15 Mar 2010

RI PT IO N BS C SU THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

40 PAGES

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2010

RABI ALAWAL 29, 1431 AH

Rio’s zoo a maternity ward for endangered species

Thaksin rally issues ultimatum to Thai government PAGE 10

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New Labor Law serialized inside Starting from today and for the next ten days, Kuwait Times will publish the new Labor Law in the private sector in parts for the enlightenment of our readers. Readers who have any comments on the law are welcome to express their views constructively via email at local@kuwaittimes.net (See Page 3)

in the news

NO: 14668

150 FILS

Alonso marks Ferrari debut with Bahrain victory

Rampant Rooney puts United back on top

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Legal panel clears KD 5,000 handout Bill sent to financial panel • Info minister gears for grilling

Dar wins legal protection KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti court has granted troubled firm Investment Dar, which owns half of luxury British carmaker Aston Martin, legal protection from creditors, the company said yesterday. The Kuwaiti firm, which has more than three billion dollars of debt, applied to come under the state’s financial protection law, which was enacted about a year ago to help companies face the global financial crisis. The leading Islamic investment firm is the first company to resort to protection under the law.

The court “has accepted the Investment Dar request to come under the financial stability law,” the company said in a statement posted on the Kuwait Stock Exchange website. “Accordingly, all legal actions against the company will be halted,” it added.

By B Izzak

Global reports loss again KUWAIT: Global Investment House, a leading Kuwaiti investment firm which is implementing a debt restructuring plan, said yesterday it posted a loss in 2009 for the second straight year. Global said in a statement on the Kuwait Stock Exchange that it posted a loss of KD 148.8 million ($516 million) in 2009 compared to a shortfall of KD 257.6 million ($894 million) in the previous year. The company has been severely impacted by the global financial crisis and in Dec 2008 it defaulted on all of its estimated three billion dollars in debt.

But last December, it struck a deal with creditors to restructure $1.73 billion in debt, promising to repay all the loans within three years. The company’s assets dropped to $2.9 billion at the end of last year from $4.35 billion at the end of 2008, while assets under management fell to $5.9 billion from $7.6 billion in the previous year.

ARLINGTON, Texas: Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines celebrates after defeating Joshua Clottey from Ghana in a unanimous decision during their WBO boxing welterweight title fight in Cowboys Stadium Saturday. — AP (See Page 18)

Filipinos cheer Pacquiao win MANILA: Filipinos rejoiced yesterday at boxing hero Manny Pacquiao’s victory in the United States after the country’s electricity provider pulled out all the stops to ensure people could watch the fight.

Live coverage of the 12-round fight between Pacquiao and Ghana’s Joshua Clottey went without a hitch af ter Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes warned: “If people don’t get

to watch Manny Pacquiao, it’s big trouble. That is a national catastrophe.” In the weeks ahead, Manila and the southern Philippines had suffered daily power outages.

As in previous Pacquiao fights, the streets were empty as millions of fans were glued to television sets and radios. Police reported a “zero crime rate” - a phenomenon seen during previous Pacquiao fights,

when even hardened criminals and guerrillas followed the event.

Pacquiao easily defeated Clottey by a unanimous decision to retain his World Boxing Organization welterweight title at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas. “I owe this to all my fellow Filipinos, most of all to my family,” he told DZBB radio afterwards.

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KU WA I T: T h e N a t i o n a l Assembly’s legal and legislative committee yesterday approved a draf t law that requires the government to provide as a grant KD 5,000 to each Kuwaiti citizen aged 21 and above, M P Wa l e e d A l -Ta b t a b a e i said. He said the committee established that the bill is not in violation of the constitution and other laws, and then sent it to the financial and economic affairs committee which is the concerned panel to discuss the financial implications and cost of the bill.

The bill was proposed by MP Saleh Ashour who initially sought a grant of KD 10,000 for each Kuwaiti citizen. It was submitted after the government said it will reject a law passed by the Assembly requiring the government to scrap interest on loans taken by citizens and reschedule the principal over a long period. The government has already rejected the debt relief law and its suppor ters do not have a two-thirds majority, or 44 votes, to override the government rejection. Finance Minister Mustafa AlShamali has already said the government will reject any proposals that stipulate cash handouts to citizens. If approved, the bill will cost the state coffers billions of dinars.

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Mini clip safer than heart-valve surgery ATLANTA: Many people with leaky heart valves soon might be able to get them fixed without open-heart surgery. A study showed that a tiny clip implanted through an artery was safer and nearly as effective as surgery, doctors reported yesterday.

The device is already on sale in Europe, and its maker, Abbott Laboratories, hopes to win approval to sell it in the United States next year.

Elizabeth Taylor reportedly got one last fall - the 77year-old actress told fans about it on Twitter.

About 8 million people in the US and Europe have leaky mitral valves - the valve between the heart’s left upper and lower chambers. Not all are so bad they need treatment, but the worst cases can lead to heart failure over time. In the study, six times more people who had surgery suffered complications during the next month than those who got Abbott’s MitraClip.

Deaths, strokes and blood transfusions were less common with the device.

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‘Irked’ Egypt cancels synagogue ceremony CAIRO: Egypt canceled the inauguration of a restored synagogue yesterday citing objections to Israel’s treatment of Muslims in the occupied territories as well as alleged excesses during an earlier ceremony. Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities spent seven months restoring the ruined Ben Maimon synagogue in Cairo’s ancient Jewish quarter and had been set to unveil it to the press yesterday, a week after its rededication in a private ceremony.

Council head Zahi Hawass called off yesterday’s event following criticism in the press of the synagogue’s rededication ceremony, which was attended by Israeli diplomats as well as the American ambassador.

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Netanyahu calls for calm as US tensions boil over

BELHARI, India: This Feb 18, 2010 photo shows Indian boy Deepak Kumar, 7, crying as he walks with a parasitic twin growing from his torso in this village in Bihar. — AFP

Parents of 8-limbed child hope for help PATNA, India: Seven-year-old Deepak Kumar, born with four legs and four arms in one of the most impoverished states of India, is still too young to understand why pilgrims come to the house to worship him. His severe physical disability, which his parents want treated with surgery, has turned him into a religious icon for some local Hindus who see a resemblance to the multi-limbed deity Vishnu. “Some people give me money, fruit and sweets. Sometime I also get flowers from them,” said the child, from Belhari village about 125 km from Patna, the capital of the northeastern Indian state of Bihar.

His plight is rare, say campaigners, but it highlights the misunderstanding of disability in India, as well as the

lack of medical care for those born with defects, particularly in rural areas. “Some people with folded hands bend before him, others are touching him like a deity and many offer money or sweets for divine blessings,” his mother, Indu Devi, told AFP during an interview with the family in Patna. She says her third son’s survival surprised local doctors and village elders in this rural area who held out little hope of him surviving after birth.

Many children born in India with his level of physical disability - he has the extra limbs owing to a parasitic twin attached at his chest - would have died during birth or become one of India’s many unreported infanticide cases, campaigners say.

Continued on Page 14

Israel’s Maariv newspaper JERUSALEM: Prime said in an editorial. Its front Minister Benjamin page showed a car toon of Netanyahu urged calm yesObama boiling Netanyahu in terday as an angr y a large pot, under a banner Washington said it was headline, “In flames”. insulted by Israel’s Israel has long viewed the “destr uctive” announceUnited States as its most ment of plans to expand important ally and a crucial settlements in east partner in confronting Iran’s Jerusalem. The rift is seen nuclear drive, which the by many in Israel as the Jewish state sees as its greatest crisis to hit the greatest strategic threat. two close allies in decades, “We are heading into crucial and it appeared to be deepdays. The Iranian nuclear ening as senior US officials threat requires a prime mincontinued to berate Netanyahu despite his pub- JERUSALEM: Israeli ister who is the US presilic apology on Thursday. Prime Minister Benjamin dent’s darling,” the Maariv “We opened the papers this Netanyahu chairs the editorial said. “Instead, we have gotten ourselves a morning and saw the analyses and reviews. I suggest weekly cabinet meeting in prime minister who is very close to being persona non we not get car ried away, his office yesterday. — AP and calm down,” Netanyahu said ahead of a grata in Washington.”

Analysts said the crisis was a result of weekly cabinet meeting. “We know how to deal with situations like these, calmly, Netanyahu trying to manoeuvre one too many times between his mostly rightwing responsibly and seriously.”

Israel had thought the crisis - provoked by governing coalition and the United States, an announcement of plans for 1,600 new set- which has been pushing him toward peace tler homes in mostly Arab east Jerusalem talks with the Palestinians. “It is a very seriduring a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden ous crisis. During his first year Netanyahu - was over following the apology. But the manoeuvred in a very sophisticated way, United States has signalled over the weekend walking on a tightrope like acrobat, and I that things were far from business as usual. think this is the first time he fell from the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton berated rope,” said Alon Liel, a former director of Netanyahu in a 43-minute phone conversa- Israel’s foreign ministry.

“It still remains to be seen how painful it tion before telling the press the move was “insulting,” and sent a “deeply negative sig- will be,” he told AFP. “We have come to a moment of truth and Netanyahu has to make nal” about Israel’s ties to its top ally.

Yesterday David Axelrod, one of President up his mind if he is serious about honestly Barack Obama’s closest advisers, echoed responding to US and inter national Clinton’s remarks, saying the announcement demands.” Last week’s announcement over was an “insult” to the United States and the settlements dealt a heavy blow to months “very destructive” to the peace process. of US-led efforts to relaunch peace talks “The crisis is still in full force and has between Israel and the Palestinians that were reached new heights. It appears to be far last suspended during the December 2008 to more severe than anything we’ve known in January 2009 Gaza war.

C o n t i n u e d o n Pa g e 1 4 the past decade, and perhaps even longer,”

TBILISI: Georgians protest in front of the private television station Imedi which showed a hoax TV news report on a Russian invasion late Saturday. — AP

Outrage in Georgia over faked ‘Russia invasion’ TBILISI: Outraged Georgians yesterday slammed a local television channel that sparked panic by broadcasting a faked report announcing that Russia had launched an invasion and the country’s president was dead.

The Georgian opposition condemned the newscast as a state-sponsored stunt aimed at smearing President Mikheil Saakashvili’s critics while the president himself added to the furore by appearing to defend the broadcast.

The report, aired Saturday night on privately owned Imedi television, said Russian tanks were headed for the capital Tbilisi, Saakashvili had been killed and that some opposition leaders had sided with invading forces. “It was indeed a very unpleas-

ant program but the most unpleasant thing is that it is extremely close to what can happen and to what Georgia’s enemy has conceived,” Saakashvili said in televised remarks.

Local news agencies said the program provoked widespread alarm, a record number of calls to emergency services and multiple incidents of heart attacks and fainting, though officials yesterday said no deaths had been reported. The report showed footage taken from the Aug 2008 war that saw Russian forces pour into Georgia and bomb targets across the country. A brief notice before the report said it was a “simulation” of possible events but the report itself carried no warning it was a fake.

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NATIONAL

Monday, March 15, 2010

Tasdeed launched in Kuwait

E-system facilitates easy power, water fees payment

By Rawan Khalid KUWAIT: A state-owned electronic payment system through which citizens and residents can pay power and water bills, traffic, immigration, phone bills, legal fees, civil identification cards was introduced in the country yesterday. Tasdeed,

KUWAIT: Abdullah Al-Ajmi, general manager of KNET.

League dismisses UN remarks on expats in Arab countries CAIRO: A senior Arab League official yesterday expressed the league’s objection to comments in the recently issued 2009 UN Human Development Report on the way expatriate workers are treated in some Arab countries.

These comments had apparently been based upon unreliable and inaccurate information, said the Arab League’s Assistant Secretary General for Social Affairs Sima Bahouth during a ceremony held here to mark the launch of the UN Human Development Report (‘HDR09’), entitled ‘Overcoming Barriers: Human Mobility and Development.’

The relevant information should be checked and verified, given that Arab countries seek continuously to revise their policies in this field, she stressed, suggesting that a seminar to be held following the launch of the report would provide a good opportunity for

promoting an Arab vision in this respect. “It would be an opportunity for focusing on the priorities of our Arab region and on practical recommendations for shoring up sustained Arab efforts for developing Arab policies in the domains of migration, workers and development,” she said.

The Arab region is very influential in human mobility due to immigration among Arab countries or migration to them, she added.

Due to the diverse and interlinked impacts of human movement patterns in the Arab region, the Secretariat of the Arab League attaches great importance to the phenomenon of human movement and relevant development issues, mainly concerning human capital, the senior Arab League official asserted.

The league has released scientific reports on reformulating migration policies in order to serve national development and Arab regional

integration with a view to encouraging the relevant experts to consider the dimensions of migration and its national and regional effects, Bahouth said.

The UN report said that human development is about putting people at the centre of development, realizing their potential, increasing their choices and ensuring that they enjoy the freedom to lead lives they value. Migration, both within and beyond borders, has become an increasingly prominent theme in domestic and international debates, and is the topic of the HDR09. The report investigates migration in the context of demographic changes and trends in both growth and inequality. It also presents more detailed and nuanced individual, family and village experiences, and explores less visible movements typically pursued by disadvantaged groups, such as short-term and seasonal migration. — KUNA

Cabinet reshuffle expected KUWAIT: Despite the government’s assurance that the Information and Oil Minister Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah AlSabah would emerge victorious from the grilling motion filed against him, MPs supporting the motion hope to win the round even before it is tabled next Tuesday.

They pointed out that the

government is striving hard toward breaking into the bloc of supporters and attract more MPs to its side by conducting a limited reshuffle. This move is expected to hasten AlAbdullah’s exit, once discussions are complete, reported AlRai. Furthermore, parliamentary sources explained that MPs who

oppose the grilling motion have realized that the government has insisted on continuing with discussions (without reshuffling the Cabinet) in order to restrain MPs from filing more grilling motions. ‘If this particular grilling motion fails, it will be a knock out to the most important parliamentary tool of inquiry,’ they concluded.

On behalf of the Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Shamali spoke during the occasion, “We meet here today to announce the official launching of the electronic prepaid government system, Tasdeed which is a fruition of the efforts made by the Ministry of Finance, the Central apparatus for Information Technology, and KNET. This is a good step that helps improve the government’s functioning. It will also improve communication between the government and the citizen. This way, they can pay to every government sector, through the help of several machines.”

The General Manager of KNET, Abdullah Al-Ajmi spoke to the Kuwait Times, “The Kuwaiti government began this project in 2007.

The Kuwaiti government has formed a team to perform online payment of government services, in cooperation with KNET. The KNET’s services will be adopted by government bodies like ministries, agencies, and will be carried out through the internet.”

He added, “We signed the agreement on May 2008 and began conducting transactions on August 2008. Only three transactions were held initially to ensure that the government can handle the process.”

“Until last month, 200 transactions were carried out in the government, and value of the transactions stood at KD 3.7 million. At least 40 percent of these transaction were made through the internet. Currently, we have more than three ministries at points of sale and five that accept payment made through the internet. The following are the ministries involved: Ministries of Finance, Interior, Justice, Communication, Electricity and Water.” Al-Ajmi added.

“We manage by using Tasdeed.

We aim to increase internet payment to 85 percent. I want to thank the Minister of Finance, and the Tasdeed team for delivering the service to the people. We are trying to duplicate what we have done at the private sector, and the figures achieved in the private sector are high. We hope to elevate the public sector accordingly,” Al-Ajmi concluded.

Porn gang caught in Fahaheel KUWAIT: Police have arrested a ten-man gang in Fahaheel who were responsible for recording and distributing thousands of copies of pornographic movies.

The men admitted when questioned that they had been involved in the extremely lucrative trade for three years, explaining that they could make up to 500 copies of pornographic films per day.

The porn profiteers said that they had subscriptions to a number of round-the-clock pornographic satellite TV channels and made copies of all the new or previously unseen blue movies on them, with the Arabic films being a particular favorite, selling these to their primarily Asian merchandisers for between 600 and 800 fils per DVD. These middle men would then sell the copies to customers, with foreign films selling for KD 1 each, while Arabic movies fetched KD 2 each, reported Al-Anba.

the electronic prepaid government system was inaugurated by Mustafa AlShamali, Minister of Finance at the Salwa Al-Sabah Hall yesterday. The event was held under the patronage of the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The system provides facilitates payment via an internet website, as well as through mobile, automated machines.

KUWAIT: Mustafa Al-Shamali, the minister of finance, trying the services.

— Photos by Fouad Al-Sheikh

Attempt to smuggle out subsidized goods KUWAIT: The Kuwait General Administration of Customs (KGAC) has thwarted an attempt to smuggle subsidized goods out of the country via the Salmi border checkpoint using 14 trucks, announced the Ministry of Commerce yesterday.

Assistant Undersecretary for

KUNA mourns loss of senior economy editor KUWAIT: The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) yesterday announced the sad loss of Khalil Al-Qinai, chief editor of the agency’s economic desk, who passed away yesterday morning at the age of 53.

KUNA’s chairman and members of the board expressed their sadness at the loss of AlQinai, who joined the agency in 1993.

Al-Qinai obtained a Bachelor’s degree in economics and administrative science in 1983, but his media career stretched back to 1978.

He began his career with KUNA in 1993, initially working for the economic desk before becoming the agency’s correspondent in Germany from 1998 till 2001, covering stories and news of economic nature.

Al-Qinai issued two books via KUNA’s publications unit, as well as becoming the Secretary General of the Kuwait Economic Society in 2004.

In addition to his other achievements, the distinguished journalist helped in the establishment of the Gulf Economic Society, where he also held the position of Secretary General. — KUNA

Inspection Affairs Ali Al-Baghli told KUNA that a number of ministry inspectors were at the scene to check the smuggled goods, adding that the ministry would need three days to fully inspect the load.

He indicated that a group consisting of ministry employees and KGAC operatives would return the goods to the ministry’s

warehouses.

Al-Baghli warned against providing goods to those who are not eligible for them and do not have the subsidy cards required, adding that unscrupulous individuals could take advantage of the situation and sell the low-priced products outside Kuwait for large sums of money.— KUNA

in the news Iraqi Airways-KAC partnership KUWAIT: The Iraqi Airways Company (IAC) is not seeking to determine the details of the repayment of its debts to Kuwait, leaving the decisions in this matter to the relevant Kuwaiti authorities, according to company chairman Kifah Jabbar. Interviewed by local paper Al-Qabas, Jabbar expressed confidence in the Kuwaiti authorities’ ability to satisfactorily resolve the issue, bearing in mind the strong positive relations between the two countries. He also revealed that there have been discussions of an operations-related partnership between IAC and the Kuwait Airways Company (KAC). Jabbar is currently heading an IAC team visiting Kuwait to meet with senior officials from KAC and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to discuss the debts issue, with the IAC putting forward a number of possible ways of resolving the matter.

CBK staff accused of embezzling KUWAIT: An investigation is underway into the alleged embezzlement of KD 40,000 in public funds that had been deposited in the Central Bank of Kuwait. An official from the Public Prosecution Service’s department for prosecuting abuses of public funds said that senior CBK figures had submitted official complaints against a number of bank staff, along with personnel from the company responsible for transporting monies from Ministry of Interior headquarters to the bank. Investigators are looking into the claims with a view to taking legal action against any party guilty of criminal actions, reported Al-Jarida. The prosecution service is also currently investigating a complaint from the Minors Authority against an employee of a local investment firm, after the authority invested KD 10 million in the firm, which the official has subsequently refused to

return, contravening its contractual obligations.

The authority alleges that the official squandered public funds in coordination with others at the investment firm.

‘Doctors to be protected from assault’ KUWAIT: HH the Premier Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah may approve a decree that accords protection to doctors against assault while on duty. The President of Kuwait Medical Association (KMA) and Orthopedic Consultant at Al-Razi hospital, Dr Ali Al-Mukaimi made the relevant announcement. He added that a law that defends doctors against medical errors will also be approved soon. Al-Mukaimi added that the KMA has met with insurance companies to hasten approval. He said that insurance will be made compulsory for all doctors employed with the Ministry of Health, reported Al-Jarida. The health care professional said the pay rise granted to non-Kuwaiti doctors will keep a check on their relocation.

Kuwait’s prices lowest in region KUWAIT: Contrary to public speculation, Kuwait has the lowest average prices for staple items in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, according to a new Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) survey which studied the prices of 11 basic items in the six member nations. Minister Ahmad Haroun has denied the existence of any monopoly on basic items in Kuwait, insisting that the MCI is fully enforcing the law banning monopolies, reported AlWatan. Haroun pointed out that this legislation had been introduced to protect competition and consumers in the country. The ministry is also controlling the market’s mechanisms in light of the economic freedoms that the country enjoys, he added.

KUWAIT: Participants of a car mechanics contest conducted by the Scientific Club yesterday.

Power outages KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) is conducting maintenance work at its secondary power transformers.

Owing to this, Fintas and Fahaheel will experience power outages that may last for five and a half hours (from 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM) every day until the end of this week, reported Al-Qabas. These operations are being held as part of the large-scale maintenance work undertaken by the ministry ahead of the summer season.

Monday, March 15, 2010

NATIONAL

3 ‘Wonderful’ work environment

The Labor Law Issue No. 963 Al-Kuwait AI-Yawm Kuwait Official Gazette Sunday. 7 Rabie Al-Awwal 1431 AH February 21, 2010 AD Law No.6 of the year 2010 Promulgating the Law of Labor in the Private Sector Having perused the Constitution; Penal Law No 16 of the year 1960, as amended; Law No. 38 of the year 1964 concerning Labor in the Private Sector, as amended: Law No, 28 of the year 1969 concerning Labor in the Oil Sector; Social Security Law issued by the Amiri Order in Law No. 61 of the year 1976, as amended; Law Decree No. 28 of the year 1980 concerning enacting the Marine Commercial Law, as amended; Law Decree No. 38 of the year 1980 concerning enacting the Law of Civil and Commercial Proceedings, as amended: Law Decree No. 67 of the year 1980 concerning enacting the Civil Law, as amended by the Law No. 15 of the year 1996; Law Decree No. 64 of the year 1987 concerning the Establishment of a Labor Department at the Court of First Instance; Law Decree No. 23 of the year 1990 concerning the Law Regulating the Judicature, as amended; Law No. 56 of the year 1996 promulgating the Law of Industry; Law No. 1 of the year 1999 on Aliens Health Insurance and the Imposition of Fees for Medical Services; And Law No. 19 of the year 2000 concerning Support of National Manpower and Encouraging it to Work in Non-governmental Entities, as amended; The National Assembly has ratified the following law which is hereby approved and promulgated.

Chapter One General Provisions Article (1) In the application of the provisions of this Law, the following terms shall mean 1The Ministry: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor 2The Minister: The Minister of Social Affairs and Labor 3The Worker: Any male or female person who performs a manual or mental work for an employer under the employer’s management and supervision against a remuneration.

4The Employer: Every natural or legal person who uses the services of workers against a remuneration.

5The Organization: An organization that gathers workers or employers with similar or related businesses, occupations or jobs in order to protect their interests, defend their rights and represent them in all matters related to their affairs.

Article (2) The provisions of this Law shall apply to all workers in the private sector. Article (3) The provisions of this Law shall apply to marine work contract in respect of any thing not provided for in the Marine Commercial Law or in the event where the text of this Law is more beneficial to the worker.

Article (4) The provisions of this Law shall apply to the oil sector in respect of any thing not provided for in the Law of Labor in the Oil Sector or in the event where the text of this Law is more beneficial to the worker.

Article (5) The following shall be excluded from the application of this Law: * Workers who are subject to other laws and to the provisions of those laws; Domestic workers: the competent minister shall issue a resolution concerning their affairs setting forth the rules that organize their relations with the employers.

Article (6) Without prejudice to any more advantageous benefits and rights granted to workers in individual or collective contracts, special regulations or by-laws observed by the employer or in accordance with professional or general customs, the provisions of this Law shall represent the minimum level of workers rights.

Chapter Two Employment.

Apprenticeship Professional Training Section One - Employment

and

Article (7) The Minister shall issue resolutions that regulate the conditions of employment in the private sector, particularty the following: 1Conditions for the moving of manpower from one employer to another.

2Conditions for the granting of permission for the manpower of one employer to work for another employer for some time.

3The particulars that employers should provide to the Ministry with regard to the government employees who are authorized to work for employers out the government official working hours.

4Jobs, occupations, and works that employees may not be engaged in unless they pass professional examinations subject to such controls as are laid down by the Ministry in coordination with the concerned entities Article (8) Every employer shall inform the competent authority about its need for manpower and shall annually inform the competent authority of the number of manpower employed by him, using such forms as are prepared for this purpose subject to such controls and conditions as are laid down by a resolution from the Minister.

Article (9) There shall be established a public authority that shall be a corporate body with an independent budget, and named The Public Authority for Manpower, under the supervision of the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor. It shall have the responsibilities given to the Ministry under this Law and undertake the importation and employment of expatriate manpower upon the request of employers. A law that regulates the said Public Authority shall be issued within one year after the date of entry into force of this Law. Article (10) The employer shall be prohibited from employing foreign manpower unless the competent authority has granted them a permit to work for him. The Minister shall issue a resolution setting forth the procedures, documents and fees that shall be paid by the employer. In the event of refusal, such refusal shall be justified by stating the reason thereof, and the reason for such refusal shall not be related to the amount of the capital, otherwise the decision shall be absolutely null and void.

Employers shall not bring workers from outside the country or hire workers from inside the country then fail to provide them with employment at his own entity, or subsequently be found not to have a an actually need for them. The employer shall bear the expenses of the worker’s return to his country. In the event where the worker stops working for his employer and joints the service of another employer, the latter shall bear the cost of the workers return to his country after the original sponsor has reported that the worker has been absent from work.

Trainees set to benefit from Labor Law amendments

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The newly amended legislation governing the conditions for trainees’ and apprenticeships’ internships has stipulated a need for employers to provide a suitable environment for the development of individuals’ skills and talents. The majority of apprentices and trainees, both Kuwaiti and A minority of expatriate trainees, however, have been subject to unjust treatment by both private and public sector employers, and they are the primary reason behind the amendments to the labor law’s section on trainees and apprentices, which will be implemented regardless of nationality.

One trainee, Nicca, an Indian expatriate, did a sixweek internship with a local private sector firm. Nicca is a legal resident of Kuwait, with both her parents working here.

Nicca said that she had obtained numerous skills during her training period, though unfortunately not the actually necessary ones. She praised the ‘wonderful’ work environment, saying that the majority of the company’s employees were extremely supportive and cooperative and adding that she had learned a lot about the practical and theoretical aspects of her jobs.

Nicca revealed, however, that she was not provided with any salary or contract by the employers during the

expatriate, undergoing their training in Kuwait have received excellent treatment overall. Kuwaiti trainees, who are also eligible for additional protection from powerful non-government organizations (NGOs) such as Bayt Lothan (LoYAC) and Injaz Kuwait, are particularly well protected, with these organizations prepared to staunchly defend, if not actually fight for, citizens’ rights.

training period.

“No, we didn’t sign any contracts at all; all I did was to finish my six-week internship program, get the certificate and leave,” she explained.

Under the new labor law amendments, trainees like Nicca will have more protection. According to Chapter One, Section Two, Article 13, all internships will be conducted according to a contract, which must be issued in triplicate, with one copy presented to the trainee, another retained by the employer and the third submitted to the

local labor department.

Abdullah, a Kuwaiti trainee with LoYAC, acknowledged the work done by NGOs with Kuwaiti interns, as well as voicing pride that Kuwait had included protection of their rights in the new amendments.

“I am happy that Kuwait clearly states in the law all our rights as trainees or firsttime workers. Honestly, I’ve been doing a job every summer and I am glad they mentioned the working hours and other benefits, but you know, we don’t have any complaints

Article (11) The Ministry and the competent authority shall not engage in any discriminatory or preferential treatment in dealing with employers with regard to the granting of work or transfer permits by granting such permits to some employers and denying them to others for any pretext or justification. The Ministry may, for organization reasons suspend the issue of work and transfer permits for a period not exceeding two weeks in any one year, and no employers may be excluded from such suspension during such period. Any act made in violation of this Article shall be absolutely null and void.

Section Two Apprenticeship and Professional training Article (12) A professional apprentice is every person who, having completed his l5 year of age, signs a contract with the entity in order to learn a profession within a specific period in accordance with conditions and regulations that are agreed upon.

The professional apprenticeship contract shall, in respect of any thing not provided for in this Section, be subject to the provisions contained in this contract governing juvenile employment.

Article (13) The professional apprenticeship contract should be written and made in three copies: one copy for each party and a third copy to be submitted to the competent authority at the Ministry within a week for approval. The contract shall state the profession, apprenticeship period, successive stages and remunerations in a gradual manner at every level of learning. The minimum remuneration during the last stage shall not be less than the minimum remuneration specified for the remuneration of a similar job.

The remuneration shall in no event whatsoever be specified based on production or piecework.

Article (14) The employer shall have the right to terminate the apprenticeship contract in the event where the apprentice fails to perform his duties under the contact or it is found in the periodic reports that he lacks the aptitude to learn.

The apprentice too shall have the right to terminate the contract. Any party who wishes to terminate the contract shall notify the other of his wish to do so at leas’ seven days in advance.

Article (15) Professional training includes theoretical and practical means and programs that provide the workers with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills and acquire a practical training to enhance their abilities, increase their production efficiency, prepare them for a certain profession or transfer them to other professions.

Training shall take place at institutes, centers or establishments that achieve this objective.

Article (16) The Minister shall, in cooperation and coordination with competent academic and professional entities, determine all conditions and circumstances necessary for holding professional training programs, the periods of training, the theoretical and practical programs, the examination system, and the certificates given in this regard and the information that should be stated therein.

This resolution may also oblige one or more establishments to conduct training sessions for workers at centers or institutes of another establishment in the event where the first establishment does not have its own training center or institute.

Article (17) The establishment which is subject to the provisions of this Chapter, shall pay the worker his entire remuneration during the period of training whether such training is provided inside or outside the establishment.

Article (18) The professional apprentice or trainee worker shall, after completing his apprenticeship or training, to work for the employer for a period equal to that of his apprenticeship or training or for a maximum period of 5 years. In the event where the apprentice or trainee fails to honor this obligations, the employer shall have the right to recover from him the apprenticeship or training expenses incurred proportionate to the remainder of the period that he has an obligation to work at the said employer.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

KUWAIT: An undated picture of expatriate workers staging a strike to demand payment of outstanding salaries.

or anything of that sort,” he said.

Like any other trainee, Abdullah was not worried about the material benefits he would acquire, being far more concerned about the skills he would attain on the training course.

“As long as I do my job and there’s nothing illegal about me being a trainee, I don’t think I have to bother about the salary or anything I’ll get afterwards. All I care about are the experiences and the things I could learn from them in exchange for certificates and proof that I worked for them,” he explained.

For many students, internship is not only important for their personal and professional development, it’s essential to complete a course or any academic program at college or university, with students choosing a company to work with and spending a specific period training with them.

Under the new amendments to the labor law, all trainees will be entitled to a full salary in exchange for performing their duties.

Another trainee, Mohammad, is also set to benefit from the new amendment to the employment legislation. Having just begun working for a well-known local firm, Mohammad is currently in the three-month probationary period of training, during which, under the existing law, he is only eligible for a minimal salary.

Under Chapter Two, Section Two, Article 17 of the amended legislation, however, companies including this one will be obliged to pay workers the full salary during the probationary period.

Privatization law ‘almost complete’ KUWAIT: The Parliamentary Financial and Economic Affairs Committee has completed the placement of the privatization law, with the exception of the article stipulating incentives offered to those employed in sectors to be privatized, said committee chief MP Dr Yousef Al-Zalzalah yesterday.

Speaking to reporters following the committee meeting, he said that the privatization law has been “exhausted in discussion” between the committee’s members and the government, and that the report on this matter had been completed.

He said that the committee would be

meeting tomorrow with representatives of the Public Institute for Social Security to place “final wording” of the article related to incentives offered to employees of the sector to be privatized.

Al-Zalzalah noted that this law would be a new edition to economic legislations aimed at pushing forth develop-

Expat teachers suffer, still await housing allowance

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: It has been almost three months since the Minister of Education Moudhi Al-Homoud proposed raising the housing allowance for expatriate teachers from KD 60 to KD 150, but the situation remains unchanged. Expat teachers are still expected to find proper housing for their families, with only KD 60.

The proposal, which was approved by all the concerned authorities, was put on hold until further notice.

This was due to protests held by school social workers, lab technicians and other personnel who also demanded to be treated on par with their colleagues and receive a housing allowance raise.

Abu Adel, a 53-year old Egyptian teacher told the Kuwait Times that the situation has become very bad.

“With the continuous price rise in the market, it is ridiculous how the Ministry

of Education expects us to still manage our finances,” he says.

The father of four children stressed that ensuring financial security for the academic staff in schools is vital.

Expressing her shock at the Ministry of Education’s policy, Noor Behbehani, a 34-year-old parent, said that the parliament members are to blame for the catastrophe the country is going through.

“When expecting the school staff to perform their duties perfectly, the ministry must also ensure that they are paid well. How are we expected to entrust our children in schools where the teachers are underpaid, unhappy and unable to provide for their families? This will, undoubtedly, create tension between the ‘mistreated’ expatriate staff and the ‘spoiled’ local staff,” she noted.

Tariq, a 38-year old Kuwaiti teacher who works

in a public school says that the issue of underpayment has been troubling all the teachers.

“Some of my colleagues are forced to take part-time jobs in order to provide for their families. I can feel that they cannot give more to the job; it really doesn’t pay that much,” he said.

Speaking from his experience working with expatriate colleagues, he says that the shabby apartment buildings due to the high prices of newer ones, the lack of financial security due to the limited benefits and bonuses, and the overload of work many teachers sign up for in hope of making more money is what ultimately destroys any abilities and ambitions they have once had for their job.

“I say this because I know. I hear their stories first hand and I have noticed their performance dwindle over the years,” explained Tariq.

Unauthorized book fairs KUWAIT: Kuwait University (KU) has been notified by the Ministry of Information that it must obtain prior approval from the relevant authorities if it wishes to hold any book fairs in the future.

The ministry earlier began legal action against a number of publishers which participated in a recent book fair at the university’s arts faculty, reported Al-Jarida.

At the event held last week, information ministry inspectors reportedly found publications which they claimed violated the country’s print and publishing laws, suggesting that these works could damage national unity and agitate sectarian strife.

The ministry reportedly learnt about the book fair by chance, asking its inspectors to check it out.

ment and contributing to the state’s strategic plan.

Asked which sectors would be privatized, the MP said, “This is not an issue for the committee nor the law, and the matter is left to the Higher Privatization Council which the law stipulates will be established.” —KUNA

Amir receives Condoleezza Rice KUWAIT: At Seif Palace yesterday, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah received the former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on the occasion of her visit to the country.

The meeting was attended by the chairman of the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Nasser Musaed Al-Sayer, NBK’s CEO Ibrahim Shukri Dabdoub, and the bank’s Executive Manager Essam Jassem Al-Saqer. —KUNA

Sheikh Hamad hails Najran’s boom NAJRAN, Saudi Arabia: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sheikh Hamad Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah hailed yesterday the tourist and cultural boom witnessed by Najran, Saudi Arabia. Sheikh Hamad visited Najran province at the official invitation of Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, and under the patronage of the Najran’s Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.

The Kuwaiti ambassador expressed his happiness at the good reputation attained by Najran in the field of tourism, making it a tourism and cultural destination for the Gulf states and other countries. —KUNA

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Monday, March 15, 2010

KJA organizes tour to Wafra farms

Kuwait agricultural sector facing host of problems

By Rawan Khalid KUWAIT: With the aim of meeting Kuwaiti farmers and discussing the issues they face, the Kuwait Journalist Association (KJA) organized a tour for journalists to farms located in Wafra on Saturday. The Secretary General of KJA, Faisal Al-Qenai supervised the tour. The delegation of

KUWAIT: Saud Al-Arada, the head of Kuwaiti Farmers Union, during his speech

KUWAIT: Rakan Ben Hethleen (right) and Faisal Al-Qenai

“Kuwaiti farmers have put in a lot of effort to cultivate this barren land. They were surprised to learn that no budget has been allotted for the sector,” he said.

He stressed that farms in Kuwait suffer from soil salinity, water logging, and fluctuations in weather conditions.” AlArada questioned why citizens rights were being compromised and why interest or concern in the agriculture sector was lost.

“The health services offered to farmers are outdated and needs to be improved especially since we have to pay health insurance to residents. There are no proper hospitals that exist in Wafra or Al-Abdali.

Who is the responsible of this?”

Al-Arada asked.

Al-Arada demanded that adequate health care be provided to farmers, especially since only one ambulance operates in Al-Abdali. “The country generates revenue in millions of dinars. why don’t they develop this sector? More money needs to be pumped into equipping hospitals with First Aid, new medicines,” he said.

KUWAIT: Khalifa Khilefo (right) explaining to the journalists about his farm.

— Photos by Joseph Shagra

Four drug dealers in police custody KUWAIT: Two Iranians and one Egyptian were arrested for trafficking drugs. The arrest occurred in the Mubarakiya market when two of the three dealers, working as butchers, were caught selling heroin. After being questioned, they informed authorities about their supplier, a man who sells truffles in Rai. Police officers arrested the man and found him in possession of heroin. They were all sent to the General Department for Drug Control. Meanwhile, an Asian man was arrested for selling one and a half kilos of heroin. He confessed to selling the drugs on behalf of a drug dealer in the Central Jail.

On a separate note, two citizens were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs in Farwaniya. Police discovered that the citizens had a criminal record for drug related charges. They were taken to the proper authorities.

Road accidents An accident on Fahaheel Highway resulted in the death of a 26-year-old Egyptian man and left eight people injured, half of which were left in critical condition. The accident occurred when a

citizen collided with a vehicle carrying a number of expats and tipped over their vehicle. The injured were taken to Adan Hospital.

Another Egyptian man was killed after he crashed into trees on the side of Jahra Road after losing control of his vehicle. In another incident, a Kuwaiti man in his 20s was admitted to Jahra Hospital’s ICU in critical condition. The accident occurred when his vehicle was hit by a car driven by a Gulf national on Salmi road.

Weapon trade A Syrian man was arrested in South Jahra for selling illegal and unlicensed weapons. The arrest occurred after the man was found in possession of 13 weapons. He was taken to the proper authorities.

Firdous theft A theft occurred in Firdous when a suitcase containing valuable items was stolen from outside the home of a Kuwaiti woman. The victim, who was at the house on a family visit, went to the police station as soon as she realized her

suitcase had been stolen. She reported that the suitcase contained items worth KD 600. A case was opened and police are looking into the incident.

Black magic A female citizen was arrested at the Kuwait International Airport as soon as she arrived on a flight from an Arab country. Tools used for sorcery and black magic were found in her possession and she confessed to getting the materials from the country in order to practice illegal activities in Kuwait. She was taken to the General Department for Criminal Investigations.

Bootlegger held An Asian man was arrested after being found in possession of alcohol.

Initially, he was pulled over for driving over the speed limit on Nuwaiseeb Street. After a search of the man’s vehicle, police discovered several concealed bottles of homemade liquor. He was referred to the proper authorities.

Fugitive arrested Security guards at the Kuwait

journalists visited three farms and a factory: Ben Rakan, Khalifa Khilefo, Ben Sabt and the SAAF dates processing factory. The Head of Kuwaiti Farmers Union, Saud Al-Arada said during the meeting, “Kuwait’s agriculture sector suffers from several problems, and Kuwaiti farmers are no exception. The country doesn’t pay much attention to the agriculture sector.”

International Airport arrested an Asian fugitive attempting to escape the country. He was wanted for several outstanding criminal cases and was taken to the proper authorities.

Maids theft Two Asian maids escaped from their sponsor’s home after stealing his money.

They confessed to the crime and told police that they stole the money as instructed by the representative of their recruitment agency.

The citizen filed a case against the two maids at the Subahiya police station and informed them about the escape of his two maids three days after hiring them. He reported that their disappearance coincided with the loss of KD 1,700 from his closet. One of the maids was arrested and she explained to authorities that the representative of the recruitment agency told them how to carry out the robbery.

The representative then took all the money and gave each of the maids only KD 300 each. Police have launched an investigation and are searching for the company representative.

Children released in Qurain ‘drugs planting’ accusation

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The General Department for Drugs Control (GDDC) has ordered the release of children arrested over accusations of planting drugs at their Qurain home. Bail was set for the children at KD 200 each, while the father remains in custody with an investigation into his activities continuing. The Public Prosecution Service has ordered that the detectives present their findings as soon as possible. The case is understood to be the first prosecution of a Kuwaiti citizen for growing marijuana. During questioning, the children insisted that they had no knowledge of the drugs, also asserting that their father had nothing to do with them. The father’s lawyer, meanwhile, said that there had been a misunderstanding in the case, which would be fully revealed in court.

Co-op embezzlement The Misdemeanors Court has exonerated the

members of the dissolved Al-Naseem Cooperative Society management board on embezzlement charges raised against them by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL). The former board members stood accused of the misappropriation of shareholders’ funds following the co-op’s dissolution.

Use of asbestos The Appeals Court has postponed hearing a case brought against senior government, parliamentary and Minors’ Authority officials over the use of asbestos in the construction of the ceilings within the authority’s headquarters building.

The case against the premier, the National Assembly Speaker and the chairman of the Minors’ Authority, has been postponed until March 29, when Ali Al-Olaimi is expected to testify on the measures taken after it was revealed that the ceilings had been built using the carcinogenic substance.

Counterfeit ‘captain’ in police net

KUWAIT: Chief of the General Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces Lt Gen Meshaal Al-Zabn and the delegation accompanying him arrived here on an official visit. The official was received by Chief of the Kuwaiti Army General Staff Lt Gen Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and other officials. —KUNA

Kuwait-Jordan military ties ‘historic’ AMMAN: Chief of the General Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces Lt Gen Meshaal Al-Zabn said here yesterday that Kuwaiti-Jordanian military relations were strong and historical, affirming that both countries were eager to develop relations at this level.

The official was speaking before

heading to Kuwait to take part in the sixth periodical meeting of the KuwaitiJordanian higher military committee, and to meet a number of Kuwaiti officials. The visit aims at continuing cooperation with the Kuwaiti side, said AlZabn, who affirmed that such was the wish of both countries’ leaderships.

The Kuwaiti and Jordanian army would work hand-in-hand to set plans for developing mutual courses and field training.

The delegation of the Joint Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces will be accompanied by Kuwaiti Military Attache in Amman Lt Col Fahad Al-Enzi. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A drunken Kuwaiti man posing as a Ministry of Interior (MoI) military official was arrested in a Mubarak Al-Kabeer Co-op after police received a number of complaints from shoppers about the “captain’s” antisocial behavior.

The man is currently being held for questioning over his behavior, with detectives also intent on finding out more about his relationship with an Asian female expatriate who was accompanying him when he was arrested. He faces charges of public drunkenness, as well as fraudulently wearing a military uniform in an attempt to deceive the public, reported Al-Anba.

Preliminary investigations suggest that none of his family members have any connection with the interior ministry and it is not yet known where he obtained the captain’s uniform.

Fellow shoppers called police to complain after the obviously drunken man used crude and abusive language to staff at the co-op.

When police turned up and asked to see the ‘captain’s’ identification, he refused on the ground of his superior military rank to the police officers in question.

When the officers called a senior MoI official to enquire about the ‘captain,’ the man realized he had been rumbled and attempted to flee the scene. He was quickly caught, with officers having to forcibly drag him to the police car in order to take him into detention. It was subsequently discovered that he held no MoI position and was extremely drunk. The investigation is continuing.

KUWAIT: A spate of road accidents took place across Kuwait yesterday, resulting in several being injured.—Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

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‘Dual citizenship’ raised for hidden reasons: MP KUWAIT: MP Dr. Mohammad Al-Huwaila has urged the cabinet not to give in to pressure on the issue of dual citizenship, claiming that the issue has been raised at the current time for clandestine reasons.

The MP condemned “exclusively pursuing dual citizens with GCC nationalities,” while avoiding any similar pursuit of those of other Arab and foreign nationalities, reported AlWatan.

He further insisted that the cabinet should prove its seriousness in raising this issue by pursuing those with dual citizenship of other, non-GCC Arab

nations, as well as of Iran, the US and European countries.

Al-Huwaila suggested that assessing individuals’ patriotism and devotion to Kuwait should be the criteria for the government in addressing this issue, urging the cabinet to prioritize Kuwait’s interests and national security in finding a solution to the problem.

The prominent parliamentarian stated that, along with his fellow MPs, he would continue to observe the government’s actions concerning this subject, calling on it not to use the issue as a card to play whenever expedient.

in the news Corruption at Municipality KUWAIT: The Kuwait Municipality was put under parliamentary attack under the pretext of spreading corruption. An MP recently accused it of being home to corrupt officials who are incapable of defending public rights. MP Mubarak Al-Khurainej recently urged the Minister of Municipality Affairs, Fadhel Safar to address the violations that some of the municipality officials have been committing, including attempts to promote unqualified senior officials to pass vested interests illegally, reported Al-Watan. This has turned the Municipality into a safe haven where various offenses are committed, he said. Al- Khurainej further urged the minister not to exert pressure and convinced him against addressing violations that remind him of the message that HH the Amir had conveyed.

Pay rise for MPW expats KUWAIT: Expatriates employed with the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) will now benefit from a salary increase as per a request forwarded by the Ministry’s labor union. The Head of the union, Amer Al-Basees, expressed gratitude for approving the pay rise. He said that this step proves that employees deserve to be rewarded for putting in concerted efforts, reported Al-Qabas. Furthermore, he urged the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to promptly implement the decision. Al-Basees further asserted the union’s commitment towards addressing all the problems that the ministry’s employees face.

Currency Market Authority KUWAIT: Minister of Commerce and Industry Ahmad Al-Haroun is reportedly coordinating with the director of the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) Saleh Al-Falah and other senior officials over selecting the members of the new Currency Market Authority’s board of commissioners, with the list expected to be complete by the end of March. The KSE nominated six officials for positions on the board, namely Saleh Al-Falah himself, along with Meshary Al-Anjari, Ghazi Al-Madhaf, Faleh Al-Raqaba, Hisham Al-Otaibi and Walid Al-Jerri, reported Al-Watan. The issue has apparently provoked great speculation at the stock exchange over the candidates’ chances of obtaining positions on the board. The minister is reportedly determined to select the best, most highly qualified and proficient candidates for the positions, and has specified that all board members must have extensive experience of the stock market in order to ensure the selection of a team capable of developing the currency market.

KUWAIT: Some participants of the Joint Gulf Cooperation Council Traffic Week. — Photos by KUNA

No increase in road fines GCC Traffic Week begins

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: A senior Ministry of Interior (MoI) official has rejected rumors that traffic fines are intentionally increased, with more traffic patrols on Kuwait’s streets during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Traffic Week. “These are rumors spread by people. This event is about increasing awareness,” said Major General Mahmoud AlDosari, the MoI’s Assistant Undersecretary and Director General of the ministry’s traffic department. “In reality, this event is about increasing awareness and the media is announcing this week’s activities to reduce the number of traffic accidents and associated deaths caused by these incidents.”

Speaking at the launch ceremony for the annual GCC Traffic Week, held yesterday at the Police Club, Maj. Gen. Al-Dosari explained that traffic officials from all six GCC nations will be taking part in the event, which has been held for the past 26 years. This year’s Traffic Week, which runs between March 14 and 20, is being held under the slogan, ‘Be Aware of Others’ Faults.’

The Traffic Week will feature a number of activities, including a contest to select the ‘Best Driver,’ and the senior GCC traffic officials will be meeting to exchange information and experience on traffic-related issues.

“The participating delegations will also attend workshops and make field visits to traffic facilities, the Kuwait Traffic Safety Society (KTSS), the Public Transport Company, Kuwait Gulf Link Transport Company, Kuwait Finance House, and the oil sector,” Maj. Gen. Al-Dosari explained.

“They will explore and benefit from each other’s

experiences, which include coordinating on the collection of traffic fine debts between the GCC countries. This should be done through connecting the IT system in the Ministry of Interior. The traffic fines are not prescriptive, and we are studying new ways of making the payment immediate, and ways of collecting the fines from expats leaving the country definitely.”

Another focus of the week’s events will be how best to reduce the number of traffic accidents and fatalities.

“Through holding this Traffic Week, we aim to reduce the number of road accidents and the resulting fatalities,” the senior official explained.

“We aim to increase safety and security while driving, as well as reducing the incidence of bad driving. We noticed that the number of deaths has been falling consistently, from 460 in 2006 to 447 in 2007, 410 in 2008 and 407 in 2009.” He warned, however, that this year’s road death numbers are already high, having reached 94 since the beginning of January.

The participating officials from other GCC countries also believe that the conference will have positive results.

“This year’s slogan, ‘Be Aware of Other’s Faults,’ focuses on the importance of paying attention to the surprises that may occur on the road,” Major Abdullah Al-Shihi, the head of the Bahraini delegation attending the event, told the Kuwait Times. “Every motorist should expect the unexpected, even if he is a good driver. We have many good strategies for the payment and collection of traffic fines and we will share our experience with other GCC countries and benefit from their experience as well.”

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Kuwait hosts KALD seminar

Support students after finding ‘strength areas’ KUWAIT: Integrating students with learning differences requires the training of teachers, parents and education officials, and civil societies are a valuable resource in this area, according to educational psychology professor at Ein Sham University Dr Naguib Khuzam. Speaking at a seminar organized Saturday evening by Kuwait Association of Learning Differences (KALD), the professor called for searching for the “areas of strength” in any student and to provide support accordingly.

“Differences are enriching, and we must welcome them,” he said, saying that intelligence was not only related to academic achievement, as studies have now indicated levels of emotional and social intelligence that were just as important.

Dr Khuzam noted that the role of schools was not only to teach curricula, but also to build the characters of their students, which was why it was important to “empower” civil societies and centers specialized in dealing with children who were “differently able” or having “difabilities” in order to assist in different levels of integration into schools.

The professor explained that integrated education was based on the belief that children had to be “adjusted to fit” into the existing educational system,

in my view

An interpellation or vendetta?

By Mohammad Khalid Al-Enezi he Constitution has entitled MPs with the use of an interpellation motion as a constitutional tool to address shortcomings in a minister’s performance.

MP Ali Al-Deqbasi has announced that he will initiate an interpellation motion against the Minister of Information, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah during the National Assembly’s session on March 16. The first clause of the motion focuses on the failure to impose financial supervision on the institutions that have licenses to publish and broadcast according to the audio-visual law.

The second clause focuses on the failure to enforce regulations on TV stations that stir up controversy. Al-Deqbasi asserts that the main aim of presenting the grilling is to protect public interests and national unity.

Law enforcement is one of the most important duties that have been assigned to ministers. For that, it’s important to address the points that were brought up by Al-Deqbasi, especially those pertinent to implementing the law and addressing them.

That being said, I believe that giving an opinion on whether to support or oppose the grilling should be made after listening to what both parties have to say. Making

T

such decisions prior to discussion raises a number of questions.

Kuwait has a unique form of democracy, and a distinguished nature of politics. The process of supporting or objecting a grilling motion in Kuwait is usually based on several aspects: The clauses of grilling, the performance of the minster under interpellation, his political stances, and MPs who belong to political blocs with different agendas.

After Sheikh Abdullah was previously ousted of his position as the health minister back in 2007 following a grilling motion that ended with a No-Confidence Motion passed against him, it led to his resignation from the Cabinet. The minister had made a serious statement to a TV channel, “Every stance inside the Parliament building comes with a price. A vote has its price, attendance has a price, and an interpellation has a price.” This statement implied that the legislative and executive authorities resort to bribery to buy stances, and was heavily criticized by MPs. Eventually, political activist Mohammad Al-Juwaihel made his controversial comments to Al-Soor TV, which led the government to propose a series of amendments on the Audio-Visual Law that are to enforce further restrictions on media freedom. All

these issues gave more momentum to the interpellation motion.

In my opinion, I think MPs should not express support nor reject the grilling motion unless they hear what the two sides have to say during the interpellation motion; it is similar to a court trial in which a decision would be made following the end of a hearing. In this case, a No-Confidence motion helps terminate the minister’s political life. MPs should ensure that their stances are taken based on what they hear in the session, not from information received from outside influences, regardless of the controversies involved that surround the minister.

Allowing the democracy of the country to be distorted and interpellations be pictured as a tool to obstruct development should not be tolerated. An interpellation motion is a tool used by an MP to rectify a flaw, in spite of the fact that it has deviated from its main purpose in recent years.

Hopefully, we will witness an excellent discussion during tomorrow’s session.

Should MPs arrive at the conclusion that the minister failed to defend accusations, they have the right to file a No-Confidence motion against him, which if passed, I advise the minister to resign and not be moved to take up another portfolio.

Kuwait plays key role in CITES conference DOHA: Kuwait is playing a core role in the ongoing 15th Conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) thanks to its effective involvement in several committees, Kuwait’s CITES Coordinator Shareefa AlSalem said here yesterday.

Kuwait is also holding an exhibition on floral and faunal environment on the sidelines of the conference, which reflects its interest in floral and faunal resources, she said. Kuwait is leading the GCC group in the conference on the basis that it holds the current rotating GCC presidency.

The two-week conference on CITES, which is also known as the Washington Convention, kick-started here earlier on Saturday, attracting participants from over 175 countries.

Kuwait has also coordinated with the agreement secretariat, on behalf of the Arab countries at the discretion of the Arab League, over issues and subjects

tabled on the agenda of the international gathering, Al-Salem said.

Furthermore, she maintained, Kuwait will play host to an international workshop on how to protect and conserve floral resources later this year.

CITES is an international agreement between governments, drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1973 at a meeting of members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

It mainly aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants poses no threat to their survival and it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 33,000 species of animals and plants.

The conference is scheduled to thrash out a spectrum of over 40 overtures chiefly meant to take fresh moves in order to protect animals and plants that are facing the danger of extinction.

Qatari Minister of Environment Abdullah Al-Ma’dhadi said the convention was one of the important and successful conventions

Cosmetic, skincare expert KUWAIT: Al-Rashid Hospital, the leading hospital for Family Care, introduces to you cosmetics and skincare expert Zeeba Rafiq. Graduating from the UK, she has won numerous awards from the US, UK, and Germany.

Zeeba is our new Administrative Director of Laser, Skincare, and Cosmetics at the Salmiya Al-Rashid Hospital and Al-Rashid Clinic in Jahra.

This is part of the new development plan at Al Rashid hospital to update and renovate the services provided by the hospital, which are now using the best modern US equipment and techniques in laser therapy, skincare, and cosmetics. Zeeba is pleased to be joining the hospital’s family and receive visitors for our newly revived laser, skincare, and cosmetics division.

concerned with protection of wild life. “The importance of this convention is laid in the achievement of the environmental balance of the wild species, by keeping them in their natural habitat,” AlMa’dhadi said at the opening of the convention.

He referred to the importance of the international trade in animal and plant species, and its economic reflections in which most countries of the world are interested. In the past, he added, trade was made irregularly and illegitimately, constituting a main threat against the biological variety, subjecting some species to extinction, and causing loss of many different plant and animal species.

CITES has had a considerable influence in keeping these species that are endangered to be extinct, by organizing their trade in, holding conferences, enacting laws, and applying the strategy generated by the Convention to achieve the balance between environment and development, he noted. “Qatar has had a great role in keeping

while integrational education called for the need to change the system to accommodate the differently able child.

He explained that the integration of children with dif-abilities into schools was of various levels: full integration into classrooms with their unchallenged peers, where teachers had to experiment with different teaching models to assist the student in question; partial integration, where the differently able share classes with their peers but have special classes for some subjects; social location integration, where the differently able have their own classrooms in regular schools but play with their peers during recess; and temporary location integration, where the differently able are visited by students from regular

schools several times a year or vice versa.

