14 April

Pt Io n rI BS c Su THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010

Kyrgyz president will go if security guaranteed PAGE 14

in the news Iraq owes Kuwait $24bn KUWAIT: Iraq still owes about $24 billion in war reparations for the 1990 occupation of Kuwait, a lawmaker was quoted as saying yesterday. Adnan Abdulsamad, head of the Assembly’s budgets committee, said the state had so far received $17.5 billion out of the $41.8 billion approved by a United Nations special compensation fund.

Newspapers quoted him as saying that the state had filed compensation claims worth $177 billion for damages from the invasion and seven-month occupation by Saddam Hussein’s forces. Iraq is required to put five percent of its oil revenues into a UN reparations fund, which has so far paid out $28.9 billion to claimants. Since Saddam’s overthrow following a US-led invasion in 2003, Iraq has repeatedly appealed to Kuwait and other countries to waive tens of billions of dollars in compensation and debt. The bulk of the money is owed to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Iraq also owes Kuwait around $16 billion for loans to Saddam for Iraq’s 198088 war with Iran, which was largely bankrolled by the oil-rich Gulf states.

New work permits issued KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor will start issuing new work permits that cannot be forged in all labor departments in the governorates as agreed with the Interior Ministry. The ministry asked employers and workers who have received work permits during the past two weeks get the new ones in case their transactions are rejected by the interior ministry.

ElBaradei slams ‘injustice’ KUWAIT/CAIRO: On his Twitter page, the former director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Dr Mohammed ElBaradei demanded allowing Egyptians who had been deported from Kuwait over rallying to support him in his presidential campaign to return to Kuwait for humanitarian reasons, reported Al-Rai. ElBaradei labelled the deportations as “complete injustice”.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s ambassador to Cairo Dr Rasheed Al-Hamad in a statement to AlWatan denied any coordination between Kuwait and the Egyptian authorities over the deportations. The ambassador assured that all deported Egyptians will receive their full financial dues. Separately, deportee Mohammad Farraj regretted being uninformed about Kuwaiti regulations, but added he does not regret voicing support for ElBaradei. He also denied reports of them being tortured following their arrest.

Stricken plane lands KUWAIT: A Saudi Arabian airplane landed safely at Kuwait International Airport after a technical glitch resulted in failure to open its landing gear, Airport Operations Director Essam Al-Zamil said yesterday. In a statement to KUNA, Al-Zamil said the plane that was carrying 104 passengers kept flying for an extra 50 minutes before the captain succeeded in landing. Civil aviation teams were deployed on the tarmac to deal with any emergency, he said.

RABI ALTHANI 29, 1431 AH

Lebanon politicians ‘good sports’ on war anniversary

Nigeria ‘safe, good for business’: Kuwaiti ambassador

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Saudis denounce terrorism RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s highest religious authority issued a fatwa (edict) denouncing all acts of terrorism and criminalising its financing, Asharq Al-Awsat daily reported yesterday. The Council of Supreme Scholars declared “any act of terrorism, including providing financial support to terrorists, a crime,” regardless of where it takes place, the London-based newspaper said. According to the fatwa, the financier of acts of terrorism will be considered a “partner” in the crime, the newspaper said. The council did not specify a penalty to the act of financing terrorism, leaving that decision for the Islamic courts to determine, the newspaper said. The council described terrorism as any act that involves “targeting of public resources”, “hijacking planes” or “blowing up buildings”.

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Chelsea go four points clear at top of EPL PAGE 20

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Leaders seek to keep nukes from terrorists Obama wins global safeguards • Iran, N Korea summit’s subtext WASHINGTON: Leaders of 47 countries assembled to recharge efforts to keep nuclear material out of terrorist hands as US President Barack Obama opened the summit yesterday by declaring that the risk of an attack has increased. In his opening address, Obama said the danger came not from an enemy nation but from terrorists, and was on the rise despite the end of the Cold War - a new nuclear reality he described as a “cruel irony of history”. “The risk of a nuclear attack has gone up,” Obama said, as terrorist organizations like the AlQaeda network try to get their hands on nuclear materials. Obama called the conference with the goal of locking down all nuclear materials worldwide in four years.

“We welcome and join President Obama’s call to secure all vulnerable nuclear material in four years, as we work together to enhance nuclear security,” the leaders said in a joint communique due to be released. They outlined measures to combat nuclear trafficking, including sharing information and expertise in detection, forensics and law enforcement.

The leaders said they “recognize the need for cooperation among states to effectively prevent and respond to incidents of illicit nuclear trafficking.” They also underlined that the “essential role” in combating nuclear proliferation rests with the UN watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. At the same time, the summit participants said increased security must “not infringe upon the rights of states to develop and utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and technology.”

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Assembly calls for probe into ‘wrongdoings’ Govt urges national unity

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday ordered investigations into a number of financial and administrative wrongdoings allegedly committed by several government bodies and set May 11 for debating what MPs claimed a steep rise in prices. During its regular session, the Assembly asked the Audit Bureau to conduct an investigation into alleged financial and administrative violations committed by the ministry of information. The Assembly also approved a decision asking the Audit Bureau to conduct an investigation into the books of all sports organizations in the country of the past five years.

In addition, MPs voted to ask the Audit Bureau to conduct a third investigation into alleged violations in the construction of Jaber Stadium and submit its report within three months. Press reports have alleged in Continued on Page 14

Dubai Briton says ex-lover faking death WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama (center) poses for a group photo with leaders from around the world attending the Nuclear Security Summit yesterday. — AP

Israelis told to leave Sinai JERUSALEM: Israel issued an “urgent” warning yesterday to its citizens to leave Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula immediately citing “concrete evidence of an expected terrorist attempt to kidnap Israelis in Sinai”. The statement from the Israeli prime minister’s anti-terror office took the unusual step of calling on families of Israelis visiting the Sinai to establish contact with them. The anti unit cited “threats from (Lebanese Shiite militant group) Hezbollah and Iran.”

The commander of the anti-terror office, Brig Gen Nitzan Uriel, acknowledged that there had been rumors that Israelis have been kidnapped in the Sinai.

“We don’t work according to rumors,” he

the Israel TV. “We work according to firm intelligence.” He said it would “take some time” to disprove the rumors, which circulated all day yesterday. “It is very possible that at this moment, there is a terror cell that has the intention and has a plan in operation to kidnap an Israeli and bring him to Gaza,” he said.

Palestinian militants in Gaza have been holding an Israeli soldier captive for more than three years. Uriel said the kidnappers were likely to strike along the Red Sea coast, a favorite spot for Israelis.

“Sinai is a big place,” he said, “and it is not impossible to kidnap an Israeli from one of the beaches in the present circumstances”. Uriel told another TV station

that about 1,200 Israelis are in Sinai now.

Egyptian police have been searching the Sinai throughout the day for any missing Israelis but found no evidence that anyone was missing, according to two Egyptian security officers speaking under customary conditions of anonymity.

While tens of thousands of Israelis routinely vacation in the Sinai over the Passover holiday, most return after the weeklong festival, which ended a week ago. In unusually strong wording, the Israeli anti-terror office called “on all Israelis residing in Sinai to leave immediately and return home. Families of Israelis residing in Sinai are asked to Continued on Page 14

Abu Dhabi jails woman DUBAI: A lawyer for a Briton accused of killing his South African ex-girlfriend and dumping her body in the sea off Dubai claims she is alive and faking her death to frame her ex-lover, a report said yesterday. Kerry Winter had disappeared in Aug 2008 following a quarrel with her former partner, Mark Arnold, 42.

The prosecution charged him when his trial began in April 2009 with clubbing Winter to death with a baseball bat and dumping her body in the sea with weights attached. Her corpse has never been found.

“There is no body or baseball bat that was allegedly used in the murder... Kerry Winter made this up to get her revenge because their relationship had ended,” lawyer Yousuf Hammad told the court, according to Englishlanguage daily 7Days. The prosecution claims that Arnold has admitted to the charges but his lawyer told the court Monday that his earlier confessions were made under police pressure.

He said that Winter was upset because her partner of five years had dumped her for a new girlfriend, adding that the pair argued the day Continued on Page 14

Attacks kill 15 in Philippines

Thunderstorms forecast KUWAIT: Kuwait might witness rains and thunderstorms in the coming three days, Kuwaiti Meteorologist Issa Ramadhan said yesterday. Thunderstorms experienced yesterday preceded the season of rapidly changing weather known as “sarrayat” which is due to begin on April 15, Ramadhan told KUNA. This season is characterized by heavy thunderstorms in the morning, afternoon and during sunset along with high atmospheric temperatures faced with low mesospheric temperatures, he said. This variation results in humidity, creating clouds and heavy rains, he said, adding that the heaviest rains are expected tonight and tomorrow night. He said that there might be a slight drop of temperature during daytime followed by warm nights while waves would be remarkably high. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation called on people to avoid sailing in the coming three days due to bad weather conditions.

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ISABELA, Philippines: Al Qaeda-linked militants in police uniforms set off bombs and fired at civilians on a strife-torn Philippine island yesterday in violence that left 15 people dead, officials said.

The gunmen detonated two home-made bombs near a church and a school sports grandstand in Isabela city on Basilan island, in the latest show of force by the Abu Sayyaf network, which is blamed for the nation’s worst terrorist attacks.”I think (the attack) is meant to create havoc.... Definitely it falls under terrorism,”

Major General Juancho Sabban, head of the Philippine Marines, told reporters in Manila.

Isabela city mayor Cherry Akbar told reporters that 15 people were confirmed dead, including five militants who were apparently killed by one of their own bomb blasts. Six civilians were also killed in the explosions, while three soldiers and a policeman were killed in gun battles with the militants, Akbar said. At least 25 militants wearing police uniforms were involved in the attacks, according to the

region’s military chief, Lieutenant General Ben Dolorfino.

However Dolorfino said the Abu Sayyaf’s main goal may have actually been to kidnap a high-profile person in Isabela, and that the explosions could have been intended as a diversion. “It looks like they were planning to kidnap someone but they did not expect our troops to react immediately,” Dolorfino said, adding he did not know the target of the suspected abduction plot.

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Makkah tower to be second tallest IRBID, Jordan: In this Dec 28, 2009 photo, Asians work at a factory in one of Jordan’s Qualified Industrial Zones. — AP

Business with Israel paying off in Jordan IRBID, Jordan: Manager Rami Kurdi snapped off a quick celebratory salute to his workers as the factory’s bell rang, marking the completion of the day’s 1,000th tracksuit in record time. For Kurdi and the employees at the Century Standard Textile plant, one of several that manufacture clothing for top brands like Calvin Klein, Victoria’s Secret, Nike and Reebok, the new record was a source of personal pride. It’s also the sign of the success of a key economic prize from Jordan’s peace with Israel.

The factory is one of dozens in Jordan’s

Qualified Industrial Zones, where companies that use a percentage of Israeli inputs can export duty-free to the United States. The QIZs, as they are known, have become the strongest engine for Jordan’s economic growth.

“Peace with Israel has paid off,” Kurdi said. “It made us so busy getting clothing to Americans that it’s hard to keep up with the demand.” But more than 10 years after the QIZs’ creation, Jordan is struggling to ensure that the general public feels the benefit.

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DUBAI: An under-construction hotel complex in Saudi Arabia will feature the world’s second-tallest building, topped by a clock six times bigger than London’s Big Ben, the hotel’s general manager said yesterday. The Makkah Royal Clock Tower will be made up of 662 m of concrete structure and a 155-m crescent-topped metal spire, Mohammed AlArkubi said at a press conference in Dubai. Combined, the two parts of the tower in the holy city of Makkah would be only roughly 11 m shorter than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower at 828 m.

Even the concrete section of the Makkah Royal Clock Tower would be taller than the current second-tallest building in the world, the Continued on Page 14

MAKKAH: An artist’s illustration shows the Makkah Royal Clock Tower located near the Grand Mosque. — AFP

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

‘No complaints from workers’

Philippines ambassador defends KGL company

By Rawan Khalid KUWAIT: The outgoing Filipino Ambassador to Kuwait Ricardo Endaya hosted a press conference yesterday in

KUWAIT: (Left) Ambassador Ashraf Suliman addresses the audience prior to the screening.

(Right) A scene of the movie ‘Invictus’. —Photos by Joseph Shaagra

Embassy of South Africa screens ‘Invictus’

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: The Embassy of South Africa organized a screening of the Academy Award- nominated film ‘Invictus,’ a biographical work based on the life of former South African president Nelson Mandela during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The film stars Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, and is directed by Clint Eastwood.

In his speech prior to the screening, Ashraf Suliman, the Ambassador of South Africa to Kuwait lauded the great achievements of Mandela that concerns fighting racial prejudice in South Africa. “This great man’s achievements are truly inspirational, and we hope that you will find inspiration

after this screening,” said the ambassador.

The event was attended by social dignitaries, diplomats and embassy representatives in Kuwait as well as members from the media. The film depicts how former President Mandela salvaged racial issues among South Africans by focusing on the country’s national sport: Rugby. In 1995, while the South African Rugby team was performing very poorly in comparison to its competitors in the Rugby World Cup, an event that it was hosting at the time on its land. President Mandela saw that in order to overcome racial prejudice, it is important to fortify the pride of the South African people in their country.

The problem that the movie depicts is

the efforts of Mandela to make non-white South Africans support the national Rugby team, which in the past decades, has represented white supremacy in the country.

The team holds training sessions around different parts of South Africa, in areas populated by non-whites. Things take a different turn then; the support for the national team grows by all the population of the country, leading to an improbably victory during the final match which brings the whites and non-whites to unite in support of the team.

The film ends with an optimistic note, of the entire nation of South Africa, now dubbed ‘the Rainbow Nation’ celebrating the great win.

The ambassador was referring to Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago’s allegation that around 50 Filipino workers from the company were sacked, and that they were now subsisting on leftovers of food obtained from the trash bins. “So she (the senator) proposed a solution, which is to investigate the alleged mistreatment of legislation.

I want to clarify that KGL is not involved in the issue,” Endaya said.

Commenting on the situation of Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait, Ambassador Endaya said that they tried to make all the necessary efforts to help them when they are involved in trouble. “We are very cooperative and very fair with the Filipinos living in Kuwait. We have won many cases of Filipinos in the local court,” he said. During the conference, Ambassador Endaya presented a certain mistreated domestic worker who was allegedly defenestrated by a Kuwaiti family.

Endaya said that the woman was 21 years old, and was working in Kuwait by disregarding minimum permissible age limit imposed by the government for overseas Filipino workers.

defense of the KGL Company. “We want to clarify that KGL, one of the most respected companies in Kuwait that employs many Filipinos, is treating all our workers well. We have not received any formal complaints from our workers.”

KUWAIT: Ricardo Endaya, the Filipino Ambassador to Kuwait during the press conference.— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Kuwait, Azerbaijan sign agreement KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Public Authority for Youth and Sports (PAYS) signed yesterday a cooperation agreement with Azerbaijan to support youth and sport affairs between the two countries.

PAYS’ Chairman Faisal Al-Jazzaf said in a telephone call that Azeri Minister of Youth and Sports Azad Rahimov and himself agreed to activate the agreement which is triumph of the exceptional relations between the two countries.

The agreement calls for exchange visits of youth delegations in future, holding joint sport youth events, exchange of expertise and sport medicine, Al-Jazzaf added.

The chairman noted the agreement would increase joint camps, particularly for individual sports of both countries.

The agreement also states that both countries hold sport festivals for youth, in sport like football, handball, athletic

sport, and volleyball.

Al-Jazzaf said that the minister has been invited to visit Kuwait as soon as possible, adding that an official visit from the Kuwaiti embassy in Baku will be sent to him. Al-Jazzaf also expressed appreciation to Kuwait’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ghassan Al-Zowawi and his staff for their support and contribution to ensure success of PAYS’s delegation visit. — KUNA

Opposition to oil sector privatization KUWAIT: Participants at a seminar held to discuss the oil sector’s privatization recently urged the Parliament to oppose the draft law that will be submitted for voting on Thursday’s session.

MP Musallam Al-Barrak, who was a speaker during the event warned that the bill was being supported by prominent business persons who aim to seize control over the country’s main source of income.

While pointing out the seriousness of this issue, he also assured the importance of protecting the future of young generations by rejecting the privatization approach, regardless of the sector being ‘privatized’ - oil, education or health sectors.

He further indicated that the Cabinet cannot be trusted enough to run privatization projects, and urged Kuwaitis to voice their disagreement over the oil sector’s privatization as the practice will “buy the State using state funds.”

Speaking on the subject, MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei described Thursday’s session as “a market where Kuwait’s income will be auctioned.”

KUWAIT: Head of Kuwait Journalists Association’s (KJA) visiting delegation to China Dhiran Abal Khail affirmed yesterday that the visit would aim at bolstering media relations with China. Abal Khail said via phone that the visit to China’s Guangdong city aimed at shedding light on the tourism and commercial development in Chinese southern region cities. The delegation had met with senior officials of Guangdong which would be the venue of the Asian Games to be held next November, said the official. —KUNA

Metro railway project may be delayed KUWAIT: Beginning work on the proposed underground metro railway project is linked with the establishment of the Transportation Authority and any delay will result in its postponement, officials said.

Currently, studies are being held on the proposed railway project’s construction according to the Build-Operate-Transfer (B-OT) system which will be overseen by the soon-to-be set up transportation authority, reported Awan.

Officials said that the process of establishing the authority needs to be approved by the Communications Minister Dr Mohammad AlBusairi and the Fatwa and Legislation committee.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

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3 Stage set for a number of agreements

PM’s visit to France to help strengthen ties KUWAIT: Iraqi Vice President Tariq Al-Hashimi and the accompanying delegation arrived here yesterday on an official visit during which he and the Kuwaiti political leadership discuss means to boost bilateral ties. HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, received the Iraqi vice president upon his arrival at the airport. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Dr Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, head of the mission of honor advisor at the Crown Prince’s Diwan Nasser Abdullah Al-Roudhan, senior statesmen, and members of the embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Kuwait were present. — KUNA

in my view

Host of challenges ahead for Arabs

By Fouad Al-Obaid o the un-tuned observer, the Arab World may seem like one big bloc. After all, we look alike, speak the same language, share a common religion — for the most part, and we are within a geographic location that makes us in the eyes of many: One entity.

Despite all our commonalities, we come to see that on the ground the differences between the various Arab states are vast. When one crosses the border between the various states no matter how close the countries are, the rules, laws, and regulations shift drastically.

The various differences are interesting to a sociological expert who is interested in regional anthropology. However, for this article’s sake, I will focus on the threats that prevent a regional stability pact that would allow for a common regional prosperity accord by ridding our region of war and conflict. This leads to the study that for the most part, conflicts in the region just as it is all over the world, stem from those in power. Rarely do they come from the street of the capitals who are begging for war!

We come to a realization that, yes, there are differences between countries. However, unlike in the past when Pan-Arabism was a la mode, what I believe most countries in the

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region need is stability. In the case of oil-exporting countries, the past decade has brought an unimaginable boom that has placed the region on the center of the Arab region, the envy of many and the countries that the West has actively been courting each for their own strategic reason.

The oil export boom has brought with it a new tool that the GCC countries for the most part have efficiently and effectively used to bolster our international standing, and has allowed for a swift foreign policy based on soft power and regional influence. This has been countered by various perceived threats along with the real threats that the region has faced or will be facing within the years to come, should no tangible action be taken.

The first of the real dangers that the GCC and wider Arab region faces is the regional galvanization of religious elements from both the Sunni and Shiite sub-groupings, each searching for allies and protectors, each trying to establish dominance in various countries. This has led to various countries being weary of foreign intervention in their respective countries, making it easy for different sides to use this tangible and credible threat to pursue their own agenda.

The second is the rise of failed states; Yemen and Somalia are a particular cause of concern. For at the doors of the GCC, and having fought a skirmish with Saudi Arabia, Yemen or rather elements within Yemen are over running the central government and that is a

potential danger for a poor country that has a 20-million plus population, more than the combined citizens of the GCC. Should the State fail, the possible immigration and chaos that may very well emerge coupled with a nestling ground for various extremist elements could create a very dangerous mix.

Along with Yemen, comes Somalia, which has been the center of a revival over the past few years of various pirate attempts. Many are successful and has created very dangerous sailing conditions in the Gulf of Aden, which is a key waterway for the GCC countries’ safety and stability. The waterway has two main functions: Export of oil, and the import of finished goods, both are the prey of the Somalia pirates.

This could easily lead to a catastrophic scenario should this matter be left to increase without proper checks. More than security, investments and a sound government should be supported to bring an end to such practices.

All in all, it comes down to the fact that inter-Arab affairs are far from being sound.

Nevertheless, as a strategic move, more investment and efforts need to be centered on supporting the development of the various indigenous economies. By doing so, we could come to create a regional boom that will positively affect the region via continuous growth and development. Away from political structures, economic growth will, in the foreseeable future, bring various parties together regardless of their ideologies. fouad@kuwaittimes.net

PARIS: The upcoming visit of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to Paris comes as the two countries enjoy special relations, said Kuwait’s Ambassador to France Ali Al-Saeed here yesterday. AlSaeed’s statement came on the occasion of Sheikh Nasser’s three-day official visit to France which will begin on Thursday.

The ambassador expressed hope that the visit would give a positive boost to the Kuwaiti-French relations. He stressed that the relations were always special.

The visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah to France in December 2006, a previous visit of His Highness the Prime Minister to the European country, and the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Kuwait in February 2008 reflected the keenness of the two countries’ leaderships on stressing ties and boosting cooperation in all fields, he said. During his visit to Kuwait, Sarkozy signed a strategic partnership agreement between his country and the Gulf state.

Al-Saeed said that official high-ranking delegations from the two countries exchanged visits several times and discussed cooperation between Kuwait and France. He stressed that His Highness the Prime Minister will meet Sarkozy during the significant visit.

During the visit, the Kuwaiti and French officials will discuss several issues including cooperation between the two sides, he said.

Kuwait and France signed in midJanuary an initial agreement on using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

The agreement was signed by Director General of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and Secretary General of Kuwait’s national committee for the peaceful usage of nuclear energy.

Al-Saeed said that the two countries have great cooperation in the health field.

About 150 Kuwaitis receive medical treatment in French hospitals, including 60 patients sent by the Health Ministry and 90 from the ministries of defense and interior.

In addition, the two countries cooperate with each other in the education field, he said, adding that the number of Kuwaiti students in France have noticeably increased. About 117 Kuwaitis study in different French cities.

HH the Prime Minister They are funded by the Kuwaiti Higher Education Ministry, Kuwait University, The Civil Service Commission, and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET).

Moreover, Kuwait and France have military cooperation, he said, pointing out that some Kuwaitis study in French military colleges.

The two countries inked a defense agreement during the visit of Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister to France in October 2009. The agreement was a follow up to an agreement signed in 1992.

A total of 71 Kuwaitis from the Defense Ministry get education and training at French colleges. In addition, annual training courses are held for air force pilots.

The Ambassador said that the visit of Al-Sabah will be amid difficult regional situations and great challenges facing peace process in the Middle East. Other challenges include recent

developments on Iran and the international community, the formation of the Iraqi government, the Sudanese elections, and the events in Yemen, he said.

All those important events will be among the issues to be discussed by AlSabah with Sarkozy and France’s Prime Minister Francois Fillon, he noted.

They will also discuss other regional and international affairs, he added.

There is great coordination between Kuwait and France regarding all issues of mutual interest and affairs concerning the international community, he said.

His Highness the Prime Minister will arrive in France on Thursday and Kuwait’s Ambassador there will hold a lunch banquet in his honor and the honor of his accompanying delegation, he said.

On Friday, Sheikh Nasser will meet Sarkozy and Fillon, will attend a lunch banquet held by the French Prime Minister, and will sign a number of agreements.

Sheikh Nasser will visit the Arab World Institute and receive delegations and officials at his residential place, he said.

Kuwaiti ministers and officials accompanying Sheikh Nasser will hold meetings with French officials before the conclusion of the visit on Saturday, he noted.

The Kuwaiti delegation will include Advisor at His Highness the Amir’s Diwan Abdulrahman Al-Ateeqi, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Advisor at His Highness the Prime Minister’s Diwan Faisal Mohammad Al-Hajji, Finance Minister Mustafa Al-Shimali, Commerce and Industry Minister Ahmad Al-Haroun, government officials, and delegations from Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Kuwait Journalists Association. — KUNA

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Media Forum in Yarmouk

Local sport not ready yet for privatization

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: Pioneer Kuwaiti sports commentator and media personality Khaled Al-Harban has said that Kuwaiti sports teams are not yet ready to be privatized. During a seminar held at the Media Forum in Yarmouk hosted by former candidate and Arab Media Forum President Madi Al-Khamees, Al-Harban said that the poor performance of the local teams will not generate any outcome. “When private companies invest in a sports club, they expect to make money in return. Our teams are sadly not competitive as they used to be,” he said, stressing that the sports sector is going through a crisis that needs immediate intervention by the government.

RABAT: Sheikha Fareeha Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah with inmates of the disabled center of King Mohammad VI foundation for social solidarity in Sale town. —Photos by KUNA

He noted that the youth of Kuwait and sports players and enthusiasts are not to blame for this crises. “We have many excellent players who are not allowed a chance to nurture their talents. The bureaucratic, unwise decisions of officials in these clubs is what we should blame,” said Al-Harban.

The two main poles of the argument are Sheikh Talal Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, Vice President of the Public Authority of Youth and Sports (PAYS) and MP Marzouq Al-

in the news

Kuwait backs Morocco charity efforts RABAT: Chairperson of Kuwait’s Supreme Committee of the Ideal Mother Award Sheikha Fareeha Al-Ahmad AlSabah reaffirmed yesterday Kuwait’s support for the social development programs of Morocco.

Speaking during her visit to the disabled center of King Mohammad VI foundation for social solidarity in Sale town, northeast Rabat, the Kuwaiti dignitary praised the efforts of the North African kingdom to improve the living conditions of needy children, women and elderly people.

“We are keen on working with the Moroccan government as well as all Arab governments to ensure welfare for all families,” Sheikha Fareeha affirmed.

“The State of Kuwait attributes great importance to the voluntary and charitable efforts on the local, regional and international levels,” she said, citing Kuwait’s social development programs sponsored by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah.

Meanwhile, she praised Morocco’s care for the vulnerable groups particularly the disabled persons.

“I am through my visit to the disabled center of King Mohammad VI foundation for social solidarity aims to learn about the activities of the center and explore the prospects of cooperation with the Moroccan side in this domain,” she noted.

Sheikha Fareeha arrived here on Saturday on a weeklong visit to Morocco under an invitation from chairwoman of the Moroccan National Observatory of Children’s Rights (ONDE) Princess Lalla Meryem, sister of the Moroccan monarch. —- KUNA

45 teens arrested KUWAIT: Mubarak Al-Kabeer traffic police carried out an operation against juveniles operating vehicles without licenses in different areas throughout the governorate, reported Al-Watan. The campaign resulted in the arrest of 45 teenagers who were sent to the juvenile criminal prosecution.

Their vehicles were apprehended. The operation began after police received several complaints about the increasing trend of juveniles driving recklessly in the area. Police patrols monitored the streets at Sabah Al-Salem, Adan, Qsour, Qurain, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, and Maseelah. The majority of teenagers arrested were caught driving their family’s cars after school.

Dual citizenship KUWAIT: MP Faisal AlDuwaisan believes that the dualcitizenship issue poses a threat to the country’s unity and needs to be addressed immediately. In a statement to the press, MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan asserted on the importance of abiding by the law, reported Al-Watan. He accused the Cabinet of taking advantage of the issue and using it as political ‘trump’ card. The lawmaker urged them to treat the problem with due seriousness.

ment takes over the sector temporarily to fix the current situation.

“The clubs are not getting the right funding. They lack good training, support, and are not being offered any good opportunities to shine,” he added.

He believes that it is important for people to set aside their personal interests and let this issue stop being a national crisis.

“We are now running in circles, not reaching anywhere,” he said.

Report recommends granting citizenship for expat husbands KUWAIT: A government study recommended that a nonKuwaiti man who marries a Kuwaiti woman should be granted Kuwaiti citizenship if he remains married to his wife for 10 years and she approves of his application, reported Al-Watan.

Additionally, the report recommended that the couple should have at least five children, the husband must not take a second wife after earning citizenship and the wife cannot divorce her husband to marry another man, the study said.

It was also recommended that the husband not be given the right to a government-sponsored home, a housing loan and not be allowed to run or vote in elections. However, the report did recommend allowing the wife to obtain a loan to purchase

a house but that the husband will not be allowed to register it as a co-owner.

According to official sources, the stringent conditions are to guarantee the future of the children of Kuwaiti women and to secure their rights. The study will be submitted to the Parliament for debate and a final decision is expected to be reached before the end of the year.

Initial reactions on the report were positive. Many welcomed it as a humanitarian step toward resolving outstanding issues. “I wish they would bring down the number of children to four,” a Kuwaiti woman wrote. “I am a Kuwaiti woman married to a Saudi man. We have four children who were all born in Kuwait and the eldest is now 21.

We cannot have a fifth child. I hope that my children will not be deprived of Kuwaiti nationality,” Another woman urged authorities and MPs to review some of the conditions and make it more fair.

“There are couples who have been married for 35 years or more who have three children,” she wrote. “It is totally unfair, please review the conditions,” she wrote.

Around 100,000 bedoons live in Kuwait and claim residency.

A large number of them have married Kuwaiti women but face difficulty obtaining official papers. Several MPs have pushed for a final solution to the issue and the country has witnessed intense debates over the need to fully assimilate the bedoon population.

Al-Khannah regret KUWAIT: Former Islamist MP Fahad Al-Khannah expressed regret over what he described as Islamists’ deteriorating situation.

He stressed that they were not to be trusted with the nation’s future and aspirations, particularly when in power, reported AlRai. Al-Khannah gave examples of situations in Sudan, Iran and Algeria. Speaking during a seminar, Al-Khannah added that Islamic organizations are built on a hierarchy and that Islamists did not care much about human rights, which was against the regulations of the Holy Quran.

PM meets Maltese counterpart KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah met with the visiting Maltese Prime Minister Lawrence Gozni at Bayan Palace yesterday. During the meeting, they exchanged views on ways to promote and develop bilateral, cooperative relations on several international issues of mutual interest.

The talks began with the signing of two memoranda of understandings between Kuwait and Malta. They agreed

Ghanim, Head of the Youth and Sports Committee at the National Assembly.

“Each one of the two has his agenda; one is calling for the reformation of sports institutes in the country, and the other is asking to keep them as is. Between their debates and arguments, their statements to the media and what the press say, people are lost,” Al-Harban said.

Immediate intervention by government officials is necessary, even if the govern-

to create a joint committee on bilateral cooperation and continuing consultations between the foreign ministries of both countries. The memos were signed by the Kuwaiti and Maltese Deputy Premier Ministers and Foreign Ministers.

Both of the countries’ ministers of health signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen their relationship with each other in this field.

Afterward, HH the Prime Minister held a luncheon to honor the visiting

Maltese Prime Minister and his delegation.

The talks were attended by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlSabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Minister of Finance Mustafa Al-Shimali, Minister of Commerce and Industry Ahmad AlHaroun, Minister of Health Hilal AlSayer, Undersecretary of the Foreign

Ministry Khalid Al-Jarallah, chief of the accompanying mission of honor, advisor at HH the Premier’s Diwan Rasha Humoud Al-Sabah, Undersecretary of HH the Premier’s Diwan Sheikh Itimad Khalid Al-Sabah, senior officials with the Minisry of Foreign Affairs, Civil Aviation, Investment Authority and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Italy and the non-resident Ambassador to Malta, Sheikh Jaber Duaij Al-Sabah. —KUNA

kuwait digest

Health insurance rejection

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KUWAIT: The Farwaniya police arrested two Arab expatriates in connection with forging death, divorce and school certificates recently. The arrest was made at Farwaniya Immigration Department. The suspects confessed to committing the crimes. The paraphernalia they used along with other documents were found concealed in one of the cars. —KUNA

n his column with Al-Watan, Rashid Al-Radaan wrote on the Cabinet proposed draft law on health insurance for citizens currently being deliberated on by the Parliament.

‘The reality of the situation is that there are several suspicions of constitutional violations in this draft law,’ he wrote. He specifically pointed out article 11 of the constitution, which obliges the state to provide its citizens with social and health insurance without taking any tax from them. The columnist also spoke on article 15, which compels the state to take care of all issues regarding public health, including protection from and treatment against diseases.

‘The quality of health services in the country did not reach an advanced enough level so as require the state to offer its citizens medical insurance, in exchange for taxes, as is the case in other countries,’ he continued.

‘MPs’ reactions to this news was varied, as some of them supported the law as long as it was optional,’ he added. ‘Other MPs rejected it completely because the state is obliged by the constitution to provide citizens with medical care free of charge.’

‘Regardless of MPs’ opinions, it’s important for such draft laws to be rejected,’ he stressed. ‘Not only because it violates the constitution, but also because our hospitals do not live up to the level of medical care that requires health insurance to be mandatory.’

KUWAIT: In a recent crackdown, the border security forces confiscated 11.5 kilograms of hashish. An Arab expatriate who attempted to smuggle the contraband into the country through the Abdaly border checkpoint was apprehended. The arrest was made after being tipped off on the man’s activities, who was then closely monitored. Other accomplices involved in the crime were also nabbed.

—Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Bahrain education council defends decision to freeze summer courses MANAMA: The head of the Higher Education Council has defended the decision to suspend summer courses in four private universities, saying that they were not mandatory.

“The summer option is usually offered by universities that have three courses and students have to pass 180 hours to get their degrees,” Dr Alawi Al Hashemi said. “It is just an option and not an obligation for the students or the university.”

Al Hashemi was reacting to a plea by students from private universities barred from offering summer courses to the education minister to reverse his decision.

“We wish that the minister reviews the sanction against the universities because he would in fact be punishing students keen on finishing their courses and graduating,” the students said as they gathered to discuss the case. “We are aware that some universities had been found guilty of irregularities, but the Higher Education Council should think of other punishment measures, such as making the universities pay fines,” Hajer Abdul

Rahman said.

However, Al Hashemi said that the council’s decision did not affect all colleges.

“Only four universities are concerned with the partial ban, so it is not a blanket decision, and only 25 out of 254 summer courses on offer are targetted by the measure,” he said. “For instance in one university, only three out of 22 courses would have to be dropped, while in another one it is five out of 19,” he said.

The council last year embarked on a wide review of the 17 private colleges and universities to ensure full compliance with higher education standards and criteria. The assessment was sparked by the Kuwaiti education ministry to stop recognising most of the degrees awarded by Bahrain’s private universities on the grounds that they were below standards.

Recommendations by an investigation team were used in September to take punitive action against universities allegedly involved in financial or

administrative irregularities.

Measures included ending courses and barring universities from taking in new students for the academic year.

The council last week said that some of the universities again failed to comply with its orders and barred them from holding summer courses.

“The decision not to have summer courses in my university means that I will have to graduate six months after schedule, and this is a real problem for me,” a student said. “I hope that the council will not deprive us of such significant opportunities for our future and resort to other action in case it wants to hold the universities responsible for their behavior.”

Private universities mushroomed in Bahrain in the past decade after several Gulf nationals refrained from travelling to Europe or the US for fear of reprisals or difficulties in the post-September 11 tension. Easy terms offered by the colleges and universities have also attracted several Saudi and Kuwaiti nationals.

NATIONAL

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

5 Fusion of four different legislations

New authority to fight corruption in Kuwait

By Ahmad Saeid KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti NGO announced it has prepared the needed legislation to form a ‘Public Authority for Integrity,’ (PAI) an organization committed to implementing anti-corruption policies. The announcement was made by the chairman of the Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS) during a seminar held on their premises in Yarmook Monday evening. “The formation of the PAI came as a result of a fusion of four different anti-corruption legislations,” said Salah Al-Ghazali, chairman of KTS. “The anti-corruption law, the fiscal liability law, the conflict of interest law and the informant protection law,” he added.

in the news Syrian celebrations Al-Egaila KUWAIT: beach, one of the facilities of the Touristic Enterprises Company, will host a festival for the Syrian community in Kuwait on April 16. The event will be held to celebrate Syrian independence day. On this regard, the Beach’s Supervisor, Barrak AlHeed stated that this event is being held as part of the TEC’s commitment to support social causes. Several Syrian cultural events will be staged, in addition to a competition for children that begins at 4pm.

Maintenance work KUWAIT: All power and water distillation units in the country will undergo maintenance operations by June 15. The relevant announcement was made by the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW’s) Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Training Dr Mashan Al-Otaibi. Only unit one in Subbiya

will be excluded as it will be operational by August. He said that the ministry has made concerted efforts to complete the maintenance work of electric units in accordance with the time schedule ahead of summer.

Kuwaiti delegation BERNE: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Switzerland, Dr Suhail Khalil Shuhaibar received yesterday the Kuwaiti delegation participating in the Universal Postal Union (UPU)’s board meeting on April 12-21 in the Swiss Capital Berne. The Kuwaiti Ambassador held a luncheon in honor of the delegation, which on the other hand thanked him for his warm hospitality and the Kuwaiti Embassy’s efforts in supporting the Kuwaiti Ministry of Communications during the UPU’s board elections. Kuwait had recently claimed a seat in the UPU board, and the current meeting is a continuation of annual board meetings. The Kuwaiti delegation includes the Assistant Undersecretary for the postal sector in the Ministry of Communications

Saud Abdulaziz Al-Assousi, Director of the postal planning department, Saeed AlMazeedi, Director of the International postal relations, Saleh Khataf, and Director of Public Relations and media in the Ministry, Ahmed Ramadhan.

2,000 more nurses KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health signed an agreement with specialized medical companies to supply the ministry with 2,000 nurses to work in hospitals and medical centers.

Most of the nurses will come from India, the Philippines and Egypt. Contracts with the nurses will be through the companies, who will pay their salaries with the ministry’s supervision and follow up. Official sources said that the nurses may arrive in Kuwait by December to cover the staff shortages of current hospitals and health centers, as well as to be part of future centers. They added that the agreement would provide the nurses a salary similar to current nurses in order to avoid future problems, such as resignations and strikes.

Pro-ElBaradie deportation triggers world reaction KUWAIT: Participants at a recent seminar regarding the human rights in Kuwait has agreed that human right activists often lose their contacts in Kuwait, especially with officials who violate human rights.

The conferees agreed that Kuwait has transferred in the international limelight as a country that has violations against maids. They added that the recent deportation of a number of Egyptian nationals who participated in a demonstration in support of Egyptian presidential candidate ElBaradie brought more burden on Kuwait’s image in the international arena.

The bedoon issue in the county has also adversely reflected on the county’s image, as

well, the participants indicated.

MP Dr. Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, who was the main speaker at the seminar said that Parliament’s human rights committee remains a temporary panel despite continuous efforts to make it a permanent committee.

Addressing the deported Egyptians issue, he stated that the government was ought to warn them instead of going as far as expelling them out of the country.

Al-Tabtabaei indicated that they have received a lot of criticism from citizens when they brought up the issue of human rights for housemaids, mainly in regards to work hours and the minimum salary cap.

KUWAIT: Deputy Chief of National Guards Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah yesterday honored a guards unit and the anti-terrorist brigade. —Photos by KUNA

Brother tortures sister for ten years KUWAIT: A female citizen filed a lawsuit against her brother and accused him of torturing her on a daily basis for the past 10 years, reported Al-Watan.

“My brother inherited the habit of violently assaulting me from our father, who started torturing me when I was two and a half years old,” the girl said.

She explained that her brother started torturing her every day for no reason after their father went to jail for an unrelated case.

She further accused her brother, who is two years older than her, of using sharp objects and light weapons during his assault.

What made the girl break her silence and inform authorities about her abuse was an incident when her brother burned her arm with a candle until she passed out.

“He trapped me and tied me up on the stairs of our house and burned my arms with candles for a whole hour until I passed out,” she said. After leaving her overnight, her brother took her to the hospital the following day. He threatened her against informing anyone about what happened and instructed her to tell the medical staff that the burns were caused by an accident.

While staying at the Babtain Hospital and receiving treatment for 3rd degree burns, the girl found enough courage to inform a human rights organization about what happened to her. The organization then found two attorneys to take care of her voluntarily.

The two attorneys, Mohammad Al-Jameea and Bashar Al-Nassar, vowed to do everything in their power to ensure that her brother would be punished for the agony he made his only sister suffer through.

The KTS chairman said that the draft was made in cooperation with a number of Kuwaiti NGOs and members of the legislative committee in the National Assembly. “The head of the committee, Hussain Al-Huraiti, asked to combine the four drafts into a single legislation and I think that is the right thing to do. Those four laws complete each other and it will not be correct to pass each one of them separately,” he explained.

Al-Ghazali explained that in addition to combining the four legislations into a single draft, the NGOs also made some enhancements, such as changing the name from the Anti-corruption Authority to the Public Authority for Integrity. “We wanted to reflect a positive meaning,” said Al-Ghazali. Other amendments included modifying the formation of the board of trustees in order to guarantee the least amount of government intervention in the duties of the authority as possible.

“Now we have done our part,” said Al-Ghazali, “and it’s up to the

KUWAIT: Salah Al-Ghazali (left), chairman of Kuwait Transparency Society speaking during the seminar. Salma Alessa, Secretary General of KTS (center) and Faisal Al-Fahad are also seen. —Photo by Ahmad Saeid MPs to fulfill their duty and pass this legislation.” Al-Ghazali added that MPs took the right initiative when they suggested both the anti-corruption and fiscal liability laws. He praised the government for adopting the anti-corruption treaty three years before the parliament ratified it back in 2006.

Faisal Al-Fahad, a member of KTS, said that Kuwait needs to take some urgent steps in the implementation of its international obligations. “Recently, a new

review mechanism was adopted and steps were taken by the Kuwaiti government to meet the requirements of the anti-corruption treaty. If the draft is chosen during the draw that will take place next June, it will be reviewed by teams from two countries,” he said.

Al-Fahad explained that it is important for Kuwait to fulfill its obligations in order to avoid having its legislation scrutinized by international organizations. He

noted that it is extremely important to adopt anti-corruption policies in order to implement HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad’s vision to transform Kuwait into a financial and trading center.

Kuwait is in the second from bottom among Arab countries on the investment attractiveness index, said Al-Fahad. “If we want to be attractive to foreign investors, we need to take a firm stand against corruption,” he concluded.

KU program on women development KUWAIT: Kuwait University’s (KU) Training and Consultation Unit and the Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP) will hold the First Women and Development Program in May. The program will be held under the patronage of Education Minister and Higher Education Minister Dr. Moudhi Al-Homoud from May 11 to 13.

Acting Dean of KU’s College for Women Professor Qasim Saleh said that the program harmonizes with the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah regarding making Kuwait

an international trade center. It also goes well with the strategic goals of the state’s five-year plan which include human development and providing job opportunities, he pointed out.

The program aims to develop the professional skills of women, identify the market’s needs, and provide direct contact channels between the workforce and companies, he noted. He said the program consists of lectures, workshops, and intensified training courses. On the sidelines of the event, an exhibition will be held with the participation of government and public bod-

ies, he added.

Meanwhile, head of the program’s preparatory committee Dr Naela AlDabboos said that the program aims to direct women towards development and dealing with different jobs in the market.

In addition, it aims to provide women with effective planning and execution skills to have a productive role in the society, both in the public and private sectors, she said.

Al-Dabboos expressed gratitude to AlHomoud for sponsoring the program, stressing that the government supports all activities that aim to develop the state. — KUNA

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A preferred choice for leisure trips

Spain showcases Madrid in tourism road show

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: A tourism promotion event entitled ‘Turismo Madrid’ was organized on Monday night at the Sheraton Hotel in Kuwait City, where Madrid, the capital of Spain was focused on. The Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized the function which was attended by travel agents and tour operators from across the country. Jose Maria Lopez Montes, Head of the International Markets and Sponsorship at ‘Turismo Madrid’ expressed great pleasure for the privilege of being able to interact with Kuwaiti people.

Jeddah Diwaniya, established by businessmen Imad Al-Muhaidib and Khalid Al-Fouzan, received acceptance

by Saudi intellectuals and figures. —Photos by KUNA

Diwaniyas appear in Jeddah KUWAIT: Diwaniyas, a unique characteristic of the Kuwaiti society, recently started appearing in Jeddah due to their positive social, cultural, and economic roles.

Diwaniyas are where men usually meet and discuss different issues including politics, economy and social affairs.

Jeddah Diwaniya, established by businessmen Imad Al-Muhaidib and Khalid AlFouzan, received acceptance by Saudi intellectuals and figures.

Gatherings in Jeddah Diwaniya are held twice a week; once according to the Kuwaiti concept of Diwaniya and another to hold lectures.

Al-Fouzan said that the aim of establishing a diwaniya in the Saudi city is to meet with friends, neighbors, and relatives, and strengthen relations among them.

The diwaniya is made according to the old Kuwaiti design blended with Jeddah’s style, he pointed out.

People who meet in Jeddah Diwaniya include businessmen, media persons, and diplomats

KUWAIT: Turismo Madrid and Emirates Airline officials posing here at the tourism promotion. —Photo by Joseph Shagra more than expected,” he said.

He also thanked travel agents and their partners in Kuwait for helping them promote their country to the world.

Montes also announced the upcoming Emirates direct flight from Dubai to Madrid and the

connection flight to Kuwait, “Thank you Emirates for flying to Madrid on a daily basis. That is very significant in our tourism industry,” he said.

The tourism roadshow began in Kuwait on Monday and will also stopover in cities across the

GCC like Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. Also, a brief presentation about Madrid was shown.

Spain also takes pride in their famous football team, Real Madrid. Many citizens are ardent supporters of this famous team.

Steel, copper thieves in police net working in the Saudi city, he noted.

Deputy General Consul at the Kuwaiti General Consulate in Jeddah Sultan Al-Subaie, who is a visitor of Jeddah Diwaniya, praised the efforts of those who established the

diwaniya.

The diwaniya contributed in establishing and strengthening social relations among its visitors, he emphasized. It also stressed Gulf traditions, he added.

Jeddah Diwaniya’s supervi-

sor Hamid Al-Arfaj said that the diwaniya invites famous figures to discuss different issues, he said.

In addition, it hosts ceremonies to honor figures that served Saudi Arabia, he pointed out. —KUNA

kuwait digest

Kuwait tribal and national loyalty

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He said that Kuwait has always occupied a strategic place, as a gateway to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The alluring beauty and the businesses surrounding the capital were highlighted. Several representatives of hotels and businesses around Madrid were also present during the event.

“We look forward to greater interaction between our two countries, with Madrid being a leading and a preferred choice for enjoyable leisure trips, as well as lucrative business events, with our fantastic attractions and great value for money that cater to all segments of Kuwait’s consumers and businesses,” he said.

“The city is home to lots of attractions and beautiful sceneries. By visiting Madrid, you are visiting a place that will leave a real mark in your mind that will last a lifetime,” he enthused.

According to Montes, despite the global economic uncertainties last year, Madrid recorded nine million visitors, many were from the GCC and Middle Eastern countries.

“We are proud of our achievements and believe that the figures this year will exceed

t is unacceptable that whenever a person writes about tribal intolerance, they are severely criticized by tribal MPs and columnists. Loyalty to the tribe is not a negative attribute.

However, it should not be placed above national unity,’ wrote Dr Naji Saud Al-Zaid in a column that appeared in Al-Qabas.

The writer feels that whenever calls are made to fight against tribal loyalty, they are immediately accused of committing several wrongdoings, mainly related to damaging national unity.

However, cases of dual loyalty citizenships are blissfully ignored. Every citizen is proud of tribal roots, but this pride should not overpower nationalistic sentiments, Al-Zaid opines.

‘Sadly, national unity is being damaged by appointing undeserving individuals to senior posts in ministries through favoritism and ‘wasta’ by totally disregarding academic qualifications. Since the government has failed to put an end to this problem, it demonstrates their lack of seriousness towards safeguarding national

unity,’ he feels.

National unity is not frail, but it is the Cabinet that is weak and supports societal fragmentation, which in turn strengthens tribal loyalty at the expense of patriotic fervor.

‘People have begun realizing that tribal loyalty can be used as a trump card to achieve their vested interests, unlike national loyalty which does not benefit them in any way. Tribes are as old as history itself, and national unity should be instilled in every citizen,’ he concluded.

CAIRO: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Egypt Dr. Rashid Al-Hamad opened yesterday a forum and exhibition showcasing publications of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs in Cairo. Al-Hamad said that the event would showcase the cultural and media publications which came out of the ministry, hoping that the event would be a success. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Mufti Ali Jumah lauded Kuwait’s continuous contribution to thrive and enrich cultural scenes throughout the Arab world, affirming that the event would extend the cultural ties between Egypt and Kuwait. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Jahra investigators arrested three Asians on charges of stealing steel and copper cables from a transformer station and homes in Saad Al-Abdullah, reported Al-Rai. The arrest was made after the three were found with a truck load of stolen material. When questioned, they confessed to be on their way to sell the materials after stealing them from the area. They were referred to the proper authorities.

reaching the medical facility. An investigation was opened.

Suicide attempt A 21-year-old Sri Lankan woman attempted to kill herself in her home in Jeleeb Al-Shuyoukh by slitting her wrists, reported Al-Watan. She was brought to Farwaniya Hospital by paramedics after she was found unconscious in her home. A case of attempted suicide was opened against her.

Youngster dies A 17-year-old Indian man died after he threw himself from a vehicle while seriously intoxicated, reported Al-Watan. The incident occurred after the young man left a place in Reggaei with two of his friends.

On their way back home, the Indian, who was sitting in the passenger’s seat, opened his door and jumped out. He sustained serious injuries in the fall and was pronounced dead as soon as paramedics brought him to the hospital. The citizen and the girl were taken to the police station for questioning.

Citizen drowns A citizen drowned in the swimming pool of a local sports club, reported Al-Watan.

The incident occurred while he was swimming with his friends in the pool and he drowned for unknown reasons. He was brought to a nearby hospital in serious condition and pronounced dead shortly after

Missing family A citizen informed officials at the Subahiya police station that his Filipina wife disappeared with their three children, aged seven, five and four, reported AlWatan. A case was opened and police are searching for the man’s wife and children.

selling pornographic CDs, reported Al-Rai. The man’s Hawally apartment was raided by investigators with a warrant after they confirmed his illegal activities. During the investigation, authorities found a woman and child inside the apartment. It was discovered that the man was having an illegal relationship with the woman and that the child was theirs. They were taken to the proper authorities.

Home robbery In Jahra, a maid broke into her sponsor’s bedroom and stole jewelry worth KD 2,000 an KD 900 in cash, reported Al-Rai. She gained access to the room by making a spare key without her sponsor’s knowledge. As soon as the woman discovered the theft she informed the authorities. Police launched an investigation in search of the maid.

Bus fire A public transportation bus caught fire on King Fahad Highway, reported AlWatan. The incident obstructed traffic for two hours before the flames could be extinguished. As soon as they reached the scene, firefighters extinguished the large fire. An investigation was opened to determine the cause of the fire. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Porn CDs seller Investigators arrested an Asian man for

Accident A citizen was badly injured after a pursuit ended in an accident, reported AlAnnahar. The chase started when the man fled the scene of an accident he caused after crashing into a vehicle in Ferdous.

During the pursuit, he lost control of his vehicle which overturned and crashed into a light post. The driver was seriously injured and admitted to a nearby hospital’s intensive care unit. A case was opened to investigate the incident.

Arab League delegates hold meeting on Israel CAIRO: The Arab League Council held a meeting here yesterday at the level of permanent delegates to mull the implications of the Israeli military decision of evicting thousands of Palestinians from their lands in the occupied West Bank.

Kuwait’s delegation to the meeting was led by Kuwaiti permanent delegate to the Arab League Abdullah Al-Mansour.

Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed ben Helli said that this meeting aims at discussing the repercussions of such Israeli decision as well as a message from Palestinian minister of foreign affairs Riad Al-Maliki.

Al-Maliki said in a statement that this message on Israel’s exploitation of occupied Jerusalem, its Old City and its Islamic and Christian symbols in Shanghai international exhibition is part of the Jewish heritage.

Ben Helli said that this extraordinary meeting will also consider the approval of the draft documents that will be discussed by the fourth session of the ministerial meeting of the Sino-Arab cooperation forum on May 13 and 14 in Beijing.

He also noted that these documents include the joint declaration and the draft final communique that will be issued by the forum’s upcoming session along with the proposed executive program of the cooperation forum between the two sides in 2010 and 2011. —KUNA

Ahli United holds seminar on ‘How to enjoy in your dealing with people’ KUWAIT: In the context of its momentous observance towards consolidation of the Shari’ah awareness to its employees, Ahli United Bank (the former Bank of Kuwait & the Middle East) organized a seminar to its employees titled, (How to Enjoy Dealing with People), lectured by Shaikh Meshari Al-Kharaz, aimed at stressing the magnitude of dealing with the public in exquisite, respectable, and responsible attitude, in light of the right guidance of our Nobel Prophet Mohammad, (Peace be upon him) Sala Allahu Allaihi Wasalam, and in pursuance of the Bank preconversion policy in its dealings with its customers, and in line

with the revered Islamic Shari’ah provisions.

This seminar integrates the Ahli United Bank efforts in the compliance of its business as well as its employees with the Islamic Shari’ah provisions, specifically following its success in the conversion of its entire business into Islamic Shari’ah compliant banking. The Bank convenes dedicated courses and symposiums to train its personnel and upgrade their know-how and expertise to render distinguished banking services to customers.

These lectures were preceded by the Bank qualifying its personnel and staff members to

train them on the new investment accounts which the Bank commenced rendering to customers starting the first of April 2010. Such accounts are tailored with the customers’ investment needs, whereas the pre-conversion customer account advantages have been maintained and new competitive and unprecedented benefits among Islamic banks in Kuwait were introduced to these accounts, thereby enhancing the upswing trend and the accelerated growth in the Islamic financial industry and its attraction, along with the rising demand by customers on local and world arenas for this industry.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

InternAtIOnAL

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‘The day the music died’ Somali militants ban music on airwaves

GAZA: Palestinian mourners carry the body of Islamic Jihad militant Marwan AlJarba, 25, during his funeral at the Bureij refugee camp yesterday. At least one Palestinian was killed and another severely wounded in a gunbattle between Islamic Jihad fighters and the Israeli army in the central Gaza Strip.— AFP

2 die as Israel hits Gaza GAZA: Israeli forces clashed with Palestinian militants on the Gaza border yesterday, killing at least two, despite efforts by Gaza’s Hamas rulers to maintain a truce. The Israeli military said troops spotted militants trying to plant explosives near a crossing between Gaza and Israel and opened fire on them with tanks and helicopters. The military said it believed four militants were killed, and they were armed with explosives, grenades and assault rifles. The military released a photograph of the weapons it said were found. Gaza medics said only two bodies were retrieved. The reason for the discrepancy was not clear. The fighting highlighted Hamas difficulties in preventing smaller rivals from carrying out attacks against Israeli targets. One of those rivals, Islamic Jihad, was involved in yesterday’s fighting.

Hamas has been trying to maintain the truce since Israel’s devastating Gaza offensive more than a year ago, while its rivals are pushing for renewed attacks. A senior Hamas leader later said that his group is trying to preserve the cease-fire, in part to avoid giving Israel a reason for a new offensive. “There was a meeting between the factions, and there was consensus between

Hamas and factions that at this time, there should not be anything to provoke the enemy to conduct a new war on Gaza,” said Moussa Abu Marzouk, a Hamas leader living in Damascus.

Israel launched the Gaza war in response to years of rocket fire from Gaza on Israeli border towns. Since the war, Hamas fighters have not claimed responsibility for firing rockets, though militants from smaller groups do so sporadically. On Sunday, Islamic Jihad complained that Hamas police detained several of its fighters, along with those from another group, and forced them to sign pledges that they would not engage in attacks on Israel.

“They (the fighters) were taken to jail, humiliated and asked to sign a pledge that they will never take any action against the Zionist enemy,” said a spokesman for the group, who used the code name Abu Ahmed. He said such conflicts had been resolved in a more cordial manner in the past. Israel holds Hamas responsible for maintaining quiet on the Gaza border. Hamas, an Iranianbacked militant group, seized control of Gaza nearly three years ago after routing forces loyal to Westernbacked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. — AP

Euro-Med conference ends in disarray amid Israel-Arab row BARCELONA: Talks aimed at adopting a water strategy for the Mediterranean failed yesterday due to a disagreement between Israel and Arab countries over a reference to the Palestinian territories, participants said. “Unfortunately we cannot reach an agreement,” French secretary of state for European affairs Pierre Lellouche said at the end of the 4th EuroMediterranean Ministerial Conference on Water in Barcelona. The conference aimed to reach an agreement on a strategy for managing water in the Mediterranean to ensure equal access to the resource in the volatile region and prevent the issue from becoming a source of conflict in the future. But a reference to “occupied territories” in a proposed draft text prevented the approval of an agreement at the gathering of member states from the Mediterranean Union at its

headquarters in Barcelona.

Israel disagreed with this wording while Arab nations opposed to the alternative formulation of “territories under occupation” proposed by European participants, said Lellouche. The Mediterranean Union groups all 27 EU member states with countries in North Africa, the Balkans, the Arab world as well as Israel in a bid to foster cooperation in the region. It was established in 2008 in Paris by France and Egypt but was temporarily mothballed in early 2009 because of tensions caused by Israel’s offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The head of the body, Jordan’s Ahmad Masa’deh, said he was saddened by the failure to reach an agreement at the conference because it “casts doubt on the future of the Mediterranean Union.” — AFP

MOGADISHU: Rock, rap and love songs once filled the airwaves in Somalia’s wartorn capital, one of the few pleasures residents had. But Islamist militants ordered music off the air yesterday, labeling it unIslamic in a hardline edict reminiscent of the Taleban. Stations immediately complied, fearful that disc jockeys would face the harsh punishment militants mete out here: amputations and stonings. The edict is the latest unpopular order from the Islamists, who also have banned bras, musical ringtones and movies.

