RI PT IO N BS C SU THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF
40 PAGES
TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2010
A stone’s throw from Nile, Egypt taps are running dry PAGE 7
JAMADA ALTHANI 18, 1431 AH
German president quits after Afghanistan row
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Mourinho presented as Real Madrid coach
Taiwan’s AsusTek launches tablet computers PAGE 27
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Kuwait slams Israel’s ‘criminal’ raid 16 Kuwaitis including MP Tabtabaei held in Haifa • Kuwait summons envoys By B Izzak and agencies
HAIFA: An Israeli paramedic in this northern port evacuates a wounded person resembling Kuwaiti MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei yesterday. — AFP
KUWAIT: Kuwait yesterday urged the permanent members of the UN Security Council to press Israel to ensure the safety of 16 Kuwaitis who were taken prisoner by Israeli troops who stormed a Gaza-bound aid
flotilla. The call was made by acting foreign minister Roudhan Al-Roudhan as he summoned the ambassadors of Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States to an urgent meeting, the official KUNA news agency reported. The 16 Kuwaitis include Islamist MP Waleed
Al-Tabtabaei, academics, representatives of charity organisations and lawyers, including five women. Informed sources told Kuwait Times the 16 were being held in the Israeli port city of Haifa, made to sign confessions and will be freed in two days. HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah
Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent yesterday a letter to Turkish President Abdullah Gul expressing his condolences for the victims of the Israeli attacks. Sheikh Sabah asserted Kuwait’s strong condemnation of the Israeli “criminal operation and this “flagrant aggression” which
killed innocent people in “blatant violation” of international law. HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad AlSabah sent similar cables. The Cabinet held an emergency meeting yesterday after
the Kuwaitis were arrested. Sheikh Nasser called the meeting to discuss the latest developments related to the aid convoy, Communications Minister and government spokesman Mohammad AlBusairi said. The Cabinet also reviewed contacts made by Continued on Page 14
Nine killed as Israeli commandoes storm aid flotilla to Gaza
Massacre on high seas Turkey slams ‘state terror’, recalls envoy as thousands protest
(Above) A television grab made from the Turkish TV channel Cihan News Agency shows Israeli troops storming the “Mavi Marmara” Turkish aid boat carrying aid to the Gaza Strip yesterday. (Right) Protesters burn a Star of David during a demonstration outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul yesterday. — AFP/AP
KUWAIT: (Top) Daughters of Mona Shashter, correspondent of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) who was aboard the aid flotilla to Gaza, take part in a demonstration opposite the National Assembly to protest against Israel’s deadly raid and to demand the release of 16 Kuwaitis who were on board. (Above, from left) MP Faisal Al-Mislem, General Secretary of the Salafist movement Hamed Al-Ali and MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun address the crowd. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat
Protesters slam Israel raid, demand Kuwaitis be freed
JERUSALEM: Israeli marines stormed a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza yesterday and at least nine proPalestinian activists were killed, triggering a diplomatic crisis and an emergency session of the UN Security Council. European nations, as well as the United Nations and Turkey, voiced shock and outrage at the bloody end to the international campaigners’ bid to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Boarding from dinghies and rappelling from helicopters, naval commandos stopped six ships, 700 people and 10,000 tonnes of supplies from reaching
the Islamist-run Palestinian enclave - but bloody miscalculation left Israel isolated and condemned. Once-close Muslim ally Turkey accused it of “terrorism” in international waters. The UN Security Council met in emergency session. The European Union, a key aid donor to Palestinians, demanded an independent inquiry and an end to the Gaza embargo. Israel’s most powerful friend, the United States, was more cautious. But President Barack Obama said he wanted the full facts soon and regretted the
World shocked, outraged at raid US ‘regrets’ deaths • Protests held worldwide • Furious Arabs demand action
MPs slam Arab response, US ‘green light’ By Ahmad Saeid and Abdullah Al-Qattan
KUWAIT: Father of Kuwaiti Haya Al-Shatti, who was aboard the flotilla, shows her pictures during a press conference in Adailiya yesterday.
KUWAIT: Hundreds of Kuwaitis, NGO representatives, MPs and political activists gathered at the Determination Square opposite the National Assembly yesterday evening to demand the urgent release of 16 Kuwaiti nationals detained by the Israeli army after it raided an aid flotilla heading to Gaza. A number of MPs expressed their intentions to issue a legislation that will criminalize any form of communication with Israel, as well as obligating the Kuwaiti government to withdraw from the Arab peace initiative. Continued on Page 14
loss of life. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced regret as he cut short a visit to Canada and rang Obama to call off a White House meeting that had been planned for today. He said his forces had been attacked: “They were mobbed, they were clubbed, they were beaten, stabbed, there was even a report of gunfire. And our soldiers had to defend themselves.” For all his regret, he vowed to maintain a three-year-old embargo to stop Iranian-backed Hamas from bringing arms to Gaza. Continued on Page 14
MADRID: Pro-Palestinian supporters gather outside Spain’s Foreign Ministry during a protest against Israel in central Madrid yesterday. — AP
ANKARA: Israel faced a wave of global outrage over the storming of Gaza-bound aid ships yesterday, as key ally Turkey froze military ties, Muslim leaders demanded UN action and protests erupted in many countries. UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he was “shocked” by the naval assault on a convoy carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists through international waters, while capitals across Europe summoned Israel’s ambassadors. Ban called on Israel to “urgently” explain itself over the raid, reported to have killed up to nine people, many of them Turks, and the UN Security Council had scrambled to convene emergency talks on the crisis. The Jewish state’s chief regional partner Turkey reacted with fury, with Prime Minister Continued on Page 14
QALANDIA: A US peace activist is wounded in the eye by a teargas grenade thrown by Israeli soldiers to disperse protesters during a demonstration at this checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday. — AFP
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
GUST students present their work
Kuwait on the verge of producing best movies By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Kuwait is on the verge of producing the best motion pictures, documentaries, TV and commercial advertisements once the graduates of the country’s first privately-owned university take center stage in the country’s budding visual media industry, according to a promi-
KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday at Seif Palace the State Minister and Presidential Envoy of the Republic of Guyana George Halaq on the occasion of his visit to the country. The audience was attended by Undersecretary of the Diwan of H.H. the Prime Minister Sheikha Etimad Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Assistant Undersecretary of the Diwan Sheikh Fahad Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
Hospital to get new prosthetics unit KUWAIT: The Physiotherapy Hospital is working on many projects, with a new building for making and fitting prosthetic limbs recently approved, said the hospital’s director Dr. Dalal Al-Wadaani on Sunday. Work on the new building will commence shortly after all the formalities have been concluded, Dr. Al-Wadaani told Al-
Anba, explaining that the new unit will include outpatient clinics and a workshop for making and customizing the artificial limbs. The hospital director further revealing that work on another project using funds donated by Abdulrahman Al-Zabin has been delayed due to the need to complete certain
formalities with the contractor, despite the hospital receiving the land where the new facility will be built four months ago. Meanwhile, work on another two-floor facility offering physiotherapy services for women is underway, she added, while the Ministry of Public Works has already begun construction of a new 500-bed hospital.
in the news
GUST is known as a pioneering university in Kuwait, which introduced the country’s first Mass Communications course under its private management operation. “Given the resources and talents we’ve got here in Kuwait I think [the university’s Mass Communications students] can compete in the industry once they’re out in the real world,” Ibrahim said, adding “They are ready.” The presentations were the third to be presented by the university, but the first to showcase semi-publicly for the students’ parents, friends and supporters,” he explained. Ibrahim praised the students’ and the university’s achievements and their continuing pursuit of excellence, especially in the Mass Communications department. Making motion pictures, TV and commercial advertisements are just some of the subjects covered in the Mass Communications course. Ibrahim conceded that the works presented by the university’s Mass Communications students are not yet entirely flawless, but added that they are
nent local academic. Speaking after Gulf University of Science and Technology (GUST) Mass Communications students presented their work related to motion pictures, TV and advertisements at the university’s auditorium on Sunday evening, Dr. Alaa Eldin Ibrahim said that Kuwait would soon be producing the highest quality motion pictures and multimedia.
all extremely laudable given the innovation and creativity the students were able to demonstrate in each work presented. “They are all marvelous works; they were able to showcase creativity and innovation; that is what we are looking for in their works, because, at the end of the day, they are the next generation of people who will be part of the industry, TV and screen commercials,” he said. “They’re studying to be part of the industry and I found their works to be in a great position to compete with their counterparts wherever they are in the world,” Ibrahim enthused. GUST’s Mass Communications students showcased a stunning presentation of their works, entitled ‘Showreel,’ in different categories namely, motion graphics, 3D computer animated graphics, and motion picture productions along with identity designs and advertisements. The event was attended by Claude Marcos and Dr Alaa Eldin Ibrahim from the university’s Department of Mass Communications who acted both as reviewers and critics of their student’s works.
Zubaidi fishing ban KUWAIT: Deputy director of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR), Dr Haidar Murad announced that a ban will be imposed on fishing zubaidi in national waters as of June 1, reported Al-Rai. He added that the ban will be in effect for two months. Murad said that the seasonal ban is mandatory to protect the national fish during its breeding season. ‘There is a great demand for this kind of fish and we have to protect them with the cooperation of other neighboring countries, such as Iran,’ he explained. He noted that in the meantime zubaidi would be imported from other countries. Murad said that they will be collaborating with the Ministry of Interior’s coast guard to enforce the ban on fishing zubaidi.
Court upholds fine KUWAIT: The Criminal Court has upheld the First Degree Court’s decision to impose a fine of KD 3,000 on MP Musallam Al-Barrak after finding in favor of Fawaz Al-Ahmad, the Deputy Director of the Kuwait Investment Authority, rejecting AlBarrak’s defense, reported Al-Shahed. Al-Ahmad took the MP to court after AlBarrak gave a number of media interviews in which Al-Ahmad said the parliamentarian had told untruths about him and suggested that he did not deserve his professional position.
KUWAIT: GUST Mass Communication students demonstrating their projects with the professors and parents at the university auditorium.—Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh
Rules changed on women working late KUWAIT: Female employees in establishments such as banks and restaurants, as well as those in educational and non-profit institutions are to be allowed to work nightshifts up until midnight, following labor minister Dr. Mohammad Al-Afasi’s introduction of new regulations. Female workers in other fields, including
journalism, medicine and laboratory work and the law, along with female pharmacy, hotel, amusement park, cinema and media personnel, will also be covered by the new regulations, reported Al-Watan. Women will be banned from working in a number of professions of a physically strenuous or hazardous nature, including working
directly with petrochemicals and in manufacturing in which chemical substances are used, as well as construction work. Another new regulation prohibits outdoor work for both sexes from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM between June 1 and the end of August due to the extreme heat in this period.
Ghazali drainage issue discussed
Doctors invited
KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Coast Guards conducting a military drill with the British Royal Navy yesterday.
KU passes dress code KUWAIT: The Kuwait University’s (KU) Dean Committee recently passed a dress code that compels students to maintain a decent dress code while at the university campus. As per the new code, students will no longer be able to wear shorts, miniskirts or bracelets around their wrists, ankles or necks. Furthermore, it bans wearing T-shirts that
bear offensive or indecent writing. On a separate issue, the committee issued a statement criticizing the recent incident in which a university professor was attacked, calling for violators to be strictly punished, reported Al-Watan. They asserted on the importance of taking measures against offensive acts that take place inside the university campus.
KUWAIT: The Health Ministry will sponsor 12 of the most notable consultants in various medical specialties to travel abroad in order to develop their medical expertise, reported Al-Jarida. Public relations director at the ministry, Faisal Al-Dousary said several doctors were invited to examine and perform surgeries on particularly complicated cases for Kuwaiti patients abroad. They were also asked to examine the cases of several nonKuwaiti patients. He said that such visits allow doctors in Kuwait to develop medical experience and be exposed to the latest in medical advancements. AlDousary added that visiting doctors will be invited to give lectures as well. He said that such invitations will reduce the number of patients going abroad for medical treatment as equipment is made available in Kuwaiti hospitals. Municipality violations
KUWAIT: Ahmadi Educational Zone yesterday held a special ceremony to honor the current and former directors of secondary schools in the area. The ceremony was held under the auspices of the Ministry of Education’s Assistant Undersecretary for Public Education Muna Al-Lughani, with Ahmadi Educational Zone director Talaq Al-Haim also attending the event.
KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and State Minister for Municipal Affairs Dr. Fadhil Safar yesterday chaired a meeting held to look into the drainage system problem along Ghazali Road. The minister said that both the Ministry of Public Works and the Public Authority for Industry (PAI) were tasked with looking into the problem, adding that the ministry, the PAI and other parties are currently compiling a report on the issue that will be referred to the Higher Environment Council. The report will list the possible measures that could be taken to resolve this matter within a certain timeline, thereby reducing the environmental damage being caused. Safar said a team of experts met with officials from different governmental bodies, with the meeting resulting in several recommendations which would be presented in the report. The minister revealed that the Environment Public Authority (EPA) has been regularly testing the waste water being channeled from Ghazali Road into the sea, in order to determine pollution levels. — KUNA
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Study on Solar Control Film Buildings
KISR takes lead role in conservation of energy By Rawan Khalid
Al-Jarallah receives deputy foreign minister of Georgia KUWAIT: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Khaled Sulaiman Al-Jarallah received yesterday deputy foreign minister of Georgia Alexander Nalbandov and his accompanying delegation where the Kuwaiti official discussed with them a number of topics on boosting bilateral ties between the two countries,
besides signing two agreements. These two agreements are: an agreement on setting up a joint cooperation committee between the government of the State of Kuwait and the government of Georgia and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on holding bilateral consultations between the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs in the State of Kuwait and the Foreign Ministry in the Republic of Georgia. The meeting was attended by head of the bureau of Acting Undersecretary at the Foreign Ministry Ambassador Faisal AlMashan and Her Excellency the Ambassador of Georgia to the State of Kuwait. — Kuna
KUWAIT: The Deputy PM for Legal Affairs and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Counselor Rashid Al-Hammad yesterday inaugurated AlWaqaf (Endowment) Sciences Center and the Mama Aneesah libraries. The opening ceremony was attended by popular Kids TV presenter Aneesah Jaafar.
kuwait digest
Stealing public money By Abdul Rahman Al Awadhi KUWAIT: On Tuesday, it was printed that the National Assembly’s (NA) financial committee approved the insolvents fund law and that loans will be without limit. We are distributing money as though we have found a hidden treasure. If you see things as I do it seems as though stealing public money has become easy for everyone. If the NA decided to issue a memo demanding the cancelation of all loans without limit what will people outside of Kuwait think when they hear such news? Won’t they think we are crazy? How can the state issue such an irresponsible demand with the intention to satisfy voters and give them false promises.
This will only encourage them to spend without limit. Have mercy on Kuwait. We have enough bad press due to what some of our NA members declare. The only thing behind wasting public money is Parliamentary gains. No one cares about Kuwait’s image on the outside. It gives the impression that Kuwaitis are big spenders who waste money for nothing. Be careful because this money is public money and you are not the only guardian of it. People will think we live for the day and have no plans to think about the future. Let us stand strong against such behavior and pray that Allah protects Kuwait from those whose main concern is to steal public money. They do not care about who will come after them or the next generation. This is the height of selfishness. — Al-Anba
KUWAIT: The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) Environment and Urban Development Division, Building and Energy Technologies Department held a Scientific Seminar entitled ‘Energy Efficiency for Existing Buildings,’ to disseminate the results obtained from the project entitled, ‘Solar Control Film “No society will be able to build-upon windows such as achieve an advanced position location, thermal bridges and in the different fields of life air infiltration were calculatwithout scientific research. ed.” Cooperation between “The study we are dissemresearch institutions and the inating today focuses on the private sector is an important enhancement of the thermal factor for the development of performance of buildings withsociety in different disci- out sacrificing the thermal and plines,” Deputy General visual comfort. Manager said. This study proved that KISR is keen on cooperat- using solar control films can ing with the private sector. A reduce the peak power few days ago, a seminar was demand between 4.7 percent conducted to disseminate the to 6.7 percent and saves results of a project funded by around 9,7663 kWh annually,” another company from the pri- Deputy General Manager vate sector in this auditorium. explained. Other research studies are He thanked all those who still being achieved through helped in the success of this companies that concern ener- project, great appreciation to gy conservation. IQue, and to KISR’s team. Plans for the residential This is thanks to the compaand commercial sectors are of nies that participated in the great importance in the coun- exhibition: IQue, 3M, try. Investing in these projects AutoDesign. require high capacity electriThe seminar offered a cal energy that does not cause chance for participants to any burden on the govern- identify the quality control ment and the private sector. applications for windows to “Buildings in Kuwait con- improve energy efficiency, the sume around 84% of the total economic benefits resulting energy consumption. KISR’s from applying the outcome of research targets the develop- the study in existing buildings, ment of ‘Energy Conservation and becoming familiar with the Code of Practice,’ use new advantages and disadvantages energy efficient technologies of the technology used in the that suit the local weather con- study. ditions, and energy auditing,” In addition, an educational Deputy General Manager exhibition held during the seminar offering information added. Also he stressed, “KISR’s to the public on the latest techstudies focus on the enhance- nologies in solar control films ment of thermal performance are available locally through in buildings through specifying the participation of some of the the thermal resistance of major companies involved in walls, roofs and windows. marketing and manufacturing KUWAIT: Variables affecting the thermal those systems.
Capital beaches need good maintenance KUWAIT: The beaches in the Capital area are suffering from a number of problems and require extensive maintenance and cleaning work, according to Minister of Public Works and Municipality Affairs Dr. Fadhil Safar. Speaking during a tour of the coastline between the Kuwait Towers and the beach near the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) headquarters building in Shuwaikh, Dr. Safar said, “The concerned authorities will coordinate in order to provide the best quality services to visitors to these beaches,” further indicating that the law on cleaning work carried out at public facilities has been put into action but requires further efforts to implement it more strictly. On a separate note, the minister announced that licenses can now be obtained for services and craftsmanship activities at the workshop zones in Jahra and Sulaibiya, reported Al-Watan. This comes as part of the ministry’s strategy to tackle all the obstacles faced by craftsmen working in these areas.
local spotlight
Protests: A plea or a demand? By Muna Al-Fuzai o you agree with the use of public protests and strikes as a tool to pressure the government? I think the answer should be yes. With the increase in the number of strikes it is understandable that some are justified. However, some do cross the line of common sense and rationality. In Kuwait you can’t make a judgment call on all strikes and labor threats. It’s best to take it case by case. But this is not the issue here. The government states that this country is a state of law and whoever feels harmed should bring their case to the courts. The process of making a claim and waiting on a court
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decision could take years. Kuwait is a small country and it is not impossible to solve problems from the beginning instead of ignoring an issue until it becomes explosive. People end up in courts when they can’t find a solution and lack choices. In a place like Kuwait, most of what labor activists call for are possible. I can’t understand why the government thinks that ignoring laborers will put an end to this trouble, it will only fuel the conflict. What are Kuwaiti laborers calling for? An increase in salaries, more protection at the work place and I guess many more regulations for their civil rights as employees. Is that too much to ask, or impossible to achieve? I can’t figure out why the government and their officials get so tensed when they hear that the labor union is complaining about labor laws. So what? Our labor laws are not holy and they should be revised, updated regularly and openly discussed.
We should not feel afraid or worried if any labor group wants to complain before an international organization. We have old laws and even older regulations that need to be updated. So if a person wants to make a complaint about his work situation no one should be offended. If he can’t ask for help then what is he supposed to do? Sit calmly and wait for the government to notice him? I believe anyone who feels abused or harmed should turn to the courts or international organizations for justice. No one has the right to be offended about that. That is what makes a country a real state of law; serving and protecting everyone, rich or poor. I think employees in Kuwait have found that strikes help attract attention to their demands. I also think the government should deal with this issue carefully and wisely. muna@kuwaittimes.net
Buildings.’ The event was held at Jaber Al-Ahmed Auditorium at the KISR premises yesterday morning. The seminar was held under the patronage of General Manager Dr Naji Al-Mutairi. The Deputy General Manager spoke on behalf of Al-Mutairi, “I welcome you to this seminar where the results of the project entitled: Solar Control Film for Buildings will be disseminated. We welcome the sponsor of the project IQue, Engineered by V-Kool,” he said.
KUWAIT: Hanay Al-Taqi, the project leader
A partial view of the audience. — Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
KUWAIT: Hundreds of Kuwaiti nationals and expatriates gathered yesterday evening in the protests’ yard to demand the urgent release of 16 Kuwaiti nationals, detained by the Israeli army. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat
KISR-Wataniya project
South Africa condemns Israeli attacks KUWAIT: South Africa notes with the gravest concern reports that Israeli forces have attacked a flotilla of ships carrying aid to Gaza and that casualties followed the attack. South Africa accordingly strongly condemns this action which reportedly took place in international waters, 65 km off the coast of Gaza, in the early hours of Monday, an embassy press release said yesterday. Media reports indicate that the convoy was carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid to the beleaguered people of Gaza. The convoy was on a peaceful mission and the ship were not armed. For Israel to attack these civilian ships in international water is a gross violation of international law and is deserving of the highest level of international condemnation. The Department of International Relations & Cooperation is in urgent con-
tact with our Missions in Tel Aviv and Ramallah, and in Ankara where some of the ships originated, in order to obtain more information on the attacks. Unconfirmed media reports indicate that between 10 and 16 persons were reportedly killed or injured. The department is also investigating the possibility that there was a South African citizen on board one of the ships. South Africa strongly condemns all military aggression by Israel against innocent civilians, including those in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. South Africa also strongly criticized the Israeli invasion of Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009 and has consistently urged the Israeli Government to lift its subsequent siege of Gaza. It is this siege which has caused untold hardships for the ordinary people of Gaza and which prompted the international
community to organize such relief efforts to the territory, and therefore Israel stands solely responsible for the loss of life during this action. South Africa would also like to recall the recent Goldstone report which was highly critical of Israel in the carrying out its military actions in Gaza with the resultant loss of innocent civilians’ lives. Again, South Africa calls for a concerted international effort to bring about a broader solution to the question of Palestine, which will ultimately contribute to the establishment of peace in the region. South Africa also trusts that the international community will not leave this latest act of provocation on the part of Israel unresolved due to the seriousness of this action, which took place in international waters and which involved citizens from across the globe.
Pakistan lashes out at Israeli use of force
KUWAIT: The Chargé d’Affaires of Pakistan’s Embassy in Kuwait Sajjad Ahmed Sehar and the new Press Attaché Kashif Zaman visited the Kuwait Times yesterday and discussed matters of mutual concern with Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Alyan. — Photo by Joseph Shagra
KUWAIT: The Government of Pakistan strongly condemns the use of brazen force by Israel against a humanitarian Mission that was embarked on delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza, according to a Pakistan embassy press release here yesterday. The killing of members of this humanitarian mission, which also included women, is brutal, inhuman and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and norms. The Government of Pakistan is seriously concerned over the well-being and whereabouts of the Pakistani citizens and media personnel including Syed Talat Hussain and Raza Mahmood Agha who were on board the Flotilla bound for Gaza. The Foreign Ministry is in constant touch with its Missions in the region to ascertain the well-being of our nationals, the press release said.
Nine injured in car accidents By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 20-year-old Kuwaiti man suffered a broken spine and pelvis, as well as foot injuries, while an 18-year-old compatriot sustained injuries to his jaw in a crash on Maghreb Street. Both were taken to Amiri Hospital. In a gruesome accident on Ahmadi Bridge, a 53-year-old Afghani man lost his right hand and suffered a fractured right shoulder. The man was rushed to Adan Hospital. In a separate incident, an 18year-old Kuwaiti man was taken to Farwaniya Hospital after suffering a fractured left arm and cuts to the head in a car accident in Kabad. In a third crash, two
teenaged Kuwaiti boys, aged 13 and 16, complained of shoulder and stomach pain respectively following a collision in Kheitan. Both were taken to Farwaniya Hospital. In another incident, a 40-yearold Indian woman was taken to the Amiri Hospital after suffering a broken kneecap when she was hit by a car in Kuwait City. Meanwhile, a 38-year-old Indian man was taken to Adan Hospital after sustaining head injuries and fractures to the bones in one hand when he was a hit by a car in Jaber Al-Ali. In a separate incident, a 47year-old Kuwaiti man suffered a compound fracture to his right leg in a crash on the Seventh Ring Road. He was taken to Adan Hospital.
Kabd suicide A 30-year-old Ethiopian man hanged himself at a Kabd farm. The man’s body was removed for autopsy. Two hurt in fires A 57-year-old Indian man was rushed to Farwaniya Hospital after suffering extensive burns all over his body in a fire that broke out at a Sabhan company’s office. In another incident, a 30-yearold firefighter was treated at the scene for injuries he sustained to his right hand while fighting a house fire in Rigga. Rigga attack A 47-year-old Indian man was attacked and beaten by unidenti-
fied assailants in the Rigga area. The man complained of feeling chest pains following the attack and was taken to Sabah Hospital. An investigation has been launched to trace his attackers. Counterfeiter caught Immigration detectives arrested a Ugandan expatriate for currency counterfeiting after discovering that his suitcase contained AED 500,000 (nearly KD 42,000). He was referred to the relevant authorities.
Plans to tap wind energy to face power shortage By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Kuwait experiences power shortage during summer. To counter the situation, the government applies programmed power cuts during the peak season. The situation is soon set to improve as additional supplies of power will now be generated using wind power. The Kuwait Institute for
Scientific Research (KISR) has formulated a plan to identify sources of energy. The Wind Energy Program is one of them. In a joint collaboration held with KISR, the Wataniya Telecom will support this program. Wataniya Telecom’s CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) efforts have been evident in various roles that the company has undertaken to support the community.
The Wataniya announced its latest initiative to support (KISR) in its latest environmental project to utilize wind energy in a press conference held on yesterday at the Holiday Inn Downtown Hotel. The wind energy project was inspired by the need to start utilizing renewable resources available as a means of power supply for telecommunication towers located in remote areas that provide them with an efficient and easy source of electricity. “Wataniya’s involvement comes from its eagerness to support the environment and all research related to improving the standard of living in the community,” noted Abdulaziz Al-Baloul, PR and Media, Wataniya Telecom. “KISR’s extensive research and studies in different fields have added value to our community and has measurably enhanced our environment for the better. We are very proud to be a part of this current project taking place at Um Amarah as we are sure it will take Kuwait to a new level of advancement in the field of wind renewable energy production,” said Fuad Al-Abalani, Director Deputy GM, Wataniya Telecom. Wataniya’s supportive role to the environment comes in providing five monopoles that hold five 4.2 KW wind turbines to KISR that will be installed in Um Amarah, ensuring that electricity is available within the area to support essential needs
level of advancement in the field of renewable energy production through wind,” he further said. “This concept was inspired by the need to start utilizing renewable resources available as a power supply, and to utilize this in telecommunication towers at remote areas and provide them with power. Our involvement stems from our dedication to support the environment and all research related to improving the different aspects related to our community,” Al-Abalani pointed out. Dr Naji Al-Mutairi, Director General of KISR commented on the collaboration, “Wataniya has a rich portfolio in CSR activities and its role today solidifies its position in the environmental
KUWAIT: From left: Dr Naji Al-Mutairi, Fuad Al-Abalani and Abdulaziz AlBaloul. — Photo by Joseph Shagra such as telecommunication services. “The project consists of many parts.” “The first part of the project is infrastructure. This includes the basics and the towers. The other part are equipment, which include turbines, measuring tools and others,” added AlAbalani. This essential and pioneering project is a fruition of an effort to create a healthier environment and to limit the use of conventional electric sources, which goes in line with the country’s efforts and awareness campaigns on energy consumption and electricity usage. “We are very proud to be taking part in this project. We are sure that it will take Kuwait to a new
sector by spreading awareness about utilizing renewable resources and help implement the latest environment friendly projects in Kuwait.” “Using renewable energy from wind or sun reduces carbon emission. It is better for the environment. We have prepared plans and maps which indicate that wind energy available in Kuwait during the whole year can be used. Currently, there are three locations: In Kabd, Shuwaikh, and Um Amarah. These wind turbines provide a small quantity of energy which we hope will increase in number in the future, and it will support existing towers, and may replace the current generators,” explained Al-Mutairi.
Police hunt dangerous driver Police are hunting a man who smashed his black SUV through a police checkpoint before fleeing the scene, resulting in a police chase that saw him being pursued from Farwaniya to Kheitan. The man intentionally smashed his car into one of the police vehicles before being forced to get out of the SUV, at which point he threatened policemen and fled on foot. Eight-vehicle pile-up Emergency workers dealt quickly and effectively with an eight-vehicle collision on King Fahad Road near Sabahiya, in which four trucks, including one loaded with over 30 tons of gravel, were involved. Three expatriates were injured in the crash, with paramedics treating them at the scene, while firefighters closed off the road for a while to allow them to clear large quantities of diesel spilt in the accident and to remove the wreckage.
KUWAIT: Traffic accident on King Fahad Road near Sabahiya yesterday. — Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun
Drunk driver Patrol officers took a Kuwaiti motorist to Rumaithiya police station to be breathalyzed after he was discovered to be drunk when he was pulled over on Taawoun Road.
KUWAIT: Director General of the General Department for Drug Control (GDDC) Maj Gen Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Khalifa yesterday received Salwa Al-Khalfan, the director of the operetta “The Homeland’s Call,” which was staged recently in Subaih Bint Al-Harith School under the patronage of Maj Gen Sheikh Al-Khalifa, who thanked all those who worked on the operetta for their efforts.
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
5 Violation of international laws
NA to discuss latest Israeli aggression By A Saleh KUWAIT: National Assembly (Parliament) Speaker Jassem AlKhorafi yesterday called for holding an emergency session this morning (Tuesday) to discuss yesterday's Israeli aggression against civilians aboard the Freedom Flotilla, in which over 15 people died and
KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah received here yesterday Iran's ambassador to Kuwait Ali Jannati on the occasion of the end of his tenure. Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak expressed, during this meeting, his thanks to Jannati for his efforts on bolstering the distinctive ties between Kuwait and the friendly Islamic Republic of Iran, hoping success for Jannati in his future life. Further, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak bestowed upon a host of military officers their new ranks following their taking oath during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Defense's headquarters in the presence of the army's chief of staff Lt Gen Ahmad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah.
Authority for academic accreditation KUWAIT: The cabinet, in its weekly meeting yesterday, approved a draft decree to establish the national authority for academic accreditation and quality of education, aimed at improving higher education programs and accrediting academic institutions abroad. A statement by the cabinet, meeting at the airport under chairmanship of Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, said the authority would constantly assess academic institutions abroad in line with international criteria.
The authority, said the statement, will activate planning in higher educational institutions as well as training national manpower to carry out the evaluation. The cabinet, meanwhile, took note of a message by Senegalese President to His Highness the Amir inviting the Kuwaiti leader to the African Muslim scholars' conference, due in Senegal in June. It took note of a message by the British Crown Prince Charles to His Highness the Amir about bilateral relations, noted the statement. The cabinet members also reviewed a message sent by Albanian Prime
Minister to His Highness the Amir concerning the former's recent visit to Kuwait and his talks with the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The cabinet took note of a message by UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon to His Highness the Amir inviting him for the Summit on the Millennium Development Goals slated for next September. The cabinet members also took note of a letter by former US President Bill Clinton in which he invited the Amir to attend the annual meeting of the Clinton Initiative, due in New York next September. — KUNA
Awqaf ministry fails to address social problems, say citizens KUWAIT: A number of Kuwaitis have reportedly condemned the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs' (MAIA) inaction over the perceived increase in anti-social phenomena in Kuwaiti society. With increases seen in violent behavior, including sectarian hostility and attacks in schools, as well as rising divorce figures, the MAIA is coming under attack for its failure to address these problems which are opposed to the Islamic faith. Several Kuwaitis told Al-Qabas that while Kuwait desperately needs increased awareness to stamp out the spread of violence, the ministry has failed to address them in the 'khutba' sermons delivered during the Friday services at local mosques. The citizens also questioned the ministry's decision to recruit Imams from several other Arab countries. When these concerns were put to Imams at
local mosques, a number said that the ministry had put restrictions on which issues they could address in their sermons, forcing them to avoid any mention of a number of worrying contemporary phenomena. "We can't risk losing our jobs," said one Imam, with all those interviewed calling for the MAIA to give them "more space" to allow them to address negative phenomena without fear of subsequent punishment. A number of qualified Kuwaiti Imams indicated that the lack of government support for the profession is the main reason for their choosing to work in other fields. Responding to the ministry's failure to comment on Kuwait's increasing divorce figures, a MAIA official said that it is currently coordinating with several other ministries in looking into solutions to the problems that increase the likelihood of divorce.
KUWAIT: Vice President of the National Security Apparatus Sheikh Thamer Al-Ali Al-Sabah yesterday held talks with Assistant Secretary of US Department of Energy and an accompanying delegation on ways of enhancing joint cooperation in the protection of vital facilities and energy. The meeting discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and the latest developments on regional and international issues of common interest. The meeting was attended by senior members of the Coordinating Committee for the Protection of bio-energy facilities.
Perfume-making ... a hobby for many nationals in Kuwait KUWAIT: Perfume-making is an activity that has attracted many Kuwaitis, and has become a topic for specialized training courses held in universities and institutes. Gulf people are famous for mixing scented oils to make perfumes like 'Oud' and 'Mokhallat'. They buy concentrated perfume oils from Southeast Asian countries and mix them and sell them after putting them in small glass containers. Oud oil, which is taken from the brown blackish Oud wood, has a strong nice smell. There are several kinds of Oud oil like Indian, Burmese,
Cambodian and Malaysian. One 'toula' (about 12 grams) of the mixtures, could be sold for as much as KD 160. Salem Sultan, a perfume maker, said that he attended exhibitions in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Ethiopia. He said he began making perfumes years ago after visits to Southeast Asian countries. Eastern oils are difficult to deal with and require precise measurements, he pointed out. He noted that it was best to keep perfumes in dark containers and in dark, dry places, away from direct sunlight to preserve them. — KUNA
MP Saadoun Al-Otaibi voiced support for holding the emergency parliamentary session to discuss the "Israeli piracy against fleets carrying humanitarian aid," reiterating the importance of maintaining the safety of Kuwaitis taking part in the mission. "Israel's actions are considered a violation of international laws, and further prove that the Zionists have no respect for humanity", Al-Otaibi stated. While reiterating the Kuwaiti parliament's commitment that to such vital concerns in the Arab World, Al-Otaibi urged the media and civil organizations as well as other countries, to act in response to the recent events near Gaza's shores. "The attack was carried out by heavily armed Israeli forces against civilians, including Kuwaitis and other nationals, who were heading to Gaza in order to deliver humanitarian aid, which only became necessary due to the aggressive Israeli stance towards Gaza through the blockade", said
more than 50 were injured, and to make sure that measures are taken to ensure the safe return of the Kuwaiti citizens who volunteered in the campaign. Several MPs have voiced their condemnation of what they described as the "Israeli crime against humanitarian aid missions headed to the besieged Gaza Strip", while citizens demonstrated in front of the United Nations office in Kuwait against the action.
the MP. Al-Otaibi also expressed great concern for the wellbeing of the Kuwaiti citizens who participated in the Freedom Flotilla, asserting at the same time that this participation reflects the commitment of the Kuwaiti people in support for the Palestinian cause. Fellow MP Khalid Al-Adwa also strongly condemned the attack against the Freedom Fleet, calling on the cabinet and parliament to take whatever measures are necessary to secure the safety of citizens on board the ships. Development and Reform Bloc member MP Faisal Al-Muslim, meanwhile, called on all Arab states which maintain any sorts of ties with Israel to sever these ties immediately, urging Qatar and Oman to lead this action. On his part, MP Yousef Al-Zalzalah said that today's session should focus on the steps to be taken by the cabinet to maintain the safety of citizens aboard the ships participating in the fleet, as well as on "exposing the falsity of the Zionist
regime which thrives on the extermination of innocent civilians." While MP Nasser Al-Sane'a praised the decision to hold the emergency session, another parliamentarian Mubarak Al-Waalan called Kuwait to file a case with the International Court of Justice in the Hague regarding the attack, and in order to seek protection for the citizens participating in the fleet. "What is happening in Gaza exposes the dark side of the Zionist regime", Al-Waalan added. In the meantime, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah has contacted the family of MP Walid AlTabtabae, who is currently on board one of the Freedom Flotilla vessels. In his phone call, the premier assured Al-Taubate's family that Kuwait will take all possible measures to ensure the MP's safety and that of all the other citizens accompanying him, adding that the country's authorities are currently holding talks to ensure a safe return for all these citizens.
kuwait digest
United fight against aggression By Dr Mohammad Al-Muqatea
T
he Freedom Fleet which set sail with such tragic results yesterday heading for Gaza was a great and noble endeavor, comprising eight ships carrying citizens from Kuwait and 50 other countries, among them 40 parliamentarians representing the parliaments of these nations.
This fleet conveys the will of people internationally to utilize international legislation in ending the Zionist aggression imposed on Gaza, which has come in the form of a blockade that prevents food, medication and other necessary materials from reaching Palestinian civilians. Kuwait has always been a pioneer in supporting the Palestinian cause. Sitting here, I bitterly regret not taking part in the
campaign, which carries freedom fighters who chose to put their own lives on the line in order to break the oppressive blockade, giving a role model for sacrifice for a noble cause in the process. Furthermore, Israel's murderous attempt against the fleet further compels us to continue supporting this fleet and every similar act that calls for an end to the grotesquely unjust blockade enforced on Gaza. — Al-Qabas
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NATIONAL
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Thug escapes custody
Five in police custody for alcohol abuse KUWAIT: Three youths were arrested in Sulaibiya for public intoxication, reported Al-Watan. Police responded to a mosque in the area where the youths were found heavily drunk and in possession of four bottles of liquor. They were taken to the proper authorities. Meanwhile, a 35-year-old Indian man crashed his vehicle into the wall of a house in Qurtoba while under the influence of alcohol, reported Al-Watan. He sustained serious injuries in the process and was taken to a nearby hospital before being prosecuted. In Mubarak Al-Kabeer area, a man was recently arrested for driving under the influence of liquor, reported Al-Rai. Police discovered the man’s unsuitable state at a checkpoint in the area. Moreover, the driver violently resisted apprehension and attacked police while being arrested. He also smashed out the window of a police patrol. He was taken to the proper authorities.
Steps to tackle Um Al-Hayman pollution TOKYO: Kuwait and Japan reached a preliminary agreement yesterday on the cooperation focusing on air quality control in Kuwait, especially the industrial pollution in Um AlHayman in the southern area, and other crucial environmental issues, said Dr. Salah AlMudhi, Environment Public Authority (EPA) Chairman of the Board and Director General. During their talks, Japanese Deputy ViceMinister of the Environment Hideki Minamikawa also preliminarily agreed to jointly work with EPA for remediating oil-contaminated soil and rehabilitation of the Gulf, namely the Mishref sewage water problem, Dr. Al-
Mudhi said. He added that the Kuwaiti side seeks benefits from Japan’s expertise in these fields. The Japanese experts will be invited to make evaluation on these three issues, with putting an emphasis on air pollution in Um AlHayman, according to Dr. Al-Mudhi. “In our very successful meeting, we also discussed broad environmental collaboration between the two countries, such as extension of the 2001 cooperation in tackling massive fish kills in Kuwait Bay, waste management facilities as well as recycle process,” he said. Dr Al-Mudhi also expressed hope that the two countries will reach an agreement and
Al-Ghanim and the Chinese ambassador pose with participants.
sign MOUs on various environmental issues at the earliest time, including air quality control, waste management, remediation of oil-contaminated soil, water rehabilitation and greater public environmental awareness. The two officials also touched on upgrading the Japanese-born environmental education program called “Kids’ ISO 14000,” which was launched in Kuwaiti schools in 2007. Earlier in the day, Dr Al-Mudhi attended preparatory talks on the upcoming meeting of the Japan-Kuwait Joint Committee, along with Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Asia Department Mohammad Al-Roumi and other Kuwaiti officials. — KUNA
supposed truck or anything suspicious at the scene. Upon following up with the person who made the emergency call, police discovered the man was mentally challenged. A case was opened.
Fatal accident A man in his 20s suffered fatal injuries following a car accident on Sixth Ring Road, reported Al-Watan. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene of the accident and an autopsy was ordered on the body.
Police attacked Police are looking for a man who escaped custody after damaging a police patrol vehicle in Farwaniya, reported Al-Rai. The incident occurred when a driver fled police after being asked to stop at a checkpoint in the area. A car chase took place, during which the outlaw crashed into a police vehicle and attacked officers with an axe before escaping. Police are searching for the assailant.
False alarm Police responded to reports of a truck loaded with large amounts of drugs, reported Al-Watan. However, police were unable to find the
Stubborn criminal A woman and her husband informed authorities at the Jahra police station that a thief broke into their apartment and stole their jewelry
Al-Ghanim and Ji Min cut the ceremonial cake.
and cash. While police investigated the incident, the same thief returned to his crime scene and restrained the woman with a rope while her husband was at work. He threatened her with sexual assault should she fail to drop the charges. After the husband returned home and discovered the incident he took his wife to the hospital before informing police. Missing teen A Kuwaiti family informed authorities that their juvenile son had gone missing a few days ago, reported Al-Rai. They reported that he left their house in Abdulah AlMubarak following a fight between him and his brother. A search for the boy is ongoing. Illegal residency An Asian man was arrested for illegally acquiring an entrance and residency visa to the country under the spon-
sorship of a female citizen without her knowledge, reported Al-Rai. The woman, who is employed at the Justice Ministry, filed a case with the Sulaibikhat police station after she realized that she was sponsoring an Asian man she never met. An investigation was launched and authorities were able to apprehend the suspected offender as well as the officer responsible for the forged documents. They were both referred to the proper authorities. Ahmadi campaign Ahmadi police arrested four Asians for residency violations as well as an Asian man in possession of 28 bottles of homemade liquor, reported Al-Anba. The arrests were made during a security campaign carried out in the governorate. Furthermore, the campaign resulted in the arrest of two citizens for drug abuse and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A view of the main table.
Kuwait Towers launches Chinese cuisine festival KUWAIT: The Chinese cuisine festival was recently launched at the Kuwait Towers. The event was held under the patronage of Touristic Enterprises Company’s (TEC) Deputy CEO and Managing Director Khalid Al-Ghanim, Deputy Managing Director, Meshary AlSanousi, Head of Public Relations and Media Sector Saqr Al-Badr, as well as Chinese Ambassador to Kuwait Hwang Ji Min. Al-Ghanim indicated that this event is
part of the TEC’s plans to introduce different cultures from different parts of the world. The Chinese ambassador expressed extreme appreciation in organizing the festival, acknowledging the relations shared between his country and Kuwait. In association with the Chinese Embassy, three top Chinese chefs were recruited to supervise the festival, said Al-Sanousi. He indicated that the event includes several activities like a special musical performance by a talented brother-sister duo.
The Chinese ambassador receives a miniature model on behalf of Kuwait Towers.
Al-Ghanim and Ji Min pose with a team of chefs.
Al-Ghanim, Al-Sanousi and Ambassador Ji Min pose with the artist and his sister.
The participants watch a musical performance.
The service team.