“Studies have shown that different levels of integration are of benefit not only to the differently able, but also to unchallenged children,” he noted, while stressing that parents were “partners” in the integration process and that they had to always provide the required support for their children.

On her part, KALD Chairperson Aamal Al-Sayer said that the issue of learning difficulties was an old one, but that debate about it worldwide was relatively new.

She noted that unlike those with physical challenges, children with learning difficulties were not given the attention they required, and thus the need arose for the issuance of a law that protected their rights.

This, she said, was indeed achieved with the issuance of the “Rights Law for People with Disabilities” which recognized the fact that those with learning difficulties were not disabled.

However, she expressed her concern that the law had not designated an authority to oversee the needs and requirements of those with learning disabilities, and called on the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor and the National Assembly to recruit the assistance of civil societies that worked in this area when considering the establishment of such a body.

She also called on the Ministry of Education to study the needs of these differently able children and to train staff to provide the necessary support and assistance. —- KUNA

Iran website slams MP Al-Tabtabae KUWAIT: MP Dr. Walid AlTabtabae has been sharply criticized in an article on Iranian news website ‘Iran Age’ for his condemnation of the use of the term ‘Persian Gulf’ in a Kuwaiti newspaper editorial and his negative stance towards the opening of a Kuwaiti consulate in the Iranian city of Mashhad.

An article on the website referred to a column written by Al-Tabtabae in Kuwaiti paper AlRai, in which he criticized those who insisted that the waterway should be known as the Persian Gulf.

The MP said that this had offended many Kuwaiti MPs, further suggesting that the decision to open a Kuwaiti consulate in Mashhad was unsuitable at this time. “Tabtabae’s confirmation that he does not wish to confer with his Iranian counterparts only indicates how highly he thinks of himself,” said the article on the Iranian website, adding, “He believes that he is a VIP and that Iranian officials are waiting to be seen by him!”

CAIRO: The Kuwaiti Education Ministry’s foreign contracts committee will be seeking the employment of Egyptians to teach in Kuwait, said an official here yesterday. Head of the committee Talq Al-Haim said that around 550 Egyptian teachers would be hired to teach in Kuwaiti schools in addition to 450 from Jordan, Tunisia, and Syria. — KUNA

some creatures that are endangered to be extinct, including the Arabian Oryx. It was re-settled in natural reserves, and now it is deemed to be the biggest Oryx herds in the Arab World. The natural reserves and gardens of the neighboring and friendly countries have been enriched from this herd. Now, the Country has more than 1,300 heads of it, in addition to other animal and plant creatures to which we give an extreme attention,” he said.

UN Environment Program (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner underlined importance of CITES since its establishment 35 years ago.

He called on environment ministers to exert efforts to facing environmental challenges and develop means to properly use of resources. Steiner said the UNEP would be a true partner in all efforts to enforce application of CITES. Kuwait is represented by Director General of the Environment Public Authority (EPA) Dr. Salah AlMudhi. — KUNA

in the news Kuwaitis’ low productivity levels KUWAIT: The policy of replacing expatriate public sector workers with Kuwaitis is reportedly facing problems, with many suggesting that Kuwaitis’ productivity levels are below average. Meanwhile, it’s been reported that the pay rises and allowances being sought by civil servants, some of whom have threatened to strike if their demands are not met, will cost the country around KD 300 million, according to experts. One financial specialist described the sum as a “very high cost,” urging the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to consider the effects that agreeing to these pay increases and allowances would have on the state’s budget before taking any decisions. During its next board meeting in April, the CSC is expected to introduce a specific strategy to deal with civil servants’ demands, reported Al-Qabas. There are concerns, however, that this could simply further complicate matters and result in government bodies asking for more financial privileges before those already under consideration are settled, leading to further difficulties.

Subsidized goods supply KUWAIT: The Ministry of Commerce will review its system for supplying subsidized goods to citizens, in order to prevent others from smuggling the low-priced foodstuff, said Minister of Commerce and Industry Ahmad Al-Haroun yesterday. Al-Haroun said that citizens should not neglect the fact that some individuals might take advantage of them by taking their allocated low-priced foodstuff and selling them abroad for a huge sum of money.

KUWAIT: Col Al-Sabr (middle) with Al-Mukhaizeem (left) and Youssef Al-Ruwaieh

Interior praises KFH’s security efforts KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior’s official spokesperson Col Mohamed Al-Sabr praised Kuwait Finance House’s (KFH) efforts and contributions that aim to support security, and sets an example for the private sector; especially that KFH’s efforts include the fields of education and health.

On the occasion of the launching of the Gulf Traffic Week for the GCC countries for 2010 that starts this week, AlSabr expressed Kuwait’s pride in hosting this event.

He added that the slogan of the event is “Beware of other’s faults” reflects the accidents that happen as a result of the mistakes of other drivers, and hoped that the event would be a new start to limit road accidents.

He asserted that the event symbolizes the cooperation among the GCC countries, and proves that the traffic

cooperation among those countries is based on common principles.

Meanwhile, KFH’s Marketing and Public Relations Manager Eng. Fahad AlMukhaizeem explained that KFH makes safety a top priority in its social work agenda, and seeks to increase the traffic awareness among the members of the society, since it is one of the matters affects people’s lives.

He noted that the private sector’s contribution in supporting such cases stems from its belief in the fact that economic stability is linked to safety. He went on to praise the role of the Ministry of Interior for granting the private sector the opportunity to play a role in increasing the awareness of the society, and said that KFH’s participation in this event reveals its interest in cementing its regional role, especially that KFH can be found in Bahrain, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

He hoped that the event would be a step forward in limiting road accidents.

He added that KFH has launched in conjunction with the Security Media Department the 112 campaign that introduced people in Kuwait to the new emergency number, which widely spread this important number, especially that 112 is the number will be the unified international emergency number in all countries.

It is to be noted that KFH organized last year several events in conjunction with the ministry, where KFH honored the distinguished police officers in the Capital Governorate and Al-Shuhada Fire Station at Al-Nuzha. The honoring ceremony was attended by the Minister of Interior’s Assistant Undersecretaries Maj Gen Mahmoud Al-Doussari and Mostafa Al-Zaabi, in addition to KFH’s CEO Mohammed Al-Omar.

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, March 15, 2010

7

Iraq PM takes lead in key province Initial results represent a small share of votes cast BAGHDAD: Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s bloc built on its gains in Iraq’s parliamentary election, initial results showed yesterday, as he took a comfortable lead in the key province of Basra. Though the figures remain far from complete, Maliki’s State of Law Alliance has taken strong leads in two of Iraq’s

BAABDA: In this picture, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (right) chats with Lebanese Druze Leader and MP Walid Jumblatt (left) ahead of the start of a session of the national dialogue at the presidential palace. —AFP

Lebanese Druze leader makes Syrian overture BEIRUT: One of Syria’s harshest critics in Lebanon has now said his earlier statements were “improper” and called for a new page in relations between the two countries. A reconciliation between Walid Jumblatt, the influential leader of the Druse sect, and Damascus could boost Syria’s role in Lebanese politics years after its troops were forced out of the country. For five years following the truck bomb assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Jumblatt was a stern critic of Syria. In recent months, however, he has broken with his former Westernbacked allies.

His comments come as Syria is emerging from its isolation and is improving relations with Arab and Western states. Jumblatt’s harshest verbal attack against Syrian President Bashar Assad came on Feb 14, 2007 in a speech marking Hariri’s assassination. He told a crowd of tens of thousands of supporters that Assad was a “snake” and a “tyrant” and called for revenge against him.

Many Lebanese blame Syria for the assassination, a charge Syria denies.

“These comments were improper, unfamiliar and unsuited to political ethics,” Jumblatt said in a live interview with Al-Jazeera satellite channel late Saturday. “I said, at a moment of anger, what is improper and illogical against President Bashar Assad. It was a moment of ultimate internal tension and division in Lebanon.” “Is it possible for them to overcome this moment and open a new page?” he added.

There was no comment from Damascus but Syrian state-run newspapers, Al-Thawra, Tishrin

and Al-Baath published Jumblatt’s comments on their front pages yesterday. The comments might well results in a Syrian invitation to visit Damascus. A shrewd politician known for his shifting loyalties, Jumblatt walked out from the Western-backed coalition last year and said he will take a neutral stance in Lebanese politics.

Also in 2009, Jumblatt reconciled with Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, one of Syria’s strongest allies in Lebanon. Nasrallah is said to be working for reconciliation between Jumblatt and Syria. Jumblatt, 60, was the main force behind the creation of a Western-backed alliance that led massive street protests to demand the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon following Hariri’s assassination.

The Syrians pulled their army out of Lebanon in April 2005 ending nearly three decades of domination of their smaller neighbor. A longtime leftist and a one-time close Syrian ally, Jumblatt shifted after Hariri’s assassination to the Westernbacked camp after being a main beneficiary of Syrian goodwill when Damascus had the final say in Lebanese affairs for close to 30 years. Since the 2005 break with Damascus, however, he became a staunch critic of Syria in Lebanon, calling for the overthrow of Assad’s regime and blaming Syria for the 1977 killing of his father. Tensions between Jumblatt’s Druse followers and his allies on one side and Nasrallah’s Shiite militants erupted in street fighting in Beirut in May 2008, killing 81 people and nearly plunging Lebanon into another civil war. Since the clashes, Jumblatt has moderated his anti-Syrian rhetoric. — AP

Iranian-American scholar freed TEHRAN: Iranian-American scholar Kian Tajbakhsh, who is serving a five year jail term, has been freed temporarily to celebrate the Persian New Year after paying a hefty bail, Tehran’s prosecutor said yesterday. Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said Tajbakhsh, an urban planning expert, was “freed for 15 days after paying 800,000 dollars bail,” the ISNA news agency reported. Masoud Shafiei, Tajbakhsh’s lawyer, confirmed his client had been released late Saturday. Tajbakhsh was initially sentenced for 15 years but an appeals court later reduced the penal-

ty to five years in jail.

He was arrested during a crackdown on the opposition in the wake of the dispute over presidential elections last year and was found guilty of harming national security. Iranian authorities have released several reformists, journalists and opposition supporters in recent weeks ahead of the start of the new year on March 21. The dispute over the return to power of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last June led to a widespread crackdown by authorities which saw thousands of people detained. — AFP

Khamenei tells Iranians to shun Persian fire festival TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday urged Iranians to shun this week’s Persian fire festival as an un-Islamic event which causes “a lot of harm.”

Seven people have already been reported killed in the runup to the festival, ISNA news agency said, quoting a police chief.

Charshanbe Soori, an ancient pagan festival, is held on the eve of the last Wednesday of the Persian calendar year. This

year, the ritual falls tomorrow night. Khamenei, Iran’s all-powerful cleric, said on his website that Charshanbe Soori has “no basis in sharia (Islamic religious law) and creates a lot of harm and corruption, (which is why) it is appropriate to avoid it.” The festival is a prelude to Nowrouz, the Persian New Year which starts on March 21 and marks the arrival of spring. In the past few years, local municipalities have helped Iranians organize the fes-

TEHRAN: File picture shows an Iranian man jumping over a bonfire during the “Charshanbe Soori” fire festival. —AFP

tival but it is unclear whether they will do so this year in the wake of Khamenei’s remarks.

Iranians celebrate the fire festival by lighting bonfires in public places on the night before the last Wednesday and leaping over the flames shouting “Sorkhiye to az man, Zardiye man az to (Give me your redness and I will give you my paleness).” Leaping over the flames symbolizes the wish for happiness in the new year and an end to the sufferings of the past year.

Several casualties are reported from the event every year and many participants suffer burn wounds, including from accidents with firecrackers linked to the event, as they start marking the festivals days in advance.

Iran’s deputy police chief Ahmad Reza Radan said that “so far seven people have been reported killed” while making or lighting firecrackers, ISNA reported, adding that most firecrackers are smuggled into Iran.

Some clerics see the ritual as heretical fire worshipping, although it has been marked in Iran for centuries and, like the Persian New Year itself and some other ancient rituals, has survived the advent of Islam.

Perceptions are that supporters of Iranian opposition leaders could use the ritual this year to stage anti-government protests. Main opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, however, has urged his supporters not to use the event for anti-government rallies and not to provoke hardliners during Charshanbe Soori. —AFP

Figures released yesterday also showed that secular ex-premier Iyad Allawi, a Shiite like Maliki, was ahead in the Sunni bastion of Anbar, the fourth province in which Allawi’s Iraqiya bloc has a lead. So far, results have been released for 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces. The remaining four were set to be announced later yesterday. The latest figures were met with a frantic reaction in the national election commission’s press room, as results from three provinces were put on one elevated flat-screen television.

The room is separated by a glass wall from a bank of computers where hundreds of election workers input data from tally sheets. Lack of space on the screen forced election officials to scroll up and down on the surface to show all the figures, sparking shouts from assembled journalists who were furiously taking notes.

Election officials have pleaded for patience as vote tabulation has been slowed by persistent computer crashes, which again affected work yesterday.

According to the latest results, State of Law held a lead of around 100,000 votes in oil-rich Basra, with the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a coalition led by Shiite religious groups, coming in second. Iraqiya was a distant third.

Basra, a predominantly Shiite southern province, accounts for 24 parliamentary seats in the 325member Council of Representatives, behind only Baghdad, which has 70 seats, and Nineveh in northern Iraq with 34.

Yesterday’s tallies came a day after initial figures put Maliki comfortably in the lead in Baghdad, with the INA and Iraqiya neck-and-neck for second place in the election’s main prize.

Along with Basra and

three biggest constituencies, and remains ahead in six provinces overall. The results from the second parliamentary election since Saddam Hussein’s ouster in 2003 come less than six months ahead of a US downsizing which will see all American combat troops leave the country by the end of August.

IRAQ: A combo of file pictures shows Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki (left) delivering a speech at the heavily-fortified Green Zone in Baghdad and former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi speaking to the press in the southern city of Najaf. —AFP Baghdad, State of Law is also ahead in the southern Shiite provinces of Babil, Najaf, Karbala and Muthanna, while the INA leads in Maysan and Diwaniyah, also mostly Shiite southern provinces. Despite State of Law’s success, however, analysts have warned that rival groups could still man oeuvre to form a coalition government without State of Law. “There exists a desire to form an alliance between the INA and the Kurds, possibly also with

Allawi,” Baghdad University professor Hamid Fadhel told AFP on Saturday.

“They have all refused a long time to really see Maliki as the prime minister.” Iraq’s election commission announced yesterday that Iraqiya had a comfortable lead in Anbar, Iraq’s biggest province by geography and the centre of a bloody insurgency in the early years of the US-led occupation.

Elsewhere, Iraqiya leads in Nineveh and the mostly Sunni central provinces of Diyala and

Salaheddin.

Meanwhile, Kurdistania, an alliance of the Kurdish autonomous region’s two long-dominant parties, was in the lead in the northern Iraqi province of Dohuk, in the early results.

Earlier figures also put Kurdistania ahead in Arbil, seat of the Iraqi Kurdish regional government, while initial results are still awaited from Sulaimaniyah, the region’s third province.

Qassim Al-Abboudi, a senior election commission official, told reporters yesterday that vote

counts from each of Iraq’s 18 provinces would top 60 percent today.

Iraq’s proportional representation electoral system makes it unlikely that any single grouping will clinch the 163 seats needed to form a government on its own, and analysts expect protracted coalition building. Complete results from the general election are expected on March 18 and the final ones-after any appeals are dealt with-will likely come at the end of the month. — AFP

8

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, March 15, 2010

Vatican denies celibacy led to sex abuse scandal German newspapers blame celibacy for exploitation VATICAN CITY: The Vatican yesterday denied that its celibacy requirement for priests was the root cause of the clerical sex abuse scandal convulsing the church in Europe and again defended the pope’s handling of the crisis. Suggestions that the celibacy rule was

somehow responsible for the “deviant behavior” of a few priests have swirled in recent days, with opinion pieces in German newspapers blaming it for fueling abuse and even Italian commentators questioning the rule.

VATICAN: A marble statue frames Pope Benedict XVI (background) during the Angelus noon prayer in St Peter’s square yesterday. — AP

Russian regional vote is test for Medvedev Medvedev’s pledge to boost democracy under spotlight MOSCOW: Millions of Russians voted in regional elections yesterday in a mid-term test of President Dmitry Medvedev’s pledge to loosen the Kremlin’s grip on the political system. Regional and municipal votes across the country will also gauge the popularity of the ruling United Russia party amid anger at rising prices and unemployment after the global crisis ended 10 years of rapid economic growth.

A repeat of widespread violations reported by the opposition in regional elections last year could boost a series of antigovernment protests on March 20, six days after the poll. Around 32 million of Russia’s 110 million registered voters are eligible to vote in polls, which include elections for eight regional parliaments.

The elections come half way through Medvedev’s four year term as he struggles to demonstrate progress on a pledge to loosen the tight control of the political system introduced during Vladimir Putin’s eight years in the Kremlin. Despite a

series of relatively liberal speeches by Medvedev, analysts have struggled to point to any significant deviation from policies introduced by Putin, now prime minister and dominant partner in Russia’s ruling “tandem”.

Accusations of voting violations were so widespread in a Moscow city council vote last October—overwhelmingly won by United Russia—that three usually loyal opposition parties walked out of parliament in a rare public protest. They were coaxed back by Medvedev’s promise of a fairer vote this time. Golos, Russia’s largest independent election monitoring body, said it has seen no sign that yesterday’s elections would be an improvement. “We see less and less political competition all the time,” said Golos head Liliya Shibanova.

Campaigning for yesterday’s votes was marred by the barring of candidates from the liberal Yabloko party from two regional polls after officials ruled several thousand voter signatures required to get the party

on the ballot were invalid. Federal election officials have dismissed opposition complaints of bias and say Russian elections are more open than those in Western Europe.

Putin’s United Russia is expected to dominate the elections, drawing on its immense resources, entrenched position and popular leader. Its national approval rating in February was between 50 and 65 percent, according to recent polls. But it faces growing anger over rapid hikes in prices for communal services and transport, which helped prompt 10,000 people to gather in the western region of Kaliningrad in January for one of the largest opposition protests in a decade.

In most regions United Russia will face three parties-the Communists, the nationalist Liberal Democrats and left-leaning Fair Russia, which are all relatively cautious in their opposition to the Kremlin.

First results are expected after the close of polls in the west of Russia at 8 pm Moscow time (1700 GMT). — Reuters

Nigeria massacre highlights failure to tackle violence JOS: The latest sectarian massacre in Jos has brutally exposed the failure of the Nigerian authorities to end bloodshed and bring stability to a region which has long been a religious powderkeg. “The security forces have failed in their primary responsibility to maintain law and order in the case of Jos killings. This is a flagrant violation of the constitution for which they have to be sanctioned,” prominent rights activist Joe Okei-Odumakin told AFP. “They cannot excuse their failure,” said Okei-Odumakin, president of the Campaign for Democracy, a coalition of rights bodies in Nigeria, where Jos lies between the country’s Muslim and Christian communities.

Plateau State Information Commissioner Gregory Yenlong put the casualty figure in the March 7 massacre of mostly Christian farmers in three Berom villages by ethnic Fulani herdsmen at more than 500.

Other sources put the toll at between 100 and 400. Previous violence in and around Jos has claimed several thousand lives.

The town lies in central Nigeria, on the faultline between the Christian majority south and the mostly Muslim north. There have been outbreaks of violence every few years since 2001, and some commentators attributed yesterday’s slaughter to revenge for the killings of Muslims by Christians last January.

But some residents said the killings were part of a spiraling feud between the Fulani, who are nomads, and Berom, who are farmers, which had been sparked by the theft of cattle, rather than for religious motives. “The recurring vio-

NIGERIA: In this photo, people from the village of Dogo Nahawa, south of Jos, watch health officials cover bodies killed during religious clashes on March 7, 2010. — AFP lence in and around the Jos area in the last 10 or more years has become the defining point of the difficult challenge facing Nigeria,” wrote analyst Kingsley Omose in The Nation newspaper on Friday.

Women and children bore the brunt of the three-hour killing spree and in the week, mothers staged a series of angry demonstrations. They also called for troops to leave, saying that the army had not stopped the massacre. The police said they have arrested 49 Fulani herdsmen for the killings and that the suspects had confessed to having acted in revenge for the January incident. — AFP

Much of the furor was spurred by comments from one of the pope’s closest advisers, Vienna archbishop Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, who called this week for an honest examination of issues like celibacy and priestly education to root out the origins of abusive priests. “Part of it is the question of celibacy, as well as the subject of character development. And part of it is a large portion of honesty, in the church but also in society,” he wrote in the online edition of his diocesan newsletter.

His office quickly stressed that Schoenborn wasn’t calling into question priestly celibacy, which just this week Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed for priests as an “expression of the gift of oneself to God and others.” But Schoenborn has in the past shown himself receptive to arguments that a celibate priesthood is increasingly problematic for the church, primarily because it limits the number of men who seek ordination.

Last June, Schoenborn personally presented the Vatican with a lay initiative signed by prominent Australian Catholics calling for the celibacy rule to be abolished and for married men to be allowed to become priests. In the days following Schoenborn’s editorial this week, several prominent prelates - in Germany and at the Vatican - shot down any suggestion that the celibacy rule had anything to do with the scandal, a point echoed yesterday by the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. “It’s been established that there’s no link,” said the article by Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi, an emeritus professor of canon law and psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

“First off, it’s known that sexual abuse of minors is more widespread among lay people and those who are married than in the celibate priesthood,” he wrote. “Secondly, research has shown that priests guilty of abuse had long before stopped observing celibacy.” The article also defended Benedict as a “vigilant shepherd of his flock” in confronting the crisis decisively early on, in denouncing the “filth” in the priesthood and taking charge of abuse cases himself as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Vatican has been on the defensive ever since the first of some 170 former students from Catholic schools in Benedict’s native Germany came forward with claims of physical and sexual abuse, including at a boys choir once led by the pope’s brother.

Since then, claims have spread to the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland - while the pope was preparing a letter for Irish Catholics in response to the decades of systematic abuse in church-run schools, orphanages and other institutions in that predominantly Roman Catholic nation. The crisis reached the pope himself on Friday. The Munich archdiocese reported that when he was Munich Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger, he had approved therapy for a priest suspected of abuse in the 1980s. The priest was then transferred to another location, where he was convicted of abusing minors.

The Vatican and the archdiocese stressed that Ratzinger didn’t authorize the transfer and that an underling had taken “full responsibility.” — AP

Female porn director set for Brit politics BIRMINGHAM: A woman who has directed 300 “female-friendly” sex films is to test the liberalmindedness of British voters and run for parliament in an election due within weeks. Anna Arrowsmith, 38, whose works under the name Anna Span include “Be My Toy Boy”, “Hoxton Honey” and “Uniform Behavior”, is standing for the opposition Liberal Democrats in the Kent constituency of Gravesham in southeast England.

Her last-minute selection for the seat after the previous candidate dropped out made headlines across Britain over the weekend as the opposition party met in the midlands city of Birmingham ahead of the election expected in May. Even the normally august Times newspaper put her picture on its front page above the caption: “The woman who is sexing up the Lib Dems”.

Party leader Nick Clegg said her films were not his “cup of tea” but said she had at least not done anything illegal, a swipe at rival politicians caught up in a long-running scandal over parliamentary expenses. Arrowsmith, managing director of Easy on the Eye Productions, said her move into politics was a natural diversification after years of campaigning to improve women’s rights in the adult film industry.

“I’m hopefully taking the skills I’ve learned of being a fighter to the national stage at Westminster,” she told Reuters. Despite a matterof-fact attitude to her subject matter, she has always remained behind the camera. “You’ve got to naturally be an exhibitionist and that’s not what I am like. Porn stars would walk along the streets nude, that’s what they enjoy, that’s not me.” — Reuters

PARIS: French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy casts her vote for the first round of the regional elections while France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy looks on yesterday. — AP

French regional vote may be big defeat for Sarkozy PARIS: France was electing new regional governments yesterday in a vote that is seen by many as a referendum on President Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2 1/2 years in power. Leftists are riding high into the elections, which look likely to result in a setback for Sarkozy’s conservatives, blamed by many voters for failing to protect their jobs amid the economic downturn. France’s struggle to integrate its millions of Muslims has also come to the fore in the campaign for 1,880 seats on regional governments in mainland France and in overseas regions from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean.

The opposition Socialists won control of 20 of the 22 regions in mainland France at the last election in 2004. Sarkozy’s conservative UMP party had hoped to win some of those back in this election, but polls suggest the Socialist-led left will win the overwhelming majority of regions. Socialist leader Martine Aubry, whose party long has suffered from division and lack of a new vision, even said she hoped for a “grand slam” - leftist domination of all the regions.

Abstention looked likely to be high, with polls last week predicting only about half of the country’s 45 million eligible voters will cast a ballot. At noon (1100 GMT), participation stood at just over 16 percent, compared with 18.48 percent at the same time in 2004, according to the Interior Ministry. Design student Midou Amarri said he was not planning to vote yesterday.

“I have a lot of (school)work

to do today and this race doesn’t seem so important to me,” said the 20-year-old Parisian. “It comes down to a question of priorities, and to me, today, work is more important.”

Since Sarkozy’s supporters are showing little interest in the campaign, those voters who do cast ballots are likely to do so to express discontent with a president who pledged when he was elected to turn the country into an economic powerhouse.

The fallout from France’s worst recession since World War II is still pinching industries from car-making to hotels.

Joblessness is at its highest level in a decade, over 10 percent.

Workers in a number of factories have locked up managers to protest layoffs in recent months, and scattered strikes hit the country this week, from day cares to doctors’ offices.

Yesterday’s first round of voting will only give a partial picture of what the regional leadership will look like, ahead of the decisive March 21 runoff. Yesterday, polls predicted that candidates from Sarkozy’s UMP and the Socialist Party will come in with about 29 percent of the vote each, followed by those from Europe Ecologie, a green-minded party whose popularity has grown amid concern over global warming.

In the runoff, however, the Socialists and Europe Ecologie and smaller leftist parties are expected to join forces in some regions to give the left the majority. “Victory ... is at our fingertips,” Europe Ecologie leader Cecile Duflot said at a campaign

rally. The far right National Front of Jean-Marie Le Pen, now running in what may be his last election, had played that kingmaker role in past elections.

Polls predict his party will come in fourth overall.

Sarkozy is not on the ballot but is likely to emerge the big loser in this vote.

Sarkozy appealed to his conservative base in an interview with Le Figaro Magazine released Thursday, pledging to install more surveillance cameras nationwide and to not raise taxes. Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who has taken a more prominent role in the campaign, raised the issue of national identity at a rally Thursday. He said a law forbidding the full-face Islamic veil would be submitted in the spring.

The government launched nationwide debates on what it means to be French in November just as the election campaign was getting into full swing, and it raised questions about how France is integrating its several million-strong Muslim population, western Europe’s largest. For most voters, campaign issues are local.

In the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, voters are worried about the future of a Total oil refinery that threatened the nation with gas shortages. In the Pays de la Loire region, candidates are campaigning to keep the shipbuilding business afloat. In the Paris region, candidate Chantal Jouanno, the government’s junior minister for ecology, suggested introducing a toll for driving in the capital. — AP

Central African govt says coup plot foiled LIBREVILLE: The Central African Republic’s government said Saturday it had foiled a plan to launch a coup d’etat next week, with intelligence implicating former president Ange Felix Patasse who strongly denied any involvement.

National Security Minister Jules Bernard Ouande said in a recorded radio statement obtained by AFP that the government obtained detailed information on Friday about a plan by unnamed soldiers and politicians to overthrow President Francois Bozize.

“It was marked ‘Plan of Attack’,” Ouande said, reading the document over Radio Centrafrica. “I can tell you that when it obtained this information, the Central African government took all necessary action,” Ouande said in the statement. The coup was to have been launched today with meetings of those involved, including “commandos, mercenaries, kamikazes and militiamen.” The next stages, including “distribution of weapons, munitions, uniforms,” naming of heads of operations, handing out of money, reconnaissance and cutting of all telephone lines were to have taken place from tomorrow to 19.

These actions were to have culminated in a spokesman for the movement making a state-

ment on March 20, hours before “the opening of the borders and a statement by the head of state whose name I don’t wish to divulge,” Ouande said. While stating several times that he did not want to give the name, the minister mentioned a passage in the document that spoke of “reinforcements in the home of AFP,” the initials of Patasse who was president from 1993 to 2003.

Patasse, reached on the phone from Libreville, denied any involvement in an attempted coup saying he had always “fought for the vote.” Patasse, widely known in the Central African Republic as AFP, said he suspected the authorities were trying to eliminate him as a threat in presidential elections due April 25 along with general elections.

The former president, who was overthrown in March 2003 by Bozize, declared: “I have been elected twice, this time I’ll go (to the polls) and I’ll win!” Under a presidential decree the electoral campaign will run April 12-23.

The landlocked country located squarely in the centre of the African continent has been trying to complete a peace process after years of rebellions, coups d’etat and various kinds of violence by rebels, soldiers and brigands setting up roadblocks. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, March 15, 2010

Obama picks first young appeals court nominee WASHINGTON: Thirteen months into his presidency, Barack Obama finally gave liberal supporters the kind of judicial nominee they had sought and conservatives feared. Goodwin Liu, 39, is an unabashed liberal legal scholar who, if confirmed, could become a force on the federal appeals court for decades. There’s talk that in time, the Rhodes Scholar, former US Supreme Court clerk and current assistant dean and law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, could be the first person of Asian descent chosen for the Supreme Court.

“I can easily imagine him” as a nominee of the top US court, said Erwin Chemerinsky, a Liu supporter and dean of the law school at the University of California, Irvine. Obama’s choice of Liu for the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco drew quick and vociferous criticism from conservatives. Sen Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, described Liu as “far outside the mainstream of American jurisprudence.” For the first time, Obama seemed to be taking a page from the playbook of recent Republican presidents who nominated conservatives in their 30s and 40s with the expectation they would have enduring influence in setting policy on the federal bench.

Whether a string of younger, more ideological nominees will follow from the Democratic president is unknown. Of the four Obama nominees announced since Liu’s selection on Feb. 24, three are their 50s and the other is a 45-year-old career prosecutor. The payoff of the approach taken by President Ronald Reagan is evident today. Young judges appointed to the bench in the mid-1980s remain powerful forces on appeal courts in Chicago, Cincinnati, Richmond, Virginia, and San Francisco.

In an era when appeals court experience is virtually a prerequisite for the Supreme Court, five of the nine justices became appeals court judges before they were 45. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy were nominated to appellate judgeships before they turned 40, though Senate Democrats blocked Roberts’ nomination near the end of George H W Bush’s presidency. First, though, Liu has to overcome anticipated Republican stalling tactics to win Senate confirmation. Only six of Obama’s 15 appeals court nominees have been confirmed even though the president’s choices have seemed designed to avoid “high-profile fights,” in the words of Curt Levey of the conservative Committee for Justice.

Nan Aron, president of the liberal Alliance For Justice, agreed that Obama has mainly chosen moderate federal trial judges for appeals courts.

“Unlike Reagan and the recent Bush, he certainly has not made ideology the hallmark of his judicial selection program,” Aron said. Seventeen Reagan nominees took their appeals court seats before they were 45, but the president did not immediately reach out to younger choices. The

Rain knocks out power, diverts flights in US ATLANTIC CITY: Strong winds and heavy rain pounded parts of the US Northeast on Saturday, knocking out power to nearly 450,000 customers, diverting international flights and toppling a boom crane at an Atlantic City casino construction site, injuring one police officer. The winds downed trees and power lines throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The New York City area and southern New Jersey were among the hardest hit, with wind gusts of up to 67 mph (108 kph) recorded and power cut to a combined 265,000 customers. Logan International Airport in Boston received nine overseas flights bound for New York because they no longer had the fuel to wait for clearance to land at John F. Kennedy International Airport, said Massport spokesman Matthew Brelis.

Among the planes diverted because of heavy rain and high winds was the double-decker Airbus A-380, the biggest commercial passenger jet in the world. In New York, ferry service to Staten Island was suspended Saturday night because of heavy winds. In Atlantic City, the horizontal arm of a boom crane collapsed at the Revel Casino construction site. Debris went flying and crashed through the driver’s side window of a police cruiser, injuring Atlantic City police Officer Brian Hurley.

Hurley’s injuries were not considered life-threatening, Capt. Bill McKnight said. Two condominium complexes near the construction site were evacuated and several area roads were briefly closed. The winds also caused at least two homes to collapse and damaged other homes and buildings. No other injuries were reported. Rail service was suspended on major lines throughout New Jersey on Saturday night because of flooding, said NJ Transit spokeswoman Penny Bassett Hackett. — AP

9

Results seen as barometer for presidential elections

Colombians vote in test for Uribe allies BOGOTA: Colombians voted in congressional elections yesterday in a harbinger of May’s ballot to replace President Alvaro Uribe, who will step down after two terms dominated by his war on leftist rebels. Uribe’s allies are seeking to build on their majorities in both houses of Congress and shore up his coalition, which threatens to break apart as member parties

This undated handout photo provided by the University of California Berkeley School of Law shows Goodwin Liu. — AP pace of those appointments quickened later in Reagan’s first term, and especially, at the start of his second. If there is a hallmark to Obama’s choices to date, it is diversity, former Obama White House counsel Gregory Craig said. Obama has nominated five women, five AfricanAmericans, two Asian-Americans and a Hispanic among his appeals court choices.

White House officials said the president is filling vacancies on courts with heavy workloads or seats that have been open for years, in some cases. They noted that Obama nominated 32 judges in 2009 and already has sent 19 names to the Senate this year, with a steady stream of selections expected in the coming months.

But Heather Gerken, a Yale law professor and former law clerk to Justice David Souter, said she believes concerns about judicial salaries - lower than at private firms and top-notch law schools and the threat of unpleasant confirmation hearings could complicate the search for judicial nominees.

“I think it’s harder to find Goodwin Lius nowadays than it used to be,” Gerken said.

“People are less willing to give up great careers elsewhere to go on the judiciary at a young age.”

If a fight over Liu’s nomination emerges in the Senate, Republicans will label him a liberal judicial activist, while Democrats will defend Liu as a moderate committed to core constitutional values. They will talk about his impact on the 9th Circuit, but the real focus will be on something else. “The bigger concern is that he’ll wind up on the Supreme Court,” said Levey, a conservative. — AP

A strong showing by Uribe’s U Party will benefit Juan Manuel Santos, a former defense minister who is ahead in presidential opinion polls and positions himself as the successor to the campaign against the FARC or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. But a weak result could convince other parties in the coalition to abandon a proposal for a unity candidate and launch their own presidential bids.

“Today’s elections will give a clearer panorama of the strength of the groups in the running for May 30,” the newspaper El Tiempo said in an editorial. “One race finishes today but another begins.”

The election race has heated up since February when a court ruled Uribe could not run for re-election. Any candidate to replace him likely will adhere closely to his popular security and pro-investment policies.

Voters elected 102 senators and 166 representatives yesterday. Candidates range from veteran party chieftains and former hostages of FARC rebels to soap opera celebrities and national soccer players. Uribe’s alliance, made up of his U Party, the Conservative Party, Cambio Radical Party and a group of smaller parties, holds a majority of 68 seats in the Senate and a 107-seat majority in the lower house.

Justice Department’s witch-hunt backfires WASHINGTON: A witch-hunt orchestrated by George W Bush supporters against government lawyers representing Guantanamo inmates has backfired, as conservatives joined the outcry against the McCarthy-like attacks.

“Who are these government officials? Eric Holder would only name two. What’s the secrecy behind the other seven? Whose values do they share?” asks the video ad posted online by the conservative group Keep America Safe.

“Tell Eric Holder the Americans have the right to know their identities, the Al-Qaeda Seven.”

Liz Cheney, daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, has come under fire from left and right for orchestrating the campaign questioning the patriotism and loyalty of Justice Department lawyers who represented terror suspects in private practice before they joined the agency. The debate gained further steam in successive diatribes exchanged in rival editori-

als and commentaries, and in the press that warned of a witch-hunt on the scale of senator Joe McCarthy’s hounding of Communists at the height of the Cold War in the 1950s.

It all began during a November oversight hearing, when Republican Senator Chuck Grassley asked Attorney General Eric Holder to provide a list of Justice Department lawyers who may have represented terror suspects in the pasts and whether there might be any conflict of interests. Some 700 US civilian and military lawyers have defended hundreds of the detainees held at the US naval prison in southern Cuba ever since the Supreme Court granted them that right in 2004.

After President Barack Obama was ushered into the White House, one of the attorneys, Neal Katyal, became the principal deputy solicitor general, who represents the federal government before the Supreme Court. —AFP

squabble over whether to present their own presidential candidates. The conservative leader remains popular after taking the fight to FARC guerrillas and drug traffickers. Colombia’s war has ebbed and foreign investment has increased to $10 billion per year from $2 billion since Uribe came to power in 2002.

BOGOTA: Colombia’s President Alvaro Uribe adjusts his spectacles before speaking to journalists after voting during congressional elections yesterday. — AP Conservative battle But Cambio Radical has shifted away from the government alliance and its own candidate, veteran lawmaker German Vargas Lleras, is already campaigning. The Conservative Party-a key alliance memberalso holds its internal election to decide a presidential candidate,

which could result in a splinter for the coalition if the winner decides to face Santos rather than support him.

The next government will need a majority in Congress to push through health service reforms, alongside changes to the pension and tax systems and rigid financial transfers to

regional administrations-all important for tackling the deficit. Yesterday’s vote will also test how influential Colombia’s armed groups remain in politics. During Uribe’s second term, there was a scandal tying dozens of lawmakers to paramilitaries who smuggled drugs and massacred

peasants in the name of counter-insurgency before disarming under his government.

Violence from the war has dropped sharply but a report by the national ombudsman said illegal armed groups are still a risk to voting in a third of Colombia’s more than 1,000 municipalities. — Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

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Monday, March 15, 2010

China alleges diplomatic snub at Copenhagen meet BEIJING: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said he was snubbed at last year’s Copenhagen climate change conference and fired back yesterday at critics who accuse China of arrogance. China was blamed by some for undermining efforts to reach a binding agreement at the December conference and Wen was himself criticized for skipping a meeting of top leaders attended by

President Barack Obama. However, Wen says he was never formally notified of the late-night Dec 17 event and sent Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to register a protest.

Wen said no explanation had been given about the lack of a formal invitation. “Why was China not notified of this meeting? So far no one has given us any explanation about this and it still is a mystery,” Wen said

at an annual news conference on the final day of China’s legislative session. “It still baffles me why some people try to make an issue out of China,” he said.

Wen said China remained fully committed to the nonbinding Copenhagen Accord that requires developing countries to propose voluntary actions to combat climate change. “China worked with other coun-

tries attending the Copenhagen conference, and with joint efforts we have made the Copenhagen Accord possible,” Wen said.

“This result has not come easily and it is also the best outcome that could have been achieved on an issue that concerns the major interests of all countries,” he said. As the world’s largest emitter of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, China has come under

increasing pressure to commit to reductions. Beijing said before Copenhagen it will cut its “carbon intensity” - a measure of carbon dioxide emissions per unit of production - by 40 to 45 percent by 2020, compared with 2005 levels.

The dustup over Wen’s Copenhagen appearance was part of a series of controversies portraying China as more aggressive

and intransigent in its relations with the outside world. Having weathered the economic downturn better than many nations, Beijing is increasingly regarded as seeking to assert its influence and resist demands for reform.

During his 60 hours at Copenhagen, Wen held numerous meetings and speeches but made no remarks to the media, as is standard with Chinese leaders. — AP

Thaksin’s supporters challenge Thai govt More than 100,000 people demand PM dissolve parliament BANGKOK: Red-clad supporters of deposed Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra vowed yesterday to march on military barracks holding the government as they stepped up protests in Bangkok amid tight security.

Organizers of the “Red Shirts” said more than 100,000 people, mostly from the poor rural north, had converged near the capital’s government

offices in their trademark tops, demanding Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve parliament. The turnout was far lower than the “million man march” the Reds had predicted, but more than an official police estimate of fewer than 80,000 at the rally grounds in the politically divided kingdom.

BANGKOK: Red-shirted supporters of deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra wave flags and placards during a rally yesterday. —AFP

Strong earthquake rocks central Japan TOKYO: A strong magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit off the eastern coast of Japan yesterday, rattling buildings across a broad swath of the country, including the crowded capital. There were no reports of casualties, with only light damage to structures near the epicenter, according to local officials.

The quake hit at 5:08 pm and was felt most strongly in central Fukushima prefecture about 130 miles (210 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

“It was fairly strong, but didn’t knock over anything in the office,” said Ken Yoshida, a town official in Naraha, one of the hardest-hit areas. He said an earthen wall in town was partially toppled. The earthquake was centered about 50 miles (80 kilometers) off the eastern coast at a depth of about 25 miles (40 kilometers), the meteorological agency said. The government said there was no danger of a tsunami, although slight changes to ocean levels were a possibility in some areas.

It was strong enough to gently sway large buildings in Tokyo and was felt across a broad stretch of Japan’s main Honshu and northern Hokkaido islands.

Japan’s early warning system predicted the earthquake just before it hit, with public broadcaster NHK interrupting a sumo match to warn residents to take cover. The country is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. In 1995, a magnitude-7.2 quake in the western port city of Kobe killed 6,400 people. —AP

Indonesian Muslims protest Obama visit JAKARTA: Thousands of Indonesian Muslims yesterday staged peaceful rallies in cities across the country to protest US President Barack Obama’s visit later this month. Around 2,000 protesters from the hardline Muslim group Hizbut Tahrir, which aims to establish a Muslim caliphate, shouted “Islam united... will not be defeated. Reject Obama” and tore printouts of the American flag as they marched around the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar.

In Central Java’s Solo city, another 500 of the group’s supporters carried posters saying “Expel Obama.. leader of colonizer” and “America.. The Real Terrorists”. “There are two types of visitors, good and bad. Obama is bad. He might be of a different skin color from George Bush, but he still oppressed the Muslims,” the group’s spokesman Nur Alam said, referring to former US president George W Bush.

“He might have grown up in Indonesia, but that’s no basis for not rejecting him. He is a cruel figure, his hands are full of blood and he has no sympathy,” he added. Obama is generally very popular in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country as he spent several years of his childhood in Jakarta in the late 1960s. He is scheduled to leave the United States on March 21 for the trip, which also includes stops in Guam and Australia.

Obama will seek to use his visit to Indonesia to build on a speech he gave last year to the Islamic world from Cairo urging improved ties with the United States, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said last week. —AFP

BANDA ACEH: Indonesian women protest US President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit yesterday. — AFP

The Red Shirts issued an ultimatum to the government, which it accuses of elitism and double standards, saying it must step down and call fresh elections within 24 hours or face mounting protests. “We will leave here to listen to the government’s answer at the 11th Infantry Unit where the government is,” Red Shirt leader Natthawut Saikuar told reporters behind the rally stage. “If they fail to answer our demands we will announce our next step,” he said.

Nattawut said most of the rally crowd would travel by car and on foot at 9am (0200 GMT) today, to the barracks on Bangkok’s northern outskirts, where the government has mounted a security operation with soldiers and police. Authorities invoked a strict security law to oversee the rallies, allowing them to call out troops, ban gatherings and impose curfews. A 50,000-strong security force has been deployed across the capital and surrounding areas. Protesters arriving by road and river throughout the day continued to pour into Bangkok’s historic quarter, where the crowd remained in jubilant spirits, waving red flags and foot-shaped clappers.

Some demonstrators, wearing red cowboy hats as a sign of their rural roots, had travelled for up to two days by pick-up truck and bus to reach the venue. “This government says it will help but the money never reaches the people,” said food vendor Soon Boonpha, 47, who came from Maha Sarakham province in Thailand’s northeast. Abhisit has rejected the calls for his resignation, saying on his weekly television show: “I have my right to complete my term.” He has until December 2011 to call elections.

He said he had “no plans to crack down” at the rally, which had so far been “peaceful and orderly.”

He nevertheless warned the public not to be complacent about the potential for violence, saying earlier this week that there could be “sabotage” and cancelling a weekend trip to Australia because of the protest.

The rally is the latest in a string of protests to rock the politically tumultuous nation, which is divided between Thaksin’s supporters and opponents.

The Red Shirts have held a number of rallies since Abhisit came to power in December 2008, after a court decision removed Thaksin’s allies from government following an airport blockade by the royalist “Yellow Shirts.”

Yesterday’s protest is at least the largest in Bangkok since the Reds rioted in April last year, leaving two dead and scores injured. The rallies come two weeks after Thailand’s top court confiscated 1.4 billion dollars of Thaksin’s assets, and are the latest chapter in political turmoil that began when he was toppled in a 2006 coup. Twice-elected Thaksin, who has been living mostly in Dubai to escape a twoyear jail term for corruption at home, remains popular with the rural poor for the populist policies he introduced after coming to power in 2001.

But he is loathed by the Yellow Shirts protest movement, which has the backing of Bangkok’s establishment, who accuse him of corruption and of disloyalty to the revered royal family. The telecoms tycoon has been encouraging his supporters to attend yesterday’s rally using text messages and his Twitter page.

On Saturday he left his main base in Dubai to travel to Europe, where he said he was meeting his two daughters. Thaksin was due to address the rally by video link late yesterday. —AFP

TAKAO: A Buddhist mountain priest controls a fire during a rite of purification at the foot of Mt Takao in Takao, western Tokyo, yesterday. Hundreds of people participated in a fire walking ritual to purify the mind and body and to pray for good health and safety. — AP

Militant with money links leads Abu Sayyaf faction MANILA: A Filipino militant wanted by Washington has become leader of a key faction of Abu Sayyaf, the Al-Qaedalinked extremist group in the southern Philippines for which he has previously acquired foreign funding, the Philippine military says. A military report obtained by The Associated Press yesterday said the militant, Khair Mundus, has connections to funding donors from Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. It also says he has an ideological bent and has begun giving Islamic religious training to Abu Sayyaf fighters.

The United States last year offered $500,000 for information leading to the capture or killing of Mundus, who was arrested by Philippine authorities in 2004 but escaped from a local jail in 2007. While in police custody, Mundus confessed to having arranged the transfer of Al-Qaeda funds to an Abu Sayyaf chief to finance bombings and other attacks, according to the US State Department.

The Abu Sayyaf, which means “Father of the Swordsman” in Arabic, was founded in 1991 on the island of

Basilan in the Philippines’ predominantly Muslim south. It has been blamed for bombings, kidnappings, beheadings and has reportedly given sanctuary to Indonesian terror suspects, including Dulmatin, a key suspect in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings who was killed by police in Indonesia last week.

Washington has blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf, which has nearly 400 fighters, as a terrorist organization. US-backed offensives have killed or captured many of its commanders in recent years, leaving the group without an overall leader to unify its factions on Basilan, nearby Jolo island and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Basilan lies about 550 miles (880 kilometers) south of the capital, Manila. Documents recovered from an Abu Sayyaf camp captured by government troops and information from a Sri Lankan peace worker, who was kidnapped then freed by the militants last year, showed Mundus has emerged as the leader of the Basilan-based faction of the group, according to the military report.

Abu Sayyaf is trying to bring its militants back to a religious

mooring, but its fighters will still resort to acts of banditry, like kidnappings, “to fuel large and high impact terrorist activities,” it says.

The report says Mundus’s deputy is the Basilan faction’s previous chief, Puruji Indama, a young and brutal commander blamed for the beheadings of 10 marines in 2007, an attack that prompted President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to order a major offensive against the militants. Indama has also been linked to several kidnappings in Basilan.

The military report says Mundus has connections to Saudi Arabian and Malaysian donors and arranged funds to be transferred to Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani from 2001 to 2003 through Philippine banks under false names, the report said.

Janjalani was killed by Philippine troops on Jolo in 2006. Last year, Mundus provided religious training to Indama and other Abu Sayyaf militants on Basilan while a Jolo-based militant identified as Emran taught the militants how to make bombs, the report says. — AP

in the news Malaysia detains 93 Myanmar people KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian maritime authorities said yesterday they had picked up 93 members of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority who had drifted aboard a boat for 30 days after fleeing their country. The boat, packed with refugees, was found off Langkawi island off the northwest coast on Wednesday after a tip-off from fishing vessels, said the northern regional head of the Maritime Enforcement Agency, Zulkifli Abu Bakar. Mainly Buddhist Myanmar denies citizenship and property rights to the Bengali-speaking Rohingya, leading to their abuse and exploitation and prompting many to flee the country. The boat people “are suspected of trying to enter Malaysia illegally after being at sea for 30 days and so this is why we detained them for further investigations,” Zulkifli told AFP, adding they ranged from 16 to 50 in age. “This is the first time we have had such a big number of people found in our northern waters in many years.” The group had been handed to immigration officials in the northern state of Kedah, who would investigate and determine whether to prosecute them, Zulkifli said. Malaysian police last July arrested five immigration officials for involvement in an international syndicate that smuggled Rohingya refugees into the country to work illegally. With one of Asia’s largest populations of foreign labor, Malaysia relies on its 2.2 million migrants to clean homes, care for children and work in plantations and factories.

Most South Koreans back death penalty SEOUL: More than 80 percent of South Koreans support capital punishment, according to a survey published yesterday and conducted in response to a high-profile rape and murder case. The survey, carried out last Friday by ruling-party thinktank Youido Institute and polling 3,049 adults nationwide, found that 83.1 p e r -

cent of respondents supported the death penalty as a deterrent to crime. Only 11.1 percent were opposed, according to the survey, which had a margin of error of 1.77 percent, as reported by Yonhap news agency. The respondents were polled amid a public outcry following the arrest last week of Kim Kil-Tae, a 33-year-old male suspected of raping and murdering a 13year-old girl in the southern city of Busan. The teenage girl, who went missing on February 24, was found dead on March 6 in a water tank near her home. Police reportedly found Kim’s DNA in samples taken from the teenager’s body. Kim has denied the charges against him, police said yesterday. Last month, South Korea’s top court ruled in favor of the death penalty in a response to a 2008 petition, after its 1996 decision upholding capital punishment as constitutional.

An unofficial moratorium on the death penalty has been in place since February 1998, when President Kim Dae-Jung-himself sentenced to death in 1980 under a military government, but later pardoned-took office. South Korea last carried out the death penalty in 1997, when 23 people were executed by hanging. Currently, 59 convicts are on death row.

China’s Wen says US responsible for bad ties BEIJING: The US is responsible for strains between Beijing and Washington and should take steps to repair ties, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said, indicating the two powers have not yet overcome a recent rough patch. “The responsibility for the serious disruption in USChina ties does not lie with the Chinese side but with the US,” Wen told a news conference at the end of China’s annual parliamentary meeting yesterday, when asked about tensions between the two. Beijing and Washington have tussled recently over trade and currency policy, Chinese internet controls, new US weapons sales to Taiwan, and President Barack Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader.

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, March 15, 2010

11

Death toll increases to 35 in Kandahar attack Attackers aim to blow open Kandahar’s prison and free inmates, including militants

SRINAGAR: An Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier stands guard at the scene of a grenade attack yesterday. —AFP

6 Indian policemen hurt in fresh Kashmir attack SRINAGAR: Six policemen were hurt yesterdday when suspected separatist militants attacked their patrol with a grenade in Indian Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar, a police spokesman said. It was the third assault in ten days on police in Srinagar, the main hub of Muslim militants fighting Indian rule in the Himalayan region. Two policemen were killed in the previous

two attacks.

Yesterday’s attack took place near a police station in the centre of Srinagar, the spokesman said.

“The condition of one of the injured is critical,” he said, adding a manhunt has been launched to “arrest or eliminate” the attackers. Indian Kashmir has witnessed a recent spike in violence after several months of relative calm. In January, two gunmen

threw grenades and opened fire in Srinagar’s main market area before holing up in a guesthouse where they held off commandos for nearly 24 hours before being shot dead. Further violent incidents have taken place since. An insurgency against Indian rule in the Muslim-majority region erupted in 1989 and has claimed more than 47,000 lives, according to an official count. —AFP

in the news Pakistani jets pound Taleban hide-outs PARACHINAR: Pakistani fighter jets pounded a series of Taleban hide-outs near the Afghan border yesterday, killing nine insurgents, a local official said. The hide-outs were in the village of Mero Bak in the Taleban stronghold of the Lower Orakzai tribal region, said Rasheed Khan, an Orakzai official. One of the bombed houses belonged to a local Taleban commander, Aslam Farooqi, but it was not clear if he was among those killed. Orakzai is the base of Pakistani Taleban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who officials believe was killed in a US missile strike early this year. The group insists he is alive, but has not provided any evidence to back up its claims.

Violence has surged in Pakistan in recent days as militants - thought to be part of a loose network of Islamist insurgents fighting the US-allied Islamabad government - launched a wave of suicide bombings. The attacks have killed 88 people in a little over a week. On Saturday, a suicide bomber killed 13 people at a security checkpoint in the Swat Valley in northwestern Pakistan.

Elsewhere in Pakistan, suspected militants tried to blow up a NATO oil tanker yesterday in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, near the Afghan border, police official Zia Mandokhel said.

A bomb, planted in the truck’s undercarriage, misfired, causing just a hole in the tanker and an oil spill, he said. One person, a civilian, was injured. The incident occurred in the border town of Chaman along an important route for NATO supplies heading into Afghanistan. Militants regularly target trucks taking supplies to US and allied forces in Afghanistan.

Two arrested for attacks in Mumbai MUMBAI: Indian police said yesterday they had arrested two men for planning to attack a fuel facility and a shopping centre in Mumbai, where Pakistani gunmen killed 166 people 15 months ago. The two are Indian nationals who took orders from inside Pakistan, Mumbai’s anti-terrorism police chief, K P Raghuvansh, told reporters. They intended to target a fuel storage complex owned by state-run energy firm Oil and Natural Gas as well as a popular shopping arcade, he said. “These two have been in constant touch with their handlers sitting across the border in Pakistan, who want to do something in India,” Raghuvansh said.

“When we thought they were planning to act, we arrested them.” India has blamed the Pakistan-based Islamist group Lashkar-eTaiba for the November 2008 attacks on luxury hotels, a restaurant and a cultural centre in Mumbai. Nine of the 10 people who carried out those attacks died as security forces fought to regain control of the city. The sole surviving gunman, who is currently on trial, has said he is a Pakistani national. The Press Trust of India news agency named the two men arrested late on Saturday as Abdul Latif Rashid, 29, and Riyaz Ali, 23. Last month 11 people were killed in a blast at a restaurant in the city of Pune, 60 miles (100 kilometers) from Mumbai. A previously unknown Islamist group claimed responsibility.

Afghan governor demands more troops post assault KANDAHAR: The governor of Kandahar province demanded more security around Afghanistan’s largest southern city yesterday after a series of explosions killed dozens of people in the Taleban heartland - the target of the war’s next major offensive by Afghan and international forces. The blasts, which occurred one after another for 25 minutes across Kandahar city Saturday night, indicate that the insurgents remain a potent force in the area where NATO plans an assault later this year, the follow-up to an operation that has driven militants from a key stronghold in neighboring Helmand province. Residents say Taleban militants can operate in Kandahar with little restraint.

“They can do what they

intend and want, and the government can’t control the situation,” said Javed Ahmad, 40, of Kandahar. “We don’t feel secure in the presence of all the forces in Afghanistan, and it’s terrible for us to live in this kind of situation. We don’t feel safe even at home, and we can’t walk around.” At least 35 people were killed in Saturday night’s attacks, according to the Ministry of Interior. Gov Tooryalai Wesa said the blasts included two car bombs, six suicide attackers on motorbikes and bicycles, and homemade bombs. The attackers targeted the city’s prison, police headquarters, a wedding hall next door and other areas on roads leading to the prison.

Wesa told reporters that he had asked the central government in Kabul for more Afghan

troops to protect the city in the run-up to the expected offensive in Kandahar province, the spiritual birthplace of the Taleban.