More than a dozen radio stations complied with the order by the militant group Hizbul Islam, the National Union of Somali Journalists said. “Journalists working in these stations have in the past witnessed broad daylight assassination of their colleagues and have now been signaled that they would follow the same fate if they do not obey these oppressive orders,” said the union’s secretary-general, Omar Faruk Osman.

Somalia has a tradition of music and most residents greeted the ban with dismay. Rock, rap and love songs from the US, Europe and Africa could be heard on Somali stations before the ban. “Now I

think we are going to be forced to hear only the horrific sounds of the gunfire and the explosions,” said Khadiya Omar, a 22-year-old Mogadishu resident who called music a “tranquilizer” to help him forget life’s troubles.

Somalis in the country’s capital can still listen to music on two stations: one that the government controls and another that is funded by the United Nations.

Both stations are based in the small area of Mogadishu under the control of government and African Union forces.

Similar edicts have been imposed on stations in the southern Somali regions held by the Islamist group Al-Shabab. Somalia has not had an effective government for 19 years.

Thousands of civilians have died in violence-wracked Mogadishu in a conflict that has intensified the last three years and the UN estimates some 100,000 people have been displaced in the capital this year alone. Islamic insurgents control much of Mogadishu and have been trying to topple the country’s fragile, UNbacked government.

The music ban went into effect one day after fighting between the Somali

government and Islamist insurgents killed 21 people in Mogadishu. “We are in a war-ravaged country and music is what brings us relief from anger, frustration, depression, fatigue and other emotional and physical pain,” said Isaq Ali, a Mogadishu resident.

The UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden, said yesterday he was worried about the plight of civilians in the capital, the principal victims of the fighting. In March, more than 30 civilians were killed and 900 wounded in fighting, Bowden said. More than 100 of the injuries were children under age 5.

The deputy chairman of the Somali Foreign Correspondents Association, Mohamed Ibrahim Nur, condemned the music ban and called for Hizbul Islam to retract the order.

“This will paralyze the already violence-affected media in Somalia and will deprive Somalis from getting independent information free from threat, censorship and imposition of radical addicts,” he said. Any station that defies the order could face severe punishments. The Islamists frequently assassinate those who defy them or carry out punishments

like amputations.

Abdulahi Yasin Jama at Tusmo broadcasting said that stations have no choice but to comply. “We had no other option but to stop playing music. Now that we have dropped music we may lose listeners. If we ignore the warning we have to face the wrath of the militants,” said one of Mogadishu’s radio directors, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal attacks. The director noted that the station also would have to rerecord all of its commercials that contain music.

The order to stop the music echoes the Taleban’s strict social rules imposed on Afghans beginning in the late 1990s.

The Taleban banned music and movies and didn’t allow women to leave their homes without an escort by a male family member. The ban on music means that even talk-radio stations will have to make changes. Jama, from the independent broadcaster, said his station would have to stop using music as a bridge between programs. “We are using other sounds, such as gunfire, the noise of vehicles and birds to link up our programs and news,” he said. — AP

Liquor store bombed in Baghdad, killing 3 BAGHDAD: Militants planted a bomb in an eastern Baghdad liquor store yesterday, killing the Christian owner and two others, while a TV reporter had his legs blown off by a bomb attached to his car in scattered violence across the city. The political coalition led by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri AlMaliki, meanwhile, delayed a press conference in which it was expected to announce an alliance with a rival Shiite bloc, showing that wrangling continues over forming a new government.

There has been an uptick of violence in Iraq in the wake of the March 7 elections, which left no clear winner across Iraq’s fractured political landscape. Yesterday’s bombings, however, did not necessarily appear to be linked to the polit-

ical maneuvering, and involved attacks on liquor stores, probably by religious extremists, and the targeting of journalists both of which have become frequent occurrences over the last several years.

At noon in the neighborhood of Zayouna, attackers posing as customers left behind a black plastic bag filled with explosives. Three people died, seven were also wounded and nearby stores were damaged. An hour earlier, a sticky bomb attached to the car of Iraqi TV reporter Omar Ibrahim Rasheed exploded and blew his legs off, said Dr Hazim Ajrawi, director of AlYarmouk hospital in western Baghdad.

“We are doing our best to keep him alive,” Ajrawi said, adding that the reporter, who works for the small independ-

ent al-Rasheed TV, was in critical condition. Journalists are often targeted by insurgents or just factions who disagree with their reporting. Another sticky bomb exploded under the car of an off-duty Iraqi soldier in Mahmoudiya, just south of Baghdad, wounding five, police and hospital workers said. If Al-Maliki had succeeded in forging a coalition with the religious Shiite Iraqi National Alliance bloc, he would be just four seats shy forging a governing coalition and keeping his job.

The hardcore religious Sadrist wing of the INA, however, appeared to balk at the partnership, according to one of its senior leaders who spoke on condition of anonymity because the sensitive negotiations were ongoing. The Sadrists have a

long standing grudge against alMaliki. “We have not yet discussed the nomination for the premiership, but we are adamant about nominating Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki for this post,” said Hashim AlMoussawi, a Basra lawmaker from Al-Maliki’s party. He said a deal was imminent.

None of Iraq’s six major political coalitions won a clear majority in the election, and alMaliki’s group came in second, two seats behind the alliance headed by his archrival, former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.

Lacking an undisputed winner, the coalitions now are brokering deals among themselves to combine political forces for a parliamentary power grab.

Yesterday was also marked with a solemn reminder of Iraq’s brutal past as the remains of

107 Kurdish children who died in 1988 during the notorious Operation Anfal were brought home to their village of Chamchamal and buried in a mass funeral ceremony.

Their bodies were recently discovered in a mass grave outside Kirkuk. Nearly 200,000 Kurds were killed during the military assault launched by Saddam Hussein’s regime that demolished homes and uprooted residents in effort to squash Kurdish unrest in the north.

“The camp where we were kept was worse than the Nazis,” said Raheem Karim, 55, who lost six relatives, including a child, in the prison.

Chamchamal is near the city of Sulaimaniyah, 160 miles northeast of Baghdad, in northern semiautonomous Iraq’s Kurdish region. — AP

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Britain’s Tories launch ‘people power’ manifesto LONDON: British opposition leader David Cameron pledged yesterday a “people power” revolution if he wins May 6 elections and vowed to bolster Britain’s ties internationally, especially beyond Europe. Launching his Conservative Party’s manifestowhich notably promises a “new special relationship” with India and strengthened ties with ChinaCameron also promised to claw some powers back from the European Union.

On the domestic front Cameron said the Conservatives, leading in the polls, could only repair Britain’s financial and social problems if ordinary people helped their bid to revitalize the country after 13 years of Labor government. “If you vote Conservative on May 6, you’re not just voting to change the government, you’re voting to change the whole system,” Cameron said at the Battersea Power Station landmark in south London. “People power, not state power. Big society, not big government. We’re all in this together.”

Among the Conservative pledges are plans to allow people to veto high local tax increases and trigger referendums on any issue if they can win the support of five percent of the population. Other proposals include allowing public sector workers to take ownership of the services they deliver through cooperatives, and giving constituents the power to sack

their lawmaker if they find evidence of wrongdoing. On foreign policy, the Conservatives said they would not hand over any more powers to the EU and would “never join the euro”.

The Tories pledged to support permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council for Japan, India, Germany, Brazil and African representation. They vowed to increase health spending every year, make the police accountable to a directly elected individual, make it easier for people to own their homes and allow proven good education providers to set up new academy schools.

The document, entitled “Invitation to Join the Government of Britain”, came a day after Labor launched their manifesto. “We can deal with our debts. We can mend our broken society. We can restore faith in our shattered political system,” Cameron said. “But only if millions of people are fired up and inspired to play a part in the nation’s future.”

The centre-right party is consistently ahead in the opinion polls, but current projections suggest they may not win enough seats to avoid a hung parliament and claim a parliamentary majority.

Banks should not be allowed to pay cash bonuses of more than 2,500 pounds ($3,840), with bank directors being personally fined if they break guidelines on pay, Britain’s third

Lib Dems promise tough action on bank bonuses

LONDON: Samantha Cameron, wife of Britain’s opposition Conservative Party leader David Cameron, serves lunch as she visits the Surma Community Centre yesterday. Her husband had earlier launched his party’s manifesto for Britain’s May 6 election.— AP

biggest political party said yesterday.

Unveiling their plans to tackle a bank bonus culture blamed for helping sow the seeds of the credit crisis, the Liberal Democrats, who could hold the balance of power in a close run May 6 election, promised an overhaul of the banking sector.

“We have to understand that unless we fundamentally restructure our banking system this will happen again at some time in the future,” Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg told reporters. “We don’t have the luxury to somehow pretend that we can carry on as before ... that is what will be at the heart of our approach to the economy in our manifesto tomorrow.” Clegg said banker bonuses over 2,500 pounds would have to be paid in shares, only redeemable after five years, and that no bonuses would be allowed at the board level of banks.

Under the Lib Dems’ plans, banks would also be required to publish the names of all staff who have salaries and bonuses greater than the Prime Minister’s pay of just under 200,000 pounds, and loss-making regulated institutions would be banned from paying discretionary bonuses.

The Lib Dems may have a key role to play in one of the most tightly fought elections for nearly two decades, with opinion polls pointing to a so-called hung parliament where no one party has an overall majority.

With the economy a major election

issue, all three main political parties have sought to tap into a public mood of resentment against high earners, particularly in the financial services industry, after a recession that has seen hundreds of thousands lose their jobs or have to accept pay freezes or cuts.

The ruling Labor party, trailing in the polls, last year imposed a temporary 50 percent tax on bank bonuses over 25,000 pounds, while the opposition Conservatives have also pledged to cut back on big bonuses and use the cash to boost lending.

The Lib Dems said taking such tough measures were necessary even if other countries did not follow suit. “It is desirable to have international agreement but if, as Britain does, you have an exceptionally large banking sector, there are some things that are going to have to be done unilaterally,” said party finance spokesman Vince Cable.

Cable said parts of the investment banking sector’s behavior shared some of the characteristics of an informal cartel, a concern he had raised with the competition watchdog, the Office of Fair Trading.

“They are now starting to look at the fees that the investment banks earn in their advisory work as the first step in investigating where the very large profits come from and hence the bonuses spin off from there,” he said. — Agencies

A job in the shadowy Komorowski walks world of intelligence political tight-rope UK spies seek spotlight to increase diversity

LONDON: Turn on the radio in Britain these days and you could hear an advert for a job in the shadowy world of intelligence: it’s an unusual bid by the country’s spy service to shed its image as stuffy, macho and upper-class. Diversity is the watchword in a publicity campaign that portrays a career in the Secret Intelligence Service or MI6 as fascinating and familyfriendly, albeit with moments of risk.

The drive is part of a policy of openness that constitutes a big cultural shift for a service that 20 years ago was so secret the government would not publicly acknowledge its existence, even if it still enjoys more anonymity than its close CIA ally.

“We’re trying to dispel tenacious misconceptions,” said the SIS recruitment officer, introducing himself as “John” in an interview at its headquarters in central London. “A lot of people think recruitment is still by a tap on the shoulder by a talentspotter. There’s a tendency for more women to perceive us as a military-type, male organization.”

In fact, “a clear majority of the intake do not come from the military, or from Oxford or Cambridge”. The idea behind the advertising drive is to cast the recruiters’ net wider than the elite feepaying schools and universities they once relied upon, reflecting the UK’s multicultural reality. The macho image, partly the result of the popularity of the James Bond thrillers, is not reflected in the straightfor-

ward job adverts on radio stations in London and across the UK. They follow the SIS’s 2006 introduction of job adverts in newspapers and the 2005 launch of its Web site, all designed to lure applicants from a more diverse range of backgrounds. John said recruits could look forward to generous government employee benefits and the possibility of part-time working designed to give staff the flexibility to raise their families. “We’ve needed to reach parts of the population who may not have had a route into the service before,” he said.

The agency website posts the impressions of recent recruits about their new employer. “Nicola”, who joined after a few years of post-university travel, says: “I am now launching myself into the world of counter-terrorism. Given its importance to the work of all the UK’s Intelligence Services, I too wanted to make a contribution to tackling terrorism at home and overseas. I have already understood that the reality is different to the version we hear in the press.” White males remain the largest single recruitment group, but about eight percent of recruits are from ethnic minorities.

Slightly more than a third of recruits are women, about the same proportion as applicants.

The growing proportion of women and non-white recruits is intended to give the agency a wider cultural and linguistic

background, a vital asset in an agency that relies on building ties of trust across national and cultural barriers. Improving espionage service performance has been a prime goal for the West since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks and the 2003 Iraq invasion, events widely seen as involving profound failures of information collection, coordination and analysis.

Interest is high. Applications for jobs as intelligence officers are running at about 10,000 a year. Recent recruits include people switching career in their 20s and 30s including doctors, lawyers, journalists, aid workers and academics.

Allegations of abuse leveled by former detainees against Western intelligence services in the campaign against terrorism since 9/11 have not deterred applications, John said.

“People seem to believe we are a sensible organization grappling responsibly with serious global problems. “We are not seen as a bunch of either James Bonds or torturers. We demand and get high moral standards.” The service is more up front about the risks of the job.

“In the past we perhaps spent less time than we do now pointing up potential risks about the frontline aspects of the job,” said John. “We say to people that they should expect a posting in a difficult country, with potentially hostile environments at the sharp end, early on in their careers.” — Reuters

Serbia leaders receive Vatican scoffs at idea of assassination threats arresting pope in Britain Montenegrin assassins suspected BELGRADE: Serbia has stepped up protection for its president Boris Tadic and other leaders as they face credible assassination threats from criminal groups, officials said yesterday. Such threats are taken seriously in a country where an assassin in 2003 killed a reformist prime minister. “The threat level and findings of security services are indicating the threats are serious,” said Dusan Bajatovic, the deputy head of the parliamentary committee for state security. “We are all well aware of the risk.”

In an interview published on Tuesday, Slobodan Homen, state secretary with the Justice Ministry, said security agencies had stepped up security for Tadic and other officials, suspecting a plot involving assassins from neighboring Montenegro. “They plotted to kill Tadic, Justice Minister Snezana Malovic, organized crime prosecutor Miljko Radisavljevic and people from the police and the security agency,” Homen said in an interview with the Blic daily. He did not specify whether authorities had arrested anyone in connection with the plot.

COCAINE SMUGGLING Also yesterday, Radisavljevic said he had indicted a 20-strong mixed Serbian and Montenegrin group for smuggling 2.6 tons of cocaine in 2009 from South America. Serbian police in 2009 and this year have arrested hun-

dreds on suspicion of drugs, currency and human trafficking as well as money laundering, fraud and embezzlement. “We believe these groups laundered as much as one billion euros through murky privatization deals and purchases of property since 2000,” said a state security official who did not want to be named.

Serbia’s ex-communist authorities in the 1990s forged close ties with organized crime rings and used them for ethnic cleansing and clandestine operations during the wars in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo. Dozens died in gangland-style shootouts in Serbia and its then federal partner Montenegro, including ministers, prominent officials, industrialists and key underworld figures.

Following President Slobodan Milosevic’s overthrow in 2000, Serbian authorities tried to stamp out organized crime.

In retaliation, disgruntled secret service officers and criminals in 2003 assassinated the then Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. In a recent speech Tadic warned that Serbia’s prosperity depended on the determination of authorities to crack down on organized crime, which he described as a key security threat to the nation of 7.3 million nation.

The European Union wants Serbia to combat crime, corruption, nepotism and red tape as a condition of moving towards membership. — Reuters

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican said yesterday Pope Benedict was willing to meet more sexual abuse victims but not under media pressure and scoffed at calls for the pope to be arrested when he visits Britain in September. A lawyer for British author and atheist campaigner Richard Dawkins said in London at the weekend he would try to have Pope Benedict arrested to face questions over accusations the Church covered up cases of sexual abuse of children by priests.

Asked about this at a briefing on the pope’s trip to Malta this weekend, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi scoffed.

“This is a bizarre idea to say the least. It looks like the intent is to make a public opinion splash. I think they should look for something more serious and concrete before we can respond to it,” he said.

“The pope’s visit (to Britain) is a visit of state, and so it would be very strange if during a state visit the person who is invited to make a state visit is arrested,” he said. Dawkins, a scientist and outspoken critic of religion, has asked human rights lawyers to examine whether charges could be brought against the pope during the Sept 16-19 trip. The Vatican has rejected accusations the pope helped to cover up abuse by priests in jobs he held before his election in 2005 and has accused the media of waging a “despicable campaign of defamation” against him.

In Washington, the American Humanist Association, which advocates the rights of non-believers, backed Dawkins’ view that the pope should not have diplomatic immunity as a head of state and called for a “criminal investigation” of the church. “Religious institutions should not be exempt from such scrutiny just because they are religious, and they should be held accountable for any criminal wrongdoing,” the AHA said in a statement.

The Vatican said last week that Benedict, who travels to Malta on Saturday, would be willing to meet more victims, as he had during his trips to the United States and Australia. The pope feels that meetings with victims should take place “in a climate that is intentionally one of reflection, discreet, and not under pressure of the glare of the media, so he can have a real possibility to listen and communicate personally,” Lombardi said.

MALTESE MEN SUING PRIESTS Ten Maltese men who are suing three priests for alleged child abuse have requested a private meeting with the pope. Lombardi said he could not say if a meeting would take place. “I am not the one who decides what the pope does during his trips,” Lombardi said, adding that such meetings were not announced in advance but confirmed only after they take place. A spokesman for the Maltese men said they wanted a meeting “to help us heal and to overcome this trauma”. — Reuters

Polish candidate catapulted into presidency before election WARSAW: Bronislaw Komorowski, propelled into Poland’s top job by President Lech Kaczynski’s death, faces the delicate task of consoling a traumatized nation while steering it towards an election he wants to win. As speaker of the lower house of parliament, the Sejm, Komorowski automatically became acting president when Kaczynski died in a plane crash in Russia last Saturday along with several senior politicians and military officers.

Yet the gently-spoken, mustachioed Komorowski, 57, is also the official candidate of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s ruling centre-right Civic Platform (PO) for a presidential election that had been set for the autumn. It is now expected to take place in May or June. A veteran of the 1980s anticommunist Solidarity movement, Komorowski is seen to be more comfortable in the shadows than in the limelight.

Tusk backed his presidential bid precisely because he knew Komorowski, would comply with the party’s plans to reduce the president’s powers. Since the crash he has demonstrated a “father-of-the-nation” gravitas with his calls for national unity and pledges of impartiality during Poland’s biggest crisis in two decades of democracy.

“The state must go on, Poland just has to go on, despite all the pain, despite the mourning, despite the unimaginable tragedy,” he told Polsat News TV channel on Monday.

To those who fear he might exploit his powerful new position for his own political ends, Komorowski added: “I only want to take those decisions that are absolutely necessary and urgent. All the rest should wait until after the election.” His predicament is all the more finely balanced because Kaczynski’s twin brother, Jaroslaw, heads the right-wing main opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) and can be expected to cry foul at the slightest sign of Komorowski acting in a partisan way.

FIERCE BATTLES Opinion polls before the crash showed Komorowski trouncing the increasingly unpopular Lech Kaczynski in the presiden-

WARSAW: Parliament speaker and acting head of state, Bronislaw Komorowski (center) pay their respects in memory of the victims of the air-crash in which President Lech Kaczynski was killed in front of Parliament in Warsaw. — AFP tial election. But with an upsurge of sympathy for the Kaczynski family now, it is much harder to predict how people will vote.

“This is a very difficult period for Komorowski. He has to be extremely supple and non-partisan, but he is also a core member of PO. Much will depend on how he behaves,” said Lena Kolarska-Bobinska, a PO member of the European Parliament.

“As acting president, he has to make a whole series of public appointments to replace people killed in the crash. And even

at the best of times there are always fierce battles between the political parties in Poland over such positions. “Will he extend a hand to the opposition? Such gestures will be crucial and also symbolic in this period when as president he needs to unite the country and bring reconciliation.”

Komorowski has won plaudits for choosing specialists, not political allies, in his first public appointments. Iwona JakubowskaBranicka of Warsaw University said he was doing a good job of ensuring the state continued to function without more jolts. “He is a man of breeding and dignity. I think he has not upset any delicate barriers in this difficult situation,” she said. Komorowski, a historian by training, was born in 1952 in communist Poland into a family with aristocratic roots. Like many of his generation and political views, he suffered internment during martial law in the 1980s.

After the fall of communism in Poland in 1989, the father of five became active in centre-right politics, serving as defense minister in 2000-01 and becoming speaker of the Sejm after Tusk replaced Jaroslaw Kaczynski as prime minister in 2007.

“Komorowski is a quiet man, not egocentric or particularly ambitious. Tusk had to work hard to persuade him to become the PO presidential candidate,” said KolarskaBobinska. “Ironically, he is in a sense similar to Lech Kaczynski, who also had to be pushed into running for the presidency by his more ambitious brother Jaroslaw back in 2005,” she added.

Under Poland’s constitution, the government wields most of the political power but the president can veto laws and has a say in foreign policy. Kaczynski irked Tusk’s promarket, pro-euro government by blocking health sector and pension reforms, prompting PO to propose a switch to a purely ceremonial German-style presidency — one that may suit Komorowski’s approach and personality well. “Komorowski has one big advantage now-people are already getting use to thinking of him as the president,” said Kolarska-Bobinska. — Reuters

Karadzic war crimes trial witness details horrors THE HAGUE: The first prosecution witness at the war crimes trial of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic described to a UN court yesterday how he saw Bosnian Serb forces burn homes and slit prisoners’ throats. Karadzic is on trial at the International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia on 11 charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and violating the laws and customs of war stemming from the 1992-95 Bosnian war. He denies them all. When proceedings resumed after a six-week delay, prosecutors at the tribunal called their first witness to testify over mass killings and detentions in Bosnia.

Ahmet Zulic, who had previously given evidence at the court, confirmed an earlier statement that he saw Bosnian Serb forces attack villages in northern Bosnia with shelling, setting houses on fire as prisoners were shot and had their throats cut. “Mr Zulic’s bed-ridden father-in-law was burned to death,” prosecutor Ann Sutherland said, highlighting attacks on two other

villages where 300 people were killed. “On 18 June 1992, Serb police arrested the witness at his house.”

Prosecutors say Karadzic led a genocidal campaign to make Bosnian Muslims “disappear from the face of the earth” and carve out a mono-ethnic state for Bosnian Serbs during a war that killed an estimated 100,000 people. But in his opening statement to the court on March 1, Karadzic denied involvement in the four-year siege of Sarajevo by Serb forces, where 10,000 died, and the killing of more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995. He boycotted the start of his trial last year and has repeatedly tried to delay it to better prepare his defense. Judge Presiding Judge OGon Kwon warned Karadzic yesterday the court will not tolerate delays and could limit the length of witness cross-examination.

Karadzic’s plan to spend 14 hours on one cross-examination was neither responsible nor realistic, he said. — Reuters

THE HAGUE: This television grab shows Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic talking during his trial for genocide in the Hague. — AFP

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

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Mexico cartels team up to destroy hit men gang Shift in allegiances fuels bloody battles

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama greets Chinese President Hu Jintao during the official arrivals for the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. — AP

Obama, Hu to push for ‘biting’ Iran sanctions A new Sino-US unity after multiple rows WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao have agreed to jointly push for new nuclear sanctions on Iran, US officials said, heralding an apparent diplomatic breakthrough. Injecting momentum into the drive to punish Tehran, Hu and Obama instructed their delegations at the United Nations to work together on a draft resolution, the officials said, as Obama seeks to enact toughened sanctions within weeks.

Hu’s entourage was less specific after the talks, but said that the United States and China shared the “same overall goal” on Iran, after months of US efforts to secure Chinese cooperation on “biting” new sanctions. The new Sino-US unity followed a swift warming of relations, after multiple rows and Beijing’s previous reluctance to contemplate new sanctions on Iran. “The Chinese very clearly share our concern about the Iranian nuclear program,” said Jeff Bader, Obama’s senior director for Asia on the National Security Council.

“The two presidents agreed the two delegations should work together on a sanctions resolution in New York,” Bader said, after the two presidents met ahead of a 47-nation nuclear security summit in Washington. Ma Zhaoxu, spokesman for the Chinese delegation, reiterated that even as China joins talks at the UN, it also wanted a stalled dialogue between world powers and Iran to go on, in an effort to resolve the confrontation.

Washington and its allies say Tehran is seeking nuclear weapons, a claim Iran denies.

Last week at the UN, envoys of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany

US, Brazil sign military accord WASHINGTON: The defense chiefs of the United States and Brazil signed a military agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation in training, defense technology and promoting exchanges of visits by naval ships. Officials for both countries emphasized the deal does not entail US military bases or the presence of its troops on Brazilian soil. That is an apparent nod to the negative reaction from the region’s leftist governments to a pact between Colombia and Washington that allows US access to Colombian military bases. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim signed the deal Monday ahead of a nuclear summit. Gates heads to South America later this week.

When reporters asked Jobim about the possible US purchase of up to 100 Super Tucano built

by Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA, the official said that the accord will “help” with these negotiations but that a decision has yet to be made. As for the F-18s that Brazil might buy from Chicago-based Boeing, Jobim said that he will make a decision this month or in May. At a press conference at the Brazilian Ambassador’s residency in Washington, Jobim highlighted that the military agreement does not violate Brazil’s sovereignty and the principle of no intervention.

In the days previous to the signing, there was speculation that the agreement could be similar to the one the US signed with Colombia to increase its military personnel in the South American country. Venezuela and other countries strongly condemned the accord with Bogota. After the meeting, Gates said the agreement was a “formal acknowledgement of the many security interests and values we share” and was a “positive model for engagement throughout the Americas”, according to a Department of Defense transcript.

“This agreement will lead to a deepening of US-Brazil defense cooperation at all levels and will demonstrate how much more effectively we can confront shared security challenges when we work in partnership”, said the secretary. — AP

discussed a draft resolution sanctioning Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, and agreed to meet again soon. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, signaled after flying in for the summit that the time for drawn out diplomacy had passed.

“Patience has its limits,” Sarkozy told CBS, arguing the time had come for a vote on sanctions.

Sarkozy also said that a united Security Council would be the best course-but warned a “toothless” resolution agreed just so the world could speak with one voice would achieve nothing. Like China, Russia was initially skeptical about new sanctions on Iran, but moved towards the US position more quickly than Beijing.

President Dmitry Medvedev made clear however in an interview with ABC aired Monday that sanctions on Iranian energy products preferred by some US members of Congress could cause a humanitarian disaster. “If we’re talking about energy sanctions, I’ll tell you my opinion. I don’t think on that topic we have a chance to achieve a consolidated opinion of the global community on that,” Medvedev said. “Sanctions should not be paralyzing. They should not cause suffering.”

There was a note of dissent however from Brazil, which has irritated Washington, with its stance on Iran sanctions.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Minister Celso Amorim called for more dialogue before imposing sanctions. “The main issue now is to give a minimum of time for a conversation to take place” between Iran and Western powers that want to apply more stringent sanctions, Amorim said on the sidelines of the summit. — AFP

MEXICO CITY: Three Mexican cartels have joined forces to destroy a gang of hit men that has grown into a feared drug trafficking outfit with reach into Central America, Mexican and US officials said yesterday. The shift in allegiances is fueling bloody battles along the Texas border.

Intelligence reports indicate the Gulf cartel has recruited its former rival, La Familia, to crush the Zetas gang in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas, said Ramon Pequeno, the head of the anti-narcotics division of Mexico’s federal police.

An official with the US Drug Enforcement Administration said the Sinaloa cartel, Mexico’s most powerful drug trafficking organization, has also joined the alliance against the Zetas, whose rise to power has come to threaten all three of the cartels. “It’s an issue of a common enemy,” said Will Glaspy, head of the DEA’s office in the border town of McAllen, Texas.

The pact followed a break between the Gulf cartel and the Zetas, which started as a group of hit men for the Gulf but quickly began rivaling its creator.

Tamaulipas has long been the stronghold of the Gulf cartel, but the Zetas have begun taking over.

It was the first official confirmation of the pact, which has been rumored since banners appeared throughout the region earlier this year announcing the campaign by “the cartels of Mexico united against the Zetas.”

One banner even urged President Felipe Calderon to withdraw the army and let the new alliance exterminate the Zetas. Videos and e-mails were sent around warning families to stay home, saying the conflict would get worse. The campaign to wipe out the Zetas has raised fears of open warfare in Tamaulipas, with armed men

CHIHUAHUA: A helicopter of the Mexican police overflies Ciudad Juarez.

Ciudad Juarez, with 1.3 million inhabitants, is the most violent city in Mexico with over 2,660 murders in 2009 from the war between drug traffickers. — AFP throwing up roadblocks around army garrisons and ambushing military patrols - brazen tactics that experts say are meant to get soldiers out of the way of the turf war.

Calderon has deployed more than 40,000 soldiers to the border and other regions to combat drug trafficking groups, an effort backed by US intelligence work and aid. In an indication that Washington expects the battles along the border to continue, the State Department extended until May 12 the authorized departure of relatives of US government employees from consulates in Nuevo Laredo and five other northern cities. The decision came two days after a grenade attack against the US consulate in Nuevo Laredo, a city across the border from Laredo, Texas.

Nobody was hurt.

US Ambassador to Mexico

Carlos Pascual said Monday it is not clear yet who threw the grenade or why. “I do not want to speculate. We do not know who it was,” Pascual said during a visit to Nuevo Laredo to express support for consular employees. “It could have been someone who we didn’t give a visa to.” La Familia, whose stronghold is in the Pacific coast state of Michoacan, has sent a large number of gunmen across the country to Tamaulipas to help the Gulf cartel exterminate the Zetas, Pequeno said.

He spoke at a news conference to announce the arrest of three alleged members of La Familia, including one who confirmed the alliance to police. The DEA’s Glaspy said the alliance also includes the Sinaloa cartel, led by Mexico’s most powerful kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The Sinaloa and Gulf

cartels have been each other’s biggest rivals, and their pact shows the extent to which the Zetas have become a common threat. “The Zetas have been trying to wage war on everybody for a while,” Glaspy said.

“It’s been well-documented that the Gulf cartel has formed alliances with the Sinaloa cartel and (La Familia) to wage war against the Zetas.” An official with Mexico’s Public Safety Department, who was not authorized to give his name because of his agency’s policy, confirmed the Sinaloa cartel’s involvement. Mexican and US authorities had previously confirmed the split between the Gulf and the Zetas, a gang that began as special forces soldiers recruited in the 1990s to be the Gulf cartel’s muscle.

The Zetas - who gained a reputation for brutality by starting

the practice of beheading rivals have since evolved into a drug trafficking force of their own, and branched out into extortion, migrant smuggling and kidnapping, said George Grayson, a professor at the College of William & Mary in Virginia and author of “Mexico: Narco Violence and a Failed State?”

“The Zetas have become too powerful. The Zetas have taken over probably 70 or 80 percent of Tamaulipas,” Grayson said. “The Gulf cartel simply couldn’t handle the Zetas by themselves.”

The reach of the Zetas now extends to Central America, where they have corrupted police and set up training camps in Guatemala.

In one banner, the Gulf cartel implied it was uncomfortable with the brutal tactics of the Zetas. “The Gulf Cartel separates itself from the Z in our ranks. We don’t want kidnappers, terrorists, bank robbers, rapists, child killers and traitors,” read a banner hung from pedestrian bridges in Tamaulipas last month. The feud escalated when a member of the Zetas was killed in January in Reynosa, a city across the border from McAllen, Texas. Battles ensued when the Gulf cartel refused to hand over the man responsible.

It’s the newest front in Mexico’s drug war, which has claimed more than 18,000 lives since 2006 despite Calderon’s troop deployment. Elsewhere in Mexico, police found the body of a man whose face had been skinned in Cuernavaca, a central city that has become a battle ground for control of the Beltran Levya cartel, whose leader was killed in a battle with marines in that city in December. In the nearby town of Temixco, a man and his pregnant wife were killed by gunmen who left a threatening message, police said. — AP

10

INTERNATIONAL

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Extremists eye nukes Ex-Soviets, N Korea, Pakistan pose greatest risk WASHINGTON: When it comes to nuclear material falling into the wrong hands, Pakistan, the former Soviet Union and North Korea top the list of countries posing the greatest risk, experts say. But dozens of civilian research reactors around the world also offer an inviting target for extremists seeking to acquire the highly-enriched uranium or separated plutonium needed for an atomic bomb.

As President Barack Obama on Monday warned of the danger of “nuclear terrorism” at a 47-nation summit in the US capital, analysts said a volatile climate in Pakistan presented the most serious potential threat.

Although Pakistan’s sensitive nuclear sites are under heavy guard, governments fear Islamist militants could steal weapons or fissile material with the help of allies inside the intelligence service.

The country’s stockpile is a fraction of Russia’s or some other nuclear powers, but the growing strength of extremists in Pakistan and tensions with nuclear-armed rival India offer a volatile mixture, analysts said.

“It’s a much smaller program but we know that parts of the government are very sympathetic to Al-Qaeda,” Daniel Byman, director Georgetown University’s Center for Peace and Security Studies said. AntiIndia militants in Lashkar-eTaiba, suspected in the 2008 siege of Mumbai that left 166 dead, represent the gravest danger to safeguarding Pakistan’s arsenal, said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer. Pakistan has yet to move against Lashkar-eTaiba, amid speculation

SEOUL: A South Korean activist shouts slogans during a rally opposing President Barack Obama’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) near the US Embassy in Seoul yesterday. The activists said Obama’s plan is unfair because it allows Israel and India to possess nuclear weapons while taking issue with North Korea and Iran’s atomic programs. — AP Islamabad’s powerful spy service views the group as leverage against arch-foe India.

“If there is a nightmare nuclear security scenario in Pakistan today it is probably an inside the family job that ends up in a nuclear Armageddon in India,” Riedel said on the Brookings Institution website.

In Russia and former Soviet republics, authorities have dramatically improved security at

numerous nuclear sites that had lapsed amid chaotic conditions in the 1990s. But an array of bunkers, labs and reactors across the former Soviet Union still lack adequate security and have yet to fully document the weapons-related material in hand.

“We know material is not accounted for. It could be just laying there in a warehouse, but we know there are real prob-

lems,” Byman said. North Korea has been accused of selling a reactor capable of producing plutonium to Syria, and Western governments worry the regime could be hawking its nuclear hardware and blueprints on the black market. The suspected sale to Syria “suggests that they might be wanting to sell it to someone else,” Byman said. Governments have only recently woken up to the

less publicized risk of stores of weapons-grade uranium at research reactors and other civilian facilities around the world, said a report issued Monday. About 60 metric tons of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) is under civilian use or in storage, mainly at research reactors, with roughly half of it outside the United States or Russia, said the report, “Securing the Bomb,” by a Harvard University analyst.

Despite some tighter security measures, the report said “it remains the case that most civilian research reactors have very modest security-in many cases, no more than a night watchman and a chain-link fence-even when enough fresh or irradiated HEU for a bomb is present.” In 2007, armed men broke into South Africa’s Pelindaba research nuclear facility, where enough uranium for 30 nuclear weapons was stored. The uranium was left untouched but the gunmen escaped.

International efforts to safeguard materials have focused in part on securing uranium that was distributed by nuclear powers over several decades, under a program dubbed in the 1950s as “Atoms for Peace.” About 20,000 kilograms of weaponsgrade uranium was handed out, in exchange for UN inspections to ensure the material would be used only for peaceful purposes. The US government has tried to secure the uranium and put it under safekeeping in recent years, but some countries have resisted, saying they need it to produce medical isotopes. — AFP

Man with meat cleaver slays 2 BEIJING: A mentally ill Chinese man rampaged with a meat cleaver near an elementary school, hacking to death a second grader and an elderly woman, the local government said yesterday. Five others were wounded in the second random attack on schoolchildren in China in three weeks.

Yang Jiaqin, 40, chased his victims through Xizhen village of the southern Guangxi region not long after classes ended Monday afternoon. He first attacked the boy, Wu Junpei, who later died from his injuries and two other schoolboys, who were just a quarter-mile away from their school gate, according to a statement on the Web site of Beihai city, which oversees the village. He then attacked a couple, a 7-year-old girl and the 81-year-old woman who later died.

Three of the wounded were in serious condition, two with skull fractures and one with a spinal injury, the statement said. Yang was detained by police.

The attack came one day before Yang’s family was scheduled to send him to a hospital for psychological treatment. He had been diagnosed with a mood disorder and had undergone treatment three times since 2005, the statement said. Last Friday, he attacked a villager whom his father had quarreled with, breaking down the door at the man’s home and beating him, the statement said. He tried to get into the same house before Monday’s attack, but the door was locked. He then killed the family’s dog and their neighbor’s dog, it said.

The attacks come after a similar crime

that shocked China, when a former medical worker stabbed eight children to death on March 23 as they stood outside the gates of their elementary school in southern Fujian province. Zheng Minsheng reportedly said in court that he had been rejected by a woman and treated unfairly by her wealthy family, and admitted to “intentionally killing” the children. Zheng, 41, was sentenced to death earlier this month. China has witnessed a number of school attacks in recent years, leading to calls for improved security.

Liu Shanying, an associate researcher with the Institute of Political Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said such attackers often feel left behind by society, while others are psychologically troubled and unable or unwilling to

receive proper treatment. They target children because they are the most vulnerable.

“In some places, mentally ill people are just left hanging around because the hospitals need money to take care of them and the families can’t afford it,” Liu said, calling for better social programs to help those with psychological problems.

“If the current conditions don’t improve, similar incidents will happen again and it will be not only a tragedy of individuals or individual families, but a tragedy for society as a whole,” he said. In the aftermath of Monday’s attack, dozens of paramilitary police forcibly took away the body of Wu, the second-grader who died, and beat relatives who tried to resist them, said the boy’s uncle, Chen Wenjian. — AP

Thailand vows crackdown after killings BANGKOK: Thailand said it would hunt down “terrorists” it blames for the country’s worst violence in 18 years in which 21 people were killed, but anti-government protesters say the army is to blame. A Thai “red shirt” protest leader threatened a mass march on army barracks where Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been based, but that plan seemed up in the air as the country celebrates its new year. Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban ordered police to hunt for “terrorists” the government blames for the killings in Bangkok’s old quarter which came after a month of generally festive protests and shocked the world.

“We can’t let terrorists walk freely in this country,” he said.

“We have enough evidence from still pictures and video footage that we can identify those carrying M-16 or AK-47 rifles where they live.” The “red shirt” demonstrators, who want Abhisit to stand down immediately, said they would step up their protests, with plans to send out hundreds of motorcyclists handing out leaflets and pictures from the clashes in which 21 people were killed.

Abhisit, who came to power in 2008 when the army brokered a deal in parliament, would have to step down if the Constitutional Court found his Democrat Party guilty of funding irregularities. The Election Commission on Monday unexpectedly recommended his party be dissolved for suspected funding irregularities. It is now in the court’s hands. Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of the Association of South East Asian Nations, said the situation was deteriorating and must not be left to “fester”.

“The deteriorating situation in Thailand between demonstrators and government security forces in Bangkok has caused serious concern among ASEAN

BANGKOK: Thai men rest on steps covered with anti-government graffiti yesterday near the Democracy Monument yesterday. – AP member states and the world at large,” he said in an unusually bold statement for a group that tends not to criticise its members. “The situation is affecting the confidence in the security and stability in the region and if it is left to fester and escalate, it could lead to more violence and loss of life.”U.S.-based rights group Human Rights Watch urged the Thai government to “keep its promise” to set up an independent commission to investigate the “violence and abuses by all sides”.

About 300 “yellow shirts” gathered at the Victory Monument war memorial, calling on the red shirts to go home.

“We are asking for peace. We don’t want the government to dissolve parliament and we want the red shirts to stop damaging the country,” said Suthep Wongta, 33, carrying a picture of the country’s revered king over his head. The yellow shirts are made up of academics, businessmen, royalists and urban mid-

dle-class activists opposed to ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and the political parties he has backed from exile.

Foreign Minister Kasin Piromya urged the international community to crack down on what he described as illicit money transfers made by Thaksin, a former telecoms tycoon beloved by the rural poor for populist policies. Kasit said Thaksin was illicitly providing the red shirts with $3 million a day, describing him as a “bloody terrorist”. “It would be nice to have a look at where the money is going,” he told reporters in Washington.

Thaksin has denied the charge.

Further isolating the embattled Abhisit, army chief Anupong Paochinda said on Monday early elections could end the impasse. It was Anupong’s first public comment since his forces failed on Saturday to eject protesters from their base in central Bangkok. The violence was

Thailand’s worst in two decades. “It looks like Abhisit’s fortune may be waning,” said Sukhum Nuansakul, an independent political scientist.

Didier Duret, CIO of ABN Amro Private Bank, said he was “underweight” Thailand. “We don’t like the political risk,” he said. Standard & Poor’s retained Thailand’s BBB-plus foreign currency rating on Tuesday but also kept the outlook at negative, highlighting the risks.

S&P also maintained the local currency rating at A-minus.

“Since 2006, the country has seen a number of abrupt changes of government. This has distracted from long-term policy planning and implementation,” Kim Eng Tan, sovereign analyst for Thailand, said in a statement. But he said the risk of widespread violence was low.

The red shirts, mostly rural and working-class supporters of Thaksin who was ousted in a 2006 coup, want Abhisit to call

polls immediately. The electoral fraud case could take months as prosecutors and the Constitutional Court act on the commission’s recommendation.

A guilty verdict could lead to the dissolution of Abhisit’s Democrats, the country’s oldest party, and Abhisit and party executives would be banned from politics for five years. The court found two Thaksin-allied parties guilty of fraud in 2007 and 2008.

On Monday, coalition partners proposed Abhisit dissolve parliament in six months. He had already offered nine months. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged both sides to talk. “The challenges you are facing cannot be resolved by force, but only by dialogue,” she said. Financial markets were closed yesterday at the start of the Songkran new year festival.

Stocks fell 3.6 percent on Monday.

Despite army commander Anupong’s comment that “parliamentary dissolution seems to be a reasonable step”, some questioned whether the army agreed on the way forward. “It’s not clear if the army is speaking with one voice,” said Charnvit Kasertsiri, a prominent Thai political historian. The deadlock brought back speculation of another coup in a country that has seen 18 since 1932.

Bangkok has been calm since Sunday but thousands of red shirts remain camped out in two areas of Bangkok, including an upmarket shopping district whose big malls have had to stay closed for much of the past 10 days.

Red shirt guards man checkpoints, direct traffic and check the identity of passersby. Pickup trucks, taxis and motorcycles are parked on streets, stopping traffic from entering areas under red shirt control. Police and soldiers were nowhere in sight. — Reuters

MANOKWARI: Rescuers gather near the wreckage of a Boeing 737 operated by Merpati Nusantara Airlines after it skidded off the runway at Rendani airport in Manokwari, Papua province yesterday. — AP

70 passengers injured as plane breaks apart MANOKWARI: A routine domestic flight in Indonesia almost ended in disaster yesterday when a jet carrying over 100 passengers broke apart on landing, injuring more than 70 people, officials said. The Merpati airline Boeing 737 bounced off the tarmac at Rendani domestic airport in Manokwari, West Papua, hurtled into trees and skidded into a shallow river, director general of civil aviation Herry Bhakti Singayuda said. “All the passengers were in a total panic, some even screamed and cried,” said passenger Zainal Hayat, 52, who was being treated in hospital with facial injuries.

“We flew safely and the plane touched down smoothly on the runway but it just didn’t stop.

It skidded very fast and I felt it hit something twice before it stopped and tumbled down. “I got out through a crack in the plane near my seat.” Singayuda said the plane came to a halt with its tail section in the river about 200 meters from the end of the landing strip. “All 103 passengers and six crew members are safe.

Some are injured,” he said. The vast Indonesian archipelago relies heavily on air transport and has one of Asia’s worst air safety records.

The European Union banned all Indonesiaregistered aircraft from flying over its airspace in June 2007, acting on a report by the International Civil Aviation Organization criticizing the country’s safety standards. Four air-

lines including national carrier Garuda Indonesia were taken off the blacklist last July due to safety improvements, but Merpati, which flies only domestic routes, remains banned.

Heavy rain and fog were thought to have played a part in yesterday’s crash, Singayuda said, although investigators had yet to reach the scene.

The navy and general hospitals in Manokwari saw 71 people, including 15 who had to be admitted for in-patient treatment of facial wounds, head injuries and broken bones, officials at the hospitals said. Witnesses said the left wing broke off the plane as it smashed into the trees at the end of the runway. The cockpit was also almost completely separated from the rest of the fuselage. The plane was flying from Sorong, also in West Papua province, to Manokwari, a distance of about 340 kilometers.

Transport ministry experts from the capital Jakarta were on their way to the rugged province in the far east of the country to investigate, an official said. The state-run Antara news agency reported that the plane was believed to have experienced engine trouble, but this was not confirmed. Merpati corporate secretary Sukandi ruled out pilot error. “It was raining when the plane landed. The pilots followed all the safety procedures regarding landing in wet conditions,” he said. — AFP

TAINJIN: Chinese People’s Liberation Army Airforce’s ‘Bayi Aerobatic Unit’ J-10 fighter jets taxi in formation after landing at a base of the PLA Airforce’s 24th Division in Yangcun yesterday. — AP

China woos allies with J-10 fighters PLA Air Force seeks to boost own fighting, flying capacity YANGCUN AIR BASE: Four Chinese J-10 fighter jets banked and sported in perfect formation in the blue skies near Tianjin yesterday, before executing a neat landing, their braking parachutes billowing out just in front of a viewing stand filled with military attaches. Many of the 51 attaches, some from Africa and the Middle East, may be future customers for the Made-in-China fighter jet.

So far no other country’s air force has the J-10, but China hopes the plane’s maneuverability and price can compete with the US and others in sales to third countries, many of them allies through whom Beijing is courting global influence. Ever since the early 1990s, China has been working to slim and upgrade its military into a modern fighting force.

That means developing fighters for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, and also planes that others would want.

“Yes, we have been given the option of getting this aircraft, and we are studying this option,” said Salman Ahsan Bokhari, the Beijing-based air attache from Pakistan, tipped as a potential bulk buyer of the J-10. “Until this time, we haven’t seen it physically flying... It’s a good time for all the world’s air force to know the PLA has a valuable and important aircraft flying in the skies.” Many military analysts watch the Chinese air force for clues to how it would perform in an attack on Taiwan, the self-ruled island Beijing views as a breakaway province and that the United States is obligated to defend.

For China’s allies, particularly in the developing world, the issue isn’t so much the Chinese forces’ performance as it is the hardware itself and the diplomatic strategy behind its purchase. “We came to see the performance of this J-10 aircraft. I think it’s quite impressive but we still have to see how it compares to others in its class,” said Derek Mwendaofyo, the Beijing-based defense attache for Zambia, which has historical and mining investment ties to China.

DEFENSE AT HOME, SALES OVERSEAS At the moment, the Chinese air force itself is still short of planes, with outside analysts noting Chinese

pilots often have less flying time under their belts than Western forces. The Yangcun base, on a flat plain about two hours drive from Beijing and near to Tianjin, has a ratio of 1.2 pilots to planes, said Yan Feng, commander of the 24th division based there.

“A lot of people look at hours in the air and quality of simulators and China still lags behind,” said Matthew Durnin, a Beijing-based researcher with the World Security Institute. “More importantly, their exercises are carefully scripted and controlled from the ground, which isn’t very applicable to actual combat.” But for Pakistan, the geo-political balance between China, the United States, Japan and Taiwan in Northeast Asia is less important than that of South Asia, where it is balancing the Americans’ desire for an ally against the Taleban in Afghanistan with China’s desire for better sea access to the energy-rich Middle East. It is negotiating with the United States to buy 14 more F-16 fighter planes, Pakistan defence officials said in March after talks aimed at reversing tempestuous ties between the allies.

“In Pakistan we have Western aircraft, French aircraft and Chinese aircraft, so we will be able to see how we can position this in,” Bokhari said, referring to possible purchases of the J-10. The Alabamatrained pilot said he wanted to try flying it. “Pricewise, this is a point which is still under discussion, the main point.” For pilots like Yan Feng, the beauty of the J-10 lies in its maneuverability, its stability, and its integrated avionics system. Compared to a J-7 plane, which China has already exported, the J-10 “is like an adult to a child,” Yan said. “As a pilot and a division chief, I am very proud to have J-10 aircraft.”

Yan estimated a J-10 cost the PLA Air Force, which he noted is also a consumer, about 190 million yuan ($27.84 million). That’s pricey compared to the $15 million-plus price tag on a U.S. F-16 fighter, a favourite of world air forces. “I believe the vendors know how to put it across to whoever the buyer is,” said K Gambo, military attache from Nigeria, who said his country might consider buying from China. “With good bargaining the price can come down.” — Reuters

InternAtIOnAL

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

11

Indian Sikhs mark ‘World Turban Day’ AMRITSAR: Indian Sikhs celebrated World Turban Day yesterday to demonstrate the importance of retaining the headgear rather than adopting Western-style haircuts. The central event of the celebration was a contest in which hundreds of male Sikhs had to wrap a turban around their heads in Amritsar, the holiest city in Sikhdom, with the winner judged on neatness and speed, organizers said.

The Sikh religious headgear is a piece of cloth about eight meters long and is carefully pleated over untrimmed hair. Gurbachan Singh, who heads the religion’s highest temporal seat the Akal Takht-said the annual event was a reminder to Indian Sikhs living in the West of their religious obligations. “Sikh families living abroad adopt Western culture and abandon the turban,” he said. “The celebration of World Turban Day will encourage every Sikh to wear the turban.”

Avtar Singh Makkar, president of the trust that runs the famed Golden Temple, said the event was aimed at underlining the importance of Sikh traditions. The “Sikh community is a minority in the world and the turban on the head of Sikhs shows their distinguished identity,” Makkar said.

“The world knows Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a turbaned

man,” he said. Manmohan Singh became India’s first Sikh prime minister in 2004 at the head of the Congress-led government.

“The new generation of Sikhs need to know the importance of the turban and not get their hair cut which is against the norms of the religion,” Makkar said. Besides the turban, the religion calls for Sikhs to wear a steel bangle, cotton undergarments and carry a comb and a sword called a kirpan. In 1984, after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two Sikh bodyguards, many Sikhs in India shaved their beards and shed their turbans in a bid to escape anti-Sikh riots in which thousands were killed.

Indian religious festival Millions of Hindu pilgrims gathered on the banks of India’s Ganges River yesterday ready to plunge into the holy waters at the climax of the world’s largest religious festival. The Kumbh Mela, which is held every three years and rotates among four Indian cities, attracts huge crowds of devotees who believe a dip in the river cleanses them of sin and frees them from the cycle of life and rebirth. The statistics behind the three-month event are staggering: 40 million people have bathed in the Ganges at Haridwar and the neighboring town of Rishikesh since

Millions swarm to Ganges for Indian religious festival

AMRISTAR: A folk artist adjusts the turban of his colleague before performing traditional folk dance of Bhangra in a wheat field, as part of Baisakhi celebrations in Ajnala. — AP January 14, said Ashok Sharma, a senior press official at the Mela.

He said 6.7 million had already assembled for the main “royal

bathing day” today, when 10 million people are expected to immerse themselves in a stretch of river 15 kilometers long. The attendance fig-

ures are impossible to verify and some observers suggest they are exaggerated by the host city, but previous Kumbh Mela events are

thought to have attracted similar numbers. Throughout Tuesday, the river banks of Haridwar were packed with families from every branch and caste of Hinduism. Many were elderly and frail, but undaunted by the fastflowing, chilly water.

State police said five million bath yesterday. “The river is a spiritual force which I feel inside me,” Pradip Ghosh, 62, from the eastern city of Kolkata said. “I am here with a group of 2,000 fellow devotees of (19th-century Hindu leader) Ramakrishna. We took four months to plan this trip and it is fantastic.” The Kumbh Mela (“Pitcher Festival”) draws Hindus from across India, who arrive carrying cooking utensils and thin blankets and stay in makeshift camps to make repeated trips to the sacred water.

Central to the colorful proceedings are the Naga Sadhus, wild holy men who abandon their Spartan lifestyles in India’s remote mountains and forests to lead the bathing on the four main Kumbh Mela days chosen by astrologers. Naked, sporting long dreadlocks and covered in blue-grey ash, they will enter the Ganges today morning at the Har Ki Pauri ghat-steps leading down to the river-in the centre of Haridwar. The ghat is the exact location where the river is said to leave the Himalayan Mountains and start its long journey

across the plains of northern India before flowing into the Bay of Bengal.

It is also where, in Hindu mythology, a few drops from a pitcher containing the nectar of immortality fell during a fight between gods and demons. The other drops fell at Allahabad, Nasik and Ujjain-the other Kumbh Mela cities. Dozens of one-way footbridges criss-cross the Ganges around Haridwar and a massive police presence of 16,000 men and women was on hand to prevent crowd congestion that has triggered deadly stampedes in the past.

Hundreds were crushed to death underfoot in 1954 and dozens died in 2003.

Organizers urged people to drink plenty of clean water and stay in the shade as a heat wave across northern India forced temperatures up to 39 degrees Celsius, eight degrees above average. The site of the festival, which finishes on April 28, covers 130 square kilometers where pilgrims eat, sleep, perform rituals and listen to teachings given in tents by cross-legged gurus. Sharma said everyone had to come to the river on foot. “There is no such thing as special treatment for anyone here,” Sharma said. “You can’t drive or fly to the river by helicopter, no matter who you are.” — Agencies

India and Pakistani leaders meet as militant row flares Islamabad urges Delhi to look beyond Mumbai attacks

KOLKATA: Indian police inspect overturned equipment and a blood-covered gurney at the ransacked out-patient department of a private hospital in Kolkata yesterday. — AP

Angry mob ransack hospital in Kolkata KOLKATA: A mob ransacked a private hospital in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata yesterday after it refused to admit a critically injured child who later died, local ministers said. A crowd of angry locals went on the rampage in Peerless Hospital, breaking furniture, windows and computers, setting fire to the restaurant and damaging operating theatres, state Sports Minister Kanti Ganguly said.

In the morning a vehicle with about 40 pilgrims on board collided head-on with a speeding truck 20 kilometers south of Kolkata city centre, killing four people outright and injuring nine others.

When the injured were brought to the hospital, including a seven-year-old girl, hospital authorities demanded 50,000 rupees ($1,100) for each patient-a huge amount for most people in impoverished India.

“They turned violent after the seven-year-old girl who suffered head injuries in the accident

died,” Ganguly said. “It’s inhuman to refuse admission to such critically injured persons.”

Police were called to restore order but were subjected to stone-throwing from the angry mob.

Officers fired in the air and charged the crowd with truncheons, said police superintendent L M Meena. “No one was injured in the firing,” he added. State health minister Surya Kanta Mishra said the government would look into the incident because all hospitals, including private ones, were obliged to admit people for emergency treatment even if they are unable to pay the fees. “It’s very unfortunate that critically injured people were refused admission as they were not able to pay money to the hospital,” Mishra said. The pilgrims were on their way home after taking a bath in a holy pond in Kuli in the Sunderbans, about 40 kilometers south of Kolkata. S K Roy, head of Peerless Hospital, said the facility had been shut down “for an indefinite period.” — AFP

in the news Blasts kill 6 Afghan forces KABUL: Roadside bombs killed four policemen and two Afghan soldiers, and three women died when mortars fired by suspected insurgents hit their homes in an increasingly volatile area just north of the capital Kabul, officials said yesterday. Two other policemen were wounded and their vehicle was destroyed in the roadside blast Monday in northern Faryab province’s Ghormach district, the Interior Ministry said. The Afghan Defense Ministry said two other soldiers were wounded when their vehicle hit a bomb Monday near Qalat city in Zabul province of southeastern Afghanistan. The ministry said the women in Kapisa province were apparently killed by mortars targeting the district government headquarters Monday night. Earlier that day, US forces fired on a bus carrying civilians outside the southern city of Kandahar, killing four and injuring more than a dozen, and setting off anti-American protests among irate residents.

Maoists ‘worst’ offenders NEW DELHI: India’s Maoist rebels top the list of the worst human rights offenders among the myriad of insurgent groups in the country, a study on torture in the world’s largest democracy said yesterday.

Rights group the Asian Centre for Human Rights, which brought out the report “Torture in India, 2010”, also noted the total number of reported torture cases had risen between the years 2000 and 2008 in the country. “The Maoists are the worst violators of human rights among all the armed groups in India. All their actions of killing and extortion have the sanction of their top leaders,” Suhas Chakma, director of the New Delhi-based group, told reporters. The report came exactly a week after 76 Indian paramilitary personnel were slaughtered

by Maoists in central Chhattisgarh state. According to the report, Maoists targeted ordinary people “in blatant disregard for the international humanitarian

law” on suspicion of them being police informers, members of anti-Maoist civilian militia or not obeying their diktats.

Kashmir violent protests SRINAGAR: One person was killed and 24 hurt during a strike yesterday in Indian Kashmir to protest the conviction of six Muslims, including a Kashmiri separatist, for a 1996 bombing in New Delhi. Police fired teargas and used batons to break up the antiIndia demonstrations in the Kashmiri summer capital Srinagar and the northern town of Sopore, police and witnesses said. Protesters retaliated by hurling rocks and bricks and in the ensuing clashes 18 protesters and six policemen were injured, police said.

“A 20-year old protester died when he slipped into a river as police were chasing him during a protest in Sopore,” a police officer said, demanding not to be named. The death brought more people onto the streets chanting, “We want freedom” and “Allah is great,” said residents, who blamed police for the death. Shops, banks and schools were shut in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley after separatists called a strike to protest the convictions of six Kashmiris in an Indian court for their role in the 1996 market bombing.