Head of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
Dear traveler:
Always keep a separate photocopy of your passport with you while traveling. With compliments from the Ministry of Interior’s security media department
INTERNATIONAL
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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Iran producing higher-enriched uranium: IAEA VIENNA: Iran is pressing ahead with its controversial atomic program, producing enriched uranium at higher levels of purification and installing more machinery, a restricted UN report revealed yesterday. And the UN atomic watchdog says it remains concerned about the true nature of the nuclear activities, which Tehran insists are exclusively peaceful. “Based on an overall analysis ... of all the information available, the agency remains concerned about the possible existence in Iran of past or current undisclosed nuclear related activities, involving military related organizations,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a restricted report
obtained by AFP. Some of those activities were “related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile. There are indications that certain of these activities may have continued beyond 2004,” the report said. The watchdog said Iran-which is likely to see a fourth round of sanctions slapped on it by the United Nations Security Council later this week over its contested atomic drivehas already produced at least 5.7 kilograms (12.5 pounds) of higher-enriched uranium. And Tehran has installed a second set of uranium-enriching centrifuges, which would potentially be used to produce more of the material, even if the machines are not yet
operational. “On April 7, 2010, Iran withdrew 5.7 kilograms of UF6 (uranium hexafluoride) from the first cascade” at its pilot fuel enrichment plant in Natanz, the report said. “According to Iran, this UF6 was enriched to 19.7 percent.” A senior diplomat with knowledge of the IAEA’s Iran investigation said that the real amount was actually more. “The 5.7 kilograms was in early April. But it has continued to produce it since then. It’s more,” the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The enriched uranium, which Iran says it needs for a research reactor that makes
radioisotopes for medical purposes, but which the West fears is ultimately intended for a nuclear weapon, was being produced at an estimated rate of around 100 grams per day, the diplomat added. Iran, which has so far been enriching uranium to levels of no more than 5.0 percent in Natanz, started enriching to close to 20 percent purification in February, ostensibly to make fuel for a research reactor in Tehran. The move drew wide condemnation from western countries because it brings the Islamic republic closer to levels needed to make the fissile material for a nuclear bomb. In an IAEA-brokered deal last October, the United States, Russia and France proposed
they take most of Iran’s stockpile of lowenriched uranium (LEU) and turn it into the fuel rods for the research reactor. But Iran refused to take up the offer and has drawn up an alternative deal with Brazil and Turkey instead. And it has riled the West by insisting on enriching uranium to higher levels on its own, even though it is not believed to have the technology to turn that material into the fuel rods for the reactor. Acccording to the IAEA report, Iran has amassed some 2,427 kilogrammes of LEU so far, double the amount it says it is ready to transfer to Turkey for further processing. The longer Iran continues to enrich ura-
nium, the larger its stockpile will become, and the less any fuel swap is likely to appeal to the West, since the main motivation behind such a deal would be to have a huge chunk of the LEU shipped out of the country. Summing up, the IAEA said that while it could verify that none Iran’s declared nuclear material had been diverted, the Islamic republic “has not provided the necessary cooperation to permit the agency to confirm that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.” The report, circulated to IAEA member states yesterday, is set to be discussed at a meeting of the agency’s board of governors next week.—AFP
Officials: Four killed in separate Iraq attacks Prominent local leader of anti-insurgent Sunni forces among dead
AL-RAHAWE: An Egyptian girl carries a pot of clean water on her head that she filled from a water cistern at Al-Rahawe village, some 40 kilometres northeast Cairo, on May 27, 2010. —AFP
A stone’s throw from Nile, Egypt’s taps are running dry KIRDASA: Six months into her pregnancy, Tahani Rabia continues to ignore doctor’s orders and rises before dawn every morning, praying that when she turns on the tap the water will flow. But more often than not, the rusty tap runs dry in her little home a mere 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Nile River. “The doctor told me I had to rest, but I get up around 5:00 am because if there is any water in the pipes it runs out by seven,” said the veiled 18-year-old, who lives on the outskirts of Kirdasa in Egypt’s Giza governorate. “I can’t carry water back from the Nile because it’s too heavy with the baby and it’s not suitable to drink anyway, so I store as much as I can from the tap and ration our daily use,” she explained. “When we run out, we turn to our neighbors to see if they have any to spare.” The tap in the single room that Tahani shares with her husband hasn’t worked for days, and the neighbors have been a lifesaver. Hers is a story echoed across Egypt, where thousands living just a stone’s throw from the Nile suffer supply and sanitation problems as their government becomes increasingly entangled in a war over water with up-river nations. Egypt has dominated the Nile for decades and refuses, along with neighboring Sudan, to sign a new pact the other countries say would lead to more equitable sharing. In an attempt to secure larger shares of the precious resource, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda all signed the agreement earlier this month. That prompted Cairo to launch a diplomatic offensive in hopes of ensuring the country is not brushed aside in a matter vital to the country’s future. Egypt, which relies on the river to meet 90 percent of the water needs of its 80 million people, argues that it has a historic right to the Nile and has threatened legal action to preserve its interests. But experts say the pact will have little effect on the people of Egypt, whose troubles stretch far back and stem mainly from outdated water grids and flawed domestic water policies. “The problem is the distribution of the water-who is using it and for what-and equity in people’s right to safe water,” said Habib Ayeh, a geopolitical expert
and researcher at the American University in Cairo. Green golf courses and lush parks today decorate the landscape of Cairo’s uptown suburbs, once desert land. But Ayeh, who recently authored a book on the demise of Egypt’s “fellahs,” or farmers, estimates that one in four Egyptians does not have adequate access to drinking water. “The water sent to people’s homes is not enough to meet minimal needs because of both quantity and the power with which it is pumped through the grid,” he told AFP. Farmers in the northern region of Daqhaliya took to the streets this week to protest over inadequate supplies for drinking and irrigation-a problem that is expected to worsen with rising temperatures and rapid population growth. Hosni Khordagui, who heads the United Nations Development Programme’s regional water programme in Cairo, warns that the number of people living under the “water poverty” line in Egypt will snowball over the next decade. “The problem is that 85 percent of our water from the Nile goes to irrigation and it would be difficult to reallocate that to other uses because of the economic revenue it brings in,” he told AFP. Even if the new deal does not cut back on Egypt’s share of the Nile, water poverty is a daunting reality as the population grows by an estimated 1.5 million people annually, Khordagui said. Six decades ago, Egypt offered each citizen an average of 2,600 cubic metres (92,000 cubic feet) of water per year, according to Khordagui. By 2025, he estimates the average will drop to 500 cubic metres. For the people of Kirdasa, it is a warning that hits home hard. “It’s been four days since we last had drinking water in these taps,” says Mona, another resident of Kirdasa. “You get used to it, but this is no way to live. We pay our bills. Where is our water?” Ayeh notes that Egypt, which is entitled to 55.5 billion cubic metres of Nile water annually under treaties signed more than 50 years ago, has no solution but to rethink how it divides the resource. “There is no link between Egypt’s current water problem and the new pact,” he added. “The problem is that people cannot drink and yet Egypt is exporting strawberries in December.”— AFP
BAGHDAD: Four people were killed and several others wounded in separate attacks in Iraq, police and hospital officials said yesterday. Among the dead was a prominent local leader of anti-insurgent Sunni forces known as Awakening Councils who was shot by two gunmen armed with silenced pistols. The attackers fled the scene after attacking Nael al-Azami near a popular cafe in Baghdad’s northern Azamiyah district Monday morning. Elsewhere in the capital, a roadside bomb struck an Iraqi police patrol in the capital’s Ghadir neighborhood, killing one policeman and wounding 10 bystanders and officers nearby. In Kirkuk, a policeman died from wounds sustained when a roadside bomb hit his patrol Sunday night. Four of his colleagues were seriously hurt in the blast. And in Mosul, a parked car bomb struck an Iraqi army patrol yesterday afternoon, killing one soldier and seriously wounding a bystander. A series of other early morning blasts across Baghdad wounded 11 more people. The first explosion occurred at 7 am when a bomb attached to a civilian SUV exploded while it was heading down Baghdad’s eastern Palestine Street, injuring the driver and a passenger. About 90 minutes later, two separate roadside bombs targeting police patrols in eastern Baghdad injured a total of five policemen and four bystanders. The police and hospital officials who described the attacks spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Also yesterday, a threemember electoral board threw out appeals brought by Prime Minister Nouri alMaliki’s bloc against two winning candidates in Diyala province from the rival Iraqiya list, according to Ayad al-Kinandi, a member of the Independent High Electoral Commission. He said the electoral judiciary panel also ruled that a third candidate , Ibrahim al-Mutlaq of Iraqiya, who was accused of having ties to Saddam Hussein’s outlawed Baath party, would be allowed to serve in the new parliament.—AP
Egypt rights groups say vote-monitoring blocked CAIRO: Several Egyptian human rights groups have criticised the government’s refusal to allow them to monitor today’s elections to the upper house of parliament, saying restrictions could lead to election abuses. The elections for the Shura Council upper house usually have a low voter turnout but could signal what is ahead in elections for the more powerful lower house later this year. Egypt’s biggest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, holds 88 seats in the lower house but none in the upper house. Rights groups often accuse Egypt of election abuses such as vote rigging and state security use of force against voters to prevent them from reaching polling stations. The government says elections are free and fair. “The refusal of the High Committee for Elections to allow human rights groups to monitor the Shura Council elections indicates the committee is not independent and is subject to the state security apparatus
that intervenes to ensure the election outcome is in favour of the ruling party,” a statement by a coalition of rights groups said. A member of the High Committee for Elections rejected the groups’ accusations and said sufficient time was given to all rights groups to receive permits to monitor the vote. “The High Committee for Elections has given permits to 52 rights groups to monitor the polls on June 1st. Those who have not received permits did not apply in time from May 3 to 25,” Ahmed Shawoki, a member of the committee told Reuters. Today’s elections will be the first that will be overseen by the new committee. In previous elections, judges supervised voting in every polling station to guarantee fairness. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood head Mohammed Badie accused the government’s state apparatus of using force to prevent Brotherhood candidates from cam-
paigning. “State security forces have continued to violate Muslim Brotherhood candidates, taking down their campaigning banners beating and shooting rubber bullets at Brotherhood supporters in several constituencies,” Badie said at a conference on Sunday. How the Brotherhood fares in this vote will be a further indication of what to expect in another election later this year for the lower house of parliament, where the group controls a fifth of seats, the biggest opposition bloc by far. Half of the 176 electable seats in the upper house, or Shura council, will be contested today. The banned Brotherhood ran in the 2008 Shura vote and won no seats. President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling party secured almost every seat with one seat going to a leftist opposition party. The Shura Council, Egypt’s upper house, reviews laws before handing them to the lower People’s Assembly for a final vote.—Reuters
BAGHDAD: US soldiers salute during a Memorial Day ceremony at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq yesterday. Memorial Day commemorates US men and women who died while in the military service. —AP
INTERNATIONAL
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Kurdish rebel attack kills 6 at Turkish base ANKARA: Kurdish rebels fired rockets at a naval base yesterday, killing six Turkish troops in the bloodiest attack in recent months, after their jailed leader signalled an end to peace efforts, officials said. The attack saw Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) rebels target a military vehicle carrying troops to guard duty inside the base in the southern city of Iskenderun, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said. He put the death toll at seven, but later his press office, contacted by AFP, revised the
number down to six, the figure given also by the military. Seven other soldiers were wounded in the attack, Arinc said, adding that three of them were in a critical condition in a military hospital in Ankara. “We condemn the separatist terrorist organization that is behind this inhumane attack,” he said, using the official jargon for the PKK which has been leading a 25year insurgency against the Turkish government. Additional troops were deployed
in the Iskenderun area and a security operation was underway to catch the assailants, he added. There was no immediate claim of responsibility by the PKK, an outlawed separatist group whose jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan has decided to abandon efforts to seek dialogue with the Turkish government. But the group said in a statement, carried on the Internet site of the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency, that it would continue to use its “right to self defence effectively”. Five members of Turkey’s securi-
ty forces were killed Saturday in a string of attacks that gave a strong sign that efforts for peace between the Turkish government and the rebels are unraveling. Army chief General Ilker Basbug cut short a visit to Egypt after the rocket attack, which coincided with a deadly Israeli operation on an aid convoy headed to the Gaza Strip, involving Turkish vessels. Ocalan was jailed for life in 1999 but has retained his influence over the PKK from his prison cell on Imrali island, often issuing guidelines
to rebels in statements released through his lawyers. His calls for dialogue have been rejected by the government, which insists the PKK either lays down its arms or faces the army. He was quoted in a PKK mouthpiece Saturday as having given up his pursuit of dialogue. “Keeping up this process is no longer meaningful and useful. I am quitting after May 31 since I could not find an interlocutor,” he told his lawyers during a recent prison visit, according to the
Ozgur Politika newspaper. Ocalan however said his decision did not amount to a call for the PKK to intensify its armed campaign. “This should not be misunderstood. This is not a call for a war,” he was quoted as saying. Following a usual winter lull, violence has broken out anew in the southeast. The melting of snow has allowed the rebels to move out from their mountain hideouts in Turkey and neighbouring Iraq. The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the
international community, took up arms in 1984 for self-rule in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeast, sparking a conflict that has claimed some 45,000 lives. Last year, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government announced it would expand Kurdish freedoms in a bid to peacefully end the conflict. The initiative however has faltered amid bitterness over a court ruling that outlawed Turkey’s main Kurdish political party in December and public outrage at bloody PKK attacks.— AFP
Resignation effective immediately
German president quits over military remarks
BERLIN: German President Horst Koehler announces his resignation following criticism about remarks he made on German military deployments abroad at Bellevue Palce in Berlin yesterday. —AP
France says Africa must be on UN Security Council NICE: French President Nicolas Sarkozy said yesterday Africa should be represented on the U.N. Security Council, promising to back reforms when France takes the helm of the G8 and G20 groups of big economies next year. Speaking at the launch of the 25th Africa-France summit, he said it was time for the world to make a place for Africa on the global stage to discuss international crises and reforms. “I am convinced that we can’t talk about big global questions without Africa any longer,” Sarkozy told about 800 delegates from 40 African states. “The Security Council must be reformed and it’s not normal that Africa does not have a member of the Security Council.” African nations have asked for two rotating permanent seats since 2005, given the continent has about 27 percent of members at the United Nations, its size and the involvement of global powers on its territory. China, the United States, Russia, Britain and France are the permanent members of the Council. Nigeria, Gabon and Uganda are among 10 members that
hold rotating seats. Without saying exactly what France would favour, Sarkozy said: “France, when it takes over the G8 and G20 (next year), will push towards this (reform).” The G8 is made up of leading rich nations, while the G20 also includes other big economies. South Africa is Africa’s only G20 member. Security Council reform has been held up, with four countries in particularBrazil, Germany, Japan and Pakistan — seeking new permanent seats. A group called “Uniting for Consensus”, led by Italy, Argentina, Pakistan and Mexico, opposes those bids and wants the Council to add only additional non-permanent members. In 2005, the African Union adopted the “Ezulwini consensus”, which advocates reserving two permanent seats with veto power as well as more non-permanent seats for Africa. France is pushing for a reform proposed previously with the United Kingdom whereby non-permanent membership on the Security Council would be raised to 10 years instead of two now, without the right of veto, a French diplomatic source said. President Sarkozy dis-
cussed this option with South African President Jacob Zuma at lunch yesterday encouraging him to discuss the FrancoBritish proposal with his African colleagues, the source said. “It’s the best way to move quickly towards a reform of the the Security Council,” the diplomat said. France is trying to claw back economic influence in Africa as it welcomes some 40 government leaders to a summit that for the first time includes heads of top French companies such as energy giant Total and nuclear firm Areva. The two-day summit will feature a specific session among the leaders discussing Africa’s place in global governance. Congo Republic’s President Denis Sassou Nguesso said earlier yesterday he believed the world had to give Africa two seats as it could no longer manage crises under a system used since the Second World War. “We agree that two permanent seats on the Security Council (are needed) for Africa and I am persuaded that the world cannot manage these sort of crises without Africa,” he told reporters. — Reuters
NICE: Mali’s President Amadou Toumani Toure, second left, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, foreground, and Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, right, pose for a group photo during the 25th Africa-France Summit yesterday southeastern France. —AP
BERLIN: President Horst Koehler stunned Germans by resigning yesterday after being criticized for appearing to link military deployments abroad with the country’s economic interests , creating a new headache for Chancellor Angela Merkel. The resignation, effective immediately, came a year into Koehler’s second term as the largely ceremonial head of state. Merkel’s centerright alliance installed the former International Monetary Fund boss as president in 2004, and his departure is a symbolic blow. The speaker of parliament’s upper house , Bremen Mayor Jens Boehrnsen, a member of the opposition Social Democrats , temporarily takes over presidential duties, largely signing legislation into law. A new president must be elected within 30 days. German politicians now have to figure out quickly who should replace Koehler even as they are preoccupied with trying to make budget cuts amid Europe’s government debt crisis. “I was surprised by his phone call and I tried to talk him around, but unfortunately I didn’t succeed,” Merkel said. “I think people in Germany will be very sad about this resignation.” She said that “with his wide international experience, he was an important counselor, particularly in the economic financial crisis , and so of course I will miss that advice in future.” The resignation comes on top of a much-criticized start for Merkel’s second-term government, an embarrassing state election loss in May, the euro debt crisis , complete with two unpopular rescue packages , and a prominent conservative state governor’s resignation. “It is a difficult situation for Merkel,” said Gero Neugebauer, a political scientist at Berlin’s Free University. “It is not clear whether she will be able to push through her own candidate.” The president is chosen by a special assembly of lower-house lawmakers and representatives of Germany’s 16 states, in which the center-right is expected to have a majority. Merkel gave no hints on a possible successor. The post is supposed to be above the political fray, traditionally functioning as the nation’s moral voice. Koehler, a member of Merkel’s Christian Democrats, cited a week of criticism over a radio interview he gave following a visit to German troops in Afghanistan. In that broadcast, he said for a country with Germany’s dependency on exports, military deployments could be “necessary ... in order to defend our interests, for example free trade routes.” That was taken by many as relating to Germany’s unpopular mission in Afghanistan, although his office later said he was referring to anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia. Germans are often uneasy about deployments abroad, given the country’s militaristic past, and the mission in Afghanistan makes many particularly uncomfortable. Opposition politicians had urged Koehler, 67, to take back the remarks and accused him of damaging public acceptance of German military missions abroad. “I regret that my comments in an important and difficult question for our nation were able to lead to misunderstandings,” a strained-looking Koehler told reporters at the president’s Bellevue palace. Koehler complained that some critics suggested he supported “missions that are not covered by the constitution.” “This criticism lacks any basis,” Koehler said in a statement delivered alongside his wife, Eva Luise. “It also is lacking in the necessary respect for the presidential office.” —AP
VATICAN: Pope Benedict XVI gestures at faithful during the Angelus prayer from his studio’s window overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sunday. —AP
Pope appoints panel to investigate Ireland abuse VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI yesterday appointed nine prelates, including the archbishops of Boston and New York, to investigate child abuse in Ireland’s Catholic institutions. The pope urged the Irish church to support the investigation, saying it could be a chance for hope and renewal. In a March letter to the Irish faithful, Benedict had promised an investigation that addressed chronic clerical child abuse in Ireland and decades of cover-ups by church authorities. Also yesterday, the Vatican announced the pope had accepted the resignation of an Irish-born archbishop who had led the Benin City diocese in Nigeria and faced accusations that he carried on a 20-year relationship with a woman that began when she was 14. Archbishop Richard Burke, 61, had been suspended. He was the latest bishop to resign amid the church abuse scandal, as Benedict moves to get rid of bishops who either admitted they molested youngsters or covered up for priests who did. Child-abuse scandals have caused exceptional trauma in Ireland, a once-devoutly Catholic nation. An Irish government collapsed in 1994 amid arguments over its failure to extradite a pedophile priest to Northern Ireland. Since 2002, a government-organized compensation board has paid out more than §800 million ($983 million) to 13,000 people abused in Ireland’s church-run residential institutions for children. The investigation in Ireland will deal with the handling of cases of abuse and providing assistance to victims. It will begin in four archdioceses, including Dublin, and then be extended to other dioceses, the Vatican said. It will also look at seminaries and religious houses. The nine investigators will look at the procedures currently in place to prevent abuse and seek ways to improve them. The pope invited “all the members of the Irish Catholic community to support this fraternal initiative” and hoped the investigation will be “an occasion of renewed fervor in the Christian life, and that it may deepen their faith and strengthen their hope,” the Vatican statement said. The investigators named by Benedict include the archbishops of Westminster in England, Boston, Toronto and Ottawa. Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, will investigate the Irish seminaries as well as the broader issue of priestly formation. Two nuns
were appointed to investigate religious institutes for women. Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston will investigate the Dublin archdiocese. O’Malley was brought in to Boston after a priest sex abuse furor erupted there in 2002, prompting Cardinal Bernard Law to resign. “The Church must be unfailingly vigilant in protecting children and young people,” O’Malley said in a statement posted on the archdiocese’s website. “It will also be important to respond to the concerns of the Catholic community and the survivors in the manner that will promote the process of healing.” Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin praised O’Malley’s appointment, saying his “experience and personal commitment render him particularly suited” for the task. Martin, who has been trying to root out abusive priests, called the investigation an “important element” in the purification and renewal of the Dublin church, which “addresses the truth of a dark moment in its history.” The pope apologized for the chronic abuse in his unprecedented letter to Ireland, rebuking church leaders for “grave errors of judgment” and appealing to priests still harboring sins of child molestation to confess. Three Irish bishops have stepped down since December, and there have been calls for the country’s top prelate, Cardinal Sean Brady, to leave because of his handling of a notorious child rapist. In the Burke case, the St. Patrick Missionary Society said Burke resigned for “his failure to observe his oath of celibacy.” However, the society said its local investigator in Nigeria never found evidence that Burke began having sex with the woman when she was 14. Burke said the sexual relationship began only after she turned 18, while he served as a priest in Warri, a city in the oil-rich Niger Delta. “(Burke) has apologized to all those whom he has hurt by his actions and has taken full personal responsibility for what he has done wrong,” the society said. Burke served in Warri for about a decade before heading back to Ireland. In 1996, he returned to Warri and later became bishop, sometimes serving as a negotiator between Nigerian militants who kidnapped foreign oil workers and the oil companies. Burke became archbishop of Benin City in 2007. Catholicism is fast-growing religion in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with 150 million people. —AP
Algerian prez fires CEO of state oil firm ALGIERS: Amid a growing corruption scandal, Algeria’s president has fired the CEO and all top managers at the state-owned oil firm that dominates the North African country’s economy, local media reported yesterday. CEO Mohammed Mezian and the four vice presidents of oil company Sonatrach were officially removed by presidential decree Sunday, the official APS news agency and other media reported, quoting the official government register. They had already been jailed or placed under house arrest because of an investigation into the suspected embezzlement of hundreds of millions of dollars. Sonatrach extracts oil and natural gas and is by far the largest Algerian company, providing about 90 percent of the country’s entire exports. One of its fired managers also ran Tassili Airlines, the country’s second-biggest, where a
separate corruption investigation has been opened. The presidential announcement came after Chakib Khelil, a former OPEC chief, was fired from Algeria’s Energy Ministry on Friday amid the graft allegations. Khelil, who is a close ally of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, is not under investigation, but the French-language daily Liberte questioned in an editorial yesterday whether his eviction from government could pave the way for charges against him. A longtime government figure with close ties to the U.S. oil industry, Khelil was strongly identified as one of the president’s men. Khelil was replaced by Youcef Youcefi as minister for energy and oil. Nordine Cherouati was named Sonatrach’s new CEO. Both new figures are considered close to the military, which
has been at the center of Algeria’s behind-the-scenes power play since the country’s independence in 1962. Observers viewed their nomination as confirming the lead role taken by the militaryaffiliated secret service, known as the DRS, in pushing for an anti-corruption probe. While oil-related firms have been at the center of the corruption investigation that has been going on for months, national construction, highways, tramways, telecommunications, port businesses and other state-controlled activities are also under scrutiny. Several government or town hall officials have been charged over the past few months. The head of police, Ali Tounsi, was murdered in his office by a colonel in February. Algerian media said he was targeted in revenge for a corruption probe into army contracts.— AP
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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‘Ladies in White’ say Cuba prisoner plight goes on HAVANA: The Cuban government has not yet improved conditions for political prisoners or released any as had been hoped after recent talks between Catholic Church leaders and President Raul Castro, Cuba’s “Ladies in White” dissident group said on Sunday. Speaking to reporters after the group’s traditional Sunday march
protesting the 2003 imprisonment of their loved ones, leader Laura Pollan said they had heard nothing from the government about its plans. “Here, nothing is known. Everything is a state secret,” said Pollan, whose husband, dissident Hector Maseda, is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Catholic officials said Castro promised in a May 19 meeting with
Cardinal Jaime Ortega to move prisoners soon to jails closer to home or, if they were sick, into hospitals. According to some reports, he also signaled the possible release of an unknown number of prisoners. The high-level talks preceded a mid-June visit to Cuba by Vatican Foreign Secretary Dominque Mamberti. So far, Pollan said, the only thing
certain is that no prisoners have been moved or released. “Everything is speculative; there is not thing concrete,” she said. The Ladies in White have staged weekly protest marches since the March 2003 arrest of 75 dissidents, many of whom are their husbands or sons and most still behind bars. After Sunday’s march by 33 white-
clad women, Pollan told them it was important for them and their imprisoned family members, particularly those who are ill, to remain calm while waiting for the promised changes. “Anxiety can produce strong stress and we don’t want them to get sicker,” she told the women. At least 26 of the prisoners are said to be in ill health. Former prisoner Guillermo Farinas has
been on a hunger strike for more than three months demanding their release. His hunger strike followed the Feb. 23 death of hunger striking prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo, which prompted international condemnation of Cuban human rights. In April, the Cuban government tried to stop the women from staging their Sunday marches and brought in pro-govern-
ment counterprotesters to harass them. But Ortega intervened, and officials allowed the marches to go on, at least for now. Human rights advocates say Cuba has about 190 political prisoners in all. The Cuban government views them as mercenaries working for the United States and other enemies. — Reuters
Hundreds protest in New Orleans
BP, Obama beset by Gulf spill frustration BOGOTA: Presidential candidate of the Social National Unity Party, Juan Manuel Santos, gestures as he delivers a speech in Bogota, Sunday. —AP
Colombia’s Santos favored for June runoff BOGOTA: A former defense minister from an elite political clan fell just short of a first-round victory in Colombia’s presidential elections while trouncing his closest rival, an unorthodox Green Party candidate. Juan Manuel Santos, who helped craft the wildly popular security policies of outgoing President Alvaro Uribe, won 47 percent of the vote Sunday to top a field of nine candidates. Antanas Mockus, the son of Lithuanian immigrants who stressed clean government and promised a tax increase, got 21 percent. A former two-time mayor of the Colombian capital, he catapulted into contention in pre-election polls only to falter at the ballot box. Santos, 58, is a US-trained economist and the great-nephew of a president whose family long ran the country’s leading newspaper. His first cousin, Francisco Santos, was Uribe’s vice president. A nephew, Alejandro Santos, is editor of Semana, the country’s leading newsmagazine. After serving three administrations as a Cabinet minister, he is in his first race for elected office. Santos came unexpectedly close to winning the simple majority that would have precluded the June 20 runoff. Addressing jubilant supporters Sunday night, he called the results an endorsement of the outgoing administration. “Mr. President Uribe, this is your triumph and that of those who want to preserve your immense legacy,” he said. “Most Colombians voted to defend your achievements and proposals.” Santos, who rejected the Mockus-proposed tax increase as hurting economic growth, won in all but one of Colombia’s provinces and even took Bogota. Finishing third with 10 percent was German Vargas of Cambio Radical, a member of Uribe’s governing coalition along with Santos’ National Unity party. Gustavo Petro of the leftist Polo Democratico Alternativo earned 9 percent. Although generally peaceful, Sunday was marked by nearly two dozen clashes with leftist rebels that authorities said claimed the lives of four soldiers, a potent reminder that Colombia’s half century-old conflict is far from resolved. Just last week, nine marines were killed in a single engagement. None of four major losing candidates made an immediate endorsement but it was noteworthy that the three candidates from parties in Uribe’s governing coalition together won 61 percent of the vote. Uribe was re-elected in 2006 with 62 percent. The continuing violence , and Mockus’ lack
of clarity on how he would deal with it as well as inexperience in international affairs , favored Santos. “I suspect for some there was tension between the head and the heart. In a country still at war, the head won out,” said Michael Shifter, president of the Washington, D.C.-based InterAmerican Dialogue think tank. Mockus, running for president for the third time, distinguishes himself with a simple message: Only through education and respect for the law will Colombians find true security. His colorful, pedagogical style catapulted him from fringe status. He has the most Facebook and Twitter fans among candidates. But Mockus committed several gaffes during the campaign that revealed him a relative novice in foreign policy and security matters. All Sunday’s soldier deaths were blamed by the government on the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. As Uribe’s defense minister from 2006-2009, Santos helped knock the wind out of the FARC, Latin America’s last remaining major rebel army. Santos also clashed with leftist Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Rafael Correa of Ecuador. Earlier this month, a judge in Ecuador ordered Santos’ arrest for authorizing a cross-border raid into Colombia’s southern neighbor in 2008 that killed the FARC’s No. 2 commander. Mockus, 58, says he would not have made the incursion into Ecuador. But he says he also would be tough on the FARC. And although not directly criticizing Uribe, Mockus is among Colombians expressing dismay at the scandals that have plagued the outgoing president, including domestic spying, extrajudicial killings by soldiers, and the awarding of agricultural subsidies to political cronies. Many of his supporters associate Santos with Uribe’s perceived ethical failings. “God has given us another chance and we’re going to try Mockus because hope is the last thing one can lose,” said Maria Gutierrez, a 57-year-old Bogota economist. “Mockus is an intelligent man and a pacifist and he won’t fight with Correa or Chavez.” Santos, meanwhile, has sought to distance himself from the scandals plaguing Uribe’s legacy. As defense minister, he fired 27 officers in late 2008 when it became clear prosecutors would be drawing up charges against soldiers accused of killing more than 1,000 civilians. Critics say he bears some responsibility, but Santos contends it was he who put an end to the abuses. —AP
TEGUCIGALPA: Picture of the debris gathered in the banks of the Choluteca River in Tegicigalpa, taken yesterday following the passage of tropical storm Agatha. The first tropical storm of the season killed at least 101 people across Central America, triggering flash floods and mudslides that swept away homes and destroyed roads, officials said. —AFP
VENICE: US lawmakers and local residents clamored on Sunday for BP and “environmental crime” and demanded $1 billion from BP to protect the the Obama administration to do more to save the Gulf Coast from an out-of- region’s treasured marshlands. The failure on Saturday of a “top kill” techcontrol oil spill that has become the biggest environmental catastrophe in the nique attempted by London-based BP to try to seal its leaking Gulf well has country’s history. Lawmakers from US President Barack Obama’s own unleashed a surge of anger that poses a major domestic challenge to Obama Democratic Party called the nearly six-week oil gush in the Gulf of Mexico an and his party in an election year. “This is probably the biggest environmental disaster we have ever faced in this country,” White House adviser Carol Browner told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The Gulf spill has surpassed the Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska in 1989 as the worst US oil spill, with an estimated 12,000 to 19,000 barrels (504,000 to 798,000 gallons/1.9 million to 3 million liters) leaking per day. Given the enormity of the disaster, critics say Obama was too slow to respond. “I hold Obama responsible for not making BP stand up and look at the people in the face and fix it,” said Dean Blanchard, owner of a seafood business, who spoke at a protest rally in New Orleans on Sunday. “It’s not right what is going on, I didn’t do nothing wrong, I didn’t deserve this,” he told the hundreds of protesters, some of whom carried signs, such as “Seize BP.” BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward, the target of ire over his company’s failures to stop the spill and protect vital wetlands, apologized to Gulf Coast residents. “The first thing is to say NEW ORLEANS: Protesters gather for a rally against BP PLC and the Gulf oil spill, in Jackson Square in the we’re sorry, we’re sorry for the French Quarter of New Orleans, Sunday. —AP massive disruption it’s caused their lives, there’s no one who wants this thing over more than I do,” Hayward said as he visited the fishing hub of Venice on Sunday. Hayward had predicted that despite risks, the top kill had As a matter of policy, the TSA does not was not an incident on the aircraft and that WASHINGTON: An Aeromexico flight from a 60 to 70 percent chance of sucParis to Mexico City was diverted to confirm or deny whether a person appears law-enforcement officials boarded the plane cess. He said he did not know Montreal on Sunday when the U.S. denied on a government watch list. “The United around 2:30 p.m. and took the suspect into why it failed to stop the gusher. the flight access to its airspace after a man States’ ability to refuse entry into its terri- custody. “The flight landed and we had The next BP step would named in an outstanding warrant was tory of any flight it deems to present a excellent cooperation with everyone involve undersea robots using reported aboard, an official said. The man, threat to its security is recognized by involved,” he said. diamond-rimmed saws to cut off McNeely said the man was being whose name officials did not release, was numerous countries and is consistent with a pipe over the well to put in removed from the plane at Pierre Elliott international agreements,” Gaches said. detained in Montreal and a detention hearplace a containment device that Trudeau International Airport and arrested, Montreal airport official Marie-Claude ing would be held within the next 48 hours. would try to siphon off most of said Lauren Gaches, a spokeswoman for the Desgagnes said the plane was allowed to A Royal Canadian Mounted Police official the leaking oil and gas up to a Transportation Security Administration. take off shortly after 10 pm EDT. It was said officers assisted Canada Border tanker ship on the surface. It has Other passengers on Aeromexico Flight 006 expected to arrive in Mexico City about 3:30 Services but declined to provide further never been attempted at the from Charles De Gaulle Airport to Mexico a.m. EDT. TSA referred questions to details. In Mexico City, a woman who depth of the BP well, a mile (1.6 answered the phone at Aeromexico late City International Airport were re-screened Aeromexico and Canadian authorities. km) under water. Even Hayward A spokesman for Canada Border Sunday said no one was available to talk to and allowed to re-board the flight, Gaches conceded on Sunday that Services, Dominque McNeely, said there the news media. —AP said. “there’s no doubt that the ultimate solution is the relief well, which is in August.” The possibility of another two months to a definitive solution could spell more financial trouble for BP, whose market value has dropped by 25 percent since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, killing 11 workers, and triggering the spill. Obama, who has called the designed to withstand winds of up PORT-AU-PRINCE: A hurricane camped near a golf course, dug a looming disaster. spill a “man-made disaster,” has The Atlantic storm season to 30 mph, and the raised wooden season predicted to be one of the shallow channel in the dirt under relied on BP and its deep-sea wettest on record opens today in her tarp in a futile effort to keep always poses a risk in mountainous floors to prevent Haitians from risktechnology to try to stop the leak, the Caribbean, where hundreds of water away from her mattress. Haiti. Tropical Storm Jeanne killed ing disease by using water flowing although he has made clear the thousands of Haitian earthquake “When it rains, we don’t have any- nearly 3,000 people in 2004, and a through their homes for hygiene government is in charge. Critics victims have only tarps or fraying where to go, we don’t have any- series of 2008 storms killed 800 , and cooking. They expect to comargue, however, that he has not tents to protect them in a major where to sleep,” she said. “We just mostly in the country’s central plete the structures within a month directed enough resources to the storm. The Haitian government, get soaked.” The problem goes region north of Port-au-Prince. The using Haitian labor. Protesters have unfolding disaster and he has not which had five months to prepare, beyond more misery in about 1,200 capital city rarely gets a direct hit; it criticized President Rene Preval for been present enough. says it’s still working on emergency temporary camps. Vast numbers of is protected by the mountains that a lack of progress in reconstruction. The White House said on and evacuation plans. But it is people are exposed to disease-car- separate Haiti from the Dominican Schneider says all involved need to Sunday that the government will unclear where people will go with rying mosquitoes. Serious flooding Republic. But even modest storms move faster. “It’s not that people triple clean-up resources in areas many churches, schools and other could cause mass casualties even are deadly in this deforested nation are doing things that are wrong,” he affected by the spill, while the potential shelters toppled by the with thousands of aid workers and where entire cities are routinely said. “It’s that people need to do the administration’s top energy and plunged under water. The interna- things that they are doing faster.” quake. Since the Jan. 12 earth- U.N. peacekeepers present. environment officials head back The US National Oceanic and tional community and private aid Magdaline Oscar lives with her husquake killed up to 300,000 people to the Gulf this week following and left more than 1.5 million Atmospheric Administration has groups have pledged or delivered band and 6-year-old son in a trashObama’s second visit on Friday. homeless, there has been little predicted as many as 23 named $3.1 billion to help Haiti after the strewn road that leads to the capiBP and the entire US oil industry progress on clearing rubble so peo- tropical storms, which would make earthquake and are promising near- tal’s main garbage dump. She ple can return to their neighbor- this season one of the more active ly $10 billion more for reconstruc- showed visitors the murky water face more probing questions hoods or building sturdier shelters. on record. The quake has forced tion. But so far, the government has that pools under her tent and about why safety backups did not DrJean Pape, one of the country’s Haiti to update its storm contin- relocated only about 7,000 vulnera- splashes through its torn sides. accompany their pursuit of oil in most prominent public health gency plans, said Prime Minister ble people to two safer camps. The During storms, they flee to a neighever deeper offshore waters. experts, estimates that only 1 per- Jean-Max Bellerive, including posi- relocation is slow because the crip- bor’s shelter, though many of the “I think without question if cent of the masses stuck in danger- tioning emergency food and equip- pled government doesn’t have other tents in their encampment the word criminal should be used ous flood zones have been relocat- ment. A response team has been enough money to complete a job are also now damaged after five in terms of an environmental ed. “There’s no give here. Time is set up to deal with rain emergen- that includes not just setting up months of use. crime against our country, that “The wind and the water is just running out,” said Mark L. cies in camps. “We don’t need a new tents, but providing work, what’s going on in the Gulf of Schneider, senior vice president of hurricane to have problems in Haiti, schools and services. “You can’t destroying them,” said the 26-yearMexico is going to qualify,” US the International Crisis Group. we just need three or four days of just move people to a new location old. “I don’t think it will last much Democratic Representative Ed “There’s no question that large continuous rain to have serious and say ‘take care of your life.”‘ said longer.” Elsewhere, people are takMarkey told CBS’ “Face the numbers, tens of thousands, are problems,” he said in an interview Pape, director of the GHESKIO ing a do-it-yourself approach , Nation.” Department of Justice going to be in situations of misery with The Associated Press. But clinic. The Salvation Army has adding corrugated steel and plyofficials are part of an ongoing when the rains come.” Already, the Bellerive couldn’t say how the plans started building two-room shelters wood to homes first constructed federal investigation into the rig moderate spring rains that drench are being updated. And he said the for 600 families in the southern from a few bed sheets and plastic explosion and the Obama adminPort-au-Prince almost daily leave country’s condition remains “frag- town of Jacmel despite bureaucratic tarps. Leon Louis was confident istration has not ruled out the camp residents up to their knees in ile,” even though aid groups and delays in getting the material about his prospects as he set up a possibility of a criminal prosecugovernment officials have said since through Haiti’s ports. The cement- shanty in the Champs de Mars, the putrid water. tion. —Reuters Claudia Toussaint, a 24-year-old the quake that flooding is a major secured wooden supports are capital’s central plaza. —AP
Man arrested after flight diverted
No shelter from the storm for Haiti quake victims
INTERNATIONAL
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Japan PM in pinch as ratings fall before poll TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, his coalition fractured and his ratings sinking, brushed aside calls to quit yesterday ahead of an upper house election despite fading chances of the decisive win needed to smooth policy-making. Calls have emerged in Hatoyama’s Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) for the premier to step down after a tiny leftist party bolted the ruling coalition in anger at his failure to keep a campaign pledge to move a US airbase off Okinawa island in southern Japan. With time short and no guarantee that replacing Hatoyama would boost his party’s fortunes in an upper house poll expected in July, analysts said Hatoyama would probably cling to his post, but did not rule out the possibility he might go. “If the sense of crisis mounts to such a level that they are ready to
swallow someone who is less of a consensus maker, they may be ready to get rid of Hatoyama,” said Sophia University professor Koichi Nakano. Most pundits have tipped outspoken Finance Minister Naoto Kan as likely successor if Hatoyama quits. Support for Hatoyama’s government took another hit, falling as low as 17 percent in one of a spate of surveys published yesterday, after he fired the head of the tiny Social Democratic Party (SDP) from her cabinet post on Friday, prompting the party to leave the coalition two days later. The political furore is distracting the government as it thrashes out a plan to cut Japan’s huge public debt and a strategy to engineer growth despite a fast-ageing population. Financial markets are keeping an eye on the political confusion, which has deepened
since the Democrats swept to power last September, ousting the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) after more than 50 years of almost non-stop rule. “The political turmoil in Japan may not immediately deal a blow to the Japanese economy, but it may dampen foreign investors’ appetite for Japanese stocks and stock falls may affect consumer sentiment, “ said Junko Nishioka, chief Japan economist at RBS Securities. Hatoyama, after meeting Democratic Party kingpin Ichiro Ozawa and another top party official, told reporters he planned to stay in his post. But Yoshimitsu Takashima, the party’s deputy secretary general, said the three would meet again in a day or two and quoted Ozawa, seen as the real power behind the government, as saying that Hatoyama’s fate
was still under discussion. “I told them that if nothing changes, it will be severe,” Democratic upper house lawmaker Toshio Ogawa, in charge of party PR, told reporters after a party meeting. Asked if replacing Hatoyama were an option, he replied, “That could be one way.” Equally if not more troubling for the government than the cabinet’s ratings slide, a survey by the Yomiuri newspaper showed 19 percent of voters now plan to cast their ballots for the main opposition LDP compared to just 14 percent for Hatoyama’s party. Hatoyama has wobbled on a range of campaign pledges from cash allowances for parents to toll-free highways, although analysts say some glitches were to be expected given the raft of problems inherited from the LDP and the Democrats’ inexperience. The
Democrats are also attempting to change how Japan is governed by relying less on bureaucrats and focusing policies on consumers and workers rather than companies. In the latest blow to the struggling Hatoyama, the tiny SDP left the ruling bloc on Sunday after the premier gave up on his pledge to move a US Marine airbase off Okinawa, citing the lack of a viable alternative and the need to keep US -Japan ties tight given tension on the Korean peninsula. The SDP’s departure could deprive the Democrats of some votes in the upper house poll, but will not topple the government since the Democrats have a big majority in parliament’s lower house. Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima said that her party would now find it hard to oppose a no-confidence motion against Hatoyama if
other opposition parties submit one. A motion would have no chance of passing given the Democrats’ lower house majority, but would be an embarrassment if his former allies back it. Most polls showed a majority of voters think Hatoyama should resign over his broken promise on Futenma airbase. But time is short ahead of the upper house poll, expected on July 11, and some in his party worry changing the premier so soon would remind voters of previous LDPled governments, two of whose leaders threw in the towel after about a year in office. Nor is it clear just how badly the Democrats and their remaining partner, the small People’s New Party, will do at the polls, since support for their main rival LDP remains limp. —Reuters
South Korea broadens campaign over ship sinking South lobbies for support for UN action against North SEOUL: South Korea broadened efforts yesterday to convince the world and its own public that North Korea sank one of its warships, sharing evidence with Russian torpedo experts and preparing a special briefing for influential bloggers and Twitter personalities. The persuasion campaign coincided with military exercises in which thousands of
South Korean troops practiced fending off an attack from the North near the rivals’ tense border. The drill, which the army said was routine and unrelated to the ship attack, involved building and defending pontoon bridges that scores of tanks used to cross a river as helicopters buzzed overhead. The South is lobbying for support for UN action against the North, blamed for torpedoing the Cheonan warship and killing 46 sailors in March. Winning Moscow’s backing would be vital because Russia is a veto-holding permanent Security Council member and a traditional ally of North Korea, which denies attacking the ship. The Russian team, including torpedo and submarine experts, arrived yesterday and received a briefing on the Cheonan probe, conducted by a multinational group of investigators. They were scheduled to examine the wreckage and visit the site of the alleged attack before finishing their report June 7, said a Defense Ministry official on condition of anonymity, citing department policy. Konstantin Vnukov, Russia’s ambassador to South Korea, said, “We are sending the experts to find out what exactly happened, who has to take responsibility and who did it.” Foreign Ministry spokesman SEOUL: Protesters shout slogans and hold placards reading “Punish North Korea” during a small rally Kim Young-sun told reporters, “We are expecting to see a yesterday in Seoul, South Korea.—AP frank and deep exchange of views between our group of experts about our investigation results.” If the Russians endorse the findings, it could be key to getting Beijing to support South Korea’s bid for sanctions. China is another longtime North Korean ally and permanent council member. The South Koreans shared the investigation’s findings with BANGKOK: Thailand’s House street clashes, grenade attacks moved in to clear the area. The “they must abide by internationChinese Premier Wen Jiabao of Representatives began and sniper fire, while some 1,800 Red Shirts and opposition politi- al standards concerning the use last weekend before a summit, debate yesterday on a censure were wounded. Abhisit and five cians charge that soldiers posi- of force and due process for but Beijing has yet to blame motion against the coalition govother Cabinet members are the tioned on Bangkok’s elevated those detained.” ernment of Prime Minister North Korea or support any “To foster longer-term polititargets of no-confidence mass transit Skytrain track in Abhisit Vejjajiva, focusing on its potential UN action against its motions. Another part of the front of the temple were respon- cal reconciliation, I urge the govdeadly crackdown on anti-government to ensure that an indedebate will cover corruption alle- sible for the deaths. longtime ally. Yesterday, Wen ernment Red Shirt protesters “What happened at Wat pendent investigation of recent gations, though those are of met with Japanese Prime earlier this month. The opposimuch less interest. During yes- Prathum cannot be ignored,” events be conducted and all Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who tion Puea Thai Party alleges the terday’s debate, opposition law- said Jatuporn Prompan, a Red those found responsible for said Tokyo strongly supports army used excessive force that makers lambasted the govern- Shirt leader and a Puea Thai MP human rights violations are held Seoul’s plans to bring North resulted in civilian casualties ment for using excessive vio- who headlined the debate. “You to account,” she said. Korea before the UN Security when it moved in using live The Red Shirts consist mainlence on protesters, arresting can’t hide the sky with your Council for sanctions or conammunition to end the twoand mistreating Buddhist monks palm. The truth must come out.” ly of rural supporters of former demnation. month-long protest. Minister Thaksin who had joined the protest, and Commenting on the civilian Prime South Korea was also trying The thousands of Red Shirts casualties at the temple, Abhisit Shinawatra and pro-democracy censoring the media. to convince skeptics at home camped in the heart of the Thai A particularly contentious said: “I feel no different than you. activists who opposed the milithat its Cheonan investigation capital had been calling for issue concerned six civilians We need neutrality and justice as tary coup that ousted him in was correct. The Defense Abhisit to dissolve Parliament found shot dead at Wat Prathum we uncover the truth of the mat- 2006. immediately and call new elecMinistry said yesterday that it They believe Abhisit’s govWanaram, a Buddhist temple ter.” In Geneva yesterday, the tions. Because the government will invite 70 Twitter users, within the demonstration area UN High Commissioner for ernment is illegitimate because holds a majority of House seats, that had been designated a “safe Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said it came to power under military bloggers and university stuit is almost certain to win a nozone” for women, children, the in a speech to the human rights pressure through a parliamendents to view the wreckage for confidence vote scheduled for elderly and the infirm. They fled council that while she recog- tary vote after disputed court rulthemselves , the first time ordiWednesday. But the debate is there after the demonstration nized Thai authorities had the ings ousted two elected pronary citizens will be allowed to part of a broader political strugcollapsed May 19 after soldiers responsibility to restore order, Thaksin governments.— AP inspect the ship’s remains. In gle to win public support in this South Korea’s high-tech sociincreasingly divided country. ety, the new media users have With a state of emergency developed an influential voice. still in effect from the time of A small group of pro-North the protests, the government is Korean protesters gathered in able to censor satellite televicentral Seoul to protest the sion and the Internet, limiting Cheonan probe. They held a its opponents’ ability to tell their large sign said, “We want the side of the story. The Puea Thai Party, which truth of the investigation holds roughly the same point of report.” Protester Cho Joonview as the Red Shirts, can now gyu, 32, social activist, said the use the debate to make its case government hasn’t shown on national television, though enough evidence. “Nothing there had been controversy on they say is clear enough,” Cho what photos and videos it would said. “And they are creating be allowed to show. Critics this anti-North Korea sentihave accused the army of shootment.” Nearby, another small ing unarmed demonstrators, rally was held by anti-North including medical workers. Korean protesters. They carThe government blames ried signs saying, “Punish those armed elements among the who spread false rumors.” The demonstrators for many of the event’s organizer, Jeon Ohcasualties, but has promised a full, independent investigation. BANGKOK: Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, center, talks with hyun, said, “What we want is an Over the duration of the official apology from North reporters as he arrives at Parliament in Bangkok, Thailand yesterday. —AP Korea.”— AP protest, 88 people died from
Thai Parliament debates crackdown on Red protest
MANILA: Philippine President-apparent Sen Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, center, and European Union delegation head Alistair MacDonald, shake hands following his meeting with EU ambassadors at Aquino’s residence at Times Street at Manila’s Quezon city yesterday. —AP
Aquino promises justice for Philippine massacre MANILA: The Philippine president-apparent vowed to bring to justice members of a powerful political clan charged in the country’s worst massacre of 57 people, telling European Union ambassadors yesterday that he will not tolerate armed groups outside the law. Sen. Benigno Aquino III, who is awaiting an official proclamation by the Philippine Congress following May 10 presidential elections, told reporters he discussed the Nov. 23 massacre in southern Maguindanao province with EU ambassadors and made a commitment to obtain justice. Members of the Ampatuan clan who were allied with outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo are among 198 suspects charged with murdering their political rivals and at least 30 journalists in an election convoy. They allegedly led more than 100 police and government-armed militia in the slaughter. So far, only one member of the family, former town mayor Andal Amptuan Jr., has appeared at a trial that opened in January. The other six are in custody waiting to be arraigned. They have denied the charges against them. Aquino said he will not tolerate a situation where “one entity or a group or a family thinks they are above the law.” However, Aquino so far
has refrained from promising to disband the government-allied militia, an auxiliary force that has augmented outstretched government troops battling communist and Muslim insurgents for decades, and often ended up as a private army on the payroll of local politicians. Human Rights Watch has recently expressed disappointment with his refusal to disarm poorly trained village fighters. Aquino also said he intends to seek justice for hundreds of victims of extrajudicial killings, mostly left-wing activists accused by the military of collaborating with communist insurgents and sympathizers. EU Ambassador Alistair MacDonald led 12 other envoys in congratulating Aquino at his suburban Quezon city home. MacDonald said they were keen to hear from him how the EU can support his reform agenda. The ambassadors also offered support for the peace process with the main Muslim rebel group in the southern Philippines. The EU has earlier accepted membership in an international team of cease-fire observers. The decades-long battle for minority Muslim self-rule by the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels will be one of Aquino’s major security headaches.— AP
China bans court evidence obtained through torture BEIJING: China has issued new rules saying evidence obtained through torture and threats cannot be used in criminal prosecutions and said such evidence would be thrown out in death penalty cases that are under appeal. The new regulations, posted on the central government’s website Sunday, make it clear that evidence with unclear origins, confessions obtained through torture, and testimony acquired through violence and threats are invalid. This is the first time Beijing has explicitly stated that evidence obtained under torture or duress is illegal and inadmissible in court. “Since the system was not perfect, the standards on reinforcing the law were not unified and the law executors were not equally competent. Problems occurred in the handling of cases and they should not be ignored,” according to a statement on the website. The regulations were released jointly by the Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Justice, according to a statement on the website.
Legal experts in China say the new rules constitute major progress in protecting the legal rights of defendants. One of the regulations pertains to how death penalty cases should be reviewed, including a rule that illegally obtained evidence should be invalid. A second rule sets out guidelines on how evidence should be obtained in criminal cases, which explicitly bans the use of force or intimidation on defendants and witnesses. “The issue of illegally obtained evidence has long been a controversial one in China and now they made a big step forward in this respect,” said Fan Yu, a law professor at Renmin University Law School who specializes in the judicial system. The rulings are especially important for death penalty cases, where a flawed system has led to the deaths of several criminal suspects by torture in detention centers. “Death sentences are irreversible. Any tiny mistake could cost people’s lives,” she said. “There’s serious lesson to be drawn from those cases.” China executes more people annually than any country in the world, though it does not
release an official count. Rights group Amnesty International estimated China put at least 1,718 people to death in 2008. In 2008, China’s top court said about 15 percent of death sentence verdicts by lower courts were found to have problems, the China Daily newspaper reported yesterday. The frequent use of torture by police to obtain confessions was highlighted earlier this month in the case of Zhao Zuohai, a man who spent 11 years in jail after being beaten into confessing the murder of a man who wasn’t even dead. After the man he supposedly killed returned to their hometown in central Henan province, Zhao, 57, was freed and given $96,000 in government compensation. After his release, Zhao said he was forced to confess because police beat him during interrogations and deprived him of sleep for days. The case put an embarrassing spotlight on China’s often corrupt justice system. Three police officers accused of torturing Zhao have been arrested, while the chief justice who presided over the case was suspended pending further investigation.—AP
INTERNATIONAL
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
11
Govt forces intensify attacks in recent weeks
Pakistani jets attack militants, 42 killed KALAYA: Pakistani jet fighters struck militant hideouts in the Orakzai region yesterday, killing 42 insurgents, government and security officials said, the latest in a series of assaults on militants in the country's northwest.
AHMEDABAD: In this February 16, 2007 photograph, Founder of the Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar speaks to media representatives upon his arrival at the airport in Ahmedabad. —AFP
Police probe attack on Indian guru BANGALORE: Indian police said yesterday they were investigating a shooting incident involving Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, one of the country's most prominent gurus with millions of followers worldwide. A single shot was fired at Ravi Shankar's convoy on Sunday as he was returning to his upscale retreat near the IT hub of Bangalore in the southern state of Karnataka. The guru was unhurt, but one of his aides was reportedly injured. Karnataka police chief Ajai Kumar Singh told reporters he would describe the shooting as an "incident" rather than an attack. "Whether it was meant for a particular person is a matter of investigation," he said. No arrests have been made. Ravi Shankar said he believed he had been the target, but told his followers to stay calm. "We have to go forward. I have completely forgiven the attacker already," he told reporters.
"He should come to the ashram and attend the prayer sessions. I am sure his state of mind will change." Through his Art of Living Foundation, which he established in 1981, Ravi Shankar promotes breathing techniques that he says foster contentment and peace, and thus improve society as a whole. The Art of Living Foundation is active in more than 150 countries, and has run programs in conflict regions like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Iraq. Ravi Shankar is enormously popular in India where his public appearances draw vast crowds, and millions of people overseas are believed to follow his breathing techniques. Bearded and perpetually smiling, he once studied under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi-the guru who famously inspired the Beatles. He is not related to the Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar. —AFP
Two Christian aid groups suspended in Afghanistan KABUL: Afghan authorities suspended two Christian foreign aid groups yesterday on suspicion of proselytizing in the strictly Islamic nation and said a follow-up investigation would include whether other groups were trying to convert Muslims. US-based Church World Service and Norwegian Church Aid will not be allowed to operate while the allegations, aired Sunday on Afghan television, are investigated, said Mohammad Hashim Mayar, the deputy director of the Afghan government office that oversees nongovernment organizations, known as NGOs. Mayar said officials did not have any evidence of proselytizing beyond the television report. An investigation commission including officers from the National Security and Interior Ministries had been appointed, he said. "They are investigating whether the groups were proselytizing or not," Mayar said. "They will report back and also assess what is the impact of closing these NGOs. The investigation will include whether other
groups or individuals are involved." Norwegian Church Aid Secretary-General Atle Sommerfeldt denied his organization had engaged in proselytizing in Afghanistan. "In Afghanistan, as in the rest of the world, Norwegian Church Aid does not work to convert people to another religion," Sommerfeldt said in a statement. Church World Service could not immediately be reached for comment. Proselytizing is illegal in Afghanistan, as it is in many Muslim countries. It is a hot-button issue for many Afghans sensitive to the influence of the scores of foreign aid groups operating in the country to help it recover from decades of war. The television report, which interviewed local police saying they had heard rumors of the charities' proselytizing, triggered a demonstration by several hundred students at Kabul University yesterday. The group shouted deaths threats toward foreigners who seek to convert Muslims and demanded that the government expel anyone who tried, said Mohammad Najib, a profes-
sor at the school who witnessed the protest. The group blocked the road outside the university's main gate for more than an hour before the demonstrators moved off peacefully, Najib said. Police stood by but did not intervene. Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of more than 30 Protestant and Orthodox denominations in the United States and works in more than 80 countries. It is headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana. Norwegian Church Aid, which is tied to Norway's Lutheran state church and receives financial support from the Norwegian government, operates in about 125 countries, providing longterm development and emergency response aid, according to its website. It said it has been working in Afghanistan since 1979. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ragnhild Imerslund said the ministry had scheduled a meeting yesterday between Norway's ambassador to Afghanistan and Afghanistan's minister of economic affairs to determine the nature of the allegations.—AP
"Our jet fighters carried out strikes after information that militants were present in these areas," said one security official, who declined to be identified. A government official, Nauman Khan, said 42 militants were killed and 18 wounded in the air assaults. A Taleban spokesman, Hafiz Saeed, confirmed the attacks but denied any casualties, saying the jet fighters only bombed abandoned houses. The military says several hundred Taleban fighters have been killed in Orakzai in recent weeks but there has been no independent confirmation of that. The Taleban usually dispute the army's accounts of engagements. Despite heavy losses, militants have been to able to hit back and have carried out a wave of bomb and gun attacks, killing hundreds of people across the country. Taleban militants killed between at least 84 people in attacks on worshippers from a minority religious group known as Ahmadis in two mosques of the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Friday. The Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims, but many in Pakistan, including the government, do not. In 1974, Pakistan became the only Muslim state to declare Ahmadis non-Muslims and prohibited the open practice of their faith. Nuclear-armed Pakistan joined the US-led campaign against militancy after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Pakistani action against militants along the Afghan border is seen as crucial for US efforts to stabilise Afghanistan.—Reuters
Warplanes attacked militant positions in three areas of the Orakzai region where government forces have intensified attacks in recent weeks after largely clearing Taleban strongholds in other areas.
LAHORE: Women members of a civil society light candles for the victims of Friday's militants attack, outside a mosque of Ahmadi sect, in Lahore, Pakistan on Sunday. —AP
Monsoon hits southern India NEW DELHI: India's monsoon, the annual downpour crucial to farmers and national economic growth, hit the southwestern coastal state of Kerala yesterday with hopes high for better rains than last year. "The monsoon has arrived and our forecast indicates that rainfall will be normal across the country this year," B K Bandyopadhyay, a senior official at the Indian Meteorological Department in New Delhi, told AFP.