He also said he wants to coordinate with NATO forces to improve security. President Hamid Karzai condemned the attacks, and Ministry of Interior spokesman Zemeri Bashary told reporters yesterday that the government was considering Wesa’s request for additional forces.

The main target of the attacks was the prison, where investigators have found eight suicide vests, three rockets and AK-47 ammunition, police said. Bashary told reporters the attackers were trying to free prisoners and block security forces from responding, “but they failed in their mission.” —AP

KANDAHAR: Thirty-five people were killed in an assault on Kandahar sive explosions rocked the southern city late Saturday in what appeared one described by the Taleban as a pre-emptive response to Western plans to erad- of the biggest coordinated assaults by the militants since their insurgency icate them from the strategic city, officials said yesterday. A series of mas- began more than eight years ago.

Interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashery said the attackers aimed to blow open Kandahar’s prison and free its inmates, including militants. He said the dead comprised 13 police officers and 22 civilians, and that another 57 people were injured.

The attack came as tens of thousands of extra troops are arriving in Afghanistan as part of a new counter-insurgency strategy aimed at concluding the US-led war on the Taleban.

Among the injured were 40 civilians-including six women and three children-and 17 police officers. Forty-two houses close to the city’s prison and its police headquarters were destroyed or badly damaged. “Initial information shows that after the prison attack the enemy attacked locations and routes that end up at or are en route to the prison in an effort to prevent police from going and securing the prison,” Bashery said. President Hamid Karzai branded the perpetrators “enemies of Islam and Afghanistan”.

“Those who do not respect Islamic values and act against them no doubt will be cursed by God and will go to hell,” he said in a statement. The city was hit by five blasts at 8:00 pm (1530 GMT) on Saturday. The first, caused by a huge suicide car bomb, occurred outside the prison and was followed by a similar blast outside provincial police KANDAHAR: Afghans inspect the site of a suicide attack yesterday. —AFP headquarters. Three other explosions were probably also suicide attacks, Bashery said.

“Most of the police casualties were outside the police headquarters where officers had stopped and surrounded the vehicle laden with explosives as it detonated,” he said. Early yesterday police seized eight explosivepacked suicide vests and three rockets from a house near the prison. The Taleban plan BADULA QULP: He pro- company rolled out of the mud-walled compound occu- of new high-speed combat appeared to be to first break into posed to her on Oct 6, and she Tombstone military base in pied by American soldiers. vehicle. I don’t know how the prison, then use suicide vests made him say “Will you marry Stryker infantry vehicles on Explosions and gunfire occa- convincing a 95 Oldsmobile and rockets to burst open cells me?” over and over because Feb. 8 and fought its way into sionally jarred the silence. He would be though. “Lately I’ve and free prisoners, Bashery said. she liked the sound of it. He Taleban-held villages near the shared an excerpt from his been thinking about investing A Taleban spokesman, proposed again on her birth- southern town of Marjah as notebook with a reporter: “I in a hot tub. Why? I dunno.

Yousuf Ahmadi, told AFP the day four days later, and this part of a NATO offensive. know I’ve been harping a lot Maybe it’s because I’d love attack was a response to comtime he got down on one knee Many days, Goodwin wrote in on this but just think, three nothing more right now than ments by the commander of forwith a diamond ring. His pencil to De Voe in a spiral months to go after this little to sit with you in a tub relaxeign forces in Afghanistan that mother was on the phone, lis- notebook that he planned to deal we’ve got going on here. ing in the sunset. Well, not Kandahar would be targeted in tening in as a witness. It all mail to her. The field mission Just think, when I come home that we can see the sunset military efforts to eradicate the happened in Mount Holly, is over now, he is marking not only will we be getting from the backyard but you Taleban. Kandahar was the North Carolina. Now, US time until the end of his married but we’ll also own our know what I mean.

Taleban’s base during their rule “You know, there’s someArmy Pvt Mark Goodwin is in deployment, and they are back own home, get to hang out of the country, which ended with with everybody, and we can thing I want to tell you that I Afghanistan and his fiancee, in telephone contact. the US-led invasion in 2001.

“It’s hard for me, but I also forget about being apart from probably don’t say enough.

Jillian De Voe, is waiting back “This was an answer to Jill, I appreciate you so much. home. They have spent a realize that he said he wanted each other ever again.

General (Stanley) McChrystal, “I’ve been thinking of Yeah, I can tell you how much month of their lives together, to do this,” his fiancee said in who announced Operation Omaid and they say they plan to a telephone interview last some things we could do I love you but saying this too in Kandahar,” Ahmadi said, using marry on July 4, a year after week. “I pray for him every when I get home. Some of actually expresses my gratithe name of the battle plan. “This they met. They are young - he night and every day.” these include of course going tude and how proud I am of was to sabotage the operation is 21, she is 23 - but their tale Goodwin’s notebook is half- to the drive-in, hanging out in you. There’s been a lot of and to show we can strike anyof lovers separated by war is full - some pages include mus- the old camper in Johnny’s failed relationships lately where, any time we want.” an old one, known by many ings and doodlings for his best yard, maybe even camping out from this deployment but Kandahar governor Turyalai across generations. Goodwin friend, Johnny Miller II. They in the woods behind the you’ve only continued to Wisa said at least 10 people is the lowest-ranking soldier contain almost nothing about house. I can’t wait for our hon- express your hard-set faith.” attending a wedding party were experiences in eymoon. I’m still not sure In his left shirt pocket, in Alpha Company of the 1st his among the dead. Rescue workers Battalion, 17th Infantry Afghanistan, where danger is where exactly in the moun- Goodwin carries a tattered were still searching the rubble.

Regiment of the 5th Stryker a part of his life. A hidden tains we’ll stay at for it but I’m letter that De Voe, a beautiHe told reporters he had asked exploded near not really too concerned over cian, wrote to him soon after Brigade, but he doesn’t worry bomb the Kabul government to send about status. He missed a pro- Goodwin’s vehicle in the it, I’m just happy I’ll be home they parted. more forces to improve security.

“It’s part of my uniform,” motion because he missed a Marjah area; last year, he and with you...

“We have asked the central gov“Oh yeah, have you talked he said. She wrote: “As you plane - “I slept in” - while others rushed to rescue comernment to send us more securiheading back to his unit from rades whose Stryker hit a to my mom lately? She’s sit on this plane on your way ty forces, especially intelligence leave after he proposed. It was bomb and during the hunt for probably bought you some back to base I want you to workers, and they have accepted a “nice little fiasco,” he said, the bombers, an American air- more Stryker memorabilia. If know that I will wait for you our request in principle,” he said. but it meant more time with craft fired a missile into a she ever got to actually ride and be missing you so much. I Up to 1,000 Taleban inmates one she’d probably have a already know that as your on building close to Goodwin.

De Voe. escaped from Kandahar’s “Whenever I write, my siezure. Maybe if I painted my the plane I will be dreaming of “People thought I went Sarpoza prison in June 2008 AWOL,” said Goodwin. mind’s not really here,” said car OD (olive drab) green and having you in my arms and after a suicide attack blew open “Honestly, looking back on it, Goodwin. During the offen- taped a pipe on top I could holding and kissing you. When the gates and destroyed the it was worth it.” Goodwin’s sive, he wrote on his cot in a convince her it was some sort I told you that I loved you I walls. Another explosion took was so happy to know that you place early yesterday close to loved me too. I was scared the Kandahar office of a that you didn’t feel the same Japanese construction company, way. But know that you do injuring five employees — four makes my heart soar to new of them Pakistanis and one an heights.” Goodwin worked in Afghan. The first major offengrocery stores before joining sive of the current war strategy the military to “stabilize” his is taking place in Helmand life. He met De Voe online province, neighboring Kandahar when he was stationed at Fort province.

Lewis, Washington.

Visiting Afghanistan last “She’s got a bit of an attiweek, US Defense Secretary tude, but we all love it,” he Robert Gates told troops to said. “We hit it off instantly. brace for a tough fight as generThings were great. I took her als lay their plans to battle the to meet my family and friends.

Taleban in Kandahar. The US They absolutely adored her.” and NATO are deploying an He bought a house from extra 30,000 troops over coming Johnny’s grandfather, a months, bringing to 150,000 the Vietnam veteran, and she’s total number of foreign troops in living in it now. She jokes that Afghanistan, concentrated on the it’s haunted. He knows it’s not southern Taleban strongholds. easy being engaged to a man Further west in Farah risking his life in a war. “I told province, where Taleban activiher, ‘Are you sure you want to ty has escalated in the past have a relationship with me?”‘ year, police chief Mohammad Goodwin said. “She’s like, Faqir Askar said nine Taleban ‘You know what? I don’t care. including three Arabs were A year is nothing. Just go over In this October, 2009 photo provided by Jillian De Voe, De Voe (left) and US Army killed Saturday by Afghan and there and do what you’ve got Pvt Mark Goodwin pose for a photo at De Voe’s grandmother’s house while to do. Just make sure you coalition forces in Gulistan district. —AFP Goodwin was on leave. —AP don’t die.”‘ —AP

US soldier in Afghanistan dreams of normal love life

OPINION

12

Monday, March 15, 2010

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issues

EU prepares if Greek woes spread to Spain

By Timothy Heritage

I

f Greece’s debt crisis is giving the European Union a headache, it is minor compared to the pain it will suffer if a large member state such as Spain sinks into similar trouble. Spain has an unemployment rate of almost 20 percent, large deficits, a heavily indebted private sector, and weak prospects for growth - which could make its debt a target for speculators if Athens’ problems prove contagious in the euro zone. A Greek debt default would increase pressure on the euro but the damage would likely be limited since Athens accounts for less than 3 percent of the 16-country currency area’s GDP. A Spanish debt crisis would be much harder for the EU to handle because its economy is the euro zone’s fourth-largest, accounting for nearly 12 percent of eurowide GDP. “Greece is a small country and at the end of the day its problems can be solved,” said Cinzia Alcidi of the Centre for European Policy Studies think tank in Brussels. “The big headache would be if the crisis spread from Greece to Portugal because the next one would probably be Spain. This would be a much bigger problem for the euro zone as a whole and it would be very difficult to solve.”

EU states have not committed to any bailout for Greece but, with countries such as Spain in mind, are discussing creating a European monetary fund to offer help in any future crises. But even such a fund might struggle to cope in Spain’s case. “If you talk about Spain, the money needed would be much more than in Greece’s case and it’s very difficult to see how they could collect such a huge amount of money,” said Zsolt Darvas of the Bruegel think tank in Brussels.

EU officials have repeatedly expressed confidence, publicly and privately, that Spain can weather the storm, just as they have said Greece can get by without EU financial support. They see Spain’s handling of the economy as more reliable and conservative than that of Greece, which has been profligate and provided the 27-country bloc with false economic statistics. But concern about contagion from Greece has prompted the EU to look for ways for euro zone countries to help each other out if they encounter problems servicing their debts.

Under EU rules, neither the Union as a whole nor individual member states can assume the debts of other countries.

“It is not about Greece any more. It is about setting up a new institution,” a European diplomat said. Another said: “The euro zone can cope with Greece, or even Ireland defaulting, but not Spain.

Something has to be done.”

European officials say Spain should not be put in the same boat as Greece because Madrid does not face an imminent crisis, but they want to be prepared in case the worst happens. Spain’s problems are largely caused by a housing bubble that burst, hitting the construction sector on which the economy had become disproportionately dependent and leaving many people and companies with large debts.

The housing sector soared partly because of a credit boom caused, economists say, by interest rates that were too low for Spain as the European Central Bank looked mostly at the situation in Germany and France, the biggest economies. Cheap credit also fuelled inflation consistently higher than the euro zone average, undermining the competitiveness of many Spanish companies.

Much depends on the ability or willingness of Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero’s government to implement austerity measures and to carry out reforms to fuel growth, boost productivity in the labour market and cut the cost of doing business. “I have confidence in Spain’s fiscal management,” said Hans Martens, chief executive of the European Policy Centre think tank, dismissing any suggestion Spain would be the next Greece.

Spain’s debt-to-GDP ratio is still below the EU limit of 60 percent and much smaller than Greece’s, and it is expected to have little or no trouble in the short term servicing its debt. But Spain’s budget deficit rose to 11.4 percent of GDP last year and economists question whether Madrid can come close to the government’s forecast of 1.5 percent growth from 20102013. “Spain has to avoid being a second Greece.

Politicians in Spain have to understand they need to take tough measures,” Darvas said.

“They must adopt to the new circumstances.”

The government has launched a 50-billion-euro austerity program but, facing an election in 2012, has wavered over increasing the retirement age from 65 to 67 and said it will not give in to demands to make it cheaper to hire and fire workers.

Economists say EU officials are right to be wary and prepare new safety mechanisms, such as the European monetary fund idea. “Unless we see more focus on growth and a less obsessive focus on stability, I think there will be trouble. You are not going to have stability without growth,” said Simon Tilford of the Londonbased Centre for European Reform think tank. “It will be hard to get Spanish people to acquiesce to austerity measures. It’s going to be a tough sell.” — Reuters

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Rift threatens South Africa’s ruling alliance D

By Marius Bosch

eep divisions between South Africa’s ruling ANC and its labour and communist allies are threatening a decades-old alliance as rival factions battle for power and influence to shape policy. The African National Congress and labour federation COSATU are embroiled in their biggest public fight since President Jacob Zuma came to power in May last year with the backing of labour and the South African Communist Party.

At stake is the power to change economic policy and considerable say over who will become the next leader of the ANC in 2012, and by implication the country’s next president. “It is really going down to the wire. The party is over,” said independent political analyst Nic Borain. The leftists had hoped Zuma would increase spending and do more to help workers and the poor after they helped him win election, but there has been little shift in policies long supported by business for maintaining financial stability.

Tensions in the struggle over the alliance, still dominated by the nationalist party that led the struggle to end apartheid, have come to the boil with both sides launching public attacks. That infighting is likely to escalate ahead of the ANC’s national general council in September. The ANC accuses its ally of becoming an opponent. COSATU says the ruling party only cares about pleasing markets. “For me it is completely virgin territory. The ANC responding to COSATU was not just an escalation. It was a statement of opposition to each other,” Borain said.

COSATU wants lower interest rates and an end to the central bank’s policy of targeting a specific limit to inflation. It has demanded an audit of the lifestyles of ANC politicians amid growing accusations of corruption in the party. The union federation has also threatened to bring forward strikes against power price increases, although it has stopped short of threatening to disrupt the soccer World Cup in just under three months, South Africa’s showcase to the world.

The alliance has held together since the 1950s although COSATU was sidelined during the presidency of former President Thabo Mbeki. That rift was only patched up when Zuma took over as ANC leader in late 2007. Markets might feel more comfortable to see the leftists being pushed back to the margins and away from policy making, but a noisy political battle being taken to the streets could push sentiment in the other direction.

Analysts said the discord may lead COSATU to mobilise demonstrations to strengthen its position. Those could only fuel a climate of unease at a time of spreading protests in townships over the government’s failure to deliver on promises of decent homes, schools, roads and water supplies more than 15 years after the end of apartheid. “This is the most serious public spat between the alliance partners since Zuma’s inauguration and deals a severe blow to the tripartite alliance relations,” said Anne Fruehauf, Southern Africa analyst at Control Risks. “Having felt sidelined during the Mbeki era, the unions are extremely sensitive about seeing their demands marginalised once again. With a perceived loss of power in the corridors of power, we could increasingly see COSATU take the battle to the streets,” she added.

The ANC on the other hand seems to be using firebrand youth league leader Julius Malema - who demands mine nationalisation and has not shied from racial rhetoric - to build support among South Africa’s millions of poor and unemployed youths. Malema has attacked COSATU secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi, who has expressed interest in an ANC leadership position when the party leader and senior officials are elected in 2012.

“He can basically do anything he wants and the party can’t or won’t throw the book at him,” said Mark Schroeder, southern Africa analyst at global intelligence company Stratfor. “You need to keep him to counter any threat from COSATU or the SACP. You need some other capability and the ANC Youth League has that capability.”

Both Vavi and SACP leader Blade Nzimande have presidential ambitions, sources within the alliance say. Analysts said it was still unlikely that COSATU

would go it alone, pointing to the dismal performance of ANC breakaway, The Congress of the People, since last year’s elections. “If they tried to break away

they wouldn’t have a chance. They would probably have to wait at least another election cycle,” Stratfor’s Schroeder said. — Reuters

Lebanese march for secularism

By Alexandre Medawar

L

aunched by a small group of non-partisan civic-minded citizens called Laique (Secular) Pride, the March for Secularism will bring Lebanese together on 25 April in support of secularism, and to bring attention to the letter and spirit of the Lebanese Constitution. Participants will walk from the Beirut neighbourhood Ain El Mraissé on the Mediterranean Sea to the Lebanese Parliament buildings.

All too often, Lebanon is represented as a collection of diverse faiths in delicate balance, engaged in an ongoing power-sharing negotiation. One forgets that the Constitution is the only text recognised by all. And, as a social contract, it is the basis for all Lebanese to live together “without discrimination”, irrespective of religious affiliation, gender, ethnic origin or personal beliefs.

The preamble to the Lebanese Constitution states: “Lebanon is a parliamentary democratic republic based on respect for public liberties, especially the freedom of opinion and belief, and respect for social justice and equality of rights and duties among all citizens without discrimination.”

Article 7 affirms that “all Lebanese are equal before the law.

They equally enjoy civil and political rights and equally are bound by public obligations and duties without any distinction.” And Article 9 guarantees “… the free exercise of all religious rites … and religious interests of the population.”

Contrary to current practice based on the National Pact of 1943 which established Lebanon as a multi-confessional state, and the later Taif Agreements in 1989 which led to the end of the civil war, there is no mention in the Constitution of religious apportionment of parliamentary seats or sectarian distribution of administrative employment. Nor does it mention allocating high-level government positions by religion, for example, designating the role of President for a Maronite Christian, the role of Prime Minister for a Sunni and the role of the Speaker of the House for a Shiite.

Article 9 of the Constitution clearly determines the secular character of the Lebanese state and consequently the secular character of Lebanese citizenship. Lebanon is a republican and secular state in which all citizens are equal.

In theory, that is.

In practice, however, Lebanon is controlled by a political oligarchy composed of businessmen, community leaders,

descendents of feudal families and former militia chiefs who, from the first days of independence, used their influence to allocate state positions through confessional haggling.

Renegotiated whenever a major political crisis occurred in Lebanon’s short history, this horse-trading system is now well encamped outside the democratic sphere and worse yet, is in blatant violation of the text of the Constitution.

In fact, the nation’s legislators never established a civil status that would distinguish Lebanese citizens from their religious status. Citizenship is contingent on religion first and foremost, since all personal legal acts (birth, marriage, death and inheritance) are recorded in separate official records established along religious lines.

However today, many Lebanese citizens endorse the stated values of the republican, secular and equalitarian Constitution. Religious or not, practising or not, they do not identify with the sectarian and unconstitutional practices put in place by the political oligarchy. These Lebanese claim the right to enjoy their civic rights and carry out their civic duties irrespective of any religion, in keeping with the letter and spirit of the Constitution – no more, no less.

Thus, the principle of “social justice and equality of rights and duties among all citizens without discrimination” laid down in the preamble to the Constitution should clearly apply to such issues as the civil status of marriage; the right for all citizens to be elected and represent voters irrespective of religious criteria; and the right for all Lebanese to apply for government positions based strictly on professional merit. As such, the civic movement behind Laique Pride is neither a syncretic movement nor an attempt at pacifying interreligious relations. Essentially areligious and apolitical, this movement demands the re-establishment of the civic rights guaranteed by the Constitution and broadly ignored by Lebanon’s political representatives.

The march has received the green light from the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities. It is the first step in bringing together the individuals and groups in civil society that support a secular Lebanon. For now, its goal is to make all Lebanese aware of the text that lays down the foundations of their state and to strive for its application through legal means and the media.

NOTE: Alexandre Medawar is an editor of l’Orient Litteraire, a monthly literature supplement of the Lebanese daily, l’Orient-Le Jour – CGNews

Ganic case highlights Bosnia’s stalemate

By Boris Babic

F

ormer Bosnian Muslim leader Ejup Ganic may have won his first battle against extradition Thursday, gaining release on bail, but he’s not likely to get support from his home country in the war crimes case brought by Serbia.

In Bosnia, which is still ethnically partitioned, each of the three major ethnic groups - Serbs, Muslims and Croats - can block any movement on contentious issues.

Ganic was released on a £300,000 ($450,000) bail by the High Court in London on Thursday, 10 days after British police arrested him on a Serbian warrant. Previously held in a top security prison, he must remain under house arrest in London until British justice decides on Serbia’s request for his extradition, which Belgrade filed Wednesday. “Ejup Ganic won his first legal battle - he is out of prison,” the Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz said. But Serbian

Former Bosnian leader Ejup Ganic (center) is accompanied by his daughter Emina Ganic and his son Emir as he leaves a police station in London on March 12, 2010. – AFP

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said that Ganic’s release on bail was a “procedural ... not a decision on whether he will be handed to Serbia or not,” radio B92 reported in Belgrade. Serbian war crime prosecutors indicted Ganic in 2008 for his alleged role in attacks on Yugoslav army barracks, hospitals and convoys, which have left 42 soldiers dead.

Though the war in Bosnia ended in late 1995, the country remains divided along ethnic lines and probably won’t be able to help him in his fight against extradition.

According to the complex administrative system set up to end fighting, which the United States and European Union want to change, each major group - Muslims, Serbs and Croats, can and usually does use the possibility to block any initiative it considers contentious.

Ganic’s case again highlighted how immobilized Bosnia is owing to its system. While the Muslim member of the tripartite Bosnian Presidency, Haris

Silajdzic, travelled to London to campaign for Ganic’s release, the Serb leader Mladen Dodik stressed that Sarajevo cannot make any formal move on Ganic’s behalf without the approval of Serbs.

Dodik’s Social-Democratic Alliance already blocked a discussion on Ganic in the Bosnian parliament, the daily Oslobodjenje said Friday. Ganic, now 64, has served as a top official in the Muslim and Croat part of Bosnia and as the Muslim representative in the Bosnian Presidency. He abandoned politics and now runs his private university in Sarajevo.

Last week, plans were made public to call a new meeting in April of the ethnic communities in Bosnia to push for reforms to break the country’s political stalemate. That meeting would be called by the Spanish presidency of the European Union and would revive the so-called Camp Butmir process, launched last autumn by the EU and the United States. — dpa

ANALYSIS

Monday, March 15, 2010

13

Indonesia crackdown may have foiled major attack

By Ahmad Pathoni

T

he killing of a fugitive bomb-maker this week and a recent crackdown on terror suspects may have prevented a major attack in Indonesia, analysts said.

Indonesian anti-terrorism police killed Dulmatin, a bomb expert who allegedly made the devices used in the 2002 Bali bombings, and two other militants in separate raids near Jakarta on Tuesday. The killings followed a major anti-terror operation in the westernmost province of Aceh, where 18 militants allegedly under Dulmatin’s command were arrested between between February and early this month.

“I think because the police were able to break up the network early, they may have been able to prevent a kind of major attack,” said Sidney Jones, an expert on Islamic radicalism in Indonesia. “It’s possible that this group was planning something big,” she added. The killing of Dulmatin marked another success for Indonesian police in the fight against members of Jemaah Islamiyah, a South-East Asian Islamist radical network blamed for a string of attacks in the world’s mostpopulous Muslim country since 2000. Last year, police shot dead Noordin Mohammad Top,

Elite Kostrad army commandos take part in a military exercise in Jakarta on March 10, 2010 ahead of US President Barack Obama’s planned visit to Indonesia. – AFP a Malaysian-born militant said to have played a leading role in attacks in Indonesia, including the bombings of Jakarta’s Marriott hotel in 2003 and 2009.

Six other suspected militants were also killed in a series of raids last year. Experts said

Jemaah Islamiyah may have split into different groups with no clear organizational structures. Indonesian police have arrested more than 400 Islamist militants since the Bali bombings, in which 202 people were killed. Three people were exe-

cuted for that attack.

Andi Widjajanto, a security analyst from the University of Indonesia, said Dulmatin’s group might have considered new methods of attack, possibly involving hostage-taking and a coordinated campaign similar to

one that hit the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008 when multiple sites were attacked with bombs and guns. “Dulmatin’s death is significant,” Widjajanto said. “If police had not been able to break up the group, we could have seen a new terror group with a new character.”

He said the spectre of a Mumbai-style attack had prompted the police and military to conduct a joint exercise this week, in which such a scenario was to be simulated. Another tactic that the militants might have considered was hijacking ships in the Strait of Malacca, a major shipping route between Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, Widjajanto said.

“They may have been inspired by events in Somalia,” he said, referring to cases in which ship crews were taken hostage by Somali pirates for ransom.

“Pirate attacks are a good source of money because companies are willing to pay huge ransoms.”

Experts said Dulmatin’s bomb-making skills surpassed those of his mentor Azhari Husin, a Malaysian professor turned militant who was killed in a shootout with Indonesian police in 2005. Dulmatin fled to the Philippines in 2003 and only returned to Indonesia late last year, possibly with another militant who also allegedly played a

key role in the Bali bombings, Umar Patek. Jones described the two as “very dangerous”.

“The fact that they were able to return without the Philippine government knowing about it or the Indonesian government knowing they had arrived just shows how easy it is for terrorists to move back and forth within the region,” she said.

Jones said before the recent raids, Dulmatin’s group was setting up a base in Aceh, from which they planned to extend their “jihad” and lay the groundwork for an Islamic state. She said she expected police to make many more arrests of suspected militants in the coming days. “I think the network is much more extensive than we realized,” she said. “There are major operations going on and I think we’re going to see some other major names arrested by the police.” The anti-terror crackdown came days ahead of a visit by United States President Barack Obama to Indonesia, scheduled for March 20-22. But experts doubted that the militants had Obama in sight. “I don’t think that this group was specifically planning to attack Obama, but there’s been extraordinary intelligence activity ahead of his visit and this may have helped police to detect Dulmatin’s presence,” Widjajanto said. — dpa

Bulgaria policies stir anger, risk stagnation

By Anna Mudeva

S

even months after coming to power on pledges of radical change, Bulgaria’s centre-right government has put important economic reforms on hold, risking prolonged stagnation in the European Union’s poorest nation. While Bulgaria’s public finances are widely praised as among the healthiest in eastern Europe and a Greek-style crisis is unlikely, analysts say a lull in reforms and the cabinet’s populist tendencies will mean more pain and slower recovery.

Prime Minister Boiko Borisov’s government last month caved in to growing public resistance and froze plans for a healthcare overhaul, including closure of inefficient hospitals, as well as a planned rise in the pension age. It promised more money to pensioners over the age of 75 and subsidies to protesting tobacco growers. Apart from some staff cuts at ministries, the tax and customs offices, Sofia has so far failed to kickstart a major overhaul of the bloated public sector that it had promised.

To make up for the lack of cost saving reforms and keep its budget deficit low, the cabinet of Borisov’s GERB party has delayed hundreds of millions of euros in payments to contractors and tax returns owed to companies, provoking outcry. “The feeling is that they are just fighting fires,” said Stanislav Stoyanov with independent pollster Alpha Research. “There are high expectations for reforms but the policy appears chaotic and that eats the support. A big part of the population voted for GERB expecting it to come up with clear measures to take Bulgaria out of the crisis.”

An Alpha survey showed last month

approval for the government had dropped 13.3 percentage points since August to 45.7 percent. Analysts attributed the decline to badly planned and poorly communicated hospital and pension overhauls. A lack of managerial and political experience among many ministers is also hampering progress, analysts say. Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, an ex-World Bank economist, met his goal to end 2009 with a budget gap of below 1 percent of GDP - but only by not paying doctors or social aid in December, and even President Georgi Parvanov’s November pay was delayed.

The deepening recession and lack of exit strategy is likely to further erode popular support for the cabinet, although that is not expected to topple it. “At some point the prime minister might be forced to reshuffle the cabinet in response to the growing pressure,” said Kiril Avramov of Political Capital think-tank in Sofia. But most Bulgarians see no alternative to the GERB party after the previous Socialist government was voted out amid accusations of incompetence and being soft on graft and crime.

The government, elected last July on pledges to tame rampant corruption and crime, still commands fairly strong support thanks to police operations targeting powerful organised crime gangs and prosecution of former ministers suspected of graft. Growing unemployment, which hit 9.9 percent in January, is increasing pressure on the cabinet to loosen its fiscal belt but the tough-talking Borisov warned this week he would rather resign than allow a looser-budget and a Greek-style scenario.

Surveys show that one in five households in the Balkan country of 7.6 million has seen a member lose their

job or had their salaries delayed or cut.

Economists say Bulgaria will recover more slowly than other countries in eastern Europe and forecast marginal growth this year after a 5.0 percent contraction last year. The troubles in neighbouring Greece and patchy recov-

ery in western Europe - Bulgaria’s main export markets - are also set to contribute to a prolonged stagnation.

Borisov admitted last week that the budget gap could reach 1.8 percent this year, well above the 0.7 percent target.

Measures to raise revenues by crack-

ing down on tax evasion have so far failed to bear fruit and economists estimated tax collection fell about 30 percent in January. Some analysts warn the delay in reforms might widen the deficit and put pressure on the lev currency peg to the euro. — Reuters

EU-bound Croatia faces stagnation

By Zoran Radosavljevic

C

roatia may complete European Union entry talks this year but it risks prolonged economic stagnation unless it starts implementing major reforms in the next few months, analysts say. The former Yugoslav republic is not bound for a Greek-style meltdown of public finances, as its public debt is below 50 percent of gross domestic product compared to almost 120 percent in Greece, but nor is it heading for an economic rebound. “If the government wants to do something, they have until the summer. After that we are effectively entering an election year, when nothing is ever done,” said Ante Babic of the Centre for International Development think-tank. Regular parliamentary polls are due in late 2011.

The most pressing reforms sought by employers and analysts include urgent cuts in public spending, taxes and subsidies and a start to reforms of the public administration and labour market. The overall aim is to shift the economy from borrowing and spending towards production and exports. “We are not going to fold like Greece, but without reforms we face a prolonged stagnation,” Babic said.

Vladimir Gligorov of the Vienna Institute for Economic Studies said unemployment, which hit a four-year high of 17.7 percent in January, would rise further without solid growth. “EU membership will help. It makes available new funds and helps decrease the perceived risk, but it will not solve Croatia’s structural problems,” Gligorov said. Katarina Ott of the Zagreb-based Institute for Public Finances, said the government could be lulled into inaction by the availability of capital on foreign markets, which it regularly taps to foot the budget deficit bill.

This year’s deficit is set at 2.5 percent of GDP, or roughly Ä1.2 billion. “I am afraid things can carry on like this for a

longer time. There is a lot of capital out there and investors actually like countries like ours, which carry a solid yield.”

Croatia’s credit default swaps are currently at 199.5 basis points, above fellow EU candidate Turkey at 163, but level with those of EU members Bulgaria and Hungary.

Zagreb is well ahead of other Balkan countries in terms of EU prospects but its socialist-era industry has collapsed and exports have dwindled, with the only major revenue boost coming from summer tourism on its pristine Adriatic coast. “Another problem is that Croatia has little export potential apart from tourism, so even if external demand picks up, it may not help considerably,” Gligorov said. The former Yugoslav republic, which hopes to join the EU in 2012, is unlikely to attract huge foreign investment in the next few years as its tax burden and labour costs are relatively high and incentives for investors are few.

Velimir Sonje of Arhivanalitika consultancy said the economy was set to return to growth in 2011, after a 5.8 percent decline in 2009 and a milder fall this year, but lack of reforms means that, even with EU membership in hand, growth will be lower. “It will be much slower than in the past decade, when we had cheap capital and a huge construction and tourism boom, all of which is exhausted now.

There will be no major green field investments and growth can only be driven by small and medium-sized firms,” he said. Although conservative Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor announced this week the government would “initiate one new measure to boost the economy every week”, analysts doubt the cabinet had the courage to tackle key reforms soon. “There is not enough political will to have a go at structural reforms. The key here is reform of the public sector which spends way too much because all governments have pampered it to win votes,” said union leader Ozren Matijasevic. — Reuters

China’s new generation picky about factory jobs

By William Foreman

F

actory worker Chen Qinghai frowned as he looked at a tall bulletin board full of help-wanted notices from companies making everything from photocopiers and DVD drives to mobile phones and car parts. The 19-year-old saw nothing that interested him.

“I wouldn’t want to do any of these jobs,” he said. “The pay is too low, and there’s no chance of advancement. You’d just be stuck there.”

Chen is part of the reason many factory bosses in southern China’s Pearl River Delta - the nation’s biggest manufacturing base - are complaining about a severe shortage of workers.

Their anxiety runs particularly high at this time of year, because migrant workers have just spent a few weeks in their home provinces for the Lunar New Year and may not return to their jobs. There are many reasons for the worker shortage in once-booming coastal regions like the Pearl River Delta. F arm-friendly policies are keeping many people on the land, while other migrants are finding jobs closer to home as poor interior provinces become more prosperous.

Infrastructure projects funded

by China’s massive economic stimulus package have also attracted workers. But another key reason is the changing labor force: More than half of China’s

In this Feb 1, 2010 photo, Chinese migrant workers line up outside a train station in Guangzhou in southern China’s Guangdong province. – AP working-age population is made up of laborers such as Chen, young people born in the 1980s and 1990s.

Their attitudes and expectations are vastly different from those of their parents, who hunkered down on assembly lines for little pay and helped turn China into a manufacturing juggernaut. Many younger workers won’t do the sweatshop jobs their parents did. They grew up

with greater prosperity in families limited by the one-child policy. They are more used to getting their way. “It’s true that we’re less willing to eat bitterness,” Chen said with a chuckle, using a popular Chinese phrase for enduring hardship. “We’re better educated. We know we have rights. Times have changed.”

A skinny man with a Bruce Lee-style hairdo and spiky side-

burns, Chen comes from a village outside the city of Shaoguan, in the less developed part of northern Guangdong province.

He went to a vocational high school and got his first job two years ago in the city of Shenzhen, earning 800 yuan ($120) a month at a factory that made satellite dishes. After a few months, he quit to work at an auto parts plant in nearby

Dongguan city for 1,000 yuan a month. “The conditions in those factories was awful,” he said. “We got paid a fixed salary and couldn’t earn overtime.”

Chen said his dream is to work for a company that offers him a future. He wants to build on his technical skills in a stable position that allows him to advance each year. Officials have been denying that there is a serious labor shortage. The issue was raised during the ongoing meetings of the national legislature, the National People’s Congress, in Beijing. A top union official from Guangdong told reporters large companies and those with good working conditions weren’t facing shortages.

“Only small and mediumsize companies are having difficulties recruiting people,” said the union official, Deng Weilong. “We are asking smalland medium-size companies to create a good work environment.” Many factories are apparently getting the message.

Wages have risen by 10 percent recently in the Pearl River Delta, according to a survey released this month by Stephen Green and Kelvin Lau, economists at Standard Chartered.

The salary hikes are unlikely to lift the prices of Chinese exports high enough to make factories in the US and the rest of the West more competitive.

Chinese factories tend to slice profit margins to hold on to mar-

ket share. They may also cut production costs by automating or moving to interior provinces where labor is cheaper. For Chinese workers, a bigger paycheck might inspire them to shop more, which could be good news for Western companies trying to sell more to Chinese consumers.

For Chen, salaries are still too low. “It’s my understanding that our wages are the lowest in the world,” he said. “Jobs are easy to find here, but good ones are rare.” American David Levy, who runs a factory making electric cables in Dongguan, has witnessed the generational shift in China’s work force. He described the first waves of migrants, who planned to send most of their money home and eventually return to their village to build a house. “Fifteen years ago, the expectation was: a place to work, a salary and then they didn’t care much about anything else. Life was just going to suck for a couple of years,” he said.

Photos of his factory workers from five years ago document the generational change. None show workers with the wild mop-top hairstyles that are popular now, he said. “Their demeanor is also different,” Levy added. “They can actually look the boss in the eye when they’re talking. They don’t cower when the boss comes around. They’re becoming more and more like American workers. I like that.” — AP

focus

Philippines’ next leader will have to raise taxes

By Rosemarie Francisco and Manny Mogato

T

he Philippines’ next president will have to turn his back on populist promises made during the campaign and raise taxes sooner rather than later to prevent a financial crisis soon after the May elections.

Asia’s largest sovereign issuer of offshore bonds may post its second successive record budget deficit this year, and the key factor that will determine how markets react to the election result will be whether the winning candidate tackles the fiscal situation with sufficient urgency and resolve.

Most analysts say markets should not be too ruffled in the meantime if candidates pledge not to raise taxes or impose new revenue measures. Such promises are highly unlikely to be kept. “Any candidate who ... promises no new taxes is going to eat his words,” said an economist at a large local bank. “It’s going to happen, otherwise we could lose the confidence of investors.”

The four leading presidential candidates in the May polls have all promised measures to boost the tax to GDP ratio, estimated at a five-year low of 12.8 percent last year, but most of them have given scant details on how they will do it. Of the four, frontrunner Benigno Simeon Aquino III and former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, ranked third in opinion polls, are the only ones who have declared they would not impose new taxes or raise tax rates and would instead focus on plugging tax leakages that have kept state revenues low.

But Aquino softened his stance last month when he told Reuters he would consider raising taxes if the budget gap was not quickly cut by a crackdown on tax evasion. Aquino was aiming to soothe market worries that he did not grasp the urgency of raising state revenues. Analysts and traders say they largely ignored his first statement on taxes in January because they did not expect him to stick to it if he won power. But if the next president does try to avoid new taxes, this will be punished with a sell-off of Philippine assets by markets worried about the precarious fiscal position.

“The government is like a patient in an intensive care unit and it needs to raise taxes as the prescribed medicine to recover fast,” Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at Banco de Oro Unibank, told Reuters. Traders say offshore investors would sell out wholesale from the Philippines if there was any sign the next president will introduce drastic changes to economic policy that quickly show positive results via higher state revenues.

“Remember, especially the offshore investors, they don’t care what happens to the country. They only want to make sure that they get paid,” said a treasury official at a foreign bank. “The moment you inject some scepticism on the ability of this country to pay, they will dump you while they can.”

The Philippines’ 5-year credit default swap spreads are trading at 162 basis points compared to a weighted average of 120 for the Thomson Reuters Emerging Asia Index.

Spreads have come down from a peak of 217.5 basis points this year after the official campaign period

kicked off on Feb. 9, but traders say they will quickly widen again if the likely election winner does not set out a clear economic plan.

Yields on Philippine sovereign bonds due in 2020 are hovering at three-month lows, suggesting that investors do not expect a fiscal blowout in the near term after the country completed its planned 2010 foreign debt issues of $2.5 billion pesos ($54.79 million) just two months into the year. But ratings agencies may downgrade the country’s sovereign credit from the current two notches below investment grade if Manila doesn’t raise revenue collection soon.

The government is likely to incur more foreign and local debt to fund its budget deficit, thus reversing gains made since its 2005 tax reform program. But there is minimal risk for now of a Greece-style panic that that Manila would default on its debts. It has reduced its debt-to-GDP ratio to around 57 percent from a peak of 78 percent in 2004.

All the top candidates also espouse stamping out a deeply entrenched culture of corruption at revenue agencies to improve tax collection, but analysts say such a lofty ambition would take years to implement and major results are unlikely to be seen in the first six months of the new administration. Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said the low revenue base would make it difficult for the new government to fund higher spending on badly needed infrastructure upgrades and better social services, suggesting more tax reforms might be necessary, especially after the government passed several new laws, with others still pending, seeking to give tax exemptions.

Teves partly blames lost revenues of 49 billion pesos from tax exemptions imposed last year for the record 2009 budget deficit of 298.5 billion pesos, or 3.9 percent of GDP. Manila was hoping to limit its shortfall last year to 250 billion pesos. Some analysts expect Manila’s budget gap to exceed 300 billion pesos this year, another record high.

Economists say the next government could raise revenues by tweaking excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco. Value added tax (VAT) of 12 percent could also be raised to 15 percent, a proposal administration candidate Gilberto Teodoro wants to adopt in exchange for lowering individual income and corporate taxes.

Former Philippine economic ministers have said there is room for substantial cuts in the funding allocation for pet projects of legislators, more widely known as pork barrel, and in the spending subsidies given to local government units. The Philippines avoided a possible financial crisis in 2005 when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo raised the VAT rate to 12 percent from 10 percent and expanded its coverage to include electricity and petrol sales. That helped cut the budget deficit to 68 billion pesos, or 0.9 percent of GDP, in 2008 from a 2002 peak of nearly 211 billion pesos, or 5.3 percent of GDP. But the shortfall ballooned again last year when corporate incomes dropped due to the global economic crisis and as Manila spent more on infrastructure upgrades and social services to pump prime the economy. — Reuters

NEWS

14

Monday, March 15, 2010

GETTORF, Germany: (Right) A photographer takes a picture of a wooden house which is built upside-down yesterday. The fully furnished so-called “crazy house” has a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room and a sleeping room. Visitors have to pay an entry fee to enter this tourist attraction which is set up at the local zoo. It opens to the public on March 30. Nikola El-Kara (left) checks the restroom inside the house. — AP

Legal panel clears KD 5,000 handout

Filipinos cheer Pacquiao win Continued from Page 1 Pacquiao now faces a different sort of challenge, one that could prove even tougher: he is running for a seat in the Philippine Congress at May elections, seeking to represent a district on the southern island of Mindanao. Despite his popularity, Pacquiao lost his first Congressional bid in 2007 and again faces a firmly entrenched opponent. President Gloria Arroyo joined in celebrations, saying: “The nation again rejoices with and congratulates the people’s champion, Manny Pacquiao, in forging another victory for the Philippines.

With unity and hard work, Manny has again triumphed for his country.”

Commenting on the absence of crime during the fight, police spokesman

Superintendent Rommel Miranda said: “This really shows that the whole nation was united.” For many observers, the only remaining foe left for the champion is the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather who, like Pacquiao, has been tagged by some pundits as the “best pound-for-pound fighter in the world”. “The world wants to see Manny and Floyd - no doubt about it,” said Boyet Sison, host of popular talk radio show “Hardball”, adding that this would be the perfect way for Pacquiao to cap his career.

Pacquiao and Mayweather were expected to fight on March 13 but negotiations unravelled over the American’s demands for unprecedented pre-fight blood testing for performance-enhancing drugs. Asked in a post-fight interview by GMA television about the possibility of facing Mayweather,

Pacquiao said: “First he has to win in May.” He referred to Mayweather’s May 1 bout against Shane Mosley, which was scheduled after talks on a fight with Pacquiao collapsed.

The champion’s mother, Dionisia Pacquiao, however, said she would prefer her son to retire right away. “I tell my son ‘Please stop. What happens if something goes wrong with your body?’ I prayed to God that nothing happens to him,” she told DZBB. She brushed aside talk about a bigmoney match with Mayweather, saying: “Why should we try to chase after the biggest prize? We have enough. God has given him enough blessings already.” Asked about his mother’s comments, Pacquiao said: “We will talk about that after I get home.” — AFP

Mini clip safer than heart-valve surgery Continued from Page 1 The clip was not dramatically less effective than surgery after one year.

Doctors called the study a watershed the first big test of repairing or replacing heart valves through arteries rather than drastic surgery. The MitraClip is only for the mitral valve. Other devices for other heart valves are in late-stage testing, and many doctors believe they will transform how these conditions are treated in the near future. “We have opened the door for a new therapeutic option for patients,” said Dr Ted Feldman of NorthShore University Health System in Evanston, Illinois. He led the new study and gave results yesterday at an American College of Cardiology conference. The study was sponsored by Evalve Inc, which developed the device. Evalve was sold last year to North Chicago, Illinois-based Abbott, and Feldman consults for the firm.

Some surgeons were not convinced the device is close to surgery’s effectiveness, and said patients need to be studied for more than one year. “It’s a partial victory for the device,” Dr James McClurken, a surgeon at Temple University in Philadelphia, said of the result. McClurken also is the conference chairman. The mitral valve is like a saloon door that opens to let blood flow into the heart’s main pumping chamber. When the flaps of the door don’t swing completely shut,

blood flows back into an upper chamber of the heart. Medicines can ease symptoms but do not keep the valve problem from getting worse. Bad cases are treated with open-heart surgery: Doctors partly stitch the flaps together in the middle, allowing blood to flow on either side but keeping them aligned during each heartbeat.

The MitraClip imitates those stitches.

With the patient under general anesthesia, doctors push a tube into a blood vessel in the groin and guide it into the heart.

The device, a fabric-covered metal clothespin, is mounted on the end of the tube and clips the two flaps of the valve together. In the study, 184 people were assigned to get the clip and the procedure was successful in 136. Major complications occurred in 10 percent of people treated with the clip compared with 57 percent of 79 other patients treated with surgery. Two surgery patients died, two suffered major strokes, and four needed emergency heart surgery; none of the clip patients had those problems. That made the device much safer than surgery, researchers said.

As for effectiveness, the study was only designed to see if the device was not substantially inferior to surgery and by that measure, it passed. After one year, valve problems were sufficiently resolved in 72 percent of device patients and 88 percent of surgery patients. Surgery is better, “but it’s not so much better that

patients, given the choice, want to undergo the open-heart procedure,” especially given the difference in safety, Feldman said. “Part of what makes this attractive is that when the clip doesn’t work, surgery remains an option,” so the less drastic treatment could be tried first, he added.

The results are “very enticing and very exciting,” although longer-term study is needed, said Dr Robert Bonow, a former American Heart Association president and chief of cardiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “The surgeons would argue this is less good of a result. But from the patient’s point of view, this might be exactly what you need” to turn a big problem into a mild one that does not need further treatment, Bonow said. Dr Donald Glower, a Duke University cardiac surgeon who co-led the study, agreed.

“This is part of the trade-off we have” with many treatments that avoid surgery.

“It’s probably not realistic” to expect it to be as good, he said. No price for the device has been set in the US, but it sells for about $27,000 in Europe, plus whatever doctors and hospitals charge to implant it - as yet unknown. “You have to look at it always in comparison to the alternative” - valve surgery costs $50,000 or more, including a longer hospital stay, said John Capek, executive vice president of Abbott’s medical devices division. — AP

Parents of 8-limbed child hope for help Continued from Page 1 His father, Viresh Paswan, a low-caste construction worker in his mid 30s, says he is uncomfortable with the well-meaning pilgrims who treat Deepak as a religious object. “I’m not in favour of earning money by allowing people to worship him,” Paswan told AFP in Patna. “I simply want an operation for my son to get rid of the abnormal parts and for him to have a normal body,” he said.

There are rays of hope, but so far nothing has happened. At the invitation of local state lawmaker Dadan Pahalwan, the family recently travelled to Patna for a medical examination at the Patna Medical College and Hospital. Paswan is also encouraged by the story of Lakshmi Tatma, a girl from Bihar who was born with four arms and four legs but who was successfully operated on in the southern city of Bangalore in 2007. She was also treated as a rare child with divine powers in her village before she was brought to the Sparsh Hospital which bore the cost of the $50,000 surgery.

Her remarkable story propelled her to worldwide fame, making her the subject of

television documentaries and newspaper articles in countries across the globe. “I was informed that like my Deepak, a girl child with an almost similar parasitic twin was separated. Now I hope for the same for my son,” Paswan said. Life for Deepak is made difficult by the extra weight of the limbs, which means he is unable to play with his two healthy brothers, aged 10 and 11, or other children - some of whom tease him. He also suffers from pain, irritation and skin infection in the fingers and withered arms of his parasitic twin.

“Some children deliberately squeeze my twin and I cry out in pain,” Deepak explained.

Shantha Sinha, chairperson of India’s National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, said she was “appalled” by the idea of Deepak being treated as a religious idol. She said his treatment illustrated the work India still had to do to raise awareness about disability and ensure medical treatment for those in need. “The legal framework is coming into place, but more important is societal preparedness.

The anxiety and compassion has to come,” she told AFP.

The Mail Today tabloid, which first raised the case nationally, printed a large picture with a headline challenging readers to take a look. “Stomach This!” it thundered. India has signed the UN Convention of Disability Rights, which promises equality and rights for the disabled, and has passed its own disability act. But like so often in India, there is a large gap between laws that offer rights and protection to people and the enforcement of them.

Thomas Chandy, head of the charity Save the Children India, says all too often children born with disabilities like Deepak are neglected. “Their vulnerability is already high and sadly when there is disability they don’t get the attention and treatment that they should get,” he said.

Bihar has been in the news lately thanks to its fast economic growth under chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is credited with offering a brighter future for a state once synonymous with poverty, corruption and crime. “Bihar is developing fast economically. Sadly this sort of thing shows the other part of Bihar,” Chandy said. — AFP

C o n t i n u e d f ro m Pa g e 1 Meanwhile, Infor mation and Oil Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah rehearsed for the grilling debate due to take place tomorrow, while Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi said he was not aware that any side has asked for a postponement. Minister of Communications Mohammad AlBusairi reiterated the government’s total backing for the minister, adding the government is confident he will be able to refute allegations in the grilling.

K h o r a f i t o l d re p o r t e r s t h a t h e believes Sheikh Ahmad will accept the grilling to be debated in tomorrow’s session, adding that he will not allow the grilling to touch on issues not mentioned in the grilling request. The speaker said that the grilling request is based on two issues and that he will not allow MPs to raise other issues. On

his part, Busairi told reporters after a protocol meeting with Khorafi that the government “feels assured that the information minister has the perfect answers to the two issues in the grilling and that he will not hesitate to refute allegations”.

Sheikh Ahmad expressed confidence he will be able to refute the allegations in the grilling which accuse the minister of failing to implement media laws on private TV stations, some of which broadcast material deemed risky to Kuwait’s national unity. Sheikh Ahmad also said the outcome of the grilling debate will be very decisive. Based on s t a t e m e n t s i s s u e d b y M Ps a n d observers monitoring the Assembly, the grilling debate is highly expected to lead to a no-confidence motion. At least 20 MPs are expected to support the motion which requires 25 votes to pass and oust the minister.

Separately, the head of the financial and economic affairs committee MP Yousef Al-Zalzalah said the committee has completed its report on the privatization draft law except the article that deals with benefits of employees in the privatized services. He said the committee will meet today with representatives of the Public Institution for Social Security to finalize the last article.

Zalzalah said that the article deals with the issue of Kuwaiti staff who do not wish to work in the privatized service or moved to another government job. It is proposed to grant them five years of additional service and allow them to take early retirement.

He said the law does not stipulate the sectors to be privatized as this will be determined by the higher privatization council which will be formed and headed by the prime minister.

‘Irked’ Egypt cancels synagogue ceremony Continued from Page 1 The cancellation was largely symbolic as the restoration is complete and the synagogue has been reopened. “This cancellation comes after what happened during the inauguration by the Jewish community who engaged in activities considered provocative to the feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world, including dancing and drinking alcohol,” Hawass said in the statement.

He added that “Muslim sanctuaries in occupied Palestine are subject to aggression by the occupation authorities,” citing in particular Israeli security actions on the Temple Mount, known as the Aqsa compound to Muslims, in Jerusalem. Officials with Cairo’s Jewish community had no comment about Hawass’ statement. The

March 7 dedication ceremony at the synagogue, named after the 12th century rabbi and intellectual Maimonides, was closed to media and included half a dozen Egyptian Jewish families that long ago fled the country. No Egyptian officials attended the ceremony.

A group of about 11 Hassidic ChabadLubavitch rabbis also came to Cairo from the United States and Israel and sang at the event. Attendees also said toasts were made. Egypt’s Jewish community, which dates back millennia and at its peak in the 1940s numbered around 80,000, is down to several dozen, almost all of them elderly.

The rest were driven out decades ago by mob violence and persecution tied in large part to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Egypt and Israel fought a war every decade from the 1940s to the 1970s until the 1979 peace

treaty was signed. Despite that treaty, Egyptian sentiment remains deeply unfriendly to Israel, and anti-Semitic stereotypes still occasionally appear in the Egyptian media.

On Tuesday, Culture Minister Farouk Hosny said his ministry was committed to restoring all 11 synagogues across Egypt, three of which have already been renovated. The best-known synagogue that of Ben Ezra, is located in Cairo’s Christian quarter near a number of old churches and was restored years ago. In his statement, Hawass lauded Egyptian efforts to restore its Muslim, Jewish and Christian sites without regard to their religion. “This is proof of the religious tolerance in Egypt, while Muslim sanctuaries in Jerusalem and other Palestinian cities are subject to destruction and sequestration by Israel,” he said. — AP

Outrage in Georgia over faked ‘Russia invasion’ C o n t i n u e d f ro m Pa g e 1 Opposition leader Nino Burjanadze who was among those the repor t claimed had joined forces with Russia said the newscast was governmentorganised propaganda. “This government’s treatment of its own people is outrageous. I am sure that every second of this program was agreed with Saakashvili. Many people suffered psychological trauma,” Burjanadze, who heads the Democratic MovementUnited Georgia party, told AFP. “Every word about me was malicious slander and I will sue both Imedi television and the authorities,” she said.

Georgia’s opposition has accused the government of using television networks including Imedi, which is run by a close Saakashvili ally, to smear government critics. Gover nment officials denied any advance knowledge of the report and denounced it as irresponsi-

ble. “The opposition is creating a myth that this programme was agreed with the authorities and trying to use that myth to its own ends,” the head of Georgia’s National Security Council, Eka Tkeshelashvili, told AFP. “Of course this is completely untrue. This program was an extremely unpleasant surprise to the authorities,” she said.

Saakashvili said the report was not aimed at insulting Burjanadze but he nonetheless lashed out at her recent meetings with officials in Moscow.

“Those who are shaking hands with people who have Georgian blood on their hands will never be respected,” he said. The head of Georgia’s influential Orthodox Christian Church, Patriarch Ilia II, joined criticism of the report.

“We should not allow any television channel to be so uncontrolled and to broadcast such abominations,” he said in comments shown on Rustavi-2 television.

Georgia’s National Communications Commission said it had launched an investigation. Imedi apologised for airing the program, but not before outraged Georgians launched campaigns condemning it. Two Facebook pages denouncing Imedi emerged after the broadcast and together had attracted more than 6,500 fans within less than a day. “Where is the professionalism?

Where are the ethics? These idiots don’t even know the meaning of the words,” said one of the Facebook writers.

Russia invaded Georgia in Aug 2008 in response to a Georgian militar y attempt to retake the Moscow-backed rebel region of South Ossetia. After occupying swathes of territory, Russian forces later mostly withdrew into South Ossetia and another breakaway Georgian region, Abkhazia, which Moscow has recognised as independent states. — AFP

Netanyahu calls for calm as US tensions boil over Continued from Page 1 Media reports said the United States and Israel had reached a secret understanding that the latter would refrain from announcing new east Jerusalem building projects during the talks, in conjunction with an already agreed public commitment to freeze new building starts in the West Bank for 10 months. The presence of

nearly half a million Israelis in more than 120 settlements scattered across the occupied West Bank including east Jerusalem has long been a major obstacle to the peace process.

In an attempt at damage control, Netanyahu set up a committee to investigate the settlement announcement, allegedly made without his knowledge, and prevent its recurrence. He also told

his ministers to refrain from talking about the issue and further inflame tensions.

However, the orders apparently failed to trickle down to Danny Danon, a junior lawmaker in Netanyahu’s Likud party, who called Clinton’s comments “gratuitous and frankly annoying”. “This is yet another in the disturbing series of counter-productive declarations from the Obama administration,” Danon said in a statement. — AFP

SPORTS

Monday, March 15, 2010

15

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Saturday.

Philadelphia 3, Chicago 2; Florida 3, San Jose 2 (OT); Toronto 6, Edmonton 4; Montreal 3, Boston 2; NY Islanders 4, New Jersey 2; Phoenix 4, Carolina 0; Detroit 3, Buffalo 2 (OT); St. Louis 5, Columbus 1; Vancouver 5, Ottawa 1.

