12 May 2010

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

40 PAGES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2010

French parliament condemns the veil

Khan hopes to make name for himself in America

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JAMADA ALAWAL 28, 1431 AH

NO: 14726

150 FILS

Anand wins world chess title

Lanka stay alive by knocking out India PAGE 20

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Gulf security a ‘red line’ GCC leaders discuss regional issues at informal summit

LONDON: Britain’s new Prime Ministe and Conservative party leader David Cameron and his wife Samantha arrive at 10 Downing Street in central London yesterday. – AFP

Cameron named PM after Brown resigns LONDON: Conservative leader David Cameron became Britain’s youngest prime minister in almost 200 years yesterday after Gordon Brown stepped down and ended 13 years of L abour government.

Cameron said he aims to form a full coalition government with the thirdplace Liberal Democrats after his Conservative Party won the most seats but did not get a majority in

Britain national election last week.

The 43-year-old leader said it would be “hard and difficult work” to govern as a coalition but added that Britain had serious economic issues to tackle. Cameron visited Buckingham Palace and was asked to form a government by Queen Elizabeth II less than an hour after Brown tendered his resignation to the monarch.

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RIYADH: Arab Gulf leaders welcomed yesterday a proposal by Kuwait to update security agreements to cope with regional and international developments, GCC Secretary General Abdulrahman AlAttiyah said. The security of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is “a red line” and cannot be divided, Al-Attiyah told a news conference at the conclusion of the 12th consultative summit of the GCC leaders. He said security and military cooperation was discussed by the Gulf leaders.

Al-Attiyah said the consultative summit was “exceptional” because it was held amidst special circumstances regionally and internationally, particularly Iran’s occupation of three UAE islands and the repeated calls by the GCC to address this issue peacefully.

The Arab Gulf leaders, he added, reiterated support for the unity and sovereignty of Iraq. They called on the importance for rapidly forming a government of national unity in Iraq to contribute to the Continued on Page 14

RIYADH: Arab Gulf leaders (from left) Kuwaiti Amir HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Omani Deputy Prime Minister Fahd bin Mahmoud Al-Saeed, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, pose for a group photo before the opening of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) consultative summit yesterday. — AP

Assembly debates wealth disclosure law Pak envoy in

By B Izzak KUWAIT: In a slow session yesterday, the National Assembly did not start the muchanticipated debate on the privatization law and it could take place today if the government or a number of MPs request giving the subject priority. The Assembly consumed time debating a number of issues on corruption, but managed to start the debate on the key wealth disclosure draft law but delayed voting on it until today. Being one of several anti-graft legislations, the bill makes it obligatory for top politicians and bureaucrats to disclose their wealth after

their appointment to the post and after leaving it. The bill applies from the prime minister, ministers, MPs, top government bureaucrats, down to members of cooperative societies’ board of directors.

The bill stipulates setting up of a special department in the ministry of justice that will deal with wealth disclosures. If passed, it will be the first of its type in Kuwait. Most MPs who spoke on the issue hailed the bill as being an important tool for fighting corruption which has become widespread in the country, accusing the government of not doing enough to fight it. But they still expressed some reservations over the bill,

especially the fact that the agency responsible for the disclosure is under the justice ministry and not independent.

Another criticism is that people under the law are required to make the disclosures once every four years, saying that the duration is too long for corrupt elements to hide their acts. Other MPs described the law as lacking power and called for debating it only after approving the anti-corruption law because they are related. However, MPs agreed to postpone the debate until today at the end of the session.

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Egypt extends emergency law DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (right) talks to his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev before the start of their joint press conference at Al-Shaab presidential palace yesterday. — AFP

Moscow may build nuke plant in Syria Medvedev meets Meshaal, urges US action DAMASCUS: Russia may help build a nuclear power plant in Syria, Russia’s energy minister said yesterday, a step that could upset the West due to unresolved allegations Damascus tried to construct a potential nuclear weapons facility in secret. In 2007, Israel bombed to rubble what Washington said was a nascent, plutonium-producing nuclear reactor in Syria’s desert.

A UN nuclear watchdog probe to determine what the target was has stalled due to Syrian non-cooperation, diplomats say.

On the first state visit to Syria by a Kremlin chief since the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev played up prospects for nuclear power cooperation and said Washington should work harder for peace in the Middle East. “Cooperation on atomic energy could get a second wind,” Medvedev

said at a news conference with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad after their talks. Assad said he and Medvedev “talked about oil and gas cooperation, as well as constructing conventional or nuclear powered electricity stations”. Asked whether Russia would build an atomic power plant in Syria, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko told Reuters: “We are studying this question.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency has been investigating Syria for two years over what it says was a complex that resembled a nuclear reactor before it was bombed to rubble

by Israeli warplanes in September 2007. Syria has strongly denied US intelligence that the complex was a North Korean-designed reactor geared to making plutonium for atomic bombs, saying it was merely a Continued on Page 14

CAIRO: Egypt’s parliament yesterday extended the state of emergency in place for three decades by a further two years despite sharp criticism by rights groups and opponents.

The controversial law, which gives police wide powers of arrest, suspends constitutional rights and curbs non-governmental political activity, was backed a majority of MPs in the 454-member parliament. “The People’s Assembly has approved by a 308-member majority the presidential decree to extend the state of emergency for a period of two years,” the official MENA news agency said. A parliamentary source told AFP that 103 MPs had voted against the extension of the law which is due to take effect on June 1 and run until May 31, 2012. Forty-three MPs did not vote.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said the United States was “disappointed” about the move. “We have questions about how this fits with pledges the government of Egypt has made to its own people, to try to find a way to move beyond the emergency law,” Crowley said. The law has come under repeated fire from international human rights groups, who say thousands of prisoners have been detained without charge, many for more than a decade.

Special courts set up under the law deny a right of appeal.

In a speech to parliament earlier, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif urged lawmakers to vote

CAIRO: A demonstrator wearing symbolic chains and blindfold holds a banner at a demonstration in front of the parliament building yesterday. — AP

for an extension, but sought to reassure critics by pledging only to apply the law to cases of terrorism and narcotics.

“The government... commits itself... not to use the extraordinary measures made available under the emergency law except to confront the threat of terrorism and narcotics,” Nazif said.

It is not the first time the government has pledged to limit the use of the law to terrorism and narcotics, and opponents and rights groups have repeatedly accused it of failing to stick by its promises.

Nazif said this time, however, the restrictions to the law’s application would be made explicit in the resolution before parliament. According to a government statement, the law will no longer allow authorities to monitor all forms of communication, monitor or censor media, confiscate property or evacuate and isolate certain areas. Under the resolution the government will be legally limited to using extraordinary powers for “the arrest and detention of persons suspected of being involved in crimes of terrorism and narcotics trafficking,” the statement said.

About 200 protesters including former presidential candidate Ayman Nour, Muslim Brotherhood lawmakers and labour leaders - gathered outside parliament before the vote. “Down, down with emergency law.

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Iran attacked TEHRAN: Pakistan’s ambassador to Tehran was injured and taken to hospital yesterday when he was attacked by an Afghan while taking a walk in the capital, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman told local media.

“Today Pakistan’s ambassador, as he was walking, was beaten up by an Abbasi unarmed Afghan,” spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in a statement carried by Fars news agency. He dismissed some media speculation that the ambassador, Mohammad Bakhsh Abbasi, had been the target of an “assassination attempt”. He said Abbasi is “well” after being taken to hospital, adding that the Afghan attacker had been arrested and put under investigation.

A Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman said in Islamabad the assailant had tried to stab Abbasi.

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CAIRO: Kuwaiti singer Abdullah Ruweished poses for a picture after winning the best Arab singer award for his album “Tamanni” (Wishes) at the ART music, film and TV awards event in Cairo late Monday. ART, the Arab Radio and Television network, is the leading producer of premium Arabic family programming and entertainment worldwide.

— AFP (See Page 40)

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Stage ready for historic visit

Palestine issue tops agenda of Amir’s talks in Egypt CAIRO: The visit of His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to Egypt is of great significance and is understandably in the limelight and focus of media here, the Kuwaiti Ambassador said yesterday. His Highness is on a tour that also takes him to Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. In remarks to Al-Akhbar newspaper, Ambassador Dr Rasheed Al-Hamad pointed out the visit is of added sigThe ambassador then moved on to the issue of Kuwaiti investment in Egypt and said the state is the second investor in Egypt after Saudi Arabia, with a value of over $2 billion. There is keenness on both sides to further hike the trade exchange as well. On joint projects, he said an agreement would soon be signed between Egypt and Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development for power generation stations, in the El-Eyn El-Sukhna area. The Egyptian press mean-

while highlighted the visit of the Kuwaiti Amir, due Saturday, and pointed out the significance and expected agenda for the SabahMubarak meeting.

The talks during the two-day visit are to focus on issues of bilateral cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, and investment.

The talks, the papers highlighted, would also focus on the overall situation in the Arab region.

Meanwhile in Beirut, two Lebanese ministers stressed the

nificance in view of recent state of affairs in the Arab region. He stressed Kuwaiti and Egyptian officials see eye-to-eye on all issues. On the Palestinians’ cause, he said there is constant coordination between the two sides and the issue would be a main item in the talks of Sheikh Sabah with President Hosni Mubarak. The start of the indirect talks amid keen US action is to be a point of focus.

importance of the role of the Amir in supporting peace and development in Lebanon. The ministers’ statements came in separate interviews with KUNA on the occasion of His Highness’s visit to Lebanon next week.

Foreign Minister Ali Al-Shami said that the visit of His Highness the Amir is the first visit to Lebanon since he became Amir in 2006. He praised the KuwaitLebanese relations and described them as “excellent,” “model,” and “strong.” He stressed that Lebanon was keen on continuously interacting and coordinating with Kuwaiti officials in all fields.

Lebanon and its people are proud of the ties with Kuwait, he

said, noting that Lebanon would not forget the historic Kuwaiti stances during and after Israeli attacks against Lebanon, including the July 2006 offensive.

He stressed that Kuwait’s Amir, government, and people played a historic role in reconstruction efforts in Lebanon.

Kuwait, under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, took part and is still contributing in supporting development here. The Gulf state provided a $300 million grant to Lebanon and contributed in funding about 54 development projects, he pointed out. Al-Shami expressed hope that the execution of Al-Laitani

project, that is funded mostly by Kuwait, would begin soon, noting that the project would stress the water security and agricultural economy of South Lebanon.

He said that Kuwait and Lebanon not only cooperate in the economic and developmental fields, but also in the political issues, especially that Lebanon was chosen to be a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in representation of the Arab group. On his part, Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud said that Kuwaitis were part of the Lebanese people’s web. He stressed that the Lebanese respected and appreciated the government and people of Kuwait.— KUNA

Amir flies to Riyadh KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has left here for Saudi Arabia to attend the 12th GCC consultative meeting.

He was seen off at the airport by HH the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, senior sheikhs, Deputy Chief of National Guards Sheikh Meshaal AlAhmad Al-Sabah, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Acting National Assembly Speaker Abdullah Al-Rumi, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah and Acting Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali

Jarrah and several other senior state officials.

HH the Amir’s party includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of State for Development and Housing Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah, Chief of the National Security Apparatus Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khalid AlSabah, Minister of Finance Mustafa Al-Shimali, Chief of HH the Amir’s Office Ahmad Al-Fahad, Chief of the Amiri Protocol Sheikh Khalid AlAbdullah Al-Sabah, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry Khalid Al-Jarallah and several other state officials. — KUNA

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

PAAET college marks Nurses Day

Kuwait providing high quality nursing training for students

By Abdullah Al-Qattan KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training’s (PAAET) nursing college marked yesterday the International Nurses Day with a celebration held at its Shuwaikh campus. The event was held under the patronage of PAAET Director General Dr Yaqoub Al-Rifaie, under the

KUWAIT: Prof Khawla Yaqoub inaugurating the International Nurses Day at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training.

Letter to Muna Al-Fuzai Dear Muna, ou are bold enough to express your opinions in ‘Terrorism in Disguise.’ One requires a lot of courage to write like this. Yes, if these people are still loyal to their motherland and insist on adopting their native customs like the veil, then why should they accept Western countries’ citizenship? Once you accept their citizenship, you have to abide by their rules and should be loyal to that nation. You should, if need be, fight against their own former mother land. I remember the case of a Sikh in London (UK citizen) who was accorded state honor around 25 years ago.

He was a civil servant with the postal services. The burglars demanded the cash money at gun point. He boldly declared that he would die but not betray the nation by handing over government money. He escaped attack and he was honored by the government again! That is loyalty! The Pakistani nation was specifically created for Muslims.

Lakhs of Muslims from free India migrated to Pakistan.

During the 1965 - 1971 wars, Muslim soldiers of India performed excellent service to the nation. Such deeds cannot be well-expressed in words! That is loyalty! We are proud of them. I doubt such people are there now! This is definitely not the case with many of the naturalized Muslims in Western countries.

These nations view people from Islamic nations with deep suspicion. They are digging their own graves. Owing to poverty, poor men are chosen and thoroughly brainwashed to perform such acts. The perpetrators of 9/11 of 2001 cannot be called illiterate - they possessed valid pilot licenses! Betrayal is the most abominable crime. These people cover it and forget it under the veil of Jihad!

With regard to the article on saving the environment, it is high time that Kuwait banned plastic bags! Switzerland has banned it. The state of Maharashtra has banned it. The plastic bag is the biggest threat to environment. If they are burnt, they emit a poisonous gas. It is high time all the governments in the world ban plastic and use paper/jute bags.

Narasimhan muna@kuwaittimes.net

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Al-Mulla warns of NA dissolution KUWAIT: MP Saleh Al-Mulla has expressed concern that the ongoing pressure from the parliamentary finance and economics committee to pass the privatization law and state development plan quickly could indicate an intention to dissolve the National Assembly once these laws have been approved.

Reiterating his previous rejection of any such unconstitutional parliamentary dissolution, AlMulla said that should any such suspension of parliamentary activities take place, any subsequent parliament would work on overturning the aforementioned articles of legislation, reported AlQabas.

The MP also complained that an amendment to the privatization bill proposed jointly by himself and fellow parliamentarian Dr. Hassan Jowhar, which would have seen oil facilities excluded from the areas covered by the bill, had been rejected by the parliamentary committee with no opportunity given to either MP to question the reasons for this rejection. Al-Mulla restated his previously expressed concern over the “rushed” passage of the two bills, calling for rules to be introduced to ensure that such procedures are not carried out hastily and are accorded sufficient time to study them and carry out the necessary steps in a thorough manner, providing a blueprint which future generations can follow.

The college also participates in scientific research, coordinating with several hospitals and private firms to allow students to access the best and latest technology in the nursing field.

Among the senior officials attending the opening ceremony were the Dean of the College of Nursing Fatima AlKandari, and the PAAET’s Deputy Director Dr. Ahmed AlFailakawi.

Dr. Al-Kandari told the Kuwait Times that invitations to attend the event and exhibition had been sent to senior state and private sector figures, focusing on Ministry of Education facilities in order to increase awareness of the college’s identity and the programs it runs, which she said would be a positive step in encouraging more young Kuwaitis to consider and support nursing as a profession.

Among the events held to mark International Nurses Day at the faculty yesterday were a number of seminars.

The first seminar, ‘Nursing Education and Human Resources in Kuwait,’ was presented by the director of the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) Nursing Administration section Prof Awatif Al-Qattan and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Nursing College Professor Khawla Yaqoub. In his introductory speech, Professor Yaqoub said that the PAAET stands alone in the field of providing graduate training at a highly accomplished facility which encourages its students to work in various health fields in Kuwait.

The exhibition, meanwhile, featured a number of leading pharmaceutical firms, such as the German company SebaMed, which specializes in skincare and basic hygiene products, producing items such as skin cleaning lotions and anti-bacterial washes.

Failaka training KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior wrapped up a specialized training course for Special Forces personnel, the security and control department, yesterday on Failaka Island.

The ministry pointed out sound ammunition would be used, and urged utmost caution on the part of the public who are advised to stay away from the area. The specialized training drills kicked off on May 8. — KUNA

motto, ‘Renewable Nursing Care and Quality in Community Service.’ The celebratory activities began with a healthcare exhibition demonstrating the nursing college’s role by providing a clear picture of the high quality nursing training it provides in accordance with internationally approved standards, in order to serve the community and contribute to meeting everyday medical needs at hospitals, healthcare centers and schools across the country.

KUWAIT: Dr Hiba Hashim with the team of SebaMed at the International Nurses Day at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training.

Kuwait celebrates first year of women in National Assembly

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: The Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) jointly with Al-Qabas daily newspaper celebrated Monday evening the first year for Kuwaiti women in Parliament. A discussion panel was held in the Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) premises included MPs Maasouma Mubarak, Rola Dashti, Aseel Al-Awadhi and Salwa Al-Jassar.

The discussion highlighted the achievements of the MPs throughout their first year in Parliament, and was followed by a dinner. The event was attended by the ambassadors of France, the United Kingdom and the United States as well as a number of former politicians, activists and columnists.

Refuting accusations of inactivity in the National Assembly, MP Aseel Al-Awadhi said that MPs should not be judged based on their stances from interpellations or on the number of grilling requests they submit, but rather on the work they produce in committees. “We have been in Parliament actually for seven months; a month after we were voted in. The Parliament went on summer vacation for four months. We resumed work by the end of October, so it has been about seven months for us in

Parliament. During those seven months, there were six interpellations, each interpellation consumes about two sessions each, two weeks for each interpellation,” she clarified.

Al-Awadhi said that despite all of this time wasted on interpellation sessions, MPs meet in committees discuss and form law proposals. “As parliament members, we should be judged on this criteria; not on how often we appear on TV,” said AlAwadhi.

Al-Awadhi said that a lot of hard work has been put to re-build the image of a parliament member that has been long lost due to the many years during which parliament members did nothing but create dilemmas and grill ministers for personal purposes. “I am in no way asking you to not criticize us.

On the contrary, I believe that criticism is quite important. However, I think that we should be given more time before a final verdict is given; we have only been in post for a short time. I can safely say that we have succeeded in the sense that we have made it to the Parliament. But it is too early to judge the bigger picture,” she said.

Rola Dashti noted that the attacks on the four MPs are unfair. “We are expected to solve all Kuwait’s problem, and we are only four. This is quite a tremendous task,” said

Dashti. She noted that accusations of being pro-government are baseless. “There is no such thing as pro-government and anti-government; we all work for Kuwait, all of us are on the same boat.”

Parliament members have voted for five of the proposals we have submitted. It has been voted for by all MPs, whether they are so-called ‘pro’ or ‘anti’ government. If this proves anything, it proves that we are all on the same boat, these made-up names are unfounded,” she stressed.

MP Maasouma Mubarak said that all MPs should meet with the public and speak of their experience and answer the questions of members of the public, not just the women MPs. “The four of us are members of all the committees in Parliament - we should be assessed based on how well we do in the committee meetings. For some reason, this side is neglected, and only the MPs who appear on TV every other day are considered to be hardworking,” she said.

Salwa Al-Jassar said that the MPs first year in the Parliament has been a success, and that they have proved to be quite successful. “We have proved our presence in our work in the committees, and there are quite a lot of challenges and obstacles we are yet to overcome. But overall, we hope to achieve more for the people,” she said.

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NATIONAL

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Historic first automated polls

Filipinos in Kuwait celebrate election victory of Aquino

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Filipino voters in the Philippines and around the world, including those in Kuwait, have overwhelmingly chosen Binigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino as their next president. In Kuwait, Aquino garnered 3,241 votes against Joseph Estrada, his closest rival, who received 543. Manny Villar took third place The historic first automated election in the Philippines concluded peacefully although there were some minor glitches during Election Day itself, such as machine malfunctions and failure to transmit election returns in some areas and provinces of the Philippines.

Nonetheless, Aquino’s rival, except for former president Joseph Estrada, graciously conceded defeat and accepted the results wholeheartedly, calling on their supporters to unite behind the country’s new leader.

Aquino supporters in Kuwait were all elated at hearing of his victory in the quickest-ever election to take place in the Philippines.

Asian woman stabbed in Khaitan

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Microsoft hosts ‘DigiGirlz Day’ at Jabriya development centre KUWAIT: In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Microsoft Kuwait hosted its “Microsoft DigiGirlz Day” for the first time in Kuwait. The event was hosted at the Jabriya training and development centre. The Microsoft DigiGirlz day comes to Kuwait as part of the Partners in Learning agreement that was signed between Microsoft and the Ministry of Education.

The event aims to increase the engagement of female students with technology within an educational framework. In addition, Microsoft hopes that this initiative will encourage more young women to pursue degrees and careers in computer science and computer engineering, with the ultimate goal of narrowing the gender gap in the industry.

Two hundred and twenty female students from grades 11-12 from 66 selected schools from the 6 educational districts participated at this year’s event. During the event, students had the opportunity to interact with Microsoft employees and managers to gain exposure to careers in business and technology and to get an inside look at what it is like to work at Microsoft.

Addressing the event Hanaa Al-Sharah General Manager IT and information center from the Ministry of Education said “The Microsoft DigiGirlz event is in line with the Ministry’s efforts to reach out to high school girls and increase female participation in the Science and Technology field.

By hosting an event such as DigiGirlz, we aim to empower students to build successful careers for themselves and educate them on technology.

DigiGirlz is an example of our strong partnership with Microsoft and we look forward to a continuous long-term association with them to inspire more females in the region to choose a science and technology based career.”

From his side, Abla Al-Essa, General Manager for the training development centre said, “We are

delighted that Microsoft hosted the DigiGirlz event for high school students at our training and development centre. This event is an excellent opportunity for students to decide to pursue technology related careers. We look forward to having similar events with Microsoft in the future.”

Ehab Mostafa, Country Manager, Microsoft Kuwait said. “Microsoft continues to actively partner with universities and national organizations to increase the representation of women in computer-related majors by changing the image of computing and creating opportunities attractive to girl students. We commend the Ministry of Education efforts to inspire and expose a young generation to technology and encourage them to contribute towards the development of an advanced technological society. DigiGirlz is an effort to show highschool girl students what the technology industry is all about, what careers are available and to let them see how exciting it is to create something that can truly and positively impact a large number of people. We want these girls to know that IT is not just for boys or geeks, technology innovation is for everyone. DigiGirlz is just one of Microsoft’s many initiatives and programs that aim to educate and attract female talent.”

In addition, the event also provided the girls with career planning assistance, information about technology and business roles, thought-provoking exercises and interaction with some of Microsoft’s most exciting technology tools and entertainment devices. To add color to this topic, the girls also took part in hands-on sessions and workshops to learn computer skills such as website development; movie-making; blogging and photosynthesis. The lady speakers at the event included Hana Al-Ruzugi, CIO Central Bank, Bashayer Al-Awad (CAIT consultant), Hana AlSharrah MOE IT center Manager. Andrea Li- Sai Chimento, Microsoft Gulf Services lead and Waha Jaser, Microsoft Gulf Technical Account Manager.

KUWAIT: A 25-year-old Asian woman was rushed to Farwaniya Hospital after suffering stab wounds to her chest and back in an attack in the Khaitan area.

Road accidents An unidentified man was killed, while two Kuwaiti citizens and an Indian expatriate were injured, in a crash on the Fifth Ring Road. The injured were rushed to Mubarak Hospital, while the dead man’s body was removed for autopsy.

In a separate incident, a 27year-old Filipina woman was rushed to Adan Hospital after suffering various injuries when she was hit by a car in Fintas.

Meanwhile, a 25-year-old Asian woman suffered multiple injuries in an accident on Fahaheel Road. She was taken to Adan Hospital.

In another case, a 29-yearold Egyptian man sustained a fracture to his right thighbone in a motorcycle accident in Salmiya. He was taken to Mubarak Hospital.

Electrical burns A 22-year-old Egyptian was taken to Farwaniya Hospital after suffering burns to both hands as a result of an electric shock at a location in Khaitan.

Nasty fall A 41-year-old Egyptian man suffered a dislocated shoulder and a broken right arm when he slipped and fell at the KPTC garage in Sabhan. He was taken to Farwaniya Hospital.

“I like the way the election in the Philippines was conducted through automation. If it was a manual election, we’d definitely be waiting until next month to hear the real winner. This time, it was really different,” said a Filipino community leader commenting on the automated elections in Manila, adding, “I hope, they’ll do the same overseas next time.”

The Aquino supporter also, not entirely seriously, praised Arroyo’s forthcoming legacy for the Filipino people, saying, “I think there is one huge legacy Arroyo will leave to the Filipino people, when she departs Malacanang come June.”

KUWAIT: Some Popular Action Bloc members and supporters have reportedly asked MP Musallam Al-Barrak to take action over the membership of fellow parliamentarian Ahmad Al-Saadoun, after Al-Saadoun’s supportive stance towards privatization saw a fall in support for the group, particularly among local labor unions.

A PAB insider said that today’s parliamentary session will be extremely important in deciding Al-Saadoun’s relationship with the bloc, after he apparently confirmed to other members that their amendments to the privatization bill, which said he had only approved after coming under pressure to do so, would

be difficult to implement in practice, since they would burden the state sector with huge costs.

The insider said that as a result of this disagreement over the privatization issue, AlSaadoun’s standing with PAB members and supporters has been greatly weakened, and is adversely affecting its popularity.

In another privatization-related matter, MP Faisal Al-Mislem has criticized Minister of Communications and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammed Al-Busairi’s statement that the government is ready to approve the privatization bill in parliament.

“You should ask the parliamentary finance committee to complete its report on the annual plan quickly, since this is the basis of implementing the development plan, rather than

being happy that it is finished with the privatization issue,” Al-Mislem insisted, addressing the minister.

The MP continued with his criticism, saying that it had been hoped that the minister would announce the government’s readiness to approve the financial liability and anti-corruption laws, with the parliament already approving this legislation as a priority issue, rather than rushing through the privatization bill.

On another issue, MP Dr. Aseel AlAwadhi criticized what she said were incorrect leaks concerning the parliamentary women’s committee to the local press, which had been entirely contrary to the committee’s actual intentions, adding that the

Not all Filipinos believe that he can perform so well, however. One diehard supporter of another presidential candidate sighed, “I don’t trust him. Why not?

He doesn’t have family of his own. How can you entrust the affairs or responsibility of being the father figure to 100 million Filipinos? I felt he cannot run the country because even in a small responsibility, like having a small family, he has failed to perform. Besides he was given time to prove himself in the Hall of Congress, but didn’t author or pass a single bill. I just hope he’ll do well, since obviously the majority of Filipinos were swayed by his promises and voted for him.”

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The World Cup football match is an eagerly awaited international event that millions of soccer fans have been waiting for. This year, it will be held in South Africa during the month of June. Of course, not everybody can attend live matches in South Africa.

In Kuwait, one of the best places to do so is the Movenpick Hotel and Resort Al-Bidaa. The Mahara tent located at the hotel’s beach has been especially prepared for this huge event. “The countdown to the World Cup began today, as only one month is left for the kickoff on June 11. It will be the biggest event for many years to come. The opening ceremony will take place at 5:00 pm, and will be broadcasted live on the screens at the Tent,” said Gray Moren, GM Movenpick Hotel and Resort Al-Bidaa.

With the exclusive support and cooperation of the Embassy of South Africa in Kuwait, the Movenpick Hotel and Resort Al-Bidaa will stage a unique event. It was not seen before in Kuwait, a month-long festival of football with matches telecast live on a large screen in AlMahara beach tent. This event is sponsored by the Kuwait Times, Wataniya Airways, Gulf Bank, Al-Rai, and Al-Andalus Trading Co, Samsung who have prepared surprises for attendees.

There are 400,000 tickets issued for different matches, about 200,000 has already been sold. “All the major matches have already been sold out. We expect to do that by next month.

All the remaining tickets will be sold out. We expect to have about nine to ten million visitors during the match in South Africa. Also, all security measures have been taken and South Africa is prepared to host this event,” stated Ashraf Sulaiman, Ambassador of South Africa to Kuwait.

The entry visa to South Africa will be issued according to the code registered on each of the tickets. “The code num-

ber of the ticket will be send to South Africa, and after receiving an approval from the Ministry of Interior, we will issue the visa.

Therefore, some nationalities don’t require a visa to South Africa,” added Sulaiman.

Starting with the opening ceremony on June 11 until the World Cup Final itself on July 11, the Movenpick Al-Bidaa will be the place to watch the 2010 World Cup unfold. A percentage of ticket revenues will be donated to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.

The later evening matches will be the ‘main event,’ kick-off time being 9.30 pm here in Kuwait. These games will be

shown on our large screen in the ‘stadium.’ Earlier games (kicking off at 2.30 pm or 5:00 pm Kuwait time) will be aired at air-conditioned indoor areas.

Numerous activities, in addition to matches, will attract and entertain the audience including: - During half time, and after the matches, daily raffle draws and competitions and a grand draw at the final will be held.

-Tickets will be sold at Movenpick Al-Bidaa - Attendees will be able to purchase food and beverages from a wide selection. This is in addition to the sheesha made available in the tent.

First women’s development program launched

By Rawan Khalid KUWAIT: The first Women’s Development Program organized by the Consultation and Training Office is being organized by the female students’ faculty of the Kuwait University between May 11 to 13. It is aimed at supporting Kuwaiti young women improve their skills in the professional and academic fields while spreading awareness about the labor market’s requirements.

The female students’ faculty of the Kuwait University recently inaugurated the Faculty’s building in Al-Adailya under the patronage of the Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr Moudhi Al-Homoud

KUWAIT: Ten young men were injured in a gang fight in Sulaibiya involving two gangs, with around 30 youths of various nationalities, including two Kuwaitis, participating in the brawl.

The injured were rushed to Farwaniya Hospital, reported AlAnba, with security officers posted around the hospital building to ensure that no further escalation of the violence took place.

PAB turns against Al-Saadoun over support for privatization

By A Saleh

Aquino’s administration promised realistic campaign pledges to Filipinos during his campaign, including fast prosecution of the Arroyos within the first few months of taking office. “We’ll see if he can deliver all the promises he made during his campaign. I hope he’ll do well,” said one optimistic supporter said.

Aquino, a 50-year-old bachelor, is famous simply because his mother, Cory Aquino, was the country’s president from 1986-1992. After his mother died of colon cancer in August 2009, there was a vast outpouring of support and sympathy to the family from the Filipino people, with Aquino deciding shortly after to run for the president’s position this year.

Kuwait prepares to welcome World Cup

10 injured in Sulaibiya gang brawl KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait, the leading bank in Kuwait and the highest rated in the Middle East, recently celebrated the graduation of the first batch of participants from the prestigious ‘High Fliers’ leadership program delivered by the NBK University in partnership with the American University of Beirut. An editorial mistake wrongly misplaced a caption in yesterday’s issue of Kuwait Times. The correct caption reads: NBK Group Chief Executive Officer Ibrahim Dabdoub, NBK Deputy CEO Shaikha Al-Bahar and NBK Capital CEO Salah Al-Fulaij with new graduates. We regret the mistake.

with 513 votes, while administration party candidate Gilberto ‘Gibo’ Teodoro with 449 votes, came fourth. Using the Overseas Absentee Voting (also known as OAV) system, Filipinos in Kuwait were allowed to vote for their preferred candidates for president, vice president, senators and a party list representative. The OAV system was held manually, but in Manila the election was conducted electronically.

women’s committee has four female members, as well as one male member MP Ali AlRashid.

Speaking at a symposium on women’s civil and social rights, Dr. Al-Awadhi said, “There are laws that are biased in favor of men, although the constitution treats men and women as equals.”

The MP also criticized those who demand exceptional laws for women like those for the disabled or children, adding that the current legislation is of a “cut and paste” nature, which is not integrated or coordinated, adding that the parliamentary women’s committee has resorted to consulting constitutional experts to discuss the issue and devise suitable amendments.

with the attendance of Dr Abdullah Al-Fuhaid, Chairman of the Kuwait University.

Several companies that are specialized in training and development sectors attended the program to demonstrate their experiences to students and employers. The event was sponsored by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and subsidiaries. The silver sponsor Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Agility. The media sponsors are Kuwait Times, Al-Qabas, Al-Rouaia, Al-Jarida, Al-Horriya, Investors, and Al-Seyassa.

The participants were Proud to be Kuwaiti (P2K), Australian College of Kuwait (ACK), AAIM, Office of Consultation and Career Development (OCCD). Ghalia Al-Shamlan,

representing Proud to Be Kuwaiti (P2K) said, “We are a non-profit organization.

We are going to advertise full-time and part-time jobs only for Kuwaiti youth. We also have an agreement between us and companies, to provide the Kuwaiti youth with certain jobs. They can apply with us and we are going to provide the companies with their resumes.”

“Our goal is basically to encourage our Kuwaiti youth, and we are trying to help volunteering, and are trying to help them build their own business,” Al-Shamlan said. “This is our first university event, to provide jobs to Kuwaiti youth. We hold exhibitions to promote our magazine (Proud to be Kuwaiti).”

ABC-Kuwait Chairman’s message As I travel ever more extensively for both business and recreation, I find myself becoming increasingly passionate in my sense of patriotism toward America. When I started to write this, my third message as Chairman of the American Business Council of Kuwait, I could not resist the compulsion to express how my travel outside the United States has impacted how blessed I feel we are to be Americans. In contemplating our many blessings I remembered the expression “to whom much is given, much is required.” All blessings and opportunities contain commensurate obligations and responsibilities.

I am of the opinion that as Americans overseas, each and every one of us has a direct responsibility to be exemplary representatives of our country and a duty, wherever possible, to tell the story of America. We each have our own story and each individual story is important. The stories vary greatly but revolve mostly around the American model of government that strives for social justice, and protection under the law with rights such as; freedom of

speech, freedom of religion, due process under the law...indeed all the rights and freedoms granted by our Constitution.

At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, I must say, I truly love America and I hope my fellow Americans in Kuwait share this profound and overwhelming love for our country and the ideals for which it stands. I am not naive and well aware there are any number of ways we can improve our society.

Nevertheless, I know that as a nation and a people we are committed to always striving to do better.

I truly wish everyone could visit my country and witness for themselves our form of democ-

racy in action - it’s truly an amazing thing to see firsthand.

This upcoming year I look forward to continuing the work of the American Business Council-Kuwait to increase trade between the Great State of Kuwait and America. I take seriously the responsibilities of being on the Board of Directors and look forward to continuing my work to improve trade between our two nations.

Kuwaitis have taught me that in Islam, the concept of trade is considered a blessed activity. I see the wisdom of this because it is clear to me that in the course of trading between nations; many barriers are overcome resulting in greater understanding and cultural tolerance. We can all rest assured that our work on the American Business Council yields favorable results for all those involved in this blessed pursuit.

Please accept my sincere best wishes for a wonderful and prosperous year in all your activities.

Respectfully, Luis Suarez Chairman American Business Council Kuwait

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

NATIONAL

5

MoI studying ‘KuwaitSat’ project

‘Arab broadcasting forum focuses on addressing region’s youth’

By Ahmad Saeid KUWAIT: Kuwait is currently studying a plan to launch its own satellite, according to a senior Ministry of Information (MoI) official. The ‘KuwaitSat’ project is presently the subject of negotiation with another country, which the official did not name. The plan was revealed during the opening ceremony for the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU)

KUWAIT: The Dean of the Libraries and Technologies Institute at the Public Authority of Applied Education and Training (PAAET) Dr Hassan Al-Abdul Jadir inaugurated an exhibition on smart classrooms recently. This move comes as part of incorporating technology into the e-education process.

Passports dept Municipality ready for officials get travel season bonuses KUWAIT: Passports department at the Ministry of Interior (MOI) facilitated all procedures involved in preparation for the summer season, the department announced yesterday.

An advanced mechanism is adopted to ensure that procedures go smoothly, MOI Undersecretary for passports department Maj Gen Abdulhamid Al-Awadhi said.

He called on nationals to ensure that their passports are valid before they head to the airport and noted that it was possible to renew passports a year prior to expiry in case passports run out of empty pages.

Passports of those over 30 years are valid for 10 years after issuing, he said, and called for preserving passports as they might be misused by others. —KUNA

Kuwait welcomes Turkish efforts to support rights of children GENEVA: Kuwait recommended Turkey yesterday to continue the promoting of children’s rights and improving their conditions and the importance of continued development of the juvenile justice system and child labor.

Sheikh Jarrah Jaber AlAhmad Al-Sabah, the Third Secretary in the Permanent delegation of the State of Kuwait to the UN in Geneva praised in his speech for the Human Rights Council to “the methodology adopted by Turkey in preparing its national report, which is based on the principles of transparency and objectivity and the participation of all concerned with human rights issues.”

The Kuwaiti diplomat shows his country’s interest in the efforts made by Turkey to meet the challenges of human rights and ambitious reforms carried out in a number of areas such as controlling the torture and prison system reform and freedom of expression and freedom of association.

“The participation of Turkey in this high-level delegation reflects the attention and interest being paid to humanitarian concerns and the promotion and protection of fundamental freedoms in the field of human rights.” —KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality has paid performance-related bonuses ranging between KD 1,000 and KD 2,500 to 77 of its senior officials, according to a municipality insider.

The municipality official said that the bonuses had been paid after Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr. Fadhil Safar approved the requests for these payments. The official also revealed that other, lower ranking municipality officials would receive performancerelated bonuses of between KD 200 and KD 400 according to their positions.

In his inaugural speech, delivered on behalf of information minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, Al-Nouh explained that the MoI is taking steps to protect the Kuwaiti airwaves from unauthorized broadcasts.

“There was a time when broadcasting wasn’t regulated, and the Kuwaiti airwaves were open to anyone who wanted to begin broadcasting anything they wanted,” said the senior official, explaining that this has been replaced by a system whereby a specially formed committee decides and monitors who is allowed to broadcast and for how long.

Addressing the representatives of the ASBU and various production companies attending the event, Al-Nouh stressed the importance of producing high-quality content for young Arab people to replace the numerous “lowquality” programs currently being shown.

“As you can see, among the huge amount of Arab TV channels there are those which make the ‘wrong decisions’ — but this isn’t going to last because Arab producers are choosing the better

products and pushing the ‘cheap’ products away from the airwaves,” he asserted.

Another of the speakers at the two-day forum, ASBU’s General Manager Salah AlDein Ma’awy, said that this year’s event would focus on the issues that matter most to young Arabs, since the UN proclaimed 2010 the International Year of Youth.

“In this international context which includes so many youth-oriented activities worldwide, we decided to address this issue since it lies at the core of our duties,” said the senior broadcasting union official.

Speaking to the Kuwait Times, Al-Ma’awy explained that the forum’s principal goal is to create a new approach to addressing the young generation of Arab viewers.

“We want to come up with quality content that’s also attractive to the young generation because there’s no point in producing education-

forum, which began yesterday at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Salmiya.”

Kuwait has begun to seriously look into launching its own satellite, called ‘KuwaitSat,” Ibrahim Al-Nouh, the Deputy Minister of Information for Financial and Administrative Affairs, told the Kuwait Times, adding, “The satellite is intended to provide a number of services, including media and communications, as well as satisfying classified military and security purposes.”

KUWAIT: Ibrahim Al-Nouh delivering his speech during the opening ceremony.

—Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh al and beneficial content that nobody will watch, so we decided to work on developing a new media approach that speaks the same language as Arab youth,” he revealed.

Yesterday’s opening ceremony was also attended by a number of ambassadors and representatives of Arab diplomatic delegations in Kuwait.

The event, which concludes later today, was orga-

nized by the GCC Producers’ Union for Arab Media Production, features workshops covering numerous aspects of media-related issues, particularly those concerning Arab youth.

MoH orders total airport smoking ban KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health (MoH) has ordered a complete smoking ban at Kuwait International Airport, which will cover all the airport facilities, including restaurants and cafés.

The new ruling complies with the anti-smoking law introduced in 1995, which entitles the MoH to introduce smoking bans at any public facilities.

The ban will forbid any smoking, including the use of

shisha pipes, in the cafés inside and outside the airport building, reported Al-Watan.

Meanwhile, senior health ministry officials are set to be given a salary increase of KD 340 per month, with department administrators to receive a KD 280 pay rise, while supervisors, assistant managers, office heads and department heads to get pay increases of KD 280, KD 220, KD 180 and, KD 130 respective-

ly.

The pay rises were announced by the MoH Undersecretary for Administrative Affairs, who explained that the proposed rises will be submitted to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for official approval before being introduced. Since the CSC previously gave its approval to the ministry’s introduction of pay rises as per salary regulations,

this approval is expected to be given in the near future.

On a separate issue, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) has approved the admission of 300 bedoon (stateless) female students to a twoyear secretarial studies course as of next week. The accepted students are all the daughters of Kuwaiti women or the wives of Kuwaiti men.

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NATIONAL

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Support for Palestinian reform process

Kuwait contributes $50m to World Bank fund WASHINGTON: Kuwait’s Ambassador to the US Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the World Bank Managing Director Juan Jose Daboub signed here Monday an agreement to transfer $50 million to the World Bank-administered multidonor Trust Fund to support the ongoing Palestinian Reform and Development Program (PRDP), making Kuwait the third largest international and the largest Arab contributor for this Fund. Kuwait generously contributed to the PRDP trust fund with $80 million in August 2008, where this additional contribution will allow total transfers from the trust fund to reach $499 million.

Body of Asian found in car KUWAIT: The body of an Asian man was discovered in his car at Fahaheel, with an initial examination by paramedics suggesting that he died of a heart attack.

Meanwhile, an Egyptian man was pronounced dead by paramedics who rushed to the scene after passersby found him unconscious in a sports club in Fahaheel, with initial investigations suggesting he died of natural causes. The bodies were removed for autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Three rape cases An Asian woman working as a maid went to her country’s embassy after escaping her sponsor’s home in Hadiya, telling embassy staff that the male sponsor had raped her.

The staff immediately took her to the local police station to file a case against the man.

In a separate case, a 38-year-old Kuwaiti woman filed charges against her ex-husband at Al-Thahar police station, accusing him of raping her in her home, as well as beating her and their young daughter. The accused man has been summoned for questioning, reported Al-Watan.

In a third incident, a young woman told police that her boyfriend had sexually assaulted her after luring her to an apartment in Salmiya, raping her after she refused to give in to his demands. The young man was quickly taken into custody, reported AlRai, and has been referred to the Public Prosecutor’s office for questioning.

Wife-beater arrested A woman has filed charges against her husband at Jahra police station, accusing him of physically assaulting her, as well as stealing KD 800 in cash. The woman told officers that her husband had been regularly beating her for a long time, adding that she had finally realized she had enough of his abuse following the latest incident, reported Al-Watan. Police have taken the abusive husband into custody.

A Kuwaiti man has been arrested in Jahra for robbing Asians by posing as a security officer and demanding their ID before assaulting them and stealing their wallets.

The arrest came after police set up a sting operation to catch the imposter, who had been the subject of numerous complaints, with two police informants posing as unsuspecting residents in the local market where he had been targeting people, while police covertly monitored the area. Sure enough, Al-Watan reported, the phony cop quickly appeared, demanding to see the two informants’ ID. He was quickly apprehended and taken into custody.

Fugitive nabbed An Iranian fugitive wanted in connection with a money laundering case in which he was accused of issuing a KD 3,000 dud cheque, was caught by Salhiya police. AlWatan reported that the arrest came at the directions of the head of the Capital gover-

norate’s investigation department, with the culprit immediately being handed over to the relevant authorities.

Pharmacist held An Asian staff member at a Khaitan pharmacy was arrested for illegally selling narcotic tablets, using his position to carry out the illicit trade, reported Al-Rai. The arrest followed a tip-off about the man’s activities, with the arresting officers finding 300 drug capsules in his possession during their search.

Bootlegger busted Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh traffic patrol officers who pulled over an Asian motorist who appeared to be acting suspiciously discovered five bottles of homemade liquor in his car. The man confessed that he had been delivering them to a customer, reported AlRai. The bootlegger was taken into custody.

Gas theft The supervisor at a gas station in Nadha immediately went to Qairawan police station on discovering that 410 gallons of fuel had been stolen, after an inventory determined that this amount of gas was missing, reported Al-Anba. Detectives were quickly at the scene and have removed CCTV tapes from the gas station to help in their investigation.

These resources will help support the urgent budget needs of the Palestinian Authority (PA), providing inter alia support for education, health care and other vital social services for the Palestinian people and for the economic reforms currently underway.

In an exclusive statement following the signing ceremony, Daboub said that “this is a very significant contribution from the Kuwaiti people to the Palestinian people and we are very thankful to the Kuwaiti government and Kuwaitis for helping the PA and Palestinians in their reform program.”

He affirmed that “Kuwait has shown consistently and increasingly how much they care for the Palestinian people not only by participating actively and advocating for a Palestinian state but also by putting money behind their words.”

He indicated that the Kuwaiti government has become “the third largest contributor” and the largest Arab donor to the trust fund that started in April 2008 which has in it $400 million approximately, saying “onethird of that amount is from Kuwait.”

He added that “today’s contribution will go a long way not only for what that amount means but what that amount of money can leverage in terms of others that can come to the table and put as much resources to the Palestinian people.”

He indicated that the World Bank has also put some $80 million into budget to support loans which can be used in areas that the “PA government chooses and which are needed.”

He noted that most of the resources that are in the trust fund are part of the development program that the PA has established which cover areas in the social sector, infrastructure sector and in terms of enabling

the environment for more private sector investment in the country.

“We are grateful to the State of Kuwait for a generous contribution which will contribute to support the reform process and to set up the necessary structure to help the Palestinians create the institutions of a modern Palestinian state”, said Daboub.

For his part, Sheikh Salem highlighted the importance of ensuring basic services for the Palestinian people, while creating the basis of a sustainable Palestinian economy leading to a sovereign and viable Palestinian state.

He also expressed appreciation for the work of the World Bank in the West Bank and in Gaza.

Sheikh Salem said that this contribution comes in completion of Kuwaiti’s “strong and continuous commitment” for the Palestinian people as it is important to provide the basic services of the Palestinians and establish the basic foundation for a strong Palestinian economy that would lead to the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian state and is capable of providing a decent life for its people.

He added that the Kuwaiti-Palestinian relations are “distinctive and historic and that the Palestinian cause will remain a top priority for the Kuwaiti leadership, government and people especially that the Kuwaiti moral and financial aid for the Palestinian people never stopped.”

Executive Director at the World Bank Dr Merza Hasan thanked Kuwait for this contribution and its great importance, saying “this is part of a series of Kuwaiti contributions to the PA whether in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank.”

He added that Kuwait is considered one of the largest contributors in the fund, which

makes up a third of the international contributions.

He indicated that this contribution will go for several sectors, such as “education, health and social insurance, in addition to agriculture in light of the importance of the food security of the Palestinian people.”

He said that this is an “excellent contribution” for the PA and that a large part of the development plan has been implemented “despite the challenges faced by the Authority, but it was able to achieve a large accomplishment in boosting the development, creating jobs and protecting the workers in the private sector.”

As for Kuwait being the third largest contributor and largest Arab contributor, Dr Hasan said “this is good for us in two terms as first we are participating in the Palestinian developmental plan,” and secondly, he said, is that the Palestinians will see that something “vital and valuable” will happen “because we are in the current program, so we are helping them in achieving their objectives and priorities.”

The World Bank PRDP Trust Fund was established on April 10, 2008, when an agreement was signed between the World Bank and the Palestinian Authority during the 2008 World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings in the World Bank Headquarters. It is a central component of a World Bank effort to support the ongoing Palestinian Reform and Development Plan.

The governments of Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Norway, Poland, and the UK have already contributed to this Fund.

Approximately $409 million have already been disbursed from this fund, while $80 million have been disbursed through two World Bank Development Policy Grants. — KUNA

Kuwait-Nigeria investment conference this month KUWAIT: Kuwait is to host the first Kuwait-Nigeria Investment Conference (KNIC) under the patronage of the Nigerian Embassy, presenting investment opportunities for Kuwaiti investors, on May 23.

Deep Impact Company that is organizing the event said yesterday that the conference aims at strengthening trade and economic relations between Kuwait and Nigeria, in addition to presenting investment opportunities for Kuwaiti businessmen.

The company’s Board Chairperson, Mounira Al-Hasawi, said that the conference program includes discussions of future economic and trade relations between the two countries and the reasons for investment in Nigeria, and how useful it is for both sides.

She also referred to the facilities offered by the Nigerian government to foreign investors for implementation of projects along the lines of the BOT system and on

better terms, pointing out that the conference is the first joint economic event between Kuwait and Nigeria, presenting a variety of investment opportunities.

Al-Hasawi added that the Nigerian government is overcoming the obstacles facing investors and aims at attracting foreign investments.

Nigeria has mineral resources such as oil and is one of the major producers of cocoa, peanuts and fruits. — KUNA

PAYS concludes voluntary work program KUWAIT: The Awareness Program for Voluntary Work was organized by the Public Authority for Youth and Sport (PAYS) in cooperation with the Hawally governorate recently. A ceremony was

held in Mohallab Mall in Hawally under the patronage of Hawally Governor, Abdullah Al-Faris with the attendance of PAYS CEO Faisal Al-Jazzaf, PAYS Vice Director for Youth, Jassem Yaqoub, as

well as Head of the Hawally Security Department Brig Gen Abdullatif AlWuhaib.

The program featured several activities that included social services, wall

paintings, planting trees around mosques, as well as seminars that discussed patriotism. Several competitions and entertainment activities were held.

In a statement made to the press, AlJazzaf acknowledged the cooperation established between PAYS and the Hawally governorate to hold activities that train youth to be productive to their

country.

They noted that the message to support patriotism delivered through this program reflects one of the main goals for which PAYS has been established.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

7

INTERNATIONAL Plane received ‘timely warning’

Iran says it warned off US plane near manoeuvres TEHRAN: Iran’s military warned off a US reconnaissance aircraft trying to approach Iranian naval manoeuvres, the semi-official Fars News Agency said yesterday. The incident involving the two old adversaries happened on Monday, it quoted the armed forces chief as saying. Iran’s navy last week launched eight days of exercises in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, a region crucial for global oil supplies.

BAGHDAD: A woman grieves for a relative killed in a bombing in Basra, Iraq’s second-largest city, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday. The death toll for a devastating day of attacks across Iraq rose to 119 yesterday as the worst hit cities of Basra and Hillah south of Baghdad reported new deaths from bombings the previous day, the country’s deadliest so far this year. — AP

Iraq boosts security after deadliest day BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces beefed up checkpoints, conducted house-to-house searches and rifled through cars yesterday looking for suspects behind a devastating string of attacks across the country that killed 119 people a day earlier.

The sheer breadth of the attacks was a blow after recent victories against insurgents and demonstrated the militants’ resilience. Officials blamed Al-Qaeda in Iraq linked violence that stretched from the volatile north to the normally peaceful Shiite south to a political vacuum in the country. It is not clear who will control the next Iraqi government even though more than two months have passed since the inconclusive March 7 elections. Brig. Gen. Ralph Baker, a former Pentagon counterterror expert who now oversees US military operations in eastern Baghdad, said the complexity of the attacks indicates they were all coordinated.

“Given the timing of the attacks in Baghdad and Anbar, coupled with the activities up north and south, I think you can very clearly say it was a coordinated effort,” he told The Associated Press, noting that the main targets were Iraqi security forces and Shiite civilians. “Clearly two target sites that are popular with al-Qaida.

They’re still trying to show they can re-ignite the cycle of sectarian violence,” he added.

Most of the victims of Monday’s violence were in two Shiite cities — Hillah and Basra — adding to concerns about a resurgence of the Sunni-

Shiite sectarian warfare that peaked in 2006 and 2007.

Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s Shiite bloc has tried to squeeze out election front-runner Ayad Allawi — a secular Shiite who was heavily backed by Sunnis — by forging an alliance last week with another religious Shiite coalition. The union, which is just four seats short of a majority in parliament, will likely lead to four more years of a government dominated by Shiites, much like the current one.

Sunni anger at Shiite domination of successive governments since Saddam’s 2003 ouster was a key reason behind the insurgency that sparked sectarian warfare three years later. If Allawi is perceived as not getting his fair share of power, that could outrage the Sunnis who supported him and possibly create more sympathy for militants.

The bloody insurgent strikes against 10 cities and towns also threw into doubt whether Iraqi security forces can protect the country as the US prepares to withdraw half of its remaining 92,000 troops in Iraq over the next four months.

“The security forces were doing their job, but lapses happen occasionally and then you can’t stop a suicide bomber or anything else,” said Deputy Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Hussein Ali Kamal.

Officials were quick to blame insurgents linked to Al-Qaeda in Iraq for the attacks, saying the militants were redoubling efforts to destabilize the country at a time of political uncertainty. — AFP

“A US reconnaissance aircraft which had intended to approach our operational war games left ... upon the timely warning of our air defence forces,” Fars quoted armed forces commander Ataollah Salehi as saying.

He was speaking to reporters as the military testfired two surface-to-sea missiles in the Gulf of Oman, it added.

There was no immediate US comment on the report.

Pieter Wezeman, a researcher on military issues at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), said similar incidents had happened before and did not necessarily signal an escalation in tension.

“To me it sounds like standard behaviour from both sides,” he said by telephone from the Swedish capital. “I recall a number of them over the years.”

Earlier this month, Iran revealed that one of its military planes had photographed a US aircraft carrier, suggesting that the U.S. ship’s crew had objected to the Iranian action.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said last week Iran was challenging US naval power in the Middle East with an array of offensive and defensive weapons.

The US military is present in most Gulf Arab countries and has expanded land- and sea-based missile defence systems in and around the Gulf during a protracted nuclear stand-off with Iran.

Iran’s manoeuvres coincide with rising tension

between Iran and the West over Tehran’s uranium enrichment programme.

Western officials suspect it is aimed at developing nuclear weapons capacity. Iran says it is only for electricity generation.

The United States is lobbying for a fourth round of UN sanctions on the Islamic state over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities and open up to UN inspections.

Iran often announces advances in its military capabilities and tests weaponry in an apparent attempt to show its readiness for any strikes

by Israel or the United States.

Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal, has described Iran’s nuclear programme as a threat to its existence and has not ruled out military action.

In exercises held in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz last month, official media said the elite Revolutionary Guards tested missiles and a new speedboat capable of destroying enemy ships.

Iran, a predominantly Shi’ite Muslim state, has said it would respond to any attack by targeting US interests in the region and Israel, as well as closing the Strait of Hormuz. About 40 percent of the world’s traded oil leaves the Gulf region through the strategic narrows.

Salehi said: “It’s past the epoch when America would change the regime in a country by just dispatching a warship.” Iran is “very serious about the protection of its interests”, the armed forces chief added. — Reuters

WEST BANK: Israeli forces (unseen) guard Jewish settlers marching in the Palestinian area of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron yesterday. The sign in Hebrew (R) reads, ‘Judea and Samaria are the heart of the land of Israel’. — AFP

Lebanese premier to make official visit to US BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri will make his first official visit to the United States at the end of May to meet with President Barack Obama and address the UN Security Council, a government official said yesterday.

“The prime minister will make his first official visit to Washington and New York later this month,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. “He will meet with President Obama and address the UN Security Council.”

Lebanon currently heads the rotating chair of the UN Security Council.

Hairiri’s five-day visit comes amid mounting concerns in the region of a renewed conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah which fought a devastating war in 2006.

Israel and Washington have recently accused the militant group of stockpiling increasingly sophisticated weapons through the porous Syrian-Lebanese border.

Israel’s President Shimon Peres said last month the weapons include long-range Scud missiles.

Damascus has denied smuggling weapons to the Shiite group.

Hezbollah, which has two ministers in the current Lebanese cabinet, has for its part refused to confirm or deny the allegations.

The Shiite party is the only faction in Lebanon that refused to disarm following the end of the country’s 1975-1990 civil war, claiming that its weapons are needed to defend the country against any Israel aggression. — AFP

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INTERNATIONAL

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Spain: Embattled judge seeks leave of absence MADRID: The high-profile Spanish judge who indicted Augusto Pinochet and Osama bin Laden is seeking to take a leave of absence as he awaits trial on charges of abuse of authority in a domestic case, a court official said yesterday.

Judge Baltasar Garzon has accepted an offer for a seven-month assignment as an adviser at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, said the official at the National Court, where Garzon works.

Garzon, 54, is not resigning, and his departure will not affect the case against him in Spain for having launched a probe of Spanish civil war atrocities that were covered by an amnesty, the official said on condition of anonymity in line with

court policy.

But the transfer is a way to dodge the almost certain suspension that Garzon faces once his trial starts some time in the next few months.

Garzon received a job offer at the International Criminal Court from Luis Moreno Ocampo, an Argentine who is its chief prosecutor, the official said. A Spanish judicial oversight board has to decide whether to grant Garzon the leave of absence. The newspaper El Pais said the panel will discuss this on Wednesday.

Garzon was indicted last month by a Supreme Court judge on charges he knowingly overstepped the bounds of his jurisdiction by launching in 2008 a probe

of the execution or disappearance of more than 100,000 civilians at the hands of supporters of Gen. Francisco Franco during the 1936-39 war and in the early years of the Franco dictatorship.

Garzon denies any wrongdoing and says his probe was legitimate. If convicted, he faces removal from the National Court for up to 20 years.

The Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory, a group that backed Garzon in his efforts to probe atrocities, said the judge has been reduced to “a political refugee in The Hague.” It said his departure is probably part of a deal to spare Garzon from actually going on trial.

Garzon also is under investigation in

two others cases: One involving money that a Spanish bank paid to sponsor human rights seminars he gave while on sabbatical in New York a few years ago, and another in connection with jailhouse wiretaps he ordered as part of a corruption probe.

The judge has been assigned to the National Court since 1988, and earned a reputation as a tireless sleuth as he took on big cases in everything from corruption and drug trafficking to human rights abuses during Latin American dictatorship and Islamic terrorism, including prosecution of a Spain-based cell charged with helping prepare the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. — AP

Parliament calm, but lawmakers voted to hold hearings today

Thousands protest Ukraine president’s embrace of Russia KIEV: Around 2,000 supporters of Ukraine’s pro-Western opposition held an angry protest in central Kiev yesterday to condemn President Viktor Yanukovych’s pursuit of close ties with Russia. Protesters accused Yanukovych of selling out to the Kremlin by signing a controversial deal last month that will

allow Russia to maintain a naval base in Ukraine until at least 2042 in exchange for cheaper natural gas. “They are selling everything: our territory, our independence, our identity,” Yulia Tymoshenko, leader of Ukraine’s main opposition party, told the protesters outside the country’s parliament.

KIEV: Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko greets supporters during a rally in front of the Parliament in Kiev yesterday. Around 2,000 supporters of Ukraine’s pro-Western opposition held an angry protest in central Kiev yesterday to condemn President Viktor Yanukovych’s pursuit of close ties with Russia. — AFP

Putin mourns Siberia mine tragedy as hopes diminish MEZHDURECHENSK: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday grieved with relatives of 90 people killed or missing in explosions at Russia’s largest coal mine as chances faded of finding more survivors.

At least 52 miners and rescue workers are confirmed to have died in the double blast at the Raspadskaya mine in southwestern Siberia while 38 miners are missing, the local branch of the emergencies ministry said.

A strained Putin, dressed in black and his voice choked with emotion, visited the injured in hospital in the Kemerovo region and assured relatives the government would do all it could to help them. The first methane gas explosion struck late on Saturday, leaving scores of miners trapped half a kilometre underground.

The second blast struck hours later, cutting off the rescue workers who descended to look for survivors.

Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu admitted “there is less and less hope in the search for survivors” and so far salvage workers have only recovered corpses, including those of 19 fellow rescuers.

“The situation that you are in is so awful and tragic that no words of condolence are appropriate. And I understand that perfectly,” Putin told the distraught relatives.

“But I want you to know that we are suffering with you.

Everything that is the government’s duty, including the payout of compensation, will be carried out.” Putin later visited the mine itself in the town of Mezhdurechensk, seeing at first hand the blackened craters and burned-out wreckage of surface infrastructure left by the force of the blasts.

He called for a “painstaking” inquiry into the causes.

Rescuers were making a desperate final effort to find survivors in a network of tunnels hundreds of kilometres long, with a continued risk of further explosions in the gas-filled shafts.

The first funerals were held for the dead, with grieving loved ones laying their heads on the coffins of the dead to say one final farewell. The tragedy risks becoming Russia’s second deadliest mining disaster of the postSoviet era after explosions at a different mine in the same region in March 2007 killed 110 people.

The missing men are trapped about 490 metres (1,600 feet) deep in the shafts at the Raspadskaya mine which has more than 400 kilometres (250 miles) of tunnels, a bigger network than the entire Moscow

metro.

Eighty-four people were wounded in the blasts, the emergencies ministry said. More corpses were found in the morning, bringing the death toll to 52, the local branch of the ministry said according to Russian news agencies.

Rescue work had to be halted throughout Sunday, with officials saying the mine was so dangerous that sending people in would be a virtual death sentence, but then restarted on Monday.

Officials have said the blasts could have been triggered by a sudden build-up of methane gas in the shaft. Putin said it was possible the first blast was caused by human error “including careless use of fire”.

A criminal investigation has

been launched for negligence of security rules but the mine’s owners have insisted readings showed accepted methane concentration levels in the shafts at the time of the blast. Raspadskaya is partowned by steelmaker Evraz, a company 36 percent-owned by Chelsea Football Club’s billionaire chief Roman Abramovich. The governor of the Kemerovo region, Aman Tuleyev, insisted that the mine would be rebuilt.

Shares in the Raspadskaya mine tumbled 15 percent in opening trade on the Moscow stock exchange.

Deadly mine accidents are relatively common in Russia because of ageing infrastructure, violations of ventilation safety requirements and tampering with gas-level monitoring equipment. — AFP

KEMEROVO: People carry flowers and a picture of 50-year-old Fedor Akintiyev, miner killed at the Raspadskaya mine, during a funeral ceremony in Mezhdurechensk, the west Siberian region of Kemerovo, yesterday.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on May 11 travelled to Siberia to meet victims of gas blasts in Russia’s biggest underground coal mine, as the death toll rose overnight to 43, reports said. — AFP

Amid a heavy police presence and beneath drizzling rain, protesters held banners with slogans such as “No to the liquidation of Ukraine!” and waved blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flags.

“Yanukovych is in the process of reviving the Soviet Union. He is grovelling before Moscow,” Oleg Tiagnybok, head of the nationalist group Svoboda (Freedom), told the crowd.

Several hundred counterdemonstrators from Yanukovych’s political party also rallied next to the parliament building, which was surrounded by metal barricades erected by police.

More than 1,000 police, many wearing flak jackets and armed with truncheons, stood guard around parliament and kept the two camps apart. But most protestors had dispersed by the early afternoon without incident.

The demonstration was called by Tymoshenko, a former prime minister who lost a presidential election to Yanukovych in February.

It came three weeks after Yanukovych and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the deal extending Moscow’s lease on its naval base in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol in exchange for a 30 percent discount on natural gas.

Yanukovych said the pact would save Ukraine billions of dollars and boost efforts to recover from the economic crisis. Critics said it undermined the sovereignty of Ukraine, which won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Lawmakers from proWestern opposition parties threw eggs and smoke bombs and brawled with Yanukovych supporters during the raucous session of parliament last month in which the agreement was ratified.

Parliament was calm yesterday, but lawmakers voted to hold hearings today in which the government will explain what further agreements it plans to sign with Russia-a potentially explosive topic.

Medvedev is to visit Kiev again on May 17-18 and the opposition is worried he will sign more agreements binding Russia and Ukraine, including deals in the gas, nuclear energy and hydroelectric sectors.

“Once all this is signed, we will have nothing left,” Tymoshenko warned.

Head of presidential administration Sergy Liovochkin rejected the protesters’ accusations.

“We are preparing files for negotiations, but it is too early to say” (if the agreements will be ready), he said.

There would be nothing “anti-Ukrainian” in the documents, he said, adding that “any cooperation is only possible (based) on the principle of Ukrainian national interest.”

The opposition is also alarmed about a proposal from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to merge Ukraine’s staterun gas firm, Naftogaz, with Russia’s state-controlled energy giant, Gazprom.

The flurry of deals comes after Yanukovych was elected president in February, replacing Viktor Yushchenko, a staunchly pro-Western politician who had chilly relations with Moscow.

Under Yushchenko, Ukraine sought close ties with the European Union and membership in the NATO military alliance, angering the Kremlin.—AFP

MADRID: In this April 15, 2010 file photo, Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon arrives at the Supreme Court in Madrid. A Spanish court official said yesterday that judge Garzon who indicted Augusto Pinochet and Osama bin Laden is seeking to take a leave of absence as he awaits trial on charges of abuse of authority. — AP

Church must recognise ‘terrifying’ truth of abuse LISBON: Pope Benedict said yesterday the crisis of sexual abuse of children by priests should make the Catholic leaders acknowledge the “terrifying” truth that the greatest threat comes from “sin within the Church”.

In some of his most comprehensive public comments since the sexual abuse scandal broke two months ago, Benedict said the Church has “a very deep need” to acknowledge that it must do penitence for its sins and “accept purification”.

“Today we see in a truly terrifying way that the greatest persecution of the Church does not come from outside enemies but is born of sin within the Church,” he told reporters on the plane taking him to Portugal, in response to a question about the scandal.

In recent weeks, a number of Vatican officials have accused the media of waging a smear campaign against the Church, with one top Vatican official going as far as dismissing reports of a cover up of sexual abuse as “petty gossip”.

The 83-year-old German pontiff, facing the worst crisis of his five-year-old papacy, said the Church had to seek forgiveness from victims of sexual abuse but also recognised that “forgiveness cannot be a substitute for justice”.

The Pope accepted on Saturday the resignation of Bishop Walter Mixa of Augsburg follow-

ing accusations that he sexually abused minors.

It was the first bishop to quit in the Pope’s native Germany, and came just over two weeks after a Belgian bishop stepped down after admitting he had sexually abused a boy.

Irish Bishop James Moriarty also tendered his resignation in late April, saying he failed to tackle abuse while he was auxiliary bishop of Dublin from 1991 to 2001 — the third bishop to resign since the scandal in Ireland hit the headlines.

The main purpose of the pope’s four-day visit to Portugal is to visit the shrine at Fatima where the Madonna is said to have appeared to three shepherd children six times in 1917.

One of the three messages the Madonna is said to have given to the child visionaries-the so-called ‘Third Secret of Fatima’-was what the Vatican has said was a prediction of the 1981 assassination attempt against the late Pope John Paul.

Benedict told reporters that he believed that interpretation of the Third Secret, revealed in 2000, could include the suffering the papacy and the Church would have to endure as a result of today’s sexual abuse crisis.

“What we can see (in the Third Secret) are predictions about the suffering of the Church,” he said. — Reuters

Captured Somali pirates ‘evidently dead’: Russia MOSCOW: A group of Somali pirates captured by the Russian navy in the Gulf of Aden and then set free in a boat are most probably dead after failing to reach the shore, a Russian defence source said yesterday. The 10 pirates were captured last week after seizing a Russian oil tanker but were then unexpectedly released, with Russian officials saying there was insufficient legal basis to keep them in detention. “According to the latest information, the pirates who seized the Moscow University oil tanker failed to reach the shore. Evidently, they have all died,” the highranking source was quoted as saying by all Russia’s official news agencies.

The source said that radio signals from the boat stopped just one hour after it had been set free by the Russian navy.

No details were given over the manner in which they could have lost their lives. Reports have said that after their release the Russian navy put the pirates in a boat some 300 nautical miles offshore, removing all weaponry and navigational equipment from the vessel. “It would have been more humane to have

hung them up from the yardarm,” a rights activist, whose name was not given, told the Kommersant daily at the weekend.

Marines from the Russian destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov freed the tanker from the pirate’s grasp in a dawn operation last week hailed as exemplary by Russian defence experts and officials. President Dmitry Medvedev said the raid was “sharp, professional and quick” and ordered medals for all those involved in the rescue. The fate of the pirates had been a mystery. Media had at the weekend published a picture taken by state media showing 10 pirates lying face down, hands tied behind their back on the red deck of the Russian ship.

A top naval official also told Kommersant that that Russian navy had originally planned to accompany the pirates to within 12 miles of the shore but the offer of escort was turned down. But Somalia’s ambassador to Moscow Mohammed Handule denied that the Russian navy had acted improperly in the affair. “Not one Somali or the government of our country sees Russia has

being guilty in this. The Russian military showed they can act effectively so that not one crew member of the captured tanker was hurt.” “This is the most important thing,” he said according to the ITARTASS news agency.

Russian shipping expert Mikhail Voitenko said reports about the pirates being set free in a boat could just be covering the possibility they had all been killed in the raid to free the Moscow University. “I think this is linked to the fact nobody released the pirates and they were killed in the operation,” Voitenko, editor of the Maritime Bulletin, told Moscow Echo radio. “Then someone had the not very intelligent idea ‘let’s pretend that they were released in the middle of the ocean hundreds of miles from the shore without any navigational aids’.”

After the tanker was recaptured, officials had also sent conflicting signals about the future of the pirates. Russia’s investigative committee of prosecutors had said steps were being taken to bring the pirates to Moscow to face charges but later backtracked, saying that this was not being discussed. — AFP

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

INTERNATIONAL

9

‘We will not abandon the Afghan people’

Clinton cites long-term US commitment to Afghans WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton kicked off a day of closed talks with Afghan government leaders yesterday by assuring President Hamid Karzai that the US will remain committed to his country’s security and reconstruction long after the last US combat troops have departed. “We will not abandon the Afghan people. Our civilian commitment will

PORT-AU-PRINCE: In this May 8, 2010 photo, US nurse Laura Sewin Brown carries patient Sephorat Marie Moise, 8, before leaving Miami Children’s Hospital in Port-au-Prince. From cracked hospitals to tent-camp clinics, aid groups are working furiously to treat patients amid failing generators and disappearing supplies while simultaneously struggling to build institutions from the rubble. — AP

Obama reshapes Supreme Court with legal ‘trailblazer’ WASHINGTON: US lawmakers were sorting through legal scholar Elena Kagan’s thin legal paper trail yesterday ahead of contentious hearings to vet President Barack Obama’s latest Supreme Court nominee. Kagan was the second woman Obama has picked for the court, after he installed the first Hispanic Justice Sonia Sotomayor last year.

If confirmed by the Senate, she will be the first non-judge to reach the summit of US justice in four decades.

“I have selected a nominee who I believe embodies... excellence, independence, integrity and passion for the law, and who can ultimately provide that same kind of leadership on the court,” Obama said Monday in announcing his choice.

Her relative youth at 50 — which would make her the youngest justice on the bench-means she could help shape the law toward Obama’s more progressive stance for a generation if the Senate confirms her lifetime appointment.

She would be the third woman serving consecutively on the Supreme Court-the most ever. The court’s first female justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, retired in 2006.

Democrats praised Kagan, who would replace liberal standard bearer John Paul Stevens when he retires later this year, as “razor sharp” and impeccably qualified. And Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Lehay urged for her confirmation before the congressional August recess.

But Republicans promised to vigorously vet what they termed a “surprising” choice, citing her lack of judicial pedigree and warning she may try to misinterpret laws for political reasons rather than stick to the letter of the Constitution.

“Elena is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost legal minds,” said Obama, a Harvard Law School alumnus, of his pick, a former dean of the school. “She is a trailblazing leader,” he said, arguing Kagan’s “fair-mindedness” and “skill as a consensus builder” would replace some of the wisdom lost with top liberal Stevens, who is retiring after a 34-year career at the top court.

Vice President Joe Biden’s chief of staff Ron

Klain, who took part in the nominee search, said Kagan would probably have to recuse herself from around 18 court cases she had worked to prepare as solicitor general.

Klain described her as “pragmatic” and clearly a “progressive”, in an apparent bid to depict the more centrist Kagan in a similar vein to Stevens, 90, for liberal groups.

“It’s challenging and endlessly interesting... law matters because it keeps us safe, because it protects our most fundamental rights and freedoms, and because it is the foundation of our democracy,” Kagan said in thanking Obama for the “honor of a lifetime.”

Kagan was easily confirmed last year to serve as solicitor general, later arguing the US government’s case before Chief Justice John Roberts and the very Supreme Court associate justices she now hopes to join. But Republicans were already laying the ground for a political battle over her confirmation, which they will likely lose; they hope to turn it into a political cause celebre in the run-up to congressional polls in November.

“She is a surprising choice from a president who has emphasized the importance of understanding ‘how the world works and how ordinary people live,’” said Republican Senator John Cornyn, citing Kagan’s liberal academic background.

“Ms Kagan is likewise a surprising choice because she lacks judicial experience. Most Americans believe that prior judicial experience is a necessary credential for a Supreme Court Justice.”

Conservative Republican Senator Jon Kyl warned Kagan may not get an easy confirmation ride this time. “As I made clear when I supported her confirmation as solicitor general, a temporary political appointment is far different than a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court,” he said. Some liberal and legal interest groups had pressured the president to choose someone from outside the “judicial monastery” and may favor Obama’s pick, which was widely flagged in advance. Others are concerned about Kagan’s stance on civil liberties in the legal battle against terrorism. — AFP

Leaked documents suggest Mexico drug corruption MEXICO CITY : The reported discovery in cartel hands of a sheaf of police documents containing agents’ names and contact numbers, along with apparent references to shared US intelligence data, has renewed fears of high-level corruption in Mexico’s war on drugs. The trove of papers — which also included an apparent drug cartel payroll listing police commanders — was found in the car of an associate of Mexico’s most powerful drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, during a May 2009 bust, the newspaper Reforma said Monday.

The papers appeared to be internal documents, possibly memos or registers, from Mexico’s federal Public Safety Department and were listed as evidence of criminal charges, copies of which were obtained by Reforma. The newspaper did not say how it obtained the documents, and the spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office, Ricardo Najera, said he could neither confirm nor deny their authenticity. The Public Safety Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The list reportedly included the names and postings of federal police officials. One annotation, apparently made by traffickers, describes some investigations said to originate from the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Coming less than two years after a widespread corruption probe known as “Operation Clean House” toppled Mexico’s former anti-drug czar — Noe Ramirez — and other top officials for allegedly collaborating with a drug cartel, the revelation raised questions about whether Mexican law enforcement has really been cleaned up. “Operation Clean House was a warning that something wasn’t working, and this confirms that it still isn’t working,” said Jorge Chabat, a Mexican expert on drug cartels.

The documents would have let traffickers know which police officials were posted to key trafficking routes, and could have allowed criminals to contact or threaten the agents. One annotation in a pay book written in what appears to be code mentions soldiers and police who purportedly got payments; one is listed with the letters “PFP,” an apparent reference to federal police. “What I see clearly here ... is that the process of infiltration continues” among Mexican police, said Samuel Gonzalez, the country’s former top anti-drug prosecutor.

Referring to President Felipe Calderon’s goal of having police forces cleaned up by the time his term ends, Gonzalez said, “How are they going to clean up the force by 2012, if they continue to have this infiltration?” Guzman’s Sinaloa cartel has reportedly been gaining ascendancy in the world of Mexican drug trafficking in recent months. The

leadership of the rival Beltran Leyva cartel, which had long run one of the most effective smuggling networks, has been hit hard by a Mexican government offensive that recently claimed the lives or liberty of its top leaders.

US law enforcement authorities told The Associated Press last month that Guzman had largely won the battle for the lucrative and hotly contested trafficking route through the violent border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas.

Allegations have long circulated that Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna, who emerged as the top law enforcement officer after Operation Clean House, may have somehow favored the Sinaloa cartel headed by Guzman.

Garcia Luna has denied any link to the Sinaloa cartel, and Calderon has said the department has fought all the cartels equally.

No firm proof of favoritism has ever been presented, but the arrests of top drug capos have hit all of Mexico’s other cartels, while leaving Sinaloa’s leadership largely untouched.

The references to US intelligence documents in the documents, if confirmed, could endanger USMexico anti-drug cooperation, Gonzalez said. But, he added, “I don’t think they (officials on both sides) have the luxury of allowing it to collapse completely.” Garcia Luna has proved a valuable ally to the United States, noted David Shirk, director of the University of San Diego’s Transborder Institute, so much so that “there is a certain degree of real concern in the (US) administration” that Garcia Luna will leave office with Calderon in 2012.

Unless more compelling evidence emerges than just some leaked documents, the Americans are likely to continue working with him, Shirk said.

“The DEA has to look at this and say, well, who’s getting us results?” he said.

“When you’re dealing with systemic corruption, you sort of have to presume innocence with caution,” Shirk added. “You know there are people out there who are not innocent, but you have to work with somebody, as best you can. You take whatever countermeasures you can.” More than 22,700 people have been killed in drug violence since Calderon launched his anti-cartel offensive open taking office in December 2006.

Police in the border city of Tijuana said Monday that they were investigating several weekend murders after finding three charred bodies, while authorities in Zacatecas were investigating an attack on police headquarters that killed one officer and injured another. —AP

“The ability to disagree on issues of importance to our respective countries and peoples is not an obstacle to achieving our shared objectives,” Clinton said. “Rather, it reflects a level of trust that is essential to any meaningful dialogue and enduring strategic partnership.” Dressed in his customary Afghan attire, including a bright green and blue robe, Karzai thanked the US for its contributions since routing the Taliban regime in late 2001, but he also cautioned that international forces in his country must do more to avoid causing civilian casualties. He said Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the US commander of the international force that is fighting the Taliban-led insurgency, is the first foreign commander to apologize to him each time a military operation costs civilian lives.

Karzai also said it was natural for Kabul and Washington to see the situation differently, even while working together.

“As two mature nations and two mature governments — by now the Afghan government is mature, too — we will be having disagreements from time to time,” Karzai said. Both countries’ delegations were seated at a U-shaped table covered in white cloth, with the American and Afghan flags standing behind Clinton and Karzai. The same venue was to be used for a reception for Karzai later yesterday under glittering chandeliers. At the opening session were 40 top US and Afghan officials with responsibility in the areas of agriculture, education, security, finance, health and other services. In a bid to make

Moms of 3 Americans jailed in Iran wait for visas MINNEAPOLIS: The three women have their bags packed and ready to go, waiting for the moment they get the all-clear to visit their adult children who have been jailed in Iran for nine months.

Laura Fattal, Cindy Hickey and Nora Shourd were excited but cautious after Iran’s foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, said on state television late Monday that the Iranian government has ordered visas for the mothers to be issued on humanitarian grounds. The three women said they don’t want to count on making the trip to see their children until they have received official word they can pick up their visas.

“Yes we are excited, yes we are delighted at movement, delighted to think we will travel there,” said Fattal, of suburban Philadelphia, the mother of 27year-old Josh Fattal. “But we haven’t got the word yet ourselves to come pick up those visas. We’re in a truly holding our breath situation.” Josh Fattal, Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd were arrested along the Iraqi border in July. Iran has accused the three friends of spying and having links to US intelligence, and has said they would be brought to trial. Their families and the US government have denied the spying accusations and called for their release.

Family members said they have grown more concerned in recent weeks after Swiss diplomats who visited the Americans on April 22 reported that two of them were in poor health.

“We’re dying to see the kids, obviously,” said Shourd’s mother, Nora Shourd, of Oakland, California.

A US State Department official said the Iranian Foreign Ministry has told the Swiss Embassy in Tehran — which represents US interests — that the visas will be approved but that it was not yet clear when the actual visit would be approved. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. — AP

remain long into the future,” Clinton said, with Karzai at her side in the ornate Benjamin Franklin room at the State Department. Clinton and Karzai both offered opening remarks, stressing the positive but also acknowledging that sharp differences have complicated efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and set the stage for an end to the war.

WASHINGTON: Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai, left, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hold opening discussions to repair relations following public criticisms from both sides, at the State Department in Washington, yesterday. Karzai’s four-day trip to the US comes as Nato prepares for an assault in southern Kandahar province. — AP the proceedings appear less adversarial, the delegations did not sit facing each other but were rather interspersed sitting side-by-side.

Thus Defense Secretary Robert Gates sat next to his Afghan counterpart, Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak, rather than across from him. Also present for the Obama administration were CIA Director Leon Panetta; McChrystal, Joint

Chiefs chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, and Karl Eikenberry, the US ambassador to Kabul.

Karzai is scheduled to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House today and wind up his visit on Thursday.

The US hopes the visit will bolster ties with Karzai, a leader the administration once held at arm’s length. After winning reelection in a tainted vote last year, Karzai seems destined to

preside over Afghanistan’s political reconciliation and the gradual withdrawal of the US-led forces now holding the insurgents at bay. Karzai has said overtures to the Taliban are crucial, but stand little chance of success without the support of the US and its international partners. Previous attempts to negotiate with insurgents were not fruitful. It is not clear how far apart the US and Afghan

positions remain, but the Obama administration has shown no sign that it is ready to make peace with top Taliban leadership.

The go-slow approach reflects differences of opinion within the White House and military, and queasiness about any accommodation with the Taliban figured who harbored alQaida leaders before the Sept.

11, 2001, attacks. — AP

INTERNATIONAL

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Malaysia’s Anwar wants sodomy accuser disqualified KUALA LUMPUR: The lawyer for Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday he will seek to have Anwar’s accuser disqualified for perjury, a move aimed at casting doubts on a sodomy trial that could end the opposition leader’s career.

Anwar has been charged with consensual sodomy but his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan, insisted under cross-examination by the defence yesterday that he was sodomised against his will.

The former deputy prime minister denies the charge, which he says is politically motivated to prevent him from wresting power following the government’s

record losses in the last general election in 2008.

A conviction in the trial, set to end in late August, carries a maximum 20-year jail term, one which would end the career of the 63-year-old politician.

Sex between males is illegal in this conservative Southeast Asian country.

Consensual and non-consensual sodomy are listed as separate offences.

The prosecution argued it was entitled to charge Anwar for either consensual or non-consensual sodomy but Anwar’s lawyer, Karpal Singh, later told reporters he would move to have Saiful disqualified

for contradicting the charge. “This is the first time in a criminal case in this country that you have a statement to the police saying that the act was non-consensual and yet the charge says consensual,” Anwar told reporters outside the packed courtroom.

Malaysian media have lapped up lurid details of the politically charged trial and have published photos showing “in camera” trial proceedings that prompted complaints by the opposition of bias.

Analysts say the sensational media coverage signals a more important battle over the case that is being waged in the court of public opinion between the Anwar-led

opposition and Prime Minister Najib Razak’s ruling coalition.

“Despite the proceedings, in the court of public opinion people already seem to have made up their minds,” said political analyst Ong Kian Ming.

“The more important question now is how far the continuing revelations in the trial will affect Anwar’s image among those who now feel that this charge was manufactured,” said Ong. Anwar leads an opposition group that denied the ruling coalition control in five of Malaysia’s 13 states but was hit by a series of recent setbacks, including the resigna-

tion of four opposition MPs. Victory by the ruling National Front of Prime Minister Najib Razak in its first parliamentary by-election since the 2008 general election has boosted the government’s confidence.

But analysts say the country’s nonMuslim minorities who abandoned the government due to alienation have yet to swing back to them. Tensions have also gone up due to a row over the use of the word “Allah” by Christians to describe God. Najib took office in April 2009 pledging political and economic reforms to revive

his ailing coalition and win back foreign investment.

But the uncertainties have helped dent foreign investment. Net portfolio and direct investment outflows reached $61 billion in 2008 and 2009, according to official data.

Flows have returned to the Malaysian bond market, with official data showing foreign ownership of Malaysian government bonds rose to 55.4 billion Malaysian ringgit ($17.32 billion) as of March 10 from 41 billion ringgit, largely after a central bank rate hike and speculation of a Chinese currency revaluation. — Reuters

‘Red Shirts’ unsatisfied with Suthep’s talks with DSI

Thai deputy premier meets investigators over crackdown BANGKOK: Thailand’s deputy premier met criminal investigators yesterday over his role in a deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters, who have refused to disperse until he surrenders to police. Deputy Prime Minister

Suthep Thaungsuban, who was overseeing security on April 10 when armed troops attempted to clear part of the capital, went to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to hear a complaint against him.

BANGKOK: Pro-government demonstrators wave flags and shout during a rally at Victory Monument in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday. Thai Red Shirt protesters, who believe the government came to power illegitimately and are demanding new elections, refused to end their two-month occupation of a Bangkok commercial district yesterday, saying they will not budge until the deputy premier surrenders to police to face charges for his role in a government crackdown that turned deadly. — AP

Man kills three in China, beaten to death by mob BEIJING: A man fatally stabbed three people in southern China yesterday and was then beaten to death by an angry mob, state media said, the latest in a spate of multiple killings that has shocked the country.

Yang Qingming, 37, stabbed to death two middle-aged women and a three-year-old girl in a village in the southern region of Guangxi, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

He also wounded a six-year-old boy in the attack, the report said, without mentioning a possible motive. The boy’s injuries were not life-threatening, it added.

Yang was then set upon by a mob as he attempted to flee and was beaten to death.

China has seen several deadly assaults in recent weeks, many targeting children and underscoring a growing public safety threat from disgruntled individuals amid rising mental illness rates and looser social controls.

On Saturday, a man stabbed to death eight people, including three family members, in Jiangxi province, state media said.

On Monday, a man armed with a knife and an axe killed two women and wounded seven other people in Shaanxi province, including two 18-month-old boys, reports said.

In March and April, lone attackers killed eight schoolchildren and wounded more

than 50 others in four separate violent rampages at schools in different parts of the country.

Studies have noted a rise in mental disorders in China, some linked to stress as society becomes more fast-paced and as old communist-era supports are scrapped in the country’s capitalist transformation.

A study last year estimated that 173 million adults in China have some type of mental disorder — 91 percent of whom had never received professional help.

Communities across the country have stepped up security, particularly in and around schools, as a result of the wave of attacks. — AFP

Indonesia ex-detective arrested in bribe case JAKARTA: Indonesia’s former chief detective, who has recently exposed corruption among government and police officials, was arrested yesterday on allegations that he accepted a bribe in 2008. Gen. Susno Duadji was detained and questioned for several hours Monday after it was alleged that he accepted as much as 500 million rupiah ($55,000), said police spokesman Maj. Gen. Edward Aritonang.

The allegation relates to a dispute between two businessmen involved in a fish-breeding project in Riau province. A suspect in the case, Sjahril Djohan, accused Duadji of accepting the bribe while he was chief detective of the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency.

It was not clear what the alleged bribe was in exchange for, as few details were available.

Duadji, who is still a serving three-star police general, was officially arrested yesterday, his lawyer Mohamad Asegaf said.

He has denied any wrongdoing and told reporters that the police team investigating his

case is biased. Duadji resigned from the post of chief detective last November amid a wave of public rage over escalating and widespread corruption. He was accused of plotting to undermine the Corruption Eradication Commission after ordering the arrest of two of members for alleged blackmail and bribery. The charges were later dropped. Although he was silent on corruption while in the chief’s job, Duadji has since publicly exposed a tax department official, several high-ranking police officials and a judge in corruption, leading to their detentions. The tax official, Gayus Tambunan, was on the run in Singapore before being detained last month on charges of accumulating some $3.9 million in kickbacks for producing favorable tax assessments.

The whistle-blowing has made Duadji enemies, but Aritonang said the former detective’s arrest had nothing to do with his outspokenness.

“We suspect he broke the corruption law by taking bribes and gratuities,” Aritonang told

JAKARTA: Indonesian General Susno Duadji (C) gestures as he talks to journalists at the police headquarters shortly before police transferred him to prison in Jakarta yesterday. Indonesia’s former chief detective-turned corruption whistleblower was taken into custody yesterday, for allegedly accepting bribes, police said. — AFP reporters.

Before he was detained, Duadji’s lawyers had told reporters that he would publicize other huge corruption cases involving top officials.

Duadji’s wife, Herawati, asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday to pay special attention to her husband’s case.

In a related development yesterday, a businessman was charged with corruption for his

involvement in the arrests of the two corruption commission members. Anggodo Widjojo has been accused of framing the commission members by lying about being blackmailed by them and attempting to bribe government officials, said Suwarji, a prosecutor who has only one name.

Suwarji said Widjojo faces a maximum life sentence if convicted. — AP

But the “Red Shirts” seemed unsatisfied with Suthep’s talks with the DSIThailand’s equivalent of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and supervised by the justice ministry. They demanded he go to the police instead.

“Suthep just acted to fool people,” said a protest leader, Kwanchai Praipana. “If the government fails to show sincerity we are ready to retaliate,” he said from the stage of a rally site in central Bangkok.

Thailand is reeling from the worst political violence in almost two decades, with 29 people killed and almost 1,000 injured in a series of confrontations and attacks in the capital.

Twenty five people died on April 10 after a crackdown sparked violent street battles between troops and protesters, who have occupied part of Bangkok for two months while demanding elections.

Suthep, who faces complaints from relatives of some of those who died, told reporters that he was willing to enter the justice process and expected to be exonerated because the capital was under emergency rule.

“The public can be reassured that the state of emergency gives protection to all security forces involved in the crackdown operation,” he said.

Protest leaders have signed up to embattled Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s reconciliation roadmap to November elections, but want the deputy premier to be charged over the April 10 incident.

“This time we will not allow murderers to escape and our condition is clear that all of those in the tyrannical government responsible for killing should be fairly prosecuted,” said another protest leader, Weng Tojirakarn.

Abhisit has warned he may scrap the plan for early elections if the protesters do not leave their vast base, which has been fortified with barricades made from piles of fuel-soaked tyres, bamboo poles and razor wire.

“The prime minister may reconsider the polling date because it is linked to an end to the demonstration,” government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told reporters.

“All core protest leaders must quickly make up their minds.”

The Red Shirts called for the government to lift the state of emergency so the protesters could return home safely, but army chief General Anupong Paojinda said the special laws would remain in place until order was restored.

Leaders of the mainly poor and working class Reds, who broadly support fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, asked a Bangkok court Tuesday for arrest warrants against them to be dropped, but their petition was rejected.

The protest movement said Monday that it had no objection to Abhisit’s proposal to dissolve parliament in the second half of September for elections on November 14, dropping a previous demand for a specific dissolution date.

Crowds at the Reds’ camp, which swelled to as many as 100,000 people in the early days, dwindled to just a few thousand last week as a resolution appeared near and thunder storms dumped heavy rain on the garbage-strewn protest site. — AFP

TARLAC CITRY: Liberal party leading presidential candidate Benigno Aquino (L) is greeted by supporters after a press conference at a restaurant in Tarlac Citry, Tarlac province north of Manila yesterday, a day after the greneral elections. Benigno Aquino was set to be confirmed as the next Philippine president after steamrolling his rivals in national elections with a promise to fight corruption and reduce poverty. — AFP

Aquino vows to probe Arroyo TARLAC: Benigno Aquino, the man set to become the next Philippine president, said yesterday he planned to have the incumbent Gloria Arroyo investigated for alleged vote-rigging.

Aquino said that while he made no judgement about Arroyo’s guilt or otherwise, she should be investigated over a phone call she allegedly made to an election commissioner during the 2004 presidential poll.

“The bottom line is, these allegations of vote manipulation during the 2004 elections have never been settled,” Aquino told AFP in an interview as he awaited official confirmation of his victory in Monday’s election, “Was there such a conversation? Did it occur? And if it did occur, who was responsible? What did they exploit? What weaknesses with our laws were exploited?”

The 50-year-old senator also vowed to fight corruption and bring in clean government, but said it would take more than the single six-year term set by the constitution to carry out the social transformation of the Philippines.

“I want to lead by example. We talk about corruption. I did make a public vow, I will never steal,” he said, adding that this would give him the “moral authority” to make others conform.

“But we are hoping to provide that impetus and momentum to carry over into the next administration,” he said in the interview in his northern home province of Tarlac.

Aquino said that, should he become the next president, he would follow up the so-called “Hello Garci” scandal, named after the election commissioner in the alleged 2004 phone call.

“I intend to come up a mechanism that will solve each and everyone of these issues, with the end view of, if there is a crime, charging the people who are guilty, ensuring they go to jail and delivering a message that there is certainty in this country that if you commit a crime you will be punished.”

Arroyo is the suspected voice in a telephone

recording in which a woman appeared to pressure an election official into ensuring the 2004 presidential vote count stayed in her favour.

Without admitting that she was the woman in the call or doing anything against the law, Arroyo apologised to the nation and later rode out two ensuing impeachment attempts against her.

Aquino was careful not to claim victory, as the official count had not been completed and he said it was not up to him to declare himself the winner.

“I want to make sure we finish all the processes,” he said.

But with a near-completed automated count showing him well clear of his nearest rival, former president Joseph Estrada, Aquino outlined some of his plans for the presidency and spoke at length in critical tones about Arroyo.

“She could have brought significant changes to this country but she chose to advance her personal interests and those who were supporting her personal interests to the detriment of the country,” he said.

Arroyo, a feisty 63-year-old, will not however be fading into the political background as she ran Monday for a seat in Congress, where she is widely expected to create a new power base.

The daughter of a former president, Arroyo is no stranger to palace intrigue.

She was Estrada’s vice president when a civilian-military coup took place in 2001. As the uprising peaked, Arroyo switched allegiance to the rebels and was sworn in to serve out the rest of Estrada’s term.

Elected in 2004 to her own six-year term, Arroyo earned praise for imposing fiscal discipline and bringing the country its highest economic growth rates in 30 years.

But charges of massive corruption, fraud in the 2004 election and an image of arrogance steadily eroded her public approval and trust ratings. — AFP

BA RIA-VUNG TAU: In a handout picture released by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) victims of a pirate attack are offered melon by officers on a Vietnamese navy ship on May 3, 2010 in Vietnamese waters south of Ba RiaVung Tau province in southern Vietnam. Armed attackers stole aboard the tugboat Atlantic 3 in Indonesian waters near Singapore on April 27 taking hostage six Indonesian and two Malaysian crewmen and the captain from Myanmar. They were released on May 2 and the drama finally ended the next day, May 3, when a vessel from the Vietnamese navy spotted them under clear skies. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

11

Afghanistan dissolves 172 NGOs for misconduct KABUL: Afghanistan’s government, facing international pressure to wipe out corruption, said yesterday it had dissolved 152 Afghan and 20 international aid organisations, some for misconduct.

The economy ministry said licences for the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were cancelled for three reasonssome at their own request, some because they were unable to secure funds and some for unspecified “misconduct”.

“After a professional and legal investiga-

tion and examination, a decision was made that 152 domestic and 20 foreign NGOs be dissolved,” the ministry said in a statement.

The Filtration and Dissolution Commission, headed by economics minister Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, was set up by President Hamid Karzai to assess the conduct of almost 1,500 aid organisations operating in Afghanistan.

Karzai is currently on a state visit to the United States aimed at mending fences following a series of high-profile outbursts by

both sides.

Despite promising to deal with endemic corruption when he took office for five more years in November, Karzai is widely considered to have taken little action other than blaming donor nations for lax supervision of pledged aid.

Tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid has poured into Afghanistan since the US invasion to rid the country of the Taleban regime in 2001, yet much of it has disappeared into private pockets with little trace.

While Karzai’s Washington visit is meant to return relations to an even footing, pressure for him to act tough on graft is unlikely to ease as Western public support on engagement in the country continues to fall.

The United States and NATO have 130,000 troops in the country keeping Karzai in power in the face of a Taleban-led insurgency, with another 20,000 on the way

by August.

Dealing with ineffective aid groups is seen as one way of removing potential

thorns.

“Some requested dissolution, some failed to present their bi-annual work reports to relevant authorities over the past two years and some were found to have engaged in activities contrary to what they pledged in their mandate,” Sediq Amarkhil finance ministry spokesman told AFP. Some 1,224 domestic and 301 foreign NGOs are still registered with the ministry, operating in a various sectors.

This is not the first time the Afghan gov-

ernment has dissolved aid organisations-last year the commission cancelled the operating licences of 255 domestic and 13 foreign NGOs. Aid groups play a significant role in delivery of key and vital services both on humanitarian grounds, and strengthening the leadership and legitimacy of the government.

They provide invaluable assistance to Afghanistan in addressing problems of poverty and inequity in a fragile, post-conflict environment. — AFP

Gunships attack in Orakzai, killing eight: Govt

US missiles kill at least 24 in Pakistan MIRANSHAH: US drone aircraft killed at least 24 suspected militants in two attacks yesterday in Pakistan’s North Waziristan, a major Al Qaeda and Taleban sanctuary, Pakistani security officials said. It was the fourth drone missile strike on militants in northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, since a failed bid to set off a car bomb in New York’s Times Square on May 1.

NEW DELHI: Seema, left, wife of killed paramilitary soldier Manik Chand, reacts emotionally as she sits holding her son Karthik during an event to honor families of soldiers killed in a recent attack by Maoist rebels in central India’s Dantewada area, in New Delhi, India, yesterday. — AP

Pakistan, India to hold July talks NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan sought to build on a recent thaw in relations yesterday, announcing foreign minister-level talks in July as part of efforts to revive their abandoned peace talks.

During a phone call between the foreign ministers of the estranged neighbours, Pakistan’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi invited his Indian counterpart SM Krishna to Islamabad on July 15.

“Let us hope these talks will be helpful in bringing our two countries closer together, bringing cordiality that all of us desire,” Krishna told reporters afterwards. “Let us hope that our efforts will be fruitful.”

During discussions in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu late last month, the prime ministers of both countries agreed that their foreign ministers would meet soon to draw up a road map for reviving badly strained relations.

India broke off a comprehensive peace dialogue with Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008 that left 166 people dead. The assault was blamed by New Delhi on Pakistan-based militants.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi described his conservation with Krishna Tuesday as “very good”, but cautioned that progress would be slow.

“We were both of the opinion that great responsibility has been given to us to carry forward the process, to bridge the trust deficit and create an enabling environment to carry forward the process,” the Pakistan minister said.

“I think we’ve had a good discussion and we will build it from here... recognising the fact that it isn’t going to be easy, recognising the fact that there are no quick fixes,” he said.

Qureshi also said the home ministers of India and Pakistan would meet on the sidelines of a regional conference in Islamabad on June 26, and that he planned to

visit New Delhi for a following round of talks after the July meeting.

Since the Mumbai attacks, India has repeatedly rebuffed Pakistani calls for a resumption of the peace dialogue, insisting that Islamabad had not done enough to bring the Mumbai attack masterminds to justice.

Experts say the foreign minister meeting will essentially be “talks about talks”, or discussions about how to reopen the stalled dialogue.

The formal peace dialogue began in 2004 and was intended

to resolve all outstanding issues between the countries, including disputes over the divided region of Kashmir, water and maritime boundaries.

Contact between the neighbours has intensified in recent months, seen partly as a result of US pressure for a solution in the volatile region, and in part due to a drive by India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In February, the two sides managed a meeting between their senior foreign ministry officials, which resulted in a vague pledge to keep the doors to dialogue open. — AFP

THIMPU: In this April 27, 2010 file photo, Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna, right, talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi during tea break at a South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) ministers’ session in Thimpu, Bhutan. Qureshi said yesterday, that Krishna will travel to Islamabad in July for peace talks, a sign of gathering momentum in peace moves between the nuclear-armed South Asian nations. — AP

Pakistan court dismisses Taleban extradition challenge ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court yesterday threw out a petition seeking to block the extradition of the Afghan Taleban’s No. 2 leader and other senior commanders detained in Pakistan, a lawyer said.

US ally Pakistan captured at least four Afghan Taleban leaders, including top military strategist Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, early this year. The Afghan government has asked Islamabad to hand them over.

But Khalid Khawaja, a former Pakistani intelligence officer turned campaigner for Islamist causes, petitioned the Lahore High Court seeking to block their extraditions, which it did in February, pending its final decision on the petition.

However, the court yesterday threw out the case following the death of the petitioner.

“The court dismissed the petition because of the death of Khalid Khawaja and has asked that a fresh petition should be moved if somebody wants to pursue the case,” Tariq Asad, the lawyer for

Khawaja, told Reuters.

Asad said he might file a fresh petition aimed at blocking extradition.

Suspected militants kidnapped Khawaja, a journalist and another former colleague from the country’s main Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency in Pakistan’s restive northwest in March on suspicions of spying. The kidnappers also demanded the release of captured Afghan Taleban leaders in exchange for them.

Khawaja was found dead in North Waziristan, a major sanctuary for al Qaeda and Taleban, late last month. There has been no word on the fate of two other kidnapped men since.

Pakistan has only confirmed the arrest of Baradar but Afghan officials say at least three other Taleban leaders, Abdul Salam, Mir Mohammad and Abdul Kabir, are in Pakistan’s custody. Pakistan has said it would try Baradar itself if he was found to have violated any Pakistani laws. — Reuters

The United States is convinced Pakistani Taleban militants allied with Al Qaeda and operating out of northwestern border regions were behind the attempted New York bombing.

In the first of yesterday’s two drone attacks, more than 12 missiles were fired in Dattakhel village, about 30 km (20 miles) west of Miranshah, North Waziristan.

“Three missiles hit a vehicle and three militants sitting in it were killed,” said an intelligence agency official in the region, who declined to be identified.

The drones then fired a barrage of missiles at a nearby militant compound, killing at least 11 more, according to a second security official.

There was no word on the identity of any of the militants killed but the attack was in an area where members of an Afghan Taleban faction led by a commander known as Gul Bahadur operate. Foreign fighters linked to Al Qaeda are known to be in the area.

The second attack was on a militant camp on the border with Afghanistan, some distance from the first strike. Two missiles killed at least 10 militants, intelligence officials and residents said. Taleban officials were not available for comment.

Pakistani Taleban fleeing a Pakistani offensive launched late last year on their South Waziristan bastion are believed to have taken refuge in North Waziristan and other Pashtundominated regions, including Orakzai, where the military has stepped up its attacks in recent weeks.

Helicopter gunships killed eight militants and destroyed three of their hideouts in Orakzai yesterday, a government official said. There was no independent verification of the casualties.

Pakistan has come under fresh US pressure to crack down on militants in North Waziristan following the failed bombing in New York claimed

by Tehrik-e-Taleban Pakistan, the Taleban Movement of Pakistan, which has fighters in northwestern areas including North Waziristan.

The New York bomb plot suspect, Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad, 30, was arrested on Monday last week, two days after authorities say he parked a crude car bomb in Times Square. Officials say he has been cooperating in the investigation.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said ties between Islamabad and Washington had not suffered as a result of the Times Square incident.

“There is nothing to worry about, our relationship is smooth and it is moving towards a partnership,” he told reporters.

Pakistan publicly objects to attacks by CIA pilotless aircraft, saying they are a violation of its sovereignty and fuel anti-US feelings that complicate its efforts against militancy.

Unofficially, however, analysts say Pakistan cooperates with the United States in identifying at least some of the militant targets attacked by the drones. On Sunday, at least six militants were killed in a similar strike in the same area.

Late last month, Pakistani Taleban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who was reported to have been killed in a drone strike in January, appeared in Internet videos threatening suicide strikes in the United States. —Reuters

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan ethnic Tamil Hindus dance during a festival procession in Colombo, Sri Lanka, yesterday. Ethnic Tamil leaders called Monday for a day of mourning for civilians killed during Sri Lanka’s 25-year civil war, as the government prepared to celebrate the one-year anniversary of its victory over Tamil Tiger rebels. Most of Sri Lankan Tamils are Hindus. — AP

Indian schoolboy beheaded: Police MUMBAI: Three schoolboys have been arrested for murder in western India after the body of a classmate was found beheaded and tied to a tree, police said yesterday.

A group of youngsters made the grim discovery last week as they went to play cricket by a river in the city of Pune, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) from Mumbai.

The victim, Abhishek Ghorpade, 15, is thought to have been decapitated with a sickle. His head has yet to be recovered

but was believed to have been thrown into the river, police told AFP. Ghorpade left home for a friend’s birthday party last Wednesday evening and told his parents he would be home late, the Pune Mirror newspaper said.

The teenager was believed to have had a row with the three suspects at school.

Senior Police Inspector Deepak Sawant, in charge of the investigation, told the newspaper that the oldest suspect was

taken to the crime scene on Saturday and he pointed out where Ghorpade was killed.

“He told (us) that after Abhishek was killed, his head was thrown in the river.

Now we have started a search operation to find the head,” he was quoted as saying.

The Indian Express newspaper said that all three boys were arrested on suspicion of murder and have been remanded in police custody or sent to secure accommodation. — AFP

Afghan girls hit by gas attack KUNDUZ: At least 30 schoolgirls in northern Afghanistan were hospitalised after a suspected poisonous gas attack on their school, a health official said, the fifth such incident in under a month.

The head of a hospital in the city of Kunduz said an unidentified airborne substance was released close to the school, and 30 students were admitted to the hospital as a result. “Others are also coming in.

We don’t know the exact number of girls affected, it could be many. It’s a similar incident to what happened in Kabul and Kunduz last week,” said Homayun Khamosh. Three suspected poison gas attacks on girls’ schools have taken place in Kunduz over the past few weeks and last week 22 schoolgirls and three teachers fell ill when their school was struck by suspected poison gas in the capital Kabul.

It was not clear who was responsible. In the past officials have blamed such incidents on the Taliban but last week a spokesman for the Islamist group denied involvement in such attacks and condemned them.

Samples of the substances from last week’s incident were sent abroad for testing, officials have said, but they have yet to be identified.

The Taleban banned education for girls when they ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, and in many rural areas where the Taleban hold sway, girls’ schools remain closed, teachers have been threatened and some girls have been attacked with acid.

Attacks on girls’ schools using suspected poisonous gas have increased since last year. In most cases the girls reported smelling something sweet, then fainting, dizziness and vomiting. None of the cases was fatal. — Reuters

KUNDUZ: A mother sits bedside of her daughter, a victim of an alleged gas attack, at a hospital in Kunduz, north of Kabul, Afghanistan yesterday. Regional public health chief Azizullah Safer said the incident resembled several other suspected gas attacks last week at girls’ schools in Kunduz and the Afghan capital, Kabul. Officials believe they have been carried out by militants opposed to education for girls. — AP

OPINION

12

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Backlash against Greek corruption

By Noah Barkin

P

eter Doukas is at the centre of an inquiry into one of Greece’s biggest political scandals of the past decade - a land swap between the government and a monastery which cost the state an estimated Ä100 million. As deputy finance minister under the previous conservative government, Doukas cleared the deal and has been called to testify before a special parliamentary committee that is due to reach its verdict later this month. But such committees almost never bring politicians to justice. Not a single member of former Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis’s government has been convicted of any crime in the “Vatopedi” land deal or the string of other scandals which helped bring down his administration.

Doukas says he was operating under instructions from the prime minister’s office and did nothing wrong. “It doesn’t appear that anyone profited from this deal,” he told Reuters. “The case is not going anywhere.” That would not go down well with tens of thousands of Greeks who have taken to the streets over the past week to protest government austerity measures and demand that politicians also be forced to pay a price for the country’s dire financial state.

For decades Greeks have grudgingly tolerated a political system rife with fraud, in which top officials routinely doled out public money to special interests and were protected by laws shielding them against prosecution.

But the debt crisis now enveloping the country has changed that. Furious Greeks are now piling pressure on Socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou to deliver on his promises to stamp out political corruption and boost government transparency.

Should he fail to act soon, moving aggressively to secure convictions and push through changes to the law, the anger is likely to build, fuelling more unrest and dooming his chances of implementing painful measures his government promised in exchange for Ä110 billion ($147.6 billion) in EU/IMF aid. The cozy political system that dominated Greece for much of the post-war era must reform itself quickly, politicians and analysts say, or risk implosion.

“There has been a silent agreement between the two main parties for decades that there was no political corruption in Greece,” Virginia Tsouderou, a former deputy foreign minister and founder of the Greek branch of anticorruption watchdog Transparency International (TI), told Reuters. “But people are so angry now that if the government does not open up and crack down on corruption there will be big trouble.”

Media coverage of Greece’s woes has focused mainly on the impact of petty corruption and tax evasion on the country’s strained

finances. Studies suggest the government may be losing more than $20 billion annually due to rampant tax dodging.

