the consciousness of sports-mad Melbourne, where Australian Rules is clearly the No. 1 football code. Mortlock said the Rebels had to concentrate firstly on performance.

“You’re wasting your time worrying, firstly, about outcomes and, sec-

ondly, about things that are out of your control,” he said. “So for us we’re focusing on what we can control and that’s preparing as well as we can, knowing full well the challenge that we face.

“We all know the history behind other teams that have come into the Super tournament in the past and we tried to formulate a method whereby we can be competitive and we’re focused solely on doing that.” A new team, new coaches and new faces are a feature of the new season. The Hurricanes, under first season coach and former All Blacks hooker Mark Hammett, have a new look as they face their opening match against the Highlanders. Hammett has made an early mark by dropping All Blacks prop Neemia Tialata to the bench and naming untried youngster Michael Bent at tighthead for Friday night’s match in Wellington. —AP

Olympic champs lead in ice dance TAIPEI: Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir hold a slender lead over American pair Meryl Davis and Charlie White after yesterday’s short program in the ice dance competition at the Four Continents figure skating championships.

The Canadian couple scored 69.40 points in their return to the ice following Virtue’s October surgery to relieve pressure in her legs from compartment syndrome. That compared to 69.01 for their American rivals. “It was exciting for Tess and I to get back on the ice,” said Moir, who described their performance as “comfortable and strong.”

Virtue and Moir combined precision, fluency and elegance to delight the crowd at the Taipei Arena. But

they will have to be at their best to stay ahead of Davis and White, their training partners in Detroit, when the ice dance competition concludes today.

“It’s definitely a good start,” Virtue said. White, however, was disappointed with his performance with Davis.

“It probably wasn’t our best skating,” White said. “Technically it could have been a little bit better.”

The Four Continents competition, which finishes Sunday, is as a counterpart to the European Championships and features skaters from the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. It is seen as an important prelude to next month’s world championships in Japan. —AP

GERMANY: Austria’s Kathrin Zettel competes during the women’s Alpine skiing Championship Giant Slalom event. —AFP

Maze leads women’s giant slalom

TAIPEI: Yu Xiaoyang (left) and Wang Chen of China perform in the ice dance short dance during the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. —AFP

GERMANY: Tina Maze of Slovenia took advantage of an early start number on a course softened by fog yesterday to take a comfortable lead after the first run of the women’s giant slalom at the world championships.

After a two-hour race delay because of the thick fog, Maze was first out of the gate and timed 1 minute, 7.05 seconds as she looks for a first gold medal. She took silver in the event in her last two major competitions, at the 2009 worlds and the 2010 Olympics.

Federica Brignone of Italy was .34 seconds behind in second and Elisabeth Goergl of Austria was third .71 seconds adrift. There were more than 100 starters on the Kandahar course.

Goergl already has gold in super-G and the downhill and

Maze took silver in the super-combined. Maria Riesch of Germany, the local favorite, was fourth, .81 seconds behind Maze.

Manuela Moelgg of Italy was fifth and Olympic champion Viktoria Rebensburg was in a tie for sixth. Anja Paerson of Sweden faces an uphill battle in her attempt to tie the Alpine skiing record of 20 medals at worlds or Olympics held by Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway. She is 1.18 seconds behind Maze.

“The visibility was OK. It was the snow that was a little bit more difficult than we wanted it to be,” Paerson said. “This fog really put the humidity in the snow and made it not so hard, so it was difficult to run. It’s a tough race for the late start numbers, and Tina was lucky No. 1 and she used it well. I’ve

got a lot of work to do in the second run. To gain half a second against giant slalom specialists is going to be tough, but everything is possible in a world championships.”

Defending champion Kathrin Hoelzl of Germany finished 20th and dropped out of the second run because of persistent back problems. Hoelzl, who is also the World Cup champion in the event, said she would call is quits for the season. Julia Mancuso was the best American in 12th place. “It was definitely a little of a surprise. I thought I was faster, but sometimes that happens,” Mancuso said.