Blow to Bangladesh peace DHAKA: Bangladesh’s high court yesterday outlawed tribal-led regional councils in the country’s insurgency-hit southeastern hills in a fresh blow to efforts for peace in the region, a state attorney said.

The court ruled the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council, created in 1998 after a government deal with tribal rebels, was illegal and unconstitutional as it reserved key positions for tribal people, Murad Reza said. “Implementation of the peace accord will be severely handicapped by the court judgment,” Reza said, adding that the court had dismissed an additional petition to overturn the peace treaty.

WASHINGTON: The prime ministers of India and Pakistan have met briefly on the sidelines of a summit as Islamabad tried to persuade its longtime rival to look beyond the horrors of the Mumbai attacks. The South Asian nations in February resumed a cautious dialogue that had been cut off since the November 2008 siege of India’s financial capital, which was blamed on the Pakistan-based extremist movement Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The two nuclear powers did not plan talks during a 47-nation summit on nuclear security in Washington. But Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani shook hands with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh at a dinner reception. Diplomats from the two nations said the prime ministers exchanged little more than pleasantries and did not hold substantive discussions.

But Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi voiced hope for extensive diplomacy, saying it was “the only way forward” between the two

countries. “We have to look beyond Mumbai. Mumbai was sad, Mumbai was tragic, but we are as much victims of terrorism as India is and so this terrorist threat becomes a common challenge,” Qureshi told reporters. He appealed to US President Barack Obama to “nudge” the two nations together, voicing concern about the views of both India’s ruling Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Hindu nationalist opposition.

“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh means well. We have no doubt about that,” Qureshi said. “But the problem is that he has not been able to carry domestic politics along within the Congress Party and the BJP,” he said.

The BJP “has been very hawkish on him, I think unfair to him, and unfair to the region because... coexistence is the most sensible way forward,” Qureshi said.

Indian investigators have found that Lashkar-e-Taiba handlers based in Pakistan orchestrated the chilling

attacks on a top hotel, bar and Jewish center in Mumbai, which left 166 people dead.

Singh has also asked Obama to use his influence, on Sunday asking him to pressure Pakistan to rein in anti-Indian militants. Singh told Obama “that unfortunately there was no will on the part of the government of Pakistan to punish those responsible for the terrorist crimes in Mumbai,” Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said Sunday. US authorities have welcomed what they see as Pakistan’s growing resolve to fight against homegrown and Afghan Taliban.

But the United States has also encouraged Pakistan to do more against Lashkar-e-Taiba, which some experts believe Islamabad’s powerful military and intelligence service find useful to pit against India. Gilani confirmed that Obama raised Singh’s concerns to him and said his civilian government had no tolerance for extremists. Gilani, speak-

ing to a roundtable of reporters, vowed never to “allow a handful of extremist bigots and terrorists to represent our peaceful way of life and inclusive culture.” “We don’t want our soil used against any country and neither would we allow somebody else’s soil to be used against Pakistan,” Gilani said. Gilani said that Pakistan has already banned some extremist groups and frozen their bank accounts and was seeking more evidence from India against Lashkar-eTaiba. “If we have more effective evidence, certainly they will be brought to justice,” Gilani said. But analyst Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer who led a major strategy review for Obama, said that Lashkar-e-Taiba has “continued to flourish” in Pakistan. “What makes it so dangerous is that, unlike the mostly Pashtun Taleban, it recruits its followers in the Punjab, the same place where the Pakistani army recruits its officer corps,” he wrote in a paper of the Brookings Institution. — AFP

Bangladesh nods nuke plant deal with Russia DHAKA: The government in energystarved Bangladesh has given approval for a deal with Russia to build a 1,000megawatt nuclear power plant, officials said yesterday. “The approval was accorded at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina late on Monday,” Hasina’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad said. He did not say when the deal would be signed. Bangladesh plans to set up the nuclear power plants at Rooppur, 200 km northwest of the capital Dhaka, to help deal with growing power shortages. Officials from both sides recently sorted out terms and conditions and the two countries clinched an

initial agreement on the project last year, energy officials said.

The plant is expected to cost up to $2 billion and to begin generating electricity by 2014, the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources said. Growing concern over power shortages led Bangladesh to consider nuclear as natural gas reserves are fast depleting and most coalfields remain unexploited.

The country has nearly 60 power plants, mostly decades old and all fuelled by gas and coal. A power official said the country of 150 million experiences daily power shortfalls of 2,000 megawatts.

Peak-hour demand stands at about 5,500

megawatts.

In another development, environmentalists slammed a decision by Bangladesh’s government that eased restrictions on ship-breaking in the impoverished South Asian country, saying tens of thousands of people could be exposed to toxic waste. An industry association praised the move, however, saying it will benefit the country’s economy.

The government amended a law late Sunday allowing the world’s largest shipbreaking industry to no longer require documentation from selling nations’ environmental authorities certifying the

300 militants dead in latest offensive MUHAMMAD KHAWAJA: A Pakistani military offensive against Taleban insurgents in the northwest has forced thousands to flee for camps, possibly undermining public support for a US-backed crackdown on militants. Pakistani security forces have stepped up assaults in the northwest over the past year, largely clearing militants from at

ISLAMABAD: The hands of Pakistani children reach out to get rice at a donated food distribution center at the Beri Iman, a shrine of famous Sufi Saint Beri Imam. — AP

least three of their strongholds-Swat valley, northwest of Islamabad, South Waziristan and Bajaur on the Afghan border.

While military successes have eased fears nuclear-armed Pakistan, an ally vital for the United States to stabilize Afghanistan, was sliding into chaos, the offensives have displaced a large number of people. The latest offensive in Orakzai and neighboring Kurram has killed about 300 militants, military officials say. There was no independent confirmation of the deaths. Pakistani Taleban often dismiss military estimates of militant casualties. The assault forced 200,000 people to flee their homes in recent months, the United Nations says. A total of about 1.3 million had already been displaced.

Colonel Muhammad Imran Arif, a spokesman for a military relief agency, said the number of recently displaced from Orakzai and a nearby region could climb. “We have registered about 180,000 individuals both from Khyber and Orakzai and the figure might go to 240,000 in coming days,” he told Reuters. While many Pakistanis forced from their homes stay with family members who support them, displacements can undermine backing for the government and its campaign against militants in a country where antiAmerican support runs high.

The government has set up a makeshift camp for the displaced from Orakzai and Kurram near the northwestern town of Hangu and plans to open another to accommodate growing numbers of uprooted people, officials say. “I don’t want my small children to get killed,” said Ghazi Khan, an Orakzai resident who has taken shelter at Muhammad Khawaja camp near Hangu. “I have no other option but to get my family out of my village because there is heavy fighting between the army and the Taleban.”— Reuters

vessels were free of toxic substances.

Bangladesh’s ship-breaking sector was hit hard by tougher environmental rules imposed in January that required such certification. Domestic prices of iron also skyrocketed nearly 20 percent after the move.

Ship-breaking is a major business in Asia, supplying scrap steel to a region hungry for industrial materials. But critics say its workers face death or poisoning from toxins. Up to 1,000 ships are broken down each year, mostly in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan and to a lesser degree China and Turkey, according to industry estimates. — Agencies

opinion

12

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issues

Yanukovich struggles to handle Bandera legacy

By Richard Balmforth

H

e’s been dead for more than 50 years, but the flawed legacy of Ukrainian World War Two nationalist Stepan Bandera still torments Ukrainian society and complicates ties with friends and neighbours.

Controversy has raged since former President Viktor Yushchenko conferred the status of Hero of Ukraine posthumously on Bandera in January in the dying weeks of his presidency. He, in effect, tossed a grenade into the lap of his successor, Viktor Yanukovich.

And it may fall soon to Yanukovich to try to defuse the furore - without further dividing public opinion or alienating powerful partners like Russia and Poland. Inside Ukraine, Yushchenko’s move touched off an impassioned debate on the nature of the Ukrainian resistance which fought for independence in western Ukraine during the turbulence leading up to World War II and beyond, well into the 1950s.

Much of western Ukraine was Polish territory before the war and the region became a massive battlefield involving opposing Nazi and Soviet forces, with Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) fighters often swopping sides between the two. Apart from Ukrainians, tens of thousands of Poles and Jews died in the slaughter.

Yushchenko’s award prompted howls of anger from Russia, where Bandera is regarded as a fascist, and from Poland, where he is blamed for being behind the mass killings of Poles.

The Simon Wiesenthal centre expressed “revulsion” and denounced Bandera and his followers as Nazi collaborators responsible for the deaths of thousands of The European Jews.

Parliament deplored the award. Bandera’s wartime role as ideological leader of the nationalist fighters, who became known as the “Banderivtsi”, has divided east from west in Ukraine and complicates Yanukovich’s task of uniting the country after a bitterly-fought election.

Yanukovich’s power base is in the Russian-speaking east near the border with Russia.

Many Ukrainians there view history through a Soviet prism and, so, see Bandera as a terrorist. But in western Ukraine, where his followers opposed Soviet rule well into the 1950s after the defeat of Nazi Germany, he is lionised as a hero of Ukraine’s independence struggle. A popular tourist haunt in Lviv, western Ukraine’s regional capital, is an underground restaurant called the ‘Kriyivka’ - the Hideaway which is constructed entirely on the UPA motif. The walls are plastered with UPA wartime insignia. One poster, applauding Yushchenko’s award, shows Bandera’s thin, pinched face peering out, above the words: “At last, it’s come!” “These stories of him killing Jews and Poles. I think it is propaganda. I think the decision (Yushchenko’s decree) was the right thing to do,” Valentina Mironyuk, a

Lviv housewife said. “There is no figure in Ukraine who divides Ukrainians like Bandera does. If you want to have a controversy, just mention his name,” local Lviv historian Yaroslav Hrytsak said.

Yanukovich may feel he is under pressure from his own political lobby to rescind Yushchenko’s decree after a regional court in Donetsk, his stronghold, ruled on April 2 that Yushchenko’s award was illegal and should be rescinded.

That would suit Russia, with whom Yanukovich wants to smooth relations and secure cheaper gas, and European Union member Poland whom Ukraine values as the patron for its aspirations to join the EU. But for Yanukovich’s critics, it has become a touchstone issue of his real values. He is conscious of the pro-Moscow label that has been attached to him in the past. If he tries to scrap Yushchenko’s decree, he will be accused by his critics of compromising Ukrainian values in the interests of appeasing Moscow. A recent survey of people suggested they would be ready to take to the streets in Lviv and surrounding areas and protest any such decision by Yanukovich.

Hrytsak, the historian, is divided on his judgment of Bandera, who was killed in Munich by a KGB assassin in 1959. He points out that Bandera was in a German prison-of-war camp throughout the war and could not have played a direct part in mass killings attributed to him. But, describing Bandera “as a product of very violent times” he added: “This does not mean he would not have behaved in the same way if he had known because his concept of Ukraine was mono-ethic without any special minorities.”

Those who hail Bandera as a national hero see only his record as a life-long fighter for independence, he said. “They don’t see the collaboration, the Holocaust, the extermination of the Poles because for them Bandera is an indisputable hero.” Some sources close to Yanukovich say he will take the bull by the horns and repeal Yushchenko’s decree by May 9 — the day that officially marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. That would certainly please Moscow ahead of a scheduled trip to Ukraine

by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in mid-May. There is still the possibility that, because of the risk of a sharp reaction in western Ukraine, Yanukovich might take cover behind the Donetsk court ruling and take no further action.

Steve Bandera, Canadian grandson of the nationalist leader, received the award on his grandfather’s behalf. He agreed that a way out might be for Yanukovich now simply to do nothing and “let it be left in a kind of limbo that is open to interpretation to whatever, and by whomever, it suits.” Speaking by phone from Toronto, he said he had been officially informed of the Donetsk’s court ruling but “I’ve not had a letter saying ‘Please give it (the award) back’”. — Reuters

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Rich and Poor: London’s tale of two cities

By Clara Ferreira-Marques and Kate Holton

R

esidents of the decaying Robin Hood Gardens estate, where grimy windows punctuate concrete, prison-like corridors, say they feel no connection with those living a short walk away in the luxury Canary Riverside complex. Most of those in and around these overcrowded east London blocks live on incomes less than half the national average. Their nearest green space is a small hill scarred with burnt litter and the remnants of a fire. The scene is a far cry from the gleaming business hub of Canary Wharf with its gyms and minimalist restaurants, where a penthouse flat can cost over £2 million ($3.04 million). That discrepancy - and the wider social gulf it represents - is unlikely to pass unnoticed in the run up to Britain’s May 6 general election. The Labour party swept to power in 1997 with a promise to close the gap between rich and poor. Yet figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank indicate inequality is now higher than when Labour took office. “It is an amazing area for all the wrong reasons,” said Tim Archer, local councillor and opposition Conservative candidate for the London seat of Poplar and Limehouse, which includes both deprived Robin Hood Gardens and financial centre Canary Wharf. “We have a difference of 10 years in life expectancy within the borough. We’ve got huge unemployment rates, but, thanks to Canary Wharf, we also have one of the highest numbers of jobs per head. We have prosperity and deprivation cheek by jowl.”

London is home to some of Britain’s richest and its poorest. The city’s main newspaper, the Evening Standard, ran

a campaign titled “The Dispossessed” earlier this year, highlighting the plight of the capital’s needy. It found that in one of the world’s wealthiest cities, poor children are still being buried in mass graves.

London has four out of England’s eight most deprived local authorities, according to official statistics. Tower Hamlets in east London, which includes Poplar & Limehouse, is the third poorest local authority in England.

Islington, spiritual home of New Labour - the rebranded form of Labour politics that helped it to power in 1997, is eighth. Islington shares a border with London’s financial district and is known for its trendy boutiques and numerous restaurants. It was for years home to former prime minister Tony Blair.

But, the borough is deceptive. More than 40 percent of children in primary school here are defined as living in poverty and it has the highest suicide rate in England. The problems, say residents in these boroughs, are manifold: a chronic social housing shortage, immigration, low-level crime, poor state education. “We know that children go to youth clubs and after-school clubs and that’s where they go for a meal,” Kristina Glenn, the head of the Cripplegate Foundation which funds voluntary projects in Islington, told Reuters. “The youth workers tell us that if they don’t have a meal here, they’re not going to eat tonight.”

For many, the latest financial crisis has exacerbated the contrast between “them and us” -prompting hand-wringing over what the opposition Conservative party calls “Broken Britain”. It has also fuelled the popularity of minor parties like Respect, fronted by maverick politician George Galloway, who has capitalised on disaffection among east London’s immi-

grant, largely Bangladeshi, population.

“The real division that counts in this borough is between the extremely rich and politicians who serve them and the rest, who are either poor or middle income, in either case struggling to get by,” Galloway said in an interview, before an afternoon of hand-shaking and door-knocking at the Robin Hood

estate. This sort of complaint strikes a chord with many of London’s poorest residents, who felt left out by the boom years and now say they feel the pain of rising unemployment and spending cuts. Labour has talked down the criticism, saying crime levels have reduced, neighbourhood policing has improved and unemployment remains below the

levels seen in the 80s and 90s.

“When Labour came to power in 1997, there were two million homes below the decency threshold, we’ve now refurbished over a million, including tens of thousands in Tower Hamlets,” said Jim Fitzpatrick, Limehouse Labour MP since 1997, and standing again. — Reuters

The seal slaughter is my country’s shame

By Michael Hayward

S

ometimes, I hesitate to tell people that I am Canadian.

Sure, there are many Canadian exports that my American friends enjoy - “Dancing With the Stars’” Pamela Anderson and curling, to name a few. But mention “Canada” to Americans or Europeans this time of year and you’re likely to be met with a disapproving look. That’s because this is the time of year when the Canadian government allows sealers to club defenseless seal pups and rip off their skin.

Yes, it’s seal-slaughtering season in Canada. As a Canadian, I want to be among the first to say that it’s past time for this senseless massacre to end. The commercial seal slaughter rightfully draws worldwide condemnation.

But please know that most Canadians also find the massacre to be reprehensible - that is, those of us who know about it do. One study found that because of limited media coverage in Canada, 60 percent of Canadians are blissfully unaware that the seal slaughter still takes place.

A survey conducted last month after Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper appeared on YouTube defending the slaughter found that less than half of Canadians agree with the statement “The regulations put in place over the past generations have made the seal hunt in Canada very humane.” They haven’t: A report by a team of veterinarians who observed the seal hunt in Newfoundland in 2007 revealed “widespread disregard” for these regulations.

Some sealers failed to check for vital signs before skinning animals, and nearly half the seals observed by the team showed “response to stimuli after being hooked and dragged”.

Yet the Canadian government continues to support this

annual horror show - even if no one else does. The United States has had a ban on seal products since the early 1970s, and last year, the European Union enacted a ban as well.

Today, seal pelts fetch about $15 each, a sharp decline from the $105 per pelt reached just four years ago. In its infinite wisdom, the Canadian government even upped the quota for this year’s hunt - even though the unusually mild winter and lack of ice has meant that dead and dying seal pups are washing up on coastal beaches.

When you factor in the millions of dollars that Canada spends every year to prop up this dying industry - including the costs of deploying the Coast Guard to monitor the slaughter and rescue stranded sealers, lobbying efforts to fight bans on seal products, lavish trips to China to produce seal fur fashion shows and so on - it becomes clear that it’s not only the seals who are paying a high price.

While Canadian officials hold government-sponsored “seal meat luncheons” (yes, really) to try to drum up interest in seal products and pretend that bashing seal pups over the head is “humane”, the rest of us can take action. My fellow Canadians, please contact your local MP and tell him or her that as a constituent, you want to see an immediate end to the seal slaughter. And to my American friends, one of the easiest things that you can do to stop the slaughter is refuse to wear fur. Anyone who wears a fox-fur stole or a jacket with rabbit-fur trim helps to create an environment in which all fur - including seal fur - is acceptable. Clubbing seals is nothing to be proud of. Together, we can put an end to this shameful spectacle once and for all.

NOTE: Michael Hayward lives in Toronto. He wrote this for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) — MCT

Maliki’s prospects of second term increasingly slim

By Nick Carey and Waleed Ibrahim

I

raqi Prime Minister Nouri AlMaliki’s chances of being reappointed appear to be fading as potential coalition partners turn against him a month after a general election that produced no clear winner. Maliki, a Shiite leader, claims credit for stamping out widespread violence between once dominant Sunnis and majority Shiites, but is viewed as a divisive strongman by his foes. His coalition finished a close second in the March 7 vote.

“Maliki did well in the election, but not well enough,” said Toby Dodge, a reader in international politics at the University of London. “He thought he would be in a position of strength, but instead he faces a whole series of problems.”

More than a month after the election, Iraq is still waiting for formal, final results. Lengthy government-forming talks loom, overshadowed by the threat of attacks from a stubborn Sunni Islamist insurgency that continues to kill dozens each month in suicide bombings and shootings. A sharp rise in violence could threaten US plans to end combat operations in August ahead of a full pullout by end-2011. Analysts say Maliki has displayed a talent for alienating potential allies both at home and abroad, and stoked concerns that he could have authoritarian leanings.

Those qualities are starting to haunt him as coalition talks unfold. “Many

Iraqi Premier Nouri Al-Maliki addresses a conference on national reconciliation in Baghdad on Monday. – AFP people have feared that Maliki wanted to be a strongman,” said Anthony Cordesman of the Washington-based Center for Strategic & International Studies.

Those suspicions have watered down support among minority Kurds, who have enjoyed virtual autonomy in Iraq’s north for almost two decades, and among other Shiite factions which fear he could rein in their freedom of movement, or their militias. Whether

or not Maliki stays on as prime minister, analysts say oil deals crucial to Iraq’s reconstruction will survive.

A national election in Dec 2005, more than two years after the US-led invasion to topple dictator Saddam Hussein, was followed by long talks on forming a government, during which Iraq’s devastating sectarian war grew even more intense. Four years later, Iraqi forces and US troops have brought relative stability to most of the country.

As part of stabilisation efforts, in 2008 Maliki sent troops to crush the Mehdi Army, the paramilitary force of anti-US cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr. That move has come back to bite him.

Maliki’s State of Law coalition got 89 seats in the election, two seats behind former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi’s cross-sectarian Iraqiya alliance. Another Shi’ite coalition, the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), won around 70 seats. State of Law and INA have been holding talks on a coalition government that could have a majority in the 325-seat parliament. Sadrists gained around 40 of the INA’s seats, giving Sadr the role of possible kingmaker.

Sadr has said his followers were dead set against Maliki. “They have a veto against Maliki,” he said in a rare interview on Qatar-based Al-Jazeera on April 10. “They reject him. This is the will of the people and I have to carry it out.” Maliki has also managed to alienate many Kurds and has poor ties with neighbouring Arab states. Shiite power Iran, whose backing was viewed as instrumental four years ago when Maliki was first appointed, is widely believed to think he has become too independent and uncontrollable for its tastes.

“Maliki’s been isolated for some time and has bitten off more than he can chew,” said Gala Riani, an analyst at IHS Global Insight. “The other political parties don’t want him back, Iran, Syria and the other Arab states don’t

want to see him back. And the Kurds don’t want him back either.” State of Law spokesman Hachim Al-Hasani dismissed as “media bubbles” reports it could propose a compromise candidate, saying Maliki remained the coalition’s sole choice.

Maliki ally Ali Al-Adeeb acknowledged, however, that: “All options are on the table.” Many analysts say Maliki is poorly placed for the job. “I believe Maliki’s chance to win the PM post has become very weak,” said Yahya AlKubaisy, a researcher at the Iraq Institute for Strategic Studies. At this point, the prime minister is very likely “out of the game,” he added. Talks on a coalition will begin in earnest once the election results are certified. Electoral authorities said on Monday that could occur on Wednesday but was likely to be delayed.

Maliki’s fate may affect the destiny of oilfield development contracts signed by incumbent Oil Minister Hussain Al-Shahristani that could take oil production to around 12 million barrels per day from 2.5 million bpd now.

The allure of tens of billions of dollars in revenues means, however, that no one who takes his place is likely to rescind those valuable agreements.

“Whoever ends up in charge, they won’t have time to mess around,” IHS Global Insight’s Riani said. “The country is stable enough now that bread and butter issues really count, so the government is going to have to start delivering basic services.” — Reuters

analysis

Wednesday, april 14, 2010

13

Otunbayeva draws on diplomacy to seal Kyrgyz rule

By Robin Paxton

S

he has spoken to Hillary Clinton about US troop flights to Afghanistan and to Vladimir Putin about Russia’s role in Central Asia. Roza Otunbayeva is drawing on her diplomatic prowess to secure her authority as interim leader of Kyrgyzstan, having achieved recognition of sorts from two world superpowers within days of toppling the regime of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

If the 59-year-old former foreign minister has designs on becoming the first female president in ex-Soviet Central Asia, she must also face down rivals from within the provisional government now largely in control of Kyrgyzstan. “She is the face of the country now,” said Erica Marat, a Central Asia analyst and author currently in Bishkek.

“But they are calling it a provisional government and more changes can be expected.”

Otunbayeva, Moscow-educated and fluent in English, has taken the helm of a nation balancing the interests of Russia, China and the United States, which runs an airbase key to supplying US-led military operations in Afghanistan. It was the fate of the Manas base that prompted US Secretary of State Clinton to call her on April 10, three days after an uprising that toppled the government of

Kyrgyzstan’s interim government leader Roza Otunbayeva speaks to the media in Bishkek on Monday. — AP President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

Otunbayeva gave assurances on the base to Clinton, although some in the new Kyrgyz leadership have called for Washington’s lease to be shortened. Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake will travel this week to Bishkek for meet-

ings with Otunbayeva.

Otunbayeva was foreign minister under post-Soviet leader Askar Akayev before becoming the first Kyrgyz ambassador to Britain.

A vehement opponent of corruption, she was an ally of Bakiyev and helped bring the

president to power five years ago in a “Tulip Revolution”. She later accused Bakiyev of nepotism and switched allegiance to the opposition.

Less than 24 hours after government troops opened fire on protesters in the capital, prompting Bakiyev to flee to his

stronghold in the south, Otunbayeva dissolved parliament and formed a government to run the country for six months. The swift reaction led some analysts to suspect a Russian hand in the coup.

Omurbek Tekebayev, an exopposition leader who took charge of constitutional matters in Otunbayeva’s government, said Russia “played its role” in ousting Bakiyev.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin denied involvement but he was the first foreign official to recognise Otunbayeva. He rang her soon after she said she was in charge to discuss the possibility of financial aid from Moscow. “The fact that he called, spoke nicely, went into detail, asked about details - generally, I was moved by that. It is a signal,” Otunbayeva said after the telephone call on April 8.

Born in the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh, Otunbayeva was educated at Moscow State University and graduated in 1972 from the philosophy faculty. She established herself among Kyrgyzstan’s diplomatic elite in the decade after the Soviet Union’s collapse and became the country’s first ambassador to the United States in 1992.

Otunbayeva’s role in ousting Akayev earned her the post of acting foreign minister when

Bakiyev came to power in 2005, but she failed to get parliamentary approval for her job in the new cabinet. She later ran in parliamentary by-elections and lost.

Though born in the south, Otunbayeva is viewed as being closer to the north in a country split along geographical lines by clan and ethnic rivalries. This is due to her Moscow education and her role in the early postSoviet government. Bakiyev, by contrast, has roots in the more conservative south of the country. Otunbayeva’s longevity will depend to a large degree on the international response to her rule, especially as rival contenders to the presidency are expected to assert themselves within the interim leadership.

But analysts said the reverse could also be true: that she will win wider international recognition only when she secures her position at home. China, the other major power vying for a stake in Central Asia’s mineral wealth, has been circumspect in its reaction to the political situation in Kyrgyzstan, restricting its comments to “deep concern” about the violence.

“Kyrgyzstan’s neighbours are playing the role of observer and will recognise the victor, just as it was when Bakiyev came to power,” said Kazakh political analyst Dosym Satpayev. — Reuters

Giving up climate treaty may unblock UN deal

By Gerard Wynn and Alister Doyle

T

he prospect of a global climate treaty is fading as the world’s top two carbon emitters, China and the United States, avoid legally binding action. Experts say a shift to a less ambitious goal might help. Less focus on a new treaty might resolve a tangle of disputes over the legal framework and drive concrete action, for example to preserve rainforests or to help developing nations cope with droughts, heatwaves, floods or rising seas. UN climate talks to try to agree a tougher, wider successor to the present Kyoto Protocol entered their third year at an April 9-11 meeting in Bonn, Germany, the first since a fractious summit in Copenhagen in December.

Copenhagen was billed as the world’s best chance to agree a new treaty. Failure to achieve a treaty or the smaller goal of binding carbon cuts for rich nations has sapped momentum and is forcing a search for less ambitious solutions. “We can’t afford only to keep coming back year after year, we have to explore other options,” said Annie Petsonk, international counsel at the US-based Environmental Defense Fund, adding that a treaty was still possible. Annual UN climate meetings have failed to achieve any major breakthrough since signing the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The present round of that pact expires in 2012. Experts note a less formal deal, outside a legal framework, may now emerge, building on the actions of individual nations. More than 100 countries have backed a non-binding Copenhagen Accord to mobilise $30 billion in climate aid from 2010-2012 to help poor nations face the impacts of climate change, underscoring what could be agreed outside a legal framework.

“It used to be said that countries would only act if there was a treaty, but that’s not the case,” said Jake Schmidt, international climate policy director at Natural Resources Defense Council. “A lot is happening even though we don’t

have an international agreement,” he said, referring to the accord.

Mexico, which will host the next annual talks after Copenhagen in Cancun in late 2010, said that demands for a legally binding treaty should not get in the way of progress at that meeting. “We do not want to get ensnared in the legal stuff so that we will be prevented from moving. What we want is to achieve a sensible global mobilisation,” Mexico’s chief delegate Fernando Tudela said. “If a legally binding treaty is possible and helps, we are all for it.

But it’s not a pre-condition for moving in the right direction.” One senior developing country delegate accepted privately that the UN process may never agree a legal pact.

The difficulty of agreeing a binding treaty centres on the United States and China, who “remain in a dance about this issue”, said Jennifer Morgan, from the World Resources Institute.

“There’s not a legal treaty until you break this Gordian knot of the U.S. and China in particular having very different views of what it means to be legally binding,” said Alden Meyer, of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

US legislation to cut emissions is stalled in the US Senate. And the United States will balk at binding targets unless China makes its own actions accountable in some international way. Another roadblock to any treaty is a requirement for unanimity in U.N. talks-absent in Copenhagen and which remained elusive in Bonn, as developing nations notably Cuba, Bolivia and Venezuela rejected any attempt to build agreement in smaller groups.

One of the reasons why a treaty has been the goal, especially of developing countries, was because it allows for sanctions on rich countries which miss their targets. Enforcing a non-binding deal is far more difficult. Petsonk advocated an approach where rich nations tied developing countries and each other to certain minimum action before

benefiting from a $125 billion carbon market. That would draw upon a voluntary World Trade Organisation model which has widened free trade by offering the benefits of WTO membership.

The biggest buyer of carbon offsets,

the European Union, has already laid plans to limit its financing of carbon-cutting projects in emerging economies which do not bolster climate action. The United States, Japan and Australia plan cap and trade schemes which would

scale up that carbon finance carrot.

Without such an approach the only crutch to a non-binding deal may be international criticism. “Naming and shaming may be what we end up with,” Meyer said. — Reuters

Wounds of Copenhagen still fester

By Richard Ingham

I

t was cast as a chance to revamp the UN arena on climate change, to rebuild trust and foment new thinking after the backbiting and sterility of the Copenhagen Summit last December. Instead, three days of talks here under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at times resembled the movie “Groundhog Day”, where a grumpy skeptic is doomed to live the same events over and over again. Almost as if the shock of Copenhagen had never happened, delegates squabbled afresh over the minutiae of the UNFCCC’s work schedule, over which bits of draft text to use as a blueprint for negotiation and the fate of a document widely dismissed as a threadbare compromise.

“Old habits die hard,” Greenpeace observed acidly. “Too many of the negotiators present chose to focus on divergence and problems.” “There’s still strong disagreements about how to move this process forward... to demonstrate that the UNFCCC can deliver in the end, because there is a lot of debate in the public about that right now,” admitted EU negotiator Artur Runge-Metzer.

Developing nations barely masked their mistrust of rich countries, which many suspected of seeking to ditch the carbon-curbing Kyoto Protocol after 2012 and replace the benchmark treaty with a wishy-washy voluntary deal. The United States and other rich countries, for their part, at times struggled to hold back exasperation at a consensusdriven negotiation format that, in their view, had dangerously slowed progress. “Some delegates don’t seem to have taken onboard what happened in Copenhagen and the need to swiftly gain concrete results,” said French chief negotiator Paul Watkinson.

They lobbied for Copenhagen’s one semi-success - a brief document cobbled together by a couple of dozen leaders to stave off a disaster - to be given life rather than cast into limbo. Copenhagen was supposed to be the glittering culmination of a two-year haggle among 194 countries. It was to have opened the way to a landmark treaty for reducing greenhouse gases and priming a financial pump that ulti-

mately will provide hundreds of billions of dollars to climate-vulnerable poor countries.

But the touted triumph was transformed into a near fiasco, redeemed only by the frantic drafting of the so-called Copenhagen Accord. It sets a tentative goal of limiting warming to two degrees Celsius, opens up a roster of pledges to reduce greenhouse gases and earmarks some $30 billion in short-term aid to poor, vulnerable countries.

Enthusiastically endorsed by the United States, bitterly attacked by left-led countries in the Caribbean and Latin America and privately disowned or quietly sidelined by many other countries, the document has an uncertain future after Bonn.

The latest talks at least showed unity in one area: the realisation that dealing with climate change is going to be a grinding and very long-winded business indeed. No one is holding out any guarantee that the post-2012 pact will be wrapped up at the next annual UNFCCC conference, running in Cancun, Mexico, from Nov 29 to Dec 10. A better chance lies with the 2011 get-together in South Africa, but only after patient and cautious progress, said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, who himself has quit to pursue a career in the private sector. “It is important to bear in mind that this quest to address climate change is a long journey, that generally achieving perfection takes practice, that the scientific community is telling us we need to achieve huge emissions reductions by the end of the century,” he said.

Overladen, fiendishly complex and apparently unreformable, the UNFCCC road show will crawl on, but there is now a growing interest in smaller, nimbler fora, gathering major emitters, donors or key countries fighting carbon emissions from deforestation. “We will continue to take advantage of venues that promote candid and constructive dialogue,” said US negotiator Jonathan Pershing, carefully stressing that the work would only be “complementing” the UNFCCC process. “There is still momentum in the UN process, but it is fragmenting,” commented Annie Petsonk of the US green group, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). — AFP

O’Brien’s surprise move to TBS makes sense

By James Hibberd

E

verybody knew Conan O’Brien was returning to late-night.

Nobody guessed he would land at TBS, a basic cable network best known for comedy repeats like “The Office” and “Family Guy”. But by the time the full story unfolded Monday of how O’Brien went from having serious talks with Fox, the top-rated broadcast network, to finding a home at the Turner-owned network, his move seemed to make perfect sense - and said plenty about the state of the TV industry.

The simplest way of looking at O’Brien’s decision is that TBS was able to make the more competitive offer, despite - and because of - its size. At TBS, O’Brien will own his as-yetuntitled show and draw a salary comparable to what he earned at NBC (at least $10 million a year), as well as pull down syndication earnings by selling the show overseas. At Fox, the network was looking to keep the show a relative bargain and preferred to hire O’Brien as an employee, like he was at NBC. TBS also can offer greater

job security as the bar for ratings success will be considerably lower than on Fox, where many a comedian has tried and failed to establish a late-night foothold. Primarily, Fox was hampered by the very foundation of the broadcast business model: that major networks need to please their affiliates. It is the same problem that effectively led to O’Brien leaving NBC after stations revolted over the low-rated “The Jay Leno Show” airing at 10 pm, and Leno was shifted back to O’Brien’s time period.

Not wanting to fall into the same trap as Leno, O’Brien wouldn’t sign with Fox without an assurance that the network could launch his show in a high percentage of the country. But with many stations having already committed time to various repeats, Fox couldn’t clear O’Brien’s hurdle. “There were very positive talks with Fox, but there are commitments at the stations for the next two years that made it very difficult to put the show in enough markets to make it competitive,”

one insider said.

TBS initially was slow to enter the game; the cable channel did extensive research to gauge how O’Brien could benefit the brand. But once the network decided to go after O’Brien, it moved quickly.

“We were able to pull this off in less than 70 hours,” TBS president Steve Koonin said.

“We felt we were the right match.” The aggressive courtship began about 10 days ago and faced a major stumbling block right away because the network’s freshman late-night show “Lopez Tonight,” hosted by George Lopez, already airs at 11 p.m.

O’Brien initially was opposed to bumping Lopez, which was too reflective of the NBC drama between himself and Leno. But O’Brien’s stance shifted after Lopez called last week to ask O’Brien to join the network, offering to shift his show to midnight. “I can’t think of anything better than doing my show with Conan as my lead-in,” Lopez said. “It’s the beginning of a new

era in late-night comedy.”

O’Brien’s team also was impressed that TBS would have “Office” and “Family Guy” reruns serving as a leadin, shows with a similar demographic to O’Brien’s audience.

TBS further pledged to use Time Warner’s family of properties to help bolster the show, like Cartoon Network’s hipster-skewing Adult Swim. The network pledged a massive media campaign to promote the show (a promise it wasted no time fulfilling, airing O’Brien teasers Monday night).

Koonin called the deal “transformative” for TBS. “We have been competing with broadcast for several years, and one of their last strengths has been morning and late-night programming,” he said. “Now we have a chance with two guys in their 40s to attract viewers in their 20s and 30s.”

Having O’Brien will help shift the perception of the network as a destination for original programming and give the network a younger image.

The move also means that O’Brien won’t face direct ratings comparisons to Leno and

David Letterman, though it does put him against the satiric sensibilities of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report”. “In three months, I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable,” said O’Brien, who coincidentally began a two-month comedy tour in Eugene, Ore., on Monday. “My plan is working perfectly.”

The show will have a strong Web component to capitalize on O’Brien’s rabid online fan base.

There will be original content from his comedy tour online and likely original, online-only clips helping tease his debut.

Although O’Brien joked that moving to basic cable was a step down from broadcast, Koonin cited the deal as proof of cable’s growing importance.

“For decades, late-night TV has been dominated by broadcast television,” he said.

“Now, with a young audience and a growing late-night lineup, TBS is set to be the choice of comedy fans for years to come.” — Reuters

focus

Plane tragedy could impact East-West ties

By Christopher Boian

A

ppalling as it is, the plane tragedy that killed Poland’s president is a potential game-changer in thorny Russian-Polish ties that may impact broader East-West relations in Europe, experts say. The Russian government led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has moved with extraordinary speed to telegraph a message of sympathy and convey its will to facilitate anything Poland feels it needs to do to cope with the disaster.

At the same time, Russian leaders know the timing, nature and location of the crash near the site where Soviet forces massacred 20,000 Poles 70 years ago could badly damage their efforts to repair ties with Warsaw. “They have shown an unprecedented readiness to do everything possible to help Poland in everything from the investigation to the very sad process of body recognition,” said political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov. “They have said much more than anyone could have expected about solidarity with, and help for, Poland.”

Poland, today a member of the European Union, is the most powerful of the former Soviet satellite states and carries particular weight among eastern European nations once under the Kremlin’s thumb.

That east European contingent, including the three ex-Soviet Baltic states and other former Warsaw Pact members, in turn is a vocal component of the EU with a growing influence on the European bloc’s foreign policy.

“The atmosphere in relations with Poland will have a big influence throughout eastern Europe,” Lukyanov said.

Though Russia has excellent ties with Germany, which also carries considerable weight in eastern Europe, it is the Russian-Polish relationship that remains at the core of the EastWest dynamic in EU policymaking. If that bilateral relationship improves, the overall atmosphere between Moscow and Brussels may follow suit despite numerous divisions among the EU countries themselves on how to deal with Russia.

But by the same token, if the crash aftermath sparks a resur-

gence in Poland of mistrust of Russia then East-West tension in Europe could continue to percolate. “Kaczynski was, to put it lightly, not a friend of Russia,” said Lukyanov, editor of the journal Russia in World Affairs.

“Nonetheless, he is being treated with the utmost respect by the Russian leadership. “This crash however is symbolically very gloomy... and may reinforce in Poland the notion that everything associated with Russia is awful and bad. Even if it is confirmed that pilot error caused the crash, there will inevitably be those who say it was the KGB that killed Kaczynski,” Lukayanov said.

Another analyst, Dmitry Babich, said it was too soon to say whether the crash would lead to an improvement or worsening in ties - but noting that it could have a wider impact either way. “I hope there are no conspiracy theories,” Babich told Radio Liberty.

“Unfortunately, in PolishRussian relations, these theories arise on both sides.

“However, strange as it may seem, maybe this terrible tragedy could produce an improvement in Russian-Polish relations.”

The crash occurred just three days after Putin and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk came together at Katyn for ceremonies marking the massacre there in 1940.

Kaczynski was travelling to the same place for the same reason.

Moscow for decades denied Soviet forces had anything to do with the massacre and the subject remains sensitive in Moscow. Shortly before the Putin-Tusk meeting, a film documenting how the Soviet troops slaughtered the Poles in Katyn Forest was broadcast on Russian state television, a landmark event that could not have occurred without Kremlin approval.

Within hours of Saturday’s crash, the Russian foreign ministry said visas would be granted in Warsaw instantly for Poles needing to come to Russia to join the investigation and identify bodies. And on Sunday, Russian authorities went to great pains to communicate the message that Polish experts were involved in every aspect of the probe. — AFP

Russia’s handling of crash lifts hopes

By Gareth Jones

V

ladimir Putin’s brotherly embrace of a tearful Polish prime minister was one of the most powerful images beamed from the site of Saturday’s plane crash that killed Poland’s president and many of the country’s elite.

Poles have been moved by the simple humanity displayed by Russia’s usually poker-faced prime minister as well as by many other gestures of solidarity from Moscow at their time of crisis and hope they may herald a wider improvement in longstrained ties with their giant neighbour and communist-era overlord.

Nobody expects Moscow and Warsaw to suddenly start agreeing on such vexed issues as missile defence, gas pipelines and troubled episodes from their long-shared history, but Polish President Lech Kaczynski’s untimely death in a Russian forest could reinforce a cautious rapprochement already under way. “We did not expect this gentle, kind approach, this personal involvement from Putin,” said Witold Waszczykowski, deputy head of Poland’s National Security Bureau and one of the few Kaczynski aides not to have been on Saturday’s ill-fated flight. “Naturally it will have a positive impact on the relationship between our countries. I can imagine a high-ranking Russian delegation from Moscow coming to Kaczynski’s funeral.”

His comments were echoed

by Poland’s ambassador to Russia. “We can sense Russian solidarity at every step of the way (since the crash),” Jerzy Bahr told Polish television.

Putin flew to Smolensk on Saturday to accompany Polish Prime Minister Tusk to the site where Kaczynski’s aged Tupolev plane had come down in thick fog, killing all 96 people on board. “This is our tragedy

as well. We are grieving with you, our hearts go out to you,” Putin told Polish television.

Russia declared Monday a day of national mourning for the crash victims. On Saturday, President Dmitry Medvedev made an unprecedented televised address to the Polish people. The state TV channel Rossiya broadcast Polish director Andrzej Wajda’s film “Katyn” on Sunday evening.

The film chronicles the massacre of 22,000 Polish military officers and intellectuals in 1940

by Josef Stalin’s NKVD secret police. The much less-watched arts channel “Rossiya Kultura” became the first Russian television channel to air the film last week to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the massacre, which for decades Moscow had falsely blamed on Nazi Germany.

Katyn is an enduring symbol for Poles of their suffering at Soviet hands. Kaczynski and his entourage had been heading to Katyn to mark the anniversary when their plane crashed. Last Wednesday, Putin impressed many Poles by acknowledging their pain over Katyn during ceremonies in the forest attended by Tusk and members of the Polish government. “Putin and Medvedev are both trying to push forward the reconciliation impulse created by Tusk’s visit to Katyn,” said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of the journal Russia in Global Affairs. “I don’t expect any breakthrough (in bilateral ties). The relationship is very complicated, with animosities built over many centuries. You can’t rewrite history. But for the first time we can see political momentum from both the Russian side and the Polish side,” Lukyanov said.

Ironically, Kaczynski represented a conservative, nationalist-minded segment of the Polish public that remains deeply sceptical of Moscow 20 years after the fall of communism.— Reuters

NEWS

14

Lebanon politicians ‘good sports’ on war anniversary BEIRUT: Rival Lebanese politicians took their disputes to the playing fields yesterday with a friendly football match to mark the 35th anniversary of the outbreak of the country’s 1975-90 civil war. There were no spectators in the stadium, however, because of a two-year old regulation prohibiting audiences at soccer stadiums following incidents of sectarian violence during games. “We are one team” was the slogan for the 30minute match played by ministers and legislators and attended by the Lebanese president.

On April 13, 1975, an ambush by Christian gunmen of a busload of Palestinians sparked a civil war that lasted 15 years, killed 150,000 people and caused $25 billion in damage. Almost two decades after war ended, the country enjoys a precarious peace but this small Mediterranean nation, home to 18 religious sects, is still sharply split along sectarian and political lines with occasional outbreaks of sectarian violence. A fragile national unity government headed by pro-Western Prime Minister Saad Hariri was formed in November which includes politicians from the Syria and Iranbacked Hezbollah.

Marking the war’s anniversary yesterday, lawmakers from the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah group and their allies played alongside politicians in the Western-backed parliamentary majority. “The message is that sports can unite the Lebanese, and this is a very important since politics unfortunately is not uniting them,” lawmaker Sami Gemayel of the rightwing

BEIRUT: Lebanese lawmakers from the Shiite Hezbollah group and their allies alongside politicians in the Western-backed parliamentary majority pose for a picture after a friendly football match played at Beirut’s Sports City yesterday. — AP Christian Phalange Party told AP. The friendly match was advertised in the media through a TV clip showing politicians - each wearing a Tshirt the color of the political party they represent - lined up on a football field singing the national anthem in unison.

However at yesterday’s game, the politicians were split into two teams, one wearing red and the other wearing white, the colors of the Lebanese flag, with the words “We are all one team” printed on the back.

The politicians high-fived, hugged and kissed following the game as they posed for pictures. “I wish they would love each other as much in real life, instead of fighting all the time,” said Rania Achkar, a 38-year-old woman who was watching it at home on TV. “It’s a nice idea but they’re just kidding themselves and us.” The game was broadcast live on local TV stations and

was covered by local and international media. But the stadium was closed off to spectators, in line with regulations of the Lebanese Football Association to prevent violence. For the last two years, football matches have been held without spectators because of violence in stadiums between Sunnis and Shiites supporting rival teams where sometimes injuries occurred.

“Today we are also sending a message of sportsmanship to sports fans in Lebanon.

Everyone should accept the rules of the game,” said Health Minister Mohammed Jawad Khalife who was taking part in the game. The game was played at the Sports City in Beirut. The stadium served as a base for PLO fighters in the early 1970s and 1980s, until it was bombed out by Israel in 1982. “Those dark days are never coming back,” Hariri said. The 40-year-old

premier played throughout the game, jogging back and forth on the football field, but didn’t score. Gemayel, 30, who was on Hariri’s team, scored the game’s only two goals.

“I feel great,” a sweaty Hariri, wearing a red T-shirt and shorts, said grinning after the game. Ali Ammar, one of two Hezbollah lawmakers taking part, said he had been fine-tuning his muscles and doing sprints for the past weeks in preparation. “I hope that this good sportsmanship will reflect itself on politics as well,” he said. Gemayel, a vehement Hezbollah critic who often clashes verbally with members of the group, said he had “a positive feeling” playing with Hezbollah politicians. “Sports is one thing and politics is another.

At the world cup, countries that are at war play against each other. Why can’t we?” he said. — AP

Ousted Kyrgyz president sets terms for resignation TEYIT, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstan’s toppled president Kurmanbek Bakiyev yesterday offered to resign for the first time since he was ousted in protests, but only if he received security guarantees from his foes. His offer came after the interim authorities warned Bakiyev that the country’s special forces would arrest him if he failed to surrender and carried on holding rallies in his southern stronghold where he fled after the uprising.

But with still no compromise in sight and the interim government seeking to assert its authority in the capital after the protests that left 83 dead, the strategic Central Asian country, home to a key US airbase, remained dangerously on the edge. “What is the condition for me resigning? If the security of myself and my family are guaranteed,” he told reporters in his home village of Teyit, just outside the southern city of Jalalabad.

“And second,” Bakiyev added. “Stop people from running around the street with guns.”

Bakiyev held the news conference in the open air beneath blossoming apricot trees inside a compound in Teyit with 25 armed guards in military fatigues holding

Kalashnikovs standing in line behind him.

Wearing his now trade mark blue pinstripe suit with an unbuttoned collar, Bakiyev insisted he was still the legitimate president. He was surrounded by villagers, friends and family. The interim government’s deputy head Azimbek Beknazarov had said earlier that if Bakiyev did not give himself up, the authorities would launch an operation to detain him with the help of the special services.

But Bakiyev retorted: “I personally know their capabilities, I know they are not capable of any special operation. I am going to be sleeping soundly tonight.”

The interim authorities earlier stripped Bakiyev of his immunity to prosecution.

“We can see that the president does not want to step down voluntarily and instead is issuing calls for actions against the people,” said Beknazarov. He accused Bakiyev of surrounding himself with Chechen mercenaries and preparing to resist any attempts to arrest him by force.

But chief of staff for the interim government, Edil Baisalov, told AFP that its head, ex-foreign minister Roza

Otunbayeva, has not signed any document ordering the arrest of Bakiyev. A court earlier issued a warrant for Bakiyev’s brother and eldest son, as well as former prime minister Daniyar Usenov over the deaths in last week’s protests.

With tensions still running high, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who visited Kyrgyzstan early this month, urged the rival sides to resolve the standoff peacefully. “In order to avoid a further escalation and destabilization of the situation, the secretary general appeals to all parties concerned to resolve the issue peacefully and on the basis of the constitution,” a UN statement said.

The interior ministry confirmed 83 people had died in the protests that led to the ousting of Bakiyev, raising a previous toll. More than 560 people were still hospitalized and more than 1,600 were wounded, it said. Bakiyev earlier held a rally in the centre of Jalalabad - his second in the region after emerging from hiding on Monday - where 5,000 supporters chanted his name and cheered wildly as the deposed leader took to the stage.

“Take your hands off the legitimate president!” said a banner. —AFP

Business with Israel paying off in Jordan Continued from Page 1 The QIZs have generated 36,000 jobs, but 75 percent have gone to Asian workers, mainly from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and China, because Jordanians lack the necessary experience, said Abdalla Jahmani, the director of the QIZ in the northern city of Irbid. While 109 companies and subcontractors have opened in the 13 QIZs around the country, 80 percent of them are owned by non-Jordanians, mainly Arab and Asian investors using the QIZs to gain access to the U.S. market.

“We asked the government to shut them down because they’re not providing bread and butter for Jordanian families,” said Jamil Abu Bakr, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood Movement, Jordan’s largest opposition group. Government officials, however, maintain that QIZ firms - mainly textile factories - provided jobs for 9,000 Jordanians so far, a significant number considering that many lacked the professional skills for the fledging industry. Thousands more are being trained and will take over from Asian workers this year, said Elias Farraj, an adviser at the Jordan Investment Board.

Farhan Ifram, chairman of Jordan’s textile exporters’ association, said the QIZs have also boosted Jordan’s hard currency reserves through exports. “Workers and factory owners are also spending their money in Jordan on utilities, rent, services, transportation and shipping, and customs, which is benefiting many economic sectors,” he said.

Spreading the wealth from the QIZs is

important, since the United States and other proponents of the program have touted such economic benefits as a potential enticement for other Arab states to follow Jordan’s path in a Mideast peace. Egypt is the only other Arab country that has signed a peace agreement with Israel, in 1979. The QIZs began to develop just two years after Jordan signed its historic treaty with Israel in 1994. The US Congress backed the establishment of the zones in the country to boost Mideast stability through economic integration.

The agreement was aimed at alleviating Jordan’s economic difficulties that in part stemmed, at the time, from $7.3 billion in foreign debts and rampant unemployment.

In the zones, factories manufacture products with 8 percent contribution from Israel, along with a 35-percent value added content from Jordan, giving them duty free status in the US. Egypt concluded its own QIZ deal with the United States in 2005.

Exports from the Jordanian QIZs to the US have shot up 100-fold, from $15 million in 1997 to peak at $1.5 billion in 2006, or roughly 20 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

The zones have also brought Jordan and Israel closer economically, even if tensions remain stumbling blocks because of the faltering peace process. Over the past decade, Israel - which previously was the main Mideast textile exporter to the US has helped its Arab neighbor develop greater skills and access in the textile industry. Ten Israeli factories opened shops in the QIZs. Exports from the QIZs go through Israel’s Mediterranean port of

Haifa to reduce shipping costs from Jordan, which has only one sea outlet via the Red Sea. The Israeli training has helped Jordan’s new garment industry take hold. Arab, Chinese and other Asian manufacturers, eager to export to the world’s largest consumer market, have also entered the QIZs with millions of dollars in investments, helping it weather the global downturn. “I have 20 percent more orders than in 2007, which means I’m fully booked until October,” said Eric Tang, chief executive officer of a joint Hong Hong-Indian venture with a factory in Al Tajamouat Industrial City.

Now Jordanian industry is hoping for an even greater boost from new, wider freetrade deal with the United States which went into effect Jan 1. The agreement lifts US duties from all products manufactured in Jordan, even outside the QIZs, though the zones still offer an advantage in infrastructure and ease of working through bureaucracy. Jordan has also struck similar trade deals with Canada and Turkey, said Ifram, the chairman of the textile exporters’ association, adding that a planned 2011 accord with Turkey will push Jordanian products to Europe’s lucrative and diverse market.

The QIZs were also advantageous to Israel, hiking its exports to Jordan 2.5 times from $66 million in 2001 to nearly $160 million last year - even during heightened political tension over the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “It’s a success story, which other Arabs should learn from,” said Gabby Bar, an Israeli trade ministry official who cchairs Jordan’s QIZs. — AP

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Assembly calls for probe into ‘wrongdoings’ Continued from Page 1 the past few weeks that the construction of the biggest stadium in Kuwait was marred with several violations committed by the contractor and certain officials. The contractor has already denied any wrongdoing. The Assembly secretariat also distributed the report of the Audit Bureau on three proposed arms deals including the French-made Rafale warplanes. The report states that the Bureau could not conduct the required investigation because the ministry of defense failed to provide the necessary documents. The Assembly voted unanimously last November to ask the Bureau to conduct an investigation into the Rafale deal, the proposed purchase of US-made transport planes and an ammunition factory.

The Assembly approved a proposal to hold a special debate on May 11 into what MPs say a steep rise in consumer prices in the country and the failure of the government to check it. MPs asked the Assembly’s financial and economic affairs committee to prepare a report on the issue after meeting with the concerned authori-

ties and to include measures that have been taken by the ministries of commerce and social affairs.

The Assembly also gave its women affairs committee until April 27 to submit its report on a draft law for women’s social and civil rights in order to be debated in the Assembly. But many MPs and the government rejected a proposal to debate the issue of dual citizenship in the chamber and agreed that the discussion should take place in the Assembly’s interior and defense committee to prevent any unwanted consequences.

Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber AlKhaled Al-Sabah told the Assembly the issue is very sensitive and should be discussed in the committee, while Communications Minister Mohammad AlBusairi said the sensitive issue cannot be debated in the public. He also stressed that the government will not agree to anything that may divide Kuwaiti society.

Kuwaiti law bans Kuwaitis from holding a second citizenship and violators can be punished by withdrawing their nationality.

The issue has been raised in the media in the past few months amid claims that thou-

sands of Kuwaitis hold nationalities of neighboring Gulf states and those of the United States and European nations. MPs also complained that the prime minister and ministers do not promptly answer their questions in the stipulated two-week constitutional period.

The Assembly agreed to refer the issue of answering questions by the prime minister to the legal and legislative committee.

In another development, MPs voted in the first round to approve a law that provides for better pay and working conditions for experts at the ministry of justice.

Separately, the government expressed dismay at domestic developments, particularly raised by media, that undermine national unity. The government in a meeting chaired by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Monday night, called on people in general and the media in particular to safeguard national unity and to focus on the development and prosperity of Kuwait, Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Roudhan AlRoudhan said in a statement. The Cabinet also named Busairi as the government’s spokesman.

Leaders seek to keep nukes from terrorists Continued from Page 1 There were low expectations for sweeping or major non-proliferation directives when the summit closed yesterday afternoon, but the high profile gathering will again focus attention on countries like Iran, North Korea and others that are a seen as a threat to the goal of keeping nuclear materials locked up and safe from terrorists.

Obama also is hoping other countries will be inspired to rid themselves of highly enrich uranium as promised this week by Canada, Ukraine and Mexico.

As an example of the collective action called for by Obama, the US and Russia signed an agreement yesterday to eliminate of massive amount of nuclear material that could used to fuel about 17,000 atomic weapons. Under the pact, the two countries have committed themselves to dispose of 68 metric tons of excess weapons-grade plutonium beginning in 2018. The disposal will be inspected and monitored by experts and is aimed at ensuring that the stockpiles can never be used for weapons or other military purposes.

Mexico also announced it would work with the United States and Canada to convert its highly enriched uranium reactor, removing the potential bomb-making materials. The move is a step toward Mexico’s conversion to a reactor that operates on low enriched uranium, a lesser danger for weapons use. The focus of the summit is tons of plutonium and highly enriched urani-

um are believed to be insufficiently protected from international criminal gangs and terrorist organizations.

With that in mind, European Union President Herman van Rompuy called on all countries to sign and ratify the convention on the 1980 Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, which was amended in 2005 to require states to protect such materials even when not in transit. “Nuclear terrorism ... represents a most serious threat to international security with potentially devastating consequences to our societies,” Van Rompuy said.

Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak also announced that South Korea will host the next conference of this kind in two years. Lee Myung-bak told reporters that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will not get an invitation until the North gives up its nuclear weapons ambitions. North Korea’s efforts to build a nuclear weapon program kept it out of the Washington conference. Syria, which is suspected by the US and others of harboring nuclear weapons ambitions, also was not invited.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, in his remarks to the conference, stressed the important of protecting nuclear-related information. “We must keep the science as well as the substance of nuclear materials out of terrorist hands,” he said, according to a transcript provided by British officials. Signaling a growing commitment in Europe to addressing the dan-

gers of nuclear proliferation and potential nuclear conflict, a group of 40 former European politicians and military officers issued a statement endorsing the goal of the Washington conference.

They also said nuclear dangers cannot be contained by addressing the terrorist threat alone. The nuclear powers need to disarm faster, they said, and countries that have not yet signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty - including the United States - must do so. “This is not just a concern for those fearing a nuclear terrorist attack,” the Europeans’ statement said. “Any major nuclear security incident anywhere is likely to derail the civil nuclear renaissance everywhere.” The summit had already paid early dividends on Monday, the first day of the conference: China’s agreement to work with the US on possible sanctions against Iran and Ukraine’s announcement that it would rid itself of nuclear bomb-making materials.

White House national security aide Jeff Bader said Iran was a major topic of discussion during a 90-minute meeting between Chinese President Hu Jintao and Obama. “They’re prepared to work with us,” Bader said, interpreting that willingness as “another sign of international unity on this issue.” The upbeat assessment reflected a recent warming of US-Chinese diplomatic ties. Still, the meeting produced no breakthroughs. And Chinese spokesman Ma Zhaoxu did not mention sanctions in a statement on Hu’s meeting with Obama. —Agencies

Israelis told to leave Sinai Continued from Page 1 contact them and update them on the travel warning”. Israel’s anti-terror office has a standing travel advisory telling Israelis to stay out of the Sinai desert because of the threat of terror attacks.