(OT denotes overtime win) Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF Pittsburgh 40 23 5 215 New Jersey 40 24 3 180 Philadelphia 36 27 4 202 NY Rangers 30 29 9 178 NY Islanders 27 32 9 176 Northeast Division Buffalo 36 21 10 183 Ottawa 37 27 5 186 Montreal 35 29 6 191 Boston 30 25 12 167 Toronto 23 33 12 182 Southeast Division Washington 45 14 9 266 Tampa Bay 28 27 12 181 Atlanta 28 29 10 198 Florida 28 29 10 174 Carolina 28 32 8 189 Western Conference Central Division Chicago 44 18 5 222 Nashville 37 26 5 190 Detroit 33 23 12 185 St Louis 32 26 9 184 Columbus 27 31 11 178 Northwest Division Vancouver 42 23 3 225 Colorado 38 23 6 199 Calgary 34 24 9 172 Minnesota 32 29 6 184 Edmonton 21 40 7 171 Pacific Division San Jose 43 14 10 222 Phoenix 41 22 5 184 Los Angeles 40 22 5 204 Dallas 29 25 13 188 Anaheim 30 29 8 185

GA 196 162 182 187 213

PTS 85 83 76 69 63

170 197 194 172 230

82 79 76 72 58

192 207 218 193 211

99 68 66 66 64

166 196 185 184 223

93 79 78 73 65

175 176 167 195 236

87 82 77 70 49

168 167 179 213 207

96 87 85 71 68

VANCOUVER: Mason Raymond No.21 of the Vancouver Canucks fails to lift a backhand shot past goalie Pascal Leclaire No.33 of the Ottawa Senators during the second period of NHL action. —AFP

Flyers get late, late winner to down Blackhawks PHILADELPHIA: Chris Pronger scored with two seconds left to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 3-2 comeback victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL on Saturday. The defenseman took a pass from Claude Giroux and beat Cristobal Huet to the glove side to cap a five-goal third period.

After a scoreless opening two periods, Simon Gagne put Philadelphia ahead early in the third, but Kris Versteeg tied it soon after and Marian Hossa put the Central Division-leading Blackhawks ahead with seven minutes left. The Flyers tied it with two minutes left through Scott Hartnell.

Canucks 5, Senators 1 In Vancouver, British Columbia, Vancouver returned from an NHL-record 14 straight road games to beat Ottawa. Mikael Samuelsson scored his 29th and 30th goals

of the season and added an assist for the Canucks, who forced away from their home ice by the hosting of the Olympics.

Alex Burrows, Daniel Sedin and Sami Salo also scored as Vancouver extended its lead in the Northwest Division to five points. Jason Spezza scored for Ottawa, which has lost five of six since the Olympic break.

Panthers 3, Sharks 2 In San Jose, California, San Jose found out what it feels like to be on the wrong end of a third-period comeback, losing to Florida.

After becoming the first team in NHL history to win three straight games in regulation when trailing after two periods, this time the Sharks lost despite holding a twogoal lead.

Ryane Clowe and Patrick Marleau put the Sharks ahead, but Shawn Matthias tied it in the third period, then set up Bryan Allen’s overtime winner.

San Jose still gained a point to move three points ahead of Chicago for the best record in the Western Conference.

Red Wings 3, Sabres 2 In Detroit, Brian Rafalski scored a power-play goal 31 seconds into overtime to lift Detroit over Buffalo. Jimmy Howard stopped 24 shots for Detroit which won after blowing a two-goal lead, and moved into eighth place in the Western Conference standings ahead of Calgary.

Pavel Datsyuk and Patrick Eaves put Detroit ahead a few minutes into the game.

Jochen Hecht pulled Buffalo within a goal and tied it in the second.

Coyotes 4, Hurricanes 0 In Raleigh, North Carolina, Ilya Bryzgalov made 29 saves for his NHL-leading eighth shutout to help Phoenix thrash Carolina.

Lee Stempniak and Martin Hanzel each scored twice for Phoenix. Stempniak has four goals in his past two games and five since joining the Coyotes in a trade with Toronto. Phoenix won its fourth straight and snapped the Hurricanes’ home winning streak at eight.

Canadiens 3, Bruins 2 In Montreal, the hosts extended their season-high winning streak to five by edging Boston. Sergei Kostitsyn’s second goal of the game put the Canadiens ahead to stay early in the third period. Andrei Markov had a goal and an assist for

Montreal. Blake Wheeler and Milan Lucic scored for Boston.

Islanders 4, Devils 2 In Uniondale, New York, Jon Sim and Mark Streit scored 50 seconds apart in the second period to lift New York over New Jersey.

Their goals against Devils backup goalie Yann Danis, and Dwayne Roloson’s 38 saves helped New York snap a four-game losing streak. Freddy Meyer and Sean Bergenheim also scored for the Islanders.

Ilya Kovalchuk and Mike Mottau scored for New Jersey, which has won just two of its past 14 road games.

Blues 5, Blue Jackets 1 In Columbus, Ohio, St. Louis beat Columbus for its seventh victory in eight

Els and Schwartzel hold slim lead over Harrington MIAMI: South African duo Ernie Els and Charl Schwartzel head into late yesterday’s final round of the WGC-CA Championship at Doral tied for the lead on 12-under par, one stroke ahead of Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.

The 25-year-old Schwartzel produced a fiveunder 67 in the breezy sunshine of the Blue Monster course on Saturday while Els, the overnight leader, had some ups and downs in his round of 70.

Els, who has not won on tour in two years, will now play the final round with a compatriot 15 years his junior and who he hosted while Schwartzel practiced last week.

Schwartzel, who won two early events on the European Tour this year, will go head-to-head with a player who his father once partnered and despite his admiration of Els, who won this competition when it was held in Ireland in 2004, Schwartzel said he was only focussing on winning the title on Sunday. “When you are out on the course it is every man for himself. I am sure we’ll have a good time and a good battle,” he said.

Els continues to look confident but missed a three foot birdie putt on the 16th, having earlier missed from four feet on the 13th to bogey. “I felt a little uncomfortable on those shorter putts today.

I think it could have been the breeze,” said Els. “I’m six foot four (1.93m) and I move around a little bit, or it feels like it. I think it was a bit of a weak point today and it cost me a little bit.”

Harrington would also have had a share of the lead had he not three putted the 18th to end a fine round with a bogey.

The Dubliner made six birdies in his five-under 67 round that was faultless until the final hole, but he remains in strong contention for Sunday along with Australian Robert Allenby (71) who is two shots off the lead.

“It leaves a sour taste to bogey the last but finishing 11-under or 12-under has no real effect on the outcome tomorrow. There are three of us up there, whoever plays the best golf is going to win the tournament,” said the Irishman.

German Martin Kaymer produced the day’s top round with a six-under 66 moving him into sixth place on eight under, one shot ahead of Fijian Vijay Singh (70), Dane Soren Hansen (71), Britain’s Paul Casey (68)and American Matt Kuchar (67).

Phil Mickelson, the world number three and defending champion, hit five birdies and five bogeys in his even-par round and ended up in some pain after jarring his elbow playing his second stroke on the 18th. —Reuters

games. Andy McDonald had a goal and two assists, and David Backes, David Perron, Alexander Steen and B.J. Crombeen added goals for the Blues. The Blue Jackets goal came via Jake Voracek.

Maple Leafs 6, Oilers 4 In Toronto, the hosts pieced together a rare three-game winning streak by defeating Edmonton. Leafs linemates Tyler Bozak, Nikolai Kulemin and Phil Kessel combined for eight points.

Kessel had two goals and an assist, Bozak finished with a goal and two assists, and Kulemin had a goal and an assist. Jamie Lundmark and Mikhail Grabovski also scored for Toronto. Andrew Cogliano, Gilbert Brule, Dustin Penner and Aaron Johnson netted for the Oilers, last overall in the NHL. —AP

Collins leads rain-delayed Open

DORAL: Ernie Els hits out of the sand onto the 16th green during the third round of the CA Championship golf tournament. —AP

RIO GRANDE: Chad Collins chipped in for eagle on the par-5 second hole Saturday to top the Puerto Rico Open leaderboard at 9 under before second-round play was suspended because of darkness in the rain-delayed PGA Tour event.

Collins, who has won twice on the Nationwide Tour, was 6 under through 11 holes in the second round after completing a first-round 69 in sunny conditions Saturday morning at Trump International Golf ClubPuerto Rico.

“It felt really good to end the day that way, especially just after making bogey on the previous hole,” said Collins, second on the Nationwide Tour money list last year.

Paul Stankowski, one of only six players to complete the second round, followed an opening 66 with a 70 to join Jeff Overton and Jhonattan Vegas at 8 under.

Overton finished 14 holes in the second round, and Vegas played 13.

The competition, which was scheduled to end late yesterday, will stretch into today due to the rain delays.

Because of the wet conditions, players were allowed to lift, clean and place in the fairways.

Vegas received a sponsor exemption into the event.

He learned the game’s fundamentals by playing with a broomstick and a rock in his native Venezuela. “It was a good day, obviously,” said Vegas, who turned professional in 2008, some six years after leaving Venezuela for Texas.

“Just a good job from the beginning, hitting a lot of good shots, birdies.” On Thursday, only 18 players were able to tee off because of drenching rain, and the weather woes continued Friday.

“It’s drying out a little bit, but it’s still wet,” said Germany’s Alex Cejka, who finished up his first round shortly before noon and planned to fly to his home in Florida before heading back to Puerto Rico later in the day. —AP

Tseng edges Karrie to win Women’s Australian Open MELBOURNE: Taiwan’s Yani Tseng won the Women’s Australian Open by three strokes yesterday, shooting five birdies on the back nine for a 7-under 66 to pull away from former champions Karrie Webb and Laura Davies.

Tseng, the 2008 LPGA Championship winner, had a 72-hole total of 9-under 283 on the par-73 Commonwealth Golf Club. Hitting 17 greens in regulation yesterday, she birdied the final two holes

to all but end any challenge from Webb and Davies in the final group behind her.

Defending champion Davies shot 71, including a birdie on 18, to finish second.

Four-time Open winner and thirdround leader Webb missed three putts for birdies inside four feet on the back nine and was third after a 74 and was four behind Tseng. Australian Katherine Hull, who shot 72, finished tied for fourth with second-round leader Giulia Sergas

of Italy (74), five off Tseng.

Webb wore a white shirt with blueand-green trim — the same as last Sunday when she shot a course-record 11-under 61 at Royal Pines to win her seventh Australian Masters title. But while the shirt was the same, the outcome was very different as Webb, playing for the fourth week in a row after previous stops in Bangkok and Singapore, faltered in the closing stages.

Instead Tseng was rewarded for steady iron play on the back nine _ capitalizing on birdies on eight and nine to come home with a bogey-free finish.

“It was very exciting, my whole body is still shaking,” Tseng said before the trophy presentations. “My heart is still at over 200 beats a minute.

“I just felt I needed to get some more birdies coming home, and it worked out,” added Tseng, who said she plans to

return to Taiwan and will share the Australian Open trophy with family and friends. Webb started the day with a oneshot lead over Sergas and began with two birdies.

“I got off to a really great start and was feeling really good,” Webb said. “I played a couple of scrappy holes on six and seven and really lost a lot of momentum. “I just didn’t hit it as good after that for some reason. —AP

SPORTS

16

Monday, March 15, 2010

England pile on runs despite early wobble

CHITTAGONG: Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim (left) ducks to avoid getting hit by the ball as England’s Ian Bell looks on during the third day of their first Test cricket match. —AP

Scoreboard Scoreboard at the close on the third day of the first test between Bangladesh and England at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong, Bangladesh yesterday.

England first innings 599-6 dec (A. Cook 173, K. Pietersen 99, P. Collingwood 145, I. Bell 84) Bangladesh first innings 296 all out (T. Iqbal 86, Mahmudullah 51, M. Rahim 79; G. Swann 5-90) England second innings A. Cook c Aftab b Mahmudullah M. Carberry lbw b Razzak J. Trott c Zunaed b Shakib K. Pietersen lbw b Shakib

39 34 14 32

P. Collingwood c Mahmudullah b Razzak 3 I. Bell not out 0 M. Prior not out 0 Extras (b-5 lb-2 nb-2) 9 Total (five wickets; 36 overs) 131 Fall of wickets: 1-65 2-87 3-126 4-130 5-131 To bat: S. Broad, T. Bresnan, G. Swann, S. Finn.

Bowling: Shahadat 6-0-19-0, Rubel 5-1-25-0 (nb-2), Mahmudullah 8-0-26-1, Naeem 3-0-14-0, Shakib 10-1-33-2, Razzak 4-2-7-2.

Contador wins Paris-Nice race NICE: Alberto Contador of Spain won the Paris-Nice race for the second time yesterday after successfully defending his narrow lead from Alejandro Valverde in the seventh and final stage.

Amael Moinard of France won the 119-kilometer (73.8mile) stage around Nice in a sprint finish, finishing less a wheel’s length ahead of Frenchman Thomas Voeckler after overtaking him at the line.

Contador was close behind in a small chasing group, which included Valverde, and raised his hands in the air as he crossed the line. Valverde was second overall, 11 seconds behind Contador.

“It’s very hard to win ParisNice, even more so when you are the most watched rider in the race. I absolutely wanted to win. I feel liberated because today’s stage was very tense and very nervy,” Contador said.

“I had to respond to all the attacks, and it was very unpredictable. With the (small) lead I had it would have been a

shame to lose Paris-Nice because of sprint bonuses, so I had to be very attentive.” Luis Leon Sanchez just beat Roman Kreuziger of the Czech Republic by one second overall to take third and make it an all-Spanish podium.

Sanchez was 25 seconds behind Contador’s overall time of 28 hours, 35 minutes, 35 seconds. Moinard also took the red-and-white polka dot jersey awarded to the best climber. The 27-year-old Contador, who won the race in 2007, was only 14 seconds ahead of Valverde heading into the final stage, which featured three category 1 climbs.

Contador took a small 1second bonus in a sprint section, but Valverde pegged back another four seconds with a sprint bonus of his own when he finished the stage in third place, three seconds behind the two Frenchmen. Contador was 10th.

Contador’s Astana team controlled the first category 1 climb up Col de la Porte, setting a fast pace. Although Voeckler and Moinard broke

away, neither was a threat to the overall victory and the pack let them go.

Approaching the second climb up La Turbie, near the training ground of Monaco football club, Contador stayed safely in the chasing pack as it again chose not to attack the front pair.

But on the third big climb up Col d’Eze, Contador suddenly attacked about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) from the top and Valverde initially had trouble following him until Sanchez caught up to help catch the Spaniard.

Moinard and Voeckler went over the top together, with Contador and Valverde about 25 seconds behind them, but Contador took a 1-second sprint bonus to leave Valverde needing to make up 15 seconds in the final 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

Sanchez and Valverde took turns at the front as they tried to isolate Contador, but they ran out of time as the finish line neared in sunny Nice.

French rider Christophe Le Mevel fell near the end

after clipping Sanchez’s wheel and tumbling over his handlebars. He got up clutching his wrist but managed to finish the race.

In the last 300 meters, Voeckler took the risk of attacking early, knowing that he is a better sprinter than Moinard. But Moinard hung on to Voeckler’s wheel and in the last 20 meters he pushed ahead, winning the stage in 2:52.09.

Contador won his second Tour de France last year while on the same team as seventime winner L ance Armstrong, one of his main rivals at this year’s July 3-25 race. The two parted ways and Armstrong now leads the RadioShack team.

“Although the team was a little short (of form) here, I hope they will raise their level between now and the Tour de France and that they will help me to win it again,” Contador said. “This summer there will be seven or eight riders who, with their respective talents, will be challengers for the overall victory.” —AP

CHITTAGONG: England put themselves on course for victory in the first Test against Bangladesh yesterday after building a huge 434-run lead on the third day despite losing five wickets in quick succession.

The tourists ended the day on 131-5 in their second innings af ter opting to bat again instead of enforcing a follow-on despite having a 303run first innings lead in Chittagong.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann completed his fifth five-wicket haul in tests to help England, who had declared their first innings on 599-6, bowl out Bangladesh for 296.

“Taking three wickets yesterday put me in good stead. It was hard work today, the pitch wasn’t really responsive but I kept plugging away in the hope that if I got one another might follow and so it proved,” Swann told reporters.

Mahmudullah had England captain Alastair Cook caught

by Af tab Ahmed at fine leg boundary for 39 runs. Shakib then dismissed Jonathan Trott, who was smartly caught by Zunaed Siddique at square leg for 14.

Kevin Pietersen, off the mark on his second ball with a four, batted aggressively until Shakib had him lbw for 32 runs. The former captain struck five fours and a six in his 24-ball innings.

Razzak then removed Michael Carberry (34) and Paul Collingwood (three) in successive overs to give the home side something to cheer with in an otherwise lopsided match so far.

Bangladesh, resuming on 154-5 overnight, suffered a big blow in the third over of the morning when Tim Bresnan bowled opener Tamim Iqbal for 86 with a straight delivery.

However, their lower-order offered some resistance with vice captain Mushfiqur Rahim reaching a half-century. A runout and then two wickets in one over from Swann brought an abrupt end to their innings.

Rahim shared an 113-run partnership with Naeem Islam, an eighth-wicket record for Bangladesh, before the hosts lost their last three wickets in the space of four balls.

Naeem was run out for 38 when left stranded attempting a second run af ter Rahim steered Tim Bresnan towards point. Carberry chased the ball and threw to wicketkeeper Matt Prior and Naeem had no chance to return.

Substitute fielder James Tredwell took a blinder at short midwicket in the next ball off Swann to dismiss Rahim, who departed on 79, making his fifth test fifty.

Swann, who had earlier dropped a return catch of Naeem on 13, bowled Rubel Hossain two balls later to end the innings and finish with 590.

“Bangladesh batted very well today for an hour before lunch and an hour after lunch and that showed we are going to have our work cut out to take the last 10 wickets,” said Swann.

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal refused to give up hope yet. “It will be difficult, but not impossible,” he said. “We’ve got some good players, everyone is capable of making big scores, if two or three play big innings everything is possible.” —Reuters

PRETORIA: Dewald Potgieter (left) of the Bulls tackles Alondo Soakai of the Highlanders (right) during their Rugby Super14 match. —AP

Bulls defeat Otago to extend winning streak WELLINGTON: South Africa’s Bulls extended their home winning streak to 10 games and went to the top of the Super 14 standings with a 50-35 win over Otago in the weekend’s fifth round.

The defending champions are unbeaten since April 2009, haven’t lost at home since April 2008, and lead the tournament by a point from compatriots the Stormers, despite having played one less match than their closest rivals.

The Cape Town-based Stormers beat the Wellington Hurricanes 37-13 on Saturday to hold second place, one point behind the Bulls and a point ahead of the Canterbury Crusaders, who beat the Waikato Chiefs 2619.

Canterbury, the Stormers and the ACT Brumbies, who beat the Sharks 24-22, have 41 records after five rounds, although the Brumbies are fifth in the standings without a bonus point from five matches.

The Pretoria-based Bulls’ seven tries to five win over Otago was the fourth time they have passed 50 points in their past five games and brought their points tally this season to 199.

Backrower Pierre Spies and winger Francois Hougaard both scored two tries for the Bulls who led 36-14 at halftime. Otago rallied in the second half, led by fullback Israel Dagg who scored three of their five tries.

“We were not that good in the second half,” Bulls captain Victor Matfield said. “We knew they would come back, but we didn’t use opportunities close to the line.” The Stormers scored five tries and produced another strong defensive display to beat Wellington at Cape Town.

Sireli Naqelevuki, Joe Pietersen and Duane Vermeulen all crossed for first-half tries while prop Brok Harris forced his way over in the 57th minute to secure a four-try bonus point.

Wellington replacement scrumhalf Tyson Keats’ scored after the final whistle but the

Hurricanes slipped to a second successive defeat in South Africa after an unbeaten start to the season.

ACT flyhalf Matt Giteau kicked five penalties, including the winning points in the 71st minute, to give the Brumbies a 24-22 victory over South Africa’s Sharks. The Brumbies outscored the Sharks two tries to one on Ben Alexander’s double while England flyhalf Andy Goode kicked 17 points for the Durban team — five penalties and a conversion of Ruan Pienaar’s try.

The Sharks, despite having 11 Springboks, have lost nine of their past 10 matches. “I didn’t think it was a very good performance, but we’ll take it,” ACT captain Stephen Hoiles said. “We’ve got a fair bit of improvement in us.” John Smit played his 50th Super match as captain for the Sharks, who have lost four matches this season by fewer than seven points. “We did enough to win the game, but we gave them too many easy penalties, and we have only ourselves to blame,” Smit said.

The Queensland Red scored a 50-10 win yesterday over fellow Australian side the Western Force, keeping the Perth-based team winless in four matches and without a competition point.

New South Wales winger Drew Mitchell scored four tries as the Waratahs flogged the Johannesburg-based Lions 73-12. It was the first time the Waratahs had scored 11 tries in one Super rugby match, and Mitchell became the first New South Wales player to score four in a game.

Canterbury flyhalf Dan Carter became the second-highest points scorer in Super 14 rugby history by kicking 16 points in the Crusaders’ win over the Chiefs.

With the fifth of his six successful kicks at goal, Carter surpassed former Crusaders and All Blacks flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens’ mark of 990 points. The Cheetahs and Auckland had weekend byes. —AP

Team New Zealand beat Italy’s Azzurra

FRANCE: Second placed in the overalls, Spain’s Alejandro Valverde (center), Yellow jersey of overall leader, Spain’s Alberto Contador (right) and winner of the stage, polka dot jersey of best climber, France’s Amael Moinard (left) ride in the pack. —AFP

AUCKLAND: Team New Zealand overcame a broken spinnaker pole to beat Italy’s Azzurra by 42 seconds yesterday and remain unbeaten after five races at the Louis Vuitton Trophy sailing regatta for America’s Cup teams.

The New Zealanders, with All Blacks rugby star Dan Carter sailing as 18th man, broke the pole which holds up the giant downwind sails on the second of four legs, but maintained a large lead for most of the race. The win gave Team New Zealand a 5-0 record in round-robin racing among eight teams.

Azzurra was joined by Britain’s TeamOrigin, Italy’s Mascalzone Latino and the French-Germany entry All4One with 3-2 records. Sweden’s Artemis is 2-3 while France’s Aleph and Russia’s Synergy have no points.

All4One beat Aleph by 1 minute, 6 seconds yesterday, Mascalzone Latino

defeated Artemis by 1 minute, 3 seconds and TeamOrigin downed Synergy by 1 minute, 18 seconds. Races are conducted in identical 75-foot America’s Cup class boats belonging to Team New Zealand. The regatta provides racing for America’s Cup teams locked out of the latest Cup regatta between the American syndicate Oracle and Switzerland’s Alinghi. Oracle beat Alinghi 2-0 in a best of three race series off Valencia, Spain in February and will defend the America’s Cup, probably off San Francisco, in 2013.

Mascalzone Latino came from behind on the last leg to beat Artemis, skippered by American Paul Cayard and helmed by compatriot Terry Hutchinson.

The Swedish team incurred a disputed penalty in the pre-start and completed a penalty turn before crossing the finish line, increasing Mascalzone Latino’s winning margin.

“It was not, in my opinion, a foul,” Cayard said of the pre-start call.

Mascalzone’s New Zealand helmsman Gavin Brady said the decision was probably right. “In this game the rules are pretty strict and we’ve got umpires watching us,” he said.

“He couldn’t quite get his boat onto starboard. He was desperately trying to, but the rules of sailing say the sail has to be set and he couldn’t get his sail through (in time).” TeamOrigin, skippered by triple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie, led from start to finish to beat Synergy, helmed by Poland’s Karol Jablonski, in fresh winds of around 15 knots.

All4One, helmed by Sebastien Col, also led around all marks to beat Aleph which had lost its only previous point on Saturday as a penalty for its part in a prestart collision with TeamOrigin. —AP

SPORTS

Monday, March 15, 2010

17

Nuggets pound Grizzlies MEMPHIS: The Denver Nuggets turned on from late in the third quarter to come from behind and beat the Memphis Grizzlies 125-108 on Saturday, winning a sixth straight NBA game.

J.R. Smith scored 19 of his 30 points in the second half, going 11 of 16 from the field, including 7 for 10 on 3-pointers.

Carmelo Anthony finished with 24 points for Denver, which trailed by 12 points in the first half but scored 17 consecutive points briding the third and fourth quarters. O.J. Mayo led Memphis with 25 points.

INDIAN WELLS: Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia hits to Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament.— AP

Svetlana exits, Kim advances INDIAN WELLS: Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova was bundled out of the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Saturday, piling up unforced errors in a 6-4 4-6 6-1 loss to Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round.

Twice champion and former world number one Kim Clijsters of Belgium had a much easier time on a sunny afternoon in the California desert, cruising into the third round with a 6-2 6-1 demolition of Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

French Open champion Kuznetsova, runner-up here in 2007 and 2008, delivered an erratic display and was broken three times in the final set to lose a match lasting one hour, 56 minutes.

The Russian world number three angrily slammed her racket to the ground after losing the first point of the seventh game of the third set when trailing 1-5 and serving to stay in the match.

Kuznetsova, who was eliminated in the same round here last year, failed to win a point in that game

and Suarez Navarro sealed victory when a backhand by the Russian sailed wide.

“I feel now very happy,” the 42nd-ranked Spaniard said in a courtside interview after booking a place in the third round against Hungary’s Agnes Szavay. “For me, this is one of the most important matches of my life. I play good and I am happy to be in the next round.”

Kuznetsova, who has produced patchy form this season after winning her second grand slam title at last year’s French Open, lost the opening set after being broken in the first and fifth games.

After trading service breaks with Suarez Navarro early in the second, the Russian appeared to regain control from the baseline with her crunching ground strokes and she levelled the match by breaking the Spaniard in the 10th game.

However, Kuznetsova struggled to maintain momentum and she ended a frustrating match with a total of 69 unforced errors compared to just 38 by Suarez Navarro.

“It’s frustrating because I know I have the game,” said Kuznetsova, who as the third seed reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in January before losing to compatriot Nadia Petrova.

“I do practice, play unbelievable and then I get to the match and I don’t do much. I feel good and the ball doesn’t go where I want it to go.

“So my thinking is I just need more matches,” added the Russian who has advanced no further than the fourth round in her four WTA appearances this year.

Fourteenth seed Clijsters, who returned to competitive tennis in 2009 following a two-year retirement and won her second U.S. Open title in just her third tournament back, made short work of Zahlavova Strycova in just under an hour. In other matches, third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus breezed past Austrian Sybille Bammer 6-1 7-5 while 12th-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva, last year’s champion, beat American qualifier Sloane Stephens 6-4 7-5.—Reuters

Nadal cruises, Djokovic toils INDIAN WELLS: Twice champion and holder Rafa Nadal of Spain eased into the third round of the Indian Wells ATP tournament with a commanding 6-4 6-4 victory over Germany’s Rainer Schuettler on Saturday.

Second-seeded Serb Novak Djokovic survived a lapse in the second set before he held off American Mardy Fish to record a topsy-turvy 6-1 0-6 6-2 win in the late match.

Fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko also advanced, beating Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis 6-4 6-4, but eighth seed Marin Cilic of Croatia made an early exit, losing 7-6 6-0 to Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

World number three Nadal, who relishes playing at the California desert venue, broke his opponent in the seventh game of the second set before clinching victory in one hour 34 minutes on a blustery late afternoon.

The Spanish left-hander removed his red headband in celebration after a Schuettler backhand flew wide before approaching the net to shake hands with his opponent.

“Indian Wells is one of my favourite tournaments and I always feel like I’m at home here,” a smiling Nadal, 23, said in a courtside interview. “I have very happy memories here.”

The six-times grand slam champion had to contend with gusting winds on the stadium court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden but he was overall pleased with his form.

“It was a good start in the conditions for me and I’m very happy,” said Nadal, competing this week for the first time since shaking off the knee injury that forced him to abandon his Australian Open title defence in January.

“Later, when I was playing in favour of the wind, it was very difficult for me with the backhand because I feel if I only touch the ball, the ball was out. It went too much.

“I feel really well with the forehand, and that’s very important to my game. Maybe I can play better in better conditions with the backhand.”

Nadal, champion at Indian Wells in 2007 and again last year, will next meet Croatia’s Mario Ancic who came from a set down to beat Frenchman Julien Benneteau 4-6 75 6-3.

Djokovic, champion here in 2008 when he beat Fish in the final,

Knicks 128, Mavericks 94 In Dallas, New York snapped Dallas’ winning streak and avenged a 50-point loss to the Mavericks earlier in the season.

Bill Walker scored a career-high 23 points and Wilson Chandler added 22 for the Knicks, who’d lost nine straight in Dallas.

Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavericks, who hadn’t lost since Feb. 16. The Knicks shot 56 percent from the field (50 for 89) and 16 of 30 from 3-point range.

Magic 109, Wizards 95 In Washington, Dwight Howard had 28 points and 15 rebounds as streaking Orlando wore down Washington. Howard became a one-man show early in the second half, and he and Jameer Nelson made the alley-oop look routine as the Magic won their eighth straight game, the franchise’s longest winning streak since April 2006.

Andray Blatche was Washington’s one-man spotlight, scoring 32 points on 14for-23 shooting as the Wizards lost their season-high seventh straight game.

Hawks 112, Pistons 99 In Atlanta, the hosts had their best shooting game of the season but Atlanta still had to hold off Detroit’s late comeback.

The Hawks took a 28-point lead in the second quarter but suffered a second-half letdown as the Pistons closed within nine points with 6:45 remaining.

The Hawks answered with an 11-4 run to push the lead back to 16 points. Joe Johnson finished with 26 points. Jason Maxiell led Detroit with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Warriors 124, Raptors 112 In Oakland, California, Golden State put another dent in Toronto’s sliding playoff hopes. Stephen Curry had 35 points and 10 assists and Monta Ellis scored 31 in his second game back following a back injury. Golden State set a season high with 16 3-pointers while snapping a six-game losing streak.

Jose Calderon had 24 points and 12 assists for the Raptors, who have lost eight of nine while seeing their lead over Chicago trimmed to 11/2 games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

INDIAN WELLS: Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a shot to Reiner Schuettler of Germany during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells. —AP appeared to be on track for a smooth passage when he breezed through the opening set 6-1.

However his game deteriorated in the second and Fish won seven games in succession to level the match before the Serb regained control in the third.

“I was very lucky to pull out it out in the end,” Djokovic said after making 37 unforced errors and serving nine double faults in a contest lasting one hour 42 minutes.

Asked what had happened in the second set, he replied: “I had a ter-

rible start. Mardy played some good shots and I made a lot of unforced errors.

I’m still jet-lagged and it took some time for me to get used to the centre court.” Djokovic will play Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round.

In other matches on Saturday, 10th-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco eased past Paraguay’s Ramon Delgado 6-4 6-1 while 11th seed Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain hammered Austrian Daniel Koellerer 6-3 6-0. —Reuters

Spurs 118, Clippers 88 In San Antonio, the hosts beat Los Angeles for the 16th straight time. George Hill had 14 points and a career-high 11 assists and Matt Bonner scored 21 points on 8-for-9 shooting to lead the Spurs, who have the longest winning streak by one team against another.

The Spurs, winners of six of seven, moved into sixth place in the Western Conference. Baron Davis scored 18 of his team-high 22 points in the first half for the Clippers.

Rockets 116, Nets 108 In Houston, Luis Scola had a career-high 44 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help Houston preserve its fading playoff hopes and beat lowly New Jersey.

Scola hit 20 of 25 shots, many of them open layups, and reached the highest point total by a Rockets player this season. Kevin Martin scored 20. Courtney Lee scored 24 for the Nets, who finished a five-game road trip with four straight losses. —AP

OAKLAND: Toronto Raptors’ Jarrett Jack (right) shoots over Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry during the first half of an NBA basketball game. —AP

NBA results/standings NBA results and standings on Saturday.

Atlanta 112, Detroit 99; Orlando 109, Washington 95; Denver 125, Memphis 108; NY Knicks 128, Dallas 94; Houston 116, New Jersey 108; San Antonio 118, LA Clippers 88; Golden State 124, Toronto 112.

Boston Toronto Philadelphia NY Knicks New Jersey Cleveland Milwaukee Chicago Detroit Indiana Orlando Atlanta Charlotte Miami Washington

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 41 23 .641 32 32 .500 23 42 .354 23 43 .348 7 59 .106 Central Division 51 15 .773 35 29 .547 31 34 .477 23 43 .348 21 44 .323 Southeast Division 47 20 .701 42 23 .646 33 31 .516 34 32 .515 21 43 .328

GB 9 18.5 19 35 15 19.5 28 29.5 4 12.5 12.5 24.5

Western Conference Northwest Division Denver 45 21 .682 Utah 42 23 .646 Oklahoma City 40 24 .625 Portland 40 28 .588 Minnesota 14 52 .212 Pacific Division LA Lakers 48 18 .727 Phoenix 40 26 .606 LA Clippers 25 42 .373 Sacramento 22 44 .333 Golden State 18 47 .277 Southwest Division Dallas 45 22 .672 San Antonio 39 25 .609 Memphis 35 32 .522 Houston 33 31 .516 New Orleans 32 34 .485

2.5 4 6 31 8 23.5 26 29.5 4.5 10 10.5 12.5

Lagat leads US charge as Isinbayeva stumbles DOHA: Bernard Lagat’s history-making victory in the men’s world 3000m yesterday set the scene for the US team’s best indoor championship outing in 17 years.

The Americans finished the three-day competition in the Qatari capital with 17 medals (eight gold, three silver, six bronze), well ahead of second-placed Ethiopia (3-02) and arch-rivals Russia in third (2-4-3).

It was the team’s best performance since the 1993 Toronto world indoors when

they also bagged eight golds in a 17-medal haul.

On a day of high drama which saw Frenchman Teddy Tamgho set a new indoor record of 17.90m in the triple jump, only one of the seven reigning champions on show reclaimed their title: Sudan’s Abubaker Kaki in the men’s 800m.

Perhaps the biggest shock in a packed Aspire dome was that of Russian polevault queen Yelena Isinbayeva, who had looked out of sorts in qualification and again failed

to shine in the final.

The 27-year-old Russian, far from even going close to claiming a 28th world record, bombed out at 4.75m after only one successful vault at 4.60, allowing Brazil’s Fabiana Murer in for gold her country’s first indoors for 23 years.

“I really do not know what happened,” lamented Isinbayeva, who is also double Olympic and world outdoor champion.

“Maybe I was too tired emotionally, but this is sport

DOHA: US Bernard Lagat celebrates with a national flag his first place in the men’s 3000m final at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships at the Aspire Dome in the Qatari capital Doha. —AFP

and it sometimes happens. “It looks like the years 2009 and 2010 are bad,” she said in reference to her disastrous outing at last year’s world outdoors in Berlin when she failed to land a vault.

Other reigning champions to fall by the wayside were Ethiopian duo Gelete Burka (1500m) and Tariku Bekele (3000m), New Zealand’s Valerie Vili (shot put), Portugal’s Naide Gomes (long jump) and China’s returning star Liu Xiang (60m hurdles).

Liu had also looked out of sorts in his first global meet since pulling out of his heat at the Beijing Games and complained of a sore achilles tendon as Cuban Olympic 110m hurdles champion Dayron Robles dipped at the line to pip favoured American Terrence Trammell.

“Many people at home were expecting this gold. I did it here with the world’s best hurdlers so I am very happy,” said Robles.

In the 3000m, Kenyanborn American Lagat rolled back the years to win the title six years after his last gold in the event-when he was running for the country of his birth. Lagat, a double gold medallist at the 2007 Berlin worlds and a three-time Olympian - for Kenya in 2000 and 2004 and the United States in 2008 - produced a final-lap kick that killed off defending champion Bekele.

—AFP

SPORTS

18

Alonso leads Massa in Ferrari victory

Monday, March 15, 2010

Franchitti takes pole for IndyCar opener

BAHRAIN: Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso of Spain holds the trophy on the podium after winning the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix.—AP

Bahrain Grand Prix

BAHRAIN: Ferrari’s Spanish driver Fernando Alonso celebrates after the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. Ferrari’s Spanish driver Fernando Alonso won the race ahead of his Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa and McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton.— AFP SAKHIR: Fernando Alonso won yesterday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix to lead a Ferrari 1-2 on his debut for the Italian Formula One team. The Spaniard passed teammate Felipe Massa at the second corner after the start before overtaking pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel on the 34th lap for a lead he would never relinquish.

After two frustrating years at Renault, Alonso pounded his chest after jumping on top of his car as Ferrari got off to its best start since 2004 — when Schumacher led a 1-2 start. He replaced Kimi Raikkonen, who also won on his Ferrari debut three years ago.

“A very special day for me, coming back to the top of the podium is always special, but also more special with Ferrari and the history of the team and the expectations,” Alonso said.

“There is no better way to start the relationship.” Massa passed Vettel soon after to

claim second on his return to racing after a life-threatening crash last July in Hungary.

Lewis Hamilton overtook Vettel at the same spot as the McLaren driver finished third ahead of his Red Bull opponent.

Nico Rosberg was more than 40 seconds behind Alonso in fifth place. Mercedes teammate Michael Schumacher, who started seventh, was sixth in his first race in three years.

Alonso and Ferrari confirmed their preseason expectations as title favorites after the two-time champion’s 22nd career victory. It was Alonso’s third win at the Middle East track but first since 2006 - when he won his last title.

Alonso worked his way up behind Vettel, who had won four of his six previous races from pole, to set up his pass at the final corner before the finish line straight. “I was waiting for the time to attack Vettel — maybe the last 10 laps — but suddenly he had

a car problem and we had a chance to overtake him earlier than we expected,” Alonso said after his first victory since the 2008 Japanese GP.”(It’s) a fantastic sensation.”

Massa pulled up to Vettel on the same stretch before going around last year’s championship runner-up at the first corner, where Hamilton passed the German driver four laps later. Massa had to lay up over the last 30 laps to save fuel and his tires.

“I’m very happy. It’s also the best start of my season,” Massa said. “I rode through the race normal(ly), with very good pace. Thanks to God, I’m fine - and very happy.”

Schumacher’s new team, Mercedes, showed it still has some work to do to provide him with a car worthy of an eighth title.

Schumacher finished 3.9 seconds behind Rosberg.

Defending champion Jenson Button finished seventh for McLaren, while Mark Webber of Red Bull was eighth.

Tonio Liuzzi of Force India and Rubens

Barrichello of Williams rounded out the top 10 to finish in the points following a change in the scoring system. Ferrari changed both of its engines without penalty before the start as a precaution, but there was little caution from Alonso as the Spaniard held the inside position to pass Massa into second after a relatively clean start from the 22 cars on the grid.

Rosberg jumped in front of Hamilton with Schumacher behind him after getting ahead of Webber, whose engine spewed smoke to blind Renault’s Robert Kubica and Adrian Sutil of Force India. Those two spun out in the confusion to drop out of the top 10.

Karun Chandhok’s debut ended after two laps after he and Hispania Racing teammate Bruno Senna started from pit lane. Virgin Racing’s Lucas Di Grassi was out one lap later soon after Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg recovered from a wild spin across the track.

Virgin Racing failed to finish after Timo

Glock also retired. The leading drivers didn’t begin to pit until lap 16, when Russian driver Vitaly Petrov’s Renault retired with a front suspension problem.

Vettel was the last to change to hard tires — after 17 laps — in the hot desert heat for a 3.5-second gap over Alonso, who was fourseconds ahead of Massa. Vettel’s lead narrowed to 2.6 seconds by the halfway point.

Alonso eventually edged Massa by 16 seconds.

Senna’s HRT car lasted 18 laps before its Cosworth engine blew out with the Spanish team failing to complete the race after almost not making the starting grid. Lotus was the only new team to finish with Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli filling the last two places.

Sauber driver Pedro De la Rosa’s return after three years as a McLaren test driver ended after when he retired after 29 laps. —AP

Pacquiao stops Clottey to retain WBO crown ARLINGTON: Manny Pacquiao dominated a strangely passive Joshua Clottey from the opening bell Saturday to retain his WBO welterweight title.

With 50,994 fans — the biggest fight crowd in the US in 17 years — cheering him on at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao made sure the result was never in doubt. One ringside judge gave Pacquiao every round, while the two others gave him all but one. The Associated Press gave every round to the Filipino.

It wasn’t as flashy as his knockout of Ricky Hatton or as savage as the beating he gave Oscar De La Hoya, but there was no doubt Pacquiao was in command the entire way against Clottey, who kept his gloves up high in front of his face, rarely risking a flurry. The Ghanaian’s strategy got him to the final bell, but he was never competitive in the biggest fight of his career.

“He’s a very tough opponent,” Pacquiao said. “He was looking for a big shot.” Pacquiao was supposed to have been fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. instead of Clottey, but the megafight between two claimants on the title of world’s best pound-for-pound fighter fell apart over a dispute over blood testing. “I want that fight, the world wants that fight, but it’s up to him,” Pacquiao said.

That time won’t come soon. Mayweather is fighting Shane Mosley on May 1, and the earliest the two could get together would be in the fall and only if Mayweather backs off his demands for blood testing.

The fight this night was more of an event than a real competition, bringing in the biggest crowd in the US for a fight since Julio Cesar Chavez fought Pernell Whitaker at the Alamodome in 1993. It paid off handsomely for Pacquiao, though, who earned at least $12 million.

Promoters not only sold out the 45,000 seats available for the bout, but added thousands more

standing room passes for fans who could get a glimpse of the action and see every drop of sweat on the huge overhead screens.

“It’s one of the most incredible stories not just in boxing but anywhere,” promoter Bob Arum said.

“Fourteen years ago he was sleeping in a cardboard shack in the Philippines and tonight he puts 51,000 people in this palace in Dallas.”

The tone of the bout was set early, with Pacquiao advancing against his taller opponent and throwing punches with both hands from all angles. It was the same style that gave him spectacular wins in his past three fights and, though Clottey was clearly the bigger fighter, he rarely sought to use his reach advantage.

“Everything’s working now,” trainer Freddie Roach told Pacquiao after the third round. “It’s easy.”

Clottey’s corner was urging him late in the fight to take some risks, but even in the final round when he needed a knockout to win, the Ghanaian only sparingly dropped his guard.

“You gotta take a chance,” Clottey’s trainer, Lenny DeJesus, implored him after the sixth round.

“You’re in a fight and you gotta start taking chances.”

Clottey didn’t, though, and his prize was that he was the first opponent in Pacquiao’s past six fights to go the distance.

The only suspense was when it came time to announce the decision was whether the three ringside judges would give Clottey any of the rounds.

“He has speed, I lost the fight,” Clottey said.

“He’s fast, that’s why I was taking my time.”

Pacquiao threw three times as many punches as Clottey, an average of 100 a round, and landed as many power shots as Clottey threw. Final punch stats showed Pacquiao landing 246 of 1,231 punches to 108 of 399 for Clottey. —AP

SAO PAULO: Defending series champion Dario Franchitti of Scotland won the pole position for the IndyCar season-opener on the streets of Sao Paulo yesterday.

Franchitti clocked 1 minute, 27.7354 seconds at the 2.6-mile (4.2kilometer) Anhembi temporary circuit, .0322 seconds ahead of Alex Tagliani of Canada and .0829 in front of England’s Justin Wilson.

Qualifying for the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300 was moved to Sunday after drivers complained that the track’s front stretch lacked enough grip to make racing safe.

Officials added grooves to the Sambadrome straightaway overnight and successfully fixed the problem.

It was the first time in IndyCar Series history that qualifying and the race are taking place on the same day.

Franchitti had struggled on the first day of practices on Saturday and was nowhere near the front with his Target Chip Ganassi car, but he recovered nicely in yesterday’s session and will lead the pack in the first race of season.

It was a good start from Franchitti as he tries to win his third IndyCar title in four years. He lifted the trophy last year after an unsuccessful stint with NASCAR in 2008.

American Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport will start fourth, followed by the Penske of Australian driver Will Power.

Hunter-Reay’s teammate Tony Kanaan was sixth and will be the Brazilian with the best starting spot.

Drivers went out for a 15-minute practice session early yesterday to test the new surface and approved the changes.

It was extremely dusty where the grooves were added, but drivers clearly had a lot more grip and the lap times were significantly lower.

Cars were sliding and slipping throughout the straight on Saturday and several drivers crashed there in practice.

Drivers were not able to fully accelerate without losing control at the straight and said it was like driving on ice.

“It worked well, it’s not a problem anymore,” Brazilian rookie Ana Beatriz said. “There is enough grip there now.” The straight goes through a stadium-like Sambadrome that stretches for about a third of a mile (500 meters) and is the only part of the track with concrete instead of asphalt.

It is where late yesterday’s 75-lap race is scheduled to start and finish.

The surface is usually painted for the traditional Carnival parades at the Sambadrome, but it remained slippery even though organizers removed the paint ahead of the race.

The street circuit is one of the highlights of the season, with the Sambadrome and the series’ longest ever straight, which is just short of a mile (1.6 kilometers).

Organizers had to set up the track in only about three months following the announcement that the IndyCar Series would be coming to Brazil for the first time since the CART series raced in the Latin American country from 1996 to 2000.—AP

LA Dodgers beat Taiwan All-Stars

ARLINGTON: Manny Pacquiao (right) of the Philippines, lands a right to Joshua Clottey from Ghana during their WBO boxing welterweight title fight in Cowboys Stadium.—AP

Soto dominates Diaz ARLINGTON: Mexico’s Humberto Soto claimed the WBC lightweight title with a dominant unanimous decision victory over American David Diaz on Saturday. Fighting on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey bout, Soto prevailed in just his second fight at lightweight. He had previously held the WBC’s super featherweight and interim featherweight titles.

He knocked Diaz down in the first round and dominated the fight. He also dropped Diaz late in the final round, but the American got up just as the bell sounded to end the fight. Diaz was a former lightweight champion who lost his title when he was

stopped by Pacquiao in June 2008. Also on the undercard, former WBC lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo announced his retirement after quitting on his stool in his bout against Mexican compatriot Alfonso Gomez. Castillo, who has battled weight issues for years, landed just 47 punches before telling the referee after the fifth round that he’d had enough. “I just found out tonight I don’t have it anymore,” Castillo said. “I want to apologize to the public and I am definitely announcing my retirement.”

Castillo looked nothing like the fighter who engaged in a memorable brawl with Diego Corrales five years ago that lives in boxing lore. —AP

KAOHSIUNG: Designated hitter Manny Ramirez went 3 for 4 to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 11-1 victory over the Taiwanese All-Stars yesterday in the final game of a rain-shortened exhibition series in Taiwan.

Minor league prospect Trayvon Robinson also contributed a two-run homer for the Dodgers in the southern Taiwanese county of Kaohsiung.

The Dodgers fielded a mixed squad of major and minor leaguers against the Taiwanese team, which won the first game in the series 5-2 on Friday in Taipei.

Saturday’s scheduled contest, also set for Taipei, was canceled because of rain.

Dodgers starting pitcher Josh Towers gave up three hits and a run in the bottom of the first, then settled down to blank the Taiwanese in two more innings of work.

Josh Lindblom looked strong coming on to replace Towers. After the game, Ramirez thanked Taiwanese fans for their enthusiastic reception of him.

“I want to express my thanks to all the people in

KAOHSIUNG: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting pitcher Josh Towers, 28, delivers a pitch during the last of three exhibition games against the Taiwan AllStars.—AP Taiwan who received me so warmly,” he said.

“The Taiwanese league is a strong league with good pitching.” —AP

SPORTS

Monday, March 15, 2010

19

Mascherano faces up to crucial week for Liverpool LIVERPOOL: Javier Mascherano admits Liverpool face a decisive week in their season starting with rock-bottom Portsmouth’s visit to Anfield today.

Rafael Benitez’s side have lost nine times in the Premier League and, having suffered 1-0 defeats to Wigan and Lillle last week, they are desperate to make up ground in the race for fourth place.

An indication of how poor Liverpool have been this season is that Portsmouth have lost 14 of their 15 matches against top-half opposition, with the other match a shock 20 victory over the Reds at Fratton Park in December.

Benitez’s men had revived their hopes of

a Champions League place with a solid start to 2010, but another week like the last one will heap even more pressure on the Spanish manager.

After the Portsmouth match, they hope to overturn Lille’s lead in the second leg of their Europa League last 16 tie at Anfield, before travelling to bitter rivals Manchester United on Sunday.

Argentina captain Mascherano feels the Reds can use the Portsmouth match as an opportunity to rebuild some confidence and he insists his team’s destiny is still in their own hands.

He said: “We have had a look at ourselves. The match in Lille was totally differ-

ent to Wigan. We know we didn’t play well there or create chances. “But at least against Lille we created a few chances and should really have scored.

“We have got to score against Portsmouth then we will play the game

Preview against Lille as a final. Our target is the same, to finish in the top four and to do well in the Europa League. We know if we play well then we can progress.

“Wigan was a very bad game and a very bad night. We didn’t work in that game as

hard as we can and we could not complain that we lost. Lille was completely different but still we need to improve.

“We’ve got to think we can win these two games, to get through to the quarterfinals and also get three points to help us in the Premier League.

“It is going to be a very busy week, with Portsmouth, Lille and Manchester United.

“It’s very important and we have to keep our focus. Everything is still in our hands.”

Benitez is hoping that Yossi Benayoun can recover from an ankle problem that kept him out of the defeat in Lille and Argentinian winger Maxi Rodriguez is also back in contention after being ineligible for

Europa League duty.

If Liverpool thought they had problems, the visit of Avram Grant’s Pompey should remind them that everything is relative.

The Fratton Park club are still waiting to discover whether they will be hit by a ninepoint deduction after going into administration but they are well adrift at the bottom of the table with just one win in their last 10 Premier League matches.

But the Reds’ current plight has left Portsmouth’s Marc Wilson confident that Grant’s men can pull off another shock at Anfield.

Wilson said: “I don’t think the lads mind where they go at the minute and I think

Liverpool are having a bit of a hard time.

“I watched them play against Wigan and I don’t think they are playing the best football - but on their day they are as good as anyone.

“Maybe they are thinking “It’s Portsmouth, they are bottom of the league so it’s going to be an easy win”. Maybe we can get on them. “They are definitely beatable, I have seen Portsmouth beat them in the past as well.”

Grant is still without midfielder KevinPrince Boateng due to an ankle injury and has doubts over South African midfielder Aaron Mokoena, Tommy Smith and Anthony Vanden Borre. — AFP

Leverkusen back in title hunt after Hamburg win

ITALY: AS Roma’s Daniele De Rossi (right) in action with Livorno’s Davide Moro during the Italian League soccer match. — AP

Title hopefuls fail to cash in on Inter slip ROME: Roma failed to fully capitalise on Inter Milan’s shock 3-1 defeat to Catania when they were held to a 3-3 draw at relegation-haunted Livorno yesterday.

They stay in third place, six points behind Inter and two back from AC Milan who can cut the gap on their city rivals to just a point later Sunday when they welcome Chievo to the San Siro.

Palermo, Juventus and Sampdoria, who made up the top six at the start of the weekend, also failed to register a win between them.

Palermo lost 3-2 at Udinese, Juventus were held 3-3 at Siena despite taking a 3-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes, while Sampdoria conceded a stoppage time equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Bologna.

Juventus stay in fifth place but were left to rue surrendering their early advantage after Alessandro Del Piero (2, 7min) and Antonio Candreva (10) gave them a 3-0 lead.

But Massimo Maccarone pulled one back for Siena after 16 minutes before Abdel Kader Ghezzal cut the deficit just after the break and then levelled from the penalty spot in the 76th minute to guarantee a share of the points.

Roma also shared six goals with Livorno for whom Cristiano Lucarelli scored a hattrick while Simone Perrotta, Luca Toni and David Pizarro all scored first-half goals for the capital city side.

Fiorentina came back from a goal down to defeat Napoli 3-1 on Saturday, bouncing back in style from their shattering midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.

Ezequiel Lavezzi gave Napoli the lead early in the second half, but Alberto Gilardino levelled on the hour mark.

Gilardino added a second three minutes from time before Stevan Jovetic scored Fiorentina’s third in stoppage time.

It was Fiorentina’s first win in Naples in 15 years and adding to their delight was the performance of 16-year-old Kouma Babacar who had a hand in both goals.

“This victory has great significance and is one of the most important of the season,” said Gilardino. “We were determined and hadn’t picked up many points recently, but today got three in an extremely difficult ground.” — AP

Italian League results/standings Lazio 0 Bari 2 (Almiron 51, Alvarez 64); Genoa 5 (Zapater 36-pen, Palacio 40, Sculli 43, Rossi 45, Milanetto 59) Cagliari 3 (Dessena 17, Conti 41, Matri 55-pen); Bologna 1 (Raggi 90+2) Sampdoria 1 (Gastaldello 87); Udinese 3 (Floro Flores 44, 65, Asamoah 71) Palermo 2 (Fabio Simplicio 51, Cavani 80); Parma 1 (Bojinov 71) Atalanta 0; Livorno 3 (C. Lucarelli 9, 26, 71-pen) Roma 3 (Perrotta 10, Toni 19, Pizarro 28); Juventus 3 (Del Piero 2, 7, Candreva 10) Siena 3 (Maccarone 16, Ghezzal

46, 74-pen).

Playing later AC Milan v Chievo Saturday Napoli 1 (Lavezzi 48) Fiorentina 3 (Gilardino 60, 87, Jovetic 90+5) Friday Catania 3 (Maxi Lopez 74, Mascara 81-pen, Martinez 90) Inter Milan 1 (D. Milito 54)

Italian League table after yesterday’s afternoon kick-offs (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

Cagliari Fiorentina Bari Parma Chievo Bologna Udinese Catania Lazio Livorno Atalanta Siena

Inter Milan AC Milan Roma Palermo Juventus Sampdoria Genoa Napoli

28 27 28 28 28 28 28 28

17 16 15 13 13 12 12 10

8 7 8 7 6 8 6 11

3 4 5 8 9 8 10 7

53 46 48 40 45 35 49 36

25 26 32 34 39 34 46 34

59 55 53 46 45 44 42 41

28 28 28 28 27 28 28 28 28 28 28 28

11 11 10 10 10 9 8 7 5 6 5 5

6 5 8 7 5 8 7 10 11 6 7 7

11 12 10 11 12 11 13 11 12 16 16 16

46 36 34 29 26 33 35 32 22 20 22 31

41 34 34 37 27 38 41 34 32 40 39 51

39 38 38 37 35 35 31 31 26 24 22 22

Cesar lifts tired Lille PARIS: An own-goal from Grenoble defender Bostjan Cesar lifted tired Lille to provisional fourth in the French first division yesterday.

Three days after beating Liverpool 1-0 in the Europa League round of 16 first leg, Lille were lucky to come away winners against tailenders Grenoble at their Villeneuve d’Ascq stadium.

Rudi Garcia’s side are provisionally fourth with 51 points, two points behind leaders Bordeaux and Montpellier who both drew on Saturday.

Rennes moved up to eighth after coming away with a 2-0 win over midtable Valenciennes, with Marseille looking to join the top three when they travel to Toulouse later yesterday.

Lille suffered another injury blow ahead of Thursday’s trip to Anfield when new Portuguese signing Ricardo Costa suffered a left ankle injury to join Gervinho, Mathieu Debuchy and Tulio De Melo on the injured list.

In an effort to save some players ahead of their bid to qualify for a first quarter-final in a European competition, Garcia left Ludovic Obraniak, Yohan Cabaye and Emerson on the bench.

Emerson was however called upon to replace Costa.

FRANCE: Lille’s midfielder Aurelien Chedjou (right) vies with Grenoble’s forward Pierre Boya during their French football match. — AFP Lille were far from the form they showed against Liverpool but nevertheless dominated despite creating few chances, before Cesar helped their cause when he turned in a centre from Emerson into his own net after 47 minutes.