“It’s soft again because of the fog hanging on the course but I think it’s OK. You can see pretty good, it’s pretty clear. I think it was rolling in a little bit after me.”—AP

Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Record-breaking loser Svetlana gets revenge DUBAI: Svetlana Kuznetsova, who missed six match points while losing the longest match in Grand Slam history in Melbourne last month, missed six more whilst gaining revenge over Francesca Schiavone in the Dubai Open today.

The former French and US Open champion from Russia beat the French Open champion from Italy 1-6, 6-0, 7-5 in another extraordinary match in which picking a winner was like trying to understand the motions of a seismometer.

Their record-breaking fourth round marathon in the Australian Open lasted four hours and 44 minutes. This time their third round match lasted not quite two hours, but contained an improbably fluctuating final set which continued 18 minutes longer than the first two sets together.

“Somehow she gets me out of it,” said Kuznetsova in a puzzled voice, reflecting on the 12 match points the tenacious Schiavone saved in the two memorable contests.

“Actually I was playing better in Australia, but somehow it just didn’t go my way. Again here I couldn’t close it out-just one stupid point, I said to myself. It was very difficult but I did it.”

Kuznetsova, increasingly taking risks in charging to the net against a Schiavone who preferred weaving a web of varied ground strokes, had to endure two other trials.

She needed to save three crucial break points at 3-3 in the third set, and to recover from her annoyance at a trainer who apparently tried to put air into Kuznetsova’s ear during a medical time out.

“I was upset because I couldn’t hear anything,” Kuznetsova said. “I am like, ‘where are the drops? You know, I have enough air already. I have all air’.

“And I say, ‘please, can you put drops. I ask for it two games ago’. She said ‘yeah next changeover’. I say, ‘there may be no next changeover. It’s 4-3 in the third set. You cannot do these mistakes right now.’

“I am pissed because I was nervous, I was intense.

Everybody can make mistakes. But I just want everybody to understand that it’s important. It’s third set; it’s no jokes here.

It’s maybe the last chance, you know.”

Kuznetsova nevertheless broke serve in the following game

for 5-3, earned two match points two games later, and four more on Schiavone’s serve at 6-5 before winning another of many unpredictable rallies with a tightly angled forehand inside-out drive which just clipped the sideline.

“I feel embarrassed at being down at 23 in the world, but I know that at some stage I will be back in the top 10, and hopefully in the top five,” she said later.

Kuznetsova next plays Agnieszka Radwanska, the eighth seeded Pole, who ended Marion Bartoli’s hopes, steadily outmanoevring the French player 6-3, 6-2.

Another leading player to go out was Vera Zvonareva, the second seed, who was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by her tall and hard-hitting Russian compatriot Alisa Kleybanova on a breezy outside court.

“I had absolutely different opponent with different style of game, very powerful,” said Zvonareva, comparing Kleybanova

DUBAI: Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova returns the ball to Francesca Schiavone from Italy during the fourth day of the Dubai WTA Tennis Championship.

—AP

with the Italian Roberta Vinci, whom she overcame in her opening encounter.

“To handle that pace, I was trying to use pace as well, and I felt my ball was flying a lot and I made a lot of unforced errors.

I just could not readjust.” Zvonareva also delivered a double fault in six of her eight service games.

Earlier Yanina Wickmayer, who on yesterday upset the fifthseeded Li Na, the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final, was herself beaten.

The second best Belgian was gradually worn down 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 by the tenacity and mobility of Shahar Peer, the first Israeli woman athlete to compete in the UAE, who is still playing only on her security-designated outside court.

Peer typically played her best tennis from 4-4 in the second set, and earned herself a place in the quarter-finals where her likely opponent was the top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki.—AFP

Hewitt and Fish advance in Memphis MEMPHIS: Canada’s Milos Raonic beat No. 2 seed Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5) on Wednesday in the first round of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships, his second victory over the Spaniard in four days.

Raonic, aged 20 and the fastest rising young star on the ATP Tour, beat Verdasco on Sunday in the finals of the SAP Open in San Jose for his first career title. He has risen from 159 in the world to start the year to 59 this week.