The four-month monsoon season began one day ahead of its traditional start date of June 1, and will sweep across the country from the south and east to cover the country by mid-July and continue until September. Weather conditions are favorable for further advance of the rains during the next 24 hours, Bandyopadhyay said. The Indian government is hoping for a good monsoon to tame soaring food prices after last year's drought, the worst in 37
years, brought poor harvests and despair to farmers. The rains are key to rural areas, where two-thirds of the 1.2 billion population live. Despite its flagship IT and outsourcing sector, India's economy remains heavily dependent on agriculture. India is the world's second-biggest producer of rice, wheat and sugarcane. Summer crops, such as rice, sugar cane, cotton and oil seeds, are sown in July and harvested from October.—AFP
Afghan capital prepares for crunch peace meeting KABUL: Hundreds of community, political and religious leaders from across Afghanistan were arriving in Kabul yesterday for a crucial assembly, or "peace jirga" that could set the agenda for ending years of war. As security was tightened on the capital with the deployment of 12,000 personnel, a government spokesman said Wednesday and Thursday would be declared national holidays for the third "jirga" since the 2001 US-led invasion. The interior ministry said cordons had been set up around Kabul to prevent any infiltration by Taleban-led militants who have recently stepped up attacks. "Helicopters from the Afghan police, army and ISAF are patrolling Kabul," ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told AFP, referring to NATO's International Security Assistance Force. "Intelligence efforts have been boosted and a four-layer security cordon has been established," he said. The National Consultative Peace Jirga
aims to bring together leaders representing the country's complicated mix of ethnic, tribal, geographic and gender interests. It is due to take place over three days from Wednesday in a tent in Kabul's southwestern suburbs, providing a forum for discussing what steps President Hamid Karzai should take towards brokering a peace deal with the Taleban. Security firms reported road closures around the Kabul Polytechnic University, where delegates are being billeted after students were evicted so their dormitories could be renovated in time for the jirga. Organisers said more than half of an expected 1,600 delegates had already arrived in Kabul. The popular daily newspaper Eight AM said the cost of the jirga, at 160 million dollars, and the security measures broke down to 100,000 dollars and nine security personnel for each delegate. Around 300 of the delegates are women, a Western diplomat said, after Karzai bowed to pressure from his inter-
national backers to increase female representation at the jirga from a mere 20-25. Topping the agenda will be making peace with the Taleban, who have been fighting an insurgency since their five-year regime was toppled by a US-led invasion in late 2001. "The jirga will define a framework and a mechanism of how to pursue peace and who they will talk to in order to reach peace," said the European Union's ambassador to Afghanistan, Vygaudas Usackas. "It has the potential for great authority if it is well represented," he said of the jirga. "It is more about consensus and vision." He said he expected Karzai to act upon the jirga's recommendations so that progress could be shown at an international conference slated to take place in Kabul in late July. Organisers say Taleban leaders have not been invited to the jirga, but will not be turned away if they do show up. The jirga, twice delayed, has the support of Karzai's international backers,
notably the United States and Britain, who have made clear that their military commitment to supporting his government is not open-ended. NATO and the United States have 130,000 troops in Afghanistan battling the Taleban in a war in its ninth year. At least 223 NATO soldiers have been killed during the conflict so far this year and 50 in May alone. The latest NATO soldier to die was killed on Sunday in a Taleban-style bomb attack in southern Afghanistan. The number of foreign troops is set to rise to 150,000 in coming months as President Barack Obama's "surge" aimed at speeding an end to the war by neutralising the Taleban in their southern heartland reaches its denouement. Karzai promised in his inauguration speech last November, as he began his second five-year term as president, that the jirga would be a cornerstone of his efforts to bring an end to the war. He has said he will not negotiate with AlQaeda. — AFP
US troops in Afghanistan mark Memorial Day
KABUL: A US soldier observes a moment of silence during a ceremony marking Memorial Day at the main US base in Bagram, north of Kabul, Afghanistan yesterday. —AP
BAGRAM AIR FIELD: US soldiers serving in Afghanistan remembered friends and colleagues yesterday in solemn Memorial Day ceremonies to commemorate all of their nation's war dead. The nearly 9-year-old war raged on, meanwhile, with NATO forces launching airstrikes against Taleban insurgents who had forced government forces to abandon a district in Nuristan, an eastern province on the Pakistan border. NATO also said it killed one of the Taleban's top two commanders in the insurgent stronghold of Kandahar in a separate airstrike. At the sprawling Bagram Air Field, the largest US military base, about 400 soldiers in camouflage uniforms and brown combat boots stood at attention for a moment's silence as Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of some 94,000 US troops in the country, led the ceremony. A bugler played taps and a color guard displayed the US flag and the flags of units serving in eastern Afghanistan where the base is located, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Kabul. A steel construction beam from the World Trade Center destroyed in the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was unveiled, with the inscription "WTC 9 11 01". The beam was donated by citizens' group the Sons and Daughters of America of Breezy Point, a suburb in
Queens, New York, where 29 victims of the Sept. 11 attacks lived, according to a letter read out at the ceremony. McChrystal praised the soldiers for their sacrifice. "Today is about people. It is about the people we have lost and most importantly it's about the people who have been left behind," McChrystal said, referring to the families of those who have died. He later attended another ceremony at Camp Morehead, a smaller base for a commando unit. At Bagram, Maj. John Sherwood, 38, of San Antonio, said Memorial Day is more somber in Afghanistan than in the US, as people remember friends who died. "I think about a few people I knew, mostly back in Iraq," said Sherwood, of the 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg. Maj Sonya Powell, 42, of Cincinnati, said she thought of two people: her executive officer who was killed in an aircraft crash in October, and her 4-year-old son, who is waiting for her to come home. "It's very hard, but you don't dwell on it," said Powell, of the 401st Army Field Support Brigade. "You come here, you do your mission, and you pray." In the latest fighting yesterday, NATO aircraft pounded Taleban positions in Nuristan's Barge-Matal district after fighters , many of whom traveled from Pakistan, Afghan officials said , routed government forces there last week in a major assault. Taleban strength has grown in
Nuristan since US troops abandoned an outpost where eight American soldiers were killed in a fierce attack last October. NATO said an airstrike in Panjwai district on Sunday killed Haji Amir, who it called one of the Taleban's top two leaders in Kandahar province, where coalition troops are laying the groundwork for a major operation. Amir escaped from prison two years ago and had been directing Taleban attacks in Kandahar from Pakistan until April, when he returned to Afghanistan, NATO said. Taleban spokesman Qari Yousaf denied any militants had been killed by NATO forces in Panjwai in recent days, and said he had never heard of Haji Amir. NATO reported the death of another service member, taking a tally by The Associated Press to 50 for May , the deadliest month since February when American, NATO and Afghan forces seized the Taleban stronghold of Marjah in Helmand province. NATO did not identify the service member, but Britain's Defense Ministry said yesterday that one of its marines had been killed in an explosion in Helmand. May is already the deadliest month of 2010 for US troops, with 33 deaths, and also brought the grim milestone of America's 1,000th military death in the Afghan war since it began in 2001. McChrystal, who is also NATO commander in Afghanistan, said Sunday that while Iran , Afghanistan's western neigh-
bor , has generally assisted the Afghan government in fighting the insurgents, "there is clear evidence of Iranian activity , in some cases providing weaponry and training to the Taleban , that is inappropriate." He did not elaborate. Last month, McChrystal said indications were that Taleban were training in Iran, but not many and not in a way that suggested it was part of Iranian government policy. In Paktia province, a civilian contractor's helicopter crash-landed Sunday, killing one civilian on the ground and slightly injuring three crew members, NATO said, adding there were no reports of insurgent involvement. In the north, insurgents detonated a bomb Sunday as a police convoy passed, killing seven officers, local officials said. In nearby Kunduz, militants attacked a police checkpoint in Ali Abad district, triggering a gunbattle that killed three insurgents and wounded seven others, the Interior Ministry said. And eight Afghan police were wounded Sunday by a suicide bomber who struck a checkpoint on the outskirts of Khost City southeast of Kabul. The AP's casualty figures are based on Defense Department reports of deaths as a direct result of the Afghan conflict, including personnel assigned to units in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Uzbekistan. Non-US deaths are based on statements by governments with forces in the coalition.— AP
OPINION
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Hamas leader claims secret talks with US By David Hearst
T
he United States is sending a succession of envoys to engage with Hamas but lacks the bravery to talk to the Islamist movement openly, its leader, Khaled Meshal, said in an interview with the Guardian. Meshal praised President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia for meeting him in Damascus and the Syrian president, Bashar AlAssad, for hosting the discussion 10 days ago. He told Medvedev that the US was also talking to him. “I thanked him for that meeting and told him the Americans contact us, but are not brave enough to do so openly,” said Meshal. “I am confident that in the very near future, everyone will realise that they will have to deal with Hamas.” The claim that the US is engaging with a group it lists as a terrorist organisation will upset the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, whose security forces have locked up and allegedly tortured leading Hamas members in the West Bank. But four years into Israel’s blockade of Gaza, the revelation could be seen as a sign that cracks are opening up in the western consensus that Hamas should remain isolated. Russia is a member of the Middle East Quartet, which demands recognition of the state of Israel as a precondition to a seat at the negotiating table. Hamas says that recognising Israel was one of the Fatah leadership’s biggest mistakes, and resulted in 17 years of fruitless negotiation. Meshal predicted that the conditions, which he called a trap for the Quartet itself, would change. The Hamas leader claimed many western officials recognised that the blockade of Gaza had failed and the time had come to end it. Meshal said the tectonic plates in the Middle East were shifting, with Iran, Turkey and Syria emerging as regional powers. Egypt was in the throes of a battle for succession that would paralyse it as a regional player. As a result, Israel was losing its power to impose conditions on a weakened Palestinian leadership in Ramallah. As it felt its power ebbing, Israel needed a new war but was crippled by self-doubt, Meshal said. He claimed the attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006, and against Hamas in Gaza in 2009, left both organisations stronger politically and militarily. “Israel is conducting exercises threatening Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria. It needs a war, but choosing the front to fight on will not be a picnic and this reflects the crisis in Israel. It does not want peace, but the option of war is not easy for it,” he said. The Hamas leader added that Israel might be tempted to strike Gaza again. “A war in Gaza might appear the easy option. But that would be an illusion, not because we have adequate weapons, but because Israel this time would be fighting against a people with nothing to lose. Gaza is small in size but it has become a large symbol for the rest of the world. This has become very clear in
the last week.” Senior Hamas officials said they had conducted a study of their military tactics in Israel’s attack on Gaza in 2009 and were now working with rockets that could hit tanks effectively at longer range. Meshal said Barack Obama had made a brave speech in Cairo, but within months had retreated, with administration officials actively vetoing efforts to seek agreement between Fatah and Hamas on a national unity government. Citing senior Fatah sources, he claimed George Mitchell, the US negotiator, told the Palestinian Authority and Egypt that the US would cut off aid to the PA if it formed a national unity government with Hamas and the other militant Palestinian factions. “Palestinian reconciliation is not on the table at the moment, because the priority for America is to resume the proximity talks. Mahmoud Abbas is better for America’s purpose without reconciliation, because he is weak and a deal with Hamas would strengthen the Palestinian position in the negotiation. America prefers a weak Palestinian negotiating party, because it believes this is the best chance for a deal with an intransigent [Israeli prime minister Binyamin] Netanyahu.” Hamas claims that nine or 10 of the 22-member Arab League now either publicly or tacitly back its formula for a unity government, not least Saudi Arabia, a country still thought to be furious with Hamas about its takeover of Gaza in 2007, which tore up an agreement with Fatah. Meshal said that four days before the last Arab League summit in Sirte, Libya, the Saudi foreign minister, Saud Al-Faisal, took a one-page Hamas document to Egypt, containing its latest proposal. The document called for the creation of a Palestinian leadership representative of all factions, a high security council to reform the security forces of Gaza, and a committee to organise new elections. Palestinians outside the occupied territories would also take part in the vote. The Egyptians came back with three additions: that the new Palestinian unity government would recognise a two-state solution, the borders of 1967 and the Arab Peace Initiative. Meshal said that these demands were tantamount to a recognition of Israel. “What Mahmoud Abbas is seeking is to restore his authority over Gaza and to draw Hamas into an electoral process in conditions in which it would lose. Egypt’s position is a real obstacle, too. It raises the question what is reconciliation for, to exclude Hamas, or to bring it into the process to participate?” Nonetheless, Meshal said he would pursue negotiations, now being brokered by Libya. He rejected the claim that Hamas was on the sidelines of efforts to find peace in the Middle East, refusing to lay out its vision of solution. He said the Palestinians and Arabs were ready to accept a state within 1967 borders, with its capital in Jerusalem, and the return of its refugees, but that Israel was not prepared to pay the price. — Guardian
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US seeks to balance India's Afghanistan stake By Sue Pleming
T
he Obama administration is grappling with how to balance India's role in Afghanistan as arch-rival Pakistan also jostles for influence there ahead of Washington's planned troop withdrawal to start in mid-2011. US strategy in Afghanistan is set to be included on the agenda in US-India talks this week in Washington - with Delhi seeking clarity over rival Pakistan's role, particularly in reconciliation plans with the Taleban. The Obama administration has so far sent mixed signals over the kind of role it wants India to play in Afghanistan, leaving an impression at times, say experts, that Pakistan's strategic interests could have more weight. "I don't think this (US) administration or the previous one knows how to balance our legitimate interests in both Pakistan and India effectively," said Christine Fair, assistant professor at Georgetown University and a South Asia expert. While US diplomats have praised the $1.3 billion India has pumped into reconstruction work in Afghanistan since 2001, military commanders have voiced concern that muscle-flexing by India could provoke Pakistan and stir up regional tensions. "Increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan is likely to exacerbate regional tensions and encourage Pakistani countermeasures in Afghanistan or India," wrote US General Stanley McChrystal, who is in charge of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, in a leaked assessment of the war last September. The implication of McChrystal's view, said expert Lisa Curtis, was that India's approach was not viewed as helpful and Pakistan's strategic interests were more in play. "That sent the wrong signal," said Curtis. "The US should instead positively reinforce the political and economic activities of engagement by India (in Afghanistan)," added Curtis, who is with the Heritage Foundation. "The idea that we would somehow ask India ... to draw back from Afghanistan to pla-
cate Pakistan which is still harboring Afghan Taleban leadership is very short-sighted and frankly makes no strategic sense," said Curtis. Senior US officials strongly reject suggestions that Pakistani interests take preference in Afghanistan or that there has been a push to "go slow" in its ties with India. "I have never heard that," said one senior US official. "Our consistent line, both privately to the Indians and the Pakistanis, has been that we can have a positive relationship with both countries. In other words, the friend of my enemy is not my enemy in this case," added the official. Washington is juggling Pakistani complaints over India's activities, including building roads close to the border areas and reports of new diplomatic outposts, which Delhi denies. "My response to Pakistan's complaints about India is that you are free to do the same thing and to help Afghanistan rebuild," said the senior US official of Pakistani claims. India, for its part, says Pakistani claims are overblown and points to its own losses in Afghanistan, including an attack on one of its guest houses this year, as well as Pakistan harboring militants on its territory. One of Delhi's biggest concerns is the role Pakistan might play in reconciliation moves in Afghanistan, with fears any Afghan plan to broker a deal with the Taleban could undermine India's security and give Islamabad greater influence there. Pakistan, one of a handful of countries that recognized the Taleban regime before the US invasion in 2001, is seen as a key player in any plan for reconciliation. "From the Indian point of view, what is at stake here is they don't want the return of the Taleban," said Fair. James Dobbins, former US special envoy for Afghanistan, said the US needed to take a firm line with both countries over their activities in Afghanistan. "The US message to the Pakistanis must be to stop being so paranoid ... Its message to the Indians must be to stop provoking the Pakistanis," said Dobbins, who is with
the Rand Corporation. One area where he said the United States wanted to see improvement was in resolving Indian and Pakistani differences over the dis-
puted region of Kashmir, a conflict which overshadowed cooperation on Afghanistan. "The US believes that the prime difference between Pakistan and
India is not over Afghanistan but over Kashmir. As long as there is a divide over Kashmir, they will never agree on Afghanistan," said Dobbins. — Reuters
Pakistan plays long game A By Michael Georgy
n Afghan assembly touted by President Hamid Karzai as a homse-grown peace initiative is unlikely to produce a blueprint for reconciliation because the drafters do not include regional power Pakistan's Taleban clients. Heavyweights such as Pakistan's key militant asset, the Haqqani group, are not attending the June 2-4 "jirga", although Taleban sympathisers may take part. Islamabad sees the powerful anti-American network as leverage against the influence of rival India in Afghanistan, and is unlikely to help broker peace as long as leader Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son Sarajuddin are excluded from the process. Islamabad is playing the long game, hoping to persuade both Karzai and the White House that peace will not be possible without the participation of the Al-Qaeda-backed Haqqani network, the most potent force in Afghanistan, analysts say. "Pakistan is hedging its bets that sooner or later 'if we can hold out on the Haqqani factor', the US will be ready to include the Haqqani faction on the peace train," said Simbal Khan, Director of Eurasian Studies at Pakistan's Institute of Strategic Studies. But there is little chance the White House will change its position anytime soon and it would prefer to see the Haqqanis dead. The US is pushing Islamabad to dismantle Haqqani's network in Pakistan's North Waziristan, but Islamabad is resisting because members of its powerful security establishment says that could trigger a full-scale tribal revolt that would be catastrophic for the country. A history of ties and influence may not translate into control of Haqqani's seasoned fighters, who could easily turn on Pakistan's forces, and call on extra support from thousands of Pashtun tribesmen along the forbidding border with Afghanistan. Government troops are already exhausted from drawn-out efforts to contain home-grown Taleban, and can illafford to open another front. "The Pakistanis are very pragmatically aware that it would be a difficult task for (the Pakistani military)," said Khan. "We would have to take them on for 15 to 20 years." Although getting Haqqani's name on a peace settlement would officially remove one of the biggest threat to US troops and stability in Afghanistan, the militant leader's history suggests he would be a highly unpredictable participant. He has a track record of lining up with whoever can fund or support him.
He was believed to have received money and arms from the CIA when he was fighting Soviet troops in Afghanistan. Then Haqqani pledged his support for the Taleban, while maintaining his own fiefdoms in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and ties to Pakistani intelligence. So he could be a spoiler in any peace process. Kamran Bokhari, Middle East and South Asia director at Stratfor global intelligence firm, says that despite Haqqani's past, Washington must abandon its notion that talking with his network would be like "doing business with the devil". "That's the kind of thing that prevents any movement and it's frustrating the Pakistanis and they know it's an uphill path," he said. Out of all the militant groups in Afghanistan, Haqqani is Islamabad's best bet for continuing influence in future. Pakistan forged close ties with Afghan militants, or mujahideen, when they fought Soviet occupiers in the 1980s, but the internecine fighting that followed Moscow's defeat fractured many resistance groups. The triumph of the Taleban, their subsequent ouster by USbacked Afghan forces and a renewed insurgency caused further fragmentation and realignment of loyalties. That's why Pakistan will keep pushing Washington to give Haqqani - with whom ties have remained fairly steady - a chance. While Islambad believes only wide political reconciliation that includes the US' Taleban enemies can bring peace, Washington is pursuing an entirely different strategy. It aims to undermine the Taleban by offering foot soldiers economic incentives to lay down their arms, while pursuing leaders to kill or capture them. The US hopes that strategy will start stabilisng Afghanistan before a gradual troop withdrawal next year. Karzai, hoping to regain credibility after corruption charges tarnished his reputation, has put forward a proposal offering insurgent leaders exile in third countries in an effort to end the war. Analysts say this strategy could backfire - and unless Western forces turn the tide on the battlefield, the Taleban will be in a position of strength and will see no need to negotiate. "By placing Taleban in exile, all you do is give them the opportunity to plan their return and continue to help, at a minimum, plan disruptions, and at worst, plan the overthrow of the government," said Lt Col Tony Shaffer, a former US intelligence officer in Afghanistan now at the Center for Advanced Defence Studies in Washington. "The process must be inclusive of all." Pakistan's trump card is that it is in no rush - and influential enough that any deal without it is unlikely to stick. — Reuters
Iraq's Shiite powers haggle over powers of PM By Suadad al-Salhy
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raq's two main Shiite political blocs agreed to unite weeks ago but the merger is hung up on disagreements about how to choose a prime minister and ways to limit his power, officials with the two coalitions said. Sorting out the disputes may further delay a new government after an inconclusive parliamentary election nearly three months ago, deepening a power vacuum that has opened a door to insurgents determined to attack Iraq's nascent democracy. State of Law, headed by Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, and the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), a bloc whose leaders have close ties to Iran, said on May 4 they would join to form a single bloc in parliament. But the two sides have had contentious talks on mechanisms to choose their candidate for prime minister, effective guarantees to put the brakes on his authority and the formulation of a detailed government program, officials said. Many of the proposals made by INA are aimed at weakening the powers of the next PM to preclude a lapse into dictatorship seven years after a US-led invasion ousted Saddam Hussein, who ruled Iraq from 1979 to 2003. Maliki, who rose from obscurity as a compromise candidate after elections in 2005, wants the job back. He is vigorously opposed by a key component
of INA, the Sadrist political movement of anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada AlSadr, whose Mehdi Army militia was crushed by government forces dispatched by Maliki in 2008. State of Law officials say rivals are using the fear of unilateral decision-mak-
ing and dictatorship as excuses to illegally weaken the premier by limiting his power over security and finance and by trying to politicise the security forces. "They say that they want to turn the prime minister into a traffic cop, not a decision maker," said Haider Al-Ebadi, a senior member of
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki announces the death of top Al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq in this April 19, 2010 file photo. – MCT
State of Law and Maliki's Dawa Party. "This is a fatal error against Iraq." Maliki's State of Law coalition took second place in the March 7 election with 89 seats in the new 325-seat parliament. INA placed third with 70 and Kurdish blocs won about 58. Together INA and State of Law would have close to the 163 seats needed to form a government. In addition to the Sadrists, INA includes the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (ISCI), a former Maliki ally that parted company with Dawa before the March election. One of the most controversial power-sharing proposals from Maliki's rivals in INA is to appoint three deputy prime ministers, each from a different faction and each in charge of one of three major portfolios - security, finance and services. Another proposal would see the formation of a high-level security committee that includes representatives from each of the blocs with full authority over security. "The goal is to transform the theory of the division of power to reality on the ground," said a senior INA leader who asked not to be named. Ibrahim Al-Sumaidaie, an Iraqi analyst, said Maliki's desire to hold his job could lead to a dangerous sharing of power. "Division of control over the security file means Iraq will slide into disaster, especially when the American troops complete their withdrawal by 2011," Sumaidaie
said. "Maliki is ready to satisfy ISCI, Sadrists and Kurdish and give them what they want until he finds himself without anything to control." The disputes among Shiite blocs that have already agreed to merge may indicate weeks of tough talks ahead before Iraq has a new government after an election Iraqis hoped would stabilise their nation following years of sectarian warfare. Nearly 12 weeks after the vote, the final results have yet to be certified. The resulting power vacuum threatens Iraq's fragile security as US troops prepare to leave. Former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, whose cross-sectarian Iraqiya coalition, with strong support from Sunnis, won two more seats than Maliki's State of Law, has warned that any attempt by the united Shiite blocs to exclude his alliance from government could result in renewed sectarian bloodshed. The fight over the premiership will escalate once Iraq's Supreme Court certifies the election results, said Joost Hiltermann, an analyst with International Crisis Group. "This struggle could go on for some time, and Iraqi politicians will have to take care not to allow spoiler groups to exploit the power vacuum with violent attacks that could unsettle the process and trigger mutual recriminations and violence within the political class," he said. — Reuters
ANALYSIS
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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Israel-Turkey ties at breaking point after raid By Sibel Utku Bila
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srael's assault on an aid convoy sailing to Gaza has pushed already strained relations with Turkey to breaking point, with trade, tourism and defence ties all likely to suffer, analysts said yesterday. "The repurcussions will be at a scale that will not be possible to repair in a short time ... Turkish-Israeli ties are at a breaking point," Sinan Ogan from the TURKSAM think-tank wrote in an online article. Turkey, once Israel's main regional ally, recalled its envoy from Tel Aviv, scrapped joint military drills and called an emergency meeting at the UN Security Council after the deadly assault on the flotilla of six ships, including three from Turkey. Ties between NATO's sole mainly Muslim member and the Jewish state had already been damaged amid vehement Turkish criticism of Israel's devastating war on Gaza last year and Ankara's improving ties with Iran. Some Turkish analysts interpreted the assault as a deliberate warning from the Israeli government towards Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist-rooted administration. Sedat Laciner, head of the USAK think-tank, also argued the Israeli raid on the flotilla, including its lead ship, the Turkish Mavi Marmara, was "a deliberate act of revenge against Turkey over its attitude on Gaza and Iran." Many of the dead were Turks, according to activists involved in the campaign to break the blockade of Gaza and deliver supplies to its impoverished people. "Israel has a professional army. It could have intervened without causing casualties if it wanted. It preferred to act in this way," Ogan said. Foreign policy analyst Sedat Ergin said
Protesters burn an Israeli flag during a demonstration at Taksim square in Istanbul yesterday. – AP Erdogan's government had prompted "a questioning of Israel's security paradigm" with its vocal criticism of the war on Gaza and improving ties with Iran and Syria. "Israel has come to perceive Turkey as a threat... I don't see how
relations can be put back on track," he said on NTV television. Erdogan has defended Iran's nuclear programme and on May 17, together with Brazil's president, brokered a nuclear swap deal with Tehran to avert
fresh UN sanctions on the Islamic republic. In a memorable outburst, Erdogan stormed out of a debate at the World Economic Forum last year, accusing Israel of "barbarian" acts in Gaza and telling President Shimon
Peres, sitting next to him, that "you know well how to kill people." Sentiment in Ankara was further inflamed in January when the Turkish ambassador was given a public dressing down by Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon who made him sit on a low couch in a meeting called to protest a television series deemed to be offensive to the Jewish state. The Israeli commentator Amos Harel, writing in the Tel Aviv-based Haaretz daily, said the envoy's humiliation "now looks like small change". "Even before then, relations with Turkey had deteriorated over Israel's Operation Cast Lead in Gaza and the generally anti-Israeli stance taken by Turkey's moderately Islamist government. The new crisis is likely to lead to a total break in ties," he wrote in the liberal daily. Tens of thousands gathered to protest in Istanbul in the aftermath of the assault, with the crowds chanting "Damn Israel!" and "A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, revenge, revenge!". Turkey has long been a favourite destination for Israeli tourists but Ogan predicted holidaymakers would now stay away. "Israeli tourists will not come this year or maybe they will not be allowed into Turkey," he said. "Economic ties will plunge to a minimum level and defence industry tenders will very probably be cancelled." Israeli companies have been among the main recepients of lucrative tenders to equip the Turkish army. Military ties, involving also a series of joint exercises, was the driving force behind the Turkish-Israeli alliance, which was sealed in 1996 with the signing of a military cooperation accord. — AFP
Clash at sea is Hamas lifeline, peace millstone By Dan Williams
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srael's storming of an aid flotilla bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip yesterday is likely to increase pressure on the Jewish state to ease its siege, throwing a lifeline to Islamist Hamas which controls the territory. The violence of the naval interdiction deepened doubt about the future of indirect, USsponsored peace talks with the Palestinians that began three weeks ago. With at least 10 activists killed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could face a backlash of unprecedented proportions: the "Free Gaza" convoy included volunteers from regional powerbroker Turkey and other foreigners. There could also be trouble closer to home, where a restive Israeli Arab minority awaited word of the fate of one of its clerics, Sheikh Raed Salah, who was reported among casualties. For Israel, storming the ships after they ignored warnings to turn back was part of a strategy of isolating Hamas in its Gaza fiefdom in the hope of tilting Palestinian sympathies toward Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas. But Abbas' credibility has been undermined by Israeli settlement of the occupied West Bank, another territory where Palestinians want statehood, and he can ill afford to stand by as outsiders bleed on behalf of Gaza's 1.5 million Palestinians. Similarly challenged will be US President Barack Obama, who plans to host Netanyahu in the White House today. Those talks have been cast as a chance to mend testy bilateral ties but Obama, whose administration had urged Israel to ease the Gaza embargo, will be hard put to avoid comment on the flotilla. Oussama Safa of the Lebanese Centre for Policy Studies predicted Obama might "ante up the pressure against the Israelis" to accommodate Abbas, who branded the deaths a "massacre" and called for three
days of Palestinian mourning. Hamas, which has largely fallen from world headlines since its war with Israel some 18 months ago, welcomed what it described as a win-win situation from the standoff at sea. Hamas government head Ismail Haniyeh said of the activists: "You were heroes, whether you reached (Gaza) or not." Another delay in peace negotiations that have been stop-start for almost two decades would hold little real drama. Abbas, with his truncated West Bank mandate, is too beholden to Israel and the United States to close the door on rapprochement. But the possibility of a fissure with Turkey - long Israel's most important Muslim ally but whose proIslamist premier, Tayyip Erdogan, has chafed at the alliance - could deepen Israel's own isolation even as it tries to persuade wavering Arab countries that Iran is the main regional threat. Yesterday's bloodshed overshadowed a fence-mending visit by Israeli cabinet minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer to Qatar, among Gulf states that had frozen ties with Israel over its crackdowns against a Palestinian uprising that erupted a decade ago. As then, hard questions will be asked about the wisdom of using the military - in this case, battle-hardened naval commandos - for what was essentially a policing operation. Israeli officials insisted their troops acted in selfdefence. "I see all the looks that I'm getting. The images (of the naval takeover) are certainly not pleasant," Ben-Eliezer told Israel's Army Radio by telephone. Nahman Shai, a former Israeli military spokesman turned opposition lawmaker, likened the confrontation to the police killing of a dozen Arab citizens who demonstrated and rioted in solidarity with the Palestinians in late 2000. "The difference is that this time foreigners are involved, which means a much wider impact," Shai told Israel Radio. — Reuters
Spain govt struggling in crisis By Harold Heckle
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pain's Socialist government is seeing its political power erode as it struggles to chart a path out of deep financial trouble - and far more problems lie ahead as Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero seeks to reform the country's labor market. That move risks national strikes and the loss of support from trade unions, a core source of support for Zapatero's center-left party. His minority government is already running into serious trouble, failing so far to satisfy conflicting demands to cut its budget and to create more jobs, although there appears to be no immediate threat of it falling. A package of austerity measures passed by only one vote in parliament's lower chamber Thursday and the Fitch Ratings agency downgraded Spanish debt on Friday. Opposition parties have called for new elections. A poll published Saturday in the northeastern newspaper Periodico de Catalunya said the conservative opposition Popular Party would win up to 42 more seats than the Socialists in the 350 member parliament - coming close to an overall majority - if elections were held now. The austerity package aims to cut spending by Ä15 billion ($18.4 billion) over two years by freezing pensions and cutting civil servants' wages. But investors and lenders such as the International Monetary Fund are demanding that Spain reform its labor market, overhauling hiring and firing rules and moving to find jobs for the long-term unemployed and the young. The government plans to begin negotiating with unions and hopes to arrive at an agreement about the changes by the end of May. Union leaders have said if the government implements labor reforms without union approval, they will call for a general strike that could paralyze the country and cause deep unease in global markets. The conservative newspaper El Mundo, which supports the opposition, said Saturday that Zapatero's government was trapped, caught between its growing unpopularity and the financial realities that have forced it to back politically unappealing austerity measures. "The government is cor-
nered," the paper wrote. After winning a second term in the 2008 election, Zapatero insisted on trying to keep the economy ticking through stimulus packages, but the depth of the international recession dragged Spain into eight consecutive months of recession. Europe's top job creator only two years ago, Spain now has the highest unemployment rate - just over 20 percent of the 16 nations that share the euro currency. In late April, credit agency Standard & Poor's lowered Spain's rating by one notch to AA, citing fears that the government would find it hard to reduce a deficit that totaled 11.2 percent of GDP last year. The resulting austerity package, nicknamed the "scissors action" by Spanish media, was welcomed by the European Union and the IMF, which said Spain's "ambitious fiscal consolidation is under way to reach the three percent GDP deficit target by 2013." The cuts were heavily criticized at home as a major about-turn in the Socialists' plans to stimulate the economy with targeted public spending, with the General Workers union labeling them as "unjust, wrong and sterile." Apart from the deficit, Spain's overriding concern is unemployment following the virtual collapse of its once-buoyant construction sector. Unemployment has risen from 1.76 million in the second quarter of 2007 to 4.6 million in the first quarter of 2010, with more than 40 percent of Spain's available under-25s unemployed. The IMF, saying "the labor market is not working," asked for a "radical overhaul" including lowering severance payments, boosting wage flexibility and altering the collective bargaining system. The Fitch Ratings agency interpreted the cuts approved Thursday as likely to slow economic growth and job creation and also reduced Spain's credit rating to AA. The government on Friday then recalculated its GDP forecasts and said while growth would remain at minus 0.3 percent in 2010, it would only reach 1.3 percent in 2011 instead of the 1.8 percent previously expected. It also revised growth figures downward for 2012 and 2013. "The adjustment will weigh down job creation and the rhythm of growth," said the normally supportive center-left El Pais newspaper. — Reuters
Italy union split offers Berlusconi brief respite By Gavin Jones and Deepa Babington
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ivisions among Italy's trade unions will make it easier for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to push through an unpopular 24 billion austerity budget, but the package is set to cost him politically in the long run. Italy's largest union, the left-wing CGIL, blasted the "unfair" budget for targeting workers rather than the rich and plans a national strike, but the other two big unions - CISL and UIL - have surprisingly refused to join the protest. The union divisions will allow Italy to escape the kind of social unrest seen in Greece, analysts say, but won't spare Berlusconi's approval ratings already on the slide even before the budget - from taking another hit. "This whole thing hits at the heart of the Berlusconian spirit," said pollster Luigi Crespi. "For two years Berlusconi has based his rapport with Italians on the principle of optimism and hope, and this sudden change will be good for Italy but not for Berlusconi's ratings." For now Raffaele Bonanni, the head of No. 2 union CISL, has come to Berlusconi's rescue by mixing muted criticism of the budget for being too timid in
Italian Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi delivers a speech during 100th anniversary Congress of the Confindustria (employers group association) on May 27, 2010 in Rome.— AFP cutting Italy's bloated political apparatus with praise of its measures to combat tax evasion. CGIL leader Guglielmo Epifani told Reuters he was "amazed" by the soft line of the CISL, which is heavily represented among state sector workers that are most affected by the cuts.
"All around Europe the unions strike together, and it's strange that we in Italy have the most unfair budget and two unions that support it," Epifani said. Sociology professor and newspaper columnist Luca Ricolfi pinned CISL's unlikely stance to its leaders' efforts to
collaborate with the government ever since it took office, but warned its members now may resent the conciliatory line. "The CISL presents itself as a union of dialogue and reason, partly to differentiate itself from the CGIL, but I think at the grass roots level there will be
discontent and the CISL will also have to organise some protests in the end," he said. Still, any demonstrations it organises are likely to be fragmented and undermined by its leaders' sceptical stance. CGIL has almost 6 million members, over half of whom are pensioners, compared with 4.5 million for the CISL and 2.2 million for the UIL. A poll last week by the ISPO agency showed only 35 percent of Italians thought the government had performed well, down from 50 percent a year ago. Berlusconi's personal ratings are higher, but also fell in the run-up to the budget. A recent IPR poll showed only 41 percent felt he was doing an adequate or very good job. Even sections of the population where Berlusconi traditionally draws his support - like businessmen and non-unionised workers - appear disorientated. "It's awful, I don't have any confidence in the budget and none at all in Berlusconi," said businessman Valerio Zanetti in a Rome cafe, while waiter Alessandro La Bella said Berlusconi was now "doing everything he accused the last government of". The militant CGIL's famously efficient organisation should ensure an impressive turnout at
protests on June 12 and its national strike two weeks later, but analysts say Berlusconi will be much more worried by the disaffection of his own voters. Ricolfi said the premier's decline now appeared inevitable despite the ineffectiveness of the centre-left opposition, though he acknowledged the 73 year-old media tycoon had proved many times that he can never be completely written off. "I don't think Berlusconi will last more than 18 months unless he pulls something new out of the hat," he said. An ISPO poll on Sunday showed 69 percent of Italians accept the austerity budget as quite or very necessary, but Ricolfi said this was not a positive signal in itself. An informal poll by the Sky TG24 news channel showed 84 percent of Italians felt additional sacrifices would be needed down the line. "The average Italian accepts that we have to make sacrifices, but only to avoid the worst. There is no sense that they will improve their situation," Ricolfi said. "Unlike in the past, for example when Italy was battling to join monetary union, now they don't think that thanks to these sacrifices things will get better in the future." — AFP
focus
Pakistani militant groups are uniting By Zeeshan Haider
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akistani militant groups are increasingly supporting each other and penetrating into the country's heartland, threatening not only Pakistan but the region. The Pakistan Taleban who attacked two Ahmadi mosques in Lahore on Friday trained in the militant stronghold of North Waziristan and arrived in the city a week before the assaults. "They have links with Tehrik-e-Taleban Pakistan (TTP) and the arrested attacker told us that his brother is working with the group in Miran Shah," said Akram Naeem Bharoka, a police spokesman in Lahore. Miran Shah is the main town of North Waziristan, a rugged land which has been a traditional rebel hideout, and considered a stronghold for TTP militants. Ties like these between the Pakistan Taleban and Punjab groups and organisations are worrying to Pakistan and its ally, the United States. The mosque attacks in Lahore, capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, killed between 80 and 95 people and wounded more than 100. It was the worst attack on the Ahmadi minority group in Pakistan's 63-year history. The Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims, but many in Pakistan, including the government, do not. In 1974, Pakistan became the only Muslim state to declare Ahmadis non-Muslims and prohibited the open practice of their faith. Mohammad Umer, a Tehrik-e-Taleban Pakistan spokesman, told the daily newspaper, The News, that the attacks had been carried out by their agents in eastern Punjab Pakistan's heartland and center of economic and political power. Such links reflect those found in the failed Times Square bombing, in which the main suspect, Faisal Shahzad, said he contacted members of Jaish-e-Mohammad, a Punjabi group, who delivered him to the TTP in the northwest. The United States is now pushing Pakistan to go into North Waziristan, where it has run its own campaign of drone strikes that have killed hundreds of lowlevel fighters. That's going to be a hard sell, as Pakistan has no
wish to attack North Waziristan right now. But the Shahzad case and now Lahore show that the notorious militant sanctuary near the Afghan border is fast becoming a major threat for Pakistan itself. A land of high and difficult hills with deep and rugged valleys suitable for guerrilla warfare, North Waziristan has served as a safe haven for Islamist militants since the 1980s, when Pakistan acted as a frontline state in the US-backed jihad, or holy war, against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The ethnic Pashtun tribal lands, particularly North and South Waziristan, became a hub of Islamist militants after Al-Qaeda and Taleban operatives, fleeing a US-led offensive in Afghanistan following the Sept 11 attacks in 2001, took refuge there and forged ties with Pakistani militants. But the area has since turned into a hub for a wide variety of militant groups. The militants operating from North Waziristan can roughly be divided into four categories: • Al-Qaeda linked militants, including Arabs, Uzbeks, Chechens and Chinese Muslims who have focused their fighting in their native countries as well as in the West • Afghan Taleban, led by militant commander Jalaluddin Haqqani, who are fighting Western forces in Afghanistan • Pakistani Taleban fighting the Pakistani state • "Punjabi Taleban" suspected of fuelling militancy in central Pakistan These militant groups apparently pursue independent agendas, but cooperate if they share objectives, security officials say. "These groups are inter-linked. Sometimes they will collaborate directly. Sometimes they will provide logistical support and sometimes they will have just an understanding," a security official said. Suspected links between Times Square suspect Shahzad and militants in the northwest have seen the United States add pressure on Pakistan to take concrete steps to tackle the mounting threat from North Waziristan. — Reuters
Obama's priority? More than oil mess By Ben Feller
US
President Barack Obama keeps reassuring America that stopping the Gulf oil spill and limiting the fallout on the region are his top priority. Yet so is protecting the country against attack. And getting people back to work. Presidencies usually don't allow for a dominant priority - just a list of priorities. During another hectic week, Obama made this promise: "This entire White House and this entire federal government has been singularly focused on how do we stop the leak and how do we prevent and mitigate the damage to our coastlines." From the Gulf Coast on Friday, he said making the people and the ecosystems whole again "is our highest priority." It was not just a policy statement but a communications imperative. Obama had to show that he's in charge of making it end. BP bears responsibility for the crisis. Obama now owns it. BP's latest effort to stop the flow by plugging the well with mud and cement was determined Saturday to have failed. Yet what's next for the president will not be a single focus on the Gulf. His agenda ahead will be what it was: a juggle of priorities. Others will not wait while oil washes ashore in Louisiana. "Clearly, people around here would like this crisis to recalculate his agenda," said Brian Brox, a political science professor at Tulane University in New Orleans. "They see this as nearly an existential crisis, the way the aftermath of Katrina was. I think on the national level, however, this will probably be one of those multiple balls that (Obama) has up in the air." And what's he juggling? • The Koreas could be edging to war. The South accuses the North of sinking one of its warships. • The terror threat isn't going away, as seen by the failed
car bombing in New York City this month. • A international standoff with Iran over its nuclear program is hardening. • The economic recovery doesn't feel like much of one to the millions who are jobless. • A sweeping overhaul of financial regulation hangs in the balance. The White House hopes Congress can finish it by July. • The president needs Republican support of two big initiatives, energy and immigration, but has little to show so far. • Senators begin hearings in late June on his nominee for the Supreme Court, Elena Kagan. • Fall elections are nearing, with Democrats facing losses and in need of campaign help from Obama. Politics never stop, of course. Just as Obama finished his Gulf tour Friday, the White House found itself off balance because of an embarrassing admission: It had proposed a political deal, in the form of unpaid job offer, to Democratic Rep Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, to get him to back off from his primary challenge to Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter. Sestak said no, stayed in the race and beat Specter. Like presidents before him, Obama is having to work through unforeseen problems: offshore drilling and an environmental disaster, mine safety, the earthquake in Haiti, piracy off the Somali coast. "One of the things you learn as president is because you've got this title, and you know, there's the plane and the helicopter and all that stuff, that people expect you to solve problems," Obama said Tuesday at a political fundraiser, yet another part of his job. "And when things go wrong, they're definitely going to blame you. If things go right, occasionally you might get the credit." Obama's ability to calmly handle many competing issues simultaneously is viewed as one of his strengths. — AP
NEWS
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
World shocked, outraged at raid Continued from Page 1
(Clockwise from top) Demonstrators protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington yesterday; A woman shouts anti-Israeli slogans as she carries a picture of cleric Raed Salah, leader of a branch of Israel’s Islamic Movement, who media reports said was wounded in the Israeli raid in front of the UN house in Beirut; Activists of the Palestinian Foundation Pakistan burn US and Israeli national flags during a protest against Israel in Karachi. — AP/AFP
Back home, questions were asked about how an operation that aimed to avoid bloodshed had gone so badly and publicly wrong. The White House meeting had seemed intended to soothe ties with Obama, which have been strained by differences over Jewish settlement construction that delayed the recent revival of peace talks with the Palestinians. But Obama must also balance support for Israel, which is popular with American voters, with understanding for an angry Turkey and other Muslim US allies. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said: “What Israel has committed on board the Freedom Flotilla was a massacre.” Even after the vessels were escorted into Israel’s Ashdod port, accounts of the predawn operation some 120 km out in the Mediterranean were sketchy and limited to those from the Israeli side. Activists were held incommunicado, though Israeli officials said most would be free to go in due course. Military nightvision video showed commandos being winched down, only to be surrounded. Some Israeli commentators asked why commanders put troops into a position where they were cornered. An Israeli minister admitted plans to maintain the blockade on Hamas while avoiding an international incident had backfired in spectacular fashion. “It’s going to be a big scandal, no doubt about it,” Trade Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said. One marine told reporters his squad went in with anti-riot paintball guns but, fearing for their lives, resorted to using normal pistols or leapt overboard. In military footage, a commando fired a paintball at a man who seemed to be clubbing an Israeli. Other video showed a commando fire a pistol, two-handed. “We were prepared to face human rights activists and we found people who came for war,” the marine told reporters. A reporter with the pan-Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera, who was sailing on the Turkish ship leading the flotilla, said the Israelis fired at the vessel before boarding it, wounding the captain. “These savages are killing people here, please help,” a Turkish television reporter said. The broadcast ended with a voice shouting in Hebrew, “Everybody shut up!” At Barzilai hospital in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, a few activists trickled in under military escort. “They hit me,” said a Greek man, whose right arm was in a sling, calling the Israelis “pirates”. He did not give his name and later was escorted away with a neck brace.
Israeli military officials said nine activists died on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish cruise ship carrying nearly 600 people. Most of the dead were Turks, one senior Israeli officer said. Military officials said some activists had snatched pistols from the boarding party, which responded to gunfire. Seven troops and 20 protesters were injured, the military said. Some officials had earlier put the death toll at 10 or even higher. The bloodshed sparked street protests and government ire in Turkey, long Israel’s lone Muslim ally in the region. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, whose Islamist views and outreach to Iran and other Israeli enemies are blamed by many in Israel for souring relations, said before cutting short a trip to Chile: “This action, totally contrary to the principles of international law, is inhumane state terrorism. I’d like to address those who supported this operation: You support bloodshed and we support peace, humanity and law.” Ankara also cancelled joint military exercises and recalled its ambassador. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said there were up to 400 Turks among nearly 600 people aboard the Mavi Maramara, the Turkish cruise vessel where the firing broke out. After chairing an emergency ministerial meeting in place of the absent Erdogan, Arinc said in a televised speech: “We condemn Israel’s attack at the highest level.” Armed Forces Chief General Ilker Basbug, who also rushed home from an official visit to Egypt, spoke to his Israeli counterpart and said the use of military power in the incident was unacceptable. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who was on his way to Washington from Latin America, was reported to have spoken on the telephone with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. President Abdullah Gul said Turkey was demanding that Israel “swiftly carry out all necessary inquiries on the issue and punish those responsible”. Israeli ambassador Gabby Levy was summoned to the foreign ministry as thousands took to the streets to protest the assault that came atop already deteriorating ties between the two former allies. Turkey asked for a detailed report on the fate of all people who were aboard the vessels, a Turkish diplomat told AFP, adding that they included nationals from 33 countries. Levy was also told that the Turkish passengers and the wounded should be repatriated to Turkey in the shortest possible time and the vessels released, he said. Turkish police were put on high alert
Falk, called for a worldwide boycott and sanctions against Israel for its “murderous behaviour”. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference, a pan-Islamic group, called on Israel to release all the boats and arrested activists and take action against those responsible for the raid. Pakistan also “strongly condemned” the attack on a “peaceful flotilla,” as politicians, lawmakers and journalists protested in Islamabad against Israel. And Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, said “there was no basis” for Israel’s assault. In Europe, condemnation was equally swift, with the European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton demanding Israel mount a “full inquiry.” Protests involving hundreds of people erupted in Britain and France. Spain - the current European Union president - France, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria summoned Israel’s respective ambassadors, with Madrid slamming the operation as “unacceptable”. France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Israel of a “disproportionate use of force” while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had telephoned the leaders of both Israel and Turkey to express her “deep concern”, Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini “deplored” the loss of civilian life and Russia also condemned a “crude violation” of international law. British Foreign Secretary William Hague deplored the loss of life, saying Israel must “act with restraint”- but also said London had warned of the risks of defying the Gaza blockade. Hundreds of Bosnians marched through Sarajevo, brandishing Palestinian flags. “We wanted to raise our voice to denounce a new attempt at genocide in modern times,” one of the organisers, Edvin Cudic, told Srna news agency. Around 200 people demonstrated outside the UN’s European headquarters in Geneva demanding an inquiry into the raid, while in the Netherlands 400 rallied outside the Israeli embassy in The Hague. Police used teargas in Paris when about 2,000 people demonstrated near the Israeli embassy, hurling stones, waving Palestinian and Turkish flags and brandishing banners saying “Long live free Palestine” and “Criminal Israel”. Small, peaceful antiIsrael demonstrations were held in Rome and other Italian cities. “The Italian government needs to immediately call back its ambassador from Israel as other countries in Europe have done,” said Paolo Cento, a leftwing politician among the demonstrators. “This is extremely serious and has no precedent whatsoever in the history of international diplomacy.” Swedish police said more than 5,000 protesters marched from a central Stockholm square towards the Israeli embassy, carrying banners and shouting slogans. Chanting “Boycott Israel”, they held banners saying “Free Gaza”, “Put Israel on Trial, “Israel to The Hague” and “Gaza Bleeds.” In Athens, some 3,500 protesters rallied outside the Israeli embassy, chanting “Hands off Gaza” and “Free Palestine”. Several hundreds clashed with police, throwing chunks of marble, stones and bottles. Police fired teargas to disperse them. “Demonstrators set barricades on fire, police chased them, there were a lot of stones and teargas and a few people had blood on their heads,” a Reuters witness said, adding he saw four people injured. Police said they detained five protesters. — Agencies
Kuwait slams Israel’s ‘criminal’ raid
Massacre on high seas Continued from Page 1
Recep Tayyip Erdogan describing the raid as “inhuman state terror” and calling an emergency NATO meeting in Brussels. Turkey also scrapped joint war games and recalled its ambassador. Washington, Israel’s closest ally, expressed deep regret over the loss of life while US President Barack Obama told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu it was important to find out “all the facts” as soon as possible. NATO said it was “deeply concerned about the loss of life”. The Vatican voiced “deep sadness and concern” and Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair expressed his “deep regret and shock”. Arab countries slammed Israel’s deadly raid yesterday as a “crime” and “state terrorism” while they urged the United Nations to hold the Jewish state accountable. “We condemn this crime, taken against a humanitarian mission and people. They were trying to help people. They were not on a military mission. Everyone should condemn this,” Arab League chief Amr Moussa told AFP. Moussa warned that the Israeli action meant “everything” was now left “hanging in the air,” including US-brokered proximity talks that only started on May 9 between the Jewish state and the Palestinians. “This is another message, a very powerful message, that Israel does not want peace, is not ready to enter into peace,” Moussa said on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum summit in the Qatari capital. “Lifting the siege (on Gaza) should be part of any confidence-building measures, any preparation for a successful round of proximity talks,” he added. Moussa said he had called a meeting of the Arab League council to be held today to discuss the attack. “We are all very angry,” he said. “Tomorrow, there will be a collective position taken.” Greece, which had dozens of nationals in the convoy, also pulled out of joint military exercises with Israel as an aid group claimed that commandos in helicopters had fired on a Greek vessel. Israel, which has blockaded Gaza since its bitter foe Hamas was elected to power three years ago, said its troops were attacked after they stormed six ships and that both sides used live fire. Muslim leaders united in condemning what Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas called a “massacre” and Arab League chief Amr Moussa said was a “crime”. The Islamist movement Hamas which rules Gaza urged world Muslims to “rise up” in protest, as Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the raid as “inhuman Zionist regime action.” Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak slammed the use of “excessive and unjustified force” in the raid, while the foreign ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to express its condemnation. Jordan, the only other Arab country along with Egypt to have a peace treaty with Israel, handed the Israeli charge d’affairs a protest note against what Information Minister Nabil Sharif described as a “heinous crime”. Protests swept several Arab capitals with thousands people taking to the street of Amman demanding the closure of the Israeli embassy while thousands also demonstrated nationwide in Lebanon. In Baghdad, hundreds of Iraqis demonstrated following a call by radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr who called for a “period of mourning due to Israeli terrorism against innocents.” Saudi Arabia condemned the “massacre committed by Israel” and urged the international community “to “assume its responsibility in face
of (Israel’s) aggressions,” the SPA news agency said, quoting a government statement. At a demonstration of about 3,000 people at the Beddawi camp in the northern city of Tripoli, anger also turned on Israel’s traditional ally, the United States. “God is great and America is the greatest evil,” they chanted. “Give us weapons, give us weapons and send us on to Gaza.” There were even demonstrations inside Israel, where hundreds of protestors flooded the streets of the northern Arab city of Nazareth as Israeli police raised the level of alert across the country and deployed reinforcements. More than 2,000 people in Amman protested what Jordan’s Information Minister Nabil Sharif dubbed a “heinous crime”. Demonstrators included Islamist opposition leaders and carried banners that read “We Will not Surrender” and “Break Gaza Blockade.” They also demanded that Jordan shut down the Jewish state’s embassy and expel the Israeli ambassador. In Damascus, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri slammed the “heinous crime” and warned that Israeli actions “threaten to pull the Middle East into a war whose consequences will not be limited to the region,” SANA state news agency said. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri described the raid as “dangerous and crazy” and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, chaired by Beirut until midnight in New York. Across the country Palestinian refugees and activists demonstrated to denounce the raid, chanting slogans like “Give us weapons, give us weapons and send us on to Gaza.” In Beirut Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah echoed the warning saying if the international community does not take action quickly “the situation in the region will get worse.” The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said in a statement that the attack was an act of “state terrorism” and secretary general Abdul Rahman Al-Attiya called on the international community to “hunt the Israelis who were behind this crime, in order to bring them in front of the International Criminal Court.” Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani condemned the raid, branding it an “act of piracy”. “The crimes that were committed at dawn today... remind all of us that there is an unjust blockade” in place against Gaza, he told the Doha forum, calling for an end to the lockdown imposed by Israel since the Islamist Hamas movement seized the impoverished territory in June 2007. “All those who speak of justice and freedom and democracy are now required to do something to break this blockade,” said Sheikh Hamad. The United Arab Emirates denounced the “barbaric aggression,” as Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahayan urged UN chief Ban Ki-Moon to investigate the attack and report back to the United Nations. Bahrain’s Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa condemned the “flagrant barbaric act” and instructed the country’s foreign ministry to follow up on the situation of four Bahraini activists on board the boats. Yemen’s parliament slammed the attack and said Israel would be held responsible for the safety of activists on board the boats, including Yemeni MPs Mohammed Al-Hazmi, Hazaa Al-Massori and Abdulkhalik bin Sheehon. Oman said the attack “violates international law”. The UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Richard
as some 10,000 people marched on Istanbul’s central Taksim square from the Israeli consulate where they had converged after news of the raid broke. “Damn Israel!”, “A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, revenge, revenge!” chanted the protestors, carrying Turkish and Palestinian flags, as they marched towards the square, an AFP photographer reported. “Close down the Zionist embassy,” read a banner carried by the crowd. A crowd of some 500 people gathered outside Levy’s residence in Ankara, shouting “Damn Israel” and reciting prayers. “By targeting civilians, Israel has once again shown its disregard for human life and peaceful initiatives,” a foreign ministry statement said. “This deplorable incident, which took place in open seas and constitutes a flagrant breach of international law, may lead to irreparable consequences in our bilateral relations.... Israel will have to bear the consequences of this behaviour,” it said. Israel told tourists in Turkey to stay indoors and dismissed any accusations that it had broken international law by boarding foreign ships far beyond its territorial waters. Israeli forces were on high alert but aside from scattered scuffles, there was little trouble with Palestinian protesters. Robin Churchill, a professor of international law at the University of Dundee in Scotland, said the Israeli commandos boarded the ship outside of Israel’s territorial waters. “As far as I can see, there is no legal basis for boarding these ships,” Churchill said. Demonstrations in European cities included Paris, Stockholm, Rome and Athens, where police used teargas against protesters who threw stones and bottles near Israel’s embassy to Greece. The Arab League condemned what it called a “terrorist act”. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called it “inhuman”. More worryingly for Israel, its friends showed little sympathy. The outrage sounded at times more uniformly hostile to the Jewish state than during its offensive in Gaza, which killed 1,400 Palestinians in Dec 2008 and Jan 2009. Israel said it launched that war to curb Hamas rocket fire on its towns. But it has found it harder to win understanding for an embargo limiting supplies to 1.5 million people in Gaza, including cement the UN says it needs to repair bomb damage. A senior UN official responsible for the aid on which Gaza depends said: “Such tragedies are entirely avoidable if Israel heeds the repeated calls of the international community to end its counterproductive and unacceptable blockade of Gaza.” — Agencies
Continued from Page 1 HH the Amir with leaders of the Gulf states to discuss the Israeli attack and to secure the release of the Kuwaiti nationals. Relatives of the Kuwaitis on the ship appealed in a statement to the government to exert all efforts to secure the return of the Kuwaiti prisoners. Omar AlTabtabaei, the brother of MP Tabtabaei who signed the statement, later said he received a telephone call from Sheikh Nasser who assured him the government will do everything to bring the 16 Kuwaitis back. Speaker Jassem AlKhorafi condemned what he called the “heinous Israeli crime against the freedom convoy which was on a peaceful and humanitarian mission of solidarity with
the population of Gaza.” He later sent out invitations to MPs to attend an emergency parliamentary session today to discuss the Israeli attack. A large number of Kuwaiti lawmakers strongly condemned the Israeli action against “unarmed civilians” and called on the international community to penalise the Jewish state. Meanwhile veteran MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun urged the Kuwaiti government to withdraw support for the Arab peace initiative which offers normalisation of ties with Israel if the Jewish state pulls out from land occupied in 1967. Deputy parliament speaker Abdullah Al-Roumi described the Israeli attack on “unarmed civilians as a terrorist attack” and called on the Security Council to act. MP Aseel Al-Awadhi condemned the
Israeli attack on aid ships that carried unarmed volunteers to press for ending the blockade on Gaza Strip. MP Mohammad Hayef said the attack by the Zionist enemy on the freedom convoy is a proof of the brutality of Israel and its bloody policies, adding that Arab peace initiatives will lead to no positive result because Israel only understands the language of force. MP Saifi Al-Saifi called on all Arab and Muslim countries to expell Israeli diplomatic representatives from their countries, saying this is the least these countries can do. Saifi said that the world has seen many of Israeli acts of betrayal and bloodshed of innocent people. MP Falah Al-Sawwagh said the Israeli attack is an embarrassment for Arab leaders and a stigma for Arab League and international community.
Protesters slam Israel raid, demand Kuwaitis be freed Continued from Page 1 The demonstration was organized by the Kuwaiti Society for Basic Principles of Human Rights in cooperation with a number of students’ unions and other NGOs who have formed a “public committee for solidarity with the Kuwaiti detainees”. MP Faisal Al-Mislem said that the Israeli authorities could’ve just send the convoy back like they did with the previous convoys, but they deliberately decided to use force to demonstrate their strength. “Now they are trapped - everyone in the world can now see their hypocrisy, killing people who are delivering food and medical aid, as if they are terrorists,” said Mislem. The MP expressed his disappointment with the attitude of Arab leaderships. “Let us compare the response of the Turkish PM and the Turkish foreign minister with that of their Arab counterparts,” said Mislem, adding “some of the Arab regimes are bowing to Israel, and unfortunately, some others are conspiring with them and betraying their people”. The Development and Reform bloc MP said the National Assembly will hold a special session today to take a number of steps in retaliation to the incident. “We will demand the criminalization of any form of contact with the Zionist enemy, as well as a complete withdrawal of Kuwaiti government from the Arab ‘surrendering and humiliating initiative,” Mislem said, talking about the peace initiative. “We will demand that the Kuwaiti government file a complaint to the International Criminal Court, and to move on all political levels to surround this criminal regime,” he noted. The MP asked
speakers not to raise slogans against members of other religious groups. “There are Christians and even Jews on the convoy, who were involved in delivering aid to people of Gaza out of humanitarian compassion,” he said. The head of the Kuwaiti Society for Basic Principles of Human Rights Adel AlDamkhy urged the Kuwaiti government to call for an urgent meeting of the International Human Rights Council, and to demand an independent investigation in the incident. MP Jamaan Al-Harbash accused Arab countries of taking part in the blockade of Gaza, and said that he was among the last people who spoke to Kuwaiti MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei who was accompanying the convoy. “I spoke to him at 3 am, while the Israeli forces were attacking them, and he was as resilient as he always is,” said Harbash. MP Ahmad Al-Saadoun called on the Arab leaders to end political ties with Israel. “Did you see their response to your peace initiative?” asked Saadoun, who called on Kuwait to organize monthly convoys to Gaza. Islamist cleric Ahmad Al-Qattan said that it is not strange for Israel to carry out such savage actions. “What do you expect from the killers of prophets other than killing innocent people under the sight of the whole world?” he wondered. The general secretary of the Salafist movement Hamed Al-Ali said Israel couldn’t have carried out such an offensive on innocent people without the consent of the United States. “There must be an agreement between the US and Israel, they wouldn’t dare to do this without having a green light from the US,” he charged. Ali called on Muslims to adopt the Palestinian
resistance, and called on MPs to place pressure on the government to open a representation office of Hamas in Kuwait. The gatherers promised to continue these activities until all the detainees are set free and the blockade on Gaza is lifted permanently. Separately, relatives of the detained Kuwaitis called for their release at a gathering organized by a students’ unions yesterday. Abdullah Al-Jarallah, Adnan AlShatti and Anwar Al-Tabtabaei where among the relatives of the detainees. The head of the PAAET student union, Waleed Al-Kandari, said that the aid flotilla did not represent Muslims alone, but people from all over the world who wanted to deliver aid to the people of Palestine in the name of humanity. “The actions of Israel have always been rejected by the Arabs, and now the world can see why it is so,” Kandari said. “50 countries from all over the world have shown their support towards Palestine disregarding their religions and their differences”. Kandari expressed his joy of the fact that Kuwaitis made up the second largest group on the flotilla. The head of the executive body of the Kuwait University student union, Abdulaziz Al-Sagoubi, said that all the committees that fall under student bodies inside and outside Kuwait have agreed to partake in the stand against “this vicious Israeli act against humanity”, and that a number of protests will continue to be held “until our family and friends are released without harm”. Sagoubi said stopping the vessels “only shows the true hate that the Zionists hold against the people of Palestine”.