TI estimates small bribes known as “fakelaki” - that Greeks routinely pay their state doctors, tax auditors and town planning officials for special treatment cost the economy an additional 1 billion euros last year.

In 2009, Greece fell in TI’s annual corruption ranking for a fourth straight year to 71st place, behind countries like Montenegro, Ghana and Kuwait. But political corruption, which is not fully reflected in the TI survey and whose financial impact is more difficult to calculate, has also cost Greece dearly, says Kleomenis Koutsoukis, an emeritus professor at Panteion University.

He says political corruption in Greece has been “systemic” ever since 1974, when the country ended a painful period of military rule, restored democracy and began to modernise. “It has infected governments of the left and right. None have been immune and no one was ever punished,” Koutsoukis said.

In addition to Vatopedi, named after the 1,000-year old monastery on the Aegean Sea that did the lopsided land deal, Karamanlis’s government was hit by a wire-tapping affair dubbed the “Greek Watergate”, a bribes-for-contracts scandal involving German firm Siemens and a controversy over government-issued bonds that were sold to state pension funds at inflated prices. Before those scandals, Papandreou’s father Andreas, who founded the ruling PASOK party and led Greece in the 1980s and part of the 1990s, was also tarnished, most notably by the “Koskotas” case involving embezzlement at the Bank of Crete.

Some fear the younger Papandreou may be reluctant to take bold steps due to concerns they would open up a Pandora’s Box of scandals that could end up hurting his own party. Among the steps that are urgently needed are reforms of Greece’s laws on political financing, said former parliamentary president Anna Benaki-Psarouda. Although politicians must declare their assets each year, they have no obligation to reveal the source of those assets and their declarations are filed away without proper auditing.

Greek law also gives parliamentarians effective immunity by requiring prosecutors to refer all cases involving lawmakers to parliament before charging them. Once the cases land there, they are often thrown out by investigative committees reluctant to expose crimes. A page on Facebook demanding an end to parliamentary immunity had lured over 260,000 fans by yesterday, reflecting rising pressure from young Greeks who helped Papandreou into office and are less tolerant of corruption than their parents.—Reuters

All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Somewhere along the East-West border

By Colin Boyd Shafer

L

iving in Malaysia for almost two years has given me new insight into the socially constructed and highly subjective categories of “East” and “West”. Here in Malaysia, I am - like any other “white” person - a “Westerner” from the West with Western ideas. My individuality is lost in translation. Malaysia is a land of categorisations. Everyone is a race and a religion.

For instance, due to my skin colour, it is assumed that I am Christian. Moreover, I am labelled a Westerner.

Before travelling extensively, Western to me was a style of omelette, or a movie with cowboys. Globally, however, this term gets tossed around a lot, but few people stop to consider what it really means. This homogeneous approach to culture is not limited to Malaysia. In Canada, people often lump all Asian people together. The terms “Asian” and “Chinese” are frequently used interchangeable, and someone from Southeast Asia has likely experienced being referred to by both at one time or another. Ethnically, although Indians from South Asia are referred to as Indian (not to be confused with Native North Americans and Amerindians of South America, the first inhabitants of North and South America), Malay, as a race, is generally unheard of outside of Southeast Asia. And in the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America, most people refer to all Asians as “Chinos”, loosely translated as Chinese, including Koreans, Japanese and Laotians.

Yet, the fact that such generalisations are common all over the world, doesn’t make them right, or even meaningful.

Where is the West and where is the East, anyway? Geographically, the “border” is somewhere along the Ural Mountains in Russia, but then what does that make Australia? Politically, the West is associated with democracy. Did anyone tell Cuba? When it comes to religion, the

West is presumed to be “Christian”. But explain then why synagogues, mosques and temples are found in all the major cities of the Americas and Europe? For the life of me, I cannot think of an objective definition of what Western means.

Many Malaysians seem to love telling me what Western people think. It usually starts with the same statement: “You see, in the West people think like this, while here in the East people think like this”. And it continues along the route of liberal-Western views versus traditionalconservative Eastern beliefs. Yet truth be told, the West is full of very pious, traditional, conservative people. In fact, conservatives back home accuse “liberals” of controlling the media and censoring conservative thought. On the flip side, I have witnessed incredible diversity of thinking in the East.

And I don’t think I’m alone in feeling that when someone tells me what I think, it really gets under my skin. I am an individual and am able to think free and independent thoughts. Nobody else thinks just like me. Even though I am a certain shade, was born in a certain country, have membership to certain clubs or subscribe to certain philosophies - I still think independently and often outside of those categories and I urge my students to avoid making these types of sweeping generalisations.

Labelling Canada part of the West lumps Canadian ideas in the same pile as German, Finnish, Australian and American ideas. These “East” and “West” distinctions are too ambiguous.

After all, are there not major distinctions between Laos, Myanmar, Japan, China, North Korea and Malaysia? Do all the people from all these countries think alike? Obviously, such oversimplifications do not stand up to scrutiny.

McDonalds, Starbucks, Lady Gaga, Hollywood movies and MTV are not the West. They are part of the same globalisation, modernity, capitalism, or McWorld that is taking over my native

country (Canada) in the same way as it is are creeping up on Malaysia. Many people in “the West” do not relate or, or even necessarily like, what Malaysians call “the West”.

The bottom line is that societies are evolving and our world today has become a vast network of connections. Diverse

ways of thinking, different religions, foods, clothes, sports, etc. are all meeting head on. It is an exciting time and we have to make the best of it and enjoy what these new experiences have to offer. Let’s leave the West on the west side of the map, and the East on the east side and try to meet somewhere in the

middle.

NOTE: Colin Boyd Shafer teaches social science at a college in Kuala Lumpur — CGNews

Aussie miners baulk at digging deep

By Sid Astbury

W

hen Australian miners took on the government over tax rates in 1854 the storming of their stockade on the Ballarat goldfields cost the lives of five policemen and 22 diggers. Bloodshed is unlikely this time but miners are seething over Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s plan for a new 40-per-cent tax on the resources sector. The stakes are high, as mining accounts for 10 per cent of the economy after shipments of coal, iron ore and other minerals to China and other Asian destinations kept Australia out of recession.

The battle comes at a pivotal time, with Rudd down in the polls and just months away from an election that could see his government become the first since 1931 to be kicked out of office after just one term. The timing of the announcement the new tax could not have been worse as markets around the world worried about the debt crisis in Europe unsettling the global financial system. The tax initiative would take 9 billion Australian dollars (US$8 billion) a year off some of the biggest names in mining and force the reassessment of hundreds of their projects. “You can’t take 9 billion out of an industry and think there won’t be an impact,” opposition Liberal Party treasury spokesman Joe Hockey said.

Indeed, billions of dollars were erased from the stock market value of BHP Billiton Ltd and other mining behemoths in the week after the announcement of the tax, which would take effect in 2012. BHP Billiton chief executive Marius Kloppers said that paying 57 cents in the dollar - the highest in the world - would spark a flight of capital abroad and jeopardize projects on the drawing board. The world’s biggest mining company warned that its proposed 20-billionAustralian-dollar expansion of the Olympic Dam project may be put on hold. “While the uncertainty is in place it would be very difficult to approve any of those projects,” Kloppers said. Rudd, whose centre-left government would fall if cur-

rent voting intentions are carried forward to the election, has invoked the language of class warfare. “I notice that there are a few billionaires out there in the last 24 hours saying they’re going to have a real problem with this,” Rudd said. “I’m pretty interested in what working families need for better superannuation to have a better retirement.”

He is also stirring up resentment against the foreign capital that drives the Olympic Dam expansion and other bigticket projects - and against the dividends that flow to those foreign shareholders. “People deserve a fair return on the resources which they themselves own,” Rudd said, arguing that “these massively increased profits, built on Australian resources, are mostly in fact going overseas.”

Kloppers wants the tax be levied only on new projects, that it should be comparable with that levied in other countries, and should be levied at different rates on different commodities to reflect the different cost-structures of different mining products. “There’ll be an impact on investment, jobs and growth if the tax is implemented in an unchanged form,” Kloppers warned.

Rudd reckons BHP Billiton and other hugely profitable miners can easily afford a higher tax rate, noting that demand from China and India is so great that they can easily pass on any extra charges to their customers. Rudd’s rhetoric about fairness has a strong ring of truth to it for many listeners. “About a decade or so ago, for every 3 dollars in mining profits about a dollar went to the Australian people through taxes,” Rudd said, noting that the current equivalent was just 1 dollar in seven. Despite its abundant natural resources, the Australian government is skint and borrowing from abroad. In Norway, by way of comparison, the government imposed heavy taxes on the exploitation of North Sea oil, and has created a sovereign wealth fund currently worth US$480 billion. Rudd says that, unlike Norway, Australia is frittering away its mineral riches rather than treating them as windfall profits to be harvested by the government and saved for when the digging stops. — dpa

Zapatero under gun from European partners

By Axel Bugge and Sarah Morris

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pain’s prime minister, who has so far shied away from painful structural reforms opposed by the trade unions, is under new pressure from European colleagues to slash spending again to tackle his country’s economic crisis. European Union and International Monetary Fund officials pledged $1 trillion of emergency aid to weak euro zone countries early on Monday, in return for action on public finances by Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and his Portuguese counterpart. “In Europe yesterday they read Mr Rodriguez Zapatero the riot act, they forced him to reduce the deficit,” said Mariano Rajoy, leader of the opposition centreright opposition Popular Party. “They have given him his homework.”

A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Spain and Portugal - whose public finances have caused the most concern after those of Greece - would present more savings plans next week. The Spanish government said it would not draw on

any of the emergency funds but promised on Monday to cut the budget deficit by a further €5 billion ($20.13 billion), 0.5 percent of gross domestic product, by 2011. The government has already promised to reduce its budget deficit to 3 percent of GDP by 2013 from 11.2 percent in 2009.

“These measures (by the EU) offer the markets a truce,” said Antonio Cabrera, an economist at Caja Madrid. “Now the ball is in the government’s court, not only to reduce the budget deficit, but also to adopt structural measures.”

Financial markets were euphoric about the aid package on Monday, and the Madrid stock market jumped nearly 14 percent on relief at the EU/IMF plan.

But Zapatero has a long list of unachieved reforms, including longdemanded reform of the labour market to make it less expensive to hire and fire workers in an increasingly uncompetitive economy.

The government also appears to have backed away from raising the

retirement age to 67 from 65 after union protests and it has not touched generous public sector wages.

Analysts say Zapatero’s biggest concerns are upsetting labour unions and his Socialist Party’s standing in the regions.

Moving forward aggressively on reforms or more unpopular spending cuts could be especially risky for the ruling Socialists as Spain prepares for regional elections in the autumn. “There are some subjects which Zapatero won’t touch,” said Juan Carlos Rodriguez, a researcher at the Madrid-based consultancy Analistas Socio-Politicos. “Although it wouldn’t produce a short-term effect, a serious labour reform would be a signal of commitment, and we are not anywhere close to serious labour reform,” he said.

Jose Ramon Pin, a professor at the IESE business school in Madrid, said Zapatero would feel the pressure from Europe and from powerful economic forces for reforms, but internal political pressures may be greater.

“The truth is that the pressures (from Europe) have an impact on Zapatero but the greatest pressure is from members of his party who face municipal elections,” he said.

Treasury Secretary Carlos Ocana said there would be no additional spending cuts than those announced on Monday. “It should not be forgotten that this adjustment is on top of previous cuts,” Ocana told journalists.

“I would not consider a greater adjustment reasonable.” Zapatero will provide details of the next budget measures to parliament on Wednesday and investors will have to wait until then to find out if more spending cuts are in the pipeline.

Many Spaniards fear that even though the economy has failed to rebound from recession for nearly two years, more austerity measures are imminent. “They’re going to rob the worker to pay for this, they’ll raise taxes, there will be less money and less work,” said Juan Garcia Sanchez, a 57-year-old construction worker on a short-term contract for the town hall. — Reuters

ANALYSIS

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

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Market gains set up CEO pay bonanza

By Rachel Beck

A

merica’s top CEOs are set for a once-in-a-lifetime pay bonanza.

Most of them got their annual stock compensation early last year when the stock market was at a 12-year low.

And companies doled out more stock and options than usual because grants from the previous year had fallen so much in value that many people thought they’d never be worth anything. But stock prices have generally surged ever since.

Even with last week’s sharp declines, CEOs still have enormous gains on paper. “The dirty secret of 2009 is that CEOs were sitting on more wealth by the end of the year than they had accumulated in a long time,” says David Wise, who advises boards on executive compensation for the Hay Group, a management consulting firm.

An AP analysis of companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index shows that 85 percent of the stock options given to CEOs last year are now worth more than they were on the day they were granted.

For some the value jumped by a factor of 10 or more. A year ago, after the stock market had collapsed, 90 percent of the options granted in 2008 were worth less than the original estimate, or were considered “underwater”, according to the AP’s analysis.

Ford Motor Co CEO Alan Mulally’s pay package illustrates this point. In March 2009, Ford granted 5 million stock options to Mulally. Using a complex formula, Ford assigned the options an estimated value of $5 million. At the time, Ford’s shares were trading at $1.96.

Since then, the stock has jumped nearly sixfold, and Mulally’s options have a value on paper of about $48 million.

Mulally is also ahead on his 2008 options, which were valued at $9 million when they were granted two years ago.

Now, they’re worth close to $21 million.

Mulally’s gains still exist only on paper, of course. The ultimate size of his payday will fall if Ford’s stock falters. But his gains could just as easily march even higher if Ford’s stock continues to rise.

And they take the sting out of a 30 percent salary cut and the lack of a bonus. A Ford spokesman said the structure of Mulally’s compensation means most of it is aligned with the interests of shareholders.

Overall, the AP analysis found that the median 2009 pay package for chief executives at companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell by about 11 percent to $7.2 million. That followed a 7 percent decline in 2008 in median pay.

The median value is the midpoint in the AP sample, meaning half of the CEOs made more and half made less. The total doesn’t take into account the increase in value on paper of the stock and the options executives received. The median pay only reflects the value that companies must assign to stock compensation when it is initially granted. Stock compensation in 2009 accounted for 58 percent of total pay for CEOs. Cash bonuses that CEOs received from meeting performance goals amounted to 20 percent and salaries represented 14 percent, with the rest from guaranteed cash bonuses and

G

ordon Brown has been Britain’s prime minister for nearly three years, but never really settled into the job he’d long coveted. Before Brown moved into 10 Downing Street, he was both Tony Blair’s loyal treasury chief and the discontented shadow who lurked behind him. In the end, Brown waited a decade for his chance to lead his country, and on Monday, he announced his intention to resign by the end of September - most likely ending a political career marked by promise, achievement and, ultimately, disappointment.

When Brown took office - by stepping in as Labour leader when Blair stepped down in 2007 - he promised to win back people’s trust in politicians.

But his tenure was marred by a failing economy, a difficult and bloody war in Afghanistan and a scandal over outrageous expense claims filed by lawmakers. He also had the misfortune to follow one of Britain’s most mesmerizing leaders. “He’s a victim of the fact that he comes after Blair,” said Victoria Honeyman, a lecturer in British politics at the University of Leeds. “Blair is hugely charismatic. Even people who didn’t vote for Labour thought Tony Blair would be a nice guy to have a drink with. Coming after Tony Blair drives it into even sharper focus that he’s not that person.”

Brown may not disappear from the spotlight immediately. He could remain in Parliament after he steps down as Labour leader, as former Conservative Prime Minister John Major did. Or, like Blair, he could quit soon afterwards. Some have suggested he might like a role at the International Monetary Fund or World Bank. Brown himself has signaled he sees his future outside of politics. “If I couldn’t make a difference anymore, I’d go off and do something else,” he said during the election. “And Sarah and I might do charity, voluntary work.

I don’t want to do sort of business or anything else, I just want to do some-

China bets long-term stake in North Korea

By Chris Buckley

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perks.

Other findings in the AP analysis: • The highest-paid CEO in 2009 was Yahoo Inc.’s Carol Bartz, who received a $47.2 million compensation package during her first year on the job. Ninety percent of her pay came from stock awards and options that were all granted around the time she was hired in the winter of 2009.

• No financial companies were in the AP’s top 10. Three were on the 2008 list.

Citigroup Inc’s Vikram Pandit went from No 10 in 2008 to the third-lowest paid CEO in the AP analysis in 2009.

• The median value of performancebased cash bonuses rose 19 percent, making it the fastest-growing component of executive pay in the AP sample. CEOs generally had to meet goals for profits and stock returns in 2009 to receive the bonuses. Some companies made that easy. In early 2009, as the stock market was still falling and the economy was in a deep recession, many companies lowered the bar on the benchmarks for profit and stock returns. As profits began to improve with the economy and the market rebounded, many executives easily beat the stripped-down goals.

The AP’s analysis found evidence that boards took some action amid a public outcry over executive pay following the financial meltdown and the onset of the Great Recession. The median amount CEOs received in perks fell by 15 percent in 2009, as companies cut back on benefits such as the use of corporate jets for personal travel. And fewer CEOs got a guaranteed cash bonus. “There were deliberate efforts by companies to take away things that could get them noticed,” says J Robert Brown, a professor of business law and corporate governance at the University of Denver and an expert on compensation issues. “No one likes being an outlier.”

Pandit’s pay for 2009 consisted of $125,001 in salary and $3,750 in the company-sponsored retirement benefits plan.

Citigroup’s board said he earned a bonus for his work in 2009, but Pandit said he won’t take one until the company returns to profitability. His compensation in 2008 was an estimated $38 million, mainly because of a large grant of stock awards and options in January 2008 shortly after he became CEO. That stock compensation was granted when Citigroup’s stock traded around $23 a share. Today, it trades around $4 a share. Pandit still has time for Citigroup’s stock to rebound. His options don’t expire until 2018.

A few other CEOs, including General Electric Co’s Jeffrey Immelt, turned down bonuses. United States Steel Corp CEO John Surma took a salary cut and refused any stock compensation because of the difficult business climate. But experts say those examples weren’t typical. “There have been gains chipping away at the sides, but the real fundamental changes still need to be made,” says Jesse Brill, chair of the website CompensationStandards.com and an expert on CEO pay.

Chief among those changes: Limiting how much wealth CEOs can accumulate through big grants of stock and options.

“The purpose of stock options was to create a nest egg that a CEO would receive after a successful career,” Brill says. “Once that number is big, there is no reason to keep adding to it. Additional grants do not provide additional motivation.”

The AP’s analysis looked at 320 companies in the S&P 500 that filed proxy statements with federal regulators between Jan 1 and April 30 and had the same CEO for the past two years. CEOs new to the job in 2009 were included on the AP’s highest-paid list but were not used in the year-over-year analysis.

Stock market data were provided to the AP by Capital IQ, a unit of Standard & Poor’s. The prices used in the analysis were as of the end of trading on May 7.

The AP formula captures how corporate boards value their executives’ pay packages. It adds up salary, bonuses, perks and the company’s estimate of the value of stock options and awards of restricted stock on the day they were granted. That value is intended to represent how much the executive could receive from exercising options in the future.

Consider this hypothetical example: An executive is granted options in 2009 to buy 300,000 shares at $40 each. The company puts a value on the options of $5 million. The options vest over three years, meaning in 2010 he can exercise 100,000 shares at $40 each and the same in 2011 and 2012. As at most companies, the CEO has 10 years to exercise the options.

The CEO would only exercise his right to buy those options if the stock was trading above the exercise price. In 2013, the stock has risen to $75 a share.

The CEO decides to exercise all of the 300,000 options at $40 a share for $12 million. He then immediately sells at $75 a share for $22.5 million. His profit on those options: $10.5 million. The example shows that the initial value a company puts on an executive’s stock options, which is disclosed in company proxy statements and used in AP’s calculation of annual compensation, probably won’t be what the executive ultimately receives.

In this hypothetical case, the initial value was $5 million and the executive made $10.5 million. The AP analysis found that two-thirds of the stock compensation granted to CEOs was awarded in the first three months of 2009. That is the time of year when most boards typically make their annual compensation

decisions, but in 2009 it happened as the market crumbled to a 12-year low. The Dow Jones industrial average bottomed out at 6,547 on March 9, 2009, the same day the S&P 500 index dropped to 676.

Both were down more than 50 percent from records set in October 2007.

“When the Dow hit 6,600, we didn’t know if it was going to 9,000 or 3,000 in the next three months. Boards and management were terrified,” says Ira Kay, one of the nation’s leading compensation consultants. The fact that stock options awarded in early 2008 were so far underwater had a big effect on stock compensation that boards granted in early 2009.

Some boards increased the amount of stock awards and options they gave CEOs, or granted special onetime awards.

“Everything was underwater,” Kay says. “Executive teams had not been paid. The boards were trying to keep executives as whole as possible.” What no one knew was that the market would soon start a powerful rally. The Dow and S&P 500 have climbed about 60 percent since March 2009. The gains have left executives poised to win big unless the stock market nosedives. So how big will the bonanza be?

Here’s a clue: Last year, CEOs in the AP sample exercised options and had previous stock awards vest worth $1.72 billion, according to data provided to the AP by compensation research firm Equilar. If the market doesn’t crater, as it did during the financial meltdown, the payouts will dwarf that total in the coming years. “This shows you how executives are always taken care of,” says Lisa Lindsley, director of capital strategies at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a labor group that is also an institutional shareholder with $850 million in assets. —AP

Brown waited a decade for chance to lead

By Jill Lawless and Jennifer Quinn

focus

thing good.”

Brown’s sometimes awkward demeanor was fodder for satirists, and a recent runin with an elderly voter whom he called a “bigoted woman” certainl y

wasn’t smooth.

But behind closed doors, Brown, 59, was often described as warm and agreeable. The qualities he is best known for are sheer grit and perseverance. “He doesn’t possess charm or eloquence, but he does possess a sort of dogged resilience, an ability to plug on and not give up - in a way it enabled him to outlast all his critics,” said Bill Jones, a professor of politics at Liverpool Hope University in northern England. “He’s not been a very popular (prime minister) with

voters and with his colleagues, but most people in the end would allow some admiration for those bulldog qualities.”

Brown was born in the Scottish industrial town of Kirkcaldy on Feb 20, 1951. His father was a Presbyterian minister, a profession Brown has said inspired his sense of moral mission. He entered the University of Edinburgh when he was just 16, and at 21 was elected rector of the university - a largely ceremonial leadership post.

Brown had suffered detached retinas in both eyes while playing rugby, and lost the sight in one eye permanently, but surgery saved vision in the other. His university years coincided with periods in hospital or recovering, but he still managed to graduate with top honors.

He was elected to Britain’s Parliament on his second attempt in 1983, rose quickly in the Labour Party and was tipped to be its next leader when party chief John Smith died of a heart attack in May 1994. But it was Blair who ran for the leadership, after the two men reputedly struck a deal at a London restaurant for Blair to become prime minister, with Brown in charge of the economy.

After Labour’s landslide election victory in May 1997 - which ended 18 years of Conservative rule Brown placed his stamp on economic policy. One of his early moves was to hand power to set interest rates to the Bank of England. He also set a series of economic criteria for British entry into the European single currency, effectively ensuring Britain would not join the euro.

But Brown grew increasingly restive as the years passed without any sign of Blair moving on. Brown has always had enemies within his own party, especially among those close to his rival Blair. Former Cabinet minister Charles Clarke described him in 2006 as a “control freak” with psychological issues. Blair led the party to election victories in 2001 and 2005, although his popularity, and Labour’s, were badly tarnished by the divisive war in Iraq.

By the time Brown took over in 2007, there was a feeling that the government’s best days were behind it.

The Conservatives, under young and

dynamic leader David Cameron, increasingly looked like a government in waiting. After Brown took over from Blair, Labour enjoyed a brief surge in popularity, which dissipated after he dithered over calling a snap election, ultimately deciding against it.

And Brown’s well-intentioned gestures sometimes backfired. He was forced to apologize to the mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan who was upset over his messy handwriting - and misspelling of both her and her son’s names - in a condolence note from the prime minister. Brown said afterward that he sympathized with parents whose children had died in the conflict - and that he understood “how long it takes for people to handle and deal with the grief we have all experienced”. His daughter, Jennifer, died in 2002 less than two weeks after her birth. His youngest son Fraser, born in 2006, has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Brown and his wife, Sarah, have one other son, John.

When global financial meltdown loomed in the fall of 2008, Brown the economic expert came into his own. He won praise for decisive leadership to prevent the collapse of the banking system. Jones said Brown acted confidently when he was forced to respond to the global financial crisis, his actions giving other nations a lead on how they could handle the threat. “He responded to those with great imagination and speed,” Jones said. “When history books are written ... they would say he did act with great dispatch and energy when it came to the banking crisis.

Saving the banking system is quite something.” The recent election campaign was the first to feature televised debates, which did the stolid Brown once memorably described as “an analogue prime minister in a digital age” no favors. Brown implored voters to focus on his substance, not his style.

Some did, but not enough to avoid a second-place finish, and Labour’s worst election showing since the 1980s. “As leader of my party,” he said Monday, “I must accept that that is a judgment on me.” — AP

hina won no clear dividends from North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s latest secretive visit but showed it will wager major economic and diplomatic stakes on shaping its neighbour’s shaky future. Chinese President Hu Jintao appeared focused on securing a bigger economic role for China in North Korea, and gaining more clarity over Kim’s intentions, said analysts. China’s leaders want to “position themselves effectively in the event that there is change in North Korea, to protect their interests and advance their influence”, said Bonnie Glaser, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, who studies Chinese foreign policy.

Kim’s frailty from age and illness was visible in news footage of his visit. Worries about what could follow his death or infirmity appear to have magnified China’s determination to extend its stake in the North. “China appears to have been preparing what is more or less a bail-out package with strings attached”, said John Park, a researcher at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington DC who studies Chinese-North Korean relations. “Kim’s frail health has raised alarm bells (in China)”. But China’s courting of North Korea carries economic costs, and has irked the two countries’ neighbours, who fear that Beijing’s backing could dilute pressure on Kim to return to nuclear disarmament talks.

Officials in Seoul have chided China for courting Kim soon after a South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, sank from what they have hinted was probably a North Korean torpedo.

China has vastly more trade with South Korea than with the North. But Beijing will put up with diplomatic squalls with Seoul as a down-payment for firmer ties

with Pyongyang. Turmoil in the North could release a surge of refugees into northeast China and even threaten the North’s survival as Beijing’s strategic buffer against South Korea and its ally, the United States. Chinese reports said Hu told Kim that their two countries should “strengthen strategic communication” on major domestic and foreign issues - words that could cover discussion of Kim’s succession plans. “Hu’s proposal suggested that China does not want any more surprises such as missile tests, or nuclear tests, or incidents such as the Cheonan”, said Wei Zhijiang, an expert on Korea at Zhongshan University in southern China.

On this trip, Kim appeared more serious than before about China’s economic enticements, aware that his economy needs Beijing’s help more than ever, said Wei. Kim’s visit may be a turning point towards North Korea abandoning South Korea as a source of aid and investment in favour of China, said Wei. “In the past, it was China that was more active about seeking a bigger economic role in North Korea, but this time North Korea appeared to take more of the initiative,” Wei said by telephone from Tokyo, where he is a visiting scholar.

North Korea’s ragged economy, with an annual GDP of about $17 billion, has stumbled after a fumbled currency redenomination effort and South Korea’s suspension of aid worth $1 billion a year after rising disputes with Pyongyang. “It’s a matter of mathematical subtraction,” said Xu Wenji, a professor at Jilin University in northeast China who studies China’s economic ties with North Korea. “If you take away South Korea, take away the United States, take away Japan, take away other Western countries, then all that North Korea has left is China,” said Xu.—Reuters

Tough coalition talks to follow Dutch vote

By Reed Stevenson

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utch opinion polls point to a fragmented political landscape ahead of a national election, which may lead to extended coalition talks and policy deadlock at a crucial time for the euro zone’s fifthlargest economy. The Dutch Labour Party, led by former Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen, leads the polls after February’s government collapse. Close behind are the Liberal Party and also the Christian Democrats of prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende, who has led coalitions for the past eight years.

Given the government fell because of a deep rift between Labour and the Christian Democrats over the deployment of Dutch troops to Afghanistan and the emergence of strong opposition parties, political observers say prolonged coalition talks are the most likely outcome after the June 9 vote. “It will be very difficult for Cohen to form a coalition,” said Philip van Praag, professor of political science at Amsterdam University. “There will be very long negotiations after the election.”

A budget is due three months after elections. While all parties are calling for total budget cuts of € 10 billion to € 30 billion over the next decade, they vary on how to balance cuts through taxes, employment and other measures. The deficit is seen peaking at 6.3 percent of GDP this year.

Labour proposes higher taxes for the rich and lower tax relief for mortgage holders, while the Christian Democrats are aiming to reform employment laws and raise the retirement age to 67 from 65. Mark Rutte’s Liberals want the largest budget cut of 30 billion euros while slimming down government and cutting back on international aid and immigrant benefits.

Any new government will also be under pressure to avoid any steps that may undermine a nascent economic recovery after the Netherlands emerged from recession in the second half of 2009 with tepid growth of below 1 percent. “If we cut (spending) too hard and too fast, we could choke the economic recovery,” Cohen said last week. “Then we will be back in a trough, which will be longer and more painful to emerge from, while more people lose

their jobs.”

“It might be disastrous if we have very long coalition talks,” said Marcel Boogers, lecturer in political science at Tilburg University, warning that delayed decisions would make it harder to bring spending under control. “The economy and taxes, budget cuts. Those will be the central issues, especially mortgage tax relief.”

Since Labour and the Liberals are at either end of the political spectrum, the Christian Democrats might be able, despite public fatigue with Balkenende, to forge a new cabinet. “I am expecting they will start to attack each other closer to the vote,” said Van Praag.

While Cohen is favoured threeto-one in preference polls over Balkenende, he is also known as a weak debater, with several debates remaining that could sway public opinion.

Another election issue is growing discontent over foreign aid overseas and immigration.

Despite a long history of tolerance, a recent poll found majority voter support for halving Dutch development aid and EU contributions, as well as curbing help for immigrants. One source of uncertainty ahead of the vote is Geert Wilders and his Freedom Party, which initially leapt to second place in the polls after the government was dissolved and won key positions in March local elections.

A populist who argues Islam is a violent religion and that the spread of Islam in Europe must stop, Wilders is instantly recognisable with a shock of dyed blonde hair, and lives under constant guard because of multiple death threats. Increasing support for the Liberals has sapped the Freedom Party’s momentum, and Wilders - a media-savvy campaigner with a knack for whipping up rows has been quiet.

With the party now polling in fourth place, Wilders will either stir up a controversy closer to the election, or concede the public may be tiring of his rhetoric, experts say. “He lost some ground and people are kind of tired of his logic, and tired of the polarisation,” said Dirk Oegema, professor of communication at the Free University of Amsterdam.

Oegema and others say Wilders’ decision not to take up a position after the local election win was a mistake. —Reuters

NEWS

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

French parliament condemns the veil PARIS: The French parliament yesterday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the full-face Islamic veil as an affront to the nation’s values, setting the stage for a law banning it. The vote in the National Assembly put France on course to become the second European country af ter Belgium to declare the wearing of the burqa or the niqab illegal in public places.

President Nicolas Sarkozy’s right-wing UMP party and the opposition Socialists made a rare show of unity in backing the non-binding resolution that declared the veil “contrary to the values of the republic”.

One lawmaker compared women who fully cover themselves to “phantoms” and “walking coffins”. “The full veil challenges the values that we share and the very principles according to which we live together,” Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told the assembly ahead of the vote.

“The government is determined to take all means to combat these practices which are contrary to the values of the republic,” she said.

The non-binding measure was approved by a vote of 434 to 0 in the 577-seat National Assembly, although about 30 Communist deputies had earlier walked out of the chamber in protest. Next week, Sarkozy’s cabinet will examine a draf t bill that could impose fines on women who wear the full veil and threaten with imprisonment men who force their wives or daughters to cover themselves. That bill will then go before parliament in July where it will face some resistance over proposals to make it illegal for reasons of security to wear face-covering veils anywhere in public.

PARIS: In this April 28, 2010 file photo, a woman wearing a veil walks in Paris. — AP The Socialist opposition is calling on the government to restrict the ban to state institutions to avoid a court challenge that would derail the legislation. “We fear that you will go too far,” Socialist Jean Glavany told the justice minister. “We must defend the republic with wisdom and perspicacity.” Debate on the

burqa ban has prompted warnings that it could stoke tension in a country that is home to Europe’s biggest Muslim minority, estimated at between five and six million, and where Islam is the number two religion.

Police carried out a full security sweep of parliament ahead of the vote, using snif-

fer dogs to search the chamber and adjoining corridors, and also securing rooftops.

Af ter declaring the burqa “unwelcome” in officially secular France, Sarkozy last month moved to support a total ban despite warnings from the State Council, a top administrative body, that such a move may be unconstitutional. Before joining his fellow communists, deputy Alain Bocquet denounced the measure as a ploy to woo the farright and warned that a ban will lead France to “division”.

In the resolution, lawmakers declared that “radical practices which violate the dignity and equality between men and women, such as the wearing of the full veil, are contrary to the values of the republic”. Parliament “deems it necessary that all useful means be put in place to ensure the protection of women who are subjected to violence and pressure and in particular are forced to wear the full veil,” it said. Fewer than 2,000 women wear the head-to-toe veil, according to the interior ministry.

The head of France’s Council of the Muslim Faith, a government body created to promote inter-faith relations, warned that the veil ban risks leaving many Muslims feeling like outcasts. “Rather than enacting a law barring women from expressing their malaise, we should think about what prompted them to want to cover themselves,” said Mohamed Moussaoui, who met lawmakers ahead of the vote. French politicians have said the law will also apply to wealthy tourists from the Middle East and the Gulf who are often seen fully veiled in luxury shops on the Paris boulevards. — AFP

Egypt extends emergency law Continued from Page 1 Down, down with military rule,” chanted protesters, surrounded by hundreds of police. Human Rights Watch and opposition members slammed the extension and said new restrictions on the application were merely cosmetic. “The government has stated repeatedly that it would limit the emergency law’s use to narcotics and terrorism. This isn’t a new position,” HRW’s Heba Morayef in Cairo told AFP. “The government’s track record gives little reason for optimism for a shift in attitude,” she said.

But the fact the government felt the

need to address the issue of law’s application is a “sign that they feel under pressure, knowing that extending the emergency law makes them look bad,” she said.

“It’s just a new look for the old emergency law,” said George Ishak, a senior member of the National Assembly for Change led

by Mohamed ElBaradei, a former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and Egypt’s most high profile dissident.

The law “will still be used against the opposition because authorities can accuse any of them of terrorism,” he told AFP. The move had widely been expected to go through considering it needs a majority to pass and parliament is dominated by

President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party. The state of emergency was imposed in 1981 after the assassination by Islamists of president Anwar Sadat and has been repeatedly renewed since then. Authorities have used the state of emergency to clamp down on opponents, including Egypt’s largest opposition movement, the banned Muslim Brotherhood, whose members control one fifth of parliament seats, sitting as independents. The opposition fears the law will be used to crack down on regime opponents ahead of parliamentary elections later this year.

Egypt is also to hold presidential elections in 2011. — Agencies

Moscow may build nuke plant in Syria Continued from Page 1 conventional military building. But an IAEA report in March said uranium traces found in a 2008 visit to the area

by U.N. inspectors pointed to nuclearrelated activity on the ground, but Damascus was denying further IAEA access needed to draw conclusions.

The United States, Israel’s chief ally, and several European countries have demanded that Syria cooperate fully with the IAEA inquiry, saying the issue will not go away even as Damascus improves its relations with the West.

The Arab nation has been plagued for years with electricity shortages, with power generation falling one-third short of demand and the population expanding at 2.5 percent a year.

Shmatko said that cooperation with Russia on a possible nuclear plant would require Damascus to abide by the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty, which prohibits

signatories including Syria without nuclear weaponry from trying to acquire them. He also suggested Russia might build more nuclear power reactors in Iran beyond the one it plans to switch on this year near the city of Bushehr despite likely US disapproval. Tehran is under UN sanctions for refusing to rein in a secretive uranium enrichment program. Russia says all nations have the right to peaceful nuclear power programs and is aggressively seeking contracts abroad to build atomic power plants.

The United States and some European countries believe Iran’s professed civilian nuclear energy program is a front for an effort to develop atomic weapons. Iran denies it. Israel is widely believed to be the only state in the Middle East to have nuclear weapons, although it has long neither confirmed nor denied such ability. Israel has also opposed Russian arms sales to Syria,

which was the fourth largest purchaser of Russian weaponry last year.

Later yesterday, Medvedev and his Syrian counterpart met Khaled Meshaal, the exiled leader of Palestine’s Islamist movement Hamas shunned in the West because his group refuses to recognise Israel. “The president of Russia called for a quick solution to the issue of Israeli soldier G Shalit, so that he is freed as soon as possible,” Medvedev’s spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said in a statement after the meeting. Gilad Shalit has been held captive in the Gaza Strip since 2006. He was seized by militants who tunnelled into Israel from the territory.

The US considers Hamas, backed by Syria and Iran, a terrorist group, but Russia says it should not be isolated.

Earlier yesterday, Medvedev repeated a call for a Middle East peace conference in Moscow, but he said the United States would have to do more if peace efforts are to make headway. — AFP

Gulf security a ‘red line’ Continued from Page 1 stability of the country, thus paving way for Iraq to play its role in the Arab and regional arenas, added the GCC chief.

The GCC leaders rejected the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip and the mass deportation of Palestinians, he said, hoping ongoing efforts succeed in reviving the peace process in the Middle East. They also rejected Israeli threats against Syria and Lebanon. They also called for solving the Iranian nuclear file peacefully, as well as obliging Israel to fully cooperate with the IAEA to clear the Middle East of weapons of mass destruction.

The leaders also discussed the situation in Somalia, importance of safeguarding security, unity and stability in cooperation with the legitimate government of Sheikh Sharif Ahmad, said Al-Attiyah. The Secretary General said the six GCC countries have exerted tremendous efforts to fight terrorism, citing security coordination which resulted in uprooting sleeping

cells.

Al-Attiyah, meanwhile, said a committee grouping foreign, finance and economy ministers would meet to try to iron out obstacles facing the custom union. The leaders, he said, approved recommendations to facilitate movement of citizens and goods among the six GCC countries, with priority for transit goods. Al-Attiyah, on the other hand, said the formation of a rapid intervention force was in the process and according to the timeframe.

The meeting was a new opportunity to discuss plans for coping with “rapid regional changes and developments,” as well as to realize the aspired unity and integration among the member states, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz earlier said at the opening session of the meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister for Cabinet Affairs of Oman, Fahd bin Mahmoud Al-Said, said that the meeting would contribute to “boosting the march of the council for realizing aspirations of the peoples of the Gulf for further prosperity.” The summit was

being held amid speedy and critical developments, thus asserting the necessity for consultations among the leaders to discuss plans on how to preserve the security and stability of the region, Al-Said added. The GCC leaders also discussed issues of common concern and plans for promotion of living standards of the citizens in the member states.

Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa AlKhalifa called on fellow GCC leaders to adopt a joint and effective policy towards regional issues and developments that have effects on peoples and states of the region. The king expressed hope that the leaders would succeed in their bids to maintain cohesion, sovereignty and accomplishments of the council to face “strategic developments taking place in the region”. The meeting is a new opportunity to discuss plans for coping with “rapid regional changes and developments”, as well as to realize the aspired unity and integration among the member states, the king said. — Agencies

SANTIAGO: Members of the Islamic Center of Santiago arrive at a police station where Mohammed Saifur-Rehman Khan is detained yesterday.— AP

Pakistani held in Chile over US embassy scare SANTIAGO: A Chilean judge ordered a Pakistani man be held under an anti-terrorism law yesterday after he was arrested in the US embassy in Chile with traces of explosive on him. The man identified as Muhammad Saif-ur-Rehman Khan by the US State Department was arrested on Monday at the embassy in Santiago where his visa for the United States was revoked. A senior State Department official said Khan, a 28-year-old student who had been in Chile for four months, was invited to the embassy to be told that his US visa was being revoked.

The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was not aware of any link between Khan and the Pakistani-American accused of trying to bomb New York’s Times Square on May 1. He declined to say why the visa was revoked. “This man was in possession of a (US) visa. Based on the information that we had, we revoked his visa. We are required to notify individuals when we take that action and we invited him in,” the official said.

During routine visitor screening at the embassy, Khan was found to have traces of explosives on his clothes and was later detained by Chilean police, State Department spokesman P J Crowley said

at his daily briefing in Washington. Asked if there was a legitimate reason why the man might have been exposed to explosives - such as working at a site where detonations occur - Crowley replied: “We’ll see.” “At this point ... we don’t think that this was a spurious hit on our detection system,” Crowley said.

A Chilean state prosecutor invoked Chile’s anti-terrorism law to prolong Khan’s detention while he is being investigated, and a judge gave a five-day extension. Chilean police said the Pakistani man had arrived in Chile four months ago to study tourism. “There were indications of an explosive substance in his clothes,” a police spokesman told Reuters. A police source said the explosive was Tetryl, a compound used as a booster to help detonate explosive charges, adding the traces were found on his documents and mobile telephone. Police searched Khan’s lodgings in Santiago overnight, but a planned court appearance was delayed. Instead, Khan was taken to a hospital for a routine check-up ordered by a court.

The US ambassador to Chile, Paul Simons, said yesterday the affair was in the hands of Chilean lawyers, speaking in Spanish on local radio. Simons told Radio Cooperativa it did not appear as if the

Pakistani man had sought to attack the embassy because only residue was detected on him, but he underlined that the authorities needed to investigate.

A neighbor told local daily La Tercera Lorena that Rehman had planned to travel to the United States to work in the hotel business. Sources at Pakistan’s embassy in Santiago told AFP he had not yet contacted them to seek legal help in the affair. The suspect was not on Interpol wanted lists nor had any apparent history with terrorist groups, according to Chilean media. “It’s surprising for us. We hope that the investigation shows that he isn’t linked to anything, and if he is, that the law is applied,” said Mohammed Said Rumie, secretary general of the Islamic Center and spokesman for the As-Salam mosque frequented by the suspect. Said said Rehman was introverted and did not mix with the rest of the congregation at the Chilean capital’s only mosque.

Pakistan is a major security issue for the United States. Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistan-born naturalized US citizen charged with trying to set off a car bomb in Times Square, has admitted to being trained in a Taliban stronghold in Pakistan. — Agencies

Assembly debates wealth disclosure law Continued from Page 1 In other business, the Assembly agreed to a government request to delay a decision on referring allegations of financial irregularities at the office of the crown prince for two weeks. State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Roudhan Al-Roudhan said that at the instruction of the crown prince himself, the government formed an independent committee to probe the issue. The committee has already submitted its find-

ings to the crown prince who is preparing to take action, said Roudhan, who urged MPs to wait to see what happens.

The assembly also agreed to extend for another six months the duration of a special investigation committee formed to probe allegations of financial irregularities in electricity contracts. MPs strongly lashed out at the ministry of electricity and water, accusing unnamed senior officials of corruption and of tailoring the ministry contracts to suit only specific bid-

ders.

The Assembly agreed to lift the immunity of MPs Musallam Al-Barrak, Khaled Al-Tahous and Mohammad Hayef to face trial in court over press violations. During the debate, Barrak launched a scathing attack on local private TV channel Scope, charging that its aim is to divide the Kuwaiti society on sectarian and factional lines. He also vowed that he will reveal the name of its financier in the court, who recently paid KD 400,000 to the station.

Cameron named PM after Brown resigns Continued from Page 1 Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg’s pact would be the first coalition government since World War II. Arriving at London’s Downing Street hand in hand with his wife Samantha, Cameron said he believed that Britain’s “best days lie ahead”. Hundreds of onlookers, many of them booing, crowded the gates of Downing Street to watch on, as Cameron swept into his new home less than 90 minutes after an emotional Brown had made a farewell address.

“We have some deep and pressing problems - a huge deficit, deep social problems, a political system in need of reform,” Cameron said. “For those reasons, I aim to form a proper and full coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.” Negotiators from both parties were finalizing the agreement as Brown and Cameron met with the queen, and holding meetings with their lawmakers to ratify the highly unusual deal. Neither side was expected to thwart the plan to govern in a coalition deal. “Nick Clegg and I are both political leaders who want to put aside party differences and work hard for the common good and for the national interest,” Cameron said.

The BBC reported that George Osborne, a close friend and ally of Cameron, would become the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, or finance minister. US President Barack Obama called Cameron to congratulate him, the White House said. The high political drama came as the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties hammered out details of a coalition deal after the country’s inconclusive election.

Standing outside 10 Downing St alongside his wife Sarah, Brown spoke in strained tones as he wished Cameron well. “Only those who have held the

office of prime minister can understand the full weight of its responsibilities and its great capacity for good.” Brown said he had “loved the job, not for its prestige, its titles and its ceremony, which I do not love at all”. “No, I loved the job for its potential to make this country I love fairer, more tolerant, more green, more democratic, more prosperous, more just - truly a greater Britain.”

After his brief statement, the 59-yearold Brown walked hand-in-hand with his wife and young sons John and Fraser down Downing Street, where a car waited to take him to the palace. Brown spent about 15 minutes inside the palace and was then driven away - no longer Britain’s leader.

Minutes later he arrived at Labour Party headquarters, where he was greeted warmly by cheering staffers. Brown told party staff that his deputy Harriet Harman would become interim Labour leader until a formal leadership takes place to select his permanent successor.

Brown’s resignation ends five days of uncertainty after last week’s general election left the country with no clear winner.

It left Britain with its first so-called hung Parliament since 1974. Britain’s Conservatives won the most seats but fell short of a majority, forcing them to bid against the Labour Party for the loyalty of the Lib Dems. Brown’s departure leaves the path clear for a Conservative-Lib Dem coalition.

Teams from the two parties met for several hours yesterday, but emerged without confirming whether a deal had been struck. Conservative deputy chief William Hague said only that the atmosphere had been “positive”. Rank-and-file members of the two parties were meeting to discuss the coalition deal later yesterday and, though there are likely to be some objections, it is regarded as improbable that either side would thwart the pact.

Some British media speculated that Clegg would be appointed deputy prime minister, but officials with the two parties declined to confirm the reports.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said the details of a deal were being worked on, but he would be “very surprised” if an agreement was announced before today. “Nothing has been formally agreed,” he said. “There has been a lot of progress. “The details are currently in the process of being sorted.” Clegg’s Liberal Democrats have a more complex process, and may need to hold a meeting of around 200-300 grassroots members to formally ratify the coalition. Their joint government needs to be in place in time to draft a legislative program that will be announced in Parliament on May 25. Brown’s departure follows three successive election victories for his center-left Labour Party, all of which were won by his predecessor Tony Blair, who ousted the Conservatives in 1997.—- Agencies

Pak envoy in Iran attacked Continued from Page 1 “The ambassador is slightly hurt but he is out of danger,” he said. Tehran’s police chief said the ambassador was injured in a confrontation. “The ambassador went to a gym several times a week without his bodyguards. This afternoon while he was

on his way he had a clash with a 21-yearold Afghan, he was injured on the head and fell,” police chief Hossein Sajedi-Nia told ISNA news agency. “Policemen appeared on the scene after phone calls by people and arrested that person,” he said. “The ambassador is well now and the detained man is being interrogated.” — Agencies

SPORTS

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

15

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results on Monday: Detroit 5, NY Yankees 4; Cincinnati 2, Pittsburgh 1; Boston 7, Toronto 6; Washington 3, NY Mets 2; Florida 4, Chicago Cubs 2; Atlanta 8, Milwaukee 2; Philadelphia 9, Colorado 5; LA Dodgers 7, Arizona 3; LA Angels 5, Tampa Bay 4 (11 innings).

American League Eastern Division W L Tampa Bay 22 10 NY Yankees 21 10 Toronto 19 15 Boston 17 16 Baltimore 9 23 Central Division Minnesota 21 11 Detroit 18 14 Chicago White Sox 13 19 Cleveland 11 18 Kansas City 11 21 Western Division Texas 18 14 Oakland 17 15 LA Angels 15 19 Seattle 12 19 National League Eastern Division Philadelphia 20 12 Washington 18 14 NY Mets 17 15 Florida 15 17 Atlanta 14 18 Central Division St. Louis 20 12 Cincinnati 17 15 Milwaukee 15 17 Pittsburgh 14 18 Chicago Cubs 14 19 Houston 10 21 Western Division San Diego 19 12 San Francisco 18 12 LA Dodgers 15 17 Colorado 15 17 Arizona 14 19

PCT .688 .677 .559 .515 .281

GB .5 4 5.5 13

.656 .563 .406 .379 .344

3 8 8.5 10

.563 .531 .441 .387

1 4 5.5

.625 .563 .531 .469 .438

2 3 5 6

.625 .531 .469 .438 .424 .323

3 5 6 6.5 9.5

.613 .600 .469 .469 .424

.5 4.5 4.5 6

MILWAUKEE: Atlanta Braves’ Nate McLouth can’t come up with a single by Milwaukee Brewers’ Prince Fielder during the ninth inning of a baseball game. —AP

Braves win over Brewers MILWAUKEE: Martin Prado hit a grand slam and Tommy Hanson pitched eight scoreless innings as the Atlanta Braves snapped a pair of power droughts in an 8-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

Atlanta had gone 253 games without a grand slam before Prado’s in the sixth. The Braves had also gone four days without a homer before Troy Glaus led off the inning with a shot off starter Doug Davis (1-4).

The Braves also scored on an error by second baseman Rickie Weeks in the sixth to make it 3-0 before Davis walked Omar Infante to load the bases with two outs.

Prado then hit reliever Manny Parra’s fastball into the left-field bleachers. Hanson (3-2) struck out eight batters and held the Brewers to four hits.

Reds 2, Pirates 1 At Pittsburgh, Bronson Arroyo limited Pittsburgh to one run over seven-plus innings, and Scott Rolen and Laynce Nix doubled in runs as Cincinnati held off the Pirates.

Arroyo (2-2), trying for his fourth career shutout, had permitted only three singles until Ronny Cedeno led off the eighth by homering down the left-field line, his third of the season.

Reds manager Dusty Baker lifted Arroyo after Delwyn Young followed with a pinch-hit single, and reliever Arthur Rhodes got the next three outs.

Francisco Cordero pitched the ninth for his 11th save in 13 opportunities, stranding the potential tying run at third by getting Cedeno to ground into a force play.

The Reds won for the 10th time in 14 games.

Marlins 4, Cubs 2 At Chicago, Nate Robertson pitched six solid innings and Ronny Paulino homered as Florida beat Chicago after dropping five of six.

Paulino’s two-run shot high-

lighted a three-run seventh in which Cody Ross stole home, giving the Marlins a 4-2 lead and sending the Cubs to their sixth loss in seven games. Robertson (3-3) allowed two runs and seven hits after losing his previous three starts. Chicago lefty Ted Lilly (1-3) took a no-hit bid into the sixth before things unraveled.

Nationals 3, Mets 2 At New York, Adam Kennedy and Ryan Zimmerman hit consecutive homers to support a sharp outing by rookie Luis Atilano as Washington beat New York. Ivan Rodriguez had an RBI single in the seventh inning among his four hits

and stole a base for Washington, which came in tied with New York for second in the NL East at 17-14.

Kennedy homered to right and Zimmerman to left off John Maine (1-2) in the third.

Atilano (3-0) allowed five hits in 5 1-3 scoreless innings and got his first big league hit to help the Nationals improve to four games over .500 (18-14) for the first time since they were 77-73 on Sept. 19, 2005. Miguel Batista gave up a solo homer to Angel Pagan in the ninth, then finished for his first save.

Phillies 9, Rockies 5 At Denver, Carlos Ruiz had four

hits, including a homer in the sixth inning and a tiebreaking single off Manny Corpas in the ninth, to send Philadelphia past mistake-prone Colorado.

Ruiz’s third single scored Ryan Howard from second. Howard was plunked by an 0-2 fastball from Corpas leading off the ninth and went to second one out later on a wild pitch. Pinch-hitter Ross Gload then drove a 3-1 delivery from Corpas for a three-run homer that made it 9-5 and sent the shivering crowd streaming to the exits. The four-run rally off Corpas (1-2) made a winner of Danys Baez (1-1), who threw a scoreless eighth. Jose Contreras got the final three outs.

Dodgers 7, D’backs 3 At Phoenix, Andre Ethier had three hits, including a two-run double, and James Loney homered and drove in two for Los Angeles in a victory over Arizona.

Chad Billingsley (3-2) allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1-3 innings to earn his 50th career win. Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake and Blake DeWitt added RBI singles as the Dodgers won on the road for the first time since April 24 at Washington.

Chris Young homered for Arizona, which lost for the fifth time in six games. Rodrigo Lopez (1-2) pitched seven innings but walked a season-high five. —AP

Bolt, Bekele in Zurich Diamond League line-up

CHICAGO: Red Sox’s Carlos Quentin attempts a diving catch on a ball hit by Toronto Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista for a double during the first inning of a baseball game. —AP

Red Sox edge Blue Jays BOSTON: Brandon Morrow set a Toronto Blue Jays record by walking five batters in one inning as the Boston Red Sox scored four runs in the second and went on to a 7-6 win Monday night.

The Red Sox needed just one hit in that inning to take the lead, a cushion that came in handy when John Lackey (4-1) struggled through six innings before three relievers held the Blue Jays hitless. Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for his ninth save in nine chances.

Boston trailed 4-2 heading into the second and led 6-4 after the wild streak by Morrow (23). Dustin Pedroia’s RBI single made it 7-4 in the third. Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer, his

seventh, to cut it to 7-6, but Toronto lost for the second time in nine games. Boston is 6-2 in its last eight.

Morrow had tied the club record of four walks in an inning on April 9 in his debut with Toronto after being traded by Seattle on Dec. 23 for Brandon League.

Tigers 5, Yankees 4 At Detroit, Johnny Damon hit a homer in his first game against the team that didn’t re-sign him, helping Detroit beat New York.

