10 Jun

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

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THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2010

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Aquino proclaimed Philippine president

UN slaps new Iran sanctions Powers dismiss fuel swap offer • Tehran defiant

Benigno Aquino

DNA trawl reveals new autism genes PARIS: A consortium of hundreds of scientists said yesterday they had uncovered dozens of previously unknown genetic mutations that contribute to autism in children.

Some of these rare DNA glitches are inherited from parents.

But many, the researchers discovered, arise for the first time in the person with autism. “This suggests that tiny genetic errors may occur during formation of the parents’ eggs and sperm, and these variations are copied

NO: 14755

South Africa whips up World Cup frenzy

Obama meets Abbas, seeks to contain flotilla fallout

MANILA: Benigno Aquino was proclaimed the next president of the Philippines amid joyous celebrations yesterday, but he struck a sombre tone as he warned the impoverished nation was in crisis. The 50-yearold bachelor achieved one of the most emphatic election wins in the Southeast Asian nation’s history last month after promising to tackle the endemic graft and pervasive poverty that have long afflicted the country. To wild cheers and applause from a Continued on Page 13

JAMADA ALTHANI 27, 1431 AH

during creation of their child’s DNA,” said co-author Daniel Geschwind, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

Autism and related brain disorders affect up to 10 out of every 1,000 individuals.

Symptoms are life-long and can vary widely, but often include impaired social skills, repetitive behaviours, difficulty in expressing one’s emotions, and an aversion to physical intimacy. There is no known cure.

Continued on Page 13

UNITED NATIONS: World powers yesterday slapped a fourth set of UN sanctions on Iran aiming to curb its suspect nuclear program by hitting the Islamic republic with new military and financial punitive measures. The USdrafted resolution was adopted by 12 votes in favor in the 15-member Security Council, with Lebanon abstaining and Brazil and Turkey voting against. Though swiftly hailed by the United States and its European allies who co-sponsored the resolution, the move drew an immediate, scornful reaction from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“These resolutions are not worth a dime for the Iranian nation,” Ahmadinejad told ISNA news agency in Tajikistan. “I gave one of them (world powers) a message that the resolutions you issue are like a used hanky Continued on Page 13

Assembly OKs new housing cities law ‘Beard bill’ set for approval

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday passed a law stipulating the establishment of public shareholding companies to build new cities for Kuwaitis and passed in the first reading legislation allowing servicemen to grow beards without restrictions. The new housing law aims at speeding up the process of building housing units for Kuwaiti citizens after the number of

applications has reportedly topped 80,000.

Head of the housing committee MP Ahmad AlSaadoun said the law requires Kuwait Municipality to provide enough new land to build 200,000 housing units over the next three years.

Saadoun said that according to the law, about 53,000 new units should be constructed over the next six years, thus resolving 80 percent of the Continued on Page 13

Investment firms face tighter curbs

NEW YORK: Britain’s Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant (lef t), China’s Ambassador Li Baodong (second left), Russia’s Ambassador Vitaly Churkin (second from right) and France’s Ambassador Gerard Araud (right) speak while Germany’s Ambassador Peter Wettig (foreground left) talks with US Ambassador Susan Rice before a session of the United Nations Security Council yesterday. — AP

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Central Bank has tightened control on borrowing in the country’s investment sector and given companies two years to comply, state news agency KUNA said yesterday.

Central Bank Governor Sheikh Salem Abdul-Aziz Al-Sabah told KUNA a revision of the regulator’s policies showed the need for new controls on financial leverage, liquidity and international borrowing. He said the global financial crisis uncovered weaknesses in risk and asset management in some of the country’s investment companies.

Kuwaiti investment houses were hard hit during the crisis, which prompted the government of the world’s fourth-largest oil exporter to approve a rescue package worth KD 1.5 billion ($5.12 billion) last year. The governor said investment companies will have until mid 2012 to comply with the new rules. He said measures will be taken against companies that don’t show progress in applying them. He did not elaborate. — Reuters

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Interpellation and resolution of sports crisis KUWAIT: At the end of the interpellation motion submitted by Popular Action Bloc (PAB) representative MP Khalid Al-Tahous against HH the Prime Minister, he walked out of the session. This is marked by the true beginning that will address sports crisis and its repercussions. An interpellation session was needed. It is thought that the crisis will now be resolved without more complications being added on.

It is clear that there are three possibilities that may develop in the coming days. The first is the ruling of the Appeals Court that may be pronounced soon. They reject the ruling of the Court of First Instance that reinstated Chairman of the Board of Public Authority for Youth and Sports (PAYS) Fuad Al-Falah to his post. This means the return of former Chairman Maj Gen Faisal Al-Jazzaf. This may lead PAYS to take some decisions to satisfy grilling MPs, and calm matters in general, such as the failure to recognize the current football association. In case the court upholds

Al-Falah’s reinstatement, MPs will continue to protest. PAYS will resolve the crisis and calm the situation, reported Aljarida.

The second possibility is to invite the main parties involved in the sports crisis to a dialogue with the intention of settling what some people have described as a dispute that caused the crisis. It is difficult to seat parties of the crises on one table, especially the MPs, who have stated many times before that their differences are not with individuals, but with the public. It aims to implement existing national laws, since the previous attempts made by seniors were only successful for the duration of the meeting.

In this case, the proposed solution may be followed by steps taken by the government to defuse the crises. This includes referring the file of ‘Khaleeji 16’ to the Public Prosecution Office. This was recently constructed in Kuwait.

Finally, there remains a third possibility which is to actually initiate the grilling

motion. If it is approved, then the political arena will notably be more affected. It may cause a change in the political map of the Assembly during the legislative term. So, the reasons for it, most importantly is the ‘grilling bloc,’ that supported the government. This could have led to changing alignments and alliances that weaken the government majority.

Although the interpellation motion will succeed as an opportunity to shed light on a crisis that has damaged the sports body for several years, its results will not be known until discussions are held. This is because there are those who believe that interpellation is the last weapon that forces the government into accepting MPs’ demands which are included in the latest statement. Yet, others say that the government’s success may give it an approval.

This is as part of its views that eliminate the sports crisis. This could also mean that MPs will lose one of the strongest and most powerful ‘weapons’ that they possess.

Ahmadi honors outstanding school pupils KUWAIT: The lack of advanced technology and equipment in some of Kuwait’s school labs should not prevent pupils from pursuing knowledge, said the head of the Kuwait Science Club Iyad Al-Khorafi on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters during his participation on behalf of parliamentary speaker Jassem AlKhorafi in a ceremony held to honor Ahmadi directorate’s outstanding school pupils, Al-Khorafi added, however, that development is needed in schools to help the pupils to utilize technology in their pursuit of knowledge.

The awards ceremony was attended by a couple of local MPs, including Salwa Al-Jassar, who explained that the state’s perspective concerning developing the education sector centers on supporting and strengthening teachers’ skills. She also noted that the cabinet and parliament are working closely together to push for more reform in the country’s education system.

Fellow MP Dr. Hassan Jowhar called for school curricula to be updated in order to take account of the country’s development process. Jowhar also revealed that the parliamentary education committee and Ministry of Education (MoE) officials are shortly to participate in a number of workshops addressing specific education-related issues, including school curricula, administrative issues and regulations governing teaching.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah returned home yesterday after heading Kuwait’s delegation to the third Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia which was held in Istanbul from June 7 to 9. Sheikh Nawaf who was representing His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the conference was received at the airport by Parliament Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi, sheikhs and senior officials. —KUNA

Teachers dismiss reports on school phone-jamming Final exams only a short time away

By Nisreen Zahreddine KUWAIT: A Ministry of Education (MoE) official has denied local media reports that the ministry is deploying phone-jamming devices in high schools to prevent pupils sitting their final exams from using their mobile devices to cheat.

The official said that while administrative staff at individual schools might decide to use such devices in those schools, it was not ministry policy to do so. A number of obstacles would prevent the MoE from introducing the devices, which block the transmission and reception of mobile phone signals.

Firstly, said Ahmad, a teacher at the Sabah Al-Salem boys’ school, any such policy would conflict with the education ministry’s instructions to treat accusations of cheating in exams in a calm and dignified manner.

With the final exams only a short time away, Ahmad said that he had heard of no such devices being deployed, adding that the school head had

also dismissed the media reports, saying that no instructions regarding such devices had come from the ministry.

Another teacher, Hassan, also told the Kuwait Times that he had received no information about any use of these devices in schools, saying that there are a number of reasons as to why doing so would be impracticable. Firstly, he said, each of Kuwait’s 24 high schools has a number of rooms which could be used as exam locations, meaning that each school would need to install around 27 of the phone-jamming devices to ensure that they would be effective.

He asserted that obtaining and installing such a large number of devices in all Kuwait’s high schools in the time remaining before the exams would be logistically extremely difficult for the ministry.

Secondly, Hassan continued, although the use of mobile phones is banned in exams anyway, there are countless ways for students determined to cheat in their exams to do so.

Some students will conceal their mobiles and connect via Bluetooth or wear an inconspicuous headset or earphone that can be covered by a ‘ghutra’ (headdress), he revealed, while others with longer hair can use it to cover these devices, allowing them to cheat without being suspected. He further explained that electronic watches, which can now be used to store large amounts of information, are another possible method of cheating, adding that newspapers advertise small headphones which can be easily concealed and used in an exam setting.

Phone-jamming devices are already in use in an increasing number of mosques, where some worshippers fail to comply with the no-phones ruling during services, potentially disturbing other worshippers’ prayers when they make or receive calls.

The devices are also widely deployed in important institutions, such as embassies, where security risks are a consideration, as well as at major conferences and similar events.

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Trade delegation visits Kuwait

China promotes Guangzhou business and Asian Games

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Sino-Kuwaiti relations took another step forward yesterday, with the arrival in Kuwait of a trade delegation from Guangzhou, China. The trade delegation was received at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), In his speech during the event, Ambassador Huang Jiemin congratulated the members of the trade delegation on their active role in promoting business in Guangzhou and thanked the KCCI and the Kuwaiti entrepreneurs who dedicated themselves to SinoKuwait cooperation and friendship.

Ambassador Huang said that, since China first established diplomatic relations with Kuwait in 1971, the breadth of cooperation in politics, economy, energy, investment, culture and education between the two nations has expanded dramatically.

“As of now, we have 20 enterprises in Kuwait covering the industries of energies, communications and infrastructure,” the ambassador revealed, adding, “The oil trade between Kuwait and China has been increasing for consecutive years.” Ambassador Huang further disclosed that China has been importing more than seven million tons of crude oil from Kuwait every year ever since China became a well-known major energy consumer. “I hope that businesses in both China and Kuwait can attain better understanding of each other through this conference, leading to closer exchange and expanded cooperation,” the ambas-

KUWAIT: According to instructions given by the Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar, the capital municipality recently launched a 10-day comprehensive cleanup operation in Qortoba, Surra and Yarmouk.

local spotlight

Summer power crisis

By Muna Al-Fuzai ntolerable heat is a phenomenon that has affected most parts of the world.

However, in a desert country like Kuwait, we believe that no place in the world can even remotely experience what we do. The dust laden, hot winds worsen Kuwait’s weather. However, we are blessed with air-conditioning facilities everywhere. It appears as if we are locked in an air-conditioned capsule! These machines and power engines need maintenance and supervision to keep up best shape.

For the past few years, a warning is issued in Kuwait every summer by the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) about rising power consumption. They even claim that this year is the ‘highest in Kuwait’s history’!

Now, should we ask people to turn down air conditioning used at homes, offices because they want to reduce the usage? So, let us suppose some actually wanted to be law abiding citizens and followed the instructions of the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW).

Many others like official government departments also consume power in the form of water and electricity. Air conditioning units or faucets are not switched off after working hours.

All these measures are simple but costly.

So, maybe the Ministry of Water and

I

Electricity should start thinking about how many of its offices use unnecessary lights and air conditioning units after work hours!

Another issue here is why these warning alerts are not heeded by next-door officials’ departments, before they are doled out to citizens.

This request does not make sense to people.

This is why people simply do not heed to these repeated calls even though they are made every day, every minute, if not every second!

Let me put forward two questions - how come we, a rich country, is struggling to generate power at a time when we give out loans to other counties so that they can build their own power stations? If this small country suffers from a shortage in power generating plants, why can’t new plants be built? Another question is why electricity consumption in government offices not automated, instead of being controlled manually? Most departments entrust tea boys or security guards with taking care of such matters. After all, they are not responsible for doing so.

Minister Dr Badr Al-Shuraian has issued a statement stating that this year’s summer shortage will hopefully be the last. It will be based on the fact that the Ministry has commenced with the construction of the first stage of the Subiya plant. It will help end the crisis situation.

Now, we are still in June. What should we do for the rest of summer and until next year?

Some local areas here have already begun suffering from power cuts due to overload rates.

That only means that this summer is going to be long and hot. muna@kuwaittimes.net

MSAL introduces new measures KUWAIT: As Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr. Mohammad Al-Afasi prepares to issue a number of decisions on the implementation of the country’s recently amended private sector labor laws, the ministry’s labor department is introducing a number of measures to combat attempts to circumvent the automated transaction system.

The department has intro-

duced a rule banning the processing of any transactions without salary certificates being provided, stressing the need for employees to provide dated salary certificates for all transactions.

The ministry introduced the measure after noting that several individuals had attempted to get their transactions processed before their details were fully updated on

the new system and without providing the necessary documentation, reported Al-Qabas.

The ministry has also banned any attempts by employers to reduce workers’ salaries to levels lower than the salary detailed in the job contract, in accordance with the articles of the recentlyintroduced private sector labor law on protecting workers’ rights.

where they signed a trade and cooperation protocol in front of a delighted audience in the KCCI auditorium. The event was attended by Huang Jiemin, the Ambassador of China to Kuwait, Ali Thunayan Al-Ghanim, the KCCI chairman and the Secretary General of the Standing Committee for Guangdong Provincial Committee, who also heads the Sino-Kuwait Trade and Investment promotion.

KUWAIT: Participants of the event pose for a group photograph. sador concluded.

Zhang Guangning, the Secretary General of the Standing Committee for Guangdong Provincial Committee, explained that the delegation’s presence in Kuwait is aimed at strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the Guangzhou and Kuwait business communities.

He began his speech by thanking the Kuwaiti government and the KCCI for their warm reception and support before talking about Guangzhou’s history, its economic position in China and the diverse business opportuni-

ties available for investors.

“Guangzhou has been an important port city in southern China, serving as China’s southern gate. Due to its long history of foreign exchanges, Guangzhou has evolved into an open, accommodating and diverse city, where different nationalities, beliefs and culture coexist in harmony,” he mentioned.

According to Guangning, Guangzhou per capita GDP last year was 88,834 Yuan, or approximately $13,000 US dollars, ranking third in terms of comprehensive economic

strength among China’s major cities.

“Guangzhou is among China’s important industrial and commercial centers, providing essential support and services to the other cities of China,” he explained. The city is proud of its automobile, electronic information and petrochemicals companies, which have become leading industries there.

Guangzhou is also one of the most attractive cities for investors Guangning said, thanks to its well developed infrastructure, including seaports, airports and information

networks.

“The Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport received 37.5 million passengers last year and the cargo and mail networks handled a total of 1.3 million tons,” he said. Guangning also lauded Kuwait and Guangzhou’s bilateral trade relations, saying, “The Guangzhou and Kuwait trade volume has reached $47.1818 million. There has been steady growth.”

While lauding this high figure, he indicated that the trade relations between Guangzhou and Kuwait trade relations could be even further enhanced through various opportunities available for both from the exchanges of knowledge to cooperating on various contracting projects. Finally, he mentioned Guangzhou as the best location for the upcoming Asian Games: “ In July 2004, the Kuwaitbased Olympic Council of Asia chose Guangzhou to host the 16th Asian Games for its firstclass venues and facilities, firstclass urban environment, firstclass services and first-class hospitality.

“Let me hereby extend my invitation to all of you to visit Guangzhou, but also to consider Guangzhou as place for your business, investment and sightseeing,” he concluded.

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UNDP launches new project for the disabled

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) launched the Early Learning and Disability Challenges project (ELDC) yesterday at its headquarters in Mishref. This project is part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG).

Strengthening universal primary education, the (ELDC) was initiated by UNDP as one if its projects that fall under the Country Program (2009-2013).

It is the technical cooperation program undertaken between the government of Kuwait [represented by the General Secretariat of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development (SCPD) ] and the UNDP. The project aims to address deficiencies in the area of disabilities and early childhood learning. This is to promote inclusion of individuals with disabilities in Kuwait.

It also aims to raise awareness and the UNDP's profile and its collaborative work.

This will be carried out with the SCPD in the field of early learning and disability in Kuwait. This will create an impact and visibility in the disability and early learning challenges scene in Kuwait.

The UNDP launched the project by inviting governmental and non-govern-

mental organizations working in the field of early learning and disabilities challenges to officially commence the project activities and shed light on the project and its various components in order to maximize the required benefit.

The ELDC project is a continuing project that witnessed great successes and achievements over the last six years, notably in the field of early learning challenges by providing technical assistance and support to a number of Kuwait-based NGOs such as the Center for Child Evaluation and Teaching (CCET), Kuwait Dyslexia Association (KDA) and Kuwait Autism Society (KAS).

The State of Kuwait plays a significant and leading role among Arab countries in terms of awareness, advocacy and recognition of early learning challenges, disability and inclusion. "In 1996, a 'disability law' was passed which paved the way for the creation of "The Higher Council for the Disabled Affairs (HCDA) which currently has in excess of 33,000 registered persons with disabilities in Kuwait on their official books who benefit from a diverse range of services that guarantee their inclusion as well as positive contribution to the Kuwaiti society," said Dr Adam Abdul Mawla, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Permanent Representative.

"Earlier in February this year, this law has been replaced with a more comprehensive Law No. 8/2010 which has also called for the creation of a bigger organization: The Public Authority for Persons with Disabilities to safeguard the inclusion of persons with disabilities in Kuwait to benefit from their many positive contributions and to empower and enable them to achieve their full potentials," he added.

According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, there are currently around 10 million Arab children who have no access to schooling. At least, nine percent of the world's illiterate youth are in Arab countries (among 15 to 24 year olds).

"If we consider the fact that the Arab region has entered the twenty first century burdened with over 70 million illiterates out of a population of 306 million, and that there are approximately 10 million out-of-school children who will, in no time at all, swell the ranks of the illiterate in the region, we know we are talking about a catastrophe," explained Abdul Mawla.

"No wonder, the decade we live in has been coined the decade of literacy by the UNESCO. The second Millennium Development Goal has been devoted to raise the level of universal primary education. The UN has placed so much emphasis on including people with disabilities

that there is a convention on the rights of persons with disabilities which the government of Kuwait has recently indicated its intention to ratify," he further said.

Early learning challenges and specific learning disabilities, if unidentified and unremediated, is a major obstacle to literacy.

"Individuals with learning challenges need empowerment to overcome the many challenges associated with this condition.

The Early Learning and Disability Challenges project aims to address this important issue by empowering existing governmental and non-governmental organizations working in the field of early learning and disability challenges. Both transfer of knowledge and building national institutional capacity will be the main two factors that this project depends on to cement Kuwait's leading role in the Gulf and Arab region in order to pave the way for future cross fertilization to other sister countries in the region," highlighted Abdul Mawla. The ELDC Project has been ongoing for some eight years now, and has managed to create a strong impact on the inclusion and disabilities scene in Kuwait.

"A number of local organizations have so far managed to achieve great strides in their work due to the support and technical assistance received from UNDP Kuwait. Technical expertise in the field of

in my view

This time for Arabia!

By Fouad Al-Obaid

I

happened to read a rather interesting article by a colleague from another newspaper. I believe he happens to be an MP and does sport a rather interesting beard! Well, the nutshell of his article is that he believes in specialization and encourages it. He hence uses examples of falling ill. You would go 'see' a doctor when you are in doubt or need religious 'guidance' you go 'see' the 'religious doctor' aka the Imam, Mufti or scholar.

His line of argumentation, though lucid, fails to meet many criterions. First of all, when sick you are free to do as pleased, you have the option of consulting a doctor should you want to and are able to. However, it is not a prelude to healing. When pursuing knowledge, you can

Desertification problem increasing KUWAIT: Kuwait's desertification problem is increasing due to land mismanagement and a failure to use the correct agricultural procedures and methods, according to an environmental expert.

Dr. Dhari Al-Ajmi, the head of Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research's (KISR) Environment and Urban Development Department, said that while Kuwait had made significant efforts to tackle the problem, including establishing a national committee to combat desertification, which is affiliated to the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR), the country still needs to take further steps to prevent further desertification.

Dr. Al-Ajmi made his points in a press release issued to mark the World Day to Combat Desertification, which falls on June 17, reported Al-Rai. He revealed that this year's global event is focusing on protecting the earth's land and water resources to ensure a brighter future for the world. He also explained that Kuwait signed the UN Convention to Combat Desertification on September 22, 1995.

attend university and earn a degree. However, it is not a tangible testimony to your true abilities. When you are dealing with an issue that is metaphysical, you cannot 'consult' others. For 'others,' no matter how well-intended they are, they will not be able to guide you. That is because guidance is from God to begin with.

Secondly, they are unable to guarantee their own research! Would you trust in a doctor that tells you to do things? When you ask him for proof, he tells you that he knows that, a learned man did it so today. We do just like him!

I guarantee that you will not heed the advice of such a doctor! Now, you may build upon indigenous knowledge and improve upon it. However, copying people is attuned to believing that you are no better than sheep!

We are and it is sad to say a nation - the Arab collective of nations - that are unable to see past differences. Our grudges against one another tend to last. Before attacking countries that we mutually see each other as enemies, it would be best to ask friends to clarify their

positions.

With regard to the 'Freedom Flotilla' issue, why was it simply not able to pass through Egypt, which is an Arab Muslim country that shares a border with Gaza? If giving aid relief is the true intention, I believe that our brothers in Cairo would be the first to help lift a blockade to a neighboring territory! But no, we like provocation. Despite our ill abilities to come to a fight prepared, we much rather like to receive pity from more powerful regions and countries, asking them to come to our rescue after being hit by the regional bully!

I hope that our era, can someday, in my lifetime wish from our current darkness. Both physical and metaphorical emerge as beacons of light for humanity and for ourselves. We do have hope. Perhaps, we may in the years to come, we may realize that the more united we stand, the less divided we will be as the laughing stock of the world. fouad@kuwaittimes.net

awareness, test development, test standardization, training and specific curriculum development has been facilitated and been made possible because of the UNDP Kuwait backing," he noted.