Grenoble’s 20th loss of the season leaves them certain of the drop. On Saturday, Lyon crashed back to earth as they missed their chance to join the leading group, being held to a 11 draw at home to local rivals St. Etienne.— AFP

BERLIN: Germany striker Stefan Kiessling scored twice yesterday to put Bayer Leverkusen back in the title race and seal a 4-2 win over Hamburg while Bayern Munich stayed top of the Bundesliga.

After their shock defeat by Nuremberg, Leverkusen’s win leaves them third in the league, but just two points behind leaders Bayern who needed two goals from winger Arjen Robben to come from behind and beat Freiburg on Saturday.

Kiessling’s double makes him the league’s top-scorer with 16 goals for the season as he has now scored three goals in two games.

The Germany striker opened the scoring, then produced a powerful header after Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok also scored to put the hosts in control.

Hamburg fought back to 3-2 through goals by Brazil midfielder Ze Roberto and Czech Republic defender David Rozehnal before Leverkusen’s Gonzalo Castro settled the tie with his side’s fourth goal on 84 minutes.

Earlier, Werder Bremen moved a step closer to a European place for next season when their ex-Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro scored a late goal to seal their 1-0 win at Hoffenheim.

Bremen were heading to a 0-0 draw before Pizarro popped up in the 81st-minute to mark his 100th Bundesliga appearance by lobbing Hoffenheim goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand.

It was the Peruvian’s 11th league goal of the season and showed why Bremen were prepared to pay English giants Chelsea two millions euros for him last August to bring him back from the Premier League.

The result leaves Bremen sixth in the table and one-point from the top five which would qualify them for a place in Europe with eight league games left this season.

“Today we have been shown again why we made such an effort to bring him back,” said Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf whose side drew 1-1 with Valencia in the Europa League last Thursday.

“Claudio can be vital in such a game, last Thursday’s match clearly took a lot out of us.”

On Saturday, Bayern Munich suffered a Champions League hangover before Dutch winger Arjen Robben scored twice to seal a 2-1 win over strugglers Freiburg to put the hosts back on top of the Bundesliga.

Earlier rock-bottom Hertha Berlin slipped closer to relegation after suffering a 2-1 home defeat to fellow strugglers Nuremberg who grabbed an injury-time winner.

Police made 30 arrests and four officers were injured as Hertha fans rampaged through Berlin’s Olympic Stadium after Nuremberg’s Greece striker Angelos Charisteas scored the winner in stoppage time. Their second straight wins lifts Nuremberg up to 15th and out of the relegation zone.

Dortmund moved up to fourth with a 4-1 victory at Bochum while Wolfsburg claimed their fourth-straight league win under caretaker manager LorenzGuenther Koestner when they hammered Moenchengladbach 40 to go eighth.

Hanover got their second consecutive win under new coach Mirko Slomka with a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt to go 16th.

On Friday, former German international striker Kevin Kuranyi grabbed a 55th-minute winner to keep Schalke second in the league, sealing a 2-1 win against Stuttgart.

It was Schalke’s third successive win and their eighth at home this season while Kuranyi’s timely strike was his 14th of the campaign. — AFP

GERMANY: Hamburg’s defender Dennis Aogo (left) vies for the ball with Leverkusen’s Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal during the German First Division Bundesliga football match. — AFP

German League results/standings Hoffenheim 0 Werder Bremen 1 (Pizarro 81); Bayer Leverkusen 4 (Kiessling 22, 62, Derdiyok 55, Castro 84) Hamburg 2 (Ze Roberto 33, Rozehnal 83); Played Saturday Borussia M’gladbach 0 VfL Wolfsburg 4 (Misimovic 41, Dzeko 49-pen, 80, Gentner 58); VfL Bochum 1 (Holtby 53) Borussia Dortmund 4 (Maltritz 19-og, Zidan 27, Barrios 74, 77); Mainz

05 1 (Schuerrle 57) Cologne 0; Hanover 96 2 (Andreasen 14, Pinto 57) Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Altintop 45+2); Hertha Berlin 1 (Gekas 36) Nuremberg 2 (Bunjaku 61, Charisteas 90+2); Bayern Munich 2 (Robben 76, 83-pen) Freiburg 1 (Makiadi 31).

Played Friday Schalke 04 2 (Goncalves 46, Kuranyi 55) VfB Stuttgart 1 (Tasci 50).

German League table after the weekend’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

VfL Wolfsburg VfB Stuttgart E Frankfurt Hoffenheim Borussia M’ Cologne VfL Bochum Nuremberg Hanover 96 Freiburg Hertha Berlin

Bayern Schalke 04 Leverkusen Dortmund Hamburg W Bremen Mainz 05

26 26 26 26 26 26 26

16 16 14 13 11 11 10

8 6 11 6 10 9 8

2 4 1 7 5 6 8

53 42 56 43 46 51 29

22 20 25 33 30 31 32

56 54 53 45 43 42 38

26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26

10 9 9 9 8 6 6 6 6 5 3

7 8 8 5 6 9 9 6 5 5 6

9 9 9 12 12 11 11 14 15 16 17

49 37 33 34 34 22 27 24 29 24 22

46 35 38 31 46 33 46 43 48 49 47

37 35 35 32 30 27 27 24 23 20 15

Ajax triumph over PSV 4-1 AMSTERDAM: Ajax kept its Dutch league title hopes alive yesterday with a 4-1 win over PSV Eindhoven.

Siem de Jong fired Ajax in front in the 28th minute, pouncing on a rebound from close range, before Urby Emanuelson extended the lead with a longrange shot, three minutes before the break.

Marko Pantelic took full advantage of a defensive error by Nordin Amrabat to score the third in the 65th.

PSV, which wasn’t at its creative best, pulled a goal back when Balazs Dzsudzsak converted an 82nd minute penalty after a handball in the area by Jan Vertonghen.

But the league’s top scorer Luis Suarez collected a pass from Eyong Enoh in the 90th minute and rifled home an angled shot for his 27th goal of the season. “I don’t understand why we weren’t paying

attention,” said PSV captain Ibrahim Afellay.

“We gave Ajax too much space in our area.” Ajax, which is seeking its first crown since 2003, stayed third with 64 points, just one behind PSV but six adrift of FC Twente, which beat ADO The Hague 3-1 Friday. There are seven more rounds to play.

“The aim was to win today and we achieved it,” Ajax captain Suarez said.

“We knew it was the only way for us to boost our chances for the title.”

PSV’s title hopes could suffer yet another blow next Saturday when it hosts Steve McClaren’s Twente. Earlier Sunday, defender Ron Vlaar scored in injury time to salvage a

1-1 draw for Feyenoord against Heracles Almelo.

Vlaar’s equalizer canceled out Everton’s opener for Heracles to keep Feyenoord fourth in the standings with 51 points.

Roy Beerens scored in the 83rd minute to give SC Heerenveen a 1-0 win over Vitesse Arnhem.

Willem II also won 3-1 against Sparta Rotterdam.

A Mounir El Hamdaoui hat-trick helped defending champion AZ Alkmaar to a 6-2 win over lowly RKC Waalwijk Saturday. Also Saturday, it was: NAC Breda 0, FC Groningen 3; VVV-Venlo 0, FC Utrecht 1 and NEC Nijmegen 0, Roda JC 2. — AP

Matches on TV (local timings) Liverpool v Portsmouth .................................... 23:00 ShowSports 1 ShowSports 2

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Unstoppable Rooney sends Utd to the top Man United 3

Fulham 0

LONDON: Manchester City’s Argentinian forward Carlos Tevez (third right) runs for the ball during his team’s English Premier League football match against Sunderland at The Stadium of Light.—AFP

Super-sub Johnson rescues City EPL results/standings Sunderland 1

Man City 1

SUNDERLAND: Manchester City rescued a 1-1 draw at Sunderland as Adam Johnson came off the bench to score a stoppage-time equaliser against his home-town club yesterday.

Roberto Mancini’s side had trailed to Kenwyne Jones’ early goal for the hosts, but Sunderlandborn Johnson produced a superb strike in the final moments to keep alive City’s challenge for a place in the Champions League.

City could have drawn level with fourth-placed Tottenham with a victory but they will be happy enough to remain in fifth — two points off the final Champions League spot — after such a narrow escape. After ending their 14-match winless run by thrashing Bolton 4-0 in midweek, it was no surprise that Sunderland started in confident mood.

Darren Bent had done the damage in that match with a hat-trick but it was his strike-partner Jones who caused the City defence more problems early on.

Jones made a powerful run from deep that cut through the visitors’ back-four but ended with a tame shot straight at Shay Given.

The Trinidad and Tobago international made no mistake in the ninth minute as Steed Malbranque curled a cross toward Jones and he directed a bullet header past Given

Man Utd 3 (Rooney 46, 84, Berbatov 89) Fulham 0; Sunderland 1 (Jones 9) Man City 1 (Johnson 90).

Played Saturday Birmingham 2 (Jerome 26, Gardner 52) Everton 2 (Anichebe 19, Yakubu 22); Bolton 4 (Elmander 10, Davies 48-pen, Muamba 53, Taylor 69) Wigan 0; Burnley 1 (Thompson 73) Wolves 2 (Jarvis 26,

Carlisle 47-og); Chelsea 4 (Alex 16, Drogba 56, 90, Malouda 77) West Ham 1 (Parker 30); Hull 1 (Bullard 28-pen) Arsenal 2 (Arshavin 14, Bendtner 90); Stoke 0 Aston Villa 0; Tottenham 3 (Defoe 45, Pavlyuchenko 55, 85) Blackburn 1 (Samba 80).

Playing today Liverpool v Portsmouth

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd Chelsea Arsenal Tottenham Man City Liverpool Aston Villa Birmingham Everton Fulham

30 29 30 29 28 29 27 29 29 29

21 3 20 4 20 4 15 7 13 11 14 6 12 10 12 8 11 9 10 8

6 5 6 7 4 9 5 9 9 11

for his first goal in five matches.

In the 15 days since City beat Chelsea 4-2 in their last match, they seemed to have lost some momentum. They struggled to mount a coherent response to the blow and Given was called into action twice in quick succession to keep out efforts from David Meyler and then Jones.

Fraizer Campbell, who notched his first league goal for Sunderland in midweek, also went close as he smashed a fierce striker across the face of goal. Mancini’s team nearly equalised against the run of play when Wright-Phillips and Carlos Tevez set up Gareth Barry and the England midfielder’s effort went inches wide of goal.

With City clearly struggling, Mancini took off defender Wayne

70 24 69 27 71 33 53 28 53 36 45 29 37 21 30 31 46 42 32 32

66 64 64 52 50 48 46 44 42 38

Stoke Blackburn Bolton Sunderland Wigan West Ham Wolverhampton Burnley Hull Portsmouth

Bridge and sent on Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz before half-time.

City had won the last nine meetings between the sides and Mancini’s half-time team-talk seemed to have the desired effect as the visitors finally began to take control.

Losing Jones to injury at halftime unsettled City and home goalkeeper Craig Gordon had to rush from his line to block Santa Cruz’s close-range effort before making another smart stop to keep out Wright-Phillips’ strike moments later.

Craig Bellamy kept the pressure on as the City striker surged into the area and hit a goal-bound effort that Gordon clawed away at the near post.

29 29 30 29 29 29 29 30 29 28

8 12 9 7 8 8 7 10 7 7 6 9 7 6 6 6 5 9 5 4

9 13 14 12 15 14 16 18 15 19

28 33 31 48 36 54 37 45 27 57 37 49 23 47 31 63 27 61 24 47

36 34 32 31 28 27 27 24 24 19

Mancini sent on midfielders Patrick Vieira and Johnson, who turned down a move to Sunderland in favour of joining City in January, and the visitors completely dominated the closing stages.

Gordon came to the rescue when Bellamy drilled in a cross and Tevez’s close-range shot seemed destined for the back of the net until the Scot blocked it with a leg.

Bellamy was denied twice by Gordon in the last 10 minutes but City’s pressure told at last in the first minute of stoppage time.

Johnson took possession on the right edge of the Sunderland penalty area and curled a perfectly-placed shot over Jordan Henderson at the far post and into the roof of the net.—AFP

Magical Messi hat-trick fires Barca to the top MADRID: Lionel Messi scored a sensational hat-trick to take his season’s tally to 22 goals as Barcelona returned to the top of the Spanish Primera Liga with a 30 home victory over 10-man Valencia yesterday.

Argentine Messi showed why he is regarded as the world’s best player with three terrific individual second-half goals earning him a standing ovation at the Camp Nou as Barca moved three points clear of Real Madrid.

Messi’s first after 56 minutes was the pick of the bunch combining speed, dribbling and trickery as the 22-year-old led three defenders a merry dance before slotting home. With Valencia down to ten men after the dismissal of defender Hedwiges Maduro on 69 minutes Messi ran riot scoring an 81st minute left-footed curler and a deft chipped effort with his right foot a minute later.

Real, reeling from their last 16 Champions League exit to Lyon in midweek, can go back to the top on goal difference with a win at second from bottom Valladolid later yesterday.

After a summer investment of over 250 million euros much more was expected but now all Real can do is win the league title and even that may not save the job of underfire coach Manuel Pellegrini. Barca are still in the Champions League and face VfB Stuttgart in the Champions League last 16 second leg at Camp Nou on Wednesday with the score at 1-1 from the first leg.

For third-placed Valencia this was a fifth defeat of the season and they lie a full 18 points behind leaders Barcelona.

Valencia were without topscorer David Villa, with 17 goals to his name this season, through a shoulder injury so Argentine Chori Dominguez started in his place.

SPAIN: FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi from Argentina celebrates after scoring his third goal against Valencia during their Spanish League soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium.—AFP

Spanish League results/standings Villarreal 2 (Llorente 32, Escudero 90) Xerez 0; Tenerife 4 (Richi 20, Nino 49, 90, Alfaro 82) Espanyol 1 (Verdu 70); Racing Santander 0 Real Zaragoza 0; Almeria 1 (Soriano 56) Malaga 0; Barcelona 3 (Messi 56, 81, 82) Valencia 0.

Playing later Valladolid v Real Madrid

Played Saturday Getafe 3 (Parejo 32, Miku 80, Manu del Moral 85-pen) Real Mallorca 0; Sporting Gijon 0 Athletic Bilbao 0; Sevilla 1 (Fazio 21) Deportivo La Coruna 1 (Adrian 24) Playing Today Atletico Madrid v Osasuna.

Spanish League table ahead of yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Barcelona Real Madrid Valencia Sevilla Real Mallorca Deportivo La Coruna Athletic Bilbao Getafe Villarreal Almeria

26 25 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26

20 20 13 13 13 12 12 11 10 8

5 1 64 16 65 2 3 67 20 62 8 5 42 29 47 5 8 39 29 44 4 9 41 31 43 6 8 30 28 42 5 9 34 30 41 3 12 34 32 36 6 10 38 37 36 9 9 30 35 33

With five minutes gone Valencia almost went in front with Jordi Alba heading Luis Miguel’s cross just over. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, watching from the stands as he serves a touchline ban, breathed a sigh of relief.

The visitors were closing down the home side well but Messi began to cause havoc forcing a save from Cesar Sanchez after 34 minutes.

Messi then showed incredible

Sporting Gijon Atletico Madrid Osasuna Espanyol Malaga Racing Santander Real Zaragoza Tenerife Valladolid Xerez

control before accelerating past two defenders and releasing Pedro who dragged his shot wide.

Thierry Henry replaced the ineffective Bojan Krkic after the interval and gave Barca more punch although it was a moment of magic from Messi that opened the game up on 56 minutes.

Messi ran at pace, circling around Ever Banega, Bruno Saltor and Angel Dealbert with his speed and clever cut-backs before

26 25 25 26 26 26 26 26 25 26

8 8 10 8 7 10 8 7 10 7 7 12 6 9 11 6 9 11 6 8 12 6 5 15 3 11 11 3 6 17

28 38 24 19 31 24 30 25 27 18

32 32 38 31 26 31 36 28 34 27 37 27 48 26 53 23 44 20 48 15

stroking home. Valencia should have equalised in the 68th minute but Victor Valdes saved Barca, thwarting substitute Nikola Zigic in a one-on-one.

A minute later Valencia were reduced to ten men when Dutch defender Maduro collected a second yellow card for fouling Messi.

Messi had his revenge by bagging two more goals, meaning he is five ahead of Villa at the top of the goalscoring charts. —AFP

MANCHESTER: Wayne Rooney’s double and a late strike from Dimitar Berbatov sent Manchester United back to the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Fulham yesterday.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side had surrendered first place to Chelsea for 24 hours but the champions are now two points ahead of the Blues, who have a game in hand, and third placed Arsenal.

Rooney made the breakthrough in the first minute of the second half at Old Trafford to set United on their way.

With six minutes remaining, the England forward added a second to take his tally to 32 for the season before Berbatov added a late third.

It was enough to give United a third straight Premier League win and continue the momentum from their midweek demolition of AC Milan in the Champions League.

Fulham had just two days to prepare for their trip to Old Trafford after their 3-1 Europa League defeat to Juventus on Thursday but they started the match brightly.

Clint Dempsey, making his first Premier League start since suffering a knee injury two months ago, tested Edwin van der Sar with a low shot from distance.

Fulham’s Simon Davies took advantage of Gary Neville dwelling on the ball and fed Dempsey, whose powerful longrange shot flew just over the bar.

Berbatov was impressing with his build-up play but when he was picked out by Nani’s cross, he failed to direct his header on target.

Rooney forced a fine onehanded save from Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer as the pressure continued and Michael Carrick also dragged wide.

Fulham were being forced deeper and deeper but had a decent opening when Danny Murphy lifted the ball over the United defence only for Bobby Zamora’s volley to fly over.

But just 30 seconds after the restart, Rooney prodded United in front thanks to some dreadful Fulham defending.

Rooney laid the ball wide to the left to Nani, whose cross beat four Fulham defenders for Rooney to slide into the corner of the net.

United continued to press in search of a second goal and Nani scooped well over from just outside the area. Rio Ferdinand, playing his third straight match after recovering from a back twinge, also went close with a volley from Antonio Valencia’s corner.

More fine work from Valencia down the right saw the Ecuador winger cross for Berbatov, whose volley dropped wide of goal. As Rooney searched for another goal, he glanced a header wide from a cross from Nani.

United nearly paid for their failure to kill Fulham off when Zamora was played through by Erik Nevland’s flick only to be denied by a fine block from Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic.

But Nani threatened with a free kick that was just too high to trouble Schwarzer. South Korean substitute Park Ji-Sung was picked out by Berbatov and laid on another chance with a fine cross that was again headed wide by the Bulgarian striker.

Darren Fletcher almost made the game safe when he burst through and hit a shot that looked bound for the top corner before Schwarzer pushed it wide.

But Rooney made no mistake from close range when he was found by Berbatov’s cross with six minutes remaining.

And Berbatov finally got on the score-sheet with his tenth league goal of the season from Park’s cross to the near post in the 89th minute.—AFP

LONDON: Manchester United’s English forward Wayne Rooney (left) vies with Fulham’s Irish defender Stephen Kelly during the English Premier League football match at Old Trafford.—AFP

Red Knights leader confident of Man United takeover bid LONDON: The Red Knights’ high-profile bid to takeover Manchester United has a significant chance of succeeding, according to Keith Harris, the man fronting the wealthy consortium.

Harris, an expect in footballing financial matters and chairman for city bank Seymour Pierce, has put together the Red Knights group of investors, who are all keen on owning a stake in the Premier League champions.

It has been reported that pledges of over one billion pounds have been made and the Red Knights are set to lodge a formal offer to oust the Glazer family. The Glazers insist the club is not for sale but United fans have launched a series of protests aimed at forcing the unpopular Americans out and Harris remains optimistic a deal will be done.

Asked why he thought the takeover attempt would succeed, Harris told the News of the World: “Because they have to service the debt and that costs 43 million pounds per year.

“They need the profits to pay the interest, to deal with reinvestment in the squad and if they think that all those things can’t be assured from revenue then they must be scratching their heads thinking ‘How are we going to handle this?’.

“Whereas a lot of the opposition to the Glazers was factionalised (in 2005) and some of it was

manifested in a thug-like behaviour, with the balaclavas and that kind of thing, others tried to be more constructive. This time round the world’s a very different place.

“One imagines the Glazers’ businesses in America are struggling, the banks can’t lend like they used to and United is under competitive challenge. “You put all those into the mix and it might not be this season, but let’s say the Glazers have to meet an interest bill and they haven’t got the cashflow through the business, then there’s only one asset they can sell and that’s amongst the players.” United manager Sir Alex Ferguson last week distanced himself from a report claiming he supported the Red Knights, but Harris insists there is no need for the Scot to get involved at this stage, “We need a collective, unified voice to make this happen. Sir Alex Ferguson doesn’t need to speak out and I don’t even think it’s desirable actually because he should be absolutely secure in the knowledge that if there was a deal put together he would automatically be prepared to be expected and invited to be a part of it,” he said.

“He doesn’t need to go and muddy the waters.

People should understand that the purpose of any takeover is to give loyal supporters part ownership of the club and give them a voice.”—AFP

Dundee fightback frustrates Rangers GLASGOW: Dundee United staged a stunning second half fightback to earn a 3-3 draw in yesterday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against holders Rangers.

United took the lead midway through the first half at Ibrox through Andis Shala, but two penalties before the break from Kris Boyd and Nacho Novo’s strike early in the second half looked to have put Rangers on course for the semi-finals.

There was a sting in the tale for Rangers however as Steven Whittaker’s own goal gave United hope and Mihael Kovacevic equalised 10 minutes from full-time to set up a replay at Tannadice on March 24.

Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist insisted his side were still confident of progressing to the last four. “It’s not all doom and gloom - far from it. We are still in the competition and we are the holders,” he said.

“We’ve got a great record in this cup and the good news is that we are still in it, albeit we face a really tough replay.”

United boss Peter Houston added: “When we went down 31, a lot of people would have been asking if we had the character to come back from that or would we fold like we did the last time we were here.

“But, under no circumstances did I feel we were going to fold. I just feel there is a determination to win, they are winners and that’s why we are in a decent position.”

Rangers were again without

Madjid Bougherra after the Algeria defender failed to recover from a hamstring strain which had kept him out of the last two matches.

United suffered an injury blow of their own after just 56 seconds when Damian Casalinuovo pulled up and was replaced by Andis Shala.

That change briefly unsettled

Steven Whittaker the visitors and United goalkeeper Dusan Pernis could only push out a Steven Davis effort to Whittaker, who drove the rebound just over.

Spanish forward Novo was next to threaten for Rangers as he glanced Kenny Miller’s narrowly past a post. Just as Rangers seemed set to take control, United snatched a shock lead in the 24th minute.

Whittaker’s under-hit back pass was intercepted by Jon Daly and he slipped the ball into the path of Shala, who fired low under goalkeeper Allan

McGregor.

Smith’s side quickly regrouped and drew level in the 34th minute when Miller was fouled by Pernis and referee Dougie McDonald pointed to the penalty spot.

Boyd stepped up for the spotkick and his powerful strike gave Pernis with no chance. Rangers were awarded another penalty two minutes before half-time when Boyd was bundled over by Gary Kenneth and Sean Dillon.

Once again Boyd kept his nerve to convert from the spot.

Craig Conway was desperately close to equalising moments after the start of the second half when his effort bounced off the crossbar.

Novo claimed Rangers’ third goal in the 48th minute as he took Davis’s pass before firing a fine strike into the bottom corner.

But United refused to surrender and earned a lifeline in the 63rd minute when a ferocious volley from Morgaro Gomis deflected off Whittaker into the Rangers’ net. United had lost 7-1 on their last visit to Ibrox but they scented the chance of an unlikely draw now.

A late onslaught was enough to break down the Rangers’ defence one more time for the 80th minute equaliser. Conway’s corner found Francisco Sandaza and his header crashed off the crossbar, landing perfectly for Swiss defender Kovacevic to head in the rebound.—AFP

Al-Homoud hails KFH’s role

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Premier: China’s yuan to remain ‘basically stable’

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Doubts persist as US readies tourism push

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Monday, March 15, 2010

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Debt-hit Greece awaits EU budget verdict ATHENS: Debt-hit Greece heads for another grilling by European peers in Brussels this week over its austerity program in the wake of a general strike and amidst deteriorating recession and jobless figures.

Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou has to show his European Union counterparts in two days of meetings that Athens can enforce draconian cuts whilst fighting a recession and facing angry protests on the streets.

Detailed options for European-level financial support to help Greece out of its debt crisis will also be presented to euro-zone finance ministers when they meet today and tomorrow, European sources said.

Reports suggest two main proposals will be on the table. One involves a series of loans by European partner countries, coordinated by the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, while the other would see the Commission borrow money on markets and extend Greece loans guaranteed by EU states.

An internal Commission document quoted by French daily Le Monde said the first option is seen as easier in the short term, but the second is favored in the long-run.

But the latter approach would require the assent of skeptics in Britain and Sweden because the Commission acts for all 27 EU member states, and not just the 16 that share the euro.

Papaconstantinou’s briefing comes under Greece’s duties to regularly report its finances after the EU imposed “quasi-permanent” supervision last month in reaction to Athens revealing that it had grossly under-reported its budget figures. The Socialist government in early March unveiled a wave of state spending cuts and tax hikes worth 4.8 billion euros ($6.6 billion) and hopes to save a total of around 15 billion euros this year, according to finance ministry sources.

More cuts are on the way. A new law overhauling the tax system is expected by the end of March and legislation to reform pensions and increase the statutory retirement age will come the following month. But in a report released ahead of the EU finance ministers’ meetings, Greece admitted recession could force it to take further deficit-cutting steps.

Part of the uncertainty stems from social reaction to the cuts and tax hikes, with joblessness at 10.2 percent, which have sparked two general strikes and street clashes between demonstrators and riot police in the last two weeks.

Official data Friday showed the Greek economy shrinking by 2.5 percent in the last three months of 2009 compared to output in the fourth quarter of 2008, a slight improvement on a previous estimate.

But the Greek finance ministry report said national output in 2010 “will most likely be lower” than its January forecast of a 0.3-percent contraction.

It added that “very high yields” on government bonds will probably lead to a revision in budgeted debt payments in 2010. And it acknowledged EU concerns regarding the effectiveness of a new tax evasion crackdown.

Greece needs more than 20 billion euros ($27 billion) by May to avoid defaulting on old debts.

The government is desperate to improve its downgraded credit rating and reduce the crippling interest rate, currently slightly above 6.0 percent, at which it has to borrow on international financial markets. A total of 54 billion euros will have to be raised this year to cover the public deficit which has swollen to 13 percent of GDP-way beyond the three-percent EU limit.

The Greek crisis has sapped the euro’s strength and sparked talk among EU members about the possible need for a European support mechanism akin to the International Monetary Fund.

But European Central Bank chairman Jean-Claude Trichet on Wednesday said the Greek measures adopted so far were “convincing.” The European Union and outside observers have noted that the Greek government has set itself ambitious targets after decades of mismanagement, but broadly agree question marks remain over their implementation.

“I think the final evaluation will be over the first fourth months of the year,” said Yiannis Stournaras, general director of the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research, a private think-tank.— AFP

Strike haunts recession-hit country

Dollar weakens, US trade gap shrinks NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKETS REPORT

ATHENS: Demonstrators took to the streets in Thessaloniki during a 24-hour general strike to protest the government’s austerity plan to solve the country’s debt crisis. — AFP

Euro-zone sups from poisoned chalice on rescue fund: Analysts PARIS: The debt crisis in Greece is unleashing turmoil that analysts say could shake the euro-zone to its foundations, even turning it from a castle of great expectations into a cooperative of great share-outs.

“The current crisis has reminded us that convergence is far from complete in Europe and has revived fears of ultimately divergent paths,” analysts at Natixis bank wrote recently.

However, Germany, which to the surprise of many has promoted the idea of a European monetary fund to rescue troubled euro-zone economies, has increasingly made clear that any such body would have to have ferocious powers and would use them.

On a broader landscape, some analysts now debate the possibility of an internal split in the European Union, with financially stronger northern countries washing their hands of responsibility towards weaker countries in the south.

“There is a risk that Europe will evolve into a two-class project in which financially pressed Southern Europe, in particular is left to fend for itself,” said scholar Ian Lesser in an analysis for the German Marshal Fund of the United States. “Across Europe, states will be left largely responsible for, and exposed to the consequence of, their own economic policies.”

He warned that a decoupled southern Europe “will spell trouble in political and security terms,” leaving Europe less able to confront “pressing strategic challenges ema-

nating from the Mediterranean,” notably regarding energy and migration.

Argument over the motives behind the need for and effects of a rescue fund goes to the root of some founding principles of the euro-zone. One of these holds that EU countries are committed to national responsibility for keeping their budgets within the rules, albeit under supervision. Another is that such discipline is vital to ever greater economic convergence, considered essential for the long-term success of a single currency zone.

There is also a deeper European Union political aim of convergence towards increased common prosperity. Now Greece is fighting to escape a threat of bankruptcy and there is concern that if the operation loses credibility, Spain and Portugal might be the next to be thrust into severe difficulties.

The sudden debate over the outline idea for a rescue fund is causing some confusion and raising a pivotal question: would it weaken or strengthen the credibility of the 16nation euro-zone, and therefore its longterm future?

Some analysts point to what is a known as a “moral hazard” issue, meaning the risk of encouraging imprudent spending by governments on the assumption that their eurozone partners would always be ready with a safety net.

Some even go as far as to say that such a fund would be an admission of failure, a recognition that the rules and supposed

penalties in the Stability and Growth Pact, intended to pull all euro-zone members towards the high ground of public surpluses, have been breached and diluted to the point of disgrace. At Commerzbank, chief economist Joerg Kraemer, commenting on the controversy over a European monetary fund, said that the euro-zone appeared to be “moving away from a monetary union ... and toward a transfer union,” meaning a monetary zone dependent on support from strong countries for the weak, and a pooling of national creditworthiness.

“The European Monetary Fund would violate the cornerstone of the Maastricht Treaty (which created the euro-zone), that is, the non bailout clause,” Kraemer said.

“You can’t demand fiscal rules and at the same time benefit those who break these rules. This is a basic contradiction ... I think that in the beginning such a European Monetary Fund could work,” he said.

“But in the long run, I think it weakens the incentives for countries such as Greece to solve their own problems,” he said, arguing that “the watered down version of the Stability and Growth Pact” had “failed,” not the original pact.

This was a reference to the initial German demand, before the euro was created, that breaches of the budget rules should incur clear-cut and huge fines. Most of the teeth were pulled at birth, largely because of objections by France, and the rules were further softened after the Internet and then the

financial crises.

Kraemer said that “we have to add new elements” such as “automatic fines.”

Natixis analysts said that arrangements to support countries under speculative attack would undermine the no bail-out rules, which “would then be changed in a direction that would probably reduce the euro’s credibility and weaken it.”

And Marco Annunziata of the UniCredit Group said that a rescue fund “would be nothing else than an admission of failure, an explicit recognition that not only can the Stability and Growth Pact cannot enforce fiscal discipline but also that the euro-zone would be unable to design any new mechanism able to enforce fiscal discipline.”

German authorities insist that any assistance provided by the fund would have to come with a heavy price for its beneficiaries.

“Strict conditions and a prohibitive price tag must be attached so that aid is only drawn in the case of emergencies that present a threat to the financial stability of the whole euro area,” German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.

Still, there remain concerns that Greece in particular could be getting the wrong message. “The key risk for failure is that Greece may be reluctant to implement the necessary adjustments now, given the associated costs, in the hope that the resultant fiscal difficulties can be solved via external support,” analysts at Deutsche Bank commented.— AFP

Saudi to launch index funds for foreigners

680 Islamic funds run $70bn in assets Saba’ek economic report KUWAIT: As many as 680 Islamic funds, 45 percent of which are concentrating in the GCC member states, are running assets in the neighborhood of $70 billion, according to a recent economic report. There are 306 Islamic funds in the GCC member states alone, witnessing fasttrack growth as a result of increasing wealth in the Arabian Gulf region thanks to edging oil prices, indicated the monthly report released by Kuwait-based Saba’ek Company. There is a steady link between oil prices and the number of recently launched investment funds, which reflects the flow of capital into this industry, the report showed.

The size of GCC Islamic funds’ investable assets edged up from $267 billion in 2007 to $736 billion in 2008, it cited the Ernst and Young as saying. The base of Islamic funds’ customers has largely expanded over the last decade to cover a large number of non-Muslim investors, the report indicated. Such funds have developed in the field of wealth management in order to answer the needs of investors who are willing to join capital markets in line with Islamic Sharia or law, it said, expecting the number of Islamic funds to skyrocket by over 700 this year.

Malaysia and Saudi Arabia are home to the largest number of Islamic funds thanks to their available incentives and deregulated Islamic finance, it said. Malaysia has 194 Islamic funds, making up 26 percent of the total and running over $8.6 billion, while Saudi Arabia includes 147 funds, accounting for 19.6 percent and running $18 billion, it showed. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Following a relatively quiet week, the US dollar ended the week on a weaker footing against the majors. The euro surged against the US dollar to reach a high of 1.3796, breaking all major resistance levels, to close the week at 1.3765. The sterling pound followed the move by reaching a high of 1.5217. The yen range traded between 89.60 and 91.00 levels. Finally, the Swiss franc strengthened against the greenback at the end of the week to reach 1.0577.

Trade gap shrinks The trade deficit narrowed by 6.6% to $37.3 billion in January resulting from a decline in imports by 1.7% as the US imported the lowest monthly quantity of oil since February 1999. In parallel, exports declined by 0.3%, the first drop since April 2009 as demand for products like aircrafts and cars plummeted.

In parallel, President Barack Obama outlined a plan to boost exports by calling on increasing credit for small and medium sized businesses by $2 billion. The plan aims to promote American goods overseas by easing restrictions on certain goods abroad and establishing a cabinet-level panel on exports.

Economic indicators Initial jobless claims fell to 462,000 less than the expected 460,000, and down 6,000 from the previous revised figure of 468,000 claims, indicating that the labor market recovery is slowing down. The continuous jobless claims, the number of people still receiving jobless benefits, rose to 4.56 million in the last week of February.

University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey fell to 72.5 in March from February’s final reading of 73.6.

Europe German industrial production rose in January by 0.6% versus a previous fall of 2.6% as energy output surged by 8.8% during the cold winter, helping to offset a collapse in construction activity which dropped by 14.3% in January. German exports unexpectedly plummeted in January after rising the previous month. Exports sank 6.3% from December, while Imports rose to 6%. As a result, Germany’s trade surplus narrowed from Ä13.4 to Ä8 billion in January.

Greece hit Following Greece’s approval of a Ä4.8 billion austerity package to cut wages, freeze pensions and raise consumer taxes, strikes and clashes between the police and civilians took place during a demonstration in Athens. Thousands of striking workers protested against the measures that the Greek government said it has no choice but to implement. The country is under intense pressure from the European Union to reduce its deficit from 12.7% of economic output in 2009 to 8.7% this year.

UK trade gap UK exports endured their largest plunge in more than three years during January, curbing hopes that trade would quickly help raise the deteriorating economy. Exports fell by 6.9%, the sharpest fall since July 2006. The decline in exports overshadowed the drop in imports leaving the UK trade deficit wider at -£8 billion down from the previous -£7 billion.

UK Manufacturing production dropped in January for the first time in five months indicating that the economy is still in its early stages of recovering from the longest recession on record. Factory production fell by 0.9% in January from a previous hike of 0.9%.

The Australian unemployment rate rose to 5.3% in February in line with market forecasts, up from last month’s revised figure of 5.2%. The national gain in full-time positions of 11,400 barely covered the 11,000 part-time positions lost, leaving a net increase of 400 jobs, the weakest month since August 2009.

Kuwait Dinar at 0.28780 The USDKWD opened at 0.28780 yesterday morning.

NEW DELHI: Visitors inspect Tata Motor’s cheapest car ‘Nano’ at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi during the 10th Auto Expo 2010. Analysts say parent group Tata and its chairman Ratan Tata will struggle to keep the jellybeanshaped vehicle on sale at this level due to the rising costs of raw materials, labor and new higher taxes. — AFP

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia plans to launch stock market index funds accessible to foreigners by the end of March in a bid to open up the Arab world’s biggest bourse, the market regulator’s chief said in remarks published yesterday.

“We want to study experiences of many countries, which have allowed foreign investment in an organised way,” Abdulrahman Al-Tuwaijri, head of the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), was quoted as saying in business daily AlEqtisadiah.

Earlier this month Tuwaijri said in a newspaper interview that Saudi Arabia was considering exchange-traded funds (ETFs) without giving a timeframe. In 2008 the word’s top oil exporter and OPEC member allowed so-called swap agreements between non-resident foreign investors and local

intermediaries, permitting indirect foreign ownership on the bourse.

Previously foreigners could only invest in the Saudi stock market only through selected funds. But large international investors such as pension funds have held off investment on a large scale, pending further steps to allow entry into the market and awaiting full ownership. Tuwaijri hinted yesterday that direct foreign investments were not being considered at present, as risky “hot” money would flow in.

John Sfakianakis, chief economist at Banque Saudi Fransi, said it was clear that Saudi Arabia was further opening up the bourse for foreigners through different tools but full ownership could not be expected yet. “Saudi Arabia is one of the premiere frontier markets,” Sfakianakis said. — Reuters

22

BUSINESS

Monday, March 15, 2010

Global GCC Banking Sector FY2009 Result Review

Region’s banking sector weathers financial storm Kuwait reports rise in profits, Bahrain posts biggest losses KUWAIT: The banking sector is considered the mirror that reflects the economic activities of any country as it is the main sector connected and interrelated with all other sectors.

For this reason, we are going to cover, through this report, the financial performance of the banking sector for the year 2009 in the Gulf region which contains 6 countries and 63 banks and financial intuitions (excluding 5 banks which did not disclose their financials yet). Fiscal year 2009 was seen to be the most difficult year in the Gulf financial markets with the starting of the default of Saad and Gosaibi Groups and ending with Dubai’s crisis.

In reality, financial performance of the banking sector reported drops in net profits by 8.56 percent in 2009 reaching $14.40bn against $15.75bn in 2008. This sector recorded increases in net profit in one country in the Gulf region, Kuwait, which reported an increase in net profits of 70.22 percent in 2009. Bahraini banking sector reported the biggest losses in net profit as it declined by 35.23 percent.

It is worth mentioning that the GCC governments are still offering direct and indirect support, which reduced the impact of the crisis.

Qatari government role was very obvious when it interfered by buying portfolios of listed shares and real estate in banks at a value between QR30bn and QR50bn. Abu Dhabi government’s role was noticeable as it injected $4.36bn in 5 banks to strengthen their position in the middle of the crisis.

Looking at the performance of the 5 biggest banks in the gulf region in terms of their market value, they all reported increases in their net profit in 2009, despite the economic difficulties that faced the banking and financial sectors in the gulf region and worldwide, which confirms their strength and ability to overcome challenges and crisis.

• Al Rajhi Bank, the biggest bank in the Gulf, reported an increase of 3.7 percent in net profit to reach $1.8bn in 2009 against $1.74bn last year. The reason behind this increase is attributed to the development of the investment banking business and diversifying its sources of income, noting that the banks profit’s are the highest among all banks in the Gulf region.

• Samba Financial Group reported an increase of 2.4 percent in profits in 2009 (from $1.19bn in 2008 to $1.22bn in 2009), which was shown in the fourth quarter with an increase in net profits of 1.1 percent ($220bn in 2008 to $223bn in 2009). This increase was due to the increase in operational revenues and a decrease in costs.

• Qatar National Bank recorded a net income of $1.15bn in 2009, up by 15.04 percent from 2008 level of $1.0bn. The board of directors its recommending cash dividends of 40 percent par value and bonus shares of 30 percent.

• Riyad Bank reported an increase in net profit of 14.8 percent in 2009 compared to last year to reach $807.65mn compared to

er sector’s profits of the year 2009.

Kuwaiti Banking sector reported a decline of 32.50 percent in 2009 net profits (from $1.97bn in 2008 to $1.33bn in 2009). Commercial Bank of Kuwait was excluded from this comparison as it hasn’t disclosed financial results.

$703.43mn in 2008. Main banking activities represented in the credit portfolio reported an increase in net commissions, which was reflected in total net income. The net profit was $243mn in the fourth quarter in 2009, thus registering an increase of 72.4 percent from the same period last year, and an increase of 20.1 percent from the third quarter.

• Net Profit of National Bank of Kuwait increased by 3.87 percent in 2009, to reach $920.23mn in 2009. It is worth mentioning that the last quarter’s results were 4.5 times compared to the same period last year to reach $221.5mn. This result was despite of the provisions taken by the bank after the financial crisis.

Saudi Arabia In the Saudi banking sector, the decrease in lending along with an increase in provisions had a negative impact on the sector’s performance.

The sector reported a net profit of $5.82bn in 2009 compared with $6.48bn last year. Out of 11 listed banks, 4 banks reported growth in net profit for the year of 2009, 6 banks reported drop, while one bank reported loss. Riyad Bank reported the highest growth of 14.82 percent (from $703mn in 2008 to $807.64mn).

On the other hand, Saudi Hollandi Bank reported the biggest drop of 92.98 percent to reach $22.90mn compared with $326.18mn last year after bearing losses of $66.10mn in the fourth quarter of the year. Bank Al-Bilad reported the a loss of $66.10mn in 2009 compared to a net profit of $33.32mn in 2008.

UAE UAE banking sector followed the quake reporting a decline of 19.18 percent in total net profit for the year of 2009 to reach $3.80bn from $4.70bn in 2008, effected by Saad and Gosaibi Groups crises.

Abu Dhabi The banking sector in Abu Dhabi stock exchange reported a net income of $2.95bn for the year

2009 compared to $3.47bn in 2008 recording a decrease of 14.96 percent. Out of 14 listed banks, 8 banks reported growth in 2009 net profits, 4 banks reported drop. Looking at the results of the three biggest banks by market capitalization, National Bank of Abu Dhabi reported a marginal increase of 0.04 percent in 2009 to reach $822.03mn compared to $821.70mn in 2008. First Gulf Bank reported an increase of 10.14 percent to reach $901mn in 2009 against $818.03mn in 2008, after bearing losses of $326.64mn in the fourth quarter of 2009. These losses were mainly caused by provisions amounting to $1bn in 2009, including $544mn that were avoided last quarter in 2008. Invest Bank reported high profits in 2009 compared to 2008, as it increased from $1.28mn to $78.53mn. On the other hand, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank reported the highest drop of 90.83 percent in net profit in year 2009 compared to year 2008, reaching $21.24mn from $231.66mn, after considering provisions on credit worth $394.42mn.

National Bank of Fujairah reported net profits of $28.39mn compared to a loss of $13.69mn in 2009. While Abu

Dhabi Commercial Bank reported a loss of $139.58mn in 2009 compared to a net profit of $369.78mn last year.

Dubai The banking sector in Dubai Financial Market reported a net income of $854.06mn for the year 2009 compared to $1.24bn in 2008 recording a decrease of 31.02 percent. Out of 7 listed banks, excluding Ajman Bank and Arab Emirates Investment Bank which have not disclosed their financial results yet, only one bank reported growth in 2009, which was Commercial Bank of Dubai with an increase of 4.15 percent (from $209.87mn in 2008 to $218.58mn), while 4 banks reported decrease with Emirates Islamic Bank reported the highest retreat of 67.35 percent in net profit in year 2009 compared to year 2008 (from $109.04mn in 2008 to $35.60mn).

The three heavy weights, Mashreq Bank, Emirates National Bank of Dubai and Dubai Islamic Bank followed with a retreat of 39.10 percent, 9.09 percent and 30.65 percent reaching $272.33mn, $910 thousand and $326.64mn respectively.

Kuwait Kuwaiti banking sector’s net profit of 2009 rose by 70.22 percent from the previous year, (from $724.83mn in 2008 to $1.23bn in 2009). The 9 listed banks performances were mixed.

National Bank of Kuwait, the largest Kuwaiti bank, reported the only growth in net profit for the year 2009 of 3.87 percent to reach $920.23mn. While 4 banks recorded a decline in net profit for the year 2009 compared with the previous year 2008. Burgan Bank has recorded the largest decline of 83.24 percent (from $128.60mn to $21.55mn). On the other hand, Kuwait International Bank and Boubyan Bank recorded losses of $28.57mn and $179.37mn compared to a net profit of $68.70mn and $6.41mn respectively in the previous year. Gulf Bank reduced its losses, which amounted to $1.25bn in 2008 to $97.40mn in 2009. It is worth mentioning that however, the bank’s operational profits amounted to $288mn for the year 2009, the needs of the allocation for portfolio credit, which amounted to $385mn has led to a net loss. The large difference in the Gulf Bank net losses caused the high-

Qatar In the Qatari banking and institutions sector, it seems that the seeds of government support have paid dividends when all the sector’s components reported profits during the year 2009, although some were lower compared with their performance in the previous year. Among the 9 banks, with the exception of First Finance Company which has not disclosed its financial results yet, 4 banks have achieved a growth in profits during the year 2009 against 4 banks reported a drop compared to 2008. Khaleej Commercial Bank (AlKhaleeji) reported the highest growth of 61.51 percent recording a net profit of $45.91mn in the year 2009, compared to a net profit of $28.42mn last year. On the other side, Ahli Bank reported the highest retreat of 29.42 percent to reach $82.47mn in 2009 against $116.85mn in the previous year.

Oman The six Omani’s banks reported a net profit of $429.53mn for the fiscal year 2009, compared to a net profit of $506.97mn in the previous year 2008, ie a decline of 15.28 percent. This drop in consolidated earnings comes due to backdrop in large credits allocation monitored by banks during this year in addition to the losses and the allocation of investments. The net profit of the heavy weight, Bank Muscat, decreased by 21.35 percent from $242.61mn to $190.81mn, after the Bank has an appropriation of $254.17mn to meet potential losses after its exposure to Saad and Gosaibi groups.

The bank has announced that the two groups owe him and his unit in Bahrain at about $170.83. The losses

came despite the fact that the Bank had benefited during the first half this year from the extraordinary profits resulting from the sale of its stake in HDFC Bank India, amounting to $137.7mn. On the other hand, two banks showed a growth in their net profit for the year 2009, compared to the previous year, which were, Ahli Bank with an increase of 43.95 percent (from $15.36mn to $22.11mn) and Bank Dhofar with an increase of 18.47 percent from $61.31mn to $72.63mn. Sohar Bank reported a net profit of $20.76mn in the year 2009, which is the first annual profit since its founding in 2007 compared to a net loss of $5.86mn in the previous year. This was due to the growth in net interest income in addition to the decline in losses and the allocation of investments.

Bahrain In Bahraini banking sector, the default of Saad and Gosaibi groups was the greatest crisis faced by the Central Bank of Bahrain. The Central Bank imposed control over The International Banking Corporation owned Gosaibi and Awal Bank’s Saad, and appointed the Department of Foreign Affairs to protect the interests of creditors. Out of 7 listed banks, 3 banks recorded a decline in net profit for the year 2009 compared to 2008, 2 banks managed to achieve growth in net profit, while Bahrain Islamic Bank, reported the only loss of $51.29mn, compared with net profit of $59mn in the previous year, Bahraini Saudi Bank was excluded of this comparison as it has not disclosed its financial results yet.

The consolidated net profits of the banking sector declined by 35.23 percent in 2009 to reach $399.71mn against $ 617.10mn recorded in 2008.

Ahli United Bank, the biggest bank in terms of market capitalization, recorded a fall in net profit for the year 2009 by 21.51 percent to reach $200.08mn against $254.91mn that achieved in the previous year. The net profits of Al-Khaleej Commercial Bank decreased by 88.65 percent to reach $8.20mn in 2009 compared with 2008. On the other hand, National Bank of Bahrain recorded a growth of 23.26 percent in 2009 to $113.22mn against $91.86mn in the previous year.

GCC Islamic banking Islamic banks were not immune from the impact of the global financial crisis and its repercussions, which reduced the financial performance of the GCC banking sector by 28.02 percent in 2009 to reach $3.14bn compared with $4.36bn last year. The most important reason for this decline is the absence of markets and sufficient tools to handle liquidity (the so-called interbank market.

Out of the 17 listed Islamic banks in the GCC markets, with the exception of Ajman Bank, which hasn’t disclosed its financial statements yet, 3 banks achieved growth in net profit, compared with 9 banks registered a drop, while 4 banks recorded losses during the year 2009.

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2830000 .4340000 .383000 .2690000 .2800000 .2600000 .0045000 .0020000 .07791770 .7597100 .4020000 .0750000 .7447630 .0045000 .0500000

US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2872500 .4363550 .3953840 .2714090 .2819320 .0531400 .0408180 .2628470 .0370290 .2060100 .0031720 .0063470 .0025250 .0034090 .0042080 .0782460 .7623220 .4062500 .0766390 .7464770 .0063120

US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2893500 .4394370 .2733310 .0771280

.2930000 .4440000 .4000000 .2770000 .2880000 .2680000 .0075000 .0035000 .0787610 .7673450 .4180000 .0790000 .7522490 .0072000 .0580000

286.830 188.740 276.400 264.120 287.000 ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.224 6.341 3.425 2.523 3.979 207.440 37.220 4.164 6.319 8.845 0.301 0.292 GCC COUNTRIES

.2893500 .4394370 .3981760 .2733310 .2839290 .0535170 .0411070 .2647040 .0372920 .2074690 .0031940 .0063920 .0025430 .0034330 .0042380 .0787450 .7671830 .4091270 .0771280 .7512370 .0063570

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

76.990 79.320 750.000 766.710 78.624 ARAB COUNTRIES

Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

56.250 52.733 1.340 210.620 407.700 193.700 6.304 35.980 GOLD

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

216.000 112.000 57.500

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer Euro Sterling Pound

Canadian dollar Turkish lire Swiss Franc Australian dollar US Dollar Buying

288.550 401.100 442.800

COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash

SELL CASH 267.800 767.190 4.400 286.900 566.900 15.800 54.300 167.800 56.470 401.200

SELL DRAFT 266.300 767.190 4.166 285.400

208.500 52.734 399.700

Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

37.850 6.590 0.035 0.296 0.261 3.290 409.520 0.195 89.260 47.700 4.250 206.500 2.183 50.400 749.390 3.530 6.490 79.790 77.030 208.510 41.570 2.771 442.800 41.600 276.400 6.400 9.210 217.900 78.720 288.900 1.380

37.700 6.345

407.780 0.194 89.260 3.990 205.000

274.900 9.030 78.720 288.500

1,196.520

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Candaian Dollars

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 440.800 288.500

289.550 3.445 6.350 2.540 4.170 6.350 78.625 77.115 766.700 52.725 443.600 0.0000314 3.990 1.550 409.600 5.750 402.600 290.600

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Cyprus Pound Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees

2.525 4.175 6.283 3.180 8.850 5.553 3.966

Currency 749.210 3.440 6.315 79.360 77.030 208.510 41.570 2.527 440.800

GOLD 10 Tola

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

288.400 287.700 443.460 402.235 272.295 706.885 764.775 78.500 79.115 76.935 406.970 52.633 6.357 3.429

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal

*Rates are subject to change

Transfer rate 288.000 399.500 440.600 285.000 3.220 6.350 52.730 2.526 4.165 6.320 3.440 765.800 78.500 76.900

BUSINESS

Monday, March 15, 2010

The potential for renewable energy in the MENA region Region offers 45% of world’s renewable resources KUWAIT: The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has the potential to become one of the world’s largest producers of renewable energy. Renewable energy industry developments combined with the region’s potential in wind and solar power could create significant advantage for countries that move to capitalize on them, according to a new study by Booz & Company.

“Renewables in much of the MENA region are underfunded or not funded at all, in part due to the region’s abundant supplies of fossil fuels, said Ibrahim El-Husseini, a partner at Booz & Company. There are at least seven reasons why the MENA region could be a world leader in renewable energy.

1. The region has an advantageous geography and climate. The MENA region has the world’s greatest potential for solar power generation, offering 45 percent of the world’s total energy potential from all renewable sources. If the region achieved this potential, it could generate more than three times the world’s total current power demand. The region also has some potential for large-scale wind farms.

2. The region’s current energy supply may not be sufficient to meet future demand. At present, the MENA region has 146 gigawatts of installed capacity for electricity generation.

“With demand forecasted to grow at more than 7 percent per year for the next decade, MENA countries will need to build 80 to 90 gigawatts of new capacity by 2017 to meet demand,” explained Walid Fayad, a principal at Booz & Company. Renewables could play a major role in meeting increasing demand and could complement the region’s unique energy needs.

3. Renewables in the region will help mitigate the global climate change challenge. Many countries in the region rank among the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters in the world on a per capita basis, due mainly to the use of fossil fuels in the majority of power generation and industrial production facilities. Introducing carbon neutral renewable energy into these countries’ energy mix will help reduce GHG emissions and mitigate climate change” 4. Renewables could help address the region’s other environmental problems. The region is facing rapidly rising pollution levels with an accompanying high costs and widespread reduction in quality of life. It currently has the world’s second-highest air pollution levels, and the estimated particulate matter (PM) concentration is nearly 50 percent higher than the world average, causing damage costs equivalent to about 0.9 percent of GDP. Clean energy sources that don’t burn fossil fuels and release particulates would significantly improve air quality.

5. Renewables could generate value in their own right, as well as freeing oil and gas for more profitable uses. “If renewable energy sources could replace the oil or gas currently used for power generation, the surpluses created could become available for more profitable downstream applications,” noted Tarek El Sayed, a principal at Booz & Company. Renewable energy sources could also be a strategic export industry.

6. Renewables could enhance the export value of the region’s traditional energy assets.

Fossil fuels will remain the dominant source of energy for the foreseeable future. In addition, OPEC’s share of world oil supply is expected to grow from its current figure of 42 percent to 52 percent by 2030, according to the OPEC World Oil Outlook 2008. Renewable energy initiatives will free more oil and gas for export and enhance oil-producing countries’ position as major energy exporters for the world.

7. The renewable energy industry could drive economic diversification and create jobs.

The oil and gas sector contributes 47 percent of the GCC’s GDP, but only 1 percent of employment. Countries struggling with high unemployment rates could generate employment opportunities in renewables.

Reviewing renewable options Not all renewable energy technologies will be viable for the region, but wind and solar offer the greatest potential.

Wind On good sites, onshore wind power is already cost-competitive with fossil-fueled generation. The major limitation on wind is intermittency; the wind does not always blow when electricity is needed. This can be partially mitigated by the dispersal of wind turbines over a large geographic area. “Additionally, planners can capture excess wind-supplied energy by linking wind turbines to hydroelectric plants, which can be used to offset intermittency and absorb wind power surpluses,” commented ElHusseini.

Solar There are two major forms of solar-generat-

ed power. Concentrating solar power (CSP) uses mirrors and lenses to concentrate solar energy within plants that are utility-scale generators. Photovoltaic (PV) solar power directly converts sunlight into electricity using semiconductors, and is often used on a smaller scale.

Prevailing desert conditions however result in extreme summer temperatures and high dust levels, both of which have a negative impact on solar energy.

“Both solar technologies could be deployed widely throughout the region. The Masdar Initiative in Abu Dhabi recently commissioned the first large-scale PV installation in the MENA region. Smaller installations are proliferating, mainly in areas far from the grid,” noted Fayad.

Geothermal Geothermal technologies use underground heat sources to generate either hot water or steam that can be used directly or converted to electricity. Geothermal potential in the MENA region has not been assessed in detail but is likely to be limited, as there are few geologically active zones in the region.

Biomass Biomass energy is generated by burning plant residues or specially grown energy crops; or fermenting wet biomass to create biogas or liquid fuels. Biomass is unlikely to be a sustainable option in the MENA region, as it can create competition for agricultural lands, and can also have a negative impact on the local environment. Furthermore, the large amount of water necessary to grow energy crops is a concern in the water-constrained MENA region.