Austin Jackson, a former Yankees prospect, gave Detroit a three-run lead in the second inning. Mark Teixeira’s two-run home run

pulled New York within a run in the third inning.

Detroit’s Brad Thomas gave up two runs in three innings. Eddie Bonine (3-0) pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings for the win.

Phil Coke, also an ex-Yankee, retired two before Ryan Perry got Derek Jeter to line out to end the eighth with two on and down a run. Jose Valverde struck out the side for his ninth save.

Angels 5, Rays 4 At Anaheim, California, Juan Rivera’s sacrifice fly in the 11th inning gave Los Angeles a victory over Tampa Bay after Angels closer Brian Fuentes blew a three-run lead in the

ninth.

Kendry Morales led off the 11th with a single against Grant Balfour (0-1), advanced on Reggie Willits’ bunt and went to third on a wild pitch.

Torii Hunter and Mike Napoli homered for the three-time defending American League West champions, who were coming off a 2-8 road trip that was their worst since 2001.

Trevor Bell (1-0) struck out the only batter he faced in his season debut.

Willy Aybar hit a solo homer before Evan Longoria’s two-run double with two outs in the ninth tied it for the Rays, one day after Oakland lefty Dallas Braden pitched a perfect game against them. —AP

ZURICH: Zurich’s “Weltklasse” IAAF Diamond League athletics meet has attracted a star-studded line-up including sprint king Usain Bolt and long distance master Kenenisa Bekele, organisers said yesterday.

Olympic and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica will run in the 100m sprint in the Swiss city on August 19, while US 400m world champion Sanya Richards-Ross and Allyson Felix, a two-time Olympic silver medallist and threetime world champion in the 200m, will face off over one lap.

The meeting will be one of the last in the Diamond League series which begins on Saturday in Doha, and act as a final for 16 of the 32 events with double the points tally available, Weltklasse said in a statement.

Triple Olympic and world sprint champion Bolt, who soared ahead of an Olympic class field in the 100m in Zurich last year, is due to start in the 200m this time around. Bekele, a triple Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion, is slated for the 5000m race.

The organisers said they were still filling the field, especially against Bolt. “There are not many ‘fixed stars’ in the athletics universe. Therefore, we consider it essential to invite them early on, so that they are able to prepare for our meeting in an ideal manner,” said meeting director Patrick Magyar.

Men’s 110m hurdles world record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba has also announced his participation in Zurich, along with women’s javelin world record holder Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic.

But one of the most unusual events is likely to be the shot put, which will be staged in the main hall of the city’s central railway station on August 18, rather than in the Letzigrund stadium the following evening.

“We would like to make athletics accessible to as many people as possible,” explained Magyar, promising an Olympic class field in the shot put.

Meanwhile, marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe and decorated US marathoner Kara Goucher will celebrate their friendship and pregnancies by running together in next month’s New York Mini 10K road race, officials said yesterday.

Three-times New York City Marathon winner Radcliffe, 36, and Goucher, 32, a third-place finisher in both the New York and Boston marathons, became training partners earlier this year and are both due to give birth in late September.

For Radcliffe and her husband, former British 1500-meter runner Gary Lough, the child will be their second. This will be the first child for Goucher and her husband, 2000 U.S. Olympian Adam Goucher.

They intend to run, not race, the event, New York Road Runners chief Mary Wittenberg said in announcing their participation in the 39th edition of the women’s event in Central Park, won in 2001 by Radcliffe.

Radcliffe and Goucher began training together when the Briton traveled to the American’s hometown of Portland, Oregon, at the start of the year to work with Alberto Salazar, who runs the Nike pro athlete program.

“What a thrill to host two of the world’s best athletes, both of whom who have a fondness for this event, for women’s running, and for running together,” Wittenberg said. —Agencies

SPORTS

16

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Maloof Money Cup heading for South Africa NEW YORK: The brothers who own the NBA’s Sacramento Kings are expanding their skateboarding extravaganza to South Africa next year.

The first Maloof Money Cup World Skateboarding Championships have been scheduled for Kimberley, South Africa, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2011, Joe Maloof said.

The world’s top skateboarders will compete for a purse of just under $400,000, with $100,000 going to the winner of the street competition and $75,000 to the vert winner.

“I think the most important thing that it signifies is that skateboarding is grow-

ing around the world at an unbelievable rate,” Maloof said from Las Vegas, where his family owns the Palms.

Maloof and his brother, Gavin, have staged two Maloof Money Cups in Costa Mesa, California, and the third is scheduled for August. They’re also preparing for the inaugural Maloof Money Cup New York set for June 5-6 in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The New York contest will feature street competition only, with the winner earning $100,000.

Joe Maloof said sports officials from South Africa came to last summer’s Maloof Money Cup and expressed inter-

est in holding a similar competition in their country. “They loved it,” said Maloof, who added that a deal was quickly worked out.

“They’re very proud of them hosting the World Cup. It’s a big event for their country,” Maloof said. “They want South Africa to be known as a place for action sports, and for sports like that, skateboarding fits the mold.”

Maloof said a permanent street course and vert ramp will be built in Kimberley and donated to the community. Maloof said South African officials are passionate about developing skateboarding because

they view it as an inexpensive sport for young people.

The Maloof competitions are the biggest paydays in skateboarding. Joe Maloof said it was just a matter of time before they expanded overseas.

“It’s saying that it’s very successful, that we have the right formula,” he said.

“And that is, always keep the skaters in the forefront. They’re the celebrities.

They’re the important part of this whole scheme, the whole puzzle.

Keep them happy, make sure that you do things that are core to skateboarding.

If you do that, the popularity of the

Khan looking for fame and success in America NEW YORK: Like so many boxers before him, Amir Khan has arrived in the United States seeking the twin pillars of success: fame and fortune.

The junior welterweight champion from Britain is armed with a charming personality, natural charisma, 24karat smile and an almost unparalleled ability to throw a stiff right cross.

Yet none of that matters here, at least not yet.

Because even though Khan is well known in Europe, where he’s fought his entire career, he is starting all over in America.

His fight Saturday night on HBO against Paulie Malignaggi would have filled the biggest arenas in London, but only about 7,000 fans will squeeze into the small theater at Madison Square Garden to see him defend his title. That’s fine with Khan. He realizes what the future might hold.

“I think after this first fight, more people will get to see Amir Khan fight and we’ll get more recognition,” he says. “I know I have the power to do that in America.”

The 23-year-old former Olympian also knows it won’t be easy. That much became clear when it took several weeks and a trip to Canada just to get the paperwork to fight in the US. He’d been preparing with trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles under a tourist visa, but his application for one that would have allowed him to work was ensnared in red tape. Khan went to the British consulate in Vancouver, British Columbia, to expedite the process, but he was constantly stonewalled by the Department of Homeland Security. “I knew he was going to get it, I just didn’t know when,” Roach said of the visa.

Neither did his promoters, nor the executives at HBO, who grew more nervous as the days melted away. It reached the point where the fight was only a day or two from being called off.

Then the news came Friday that Khan’s work visa had been approved, without any reason given for the delay.

He assumes it had something to do with his Pakistani heritage — his grandparents migrated from the Punjab province to England in the 1950s — and the investigation linking the Pakistani Taliban to the recent failed Times Square bombing.

Whatever the reason, Khan doesn’t think the ordeal was much of a distraction. “The whole training camp moved to Vancouver. I actually liked it because you’re in a new environment, a new scene, a new gym,” he said.

“Sometimes you are in a training camp for six, seven weeks and you get bored. It was nice to get away.” The focus now returns to Malignaggi, a former titleholder who has shared the ring with some of the best fighters in the world.

Malignaggi essentially goaded Khan into taking the fight, even though he wanted a matchup with Juan Manuel Marquez instead. The brash, Brooklyn-based boxer has tried to get under Khan’s skin the past few weeks, belittling Roach as a trainer and calling his opponent “Amir Con.” “I’m going to enjoy sinking my punches into Khan,” Malignaggi said last week. “Some fights are just business, but not this one. I’m going to enjoy every punch I land.” Malignaggi doesn’t believe in the hype that has followed Khan since he was an amateur, pointing to his first-round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott in September 2008 as evidence the Briton hasn’t earned his laurels. Malignaggi doesn’t believe in the blazing hand speed that won a silver medal in Athens, nor the punching power that earned Khan a chest full of amateur awards.

“When we had a press conference, he was quite cocky, quite disrespectful,” said Khan, whose sharp wit can at times be just as acerbic. “People want to see him get beat.” Meanwhile, Khan’s lone loss is becoming more an aberration and less a harbinger with every victory.

He’s won four straight fights, knocking out Oisin Fagan, dominating Marco Antonio Barrera, lifting the WBA title from Andriy Kotelnik, then defending it in a rout of previously unbeaten Dmitriy Salita last December in Newcastle, England.

In that bout, Khan (22-1, 16 KOs) knocked Salita down 10 seconds into the first round, three times total, and forced referee Luis Pabon to wave it off after just 76 seconds. “He’s the kind of fighter that would like to fight the biggest and best names in the sport,” said Khan’s promoter, Richard Schaefer.

“He has an exciting style, he has the looks and charisma outside the ring, and he’s in a weight class where there’s a lot of big potential fights. The stars are aligned.

All the necessary ingredients are there to become a big superstar.”

That is precisely what Khan dreams about. He scaled to the top of the Empire State Building on Monday and smiled for the tourists on the observation deck, even though few of them knew his name. He snapped photographs with two New York City police officers on the sidewalk in front of the United Nations, even though they knew he was a boxer only by the gaudy championship belt his team carried around.

Khan is certain that will change eventually. People will know his name. He’ll be able to breeze right through an airport without being stopped by security, and smiles at the thought.

“I’ve always been stopped for like, an hour, because of my name,” Khan says, almost pensively. “Maybe one day they’ll let me walk right through security. They’ll say, ‘We don’t need to stop you, man. We know who you are.

Go on through.”‘ —AP

won last year’s vert title after becoming the fourth person to land a 900-degree rotation, or 2 1/2 spins, at a major competition. Tony Hawk, also from San Diego, was the first to do it, 10 years earlier.

Gagnon and Perelson each won $75,000. The pairing of the Maloofs and skateboarders might seem odd, but it certainly fits the brothers’ fun-loving personalities.

The Maloofs have run basketball camps in Sacramento for several years and wanted to try something different, which led to them starting the Maloof Money Cup in 2008. —AP

lifestyle will grow forever.” Maloof said officials in Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Australia have contacted him about staging competitions. The Maloof Money Cups have attracted the best skateboarders in the world.

The first two winners of the street competition were Paul Rodriguez and Chris Cole, who each earned $100,000.

Pierre-Luc Gagnon won the inaugural vert competition by beating a field that included Shaun White, the two-time Olympic snowboard gold medalist and XGames star.

San Diego teenager Alex Perelson

Barkley, Hodgson back for England LONDON: Bath centre Olly Barkley and Sale flyhalf Charlie Hodgson received England recalls after an absence of two years when they were included in yesterday’s 44-man squad for a five-match tour of Australasia in June.

Barkley last played for England in June 2008 but, after missing the first half of this season with a broken leg, the great form he has shown in helping his club into the Premiership playoffs has given him the chance to challenge for the inside centre berth.

Hodgson, whose international career has been a long story of ins and outs, also last appeared on the 2008 tour of New Zealand when his perceived defensive frailties seemed to have ended his England days.

However, he too has had a stellar club season and is given yet another chance to try to unseat Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood.

England play two tests against Australia as well as three midweek games-the last of them in New Zealand-in their final tour before the 2011 World Cup. Coach Martin Johnson opted to take an enlarged squad to give some outsiders a probable last chance to stake a claim, and included nine uncapped players.

His usual captain Steve Borthwick is absent to give him time to recover from a knee injury that kept him out of England’s last game against France when Lewis Moody stepped in. The Leicester flanker, who is moving to Bath next season, will skipper the side again.

The uncapped group include Newcastle prop Jon Golding and Leeds’s 30-year-old South African flanker Hendre Fourie, who qualifies through residency, as well as four Wasps players- Dom Waldouck, Joe Simpson, Dan Ward-Smith and Rob Webber. —Reuters

Halifax kicked out

NEW YORK: British boxer Amir Khan poses with the WBA World light welterweight championship belt in front of the Brooklyn Bridge on May 10. —AFP

LONDON: Halifax have suspended coach Matt Calland after being kicked out of the Challenge Cup for fielding an ineligible player in their fourth round tie against Swinton Lions.

Calland has been suspended by the club pending the outcome of an internal inquiry into the fielding of prop forward Michael Ostick in the Halifax side that beat the Lions 56-4 last month after previously playing for his former club Rochdale in their third round win over French club Lezignan in March.

A Halifax statement said: “Halifax RLFC have announced that as a direct consequence of their disqualification from the Carnegie Challenge Cup their head coach Matt Calland has been suspended pending the outcome of an internal inquiry.”

The Rugby Football League’s board of directors had earlier ruled that Swinton should be reinstated and they will now play Batley for the right to host Catalans Dragons in the quarter-finals.

Two years ago, Hull were fined for playing prop forward Jamie Thackray before he was registered but were allowed to remain in the competition and they went on to reach the final.

However, the RFL tightened up the regulations after that episode and the body’s chairman, Richard Lewis, said they were left with no alternative but to expel Halifax.

“The rules governing player eligibility in the Carnegie Challenge Cup clearly state that when a team is found to have fielded an ineligible player they will be disqualified from that year’s tournament,” Lewis said yesterday.

“Halifax’s action leaves the RFL board of directors with no alternative but to disqualify the club and reinstate their most recent opponents.”

Halifax, whose tie against Batley on Sunday was called off just over three hours before the scheduled kick-off, could now face more sanctions for the matter has been referred to the RFL’s compliance manager to decide whether they are are guilty of misconduct.—AFP

Thurston rejects France’s code-switching move SYDNEY: Australian rugby league scrum half Johnathan Thurston Thursday said he has rejected a lucrative code-switching offer from French club Biarritz and will stay with the North Queensland Cowboys.

The 27-year-old star said he knocked back the French rugby union deal because a new Cowboys contract gave him better options for when his

on-field career is over.

“Obviously the money was more to sign with union but for life after footy, from what advice I’ve been given, rugby league will certainly help me in that way,” he told reporters.

The Cowboys’ three-year deal, believed to be worth two million dollars (1.8 million US), has reportedly been boosted by third party sponsor-

ships. Asked how close he came to switching codes, Thurston said: “I just wanted to obviously see my value... in union and overseas.

“All the advice that I’ve been given from my parents and my manager and close friends’ advice has been just stay in league, and I’m very happy,” the veteran of 16 Tests said.

“This contract I wanted to set me

up for life after footy and we’ve got a couple of things in place now that will certainly do that for me, and I’m just happy to re-sign with the club. It’s a great club.”

The deal follows a wages furore within the National Rugby League (NRL) after champions Melbourne Storm were stripped of their 2007 and 2009 titles for breaching the salary

cap during the past five years.

The Brisbane Broncos’ Israel Folau is also considering a switch of codes, possibly to new Super 15 union side Melbourne Rebels, while another former Kangaroos centre, Mark Gasnier, is reportedly thinking of returning to the NRL. Gasnier has just completed a two-year contract with Stade Francais. —AFP

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SPORTS

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Woods says neck injury not related to crash NEWTOWN SQUARE: Tiger Woods insists there’s “zero connection” between the neck spasms playing havoc with his golf swing and his Nov. 27 car accident.

Woods said during a news conference Monday that his neck started bothering him two weeks before the Masters, his first competition in five months. He brushed it off as “no big deal” and believed he could play through the pain.

That changed on Sunday at The Players Championship, where Woods’ creaky neck locked up. That prevented him from making his usual forceful turn on the ball on even a routine shot, and he was forced to withdraw after six holes. “I’m at a point now where I just can’t go anymore,” he said.

“I want to practice, I want to play, I want to compete, but this is not allowing me to do the things that I need to do on my golf swing to hit the proper shots. I need to get to where I can do that again.” Woods said he’s been taking anti-inflammatory drugs, but they have not helped. He plans to have an MRI when he returns to Orlando, Fla. In November, Woods was briefly hospitalized after he crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his home, resulting in a sore neck and a cut lip.

On Monday, Woods insisted he can deal with the sharp, shooting pain, which he feels in the right side of his neck, but cannot deal with the spasms that affect his ability to turn

his head. “For me not to play all 18 holes, that was as angry and as frustrated as I’ve been in a long time,” Woods said of Sunday’s abbreviated round. It was his first withdrawal from a tournament since the Nissan Open at Riviera in 2006. Woods said it wasn’t until this weekend that he felt he needed more serious treatment.

“It’s possible one of the reasons I think this thing flared up is because I wasn’t conditioned to it,” he said. “I’d been away from the game for such a long time, then came back and ramped up really quickly in order to try and play the Masters. The body wasn’t quite ready for that.”

After tying for fourth in the Masters, Woods looked lost on the course as he

missed the cut at Quail Hollow on April 30 with the highest 36-hole score of his career.

Woods has played little like the golfer who collected his 82nd title worldwide in Australia six months ago, just before his personal life became a national punchline.

“I think it’s just once I’m able to do the work on the range and get comfortable, then all shots are fine,” he said. “But I need to do the work.” Woods will have to work on his game without longtime swing coach Hank Haney, who stepped aside as his coach Monday night. Haney said in a statement to the Golf Channel that he enjoyed working with Woods but he thinks it’s time for him to step aside as his coach.

“I will always look back upon our past

half-dozen years together as my best days in professional golf,” Haney said. “It would be a dream of any coach to have a student like Tiger Woods and for me it has come true.

Just so there is no confusion I would like to make it clear that this is my decision.

“I know Tiger Woods will be successful in the future no matter who helps him.”

There had been speculation at last weekend’s The Players Championship that he was about to leave Haney, his swing coach since 2004.

But Woods said during the news conference that he was working with Haney on his swing. For now, Woods’ schedule is “up in the air” and likely will be shaped based on what the MRI reveals. Woods was noncom-

mittal about playing the US Open on June 17-20. “I’m trying everything I can to get back as soon as I can,” he said.

Woods was in suburban Philadelphia to promote the AT&T National July 1-4. He is the defending champion in the tournament, which has moved to Newtown Square for two years. He also wants to defend his title at the Memorial Tournament the first weekend in June. If Woods feels healthy and gets good news on his MRI, he expects to compete in both events.

“I am committed,” he said.

“Unfortunately I haven’t been able to practice like I want to, spend the hours that I used to to get better. And hopefully I can do that, soon.” —AP

Denmark stun US in OT

SALT LAKE CITY: Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) is held by Utah Jazz center Kyrylo Fesenko during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference second-round playoff series. —AP

Lakers complete sweep of Jazz SALT LAKE CITY: Kobe Bryant scored 32 points, and Pau Gasol added 33 points and 14 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers completed a four-game sweep of the Utah Jazz with a 111-96 victory on Monday to advance to the Western Conference finals for the third straight year.

The Lakers quickly ended the Jazz’s hopes of extending the series by pulling ahead by 22 in the second quarter. Utah got within five in the third, but couldn’t sustain the comeback against the defending NBA champions, who made very few mistakes and didn’t give the Jazz many chances to rally.

Los Angeles had just six turnovers and made 29-of-36 foul shots while knocking Utah out of the playoffs for the third straight year.

The Lakers are off until hosting the Phoenix Suns next Monday in Game 1 of the West finals. Deron Williams led Utah with 21 points and nine assists.

At Atlanta, Vince Carter scored 22 points to lead another dominating performance by Orlando, which finished off its second straight playoff sweep.

Orlando won the four games by a total of 101 points, the largest margin ever in a fourgame sweep of an NBA playoff series.

The Magic, who lost to the Lakers in last year’s NBA finals, have won 14 in a row — the last eight in the playoffs — and 28 of 31 games.

They will face either Boston or Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals. Hawks star Joe Johnson finished off a miserable series by scoring only 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

He was booed by the home crowd at the start of the game and got the same treatment when he went to the bench with 3:51 to play.

The fans were still miffed that he said didn’t care if they “showed up or not” after they heckled the team in a 30-point loss on Saturday. —AP

BERLIN: Denmark became the first team to reach the world championship second round after sinking favorites United States 2-1 with an overtime goal in Cologne on Monday.

Denmark, who also caused an upset in their first Group D game by beating Finland 4-1, grabbed the winner through defenseman Stefan Lassen 2:04 into overtime.

It was the second consecutive defeat for the Americans who lost 2-1 in overtime to the Germans in their opening match.

Lassen flicked a wrist shot, hitting netminder Scott Clemmensen, before scoring on the rebound to seal qualification. “This is the best Danish team ever,” NHL player Peter Regin told reporters.

The US, who have only one player in their squad from the silver medal-winning Vancouver Olympics team because of the ongoing NHL playoffs, must win their final match against the Finns to avoid going into the relegation round in the 16-team tournament.

“Inexcusable, the US should not be losing these games,” said captain Jack Johnson. “At the same time it’s hard to win when you score just two goals in two games.”

Finland veteran Petteri Nummelin was honoured for playing in a record 15th world championship as his team edged past Germany 1-0 to leave the section wide open.

The hosts must beat Denmark in their final group match to advance or hope for a Finnish victory over the United States.

With three NHL players in their team, the Finns needed a goal from Jarkko Immonen to edge past Germany in front of an 18,000 crowd.

Olympic champions Canada crushed Latvia 6-1 to advance after two wins out of two in Group B. —Reuters

GERMANY: Denmark’s Mads Christensen (left) slips next to US Nick Foligno (center) and TJ Galiardi (right) during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship match. —AFP

Canadiens force Game Seven MONTREAL: Michael Cammalleri scored his second goal of the game midway through the second period and Jaroslav Spacek put Montreal ahead 2:30 later as the Canadiens who forced a Game Seven in the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday. Maxim Lapierre also scored 11:03 into the third to give Montreal a 4-2 lead.

Bill Guerin deflected Sergei Gonchar’s slap shot from the right point past Jaroslav Halak with 1:24 remaining to draw Pittsburgh within one. But the Canadiens held on to set up Game 7 in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Halak stopped 34 shots for the eighthseeded Canadiens. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby scored his first goal in seven games

in the first period. Crosby earned an assist for his 19th point in 12 games when Kris Letang scored for a second game in a row early in the second. That made it 2-1 for the Penguins, who had closed out five straight playoff series with a road win.

At Boston, Michael Leighton came off the bench after Brian Boucher was injured and made 14 saves to complete the combined shutout, leading Philadelphia over Boston and helping the Flyers avoid elimination in Game Five of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals.

Boucher left after injuring his knee at the bottom of a pileup in the crease at 4:35 of the second period.

Leighton, who had been the starter before he was injured on March 16, made his first

career playoff appearance and finished off the first combined shutout in the Flyers’ postseason history.

Simon Gagne, who scored in overtime to win Game 4, netted two goals, Ville Leino had a goal and an assist, and Scott Hartnell also scored to help the Flyers force the series back to Philadelphia for a sixth game tonight.

If they win, it’s back to Boston for a decisive Game 7.

The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders are the only NHL teams to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series.

Tuukka Rask stopped 27 shots for Boston, which missed a second chance to clinch the series and advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1992. —AP

Olympic medalists appeal skating ban

KUWAIT: Sheikh Saad Al-Abdallah Olympic shooting academy received 30 boy scouts from the capital education zone earlier in the week. The scouts were received by deputy technical director general for bullets weapons Salem Al-Dahish and the shooting sports official Maali Schilzer.

Meanwhile, Kuwait shooting sports club Secretary General Obeid Mnahi Al-Osaimi said the club will hold the Kuwait Oil Tankers Cup tournament on Thursday May 13 for the Olympic shooting events (10m air pistol and rifle, 25 meter pistol, 50 meter prone rifle, and 50 meter pistol) for men, women and juniors. He said the competition will last for three days.

SEOUL: Two South Korean Olympic short-track speedskating medalists appealed their three-year bans yesterday for alleged involvement in a race-rigging scandal.

The Korea Skating Union last week suspended Lee Jung-su and Kwak Yoon-gy from all competition until April 2013 as punishment for allegedly helping to fix races and national team tryouts in March.

Lee, 20, won gold in the men’s 1,000 and 1,500 meters at the Vancouver Olympics in February. Kwak, 21, was a silver medalist in the men’s 5,000-meter relay at Vancouver. The KSU plans to review their appeals within 30 days, KSU official Kim Taewan said.

Lee and Kwak can appeal to the Korean Olympic Committee if they believe they can not accept a decision to be made by the KSU, said Kim, noting the KOC can make a final decision in the event of an appeal.

Lee and Kwak were not immediately available for comment. The scandal surfaced when Lee failed to qualify for the national team tryouts in March for the world short track championships in Bulgaria, citing a knee injury.

The commission’s preliminary investigation last month found that Jeon Jae-mok, a national team coach, had coerced Lee to give up his spot in the championships in favor of Kwak. — AP

City Clinic basketball Super Cup KUWAIT: The City Clinic Super Cup Inter-School Basketball tournament organized by Jabriya Indian School started on May 9.

The event was inaugurated by KP Noushad Managing Director, City Clinic, well known for his keen interest in such sporting activities DK Sharma, the

Manager of Jabriya Indian School presided over the function. After the inauguration, 6 matches were played on the first day.

The result of which are as follows.

Jabriya Indian School team A won against Indian Central School, Indian Community School beat FAIPS- B team.

Carmel School won against FAIPS-A

team. Indian Education School beat JIS-B team, Jabriya Indian School Team A won against FAIPS-B team and Indian Education School beat FAIPS - A team.

The tournament will continue for one week and is being contested with much excitement and enthusiasm by both the players and the participating schools.

SPORTS

18

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Zola sacked after torrid spell as West Ham coach

NETHERLANDS: In this Thursday, Feb 18, 2010 file photo FC Twente’s coach Steve McClaren looks on. —AP

Coach McClaren joins Wolfsburg BERLIN: Former England coach Steve McClaren has agreed to leave Dutch league winners Twente Enschede for 2009 German champions VfL Wolfsburg.

“It is now official,” a Wolfsburg club representative told Reuters yesterday.

The Bundesliga team said he was given a two-year deal until 2012 but no financial details were released.

McClaren joins after steering Twente to their maiden Dutch title. He took over in 2008, seven months after his spell in charge of England ended in humiliation.

“I had two fantastic years at Twente with a fabulous end but I promised my wife

and kids I would stay there for two years.

Now we all will move to Germany,” McClaren told Tuesday’s edition of Dutch newspaper TC Tubantia.

He was ridiculed by the media for standing on the touchline under an umbrella in the defeat by Croatia on a rainy night at Wembley which meant England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 and led to him being dubbed ‘the Wally with the Brolly’.

McClaren was sacked by the English Football Association in November 2007.

The 49-year-old replaces interim coach Lorenz-Guenther Koestner, who took

over at Wolfsburg from Armin Veh midway through the season.

In McClaren’s first year with Twente the club finished second in the league and lost the Dutch Cup final to Heerenveen but this season they clinched the title by finishing a point ahead of Ajax Amsterdam.

Wolfsburg are desperate for success after winning their maiden Bundesliga title in 2009 and competing in this season’s Champions League.

They finished eighth in the league this season, missing out on European football.

Coach Veh was sacked after a poor first half of the campaign. —Reuters

LONDON: An unhappy Gianfranco Zola is taking advice from the League Managers Association (LMA) after being sacked as West Ham United coach yesterday.

The 43-year-old Italian’s torrid relationship with the club’s owners ended in a predictable split when the Premier League team announced they were terminating the four-year contract he signed in April 2009.

“I am extremely disappointed to be leaving,” Zola said in a statement issued by the LMA. “Over recent weeks I have been the subject of various adverse comments, from within the club, which have been widely reported in the media.

“The termination process of my contract is now in the hands of the LMA and I therefore will be making no further comment at this stage.” Earlier, West Ham issued their own statement saying they had ended Zola’s deal.

“The board of directors would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him well for the future. The club will now be focusing its efforts on seeking a replacement,” said the east London team.

Former Chelsea and Italy striker Zola joined West Ham in September 2008 for his first club management job but after a promising start he went through a turbulent time this season and the team only just avoided relegation.

Heavily in debt after the collapse of exowner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson’s business empire, the club were bought by former Birmingham City owners David Gold and David Sullivan in January and Zola’s future has since been the subject of intense media speculation.

West Ham fans had got used to behindthe-scenes chaos under previous owners and must have hoped that when local boysmade-good Sullivan and Gold took over things would settle down.

Sullivan, however, made regular public criticisms of the players and management.

In March he posted a letter on the club’s website condemning the team’s tactics as shambolic and pathetic, saying “Individually we have some very good players but this is not being converted into a good team performance.

LONDON: West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola reacts during his team’s English Premier League Soccer match against Manchester City in this file photo. —AP “Nobody at the club should delude themselves that we are a good team. The table does not lie.” If that was not a clear message at his dissatisfaction, the announcement he would listen to offers for anyone in the squad except midfielder Scott Parker and that there would have to be wage cuts next season certainly were.

Zola also found out through the media West Ham were planning a bid for West Bromwich Albion midfielder Graham Dorrans, a player he said he had never discussed with the owners.

One of football’s nice guys, a man who

always used to play with a smile on his face, Zola was aghast. “If I was Mark Noble or Robert Green or Valon Behrami I wouldn’t be very pleased to hear I’d been put up for sale. I didn’t know,” said the Italian.

“It is not pleasant. You don’t like it but this is the way it goes. I have been surprised so many times this year so I am not surprised that I am surprised.”

The former Italy under-21 assistant coach, who replaced Alan Curbishley as West Ham manager, capped a strong 200809 campaign with a ninth-place finish and penned a new deal until 2013. —Reuters

Mexico defeat Senegal CHICAGO: Substitute striker Alberto Medina scored his first international goal in five years on Monday to give Mexico a 1-0 win over Senegal in a pre-World Cup friendly.

Medina ended his long drought and spared Mexico’s blushes when he scored on the hour, sliding the ball into an open net from a tight angle after the Senegal goalkeeper Khadim Ndiya fumbled possession.

It was Medina’s first goal for his country since he scored against Jamaica, and gave his team their first win in three World Cup warm ups in front of a sold out crowd of 60,000.

Mexico, who play hosts South Africa in the opening game of the World Cup next month, were held to scoreless draws in their last two matches, against Iceland and Ecuador, raising concerns about their firepower up front.

Despite dominating the match with Senegal, who failed to qualify for the World Cup, those fears were intensified when Mexico squandered a string of chances before Medina, who came on early in the second half, finally broke the deadlock.

The Mexicans are in the United States on a threematch tour that began against Ecuador in New Jersey last Friday. They play their final match against Angola in Houston on Thursday. Mexico are in Group A at the June 11July 11 World Cup finals with the hosts, France and Uruguay. —Reuters

SOWETO: Children celebrate, marking the 30-day countdown till the beginning of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, in Soweto, South Africa. —AP

Fake World Cup jerseys hit S African streets JOHANNESBURG: One month before the World Cup kick-off, fake jerseys and souvenirs have swamped South Africa’s streets, despite a clampdown on bogus goods coming mainly from Asia.

Knock-off jerseys for the national team Bafana Bafana, England, Brazil and Spain are sold freely on the streets, as vendors openly tout for customers while dodging police.

“There has been a marked surge in fake football merchandise. Most of the items seized are manufactured in Asia,” said Mohamed Khader from

Spoor and Fisher, a law firm representing FIFA. Since the beginning of the year, customs authorities have confiscated over 100 million rands (13 million dollars, 10 million euros) worth of counterfeit football apparel coming mainly from China and other Asian countries.

According to FIFA lawyers, over 100 cases involving counterfeit World Cup goods had been brought to court since January.

That hasn’t deterred vendors in downtown Johannesburg, the country’s business hub, where stalls bran-

dish different national jerseys dangling from hangers.

Fake jerseys for England or Brazil go for 250 rand (33 dollars, 25 euros) on the streets, while the authentic shirts sell for 600 rand.

Street-savvy vendors evade police raids by peddling their wares at busy intersections, enticing passing drivers and pedestrians.

“I won’t tell you where I got my stock from but I can tell you that there is a big demand for all jerseys right now,” said a vendor in Alexandra township, north of Johannesburg.

“Selling the jerseys has put money in my pocket. I know of people who have been arrested for doing this job but it is worth taking a chance,” said the man, who did not want to give his name. Khader said Adidas, which is kitting out many of the teams, was hit the hardest by cheap imitations.

“In some case these fake products are passed on as the real thing.

Consumers must be very careful about what they are buying. Big brands like Adidas are not spared,” said Khader.

He warned consumers to look out

for finer details of the product, like the quality of the fabric and logos before buying. According to the Counterfeit Goods Act, conviction for fake goods trade is punishable by a three-year jail term or a 5,000 rand fine per item found in possession.

FIFA-branded memorabilia-like hats, T-shirts and the green-haired official mascot Zakumi-are among the most sought-after items on the black market. The host nation’s gold and green jersey has also become particularly popular as the world’s biggest sporting tournament draws closer.

Demand for Bafana Bafana jerseys has skyrocketed since September, when the Football Friday initiative was launched to encourage locals to show their support for the team by wearing the jersey on Fridays.

While FIFA frets over the fake goods, the official merchandise has raised the ire of unions who complain that the multi-coloured national flags and the Zakumi mascot are made in China. The country’s largest union federation, Cosatu, says outsourcing from foreign firms deprived locals of jobs. In February, reports of the mas-

cot being produced in a Chinese sweatshop employing children rocked FIFA, prompting an investigation into the factory’s work conditions and a temporary suspension of its production. Cosatu, spokesman Patrick Craven said the union would encourage the South African public to boycott any World Cup goods not produced locally.

“Local companies have lost out, Chinese companies have emerged as big winners. We will be telling the people to only buy what is made in South Africa,” Craven said.—AFP

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

GERMANY: Atletico Madrid’s players warm up during a training session at the Nordbank-Arena stadium ahead of the Europa League final against Fulham. — AFP

Hodgson hoping for fairytale ending HAMBURG: Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is hoping that his side’s fairytale journey to the Europa League final ends with them lifting their first ever major trophy here today when they face Spanish outfit Atletico Madrid.

However, for Fulham - who have defied the odds this campaign to see off Juventus and Hamburg - to triumph they will need veteran Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to be back to his reliable self after a dreadful blunder in Sunday’s 4-0 defeat by Arsenal.

The Fulham squad flew in yesterday morning and Hodgson is hoping the flight leaves without a hitch having already had problems getting to Hamburg for last month’s semi-final.

The volcano eruption in Iceland which disrupted European flights last month meant Fulham had a 1,000

mile round-trip to get to Hamburg.

More disruption to flights caused by the volcano over the weekend now seems to have passed, but Atletico flew to Hamburg earlier than planned on Monday afternoon just to be sure. Schwarzer has been in stellar form this season and one of the stars on the road to the final.

However an error on Sunday saw Arsenal’s Andrey Arshavin nick the ball, round the Australian and slot in from a tight angle for the opening goal.

But Hodgson - who guided Inter Milan to the 1997 UEFA Cup final where they lost on penalties over two legs - said he would rather the blunder came in Sunday’s Premier League defeat than against Atletico today.

“Schwarzer made a rare mistake, better he did it

there than on Wednesday,” said 62-year-old Hodgson, who rested midfielders Zoltan Gera, captain Danny Murphy and Simon Davies at the Emirates Stadium for Wednesday’s final.

“He has hardly put a glove wrong all season, so better he did it then and I have told him that. “I am happy

Europa League to finish 12th (in the Premier League), we have had the final in mind and we are probably a few points down from where we would have been if we weren’t involved.

“But getting to the Europa League final really overshadows anything we would have done in the league,”

added Hodgson, who has been linked with a move to a bigger club following his superb stewardship of Fulham on a relatively low budget.

However, he does have worries over the fitness of several key players. Striker Bobby Zamora faces a race against time to overcome an Achilles problem, while defender John Pantsil and Bjorn Helge Riise were both substituted against Arsenal on Sunday and need to shake off injuries.

Atletico’s veteran Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan is excited about the prospect of playing in a European final as he bids to help the Madrid club claim some silverware after a frustrating season.

The former Manchester United striker fired home a Jose Antonio Reyes cross to confirm Liverpool’s exit at Anfield in the semi-final and is looking forward to the

FIFA marketing rules spark frustration in SA

Daddy, why are we Atletico fans?

MADRID: Many expected a club from the Spanish capital to be playing in a European final this season. The big surprise is that the club is Atletico and not Real Madrid.

Real’s multi-million-euro spending spree last summer was partly inspired by the chance to win a tenth European Cup in this year’s Champions League final at their own Bernabeu stadium on May 22.

Instead, it is their scruffier, less-fashionable neighbours who are rounding off a European adventure that started in the Champions League and is ending with a trip to Hamburg to play Fulham in Europe’s second-tier club competition on Wednesday.

Real fans may look down their noses but success-starved Atletico supporters are determined to milk the moment, camping outside their club’s stadium overnight in near-freezing temperatures in the hope of getting a ticket.

Why, though, do thousands continue to support Atletico in the shabby 55,000seat Vicente Calderon, underneath which runs the M-30 motorway, when they could be watching Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and company in the luxury of the heated Bernabeu?

“I don’t know why really. There’s no logical explanation,” Miguel Angel, an unemployed 29-year-old, told Reuters as he queued for tickets.

“Only my father supported them in my family, everyone else supported Real. Obviously supporting Atletico is

much more difficult, but with us it isn’t all about titles. “It’s about the passion and the atmosphere at the games. With them (Real), it’s all about money.”

The Calderon’s rowdier atmosphere, warmed by lusty songs and chanting, is in marked contrast to the Bernabeu’s less boisterous and more refined ambiance.

If Miguel Angel fails to get a ticket, he even has a second chance at a final because Atletico are also playing in the King’s Cup trophy match against Sevilla a week later.

Atletico’s museum, in the bowels of the stadium, proudly displays the trophies from their nine league titles, nine King’s Cups and the 1962 European Cup winners’ Cup but recent successes are thin on the ground.

Maybe that is why this reporter was the only visitor apart from a Dutchman and his two sons on a recent day. Atletico last won silverware in 1996 when they claimed a league and cup double, but relegation to the second division in 2000 for two years had a damaging effect on the prestige and psyche of the club.

Financial problems, 11 coaches since 2000 and a failure to beat their city rivals in 11 years have dented their claim to be Spain’s third power behind Real and Barcelona.

Real fans delight in calling them “Patetico de Madrid”. Another term regularly used in the media is “el pupas” (the unfortunate ones) which came into

being after they conceded a freak lastminute goal in extra time against Bayern Munich in the 1974 European Cup final.

They were crushed in the replay.

Their fans are known as “los sufridores” (the sufferers) and the club helped to perpetuate this “victim” culture with an award-winning season-ticket campaign a few years ago where a child asked his father: “Daddy, why are we Atletico fans?”

The fact that Atletico now have some 48,000 season-ticket holders means it must have struck a chord. “They’re mad,” says the owner of a cafe close to the stadium that is decorated with Atletico paraphernalia.

“One minute they’re complaining and threatening to throw away their season tickets, but still they come back, and the next minute they’re happy and very excited.

“The difference with Real is Atletico has extreme ups and downs. Real are more consistent.” Then he whispers so other customers cannot hear that he is actually a Real Madrid fan.

“Business is business,” he says with a grin. “I hope Atletico’s success continues. Two games a week is good for us.”

Atletico’s alarming inconsistency has been glaringly obvious this season. They are the only team to have beaten Barcelona in the league yet they also lost at home to bottom club Xerez.

They sacked coach Abel Resino in October after a poor start to the campaign and they have gradually turned things around under his replacement Quique Sanchez Flores.

Miguel Angel credited him with having engineered Atletico’s unexpected end-of-season success. “Quique has changed things,” he said. “The team haven’t been playing particularly well but he has been getting results, in the Cups at least.

“Most importantly he got players like (Jose Antonio) Reyes and (Luis) Perea playing well again, and (Diego) Forlan scoring goals. That has been the main difference.” When asked if he thought Atletico would win one or both cups, he shrugged. “It’s possible. With this team anything is possible.”— Reuters

Matches on TV (local timings) Europa League

GERMANY: Atletico Madrid’s Uruguayan forward Diego Forlan (second left) stretches during a training session at the NordbankArena stadium. — AFP

Atletico v Fulham .............. 21:45 Al Jazeera Sport +4

final. “Fulham are a team that work very well and have good players,” said Forlan. “Defensively, they are very solid. “Their captain Danny Murphy is very experienced, and who has won titles and up front, they can create danger and score goals.”

But despite knocking out Liverpool in the last four, Forlan says both sides will have their chance to win the Europa League in the competition’s inaugural season. “I think it is 50-50,” he said.

“Of course, we’ll go there believing in ourselves and in the way we are playing. “We know that we have improved a lot, are more solid and working well as a team. “It is a final, so it’s the details that will decide whether we win or lose. “These are unique games, and different circumstances can occur, so you never know.”— AFP

KUWAIT : Kuwait’s Kazma player Yussef Al-Sulaiman (right) vies with Jordan’s Shabab Al-Ordon club player Grich Alden during their 2010 AFC Cup football match. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Ilhwa, Bluewings into AFC quarters DUBAI: South Korean favorites Seongnam Ilhwa and Suwon Bluewings reached the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League following easy victories over Gamba Osaka and Beijing Guoan yesterday. Qatar’s Al Gharafa, meanwhile, edged Uzbek club Pakhtakor 1-0 with a late penalty to book their place in the quarterfinals.

The biggest surprise of the two was the 3-0 victory of Seongnam over 2008 champion Gamba Osaka. The match was scoreless until the 74th minute when Colombian midfielder Mauricio Molina converted a penalty.

Substitute Song Ho-young added a second 10 minutes later before a stoppage-time free kick from Molina secured Seongnam a place in September’s quarterfinals. “To be honest, it is more than I expected,” Seongnam coach Shin Tae-yong.

“We are doing well both in the league and Champions League,” he said. “I think I have just completed the first mission.” Suwon Bluewings also had an easy time with Beijing Guaon, winning 2-0 with both goals coming

from Brazilian Jose Mota.

He opened the scoring after 27 minutes before the striker wrapped up a dominant performance for the South Koreans six minutes from the end.

With their team sitting at the bottom of the K-League, the triumph at Suwon World Cup Stadium was a welcome relief for the home fans. Suwon’s performance so far is their best since 2002, when the Bluewings went on to win the last edition of the Asian Club Championship.

“It was great to win in front of our fans,” Bluewings coach Cha Bum-keun said. “We have achieved our target and we have a strong desire for success in this competition and our play tonight showed that.”

Pakhtakor’s Ilhomjon Suyunov brought down George Kwesi inside the box with six minutes to go and Clemerson de Araujo Soares made it count from the spot to send the home side into the last eight. It was a well deserved victory for the Qatari side which dominated much of the match. — AFP

JOHANNESBURG: “Welcome to the Republic of FIFA,” read a recent newspaper headline, highlighting the frustrations of South Africans who feel the world football governing body has an iron grip on “their” World Cup. “FIFA is the only entity to benefit from the World Cup,” complained Grant Abramhamse, an aspiring entrepreneur who wanted to make key chains to sell to fans during the tournament.

But FIFA told Abramhamse his key chains-decorated with the South African flag, the year 2010 and the vuvuzela trumpet beloved by local fans-were infringing on its copyright.

“This is David and Goliath. I am David, FIFA is Goliath,” he said, as the country gears up for the June 11 kick-off. Abramhamse said he got the government’s permission for his project in 2004, but in 2005 received a cease-and-desist letter from FIFA, which owns the rights to the words “World Cup”, “2010”, “South Africa”, and all combinations thereof.

“The association is dictatorial and prescriptive. They are only after it for money for themselves, and not for anybody else,” said Abramhamse.

Numerous South Africans have expressed frustration with the rules FIFA has imposed on the host country, and feel deprived of their World Cup, which starts on June 11.

The global football body has opened 451 cases of ambush marketing, aiming to protect its official partners who have spent fortunes to win exclusive rights to the brand. With Emirates as its official airline partner, FIFA demanded that South African budget carrier Kulula to withdraw an ad declaring itself “the unofficial national carrier of the you-know-what”, with images of a stadium and a footballer.

FIFA brushes off the authoritarian tag, saying “the majority of cases is settled in dialogue with the infringers.” “FIFA is much more lenient with (small businesses), always embarking on an educational and non-aggressive approach,” it said.

But FIFA won an order stopping production of lollipops with a World Cup theme, and forced a sports bar in Pretoria to pull down banners from its roof celebrating the tournament.

“A lollipop, really? Can they disturb the World Cup? The lollipop-maker is not going to take away the revenues of an official sponsor,” said trademark attorney Andre van der Merwe.

“They are very aggressive. I think because of that, people are looking forward to the World Cup but they are not very found of FIFA,” he said. “They think FIFA is taking over the country.”

Aside from the marketing rules, the nine host cities have also had to adopt rules to regulate activity around the stadiums, the fan park viewing areas, and other official sites.

“Any advertising in certain areas is basically prohibited, unless you get a special permission of city council.

It’s an extremely broad prohibition,” said constitutional lawyer Pierre de Vos. “If the rules are strictly enforced, there are going to be freedom of expression problems,” he said. “These restrictions are quite draconian.”

“There are very severe restriction on trading, not only immediately outside the stadium but also in the vicinity of the stadium, around fan parks,” he said. “They seem to me to be quite excessive.”—AP

www.kuwaittimes.net

Injured, retired stars called up for World Cup LONDON: Ronaldinho was left out of Brazil’s initial World Cup squad, Francesco Totti and Luca Toni were missing from Italy’s squad and Jamie Carragher came out of retirement for England.

The coaches of the 32 teams headed for next month’s championship in South Africa faced a FIFA deadline yesterday to announce provisional 30-man squads.

The lists included some walking wounded who hope to be fit for the tournament, and some unexpected inclusions. Ronaldinho, Adriano and Neymar were omitted from Brazil coach Dunga’s initial 23-man list.

They could be among the seven more players to be announced later by Dunga, but would only be on standby in case of injuries.

The coach has stuck to most of the players who helped Brazil win last year’s Confederations Cup and finish top of South American qualifying.

“These players are winners,” Dunga said.

“There is no doubt that they are prepared to help Brazil reach its goal. They are ready to give their best for the country.” Ruud van Nistelrooy was left out of the Netherlands squad despite having recovered from a longterm knee injury.

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said the 34-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker was not at a high enough level to play at the World Cup. There was speculation that Totti might also come out of international retirement to help Italy

defend the World Cup. When Marcello Lippi’s squad was announced Tuesday, there was no sign of his name, nor that of Toni, despite seven strikers being picked.

Because the final 23 must come from these provisional lists, that means no chance for Totti of Toni unless there is a serious injury to one of the other squad members.

Spain’s Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas and Fernando Torres are also carrying injuries but were picked with the deadline for the final squad being three weeks away. Eighteen of the Spain squad of 23 that triumphed impressively at the 2008 European Championship are in this one, too.

Carragher quit England’s national team three years ago, complaining he could never

get a start under coach Steve McClaren. But the 32-year-old Liverpool defender was in the 30-man squad announced by Fabio Capello on the deadline day set by FIFA. Capello included Gareth Barry even though the Manchester City midfielder is sidelined for three weeks with ankle ligament damage. He will miss England’s friendlies against Mexico and Japan and the squad’s two pre-World Cup training camps in Austria.

With defenders Ledley King and Rio Ferdinand dealing with persistent injury problems, Capello decided to bring Carragher back.

“The FA got in touch a few weeks ago and asked if I would have a rethink, due to injury problems,” Carragher said. “I said I would

make myself available. The World Cup and Champions League are the highest levels of football. I am keen to work under Fabio Capello.” A former teammate of Carragher’s at Liverpool and now with Turkey’s Galatasaray, Australia’s Harry Kewell is struggling with a groin injury but coach Pim Verbeek is confident he will make it in time for South Africa. “There are rumors, there are opinions. But Harry will be ready,” Verbeek said. “The medical staff and Harry himself convinced me that Harry will be OK. We still have five weeks to prepare for the first game against Germany, so don’t worry — Harry will be there.”

Switzerland selected its final squad of 23 three weeks early and has included 18-year-

old Xherdan Shaqiria, who has only 45 minutes international experience. The FC Basel midfielder made his club debut in July and had his first taste of international football against Uruguay in a friendly on March 3.

Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has a largely European-based squad of players that features Didier Drogba, whose 29 goals helped Chelsea win the Premier League.

But the former England and Mexico coach said Tuesday he didn’t want his team to rely too heavily on Drogba’s goals.

“It’s not enough to hope Drogba will go out and score some goals,” Eriksson said. “If we don’t play as a team, we cannot be impressive. Quality isn’t enough in football, you need to work together.”—AP

Lanka knock out India

GROS ISLET: India’s captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (right) runs to survive a runout attempt by Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga at a Twenty20 Cricket World Cup match. — AP

Scoreboard GROS ISLET, Saint Lucia: Final scoreboard in the World Twenty20 Super Eights match between India and Sri Lanka at the Beausejour Stadium here yesterday.

India D. Karthik c and b Malinga 13 G. Gambhir c Sangakkara b Malinga 41 S. Raina c Jayawardene b Thushara 63 MS Dhoni not out 23 Yuvraj Singh c Jayawardene b Thushara 1 Y. Pathan c Kapugedera b Perera 13 Extras (b1, lb1, w6, nb1) 9 Total (5 wkts, 20 overs) 163 Did not bat: Harbhajan Singh, P Chawla, V Kumar, A Nehra Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Karthik), 2-96 (Gambhir), 3-144 (Raina), 4-147 (Yuvraj), 5-163 (Pathan) Bowling: Mathews 3-0-29-0 (1nb); Perera 3-0-15-1 (1w); Thushara 4-0-41-2 (3w); Malinga 4-0-25-2; Randiv 3-0-25-0 (1w); Dilshan 2-0-14-0 (1w); Jayasuriya 1-0-12-0;

Sri Lanka M. Jayawardene c Pathan b Nehra 4 S. Jayasuriya c Karthik b Kumar 0 T. Dilshan c Yuvraj b Pathan 33 K. Sangakkara b Kumar 46 A. Mathews run out (Nehra) 46 C. Kapugedera not out 37 T. Perera not out 0 Extras (lb1) 1 Total (5 wkts, 20 overs) 167 Did not bat: C Jayasinghe, S Randiv, L Malinga, T Thushara Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Jayawardene), 2-6 (Jayasuriya), 349 (Dilshan), 4-105 (Sangakkara), 5-161 (Mathews) Bowling: Nehra 4-0-44-1; Kumar 4-0-30-2; Harbhajan 4-0-35-0; Pathan 3-0-23-1; Chawla 4-0-28-0; Yuvraj 10-6-0

India’s women in World Twenty20 semi-finals GROS ISLET: India have won through to the semi-finals of the women’s World Twenty20 and will face Australia in the last four at the Beausejour Stadium here tomorrow.

Meanwhile New Zealand, last year’s losing finalists, will be up against hosts the West Indies in the second semi-final at the same venue on Friday after champions England failed to reach the knockout stages.

India advanced after a crushing 71 run victory over Sri Lanka in St Kitts on Monday. Batting first, they made 144 for three, with Sulakshana Naik (59) and Mithali Raj (52) both scoring fifties.

Off-spinner Diana David then led the India attack with four wickets for 12 runs as Sri Lanka were held to 71 for nine from their 20 overs at Warner Park.

“It’s obviously good to know we’ve now qualified for the semifinals of the tournament and we’re looking forward to facing Australia next in St Lucia,” said India captain Jhulan Goswami.

“I was very pleased with how

we performed today...We need to carry this good form to St Lucia,” she added.

Earlier, New Zealand pace bowler Nicola Brown took four wickets for just 15 runs as Pakistan managed a meagre 65 for nine.

Only three Pakistanis made it into double figures, Nain Abidi (11), Urooj Mumtaz (14) and Sania Khan (15). “We didn’t perform at all well in this tournament, said Pakistan captain Sana Mir. “The only time we did well as a side was during the warm-up fixtures and this was not good enough for a world tournament.

New Zealand reached their target in under nine overs, although they did lose four wickets along the way. “It’s obviously good to know we’ve finished top of the group but to be facing West Indies is going to be a challenge in the semi-finals in St Lucia,” said New Zealand captain Aimee Watkins.

“They are the kind of team that are so unpredictable at Twenty20, one day they could make 80 all out and another 180

for four so I’m not taking the upcoming fixture lightly.”

England, beaten first up on sixes countback by Australia after not even a ‘super-over’ could separate the teams, were knocked out with a group game to spare after losing to the West Indies by two runs last weekend.

The West Indies made 122 for eight, with star bat Deandra Dottin out for a first ball nought.

But England, despite sound contributions from openers Sarah Taylor (33) and captain Charlotte Edwards (31) suffered a middleorder collapse.

They rallied but needing four to win off the last ball, saw Katherine Brunt run out. England have been caught up by several sides since sweeping all before them in 2009 and Edwards said: “We’re bitterly disappointed, I’ve got a very sad changing room down there.

“But we’re going to have to pick ourselves up, go back home and work really hard ahead of the series against New Zealand this (English) summer.” — AFP

GROS ISLET: Sri Lanka took a huge stride towards the World Twenty20 semi-finals with a five-wicket last ball win over India that knocked their Asian rivals out of the tournament here yesterday.

Chamara Kapugedera’s six off the final ball saw Sri Lanka to a dramatic win after man-ofthe-match Angelo Mathews and captain Kumar Sangakkara both made 46 to revive the innings after a top-order collapse.

If Australia beat hosts the West Indies in the day’s second and final Group F match, also here at Beausejour, Sri Lanka will go through to the last four.

And even if the Aussies are beaten, they would have to lose by 24 runs for the West Indies to get in ahead of 2009 beaten finalists Sri Lanka.

India - who lost all their Super Eights matches - had to win by at least 20 runs to keep their own slim semi-final hopes alive.