"The first survey study of its kind in the Arab World to document and quantify the prevalence of dyslexia (a specific reading disorder) was carried out here in Kuwait in 2002 because of UNDP backing.

The first Arabic localized computer-based screening tool to identify Kuwaiti children at risk of Dyslexia has also been made possible due to UNDP backing. The first interactive documentary film about learning disabilities (I Learn in a Different Way) has also been made possible because of UNDP expertise," concluded Abdul Mawla.

Sahar Al-Shawa, Program Analyst, UNDP Kuwait has been working on this project over the last five years. "I am a great believer in the benefits involved of such programs to the people of Kuwait, particularly those suffering from learning challenges and disabilities. Over the last five years, I witnessed some great achievements of the ELDC project. Most notably, achievements were made in the field of awareness, assessment, identification, intervention and training," she stated. UNDP Kuwait facilitated the process

KUWAIT: Sahar Al-Shawa and Dr Adam Abdul Mawla during the launching event. — Photo by Yasser Al Zayyat of building capacity by organizing a 'Train the Trainers' workshop series in association with the Centre for Child Evaluation and Teaching in 2007 which trained around 350 teachers from different backgrounds. "During the last few years, I also discussed project proposals with AlKharafi Kids Activities Center, Kuwait Association for the Handicapped, Kuwait Association for Parents of the Disabled and Kuwait Autism Society (KAS)," added Al-Shawa.

Dr Jad Al-Bahiri, Technical Manager of the Project spoke about the basic contents

of the project. "The ultimate aim of the program is: To remove barriers that hamper individuals with disabilities in Kuwait, empower persons with disabilities and to achieve their full potential, and enable them to fully contribute to the society in which they form a part. This program, therefore, compliments the efforts of the government of Kuwait to include persons with disabilities in line with its international commitments and obligations specified in the United Nations' International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities," he pointed out.

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Traffic police impound 60 cars

Five hurt in Kuwait road accidents

By Hanan Al Saadoun KUWAIT: Three Egyptians sustained various injuries in a car accident near the Tadhamun Sports Club in Farwaniya yesterday. All were taken to Farwaniya Hospital. In a separate inci-

KUWAIT: Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra and other dignitaries in front of the new Gulfmart outlet.

—Photos by Joseph Shagra

Gulfmart opens branch in Khaitan KUWAIT: Gulfmart, Kuwait’s popular supermarket, added a new link to its chain of branches across the country by inaugurating its seventh outlet in Khaitan on June 9. Inaugurating the new branch Ajai Malhotra, the Indian ambassador, congratulated Gulfmart on opening another branch in Kuwait and bringing its products closer to consumers through strategically located stores.

Speaking before a large gathering of well-wishers, customers, media personnel, management and staff of Gulfmart, the ambassador expressed satisfaction that Gulfmart stocked a good number of quality Indian products, ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables to household goods and electronic appliances. He noted that it did so at competitive prices while also providing employment to many Indians and others.

“Among other products, you can buy from here a choice of India’s famous spices, our fragrant, long-grain basmati rice, and delicious Indian mangoes that are simply the best in the world,” the ambassador stated.

“This store will contribute, in its own little way, to the further expansion of Indian exports to Kuwait, which are presently growing at a healthy pace,” Ambassador Malhotra added.

He estimated India-Kuwait trade in 2009 at over $10.5 billion.

“Gulfmart has become a household name, not only among Indians in Kuwait but also among other expatriates and locals, on account of its reputation for delivering excellent service and quality products at reasonable prices,” said T.A. Remesh the Country Head for Gulfmart. At a press conference, attended by Fakrudeen Kabeer, Senior Purchase Manager, Juzer

New campaign Traffic police impounded 60 cars and issued numerous citations in a major campaign on Fahad Al-Salem Street, with a large number of pedestrians also being penalized for crossing the street at points other than the designated ones. The traffic department has warned that unannounced crackdowns like this will continue, on the instructions of Ministry of Interior Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs Major General Mahmoud Al-Dossari.

Child-beating maid A Kuwaiti woman discovered that her family’s Indonesian maid had been assaulting her children, aged three, five and seven, through watching footage from hidden miniature CCTV cameras installed in the bedroom shared by the children. The three children had previously alleged on a number of occasions that the maid had abused them, but the domestic worker flatly denied the accusations, reported Al-

dent, a 21-year-old Kuwaiti man was taken to Jahra Hospital after suffering a dislocated shoulder in a car accident in Waha.

Meanwhile, a 23-year-old Saudi Arabian man was taken to Mubarak Hospital after suffering injuries to his chest and one foot when he fell from his motorcycle in Salmiya.

Anba. The children’s mother then secretly had the hidden cameras installed, which showed the maid locking the children in the room and forcing them to stand facing the wall there, returning every fifteen minutes with a stick to beat them in turn, using it on the soles of their feet to avoid leaving any telltale marks. On seeing the distressing footage, the distraught mother immediately contacted police. The maid initially again denied any wrongdoing, but on being confronted with the recording, she admitted her actions. She is being held in custody pending trial.

Bakala bust-up A 26-year-old Indian man was taken to Adan Hospital after suffering cuts to his chest in a fight in a Fintas grocery store.

Judo jinx A 28-year-old Kuwaiti man suffered a twisted knee at a sports club during Judo training.

He was taken to Mubarak Hospital.

KUWAIT: Anti-narcotic detectives from the General Department for Drug Control (GDDC) arrested two Indians. An amount of 120 grams of heroin was seized from their possession. One of the men sold two grams o the substance to an undercover agent posing as a customer. In addition to this, 120 grams were recovered from their Bneid Al-Qar apartment.

—Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

in the news Danger payments Saifee, Sameer Sheikh, Imran Sheikh and Imran Khan, senior officials at Gulfmart, Remesh described the 12,000 square feet Khaitan branch, located in Wafi Complex, as a new shopping experience for residents in Khaitan.

The new supermarket, located opposite the Indian Community School and next to the police-station roundabout in Khaitan, also provides customers with spacious and convenient car parking space.

“Through our various promotions, quality of products and pricing structure, Gulfmart has consistently offered customers the best deals in town.

“In addition to offering a very wide range of fresh, frozen and packaged food products we also have a variety of cosmetics and electronics products as well as household items at our new store. Since we source our ethnic products directly from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, we are able to offer customers the freshest products

at the best prices,” added Remesh.

Gulfmart, which is part of BMA International Group, has over the years achieved several remarkable milestones in retailing and the seventh branch adds yet another feather in their cap.

The Group, which opened its sixth branch in Farwaniya in mid May and is slated to open its eighth branch in Nugra Hawally in October, is always looking to bring more convenience to their valued patrons, said Remesh.

Elaborating on the brand’s success, the Country Manager said that Gulfmart’s success can be attributed to the commitment of our staff, the support of our suppliers and the strong patronage of our customers.”

In addition to the number of convenient locations across the country, Gulfmart stores are planned and executed by Havelock Consultants, the international specialists in supermarket outfitting. The design of the new store with its easily accessible shelves, wide

aisles and four check-out counters is aimed at maximizing convenience and ensuring that customers have a great shopping experience, said the manager for Gulfmart Khaitan.

Speaking on the opening of their latest outlet in Khaitan, Arif Sheikh, Director of Gulfmart Group said, “Through opening this new branch we once again show our commitment to providing customers in Kuwait with the best and most convenient shopping experience.”

The Director added that due to popular demand and as part of the promise to be ever closer to their valued patrons, Gulfmart would soon be opening an additional outlet in Abbasiya.

Gulfmart which now has seven retail branches in Kuwait, at Shuwaikh, Abbasiya, Salmiya, Hawally, Fahaheel, Farwaniya and now in Khaitan, will provide the large number of residents in these areas with the shopping convenience they have always desired, said Remesh.

KUWAIT: MP Dr. Mohammad Al-Huwaila has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Defense recommending that additional allowances should be paid to armed forces personnel in acknowledgement of the dangers they face during deployment in land-based, naval and airborne operations. Al-Huwaila also recommended that the Ministry of Interior should certify university degrees obtained by policemen from private universities during a period of deployment, reported Al-Qabas. The MP has also urged the cabinet to issue a ruling guaranteeing that the government would subsidize the prices of construction materials, in a bid to avoid builders being affected by the negative results of any steep price rises that take place during the implementation of the development plan.

KUWAIT: Families seen on board the boat.

Trauma Center

NBK donates grant for KU students KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the leading bank in Kuwait and the highest rated in the Middle East, has donated a grant and support to Kuwait University’s College of Science for students activities that are to take place in 2010.

NBK’s mission to eternally support Kuwait’s student body via its on-going Community Service Campaign was yet again demonstrated by way of donation of funds and other support for students this year.

“Our aim is to promote their initiatives throughout the year, whether they be their science projects, seminars or any other related events that usually require financial support from the community to fulfill”, stated NBK Executive Manager, Consumer Banking Group Ebtihaj Al Roomi, further stating that “I was extremely honored to be presenting the grant on behalf of our Al Shabab student account, which is known to offer university and college students tremendous and deserving support at this formative time in their lives”.

KUWAIT: NBK booth in the Kuwait University.

Al Shabab is a youth account that caters to the various financial needs of the youth in the country. The account is for customers in the age group of 17-

23 years. Al Shabab offers custom made financial packages to suit the requirements of the students during their college years.

The account has encouraged the culture of saving and regularly rewards customers with highest savings with some of the best prizes in the country.

KUWAIT: Adan Hospital’s extensively renovated trauma center, which is set to reopen today (Thursday) will be inaugurated by health minister Dr. Helal Al-Sayer, revealed the head of Ahmadi Medical Zone on Tuesday. “The facility will be reopened after being equipped with the latest technology in medical equipment,” said Dr. Fahad Al-Foudari, also revealing that a ceremony will also be held during the reopening event to present awards to participants in the campaign for child vaccination against measles and mumps. The trauma center’s renovation is part of a comprehensive development program at the hospital, which includes extending the intensive care unit from its current 16-bed capacity to 40 beds, reported Al-Rai. The program is among the projects introduced to improve the quality of medical services offered in Ahmadi, and includes the establishment of an integrated maternity care facility.

A view from the competition.

A winner (left) poses with KBC representatives.

KBC organizes cruise trip KUWAIT: More than 350 banking sector staff members enjoyed a cruise that was organized by the Kuwait Banks Club (KBC) for employees and their families on board the Icarus that was provided by the Public Transportation Company (PTC).

The trip, which lasted for three hours, featured a special entertainment program that was organized by the KBC’s social committee which also

arranged the voyage. The program contained several competitions in which participants were awarded prizes.

A dinner reception was also held. The KBC is currently preparing more social and cultural activities for staff members of local banks during the summer break, said Deputy CEO of KBC, Abbas Al-Blushi.

Dear Traveller: Make sure you switch off the main electricity breaker, and shut all gas valves before leaving your house.

Public Relations and Information, Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD)

NATIONAL

Thursday, June 10, 2010

7 Customer attacks phone shop employee

Taxi driver tries to abduct Egyptian KUWAIT: An attempt to abduct and rob an Egyptian expatriate was foiled by the action of a quick thinking emergency services operator. The incident began after the Egyptian expatriate hailed a taxi. The Pakistani taxi driver, who apparently believed that the case the passenger was carrying contained money and valuables, headed for the stables area of Jahra rather than the requested destination with the intention of robbing the man. Becoming increasingly alarmed, the passenger called the emergency hotline, where the sharp-witted operator asked to speak to the taxi driver, telling him that his car was under surveillance and he would be arrested and imprisoned if he

KUWAIT: Officials of the ‘Safat Home’ pose for a group photograph.

Safat Home Furniture is now Safat Home

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Al-Ghanim Industries held a press conference yesterday to announce that it’s changing the name of its ‘Safat Home Furniture’ outlet to the shorter and catchier ‘Safat Home.’

The press conference, held at Al-Ghanim’s Al-Rai showroom, was attended by media representatives and senior members of the Safat Home management team, including General Manager Miles Young, who welcomed all the guests and told them of the dynamic changes taking place as part of the rebranding exercise.

“With our new brand name, accompanied by a new look, we’re extending and reinforcing our commitment to excite and inspire you, to change, refresh and rejuvenate,” said Young.

Among the new services offered by Safat Home is ‘Cotton Box,’ a new interior design service that provides personalized, convenient and customized home or office furnishing advice and the personal attention of a qualified designer willing to

MoH contracting foreign medical teams to run Kuwait facilities KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health is set to sign contracts with teams of foreign medical experts to run medical facilities in Kuwait.

The step is part of the health ministry’s strategy to upgrade the quality of medical services on offer, explained MoH Undersecretary Dr. Ibrahim AlAbdulhadi, further indicating that the ministry will make another announcement on the subject shortly.

Dr. Al-Abdulhadi also revealed that he is forming a committee which is currently preparing an emergency first aid training program that it is hoped will provide 10 percent of Kuwait’s population in potentially life-saving first aid measures.

The committee, comprising senior MoH officials, will devise the training program’s content and decide on the personnel and medical equipment necessary to carry it out, reported Al-Rai. The ministry also plans to launch a media campaign to raise awareness of the program.

GCC members plans lower phone tariffs KUWAIT: Ministers of communications of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states probed here yesterday lowering of tariffs of phone calls among their countries.

Speaking to reporters after the 19th session of the ministerial committee on post, and information and communication technology (ICT), Kuwaiti Minister of Communications and Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs Dr. Mohammad Al-Busairi said the aim of this meeting was to facilitate communication among the citizens of the GCC countries.

“Phone call tariff is the top priority for the GCC countries at present,” he affirmed, noting that technicians were working out regulatory measures to improve the service and serve the economic interests of citizens. —KUNA

travel the world to source and deliver the best products for the customer.

Safat Home also offers an installation service with a 12month warranty on sofas and easy credit payment facilities.

“As part of the 75-year AlGhanim business legacy of credibility and trust, we feel confident that Safat Home will continue to maintain its unique posi-

tion of consistently delivering customer satisfaction with the same quality you’ve come to expect from us,” Young continued. As part of their postrebranding promotion, each Safat Home customer who spends over KD 200 will receive a free KD 50 voucher, while those who spend over KD 1,000 will get a free 32-inch-screen TV. Chadi Deeb, Safat Home’s

Store Manager, promised that the new and improved showroom would deliver everything but the customized services to the firm’s valued customers.

“We offer a modern, dynamic and convenient shopping experience, a unique experience that only improves the quality we’ve been providing customers with since we began years ago,” Deeb said.

Tragic deaths A two-year-old Kuwaiti boy died in a tragic accident at his family’s home in Saad Al-Abdullah. The toddler was apparently alone in his bedroom at around 3am when he managed to reach the loop cord on the window blind, which then got wrapped around his neck, strangling him before he could escape, reported Al-Watan. His distraught parents found him later in the morning, but he could not be revived.

An investigation has been launched into the incident.

In a separate tragedy, Annahar reported that another two-year-old Kuwaiti boy died in a massive blaze in his parents’ home in Al-Nassem. The toddler’s body was removed for autopsy to determine the cause of the death and an investigation has been launched to determine what started the blaze.

Phone attack A staff member at a cell phone shop was assaulted and injured by a female customer, who used a cell phone to attack him. The woman was apparently enraged at being informed that the company’s policy meant she could not get a refund for a device she had brought from the shop previously, launching an attack with her phone which resulted in a gash to the worker’s head. After her attack, the woman fled the scene while the staff member was taken to Jahra Hospital for treatment, reported Al-Rai. He then lodged

failed to take the passenger to his desired destination.

The driver believed this ingenious tale and changed course, dropping the Egyptian man off where he had asked to be taken, reported Al-Watan. On getting out of the car, the Egyptian man immediately took a note of the license plate number and other features of the vehicle, contacting police to pass these on. Using this information, the driver was quickly apprehended and taken into custody. Although the former passenger positively identified the driver as his abductor, however, the kind-hearted Egyptian man opted to drop the charges after the driver pleaded with him not to prosecute.

a complaint at the local police station, providing a medical report as evidence.

An investigation is underway into the incident and police are hunting for the woman.

Lovers arrested A month after a recently-married Kuwaiti man reported his 22-year-old wife missing, she was discovered living in an apartment in Salmiya with her 23year-old bedoon (stateless) lover, who she had been in love with for some years. The woman was traced after police checked phone records which indicated that she had called her lover at the Salmiya flat often, reported AlAnba. The couple were found there and taken into custody, where the woman told officers that the couple had been in love for some years before her marriage. She and her lover face charges of adultery.

Brothels busted Police arrested 17 prostitutes and 11 pimps in six raids on apartments being used as brothels in Farwaniya.

The raids were launched after police received tip-offs about the activities in the six apartments, reported Al-Rai. All those arrested were taken into custody where they are awaiting trial.

Drug possession Hawally police recently arrested an Egyptian man and a Lebanese man for drug possession. The two men were

arrested after police pulled over their car, at which point the Egyptian man, who was in the passenger seat, was spotted throwing an item out of the window. Police officers discovered that the bag contained a quantity of heroin, also discovering drug paraphernalia inside the car, reported Al-Watan. The two men were taken into custody.

Dealer busted Customs officers at Kuwait International Airport (KIA) arrested a Filipino man who had just arrived on a flight from Iran after discovering marijuana in plastic bags concealed in his luggage. On questioning, the man admitted that he had attempted to smuggle the drugs into Kuwait in order to sell them, reported Annahar. He was referred to the General Department of Drug Control (GDDC) for further action.

Creative shoplifters An ingenious attempt by two brothers to cover up their shoplifting was thwarted by a management staff member. As other shoppers attempted to break up the ‘fight,’ the supervisor caught one of the men involved attempting to conceal stolen goods in the pockets of his outfit, reported AlWatan. The sharp-eyed supervisor immediately restrained the man before calling police to take the two miscreants into custody.

8

INTERNATIONAL

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Democrat, Republican parties lock in candidates for fall election

Primary voting points to tea party strength WASHINGTON: Arkansas' incumbent Democratic senator overcame a primary election challenge by labor to keep her name on the ballot for the general election in November, when President Barack Obama's party legislative majority will be under threat. Sen Blanche Lincoln's victory in the runoff vote against Lt Gov Bill Halter marked a stunning defeat for organ-

ized labor, which had poured more than $5 million into an effort to dump the incumbent in retaliation for her departure from party orthodoxy on a variety of issues. She bucked a trend which already had seen two senators, one from each party, defeated in earlier primary elections by rivals from their own parties.

ARKANSAS: Sen Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark, greets supporters as her husband Steve, left, watches as the senator claimed victory in the Democratic primary runoff election in Little Rock, Ark Tuesday. —AP

Dutch voters lean right on economy, immigration AMSTERDAM: Voters appeared likely to shift the Netherlands to the right in national elections yesterday dominated by concerns over the rising national debt and discontent over immigration. The conservative VVD party under leader Mark Rutte holds a solid lead in opinion surveys, running on a deficit-busting, tough-on-immigration platform. The overtly anti-Islam Freedom Party of Geert Wilders, which wants a ban on all immigration from nonwestern countries, also appears set to book large gains, perhaps doubling its current strength in parliament.

A softer approach promoted by leftleaning parties, including former Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen's Labor Party, is unlikely to win a majority, though Labor is running second in polls and has made a late surge. Cohen wants to preserve government social programs, raise taxes and make it easier for immigrants to integrate rather than punishing those that fail.

If the Dutch swing to the right, they would follow voters in Britain, who ousted the long-governing Labor Party last month, in Germany and earlier in France.

Nationalist and anti-immigrant parties have been gaining force even in the traditionally open-door countries of Scandinavia. Polls close at 9 p.m., and the state-funded NOS broadcaster will publish exit polls that in the past have proven to be within a few seats of the final result.

The vote count will take several hours, as voters returned to paper-and-pencil balloting over worries about the reliability of electronic voting machines. About 10 parties of the 24 that are fielding candidates are expected to win entry into the 150-seat Second Chamber, the legislative house of parliament. But in the fractured political scene, none is expected to come close to a majority, and a long period of political bargaining is likely to build a 76seat majority coalition among three or four parties.

One possibility, however, is a minority government of right-wing parties, with

outside support from the Freedom Party.

No party is anxious to join an alliance with Wilders because of his sharp, often polarizing anti-Islam politics and his leftist economic views. He is facing criminal prosecution for inciting hate after equating Islam to Nazism and calling for a ban on the Quran. Various opinion polls agree on the pre-election trends. They give Rutte's VVD about 34 seats in Tuesday's poll, a huge gain from its current 22 seats.

Cohen's Labor Party is second with 30 seats, a drop of three. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's Christian Democrats, which has led four governments since 2002, was likely to lose 15 or more seats from the 41 it has now.

The election was precipitated when Balkendende's center-right coalition collapsed in March over the Labor Party's refusal to extend the Dutch military mission in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has barely been mentioned in the campaign, which instead focused on traditional issues of immigration and the economy.

The VVD's unexpected rise to the top of the polls is credited to its promise to rein in spending and tackle a budget deficit that is rising rapidly this year above 6 percent of GDP while pledging not to raise taxes. In a final televised debate Tuesday night, Rutte mocked one of Cohen's signature lines , that it is the primary duty of an executive to "hold things together." Cohen won praise for his handling of a tense period in Amsterdam after the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Muslim fanatic in 2004. "The difference between you and me, Mr Cohen, is that I don't want to hold things together. I want to get things going," Rutte said.

Cohen shot back that Rutte's plans, including raising the retirement age, increasing health care costs and banning welfare for any immigrant for 10 years after arrival, were equivalent to electroshock therapy. "You know what happens when you give an electric shock: there are great risks of crippling" the economy, Cohen said. — AP

STAPHORST: A couple in traditional Dutch clothing votes in Staphorst, northern Netherlands yesterday. —AP

in the news 9 dead, 40 missing in Mozambique boat sinking MAPUTO: A police spokesman says at least nine people have died and 40 are missing and feared dead after a boat sunk off the coast of northern Mozambique. Pedro Cossa, spokesman for Mozambique's general command, told Radio Mozambique that 33 people have been rescued from the shipwreck May 31 off the coast of the the northern province of Cabo Delgado. He said all of those aboard the ship were Somali. Cossa said efforts are still underway to recover the bodies of those missing. He said police did not receive news of the tragedy until Tuesday because of communication problems in the area. Police have frequently picked up groups of refugees in northern Mozambique, who they say may use the country as a corridor to reach neighboring South Africa.