“I’m happy with the outcome, but I think there are things I can improve on the match that I’ll take time to think about,” Raonic said. “But I can’t be unsatisfied with this result.” He said beating Verdasco on Sunday did provide a confidence boost.

A frustrated Verdasco lamented having to play the hard-serving Raonic twice in conditions that favor his game and not Verdasco’s. The points were quickly played.

“For me that’s not a real match in tennis,” Verdasco said.

“I hope to play soon against him in clay court to show him what it is to play tennis, and play rallies, and run, and not only serve.” In other first-round action, former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, a quarterfinalist last week in Leyton Hewitt in action in this file photo.

San Jose, beat No. 7 seed Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan 6-4, 76(3) . Hewitt, who is ranked 70th and unseeded in the tournament, wasn’t pleased with how the second set unfolded. “It’s always frustrating to be up a set and a break and (not) close it out,” Hewitt said.

“I felt like I came out and I was ready to go right from the start, which was a key out there because Lu is a good ball-striker. He hits a lot of winners out there and it’s hard to be real aggressive against him.”

In the second round, No. 4 Mardy Fish of the United States defeated Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (3) and Robert Kendrick beat fellow-American James Blake 76 (5), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of an ATP event for the first time since July 2006.

Frenchman Florent Serra knocked out No. 9 Xavier Malisse of Belgium, who had to retire in the second set trailing 6-2, 1-0.

In the women’s event, No. 3 Melanie Oudin of the United States was eliminated by Evgeniya Rodina of Russia, 6-1, 7-5. Oudin’s loss left sixth-seeded Rebecca Marino of Canada as the lone remaining seed in the tournament. —AP

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Cavaliers avenge defeat against Lakers CLEVELAND: Looking nothing like two-time defending NBA champions, the Lakers dropped their third straight game, a stunning 104-99 loss Wednesday to the Cleveland Cavaliers — the league’s worst team, which avenged a 55-point embarrassment against Los Angeles last month.

Ramon Sessions came off the bench and scored a season-high 32 points for the Cavs, who were beaten 112-57 by the Lakers on Jan. 11. That loss was No. 11 in a league-record streak that eventually reached 26 before Cleveland ended it last week with an overtime win against LA’s lessheralded squad, the Clippers. Pau Gasol had 30 points and 20 rebounds for the Lakers.

NBA results/standings Results and standings from NBA games on Wednesday.

Orlando 101, Washington 76; Miami 103, Toronto 95; Boston 94, New Jersey 80; Cleveland 104, LA Lakers 99; Detroit 115, Indiana 109 (OT); NY Knicks 102, Atlanta 90; LA Clippers 98, Minnesota 90; Dallas 116, Sacramento 100; Philadelphia 114, Houston 105; Denver 94, Milwaukee 87; Golden State 107, Utah 100; Portland 103, New Orleans 96.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Boston 40 14 .741 NY Knicks 28 26 .519 12 Philadelphia 27 29 .482 14 New Jersey 17 40 .298 24.5 Toronto 15 41 .268 26

Celtics 94, Nets 80 At Boston, Paul Pierce bounced back from one of the worst games of his career with 31 points to help Boston head into the All-Star break with the best record in the East. Pierce, who was 0 for 10 and had one point in Sunday’s victory over Miami, scored seven points during a 16-0 run late in the fourth quarter as the Celtics turned a onepoint deficit into a blowout. Brook Lopez scored 18 points and Devin Harris had 16 for the Nets.

Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Detroit Cleveland

Heat 103, Raptors 95 At Toronto, Dwyane Wade scored 28 points, and LeBron James had 23 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for Miami. Chris Bosh scored 25 points in his first game in Toronto against his former team, which lost for the 17th time in 19 games.

Andrea Bargnani scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter and DeMar DeRozan finished with 24, but the Raptors never led after the first 6 minutes of the game.

Mavericks 116, Kings 100 At Dallas, Jason Kidd scored 17 points in the third quarter and Rodrigue Beaubois lived up to high expectations for his season debut with 13 points and six assists for Dallas. Jermaine Taylor had 17 points as Sacramento lost its seventh in eight games.