SPORTS
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
15
MLB results/standings Results and standings from the MLB games on Sunday. NY Yankees 7, Cleveland 3; Detroit 10, Oakland 2; Toronto 6, Baltimore 1; Florida 1, Philadelphia 0; Houston 2, Cincinnati 0 (10 innings); Boston 8, Kansas City 1; Atlanta 5, Pittsburgh 2; Chicago White Sox 8, Tampa Bay 5; NY Mets 10, Milwaukee 4; St. Louis 9, Chicago Cubs 1; La Dodgers 4, Colorado 3; LA Angels 9, Seattle 7; San Diego 3, Washington 2 (11 Innings); San Francisco 6, Arizona 5 (10 Innings); Minnesota 6, Texas 3. American League Eastern Division W L PCT GB Tampa Bay 34 17 .667 NY Yankees 30 20 .600 3.5 Toronto 30 22 .577 4.5 Boston 29 23 .558 5.5 Baltimore 15 36 .294 19 Central Division Minnesota 30 20 Detroit 26 23 Chicago White Sox 22 28 Kansas City 21 30 Cleveland 18 30
.600 .531 .440 .412 .375
3.5 8 9.5 11
Oakland Texas LA Angels Seattle
Western Division 27 24 26 24 25 27 19 30
.529 .520 .481 .388
.5 2.5 7
Philadelphia Atlanta NY Mets Florida Washington
National League Eastern Division 28 21 28 22 26 25 25 26 25 26
.571 .560 .510 .490 .490
.5 3 4 4
Cincinnati St Louis Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Pittsburgh Houston
Central Division 30 21 29 22 24 27 21 29 20 31 17 33
.588 .569 .471 .420 .392 .340
1 6 8.5 10 12.5
San Diego LA Dodgers San Francisco Colorado Arizona
Western Division 30 20 28 22 27 22 26 24 20 31
.600 .560 .551 .520 .392
2 2.5 4 10.5
CHICAGO: St. Louis Cardinals’ Skip Schumaker steals second in the third inning as Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryan Theriot takes a late throw during a baseball game.—AP
Cardinals tame Cubs as Marlins edge Phillies CHICAGO: Albert Pujols hit three long home runs and Adam Wainwright pitched seven impressive innings, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Pujols connected in the first, fifth and ninth innings for his fourth career threehomer game. He has four homers in four games after hitting one in 28. The Cardinals, who begin a three-game series against the NL Central-leading Reds on Monday, won their first series at Wrigley Field since taking two of three from the Cubs April 20-22, 2007. Wainwright (7-3) allowed one run and seven hits, struck out eight and walked two. Matt Holliday had four hits for St. Louis and David Freese finished with three, including a two-run homer. Geovany Soto homered in the seventh for the Cubs, who split a sixgame homestand. Ryan Dempster (3-5) allowed six runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings.
Marlins 1, Phillies 0 At Miami, Ronny Paulino drove in the only run to lift the Marlins to the victory. Paulino’s sixth-inning single drove in Hanley Ramirez and made a winner of Anibal Sanchez (5-2), who gave up three hits and struck out seven in 6 2-3 innings. Leo Nunez pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th save in 12 tries as Florida ended a fourgame losing streak. Jamie Moyer (5-5) gave up one run and four hits in six innings, failing in a bid to join Phil Niekro and Jack Quinn as the only pitchers to win 100 games after turning 40. Philadelphia took two of three over the weekend against the Marlins, despite getting only four runs in the series.
Dodgers 4, Rockies 3 At Denver, Clayton Kershaw struck out nine in five innings and Xavier Paul hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth for the Dodgers.
Kershaw (5-3) allowed two runs and four hits, but struggled at times with his control while matching his season high for strikeouts. He walked four, had a wild pitch and hit the first batter he faced. In all, five Los Angeles pitchers notched 14 strikeouts, including one by Jonathan Broxton, who gave up an unearned run in the ninth but still earned his 13th save in 15 chances. The win was the Dodgers’ 10th in their last 12 games against NL West opponents, and they have the best intradivision record in baseball at 15-5.
Braves 5, Pirates 2 At Atlanta, pinch-hitter Chipper Jones had a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning as Atlanta completed a three-game sweep. Nate McLouth started the decisive rally with a one-out walk. He swiped second before Joel Hanrahan (1-1) walked pinch-hitter Brian McCann. Martin Prado struck out
but Jones followed with a bloop single into shallow left field, just out of the reach of shortstop Ronny Cedeno. Jason Heyward added a two-run triple off Javier Lopez as the Braves won their fifth straight game to pull within a half-game of NL East-leading Philadelphia.
Padres 3, Nationals 2 At San Diego, pinch-hitter Nick Hundley singled in Lance Zawadzki from second base with two outs in the 11th inning to give the Padres the victory. Zawadzki started the winning rally with an infield single that deflected off pitcher Sean Burnett’s glove. Second baseman Adam Kennedy fielded it and his errant throw went into the Padres’ dugout, putting Zawadzki on second. Matt Capps relieved and Hundley singled to left. There was no throw home as the Padres took two of three. Luke Gregerson (1-1) pitched two perfect innings for the win.
Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman homered twice off Jon Garland, giving him 10 for the season. Burnett (0-3) got the loss.
Giants 6, D’backs 5 At San Francisco, Andres Torres hit a two-out RBI single in the 10th inning as the Giants handed the Diamondbacks their seventh consecutive loss. Torres hit a sharp liner to right off Carlos Rosa (0-1) for the first game-ending hit of his career and his fourth single of the game. Juan Uribe scored after starting the rally with a two-out single. Brian Wilson (1-0) pitched a 1-2-3 10th with two strikeouts for the win, the closer’s third straight outing not allowing a baserunner. The Giants rallied in the ninth against closer Chad Qualls, getting an RBI single from Freddy Sanchez and a tying RBI groundout from Pablo Sandoval.
Angels 9, Mariners 7 At Anaheim, Howie Kendrick hit his second home run of the game with two outs and two on in the ninth inning, giving the Angels the win a day after Kendry Morales broke his leg celebrating a winning grand slam for Los Angeles. Manager Mike Scioscia met with his team before the game to change the club’s policy on home plate celebrations, and it was put to the test in short order. Kendrick had a clear path and touched home without a jump as his jubilant teammates ran on the field and kept a safe distance from the foul line before mobbing him. Hideki Matsui hit a two-run homer in the first for Los Angeles. Fernando Rodney (4-0) pitched a hitless ninth for the victory. Eliezer Alfonzo had three hits, including his first homer of the season, and drove in four for Seattle. Closer David Aardsma (0-3) got the loss.
Twins 6, Rangers 3 At Minneapolis, Denard Span had two hits, an RBI and made a lunging catch while colliding with Orlando Hudson to end the game as the Twins completed a rare threegame sweep over the Rangers. The Twins gathered around Hudson in center field and watched quietly while trainers attended to him. After several minutes, he got up and walked off under his own power. Scott Baker (5-4) allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings for the Twins, who recorded just their second sweep of the season. Jason Kubel added two hits and two RBIs. Rangers starter Derek Holland (2-1) left with no outs in the second inning because of soreness in his left shoulder.
Blue Jays 6, Orioles 1 At Toronto, Jose Bautista hit his major league-leading 16th homer, Ricky Romero threw a six-hitter and Toronto finished off the threegame sweep. Alex Gonzalez and Lyle Overbay also had solo drives for the Blue Jays, who have a clubrecord 53 homers in May and a majors-best 88 overall. Toronto, which also swept a series at Baltimore from April 9-11, recorded consecutive three-game sweeps of the Orioles for the first time since August 2001. Romero (5-2) struck out seven and walked two in his second complete game of the season. The left-hander retired 15 of 18 after Nick Markakis’ RBI single in the first inning. Jeremy Guthrie (35) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings to lose for the first time since May 3 against the New York Yankees. He had won his last three decisions.
Red Sox 8, Royals 1 At Boston, David Ortiz hit his 11th homer of the season and Jon Lester pitched seven strong innings, helping the Red Sox salvage a split of the four-game series. Mike Cameron doubled twice, drove
in two runs and scored three times for Boston. Jason Varitek added a solo homer. The Red Sox went 1811 in May after going 11-12 in April. Ortiz, who hit .143 with one homer and four RBIs in the first month of the season, batted .363 in May with 10 homers and 27 RBIs. Lester (6-2) allowed one run and four hits to improve to 6-0 with a 1.43 ERA in his last seven starts. Kansas City reliever Brad Thompson (0-4) was tagged for six runs and seven hits in 1 2-3 innings.
Yankees 7, Indians 3 At New York, Mark Teixeira hit a three-run homer in New York’s fiverun seventh, leading the Yankees to the victory. Hours after the Indians learned they would be without star center fielder Grady Sizemore for at least six to eight weeks and possibly longer, they were reminded that their problems are more extensive. Alex Rodriguez was 0 for 3 a day after hitting Cleveland pitcher David Huff in the head with a line drive. Huff showed no symptoms of a concussion before the game, smiling and joking around in the dugout. Derek Jeter hit a two-run single off Justin Masterson with two out in the seventh to cut Cleveland’s lead to 3-2. Tony Sipp (01) came on and gave up a double to Curtis Granderson before Teixeira’s eighth homer.
White Sox 8, Rays 5 At St. Petersburg, Jayson Nix hit his first career grand slam, helping Chicago split a four-game series with the AL East leaders. Nix connected against James Shields (5-3) in the sixth for his first homer of the season, giving the White Sox a 7-3 lead. He replaced Mark Teahen, who left in the fourth with a right middle finger injury, at third base. Ben Zobrist homered and had two RBIs for the Rays, who went 2-5 on a seven-game homestand. Chicago right-hander Jake Peavy (4-4) allowed five runs and 10 hits over 5 1-3 innings. —AP
Mets 10, Brewers 4 At Milwaukee, knuckleballer R.A. Dickey pitched seven innings and Angel Pagan homered to help the Mets avoid a three-game sweep. The Mets battered Milwaukee’s shaky bullpen, which allowed eight runs in four innings, to improve to 412 in May away from Citi Field. —AP
Bulls crowned kings of the Super 14 in Soweto
Tigers maul Athletics 10-2 DETROIT: Max Scherzer struck out 14 in 5 2-3 shutout innings hours after he was recalled from the minors, helping the Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics 10-2 on Sunday. Scherzer (2-4) allowed two hits, walked four and hit a batter in his first game with Detroit since he was sent to Triple-A Toledo following an awful start. The right-hander fell just two strikeouts short of Mickey Lolich’s team record despite being taken out in the sixth inning. Scherzer was acquired from Arizona over the winter and went 14 with a 7.29 ERA in his first eight starts with the Tigers. He was only called back up because Armando Galarraga, Sunday’s scheduled starter, pitched in relief on Friday and wasn’t available. Miguel Cabrera had four hits, including his 14th homer, and four RBIs for the Tigers, who finished with 15 hits. Joel Zumaya pitched two scoreless innings for his first save. Daric Barton hit a two-run homer for Oakland. Dallas Braden (4-5) allowed five runs and 11 hits in six innings.
Astros 2, Reds 0 At Cincinnati, Lance Berkman hit a tworun double in the 10th inning as the Astros salvaged the finale of the three-game series. Micah Owings (3-1) walked pinch-hitter Cory Sullivan and Michael Bourn with one out. Jeff Keppinger fouled out before Berkman hit Owings’ first pitch into the right-field corner. Brandon Lyon (1-1) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth to get the win. Orlando Cabrera flied out to right to end the threat. Matt Lindstrom pitched the 10th for his 11th save in 12 tries for Houston, which had lost three in a row and six out of seven.
ANAHEIM: Los Angeles Angels’ Howard Kendrick hits the gamewinning three-run home run in the ninth inning to defeat the Seattle Mariners in their baseball game.—AP
JOHANNESBURG: The Bulls won their third title, the Lions delivered the worst losing streak in the history of the competition and an Australian great retired as southern hemisphere bid farewell to the 14-team Super Rugby format. The Bulls made certain of their place as the most successful side in the five seasons of the Super 14 with a third triumph, and second in a row, after beating the Stormers in an all-South African final. The Pretoria-based team keep Super 14 trophy after the 25-17 win in Soweto — Melbourne Rebels join an expanded Super 15 next season, giving the tournament five clubs from each of the competing nations. New Zealand’s Canterbury Crusaders, with two wins, was the only other team to lift the trophy after the Super 14 evolved from the Super 12 competition in 2006. Experience, a fearsome group of forwards and the points-scoring prowess of flyhalf Morne Steyn brought the Bulls their 2010 title. “So many games this season we were dead and buried and special performances from individuals pulled us through,” Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said. “But individuals play well because the team plays well. You are nobody if you don’t have the team.” Ludeke’s team won 12 of 15 games, including every one at home where they extended their winning streak to 20. Captain Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw and Pedrie Wannenburg all made their 100th appearances and Steyn scored a record 263 points in the season - which included a record 51 penalties. The Cape Town-based Stormers reached their first
final thanks, largely, to their miserly defense. The Stormers conceded just 171 points in 13 regular season games. The acquisition of Springboks Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie also paid off as they contributed 13 tries between them. “The season has been fantastic, honestly,” coach Allister Coetzee said despite losing the decider. “Flipping awesome.” Australia’s New South Wales Waratahs reached the semifinals for a third time since 2006 before losing to the Stormers in Cape Town. Winger Drew Mitchell celebrated his first season in Sydney with nine tries — the joint leading tryscorer alongside Auckland’s Joe Rokocoko. Coach Chris Hickey was voted Australian Super 14 coach of the year as the Waratahs finished third. “This is really an award for the team and their achievements this season,” Hickey said. The Crusaders claimed an incredible ninth playoff place in nine years before they were beaten by an inspired Bulls team — and travel fatigue — in the last four. The Crusaders made three trips between New Zealand and South Africa in the two weeks leading up to the match before going down 39-24 to the defending champions. The Queensland Reds, ACT Brumbies, Auckland Blues and Wellington Hurricanes all narrowly missed out on the playoffs, with the Brumbies and Hurricanes denied by defeats in the final week. The Reds scored famous wins over the Crusaders, Bulls and Stormers and were the season’s surprise package as flyhalf Quade Cooper led them to the brink of their first Super rugby semifinal since 2001. —AP
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Rivers keeps Celtics healthy in bid for title LOS ANGELES: With coach Doc Rivers pulling the strings like a puppet master, the Boston Celtics defied their critics and shrugged off a late season slump to reach the NBA Finals for a 21st time. Rivers maintained his trust in a team that limped 27-27 over their final 54 regular-season games, preferring to rest some of his top but ageing players to keep them fresh for the playoffs. As with so many moves made by the astute Rivers, what may have initially appeared risky and even foolhardy turned out to be yet another master stroke in the bigger picture. The invigorated Celtics eliminated
LeBron James and the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs before beating the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference championship series 4-2. On Thursday in Los Angeles, Boston will face off against their arch-rivals the Lakers in Game One of the NBA Finals where they will bid for a record 18th title. “This is where we thought we would be,” Rivers told reporters after the Celtics had beaten the Magic 96-84 in Game Six at an electric TD Garden in Boston. “This is what we talked about before the season started. “We did go through tough times. We
started out so well and I thought after 28 games you could say we felt like we were the best team in the NBA. After that we had injuries, we fell apart and we struggled finding ourselves.” Two members of Boston’s pivotal ‘Big Three’-Kevin Garnett and Paul Piercewere sidelined during the regular season. Garnett was out for almost a month while recovering from a hyper-extended right knee while Pierce missed five games in December because of a knee infection and three in February with a strained thumb. “We formed a game plan and I thought it was the right plan,” Rivers said.
“Obviously it didn’t look right because we were losing games but guys were resting and conditioning and I thought that was the only chance we had. “The one thing I did learn through the injuries was we were not good enough injured. There were no guarantees but we had a chance healthy. So my gamble was let’s take health. So we lost some games, but we got healthy.” Rivers shrugs off suggestions that Boston’s big three of Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen are not the force they were when the Celtics steamrolled the Lakers 131-92 in Game Six to clinch the 2008 NBA championship.
“This starting five has never lost a series, ever,” he said. “As a coach, I just believed that I saw what they did and what they had. We kept saying as a staff, it’s in us. We’ve got to try to get it back out of us.” Garnett (aged 34), Pierce (32) and Allen (34), plus Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, have won seven playoff series as a unit and their collective physical presence could be a telling factor in the best-of-seven NBA Final against the Lakers. “We have a team where the core players here have won a championship,” said Pierce, the 2008 MVP of the championship series. “Once you get that under your belt,
that’s experience you can’t take away. “When the playoffs start, we know we have that kind of experience and we know how to win games because of the team that’s been together over the last few years. We have the same starting five that won a championship.” The Celtics, a storied franchise made great by coach Red Auerbach and players such as Bill Russell and Larry Bird, have so far enjoyed a significant winning edge against the Lakers when it matters most. Eleven times the teams have met in the showpiece NBA Finals with Boston triumphing on nine occasions.—Reuters
Storm blow away Stars SAN ANTONIO: Australian Lauren Jackson scored 19 of her 27 points in the first half as the Western conference leading Seattle Storm routed the San Antonio Silver Stars 84-56 on Sunday. Leading by 22 points at halftime, the Storm scored the first 13 points in the third period, leading San Antonio to clear its bench six minutes into the second half. Swin Cash scored 14 points for the Storm, who have five wins in six games. Seattle outscored the Silver Stars 42-18 in the paint and limited San Antonio, which entered the game with the league’s top field-goal percentage, to 32.7 percent shooting. Roneeka Hodges came off the bench to score 12 points for the Silver Stars, who lost their second straight game, both at home. San Antonio’s reserves outscored its starters 30-24.
Dream 101, Sparks 82 At Los Angeles, Angel McCoughtry scored 32 points and Iziane Castro Marques had a season-high 24 points as the Dream continued its unbeaten run to six games. Sancho Lyttle added 19 points and Erika DeSouza had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Dream, which remains the WNBA’s only unbeaten team. Candace Parker had 33 points and 12 rebounds for the Sparks (1-4), who matched their start last year after five games, the team’s worst ever. Tina Thompson added a season-best 26 points. The Sparks, who led by nine points in the first five minutes, held a 52-51 lead when the Dream used a 12-4 surge to move ahead 63-56 with 2:59 left in the third quarter. Castro Marques scored six points and Lyttle had four.
Mystics 69, Sun 65
LOS ANGELES: Atlanta Dream’s Erika de Souza (below) and Los Angeles Sparks’ Candace Parker look a rebound during the first half of a WNBA basketball game.—AP
At Washington, Crystal Langhorne scored 17 points and equaled a career high with 16 rebounds as the Mystics withstood a late run in a win over the Sun. Nakia Sanford added four of her 11 points in the final three minutes as the Mystics (4-3) maintained at least a three-point buffer throughout the late stages of the game. Monique Currie scored 18 points and Lindsey Harding had 10 points and nine assists to help end a three-game skid. Tina Charles scored 13 points for Connecticut (4-2), which never led and fell to 0-2 on the road.—AP
Kiran International lift Usman Memorial Trophy KUWAIT: Inspired by an all round display by Adnan, Kiran International bagged the prestigious Usman Memorial Trophy by defeating Osmani Sporting club by 61 runs in the finals played at Sulaibiya turf ground. The Usman Memorial Trophy is being held for the second consecutive time in memory of Late Mohammed Usman who lost his life in 2008 in a tragic motor vehicle accident. Usman, widely acknowledged as a gentleman cricketer was an integral part of Kuwait Cricket and was a personality who sincerely worked hard for the uplift of cricket in Kuwait and many cannot forget the pleasing manners he possessed. During his long playing career,
Mohammed Usman who opened the innings, consistently scored at a level and was committed to attacking entertaining cricket. Playing for Gant Lions in the veteran’s league, he was instrumental in many match winning games. He was a good off spinner and an athletic fielder. A highly motivated personnel, he maintained close personal relationship with cricketers of all class and had been the architect of coaching the young Gulf Consults colt team. Kiran International won the toss and batted first and soon lost opener Saim for 7 runs. Zeeshan & Adnan played attacking cricket and laid a match winning 53 runs partnership for the second wicket. Zeeshan stroked a useful 36 runs while
Adnan cracked a stylish 47 runs to remain the top scorer. Tahir, batting late in the order fired a quick 19 runs which enabled Kiran International to post a decent total of 156 runs. Dilawar of Osmani Sporting bowled magnificently to capture 4-29 in his 4 overs while Taj took 2 for 6 runs. Chasing 157 to win the match, Osmani Sporting lost two quick wickets but Dilawar and Hassan played sensible cricket as the duo pushed the score to 47 runs. Adnan & Tahir again came together to break the partnership as they wrecked the middle order batting of Osmani Sporting while Dani polished the tail to sent Osmani Sporting reeling to 95 runs. Hassan played positive cricket to
score 31 runs and Dilawar made 20 runs. Nazrul and Rehan batted well to score 19 & 21 runs respectively but the asking rate was much high for them to achieve. Adnan, Tahir & Dani took two wickets each. Ambassador of Bangladesh in Kuwait HE Syed Shahed Reza along with Mr. Asad Baig the Director General of Kuwait Cricket were the guest of honor who distributed the Winners and Runners up trophies and individual prizes to the participating team. The match was supervise by Naveen D Souza and Mohammed Naveed of Kuwait Cricket Umpires Panel. While the tournament was co ordinate by Naresh D Souza.
LONDON: England’s Jonathan Trott guides a ball from Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan towards the boundary during the 5th day of the first Test match at Lord’s cricket ground.—AP
Five-star Finn strikes as England defeat B’desh LONDON: Steven Finn took five wickets on his home debut as England beat Bangladesh by a convincing eight-wicket margin in the first Test at Lord’s here yesterday to go 1-0 up in this two-match series. Bangladesh, following-on, were bowled out for 382 shortly before lunch on the final day with Middlesex fast bowler Finn taking five wickets for 87 runs in 24 overs. That gave the 6ft 7in paceman, who played his first two Tests during England’s 2-0 series win in Bangladesh in March, match figures of nine for 187. England, set 160 to win in two sessions, finished on 163 for two. Andrew Strauss, the England captain, in his first international match for several months after resting from the tour of Bangladesh and missing the World Twenty20 triumph, as he no longer plays that form of the game, made 82 before he was out with England 13 runs short of victory. Jonathan Trott, whose Testbest 226 was the centrepiece of England’s first innings, was unbeaten on 36 after ending the match with a boundary. Kevin Pietersen was 10 not out. “In the first innings I thought Jonathan Trott played very well, we talked about getting big scores and he showed great temperament,” Strauss said. “And Steven Finn bowled very well. He hit the deck hard and got good pace and bounce, and he got more out of the pitch than anyone else.” But Strauss was far from completely satisfied, adding: “They made it hard work for us with the way they batted. “Our bowling was not quite as good as it should have been in the first half of the game.” The 21-year-old Finn refused to get carried away amid talk he’d already secured a place in England’s squad for the defence of the Ashes in Australia in November. “The only reason I played here is because Stuart Broad is being rested and, while I haven’t done myself any harm, I am not kidding myself,” he said. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was disappointed his side could not hold out for what would have been a first draw against England.
“We lost too may wickets in the morning session,” he said. “If we had lost one or two wickets we could have batted another hour or two after lunch and got a draw.” Strauss, like Finn playing on his home ground, square cut the first ball of England’s chase, from Shahadat Hossain for four, to spark several boundaries in quick succession. The left-hander missed at slip against off spinner Mahmudullah, went onto complete a run-a-ball fifty with five fours before he was caught behind, by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, cutting against the spin of Shakib, to end a second wicket stand of 80. Victory gave England their seventh win in as many Tests against Bangladesh and left the Tigers with just three wins from 67 matches at this level. But there was no denying Bangladesh’s progress in this fixture. Earlier, Finn took three wickets for eight runs in 15 balls yesterday to secure his place on the Lord’s honours boards. Bangladesh began the last day on 328 for five having seen Tamim Iqbal make 103 off just 100 balls on Sunday. Junaid Siddique, 66 not out overnight, and Shakib, unbeaten on two, took guard under cloudy skies favouring England’s seam attack. England did not have long to wait for a sixth wicket with Shakib cutting Finn straight to the bowler’s county colleague Eoin Morgan at point. Siddique had, like Tamim, made a first innings fifty. But there was to be no second innings hundred. The left-hander drove too soon at a clever Finn slower ball and was caught at mid-off by Tim Bresnan for 74 to end nearly four-and-a-quarter hours of resistance. Bangladesh’s collapse continued when Mushfiqur was caught behind off Finn for nought before Bresnan polished off the tail. Bangladesh were bowled out for 282 in their first innings, senior paceman James Anderson leading the attack with four for 78. England’s first innings saw Shahadat beat Tamim to a place on the honours boards with five wickets for 98 runs. The second and final Test of this series starts at Old Trafford on Friday.—AFP
SCOREBOARD Scoreboard at the end of the first test between England and Bangladesh on the fifth and final day at Lord’s, London yesterday: Total (all out; 110.3 overs) 382 England first innings 505 (A. Strauss 83, J. Trott 226, Fall of wickets: 1-185 2-189 3-289 4-321 5-322 6-347 Shahadat 5-98) 7-354 8-361 9-381 10-382. Bangladesh first innings (Tamim Iqbal 55, Junaid Bowling: Anderson 29.1-8-84-1, Bresnan 26.2-9-93-3, Siddique 58; James Anderson 4-78, Steven Finn 4-100) Finn 24-6-87-5, Swann 27-5-81-0, Trott 4-0-16-1. Bangladesh second innings England second innings Tamim Iqbal c Trott b Finn 103 A. Strauss c Rahim b Shakib 82 Imrul Kayes c Bell b Finn 75 A. Cook lbw b Mahmudullah 23 Junaid Siddique c Bresnan b Finn 74 J. Trott not out 36 Jahurul Islam c&b Trott 46 K. Pietersen not out 10 Mohammad Ashraful c Prior b Anderson 21 Extras (6nb, 1w, 5lb) 12 Shahadat Hossain b Bresnan 0 Total (two wickets; 35.1 overs) 163 Shakib Al Hasan c Morgan b Finn 16 Fall of wicket: 1-67 2-147 Mushfiqur Rahim c Prior b Finn 0 Bowling: Shahadat 2-0-19-0, Robiul 1-0-12-0, Shakib Mahmudullah c Prior b Bresnan 19 16-1-48-1, Rubel 1-0-8-0, Mahmudullah 15.1-1-71-1. Rubel Hossain c Strauss b Bresnan 4 Did not bat: Bell, Morgan, Prior, Bresnan, Swann, Robiul Islam not out 0 Anderson, Finn. Extras (1nb, 2w, 14lb, 7b) 24
Pakistan to play S Africa in UAE KARACHI: Pakistan will play two tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates in October and November this year, officials announced yesterday. South Africa had been scheduled to visit Pakistan in October but they refused to play in the country because of security concerns and the matches will now take place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. No foreign teams have toured Pakistan since six policemen and a driver were killed when militants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket squad’s bus in Lahore in March 2009. Six play-
ers were wounded in the incident. “This series will provide great entertainment for cricket fans as PCB and Cricket South Africa have worked hard to bring this event about and we are very excited to be returning to the world class facilities in the UAE,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt told reporters. Cricket South Africa chief Gerald Majola added: “The Proteas always enjoy playing Pakistan... we are especially delighted that the fans will get to see top flight cricket between these two teams.” The tour will take place from Oct. 27 to Nov. 24.—Reuters
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Top lines regroup after Stanley Cup finals opener CHICAGO: More startling than the frenetic pace between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers that produced 11 goals in the Stanley Cup finals opener was who was left off the score sheet. In Chicago’s 6-5 win — the highest scoring championship round game since 1992 — both teams’ top lines and top guns couldn’t find the net. They went pointless. So what will happen if Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Dustin Byfuglien get going for the Blackhawks, and if Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne find their rhythm for the Flyers? Could it be 1110 in Game 2 on Monday night? Most likely not. “I thought we had good looks. We just didn’t score and did everything but,” Richards said Sunday. “I think all three of
us know it’s not as much what they did as it was what we didn’t do on the ice,” Toews said. During Sunday’s off day, both teams stressed tightening up the defense, reducing giveaways and doing a better job of clearing pucks out of the defensive end to make it easier on their goaltenders. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette wouldn’t reveal if he was sticking with Michael Leighton, who was pulled after yielding five goals in Game 1, or going back to Brian Boucher. Leighton entered the game with a 6-1 record with three shutouts but was yanked in the second period after giving up the five goals on just 20 shots. “Obviously I’d be disappointed,” Leighton said when asked how he would feel if he didn’t get the nod. “We’re in the Stanley Cup final. That’s
not the time to be mad at someone.” Toews, who leads with 26 playoff points, was a minus-3 and recorded only one shot in Game 1. Kane, with 20 points, was also minus-3 with just two shots. Byfuglien, the 257-pound forward who plays like a linebacker, was minus-3 with nothing to show offensively after scoring eight goals — four game winners — entering the finals. He also had just two shots. “We maybe were chasing the puck a little bit too much and weren’t protecting it and weren’t supporting each other. As a line we got to simplify things,” Toews said. “As the game went along we kind of started pressing on each other to get going. ... There were a lot of things we could have done better.” Maybe it was the Flyers’ defense led by
Chris Pronger who was on the ice for 32 minutes, 21 seconds. Maybe there were some nerves, as well, from the young Blackhawks group. “I think we just did a good job of denying them time and space,” Pronger said. “If they didn’t have the puck they can’t make plays. ... And for a lot of their shifts we played in their end, forced them to play defense and really tried to deny the puck to both Kane and Toews.” Richards, the second leading scorer in the postseason with 21 points, was minus-2 and got off three shots. Carter was also minus-2, and Gagne a minus-3 for Philadelphia. “I think persistence is something we need to have as a line and not get discouraged by one or two bad bounces and just keep trying,” Richards said.
If nothing else, the scoring extravaganza demonstrated the depth both teams have, with the Flyers getting goals from Danny Briere, Scott Hartnell, Ville Leino, Arron Asham and fourth-liner Blair Betts. Briere, Hartnell and Leino also were tough on defense against the Toews-KanesByfuglien line. “They can all skate which helps against a line like that,” Pronger said. “Against the line you have to close quickly.” Troy Brouwer had two of Chicago’s goals from the second line and Tomas Kopecky scored the winner off an effective third line that also got goals from Kris Versteeg and Dave Bolland on a shorthanded breakaway. Versteeg also assisted on Kopecky’s goal. “It happens. Their top line was a minus
as well. Anything can change the next game. It should be a little different,” said Bolland, who has been a defensive nemesis throughout the playoffs. Brouwer expects both of the high-scoring lines to come out firing Monday night. “Both those two lines will be very determined because they were held off the score sheet,” he said. “I know the guys on our team feel they can give more. “They’ve been playing unbelievable throughout the entire playoffs on that first line. You know, some nights they’re going to go dry a little bit. May not find the back of the net like they want to every game, but you know what? As long as the other guys on the team are picking up the slack and helping out, then that’s all you can ask for.” —AP
Franchitti wins Indy 500
CONCORD: Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite/Vortex Dodge leads Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600. —AFP
Busch wins Coca-Cola 600 CONCORD: Kurt Busch used an extra fast final pit stop to chase down the leaders and give team owner Roger Penske a coveted Memorial Day weekend victory. That the win came in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and not at his beloved Indianapolis Motor Speedway, probably didn’t matter to Penske. After all, it came at the expense of Chip Ganassi, Penske’s top rival in open-wheel racing and the winning car owner of the Indianapolis 500 earlier Sunday. “Roger, this one is for you,” Busch said. “The first person I think about is Roger Penske. This is something that will be front and center in Roger’s trophy case that I was happy to deliver.” Busch, who led 252 of the 400 laps, and Ganassi driver Jamie McMurray were the class of the field at the end of NASCAR’s longest race of the season, and McMurray was hoping to give Ganassi a sweep of the two prestigious Memorial Day weekend races. Earlier Sunday, Dario Franchitti won in Indianapolis and, after the celebration, Ganassi flew to North Carolina to catch the second half of the NASCAR race. He arrived in time to see McMurray, the Daytona 500 winner, work his Chevrolet through the field and take over the lead from Busch. But a late caution for a Marcos Ambrose crash with 24 laps to go took it out of McMurray’s hands. He led most of the leaders down pit road, but was beaten back onto the track by Busch and Matt Kenseth. Jeff Gordon was the first of three cars not
to pit, and restarted as the leader with 19 laps remaining. Busch blew past the three lead cars and steadily pulled away from the pack. McMurray quickly moved into second, but ran out of time to run down Busch, who held on to sweep the May races at Charlotte. Busch won the $1 million AllStar race last weekend. “I thought about the Ganassi car behind me,” Busch said in Victory Lane, “he wasn’t getting by us.” Ganassi, who became the first owner to win the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 in the same season, didn’t seem to mind the defeat. “It was a great race, Jamie did a great job,” he smiled. “My old buddy Penske beat me tonight.” Kyle Busch rallied from a mid-race crash on pit road to finish third in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Mark Martin finished fourth — the highest finishing Hendrick Motorsports car — and defending race winner David Reutimann was fifth for Michael Waltrip Racing. Gordon wound up sixth and was followed by Clint Bowyer and Paul Menard, who had the highest finishing Ford. Ryan Newman and Kenseth rounded out the top 10. While Kurt Busch celebrated, his younger brother was getting an earful on pit road from a furious Jeff Burton. Burton was eighth on the final restart, running right next to Kyle Busch, when contact between the two cars ruined any chance for a solid finish for Burton. He faded to 25th and angrily confronted Busch
after the race. “Kyle made it three-wide on the restart, trying to make something happen, which I don’t have a problem with,” Burton said. “So he runs into me and cuts my left-rear tire, then I have a problem with it. He’s real aggressive. That’s cool. But when he starts affecting me with his aggressiveness, I just will not put up with it. I’ve been around here long enough. I just will not tolerate it.” It soured yet another stellar comeback for Kyle Busch, who rallied from two laps down on Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race. On Sunday, he was the leader when a bizarre sequence of events on Lap 167 changed the entire race. Four-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson was running fourth when he inexplicably hit the wall, and Denny Hamlin, running fifth, had to weave low through the grass to avoid hitting Johnson. Both cars sustained considerable damage and NASCAR called for a caution that sent everyone to pit road. Kyle Busch, at the time the strongest car in the race, ran into Brad Keselowski on pit road to damage his car. Even worse, NASCAR flagged him for speeding and he was forced to also serve a penalty. It dropped Kyle Busch all the way back to 26th in a race he maybe could have won. He thought Burton’s lecture was directed at the wrong driver — Busch said it was Bowyer, not him, who made it three-wide with Burton on the restart — but still seemed pleased with the final outcome. “It was a great night for us,” he said. —AP
Lehman clinches Senior Championship PARKER: Tom Lehman won the 71st Senior PGA Championship on Sunday with a par on the first playoff hole against Fred Couples and David Frost. Lehman’s first individual Champions Tour triumph — he teamed with Bernhard Langer to win the 2009 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf — was worth $360,000. After Lehman began the sudden death playoff on No. 18 with a solid shot down the fairway, Couples’ only bad tee shot of the tournament veered left into the shrubs, forcing him to take a drop. Frost’s tee shot ended up in the left bunker and he pulled his second shot left of the gallery. He cleared out dozens of pine cones in between he and the green before striking his ball, which was nestled in a shrub, across the green. Frost and Couples finished with double-bogey 6s before Lehman’s birdie putt from 12 feet came up a fraction short. He smiled, tapped in, pumped his right fist and cradled the silver trophy. Since turning the requisite 50 years old in October, Couples has energized the Champions Tour, winning half of the six events he entered before coming to Colorado, where the thin air favored his strong drives — but not in sudden death. After congratulating Lehman,
Couples put his head down and stormed toward the clubhouse, where he quickly grabbed a couple of irons out of his locker and bolted for the parking lot. “It’s pretty disappointing,” was all Couples had to say as he hustled to a waiting car. After back-to-back eagles on Nos. 15 and 16, Couples had a chance to win this tournament outright in regulation but his eightfoot putt for birdie on 18 missed by an inch. His tap-in left him with a 69 and in a share of the lead with Frost (67) — who had trailed by 12 shots coming into the weekend — and Tom Lehman (71). Lehman began the day as the co-leader with Jay Don Blake, whose eagle on No. 7 gave him a two-shot lead that lasted but a few precious minutes. Blake, whose winless streak was extended to 396 starts, sauntered onto the eighth hole before topping his tee shot 30 yards into the bushes. “I just totally shanked one, shanked it right into a ditch,” Blake said. “From then on, I felt like I couldn’t really be at ease at hitting some good iron shots. I was pretty cautious all day. That kind of put me in a bad frame of mind.” Mark O’Meara (71) finished two shots behind the trio in the playoff and Nick Price (70) finished three strokes off the pace. —AP
PARKER: Tom Lehman holds up the trophy after winning the Senior PGA Championship golf tournament. —AP
INDIANAPOLIS: Briton Dario Franchitti coasted to a second Indianapolis 500 win in four years on Sunday, claiming victory after a spectacular crash ended the race under caution. Fighting to conserve fuel, Franchitti was able to cruise home with arms raised in triumph after compatriot Mike Conway’s car launched into the fence and disintegrated, bringing out the yellow flag with one lap to go. In both his 500 wins, Franchitti crossed the finish line unchallenged. His first victory at the famed speedway came under caution in a rainshortened race in 2007. Despite the anticlimatic finish, there was no doubt among the 250,000 race fans at the sprawling speedway that Franchitti was full value for the win, the Scotsman delivering a flawless drive in scorching conditions to become just the 17th man to register two 500 victories. With two trips to Victory Lane in four years, Franchitti’s place among the Brickyard greats is secure but the Scotsman refused to put himself in the same league as his childhood idols. “They showed me a list of two-time winners, those guys are legends,” Franchitti told reporters. “I’m just a driver, those guys are legends. “I could win races, Indy 500s, for the rest of my life, until I’m 70-years-old and I still wouldn’t be in the same vein as Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart. “I’m in awe of both of them.” Dan Wheldon made it a British one-two when he crossed second for the second consecutive year. A third Briton in Alex Lloyd appeared to have completed the podium until race officials awarded Marco Andretti third place after reviews showed the American had slowed for the pace car when the yellow flag came out and was passed by several cars. Back in Indy Cars after a brief and unsuccessful stint in NASCAR, Franchitti staked his claim to the race early by charging from third to first on the opening lap. The Briton led 93 of the first 100 laps, many of them with Brazil’s Helio Castroneves filling his rearview mirror. Chasing a record-equalling fourth 500 win, Castroneves ran a cool, cagey race to stay in touch with the leaders as he positioned himself for the sprint to the finish. The Brazilian’s hopes were dashed, however, when he stalled in his final pit stop, an uncharacteristic error that saw him fall back to 16th. Franchitti held steady as his challengers faltered, fending off a charging Wheldon until Conway’s crash ended the suspense. With victory secured, Franchitti jumped out of his car into the arms of his actress wife Ashley Judd and chugged from the traditional bottle of milk in Victory Lane, even as the crowd at the far end of the speedway watched quietly when Conway was removed from the mangled cockpit of his demolished car. Conway was examined at the speedway clinic and then airlifted to hospital but officials said his injuries were not lifethreatening. “This tastes just as good the second time,” said Franchitti, wiping the milk from his face. “I have to say that feeling when you drive into Victory Lane, you see some of my family, my dad, Ashley, my friends from Scotland, my team ... it’s cool. “You get out and you get a drink of milk. That’s what it’s all about.” Franchitti’s win earned team owner Chip Ganassi a unique 500 double as the first man to win the United States’ two biggest races, the Daytona and Indy 500, in the same year. — Reuters
INDIANAPOLIS: Dario Franchitti (right) of Scotland, driver of the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara Honda, with the Borg Warner Trophy poses with team owner Chip Ganassi (center) and Chip Ganassi Racing NASCAR driver and 2010 Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray (left) with the Harley J. Earl Trophy. —AFP
Johnson bags Colonial FORT WORTH: American Zach Johnson nervelessly sank four long-range birdie putts over the closing stretch to overhaul British pacesetter Brian Davis for a three-shot victory at the Colonial Invitational on Sunday. Ice-cool on a hot and humid afternoon at Colonial Country Club, Johnson shrugged off two suspensions in play because of threatening weather to card a sizzling six-under-par 64. The 2007 US Masters champion broke clear of a congested leaderboard with birdies at 12, 13, 15 and 17 sandwiching a lone bogey on 14 as he posted a tournament record low of 21-under 259. “There is a reason why I love playing here and I keep coming back,” a beaming Johnson said greenside after clinching his seventh PGA Tour title, and his third in Texas. “The course does suit me as far as shot-making, I think, and certainly the bent grass which is what I grew up on. I just feel honoured.” Englishman Davis, who had led by two shots with 11 holes to play in pursuit of a maiden PGA Tour victory, had to settle for second place after bogeying the
last for a 68. Johnson’s playing partner Ben Crane rolled in a 32-footer to birdie the 18th for a 67, tying for third at 17-under with fellow American Jeff Overton who also closed with a 67. For much of the afternoon, it seemed Davis would finally land a breakthrough win just six weeks after he lost a playoff for the Heritage Classic at Hilton Head where he called a twostroke penalty on himself at the first extra hole. Co-leader overnight with American Bryce Molder, he birdied the first two holes to edge one ahead before he faltered at the par-four fifth where he had to take a penalty drop after hitting his tee shot into a hazard. A bogey there briefly dropped him back into a three-way tie for the lead with Molder and Johnson but Davis immediately recovered by rolling in a 12-footer to birdie the sixth. Having restored his one-shot cushion, the Englishman struck his approach to five feet at the seventh and calmly knocked in the putt to double his lead. Johnson, however, drew level at the top after making birdies at
the 10th and 12th, the second of them a 22-footer which prompted him to pump his right fist in celebration. He then holed out from a similar distance at the par-three 13th to snatch the outright lead for the first time at 20 under. Johnson recorded his only bogey of the day at the par-four 14th, finding the right rough off the tee and a greenside bunker with his approach before lipping out from five feet with his par putt. That left him in a tie for the lead with Davis, who had five holes remaining, when play was suspended for 47 minutes due to the threat of lightning. Once play resumed, Johnson wasted little time in regaining the lead when he coolly sank a 25foot birdie putt at the 15th to return to 20-under. He then knocked in a 14-footer to forge two strokes clear before the siren sounded for a second time to halt the action. Davis lipped out with a birdie attempt from eight feet at the par-three 17th after play resumed before Johnson comfortably parred the last to secure the title. —Reuters
TEXAS: Zach Johnson kisses the trophy after winning the Colonial golf tournament in Fort Worth. —AP
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Down memory lane from 1930-1966
URUGUAY: Frenchman Jules Rimet (left) head of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) hands over the World Cup trophy to Dr Raul Jude, president of the Uruguayan football association 05 July 1930 in Montevideo.
Uruguay 1930
Switzerland 1954
FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, had been discussing holding a World Cup almost since it was founded in 1904 but the Olympic soccer tournament adequately served the purpose of establishing the best team in the world in the opening decades of the 20th century. However, by the mid-1920s, with the growth of professionalism and the game establishing strong roots in Europe and South America, FIFA decided to go ahead with their own tournament which was awarded to Uruguay, the Olympic champions of 1924 and 1928. After some teething troubles and withdrawals, 13 countries entered and the European nations-Belgium, Romania, Yugoslavia and France-all travelled to South America on the same ship. During their two-week voyage they called in to Rio de Janeiro to courteously pick up the Brazilians. With no qualifying competition held, the first two matches started at the same time on July 13 1930 with France beating Mexico 4-1 and the United States beating Belgium 3-0. Frenchman Lucien Laurent scored the first goal. Hosts Uruguay and neighbours Argentina contested the final, which Uruguay won 4-2 after trailing 2-1 at halftime. For the first and only time every match was played in one city, the capital Montevideo.
Olympic champions Hungary were the overwhelming favourites with a team including Ferenc Puskas, Jozsef Bozsik, Sandor Kocsis and Nandor Hidegkuti and which came to the finals unbeaten in 30 internationals. In the previous six months they had become the first continental team to beat England at Wembley, winning 6-3, before thrashing them 7-1 in Budapest, and had redefined tactics with a deep-lying centre-forward and a prototype “total football” game with players moving all over the pitch. They started with a 9-0 win over South Korea and followed that with an 8-3 victory over West Germany, before their involvement in the infamous “Battle of Berne” with Brazil, when three players were sent off and the teams fought afterwards in the dressing rooms. A 4-2 win set up a semi-final with reigning champions Uruguay which ended in another 4-2 success. Hungary started brilliantly in the final too, leading West Germany 2-0 after eight minutes, before the Germans staged an amazing comeback to win 3-2. The 26 matches produced 140 goals and the highest ever scoring average of 5.4 goals a game.
Italy 1934 Uruguay refused to compete feeling that European nations had snubbed their tournament in 1930. With FIFA’s membership now at more than 50 nations, a qualifying competition was held. The final qualifier was held three days before the competition started, with the US beating Mexico 4-2 in Rome on May 24 before being knocked out 7-1 by Italy on May 27. Italy’s ultimate triumph, to the delight of fascist leader Benito Mussolini, left both Argentina and Brazil disenchanted after they had travelled 13,000 kms for one game each in the first round. Italy beat Czechoslovakia 2-1 after extra time in the final after trailing 1-0 until eight minutes from time.
France 1938
ARGENTINA: A picture taken on June 25, 1978 shows Argentinean midfielder Mario Kempes and forward Daniel Bertoni celebrating in front of Dutch defenders Wim Suurbier (on ground) and Jan Poortvliet (center) in Buenos Aires during the extra time period of the World Cup final football match between Argentina and the Netherlands.
Italy travelled to France and won the World Cup again but politics and the looming spectre of war kept away a number of top nations. Austria qualified but withdrew, though some of their players appeared in the colours of Germany, and Spain were absent as their country was ravaged by civil war. Argentina and Uruguay also stayed away. Brazil and Poland produced one of the greatest games of all time in Strasbourg with the South Americans triumphing 6-5 after extra time thanks to four goals from Leonidas who played barefoot for a spell. In the final, Italy retained their title by beating Hungary 4-2.
Sweden 1958 Widely regarded as the first “modern” World Cup, with growing television influence and with the 16 teams in four groups of four before a knockout competition started. England’s hopes had been high at the start of the year but the Manchester United air crash in Munich in February 1958 cost the lives of Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor and Duncan Edwards. Brazil won the trophy for the first time with the 17-year-old Pele launched on his way to becoming the greatest player of all time. Pele scored against Wales, hit a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over France in the semi-finals and struck two more in the final, a 5-2 triumph over the hosts. Frenchman Just Fontaine scored 13 goals in the tournament, a record which still stands.
BOSTON: Argentina’s World Cup soccer team Captain Diego Maradona (center) yells out 21 June 1994 as he and his teammates celebrate after Argentina scored a goal in their World Cup match against Greece at Foxboro Stadium near Boston.
Chile 1962 Chile had been ravaged by a huge earthquake in 1960 which left thousands of buildings beyond repair. FIFA considered moving the tournament but Chilean FA president Carlos Dittborn famously pleaded: “We must have the World Cup because we have nothing else,” and the tournament went ahead. It resulted in another Brazilian triumph, though Pele played in only the opening game-in which he scored a superb goal in a 2-0 victory over Mexico-before injury sidelined him. Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final with goals from Amarildo, Zito and Vava after 1962 European Footballer of the Year Josef Masopust had put the eastern Europeans ahead. The tournament featured the notorious “Battle of Santiago” between Italy and Chile in which two Italians were sent off and one had his nose broken by a left hook from a Chilean player.
BRAZIL: Uruguayan forward Juan Alberto Schiaffino (center) kicks the ball past Brazilian goalkeeper Moacyr Barbosa to tie the score during the World Cup final round soccer match between Uruguay and Brazil 16 July 1950 in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil 1950
FRANCE: French midfielder Zinedine Zidane (No 10) watch his header go through the legs of Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos for his second goal of the game as goalkeeper Taffarel looks on, 12 July at the Stade de France.
After World War Two (during which FIFA president Jules Rimet, the competition founder, reclaimed the trophy from Italy and kept it under his bed), the World Cup returned and Uruguay won it for a second time in the “final which was not a final”. Before that, the US beat England 1-0 in Belo Horizonte in one of the greatest upsets in soccer and Sweden’s amateurs beat an Italian side still ravaged by the Superga air disaster which wiped out champions Torino the previous year. A mini-league format was used to determine the champions and Brazil, Sweden, Spain and Uruguay were the final contestants. Brazil needed only a draw in their clash with Uruguay to clinch the trophy but lost 2-1 at Rio’s Marcana Stadium in front of an estimated crowd of 205,000, the largest to ever watch a match anywhere.
England 1966 The hosts triumphed again after the trophy was stolen while on display in London. It was recovered by a dog called Pickles under a bush in a London garden a few days later. Pele was again battered, this time by Bulgaria’s defence in the group stages as Brazil’s bid for a hat-trick faltered. North Korea entered folklore with their 1-0 win over Italy and for leading Portugal 3-0 in the quarter-finals before losing 5-3. Portugal’s Eusebio, who struck four times in that match, finished as top scorer with nine. England beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time in a thrilling final at Wembley where Geoff Hurst made history with a hat-trick. His second goal, England’s third, remains controversial and after 44 years a debate still rages about whether the ball crossed the line after bouncing down from the crossbar.
Continued on Page 19
STOCKHOLM: Brazilian Pele (center) congratulates his teammate Vava (20) after he scored a goal as Swedish goalkeeper Karl Svensson reacts 29 June 1958 in Stockholm during the World Cup final between Brazil and Sweden.
LONDON: Queen Elizabeth of England presents the Jules Rimet Cup to Bobby Moore, captain of England’s national soccer team, as her husband Prince Philip (center) and forward Geoff Hurst (right) look on after England beat West Germany 4-2 in extra time in the World Cup final 30 July 1966 at Wembley stadium. ITALY: Forward Roger Milla from Cameroon runs past Colombian goalkeeper Jose Higuita (right) after stealing the ball from him on his way to score a goal 23 June 1990 in Naples during the World Cup second round soccer match between Cameroon and Colombia.
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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History of the World Cup from 1970-2006 Mexico 1970
Italy 1990
Brazil won the Jules Rimet trophy outright with what is regarded as the greatest side ever, including Clodoaldo, Gerson, Rivelino, Tostao, Jairzinho, Pele and Carlos Alberto. In the final at Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium, Brazil dazzled and danced to a memorable 4-1 win over Italy with Jairzinho becoming the only player to have scored in every match. In the semi-finals, Italy beat West Germany 43 in the only match in World Cup history to produce five goals in extra time.
A tournament full of dull, defensive play and matches won on penalty kicks. The final between West Germany and Argentina was one of the worst World Cup games ever played and was decided by a late penalty converted by West Germany’s Andreas Brehme. Argentina became the first team not to score in the final and the first to have two men sent off in the final. The goal average of 2.2 per game remains the lowest of any tournament. Hosts Italy flattered to deceive before losing on penalties in the semi-finals to Argentina. West Germany won the other semi-final on penalties against England. Despite that, there were some notable successes. Cameroon stunned world champions Argentina 1-0 in the opening game and went on to reach the quarter-finals, leading England 2-1 before losing 3-2. It remains Africa’s best World Cup showing.
West Germany 1974
SPAIN: Argentinian goalkeeper Ubaido Fillol and captain Daniel Passarella prevent Italian striker Paolo Rossi from scoring 29 June 1982 in Barcelona during the World Cup second round soccer match between Italy and Argentina.
Another host triumph as the Germans took the new FIFA World Cup for the first time in a tournament remembered for the arrival of “total football”. The Netherlands, with Johan Cruyff outstanding, beat Argentina 4-0 and a fading Brazil 20 but could not overcome West Germany in the final and went down 2-1, Gerd Mueller typically scoring the winner. The Dutch took the lead in the second minute when Johan Neeskens scored from a penalty without a German player having touched the ball from kickoff. The Germans, who had become European champions in 1972, were a class apart from the rest though, with Sepp Maier in goal, Berti Vogts and Paul Breitner in defence, marshalled by the imperious Franz Beckenbauer and with Mueller up front.
Argentina 1978 Hysterical support and tickertape welcomes for the home team in a tournament played under a military dictatorship helped carry Argentina to victory over the Netherlands in the final. Argentina were outplayed by Italy in the opening-round group games, but charged back to reach the final with a 6-0 win over Peru, a result which aroused suspicions. The match kicked off after Brazil had played Poland in the same group, so Argentina knew exactly what they had to do to reach the final-and so did Peru. In Daniel Passarella, Osvaldo Ardiles and Mario Kempes, top scorer with six goals, Argentina had outstanding players. It was the misfortune of the Dutch to face the host nation in the final for the second successive tournament, although they forced Argentina into extra time before losing 3-1.