However, many Israelis routinely ignore the warning and vacation in the desert and along its Red Sea coast.

In 2004, suicide bombers attacked Egypt’s Taba Hilton Hotel, just across the Israeli border, and several campsites where Israelis are known to vacation.

Dozens of people were killed and hundreds wounded. Israel controlled the Sinai from its capture in the 1967 war until returning it to Egypt in 1982 in the framework of a peace treaty between the two nations. The desert is just across the bor-

der, and many Israelis flock to the inexpensive seaside resorts nestled at the foot of stark desert mountains - all within driving distance. The Sinai has been the scene of number of terrorist attacks, including bombings in the resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh in 2005 and Dahab in 2006, which killed dozens. Disgruntled Bedouin influenced by extremist groups were implicated in the attacks. — AP

Makkah tower to be second tallest Continued from Page 1 508-m Taipei 101 in Taiwan. “The first part of the hotel will open at the end of June, while the clock will begin operating at the end of July,” ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin around Aug 10, Arkubi said. The German-made clock, billed as “the largest in the world”, will have 45-m wide and 43-

me tall faces on all four sides of the tower, he said. He added that it will be visible from 17 km away at night and 11 to 12 km away during the day. “Putting Makkah time in the face of Greenwich Mean Time, this is the goal,” Arkubi said.

He said the three-billion-dollar, seventower complex of hotels, called Abraj AlBayt Towers, will contain 3,000 rooms and suites, the majority of which will overlook

the Grand Mosque, which Muslims face for daily prayers. The complex is being constructed by the Bin Laden Group, a giant real estate firm, on behalf of the Saudi government, he said. The complex will be managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and its revenue will be placed in a “waqf”, or Islamic trust, devoted to the development and maintenance of Muslim holy sites, Arkubi said. — AFP

Dubai Briton says ex-lover faking death Continued from Page 1 she disappeared but that Arnold did not kill her. “The pair drove into the desert and Arnold tried to calm her down but she kept hitting him and got out of the car, at which point Arnold drove off,” he said. Three hours after the incident a policeman called Kerry on her mobile phone, and she answered saying that she was fine, he said, the paper added. “Kerry Winter has used this whole story to punish Arnold,” Hammad said, describing the whole incident as “just a woman’s revenge”.

Arnold insisted that he was not guilty. “I was with her but I didn’t kill her,” he told the court. Earlier reports said that Arnold told investigators he had argued with Winter and hit her on the head with a wooden stick until she bled and fell to the ground. He has been in custody since Aug 2008 and had received a one-month jail sentence over endangering the life of a Lebanese house-

mate of Winter by swinging a baseball bat at him when he was alerted to the argument between the two outside her villa. The court decided to keep Arnold in custody since then. A verdict is expected by the end of April. Murder is a capital crime in the United Arab Emirates but the death sentence is rarely carried out. Separately, an Abu Dhabi court has sentenced a woman to life in prison for smuggling a large amount of the sedative valium, in the first such ruling against a woman in the emirate, the local press said yesterday. The seven-month pregnant Palestinian was arrested in Abu Dhabi while trying to sell part of the shipment, which was valued at 300,000 dirhams ($81,677), to an undercover police officer, The National daily reported. At an earlier hearing yesterday, prosecutors had called for her to face the death penalty.

The woman is expected to give birth in prison, a fact which under UAE law must be withheld from the child’s birth certificate,

the paper said. In the first hearing on March 28, the woman who was identified only by her initials, F A, said that her Jordanian employer had asked her to deliver the package without her knowing its contents. Her defence lawyer said that she was the victim of the actions of her employer, who was identified only as S A. The lawyer also charged that she had been arrested without a proper warrant. Her employer was tried in absentia and was also sentenced to life in prison. It is the first time that a woman has been sentenced to life in prison in the oilrich Gulf emirate. Valium is legal in the UAE, but can only be bought as a prescribed medication and is distributed by pharmacies under strict guidelines. It is commonly used to treat anxiety and muscle pain. Under UAE law, drug traffickers can receive the death penalty. Several foreigners have been sentenced to death for drug trafficking in recent years, but death sentences are usually commuted to life imprisonment. — AFP

Attacks kill 15 in Philippines Continued from Page 1 The militants sprayed bullets at terrified civilians scrambling for safety, and engaged in a gun battle with security forces on the outskirts of Isabela that lasted for at least three hours, according to military chiefs.

The first bomb went off about 10:30 am (0230 GMT) outside an education department building near a high school sports grandstand, provincial police chief Antonio Mendoza said in Isabela. He said the second, rigged to a motorcycle left near a Roman Catholic cathedral, went off minutes later as security forces chased the suspects.

“It heavily damaged the church,” Mendoza said. A third bomb placed near a judge’s house and a bus terminal was safely deto-

nated by soldiers.

Basilan, an impoverished island of nearly half a million people, is part of the southern Philippines’ Mindanao region, where the Abu Sayyaf and other Muslim rebel groups are fighting for an independent homeland.

Hundreds of US troops have been stationed in Mindanao since the end of 2001 to train and equip the Philippine military to combat the Abu Sayyaf. Their arrival came after a series of Abu Sayyaf-led abductions, including the kidnapping of three Americans from a southwestern Philippine island resort.

Two of the US hostages were killed, one by beheading.

The Abu Sayyaf was also blamed for the bombing of a passenger ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 that killed over 100 people, the

nation’s most deadly terrorist attack. US help has led to the deaths of senior Abu Sayyaf leaders and the Philippine military says the group now has only about 300 active militants, down from about 1,000 a decade ago. However the country’s police chief, Jesus Verzosa, warned last month the Abu Sayyaf was increasingly using improvised bombs to counter battlefield losses.

Other recent attacks blamed on the Abu Sayyaf include two roadside bombs that killed a Philippine soldier and wounded 12 other people on Basilan in February. Last September an improvised explosive device blamed on the Abu Sayyaf killed a Philippine Marine and two US soldiers on a training mission on neighbouring Jolo island. — AFP

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

15

SPORTS

Pujols leads Cards past Astros in home opener ST. LOUIS: Albert Pujols homered and drove in four runs to lead Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals over winless Houston 5-0 Monday in their home opener.

New batting coach Mark McGwire drew one of the biggest cheers during the pregame introductions before his first home game since retiring after the 2001 season. Pujols hit an RBI single and a three-run homer and Ryan Ludwick went 4 for 4. Wainwright (2-0) pitched eight innings and added his first career pickoff.

The Astros are 0-7 and off to their worst since opening 0-9 in 1983. They’ve been shut out three times while facing a string of aces — Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Roy

Halladay and Wainwright already — and have scored a major league-low 13 runs.

Padres 17, Braves 2 At San Diego, Will Venable’s two-run shot highlighted a 10-run fourth inning, and Kyle Blanks homered and drove in a career-high five runs to lead San Diego to a rout of Atlanta in its home opener.

The Padres hit and scored as if they were playing in a bandbox rather than spacious Petco Park. Their 17 runs, on 19 hits, were the most by any team at the downtown ballpark since it opened in 2004.

Kevin Correia (1-1) yielded two runs and four hits in 5 2-3 innings for San Diego.

He also had a two-run single in the fourth.

Giants 9, Pirates 3 At San Francisco, Bengie Molina had four RBIs from four at bats to help Barry Zito and San Francisco get the win over Pittsburgh.

Pablo Sandoval had three hits and scored twice for San Francisco, which is tied with Philadelphia for the best start in the majors at 6-1. Aubrey Huff went 2 for 2 and scored three runs.

Zito (2-0) pitched six-plus innings in his 100th career start with the Giants, yielding three runs and five hits. The left-hander has won his first two starts for the first time since 2003, when he finished 14-12. Akinori Iwamura and Andy LaRoche had two hits each for the Pirates, who have lost six

straight at AT&T Park. Brian Burres (0-1) allowed six runs and eight hits in four innings. Molina hit a two-run homer off Brendan Donnelly in the eighth.

Reds 6, Marlins 5 At Miami, Scott Rolen homered twice and drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning to help Cincinnati beat Florida.

Orlando Cabrera hit a two-run homer for Cincinnati. Rolen hit solo drives in the second and fourth, and has three homers after hitting 11 last year. Nick Masset (2-0) got the win. Joey Votto started the 10th with a walk against Burke Badenhop (0-1). He advanced on a sacrifice and scored on Rolen’s one-out single.

Florida’s Jorge Cantu hit a two-run double in the third, increasing his RBI total to 12. He has at least one hit and one RBI in each of the first seven games, the longest such streak to start a season in the National League since 2005.

Phillies 7, Nationals 4 At Philadelphia, Placido Polanco hit a goahead single and Chase Utley had a two-run homer as Philadelphia overcame an early deficit to beat Washington in their home opener. The two-time defending NL champions are off to a 6-1 start, their best since opening the 1993 pennant-winning season 7-1.

Cole Hamels (2-0) earned the win

despite another so-so effort. Ryan Madson got his second save. Jason Marquis (0-2) had a two-run double for the Nationals.

Cubs 9, Brewers 5 At Chicago, Xavier Nady, Jeff Baker and Aramis Ramirez homered as Chicago put on a power display for new owner Tom Ricketts in a win over Milwaukee.

Ricketts, the longtime fan whose family took over the team in October, joined his two brothers and sister to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventhinning stretch.

Ryan Dempster (1-0) ran his career record against the Brewers to 12-3. Doug Davis (0-1) lasted 3 1-3 innings. — AP

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results and standings on Monday: Kansas City 10, Detroit 5; Chicago Cubs 9, Milwaukee 5; Philadelphia 7, Washington 4; Texas 4, Cleveland 2 (10 innings); Minnesota 5, Boston 2; St. Louis 5, Houston 0; San Diego 17, Atlanta 2; Oakland 4, Seattle 0; Tampa Bay 5, Baltimore 1; Cincinnati 6, Florida 5 (10 innings); Chicago White Sox 8, Toronto 7 (11 innings); San Francisco 9, Pittsburgh 3.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT GB Toronto 5 2 .714 NY Yankees 4 2 .667 .5 Tampa Bay 4 3 .571 1 Boston 3 4 .429 2 Baltimore 1 6 .143 4 Central Division Minnesota 6 2 .750 5 2 .714 .5 Detroit Chicago White Sox3 4 .429 2.5 Kansas City 3 4 .429 2.5 Cleveland 2 5 .286 3.5 Western Division Oakland 6 2 .750 Texas 4 3 .571 1.5 LA Angels 2 5 .286 3.5 Seattle 2 6 .250 4 Nationa l Lea gue Eastern Division Philadelphia 6 1 .857 Florida 4 3 .571 2 Atlanta 3 4 .429 3 Washington 3 4 .429 3 NY Mets 2 4 .333 3.5 Central Division St. Louis 5 2 .714 4 3 .571 1 Cincinnati Chicago Cubs 3 4 .429 2 Milwaukee 3 4 .429 2 Pittsburgh 3 4 .429 2 Houston 0 7 .000 5 Western Division San Francisco 6 1 .857 Arizona 4 2 .667 1.5 Colorado 3 3 .500 2.5 3 4 .429 3 San Diego LA Dodgers 2 4 .333 3.5

MINNEAPOLIS: Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Carl Pavano throws the first official pitch at Target Field against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of the Twins’ home opener. — AP

Twins top Red Sox, Rays defeat Orioles MINNEAPOLIS: After nearly three decades inside the Metrodome, the Minnesota Twins moved outdoors and beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 Monday thanks to hometown star Joe Mauer in the first regular-season game at their new Target Field ballpark.

Jason Kubel hit the first home run and Carl Pavano earned the first victory. Pavano (2-0) gave up four hits and one run in six innings and the Twins bullpen backed him up, with Jon Rauch recording his fifth save.

Jon Lester (0-1) labored through five innings for the Red Sox, throwing only 59 of his 107 pitches for strikes. Kubel homered into the right-field seats in the seventh inning. Kubel and Mauer, the American

League most valuable player, each had three hits and drove in two runs.

Rays 5, Orioles 1 At Baltimore, Matt Garza allowed one run in eight innings and Carl Crawford had four hits from four at bats with a homer as Tampa Bay downed Baltimore. The game drew 9,129 fans, the smallest crowd in the 19-year history of Camden Yards.

Reid Brignac also homered for the Rays in their first road game of the season. Felix Pie connected for the Orioles, who fell to 1-6 with their fourth straight loss. Baltimore has scored only three runs in its last three games.

NHL teams begin playoffs with a clean slate LOS ANGELES: Defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins try to reach their thirdconsecutive Stanley Cup finals while Phoenix and Los Angeles are back in the post-season after long absences.

It is that time of year again when NHL teams start with a clean slate and contributions are just as important from superstars like Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin as they are from veteran role players like Philadelphia’s Ian Laperriere and Darcy Tucker of Colorado.

“You’ve got to catch fire,” Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said.

“Sometimes you’re not great in the early rounds, but you’ve got to catch fire.

“There’s got to be a belief system, and you need role players to step up and your best players to be good.” The 16-team NHL playoff tournament gets under way with four games on Wednesday. The Crosby-led Penguins host Ottawa, who they swept in four straight games in 2008, while number seven seed Philadelphia squeaked into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season to learn they play New Jersey.

“Now the real season starts,” said Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff. Other opening night matchups feature Western Division regular season champs San Jose against Colorado and upstart Phoenix hosting 2009 Stanley Cup finals runner-ups Detroit.

Three other series will start Thursday, and the high-flying Chicago Blackhawks will host Nashville on Friday. “It is going to be a challenge in the first round,” said Washington forward Mike Knuble. “The first round is extremely difficult to get out of. You have to

be careful not to look ahead.”

Crosby drives the Penguins’ offence and capped his superb regular season with a fivepoint performance on Sunday.

He tied for the league goal scoring title with 51 goals finishing one goal ahead of his Russian rival Alex Ovechkin despite playing with a inferior supporting cast of forwards.

“We just know what is expected of each other,” said Crosby, who scored 50 goals for the first time in his career.

“Everyone gets a pretty good idea when you go through that many games and adversity and all those things together. The expectations are high within this room, and having that familiarity with what we need to do is important.”

Washington’s quest begins Thursday against the No. 8 Montreal Canadiens, who didn’t secure a playoff spot until Saturday.

The Capitals are the best team on paper, capturing the President’s Trophy as the league’s top team with 121 points (54-15-13).

Ovechkin ceded his hold on the Maurice Richard Trophy, given each season to the NHL’s top goal scorer, after a two-year reign.

Ovechkin would like nothing more in the Stanley Cup playoffs than to one up Crosby, who already has an Olympic hockey gold medal and a Stanley Cup ring-two things that have eluded Ovechkin so far.

For the second consecutive year, San Jose is the top seed in the West. But the Sharks have never been to the Stanley Cup finals as they have a history of playoff letdowns. Their path could be easier this year as their playoff nemesis Anaheim missed out on the post-season. —AFP

White Sox 8, Blue Jays 7 At Toronto, Mark Teahen tripled home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning as Chicago snapped Toronto’s five-game winning streak and spoiled the Blue Jays’ home opener.

Mark Kotsay led off the 11th with a pinch-hit single off Jeremy Accardo (0-1) and was replaced by pinch runner Omar Vizquel. Teahen followed with a triple to right center. Teahen, who tied the game with a ninth-inning homer off Jason Frasor, finished 3 for 5 with three RBIs. He also singled home a run in the sixth.

The White Sox snapped a 10 game losing streak in Toronto, winning here for

the first time since June 1, 2007.

Athletics 4, Mariners 0 At Seattle, Justin Duchscherer pitched into the eighth inning to help Oakland ruin Seattle’s home opener.

Cliff Pennington homered and Gabe Gross had a two-run single for Oakland, off to a surprising 6-2 start. Duchscherer (1-0) allowed two hits and walked two in 7 1-3 innings. The right-hander, a two-time AllStar, missed last season because of an elbow injury and was later treated for clinical depression.

Former Mariners star Randy Johnson sent a charge through the Safeco Field

crowd with a ceremonial first pitch but Seattle still dropped to 2-6 for its worst start since beginning 1-7 in 2004.

Rangers 4, Indians 2 At Cleveland, Nelson Cruz hit his fifth home run of the season, connecting in the 10th inning as Texas spoiled Cleveland’s sold-out opener and manager Manny Acta’s home debut.

Cruz’s two-run drive came with one out against Jamey Wright (0-1). Cruz leads the AL in home runs. Frank Francisco (2-2), who lost his job as Texas’ closer on Sunday, pitched a perfect ninth.

Choo Shin-soo homered for the Indians,

who have lost four in a row.

Royals 10, Tigers 5 At Detroit, Jose Guillen hit a two-run homer after his two-out foul popup was dropped by Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera, helping Kansas City end the Tigers’ four-game winning streak.

Guillen took advantage of Cabrera’s error for a go-ahead homer in the fourth inning.

Scott Podsednik had four hits, including a two-run single in the sixth that helped the Royals pull away. Luke Hochevar (1-0) won despite allowing five runs in five-plus innings. Max Scherzer (0-1) gave up five runs — just two earned — in five innings. — AP

Klitschkos must unify titles under one name BERLIN: Vladimir Klitschko believes it is time for him and his brother Vitali to unite the world heavyweight titles under one name.

Vladimir holds the WBO, IBF and IBO belts, Vitali is the WBC champion and Britain’s David Haye has his grip on the WBA title. “It is now time to unite all belts under one name-the Klitschko name,” Vladimir told Reuters by telephone from Los Angeles.

The two brothers will not fight each other, which means a possible showdown with Haye this year is a major attraction for broadcasters.

“It is definitely going to be a big deal for television,” said the Ukrainian. “It is going to be an historic event when all the belts will have one name.

“I am the world champion and I will prove it.

Haye is good and he will challenge me but this time you will not see defensive boxing as in my last few fights. I will be more aggressive.”

Vladimir, 34, said he was prepared to meet the Briton this year and it was Haye’s decision whether the fight took place. “It is up to Haye. I have never been so aggressive in wanting an opponent but this is personal,” said Vladimir.

The Ukrainian, who has a record 54 wins and three losses, recorded a last-gasp knockout of American Eddie Chambers in March while Haye retained his title with a ninth-round stoppage of American John Ruiz earlier this month.

Haye, 29, who has a 24-1 record, has said the Klitschko brothers consistently pick “over-the-hill” opponents. They, in turn, have accused the Englishman of twice scuppering their plans to fight him last year.

Haye also angered the pair when he appeared at a news conference wearing a T-shirt that depicted him holding the bloodied and severed heads of the Klitschkos. —Reuters

SPORTS

16

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Tiger struggles to stay on the straight and narrow AUGUSTA: Tiger Woods returned to Augusta promising a cleaned-up act but delivered a mixture of the impossibly good and some rank bad golf plus a sprinkling of behavior bordering on the ugly.

He had promised a “more respectful” approach to the game but in many ways during four days of white-hot US Masters competition, Woods showed he has not changed from the pre-scandal version of the world number one.

True, the worst expletives and clubthrowing which have marred his majestic play of the last couple of years were gone but Woods still struggled to maintain his cool when a drive or approach shot soared a fairway’s width away from its target. “Tiger-you suck!” he hollered at himself and quite often he was right.

His technique verged from the sublime to the almost ridiculous, often within the space of a couple of holes, with only an

unmatched determination not to cede ground to his rivals taking him to his eventual fourth place behind winner Phil Mickelson.

One minute in a final round of 69, he was carving a Sunday hacker’s drive deep into a copse, the next he was fashioning an extraordinary recovery from pine needles over sky-high trees to within 10 feet of the pin from about 190 yards.

The next moment he would be miserably pushing a snatched four foot putt past the hole for a bogey with the attitude of a man who had apparently lost his technique and touch completely.

Fans who feared that this extraordinary player, who had pocketed 14 major titles before his dramatic fall from grace through a string of extra-marital affairs, had lost his fighting spirit and frightening will to win could have nothing to worry about.

Others hoping to see a more relaxed and

amiable individual who had put the sport and its inevitable travails into perspective would largely have been disappointed, certainly on the final two days as the pressure grew.

Woods, in short, gave a pretty convincing impression of a golfer both temperamentally and technically on the very edge of his game. A man often literally struggling to keep his balance.

He could not have asked for a warmer welcome from the huge galleries who watched him and, as he had promised in a news conference, he initially engaged with the fans at every opportunity.

For the first two rounds, Woods continually tipped his cap to acknowledge his supporters, repeatedly saying ‘Thank you’ as the Georgian pines resounded with calls of ‘Go Tiger’ and ‘We love you, Tiger’.

After five holes in Saturday’s third round, however, the old Tiger with the hot tongue returned. A poor swing on the par-three

sixth tee sparked a profanity-laced outburst which was heard clearly on live television.

Woods followed up by shouting to himself: “You suck!”

Further outbursts of mild swearing sporadically followed as the world number one went on a roller-coaster ride of great and dreadful golf for the final 30 holes of the tournament.

While many had doubted whether Woods would be able to contend at Augusta, he was not among them and he became increasingly frustrated as he failed to put more pressure on Mickelson in the final round.

“I wanted to win this tournament,” he said after finishing five shots behind his compatriot and arch-rival. “As the week wore on I kept hitting the ball worse.

“I entered this event and I only enter events to win and I didn’t get it done. I didn’t hit the ball good enough and I made too many mistakes around the greens, conse-

quently I’m not there.”

Asked whether it would take him more time to control his on-course emotions since he pledged to show more respect for the game, he replied with a look almost of contempt.

“People are making way too much of a big deal of this thing,” he said. “I was not feeling good. I’m not going to be walking around there with a lot of pep in my step because I hadn’t hit a good shot yet.”

Woods gave no hint as to the next event he would play on the PGA Tour. “I’m going to take a little time off and kind of re-evaluate things,” he said.

With the June 17-20 US Open at Pebble Beach the next major on his horizon, Woods is likely to compete in at least two tournaments before then.

The May 6-9 Players Championship at the PGA Tour’s headquarters in Florida is a virtual certainly, given its status as the unof-

ficial fifth major at the venue where he made his first public apology following his stunning fall from grace.

Also likely is the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio from June 3-6 where he typically plays.

The April 29-May 2 Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina is another possibility and Woods has until the Friday before that week to commit to the event.

Wherever he does play next, the world number one will not have the luxury of the tightly controlled environment at Augusta and he could well experience his first oncourse heckling since he became engulfed in his sex scandal. Should he be heckled by the fans, he will have to negotiate yet another severe test of his ability to keep his now notorious tongue in check. It will also help if he can start regularly hitting the ball straight again. — Reuters

Hawks beat Bucks, Heat scorch Sixers MILWAUKEE: Joe Johnson scored 31 points to help the Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-96 in a matchup between potential first-round playoff opponents Monday.

Marvin Williams added 18 points for the Hawks, who had six players score in double figures and continued to solidify their spot as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

John Salmons scored 28 and Brandon Jennings added 21 in the regular-season home finale for the Bucks.

Jennings was 2 for 11 from 3-point range.

NBA results/standings

Heat 107, 76ers 105 At Philadelphia, Dwyane Wade scored 30 points and assisted on Udonis Haslem’s go-ahead basket with 1.3 seconds left as Miami beat Philadelphia.

Andre Iguodala tied it at 105-105 for the Sixers on a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left. But the Heat, playing for fifth place in the East, weren’t about to go down against one of the worst teams in the NBA. Wade scored several baskets late in the fourth, but it was his assist to Haslem in the corner that was the difference. Quentin Richardson had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat.

Raptors 111, Pistons 97 At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Andrea Bargnani had 33 points and Amir Johnson scored a career-high 26 as Toronto improved its playoff prospects by beating Detroit to snap a five-game losing streak.

Toronto moved within a half-game of the Bulls for the final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors, who close the season Wednesday at home against New York, will earn a playoff berth if they end the season tied with Chicago, which finishes against Boston and at Charlotte.

Detroit’s Charlie Villanueva scored 16 points in the team’s home finale.

Ben Gordon had 24 for the Pistons, whose miserable season ends Wednesday at Milwaukee.

Magic 118, Pacers 98 At Indianapolis, Vince Carter scored 21 points to help Orlando beat Indiana for its fifth straight win. Jameer Nelson had 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Rashard Lewis scored 14 points for the Magic. Matt Barnes had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Dwight Howard added 12 points and 11 boards.

AJ Price scored 19 points, and Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy added 18 for the Pacers in their home finale. Indiana had won four straight and 10 of 12 overall.

Bobcats 105, Nets 95 At East Rutherford, New Jersey, Stephen Jackson had 17 points and nine rebounds as Charlotte beat New Jersey.

Gerald Henderson led the bench crew with 14 points, while fellow reserve Tyrus Thomas added 13 and DJ Augustin 11.

With Miami’s win over Philadelphia earlier, the Bobcats were cemented into the No. 7 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They will meet

HOUSTON: Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans (right) shoots over Houston Rockets defender Aaron Brooks during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento. — AP the defending conference champion Orlando Magic in the first round this weekend. Devin Harris had 22 points for the Nets.

Knicks 114, Wizards 103 At New York, Danilo Gallinari scored all of his 24 points in the second half and David Lee had 26 as New York rallied past Washington in its final home game of the season.

Sergio Rodriguez added all of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, sparking the key spurt midway through the period, as the Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak. Toney Douglas scored 16 and Chris Duhon 14. Mike Miller scored 23 points for the Wizards, who end their woeful season Wednesday against Indiana.

Spurs 133, T’wolves 111 At San Antonio, Keith Bogans scored 17 points as San Antonio kept its playoff hopes alive with a win over Minnesota.

Tim Duncan had 16 points before the Spurs emptied their bench early and stayed on track to avoid the dreaded No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Spurs can clinch at least the No. 7 seed with a win in their regular-season finale Wednesday against Dallas. Sasha Pavlovic led the Timberwolves with 16 points.

Nuggets 123, Grizzlies 101 At Denver, J.R. Smith scored 26 points as Denver broke out of its offen-

NBA results and standings on Monday: Orlando 118, Indiana 98; Miami 107, Philadelphia 105; Toronto 111, Detroit 97; Charlotte 105, New Jersey 95; NY Knicks 114, Washington 103; Atlanta 104, Milwaukee 96; San Antonio 133, Minnesota 111; Denver 123, Memphis 101; Portland 103, Oklahoma City 95; Houston 117, Sacramento 107; Dallas 117, LA Clippers 94.

Eastern Conference Atla ntic Division W L PCT GB Boston 50 30 .625 Toronto 39 42 .481 11.5 NY Knicks 29 52 .358 21.5 Philadelphia 27 54 .333 23.5 New Jersey 12 69 .148 38.5 Central Division Cleveland 61 20 .753 Milwaukee 45 36 .556 16 Chicago 39 41 .488 21.5 Indiana 32 49 .395 29 Detroit 26 55 .321 35 Southeast Division Orlando 58 23 .716 Atlanta 52 29 .642 6 Miami 46 35 .568 12 Charlotte 44 37 .543 14 Washington 25 56 .309 33 Western Conference Northwest Division Denver 53 28 .654 Utah 52 28 .650 .5 Portland 50 31 .617 3 Oklahoma City 49 32 .605 4 Minnesota 15 66 .185 38 Pacific Division LA Lakers 56 24 .700 Phoenix 52 28 .650 4 LA Clippers 28 53 .346 28.5 Golden State 25 55 .313 31 Sacramento 25 56 .309 31.5 Southw est Division Dallas 54 27 .667 San Antonio 50 31 .617 4 Houston 42 39 .519 12 Memphis 40 41 .494 14 New Orleans 36 45 .444 18

sive funk with a victory over Memphis.

With their biggest output in a month, the Nuggets also got 21 points from Carmelo Anthony and 20 from Nene, both of whom sat out the fourth quarter while watching Smith and Aaron Afflalo, who scored 22 points and pulled down a career-best 13 rebounds. Now, the Nuggets are off to Phoenix for a crucial game in their season finale Tuesday.

Rockets 117, Kings 107 At Sacramento, California, Kevin Martin scored 39 points for Houston in a triumphant return to Sacramento.

Rookie Tyreke Evans reach an exclusive milestone by scoring 24 points, assuring himself of joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only rookies in NBA histo-

Lakers, Knicks, T’wolves to play in Europe LONDON: The NBA is sending a pair of its biggest foreign-born stars back home to play preseason games in Europe, and is also giving the fans in London a chance to see “the world’s best-known basketball team.” The Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves will play two games each in the fifth installment of the NBA’s preseason European Tour. The 2009 champion Lakers will face the Timberwolves at the O2 Arena in London on Oct. 4 and then play Barcelona in Spain three days later.

The Knicks will take on Armani Jeans Milano in Milan, Italy, on Oct. 3 and then play the Timberwolves three days later in Paris at the Bercy Arena.

Lakers center Pau Gasol was born in Barcelona

and played for the team before moving to the NBA in 2001. “We like to bring the hometown player back to have his fans, and given the popularity of Pau in Spain, particularly Catalunya, we think that’s a great idea,” NBA commissioner David Stern said yesterday on a conference call. For the Knicks, there are two reasons to play in Milan. Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari is a Milan native and played in the Italian city before signing with New York, and Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni played and coached there.

“There is this gentleman named Gallinari on the Knicks, and it would appear that playing the team for which Mike D’Antoni played would be a good idea,” Stern said. Although this is fifth straight year the NBA is playing preseason games in Europe, the

British capital will be hosting a game for the fourth year in a row. Last season, British standout Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls took the court at the O2.

“It is hard to follow Luol, but bringing the world’s best known basketball team to the O2 is a good idea,” Stern said of the Lakers. “We think we’ve come up with a good solution.” Stern has been saying for years that he expects to play a regular-season game in London before the 2012 Olympics, and he reiterated yesterday that he still plans to make it happen.

“I’m sticking with my projection,” said Stern, who also let slip that the NBA will send more teams to London in 2011. “Don’t ask me for any more details, but I make that statement totally expecting to deliver on it.”—AP

ry to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists a game.

Martin shot 11 for 20 and made all 16 of his free throws. Trevor Ariza added 29 points.

Trail Blazers 103, Thunder 95 At Portland, Oregon, Marcus Camby scored a season-high 30 points and pulled down 13 rebounds as Portland beat Oklahoma City.

The loss locked the Thunder into the eighth spot in the Western Conference, meaning they’ll face the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 30 points.

The loss locked the Thunder into the eighth spot in the Western Conference, meaning they’ll face the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 30 points.

Mavericks 117, Clippers 94 At Los Angeles, Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points in 22 minutes and Shawn Marion added 21 points in his return from an injury as Dallas kept a firm grip on the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs by beating Los Angeles.

Jason Kidd had 12 points and 12 assists for the Mavericks, who blew out the lifeless Clippers with a 37-point first quarter on the way to a 64-43 halftime lead. Chris Kaman had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Clippers. — AP

AUGUSTA: Phil Mickelson hits from the rough off the 13th fairway during the final round of the Masters golf tournament. —AP

Mickelson’s wonder shot from the trees at Augusta AUGUSTA: Phil Mickelson delivered a dazzling array of breath-taking shots en route to a third US Masters title but his magical sixiron at the par-five 13th in Sunday’s final round will live longest in the memory.

Facing a four-foot gap between two pine trees after a wayward drive, Mickelson conjured an audacious blow that propelled the ball 207 yards over the menacing water of Rae’s Creek to land softly three feet from the cup.

Playing partner Lee Westwood, who had also ended up in the pine trees to the right off the 13th tee, could only shake his head in disbelief. “It’s one of the few shots, really, that only Phil could pull off,” the British world number four told reporters after finishing runner-up to Mickelson, three strokes adrift.

“I think most people would have just chipped that one out. But that’s what great players do, they pull off great shots at the right time.”

Mickelson, long known as Phil the Thrill for his spectacular and, at times, foolhardy shot-making, felt the risk-reward factor had been in his favour.

“I had a good lie in the pine needles,” the American said. “I was going to have to go through that gap if I laid up or went for the green. I knew I was going to have to hit a decent shot. “The gap was a little bit wide. It wasn’t huge but it was big enough for a ball to fit through,” he said with a flashing smile.

“I needed to trust my swing and hit a shot, and it came off perfect.” Asked if his longserving caddie Jim Mackay had supported his decision to go for the green in two, Mickelson replied: “He didn’t try to talk me out of it.

“We were in between a six or five-iron because sometimes, out of the pine needles, the ball will come out a little slow. “I just felt like it was clean enough that it was going to come out fine and I wanted to hit something hard, so I hit six.”— Reuters

McLaren halt work on new suspension system LONDON: McLaren have halted work on a new suspension system after Formula One’s governing body warned teams that anything that changed a car’s ride height between qualifying and the race was illegal.

“We’ve had to change some of the things we’re doing. Basically, we had a system we were working on, and we’ve now suspended that,” engineering director Paddy Lowe told reporters yesterday.

He said the MP4-25 cars used by world champion Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton in this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix would have some aerodynamic improvements but no other changes.

McLaren are second in the championship after three races, 10 points behind Ferrari. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) wrote to all teams last week to clarify the rules after questions were raised about the suspension systems on some cars.

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh had said that his team were hoping to have a new system in place for Shanghai after noticing that some cars, notably Red Bull, appeared to be running lower to the ground than expected when light on fuel in qualifying.

Red Bull, one-two winners in Malaysia on April 4, have welcomed the FIA clarifi-

cation and said their car will be the same in China as at previous races.

Meanwhile, two Formula One trailers used by 2009 world champions Brawn before being bought by the would-be US F1 team have been put up for sale on eBay after being seized under a court order issued by a British creditor.

The US-based team had been due to enter the championship this season but failed to build a car in time due to financial problems.

“It’s quite sad news in a way but inevitable in this sort of climate,” David Carter, director of The Sheriffs Office debt collection company responsible for enforcing the writ, told Reuters on Monday.

“The High Court writ was issued against the US team and these are the only assets they had over here...and eBay is a good way to create a lot of interest.”

The trailers, still in Brawn livery and one with world champion Jenson Button’s name and number 22 on the side, will go to the highest bidder without a reserve.

When new, they carried an estimated price tag of around 300,000 pounds ($462,900) each.

One trailer contains an office with space for 10 engineers. The other has a machine shop and space to carry three race cars and equipment. — Reuters

SPORTS

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

17

Britain needs Murray, not money, for recovery LONDON: On paper much about British men’s tennis looks good but when it comes to grass, clay, concrete and rubber, things tend to dip alarmingly.

The British game, largely through the annual windfall of Wimbledon, is awash with money but has problems keeping its up-andcoming players on court as they desert the drudge of low-key tournaments for the ease and security of coaching.

It is not short of good players, even excellent ones in the case of world number four Andy Murray, yet last month Britain lost a Davis Cup tie to Lithuania with their two best performers fit but absent.

British tennis is certainly not short of facilities, with the three-year-old, 40 million pounds ($61 million) national centre in west London, a shining, multi-surfaced beacon

with state-of-the art training, coaching, medical, fitness and administrative opportunities.

Yet should they lose a Euro-Africa group II playoff with Turkey in July, the nine-times winners will be relegated to the lowest tier of the competition.

Only the United States and Australia have won the competition more times than Britain and though Fred Perry was in his pomp last time they tasted success, the prospect of facing Iceland, San Marino, Andorra or Malta is hard to swallow for a nation so steeped in the history of the game.

That is the background to Monday’s appointment of Murray’s former coach Leon Smith as the new Davis Cup captain following the resignation of John Lloyd after five successive defeats.

Murray chose to sit out the Lithuania tie,

with British number two Alex Bogdanovic also absent after falling out of favour with Lloyd, and the humiliating setback led to another wide-ranging review of the men’s game by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).

One of the elements to quickly emerge was that players challenging to be in the top half-dozen in the country are leaving the game in their early 20s.

“Our problem is not an absence of talented youngsters but the difficulty of keeping them in the game,” LTA head of player development Steven Martens told Reuters.

“These guys are looking around in their early 20s, maybe they’ve got girlfriends who are not so happy with all their travelling, and even if they win they know they can make more money coaching at the local leisure

centre.” Martens’ plan to combat this problem is to “incentivise success”. Rather than throwing money at players for hotels and travel, the LTA will look to bump up the meagre prize money available for progressing in the low-key tournaments.

That might eventually help fatten the rump of the British game and keep them bobbing along in the third division of the Davis Cup but if they are to return to the World Group and even dream of a first final since 1978, then Murray has to be brought back on board.

The appointment of Smith, who coached Murray during his junior years and remains a good friend of his fellow Scot, would seem a step in the right direction but the new boss gave little hope of an immediate change in the situation.

Smith, 34, was an infant last time Britain reached a Davis Cup final and still looks closer to a teenage prodigy than knowing mentor.

Though he is young and has never played in the Davis Cup, he has been a professional coach for 18 years and is highly respected in the game and has the ear of Murray.

“I speak to Andy regularly but the situation has not changed,” he said. “He will decide on a tie-by-tie basis whether he plays and I respect his decision on that.

“I realise he has got wider things and ambitions than British tennis at this point in his career, his main focus is on winning a grand slam and I support that.”

Smith said he would love Murray to return for the playoff against Turkey the week after Wimbledon in July, but said the

future of the British should not be dependent on it.

“It’s important that the next level of players step up to the mark and with the players we have we should have been good enough to beat Lithuania,” he said.

Murray himself seemed underwhelmed at best by his former coach’s appointment.

Speaking at the Monte Carlo Open on Monday he stressed that he had not even mentioned Smith’s name when talking to the LTA about the appointment.

“I’m not taking any responsibility for Leon’s appointment,” Murray said. “He is very young in coaching terms ... it’s a huge, huge responsibility for him. He needs to make sure he surrounds himself with the right people.” The fourth-best player in the world would be a useful start. —Reuters

Cilic passes Russian test with win over Andreev

‘Blue Team’ takes first place in Wataniya Telecom sponsored GCC Athletics Meet KUWAIT: Continuing on its path to encourage and support the youth and to reinforce its role in the athletic sector in Kuwait, Wataniya Telecom has sponsored the 12th Athletics GCC tournament which was inaugurated early this week.

The tournament took place at Ahmad Al Rashdan Field at Kaifan with the presence of the President of the organizing committee and heads of GCC delegations as well as the Chairman of the Kuwaiti Federation for Physical sports.

Abdol Aziz Al Balool PR Manager of Wataniya telecom expressed his appreciation to the efforts exerted by the organizers of the championship and congratulated the winner for achieving first place. Al Balool also confirmed Wataniya’s leading role in supporting such championships by saying: “Wataniya’s contribution during this event indicates its constant interest with the youth and athletic field by aiming to guide them and benefit the optimum from their potential capabilities hoping to always present the distinct and exceptional side of the athletic sector in Kuwait.”

While explaining the achievement and efforts accomplished by the participating

teams, Al Balool also confirmed Wataniya’s strategy in encouraging the youth segment in Kuwait and providing all means to support the athletic sector in order benefit the society in return and especially the youth.”

The Kuwait National Team achieved 21 medals including 7 gold 9 silver and 5 bronze during the tournament raising Kuwait’s name with all honor and pride during the course of play.

Despite the fierce competition between the competing teams during the tournament, the Kuwait National Team has achieved their well deserved first place position having played against strong teams like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain whom have received training in a number of European countries. Unfortunately due to schooling programs and studying the Kuwait National Team has not has the chance to be trained abroad, but has deservedly earned their success.

Wataniya Telecom received a recognition award at the end of the tournament and the winners were awarded by the President of the Organizing Committee and the Board Members of the Kuwaiti Federation for physical sports.

Injury rules Lel out of London Marathon LONDON: Three-times winner Martin Lel has been forced out of the London Marathon for the second year in a row because of injury, race organisers said yesterday.

The 31-year-old Kenyan, who triumphed in 2005, 2007 and 2008, will miss the April 25 race with a right-leg problem.

Lel withdrew from the 2009 race at the last moment with a right hip injury and was also forced to miss the world athletics championships in Berlin last August and November’s New York Marathon.

“It is very disappointing to lose Martin for the second year in a row,” race director Dave Bedford said in a statement.

“He is one of the greatest marathon runners in the world and one of our great champions. We look forward to welcoming him back next year.”

In Lel’s absence his compatriots Sammy Wanjiru, the London and Olympic champion, and world champion Abel Kirui are likely to fight it out for victory with world halfmarathon record holder Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea. —Reuters

Afridi, Younis appeal PCB sanctions ISLAMABAD: Pakistan twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan filed appeals yesterday after being disciplined by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Shahid Afridi PCB legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi said Afridi filed his appeal in person against a fine of three million rupees ($35,000) for ball tampering during the one-day international series against Australia in January. Younis’ lawyer, Mohammad Ahmed Qayyum, said he had faxed his client’s appeal to the PCB and had also delivered a copy to PCB head-

quarters in Lahore.

Former captain Mohammad Yousuf and Younis were banned indefinitely reportedly due to infighting that affected the team in Australia.

“We have a strong case against this indefinite ban,” Qayyum told The Associated Press. “Younis was never heard during the inquiry committee meetings and his advice was only sought how to improve the performance of the national team.”

Qayyum said he wants the appeals to be heard in front of the media so that “people should know the truth.” The PCB formed an inquiry committee, headed by its chief executive officer Wasim Bari, after Pakistan lost the test series 3-0 to Australia and was routed 5-0 in the ODI series.

It also lost the only twenty20 international. Last month, the PCB implemented all the recommendations of the committee and imposed fines and or bans on seven players.

Afridi was captain in the fifth ODI at Perth when he was caught on camera biting the ball. Apart from the PCB fine, he was banned for two

twenty20 internationals by the International Cricket Council.

Former captain Shoaib Malik was banned for one year and fined two million rupees

Younis Khan ($23,500) for ill discipline. He and Yousuf are yet to file appeals.

Kamran and Umar Akmal were fined for ill discipline while Rana Naved was fined two million rupees and banned for one year for underperforming in the twenty20 game against Australia. All three players are appealing their punishments. —AP

MONTE CARLO: Croatian fourth seed Marin Cilic passed a stern clay test against Russian Igor Andreev, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 6-4, yesterday to kick-start his season on the surface with a second-round victory.

While admitting that it always takes him a week or more to get into his rhythm on the surface, the two-time ATP champion this season was pleased to take the win on a sunny day on the Court Central in just under three hours.

“It was my first match on the clay this season and Igor has some matches already,” said Cilic, who took his record in the series to 4-1. “He really pushed me, it was a good opening match.”

Cilic faced 18 break points, saving 14 in the struggle with the Russian whose clay highlight in February was a semifinal in Brazil. The big-hitting Croatian was held to a modest five aces and broke Andreev on 11 of his 19 chances.

French players went twofor-three on the day in the first round, as injured and hurting Paul-Henri Mathieu suffered the day’s home loss at the storied Mediterranean venue.

The Frenchman who has been bothered by knee pain for five months, went down to Austrian 15th seed Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2.

There were wins for Michael Llodra, who put out Italian Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-3 and Florent Serra, a winner over Gallic compatriot Stephane Robert 7-6 (8/6), 36, 6-4.

Mathieu said: “My knee is hurting and also my abductors. I feel that pain. As long as it doesn’t go away, it’s going to be very difficult for me. “I need a lot of energy to overcome the pain and also to overcome the fear,” said the number 48.

Top-eight seeds benefit from first-round byes, with number one seed Novak Djokovic and five-time champion Rafael Nadal waiting to start today.

Djokovic, losing finalist a year ago to the mighty Spaniard, will start his week against Serra while Nadal plays Dutch hope Thiemo de Bakker, a winner over Argentine Eduardo Schwank fined for not trying during a match last week - 6-3, 7-5.

Meanwhile, ninth seeded Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine breezed past Julie Ditty 6-4, 6-2 in the opening round of the WTA 700,000 dollar Family Circle Cup on Monday.

Canada’s Alexsandra Wozniak also won in straight sets Monday by beating Lilia Osterloh 6-3, 7-6 (11/9) to reach the second round of the clay court tournament.

Wozniak, the No.12 seed, had to save eight set points, including two set points serving 5-6 in the second set and six more in the tiebreaker.

Wozniak next plays Tuesday against against qualifier Catalina Castano.

Bondarenko was the other seed to take the court on the first day of main draw, defeating the left-handed American in just 65 minutes.

Other first round winners included Magdalena Rybarikova, Angelique Kerber, Sofia Arvidsson, Ayumi Morita and Chang KaiChen. —Agencies

MONACO: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France plays a return to Nicolas Almagro of Spain during their match of the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters tournament. —AP

Rasmussen looks to break European title jinx MANCHESTER: Tine Rasmussen, who denied the might of Asia to win the AllEngland Open in Birmingham last month, will probably have to do something similar if she is to win the European championships just 90 miles down the road this week.

It is no longer quite so incongruous, in a world of growing migration, that two Asia-raised women’s singles players, Pi Hongyan and Yao Jie, will try to prevent the 30-year-old Dane taking the title from her continent of birth.

Surprisingly Rasmussen has never won it. Last time, two years ago in Herning, Denmark, she was beaten in the final by the defending champion, Xu Huaiwen, a China-raised German international who has since retired.

This time Pi, a China-raised player who now represents France, is top seed; Yao, also China-raised and representing The Netherlands, is seeded fourth, and will be trying to add to the European title she won in 2002.

Nevertheless Rasmussen will be the unofficial favourite after her extraordinary performance in regaining the AllEngland title unseeded, amidst a sequence of ups and downs and a whirl of emotions. “I couldn’t have dreamed of a better All-England,” Rasmussen said.

She saved three match points while beating world champion Lu Lan in the semifinals and edged home 21-19 in the final game of a thriller against the top-seeded titleholder Wang Yihuan in the final.

Rasmussen’s attack was

fearsome, and her smash as heavy and deadly as it had been when she became world number one in 2008.

She also played effectively in a different mode - in back-tothe-wall situations, when she reduced errors and moved her opponent around.

Her will in the cliff-hanging situations was remarkable. If she summons such qualities again, she will be hard to stop.

The importance Rasmussen places on becoming European champion was shown by her decision not to risk competing at the Swiss Super Series with a troublesome hip three weeks ago.

“I don’t want to take any chances and aggravate the injury further,” she said. “My goal is the European champi-

onships and I want to be perfectly ready.”

That is because Rasmussen is aware she will have to overturn recent history, in whic Asia-raised players have won the last four European women’s singles titles.

Xu captured two and Mia Audina, the former Indonesian heroine who moved to The Netherlands, triumphed in 2004.

Pi’s chances may depend on the extent to which her fitness has improved since her AllEngland loss to Juliane Schenk, whom she narrowly denied a world bronze medal in Hyderabad in August. She could meet the third-seeded German in Saturday’s semi-finals.

Another former world number one from Denmark, Peter

Gade, is top seed in the men’s singles, and will be trying to win the European title a fifth time.

Despite his 33 years, Gade was the last surviving European in his event at the All-England and looked as good as ever before losing a semi-final to Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei, the eventual champion.

Another Dane, Kenneth Jonassen, the European men’s singles titleholder, has retired in preparation for taking up a coaching appointment with England.

With his compatriots Jan Jorgensen and Joachim Persson, bronze and silver medallists last time, lining up as second and sixth seeds respectively, Denmark is nevertheless odds on to win the men’s title a tenth successive time. —AFP

Tine Rasmussen in action in this file photo.

18

SPORTS

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Split loyalties for Flamengo favorite Petkovic RIO DE JANEIRO: Flamengo favourite Dejan Petkovic is adored in his adopted home but the midfielder will be cheering for his native Serbia if they meet fivetimes champions Brazil in the 2010 World Cup final.

The 37-year-old from Nis, near Belgrade, first moved to Brazil in 1997 after playing for Red Star Belgrade and Real Madrid. He also played for teams in Italy, Saudi Arabia and China before joining Flamengo last year in his latest spell in Brazil.

“The Brazilians want this sixth title, so let’s cheer for Brazil to win it-as long as they don’t play the final against Serbia. In this case, we will not be cheering for

them!” laughed Petkovic.

“I am Serbian, and very proud of it, but also a bit Brazilian,” Petkovic, affectionately known as ‘Pet’, told Reuters TV. “For a long time I have felt a bit Brazilian.

Officially I am a ‘carioca,’ meaning I have the official title of Rio citizen, he said at Flamengo’s Gavea complex.

Petkovic believes Serbians and Brazilians are similar in the way they like to laugh, party and sing and said that was why he felt at home in Rio. “He is a real ‘carioca,’ he speaks like the locals from Rio, always joking in the same way we do,” said a supporter watching the practice session.

Petkovic’s career moved in the oppo-

site direction to most Brazilians. He went from Real Madrid to the South American country, which is a well-trodden path in reverse for Brazil’s best youngsters.

Younger members of the side are full of praise for the maestro who orchestrated Flamengo’s revival as one of country’s strongest teams and helped steer them to the 2009 Brazilian championship.

“He is a key player in the group because of his experience and intelligence. Just being who he is is important for the group,” said midfielder Fernando.

The Serbian has completely integrated into Brazil’s football culture, playing like a local.

“Yugoslav players have always been

called the Brazilians of Europe, that’s what the national team was nicknamed,” said Petkovic who played seven times for Yugoslavia but has long retired from international football.

“We have the talent, and our technique-driven football was always under the spotlight in the Balkans.” Former Yugoslav republic Serbia will make their first appearance at the World Cup in South Africa as an independent nation having played in the 2006 tournament with Montenegro.

“To have qualified for the World Cup was very good for our country. At least we finished first in our group, ahead of France,” Petkovic said.

“We have a new coach Radomir Antic, who is training our country for the first time. With his experience he has created a positive atmosphere and has brought back the confidence of the people in us.”

Serbia and Montenegro lost all three of their group games in Germany four years ago but with players such as Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, captain Dejan Stankovic and Marko Pantelic and Milan Jovanovic up front, Petkovic is optimistic the national team will enjoy a better showing this time round.

“We have a hard group against the traditionally awkward Germans, we have not played many matches against them,” he said.

“But I think we can perform well against Ghana, who are strong representatives from Africa. And with regards to Australia, I think we are better than them.

Petkovic, who cited Brazilian striker Zico and French playmaker Michel Platini as his heroes, has no doubt who the tournament favourites are.

“Brazil are one of the favourites, Spain are also one of the favourites,” Petkovic said while autographing a shirt.

“England deserve respect and Italy, despite playing very badly at the moment, they need to be respected, they are the defending champions. And if Argentina sort out their defence, they could also create problems.” —Reuters

New leaders Godoy Cruz crush Tigre 6-2

BUENOS AIRES: Boca Juniors’ Nicolas Gaitan (left) fights for the ball with Arsenal’s Hugo Nervo during an Argentine soccer league match. —AP

Hull suffer Hunt blow LONDON: Hull’s hopes of avoiding relegation from the English Premier League suffered a setback yesterday when leading scorer Stephen Hunt was ruled out of the rest of the season with a foot injury.

The 28-year-old Republic of Ireland international has not played since the 3-0 defeat by West Ham on February 20 but he remains the Tigers’ top scorer this term with

six goals. Hull were hoping Hunt would be fit for the run-in but will now have to do without the former Reading favorite.

Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Burnley left Hull four points adrift of safety with five league matches left to play.

“It’s a big blow,” Hull manager Iain Dowie told the club’s official website.

“Whenever you lose your top goalscorer it’s going to

be a blow. “Stephen couldn’t settle down and the pain returned. The surgeon had a look at it and decided to pin a little bone in there. “It’s disappointing for the lad. I spoke to him this morning and he is bitterly disappointed.

“But we have to get on with things and we need some big players to step up to the plate against Birmingham on Saturday.” —AFP

BUENOS AIRES: Forward Rodrigo Salinas scored a second-half hat-trick as Godoy Cruz crushed Tigre 6-2 to go top of the Argentina Clausura championship on Monday.

The side from the Andean province of Mendoza were joined at the top on 28 points from 14 matches by Argentinos Juniors, who beat Colon 3-1 at home for their fourth successive victory.

The two sides went a point ahead of Independiente, upset 1-0 at home on Saturday by San Lorenzo who had gone five matches without a win.

Godoy Cruz, who opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a header by defender Francisco Dutari, appeared to be cruising when Salinas and substitute Daniel Vega made it 3-0 in the opening four minutes of the second half.

However, substitute Leandro Lazzaro pulled one back in the 54th and two minutes later a controversial own goal made it 3-2.

A shot rebounded off goalkeeper Nelson Ibanez and then off defender Zelman Garcia and, although video replays showed Ibanez had scrambled back to stop the ball on the line, the goal was allowed to stand.

But Godoy Cruz left wing Cesar Carranza continued to dictate the pace and defender Leonardo Sigali made it 4-2 in the 66th minute before Salinas struck twice in the final 26 for his hat-trick.

Argentinos’ Chilean goalkeeper saved an early penalty from Colon defender Ariel Garce before goals by Nestor Ortigoza, Jose Calderon, who looked more than a metre offside, and Ismael Sosa gave them the win. Jonathan Bauman pulled one back in stoppage time. Estudiantes, without suspended captain Juan Sebastian Veron but with a fine midfield performance from Jose Sosa, crushed struggling Racing Club 4-0 to join Independiente on 27 points.

Sosa scored the first with a brilliant free kick, laid on the second for defender Clemente Rodriguez in the opening half hour and former Racing striker Leandro Gonzalez, in for the injured Mauro Boselli, added two, one in each half.

Independiente went down to their first defeat at home since inaugurating their new Libertadores de America stadium, San Lorenzo left back Nelson Benitez heading home from a corner in the ninth minute.

“When we don’t have the ball we’re a disaster,” coach Americo Gallego said after Independiente’s second successive defeat. They had won their previous six home games and kept a clean sheet in five successive matches. —Reuters

Iniesta sidelined

Stephen Hunt ruled out with foot injury

MADRID: Barcelona’s Spanish international midfielder Andres Iniesta will be out for up to a month after he suffered a tear to his right calf muscle during training, the club said yesterday.

The 25-year-old will miss Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Inter Milan on April 20 as well as the return leg eight days later, as well as most of the remainder of the Spanish league, which wraps up on May 16.

A key member of Spain’s national team, who are tipped as one of the favourites to win the 2010 World Cup, Iniesta came on as a late substitute during Barcelona’s 2-0 win over arch-rvials Real Madrid on Saturday. —AFP

GERMANY: Hamburg’s mayor Ole von Beust (left) receives the Europa League Cup from UEFA president Michel Platini (right) during the official handover to the City of Hamburg. Hamburg hosts this year’s Europa League final on May 12. —AP

Berbatov struggles remind England of Rooney’s value LONDON: England manager Fabio Capello had an uncomfortable preview of his worst World Cup nightmare when he watched Manchester United implode this month as soon as Wayne Rooney injured his ankle.

With a talent like 30 million pounds ($46.07 million) signing Dimitar Berbatov failing to fill the void at Old Trafford, what hope is there for England if their number one striker falls victim to injury again in South Africa in June?

Rooney’s magnificent season was spearheading United towards a possible treble but one tweak of his ligaments ended their Champions League hopes and severely dented their chance of retaining the Premier League title.

“Manchester United are not the same team without Wayne Rooney,” Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said after his team went back to the top of the Premiership with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford at the start of the month.

“Rooney is a fantastic player who is difficult to replace with another player. Berbatov is a good player but Rooney is totally different.

“Rooney can sometimes come back to receive the ball and use it for all the team and then he can attack in any direction. He is an unbelievable player. Rooney and

Berbatov have different characteristics,” added the Italian.

Ancelotti’s compatriot Capello could say the same for Peter Crouch, Emile Heskey, Jermain Defoe, Carlton Cole and Darren Bent, who also offer different characteristics and alongside Rooney they give England a variety of attacking options.

Crouch’s international scoring record — 18 goals in 36 matches-is comparable with the best in the world and he also offers a hold-up role as well as possessing an eye for a pass.

Heskey may struggle for goals but, as he showed regularly alongside Michael Owen, he makes space and opportunities for others.

Defoe is an instinctive finisher, Cole has pace and aerial talent while Bent has proved the critics wrong with a prolific season for a struggling Sunderland.

Even Fulham’s Bobby Zamora could be in the mix for the World Cup squad after his impressive season but the idea of any of the lesser lights leading the line will hardly strike fear into opposition defences and could leave long-suffering England fans facing up to another early tournament exit.

Rooney was clearly feeling his twisted ankle when he made his ill-advised early return for United’s Champions League sec-

ond leg against Bayern Munich and he sat out Sunday’s goalless draw with Blackburn Rovers having also missed the Chelsea defeat.

He could return against Manchester City on Saturday though Capello would rather see him in the stands, leaving just three more league games to limp through before the Premiership season ends on May 9.

Four years ago Rooney broke a metatarsal six weeks before the World Cup and though he missed the first group game he played in the next four matches, his involvement ending prematurely when he was sent off for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho in the quarter-final defeat by Portugal.

With England’s first 2010 World Cup game against United States scheduled for June 12 there is no reason why his ankle should not be fully recovered and Capello has no need to risk him for the May friendlies against Mexico and Japan other than to maintain match sharpness.

The battle among the other strikers, however, is far from over and England’s prospects of taking advantage of a dream draw depend on that fight being for the right to play alongside, not instead of, their world-class centre forward. —Reuters

Rich past can help Uruguay says coach Tabarez MONTEVIDEO: The ball with which Uruguay beat Argentina in the first World Cup final is what first catches the eye on entering the Football Museum at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo.

Made up of 36 thick brown leather panels, a faded white lace, and encased in a transparent box, it is surrounded by sepia photographs, 80-year-old newspaper cuttings and ancient boots-distant reminders of Uruguay’s rich past of two Olympic and two world titles between 1924 and 1950.

Uruguay’s 2010 World Cup coach Oscar Washington Tabarez, however, is adamant his team, representing a small country of 3.5 million people, would not dwell on that past when they head to South Africa for the June 11-July 11 finals.

“I think we’re on the right track in that we have very clear ideas as to what a

World Cup is,” the 63-yearold told Reuters in an interview surrounded by the memorabilia. “I think my players know (what a World Cup means) and they will know it at the right moment.”