Magic 101, Wizards 76 At Orlando, Florida, Dwight Howard had 32 points and 10 rebounds for his 45th doubledouble of the season as Orlando won its second and fourth in five games. Jason Richardson added 16 points and Ryan Anderson chipped in 14 for Orlando. John Wall scored 27 points and Andray Blatche had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Wizards.

Nuggets 94, Bucks 87 At Milwaukee, Carmelo Anthony scored 38 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help Denver to a much needed win after losses in four of its previous five games.

Anthony was 16 of 30 from the field and Chauncey Billups scored nine of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for the Nuggets. John Salmons scored a season-high 33 points and Andrew Bogut grabbed 20 rebounds for Milwaukee.

Knicks 102, Hawks 90 At New York, Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points to lead New York into the All-Star break with a winning record. Wilson Chandler added 20 points and Danilo Gallinari had 17 for the Knicks, who at 28-26 matched their average victory total for the last five full seasons. Marvin Williams scored 17 points for the Hawks, who lost for the third time in four games.

Central Division 37 16 24 30 21 34 21 36 10 46

.698 .444 13.5 .382 17 .368 18 .179 28.5

Southeast Division Miami 41 15 .732 Orlando 36 21 .632 Atlanta 34 21 .618 Charlotte 24 32 .429 Washington 15 39 .278

5.5 6.5 17 25

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 35 19 .648 Portland 32 24 .571 Denver 32 25 .561 Utah 31 26 .544 Minnesota 13 43 .232

4 4.5 5.5 23

Pacific Division LA Lakers 38 19 Phoenix 27 26 Golden State 26 29 LA Clippers 21 35 Sacramento 13 40

.667 .509 9 .473 11 .375 16.5 .245 23

Southwest Division San Antonio 46 9 .836 Dallas 39 16 .709 7 New Orleans 33 25 .569 14.5 Memphis 31 26 .544 16 Houston 26 31 .456 21

MILWAUKEE: Denver Nuggets’ JR Smith (5) loses the ball as he drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks’ Andrew Bogut during the second half of an NBA basketball game. —AP T Blazers 103, Hornets 96 At Portland, Oregon, LaMarcus Aldridge scored 34 points to help Portland win its season-high sixth straight game. Wesley Matthews added 24 points for Portland, which has been able to win despite injuries to three-time All-Star Brandon Roy and starting center Marcus Camby. David West had 27 points and Willie Green added 24 for the Hornets.

Clippers 98, T’wolves 90 At Minneapolis, Blake Griffin stole the show in a matchup of All-Star power forwards with 29 points, eight rebounds and five assists to lead Los Angeles past Minnesota. Former Timberwolves player Randy Foye scored 21 points and Ryan

Gomes added 18 to help the Clippers to just their second win on an eight-game road trip. All-Star Kevin Love had 18 points and 18 rebounds for his 42nd double-double in a row.

Pistons 115, Pacers 109 At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Tayshaun Prince had 25 points and 11 rebounds as Detroit held on after blowing a 10-point lead in fourth quarter.

Indiana’s Darren Collison tied the game with 15.4 seconds left. Prince had the ball in the final seconds of regulation with a chance to win it, but didn’t get a good shot off or the foul he wanted from the officials. Roy Hibbert matched a career high with 29 points and Danny Granger scored 28 for Indiana.

Warriors 107, Jazz 100 At Salt Lake City, Monta Ellis scored 35 points as Golden State kept new Utah head coach Ty Corbin winless since Jerry Sloan retired.

Al Jefferson scored 23 points, Paul Millsap added 22 and C.J. Miles 20 for the Jazz, who head into the All-Star break without any momentum after dropping 13 of their last 17.