Spain 1982 The first 24-team World Cup had some outstanding matches and gave the world its first real look at the devilled genius of Diego Maradona. Italy survived the opening round on goal difference and went on to win their third trophy after beating Brazil 3-2 in an astonishing second-phase match when a Paolo Rossi hat-trick saw off a team featuring Zico, Socrates, Falcao and Eder. Maradona scored twice in a 4-1 group stage win over Hungary, who had set a World Cup record 10-1 victory over El Salvador in their previous match. He showed the other side of his character when he was sent off against Brazil in the second phase. Italy beat West Germany 3-1 in the final with Rossi finishing top scorer with six goals.
Mexico 1986
JAPAN: Brazil’s forward Ronaldo controls the ball during match 62 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea-Japan semifinals 27 June, 2002 in Saitama, Japan. Ronaldo scored Brazil’s winning goal, giving Brazil a 1-0 victory over Turkey.
The tournament was originally awarded to Colombia who pulled out as hosts and FIFA decided the competition should return to the high altitude of Mexico for the second time in 16 years. Earthquakes preceded the finals but Argentina, with Maradona the leading man this time, were not perturbed by anything. World Champions Italy fell to France in the second round, while Brazil lost in the quarterfinals on penalties to France who were in turn muscled out by the West Germans in the semifinals for the second successive tournament. Maradona, with two goals against both England-one a deliberate handball he proudly said had been scored by “the hand of God”, the other one of the greatest goals ever scored-and Belgium, led Argentina through and in the final they overcame West Germany 3-2 in front of 115,000 at the Aztec Stadium.
BERLIN: This picture taken on July 9, 2006 in Berlin shows French midfielder Zinedine Zidane (left) gesturing after headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi during the World Cup 2006 final football match between Italy and France.
United States 1994 A superb World Cup marred only by a disappointing final which Brazil won on penalties after a goalless draw with Italy in a match which kicked off at midday in the blazing heat of Pasadena, California. Bulgaria, who had never won a World Cup match in 16 previous attempts, beat unified Germany en route to the semi-finals. Maradona, Argentina’s hero of 1986, tested positive for drugs and was kicked out of the tournament and Colombian Andres Escobar was murdered days after returning home following his own goal against the United States. The hosts were not disgraced, going out to Brazil in the second round. The Brazilians were deserved cup winners, even if the nature of their final victory left a hollow feeling.
France 1998 The first 32-team finals, won, for the first time since Argentina in 1978, by the host nation. Their 3-0 win over a lethargic Brazil in Paris was the most one-sided final ever. Ronaldo, arguably the best player in the world at the time, had a woeful final, but only after the game did the facts emerge about his illness during the night before the match. Croatia, Jamaica, South Africa and Japan all made their World Cup debuts. Zinedine Zidane emerged as France’s golden boy with two goals in the final and his image emblazoned on the Arc de Triomphe as France celebrated.
MEXICO: Brazilian forward Pele (top) celebrates with his teammates (from left) Tostao, Carlos Alberto and Jaizinho during the World Cup final between Brazil and Italy 21 June 1970 in Mexico City.
South Korea and Japan 2002 The opening match was in Seoul and the final in Yokohama and Brazil’s win was no great surprise after seeds such as world champions France, Argentina and fancied Portugal all went out in the first round. The absence of the bigger teams in the later stages made the tournament less attractive, though not for the fans of South Korea and Turkey who made it into the semi-finals. South Korea embraced the World Cup more than any other nation before it with millions wearing their country’s colours and only a late Michael Ballack goal for Germany in the semi-final knocked out the Koreans. Brazil beat Turkey 1-0 in the other semi-final before Ronaldo erased the memory of the 1998 final by scoring both goals for Brazil in their 2-0 victory over Germany.
Germany 2006 Huge crowds totalling 3.3 million, with the third-highest match attendance average (52,416) in the competition along with just 147 goals for the second-lowest scoring average (2.3). In the final between France and Italy Zinedine Zidane’s heat-butt on Marco Materazzi meant the Frenchman ended his career with a red card after he had scored the opening goal of the game. Zidane was then awarded FIFA’s Golden Ball as the tournament’s outstanding player. Italy became world champions for the fourth time with a penalty shootout victory over France, after eliminating Germany 2-0 in the semi-finals in the tournament’s outstanding match. Ronaldo overhauled Mueller’s record of 14 finals goals, taking his tally to 15 with three before Brazil went out in the quarter-finals to France.—Reuters
MEXICO: Argentina’s soccer star team captain Diego Maradona brandishes the World Cup won by his team after a 3-2 victory over West Germany 29 June 1986 at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City.
GERMANY: Dutch midfielder Johan Neeskens scores the opening goal on a penalty kick as he beats West German goalkeeper Sepp Maier, 07 July 1974 in Munich, during the World Cup soccer final.
www.kuwaittimes.net
Push-up stunt backfires on Ginepri
FRANCE: Serbia’s Novak Djokovic plays a return during his men’s fourth round match against US Robby Ginepri in the French Open tennis championship at the Roland Garros stadium. —AFP
Nadal joins 200 club at French Open PARIS: Four-time champion Rafael Nadal clinched his 200th clay court win yesterday to move into the French Open quarter-finals, but only after undergoing a tough examination by Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci. Second seed Nadal claimed a 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win and will face 19th seeded compatriot Nicolas Almagro, who won an all-Spanish battle against seventh seeded Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, for a semi-final spot. Third seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic also made the last eight with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over America’s Robby Ginepri. He will face Austria’s Jurgen Melzer, who ended Russian qualifier
Teimuraz Gabashvili’s run with a 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win. Nadal is bidding to become only the second man to win five or more French Open men’s titles, but he was distinctly under-cooked on Court Philippe Chatrier, dropping serve four times in a match featuring 12 service breaks. Nadal insisted that his first round victory against Bellucci here in 2008 was a far tougher prospect. “That was probably my hardest match of the 2008 tournament. I was closer to losing a set then than I was today,” he said. “It was difficult. Bellucci is a very good player on clay, but I won in
three sets. It was my best match of the tournament.” Nadal, who turns 24 on Thursday, broke his 22-year-old opponent in the first game of the match before the Brazilian hit back to level at 2-2. But the Spaniard took immediate revenge, claiming a double break in the fifth and seventh games on his way to pocketing the first set. Twice in the second set, fellow left-hander Bellucci, beaten by the world number two in the first round in 2008, gallantly retrieved breaks, but remained unable to capitalise as Nadal stretched to a two-sets lead. Bellucci dropped serve again in the opening game of the third set,
only for Nadal to hand it straight back. The Spaniard recovered to lead 3-2 and took the match after 2hr 33min when Bellucci, whose highrisk strategy sparked 40 unforced errors, netted a service return. Victory was particularly sweet as it was at the same last 16 stage in 2009 where Nadal was sent crashing to a first Roland Garros defeat by Robin Soderling. Djokovic, scheduled to face Nadal in the last four, is convinced that the confident way he swept past Ginepri makes him a threat both to the Spaniard and champion Roger Federer. He will face Melzer, the oldest man left in the draw at 29, and
who became the first Austrian to make the last eight since former champion Thomas Muster in 1998. “I think I have a good chance against anybody on the court now,” insisted 23-year-old Djokovic, a semifinalist in 2007 and 2008. “It took me time to get into a rhythm, but I’m not a morning person. I lost focus, but I overcame it. I was aggressive, I was serving well, and playing from all over the court.” Meanwhile, 22nd seed Melzer ended the run of world number 114 Gabashvili, the Georgia-born Russian who put out American sixth seed Andy Roddick in the third round. Gabashvili, who hadn’t won back-
Stosur upsets Henin, sets up Serena clash PARIS: Samantha Stosur of Australia stunned four-times former winner Justine Henin at the French Open yesterday to wreck hopes of a dream quarterfinal between the Belgian and top seed Serena Williams. It was the first time that Henin had lost since the second round in 2004, a 24-match unbeaten run that was the third best on record and it put a spoke in the comeback trail she has been blazing since the start of the year. It was also the second straight year that the fast-rising Gold Coast resident Stosur has reached the last eight in Paris, having lost in last year’s semis to eventual winner Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia. “Going into a quarterfinal, I couldn’t probably hope to be in a better position, I don’t think,” the Australian said. “Obviously beating Justine is going to give me lots and lots of confidence for the next match.” The other quarter-final in the top half of the draw will see fourth seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia take on Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan, the first player from that country to reach the last eight of a Grand Slam. In sharp contrast to the Henin-Stosur thriller, which the Australian won 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, Williams breezed past Shahar Peer of Israel 6-2, 6-2. The American insisted she was not shocked by Henin’s dismissal. “She is no pushover,” she said of Stosur. “She has beaten me before and I shall have to play my best game,” she said. “You can never underestimate anyone and Sam is a wonderful clay court player. “She has a good chance to go all the way. She is fast, she is strong and she has a great serve. She plays a real allround game.” Henin missed the 2008 and 2009 French Opens after retiring in May 2008 claiming that
she had lost all motivation and wanted a change of lifestyle, but returned to action at the start of the year in Australia. She quickly jumped out into a 2-0 lead and a second break of ser ve in the seventh game allowed her to pocket the opener 6-2 in just 32 minutes. But just when it looked like the Belgian was heading for a straightforward win, Stosur, who is ranked a career-best seventh in the world, upped her game. She turned on the power with her serve to edge ahead and then stunned Henin with an array of attacking shots that left the Belgian shaking her head in frustration. Stosur pocketed the second set and she stuck with her gameplan to go for her shots and attack the net at every opportunity in the decider, with Henin looking to lure her into a battle of baseliners. Games went with serve until 2-2 when an increasingly uncomfortable-looking Henin failed to convert two points for a 3-2 lead and then double-faulted to hand the break to the Australian. Stosur had the initiative with her own usually reliable serve to follow, but she promptly played a poor game allowing Henin to claw her way back into the match at 3-3. She was handed a second chance though three games later when Henin dished up three unforced errors and a double fault allowing the Australian to take a 5-4 lead. This time she gleefully accepted it, finishing off the Belgian on her second match point. Henin said that she had felt more nervous and uncomfortable on court than usual having played for five straight days because of a succession of rain delays. “It’s not easy to play so many days in a row.” she said. “Maybe a day off would have been welcome.” “I wanted the adventure to
to-back matches on the tour all year before Roland Garros, was hoping to be the first qualifier to reach the quarter-finals since Uruguay’s Marcelo Filippini in 1999. But Melzer, who put out Spanish ninth seed David Ferrer in the third round, triumphed in five minutes short of three hours with Gabashvili’s 45 unforced errors proving decisive. “It’s very slippery out there on Court Suzanne Lenglen,” said Melzer, who has never got this far in a Grand Slam. “I knew he had played a lot of matches and he would have to win three more ad I wasn’t going to make it easy for him. I made him hit a lot of balls.” —AFP
PARIS: Robby Ginepri lifted spirits at the French Open yesterday with a display of showmanship rarely seen in the game these days, but it may have cost him a place in the quarter-finals of the claycourt slam. The 27-year-old American was left sprawling with his face in the red Parisian dust after stretching for a deft Novak Djokovic passing shot with the fourthround match tightly poised in the second game of the third set on Court Philippe Chatrier. To cover his embarrassment, the American performed a series of impromptu push-ups before retreating to his chair to dust himself off and try to regain his composure for the next point. The crowd loved it, but Ginepri, who had matched the Serbian third seed shot for shot in the opening two sets, was immediately broken and never regained his momentum. He only won three more games in the match and it is a stunt he will not be trying again. “I felt a little stupid slipping and falling on my face, so tried to get the crowd back to my side,” said Ginepri, who had just won his first set in five career meetings against Djokovic. “You know, maybe that took a little bit of my focus away doing that. I’ll probably never do push-ups again on cour t.” Did it change the momentum of the game? “A little bit. It’s hard to say. You never know. It’s one of those things that might work for you, but today it didn’t. “If I win the next point and hold that game, then it looks great. But I think I won three games after that, so it’s a no no. Will he do it again? “Not on court. If you come to the gym, I’ll do some there for you.” —Reuters
Mourinho targets Champions League
FRANCE: Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova serves during her fourth round match against Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic in the French Open tennis championship. —AFP continue but I wasn’t at my best today and she took her chances. It’s difficult when you return to this level.” The only trouble Williams had against Peer came right at the start when she dropped the first seven points of the match as she struggled to get to grips with the cold, blustery conditions out on the Philippe
Chatrier centre-court. But she promptly won the next nine as she moved up the gears and then broke Peer for a second time to take a 4-2 lead. From there she coasted through, her serve and ground strokes far too heavy and penetrating for Peer. The win kept alive the American’s hopes of winning the
French Open for just the second time, eight years after her first triumph, and also kept her on track for the fabled calender year Grand Slam having won the Australian Open title in January. Jankovic easily saw off the challenge of Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova winning 6-4, 6-2, while Shvedova beat Australian Jarmila Groth 6-4, 6-3. —AFP
MADRID: A confident Jose Mourinho said he will need only two years to win the Champions League with Real Madrid after he was officially unveiled as the Spanish giants’ new coach yesterday. Mourinho joined Real on a fouryear deal in the wake of leading Inter Milan to an historic treble of successes in Italy’s Serie A championship, the Italian Cup and Champions League. And af ter replacing Manuel Pellegrini, sacked last week after a barren season having spent 250 million euros on new players including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Xabi Alonso, Mourinho feels he can do far better than the 56year-old Chilean. “The second year is key, it is the year when you find the right balance. It was during my second year at Chelsea that we reached the Champions League final. It was during my second year that we won the Champions L eague at Inter Milan,” he said. “I want to say that we don’t need much time to build a coherent team, to build a team that meets its objectives,” the 47-yearold Portuguese coach added. Real have been crowned kings of Europe nine times but their last Champions League triumph came in 2002. Under Pellegrini this season Real finished runners-up to arch rivals Barcelona in the league, exited the Champions League at the last-16 stage and spectacularly crashed out of the King’s Cup to third division Alcorcon. Mourinho said little about what changes, if any, he would bring to the squad, placing his focus on the need to forge a winning identity throughout the club. “It’s too early to speak about changes. I believe it is time to analyse the situation, to get to
know my club, ask lots of questions and get answers. I need to realise the direction of my work,” he said. “The most important thing is not the coach or the players but the club. We are too small compared to the dimension of the club. If we work as a group, it’s not difficult to get results.” Mourinho made his name when he led FC Porto to the Champions League title in 2004. A hugely successful spell followed at Chelsea, and despite leaving the club before they went on to lose the 2008 final to Manchester United he resurrected his career with Inter. His two-year spell at the Serie A side has left him as one of the most indemand coaches in football. “The promise I make to Real is that I am Jose Mourinho and Jose Mourinho works hard, works well, is very dedicated and aims to break limits,” the Portuguese coach said. “I am a coach that has a lot of self-esteem and confidence and I don’t think about the possibility of being sacked,” he added. “I think four years of contract is enough to win, to build a strong team for the present and the future. “I have a lot of confidence in my players, I have the hope that my new players have confidence in me.” Mourinho becomes Real’s 10th coach in as many seasons, during a period when their great rivals Barcelona have had just two with better results and titles. “I am a coach that has a lot of self-esteem and confidence and I don’t think about the possibility of being sacked,” he said. “I think four years of contract is enough to win, to build a strong team for the present and the future. “I have a lot of confidence in my players, I have the hope that my new players have confidence in me.”—AFP
New BMW X5 arrives in Middle East
Indian growth higher than expected
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China’s working mums tread difficult path
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
www.kuwaittimes.net
Pakistan’s power cuts are militants’ gain Washington pledges $1bn to improve electricity supply FAISALABAD: Mohammad Rafiq has worked in Pakistan’s weaving factories for 35 years, minding the looms that turn thread into cotton fabric. But lengthy power cuts often leave him and his fellow workers idle and losing wages. Outages of up to 18 hours a day are threatening the government’s credibility at a time when the US is pressing it to step up its fight against the Taleban and Al-Qaeda. Mindful that a bad economy could mean more recruits to the militant cause, Washington has pledged $1 billion to improve the power supply, including upgrading thermal and hydropower plants as well as modernizing distribution. Unless things improve, “I’m afraid I’ll lose my job and the owner will close the factory,” said Rafiq, 52, with a gesture of helplessness, his arms covered in white cotton fluff. “I’ll have no future.” The shortfall is estimated at 4,000 megawatts, one-fourth of maximum capacity, and practically no one in the nation of 180 million can escape the outages. They disrupt the work day. They shut down fans and air conditioning. Urban dwellers often return to a dark home, unable to watch a cricket match on TV or have a cold drink. The blackouts are even worse in villages. The summer, when temperatures can reach 122 degrees (50 degrees Celsius), has only just started and already rallies against blackouts are drawing hundreds of protesters. Some have turned violent, smashing cars and property. Markets that stayed open until midnight or later have to close at 8 p.m. under a government conservation program that has also nixed late-night weddings that are the norm. Text messages offer “Brand New & slightly used Diesel and Gas Generators” but few can afford them. Things will soon get better as new power plants come on line, promises Tahir Basharat Cheema, managing director of Pakistan Electric Power Co, but he makes no excuses for the state-run company’s failures. “I’ll be very, very frank: Electricity should be available and it should be available all the time,” he said. “I apologize to the people like anything because it has been people like us who have missed the bus, who haven’t really done their work at the right time.” The shortages began 10 years ago with a boom in consumer spending on household appliances that drove up electricity usage 15 percent in 2007 alone. It exposed deeply ingrained problems with the power supply - outdated transmission systems, widespread electricity theft, corruption and bureaucratic infighting that stalled power generation projects, and even outdated records that leave bills unpaid. Outages are particularly painful in industrial cities like Faisalabad, 260 kilometers (160 miles) south of Islamabad in Punjab province, the center of Pakistan’s textile industry, which accounts for 40 percent of factory jobs. Garments and textiles make up more than half the country’s exports. Eighteen months ago, the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics surveyed 400 Punjab factories and said power cuts have slashed industrial output by 25 percent. Since then, the situation has only become more dire. On a rare day when the power was on in Faisalabad, sweaty men and boys shuffled between rows of clacking 1960s-era looms in a warren of worn brick workshops. Two skinny goats hung out under dusty shade trees. “This is the only work that I know. I’d be jobless if these factories close,” said 24-yearold Mohammed Younus. He has been working since age 14 to support his parents and 10 siblings. “What else could I do, besides taking up burglary or theft?” Rafiq, a father of six, earns a cent and a half for every yard (meter) of cloth produced, bringing home $30 a week - when the power stays on. Lately, his family has had to cut down on food and he has been borrowing to pay for essentials like flour and sugar. Things had been slightly better in the past two weeks, with only four to six hours of outages daily, “but before that we were close to starving,” he said. Cheema, the power company chief, said the new power stations coming on line this year will provide 3,400 megawatts, and added that officials have also signed off on longterm hydroelectric projects. He expected outages of six hours daily at most in cities and eight hours in villages this summer, “But the difference is, our industry will have continuous supply during this time. This is the change from the last year - that it has been prioritized.” That would be welcome news to Waheed Raamay, chairman of Faisalabad’s Council of Loom Owners, though he remains pessimistic. “I think these problems will keep on and the industries will continue suffering. We talk to the labor and they are so frustrated,” he said. “Eventually I think a revolution will come in Pakistan.” Breaking old habits will likely prove a big challenge. Forty minutes into an hourlong interview at an official guesthouse, Cheema pressed a bell and summoned a staffer to shut off the chandelier lights. But the wall-mounted air conditioning and two ceiling fans stayed on. “People of Pakistan are not conservation-minded. We are a very wasteful nation, allow me to say so,” he said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even look. I’m very clear about these things, I don’t let anybody use electricity when we have God’s light outside.” —AP
FAISALABAD: In this file photo, Zariyab, a 10-year-old Pakistani boy, works behind a textile machine at a factory in Pakistan. —AP
Kuwait sovereign fund may sell Zain stake: Report KUWAIT: Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, may sell its 24.6 percent stake in telecoms firm Zain, according to a newspaper report yesterday. But the fund denied it sought help to evaluate the fair price of Zain shares, and said it would be “trans-
parent” about any possible intention to sell. “The Kuwait Investment Authority did not commission any party to evaluate the fair price of Zain shares ahead of selling its stake to a strategic investor,” KIA said in an emailed statement. Daily Al-Qabas, citing
unidentified sources, said KIA has asked several investment firms to conduct technical studies on Zain group and the fair price of its shares. The fund would then consider options to either sell its stake to a strategic investor or through an auction. KIA’s stake is cur rently wor th
about $4.5 billion, the paper said. The mobile operator str uck a deal in March to sell its operation’s in 15 African countries to India’s Bharti Airtel. Last week, it said it would distribute a large portion of proceeds from the $9 billion asset sale to shareholders.
In October, KIA’s Managing Director Bader Al-Saad said the fund might sell its Zain stake if the price is right. He had said that 2 dinars ($6.87) per share was a “good price”. Zain shares, halted on Sunday pending the distribution of its 2009 dividend, last traded at 1.34 dinars. —Reuters
Can EU survive Europe’s crisis?
MADRID: A man reads the newspaper at Madrid’s stock exchange. World stock markets jumped higher, extending the previous day’s large gains on easing concerns over the eurozone debt crisis and Korea, dealers said. —AFP
LONDON: Forged out of the ashes of World War II and the end of the Cold War, the European Union was meant to create peace and prosperity across the region. But Europe’s debt crisis has laid bare deep financial and cultural divisions within the 27-nation bloc that may never be bridged. The fateful decision to make the EU effectively a halfway house - tying its member countries into a joint currency and interest rate decisions, while allowing them to retain control over national budgets and taxes - has left the fractured grouping at a crossroads. Further political and economic integration leading to a common treasury - a central government, in effect - could rescue the ailing 11-year old euro currency, and some say now is the time to sieze the moment. But what the head orders is not always what the heart desires: Greeks, Germans and even eurozone outsiders like the British are fiercely protective of their independence, their languages and ways, including the right to decide how they spend their own tax dollars. As the possibility of EU disintegration or a split among its members - looms larger, the current crisis may just have exposed the futility of ever trying to establish a United States of Europe. The recent agreement by member governments to put up $1 trillion in loans and guarantee to backstop troubled governments remains only a short-term fix to stave off bond market panic. The current union “was an attempt to put together countries that really weren’t ready to be put together,” said Stephen Lewis, senior economist at London-based Monument Securities. “The euro can go limping on for a while and they’ll try to enforce the packages for the deficit countries, but ultimately there’ll likely be a social explosion amid a sense of
hopelessness.” Publicly, several leaders in the bloc are doing all they can to avoid this “end of the EU” scenario, talking up the benefits that come with a stable political and economic bloc representing half a billion people - 7 percent of world consumers - and a fifth of world trade. Germany’s foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, stressed this week that “European unification, the success of Europe, remains the foundation of German foreign policy.” “We are convinced Europeans - I would even say that we are European patriots,” he said. In many ways, Europe is not as dissimilar to the United States as it may appear: the US is by no means a unitary state. It is less coherent than the EU, for example, on issues like the death penalty and also has wide differences among state budgets. Jack Lang, a longtime French government minister and advocate of Franco-German cooperation, is among those pushing for Europe to move closer, with France and Germany setting an example. He wants the two countries to share government ministers, universities, companies, defense projects. “We must move to a higher speed, project ourselves, be futurist,” he said. But the EU is also an organization that took 15 years to decide the definition of chocolate and has engaged in disputes over everything from beef to asylum seekers. The crisis currently engulfing the bloc is a product of its own cautious creation. The Maastricht Treaty of 1993 that ushered in the euro set up a monetary union. But, wary of demands for national sovereignty a concept as old and as treasured as international politics - it did not order control over how members raised and spent their taxes. Members instead agreed to a Stability and Growth Pact, limiting budget deficits to 3 percent of gross domestic product.
Policing of the pact equated to little more than a rap on the knuckles for offenders, of which there have been many. Greece, which lit the fuse for the current crisis, was far above that limit during the “good years” and it has been joined by many others since the downturn. A fiscal union, where budgets and taxes are decided centrally, would prevent member nations from running up big deficits and allowing money to be diverted across the bloc as needed. A major stumbling block is the fact that Europe is a geographical, not a cultural term. Differences in national characteristics are profound and deeply sensitive in a grouping that has 23 official languages. French linguistic pride is manifested in laws that make it illegal to play too many English songs on the radio. Austria’s religious tradition preventing stores from opening for trade on Sundays would horrify many Britons who view extended shopping hours as a national entitlement. Italians lingering over an afternoon coffee contrast with clock-watching workers in Germany. Recently retired science teacher Gerard Blanchet was 11 when American troops liberated his town in Alsace from Nazi forces, and still tears up at happy memories of the war’s end. He’s a staunch supporter of a peaceful Europe, a Europe that cooperates - but not so keen on one that shares a single treasury and budget. “I adore Americans, I adore America. But Europe is not America,” Blanchet said in Paris. “How many languages do you need to know to go from California to Maine?” “We are after all different in our definitions of things, how much we want to spend on health care, on schools, on culture,” he added. —AP
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BUSINESS
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Spain's credit rating downgrade sparks more worries GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL MARKETS WEEKLY REPORT US crude oil futures fell on Friday, ending May with their worst monthly decline since December 2008, at the height of the financial crisis, as a downgrade of Spain's credit rating sparked further euro zone worries and prompted oil traders to seek less risky assets. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, July crude settled down 58 cents, or 0.78 percent, at $73.97 a barrel, after trading from $73.13 to $75.72. Front-month crude futures fell $12.18, or 14.1 percent, from April, their biggest monthly percentage loss since December 2008, when prices fell 18.1 percent from the previous month. US crude oil imports in March fell 1.6 percent from a year earlier to 9.292 million barrels per day, the US Energy Information Administration said on Thursday. March imports were down 149,000 bpd from 9.441 million bpd a year earlier. Oil shipments from Saudi Arabia topped 1 million bpd for the first time since last September, reaching 1.149 million bpd in March. It was the highest level for Saudi imports since January 2009. US spot natural gas prices for June 1 moved higher on Friday for a fourth day, backed by steady storage buying and warm weather forecasts through midweek next week, which should mean more cooling demand, despite ongoing concerns about rising supplies. Gas for June 1 delivery at Henry Hub, a key supply point in Louisiana, climbed 9 cents to $4.31 per million British thermal units, but late morning deals slipped slightly to about flat with NYMEX from a 3cent premium on Thursday. The current Hub average is above the May monthly index of $4.27 and the year-ago price of $3.49, but well below the $11.85 mean on the same day in 2008.
US Orders for US manufactured durable goods rose by 2.9 percent in April, the largest rise in three months, the Commerce Department reported. The April gain in orders for durable goods, big-ticket items expected to last at least three years, was much stronger than the 1.3 percent increase that had been expected. For April, demand for transportation equipment, which accounts for more than one quarter of total durable goods orders, jumped by 16.1 percent. Excluding transportation, durable goods orders in April fell by 1.0 percent. US new-home sales rose 14.8 percent in April to their highest level since May 2008, the Commerce Department estimated. The increase in new-home sales to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 504,000 was well above the 425,000 pace expected by economists surveyed by Market Watch. Newhome sales in March were revised to a 439,000 level compared with the previous estimate of 411,000. New-home sales are up 47.8 percent compared with a year ago. Sales of previously owned US homes rose more than expected in April to a five-month high as buyers rushed to close contracts before the expiry of a homebuyer tax credit. The National Association of Realtors said sales rose 7.6 percent month-over-month to an annual rate of 5.77 million units, the highest since November, from a slightly upwardly revised 5.36 million-unit pace in March. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected April sales to increase 5.6 percent to a 5.65 million-unit pace from the previously reported 5.35 million units in March. Sales were up 22.8 percent in the 12 months to April. Prices of US single-family homes rose in March for the first time since November, but fell in the first quarter, the Federal Housing
Finance Agency (FHFA) said. The FHFA's house price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent after falling by a revised 0.4 percent, which was previously reported as a 0.2 percent dip. Home prices dropped 1.9 percent in the first three months of the year, following a 0.5 percent fall in the fourth quarter, the agency said. The number of mortgage applications in the US rose last week, led by a rebound in refinancing as long-term borrowing costs dropped below 5 percent for the first time in two months. The Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) index increased 3.9 percent in the week ended May 7, the Washington-based group said today. Its refinancing gauge climbed 15 percent, while the purchase index fell 9.5 percent in the first week since the end of a government incentive. A measure of national economic activity last month rose to its highest level since December 2006, the Chicago Federal Reserve said. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index rose to 0.29 points from 0.13 points in March. A reading above zero indicates the economy is growing above trend. However, the three-month moving average showed there was some economic slack, suggesting subdued inflationary pressure from economic activity over the coming year, the Chicago Fed said. Europe Industrial new orders in the 16-nation Euro zone jumped 5.2 percent in March compared to the previous month, the European Union statistics agency Eurostat reported. Orders rose 19.8 percent compared to March 2009, the agency said. The March data far exceeded forecasts for a 2.5 percent monthly rise and a 15 percent annual increase.
The UK economy grew faster than originally thought in the first quarter of this year, but still appeared hamstrung by a combination of poor weather and the rise in VAT in January. The economy racked up 0.3 percent growth in the first quarter, higher than the 0.2 percent initial estimate, but less than the 0.4 percent expansion seen in the final quarter of 2009. The more rapid growth came as industrial production saw a faster recovery than was first thought, growing by 1.2 percent. Gross fixed capital formation increased 1.5 percent, its strongest rate since the third quarter of last year. Nationwide Building Society, the UK's largest customer-owned lender, said gross residential mortgage lending dropped 37 percent to GPB12 billion in the last fiscal year as housing transactions slumped. British house prices will be "flat" this year, the Swindon England-based company said in a statement. Nationwide's residential mortgage customers repaid GPB3.60 billion more than they borrowed in the year ending April 4. A leading survey shows that German consumer confidence has dropped amid ongoing concerns about the weak euro and the highly unpopular rescue plan for Greece. Germany's GfK institute said that consumers' confidence, which increased significantly in April, has dropped 18.6 points in May to 3.9 points. The institute said Germans fear that the Greek rescue packages and the weakening Euro could hamper their economy's recovery. German companies, however, have viewed the weaker euro more positively as it strengthens the exports. Japan The Japanese government kept its view of the economy unchanged in May despite signs of a stronger recovery, suggesting it remains
G8 seeks drive to meet 2015 aid goals for poor new initiative on maternal, newborn and under-five child health," according to the draft. It left a blank for how much money the eight nations would provide. "Urgent collective action must be taken to regain lost ground and quicken the pace of progress" towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it said. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has sought focus on women and children. In 2000, world leaders agreed 2015 goals for slashing poverty, hunger, disease, maternal and child deaths, and for improving the environment, education and gender equality. Among the goals lagging most, more than 500,000 women die every year from causes linked to pregnancy
and nearly nine million children die before they reach the age of five, the G8 said. Climate The draft also said G8 nations would seek a new legal framework for a UNled deal to combat climate change after a UN summit in Copenhagen in December fell short of a treaty. But the G8 nations-the United States, Russia, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada-set no new dates for reaching an accord after Copenhagen overran a 2009 deadline. In 2010 "we will strive to achieve a fair, effective and comprehensive post-2012 agreement that includes a robust system of emissions reductions monitoring, reporting and verification," it said. The G8 reaffirmed a goal set in a non-binding
Emerging markets China The two-day China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue ended Tuesday with the signing of 26 agreements and both countries agreeing to deepen cooperation to strengthen and reinforce the global economic recovery. Consensus was reached in many issues involving financial, currency structure reforms, trade and investment and the stability and reform of the financial market. They also agreed to enhance dialogue and coordination in macro-economic policies. China said it would introduce financial and monetary policies and undergo structural reforms that would encourage consumption which is expected to play a more important part in the economic growth. India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said inflation would come down to 5-6 percent by December and projected an 8.5 percent economic growth for this fiscal. "Price continues to be a matter of deep concern. The government attaches highest priority to containing inflation so there is no distress to the common man," he said. India's inflation in April was estimated at 9.6 percent, as food prices continued to remain at elevated levels. Inflation in manufactured products, which has reached nearly 7 percent, has emerged as the latest worry for policy makers mirroring signs that the specter of price rise have lengthened across the broader economy.
G8 draft highlights
Economic crisis 'jeopardized' 2015 development goals
OSLO: The Group of Eight industrialized nations plan to invest in better health for mothers and young children in poor nations to meet faltering goals for slashing world poverty by 2015, a draft text for a G8 summit said. The five-page draft for the June 25-26 summit in Canada, dated March 12, said the "greatest economic crisis in generations" had "jeopardized our ability to meet the 2015 targets" for aiding developing nations set in 2000. It was unclear how far the text, obtained by Reuters yesterday and including references to progress towards world economic recovery, had changed in recent weeks with shockwaves from a debt crisis in Greece. "We undertake to champion a
policy rates unchanged at 0.1 percent. At the subsequent meeting, the central bank said it would set up a loan scheme targeting growth industries.
vigilant about potential downside risks such as the European debt crisis. "The economy has picked up steadily," but its growth momentum is "only weakly self-sustaining," the Cabinet Office's monthly economic report said, using exactly the same wording as in April. The unchanged assessment comes despite a recent series of brighter economic indicators. Gross Domestic Product data for the January-March period, released last week, showed an accelerating annualized growth rate of 4.9 percent, and the Bank of Japan upgraded its monthly economic assessment for effectively the second time in a row. The government's cautious view is partly due to uncertainty over whether Japan can maintain its growth momentum in the coming quarters, as domestic demand remains weak and the country's export-oriented economy is exposed to overseas shocks such as Europe's fiscal problems. The Japanese Merchandise Trade Balance Total fell to 730 billion in April compared to 948.9 billion reached in March. The Adjusted Merchandise Trade Balance grew to JPY767.7 billion in April from 666.2 billion the previous month. Some Bank of Japan (BOJ) board members were concerned about side effects of the bank's easing in March, according to minutes of its April 30 meeting. A few members said trade in money markets had contracted and market players' confidence in the availability of funds had weakened. A few also said the March easing measure could harm smooth financial intermediation if lower interest rates squeeze banks' profits, the minutes showed. In March, the BOJ doubled the amount of funds in a fixed-rate threemonth fund operation. At the April 30 meeting, the BOJ said it would consider a new scheme to help bolster growth, while leaving
Copenhagen Accord of limiting a rise in temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees F) above preindustrial times. "Achieving this global climate challenge requires global mitigation action," it said, but omitted vital details of how the curbs on greenhouse gas emissions would be shared out. It gave new support to a goal set at a G8 summit in 2008 of launching 20 largescale demonstration projects for carbon capture and storage-trapping greenhouse gases from coal-fired power plants, for instance, and burying them underground. "G8 leaders commit to take concrete actions to accelerate worldwide implementation of these projects and set a new goal to achieve this by 2015," the statement said. — Reuters
Following are highlights of a draft text, dated March 12, for a summit of leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in Canada on June 25-26. It was unclear how far the five-page text, obtained by Reuters yesterday, has been updated in recent weeks. The economic outlook has changed with the shockwaves from a crisis over a bailout for Greece. Recovery and new beginnings "Our annual summit takes place as the world recovers from the greatest economic crisis in generations. This crisis exposed and exacerbated vulnerabilities previously embedded in our integrated economies, our global development efforts, and our collective security. Progress is being made, through the work of the G20, towards the recovery of the global economic and financial system. For development, a decade of investments and policy commitments has achieved some progress towards the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals), but the crisis has jeopardized our ability to meet the 2015 targets. As recovery takes hold, we are at an important crossroads where nascent hope and optimism must be channeled into building a more equitable, inclusive and secure global community." Development "Urgent collective action must be taken to regain lost ground and quicken the pace of progress (towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for easing poverty). We call on the international community to restate...our collective resolve to meet the MDGs. Among the MDGs, maternal health and the health of children under the age of five are two goals that are lagging particularly far behind our stated objectives. Each year, more than
500,000 women lose their lives from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth...Nearly nine million children die before their fifth birthday. “We undertake to champion a new initiative on maternal, newborn and under-five child health. We...commit to new funding by 2015 to improve maternal and child health in developing countries. We also reaffirm our strong support for the achievement of universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support with respect to HIV/AIDS. While the global universal access target for 2010 was not realised, we take note of the strong progress to date." Food security "Food security remains an important global development challenge that we are committed to addressing." International peace and security "The G8 will focus on the implementation of practical measures that advance nonproliferation objectives and contribute to our shared security." One possible text, in brackets: "The G8 commits to a five-year action plan to strengthen the civilian dimensions of global responses to peace and security challenges. To this end, we commit to significantly scale up the international availability of civilian experts to support the rule of law and security institutions; to strengthen the capacities of key littoral states and regional organizations to conduct maritime and river-basin security operations and to ramp up the availability of formed police units for duty on UN peace operations." The statement says that "We must not allow Afghanistan to again become a haven for terrorists and it is time for the Afghan government to become fully responsible for
security and governance." Green recovery "The transition to full global economic and financial recovery represents an important opportunity to enact policies and measures that ensure environmentally responsible growth." "Among environmental issues, climate change remains top of mind. We recognize the scientific view that an increase in global temperature should be limited to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees F). Achieving this global climate challenge requires global mitigation action. We believe the international community should continue to seek a legal framework for post-2012 action within the UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) and reiterate our support for the Copenhagen Accord in this regard. We call for its full and effective implementation as an operational agreement." In the run-up to an annual meeting of environment ministers in Mexico in November-December "we will strive to achieve a fair, effective and comprehensive post-2012 agreement that includes a robust system of emissions reductions monitoring, reporting and verification." “We continue to support low-carbon solutions such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), energy efficiency and the development of renewable energy sources...We recognize the important role nuclear energy can play while reaffirming the pre-requisite of its peaceful use." Notes that the G8 summit in 2008 agreed to launch 20 large-scale CCS demonstration projects in 2010. "G8 leaders commit to take concrete actions to accelerate worldwide implementation of these projects and set a new goal to achieve this by 2015." — Reuters
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 .4180000 .3540000 .2480000 .2730000 .2440000 .0045000 .0020000 .0789120 .7688160 .4020000 .0750000 .7536910 .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 .2907000 .4204560 .3566410 .2507870 .2756010 .0479400 .0370400 .2463500 .0373220 .2065020 .0031920 .0063190 .0025670 .0034320 .0042370 .0791840 .7714620 .4111210 .0775580 .7554270 .0063530
US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals
TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2928000 .4234240 .2525620 .0780520
.2940000 .4280000 .3620000 .2580000 .2820000 .25200000 .0075000 .0035000 .0797050 .7765420 .4180000 .0790000 .7612660 .0072000 .0580000
279.500 186.800 253.830 247.500 289.250 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
3.211 6.268 3.427 2.560 3.941 208.500 37.800 4.212 6.311 9.017 0.301 0.292 GCC COUNTRIES
.2928000 .4234240 .3591590 .2525620 .2775520 .0482790 .0373020 .2480890 .0375860 .2079640 .0032150 .0063630 .0025850 .0034560 .0042670 .0796890 .7763480 .4140310 .0780520 .7602410 .0063980
Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham
77.881 80.232 758.700 775.610 79.530 ARAB COUNTRIES
Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham
54.750 51.593 1.294 195.640 412.400 195.910 6.267 33.170 GOLD
20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram
241.000 123.000 64.000
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
291.900 360.930 423.840
COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash
SELL CASH 251.700 776.080 4.390 281.700 573.000 15.800 49.200 167.800 54.490 363.500
SELL DRAFT 250.200 776.080 4.210 280.200
209.600 51.614 362.000
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
38.170 6.580 0.035 0.289 0.258 3.290 413.960 0.197 91.630 45.200 4.290 203.000 1.988 45.700 758.100 3.540 6.570 80.710 77.920 209.570 41.080 2.765 427.000 38.100 256.300 254.800 6.400 9.340 217.900 79.630 292.200 1.340
36.020 6.285
412.520 0.198 91.630 3.940 201.500
9.160 79.530 291.800
1,326.060
Sterling Pound US Dollar
Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Rate per 1000 (Tran)
US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Candaian Dollars
TRAVELLER'S CHEQUE 425.000 291.800
292.000 3.445 6.295 2.575 4.210 6.310 79.580 78.050 775.900 51.615 431.400 0.0000328000 3.990 1.550 414.600 5.750 368.100 286.300
Al Mulla Exchange
Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Cyprus Pound Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees
2.561 4.219 6.305 3.188 8.956 6.364 3.923
Currency 757.920 3.440 6.305 80.280 77.920 209.570 41.080 2.560 425.000
GOLD 10 Tola
Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees
291.750 279.172 426.677 361.733 252.221 715.109 772.241 79.413 80.116 77.769 411.705 51.591 6.301 3.432
Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal
*Rates are subject to change
Transfer rate 291.500 361.500 424.800 280.000 3.220 6.290 51.600 2.560 4.207 6.313 3.435 775.400 79.450 77.810
BUSINESS
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
23
New BMW X5 arrives in Middle East
KUWAIT: A Wataniya stall is pictured.
Wataniya Telecom makes World Cup KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom, in an effort to reinforce its commitment to the Kuwaiti society has collaborated with Al-Jazeera Sports to offer to their customers the chance to watch the 2010 South Africa- World Cup. Wataniya Telecom is offering a free Jazeera Sports subscription Card to enjoy World Cup games for all customers who subscribe to Wnet internet subscription for one year. The objective of this promotion is to address and meet the needs of all customers, particularly the sports enthusiasts who are looking forward to catching the grand upcoming 2010 World Cup. Customers who subscribe to Wnet can enjoy the games at the comfort of their home. “Our goal is to create a remarkable experience for our customers in every way and the best route
to accomplish this is by providing an exclusive offer. FIFA World Cup comes around every four years and we wanted to be the first to introduce it to our loyal customers for free,” said Abdol Aziz Al-Balool,PR Manager at Wataniya Telecom. Customers interested in not missing a single game can avail of the offer at the Al-Jazeera booth in the Avenues mall which started May 28 and will be on for the next ten days .Customers that receive a new Wnet subscription can obtain their free World Cup card and access the games via the Al-Jazeera sports station. FIFA 2010 World Cup is a time when the world’s best football teams unite to create a marvelous event and Wataniya wants their customers to be a part of this global phenomenon.
DUBAI: (Left) Kyungtae Bae, President of Samsung Electronics Middle East & North Africa Headquarters is pictured with Marc-Antoine d’Halluin President and CEO of OSN.
Samsung, Orbit Showtime Network unveil partnership DUBAI: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, has signed a sponsorship agreement with Orbit Showtime Network (OSN) the region’s leading Pay TV provider to support the network’s high-definition decoder roll out and channel line-up. The agreement which will span OSN’s complete Middle East footprint from May 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011, underscores the perfect fit offered by Samsung’s high-definition televisions in maximizing the OSN HD viewing experience. The Samsung-OSN HD partnership will offer viewers unparalleled entertainment experience with 75 premium channels including eight HD channels such as OSN Movies, Show Sports 1 HD, Nat Geo Wild HD, and Food Network HD among others. Kyungtae Bae, President of Samsung Electronics Middle East & North Africa Headquarters, said “Our partnership with OSN marks the collaboration of two leaders in home entertainment. While OSN’s new HD decoder rollout offers the consumer unprecedented content quality and choice, as the recommended HD TV brand, Samsungs products will further enhance the consumers viewing experience. We will be leveraging our leading technologies and differentiated marketing platforms to create a long-term association with OSN to further enhance our market share in the Middle East region.” OSN is the first and only broadcaster, in the region, to bring an exclusive bouquet of eight highdefinition channels through various packages and
will embark on a well planned roll out of HD decoders to the region. Marc-Antoine d’Halluin President and CEO of OSN said: “We are very pleased to be collaborating with Samsung Electronics for our high definition decoder roll out. Our new HD channel lineup -the first in the region, and our packages in general offer huge variety of choice for our existing and potential new customers. Watching HD content on an HD ready TV will offer the ultimate TV experience for our subscriber which is an important driver for our business. It really highlights us as front-runners in the industry and we are proud to partner with Samsung”. The HD 1080i experience with Dolby Digital plus offered by the OSN, delivers an exceptional audio-visual experience, especially when viewed on Samsung’s latest 3D LED Television which can convert 2D signals into genuine 3D content. “Our association will further enhance Samsungs market awareness across the fast-growing Middle East Consumer Electronics segment,” added Bae of Samsung. “Several value added offerings will be realized through this partnership, ultimately providing consumers with the best home entertainment solution.” At the cutting edge in television technology, Samsung will be bolstering its full line up of HD flat panel televisions with the introduction of a comprehensive 3D TV solution. These new 3D TV sets will not only provide Full HD 3D support, as seen in the cinema, but will also display high quality HD images.
As the BMW X5 powers into a new decade, a new chapter in the evolution of the world’s most popular Sports Activity Vehicle begins. The 2011 BMW X5 incorporates new innovative design elements and powertrains, the result of over 4,000 new parts being incorporated into the vehicle. Selective design modifications to the front and rear of the vehicle clearly express enhanced sporting characteristics. All versions of the new BMW X5 are also equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard offering optimised effectiveness and the highest degree of comfort. Two new powertrains have also been introduced to the BMW X5’s portfolio; the BMW X5 xDrive50i and the X5 xDrive35i. More dynamic, efficient and luxurious than ever, the new BMW X5 continues to strengthen its leading position in the premium four-wheel drive segment. Enhanced intelligent four-wheel drive technology ensures superior dynamics both on and off-road. Numerous driver assistance system options and BMW ConnectedDrive features are available on the new BMW X5. These features offer a wide range of driver-assist technologies that increase the comfort and safety for all passengers while travelling in the vehicle including but not limited to Head-Up Display, Lane Departure Warning and a Surround View system. Thanks to BMW Efficient Dynamics, all versions of the new BMW X5 achieve the optimum ratio between performance and fuel consumption in each of their engine classes. The new top-of-the-range model, the BMW X5 xDrive50i, V8 power unit, features a BMW TwinPower Turbo and direct petrol injection, has an output 407bhp and accelerates from 0100km/h in just 5.5 seconds. The new BMW X5 xDrive35i is powered by 306bhp, straight sixcylinder engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo, High Precision Injection and VALVETRONIC technology and accelerates from 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds. The design of the new BMW X5 is characterised by well-balanced proportions that make the vehicle look exquisitely dynamic and elegant. Larger side air intakes at the front with an increased surfaces painted in body colour help emphasise the vehicle’s dominance and sportiness on the road. The new BMW X5’s athletic character is additionally underlined by the reshaped rear bumper and the tailpipe surrounds. Both the headlights and taillights have
been redesigned to provide a particularly superior and effective day and nighttime functions typical to the BMW style. The L-shaped, redesigned taillights, each with two homogeneously illuminated LED light banks, reflect the brand-typical nighttime design of the rear end. Key Connected Drive features available on the new BMW X5 include: Parking Assist: This measures the size of the parking spot and automatically steers the car into it. Reversing Camera with Top View: The top view function gives the driver a bird’s
eye view of the vehicle and gives reliable information on the position and potential obstacles in the vicinity. Lane Departure Warning: Features a vibrating alert on the steering wheel alerting the driver if the car is moving lanes without indicating or drifting. Lane Change Warning: Features a flashing indicator warning you of any vehicles in your blind spot. Active Cruise control with Stop and Go Function: Automatic distance control function that allows for relaxed cruising on the motorway and
ensures that the selected distance from the vehicle ahead is maintained by the vehicle. Stop and Go allows the vehicle to do the same at low-speeds and brings the car to a complete standstill and can automatically set the car in motion again. Speed Limit Information: Keeps the driver informed of the speed limit on the route being driven through intelligent networking of camera and navigation data. The camera is used for lane departure warning and can also monitor other road signs. Side View: Two integrated cameras that are incorporated
on the front two wings. This ensures comfortable maneuvering but also detection of traffic conditions to the left or ride side of the vehicle when moving out of a space. Phil Horton, Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East said “Since the BMW X5 was launched over ten years ago it has achieved enormous success on a global and regional level with almost 22,000 units sold in the Middle East to date. The X5 is one of our top three selling vehicles in the Middle East so we are extremely pleased to now offer an updated model.”
NBK’s ‘Travel Safe’ on offer for holiday season
Lena Khajah
KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the leading bank in Kuwait and the highest rated bank in the Middle East, is pleased to offer ‘Travel Safe’, NBK’s travel insurance package in co-operation with Al-Ahleia Insurance Company for its valued customers during this holiday season. NBK Executive Manager, Consumer Banking Group, Lena Khajah said “NBK is always seeking to provide its valued customers with innovative banking products and services that are designed to meet their changing needs. “NBK’s Travel Safe is one such product which addresses a wide array of travelers needs providing policy holders increased cov-
erage at highly competitive rates through its alliance with Al-Ahleia Insurance Co. NBK customers can apply and obtain their policy instantly at any one of NBK’s branches located around Kuwait. In addition, policy holders can receive the required insurance certificate for their Schengen visa from Al-Ahleia Insurance Co virtually hassle free when presenting their NBK Travel Safe policy”, added Khajah. Details of NBK’s travel insurance include: Insurance certificate for the Schengen visa Accident and sickness medical expenses (In and outpatient) Dental expenses
Medical prescriptions Personal liability Accidental death and disability Flight cancellation or delay Luggage delay or loss Khajah also highlighted the importance of ensuring customers check their passports and required travel documents are in order before embarking on their holidays. Banking with NBK offers privileges unmatched by any other bank in Kuwait. Apply by visiting your nearest NBK branch and receive your travel insurance instantly. For further information kindly contact Hala Watani at 1801801 or visit any of NBK’s branches. Detailed information can also be found at www.nbk.com.
Gulf Bank congratulates Al-Danah weekly draw winners LG expands basket of hot new cookies KUWAIT: Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah 2010 now has more chances for its AlDanah customers to win cash prizes throughout the year. The bank holds weekly, quarterly and annual prize draws encouraging customers to keep their money in their account for as long as possible to enhance their chances of winning. The bank held its seventeenth draw on May 30, 2010, announcing a total number of 10 Al-Danah weekly prize draw winners, each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000. The winners were: Tracy Louis Edwards, Najah Shahad Omar Kamel, Ihsan Abdulaziz Saad Al-Owaish, Khadija Saad Wadi Al-Adwany, Walaa Ameer Ali AlHaddad, Saeed Ahmed Bamutairef, Abdulaziz Abdulmehsin Nasser AlHerz, Galeb Abdulhafez Qasem Mohammed, Saleh Jasem Al-Hamad, and Tareq Abdulla Hassan Naser. A minimum deposit of just KD 200 is needed to open an Al-Danah account. Not only does Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah account allow customers to
win, but it is also encourages customers to save money. The more money deposited and the longer it is kept in the account, the more chances there are to win. Al-Danah also offers a number of unique services including the AlDanah Deposit Only ATM card which helps account holders deposit their money at their convenience; as well as the Al-Danah calculator which is now in operation to help customers calculate their chances of becoming an Al-Danah winner. To be part of the Al-Danah draw customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 51 branches, transfer on line, or call the Telebanking service 1805805 for assistance and guidance. Customers can also log on to www.egulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website to find all the information regarding Al-Danah or any of the bank’s products and services or log on www.e-gulfbank.com/aldanah, to find out more about Al-Danah and who the winners are.
KUWAIT: General Manager Adel Al-Mutawa congratulates Al-Danah weekly winner, Galeb Abdulhafez Qasem Mohammed.
KUWAIT: LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in mobile communications, is set to make another major splash in the touchphone market with the release of a new device-LG Cookie Fresh (LG GS290). Offering the same full touch screen experience as its popular predecessor, the LG cookie, the slick new 3G handset with SNS capabilities is set to raise the bar with a host of exciting features. “LG Cookie Fresh is both a celebration of the original Cookie phone, which brought touchscreen technology to all, and an exciting first step in our new line of phones that will continue the Cookie legacy by adding creativity and affordability to the touch experience,” said H S Paik, President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE. Centered on social networking, the Cookie Fresh boast a flurry of friendly networking features. Easy SNS usability brings Facebook to
your mobile screen for a simple social networking experience, while Twitter, Flickr and other top sites are also supported. LG’s unique peer management application, LiveSquare(tm), adds a visually dynamic and interactive dimension to keeping up with your closest contacts. What’s more, the LG Cookie boosts a fun, cartoon-styled UI with colorful theme options and supports downloadable applications including The New York Times, eBay Search, Amazon Search and Fox News for a more enjoyable user experience. For those craving a new look, the LG Cookie Fresh (LG GS290) boasts a distinctive design with a splash of imagination and personality. This handset offers the features found in the original Cookie but comes in a sleek and smooth package and soft outer grip as well as in 16 bold color variations. The new Cookie Fresh devices will be rolled across the Kuwait by mid-July.
24
BUSINESS
KSE price index ends with dip in red KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange's (KSE) major and sectoral indices fell sharply during yesterday's session. Furthermore, all the GCC markets also closed in red. Traders are psychologically linked with the global markets unnecessarily. It is worth mentioning the President of the European Central Bank said yesterday that Europe and its central bank are facing a difficult period which requires governments to take quick measures to improve their fiscal positions. Market indices Global General Index (GGI) shed 3.70 points (- 1.88 percent) during yesterday's session to reach 193.11 points. Furthermore, the KSE Price Index decreased by 114.10 points (- 1.67 percent) yesterday and closed at 6,699.70 points. Market capitalization was down KD 595.47 million yesterday to reach KD 31.90 billion. Market breadth During yesterday's session, 114 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners, as 93 equities retreated versus 11 that advanced. A total of 108 stocks remained unchanged during yesterday's trading session.