Uruguay have been drawn in Group A for the finals where they meet 2006 finalists France, hosts South Africa and finally Mexico in the group stages.

Tabarez, who also took the side to the 1990 finals where they lost to hosts Italy in the second round, said he could draw from that experience to try and improve his team’s preparation for South Africa.

“So far, in the World Cups since 1970, we’ve not done well in the finals so this is a new chance to try to improve,” he said in reference to Uruguay reaching the 1970 semi-finals in Mexico but falling in the first round in 1974 and 2002 and

second in 1990. “We’re convinced we’ll get (to South Africa) in the form that matches our expectations, to get through the first round fundamentally from the first match,” Tabarez said.

“That will be difficult because any of the four teams has the potential and any can be eliminated, which I don’t see in the other groups.”

Uruguay needed 20 matches to reach the 2010 finals after finishing fifth in the 10-nation, 18-match South American group following a 1-0 defeat at home

by Argentina that sent Diego Maradona’s team through.

They then survived a two-legged playoff against fourth place CONCACAF team Costa Rica, winning 2-1 on aggregate after a nerveracking 1-1 draw at home in the decider.

“On an emotional level, the qualifiers are more difficult (than the finals) because

you’re up against the possibility of pursuing a dream or being left empty-handed,” said Tabarez, an urbane former Montevideo schoolmaster.

“So the climate at a World Cup is not the same, but it’s more demanding in terms of the rivals you could meet, especially from a possible second phase. “To play against one of those rivals and win is to go down in history.”

Tabarez said a World Cup always produced a surprise team and pointed to the likes of North Korea in 1966, Cameroon in 1990, Croatia in 1998, Turkey and South Korea in 2002.

“So far, none of the surprise (teams) has won the world championship ... I have the hope that we can be a surprise. “If we are, we’ll have things that the other surprise teams didn’t have because of our history.” —Reuters

SPORTS

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

19

Players, coaches demand inquiry into Wembley pitch LONDON: The owners of Wembley Stadium are under pressure to explain why one of football’s most revered pitches has become embarrassingly poor, with players and managers complaining that it is dangerous and demanding action.

Before the old Wembley was demolished in 2000, the lush surface was famous around the world for its quality. Since it was rebuilt in 2007, the pitch has been re-laid 10 times with critics complaining the stadium is overused to pay for its enormous cost.

Just over a year before Wembley hosts the Champions League final, the state of the pitch came under fire

again after last weekend’s FA Cup semifinals in which players repeatedly slipped on a surface that cut up far too easily.

Tottenham striker Peter Crouch blamed the flakey surface for Portsmouth’s first goal in Spurs’ 2-0 loss and his manager, Harry Redknapp, said it was dangerous and needed to be replaced.

The Football Association, which owns Wembley, said it understands the problems and is working with experts to find a solution.

“We accept and understand the frustrations around the standard of the pitch at Wembley for last weekend’s FA Cup semifinals,” the FA said

yesterday in a statement. “The problems faced on Saturday were due to the way the surface was prepared and the measures used overnight were unable to resolve the situation sufficiently for the match on Sunday.

“There is a unique challenge with the surface at Wembley and we are working with expert pitch consultants to get it right. Wembley Stadium is a multipurpose venue and we have to hold other events as part of the business plan, which means regular pitch replacements each year.”

Wembley is hosting a rugby union game on Saturday between Saracens and Harlequins and there are eight football matches up to the end of May,

including the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Portsmouth on May 15 and a World Cup warmup between England and Mexico nine days later.

The FA said it would decide next week after the rugby game whether to re-lay the pitch. But that seems likely after what happened at the weekend at the Chelsea-Aston Villa and Tottenham-Portsmouth semifinals.

“It was ridiculous. Everyone was slipping all over the place and it proved more costly for us because it caused Michael Dawson to slip for their goal,” Crouch said after his side lost 2-0 to Portsmouth. “No one could stand up. There is no get-

ting away from it.”

Redknapp said the pitch was dangerous and called for it to be re-laid.

“Dig it up and put another one down,” he said. “It’s rock hard and wet on the top. They don’t run race horses when it’s like that because it’s dangerous.

“It’s farcical. We have a football pitch that players can’t stand up on. It can’t be right can it when people just keep falling over. You wouldn’t see that Sunday morning in the park.

You’ve got a fantastic stadium and everything’s perfect except the pitch.”

Only 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Wembley is Arsenal’s Emirates

Stadium, which has one of the best playing surfaces in the country.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said the FA had to do something to improve the Wembley pitch to boost England’s bid to stage the 2018 World Cup. “I cannot imagine that England goes for the bid of the World Cup with a bad pitch,” Wenger said. “The fact that the most renowned stadium in the football world has a bad pitch is not acceptable.

“I am confident that the federation will sort matters out, but it cannot remain like that if everyone complains after the game that the pitch is not good enough.” The FA uses

Wembley often — including for music concerts and auto racing events — to recoup some of the 800 million pound (then $1.57 billion; §1.17 billion) cost, and the result is that the pitch usually has little time to recover.

Gordon Taylor, head of the players’ union, said the problem had been around since Wembley was reopened.

“The pitch is a big concern,” Taylor said. “It is becoming an embarrassment for the FA and it needs to be addressed and addressed properly.

“There is no point worrying about the finances of Wembley if people are going to be wary of playing there because the pitch is not up to it and you don’t get a fair contest.” —AP

SPAIN: Real Madrid’s players attend a training session in Madrid. Real Madrid’s coach Manuel Pellegrini, having splashed out over 250 million euros in a desperate attempt to halt the Barcelona juggernaut, looks doomed to become Real Madrid’s ninth coaching casualty since 2003. —AFP

Barcelona aim to march on, Real seek to bounce back MADRID: After outclassing Arsenal and Real Madrid in the space of five days treble winners Barcelona are on for a league and Champions League double and aim to build on their three-point lead over Real at the top of La Liga when they host Deportivo La Coruna today.

Barcelona had a week to cherish crushing Arsenal to reach the semifinals of the Champions League and then beating Real 2-0 in ‘El Clasico’ at the Santiago Bernabeu to seize the upper hand in the title race.

The champions look to consolidate that Real win by beating Depor at Camp Nou while Real must pick

themselves up for a trip to Almeria tomorrow.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola watched his side end Real’s perfect 15 home wins in the league and maintain his flawless record in the Clasicos winning all four since taking charge.

“There aren’t any secrets, I work hard, work long hours and I’ve got good players,” said Guardiola. “They know that if they don’t run, I’ll let them know and since they know that they all work harder.

“It was an honour to go to Real and win but it will only be worth something if we end up champions -

we’re not there yet as there are games left to play.”

Depor have garnered just two points from the last 18 with their European hopes fading fast as they have fallen five points off the top six.

Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini has come under a barrage of criticism following the Barcelona defeat and must dust himself down and rally his troops for the trip to Almeria.

Statistics show Pellegrini in a good light with 77 points from 31 games but the Real board are notoriously demanding and Real have come up short against the big teams losing

to Sevilla, AC MIlan, Lyon and twice against Barcelona.

The league is still a possibility if Barca slip up but early elimination from the Champions League and Kings Cup combined with two Clasico defeats has reportedly persuaded Real to look at possible replacements.

Cristiano Ronaldo came to Madrid to win trophies and the Portuguese star has not given up hope on trying to lift the league title.

“Barcelona were far superior but we have to pick ourselves up because there are seven games left,” said Ronaldo. “If we win the league it

Spurs, Arsenal face decisive derby day LONDON: Any meeting between Tottenham and Arsenal carries an extra edge but today’s latest edition of the north London derby has become a season-defining fixture for both sides.

Arsenal’s crushing defeat to Barcelona at the Camp Nou last week brought an end to their Champions League ambitions, ensuring the Premier League title now represents their last chance of ending a five-year wait for a major trophy.

Tottenham, meanwhile, suffered an even more unexpected blow when they were beaten in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final by a Portsmouth side who had been relegated into the Championship 24 hours earlier.

That meant there is no chance of new silverware appearing in the Spurs trophy cabinet this season and the club’s primary aim now is to finish fourth and claim a place in next season’s Champions League.

Defeat for either side at White Hart Lane could all but end their respective hopes of ending the season on a high, while a draw will suit no-one.

There’s little doubt, though, that Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp faces the bigger job in trying to lift his players following a painful defeat.

By the time the derby kicks off, Arsenal will have had more than a week to get over the lesson handed out by Lionel Messi and the rest of his Barca teammates.

For Spurs, though, the shock of failing to secure an FA Cup final meeting with Chelsea will still be raw. Redknapp insisted

the Arsenal clash was the ideal game for them after the shock of being humbled by Portsmouth and his task is to make sure that message sinks in to his squad.

While Spurs were on cup duty, Manchester City were tightening their grip on fourth place, beating Birmingham 5-1 to extend their advantage over Redknapp’s side to four points having played a game more.

“We are all very down because we expected a lot from the FA Cup,” Tottenham defender Sebastien Bassong said.

“We are still in the race for fourth spot and this will be a big game against Arsenal, which we need to win. “Obviously this game is coming straight after the defeat to Portsmouth which means we can get that result out of our minds very quickly.

“We know it will be difficult but we have been strong at home this season and must believe that we can get a result.”

Arsenal face similar pressure, sitting in third place three points behind leaders Chelsea, who face Bolton 24 hours before the north London grudge match.

Gunners goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has no doubts about the need for victory and believes the atmosphere Arsene Wenger’s side will face at White Hart Lane will be even more intense than in Barcelona.

“It’s a crucial game,” he said.

“We have five games and if we drop points we are out of the race. “That’s how we have to approach the game against Spurs. We must have in mind if we lose or draw we are out. It’s final. —AFP

can’t be talked of as a failure and we have to believe it is possible. “It is never nice to lose but we have to learn from the defeats and we can’t give up on the league.”

Real had been on a 12-match winning streak in the league before being beaten by Barcelona and Almeria can expect a backlash.

Third-placed Valencia have never been in the title race, lying 24 points behind Barcelona at present, and need to just focus on securing third and the automatic Champions League spot after a recent dip.

Valencia lost 3-2 at rivals Real Mallorca on Sunday but are still five

points ahead of Sevilla and Mallorca going into Thursday’s home match against Athletic Bilbao.

Bilbao are sixth and still in the running for a Champions League spot just three points behind fourth-placed Sevilla.

Kings Cup finalists Sevilla are at struggling Valladolid on Tuesday as they battle to hold on to fourth spot.

Valladolid are second from bottom six points from safety with new coach Javier Clemente having seven games to rescue them.

Buoyed by their win over Valencia, Mallorca look to improve their poor away form with victory at

Real Zaragoza today.

Mallorca have won just two of their 16 away matches this season but 39 points from a possible 45 at home have them pushing hard for a Champions League berth.

Elsewhere bottom side Xerez, eight points from safety, travel to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday as they bid to beat the drop.

Atletico appear to have given up on the league lying eight points off the top six in 10th although they have another route into Europe having reached the Kings Cup final as well as the Europa League semi-final. —AFP

Marseille look to close down title race

TASHKENT: Pakhtakor’s Asqar Jadigerov (left) and Al Ain’s Emerson fight for ball during a AFC Champions League soccer match between Pakhtakor, Uzbekistan, and Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. —AP

Matches on TV (local timings) English Premier League Aston Villa v Everton ....................................................... 21:45 Show Sports 4 Wigan v Portsmouth ......................................................... 21:45 Extreme Sports Tottenham v Arsenal ........................................................ 22:00 ShowSports 1 ShowSports 2 Spanish League Atletico v Xerez ................................................................ 21:00 Al Jazeera Sport +2 Barcelona v Deportivo ..................................................... 23:00 Al Jazeera Sport +2

PARIS: Marseille will be looking to close down the French Ligue 1 title race when they travel to Sochaux today as Bordeaux bid to put their poor form behind them against struggling Le Mans.

A week after pounding Sochaux 3-0 at the Stade Velodrome and three days after punishing Nice 4-1, Marseille are looking for three points that would take them closer to their ninth league title and first since 1992. Marseille have a twopoint lead on second-placed Auxerre with six games left and a victory in today’s delayed game would give Didier Deschamps’s side a five-point advantage over their title rivals.

But Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda warned his team-mates against getting carried away by their recent successes. “The aim at the start (of the season) was the Champions League. Today we’re well placed to achieve this objective if not more but we can’t say that it’s already done, far from that,” said Mandanda.

“We mustn’t get carried away. If we could be champions we’re not going to say no. We’re remaining clear headed, we’re continuing to work.”

Sochaux, in 15th place, have injury worries and will be without the services of midfielder Stephane Dalmat,

FRANCE: Marseille’s Ivorian forward Kone (right) jubilates with Teammate Brazilian forward Brandao in this file photo. —AFP striker Vaclav Sverkos and goalkeeper Teddy Richert, with defender Jeremie Brechet uncertain with an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Bordeaux’s hopes of retaining their title are looking increasingly slim as they sit

fifth, six points behind Marseille, but with a game in hand.

The title-holders will be looking to bounce back from Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Paris St Germain and a run which has seen them concede 11

goals in their last five games.

The western French outfit travel to second-from-bottom Le Mans with team morale low as they aim to keep in the running for at least a Champions League spot next season. —AFP

www.kuwaittimes.net

Portsmouth meltdown heaps shame on Premier League PARIS: There is a touchy-feely movie waiting to be made about how Portsmouth Football Club’s employees fought hopelessness and overwhelming odds this season. Ian (‘Gandalf’ and ‘Magneto’) McKellen might be perfect for the role of Tug Wilson.

He is the training ground manager given the cost-cutting boot by the debt-ridden Premier League club but then, touchingly, rehired thanks to the generosity of players who reached into their own, admittedly deep, pockets to cover his small wage. Maybe notoriously picky actor Daniel DayLewis could be tempted to play Portsmouth manager Avram Grant. He deserves an Oscar himself for the way he has kept his and his players’ chins up even as the club drowned in red ink so deep that it couldn’t pay them on time or, for that matter, the British taxman.

With his gallows humor and irrepressible optimism learned from his father who survived the Holocaust, Grant somehow dragged his patched-up team all the way to the FA Cup final.

For that, Grant deserves credit he never got at his for-

mer club, Chelsea. The London side has wealth Portsmouth can only dream of. It is heavily favored to win their final.

Even for a competition with such a long, proud history of upset results by teams that played out of their skins to humble stronger opponents, Portsmouth’s progress to the showpiece match next month, including its unlikely 2-0 semifinal victory last Sunday over Tottenham, has been comic-book stuff.

But the trouble with this script is that Portsmouth’s riches-to-rags story is really a tragedy for modern football, not a feel-good Hollywood tale that deserves a happy end.

Even if Grant’s players again defy the odds and beat the defending champions on May 15, that should not be allowed to obscure the fact that Portsmouth’s precipitous decline and the horrendous financial mismanagement that got it there is an embarrassment for the Premier League.

The league portrays itself as the most watched and lucrative in the world — the Formula One of football — but yet is allowing its members to amass massive and unsustainable debts. The notion that clubs should live within their

means has been replaced by “play today, pay tomorrow ... if we can” rapaciousness.

Portsmouth is only unique in that it is the first club in the Premier League’s 18-year history to get bankruptcy protection from creditors. Only a fool would guarantee that it will be the last.

While the league isn’t directly responsible for the poor judgment and greed of owners, Portsmouth’s woeful example shows that European football boss Michel Platini is absolutely correct to be pushing for a bigger dose of financial reason. Portsmouth FC, part of life in the southern English naval port for 112 years, was loaded with debt by a succession of owners.

Fans are still waiting for the “new dawn” that then-chief executive Peter Storrie promised in 2007. That was after Alexandre Gaydamak, the son of a Russian-born billionaire with a checkered past, bought the club from Milan Mandaric, a Croatia-born American who, along with former Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, is now contesting charges of tax evasion.

game on 21 minutes as he dispossessed Lorenzo De Silvestri following the right-back’s poor touch and ran in from the left but, under pressure, dragged his shot wide of the far post with his weaker left foot.

Just four minutes later Fiorentina had an even better opportunity as Alberto Gilardino acrobatically brought down a long ball into the box, turned and shot between goalkeeper Julio Cesar’s legs but centre-back Lucio was there to clear the ball off the line.

More last-ditch defending saved Inter again on the half-hour mark as Cristiano Zanetti’s clever ball into the box found Gilardino unmarked but Cristian Chivu came across from left-back to fling himself in front of the striker’s shot to block it.

Four minutes after the break Balotelli showed just what a talent he is with a rasping drive from 30 yards, when he was afforded too much time and space to set his sights, but Sebastien Frey tipped it around the post. And on 57 minutes La Viola had a mountain to climb after Eto’o fired the visitors ahead. —AFP

The “future is safe and will bring financial stability,” the club announced when the Saudi Arabian property magnate took over last October. That promise turned out to be hollow, too. Portsmouth’s fourth owner this season, and an unwilling one at that, is Balram Chainrai, a Hong Kong businessman who loaned money to the club and, when he didn’t get it back, took over in February.

Financial administrators brought in to prevent the club from going broke entirely are now looking for a new owner and have been cutting costs, including 85 staff, although groundsman Wilson got a reprieve.

As a punishment for the financial mess, the Premier League docked Portsmouth nine points. That was the equivalent of tearing the wings off a fly _ just enough to cripple but not to kill it. Combined with Portsmouth’s season of poor results on the pitch, the penalty helped to send the team packing from the Premier League for next season, where it will play in the next division down. But it likely won’t be enough to deter owners of other Premier League clubs from making the same mistakes in future. — AP

Anelka puts Chelsea in control of title race

Inter victory keep treble hopes alive ROME: Inter Milan kept their treble hopes alive with a 1-0 victory away to Fiorentina in the Italian Cup semi-final, second leg yesterday to reach May’s final 2-0 on aggregate.

Samuel Eto’o scored the only goal of the game 12 minutes into the second half to ensure Inter reached their fifth Italian Cup final in six years.

If AS Roma manage to hold onto their 2-0 first-leg lead over Udinese next week, it will also be the fifth final between the two sides in those last six years.

With his side through to the Champions League semi-finals and battling Roma and AC Milan for the Serie A title, Inter coach Jose Mourinho perhaps gave a clear indication of where his priorities lie by resting several star players.

Top scorer Diego Milito, centre-back Walter Samuel, midfield enforcer Esteban Cambiasso and playmaker Wesley Sneijder all found themselves on the bench as teenage striker Mario Balotelli was amongst those given a runout.

And it was Balotelli that had the first clear cut chance of the

The “spectacular” new 36,000-seat arena that Storrie talked about, designed by the same architectural firm that gave Beijing its iconic Bird’s Nest Olympic stadium, was never built.

Instead, Portsmouth built an expensive squad of players that won the FA Cup in 2008 but which, ultimately, a club of its modest means could ill afford. It spent 55 million pounds, or 78 percent of its turnover, in salaries that season.

Gaydamak quickly tired of his plaything, saying when he put Portsmouth up for sale in 2008 that he could no longer devote the time that ownership required. Fans give their hearts to clubs for the long-term. Owners, too often, do not.

Self-styled property tycoon Sulaiman al-Fahim, known as the ‘Arab Donald Trump’ because he hosts an “Apprentice”-style reality TV show, came next. He lasted less than six weeks.

As Redknapp noted to the Daily Mail, “When he was buying hamburgers off the stall outside they thought maybe he wasn’t as rich as they first thought.” Nor, clearly, was Ali Al-Faraj.

Chelsea 1

Bolton 0

ITALY: Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon celebrates after scoring during the Italian Cup, semifinal return-leg match against Fiorentina.— AP

LONDON: Chelsea seized control of the Premier League title race as Nicolas Anelka’s goal clinched a 1-0 win over Bolton yesterday to leave the Blues four points clear at the top of the table.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side were well below their best as they laboured to break down stubborn Bolton at Stamford Bridge, but Anelka’s header late in the first half was enough to ensure the Blues extended their lead over second placed Manchester United.

After United’s draw at Blackburn on Sunday, it was essential for Chelsea to press home their advantage and, with just four matches to play, the west London club are now firmly in position to win the league for the first time since 2006.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s claim that Bolton would be an “easy” game for Chelsea had drawn an amused response from Ancelotti, who was quick to dismiss the United manager’s mind games, and Wanderers made the leaders sweat right until the final whistle.

Chelsea kicked off in their best form of the campaign, having scored 17 goals in their last four matches. There was an early glimpse of that commitment to attack as John Terry came forward to pick out Yuri Zhirkov.

The Russian left-back skipped past two defenders and crossed low for Didier Drogba, but his first-time shot curled over the bar.

The Blues looked a little less convincing at the back and South Korean midfielder Lee ChungYong fashioned a chance for Bolton with a clever turn and cross towards Matthew Taylor at the far post.

Petr Cech spilled the ball under pressure from Taylor’s challenge, but Paulo Ferreira was on hand to scramble the midfielder’s shot to safety.

It quickly became apparent Bolton had no intention of letting Ferguson’s prediction of a Chelsea stroll come true.

They got stuck into Chelsea at every opportunity and Terry needed treatment after tangling with Taylor before Kevin Davies left Zhirkov with a bloodied head wrapped in bandages following an aerial collision.

Salomon Kalou almost gave Ancelotti’s team the lead in freakish circumstances when Jussi Jaaskelainen pushed Drogba’s free-kick onto the Ivorian, but the ball cannoned off his head and past the post.

Zhirkov’s injury hardly helped Chelsea’s rhythm and he was twice forced to leave the field to patch up his bleeding wound before half-time. But the Russian returned to play his part as Chelsea took the lead in the 43rd minute.

He rolled a pass wide to Drogba on the left wing and the Ivory Coast striker whipped over a perfect cross that Anelka met with a close-range header which gave Jaaskelainen no chance.

It was Anelka’s first goal in 14 matches since he last netted at Burnley in January and provided the perfect response to this week’s claim from Bolton striker Davies that his former Wanderers team-mate wasn’t happy playing alongside Drogba.

Kalou wasted a chance to put

LONDON: Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka (centre) celebrates with teammates Frank Lampard (left) and Salomon Kalou after scoring against Bolton Wanderers during their English Premiership soccer match. — AP Chelsea in complete control early in the second half as his tame shot allowed Jaaskelainen to save after Drogba’s pass sent the forward clear on goal.

Still, it was clear that Chelsea were below their best and the hosts breathed a sigh of relief

when referee Lee Probert turned down Bolton penalty appeals after Lee’s cross appeared to strike Terry high on his arm.

Zhirkov was the only Blues star to offer a constant threat and the Russian forced a fine stop from Jaaskelainen with a rasping

near-post drive.

Frank Lampard was denied by a post as his fierce shot struck the woodwork, but Bolton almost snatched a draw as Johan Elmander headed wide and then Ivan Klasnic just failed to hit the target. — AFP

EPL result/standings Chelsea 1 (Anelka 43) Bolton 0 English Premier League table after yesterday’s match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Chelsea Man Utd Arsenal Man City Tottenham Liverpool Aston Villa Everton Birmingham Stoke Blackburn Fulham

34 34 33 33 32 34 32 33 34 33 34 33

24 23 22 17 17 16 14 13 12 10 11 11

5 4 5 11 7 8 12 11 10 13 10 9

5 7 6 5 8 10 6 9 12 10 13 13

85 77 75 69 58 54 44 52 35 32 35 35

30 27 34 41 32 33 32 44 43 35 50 37

77 73 71 62 58 56 54 50 46 43 43 42

Sunderland W’hampton Bolton West Ham Wigan Burnley Hull Portsmouth

34 34 34 34 33 34 33 33

9 8 8 7 8 7 6 6

11 9 8 10 7 6 9 5

14 17 18 17 18 21 18 22

44 52 38 28 51 33 36 62 32 41 57 31 30 64 31 36 72 27 32 70 27 28 60 14 - relegated

Note: Portsmouth deducted 9 points for entering administration.

Valladolid stun CL chasing Sevilla MADRID: Valladolid coach Javier Clemente enjoyed a winning home debut as the relegation-threatened side beat Champions League hopefuls Sevilla 2-1 at home yesterday to boost their hopes of staying up, moving three points from safety.

It is a major setback for Sevilla and their Champions League hopes with the club staying fourth although Real Mallorca can go three points ahead of them with victory over Real Zaragoza today.

Valladolid had just one win in the last 16 games before the game but 60-year-old veteran coach Clemente - who coached Spain from 1992 to 1998 has made it four points from his two games at the helm to enhance their chances of beating the drop.

Attacker Diego Costa headed his eighth goal of the season on 41 minutes to put Valladolid ahead and Angolan striker Mateus Manucho, briefly on Manchester United’s books, struck a second on 53 minutes.

“This was a big win for us and gives us more confidence to try and fight to stay in the top-flight,” said Costa. Juan Cala got a late goal back for Sevilla with a sweet 25-yard strike but Valladolid clung on with goalkeeper Jacobo Ovejero making two big saves in the closing stages.

It was a ninth defeat on the road and the performance and result does little for the fading chances of interim manager Antonio Alvarez, who replaced Manolo Jimenez, to get the job on a permanent basis.

Elsewhere Tenerife finally won their first away game of the season triumphing 2-0 at Sporting Gijon to move two points from safety.

Late goals from Roman Martinez (70 min) and Alejandro Alfaro (87) helped promoted Tenerife win away after 16 failed attempts and fourth from bottom

SPAIN: Sevilla’s midfielder Christian Ndri Romaric (right) vies with Valladolid’s Manucho during their Spanish League football match. — AFP Malaga, two points ahead of Tenerife, are now looking over their shoulder nervously. Late yesterday Europa League rivals Villarreal and Getafe lock horns at the Coliseum.

Villarreal are two points off sixth spot, currently occupied by Athletic Bilbao, while Getafe are one place and two points further back.

Table-toppers Barcelona take to the field today when they host Deportivo La Coruna at Camp Nou. Barcelona are three points clear of Real Madrid after beating their arch rivals 2-0 in Saturday’s ‘El Clasico’ putting them in the box seat with seven games left. —AFP

LG’s Android phone makes social networking easier

Metco, Avaya announce future roadmap

22

BMW regional sales up 13% in Q1

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

www.kuwaittimes.net

Nigeria ‘safe, good for business’: Kuwait envoy Kuwait-Nigeria Investment Conference begins on April 25

By Chidi Emmanuel KUWAIT: In a bid to promote diplomatic ties and business relations, the Nigerian embassy in conjunction with the Association of Nigerians Residents in the Arabian Gulf and the Deep Impact Company will be organizing a three-day business conference from 25th-27th April 2010 at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce. The conference titled Kuwait-Nigeria Investment Conference (KNIC) is aimed at showcasing the investment opportunities in Nigeria.

Speaking at the press conference yesterday, the Vice President of the Deep Impact Company, Muneera AlHassawi urged investors to explore the Nigerian vast market and investment opportunities. Muneera, who has just returned from a business trip in Nigeria, rejected the negative image being portrayed by the media as baseless and unfair for the oil-rich nation. “What they (media) said is different from what I saw. Nigeria is safe and Nigerians are friendly people,” she said. “The tension in Nigeria has been overblown by the media. The

KUWAIT: (From left to right) Nigerian ambassador in Kuwait Ahmed Gusau Bala, Vice President of the Deep Impact Company, Muneera Al-Hassawi and the Kuwait ambassador in Nigeria, Saad A Al-Asousi pictured during a conference at the Holiday Inn in Salmiya yesterday. —Photos by Chidi Emmanuel situation is not as bad as it is being portrayed. I didn’t see any form of religious or ethnic violence during my visit to four Nigerian statesnamely, L agos, Kano, Zamfara and Katsina state,” she added, urging businessmen to join the likes of Zain, Etisalat, ZJS and other multiinternational companies that

are reaping their business benefits in Nigeria.

In his remark, the Kuwait ambassador in Nigeria, Saad A Al-Asousi hailed the Nigeria-Kuwait relations and advised Kuwaiti investors to turn to the most populated African nation for fr uitful investments. “I have found out that Nigeria is safe and

good for business. It is beautiful and business friendly,” the ambassador said.

Buttressing Muneera’s views, he added that “Nigeria is a great country with a lot of untapped resources”. He hinted that both gover nments are working on some business ventures in areas of telecommunication, transport

and oil sectors.

On Nigeria-Kuwait bilateral ties, the Nigerian ambassador in Kuwait Ahmed Gusau Bala said that both nations have enjoyed cordial bilateral relations for decades. “Kuwait and Nigeria belong to OIC, OPEC and UN among others.

We admire Kuwait’s democ-

KUWAIT: Business executives and members of the press listen as the Kuwait ambassador in Nigeria addresses the gtahering. ratic principles, its vibrant economy and rich cultural heritage,” he said. Turning to the reforms, the envoy pointed out some of the major reforms which include a ‘total war’ against corruption and other financial crimes and also Nigeria’s involvement as the main player in maintaining region-

US trade gap widens to $39.7bn Deficit with China narrows, yuan impact eyed WASHINGTON: The US trade deficit with China narrowed to its lowest level in nearly a year in February, while the nation’s overall trade gap widened as strengthening domestic demand triggered a surge in imports.

Analysts said yesterday’s data may provide China a reason to resist revaluing its yuan currency substantially and suggested the trade deficit could be a small drag on US first-quarter gross domestic product. However, the data was an indication that the economic recovery was gaining momentum.

“The decline in the bilateral trade deficit with China might take a little of the pressure off the Chinese to allow their currency to appreciate against the dollar,” said Paul Ashworth, senior US economist at Capital Economics in Toronto.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, attending a nuclear security summit in Washington, told President Barack Obama on Monday that China would not be pushed by external pressure to revalue the yuan and would be guided instead by its own domestic needs.

The closely watched bilateral US trade gap with China narrowed to $16.5 billion in February, the lowest since last March, the Commerce Depar tment said. Impor ts from China fell 7.2 percent to $23.4 billion, the lowest since May. China’s own monthly data released on Saturday showed it ran a $7.24 billion trade deficit in March, the first time its balance had been in the red since April 2004.

Despite the slimmer monthly deficit with Asia’s manufacturing

ROSEVILLE: A shopper looks at televisions at Best Buy in Roseville, Michigan. The US trade deficit widened more than expected in February as exports rose to the highest level in 16 months but this gain was offset by a bigger jump in imports, reflecting increased demand for consumer goods from televisions to clothing. —AP giant, President Obama has made clear he wants Beijing to move toward a market-based currency exchange regime. US lawmakers have threatened to pass legislation imposing US tariffs on Chinese imports if Beijing does not let its currency appreciate.

A jump in imports of consumer goods and other products widened

the overall US trade gap in Febr uar y to $39.7 billion from Januar y’s $37.0 billion deficit.

Exports grew only marginally.

The 0.2 percent growth in exports, which was overshadowed by a 1.7 percent jump in imports, was still the best showing since the depths of the global financial crisis in October 2008.

Sukuk issuance poised for boost: Moody’s DUBAI: Islamic bond deals in 2010 could top last year’s roughly $24 billion as global regulatory and legislative initiatives and a possible Dubai World restructuring settlement boost sukuk activity, ratings agency Moody’s said yesterday.

Most issuance in 2010 will take place in the second half of the year when Moody’s believes clearer signs of a global economic recovery, investor risk appetite and corporate performance will be available.

The majority of sukuk issuance in the first half of 2010 will come from supranational, sovereign and government-related issuers with

leasing-based structures, such as ijara and murabaha, continuing to dominate the landscape, Moody’s said. A possible settlement between stateowned Dubai World and its creditors over $26 billion in debt could calm investor fears and propel issuers to tap the regional market.

Sukuk issuance will also benefit as new jurisdictions such as Luxembourg, the UK and Indonesia work to introduce a sukuk-friendly market, with France and Australia likely to follow suit, Moody’s said.

In established markets like the GCC, the anticipated mortgage law in Saudi Arabia is likely to drive growth in the mortgage market, which

would spur sukuk issuance in order to facilitate future lending.

And the creation of Saudi’s Tadawul Sukuk platform, which will allow for the trading and pricing of Islamic bonds, should also create an active and regulated secondary market in the kingdom, by attracting a larger segment of investors, including institutional investors, into the market.

Moody’s anticipates that markets such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, to a lesser extent, which have underperformed their potential, are in a good position to issue more sukuk over the next few years. —Reuters

Financial markets, which had expected a $38.5 billion trade gap, were little moved by the report.

Cary Leahey, an economist with Decision Economics in New York, said the slightly bigger-thanexpected deficit could prompt analysts to ratchet back their estimates for first-quar ter US economic growth.

“People have been raising their first quarter GDP forecasts toward 4.0 percent, so this takes a little bit of a shine off that. There is a pickup in the underlying economy, but the trade report suggests that more of the benefit may have gone to overseas production rather than domestic production,” he said.

While the economy continues to recover from the worst downturn since the 1930s, small business owners have little confidence in the recovery and are in no rush to hire or expand, a survey released yesterday showed. The National of Independent Federation Business’ monthly index of small business optimism fell 1.2 points in March to 86.8 and was below 90 for the 18th consecutive month.

“The index is still well above its lows reached during the crisis of 2008 but continues to point to a dichotomy in conditions for small businesses and large corporations,” said Julia Coronado, an economist at BNP Paribas in New York.

Po i n t i n g t o s t re n g t h e n i n g domestic demand, US imports of consumer goods such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, toys and clothing and foreign services such as travel in Febr uar y were the highest since October 2008.

Imports of industrial supplies and materials were the highest since November 2008. Crude oil imports in February were the lowest since February 1999. Separately, a Labor Department report showed strong petroleum prices in March boosted overall import prices, but the strengthening US dollar kept overa l l i m p o r t c o s t p re s s u re s c o n tained. —Reuters

Greece clears first debt hurdle, doubts remain ATHENS: Greece has passed its first borrowing test since euro zone leaders agreed on a potential aid package, but the high price it paid yesterday for short term cash failed to quash doubts that it can beat its crisis alone.

The debt-laden Mediterranean state drew heavy demand at auctions in which it sold 1.56 billion euros of 6-month and 1-year treasury bills, filling a short-term financing gap and buying time to consider whether to grab the estimated 45 billion euro ($61 billion) EU/IMF aid deal.

But the hurdle of a 10-year, 8.5 billion euro bond that it must raise money to repay in May still looms, and analysts said the country of 11 million faced a longterm slog to win back investor confidence and return to economic health. Markets, too, were unconvinced, with yields of Greece’s 10-year benchmark bonds erasing gains from a rally following the aid agreement to

rise within a percentage point of euro-era highs hit last week when some investors feared possible default.

“Today’s successful Greek short-term debt auctions will further ease fears about Greece meeting its near-term financing needs, but it still faces an uphill struggle to return the public finances to a sustainable position,” said Ben May, an analyst at Capital Economics.

Analysts noted that the interest rates were more than double previous tenders and signalled persisting investor doubt that could eventually drive Athens to grab the aid lifeline.

The government is trying to cut last year’s public sector deficit by around a third to 8.7 percent of gross domestic product this year, but the spike in its debt costs has raised spending and its budget measures are expected to deepen an economic contraction of 2 percent, making that goal difficult. —Reuters

al peace in Africa.

On the economy, Bala emphasized on what the Nigerian government calls ‘the enablers’ that will ensure that Nigeria becomes one of the strongest economies by 2020. Other sectors were not left alone as he unveiled other investment opportunities in telecommu-

nications, tourism, aviation, railways, shipping, iron and steel, solid minerals and gas sectors. He hinted that the government is working out on various attractive incentives to lure investors. Also on the pipeline is a taxexemption with import and export duties for potential investors.

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

Kuwait index plunges, other markets mixed DUBAI: Kuwait’s Agility tumbled yesterday after US authorities filed a revised fraud indictment, dashing hopes of an imminent settlement in a case that may decide if it can bid for future US contracts. Agility’s shares fell 7.8 percent. It stands accused of overcharging the US army millions of dollars on supply contracts in Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan. Last week, Agility said it was delaying the release of 2009 earnings as it negotiated with US authorities, raising expectations a deal was near.

Instead, Agility was back in court, with the indictment extended to include two affiliates and its stock down 45 percent since charges were first brought in late November. “The new indictment only increases the uncertainty over Agility,” said a Kuwait analyst who asked not to be identified.

Agility had rallied on Monday after it posted a 22 percent rise in fourth-quarter profit and proposed a 40 fils dividend. “I was surprised to see the company offer a dividend-one would think it would need to preserve cash to settle the case,” the analyst said.

Agility is suspended from bidding for new US contracts and if convicted faces a fine of up to twice the gain it realized or twice the loss to the United States.

Kuwait’s index fell 0.8 percent, its largest loss in eight weeks. Saudi Arabia’s Riyad Bank dropped 3.8 percent, extending losses since it reported below-forecast earnings. “Expectations were elevated for (Saudi) banks and the general feeling was that

loan growth was going to pick up, but it seems it is a bit too early for that,” said a Saudi analyst who asked not to be identified. “Riyad Bank has a lot of cash on its balance sheet and so many people thought it would aggressively increase its loan book, but this didn’t happen, which was a big disappointment and dragged the rest of the bank sector down.

“We’re expecting bank numbers to be neutral and provisioning to continue, although this will not be as large as in Q4.”

Qatari Masraf Al-Rayan climbed 3.3 percent to an 18month high after its quarterly profit rose. “Masraf’s results were very good and its assets grew faster than expected,” said Keith Edwards, head of asset management at Dohabased investment company The First Investor. “Masraf’s numbers might not be significant in terms of expectations for other banks - they dance to the tune of QNB.” Qatar National Bank (QNB) climbed 0.6 percent, hitting a 20-month intraday peak, a week after posting a 25 percent rise in first-quarter profit. Industries Qatar was up 1.6 percent. The index rose 0.8 percent to its highest close since Oct 22, 2008.

“Fundamentals look good the banks will benefit from Qatar’s infrastructure spending and Industries Qatar is underpinned by its expansion plans and an improving global economy,” said Edwards.

Dubai Financial Market fell 1.5 percent after Shuaa Capital slashed its price target on the stock on a lower turnover forecast and implied weaker revenues. — Reuters

OPEC would mull output hike if oil hits $90-$95 DUBAI/LONDON: OPEC would consider raising crude output if the oil price rose to around $90 to $95 a barrel, delegates from the producer group said yesterday.

Crude oil futures traded at around $83.80 a barrel yesterday, above the $70-$80 mark that OPEC’s top producer Saudi Arabia and other members have described as fair for both consumers and producers.

“We haven’t met to discuss what we will do if the price reaches the $90 to $95 level, but for sure if the price reaches that level we will consider an increase,” one delegate told Reuters by telephone. —Reuters

BUSINESS

22

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Traders eye face-to-face from April 19

ADNOC holds pre-naphtha term talks in Singapore their usual negotiations via fax, will unlikely result in offers or bids. They are aimed at enabling ADNOC to get a feel of the volumes needed by buyers at a time prices are still holding firm before sliding in the coming months, traders added.

The term buyers involved in the one-year contract include Taiwan’s Formosa, Japan’s Marubeni and Itochu and South Korea’s Honam, which last month dropped its contract for supplies to be lifted during April 2010-March 2011. ADNOC has three contracts, spanning from January to December, April to March and July to June.

“ADNOC likely wants to discuss volumes and market sentiment next week. I think price negotiation will take place in May,” said a trader.

But others said that ADNOC may be attempting to secure better buying notions before the market heads south from May, as increased ethylene supplies will hit naphtha cracking margins.

On top of this, traders expect ADNOC to have at least 2 million tons a year of new naphtha supplies from July after repeated delays. ADNOC was supposed to have more condensates early this year to feed its splitters. This would increase its naphtha yield, but up till now, it has not been able to ramp up its naphtha production, traders said. never forgets a face. So no and-share user experience.

“A softer market ahead may The crisp 5-megapixel AF matter where one goes, be the only reason why they friends and family are no camera and high-resolution want to have a discussion this more than a finger touch video recorder capture conearly, even if buyers are not likeaway. Simply tag a friend’s tent that can be enhanced ly to give any buying ideas,” said face in a photo and one can with the phone’s fun editing another trader. “Their term easily execute a range of tools to let users shoot, slice negotiation is likely to drag like remote functions such as and splice together their own the last time.” masterpieces. uploading photos to a multimedia Term suppliers usually start favourite site or connecting Once satisfied with the final negotiations a month, or at the through SMS, MMS or voice cut, all it takes is another most two months, before shipby simply touching the face simple touch to upload and ment takes place. ADNOC had share experiences with loved on the display. been facing a supply crunch, and ones.

Connect With Comfort was unable to offer naphtha for The full studio of enterAs a social networking second-quarter loading in its smartphone, the LG GW620 tainment offerings includes a April 2010-March 2011 contract, replicates the comfortable dynamic HVGA 3-inch LCD sealed at a premium of $23.50environment of the PC for a for true-to-life viewing of $25.50 a ton to its own pricing more convenient social net- friends’ videos with DivX and formula, on a free-on-board working experience. The fin- Xvid support and the added (FOB) basis. “They could have ger-friendly, 5-line slider convenience of a 3.5-mm overcommitted under the QWERTY keyboard coupled audio jack for more enjoyable January-December 2010 conwith one of the fastest web multi-tainment on the versatract, as they were expecting browsers around allows for tile device. additional supplies to come “LG’s first Android phone, speedy surfing and smooth onstream,” said a third trader. It streaming of video with every LG GW620, was developed could be due to the absence of favourite Google applications with social networking in second-quarter exports from mind from the start,” said H.S close at hand.

ADNOC that Formosa was The instant messenger, Paik, President of LG forced to buy more spot cargoes threaded SMS and real-time Electronics Gulf FZE. “Social for May delivery on Monday, dripush email functions keeps networking has become ubiqving up naphtha cracks. Cracks, one more connected than uitous and an important way premiums/losses obtained from ever before. Feeling chatty? for many of us to stay conrefining Brent crude into naphJust touch a name on the nected with friends, family tha, neared a two-week high at screen to see who’s logged and coworkers. Our smart$121.70 a ton yesterday fiveon. One more touch and start phones are designed with the month low of $99.95 a ton on lifestyles of our users in mind chatting.

April 7. and seamlessly integrating Create New Content For But going forward, the social networking features in Sharing underlying market is softenThe LG GW620 embraces our handsets will enable LG ing because of an impending the latest multi-entertain- smartphone owners to be petrochemical glut and higher ment features to deliver a more accessible and better supplies of naphtha from rewarding, realtime create- connected.”

India. —Reuters

SINGAPORE: Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) will meet Asian naphtha customers next week in Singapore to discuss supplies for July 2010-June 2011 delivery, unusually early for any contract negotiations, traders said yesterday. But traders said the face-to-face talks from April 19-21, unlike

Gulf Bank congratulates winners of Al-Danah weekly draw KUWAIT: Gulf Bank launched Al-Danah 2010 with more chances for its Al-Danah customers to win cash prizes throughout the year. The Bank holds weekly, quarterly and annual prize draws for its customers, encouraging them to keep their money in their account for as long as possible to enhance their chances of winning.

The Bank held its tenth draw on April 11th, 2010, announcing a total number of 10 Al-Danah weekly prize draw winners, each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000.

The winners were: Hessa Mohammad Hamad Ben Hussain, Wazma Mahd Bazeer, Zeinab Adel Bytar, Hashem Najem Abdulla Hassan, Tahera Sajjad Hussain Tuta Wala, Adel Mahmoud Mohammed Bin Nakhy, Hamdan AbdulRazzaq Hamdan Mohammed.

Mohammed Radwan Mustafa Qandeel, Javid Anwar Anwar and Aklah Naser Abdulla AlFafhali A minimum deposit of just KD200 is needed to open an Al Danah account. Not only does Gulf Bank’s Al Danah account allow customers to win, but it is also encourages customers to save money. The more money deposited and the longer it is kept in the account, the more chances there are to win.

Al Danah also offers a number of unique services including the Al Danah Deposit Only ATM card which helps account holders deposit their money at their convenience; as well as the Al Danah calculator which is now in operation to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an Al Danah winner.

To be part of the Al Danah draw customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 51 branches, transfer on line, or call the Telebanking service 1805805 for assistance and guidance. Customers can also log on to www.egulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website, to find all the information regarding Al Danah or any of the Bank’s products and services or log on www.egulfbank.com/aldanah, to find out more about Al Danah and who the winners are.

ExxonMobil hosts BBS students at London refinery and college Five-day educational tour for BBS competition winners KUWAIT: ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Kuwait Limited flew the winners of the “ExxonMobil BBS Science Trip Essay Competition” to London for a five-day trip to visit Imperial College, one of the UK’s most prestigious universities, and an exclusive tour of ExxonMobil’s refinery in the UK. ExxonMobil launched the “ExxonMobil BBS Science Trip Essay Competition” in collaboration with Bayan Bilingual School (BBS) in January 2010.

The competition required participants to write an essay on what they deem as the most significant scientific achievement of the last decade, and defending their case by arguing its impact on society.

The eight winners, Mohammed Rakan Al-Sabah, Nasser Bahzad, Nour Ghadanfar, Aseel Al-Salem, Dawood Almatar, Marwan Al Enezi, Jassim AlBahar and Soud Al-Rashed, BBS supervising teacher, Sadjia Droueche, and ExxonMobil’s Public Affairs and Government Relations Manager, Aseel Al-Turkait, flew to London on Tuesday 6th April and started the trip with a visit to ExxonMobil’s refinery in Southampton.

ExxonMobil’s Public Affairs and Government Relations Manager, Aseel Al-Turkait, said: “The trip is a great opportunity to stimulate students into learning more about science, whether it was through the research they have done to qualify into the competition or during the educational visit to Imperial College and our UK refinery. We look forward to organizing more of these educational trips in the future.”

During their visit to ExxonMobil’s UK refinery, expert engineers walked students through the history behind the refinery, the process of oil refining and the distribution process of oil throughout the world.

LG’s Android phone makes social networking even friendlier KUWAIT: LG’s first Android smartphone, LG GW620, represents the company’s social networking vision to deliver a new kind of mobile experience for the growing number of consumers who insist on having their social networking tools with them wherever they go. The LG GW620 is perfectly positioned for the growing trend of mobile social networking.

According to research firm Frost & Sullivan, “the combination of increasing smartphone sales and the insatiable appetite for social networking provides an ideal market for social networking smartphones to take hold.”

Most Popular SN Sites Integrated With the LG GW620’s SNS Manager, users can simply check a friend’s status, leave comments or update their own social networking sites remotely. The SNS Manager integrates all of one’s social networking needs in one convenient platform for the managing of multiple accounts while receiving real-time updates. Even when searching through the phone’s contact list, users can still view updates from friends and be taken directly to their sites if desired.

Unique to the LG GW620, the Auto Face-Tagging and Face To Action technology

During the third day, students visited with His Excellency, Ambassador Khaled Al-Duwaisan at the Embassy of Kuwait, after which they left for a visit with Imperial College, which included an in depth presentation on the college’s history, admission requirements and a tour of the grounds and buildings..

Bayan Bilingual School Chemistry Teacher on the trip, Sadjia Droueche, said: “High school students are often hesitant about the careers they want to pursue, and this starts with wondering which college they want to enroll in. We thank ExxonMobil for organizing these annual trips and allowing brilliant students to have a feel of what awaits them after school.”

The trip ended with visits to educational and historical locations such as the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. Al-Turkait added: “Students expressed great interest in the activities lined-up during the five days.

Educational trips are very important for students to see how they can apply what they learn theoretically at school through on-ground visits of specialized studies and professions. Our investment in educational trips today is crucial to the development of the leaders of tomorrow, especially in science fields.”

ExxonMobil Kuwait is an active supporter of engaging students in the fields of math, science, and analytical thinking. The company is a founder of the annual Kuwait Science Fair competition, Kuwait’s largest math and science competition launched in 2008. ExxonMobil Kuwait also organizes yearly educational trips for students, and for the last three years, about 40 students have visited Qatar and eight others London, courtesy of the company.

Oman Air appoints Chief Officer Airport Operations Oman Air has appointed Don Hunter as Chief Officer, Airport Operations. Don has spent the last 41 years in aviation, of which 19 years with Cathay Pacific Airways where his responsibilities included running both airport and ground handling subsidiaries in Hong Kong and also Cathay’s commercial operation in South Africa. Don also spent 4 years with Virgin Atlantic, heading their Airport Services department, responsible for Virgin’s 31 airports worldwide.

Most recently, he held the position of Vice President with Dnata, both in Dubai and the Philippines.

In his current position with Oman Air, Don will be responsible for running the ground handling elements of Oman’s airports, including check-in, passenger, baggage handling and Airport Services - Cargo for Oman Air and the 26 other airlines that operate sched-

Don Hunter uled services in Oman. He will also be responsible for planning and developing those elements into the new airports and facilities, currently under construction in Oman.

Don’s entry into aviation was by way of the Royal Air Force, and his first visit to Oman was in 1970 whilst serving in the RAF. Peter

Hill Chief Executive Officer, Oman Air, said on Don’s appointment as the Chief Officer - Airport Operations: “We are happy to appoint Don Hunter in this position.

With his vast experience and expertise, we are sure he will ably assist Oman Air’s expansion plans. We wish him all the best and bestow all the support needed for him to carry out his duties.”

On his appointment Don said: “I am truly delighted to be returning to this wonderful country after so many years and at such a tremendously exciting time for Oman Air. The challenges of “raising the bar” on the ground, to compliment the excellent in-flight service Oman Air offers are very real, but with such an enthusiastic and talented team to work with, I am much looking forward to the opportunity to assist Oman Air reach new heights of service”.

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 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 US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

.2820000 .4410000 .390000 .2695000 .2830000 .2660000 .0045000 .0020000 .0778010 .7579950 .4020000 .0750000 .7430810 .0045000 .0500000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2866000 .4436660 .3920980 .2714370 .2855850 .0526670 .0403050 .2677130 .0369390 .2065000 .0030780 .0065130 .0025250 .0034420 .0041990 .0780690 .7606000 .4053320 .0764660 .7447910 .0064400 TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2887000 .4468000 .2733600 .0769530

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.119 6.467

.2920000 .4490000 .3965000 .2777000 .2900000 .2720000 .0075000 .0035000 .0785830 .7656130 .4170000 .0790000 .7505500 .0072000 .0580000 .2887000 .4468000 .3948670 .2733600 .2876070 .0530400 .0405910 .2696040 .0372000 .2079620 .0031000 .0065590 .0025430 .0034670 .0042290 .0785670 .7654500 .4082030 .0769530 .7495410 .0064850

Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.435 2.527 4.044 207.300 37.142 4.159 6.429 8.915 0.301 0.292 GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal 76.880 Qatari Riyal 79.210 Omani Riyal 748.930 Bahraini Dinar 765.640 UAE Dirham 78.513 ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 55.000 Egyptian Pound 52.280 Yemen Riyal 1.284 Tunisian Dinar 208.430 Jordanian Dinar 407.100 Lebanese Lira 193.400 Syrian Lier 6.309 Morocco Dirham 35.574 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 288.150 Euro 393.040 Sterling Pound 446.040 Canadian dollar 288.440 Turkish lire 193.810 Swiss Franc 273.800 Australian dollar 265.700 US Dollar Buying 286.250 GOLD 20 Gram 225.000 10 Gram 115.000 5 Gram 60.000

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound

SELL CASH 272.600 766.130 4.360 290.200 565.700 15.800 53.500 167.800 54.230

SELL DRAFT 271.100 766.130 4.160 288.700

208.100 52.326

Euro Cash 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 10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

396.000 37.830 6.780 0.035 0.293 0.257 3.210 408.950 0.195 91.300 47.000 4.250 210.000 2.183 50.000 748.350 3.500 6.600 79.680 76.920 208.150 42.050 2.730 447.000 40.800 276.100 6.400 9.270 217.900 78.610 288.500 1.380 GOLD 1,248.720 TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 445.000 288.100

394.500 37.660 6.465

407.220 0.194 91.300 4.050 208.500 748.170 3.430 6.430 79.250 76.920 208.150 42.050 2.528 445.500 274.600 9.100 78.610 288.100

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

289.350 293.915 446.300 392.170 269.830 709.215 765.875 78.760 79.455 77.125 408.315 52.586 6.523 3.459

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

2.537 4.184 6.457 3.075 8.929 6.312 3.077

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

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

288.150 3.450 6.460 2.540 4.165 6.470 78.520 76.995 765.600 52.285 447.900 0.000032300 4.100 1.550 408.800 5.750 396.700 294.100

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer rate

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

287.500 394.500 446.500 287.500 3.100 6.480 52.240 2.527 4.155 6.430 3.425 764.500 78.350 76.750

BUSINESS

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

23

Metco, Avaya announce future roadmap

By Rawan Khalid KUWAIT: Metco and Avaya held a joint press conference to announce their future business telecommunications after Metco became the platinum partner of Avaya. The event was held in Sheraton Hotel where Metco invited an elite group of business leaders and decision makers from the public and private sectors and media. Avaya unveiled the ‘Roadmap for Future of Business Communications.’

Chris Long, CEO of Metco, Steve Joyner, Gulf Region Sales Director of Avaya, and Sales Manager of the Public Sector of Metco Kuwait, Hani Idris were the key note speakers.

Chris Long said, “Metco had accomplished a series of comprehensive efforts in order to create new standards for business communications powering enhanced business effectiveness. Metco’s vision is based on open standards, communications-enabled business systems and effective, contextual, real-time communications. Using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) organizations, large to small, can make smooth transitions to new capabilities at their own pace while

protecting existing communications investments,” Long stated.

“The integrated roadmap we’re outlining today supports Metco’s commitment to providing customers with the advanced communications capabilities they need to manage and grow their organizations. In developing the portfolio, our guiding principle was to deliver the most compelling and cost-effective systems and services to customers and partners,” Long added.

On behalf of the Managing Director (Gulf) Avaya Roger Al-Taweel, the Gulf Region’s Sales Director, Steve Joyner expressed positive feelings for Metco becoming Avaya’s Platinum Partner, and for numerous advantages in business communications which will be introduced to the Kuwait market to improve efficiency, collaboration, customer service and competitiveness.

Joyner presented Avaya, the global leader in enterprise communications systems which provides stateof-the-art communications, unified communications, contact centers, and related services directly and through its channel partners, to leading businesses

KUWAIT: Chris Long, CEO of Metco delivers his speech. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: The Gulf Region Sales Director Steve Joyner delivers his speech.

KUWAIT: Sales Manager of the Public Sector of Metco Kuwait Eng Hani Idris

and organizations around the world.

“The new roadmap, unveiled today, builds on the existing Avaya portfolio with capabilities integrated from Nortel Enterprise Solutions, explaining the Roadmap highlights,” Joyner concluded.

Sales Manager of the Public Sector of Metco

Kuwait, Hani Idris stressed on the importance of the current scenario where Metco as the Platinum Partner of Avaya which, in turn, acquired Nortel Enterprise Solutions to offer the business communications industry in Kuwait with a unique combination of international expertise and endless technology

opportunities and solutions. At the end of the conference, Chris Long asked the audience for a questions and answers session where he answered their queries and further explained the new map which assured them of a more creative and one of a kind services and products.

Airline weathers the storm

Bahrain Air boosts flights to Kuwait

By Nawara Fattahova

Fastest-ever road-going Ferrari to be unveiled at Beijing Motor Show Revealed on www.ferrari.com: the new 599 GTO MARANELLO: Now available on www.ferrari.com are the first photos and information on the new 599 GTO, an extreme V12 berlinetta developed to a specific performance-oriented brief. The 599 GTO is, in fact, the company’s fastest ever road car. It is an exclusive limited edition special which, in true Ferrari tradition, is a completely new concept, albeit inspired by a production car.

In fact the 599 GTO is based on the 599XX, the advanced experimental track car, and can be considered almost a road-going version. The 599 GTO is reserved for just 599 clients who seek the maximum expression of high performance driving. The 599 GTO benefits directly from the technological transfer from racing and set a record lap time at Fiorano in 1’24”. The Fiorano lap time provides just one indication of the potential of this car. Just as significant are the technical specifications - 670 hp in a 1495kg car represents a weight-to-power ratio of just 2.23 kg/hp, and ensures a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 3.35” as well as a top speed of over 335 km/h.

Fundamental to the GTO’s performance is the innovative approach to chassis development which, for the first time on a production car, saw the integration between a handling set-up tuned for a level of responsiveness that is close to the limit and highly sophisticated electronic controls. The result is the almost complete absence of understeer and a truly communicative chassis.

As is Ferrari’s policy, every new Ferrari features new solutions for a road car. Thus

the 599 GTO is equipped with the latest, second-generation carbon-ceramic brakes which are lighter and offer better performance, new aerodynamic innovations, such as the wheel doughnuts which increase aerodynamic efficiency as well as improve brake cooling, and the Supersport tyres developed by Michelin include a wider front tyre for greater roadholding. The driver-car interface is also new with the adoption of the Virtual Race Engineer (VRE) which provides the driver with instantaneous information on performance.

The 599 GTO’s more aggressive character is also apparent in a number of styling elements that recall the 599XX and from the powerful sound of the V12.

The GTO (Gran Turismo Omologata) moniker instantly calls to mind two Ferraris that have entered the collective imagination as symbols of performance.

After the 1962 250 GTO, which swept the boards in GT racing categories in the 1960s and is now a highly prized collector’s car, came the iconic 1984 GTO, which basically invented the entire modern supercar genre.

The web special includes photos, videos and interviews on the new car, while an exclusive preview for a small number of Ferrari clients will be held on April 14th at the Military Academy in Modena. The public debut of the 599 GTO will instead be at the Beijing International Motor Show at the end of April.

Weekly winners throughout April with Yousuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive pril 2010 is kicking off to an exciting start for Chevrolet and Cadillac customers at Yusuf A Alghanim & Sons Automotive. Throughout April 2010, customers will have 25 chances every week to win over one hundred prizes by simply purchasing their dream car. The entire

A

Chevrolet & Cadillac line-up is part of the draw, and prizes range from Kromozone accessories to travel vouchers, and finish up with a grand cash prize of $10,000.