Having made 163 for five, that meant restricting Sri L anka to 143 or under. But their hopes of doing just that ended when Chamara Kapugedera struck a Vinay Kumar full toss for six off the penultimate ball of the 19th over.

Kapugedara repeated the dose next ball and Sri Lanka needed 13 to win off the last over. Mathews put them in sight by smashing the first ball of the 20th over, from left-arm quick Ashish Nehra for six.

But he was run out off the fifth ball going for a tight single by bowler Nehra’s direct hit, having faced 37 balls with three sixes and two fours.

However, with three needed off the last ball, Kapugedera carved Nehra over cover for six to finish on 37 not out. Sri Lanka were rocked by the early loss of star batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya.

Jayawardene’s previous scores this tournament were 81, 101, 98 not out and nine.

But he was out third ball when he nicked a good length delivery from Nehra and was caught at slip by Yusuf Pathan.

Veteran left-hander Jayasuriya was out for a duck when he pulled Vinay Kumar straight to Dinesh Karthik at deep midwicket.

Tillakaratne Dilshan, player of the tournament at last year’s World Twenty20 in England, made 33 at better than a run-aball before he swung Pathan to Yuvraj Singh at deep backward square.

But Sangakkara hit back with a 33-ball innings featuring three sixes and two fours before he was bowled middle stump missing a cut shot against Kumar.

Sangakkara’s exit left Sri Lanka 105 for four in the 15th over. Kapugedera was given a reprieve on seven when, looking to guide Nehra through third man he edged behind but a diving Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s captain and wicketkeeper, couldn’t hold the one-handed chance.

Suresh Raina top scored with 63 for India on the ground where he made a century against South Africa earlier in the tournament.

India were well-placed for a big score at 90 for one at the halfway stage but Sri Lanka, led by unorthodox quick Lasith Malinga (two for 25), restricted them to just 73 runs from the second 10 overs. — AFP

BULGARIA: World Chess champion Viswanathan Anand from India (right) and his Bulgarian challenger Veselin Topalov, contemplate their moves during their 12th game in the FIDE World Chess Championship match. — AP

Viswanathan Anand wins world chess title SOFIA: India’s defending champion Viswanathan Anand retained his world chess title yesterday by defeating Bulgarian challenger Veselin Topalov in the last of their 12game duel.

Anand, nicknamed the “Tiger from Madras,” beat Topalov on the 56th move after a series of twists. Ahead of the final game, Anand and Topalov were tied with 5.5 points each, having each won two games, while seven games had ended in a draw.

The inability to produce a clear winner in the 12th game Tuesday would have forced the players into four tie-break games of rapid chess to decide the next world champion.

Another tie would have then led to five five-minute blitz chess matches of two games each, followed by one sudden-death game.

But the 40-year-old Indian grandmaster, whom his fans affectionately call Vishy, managed to wear off Topalov’s defence to bring his score to 6.5 points on Tuesday.

This is the second time he has defended his title after first winning it in 2007. Yesterday’s final game again confirmed his chess skills and ability to keep a cool head.

“It is certainly the toughest match I have ever played. I can’t recall another experience like this,” Anand told journalists after the game.

“I knew it was going to come down to the question of

whose nerves held up and I am really relieved and glad that it was me,” he added.

Topalov failed to make the most of playing white and an error on the 30th move gave Anand a clear advantage. The Bulgarian, known for his aggressive style, attempted a desperate march of the rook to check Anand on the 40th move.

Still, Anand’s position remained commanding, allowing him to eventually force Topalov to surrender on the 56th move. “I took a risk and was punished,” Topalov shrugged after the loss.

He said he had refused a draw offered by Anand at some point in the game as he did not want to play a tie-break of rapid chess, where Anand excelled. This “was a mistake,” he noted. Anand first became the undisputed world champion in 2007, a year after the title was reunited following a bitter split in the chess world.

The “Tiger from Madras” already once managed to defend his chess crown by beating Russia’s Vladimir Kramnik in 2008 in Bonn, Germany.

The 35-year-old Bulgarian grandmaster Veselin Topalov had won the right to challenge Anand by beating Gata Kamsky of the United States in the semi-final in February 2009.

Anand takes home 1.2 million euros (1.5 million dollars) as the winner, while 800,000 euros in prize money goes to Topalov. — AFP

Federer sends Becker packing MADRID: World number one Roger Federer shrugged off his surprise loss in the Estoril semi-finals last weekend and defeated Germany’s Benjamin Becker 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) to reach the third round at the Madrid Masters yesterday.

Federer — the title holder — has yet to produce a significant winning run on clay this season with his defence of the French Open title starting in less than a fortnight.

But his win in 81 minutes did a huge amount for his confidence after a Rome second-round loss and last weekend’s defeat in Portugal.

“I had a lot of good serving, my goal was to play a clean match,” said the 16-time grand slam champion, winner here a year ago defeating arch-rival Rafael Nadal. “I also served solid.

“That’s a tough combination for an opponent.”

Becker saved two match points in the 12th game of the second set before the contest went to a tiebreak. Federer recovered from 1-3 down in the tiebreak and sealed his place in the third round on the first of three match points as the German, ranked 46th, fired wide.

“The moment the match started, I felt great,” said the Swiss.

“I was hitting the ball well, this court just feels right and that showed in my game.”

The top seed admitted that claiming the tiebreaker after trailing was key to the victory. He missed a first match point on a forehand error but secured victory on his second chance of three.

“I’ve lost many tight matches lately. you always worry out there that maybe something’s not working the way you want it to work.

“I should have won on the first match point. I thought I had a margin and the ball got stuck on the net cord tape.

“If nerves had crept in, it might have been tough to try and close out the third set after missing a huge chance. But I’m happy how I reacted - this is just what I needed in my game.”

Last weekend Federer went down in straight sets to Alberto Montanes at Estoril in heavy, wet conditions.

But the Spaniard’s celebrations lasted just a few days as he was beaten yesterday by Latvian Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 6-1.

Also in the first round, Federer’s 15th-seeded compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka beat Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-4, 6-4.

MADRID: Samantha Stosur from Australia returns the ball during her match against Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez. — AP Russian tenth seed Mikhail Youzhny followed up his Munich title by defeating Lukasz Lacko 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

On the women’s side, Australian Samantha Stosur maintained her fine run on clay by dispatching the Rome champion, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Eighth-seeded Stosur prevailed 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 and will next play Swiss veteran Patty Schnyder, who upset Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Stosur, a French Open semi-finalist last year, has blossomed on the clay this spring, winning Charleston and reaching the final in Stuttgart.

She has won 13 of her last 14 matches on the surface. “I tried to feel as comfortable as I could. It’s pretty cold so it’s hard to get the body going and really feel yourself into the match in some ways,” said the winner.

“I knew she’d been playing well - you don’t win Rome without playing well. We’ve played five times in the last five months, so we both knew what to expect. “It was whoever did the better job on the day.”

Schnyder, aged 31 and ranked 48th in the world, mounted a comeback to stun Radwanska for a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head series. The Swiss broke six times in the two-hour victory, her tenth of a modest season against eight losses.

Alona Bondarenka of the Ukraine upset second seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-3 while Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues knocked out another seed with her defeat of French number 12 seed Marion Bartoli 6-2, 6-0. China’s number 13 seed Li Na went through, beating Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. — AFP

China inflation rises as housing, food costs jump

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Pensioners warn of ‘social revolt’

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Wall Street crash exposes world of electronic trading

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

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European debt hits ‘danger levels’ German cabinet approves euro crisis fund

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti men check the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe car, launched at Al-Bisher & Al-Azemi’s showroom in Kuwait City on May 10, 2010. The new sports car from Mercedes-Benz and AMG boasts an aluminum apace frame body with Gullwing doors, AMG 6.3-litre V8 front-mid-engine, seven-speed double-declutch transmission and sports suspension with aluminum double wishbones among other features. The “Gullwing” accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, before going on to a top speed of 317 km/h. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Toyota cruises back to profit TOKYO: Toyota cruised back to profit in the latest quarter as the world’s top carmaker cut costs and hitched a ride on the global auto sales recovery while fighting to salvage its reputation for quality. Toyota Motor Corp said yesterday that January-March profit totaled 112 billion yen ($1.2 billion) compared with a 766 billion yen loss the year before. Quarterly revenue jumped to 5.28 trillion yen ($57 billion) from 3.54 trillion yen a year earlier, when purchases of cars and other vehicles were slumping amid the global financial crisis. Toyota, which makes the Prius hybrid and Camry sedan, is forecasting even better results for the fiscal year through March 2011, projecting annual profit to rise 48 percent to 310 billion yen ($3.3 billion).

Whether the world’s biggest automaker can continue its recovery rests in part on salvaging its reputation after recalling more than 8 million cars worldwide for faulty gas pedals, a braking software glitch, faulty floor mats and other defects. On Monday, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is carrying out a new investigation into Toyota to see whether it had stalled on a recall for a steering defect in 2005 in the US. It had carried out recalls for similar problems in Japan in 2004. Toyota has already paid a maximum fine of $16.4 million for dallying on a recall for acceleration problems, and NHTSA could slap it with a fine of up to that amount again over the steering issue. US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who is in Japan to visit Toyota and inspect highspeed trains, said Monday that additional fines may be levied against Toyota.

“There’s still a long way to go before a full recovery,” said author Masaaki Sato, who has written books on the history of Toyota. “It barely managed to return to the black.” Sato said the latest results show a Toyota that’s weakened com-

pared with its heyday just a few years ago when its profits were booming, its models were topping consumer surveys and annual global sales were approaching 10 million vehicles. President Akio Toyoda, who is the grandson of the automaker’s founder, said yesterday the company was cooperating with the US investigation, but did not elaborate.

Toyoda, appointed president in June last year, acknowledged that his job was similar to steering a ship in the middle of a storm. He said the ship was sailing toward what appeared to be sunny skies because employees were working together “in one spirit.” “I feel that I am now at last standing at the starting point with the latest earnings,” he told reporters at Toyota’s Tokyo office. “This year will mark a new beginning for Toyota.”

Toyota’s 29 top executives have given up their bonuses since the global fallout from the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers sent the automaker into the red.

Toyoda said that will continue and, of the top executives, 11 board members will also return a portion of their monthly remuneration to take responsibility for the recall mess, although he did not give figures. The latest results appear to show Toyota has managed to contain the damage from the spate of recalls at least, so far.

Toyota officials said the company spent 100 billion yen on recall-related measures, and lost between 70 billion yen and 80 billion yen in sales during the year ended March 31. They were vague about such damage for the current year, except to say Toyota estimates spending 80 billion yen for incentives to boost sales. Although sales have held up in recent months, much of that came from unprecedented incentives to lure customers in North America as well as growth from fast-growing Asian nations like China. — AP

World stocks down EU deal euphoria fizzles out LONDON: World stocks and the euro fell yesterday as the massive relief rally triggered by a $1 trillion plan to contain Europe’s debt crisis fizzled out. In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 84.80 points, or 1.6 percent, at 5,302.62 while Germany’s DAX fell 79.98 points, or 1.3 percent, to 5,937.93. The CAC-40 in France was 56.41 points, or 1.5 percent, lower at 3,663.88.

All three indexes enjoyed one of their best days in months Monday after the European Union unveiled a massive 750 billion euros financial support package to defend the euro and prevent the debt crisis that started in Greece from spreading to other big debtor countries like Portugal and Spain. A pullback is expected when Wall Street opens later, too - Dow futures were down 97 points, or 0.9 percent, to 10,644 while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 futures fell 12.60 points, or 1.1 percent, to 1,144. “Yesterday’s burst higher is already looking short lived amidst concern over a wide range of issues,” said Ben Potter, research director at IG Markets.

“Without doubt when gains of 5 percent or more are seen in a single day a degree of reversion is perhaps to be expected.” Though the package has helped ease near-term concerns about a wave of defaults across Europe, concerns about the solvency of the indebted countries remain - whether governments, which are still running sky-high deficits, will be able to push through massive austerity measures for years to come remain. “Progress has been made, but the whole sovereign debt looks very like a can of worms,” said David Buik, markets analyst at BGC Partners.

Moreover, the European Central Bank’s new role in sweeping up government bonds has stoked concerns about its independence from politicians - Axel Weber, president of Germany’s central bank and a leading member of the ECB’s governing council, appeared cautious about the bank’s new responsibility. Whatever divisions exist within the ECB and whatever pressure may have been put on its President Jean-Claude Trichet to intervene directly in the debt markets, the central bank is on a different course from that being pursued elsewhere, while the ECB is expanding monetary policy, other banks like the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England are starting to normalize it.

That may explain why the euro has given up most of the gains it garnered from late Friday when the markets were first alerted to the possibility of a bigger than expected EU plan - by late morning, the euro was down 0.8 percent on the day at $1.2691. “As the dust settles from yesterday’s shock and awe bailout package, the realization that this is a sticking plaster to a much deeper rooted problem has slowly permeated through and the euro has given up most of yesterday’s gains,” said Michael Hewson, analyst at CMC Markets.

The other major currency in focus yesterday is the British pound, amid growing uncertainty about what the next government will look like. The currency has been under pressure ever since the Liberal Democrats said late Monday they were opening discussions with the Labour Party as well as the Conservatives, who won most seats and votes. By late-morning London time, the pound was 0.3 percent lower at $1.4814.

So far, bond investors don’t appear to be worried - a 2.25 billion pound 17-year auction went smoothly for the government as the issue was covered nearly two and a half times by bids. Earlier in Asia, stocks gave up much of their previous day’s advance. Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average fell 1.1 percent to 10,411.10 while South Korea’s Kospi dropped 0.4 percent and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.1 percent. Benchmarks in mainland China, Taiwan, India, and Singapore also slid, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index retreated 1.4 percent to 20,146.51. Stocks in the Philippines bucked the regional trend, surging 3.9 percent as Sen Benigno Aquino III, son of Philippine democracy icon Corazon Aquino, opened up a commanding lead in presidential elections after campaigning on an anti-graft platform. Oil prices also lost their shine, with benchmark crude for June delivery down $1.03 to $75.77 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.69 to $76.80 per barrel on Monday. — AP

WASHINGTON: European levels of government debt have hit danger levels and vigorous action will be needed to get them down again, the International Monetary Fund warned yesterday. The IMF, fresh from a trillion=dollar European debt bailout package with Brussels, said debt levels had to be reduced and national budgets brought back into balance over the medium-term. Radical action in the short-term had to be avoided as it risked “a relapse into recession,” the IMF said in a report on Europe. “However, sustainability indicators are flashing warning signs over public debt levels in most countries and sizable (fiscal) consolidation efforts are needed in the medium-term,” it said.

“For countries with already low fiscal credibility, more immediate consolidation is a must,” it said in a press statement. The debt and budget problems arise while Europe is seeing only a modest and uneven recovery take hold driven by an upturn in global trade and supported by government stimulus measures, the IMF said. The performance in Europe is particularly weak when compared with other regions, it said, adding that it expected faster growth over 2010-2011 even if traditional growth sectors may not be as strong as previously.

The IMF forecasts European growth of one percent this year and 1.5 percent in 2011, led by France with 1.8 percent and Germany with 1.7 percent. Consumption and investment was weak given the dampening effect of rising unemployment while bank credit continued tight due to problems persisting at the banks after the global financial crisis. Against this backdrop, government policy has to remain supportive for the European economy to help the recovery gather pace, it said, while at the same time cautioning that budgets have to be kept tight.

On Monday, the European Union agreed to provide two-thirds of a 750-billion-euro bailout package, with the IMF putting up the remainder, in an effort to stamp out a growing debt crisis threatening to sink the eurozone. The crisis was initially driven by massive debt and budget deficit problems in Greece but then spread to other eurozone members such as Spain, Portugal and Ireland whose public finances have come under intense pressure.

All four countries have been forced to cut public spending sharply as a result and face years of tight budgets

before books can return to balance.

Meanwhile, Germany’s cabinet yesterday approved the country’s part of a trillion-dollar rescue package of loan guarantees for crisis-hit euro countries, backed by the International Monetary Fund, the government said. “The measures send a clear signal that the markets can rely on the financial stability of the euro area and that speculating against the eurozone doesn’t pay,” deputy government spokesman Christoph Steegmans told a regular briefing.

Berlin is expected to make available at least 123 billion euros (157 billion dollars) for the fund, designed to help debt-wracked eurozone countries that might get into similar fiscal difficulties as Greece. Officials have warned, however, that Germany’s slice is likely to be higher-up to 150 billion euros-as countries for which the fund is designed will not be contributing.

A draft of the bill stated that Berlin’s portion could be up to 20 percent higher than the 123-billion-euro official share. The fund-the eurozone stabilization mechanismunveiled in the early hours of Monday after marathon talks in Brussels, has been dubbed “Shock and Awe” for its size and it was immediately cheered by markets. But following an unpopular bail-out package for Greece, for which Germany is stumping up 22.4 billion euros over three years, this latest dip into the coffers provoked outrage in some parts of the media.

Mass circulation daily Bild screamed on its front page: “Yet again, we are the idiots of Europe.” “Germany is providing the lion’s share of the loans. If they are not paid back, it is the taxpayer who will have to fork out,” the paper added. Also provoking anger was the fact that the cabinet’s decision came a day after Chancellor Angela Merkel announced there was no money for tax cuts and any relief would come only after 2012.

“It’s unbelievable. With a gigantic 750 billion euros, the EU and the IMF want to save the euro. Germany’s contribution alone for our bankrupt neighbors is 123 billion euros. Yet there is no money for us to cut taxes,” said Bild.

Broadsheets were also sceptical about the package, with daily Die Welt saying: “All that has been won is a little time-how much is unclear at present.” The law approved by the cabinet now goes to both houses of parliament for a vote, which are expected to pass it. — Agencies

22

BUSINESS

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Burgan Bank posts KD29.3 million operating profit Operating Income hits KD43.2 million, up 37% KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced a net profit of KD 1.9 million for the first quarter of 2010 after taking additional provisions of KD 22.5 million.

This is excluding KD 44.1 million unallocated general provisions available in the bank books and booked in previous years. During the period, the Bank’s operating income of KD 43.2 million grew by 37% and operating profit surged to KD29.3 million with a growth of 39% and EPS stood at 1.9 fils.

The consolidated results encompass share of results from its subsidiaries, namely Bank of Baghdad, Gulf Bank Algeria and Jordan Kuwait Bank, in which Burgan Bank has a majority stake as part of its regional expansion strategy. During the first quarter the subsidiaries have demonstrated steady growth in assets and across key business indicators as per their prosperous forecast.

“Burgan Bank foresees positive growth as we progress into 2010. The results reiterate our fore-

Majed Essa Al-Ajeel

most commitment to our shareholders and our customers”, says Burgan Bank Chairman Majed Essa Al-Ajeel. “On behalf of the Board, I take this opportunity to thank our customers and shareholders for their confidence in our capabilities, and Burgan Bank staff for their continued support and commitment.” The Bank reported a healthy 15.9% capital adequacy ratio on a consolidated basis without taking into consideration the capital increase which was completed this week.

These indicators are strongly supportive of Burgan Bank’s growth strategy to position itself as one of the leading regional banks. The Bank is committed to sustaining steady growth in its market share within Kuwait and across key markets within the MENA region. Burgan Bank recently announced the successful completion of its KD 100.8 million capital increase through a rights issue. It aims to further strengthen its business locally and capitalize on its expansion strategy in the MENA region.

Zain reinforces MMS services Zain MMS services now support up to 1 MB KUWAIT: Zain, the leading provider of mobile Telecommunications services in Kuwait, revealed yesterday that it has launched a comprehensive developmental upgrading initiative that aims to reinforce the company’s MMS messaging services (image and video files) in order to give its customers the opportunity to use more space when sending or receiving MMS messages. The company said in a press statement that the upgrading it has carried out on its network will allow its postpaid and prepaid customers to conveniently use broader MMS messaging space up to 1Mb. “The process of upgrading this service will cater for the needs of the largest segment possible of our customers who usually wish to send or receive relatively large MMS files,” said the company’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Mohammad Al-Shehab, noting that thanks to this upgrading, Zain cus-

Eng Mohamed Al-Shehab tomers have become able to send and receive MMS messages as large as 1Mb at a time. “The pricing of our MMS messaging service after this development will remain unchanged as our sole concern here is to provide an integrated service commensurate with the requirements of our customers who wish to send relatively large files as well as

those who use such files for the purposes of their business, for example,” he added.

Al-Shehab went on to point out that everybody knows that the data and information telecommunication technologies have seen unprecedented developments in recent times, indicating that it is natural that these developments have applied to other services in this sector as providing the possibility of exchanging files of this size will no doubt boost the benefits of using the MMS messaging service.

Zain’s CCO explained that this developmental step comes as part of the company’s ceaseless efforts towards providing its customers with the latest technical applications and solutions in the field of telecommunications industry, pointing out that it will add a new dimension to the lifestyle of Zain’s MMS messaging service users. AL-Shehab stressed

that Zain is moving swiftly towards the achievement the highest rates of uniqueness and luxury to its prepaid and postpaid customers in accordance with the highest levels of quality and for prices that are largely in line with the market’s competitive pricing rates.

It is worth mentioning that Zain customers can use this service via branded smart phones which are widely available in the market in addition to the iPhone and Driod handsets that are compatibly equipped with the technology that enables them to handle relatively largesized MMS messages. On the other hand, Zain’s MMS messaging system is smart enough to detect the model of the receiving phone. This means that if a customer is intended to receive an MMS message larger than 300 Kb while his/her handset is not compatible, the system will automatically resize the message down to 300 Kb or less.

VIVA: Paying bills now easier Convenient 102 IVR credit card payment service introduced KUWAIT: Paying your bills is even easier now with the 102 IVR payment service, which enables customers to pay their postpaid bills, and recharge their prepaid balance over the phone through the 102 IVR immediately by using their credit cards (Knet is not accepted). VIVA Kuwait makes accessing and paying your bill without Internet access possible.

Its pre-scripted prompts gather payments via credit card, cheque, or ACH at no cost to our clients the service will be available under the IVR option (2-1-1-1).

Customers will then be asked to enter their credit card details (number, expiry date, CVV number) and the amount they wish to pay.

The IVR will provide proper guidance on how to perform the transaction at each step.

Upon completion of the transaction a notification SMS with the payment transaction status will be sent.

“We are very proud of our new service, and we are pleased to provide our customers with great variety and value added services that allow them to keep in

touch in the best way possible, VIVA keeps the promise of keeping their customers updated with the latest technology that make their daily life easier and faster,” said Rana Rsheed, VIVA’s Marketing Director. VIVA Kuwait continues to focus on improve overall customer service and enhance their telecommunication experience. The IVR system will free VIVA Kuwait customers from the routine payment processing calls; increasing overall customer service productivity for more pressing issues.

LG enters the OLED age with the groundbreaking EL9500 KUWAIT: LG Electronics (LG), a major player in the global flat panel display and audio-video devices market, is proud to announce the launch of the EL9500, the widest OLED TV yet released onto the market. Coming in a sleek, wafer-thin set packed with superb features, the EL9500 marks a major leap in television technology, with a picture that has to be seen to be believed.

Using state-of-the-art OLED technology, the EL9500 dispenses with the backlights used on conventional LCD models in favor of a film of pixels that actually produce their own light. With no external sources of light influencing its output, the EL9500’s 15-inch screen can deliver perfect levels of black and a picture with up to 1.5 times greater Perceived Luminance than on a regular LCD TV. In addition, OLED technology ensures an even faster video refresh rate, a feature that, working in conjunction with 100Hz Live Scan, renders more dynamic pictures and all but eliminates blur from even the fastest sequences. Accompanying this superlative picture is the EL9500’s equally remarkable sound quality. Through LG’s signa-

ture invisible speakers, the EL9500 pumps out sound sculpted by the Clear Voice II and SRS Trusurround XT technologies, for a truly immersive soundtrack.

“We have always paid extremely close attention to what our customers want, and based on those insights, we believe the time is perfect for the release of the EL9500,” said HS Paik, President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE. “Not only does the EL9500 take picture quality to new heights, it does so in a set that is one of the lightest and most adaptable LG has ever produced, making it possible to watch the TV almost anywhere.”

Just 3.2mm in depth, the EL9500 is ideal for wall mounting or just for slotting into any available space. Doing its bit to address environmental concerns, the EL9500 delivers a reduction in power consumption - using less electricity than standard LCD sets - is entirely free of lead and mercury, and generates far less e-waste than a regular-sized TV. In addition, a SIMPLINK HDMI interface lets consumers transmit content from other media devices right to their TV.

GoNabit: Pioneering group-buying, social commerce in the Middle East KUWAIT: People everywhere have lately felt an increasing downward pressure on spending because of the global economic crisis. People still want to enjoy themselves and discover new experiences locally, but are looking for opportunities to save money while keeping shopping social. The founders of GoNabit recognize that saving is best done socially, and that the Internet is longoverdue as a means for buying and saving in the Middle East.

The experienced team behind GoNabit is pioneering groupbuying and social commerce in the Middle East by launching GoNabit.com - the first groupbuying platform in the Middle East. “The time is right for residents of the Middle East to enjoy the benefits of e-commerce people. We created GoNabit.com to be a pioneering, safe, secure, online groupbuying platform for the region that helps people come together and save and discover locally,” said Dan Stuart, founder and CEO of GoNabit. “With GoNabit.com, we’re proud to be first in the region bringing the benefits of e-commerce while keeping shopping social, migrating people from online savings to offline social experi-

ences, and helping people increase their savings through collective buying power.”

Each day GoNabit features one huge deal per city. People sign-up online to receive the deals, and if they wish to participate in the deal they do so using their credit card. Once the minimum number of buyers is reached the deal ‘tips’, the credit card gets charged, and GoNabit sends the buyer their voucher. Buyers then print their voucher and redeem it with the local merchant. If the minimum number of buys is not reached before the deal closes, no one is charged - but no one gets the deal either.

“This need for critical mass allows us to negotiate great deals, while the platform’s inbuilt social tools, and the need to spread the word to make sure the deal tips is what makes the experience on GoNabit unique,” said Stuart.

“Merchants love the model because they are investing only in the people that have made a financial commitment to trying them out. Merchants define their criteria for success for the campaign knowing that unless we hit those criteria they are not charged anything, ensuring them a risk-free marketing

proposition; that is the key to assured marketing,” said Stuart.

“We are facilitating customer interactions and social buying participation in ways that drive measurable business results. For local businesses, it’s not only about creating buzz. We’re moving the wordof-mouth needle from buzz to buy.” GoNabit is backed by initial funding led by Bayt.com, making Bayt.com majority owner and at the same time enabling GoNabit to leverage the well-established regional scale, local knowledge, and experience of the Bayt.com platform and leadership.

“The Bayt.com investment is key for us,” said Stuart.

“Talk about a serious kick-start to GoNabit: we’ve got fantastic support to launch a great online business from an organization that has done it successfully and with longevity.” GoNabit is launching in Dubai in May, and soon in Abu Dhabi with plans to offer deals in ten regional cities before year-end. Buyers can sign-up to receive the daily Nabit email for their city at GoNabit.com, and local businesses interested in being featured can get more information on the website.

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

.2840000 .4260000 .3650000 .2580000 .2790000 .2570000 .0045000 .0020000 .0782620 .7624810 .4020000 .0750000 .7490330 .0045000 .0500000

US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2887000 .4282630 .3677010 .2600130 .2810220 .0494120 .0383770 .2594090 .0371040 .2089590 .0031120 .0064510 .0025490 .0034360 .0041960 .0786400 .7661630 .4082970 .0770250 .7502390 .0064510

US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2908000 .4312870 .2618540 .0775160

.2940000 .4350000 .3740000 .2670000 .2870000 .2640000 .0075000 .0035000 .0790480 .7701450 .4170000 .0790000 .7565610 .0072000 .0580000

285.300 189.600 263.040 260.300 288.000 ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.149 6.430 3.449 2.547 4.036 210.140 37.304 4.185 6.430 8.986 0.301 0.292 GCC COUNTRIES

.2908000 .4312870 .3702980 .2618540 .2830120 .0497620 .0386480 .2612400 .0373660 .2104380 .0031350 .0064960 .0025670 .0034610 .0042250 .0791420 .7710470 .4111880 .0775160 .7550210 .0064960

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

77.374 79.710 753.740 770.600 79.010 ARAB COUNTRIES

Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

54.250 51.860 1.286 198.000 409.720 194.630 6.267 33.920 GOLD

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

235.000 119.000 60.000

Bahrain Exchange Company

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer Euro Sterling Pound

Canadian dollar Turkish lire Swiss Franc Australian dollar US Dollar Buying

290.000 370.800 432.830

COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash

SELL CASH SELL DRAFT 265.400 263.900 771.040 771.040 4.400 4.185 286.700 285.200 568.300 15.800 50.600 167.800 211.400 54.580 51.861 374.000 372.500

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

38.040 37.890 6.690 6.435 0.035 0.295 0.256 3.230 411.570 409.840 0.198 0.195 92.440 92.440 47.200 4.260 4.050 212.200 210.700 1.975 47.700 753.180 752.980 3.530 3.480 6.730 6.445 80.190 79.760 77.410 77.410 211.380 211.360 40.880 40.880 2.747 2.548 434.800 432.600 38.800 265.400 263.900 6.400 9.340 9.160 217.900 79.110 78.010 290.300 289.900 1.330 GOLD

10 Tola

1,310.930

Sterling Pound US Dollar

2.539 4.186 6.366 3.121 8.927 6.314 4.021

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

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 432.600 289.900

290.050 3.460 6.445 2.560 4.185 6.475 79.035 77.515 770.600 51.855 435.900 0.000035000 4.200 1.550 411.800 5.750 375.500 289.700

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Cyprus Pound Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

289.450 282.083 431.111 376.237 261.996 709.462 766.143 78.786 79.484 77.155 408.454 51.757 6.441 3.442

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal

*Rates are subject to change

Transfer rate 289.600 369.500 432.000 284.000 3.165 6.435 51.830 2.546 4.184 6.445 3.455 769.000 78.900 77.300

BUSINESS

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

23

China inflation rises Housing, food costs skyrocket BEIJING: Chinese annual inflation pushed up to an 18-month high in April and property prices rose at a record clip, showing that the government still has its work cut out to keep the world’s third-largest economy from boiling over. However, a slowdown in money growth and industrial output signaled that incremental tightening measures have started to bite, justifying Beijing’s cautious approach thus far to

Burgan Bank sponsors the ‘Castelli in Kuwait’ exhibition KUWAIT: Burgan Bank - amongst the leading and most dynamic commercial banks in the state of Kuwait - sponsored the “Castelli in Kuwait” exhibition which was officially inaugurated at the Al Raya Center recently and will run till the 12th of May. The exhibition was organized by Sartoria Italia, a renowned Italian company which is aimed at promoting different cultural and creative activities through its ‘Made in Italy’ events. The event was held under the patronage of HE. Enrico Granara Italian Ambassador to the State of Kuwait. Also, the event was attended by Sheikha Muneera AI-Sabah as well as a large number of VIPs and guests alongside patrons of Italian Art. The four day exhibition showcased hand made ceramic artworks including a rich portrait of the finest art collections from Italy. The artworks by renowned Italian artists such as Marco Appicciafuoco, Antonietta Faiani and

Vincenzo Di Giosaffatte were on display.

Visitors to the exhibition also enjoyed the Desert Light Art Collection and pieces from the FA GRUE Institute Museum. “Kuwait and Italy share very rich ties historically and culturally.

We are extremely proud of sponsoring such a large exhibition that is being hosted by Sartoria Italia for the first time.

The event is a great platform of showcasing the rich Italian artworks to art lovers in Kuwait.

As part of our corporate social responsibility framework and commitment to the community we continuously strive to promote art and culture. This program is one of many such initiatives,” said Fadi Matar, the Chief Marketing Officer of Burgan Bank. More than 100 pieces of Italian Art were on display for the first time in Kuwait. Art lovers were seen enjoying the marvelous art pieces brought directly from Castelli’s Museum of Art Institute.

Thomson Reuters launches interactive video experience KUWAIT: Thomson Reuters yesterday announced the launch of Reuters Insider, an interactive ondemand video platform designed to change the way financial professionals consume and distribute news, research and information. This unique video experience transforms financial programming from a passive one-way broadcast into a highly collaborative and personalized medium. Powered by original and exclusive programming from Reuters and more than 150 trusted content partners globally, Reuters Insider offers financial professionals the opportunity to make industry-specific video actionable by cutting through the clutter and providing access to the news and information they want, when they want it.

“The breadth and depth of Reuters global editorial coverage has allowed us the opportunity to create something truly unique,” said David Schlesinger, Reuters Editor-in-Chief. “By leveraging our 2,800 journalists worldwide, Reuters Insider provides our clients with global financial market news and the credibility that accompanies local access and knowledge.”

Reuters Insider will also for the first time equip

firms with the tools to self-broadcast research, market commentary, morning calls and trade ideas straight to the desktops and mobile phones of Thomson Reuters customers, via their own branded channels, as part of the firm’s commitment to building a global financial markets community.

“Today’s generation of financial professionals access and act on information in a whole new way,” said Devin Wenig, CEO, Thomson Reuters Markets. “Reuters Insider was built to give our clients a competitive advantage and arm them with the multimedia tools needed to work faster and smarter.”

Reuters Insider is a key component in Thomson Reuters New Era, New Tools Innovation Program, which is designed to address the challenges faced by the financial services community. It follows the recent launch of Elektron, Thomson Reuters new high speed data distribution network, and will be fully integrated into Thomson Reuters Eikon, the company’s next-generation information desktop offering due to launch later this year. Reuters Insider will be available to premium subscription clients.

Samsung outlines $20.6 billion investment plan SEOUL: Samsung said yesterday it plans to invest 23.3 trillion won ($20.6 billion) over the next decade in technologies including solar cells and medical devices, aiming to boost sales and increase its work force by tens of thousands.

The plan was agreed at a meeting Monday of top executives of electronics and medical companies in the Samsung Group, according to a release. Lee Kun-hee, chairman of group flagship Samsung Electronics Co, was among the participants.

Samsung, which consists of dozens of companies in areas spanning electronics to shipbuilding to fashion, said the money would be spent in five areas: solar cells, rechargeable cells for hybrid electric vehicles, LED technologies, biopharmaceuticals and medical devices.

The expansion is expected create about 45,000

jobs and result in an additional 50 trillion won in annual revenue for affiliate companies by 2020, the year through which the investments are slated, Samsung said. “When other global companies hesitate, we must move ahead decisively to take this opportunity, and this will also benefit the country’s economy,” Lee told Monday’s meeting, according to the statement.

“Striving to resolve unemployment, we should hire young and highly skilled employees also.”

South Korea’s jobless rate, which surged to a nineyear high of 5 percent in January, has since eased and stood at 4.1 percent in March. The Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry said in a report earlier this year that Samsung Electronics created the most new jobs in South Korea of any company over the five years through 2008. —AP

“Rising inflation is a serious problem, but it’s more of an indication of where CPI is heading that is more important than this 2.8 percent,” said Dong Tao, an economist with Credit Suisse in Hong Kong. “This probably will not result in an immediate rate hike, but the central bank is getting increasingly nervous of negative real interest rates,” he added. The main stock index in Shanghai finished down 1.9 percent, with investors unsettled by the inflation outlook. Worries that China will intensify its monetary tightening also served as a drag on global oil prices.

YUAN SIGNAL A central bank adviser, Xia Bin, said that China had signaled this week that it was ready to let the yuan move more freely when it said it would manage its exchange rate “with reference to a basket of currencies”. The comments were seen as representing his personal views and not necessarily reflective of official thinking.

The latest batch of economic data underscored why many analysts believe that Beijing will allow only faint appreciation even after it releases the yuan from its de facto dollar peg, which has been in place since mid-2008.

Inflation was driven by food prices, which rose 5.9 percent in the year to April, while core pressures remained relatively subdued, with non-food prices up 1.3 percent. Although new bank lending was stronger than expected last month at 774 billion yuan ($113 billion), the broad M2 measure of money growth slowed to 21.5 percent year on year, the slowest since early 2009. And China just narrowly notched up a trade surplus in April, according to numbers published on Monday.

“Provided that financial markets stabilize in the next few weeks, we expect China to start the yuan move within the next couple of months,” UBS economist Wang Tao said. China has been working to gradually normalize its monetary stance after flooding the economy with cash last year. The People’s Bank of China has raised banks’ required reserves three times this year and stepped up drainage of cash via open market operations, while regulators have given banks strict orders to rein in issuance of loans. In contrast to regional neighbors such as India, Malaysia and Australia, China has so far eschewed the blunter instrument of raising rates, not least because Beijing harbors doubts about the solidity of the global recovery and has an eye on the all-important property market.

PROPERTY WORRIES Chinese property prices jumped 12.8 percent in April from a year earlier, the fastest pace in the five-year history of the government’s main housing market survey. Economists believe the official figures understate the extent of price rises, especially in major cities. Memories of how over-tightening led to a property collapse in 2008 would deter the government from making more aggressive moves to slow economic activity, said Tom Orlik, an economist with Stone & McCarthy Research Associates in Beijing. “China’s leaders will likely want to see how the targeted measures play out, before following up with an increase in interest rates,” he wrote in a note. —Reuters

tamping down on economic activity. But analysts said that higher interest rates and a resumption of yuan appreciation-tightening steps that the government has so far resisted-should be on the policy menu in coming months. Consumer prices rose 2.8 percent in the year to April, topping forecasts for a 2.7 percent rise and the highest since October 2008.

HEFEI: Chinese shoppers check the prices of fresh vegetables at a supermarket in Hefei, central China’s Anhui province yesterday. — AFP

NBK’s latest oil brief KUWAIT: After moving sideways through most of March, crude prices made a firm move upwards in April, followed by some easing in May. The price of Kuwait Export Crude (KEC) averaged USD81.5 per barrel (pb) in April compared to USD76.2 in March. It also ended April strongly, reaching USD83.4 at the end of the month, a new post-recovery high. Much of this rise appears to be ‘cyclical’, with each new piece of positive economic data - most recently US GDP and employment reports.

But not all upside pressures are stemming from economic fundamentals.

In late-April, there was speculation that the giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may block shipping routes and prevent crude reaching its market, though such fears have so far proven unfounded. Despite the generally positive run of macroeconomic data, however, analysts remain cautious about potential big price gains, particularly in light the uncertainty over European government debt markets and over the potential for a sharp slowdown in the Chinese economy - both concerns could prove highly disruptive to global demand.

While most major benchmark crude prices also moved around USD5 pb higher through April, the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) registered much smaller gains. By the middle of the month it was trading at USD83 pb, around USD2 pb below the price of its major competitor, Brent, in contrast to its usual small premium.

The source of this distortion was said to be a build-up of inventories at the main delivery point for WTI at Cushing in the US Midwest, driven by strong deliveries from Canada and lower refinery runs during maintenance

season. Although a build-up in stocks would appear to be bearish for crude, some analysts highlight regional-specific factors and argue that the non-Midwest US inventory picture still points towards continued market tightening.

Analysts’ forecasts for 2010 global oil demand growth continue to edge upwards (though in some cases due to downward revisions to 2009 demand). The International Energy Agency (IEA), for example, has nudged up its forecast for oil demand growth by 0.1 million barrels per day (mbpd) to 1.7 mbpd in 2010 (or 2.0%), owing largely to a slightly weaker-than-expected outcome last year. This is still one of the stronger figures in the market, however, comparing to the 0.9 mbpd (1.1%) projected by OPEC, for example.

Other forecasters, including the Centre for Global Energy Studies (CGES) and the US government’s Energy Information Administration, see demand rising by 1.5-1.6 mbpd this year, a moderately-paced, non-OECDdriven recovery that would put demand back to more or less 2007 levels. Note that China is expected to account for between one-third and one-half of the increase in global oil demand this year. Crude output of the OPEC11 (i.e. excluding Iraq) edged up by 83,000 bpd in March to 26.824 mbpd. This compares to its low of 25.745 mbpd recorded in March 2009 and leaves output 2 mbpd (8%) above its 24.845 mbpd official quota in effect since January 2009.

The latter has never been fully observed. The vast majority of the March increase was due to higher production in Venezuela (+42,000 bpd) and Saudi Arabia (+24,000 bpd). Non-OPEC production is also increasing, partly in a delayed response to high pre-

crisis oil prices. According to the IEA, non-OPEC supply is up 0.9 mbpd in March on a year-ago basis, thanks largely to higher production in Russia and Latin America (especially Brazil). For 2010 as a whole, however, the increase is expected to be a smaller 0.5 mbpd, as the production profile had already began to improve in late 2009.

In addition to these increases, the IEA expects OPEC production of Natural Gas Liquids (NGLs) - which are not subject to quotas - to rise by 0.8 mbpd (17%) this year. Other forecasters expect a more modest rise of 0.5 mbpd. In total therefore, nonOPEC oil supplies appear on track to rise by 1-1.3 mbpd in 2010. Solid increases in both supply and demand are the basis for price projections for the rest of this year. At their respective magnitudes, there is scope for each to be broadly offsetting, which would tend to imply prices remaining close to their current levels.

On the basis of a 1.6 mbpd increase in demand, a 1 mbpd increase in non-OPEC supplies (including OPEC NGLs), and further gradual increases in OPEC crude oil supplies, crude stock levels would remain more or less unchanged in 2010. Within the year, however, the size of the year-on-year demand increases fades over time, and prices could still weaken late in the year.

From a peak of USD77 pb in 2Q10, the price of KEC would drift down to USD73 in 4Q10 and average USD74 in FY2010/11 as a whole.

If, however, the world economy stages a more aggressive than expected economic recovery - resulting in oil demand growth some 0.2 mbpd higher this year than expected - crude prices could push on towards the USD90 pb mark the rest of this

year. Such a steady increase might be insufficient to trigger more rapid increases in OPEC production, with the organisation content with prices in the USD70-90 pb range.

On the other hand, a larger than expected increase in nonOPEC production - either from higher output in places like Russia and the US, or from arrested rates of decline in Mexico and the North Sea - offers a downside risk. If this causes output to rise by 0.2 mbpd more than expected this year, the price of KEC could be back in the low USD60 range by the start of 2011. It is of course possible that OPEC would cut its own production to prevent such a fall.

The NBK report concluded: The scenarios above imply an average price for KEC of between USD68 and USD85 pb for FY2010/11. At these levels, we estimate that revenues would be between 9% lower and 17% higher than our estimates for the year before. By contrast - based upon the government’s preliminary budget - we project that public spending could rise by between 26-48% this year as a result of increased spending under the first phase of the government’s recently-approved 5year development plan (as well as a possible large transfer to the Public Institute for Social Security).

Based upon these assumptions, the government’s budget might register a surplus of between KD 0.9 billion and KD 6.3 billion in FY10/11. In other words, the surplus this year could end-up being almost as large as the one estimated forFY2009/10 (official figures not yet available), despite the large planned increase in government outlays. That would then be Kuwait’s 12th consecutive surplus.

Mais Alghanim now shines in Mahboula KUWAIT: Mais Alghanim Restaurant spread its roots to blossom in Mahboula; opening a new restaurant maintaining the heritage, excellence in service, and phenomenal food.

Located in the Spoons Complex in Mahboula, you are sure to be impressed. Upon entry, you are cordially welcomed by the hospitality team. The reception hall with its high ceiling

evokes a sense of grandeur and elegance. The intricate murals take you on a journey through time as you recall Kuwaiti history through its rulers, the rich heritage of the cul-

ture and the marine civilization.

And finally, what has made Mais Alghanim famous without contention; its distinctive cuisine with an array of choices to satisfy all

appetites. General Manager Chawki Barakat stated, “The menu and quality of service and hospitality in Mahboula are a reflection of what has always been known of Mais

Alghanim since its foundation.” He added, “Our motto has always been .... Excellence in service and distinction in food ... The story is the same in Mahboula as it is in Sharq.”

24

BUSINESS

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

New store to open in New Delhi

Carrefour announces first wholesale outlet in India

NEW DELHI: Director (Fresh department) Carrefour India Yannick Douville (left) interacts with local farmers during the launch of its Green House Nursery at Palla village on the outskirts of New Delhi yesterday.

French supermarket giant Carrefour, the world’s second largest retailer, said yesterday that it would soon open its first wholesale store in India, without a local partner. – AFP

NEW DELHI: French supermarket giant Carrefour, the world’s second largest retailer, said yesterday that it would soon open its first wholesale store in India, without a local partner. Carrefour has been trying to break into India’s $500 billion retail sector for years and hopes the wholesale outlet in New Delhi will lead to a string of hypermarkets for consumers in the rapidly developing country.

“We are starting our ‘cash and carry’ business in India as the government allows 100 percent foreign investment in this segment,” Jean Noel Bironneau, general manager of Carrefour India, told reporters.

“So far FDI (foreign direct investment) is not relaxed (enough) for us to launch a hypermarket,” he said. “The market in India is booming but we have to be cautious and have decided to start with our ‘cash and carry’ business first.”

Bironneau said the first wholesale store would be 5,500 sq m and would open in New Delhi

this year. India’s tight foreign investment rules allow no overseas chains in the retail sector except for single-brand outlets such as Nokia or Reebok - to protect local retailers.

Foreign groups such as WalMart or Carrefour can only be wholesalers. Wal-Mart has teamed up with India’s Bharti telecoms group and Britain’s Tesco has an alliance with the Indian tea-to-steel Tata Group.

Carrefour has been consistently linked to India’s Future Value Retail, a unit of Pantaloon Retail run by businessman Kishore Biyani, and said on May 4 that it was still on the lookout for a partner. “We are keen to open hypermarkets and are open to partnerships. We are also looking at giving out franchisees in India,” Bironneau said at the launch of a Carrefour greenhouse nurseries project at a farm outside Delhi. The wholesale store in Delhi will source 90 percent of its products from within the country and employ 300 people, Bironneau said. — AFP

Corporate banking, sukuk to boost Asian Finance growth KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia-based Islamic lender Asian Finance Bank will boost its net profit by at least 30-40 percent this year as it beefs up its corporate banking and sukuk business, its chief executive said yesterday. The three-year old bank will focus on activities such as trade financing, machinery leasing and providing letters of credit to the infrastructure, oil and gas and services industries in Asia, Mohamed Azahari Kamil said. The bank expects to receive a $50-million capital boost from its

Middle Eastern shareholders this year which would enable it to grow its net profit from last year’s 4 million ringgit ($1.25 million), he said.

It recorded a loss before tax of 20.5 million ringgit in 2008 and a loss of 5.3 million ringgit in 2007. “The generation of this year’s income will be more fee-based driven, more investment banking deals in the pipeline,” Azahari said in an interview.

Asian oil and gas and infrastructure offer growth opportunities as economies expand

despite the risks posed by Greece’s fiscal problems, he said. Almost 85 percent of the bank’s net profit is derived from corporate banking and the rest from retail business.

Qatar Islamic Bank and its associates own 70 percent of Asian Finance Bank.

RUSD Investment Bank Inc of Saudi Arabia holds 20 percent and Financial Assets Bahrain has a 10 percent stake. It is one of three foreign Islamic banks given a license to operate in Malaysia and has a paid up capital of 355 million ringgit. Asian Finance will

cut its non-performing financing level, the Islamic equivalent of bad loans, to below the industry average of 2 percent this year by lending to stronger names, Azahari said. Its non-performing financing level was 1.7 percent last year and two percent in 2008. The bank has 300 million-400 million ringgit of dollar sukuk deals in the pipeline, from government-linked firms and listed companies in the auto and energy sectors, he said adding that some of the deals are expected to be closed by year end. —Reuters

Prasanna Hardikar

Behbehani Group expands senior management team KUWAIT: Kuwait-based conglomerate Behbehani Group has appointed two senior managers for its Trading Division as part of its strategy to streamline operations and spearhead further growth across its diverse businesses portfolio comprising watches and jewelry, luxury travel accessories, surveying and sound systems and audio visual and medical equipment.

Shahzad Gidwani has joined the group as Deputy General Manager with immediate effect and with commercial and operational responsibilities ranging from sales and marketing, distribution and client service.

With 15 years experience in sales and marketing, PR and Business Development with renowned Kuwaiti and international organizations including Wataniya Telecom and Ericsson. He holds an MBA International Business, Washington International University, Pennsylvania, and a BSc - in International Business with minor in Marketing, University of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Prasanna Hardikar has also been appointed Head of Finance. He joins Behbehani from Emaar Retail LLC and his GCC experience also includes a two-year stint with Dubai-

Shahzad Gidwani based Jashanmal National Co. LLC where he held the post of Chief Financial Officer. Prior to this, Hardikar was based in Hong Kong where he was in charge of finances for Intra Group of Companies for 13 years and VIG Management Services for a further two years.

He is a Chartered Accountant from India and also holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Pune, India. “As we are expanding our operations we must ensure that we rely on the best talent available in the market and these two appointments reflect Behbehani Group’s strategy to constantly invest in the most appropriate senior individuals who share with us the same passion,

vision and commitment for our companies and employees,” said Ali Behbehani, President of Behbehani Group.

Today Behbehani Group employs over 600 people across its diversified portfolio of companies which include a General Trading, Travel, a Motors Division, Air Conditioning, Communications and an Investments arm. The Group started in 1933 with the famous watch brand Omega and has represented the Swiss timepiece maker since.

Over the last 10 years the Group has acquired the créme de la créme of brands in the watch industry worldwide and is recognized as one of the most successful watch retailers for the Swatch Group, Richemont and LVMH.

BUSINESS

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

25

Australian budget a ‘buffer’ against the European crisis CANBERRA: Australia yesterday unveiled a new budget that it touted as a “buffer” against Europe’s crisis, predicting a rapid return to surplus and strong economic growth, as elections loom. Treasurer Wayne Swan said growth would hit 3.25 percent in 20102011 as Australia “defied global economic gravity” to outperform the world’s major economies.

He said Australia’s resilience to the financial downturn, thanks to roaring Asian resource exports and large-scale stimulus spending, meant it would be debt-free by 2012-13 - three years earlier than expected. “Events in Greece remind us risks in the global economy stubbornly endure,” Swan told parliament. “Aftershocks from the crisis continue to reverberate around parts of the world. The robustness of this budget forms a solid buffer against the troubles of Europe.”

Swan said government forecasts had dramatically improved from a year ago as a result of Australia’s world-beating

performance during the downturn, when it was the only major advanced economy to avoid recession. Centre-left Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to call an election in the coming months, and Swan said the “remarkable” state of Australia’s economy was proof that Labor was able to act “swiftly and decisively”.

But Swan denied the budget, which features moderate tax cuts and pledges to reform the health system, was designed purely with poll ratings in mind. “This budget wasn’t designed to shift opinion polls and I don’t believe it will,” Swan said. “What we do as a government is accept the judgment of the Australian people.” Instead of contracting 0.5 percent as forecast last year, the economy grew 2.0 percent in 2009-10 and was forecast to “rebound powerfully” to 3.25 percent growth in 2010-11 and 4.0 percent a year later.

Surging commodity prices were expected to drive Australia’s terms of trade for 2010 to their highest level in

60 years, according to the budget outlook, injecting 30 billion dollars (27 billion US) into the economy and driving up incomes. Withdrawal of stimulus measures was expected to subtract around one percentage point from growth over 2010, and 0.75 of a percentage point in 2011. Unemployment, currently at 5.3 percent, had peaked at 5.8 percent, far short of last May’s 8.5 percent forecast, and would ease to 4.75 percent by mid-2012, “the level consistent with full employment.”

The deficit had shrunk to 40.8 billion dollars from 57.1 billion dollars a year earlier and Swan said the budget was now expected to return to a “small” surplus of one billion dollars in 2012-13.

Debt was expected to peak at 6.1 percent of GDP in 2011-12 and would be paid down three years ahead of forecasts, Swan added, describing this as Australia’s most rapid fiscal consolidation since the 1960s. “Our job now is to convert the economic achievements of the past year into enduring gains for our

economy and our people,” he said.

Swan also said that controversial tax reforms-including a proposed 40 percent slug on “super profits” of mining companies from July 2012 — were “absolutely imperative” to the country’s future. “If this (resources tax) doesn’t pass, then very important initiatives to build capacity in our economy because of the growth in the region won’t be possible, and that would be a setback for growth in Australia,” Swan told reporters ahead of his budget speech.

He said the current budget forecasts had hardly factored in proceeds from the proposed mining levy and denied it was vital for the return to surplus.

Controversy over the tax and the shelving of a proposed emissions trading scheme until 2013 has sent the Rudd administration slumping in opinion polls. On Monday the prime minister said Swan’s budget speech would be “critical” to turning around public sentiment. — AFP

Serbian central bank cuts rate to 8 percent IMF visits Serbia for loan talks BELGRADE: Serbia’s central bank yesterday said it had cut its key rate to 8.0 percent in the face of lower-than-expected inflation. “The National Bank of Serbia’s (NBS) monetary policy committee concluded that inflation was still below the lowest targeted level and that such a trend would continue in the coming period,” the statement said.

CANBERRA: Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan delivers his Budget Speech at Parliament House in Canberra yesterday. Australia’s budget will return to surplus by 2012-13, three years ahead of schedule, after emergency stimulus blew spending out to a record deficit last year. — AFP

CBK operating profit hits KD22.024 million KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait announced an operating profit before provisions for the period of KD 22.024 million (2009: KD 25.175 million). This was allocated as provisions against the loan and investment portfolios resulting in a net loss attributable to shareholders of the parent bank for the three months to March 31 2010 of KD 1.454 million (2009: Net Profit KD 3.335 million). The bank has adopted a prudent policy towards building up a strong provision base and noted that results were in line with expectations.

The capital adequacy ratio at March 31 2010 is 19.00% (31/12/2009: 18.22%) which exceeds the minimum 12% required by the Central Bank of Kuwait. The bank continues to have a strong capital base with more than twice the international ratio required by Basel II.

Commercial Bank’s total assets are KD 3.7 billion at 31st March 2010 (31/12/2009: KD 3.6 billion) with shareholders equity of KD 441 million (31/12/2009: KD 440 million).