Top gainers and biggest decliners In terms of top gainers, Burgan For Well Drilling Company took the top spot for the day, adding 8.16 percent and closed at KD 0.530. On the other hand, Kuwait Company for Process Plant
Construction & Contracting shed 14.71 percent and closed at KD 0.290, making it the biggest decliner in the market. Sectors wise Regarding Global's sectoral indices, they all ended the day on a negative note, with Global Investment Index being the top decliner. The index ended the day down 3.07 percent backed by Kuwait Projects Company (Holding), the largest company in the sector, ending the day down 2.74 percent to close at KD 0.355. Global Real Estate Index was the second biggest decliner, down 2.74 percent during yesterday's session. The index's loss was backed by Mabanee Company which ended yesterday's trading session down 4.69 percent and closed at KD 0.610. In addition, National Real Estate Company was also a contributing factor in the index's
decline. The scrip ended yesterday down 5.56 percent and closed at KD 0.170. Global's special indices also ended on a negative note, with Global High Yield Index being the top decliner. The index ended the day down 1.95 percent backed by Kuwait Finance House ending the day down 2.94 percent. Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $70.62 a barrel on Friday, compared with $70.48 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. Market news Kuwait Stock Exchange announces that Abyaar Real Estate Development Co has received a bid from an UAE investor to acquire 50 percent of its Dubai-based land-mark property. The
Saudi bourse ends higher on oil DUBAI: Most Gulf Arab bourses fell yesterday in subdued trading with markets in the United States and Britain closed for a holiday, while Saudi Arabia bucked the trend, buoyed by firmer oil prices. Oil rose above $74 in line with a timid recovery across financial markets, but was set for its biggest monthly loss in 18 months after the European economic crisis raised the prospect of reduced fuel demand. Saudi Arabia's index closed 0.6 percent higher, led by Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) which rose 1.4 percent. Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai fell by more than 1 percent. "It's not a major fall," said Ali Khan, managing director and head of brokerage at Arqaam Capital. "Certain stocks have fallen quite a lot but on low volumes." Dubai-listed Tabreed was one of the day's biggest fallers, declining 4 percent. The air conditioning firm said it won approval from shareholders to issue bonds worth up to 4.2 billion dirhams ($1.14 billion). Shareholders also approved cancelling up to 970 million shares of 1 dirham each. "Tabreed hasn't performed well in the first quarter. Overall the situation is not very bright," said Vyas Jayabhanu, head of investments, Al Dhafra Financial Broker. Kuwait's bourse was the region's biggest decliner, falling 1.7 percent as National Bank of Kuwait lost 3.3 percent and Ahli United Bank 5.2 percent. Shares of Gulf Finance House closed 2.4 percent lower in Kuwait and fell 6.9 percent on Bahrain's bourse after the lender said it will sell its 50 percent stake in Bahrain Financial Harbour to Emar Bahrain. Egypt's main index rose 0.5 percent, its fourth session of gains, buoyed by Orascom Telecom which
Global Daily Market Report
Daily trading activity Trading activities ended on a positive note yesterday as volume of shares traded on the exchange increased by 5.06 percent to reach 138.07 million shares, and value of shares traded increased by 21.75 percent to stand at KD 21.75 million. The non-Kuwaiti sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 30.13 percent of total market volume. The banking sector was the value leader, with 29.79 percent of total market value. Gulf Finance House was the volume leader yesterday, with a total traded volume of 39.28 million shares. Kuwait Finance House was the value leader, with a total traded value of KD 3.03 million.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
company approved this offer and drafted a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that would be signed this week. The Kuwaiti developer will inform the market management of the deal details and financial impacts upon inking the memo and the sale contract. The final agreement is expected to be concluded no later than 30 days from signing the MoU. Kuwait Stock Exchange announces that Advanced Technology Co made a clarification on the news published in a local gazette. The company reported winning a KWD 1.7 million tender to equip the intensive care unit (ICU) at Communicable Disease Hospital. However, the contract has not yet been inked between the two parties. Gulf Finance House will sell its 49.88 percent stake in Bahrain Financial Harbour Holding to Emar Bahrain, the company said in a statement yesterday.
rose on continued speculation over an imminent close of its deal to sell assets to South Africa's MTN Orascom, which surged 12 percent on Sunday, rose 3.1 percent. Yesterday’s highlights Kuwait The index fell 1.7 percent to 6,700 points. Saudi Arabia The kingdom's benchmark rose 0.6 percent to 6,121 points. Abu Dhabi The main measure declined 1.2 percent to 2,604 points. Dubai The bourse eased 1.4 percent to 1,580 points. Qatar The index lost 0.6 percent to 6,786 points. Oman Muscat's measure fell 0.4 percent to 6,295 points. Bahrain Bahrain's index eased 0.3 percent to 1,450 points. Egypt The index rose 0.5 percent to 6,549 points. —Reuters
Iran's gas output seen at 1.2m bpd by 2014 MANAMA: Iran's gasoline production capacity will hit 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2014 following the completion of $27 billion worth of plant upgrades throughout the country, a top official said yesterday. Iran, which is the second-largest OPEC producer, relies on imports for 40 percent of its gasoline requirements because it lacks the refining capacity to produce its own oil products. Work to add an additional 157,000 bpd of new gasoline production capacity at the Bandar Abbas refinery will be completed by 2011, Iran's Deputy Oil Minister Noureddin Shahnazizadeh said during a speech at an industry event. Iran's current crude production capacity stands at 3.6 million bpd of which it exports 2.1 million bpd while the rest is consumed internally, said Shahnazizadeh, who is also the managing director of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC). "Due to Iran's ever increasing demand for petroleum products especially gasoline and gas oil,
NIORDC embarked on a long term program to redress their shortages," he said. "And (we) accordingly define a number of refinery projects based on a variety of feedstock options including but not limited to condensate and heavy crude oil." The 250,000 bpd Arak refinery which will cost $3.47 billion is scheduled for a start-up in 2011, he added. Iran would add 20 million litres of gasoline production daily from the upgrade of the existing four refineries, he said. "I think within two years," Shahnazizadeh said, when asked when Iran would be self-sufficient in gasoline production. "Twenty percent of the (funding) for the new refineries at the most will be injected by the government sector and the rest funded by the private sector," he said. The long term plan to boost its gasoline supply makes Tehran less susceptible to the threat of US sanctions on fuel suppliers to the Islamic republic, he said. "Sanctions won't affect plans to build or upgrade our refineries," he said. — Reuters
BUSINESS
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
25
Honda components plant resumes partial production
Strike-hit Honda sees little progress on China output FOSHAN: Workers at a strikebound Honda Motor parts factory in southern China pressed on with a drive to win higher wages yesterday even as the Japanese carmaker lured some back to partially resume production. Officials at Honda's Tokyo headquarters said negotiations were proceeding with workers at the factory, leaving four other plants idle at least through today after being closed for most of last week. China, the
LONDON: Joint general secretaries of the Unite Union, Tony Woodley (center) and Derek Simpson (second right) address striking British Airways cabin crew. — AFP
BA cabin crew on 14th day of strike LONDON: British Airways cabin crew walked out for the 14th day yesterday in an on-and-off strike over pay, benefits and working conditions, and a union leader said disruptions could continue into the summer. Striking cabin crew walked off their jobs May 24 for five days and began the new round of strikes Sunday after the latest round of talks collapsed. The cabin crew union has called for another five days of strikes beginning on June 5 if there is no settlement. The airline says it plans to fly more than 70 percent of its long-haul flights, compared to the 60 percent it had operated during last week's strike, and 55 percent of short-haul flights, up from 50 percent last week. A big sticking point in the dispute is British Airways decision to take away travel benefits for cabin crew who joined in strikes. Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of the Unite union, accused British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh of blocking a settlement. And Woodley said the union is preparing for another vote on continuing strikes beyond early June, when the current strike authorization ends. "Willie, we all know there is a deal to be done at British Airways, one that recognizes the real commercial needs and problems of your company as well as our members' legitimate interests. Unite is ready to do that deal," Woodley said in his
speech to the union conference in Manchester, according to a text released by the union. "But we are not, and never will, be prepared to see our members and our union humiliated, victimized and reduced to ruins, as you seem to want - never." The British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association, a part of Unite, says it was close to agreeing with BA on a deal that would have cut costs and allowed the airline to restructure. It complains, however, that the airline has taken disciplinary action against more than 50 members and is angry that BA withdrew travel privileges from striking crew. Unite says it represents about 12,000 cabin crew. British Airways says it has made an offer that it believes cabin crew would accept if the union would put it to a vote. The airline says it has offered to reinstate travel concessions to cabin crew - they pay 10 percent of normal airline fares to commute to work - once all elements of its offer were implemented. It has accused Unite of reopening issues that had been settled. The strikes are an additional financial hardship for BA, which reported a record annual loss of 425 million pounds ($611 million) for the year ending March 31. Seven days of walkouts in March cost the airline around 43 million pounds ($63 million). — AP
JAMMU: An Indian worker carries utensils at a factory yesterday. — AP
Indian economy growth is higher than expected MUMBAI: India's economy grew 7.4 percent in the year ended March, official data showed yesterday, but analysts said an uncertain global outlook meant the government would be in no rush to raise interest rates. The strong dataalso showing 8.6 percent yearon-year growth in the fourth quarter-was boosted by stellar performances in the industrial and service sectors and comes as inflation is running at almost 10 percent. However, concern at the eurozone debt crisis and hopes for this year's monsoon are likely to dissuade the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from hiking the cost of borrowing, experts said. "We expect no upward revision in rates at the next meeting," said Ritika Mankar, economist with financial services firm Executive Noble, after the central bank announced new measures to boost liquidity last week. Yesterday's data from the Central Statistical Organization (CSO) showed the manufacturing sector grew 10.8 percent in the year and the construction and utilities sectors by 6.5 percent each. The transport and communications sector saw 9.3 percent growth. The country has recorded seven straight months of double-digit expansion in industrial output. In the vital farm sector, the CSO said the ministry of agriculture had revised upwards its crop production estimates for key com-
modities such as rice, wheat, cotton and sugarcane. The data showed agricultural growth at 0.2 percent for the financial year to March against official estimates of negative 0.2 percent. Agriculture accounts for 15 percent of India's gross domestic product and though its share is falling, the sector's health is vital to the economy as 60 percent of India's 1.1 billion people rely on it for a living. Another factor influencing the central bank will be the monsoon rains, which officially arrived in the southwestern state of Kerala yesterday and will sweep across the country over the next four months. If strong, they will bring down food prices. Last year's monsoon, the weakest in nearly four decades, hit agricultural output, sent the cost of food soaring and caused widespread hardship. "The Europe area crisis and lack of clarity on the monsoon could have an impact on growth and monetary policy," said Mridul Saggar, chief economist at Mumbai-based Kotak Securities. "If Europe's problems continue, it may cause a domino effect across the globe, weakening trade and consumer confidence again." Reacting to yesterday's data, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters: "I expect the current economic momentum to remain." He said he expected the economy to grow 8.5 percent in the fiscal
year to March 2011. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said last week that India's economy, which has opened up to global trade in the past 15 years, must record 10 percent growth every year if severe poverty problems are to be tackled effectively. The central bank has kept its monetary policy stance "accommodative" in order to stimulate growth, while seeking to tame inflation. India's year-on-year inflation cooled slightly in April, which also eases pressure on the central bank to hike interest rates immediately. Wholesale price inflation, the country's main cost-of-living measure, slipped to 9.59 percent last month from 9.9 percent in March. The RBI hiked its key interest rates by a combined 50 basis points in March and April, and has begun unwinding monetary stimulus used to shield the country from the global downturn. Economists told AFP they expect a further 50-75 basis points rise in short-term rates before next March in order to manage non-food prices. But analysts said they were confident India could clock more than eight percent growth in the year to March 2011. Rupa Rege Nitsure, chief economist with state-run Bank of Baroda, said she expected the momentum to continue this year, with help from improved farm output led by a normal monsoon. — AFP
The strike's duration is unusual in China, where foreign investors have come to count on a low-cost and disciplined labor force. The Communist Party-backed All China Federation of Labor Unions discourages independent worker activism, and generally sides with management. Honda said employees were gradually returning to work at the transmissions plant in Foshan in Guangdong province and that assembly had restarted in the late afternoon. That might enable a factory that exports Jazz subcompacts to restart tomorrow, Honda spokesman Hideto Maehara said. A second spokeswoman in Tokyo, Tomoko Uchida, said Honda did not know when operations would return to normal. A China-based spokesman earlier said talks with workers had been completed. A few dozen striking workers at the
IEA sees upstream oil savings rising in 2010 MANAMA: Investments in the upstream oil and gas sector worldwide will rise between 9 and 10 percent in 2010 versus the previous year, a senior energy economist for the International Energy Agency (IEA) said yesterday. Money spent on exploration and development projects would however still be about 10 percent below its investment peak seen in 2008, said Trevor Morgan of the IEA. "We don't actually see much of an increase in capacity on a net basis in the next 5 years," Morgan told an industry event. "Hence our concern is that the industry will need to invest more in the years to come to meet the increasing demand that we project." He estimated that investments in the upstream oil and gas sector fell about $90 billion in 2009. Morgan told Reuters the recent rise in financing costs in the wake of the debt crisis in Europe, which prompted a rise in the LIBOR benchmark, was a risk to the projected rebound in investments this year. "It is a risk...but we have to see, if financing costs remain high, or it gets even more expensive then it could have a material impact on the investment number for the whole year," he said. Morgan said though that not all oil and gas producing companies would be impacted to the same extent. "It depends on the company. Some companies are much more sensitive to financing costs than others, the majors they can ride these waves, fluctuations in financing costs much more easily," he said. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said yesterday global economic growth was vulnerable to sovereign debt risks and raised the possibility of a second economic downturn. — Reuters
parts plant said up to 80 workers had been fired for refusing a pay increase that they said amounted to 11 yuan ($1.60) a month. Honda said it could not immediately confirm the dismissals. And about 30 workers told reporters at the factory gates that they were unhappy with how official trade unions were representing them. Some said they had been roughed up by union officials, displaying scratches underneath their shirts. "It's a matter of dignity," said one young worker who declined to give his name. "What they're offering us is not enough to live on." About 100 representatives of the official workers' union then confronted the workers at the gates, attempting to push them out of the factory grounds as police and reporters watched. Full-time workers at the plant earn about 1,500 yuan a month. But a large contingent of the workforce is made
world's fastest growing major economy, has been hit with a string of labor disputes at foreign firms, whose migrant workers have begun to demand better pay and working conditions. Workers at Honda have been on strike for higher wages and more benefits since May 22, hitting Japan's No 2 automaker with thousands of units in lost sales in the world's biggest market. up of vocation school "interns," who earn less. The interns were asked to sign a mini-contract pledging to "abide by China's Labor Law" and agreements between their school and Honda obliging them to stay out of any strike, according to a copy of the May 27 contract obtained by Reuters. Spreading risk? Honda, which lags Toyota Motor and Nissan Motor in China, operates car ventures with Dongfeng Motor Group Co and Guangzhou Automobile. It also has a small plant making its Jazz model for export. It said the two plants held with Guangzhou Auto would close at least until today, while Dongfeng Honda's factory would remain closed until tomorrow. Including the export plant, Honda has the capacity to build 650,000 cars a year in China. Some foreign companies have begun
to take corrective action in view of worker discontent. Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd plans to raise workers' salaries by about a fifth at its Foxconn International unit in China, as it struggles to stop a spate of worker suicides and quell rising public anger. Foxconn makes Apple Inc's iPhone. More than 1,000 workers at a parts factory near Beijing that supplies South Korea's Hyundai Motor suspended work for most of Saturday to demand higher wages. They returned to work after management promised a pay rise, local media reported."There was a little production disruption on both May 28 and 29, but it has been back to normal operations since May 30," a Hyundai spokesperson said in an email from Seoul. Honda shares ended down 0.3 percent at 2,770 yen, in line with Tokyo's transport sector subindex. — Reuters
China's working mums walk hard path BEIJING: If Ellen Wu had been living 60 years ago in Maoist China, she would have been encouraged to work and offered free day care for her daughter. Relatives would have eagerly pitched in to help her. In today's China, Wu waited 10 years after her marriage to give birth and spent just five months at home before heading back to work as a translator. A nanny cares for her daughter, now two years old. "I just did not have other choices-if my current career momentum is interrupted, I may well end up being jobless," said the 37-year-old Wu, adding she had wanted to stay at home much longer. Many women in China's army of working mothers-an estimated 320 million strong, according to marketing firm Ogilvy and Mather-are caught in the same conundrum as Wu, unsure how to balance the ever-mounting demands on their time. Women were pushed to take jobs when the Communist Party came to power in China in 1949. As revolutionary leader Mao Zedong put it, "women hold up half of the sky". Following decades of rapid social change and modernization, Chinese women say the task is much harder. Child care is expensive, bosses are less flexible and husbands are no longer the sole breadwinners in Chinese families. "I think a woman should have her own job and she cannot fully depend on the man," said Wu. "For me, financial independence in the family is a must," said Wu, who earns 250,000 yuan (36,600 dollars) a year, more than five times the average per capita salary recorded in Beijing last year. The Ogilvy report released in late March said mothers "are increasingly playing catch-up and seeking fulfillment in their professional pursuits", creating "areas of potential conflict" with their spouses. Wu said her husband supported her for 18
BEIJING: In this file photo, a Chinese woman accompanies her son as they take part in a pre-school class at a child care education chain. — AFP months while she was studying abroad, and she felt obliged to report every major expense she had during this time, an experience she described as "humiliating". Beyond pressures on the home front, it is becoming increasingly difficult in China to find affordable child care. The Chinese tradition of grandparents helping young couples with their kids still exists but is fraught with difficulties, from conflicts over how to raise the children to the fading strength of the elder generation. Wu said she could not leave her daughter with her 72-yearold mother, as she was unable to care for her properly. And a once-massive network of lowcost state-run day care centers has disintegrated during China's 30 years of economic reform, leaving mums with fewer, more expensive options. Private facilities have thrived on strong demand and the shortage of public centers, with some charging more than
33,000 yuan a year per childmore than a year at university would cost and far beyond the reach of ordinary Chinese. A survey covering 1,340 parents of preschoolers in Beijing and Shanghai found that nearly 40 percent of mothers temporarily quit their jobs to take care of their offspring. Around 13 percent stopped working for two years or longer, according to the survey, published online last year by the government-linked Women's Studies Institute of China. "Most of the parents surveyed, more often mothers than fathers, said the shortage of public day care service has led to a stark clash between parenting and work," the institute said in its report. "The government should ... address the need of reducing women's parenting responsibilities to promote women's employment when drafting new child education policies." Deng Yan, the marketing manager for Babycare, a private
child care chain based in Beijing targeting affluent parents, said the more successful a woman is in her career, the less likely she would stay at home after childbirth. "The child is very important to them. But their career is equally important. They are not ready to abandon their own way of living for the child," she said. Sometimes, however, the pressure becomes too great. Ma Jun, 32, is a researcher at a government-linked science institute and used to be a key member of the core research team, often working overtime until midnight or beyond. But Ma, the mother of a two-yearold boy, has now downgraded her professional ambitions, moving to a lower-visibility post not only to satisfy her demanding boss, but also to ease her troubled conscience. "I am not able to focus on my work as hard as before," Ma said. "Promotion and research achievements used to be my goals. But now family takes the priority." — AFP
WTO questions China's export barriers Export curbs not economically effective for conservation GENEVA: China's curbs on exports of some raw materials to conserve resources may not meet the stated goals while giving Chinese manufacturers an unfair advantage, the World Trade Organization said yesterday. The remarks, in a report prepared for China's two-yearly trade policy review, constituted a rare comment by the WTO's secretariat on a current dispute between members. China's restrictions on raw materials sales have been challenged by the United States, European Union and Mexico, and the WTO set up a panel in December to rule on the complaints. The WTO noted that China has continued to open its markets since joining the global trade body in 2001, and its average tariff is now only 9.5 percent against 9.7 percent in 2007. But it said export barriers have not fallen as fast as import barriers. China uses restrictions such as prohibitions, licensing, quotas, taxes and partial tax rebates to manage certain exports in order to conserve
resources and energy, it said. The report questioned whether this approach was economically effective, and noted that such restraints tend to reduce export volumes of the targeted products, diverting supplies to the domestic market and depressing their domestic prices. "Export restraints... may implicitly assist domestic downstream processing of the products concerned," it said. In other words, by cutting off exports of some raw materials, China makes them more expensive for foreign manufacturers who use them while making them cheaper for its own domestic processing industry, which is thus able to sell its finished goods abroad more cheaply than foreign competitors can. External/domestic balance WTO officials are normally reluctant to comment on issues that are subject to litigation for fear of influencing the outcome, and the report steered a discreet path around other disputes involving
China. For instance it refrained from any recommendation on China's currency, whose level concerns the United States and some other trading partners. It noted that when the International Monetary fund had last examined it, some IMF directors had agreed that the yuan was substantially undervalued, while the central bank wants to keep the rate basically stable. The report was prepared on April 26 but only released yesterday for the start of the three-day review of trade policies at the world's biggest exporter and second-biggest importer. China was making greater use of trade actions such as duties on unfairly priced imports, while itself remaining the most frequent target of such anti-dumping measures, it said. Since 2008 China has been involved in 4 disputes as a complainant and 11 as a defendant, it said. The WTO said heavy reliance on manufacturing had resulted in overinvestment and excess capacity in some
industries which became obvious when external demand fell, leading to a 16 percent fall in exports in 2009. Chinese exports have rebounded this year. This over-investment was partly due to the absence of a proper capital market, monetary policy that is not fully based on market instruments, and government guidance in allocating resources, it said. A better balance between external and domestic demand to drive growth, and further liberalization of import and export policies would strengthen China's ability to work with other countries to manage trade and economic imbalances, it said. It said the crisis has reinforced China's intention to undertake longerterm structural reforms. These include strengthening domestic demand by strengthening social safety nets, reducing household precautionary savings, diversifying the economy and developing capital markets to reduce high enterprise savings. — Reuters
26
BUSINESS
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
High jobless rates, sovereign risks could still trigger slump
Global economy double dip possible: China’s Wen
BEIJING: A worker hangs the advertisement of a fashion goods label outside a shopping mall yesterday. — AFP
ECB sends mixed signals on govt bond purchases FRANKFURT: The ECB sent mixed messages on its switch of policy to buy government debt bonds yesterday, with the head of the bank defending the purchases and the German central bank chief criticizing them. European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet defended the ECB's bond buying scheme, telling a conference organized by the Austrian central bank in Vienna that it did not undermine the ECB's policy or independence. "We are not printing money," he declared. "This confirms and underpins our commitment to price stability." he said. The ECB has come under fire for its unprecedented scheme of intervening in securities markets to buy government and private debt in a moved aimed at halting speculative attacks in the eurozone and restoring stability to bond markets. However, in Mainz, western Germany, German central bank governor Axel Weber, a key member of the ECB governing council, reiterated his criticism of the
ECB program to buy sovereign bonds. "Monetary policy has taken new paths to fight the crisis that I continue to view critically owing to the risks" involved in buying a country's debt, said Weber, an unofficial candidate to become the next ECB chief in late 2011. The ECB's governing council decision concerns bonds issued by troubled eurozone countries like Greece, Portugal and Spain. Weber voted against the measure and has spent considerable time since explaining his position. The German central bank governor said he was concerned above all about the ECB's independence from political pressure. One should "draw a clear line of separation between responsibility for monetary policy and fiscal policy," Weber said. Some analysts have argued that the ECB risks turning into a "bad bank" if it keeps buying government bonds from troubled eurozone countries. The term "bad bank" refers to a financial structure created to unload risky debt so commercial banks can
get their finances in order. But Trichet disagreed. "The latest measures address a malfunctioning of certain market segments," he said in Vienna. "Without such measures, the market problems could have created risks to the favorable outlook for price stability. However, we have not gone beyond the goal of re-establishing a more correct transmission of our monetary policy." Weber argued meanwhile that the ECB's duty was to maintain price stability and that only an independent central bank can do so. "We should now limit the risks," Weber said. "The operation must be carried out in a very targeted and limited way," he said. It should "serve as a bridge until new state financing facilities" agreed by the European Union can take over, Weber said in reference to a massive rescue package drawn up by the EU and International Monetary Fund. —AFP
BP payouts cannot save fishing season GOLDEN MEADOW: Carol Terrebonne, a wholesale retailer who buys shrimp off the boats in southern Louisiana, laughs when asked about the $5,000 hardship payout she has received from energy giant BP to cushion the economic impact of the Gulf oil spill. "It barely pays the power bill. I have two facilities and they have ice machines and cold storage," she said in her cramped roadside office, seated beneath pictures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. As of Sunday, BP said 26,000 claims had been filed by commercial fishermen, angling guides and others who say they have lost income because of the six-weekold spill, which the White House says is probably the biggest environmental disaster in US history. Of those claims, 11,650 had been paid for a total of $35 million. Analysts say the Britishbased company, whose reputation and market value have been battered by the spill, faces billions of dollars in cleanup costs and damages claims. As local fishermen rue the season that got away, BP says it is ready to pay more in their individual claims, but for now it is focused on what it calls "hardship payments" to help mitigate immediate loss of income. "If they need more they can come back to us. These immediate hardship claims do not preclude the longer-term claims," said BP spokesman David Nicholas. But anger over the process is mounting on several fronts in steamy bayou villages where shrimp boats sit idle and sports fishing guides while their extra time away in bars. The anger focuses first on the amounts paid out so far, which many locals say is hardly enough to pay bills and make ends meet. Several locals who spoke to Reuters had received $5,000, but others said they had been given less. "My understanding is that if
NEW ORLEANS: Jolie Van Gilder (left) holds her mother's hand during a rally against BP PLC and the Gulf oil spill. — AP you are a captain/guide and own a boat, you get $5,000, but if you are just a captain or just own a boat you get $2,500," said sport angling guide Alec Griffin, who specializes in fly fishing. "I own the boat but it's still registered in the name of my friend who I bought it from, so I just got $2,500. It just helps to ease the sting from canceled trips," he said. Bumper year was predicted Many locals are also upset that they have to present tax documentation and paperwork to show their income over the previous three years as a way to assess their losses in 2010. The recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the economic recession and recordhigh fuel prices mean that the past few years have been lean ones for many. Others have also only been working in their current occupations for a year, mak-
ing it difficult to estimate income loss for this season. Many were banking on this year as the "big one" as the economy recovers from recession. And for a number of reasons- the lack of serious storms last year, the amount of winter rainfallfishing conditions this year looked superb. "It would have been a good summer; the marsh was in good shape, there was lots of clean water," said Griffin. In the New Orleans suburb of Belle Chasse, oysterman Kuzma Tesvich said he had had high hopes for 2010. "Our crop was good. We expected a good season and a good year but after all this we don't know what's going to happen to our oysters out there in the water," he said. He said he had received his $5,000 from BP but said he was making $2,000 a day before the spill closed down his 1,500-acre (600hectare) oyster operation.
BP has said it is aware that recent years' earnings are below what some people could reasonably have expected to make this year. Last week, it said it would appoint an independent mediator to settle any disputes over claims that arise. It has also said it will be flexible with people who don't have all of their paperwork in order. Hundreds of Gulf Coast fishermen are also being paid by BP to help with its oil spill containment operations, which also clearly helps bridge some of the the lost earnings gap. But the notion of handouts is alien to the resilient people here, many of whom have a strong sense of independence. "These people are self-employed, they are not used to being reduced to handouts and to looking for help," said Father Gerry, the Catholic priest in the bayou town of Port Sulphur. — Reuters
TOKYO: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao warned yesterday that global economic growth remained vulnerable to sovereign debt risks and the possibility of a second downturn, but said his own nation's growth remained on track. Wen told an audience of Japanese business executives that it was too early for economies to consider exiting stimulus spending that has shored up growth since the global financial crisis hit in 2008. But he also warned that mounting government debt risks could frustrate full economic recovery. "Some people say the global economy has already recovered, and now we can consider exit mechanisms. I believe that this judgment is premature," Wen said in the speech, given on the second day of a three-day visit to Japan. High joblessness in the United States and other economies, and sovereign debt risks laid bare by Greece's crisis could all drag down the global recovery and trigger a second dip in growth, Wen said. "Some countries have experienced sovereign debt crises, for example Greece. Is this kind of phenomenon over? Now it seems that it's not so simple and we must take a full measure of the difficulties," he said. "Some people ask is there the possibility of a double dip in the world economy? I believe that we can't say with absolute certainty, and so we must undertake close observation and act to prevent a double dip," he said later. "The world economy is stable and beginning to revive, but this revival is slow and there are many uncertainties and destabilizing factors." Wen gave his blunt overview of the Chinese and world economy in a speech that he said was not from a written script. No script could be seen on the podium. No mention of yuan But the Chinese leader stayed away from mentioning the yuan exchange rate, which many politicians and economists in the United States and elsewhere say is held artificially low and is exacerbating the global economic imbalances that Wen described. Wen's cautious assessment of China's trade outlook suggested that he could see dangers in quickly moving to lift the value of the yuan, which would make the country's exports relatively more costly. China's exports appeared to have bounced back in the first quarter, but that was compared to a low base last year, said Wen. China recorded a $1.7 billion trade surplus last month, defying expectations of a second straight deficit after March's $7.2 billion shortfall. "For (Chinese) external trade to revive to pre-financial crisis levels needs time and is a difficult process," he said. Those uncertainties make it all the more important for China and other economies to refrain from exiting stimulus spending policies launched to counter the financial crisis, said Wen. "In these circumstances, all countries must coordinate in unity and strengthen policy support for the economy. There cannot be the least relaxation," he said. "To ensure that the (Chinese) economy continues growing in a steady, relatively fast pace, we must maintain a certain level of intensity in economic stimulus", he said. China's economic growth reached 11.9 percent year-onyear in the first quarter. While China ploughs ahead with expansionary fiscal policies, however, it will also keep a close eye on inflationary pressures that have risen in recent months, Wen said. China's consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.8 percent in April from a year earlier, nudging close to the target of keeping it within about 3 percent across the year, he noted. "Achieving this task is an important goal for this year," he said. — Reuters
PIRAEUS: A banner hangs at the port of Piraeus yesterday. — AFP
Strike paralyses Greek shipping ATHENS: A strike by Greek seaman brought the country's shipping to a standstill yesterday as they stepped up protests against a government plan to ease restrictions on foreign crew. The second 24-hour strike in a month by the 20,000 member PNO union halted ferries between Greek islands and pickets blockaded entrances to the main port of Pireaus where at least two cruise ships were expected yesterday. The PNO is fighting a move by the Socialist government to allow non-European Union
flagged ships with non-Greek crew into Greek ports and to travel between its islands, in a bid to boost tourism. PNO secretary general Yannis Halas said the liberalization would lead to a "massive" loss of jobs. Shipping authorities say the country could earn an extra one billion euros from the liberalization. On April 26 the PNO blockaded the Maltese registered Zenith cruise liner with 1,500 passengers in Pireaus. The ship was due in Greece's main port again yesterday but its
representatives said it would not stop over in the country. "The Zenith is the Trojan horse for interests who want cruise ships to exploit seamen and not respect their rights," Halas said in a statement. Owners of stores in Pireaus and Athens welcomed passengers from two ships which did dock in the port yesterday with flowers in a bid to counter the negative publicity from the strikes and demonstrations sparked by the government battle to overcome its debt crisis. — AFP
BUCHAREST: A man shouts during a protest against cutting benefits yesterday. Tens of thousands of Romanian public workers went on strike yesterday to protest the government's decision to slash state sector wages by 25 percent, pensions by 15 percent and other benefits to meet an IMF (International Monetary Fund) set budget deficit target. — AP
Swiss parliament slams cabinet over UBS tax BERNE: The Swiss government failed to act swiftly to prevent a credit and tax crisis that had endangered banking giant UBS AG in 2008-2009 and could have sunk the Swiss economy, a parliamentary report said yesterday. The 360-page report, the result of a 15 month inquiry by two parliamentary committees and 59 closed-door hearings with senior Swiss officials, showed the government waited for five months before decisively stepping in to tackle UBS's credit woes in September 2008. The report said Berne also relied too heavily on information coming from the financial industry and failed to scrutinize itself or recognize the implications of a US tax probe into UBS-the world's second biggest wealth manager by assetsthat eventually pierced a hole in Switzerland's treasured banking secrecy laws. "The authorities were too easily satisfied by their initial findings," said the report. "The inability to detect a crisis of such proportion ... raises numerous questions regarding the appropriateness of the objectives and instruments of financial markets supervision," it added, as it recommended ministries work more closely together. The actions of UBS's top management were not at the centre of the parliamentary inquiry but the report called on financial regulator FINMA to find out to what extent UBS executives knew of the U.S. tax violations committed at their bank. The Swiss government offered 6 billion Swiss francs ($5.2 billion) to UBS in October 2008 to prevent the bank collapsing under more than $50 billion of writedowns on toxic US assets. Four months later regulator FINMA found itself obliged to order UBS to disclose some bank client data to US tax officials to avert criminal charges against the bank, a first breach of Swiss bank secrecy rules that grew wider over the following months. Swiss President Doris Leuthard told reporters the government would carefully weigh the report's recommendations, but added that introducing any changes may take time. FINMA said it would state its position on the report by year end. The Social Democrats, the country's secondlargest political force, said the report did not go far
enough and called for a parliamentary investigative commission to shed light on the role of top UBS managers and their influence on the finance ministry. However, the authors of the report said they would prefer to see some concrete action taken to address current failures rather than see another lengthy inquiry. Heated debate The findings came as the Swiss parliament prepared for a debate on whether to approve a Swiss-US treaty to end the US tax case against the bank. The parliament's upper house is due to discuss whether to support a Swiss-U.S. tax deal over UBS on Thursday. The debate will then move to the lower house next week. The chances that the deal will go through parliament rose after Switzerland's largest party, the right-wing SVP, made a U-turn earlier in May in support of the deal. Support for the deal would end a Swiss legal deadlock and allow the country to meet a commitment to pass onto the US tax authorities the names of 4,450 US clients of UBS holding accounts in Switzerland. But the agreement still faces potential hurdles as the Social Democrats may seek a national referendum that would push the data exchange beyond an agreed end-ofAugust deadline. Swiss ministers have said parliamentary backing is needed to avoid a US backlash and negative repercussions on the economy. Swift parliamentary approval would also spare UBS chief executive Oswald Gruebel further distractions on the tax issue as he continues to rebuild the bank and takes steps to stop an exodus of client money. Shares in UBS were 1.1 percent higher at 1320 GMT yesterday, outperforming a 0.2 percent rise in the STOXX European banks index, after head of wealth management Juerg Zeltner said he expected the number of UBS client advisers to grow in the second half of this year, signaling the end of client money outflows. "We interpret Zeltner's tonality in the interview to (mean we will) see positive net new money flows again towards the end of the year depending on markets," said Sarasin analyst Rainer Skierka. — Reuters
TECHNOLOGY
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
27
Web surfing in slo-mo? Free sites may help Today I'm passing along a tip I found at the Unofficial Mac Weblog, one of the sites I read each day. Brett Terpstra wrote the blog post. Everyone who surfs the Internet would like Web pages to load faster. There are times when my home Internet certainly seems slow. It's easy to chalk that slowness up to "heavy traffic on the Internet," but it may well be an issue with the DNS
server your computer uses to find websites. What is DNS? It stands for Domain Name System. It's a system of servers all over the world that resolve names for every website you visit. When you type www.cnn.com, that website is actually located at the IP address 157.166.255.19. The act of typing www.cnn.com in
your browser and hitting the return key makes a query of your DNS server to find that website. The DNS server tries to keep a list of all websites and their corresponding IP addresses. If your DNS server doesn't know about a site, it will pass along the request to another DNS server. Your computer gets its DNS information from whatever DNS server
your ISP provides (usually). You can also enter the address of one or more DNS servers in your network preferences to specify the server you use. It wasn't until I read Brett's blog post that I realized that not all DNS servers are the same - some provide a much faster response. Faster DNS response equals faster Web surfing. How can you find your DNS serv-
er response time and compare it to others? Google has a free utility called namebench that does all the legwork for you. Download namebench from code.google.com/p/namebench. There are versions for Mac or Windows. The namebench utility pings various DNS servers to see which one returns results fastest.
Run the program using the default settings and see what it returns. Chances are your DNS server isn't the fastest available and a simple change might speed up Web surfing considerably. Once namebench returns its results and you determine you might want to change your DNS, you can find instructions online. XP users can find them at
support.microsoft.com/kb/305553. Windows 7 users can go to windows.microsoft.com/en-US/ windows7/Change-TCP-IP-settings. Mac users can find the instructions at the bottom of support.apple.com/kb/TS2296. If you try this at work, your company's firewall might prevent you from reaching outside DNS servers (mine does). — MCT
'Restore Facebook, we don't want to block access to information'
Pakistan restores Facebook, Internet restrictions remain
TAIPEI: Models display an AsusTek 12-inch Eee Pad EP121, left, and an Eee Tablet at an AsusTek new product media event yesterday, in Taipei, Taiwan. The Eee Pad will be put on sale in the first quarter of next year, while the tablet computer will be made available in Septermber 2010. — AP
Taiwan's AsusTek unveils portable tablet computer TAIPEI: Taiwan's AsusTek Computer Inc. unveiled yesterday a portable tablet computer that runs on Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system, joining a slew of manufacturers trying to tap demand for the sleek devices following Apple's launch of the iPad. AsusTek is among several Taiwanese computer makers to display tablet PCs at the five-day Computex Show in Taipei that opens today. Acer Inc., the world's second largest PC vendor, unveiled last week a 7-inch touchscreen tablet that like many other coming models runs on Android, the operating system that Google is distributing for free for mobile devices. AsusTek's touchscreen tablet, with the name of Eee Pad, comes in 10- and 12-inch sizes and is set to go on sale in the first quarter of 2011. In addition to full Windows support, Company
Chairman Jonney Shih said Eee Pad is equipped with a Web camera and runs Flash by Adobe Systems which will allow users to view YouTube and other video programs on the Internet. The 10-inch Eee Pad will sell for $399 to $449. No price tag was given for the 12-inch model. By contrast, Apple's iPads cost $499, $599 or $699 depending on the data storage capacity. But iPads use the HTML5 standard and its lack of Flash support has alienated some users. AsusTek also unveiled on Monday an enotepad that serves as both an electronic-reader and note-taking device, with a built-in camera that will let the user grab screenshots of lecture slides. Shih said the notepad -- with a price tag of $199 to $299 -- turns pages at a faster speed and does not cause as much eye-fatigue during lengthy reading as other e-readers. —AP
Sharp unveils 3D televisions in Japan TOKYO: Japanese electronics giant Sharp unveiled a line of 3D televisions yesterday, joining rivals Samsung Electronics and Sony Corp. in an increasingly competitive sector the industry hopes will drive profits. Sharp's first line of three dimensional liquid crystal display TVs will start selling in late July in Japan before roll outs in the United States, Europe and China by the end of the year, executive vice president Masafumi Matsumoto said. The four 3D Aquos "Quattron" models incorporate what Sharp has called the world's first four primary-colour 3D displays, adding yellow to the traditional red, green and blue for more brightly defined images. As with existing 3D TVs, the Sharp sets will
require the viewer to wear special glasses, the company said. The sets will enable images created in 2D format to be viewed as 3D. Sharp also announced it would launch in July two new Aquos Blu-ray recorders that support playback of high definition 3D disks. In April Sharp unveiled an LCD touchscreen that shows 3D images without requiring special glasses, for potential use in mobile phones, digital cameras, digital photo frames and games consoles. The entertainment and technology industries are gearing up to take advantage of the 3D bandwagon as the technology becomes increasingly mainstream and its popularity rises in the wake of Hollywood blockbusters such as "Avatar". — AFP
TAIPEI: Two models display dishes at a restaurant during a Windows 7themed restaurant promotion in Taipei on May 28, 2010. Microsoft has launched a Windows 7-themed restaurant in Taipei to promote its new operating system, an official with the US firm said, on the eve of Asia's biggest IT trade show. — AFP
'Electronic beancurd' on menu at Taiwan Microsoft restaurant TAIPEI: Microsoft has launched a Windows 7themed restaurant in Taipei to promote its new operating system, an official with the US firm said yesterday, on the eve of Asia's biggest IT trade show. The restaurant previously named "100 Seafood" has been renamed "77 Concept Store" and features seven technology-themed dishes such as "Electronic Beancurd", priced at 77
Taiwan dollars (2.40 US), the official said. Christine Chen, an executive with Microsoft Taiwan, said the restaurant had been picked for its popularity among small and medium-sized businesses. The concept was inspired by a Windows cafe opened in Paris last year following the launch of Windows 7, she added. Technology firms are converging on Taiwan for the Computex Taipei show from June 1-5.—AFP
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan restored access to Facebook yesterday, nearly two weeks after closing the popular networking site in a storm of controversy about blasphemy, but still restricted hundreds of online links. A contest organised by an anonymous Facebook user calling on people to draw the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) to promote "freedom of expression" sparked a major blacklash and angry street protests in the conservative country of 170 million. Islam strictly prohibits the depiction of any prophet as blasphemous and even moderate Muslims were deeply offended by the drawings that appeared on a Facebook page in response to the call for an "Everyone Draw Mohammed Day". A group of Islamic lawyers on May 19 petitioned a court in Pakistan's cultural capital of Lahore, which ordered Facebook blocked until May 31. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) then banned popular video sharing website YouTube for a week and restricted access to 1,200 Internet links, including Wikipedia pages, citing "growing sacrilegious" content. Justice Ejaz Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court yesterday ordered Facebook restored, but asked the government to develop a system to block access to "blasphemous" content online, as in Saudi Arabia. "Restore Facebook. We don't want to block access to information," Chaudhry said. "It is the government's job to take care of such things, which spark resentment among the people and bring them on to the streets. They should take steps to block any blasphemous content on the Internet," Chaudhry said. The court adjourned until June 15 the petitions from the Islamic lawyers. Although the caricatures were universally condemned in Pakistan, the Internet-literate elite has criticised the blanket ban on websites in a country with an estimated 2.5 million Facebook users. Facebook expressed disappointment at being blocked and the offending page has disappeared from the social networking service. But Mudassir Hussain, an official from the information technology ministry, told the court that all links to "blasphemous" content on the Internet would remain blocked in Pakistan. Access to Facebook was being restored in the evening, around nine hours after written instructions were received, said a spokesman for the Internet Service Providers' Association of Pakistan. "My technical staff say that it is open now," Wahaj-ul-Siraj told AFP. PTA spokesman Khurram Mehran said: "We issued instructions to Internet service providers to unblock Facebook. However pages containing blasphemous content will remained blocked." Pakistan last week restored access to YouTube-which together with Facebook accounts for up to 25 percent of Internet traffic in Pakistan-but 1,200 web pages of "sacrilegious" content have been blocked. Islamic activists and students have taken to the streets, shouting "Death to Facebook" and burned US flags, venting anger over "Everyone Draw Mohammed Day." Pakistan also briefly banned YouTube in February 2008 in a similar protest against "blasphemous" cartoons. — AFP
KARACHI: A Pakistani man browses the internet in a net cafe in Karachi yesterday. A Pakistani court ordered authorities to restore access to Facebook, nearly two weeks after closing the site in a row over blasphemy, but hundreds of web links remain restricted. — AFP
iPads cost most in Europe and UK, cheapest in US CANBERRA: Britain and Europe are the world's costliest places to buy Apple Inc's new iPad computer, with prices around a quarter higher than in the United States, a new study has found. While the much-hyped tablet should trade at broadly the same price globally if exchange rates were properly adjusting, Australia's CommSec iPad Index found big savings for Europeans travelling to Asia, the United States or even Down Under. "In the UK, Germany, France and Italy an iPad costs 20-25 per cent more than in the US," said Craig James, chief economist at the CommSec share trading division of Australia's Commonwealth Bank. "The question is whether Apple has priced its product too high for the European market, or whether the UK pound and euro need to depreciate further to bring global pricing into line." CommSec's index is a modern variation on the long-running Big Mac index compiled by The Economist magazine and compares the price of iPads in 10 countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Britain, Japan, Australia and Canada. Prices for the cheapest, WiFionly version range from $499 in the United States to the equivalent of $620 in Britain for the entry-level 16 gigabyte model.
Canada ($520), Japan ($536) and Australia ($533) rounded out the price basement countries. At the top end, an iPad 64gb model with WiFi and 3G connectivity cost $829 in the United States against $1,010 in Britain and $980 in Germany, France and Italy. The tablet device, CommSec said, is identical across the globe so theoretically the only difference in pricing should be freight charges and local taxes. But national debt woes in Europe and Britain have rocked the Euro and pound in recent months, throwing global currencies into turmoil. "More generally, the CommSec iPad and CommSec iPod indexes suggest the U.S. dollar needs to lift against major currencies, but more so against the Euro and pound sterling," James said. Apple fans have mobbed stores in Europe and Asia as the iPad went on sale outside the United States, with some shoppers queueing all night to get their hands on one. The device, a little smaller than a regular notebook computer and with an open, colour touchscreen, is designed for surfing the Web, watching movies and reading, and has been hailed by the publishing industry as a potential life-saver. Apple, now the largest US technology company by value, said yesterday it had
sold two million of its iPad tablet computers, outdoing even the iconic iPhone on its launch. Apple said it had sold 1.4 million iPads since it went on sale exclusively in the United States on April 3. On Friday, the iPad-a flat, 10-inch (25centimetre) black tablet computer that Apple claims will revolutionise the industry-went on sale in Australia, Japan, Canada alongside Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Demand in the United States was so strong that the company pushed back the global roll-out. Apple head Steve Jobs said in a statement that clients all over the world were now able to experience the iPad and seemed to like it as much as the company itself. Apple was very grateful for their patience and was now doing everything in its power to make sure there were enough iPads for everyone, Jobs added. The iPad goes on sale in nine additional countries in July, including Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Last week, Apple dethroned software giant Microsoft as the largest US technology company in terms of market value. — Agencies
Panasonic aims to be Japan No 1 in solar panel business TOKYO: Panasonic Corp. is banking on the solar-panel business that it gained by acquiring domestic rival Sanyo, aiming for top market share of at least 35 percent in Japan by 2012. New solar generation products, being offered in Japan starting next month, combine Sanyo Electric Co.'s solar technology with Panasonic's sales networks in appliances and housing, said Panasonic Executive Vice President Toshihiro Sakamoto. Panasonic will be able to provide overall energy-saving systems for homes that will include rechargeable batteries, heat-
ing and air conditioning, security systems and Net-linking gadgets besides solar panels, which will all be hooked up to each other, he said. Homes will be able to save on utility costs by selling surplus power from solar power generation systems, and using water heaters at night when utility rates are cheaper, he said. "You will be living with virtually zero carbon-dioxide emissions through creating, saving, storing and managing energy," Sakamoto said in Tokyo. Panasonic took over Sanyo in December and gained its solar-panel busi-
ness as well as other businesses such as home appliances and batteries. Although overlap in consumer electronics in the two companies is being eliminated, Panasonic has much to gain from Sanyo's technological prowess in solar panels and lithium-ion batteries, which are expected to be in stronger demand as the popularity of green vehicles grows. The Osaka-based maker of Viera plasma panel TVs, has made being environmentallyfriendly a major theme in its growth strategy, hoping to become "the No. 1 green innovation company in the electronics industry" by 2018. — AP
HEALTH & SCIENCE
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Seniors participate in Health and Fitness Day CHARLESTON: Around 500 Senior Friends members attended the 2010 National Health and Fitness Day Wednesday at the Raleigh County Civic Center. Although activities like yoga, bingo and a seminar on cardiac health dominated the day, members also got the chance to play tennis, bowling, baseball and even go snowboarding. Not only did they get the chance to participate in all of these activities, but
they never had to leave the convention center. They also got the opportunity to travel either within the US or abroad. So how could all these different activities fit under one roof? Members were instructed on using the Wii gaming system, which provided them with an interesting day of activities, Senior Friends Director Debbie Peyton said. “It was great and everyone loved it,”
she said. “They loved the fact that they could play all of these sports at home and even get to do something with their kids and their grandchildren.” Sponsored by Raleigh General Hospital, this event had one of the biggest turnouts in the 10 years it’s been in existence, Peyton said. “As a seniors group, it is important for us to provide a location for our members to attend and be a part of this national
event,” she said. “This is a good day of fun and fitness to promote health and wellness for a very vibrant, active senior population in our community.” The event also aimed at educating people about health and nutrition. Doctors were present to talk with people about conditions and they had a seminar on “The Importance of Screening for Cardiac Health” by Dr. Shawn Reesman. About 42 booths were set up around
the center as well to provide people with information on diseases. The booth offered ways to test glucose, sugar, blood pressure and hearing. “Our vendors were very creative,” Peyton said. “Hospice had a massage table and Allay had cute little things going on like a Hawaiian theme. It was just a great way for people to be educated on their own health.” Senior Friends has been around for 14
years and is for anyone over 50. They now have approximately 3,000 members who participate in activities such as dance aerobics, zumba, water aerobics, yoga and a monthly event for everyone to get involved with for $15 a year. Senior Friends members also receive other benefits such as two free meals a day to pass to their caregiver while they are inpatients at Raleigh General Hospital. — MCT
Not in vogue
World No Tobacco Day targets women, girls SINGAPORE: World No Tobacco Day kicked off yesterday aimed at women and girl smokers with posters warning “Chic? No, throat cancer”, as health officials said tobacco firms were targeting young women as they became
affluent. The World Health Organisation (WHO) theme for the global antismoking day is “gender and tobacco” and the harmful effects of tobacco marketing and smoking on women and girls.
JAKARTA: This photograph taken on May 28, 2010 shows Indonesian youths smoking cigerettes at a park in Jakarta. Indonesia’s failure to ban tobacco advertising or enforce laws against smoking in bars and restaurants came under heavy fire as the United Nations marked world anti-tobacco day yesterday. — AFP
Indonesia under fire on world anti-tobacco day JAKARTA: Indonesia’s failure to ban tobacco advertising or enforce laws against smoking in bars and restaurants came under heavy fire yesterday as the United Nations marked world anti-tobacco day. The country of some 240 million people is one of the last vestiges of laissez-faire tobacco controls in the world and is paying the price in terms of growing rates of addiction, especially among women and children. Indonesia’s addiction to tobacco and tobacco industry tax revenues were graphically illustrated last week with the release of a video on the Internet of a two-year-old Javanese boy with a 40-cigarette-a-day habit. But Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said it was up to city governors to regulate smoking and tobacco advertising, effectively ruling out a national
response. “It is time we protect children and women from cigarette smoke. It requires courage to fight against tobacco,” she said according to Vivanews.com news website as she urged city governors to issue tough antitobacco regulations. Cigarette consumption in the Southeast Asian archipelago soared 47 percent in the 1990s, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Almost 70 percent of men over 20 years of age smoke and regular smoking among adult women almost tripled to 4.5 percent between 1995 and 2004. Some cities including the capital Jakarta have set limits on smoking in public places but the rules are widely ignored, and tobacco advertising-much of it aimed at women and teenagers-is ubiquitous.