The first week’s winners were announced this week, with 25 lucky customers walking away with an array of prizes including KD400 worth of travel vouchers, service packages for three years/60,000 km worth KD350, Kromozone accessories voucher worth KD100 and KD200, KD 100 cash vouchers, and electronics vouchers worth KD100. The second draw is set to take place on April 18th, 2010 in Safat Al Ghanim - Al Rai. It’s hard to believe that the draws could get any better, but they do. On May 2nd, the grand prize winner will be announced, receiving a cash prize of $10,000. With four draws in total, one hundred customers will

be the recipients of a plethora of prizes, continuing the Automotive Division’s tradition of honouring and celebrating their loyal customers. It couldn’t be easier to win—simply head over to any Yusuf A. Alghanim Automotive showroom and select your favourite Chevrolet or Cadillac vehicle.

Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons Automotive, the sole distributor of Chevrolet and Cadillac in Kuwait, adds the finishing touch to the ownership experience with high-quality after-sales services. With the world’s biggest and most advanced automotive service center, customers need not worry about their service and maintenance needs.

Devoted to world-class service and high quality vehicles, Yusuf A. Alghanim & Sons have, yet again, brought the epitome of performance and luxury to their customers’ front doors.

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KUWAIT: After increasing the number of flights to Kuwait to six a week, Bahrain Air held a press conference and workshop at the JW Marriot Hotel yesterday. The workshop

was held to keep the officials and directors of Kuwaiti travel and tourism companies acquainted with the latest developments of Bahrain Air. The airline, recognized as one of the most recent airlines in the region, established itself just two years ago.

Bahrain Air has overcome the economic crisis. Before the economic crisis, there were more flights to Kuwait, explained Majeed Maerej, Senior Foreign Sales Manager with Bahrain Air, during the press conference.

“The increase reflects our conviction in the resilience of the Kuwaiti travel market in the region. The next phase will witness further positive developments linking the two countries,” he added.

The Kuwaiti market is one of the most significant markets in the region for airline companies. “Bahrain Air considers Kuwait one of its most important markets due to the increase of passengers from the country, either Kuwaiti or from other communities residing in Kuwait,” Maerej confirmed.

Bahrain Air started its operations in the beginning of February, 2009. Their fleet consists of four Airbus 320 Es and two Airbus 319 Es. Bahrain Air offers its services to more than twenty five countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. “We will increase the fleet in 2012.

New destinations will be added to Bahrain Air’s schedule and one of the first new destinations will be to Istanbul, which will start this summer,” he added.

Maerej explained that the goal of the workshop organized by Bahrain Air, in cooperation with its partner in Kuwait the Al-Fadhel Travel Company, is to enhance the relationship between travel and tourism companies and

attempt to cope with the growth and the demand our airline has witnessed, specifically our flights between Kuwait and Manama,” he added.

Bahrain Air’s itinerary offers plenty of opportunities for Kuwaitis who often travel to Bahrain to study.

“Thousand of Kuwaiti students study in Bahraini universities and many others go there for business,” AlFadhel said. “Bahrain is a center for several international and regional companies and many visit Bahrain for the purpose of tourism, espe-

Bahrain Air officials address the press conference at Sheraton Hotel yesterday. —Photo by Joseph Shagra Bahrain Air. We expect to present and introduce our services to new travel and tourism companies through such partnerships,” he concluded.

Anwar Al-Fadhel, the General Manager of the AlFadhel Travel Group in Kuwait and General Agent of Bahrain Air in Kuwait, commended the role of travel and tourism companies in Kuwait.

Their encouragement of travel between the two countries is good for the market, he said.

“The increase of Bahrain Air flights to Kuwait is an

cially on the weekends,” he pointed out.

Bahrain Air operates more than one flight a day to the Indian sub-continent. “We are making it the best option for Asian communities staying in Kuwait, especially with our competitive prices, flexible flights and short waiting period in Manama Airport,” AlFadhel said.

Also worth noting, Bahrain Air is the second national carrier to the Kingdom of Bahrain, after Gulf Air. Its headquarters and operations center is in the Bahrain International Airport.

Panasonic introduces Full HD 3D technology DUBAI: Panasonic yesterday, has introduced its 2010 line of VIERA Plasma High Definition televisions, including Full HD 3D television, for the Middle East featuring a screen size of 50-inch, in addition to the company’s new DMP-BDT300 3D Blu-ray player.

Plasma technology offers a number of important advantages with respect to 3D, such as cross-talk reduction, crisp and clear high quality moving pictures, enhanced luminance efficiency and improved picture quality even when viewing 2D content.

“Panasonic, the industry and technology leader in high definition televisions, is targeting a market share of 50 percent for large screen 3D TV by 2012, and 25 percent market share for over 37 inch televisions in the Middle East region” said Seiji Koyanagi, Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing Middle East.

“Thanks to a large number of technological innovations, television has undergone a constant evolution over the years. While at the start, it was merely regarded as a means for reproducing images, its significance increased when connectivity with other audio visual devices was added.” said Kenji Yasuhara, Group Manager, AVC Networks Company, Panasonic Corporation.

“With the growing popularity of HD TVs and the availability of high quality content, TV was yet again taken to a new level. Now, with Full HD 3D technology, it has turned into a device that delivers an immersive viewing experience and literally moved into an era of the next dimension.” he added Panasonic now offers a line-up of Full HD 3D products that meet the demands of even

Seiji Koyanagi (left), Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing ME the most discerning consumers. The new range of Full HD 3D-capable VIERA Plasma, and the fully-featured DMPBDT300 3D Blu-ray player, bring a new era of immersive visual entertainment into consumers’ homes by creating a 3D experience that easily rivals the best that can be seen in cinemas.

The first two models of Full HD 3D VIERA Plasma will be available within 2010.

The VT20 line-up will initially consist of the 50-inch TH-P50VT20 and the line-up will be expanded gradually. Both will incorporate a

sophisticated design with a frame in bronze metallic colour and one of Panasonic 3D eyewear is included with the above models.

To create the best possible 3D picture, Panasonic has developed new, faster screen phosphors coupled with its Full Time Full HD drive technology. The brain then combines the images and perceives them as 3D. By enhancing the video reproduction capability of PDP, thanks to Full Time Full HD has full moving picture resolution, the technology enables crisp and clear, high quality 3D images.

24

BUSINESS GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

KSE stocks remain subdued KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended yesterday’s trading on a negative note with declines also witnessed in major indicators and market indices. Global General Index (GGI) posted its biggest daily decline since March 16, 2010.

GGI shed 2.42 points (-1.13 percent) during yesterday’s session to reach 211.66 points.

In addition, the KSE Price Index decreased by 62.20 points (-0.82 percent) yesterday and closed at 7,487.20 points. Market capitalization was down KD297.39mn to reach KD34.93bn.

Market breadth During the session, 136 companies were traded.

Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 85 equities retreated versus 19 that advanced. A total of 106 stocks remained unchanged during yesterday’s trading session.

Trading activities ended on a mixed note yesterday as volume of shares traded on the exchange increased by 4.04 percent to reach 374.67mn shares. However, value of shares traded dropped by 8.46 percent to stand at KD82.99mn. The Investment Sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 32.69 percent of total market volume.

The Services Sector was the value leader, with 44.02 percent of total traded value. AlQurain Holding Company was the volume leader yesterday, with a total traded volume of 38.24mn. Zain was the value leader with a total value of KD13.67.

In terms of top gainers, National Cleaning Company took the top spot for the day, adding 7.69 percent and closed at KD0.350. On the other hand,

Gulf Petroleum Investment Company shed 8.33 percent and closed at KD0.050, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sector wise Regarding Global’s sectoral indices, they all ended the day on a negative note except for Global Insurance Index which was unchanged during yesterday’s trading session. Global Non-Kuwaiti Index ended the day with a 2.08 percent decline, making it the top decliner in the market. The drop was caused by almost half of the companies in the sector reporting declines for today and the rest being unchanged.

Among the decliners, Ithmaar Bank and Gulf Cement Company were the top decliners, down 7.55 percent and 4.65 percent, respectively.

Global Real Estate Index was the second biggest decliner yesterday with a 0.66 percent loss. Tamdeen Real Estate Company, the biggest decliner in the sector for the second day in a row, ended down 7.35 percent and closed at KD0.315.

Furthermore, A’ayan Real Estate Company also ended in the red yesterday, thereby contributing the index’s decline.

The scrip ended the day by shedding 6.60 percent from its value and closed at KD0.099.

Regarding Global’s special

indices, Global Islamic Index was the only gainer, up 0.44 percent backed by Kuwait Finance House posting a 1.75 percent gain. Global High Yield Index was the top decliner, down 1.53 percent backed by heavyweight Kuwait Foodstuff Company (Americana) ending the day with a 1.27 percent loss.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $82.20 a barrel on Monday, compared with $81.97 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

Market news The KSE said it will halt

trading in the shares of Kuwait Finance and Investment Company starting today because the company hasn’t yet submitted copies of its financial statements.

Commercial International Bank will de-listing the company’s shares from the KSE effective as-of September 16, 2010. Al-Masar Investment Company will list its shares on the KSE effective tomorrow.

The Central Bank of Kuwait on April 12, 2010, approved the request of Kuwait Finance House to repurchase 10 percent maximum of its issued shares for further six months, as of the current approval expiry on April 19, 2010.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Watani online announces names of first winners of the draw Winners to get free Notebooks with Zain e-Go subscription KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the leading bank in Kuwait and highest rated in the Middle East, held a draw to announce the names of the first three winners of the recently launched Watani On-Line usage draw which was designed by the bank to encourage awareness regarding the ease and security of free on-line banking.

The first three winners to win free Notebooks with free annual Zain e-Go subscriptions are Amro Rafeq Al Shami, Waleed Mohammad Al Haj Suleiman and Abdulla Mohammad Hassan Al Amer. They were met by their branches managers and instantly received their prizes.

“Today’s draw is the first of three over the next few months; we are happy to reward our customers who are performing their banking transactions on Watani Online and encourage new customers to try Online Banking from NBK the safest bank in the Middle East.” Stated Kevin Turner Head of Electronic Channels, adding “Watani Online is FREE and available for all of our customers, well done to this month’s winners, for the chance to win next month I would encourage all our customers to sign up for Watani Online and make transactions safely and are free of charge. Customers can register online at www.nbk.com or visit any NBK branch to be in with a chance of winning noting that customers should perform at least 3 different transactions every month.”

Abdulla Al Ameer

Amr Al Shami

Waleed Sulaiman

business

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

25

BMW 5 Series

BMW Bonnet

BMW overall regional sales up 13% in Q1 Flagship BMW 7 Series model remains Company’s best seller • Used car division continues to prove its success in region KUWAIT: Bouncing back from a challenging 2009, BMW Group Middle East has reported positive growth for its Q1 2010 sales results for several markets across the Middle East. With a total of 3,907 BMW and MINI vehicles sold across 12 Middle East markets, the Group experienced growth for a number of importers with several markets recording double digit growth.

In addition to Syria and Abu Dhabi where sales were up 82% and 31% respectively, sales in Saudi Arabia increased 30%, in

Bahrain 17%, Kuwait 7% and in Oman 3%.

Commenting on the healthy performance James Crichton, Sales & Marketing Director, BMW Group Middle East, said: “We are obviously delighted with these results and feel they are testament to the great efforts made by all our importers; they have put an enormous amount of time and commitment into promoting both our BMW and MINI brands.

“We launched two new BMW models during the first quarter of this year - the all-

new BMW Gran Turismo and a totally new designed and engineered BMW 5 Series model, which have both been enthusiastically welcomed by the markets. And we are delighted that our flagship 7 Series remains our best selling model proving the ongoing desirability for Middle East customers to buy the very best a brand has to offer,” added Crichton.

Leading the best selling model line-up, was the BMW 7 Series with a growth of 17% (1,313 cars sold); followed by the X6

Sports Activity CoupÈ with 765 cars sold, an increase of 31%. Sales for the BMW 5 Series; a core product in BMW’s portfolio, increased 19% with 556 cars sold followed by the BMW X5 with 547 cars sold, a 7% growth in sales.

And MINI, the small car with the big attitude continues to prove its popularity with 116 cars sold, an increase of 41%.

Across the region the three biggest markets by volume of cars sold were Dubai with 781 cars sold, Abu Dhabi with 771 and

Saudi Arabia with 736 .

Crichton highlighted BMW Group’s focus on innovation and customer needs by drawing attention to the company’s successful BMW Premium Selection programme: “We continue to not only put emphasis on our new car sales but also on our used car programme which has been received extremely well by customers and our BMW importers in the GCC markets.”

In 2009, BMW achieved an increase of 25% in total BMW Premium Selection

sales. So far for 2010, BMW used cars show an increase of 17%. The best performing markets for the first quarter were Bahrain increasing used car sales by 133%, Kuwait by 103%, Abu Dhabi by 50% and Oman by 92%. Crichton concluded: “These positive growth figures for the first quarter of 2010, particularly the month of March where our sales increased 31%, are extremely encouraging and hopefully point to a very successful year for BMW and MINI across the Middle East.”

India will lead South Asia’s 7.4% GDP increase

ADB sees ‘robust recovery’ for developing economies HYDERABAD: Mahindra & Mahindra Group Managing Director and Vice Chairman Anand Mahindra (left) listens to Tech Mahindra CEO Vineet Nayyar at a press conference at Mahindra Satyam Infosys Campus in Hyderabad yesterday. — AFP

Infosys quarterly profit rises 8.7% MUMBAI: Infosys Technologies Ltd, India’s bellwether information technology outsourcing company, said yesterday quarterly profit rose 8.7 percent in dollar terms as a revival in demand for services spread to European and manufacturing clients.

The company said revenues this fiscal year would grow 16 to 18 percent, but cautioned that a strengthening rupee, pricing pressures from still-cautious global clients and wage hikes would cut into margins.

Net profit for the January-March quarter was 16.0 billion rupees ($349 million), or 0.61 cents per American Depository Share. It was a 4.5 percent increase in dollar terms over the previous quarter.

Revenues were 59.4 billion rupees ($1.3 billion), up 15.6 percent from a year ago and up 5.2 percent from the prior quarter in dollar terms. Both measures beat analyst expectations in dollar terms. “We have come out of this downturn stronger,” chief executive S. Gopalakrishnan told the Associated Press. “We are recruiting. We are growing. It’s a more positive environment today than 12 months back.” The company, which usually exceeds its forecasts, said it expects revenues for the fiscal year ending March 2011 to rise by 16 percent to 18 percent to between $5.6 billion and $5.7 billion. It expects earnings to rise 4.3 percent to 8.6 percent to $2.40 to $2.50 per American Depositary Share.

India’s export-driven IT services companies, which develop software and manage back office operations for many Fortune 500 companies, were hard

hit by the downturn, as budgets froze and a wave of consolidation swept through Wall Street.

Few expect revenue growth to return to the 30 percent-plus yearly gains of the boom, but business began to revive late last year as global firms sent more work offshore to cut costs. Now the recovery is spreading from US and financial services companies to European and manufacturing clients.

Big clients who suffered during the financial crisis are spending again, said Rahul Jain, an analyst at Mumbai’s Angel Broking. “Clients are now increasing their budgets,” he said. “Backed by new business growth, we are expecting good times ahead.” Infosys said revenues from Europe grew 7.9 percent over the prior quarter, beating North America’s 4.4 percent growth. Manufacturing revenues grew 10.2 percent over the prior quarter, exceeding the 5.9 percent growth in revenue from financial services companies.

The company said it sealed five large deals during the quarter — two worth over $150 million. Still, average pricing at Infosys fell by 1.5 percent during the quarter and executives said they are planning for flat pricing in the year ahead. Gopalakrishnan said more work would likely migrate to India due to costcutting abroad and the country’s established place in the industry and its talent pool. He said India’s $60 billion-a-year IT services industry is expected to grow by about 11 percent a year over the next decade, twice the global average. — AP

Bling is back as Louis Vuitton sales surge PARIS: The world’s biggest luxury company, LVMH, reported an 11-percent jump in sales in the first quarter yesterday as buyers snap up watches, jewellery and high-end drinks after months of economic gloom.

Sales rose to 4.47 billion euros ($6.07 billion) — higher than the 4.25 billion euros expected by analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires, thanks in particular to the Asian market, Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton said. Paris-based LVMH, which owns brands including Moet champagne, Louis Vuitton handbags and Dior perfume, was hit by the crisis last year, with its net profit falling by 13 percent in 2009 and sales slipping by one percent.

“All of the business groups recorded doubledigit organic revenue growth,” the company said in a statement, adding that sales “benefited from the end of destocking by distributors... and from a

recovery in final consumer demand.”

Wines and spirits sales, which were heavily affected by the crisis in 2009, rose by 18 percent, while watches and jewelry were up 33 percent.

Overall sales in the fourth quarter of 2009 had risen by just one percent.

But the group said it was still “taking into account the uncertainty of the strength of the economic recovery” and would concentrate on developing its brands, keeping costs in check and making selective investments. On the stock exchange, LVMH topped the gainers, with its shares up 3.50 percent at 91.80 euros in morning trade in an overall flat market. Analysts at CM-CIC, a French investment group, said investors welcomed the company’s strong sales performance, with the stock outperforming so far this year with a gain of 16 percent. — AFP

HONG KONG: Developing Asia’s economies were on track for a “robust recovery”, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said yesterday, with India and China working as the engines of growth.

However, it warned that the region could still be at risk if stimulus measures introduced to counter the global downturn were removed too soon or if the world economy suffered any further jolts.

The bank said developing Asia would grow 7.5 percent this year outpacing the 5.2 percent seen in 2009 — although this would slow slightly to 7.3 percent in 2011.

The forecast is still below the region’s record 9.6 percent expansion seen in 2007. “Developing Asia’s recovery has taken firm hold and a return to stronger and sustainable growth is now in sight if the region can meet the challenge of strengthening domestic demand,” said ADB Chief Economist Jong-Wha Lee. The region’s prospects improved after better-than-expected growth in the second half of 2009, a boost driven by the “strong performances” of the Chinese and Indian economies, the bank said. “(The region) can look ahead to a robust recovery in the next two years,” the bank said.

Fiscal stimulus measures designed to counter the global financial meltdown will likely continue to lure foreign investment, while rising incomes and lower unemployment should get consumers spending more, it added. That spending will likely boost inflation to about four percent this year and again in 2011, up from 1.5 percent in 2009, the bank said.

HONG KONG: Lee Jong-wha, Chief Economist of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) speaks at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Hong Kong yesterday. Asia’s developing economies were on track for a ‘robust recovery’ according to Lee.—AFP However it said: “There is concern that as stimulus measures are unwound, particularly in the major economies, the strength of private demand is not healthy enough to take over.”

Lee told a press conference in Hong Kong that appreciation of the Chinese yuan could support the stability of the region’s economy and curb inflationary pressure.

“Maybe this is the right time to increase the exchange rate (of the yuan).

Increasing the exchange rate flexibility will not only help China, but also the region as a whole,” he said.

The bank is also concerned that the region’s early recovery is “already attracting potentially volatile capital flows, complicating macroeconomic management.”

“We are concerned that the increase in asset prices in Hong Kong and China will spread to other countries in the region. That will be very risky,” Lee said.

Telecom Italia profit down 27% MILAN: Telecom Italia, Italy’s largest telephone operator, said yesterday 2009 profit dropped 27 percent on lower revenues in its core Italian market, as it set aside 507 million euros ($688 million) for its troubled Sparkle unit, which is under investigation for tax fraud.

Telecom Italia reported full-year net income of 1.59 billion euros, down from a restated §2.178 in 2008.

Revenues were 27 billion euros, down 6.3 percent from 2008. CEO Franco Bernabe said the company was proposing a 0.05 euros dividend per ordinary share — “a decision which is coherent with the results and the trust in the evolution of the group.”

He called 2009 “a year of great challenges, characterized by a profound economic crisis and for what concerns Telecom Italia, by important commercial and organizational changes.” In the future, he said, growth will come from Italy and Brazil — Telecom Italia has

sold all of its subsidiaries in other markets, including the Germany-based Hansanet broadband unit last year.

The company also cut its target for annual average revenue growth to about 1 percent for 2010-2012, from a previous forecast of more than 2 percent in 20092011. Telecom Italia delayed its full-year earnings report due to the ongoing probe of its Sparkle subsidiary, a wholesale telecoms provider. It said the impact of the probe so far is limited to 10 million euros in 2009.

Organized crime prosecutors in Rome have mounted a crackdown on an international money-laundering ring allegedly involving the Sparkle unit and Italy’s second telecoms operator Fastweb. They are also accused of tax evasion. Both companies have denied any wrongdoing and claim they were the victims of a criminal organization, not the actors. — AP

Saudi Binladin eyes stake in Senegal refinery DAKAR: Saudi Binladin Group has bid 18 billion CFA francs ($37 million) to acquire a 34 percent stake in Senegal’s state oil refiner, Societe Africaine de Raffinage (SAR), Senegal’s energy ministry said late on Monday. The deal will be completed in the near future, ministry spokesman Malick Ndaw said by telephone, adding that the

full value of the stake was 90 billion CFA francs.

He added that the Saudi group would be investing between 230250 billion CFA into SAR to modernize it and boost capacity to 3 million tonnes per year from 1.2 million tons. Officials at Saudi Binladin Group could not immediately be reached for comment. In

its current technical state, SAR is able to refine only light crude oil.

Senegal’s local market demand is 1.8 million tons.

French oil company Total has 20 percent of SAR. The remaining stake is controlled by the Senegalese state, which has said it does not expect a long-term role in the business. — Reuters

Rising food prices, which disproportionately affect the poor, also pose a risk, the ADB said.

The report warned that government policy makers must steer their countries through an uncertain environment with a “timely return to sound and responsible fiscal and monetary policies”.

“These served the region well when the crisis broke, and authorities need to adapt them appropriately as recovery takes hold and the crisis recedes,” it said.

East Asia-including Hong Kong, China, Korea, and Taiwan-is forecast to lead the region with an 8.3 percent rise in gross domestic product in 2010, up from 5.9 percent in 2009, the report said.

Southeast Asian economies will grow 5.1 percent this year, from 1.2 percent in 2009, as countries including Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia see an upswing in exports, the bank said.

India will lead South Asia’s 7.4 percent GDP increase this year, the bank said, up from a 6.5 percent rise in 2009.

Central Asia, including Kazakhstan and Georgia, will see 4.7 percent economic growth compared with 2.7 percent last year, the bank said.

Pacific island nations, including Fiji and Papua New Guinea, are expected to see their economies expand 3.7 percent in 2010, outpacing a 2.3 percent rise last year, the report said.

The Manila-based lender’s annual report looks at 44 jurisdictions stretching from the former Soviet states of Central Asia to some Pacific islands, but excludes developed countries such as Japan, Australia and New Zealand. —AFP

Indian exchange operator delays Bahrain bourse start MANAMA: The Bahrain Financial Exchange (BFX), owned by Indian exchange operator Financial Technologies Ltd, will delay its launch date until October due to sluggish market sentiment, it said yesterday.

BFX, which will offer trading in both conventional and Islamic products in equities, derivatives, commodities and currencies, had earlier said it planned to start operations during the first quarter of this year. “We are ready to go live any time now but we are a market-oriented exchange,” Arshad Khan, managing director and chief executive of BFX, told Reuters.

“The sentiment still needs to become a little bit better ... the first months of any new exchange are crucial,” he said. Khan said the exchange would also like to avoid launching operations before the summer lull in the Gulf Arab region, when business activities are subdued, and the fasting month of Ramadan this year ends in early September. Gulf Arab capital markets had just started to slowly recover alongside global markets last year when the debt problems of the region’s tourism and business hub Dubai hit regional equity and debt markets in November.

BFX will compete with the Bahrain Stock Exchange and other bourses in the region such as Nasdaq Dubai. It has also signed an agreement with Bursa Malaysia to study a common platform on which Islamic finance products such as commodity murabaha can be traded.— Reuters

26

BUSINESS

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Are US regulators dropping the ball on biocrops?

COLUMBIA: Robert Kremer, a US government microbiologist who studies Midwestern farm soil, has spent two decades analyzing the rich dirt that yields billions of bushels of food each year and helps the United States retain its title as breadbasket of the world.

Kremer’s lab is housed at the University of Missouri and is literally in the shadow of Monsanto Auditorium, named after the $11.8 billion-a-year agricultural giant Monsanto Co. Based in Creve Coeur, Missouri, the company has accumulated vast wealth and power creating chemicals and genetically altered seeds for farmers worldwide.

But recent findings by Kremer and other agricultural scientists are raising fresh concerns about Monsanto’s products and the Washington agencies that oversee them. The same seeds and chemicals spread across millions of acres of US farmland could be creating unforeseen problems in the plants and soil, this body of research shows.

Kremer, who works for the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), is among a group of scientists who are turning up potential problems with glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup and the most widely used weed-killer in the world.

“This could be something quite big. We might be setting up a huge problem,” said Kremer, who expressed alarm that regulators were not paying enough attention to the potential risks from biotechnology on the farm, including his own research.

Concerns range from worries about how nontraditional genetic traits in crops could affect human and animal health to the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds.

Biotech crop supporters say there is a wealth of evidence that the crops on the market are safe, but critics argue that after only 14 years of commercialized GMOs, it is still unclear whether or not the technology has long-term adverse effects. But whatever the point of view on the crops

themselves, there are many people on both sides of the debate who say that the current US regulatory apparatus is ill-equipped to adequately address the concerns. Indeed, many experts say the US government does more to promote global acceptance of biotech crops than to protect the public from possible harmful consequences.

“We don’t have a robust enough regulatory system to be able to give us a definitive answer about whether these crops are safe or not. We simply aren’t doing the kinds of tests we need to do to have confidence in the safety of these crops,” said Doug Gurian-Sherman, a scientist who served on a FDA biotech advisory subcommittee from 2002 to 2005.

“The US response (to questions about biotech crop safety) has been an extremely patronizing one. They say ‘We know best, trust us,’” added Gurian-Sherman, now a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit environmental group.

The World Health Organization has not taken a stand on biotech crops generally, simply stating “individual GM foods and their safety should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.”

And while many scientists around the world cite research they say shows health and environmental risks tied to GMOs, many other scientists say research proves the crops are no different than conventional types. With a growing world population and a need to increase food production in poor nations, confidence in the regulatory system in the leading biotech crop country is considered critical.

“One of the things that we think is important to do is to have regular reviews and updates of our strategies for regulating products of biotechnology,” said Roger Beachy, a biotech crop supporter who was appointed last year as director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

“We want to look carefully to see that they are logical and science-

based but still maintain the confidence of the consumer to ensure that the projects that are developed and released have the highest level of oversight,” added Beachy.

So far, that confidence has been lacking. Courts have cited regulators for failing to do their jobs properly and advisers and auditors have sought sweeping changes.

Even Wall Street has taken note.

In January, shares in Monsanto fell more than 3 percent amid a rush of hedging activity during a morning trading session after a report by European scientists in the International Journal of Biological Sciences found signs of toxicity in the livers and kidneys of rats fed the company’s biotech corn.

Monsanto has said the European study had “unsubstantiated conclusions,” and says it is confident its products are well tested and safe.

Indeed, farmers around the world seem to be embracing biotech crops that have been altered to resist bugs and tolerate weed-killing treatments

while yielding more. According to an industry report issued in February, 14 million farmers in 25 countries planted biotech crops on 330 million acres in 2009, with the United States alone accounting for 158 million acres.

A common complaint is that the US government conducts no independent testing of these biotech crops before they are approved, and does little to track their consequences after.

The developers of these crop technologies, including Monsanto and its chief rival DuPont, tightly curtail independent scientists from conducting their own studies. Because the companies patent their genetic alterations, outsiders are barred from testing the biotech seeds without company approvals.

Unlike several other countries, including France, Japan and Germany, the United States has never passed a law for regulating genetically modified crop technologies. Rather, the government has

tried to incorporate regulation into laws already in existence before biotech crops were developed.

The result is a system that treats a genetically modified fish as a drug subject to Federal Drug Administration oversight, and a herbicide-tolerant corn seed as a potential “pest” that needs to be regulated

by USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) before its sale to farmers.

The process is also costly and time-consuming for biotech crop developers, which might need to go through three different regulators before commercializing a new product.

Nina Fedoroff, a special adviser on science and technology to the US State Department, which promotes GMO adoption overseas, said even though she is confident that biotech crops are ultimately safe and highly beneficial for agriculture and food production, an improved regulatory framework could help boost confidence in the products. —Reuters

Hu tells Obama: China to make its own call on yuan US urges Beijing to give greater play to market forces BEIJING/WASHINGTON: China will chart its own course in reforming the yuan, President Hu Jintao told US President Barack Obama, reinforcing the view that Beijing is likely to tip-toe, not leap, towards appreciation. The two heads of state, meeting on Monday for the first time

since Sino-US tensions over the yuan threatened to escalate into a serious trade dispute, chose their words carefully and, in the view of investors, left the door open for Beijing to resume appreciation in the coming weeks.

Hu said China would not be pushed by external pressure and would instead base any decision on the yuan on its own economic needs. But he also made clear that Beijing was committed to change.

“China will firmly stick to a path of reforming the yuan’s exchange rate formation mechanism,” Hu told Obama, according to the official Xinhua news agency account of their discussion on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit in Washington.

“In making reforms, we will give careful consideration to global economic developments and changes, as well as to China’s economic condition,” Hu said.

The yuan edged down in the offshore forwards market on Hu’s comments and Asian currencies, which have gained in recent weeks on expectations of a Chinese revaluation, also dipped. The Malaysian ringgit, often used as a proxy for the yuan, dropped 0.8 percent.

Investors were, however, still positioning themselves for a gradual resumption of yuan appreciation. Beijing has frozen ANHUI, China: A clerk bundles Chinese yuan notes at a bank in Hefei in central China’s Anhui province. the yuan’s exchange rate against Lending by Chinese banks fell 43 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier as the government winds the dollar since mid-2008 to help down its stimulus and tries to cool a credit boom while keeping its recovery on track, central bank data cushion its economy from the global downturn, but the showed Monday. —AP strength of China’s recovery has fuelled criticism of this policy and market expectations that it is about to resume appreciation.

Notable by its absence in Hu’s reported comments was a declaration, previously a stock phrase for Chinese leaders, that a stable yuan was benefiting the global economy.

Obama, for his part, touched only delicately on the yuan, with KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: has seen mild recovery from a Mayor Chen Chu says the an interview. his focus on the summit at hand “But today’s Kaohsiung still Taiwan’s industrial hub city year ago but its mayor says it city’s traditional heavy indusand the goal of winning Chinese Kaohsiung, a barometer for faces a tough future without new tries are picking up grudgingly hasn’t seen anything from a support for tougher sanctions Asian export-reliant economies, industry. but that Kaohsiung as well as global economic rebound.” against Iran’s nuclear activities.

The city’s port has sunk from similar export-oriented Asian “The president reaffirmed centres need to look to new world No 3 to 12 due to compehis view that it is important for a businesses that add value and tition from fast-growing ports in ... sustained and balanced global avoid depending on low-cost China, while unemployment economic recovery that China hovers at an uncomfortable 5.8 labor. move toward a more market-oriExport centres such as South percent and citizens complain of ented exchange rate,” Jeffrey Korea and Thailand will face the pollution from traditional factoBader, a top White House advissame dilemma as the technical ry-driven industries, Chen said. er, told reporters.

Kaohsiung, the island’s main sector rather than heavy indusThe US Treasury this month tries leads economic recoveries port city and a gritty industrial delayed publication of a report this year, said Tony Phoo, an area rather than a tech hub, is a that politicians had urged Obama economist with Standard bell-wether for export-intensive to name China a currency Asian economies since Taiwan Chartered in Taipei. manipulator, potentially paving Asphalt, shipbuilding and feels the impact of external the way for punitive trade measteel production, the three core events on trade before its sures. China had warned repeatindustries in the city of 1.5 mil- regional peers as it is so inteedly that foreign criticism of its lion, have stabilized this year fol- grated into the global supply currency policy would be lowing the global downturn, chain. counter-productive.

“We’re seeing the same when Taiwan’s exports plunged, thing happening across Asia,” Chen told Reuters this week.

Months of tensions-over In a swing from a year ago Phoo said. “We’ve seen a trade, Internet freedom, Taiwan when freighters no longer had stronger recovery in tech than in and Tibet-placed heavy expectato wait at sea for places to berth the non-tech sector.” tions on the 90-minute talks on The economies of Taiwan in Kaohsiung, today cargo the sidelines of Obama’s nuclear trucks clog intersections out- along with Hong Kong, security summit, even if the side the docks as ships ply the Singapore and South Korea, all meeting was unlikely to produce harbor next to newly built known for fast export-related concrete results. yachts. Taiwan exports in growth from the 1960s to the “Most importantly, it seems January 2009 dropped a record 1990s and worth about $1.39 that the atmospherics surround44.1 percent year on year but trillion last year, suffered along ing the bilateral US-China relaorders from abroad grew faster with Japan from a collapse in tionship have improved, opening than expected in February 2010 global demand in late 2008, the door for movement on a numat 36.25 percent due to strong sending them into recession. ber of issues,” said China expert Kaohsiung will lose competiTOKYO: International Air Transport Association Chinese demand, and hope the Drew Thompson of the Nixon (IATA) Chief Executive Giovanni Bisignani speaks United States and Europe will tiveness to economic power- Center in Washington. Threehouse China and other more month dollar/yuan non-deliverduring a press conference in Tokyo. The head of the catch up.

Still, Chen isn’t optimistic. recently emerged economies international aviation group said Monday that the “Kaohsiung has always been without clean value-added high- able forwards rose to 6.7610 Monday’s close of 6.7500, only way for Japan’s struggling air industry to recov- about heavy industry, and that tech, tourism and a future for its from pricing in 0.96 percent appreciaer is to serve as a gateway to China, and urged further definitely took a hit from the fledgling homegrown film indus- tion within three months versus global downturn,” Chen said in try, Chen said. —Reuters reforms and cost cuts. —AP 1.12 percent. —Reuters

Taiwan city, Asian export barometer, seeks reforms

FRANKFURT: The graph of the German stock index DAX is photographed at the stock market in Frankfurt. —AP

Northern Rock’s former executives fined, banned LONDON: Britain’s financial regulator has fined and banned two former executives of mortgage lender Northern Rock — the country’s first major casualty of the global credit crunch — for misreporting figures on loan arrears. The Financial Services Authority said yesterday it wanted its sanctions against Northern Rock’s former deputy chief executive David Baker and former managing credit director Richard Barclay to be a “loud and clear message that we are serious about taking action against senior directors where they step over the line.” The pair are the only senior executives of a British banking institution to be formally penalized for misconduct in the wake of the government’s multibillion bailout of the sector in 2008.

The FSA fined Baker 504,000 pounds ($770,000) and barred him from any activity in the banking sector. Barclay was fined 140,000 pounds and prohibited from holding any senior post in the industry.

“Baker and Barclay both failed to meet the standards we require of senior individuals within FSAregulated firms,” said Margaret Cole, the FSA’s director of enforcement and financial crime. “The fines we have imposed on them leave no doubt that we will take action against individuals who either

fail to act with integrity or who fail to perform their roles to a high standard.” Northern Rock, once the country’s fifth biggest lender, was nationalized by the government in February 2008 after suffering the first run on a British bank in more than a century when its funding problems became public in September 2007.

The regulator said that Baker, who held his position at the bank between 2004 and 2008, knew that almost 2,000 loans had been omitted from the mortgage arrears figures in January 2007 but failed to flag that up, instead taking steps to ensure they were not reported. Baker also misled stakeholders and analysts about the bank’s impaired loan book, quoting inaccurate figures. If he had provided the correct figures, arrears would have jumped by 50 percent, the regulator said. Barclay, who headed up the bank’s debt management unit until March this year, failed to ensure the information it reported was accurate despite warning signs at an early stage, the regulator said.

The FSA said that Baker and Barclay both admitted their misconduct at an early stage and cooperated fully with the regulator, leading it to grant a 30 percent discount on the penalty for each. —AP

British exports, retail sales up; housing market cools LONDON: Britain’s housing market cooled last month but consumers splashed out for Easter and exports rebounded after snow-related disruption at the start of the year, a raft of data showed yesterday.

The health of Britain’s economy has become the key political battleground ahead of a May 6 election that is shaping up to be the least predictable contest since 1992, with the opposition Conservatives only narrowly ahead in opinion polls.

Britain pulled out of recession at the end of 2009, but a looming public spending squeeze to tackle a record budget deficit has raised doubts over how buoyant the recovery will be.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed exports surged 9.5 percent in February, the biggest monthly increase in more than seven years, helping narrow the goods trade gap to 6.2 billion pounds ($9.5 billion) from January’s 17-month high of

just above 8 billion pounds.

The figures boosted hopes that trade will have made a positive contribution to growth in the first quarter of this year, though analysts warned that distortions due to the weather meant the pace of improvement was unlikely to be sustained.

“Trade was a significant drag on growth in the Q4, but it looks like it’s on course to make a positive contribution in Q1,” said Ross Walker, economist at RBS. —Reuters

TECHNOLOGY

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

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Internet fuels Philippine election smear campaigns MANILA: Philippine politics has plunged to ugly lows ahead of next month’s presidential election as candidates take advantage of the Internet and mobile phones to smear their rivals, analysts say.

Among the worst examples, front runner Benigno Aquino has had to deal with a hoax psychiatric report claiming he is mentally ill and took drugs, while his main opponent, Manny Villar, has been accused of lying about his dead brother.

“They have reached a new kind of low,” said Jorge Tigno, associate professor of political science at the University of the Philippines, referring to the mudslinging campaign tac-

tics being employed by the presidential candidates.

In the past, those vying for the presidency in the Philippines were generally seen to be above the heated rivalries of lower-level politicians, according to Tigno.

But the dramatic rise in Internet usage since the last presidential elections in 2004 as well as the deepening Filipino addiction to text messaging has given candidates new ways to deliver messages, particularly among the young.

“Now, you have a greater role for information technology,” Tigno told AFP. “The campaigners know you have

a younger set of voters. They use the Internet and cellphone texting, and that is the way campaigners disseminate doubts about an opposing candidate.”

Aquino learned this the hard way after an anonymous blog posting this month carried a report supposedly from a prominent psychologist saying he had treated the politician and diagnosed him with mental health problems.

The fake report said Aquino suffered from “major disorders and learning disorders”-reinforcing previous false rumours that he was autistic. It also said he took marijuana as a teenager.

The doctor and the institution named in the report later said the document was fake but not before it had been picked up by the mainstream press and dominated the political campaign for nearly a week.

Villar denied that he was behind the false report but he nevertheless challenged Aquino to take a psychological test to prove he was mentally fit to run the country.

Villar himself had earlier been the target of personal smear tactics after he began gaining on Aquino in opinion polls.

In his campaign ads, Villar-a wealthy real estate magnate-had highlighted his humble origins,

recounting his life in Manila’s slums and how his brother died because the family could not afford expensive medical care.

But Aquino partisans swiftly posted blogs charging that his claims were false, stating that Villar’s family was middle-class and that his brother’s death was not due to poverty.

An angry Villar then offered to accompany Aquino to visit his old house in Manila’s slums to prove his version of events.

There have been countless other mudslinging efforts involving, or directed at, other candidates in the lead up to the May 10 vote.

Columnist John Nery wrote in the

Philippine Daily Inquirer, a leading Manila newspaper, on Tuesday that the election season may turn out to the “dirtiest in memory”.

He said one reason was the new phenomenon of “text blasting”, in which political campaigners send out hundreds of mobile phone messages circulating a rumour in the hope they will be forwarded.

Mobile phone use in the Philippines mushroomed from 35 million in 2006 to 72 million in 2009, out of a population of 93 million, according to international research groups.

The number of people accessing the Internet has jumped from 7.8

million in 2005 to 24 million last year, according to Internet World Stats, a website tracking global web usage.

Tigco said he worried that in all the personal attacks, the more serious issues were being ignored.

“People should be talking about our social security system, taxation, the resources of government corporations... but there are younger voters now. They don’t know anything about pensions, many haven’t paid taxes,” he said. “The people who are handling these mudslinging campaigns think they really have to stoop down to a lower level to reach these people.” — AFP

Bigger screen, webcam and USB ports

German tablet PC sets out to rival Apple’s iPad BERLIN: The German maker of a new tablet PC is setting out to rival Apple’s iPad with the promise of even more technology such as a bigger screen, a webcam and USB ports. It is not, however, an “iPad killer” as it has been dubbed by some blogs but an alternative to its bigger rival, Neofonie GmbH’s founder and managing director Helmut Hoffer von Ankershoffen told reporters on

NEW YORK: In this file photo taken April 3, 2010, Angelo, right, and Marianne Tortola, of Boston, look at an iPad at the Apple store on Fifth Avenue in New York. Although the advertised price for Apple Inc.’s least expensive iPad may be enticing to more than just the well-to-do geek elite, the actual cost of owning one quickly turns out to be much higher. — AP

Facebook pressed to add ‘panic button’ for children LONDON: A British child protection agency said it has pressed Facebook to add “panic buttons” to its pages after the murder of a teenager was linked to the site.

Jim Gamble, chief executive of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), said the social networking giant did not agree to his demands outright at a meeting in Washington but he felt they were moving in the right direction.

Speaking after a four-hour meeting Monday, Gamble said Facebook was close to “doing the right thing” but urged the website to turn “words into action.”

“I felt that at the end of what were lengthy and at times tense negotiation we

are able to move towards a position. They are one small step away from doing the right thing,” said Gamble.

“I am more optimistic than when I came. They are not saying no, that is very clear.

But they were equally direct and they came with their own agenda.

“There is no doubt they are looking to improve their position around child safety and we recognise that. What I am looking for is turning words into action.”

The showdown came after controversy in Britain over Facebook’s refusal to include a “panic button” on its pages after the conviction of a serial rapist who used the site to lure and murder a teenage girl.

Peter Chapman posed as a young boy to lure 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall to her death in northeast England.

Calls have since grown for the inclusion of the buttonswhich allow youngsters who feel threatened online to quickly contact a number of sources of help, such as CEOP or anti-bullying helplines.

Politicians, police and antibullying groups have voiced outrage that the online giant will not bow to demands to include the system.

Gamble said: “In our view they are experts at creating a fantastic online environment but they are not experts in law enforcement, the power of deterrents and the reassurance it brings for mums and dads.” — AFP

The WePad’s basic version, which comes with Wi-Fi and 16gigabyte storage, is set to cost euro 449 ($600), the larger 32gigabyte version with a fast 3G modem is euro 569.

Ankershoffen claimed that given its technological superiority and greater openness, “that’s a bargain compared with the iPad.” The iPad — which hit stores in the US less than a month ago — is on sale there starting at $499 for the smallest version, coming with Wi-Fi and 16 GB storage. The WePad, with its 11.6-inch (29.5-centimeter) screen, is powered by an Intel chip and relies on a Linux software basis which is compatible with Google’s Android and all Flash applications, Ankershoffen said. When it hits stores starting in late July, it will also boast a complete open source office package, he said. Reporters could not test the device at the press conference.

Berlin-based Neofonie — a small company of some 180 employees — claims it already has some 20,000 people interested in signing up for a preorder, even though orders won’t be formally accepted before April 27. Ankershoffen declined to give a sales estimate. “Not thousands, not tens of thousands but many more will be sold before the end of the year,” he said. The WePad is to be assembled by a manufacturer in Asia — which Ankershoffen refused to name — that can ramp up production capacity according to demand, he said Neofonie casts the WePad as helping the media industry find a way to market paid content and hopes to appeal to publishers, some of whom are disgruntled with

Monday in Berlin. Ankershoffen stressed the system’s openness: Two USB ports allow users to connect all kinds of devices with the WePad, from external keyboards to data sticks. People who want to put music on their WePad do not have to have any particular software, Ankershoffen said — a blow at Apple’s devices that require particular Apple software like iTunes.

BERLIN: Helmut Hoffer von Ankershoffen, founder of German IT company Neofonie GmbH, presents the company’s new ‘WePad’ tablet computer at a press conference in Berlin. The German-made touchscreen device, which looks similar to Apple’s iPad, is based around Google’s open Android operating system. — AFP Apple’s pricing policy and restrictions.

The device would allow publishers to sell their content on its platform without monopolizing the customer relationship, as Apple’s iTunes or Amazon’s Kindle do, the company said.

Gruner + Jahr, one of Europe’s largest magazine publishers, already has a partnership with Neofonie, offering the company’s flagship magazine, Stern, on the platform.

“It will be the first magazine, but others will certainly follow,” Stern’s deputy chief Tobias Seikel said at the press conference. Germany’s biggest publisher, Berlin-based Axel Springer AG, is in talks with Neofonie, but no cooperation is planned yet, spokesman Christian Garrels said. “We want to offer our company’s brands on several platforms with a high range,” Garrels told The Associated Press.

The company’s flagship daily, Bild, previously had trouble with its iPhone application because Apple censors sexually explicit content, such as the paper’s daily nude photo.

Apple’s iPad will go on sale in Germany at the end of April, according to the company’s Web site. This would give the iPad roughly a three month lead on its German competitor.

Neofonie seems determined to face its big California rival:

The company distributed tasty red apples boasting the WePad’s logo at the press conference.

However, both companies have to prove that the touch screen device will not only amaze the tech-savvy early users, but will also appeal to mainstream consumers at a time when people already have a lot of Internetconnected gadgets — smart phones, laptops, e-book readers, set-top boxes and home broadband connections. — AP

Twitter unveils advertising plan WASHINGTON: Twitter unveiled a plan yesterday to use advertising to turn its massive popularity into cash.

Biz Stone, one of the three cofounders of the micro-blogging service, provided details of the longawaited revenue-generating plan for the San Francisco-based startup in a post on the Twitter blog.

Stone said the advertising service, called “Promoted Tweets,” will allow businesses and organizations to highlight their 140-character-orless messages known as “tweets” to a wider group of users.

He said a number of companies, including Best Buy, Bravo, Red Bull, Sony Pictures, Starbucks, and Virgin America, had signed up to take part in the first phase of the advertising program.

Stone acknowledged that Twitter

has been slow to add a money-making aspect to the service.

But he said the four-year-old company, which has survived on tens of millions of dollars in venture capital funding, “wanted to optimize for value before profit.”

“Stubborn insistence on a slow and thoughtful approach to monetization-one which puts users first, amplifies existing value, and generates profit has frustrated some Twitter watchers,” he admitted.

Stone said “tweets” sponsored by advertisers will be featured at the top of Twitter.com’s search results pages with only one “promoted tweet” being displayed per page.

“Promoted Tweets will be clearly labeled as ‘promoted’ when an advertiser is paying, but in every other respect they will first exist as regular tweets and will be organical-

ly sent to the timelines of those who follow a brand,” he said.

Stone said “Promoted Tweets” will need to “resonate with users.”

“That means if users don’t interact with a Promoted Tweet to allow us to know that the Promoted Tweet is resonating with them, such as replying to it, favoriting it, or retweeting it, the Promoted Tweet will disappear,” he said.

Stone said “Promoted Tweets” will eventually be allowed to be shown in the many applications for using Twitter made by outside software developers.

Twitter has allowed Google and Microsoft to index Twitter messages in their search engines for an undisclosed sum of money but the advertising service unveiled on Tuesday is the company’s first serious money-making venture. — AFP

Google adds a touch of Microsoft to applications

MAINE: In this photo made Tuesday, April 6, 2010, network engineer Will Duquette, adjusts power wires in a fuse panel at Great Works Internet in Biddeford, Maine. The so-called Three Ring Binder project, a 1,100-mile network of three interconnected fiber rings, will bring ultra-fast connections to Great Works and other Maine Internet service providers that need bandwidth. — AP

MOUNTAIN VIEW: Google has upgraded its online package of word processing and spreadsheet programs so they work even more like the Microsoft applications with which they’re competing.

The changes introduced Monday include several editing tools for word processing and quicker ways to fill cells in spreadsheets. The new features have long been staples in Microsoft’s widely used Office suite of software. Google Inc. has been trying to lure users away from Microsoft Corp.’s products for several years in an effort to siphon revenue from one of its biggest rivals. At the

same time, Google hopes to diversify its own business, lessening its financial dependence on Internet advertising powered primarily by its search engine.

Winning converts has taken time because Google requires people to reach its programs over the Internet — a concept that has become known as “cloud computing.” Microsoft’s competing applications typically are installed on individual computers.

Google believes it has developed a superior, less expensive alternative because hosting the applications in a Web browser makes them accessible on any computer with an Internet connec-

tion. But many companies remain reluctant to entrust their technology to an outside service that could be hacked or suffer lengthy outages. To promote cloud computing’s advantages, Google hosted the technology decision makers from about 400 companies at its Mountain View headquarters Monday.

In a question-and-answer session at the end of the event, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said the company’s online suite is aiming to provide about 80 percent of all the tools available in more established programs such as Office. “Our applications aren’t full replacements for the incumbents,” Schmidt said. — AP

28

heAlth & science

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Health workers appeal to donors for life-saving vaccines THE HAGUE: Funding for humanitarian aid has in recent years taken a twist, as donors are increasingly demanding both an immediate impact and a long-term return on their investment.

If the people found recently wringing their hands and nervously pacing inside a Dutch hotel lobby are correct, one way to win both battles at once is through immunizations.

The executives of GAVI - an alliance of charities, governments and private sector health-care companies - were in full lobby mode, working to convince big Western donors to put their money into inoculations for dangerous diseases.

In their minds, it is the only way to avoid easily preventable deaths.

“We are providing an opportunity to million of kids to live,” Graca Machel, the former first lady of Mozambique and a global humanitarian, said.

Machel, the wife of South African liberation hero Nelson Mandela, delivered a rousing appeal to donors gathered in The Hague, telling them about the world’s poor who still die of diseases eradicated in the developed world.

“It’s a waste of human lives which can be prevented with comparably very little investment,” Machel said in an interview with the German Press Agency dpa.

The points of the debate, however, extend ever further.

In the current tough financial times and after years of doling out aid, donors want to

do more than save a life - they want to know what type of life will be led.

GAVI official Judith Kallenberg was straightforward about their aims: “We are creating a healthy workforce that can generate wealth for the economy.”

For Machel, a child can only become a productive member of society if it lives.

“For kids to be able to go to school, they must survive,” she insisted.

GAVI said it has used 4 billion dollars over the last decade to immunize 250 million children in the world’s poorest regions, saving an estimated 5.4 million lives.

It now needs to convince governments they should hand over 4.3 billion more over the next 5 years to save another 4.2 million lives. The large donations would also go

towards introducing vaccines for the worst triggers of pneumonia and diarrhea, major killers in the developing world, and diseases that prevent overall development.

“If these vaccines are not introduced soon, developing countries like mine will not reduce child mortality by two-thirds,” said Mali’s Health Minister, Oumar Ibrahima Toure.

Ten years ago, the United Nations General Assembly agreed to the Millennium Development Goals, which included the key task of drastically cutting preventable children’s deaths by 2015. That schedule is now looking tight.

The Dutch government convened the reclusive meeting in The Hague of key donor countries - mostly from North

America and Europe - to hear about the massive funding needed to match those grand ambitions.

Studies, presented by GAVI, indicated that by lowering the child mortality rate, families feel more secure.

The impact over time - within one or two generations - is also shrinking population growth rates in the developing world, which in turn help education, health, nutrition and other programmes make a bigger difference.

Donors want to know that their help will not be needed forever and that today’s poor will take the aid to eventually stand on their own feet.

One success story is China, whose emerging economy has risen at an astronomical rate. It once was a recipient of aid,

including vaccines from GAVI. At the recent meeting in The Hague, Chinese officials quietly gathered around the table with major economies to hear about GAVI’s funding needs.

While no direct commitments were forthcoming, Beijing may soon be giving cash to the organization from whom it once received assistance.

Eventually, Machel and others in her camp believe, breaking the cycle of poverty is a key step in creating a more equitable global society. Only healthy children can step out of the shadows of their past, they say.

“Immunization helps the world be more equal,” Machel said. “This is the moral challenge for all of us.” — dpa

Country paying too much for drugs

S Africa to buy cheaper AIDS drugs despite opposition CAPE TOWN: South Africa intends buying antiretroviral (ARV) drugs at the lowest prices, even from foreign companies, despite opposition from local drugmakers, the health minister said yesterday.

South Africa-where an estimated 1,000 people die each day due to

AIDS-related complications-has the world’s largest ARV programme as it tries to combat one of the globe’s highest HIV/AIDS caseloads.

At least 5.7 million out of a population of 50 million are infected with HIV.

A regimen of ARV drugs can prolong the life of those diagnosed with the incurable disease that kills millions each year.

“The prices that South Africa pays for ARVs are significantly higher than all other countries,” Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi told parliament during his budget vote speech.

“This just does not make sense. We must be able to purchase ARVs at the lowest prices as we are the largest consumers of ARVs in the world and must benefit from economies of scale,” he said, without indicating what prices were paid.

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) — part of a global drive to increase access to ARVs and reduce its cost to developing countries-said South Africa has paid hundreds of millions of rand more to purchase drugs that could be sourced cheaper on the international market.

Mark Heywood, an executive member of the TAC, told Reuters that after the finalisation of ARV supply contracts, the prices of several drugs, such as Efavirenz, dropped significantly but the government continued to be locked into the tender prices.

Motsoaledi said attempts to reduce the ARV prices and introduce new tender specifications had already generated opposition from some local pharmaceutical manufacturers who claim the approach will lead to job losses.

“There is no choice. We must purchase ARVs at the lowest possible cost from whatever source that can guarantee us the lowest prices, whether inside or outside the country,” Motsoaledi said.

Shares in the country’s top drugmakers Aspen Pharmacare, Adcock Ingram and Cipla Medpro have risen 12-30 percent since South Africa announced a new approach to AIDS last year, although analysts say they are unlikely to raise big profits from the plan as activists lobby for lower prices and greater competition.

South Africa has a 7 billion rand ($961.7 million) plan to expand HIV/AIDS treatment as it seeks to ramp up access to 80 percent of those living with HIV/AIDS and reduce the number of new infections by 50 percent by 2011/12.

Motsoaledi said unless decisive action was taken, South Africa will not overcome the burden of HIV/AIDS. “This is why the new ARV tender specifications will be prepared in a way that opens the way for us to purchase ARVs at the lowest possible price. I will not compromise on this,” he said. — Reuters

Astronauts take final spacewalk of mission CAPE CANAVERAL: A pair of astronauts finished installing a fresh storage tank outside the International Space Station yesterday, accomplishing a main mission objective that required three spacewalks. Rick Mastracchio hooked up the fluid lines for the ammonia tank as soon as he and Clayton Anderson floated out early Tuesday morning on the final spacewalk of shuttle Discovery’s mission. He was done within minutes. “Very nice work, Rick,” astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger radioed from inside. The ammonia and nitrogen hoses should have been connected during Sunday’s

spacewalk. But the astronauts had trouble attaching the new tank to the space station because of a stubborn bolt, and some chores had to be put off. Flight controllers began activating the tank — part of the space station’s cooling system — as soon as the lines were in place. The spacewalkers paused to take pictures.

“Look over here,” Anderson told Mastracchio. “Oh, baby, you’re going to want to take this one to the grandkids.” Their next big chore was to put the old, virtually empty tank aboard Discovery so it can be returned to Earth next week. NASA will refill it and fly it back up this summer as a

spare.

The space agency wants to stockpile as many big parts up there as possible. Only three shuttle missions are left after this one, and there will be limited room on the much smaller Russian, European and Japanese cargo ships that will be supplying the station until its projected end in 2020.

At the start of yesterday’s spacewalk, Mastracchio had a little trouble opening the hatch.

Mission Control asked them to check the handle before they left the air lock. Everything seemed to be in place.

Discovery will depart the

space station Saturday and return to Earth on Monday.

NASA is keeping the shuttle docked an extra day in order to move up a survey of the wings and nose, a routine search for micrometeorite damage. The shuttle’s main antenna is broken, and so the laser images must be sent down from the station.

Normally, the inspection is conducted after a shuttle leaves.

President Barack Obama will outline his objectives for NASA’s human spaceflight program Thursday during a visit to Kennedy Space Center. He’s already axed his predecessor’s effort to return astronauts to the moon. — AP

Birds aren’t in it for love: Researcher TORONTO: It’s not all love in the avian world, where divorce, child abandonment and marrying up are part of everyday life.

“The Bird Detective,” to be published in Canada this week, dispels the love-bird myth that birds pair up for life, and paints a picture instead that includes adultery and the pursuit of comfort.

“In terms of top 10 myths about birds, the permanent pair bonds that we think about, that does occur for some birds, but for most of the little songbirds that we studied, no,” said the book’s author, Bridget Stutchbury, a biology

professor at York University in Toronto.

The book draws on 20 years of research from radio tracking and DNA testing and shows male Acadian flycatchers fertilizing females far away from their home nests, and female blue headed vireos premeditating divorce by checking out new mates before they abandon their young.

“The main discovery is that so many birds do divorce for what humans would describe as selfish reasons,” Stutchbury said, noting that females may seek out males that are more colorful and better singers, or look to “step up in the world”

and move to areas that are safer and have more food.

“Females are looking for the highest quality male so that their own offspring will be high quality,” she said.

Stutchbury, who has studied dozens of songbird species in Canada, the United States and Panama, said shorter summers may drive females to leave their nests before their young are fully fledged so they can quickly find new mates and lay more eggs, That leaves the males to feed the hungry chicks on their own. Males can triple or quadruple their reproductive success by fertilizing

neighboring females, but only “mates” care for the young, and some are none the wiser.

“They can’t tell when the egg hatches whether it’s theirs or not,” she said.

“They have no way to know.”

Divorce is surprisingly common among birds, and most live with one partner for only a few months or years.

Divorce rates range from 99 percent in the greater flamingo to zero in the wandering albatross. The book, published by HarperCollins, will be released on April 13 in Canada and at the end of May in the United States. — Reuters

Cheap antifungal drug may fight cancer: Study WASHINGTON: A common antifungal drug can slow tumors growing in mice and should be investigated as a potentially cheap and easy way to fight cancer in people, researchers reported on Monday.