Land mine blast kills 5 police in Somali capital MOGADISHU: A Somali police officer says five of his colleagues were killed when a remote-controlled land mine exploded in the Somali capital. Ali Gab says another policeman was wounded during the attack in southern Mogadishu neighborhood of Afisiyooni. He says the land mine was detonated near a police station and as the officers passed by on foot patrol. No group so far has claimed responsibility. The fragile U.N.-backed government controls only a few blocks of Mogadishu and has been battling an Islamic insurgency for the three years. An African Union peacekeeping force protects key government officials and installations.

Senegal retakes 1st military base from France DAKAR: The French flag was lowered at a military base in Senegal and the West African country's colors hoisted in a ceremony to mark the start of a handover of French bases to Dakar. The symbolic move yesterday comes after Paris said that it would close its bases and leave only about 300 troops in its former colony to provide training and expertise. A French statement Tuesday said the move will allow Senegalese forces to improve and provide their own security. In April, President Abdoulaye Wade announced that the government would retake the three French bases which housed some 1,200 troops. He said the handover would mark the final step in Senegal's separation from its former colonial master. Senegal gained independence from France in 1960.

Mexico dad says he killed 2 children MEXICO CITY: A Mexico City father who had told police he gave his two children to a woman to settle a debt now says he killed the toddlers himself, authorities said Tuesday. Javier Covarrubias, 20, didn't say why he killed his children, only that he did and hid their bodies in different locations, according to a statement from the capital's Attorney General's Office.

Hours later Tuesday, authorities said the bodies of two children had been found in plastic bags and were being tested to see if their DNA matched that of Covarrubias. Results should be ready yesterday, though authorities said the mother identified the clothes on the bodies.

The statement said Covarrubias left his house May 18 and took the children to a park. There he allegedly asphyxiated 11/2-year-old Isis Liliana, and a half hour later he asphyxiated 21/2-year-old Darien Isai, the statement said.

Twelve states voted Tuesday, the busiest primary day so far, as the Democrat and Republican parties locked in candidates for the fall election.

Voters went to polling stations with the nation still battling to recover from the worst economic recession in decades, unemployment that lingers near 10 percent and the unnerving and continuing devastation from the oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Beyond the building antiincumbent sentiment, the primaries offered fresh success for the conservative, antiWashington tea party movement. It has already swayed several Republican races and pushed moderate candidates to espouse hard right positions.

The tea party movement favors tax cuts and less government.

Nikki Haley, a candidate backed by the movement, easily outdistanced Republican rivals in the South Carolina governor's race, despite a nasty campaign , ethnic slurs about her Sikh family background and unsubstantiated allegations of extramarital affairs. But she faces a runoff June 22 because she garnered just under the 50 percent needed. In the same state, veteran Republican congressman Bob Inglis badly trailed his rival and barely forced a runoff. In the West, Nevada's Republican governor, Jim Gibbons, lost his bid for re-nomination after a term marked by a messy public divorce. California Republicans chose two wealthy women with big-business backgrounds as candidates for the senate and governor. Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman won the Republican nomination for governor after investing more than $70 million of her own money in the campaign to succeed term-limited Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger. She will face Democratic state Attorney General Jerry Brown, who was governor from 1975-83, and won the party's nomination again Tuesday.

The state's Senate race features a similar matchup.

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina won the Republican nomination. She will face three-term Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, a liberal stalwart who won renomination. "Career politicians in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., be warned: You now face your worst nightmare, two businesswomen from the real world who know how to create jobs, balance budgets and get things done," Whitman told supporters.

Democrats are bracing for losses in the November vote, which falls at the midpoint of Obama's term. Incumbent parties traditionally lose seats in midterm elections, and Democrats, with strong majorities in both chambers of Congress, have the most seats to defend.

The task for Democrats has been made even more difficult by the weak economy, and, most recently, growing criticism of Obama's handling of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In recent months, however, incumbents from both parties have been defeated by a restless and dissatisfied American electorate.

Lincoln, celebrating her chance for a third term representing the state that was home to former President Bill Clinton, said she had proved her vote "is not for sale and neither is the vote of the people of Arkansas." Under fire from both the left and the right, Lincoln now faces an uphill campaign against the Republican candidate, US Rep. John Boozman, in the Nov. 2 general election.

Gibbons lost the Nevada race for the governor's slot after a tumultuous term that was marred by a bitter divorce and allegations of infidelities. He was defeated by Brian Sandoval, a former federal judge. Sandoval will face Rory Reid, who won the Democratic primary. Reid is the son of Harry Reid, the US Senate majority leader. —AP

CIUDAD JUAREZ: Mexican forensic experts examine the body of 14 yearold Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca, under the Paso Del Norte border bridge in Ciudad Juarez, northern Mexico Monday. —AP

Mexican teen dies after bridge shooting by US Border Patrol CIUDAD JUAREZ: Mexico on Tuesday strongly condemned the US Border Patrol's "disproportionate" use of force after an agent shot dead a 14year-old Mexican boy who was throwing rocks on a bridge linking the two nations. The boy died after a border patrol officer opened fire from the El Paso, Texas, side of the border on a group who "threw stones" while apparently trying to enter the United States illegally from Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican Foreign Ministry said.

"The use of firearms to repel attacks with stones represents a disproportionate use of force," the ministry said in a statement. President Ernesto Calderon "strongly condemns" the death of the teenager and will ask the United States to investigate "fully the incident and punish those held responsible," the president's office said in a statement.

Lou Patch, a supervisory Border Patrol agent in El Paso, confirmed that at least one agent opened fire during the Monday incident and said an investigation was under way, headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Patch told AFP that agents were "performing bike patrol duties" on the bridge when they were "assaulted with rocks by an unknown number of people."

"During the assault at least one agent discharged his firearm," he said. The agent was placed on administrative leave and "a thorough multi-agency investigation is ongoing," he added.

Mexican officials said that according to witness statements, the US agents on bicycle pursued the youths toward Mexico and that two of them opened fire. Mexican state police had earlier provided a different version of events, saying the boy had been playing with two other youths on the Puente Negro bridge spanning the Rio Grande.

Ciudad Juarez's attorney general's office also said the youths were playing when they strayed into US territory inadvertently, and ran back

toward the Mexican side after being surprised by the US agents. The victim's parents said their son was killed inside Mexico and that he had no intention of crossing the border. Jesus Hernandez, the father, told W Radio his son went to the bridge to have lunch with his brother, who works nearby. At one point, "he went to the river bank to look to the other side.

"There were lots of kids and the border patrol cop... started firing off shots and hit my son, my baby twice in the head." Hernandez said Mexican authorities had yet to contact the family about the incident. The US State Department said US agents responded to "a group of suspected illegal immigrants from Mexico." It said in a statement that "the agents were reportedly assaulted with rocks by an unknown number of people. During the assault, an agent discharged his firearm, killing one of the suspects. We regret the loss of life."

The teenager's death comes on the heels of a US investigation into the beating death last week in San Diego, California of Anastasio Hernandez, a 42-year-old Mexican father of five in Border Patrol custody for deportation for crossing the border illegally. Mexico's foreign ministry said the cases of Mexicans killed or injured in incidents involving use of force by US authorities have risen, "from five in 2008 to 12 in 2009 and 17 so far this year." The increasing frequency of such incidents "reflects a disturbing increase in the use of excessive force by some authorities in the border area," the ministry said. An estimated 10.8 million illegal immigrants live in the United States. Roughly half a million people attempt to cross the 3,200-kilometer (2,000-mile) border from Mexico into the United States each year, according to official figures. US President Barack Obama has ordered the deployment of up to 1,200 more troops on the border with Mexico to battle drug trafficking. — AFP

Five candidates in race to lead UK Labor Party LONDON: Five candidates secured nominations yesterday in the race to be the next leader of the Labor Party, defeated and in debt after 13 years of governing Britain. Four former Cabinet members are in the race along with Diane Abbott, a leftwinger who nailed down her place just before yesterday's deadline. Abbott is the only woman in the race, the only black and the only backbencher, a legislator with no rank in the party's hierarchy in the House of Commons. The campaign will continue until voting begins Aug. 16. Voting closes Sept. 22 and the winner will be announced on Sept. 25.

Four veterans of ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Cabinet were also nominated: former Foreign Secretary David Miliband, his brother, the former Environment Secretary Ed Miliband, former Schools Secretary Ed Balls and former Health Secretary Andy Burnham. This is the first leadership contest for Labor since 1994 when Tony Blair became leader following the death of John Smith.

Labor won three elections against the demoralized Conservatives under Blair, but support waned in the 2005 election following the divisive decision to join the US-led invasion of Iraq. The tide turned decisively against Labour in the last three years, after Gordon Brown succeeded Blair and the nation's finances were swamped by a global credit crisis. The Labour Party itself is now in debt by nearly 18 million pounds ($26 million).

Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government is preparing to make deep cuts in public spending to slash deficit spending, which the highest among major European economies. "The important thing is contesting these cuts which will wreak havoc amongst ordinary people in the communities we represent," Abbott said in an interview with the BBC after clinching her nomination.

Abbott, 56, is the most experienced candidate, having been elected to Parliament in 1987, becoming the first black woman to win a seat. David Miliband, 44, and Burnham, 40, were elected in 2001; Balls, 43, and Ed Miliband, 40, were elected in 2005. "Over the next few months over four million people will have the chance to help shape Britain's progressive future by choosing the next leader of the Labour Party," said Harriet Harman, the party's acting leader since Brown stepped down shortly after a national election in May. The leader will emerge from a complex electoral college system made up of three sections: the party's members of Parliament and the European Parliament; trade unions and other affiliated organizations; and individual party members.

The new leader will hope not to repeat the recent experience of the Conservative Party, which floundered under three successive leaders before the fourth, Cameron, molded the party into electable form again.— AP

Tax your rich: Clinton says to Latin America QUITO: US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Latin American nations Tuesday to impose a heavier tax burden on the wealthy, saying the region's economic growth and competitiveness depend on it. Clinton said in a speech in the Ecuadorean capital that tax evasion among the wealthiest in the Western Hemisphere is unacceptably high and hurts efforts to build badly needed infrastructure like roads, bridges and power plants. She said it is also keeping countries in the Americas from reducing poverty and improving health care.

"Despite progress in some places, tax and budget systems are ineffective and inefficient in much of the hemisphere," she said, noting that in many countries the burden falls too heavily on lower classes. "But," she said, "in many places, it is also a simple fact that the wealthy do not pay their fair share. We can't mince words about this. Levels of tax evasion are

unacceptably high, as much or more than 50 percent in some of the region's economies when it comes to personal income tax." As a result, she said most governments in the region are unable to afford to provide basic services.

"This is not class warfare or us-versus-them rhetoric," Clinton said. "It is a matter of recognizing that this is not a zero-sum game and that the winner-takes-all approach to our economic future is shortsighted and obsolete. More inclusive growth will make our entire economies stronger and more competitive over the long term, to the benefit of all."

Clinton has made tax equity a theme in recent speeches in Washington and overseas.

She made her latest comments on the second leg of a four-nation tour of Latin America and the Caribbean that has already taken her to Peru and will see her in Colombia yesterday and Barbados today. — AP

Thursday, June 10, 2010

INTERNATIONAL

9

US prez seeks to keep indirect talks alive

Obama meets Abbas, seeks to contain flotilla fallout WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House yesterday seeking to ensure that fallout from Israel’s Gaza flotilla raid does not derail fragile US-led peace efforts. Obama faced a difficult balancing act. He

RAFAH: A Palestinian girl sleeps on luggage as she and her family wait to cross to Egypt, at Rafah border crossing, southern Gaza Strip yesterday. The opening of Gaza’s gateway to the world has turned into a scene of extreme anxiety with hundreds crowding around border officials to learn when, and if, they can cross into Egypt. —AP

Israel eases embargo, allows snack food in GAZA: Israel is easing its Gaza embargo to allow snack food and beverages into the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian officials said yesterday, following an international outcry over Israel’s raid on an aid flotilla.

An Israeli government official said the decision, announced hours before US President Barack Obama was to host Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington, was unrelated to Israel’s May 31 takeover of the convoy that challenged its Gaza blockade.

The talks between Obama and Abbas are expected to focus on ways to ease the embargo, which has drawn mounting international criticism since Israeli commandos, who met violent resistance on a Turkish-flagged ship, killed nine proPalestinian activists. The Palestinian officials, based in the West Bank, said that as of next week, Israel will allow a wider variety of food, such as potato crisps, biscuits, canned fruit and packaged humous, as well as soft drinks and juice, into the Gaza Strip.

“They will send the first course. We are waiting for the main course,” Palestinian Economy Minister Hassan Abu Libdeh

said in Ramallah. “We are waiting for this unjust siege to end.” Israel says its blockade of Gaza is necessary to choke off weapons supplies to Hamas Islamists who run the enclave and are opposed to Abbas’s peace efforts with the Jewish state. The United Nations says the Israeli blockade has caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, an allegation Israel denies.

Raed Fattouh, head of a West Bankbased Palestinian government committee that coordinates entry of goods into the Gaza Strip from Israel, said it was unclear whether Hamas would let the Israeli-made drinks and snack food in. A Palestinian merchant, who spoke to Reuters in the Gaza Strip on condition of anonymity, said Hamas officials ordered businessmen in the enclave not to import most of the items from Israel. A variety of goods come into the Gaza Strip from neighbouring Egypt via smuggling tunnels.

There was no immediate comment from Hamas. WIDER VARIETY Asked about the new list of Israeli-approved products, the Israeli government official said: “Over the last six months, Israel has increased the volume of goods going into

Gaza and their variety. That policy is continuing.” Last week the United States backed a U.N. Security Council statement on the flotilla raid that demanded a “prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to international standards”.

Israel has said it would investigate on its own, but has been consulting with Washington on a format for an inquiry that could include foreign observers.

Commenting on the blockade, an Israeli security source said Israel aimed to remove all restrictions on imported food items for Gaza within a few weeks and noted that jam and several other products were approved recently.

“This has nothing to do with the flotilla,” the source said. Israel’s ban on cement imports into the territory, critics say, has limited efforts to rebuild homes and infrastructure destroyed or damaged in a threeweek war it launched in December 2008 with the stated aim of curbing cross-border rocket fire. Israeli authorities said that last week, Israel transferred 12,413 tonnes of humanitarian aid through Gaza border crossings. —Reuters

Abbas’ visit comes amid an international backlash against Israel after its forces boarded a Turkish aid ship bound for the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on May 31. Nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed.

The Palestinian leader planned to urge Obama, who has been more measured in his response to the flotilla raid than the broader international community, to take a tougher line with Israel.

“President Abbas will ask for President Obama’s intervention to unconditionally lift the siege on the Gaza Strip because this would be the only way to defuse tension,” Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokesman for Abbas, told Reuters.

The Obama administration has deemed “unsustainable” the three-year-old blockade, which Israel says is needed to stop weapons smuggling and Palestinians call collective punishment.

Expectations of a breakthrough were low for yesterday’s meeting. But having pledged to help ease Gaza’s plight, Obama had no intention of sending Abbas home emptyhanded.

“The president and President Abbas will discuss steps to improve life for the people of Gaza, including US support for specific projects to promote economic development and greater quality of life,” a senior Obama administration official said.

Obama’s pledge will include a “long-term strategy for progress that we will advance through consultations with the Palestinians, Israelis, Egyptians and other partners.”

There were no immediate details on the amount and type

of US aid to be offered for the impoverished coastal enclave, which since 2007 has been run

by Hamas Islamists who seized control from Abbas’s Fatahdominated Palestinian Authority.

But any fresh infusion of funds would come with strings attached to keep it out of the hands of Hamas, which is on the US list of terrorist organizations.

In recent years, US aid to the Palestinians has been sent mostly to the West Bank, where Abbas governs, or funneled to Gaza through international agencies. Washington pledged $900 million for the Palestinians at a donors conference in 2009.

Signaling a US desire to boost Abbas’s standing with his people, reporters will be allowed into the Oval Office to see the leaders together. Press coverage was barred during a tense visit in November by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which Israeli media widely interpreted as a snub.

Despite heightened regional tensions, the Obama administration is seeking to keep alive indirect US-brokered talks that have made little headway since starting in early May. Obama hopes to push the sides toward direct negotiations.

Obama’s Middle East diplomacy, central to his outreach to the Muslim world, has been complicated by the flotilla incident. Abbas’s meeting with Obama will take place a week after Netanyahu canceled talks in Washington and rushed home from Canada to deal with the crisis sparked by the flotilla raid. Netanyahu’s visit had been billed as a fence-mending session to move beyond discord

was expected to assure Abbas of pressure on US ally Israel to loosen its Gaza blockade and let in more humanitarian supplies. At the same time, Obama will be careful to avoid further strains between Washington and the Jewish state. over Jewish settlement construction on occupied land.

Obama has little room to maneuver. With US congressional elections looming in November, he must be mindful that Israel is popular with US lawmakers and voters. Abbas also backs a U.N. proposal for an international probe, but the White House leans toward

Israel’s insistence on its own inquiry with a role for foreign experts or observers.

Abbas arrived from Turkey, a US ally that has condemned Israel’s action and curtailed ties with it. Abbas has called the raid a “massacre.” Israel said its commandos defended themselves when attacked during the boarding. —Reuters

Gunmen, bombs kill 6 in Iraq BAGHDAD: Two civilians were killed when a suicide bomber on a motorcycle rammed into a US army patrol in Iraq yesterday, police said, while four other people were killed and more than a dozen wounded in other attacks.

There was no immediate information on US military casualties from the suicide bomb near the small town of Muqdadiya, 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad. Five people were wounded in the assault.

US forces have pulled out of Iraqi cities and are working to formally end combat operations by Sept. 1, cutting the US military force from just under 90,000 to 50,000. Overall violence has dropped sharply since the worst days of sectarian war in 2006-07, but bombings and shootings are still a regular occurrence, often targeting police, government officials and Sunni ex-insurgents who swapped sides to fight al Qaeda.

Iraq has seen a spike in violence since an inconclusive March 7 parliamentary election, which has yet to yield a government.

Abdul Rahman Dawood, a politician with the Iraqiya coalition that eked out a two-seat win in the election, was wounded yesterday when a roadside bomb exploded near his car in the Zafaraniya district of southeastern Baghdad, police said. A passenger in the car was also wounded.

In Abu Ghraib on Baghdad’s western outskirts, an armed group killed a policeman and his wife in their home, police said. Their five sons were wounded. The same group seriously wounded another policeman living nearby. In western Baghdad, a roadside bomb killed one civilian and wounded two others, police said.

In northern Iraq, gunmen killed an off-duty policeman on his farm in western Mosul, a restive city 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad.

Another officer was seriously wounded when a grenade was hurled at his patrol in central Mosul. Also in Mosul, security forces said a 16-year-old Al-Qaeda recruit was arrested yesterday minutes before he planned to blow himself up and assassinate a Shiite cleric. — Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

N Korea warns UN not to debate ship sinking North accuses Washington, Seoul of ‘smear campaign’ SEOUL: North Korea warned the UN yesterday of “serious” consequences for peace if it debates an alleged torpedo attack on a South Korean warship without letting the North’s investigators examine the evidence. South Korea,

the United States and other countries accuse the North of sinking the ship with the loss of 46 lives and are pushing for the United Nations Security Council to censure the communist state.

HONG KONG: A protester is arrested after scuffling with police officers who were trying to stop a fellow demonstrator from throwing a bag of tofu during a protest to support Chinese dissident Tan Zuoren outside the Chinese government’s liaison office in Hong Kong yesterday. —AP

China court upholds five year sentence for activist BEIJING: A court upheld a Chinese dissident’s five-year sentence for subversion yesterday after he investigated the deaths of children crushed in their schools during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

Tan Zuoren went on trial in August and was sentenced in February on the vaguely defined charge of inciting subversion of state power. The Sichuan provincial high court upheld the ruling in a brief hearing yesterday morning, Tan’s wife, Wang Qinghua, said by telephone.

Chinese bureaucrats rarely release information about sensitive political cases and court officials reached at two separate departments said they had no information about Tan’s appeal. The denial of his appeal underscores the government’s determination to suppress questions about why so many schools collapsed during the quake, which killed 90,000 people.

According to official figures, almost 7,000 classrooms collapsed, killing 5,335 students, but the government has refused to respond to complaints that many schools were poorly constructed and lacked emergency exits and other basic safety features. Parents of dead children launched a short-lived protest movement, to which authorities , ever vigilant against criticism and potential unrest , responded with jailings and threats.

Avant-garde artist Ai Weiwei, who has also investigated student deaths, was detained and beaten by police while attempting to attend Tan’s August trial.

In Hong Kong, about 30 human rights activists protested the court’s decision yesterday outside the Chinese government’s liaison office in the semiautonomous territory, which has its own legal system and civil liberties.

Members of the group chanted “Release Tan Zuoren immediately,” and one protester was detained after scuffling with police officers trying to stop another demonstrator from throwing tofu at the office.

Hong Kong radio RTHK reported on its website the man was later charged with attacking a police officer and freed on bail of 300 Hong Kong dollars ($38). Hong Kong police didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

Wang said she had seen Tan from a distance in the court room and the two exchanged smiles and waves but weren’t allowed to speak. She said the only remarks made during the 10-minute hearing were from

the judge. Tan, 56, who has been detained since April 2009, appeared to be in high spirits and good health, Wang said.

“It’s not too hard to take. Just a few hundred days to go,” Wang said.

Wang said the couple’s daughter, Li Chang, and other supporters were not allowed into the chamber, but were hustled into the courthouse after attempting to film the scene from the street. The February ruling made no mention of Tan’s quake research, citing instead an essay he wrote about the June 4, 1989 military crack-

down on pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing, and plans to commemorate the anniversary. However, his supporters and human rights groups say they believe he was targeted because of the school project.

Tan had conducted his own investigation into 64 schools flattened by the 7.9 magnitude temblor, which struck a wide swath of mountainous southwestern China and the Tibetan plateau. Before being detained, Tan estimated more than 5,600 students died or were missing, but said that number was

incomplete. Complaints over school construction emerged after classrooms collapsed even as government offices and other buildings nearby remained intact.

The court’s upholding of Tan’s sentence was widely condemned by human rights groups as a miscarriage of justice and an attack on corruption whistle-blowers.