76ers 114, Rockets 105 At Houston, Jrue Holiday scored 20 points to lead seven 76ers in double-figures as Philadelphia rallied from an early 12point deficit to beat Houston. Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young scored 19 points apiece, Spencer Hawes had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Andre Iguodala had 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the 76ers. Kyle Lowry scored a career-high 36 points and Luis Scola added 26 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets. —AP

Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Curtain rises on cricket World Cup in Dhaka

DHAKA: Fireworks explode over the opening ceremony of the ICC World Cup of Cricket. —AP

NEW DELHI: The 10th cricket World Cup opened in a blaze of color yesterday, launching a gruelling 49-match, six-week sporting marathon that promises to be the most open for years. The captains of the 14 competing teams paraded through Dhaka’s historic Bangabandhu Stadium in colorfully draped rickshaws as Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina looked on.

Ricky Ponting, skipper of defending champions Australia, led the sparkling threewheeled procession at the start of the event, showcasing the culture of the three host nations-India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Indian singer Sonu Nigam and Bangladesh-based Runa Laila as well as veteran Canadian rocker Bryan Adams were the headline acts among 3,500 performers.

“I hope that the games will be memorable and exciting,” said Sheikh Hasina. “It gives me great pleasure to declare the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup open.”

Favourites India will go into the tournament opener against Bangladesh on Saturday in Dhaka in buoyant mood after two wins in their warm-up matches, including a crushing 117-run victory on Wednesday over New Zealand. But South African skipper Graeme Smith said the World Cup was up for grabs. “I believe every team taking part has a chance to win, it is all very open,” he said as all 14 captains gathered ahead of the opening ceremony. Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni defended the exhausting schedule which culminates in the final at Mumbai on April 2.

“All teams are in good touch. The gap between matches will help players recover from niggles which are bound to happen. It means every team will be in good shape,” he said. Pakistan are sweating over the form and fitness of bowling spearhead Shoaib Akhtar, who is part of a pace attack already depleted by the absence of banned duo Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif.

Akhtar, wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, and seamer Umar Gul were taken for random dope testing after a practice session on

Wednesday, team manager Intikhab Alam told AFP. “These are normal procedures and players from every team will be tested,” Alam said. Akhtar, recalled for the World Cup after being out of action for most of the past three years due to a spate of injuries, tested positive for a banned drug nandrolone in 2006. There was further trouble for Akhtar after he and fellow paceman Wahab Riaz were fined 3,000 Bangladeshi taka ($42) each for returning late from a private dinner on Wednesday night.

Pakistan face England in the final warmup match in Fatullah today, a game the ageing Akhtar needs to perform in to make the team for their opener against Kenya on February 23. England fast bowler Stuart Broad admitted he was keeping his distance from Pakistan as the teams prepared for their first meeting since the ‘spot-fixing’ scandal that rocked cricket and led to bans for three Pakistan players, including Aamer and Asif.

“We’ve not seen a huge amount of them in the hotel - we’ve not been going out for dinner with them particularly,” Broad told reporters. “Obviously it was a tough summer for us last year, all England players will say the same.” Meanwhile, international cricket chiefs have approved Tinashe Panyangara as a replacement for the injured Edward Rainsford in the Zimbabwe squad.

Rainsford is the eighth player to be replaced after compatriots Tinotenda Mawoyo and Sean Ervine, Australia’s Nathan Hauritz and Michael Hussey, Praveen Kumar of India, England’s Eoin Morgan and Sohail Tanveer of Pakistan.

West Indies opener Adrian Barath and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh junior are injury doubts for their opening clash against South Africa on February 24, a team spokesman said. “Both players are struggling with hamstring injuries and had scans.

The outlook is not good. If replacements are required they will be named in the next few days,” a West Indies spokesman told the cricinfo website. —AFP

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s captain Shakib Al Hasan during opening ceremony of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. —AP

Skippers predict close contest DHAKA: Graeme Smith of South Africa and India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined a chorus of World Cup skippers predicting a closely contested tournament that will thrill players and fans alike.

At a rare assembly of all 14 captains for a photo-shoot and media conference in Dhaka yesterday ahead of cricket’s showpiece event, the general refrain was that it was impossible to choose a winner.

“I believe every team taking part has a chance to win, it is all very open,” Smith said at the function that took place a few hours before the opening ceremony at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Added Dhoni: “All teams are in good touch.