Although it did not completely wipe out the tumors, the drug called itraconazole may boost the effects of other drugs, the researchers reported in the journal Cancer Cell.

Itraconazole is marketed under the brand name Sporanox by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceutica, mostly for treating a fungal infection called aspergillus.

The drug affects a so-called cascade of effects through a molecular pathway called Hedgehog, the researchers reported.

The researchers at Stanford University in California were looking for potential cancer drugs.

They know that the Hedgehog pathway is involved in the development of cancer, so they looked for drugs that interfere with it.

“There is a fairly broad range of tumors in which this molecular cascade, called the Hedgehog pathway, plays an important role,” Stanford’s Philip Beachy, who worked on the study, said in a statement.

“The virtue of screening existing drugs is that

you already have all the information about dosage and toxicity, and you can move into clinical trials fairly readily.”

The researchers looked at 2,400 different drugs in a so-called library of drugs that had either been tested in people or already approved by the Food and Drug Administration, looking at the mechanism of action. The least toxic one they found was itraconazole.

“Itraconazole has been studied for nearly 25 years, and we therefore have a good understanding of its safety and potential side effects,” the researchers wrote.

They tested mice and found an oral solution of itraconazole significantly slowed the growth of tumors injected under the skin. Untreated mice grew giant tumors during the same time and were euthanized.

Testing mice this way is far different from the natural development of cancer in people, but the drug should be tested in cancer patients, the researchers said.

“It might be possible with two compounds to achieve a more potent block at even lower drug concentrations,” said Beachy. “If so, it’s possible that there is a population of patients that can be treated relatively soon.” — Reuters

More fish, nuts, fruit - less risk of Alzheimer’s: Study WASHINGTON: Certain food combinations, including fish, fruit, and nuts, are linked to a reduced risk of contracting the brain-wasting disease Alzheimer’s, according to a study released Monday.

The study published in the online edition of the journal Archives of Neurology, also found a link between decreased Alzheimer’s risk and consumption of fewer high-fat dairy products, red meats, organ meats and butter.

Researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York, observed 2,148 adults aged 65 and older who did not have Alzheimer’s.

Participants provided information about their diets and were assessed for the development of dementia at year-and-a-half intervals for an average of four years.

During the study, 253 of these test subjects developed the disease, the scientists said.

Among the foods associated with reduced Alzheimer’s risk were salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, fruits, and dark, leafy green vegetables.

Reducing intake of highfat dairy, red meat, organ meat and butter also were associated with a reduced Alzheimer’s risk.

“Our findings provide

support for further exploration of food combination, based dietary behavior for the prevention of this important public health problem,” the researchers concluded.

They noted that past scientific literature regard-

ing the impact of individual nutrients or food items on Alzheimer’s has been inconsistent, partly because most people combine in their meals a complex array of nutrients and food items that are likely to be “synergistic.” — AFP

Fish, fruit, and nuts, are linked to a reduced risk of contracting the brain-wasting disease Alzheimer’s, according to a study. — AFP

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

HEALTH

India’s tough fight against drug addiction and AIDS NEW DELHI: The men’s clothes are dirty, their eyes vacant and arms and legs covered with injection marks - signs of their drug abuse, which they once hoped would make their lives on the streets of New Delhi more bearable.

About one dozen of them have gathered in the rooms of the aid organization Sharan (refuge). In the nondescript building on the banks of the Yamuna river they can rest, exchange used syringes for clean ones and get medical treatment.

But the charity’s main target is fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS. According to the Health Ministry, some 2.5 million Indians are infected with HIV, the third-largest number worldwide after Nigeria and South Africa.

The number of drug addicts out of the total infections is relatively small - only about 18,000 - but the share of new infections among them has been growing in recent years.

The HIV-prevalence among injecting drug users rose from 7.2 per cent in 2007 to 9.2 per cent in 2008. Health officials believe that percentage may have grown

since then. “Increasingly, AIDS is becoming an issue among our clients,” Sharan staffer Shabab Alam said. “More and more addicts come to see us because they are afraid of getting infected. Therefore we offer not only medical services, but also counselling.”

One of the men, who did not want to give his name, said that he came to Delhi 20 years ago as a teenager. He took to drugs because he was frustrated when he did not find a job. Heroin, painkillers, antidepressants - he injected any drugs he could find.

Now, he wants to get off drugs, he said, “also because of this disease.”

Until a few years ago, the spread of HIV via drug abuse was mainly linked to Manipur, a small state in the north-east of the country on the border with Myanmar that has for long been affected by separatist violence.

There, 2,500 kilometres away from Delhi, in the 1980s thousands of young men started to take heroin, smuggled across the border from Myanmar’s drug labs. Many shared syringes with their co-

addicts, and infected themselves with HIV. Researchers said that by the late 1990s two-thirds of the more than 15,000 Manipur addicts were HIV-positive. Many of them have died since then.

“In our mind it was a problem there,” admitted Sujatha Rao, Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and India’s top health bureaucrat. “But today, it has come right next door.”

While the situation in the north-east is improving, also with the support of nongovernmental aid groups, the number of drug addicts is up, especially in Delhi and the northern states of Punjab and Haryana.

“This is new to us, and as a society we do not know how to cope with this immediate influx of drugs,” she said. However, the government took a first step by defining injecting drug users as a special risk group in its five-year, 2.4-billion-dollar AIDS control programme, NACP III. In addition to needle exchange, drug substitution programmes are key to the state-run projects. Addicts are given the option to swallow substitute legal drugs in order to get away from the dangerous injec-

tions, reducing the chances of an HIV infection from contaminated needles to almost zero.

Today, about 220 outreach centres across India offer this service.

But it was a “big battle” to get this through the government, secretary Rao said. For long, many bureaucrats ignored the health aspect and insisted that substation only encouraged drug abuse.

That view contradicts Shabab Alam’s experience. Those who chose to participate in a substitution programme were usually long-time drug addicts, and encouragement was not an issue, the health worker said. At the Sharan building in New Delhi, the addicts wait patiently for a staffer to hand them the pills, which have been ground up in a mortar.

“Everyone has to swallow the powder in front of us,” Alam said. If not, the men might take the drugs with them and sell them on the streets. Yet most of them have understood that the therapy protects them from AIDS and was also perhaps helping them to get away from their addiction, he said. — dpa

29 Wild birds could spread avian flu WASHINGTON: Wild ducks that are immune to the effects of H5N1 avian influenza could be spreading the virus far and wide, US government researchers said on Monday.

Satellite tracking of migrating northern pintail ducks showed they flew from a bird flu-infected marsh in Japan to nesting areas in Russia, said the scientists from the US Geological Survey and the University of Tokyo said.

The study does not prove the pintails carried the virus, but the species can be infected with H5N1 with no ill effects.

H5N1 bird flu has been circulating in Asia and the Middle East, with occasional outbreaks in Europe, since 2003. It rarely infects people but when it does it is deadly: the World Health Organization has documented 493 cases and 292 deaths.

It wipes out chickens, who have no immunity, and some other bird species and can seriously damage poultry farms. Experts fear it has the potential to cause a human flu pandemic that would be much worse than the H1N1 swine flu pandemic.

Experts have argued about whether wild birds, spread the virus, or the poultry trade, or both.

Writing in the journal Ibis, the researchers described how they attached satellite transmitters to 92 northern pintail ducks several months before the H5N1 virus was discovered in dead and dying whooper swans in a wetlands in Japan.

Twelve percent of marked pintails used the same wetlands as infected swans. Then some of them migrated more than 2,000 miles to nesting areas in eastern Russia.

Birds can spread flu viruses orally and in their droppings.

“Consequently, infected wild birds that do not become ill, or birds that shed the virus before they become ill, may contribute to the spread of H5N1,” said Jerry Hupp of the USGS. USGS scientists have been testing birds in Alaska, considered a potential place where H5N1 could enter the Americas from Asia. So far, no case of highly pathogenic H5N1 has been found in either birds or people in the Americas. — Reuters

WHAT’S ON IN KUWAIT

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Embassy information Embassy of NEpal On the auspicious occasion of happy New Year 2067 Bikram Sambat, the Embassy of Nepal in Kuwait shall remain closed today to celebrate the first day of the New Year.

Embassy of lao The Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic will be closed today and April 18, 2010 on the occasion of Lao’s New Year and will reopen on 19th April 2010.

Embassy of sri laNka The Embassy of Sri Lanka will be closed for public today in lieu of “Sinhala & Tamil New Year of Sri Lanka.

History Week at Kuwait English School

S

tudents at Kuwait English School recently enjoyed a special ‘Dress-Up’ day during ‘History Week’. The school became a rich tapestry of costumes through the ages. Ancient Egyptians rubbed shoulders with Romans and Tudors, while Year 6 celebrated British fashion and music since 1948.

It was a great day which brought History alive for all who took part.

Embassy of iNDia

MoI expresses thanks to City Group for renovation of Shamiya police station

Road show event

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he Minister of Interior, Lieutenant General Sheikh Jaber Khaled AlSabah met with Yacoub Al Sharhan, the Chairman of City Group Company (CGC or the Company), CGC Kuwait’s leading listed public transport company, to express his thanks to CGC for the renovation of the Shamiya Police Station and Citizen Service Center at a cost of KD 700,000.

On the occasion of the visit, the Minister of Interior, Lieutenant General Sheikh Jaber Khaled Al-Sabah had the following to say: “We are happy to host Al Sharhan and we take this opportunity to thank him and City Group Company for their efforts in enhancing the Ministry’s infrastructure, and we look forward to continuing to work with CGC to upgrade the Kuwaiti public transport sector with the aim of minimizing congestion on the roads, and providing a safe, reliable and affordable public transport system to citizens and residents alike.”

The Minister then presented Al Sharhan with a token of his appreciation, upon which, Al Sharhan said: “We at City Group Company are very pleased to

nformation of IEI, Kuwait Chapter and IIT, Bombay, India Road Show event.Who should Attend: Individuals: Mechanical/ Chemical/ Production/ Industrial/ Instrumentation/ Civil/Construction/ Petroleum Engineers in Oil +ACY- Gas, Chemical Process Industry, Power Sector, Cross Country Piping, EPC Companies, Design Contractors +ACY- Consultants, Inspection Agencies, Ship Building Industry, Municipal Corporations in distribution of utilities (gas, water, chilled water), City Gas Distribution etc.

Corporate: Companies in the above manufacturing or service sectors. EPC companies servicing the above sectors. For more information on the Road Show or Course visit: www.CEPGlobe.com Or write to: gvkshmi+AEAiitb.ac.in ieikwt+AEA-hotmail.com, Contact M.H. Zaidi (00965 66655185) or Ms. G. Vijayalakshmi (9930980980/9920949937).

Little Joe McLerran Quartet today

have been given this opportunity to demonstrate our continued commitment to the government and the people of Kuwait. The renovation of the Shamiya Police Station and Citizen Service Center is part of our ongoing efforts to work in partnership with the Kuwaiti government to invest in the public transport sector.”

As a leading provider of safe, afford-

able, country-wide, public transportation services, City Group Company transported 34 million passengers in Kuwait in 2009. The Company is now in the process of planning its expansion to other key regional markets and will be announcing its first expansion - which will be taking place by way of acquisition of a leading player in the Jordanian public transport market - in the coming weeks.

The Embassy of the United States of America in Kuwait in cooperation with Kuwait University Presents: Little J oe McLerra n Quartet Today Kuwait University, Shuwaikh Campus Faculty of Law Othman Abdul Malek Theatre An Evening of Blues Music This ensemble presents blues and American roots as a ‘Soup Recipe,’ which has been stirred, mixed, handed down, and revised by generations of people who brought their music from all over the world to America.’

Spanish ambassador at AUK

The Spanish Ambassador, Don Manuel Gomez de Valenzuela.

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n April 6, the Spanish Ambassador, Don Manuel Gomez de Valenzuela, gave a lecture in English at AUK about “The Importance of Spanish Language in the World”. A large number of students, faculty members and guests were present. The ambassador, an experienced linguist, explained the

Director of the AUK library Miss Amna Al Omare receives the second collection of Spanish books from the spanish ambassador, in conjunction with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

hierarchy of languages in the world where Spanish occupies a preponderant rank. Spanish is the official language in 21 countries. This is the second most used language in international communication, and an official language of the UN and its organizations. The ambassador spoke about how the Spanish language is a

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. 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.

powerful communication tool across America, Europe, Asia and Africa, increasingly important in business as well as career matters and that over time the need to learn Spanish will continue to be on the rise.

After the lecture, the ambassador, in conjunction with the Spanish Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, donated, for the second time, a good collection of Spanish books to the AUK library to encourage the growing interest in the language and culture of Spain and the Spanishspeaking world.

This is an auspicious start for AUK’s Foreign Languages program.

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 continue uninterrupted until May 10, 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.

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Information on Cuba

he Government of Cuba decided last February 16, that all travelers, foreign and Cubans living abroad, coming to the island from May 1, 2010 and thereafter shall take out a medical insurance policy. To meet such requirement, travelers shall have a travel insurance which covers medical expenses or a policy for medical expenses with coverage in Cuba. For more information when planning your trip to Cuba please, visit our web site or any Cuba embassy or consulate next to you, or any Cuban Tourism Office. You can visit www.cubatravel.cu or at www.asistur.cu

WHAT’S ON IN KUWAIT

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Gethealthykuwait.com back at public centers

Announcement Men’s Voice - Kuwait Easter musical service As part of its 10th year celebration, Men’s Voice Kuwait and Choral Society is back this year with the message of Easter in “Lamb of Glory” on Thursday 15th April 2010 at 7 pm at Church & Parish Hall, National Evangelical Church Compound, Kuwait. The musical group that has proved its caliber in the art of music will blow the horn to mark the end of this lent season this year. The stage will also be shared by the choirs of St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Maha Edavaka, St.Thomas Marthoma Church, Salmiya, St.Peters C.S.I Congregations, Seraph’s and Praise Ministrels.

All are cordially invited to attend this program

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ethealthykuwait.com, Kuwait’s national health campaign for better nutrition and weight management, today announced that is provided more than 308 people with free onthe-spot tests and consultations during

two visits this week at Afraa Bint Obeid School in Sabahiya and at the Avenues Mall, reaching a total of 3,807 people consulted by gethealthykuwait.com since the launch of the initiative in June 2009.

Gethealthykuwait.com is a community outreach initiative that aims to provide every individual in Kuwait the opportunity for on-spot free testing of cholesterol, glucose, and weight analysis, as well as free personal nutritional

Bicolanos meeting Attention Bicolanos please attend a ‘getting to know better’ meeting of the Bicolanos in Kuwait on Friday, April 16, 2010 at 4pm-5pm at Delights Restaurant & Bakery in front of Al-Muthanna Building in Kuwait City. For details please contact Milleth-65121830, Cora97650411, Julie-99530637, Tony-66476918, Lito-66399035 and Gerry-99489155.

Friends of Kannur anniversary Friends of Kannur Kuwait expatriates association is all set to celebrate their 5th anniversary on Friday, April 16, 2010 at Daiya auditorium.

The celebration will begin by 2:30 pm and Indian ambassador to Kuwait Ajai Malhotra will inaugurate the function. Third Golden FOKE award will be presented to famous theater artist Sri Ibrahim Vengaara for his great contributions for Drama. Golden Foke award has been given to famous personalities who excel in various socio cultural arena from Kannur district. The cultural events will begin after the inaugural function. Colorful events by FOKE family will be staged on the occasion.

Television fame Comedy team ‘Rasika Raja’ will present an evening with full of comedy entertainments to the audience. A Stage Drama ‘Porul Mozhi’ will be staged for the first time in Kuwait by FOKE family members.

For more information contact 97910261 (Abbasiya), 66086344 (Fahaheel), 99192494 (Jahara), 66577124(Kuwait City) and 99793558 (Farwaniya).

Unveiling fxashions of the Middle-East Reflections of Who We Are: AWARE & Kuwaiti Youth Volunteers Present: Thursday, April 22 Reflections of Who We Are “Unveiling the Fashions of the Middle-East” A Middle-Eastern-Gulf Country Cultural Clothing Fashion Show & *Charity Event *(All proceeds will be donated to Animal Friends League) from 7-9 pm at PAAET College, Adaliya. Radiating confidence and reflecting on their cultural roots, Kuwaiti youth join hands with AWARE to model the culturally rich backgrounds of fashion from the Middle-Eastern Gulf Countries. Fashion is a prevailing custom or style of dress selected primarily on one’s national identity & religious beliefs. Nationals of Middle Eastern Gulf countries enjoy a style uniquely their own while sharing an element of modesty in their traditional dress. We invite you to join for a lively, traditional clothing fashion show as our models present, for the first time, costumes from Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. For further details contact AWARE at 2-533-5280 or email: info@aware.com.kw CHRISCCAA annual meeting Christian College Chengannur - Alumni Association, Kuwait Chapter (CHRISCCAA), executive committee, have decided to conduct its annual general body meeting on Saturday, 24th April, at United Indian School, Jleeb, from 8 pm onwards. Presentation of Annual Report, Annual Accounts, selection of Office bearers and executive committee will be held during the meeting. All the association members are requested to attend the meeting. Contact any of the following office bearers for more details.

Mathew Alexander, President (99553036), George Mathew, vice president (94060522), Sunil Thomas, Gen.Secretary (66265702), Jacob Varghese, Treasurer (66223348).

Al Thaalib Scholarship 2010 Al Thaalib Scholarship is a financial aid scheme for under privileged school students in Kuwait, sponsored by Islam Presentation Committee (IPC) & Ministry of Awqaf in association with Friday Forum and Pakistan Kuwait Welfare Association. Last year we were able to provide financial assistance to nearly 900 students of various Indian & Pakistani Schools in Kuwait for the academic year 2008-09. These scholarships were given to the needy students irrespective of their religion or nationality. We are pleased to inform that the process for Al Thaalib Scholarship for the current academic year, 2010-11, has begun for all Indian, Philippine and Pakistani Schools in Kuwait.This year we shall endeavor to reach the scholarship to as many needy students as possible to help them continue with their education without any financial hindrance. In order to avail this scholarship, applicants are requested to collect the Application Form, from Al Thaalib Office located in CAMS, Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Darwaza, Near Warba Insurance Co., Int’l Islamic Charity Organization Building, 2nd Floor, Al Sharq.

The duly filled application form shall be submitted to Al Thaalib office on or before 30Apr2010 along with all supporting documents specified in the Application Form. For more information, you may contact 55046318 or 22418934 ext 204/202.

consultations by expert nutritionists at Diet Care and Taiba Hospital.

Gethealthykuwait.com experts visit private companies, governmental sectors, schools, and public centers on a weekly basis and provide individuals the opportunity to take the first steps in bettering their lifestyles.

After gethealthykuwait.com’s success in other shopping centers like the Marina Mall, expert nutritionists return to shopping centers to reach out to the community. In its first day at the Avenues Mall, the initiative tested and consulted more than 250 people and empowered them to take the lead on combating obesity.

Gethealthykuwait.com Chief Nutritionist and Diet Care Operations Manager, Sami Al Bader said: “In 10 months, we were able to reach thousands of people during gethealthykuwait.com’s series of weekly community outreach visits to businesses, schools, and public centers. We have especially been successful in empowering employees and students in Kuwait to take the first steps to combat obesity, and now our visit to the Avenues gives us an opportunity to reach out to all-walks of our community at one place. Our goal is to keep reaching out to as many people as we can, and empowering them to lead healthier

lives.”

Gethealthykuwait.com’s Head of Testing and Taiba Hospital’s Chief Operating Officer, Rashed Al Fadalah said: “Gethealthykuwait.com is the community’s first step towards combating obesity, and we want individuals to take the first step with us towards a healthy lifestyle. At the Avenues, we helped more than 250 people value healthy living and understand the importance of a well-balanced, nutritious diet. We would like to thank the Avenues Mall for its cooperation in helping to make a more positive change in the Kuwaiti community with gethealthykuwait.com.”

Gethealthykuwait.com will be back at Avenues Mall on Saturday April 17 and Saturday April 24 to give out more free on-the-spot tests and free personal health consultations to the community.

Gethealthykuwait.com continued its efforts to combat teenage obesity, after experts discovered that 45 per cent of students they tested in six schools around Kuwait were overweight.

Experts visited Afraa Bint Obeid and provided students and teachers the information on the ideal eating regimens, as well as one-on-one testing of glucose and cholesterol, as well as weight analysis.

NBTC spring carnival - 2010

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he NBTC Spring Carnival, 2010 was organized on Thursday April 8th, 2010 at the corporate office premises. This landmark event displayed the culinary skills of the employees, staff & families and an evening of merriment with lots of fun, games, music, dance and many more that enthralled everyone. It was a unique experience by itself in Kuwait among companies.

The carnival featured a range of mouth watering delicacies from Arab countries, India, and Pakistan. The Carnival turned out to be a unique and an unforgettable culinary experience to enjoy some of the exotic dishes and a

Basil Arts A revival meeting of the Basil Arts will be held on Saturday 17 April 2010 7 pm at Hidine Auditorium Abbassiya. All duly registered members are requested to attend the meeting on time.

Fun Day in KES Kuwait National English School (Hawally) will be holding its annual Fun Day on Saturday, April 17th from 10 am -8 pm to raise funds for Haiti and we would like to invite you to come!

It promises to be a very exciting day with rides, swimming, games, and lots of entertainment for the whole family!

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visual treat of dance and music.

The evening also presented for the first time in Kuwait, the young, dynamic Indian play-back singer and Guinness Book world record holder, Anoop Shankar and his wife Viji. Viji was the winner of Jaya TV reality show ‘Vanampady’. The duo along with the orchestration by Basheer & party entertained the audience with melody and fast numbers from Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi songs. The cultural programs by the members of NBTC Family, Manna Prince, Riya Maria, Sebastian, Vinovan, Shabad, Vadivel, Asokh, and Balbir Singh added flavors to the evening.

Tulu Koota Kuwait family picnic

T

ulukoota Kuwait annual picnic this year attracted a crowd of over 850 people, to Mishref garden on Friday, April 9. The beautiful sunny weather on Friday ensured that the 2010 Tulukoota Kuwait picnic started with a big bang. The secret of such a successful event was the team work, great food and fun filled activities for the whole of family organized by Tulukoota Kuwait Managing Committee, Executive Committee and Sub Committee members. This year’s picnic also reflected the hard work put in by Sports Secretary Mohd Iqbal.

The theme of this year Tulukoota Family picnic was to bring together Tulunadu members, and spread out the spirit of friendship and belongingness. Tulukoota Kuwait

has been organizing annual picnic every year, but this year being the Decennial celebration this year’s event was the grandest in terms of gathering and the committee members have succeeded in having an active interaction with the crowd from all age groups.

The inaugural ceremony included flag hoisting, national anthem, march past, aerobics and fireworks.

Welcoming the Tulukoota Kuwait family, President Mrs Swarna Shetty requested all members to actively participate in the rural Tulunadu games organized for

the day, and reflect sports man spirit, and love for Tulunadu.

It was indeed a beautiful day, the sun was shining bright and blessing Tulukoota Kuwait. Games like Kutti Done, Lagori , Jiblee, Tonka, Shakti Pradarshan, Kara Darpuna, Kho Kho, Tarai Katta, had active participation from all age group. The aroma of delicious Tulunadu lunch served by Avanti Restaurant was appealing and the members enthusiasm and excitement was infectious. The application of face painting, colorful balloons, and great raffle prizes, game prizes, goodie bags had created a festive atmosphere.

Rev Father Harry D’souza graced the Tulukoota Kuwait Decennial Logo launch, and expressed his appreciation for Tulukoota Kuwait for uniting the people of different faith and religion under its strong roof. Talking in detail about Tulukoota Decennial Logo Fr Harry D’souza said the green color used in the logo symbolizes our environment and gift of Mother Nature, so we should be responsible citizens and preserving and caring the gifts of the Almighty. The human figures in the logo depict the unity of members of Tulukoota Kuwait, and the rays reflect the radiance of Tulukoota Kuwait that is spreading far and wide and embracing people of different religion and faith, and also rays of hope to the less fortunate during difficult times as Tulukoota Kuwait believes strongly in community service. Tulukoota Kuwait Decenial logo is designed by Sachidananda Suvarna. Father Harry expressed sincere wishes that Tulukoota Kuwait would continue it good work in leaps and bounds over centuries to come. Father Harry said this is a great picnic, I see people from all belief.

Tulukoota Kuwait has a diverse community and it is important to work together; and I am proud to be part of Tulukoota Kuwait”.

The event was beautifully compered by SureshSham Rao, Anitha Shetty, Purandara Manchi, Ramesh Bhandary & special interviews conducted by Shalini Alva. Quiz was beautifully compered by Basheer & Rashmi Bhatt.

General Secretary Sathyanarayan extended vote of thanks to the sponsors, donors, Tulukoota Kuwait members, Committee members, volunteers and the media and every person who had directly or indirectly contributed towards putting on such an excellent event.

Jamaet seeks total freedom from all sorts of bondages J

amat-e-Islami Hind with its limited resources has been working through peaceful means in India ever since its formation in 1941, and aims at the total freedom of mankind from all sorts of man made bondages, said M.I. Abdul Azeez the assistant Ameer of JIH Kerala chapter, he was on a short visit to Kuwait and was addressing a gathering in a public meeting arranged by Kerala Islamic Group (KIG), at Indian Central School auditorium, Abbasiya.

Denouncing all forms of terrorism, whether it is state sponsored or executed by the Imperialist and colonialist agents, he also said that for attaining the objectives, JIH always adopts peaceful means as per the constitution and strictly follows the rules and regulations of our nation.

Dr. Mohammed Najeeb representing

Solidarity Youth Movement, explained the various activities carried out by his organization for the uplift of the less privileged mass of our society back in Kerala, who are being deprived off their rights to have a better living standards, education, medical care etc.

Janab M.I Abdul Aziz officially inaugurated the New Web site for KIG http://www.kigkuwait.org/ and distributed prizes to the winners of the exam conducted by KIG Quran Study Center. Earlier the program started with recitation of verses from Holy Qur’an by Anees Abdussalam, KIG Vice president Faisal Manjeri presided over the function, Anwar Saed welcomed the gathering and KIG President Sakeer Hussain performed the conclusion speech.

TV PROGRAMS

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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings

00:15 Streets Of Hollywood 00:40 E!es 01:30 Extreme Hollywood 02:20 Sexiest 03:15 40 (more) Crimes Of Fashion 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 Ths 07:45 Style Star 08:10 Style Star 08:35 E! News 09:00 The Daily 10 09:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 09:50 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10:15 Ths 11:05 E!es 12:00 E! News 12:25 The Daily 10 12:50 Leave It To Lamas 13:15 Leave It To Lamas 13:40 Young, Beautiful And Vanished 15:25 Behind The Scenes 15:50 Behind The Scenes 16:15 E!es 17:10 Kendra 17:35 Kendra 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Streets Of Hollywood 19:15 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 19:40 E!es 20:30 Ths 21:20 Bank Of Hollywood 22:10 E! News

00:00 House 01:00 Dawson’s Creek 02:00 Bones 03:00 One Tree Hill 04:00 Dawson’s Creek 05:00 Burn Notice 06:00 CSI 07:00 House 08:00 Dollhouse 09:00 Flash Forward 10:00 Bones 11:00 One Tree Hill 12:00 CSI 13:00 Burn Notice 14:00 Bones 15:00 Dawson’s Creek 16:00 Dollhouse 17:00 Flash Forward 18:00 House 19:00 CSI 20:00 Lie to Me 21:00 Law & Order 22:00 Burn Notice 23:00 The Janice Dickinson Modelling Agency

00:45 Animal Cops Phoenix 01:40 Untamed & Uncut 02:35 Cell Dogs 03:30 Animal Cops Houston 04:25 Miami Animal Police 05:20 Monkey Business 05:45 Animal Battlegrounds 06:10 E-Vets: The Interns 06:35 SSPCA: On the Wildside 07:00 Wildlife SOS 07:25 Pet Rescue 07:50 Crime Scene Wild 08:45 Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous...

09:40 Britain’s Worst Pet 10:05 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:30 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:55 Monkey Business 11:20 SSPCA: On the Wildside 11:50 Miami Animal Police 12:45 E-Vets: The Interns 13:10 Pet Rescue 13:40 Animal Cops Houston 14:35 Wildlife SOS 15:00 SSPCA: On the Wildside 15:30 Crime Scene Wild 16:25 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 16:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:20 Britain’s Worst Pet 18:15 The Animals’ Guide to Survival 19:10 Crime Scene Wild 20:10 Animal Cops Phoenix 21:05 Untamed & Uncut

00:15 01:05 01:35 02:10 03:10 04:40 05:30 06:20 06:45 07:05 07:25 07:50 08:10 08:30 08:55 09:15 09:40 10:25 11:15 11:45 12:15 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:45 15:15 15:45 16:15 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:45 21:15 21:45

Days That Shook The World 2 Point 4 Children 2 Point 4 Children Silent Witness New Tricks Days That Shook The World Bargain Hunt Teletubbies Me Too Tweenies Teletubbies Me Too Tweenies Teletubbies Me Too Tweenies Bargain Hunt Days That Shook The World 2 Point 4 Children 2 Point 4 Children The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic 2 Point 4 Children 2 Point 4 Children The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Silent Witness Coast The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Jane Hall’s Big Bad Bus Ride

00:00 00:25 00:50 01:15 01:40 02:05 02:50 03:40 04:05 04:30 05:00 05:20 05:45 06:30 06:55 07:25 08:00 08:10 08:30 09:15 10:05 10:55 11:20 11:45 12:10 12:35

Ainsley’s Gourmet Express Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Chuck’s Day Off Chuck’s Day Off Bargain Hunt 10 Years Younger New British Kitchen Ainsley’s Gourmet Express Daily Cooks Challenge Cash In The Attic USA Hidden Potential 10 Years Younger New British Kitchen Ainsley’s Gourmet Express Bargain Hunt Fantasy Homes By The Sea Cash In The Attic USA Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Cash In The Attic USA Hidden Potential Chuck’s Day Off Chuck’s Day Off Bargain Hunt

00:00 00:30 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:30 20:30 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

Chasing Time Lonely Planet Weird And Wonderful Hotels Weird And Wonderful Hotels Cruise Ship Diaries Bondi Rescue Cycling Home With Rob Lilwall Surfer’s Journal Treks In A Wild World Madventures Chasing Time Lonely Planet Weird And Wonderful Hotels Weird And Wonderful Hotels Cruise Ship Diaries Bondi Rescue Cycling Home With Rob Lilwall Surfer’s Journal Treks In A Wild World Madventures Chasing Time Lonely Planet Jailed Abroad Jailed Abroad Bondi Rescue Cycling Home With Rob Lilwall Surfer’s Journal Treks In A Wild World Madventures Chasing Time Lonely Planet Jailed Abroad Jailed Abroad Bondi Rescue Cycling Home With Rob Lilwall Surfer’s Journal Treks In A Wild World Madventures

Cherrybomb on Super Movies 13:20 14:10 14:55 15:40 16:30 16:55 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:55 19:45 20:15 20:40 21:10

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00

10 Years Younger Bargain Hunt Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Cash In The Attic USA Hidden Potential Chuck’s Day Off Chuck’s Day Off Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Daily Cooks Challenge Come Dine With Me MasterChef Goes Large Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen

Kiss Of Life-PG15 Brassed Off-PG15 Almost Famous-PG15 Xanadu-PG Bopha!-PG15 Looking For Richard-PG15 L’age Des Tenebres-PG15 A Walk In The Clouds-PG15 Napoleon Part 1-PG Charlotte Gray-PG15 Meet Joe Black-PG15

00:00 Border Security 00:30 Destroyed in Seconds 01:00 Miami Ink 02:00 Street Customs 2008 02:55 Street Customs Berlin 03:50 Mean Machines: Transatlantic Challenge 04:20 Mean Machines: Transatlantic Challenge 04:45 Mythbusters 05:40 How Stuff’s Made 06:05 Dirty Jobs 07:00 Mean Machines: Transatlantic Challenge 07:30 Mean Machines: Transatlantic Challenge 07:55 Top Trumps 08:20 Street Customs 2008 09:15 Mythbusters 10:10 Ultimate Survival 11:05 Street Customs Berlin 12:00 Border Security 12:30 How it’s Made 12:55 How Stuff’s Made 13:20 American Chopper 14:15 Miami Ink 15:10 Mythbusters 16:05 Dirty Jobs 17:00 Verminators 18:00 Border Security 18:30 Street Customs 2008 19:30 Destroyed in Seconds 20:00 How it’s Made 20:30 How Stuff’s Made 21:00 Wheeler Dealers 21:30 Wheeler Dealers 22:00 Breaking Point 23:00 Mythbusters

00:30 01:20 02:10 02:35 03:00 03:50 04:45 05:10 05:40 06:10 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:55 10:20 10:50 11:45 12:10 12:40 13:35 14:30

Mighty Ships Ecopolis Green Wheels Green Wheels Beyond Tomorrow Race to Mars How Stuff’s Made Mean Green Machines One Step Beyond Mighty Ships The Kustomizer Ten Ways Space Pioneer How Stuff’s Made Stunt Junkies Mighty Ships Mean Green Machines Weird Connections Ten Ways Space Pioneer Engineered

15:25 15:55 16:50 17:45 18:40 19:05 19:30 20:20 20:45 21:10 22:00 22:25 22:50

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:45 03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:20 07:45 08:10 08:35 09:00 09:25 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:25 11:45 12:10 12:35 12:55 13:20 13:40 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:15 15:40 16:00 16:25 16:45 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:25 18:45

How Stuff’s Made The Kustomizer Brainiac Mega World How It’s Made How It’s Made What’s That About?

How It’s Made How It’s Made Mythbusters How It’s Made How It’s Made What’s That About?

My Friends Tigger And Pooh Lazytown Special Agent Oso Imagination Movers Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Brandy & Mr Whiskers Fairly Odd Parents Hannah Montana I Got A Rocket Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas & Ferb Higglytown Heroes My Friends Tigger And Pooh Lazytown Special Agent Oso Imagination Movers Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Brandy & Mr Whiskers Fairly Odd Parents Hannah Montana I Got A Rocket Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas & Ferb Suite Life On Deck Replacements American Dragon Kim Possible Famous Five Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb Replacements A Kind Of Magic Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana The Replacements

06:00 American Dragon 06:25 Power Rangers Jungle Fury 06:50 Kid vs Kat 07:15 Phineas & Ferb 07:40 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 08:05 American Dragon 08:30 Pokemon DP: Battle Dimension 09:00 Phineas & Ferb 09:30 Zeke & Luther 10:00 Phil Of The Future 10:30 Suite Life On Deck 11:00 Kid vs Kat 11:30 Power Rangers Jungle Fury 12:00 Aaron Stone 12:25 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 12:50 Pokemon DP: Battle Dimension 13:20 NEXT X EUROPE 13:30 Phineas & Ferb 14:00 Zeke & Luther 14:30 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 15:00 American Dragon 15:30 Kid vs Kat 16:00 Phineas & Ferb 16:30 I’M IN THE BAND 17:00 Suite Life On Deck

00:00 00:00 01:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 05:00 06:00 06:00 07:00 07:00 08:00 08:00 09:00 09:00 10:00 10:00 11:00 11:00 12:00 12:40 13:00 14:00 14:20 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:00

Food Network Challenge Great British Menu Grill It! with Bobby Flay Iron Chef America Grill It! with Bobby Flay Barefoot Contessa Iron Chef America Barefoot Contessa Chopped Food Network Challenge Everyday Italian Iron Chef America Great British Menu Iron Chef America Chopped Giada At Home 30 Minute Meals Kitchen Criminals 30 Minute Meals Best Thing I Ever Ate Barefoot Contessa Food Network Challenge Iron Chef America Barefoot Contessa Teleshopping Teleshopping Kitchen Criminals Teleshopping Grill It! with Bobby Flay Teleshopping Barefoot Contessa Teleshopping Barefoot Contessa Teleshopping Tyler’s Ultimate Tyler’s Ultimate Food Network Challenge Throwdown With Bobby Flay

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:05 04:00 04:55 05:20 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:30 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 20:45 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

A Haunting FBI Files Deadly Women Undercover Forensic Detectives Real Emergency Calls Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghosthunters Ghosthunters Forensic Detectives FBI Files Fugitive Strike Force Mystery ER Forensic Detectives FBI Files Solved Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Royal Inquest Forensic Detectives FBI Files Fugitive Strike Force Mystery ER Forensic Detectives FBI Files Solved Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Royal Inquest Murder Shift Serial Killers Dr G: Medical Examiner

01:05 02:35 04:30 05:55 07:20 09:00 10:45 12:15 13:35 15:15 17:00 18:50 20:25 22:00

Echo Park Lost Angels Conflict of Interest Gothic The Hillside Strangler Hennessy Ski Patrol The Trip Mr. Wonderful Nobody’s Fool Queen Of Hearts The Cure The Burning Bed The War At Home

00:00 Scrubs 00:30 The Office 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Reno 911 03:30 Weeds 04:00 Sauturday Night Live 05:00 Scrubs 05:30 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 06:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 07:00 Just Shoot me!

07:30 Malcolm in the Middle 08:00 Frasier 08:30 Yes dear 09:00 The Nanny 09:30 Drew Carey 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Just Shoot me!

11:00 Frasier 11:30 Eight Simple Rules 12:00 The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson 13:00 The Office 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 14:00 The Nanny 14:30 Malcolm in the Middle 15:00 Scrubs 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 Just Shoot me!

19:00 Community 19:30 Rita Rocks 20:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Reno 911 22:30 Weeds 23:00 Sauturday Night Live

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30

The Martha Stewart Show 10 Years Younger Turn Back Your Body Clock The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Monique Show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno GMA (repeat) GMA Health What’s the Buzz The Martha Stewart Show Turn Back Your Body Clock 10 Years younger Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The View The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show GMA Live GMA Health What’s the Buzz The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Look A Like 10 Years Younger

00:00 01:45 03:45 05:30 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

After Sex-R Man In The Chair-PG15 Dragonlance-PG Brideshead Revisited-PG15 The Flying Scotsman-PG15 Space Chimps-PG Bedtime Stories-FAM Moondance Alexander-FAM The Flying Scotsman-PG15 Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist Hellboy II: The Golden Army Defiance-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00

Child’s Play-18 Bitch Slap-PG15 Ba’al-PG15 The Square-PG15 The X Files-PG15 Polar Storm-PG15

13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Charlie Valentine-PG15 The X Files-PG15 Dead Water-PG15 Conspiracy-18 The Underneath-PG15 Anaconda: Trail Of Blood-R

00:00 Dan In Real Life-PG15 02:00 The Matchmaker-PG15 04:00 Life Or Something Like It-PG15 06:00 Blonde And Blonder-PG15 08:00 Two Weeks-PG 10:00 Faintheart-PG15 12:00 The Onion Movie-PG15 14:00 Much Ado About Nothing-PG15 16:00 Dan In Real Life-PG15 18:00 I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry-PG15 20:00 Lesbian Vampire Killers-PG15 22:00 Finding Amanda-18

00:00 Elias And The Royal Yacht-FAM 02:00 Cinderella-FAM 04:00 Little Hercules In 3-D-PG15 06:00 Piper Penguin And His Fantastic Flying Machi-PG 08:00 Barbie Magic Of The RainbowFAM 10:00 Little Hercules In 3-D-PG15 12:00 The Jungle Book I-FAM 14:00 Cinderella-FAM 16:00 Bugs Bunny 1001 Rabbit TalesFAM 18:00 Kung Fu Panda-PG 20:00 D2: The Mighty Ducks-PG 22:00 The Jungle Book I-FAM

00:00 01:00 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 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 23:00

01:00 03:00 03:30 05:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 10:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 19:00 21:00 21:30 23:00

Lost Lost Sex and the City Sex and the City Survivor : Samoa Every Body Loves Raymond Coach 24 Emmerdale Coronation Street Law & Order Every Body Loves Raymond Coach Survivor : Samoa 24 Law & Order Emmerdale Coronation Street Every Body Loves Raymond Coach Lost S6 Special Lost 24 Survivor : Samoa Emmerdale Coronation Street Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice Criminal Minds 24 Sex and the City

Premier League Brazil League Highlights Premier League Review Show Premier League Portugol Brazil League Highlights Premier League Premier League Goals Goals Goals Portugol Brazil League Highlights Scottish Premier League Highlights Premier League Futbol Mundial Goals Goals Goals Premier League Premier League Goals Goals Goals Premier League Review Show Premier League Classics

12:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 13:00 Scottish Cup 15:00 Futbol Mundial 15:30 Premier League Darts 19:30 Futbol Mundial 20:00 European Challenge Cup 22:00 Mobil 1 The Grid 22:30 Premier League World 23:00 AFL Premiership Highlights

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

UFC - The Ultimate Fighter LG Action Sport WWE Bottomline Bushido NCAA Basketball UFC Unleashed WWE Vintage Collection LG Action Sport Rat Race FIM World Cup UAE National Race Day Mobil 1 The Grid Bushido WWE NXT NCAA Basketball FIM World Cup UAE National Race Day V8 Supercars Series Highlights V8 Supercars Series Highlights WWE NXT WWE Smackdown UFC Wired UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Cherrybomb-18 Tribute-PG15 Impact 1-PG15 Impact 2-PG15 Rachel Getting Married-PG Tennessee-PG15 Hoot-PG The Christmas Clause-PG Rachel Getting Married-PG The Golden Compass-PG A Dog Year-U The Departed-18

01:30 02:00 04:00 07:00 08:40 10:20 12:00 14:15 15:55 17:35 18:55 20:20 22:00

The Screening Room The Collector Quo Vadis Casablanca Hannibal Brooks Skyjacked Anchors Aweigh Masquerade The Wizard Of Oz Across The Wide Missouri The Mouse On The Moon The Time Machine Only When I Laugh

00:30 Man Moment Machine 01:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 02:10 Mega Disasters 03:00 Hi Tech Hitler 03:55 The American Revolution 04:50 Secret Japanese Aircraft Of World War II 05:40 Shootout!

06:30 Man Moment Machine 07:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 08:10 Mega Disasters 09:00 Hi Tech Hitler 09:55 The American Revolution 10:50 Secret Japanese Aircraft Of World War II 11:40 Shootout!

12:30 Man Moment Machine 13:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 14:10 Mega Disasters 15:00 Hi Tech Hitler 15:55 The American Revolution 16:50 Secret Japanese Aircraft Of World War II 17:40 Shootout!

18:30 Man Moment Machine 19:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 20:10 Mega Disasters 21:00 Nostradamus Effect 21:55 Lost Worlds 22:50 Titanic’s Tragic Sister 23:40 Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Dr 90210 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane Dallas Divas & Daughters How Do I Look?

Split Ends Dr 90210 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane Area How Do I Look?

Style Star Style Her Famous My Celebrity Home Style Star Dress My Nest Peter Perfect Whose Wedding Is it Anyway?

Ruby Giuliana & Bill Clean House Clean House Comes Clean Dress My Nest How Do I Look?

Split Ends Dallas Divas & Daughters Style Her Famous Running in Heels Split Ends Clean House Dress My Nest Style Her Famous Clean House Ruby: The First 100 Pounds

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 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 23:00

Globe Trekker Angry Planet The Thirsty Traveler Spring Chef Abroad Chef Abroad Top Travel Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma Globe Trekker Planet Food The Thirsty Traveler Angry Planet Globe Trekker Travel Today Dream Destinations Distant Shores Distant Shores Chef Abroad Entrada Planet Food Globe Trekker Chef Abroad The Thirsty Traveler Sophie Grigson in the Souk Entrada Spring Grannies On Safari Globe Trekker Travel Today Journey Into Wine...

Chef Abroad The Thirsty Traveler Globe Trekker Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma Planet Food Intrepid Journeys

01:00 Futbol Mundial 01:30 Super League 03:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 04:00 Super 14 06:00 World Sport 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 07:30 Scottish Cup 09:30 Goals On Monday 11:00 V8 Supercars 11:30 World Hocky 12:00 NRL Premiership 14:00 Super 14 16:00 Super League 18:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 19:00 V8 Supercars 19:30 European Tour Weekly 20:00 AFL Highlights

01:30 Barclays Premier League Highlights 02:30 Premier League Darts 06:30 V8 Supercars 07:00 World Sport 07:30 Super 14 09:30 Brazil League Highlights 10:00 Futbol Mundial 10:30 World Sport 11:00 ICC Cricket World 11:30 FEI Equestrain World

Hellboy II: The Golden Army on Show Movies

Star Listings (UAE Timings) S TAR Mo vies 21:10 The Delphi Effect 22:40 Urgency 00:05 No Way Out 01:55 Lava Storm 03:30 Renaissance Man 05:40 The Delphi Effect 07:10 No Way Out 09:00 Lava Storm 10:35 Renaissance Man 12:45 Hackers 14:30 A Teacher’s Crime 16:05 Scary Movie 17:30 Mr Saturday Night 19:30 7-10 Split

09:30 10:00 10:50 11:00 11:50 12:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 17:50 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:00

S TAR Wo rld 21:00 BOSTON LEGAL 21:50 Who’s The Boss?

22:00 Grey’s Anatomy 23:00 [V] Tunes 00:00 [V] Tunes 01:00 [V] Tunes 02:00 7th Heaven 03:00 Scrubs 03:30 The King Of Queens 04:00 Stone Undercover 05:00 American Idol 07:00 American Idol 09:00 The King Of Queens

G ranada TV 20:00 The Paul O’Grady Show 21:00 Warzone 22:00 Emmerdale 22:30 Coronation Street 23:00 Warzone 00:00 The Crunch 01:00 Parkinson (Series 7) 02:00 Romance Wednesday: William And Mary (Series 2) (Double Bill) 04:00 New Homes From Hell 2 05:00 Emmerdale 05:30 Coronation Street 06:00 The Crunch

The Bold And The Beautiful 7th Heaven Charlie’s Angels Grey’s Anatomy Who’s The Boss?

[V] Tunes American Idol Stone Undercover American Idol EAST WEST Charlie’s Angels Cops S19 Cops S19 Who’s The Boss?

American Idol

07:00 Romance Wednesday: William And Mary (Series 2) (Double Bill) 09:00 Parkinson (Series 7) 10:00 Holiday Homes From Hell ** 11:00 Emmerdale 11:30 Coronation Street 12:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 2) 13:00 Romance Wednesday: William And Mary (Series 2) (Double Bill) 15:00 Parkinson (Series 7) 16:00 Emmerdale 16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 2) 18:00 Romance Wednesday: William And Mary (Series 2) (Double Bill) Chann el [V] 21:00 [V] Countdown 23:00 Backtracks 23:30 Double Shot 00:00 Loop 00:30 [V] Tunes 01:00 [V] Plug 01:30 Loop 02:00 Backtracks 03:00 XO 03:30 [V] Tunes 04:00 [V] Plug 04:30 The Playlist 05:00 [V] Countdown

07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30

Backtracks Double Shot Loop [V] Tunes [V] Plug Loop Backtracks XO [V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist Keys To The VIP Double Bill [V] Tunes [V] Tunes Backtracks Double Shot Loop [V] Tunes [V] Plug Loop Backtracks XO [V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist

Fo x N ews 00:00 Happening Now 01:00 The Live Desk 03:00 Studio B with Shepard Smith Live

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 21:00 22:00 23:00

Your World with Neil Cavuto Glenn Beck with Glenn Beck Special Report with Bret Baier The FOX Report with Shepard Smith The O’Reilly Factor Hannity On the Record with Greta Van Susteren The O’Reilly Factor Hannity On the Record with Greta Van Susteren Glenn Beck with Glenn Beck Fox Report Special Report with Bret Baier The O’Reilly Factor FOX & Friends First Live FOX & Friends Live America’s Newsroom America’s Newsroom Happening Now

Natio nal G eo graphic Channel 20:00 Don’t Tell My Mother... -Don’t Tell My Mother : The Balkans S2 21:00 Long Way Down -Malawi To Bostwana 9 22:00 4Real -Yawanawa 1 22:30 4Real -City Of God 2 23:00 Theme Week -Inside Iraq’s Kill Zone 00:00 Seconds From Disaster -TWA Flight 800 S2-12 01:00 ABOUT ASIA -Warzone Gone Wild

02:00 Trapped -Alive In The Andes 03:00 DogTown -New Beginnings S2-1 04:00 Monkey Thieves -Divided We Stand 14 04:30 Monkey Thieves -Hard Times 15 05:00 ABOUT ASIA -Warzone Gone Wild 06:00 Lockdown -County Jail 07:00 Street Monkeys -Girl Gang 08:00 Trapped -Alive In The Andes 09:00 Wild Detectives -Monk Seals 09:30 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet -Hi Tech Taste 13 10:00 Theme Week -Inside : Air Show 11:00 Seconds From Disaster -TWA Flight 800 S2-12 12:00 ABOUT ASIA -Warzone Gone Wild 13:00 Wild Wednesday -Monkey Thieves : Searching For Sanctuary 16 13:30 Wild Wednesday -Monkey Thieves : Urban Exile 17 14:00 Wild Wednesday -Shark Men : Big Mama 15:00 Theme Week -Inside : Air Show 16:00 Don’t Tell My Mother... -Don’t Tell My Mother : Iran S2 17:00 Seconds From Disaster -TWA Flight 800 S2-12 18:00 Wild Wednesday -Monkey Thieves : Searching For Sanctuary 16 18:30 Wild Wednesday -Monkey Thieves : Urban Exile 17 19:00 Wild Wednesday -Shark Men : Big Mama

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

33 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for visiting family or two working ladies or couples in new CAC fully furnished two bedroom two bathroom (attached) flat from 6th June 2010. Contact: 66013882.

(C 2127) Sharing room available for rent in CAC flat opp.

Farwaniya bridge on airport road Khaitan just one minute to all bus routes for family/couple. Contact: 97468551. (C 2126) 14-4-2010 Single room accommodation available for bachelor (1 or 2) in Abbassiya opposite to Choice restaurant from 01.05.2010. Tel: 60630829.

(C 2124) Accommodation available for family or working ladies in Abbassiya opp German clinic in front of bus stop.

Contact: 66455687.

(C 2118) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya behind Caesers bakery with Keralite family in two bedroom flat only for Christian Keralite bachelor. Call: 99153497. (C 2119) Accommodation available bachelor Manglorean or Goan with food opp Jabriya bridge, near Al Bahar complex. Contact: 22662734.

(C 2120) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya working ladies or small couples near Neethi store.

Contact: 97501647. (C 2122) 13-4-2010

ing ladies/couple/executive bachelor in a 2 bedroom, 2 toilets. Only for Indians from Mumbai, Goa, Delhi, Hyderabad.

New apt in Farwaniya.

Contact: 24716975/66625901.

(C 2113) 11-4-2010 Fully furnished independent room available for single lady from 1st May 2010, location Salmiya, Balajat street, rent KD 100. Tel: 65895389. (C 2109) An Indian lady (nurse) from Kerala looking for a working lady, (preferably Keralite) in a fully furnished central A/C flat in Amman Street, opp to Apollo hospital Salmiya, flat having tel, internet, cable TV, rent KD 35. Contact: 94914817/7919485.

(C 2110) 10-4-2010 Single room accommodation available for bachelor (1 or 2) in Abbassiya opposite to Choice restaurant from 01.05.2010. Tel: 60630829. (C 2105) One room available for Indian couple or 2 bachelors located at the back of Wataniya building, Sharq.

Contact: 66526098, 22494826. (C 2101) Sharing accommodation available for Muslim small family or couple in furnished flat with all facilities from May 2010. Interested please call 66212821.

(C 2106)

MATRIMONIAL Wanted groom for 26 years, young, slim, normal complexion girl, from KK district, (Tamil Nadu) CSI Christian Nadar, working in Kuwait MOH. Vacation: May - June.

Contact: nesamvinitha@yahoo.com (C 2123) 14-4-2010 Christian Jacobite girl 27 years, 160cms, Perumbavoor, Ernakulam dist, going on leave April 23 June 3 seeking proposal from parents of suitable boys . Email: eldhopaulc86@gmail.com (C 2125) RC, SC, 168 cm, M.Tech hailing from financially sound family working in Kuwait as sales engineer looking for professionally qualified girls. Email: antony45@gmail.com (C 2114) 13-4-2010 Marthomite parents invite proposal for their daughter, 24 years, MA B.Ed working in an international school, Delhi. Reply with details: mvarghese19@yahoo.com (C 2115)

CHANGE OF NAME I, Alfred Fernandes, R/o H.No.1103 Socorro Zosvaddo, P.O. Porvorim BartzesGoa, S/O late Matias Fernandes, would like to correct my name on my passport no.:F-7953723, issued in Kuwait, from Alfredo Fernandes to Alfred Fernandes.

(C 2129)

I, Sebastiana Sousa, R/o Katem Baina, Vasco-DaGama Marmagoa, D/o Late Antonio Sousa, would like to correct my surname on my passport no F-0508935 issued in Kuwait from Sebastiana D’sousa to Sebastiana Sousa. (C 2129) I, Ana Rita Sousa, R/o 343, next to M.P.T. Hospital Vasco-Da-Gama Goa, D/o Late Antonio Sousa, would like to correct my surname on my passport no. F-1471318, issued in Kuwait, from Ana Rita Godinho to Ana Rita Sousa. (C 2129) 14-4-2010

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Nativa GLs model 2006, silver, done 81,000 kms only, excellent condition, cash price 2500.

Contact: 55107856.

(C 2121) 13-4-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, 2002, black, lady driven, km 121,000, well maintained.

Mob: 60685236. (C 2107) Home furniture most from Ikea, electrical appliances for sale at Salmiya. Phone: 66799157, 66491539.

(C 2111) 10-4-2010

SITUATION VACANT

A nursing student requires assistance in microbiology, biochemistry pharmacology, & pathology. Call 66385870 after 4 pm.

10-4-2010

No: 14698

Sharing accommodation available for bachelor with an Indian family near Mecca street Fahaheel. Call: 23927458. (C 2117) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya near Hi-Dine supermarket with Keralite family for couple or working ladies.