“This is a politically motivated outcome of a grossly unfair legal process,” Catherine Baber, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Asia-Pacific, said in a statement. —AP

HONG KONG: A protester is arrested after scuffling with police officers who were trying to stop a fellow demonstrator from throwing a bag of tofu during a protest to support Chinese dissident Tan Zuoren outside the Chinese government’s liaison office in Hong Kong yesterday. —AP

23 hurt by bomb near mosque in Thailand PATTANI: A drive-by bombing near a mosque wounded 23 people in Thailand’s turbulent south in what police said yesterday was an attack by Muslim insurgents. Witnesses saw two men on a motorcycle throw an improvised explosive device at a government pickup truck in Yala town Tuesday evening, but the bomb missed the vehicle and landed just across the street from the mosque, Police Superintendent Col. Piyawat Chalermsri said. Most of those hurt were Muslims. Two victims were in intensive care, including a 14-year-old girl in critical condition.

Thailand’s southernmost provinces, the only ones with Muslim majorities in the predominantly Buddhist country, have been gripped for the past six years by a separatist insurgency that has claimed more than 4,000 lives. Southern Muslims have long complained of being treated

as second-class citizens, and the government has put more effort into suppressing the insurgency than dealing with the root causes of their disaffection. Piyawat said he believed Islamist insurgents targeting the government were behind Tuesday’s bombing. Surveillance video broadcast on Thai TV stations showed an explosion seconds after an army truck drove by a teahouse.

However, one analyst was skeptical about the government claim because no previous attacks had been carried out in that area of Yala, which is a wholly Muslim sector filled with people going to the mosque. Buddhist vigilantes in the region have also been known to carry out attacks seeking revenge against Muslims. “This smells very fishy,” said Don Pathan, a journalist and coauthor of a recent book on the southern insurgency. “It doesn’t make sense that this is an insurgent-related attack.” — AP

The North accuses Washington and Seoul of a “smear campaign” to fake evidence of its involvement as a pretext for aggression and says reprisals already announced by the South could spark war.

Pyongyang said yesterday its UN representative had written to the council president, repeating demands that it be allowed to send a team south of the border to examine the evidence.

“In case the unilaterally forged ‘investigation result’ is put on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council and open to be debated without the verification of the directly victimized party...no one would dare imagine how serious its consequences would be with regard to the peace and security on the Korean peninsula,” state media quoted the letter as saying. It urged the Security Council not to be swayed by US “lies” as it was over the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and said the world body has a duty to stay impartial.

After a weeks-long investigation a multinational team said last month there was overwhelming evidence that a North Korean submarine had fired a heavy torpedo to break the warship in two in March.

South Korea formally asked the Security Council last week to respond and said yesterday the investigators would brief the council’s 15 members on the probe at the request of council president Mexico.

The South has rejected the North’s demands to send its own investigators, with the defence minister saying it would be “like a robber or a murderer insisting he must inspect the crime scene”. The South has announced reprisals, including cutting off trade with the cash-strapped North, and is lobbying for support at the UN. It can expect backing from the US, Britain and France but China and Russia, the other two veto-wielding permanent council members, have not publicly stated their positions.

Seoul’s Vice Foreign Minister Chun Yung-Woo returned yesterday from a trip to lobby China, which so far has not publicly condemned its ally the North. “We had preliminary discussions on core issues regarding the nature and the content of measures we would like to pursue at the Security Council,” he told reporters without elaborating.

Chun said the two countries still had differences. “We agreed to keep working toward reaching acceptable solutions, based on our strategic cooperative partnership.” South Korea has announced plans to resume cross-border loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts as part of its reprisals.

The North says it will fire at the speakers if it does so.

The South yesterday completed installing the loudspeakers along the tense border but has not decided when to switch them on, Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified military official as saying. The South’s government gave the go-ahead for two aid shipments of baby formula to the North despite the rising tensions. The unification ministry said the shipments from private groups of milk and other items totaling 320,000 dollars would be sent late this month. The impoverished North suffers severe food shortages. The UN Children’s Fund says one in three of its children is stunted by malnutrition.— AFP

TOKYO: Japan’s new Prime Minister Naoto Kan, right, and Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada adjust ties prior to a group photo session following the first Cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Japan Tuesday. —AP

Cautious welcome for Japan’s new govt TOKYO: Japan’s new Prime Minister Naoto Kan received a guarded welcome from media yesterday but the government’s first day in office was marred by allegations that a minister was involved in an expenses scandal.

A sense of cautious optimism greeted Japan’s new centre-left leadership a day after Kan unveiled his cabinet and vowed to create a “vigorous country”, restore its public finances and mend strained US relations.

But the relentless nature of a press pack that demanded twicedaily news conferences from Hatoyama and his predecessors also demonstrated its nose for a scandal one day after the launch of the cabinet. A report in the Yomiuri Shimbun that alleged National Policy Minister Satoshi Arai had made a false claim on his office expenses brought a potential early headache for the new government.

“The party is investigating the case,” top government spokesman Yoshito Sengoku told reporters at a news conference.

“At this point, I’ve been informed that there is no problem (with his expense report) at all.” Local media said Arai’s political support group was suspected of falsely booking 42 million yen (460,000 dollars) for six years in office

expenses after being found to have not made any rent payments over the period.

Shigeru Ishiba, a senior opposition lawmaker, demanded Arai’s immediate resignation, saying: “He deserves to step down, and (Kan’s) appointment responsibility should be also questioned.” Until now the press had praised 63-year-old Kan’s humble beginnings as the “son of a salaryman” and drawn a contrast with the privileged background of his predecessor Yukio Hatoyama, the millionaire grandson of a prime minister.

But the media warned yesterday that Japan’s fifth premier in four years needed to match words with action and restore stability to Japan’s recent merrygo-round of governance that some fear has eroded its standing. “We hope that the prime minister will show, through his actions, his resolve to break away from ‘escapism politics’ of avoiding decisions on serious issues,” the Nikkei business daily said in its editorial.

While the elevation of Kan to the top post has created a surge in popularity for the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), editorials warned that the government now needed to issue detailed policy responses to Japan’s challenges.

“Unless (Kan) steadily produces good results as a prime minister, the public’s support will not last for a long time,” the top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun said.

“What is desired is a drastic shift of policies and political strategies,” the Yomiuri said, reflecting the perception that Hatoyama’s previous administration offered a dithering lack of leadership. In a testy editorial, the conservative Sankei Shimbun urged Kan to draft “persuasive” plans to bring fiscal health to the debt-ridden government coffers.

There are fears that Japan faces a potential fiscal time bomb with public debt ballooning towards 200 percent of gross domestic product, with the risk of it detonating illustrated by Europe’s current financial crisis.

Kan has said putting Japan back on a path to fiscal health is his biggest challenge, a change of tone from the previous administration, and has appointed deficit hawk Yoshihiko Noda as the steward of Asia’s biggest economy.

Noda has hinted that the new administration may have to roll back spending pledges made by Hatoyama, while Kan has advocated raising consumption tax and capping the issuance of government bonds next year. —AFP

S Korea general arrested for spying for North Korea SEOUL: A two-star South Korean army general was arrested yesterday accused of leaking the country’s war plan and other secrets to North Korea, a news report said. The Defense Security Command had asked military prosecutors to arrest the major-general identified only as Kim for leaking classified information, Yonhap news agency said. A defense ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report.

The leaked secrets include a military operation to be carried out in case of all-out war with North Korea, Yonhap said.

The arrest of the general followed the detention on June 3 of two people accused of handing over military secrets to the North, Yonhap said. It said one of them was a former spy for the South who acquired military secrets through the general and handed them to a North Korean agent in China in return for an unspecified pay-

ment. The South periodically detains people accused of spying for its communist neighbor.

A female North Korean spy arrested last month used sex to secure sensitive information on Seoul’s subway system, prosecutors have said. In another case, a female North Korean spy was arrested and jailed for five years in 2008.

She had admitted having sex with a South Korean army officer to secure secret information. —AFP

Indonesia catches, loses 47 migrants MAUMERE: Immigration officers detained 47 illegal migrants from Iraq and Iran at a hotel on an Indonesian island but the group escaped when the officers left to buy credit for their mobile phones, an immigration official said yesterday.

Police on the eastern island of Flores launched an island-wide search, including patrols on nearby beaches, for the group of men, women and children. The migrants were arrested at a hotel on Flores after their arrival on a flight from neighboring Sulawesi

aroused suspicions of airport officials, said Priyono, who accused them of overstaying their visas and violating Indonesian immigration laws.

The group told authorities they were heading to Australia, where they planned to seek asylum. Many were carrying UN papers indicating they would qualify, he added. But when immigration officers briefly left the hotel late Tuesday to buy credit for their mobile phones, they returned to find that all members of the

group had fled. They left their luggage and passports behind, he said, taking only a pile of life jackets with them. Indonesia, a sprawling archipelagic nation made up of more than 17,000 islands, has long been a transit point for people from poor, often conflict-ridden countries.

In recent years, most migrants have come from Iraq or Afghanistan. They typically fly to Indonesia before continuing to Australia aboard cramped, barely seaworthy ships. —AP

Thursday, June 10, 2010

INTERNATIONAL

11

130,000 US-led foreign troops evicted

Taleban shoot down NATO chopper, 4 Americans killed KABUL: Taleban militants shot down a NATO helicopter in southern Afghanistan yesterday, killing four US soldiers and bringing to 23 the number of foreign troops killed in escalating violence so far this week. The International

SANGJANI: A Pakistani man walks in front of burnt trucks torched by suspected militants in an attack early yesterday in Sangjani near Islamabad, Pakistan. —AP

Gunmen torch NATO trucks near Pakistan capital, 7 dead ISLAMABAD: Gunmen attacked military vehicles and goods destined for NATO in Afghanistan, torching up to 60 trailers and killing seven people in an unprecedented assault near Islamabad, police said yesterday. The overnight attack was the first on NATO supplies so close to the Pakistani capital and entailed one of the biggest losses on the convoys, whose presence is bitterly opposed by Taleban and Al-Qaeda-linked extremists.

A dozen gunmen stormed the depot on the outskirts of Islamabad en route to the northwestern city of Peshawar and towards the NATO supply route into Afghanistan, where 130,000 US-led foreign troops are fighting the Taleban. Although militants have routinely attacked supplies for US and NATO-led foreign forces travelling through Pakistan, the audacious assault will raise questions about insecurity on the doorstep of the heavily-

guarded capital.

Rows of tankers and trucks, including a dozen loaded with military vehicles, were reduced to a twisted mass of metal after the inferno at the Tarnol depot was brought under control, an AFP photographer said. “There were 60 trailers gutted by fire. In addition 80 NATO vehicles were partially damaged,” Shah Nawaz, police station chief in Tarnol, told AFP. “Seven people, most of them drivers and their helpers, were killed.” Police were conducting a full-scale investigation into the incident while the government demanded a report into the incident within three days. “The important question to ask is how were they moving in such a big convoy under the current environment when trucks with NATO supplies are routinely attacked,” said Nawaz. —AFP

“Four ISAF service members were killed in the crash,” a military spokesman said. “The helicopter was brought down by hostile fire,” he added.

Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Breasseale later confirmed that the dead soldiers were American.

Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taleban spokesman, telephoned AFP from an undisclosed location to claim responsibility for the incident.

“We brought it down with a rocket. It crashed in the Sangin district bazaar today at around 10:00 am (0530 GMT),” Ahmadi said. According to an AFP tally based on the independent website icasualties.org, 253 foreign soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year. Last year was the deadliest yet, with 520 killed. Much of southern Afghanistan is troubled by a nearly nine-year Taleban insurgency, now in its deadliest phase, and is where US and NATO troops are building up a campaign to flush the militants out of Kandahar city.

The crash brought to five the number of NATO soldiers killed in the south yesterday, after the military announced that a separate soldier had been killed by an improvised bomb explosion, the Taleban weapon of choice. Twenty-three NATO soldiers have died since Sunday, including 10 on Monday when US-led forces in Afghanistan encountered their deadliest day in combat in two years, with seven Americans, two Australians and a French soldier killed. In the east, three policemen were killed when their vehicle struck an improvised bomb in Ghazni province yesterday, Khyalbaz Sherzai, the Ghazni provincial police chief told AFP. The Taleban also claimed responsibility for that attack. Despite the mounting casualties, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday in London that he expected to see signs of progress in a flagship counter-insurgency strategy “by the end of the year”. Gates said the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, “is pretty confident that by the end of the year he will be able to point to sufficient progress that validates the strategy and also justifies continuing to work at this”. But he cautioned that there were “no illusions” about quick victories and that there was a difficult struggle ahead, warning it would be “tough summer”. Gates said the United States and its allies were under pressure to show some success in the war. Voters in many countries have appeared increasingly weary of casualties in a seemingly endless foreign war. The US military has warned that casualty tolls will inevitably climb during the increased operations. —AFP

Security Assistance Force (ISAF) helicopter came down in Helmand province, a stronghold of Taleban fighting to topple the Western-backed government and evict the 130,000 US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan.

KANDAHAR: A medevac helicopter lifts off from Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar city, carrying an unidentified NATO soldier yesterday. —AFP

Afghan ex-spy boss calls peace strategy dangerous KABUL: Afghanistan’s former intelligence chief is warning that President Hamid Karzai’s strategy of seeking reconciliation with the Taleban is dangerous for the country. Amrullah Saleh told The Associated Press yesterday that

despite the president’s conciliatory approach, insurgents were showing no sign of compromise and only responding with “violence, destruction and intimidation.”

Saleh was intelligence chief for six years. He and the interior minister

resigned Sunday over a Taleban attack at last week’s peace conference in Kabul. Saleh says they had arrested the facilitators and provided the president detailed evidence, which Karzai “pushed aside and did not pay attention to.” —AP

OPINION

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

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Fighting violence with non-violence

By Michael N. Nagler

W

hen organisers from the International Solidarity Movement, which aims to support and strengthen Palestinian popular resistance to the Israeli occupation, consulted us at the California-based Metta Center for Nonviolence about attempting to break the naval blockade of Gaza in 2007, its first year, we advised them not to bring both humanitarian aid and people whom Israel had declared persona non grata on the same voyage.

Our point was that nonviolence is a form of conversation which is reduced to a relatively crude, symbolic language, so absolute clarity and simplicity of one's statement is essential. Therefore, in non-violence, as in many other activities, it's a bad idea to do two things at once.

However, mixing aid with controversial delivery people is nothing compared to what must be avoided at all costs: confusing non-violence with violence. While there are extremely rare occasions when one must in fact use force, under normal circumstances even the "smallest" acts of violence can ruin the character of non-violent action.

It is still hard to say exactly what happened when passengers aboard the Turkish vessel, the MV Mavi Marmara, clashed with Israeli commandos as they rappelled onto the boat from helicopters. Had the soldiers been firing live ammunition?

The point is that even if they were - while terribly difficult - the passengers could have resisted non-violently by refusing to comply with the soldiers' demands without making any attempt to injure them. This point apparently did not go unnoticed by the larger flotilla aid movement, who responded non-violently to the boarding of the MV Rachel Corrie last weekend.

In non-violence you act against injustice, never against persons. Up until the recent attack it looked as though the flotilla, with its 600 passengers and many tons of humanitarian supplies for the beleaguered citizens of Gaza, was a perfect example of non-violent action. Organisers' intentions were advertised well in advance and it put the Israelis in the difficult position of deciding between two unfavourable choices.

As Yigal Palmor, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, said before the attack, "If we let them throw egg at us, we appear stupid with egg on our face. If we try to prevent them by force, we appear as brutes."

However, as Gandhi often said, non-violence requires, if anything, more training

than violence.

Violence is almost a knee-jerk reaction in most of us, and is reinforced by individuals and groups at most levels of society - including our governments. Non-violence, to be sure, resonates with the deepest core of our being; the scientific evidence for this is impressive.

But it is so deep that without systematic practice it will not come to the surface when we really need it. This is why the peace movement must be alert and well trained to contain outbreaks of violence in its midst.

As a global community we should pause to consider one other thing: why was there virtually no coverage of the flotilla in the international media until the tragedy? Do we want "if it bleeds, it leads" journalism to continue shaping our cultural narratives, constantly putting sales appeal ahead of political cogency? So let us pause to absorb our pain and grieve for our friends - and the world in which they had to die for justice. Then let's make use of the narrow window tragedy has given us to make our message ring out: this violence cannot go on.

As Canadian author and poet Margaret Atwood said recently in Ha'aretz, "time is running out" to resolve the deadly struggle between Israeli and Palestinian peoples. It must be resolved not only politically but, as Palestinian non-violence advocate Sami Awad recently said, through person-toperson reconciliation, without which no boundaries, no political arrangements and, most of all, no barrier can bring peace.

If Israel's plan was to make an example of the flotilla by meeting it with such force that others would not dare to follow, that plan has failed, as evidenced by the subsequent boat that arrived this weekend. While activists so far have failed in delivering aid to Gaza, they have succeeded in drawing the world's attention to its people's plight. If non-violent actions, like those of the MV Rachel Corrie's passengers, continue, we can dare to hope that not only will the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians be transformed, but also that in some minds a realisation will dawn that violence does not work. This would not only serve as a defeat for violence but a spiritual victory for all of us.

NOTE: Michael N Nagler is Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, where he founded the Peace and Conflict Studies Program, the author of The Search For a Nonviolent Future, and Founder and President of the Metta Center for Nonviolence in Berkeley — CGNews

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

UN rebukes of Israel permitted in US policy shift

By Louis Charbonneau

U

nder President Barack Obama, the United States no longer provides Israel with automatic support at the United Nations where the Jewish state faces a constant barrage of criticism and condemnation. The subtle but noticeable shift in the US approach to its Middle East ally comes amid what some analysts describe as one of the most serious crises in US-Israeli relations in years. Under Obama, the United States seeks to reclaim its role as an impartial Middle East peace broker which critics say it lost during the previous administration of George W Bush.

"Israel became used to unconditional support of the United States during eight years of the Bush administration," said Marina Ottaway, director of the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. She said Bush's "extreme position" makes even mild criticism appear dramatic to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet.

However, Washington continues to block what it sees as efforts to use the United Nations as a forum for bashing Israel which one US official told Reuters was "nine out of 10 initiatives regarding Israel in New York".

Obama has also pushed hard to get a fourth round of UN Security Council sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program, which Israel sees as its top security threats. "There have been slight changes (in US-Israeli ties), but they've caused a disproportionate reaction on the part of Israel," said Ottaway. "We haven't seen any drastic changes."

Last week the United States backed a Security Council statement on Israel's commando raid on an aid flotilla that tried to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. Nine people on one of the ships were killed in the action. The statement regretted the loss of life and demanded a "prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation conforming to interna-

tional standards". Washington, UN diplomats and US officials said, worked hard to dilute the text so the 15-nation council did not call for an independent investigation and to ensure it did not explicitly criticize Israel. Israel was still unhappy with the statement and its supporters accused Obama of abandoning the Jewish state. In an article called "Joining the jackals", Elliott Abrams, who advised two Republican administrations and is now at the Council on Foreign Relations, accused Obama of exposing Israel to a virtual UN "lynch mob". "The White House did not wish to stand with Israel against this mob because it does not have a policy of solidarity with Israel," Abrams said.

"Rather, its policy is one of distancing and pressure."

Abrams also criticized the White House over the recent five-year review conference of signatories to the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that Israel, like nuclear-armed Pakistan and India, has never signed. Washington backed a call for a 2012 meeting of all countries in the Middle East to discuss making the region a zone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction - a plan originally proposed by Egypt with Arab backing to add pressure on Israel to give up its nuclear weapons.

After allowing it to pass, the US delegation criticized the NPT final declaration for "singling out" Israel, which neither confirms nor denies having atomic weapons. This statement did not satisfy commentators like Abrams, who said Obama had "abandoned Israel in the UN and in the NPT conference in the course of one week". Some analysts say Washington wants to improve ties with Arab nations and regain lost status as a neutral peace arbiter while being careful not to alienate pro-Israel voters.

"During the George W Bush years, Washington's automatic siding with Israel on any issue seriously eroded what had been America's long-standing posture as an honest broker in the Middle East," said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International

Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

"Obama has been trying to reclaim that status, while keeping in mind the domestic political need of not being seen as antiIsrael," he said.

Outside the United Nations, analysts say Obama tried to ease strains with Netanyahu after tensions spiked earlier this year over Jewish settlement con-

struction on occupied Palestinian land. He coaxed Israel into indirect talks with the Palestinians, his biggest tangible achievement in Middle East diplomacy. But an Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the jury is still out on the Obama administration's approach to the Jewish state. "It's still difficult to decipher the intentions behind the changing

US policy at the United Nations, and not just in regard to the Middle East," the official said.

"If the Americans are convinced that, through adopting a softer approach ... they will achieve support from countries that heretofore opposed their policy they will discover that they are wrong," the official added. — Reuters

Kan must quickly prove mettle

By Linda Sieg

T

he choice of pragmatist Naoto Kan as Japan's new leader has boosted chances the ruling bloc can win a looming election and start to tackle the country's huge public debt, but first he must quickly prove his mettle to wary voters. Kan will have to convince a sceptical electorate that has seen five prime ministers in three years to hand his Democratic Party victory in an upper house poll expected next month in order to enact policies smoothly and set the stage for fiscal reform. "I don't think Kan is going to have a honeymoon," said Sophia University professor Koichi Nakano. "It's more like he is on probation."

Support for the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has jumped since lawmakers voted in Kan on Friday, replacing the unpopular Yukio Hatoyama who quit as premier after just eight months. Kan, a short-tempered former grassroots activist converted to fiscal conservatism after taking over as finance minister in January, will have to avoid a rerun of the debacle that saw Hatoyama fritter away initial ratings of some 70 percent with indecisiveness and an inability to maintain a chain of command.

The Democrats will stay in power regardless of the outcome of the election, expected in July, but without a majority in the upper house they will remain dependent on a tiny coalition partner and may need to find more allies to pass legislation smoothly, complicating the outlook for policymaking. Kan has included some like-minded fiscal reformers in his new cabinet line-up.

Many in the new roster are also critics of party powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa, whose campaigning skills were widely seen as helping the Democrats win last year's election but whose image as an old-style wheeler dealer became a liability with the public. Yoshihiko Noda, leading contender for finance minister, told Reuters on Monday fiscal reform would be a priori-

ty. "As finance minister (Kan) is set to become prime minister, we want to set a path for fiscal reform," Noda said.

That could bode well for the contents of a mid- and longterm fiscal reform plan the government wants to unveil this month, but concrete actions will have to wait until after the upper house election, likely to be held on July 11 or July 25.