The bank continues to demonstrate its cost leadership with operating expenses down 10% on 1Q2009 and staff expenses down 8% for the period. Operational efficiency is a competitive advantage for the bank which continues to maintain one of the lowest cost/income ratios with 25.16% for 1Q2010. The bank’s strategic and organizational capabilities have been reviewed with the assistance of an international consultant and presented to the new board of directors which was elected on 7th April 2010.

The new strategy addresses the challenging market environment and the operating constraints brought by the economic

downturn and aims for renewed profitable growth. The bank will focus on Kuwait, a market it knows and understands very well and will further strengthen existing business lines with new products and services for core customer segments. The bank will keep improving corporate governance which may require some change in the organizational structure in order to execute the strategy for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait took the opportunity to thank the bank’s valued customers for their trust and confidence, the Executive Management team and staff for their hard work and loyalty and shareholders for their continued support and faith. With 55 branches Commercial Bank of Kuwait operates the second largest full service network in Kuwait.

Dow reports Q1 results

Therefore “the committee decided to lower the interest rate by a half a point” from 8.5 percent, it added. “Low domestic demand and slow recovery of both global and domestic economy will have non-inflationary effect in the future period of time,” it said. Serbia has been severely hit by the global eco-

nomic crisis and the bank has cut interest rates steadily in the last year and a half from 17.75 percent in January 2009.

Inflation in first four months was 4.2 percent, far below the expected 6.0 percent rate foreseen for 2010.

An International Monetary Fund mission will this week

begin talks with Serbian officials to determine if the country is complying with terms of a stand-by loan, the Serbian central bank said yesterday. During the two-week visit the mission will assess latest fiscal, monetary and economy trends, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) said in a statement.

Official negotiations with the government and NBS will start on Monday, it added. The IMF in February approved a third installment of a 2.9-billion-euro ($3.7-billion) loan in response to progress by the Serbian government in reforming the pension system and implementing greater fiscal responsibility.

KAMCO invests in ‘the future’ KUWAIT: KAMCO (Kipco Asset Management Company) has reached an agreement with Kuwait University’s Finance Club to create and install software which will be used by the members of the Finance Club to virtually trade on the Kuwait Stock Exchange.

The program, KAMCO Stock Simulator (KSS), was developed by the IT Department at KAMCO. Using KSS, users create their unique profiles, and are automatically set up with KD50,000 in virtual money which they then use to buy and sell stocks in exactly the same way as one would in real life.

Further to this, a competition will be organized by the Finance Club for 100 students where cash prizes will be awarded to the top three virtual traders. On this occasion, KAMCO’s Acting Head of

Sales and Marketing, Rola Al Mohtaseb said, “Many of us lack the courage to trade on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, either because of a lack of experience or because of a fear of incurring a financial loss.

It is for precisely this reason that KAMCO ensured the development of KSS for students to build up talent, knowledge, and first-hand experience in virtual trading. This is achieved by trading in shares under their real names, but with virtual money.

Our support of the education sector is part of KAMCO’s corporate social responsibility program, and comes in tandem with the Dealing Room at Kuwait University which bears our company’s name, as well as our sponsorship of the Annual Job Fair at the American University of Kuwait.”

Rola Saeed Al Mohtaseb

Pensioners warn of ‘social revolt’ in Greece ATHENS: After settling into a peaceful retirement, 61-yearold Kiki Papailiadis is facing up to an uncertain future as the Greek government moves to cut pensions in a bid to control a budget crisis. “What’s terrible is not being able to plan your life, you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow,” said Papailiadis, a former bank employee who receives a pension of 1,100

euros ($1,411) a month. “I’m being asked to pay for the others, all those people who helped themselves from the funds, who filled their pockets,” she said, adding that the reforms being pushed through by the government were simply “unjust.”

The Greek cabinet on Monday agreed plans for an unprecedented overhaul of the pension system, which will reduce average pension

payments by seven percent by 2030 and cut the top category of pensions by up to 14 percent.

The changes, which still face a tumultuous vote in parliament expected later this month, come on top of a cut earlier this month in the twice-yearly bonus payments that many Greeks had come to rely on to supplement their pensions.

They are latest steps in an

austerity drive launched by the government to slash a huge deficit and debt that have forced Greece to turn to its eurozone peers and the International Monetary Fund for financial help. Labor Minister Andreas Loverdos warned that the pension system faces “collapse” after next year without reform.

“Inaction would have meant no pensions,” he said after the cabinet approved the reforms.

Mideast joint ventures contribute to driving equity earnings KUWAIT: The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) delivered sales of $13.4 billion for the first quarter of 2010, representing a 33 percent increase compared with sales in the same period last year on a pro forma basis excluding divestitures. Top-line growth was driven by a 16 percent increase in volume and a 17 percent increase in price. Equity earnings for the quarter were a record $304 million, up more than $200 million compared with the same period of 2009.

Dow reported earnings of $0.41 per share and sales rose 48 percent versus the same period last year. On a pro forma(1) basis excluding divestitures, sales were up 33 percent with increases in all geographic areas. North America showed a 27 percent improvement and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) reported a 35 percent improvement. Sales were also up in all operating segments, excluding Health and Agricultural Sciences. Volume increased 16 percent, with the combined Performance segments delivering a 19 percent increase.

Emerging geographies delivered volume growth of 27 percent.

Sales in the Basic Plastics segment were $3.0 billion, up 49 percent from the same quarter last year, as volume increased 5 percent and price increased 44 percent. Price increases were reported in all geographic areas.

Polyethylene was the largest contributor to both volume and price increases. Relatively low production costs in North America and a comparatively weak US dollar supported continued export opportunities, enabling the business to achieve double-digit volume growth in developing regions in Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Basic Plastics EBITDA for the quarter was $718 million. This compares with EBITDA of $122 million in the year-ago period.

Synergies related to the acquisition of Rohm and Haas and structural cost reductions were $275 million in the quarter. This was achieved while increasing R&D spending 10 percent year-over-year on a pro forma basis. “Our focus on delivering against our commitments, especially on structural cost reductions while continuing to invest for growth in our new portfolio, was on full display again in the quarter,” said Andrew Liveris, chairman and chief executive officer. “I am particularly pleased with the accelerated growth in our Performance businesses, as well as the continued growth in emerging geographies. This is right on strategy for the new Dow.” “The Middle East is a very important region for Dow,” said Markus Wildi, President, Dow Middle East. “As the region’s fast-growing economies become global leaders in the petrochemicals industry, we are confident that our joint venture commitments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE will continue to spell success for Dow, its partners and the countries.”

Dow’s presence in the Middle East spans over 30 years and has been characterized by landmark business relationships and a strong commitment to positively impact the local economic landscape. Dow has successful joint ventures with industry partners across the Middle East in markets such as the UAE, Egypt, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Long-standing relationships with regional leaders like E.A. Juffali & Brothers and Tasnee Sahara Olefins Company have helped solidify Dow’s presence as a respected industry partner and leader in the Middle East and support Dow’s continued investments in the region, such as the proposed $20 billion dollar petrochemicals joint venture project with Saudi Aramco.

Serbia has already drawn 1.3 billion euros from the IMF loan.

The IMF formally agreed to the massive credit to Serbia in May last year on condition that Belgrade cut its budget deficit, reduce public administration by 10 percent and freeze public sector wages and pensions until April 2011. — Agencies

PIRAEUS: A cleanup crew works at the port of Piraeus, near Athens yesterday. Piraeus, Greece’s busiest ferry and commercial port, has been hit by recent strikes against government austerity measures. — AP

Greece’s main trade unions have vowed major protests against the plan.

“I don’t know what people’s anger will lead to but I’m afraid of a social explosion,” Papailiadis said. Stavroula Zerdeva, a former central bank employee, also warned there could be a “social revolt.” “The people are outraged,” complained Zerdeva, a widow who draws a pension of 1,400 euros a month. She said she will receive 2,600 euros a year less.

“We will now have to count our every euro,” she said. “I cannot accept this cut to my pension without a thorough clean-up of all this fiscal embezzlement,” she said.

Like many Greeks, Zerdeva blamed the budget crisis on decades of economic mismanagement by successive governments. “Those of us who dutifully paid our taxes cannot tolerate footing the bill for mistakes the politicians have made over the last 30 years,” she said. Papailiadis said the crisis had also been aggravated by a climate of easy credit and big spending in recent years.

“The banks started operating like supermarkets. People started thinking everything was easy. They started living the big life. It was a totally false prosperity,” she said. In a working-class district of Athens, an elderly cafe owner said the austerity reforms were ruining his modest business.

“I’ll tell you about retirement. After 44 years of work, I’m being put out of business,” he moaned as he lugged supermarket supplies into his dusty bar. Complaining about tax rises and pension cuts, he said: “I only had around 20 clients left and with the way prices are going I’m going to lose them.” — AFP

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Interest rates surge as Europe launches bailout NEW YORK: Interest rates surged in the bond market yesterday after European leaders and central banks around the world agreed to rescue measures to help stem growing debt problems in Europe.

European Union leaders and the International Monetary Fund agreed to a nearly $1 trillion aid package that will help weak European countries like Greece that are struggling with debt. The US Federal Reserve is also making loans available to central banks in Europe that can then loan

the money out to financial institutions in their countries.

Central banks from England, Switzerland and Japan also said they would make money available as part of the swap program.

The programs brought relief to investors that had been worried a Greek debt crisis could spread and further undermine the euro, which is used by 16 European countries. With the rescue package in place, investors dived back into riskier assets like stocks at the expense of safe

investments like US Treasury bonds. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note that matures in February 2020 rose to 3.54 percent in late trading Monday from 3.43 percent from late Friday. Its price fell 90.625 cents to $100.65625. Bond yields rise when their prices fall.

The yield on the 10-year note is often used as a benchmark for setting interest rates on consumer loans and mortgages.

Interest rates tumbled last week as traders retreated to safe investments like US gov-

ernment bonds. The rise in rates and drop in Treasury prices also comes ahead of $78 billion in auctions this week for three-year and 10-year notes, as well as 30-year bonds.

The government is selling $38 billion in three-year notes on Tuesday, $24 billion in 10-year notes on Wednesday and $16 billion in 30-year bonds on Thursday.

Treasury yields could climb further before the auctions, analysts say. “It wouldn’t surprise me one bit,” if yields rose in the next couple of days, said Matt Hastings, a

portfolio manager at Charles Schwab Investment Management. Investors will often drive prices lower and yields higher heading into auctions just to improve returns on new debt being issued. Hastings said the yield on the 10-year note would have to rise to between 3.65 percent and 3.75 percent just to make it into the range that has been seen at auctions for 10-year notes already auctioned this year.

In other trading, the yield on the 2-year note that matures in April 2012 rose to 0.87

percent from 0.83 percent, while its price fell 9.375 cents to $100.25. The yield on the 5-year note that matures in April 2015 rose to 2.27 percent from 2.17 percent. Its price fell 43.75 cents to $101.0625. The yield on the 30-year bond that matures in February 2040 rose to 4.42 percent from 4.28 percent. Its price fell $2.25 to $103.4375. The yield on the three-month Treasury bill that matures August 12 rose to 0.15 percent from 0.12 percent. Its discount rate was 0.16 percent. — AP

ABN turned ‘blind eye’ to evade sanctions: US Bank agrees to forfeit $500 million to US LONDON: US prosecutors have accused ABN Amro, now largely part of Royal Bank of Scotland, of turning a “blind eye” to US laws, using special procedures to bypass US sanctions against Cuba, Iran and other countries. RBS, part of a trio of banks that bought ABN in 2007, said on Monday the consortium had agreed to a $500 million fine as part of a final settlement with US

authorities. The payment was covered by the provision made before ABN was bought. In the latest of a series of fines levied by the United States on banks in connection with money laundering offences, ABN was charged with one count of violating the Bank Secrecy Act and a second of conspiracy to defraud the United States, violating laws including the Trading with the Enemy Act.

LONDON: People enter the office of Royal Bank of Scotland in London. The part-nationalized Royal Bank of Scotland said it is axing 2,600 more jobs, or 14 percent of its staff in its British insurance arm and retail banking headquarters. — AP

Wall Street crash exposes world of electronic trading WASHINGTON: Regulators picking through the rubble of last week’s dramatic Wall Street crash have exposed a Byzantine system of electronic trading that may have propelled the sell-off. In 10 boneshaking minutes on Thursday the Dow Jones Industrial Average-representing the 30 most venerable US firms-briefly lost almost a tenth of its value. Open-jawed investors blanched as the pensions and savings of millions of Americans were decimated, along with the livelihoods of countless more.

Days and a partial recovery later, the most fundamental question has still not been answered: What happened? Concerns about Europe’s debt crisis no doubt contributed, but few analysts believed worries about Greece’s fiscal malfeasance-as serious as it may be-would cause US equities markets to go through a near-death experience. The Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Stock Exchange and even President Barack Obama have vowed to uncover the causes of the fall. In the meantime, homespun theories have been shot down one-by-one.

The major US stock markets said a glitch on their trading platforms was not to blame.

Citigroup angrily brushed aside the notion that one of its traders had mistakenly hit the billion rather than million button on a sale. Some bolder television commentators speculated that cyber-terrorism may be to blame, although evidence appeared to be lacking. Whatever the trigger, blame for the severity of the crash is now aimed squarely at algorithmic trades.

At their simplest, “algos” are used to buy or sell shares at a certain trigger point, to limit losses or seek new profits. They are responsible for anywhere between 60 and 90 percent of trading on a normal day.

In a market that is driven by endless reams of data, algorithms are able to spot and act on opportunities at a speed investors could not hope to match. “One program can trade thousands of stocks in milliseconds,” explained Terrence Hendershott, a professor of finance at the University of California, Berkeley.

New figures for consumer spending or one stock’s deviation from the broader price trend can trigger a rash of buying and selling while a human trader is off getting coffee. But when the flow of data is disrupted or unusual, the effects can be dramatic.

Hendershott speculated that Thursday

crash could have been caused by a badly programmed algorithm, or a trader’s mistake. That could have sparked automated selling that forced stock prices down and triggered a cascade of other automated sales. This domino effect could have occurred at such a pace that humans had no idea what was happening.

It is a scenario that proponents of algorithmic trading, like Hendershott, had thought improbable, until Thursday. “What computers are particularly good at is processing the same information in the same ways and optimizing that very, very quickly,” he said. “What they might not be so good at is dealing with some new situations that have never occurred before.” The response from regulators and Congress has been swift. “A temporary one trillion drop in market value is an unacceptable consequence of a software glitch,” said Senators Ted Kaufman and Mark Warner in a letter a colleagues. A Congressional hearing is planned and calls are growing for regula-

tion. The Securities and Exchange Commission is urging exchanges to put better “speed bumps” in place that would slow down trade, turning more decisions back to human brokers. Many on Wall Street see resolving the quandary as crucial to restoring the trust of ordinary investors. “American’s confidence in Wall Street was already low. It is now eroded even more than before,” worried David Kotok of Cumberland Advisors-a financial firm.

But according to Hendershott, algorithms have also made markets more efficient, better able to assess the true value of an asset. They were also responsible for the equally rapid recovery seen in stock markets on Thursday, he said, as programs spotted ultra-low prices for some stocks.

“It was bad that it went down so fast, but there was no way the humans were reacting fast enough to make it come back.”

Thanks to algorithms, 10 minutes is now a very long time in the stock market. —AFP

WASHINGTON: Duncan L Niederauer, chief of NYSE Euronext arrives at the Treasury Department for a private meeting in Washington. — AP

It involved transactions on behalf of customers from Iran, Libya, Sudan, Cuba and other sanctioned countries. “ABN Amro facilitated the movement of illegal money through the US financial system by stripping information from transactions and turning a blind eye to its compliance obligations,” Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer said.

According to court documents, for a decade until 2005 and, in a limited way, through to 2007, offices, branches, affiliates and subsidiaries of ABN removed or altered names and references to sanctioned countries from payment messages.

The stripping procedures, which also applied to traveler’s cheques and letters of credit, allowed the bank to circumvent US controls and pass undetected through filters at US banks.

Prosecutors said the scheme allowed US sanctioned countries to move “hundreds of millions of dollars through the US financial system”.

ABN’s New York branch saw more than $3.2 billion from shell companies and “high risk transactions” flow through it. Last year, British bank Lloyds was fined $350 million by US authorities on similar charges it faked records so clients from Iran, Sudan and elsewhere could do business within the US banking system. Credit Suisse paid $538 million in fines in December.

ABN’s fine adds to a string of bad news for RBS linked to the bank it bought at the height of the crisis in an audacious deal with Santander and Fortis which ultimately proved to be the British bank’s downfall.

Last month, the US Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil fraud charges against Goldman Sachs over a security it arranged and sold with credit insurance from ABN - which left RBS on the hook for $841 million in losses. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Sen Carl Levin, D-Mich (right) and Sen Jeff Merkley, D- Org, pause during a news conference on financial reform in Washington. — AP

US regulators move to avert new stock market free-fall WASHINGTON: US regulators are racing to enact new rules to prevent a repeat of last week’s stock market free-fall as they face calls for change when Congress takes up the issue yesterday. Days after markets were badly shaken by a near 1,000point drop on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Securities and Exchange Commission said additional “circuit breakers” were being considered. Despite markets recovering much of the losses, the selloff sent a wave of panic across global stock markets and left President Barack Obama vowing to investigate the “unusual market activity”.

The heads of a host of exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the tech-heavy Nasdaq, met with the head of the SEC and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday to hammer out new rules. They presented him with “their preliminary findings and potential recommendations to address the problem highlighted by last Thursday’s unusual market activity,” Treasury spokesman Andrew Williams said.

“Secretary Geithner reinforced the need for a coordinated and timely response to help ensure the proper functioning of our markets.”

Although markets had been roiled by fears that Greece’s debt crisis would spread to other eurozone countries and derail the global economic recovery, other

US central banker blames imbalances in world crisis ZURICH: A US central banker yesterday blamed economic imbalances, notably exchange rate rigidity, in the recent worldwide financial crisis.

Donald Kohn, vice chairman of the US Federal Reserve, told central bankers and analysts at a closed-door conference that even before the financial crisis, policymakers were “focused on reducing current account imbalances to stave off such stresses.” The United States was told to save more, while “for some countries, especially China, increasing the flexibility of exchange rates was a key policy recommendation.”

“Despite the considerable attention paid to these issues, limited progress was made in actually implementing this agenda or in reducing global imbalances,” Kohn said, according to a written copy of his speech. While the crisis was sparked by the financial sector, Kohn said its problems had been “enabled, if not encouraged” by the global economic environment. The imbalances had put pressure on real interest rates, and the low yield in turn sent investors to higher risk products and increased borrowing.

“Thus, in my view, global

imbalances contributed to important macroeconomic and financial vulnerabilities and, hence, to the emergence of the global financial crisis,” he said. Without pointing specifically to China, Kohn said it was in the best interests of economies to adopt more flexible exchange rates.

“More flexible exchange rates will help domestic demand fill in the gap left once foreign demand falls back to a more sustainable level.

“More flexible exchange rates also provide domestic policymakers greater scope to focus on domestic goals of full employment and price stability,” he said.

The United States has been calling for China to allow the renminbi to appreciate, claiming that Beijing was undervaluing its currency to make its exports competitive.

IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Financial Stability Board head Mario Draghi and investor George Soros are among participants at the meeting in Zurich.

Chinese central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan, European Central Bank head JeanClaude Trichet, Bundesbank chief Axel Weber were also due to attend. — AFP

factors are thought to have played a role. The speed of Thursday’s slide suggested that a mistaken trade or computer error could be involved, observers said. It took just minutes to notch losses worth billions of dollars. The NYSE had slowed down trade on Thursday in an effort to halt the decline, but it proved futile as traders simply moved onto electronic platforms without so-called “speed bumps” and continued the sell-off.

In a rare move, the NYSE and the Nasdaq canceled trades executed between 2:40 and 3:00 pm that were off more than 60 percent from the price at the start of that period. SEC chairwoman Mary Schapiro described meetings with the leaders of six exchanges as “constructive”. “As a first step, the parties agreed on a structural framework, to be refined over the next day, for strengthening circuit breakers and handling erroneous trades,” she said.

Lawmakers are expected to call on stock exchange chiefs to explain the drop when they appear before a House of Representatives financial ser-

vices panel yesterday. Schapiro, SEC Trading and Markets Division director Robert Cook and US Commodity Futures Trading Commission chairman Gary Gensler are due before the panel, along with NYSE Euronext chief executive Lawrence Leibowitz, NASDAQ executive vice president Eric Noll and CME Group Inc. executive chairman Terrence Duffy.

Senator Chuck Schumer has written to the top US equities, options and futures exchanges urging them to adopt uniform circuit-breakers to slow vast, speedy sell-offs like last week’s plunge. “Coordination and consistent safeguards between trading venues and across markets-is essential,” the New York Democrat said. Schumer’s letter went to Schapiro and top executives of the NYSE, NASDAQ, Direct Edge, BATS Exchange, International Securities Exchange, Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chicago Board Options Exchange. The senator also called for regulators to develop a new market-surveillance system to track volatile trading. — AFP

Treasury lax with records in bank talks: Watchdog WASHINGTON: The Treasury Department is lax about keeping records of its negotiations with bailed-out banks, including undocumented conversations in which billions of taxpayer dollars are at stake, a new watchdog report says.

Treasury fails to keep meeting minutes or notes from phone calls with banks that received money from its $700 billion financial bailout, says the report from Neil Barofsky, the Special Inspector General for the bailout fund. Barofsky’s audit concerns Treasury’s negotiations to sell bank warrants securities that allow the holder to buy stock in the future at a fixed price.

Treasury received the warrants from hundreds of banks as a deal-sweetener as it injected billions of dollars to stabilize the reeling banking sector. The report blasts Treasury for failing to keep complete notes about the process by which it sells those warrants after banks have returned their bailout money. “When a brief telephone call can mean the difference of tens of billions of dollars, it is a basic and essential element of transparency and accountability that the substance of that call be documented,” Barofsky writes.

The warrants were designed during the financial crisis to give taxpayers an extra benefit if the bailouts were successful in calming the stock market and reviving the banks.

When stock prices rise,

the warrants become more valuable because holders can pocket the difference. After banks pay back their bailout money, they negotiate with Treasury over how much they will pay to buy back their warrants. Banks prefer to buy the warrants because selling them to third parties would eventually dilute the value of existing shares. During these negotiations, officials failed to keep detailed minutes of meetings during which they set target prices, Barofsky writes. Even more troubling, he writes, is Treasury’s failure to document its contact with the banks.

“Even assuming that Treasury is making decisions in every case based on reasonable and fair rationales, in the absence of documentation Treasury leaves itself vulnerable to criticism that its decisions are unwise, arbitrary or unfair,” he writes. The report also says Treasury lacks clear rules about what information is shared with banks as they attempt to bid the lowest acceptable amount to buy back the warrants.

Investigators found that different banks received widely varying amounts of information, the report says.

Barofsky says Treasury should begin collecting detailed notes on meetings and phone calls, and should develop guidelines about what banks will be told concerning Treasury’s price estimates. As of March 19, Treasury had collected $5.63 billion by selling the warrants, the report says. —AP

TECHNOLOGY

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

27

Playboy readers get 3-D centerfold June’s edition hopes to up circulation

MENLO PARK: This image shows an Archaeopteryx, a 150-million-year-old “dino-bird” fossil, long thought to contain nothing but fossilized bone and rock. —AFP

Fossil sheds new light on ‘dino-bird’ WASHINGTON: Researchers have located chemical remains of the oldest known bird, Archaeopteryx, in a landmark development for paleontology while studying fossils recovered 150 years ago, a new study released Monday found.

The discovery about the half-bird, half-dinosaur detailed in the May 10-15 journal Proceedings of National Academy of Science, shows “portions of the feathers are not merely impressions of longdecomposed organic material as was previously believed.

“Instead, they include fossilized fragments of actual feathers containing phosphorous and sulfur, elements that compose modern bird feathers,” wrote researchers including lead author geochemist Dr Roy Wogelius from The University of Manchester, which worked with the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in the United States. “We talk about the physical link between birds and dinosaurs, and now we have found a chemical link between them,” said Wogelius.

“In the fields of paleontology and geology, people have studied bones for decades. But this whole idea of the preservation of trace metals and the chemical remains of soft tissue is quite exciting.”

British and US researchers found that trace

amounts of copper and zinc were also found in the Dinobird’s bones: like modern birds, the Archaeopteryx may have needed them to flourish.

“Archaeopteryx is to paleontology what Tutankhamen is to archaeology. It’s simply one of the icons of our field,” said University of Manchester palaeontologist Dr Phil Manning said.

“You would think after 150 years of study, we’d know everything we need to know about this animal. But guess what-we were wrong.” Wogelius stressed: “We talk about the physical link between birds and dinosaurs, and now we have found a chemical link between them.

Researchers made the game-changing discovery by subjecting the Archaepteryx fossil to super-strong X-rays: the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, in California. SLAC physicist Uwe Bergmann, who led the X-ray scanning experiment, said: “People have never used a technique this sensitive on Archaeopteryx before.

“Because the SSRL beam is so bright, we were able to see the teeniest chemical traces that nobody thought were there.” And CMW Institute researcher Bob Morton said: “The discovery that certain fossils retain the detailed chemistry of the original organisms offers scientists a new avenue for learning about long-extinct creatures.” —AFP

SAINT-DENIS DE LA REUNION: Manager of the Phone Island shop poses yesterday with Apple’s mass market iPad touchscreen portable tablet computer that he has been selling since the end of April. The much-anticipated consumer gadget was launched on the US domestic market on April 3, and will go on sale outside the United States in nine major countries for the first time on May 28. —AFP

CHICAGO: Playboy readers who can only imagine what it would look like if a nude centerfold jumped right off the page are getting new specs to help them see into Hef’s world. The magazine’s June edition hits newsstands Friday equipped with 3-D glasses. Now the toy that has kids dodging dragons, meatballs and tall blue aliens at the movies will help adults focus on what is, at first glance, a very blurry Playmate of the Year. “What would people most like to see in 3-D?” asked Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.

“Probably a naked lady.”

Hefner makes no secret of hoping to capitalize on the popularity of 3-D movies such as “Avatar” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” even as he makes no secret of not quite getting what all the fuss is about. “I’m not a huge enthusiast of 3-D,” he said in a telephone interview. “I leave real life to go to the movies and 2-D is fine with me.” If the thought of grown men sitting back in their recliners with a pair of 3-D glasses doesn’t quite say “Playboy,” it should be noted that a few months ago the magazine put Marge Simpson - yes, the bluehaired animated mother of Bart - on the cover and in a two-page centerfold. “In today’s print environment you have to create newsstand events,” said the editorial director of the Chicago-based magazine, Jimmy Jellinek. “Marge Simpson was one of those.”

Playboy certainly must do something to get more people, especially younger people, to buy a magazine that has seen circulation plummet from 3.5 million in 2006 to 1.5 million today.

Jellinek said he hopes the issue featuring centerfold Hope Dworaczyk in 3-D also reminds people that for all the infatuation with the Internet, there is nothing quite like having a magazine in your hands. “People want things that last and have meaning,” he said. The thought hadn’t occurred to Hefner. But, now that you mention it: “This particular picture is one example of how books and magazines are different (than computer images),” he said. “You can hold it in your hands, save them, and as Dad used to, put them under the mattress.” —AP

Kaspersky Lab reveals Kuwait’s malware act DUBAI: Trojans are the most common and dangerous malware in Kuwait accounting for over 45 percent of the total online threats according to a study by Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions. According to the study, 51 percent of online attacks in Kuwait this year will target Windows XP Professional with a further 17 per cent impacting Vista Home operating system.

Speaking at the ICT Security Forum in Kuwait yesterday, Maksym Schipka, Director, R&D, Europe, Kaspersky Lab, said that the number of malware samples detected year on year globally has grown from half a million in 2005 to over 16 million last year.

“Today’s threat landscape is very different to that of just a few years ago. The signs are scary and individuals, businesses and government institutions need to be constantly alerted of the risks lurking in cyber space ready to take advantage of security gaps,” said Schipka during his presentation “Threat Landscape 2010: Evolution or Revolution?”

“Cybercriminals pose a significant security threat on critical infrastructure such as power grids and oil and gas wells which are becoming increasingly reliant on new computer technology and companies and gov-

Stefan Tanase ernments need to invest in creating safer environments capable of withstanding attacks from virtual intruders or hackers,” he added.

And with Kuwait being among one of the world’s largest producers of fossil fuel the country’s oil exploration sector could be a premium target for cybercriminals who use their advanced techniques to interfere with systems’ security and demand ransoms for profit or for activists who use cyber attacks as a means to put governments under pressure for political ends.

“We’ve seen a number of cases where the cybercriminals targeted mission critical systems connected to the Internet and

either try to steal information from them or affect their operation,” said Schipka. “In the Middle East we have a great opportunity to design and deploy secure control systems and to maintain them secure for years to come. This is partly because of the high rate of adoption of new technologies which is required in the oil business in order to stay competitive and especially given how scarce the oil will become in the following 50 years. With natural resources like oil and gas becoming hard to explore and extract, their price will increase greatly and then we will see even more attacks designed to control the infrastructures they are build on. We need to act now and we need to do it right.”

“One must remember that any system connected to the Internet can be attacked and sooner or later, a determined attacker will succeed into accessing it. That is why there have been documented incidents of hackers breaking to NASA computers or Governmental computers getting accessed through malware by foreign entities. We believe it is of extreme importance for Governments around the globe to evaluate the current situation and keep investing into the infrastructure required for tomorrow, secure communications, while maintaining flexibility and low costs.”

DAVOS: Canadian film director James Cameron poses with 3D glasses prior to a show of his movie “Avatar” on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in this file picture. —AFP

Beware phony 3-D as Hollywood cashes in LOS ANGELES: One year after a 3-D film opened Cannes for the first time ever, Hollywood is in the grip of a revolution that has generated billions of dollars and sent cinema-goers flocking back to theaters. But industry heavyweights and analysts have warned that the 3-D bonanza could be jeopardized if studios sacrifice quality in order to cash in on movie-making’s most important technological milestone since color films.

While James Cameron’s science-fiction epic “Avatar” provided ground-breaking confirmation of what 3-D at its immersive best can offer, the Greek mythology remake “Clash of the Titans” was an illustration of what can go wrong. “Avatar” was conceived and shot using state-of-the-art 3D cameras-Cameron said he waited for technology to “catch up” with his imagination-”Titans” was shot in 2-D and hastily converted into 3-D during post production.

“A few more 3-D spectacles like ‘Clash of the Titans’ and audiences will be clamoring for 2-D,” was the withering assessment of the Wall Street Journal. Jeffrey Katzenberg, the respected head of Dreamworks Animation, was similarly scathing, warning in a recent interview with Variety that the movie industry was at a “genuine crossroads.” Movie-goers who have been happy to pay more at the boxoffice for quality 3-D will quickly wise up if they feel they are being served up an inferior product, Katzenberg warned.

“We’ve seen the highest end of 3-D (in ‘Avatar’) and you have now witnessed the lowest end of it (in ‘Titans’),” Katzenberg

said. “You cannot do anything that is of a lower grade and a lower quality than what has just been done on ‘Clash of the Titans’.

It literally is ‘OK, congratulations! You just snookered the movie audience.’ “We may get away with it a few times but in the long run, (moviegoers) will wake up. And the day they wake up is the day they walk away from us and we blew it,” Katzenberg added.

Lew Harris, the managing editor of thewrap.com website, said the experience of “Clash of the Titans” could have implications for persistent speculation that classic films such as “Star Wars” and “Titanic” may be re-released in 3-D. “I think it depends on how they do it,” Harris told AFP. “By the time these films come out a lot of the 3-D novelty is going to be over.

“And a lot of people are going to be tired of paying for 3-D, particularly if there are lots of films where the 3-D hasn’t been good. “Will people go and see ‘Titanic’ in 3D? I think they might, just out of curiosity.

It’s a ‘big’ movie. You’ve got the huge spectacle of a ship sinking, people plunging into the water. It would be an interesting 3-D experience.”

But Harris also believes Hollywood will need to be selective in determining which films from the past can be repackaged in 3D. “They’re going to have to be careful that people don’t get turned off,” he said. “In a lot of cases it’s questionable how much the 3-D really adds to the experience. Disney’s talking about ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in 3-D. “But they’re going to have to prove that 3-D adds enough of a differentiation. I saw ‘Up’ in 3-D and I don’t think there was any-

thing I would have lost by having seen it in 2-D.” David Wertheimer, the chief executive of the University of Southern California’s Entertainment Technology Center and the former president of Paramount Digital Entertainment, said artistic obstacles sometimes prevented films from being successfully converted into 3-D. “Most people don’t realize that there is an ‘art’ to making great 3-D,” Wertheimer said in comments emailed to AFP. “It’s not just about the technology and creating a second eye view. “Most 3-D films being distributed today have 3-D in mind from conception. The shots in those films are being staged and framed differently.

“They’re being edited differently to maximize the ‘effect’ that the depth has on the story and the experience.

“The problem with converting live action movies from 2-D to 3-D is that some of the creative choices that the director and DP (director of photography) originally made are different from how you would want them in 3-D. “It is sometimes impossible to make comfortable 3-D out of 2-D shots that are framed in a certain fashion.

So, it’s an entirely new creative process in converting that film to 3-D.” Yet Wertheimer believes classic films such as “Star Wars” and “Titanic” could be successfully converted provided the makers of the original films are closely involved in the process. “In the hands of the original creators, the likelihood of success is great (assuming enough time and budget to do it right),” he wrote. —AFP

How an unfixed Net glitch could strand you offline NEW YORK: In 1998, a hacker told Congress that he could bring down the Internet in 30 minutes by exploiting a certain flaw that sometimes caused online outages by misdirecting data. In 2003, the Bush administration concluded that fixing this flaw was in the nation’s “vital interest.” Fast forward to 2010, and very little has happened to improve the situation. The flaw still causes outages every year. Although most of the outages are innocent and fixed quickly, the problem still could be exploited by a hacker to spy on data traffic or take down websites. Meanwhile, our reliance on the Internet has only increased. The next outage, accidental or malicious, could disrupt businesses, the government or anyone who needs the Internet to run normally.

The outages are caused by the somewhat haphazard way that traffic is passed between companies that carry Internet data. The outages are called “hijackings,” even though most of them are not caused by criminals bent on destruction.

Instead the outages are a problem borne out of the open nature of the Internet, a quality that also has stimulated the Net’s dazzling growth. “It’s ugly when you look under the cover,” says Earl Zmijewski, a general manager at Renesys Corp, which tracks the performance of Internet data routes. “It amazes me every day when I get into work and find it’s working.”

When you send an e-mail, view a Web page or do anything else online, the information you read and transmit is handed from one carrier of Internet data to another, sometimes in a long chain. When you log into Facebook, your data might be handed from your Internet service provider to a company such as Level 3 Communications Inc, which operates a global network of fiber-optic lines that carry Internet data across long distances. It, in turn, might pass the data to a carrier that’s connected directly to Facebook’s server computers.

The crux of the problem is that each carrier along the way figures out how to route the data based only on what the surrounding carriers in the chain say, rather than by looking at the whole path. It’s as if a driver had to get from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh without a map, navigating solely by traffic signs he encountered along the way - but

the signs weren’t put up by a central authority. If a sign pointed in the wrong direction, that driver would get lost. That’s essentially what happens when an Internet route gets hijacked. Because carriers pass information between themselves about where data should go - and this system has no secure, automatic means of verifying that the routing information is correct - data can be routed to some carrier that isn’t expecting the information.

The carrier doesn’t know what to do with it, and usually just drops it. It falls into a “black hole.”

On April 25, 1997, millions of people in North America lost access to all of the Internet for about an hour. The hijacking was caused by an employee mis-programming a router, a computer that directs data traffic, at a small Internet service provider. A similar incident happened elsewhere the next year, and the one after that. Routing errors also blocked Internet access in different parts of the world, often for millions of people, in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009. Last month a Chinese Internet service provider halted access from around the world to a vast number of sites, including Dell.com and CNN.com, for about 20 minutes. In 2008, Pakistan Telecom tried to comply with a government order to prevent access to YouTube from the country and intentionally “black-holed” requests for YouTube videos from Pakistani Internet users. But it also accidentally told the international carrier upstream from it that “I’m the best route to YouTube, so send all YouTube traffic to me.” The upstream carrier accepted the routing message, and passed it along to other carriers across the world, which started sending all requests for YouTube videos to Pakistan Telecom.

Soon, even Internet users in the US were deprived of videos of singing cats and skateboarding dogs for a few hours. In 2004, the flaw was put to malicious use when someone got a computer in Malaysia to tell Internet service providers that it was part of Yahoo Inc. A flood of spam was sent out, appearing to come from Yahoo. “Hijacking is very much like identity theft. Someone in the world claims to be you,” said Todd Underwood, who worked for Renesys during the Pakistan Telecom hijacking. He now works for Google Inc,

trying to prevent hijacking of its websites, which include YouTube. In 2003, the Bush administration’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board assembled a “National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace” that concluded that it was vital to fix the routing system and make sure the “traffic signs” always point in the right direction.

But unlike Internet bugs that get discovered and fixed relatively quickly, the routing system has been unreformed for more than a decade. And while there’s some progress being made, there’s little industry-wide momentum behind efforts to introduce a permanent remedy. Data carriers regard the fallibility of the routing system as the price to be paid for the Internet’s open, flexible structure. The simplicity of the routing system makes it easy for service providers to connect, a quality that has probably helped the explosive growth of the Internet. That growth has also increased the risks exponentially. Fifteen years ago, maybe 8,000 people in the world had access to computers that use the Border Gateway Protocol, or BGP, which defines how carriers pass routing information to each other. Now, Danny McPherson, chief security officer at Arbor Networks, believes that with the growth of Internet access across the world and the attendant increase in the number of carriers, that figure is probably closer to 1 million people.

Peiter Zatko, a member of the “hacker think tank” called the L0pht, told Congress in 1998 that he could use the BGP vulnerability to bring down the Internet in half an hour. In recent years, Zatko - who now works for the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - has said the exploit would still work. However, it would likely take a few hours rather than 30 minutes, partly because a greater number of Internet carriers would need to be hit. Plenty of solutions have been proposed in the Internet engineering community, going back as far as 1995.

The US government has supported these efforts, spurred in part by the Bush administration’s 2003 strategy statement. That has resulted in some trials of new technology, but adoption by data carriers still appears distant. And the federal government doesn’t have any direct authority to force changes. —AP

HEALTH & SCIENCE

28

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

HIV epidemic imminent in Philippines: Study Philippines has lowest rate of condom use in Asia

TALLINN: A boy stands at the Tuhala Witch Well in Estonia. Legend has it that when the witches of Tuhala bathe underground they bring alive the famed Witch’s Well, a local spring which has become the focus of a dispute between nature lovers and mine companies. —AFP

Estonia’s Witch’s Well at heart of ecological battle TALLINN: Legend has it that when the witches of Tuhala bathe underground they bring alive the Witch’s Well, a spring which erupts erratically to send thousands of liters of water spouting into the surrounding marshland. It is one of Estonia’s bestloved tourist attractions, but now the site has become the focus of a dispute between nature lovers and mining companies.

Tens of thousands of Estonians have protested plans for open-pit limestone mining, asking the government to reject a development they claim would wreck the Tuhala marshland. “Mining would destroy one of the most unique nature attractions in northern Europe-the Tuhala Witch Well,” Ants Talioja, head of the Tuhala Nature Centre and the man behind a mass petition against mining plans, told AFP. “The mining would leave 16 villages without well-water and would fill local attractions-like caves unseen elsewhere in Estonia-with water,” he added, saying rare orchids in the region would also be under threat. The Witch’s Well of Tuhala usually erupts in the spring when snow melts or when heavy rains drench the earth. The phenomenon happens a few times a year and lasts from a day to three weeks.

Geologists believe it is linked to an extensive network of subterranean rivers spanning the region, creating dangerous sink-holes. As soon as it begins to churn out copious amounts of water, Estonians and visitors from abroad descend on the site, located 40 kilometres (miles) from Tallinn. An Internet petition against the planned mine posted on the site (www.tuhalanoiakaevuleappi.com/en/) has attracted more than 57,000 signatures-a significant number in Estonia, a Baltic nation of 1.3 million.

“I feel like I have a small army of nature activists behind me,” Talioja said of the response. Protesters want the area, which is state property, to be transformed into a nature reserve, banning any future mining activity. Estonia’s Academy of Sciences has also called for a thorough study of the environmental impact of the planned limestone quarry on the site.

But mine proponents-four companies have asked authorities for permission to set up open-pit limestone mines on the land-say the protesters are over-reacting.

“I think those who make a lot of noise about it over-estimate the danger,” said Boris Oks, deputy director of the

Paekivitoode Tehas limestone factory behind the open-pit project. Estonia would be forced to import limestone from Finland and Sweden in the coming decade should the new limestone quarry not be created, he told AFP. The companies involved insist future mining on the land is inevitable if Estonia wishes to continue to use local limestone to repair and build roads. Oks’s company has asked Estonia’s environmental ministry to make a joint environmental impact study and wants permission for mining to start while the study is ongoing “so the possible impact of mining will be screened better.”

However, “the position of the ministry and Minister Jaanus Tamkivi is firm-mines will not be allowed before its clear they will not damage nature,” Hanno Zingel, nature protection expert at the environment ministry, told AFP. While the environment ministry says it is being cautious, protesters claim the government is already counting on the limestone from the planned mine. “The government is currently compiling the development plan of construction materials for 2010-2020 and the plan to include these mines in that document has not been yet dropped,” Talioja said. —AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesian activists from Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP) dressed as apes stage a mock ape boxing match as a protest outside the Forestry Ministry office yesterday, calling for the return of 11 alleged Indonesian orangutans discovered at a private zoo in Thailand. Scores of activists held a protest, staging a mock ape boxing match making reference to the real orangutan kick boxing matches that were reportedly organized as entertainment at a Thai zoo, urging Indonesia’s government to claim back 11 orangutans believed to have been taken from Indonesia that are still held by Thailand’s government following a raid on February 5, 2009 at a private zoo by Thai authorities. —AFP

HONG KONG: Low condom use, needle sharing and a rise in casual sex and prostitution may unleash an HIV epidemic in the Philippines, according to a new study. The report, published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society, said young adults, gay and bisexual men, prostitutes, injecting drug users, overseas Filipino workers and sex partners of all these groups were vulnerable to contracting the virus.

“There is no guarantee that a large HIV epidemic will be avoided in the near future.

Indeed, an expanding HIV epidemic is likely to be only a matter of time as the components for such an epidemic are already present in the Philippines,” wrote Anna Farr and David Wilson at the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

Unlike other countries in the region, the spread of HIV in the Philippines has been described as “low and slow” because of a disperse geography, relatively uncommon intravenous drug use, sexual conservatism and high male circumcision rates. But the authors said an HIV epidemic was possible because of the presence of many conditions “for a large, increasing and generalized epidemic.”

“These include: a low rate of condom use; unsafe practices among intravenous drug users; large migration rates; increasing trends in extramarital and premarital sex; a lack of education and common misconceptions about HIV/AIDS; and cultural factors that inhibit public discussion of issues of a sexual nature,” they wrote.

The report also focused on the 7.5 million Filipinos working abroad in 170 countries.

“By participating in casual unprotected sex or other risky behavior while overseas in higher prevalence settings, overseas Filipino workers become a substantial source of new HIV cases in the Philippines upon their return home,” they said.

Overseas Filipino workers make up 30 to 35 percent of all HIV cases reported in the country, the report said. The Philippines has the lowest rate of condom use in Asia just 20 to 30 percent among groups at risk of HIV infection such as sex workers, according to the report. “A common perception is that condoms are only for birth control and not for protection against HIV and other sexually-transmitted illnesses,” the authors wrote. “This perception is reinforced by the view that condoms are discouraged by the Roman Catholic Church.

Government family planning programs have policies against supplying condoms to unmarried people.”

Monthly HIV diagnoses among homosexual men jumped to 704 by 2008 from 328 in 2003, while the figure among bisexual men shot to 289 from 92 within the same period. The average age of diagnosis has also fallen significantly, from 36 before 2005 to 29 years recently, the authors wrote. —Reuters

Norway should limit Arctic soot to slow warming OSLO: Norway should limit soot from emerging Arctic industries such as oil or shipping that risk accelerating a thaw of ice around the North Pole caused by global warming, a report said yesterday. The study also said climate change, likely to be felt strongly in the Arctic, would shift Norway’s fish stocks, forests and reindeer pastures northwards and even bring a need to re-design hydropower dams to cope with more rain.

“The Norwegian Arctic is becoming warmer and wetter, with big local variations,” the 71-page report led by the Norwegian Polar Institute said of an area from the tip of the European mainland to islands 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the North Pole.

Black soot can blanket ice and snow

with a dark layer that absorbs more of the sun’s energy, speeding a thaw of ice. The Arctic is already warming fast since dark water or ground soaks up more heat than reflective ice. The study is the first national follow-up after an overview for all eight countries with Arctic territory in 2004 warned that warming could hit livelihoods of indigenous peoples and push creatures such as polar bears towards extinction.

Most of the warming in the Arctic so far was caused by emissions from distant power plants, factories and cars. But yesterday’s report said Norway could act to curb future Arctic pollution that could otherwise add to a changing climate. “It is important to limit and regulate emissions from

shipping, the petroleum business or other industries that emit soot directly in the Arctic,” the report said.

“There is commercial technology available that can considerably reduce emissions of soot for most sources,” it said. Tougher limits on soot could push up prices for new industries.

Short-cut Norway is the world’s number five oil exporter and is considering opening new northern areas to exploration amid calls for caution after BP’s spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Arctic Ocean could be a short-cut between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans.

“Climate change in the Norwegian Arctic has major consequences for both nature and people,” Environment Minister Erik Solheim

said. Many impacts would be damaging, such as more acidic oceans or more pollution and damaging ultraviolet rays.

In the most extreme example in the report, one spot east of the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard was projected to become 8 degrees Celsius (14 Fahrenheit) warmer this century.

The study said that Norway, which produces almost all of its electricity from hydropower, would have to plan for more robust dams and other equipment in a wetter climate. It said a changing climate would affect creatures from lemmings to reindeer and allowing new creatures and vegetation to move north. And forests were growing more-helping absorb industrial greenhouse gases. —Reuters

GLOTTERTAL: A horse shows its teeth while standing on a pasture in southern Germany, yesterday. —AP

Earth may be too hot for humans by 2300 SYDNEY: Climate change could make much of the world too hot for human habitation within just three centuries, research released yesterday showed. Scientists from Australia’s University of New South Wales and Purdue University in the United States found that rising temperatures in some places could mean humans would be unable to adapt or survive. “It would begin to occur with global-mean warming of about seven degrees Celsius (13 Fahrenheit), calling the habitability of some regions into question,” the researchers said in a paper.

“With 11-12 degrees Celsius warming, such regions would spread to encompass the majority of the human population as currently distributed.”

Researcher Professor Steven Sherwood said there was no chance of the earth heating up to seven degrees this century, but there was a serious risk that the continued burning of fossil fuels could create the problem by 2300.

“There’s something like a 50/50 chance of that over the long term,” he said. The study-which examined climate change over a longer period than most other research-looked at the “heat

stress” produced by combining the impact of rising temperatures and increased humidity.

Sherwood said climate change research had been “short-sighted” not to probe the long-term consequences of the impact of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

“It needs to be looked at,” he told AFP. “There’s not much we can do about climate change over the next two decades but there’s still a lot we can do about the longer term changes.” In a commentary on the paper, published in the USbased Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Australian National University academics said climate change would not stop in 2100.

“And under realistic scenarios out to 2300, we may be faced with temperature increases of 12 degrees (Celsius) or even more,” Professor Tony McMichael said. “If this happens, our current worries about sea level rise, occasional heatwaves and bushfires, biodiversity loss and agricultural difficulties will pale into insignificance beside a major threat-as much as half the currently inhabited globe may simply become too hot for people to live there.” —AFP

China insists on public smoking ban BEIJING: China, the world’s biggest consumer of tobacco, has insisted it will honor a pledge to ban smoking in public places by 2011 in accordance with an international treaty, state media said yesterday. The health ministry said it intended to implement a plan to prohibit smoking from next year in all indoor public places and offices, as well as on trains and buses, the Global Times reported.

Senior ministry official Yang Qing said the goal had been set in accordance with the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which came

into force in early 2005. China ratified it that same year. The treaty calls for signatory nations to put in place “effective legislation” and other measures which provide for “protection from exposure to tobacco smoke” in indoor public places.

But one activist and an official at a government agency raised doubts that the rules could be implemented in a country where more than a quarter of the population smokes. “Law enforcement is not in place, so regulations exist in name only,” the Global Times quoted Yang Gonghuan, deputy director of the China

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, as saying.

Wu Yiqun, deputy director of the anti-smoking advocacy group Thinktank, said she believed the chances of a nationwide ban working were slim, the China Daily reported. Numerous Chinese cities already have bans on smoking in public places, but enforcement remains weak.

About 350 million of China’s 1.3 billion people smoke cigarettes, with the nation consuming up to one-third of the tobacco products sold annually worldwide, according to the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control. —AFP

Gates backs 78 projects for science innovations LONDON: Efforts to develop a vaccine triggered by human sweat, and to control mosquitoes using carnivorous plants, were among 78 science projects that won backing from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation yesterday. The foundation, a $34 billion fund that is run by the multi-billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates and invests in scientific projects broadly aimed at improving global health, said each project would get a $100,000 grant for further study.

Other winning projects include developing a low-cost cell phone microscope to diagnose malaria, using ultrasound as a reversible male contraceptive, insecticide-treated scarves and using imaging systems to seek and destroy parasites with a targeted laser vaccine. “We are convinced that some of these ideas will lead to innovations and eventually solutions that will save lives,” Tachi Yamada, of the Gates Foundation’s global health program, said in a statement.

The foundation said winners were from universities, research institutes and non-profit organizations in 18 countries around the world.

One group of scientists in Germany will use

their grant to develop nanoparticles that penetrate the skin through hair follicles and burst on contact with human sweat to release vaccines.

Grants will also help researchers investigate new ways to fight malaria: one team is trying to see whether treating traditional scarves worn by migrant workers along the Thai-Cambodia border with insecticide will reduce drug-resistant malaria; in Uganda, a team is testing the ability of insect-eating plants to reduce the number of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.

Scientists in the United States will use the grant to study the ability of ultrasound to temporarily deplete testicular sperm counts for possible use as new male contraceptive. The grants were awarded by the foundation’s Grand Challenges Explorations scheme-a five-year $100 million initiative which seeks to promote innovation in global health.

Gates, the world’s richest man, is co-founder of Microsoft Corp and remains chairman of the company, although he focuses much of his attention on the foundation. Since opening in 1994, the foundation has handed out more than $21 billion in grants. —Reuters

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

HEALTH

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More kids’ jewelry recalls in works LOS ANGELES: US federal regulators are expanding their investigation into children’s jewelry that contains the toxic metal cadmium, promising that a recall announced Monday of Chinese-made “Best Friends” charm bracelets will not be the last. “More recalls are in the works,” US Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman Scott Wolfson said. Those recalls would be the result of voluntary testing by companies, some of which have found troubling levels of cadmium and then reported those results to the agency, Wolfson said. He would not say how many products are under scrutiny.

In addition, in recent weeks agency inspectors working at 10 of America’s largest ports have screened imports of jewelry for cadmium. In one instance, a shipment of Chinese jewelry was turned away. Word of expanded federal efforts came as the consumer safety agency announced the voluntary recall of about 19,000 “Best Friends” charm bracelet sets made in China and sold exclusively at the jewelry and accessories store Claire’s, which has more than 3,000 outlets in North America and Europe.

“Cadmium is toxic if ingested by children and can cause adverse health effects,” the agency said in its recall announcement.

Medical research shows that cadmium in

High levels of cadmium found high levels is a known carcinogen and can harm kidneys and bones. Agency scientists confirmed independent test results that were first reported in an Associated Press investigation in January, which showed high levels of cadmium in the “Best Friends” bracelet.

The recall pertains only to items previously sold at Claire’s; several days after AP’s initial investigation became public, the chain said it would immediately stop selling them. While the CPSC did not release its results, testing done for the AP revealed that bracelets sold at Claire’s contained up to 91 percent cadmium by weight, and shed alarming amounts during a test that examined how much cadmium children might be exposed to if they accidentally swallow one of the charms.

Consumers should take the bracelets away from children and return them to Claire’s for a replacement or refund, according to the announcement. The bracelets sold for about $12. The CPSC identified the manufacturer as Dae Yeon Industries Corp, of China. Claire’s said Monday that it has

stopped further shipments from the company. The recall was the third prompted by AP’s reporting. Before this year, no consumer product in the United States had been recalled because of cadmium. “Within weeks of these reports, Claire’s Stores added procedures requiring all of its suppliers to test for cadmium in children’s jewelry,” the company said in a statement.

“Claire’s Stores has taken significant steps to ensure that its products meet or exceed all existing safety standards and has responded swiftly and decisively to address the potential risk of cadmium in children’s jewelry.” The reference to existing safety standards reflects the fact that, unlike with lead, federal law sets no specific levels for how much cadmium is permissible in children’s jewelry. Federal regulators are operating under generic powers they have to remove hazardous items from commerce, and Claire’s urged the agency to set clearer standards. In the meantime, states from California to Connecticut have started to act.

Last week in Illinois, for instance, the Legislature passed a bill to limit cadmium in

children’s jewelry that roughly follows a regulatory approach now used for cadmium in toys. That bill is on its way to the governor’s desk. Representatives of jewelry importers and manufacturers have rejected the idea that children’s metal jewelry is unsafe.

Michael Gale, executive director of the Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Trade Association, has told several state legislatures that are considering strict limits on cadmium in jewelry that if those laws pass, it might be impossible to put any children’s jewelry on stores shelves where those laws apply. In an interview Monday, he endorsed the approach that Illinois took.