Contact: 65139705. (C 2116) Sharing accommodation available for single work-

Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Wednesday 14/04/2010 Airlines Flt Route 188 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 306 Cairo Wataniya Airways 211 Bahrain Gulf Air 772 Istanbul Turkish A/L DHL 370 Bahrain Emirates 853 Dubai Etihad 305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 138 Doha Kuwait 802 Cairo Jazeera 503 Luxor Falcon 201 Dubai Jazeera 527 Alexandria Jazeera 529 Assiut Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok British 157 London Jazeera 481 Sabiha Kuwait 382 Delhi Kuwait 302 Mumbai Fly Dubai 053 Dubai Kuwait 676 Dubai Kuwait 352 Cochin Kuwait 284 Dhaka Kuwait 344 Chennai Kuwait 362 Colombo Emirates 855 Dubai Arabia 121 Sharjah Qatari 132 Doha Iran Air 603 Shiraz Etihad 301 Abu Dhabi Iran Aseman 6791 Mashad Jazeera 425 Bahrain Falcon 203 Dubai Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 182 Bahrain Middle East 404 Beirut Alnaser 711 Baghdad/Najaf Jazeera 165 Dubai Wataniya Airways 102 Dubai Jazeera 447 Doha Jazeera 113 Abu Dhabi Mahan Air 5066 Mashad Jazeera 171 Dubai Egypt Air 610 Cairo Kuwait 672 Dubai Oman Air 645 Muscat Jazeera 525 Alexandria Saudi Arabian A/L 508 Riyadh Royal Jordanian 800 Amman United A/L 982 Washington Dc Dulles Egypt Air 621 Assiut Jazeera 257 Beirut Wataniya Airways 422 Amman Kuwait 562 Amman Saudi Arabian A/L 500 Jeddah Kuwait 552 Damascus Jazeera 693 Shiraz

Time 00:30 00:50 01:05 01:15 02:15 02:25 02:55 03:25 04:45 05:15 05:25 06:05 06:10 06:15 06:30 06:40 07:20 07:50 07:55 08:00 08:05 08:10 08:20 08:20 08:25 08:40 09:00 09:20 09:25 09:55 10:25 10:30 10:45 10:45 10:50 10:55 11:05 11:05 11:10 11:20 12:20 12:50 12:55 13:15 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:35 13:35 13:40 14:10 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:45

Nas Air Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Cargolux Nas Air Jazeera Etihad Global Emirates Gulf Air Wataniya Airways Jazeera Saudi Arabian A/L Jazeera Jazeera Arabia Jazeera Srilankan Wataniya Airways Yemania Kuwait Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Indian Fly Dubai Middle East Global Jet A/W Wataniya Airways Jazeera DHL Gulf Air Emirates Qatari Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Lufthansa Shaheen Air Jazeera Kuwait KLM India Express Egypt Air Pakistan Wataniya Airways Jazeera

745 134 546 544 792 703 427 303 061 857 215 402 217 510 493 239 125 497 227 304 4824 166 106 502 542 786 202 618 674 177 614 774 102 575 061 402 081 572 404 459 372 217 859 136 429 117 449 636 441 185 548 0447 393 606 215 108 263

Jeddah Doha Alexandria Cairo Luxembourg Riyadh Bahrain Abu Dhabi Baghdad Dubai Bahrain Beirut Isfahan Riyadh Jeddah Amman Sharjah Riyadh Colombo/Dubai Cairo Sanaa/Doha Paris/Rome Dubai Beirut Cairo Jeddah Jeddah Doha Dubai Dubai Bahrain Riyadh New York/London Chennai/Goa Dubai Beirut Baghdad Mumbai Beirut Damascus Bahrain Bahrain Dubai Doha Bahrain Abu Dhabi Doha Frankfurt Lahore/Karachi Dubai Sharm El Sheikh/Luxor Amsterdam/Bahrain Kozhikode/Cochin Luxor Karachi Dubai Beirut

14:55 15:05 15:30 15:30 15:45 15:45 16:45 16:50 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:15 17:20 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:55 18:00 18:35 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:50 18:55 18:55 18:55 19:00 19:05 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:30 20:05 20:20 20:30 20:30 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:35 22:15 22:25 22:25 22:30 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:55 23:55 23:55

Departure Flights on Wednesday 14/04/2010 Airlines Flt Route 528 Assiut Jazeera 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode India Express 637 Frankfurt Lufthansa 994 Mumbai/Chennai Indian Pakistan 206 Lahore Turkish A/L 773 Istanbul DHL 371 Bahrain Emirates 854 Dubai Etihiad 306 Abu Dhabi Qatari 139 Doha Wataniya Airways 101 Dubai Jazeera 164 Dubai Jazeera 524 Alexandria Jazeera 112 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 422 Bahrain Jazeera 446 Doha Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 181 Bahrain British 156 London Kuwait 545 Alexandria Jazeera 256 Beirut Fly Dubai 054 Dubai Kuwait 543 Cairo Kuwait 177 Frankfurt/Geneva Jazeera 170 Dubai Kuwait 671 Dubai Wataniya Airways 421 Amman Kuwait 551 Damascus Kuwait 561 Amman Arabia 122 Sharjah Emirates 856 Dubai Qatari 133 Doha Kuwait 117 New York Etihad 302 Abu Dhabi Iran Air 602 Shiraz Iran Aseman 6792 Mashad Wataniya Airways 401 Beirut Gulf Air 214 Bahrain Falcon 204 Baghdad Wataniya Airways 303 Cairo Middle East 405 Beirut Jazzeera 692 Shiraz Global 062 Najaf/Baghdad Kuwait 541 Cairo Jazeera 492 Jeddah Alnaser 712 Najaf/Baghdad Jazeera 238 Amman Kuwait 103 London Kuwait 501 Beirut Kuwait 783 Jeddah Mahan Air 5065 Mashad Wataniya Airways 201 Jeddah Jazeera 426 Bahrain Egypt Air 611 Cairo Jazeera 216 Isfahan Oman Air 646 Muscat

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

Time 00:05 00:25 00:50 00:50 01:10 02:15 03:15 03:45 04:00 05:00 06:50 07:00 07:00 07:15 07:35 07:40 07:45 07:50 08:25 08:35 08:35 08:40 08:45 08:55 09:00 09:00 09:10 09:10 09:15 09:20 09:40 10:00 10:00 10:10 10:20 10:55 11:35 11:35 11:45 11:50 11:50 12:00 12:00 12:00 12:15 12:15 12:30 12:30 13:00 13:30 13:40 13:45 13:55 13:55 14:05 14:15

Wataniya Airways Royal Jordanian Kuwait Egypt Air Saudi Arabian A/L Jazeera Jazeera Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Saudi Arabian A/L Nas Air Jazeera Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Nas Air Global Cargolux Etihad Emirates Gulf Air Wataniya Airways Jazeera Arabia Saudi Arabian A/L Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Srilankan Yemenia Wataniya Airways Jazeera Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Fly Dubai Kuwait Middle East Jet A/W Wataniya Airways Gulf Air DHL Kuwait Kuwait Emirates Falcon Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera United A/L Kuwait

105 801 673 622 509 176 496 403 617 547 501 746 458 773 135 613 704 082 792 304 858 216 305 262 126 511 116 448 184 428 228 824 107 434 283 512 361 062 331 403 571 187 218 373 801 675 860 102 137 203 301 526 502 636 981 415

Dubai Amman Dubai Assiut Medinah Dubai Riyadh Beirut Doha Sharm El Sheikh/Luxor Jeddah Jeddah Damascus Riyadh Doha Bahrain Medinah Baghdad Hong Kong Abu Dhabi Dubai Bahrain Cairo Beirut Sharjah Riyadh Abu Dhabi Doha Dubai Bahrain Dubai/Colombo Sanaa Dubai Mashad Dhaka Sharm El Sheikh Colombo Dubai Trivandrum Beirut Mumbai Bahrain Bahrain Bahrain Cairo Dubai Dubai Bahrain Doha Lahore Mumbai Alexandria Luxor Aleppo Washington Dc Dulles Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta

14:30 14:30 14:30 14:40 14:45 14:55 15:00 15:10 15:35 15:40 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:05 16:20 16:20 16:35 17:00 17:00 17:35 18:05 18:05 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:35 18:40 18:55 19:00 19:10 19:10 19:40 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:15 20:20 20:50 21:00 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:20 23:30 23:35 23:40 23:50

SPECTRUM

34 CROSSWORD 958

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Calvin Aries (March 21-April 19) Communication is easy today. When you are not communicating at work you are probably looking for ways to get your voice or your ideas out to the public. Writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper, creating poetry about some political situation or teaching others are great ways to get involved in the cycle of teaching and learning.

Through new studies, you can make great leaps forward in your career.

You are just beginning to realize how much you can do to make a positive difference in the life of others. This afternoon you may want to take some time out and listen to others’ family. It is good that you give plenty of hugs and your sense of humor helps and encourages young people to tackle challenges. This evening is for music.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Winning the hearts of others can be a challenge you are eager to accept today— and the thrill of the chase might be most of the fun.

Do not work a project into oblivion. Make it perfect, then let go and trust that all your good work will be appreciated. Then, move on to the next subject of interest. This afternoon is a good time to read a romantic book or take in a movie. Ideas and thoughts will have greater meaning and form just now. You may be very eloquent or forceful in speaking or communicating. People will understand just what you mean. Romance may be on your mind most of this evening. Marriage may be in the forecast. Think before you leap because if love is real, it will last. Choose someone who mirrors your ideas on living.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

4. (Irish) Mother of the Tuatha De Danann.

8. 30 to 300 gigahertz.

11. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

12. The face of a timepiece.

13. Flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes.

14. A pale rose-colored variety of the ruby spinel.

16. A federal agency that supervises carriers that transport goods and people between states.

17. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

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

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

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

26. A public promotion of some product or service.

27. Goddess of spring and wife of Bragi.

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

34. A soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent) metallic element.

36. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion.

39. A metallic element having four allotropic forms.

42. The products of human creativity.

47. The United Nations agency concerned with the international organization of food and agriculture.

48. Consisting of or made of wood of the oak tree.

49. A collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn.

50. The basic unit of electric current adopted under the System International d'Unites.

51. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

52. Lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise.

DOWN 1. A small cake leavened with yeast.

2. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

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

4. A doctor's degree in dental surgery.

5. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

6. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers.

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

8. Angular distance above the horizon (especially of a celestial object).

9. A collection of objects laid on top of each other.

10. A tax on employees and employers that is used to fund the Social Security system.

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

19. A piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep.

21. A white linen liturgical vestment with sleeves.

22. (Babylonian) God of wisdom and agriculture and patron of scribes and schools.

23. Having relatively few calories.

25. A heavy ductile magnetic metallic element.

28. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

29. The local time at the 0 meridian passing through Greenwich, England.

30. A state in New England.

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

33. A light touch or stroke.

35. Port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay. 37. The biblical name for ancient Syria.

38. On, to, or at the top.

40. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

41. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

43. A state of southwestern India.

44. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

45. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

46. The month following February and preceding April.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Your management abilities and your intuitive insights are strong. You are good at getting speedy results in the work place.

Business circumstances calls for your close attention this morning. Let others know you will not want to be interrupted for a period of time and show appreciation when they have complied. Welcome the trials and oppositions that occur with your finances at this time and consider getting rid of some of those credit cards. If your money investments work now, they will continue to prosper in the future. A new hobby or leisure-time pursuit offers intellectual stimulation and personal relaxation. A social event allows you to connect with exciting new people. View life positively and good results are what you will get.

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You could be promoted because of outside influences. Perhaps there is much praise from customers or the results from your previous efforts are recognized. You seem able to multiply other people’s money quite well. Be very careful in what you try to bring into your life careful, you may be stuck with what you get for some time. Ambitious schemes and the pursuit of success take on a high priority. This brings a focus on the practical, the successful, the pragmatic—whatever it takes to get you ahead in the end. The meek may inherit the earth, but the shrewd will collect the rent. A young person may need your attention this afternoon—you are wise to set aside some time for them. This is a great time for love and money—enjoy.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Hard work is the order of the day. Sustained effort helps you make headway with a project that seems as though it will never end. You gain insight today into just how powerful each of us can be or can become. You have a lot of faith that you can create whatever you envision? at times, however, you need to give this plenty of time. A difficult situation tries your patience, but when you realize that it takes time, concentration and a good attitude, you can make everything all work out in positive ways. Do not take shortcuts. Again . . . you need patience to see things through to the end. A young person may ask for your help this evening. Take some time to do some relaxation exercises before you fall asleep and you will rest better through the night.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) As you take on more responsibility in your profession, you will tend to choose partners and associates who share some of your goals and objectives. You tend to make beneficial contacts with older, more experienced people and those in positions of authority.

Your sense of justice intensifies as you become more sensitive to the needs and rights of others. You will give serious consideration to all legally binding contracts and agreements in order to assure yourself that requirements are met. Learn how to sell your ideas. Gradually you will learn how to negotiate and reach an acceptable compromise on important issues. Tonight you may decide to take a turn at cooking the evening meal. You have a natural flare for such things and enjoy pleasing others.

Libra (September 23-October 22) Fluency in communication sharpens your intellect. You will be curious and talkative. Eating lunch with friends brings out the best in you. You are observant and quick to form impressions. Be wise in what you say. You could be urged to help make decision that will affect your living situation or life circumstances. Others may challenge your authority or the direction you are taking. However, once you have made your decision—stick with it. You rise above the challenges facing you now. Your taste in art and appreciation is heightened. Perhaps this evening is a good time to be entertained by selecting a movie or attending an art show. It could even be the best time to sit back and enjoy what you have; to live life.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Don’t be surprised if you are not in top mental gear. You could find yourself struggling to be understood. Avoid arguments with an older person. Tremendous mental insight may inflate your ego.

Take care to avoid being temperamental. If you have a focus for your energy, you could be very influential. There is an opportunity to soften and heal from a misunderstanding between people.

There is the key to the greater psychic and spiritual sensitivity you feel.

You could find yourself in the library this afternoon. Law and philosophy and/or religion have much potential to impact your lifestyle. You could be in touch with your most personal emotions, filling you with a sense of contentment and peace. Let music sooth your spirit.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Head up! Shoulder’s back! You are able to combat the most difficult challenges today. You will feel victorious with your plans. Letting someone else take the glory in the workplace today may be a gift to yourself as well as others. Your mind is clear and ideas are flowing easily. You can talk, talk, talk. Education, advertising and travels are certainly subjects that hold your attention. Travel plans will firm up soon? patience. Until that time, you may want to send off to the Chamber of Commerce and get some facts and fun information on the places you want to visit. If you have access to a computer, the world could open up for you in lots of fun ways? use a search tool and start searching. You will enjoy contact between friends this evening.

Yesterday’s Solution

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

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Personal and romantic feelings may interfere with your concentration—careful. This period will bring about good communication and good morale among co-workers. You could be most persuasive with others and charismatic in your communication. A boss or some other influential person judges your efforts. This may lead to a bit of nervousness. A calm state of mind will be the secret to your success. You have lots of passion to tackle any problem or project that you may want to accomplish. You want to manage your finances efficiently and you are generally very good at that. You may enjoy being a mentor to someone that certainly needs help in the finance department. Much time is spent on the phone this evening.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) A stubborn streak, yours or someone else’s, could interfere with your life’s purpose today. There is perhaps a sense of challenge just now. You have many ideas but pushing your thoughts on others may not be productive. You may find yourself ahead of the usual thinking and with no technical or scientific person around to listen to your thoughts, it may be difficult to continue to create. Look for ways to get into groups that network and enjoy scientific conversations—patience, your ideas will be heard. Also, write down some of your ideas for a later time. Selling some item you no longer use may cover the fee for belonging to a group for a year? consider it. You may find yourself enjoying the company of a loved one this evening.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) No interruptions today and quiet work conditions help you to accomplish a great deal. Politics in the work place seems to have eased and better working conditions seem to be underway. There is a special emphasis on you in the work place now. Your effort to keep the peace between higher ups and employees bring you much respect. Pay attention to the fact that you tend to move into extremes in all areas of your life. When you learn to strike a balance and to operate on an even keel, you will find more control in your life than you ever had before now. You seem lighthearted and easier to get along with than usual. You, yourself, are learning all sorts of things about the neat person that lives inside your body.

INFORMATION

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 777 Al-Madena 22418714 22545171 Al-Shohada’a Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 22545171 Al-Nuzha Sabhan 24742838 22434853 Al-Helaly Al-Fayhaa 22545051 24711433 Al-Farwaniya Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 23927002 Al-Fahaheel Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 23980088 Ahmadi Al-Mangaf 23711183 23262845 Al-Shuaiba Al-Jahra 25610011 25616368 Al-Salmiya

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’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

(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:

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290 Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital 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

Kuwait Airways Wataniya Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines

22433377 24379900 177 22477631 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/2433141 22456700 22412284/5 22453820/1

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK)

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Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Holland (Netherlands) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Ibiza (Spain) Iceland India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia

00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689 00241 00220 00995 0049 00233 00350 0030 00299 001473 00590 001671 00502 00224 00592 00509 0031 00504 00852 0036 0034 00354 0091 00873 0062 0098 00964 00353 0039 00225 001876 0081 00962 007 00254 00686 00965 00996 00856 00371 00961 00231 00218 00370 00352 00853 00389

36

SPECTRUM

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Gwyneth Paltrow wants another baby

Osbourne blasts the meat industry K

elly Osbourne has blasted the “disgusting” meat industry. The presenter - who is engaged to model Luke Worrall - is unhappy about the conditions farm animals are reared in and has stopped eating certain foods.

She said: “I’ve become increasingly aware of how disgusting the American meat industry can be - and it’s seriously put me off eating meat. I’ve heard that cows are fed through a hole

in their stomach to make them get fatter quicker and I can’t believe some chicken producers inject them with water first so they’re heavier!” Despite her concerns, Kelly has decided not to completely stop eating meat, but is being more careful about what she buys. She added in her Closer magazine column: “I don’t have a problem with people eating meat, but I am careful to only buy organic now.”

Charlotte Church is engaged

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he ‘Iron Man 2’ actress is reportedly trying to convince her husband, Coldplay singer Chris Martin, now is the perfect time to give five-year-old daughter Apple and four-year-old son Moses a sibling. A source told Britain’s Star magazine: “Gwyneth is desperate to have another baby. She really thinks it will bring the whole family closer together.

They are a passionate couple... and having another baby would give them both something to look forward to.” While Gwyneth is keen to have another child, Chris, 33, allegedly thinks it may be the wrong time to extend their brood because they are both so busy with their careers. The source added: “Chris is trying to figure out where to go next with his career, while Gwyneth is promoting her new film, ‘Iron Man 2’, and is in the process of making another one. Chris thinks the timing may be all wrong for her to get pregnant.”

While it has previously been claimed the couple have considered adoption, the 37year-old actress would prefer to conceive naturally again. The source said: “Gwyneth loves the whole process of being pregnant and giving birth. It’s very spiritual for her and she loves nothing more than motherhood, and being with Chris and the kids.”

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he singer-and-TV star’s long-term love Gavin Henson proposed to her on February 21, her 24th birthday, after planning a special ride in a helicopter and luxury lunch in their native Wales.

Charlotte told Britain’s OK! magazine: “As I came out of the shower, I said, ‘What’s that noise?’ And there was a helicopter outside. “I just thought it was because of my birthday, I had no idea. “The food was lush and then Gavin said, ‘Let’s go for a walk,’ and we sat on a bench and I was leaning into his shoulder as I was really happy, then he started talking all funny!

Saying things like, ‘We’ve been together for five years now, we’ve had good times and hard times, but it’s mostly been good times and I think we’re meant to be together for the rest of our lives.’ “Then

he went down on one knee and said, ‘So I’d better finally ask you, I suppose.’ Then he said, ‘Will you marry me?’ “ Charlotte - who has two children, Ruby, two, and 15-monthold Dexter, with Gavin -immediately accepted his proposal and admits she cried when he popped the question. Rugby player Gavin bought the engagement ring for Charlotte when they were on holiday in Dubai earlier this year, and admits he has been desperate to make Charlotte his wife for some time. He said: “It’s time to get married. I want us to be a family and we have different names at the moment. Me, Ruby and Dexter are Henson and Charlotte is Church. It feels right.” The couple are planning to marry this year on an unspecified island, in a lavish ceremony with around 100 guests.

Law and Miller house hunting in London

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ar-old child e y if ve

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e

he 47-year-old actress - who has three daughters, Rumer, 21, Scout, 18 and 16-year-old Tallulah Belle with her exhusband Bruce Willis - often forgets her age and thinks of herself as a young school girl. She said: “I pretty much think of myself as like still being about five. Maybe that’s why my twitter picture is of me at five.” Demi doesn’t follow any strict beauty regimes to help keep her looking young and believes her childlike behaviour and willingness to smile and laugh help her stay youthful.

Speaking at a press conference, she told People.com: “I don’t know if there is any particular secret to staying youthful. I think that laughter and smiling are one of the best antidotes to aging that you could possibly have.” The actress - who is married to 32-year-old actor Ashton Kutcher - feels very “privileged” with her life and works hard to make sure her children have her “positive perspective” everyday. She said: “I feel like I have the fortune of privilege, particularly as it relates, say, to my children. I’ve always really tried to keep a positive perspective of what’s valuable... that who you are isn’t the stuff you have.” Demi recently starred in new movie ‘The Joneses’ - which is about a picture-perfect suburban - where she starred alongside the “extremely talented” Miley Cyrus, the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. She added: “I think she’s extremely talented. This role is going to be really good for her. I think she’ll do an amazing job. She clearly comes from a really solid family, which I think really shows.”

li k

Samantha Burke - separated from Sienna for the first time in 2005 following allegations of an affair with nanny Daisy Wright But they rekindled their romance last year and were seen on a Caribbean holiday together over the 2009 festive period.

Yesterday, it was reported the pair had got engaged again after the ‘Factory Girl’ actress was seen wearing the vintage diamond ring Jude had given her during their first engagement - but on her right hand. A source said: “They do not want to make the engagement official which is why Sienna is wearing the ring on the wrong hand. “They are keeping it secret, but are very happy and really hope it’s going to work out. “Jude has been to visit Sienna’s parents and her sister Savannah and has worked hard to redeem himself.”

Peter Andre has started dating again

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he ‘Fight for This Love’ singer - who dumped the soccer player after allegations he cheated on her with several other women surfaced this year - has reportedly received two personalized leather studded collars from him for their pet Chihuahuas Buster and Coco, which bizarrely have his initials on.

A source said: “Both Cheryl and Ashley love their Chihuahuas so the leather collars were a bit of a light-hearted, jokey present. He had them engraved with the letter ‘A’ again as a bit of a joke. But he is hoping Buster and Coco will wear them with pride.” Cheryl currently has the pooches and looks after them on a fulltime basis, with Ashley allowed to see them on weekends. The 26-year-old pop beauty - who recently arrived back in London following her promotional European tour - was also sent a rose gold brooch from the Chelsea and England soccer player. The source added to the Daily Mirror newspaper: “He arranged for two pals to collect the gifts and drop them off at their home in Surrey, ready to greet Cheryl when she got in from the airport. “Ashley is willing to do anything to win back Cheryl. He’s had a long, hard think and is a changed man. He had the brooch made and wanted it to represent how he would never stray again if she gave him one more chance.” The couple, who split in February, have reportedly been in contact by phone recently but have only had one face-toface meeting so far.

Demi Moore fe els

Ashley Cole buys presents for Cheryl Cole’s dog

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ude Law and Sienna Miller want to buy a house together. The couple - who are reported to be engaged for the second time - are looking to purchase a new home in London, and are tempted by a £4 million pad in Highgate, north London. A source said: “They’ve looked at a few properties in the north London area. “They’ve taken a real fancy to a £4 million six-bedroom period property near their favorite pub in Highgate. They have decided to snub Sienna’s beloved Notting Hill and Primrose Hill.

“Buying in Highgate means they can still walk to Hampstead in minutes and Jude will be just around the corner from ex-wife Sadie Frost and their children.” Jude - who has three children, Rafferty, 13, Iris, nine, and Rudy, seven, with Sadie and another daughter, seven-month-old Sophia, with model

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he ‘Behind Closed Doors’ singer admits he has finally put his split from former wife Katie Price - who he separated from in May 2009 - behind him and is romancing other women, though he has not yet met anyone special. He said: “For those of you who are interested, I can confirm that I am still single, but that I am very much back on the dating scene.

But I won’t be telling you anything until I’ve met someone I’m serious about.”

However, he has hit back at rumors claiming he is dating close pal Kerry Katona, with who he shares a management team. He said: “False stories are written about me all the time, the latest one being that I’m romantically linked to my old pal Kerry Katona.” As well as throwing himself back into dating, the 37-year-old star has also been keeping himself busy with a UK tour - and admits he is astonished at how popular his shows have been. He wrote in his column for New! magazine: “If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be doing a 38-date nationwide tour and that it would be completely sold out, I wouldn’t have believed you. It shows you how much you can turn your life around.” —BangShowbiz

SPECTRUM

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

37

Lifestyle

reakdancing combines with Bach in Berlin this month as an award-winning dance group and an avant-garde musical director put an ultra-modern spin on the German composer’s almost 300-year-old music. For 12 nights from yesterday, Berlin-based Flying Steps, four times world champions in breakdance, perform to works from Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Das Wohltemperierte Klavier” (“The Well-Tempered Clavier”).

“Flying Bach”, as the show is known, is billed as “hip-hop philosophy meets classical genius” and a “Bach battle in 12 rounds”. The 70-minute performance sees the composer’s preludes and fugues played either on piano or harpsichord, or given an electronic makeover and pumped through speakers at a Berlin modern art museum, the Neue

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dancer. Video artist Marco Moo meanwhile beams live visuals on the walls, onto the museum’s huge windows behind the performance and at one point onto a white sheet held up by the dancers on stage.

Nationalgalerie. As the group’s founder Vartan Bassil explains, the six dancers of Flying Steps mix up breakdancing with so many different high-energy styles that it can look like something completely new.

“It is a huge challenge to perform to classical music. With hiphop we move in time with the beats. But with Bach we also have to transform quieter noises into movement, and mirror the feel of the music with our dancing. “In breakdance, technique and acrobatics take centre stage, the combination of individual moves. But for ‘Flying Bach’ we wanted the emotion of the music to come across.”

Joining Flying Steps’ Vartan, Benny, Mikel, Lil Ceng, KC-1 and Lil Rock on stage is Japanese contemporary dance artist Yui Kawaguchi, the show’s only female

Chopin Bicentennial anniversary concert

Dancers of the ‘Flying Steps’ ensemble perform on stage to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach at the New National Gallery in Berlin on April 12, 2010.—AFP For the project, Flying Steps teamed up with German director Christoph Hagel, who is no stranger to giving classical music a modern makeover having previously staged Mozart operas in a

Conan O’Brien to make cable TV his new home ate-night mainstay Conan O’Brien is headed to cable channel TBS to resume his comedic duties with a talk show expected to debut in November, the network said Monday. The as-yet-untitled show will return O’Brien to the air after an absence that began in January when he lef t NBC, his employer of 17 years.

O’Brien’s new program will air Mondays through Thursdays at 11 pm Eastern and will originate from Los Angeles, where he moved from New York for his unsuccessful stint hosting “The Tonight Show.” And the second half

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ar Al-Athar alIslamiyyah presented on Monday a ‘Chopin Bicentennial anniversary concert ‘by the prize winning pianist Ramzi Yassa, which was moderated by Mr Ahmed Khaja under the patronage of Sheikha Hussah which took place at the Al-Medan cultural center. Several ambassadors were among the attendee at the event that enjoyed the music of Yassa.

Ramzi Yassa was the first Egyptian performer musician to be awarded the French Merit Prize. He has appeared under the baton of many of the world’s leading conductors, including Yehudi Menuhin, Sir Charles Groves, Zubin Mehta and Horst Stein.

His recordings include works

by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Chopin, Beethoven, Liszt, Rachmaninov, with the Beethoven CD being named the Editor’s Choice by the French magazine “Piano”.

power station and in a metro station. “My job was to explain the music, to make the dancers understand how artful and refined Bach composed his music. But I stayed out of the choreography,” he said.

The result was a new experience, and Hagel says he was amazed by how well breakdance lends itself to Bach, better than classical ballet, for example. He also thinks traditionalists could learn a thing or two from the group. “Flying Steps have such an unpretentious way of listening to and interpreting music ... I am amazed by their energy and directness-it’s not something I know from the high-minded world of high culture,” Hagel said. “We want to show that Bach is high-energy music and that hip-hop can be great art.” “Flying Bach” runs until May 1.—AFP

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In this Feb 22, 1978 file photo, Arthur Schlesinger Jr, left, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis speak at a publishing party in New York City. —AP of his show will face off against Jay Leno, who now hosts “Tonight.” The five-year contract gives O’Brien ownership of the show, according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss it. Monday’s surprise announcement hit the same day O’Brien starts a two-month, nation-

wide comedy tour in Eugene, Oregon, amid persistent reports that he was likely to claim the Fox network as his new late-night home.

Upon TBS’ announcement Monday, O’Brien quickly fired out a celebratory tweet.

“The good news: I will be doing a show on TBS starting in November! The bad news: I’ll be playing Rudy on the all new Cosby Show,” he posted on Twitter.

TBS said that talks with O’Brien accelerated last week after TBS talk show host George Lopez called O’Brien to ask him to come aboard. O’Brien’s new show at 11 pm will shift “Lopez Tonight” to midnight. “I can’t think of anything better than doing my show with Conan as my lead-in. It’s the beginning of a new era in late-night comedy,” Lopez said in a statement released by TBS. Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, said he was optimistic that O’Brien will have more freedom on cable, saying “cable has historically had a different temperament than broadcast,” but noted, “Conan’s not a dirty comedian. That’s not what he does.” There’s a seemingly ironic ring to the time change for Lopez, since O’Brien rejected NBC’s effort to move him to a later slot to make way for Leno. This dispute led to O’Brien’s abrupt exit from NBC. O’Brien left NBC in January after hosting “The Tonight Show” for just eight months, as his ratings plunged from those of his longtime “Tonight” predecessor, Leno, who then reclaimed the hour. Until last June, O’Brien had followed Leno as host of “Late Night” since 1993. After giving O’Brien “Tonight,” NBC sought to keep Leno on board with a prime-time show that quickly flopped. An attempt to move O’Brien to a post-midnight slot drew O’Brien’s ire, and he walked away with a $32 million settlement package.

Although that put him in play for other networks, the deal barred him from appearing on TV until September. In the meantime, O’Brien’s two-month comedy tour that starts Monday in Oregon will give fans a chance to see the star in person and discover how he performs unfettered by network broadcast standards. —AP

Russell Crowe gets Hollywood star Actor Russell Crowe poses at the star ceremony presenting the New Zealand-born actor with the 2,404th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

—AFP

ew Zealand-born actor Russell Crowe received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, ahead of his return to the big screen with director Ridley Scott’s re-imagining of “Robin Hood.”

The 46-year-old naturalized Australian actor-best known for his Oscar-winning role in action flick “Gladiator” and later as a maddening mathematician in “A Beautiful Mind”-was accompanied by his wife and two young children to receive the honor-the tourist spot’s 2,404th star.

Also attending was talk show host Jay Leno and filmmaker Ron Howard, who directed the actor in 2001’s “A Beautiful Mind” and 2005’s boxing drama “Cinderella Man.” —AFP

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Pet fashion show

Cherubino, a bichon frise, models fashion designer Yoichi Ohashi’s purple star outfit during ‘Last Bark for Bryant Park,’ the Fashion Institute of Technology’s second annual pet apparel fashion show, in New York, Monday.

Cherubino is owned by Deborah David.

Schulzy, a West Highland terrier, models fashion designer Lynne Correia’s white satin Angelita wedding gown.

Lily, a Papillion, models fashion designer Lynne Correia’s magical flower fairy outfit.

(Left) Schulzy, owned by Londa Alessandro, wore the orangesicle coat by designer Betty Jo Drost and Cherubino (above), owned by Deborah David, wore Anna Wako’s zen kimono.

Bruno, a dog from the North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington, NY, models fashion designer Lisa Barnes’ turtlebacks organic wool knit sweater.

Zoe, a miniature poodle, models fashion designer Dawn Terrazas’ Rhinestone Raincoat. —AP photos

SPECTRUM

38

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Travel

Wonderland of orchids and birds in Ecuador ’ve often fantasized about retracing the steps of such naturalists as Charles Darwin, Alexander von Humboldt and William Bartram, who saw exotic places and recorded, in detail, the plants and animals they encountered on their expeditions. But the armchair naturalist in me didn’t want to work too hard or subject myself to the tribulations they suffered as they circumnavigated the globe, climbed the South American Andes or slogged through the swamps of the Southeastern United States, places where one might encounter sharks, bugs, snakes, piranhas, jaguars and crocodiles.

So I kept deferring on the grounds of time, cost and discomfort.

My visit to Mindo, in a cloud-forested valley of the same name, helped me realize that I didn’t have to set sail or strap on the crampons to see spectacular and exotic life forms. Mindo is an easy-access epicenter of biodiversity in northwestern Ecuador teeming with hundreds of orchid and bird species, all framed by spectacular Andean scenery in a cool, temperate climate.

During my two days traipsing around Mindo-a 90-minute drive from Quito, the capital-I spied scores of plant and bird species that I thought I’d have to travel much farther to see.

There were netherworldly orchids (about 4,000 species grow in Ecuador), vibrantly colored bromeliads and dozens of rare birds, including toucans, cocks-of-the-rock, quetzals and swarms of hummingbirds and parrots.

Ecuador’s biodiversity so engaged me that I thought of it as the ultimate persuasion for preservation, here and elsewhere. Bigger picture: Surely the ranks of protectors would swell, I reasoned, if they were to come away with the same understanding I did.

The smaller picture was just as satisfying. Although I’m no “orch-idiot,” as the locals call rabid orchid fans willing to surmount any obstacle to catch a glimpse of one, I am fascinated by these plants, masterpieces of nature’s handiwork. I saw scores of orchids along the several trails I hiked and in many of the 50 private reserves that locals have created to appeal to amateur, leisurely naturalists like me.

Ecuador’s stable and temperate climate in the highlands makes it a veritable flora factory. With nearly $600 million in annual shipments, Ecuador is the second leading exporter of cut flowers (Colombia is first) to the US. Orchids may be the showstoppers, but the supporting cast is just as impressive: I saw two-story-high tree ferns, ancient cedars, giant hibiscus and philodendrons with leaves as big as elephant ears. I was agog at the enormous shiny, silver leaves of the umbrellashaped cecropia trees that some experts say can grow as much as 6 feet a year.

For this, credit the surrounding cloud forest, a specific variety of tropical or subtropical ecosystem that occurs at just the right mix of altitudeMindo’s valley varies from 4,500 to 8,000 feet-cloud cover, sunlight, mild temperatures and moisture. Rainfall here averages 5 feet or more per year.

The cloud forests often are in an altitude “band” between 3,000 and 6,000 feet and cover the many valleys that cut away from the altiplano where Quito (altitude: 9,400 feet) sits and open up to the Pacific Coast plain to the west below.

It rains almost every day, but much of Mindo’s wetness comes from condensed moisture, or evapo-transpiration, from clouds that hover at canopy level, particularly after noon. Moss covers many of the trees. In this botanical caldron, orchids, bees, hummingbirds and the other pollinators they depend on thrive. Mindo is well-known in birder circles, I’m told. The valley is a perennial high scorer in the Audubon Society’s annual global bird count. Every December, localities around the world compete

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Another of the non-orchid plants, also abundant in the area, Tillandsia Cynea.

Towns outside Death Valley National Park offer open spaces t 2 am the coyotes began circling, yipping and howling in the darkness beyond our tepee. I gulped hard and stared at my friend Terry. Were these fearsome beasts poised to attack? Terry just laughed. “Think they’ll gnaw us to death?” he asked.

We had checked in about 1 a.m. after a fivehour, after-work drive from Los Angeles. Our domicile for two nights in mid-February was one of three tepees on the grounds of China Ranch, a date farm near the tiny town of Tecopa just outside Death Valley National Park. We had found the place through a random Internet search, after efforts to book a room in the park proved fruitless. Although the two other tepees were occupied and proprietor Cynthia Kienitz lives nearby in a rustic cottage, I was nervous. Maybe we were about to be gnawed to death.

Terry stirred the embers in the raised fireplace in the center of our dwelling, the smoke swirling upward through the opening at the top of the tepee. The room was handsomely appointed with three cozy beds, nightstands, wooden towel racks and woven rugs. I sipped a cocktail and tried to breathe. The howling slowly subsided, followed by a profound silence that was astonishing to city ears. There is something about the desert-its vast open spaces and quiet lack of inhibition-that frees a person. This is what we had come for.

When we stepped outside to get ready for bed in the cottage’s bathroom, a stone’s throw from the tepee and shared with other guests, we realized what the canines’ fuss was about. It was the new moon and a milky fan of shockingly bright stars hung in the desert sky. The coyotes had been celebrating.

The next morning we awoke to the sun as it gently filtered through the top of the tepee, warming our faces. We felt especially relaxed because Tecopa has no cellphone reception, and we were already savoring our enforced shutdown.

We enjoyed a European-style breakfast that Kienitz had laid out on a long wooden table in the cottage’s dining room. Guests from her other properties-a hostel and vintage trailers that have been converted into quaint little rooms-came for breakfast and chatted about their plans for the day. After polishing off our hard-boiled eggs, cold cuts and cheese, Terry and I set out for a short hike just beyond the property. In a few minutes the squat, green date palms of China Ranch gave way to the lonesome hills of the Mojave Desert.

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If you go: Where to stay: • Cynthia’s, 2001 Old Spanish Trail Highway, Tecopa; (760) 852-4580, www.discovercynthias.com. Tepees are $148 a night.

• Tecopa Hot Springs Resort, 860 Tecopa Hot Springs Road, Tecopa; (760) 8524420, www.tecopahotsprings.org. Motel rooms cost $85 per night. On-site hot springs are free for resort guests; $8 for day visitors.

Where to eat: • Pastels Bistro, 860 Tecopa Hot Springs Road, Tecopa; (760) 852-4307. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hours are irregular, so call in advance. Entrees $6$22.

• Cafe C ’est Si Bon, Highway 127, Shoshone; (760) 852-4307. Open 8 am-4 pm Thursdays-Mondays; sandwiches and salads $6-$8.

We scrambled into a dry riverbed, following it past rusted midcentury sardine cans and rainsmoothed glass bottles until we reached a bulletriddled Studebaker half-buried in decades of rigid mud. A little unnerved, we soon wandered back to the China Ranch gift shop for a frosty date shake before making the 10-minute drive to neighboring Shoshone, where we took in an exhibit about the area’s history as a rugged mining settlement. Lunch was rich espresso, followed by a delicious three-cheese crepe and crisp veggie sandwiches at the charming Cafe C’est Si Bon in Shoshone. The adorable fat pig in the restaurant’s backyard made for a fun diversion while owner David Wash prepared our order.

After our meal, it was time for a soak at the Tecopa Hot Springs Campground & Pools, one of the hot mineral baths the town is known for. Its private pools aren’t fancy-just large concrete tubs that look like Jacuzzis-but the water that bubbles up from the earth is as soft as silk and full of minerals and magnesium that soothe minds and relax muscles. —MCT

Hotel-owner Cynthia Kienitz’s four-month-old blue Weimaraner and Blue, rests beside the fire in the dining room of the cottage during breakfast service at Cynthia’s in Tecopa, California.—MCT

granate turned inside out.

It wasn’t all beauty during my two days in Mindo. The hike at Pahuma was a beast, straight up into dense tropical forest and thick cloud and dampness that tends to come on after 1 or 2 in the afternoon.

We gained more than 800 feet of altitude in less than an hour. I was glad I had a plastic poncho and good weatherproof hiking boots.

The mist and darkness made spotting orchids and other plants difficult. Fortunately, Kurt was adept at that. But the rest of the time, I was in my laid-back explorer mode, including my drive with Kurt up the abandoned Mindo-Quito road, where thanks to his telescopic “view-scope,” we saw several roadside orchids and the cockof-the-rock.

There was also my morning stroll through Seventh Heaven’s 800-acre reserve, with its flocks of clicking hummingbirds, and my pleasant walk around Cabanas Armonia’s orchid garden, where I encountered the colorful and mysterious geometry of a dracula orchid. It was just the right blend of education and enlightenment for the lazy man.

for the most bird species spotted, and Mindo, where as many as 400 have been counted some years, consistently places in the top 10.

As for birds, I found strikingly beautiful specimens seemingly everywhere. Actually, I didn’t find them; they found me.

Toucans frolicked in the trees during my visit to the Cabanas Armonia hostel’s orchid garden.

Ten minutes out on one of our expeditions up an abandoned road, a brilliantly red cock-ofthe-rock eyed us imperiously from a tree branch 50 feet away.

The birds, with their puffed heads and brilliant red color, are prize sightings, and I “bagged” mine from the seat of my guide’s van. Hummingbirds by the dozens fluttered just outside my room and around the 500acre nature preserve of my hotel, El Septimo Paraiso (Seventh Heaven).

Best of all, unlike the journeys undertaken by my naturalist heroes, my trip involved no sacrifice of creature comforts.

Mindo, a town of about 15,000, and its environs are filled with a variety of hotels, from basic to luxury. Seventh Heaven, where rooms go for about $100 a night per person, was on the expensive end of the spectrum. On

The hills and forests of Ecuador feature some of the most diverse species of orchids on the earth, including the Elleanthus orchid.

Pleurothalis orchid. the other end is the Cabanas Armonia, perfectly adequate and going for $16 per person a night.

Part of Mindo’s charm is that it is preternaturally still, the quiet broken only by bird calls.

It helps that a road built 20 years ago that connects Quito with the coast bypassed Mindo.

The old road, which runs through town, has become a rarely traveled byway that serves as a path for nature-loving bikers and sightseers in vans.

A good guide is essential to a successful trip because he or she will see and hear things, particularly in dense, foggy forests, that inexperienced interlopers would miss. Thanks to a recommendation from a friend in Quito’s tourism industry, I got a great one: Kurt Beate, a multilingual GermanEcuadorean who has led tours throughout the country.

Even as a 34-year veteran, Beate is still passionate about his country and its embarrassment of natural riches, and is generous with his knowledge of Ecuadorean flora and fauna.

During my two days with him, I was treated to a nonstop flow of fascinating digressions, including how to identify certain birds by their calls: hummingbirds (a strange clicking sound); quetzals (a descending trill); umbrella birds (a moo-ing sound, which is why Ecuadoreans call them bull birds) and toucans (a call in which they seem to be telling us, “Dios te de” or, in English, “God will provide”).

On the way to Mindo from Quito, Kurt insisted that we make two stops, both of which proved unforgettable. The first

If you go: egular bus service from Quito to Mindo is available hourly and costs $4 each way. Taxis charge about $50. Or visitors can arrange transportation from Quito as part of a package tour (see below).

Telephones: To call the numbers below from the US, dial 011 (the international dialing code), 593 (country code for Ecuador) and the local number.

Where to stay: El Septimo Paraiso, Calacali-Independencia Highway, Mindo; 2-289-3160, www.septimoparaiso.com. Rates $98 per person, double occupancy, three meals included. The hotel has its own 800-acre nature preserve, much of it accessible by pathways.

Hosteria Bellavista, near Mindo on the old MindoTandayapa road; 2-290-3166, www.bellavistacloudforest.com.

About $80 per person, double occupancy, three meals included.

Less-expensive dormitory-style accommodations available. This hotel also has its own 900-acre reserve accessible by pathways.

Cabanas Armonia & Jardin de Orquideas, Barrio Progreso, Mindo; www.birdingmindo.com. $14 per person. Owner and guide Hugolino Onate also maintains a garden with hundreds of orchid and bromeliad varieties.

Where to eat: The mid-priced to upscale hotels, including Quetzal, Septimo Paraiso and Bellavista, are good bets. Locals also recommend these freestanding restaurants in the town’s center: El Chef, Fuera de Babilonia, Omarsito and Teresita.

Package tours: Tourists may wish to hire a Quito-based tour operator to arrange all-inclusive packages of one night to a week that include hotel stays. Hotels in the Mindo area also offer tours and guide services. —MCT

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Nightshade, a non-orchid flowering plant. was at Pululahua Crater, the innards of an extinct volcano 17 miles northwest of Quito that is now a national park.

From a parking lot, we walked several hundred yards up to the crest of the crater to see the floor, its miles spread out before us 1,000 feet below.

Apart from a few houses and the crater floor’s green carpeted pastureland, it looked as though it might have erupted yesterday.

The other stop was at the privately owned 100-acre

Pahuma Orchid Reserve (admission $4), about midway on the drive. We took an hourlong hike through the mists to Pahuma’s summit, passing several trailside orchids along the way, before descending to feast our eyes on more than 100 orchids and bromeliads growing in an outside nursery.

“Every plant is a surprise,” Kurt said smiling, after he photographed a blazingly pink epidendrum orchid. Its myriad tiny blooms reminded me of a pome-

SPECTRUM

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

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Travel

Foreign correspondence:

Chelsea, London blends 2 exciting worlds have plenty of time to see and do things. But time flies. And my to-do list here is long.

hat’s it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a vacation? Foreign Correspondence is an interview with someone who lives in a spot you may want to visit.

Amy Kellogg, 45, is the London-based correspondent for Fox News Channel. She was raised in Boston and has been with Fox since 1999.

Kellogg relocated from the network’s Moscow bureau to London 10 years ago.

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Q. 2009 was the year people went to London for the Darwin-related events.

What’s the big pull this year?

A. I’ve been traveling so much in the last few months, I don’t know what the real buzz is.

There’s always lots of great theater and concerts. This time of year, Londoners are desperate for spring. Days are so short here in winter.

My personal interest is theater. I also go to museums and some of the art galleries.

American tourists are coming back to London theaters in big numbers. The British pound has weakened against the dollar. London is always expensive, but it’s becoming cheaper for people with dollars in their wallets.

Q. You live in Chelsea.

What’s that like?

A. It’s funny, but Chelsea is full of expats. Some say living there is not a true British experience. I didn’t know London when I moved here from Moscow. I wanted to be somewhere central, and a friend lived in Chelsea and sold me on its charms.

Chelsea is aesthetically pretty and is close to a lot of

Q. Do you listen to people ranting at the Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park?

A. I always seem to be in such a rush that I don’t stop to listen. But that is something people love to do. Brits have a great way with words. My favorite verbal jousting is watching is the prime minister’s questions, which I usually do on TV. It’s a weekly event in the House of Commons. They really go after each other. It’s quite fiery. Quite unusual.

Q. How should you dress for being outdoors?

A. I carry an umbrella at all times. You could walk out the door in sunshine, and in five minutes you’re in a shower.

Temperatures aren’t as extreme as they are in America. The winters aren’t as wicked and summers not as hot. London is fairly casual.

You can get away with wearing jeans in many places. It’s like New York.

Amy Kellogg, 45, shown in this television screen grab, is the London-based correspondent for Fox News Channel. —MCT things. It’s not far from Notting Hill and the West End. Chelsea is a reasonable commute to our offices in west London.

Q. The favorite things to do in Chelsea?

A. You have to go to a soccer game-”football,” as they call it here. I don’t tend to watch it on TV, but being in a stadium is quite special. You become engaged; you’re so close to the action. It’s like seeing tennis at

Wimbledon, or going to a football game in America. Whether or not you like beer, you have to go to a pub. There’s one called The Pig’s Ear, a socalled gastro pub. It’s not gourmet food, but the fare is definitely more refined than the average sausage-and-mashedpotatoes. It’s quite a happening place. The Chelsea Garden Show (May 25-29) is a really big deal. It’s quite extraordinary but hard to get tickets to.

Brits love their flowers.

Chelsea also has a good range of shopping-some English stores, some international. And there are outdoor cafes for days when you can sit outside.

It’s a cosmopolitan area: You hear French, Italian and American English spoken.

There are a lot of Russians in Chelsea; they sort of picked up on Chelsea as a “home away from home.” You see Arab women walking around in

(body-covering) abayas-as well as people whose clothes are quite revealing.

Q. London is an old city without a street plan. Do you ever get lost?

A. Real easily, anywhere.

Without a grid, streets can circle back and you find yourself walking for long periods and not making any progress at all.

I tend to walk a lot. London traffic is intense and the sub-

ways are crowded. When I moved here, I’d get bummed out by the constant rain. But you reach a point where you decide it won’t keep you from doing things.

Q. What are your favorite London walks?

A. I love walking along the river, around Hammersmith. I love walking on the South bank where they have the theater complex-the National Theatre

and other venues. It’s lively in evenings there, too. I love to cross the Hungerford bridge on foot to the South Bank. It definitely gives Paris a run for the money. I also love to walk through Hyde Park. I’ve never been to Kew (Royal Botanic) Gardens. It’s on the list.

Sometimes I feel I know Iran better than the UK. When you go on assignment to places, you cover a lot of territory quickly. In the UK, I think I

Q. Do men actually wear London Fog trench coats in London?

A. I suppose they do. I’ve noticed the Brits are very hardy: You’ll see them walking around without much outer protection. The city of Newcastle-in the north of England, in old coal-mining country-is legendary for the boldness of young women.

You’ll see them running around Fridays in the middle of night in winter in strappy little dresses or miniskirts.

Newcastle is extreme, but people here are quite hardy, even in London. — MCT

Cajun country still sizzles,

but you’d better partake in the traditions ou could come all this way to watch alligators eat raw chicken thrown from a tour boat and say you’ve had an authentic Cajun experience. But ask a good ‘ol Cajun how to find the real thing, and the answer isn’t quite so tidy. “Go up and down the bayou and see the shrimp boats,” said Werlien Prosperie, a lively, compact 74-year-old who owns Jolly Inn, the lone Cajun dance hall in an area once teeming with Cajun dance halls. “See how people make a living. We still live off the land here.”

Traditionally, to be Cajun has meant being different: different language, different food, even a wariness of “Americans”-the sometimes pejorative term for those outside their cultural borders.

But the differences are shrinking. Prosperie’s bornon-a-houseboat-in-the-bayou upbringing is mostly gone.

The last generation that grew up speaking French in the home is in its 50s and 60s.

And the region’s gentle country sensibility-punctuated by dance hall joy and Mardi Gras celebration-has been diluted by the uniformity wrought by television and the Internet.

The losses are part of the reason that Prosperie opened Jolly Inn 12 years ago. His wood-walled dance hall is no down and dirty Texas honkytonk; it’s a clean, well-lit, family-friendly place to put on your best jeans and let a fiddle-accordion-washboard band propel you all night from the Cajun waltz to the Cajun shuffle. “The younger children knew nothing of this, and the middle-aged people weren’t enthusiastic,” Prosperie said.

“It’s a beautiful culture, and I wanted to restore it.”

After an evening of bottled beer and rusty moves, I took Prosperie’s advice and sought out what I could of the old

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The washboard players can come young at Jolly Inn in Houma, Louisiana, one of the few remaining Cajun dancehalls in far southern Louisiana. —MCT photos

If you go: What to do: Jolly Inn (Cajun dance hall), 1507 Barrow St, Houma, 985-872-6114 Lake Fausse Pointe State Park (kayaking, hiking and sleeping with alligators), 5400 Levee Road, St Martinville, 337-229-4764, crt.state.la.us/parks/ilakefaus.aspx Ron “Black” Guidry, Houma (swamp tour), $25 adults, $15 children 12 and under, 985868-4625; cajunman.com Norbert LeBlanc, Breaux Bridge (swamp tour), $20 adults, $10 children under 12, 337-654-1215 Where to stay: Grand Bayou Noir B&B, 1143 Bayou Black Drive, Houma, $120-$160 double, 985-873-

Breakfast at Wildlife Gardens Bed and Breakfast in Gibson, Louisiana can include a visit from the resident wildlife, like this docile deer that visitors can pet.

Cajun life. No offense to the relatively landlocked prairie Cajuns north of Lafayette, but it brought me more than anything else to water: kayaking with alligators in Lake Fausse Pointe State Park, sleeping on a houseboat in Henderson, eating seafood at least twice a day and, yes, taking swamp tours.

There are the large swamp tours, such as Ron “Black” Guidry’s in the soupy waters west of Houma. For his 30-

plus passengers, Guidry puts on a show: He talks French, guarantees a gator sighting (thank you, raw chicken) and strums Hank Williams’ “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” on his battered acoustic guitar.

“If someone wants the true Cajun experience, you have to go to the most out-of-the-way places you can find,” Guidry said (it seems there are about eight last names down here, and Guidry is one of them). “I used to play music in those

places. Man, they’re all gone.”

Then there is Norbert LeBlanc (another of those eight last names), who wears a bushy white beard and takes just seven people at a time into the cypress-thick swamps near Breaux Bridge. For 40 years, LeBlanc trapped gators in these swamps, a brutal process involving meat, a hook and a pistol. He laments that none of his kids speaks French or has mastered the family tree’s peach-tinged

moonshine that his uncle taught him to make. “Most of the kids are too busy with computers to watch a flame burn for 12 or 14 hours,” LeBlanc said.

Moonshine is illegal, so I don’t want to say that LeBlanc serves samples to his guests, but if you get thirsty on the water, let’s just say you’ll be set. And happy. You also won’t have a problem getting close to gators, because LeBlanc knows where to look. “That

one there is a finger alligator,” LeBlanc said, pointing at a 2footer sunning itself on a log.

“They only take one finger at a time!”

In Point-Aux-Chenes, I met David Nehlig, 55, and his son, Alvin, 35, who fished in a marsh that seemed like the end of the earth. David, a retired crabber, had just lassoed a red fish the length of his arm, which he proudly led me to his truck to show off while a cigarette hung from his lips.

“If someone gets stressed out, they just come out here and catch a fish or two,” he said. “There’s a lot of work going on down here but a lot of pleasure too. It’s all good, man.”

Finally I took my own shot

5849, grandbayounoir.com Wildlife Gardens (rustic cabins built over a swamp), 5306 North Bayou Black Drive, Gibson, $95 double, 985-575-3676; wildlifegardens.com McGee’s Landing (docked houseboats available for nightly rental), 1337 Henderson Levee Road, Henderson, $100-$125, 337228-2384; mcgeeslanding.com Where to eat: Bayou Delight, 4038 Bayou Black Drive, Houma, inexpensive, 985-876-4879 Suire’s, three miles south of Kaplan on La. 35, inexpensive, 337-643-8911 suires.oldnewbie.net A-Bear’s, 809 Bayou Black Drive, Houma, inexpensive, 985-872-6306. — MCT

at the life. In the map-speck town of Chauvin, I went to Sportsman’s Paradise to hit the water with Cuda Scheer, a boyish 33, who got his first boat at 8 and started running charters after graduating high school. Beneath a high, bright sun, we visited the grassy marshes just north of the Gulf. I hooked my first fish-a 28-inch red drum-within two minutes. The next one, a black drum, found me 30 seconds later.

Six fish later we were back at the dock, Scheer slicing, dicing and spraying the cleaned fish. He kept half the fish for his family, and the kitchen grilled and fried the other half for me. I asked Scheer if he often ate dinner that had been swimming a few

hours earlier. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “We never freeze fish.

Living here, what’s the point?”

We said our goodbyes, and I drove around a bit more, winding up on Louisiana Highway 55, another two-lane highway that ends at the bottom of the state. As the sun got low and orange, I passed a man and woman lying on a porch while smoking cigarettes and watching dusk approach. A positively idyllic scene. At the dead end half a mile on, I turned around and came across that same couple.

This time they were engaged in an act of, well, let’s call it physical admiration. Right there on their festive Cajun porch. Laissez les bon temps rouler. Right? —MCT

www.kuwaittimes.net

Singapore seeks to showcase Asian fashion to the world ell aware that to get from the runway to the retail store takes more than fashionistas, Singapore is launching a trade fashion show this month intended to parade Asia’s designers before international fashion buyers. Dubbed Blueprint, organizers say they want the 4-day event to become the basis of the Asian Fashion Exchange (AFX), the region’s answer to New York or Milan’s fashion weeks.

The event is modeled on Berlin’s “Bread and Butter” industry fair, and will start out with 50 designers, mainly from Asia but with some US and British labels as well. There will also be an opportunity

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for the public to shop. Some 60 buyers from all over the world, including British department stores Harrod’s and Liberty, are set to attend, but organizers say it’s early days yet to realize their ambitions.

“Asia has much potential as a market for the fashion industry and with its growing pool of talent, there is potential in developing a premier fashion initiative for Singapore and the region,” said Andrew Phua of the government’s tourism board, a main sponsor of the event. “We recognize that as a new brand, the AFX will take time to grow and root itself in the minds of fashion professionals, but we hope that it will quickly step up to fill a

current gap in the industry and become a fashion exchange hub for the region.”

Shopping is often called the national pastime in affluent Singapore, a city-state of some 5 million people that, as the rest of the world slowly shakes off the global economic crisis, has been attracting luxury retails in droves. French jeweler to royalty and the stars, Chaumet, opened its first Southeast Asian outlet in Singapore last week, adding to a long list of international names including Burberry, Giorgio Armani, Harry Winston, Prada and Louis Vuitton.

From a retailing point of view, Singapore’s got, and attracts, more than

enough local and Asian shoppers willing to spend on luxury goods, a statistic fitting the country with the world’s highest density of millionaires which is positioning itself as a centre for luxury living.

Singapore holds an annual fashion festival, which last year featured several major international labels, but now, the government has decided that the time has come to really turn the country into Asia’s fashion capital for the world.

“By bringing the best of Asian fashion designers under one roof, we hope to raise the profile of Singapore designers in the region and beyond,” said Tan Soon Kim of International Enterprise

Biographer says Oprah is all business, no pleasure elebrity biographer Kitty Kelley says talk show host Oprah Winfrey spends so much energy on her career that the world’s most powerful woman in media and business has nothing leftover for her personal life. Kelley’s new book, “Oprah: A Biography,” hit US book stores yesterday and already has disappointed some media watchers who hoped it might end years of speculation that Winfrey may be gay and answer questions about her relationships with fiancee Stedman Graham, and her friend, Gayle King, editor of “O, the Oprah Magazine”.

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bly too loyal to enjoy Ms. Kelley’s mean streak,” said The New York Times Monday, later adding in regards to Graham and King: “Without new information, she resorts to blind gossip-column items that suggest any and all of the above may be gay, unless of course they aren’t.”

‘Insatiable drive’ Winfrey became a powerful cultural influence in the United States after she turned her show of almost 25 years, “The Oprah Winfrey Show” into a huge money maker and amassed a fortune of $2.3 billion as

Models display creations by Mexican designer Gianfranco Reni during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Mexico City on April 12, 2010.— AFP

Mercedes Benz fashion week In this April 8, 2010 file photo, Oprah Winfrey speaks in New York. —AP But after some 850 interviews, Kelley, who has written tell-alls about the Bush family, Frank Sinatra and Nancy Reagan, said she concluded Winfrey, who has been engaged to Graham since 1992, was just not interested in anyone. “She is 56 years-old, she would almost have to be described as ‘asexual’ because she has put all of her sexual energies into her work, into her career, into building her empire and the financial rewards that she has gotten have been enough, really, to sustain her,” Kelley told Reuters.

Winfrey refused to be interviewed for Kelley’s book and her spokeswoman, Angela DePaul, said the talk show host had no comment about it or any of the Kelley’s assertions.

Oprah has in the past denied being in a gay relationship with King. Yet “Oprah: A Biography” is one of the most anticipated books in US publishing this year precisely because Kelley has made millions selling gossipy tales. The Crown Publishing Group, owned by Bertelsmann’s Random House, printed 550,000 copies for its initial run.

But reaction has been mixed with some critics noting “Oprah: A Biography” does not reveal enough new details about Winfrey or her personal life. “Her devotees are proba-

estimated by Forbes Magazine. The 525-page biography examines Winfrey’s upbringing in rural Mississippi, including having a baby at age 15.

Kelley, who claims she has never been successfully sued for incorrect information and writes about aspects of public figures that news reporters are unable to touch, said Winfrey’s biggest trait was her ambitious nature. “Oprah has immense drive, a really insatiable drive. She never stops working and her career and her empire is the first priority in her life,” she said.

Contrary to the “warm, embracing, uninhibited, spontaneous woman,” cultivated on her talk show, a behind-the-scenes look tells a different story of Winfrey’s personality, she said. “Off camera she is much more reserved, very, very aloof, she can be icy cold, she is an ace businesswoman, and she now sees herself as a brand really,” Kelley said.

“And that is different from seeing herself as a person or even as a celebrity.” Such is Winfrey’s influence that Kelley, who said she received death threats after her Nancy Reagan biography, said she had difficulty finding a publisher “because they are all so dependent on her.” —Reuters

Singapore. “It is precisely because Singapore is not known yet as a fashion capital that there is a need for Blueprint.

While there are other fashion festivals in Asia, Blueprint has a more international outlook.”

While luxury goods have yet to come back in vogue with the economic recovery still fragile, organizers see the AFX as a long-term initiative and designers said it was never too early to get brand exposure. “We’re already very well known on our homeground Thailand, but we want to reach out to an international audience.

Those attending Blueprint will help heighten our brand exposure on a global

level, which will ultimately, increase sales,” said Roj Singhakul, founder and designer of Thai label ISSUE. Singaporean designer Wykidd Song, who made his mark on the international market in the 1990s with label “Song and Kelly” with partner Ann Kelly, also said it’s high time Asian designers got a platform to showcase to the world.

“Singapore is not Tokyo, we’re not the United States, but we have to try and do what we can. We want to be held up to international scrutiny, to gain the knowledge of what works and what doesn’t,” he said. “We need a sales pitch. That’s what Blueprint is.” —Reuters