Cost competitiveness In the region, conventional energy is generally cheaper than renewable energy. However, this comparison does not account for the fact that conventional energy is significantly subsidized, and that there are external costs of using fossil fuels for power generation, including pollution and opportunity costs. Conventional energy subsidies in the MENA region are more substantial than they are elsewhere, and they provide conventional power with a significant unnatural advantage over renewable energy sources. “Subsidizing energy puts an automatic brake on the private sector’s development of renewable energy sources, because such sources need to compete with an energy source that is already very cheap and widely available,” El Sayed explained.

The cost of carbon emissions from fossil fuels should be included in the comparison of different options for power generation and MENA countries could monetize carbon credits through the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism. The costs of other emissions are more difficult to value, as they impose an indirect burden on the health and environment of the countries’ citizens. Finally, because subsidies encourage the use of fuel for power generation, this fuel is diverted from being a feedstock for higher value-added products, such as downstream petrochemicals. The potential market value of such products and the positive impact their effective use could have on GDP are not fully factored into the cost of using fuel for power generation.

Renewables’ cost parity with conventional sources varies according to countries’ resources and existing power sources. In countries where no cheap hydrocarbons are available, the price of wind power can already compete with that of power attained through conventional generation. In terms of solar energy, the price of PV power generation typically compares favorably with that of power generation from diesel generators. This means PV technology can be a cost-effective replacement for generators in remote locations. “The picture looks different for large-scale, grid-connected solar power, however; it cannot currently compete with the region’s fuel of choice, natural gas,” commented El-Husseini.

The cost of solar power continues to drop, thanks to the development of the underlying technology. If historical trends hold, in the coming years annual cost reductions of 3 to 7 percent for PV installation can be expected. As for CSP, it is a much more mature technology, with correspondingly fewer opportunities for optimization. Based on cost assumptions, the unsubsidized cost of solar PV power in the MENA region could become competitive with that of natural gas between 2015 and 2025, depending on gas and carbon prices.

Powering renewable energy in MENA countries: a call to action for governments “The private sector’s participation in the development of a renewable energy sector in the MENA region is critical for its expertise to ensure cost efficiency,” Fayad stated. The region’s governments must take a leading role if renewable energy is to become viable.

23

‘15th Economic Makers and Job Opportunities’ opened

Minister Al-Homoud hails KFH’s role in supporting national labor KUWAIT: The Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Moudhi AlHomoud applauded Kuwait Finance House’s (KFH) role in supporting national labor and recruiting them, where they are exposed numerous experiences in various businesses and services, such as banking, investment, commercial, and financial services.

This occurred while the minister was inaugurating the “15th Economic Makers and Job Opportunities” held at the Business Studies College yesterday. She noted that KFH enjoys a good local and international reputation, and that it plays a leading role in the field of Islamic finance, which allows it to provide KFH and other Islamic financial institutions around the world with young cadres who are willing to lead.

The Marketing and Public Relations Deputy Department Manager Saeed Tawfiqi welcomed the minister at KFH’s booth, and praised her efforts in the educational field. He explained to her that KFH’s efforts are not limited to recruiting Kuwaiti graduates, but trains them to hold senior posts, where they can benefit the national economy.

The Human Resources Department Manager Mohammed Al-Jallal told the

KUWAIT: Al-Homoud listens to an explanation from Al-Jallal while Saeed Tawfiqi is present. minister that KFH has a unique experience in recruiting and training Kuwaiti employees, which allows them to work at KFH or any other institution, especially that

Kuwaitis can excel if given the opportunity. He added that KFH will support the government’s strategy in supporting the governmental plans that aim to improve the skills of the

KUWAIT: Qatar Airways announced plans to fly to Brazil and Argentina, spreading its award-winning service to the South American continent for the first time.

South America’s two largest cities Sao Paulo in Brazil and the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires - will join the airline’s rapidly growing international network over the next few months.

Adding to the five new destinations already planned for 2010, the two South American cities will complete an exciting line-up of new routes for Qatar Airways direct from Doha.

Qatar Airways launched scheduled flights to the southern Indian city of Bengaluru (Bangalore) last month. It plans to serve Copenhagen from March 30; Ankara on April 5; Tokyo on April 26; and Barcelona on June 7 rounding up a busy year for the Doha-based airline. Launch dates for both Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires will be announced in due course.

In addition, Qatar Airways will phase in capacity increases through additional frequencies and deployment of larger aircraft on selected international routes from the beginning of the Northern Summer 2010 schedules on March 28.

These include Geneva, Stockholm, Colombo, Goa, Chennai, Amritsar, Kathmandu, Maldives, Seychelles, Luxor, Shanghai, Guangzhou Johannesburg and Cape Town. The airline’s state-of-the-art Boeing 777 aircraft - of which there are currently 16 in the fleet - featuring Business Class seats that convert into 180 degree fully flat horizontal beds, will be deployed on the new South American routes and

selected existing routes.

The expansion was announced by Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker on the opening day of ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel and tourism show being held in the German capital this week.

“These are exciting times for Qatar Airways looking forward to further expansion in line with our committed strategy to develop our global operations to all corners of the world,” he said, addressing a packed press conference in Berlin. “South America is a prime example of our strategy to fly to far flung destinations from our Doha hub in the State of Qatar. By adding Brazil and Argentina, we can finally say Qatar Airways has become a truly global airline touching all parts of the world - and that only 13 years after we began operations as a small fledgling regional airline.

“When I addressed this same very media forum at ITB Berlin last year, Qatar Airways operated a fleet of 68 aircraft. Today we have grown in strength to 81 aircraft - and in the past three months alone, we have taken delivery of nine brand new narrow body and wide body aircraft from Airbus and Boeing to help fuel our expansion program.

“As more aircraft join the fleet at a rate of over one a month, we need to identify exciting opportunities to deploy them to increase capacity on existing routes, as well as operate to new destinations.” From March 30, Qatar Airways begins operations nonstop from Doha to the Danish capital Copenhagen. Starting April 5 and following the success of flights to Istanbul, the Turkish capital Ankara becomes Qatar Airways’ second destination in Turkey.

ables and Aabar’s potential cash injection, we believe the stock no longer offers an attractive risk/reward combination,” the note said.

The weak project backlog, fell short of the bank’s 17.7 billion dirham expectation, Deutsche said.

The $1.7 billion merger of Arabtec and Abu Dhabi’s Aabar Investments will be completed in April, after the due diligence date was extended, its chief financial officer Ziad Makhzoumi told Reuters earlier in March.

The firm reported its first ever quarterly loss in March, after a charge of about $80 million for bad debts. —Reuters

Beginning April 26, the airline expands its operations to the Land of the Rising Sun with daily flights to the Japanese capital, Tokyo. The flights will be operated from Doha via Osaka, representing a significant increase in capacity for the Japanese market. Seoul, which is currently served via Osaka will be de-linked from the Japanese city to become a daily non-stop service from Doha, beginning March 28. Starting June 7, Qatar Airways’ European network receives another boost with nonstop flights between Doha and the Mediterranean port city of Barcelona after Madrid, the airline’s second Spanish destination.

With seven new routes lined up during 2010, Qatar Airways will increase its global portfolio to 92 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, South Asia, and North America.

Qatar Airways currently has on order more than 200 new Airbus and Boeing aircraft worth over US$40 billion for delivery over the next few years. The New Doha International Airport, a US$14.5billion facility, is due to open in the Qatari capital next year and is set to become Qatar Airways’ new home?

“Qatar Airways’ robust expansion is continuing undeterred by the current economic climate,” added Al Baker.

“We continue to identify new opportunities around the world to better serve the travelling public. As a network hub airline, Qatar Airways does not rely on traffic from any specific markets, so we are largely immune from the circumstances surrounding the current global economic meltdown.”

Joyalukkas opens showroom in Kancheepuram he world’s favorite jewelry retailer—Joyalukkas opened their latest showroom in Kamarajar Street, Kancheepuram on March 7. The glittering showroom was inaugurated by the Joyalukkas brand ambassador Madhavan in the

T

presence of VIPs and other dignitaries.

The Joyalukkas Jewelry showroom in Kancheepuram is another signature showroom of the global jewelry retail chain within Tamil Nadu. The showroom displays traditional, chic

and contemporary designs, from India and abroad, that are bound to appeal to discerning residents of Kancheepuram. The showroom will feature all the Joyalukkas world-class jewelry brands such as Sparx, tre’stelle, Perfekt, Spring, Florentina,

Concerns over expansion plans, difficulties in Dubai backlog of 13.2 billion dirhams ($3.60 billion) due to a contract cancellation in Dubai and a lower scope of works in Qatar and Saudi Arabia,” Deutsche Bank said in a research note.

“This raises concerns regarding whether Arabtec can manage its way out of Dubai without too much damage and successfully expand abroad,” it added. Deutsche cut Arabtec’s price target to 2.4 dirhams a share from 3 dirhams a share.

Arabtec’s shares closed 4.5 percent higher at 2.3 dirhams a share earlier yesterday, outperforming Dubai’s index.

“While uncertainties remain high regarding Dubai receiv-

where the employees enjoy stability, health and social care, incentives, and various appraisal means, which reflects on the quality and level of service KFH offers to its clients.

Qatar Airways to serve South America

Deutsche Bank downgrades Arabtec to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’ DUBAI: Deutsche Bank downgraded Dubai’s Arabtec to “hold” from “buy,” citing concerns about whether the contractor can navigate a property slump at home and advance its overseas expansion plan.

Arabtec, the largest contractor by market value in the United Arab Emirates, has been aggressively expanding abroad to diversify its portfolio away from Dubai. The Gulf Arab emirate has seen property prices fall 60 percent from their peaks in 2008 and billions of dollars in projects have been cancelled or put on hold in the wake of the financial crisis.

“Arabtec released a weak

Kuwaiti youths, whether they are already working or seeking a job.

Moreover, Al-Jallal stated that KFH offers a healthy work environment to achieve goals,

South Indian film actor Madhavan inaugurating Joy Alukkas Showroom at Kancheepuram, along with Joy Alukkas, Chairman, Rolf W Schneebeli CEO, P P Jose, General Manager and P D Jose, General Manager-Gold, for Joy Alukkas Group.

Resham, Trisha, Aamira, Madhubani, teens & twenties and Zenina, plus a host of Platinum, precious Stone jewelry collections & Silver items & jewelry. Globally, Joyalukkas has set benchmarks for quality, service and choice and is one of the most trusted jewelry retailers in the world.

“Our Kancheepuram showroom located on Kamarajar Street like all Joyalukkas showrooms promises to bring an exceptional shopping experience to its residents, and we are glad to be a part of this wonderful city. We are targeting the quality, tradition and design conscious woman of Kancheepuram who demand quality and want to choose from a wide range of traditional and contemporary jewelry. Our vision is to make jewelry shopping more convenient and hence we intend to be in every main area within Tamil Nadu. With an expertise spanning over five decades, we are sure that our distinctive designs, quality and service will be welcomed by the residents of Kancheepuram,” said Joy Alukkas, Chairman of Joyalukkas Group.

The Joyalukkas Kancheepuram showroom is consistent in design with the

rest of the Joyalukkas showrooms and offers exclusivity and a welcoming feel. The showroom is conveniently located within the city to ensure ease of access for customers. “Our aim is to appeal to women of all nationalities who love jewelry and are looking for chic, contemporary and wide choice in jewelry. The Joyalukkas standard of product, price, choice and service is assured to the residents of Kancheepuram,” added Joy Alukkas.

Madhavan, the brand ambassador for Joyalukkas said, “I feel proud to be associated with a brand of Joyalukkas’s stature because it stands for trust, value, choice and exceptional service. Rest assured with Joyalukkas you will be dealing with a jewelry chain that truly understands your needs and has the international experience to introduce you to jewelry trends around the world”.

Joyalukkas’s competence in the jewelry business is evident from the unique patterns and styles that have won the hearts of customers and gained accolades from various renowned bodies across the globe. The ISO certified jewelry chain currently has 75 showrooms in eight countries around the world.

24

BUSINESS

Blue-chips drive KSE rally Global Daily Market Report

Dubai surges ahead of Dubai World debt offer MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) and major indicators ended the first trading session of the week in the green backed by gains witnessed in several blue-chip stocks.

GGI added 0.88 points (+0.42 percent) during yesterday’s session to reach 209.11 points. Furthermore, the KSE Price Index increased by 28.90 points (+0.39 percent) yesterday and closed at 7,486.80 points. Market capitalization was up KD143.39mn yesterday to reach KD34.18bn.

Market breadth During the session, 139 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards gainers as 53 equities advanced versus 37 that retreated. A total of 117 stocks remained unchanged during yesterday’s trading session.

Trading activities ended on a negative note as volume of shares traded on the exchange decreased by 3.97 percent to reach 506.98mn shares. In addition, value of shares traded gained by 17.27 percent to stand at KD73.68mn. The Investment Sector was the volume leader accounting for 36.12 percent of total market volume. The Services Sector was the value leader with 30.46 percent of total traded value.

International Resorts Company saw 40.72mn shares changing hands, making it the volume leader. Zain was the value leader, with a total traded value of KD8.51mn.

In terms of top gainers, Ithmaar Bank was the top gainer for the day, adding 9.26 percent and closed at KD0.059. On the other hand, Gulfinvest International Company shed 9.09 percent and closed at KD0.025, making it the biggest decliner in the market yesterday.

Regarding Global’s sectoral indices, they mainly ended on a mixed note, with Global Food Index being the top gainer.

The index ended the day up 2.19 percent backed by heavyweight Kuwait Foodstuff Company (Americana) being the top gainer. The scrip ended the day up 2.44 percent and closed at KD1.680.

Also noteworthy was Danah Al-Safat Foodstuff Company which ended the day

Monday, March 15, 2010

with a gain of 2.13 percent to close at KD0.192.

Global Services Index was the second biggest gainer, up 1.10 percent backed by heavyweight Zain ending the day in the green. The scrip posted a 1.49 percent increase during the trading session and closed at KD1.360.

In terms of decliners, Global Industrial Index took the top spot with a 0.19 percent drop. The index’s decline was aided by Kuwait Foundry Company which posted a 3.09 percent drop to close at KD0.940. Salbookh Trading Company was the biggest decliner in the sector down 4.76 percent and closed at KD0.080. Global’s special indices all ended in the green except for Global Small Cap Index which was the only decliner. The index ended the day down 0.87 percent backed by Salbookh Trading Company. On the other side,

Global Large Cap Index posted a 0.70 percent gain, making it the top gainer backed by Kuwait Foodstuff Company (Americana) and Zain.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $77.76 a barrel on Thursday, 11/3/2010, compared with $77.80 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

Market news Kuwait Company for Process Plant Construction & Contracting Board of Directors recommended a dividend payout at 5 percent of par value, or 5 fils a share, and bonus share distribution at 10 percent of paid-in capital, or 10-for100 for the FY that ended on 31/12/2009. Shareholders of record on the general meeting date are eligible for

this distribution. The Commercial Real Estate Company Board of Director recommended a bonus share distribution at 7 percent of paid-in capital, or 7-for-100 for the FY that ended on 31/12/2009.

The distribution will be effected to shareholders of record on the general meeting date.

Global Investment House, Kuwait’s biggest investment bank, said yesterday it made a KD0.20mn profit from selling stake in its real-estate finance unit, Real Estate Finance Company, in Egypt to Arab African International Bank. The value of the transaction was KD2.4mn.

Manafae Investment Company will be listed in Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) tomorrow under the Investment sector. The company, established in October 2005, is a Kuwaiti shareholding company with a total paid-up capital of KD20mn.

DUBAI: Dubai’s index made its largest daily gain for three months yesterday as investors bet on a Dubai World debt offer favorable to creditors. Other Middle East markets rose, buoyed by firm oil prices and positive global sentiment.

Dubai World is about to present a plan on repaying $26 billion in debt linked to its main property units, Limitless World and Nakheel.

The offer may include more than two tranches in an effort to meet the needs of the 97 lenders to the government conglomerate.

Two of the restructuring options include repayment over three to five years with the principal discounted, and repayment over seven to nine years with no discount. How much of a “haircut” is included on the shorter-term deal depends on how much money Abu Dhabi stumps up.

“I would be very surprised if there was a scenario that repays creditors entirely ,” said Khuram Maqsood, managing director of Emirates Capital.

Dubai’s index rose 3.7 percent, its biggest gain since Dec. 14 and highest close since Jan. 12. “Values traded on the DFM picked up substantially... highlighting growing market views that the Dubai World restructuring may evolve more favourably than was factored into valuations previously,” Ian Munro, MAC Capital head of research, wrote in a note to clients.

Dubai Financial Market climbed 9.6 percent to a nine-week high, while DP World, majorityowned by Dubai World, rose 5.6 percent. “Most of the blue-chips have broken very important resistance levels, creating appetite among speculators to get in and do a lot of trading within the same session,” said Samer Al-Jaouni, General Manager of Middle East Financial Brokerage Co. Abu Dhabi’s index rose 1.2 percent to its highest finish since Nov. 25, the day Dubai World asked for a debt standstill. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, which is among Dubai World’s major domestic creditors, added 4.2 percent.

Global Investment House climbed 6 percent after its fourth-quarter loss narrowed, helping Kuwait’s index claim a 20-week closing high.

Sentiment is upbeat in the world’s top oil exporting region, with crude prices holding firm above $80 a barrel and China reporting a 28 percent jump in oil demand in January.

The Saudi bourse edged up to a new 17month high after the regulator’s chief said the bourse plans to launch stock market index funds accessible to foreigners.

Industries Qatar added 0.4 percent, but is down 2.9 percent since reporting disappointing earnings on Feb 28. “World markets are quite bullish, so normally one would expect a global cyclical company like IQ to move up,” said Keith Edwards, head of asset management at Dohabased investment company The First Investor.

“IQ’s dividend was not that impressive and that has weighed on the stock - Qatar is a market typified by quite high dividend yields and the lower dividend stocks have been eschewed.”

HIGHLIGHTS DUBAI The index climbed 3.7 percent to 1,747 points.

ABU DHABI The benchmark rose 1.2 percent to 2,868 points.

SAUDI ARABIA The index rose 0.3 percent to 6,603 points.

EGYPT The index fell 2.4 percent to 6,607 points.

KUWAIT The measure rose 0.4 percent to 7,487 points.

QATAR The index climbed 0.9 percent to 6,878 points.

OMAN The benchmark slipped 0.1 percent to 6,641 points.

BAHRAIN The index fell 0.3 percent to 1,497 points.

— Reuters

BUSINESS

Monday, March 15, 2010

25

Kuwait money supply edges up; bank deposits rise KUWAIT: Subsequent to the drop seen in Dec-09, the current month reassured the overall upward trend of last year as Kuwait’s broad measure of money supply (M2) recorded an increase of KD 238 million compared to last month to stand at KD 25.1 billion at the end of January 2010. The increase in M2 during the current month was mainly on the back of the significant increase in KD sight deposits of KD 271 million or 6.9%, while Quasi money slightly dropped by KD 31.2 million to stand at KD 20.15 billion at the end of the month. Furthermore, Net Domestic Assets (NDA) during the month grew by KD 208 million triggered by the increase in government deposits, while Net Foreign Assets (NFA) saw a marginal increase of around KD 30 million.

As for the FY-09, M2 saw an upward trend rising by 13.42% or KD 2.95 billion fuelled by the 14.80% growth in quasi money, equivalent to an increase of KD 2.60 billion, which is mainly constituted of foreign currency deposits and savings and time deposits. This increase was mainly as a result of the risk aversion preference by most investors who primarily considered divesting large portion of their portfolios to avoid any further losses driven by the unsteadiness in the local and regional stock markets. Since the intensification of the financial crisis in September-08, M2 surged by a significant 20.7% or KD 4.28 billion, out of which KD 1.33 billion was added during the last four months of 2008.

Deposits with local banks Following last month’s reversal of the upward trend seen in Q4-09, total residents’ deposits regained momentum, to marginally grow by KD 66 million, or 0.23% and stand at KD 28.2 billion at the end of January-10. The increase was mainly on the back of the significant jump in private sector sight and saving deposits of KD 327 million, while time deposits saw a marginal drop of KD 51 million giving positive signals about the improvements in investors’ sentiments amid the lack of investment opportunities in the market and the general risk-aversion and capital preservation preference dominated in the market where equity markets saw elevated-risk since the intensification of the financial crisis. Furthermore, government deposits recorded a decrease of KD 175 million as compared to last month, offsetting part of the growth from private sector’s deposits, to reach KD 3.81 billion as of 31-Jan-10. During the FY-09, total deposits with local banks have surged by KD

KAMCO monthly oil & money market report 3.33 billion, or 13.4% owing to the instability in the stock market and the lack of profitable investment opportunities in the local bourse and the real estate market which are experiencing shortage in liquidity, insolvency and high indebtedness of large number of financial institutions and real estate developers.

Private sector deposits, which represent the key component of the Banks’ deposit base with a percentage contribution of 86.5%, witnessed during the month a significant increase of around KD 241 million to register KD 24.36 billion at the end of January-10.

Private sector deposits denominated in Kuwaiti Dinar constituted the bulk of private sector deposits and accounted for around 88.8% or around KD 21.64 billion, while private sector deposits in foreign currencies constituted the remaining 11.2% or around KD 2.72 billion. Compared to January 2009, private sector deposits grew significantly by 10.46% or around KD 2.31 billion fuelled by the KD 1.25 billion increase in Time deposits over the same period as the deterioration in stock market has shifted investors’ preference to low risk-return investments rather than risky financial instruments which in turn led to a flow back of money into the banking system and hence strengthening the deposit base of local banks.

Government deposits continued the downward trend for the third consecutive month to significantly decline by 4.39%, equivalent to KD 175 million, and to stand at KD 3.81 billion at the end of January 2010, hence contributing to around 13.5% of total banks’ deposits.

Credit facilities extended by banks Credit facilities extended by local banks to residents was almost unchanged from last month, recording a marginal increase of KD 3.4 million compared to Dec-09 to remain flat at KD 25.1 billion by the end of Jan-10. On a yearly basis, credit facilities witnessed a slight upward movement in 2009, with yearly growth of 6.60%, much lower than the 16.9% growth recorded during full year 2008. The marginal growth in credit facilities during FY-09 was mainly in tandem with liquidity squeeze in the market, tightening credit conditions and deterioration in the prices of financial assets which together pushed banks to implement a conservative and strict lending policies in extending

additional facilities to local investors especially with the lack of viable investment opportunities in the real economic sectors and the real estate market coupled with the instability in the Kuwait Stock Exchange.

Credit’s key component, personal facilities continued its downward movement from last month, yet at a slower pace, to drop by a marginal 0.1% or KD 6.7 million and reach KD 8.38 billion at the end of January-10. Credit facilities for the purchase of securities accounted for 33.5% of personal facilities and recorded around KD 2.81 billion, down by KD 21.4 million compared to last month. Such an exposure to the stock market exposes banks to the risk of rising doubtful debts and thereby loan loss provision will elevate and adversely impact the profitability of the banking sector.

Loans to Real Estate sector, the second major component of credit facilities, sustained the general upward movement and went up by around KD 22.4 million, to reach KD 6.62 billion, accounting for around 26.4% of aggregate credit facilities. The global financial turmoil has adversely affected Kuwait’s financial system, with slowdown in credit growth, weakening economy, and rising non-performing loans with banks. The exposure to the real estate and construction sectors of Kuwaiti Banks is believed to be one of the highest levels in the Gulf region, representing around 33% of their loan portfolio as of January 2010. The extensive lending secured against assets namely real estate or properties, as opposed to cash flow, suggests any significant fluctuation and downturn in property and land prices constitutes a major threat to the quality of secured lending extended by banks.

Loans extended to Non-bank financial institutions dropped for the second consecutive month by 1.0% or KD 30.4 million, to reach KD 2.87 billion at the end of Jan-10. Moreover, during FY 2009, credit to NonBank financial institutions recorded a growth of 1.21% compared to a significant growth of 18.8% or around KD 453 million during 2008. The first half of the year saw a decline of KD 117 million, or 4.1% on the back of the high risk in the market and the strict lending policies following the insolvency issues faced by some major players in the financial services and investment

sector in the midst of the intensification of the global financial turmoil; however, the second half of the year saw an increase KD 152 million, or 5.5% in loans to non-bank financial institutions due to the negotiations and restructuring of debts for some insolvent and financially troubled companies and the additional credit extended amid some easing in the credit market. The global financial crisis has had a severe impact on Banks and other Financial Institutions leading to the implementation of stricter credit policies as a precautionary measure taken by local banks to limit the default of loans extended across different sectors in the economy. The chart below, which depicts the change in outstanding loans across the major economic sectors during the Trailing twelve month periods ending January 2008 and 2009, reflects the slowdown in credit growth which reached unprecedented levels in the midst of the crisis.

Interest rates The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), in its continuing efforts to strengthen the foundations of growth in the domestic economy in the face of the challenges of the global financial and economic crisis, decided in February 2010 to slash its discount rate by 50 basis points to 2.50% from 3.00%. This decision helps establish an appropriate atmosphere to reinforce growth in non-oil sectors in the national economy by reducing the cost of credit and thus enhance the stimulus effect of the CBK monetary policy in the current stage.

After reaching a high of 6.25% during July 2006 followed by a cut of 50 bps during January 2008, the CBK discount rate has been slashed continuously since the intensification of the global financial turmoil by a total of 325 bps. The CBK has been actively monitoring the financial situation and utilizing various tools to fasten the economic wheel, restore confidence in the Kuwaiti economy, and to unfreeze the liquidity squeeze through pumping money into the banking system as well as guaranteeing banks’ deposits.

Subsequent to last month’s issue of KD 60 million worth of one-year treasury bonds, with a coupon rate of 1.5%, February 2010 has seen no announcement of Treasury bonds issuance; however, during full year 2009, CBK has issued treasury bonds for a total of KD

1.59 billion which comprises 6 issues of 1-year Tbonds for a total value of KD 576 million carrying a coupon of 2.25%, 4 issues of 1-year T-bonds for a total value of KD 379 million carrying a coupon of 2%, and 7 issues of 1-year T-bonds for a total value of KD 635 million carrying a coupon of 1.5%. The continuous issuance of T-bonds by the Central Bank represents a way of creating investment opportunities for riskaverse banks that are reluctant to lend or invest amid the global financial turmoil and its implications on the financial sector and the local economy.

Oil market Falling steadily during the last two weeks of January-2010, OPEC Reference Basket continued to lose momentum during early February, moving to a low of $68.86/d on the back of the renewed concerns about economic growth, particularly in euro-zone, along with the stronger dollar and downward correction in the equity markets. The second half of the month saw the basket rebound and recovering part of the drop to close the month at $74.6/d. On a monthly basis, the OPEC Basket plunged by around 4.1% to average around $72.90/b in February 2010 compared to an average of $76.01/b in January-10. However, the average price for the YTD period ending Feb-2010 reached $74.42/d, while the average price for 2009 was at $61.08/b compared to an average of $94.45/b for 2008. The Reference Basket plummeted to a low of $68.86/b during the second week of February-10, the lowest level seen since mid October-09, yet closed the month at $74.60/b. On the other hand, the Kuwait Blend Spot Price FOB averaged $74.33/b during February-10 and closed the month at $76.50/b, up from $70.94/b recorded at the end of January 2010.

The world economy continues to show some improvement and global GDP is now expected to grow at an upwardly revised 3.4% in 2010 after contracting by 0.9% in 2009. The main contribution for this growth is coming from developing Asia, with China seen growing by 9.1%, while India is forecast to growth by 7.0% in 2010. On the other hand, the OECD is forecast to grow on a much lower level of 1.7%; US is now expected to contribute the most with the OECD at 2.5%. Growth in 2010 continues to be challenged by concerns about the level of public debt in almost all OECD regions, continuing high unemployment levels across the globe and government efforts in China to prevent the economy from overheating.

Beijing wants US reassurance over dollar

Premier: China’s yuan to remain ‘basically stable’ SINGAPORE: Foreign laborers working at a construction site in Singapore.

With one in three of the five million people living on the tiny island now a foreigner and citizens complaining about competition for jobs, housing and medical care, the government is taking a fresh look at its open-door policy.— AFP

Tough talking confronts euro finance ministers BRUSSELS: Quick fixes if holes in Greece’s budget need filled, longer-term options enabling countries that share the euro to be rescued and battles over hedge fund and private equity regulation or VAT. The issues confronting euro-zone and European Union finance ministers at their monthly gathering in Brussels today and tomorrow are as many and as varied as they are contentious-you’d think we were still in recession. Formally, no one will be talking about mechanisms that will allow France, Germany and others to loan money to Greece, or a plan for the European Commission to borrow money on international markets for the same purpose.

“It’s not on the agenda,” says the top representative of the EU’s Spanish presidency, with a smile as long as a siesta. The same goes for the big talking point going forward, the creation of a so-called European Monetary Fund. Another European diplomat smiles equally roundly when admitting there will be “no debate” on items that are on the formal agenda for these talks, which are also about preparing the ground for this month’s full summit of EU leaders.

How the world’s biggest trading bloc, home to half a billion people, positions its economy over the next decade in a bid to keep pace with emerging giants around the world from China through India to Brazil, is one of these. Growth may be as fractional as the experts tell you it is fragile, but new positions on exit strategies-or when to leave banks standing on their own two feet, and when to raise interest rates-will also be rubber-stamped.

A commission-inspired drive to keep the battle to control climate change on the international agenda, with agreement on how to finance the fight, must also compete for attention with EU budget priorities for next year on the list. That’s without mentioning

a vigorous attack on Credit Default Swaps-the lucrative trade in complicated insurance against slices of debt default risk-spearheaded by France, Germany, Greece and Luxembourg, with US approval.

“Imagine I take out insurance in case you die,” said a French diplomat, neatly illustrating Athens anger against high-end speculators. “Then imagine I sell bits of it to manipulators who might want something bad to happen to you.”

With the talk in the corridors mainly about how to deliver the concrete assistance Greece was promised last month by the EU’s other 26 national leaders “if necessary,” political expediency requires deals done where possible. To that end, a row over new legislation making it harder for non-EU hedge funds and their like to sell to the 440 million people outside Britain, the management hub for Europe’s finance industry, is presented largely as tactical.

London is angry that its managers, with funds mostly housed in tax-haven dependencies like the Cayman Islands or Guernsey, will not be given a “passport” to sell products the rest of Europe sees as systemically risky.

Paris, on the other hand, complains that G20 recommendations on curbing bankers’ bonuses will not be applied to hedge fund managers under compromise legislation expected to be rammed through, with non-euro Britain “isolated.”

Locked in a fight to the finish for a first stab at power with the conservative opposition, Gordon Brown’s pre-election government may have negotiated an important opt-out within new laws for financial supervision. But despite a nine-month battle, backed by the US Treasury chief, it admits it has lost the argument over alternative investment funds and fully expects to be voted out of the room on Tuesday for the meeting’s signature agreement. — AFP

BEIJING: China’s premier rejected foreign pressure over its exchange rate controls and said yesterday the Chinese currency will be kept “basically stable.” Premier Wen Jiabao promised to reform currency controls, but gave no indication when that might happen.

Washington and other trading partners are pressing Beijing to ease controls that they say keep the yuan — also called the renminbi — undervalued, giving its exporters an unfair price advantage and swelling its trade surplus. “First of all, I don’t think the renminbi is undervalued,” Wen said at a news conference.

“We oppose all countries engaging in mutual finger-pointing or taking strong measures to force other nations to appreciate their currencies.” Some American lawmakers and trade groups want Congress to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing fails to act. Critics say the yuan is undervalued by up to 40 percent against the dollar.

“We will continue to reform the renminbi exchange rate regime and will keep the renminbi basically stable at an appropriate and balanced level,” Wen said. China faces pressure to allow the yuan to rise to ease

HEFEI, China: A Chinese bank worker counts a stack of US dollars together with stacks of 100 Chinese yuan notes at a bank in Hefei, east China’s Anhui province. — AFP inflation and other strains in its own economy. A stronger currency also could help Beijing to achieve its goal of making the economy more self-sustaining by boosting consumer buying power and reducing reliance on exports and investment.

Analysts expect Beijing to let the yuan rise against the dollar sometime this year. But they foresee a gradual increase of no more than 5 percent this year, which would not produce dramatic changes in the US and European trade deficits.

Beijing tied the yuan to the dollar for decades, but broke that link in 2005 and allowed it to rise by about 20 percent through late 2008. The government slammed on the brakes after the crisis hit and has held its currency steady against the

greenback to help exporters compete as a plunge in global demand wiped out millions of Chinese factory jobs.

“Since the outbreak of the international financial crisis, we have made strong efforts to keep the renminbi exchange rate at a stable level,” Wen said.

“This has played an important role in facilitating the global economy.”

China’s premier expressed concern about the US dollar and called on Washington to take “concrete steps” to reassure Beijing about the safety of its huge Treasury bond holdings.

“Any fluctuation in the value of the US currency is a big concern for us,” Premier Wen Jiabao said at a news conference. “We cannot afford any mistake, how slight it is, when running our financial assets,” he said. “I would like the United States to take concrete steps to reassure investors.” China has pressed Washington to control its yawning budget deficit and prevent inflation that would erode the value of the dollar and China’s holdings.

The premier said Treasury values were a matter of the “national credibility” of the United States. — AP

Crew strike threatens BA’s future: Minister LONDON: British Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis urged cabin crew at British Airways on to call off their planned strikes this month, saying it threatened the company’s very existence.

Cabin crew are due to walk out on seven days this month after talks between the airline and unions on changes to working practices broke down. Analysts say the dispute could cost the airline around 140 million pounds ($212 million). Asked if the strike put the future of British Airways in danger, Adonis told the BBC: “Yes I do ...

The stakes are incredibly high in this strike.” “It is not only the damage it is going to do to passengers and the inconve-

nience it is going to cause, which is quite disproportionate to the issues at stake, but also the threat it poses to the future of one of our great companies.”

The planned strike would “threaten the very existence of British Airways,” he said. The Unite union said on Friday its members would strike for three days from March 20 and for four days from March 27, while BA removed a formal offer made to staff on Thursday, saying it had been conditional on Unite not naming any strike dates. Adonis said the strike would be deeply damaging to the economy and could threaten the jobs of the union’s members.

“They (the union) should call off this

strike. They should get back into negotiations with British Airways again. They came very, very close to an agreement last week, so close that I believe that if they could continue these negotiations in a constructive way it would be possible to call this strike off,” he said.

Adonis said there was a short window before British Airways had to announce what would happen to flights if the strike went ahead. “In this short window I implore the union to get together with the management and to see whether at this late stage a solution can be found,” he said.

BA’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, has said the airline must move away from its

old, inefficient ways if long-term survival is to be ensured.

Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey has accused BA management of seeking to “destroy trade unionism among its employees”.

BA said Unite’s proposals to save the airline money fell significantly short of helping it reach its 60 million-pound costsaving target and would leave crew much worse off. BA has trained staff from other areas of the company to fill in as cabin crew during the strike and has said it will hire 23 fully-crewed planes from charter companies to help run flights from London’s Heathrow airport. — AFP

26

BUSINESS

Monday, March 15, 2010

Doubts persist on image as US readies tourism push WASHINGTON: As the United States gears up for a $100 million effort to boost tourism, doubts remain whether the initiative can live up to its promise and overcome a tarnished US image abroad.

A law signed March 4 by President Barack Obama creates a Corporation for Travel Promotion, modeled after tourism boards in other countries and US states.

Backers say the program, which may take from six months to two years to put into service, will help establish a national “brand” image for the United States, offer more information and draw more global tourism and its economic benefits. The program is expected to spend $100 million a year, funded with private sector contributions and a $10 fee on foreign travelers who do not require a visa.

No direct US taxpayer money will be used.

The new fee is a main point of contention for critics of the plan who argue that the United States does not need a flashy marketing campaign and that visitors may be discouraged by new red tape.

“It’s not as if people are unaware

of the United States,” said Steve Lott, spokesman for the International Air Transport Association, a trade group representing major global airlines.

The new fee, said Lott, “is essentially a tourism tax, and whether it’s the United States or any other country we generally have concerns about tourism taxes... Most travelers around the world are well aware of what the United States offers for tourists.”

IATA told Congress during debate on the measure that it would likely reduce rather than increase the number of overseas visitors to the US. But Geoff Freeman, senior vice president at the US Travel Association, an industry group that spearheaded the legislation, said passage of program “is the most significant message in the post-9/11 world from the US government that we are going to invest in welcoming more visitors.”

The new effort, he said, “is less about highlighting the Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate Bridge and more about letting people around the world that we want their business.”

NEW YORK: A group of tourists look at the Statue of Liberty as they pass by on a Circle Line boat in this May 30, 2006 photo in New York. As the United States gears up for a $100 million effort to boost tourism, doubts remain whether the new initiative can live up to its promise and help overcome a tarnished US image abroad.—AFP

Freeman said the program must be accompanied by an effort to deal with the perception and reality of the US entry system-tough security checks and searches, long lines and a generally unfriendly welcome process. “The demand for travel to the US is quite high,” he said.

“Where we suffer is the perception that the US is not as welcoming as it once was.”

According to the travel association, the number of overseas visitors to the United States has declined steadily in the past decade and was 2.4 million fewer than in 2000.

Backers say the effort will create some 40,000 US jobs and bring in far more tax receipts than the cost of the program. An Oxford Economics study prepared for the travel association found that the return for travel promotion spending ranged from 13 to one in Britain to 35 to one in Canada. The study suggested that a well-executed program could produce a four-billion-dollar economic impact and boost federal tax coffers by 321 million dollars.

Yet some argue the effort could backfire, and that other countries

may respond with their own fees on Americans, diminishing the move toward visa-free travel to many countries.

Kasper Zeuthen, a European Union embassy spokesman in Washington, said the program “is inconsistent with the often repeated commitment of the US to facilitate transatlantic mobility in a secure environment.”

The new fee imposed, he said “risks being perceived as a visa fee in disguise” and “could reopen the discussion” on visa-free travel between EU countries and the US. But Freeman of the travel association said European countries have many fees of their own on foreign travelers but that the fees are hidden in the form of taxes on airline tickets or other items.

“The difference here is that this fee is transparent,” he said.

“If other countries are committed to removing all fees on travelers, we would welcome that. I think those countries are worried that when America gets into the game and starts marketing, we are going to steal market share.” — AFP

Interest rates likely to remain at zero percent

Fierce debate expected at Fed policy meeting WASHINGTON: The US Federal Reserve’s policy makers are expected to maintain benchmark interest rates at virtually zero percent at their meeting this week amid intense debate on how soon the central bank should tighten monetary policy. More than a year after the central bank slashed the federal funds rate to an unprecedented zero to 0.25 percent, economists said ultra-low rates were key to sustaining the fragile recovery from recession and easing high unemployment. But they expect a

fierce debate at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting tomorrow after signs of dissent emerged at the last meeting in January when it voted 9-1 to maintain rates “exceptionally low” for “an extended period.”

In voicing rare dissent, Kansas City Fed president Thomas Hoenig felt that policy makers should end the Fed’s pledge since December 2008 to keep the fed funds rate-at which banks charge each other for loans-low “for an extended period.”

HARARE: Employees check pressure pipes at Zimbabwe’s black granite producer Natural Stone Export Company in Mutoko. The stone prized by European designers is found in one of Zimbabwe’s poorest districts, where residents look with envy on the granite that can fetch up to $600 for a square meter slice. — AFP

Luxurious black granite draws envy of poor Zimbabweans MUTOKO, Zimbabwe: Giant yellow loaders whine as they struggle to lift freshly cut blocks of black granite, their massive tires sometimes rolling backwards as the vehicles grapple with the weighty stones.

The stone prized by European designers is found in one of Zimbabwe’s poorest districts, where residents look with envy on the granite that can fetch up to 600 US dollars for a square meter slice.

Black granite was used to create the Heroes’ Acre cemetery for liberation war leaders in Harare, and is used for facades of downtown buildings. But 95 percent of the 150,000 tons mined last year was sent overseas. making it a crucial foreign currency earner as designers snapped it up to make tables in posh hotels.

Meanwhile, in villages near the mine, families struggle to eke out an existence on small loamy plots, living in dilapidated houses and looking up to the quarry for help.

“The community is impoverished, but I would not say one of the most impoverished,” Dave van Breda, chief executive of Natural Stones Export Company, said.

“It’s more well-off because of the quarrying industry which has created employment.”

He says his company provides seed and tractors for poor farmers, runs an ambulance service, builds classrooms and bathrooms, and offers scholarships to

local students.

“When we had food shortages, we were feeding around 3,000 families,” he said. “The situation warranted us to contribute as much as we could even as we ourselves were not generating much money.”

The Mutoko miners declined to divulge their earnings. Local villagers believe the companies are earning a fortune and want a bigger piece of the cake.

“They have tried but it’s not enough,” said a teacher, who requested not to be named, at Kowo primary school where the miners built a classroom block and new toilets. “They must do more than this. Workers from the quarry have children who attend school here so the company must do more. This school must be made attractive.”

The classrooms have no doors and are bare except for a few old desks and chairs.

“The classrooms were complete with doors but some people came to steal,” explained Vice Nyamanzi, a former councillor and now welfare officer for Natural Stones.

“We are trying to do our best to help,” he said. Van Breda blames the situation on government rules requiring proceeds from the quarries to go to Harare instead of the local district council.

Last year, he says his company paid 400,000 US dollars (292,000 euros) in roy-

alties to the government, but the money does not flow back to the communities.

“Communities complain naturally,” said van Breda. “They say part of their heritage is being mined out and not much in terms of improvements or other forms of benefits is being ploughed back.”

Nekati Kowo, a 25-year-old villager said granite quarries were causing more damage than they were benefitting their host communities.

“What is being destroyed is more than what we are benefitting from the mining,” Kowo said.

“The companies only employ a few people and their trucks and mining activities cause cracks to develop on our houses but we don’t get compensation.”

Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association agrees, saying gains for the community were negligible.

“Granite miners are mostly interested in black granite,” the association said in a statement, arguing that royalties from the mine should be returned to the local community.

Van Breda said he supports that effort.

“We and various councillors and traditional leaders and local politicians have been lobbying for years to get at least 50 percent of the royalties diverted back where the black granite is produced,” he said.

“We just wait and hope some will be done.” —AFP

Analysts said the dissent raised questions about whether the Fed was losing its consensus that a vast stimulus effort was still needed to hasten economic recovery from the most brutal recession in decades.

“Debate may be sharp at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting next week, but little of it is likely to show up in the policy makers’ post-meeting statement,” said Ryan Sweet, a senior economist with Moody’s Economy.com.

“The Fed needs to keep its foot on the accelerator to nurture the recovery, which remains fragile,” he said. Since the last FOMC meeting, Hoenig and other key central banks officials have gone public in pushing their positions on monetary policy.

While the hawkish Hoenig insisted the Fed should be ready to raise benchmark rates despite near double-digit unemployment, several other policy makers said such a move could derail the fragile recovery.

Boston Fed chief Eric Rosengren, a leading policy dove, said ultra-low rates are “totally appropriate” while Chicago Fed president Charles Evans said he was “quite comfortable” with the near-zero rates for an “extended period.”

Many economists believe the current Fed language-that officials plan to keep rates “exceptionally low” for “an extended period”-would be maintained in the statement issued after tomorrow’s FOMC meeting.

“We expect that they will retain the “EE” phrase-’exceptionally’ low rates for an ‘extended” period,’ said IHS Global Insight US economists Brian Bethune and Nigel Gault in a note to clients.

While the FOMC would refer to further strengthening in the economic recovery, the policy makers could point out “continuing constraints on household spending due to tight credit, modest income growth and lower housing wealth,” they said.

Businesses remain reluctant to hire and inflation pressures continue to be contained, they said.

The Fed said earlier this month in its Beige Book report-to be used by the central bank’s policy makers as a guide-that the US economy continued to expand modestly on the back of consumer spending but the labor market remained bleak. “Slowly but surely the stage will be set for Fed policy rate hikes” but the risks to financial stability from keeping rates too low for too long would still likely elicit a tightening shift before yearend, said Michael Gregory, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. —AFP

SHANGHAI: A security personnel standing guard at the under-construction terminal 2 of Hongqiao airport in Shanghai. Shanghai this week will unveil a brand-new airport terminal-the latest mega-infrastructure project to be completed as the city prepares to welcome tens of millions of visitors for the World Expo. — AFP

Shanghai to unveil new-look airport ahead of World Expo SHANGHAI: Shanghai this week will unveil a brand-new airport terminal-the latest mega-infrastructure project to be completed as the Chinese city prepares to welcome tens of millions of visitors to Expo 2010.

The city has spent $2.2 billion on the makeover of Hongqiao airport, located just 35 minutes from the city centre, and made it part of an ultramodern travel hub linking metro, highspeed rail and a proposed maglev train line.

The new terminal, which opens on Tuesday, is four times as big as the old one, which was designed for 9.6 million passengers a year but handled more than 25 million in 2009. It will handle 90 percent of the flights out of Hongqiao.

“The old airport was bursting at the seams,” said Shanghai Airport Authority (SAA) vice-president Li Derun. “The new terminal can effectively reduce delays and alleviate pressure on Pudong Airport during the Expo.” Pudong Airport is Shanghai’s main airport for international flights while Hongqiao is used mainly by domestic airlines, and officials expect the vast majority of the 70-100 million visitors expected at Expo to come from China.

The new terminal and a second runway are part of a chain of projects that will see up to 400 billion yuan ($58 billion) in direct and indirect investment in the Expo, according to state mediamore than the 290 billion reportedly spent on the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In contrast to British architect Norman Foster’s dragon-like new Beijing Airport terminal built for the 2008 Summer Games, the designers

of the Hongqiao facility said they did not set out to create an architectural landmark.

“We weren’t looking for an extravagant or gigantic building. Instead we were looking for a user-friendly and customer-oriented design,” said chief architect Guo Jianxiang, who also designed Pudong’s seagull-like second terminal.

“Hongqiao in Chinese means rainbow bridge, so we incorporated the image of the bridge and rainbow’s seven colors into the terminal,” he said.

Hongqiao is expected to handle 40 million passengers a year by 2015, with three-quarters of them using the new four-level terminal. A direct metro line into the building also opens on Tuesday, linking the airport to the city by subway for the first time.

Shanghai is spending nearly 300 billion yuan to expand its subway system alone, adding hundreds of kilometers (miles) of new tracks for new and extended lines ahead of Expo, which runs for six months. High-speed trains are due to start arriving at the airport from the eastern city of Nanjing on July 1, with trains from Beijing scheduled for next year.

The extension of Shanghai’s 30-kilometre (20mile) magnetic levitation, or maglev, line to link Hongqiao and Pudong airports may take longer after residents expressed concern about the environmental impact of the project.

“Expo is an opportunity for the city to upgrade its current transportation system to a world-class level, and to put the city on a global stage,” said Zou Yi, chief analyst from Wisenova Investment Consultancy. —AFP

Report: Probe questions account of runaway Prius SAN FRANCISCO: Federal and company investigators probing a dramatic high-speed incident on a California freeway involving a Toyota Prius didn’t find as much wear as they expected on its brakes, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

James Sikes, 61, said afterward that he hit the brakes hard and kept the pedal down. His car reached 94 mph (151 kph) before a Highway Patrol officer helped him bring it to a stop on Interstate 8 near San Diego Monday. The Journal said three people familiar with the probe, whom it did not name, said Sikes’ brakes didn’t show wear consistent with having been applied at full force at high speeds for a long period. Instead, they may have been applied intermittently, the newspaper said.

Toyota Corp spokesman Mike Michels declined to confirm the report. He said the investigation was continuing and the company planned to release technical findings soon.

Michels said the hybrid braking system in the Prius would make the engine lose power if the brakes and accelerator were pressed at the same time. Toyota has had to fend off intense public backlash over safety after recalls of some 8.5 million vehicles worldwide — more than 6

million in the United States — because of acceleration and floor mat problems in multiple models and braking issues in the Prius.

Regulators have linked 52 deaths to crashes allegedly caused by accelerator problems.

Transportation Department spokeswoman Jill Zuckman declined to comment on Saturday’s report, saying investigators were still examining the data. The department oversees the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is investigating the incident with Toyota. Sikes called police from the freeway and reported that his gas pedal was stuck and he could not slow down. In two calls that spanned 23 minutes, a dispatcher repeatedly told him to throw the car into neutral and turn it off. Sikes later said he had put down the phone to keep both hands on the wheel and was afraid the car would flip if he put it in neutral at such high speed. The officer — who eventually pulled alongside the car and told Sikes over a loudspeaker to push the brake pedal to the floor and apply the emergency brake — said Sikes braking coincided with a steep incline on the freeway. Once the car slowed to 50 mph (80 kph), Sikes shut off the engine, the officer said. —AP

TECHNOLOGY

Monday, March 15, 2010

27

Bloggers battle corruption in Russia MOSCOW: It started with a golden bed and African drummers and led to Russia’s latest, surprising, political duel pitting tenacious bloggers against bureaucrats whose excesses went a step too far. Russians typically shrug their shoulders at the lavish lifestyles of government officials, assuming nothing can be done about bureaucrats who take bribes and pocket state funds.

But when Russia’s interior ministry announced plans to buy a golden bed, it raised an outcry - and revealed the potential of the Internet for stirring up outrage against entrenched corruption.

While the docile, state-dominated media looks the other way, a small but determined group of Russian bloggers is challenging corrupt bureaucrats, rallying public opinion and goading prosecutors into action. Their blogs have attracted unanticipated popularity, reflecting deep-

seated anger at the high-handed behavior of officials in Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s government. “I didn’t expect the blog to become so popular,” said Alexander Malyutin, who runs a blog devoted to exposing suspicious government tenders, including the interior ministry’s infamous golden bed purchase.

Last August, the ministry announced plans to buy 24 million rubles (800,000 dollars) worth of furniture, including a bed “covered with a thin layer of 24-carat gold,” according to the official tender documents. The documents were posted deep within a website where all the government’s purchases must be published, under a law passed in 2005 during one of the Kremlin’s periodic efforts to root out corruption. After bloggers and journalists exposed the plans, the ministry defended itself from ridicule by saying the bed was

needed for a special VIP guesthouse in Moscow where it hosts foreign officials.

Malyutin’s blog, zakupki_news, which takes its name from the Russian word for “purchases,” helped draw attention to the golden bed and other dubious expenditures of taxpayer money. Those have included plans by a Saint Petersburg astronomy institute to buy a Mercedes and by the governor of Russia’s far eastern Sakhalin province to bring African drummers from Burundi to perform at his annual New Year’s party.

Both those tenders were canceled after outcries in the blogosphere, but the golden bed purchase went ahead. “In many cases there was no violation of the law, just shameless behaviour. The golden bed tender was legal and funding was officially allocated for it,” said Malyutin, who works as editor of the news website Marker.ru.

Last year, Russia was ranked 146th, alongside Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone, in a list of relative levels of corruption in countries around the world compiled by global graft watchdog Transparency International.

Perhaps the most fearless of Russia’s anti-graft bloggers is Alexei Navalny, a lawyer who takes on state-run companies like gas giant Gazprom and oil firm Rosneft, which have close ties to Putin.

Navalny, 33, uses his status as a minority shareholder in the big state-run companies - he owns several thousand dollars worth of stock in them - to badger their management teams for greater transparency. “I hate the system of power in this country. I think it’s absolutely corrupt and it’s causing the country to fall apart,” Navalny said.

In November, Navalny announced the results of a lengthy investigation he had conducted into Russia’s second-largest

bank, VTB, which is 85 percent owned by the state. In a blog post, he accused VTB managers of embezzling $150 million in a complex scheme involving the leasing of 30 Chinese oil rigs. He followed up the original post with a video detailing the allegations that has been viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube. The video begins with a giant VTB logo hovering menacingly over the Earth to the music from the “Star Wars” films, and ends with footage of an snowy yard in Russia’s far north where the oil rigs are rusting away, unused.

VTB says the managers involved in the scheme have been sacked but insists there is no need for criminal charges. Moscow prosecutors are deciding whether to open an investigation, following a letter-writing campaign from Navalny and his supporters.

VTB bosses and their government allies

“are very irritated by this public discussion,” said Navalny, who was formerly an active member of Yabloko, a liberal political party, but now avoids electoral politics.

The blogosphere, so far untouched by censors, is slowly becoming a “socially significant force” that spreads information ignored by Russia’s state-dominated media, said corruption expert Kirill Kabanov. “The major television channels are structures which serve the interests of the bureaucracy,” said Kabanov, head of the National Anti-Corruption Committee, a non-governmental organisation. But Kabanov added that the Internet’s impact on public opinion was limited since it reached only a small part of Russia’s population. Some 30 percent of Russians have Internet access at home, far less than in Western countries, according to a study released this month by the GfK market research company. — AFP

Gypsii launches ‘newsbot’

Smartphones put moves on social networking MOSCOW: Picture taken on December 17, 2009 shows Russian blogger Alexander Malyutin as he speaks in his office in Moscow. While the docile, state-dominated media looks the other way, a small but determined group of Russian bloggers is challenging corrupt bureaucrats, rallying public opinion and goading prosecutors into action. Their blogs have attracted unanticipated popularity, reflecting deep-seated anger at the high-handed behavior of officials in Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s government. —AFP

Internet should be regulated: Chavez CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called for regulation of the Internet on Saturday while demanding authorities crack down on a critical news Web site that he accused of spreading false information. In a televised speech, Chavez said: ´The Internet canít be something free where anything can be done and said. No, every country has to impose its rules and regulations,ª Chavez said.

He singled out the Venezuelan news site Noticiero Digital, saying it had posted false information that some of his close allies had been killed.

Chavez called for Venezuelaís attorney general to take action immediately against the Web site. ´This is a crime,ª he said of the siteís reports. There was no immediate reaction from the Web site, which is a popular outlet for critical news and commentary in Venezuela.

Chavez has regularly clashed with critical broadcasters and newspapers. One anti-Chavez channel, Radio Caracas Television, was forced to move to cable in 2007 after the president refused to renew its license. In January, cable and satellite TV providers also stopped transmitting that channel under government orders after it defied regulations requiring it to televise some of Chavezís speeches. Referring to satellite TV channels, Chavez said, ´It canít be that they transmit whatever they want poisoning the

minds of many people — regulation, regulation, the laws!ª The last anti-Chavez channel on the open airwaves, Globovision, faces multiple investigations by government regulators for alleged violations of broadcast regulations.

Chavez called for authorities to take action against Globovision, saying one recent panelist on the channel ´has the nerve to say that Chavez, the president of this country, supports drug trafficking and also has the nerve to say there is evidence that here in Venezuela ... a bunch of courses have been given to terrorists from ETA and the FARC.ª ´Thatís very serious.

That canít be permitted,ª Chavez said. ´I canít put anyone in jail. There are the branches of government that should act, and the people themselves have to act.ª The interview that Chavez mentioned came during tensions between Spain and Venezuela after a Spanish judge said he has evidence of Venezuelan government links to the Basque separatist group ETA and the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC — both of which are classified as terrorist organizations by the European Union and the United States.

Chavezís government testily denied having links to the two groups, and the two countries have since tried to ease tensions with a joint statement pledging to work together against ETA. — AP

SHANGHAI: In this photo taken March 3, 2010, Greg Lombardo, brand development director of BRC Imagination Arts, speaks during an exclusive interview with the Associated Press about the USA Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo in Shanghai, China. — AP

AUSTIN: Mobile social networking ruled on Saturday as the techno-hip at South By South West (SXSW) used location-based services on smartphones to track down everything from panels to parties. Foursquare and Gowalla dueled for supremacy here while fresh rivals such as FourSquare and Gowalla take advantage of satellite location capabilies of smartphones to let friends share where they are.

The competing services also weave in addictive game aspects by letting users gain status by collecting virtual “badges” along the way.

“Location-based services are big,” said Israel Mirsky, executive vice president of emerging technology at public relations firm Porter Novelli.

“FourSquare and Gowalla use game methods to keep people engaged but they are ultimately utilities because they help friends find each other.”