Tobacco companies such as Philip Morris subsidiary PT HM Sampoerna employ around six million Indonesians and contribute more than six billion dollars a year to state coffers in excise taxes alone. Yet cigarettes remain extremely cheap by international standards, with a pack of 20 costing a little over a dollar. “The spike in growth of new smokers in Indonesia cannot be separated from the country’s weak regulations and abysmal law enforcement on tobacco use,” The Jakarta Globe said in an editorial. “The government has shown no political will to take on the powerful tobacco industry despite a growing public outcry.” Indonesia is the only country in Asia not to have ratified the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. — AFP
Australia probe hepatitis cluster at abortion clinic SYDNEY: Australian police were yesterday investigating whether women treated at an abortion clinic were deliberately infected with hepatitis C, as the number of cases linked to the centre rose to 22. Police said they were probing how patients at the Melbourne medical centre, which performs late-term abortions, contracted the disease, which is transmitted via blood and can develop into cirrhosis and liver cancer. “Detectives are working to discover whether any criminal activity led to the spread of hepatitis C to patients at the facility between 2008 and 2009,” police said in a statement. Asked if this would include looking at whether the women were deliberately infected, a police spokeswoman told AFP: “That would form part of the investigation.” Health officials said 44 women who attended Melbourne’s Croydon Day Surgery have so far tested positive for the virus, with 22 of those cases linked to the clinic. Fourteen women are awaiting further testing to find out if their strain is linked to the centre, while eight others have already recovered, meaning officials cannot tell
whether their illness was related to the cluster. Previous tests of all staff members at the centre found a anaesthetist working there had hepatitis C. Those women being urged to have tests all underwent a procedure at the clinic involving this doctor, who was suspended in February. The case came to light early this year when 12 women who attended the clinic were found to have contracted the disease-with nine later linked to the doctor through exhaustive genetic testing of the infection’s strain. Victoria state’s chief medical officer John Carnie said investigations had so far not found any problems with the centre’s infection control procedures. “The more cases you find in this instance, it becomes more and more difficult to explain this by an accidental means,” he said. Carnie said the government was attempting to contact all women whose treatment involved the suspended anaesthetist between 2006 and 2009. He said some people can recover from hepatitis C without treatment, but in other cases medication would be necessary. — AFP
KIEV: A mother holds her baby winning the crawling event during Baby Drive competition in Kiev yesterday. Dozens of babies will cover the fourmeter distance on all fours during the International Children’s Day celebrated today. — AFP
WHO said tobacco firms are spending heavily on alluring marketing campaigns targeting women as they gain spending power and independence, particularly in Asia’s booming economies. It is estimated that more than 8 percent of girls between 13 and 15, or around 4.7 million girls, are using tobacco products in the Asia-Pacific region, said the WHO. Indian doctors said there had been a considerable increase in women smoking, especially among young college girls, attributing the rise to stress, peer pressure and high disposable incomes. “It’s a cause of concern that literate women in sectors like business, medicine...college girls from the higher strata of the society are getting addicted to the habit,” Dr Pradyut Waghre at Apollo Hospitals told The Times of India newspaper. Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world, currently responsible for the death of one in 10 adults worldwide, or about 5 million deaths each year, said the WHO. Women make up about 20 percent of the world’s 1 billion smokers, but if current tobacco usage continues smoking will kill 8 million people a year by 2030 — 2.5 million will be women. Each day 3,000 people die from tobacco use in Asia-Pacific, with smoking and chewing tobacco among women and girls on the rise, said Dr Shin Youngsoo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. “Starting early results in addiction that later translates to a life of nicotine dependence, poor health and premature death,” said Shin. In Cambodia some 17 percent of women, but only one percent of men, chew tobacco. It is estimated that more than a half million middle-aged and older women in Cambodia chew tobacco, believing it alleviates morning sickness during pregnancy. A YouTube video of an Indonesian two-year-old boy, who reportedly smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, angered anti-smoking groups around the world last week. The video has been removed by YouTube. “The tobacco industry is thriving and if we look at our society, even children have started to smoke,” Krida Wacana Christian University (Ukrida) student Stefano Leatemia told The Jakarta Post newspaper on Monday. A rally of Indonesian university students on Sunday called for tougher controls on tobacco. WHO is calling for comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship to protect women and girls from images that portray smoking as glamorous or fashionable. Only half of the nations in the Asia-Pacific have bans on tobacco advertising. India’s Waghre said there was an increase in lung cancer among women in India, which was not there in the last decade, due to not only direct but also passive smoking. Close to half of all women in the Asia-Pacific are exposed to second-hand smoke in their homes or in the workplace, often due to cultural and social norms, which can lead to cause lung cancer, heart disease and respiratory conditions, said WHO. A study in Shanghai of 72,000 non-smoking women found that exposure to their husbands’ smoking increased their risks of dying from lung cancer and heart disease by almost 40 percent. The women also had a nearly 50 percent higher risk of stroke. — Reuters
MUMBAI: A participant looks out of the truck at an anti-tobacco rally in Mumbai, India, yesterday. About 80 percent of the world’s estimated 1 billion smokers are men, but more women are picking up the habit in some countries as flavored products and glossy feminine packaging cater to them. — AP
Different strokes for aquatic folks NEW YORK: Young or old, active or aching, just about everyone can buoy their workout by plunging into the pool, fitness experts say. But whether you’re swimming laps or pedaling inside an inner tube, there’s more to aquatic fitness than just splashing around. “Swimming is just a great overall fitness activity. You’re using all your muscle groups, balancing your body in that environment,” said Dr. Barbara Bushman, an expert with the American College of Sports Medicine. Even at the shallow end aquatic exercises can improve balance in older people and help anyone with joint or orthopedic problems to stay fit. “Anytime you’re in the water you can basically unweight the body,” Bushman explained. “There’s the support of fluid around you.” Bushman, a professor at Missouri State University who describes herself as a runner forced into the pool by a stress fracture of the tibia, admits she is not a good swimmer. “The only thing my doctor cleared me for was deep water running. The deeper the sub-
mergence, the greater the resistance,” she explained. “In the pool you have to focus on good form. My form actually improved.” Attention to form is just as important if you’re swimming for fitness. “Take a few lessons so you can sustain that 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity you need, Bushman advises, “and learn different strokes for interval training and variety.” As group fitness manager at Equinox in New York, Mark Hendricks oversees the gym’s Aqua Fitness classes, where, he says, 75 to 80 percent of the attendees are over 50 years old. “We try to maintain their mobility,” Hendricks said. “So many individuals lose range of motion as they get older. There’s lots of spinal rotation. We move thru different planes of motion in the water.” Core work and suspension training, with the feet not touching bottom in the pool are part of the routine. He also uses small foam dumbbells and aqua gloves for resistance training. “If you run in the pool you have much less skeletal pounding, and when you get older that’s a wonderful thing,” he
said. “At that age you’re not looking for a six pack, you’re looking to play with your grandkids.” And sometimes to forge social relationships as well. The Senior Splashers Swim Team, average age 63, has been meeting regularly at a YMCA at Brooklyn, New York, for about six years. “We started as part of the water aerobics program and found that we enjoyed being with one another,” said team member Clara McDonald. “Many of us have had replacement shoulders, knees, hips. We’ve had all kinds of orthopedic issues, but we want to make sure we stay in as good physical shape as we can possibly muster,” she explained. “People come for physical therapy, find they like the water and decide they want to learn how to swim,” she added. Coach Richard Akers says learning to swim builds confidence at any age. “Taking nonswimmers and seeing them develop builds my ego continuously,” he said. For Splash member Earl Patton the rewards go beyond muscle tone. — Reuters
KARACHI: Bilquis Edhi known as ‘Mother of Pakistan’, watches over abandoned children in cradles at The Edhi Orphanage in Karachi on February 22, 2010. Bilquis Edhi, 67, a professional nurse and co-head of Pakistan’s largest charity has raised thousands of children who were left in the cradles outside her centres across the country thus is generally called ‘Mother of Pakistan’. — AFP
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
29
HEALTH & SCIENCE
Mexico heroes’ bones paraded, taken for study Scientists will try to match bones to names MEXICO CITY: Mexican soldiers on Sunday paraded the bones of the heroes of the country’s Independence War down the capital’s most famous street before scientists begin trying to solve a century-old mystery by identifying the bones. “Thanks to them, Mexico exists,” President Felipe Calderon said at a ceremony involving hundreds of soldiers, a 100-piece military band and watched by thousands of Mexicans. Army cadets dressed in formal 19th-century style uniforms gingerly carried out the glass urns containing the remains of leaders of the war against Spain from the base of the towering Angel of Independence monument. The bones were then escorted down Paseo de la Reforma, accompanied by dozens of
black horses with banded manes. “They’re the ones who represent independence to the Mexicans,” Elias David Figueroa, 56, who sells handicrafts in Mexico City, said after tossing two white carnations toward the urns as they moved down the avenue. “It makes us proud to see them.” The remains of 12 fightersincluding Miguel Hidalgo, a priest whose “Cry of Dolores” call to arms touched off the independence struggle-had been scattered across the country after the war against Spain ended in 1821. The government ordered the leaders’ bones be reburied in poorly constructed tombs in Mexico City’s giant Metropolitan Cathedral in 1823. Dug up at the turn of the 20th century after complaints about the state of the tombs,
the bones were placed in new urns but many were jumbled together. Following Mexico’s 191020 revolution, the urns were moved to the towering Angel of Independence after revolutionary leaders broke with the Catholic church. The skulls of Hidalgo and three other major figures in the war are identified but doubts have circulated since the turn of the century about the rest of the remains. Some historians suspect they may even include those of the last Spanish viceroy of New Spain. The effort to identify the remains is part of Mexico’s preparations for the bicentennial of its independence from Spain, which will be celebrated later this year. Specialists from Mexico’s National Institute of
Anthropology and History plan to compare the bones with historical records of the heroes’ heights and injuries so they can determine which bones belong to which hero. The government plans to exhibit the remains starting in August before returning the bones to the Angel of Independence monument in August 2011. A dozen protesters jeered Calderon’s speech, calling him a lapdog of Washington and blaming him for Mexico’s troubled economy and mounting drug gang violence, which has killed 23,000 people since he took office in 2006. “Those are our heroes,” Juan Francisco Vergara, a 23year-old political science student said angrily. “He’s just trying to look good. It’s the only thing he can do.” — Reuters
Experts find compound to fight bird flu HONG KONG: Scientists have identified a chemical compound that can stop the H5N1 bird flu virus as well as seasonal human flu viruses from replicating. Finding new flu drugs is essential as flu viruses mutate and are adept at evading the limited array of antiviral drugs. In a paper published in Nature Biotechnology, scientists from Hong Kong and Canada said they had found a chemical “nucleozin”, which fought off both seasonal flu viruses and the H5N1 in mice as well as in cell culture. “We have now brand-new weapons to combat influenza virus resistant to ... (antiviral drugs like) oseltamivir and zanamivir,” said microbiologist Richard Yao at the University of Hong Kong, who led the study. Nearly all of the seasonal H1N1
viruses circulating in the United States in the 2008-2009 flu season were resistant to Roche AG and Gilead Sciences Inc’s Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, according to the paper. Adamantanes, an older class of drugs, was also powerless against seasonal H3N2 flu viruses in the United States during that same period. Zanamivir is the generic name for Relenza, GlaxoSmithKline and Biota Inc’s flu drug Nucleozin targetted a protein in flu viruses, called nucleoprotein, that was responsible for virus replication, Yao said in reply to questions from Reuters. Yao said they selected nucleozin from a chemical library with more than 50,000 compounds, the same library which experts here used to study the SARS virus. “Nucleozin is highly potent in cell
culture and also in mice infected with the highly pathogenic influenza virus H5N1 ... (it can) stop the virus from replicating,” Yao said. The compound was effective against H1N1, H3N2, and H5N1 viruses and researchers can now target nucleoprotein to fight flu, Yao said. “Scientists could now use nucleoprotein as a target to develop antiviral therapeutics for the treament of influenza infection,” he said. A cousin of the new H1N1 swine flu virus, the seasonal H1N1, has been circulating widely for a long time. SARS surfaced in southern China in 2003, killing about 800 people world-wide. The H5N1, although mainly a disease in birds, has a mortality rate of 60 percent on the rare occasions when it infects people. It was first discovered in people in 1997. — Reuters
30
WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
India International School proves again in CBSE Class X exams
I
ndia International School once again has proved itself by securing excellent results at Secondary School Examination conducted by CBSE, Delhi, India. This was the 5th batch of the Secondary School since 2006 when the first batch of class X appeared, and the school has maintained its tradition of 100% result. It is not only hundred percent results but a qualitative improvement
too from year to year. Thirty students appeared this time and four of them secured 90% and above. Miss Muneera the topper of the school has scored A1 in all subjects except English where she scored A2. Her CGPA is 9.8. Master Asif Lukman secured second position by getting 9.4 CGPA whereas Miss Oshin Jose and Miss Maryam Kanchwala secured third position by
getting 9.2 CGPA. The school success story began in 2006 (first batch of class X) with the topper Zafrul Haq scoring 80% in aggregate and then in 2007 it was Prateek Chitnis who scored 83%, in 2008 it was Sachin Govindankutty who score 87% and in the year 2009 Rinu Antony made a big jump with 93% aggregate. Miss Muneera has carried it further in this
year scoring CGPA 9.8. Tremendous achievement, isn’t it? The graph has been constantly on the rise with qualitative improvement every year which is evident from the short success story of India International School. Bravo and hats off to the students, staff and the Management. Well done IIS students and teachers. Keep it up!
Well done IIS students of Class XII
I
ndia International School (IIS) stands tall among Indian Schools in Kuwait by maintaining 100% results in the Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by the CBSE, New Delhi, during the academic year 2009-2010. The super star of the year is Ms. Leya Annie Johnson
who secured in English 93%, Chemistry 93%. and Informatics 90%. She topped in the Science section. Another star in the galaxy of IIS is Ms Arafiya Muhammed Shaduli who secured 91% in English and 81% in physics. Master Md.Azar Ali topped in Computer Science by secur-
ing 90% Miss Fadia Basheer topped the commerce section while Master Taiyeb Ali got second place. Master Ummer Farook secured the highest mark in Business Studies. The Principal, the staff, and the management congratulate all the luminaries of India International School and wish them
bright future. This was the third batch of class XII and the tradition of securing 100% result has been well maintained by the students. Well done IIS students and teachers. Keep it up.
12th CBSE Kuwait cluster table tennis tournament
T
he 12th CBSE Kuwait Cluster Inter School Table Tennis Tournament conducted by Indian Public School, Salmiya on 17, 18 and 19 May, were three days of pure competitive sportsmanship. The tournament was inaugurated and declared open on May l7 at the Indian Public School by K A Rodrigues, host School Principal of Indian Public School. The tournament was conducted on league cum - knockout basis by eight schools under three categories. The inaugural match was played between IES and CSK where IES won the match (3-0). The second match was between ICSK and FAIPS in Under-16, ICSK defeated FAIPS. The third match was under -
19, FAIPS defeated UIS. The second day of the tournament started with the quarter-finals. In Under-19 the teams that qualified for the semifinals were as follows. CSK and ICS from Pool A, FAIPS and ICSK from Pool B. The semi-finalist of Under-16 were CSK, FAIPS, ICSK and IES. The teams that qualified for the semi-finals under-14 were as follows. IES and ICSK. Under-14 and IEAS the first semi-final of this tournament was between IES and ICSK under-14, and IES qualified for finals with three straight sets. The second semi-final under this same category was between FAIPS Vs IEAS and FAIPS entered the finals with score of (3-1). The same day
itself the under-16 boyís semi-finals was completed. The first semi-finals under this category were between CSK and FAIFAIPS andnd the second semifinal between ICSK and IAES. The teams that qualified for the finals were CSK and ICSK. The second day ended with the quarterfinals of Under-19 category. The third day started with the semi-finals of Under-19 category. The first semi-finals of this day was between ICS and CSK, ICS defeated CSK with score of (3-2). The second semi-finals of this day was between FAIPS Vs ICSK and FAIPS defeated ICSK with (3-0) and entered the finals. The first final of this day was the Under-14 between IES and FAIPS. The
first winner of this tournament was IES. The second finals of this tournament was the under-16 between CSK and ICSK. The winner trophy was bagged by Carmel School, Khaitan. The last final conducted in this tournament was under -19. It was between ICS and FAIPS, a spectacular competition. Score was 2-2 and the decider set was amazing and FAIPS proved that they are the Champions of this tournament. The closing ceremony wherein K A Rodrigues handed over the certificates to the winners and also declared the tournament closed. “Fahaheel Al Wataniya Indian Private School bagged the Overall Championship of this tournament”.
Embassy information 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. 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. EMBASSY OF AMERICA The United States Department of State announces the increase in various visa fees to ensure sufficient resources to cover the increasing cost of processing nonimmigrant visas (NIVs). US law requires the Department to recover the cost of processing non-immigrant visas through the collection of the application fees. The increased fees are to take effect June 4, 2010. Under the new rule, applicants for all visas that are not petition-based, including B1/B2 tourist and business visitor visas and all student and exchange-visitor visas, will pay a fee of $140. Applicants for petition-based visas will pay an application fee of $150, as each of the below categories requires a review of extensive documentation and a more in-depth interview of the applicant than other categories, such as tourists. These categories include: H visa for temporary workers and trainees L visa for intra-company transferees O visa for aliens with extraordinary ability P visa for athletes, artists and entertainers Q visa for international cultural exchange visitors R visa for religious occupations The application fee for K visas for fiance(e)s of US citizens will be $350. The fee for E visas for treaty-traders and treaty-investors will be $390. BANGLADESH EMBASSY Bangladesh Embassy in Kuwait is being relocated to House no. 11, street no. 29, Block - 2, Khaldiya from Sunday, 27 June 2010. All concerned are requested to contact at the above
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WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Carmel school lives up to its motto ‘Excelsior’
Richie Alex John
Vishal Jayakumar
Annette Niju John
Mehlka Mustansir
Noah J Kaleekkal
Smriti Ganapathi
Susan A Abraham
Caralyza Edwin
Bannupriya Selvaraj
Neshay Seneva Mall
Raheen I Taj
Fiona E Mascarenhas
G Shivani Kamlesh
Ivy R Sebastian
Shawn A Fernandes
Tanaya D Choudhury
Sasha L Dcosta
Varun Sreejayan
Chris G John
Aareefa Yousuf E
Charles V George
Divya J Chavara
Murtaza
Naveena Elamaran
Ferdous Zannat
Fraser Gomes
Ihab M Khan
Suzanne A Pothen
Urusa B Enam
Wayne G Noronha
Divya Guruvayurappan
Jimmica Thakur
Jolene N Lewis
Kethzi G Gilbert
Meenakshi R
Mustafa Abbas B
Nihal Jabeen
Isra Meraj
Mariyam Y Mirza
Mohammed S R
C
Mustufa SR
Prawin Antony
Vanessa Varkey
Zainab Ali Zainul
armel School students achieved yet another feat in the Board examination of Class X conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi. The CBSE has introduced major reforms in the examination system aimed at holistic development of learners by introducing grades in place of marks in Class X Board Examination conducted in March 2010. This will be followed by Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) scheme for Class IX & X (2010-2011) onwards. Carmel students excelled in their overall performance where they secured an outstanding Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Four students clinched a perfect score of 10 CGPA, 6 obtained an outstanding 9.8 CGPA, 8 scored a commendable 9.6 CGPA and a total of forty-four students have earned a CGPA of 9 or more. Overall 150 A1 grades and 169 A2 grades were secured in various subjects by Carmelites Carmel students scored remarkably well as given below: Subject A1 Grades A2 Grades Social Science 57 31 Mathematics 49 20
Royal Navy football coaches visit Everton Premier Academy
Yousef El Kasaby is presented with the Player of the Tournament Award by the Royal Navy coaches following his outstanding performance in Abu Dhabi.
Royal Navy coach Terry Gibson directing the training session.
F
ootball coaches from the British Navy warship, HMS St. Albans visited the Everton Premier Football Academy recently to conduct a special coaching session for the young players at the GOAL venue in Bneid Al Gar. The British Embassy in Kuwait arranged the visit by the Royal Navy coaches Terry Gibson, George and Ginger, who put the boys through an energetic, fun filled session covering a wide variety of skills. Lieutenant Commander Gibson was very impressed by the ability shown by the boys which reflected all the hard work they and their coaches had put in over the course of the season. At the end of the evening’s event the Royal Navy officers presented England Football shirts, certificates and mementoes to all the players. P.F.A. Director of Football, Mike Finn, presented the visiting coaches with Everton Academy shirts and medals in appreciation of their visit and thanked the British Embassy for their continued support.
Players and Coaches from HMS St Albans pictured together at the end of the event.
Science 17 29 English 9 55 French: Of a total of 83 students, 13 achieved A1 grade and 23 A2 Hindi: Of a total of 42 students, 5 achieved A1 grade and 11 A2. Roll of Honor (Names of students with their CGPA ) Hindi Group: MEHLKA MUSTANSIR-10; IVY SEBASTIAN- 9.8; AAREFA ELECTRICWALA-9.6; NAVEENA ELAMARAN- 9.6; URUSA BINTA ENAM9.6 French Group:NOAH JACOB KALEEKKAL-10; SMRITI GANAPATHI-10; SUSAN ANN ABRAHAM-10; CARALYZA EDWIN-9.8; FIONA MASCARENHAS-9.8; GAYAKWAD SHIVANI -9.8; SHAWN FERNANDES-9.8; TANAYA CHOUDHURY-9.8; CHARLES VARGHESE GEORGE-9.6; DIVYA CHAVARA9.6; MURTAZA-9.6; SUZANNE POTHEN -9.6; WAYNE NORONHA- 9.6 With gratitude and thanksgiving, we humbly accept the fruits of success with our stars who have achieved their goal. We attribute our excellent performance to God’s faithfulness the vision of Carmelite nuns, the dedication and experience of the teachers, the support of the parents and well wishers.
Announcements JUNE 1 Graphic design exhibition at AUK: The American University of Kuwait’s Graphic Design Senior Thesis Exhibition will held its Opening Reception today, June 1 from 7-9 pm. The exhibit is also open to the public on June 2nd and 3rd from 10-5 pm. The senior portfolio exhibition is the outcome of a semester-long project that focuses on a problem-solving solution. The projects are the culmination of sixteen weeks of research, process and production of a topic of interest to students implemented through diverse applications. This course, taught by Professor Maryam Hosseinnia, teaches students how to find solutions to a problem and visualize and process the complex intersection between concept, design and the individual voice. The course is largely self directed and students are expected to select and investigate a topic using design as a means to present their findings. Students are graded based on the creation and presentation of their thesis project, research, exhibit, and process book. JUNE 11 Kalayaan 2010 tournament: On the Occasion of the 12th Philippine Independence Day, the Filipino Badminton Committee will hold its 18th Badminton Tournament dubbed
‘Kalayaan 2010 Badminton Cup’ on June 11, 2010 at the Kuwait Disabled Sports Club Hawally. All badminton enthusiast or beginners are invited to join. T-shirts and lots of gifts will be distributed to all the participants. Filipino Cultural Club and other Filipino organizations are expected to participate in the entertainment programs and parlor games set at 10 AM before the start of the tournament. For more informations call Dr Chie Umandap at 97197268 or email at drchieumandap@yahoo.com JUNE 20 Free intensive summer course for ladies: Ladies, grab your opportunity to learn in IPC. A free intensive course of Arabic Language for nonArab Ladies on Summer commencing on the 20th of June till August 2009. Classes will be in the afternoon and twice a week. Interested foreign ladles irrespective of their religion can register now. Class for Advance Level is offered (only in Rawdah branch). Also offers Islamic Subjects and Quran Memorization in different languages. For information, call your nearest branch: Rawdah: 22512257/ 97290278; Salmiya: 25733263/97533263 Khaitan: 24730137/99285459; Salwa: 25631900/ 94064491 Mangaf: 23723002/ 99256165.
TV PROGRAMS
32
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Orbit / Showtime Listings
03:00 The Murdoch Mysteries 04:00 Life 05:00 Inside the Actors Studio 06:00 Doctor Who 07:00 Burn Notice 08:00 My Own Worst Enemy 09:00 Saving Grace 10:00 One Tree Hill 11:00 Dawson’s Creek 12:00 Doctor Who 13:00 The Murdoch Mysteries 14:00 One Tree Hill 15:00 Life 16:00 My Own Worst Enemy 17:00 Saving Grace 18:00 Burn Notice 19:00 Doctor Who 20:00 House 21:00 FlashForward 22:00 CSI Miami 23:00 Supernatural
03:15 Hi Mom 04:40 Belly Of An Architect 06:35 The Tie That Binds 08:10 Elmer Gantry 10:35 Escape, The 12:05 Green Journey, A 13:40 Buona Sera, Mrs.Campbell 15:30 My American Cousin 17:00 Hennessy 18:45 A Matter Of Justice 20:20 Cutting Edge, The 22:00 Return To Me 23:55 Welcome To Woop Woop
03:00 Which Way To... 03:30 Banged Up Abroad 04:30 The Ride: Alaska to Patagonia 05:00 Amazing Adventures Of A Nobody Europe 05:30 Word Travels 06:00 Bondi Rescue - Bali 06:30 Lonely Planet 07:30 Departures 08:30 Which Way To... 09:30 Banged Up Abroad 10:30 The Ride: Alaska to Patagonia 11:00 Word Of Mouth 11:30 Surfer’s Journal 12:00 Bondi Rescue - Bali 12:30 Lonely Planet 13:30 The Best Job In The World 14:00 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 14:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 15:30 Banged Up Abroad 16:30 The Ride: Alaska to Patagonia 17:00 Word Of Mouth 17:30 Surfer’s Journal 18:00 Bondi Rescue - Bali 18:30 Lonely Planet 19:30 The Best Job In The World 20:00 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 20:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 21:30 Banged Up Abroad 22:30 The Ride: Alaska to Patagonia 23:00 Word Of Mouth 23:30 Surfer’s Journal
03:30 Animal Cops Philadelphia 04:25 Animal Precinct 05:20 Animal Battlegrounds 05:45 Monkey Business 06:10 E-Vets: The Interns 06:35 Aussie Animal Rescue 07:00 Wildlife SOS 07:25 Pet Rescue 07:50 Orangutan Island 08:15 Dark Days in Monkey City 08:45 Austin Stevens Adventures 09:40 Monkey Business 10:05 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:30 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:55 Monkey Life 11:20 RSPCA: Have You Got What it Takes? 11:50 Animal Precinct 12:45 E-Vets: The Interns 13:10 Pet Rescue 13:40 Animal Cops Philadelphia 14:35 Wildlife SOS 15:00 RSPCA: Have You Got What it Takes? 15:30 Orangutan Island 15:55 Dark Days in Monkey City 16:25 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 16:50 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:20 Monkey Business 17:45 Monkey Life 18:15 Pit Bulls and Parolees 19:10 Orangutan Island 19:40 Dark Days in Monkey City 20:10 Animal Cops Houston 21:05 Untamed & Uncut 22:00 Pit Bulls and Parolees 22:55 Animal Cops Philadelphia 23:50 Orangutan Island
03:00 Teletubbies 03:25 Me Too 03:45 Tweenies 04:05 Teletubbies 04:30 Me Too 04:50 Tweenies 05:10 Teletubbies 05:35 Me Too 05:55 Tweenies 06:15 Teletubbies 06:40 Me Too 07:00 Tikkabilla 07:30 Teletubbies 07:55 Me Too 08:15 Tikkabilla 08:45 Teletubbies 09:10 Me Too 09:30 Mastermind 2006 10:00 Coast 11:00 Last of the Summer Wine 11:30 Last of the Summer Wine 12:00 The Weakest Link 12:45 Eastenders 13:15 Doctors 13:45 Mastermind 2006 14:15 Coast 15:15 Last of the Summer Wine 15:45 Last of the Summer Wine 16:15 The Weakest Link 17:00 Doctors 17:30 Eastenders 18:00 Holby City 19:00 Holby City 20:00 The Weakest Link 20:45 Doctors 21:15 Eastenders 21:45 Silent Witness 22:45 Red Cap 23:45 Love Soup
03:35 Antiques Roadshow 04:25 Cash In The Attic Usa 04:50 Hidden Potential 05:10 A Life Coach Less Ordinary 05:55 Masterchef Goes Large 06:25 Masterchef Goes Large 07:00 Cash In The Attic Usa 07:20 Antiques Roadshow 08:10 Antiques Roadshow 09:00 Antiques Roadshow 09:50 Cash In The Attic Usa 10:10 Hidden Potential 10:35 Saturday Kitchen 11:05 Saturday Kitchen 11:35 Cash In The Attic 12:20 A Life Coach Less Ordinary 13:05 Come Dine With Me 13:55 Bargain Hunt 14:40 Antiques Roadshow 15:30 Bargain Hunt 16:15 Saturday Kitchen 16:45 Saturday Kitchen 17:10 Cash In The Attic
Charlie Wilson’s War on Super Movies
03:50 Extreme Engineering 04:45 Mythbusters 05:40 How Stuff Works 06:05 Dirty Jobs 07:00 Extreme Engineering 07:55 Mean Machines: Transatlantic Challenge 08:20 Overhaulin’ 09:15 Mythbusters 10:10 Ultimate Survival 11:05 Overhaulin’ 12:00 Border Security 12:30 How It’s Made 12:55 How Stuff Works 13:20 Mythbusters 14:15 Miami Ink 15:10 Ultimate Survival 16:05 Dirty Jobs 17:00 Deadliest Catch 18:00 Destroyed in Seconds 18:30 Border Security 19:00 How It’s Made 19:30 How Stuff Works 20:00 Mythbusters 21:00 Mighty Ships 22:00 Mega Builders 23:00 Extreme Engineering
03:00 Beyond Tomorrow 03:50 Thunder Races 04:45 Cool Stuff & How it Works 05:10 Weird Connections 05:40 One Step Beyond 06:10 Nextworld 07:00 Thunder Races 08:00 Investigation X 09:00 Da Vinci’s Machines 09:55 Stuntdawgs 10:20 Weird Connections 10:50 Nextworld 11:45 Cool Stuff & How it Works 12:15 The Greatest Ever 13:10 One Step Beyond 13:35 Da Vinci’s Machines 14:30 Mighty Ships 15:25 Cool Stuff & How it Works 15:55 Investigation X 16:50 Brainiac 17:45 The Greatest Ever 18:40 Eco-Tech 19:30 Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg 20:20 How It’s Made 20:45 How It’s Made 21:10 Mythbusters 22:00 Eco-Tech 22:50 Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg 23:40 The Greatest Ever
03:00 Handy Manny 03:25 Jungle Junction 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 Little Einsteins: Rocket’s Firebird Rescue 07:00 Handy Manny 07:20 Imagination Movers 07:45 Imagination Movers 08:10 Special Agent OSO 08:35 Special Agent OSO 09:00 Handy Manny 09:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:45 Fairly Odd Parents 10:10 Fairly Odd Parents 10:35 Phineas and Ferb 11:00 Phineas and Ferb 11:25 Suite Life On Deck
03:15 30 Most Outrageous Celebrity Feuds 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 15 Most Shocking Political Sex Scandals 07:45 Style Star 08:10 Style Star 08:35 E! News 09:00 The Daily 10 09:25 Denise Richards: It’s Complicated 09:50 Leave It To Lamas 10:15 15 Unforgettable Hollywood Tragedies 12:00 E! News 12:25 The Daily 10 12:50 Battle of the Hollywood Hotties 13:15 Pretty Wild 13:40 Keeping Up with the Kardashians 14:05 Kourtney & Khlo√© Take Miami 14:30 Dr 90210 15:25 THS 16:15 Behind the Scenes 16:40 Behind the Scenes 17:10 Kendra 17:35 Kendra 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Wildest TV Show Moments 19:15 Pretty Wild 19:40 THS 20:30 THS 21:20 Kendra 21:45 Kendra 22:10 E! News 22:35 The Daily 10 23:00 Keeping Up with the Kardashians 23:25 Kourtney & Khlo√© Take Miami 23:50 Pretty Wild
03:00 Barefoot Contessa 03:30 Everyday Italian 04:00 30 Minute Meals 05:00 Tyler’s Ultimate 05:30 Guys Big Bite 06:00 Barefoot Contessa 07:00 Everyday Italian 07:25 Food Network Challenge 07:50 30 Minute Meals 08:15 Tyler’s Ultimate 08:40 Guys Big Bite 09:05 Barefoot Contessa 09:30 Everyday Italian 10:00 30 Minute Meals 10:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 11:00 Iron Chef America 11:30 Barefoot Contessa 12:30 Everyday Italian 13:00 30 Minute Meals 13:30 Guys Big Bite 14:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 14:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 15:00 Iron Chef America 15:30 Barefoot Contessa 16:00 Everyday Italian 17:00 Chopped 17:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 18:00 Guys Big Bite 18:30 Food Network Challenge 19:00 30 Minute Meals 19:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 20:00 Iron Chef America 21:00 Barefoot Contessa 21:30 Everyday Italian 22:00 Chopped 23:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 23:30 Guys Big Bite
03:05 I Escaped Death 04:00 Forensic Detectives 04:55 Real Emergency Calls 05:20 Dr G: Medical Examiner 06:10 Ghosthunters 06:35 Ghosthunters 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:50 FBI Files 08:40 Disappeared 09:30 Mystery ER 10:20 Forensic Detectives 11:10 FBI Files 12:00 On the Case with Paula Zahn 12:50 Diagnosis: Unknown 13:40 Fugitive Strike Force 14:30 Forensic Detectives 15:20 FBI Files 16:10 Disappeared 17:00 Mystery ER 17:50 Forensic Detectives 18:40 FBI Files 19:30 On the Case with Paula Zahn 20:20 Diagnosis: Unknown 21:10 Fugitive Strike Force 22:00 Deadly Women 22:50 Deadly Women 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner
03:00 Monday night Stand Up 04:30 South park 05:00 Drew Carey 05:30 Best Late night with Jimmy Fallon 06:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 07:00 Just Shoot me! 07:30 Malcolm in the Middle 08:00 Frasier 08:30 Yes dear 09:00 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 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 13:00 The Office 13:30 Yes dear 14:00 Married with Children 14:30 Simpsons 15:00 Billable Hours 15:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 The Drew Carey show 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:30 Frasier 18:00 Hope & Faith 18:30 Just Shoot me! 19:00 Scrubs 19:30 The Office 20:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Party Down 22:30 The Book Group 23:00 Saturday Night Live
10:00 All She Wants For Christmas-PG15 12:00 The Bucket List-PG15 14:00 Honeydripper-PG15 16:15 Motherhood-PG15 18:00 Angus Thongs And Perfect Snogging-PG15 20:00 Evan Almighty-PG15 22:00 X-men Origins: Wolverine-PG15
03:00 The Italian Job-PG15 05:00 Player 5150-PG15 07:00 The Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior-PG15 09:00 No Escape-PG15 11:00 April Fool’s Day-18 13:00 Arn: The Knight Templar-PG15 15:20 No Escape-PG15 17:20 Fire From Below-PG15 19:00 Double Team-PG15 21:00 Solo-PG15 23:00 Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back-PG15
04:00 Sabrina-PG 06:00 The Other Half-PG15 08:00 The Scout-PG15 10:00 Chatterbox-PG 12:00 Much Ado About Nothing-PG15 14:00 Made Of Honor-PG15 16:00 Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo-PG15 18:00 In And Out-PG15 20:00 Bridal Fever-PG 22:00 Trainwreck: My Life As An Idiot-18
04:00 Tommy And The Cool Mule-PG 06:00 Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything-PG 08:00 How To Eat Fried Worms-FAM 10:00 Tommy And The Cool Mule-PG 12:00 Magic Sport 2-PG 14:00 Igor-PG 16:00 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang-PG 18:30 Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie-FAM 20:00 Genghis Khan-PG 22:00 Magic Sport 2-PG
03:00 In Plain Sight 04:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 04:30 Home Improvement 05:00 Law and order 06:00 Emmerdale 06:30 Coronation Street 07:00 Without A Trace 08:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 08:30 Home Improvement 09:00 In Plain Sight 10:00 Law and order 11:00 Without A Trace 12:00 Emmerdale 12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 13:30 Home Improvement 14:00 Ugly Betty 15:00 Desperate Housewives 16:00 Law and order 17:00 In Plain Sight 18:00 Emmerdale 18:30 Coronation Street 19:00 Lost 20:00 Lost 21:00 Without A Trace 22:00 True Blood 23:00 In Plain Sight
07:00 NRL Premiership 09:00 ICC Cricket World
09:30 Super 14 11:30 AFL Highlights 12:30 World Hockey 13:00 NRL Premiership 15:00 NRL Full Time 15:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 16:30 Rugby League Challenge Cup 18:00 Countdown to South Africa 18:30 NRL Full Time 19:00 Guinness Premiership 21:00 Countdown to South Africa 21:30 Futbol Mundial 22:00 Masters Football
03:00 Masters football 06:00 AFL Highlights 07:00 WWE NXT 08:00 WWE Smackdown 10:00 FIA GT1 World Championship 12:00 WWE Bottom line 13:00 Red Bull X Fighters 14:30 V8 Supercars 15:00 UAE National Race Day 16:00 FIA GT1 World Championship 18:00 Prizefighter 21:00 UFC Wired 22:00 UFC Unleashed 23:00 UFC Unleashed
03:00 NRL Premiership 05:00 Red Bull X-Fighters Highlights 06:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 WWE NXT 08:00 WWE Smackdown 10:00 FIA GT1 World Championship 12:00 WWE Bottom Line 13:00 Red Bull X-Fighters 14:30 V8 Supercars Championship 15:00 UAE National Race 16:00 FIA GT1 World Championship 18:00 Prizefighter 21:00 UFC Wired 22:00 UFC Unleashed
03:15 Rachel Getting Married-PG 05:15 Genghis Khan-PG15 07:45 Stan Lee: The Condor-PG 09:00 10,000 Bc-PG 11:00 Greetings From The Shore-PG 13:00 A Dance For Bethany-PG15 15:00 Georgia O’keeffe-PG15 17:00 10,000 Bc-PG 19:00 Meet Dave-PG 21:00 Operating Instructions-PG15 23:00 Charlie Wilson’s War-18
03:30 The Screening Room 04:00 Elvis On Tour 05:30 Point Blank 07:00 Blackboard Jungle 08:40 Hotel Paradiso 10:20 Anchors Aweigh 12:35 Lies My Father Told Me 14:15 On The Town 15:50 Living Free 17:20 Nicholas And Alexandra 20:20 Singin’ In The Rain 22:00 Only When I Laugh
03:00 Man Moment Machine 03:55 Mega Movers 04:50 Battle Stations 05:40 Warriors 06:30 Deep Sea Detectives
07:20 Man Moment Machine 08:10 Ship Ablaze: The General Slocum Disaster 09:00 Man Moment Machine 09:55 Mega Movers 10:50 Battle Stations 11:40 Warriors 12:30 Deep Sea Detectives 13:20 Man Moment Machine 14:10 Ship Ablaze: The General Slocum Disaster 15:00 Man Moment Machine 15:55 Mega Movers 16:50 Battle Stations 17:40 The Universe 18:30 Deep Sea Detectives 19:20 Man Moment Machine 20:00 World War II: Lost Films 20:55 Hell’s Battlefield 21:00 World War II: Lost Films 21:55 Hell’s Battlefield 22:50 Battle 360 23:40 Battles B.C.
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 Whose Wedding Is it Anyway? 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 Peter Perfect 18:00 Peter Perfect 19:00 Split Ends 20:00 Clean House 21:00 Clean House Comes Clean 21:30 Dress My Nest 22:00 Ruby 23:00 Ruby
05:04 Guest Star 05:18 Playlist 08:04 New 08:45 Playlist 13:04 Urban Hit 13:50 Playlist 16:04 Hit US 17:00 Playlist 18:00 Urban Hit 18:45 Playlist 20:04 Latina 20:45 Playlist 21:00 Focus 22:00 Playlist TRAVEL CHANNEL 03:00 Secrets of Ancient China 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Planet Food 06:00 Intrepid Journeys 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 Essential 08:30 Distant Shores 09:00 Sophie Grigson In The Orient 09:30 48 Hours In 10:00 Planet Food 11:00 Intrepid Journeys 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Taste Takes Off 13:30 The Thirsty Traveler 14:00 A Taste of California 14:30 Entrada 15:00 Sophie Grigson In The Orient 15:30 48 Hours In 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Essential
OSN LAUNCHES OSN MOVIES HD +2
T 03:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified 04:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Best Of) 05:00 GMA (repeat) 07:00 Ahead of The Curve 07:30 Nature’s Edge 08:00 The Martha Stewart Show 09:00 Eat Yourself Sexy 09:30 10 Years Younger 10:00 The Best of Jimmy Kimmel 11:00 The View (repeat) 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 (Best Of) 18:00 Eat Yourself Sexy 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
04:00 Get Smart-PG15 06:15 Jonas Brothers Concert-PG 08:00 Motherhood-PG15
his month OSN MOVIES HD goes from strength to strength with an awesome line up of blockbuster movies, must-see series all in high definition and now all available on a brand new time-shifted channel OSN MOVIES HD + 2 offering viewers the broadest range of content to watch at even more convenient times. With premieres of the latest films scheduled at 19:00 KSA and 21:00 KSA, OSN MOVIES HD + 2 allows you to watch the movies at the later time slots of 21:00 KSA & 23:00 KSA respectively, a great way to keep the whole family entertained. Experience films like never before with up to five times more picture detail, and vibrant colour watching movies on OSN MOVIES HD and OSN MOVIES HD + 2 you’ll be drawn into movies like never before. Fresh from Oscar success Sandra Bullock pulls another blinder in the box office smash hit THE PROPOSAL and the next generation of STAR TREK movies gets off to a flying start in JJ Abrams exhilarating reboot. Oscar winners Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, and Ben Affleck flex their acting skills in STATE OF PLAY and Hugh Jackman sharpens his claws for more heartstopping adventure in X–MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. There is plenty of fun for the kids in the box- office smash G-FORCE
when a trio of guinea pig secret agents attempt to foil a plot to destroy the world and the laughs continue in MONSTERS VS ALIENS. Plus look no further for explosive action and shocking twists, OSN MOVIES HD has a plethora of the hottest series lined up this month. Get closer to the action when we screen the ten unmissable installments of THE PACIFIC in HD, from producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. If you’re not already hooked get grooving to television’s most-loved new series GLEE and the smash-hit, Emmy Award-winning HBO series TRUE BLOOD takes the action to bloody new heights in the second highly anticipated season. OSN MOVIES HD and +2 is home to the latest blockbusters, the biggest stars and the shows everyone’s talking about – all in stunning high definition and with more time slots now we can enjoy more of the things we love, more of the time.
Star Listings (UAE Timings) STAR Movies 21:05 Light It Up 23:45 7-10 Split 00:20 Solar Destruction 01:50 Rain Man 04:05 Light It Up 05:45 7-10 Split 07:20 Underdog 08:45 Rain Man 11:00 Date With Murder, A 12:25 Soul Food 14:20 Christmas Caper 15:50 Species 17:30 Carrie 19:05 Four Weddings And A Funeral STAR World 20:00 Mental 20:50 Starsky & Hutch 21:00 The Listener 21:50 Who’s The Boss? 22:00 90210 23:00 [V] TUNES 00:00 [V] TUNES 01:00 [V] TUNES 02:00 Kyle XY 03:00 Scrubs 03:30 Scrubs 04:00 The King Of Queens 04:30 According To Jim 05:00 Eli Stone
05:50 06:00 06:50 07:00 07:50 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 15:30 16:00 16:50 17:00 17:50 18:00 18:50 19:00 19:50
Different Strokes Grey’s Anatomy Starsky & Hutch 90210 Who’s The Boss? Mental Different Strokes The King Of Queens The Bold and the Beautiful Kyle XY Starsky & Hutch Grey’s Anatomy Who’s The Boss? [V] TUNES Eli Stone Scrubs Scrubs The King Of Queens According To Jim October Road Different Strokes Castle Starsky & Hutch Stone Undercover Who’s The Boss? Criminal Minds Different Strokes
Granada TV 21:00 Forger’s Masterclass 21:30 Beyond Boiling Point
22:00 23:00 00:00 01:00 02:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:30
Drivers From Hell Vroom Vroom (Series 2) 60 Minute Makeover (Series 3) Parkinson (Series 6) Crime Monday: Cold Blood (Series 3) Forger’s Masterclass The World’s Best Diets Emmerdale Coronation Street 60 Minute Makeover (Series 3) Crime Monday: Cold Blood (Series 3) Forger’s Masterclass Parkinson (Series 6) The Diet That Time Forgot Emmerdale Coronation Street Teen Fat Camp Crime Monday: Cold Blood (Series 3) Forger’s Masterclass Parkinson (Series 6) Emmerdale Coronation Street Teen Fat Camp Crime Monday: Cold Blood (Series 3) Forger’s Masterclass
Channel [V] 21:00 [V] Tunes 21:30 [V] Tunes 22:00 Loop 23:00 Amp Around Asia
23:30 00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00
[V] Tunes [V] Special XO Loop Backtracks Videoscope [V] Special [V] Tunes [V] Tunes Loop Amp Around Asia [V] Tunes [V] Special XO Loop Backtracks Videoscope [V] Special [V] Tunes [V] Tunes Loop Amp Around Asia [V] Tunes [V] Special XO Loop Backtracks
Fox News 20:00 America’s News HQ host Shannon Bream 22:00 Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat)
23:00 The Passion: Facts, Fictions and Faith with Lauren Green 00:00 America’s News HQ hosts Gregg Jarrett and Harris Faulkner 02:00 FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 03:00 FOX Report Sunday host Harris Faulkner 04:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee (best of) 05:00 Real American Stories with Sarah Palin 06:00 Geraldo At Large with Geraldo Rivera (Afghan)/Kimberly Guilfoyle 07:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee 08:00 Real American Stories with Sarah Palin 09:00 Geraldo At Large with Geraldo Rivera 10:00 FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 11:00 War Stories with Oliver North PELELIU: THE FORGOTTEN BATTLE 12:00 Real American Stories with Sarah Palin 13:00 Geraldo at Large with Geraldo Rivera 14:00 FOX & Friends First Live 15:00 FOX & Friends Live 17:00 America’s Newsroom 18:00 America’s Newsroom 19:00 Happening Now National Geographic Channel 20:00 Mystery Files 30min -Mystery Files : Cleopatra 13 20:30 Mystery Files 30min -Mystery Files : Robin Hood 1 21:00 Monster Fish -Giant Stingray 22:00 THEME WEEK -Fight Science : Human Weapons 23:00 Best Job in the world -The Best Job In The World : Day 1 1
23:30 Best Job in the world -The Best Job In The World : Girlfriend On The Run 2 00:00 Air Crash Investigation -Fire on Board 01:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia : Robot Jockey 02:00 Weddings & Funerals -5 Weddings Couple of funeral : Pedi Wedding 1 02:30 Weddings & Funerals -5 Weddings Couple of funeral : Hindu Wedding 2 03:00 Golden Baboons 04:00 Wild Africa -Hippos: Africa’s River Beast 05:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia : Robot Jockey 06:00 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet -Spanish Roots 06:30 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet -Baja California 7 07:00 Hunter Hunted -Death Down Under 4 08:00 Weddings & Funerals -5 Weddings Couple of funeral : Pedi Wedding 1 08:30 Weddings & Funerals -5 Weddings Couple of funeral : Hindu Wedding 2 09:00 Hayden Turner’s Wildlife Chall -Grey Whales 1 09:30 Wild Detectives -Bear Bandits 10:00 Theme Week -Blowdown : The Miami Job S1-2 11:00 Air Crash Investigation -Fire on Board 12:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia : Robot Jockey 13:00 Convoy - War For The Atlantic -The Hunt 2 14:00 Megastructures -Super Carrier : Airport At Sea 15:00 Theme Week -Blowdown : The Miami Job S1-2 16:00 Inside -Inside Iraq’s Kill Zone 17:00 Air Crash Investigation -Fire on Board 18:00 Convoy - War For The Atlantic -The Hunt 2 19:00 Megastructures -Super Carrier : Airport At Sea
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
33 Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Tuesday 01/06/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jordanian 802 Amman Jazeera 263 Beirut Wataniya Airways 188 Bahrain Kuwait 544 Cairo Wataniya Airways 306 Cairo Wataniya Airways 434 Damascus Gulf Air 211 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 408 Beirut Turkish 772 Istanbul DHL 370 Bahrain Emirates 853 Dubai Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa/Bahrain Etihad 305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 138 Doha Air France 6782 Paris Jazeera 503 Luxor Jazeera 527 Alexandria Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok British 157 London Kuwait 416 Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur Falcon 201 Bahrain Kuwait 206 Islamabad Kuwait 382 Delhi Jazeera 613 Lahore Kuwait 302 Mumbai Kuwait 332 Trivandrum Fly Dubai 053 Dubai Kuwait 676 Dubai Kuwait 284 Dhaka Emirates 855 Dubai Arabia 121 Sharjah Iran Air 605 Isfahan Qatari 132 Doha Etihad 301 Abu Dhabi Iran Air 619 Lar Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 182 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 102 Dubai Jazeera 165 Dubai Jazeera 447 Doha Jazeera 497 Riyadh Wataniya Airways 422 Amman Egypt Air 610 Cairo Kuwait 672 Dubai United 982 Washington Dc Dulles Jordanian 800 Amman Wataniya Airways 432 Damascus Fly Dubai 057 Dubai Wataniya Airways 332 Alexandria Kuwait 562 Amman Saudia 500 Jeddah Kuwait 744 Dammam Syrian Air 341 Damascus Qatari 134 Doha Kuwait 546 Alexandria Mihin 403 Colombo/Dubai Etihad 303 Abu Dhabi Emirates 857 Dubai Wataniya Airways 402 Beirut Gulf Air 215 Bahrain Saudia 510 Riyadh Jazeera 493 Jeddah Jazeera 367 Deirezzor Arabia 125 Sharjah Jazeera 239 Amman Srilankan 227 Colombo/Dubai Kuwait 104 London Wataniya Airways 304 Cairo Kuwait 166 Paris/Rome Wataniya Airways 106 Dubai Kuwait 502 Beirut Kuwait 542 Cairo Kuwait 786 Jeddah Kuwait 618 Doha Wataniya Airways 202 Jeddah Jazeera 177 Dubai Kuwait 674 Dubai Kuwait 614 Bahrain Singapore 458 Singapore/Abu Dhabi Kuwait 774 Riyadh Kuwait 552 Damascus Kuwait 512 Tehran Rovos 093 Kandahar/Dubai Fly Dubai 061 Dubai Indian 993 Chennai/Mumbai Oman Air 647 Muscat Middle East 402 Beirut Wataniya Airways 612 Sabiha Jet A/W 572 Mumbai Egypt Air 618 Alexandria KLM 0443 Amsterdam Wataniya Airways 404 Beirut Jazeera 459 Damascus DHL 372 Bahrain Gulf Air 217 Bahrain Emirates 859 Dubai Rovos 091 Baghdad Qatari 136 Doha United 981 Bahrain Lufthansa 636 Frankfurt Jazeera 449 Doha Jazeera 117 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 185 Dubai Jazeera 429 Bahrain India Express 389 Kozhikode/Mangalore Pakistan 205 Lahore/Peshawar Wataniya Airways 108 Dubai
Time 00:05 00:10 00:30 00:50 00:50 00:55 01:05 01:05 01:15 02:15 02:25 02:30 02:55 03:25 03:25 05:30 06:10 06:15 06:30 06:35 07:00 07:15 07:20 07:40 07:50 07:55 07:55 08:00 08:10 08:25 08:40 08:55 09:00 09:25 10:40 10:45 10:45 11:05 11:15 11:20 11:35 12:50 12:55 13:15 13:35 13:35 13:35 13:50 14:05 14:20 14:30 14:40 14:45 15:05 15:30 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:15 17:20 17:35 17:40 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:35 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:50 18:55 18:55 18:55 19:05 19:20 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:40 19:45 20:00 20:05 20:15 20:15 20:20 20:20 20:30 20:35 20:40 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:55 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:55 23:55
Departure Flights on Tuesday 01/06/2010 Airlines Flt Route Tunis Air 328 Dubai/Tunis Indian 576 Goa/Chennai Pakistan 240 Sialkot Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt Turkish 773 Istanbul DHL 371 Bahrain Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa Emirates 854 Dubai Etihad 306 Abu Dhabi Qatari 139 Doha Air France 6782 Dubai/Hong Kong Wataniya Airways 101 Dubai Jazeera 164 Dubai Jordanian 803 Amman Wataniya Airways 331 Alexandria Jazeera 446 Doha Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 181 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 421 Amman Rovos 094 Dubai/Kandahar Wataniya Airways 431 Damascus British 156 London Jazeera 496 Riyadh Kuwait 545 Alexandria Fly Dubai 054 Dubai Kuwait 671 Dubai Kuwait 561 Amman Arabia 122 Sharjah Kuwait 101 London/New York Emirates 856 Dubai Iran Air 604 1sfahan Qatari 133 Doha Etihad 302 Abu Dhabi Gulf Air 214 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 401 Beirut Iran Air 618 Lar Kuwait 165 Rome/Paris Wataniya Airways 303 Cairo Kuwait 743 Dammam Kuwait 541 Cairo Wataniya Airways 611 Sabiha Jazeera 492 Jeddah Jazeera 366 Deirezzor Jazeera 238 Amman Kuwait 501 Beirut Kuwait 785 Jeddah Wataniya Airways 201 Jeddah Egypt Air 611 Cairo Kuwait 551 Damascus Jordanian 801 Amman Wataniya Airways 105 Dubai Fly Dubai 058 Dubai United 982 Bahrain Jazeera 176 Dubai Wataniya Airways 403 Beirut Kuwait 673 Dubai Kuwait 617 Doha Kuwait 511 Tehran Syrian Air 342 Damascus Saudia 501 Jeddah Jazeera 458 Damascus Kuwait 773 Riyadh Qatari 135 Doha Kuwait 613 Bahrain Etihad 304 Abu Dhabi Mihin 404 Dubai/Colombo Wataniya Airways 305 Cairo Gulf Air 216 Bahrain Emirates 858 Dubai Rovos 092 Baghdad Jazeera 262 Beirut Arabia 126 Sharjah Jazeera 184 Dubai Saudia 511 Riyadh Jazeera 116 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 448 Doha Srilankan 228 Dubai/Colombo Wataniya Airways 407 Beirut Wataniya Airways 433 Damascus Wataniya Airways 107 Dubai Wataniya Airways 321 Sharm El Sheikh Jazeera 428 Bahrain Kuwait 283 Dhaka Kuwait 361 Colombo Fly Dubai 062 Dubai Singapore 457 Abu Dhabi/Singapore Kuwait 343 Chennai Kuwait 351 Cochin Oman Air 648 Muscat Middle East 403 Beirut Jet A/W 571 Mumbai Egypt Air 619 Alexandria Wataniya Airways 187 Bahrain KLM 0443 Bahrain/Amsterdam Gulf Air 218 Bahrain DHL 373 Bahrain Kuwait 801 Cairo Kuwait 675 Dubai Emirates 860 Dubai Falcon 102 Bahrain Kuwait 381 Delhi Qatari 137 Doha Kuwait 301 Mumbai Jazeera 526 Alexandria Jazeera 502 Luxor Kuwait 411 Bangkok/Manila United 981 Washington Dc Dulles
FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161
Time 00:25 00:50 01:10 01:15 02:15 03:15 03:30 03:45 04:00 05:00 05:15 06:50 07:00 07:00 07:30 07:40 07:45 07:50 07:50 08:00 08:10 08:25 08:30 08:35 08:40 09:00 09:15 09:20 09:30 09:40 09:55 10:00 10:10 11:35 11:35 11:40 11:45 11:50 11:55 12:00 12:05 12:15 12:20 12:25 13:00 13:30 13:45 13:55 14:20 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:50 14:55 15:10 15:10 15:35 15:40 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:05 16:20 16:20 17:35 17:40 18:05 18:05 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:35 18:35 18:40 18:50 19:10 19:25 19:30 19:40 19:45 19:55 20:00 20:20 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 23:20 23:30 23:40 23:40
ACCOMMODATION Decent room in a flat in Salwa for single person only, two big windows, cool place, English toilet, rent KD 60. Contact: 99468765. (C 2347) To let one big room with separate toilet to a decent bachelor from 1/6/10, near the city, rent KD 75 only. Please call 60046720 for more details. (C 2345) 1-6-2010 Sharing accommodation available in new Riggae for couples/two working ladies, CA/C building. Please contact: 99874350. (C 2342) A room available in flat in Hawally, call 55360091. Sharing accommodation available with Christian family near Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School, Abbassiya. Contact: 24334903/ 66795128 after 4 pm. (C 2343) Sharing accommodation available in Salmiya, opp Food Inn for decent family/couple/bachelors, Indians only to share with a Goan family in a 2 BHKWA/C. Good location available from 25th June onwards. Please contact: 97258347. (C 2341) 31-5-2010 Sharing accommodation available for a Keralite
bachelor in Abbassiya. Contact: 66577233. (C 2336)
for families on visit. Phone: 67060429. (C 2326)
Two central A/C room available in Mangaf behind Mr Baker, near seaside signal from May 30th. Contact: 99512909. (C 2338)
Fully furnished 1 BHK available for Indian Muslim family from 22nd June to 10th Sept. with household items at Abbassiya, opp German Clinic. Contact: 97834504. (C 2327)
Sharing accommodation available for Indian couple in a central A/C flat having Internet & telephone facility, rent KD 95, Amman Street, Salmiya, near Apollo hospital from Just 1st onwards. Contact: 66757539. (C 2337) Sharing accommodation available in Farwaniya for couples/one decent executive bachelor/visiting families (Keralites/south Indian only) to share with a Keralite family in a two bedroom, hall, central A/C flat from 1st June onwards with reasonable rent, near Mughal Mahal restaurant and Shifa Al-Jazeera clinic. If interested please contact: 97508939. (C 2340) 30-5-2010 Sharing accommodation available for a decent Indian bachelor in a fully furnished CA/C building with kitchen and parking facilities near Crowne Plaza. If interested call 99038601. (C 2332) 29-5-2010 A fully furnished flat for rent during summer vacation for 3 months starting from June - Aug. CA/C building, nice location in Kheitan, specially
SITUATION VACANT
Required live-in Indian housemaid. Contact: 66574800. (C 2346) 1-6-2010 Live-in full-time Indian housemaid. Contact: 66574800. (C 2335) 30-5-2010
TRANSPORT Transport available from Abbassiya to Salmiya, Hawally, Shaab, Al Seef hospital (Ras Salmiya), Maidan Hawally, Farwaniya, Mina Abdulla, (available every half-an-hour). Contact: 99262556, 55204127, 99305742, 55568346. (C 2348) A lady needs transport from Salmiya SAS restaurant to international clinic near Sultan Centre Salmiya, office timings reaching office by 8 am and return from office by 5 pm starting date from 6th June onwards. Please call for details 66329575. (C 2349) 1-6-2010
FOR SALE SITUATION WANTED
Toyota Camry Grande, model 2005, 6 cylinders, done 63,000 kms only, white color, excellent condition, cash price KD 2,850. Contact: 97213518. (C 2339) 30-5-2010 Toyota Corolla 1.8, model 2005, color white, 4-cylinder, 72,000 kilometer, price KD 2,400, excellent condition. Tel: 55107856. (C 2333) Laptop mini Acer, 160 Giga, 12� screen, light use, still in the carton, buying price KD 115, willing to sell KD 60 (not negotiable). Call 94426326. 29-5-2010
I need full-time job as sales executive, my qualification is MBA (Marketing) and valid Kuwait driving license. I can join from 1st June 2010. Please call: 55355954. (C 2334) 29-5-2010
CHANGE OF NAME Passport name: Alphonso Anand Fernandes Anand. Passport No: Z1447802 issued in Kuwait, hereby confirm that I have changed my name as follows Anand Alphonso Albin Fernandes. (C 2344)
34
SPECTRUM
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Calvin
CROSSWORD 1006
Aries (March 21-April 19) Academic or educational pursuits and travel may figure prominently in your career growth now. You may talk seriously with higher-ups about the route you need to take in order to advance your career and more education is an important step. A positive attitude benefits you greatly. Your communication skills are at a high. You will enjoy a debate with friends and may be surprised at the results, which are positive. You have a strong psychic potential today. Your imagination is strong and lends itself to writing or some form of art. However, since you do not like to waste time, you may find it difficult to start such an endeavor. A good conversation with loved ones is possible tonight. Let optimism lead you to a successful conclusion in a love story. Taurus (April 20-May 20) There is some powerful drive is available today--do not rush through projects; you could make mistakes that you would regret later. Use your power wisely and pace yourself. Now is a good time to finish those jobs you have been putting off, whether it is from fear of failure or lack of confidence. Applying yourself to work and helping your co-workers, even in the subtlest manner, should prove successful. You will excel in activities that involve understanding and self-sacrifice. Your burning zeal for the ideal world and your need to be a part of a group of like-minded souls is a major factor in your makeup. You learn and grow though your efforts to help others and to make your inner vision a reality. Tell someone you appreciate them.