The gap between matches will help players recover from niggles which are bound to happen. It means every team will be in good shape for their matches. “A side that plays consistently well over the next six weeks will

do well.” Ricky Ponting, whose Australia won the last three World Cups, was the first off the blocks in making his opening remarks before the floor was thrown open to the media.

“On behalf of the 13 other captains, I welcome the cricket fraternity to the World Cup,” said Ponting. “It is the pinnacle of our sport and we will make sure it is a spectacle to remember.” Dhoni, speaking on behalf of the three host nations-India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka-said it was fitting the tournament was being held in South Asia where cricket was a major sport. “I welcome the other teams and hope they will enjoy our hospitality. The interest in cricket in this part of the world is unmatched. I am sure everyone will have a great time.”

England’s Andrew Strauss said his team’s narrow 16-run win over minnows Canada in a practice match on Wednesday, showed how close this tournament could be. —AFP

Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Little Crawley looks to down mighty United CRAWLEY: They are both nicknamed “The Red Devils” and both have fiery Scotsmen as their managers. That’s where the similarities end between Manchester United and Crawley Town.

The gulf between the two clubs could hardly be any bigger ahead of their meeting tomorrow in the FA Cup fifth round, a game being billed as one of the biggest mismatches in the history of the famous knockout competition.

United, a world-renowned power which has been European champion three times and has some of the world’s great football names like Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs, sits four points clear at the top of the Premier League as it marches relentlessly to a record 19th English title.

Crawley has never played above the fifth tier of English football and, until this year, struggled to attract a crowd of more than 500 spectators to its non-league

FA Cup fifth round matches. The tiny southeast club will, however, become a household name if it springs the shock of a lifetime at Old Trafford this weekend, continuing its remarkable giantkilling run this season.

“It’s a dream come true for the club,” Crawley chairman Victor Marley told The Associated Press.

“The opportunity to perform in front of 75,000 people is something that every player, every manager aspires to do. “It’s also a fantastic moment for the people of Crawley, to go and see their team play the future champions of England. It’s what any non-league club would ever have wished or hoped for.”

Crawley became only the sixth non-league team since the end of World War II — and the first in 17 years — to reach this stage in the FA Cup after beating league sides Swindon, Derby and Torquay. The

Racing canceled at F1 circuit amid Bahrain unrest DUBAI: Practice for the GP2 Asia Series race in Bahrain has been canceled amid anti-government protests that have left four dead overnight — less than a month before the season-opening Formula One race at the same circuit.

The Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled for March 13, with F1 workers due to be in the country 10 days earlier. All track activity at the Bahrain International Circuit has been postponed until today, organizers said yesterday.

Medical staff normally stationed at the circuit “have been temporary called to the city’s hospitals in case of an emergency.” Earlier this week, FIA expressed confidence that the anti-government protests on the island nation in the Gulf would not prevent the running of next month’s F1 race.

Thousands of protesters poured into the country’s main square Tuesday in an Egypt-style rebellion that sharply escalated pressure on authorities.

Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa made a rare national TV address, offering condolences for the deaths, pledging an investigation into the killings and promising to push ahead with reforms.

Riot police with tear gas and clubs early yesterday broke up a camp that anti-government protesters had set up on the square, killing four people, according to medical officials. Armed patrols prowled neighborhoods throughout the day and tanks appeared in the streets for the first time.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said in an interview with London’s Daily Telegraph on Tuesday that protesters could gain global attention by “making a problem on the start grid.”

Ecclestone’s comments came after Nabeel Rajab, the vice president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, spoke of his fears the race could be targeted.

Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, chief executive officer of the Bahrain International Circuit, has said security remains of paramount concern and that it was monitoring the situation.—AP

club now stands to receive “in excess of 1 million pounds ($1.6 million),” according to Marley, through gate receipts, TV revenue and other add-ons from the United match.

That’s a mind-boggling sum for any non-league team but it will simply swell the overspilling coffers at the modern-day Crawley Town.

The club was about to fold in 2006 under the tenure of brothers Chas and Azwar Majeed when it was rescued by a group of local businessmen.