At the nation’s ports, federal product safety screeners are now using special guns that shoot X-rays into jewelry to estimate how much cadmium each item might contain. Samples of items with high initial results - dozens so far - have been sent to the CPSC’s headquarters for detailed lab testing. In one instance, a shipment of Chinese jewelry shed high levels of cadmium when put through the test that mimics how much would enter the body if accidentally swallowed, agency spokesman Wolfson said. That shipment was then “re-exported” - which under US law doesn’t mean it had to be sent back to China. — AP

This undated photo provided by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission shows three sizes of “Best Friends” charm bracelets, which were sold by Claire’s Boutiques. — AP

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WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Nithya Nagarajan delivers memorable Bharathanatyam performance

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n Kuwait, it is not often one can view a solo Bharathanatyam performance that stirs your soul! Such was the guest performance by Nithya Nagarajan, a senior disciple of Guru Kalaimamani Krishnakumari Narendran, Director, Abhinaya Natyalaya. The event was hosted by Nritta Dhyana, The School for Indian Classical dance at The Carmel School Auditorium here on May 7, 2010. The function was inaugurated by Sujatha Rajendran and Vinod of Aishwarya Jewelers.

Nithya opened to a piece glorifying Lord Ganesha composed by Avaiyyar. This was followed by the Varnam, a very different venture considering it was set to Misrachapu Taalam. The Varnam was a feast to the artist’s eye.

Every movement was like a poem.

The jathis were spelled out with great vigor by Nithya’s guru who also wielded the cymbals in a scintillating manner.

She was supported by a talented orchestra, with Indumathi (vocals), Karakuruchi Mohanaraman (percussion) and Mavellikara Sathees Chandran(violin). The artists were also felicitated by her previous gurus in Kuwait, Sujatha Rajendran and Rangashree Shrinivas. Nithya

then danced to ‘Thangaradham’, a beautifully crafted piece on Skanda.

It went into elaborate details of his Aarupadai Veedu. Nithya’s Abhinaya for this item was priceless.

She then presented a piece on Lord Rama. It brought out the characteristics a perfect human being should possess. The selection of songs for the occasion deserves a special mention. Following this, Nithya danced to ‘En Manam’ and ‘Harivarasanam’. The popular melodies were executed with great style and feeling. It moved some of the audience members to tears.

Nithya concluded her performance with the Gambeeravani Thillana, rarely heard of in the past.

The Thillana consist of swift movements but could have been executed with little more precision. The concluding paragraphs were verses from Bharathiyar’s poetry. The patriotism in her expression really touched the souls of many. Nithya’s energy level remained the same throughout and she had the audience spellbound from the start to the end. She received a standing ovation from a packed hall on completing the Mangalam. Nithya definitely has a promising future in the field of Bharathanatyam!

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to invite all Nigerians residing in Kuwait to come and register with the Embassy. The registration is compulsory for all Nigerians residing /visiting Kuwait.

Kindly bring the following documents along with you: • A photocopy of the Nigerian passport • One passport photograph • Copy of the civil identification card or visa For additional information please call: 25620278 or visit the Embassy at Block, 4, Malik Bin Anas Street, Avenue 44, House 31, Along Al-Aqsa Road, Rumaithiya. The Consular Section opens Sunday - Thursday from 9 am - 3 pm Your prompt response is highly solicited.

FAIPS students visit ‘Le Notre’ restaurant

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IIS holds investiture ceremony for seniors

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ndia International School, Mangaf conducted the investiture ceremony for the Students Council members who were elected by the students through free and fair democratic election held on April 29, 2010.

The investiture ceremony was conducted on Wednesday May 5, 2010. Shantha Marya James the Principal of Indian Central School and Convener of CBSE Affiliated Schools in the Gulf, Kuwait Chapter was the Chief Guest on this solemn occasion. The Principal Anis Ahmad in his welcome address spoke about the credentials of Shantha Marya james and introduced her to the students of senior wing who had assembled for the occasion.

The program began with the recitation of the verses from the Holy Quran followed by Kuwait national Anthem and school song. The chief guest handed over the sashes and badges to the Head boy Minhajuddin Sharfuddin and Head Girl Asma Moiddeen.The Director Moosa Koya decorated the Deputy Head Boy Ibrahim and the Deputy Head Girl Muneera.

The principal decorated the Sports Captain Jithin and the Vice Captain Jim Johnson. The Vice Principal decorated the Sports Captain Lakshmi and the Vice Captain Shafna. All the other prefects were decorated

by Head Master, KG Head and their respective House masters and mistresses.

The school flag was handed over to the new Head Boy and Head Girl by the principal.

The oath was administered by the principal which was followed by the speeches by Minhajuddin and Asma Moideen where they once again reiterated their commitment towards the school and their fellow students. They also expressed their sincere thanks to the students and teachers for trusting them for the job. The school choir group sang “Showers of blessings” for the

he French Department of FAIPS (DPS) organized a day out for French students with the objective of supplementing their text book knowledge with empirical knowledge. On April 15, 2010, The French Students of Class X of FAIPS (DPS), Ahmadi were taken on a day out to “Le Notre” restaurant, located near Kuwait Towers.

They reached the restaurant for lunch. They were given a warm welcome by the manager and staff.

The manager and the staff made a demonstration on French service and history of Le Notre in English and French. The students interacted with them freely in French and in English. They explained to the students the table etiquettes and the French way of serving the customers. They also learnt about the French culture and French life style.

After the demonstration was over, the lunch was served the French way. What they learnt in class came alive before their eyes. The experience left them with wonderful memories. They left the restaurant with very valuable lessons learnt about France and French language.

It was a memorable and educative experience.

T lead by example and prove themselves to be good leaders.

The program came to an end with the Indian National Anthem.

he Regency hotel participated in the Arabian Travel Market held in Dubai from May 4-7, 2010, an event to promote inbound and outbound hospitality industry throughout MENA region in general.

The Arabian Travel Market 2010 represented a great opportunity for the Regency Hotel to present and relaunch its newly luxurious renovated five-star property .The Regency hotel offers the finest services and unique product for both business leaders and discerning leisure guests.

The Regency’s Pavilion was very popular and all attendees praised the hotel’s outstanding Arabian sea-view location and distinguished facilities

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.

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays. Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no. 25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday.

Regency Hotel takes part in Arabian Travel Market 2010

prefects. Shantha Marya in her address appreciated the election process and the commitments of the Head Boy and the Head Girl. She advised them to

Embassy information

including guest rooms, suits, three specialized concept restaurants, five multi-purpose swimming pools, two secluded beaches ,one dedicated to ladies only and an elegant Executive Lounge.

During the event, the Regency was keen to strengthen its strategic partnership with participating Airlines, travel and tourism agents, exhibition’s management and others.

The Regency Hotel spared no effort to be fully informed and acquainted with travel and tourism industry’s latest trends and products in order to develop its services in a way to deliver and cater for the Arabian Travel Market’s needs and expectations.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

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WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

MES Ladies Wing releases ‘Art of Cooking’ book

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ES ladies wing recipe book titled ‘Art of Cooking’ released by Ira Malhotra, wife of the Ambassador of India and received by Ranta Sadiq, Marketing Executive, Fresh fruits Company and

the Malayalam version of the book ‘Pachaka Kala’ released by Dr Lekshmy Nair by giving first copy to Shameela Ghafoor.

Jaseema Rafi, the program committee convener briefed about the cook

book and thanked all the members of the MES Ladies wing for their sincere efforts and dedication for the successful completion of the cook book. This book offers multiple choices of food items of different types which will cater to all

groups of people and the book will win the heats and taste buds of all users.

Chair person Saleena Mustafa explained that the main objective behind this project is to collect some funds through the sale of the recipe

book and distribute these funds to the less fortunate in Kuwait and India. MES Ladies wing is requesting to all the community members for their sincere support for this noble venture and helping hand for this charity campaign pro-

gram. The cook book will be available with all the members of MES and the people who are interested in buying this book should contact with the following telephone numbers: 99862430, 99135198, 99825137 and 97299734.

KES raises money for charity

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uwait English School raised KD 246.550 in aid of Whizz Kids, a foundation for disabled children, at a Bake Sale held on the premises on Thursday. Mais Al-Ghanim sponsored the event. Helen Searle, Head of the Prep Department thanked the parents for their generous donations of both homemade and bakery cakes, biscuits and savory treats. “Thanks to Year 6 girls who also helped selling and for their idea”, Searle said. Carmen Barakat, Laila Elberhiri, Marina Habashy, Julia Ghaddar and dad Abdul Baki in 6R sold delicious treats for 500 fils at second break in the main school building. A second group of girls assisted KG and Reception teachers sell donations after school in the Prep Department.

Dartmouth-AUK music recital

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Colors Day

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he kindergarten wing of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Kuwait celebrated Colors Day on April 20, 2010.The children resembled a rainbow as all the kids were dressed in a riot of colors. They celebrated ‘Colors Day’ and true to its name, the children had a gala time coloring takeaways and having fun. They went home singing “Color color, what color do you choose?”

Musical evening Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) will hold a musical evening with maestros Purbayan Chatterjee and Pandit Yogesh Samsi at 6:30 pm on Saturday May 15 at the GUST Mishref Campus in Conference Center W6.

he music program of the American University of Kuwait (AUK) and Dartmouth College, one of the premiere Ivy League universities in the USA, will be presenting a collaborative music recital at 6 pm on Sunday May 16 in the AUK Auditorium Liberal Arts Building, Salmiya Campus.

Advanced student musicians from both distinguished institutions, accompanied by faculty, will perform vocal and instrumental solo and chamber works, demonstrating the great potential for continued cultural collaboration between Dartmouth and AUK. Encouraged by the success of the inaugural Dartmouth-AUK recital last fall, this concert will feature a variety of vocal duets and ensemble pieces, including violin, flute, and piano, featuring the compositions of Mozart, Liszt, Chopin, and Berlioz, among others.

Professionals Anna Karadimitrova and Elena Tsenkova and gifted students from AUK-Faisal Al-Bahairi, Ali Atesh, Sabeeka Al-Fuzai, Zaina Al-Yaseen, Sara Soliman, and Salem AlMathkour-will perform alongside the Dartmouth musicians Nicholas Knezek and Larry Bowman. Nick, a singer and Dartmouth intern at AUK said, “Coming to Kuwait has taught me so much about the region. The people of Kuwait are incredibly friendly and it has been a pleasure to be able to work with them to create this concert.” Dr Lisa Urkevich, the Director of the AUK music program added, “Hopefully this musical collaboration between our universities will become an established tradition. It is not just the final product that is important, but the interaction that these students and faculty have throughout the process that is crucial for cultural acceptance and understanding.” The recital is free and open to the public.

A partial view of women at family meet.

KKMA launches model NRI project

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he Kuwait Kerala Muslim Association (KKMA), a leading social welfare organization of Indians in Kuwait recently conducted a series of training and awareness camp for its members and well-wishers in Kuwait.

The events were part of its social change initiative dubbed as “Mathruka Pravasi Padhati” (Model NRI Project). The project aims to make a positive impact on the lives of NRIs particularly in the field of education, health and economy and to guide them to reach the objective of “A happy life for his family”.

As part of the awareness campaign of the project, KKMA in association with Center for Information Guidance India (CIGI) has launched a number of awareness campaigns since the beginning of the year. CIGI is an umbrella forum of scholars and social workers in Kerala with expertise to train multilevel community groups. Family meetings, awareness campaigns, debates and

Trainer KT Ashraf being felicitated by KKMA.

Student trainer Haseena felicitated by KKMA women’s wing. coaching classes for all members in Kuwait and their dependants in India shall be continued in coming months.

In the next phase of the project, KKMA and CIGI will develop training and workshop modules to encourage NRIs

to broaden their knowledge and self-realization possibilities, foster their self-confidence and sense of pride, face up to the difficulties and challenges in the process of development, and enable them to be self-reliant.

Theatre performance

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he British Academy of International Arts presents ‘Beauty and the Beast’ on Saturday May 15 at 6 pm at The Shakespeare Theatre in British School of Kuwait, Salwa 1, Street 1.

TV PROGRAMS

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings 16:00 Phineas & Ferb 16:30 I’M IN THE BAND 17:00 Suite Life On Deck 17:30 Aaron Stone 18:00 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures 18:25 Kid vs Kat 19:00 Zeke & Luther 19:25 NEXT X WINTER SHORTS 19:30 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 20:00 American Dragon 20:30 I’M IN THE BAND 21:00 Phil Of The Future 21:25 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures 21:50 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 22:15 Aaron Stone

00:00 Burn Notice 01:00 The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency 02:00 Life on Mars 03:00 ER 04:00 The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency 05:00 CSI Miami 06:00 CSI New York 07:00 Burn Notice 08:00 Dollhouse 09:00 FlashForward 10:00 Life on Mars 11:00 ER 12:00 CSI New York 13:00 CSI Miami 14:00 Life on Mars 15:00 The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency 16:00 Dollhouse 17:00 FlashForward 18:00 Burn Notice 19:00 CSI New York 20:00 Lie to Me 21:00 Law & Order 22:00 CSI Miami 23:00 Rescue Me

00:15 Dark Days in Monkey City 00:45 Animal Cops Houston 01:40 Untamed & Uncut 02:35 Cell Dogs 03:30 Animal Cops Houston 04:25 Animal Precinct 05:20 Animal Battlegrounds 05:45 Monkey Business 06:10 E-Vets: The Interns 06:35 SSPCA: On the Wildside 07:00 Wildlife SOS 07:25 Pet Rescue 07:50 Orangutan Island 08:15 Dark Days in Monkey City 08:45 Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous...

09:40 Monkey Business 10:05 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:30 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:55 Monkey Life 11:20 SSPCA: On the Wildside 11:50 Animal Precinct 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 Orangutan Island 15:55 Dark Days in Monkey City 16:25 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:20 Monkey Business 17:45 Monkey Life 18:15 The Animals’ Guide to Survival 19:10 Orangutan Island 19:40 Dark Days in Monkey City 20:10 Animal Cops Houston 21:05 Untamed & Uncut 22:00 The Animals’ Guide to Survival 22:55 Animal Cops Miami 23:50 Orangutan Island

00:25 Silent Witness 01:20 Model Gardens 01:45 The Weakest Link 02:30 Last of the Summer Wine 03:05 Teletubbies 03:30 Me Too 03:50 Fimbles 04:10 Teletubbies 04:35 Me Too 04:55 Fimbles 05:15 Teletubbies 05:40 Me Too 06:00 Fimbles 06:20 Teletubbies 06:45 Me Too 07:05 Fimbles 07:25 Teletubbies 07:50 Me Too 08:10 Fimbles 08:30 Teletubbies 08:55 Me Too 09:15 Fimbles 09:40 Bargain Hunt 10:25 The Monastery 11:15 Last of the Summer Wine 12:15 The Weakest Link 13:00 Eastenders 13:30 Doctors 14:00 Cash In The Attic 14:30 Bargain Hunt 15:15 Last of the Summer Wine 16:15 The Weakest Link 17:00 Doctors 17:30 Eastenders 18:00 Silent Witness 19:00 Coast 20:00 The Weakest Link 20:45 Doctors 21:15 Eastenders 21:45 Jane Hall’s Big Bad Bus Ride 22:45 Casualty 23:35 Casualty

00:25 Chuck’s Day Off 00:50 Chuck’s Day Off 01:15 Bargain Hunt 02:00 10 Years Younger 02:55 Come Dine With Me 03:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 04:15 Cash In The Attic USA 04:45 Hidden Potential 05:10 10 Years Younger 06:00 MasterChef Goes Large 06:25 MasterChef Goes Large 07:15 Bargain Hunt 08:00 Antiques Roadshow 08:50 Antiques Roadshow 09:40 Cash In The Attic USA 10:00 Hidden Potential 10:25 Chuck’s Day Off

00:15 Streets of Hollywood 00:40 E!ES 01:30 25 Most Stylish 02:20 Sexiest 03:15 15 Most Shocking Acts Of Violence 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 E! Investigates 07:45 Style Star 08:35 E! News 09:00 The Daily 10 09:25 Keeping Up with the Kardashians 10:15 THS 12:00 E! News 12:25 The Daily 10 12:50 Pretty Wild 13:40 Dr 90210 14:30 THS 15:50 E!ES 16:15 Behind the Scenes 17:10 Keeping Up with the Kardashians 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Streets of Hollywood 19:15 Battle of the Hollywood Hotties 19:40 E! Investigates 20:30 THSC 21:20 Bank of Hollywood 22:10 E! News 22:35 The Daily 10 23:00 Dr 90210 23:50 Wildest TV Show Moments

The Children Of Huang Shi on Super Movies 10:50 Chuck’s Day Off 11:15 Chuck’s Day Off 11:40 Bargain Hunt 12:25 10 Years Younger 13:15 Come Dine With Me 14:05 Bargain Hunt 14:50 Antiques Roadshow 15:40 Cash In The Attic USA 16:00 Hidden Potential 16:25 Chuck’s Day Off 16:50 Chuck’s Day Off 17:15 Bargain Hunt 18:00 Antiques Roadshow 18:50 Come Dine With Me 19:40 MasterChef Goes Large 20:05 Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen 20:30 Gino D’Acampo - An Italian In Mexico 21:00 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 21:50 Here’s Looking At You 22:15 Here’s Looking At You 22:40 Come Dine With Me 23:30 MasterChef Goes Large 23:55 MasterChef Goes Large

01:15 Jennifer Eight-18 03:30 Elegy-18 05:15 Land Of Plenty-PG15 07:15 CJ7-PG 09:00 Chasing The Horizon-PG15 11:00 Save The Last Dance-PG 13:00 Princess Mononoke-PG15 15:15 Sunset Park-PG 17:00 Calendar Girls-PG15 19:00 Pavilion Of Women-18 21:00 Heart Of The Beholder-PG15 23:00 Donkey Punch-R

00:00 Border Security 00:30 Destroyed in Seconds 01:00 Miami Ink 02:00 Overhaulin’ 02:55 Mighty Ships 03:50 Extreme Engineering 04:45 Mythbusters 05:40 How Does it Work?

06:05 Dirty Jobs 07:00 Extreme Engineering 07:55 Mean Machines 08:20 Overhaulin’ 09:15 Mythbusters 10:10 Ultimate Survival 11:05 Mighty Ships 12:00 Border Security 12:30 How It’s Made 12:55 How Does it Work?

13:20 American Chopper 14:15 Miami Ink 15:10 Mythbusters 16:05 Dirty Jobs 17:00 Deadliest Catch 18:00 Border Security 18:30 Overhaulin’ 19:30 Destroyed in Seconds 20:00 How It’s Made 20:30 How Does it Work?

21:00 X-Machines 22:00 Prototype This 23:00 Mythbusters

00:30 Mighty Ships 01:20 Ultimate Power Builders 02:10 Mean Green Machines 03:00 Beyond Tomorrow 03:50 Scrapheap Challenge 04:45 How Stuff’s Made 05:10 Weird Connections 05:40 Sci-Fi Science 06:10 Mighty Ships 07:00 Scrapheap Challenge 08:00 Science of Star Wars 09:00 Space Pioneer 09:55 Stunt Junkies 10:20 Weird Connections 10:50 Mighty Ships 11:45 How Stuff’s Made 12:15 Building the Biggest 13:10 Sci-Fi Science

13:35 Space Pioneer 14:30 Engineered 15:25 How Stuff’s Made 15:55 Science of Star Wars 16:50 Brainiac 17:45 Building the Biggest 18:40 How It’s Made 19:30 What’s That About?

20:20 How It’s Made 21:10 Mythbusters 22:00 How It’s Made 22:25 How It’s Made 22:50 What’s That About?

23:40 Building the Biggest

00:00 Jungle Junction 00:20 Special Agent Oso 00:45 Handy Manny 01:10 Imagination Movers 01:35 Jungle Junction 02:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 02:50 Handy Manny 03:10 Jungle Junction 03:20 Special Agent Oso 03:35 Fairly Odd Parents 04:00 Phineas & Ferb 04:25 Suite Life On Deck 04:45 Wizards Of Waverly Place 05:10 Hannah Montana 05:35 Jonas 06:00 Handy Manny 06:10 Jungle Junction 06:35 Special Agent Oso 07:00 Handy Manny 07:20 Imagination Movers 07:45 Jungle Junction 08:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:00 Handy Manny 09:20 Jungle Junction 09:35 Special Agent Oso 09:45 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 10:10 Fairly Odd Parents 10:35 A Kind Of Magic 11:00 I Got A Rocket 11:25 Wizards Of Waverly Place 11:45 Phineas & Ferb 12:10 Suite Life On Deck 12:35 Replacements 12:55 Hannah Montana 13:20 Kim Possible 13:40 I Got A Rocket 14:05 Fairly Odd Parents 14:30 Phineas & Ferb 14:55 Replacements 15:15 A Kind Of Magic 15:40 Wizards Of Waverly Place 16:00 Hannah Montana 16:25 Sonny With A Chance 16:45 Fairly Odd Parents 17:10 Phineas & Ferb 17:35 Suite Life On Deck 18:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place 18:25 Hannah Montana 18:45 The Replacements 19:00 Jonas 19:25 Suite Life On Deck 19:50 Sonny With A Chance 20:15 Hannah Montana 20:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place 21:00 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody

06:00 American Dragon 06:25 Kid vs Kat 06:50 Phineas & Ferb 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 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures 12:00 Aaron Stone 12:30 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 13:00 Pokemon DP: Battle Dimension 13:30 Phineas & Ferb 14:00 Zeke & Luther 14:25 NEXT X WINTER SHORTS 14:30 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 15:00 American Dragon 15:30 Kid vs Kat

00:00 M1 Challenge 02:00 Dr Danger 02:30 The Dudesons 03:00 M1 Challenge 05:00 Odyssey: Driving Around the World 06:00 Nissan UCI Mountain Bike World Cup 2007 07:00 Quattro Events 2009 08:00 Summer Dew Tour 2009 09:00 X Games 15 2009 10:00 Fantasy Factory 10:30 Untracked 11:00 Ticket To Ride 2009-10 12:00 Pro Bull Riders 13:00 Fantasy Factory 13:30 Untracked 14:00 Summer Dew Tour 2009 15:00 X Games 15 2009 16:00 Fantasy Factory 16:30 Untracked 17:00 Summer Dew Tour 2009 18:00 X Games 15 2009 19:00 Ticket To Ride 2009-10 20:00 Fantasy Factory 20:30 Untracked 21:00 Pro Bull Riders 22:00 Dr Danger 22:30 The Dudesons 23:00 X Games 15 2009

00:30 A Haunting 01:20 FBI Files 02:10 Deadly Women 03:05 Deadly Women 04:00 Forensic Detectives 04:55 Crime Scene Psychics 05:20 Dr G: Medical Examiner 06:10 Ghosthunters 06:35 Ghosthunters 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:50 FBI Files 08:40 Fugitive Strike Force 09:30 Diagnosis: Unknown 10:20 Forensic Detectives 11:10 FBI Files 12:00 Solved 12:50 Real Emergency Calls 13:15 Real Emergency Calls 13:40 Royal Inquest 14:30 Forensic Detectives 15:20 FBI Files 16:10 Fugitive Strike Force 17:00 Diagnosis: Unknown 17:50 Forensic Detectives 18:40 FBI Files 19:30 Solved 20:20 Real Emergency Calls 20:45 Real Emergency Calls 21:10 Royal Inquest 22:00 Murder Shift 22:50 Murder Shift 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 Bondi Rescue 00:30 Lonely Planet 01:30 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 02:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 03:30 Jailed Abroad 04:30 Odyssey:Driving Around The Wor 05:00 Amazing Adv Of Nobody Europe 05:30 Word Travels:The Truth Behind 06:00 Bondi Rescue 06:30 Lonely Planet 07:30 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 08:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 09:30 Jailed Abroad 10:30 Odyssey:Driving Around The Wor 11:00 Amazing Adv Of Nobody Europe 11:30 Word Travels:The Truth Behind 12:00 Bondi Rescue 12:30 Lonely Planet

13:30 Jailed Abroad 16:30 Odyssey:Driving Around The Wor 17:00 Amazing Adv Of Nobody Europe 17:30 Word Travels:The Truth Behind 18:00 Bondi Rescue 18:30 Lonely Planet 19:30 Jailed Abroad 22:30 Odyssey:Driving Around The Wor 23:00 Amazing Adv Of Nobody Europe 23:30 Word Travels:The Truth Behind

00:05 Be Cool 01:50 Madonna; Truth Or Dare 03:50 Foxes 05:35 The End 07:15 Deadly Intent 08:40 Arena 10:20 Brenda Starr 11:55 The Bridge At Remagen 13:50 Hawaii 16:30 Alice’s Restaurant 18:20 A Small Town In Texas 19:55 The Russians Are Coming 22:00 Rich In Love 23:45 The Playboys

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 Headcases 03:30 Party Down 04:00 Saturday Night Live 05:00 Scrubs 05:30 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 06:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 07:00 Just Shoot me!

07:30 Simpsons 08:00 Frasier 08:30 Yes dear 09:00 Married with Children 09:30 Drew Carey 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Just Shoot me!

11:00 Frasier 11:30 Hope & Faith 12:00 Saturday Night Live 13:00 The Office 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 14:00 Married with Children 14:30 Simpsons 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 Hope & Faith 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 Cleveland Show 22:30 Headcases 23:00 Saturday Night Live

00:00 The Martha Stewart Show 01:00 Eat Yourself Sexy 01:30 Turn Back Your Body Clock 02:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 03:00 The Monique Show 04:00 The Tonight show with Jay Leno 05:00 GMA (repeat) 07:00 GMA Health 07:30 What’s the Buzz 08:00 The Martha Stewart Show 09:00 Eat Yourself Sexy 09:30 10 Years Younger 10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

11:00 The View 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 The Martha Stewart Show 14:00 GMA Live 16:00 GMA Health 16:30 What’s the Buzz 17:00 The Tonight show with Jay Leno 18:00 Look A Like 18:30 10 Years Younger 19:00 The View 20:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 21:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

22:00 The Tonight show with Jay Leno 23:00 The Monique Show

00:00 The Life Before Her Eyes-PG15 02:00 Saving God-PG15 04:00 Igor-PG 06:00 Gracie-PG15 08:00 Son Of Rambow-PG 10:00 Sarah Landon And The Paranormal Hour-PG 12:00 The Tale Of Despereaux-PG 14:00 Bottle Shock-PG15 16:00 Son Of Rambow-PG 18:00 Baby Mama-PG 20:00 Death Race-18 22:00 Frost/Nixon-PG15

01:00 One Missed Call-PG15 03:00 The Tournament-18 05:00 Midnight Bayou-PG15 07:00 Prisoner-PG 09:00 The Last Drop-PG15 11:00 Along Came A Spider-PG15 13:00 Thor: Hammer Of The Gods-PG15 14:40 The Last Drop-PG15 16:30 The Abyss (extended Version)PG15 19:15 Art Of War II: Betrayal-18 21:00 Doomsday-18 23:00 Hell Ride-R

00:00 Blue State-PG15 02:00 The Lonely Guy-PG15 04:00 Heartbreakers-PG15 06:00 The Scout-PG15 08:00 Ping Pong Playa-PG15 10:00 Will You Merry Me-PG15 12:00 Backseat-PG15 14:00 Rrrrrrr!!!-PG15 16:00 Blue State-PG15 18:00 Kettle Of Fish-18 20:00 Prom Wars-18 22:00 College-18v

00:00 Taina II-PG 02:00 Wall-E-FAM 04:00 Dark Crystal-PG 06:00 Bugs Bunny 1001 Rabbit TalesFAM 08:00 Simba The King Lion-FAM 10:00 Dark Crystal-PG 12:00 Basket Fever-FAM 14:00 Wall-E-FAM 16:00 Atom Nine Adventures-PG 18:00 Hotel For Dogs-FAM 20:00 The Three Robbers-PG 22:00 Basket Fever-FAM

00:00 Lost 02:00 Spooks 03:00 Saving Grace 04:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 04:30 Home Improvement 05:00 Beauty and the Geek 06:00 Emmerdale 06:30 Coronation Street 07:00 Spooks 08:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 08:30 Home Improvement 09:00 Saving Grace 10:00 Beauty and the Geek 11:00 Spooks 12:00 Emmerdale 12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 13:30 Home Improvement 14:00 Lost 15:00 Lost 16:00 Beauty and the Geek 17:00 Saving Grace 18:00 Emmerdale 18:30 Coronation Street 19:00 Grey’s Anatomy 20:00 Private Practice 21:00 Criminal Minds 22:00 Beauty and the Geek 23:00 Saving Grace

01:30 Premier League 03:30 Barclays Premier League Review 05:30 Portu-Gol 06:00 Brazilian League Highlights 06:30 Goals Goals Goals 07:00 Portu-Gol 07:30 Brazilian League Highlights 08:00 Premier League 10:00 Barclays Premier League Review 12:00 Goals Goals Goals 12:30 Portu-Gol 13:00 Brazilian League Highlights 13:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 14:00 Premier League 16:00 Futbol Mundial 16:30 Goals Goals Goals 17:00 Premier League 19:00 Barclays Premier League Review 21:00 Goals Goals Goals 21:30 Premier League 23:30 Premier League Classics

01:00 Futbol Mundial 01:30 Rugby League Challenge Cup 03:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 04:00 Super 14 06:00 World Sport 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 NRL Full Time 07:30 Portuguese Liga 09:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 10:00 Premier League Season Review 12:00 NRL Premiership 14:00 Futbol Mundial 14:30 Super 14 16:30 Sea Master 17:00 ICC Cricket World 17:30 World Sport 18:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 19:00 FEI Equestrain World 19:30 European Tour Weekly 20:00 AFL Highlights 21:00 Mobil 1 The Grid 21:30 Premier League World 22:00 AFL Premiership

06:25 The Screening Room 07:00 High Society 08:45 The Sunshine Boys 10:35 Little Women 12:35 The Screening Room 13:00 December 14:30 Cimarron 16:55 Easter Parade 18:35 Singin’ In The Rain 20:15 3 Godfathers 22:00 American Friends 23:40 Wild Rovers

08:04 Hit Us 09:00 Code Compilation 09:24 Playlist 13:00 Code 13:04 Urban Hit 13:50 Playlist 16:00 Code 16:04 Sound System 10 16:45 Playlist 18:00 Urban Hit 18:45 Guest Star 19:00 Playlist 20:00 Code 20:04 Rnb 10 20:45 Playlist 21:00 Legend 22:00 Playlist

00:30 Dogfights 01:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 02:10 Mega Disasters 03:00 World War II: Lost Films 03:55 Dead Men’s Secrets 04:50 Desperate Crossing: The Mayflower 05:40 Battles B.C. 06:30 Dogfights 07:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 08:10 Mega Disasters 09:00 World War II: Lost Films 09:55 Dead Men’s Secrets 10:50 Desperate Crossing: The Mayflower 11:40 Battles B.C. 12:30 Dogfights 13:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 14:10 Mega Disasters 15:00 World War II: Lost Films 15:55 Dead Men’s Secrets 16:50 Desperate Crossing: The Mayflower 17:40 Battles B.C. 18:30 Dogfights 19:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 20:10 Mega Disasters 21:00 Nostradamus Effect 21:55 Journey to 10,000 B.C. 23:40 Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire

00:00 Dr 90210 01:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 01:30 Dallas Divas & Daughters 02:00 Whose Wedding Is it Anyway?

03:00 How Do I Look?

04:00 Dr 90210 05:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 05:30 Area 06:00 How Do I Look?

07:00 Style Star 07:30 Style Her Famous 08:00 My Celebrity Home 09:00 Style Star 09:30 Dress My Nest 10:00 Glamour’s 20 Wedding Do’s and Don’ts 11:00 How Do I Look?

12:00 Ruby 12:30 Giuliana & Bill 13:00 Clean House 14:00 Clean House Comes Clean 14:30 Dress My Nest 15:00 What I Hate About Me 16:00 Whose Wedding Is it Anyway?

17:00 How Do I Look?

18:00 Jerseylicious 19:00 Split Ends 20:00 Clean House 21:00 Clean House Comes Clean 21:30 Dress My Nest 22:00 Peter Perfect 23:00 How Do I Look?

01:00 Code 01:04 French Only 01:45 Playlist 02:00 Urban Hit 02:45 Playlist 05:00 Code 05:04 Focus 06:04 Playlist 08:00 Code

00:00 Angry Planet 00:30 The Thirsty Traveler 01:00 Spring 01:30 Chef Abroad 02:00 Chef Abroad 02:30 Top Travel 03:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Planet Food 06:00 The Thirsty Traveler 06:30 Angry Planet 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Essential 08:30 Distant Shores 09:00 Spring 09:30 Grannies On Safari 10:00 Planet Food 11:00 The Thirsty Traveler 11:30 Angry Planet 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Chef Abroad 13:30 The Thirsty Traveler 14:00 Journey Into Wine-Spain & Portugal 14:30 Entrada 15:00 Spring 15:30 Grannies On Safari 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Essential 17:30 Chef Abroad 18:00 Planet Food 19:00 Globe Trekker 20:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 21:00 Planet Food 22:00 Think Green 23:00 Globe Trekker

00:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson 01:00 Backstory 01:30 World Sport 02:00 The Situation Room 03:00 World Report 04:00 World Business Today 04:30 World Sport 05:00 World Report 06:00 Anderson Cooper 360 07:00 World Report 07:30 Talk Asia 08:00 World Report 08:30 Backstory 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Report 10:30 World Sport 11:00 World Report 11:30 World Business Today 12:00 World Report 12:30 Business Traveller 13:00 Larry King Live 14:00 World Report 14:30 World Sport 15:00 World Report 16:00 Amanpour.

16:30 Talk Asia 17:00 World Business Today 18:00 International Desk 19:00 The Brief 19:30 World Sport 20:00 Prism 20:30 Business Traveller 21:00 International Desk 22:00 Quest Means Business 22:45 Cnn Marketplace Africa

01:00 Freakdog-18 03:00 The Children Of Huang Shi-PG15 05:00 Christmas In Wonderland-PG 07:00 Impact 1-PG15 09:00 The Christmas Clause-PG 11:00 Mama I Want To Sing-PG 13:00 Impact 2-PG15 15:00 Madagascar 2-PG 17:00 The Christmas Clause-PG 19:00 Grey Gardens-PG15 21:00 Adventureland-PG15 23:00 The Other Boleyn Girl-PG15

01:50 Man Of La Mancha 04:00 Kelly’s Heroes

The Life Before Her Eyes on Show Movies

Star Listings (UAE Timings) STAR Movies 20:35 Life With Mikey 22:10 Highlander: Endgame 23:50 Pandemic 01:25 Life With Mikey 03:00 Safehouse 04:20 Dark Is Rising, The 06:00 Highlander: Endgame 07:40 VIP Access: Iron Man 2 08:10 Pandemic 09:40 Invincible 11:25 Safehouse 12:45 Mafia!

14:10 Dead At 17 15:45 Picture Perfect 17:30 Bubble Boy 18:55 Annapolis STAR World 20:00 Australia’s Next Top Model 20:50 Charlie’s Angels 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 Kyle XY 03:00 Scrubs 03:30 Scrubs

04:00 05:00 06:00 06:50 07:00 08:00 08:50 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:50 11:00 11:50 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:25 18:50 19:00

Stone Undercover American Idol Grey’s Anatomy Charlie’s Angels American Idol Australia’s Next Top Model Jackie Chan Adventures The King Of Queens The Bold and the Beautiful Kyle XY Charlie’s Angels Grey’s Anatomy Who’s The Boss?

[V] Tunes American Idol Scrubs Scrubs Stone Undercover American Idol Prison Break Cops S19 Cops S19 Who’s The Boss?

American Idol

Granada TV 20:00 The Paul O’Grady Show 21:00 Warzone 22:00 Emmerdale 22:30 Coronation Street

23:00 Warzone 00:00 The Chopping Block (Series 1) 01:00 What Katie Did Next (Series 1) 02:00 Romance Wednesday: William And Mary (Series 3) (Double Bill) 04:00 Holiday Homes From Hell 05:00 Emmerdale 05:30 Coronation Street 06:00 The Chopping Block (Series 1) 07:00 Romance Wednesday: William And Mary (Series 3) (Double Bill) 09:00 What Katie Did Next (Series 1) 10:00 Weddings From Hell 11:00 Emmerdale 11:30 Coronation Street 12:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 2) 13:00 Romance Wednesday: Cold Feet (Series 3) (Double Bill) 15:00 What Katie Did Next (Series 1) 16:00 Emmerdale 16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 2) 18:00 Romance Wednesday: Cold Feet (Series 3) (Double Bill) Channel [V] 21:00 [V] Countdown 23:00 Backtracks 23:30 Double Shot 00:00 Loop

00:30 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 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

[V] Tunes [V] Plug Loop Backtracks XO [V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist [V] Countdown 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

19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30

XO [V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist

Fox News 20:00 Happening Now 21:00 The Live Desk 23:00 Studio B with Shepard Smith Live 00:00 Your World with Neil Cavuto 01:00 Glenn Beck with Glenn Beck 02:00 Special Report with Bret Baier 03:00 The FOX Report with Shepard Smith 04:00 The O’Reilly Factor 05:00 Hannity 06:00 On the Record with Greta Van Susteren 07:00 The O’Reilly Factor 08:00 Hannity 09:00 On the Record with Greta Van Susteren 10:00 Glenn Beck with Glenn Beck 11:00 Fox Report 12:00 Special Report with Bret Baier 13:00 The O’Reilly Factor 14:00 FOX & Friends First Live 15:00 FOX & Friends Live 17:00 America’s Newsroom 19:00 Happening Now National Geographic Channel 20:00 Inside -US Border Wars

21:00 Dive Detectives -Ghost Ship 22:00 4Real -Yawanawa 22:30 4Real -City of God 23:00 Theme Week -Fight Masters : Self Defense 00:00 Seconds From Disaster -Us Embassy Bombings S2.5 - 5 01:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia : Strictly Asian Ballroom 02:00 Trapped -Ocean Emergency 03:00 DogTown -Hurricane Hound S2-5 04:00 Monkey Thieves -Missing In Action 22 04:30 Monkey Thieves -Drug Raid 23 05:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia : Strictly Asian Ballroom 06:00 Lockdown -Newbies 07:00 Guardians Of Nature -Poland 08:00 Trapped -Ocean Emergency 09:00 I Didn’t Know That -1 09:30 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet -The New French Revolution 11 10:00 Theme Week -Fight Masters : Mixed Martial Arts 11:00 Seconds From Disaster -Us Embassy Bombings S2.5 - 5 12:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia : Strictly Asian Ballroom 13:00 Wild Wednesday -Monkey Thieves : Colour And Calamity 24 13:30 Wild Wednesday -Monkey Thieves : An Unlikely Hero 25 14:00 Rescue Ink -Biting Back 2

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

33 Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Wednesday 12/05/2010 Airlines Flt Route Time Jazeera 263 Beirut 00:10 Wataniya Airways 188 Bahrain 00:30 Wataniya Airways 306 Cairo 00:50 Gulf Air 211 Bahrain 01:05 Turkish A/L 772 Istanbul 01:15 DHL 370 Bahrain 02:15 Emirates 853 Dubai 02:25 Etihad 305 Abu Dhabi 02:55 Qatari 138 Doha 03:25 Kuwait 802 Cairo 04:45 Falcon 201 Dubai 05:25 Jazeera 503 Luxor 05:30 Jazeera 527 Alexandria 06:10 Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok 06:15 Jazeera 529 Assiut 06:20 British 157 London 06:30 Kuwait 382 Delhi 07:20 Kuwait 302 Mumbai 07:50 Fly Dubai 053 Dubai 07:55 Kuwait 676 Dubai 08:00 Kuwait 352 Cochin 08:05 Kuwait 284 Dhaka 08:10 Kuwait 362 Colombo 08:20 Kuwait 344 Chennai 08:20 Emirates 855 Dubai 08:25 Air Arabia 121 Sharjah 08:40 Qatari 132 Doha 09:00 Iran Air 603 Shiraz 09:20 Etihad 301 Abu Dhabi 09:25 Iran Aseman 6791 Mashad 09:55 Falcon 203 Dubai 10:30 Gulf Air 213 Bahrain 10:45 Wataniya Airways 182 Bahrain 10:45 Miiddle East 404 Beirut 10:50 Al Naser 711 Baghdad/Najaf 10:55 Wataniya Airways 102 Dubai 11:05 Jazeera 165 Dubai 11:15 Mahan Air 5066 Mashad 12:20 Egypt Air 810 Cairo 12:55 Kuwait 672 Dubai 13:15 Oman Air 645 Muscat 13:15 Saudi Arabian A/L 508 Riyadh 13:30 Wataniya Airways 432 Damascus 13:35 United A/L 982 Washington DC Dulles 13:35 Royal Jordanian 800 Amman 13:35 Egypt Air 621 Assiut 13:40 Jazeera 525 Alexandria 13:50 Fly Dubai 057 Dubai 13:50 Jazeera 693 Shiraz 14:00 Wataniya Airways 422 Amman 14:10 Kuwait 562 Amman 14:20 Saudi Arabian A/L 3500 Jeddah 14:30 Kuwait 552 Damascus 14:35 Cargolux 792 Luxembourg 14:50 NAS Air 745 Jeddah 14:55 Qatari 134 Doha 15:05 Kuwait 546 Alexandria 15:30 Kuwait 544 Cairo 15:30 Nas Air 703 Riyadh 15:45 Jazeera 427 Bahrain 16:50 Etihad 303 Abu Dhabi 16:50 Rovos 061 Baghdad 16:50 Emirates 857 Dubai 16:55 Gulf Air 215 Bahrain 17:15 Wataniya Airways 402 Beirut 17:15 Saudi Arabian A/L 510 Riyadh 17:20 Jazeera 493 Jeddah 17:35 Arabia 125 Sharjah 17:40 Jazeera 239 Amman 17:45 Sri Lankan 227 Colombo/Dubai 18:00 Jazeera 497 Riyadh 18:05 Wataniya Airways 304 Cairo 18:35 Kuwait 166 Paris/Rome 18:40 Yemenia 824 Sanaa/Doha 18:40 Wataniya Airways 106 Dubai 18:45 Kuwait 542 Cairo 18:50 Kuwait 502 Beirut 18:50 Wataniya Airways 202 Jeddah 18:55 Kuwait 618 Doha 18:55 Kuwait 786 Jeddah 18:55 Jazeera 177 Dubai 19:05 Kuwait 614 Bahrain 19:20 Kuwait 674 Dubai 19:20 Kuwait 774 Riyadh 19:25 Kuwait 102 New York/London 19:25 Indian 575 Chennai/Goa 19:30 Fly Dubai 061 Dubai 20:05 Middle East 402 Beirut 20:20 Rovos 081 Baghdad 20:30 Jet A/W 572 Mumbai 20:30 Wataniya Airways 404 Beirut 20:50 Jazeera 459 Damascus 20:55 DHL 372 Bahrain 21:00 Gulf Air 217 Bahrain 21:05 Emirates 859 Dubai 2115 Qatari 136 Doha 21:35 United A/L 981 Bahrain 21:55 Jazeera 429 Bahrain 22:10 Kuwait 1782 Jeddah 22:15 Jazeera 449 Doha 22:30 Lufthansa 636 Frankfurt 22:30 Jazeera 185 Dubai 22:40 Shaheen Air 441 Lahore/Karachi 23:00 Kuwait 548 Sharm El Sheikh/Luxor 23:10 India Express 393 Kozhikode/Cochin 23:10 KLM 0447 Amsterdam/Bahrain 23:10 Egypt Air 606 Luxor 23:15 Pakistan 215 Karachi 23:55 Wataniya Airways 108 Dubai 23:55

Departure Flights on Wednesday l2/5/2010 Airlines Flt Route Time Jazeera 528 Assiut 00:05 India Express 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode 00:25 Indian 994 Mumbai/Chennai 00:50 Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt 00:50 Pakistan 206 Lahore 01:10 Turkish A/L 773 Istanbul 02:15 DHL 371 Bahrain 03:15 Emirates 854 Dubai 03:45 Etihad 306 Abu Dhabi 04:00 Qatari 139 Doha 05:00 Wataniya Airways 101 Dubai 06:50 Jazeera 164 Dubai 07:00 Jazeera 524 Alexandria 07:00 Gulf Air 212 Bahrain 07:45 Wataniya Airways 181 Bahrain 07:50 Wataniya Airways 431 Damascus 08:10 British 156 London 08:25 Kuwait 545 Alexandria 08:35 Fly Dubai 054 Dubai 08:40 Kuwait 543 Cairo 08:45 Kuwait 177 Frankfurt/Geneva 08:55 Kuwait 671 Dubai 09:00 Wataniya Airways 421 Amman 09:10 Kuwait 551 Damascus 09:10 Kuwait 561 Amman 09:15 Arabia 122 Sharjah 09:20 Emirates 856 Dubai 09:40 Kuwait 117 New York 10:00 Qatari 133 Doha 10:00 Etihad 302 Abu Dhabi 10:10 Oman Air 602 Shiraz 10:20 Iran Aseman 6792 Mashad 10:55 Jazeera 692 Shiraz 11:15 Wataniya Airways 401 Beirut 11:35 Gulf Air 214 Bahrain 11:35 Falcon 204 Baghdad 11:45 Wataniya Airways 303 Cairo 11:50 Middle East 405 Beirut 11:50 Rovos 062 Najaf/Baghdad 12:00 Kuwait 541 Cairo 12:00 Alnaser 712 Najaf/Baghdad 12:15 Jazeera 492 Jeddah 12:15 Jazeera 238 Amman 12:25 Kuwait 103 London 12:30 Kuwait 501 Beirut 13:00 Kuwait 785 Jeddah 13:30 Maahan Air 5065 Mashad 13:40 Wataniya Airways 201 Jeddah 13:45 Jazeera 426 Bahrain 13:55 Egypt Air 611 Cairo 13:55 Oman Air 646 Muscat 14:15 Wataniya Airways 105 Dubai 14:30 Royal Jordanian 801 Amman 14:30 Fly Dubai 058 Dubai 14:35 Egypt Air 622 Assiut 14:40 Saudi Arabian A/L 509 Medinah 14:45 United A/L 982 Bahrain 14:50 Jazeera 176 Dubai 14:55 Jazeera 496 Riyadh 15:00 Kuwait 673 Dubai 15:10 Wataniya Airways 403 Beirut 15:10 Kuwait 617 Doha 15:35 Kuwait 547 Sharm El Sheikh/Luxor 15:40 Nas Air 746 Jeddah 15:45 Saudi Arabian A/L 3501 Jeddah 15:45 Jazeera 458 Damascus 15:50 Kuwait 773 Riyadh 16:05 Qatari 135 Doha 16:20 Kuwait 613 Bahrain 16:20 Cargolux 792 Hong Kong 16:20 Nas Air 704 Medinah 16:35 Rovos 082 Baghdad 17:00 Kuwait 1781 Jeddah 17:15 Etihad 304 Abu Dhabi 17:35 Emirates 858 Dubai 18:05 Gulf Air 216 Bahrain 18:05 Wataniya Airways 305 Cairo 18:05 Jazeera 262 Beirut 18:20 Arabia 126 Sharjah 18:20 Jazeera 184 Dubai 18:35 Saudi Arabian A/L 511 Riyadh 18:35 Jazeera 448 Doha 18:50 Jazeera 428 Bahrain 19:10 Sri Lankan 228 Dubai/Colombo 19:10 Yemenia 824 Sanaa 19:40 Wataniya Airways 107 Dubai 19:40 Kuwait 283 Dhaka 20:00 Kuwait 361 Colombo 20:20 Fly Dubai 062 Dubai 20:50 Kuwait 331 Trivandrum 21:00 Middle East 403 Beirut 21:20 Jet A/W 571 Mumbai 21:30 Wataniya Airways 187 Bahrain 21:35 Gulf Air 218 Bahrain 21:55 Kuwait 801 Cairo 22:00 DHL 373 Bahrain 22:00 Kuwait 675 Dubai 22:10 Emirates 860 Dubai 22:25 Falcon 102 Bahrain 22:30 Qatari 137 Doha 22:35 Kuwait 203 Lahore 22:40 Kuwait 301 Mumbai 22:45 Jazeera 612 Lahore 22:55 Jazeera 526 Alexandria 23:20 Jazeera 502 Luxor 23:30 Jazeera 636 Aleppo 23:35 United A/L 981 Washington DC Dulles 23:40 Kuwait 415 Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta 23:50

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

ACCOMMODATION A decent Pakistani bachelor looking for a room with Indian or Pakistani Muslim family, work timings: 8 am to 10 pm. Please contact: 55088901.

(C 2245) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya, building, family or decent bachelors.

Phone: 66720969, 97284369.

(C 2246) 11-5-2010 Sharing accommodation available for bachelors with an Indian family near Mecca street, Fahaheel. Contact: 23927458.

(C 2235) Sharing accommodation available for 1 bachelor to share with another bachelor in a 2 bedroom flat in Abbassiya near Unique store no. 2 opp Uduppi palace from May/June 2010, kitchen facilities available. Contact: 66110593 or after 3 pm on 24313908.

(C 2241) Sharing accommodation in Jabriya Mulhaq separate room near Al Hadi hospital, phone and kitchen facilities, rent KD 65, bachelor only.

Contact: 99546413.

(C 2237) 10-5-2010 Sharing accommodation available for a decent Christian or Hindu family/bachelor in Abbassiya. Call 97980907.

(C 2230) Sharing accommodation available for decent executive bachelor/couples to share with Keralite Christian family in a 2 BHK CA/C flat, near Shifa Al-Jazeera medical center, opp. Farwaniya police station, from May last or 1st June onwards. Contact: 55958189.

(C 2231) 9-5-2010 Decent accommodation available in Salmiya near Bestow supermarket from May 20 to July 2. Please contact 25620547 or 66737466.

(C 2228) 8-5-2010

FOR SALE Trailblazer 2004, pistachios metallic color, run 150,000, full option, excellent condition, price KD 2,350. Contact: 99881982. (C 2248)

Household items, sofa, side tables, bookshelf, dining table, oil heater, etc available with one room A/C flat beside Carmel school.

Contact: 99228420.

(C 2250) 12-5-2010 Mitsubishi Jeep Nativa, model 2008, 6 cylinder engine, alloy rim, 4x4 excellent condition. Price KD 2,850. Contact: 66211779.

(C 2244) 10-5-2010 Pathfinder 2001, price KD 1400, Pajero 2001, KD 1600, red color, good condition.

Tel: 99537769, 99439512.

(C 2236) Ford 1998 model, price KD 400, insurance until March 2011. Contact: 99554160.

(C 2238) Hummer H2, 2003, bronze color, full option, very good condition, price KD 5250.

Tel: 97487676.

(C 2240) Cooking oven - medium, freezer - medium. Call: 99554160.

(C 2239) 10-5-2010 Toyota Corolla XLi 1.6, model 2009, excellent condition, silver color, km 43,500 done. Contact: 55107856. (C 2224) Laptop IBM Intel Centrino, Ram 512, HD 30 GB, Wifi bluetooth, DVD + CD - WR, price KD 65, & IBM PC P4, Intel 2.8, Ram 256, HD 40 GB with Dell LCD complete price KD 55, all in excellent condition, call 99322585.

(C 2223) 8-5-2010 SITUATION VACANT

Required live-in maid for Keralite family. Please contact: 99509436.

(C 2234) 9-5-2010 Required a parttime maid from 2 pm to 7 pm to work for a small family in Farwaniya. Accommodation in Farwaniya is preferred.

Salary KD 30. Please call: 66931621.

8-5-2010 SITUATION WANTED

Indian female (MBA in HR), 10 years experience in HR/ administration, specializing in recruitments, PMS, MIS reports & overall Admin functions, Proficient in MS Office. Good communication skills, Please contact: 66634322.

(C 2226) 10-5-2010 Indian male, 41 years, BA (economics) diploma in HRD management, fluent in English, Arabic, Hindu,

Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Urdu, can bring all categories of human resource from India, needs any official job. Tel: 94986733 email: weaverscompany@gmail.com (C 2229) 9-5-2010

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited for 27 YO Orthodox girl, Gen. Nurse (+BSc Comp Science), from Kollad, KTM, slim 163 cms, medium complexion, working with Kolenchery MM. Girl is in Kuwait on visit.

Mail with detailed profile to: digitaldreams.001@gmail.c om (C 2249) 12-5-2010 Proposals are invited for a 25-year-old Catholic girl from TVM with B.Tech, MBA, currently working as HR in Technopark TVM, B/B in Kuwait, having Kuwait residence, preference for highly qualified persons doctors, engineers, working in Kuwait. Catholics, Orthodox, Marthomites acceptable.

Email: mimarriagein@gmail.com / cvarghese@rediffmail.com (C 2247) 11-5-2010 Tamil/Urdu Sunny Muslim 27/163/ BE.ECE seeks (BE/ B.Tech/ MCA/ BCA, MBA) suitable groom from only Tamilnadu base. Contact: email: jkn_majeed@yahoo.com (C 2243) 10-5-2010

Inviting proposals for RC girl working as a staff nurse in MOH Kuwait, height 167 cm, age 28 years, from Changanassery, going for vacation on middle of November preference for male nurse. Email: bobybabuji@hotmail.com (C 2227) 8-5-2010 Proposals are invited for Nair girl, 24 years, BSc nurse, Mavelikara Taluk, Alleppey dist, presently working as a staff nurse in Amrutha hospital Cochin.

Interested well educated Nair boys may respond with complete profile to email: t-pillai10@yahoo.com (C 2219) 6-5-2010

CHANGE OF NAME I, Fatenus Fazal Khan, holder Pakistani Passport No. KG 245598, hereby change my name to Yunus Khan Fazal Khan.

(C 2242) 10-5-2010

MISCELLANEOUS

Coaching available for BBA/MBA/EMBA, Preston University Islamabad.

Admissions open: May 15, 2010. Examination center: Kuwait.