The Democrats pledged in last year's election not to hike the 5 percent sales tax until after the next lower house poll, due by late 2013. Fiscal reformers want to refer to the possibility of doing so in a manifesto for the upper house vote, and scale back some promises to give consumers more cash to stimulate growth.

"We promised not to raise the sales tax until the next general election so we cannot. But after the next general election, we must speedily carry out drastic tax reform including the sales tax and we must state that in our manifesto for the upper house election," Koichiro Genba, the party's new policy chief, said in a weekend TV debate. Voters worried about medical and pension systems creaking under the weight of a fast-ageing population appear less opposed to future tax hikes than in the past, although many politicians running for upper house seats will be wary of being too clear. "Greece had a big impact on Japanese views. That's the future they see if they don't get it under control," said Columbia University professor Gerry Curtis. "But you can't just raise the sales tax and not do anything else. It has to be part of a bigger package and the question is whether they have anyone who can come up with a larger design." Some financial experts also expect the government to get more serious about fiscal reform once the election is out of the way. "The JGB market is looking at Kan as a symbol of fiscal restructuring because he had insisted on that when he was finance minister, and as the government does need to move towards fiscal reconstruction given the Greek debt crisis," said Chotaro Morita, head of Japan fixed-income strategy research at Barclays Capital. — Reuters

Saleh in charm offensive, opponents wary

By Raissa Kasolowsky

Y

emen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh has launched an unprecedented charm offensive to woo his opponents, but most critics are sceptical of securing concrete concessions on political and social reforms. Struggling with spiralling violence and a deepening recession, Saleh said in May that a new national dialogue could lead to the formation of a unity government. As part of this initiative, the president even agreed to include some of his fiercest foes Yemen's northern rebels and southern separatists - in talks with opposition parties.

The umbrella opposition group, whose six parties include Islamists and socialists though not the secessionists or rebels, has largely welcomed Saleh's overtures but has a lingering distrust of a government it says is violent and corrupt.

A similar attempt by Yemen's opposition last year fell flat. Both sides accused each other of undermining the process in a country where declining oil income has undermined efforts to tackle poverty, unemployment and failing water resources.

"We don't have a glimmer of hope or confidence that he (Saleh) is sincere," said Abdulwahab Al-Anisi, secretary general of Yemen's Islamist party Al-Islah, citing failed past efforts. A foiled attack on a US airliner in December crystallised

global fears about Al-Qaeda in Yemen, an Arab state verging on collapse in a region that includes oil giant Saudi Arabia and one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

Yemen is trying to cement a fragile truce with Shiite rebels in the north, quell rising separatist unrest in the south and halt Al-Qaeda militancy that has been fuelled by poverty. Yemen's Western allies and Saudi Arabia want the Sanaa government to consolidate power, fearing a resurgent Al-Qaeda wing could exploit instability to use Yemen as a base for destabilising attacks in the region and beyond. US President Barack Obama told

Saleh in September that Yemen's security was vital to that of the United States, offering more help to the impoverished country.

Political analysts say Saleh may have launched the initiative in response to opposition pressure and to appease discontent in Yemen, where one in three of its 23 million people have to endure chronic hunger. "The government needs as best as it can to fracture this (pressure) and move some of its opponents to a more neutral or an allied position," said Gregory Johnsen, a Yemen scholar at Princeton University, adding: "I don't

Yemeni women walk past traffic in Sanaa's old city on June 07, 2010. – AFP

think they are even looking for the national dialogue to solve the problems.

They are looking to ease some of the pressure they are under."

Main opposition demands include free and fair parliamentary elections next April and an end to violence by all sides in the south, where separatists have clashed with government forces.

Mohammed Abdulmalik Al-Mutawakkil, a senior opposition figure, said Saleh's engagement with Yemen's opposition groups had intensified as a result of international pressure, particularly from the United States. "It's pressure from abroad (that forced Saleh's hand)," Mutawakkil told Reuters.

Alarmed at Yemen's slide toward chaos, the United States is throwing its weight behind a government whose legitimacy and control is tenuous across swathes of the country. US counter-terrorism officials now rank Yemen as a top concern after Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In response to the attempted plane attack, Washington stepped up its military assistance to Yemen, more than doubling its annual defence spending on the country, but also called on the government to address instability through political reforms.

In more than three decades of rule, Saleh oversaw the unification of north and south Yemen in 1990 and survived a civil war four years later that was sparked by an attempt from southern leaders to

break away. But Saleh is now facing his greatest challenges to date. A sinking economy is making it increasingly impossible for Sanaa to tackle rampant poverty and unemployment, which many see as root causes behind the country's security problems.

Saleh's new political initiative has left the opposition weighing up its doubts about the government's political motives and intentions against the rare chance of deepening their participation in Yemen's political process. "Why do we want to take part in the national dialogue?" Anisi said. "We want to help extricate Yemen from all its problems. This is the only solution."

But the first round of talks, scheduled for last Saturday, did not take place. The opposition said Saleh had not fully carried out a promise to give an amnesty to hundreds of imprisoned northern rebels and southern separatists. That time is running out for Yemen is a view shared by both the government and its opponents.

Growing economic and security challenges aside, the country is also gearing up for an election in 2011 that could set the stage for a major confrontation.

Originally due in 2009, the poll was delayed after the government agreed to institute electoral reforms, but the opposition says the system has not been changed. Saleh said last month the vote would go ahead, with or without the opposition. — Reuters

Thursday, June 10, 2010

NEWS

13

UN slaps new Iran sanctions Continued from Page 1 which should be thrown in the dust bin.

They are not capable of hurting Iranians.” US President Barack Obama however said Iran now faced the “toughest-ever” sanctions regime, which sent “an unmistakable message about the international community’s commitment to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons”. But the US leader, who has offered to resume dialogue with Tehran, stressed: “These sanctions do not close the door on diplomacy. Iran continues to have the opportunity to take a different and better path.”

The resolution, co-sponsored by Britain and France with the backing of Russia and China, expands an arms embargo and bars the country from sensitive activities like uranium mining. It authorizes states to conduct highsea inspections of vessels believed to be ferrying banned items for Iran and adds 40 entities to a list of people and groups subject to travel restrictions and financial sanctions.

Tehran maintains its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful civilian purposes,

while the Western nations have charged that Iran is covertly seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice hailed yesterday’s vote, saying: “The council has risen to its responsibilities. Now Iran should choose a wiser course.” Israel, Iran’s arch-foe, also hailed the new sanctions, but said more needed to be done, to stop Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons. The foreign ministers of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany stressed the door remained open for talks. “The aim of our efforts is to achieve a comprehensive and long-term settlement which would restore international confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, while respecting Iran’s legitimate rights to the peaceful use of atomic energy,” they said in a statement.

Iran’s UN Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee defended the country’s right to produce nuclear energy and accused the US, Britain and their allies of abusing the Security Council to attack Iran. “No amount of pressure and mischief will be able to break our

nation’s determination to pursue and defend its legal and inalienable rights,” Khazaee said.

“Iran is one of the most powerful and stable countries in the region and never bowed - and will never bow - to the hostile actions and pressures by these few powers and will continue to defend its rights.” “These sanctions are as tough as they are smart and precise,” Rice said after the vote, dismissing Khazaee’s statement as “ridiculous” and “reprehensible”.

China, which voted in favor but is keen to protect its substantial energy and economic interests in Iran, said the resolution aims to coax Iran back to the negotiating table and persuade it to fulfill its obligations as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“Sanctions can never fundamentally resolve” the standoff, Chinese Ambassador Li Baodong said, stressing the measures could be suspended or even lifted if Tehran suspends uranium enrichment and reprocessing.

Russia, which also came on board only after some initial reluctance, said a package of economic and energy incentives offered by six major powers to Iran, in exchange for

DNA trawl reveals new autism genes Continued from Page 1 Harnessing massive computing power spread across 60 institutes worldwide, researchers combed through the DNA of nearly 1,000 school-age kids with autism from the United States, Canada and Europe. Over three years, they hunted for stretches of genetic code that were either abnormally absent or duplicated, and that might give rise to some of the condition’s signature symptoms. The results were compared to the genomes of some 1,300 children not suffering from the condition.

These missing or excess blocks of DNA showed up approximately 20 percent more frequently in the children with autism, according to the study, published in the

British journal Nature. The findings also confirm earlier reports from smaller samples that some youngsters carry so-called “private genetic mutations”. “Every child showed a different disturbance in a different gene,” said Stanley Nelson, also at UCLA. This uniqueness may make it more difficult to design drug therapies that work across a wide range of autistic spectrum disorders, the study said. Despite the singular genetic profile, however, two categories of genes were affected more frequently than others: those coding for the neural cell development, and those involved in the signalling or “communication” between cells. Many of these same genes are thought to play a role in other neuro-development disorders. There may

even be some overlap with conditions such as epilepsy and schizophrenia, the researchers said.

“These and other recent findings have very real potential to lead to the development of novel interventions and treatments for these disorder,” said Louse Gallagher, a professor at Trinity College Dublin, one of the universities in the consortium. The study’s large sample size made it possible to pinpoint rare genetic variants that have gone detected in earlier studies. Still, the findings only explain a small percentage of gene-caused autism, Nelson said. “In order to identify all of autism’s genetic causes, we need tens of thousands of families to volunteer their DNA samples for sequencing,” he said. — AFP

Assembly OKs new housing cities law Continued from Page 1 housing problem of citizens. Deputy prime minister for economic affairs and minister of housing and development Sheikh Ahmad Fahd Al-Sabah said the government is serious about implementing the law to speed up the process and resolve the issue of too many housing applications.

In a shortened session due to a lack of quorum, the Assembly also approved in the first reading a draft law to allow servicemen in the army, national guards and the police force to grow beards without restrictions. The law failed to get the required number for the second round of voting in the session but a fresh vote will take place after two weeks when the law will only need a simple majority to pass.

Under Kuwaiti law, a law must get a

special majority of the Assembly membership, currently 33 votes, if it is to pass the first and second readings in the same session. In the second reading, the law received only 31 votes. The passage came despite opposition from the government, which insisted that such an administrative issue should be left for the government to handle and it does not require a law.

Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber AlKhaled Al-Sabah said that there are technical matters that do not allow men to grow their beards like pilots and those using gas masks and accordingly the issue should remain at the discretion of officials. But several MPs headed by Islamist lawmaker Mohammad Hayef said this is a religious and human rights issue and servicemen should not be banned from exercising personal freedom and ful-

filling religious obligations.

In other issues, the Assembly approved a law on the $2 billion Arab Fund to support medium and small size projects which was proposed by HH the Amir during the first Arab Economic Summit held in Kuwait in Jan 2009 and to which Kuwait has pledged $500 million.

Also, Communications Minister Mohammad Al-Busairi denied that security agencies were monitoring calls because this is against the constitution.

He said that the issue of allowing mobile phone subscribers to move to other mobile companies while keeping their numbers will be applied before the end of the year, adding that the telecom commission law will also be ready for voting in the next Assembly term. The Assembly will meet today to continue the debate on budgets.

halting uranium enrichment, remained on the table. The sanctions “should not do undue damage” to the Iranian economy and the Iranian people, stressed Russian envoy to the UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin.

The resolution was approved despite sustained efforts by Brazil and Turkey to head off the measures and promote a nuclear fuel swap deal they reached with Tehran last month. Under the plan, Iran agreed to ship 1,200 kg of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for high-enriched uranium fuel for a Tehran research reactor that would be supplied later by Russia and France. But the deal met with a cool reception from the six powers trying to clip Iran’s nuclear ambitions - Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany.

Yesterday’s vote was delayed for more than an hour as the ambassadors of Brazil, Turkey and Lebanon awaited instructions from their governments, before deciding to attend. “We do not see sanctions as an effective instrument in this case,” Brazil’s Ambassador Maria Luiza Viotti said as the meeting opened. Four rounds of UN sanctions have now been imposed on Iran since Dec 2006. The third round was adopted on March 3, 2008. Among those subject to the new travel restrictions are Javad Rahiqi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran’s Isfahan nuclear technology center.

The US, France and Russia earlier expressed reservations at Iran’s proposals for a nuclear fuel swap, diplomats said. The three powers known as the Vienna group nevertheless said they were ready to talk with Iran to clear up a number of questions they had about the deal. And their reservations did not constitute an outright rejection of the deal,

diplomats said. “The ball is now in Iran’s court,” said Washington’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Glyn Davies. “We’ll see whether Tehran will take seriously its obligation to look at the points we have made and to respond seriously to those points. If they’re willing to do that, we’re willing to keep talking about it,” Davies told reporters on the sidelines of an IAEA board meeting here.

Earlier, Davies and his counterparts from Paris and Moscow had handed their views on the deal to IAEA chief Yukiya Amano, who passed them on to Tehran. The contents of the letters were not revealed but at a closeddoor session of the IAEA’s 35-member board of governors, Davies outlined some of the concerns about the deal struck between Iran, Brazil and Turkey on May 17. It “does not address the underlying issue of Iran’s noncompliance with its non-proliferation obligations,” Davies said. “It also does not take into account Iran’s production or retention of nearly 20 percent enriched uranium and it asserts a right for Iran to engage in enrichment activities.”

The deal also did not set a deadline for removal of Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium (LEU) for further processing into the fuel rods needed for the reactor. “Further, the declaration sets an unrealistic timeline for delivery of the fuel assemblies, insisting on full delivery within one year when such a result is clearly not within the technical capability of any state,” Davies said. Finally, it does not account for Iran’s continued accumulation of LEU since the IAEA first proposed a fuel swap last October, making the proportion it would retain much larger.

Under Iran’s proposal, 1,200 kg of LEU

would be shipped out for treatment, around half of the Islamic republic’s current stockpile. “That would still leave Iran with substantial stocks, decreasing the confidencebuilding value of the original proposal,” Davies said. The US, France and Russia had originally proposed back in October an arrangement to take most of Iran’s stockpile of LEU and turn it into the much-needed fuel for the research reactor, which produces medical isotopes.

But Iran stalled on the offer for nearly eight months, during which it pressed ahead with enrichment, boosting its stockpile to more than 2,400 kg, before announcing the agreement with Turkey and Brazil. “Because of this passage of time, by enriching to 19.75 percent, by almost doubling the amount of low-enriched uranium produced, we’re in a different reality now,” Davies said. At the present stage, even “if 1,200 kilos come out of Iran, Iran still has enough to produce a nuclear weapon.”

In Tehran Iranian atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi said that “Iran will answer their questions after studying their letters in detail.”

Responding to the UN Security Council decision to slap a fourth set of sanctions on Iran, Tehran’s envoy to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh said the Islamic republic would not halt its uranium enrichment activities. “Even a second enrichment activity will not be suspended,” Soltanieh said, referring to the recent move by Iran to enrich uranium to a higher level of purification. “No matter how many resolutions are passed, Iran will not stop its enrichment activities, which are in full accordance with its right under the statute of the IAEA and the NPT (Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty),” he said. — Agencies

Aquino proclaimed Philippine president Continued from Page 1 gallery packed with supporters wearing his family’s trademark yellow, parliament proclaimed Aquino the next president with over 15.2 million votes, or nearly 42 percent, of the total.

However, the son of two democracy heroes immediately sought to focus on the problems facing the sprawling archipelago of more than 90 million people, which has for decades lagged behind its fast-developing Asian neighbours. “I am a little anxious, a little eager to solve the problems that are besetting our countrymen,” Aquino told reporters in his first public remarks shortly after the proclamation. “I can’t say (I feel) totally joy at this time.”

Aquino, who will take over from the highly unpopular President Gloria Arroyo on June 30, said a fast-growing budget deficit was one of the most pressing issues. “Immediately, I have a crisis to deal with,” Aquino said of the deficit, which he forecast would hit 400 billion pesos ($8.5 billion) this year. “We have many problems that we have inherited, contrary to the propaganda of our predecessors.”

Aquino crushed his rivals largely on his

promise of clean government, following nine years of rule under Arroyo that has been tarnished by allegations of massive corruption and vote rigging. He also drew on the enormous public support for his parents, who remain revered for their efforts in ending the 20-year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. His father, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, was shot dead in 1983 at Manila airport as he returned from US exile to lead the democracy movement against Marcos.

His mother, Corazon Aquino, took over from her slain husband and led the “People Power” revolution that eventually toppled Marcos in 1986. She then served as president for six years, a reign that is looked back upon by many Filipinos as one of the least corrupt of recent times. Her death from cancer last August triggered a massive outpouring of support for the family that turned the son from a low-key senator to presidential front-runner. After the proclamation, the governments of the United States, Britain, Canada, China and Japan all sent Aquino messages of congratulations.

Former president Joseph Estrada finished well behind Aquino in second place with nearly 9.5 million votes. The 73-

year-old Estrada held the record for the biggest election win when he triumphed in the 1998 elections with 39 percent of the total vote. The former action-movie star was ousted three years later, half-way through his term, amid allegations of corruption for which he was later convicted.

“I sincerely offer my congratulations to my good friend and worthy opponent,” Estrada said in a speech read by his son before the parliament, minutes before Aquino was proclaimed. Parliament also proclaimed Jejomar Binay, who was Estrada’s running mate, as the nation’s next vice president.

Aquino’s Liberal Party could be hamstrung in its efforts to implement reforms after its choice for the vice presidency, Mar Roxas, lost. However, Binay said yesterday he would not be a destabilising force. “I am a team player and I am willing to work with the president. Whatever is asked of me (I will do),” Binay said. The Liberal Party will also not have a majority in either house of parliament. Arroyo’s Lakas Kampi CMD coalition will remain powerful in parliament, and the outgoing president won a seat in the lower house, where she could lead opposition to Aquino. — AFP

SPORTS

14

Thursday, June 10, 2010

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results and standings on Tuesday: NY Yankees 12, Baltimore 7; Boston 3, Cleveland 2; Washington 5, Pittsburgh 2; Philadelphia 10, Florida 8; Tampa Bay 9, Toronto 0; NY Mets 2, San Diego 1 (11 innings); San Francisco 3, Cincinnati 0; Texas 7, Seattle 1; Detroit 7, Chicago White Sox 2; Minnesota 7, Kansas City 3; Milwaukee 3, Chicago Cubs 2; Houston 4, Colorado 3; Atlanta 7, Arizona 5; Oakland 10, LA Angels 1; LA Dodgers 1, St. Louis 0.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT GB Tampa Bay 38 20 .655 NY Yankees 36 22 .621 2 Boston 35 25 .583 4 Toronto 33 26 .559 5.5 Baltimore 16 42 .276 22 Central Division Minnesota 34 24 Detroit 30 27 Chicago White Sox 24 33 Kansas City 24 35 Cleveland 21 36

.586 .526 .421 .407 .368

3.5 9.5 10.5 12.5

Texas LA Angels Oakland Seattle

Western Division 31 27 32 29 31 29 23 35

.534 .525 .517 .397

0.5 1 8

Atlanta Philadelphia NY Mets Florida Washington

National League Eastern Division 34 25 31 26 31 27 28 31 28 31

.576 .544 .534 .475 .475

2 2.5 6 6

Cincinnati St. Louis Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Pittsburgh Houston

Central Division 33 26 33 26 26 32 24 34 23 35 23 36

.559 .559 .448 .414 .397 .390

6.5 8.5 9.5 10

LA Dodgers San Diego San Francisco Colorado Arizona

Western Division 35 24 34 24 32 25 30 28 23 36

.593 .586 .561 .517 .390

0.5 2 4.5 12

PHILADELPHIA: Phillies’ Ben Francisco (right) follows through on a go-ahead two RBI single off Florida Marlins pitcher Taylor Tankersley in the eighth inning of a baseball game. —AP

Nationals dump Pirates as Mets roll WASHINGTON: Stephen Strasburg exceeded expectations in his much-hyped major league debut, striking out 14 batters in seven innings to lead the Washington Nationals to a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday.

Last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick allowed four hits, two earned runs and didn’t walk a batter, piling up the most strikeouts in a debut since J.R. Richard fanned 15 for Houston in 1971.

The 21-year-old made one noticeable mistake, changeup hit by Delwyn Young into the first row in right field for a two-run homer in the fourth inning.

The homer gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead, but the Nationals put their rookie in position to win with three runs in the sixth. Adam Dunn hit a two-run homer, and Josh Willingham followed with a solo shot, allowing Strasburg to leave the game with a two-run lead.

Ryan Zimmerman also homered for the Nationals, another solo shot in the first inning. All three of Washington’s home runs came off Pirates starter Jeff Karstens (1-2).

Mets 2, Padres 1 At New York, Ike Davis homered in the 11th inning and Mike Pelfrey turned in another terrific outing for New York, which won its ninth straight home game. Davis started the 11th with a long drive into the second deck in right field off Edward Mujica (2-1) for his seventh homer.

The rookie first baseman was mobbed by his teammates at home plate after New York’s latest dramatic win at Citi Field.

Chase Headley had two hits for San Diego and Clayton Richard pitched seven strong innings.

Phillies 10, Marlins 8 At Philadelphia, Ben Francisco hit a tworun single with two outs in the eighth inning to help Philadelphia rally past Florida.

Brad Lidge pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth for his third save in three tries. He retired Ronny Paulino on an infield popup to end it.

Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino homered for the struggling Phillies, who scored more than three runs for just the third time in the last 16 games.

Giants 3, Reds 0 At Cincinnati, Matt Cain pitched a seven-hitter for his second shutout of the season and singled home a run in the eighth inning to help San Francisco pull away for a victory over Cincinnati.

Cain (5-4) subdued the NL’s most prolif-

ic offense — Brandon Phillips had three of Cincinnati’s hits _ while going the distance for the third time this season. He has all of the Giants’ complete games.

Juan Uribe hit his ninth homer into the upper deck in left field off right-hander Sam LeCure (1-2). Slumping Bengie Molina and Cain added run-scoring singles in the eighth off Nick Masset.

Astros 4, Rockies 3 At Denver, Carlos Lee had three hits, including a tie-breaking RBI single in the eighth inning, as Houston rallied from a three-run deficit to beat Colorado.

Colorado starter Jeff Francis left after seven innings with a 3-2 lead but the Rockies’ bullpen could not protect it.

Pinch-hitter Michael Bourn singled off Matt Belisle (1-2) to start the eighth. He went to second on a balk and advanced to

third on Tommy Manzella’s one-out infield single. Franklin Morales relieved and Lance Berkman reached on an RBI fielder’s choice. Rafael Betancourt relieved and Lee hit a broken-bat single to give the Astros their first lead.