Porter Novelli was holding a first-of-its-kind scavenger hunt at SXSW incorporating smartphones and augmented reality.

People were challenged to scour the streets of Austin, a bar-rich college town that also serves as Texas’ state capitol, for 3-D images only visible through camera lenses of GPSenabled smartphones.

“You hold up your phone with the game application in it and the pieces will appear floating in the air,” Mirsky said. “It is like being in a real-world videogame.”

Whoever finds the most icons will win 1,000 dollars.

On a SXSW show floor startup gypsii showed off a new

Tweetsii application for Apple’s popular iPhone smartphones, the mobile device of choice for most folks at the gathering.

Tweetsii aggregates posts from FourSquare, Gowalla, and microblogging star Twitter to let users know not only where friends are, but what they are saying about being there.

“It allows you to find out what is going on, what is hot and nearby,” gypsii vice president of strategic accounts Jay Cahill told AFP. “What Google and Bing are doing trying to search and index what is available from the Web, we are doing that for the real world.”

Tweetsie also serves up archived data, so people can see what friends thought of a place long after they are gone.

“Location is one part of the equation; relevance is much more important,” said gypsii social media manager Tom Schuyler.

“It should be the conversation happening at the place. Your friends might be at the restau-

Tweetsii and Toodalu vowed to eclipse them. FourSquare and Gowalla launched last year at SXSW, a renowned gathering of musicians, film makers, and entrepreneurs quick to find creative uses for new Internet technologies.

A new Windows mobile Smartphone from i-mate rant, but did they enjoy the meal?”

Unlike FourSquare and Gowalla, which provide location data regarding only friends inside the respective online community, Tweetsii shows whereabouts of friends from both services as well as what is being “tweeted” in the area.

Gypsii just launched a “newsbot” that harvests news from the Internet and then delivers stories to smartphones based on where they happen to be, according to Schuyler.

“I can see news stories that have happened around where I am,” Schuyler said, pulling out his iPhone to back his words.

A short distance away toodalu.com was demonstrating a service launched Friday that uses maps to let iPhone users quickly see where friends are who are also members of the mobile social networking community.

“We are all about maps,” Adams said.

“We visualize the entire experience.

You click and see the names and faces of who is there in real time.”

Toodalu lets users upload pictures, so friends can get a glimpse of the scene.

“It’s the next wave of social connecting,” Adams said of location-bases services for smartphones. “It is going to be huge and somebody is going to emerge as the Twitter of location.”

Twitter, which debuted at SXSW in 2007, added location features a few days ago. Socialnetworking powerhouse Facebook is expected to add a location component to its service at a developers conference in April. — AFP

Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive to launch the new BMW 5 Series KUWAIT: The world’s most successful premium automotive manufacturer has announced that The New BMW 5 Series will arrive in Kuwait at the end of March 2010. The launch of the sixth generation model marks the epitome of aesthetic design and supreme driving pleasure in the midrange premium segment.

With its sporting and elegant design, excellent comfort and the highest standard in efficiency in its class, BMW’s latest executive sedan sets the benchmark in driving dynamics.

Commenting on the imminent launch, Yousef Al-Qatami, General Manager of Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, said: “The 5 Series is a core product and one of BMW’s best selling models, globally and in Kuwait, so we are looking forward to launching this new model in March. It is a totally different car from its predecessor in terms of design, comfort, technology and engineering. The car comes with new high performance engines and a host of new driver assistant features, including Rear Cameras, Ambient Lights

and Automatic Tailgate Operation.

“These are only a few of a host of innovative features available in The New BMW 5 Series. The new model is imaginative, creative and effective. BMW designers and engineers have worked hand-in-hand to ensure the perfect interplay of design and technology. It’s the perfect combination of sportiness, elegance and charisma. All this has been combined in complete harmony,” added Al-Qatami.

The new BMW 5 Series sedan will be available with one eight-cylinder and three six-cylinder petrol engines offering outstanding performance. The model is a class leader in emissions reduction. It has been designed around BMW’s successful Efficient Dynamics strategy that encompasses many technology innovations to offer outstanding performance and a reduction in fuel consumption.

The interior of the new BMW 5 Series has a stylish and modern design with exciting lines that create a generous and harmonious ambience. High quality

The new interior of the BMW materials and superior craftsmanship underline the premium interior ambience.

The new BMW 5 Series Sedan will

clearly stand out from the crowd, convincingly demonstrating its ability to offer the Sheer Driving Pleasure typical of the BMW brand.

Website spotlights misdeeds of the rich and powerful AUSTIN: The swindling saga of legendary Wall Street conman Bernard Madoff has inspired the creation of The Vile Plutocrat, a website devoted to the notion that “rich people suck.”

The Vile Plutocrat gathers news about the misdeeds of “the entitled class,” mixes in scathing editorial commentary and then links stories to biographies of the purported villains.

“The idea was born out of the Bernie Madoff scandal,” Paul Burton of 16 Toads Design told AFP late Saturday at a South By

South West Interactive gathering here.

“In a nutshell, we are looking for any kind of news that revolves around people in the upper echelons of society that are doing something that takes money away from the middle class.”

Madoff was arrested on December 2008 and sentenced in June to 150 years in prison after pleading guilty to a multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme in which existing investors were paid returns stolen from new investors’ capital.

To the horror of thousands of investors,

including major banks, Hollywood moguls and savvy financial players, Madoff, a former chairman of the NASDAQ stock market, admitted that for decades he had not been investing their money at all.

Instead, he had been shuffling the funds in an endless pyramid operation, using new victims’ contributions to pay phony interest to others and funding his own luxury lifestyle.

Madoff claimed to have been managing 65 billion dollars, but in October the courtappointed liquidator said the real bottom

line was 21.2 billion dollars.

Burton said that after the scandal broke there was “a tsunami” of similar stories about Ponzi schemes and other abuses of trust and power by people of privilege.

He watched as the stories slipped from front pages of news outlets to inside pages and then vanished completely.

“It effectively prevented people from learning about what was happening and the people behind it,” Burton said of scandal stories seemingly becoming so common they got short shrift.

“We take the stories and tie them to the individual behind everything then let people judge for themselves. It is definitely a news site; nothing is made up, nothing is extemporized, it is all real.”

He admits that his website is a little biased, noting that he has always been a “very political” person.

Thevileplutocrat.com front page Sunday included stories of a US congressman being admonished for accepting expensive trips as gifts and a probe into what role big US banks may have played in Greece’s financial crisis.

In the year since Burton created the website it has grown to attract about 2,000 weekly readers.

The Vile Plutocrat is among five blogging category finalists that will find out Sunday whether they have won a SXSW award for sites that “revolutionize the power of publishing.” “The short version of the website is rich people suck,” Burton said of the small operation based in the US state of Georgia. “We pull in news from around the world and it involves people from every country.” — AFP

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

Monday, March 15, 2010

Studies: Intense treatment doesn’t help diabetics ATLANTA: Key results from a landmark federal study are in, and the results are disappointing for diabetics: Adding drugs to drive blood pressure and blood-fats lower than current targets did not prevent heart problems, and in some cases caused harmful side effects. A decade ago, the federal government launched the three-part study to see whether intensely lowering blood sugar, blood pressure, or fats in the blood would reduce heart attacks and strokes in diabetics. The first piece of the study — about blood sugar — was stopped two years ago, when researchers saw more instead of less

risk with that approach. Now, the other two parts of the study are in. What should diabetics do? Focus on healthy diets and lifestyles, and take tried-and-true medicines that doctors recommend now to control health risks, said several experts, including Dr. Clyde Yancy, a Baylor University cardiologist and president of the American Heart Association.

The studies were presented Sunday at an American College of Cardiology conference and published on the Internet by the New England Journal of Medicine. They involve people with Type 2 diabetes — the most common form and the one rising because of the

obesity epidemic. Diabetics have more than double the risk of dying of heart attacks or strokes than people without the disease. For the blood-fat study, researchers led by Columbia University’s Dr. Henry Ginsburg recruited more than 5,500 diabetics who also had another health risk, such as high blood pressure or cholesterol.

All were given a statin — cholesterol-lowering pills sold as Lipitor and Zocor that have long been known to save lives. Half also were given Abbott Laboratories’ blockbuster drug, TriCor; the rest got dummy pills. TriCor is a fibrate, a drug that lowers blood fats called tri-

gylcerides while boosting “good” cholesterol.

Nearly five years later, the groups had similar rates of heart attacks and strokes, although people with very high blood fats seemed to benefit from TriCor. There also were signs of a gender difference — TriCor seemed to help men but appeared to possibly harm women, by raising the chance they would suffer a heart problem compared to women taking dummy pills. “It’s hard to know what to make of these trends,” said Dr. Jorge Plutzky, preventive cardiology chief at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He had no role in the study and has consulted for a variety of drug makers,

as have many of the researchers involved in the work. The blood-pressure part of the study was led by Dr. William Cushman, preventive medicine chief at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee.

About 4,700 diabetics were treated with various medicines to keep their systolic blood pressure — the top number — either below 140 or below 120.

The intense treatment did not reduce the number of heart attacks, although it prevented more strokes, a less common problem. Side effects were greater with the intense treatment. However, people should not stop taking

any medicine without checking with their doctors first, experts said. “In no way do these studies mean that patients do not need to make sure their blood pressure, glucose or lipid levels are under good control,” Plutzky said. An Abbott vice president, Dr. Eugene Sun, said the results of the fat-lowering study were “not surprising given that twothirds of patients in the trial would not be treated with fibrates under current guidelines.” North Chicago, Ilinois-based Abbott makes TriCor and a newer version, Trilipix.

The drugs had more than $1.3 billion in US sales last year. — AP

Some animals born in captivity for first time

Rio zoo maternity ward for endangered species breasted capuchin - just some examples of Brazil’s rich and colorful wildlife threatened by extinction. Now to ensure their survival, the Rio de Janeiro zoo has morphed into a maternity ward of sorts, with some of these animals being born in captivity for the first time.

In the heart of the historical Sao Cristovao neighborhood, close to Rio’s open-air football stadium of Maracan, the zoo is home to over 500 mammals, 900 reptiles and 1,000 birds representing 400 species from the Brazilian ecosystem. “This is the first time species like the anteater or toucan birds with spotted beaks have reproduced.

These births prove that these species are well adapted to captivity,” biologist Rodrigo Costa said with delight.

He noted that the Tamuanda-Mirim anteater faces extinction in Rio state, as it is originally from the Atlantic Forest. This humid tropical forest, which covered RIO DE JANEIRO: A female long-tailed macaque carries her baby at the Rio zoo on March 9, 2010. The all of Brazil’s coast when it baby was the first to be born of its species in captivity in the zoo. According to biologists, the long tailed was discovered in 1500, is considered the richest, most macaque is at risk of extinction. – AFP diverse ecosystem in the world. But the forest will disappear within 40 years if it continues to be destroyed at the current pace. Having animals reproduce and successfully give birth in captivity is no easy task and requires much patience.

“For toucans, we studied how they adapted, what they PARIS: Biologists yesterday said they had to mutate, for to do so could harm the species boundaries in a way traditional breedate, how they made their nest found a potential superweapon in a long-run- pathogen’s survival. The watchdog genes gov- ing cannot.” and the couple itself. We The work is proof of principle and there is a ning arms race with bacteria that threaten ern so-called pattern recognition receptors, or switched around males and long way to go before the technique may enter essential crops. Tested in a lab, their technique PRRs. females until they really got PRRs were first discovered 15 years ago, the public domain. entails inserting a gene kit into a plant so that Zipfel said that in the “constant evolutionits immune system recognises and fights germ although only a few have been discovered to along,” Costa explained. The invaders, they reported in the journal Nature date, and much is unclear. It was known that a ary arms race” between plant and pathogen, successful couple are the PRR can spot essential proteins from quite a the possibility that a germ could mutate and Biotechnology. proud parents of two little Bacteria cause huge losses to crops each wide a range of bacteria. But it was uncertain thus bypass the new weapon will be smaller, ones. When temperatures year. Farmers usually tackle the foe by dousing whether the defence is unique to a given fami- although it cannot be discounted. Geneticallypeaked at over 40 degrees C modified crops are widely grown and contheir fields with chemicals, but these are ly of plants or can be transferred to another. during the southern hemiExploring this avenue, Zipfel’s team took a sumed in North America and other parts of the expensive and can damage soil biodiversity. sphere’s record-breaking Another way is to shore up the plant’s PRR that was specific to the Brassica family- world but are strongly resisted in Europe, February summer, he had to defences by a gene introduced through cross- the plant group that includes mustard, where a powerful green lobby says it is too pierce bird nests to aerate Brussels sprouts and cabbage-and slotted it soon to know whether the technology is safe breeding with a hardier strain. them, he said. Bears and Yet this technique is rarely able to give a into two plants from the Solanaceae family, for the environment and health. The head of wolves were fed frozen fruit plant resistance against a wide range of germs- which includes tomatoes, potatoes, aubergines the Sainsbury Laboratory, Sophien Kamoun, and in any case a bacterium may swiftly evolve (US: eggplants), tobacco and other valuable said the research was exciting, given the chaland ice creams. crops. By having the PRR added to their arse- lenge to boost food production to feed the to sneak around the new defence.

Among the hundred or so Phytobiologists led by Cyril Zipfel at the nal, the Solanaceae plants showed “drastically world’s growing millions while meet demands newborns from endangered Sainsbury Laboratory at Norwich, eastern enhanced” resistance to many different bacte- for biofuels and the impact from climate species at the zoo are the ria, including Ralstonia solanacearum, a major change. “Cyril’s work indicates that transfer of England, took a novel tack. scarlet ibis, the little They delved into plants’ innate defence cause of crop wilt. “The strength of this resis- genes that contribute to this basic innate Ararajuba Golden Parakeet system, hunting for watchdog genes able to tance is because it has come from a different immunity from one plant to another can and the Cuxiu primates of the spot a pattern of telltale proteins exuded by a plant family, which the pathogen has not had enhance pathogen resistance,” said Kamoun.

Amazon (Black-bearded Saki microbial invader. Like bones and skin in any chance to adapt to,” Zipfel said in a press “The implications for engineering crop plants or Chiropotes satanas), whose humans, these proteins are essential for the release. “Through genetic modification, we can with enhanced resistance to infectious disblack beards give them a devbacteria’s core functions and so are less likely now transfer this resistance across plant eases are very promising.”— AFP ilish look. The yellow-breasted capuchin (Golden-bellied Capuchin or Cebus apella xanthosternos) is among the 25 most endangered primate species in the world. “These births in Rio are an important gain for preservation,” explained another biologist, Anderson Mendes Augusto.

Experts estimate that about 300 of these monkeys remain in the wild in the northeastern state of Bahia.

Around 25 of them are now held at the zoo, which is planning to reintroduce the primates to their natural habitat, an operation fraught with risk for animals born in captivity and not well adapted to the trials of surviving independently in the wild. Opened in 1888, the Rio zoo is Brazil’s oldest.

It is now based in the park of the former Portuguese imperial family’s residence.

The president of the Rio zoo foundation, Monica Valeria Blum, calls it the “most visited site” in Rio, ahead even of the Christ the GENEVA: Delegates stand by an installation titled the Death Clock, which counts the number of tobac- Redeemer statue at the peak co-related deaths since negotiations began on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tobacco Treaty, of the Corcovado mountain, at the start of the 4th negotiating session of an historic international protocol to combat the illicit trade boasting some 100,000 visiin tobacco products yesterday in Geneva. — AFP tors per month. — AFP RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio’s zoo has been abuzz with activity in recent months, welcoming new arrivals to its collection of animals as it battles to try to save many of the nation’s endangered species. Among its rare residents are the black-collared anteater, the Ararajuba Golden Parakeet and the yellow-

Gene splice helps fight crop disease: Researchers

JERUSALEM: In this photo made Feb 24, 2010, Orthodox Jewish men walk past an ambulance next to a hospital in central Jerusalem. Israel is launching a potentially trailblazing experiment in organ donation: Sign a donor card, and you and your family move up in line for a transplant if one is needed. The new law is the first of its kind in the world, and international medical authorities are eager to see if it boosts organ supply. — AP

Israel launches radical way to boost organ donation JERUSALEM: Israel is launching a potentially trailblazing experiment in organ donation: Sign a donor card, and you and your family move up in line for a transplant if one is needed.

The new law is the first of its kind in the world, and international medical authorities are eager to see if it boosts organ supply. But it has also raised resistance from within Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish minority. These opponents say it discriminates against them because their religious convictions forbid the donation of their organs, and while they are unlikely to get the law reversed, they have the political clout to slow its implementation.

Only 10 percent of Israeli adults hold donor cards, compared with more than 30 percent in most Western countries. The actual rate of families donating a deceased’s organs is 45 percent, but in other countries it rises to 70 percent, according to Jacob Lavee, director of the heart transplant unit at Israel’s Sheba Medical Center. The low rate of organ donation is thought to be partly driven by religious considerations. Most rabbis have no problem with transplants to save lives; their objection is to profiting from or needlessly mutilating cadavers.

But 99-year-old Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv takes a different view, and he is one of ultra-Orthodox Jewry’s most influential leaders, claiming 100,000 followers among Israel’s 6 million Jews. Elyashiv forbids organ donation before cardiac death, but allows his followers to receive lifesaving donations.

Lavee, the doctor who helped draft the law, hopes that a broader pool of organs will ultimately benefit everyone, but he acknowledges that one of his primary motivations is “to prevent free riders.”

“This is the first time that a non-medical criterion has been established in organ allocation,” he said.

“It will rectify the unfairness of the situation where people who are unwilling to donate wait in the same line as those who are willing.” The measure opens a new dimension in the worldwide quest to overcome organ shortages. One solution — a legalized organ market — is ethically fraught. Another is called “presumed consent,” where whoever doesn’t opt out is considered a donor.

Spain, France, Austria and Belgium have adopted the latter model and rank among the top European nations in percentage of deceased donations, according to a UN study. But experts here say “presumed consent” would have been much trickier to get through the Israeli Parliament. Writing in the December issue of The Lancet, the British medical journal, Dr. Paolo Bruzzone of Sapienza University in Rome said the Israeli initiative made more sense. “Certainly, giving holders of donor cards priority in organ allocation sounds more acceptable than the introduction of organ conscription or financial incentives for organ donation,” he wrote. Luc Noel, coordinator of clinical procedures at the World Health Organization in Geneva, praised the Israeli law for its educational value and for introducing a “community spirit” to the field of

organ donations. “The bottom line here is doing to others as you would like others to do to you and that is where the community has a role,” he told The Associated Press. Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, said the Israeli measure was ethically sound — he called it “reciprocal altruism” that would benefit society as a whole. But he doubted those signing donor cards would gain a significant advantage, because their queue would become much longer. The only place where a limited version of the Israeli measure has been tested before is in Singapore, whose 1987 law introduced incentives for donors such as waivers for hospital charges and partial coverage of funeral expenses. Israel’s parliament passed its far more comprehensive legislation in 2008 by a wide margin, including votes from Shas, the mainstream ultra-Orthodox party, and it is to take effect after a huge campaign to explain the new regulations and their complicated point-based system to the public.

But Israel’s unwieldy system of coalition government makes implementation uncertain. One of its members is an ultra-Orthodox party made up of Elyashiv’s followers. Among its lawmakers is Yaakov Litzman, who happens to be the deputy health minister (the top post is vacant). Another is Moshe Gafni, who said the law is “antidemocratic.”

“If I can’t contribute organs because of my religious beliefs, the state shouldn’t be allowed to harm me,” he told The AP. The Health Ministry’s legal adviser, Meir Broder, seemed to suggest the final formula was unsettled, saying it was still being fiercely debated among ethicists, lawyers, doctors and religious leaders.

“We are trying to find the point of balance between encouraging people to sign donor cards and not penalize those who don’t,” he said, but didn’t elaborate. The debate derives from Judaism’s tricky definition of death.

Most leading Orthodox rabbis _ as well as Israeli law — agree that a person dies when his brain-stem stops functioning. A minority opinion, endorsed by Elyashiv, holds that as long as a person’s heart beats he or she is alive and therefore the organs cannot be harvested. Donation in Israel after cardiac death is rare and only done in special circumstances.

One prominent ultra-Orthodox Jew who endorses the law is Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, head of Zaka, a widely admired first aid and rescue service. He says everyone should obey his rabbi, but he carries a donor card and says “Preservation of life overrides everything.” Robby Berman, founder and director of the Halachic Organ Donor Society, a Jewish organization based in New York, said ultra-Orthodox Jews can’t have it both ways. “My position is if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem,” he said. “Every Jew has a right to be against an organ donation, but then you can’t come and say ‘give me an organ.”’ — AP

British fertility clinic raffling human egg LONDON: A British fertility clinic said yesterday it was raffling off a human egg this week to promote its “baby profiling” service, which it insists is legal under UK law.

The winner can select the egg donor by education, upbringing and racial background.

The London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre said the treatment actually takes place in the United States.

Women interested in having a baby by in vitro fertilisation are invited to attend a seminar on Wednesday, which is organised by Bridge’s US partner, the Genetics and IVF Institute (GIVF), based in Fairfax, Virginia.

The winner gets 13,000 pounds (19,750 dollars, 14,350 euros) worth of free IVF treatment in Virginia.

The sale of eggs for profit is banned in Britain, and donors have to agree that they can be identified and then contacted by their offspring once they turn 18. Donors are in short

supply as a result.

US laws allow women to sell their eggs, and can make up to 10,000 dollars a time, depending on the desirability of their profile.

GIVF egg donors are university students or graduates aged 19 to 32. Smokers and overweight women are not admitted.

“There is an increase in the number of women in Britain who are seeking alternative routes (to domestic IVF),” said Michael Summers, consultant in reproductive medicine at the Bridge Centre.

“And it’s much more difficult to find donors in the UK because of the policies in place,” he told AFP. Asked whether he could guarantee that the service is legal, he replied: “Yes, because it’s the choice of the patient. We only provide information on the services available.

“Donor sperm has been available for a long time, and its profiling as well, because it’s much easier to provide a sample”, he added. — AFP

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WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Monday, March 15, 2010

Embassy information EMBASSY OF UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait informs that it has started updating the information about Ukrainian citizens, who live and work in Kuwait. In this connection, we are asking you to refer to the Embassy and update your file in consular register in order not to be excluded from it.

Please note, that the last day of updating your data is 20th of March, 2010. For additional information please call: 25318507 ext.106 or visit the embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait (address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str.6, house 5). The consular section of the Embassy open every day from 09:30 till 14:30 except Friday and Saturday.

ABCK third ‘Defense Focus Group’ meeting

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BCK held its third Defense Focus Group on March 8th 2010, sponsored by AGT (American General Trading & Contracting Co.). The meeting was led by ABCK Board member, Gregg Stevens, into a panel discussion on the Newly Approved Kuwait Labor Law on Feb 21, 2010. The Attorneys present at the meeting were able to answer questions raised by the ABCK Corporate membership representees. The lawyers were from Al Twaijri Law Firm, Denton Wilde Sapte, and Al Otaibi & Partners. Attendees included US Embassy section heads and US companies. ABC-K will launch a series of follow-on sectoral round tables or focus groups to promote KuwaitU.S business, open to members and their guests.

Azerbaijan Nowruz evening

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mbassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Kuwait and AWARE Center Will hold Azerbaijan Nowruz evening: Sharing Centuries Old Nowruz/Spring Celebrations on Wednesday, March 17 from 6-9 pm at the AWARE Center, villa 84, Surra street, block 3, Surra, Kuwait. Experience the tastes, sights and sounds of Azerbaijan.

Nowruz in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is a country where national traditions are well preserved. One of the most oldest traditions of Azerbaijani people. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year for more than 300 million people worldwide. It is celebrated

on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed.

Preparations for Novruz start long before the holiday. People do house cleaning, plant trees, make new dresses, paint eggs, make national pastries such as shakarbura, pakhlava and a great variety of national cuisine. It is essential for every house to have Samani (Samanu) sprouts of wheat. As a tribute to fireworshiping every Tuesday during four weeks before the holiday kids jump over small bonfires and candles are lit. On the holiday eve the graves of relatives are

visited and tended. Novruz is a family holiday. In the evening before the holiday the whole family gathers around the holiday table laid with various dishes to make the New Year rich. The holiday goes on for several days and ends with festive public dancing and other entertainment of folk bands, contests of national sports. Tradition where people jump over the fire. The UN’s General Assembly in 2010 recognized the International Day of Nowruz, describing it a spring festival which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years. During the meeting of The Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible

Heritage of the United Nations, held between 28 September - 2 October 2009 in Abu Dhabi, Nowr?z was officially registered on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the text notes the festival’s “affirmation of life in harmony with nature, the awareness of the inseparable link between constructive labour and natural cycles of renewal and the solicitous and respectful attitude towards natural sources of life”. Since 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognizes March 21 as the “International Day of Nowruz”.

IKEA Kuwait launches An overall catering affair from Casper & Gambini’s ‘environment friendly’ sustainability campaign

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ith spring just around the corner, IKEA Kuwait, the leading Swedish furniture store has launched it’s “Environment friendly” Sustainability Campaign.

As a means of extending ways to preserve the environment and conserve the ecology, the IKEA Kuwait Sustainability Campaign is designed to portray IKEA Kuwait’s participation in helping to protect nature. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility duties, IKEA Kuwait takes active part and has set up guidelines and policies in the fields of environment.

Numerous outstanding figures were recorded for IKEA Kuwait’s positive approach toward the environment through ongoing Sustaining Activities in 2009 in comparison to that of figures in 2008, amongst a range of preservation of paper, trees, power and water.

As a result, IKEA succeeded in preserving 4900 trees last year, as part of caring for nature, in which the use of waste cartons and cupboards for recycling resulted in 290 tons saved, in consideration to the policy of ‘for every recycled ton of waste paper, IKEA saves 17 adult trees.’

As for paper for recycling, 25% has been saved in comparison to that of 2008, power and electricity remained the same as a result of 0% sustained in comparison to that of 2008 and 27% of water has been saved in relation to 2008 results.

“At IKEA Kuwait we are constantly working towards preserving the environment, and it is a consistent endeavor to maintain a balance between human needs and mother nature’s well being,” said Magdy Boulos, the service operations manager.

asper & Gambini’s is an ambassador of refinement and scrumptious experiences, and its catering service is even truer to its essence. From a simple breakfast meeting or an afternoon coffee break, to your birthday parties and friendly gatherings at home, Casper & Gambini’s sees to it that your every event is fitted with an imaginative and tailor-set menu that glorifies you as a host and delights all your guests.

Casper & Gambini’s recently introduced its “Event Hosting Service” exclusively at Watiah branch to cater for your private corporate luncheons, dinners and seminars as well as birthdays, charity events and reunions. Premium and executive menus are available and include welcome drinks, assorted canapÈs, cold bites, salads, a range of main dishes and a variety of indulging desserts and award-winning coffees.

Casper & Gambini’s lends you its full expertise down to the smallest utensil. From planning your event to the set-up and implementation, its educated and presentable

staff offers a friendly, attentive and highly professional catering service.

Casper & Gambini’s pledge is to provide its customers with the finest quality catered food and bev-

erage, elegantly presented, and freshly prepared with the utmost care and attention.

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 PHILIPPINES The Embassy of the Philippines wishes to inform the Filipino community in the State of Kuwait, that the recent supreme court decision to extend the registration of voter’s applies only in local registration in the Philippines under Republic Act no. 8189 and does not apply to overseas voters which is governed by Republic Act no. 9189, hence it has no impact on the plans and preparations on the conduct of overseas absentee voting.

The overseas absentee voting for presidential elections will start on 10 April 2010 and will continue uninterrupted until 10 May 2010 daily at the Philippine Embassy. Registered overseas absentee voters are advised to schedule their days off in advance to avoid complications in their schedules. Qualified voters are encouraged to get out and vote.

Announcements TOMORROW “The AWARE Center cordially invites you to the diwanity after tomorrow about, “Challenges facing interfaith dialogue, By Dr. Ibrahim Al-Adsani Interfaith dialogue must be taken seriously due to increasingly diverse societies where individuals of different faiths come in contact with one another.

This close contact challenges one to explore creative ways for individuals of different faiths residing in the same community, to break down stereotypes and relate honestly and openly in order to share the truth of the whatever religion it may be. Through dialogue, can we discover effective ways to advance peace amongst cultures? Join us at AWARE as we look at the challenges in conducting productive interfaith dialogue tomorrow at 7pm.

Monday, March 15, 2010

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WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

KES environmental fashion show

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n Wednesday, 10th March, Kuwait English School held its annual Fashion Show. This was organised by the school’s Environment Club.

“This is a fashion show with a big difference as all the costumes are made

from waste products e.g old newspapers, plastic bottles, old cans etc., the message being that the world’s resources are finite and we should make good use of our waste materials instead of simply burying them”, said Paul Naylor.

The garments were all designed and made by students who participate in the school’s Environment Club which is led

by Mrs. Wendy Rowley.

Over 30 students strutted their stuff on the catwalk, showing off their elabo-

rate and ingenious creations and received a raptuous response from over 200 students, staff and parents who attended this function in the Main Hall. There were musical interludes and prizes were awarded to the winning designs.

Mrs. Rhoda Mahmoud, the School Director and Mrs. Janet Carew, the Senior School Principal were among the judges of the competition. At the end of the show thanks was given to Mrs. Rowley for all the hard work in organising

this event.

“The preservation of the environment concerns us all, as when the Earth’s resources run out, we will not be able to eat money or our Blackberries!” said Mrs Rowley.

The ICSK-Junior branch holds kindergarten cavalcade

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World, hypnotized the viewers.

Diya Ajay and Shivani Menon of class 2 the MCs of the day, captivated the audience with their eloquence.

They stole the show and the crowd adored them.

In his address the chief guest Mr.Juzer Ali said that he is the proud alumni of this institution right from the day of its inception and is very happy to be present to encourage the little ones. He also mentioned that he was really impressed by the way the children performed and congratulated everyone involved in presenting such a wonderful show. Mr. Juzer Ali wished the children good luck and said that they should cross the oceans of the world to spread the message of peace and prosperity.

In her address Principal Ms. Fathima thanked the management for their support and encouragement for bringing out such shows. She also expressed her gratitude for all the parents for their whole hearted support.

She congratulated all the teachers involved in putting up the wonderful show and the lot of hard work that went into making it so grand.

The welcome address was presented by the Vice Principal Mrs. Sherly Dennis. The vote of thanks was proposed by Mrs. Belinda.

The Kindergarten Cavalcade was thus an out and out success and received an accolade from each and everyone present on the occasion.

he Indian Community School Junior branch held its Kindergarten Cavalcade on Saturday 6th March 2010 at 5.00 p.m in its open-air auditorium. Juzer Ali, Chairman & Managing Director, Wadi Sakeef group of companies, an educationist and an alumni of the ICSK was the Chief Guest on the occasion. The guest of honour was Rajan Daniel, Hon. Secretary, Board of Trustees. The other guests who graced the occasion with their esteemed presence were Board members John George, Vijayan Karayil, Rajeev Menon, the parent representative to the board Mr.Sherine Thomas Mani, and also PAC to BOT from other branches, Parent Council members, branch principals, vice principals, parents, teachers and students.

The Kindergarten Cavalcade, a cultural extravaganza was presented by the students of the Kindergarten classes which enthralled the audience for two hours. The little ones confidence and talent mesmerized the spectators.

The colourful costumes, apt music and props made the show a sheer delight to watch. The skit ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin” presented by prep class students was a display of oratory skills, confidence and the acting talent of the budding superstars of the future generation. The audiences were spellbound when the innocent children pleaded for a Green and Peacful World. The finale We Are The

Greetings

Students make a splash to celebrate Kuwait National Day

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any happy returns of the day to Arya Mahesh who celebrated his 2nd birthday. May God bless him and his family abundantly!.Cute wishes come specially from Binu Rani Albert and All Moon Health Club Friends.

tudents at HOPE School for Special Needs celebrated Kuwait ‘s National Day in creative ways on February 24, 2010.

After a rousing rendition of the National Anthem, students in two classrooms performed in and around the school swimming pool. They told a story of the “good old days” of pearl diving and finding a giant oyster with a huge pearl in it. The boys and girls moved and danced to the music of traditional sea songs.

In other classrooms, activities showcased the history, culture and lifestyle enjoyed by Kuwaitis. Parents and teachers joined the children in singing, dancing and sharing traditional sweets and cakes.

Hope School for Special Needs is a private school in Sharq that follows an American curriculum designed around a differentiated active learning approach for children with learning challenges. The school has a highly qualified international staff trained in Special Education and provides academic services, speech and occupational therapy, Arabic, religion, swimming and physical education classes.

Students enacting a pearl-diving scene with their swim coach Ms. Abeer Yehia

TV PROGRAMS

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Monday, March 15, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

ER In Plain Sight Inside the Actors Studio Murdoch Mysteries In Plain Sight Supernatural Damages ER Criminal Minds Cold Case Inside the Actors Studio Murdoch Mysteries Damages Supernatural Inside the Actors Studio In Plain Sight Criminal Minds Cold Case ER Damages Big Love Saving Grace Supernatural True Blood

00:50 The Real Lost World 01:45 Whale Wars 02:40 Untamed And Uncut 03:35 Untamed And Uncut 04:30 Animal Cops Philadelphia 05:25 Night 05:50 Night 06:20 Animal Cops Houston 07:10 Rspca: On The Frontline 07:35 Dolphin Days 08:00 Wildlife SOS 08:25 Pet Rescue 08:50 Great Ocean Adventures 09:45 The Jeff Corwin Experience 10:40 Britain’s Worst Pet 11:05 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 11:30 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 11:55 Monkey Life 12:20 Shamwari: A Wild Life 12:50 Animal Precinct 13:45 Vet On The Loose 14:10 Pet Rescue 14:40 Animal Cops Philadelphia 15:35 Wildlife SOS 16:00 Rspca: Have You Got What It Takes?

16:30 Great Ocean Adventures 17:25 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 18:20 Britain’s Worst Pet 18:45 Animal Battlegrounds 19:15 I’m Alive 20:10 Into The Lion’s Den 21:10 Animal Cops Houston 22:05 Untamed And Uncut 23:00 I’m Alive 23:55 Animal Cops Phoenix

00:20 01:10 01:55 02:55 03:45 04:40 05:10 05:40 06:10 06:40 07:20 07:40 08:00 08:15 08:45 08:50 09:00 09:20 09:40 09:55 10:25 10:30 10:40 11:30 12:25 13:15 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:45 16:15 16:45 17:15 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:45 22:15 22:45 23:45

14:20 NEXT X U.S SHORTS 14:30 Jimmy Two-Shoes 15:00 American Dragon 15:30 Yin Yang Yo 16:00 Phineas & Ferb 16:30 Kid vs Kat 17:00 Power Rangers Jungle Fury 17:30 American Dragon 18:00 Zeke & Luther 18:30 Aaron Stone 19:00 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures 19:25 Kid vs Kat 20:00 Zeke & Luther 20:30 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 21:00 Phineas & Ferb 21:30 Pokemon DP: Battle Dimension 22:00 Phineas & Ferb 22:25 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures

Hustle Doctor Who The Life Of Mammals Casualty Casualty Doctors Doctors Doctors Doctors Doctors Balamory Fimbles The Roly Mo Show Tikkabilla Yoho Ahoy Little Robots Balamory Fimbles The Roly Mo Show Tikkabilla Yoho Ahoy Little Robots Bargain Hunt Life In The Undergrowth Paradise Or Bust The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic Red Dwarf Red Dwarf The Weakest Link Doctors Cash In The Attic Robin Hood Antiques Roadshow The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby Blue Holby City

00:45 The Clothes Show 01:30 Saturday Kitchen 02:00 Saturday Kitchen 02:30 Living In The Sun 03:15 Coleen’s Real Women 04:00 10 Years Younger 05:00 The Clothes Show 05:45 Saturday Kitchen 06:15 Saturday Kitchen 06:45 Living In The Sun 07:30 The Naked Chef 08:00 Antiques Roadshow 09:00 Cash In The Attic Usa 09:25 Hidden Potential 09:45 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 10:30 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 11:30 Living In The Sun

Urban Assault on Show Movies Action 12:15 Antiques Roadshow 13:15 What Not To Wear 14:00 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 14:50 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 15:40 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:05 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:30 Cash In The Attic Usa 16:50 Hidden Potential 17:15 What Not To Wear 18:05 Antiques Roadshow 18:55 Antiques Roadshow 19:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 20:15 Daily Cooks Challenge 20:40 Masterchef Goes Large 21:05 Saturday Kitchen 21:30 Saturday Kitchen 22:00 Cash In The Attic Usa 22:20 Cash In The Attic Usa 22:40 Cash In The Attic Usa 23:00 Coleen’s Real Women 23:45 The Naked Chef

01:00 Quadrophenia-18 03:00 Looking For Richard-PG15 05:00 Losing Isaiah-PG15 07:00 Moll Flanders-PG15 09:00 Cj7-PG 10:30 Les Miserables-PG15 13:00 There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble-PG15 15:00 An American Rhapsody-PG 17:00 Napoleon Part 2-PG 19:00 Where’s Marlowe?-18 21:00 L’affaire Farewell-PG15 23:00 De-Lovely-PG15

00:00 Ross Kemp - Return To Afghanistan 01:00 Destroyed In Seconds 01:30 Destroyed In Seconds 02:00 Smash Lab 02:55 Fifth Gear 03:20 Fifth Gear 03:50 American Chopper 04:45 How Do They Do It? 05:10 Destroyed In Seconds 05:40 Destroyed In Seconds 06:05 Extreme Explosions 07:00 Man Made Marvels Asia 07:55 Beetle Crisis 08:20 Beetle Crisis 08:50 Street Customs Berlin 09:45 How Do They Do It? 10:10 Mythbusters 11:05 Ultimate Survival 12:00 American Loggers 12:55 How Do They Do It? 13:25 How Do They Do It? 13:50 American Chopper 14:45 Miami Ink 15:40 Mythbusters 16:35 Dirty Jobs 17:30 Extreme Loggers 18:30 Street Customs Berlin 19:30 Destroyed In Seconds 20:00 How Do They Do It? 20:30 How Do They Do It?

00:40 01:05 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:45 06:40 07:10 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:25 10:55

Sci-Fi Science Sci-Fi Science The Future Of...

Future Weapons Future Weapons Sci-Fi Science Sci-Fi Science The Future Of...

What’s That About?

Patent Bending Engineered Thunder Races Cosmic Collisions Sci-Fi Science Sci-Fi Science How Stuff’s Made

11:20 11:50 12:45 13:10 13:40 14:35 15:00 15:30 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:40 20:30 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:00 23:50

Stuntdawgs The Colony Mean Green Machines One Step Beyond Cosmic Collisions Sci-Fi Science Sci-Fi Science Nextworld How Stuff’s Made Thunder Races Brainiac Extreme Engineering Nyc: Inside Out Mega Builders How It’s Made How It’s Made Mythbusters Nyc: Inside Out Mega Builders

00:00 Suite Life On Deck 00:20 Kim Possible 00:45 Phineas & Ferb 01:10 Fairly Odd Parents 01:35 Replacements 02:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place 02:25 Little Einsteins 02:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 03:10 Handy Manny 03:35 Lazytown 04:00 Sonny With A Chance 04:25 Hannah Montana 04:50 Hannah Montana 05:15 Wizards Of Waverly Place New Episodes 05:40 Wizards Of Waverly Place New Episodes 06:00 Higglytown Heroes 06:10 My Friends Tigger And Pooh 06:35 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:20 Imagination Movers 07:45 Lazytown 08:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:00 Handy Manny 09:25 Special Agent Oso 09:45 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 10:10 Fairly Odd Parents 10:35 Hannah Montana 11:00 I Got A Rocket 11:25 Wizards Of Waverly Place 11:45 Phineas & Ferb 12:10 Suite Life On Deck 12:35 Replacements 12:55 American Dragon 13:20 Kim Possible 13:40 Famous Five 14:05 Fairly Odd Parents 14:30 Phineas & Ferb 14:55 Replacements 15:15 I Got A Rocket 15:40 Wizards Of Waverly Place 16:00 Hannah Montana 16:25 Sonny With A Chance 16:45 Fairly Odd Parents 17:10 Phineas & Ferb 17:35 Suite Life On Deck 18:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place 18:25 Hannah Montana

07:00 Yin Yang Yo 07:25 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures 07:50 Kid vs Kat 08:15 Power Rangers Jungle Fury 08:40 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 09:05 American Dragon 09:30 Kid vs Kat 10:00 Pokemon DP: Battle Dimension 10:30 Zeke & Luther 11:00 Phil Of The Future 11:30 Jimmy Two-Shoes 12:00 Kid vs Kat 12:30 Phineas & Ferb 13:00 Aaron Stone 13:25 Power Rangers Jungle Fury 13:50 Pokemon DP: Battle Dimension

00:40 E!es 01:30 Ths 02:20 Sexiest 03:15 Young, Beautiful And Vanished 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 25 Most Sensational Hollywood Meltdowns 07:45 Style Star 08:10 Style Star 08:35 E! News 09:25 Bank Of Hollywood 10:15 Ths 11:05 Ths 12:00 E! News 12:50 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 13:15 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 13:40 Ths 15:25 Behind The Scenes 15:50 Behind The Scenes 16:15 E!es 16:40 E!es 17:10 Kendra 17:35 Kendra 18:00 E! News 18:50 Streets Of Hollywood 19:15 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 19:40 Ths 20:30 Ths 21:20 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:45 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:05 05:00 05:55 06:20 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:05 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:30 16:20 17:10 17:35 18:00

01:35 03:45 05:15 06:50 08:25 10:35 12:05 13:30 15:15 16:45 18:35 20:10 22:00

Deadly Women Undercover Murder Shift Serial Killers Deadly Women Undercover Crime Scene Psychics Fbi Files Ghosthunters Ghosthunters Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls The Prosecutors Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Mystery Er The Prosecutors Extreme Forensics Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls The Prosecutors

The Hot Spot Golden Gate Final Combination A Man Of Passion Nicholas Nickleby The Escape The Glory Stompers Nobody’s Fool The Heavenly Kid Lady in White The Burning Bed Juggernaut Operation Lookout

00:00 Better Off Ted 00:30 Will and Grace 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Saturday Night Live 04:30 Life & Times of Tim 05:00 Better Off Ted 05:30 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 06:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 07:00 Home Improvement 07:30 Malcolm in the Middle 08:00 Coach 08:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 09:00 The Colbert Report 09:30 Drew Carey 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Til’ Death 11:30 Eight Simple Rules 12:00 Best of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson 13:00 Will and Grace 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 14:00 Home Improvement

14:30 Malcolm in the Middle 15:00 Coach 15:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Drew Carey 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:30 Frasier 18:00 Eight Simple Rules 18:30 Til’ Death 19:00 Billable Hours 19:30 Will and Grace 20:00 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

00:00 The Martha Stewart Show 01:00 Downsize Me S2 02:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 03:00 The Monique Show 04:00 Never Trust A Skinny Cook 04:30 Fresh 05:00 GMA Weekend (repeat) 06:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified 07:00 Parenting 07:30 Job Club 08:00 The Martha Stewart Show 09:00 Never Trust A Skinny Cook 09:30 Fresh 10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

11:00 Downsize Me S2 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 The Martha Stewart Show 14:00 GMA Live 16:00 Ahead of The Curve 16:30 Nature’s Edge 17:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 18:00 Eat Yourself Sexy 18:30 10 Years younger S3 19:00 The View 20:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 21:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

22:00 The Tonight show with Jay Leno 23:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified

00:00 Awake-18 02:00 All She Wants For ChristmasPG15 04:00 The Caller-U 06:00 Moondance Alexander-FAM 08:00 Somers Town-PG 10:00 For One More Day-PG15 12:00 All She Wants For ChristmasPG15 13:45 The Mist-PG15 16:00 Somers Town-PG 18:00 Genova-PG15 20:00 The Secret Lives Of Second Wives-PG15

01:00 House Of Fallen-PG15 03:00 Palermo Hollywood-18 05:00 Fire From Below-PG15 07:00 Rock Monster-PG15 09:00 The Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior-PG15 11:00 Urban Assault-18 13:00 The Hideout-PG15 15:00 The Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior-PG15 17:00 Capers-PG15 19:00 Conspiracy-18

00:00 Tortilla Soup-PG15 02:00 National Lampoon’s Ratko-18 04:00 Slap Shots 3-PG15 06:00 Christmas At The Riviera-PG 08:00 The Jerk Theory-PG15 10:00 Griffin And Phoenix-PG15 12:00 Big Daddy-PG15 14:00 Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants 2-PG15 16:00 Tortilla Soup-PG15 18:00 The Lonely Guy-PG15 20:00 Fanboys-PG15 22:00 Spring Breakdown-18

01:00 Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who!-FAM 02:30 House Arrest-FAM 04:30 Wall-E-FAM 06:30 Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs Wakko’s Wish-PG 08:00 Barbie And The Three Musketeers-PG 10:00 House Arrest-FAM 12:00 Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker-PG 14:00 Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who!-FAM 16:00 That Darn Cat-PG 18:00 Harriet The Spy-PG 20:00 D2: The Mighty Ducks-PG 22:00 Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker-PG

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30

The Ex-list C.S.I: Miami Janice Dickinson Smallville C.S.I Fraisier My Name is Earl Emmerdale Coronation Street Sons of Anarchy Frasier My Name is Earl

09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

Smallville (TBA) C.S.I Emmerdale Coronation Street Frasier My Name is Earl The Ex-list C.S.I: Miami Sons of Anarchy Smallville Emmerdale Coronation Street Ugly Betty Desperate Housewives C.S.I Sons of Anarchy

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 20:30 21:00 21:30 Show

Barclays Premier League Premier League Portuguese Liga Premier League Premier League Portuguese Liga Premier League Premier League Futbol Mundial Premier League World Premier League Classics Premier League Futbol Mundial Premier League Classics Live Premier League Review

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 07:30 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 20:00 20:30

Portuguese Liga Premier League Premier League Futbol Mundial NRL Premiership Mobil 1 Futbol Mundial Premier League World Live NRL Premiership Portuguese Liga Super 14 Weber Cup Bowling NRL Premiership Premier League Classics Mobil 1

00:00 02:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 22:00

NRL Premiership Premier League Darts World Sport Premier League Classics Portuguese Liga World Sport Premier League World Premier League Classics ICC Cricket World Weber Cup Bowling FIH Hockey World Cup World Sport Futbol Mundial Premier League Darts ICC Cricket World Mobil 1 Super 14 NRL Premiership

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 11:30 12:00 13:00 15:00 18:00

UFC - The Ultimate Fighter UFC - The Ultimate Fighter WWE Vintage Collection Bushido UFC - The Ultimate Fighter UFC - The Ultimate Fighter UFC - The Ultimate Fighter WWE Bottomline UAE National Race Day FIM World Cup City Centre Races NCAA Basketball UAE National Race Day WWE Bottomline Red Bull Air Race UFC 110 WWE NXT

01:00 03:00 PG15 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00

Freakdog-18 The Children Of Huang Shi-

00:50 02:35 05:00 05:30 07:30 08:00 09:55 11:50 13:40 16:00 17:55 19:25 21:15

Foxes Cimarron The Screening Room Mrs. Soffel The Screening Room The Big Sleep Silk Stockings The Sunshine Boys 2001: A Space Odyssey Mogambo Elvis On Tour Please Don’t Eat The Daisies High Society

03:10 Engineering Disasters 04:00 Rudolf Hess: The Man Who Died Twice 04:55 Dead Men’s Secrets 05:50 Life After People 06:40 Ax Men 2 07:30 Extreme Trains 08:20 Dogfights 09:10 Engineering Disasters 10:00 Rudolf Hess: The Man Who Died Twice 10:55 Dead Men’s Secrets 11:50 Life After People 12:40 Ax Men 2 13:30 Extreme Trains 14:20 Dogfights 15:10 Engineering Disasters 16:00 Rudolf Hess: The Man Who Died Twice 16:55 Dead Men’s Secrets 17:50 Life After People 18:40 Ax Men 2 19:30 Extreme Trains

00:00 Ruby 00:30 Ruby 01:00 What I Hate About Me 02:00 My Celebrity Home 03:00 How Do I Look?

04:00 Split Ends 05:00 Dr 90210 06:00 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 06:30 Area 07:00 How Do I Look?

08:00 Style Star 08:30 Style Her Famous 09:00 My Celebrity Home 10:00 Style Star 10:30 Dress My Nest 11:00 Peter Perfect 12:00 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

13:00 Ruby 14:00 Clean House 15:00 Clean House Comes Clean 15:30 Dress My Nest 16:00 Glamour’s 25 Biggest Do’s And Don’ts 17:00 Split Ends 18:00 Dallas Divas And Daughters 18:30 Style Her Famous 19:00 Running In Heels 19:30 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 20:00 Split Ends

01:04 01:45 02:00 02:45 08:04 08:45 13:04 13:50 16:04 16:45 18:00 18:45 20:04 21:00

Africa Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Sound System Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Latina Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Hit US Playlist

00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Julian And Camilla’s World Odyssey 02:00 Intrepid Journeys 03:00 Distant Shores 03:30 Wild At Heart 04:00 Angry Planet 04:30 Photoxplorers 05:00 Australia’s Great Wildlife Isles 06:00 Globe Trekker

07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

Globe Trekker Globe Trekker Essential Dream Destinations Distant Shores Distant Shores Chef Abroad Entrada Planet Food Globe Trekker Chef Abroad The Thirsty Traveler Feast India Entrada Angry Planet Photoxplorers Globe Trekker Travel Today Hollywood And Vines Chef Abroad The Thirsty Traveler Globe Trekker Planet Food Floyd Uncorked Travel Today Essential Chef Abroad

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Sunday Soul Essential ¬†metallica Vh1 Rocks Vh1 Music Vh1 Hits Vh1 Music Aerobic Top 10 Animated Music For The Masses Vh1 Pop Chart Vh1 Music Music For The Masses Vh1 Music Vh1 Viewer’s Jukebox Vh1 Viewer’s Jukebox Top 10 Animated

00:00 Bondi Rescue 00:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 01:30 Jailed Abroad 02:30 Jailed Abroad 03:30 Cycling Home With Rob Lilwall 04:00 Finding Genghis 04:30 Lonely Planet 05:30 Bondi Rescue 06:00 Bondi Rescue 06:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 07:30 Jailed Abroad 08:30 Jailed Abroad 09:30 Cycling Home With Rob Lilwall 10:00 Treks In A Wild World 10:30 Madventures 11:00 Chasing Time 11:30 Word Travels 12:00 Word Travels 12:30 Pressure Cook 13:00 Pressure Cook 13:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 14:30 Bondi Rescue 15:00 Destination Extreme 15:30 Surfer’s Journal 16:00 Treks In A Wild World 16:30 Madventures 17:00 Chasing Time 17:30 Word Travels 18:00 Word Travels 18:30 Pressure Cook 19:00 Pressure Cook 19:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 20:30 Bondi Rescue 21:00 Destination Extreme 21:30 Surfer’s Journal 22:00 Treks In A Wild World 22:30 Madventures

American Violet-PG15 Christmas In Wonderland-PG Where God Left His Shoes-PG The Moon And The Stars-PG Stan Lee: The Condor-PG Familiar Strangers-PG Where God Left His Shoes-PG Kisses-PG15

00:40 Ax Men 2 01:30 Extreme Trains 02:20 Dogfights

Awake on Show Movies

Star Listings (UAE Timings) STAR Movies 22:40 Driving Lessons 00:20 Yeti 01:50 Super Capers: The Origins Of Ed And The Missing Bullion 03:30 Driving Lessons 05:10 The Thin Red Line 08:00 The Guardian 10:20 Super Capers: The Origins Of Ed And The Missing Bullion 12:00 A Simple Twist Of Fate 13:45 The Perfect Assistant 15:20 Day Watch 17:30 What’s The Worst That Could Happen?

19:10 Gone Baby Gone STAR World 20:00 90210 20:50 Married With Children 21:00 Ugly Betty 21:50 Different Strokes 22:00 Ghost Whisperer 22:50 Married With Children 23:00 Criminal Minds 23:50 Married With Children 00:00 Ugly Betty 00:50 Different Strokes 01:00 Ghost Whisperer 01:50 Married With Children

02:00 90210 03:00 [V] Tunes 06:00 7th Heaven 07:00 Scrubs 07:30 The King Of Queens 08:00 According To Jim 09:00 Criminal Minds 09:50 Married With Children 10:00 Grey’s Anatomy 10:50 Different Strokes 11:00 90210 11:50 Married With Children 12:00 Ugly Betty 12:50 Married With Children 13:00 The King Of Queens 13:30 The Bold And The Beautiful 14:00 7th Heaven 14:50 Different Strokes 15:00 Grey’s Anatomy 15:50 Married With Children 16:00 [V] Tunes 17:00 Criminal Minds 18:00 Scrubs 18:30 The King Of Queens 19:00 According To Jim 19:30 According To Jim Granada TV 20:00 I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!

(Series 7)

20:30 Rough Diamond (Series 1) 22:00 New Homes From Hell 23:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 1) 00:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 01:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 1) 02:00 Crime Monday: Rough Diamond (Series 1) 03:30 Shampoo 04:00 Total Emergency 05:00 Emmerdale 05:30 Coronation Street 06:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 1) 08:00 Crime Monday: Rough Diamond (Series 1) 09:30 Shampoo 10:00 Total Emergency 11:00 Emmerdale 11:30 Coronation Street 12:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 13:00 Trinny And Susannah Undress (Series 1) 14:00 Crime Monday: Rough Diamond (Series 2) 15:30 Shampoo 16:00 Emmerdale

16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:00 Trinny And Susannah Undress (Series 1) 19:00 Crime Monday: Rough Diamond (Series 2) Channel [V] 21:00 [V] Tunes 22:00 [V] Plug 22:30 The Playlist 23:00 Loop 00:00 Backtracks 01:00 Double Shot 02:00 [V] Plug 02:30 The Playlist 03:00 Loop 04:00 [V] Special 05:00 [V] Tunes 06:00 Double Shot 07:00 Backtracks 08:00 Loop 09:00 [V] Plug 09:30 Double Shot 10:00 Backtracks 11:00 [V] Tunes 12:00 Double Shot 12:30 The Playlist 13:00 Loop

14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00

The List Keys To The VIP Backtracks [V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist Loop The List Keys To The VIP

Fox News 20:00 America’s News HQ 21:00 America’s News HQ host Shannon Bream 23:00 Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 00:00 The O’Reilly Factor(repeat) 01:00 America’s News HQ hosts Gregg Jarrett and Julie Banderas 03:00 FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 04:00 FOX Report Sunday host Julie Banderas 05:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee 06:00 Hannity with Sean Hannity 07:00 Geraldo At Large with Geraldo Rivera 08:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee 09:00 Hannity with Sean Hannity 10:00 Geraldo At Large with Geraldo Rivera

11:00 FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 12:00 War Stories with Oliver North 13:00 Bulls and Bears (repeat) 13:30 Cavuto On Business (repeat) 14:00 FORBES on FOX (repeat) 14:30 Cashin’ In (repeat) 15:00 FOX & Friends First Live 18:00 America’s Newsroom National Geographic Channel 20:00 Mega Factories -Lamborghini 21:00 Theme Week -Inside: The Super Carrier 22:00 Theme Week -Inside : Air Force One 23:00 Theme Week -Inside : Marine One 00:00 Air Crash Investigation -Explosive Evidence S5 01:00 ABOUT ASIA -Megastructures : Akashi Kaikyo Bridge 02:00 Locked Up Abroad -Kidnapped In Iraq 03:00 Dangerous Encounters -Dangerous Encounters With Brad : Bite Force 04:00 The Living Edens -Bhutan: The Last Shangri-La 05:00 ABOUT ASIA -Megastructures : Akashi Kaikyo Bridge 06:00 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet India 1

Monday, March 15, 2010

33 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for a Christian bachelor at Abbassiya near Neethi store from 1st April, rent KD 25. Contact: 66063182. (C 20451) Fully furnished bedroom with separate bathroom in a 2 bedroom flat including kitchen facilities available with Keralite family, in new Viji studio building near United Indian school at Abbassiya for couple or working ladies from 16th March. Contact: 97841925.