Contact: 67656460/66078041. Email: prestonq8@yahoo.com (C 2233)

SPECTRUM

34 CROSSWORD 986

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Calvin Aries (March 21-April 19) Professional associations push you to be the best you can be. You will rise to any challenge that is presented to you now and you love it! Your day comes to you, packed with hard work and challenges as well as the sense of humor you enjoy. Although you may fight for your particular identity and recognition, your attitude is positive and upbeat. You may find that someone close to you understands and is supportive of your eccentricities. This evening you continue to see the lighter side of life and may be able to enjoy and value your own life situation.

You could find yourself with a group of friends or attending some group meeting this evening. You teach others the art of light-hearted fun and enjoy interacting with many people.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) The mental world appeals to you and you are very discriminating and appreciative when it comes to concepts, ideas and thoughts, etc. You value good research and real inquiry. In-depth discussions and probing conversations find you at your mental best, particularly when it comes time for group meetings. Your analytical abilities are at a high point. It would not be too surprising to hear people responding in positive ways because of your suggestions. You have favorable energies that will bring pleasant surprises. You can do more than you thought you could and you may find your limitations are no longer what you thought they were mental or physical. Look toward home and family for support and encouragement, you return the same.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. Employed in accomplishing something.

5. A soft silvery metallic element.

7. The 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

11. The battle in 202 BC in which Scipio decisively defeated Hannibal at the end of the second Punic War. 12. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

13. A city in northern India.

14. A flexible container with a single opening.

15. A boy or man.

16. Horny plate covering and protecting part of the dorsal surface of the digits.

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

20. A brittle gray crystalline element that is a semiconducting metalloid (resembling silicon) used in transistors.

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

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

26. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

27. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

30. A nucleic acid consisting of large molecules shaped like a double helix.

32. How long something has existed.

35. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

42. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

43. Extremely pleasing.

45. The biblical name for ancient Syria.

46. Norwegian mathematician (1802-1829).

48. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element.

49. (New Testament) The sages who visited Jesus and Mary and Joseph shortly after Jesus was born.

50. (Irish) Mother of the Tuatha De Danann.

51. A public promotion of some product or service.

52. Little known Kamarupan languages.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Progress is happening with your career as well as advancement toward your goals. You are able to intuitively know the right moves to make in order to complete difficult projects. This is a time to get ahead by taking action. Your work or career is in real harmony with the rest of your life. As usual, you demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others, which puts you in a good position to communicate concerning groups and social events. Your home environment, friends and surroundings become simplified and receive encouragement. Lovers, children and other people or things dear to your heart are enjoyed at this time. When planning a birthday party for this upcoming weekend, allow the birthday person to help you with the plans.

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) There is confidence to succeed at any project you attempt. There could be a sudden loss in business by no fault of your own. Oddly enough, this is a time when you may increase finances through some unexpected avenue. Either way, you should not let finances completely dominate your concerns. You should take care to examine all aspects of your business dealings to find the best avenues of success. This consideration could include the psychological aspects as well as the monetary aspects. You have a better understanding of your goals and the path that will get you to your goals. You will influence and inspire others through your actions. You provide psychological nourishment and encouragement to those around you whether you realize it or not.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Business looks promising, but you will need to stay on your toes and do what you can to resist outside pressure. It is important that you complete whatever project you start today. You do not usually show the firm side of your character, however, someone out of control today may demand your composure and firm command. You rule on the side of goodness and have high moral ethics. This afternoon you have an opportunity to gather information on some political issue that means a great deal to you, especially if a rule or law takes away from the free choice of people. This is a great day for intellectual matters. Changes you want to make now will have an excellent rate of success. There is positive thinking, mental stability, good feelings and opportunity.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You should enjoy great

DOWN 1. A member of a Turkic people of Uzbekistan and neighboring areas.

2. A river that rises in central Germany and flows north to join the Elbe River.

3. A graphical record of electric currents associated with muscle contractions.

4. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

5. Not only so, but.

6. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

7. Valuable fiber plant of East Indies now widespread in cultivation.

8. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

9. A person regarded as arrogant and annoying.

10. Exhibiting or restored to vigorous good health.

18. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

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

22. The cry made by sheep.

23. A master's degree in business.

24. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

28. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

29. A ductile gray metallic element of the lanthanide series.

31. Date used in reckoning dates before the supposed year Christ was born.

33. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

34. Tropical American tree grown in southern United States having a whitish pink-tinged fruit.

35. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

36. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

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

38. In bed.

39. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

40. The villain in William Shakespeare's tragedy who tricked Othello into murdering his wife.

41. An independent ruler or chieftain (especially in Africa or Arabia).

44. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

47. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

success and attention through your profession. There is an instinctive urge to get a great amount of work completed at this time. You may even find yourself agreeable to staying overtime, but not often. You love the time you can get in transit from one place to another because it gives you an opportunity to read or to write or to listen to books. Working overtime may cut back on this special time so you will do everything you can to catch up, get ahead or take home any extra work that is pending. A pleasant environment at home is important to you and your family. Family members will help with chores if you ask nicely. You may even decide to do a little extra cooking or entertaining soon as a reward or trade for their help.

Libra (September 23-October 22) You are mentally in high gear most of the time. This is a lucky day for you. It is also a time that is favored for unexpected business increases and new commercial ventures. Be careful that you do not go on a spending spree, however, as you may appreciate the beauty and value of everything you encounter. You are likely, however, to get a good deal for yourself at this time. Also, this is a promising time for any legal undertaking. It is also a good time to begin any personal health routine such as building good muscle tone through physical activities. You could feel loving and warm to those around you, and you are appreciative of your own life and self, in general. You may decide to start a savings program to save up for new bicycles in your family.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may find that a promotion or practical insights come with ease. You could represent or speak for your company or communicate about your skills. You need a place to think and dream without interruptions. Perhaps a short trip or walk at the noon break will enhance your focus. Outside activity at noon will bring your energies into a comfortable balance. You will be able to return to your work with renewed enthusiasm. You can be extremely creative once you learn how to channel your thinking properly. You are willing to take risks and can rise to whatever challenges occur. You will meet an interesting person this afternoon, perhaps a new employee. Discovery of a new talent may be the topic of discussion in your home this evening.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You could be teaching or be taught today regarding a new project or style of working. The day is charged with lots of drive and new beginnings. You may lack the staying power to see projects through to the end however and a new project will require a group effort. In a group effort, you might suggest rotating jobs to bring about a balance and to lessen the chance of boredom or resentments. You are emotionally sensitive and able to influence others in subtle ways. If you are scheduled for court for the next few days, expect delays.

If you are looking for a job, a past interview will come to your attention with positive results. If you are looking for an increase in income, these are possible through a written request. Fill your home with good smells tonight.

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) You have a quick thinking mind and this is beneficial for investigative work. You are also able to sway others to your way of thinking. Being hurried may cause you to forget something important today so, you might consider guiding yourself by a list, particularly in the work place. Establishing a balance between your personal needs, the responsibilities you have incurred and the opportunities you experience through your career can be stressful. With your organization skills, you could lay out a plan that will help you create a balance in your life. You will enjoy some time with your friends this evening. You have been very busy answering the demands of work and other responsibilities. Good relationships will improve if you look for the positive.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Professional matters are important to you. You want to achieve more in the way of status and prestige. Like most of us, you want recognition and are likely to achieve this soon. Today there are universal vibrations of encouragement; go for the gold!

Engage in new projects or invest in what is best described as fair to good investments. Care, however, should be taken not to force things. Volunteering your services to a friend can be most rewarding. It could be that someone is ready to move but has a need for something you have perhaps muscles or a vehicle. Your disposition is open and is welcome to all you meet. Your social life will certainly blossom during this time perhaps including a new love life. Avoid extravagance.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Channel and focus your energies into your work today, find delightful ways to discourage interruptions. There is inspiration available today for a great deal of accomplishments. This is not perhaps the best time to make important decisions that affect your living situation or life circumstances. Others may challenge the direction you are taking. Take a step back to see what could be the cause of some disturbance; then take it upon yourself to learn or accept some of the changes that are taking place now. You have unusual vigor and self-control, making you a tough opponent for any competitive endeavor a fun day. New outlets for growth and success should appear through something you may be reading this evening.

INFORMATION

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 112 Al-Madena 22418714 Al-Shohada始a 22545171 Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Sabhan 24742838 Al-Helaly 22434853 Al-Fayhaa 22545051 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Ahmadi 23980088 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 Al-Jahra 25610011 Al-Salmiya 25616368

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 HOSPITALS Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha始a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

24874330/9 CLINICS

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

4892674

Al-Omariya

4719048

N.Kheitan

4710044

Rabiya

4732263

Fintas

3900322

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988 AIRLINES

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE Ahmadi

PHARMACY Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

ADDRESS Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

PHONE 23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554

EMERGENCY 112

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea Dr. Masoma Habeeb Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy Dr. Mohsen Abel Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly

25622444 25752222 25321171 25739999 25757700 25732223 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

22617700 25625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Zahra Qabazard Sohail Qamar Snaa Maaroof Pradip Gujare Zacharias Mathew

25710444 22621099 25713514 23713100 24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe 23729596/23729581 Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 General Surgeons: Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 25717111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

(2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535 Dentists:

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists:

Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 25339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555 Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari

25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr

25329924

Psychologists/Psychotherapists Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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SPECTRUM

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

world’s most desired glamour models and has been hailed as one of the greatest supermodels. Of such acclaim, Marisa previously said: “I get a kick out of it, but it would be stupid to let it go to my head. It’s modeling-I didn’t find the cure for cancer.” The ‘Girls Aloud’ star Cheryl Cole won the title in the UK edition of the magazine.

ond place. The blonde beauty was victorious after over a million votes were cast from all the world’s FHM magazines, which were then pooled together to create one global chart. The magazine brand is popular in a variety of countries, including Africa to Germany, as well as France, Russia and India. Marisa - who lives in California - is one of the

arisa Miller has stolen the sexiest woman in the world crown from Megan Fox. The US supermodel - who has worked for Sports Illustrated, Victoria’s Secret and Harley Davidson - has been named as the sexiest woman on earth by a global poll for FHM, which pushes last years’ winner, the actress Megan Fox, back down into sec-

Gomez has double graduation elena Gomez has graduated from high school twice in one day. The 17-year-old actress received her diploma but was unable to attend the official ceremony because she was filming a graduation scene for her new movie ‘Monte Carlo’. She wrote on her Facebook page: “What are the odds......Today I graduated from high school and got my diploma!!!!! “I also filmed my graduation ceremony in the upcoming movie Monte Carlo. So in a weird way I was able to experience an official graduation, LOL. (sic)” While most high school graduates are looking for-

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vril Lavigne reportedly had a screaming row with Lindsay Lohan last week. The Canadian singer and the ‘Mean Girls’ star were both at popular Los Angeles hotel Chateau Marmont when the argument began, with Avril branding Lindsay a “fake”. A source said: “Avril was at a table with friends just over a week ago including her boyfriend, Brody Jenner, when Lindsay came over to say hi. “But as soon as she approached, Avril launched at her and said, ‘Get the hell out of my face, you are fake, you are a loser. I don’t like false people. Stay away from me and my friends.’ “Lindsay was furious and screamed back, ‘Don’t threaten me!’ She then stormed off to security and tried to get them to kick Avril out. They refused to force Avril to leave. Lindsay eventually stormed off.”

The pair are said to have fallen out because Lindsay snubbed the ‘Girlfriend’ hitmaker at a showbiz event but tried to make friends with her when she saw she was hanging out with people she was eager to impress. The source added to the New York Post newspaper: “It seemed like she was just being friendly to Avril because she was with people Lindsay wanted to impress. Avril is avoiding going to the Chateau Marmont when she knows Lindsay will be there. She doesn’t want anymore drama.” It is the second time this month Lindsay’s behaviour at the hotel has caused concern to onlookers. Last week, the 23-year-old star partied with her mother Dina until the early hours of the morning at the Chateau Marmont, with fellow revellers proclaiming she looked “pale and bloated”. A source said: “Lindsay didn’t look good. Her face is so puffy and she seemed exhausted. And everyone around is just looking at Dina like, ‘Why the hell are you partying with your daughter?’

Doesn’t she see what she’s doing and how weird and wrong it is?”-Bang Showbiz

ward to college, the ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ starlet has other projects on her mind. She said: “I am off to Budapest to work on my newest adventure, my movie ‘Monte Carlo’!

I am very excited to meet the cast and get started on this great movie.” Selena - who has previously dated Jonas Brothers star Nick Jonas - recently revealed she is happy being single as it means she can concentrate on what’s important to her. She said: “I’m happy that is all in the past now. I’m very much single, I’m dating myself now - I think if you don’t love yourself first, no one else will love you.”

Radcliffe bulks up for Broadway

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ickey Rourke has never cheated on his girlfriend Anastasia Makarenko.

The 57-year-old actor claims he has never been unfaithful to his partner, and insists he never will because he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he was unfaithful.

Mickey - who has a reputation as a womanizer - said: “I haven’t f***ed around on her. I haven’t been that way in 23 years so this is new for me and it’s not easy. Sure, I could do something on the side but I’ve got to live with myself. “That’s something new for me, being honest in a relationship.” Despite his changed ways, Mickey has not yet thought about marrying the 24-year-old Russian model. He added in an interview with Britain’s OK! magazine: “I haven’t asked her! I haven’t thought about it yet. I’ve only had two girlfriends in my life. I’m either alone or in a relationship for four or five years. “There was stuff in the paper about me being engaged but it’s just embarrassing for Anna because she is very low key.” The ‘Iron Man 2’ star admits his heart was “closed” when he first met the Russian beauty, but she helped to change his perspective on relationships. Mickey - who was one of the biggest stars of the 80s before his wild partying and difficult behavior made him an Hollywood outcast - said: “I thought she was very successful and attractive but my heart’s been closed for many years. There is still a part of me where I didn’t care about repercussions or being responsible but when it was really dark and there was no daylight the only person I could blame for my downfall was myself.”

Lavigne clashes with Lohan

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he ‘Sex and the City 2’ actress - who has been dating Christine Marinoni since January 2004 - admits her partner is masculine but jokes those who know them believe the flame-haired star is the “butch” one in the relationship. She said: “She’s basically a short man with boobs. A lot of what I love about her is her butchness.

I’m not saying I fell in love with her in a sexually neutral way. I love her sexuality - it’s a big part of what I love about her but I feel like it was her.

“It wasn’t something in me that was waiting to come out. It was like, this person is undeniable. How can I let this person walk by?

Christine would probably kill me for saying this, but my daughter said one time that if you really had to break this down, it looks like she would be butch and I would be femme... but really once you get to know us it’s really the opposite.” Cynthia, 44, also claims her publicist wanted to stop her from revealing her sexuality following her split from English professor Danny Mozes in 2003, but she decided to go ahead with it as she thought it would sound “playground” to call Christine her friend.

She added to gay and lesbian magazine Advocate: “He just kept saying, ‘It’s your life, and it’s private, and that’s it.’ And we kept asking, ‘That’s the whole thing? We never move past that? We’re at the playground with the kids, and pictures are taken of us, and we say, ‘No, she’s my friend?’ “ Cynthia - who plays feisty lawyer Miranda Hobbes in the ‘Sex and the City’ movies and TV series will return to cinema screens at the end of the month to reprise the role in the second feature film alongside Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall and Kristin Davis.

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aniel Radcliffe is getting in shape for his upcoming Broadway role. The ‘Harry Potter’ star is preparing to bare his torso in the New York theatre district for upcoming musical ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’, in which he will appear in some shirtless scenes as a window cleaner. A friend said: “Daniel wants to completely re-sculpt his body. He’s already lost nearly 14 lbs in the past month.” In order to achieve his dream body, Daniel - who appeared naked in theatre production ‘Equus’, which ran on London’s West End and Broadway

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- has given up junk food and stopped smoking. The friend added to The Sun newspaper: “Daniel is taking his fitness regime really seriously. He’s stopped drinking, knocked the cigarettes on the head and is watching every mouthful.” In ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’, the 20-year-old star will play J Pierrepont Finch, who goes from a window cleaner to a mailroom employee who then quickly rises to the top of the corporate ladder to become vice-president of advertising at the Worldwide Wicket Company. The play is to open next spring.

Gym-hater Sam Worthington am Worthington doesn’t see the point of going to the gym.

The ‘Avatar’ actor - whose impressive physique earned him millions of admirers in James Cameron’s 3-D blockbuster admits he isn’t a huge fan of exercise and can’t see why anybody would want to work out for hours. He said: “I didn’t do anything to buff up - nothing. I’m not one of these yoga-loving, I-only-want-wheatgrass-and-blueberry-muffins kind of guys.

And I don’t go the gym; I think it’s pointless. If I’m going to pick up something heavy, I’d rather take it somewhere.” The 33-year-old heartthrob - who is dating stylist Natalie Marks - also says he’s not concerned about the clothes a woman wears, just that they have a good smile. He told Britain’s Cosmopolitan magazine: “I go for a nice smile when it comes to women because that means she finds me funny, and a smile lightens the air. A girl can wear the worst clothes, but she’ll still look good if she smiles.” He also insists he’s not fussing when it comes to his own outfits, saying: “I’ve had these Australian black Blundstone boots, which are falling apart, since I was 20. What do I need 20 pairs of shoes for?” — Bang Showbiz

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37

SPECTRUM

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Music & Movies

Cannes Film Festival makes do with lighter lineup ard times for the economy. Hard times for the Cannes Film Festival, at least in terms of splashy Hollywood films for which the world’s most prestigious cinema showcase is known. Cannes opens today with Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and Ridley Scott’s “Robin Hood,” one of the few A-list premieres at this year’s festival, whose lineup has an undercurrent of economic themes. The timing of Cannes could not be better for “Robin Hood.”

The movie opens theatrically today in France and elsewhere over the next two days, including the US debut Friday, so the media frenzy as Crowe and Blanchett strut the Cannes red carpet is great publicity as it tries to compete with current blockbuster “Iron Man 2.” “It’s an honor, but it’s also bloody useful. Everything today is marketing. You’ve got to get positioned really fast. You better establish yourself in that opening week,” said director Scott, who was not attending Cannes because of recent knee surgery.

“We’re very happy to be opening Cannes, because it’s such an enormous venue and helps get your film out there.”

Along with “Robin Hood,” starring Crowe as the roguish archer battling medieval robber barons, Cannes offers a first look at financial wolves of our own times with Michael Douglas and Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” the followup to their 1987 hit “Wall Street.” The 12-day festival also features director Charles Ferguson’s “Inside Job,” a documentary narrated by Matt Damon that examines the causes of the economic meltdown. The Directors’ Fortnight, a lineup of films outside the festival’s main program, also features Jean-Stephane Bron’s “Cleveland vs. Wall Street,” about a lawsuit against mortgage bankers the city blames for devastating realestate foreclosures.

Stone’s “Wall Street” followup brings back Douglas’ corporate raider Gordon Gekko. After getting caught in the first film, Gekko did eight years in prison, wrote a memoir and now is itching to get back into the trading game from which he is barred. Set amid the financial chaos of 2008, the new movie is not simply the further adventures of Gekko but a story about the runaway train Wall Street has become since

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In this film publicity image released by 20th Century Fox, Michael Douglas portrays Gordon Gekko, left, and Shia LaBeouf portrays Jake Moore in a scene from, ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.’—AP

In this film publicity image released by Universal Pictures, Russell Crowe is shown in a scene from ‘Robin Hood.’

—AP

the first film, Stone said.

“Our movie goes beyond. We’re not really chasing the movie, because it’s 22 years later,” Stone said.

“We’re trying to bookend it and say this is a new ‘Wall Street,’ this is ‘Wall Street 2.’ This is another time and place. Things have changed, and millions of dollars have now become billions of dollars.” The new “Wall Street” co-stars Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan, Josh Brolin and Frank Langella, and it features a brief appearance from Charlie Sheen, reprising his role from the original.

“Inside Job” is a nonfiction counterpart, chronicling the long prelude of greed and excess before the economy went bust. “A gigantic crisis was a quasi-inevitable result of the emergence over the last 30 years of investment banking as an unregulated, out-of-control,

criminal industry,” director Ferguson said. “As the industry grew and became wealthier, became more powerful, it progressively disabled all the alarm systems and corrupted all the people and institutions that should have restrained it and did restrain it prior to the 1980s.” Brolin also co-stars with Naomi Watts, Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins and Freida Pinto in Woody Allen’s ensemble romance, “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger,” which premieres at Cannes. Watts has another Cannes entry, co-starring with Sean Penn in Doug Liman’s “Fair Game,” in which she plays CIA covert operative Valerie Plame, whose identity was leaked by officials in the Bush administration.

“Fair Game” is the only film by an American director among the 19 competing for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s top prize. As many as five American films

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Prosecutors had opposed releasing Gunson’s testimony, accusing Polanski of running a desperate public relations offensive in order to try and thwart his extradition to the United States. “The defendant, lacking both case law and facts in support of his position, and obviously running out of options to avoid extradition, makes completely baseless and reckless allegations apparently orchestrated as part of a public relations campaign, rather than being premised on any legal or factual foundation,” Deputy District Attorney David Walgren argued in his 14-page response filed last week.

Walgren said Monday “all defense allegations of misconduct have been fully disclosed” to the Department of Justice and Swiss authorities.

Walgren called for “a full and fair sentencing hearing” at which Polanski would face the results of his “actions” against the “13-year-old child in this case.” Polanski is alleged to have given Samantha Geimer champagne and drugs during a 1977 photo shoot at the Hollywood Hills home of actor friend Jack Nicholson before having sex with her despite her protests.

Polanski was initially charged with six felony counts, but that charge was later reduced to unlawful sexual intercourse in a plea bargain. He underwent a psychiatric evaluation for 42 days but fled the United States on the eve of his sentencing hearing in 1978, fearing that the judge in the case, who has since died, was planning to go back on a previously agreed deal. — AFP

orld-famous tenor Placido Domingo announced the opening in the Gulf state of Qatar yesterday a branch of the Pampano restaurant, first established in Manhattan with Mexican chef Richard Sandoval. Domingo, who joined fellow Spaniard Jose Carreras and Italy’s late Luciano Pavarotti to form the popular Three Tenors in the 1990s, said he would also present on Thursday an anthology of zarzuela

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(Spanish operetta) with members of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. Pampano is situated in a luxurious residential complex located on Pearl, a man-made island in the Gulf. It was first established in New York in 2003 in partnership with Sandoval. ìIím very thrilled to be here’ in Qatar, Domingo said. ìCultural life is growing in Qatar and it will grow more and more as people from all over the world are coming here.’—AFP

‘Prince of Persia’ lightweight entertainment imed squarely at youngsters and families, “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” is a handsome, fast-paced and innocuous adventure that’s easy to take but lacks epic scale. The Walt Disney Pictures release, which had its world premiere in London on Sunday, opens in North America on May 28. Based on a 2003 Ubisoft video game, the film might be a bit tame for teens; film buffs could enjoy it as a nostalgic throwback to the antics of Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn. Box office should be healthy without going through the roof.

The setting is an imagined version of ancient Persia, and it’s all swords and horses, wind and sand, mighty cities and noble princes. The maguffin is a dagger that unleashes sands that can make time reverse, and in the wrong hands could bring about Earth’s destruction. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Dastan, an acrobatic warrior who was adopted as an orphaned child by the benevolent King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup) and raised with two princes, Tus (Richard Coyle) and Garsiv (Toby Kebbell). Guided by the king’s silky brother, Nizam (Ben Kingsley), they lay siege to a city called Alamut where it is believed are hidden weapons of mass destruction. That’s about as topical as the film gets, as the focus moves quickly to the fabled dagger, and intrigue between the princes and their advisers.

Much rests on the appeal of Gyllenhaal, a serious actor who is buffed up seriously for the role. He’s certainly fit, and the British accent he uses to match the rest of the cast works fine, but there’s something a touch hangdog in Gyllenhaal’s demeanor that is probably intended to show self-deprecation but instead can appear insipid.

Gemma Arterton plays Tamina, a

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Lebanese singer Rima Khsheish performs at the ‘Angham min al-Sharq’ (Sounds of Arabia) festival in Abu Dhabi, on May 10, 2010. The event is organized by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH). — AFP

Swift to receive award at Songwriters Hall of Fame he’s only 20, but Taylor Swift is getting in the hall of fame. The country starlet will receive the Hal David Starlight Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards on June 17. Swift, known for penning songs about her puppy love lapses, has written or co-written every song on her two multiplatinum-selling CDs: her 2006 self-titled debut and 2008’s “Fearless,” which won

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album of the year at this year’s Grammy Awards, among other top honors.

Phil Collins and music producer Phil Ramone also will receive special awards at the event. Other inductees include Leonard Cohen, Jackie DeShannon, David Foster, Johnny Mandel, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, Larry Dunn, Al McKay and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Maurice White. — AP

princess who knows more about the dagger than she lets on, and director Mike Newell works hard to make their encounters sexy and exciting as sandstorms swirl, but there’s not much lust in the dust. Arterton, who suffered a classic Bond Girl exit in “Quantum of Solace,” brings exotic looks and great energy to the role, and it will raise

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years later and that, too, over a DVD, which is rarely heard of, is surprising,” he added.

The plaintiffs allege that “Singh Is Kinng” is similar to a 1929 short story by Damon Runyon, “Madame L a Gimp,” which inspired the 1933 film “Lady For A Day” that earned Frank Capra a Best Director Oscar nomination. “I haven’t even heard of the movie before and secondly, if they had brought up the allegation in September 2008 when we released the movie, it would have still made sense. Why now?” Shah was quoted as saying.

Bollywood has a history of remaking Hollywood films, often with virtually identical plots, characters and even musical scores. But with films now being released overseas and Hollywood studios signing tieups with their Indian counterparts, there has been a spate of warnings and court cases about plagiarism. In 2008, Warner Bros,

the copyright holders of the Harry Potter movies, took the producers of the Indian film “Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Errors” to court, arguing that its name was too similar.

The case was dismissed, although many movie-goers pointed out the Indian film’s similarities to the hit Hollywood movie “Home Alone”. In April 2009, Warner Bros put Bollywood on notice that they would sue for breach of copyright after press reports that an Indian version of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was in the offing, also made by Shah. And in August that year, 20th Century Fox sought damages from the makers of the film “Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai” (This Guy’s Cool) — an Indian version of the Hollywood film “My Cousin Vinny”-and an injunction against its release. The US studio claimed it had not given permission for a remake. — AFP

runs ostrich races, are reliable in providing the necessary menace and comic relief.

Another Brit, Steve Toussaint, makes an impression as an expert knife thrower from Africa, but his fate is all too predictable.

A trio of film editors, Michael Kahn, Martin Walsh and Mick Audsley, deserve full marks for the exciting pace of the pic-

British actress Gemma Arterton and US actor Jake Gyllenhaal arrive at the world premiere of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, at a cinema in Westfield in west London, Sunday. — AP her profile, but she appears too intelligent for such silly stuff.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has loaded his crew with top-notch talent, and the picture gleams as a result. Kingsley, as the resentful brother of the king, and Alfred Molina, as a conniving entrepreneur who

Bollywood producer vows to fight US copyright case Bollywood film producer has vowed to fight a US lawsuit claiming breach of copyright in the latest intellectual property dispute to hit India’s Hindi-language entertainment industry. Vipul Shah said he was “truly baffled” at the case against the distributors of his film “Singh Is Kinng”, which was filed by the American Rights Management Company last week in a New York court. “Singh Is Kinng,” a comedy starring Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif, with music by US rapper Snoop Dogg, hit screens more than 18 months ago and did well both in India and abroad, earning some 108 million dollars.

Shah told the Hindustan Times newspaper in an interview published Tuesday that he would fight the case in court and stressed that the script was an original.

“The fact that they (the American Rights Management Company) are reacting two

Irish”; and Abbas Kiarostami’s “Certified Copy.” Also in the running are two films from past winners of the festival’s directing prize: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s “Biutiful,” with Javier Bardem, and Bernard Tavernier’s “The Princess of Montpensier.” The fact that only 19 films are in the festival’s main competition indicates that organizers had less to choose from this time.

The competition typically includes 20 to 22 films.

“Last year, numerous important directors were at Cannes. This year, most of these important filmmakers are writing or filming-working, in any case,” Fremaux said. “The selection process was, therefore, a delicate matter, given the absence of all these filmmakers. The selection is a nice one, one which forced us to use our imagination.”—AP

Tenor Placido Domingo takes Pampano restaurant to Qatar

US judge dismisses Polanski ‘lie’ claims Los Angeles judge on Monday dismissed a request by Roman Polanski’s lawyers to unseal records they claimed would prove that attempts to extradite the director were based on incomplete information.

Polanski attorney Chad Hummel had argued that it was necessary to release transcripts of closed-door testimony given earlier this year by Roger Gunson, a retired prosecutor who handled the filmmaker’s 1970s child sex case. Hummel claimed in filings last week the testimony would show authorities in Switzerlandwhere Polanski is under house arrest and facing extradition to the United States-that US prosecutors had withheld information in the case.

Earlier this month Polanski broke his silence on the case, saying in a 900word statement that US authorities wanted his head “on a platter.” Polanski insisted he had served the time agreed and that claims to the contrary in the extradition warrant were false.

The testimony by Gunson supported his version of events, Polanski added in the statement.

Hummel argued at a hearing Monday that “no valid interests were being protected” by keeping Gunson’s testimony sealed and that unless Judge Peter Espinoza unsealed the documents “information presented to the Swiss by our district attorney is not complete.”

However Espinoza rejected the request, stating authorities in Switzerland “have the information they need,” to make a decision on Polanski’s extradition.

have competed in past years, and festival director Thierry Fremaux said he hopes the scant American presence will be temporary. “The Cannes Film Festival must show more American films,” said festival director Thierry Fremaux. “That’s part of our tradition and part of what we want for the future.” Most of the big-name films at Cannes, including Stone, Allen and Scott’s movies, are screening out of competition.

Others playing out of competition include Stephen Frears’ comedy “Tamara Drewe,” starring Gemma Arterton; Diego Luna’s child drama “Abel”; and Olivier Assayas’ five-hour-plus terrorism epic “Carlos,” with Edgar Ramirez.

The competition includes three films directed by past Palme d’Or winners: Mike Leigh’s “Another Year,” starring Jim Broadbent; Ken Loach’s “Route

ture, and they make the most of John Seale’s cinematography, which is inventively framed and beautiful to see. Harry Gregson-Williams provides an orchestral score that matches the sweep of the adventure and keeps its IQ from sliding too far down the scale. — Reuters

Man cleared in burglary at actress Peet’s NYC loft jury has cleared a man suspected of breaking into actress Amanda Peet’s Manhattan apartment and taking her jewelry. Henry Santos was acquitted Monday of burglary. His lawyer said the 27-year-old Santos was misidentified as the intruder a baby sitter spotted in Peet’s loft Oct 27. Peet’s husband, screenwriter David Benioff, testified that the then-pregnant Peet “was panicked” when she learned a thief had gotten into their home through a skylight.

The couple wasn’t home when it happened.

Peet didn’t testify. Peet’s spokesman and Santos’ lawyer didn’t immediately respond to inquiries Monday. Peet’s films include “2012” and “The Whole Nine Yards.” Benioff ’s credits include “Troy” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” The couple has two daughters.-AP

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File photo, US actress Amanda Peet poses at the photo call for the movie ‘Please Give’ at the International Film Festival Berlinale in Berlin, Germany.—AP

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Great train journeys

By Gary A Warner ’ve crossed the Atlantic on an ocean liner, but missed the era when your choice of line went beyond “Cunard.” I can count the number of longhaul flights I’ve actually enjoyed on one hand-with two fingers to spare. But around the world, it is still possible to step into a grand railway station, board a train and experience the best the world has to offer on steel wheels. Trains have never been faster, while remnants of the golden age of rail carry from Australia to Canada to Scotland. The United States is more of a mixed experience, where a great railroading legacy bumps into the uneven quality of service and equipment on Amtrak.

Regardless of which continent you’re on, there is nothing more romantic in travel than a long train ride, tucked away in a small private cabin with a pile of books brought along to read but discarded for long periods gazing out the window. At its best, rail travel offers the languor of a cruise with the new-sighta-minute views of a road trip (without having to keep your eyes on the road). Here’s my personal list of favorite train trips, including some American classics:

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An Amtrak train crosses over the San Mateo Creek estuary at San Onofre State Beach near San Clemente, California.— MCT photos

Favorite foreign trips VIA Rail: Vancouver-Jasper. The trains are nicer, the service is better and you’re more likely to be on time aboard this Canadian train than on its Amtrak counterparts. The route from Vancouver to Jasper in the Canadian Rockies is called “the ski train” in winter. Come summer, the 1950s dome car features views of pine forests, vast lakes and some of the tallest peaks on the continent. You can explore the Rockies or continue on to Edmonton or as far as Toronto without changing trains. It’s a revelation to realize how preserved the Canadian trains are compared with most US trains-and their rolling stock is up to 20 years older.

The Indian-Pacific, Australia: It’s almost winter in Australia, so the long trip from Sydney to Perth that passes through days of Outback track occurs when the weather is tolerable. Stop in an Outback town such as Broken Hill or Kalgoorlie along the way. This epic 2 {-day Australian rail ride from Sydney on the Pacific Ocean to Perth on the Indian Ocean covers 2,704 miles. It includes a 297-mile section across the Nullarbor Plain that is the world’s longest straight track. Favorite stops: Broken Hill, Adelaide and Kalgoorlie. Another option: The Ghan, which goes north-south between Darwin and Adelaide. Both the outback areas around Alice Springs and the game parks of northern Australia are better in our summer than theirs.

Eurostar, Paris-London: It’s become passe to take the half-hour hurtle under the English Channel on the way between London and Paris or Brussels.

But for those of us who remember when you could only go by air or green-face-inducing ferry across the choppy seas, it remains a marvel. The recent upgrade of tracks in Britain has shortened the trip by 20 minutes, and the switch from modern Waterloo Station to the gloriously restored red-brick Victorian St Pancras Station make entering London one of the great rail experiences in the world. Wish I could say the same about the scruffy, distant Gare du Nord in Paris. But, hey, it still gets you to Paris.

Shinkansen, Japan: The Nozomi 500 bullet train is the fastest in Japan, and its gray bullet-nosed front with the jet fighter-like bubble cockpit is unlike any in the world. But you can’t ride it if you are on the JR Rail Pass unless you pay a premium.

The slower-and that’s only a relative term-Kodama and Hikari trains make more stops, but still speed you around the country in time that would make any American envious. I’m looking forward to trying the new high-speed line to Honshu in the north.

TGV: The most popular high-speed line for European tourists, the French trains move you around the country in a matter of hours. To have a wonderful lunch at the Belle Epoque Le Train Bleu at Gare de Lyon, then get on a TGV to be in Lyon in less than two hours is a mix of the best of old and new train worlds.

Bergensbanen: The Norwegian train from Oslo to Bergen is the highest main line rail route

between two cities in Europe. The route from Oslo to Bergen would make any top 10 list in the world, and that’s not all-passengers can take the wondrous scenic spur line from Myrdal to Fl?m, with includes a ferry and a bus trip to reunite with the train farther down the line.

Rovos Rail, South Africa: A fatal accident has cast a shadow over the once exemplary record of this luxury train that operates throughout South Africa and sometimes to the north. The carriages beautifully represent colonial era comforts. It’s a retro counterpoint to the modern Blue Train, considered by many to be the finest scenic train in the world. Rovos excursions in the past include an epic trip to Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border and then on to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

US trips Sunset Limited: About time I got to the United States! Frankly, the Amtrak service is so disappointing, the schedule so squish and the dependability a seeming afterthought, that only the most leisurely traveler can really enjoy what amounts to low-cost

One of the original tiles is shown in the train station in San Diego, California terminus for the Surfliner train.

land cruises. If you are planning to get between point A and point B, forget it. The Sunset Limited is a favorite in the winter, rolling south through the great deserts, skirting the Mexican border by mere feet at El Paso before rolling past Big Bend National Park and the famous eastern Texas town of Marfa, and over the highest railway bridge in the US, which passes over the Pecos River. I went only as far as San Antonio, though it’s possible to go on to New Orleans. Before storms wiped out the tracks, this was the last transcontinental line, going all the way from Los Angeles to Orlando, 2,764 miles.

Coast Starlight: I have to admit it’s been a few years since I’ve made this run, since my two times before were duds compared with other trips. Amtrak claims this is its high-quality line, but it can’t quite carry off the trick with anyone who has taken a train ride outside the US The scenery, as on most U.S. lines, is the awesome attraction, with the long run from Los Angeles to Seattle going from city to sea to mountains. Break up the trip with overnight stops in Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Mount Shasta or Portland, Ore. Southwest Chief: The successor to the classic Santa Fe train roughly parallels old Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago. Stop off in Flagstaff, Ariz; Albuquerque, NM; or Kansas City, Mo. If I were to make one stop along the way, it would be 24 hours in Winslow, Ariz, where you can stay at La Posada Hotel, a former Harvey House railway hotel.

Pacific Surfliner: Sometimes short and sweet works best, especially when it comes to Amtrak.

Officially, this train runs from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, but I stick to the service from Orange County to San Diego. It’s short, usually efficient and drops you off at San Diego’s landmark Spanish-style Santa Fe station, within easy walking distance to hotels, downtown, the USS Midway museum and other attractions. The trolley system across the street makes getting to Qualcomm Stadium or Petco Park a breeze. There are some fun north coast cities along the way in which a traveler could stop for a day or two-Oceanside, Encinitas and Solana Beachand there are classic all-American views of great Southern California beaches along the way.

Durango & Silverton: Yes, I know this route carved through the Colorado mountains in 1882 is now just a tourist excursion train. But along with the Skunk Train in the California redwoods and my big long-haul trip on Santa Fe, it’s the experience that shaped my love for trains. The black smokebelching locomotive looks, sounds and smells like a train out of a Western movie. American Heritage Railways does a nice job. The landscape, following the narrow gauge up into the mountains to the silver mining town at the end of the ampersand, is all the more heart-pounding because of the sheer dropoff of many of the segments.

Train ride wish list The Blue Train, South Africa: It comes up time and again as the most scenic train ride in the world, a luxurious run between Cape Town and Pretoria. I enjoyed the old-world appeal of Rovos Rail, but would like to take this modern version as well.

The Ghan, Australia: It took decades, but the Australians finally completed the north-south rail line between Adelaide and Darwin. In our summer, it takes visitors through the outback metropolis of Alice Springs, then up to the area around Daintree National Park during the preferable dry season.

The Cassiopeia, Japan: Most of Japan’s trains, including the new northern extension of the

Passengers bustle through the 1939 mission-style architecture of Union Station in Los Angeles, California.

Shinkansen bullet train line, are about speed and businesslike efficiency. Not the Cassiopeia. It’s Japan’s most luxurious night train and one that isn’t advertised heavily outside the country. The train has a lounge, restaurant car and large staterooms-no seats. This is luxe all the way. I only heard about this train when visiting Sapporo for the winter festival a few years ago. It leaves from Ueno Station, near the Imperial Palace, and travels to Sapporo, the metropolis of the northern island of Hokkaido .

Eastern Orient Express, Southeast Asia: A plush roll up the Malay Peninsula from Singapore to Bangkok. My only caveat is to check out the political situation along the route-Malaysia and Thailand have had turmoil in recent years. The train ride might be a respite, but the stops on either end could wipe away the feeling of relaxation.

Lhasa Express, China-Tibet: A controversial train-it is a Chinese government project to open up the country’s links to Tibet, the region it subjugated by force, driving out the Dalai Lama and marginalizing the indigenous Tibetan population. Most of the journey is above 13,000 feet-and the high point is Tanggula Pass at 16,640 feet, more than 2,000 feet higher than the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the continental US Like a trip to Burmaor for that matter, Vietnam, Laos or Cuba-you’ll need to decide if experiencing a place helps open it up to the outside world or just lines the pockets of dictators. The “new train” from Golmud to Lhasa passes through such high altitudes that passengers can wear oxygen masks if they feel lightheaded.

Shanghai Maglev: Magnetic levitation is the wave of the future for railroads, but the only commercially operational model in the world is the short run between Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport and the city center. The train rides above the rails on powerful magnets, giving it a smooth, fast ride that tops out at 268 miles an hour. It’s a quick ride-the 19 miles are covered in less than eight minutes during peak periods.

Acela: The Boston-New York-Washington route has never fully lived up to its high-speed hype. It can reach 150 mph on short sections of track in New England. But the railbed quality is inconsistent along the route, requiring reduced speeds, and there’s congestion and freight train priority (a problem throughout the Amtrak system) to slow things down.

Cuzco to Machu Picchu, Peru: Critics contend the new train has made it too easy to get to the famed mountaintop lost city, but fans love the addition of a rail adventure to go with the one-of-a-kind experience of visiting the Andean ruins. PeruRail is doing some alterations to the tracks, so part of the journey is by bus until June 30.

Empire Builder, US: I’ve long wanted to take Amtrak’s Empire Builder across the top of the U.S., from Seattle to Chicago, then return on the VIA Rail through Canada. A few hundred miles and an international border separate the two. I’d love to compare the equipment and service on a long haul. The Empire Builder officially takes 46 hours to make the journey.

El Chepe, Mexico: The Chihuahua al Pacifico that takes in Copper Canyon is the premier Mexican train experience, covering 390 miles, crossing 39 bridges and going through 86 tunnels on its journey from the sea to the mountains.

The Palace on Wheels: The great “Raj” train experience of India is an intentional throwback to the colonial era, when the British overlords traveled in luxury amid the nation’s poverty. Now that India is a democracy, the Palace on Wheels is a chance to enjoy the pleasures of the past without the guilt (at least until the credit card payment hits your mailbox).

Rail cruises: I prefer trains that stay on the move, but at some point it would be fun to take one of the luxury “rail cruises” like Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer, the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, or the Royal Scotsman. These trains meander about, stopping for cultural and foodie events and sometimes disgorging their passengers for the night to sleep in luxury hotels. A different experience, but if the waiter will bring by a gin martini, dry, straight up, I will endure the hardship. — MCT

A family enjoys the view from their sleeper car on the way to Broken Hill, Australia on the Indian Pacific train from Sydney to Perth.

An on-looker checks waits near the bullet train, which travels between Osaka and Tokyo, Japan.

By Jean Patteson

Target is introducing another round of stylish-but-affordable, limited-edition fashions created by top designers including these strappy flats with gold studs, by Cynthia Vincent for Target.

— MCT photos

Q: I will be traveling to Italy in June on a parent/student educational tour. We have been advised to pack lightly and use a carry-on bag instead of full-sized suitcase. I am prepared to limit my footwear and select separates in a narrow color palette, but for an 11-day trip through five cities, could I really pack enough in just one a carry-on bag?

A: With careful planning and editing, yes you can. And you’ll probably be very glad you did, when all you have to tote is one small bag. (Although I advise a wheeled design you can roll, not tote.) Also, Italy should be nice and warm in June, so you won’t need anything bulkier than one lightweight sweater or jacket.

By selecting mix-and-match separates and no more than two pairs of shoes, you are more than halfway to achieving your “packlightly” goal. Beyond that, make sure some of those separates, especially the tops, come in an easy-care fabric you can handwash and hang to dry overnight. Three bot-

A model wears Mimi So necklace and Kimberly McDonald earrings.

By Melissa Magsaysay ose gold, first popularized almost a century ago, has made a comeback. The blush-hued version of the precious metal is showing up in status watches, engagement rings, necklaces and more. The feminine pieces look delicate on their own but can also bridge the gap between white and yellow gold when all three are worn together.

Rose gold, which is sometimes called “pink gold,” may seem more exotic than run-of-the-mill yellow, but the secret to its color is comparatively pedestrian: copper. All gold used in jewelry must be mixed with other metals in order to withstand wear because 24-karat gold (the kind that is 99 percent or more gold) is too soft to withstand wear on its own. The amount of copper used as an alloy is what gives rose gold its pink tinge. “Alloy metal suppliers will vary the copper, but whether you call it red, pink or rose gold, it’s all the same process,” says Duvall O’Steen, director of jewelry promotion for the World Gold Council.

“Rose gold is more rare, whether that’s because it’s made to order or there’s just less of it being made,” she says. The fashion world loves nothing more than exclusivity, making rose gold that much more desirable.

But the price is still comparable to white or yellow gold because copper is inexpensive and jewelry made of rose gold is priced on the weight of the gold.

Cartier made a major mark in rose gold history when the Trinity band (made of three intertwining bands of rose, white and yellow gold) debuted in the late 1920s. French writer and filmmaker Jean Cocteau popularized the ring and the look of rose gold by stacking two on his pinkie finger, sparking a

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trend in wearing rose gold and in mixing metals.

Though the classic Trinity pieces from Cartier evoke the metal’s history, its recent resurgence can be attributed to the comeback of color in fashion. “The ‘90s were about black and white and minimalism, and

A model wears a pair of Mimi So earrings with Van Cleef watch, Garland bracelet and a Bulgari ring.

Model wears a pair of Neil Lane earrings.

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

toms (pants, capris, skirt) and six-to-eight tops should do it. Really!

Lay the pieces out on your bed, experiment with different combinations, and dress them up or down with a few favorite accessories.

You’ll be amazed how many looks you can create.

For footwear, select one pair of sturdy, comfortable shoes for everyday wear, and a second, lightweight pair of sandals or flats for evening outings or wearing around your hotel. Beyond that, all you really need is sleepwear, underwear and one medium-size handbag.

And remember: The lighter you pack, the more room you’ll have in your bag to take home some gorgeous Italian fashions.

Dry-cleaning a raincoat Q: I have been given a vintage London Fog raincoat that has never been worn. I would like to have it dry-cleaned, just to freshen it up. But would dry-cleaning destroy its rainshedding ability? If it can be cleaned, would it be expensive?

A: Dry-cleaning would remove the waterproofing from your raincoat, said my contact at ACME Cleaners, a venerable institution in Orlando, Fla. However, for a fee of just $4, a fresh waterproof coating could be applied. The cost of cleaning the raincoat would be about $22. If it has a removable lining, add about $6 to the cost.

Bras with cool comfort Q: Does anyone make a “summer bra”? I spend a lot of time outdoors wearing light tops or tanks, but after an hour in the Florida heat, I am ready to tear off even my cotton bras.

The worst part is the hot, sticky band at the bottom. Are there any alternatives? I am willing to sacrifice support for comfort.

A: Sports bras may be the answer. Most are made of high-tech fibers that wick away moisture and include mesh vents and other features designed to keep athletes dry, cool, comfortable-and well supported.

The styling has improved, too. Many mod-

This straw fedora in plaid with blue trim, is designed by Eugenia Kim for Target. ern sports bras come in a range of colors and strap configurations, and can be as pretty and sexy as regular bras.

Top-to-toe style Target is introducing another round of stylish-but-affordable, limited-edition fashions created by top designers. The collections include straw and cloth hats by Eugenia Kim, and shoes ranging from flats to gladiator wedges by Cynthia Vincent, both in stores now through the end of June. Also new in Target is a collection of funky dresses, pants, tops and jackets by Zac Posen.

— MCT

Rose gold, first popularized almost a century ago, has made a comeback, with this Bulgari bracelet and Tiffany watch.

everyone was into silver (or white gold),” O’Steen says. “At the beginning of the 21st century, color and femininity made a comeback. Rose gold complements all the frilly shades as well as all the neutrals this season.

It just works with what’s going on in fashion right now.”

This time around, rose gold seems to have staying power as some women eschew more traditional metals such as platinum and select rose gold engagement rings. Publicist Kate Goldberg opted for a rose-cut diamond set in rose gold because she wanted something nontraditional and with vintage appeal.

“My fiance and I were looking for a ring that was unique but at the same time still felt like an engagement ring,” she says. “The rose gold makes it look like it could be an heirloom, something that I can pass down one day.”

Goldberg’s ring came from the West Hollywood jewelry store Roseark, which carries rose gold pieces made by fine jewelry designers such as Jennifer Meyer Jewelry and Garland Collection as well as co-owner Kathy Rose’s line, Kathy Rose for Roseark.

Rose says she has seen a significant increase in rose gold jewelry in the last five years.

“We have over 1,000 different designers, and most of them do a collection in rose gold,” says Rose, who personally has an affinity for the metal and mixes pieces with silver, yellow gold and diamonds.

And though rose gold may have a delicate feel, men are wearing it too. Rose’s husband Rick sports a rose gold Rolex and wedding band and designs a line of men’s jewelry called Rosebud that includes rose gold cufflinks in the shape of anchors. “The last two wedding bands I’ve designed have been in rose gold,” Rose says. “People definitely aren’t afraid of it anymore.” — MCT

A model wears a Bulgari ring.

Models wear designer Alexander McQueen on the runway at the 2nd Annual Genlux Britweek Designer Of The Year Fashion Awards at Smashbox Studios in West Hollywood, California.—AFP

www.kuwaittimes.net

T he ART music, film and T V awards event

Egyptian film star Yusra celebrates after receiving an award for her outstanding performance during her film career.

Veteran Egyptian actor Omar Al-Hariri holds his life achievement prize at the ART music, film and TV awards event in Cairo late on May 10, 2010. ART, the Arab Radio and Television network, is the leading producer of premium Arabic family programming and entertainment worldwide. —AFP photos

Egyptian film star Mona Zaki holds her best actress prize for her role in Sharif Arafa’s 2009 film ‘Awlad Al-Aam’ (Cousins).

Lebanese model and pop star Haifa Wehbe holds her best actress prize for her role in the 2009 hit film ‘Dokan Shehata’ (Shehata’s Shop).

Moroccan singer Jannat poses for a picture after winning the best Arab song award for her song “Khallini Ahebbak” (Let me love you).

Egyptian singer Hamada Helal holds his award for the best Arab single song for men ‘Bein Idek’ (In your Arms).

Lebanese singer Cyrine Abdel Nur poses for a picture after winning the award of best Arab single song.

France’s Pompidou Centre opens regional art hub sparkling new branch of one of the world’s top modern art museums, Paris’s Pompidou Centre, opens in northern France today with hundreds of rarely seen treasures on its walls. On former wasteland in Metz, the undulating white teflon roof encloses a space to free up some of the 65,000 works trapped in storage at the Paris museum-and to breathe new life into a city seen as a forgotten gem.

Planting the huge new venue in Metz, a town of 130,000 people near the German border, its creators aim to shift the gravity of France’s national art collections, which critics say are narrowly centered on Paris.

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“This is a great moment for culture in this country, because it is the first time a great cultural institution has decentralized,” said Alain Seban, director of the Paris Pompidou Centre, in Metz on Monday. The new museum’s 5,000 square meters (107,000 square feet) of gallery space offer high ceilings to accommodate monumental works such as Sonia Delaunay’s bright sevenfoot canvas “Portugal”.

It also aims to put the northeastern Lorraine region on the map by drawing in visitors from across the nearby borders of Germany and Belgium, and tourists from Paris, an 80-minute highspeed train ride away. “We want to open

it to the widest possible public, the European and international public,” said Jean-Luc Bohl, president of the Metz area council, one of several bodies that funded the 72.5-million-euro (93 million dollar) project.

President Nicolas Sarkozy inaugurated the museum on Tuesday, a day before it is to open to the public, hailing it as a catalyst for the “renaissance” of the entire region. The inaugural show

“Chefs-d’Oeuvre?” is an exhausting array of 780 artworks that questions what constitutes a masterpiece while acquainting the viewer with monumental works by some of the giants of modern art.

Long galleries are bedecked with numerous works: Henri CartierBresson’s photography, sculptures by Constantin Brancusi, paintings by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, plus architectural plans, videos and even furniture. “It introduces to the widest possible audience the most contemporary forms of art and creativity to make them think about ideas of taste and aesthetics,” said Laurent Le Bon, director of the new museum. Designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and France’s Jean de Gastines, the teflon-draped wooden roof sits above a ground floor facade of glass shutters that open in warm weather to draw in visitors.

In between lie three elevated oblong galleries, the window of the top one

framing a view of Metz’s cathedral. “I wanted to find something contextual,” Ban told AFP. “I wanted to connect the art museum to the city.” Elsewhere in northern France, the former mining town of Lens is preparing to receive its own outlet of world-class art when the Louvre-Paris’s most visited museumopens a sister branch there in 2012.

The so-called “antenna” museums aim to regenerate surrounding regions just as dis the Guggenheim in Bilbao, an industrial city in northern Spain, which opened in 1997 with an avant-garde design by US-based architect Frank Gehry.

Similarly in Britain, London’s Tate museum opened regional galleries in Liverpool in 1988 and Saint Ive’s in 1993. For some, the planting of offshoots in France’s old industrial lands is a symptom of broader changes under way in the country’s economy.

“Sometimes people think Metz has lost its spirit,” said Dominique Gros, the mayor of Metz, which was long a garrison town but has seen thousands of military jobs cut. “For us the Pompidou Centre is a fresh start.” —AFP

View taken on May 10, 2010 in Metz, eastern France shows Metz’ Pompidou centre, the decentralized branch of France’s top modern art museum. —AFP

Pregnant Schiffer, naked, to grace German Vogue

Claudia Schiffer

Egyptian filmmaker Sharif Arafa holds his best director prize for his 2009 film ‘Awlad Al-Aam’ (Cousins).

eavily pregnant supermodel Claudia Schiffer is poised to appear naked on the cover of Germany’s Vogue magazine, snapped by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, the publication said yesterday. Schiffer, 39, will be proudly showing off her bump in the magazine’s June issue, which hits newsstands on Wednesday. She is expecting her third child “in a matter of days,” Vogue said.

“There are probably not many other women who have been photographed as often as Claudia. But she has never been seen in such a different way,” said the magazine’s editor, Christiane Arp. Schiffer, who first graced the cover of German Vogue nearly 20 years ago and has appeared 11 times since, said: “It was important to show how beautiful womanhood is.”

The pose bears a striking resemblance to a controversial edition of Vanity Fair in 1991 when Hollywood film star Demi Moore, then seven months pregnant, appeared nude. Lagerfeld himself is no stranger to controversy, making the news recently for saying that no one wanted to see “curvy” models, after a prominent German women’s magazine said it would publish only pictures of “real women.” —AFP

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