Brewers 3, Cubs 2 At Milwaukee, Casey McGehee hit a two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning to rally Milwaukee past Chicago.

Facing Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol with runners on second and third and the Brewers trailing by one, McGehee rolled a single up the middle to score Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder. Corey Hart hit his 15th home run and John Axford (2-1) for the win for Milwaukee.

Braves 7, D’backs 5 At Phoenix, Melky Cabrera had three of

Tigers sweep aside White Sox CHICAGO: Brennan Boesch and Carlos Guillen hit back-to-back homers in a six-run seventh inning to lift the Detroit Tigers to a 7-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

Armando Galarraga, the centerpiece of a national story when a blown call against Cleveland last week spoiled a perfect game, had a relatively uneventful night.

He gave up a leadoff single to Juan Pierre in the first after being cheered on his way to the mound and allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings. Brad Thomas (3-0) two scoreless innings for the win. Matt Thornton (2-3) took the loss.

Rays 9, Blue Jays 0 At Florida, struggling slugger Carlos Pena homered twice and drove in five runs to back unbeaten Jeff Niemann’s two-hit pitching as Tampa Bay beat Toronto.

Pena hit a solo shot off Brian Tallet (1-2) and a grand slam off Rommie Lewis, giving him three homers in his last two games as he tries to hit his way out of a season-long slump. Niemann (60) didn’t allow a runner past first base, limiting the Blue Jays to singles by Mike McCoy in the sixth inning and Adam Lind in the seventh en route to his third career shutout.

Niemann, who walked one and struck out six, retired his last nine batters. Evan Longoria and Willy Aybar drove in two runs apiece for the Rays, who have won 11 of 13 against the Blue Jays at Tropicana Field over the past two seasons.

Yankees 12, Orioles 7 At Baltimore, Curtis

Nicklaus, Sorenstam make co-bid for Olympic course

Granderson hit a grand slam, Nick Swisher homered and drove in five runs, and New York cruised past Baltimore.

Mark Teixeira also connected for the Yankees, who led 6-0 in the third inning and used a sixrun seventh to make it 12-3.

Teixeira, who came in batting .211, went 3 for 4 with two walks.

New York is 9-1 against the Orioles this season. The Yankees have won 13 of their last 17 in Baltimore. Baltimore is 1-3 under interim manager Juan Samuel and has been outscored 31-9 in the three defeats.

Phil Hughes (8-1) gave up three runs in six innings to earn his second victory over the Orioles in a week. His eight wins is tied for the AL lead and matches his career high. Kevin Millwood (0-7) allowed six runs, 10 hits and five walks in 5 2-3 innings.

Red Sox 3, Indians 2 At Cleveland, Tim Wakefield bounced back from two rough outings and became Boston’s career leader in innings pitched, leading the Red Sox over Cleveland. Wakefield (2-4) gave up four hits and one earned run in 7 1-3 innings to reach 2,777 innings with Boston, one more than Roger Clemens worked in a Red Sox uniform.

The 43-year-old knuckleballer retired 15 in a row during one stretch and left after yielding a pinch-hit double to Travis Hafner. Daniel Bard worked the ninth for his second save.

Wakefield struck out six without a walk. Boston starters are 90 with a 0.75 ERA in their last 10 road games. The Red Sox have

Atlanta’s 14 hits, including a triple, and the Braves beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-5.

Troy Glaus doubled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning off Esmerling Vasquez (0-2), then Cabrera raced home from third on Juan Gutierrez’s wild pitch in the ninth. Kelly Johnson was 3 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs for Arizona. Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds also homered for the Diamondbacks.

Atlanta starter Kris Medlen singled, walked twice and scored two runs. He left after five innings with a strained left shoulder, the result of a headfirst slide just ahead of Upton’s throw from right field for a run that tied it at 4.

Jonathan Venters (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 innings to get the victory. Billy Wagner threw a scoreless ninth for his 10th save in 12 tries. —AP

CHICAGO: Detroit Tigers shortstop Ramon Santiago puts the tag on Chicago White Sox’s Juan Pierre as Pierre was out trying to steal second in the third inning of a baseball game. —AP won 17 of 20 against Cleveland since trailing the Indians 3-1 in the 2007 AL championship series, then rallying to win the AL pennant and the World Series.

Boston got three unearned runs in the fourth off David Huff (2-7).

Rangers 7, Mariners 1 At Texas, Colby Lewis allowed four hits over seven innings and Vladimir Guerrero homered to help Texas beat Felix Hernandez.

Lewis (5-4) had lost four of his previous five decisions before getting back on track against Seattle. Elvis Andrus went 3 for 5 with two RBIs for Texas, who ended a two-game skid.

Guerrero’s two-run shot in the seventh was his team-high 13th, stretching Texas’ lead to 71 and chasing Hernandez (3-5), who went 19-5 and was the AL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2009. Josh Hamilton had a tworun double in the first.

Twins 7, Royals 3 At Minnesota, Zack Greinke was hit hard again, and Kansas City never recovered from its first-inning deficit in a loss to Kevin Slowey and Minnesota.

Slowey (7-3) allowed three hits — none until the fifth. He tossed seven shutout innings, his first outing without an earned run in 39 starts since July 28,

2008. Jason Kubel homered, and his two-run double in the first gave the Twins a 3-0 lead.

Denard Span added a two-run single in the fourth. Matt Guerrier got one out for his first save after right fielder Michael Cuddyer dropped a routine fly ball and Jose Mijares gave up two unearned runs.

Greinke (1-8) needed 102 pitches to get through five innings, allowing nine hits and six runs. His 4.05 ERA is the highest it’s been since Aug. 9, 2008.

Athletics 10, Angels 1 At Oakland, Kurt Suzuki went 4 for 5 with a homer and four

RBIs to help Vin Mazzaro get the win in his second start of the season, and Oakland snapped Los Angeles’ six-game winning streak.

Ryan Sweeney added three hits and scored three times, and Jack Cust hit a two-run homer for the Athletics, who had lost six straight home games to their AL West rivals before breaking through against Jered Weaver (53) and the bullpen.

The strong outing by Mazzaro (2-0) in place of injured Brett Anderson was a big reason for Oakland’s success. The A’s put the game away with four runs in the seventh and three in the eighth. —AP

DUBLIN: Jack Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam, who served as “global ambassadors” during golf’s successful bid to be part of the Olympics, want to build the course in Brazil where the Olympics will be held in 2016.

Nicklaus said he and Sorenstam have written a letter to the International Golf Federation requesting they be considered as architects of the first Olympic golf course since 1904.

“I think this is a very functional partnership,” Nicklaus said. “I hope we can work a deal.” There figures to be no shortage of architects. Henrique Lavie, commissioner of the Tour de las Americas, said last month that already some dozen course design companies have shown an interest.

“There’s not a public course in Brazil,” said Nicklaus, who agrees with Lavie that it is imperative for the public to have access to the golf course long after the Olympics leave Rio de Janeiro, “even if it’s a resort.”

Nicklaus said one potential site already has been identified. If selected, he said he and Sorenstam would collaborate on the strategy of each hole — Nicklaus from championship tees for the men, Sorenstam with women in mind.

“I’ll be surprised if they don’t select us,” Nicklaus said. “But I’m sure other people are interested.”

Nicklaus Design has 341 courses open for play in 34 coun-

tries, with Nicklaus directly involved in the design of 271 courses.

He said with the Olympics only six years away, the IGF would have to make a decision on an architect “pretty quick.” David Fay, who represents the USGA on the federation, said the first step is to find an executive director for the IGF, the group recognized by the IOC. He said officials hope to find one by the end of the year.

Ty Votaw, the PGA Tour’s executive vice president of communications and international affairs, is leading the IGF until it hires a director.

He said a couple of sites have been considered, but the entire process is in the early stages. “It’s still possible we could use an existing course,” Votaw said.

If a golf course is to be built, the IGF would pick the architect, but the host committee in Rio would pick up the cost, much like building a stadium or arena for other sports.

Fay confirmed that IGF members — representing all the major golf organizations — received the Nicklaus-Sorenstam letter. “It was a very nice letter,” he said. “When you get a letter from two Hall of Famers, that will get a lot of attention. But there definitely will be a process to go through.

Sometimes there’s a feeling that you don’t want to Americanize the process. We’ve been very respectful of the fact, as we should be, that it is an international game.”—AP

SPORTS

Thursday, June 10, 2010

15

Lakers thrash Celtics HARARE: Members of the Sri Lankan team pose for a photo with the trophy following their victory over Zimbabwe on the final day of the triangular series at the Harare Sports Club.—AP

Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe to clinch tri-nation series HARARE: An unbeaten century by Tillakaratne Dilshan guided Sri Lanka to a crushing ninewicket victory over Zimbabwe yesterday in the final of the limited overs tri-nation series at Harare Sports Club.

Dilshan, who looked in control from the start, scored 108 off 102 balls as he steered Sri Lanka to a total of 203-1 in reply to Zimbabwe’s 199 all out.

The Sri Lanka captain was pleased to get back in the runs, with the four-nation Asia Cup coming up later this month. “I am delighted with my performance and getting my form back,” he said. “I want to take it into the Asia Cup and continue playing positive cricket.”

Dilshan’s seventh one-day international century featured 14 boundaries and helped build an opening stand with Upul Tharanga of 160 as they punished some loose bowling from the home side.

Tharanga added 72 before Graeme Cremer eventually removed him from the crease after a needless run out in the 26th over.

Tharanga’s half century came off 79 balls and he had smashed eight boundaries before the run out. At that point, Sri Lanka’s victory was inevitable and the Zimbabweans’ body language showed they had conceded the defeat against a side they beat by eight wickets in the final round-robin match.

“We had a few words just before the game

(today) and it was more mental,” said Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss. “The players realised that the final was the big one.”

Dilshan finished off the chase together with Dinesh Chandimal, who ended the match unbeaten on 16 as they reached the total wth 15 overs to spare. Earlier, Sri Lanka’s bowlers had dismissed Zimbabwe in 49 overs.

Seam bowler Dilhara Fernando caused most of the damage, finishing with figures of 3-36 in his nine overs, while Jeevan Mendis took 2-36.

Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura said: “The Sri Lankans bowled well and never allowed us to get away. I thought we just did not apply ourselves.

“We have played some good cricket throughout the series and I do not think we have to concentrate too much on today’s result.” Zimbabwe wicketkeeper-batsman Tatenda Taibu provided resistance in the middle order, chipping in with 71 from 93 balls before being dismissed by an excellent onehanded diving catch by Chamara Kapugedara off Fernando in the 36th over.

Greg Lamb had the second best score of 37, but the rest of the home side’s batting order failed to find runs on a track that offered some turn. “I am really happy with our all-round performance and I am also happy for the young players, especially Chandimal and Jeevan,” said Dilshan.—AP

SCOREBOARD HARARE: Scoreboard after Sri Lanka defeated Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the final of the Trinations tournament that also involved India at Harare Sports Club here yesterday: Zimbabwe (49 overs) H. Masakadza c Chandimal b Kulasekera 4 B. Taylor c Samaraweera b Fernando 19 T. Taibu c Kapudegera b Fernando 71 C. Ervine run out (Kapudegera) 9 G. Lamb b J. Mendis 37 E. Chigumbura c Dilshan b A. Mendis 10 C. Coventry c Tharanga b J. Mendis 18 G. Cremer b Fernando 5 P. Utseya not out 10 R. Price c Dilshan b A. Mendis 0 C. Mpofu run out (Fernando) 6 Extras (8w, 2lb) 10 Total (all out) 199 Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Masakadza), 2-29 (Taylor), 3-49 (Ervine), 4-139 (Taibu), 5-155 (Chigumbura), 6-163 (Lamb), 7-178 (Coventry), 8-189 (Fernando), 9-190 (Price), 10-199 (Mpofu)

Bowling: Kulasekera 7-2-17-1 (2w), Fernando 9-0-36-3 (4w), Mathews 4-0-14-0, A. Mendis 10-1-44-2, J. Mendis 9-0-36-2 (1w), Dilshan 2-0-14-0 (1w), Randiv 80-36-0 Sri Lanka (34.4 overs) U. Tharanga run out (Cremer) 72 T. Dilshan not out 108 D. Chandimal not out 16 Extras (5w, 2lb) 7 Total (for one wkt) 203 Fall of wickets: 1-160 (Tharanga) Did not bat: Samaraweera, Mathews, Kapudegera, J. Mendis, Kulasekera, Randiv, Fernando, A. Mendis Bowling: Chris Mpofu 5-0-36-0 (1w), Elton Chigumbura 5-0-28-0 (2w), Ray Price 7-0-34-0, Greg Lamb 6-0-24-0 (1w), Graeme Cremer 4.4-0-44-0, Prosper Utseya 6-0-44-0 (1w), Hamilton Masakadza 10-8-0

Shahed Mirza presents the winners cup to GC captain

Gulf Consult win Mirza Cup KUWAIT: Gulf Consult registered yet another victory in the finals against Rising Stars to claim the prestigious Mirza Cup organized by KOC Cricket Committee at the KOC’s Ahmadi cricket ground.

GC won the 50 overs finals by 22 runs defending 212 runs thanks to some fine bowling by their pace duo Sa’ad and Murad who shared 8 wickets between them. Khalid Butt won the toss and put Gulf Consult to bat first.

This paid immediate dividends as GC lost five wickets for only 25 runs.

Murad (44) had two useful partnerships, first with Abdulrahman who made 42 and Sa’ad who made 36. Abdullah

(28) and Mubashshir (25) added useful runs to post 212 runs off 50 overs for Gulf Consult. Khalid Butt took 3 for 26, Mohd. Ali took 2 for 40 and Nabeel took 3 for 28 for Rising Stars.

Chasing a moderate total, Rising Stars lost captain Khalid cheaply. Irfan (34) and Javed Chaudhary (36) took the score to 88 when both fell to Sa’ad in quick succession. Mohd. Ali (29) and Adnan (48) almost took Rising Stars close to victory but for some bowling by Murad who took 3 for 35 and Sa’ad who took 5 for 38, Rising Stars were all out in the 43rd over scoring 190.

The prize distribution ceremony was recently held at Kuwait Continental Hotel as the

sponsor Shahed Mirza had to rush on the day of the finals due to family commitments. He gave the winner’s cup to Gulf Consult Captain Mohd. Khan and runners up cup to Rising Stars captain Khalid Butt. Sa’ad Khalid received the man-of the final cup.

Prizes were given to the teams by Arif Butt, Ali Sanadi and Fadhel Abbas. GS KOC CC, Iqbal Vanoo thanked the sponsor, Shahed Mirza and the guests appreciated the efforts of the regular tournament coordination team of treasurer, Mohd. Sarwar, Shafiq Salimi, Mohd. Arif, Narendra Babu and Khalid Arshad for successfully organizing the 50 over tournament.

BOSTON: Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and Derek Fisher added 16 to lead Los Angeles to a 91-84 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday and give the Lakers a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals.

Bryant had 25 points after three quarters, but did not score for the first 10 minutes of the fourth. That’s when Fisher took over, adding four key baskets after Boston narrowed a 17-point first-half lead to one point.

The Lakers regained homecourt advantage they had lost when Boston took Game 2 in Los Angeles. Game 4 is Thursday night in Boston. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum had 10 rebounds each for Los Angeles.

Kevin Garnett, who had just six points in Boston’s victory Sunday, made 25 in Game 3. But Ray Allen, who had 32 points in Game 2, missed all 13 field goal attempts. “Derek Fisher was the difference in the game,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

“He’s just a gutty, gritty player and he gutted the game out for them. I thought Kobe was struggling a little bit, and Fisher — he basically took the game over. ... I don’t know what he had in the fourth quarter ... but most of them were down the stretch.”

The Celtics had high hopes after splitting the opening two games in Los Angeles, but the “Beat LA!” chants at the TD Garden couldn’t help them overcome poor shooting. The Lakers led by as many as 17 points in the first half, but Boston cut the deficit to four late in the third quarter and then made it 68-67 early in the fourth on consecutive drives by Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Rajon Rondo.

With a chance to take the lead, Allen was called for an offensive foul away from the ball. Fisher drove for a layup at the other end that made it a three-point game then scored four of the Lakers’ next five baskets to give them a five-point lead with about 41/2 minutes left.

“We just had to be poised and understand they’re going to make a run, and we did that,” Bryant said. “They made a push but they never fully got control of the game. We made big shots when we needed it.”

Bryant said his teammate was “just Derek being Derek. He makes big plays all the time. He never ceases to amaze me.”

Lamar Odom had only five points in 21 minutes of the opener while battling foul trouble, and Game 2 was even more frustrating. He picked up three quick fouls there and was on the court for only 14 1/2 minutes. But he got off to a strong start, and was back on the court for the big finish.

“Well, he got going,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “He had a kiss shot that went in off the backboard. That was kind of a gift from God to him for all that stuff he’s been through in the series.”

Last time Bryant was in Boston during the finals, he was helpless as none of his teammates stepped up in the Celtics’ blowout victory in the clinching Game 6 of the 2008 series.

This time, the Lakers were at their best when he wasn’t scoring. Bryant had only two free throws in a 10-1 run that closed the first quarter, and contributed only one field goal in an 11-3 spurt to start that second that extended the Lakers’ lead to 3720.

They got a key contribution during the stretch from sporadically used Luke Walton, who entered in the first quarter when Ron Artest was in foul trouble.

“Everybody on this team is prepared to play,” Odom said.

“Everybody works hard, practices hard together, everybody’s prepared.”

For Boston, Allen missed all eight 3-pointers, all five 2-pointers and got to the line just twice.

He was spared of matching the worst shooting performance in NBA finals history when Garnett was called for an offensive foul away from the ball in the final minute while Allen clanged another shot off the rim.

Baltimore’s Chip Reiser missed all 14 shots in a 1948 finals game against Philadelphia, and Dennis Johnson was 0 for 14 for Seattle against Washington in 1978. Garnett, who scored only six points in 24 foul-plagued minutes in Game 2, had that many in the first 75 seconds of Game 3.

Rondo had Boston’s next three baskets, and the Celtics were quickly up 12-5.

But the Lakers ran off eight straight points to go ahead, scoring 32 of the next 40 points to open a 37-20 lead with 9:10 left in the half. Rondo, who had a tripledouble in Game 3, finished with 11 points, eight assists and three rebounds.—AP

BOSTON: Celtics center Kendrick Perkins (43) gets a hand on a shot by Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum during the second quarter in Game Three of the NBA basketball finals.—AP

Nadal sends Daniel packing at Queen’s LONDON: Rafael Nadal showed no signs of a hangover from his French Open triumph as the Spaniard defeated Marcos Daniel 62, 6-2 in the second round at Queen’s Club here yesterday.

Nadal underlined his dominance on clay with a fifth Roland Garros crown in Paris on Sunday, but his celebrations must have been fairly muted judging by this ruthless demolition of Daniel at the pre-Wimbledon warm-up event.

Just three days after that final victory over Robin Soderling, which lifted Nadal into first place in the ATP world rankings, the 24-year-old, who received a first-round bye here, was back in action under grey skies in west London.

Severe tendinitis in both knees last year robbed Nadal of the chance to defend the Queen’s and Wimbledon titles he won in 2008, so this was his first competitive match on grass since he defeated Roger Federer in one of the All England Club’s greatest finals two years ago.

With his injury problems behind him, Nadal has been revitalised over the last few months and he swept through the claycourt

season in imperious fashion, winning titles in Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid before his latest French Open success.

He reeled off 22 successive victories during that run and Daniel, a Brazilian ranked 112th and making his first appearance at Queen’s, was no match for the top seed as he extended the winning sequence to 23.

Nadal took no time at all to find his feet again on grass as he unleashed two ferocious winners from the back of the court to break in Daniel’s first service game. The Spaniard was completely in control after that as he cruised through the first set.

A rain shower halted Nadal’s progess early in the second set but he quickly delivered the knockout blow after the resumption as he broke Daniel to take a 4-2 lead.

That shattered the Brazilian’s resolve and Nadal’s blistering forehand winner secured a meeting with Denis Istomin, the Uzbek 16th seed, who defeated Jamaica’s Dustin Brown 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 in the second round.

Nadal admitted he was relieved to be able to have got straight back into the win-

ning routine after a draining two weeks in Paris.

“After the final, doing press, doing a little bit of celebration and then coming back to London, I was really tired on Tuesday so I practised very bad,” Nadal said. “But during this match I felt well. I was returning well and that’s the most difficult thing for me.

“The French Open is still on my mind because it was an emotional moment for me. But I’m happy to be playing on grass again because I enjoy the challenge of making the transition.”

Novak Djokovic, the second seed and former Australian Open champion, was never troubled as he reached the third round with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi. The Serbian world number three has been affected by illness this year, but he made a solid opening to his grasscourt campaign after breaking early in both sets.

Nadal’s compatriot and close friend Feliciano Lopez, the eighth seed, eased into the third round with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Bulgarian wildcard Grigor Dimitrov.—AFP

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Portugal must survive ‘Group of Death’ JOHANNESBURG: A high-profile casualty is inevitable in the World Cup’s Group G with Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast fighting for two places while North Korea concentrate on damage limitation.

Brazil have lifted the trophy that symbolises global football supremacy a record five times, Portugal finished fourth at the last tournament in 2006 and many pundits consider Ivory Coast the best African bet for glory.

And while North Korea are universally regarded as ‘cannon fodder’, none of the 32 challengers has prepared more thoroughly than the little-known squad from the reclusive nation.

Superstars abound in the first-round ‘Group of Death’ as Brazil boast Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, while Portugal are inspired by his club teammate Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba ranks alongside them in potential impact - but the striker’s chances of playing in the first World Cup on African soil hang in the balance after an operation on a broken arm.

Portugal also suffered an injury blow when in-form Manchester United winger Nani was ruled out of the tournament on Tuesday after severely bruising his collarbone in training.

Brazil, the only country to compete at all 19 previous tournaments, are favoured to finish first and set up a possible last-16 showdown with fellow South Americans Chile.

And the opening Group G clash on Tuesday between Ivory Coast and Portugal in Port Elizabeth could determine who else progresses with European champions Spain the probable second-round opponents for the second-placed finisher.

North Korea will defend en masse and compete like tigers, but lack the firepower to emulate their countrymen of 1966, who defeated Italy in Middlesbrough to cause one of the great World Cup shocks.