Pooch Cafe
ACROSS 1. An honorary degree in science. 4. Slanting diagonally across the grain of a fabric. 8. Piece of solid food for dipping in a liquid. 11. An actor's line that immediately precedes and serves as a reminder for some action or speech. 12. A feeling of intense anger. 13. An accountant certified by the state. 14. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth. 15. (in Gnosticism) A divine power or nature emanating from the Supreme Being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe. 16. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States. 17. A member of an agricultural people of southern India. 20. The smallest multiple that is exactly divisible by every member of a set of numbers. 21. 1 species. 26. (Norse mythology) Ruler of the Aesir. 29. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey). 30. An ugly evil-looking old woman. 31. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens. 33. Formerly a term of respect for important white Europeans in colonial India. 39. A public promotion of some product or service. 42. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning. 43. Having undesirable or negative qualities. 46. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects. 47. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders. 48. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad. 49. A master's degree in fine arts. DOWN 1. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike. 2. A communist state in the Caribbean on the island of Cuba. 3. No longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life. 4. (informal) Exceptionally good. 5. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy. 6. Gone by. 7. A fractional monetary unit of Japan and Indonesia and Cambodia. 8. A mark left by the healing of injured tissue. 9. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum. 10. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America. 18. A federation of North American labor unions that merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955. 19. Naked freshwater or marine or parasitic protozoa that form temporary pseudopods for feeding and locomotion. 22. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal. 23. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group. 24. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC). 25. The cry made by sheep. 27. A state in midwestern United States. 28. A soft gray ductile metallic element used in alloys. 32. Being one more than two. 34. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind. 35. God of love and erotic desire. 36. The inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers. 37. French cabaret singer (1915-1963). 38. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill. 40. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar. 41. An awkward stupid person. 44. A doctor's degree in religion. 45. A gray lustrous metallic element of the rare earth group.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) After being pulled in many different directions at the beginning of this year, now is the time when things settle down and you can make decisions and move forward with your own ideas. This time is rich with opportunities to achieve and be noticed for your special talents. In dealing with colleagues, diplomacy and tact is the best path to take. You are naturally magnetic because of your knowledge and your assurance. Your actions are right for you and probably very innovative. People just naturally have questions and want to follow in your path. It is good to lend a helping hand when you can. A nice restaurant, a concert, a private club with music for dancing is just where you can be found this evening--probably with a group.
Non Sequitur Cancer (June 21-July 22) You feel and are lucky today. This could be a good time to plan your investments and perhaps, include the family in the steps that concern them. This afternoon there are opportunities to read, enjoy music, spend time in a bookstore or enjoy a child's company and the out-of-doors. There are decisions to make regarding maintenance and upkeep of your landscaping and a young person in your home will have some excellent ideas--ask. You have a clear understanding of your position in the world and among the people you care about. You must realize that friends and relatives rely on you as much as you depend on them. A Q and A time will open up the communication flow. This evening is favorable for all sorts of fun activities. Leo (July 23-August 22) You are full of enthusiasm and creative expression. You rise above any problems that may come your way. You tend to have a quick wit today and you can get things done on sheer willpower. Your creative fervor is expressed through your business and private affairs, giving you an edge over others. Be aware of your need to dominate and look for ways to express your appreciation. Your sensibility may cause you to shy away from someone today for fear of getting hurt. However, used correctly, your sensitive nature is the very thing that helps you to be creative and loving. Enjoy the creative brush of nature--observe the way the colors blend together. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with a loved one.
Zits
Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may have difficulty in concentrating on your work this morning. Weather permitting; perhaps you can get outside during the noon break--bringing your thoughts into focus. Take advantage of a business opportunity that comes your way this afternoon. You deserve the success that is set before you now. You may need to take a humble attitude this afternoon as you will be in the lime light with your peers. This evening you can enjoy good relations with members of your family and your finances could improve because of a family member's suggestions, ideas or offering. Budgeting can be rewarding for all family members. Working with a friend on a favorite project this evening is successful. You are particularly friendly and witty. Libra (September 23-October 22) Paperwork, technical problems and organizing people seems to come easily today. You are self-motivated and thrilled to try new endeavors. There is confidence and success within your reach--you have a good attitude. In a group meeting today, others may find you warm and compassionate. You could act as a catalyst for others to express their feelings and unresolved complexes. There are social opportunities this evening and you will be at your most elegant. You will have a grasp for abstract and spiritual ideas and the ability to present or communicate these to others. This is a great time to reflect and understand your own situation. Emotions in particular, or the feelings of those around you, may be very clear.
Mother Goose and Grimm
Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You are at your most practical when it comes to dealing and working with others today. You can help others learn organizational skills. Work, achievement and ambition are the things that mean a lot to you now. You have the ability to inspire and lead others today through your attitude and your actions. This afternoon you will respond to a long overdue correspondence before you have to leave town or catch the next flight out of town. You have news to convey and then you have gossip to catch up on; perhaps from a sibling's latest adventure. Personal achievement with children will bring big rewards this evening and throughout the weekend. This could mean a big camp out with friends or relatives. Perhaps an outdoor cooking contest!!! Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Administrative ability comes easily this morning and you are able to coordinate people and events. You are able to influence and guide others in matters of importance. You may ask where your guidance is, since you are so willing to help or guide others. Help will come from surprising avenues just when you need it the most. You will be able to make smart decisions. You may also glean new techniques from your co-workers as well as those you might consider under you. A great person shows their greatness by the way they treat others. You might be pleasingly surprised at the suggestions you receive from the questions you ask. This afternoon you could find yourself intuitive and tuned in to other's feelings. Emotions may be very clear.
Yesterday’s Solution
Yester
Yesterday’s Solution
To
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
Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You are a hard worker today but it may be very beneficial to remain behind the scenes and quietly plod along with your work. Do not let any nervousness or extreme mental activities deter you from getting things done. There may be a serious decision made today regarding the future of a project or investment. You could find that you are appreciated or valued for your ability to get things accomplished. You will enjoy a little physical activity this afternoon with friends or family to get rid of the build-up of stress. You may enjoy a social get-together with friends this evening. This could mean dinner, a movie, dancing or some other fun entertainment. Mingling with friends in social surroundings is a boost to your ego.
INTERNATIONAL CALLS Kuwait Qatar Abu Dhabi Dubai Raas Al Khayma Al-Shareqa Muscat Jordan Bahrain Riyadh Makkah - Jeddah Cairo Alexandria Beirut Damascus Allepo
Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You could lose money as quickly as it accumulates this day. Fortunately, you happily work to replace any lost or accrued debts. Working with groups of people may pull on your patience. It is important to develop a team spirit in order not to alienate fellow workers. Obtaining and exchanging information takes on more meaning. Some of your favorite people encourage you in your goals. A party for someone who used to be a schoolmate or a co-worker is in the making this afternoon. This evening you may choose a quiet time for rest and relaxation. Your creative expression may come as poetry. You may find yourself working on a bit of poetry for a special event. The public awaits the publishing of your poetry!
Word Sleuth Solution
Pisces (February 19-March 20) This could be a stressful day if you are trying to finish a backlog of things as well as new business today. Perhaps you could call a temporary for this week and get some outside help. Take plenty of breaks and get away from your work during the noon hour. Begin to care more for yourself and realize that your body needs good nutrition and rest to operate well. You have a natural understanding as to what people want. Your career gets all kinds of support and you are comfortable making practical and management decisions. You may enjoy eccentric or unconventional friends this afternoon. You have very original ideas when it comes to community and will create ways to help improve the area in which you live. Rest and relax.
INFORMATION
Tuesday, June 1, 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
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
he ‘Think Twice’ singer and her husband Rene Angelil - who already have nine-year-old son ReneCharles together - are preparing to extend their brood after their sixth round of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) was successful. Celine is currently 14 weeks pregnant and the couple are expected to find out the sex of their babies next month. Rene told People.com: “We’re ecstatic. Celine is just hoping for a healthy pregnancy. She was hoping for one baby and the news that we are having two is a double blessing!” The 42year-old songstress has had an emotional few months as she tried to have more children with her 68-year-old spouse. Last August the couple announced they were expecting a child following a successful round of IVF, but in November her spokesperson confirmed the pregnancy had failed. Just days ago Celine
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pregnant Angelina Jolie doesn’t clean
with twins
hinted there was some “good news” to come about a second pregnancy. She said: “Well we’re crossing our fingers. We’re waiting for good news hopefully. I don’t want to talk about it so much because I’m superstitious, but I know people have been very wonderful for us and praying for us. Right now we are crossing our fingers, we hope for the best and I can’t wait to give people good news.” The French-Canadian star deliberately didn’t want to release information about her bump until she was sure she was pregnant. She added: “Once you live in show business and everything spreads out so quick and every pregnancy you have to wait three months to make sure it’s all ok and it’s nerve racking. We’re not getting any younger and you always think it’s your last chance, you’re last try.”
Robbie Williams? mansion lo obbie Williams is set to lose £1 million through the sale of his country mansion. The ‘Angels’ singer - who bought the £8.1 million property in an idyllic Wilshire estate last year - is expected to miss out on the enormous sum as he sells the 71-acre property for a huge cut. The sevenbedroom house - where Robbie has installed a soccer pitch and a dirt track - is being advertised at £7.5 million, but Robbie is panicking he can’t afford to keep it any longer and is reportedly willing to accept £400,000 less than the asking price. The singer has also decided to advertise the property in Britain’s Country Life magazine. A source told the Mail Online:
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“Robbie used the grounds for his own interests, not really considering the impact on the picturesque estate. It is, though, no wonder they haven’t been used in the pictures to sell the house in the magazine. After all, football pitches and dirt tracks don’t really appeal to your average Country Life magazine reader with millions of pounds to lavish on an estate.” The ‘Angels’ star bought the house because of his fascination for aliens and the because the area is known for sightings of UFOs (unidentified flying objects). However, it is believed the 36-year-old pop star will now relocate to Los Angeles permanently with his fiance Ayda Field.
Cowell?s health drinks he actress - admits she can never see herself playing a character like Cinderella, a fairytale character who is transformed from a drudge to the belle of the ball by a fairy godmother - because it is nothing like how she is in real life. Angelina - who raises six children with partner Brad Pitt said: “The cleaning the floors or the knight in shining armor? I don’t know, I don’t think any of them sound like me.” The ‘Tourist’ actress admitted she is mainly attracted to playing characters who are “vulnerable”, even though some of them seem tough. She explained: “I play
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women that I think are vulnerable. Like in ‘Girl, Interrupted’, I have a huge breakdown - very emotional, very unhappy, but she’s considered psychotic and a scary, tough woman.” While Angelina prefers “vulnerable” characters, a former bodyguard of the actress recently described her as “totally psycho”. He said: “Angelina has a public and a private persona. In my opinion, the real Angelina is self-centred and a control freak. She has no patience at all. She doesn’t do things out of the kindness of her heart. “And she’s totally psycho... she screams and yells a lot, then ways away.”
imon Cowell loves drinking vitamin juices and healthy smoothies. The music mogul who is engaged to make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy - is healthier than he’s ever been thanks to his dedication to the “green swamp juice”, according to his close friend Amanda Holden. Amanda said: “He’s into these health smoothies and is always giving away recipes. I actually think this is the healthiest he’s ever looked. He’s lost weight, he’s really fit, his skin looks good and his eyes are shiny. He’s either in love or it’s the herbs! “Simon’s make-up artist is great because she brings in loads of vitamin juices, which help to keep up energy levels during long audition days. Simon has his green swamp juice in a mug.” Amanda, who judges with Simon on the show ‘Britain’s Got talent’, also mocked her fellow panellist for having monogrammed napkins in his house as well as black toilet paper- but she adds that he would hate anyone knowing as he is reportedly very private when it comes to toilet behavior. Amanda said: “He would have us believe he has never been for a poo or wee in his life! If he reads that he will absolutely hate that sentence.”
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Russell Brand wants Katy to ussell Brand won’t marry Katy Perry until she learns how to cook. The ‘Get Him to the Greek’ star is delighted that his singer fiancee can match his high sex drive, but thinks she is currently lacking too much in the culinary department to be the perfect wife. He said: “Katy is sexy, which is good because if I don’t have an orgasm every 15 or 16 minutes, I can become very difficult. But, if she’s going to marry me, she’s going to learn how to cook.” The 34-year-old funnyman also claimed Katy should be delighted by his previous womanizing ways as the fact he has now chosen monogamy proves how much he loves her. He told Parade.com: “I said, ‘Katy, you need to know, I’m not virgin. In fact, if you’re counting, the list of my sexual escapades is mindboggling. But these women will be celebrated for ever more. And they will live on in my imagination.’ “Then, I said, ‘Katy, look at my past as an audition process. I went through all of those girls to get to you. And you don’t even have to thank me.’ “I didn’t choose monogamy. Monogamy chose me. I feel excited to be marrying such a lovely girl. I am now officially engaged because love made me crazy. It’s a big brain trick. Love is the universal migraine.” Russell also admitted he and the 25-year-old star want to start a family. He joked: “Of course we’re going to have a child some day. I’m hoping for a hybrid creature, something from Greek mythology like a satyr.
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he 16-year-old singer admits he ended his romance with his girlfriend of seven months during a heated call but insists it is not something he’s proud of. He said: “I have dumped a girl over the phone - it’s terrible isn’t it? We got into an argument during a phone call so I basically said, I don’t wanna be with you anymore,’ and she cried. I saw her after that and it was a bit awkward, but we’re not enemies now, so that’s cool. “But I wouldn’t recommend it, it’s very mean!” Justin also went against his mother’s wishes when he started dating the girl as she didn’t want him to get romantically involved with anyone before he was 16. He told Top of the Pops magazine: “My mom said I wasn’t allowed to date until I was 16, but I broke that rule. She found out and said, ‘I’m disappointed in you.’
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Justin Bieber dumped a girl over the phone Rupert Grint is a ‘proud ginger’ he actor - who portrays Ron Weasley in the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise - says fans always recognize him because of his distinctive red locks but insists he will never dye his hair as it would be a “betrayal”. He told BANG Showbiz: “Do I get recognized? It’s embarrassing; I think it’s my hair. It’s mad, yeah I can go out, but I get recognized all the time... I’ve always been quite a proud ginger so I couldn’t dye it and betray the other gingers. “Getting recognized is strange, it’s not an easy thing to get your head round, but I’m getting used to it.” Despite his repeated attempts for some private time with friends, the 21year-old star is easy to spot because of his unusual vehicle - a customized ice cream van. He said: “It was always my dream to have one, it’s a fun thing to drive around in. I’ve been everywhere in it but it’s not practical because you do get queues of girls wanting ice cream and I have no stock!” —Bang Showbiz
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Music & Movies
Eurovision Fraeulein Wunder? cheers grumpy Germans By Simon Sturdee ith the eurozone in crisis, government coffers bare, the national football team in trouble and even the weather awful, victory in the Eurovision Song Contest gave Germany a rare reason for cheer yesterday. Lena MeyerLandrut was on the front page of every German newspaper, even the normally staid business daily Handelsblatt and the somewhat stuffy Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, dubbing her “Fraeulein Wunder” (“Miss Wonder”). The mass-circulation Bild devoted almost all of its front page and three “special pages” to the 19-year-old, declaring: “LENA, wir lieben dich!” (“LENA, we love you!”). “Europe loves us-and finally we’re in a good mood,” the paper said. In 2008 when No Angels spectacularly failed to impress the judges, the paper wondered why no one in Europe liked Germany. The chirpy brunette’s victory in the European song fest in the Norwegian capital Oslo on Saturday with the catchy “Satellite” was only the second time Germany has won in the contest’s 55-year-history. The last time Germans were able to celebrate Eurovision success was in 1982, when the Berlin Wall was still up. In the case of Meyer-Landrut-born in 1991 — that was more than a lifetime ago. More than 120 million viewers across 39 European countries, but also as far afield as Myanmar, Australia and New Zealand, watched Meyer-Landrut, who has only just finished her final school exams, take the honours. Bild estimated that 40,000 cheering fans welcomed her back in her home town of Hanover on Sunday. Politicians fell over themselves to congratulate the singer, with Chancellor Angela Merkel saying her “rousing performance” had “dazzled Germany and sang you into the heart of Europe.” “Whether you wanted to be or not, you are an ambassador for our country who, in one night, charmingly disproved a few old stereotypes,” Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said. Germany, and the 55-year-old Merkel in particular, could do with some good news after a torrid few months that have seen her popularity ratings plummet after winning a second term in September. Abroad Merkel has been accused of dragging her feet over the eurozone debt crisis, while domestically an increasingly eurosceptic public is angry about their hard-earned euros bailing out what they see as profligate countries. Germany’s public finances are in tatters after the country’s worst recession since World War II, and Merkel’s governing coalition has to make some unpopular decisions about where to make savings. Taxes may rise. The country, suffering a dreary and wet spring, is also pessimistic when it comes to Germany’s chances in the football World Cup in South Africa in June, with captain Michael Ballack one of a string of players injured. Germany, which has won the World Cup one more time than it has won the Eurovision Song Contest, is normally one of the favorites. “Lads, now you have to do a Lena,” Bild suggested.—AFP
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Billie Joe Armstrong, singer of the US band ‘Green Day’, performs on stage during a concert on May 30, 2010 in Hanover, central Germany. —AFP
Stars may skip Bollywood awards in Sri Lanka ollywood’s leading stars may skip their annual awards festival, which is being held in Sri Lanka this week, following protests from pro-Tamil rebel lobbies in India, officials said yesterday. The brand ambassador of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards, Amitabh Bachchan, his actor son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai-Bollywood’s leading couple-have not yet confirmed their participation. “About 97 percent of the top stars have confirmed with the exceptions of movie stars Amitabh Bachchan and his family,” Sri Lanka’s junior economic development minister, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene, told reporters. “There is a lot of protest from the (Tamil) Tiger lobby in Tamil Nadu to the Bollywood fraternity to boycott the IIFA Colombo awards. But, we will go ahead with the event as planned,” he said. Media reports suggested that megastar Shah Rukh Khan may also opt out citing a busy work schedule. Two people were killed when a Khan
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The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) director Sabbas Joseph speaks at a press conference in Colombo yesterday.—AFP
concert in Colombo was bombed in 2004, and he vowed at the time that he would not visit Sri Lanka again. Tamils in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu share close cultural and religious links with Sri Lanka’s minority ethnic Tamils. Tamil Nadu was once a safe haven for Tamil rebels who staged attacks in Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu politicians have also been highly critical of Sri Lanka’s military campaign that saw the Tamil Tiger rebels crushed in May last year, ending a 37year-old separatist conflict. “We request the brothers in the North Indian film industry not to attend the IIFA awards,” an alliance of South Indian film industry groups said in a joint statement issued in Tamil Nadu over the weekend. The pro-Tiger lobby argues that staging the IIFA awards in Sri Lanka endorses President Mahinda Rajapakse’s stand on the war. But the Sri Lankan government says that Bollywood’s presence will improve the island’s international image and promote post-conflict economic development.—AFP
Fans gather to remember Ronnie James Dio By Derrik J Lang
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he mammoth service for Ronnie James Dio, the fiery frontman for bands like Black Sabbath, was more akin to a spirited rock concert than a dreary funeral. With chants of “Dio, Dio, Dio,” headbangers were loud and proud Sunday as they paid tribute to the late metal legend, who died from stomach cancer May 16 at age 67. More than 1,200 fans commemorated Dio
inside Forest Lawn Memorial Park’s Hall of Liberty. Hundreds more gathered in the scorching heat outside the auditorium to watch monitors of the proceedings, which featured performances from some of Dio’s rocker friends, including Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple, Geoff Tate of Queensryche and Paul Shortino of Quiet Riot. “He touched all of us with his music and his message and his magic,” said David Feinstein, Dio’s cousin and Elf bandmate. “I know that
Fans, from left, Elizabeth Harris, 20, Yanire Holmes, 20, Epitacio Rodriguez, 21, and Frank Montero, 39, wait in line during a public memorial service for heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio. —AP
Ronnie truly loved all of you. He had a great appreciation for your loyalty. I’m talking about all you out there, all the fans.” Those gathered remembered the feisty vocalist from such bands as Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath and the self-titled Dio as a passionate performer who was gracious on and off stage. Many recalled Dio’s continued support over the years of Children of the Night, the teenage prostitution rehabilitation organization where his
The casket of heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio is displayed during a public memorial service at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park.—AP
wife, Wendy, serves as chairman. Dio revealed last summer that he was suffering from stomach cancer shortly after wrapping up a tour in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the latest incarnation of Black Sabbath under the name Heaven and Hell. Dio’s son, Dan Padavona, cautioned the memorial crowd to be screened regularly by a doctor and take care of themselves, something he said his father did not do. “I beg you not to make the same mistake my dad made,” said Padavona. “For dad, the show always had to go on. He ignored the warning signs for years, and all along the cancer was growing and mutating from something that was probably easily defeatable into a monster which even Dio couldn’t slay.” A few members of the Westboro Baptist Church demonstrated outside of the park’s gates as hundreds of fans arrived to remember Dio, who made the “devil horns” hand gesture he learned from his Italian grandmother a heavy metal signature. Members of the fundamentalist church said they opposed Dio because they believed he worshipped Satan. Several musician friends of Dio celebrated the rocker by performing tunes that featured Dio’s signature howl. Scott Warren of Heaven and Hell began the memorial with an arrangement of Dio’s “This is Your Life” on piano. John Payne of Asia crooned Black Sabbath’s “Heaven and Hell.” Joey Belladonna of Anthrax wailed Rainbow’s “Man On The Silver Mountain.” “He had that magic,” remembered Willie Fyfe, Dio’s longtime personal assistant. “He always called it magic. Once he had a crowd in his hands, that’s where they stayed until it was time to go, then he’d give them back, and walk off and do his thing. Bless him. He’s still doing that now, and the guy is in a coffin.”—AP
Eurovision Song contest winner Lena Meyer-Landruth poses for the media prior to a news conference in Cologne, Germany, yesterday.—AP
Director quits ‘Hobbit’ film over production delay
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ollywood director Guillermo del Toro said yesterday that production delays have forced him to quit the planned film version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” a two-part prequel to New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson’s blockbuster trilogy “Lord of the Rings.” “In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming The Hobbit, I am faced with the hardest decision of my life,” del Toro told a “Lord of the Rings” fan website. “After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures,” he said, noting the film
still hadn’t been given the green light by MGM, the struggling Hollywood studio. Matt Dravitzki, a spokesman for “Hobbit” producer and “Lord Of The Rings” director Jackson, said del Toro would not be speaking to reporters yesterday. The announcement by del Toro reflected Jackson and del Toro’s “full sentiments at this time,” he said. Del Toro would continue to co-write the screenplays with Jackson and his wife, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens. Jackson reached a deal in late 2007 to make two films of “The Hobbit.” He is serving as joint executive producer with Walsh. Last week, del Toro, who directed
“Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Blade II” and the two “Hellboy” movies, told journalists the “Hobbit” films, which have been plagued by delays, still hadn’t been given the go ahead. “There cannot be any start dates until the MGM situation gets resolved,” del Toro said. “They do hold a considerable portion of the rights.” Reports emerged late last year that MGM was teetering on bankruptcy and del Toro said those issues had caught the “Hobbit” films in a “tangled negotiation.” “We have designed all the creatures. We’ve designed the sets and the wardrobe. We have done animatics and planned battles sequences ... We are very, very prepared for when it is finally trig-
gered,” he said. Jackson told www.TheOneRing.net: “We feel very sad to see Guillermo leave The Hobbit, but he has kept us fully in the loop and we understand how the protracted development time on these two films, due to reasons beyond anyone’s control, has compromised his commitment to other long term projects. “The bottom line is that Guillermo just didn’t feel he could commit six years to living in New Zealand, exclusively making these films, when his original commitment was for three years. Guillermo is one of the most remarkable creative spirits I’ve ever encountered and it has been a complete joy working with
him.” He would discuss options for a new director with MGM this week, Jackson told the website. “We do not anticipate any delay or disruption to ongoing preproduction work,” he said. Last month, Jackson dismissed rumors that the “Hobbit” movies have been delayed by production problems, insisting the project was still in its early stages. He told Moviefone.com, “Well, it’s not really been delayed, because we’ve never announced the date. I mean it’s sort of interesting because the studio has never greenlit The Hobbit, so therefore The Hobbit has never been officially announced as a ‘go’ project, nor have we ever announced a date.” —AP
US singer and actress Miley Cyrus waves while posing during a photocall to promote her album ‘Can’t be Tamed’ in Madrid, yesterday.—AP
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Kerala calling:
View of the beach from Somatheeram Resort
Kerala is a lesson in the harmony of leisure, holistic health and community. A person looking for a relaxing vacation, a rejuvenating retreat or an adventure into a new and exciting culture would not be disappointed. By Abdulla Alnouri
A The boat to Coconut Lagoon
Napier Museum
Bungalows of Somatheeram Resort
fter visiting a place like India for the first time, a person is left with two options when trying to describe the experience. Either describe it in digestible cliches so people will know what you are talking about or resort to exclamations and hope your excitement somehow translates how amazing your trip was if your words cannot. Either way, you’re left knowing that there is no way to properly explain the experience to someone. How do you prepare someone for the wealth of beauty and culture that is waiting for them, if they are on their way there for the first time? You can’t really. You simply explain to them that there is no place like it and that they are going to have an incredible time. Knowing that, I realize I have been challenged with the task of describing my travels to the Indian states of Kerala and Goa. The Indian Embassy of Kuwait and India’s Ministry of Tourism invited several journalists on a familiarization tour of the two states. It was my pleasure to represent the Kuwait Times to Kerala and Goa as both are well known for their rich cultures, histories and friendly people. Having never been to India before, I found myself in quite an unusual, but enjoyable conundrum; not knowing what to expect before leaving and finding the experience beyond anything I could have imagined. Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort We started our trip in Kerala, a state on the southwestern tip of India. With a coast about 600 kilometers in length, Kerala has some of India’s most splendid beaches. Varying in type, from the smooth, sandy beaches we are most familiar with, to rocky promontories, the beaches of Kerala are legendary. They are lined with coconut trees and tourists from around the world flock to the State just to enjoy them. Kerala’s beauty however is not just on its coast. You cannot speak of Kerala without mentioning its tranquil backwaters, rejuvenating cuisine and therapeutic Ayurveda. Luckily for me, I was able to enjoy all of these. I spent my first few days at the Somatheeram Ayurveda Resort in Chowra, just outside of Kerala’s capital, Trivandrum. The beach resort, nestled on a cliff, overlooks about two kilometers of pristine beach. It houses an Ayurvedic hospital, yoga and meditation facilities as well as all the amenities necessary to ensure a comfortable stay while avoiding the distractions of modernity. The resort
effortlessly blends the reassurance of home with the exotic harmony of the regions natural environment. Each of the resort’s structures remain committed to its surrounding and are traditional and cozy, with thatched roofs and hammocks swaying between coconut trees. Since Somatheeram’s founding in 1985, the resort has been committed to upholding the spirit and essence of Ayurvedic therapy. Ayurveda is a unique system of medicine that originated in India 3,000 years ago. It blends the practices of diet, massage and yoga to offer a holistic and ecocentric therapy. Somatheeram’s Ayurvedic programs include rejuvenation therapy, various clinical treatments and beauty care. The resort also hosts Ayurvedic seminars and workshops to promote this ancient system of medicine. It has its own garden of unique medicinal herbs and plants as well as offers special courses on various Ayurvedic treatments, diets and massages. My stay here was the perfect introduction to Kerala. The moment I arrived I was given a coconut and welcomed with utmost sincerity. I found the facilities comfortable and charming and was delighted by the fact that the resort offered an escape from the distractions of modern living. My first night there, I fell asleep not to the sound of a television in my room or to a track on my iPod but on a hammock, outside, soothed by the sounds of the nearby beach. Everything about the experience at Somatheeram was comforting. The staff was more than accommodating and I found the food not only delicious but healthy and refreshing. I experienced my first Ayurvedic massage and was amazed at how easily I fell into the comfort and flow of Ayurvedic massage therapy. While staying at Somatheeram, we were able to take a few short drives and visit some of the nearby sites. Napier Museum in the state’s capital, Trivandrum, is certainly worth taking a look at. The structure itself is a piece of art, dating back to the 19th century and houses a collection of historic artifacts, idols, ornaments and carvings. Its collection consists of paintings from China, Japan, Bali and Tibet. The museum offers visitors a great opportunity to take a glimpse into Kerala’s rich cultural heritage. Also nearby was the internationally renowned Kovalam Beach. The beach consists of three separate beaches and features a series of beachfront hotels, shops and restaurants. A variety of beach activities are available there, including cycling and snorkeling.
While I found Somatheeram a great place for an authentic retreat, Kovalam Beach and Napier Museum were great places to venture out to. Both places offered a chance to learn about the local history and culture and had plenty of friendly locals and travelers to pass time with. Either place would offer more than enough activities for a day trip and a return to the resort for a massage and a healthy meal would certainly round off the evening perfectly. Kumarakom: Coconut Lagoon After we completed our stay at Somatheeram Resort, and on our way to our next destination in Cochin, we had the pleasure of stopping by Coconut Lagoon Resort in Kumarakom for lunch. There, we met with the resort’s General Manager, who explained to us the importance of blending a new Kerala with the old and the significance of experiencing beauty while preserving community. Coconut Lagoon prides itself on being a bit off the beaten path, as it should. Anyone who has been to the backwaters of Kumarakom knows that it is an area that is well-worth preserving and that if it is a bit out of the way, it is well-worth the trip. A short, smooth 25 minute boat ride through the backwaters of Kumarakom brings you to the converted coconut plantation that is Coconut Lagoon. The resort is settled on a lake that is surrounded by a series of waterways, canals, rivers and estuaries that make it a truly breathtaking and rustic experience. The resort presents visitors a rare opportunity to experience Kerala’s backwater culture while offering the accommodation of a high scale resort. They offer visitors deluxe pool villas, swimming pools, Ayurvedic and yoga facilities while housing them in traditional, authentic, rescued and restored Keralite homes, some of which are over 200 years old. Much of the food offered here is as fresh and organic as it can possibly be. Many of the spices, fruits and vegetables used in the dishes served to visitors are grown on the grounds of the resort itself. If not, they are bought from local villagers living in Kumarakom. The resort offers visitors a truly unique experience, an opportunity not just to escape into a world of relaxation but to connect to a community. Guests are encouraged to explore life in the backwaters by visiting local bird sanctuaries, farms and villages, all of which are within walking distance. Cruises are also available for guests who wish to explore the maze of canals surrounding the resort. (See next page)
Suite at Coconut Lagoon
View of Kovalam Beach
Sarathy Ayurvedic Hospital
Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, Panjim
View of Vagator Beach (Continued from Page 38) What I personally found most exciting about visiting Coconut Lagoon was how self sustaining it was. I was surprised to discover that much of the resort’s power needs are provided by solar panels and that the water used in the resort is treated and released safely back into the local water table. The use of these systems is truly a testament to how committed those at Coconut Lagoon are, their local community and their guests. They truly believe in providing visitors a unique experience that will bring them closer to the community they are visiting: Cochin After lunch, we completed our trip to Cochin and checked into the Gateway Hotel, a Taj Residency. Once there, we found ourselves well accommodated and were left with no reason to wonder why the hotel won the Kerala State Tourism Award for the best five star hotel in 2008. The service at the hotel was exceptional, the staff was helpful and I found the atmosphere of the hotel professional without feeling stuffy. The hotel’s location was perfect for our visit. The local markets were a nice break from needing to travel long distances to take a look at quality local goods. From the Gateway Hotel we easily visited Fort Cochin where we saw the Mattancherry (Dutch) Palace, built in 1568 and famous for its murals of ancient Indian folklore and legend, the St Francis Church, first built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars and the Santa Cruz Basilica, built in 1558 and known for its beautiful ceiling murals. We also got a chance to see the Chinese fishing nets in action, which are large nets dipped into and hoisted out of the water with the use of pulleys, weights and cantilevers. Sarathy Ayurvedic Hospital Our final trip while staying at the Gateway in Cochin was to the Sarathy Ayurvedic Hospital in Aluva. Like some of the other places I visited that offered Ayurvedic treatments, Sarathy Hospital struck me as an exclusive, private, quality-oriented holistic treatment center. It was established in 2004 by Dr P K Lathika, an accomplished Ayurvedic physician with over 16 years worth of experience. The hospital is located on a striking, water front property that overlooks the Periyar River and is tucked into a residential neighborhood that gives the hospital a feeling of privacy and community. The hospital specializes in spinal disorders, skin care, pre and postnatal care as well as yoga therapy. While in private, I discovered that the hospital was close to the Cochin airport making it quite accessible for those with medical needs or physical limitations. It boasts all the comforts of home and offers all the needs of a medical facility while providing activities for those who may be looking to explore the local community. Sightseeing tours, cultural programs and boat tours are also provided by the hospital. My visit to the hospital was short but I was truly touched by the experience I had there. I found the staff professional, knowledgeable friendly and comforting. The massage I received while visiting was unlike any I had ever experienced. I went into the massage feeling tired, exhausted and defeated by four days of traveling around Kerala. I was worn out from trying to take in as much as I could. I expected to leave the massage ready for bed and probably even sleep on the bus all the way back to the hotel. Instead though, I found myself more
awake than I had been that whole day. I felt refreshed and more curious than ever about the Ayurvedic therapy. Visiting the Sarathy Hospital was the perfect way to conclude our visit Kerala. It was a reminder of the quality of hospitality and care we experienced wherever we went throughout the state. Visiting Kerala was a lesson in the harmony of leisure, holistic health and community. A person looking for a relaxing vacation, a rejuvenating retreat or an adventure into a new and exciting culture would not be disappointed coming to Kerala. As unique as it was, it is also important to mention how accessible and accommodating the experience was. Simply put, Kerala was the most exciting, welcoming and accessible vacation destination I have had the pleasure to visit. The places I went were certainly memorable and moving but it was the quality of the history, culture and people that would inspire me to return. Air Travel in India Concluding our visit to Kerala we flew northwest to the state of Goa to round off the rest of our tour of India. We settled in Panjim, the state’s capital, and found our first impression of Goa, one of complete relaxation and comfort, to be true throughout the rest of our stay.
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Mahalsa Temple in Ponda to coordinate our large group and cumbersome luggage. I would easily recommend any of these airlines as a comfortable way to travel while visiting India. Goa: Where legacy meets leisure Part of what makes Goa an interesting place to visit is its Portuguese inspired culture, architecture and cuisine. It is one of the most accessible and sought after destinations in India because its blend of Indian and European culture is a unique, fun and authentic experience. The influence of Goa’s 17th century Portuguese colonizers is evident everywhere, from the buildings in Panjim to the way they season their seafood. In Goa, you can spend the morning either visiting Hindu or Christian religious monuments, spend the afternoon soaking up some sun at some of the most relaxed and fun filled beaches India has to offer, have a dinner of freshly caught seafood and round off the
relaxing. As could be expected, the rooms were outfitted with the most modern of amenities such as wireless internet, air-conditioning and cable television. The suite I stayed in came furnished with a separate seating area and a large personal spa in the bathtub. Opening the door to my hotel room every night was the perfect way to end a day of exploring the markets and buildings of Panjim and the remains of Portuguese Forts. The hotel also features Shushuphti; an ayurvedic spa and health club with a full sized sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi, a fully equipped modern gym and a beauty spa. Adding to the hotels history and leisure facilities is the stylish Chances Casino, India’s oldest and largest casino, outfitted with a variety of automated games of chance as well as traditional staffed games such as blackjack or poker. Vaingunim has five facilities that make the hotel an exceptional place to
star hotel. If the saying is that food can only be as good as it is prepared than this was food at its best. I was completely taken by surprise after I ordered a plate of tiger prawns that were large, fresh and full of flavor. It was my first meal in Goa and was certainly a wakeup call as to what I had to look forward to for the rest of my trip. As good as the rest of the meals were throughout our stay at Vainguinim I maintained a craving for those prawns and have yet to find there match. No amount of praise could have prepared me for The Pan Asian, one of the resort’s fantastic restaurants. They boast a menu spanning the cuisines of China, Thailand, Japan and Indonesia. Everything that Chef Mathew prepared for us was exceptional and we found ourselves talking about the meals at the resort for the rest of our trip. As great as the food, facilities and lodgings were at Vainguinim the one
Fort Aguada, first built in 1612 to protect Portuguese interests from Spanish and Dutch colonialists as well as provide supplies to Portuguese troops. The fort was strategically located where the Mondovi and Zuwari rivers meet the Arabian Gulf. While it may not have the same military significance as it did 400 years ago, Fort Aguada provides tourists a pleasant view of some of the state’s most significant water resources. Panjim Market Being only eight kilometers away, Panjim is very close to the hotel and shopping in the town’s center is a must. Before buying souvenirs we toured some of the cities beautiful buildings. We started near Panjim’s Chapel St Sebastian and worked our way toward another church, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. The neighborhoods between these two churches, and the churches themselves, are stunning and have some of the best example of local Portuguese inspired design. Panjim’s central market is a great place to buy affordable trinkets, souvenirs, clothes and even authentic local art. I enjoyed exploring the market and highly recommend stopping into the Bombay Store, near St Sebastian Church, and the Silk Emporium, near Conception Church. Goan Beaches The beaches of Goa are celebrated for being fun filled and exciting, with tourists coming from all over the world to soak up the sun and enjoy the countless shops, freshly caught seafood, bars and clubs nearby. I visited the three beaches Sinquerim, Baga, and Calangute, known as the best of
of Saint Francis Xavier. Consecrated in 1605 by Jesuit priests from Spain, the church houses several intricate wooden statues and carvings and an impressive wood-sculpted alter. In 1986 it was recognized as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The work inside, as well as of the church itself, is awe-inspiring and well worth visiting. Our next stop was to the Mahalsa Temple in Ponda. A short walk through a small neighborhood opened up into the temple’s beautiful and immaculately maintained compound. There were residency units available on the compound for those on pilgrimage to the site and a large hall for various ceremonies, including weddings. Inside the temple were elaborate, hand-carved marble pillars and the ceiling was decorated with murals depicting stories of Hindu legend. When visiting the Mahalsa Temple I learned that its current location is not where it was originally built. It was previously built on the Zuari River, much closer to where the Portuguese colonists had influence. The original temple was destroyed by the Portuguese and the locals were forced to move it to Ponda further away from colonial rule. It was interesting to see the two very different places of worship; it provided a good opportunity to reflect on the complexity of the history that exists in Goa. Many see Goa as fun filled holiday destination, and it certainly is, but it is also important to know that it isn’t just the sun and the beaches that give Goa its golden reputation and charm. There is a history and people worth experiencing here every bit as interesting and exciting as you could find on the beach.
Kerala Market
Exterior of Bom Jesus Basilica Before describing Goa further though, I should touch on air travel in India. There is no way around it; just about all airports are crowded, obnoxious places that feel like a necessary evil when traveling form one destination to another. Given the size of India’s population and, let us face it, reputation for being a bit less organized than other parts of the world, I have to admit I was impressed with the punctuality, security and safety of all of my flights while traveling through India. We flew Gulf Air, Kingfisher, and Jet Airways India and each airline felt just as comfortable as the last. We didn’t once suffer any unexpected delays and never had a communication problem while trying
Fort Aguada
evening with a tour of some of India’s oldest casinos. Vainguinim Valley Resort While in Goa I was fortune enough to stay at the Vainguinim Valley Resort in Donna Paula. The five star hotel is only 30 kilometers away from the Dabolim International Airport, eight kilometers away from Panjim and a two minute walk from the secluded and beautiful Vainguinim Beach. The hotel is perfectly located for those searching for a secluded location and a relaxing stay at a place that is still close enough for a peek at what Panjim has to offer. Accommodations at the hotel were impressive, spacious and extremely
host business events, conferences and meetings. Their ballroom is a large venue capable of accommodating up to110 guests while The Chancery offers a smaller, more intimate business environment. The Rooftop is a terrace with the capacity to house up to 350 guests in an openair environment. The hotel’s poolside and garden can also be utilized for large formal or informal gatherings to accommodate up to 750 guests. I would be mistaken not to specifically mention the quality of the food at Vainguinim Resort. Each night we were there, executive chef Emmanuel Mathew catered to us personally and we found each of our meals beyond the standard of a five
thing that stood out above even that was the hotel’s staff. Just as where I stayed in Kerala, I found we were welcomed with the warmest of hospitality. I discovered that the staff was as knowledgeable as they were friendly and everyone had an opinion as to what made Goa special and what would be worth seeing while we were there. The professionalism and affection of the staff rounded out the rest of the hotel’s exceptional aspects perfectly. Fort Aguada None of the places we visited while staying at the Vainguinim Valley Resort took us longer than an hour to reach. One of the first places we visited was
Vainguinim Valley Resort, Donna Paula
Goan beaches. The three are connected and make a beach front about seven kilometers long. Behind the three beaches is an overwhelming number of shops, restaurants and tourism agencies. They certainly contribute to drawing tourists to the area but the beaches most important feature is its infrastructure. The roads around the three beaches are quite manageable, making it easy for visitors to find the destinations on their own or with the help of a taxi without much difficulty. Just north, we also visited the considerably less populated, but not less appealing, Vagator Beach, overlooked by the ruins of a Portuguese fort. Bom Jesus Basillica and Mahalsa Hindu Temple One of my favorite parts about visiting Goa was seeing the prevalence of Christian and Hindu places of worship. The architecture reflects the history of the people and visiting them is always a worthwhile learning experience. The Basilica of Bom Jesus, in Old Goa, is Goa’s most famous church and hosts the remains
Visiting Kerala and Goa were both places that felt like much more than I could possibly hope to experience in just one visit, let alone just one week. Both places offered as much an opportunity to learn as to relax and not once did I feel like something I wanted from my experience was out of my reach. When visiting a new place, there are a few signs that you had a great trip. If while traveling you saw things that made you wish someone close to you was there so they could experience it too, or if you learned something you didn’t know before, or if you came home feeling better than when you left you know you had a great trip. When you experience all of those things, can’t wait to come home so you can tell everyone and look forward to the very moment you can go back with them, you know you had the trip of a lifetime. For me, this was that trip. I can’t wait to go back. I cannot recommend Kerala and Goa enough as an exciting, exotic and relaxing destination for those looking for a retreat that will leave a person holistically fulfilled and eager for a chance to return.
Somatheeram Ayurvedic Spa
www.kuwaittimes.net
By Fran Wang
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Fashion Rio summer 2010/2011 event
(From left) Actors Marcelo Anthony and Carolina Dieckmann wears designs from the TNG collection at the Fashion Rio Summer 2010/2011 event in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday.—AP
Models wear designs by TNG collection at the Fashion Rio Summer 2010/2011 event in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday.—AP
ummer is full of wonderful distractions, but co-workers’ skin shouldn’t be one of them. The formality of office attire often diminishes as temperatures rise. Every workplace is different and some are a lot more relaxed than others but don’t be fooled into thinking that no one will judge your appearance. Be sure you’re comfortable with the message your clothes are sending. For women, the more skin you show, the less influence you have. Do you really want to work harder to earn the respect of your co-workers and boss? Keep up a professional look by combining seasonal items with lighter weight classics. Pair capris with a lightweight blazer, sandals with a wrap dress. Happily, unless you work for a conservative office that specifically calls for them, pantyhose and stockings can be left in your drawer. Bare legs with a knee-length skirt is 21st century work appropriate. Though Michelle Obama has made them work-chic, tank sleeves are still up for debate in many offices, and that goes double for spaghetti straps. Strapless day dresses need to be saved for weekend brunch. Also avoid: sheer fabrics, short skirts, shorts, Spandex, and bare midriffs. For men, while some workplaces might be shorts-appropriate, in the majority of offices nothing says “I don’t take my job seriously” more than wearing short. When in doubt, khakis and polo shirts are the way to go. They are both professional and comfortable. Don’t forget the belt! Sandals are iffy for men. Be sure your feet look and smell appropriate for business if this kind of casual attire is allowed in your office culture. Although the thermometer may be soaring outside, most offices are kept extra cool to compensate. Keep a thin sweater or light weight jacket with you to ward off chills during your morning meeting. Wrinkles can be harder to fight in the humid summer months, but neat and clean still counts. Wrinkled khakis and a stained or faded polo shirt are just as bad as showing up in gym shorts and a tee-shirt for your favorite band. The “I just got out of bed” look does nothing to enhance your credibility. Sunglasses are a summer staple, but they are also outdoor wear. You should always be able to make eye contact with colleagues and clients when indoors, so unless you’re a rock star, take them off when entering a building. Ladies, sunglasses don’t double as a headband when it comes to work, so put them away entirely when at the office. Flip flops are distracting. They make noise and expose your feet. The weather might be sweltering hot, but do you really want your boss raising her eyebrows about your feet? For men, think twice before wearing loafers without socks. For some, pushing the bounds of summer office attire requires more thought than you might wish to expend on your work wardrobe in the morning. While it’s always acceptable to dress “above” your company’s requirements, keep it to one notch up to avoid being incongruous with the rest of your colleagues. If people focus on your clothes for the wrong reason, you’re wearing the wrong clothes. As with all dress codes, casual dress can mean different things at different companies. One standard that helps define appropriateness is to ask yourself: “If I were to have an unexpected meeting with a client or the chief executive, could I go dressed in what I have on?” No dress code? Ask for one. The more specific the dress code, the easier it is to figure out what to wear which will leave you with more time to gaze out the window and day dream about your summer vacation at the beach. — Reuters
By Eric Tucker
M
arble House oozes decadence at every corner, from the 22karat gold leaf decorations to the Corinthian columns at the front entrance to the lavish ceiling paintings of Greek gods. But for more than 80 years, the Gilded Age mansion has been without one of its most treasured features: a vast collection of more than 300 objects of Medieval and Renaissance art. The wealthy Vanderbilt family bought the works in Paris and displayed them for years on the red-silk walls of their mansion’s aptly named Gothic Room. But after the house closed in 1925, the items were sold to art collector and circus entrepreneur John Ringling and today belong to a Sarasota, Florida, museum bearing the Ringling name. Now, Newport visitors can see the items in their original setting. The John and Mable Ringling Museum has loaned the collection to Marble House through October 31. The items-paintings and sculptures, busts and furniture-have been reassembled in the Gothic Room and displayed exactly as they were 100 years ago. The Preservation Society of Newport County operates the Marble House and other Newport mansions as public museums. “I think that most people who know the Gothic Room always thought it was a very pretty room, and then you have these 300 objects added to it, and you go, ‘Oh my God, it was bare before,”‘ said Trudy Coxe, the Preservation Society CEO. “But, we didn’t know that until the objects were added.” Marble House is among the most popular of Newport’s mansions, palatial summer homes built for wealthy industrialists in the late 19th century that today rank among the most-visited attractions in the northeastern US. Inspired by Greek architecture and the Petit Trianon at Versailles, the home was completed in 1892 for railroad heir William K Vanderbilt and his wife, Alva, a lover of art and culture who collected Renaissance art at a time when not many other Americans did. In 1889, the Vanderbilts and architect Richard Morris Hunt traveled to Paris to find artworks and other decorative pieces for the home. They acquired the Gothic collection of French architect Emile Gavet and sent it to Newport.
This undated archaeologist Ben Gunn handout photo received yesterday shows an Aboriginal rock painting found in Australia’s Arnhem Land which could be Australia’s oldest painting.—AFP German sandstone sculpture “St Barbara and the Dragon,” circa 1500.—AP The collection is varied and vast. There are 15th-century Italian paintings depicting battle scenes; painted terra cotta busts; assorted copper and silver chalices and candelabra; intricately detailed French dressers showing stories from the life of Jesus and Greek mythology; and a case of wax portrait medallions bearing the likenesses of such dignitaries as King Henry II of France and popes Benedict XIV and Clement XI. A highlight of the collection is “The Building of the Palace,” a 16th-century Italian painting showing men busily constructing a mammoth structure arising in the background. The painting is by Florentine artist Piero di Cosimo, who was believed to have contributed to the Sistine Collection. “You could spend a whole day in here and not grasp everything,” said Erin Marshall-House, 33, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, who was browsing the collection while vacationing in Newport one recent morning. But she also said the aesthetic seemed a little over-the-top. “This room was made to look like a museum,” she added. “You can’t live and be comfortable in a museum.” The Gothic Room, a reception room decorated with stained glass and a mantelpiece, was created to display the collection. Alva Vanderbilt opened the room to the public, but closed Marble House in 1925, moved to France and put the art up for sale. John Ringling, of Barnum & Bailey Circus
fame, bought the works in 1927 for $125,000. Many of the items have been displayed at the Ringling Museum, but others were in storage. Preservation Society staff had long discussed displaying the collection, and Virginia Brilliant, the Ringling Museum’s associate curator for European art, said she made a loan agreement a priority soon after joining the museum. The Ringling Museum relocated most of the collection to Newport, though some items were too fragile to travel and are replaced at Marble House by to-scale photographs. Archival photos helped Preservation Society staff know exactly where Vanderbilt hung each piece. “You can, for all intents and purposes, walk in and out of that room and know that she’s there,” Coxe said. Brilliant said it was poignant to see the works in Marble House and that she’s open to leaving some items there long term. But, she said, history can’t be undone. “When you talk about the rightful place of an object, then everything should have to go back to the church it was made for, or the home it was made for,” Brilliant said. “Art changes hands. That’s just the nature of life and collecting.” Coxe said she’ll be sad when the collection is returned. “If I had my druthers, they would forget that they loaned them to us and we would have them forever. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.”—AP
A ate 15th or early 16th century wax relief portrait of a French noblewoman, bottom, rests inside a gilded copper oval case.—AP
Australian rock art find could be 40,000 years old
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In this May 20, 2010 photo the 15th century Florentine sculpture ‘Virgin and Child,’ in the style of Lorenzo Ghiberti.—AP
rock art painting believed to depict a bird which became extinct 40,000 years ago has been found in northern Australia, raising hopes it could be the oldest rock art painting yet found Down Under. The painting in red ochre, which shows two tall birds vaguely similar to the emu, was found on a shallow rock shelter two years ago by an Aboriginal group which is documenting rock art sites in Arnhem Land. Archaeologists who viewed it this month said the figure more likely to be a giant extinct bird rather than an emu. “Two weeks ago we went there to record the site. The animal wasn’t an emu, it looked like the megafauna bird genyornis, with thick, huge toes and short legs,” archaeologist Ben Gunn told AFP yesterday. “We showed it to a paleontologist who answered that it presented all the characteristics of the genyornis. “It means either that it was painted at the time of the genyornis bird, or that the genyornis had lived longer than we thought.”
Gunn said if the painting was not of a genyornis, a tall, flightless bird which likely resembled a duck or goose, it could be another giant bird as yet unknown to science. Monash University archaeologist Bruno David said there could be hundreds of thousands of Aboriginal rock art paintings waiting to be discovered around the country, but it was difficult to date them accurately. But he said the latest find could be the most ancient yet discovered if it is of the genyornis. “We need to excavate the site next year to date the antiquity of the surface. It is a long-term project,” David said. Experts said the discovery needed further assessment. “We need to take this discovery with great caution. The probability of having a painting surviving so long outside of caves is very small,” renowned rock art expert Robert Bednarik, who is based in Australia, told AFP. The painting is in a remote area accessible only by helicopter, so is unlikely to be damaged by the public.—AFP