(C 20454) 15-3-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya near German Clinic, with Keralite family 2 bed 2 bathroom CAC flat. Please contact: 66877073. (C 20442) One room in 3 bedroom CAC flat with 2 baths, fully furnished with complete household facilities in Ashbiliya Opp Farwaniya. Contact 99714430. (C 20448) Accommodation available for non-smoking couples/ working ladies/executive bachelors in a 2 bedroom CAC flat in Abbassiya near Integrated School. Contact: 97199124. (C 20446) Sharing accommodation availale for bachelors with Keralite family, near Classic typing center, Abbassiya.

Call: 66829585. (C 20447) 14-3-2010 Sharing accommodation available for a family in a new building with two rooms and two toilets behind United Indian School, Abbassiya from April 1st onwards.

Please contact: 66772421, 66552412. (C 20431) Sharing accommodation available for Indian working ladies, couple, family, in a 2 bedrooms, CA/C flat in Maidan Hawally opp 4th Ring Road. Call: 99325130, 25649970. (C 20435) Abraq Khaitan, single room available for executive bachelor/lady. Opp Kuwait clinic beside the main road, new building. Contact: 97523316/ 24745162 from 1st April.

(C 20411) One furnished room with separate bath in a new building flat for a family/working ladies/ bachelors with another family in Abbassiya close to Paradise hotel from April first. Contact: 99698501, 66558927, 66720897. (C 20433) 11-3-2010 Sharing accommodation available in studio room with Mangalorean Catholic bachelor close to Khaitan cinema Garnatha.

Contact: 66036893. (C 20416) Sharing accommodation available for 1 Catholic bachelor at Abbassiya near Unique store no 2 from 1st April 2010.

Contact: 66110593 or 24313908. (C 20430)

bachelor with Keralite family, from April 1st 2010 at Abbassiya near Neethi store (fully furnished room with mini split A/C). Contact: 66944127. (C 20420) Sharing accommodation available for a small family in a 2 bedroom, hall & kitchen central A/C flat near Emirates hotel Abu Halifa with Keralite Christian family. Contact: 97612421. (C 20427) 10-3-2010 Sharing accommodation available with a Keralite family for Keralite couples in a two bedroom C-AC flat near Integrated Indian school Abbassiya. Please contact: 99255235.

(C 20426) Sharing accommodation available in Kuwait City.

Please call: 97527233.

(C 20425) 9-3-2010 Sharing accommodation available for Keralite or Indian bachelor in Sharq Kuwait City with all facilities. Contact: 97964063. (C 20419) Sharing accommodation available in Farwaniya from 1st April in a flat with facilities kitchen, A/C, cupboard, satellite, buses convenient.

Contact: 66021273 / 97449273, 24751664.

(C 20418)

An Indian lady (Kerala) looking for an Indian lady for sharing in a fully furnished central AC flat having Internet, telephone & dish facility, rent KD 35, Amman Street, near Apollo hospital Salmiya.

Contact: 97919485. (C 20429)

Flat for rent with furniture 2BR, 2 toilet + kitchen, hall, 2 balconies, new building with reserved car parking decent location very close to Salmiya RC Church & Takkar Bhelpuri shop. Contact: 66764062. (C 20424)

Sharing accommodation available for couples or working ladies or single

Single room with separate toilet wanted for an executive preferably with decent

Christian family. Contact: 66764062. (C 20423) 8-3-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for Keralite Christian couple/working ladies in a CAC 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom flat, near Rainbow center/Eden store from

FOR SALE Toyota Corolla model 2006 1.8, white, color low mileage very god condition, price KD 2,700. Call: 99891838.

(C 20453) 15-3-2010 Mitsubishi Pajero 2006 V6, golden color, option, DVD, alloy wheels, run 87,000 km, price KD 3,500. Contact: 99881982. (C 20450)

22415701. (C 20441) Pentium 4, Intel, 3 GHz, 1GB DDR RAM, 60 GB HDD, DVD combo, 56k modem, sound card, USB speakers, 17� CRT monitor, ready for internet, KD 55.

P4, Intel, 40 GB HDD, 256 MB RAM with 17� CRT monitor, KD 35. Contact: 66244192. (C 20449) 14-3-2010 Hummer H2, 2003, brown, very good condition. Price KD 5,900. Tel: 97487676.

(C 20440) 13-3-2010 Furnished double bedroom flat in Jleeb near Integrated Indian School with or without household goods rent KD 135 (including water and electricity).

Contact: 99763183.

(C 20438) 12-3-2010

Dell desktop PC in box, HD 80, DVD RW Intel Pentium with 2CPU 1.8 GHz, 19 inch LCD, RAM 1MB, original XP, Price KD 75. Call: 65099674. (C 20443)

Mitsubishi Magna 2002 model, excellent condition, owner leaving Kuwait. Contact: 99928863, 55824279.

(C 20434)

Contents of fully furnished two bedroom central A/C flat for immediate sale at reasonable price in city. Contact: 66651954, 22414365,

Household items for immediate sale, with or without flat, close to Carmel school and in front of bus stop.

(Bedroom set, dining table

with 6 chairs, sofa set, refrigerator & ACs). Contact: 55863074. (C 20436)

11-3-2010 Toyota Corolla 1.6, white color, 2009 model, very low mileage, excellent condition, wanted price 3,750 KD. Contact 66050484 (interested person call only).

(C 20428) 10-3-2010

SITUATION WANTED Indian female, electronics and communication engineer, experienced in software field with standard chartered bank, India, seeking for job, proficient in Oracle, MS Office, Java, Unix, holding valid transferable visa. Contact: 67050674,

email: pritymary.Mmathew@gmail.co m (C 20452) 15-3-2010 Indian female (MBA in HR), 10 years experience in HR/administration, specializing in recruitments, PMS, MIS reports & overall Admin functions. Proficient in MS Office. Good communication skills. Contact: 66634322.

(C 20439)

BABY SITTING Baby sitting available near Carmel School, Khaitan, with motherly care, and flexible timing.

Contact: 66434840, 66436458, 55283525. (C 20422) 8-3-2010

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited for Orthodox girl, MBA (Fin), 27/160, working as business development executive in a reputed firm in Kuwait. Contact: gegekutty@hotmail.com (C 20432) Keralite Jacobite boy, 28/172, B.Com working as Junior Accountant, invites proposals from parents of girls working in Kuwait. Contact email: babypaily@hotmail.com SITUATION VACANT

Required English speaking maid for a family living in Mangaf. Preferably Indian. If interested, please contact 60055305 or 23741548.

11-3-2010

No: 14668

Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Monday 15/03/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 0263 Beirut KLM 0447 Amsterdam/Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1129 Bahrain Gulf Air 211 Bahrain DHL 370 Bahrain Turkish A/L 1172 Istanbul Emirates 853 Dubai Etihad 0305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 0138 Doha Jazeera 0637 Aleppo Falcon 201 Dubai Jazeera 0503 Luxor Jazeera 0527 Alexandria Jazeera 0529 Assiut British 0157 London Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok Kuwait 206 Islamabad Kuwait 352 Cochin Jazeera 0161 Dubai Kuwait 382 Delhi Kuwait 302 Mumbai Kuwait 676 Dubai Kuwait 284 Dhaka Kuwait 362 Colombo Emirates 855 Dubai Arabia 0121 Sharjah Qatari 0132 Doha Etihad 0301 Abu Dhabi Kuwait 344 Chennai Wataniya Airways 1121 Bahrain Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Jazeera 0447 Doha Jazeera 0165 Dubai Jazeera 0425 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1021 Dubai Jazeera 0113 Abu Dhabi Middle East 404 Beirut Iran Aseman 6521 Lamerd Egypt Air 810 Cairo Kuwait 672 Dubai Jazeera 0171 Dubai Wataniya Airways 2301 Damascus Nas Air 745 Jeddah Jazeera 0525 Alexandria Jazeera 0257 Beirut Wataniya Airways 2001 Cairo Saudi Arabian A/L 500 Jeddah Kuwait 552 Damascus Jazeera 0457 Damascus Qatari 0134 Doha

Time 00:05 00:10 00:25 01:05 02:15 02:15 02:35 03:00 03:25 05:05 05:25 05:35 06:10 06:30 06:40 06:45 07:40 07:40 07:45 07:50 07:55 08:10 08:15 08:20 08:30 08:55 09:00 09:35 10:35 10:45 10:45 11:00 11:05 11:10 11:20 11:20 11:55 12:35 12:55 13:25 13:35 13:35 14:00 14:05 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:45 15:00

Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Royal Jordanian Jazeera Emirates Kuwait Gulf Air Saudi Arabian A/L Etihad Jazeera Jazeera Arabia Jazeera Wataniya Airways Sri Lankan United A/L Wataniya Airways DHL Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Indian Kuwait Jet A/W Oman Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Middle East Qatari Emirates KLM Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Global Jazeera Jazeera Tunis Air Pakistan Lufthansa Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways

548 545 678 800 0173 857 118 215 510 0303 0493 0239 0125 0367 2101 227 982 2003 473 1025 502 542 674 0177 618 786 614 744 774 575 104 572 0647 0459 2103 217 402 0136 859 0445 1129 0449 0429 081 0117 0185 327 239 636 2201 1029

Luxor Alexandria Muscat/Abu Dhabi Amman Dubai Dubai New York Bahrain Riyadh Abu Dhabi Jeddah Amman Sharjah Deirezzor Beirut Colombo/Dubai Washington DC Dulles Cairo Baghdad Dubai Beirut Cairo Dubai Dubai Doha Jeddah Bahrain Dammam Riyadh Chennai/Goa London Mumbai Muscat Damascus Beirut Bahrain Beirut Doha Dubai Amsterdam Bahrain Doha Bahrain Baghdad Abu Dhabi Dubai Tunis Islamabad/Sialkot Frankfurt Amman Dubai

15:15 15:30 15:30 15:40 16:05 16:55 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:15 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 18:05 18:15 15:20 18:30 18:40 18:45 15:50 18:55 18:55 18:55 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 20:05 20:20 20:40 20:55 21:05 21:20 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:40 23:10 23:20 23:30 23:40 23:45

Departure Flights on Monday l5/03/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 0528 Assiut India Express 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode Indian 982 Ahmadabad/Hyderabad/Chennai Pakistan 206 Peshawar/Lahore Bangladesh 044 Dhaka Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt KLM 0447 Amsterdam Ethiopian 620 Bahrain/Addis Ababa Turkish At 1173 Istanbul DHL 371 Bahrain Emirates 854 Dubai Etihad 0306 Abu Dhabi Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa Qatari 0139 Doha Wataniya Airways 1020 Dubai Jazeera 0164 Dubai Jazeera 0524 Alexandria Wataniya Airways 2000 Cairo Jazeera 0112 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 0446 Doha Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1120 Bahrain Jazeera 0422 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 2300 Damascus Kuwait 345 Alexandria Jazeera 0256 Beirut Kuwait 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat British 0156 London Kuwait 671 Dubai Kuwait 551 Damascus Kuwait 547 Luxor Jazeera 0456 Damascus Jazeera 0170 Dubai Arabia 0122 Sharjah Emirates 856 Dubai Qatari 0133 Doha Ftihad 0302 Abu Dhabi Wataniya Airways 2002 Cairo Gulf Air 214 Bahrain Kuwait 165 Rome/Paris Jazeera 0172 Dubai Kuwait 541 Cairo Wataniya Airways 2100 Beirut Jazeera 0492 Jeddah Jazeera 0366 Deirezzor Jazeera 0238 Amman Kuwait 103 London Middle East 405 Beirut Kuwait 501 Beirut Iran Aseman 6522 Lamerd Kuwait 785 Jeddah

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

Time 00:05 00:30 01:05 01:10 01:15 01:20 01:25 02:30 03:15 03:15 03:50 04:10 04:15 05:00 07:00 07:00 07:20 07:30 07:35 07:40 07:45 07:50 07:55 08:10 08:30 08:35 08:40 8:55 09:00 09:10 09:15 09:25 09:30 09:35 09:40 10:00 10:20 11:30 11:40 11:45 12:00 12:10 17:05 12:15 12:20 12:25 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:35 13:40

Egypt Air Wataniya Airways Kuwait Nas Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Jazeera Kuwait Saudi Arabian A/L Kuwait Kuwait Royal Jordanian Qatari Kuwait Gulf Air Etihad Emirates Arabia Jazeera Kuwait Saudi Arabian A/L Kuwait Jazeera Jazeera Wataniya Ariways Jazeera Global Jazeera Wataniya Airways Sri Lankan Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Jet A/W Oman Air Gulf Air DHL Kuwait Middle East Falcon Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Emirates KLM Jazeera Jazeera United A/L Jazeera Kuwait

611 1024 673 746 0176 2102 0458 617 501 773 613 801 0135 743 216 0304 838 0126 0262 543 511 543 0184 0116 2200 0448 082 0428 1128 228 1128 1028 283 331 571 0648 218 171 675 403 102 381 0188 203 0137 301 860 0445 0480 0526 981 0502 411

Cairo Dubai Dubai Jeddah Dubai Beirut Damascus Doha Jeddah Riyadh Bahrain Amman Doha Dammam Bahrain Abu Dhabi Dubai Sharjah Beirut Cairo Riyadh Cairo Dubai Abu Dhabi Amman Doha Baghdad Bahrain Bahrain Dubai/Colombo Bahrain Dubai Dhaka Trivandrum Mumbai Muscat Bahrain Bahrain Dubai Beirut Bahrain Delhi Dubai Lahore Doha Mumbai Dubai Bahrain/Amsterdam Sabiha Alexandria Washington DC Dulles Luxor Bangkok/Manila

13:55 14:25 14:30 14:53 15:05 15:10 15:30 15:35 15:45 16:10 16:20 16:25 16:30 16:40 17:55 18:00 18:10 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:40 18:50 18:50 19:00 19:15 19:15 19:15 19:30 20:15 21:00 21:10 21:20 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:20 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:25 23:40 23:50 23:55

SPECTRUM

34 CROSSWORD 928

Monday, March 15, 2010

Calvin Aries (March 21-April 19) Matters pertaining to

the family, home or property will need your undivided attention. This may mean a delay of any trips you were planning. You are encouraged to speak your mind with family and friends. Improved and revised plans are decided soon. For example, you drive first, or I drive first, etc. Coordination gets the green light today, in all sorts of ways. If you are not traveling at this particular time, it is excellent timing for setting up new responsibilities where chores and budgets are concerned. Whatever helps a family or a relationship run smoothly is encouraged now. This is a good time to work out things. Put your own ideas in writing and put a date and name on the list. Good for you! A walk or bicycle ride with a friend is fun this evening.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You like to go off by yourself

and that is good some of the time, but today you should take some time to invite your partner or close friend to join you in your adventure of the day. You may decide to drive in one direction for an hour and a-half, just to see where the road takes you. It may be that an old hardware store or an out-of-the-way antique store would be fun to explore. The person you are with may have some money-saving tips or ways to make more money with a couple of pieces of furniture today—with a high possibility of there being a good investment. The day is such a success that you may have requests from others. Today was a little different. After driving for quite a while, you may enjoy a little exercise before the evening meal.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. Brief episode in which the brain gets insufficient blood supply.

4. The airforce of Great Britain.

7. A Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria.

11. Hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitressin) and also by nerve endings in the hypothalamus.

12. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

13. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

14. A beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water.

15. An anxiety disorder characterized by chronic free-floating anxiety and such symptoms as tension or sweating or trembling of lightheadedness or irritability etc that has lasted for more than six months.

16. A quantity of no importance.

17. A member of a Turkic people of Uzbekistan and neighboring areas.

19. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

20. A member of a Mayan people of southwestern Guatemala.

21. An associate degree in applied science.

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

27. Electronic warfare undertaken to prevent or reduce an enemy's effective use of the electromagnetic spectrum.

29. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

33. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

35. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

37. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

38. A native of ancient Troy.

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

41. A doctor's degree in optometry.

44. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

49. The organ of sight (`peeper' is an informal term for `eye').

51. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

52. An informal term for a father.

53. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

54. The United Nations agency concerned with the international organization of food and agriculture.

DOWN 1. About three feet long exclusive of tail.

2. In the Roman calendar.

3. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

4. Popular music originating in the West Indies.

5. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

6. A golf shot that curves to the right for a right-handed golfer.

7. A decree that prohibits something.

8. (Old Testament) In Judeo-Christian mythology.

9. An informal term for a father.

10. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

18. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

22. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

23. The branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication.

25. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

26. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

28. A master's degree in business.

30. 10 grams.

31. A doctor's degree in religion.

32. A public promotion of some product or service.

34. A small cake leavened with yeast.

36. A kind of heavy jacket (`windcheater' is a British term).

40. Common Indian weaverbird.

42. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

43. A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it.

45. (Brit) A tough youth of 1950's and 1960's wearing Edwardian style clothes.

46. An inflammatory disease of connective tissue with variable features including fever and weakness and fatigability and joint pains and skin lesions on the face or neck or arms.

47. Fiddler crabs.

48. (sports) The chief official (as in boxing or American football) who is expected to ensure fair play.

49. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

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

Gemini (May 21-June 20) A young person or persons may say that they do not need your help today, but with just a little attention, you may find that this young person/s is very appreciative that you would take some interest in them. Your magnetic personality is strong and you can talk most people into just about anything. New ways to save the planet are uppermost in your mind this afternoon. If you are not doing research, you are probably copying ideas to hand out to your friends.

One of the reasons that recycling does not catch on in some areas is that the cities are still holding back on recycling containers and techniques, etc.

Consider starting a petition geared to the city officials finding ways to help develop this project. You could get kids involved to teach recycling.

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Fate seems to bring you new friends. An organization you belong to or a group you associate with could change some of your energies with old friends. You may find that different interests have developed between you and your friends. It may be time to let go of some old patterns and move into new directions. You may feel like stretching your wings this afternoon and trying something new and unusual. You may sign up to learn how to fly a plane or to take a helicopter ride. This is the perfect time for new ideas, a breakthrough in thinking and a novel approach. Shopping brings new insights. Be careful that you do not overspend just now. Enjoy an exciting movie this afternoon; it will bring about opportunities for some fun conversations later.

Leo (July 23-August 22) A group get-together in the afternoon will give you an opportunity to meet new people and enjoy old acquaintances. This could be some sort of planning committee for an upcoming event.

Perhaps a parade is being planned and you are the person that can lend new and helpful suggestions. It is likely that learning a variety of stress relief techniques will put a smile on your face; a joke book perhaps.

If you are a creature of habit, you might want to consider changing your daily routine a bit. Make your changes slowly so that you do not feel lots of restlessness—especially if you have been highly active. There may be the establishment of new habit patterns now—make sure they’re good ones, because they’ll set the tone for quite some time!

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Issues that test faith; the inquisition or the purging of the superficial are subjects that take hold at the very roots of your being. This is a kind of spiritual or philosophical rebirth and it is not always gentle. Ultimate answers come from far away. You may discover some of these answers as you speak to someone from the past. Getting in touch with your feelings and instincts is important now. You have an interest in joining a health spa or gym and may check it this out in the afternoon. If you can find a friend or partner that will sign up to participate with you, you will see your goal all the way through to success. This is always a wonderful idea. Remember . . . if you make the promise and commit your money you will want to commit your time as well.

Libra (September 23-October 22) There is an urge today to be recognized by your friends. You may have a performance or some art work that you have recently finished and want to show to others. This creativeness of yours is one of the things that attract your friends to you. You will use this talent today to talk with others; to critique or purchase or praise your work or product. You may even teach or guide others in some creative setting. This evening you think and perhaps write about some changes you would like to see in the work place. You certainly give this enough consideration to form your writing into a professional type of art layout for people to see this next week. This may consist of safety precautions to simply washing hands before returning to work.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Money frustrations

will clear up after the twenty-fourth. Delay large purchases until then. You have much zest today. Your fuel tank may be full but you will need to be careful in how you use this energy. If used correctly, you will be adding a little twinkle to your personality; gaining you popularity. If used incorrectly, headaches could be quite common. You may also find this a time you look for solutions regarding stability at home. Creative endeavors will help to pull you out of financially difficult situations. You can quickly create a finished product from whatever creative art you know; candle-making, beadwork or special candies. There could be a common interest in the spiritual and mystical among family members; enjoy a psychic fair.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) With very little problems in your home life you are the one most likely to lead a discussion group in a religious setting today. You could help others learn some problem-solving techniques or give them ideas on a variety of things to do to keep kids interested and motivated in learning, among other things. Additional responsibilities may be placed on you in the context of the home setting. You however, are able to handle most situations. Also, you should open up to relatives as, it is a good time to give support and catch up on current events. There is great sensuality and desire for love. You have an opportunity to attract new friends and people of the opposite sex. Diet, exercise and work however, are what fill your time.

Yesterday’s Solution

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) A good

yester

Yesterday’s Solution

to

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Kuwait Qatar Abu Dhabi Dubai Raas Al Khayma Al-Shareqa Muscat Jordan Bahrain Riyadh Makkah - Jeddah Cairo Alexandria Beirut Damascus Allepo

00965 00974 009712 009714 009717 009716 00968 009626 00973 009661 009662 00202 00203 009611 0096311 0096321

Tunisia Rabat Washington New York Paris London Madrid Zurich Geneva Monaco Rome Bangkok Hong Kong Pakistan Taiwan Bonn

0021610 002127 001212 001718 00331 004471 00341 00411 004122 0033 00396 00662 00852 0092 00886 0049228

Word Sleuth Solution

friend or counselor will share ideas with you on some teaching problems you may have to face at the beginning of next week. You may have felt inadequate until communicating your plans to a friend this day. You prepare for the week ahead and may want to forget work for a while—buy this friend a meal or go to a movie. Lady Luck may smile brightly on you now and for the next few weeks. This could mean a lottery ticket, but it also may mean found money. You may see the family circle increase in numbers through marriage or new birth. Also, this is a time when you engaged in intellectual pursuits—a new book or computer software program. You and a loved one may enjoy a walk after the evening meal; there is a lot to see.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You feel a love of order and law—an appreciation for responsibilities and duty.

Problems are valued for their lessons. Travel plans may have to be changed today, but it will not stop you from finding some time to relax and enjoy the day. This is the time you have been looking for in order to catch up with your reading or at least do some serious planning. Schedule a massage for you and your loved one today. You may be moved to discover and appreciate the beauty in your life and in those around you.

At the same time, everything could take on added value and importance.

Even though this is one of your better days for money—be careful that you do not overspend or indulge too much just now. A quiet dinner for two is in order tonight.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You will find that your mind and thoughts will be very intense just now. There could be a lot of pressure to make decisions but walk away for a moment or two so that you can have a focus. After some problems have been solved within your own surroundings, there may be another cause to jump. Someone else has difficulty and wants you to quickly fix the problem. It may be time to help your loved ones learn some self-help steps. Every time you solve someone else’s problem, it would be good to help them see the process you took so that they can step in and problem-solve for themselves in the future. Satisfaction comes from a job well done. Your mate, children and other companion/s show their respect for your kind guidance.

INFORMATION

Monday, March 15, 2010

35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 777 Al-Madena 22418714 Al-Shohada始a 22545171 Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Sabhan 24742838 Al-Helaly 22434853 Al-Fayhaa 22545051 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Ahmadi 23980088 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 Al-Jahra 25610011 Al-Salmiya 25616368

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 HOSPITALS Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha始a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

24874330/9 CLINICS

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

4892674

Al-Omariya

4719048

N.Kheitan

4710044

Rabiya

4732263

Fintas

3900322

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988 AIRLINES

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE Ahmadi

PHARMACY Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

ADDRESS Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

PHONE 23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554

EMERGENCY 112

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea Dr. Masoma Habeeb Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy Dr. Mohsen Abel Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly

25622444 25752222 25321171 25739999 25757700 25732223 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

22617700 25625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Zahra Qabazard Sohail Qamar Snaa Maaroof Pradip Gujare Zacharias Mathew

25710444 22621099 25713514 23713100 24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe 23729596/23729581 Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 General Surgeons: Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 25717111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

(2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535 Dentists:

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists:

Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 25339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555 Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari

25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr

25329924

Psychologists/Psychotherapists Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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36

SPECTRUM

Monday, March 15, 2010

Jennifer Love Hewitt is single again J

ennifer Love Hewitt has split from her boyfriend Jamie Kennedy. The pair, who met on the set of ‘Ghost Whisperer’, have split after a year of dating, a spokesperson confirmed.

No details have been confirmed about why they have split. The 31-year-old actress has previously claimed they were the perfect match. She told Ellen DeGeneres: “There are people in your life who are just supportive and who just look at you and they see who you are. “And Jamie really saw who I was as a person more than anybody had ever done in my whole life. I think that’s for me when I sort of went, ‘Oh, wow’.” She also claimed working together on ‘Ghost Whisperer’ was great as they didn’t have talk about their days in the evening.

She said: “The idea of two actors in a relationship can be explosive and scary, but the good thing is that he is also a writer, a comedian and an entrepreneur. One of the great things about working together is that in the evening we don’t have to have an hour-long conversation about how our day went.” Jennifer has previously dated legendary Hollywood lothario John Mayer and professional kayaker Brad Ludden.

Hilary Duff wants a ‘small’ wedding

T Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan feels old

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Jennifer Love Hewitt

he ‘An Education’ actress who is dating actor Shia LaBeouf - admits her work and life experiences make her seem much older than her 24 years, though she is still a teenager at heart. She said: “I think I feel older. You meet a lot of people much older, one of my closest friends in an actor called Denis Lawson who is in his fifties. I met him when I was 20 on ‘Bleak House’ and we are bonded by an experience and so yes, in some ways I feel older but in some ways I feel like a 13 year old. “But also, I’ve been working, I have a career, I’ve bought my own flat, I have a mortgage - so sometimes I feel annoyingly grown up and I don’t want to be but most of the time I feel 12.” The ‘Public Enemies’ actress also admitted she won’t carry on acting forever. She said: “I have always wanted to keep going for as long as I want to but then I will stop if I get bored or if I get frustrated or tired - but I don’t feel it.”

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ika bombards his doctor with phone calls. The ‘Love Today’ singer admits he is a hypochondriac and regularly calls up his physician to go through his symptoms as he needs reassurance. He said: “I’m always calling my doctor because I’m constantly injuring myself while on the road, like tearing a ligament, blasting my ears or losing my voice. Plus, I’m a total hypochondriac. I call him up and he talks me through whatever I’ve got - or think I’ve got - then he’ll send me to a local doctor, he has a network of people. He’s actually one of the doctors to the Queen. I wouldn’t say he looks forward to my calls - I call him at least once a week when I’m on tour - but Peter tolerates me.” As well as pursuing his doctor, Mika also admits he is in constant contact with his estate agent after spending a year-and-a-half searching for the perfect house. He told Britain’s Cosmopolitan magazine: “After 18 months househunting, I found four that I was interested in, so for the past month I’ve lived with my property consultant on speed dial. I’ve been badgering him because it’s been crazy. People are saying that no one is buying, but everyone seems to be selling without even putting their houses on the market! Richard is great and has come up with the goods, so it’s all done and dusted now. But I can’t delete him from my speed dial because he’s giving me one of his dogs - a black puppy.”

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Mika

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ennifer Lopez is putting her home life before her career for the first time. The actress-and-singer who has two-year-old twins Max and Emme with husband Marc Anthony - has enjoyed spending time away from the spotlight and thinks it has helped her realize what’s important to her. She said: “I think you have to know what is most important to you. And I think you have to realise that as much as you put into work, you have to put into your relationship and your children - but more so. That is how you balance it. “For me, my family is the most important thing and everything else comes after that. It is hard to do everything, but you just have to. You have to make that effort. I have put so much time into my career in the past, so much time trying to get ahead and all that. But you have to do as much and then more for your home life too.”

The 40-year-old beauty - who is set to release a new album in the summer and stars in the romantic comedy ‘The BackUp Plan’ - admits she is still on a “learning curve” as a mother. She said: “I try to spend all my free time with Marc and the babies. It’s all a learning curve really.

The last year has been an amazing time for us, me and Marc. I just wish I could be in two places at once.

I would rather be at home now with my babies if I could be.”

Jennifer Lopez

Hilary Duff

Mark Owen has gone to rehab

Mika’s medical woes

Family comes first : Jennifer Lopez

he singer-and-actress - who got engaged to hockey player Mike Comrie last month - has already started planning her nuptials and is in complete control of all the preparations. Hilary - who has been dating Mike for two years - said: “We want to keep it small. Mike’s like, ‘Whatever you want!’” The star says she is planning a “traditional” ceremony and is looking forward to choosing her dress, though she fears looking like “a big cupcake”. She explained: “I want it to be traditional. I don’t want it to be too big and overwhelming, because I’m so small. A big dress would make me look like a big cupcake!”

Mike proposed to Hilary during a romantic break in Hawaii with a $1 million 12 carat diamond ring and although the 23-year-old star was delighted by the surprise, she was disappointed when paparazzi photographs of their trip appeared on the internet. Hilary who was snapped photographing her engagement ring on her mobile phone - told website Hollywood Life: “It was awful. We had no idea they were there; it was weird.

“I hated that. I was taking a picture of my ring and sending it to my mom!” Hilary’s sister Haylie Duff recently revealed the 29-year-old sportsman’s proposal came as a complete shock to her sibling. She said: “She was completely surprised. I don’t think that happens all the time. I think most of the time people figure it out or have some idea that it’s going to happen, and I think it’s great he was able to do a surprise like that for her.”

Although exact details of the proposal remain secret, the 29year-old sportsman’s gesture was “very romantic”. Haylie added: “I adore him. He’s wonderful... very romantic.”

he Take That singer, who last week revealed he had cheated on his wife Emma with ten women before they were married, has checked into a clinic for his alcohol problem. He said: “I’ve made my bed and I’ve got to lie in it. I was very lucky to marry Emma because I’ve not always been a great partner. “I have had issues for a long time. I’ve drunk for the last ten years and it got to a bad point. That’s been my issue. I have been a prat.” Mark, 38, married Emma in November 2009 and the pair have two children - Elwood, three and Willow Rose, 14 months. His Take That band mates - Gary Barlow, Jason Orange and Howard Donald - have given Mark

Mark Owen some time off from recording their new album to deal with his issues. A source told the Sun: “They have told him he can just come back when he’s

John devastated by suicide

Aniston handcuffed with Butler

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ennifer Aniston claims it was “terrible” being handcuffed to Gerard Butler in their new film ‘The Bounty Hunter’. The screen beauty - who plays Nicole Hurly, a bail-jumping reporter being pursued by her bounty hunter ex-husband Milo Boyd, portrayed by Gerard, in the movie - insists being chained to one of Hollywood’s biggest hunks has its drawbacks. When quizzed about what it was like to be handcuffed to the heartthrob, a smiling Jennifer told BANG Showbiz: “It was terrible. No really, it hurt. It was painful, they really cut into my wrists.” Jennifer was speaking at the gala premiere of the film at the Vue cinema in London’s Leicester Square, and both she and Gerard braved the cold to meet fans. Both stars praised everyone for turning out in the freezing temperatures as they addressed the crowd from a stage, although at one point the 41-year-old actress was visibly shivering in her Valentino couture dress and a black jacket designed by the late Alexander McQueen. Gerard - who has been romantically linked to Jennifer since they met on the set of ‘The Bounty Hunter’ - was greeted by hundreds of screaming female fans but admits he finds it hard to comprehend his sex symbol status. The 40-year-old Scottish star said: “I’ve always seen myself as a guy who struggles through life, and now everyday people go, ‘What’s it like to be a sex symbol.”

ready. There is absolutely no time pressure. “ Since the revelations, Emma has been seen without her wedding ring.

S Shakira

Shakira lives her life like a ‘gypsy’

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he sexy singer - who is engaged to lawyer Antonio de la Rua - is unable to settle in one place because her work commitments take her all over the world so she is always on the move. Talking about her new single, ‘Gypsy’, she said: “It’s how I live my life, like a nomad. Ever since I became famous, I’m constantly travelling, which is great as I get to see so many different cultures and traditions. But I definitely live like a gypsy!” For the ‘Gypsy’ video, Shakira asked tennis champion Rafael Nadal to star alongside her because he can relate to her travelling lifestyle. She added: “I wanted someone I identified with and knew what it was like to constantly travel the world. Nadal is like me, he started his career young, has fought battles and moves around from place to place. Also it helps that he is good-looking as that makes it nicer for me!”

ir Elton John has revealed an exlover of his committed suicide. The pop star was left devastated by the death of his lover who hurled himself under an oncoming vehicle and admits the tragedy still affects him now. Elton and his husband David Furnish are among several producers of new Broadway play ‘Next Fall’ - which focuses Elton John on a relationship between two gay men which is turned upside down by a serious accident - and the ‘Rocket Man’ singer admits it was his own painful personal experience which motivated him to get involved with the project. Elton - who came out in the late 80s - told New York Post columnist Cindy Adams: “David saw it several times. I read it several times. There is some of us in it. Years back I had a relationship, and I had absolutely no idea in the world he was going to do this... he threw himself under a truck. There was so much grief. “Look, we all need love. We all have the same fears and insecurities. We should all be allowed to be free.” The play’s storyline follows the five-year relationship between devout Christian Luke and committed atheist Adam, when Luke is seriously injured Adam has to turn to his partner’s homophobic parents for support. David thinks the play’s message has never been more poignant following the ongoing developments regarding gay rights in the US, which include Proposition 8 the constitutional amendment passed in California in 2008 which outlawed same sex marriages in the state.

The Canadian filmmaker said: “It’s the right timing for this. The religious divide between right and left has gotten wider, and so the rights of gay people never got back to where it was heading.”

‘Next Fall’ opened on Thursday night at the Helen Hayes Theater in New York and both Elton and David were present. —Bang

Monday, March 15, 2010

SPECTRUM

37

Lifestyle

Starr relishes new challenges, but he’s forever a Beatle he 69-year-old visitor to the downtown Grammy Museum strolled with fascination through its new exhibit of Alfred Wertheimer’s celebrated 1956 photos of Elvis Presley at 21, just as the impossibly handsome young singer was on the threshold of stardom.

Like most other visitors taking in the remarkably unguarded photos, this bearded gentleman exhibited affection and appreciation for the black-andwhite portraits of Presley’s quiet moments-lunching at a diner; teasing, and being teased, by a female fan-some of the last such moments he would enjoy before exploding as the biggest star in the pop music universe.

But occasionally came an expression that none of the others wandering the gallery could offer: understanding. “The start of all our careers was quiet like that,” said Ringo Starr, the former Beatle enjoying a relatively quiet few minutes of his own, perusing the Elvis photos before a question-answer session and performance a short time later. “We didn’t expect any problems, and then suddenly it gets wild-and it did.”

Things are, of course, less wild today for Starr than they were 45 years ago when the Fab Four supplanted Elvis at the top of the pop heap. The world’s most famous drummer was a Beatle for eight years, and he’s been an ex-Beatle for five times that long now. But hardly a minute goes by when the topic doesn’t come up.

After making his way through the photo display, Starr headed straight for the museum store in search of an Elvis T-shirt but quickly found himself faced with apparel bearing his own visage along with those of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Eventually, though, he found what he was after and slipped on the Presley shirt for his evening session, an event he took on in conjunction with the release last week of his latest album, “Y Not.” It’s a milestone for him in a couple of respects: It’s the first time in his half-century career he’s taken the wheel as producer, in addition to singing, drumming and co-writing most of its songs. He’ll be singing some of those songs during his next All-Starr Band tour, during which he’ll become the first Beatle to turn 70, on July 7.

Is 70 a big number? “No-not as big as 40 was,” he said, looking a good 15 years younger than you might expect. He’s trim-like McCartney and his late pal Harrison, he’s an avowed vegetarian-and outfitted in a black band-collar peacoat, black

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jeans and the ever-present dark glasses. His hair and beard are close-cropped, only a few wrinkles on his neck betraying his age.

“Forty was: ‘Oh, God, 40!’” he said with a hearty laugh. “There’s that damn song, ‘Life Begins at 40.’ No, it’s not so big anymore. I am nearly 70, and I’d love to be nearly 40, but that’s never going to happen. “I feel the older I get, the more I’m learning to handle life,” he said, the charming Liverpudlian accent nearly as strong as ever, even though he’s maintained a home in Los Angeles for the last 34 years-the majority of it with actress Barbara Bach, whom he married in 1981 — along with residences in England and Monte Carlo.

“Y Not” doesn’t vary greatly from the approach he’s taken through much of his solo career: lots of collaborations with high-profile musician friends, some lightweight rockers that give him the opportunity to exercise his wellhoned chops behind the drum kit and a couple of meatier numbers that let the man of a thousand quips touch on the matters of the spirit that mean the most to him. “You can be serious in a good up way,” Starr said. “I think this record has captured where I’m trying to be musically and as a writer.

My spirits are high.”

As the years roll by, he said, “I think (spiritual issues) are more prominent.” On “Y Not,” that manifests in “Peace Dream,” which name checks Lennon and reiterates his message from “Imagine.” On 2008’s “Liverpool 8,” it showed up in the unflinchingly direct ballad “Love Is” and “R U Ready,” a country gospel rave up about the universality of spiritual yearning.

“Being on this quest for a long time, it’s all about finding yourself,” Starr said. “For me, God is in my life. I don’t hide from that. ... I think the search has been on since the ‘60s. ... I stepped off the path there for many years and found my way (back) onto it, thank God,” a reference to the wild days of rampant alcohol and drug use that ensued after the Beatles broke up, when Starr ran amok, often in the company of Lennon and singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson. Van Dyke Parks, with whom he wrote the album’s first single, “Walk With You,” was also part of that circle at times. “Ringo and I survived Harry Nilsson, who’d introduced us,” Parks said last week. “So many acquaintances I reveled within the lettuce years later sobered up and dropped me like a bad habit. Ringo is an exception. —MCT

SPECTRUM

38

Monday, March 15, 2010

Fashion

Henry Holland wants to dress Lady Gaga he British designer is a huge fan of the eccentric ‘Poker Face’ singer’s sense of style and would love to work with her - but only if she agreed with his ideas. He said: “I’d love to dress Gaga but I’d be too terrified to tell her what to wear. “It would have to be a collaborative process.” The design-

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er’s close friend, model Agyness Deyn, also confessed to being a big fan of Gaga and her quirky fashion ideas after seeing her promoting a new MAC lipstick.

Agyness told Now magazine: “I was inspired.” Henry and Gaga should get along fine if the designer creates an outfit with lots of accessories - including

high-heeled shoes.

The singer said recently: “I would rather die than have my fans not see me in a pair of high heels. I’d never give up my wigs and hats for anything. “You see legendary people taking out their trash, I think it’s destroying showbusiness.”—Bang Showbiz

Winehouse to launch clothing line my Winehouse has teamed up with Fred Perry to create a fashion collection. The ‘Rehab’ singer collaborated with the British brand to design a range which is inspired by her own “unique sense of style”. Amy said: “I’m really excited about doing this collection with Fred Perry. We’ve been working on it for a while and it’s great to see it finally come to fruition.” Fred Perry’s marketing director Richard Martin said: “Amy has been wearing Fred Perry for years, so we were aware she was a genuine fan of the brand. Amy has a unique sense of style that reflects the brand’s

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Models present creations by Macedonian designer Elena Luka during the fashion weekend in Skopje. —AFP

own historical reference points.”

The 26-year-old star has been very hands-on with her role and the collection - which will be launched in October - will feature pieces from Amy’s signature look, including twinsets, skinny pencil skirts, capri pants, mini dresses and polo shirts. Richard added to WWD: “We had three major design meetings where she was closely involved in product style selection and the application of fabric, color and styling details. Amy gave crucial input on proportion, color and fit. The range clearly has Amy’s handwriting.” — Bang Showbiz

SPECTRUM

Monday, March 15, 2010

39

Fashion

London’s Carnaby St marks 50 years since Swinging Sixties ondon’s Carnaby Street, a potent symbol of the Swinging Sixties where the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix hung out, is marking 50 years as a style icon — and looking to the future. Musicians, models and hipsters clad in flares and psychedelic colors made the street, and its flamboyant, independent clothes shops with names like Lord John and I Was Lord Kitchener’s Valet, a global symbol of youth culture. Its image faded in the 1980s and 1990s, although now the street tucked away next to Regent Street, one of London’s main shopping hubsis trying to recapture something of that independent spirit.

Fashion historian Amy de la Haye, co-curator of “Carnaby Street: 1960-2010”, an exhibition now running on the street and

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telling its story, said 1960s bohemians had been attracted to the area by cheap rents. “Shops were playing music loud, it was like going to a nightclub during the day,” she told AFP, describing the atmosphere at the time.

“Some people were going there for shopping but others were coming just to hang around, there was a carnival atmosphere. And you never knew who you were going to meet.” Photographer Philip Townsend, who chronicled the street and its outlandish fusions, put it more succinctly.

“The skirts were very, very short. And there were lots of girls.”

Following World War II and rationing, young people in 1960s Britain again had money to spend on luxuries like clothes and going out. Iconic designer Ossie Clark

A gallery employee adjusts a 1960’s dress ahead of the opening of an exhibition entitled ‘Carnaby Street: 1960 - 2010’. —AFP

Williamson to design for Bulgari atthew Williamson is to design a handbag collection for Bulgari. The designer and the luxury jeweler will collaborate on a range of bags for Spring/Summer 2011, which will be presented during Milan Fashion Week in September.

Francesco Trapani, chief executive officer of Bulgari, said the designer had been enlisted due to “the great

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sense of color and design he brings to his work”. The bags mark Bulgari’s first collaboration with a designer as the company’s accessories are currently created by a design team based in Florence.

Earlier this year, Williamson is venturing into menswear, following on from a successful collection with high street store H+M. He said: “I wanted

to start a menswear line of slim-fitting, luxury cashmere jumpers in a range of great colors. I know these jumpers will become season-less staples in my own wardrobe.

“Cashmere and silk printed scarves and hand-beaded T-shirts complement the line and form a solid foundation for the collection to grow next season.” —Bang Showbiz

Heidi Klum advises wearing a hat on bad hair days he 36-year-old model says putting on the accessory or tying up tresses is a great way to hide any hair disasters. She said: “I have had many hair nightmares. But it’s very easy for someone with long hair, you

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nightmares where other people think my hair looks awful but I loved it, because I like to experiment with my hair.”

Heidi also admits to a simple skin care routine that always leave her looking flawless.

For women who are short on time, Heidi suggests a simple tinted moisturizer as the first step to looking great.

She said in a promotional video to coincide with her front cover appearance on America’s Marie Claire maga-

She said: “My skin care routine is very easy. I wash my face religiously. When you wear a lot of make-up like I do it’s so important to really, super-clean your face so your pores are open.”

zine: “If you have only five minutes to get ready I would use the In An Instant tinted moisturizer because it moisturizes but also gives you flawless skin without wearing make-up on. I would do eye-

Heidi Klum

Victoria Beckham wants to dress Michelle Obama

just put it in a bun or put a cute hat on.” However, the German beauty says women should still experiment and not be afraid to make mistakes sometimes. She said: “I probably have had many

lash curler, mascara, a nice lip stain and blush.”

Stella McCartney thinks the fashion world is finally embracing ethical practices.

The designer - who is a strict vegetarian and animal rights campaigner - has always used responsible production for her creations and now says everyone else is starting to follow suit. She said: “I hope everyone else is catching up, but I’m also learning all the time, so I think I’m constantly changing and the brand is constantly changing. I think that’s part of being a modern brand, you have to react to the environment you are living in, as much as the industry you are working in.”

Despite a financial cloud still hanging over the world, Stella is excited about her future.

She said: “I think we’re definitely hitting a really nice pace and it’s really exciting. It feels like it’s just about to take off, there is a lot of energy and a lot of positivity. It’s like the timing is right for our brand. “I’ve grown up, not only physically but also mentally. I think that there is a new woman that’s also there, and I think that she has held the original girl’s hand and walked her though life for a little bit.” —Bang Showbiz

he singer-turned-fashion designer says she would love to create a dress for the US First Lady because she’s such a “strong woman”. Victoria - whose clothing lines have won widespread praise - said: “I would love to dress Mrs Obama absolutely absolutely absolutely! I just think she’s incredible and she’s a very strong woman and she’s beautiful. “I love women and I just want to make women feel good and beautiful and it’s just been a huge compliment that ladies have enjoyed wearing my dresses and they look great! It just goes to show they can flatter women of all different shapes and sizes, all different heights, and that’s what it’s about. It’s about creating an illusion and having a great cut.”

Victoria - who is married to soccer star David Beckham - admits she gets a huge buzz when she sees someone wearing one of her designs.

She said: “Seeing anyone wearing my clothes is exciting, whether it’s someone famous, a family member or a stranger. A few weeks ago, I bumped into a woman wearing a design of mine and screamed with excitement.

I’m sure she thought I was crazy.” —Bang Showbiz

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Models display clothes from a ready to wear collection by Ukrainian fashion designer Olexiiy Zalevskiy during Ukrainian Fashion Week in Kiev. — AFP photos

even created popular paper dresses for them to snap up. This was a big change from how shopping used to be, according to de la Haye. “Before, fathers and sons were getting dressed in the same shops,” she said. “Suddenly, boutiques in Carnaby Street started selling colorful clothes, with unusual shapes and materials never used before. And unisex arrived.”

In the 1980s and 1990s, following the emergence of the punk movement, the street lost its aura, choked by souvenir shops and down market clothes stores.

It remained a popular destination for tourists attracted by tales of what Time magazine christened “Swinging London” in 1966.

But in 1997, Carnaby Street and the smaller streets around it were bought by a property compa-

ny which wanted to restore its image. Now Shaftesbury, which owns the area, says that “65 percent of the shops are independents.” Carnaby Street itself is dominated by big name youth brands like Puma and Converse but the smaller streets off it boast more independent stores.

“The main street is not so much independent but it serves the purpose of bringing young people to Carnaby Street,” said Filiz Ayan, manager of a local jewelry shop. “They get plenty of choice, individualism which was the case in the sixties. It continues the heritage.” De la Haye said the area was “cool again”, adding: “It has drawn the best of what were the sixties, with independent boutiques and lots of cafes, but it’s turned towards the future.” —AFP

www.kuwaittimes.net

Peep with the fishes:

Coki Beach in St Thomas, Virgin Islands is a popular snorkeling spot. —MCT photos

t John, US Virgin Islands — Let’s call it Diving Lite. Snorkeling, the colorful yet cautious cousin of scuba diving, is a way to see the sea withoutglub, glub-going under. You don’t even have to know how to swim. “I had a family of four the other day, and after I gave them the lesson and put them in the water, I discovered not one of them could swim. That is when I took them one by one and just dragged them with me so they could at least enjoy the fish of Bonaire,” says Renee Leach of Renee Snorkel Trips in Bonaire, a snorkel-friendly island in the souther n Caribbean.

Around for thousands of years-since the first person thought of breathing through a reed poking above water-snorkeling is also called skin diving. It can mean anything from beginners gingerly sticking their faces into shallow water to free diving underwater with snorkel gear, holding your breath.

More spontaneous than scuba, snorkeling requires only a mask, snorkel and fins.

No air tanks, no wet suits. You can pack gear in your suitcase or just rent it for a few bucks when you get there. Cheap?

Yes. The undersea world doesn’t yet

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charge admission. While scuba diving may be the sexy sport, snorkeling is far more popular. More than 10 million Americans snorkeled in 2008, while just 3 million went scuba diving. Snorkeling is nearly equally as popular with men and women, according to the Spor ting Goods Manufacturers Association.

“The youngest snorkeler I had was 3 years and the oldest was 93, so it is something that anybody can do at any age,” says Leach. Many trips that travel agent Jan Stogner books are for avid scuba divers who have spouses or friends who snorkel instead. “Lots of times I send people on vacation where one dives and the other doesn’t. Some of the spouses want to sit on the beach and do a whole pile of nothing,” says Stogner, president of Caribbean Dive Vacations in Columbia, SC “But if they want to snorkel, we can arrange for them to do it off the boat or near the shore.”

For extreme beginners, here are four places I recommend. Hardly the top snorkeling destinations in the world, they’re still amazing. All have snorkeling gear available for rental; prices vary but are about $15.

• Coki Beach, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Snorkel in water a few feet deep and see schools of brightly colored fish . A good place for ultra beginners to start their snorkeling adventures. (www.usvitourism.vi) • Tr unk Bay, St John, US Virgin Islands. Follow the underwater snorkeling trail, which even has plaques under the water. Sometimes it can be a bit wavy or cloudy. (www.nps.gov/VIIS) • Stingray City, Grand Cayman. A boat takes you out in the bay to shallow clear water to see dozens of giant and rather tame stingrays circling for food.

Equipment is included, but honestly, the stingrays are so big you don’t even need to put your head in the water to see them. (www.stingraycitytrips.com) • Chankanaab National Park, Cozumel, Mexico. A pretty park with easy to access water for beginner snorkelers. Cozumel is one of the most popular scuba destinations in the world, and this place is a non-intimidating spot to start, just to see fish and practice your moves. There are underwater statues just off shore to see, too. (www.cozumelparks.com) Once you’ve got your snorkeling comfort, graduate to spots

like Honduras, Bonaire, Hawaii, Belize or St Lucia.

As your body adjusts to the underwater world, magical things float by-schools of fish that look like they were splashed by Crayola, waving plants, sea fans, urchins, coral, snails. Suddenly, snorkeling is fun.

Snorkeling is cool. Actually, snorkeling is like diving. Or close enough.

Underwater photography To shoot fantastic underwater snorkeling photos, you need a waterproof housing for your camera or a decent waterproof camera. Here are some tips.

•Shoot near the surface on a bright sunny day for best light. Below 20 feet, you need a strobe.

•Shoot up, not down on the creatures and plants, and get as close as you can.

•Be as still as possible while shooting.

•A cheap underwater disposable camera costs about $10. I tried a Fuji disposable, and only two of the 27 photos were decent (one of them is at left). A photo editor used a Canon PowerShot SD960 with the additional waterproof housing (Canon WP-DC32). The results were excellent.

Snorkeling sites, tips Destinations: • Roatan, Honduras. One resort, Anthony’s Key , offers snorkeling packages that include lodging, meals and several snorkeling trips, including one at night. (www.anthonyskey.com) • Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. One of the most famous diving spots in the world, the southern Caribbean island also has multiple shore diving/snorkeling opportunities, notably at Andrea II Shallow and Klein Bonaire.

• Hawaii, Three Tables or Hanuma Bay, Oahu. The surf can be rough at Three Tables, but, when it’s calm, you can snorkel in an intriguing reef close to shore. Tidal pools are nearby for those who would rather wade.

• Southern Belize . The South Water Cay Marine Reserve reef , one of the most pristine in the world, has amazing coral and fish.

• Anse Chastanet Beach, St Lucia.

Protected and relatively shallow marine reserve.

• Jellyfish Lake, Palau. I’ve never been there, but apparently the jellyfish in this lake have lost their sting, so you can snorkel

while hundreds of blobby little creatures bob against you.

• Buck Island, St Croix, US Virgin Islands. Underwater preserve with excellent snorkeling.

• Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Remote location with walk-in reef snorkeling.

• Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort, Fiji. One of the best dive resorts in the world also offers guided snorkeling. (www.fijiresort.com) Snorkeling trips Ask your resort about snorkeling gear rental, good spots or day trips. Consult a specialist in scuba / snorkel vacations, such as Caradonna Worldwide Dive Vacations (www.caradonna.com, 800-328-2288). In Bonaire, see Renee Snorkel Trips (www.reneesnorkeltrips.com).

• Get to your snorkel destination early so it’s not stirred up by others.

• Make sure your mask fits so water doesn’t get in.

• At first, your breathing will sound like Darth Vader sucking wind. After awhile the sound is comforting. —MCT

You are now entering Checkpoint ʻMcCharlieʼ heckpoint Charlie, a worldfamous symbol of the Cold War that until 1989 was the front line between two nucleararmed superpowers, is getting its own McDonalds. For many, this is the final straw. Where once US and Soviet tanks faced off as the whole world held its breath, there are now actors posing as soldiers in American or Soviet uniforms stamping tourists’ passports or posing in photos-for a fee. And next to the replica “You are now entering the American sector” sign, souvenir shops and stalls sell chunks of the Berlin Wall and pieces of Cold War kitsch like toy “Trabi” cars and Soviet military hats. Other hot items include Tshirts showing Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev’s famous kiss with East German strongman Eric Honecker, a common sign of socialist solidarity that triggered ridicule in the West-and was later satirized in a mural on the Berlin Wall after it was breached in November 1989.

Vernon Pike, a former US army colonel who used to command Checkpoint Charlie, was so incensed that he fired off an angry

C

A man sells Soviet Army hats in front of performing artists dressed up as US and French Military Police officers. —AFP letter to the Berlin authorities in 2008, calling the transformation “an unacceptable spectacle”. This January an immense billboard advert by a clothes company went up featuring a young woman wear-

ing the maker’s jeans-and flashing her top half to a security camera.

There is already a Starbucks, and the “Golden Arches” logo will later this year adorn a building currently occupied by eateries includ-

ing a sushi outlet, a kebab shop and a pizzeria, irreverently known as “Snackpoint Charlie”. “This is really a very strange place,” Simone Bernaert, 62, a retired and unimpressed university lecturer

from Paris visiting Berlin, told AFP. Checkpoint Charlie, to add insult to injury, is one of the few remaining reminders that Berlin used to be a divided city.

“It’s just difficult to visualize what it was like ... It would have been nice if they had tried to preserve it a little bit.” Amy O’Brian, 21, a student from Dublin, told AFP. “It looks like any other European city really.” In fact, tourists could be forgiven for being unaware that the German Democratic Republic (GDR), as the misleadingly named communist country was known, ever existed at all, critics grumble.

Other landmarks have also gone, most notably the immense steel and glass “Palast der Republik”, the GDR’s parliament building, razed last year to make room for a reconstruction of a Prussian palace knocked down by the communists.

There are only a few stretches of the Berlin Wall left, one of which, at Bernauer Strasse, is said to be in danger of collapse. This has been accompanied by a phenomenon called “Ostalgie”, nostalgia for all things East German

Performing artists dressed up as US Military Police officer (L) and a French Police officer pose for tourists. (“Ost”), as exemplified by the 2003 film “Good Bye Lenin!”, and “ironic” tours for tourists in restored “Trabis”.

Changing times “I am worried by the fact that as the years go by, the GDR’s image is getting more and more positive,” says Hubertus Knabe, director of the BerlinHohenschoenhausen former GDR jail for political prisoners, now a museum. “The most visible wounds of the border regime have almost all been got rid of. There are only a few bit left of the Berlin Wall, and they are pretty harm-

less-looking.” But visitors also understand that Berlin is moving on. As well as being a city with lots of history, not just from its 45 years of post-war division, but also from the Nazi era back to Prussian imperialism and further back. It is also a metropolis that almost three and a half million people call home-and who don’t want to live in a museum.

“I don’t know if people come here with the preconception that the Wall is still standing,” wonders Sophia Quint, who works in Berlin’s marketing department.

“People always ask: ‘Where is the Wall, where was the Wall?’,” she

told AFP. And there is little that the authorities can do to improve Checkpoint Charlie, she says.

“Tourists seem to like it. You can see clearly at Checkpoint Charlie how many people have their photos taken. If tourists like that, and think it’s a good thing, we’ve got nothing against it,” she said. “It is not in our power to do anything.” “What else are they going to do with it? It’s a bit of history that no one is proud of.

Things move on, I suppose,” says Ron Scanlon, 42, a paramedic from Australia touring Germany on holiday, at Checkpoint Charlie. —AFP