Coach Dunga has assembled a tactically astute squad that espouses the work ethic and plays as a team with no place for the prima-donna factor that cost Brazil dearly in the past. Dunga left out Ronaldinho, but Kaka is rounding into form after a poor debut season in Madrid.

Many consider Julio Cesar of Inter Milan the best goalkeeper in the world, Lucio and Juan form a solid central defence barrier, Gilberto Silva does the midfield graft and Luis Fabiano has few peers as a goal poacher.

Brazil also know South Africa well as they return with the stars who won the Confederations Cup last June, when they came from two goals behind to pip the United States 3-2 in Johannesburg.

Portugal needed a playoff against Bosnia-Herzogovina to reach South Africa after a qualifying campaign in which midfieldercum-striker Ronaldo failed to score in seven matches before being sidelined by injury.

Where to play the ‘golden boy’ will occupy much of coach Carlos Queiroz’s time with the options facing the former assistant to Alex Ferguson at

Manchester United including using him in a wide or central midfield role or as a lone striker.

Portugal breezed through a 3-0 warm-up victory over Mozambique Tuesday, but the match was overshadowed by the loss of Nani following an injury in training.

Queiroz though was pleased to see Real Madrid defensive midfielder Pepe back in action after six months out with a knee injury.

“It’s fantastic. With the help of Real Madrid’s doctors, the Portuguese federation and the technical staff of the national team, we have done a meticulous job,” said the coach.

Fate has dealt Ivory Coast a cruel World Cup hand twice after getting the Netherlands and Argentina in Germany four years ago, and the late choice of former England supremo Sven Goran Eriksson as coach hardly boosts continuity.

The Ivorians are desperate for Chelsea star Drogba to recover in time, but brothers Yaya and Kolo Toure and Salomon Kalou will want to show they are than just a support cast.

Perhaps the safest prediction about the group is that Myong-Guk Ri, the 23year-old North Korea goalkeeper who considers it his sacred duty to “safeguard the gates to the fatherland”, faces an extremely busy June.

Favourites: Brazil Fancied: Ivory Coast and Portugal Underdogs: North Korea.

— AFP

Time to deliver goals MAGALIESBURG: The World Cup provides a global showcase for football’s greatest forwards, and if Cristiano Ronaldo wants to ever reach the same status as the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona he must do something he hasn’t done for 16 months — score a goal for Portugal.

The tournament in South Africa needs stars like Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi to produce their skills on the sport’s biggest stage, to thrill the billions of spectators watching games on television worldwide.

That means FIFA’s 2008 world player of the year will have to break a goal drought stretching back to a friendly game in February 2009 when he scored from the penalty spot against Finland.

In competitive matches, he has not found the net for Portugal since the 2008 European Championship. “It’s not a problem,” the Real Madrid player said before the tournament.

“I’m saving myself for the World Cup.” The time to

deliver on that promise has come as Portugal readies for its June 15 opener against Ivory Coast. Ronaldo has the ability to set alight a game, which is why Real Madrid paid Manchester United 80 million pounds ($118 million) for him a year ago.

The Portuguese forward’s electrifying bursts of pace, his spellbinding footwork and blistering right-foot shots — which

Manchester United fans nicknamed “Ronny rockets” — have brought crowds to their feet at Old Trafford and the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Injuries, though, have unsettled Ronaldo’s international career. He played in just seven of Portugal’s 12 World Cup qualifying matches and in some games was still recovering from injury. In 73 appearances since his 2003 debut, Ronaldo has scored 22 goals.

Still, Portuguese fans grumble that his inability to reproduce his club form at international level is partly to blame for Portugal’s recent below-par performances, including a 0-0 draw against tiny Cape Verde last month. In his last two seasons, at United and Madrid, he has scored more than 70 goals.

With winger Nani, Ronaldo’s former teammate at Manchester United, ruled out of the World Cup due to a bruised collarbone, Portugal may need Ronaldo more than ever. Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has tried to ease the tension surrounding Ronaldo’s goalscoring difficulties. When asked about it last week he replied, in English, “Leave them kids alone.” “The more you leave the players in peace the more they’ll score,” he added.

While he waves away talk of a crisis, Ronaldo’s recent comments and performances have betrayed the nagging pressure. In a 3-1 win against Cameroon in an exhibition match 10 days ago, Ronaldo time and again went for goal only to see the goalkeeper produce a superb reflex save or stick out a foot to deny him, and the anguish showed on his face.

When reporters tried to ask him questions after the match he walked away saying, with a gesture towards his teammates, “Talk to them, they’re the heroes.” Ronaldo was left off Portugal’s starting lineup for Tuesday’s warmup game against Mozambique in Johannesburg as Queiroz handed Danny a rare start. Ronaldo came on for the last 30 minutes and, after the goalkeeper failed to hold his thundering shot with 10 minutes to go, Hugo Almeida tapped in the ball for the final 3-0 score.

Some standout performances from Ronaldo could lend precious momentum to Portugal’s ambitions in South Africa where it faces a hard task advancing from Group G, which also includes Brazil and North Korea.

Portugal is ranked third in the world by FIFA and reached the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. But for all its star players’ skills it still has no silverware. — AP

Factbox Colors: Red shirts, blue shorts and red socks Nickname: La Furia Roja (the Red Fury) Previous World Cup appearances: 12: 1934, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 Best World Cup performance: Fourth place, 1950

is not an automatic starter even though the Arsenal captain is one of the most influential players in the English Premier League. His omission illustrates the intensity of competition for midfield places. Barcelona fans wonder why goalkeeper Victor Valdes has been overlooked for so long despite his superb form for the Catalan side, but there is little doubt that captain Iker Casillas deserves his place as number one between the posts.

Coach: Vicente del Bosque.

Most capped player: Andoni Zubizarreta 126.

Top goalscorer: Raul 44.

Talking points Outsiders cannot fathom how Cesc Fabregas

Players to watch Fernando Torres scored the winning goal at Euro 2008 and he has improved since, while David Villa keeps banging in goals for club and countr y. The for m of midfield orchestrator Xavi will be key to Spain’s chances of success. — Reuters

Professor Queiroz wants to improve Portugal’s grade Portugal's coach Carlos Queiroz LISBON: Having already won two World Youth Cup winners’ medals, Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz hopes to apply the lessons he learned to the big boys’ tournament.

Known as “The Professor” for his past as a university sports lecturer, Queiroz led Portugal’s under-20s to success in 1989 and 1991, and is now in his second spell as coach of Portugal’s

national side. “I’ve won (the World Cup) at another level...I’ve had the taste of success and I’ve been waiting for years for more,” he told reporters. The under-20 side he coached included Luis Figo and Rui Costa. The 57-year-old will want to make amends for his failure to qualify for the 1994 finals with Portugal, and for his disappointment in 2002 when he guided South Africa to a berth in the finals in Asia before being sacked months before they began.

MozambiquePortugal's born Queiroz, player who

Nani

speaks five languages, has also had stints in the United States, the Gulf and Japan but his most recent highs and lows came at two of Europe’s top clubs.

Two successful spells as Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United came either side of another setback as head coach in a miserable season at Real Madrid.

At United, Queiroz was praised for his scouting and guidance of young talents such as compatriots Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, and his tactical knowledge and innovative coaching methods.

“I think it was one of my best ever decisions, bringing him to the club,” Ferguson said when Queiroz left for Spain.

Queiroz’s second stint for Portugal started in July 2008 and has not been smooth sailing. His side had to produce a late surge to qualify for the World Cup and this, coupled with his combative personality, has resulted in a tense relationship with the media and Portuguese fans. —Reuters

Vuvuzelas — curse or musical fanfare?

HUNGARY: Portugal's Ronaldo vies for the ball during a World Cup group 1 qualifying soccer match.—AP

JOHANNESBURG: To foreign coaches and players they could be a curse, to South Africans they might yet be the secret weapon that helps them overcome one of the lowest ratings ever for a World Cup host nation.

The plastic vuvuzela trumpet has been controversial since the Confederations Cup last year, a World Cup dress rehearsal, when several players complained they could not communicate through the din, which sounds like a herd of charging elephants. FIFA President Sepp Blatter rejected calls for them to be banned, saying they are as typical of South African football as bongo drums or chants in other countries.

They will surely be one of the more memorable aspects of this, the first African edition of the soccer spectacular.

Journalists covering warm-up games have realised they cannot communicate by phone over the noise and that is before Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium fills up for the opening match tomorrow with 90,000 people, many armed with trumpets.

Thailand manager Bryan Robson said after his team’s drubbing in a friendly by South Africa last month that he could not com-

municate with his players on the pitch. But to Spanish musicologist Pedro Espi-Sanchis, vuvuzelas can make music and the plastic instrument virtuosos must only be coordinated to make a pleasurable sound.

“On television all you can hear is those rhythms mixing into a grey drone of the B-flat and that’s what millions of people will be hearing during this World Cup. That is really what hurt me as a musician ... that is not Africa,” said Espi-Sanchis, 57, an expert on traditional music.

He told Reuters the vuvuzela was developed from the kudu horn, traditionally used to announce a ceremony or major event.

“Then somebody thought we can use this in the stadium and started mass producing them, and suddenly there were tens of thousands of those blooming things.”

They were intended to scare the opposition, he says- something likely to appeal to South Africans, who as the world’s 83rd ranked side, risk being the first tournament hosts eliminated in the first round.

South Africa manager Carlos Alberto Parreira, not surprisingly, thinks vuvuzelas are a great idea. “We have to try to reinforce that advantage. We want it louder and louder.”

Espi-Sanchis says that if you are standing in a trumpet group in the stadium you can hear a rhythm.

“The problem here is that no one has tried

to synchronise the whole stadium, all the vuvuzelas in one stadium to play the same rhythm. It is just a matter of will and a matter of saying just do it. If people in Europe can sing the same song in the stadiums we can play the same rhythm here,” he said.

So he has created four vuvuzela orchestras, three in South Africa and one, bizarrely, in Vienna. He tunes seven vuvuzelas to play chords by cutting them to different lengths, then mixes them with a bass guitar, drums, trumpets or trombones and a singer.

One orchestra played at the opening of Cape Town’s graceful new Green Point stadium earlier this year and they have also performed at half time in domestic soccer matches.

“Nobody has really taken on the job of generalising and really getting the vuvuzela to find its power. Imagine 10,000 vuvuzelas making the same rhythm together, that is powerful,” Espi-Sanchis said.

His orchestras, drawn from township social groups and professional musicians, are enthusiastic about the power of the vuvuzela to make music instead of an ear-splitting drone.

“It’s great when played correctly, annoying when someone plays a vuvuzela in your ear,” said Leigh Nudelman, 26, one of the Johannesburg orchestra.

Samora Ntsebeza, 25, another member of the orchestra, said: “It is a horn. It takes a par-

ticular understanding as to how to manipulate the horn to get musical sounds. Once you develop the technique, you are able to use it as a musical instrument.”

He believes the World Cup will make the vuvuzela so popular it will be exported to Brazil for the next tournament in 2014. “In Brazil it would work really well because of the carnival spirit,” Ntsebeza said. Espi-Sanchis is still working on trying to discipline the crowds enough to make a pleasant sound out of the vuvuzela, not an easy task in a giant stadium.

“There are two stages. To get the people to listen and stop playing and then play songs they know and get them to sing it, in order to generalise the rhythms. That is a tricky thing to do,” he said.

He has written arrangements for his orchestra to play traditional songs like Shosholoza, an old migrant mine workers refrain meaning “Go Forward,” which is sung by soccer fans. But it doesn’t look as if he will make the vuvuzela popular with deafened foreign audiences during this World Cup, at least.

FIFA has turned down an offer for his orchestra to play at World Cup matches and they mainly perform at corporate events.

For now, foreign fans may have to heed the advice of scientists who say the trumpets are the loudest instruments used in global football and could cause hearing loss. Their advice?

Pack some ear plugs. — Reuters

Ivorians better equipped to weather tough group ABIDJAN: Even with SvenGoran Eriksson’s experienced hand at the tiller, Ivory Coast must be wondering if the footballing gods are intent on another early exit from the biggest stage of all at the World Cup. Four years ago in Germany they were dealt the might of Argentina and Netherlands in the group stages, and have faired little better in South Africa where they will pit their considerable wits against five-time champions Brazil and Portugal.

Although Swede Eriksson has been parachuted in at the 11th hour to coach the Ivorians, he has the raw materials-in Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Didier Zokora, Yaya and Kolo Toure — to give the South American and European powerhouses real pause for thought.

At the 2006 World Cup they lost their opening two games and were eliminated, although they then delighted the tournament in Germany with a 3-2 win over Serbia & Montenegro in their last game.

This time around they open their campaign against Portugal in Port Elizabeth on June 15 and play Brazil five days later in Johannesburg, and their impressive attacking line could prove good enough to ensure their final Group G game against North Korea in Nelspruit is no consolation game.

The difficult task handed to the Ivorians by the draw in Cape Town in December was exacerbated two months later by the decision to fire coach Vahid Halilhodzic.

The Franco-Bosnian coach had led the Ivorians through a seamless qualifying campaign and lost just two of his 24 games in charge, a friendly in Japan at the start of his reign and against Algeria at the end.

The 3-2 defeat by the Algerians in the quarter-finals of the African Nations Cup in Angola in January was deemed disastrous by the ambitious Ivorians to the extent that the coach was given the sack, even with just months left before the start of the World Cup. It has also been suggested that Halilhodzic’s exit had as much to do with player power as it did with his failure to get the team further in the Nations Cup. Eriksson had a first chance to see his new charges only at the start of May at their training camp in Switzerland, and friendlies against Paraguay and Japan will give the former England coach a better idea of his potential formations.

The form of the bulldozing Drogba and Kalou in helping Chelsea to lift their first Double in England has been eye-catching while Yaya Toure has been a regular starter in Barcelona’s barnstorming La Liga title success.

Zokora is another outstanding defensive midfielder and the form of these leading lights will be key if the Ivorians are to pick up crucial points in their opening two encounters.

Meanwhile, Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora does not enjoy the same glamorous profile as many of his team mates but the midfielder has long been the side’s unheralded backbone.

The 29-year-old is the country’s most capped international, having played 84 times in a remarkable display of consistency since his debut in April 2000.

Known popularly as ‘Maestro’, Zokora is the understated leader of a tight-knit group of players who started their careers at the same time and have followed much the same route to successful professional careers in Europe.

Zokora played alongside five of the World Cup-bound squad in 1999 when the Ivorian club ASEC Abidjan fielded only boys from their youth academy side against Tunisia’s Esperance in the African Super Cup and won.

Aruna Dindane, Kolo Toure and Boubacar Barry all played in that match and, not long after, all moved to Europe from the academy run by Frenchman Jean Marc Guillou.

Zokora had been brought up at the Sol Beni academy in the Ivorian capital from the age of 11, after being discovered by Guillou playing in a street match.

He was one of the first boys to join an institution that now has a widespread reputation, training in the mornings and going to school later in the day.

Zokora spent seven years at the Academy and was the first graduate to garner a contract in Europe, spotted by Belgium’s Racing Genk while playing for the national under-23 side in an Olympic Games qualifier. Genk were attracted to Zokora’s speed, enthusiasm, heading ability and passing technique.

His tough tackling developed rapidly and he was an integral member of the team when Genk won a rare championship in 2002 and competed the next season in the Champions League against Roma and Real Madrid.

At that time, Zokora played more of an attacking midfield role but his position in the national side was modified by Ivory Coast’s former coach Robert Nouzaret, who gave him the primary task of winning possession for the side.

It is a role he has played ever since. Zokora moved to France for two years before Tottenham paid 8.2 million euro to St Etienne for his services in 2006, on the back of his impressive performances at the World Cup finals in Germany.

Zokora won a League Cup winners’ medal during his three seasons at Spurs, became a firm fan favourite and earned the club a small profit after moving for nine million euros to Sevilla last year. —Reuters

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Factbox Colors: Orange shirts, socks and shorts, all with green trim.

Nickname: The Elephants Previous World Cup appearances: 1: 2006 Best World Cup performance: Did not get past the first round in 2006.

Coach: Sven-Goran Eriksson Most capped player: Didier Zokora 84

Eriksson has the ammunition to prove his detractors wrong ABIDJAN: Sven-Goran Eriksson brought all too much colour to his tenures with England and Mexico; now the affable Swede has the chance as coach of the Ivory Coast to show there is much more to him than mere newspaper gossip fodder.

Lampooned at the end of his spell as England coach, decried in Latin America for not recognising the idiosyncrasies of Mexican football, Eriksson has all the raw materials in the current crop of Ivorians to prove his detractors wrong.

His shock appointment as coach of the Ivory Coast came just three months before the start of the tournament in South Africa and represents an emergency stop-gap for the Ivorian federation and a unexpected bonus for the Swede.

Eriksson, 62, coached England at the last two World Cup finals, but was unable to fulfil the potential of the team or satisfy the unquenchable

expectations of the British press.

The Ivory Coast job is a sharp contrast to his England assignments with Eriksson needed to galvanise a disparate group but, with only weeks to do the job, having little real pressure to succeed in the mission.

His agreement to take the job came weeks after he departed a controversy-clouded post at Notts Sven Goran Eriksson County, where he had been embroiled in an improbable, and opaquely financed, project to lift the League Two club to Premier League status in as short a time as possible.

Eriksson’s reputation had already been bruised by tenures at both Manchester City and Mexico, his two other jobs since departing England after the last World Cup. He spent a single season at City and was fired by the Mexicans after nine months, having made a dreadful start to their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Eriksson was a stunning appointment as England’s manager in 2001, the first foreigner given one of world football’s most prestigious posts.

As such, he was a constant target and fed his detractors with several off-field indiscretions, including affairs with a television celebrity and a secretary at the Football Association.

England was Eriksson’s first national team appointment but he had worked at top clubs in Italy and Portugal for decades before that.

His successes included a European Cup Winners’ Cup with Lazio in 1999 and the Serie A title the year after. He was also Portuguese champion with Benfica.—Reuters

Cup dream dashed for S.Africaʼs neighbors VICTORIA FALLS: As South Africa revels in World Cup fever, its neighboring countries, especially devastated Zimbabwe, are left lamenting dashed dreams of a rich dividend from soccer’s biggest event.

A year ago, neighbours from Botswana to Swaziland anticipated a flood of tourists and teams taking advantage of their high altitude to prepare for South African conditions.

None more so than Zimbabwe, its economy ravaged by a decade of political conflict, violence and hyper-inflation, whose tourist officials once predicted they could make up to $100 million in World Cup spinoffs. Now industry sources say they will be lucky to get a tenth of that.

Instead, hotels and tour operators at the majestic Victoria Falls, jewel in the crown of Zimbabwe’s tourist attractions and once a major revenue earner, say the World Cup has damaged their business because flights via South Africa are too expensive or full during the tour-

Talking points: The change of coach just months before the start of the World Cup came despite an unbeaten run in the qualifying competition and has led to allegations of discord in the camp, a situation Eriksson will need to sort out before the team’s opening game against Portugal on June 15.

The Swede is a big-name trainer to boost the image and ego of Ivorian football but just what he can achieve with less than a month of preparation remains to be seen. The Elephants have the toughest draw of all the African sides with Brazil also in their group. The extent to which they rely on Didier Drogba has been evidenced in the past and when the Chelsea forward has an offday, the team have few alternatives.

Players to watch: Drogba will be keenly watched as the talisman of the side, with support up front from his club mate Salomon Kalou. Yaya Toure of Barcelona in the heart of midfield is another genuine world-class player and the experienced pair of Kolo Tore and Emmanuel Eboue in defence give the side more big-name recognition. —Reuters

Dindane plans to repay Eriksson’s faith

LONDON: Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane aims to repay Sven Goran Eriksson for rescuing his World Cup dream by leading the Elephants to glory in South Africa. Dindane feared being omitted from Eriksson’s 23man squad after a contract dispute restricted his appearances at relegated Premier League club Portsmouth at the end of last season.

He was initially barred from playing any more games because Portsmouth, who have debts of over 130 million pounds, could not afford to honour an agreement to pay four million pounds to make his loan move permanent. Lens softened their stance to allow him his moment at Wembley and he retained his place in the Ivory Coast squad after impressing Eriksson during Portsmouth’s march to the FA Cup final.

The fractured arm sustained by the country’s top striker Didier Drogba in a friendly against Japan could mean that Dindane’s role could be all the more crucial.

“It was hard,” he said. “All I wanted to do was play football and when I heard I would be allowed to play again, I was really happy. “If you are not allowed to play because of a contract situation between two clubs it’s very difficult. “I told the Lens chairman that if I can’t play then there’s nothing I can do - maybe I would miss the World Cup and that might not be so good for me or Lens. I was very worried about the World Cup. “The Ivory Coast has many players and if you are not playing, it could be the end of your chances.

SAANEN: Didier Drogba rejoined his Ivory Coast teammates at their Alpine “The coach said he would only pick players who were playing regutraining camp with a cast protecting his broken right arm. larly for their clubs so I am grateful to him for remembering me and now Team spokesman Eric Kacou said it’s not known when Drogba can resume I want to do well in South Africa to justify my selection.” Dindane training after the squad arrives in South Africa on Thursday, or if he has also revealed the secret heartache spurring him on to fire the will play at the World Cup. FIFA rules allow Ivory Coast to wait Ivory Coast into the latter stages of the finals. until next Monday — 24 hours before its opening match against The 28-year-old, who is joining Qatar side Lekhwiya after Portugal in Port Elizabeth — before deciding whether to replace the tournament, was left heartbroken after daughter Reisa the inspirational captain. died of cot death when she was just six months old.

Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has said he’s Dindane has Reisa’s name tattooed on his wrist and hopeful that Drogba can still play a part in the tourwill dedicate every goal he scores in South Africa to nament. her memory. “Losing a baby is very painful.

Ivory Coast completes its Group H Only people who have been through it know program against Brazil at Soccer what it feels like,” he added. “It is very City, Johannesburg, on June 20 difficult to explain the hurt. Reisa and North Korea five days was the centre of my unilater in Nelspruit. verse and I miss not Surgeons having her to go operated home to after on training.

“She is Drogba in my inspirathe Swiss capital tion and, when things Bern on Saturday. The 32are not going well on the year-old forward was injured in a pitch, I look at the tattoo challenge with Japan defender Marcus on my wrist and think about her.