Debts of more than 1 million pounds were wiped clear and new investors pumped even more cash into Crawley to help build a squad of relative quality and depth, costing a reported sum of 500,000 pounds ($800,000). From scrambling around in the lower reaches of the non-league, Crawley is now

second in the Blue Square Bet Premier Division with games in hand and destined for league status for the first time in its history. It has even earned the moniker “The Manchester City of non-league football,” in reference to Man United’s big-spending rival. Gone are the days when non-league giantkillers had a construction worker at left back and a mechanic in central midfield. Crawley - unlike most other clubs at their level _ has a squad crammed full of professional footballers, many with extensive league experience. Does that take some of the romance out of Crawley’s stunning run? Not according to Marley, who has been in place through the club’s financial transition. “I can understand that people can be envious or jealous but I’d rather be in our position than in someone else’s.

Manchester City have had to suffer that problem as well,” he said.—AP

Cruzeiro thrash Estudiantes BRAZIL: Wallyson and Walter Montillo scored two goals each as Brazilian club Cruzeiro humbled Argentine league champion Estudiantes 5-0 Wednesday in the Copa Libertadores group stage.

Wallyson put Cruzeiro ahead in the first minute and scored again in the 83rd, while strikes from Roger in the 18th and Montillo in the 39th and 59th gave the Brazilian club some revenge after losing the 2009 Libertadores final to Estudiantes. Also Wednesday, defending champion Internacional of Brazil was held 1-1 by Ecuador’s Emelec.

In other group games, it was: Once Caldas 0, San Martin 3; Union Espanola 2, Universidad Catolica 2; and Chiapas 2, Wilstermann 0. The Copa Libertadores is the top club competition in Latin America.

Group play started in earnest on Tuesday, with the 32 clubs still in the competition split into eight groups of four. After home and away fixtures, the top two teams in each group qualify for the last 16 knockout round.

The final of the competition is scheduled for June, with the winner earning a place in the Club World Cup to compete against the other continental champions at the end of the year.

In Group 7, Wallyson’s speculative shot cannoned off Estudiantes defender German Re and over goalkeeper Agustin Orion to put Cruzeiro ahead inside the first minute.

Argentine forward Montillo threaded a pass for Roger to add the second in the 18th and the two players combined again as Montillo added the third himself with a low shot.

Montillo capped a fine display with a rising strike for Cruzeiro’s fourth goal and Wallyson sealed the

CHILE: Luis Pedro Figueroa of Chile’s Union Espanola (right) looks as Lucas Pratto of Chile’s Universidad Catolica, controls the ball during a Copa Libertadores soccer game.—AP

resounding win with a finish following Thiago Ribeiro’s center. Cruzeiro’s stadium in Belo Horizonte is being refitted for the 2014 World Cup, so the match was played in the nearby city of Sete Lagoas. In Quito, Fernando Gimenez equalized just before the final whistle to give Emelec a 1-1 draw at home against Internacional in Group 6. Mario Bolatti had put the Brazilian club ahead in the 82nd.

In the same group, Miguel Martinez in the 67th minute and Ricardo Esqueda in the 79th scored the goals as Chiapas of Mexico took a 2-0 home victory against the Jorge Wilstermann club from Bolivia.

“It was important to start with a win at home,” said Martinez. “We knew they would come to fight, but

we managed to open up the game and get the victory.” In Group 4, Leonardo Monje put Union Espanola ahead in the 48th minute against fellow Chilean side Universidad Catolica.

Lucas Pratto equalized in the 67th and Fernando Meneses put Universidad ahead with 20 minutes to go, but a stoppage-time penalty from Braulio Leal ensured the match finished level.

In Group 1, Heber Arriola scored either side of half time as Peru’s Universidad San Martin won 3-0 at 2004 Libertadores champion Once Caldas of Colombia. Arriola’s goals in the 38th and 60th minutes sandwiched German Alemanno’s strike in the 42nd for the Peruvian club.

Matches continue late yesterday.—AP

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DHAKA: Fireworks explode at the opening ceremony of the ICC World Cup of Cricket in Dhaka.—AP

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