Tulio Tanaka early in Ivory Coast’s 2-0 victory in a “The memory of her is what motiwarmup match at Sion last Friday. Drogba will be on vates me to play football and I want to the bench backing his teammates when they play do well to make her proud. “Every Swiss second-division side Lausanne Sports in a goal I score is dedicated to Reisa. practice match at Nyon. —AP That is why I look up to the sky whenever I celebrate. “Losing a baby makes you realise what is important in life. Football is just a game.” The Ivory Coast are the most fancied of all the African and most of these nament. nations competing at the first would be South “I thought a lot of people would come at the World Cup to be played on the Africans “running time of the World Cup but we actually found continent. Eriksson’s side have away” from a sport that it was a sort of discredit for us,” said been handed a difficult draw, Barbara Murasiranwa, Managing Director of the they did not enjoy, or with Brazil, Portugal and North who had rented their big Victoria Falls travel agents Shearwater.

Korea in their qualifying group. homes to foreign fans.

“We don’t know what the period after the Dindane, who is competing to Conditions are similar World Cup will bring but for now it is bad for partner Chelsea’s Drogba up front, should be recover in time. said: in other countries round business,” she told Reuters.

“It will not be easy because of the region. Botswana set Karl Snater, manager of the famous old colothe teams we have to play but nial Victoria Falls Hotel agreed. “Because of the up a special World Cup comwe are confident of success. mittee to exploit the tournament log jam of bookings and flights and increased “Most of our players and hired British consultants to help. prices into South Africa, a lot of these tours have experience of playing But hotels say they have no World Cup were stopped over June and July which is really in the top European related bookings. our bread and butter business and that has leagues like England and Bruce Page-Wood, regional director of come to a halt.”

Spain so we are used to the Peermont Global chain, told Reuters: “Unless there are last minutes bits and competing against the “Our hotels do not show any additional pieces, crumbs that fall off the table, that is best. “If we can get bookings when comparing with normal. So what we can hope for,” he said. Murasiranwa through the group then there is no positive impact from the World said Shearwater would be lucky to get half the we could surprise a Cup.” —Reuters 210,000 clients they had anticipated this year few people.” —AFP Didier Drogba

Drogba rejoins with broken arm in cast

Ivory Coast's Yaya Toure during their African Cup of Nations Group B soccer match against Burkina Faso, in Cabinda, Angola, Monday, Jan. 11, 2010. —AP

Top goalscorer: Didier Drogba 42

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Brazil eye record sixth title RIO DE JANEIRO: The purists are going to have to look elsewhere at the World Cup because Brazil are mounting their challenge for a record sixth title with a game based on rock-solid defence, counter-attacks and set pieces.

The style developed during nearly four years of coach Dunga’s leadership has proved brutally effective, with the team winning the Copa America, Confederations Cup and topping the 10-team South American qualifying group for the World Cup. It is though about as far removed from Brazil’s original game of long, almost languid build-ups followed by quick bursts of attack as it is possible to get.

“Brazil, which has always been the

BRAZIL: Brazil's goalkeeper Julio Cesar practices during a training session in Teresopolis.

—AP

country of attacking football and pressure, is now the country of defence and a powerful counter-attack,” wrote former Brazil striker Tostao after a 4-0 win in Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier. “That Brazilian football which is admired all around the world for its touch, for exchanging passes and dominating the game, no longer exists. “Now, it’s a game of tough marking and counter-attacks- often brilliantly carried out.” Dunga has packed his squad for South Africa with defensive midfielders, leaving out striker Adriano and former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho and ignoring pressure to call up youngsters Paulo Henrique Ganso and Neymar.

“Being conservative has brought results since the start,” Dunga told reporters after announcing the squad. “We’re not going to change everything in 15 days just because some people want us to.”

Brazil have been slowly moving towards a more physical, European game since their stylish 1982 and 1986 teams failed to bring home the trophy.

Their players are among the biggest and most powerful in the world, the team featuring strapping figures such as defenders Maicon, Lucio and Luisao, midfielders Felipe Melo and Julio Baptista and striker Luis Fabiano.

Maicon, in particular, can be a terrifying sight for opponents as he charges down the right and Dunga’s team are also a formidable prospect at set pieces.

Frequently during the qualifying campaign, oppo-

Dunga is always on the defensive JOHANNESBURG: There are times that “Grumpy” would be more appropriate than “Dopey” for Brazil coach Dunga. Dunga was nicknamed after the dwarf in “Snow White” because his uncle didn’t think he would grow very tall.

Brazil's coach Dunga But his moody tenure as Brazil’s coach sometimes makes him more like the less-friendly Disney character. Dunga arrived at the World Cup on the defensive, bristling at questions thrown at him by the hundreds of journalists in Brazil’s training camp in South Africa.

“There are 300 journalists here hoping that we lose just so they can say later that they were right,” Dunga said in one of his first press conferences in South Africa.

A former defensive midfielder known for his toughness on and off the field, Dunga was heavily criticized by fans and local media when he was appointed to lead Brazil after the 2006 World Cup despite never coaching at any level before. Many said Dunga was just a temporary choice until a better coach could be signed.

The criticism continued even after victories, and the straightforward Dunga never tried to hide that he was not happy with it.

“Don’t think I have anything against journalists,” he said.

“Anyone can ask whatever they want, but they have to be prepared because I have the right to say whatever I want too. It’s my temper, for good or for bad. I will say what I think.”

Many were concerned at Dunga’s defensive emphasis,

even as the team achieved significant results, including the 2007 Copa America and the 2009 Confederations Cup titles. Those achievements gained won over many supporters in Brazil, but there were still some who continued to doubt him, especially after he omitted from his World Cup squad stars such as Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Adriano.

“I have to deal with that, even when we win,” Dunga said. “If it isn’t about the players I pick, it’s because I don’t know how to speak Portuguese correctly. And if it isn’t that, then it’s about my clothing or something else.

Sometimes they even attack my family to see if they can get to me, but it’s going to be hard.”

Dunga insists he is not concerned with his image in Brazil.

“I can’t worry about what people are talking about,” Dunga said. “I have to focus on my work. Everything I’m doing it is for the good of the national team.

What matters is if I can make a decision and be able to sleep with it at night.” Dunga’s image problems emerged in his playing days.

His name has been always associated with the lackluster Brazilian team that fell to Argentina in the round of 16 of the 1990 World Cup in Italy — a period which became negatively known as the “Dunga Era.” And even after Dunga captained Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title in the United States, many complained that that team was defensive and boring.

Dunga and the team led by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira were constantly criticized, and when Dunga lifted the trophy, he let out an expletive that marked his career as much as his performances on the field.

“What Dunga has achieved with the national team cannot be questioned,” veteran Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva said yesterday. “We have his trust and we are behind him.”

Dunga played in three World Cups with Brazil and helped the team win the 1989 and 1997 Copa Americas, as well as the 1997 Confederations Cup. He played for Brazilian club Internacional and later with Fiorentina and Stuttgart. —AP

nents seemed to be dominating the game only to find themselves a couple of goals behind after being stung by two quick counterattacks.

The match in Montevideo was a classic example as Uruguay won 15 corners to Brazil’s two-and lost 4-0. Even when opponents do create chances, they find their way blocked by Julio Cesar, one of the world’s top goalkeepers.

On the other hand, Brazil have immense difficulty when faced with opponents who pack their defences, and they were held to goalless draws at home to Bolivia, Colombia and Venezuela during the qualifying campaign.On those occasions, Dunga’s tactics were found wanting as he failed to add spice

to his starting line-up, just bringing on yet another strapping forward or midfielder.

Brazil face Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea in a tough Group G at the finals. Fans have grudgingly accepted the new philosophy while it brings success but, if it fails, Dunga will not be forgiven in a hurry. Meanwhile, in the great Brazilian teams of the past, the goalkeeper was often an anonymous figure who attracted attention only when he made a howler. Not any more. Julio Cesar is one of Brazil’s key players and his influence symbolises how Brazil have become a safety-first team who play on the counter-attack.

Brazil cruised through the South American World Cup qualifying group,

clinching their place in South Africa with three matches to spare and losing only twice.

Their campaign was at its most impressive on the road. They won 4-0 in Uruguay and Venezuela, 3-1 in Argentina and 3-0 in Chile, matches in which they soaked up the pressure and then hit their opponents with breaks of astonishing power and precision.

—Reuters

Stage is set perfectly for Kaka resurgence RIO DE JANEIRO: Kaka has not been quite himself for the last two seasons but the signs are good that the Brazil playmaker and former World Player of the Year can showcase his best form at his third World Cup. With the spotlight firmly on Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Kaka will not have to deal with the huge expectations which invariably surround the world’s top player and took their toll on his team mate Ronaldinho four years ago.

Real Madrid’s failure to reach the last eight of the Champions League and nagging injuries which recently sidelined the midfielder for six weeks could also yield benefits as he is less likely to be burned out. Brazil certainly need Kaka at his best. His power, acceleration, vision and finishing, often from distance, make him a permanent threat and he fits in perfectly with Brazil’s physical, counter-attacking style.

Dunga’s team have suffered badly when he has been absent. Their friendly defeat against Venezuela, 2-0 World Cup qualifying loss in Paraguay and goalless draw at home to Bolivia all came with Kaka injured.

Dunga has a natural aversion to big-name players and had no hesitation in leaving out Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and, more recently, Ronaldinho. Kaka, religious and known for his charity work off the field, has escaped Dunga’s axe. He was even excused after asking not be picked for the Copa America three years ago, saying he needed a rest.

The World Player of the Year in 2007, Kaka has been relatively subdued for the last two seasons, especially following his move to Real Madrid, where he has suffered from a series of injuries.

Kaka, who damaged his spine in a swimming-pool accident at 18 and attributed his recovery from potentially crippling injuries to his faith in God, even suffered rare off-field criticism after donating his Player of the Year trophy to the controversial Reborn in Christ (Renascer) church.

He won a winners’ medal eight years ago in Japan and South Korea but played only 25 minutes of the finals, in a group match against Costa Rica.

Four years ago, he floundered along with the rest of the socalled Magic Quartet as Brazil went out at the quarter-finals after a limp campaign. South Africa is the perfect chance to make amends.

— Reuters

Brazil's Kaka controls the ball during a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer game against Argentina in Rosario—AP

Factbox Colors: Gold shirts, blue shorts and white socks.

Nickname: A Selecao (the national team) is the most common, O Canarinho (Little Canary) also crops up as does Verde-Amarelho (GreenYellow).

Previous World Cup appearances: 18: 1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006. The only team to have played at every tournament.

Best World Cup performance: Winners: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994,2002. 2nd place: 1950, 1998 Coach: Dunga Most capped player: Cafu 148 caps Top goalscorer: Pele 77 Talking points Dunga appears to have lost patience with former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho who has not been picked since March last year despite improved performances for AC Milan this season. Dunga has also left striker Adriano out of the squad. Brazil are desperately short of creative midfielders and many people feel Dunga should have given a chance to 20-yearold Santos prodigy Paulo Henrique Ganso.

Many are surprised to see Robinho in the team but he tends to put his club problems behind him when he plays for his country.

Players to watch Forwards Nilmar and Luis Fabiano have averaged more than a goal every two games for Brazil. Kaka, on his day, is still one of the world’s most exciting players and could benefit from Real Madrid’s Champions League failure as he is less likely to be burned out. The Inter Milan trio of Julio Cesar, one of the world’s best goalkeepers, powerhouse fullback Maicon and bruising central defender Lucio form the backbone of one of international soccer’s most imposing defences. — Reuters

www.kuwaittimes.net

South Africa whips up World Cup frenzy JOHANNESBURG: South Africa whipped itself into a World Cup frenzy yesterday as tens of thousands of fans cheered the national side through Johannesburg and the holders Italy flew in to defend their crown.

Two days before the kick-off, crowds turned the streets of the Sandton business district into a cacophonous sea of yellow and green, honking ear-splitting vuvuzela horns as the team waved at them from an open-top bus.

There were similar scenes throughout Johannesburg, as office workers left their buildings and lined the streets to blow vuvuzelas and wave South African flags, as passing cars tooted their horns.

Some wore clown wigs in national colors, and others had makarapas-hard hats carved and painted into the shape of footballers and flags.

Schoolchildren were dismissed at midday for a special month-long World Cup holiday, bringing many youngsters onto the sidewalk with their parents for the festivities.

“It means a lot to us,” Bafana Bafana midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala told reporters. “We just have to get out there and down onto the field and make the nation and ourselves proud.”

The noise from the vuvuzelas, set to become one of the main talking points of the tournament, drowned out all conversation-including attempts by television journalists to deliver two-way reports to their studio.

Thousands also poured into the streets of Cape Town to answer a call on the radio to blow their vuvuzelas at lunchtime.

“It was a national call to have a vuvuzela moment,” said Zanele Ntuli among the crowds outside parliament “Never in my life did I think this would come to Africa, let alone South Africa.”

The sense of anticipation has been heightened by an unexpected upturn in the form of Bafana Bafana, who go into Friday’s opening match against Mexico on the back of a 12-match unbeaten run.

“I’ve come here to encourage you that South Africa is a 100 percent plus behind you,” President Jacob Zuma told the squad as he paid a visit to their training base. “The psyche of the country is tip-top.”

As the government urged fans to be on their best behaviour for the hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors, South Africans also delighted in the prospect that their icon, Nelson Mandela, would be among the crowds at tomorrow’s opener.

The front-page of The Sowetan proclaimed the event would now be the “Mandela Show” while a headline in The Star read “Deafening Noise Can’t Curb Kick-off Fever”, as it described final rehearsals for a World Cup concert today.

Ever since it became the first African nation to win the right to stage the tournament six years ago, South Africa has had to fend off claims that its high crime rate, lack of infrastructure and rudimentary public transport system rendered it an unsuitable choice.

Fears over crime were highlighted when armed robbers broke into a rural lodge where reporters covering Portugal are staying, holding one journalist at gunpoint before making off with cash, camera equipment and passports.

A spokesman for the local organising committee said everything was in place but added that opening-day traffic jams remain a concern.

“We urge the 90,000 spectators who will be coming here to exercise restraint when it comes to using their own cars, because there are buses and there are trains which will drop them right at the door,” said Rich Mkhondo.

Nearly all of the teams are now in situ, with Italy one of the last to fly in.

Dozens of police and a smattering of fans were at Johannesburg airport to greet the Azzurri, whose pre-tournament results have done little to suggest they will retain their title.

One of the biggest worries for organisers was whether Mandela, the country’s first black leader and hero of the struggle against the whitesonly apartheid regime, would be able to make it to the opening ceremony. Mandela’s family had indicated that at 91 and increasingly frail such an appearance would be too much for him. But they announced on Tuesday that he would in fact attend, albeit probably not for the whole match. —AFP

JOHANNESBURG: Thousands of South Africans take to the streets of Sandton in Johannesburg yesterday to show their support for Bafana Bafana (South Africa's national football team) as they parade in an open bus two days before the opening of the FIFA 2010 World Cup. —AFP

Bringing Cup to Africa meant overcoming challenges NELSPRUIT: A battle over the money to build World Cup infrastructure brought down Nelspruit’s municipal government and may have even led to the slaying of a politician.

And then there were the crowds of angry children throwing rocks at construction workers, tired of waiting in vain for schools to be built after the community provided cheap land for the football stadium.

If Nelspruit, a sleepy stop on the way to the famous Kruger game park, faced extraordinary problems on the road to the World Cup, the fixes typify what it took to get ready across South Africa: determined politicians, persistent nudging from FIFA, help from experienced foreigners and the wisdom to lower expectations when necessary.

Nelspruit managed to complete its 46,000-seat stadium at a cost of just under $1 million last year and will be among the nine cities hosting games when the monthlong football tournament opens on June 11 in Johannesburg.

The main event of the world’s most popular sport has come to Africa for the first time, its host a developing country plagued by high crime and unemployment, and a widening gap between rich and poor.

If all goes well, it will put South Africa in line for other high profile events, perhaps even the Olympics. And it will give South African leaders and entrepreneurs, particularly in the tourism sector, new visibility and clout.

“I was not ever a skeptic,” said Gillian Saunders, who has tracked South Africa’s preparations as a strategist for Grant Thornton South Africa, which provides risk analysis, financial and other services.

Saunders said some of the estimated 450,000 foreign fans she expects to flock to South Africa may find themselves stuck in traffic after games in a few cities, and that tents and trailers will have to augment hotel rooms. But such concerns must seem minor to organizers reflecting on the early days, when they were repeatedly asked whether they had plans to hold the World Cup elsewhere if South Africa failed to deliver.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been among the fiercest proponents of bringing the World Cup to Africa, a continent that has produced international football stars. South Africans have been determined, first bidding unsuccessfully for the 2006 tournament, then bringing anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela to Switzerland in 2004 to help make its 2010 case to FIFA. Mandela told FIFA’s decision makers about listening to a World Cup on the radio while imprisoned on Robben Island.

“Football was the only joy to prisoners,” Mandela said. “As football generated hope on Robben Island, hosting this World Cup will give a certain meaning to this hope.” As he ushered in the New Year, President Jacob Zuma told South Africans the World Cup made 2010 as critical a year in their history as 1994, when apartheid ended.

“We have won the greatest marketing opportunity of our time, the rights to host the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup,” Zuma said in his New Year’s address to the nation. “Together as all South Africans, we must make this one of the most successful projects we have even undertaken as a nation.” Blocks met along the way included: A 68,000-seat stadium in the tourism mecca of Cape Town was delayed by residents who complained their tranquility and views would be

ruined, and its cost of 4.45 billion rands ($550 million) was much higher than originally budgeted.

New, government-run rapid bus transit systems to supplement the erratic and often dangerous private minibus services on which commuters in South Africa’s metropolitan centers had had to rely were fiercely and at times violently resisted by the private operators.

Stadium workers across the country went on strike for a week in July 2009. Some workers were earning about $300 a month, but informal or casual laborers were taking home less than $100. They ended the strike after getting an increase of 12 percent, below their earlier

demand of 13 percent.

But nowhere were the problems as difficult as in Nelspruit, nestled in the boulder-strewn hills of eastern South Africa.

The government of the province that includes Nelspruit had to take over running the municipality, firing all council members and the mayor, after charges and countercharges of corruption in the awarding of contracts for World Cup work brought government to a standstill.

Differ Mogale, the municipality’s 2010 coordinator, said mistakes were inevitable when a town with a population of 21,000 took on something on the scale of hosting World Cup events, even if

only four games will be played in Nelspruit.

“It was a challenge of understanding this huge project that we had to deal with,” Mogale said.

“We’d never dealt with spending $3.2 billion over three years.” Mogale said city officials learned along the way about tightening employment and contract rules to guard against graft. If there was corruption, Mogale said, there were also a feisty media to expose it and police and courts to deal with the accused.

The council speaker who had publicly condemned corruption surrounding World Cup contracts, Jimmy Mohlala, was shot and killed in January 2009. Lassy Chiwayo, sent to Nelspruit

JOHANNESBURG: Performers line up during a dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony for the soccer World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday. The World Cup will open tomorrow. —AP

Opening ceremony to have African vibe JOHANNESBURG: Organisers released new details on the World Cup kick-off concert and opening ceremony yesterday, saying the events would both have a distinctly African vibe.

“This concert is not only a tribute to the World Cup event’s beginning, but it’s also a tribute to African music,” said Kevin Wall, producer of today’s kick-off concert at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

Wall said the concert will feature several footballers who will introduce the show’s acts-Shakira, the Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, K’Naan, Angelique Kidjo and

other African and international artists.

He did not give the football stars’ names, but said some would be 2010 World Cup players and some would be football icons. Organisers also lifted a layer on the shroud of secrecy that has enveloped Friday’s opening ceremony.

The theme of the event, whose headline act is rhythm-and-blues singer R Kelly, will be “Welcoming the World Home to Africa”, said Derek Carstens of South Africa’s World Cup organising committee.

Ar ts and culture minister Lulu

Xingwana said the opening-day festivities would have a distinctly African beat, focusing especially on the “six-pack” of African countries participating in the continent’s first World Cup. “We’re very happy that we have the best from South Africa and the best from the African continent,” she said.

The performance will feature a cast of more than 1,500, including South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, Nigerian Afrofunk star Femi Kuti and the Soweto Spiritual Singers, who will perform with Kelly. —AFP

by the governing African National Congress to revive local government in 2008, is not alone in believing Mohlala was killed by people who believed he blocked them from getting World Cup contracts.

“I can say without any shred of doubt that the huge money involved did create interests,” said Chiwayo, who served six years on Robben Island for his activities as an underground ANC operative during the fight against apartheid.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if in some circles I’m defined as the enemy,” Chiwayo said. “But I came here with a job to do.” Chiwayo said he had two instructions from the ANC: “Go fix that municipality. Do all you can to ensure that you save the host city status.” Nelspruit did not have to go it alone.

When FIFA, for example, questioned whether the municipality was on track with emergency services, the province stepped in. It decreed that instead of using a local emergency services network, construction should be speeded on another, regional center that would otherwise have been completed after the World Cup. Zwakeli Maseko, deputy manager of the regional disaster management unit, recently surveyed the nearly completed building where police, fire, rescue, traffic and medical services experts would be able to work together, sharing information and expertise and streamlining decision-making.

He said putting construction crews on longer shifts to meet his new deadline added to the costs, but not only was he getting his building faster because of the World Cup, he was getting better technology than originally planned because of FIFA specifications.

Nomuso Khathi, a provincial official working on World Cup projects, wasn’t so fortunate. She was in charge of setting up viewing areas with big screen TVs, stages for pre-game entertainment, playgrounds for younger fans and other amenities in 18 towns and cities in Mpumalanga, the province that includes Nelspruit.

Mpumalanga is one of the country’s poorest provinces. Many here won’t be able to afford even the tickets sharply discounted for South Africans, so Khathi’s free public viewing areas, known as PVAs, were as close as they were going to come.

“When we were still dreaming, we wanted to have one PVA in every locality,” she said. Instead, because of lack of funds, there will be three for the entire province.

Poor residents of the province have at times felt shunted aside. To build the stadium, construction teams made offices of two brick schools near the site. The students were moved into prefab classrooms, with promises new schools would be built.

Wendy Mabuza, a 17-year-old student, said she did not join the sometimes violence demonstrations staged by other Cyril Clark Secondary School students. But, she said, “they were right to protest, because the temporary school is small and the classes are small. We can’t concentrate.”

Work finally started on the new schools last year, and students were expected to move out of the cramped prefabs before the World Cup begins.

Mayor Chiwayo is determined to look forward.

“An international gift that was given to South Africa by Nelson Mandela, Sepp Blatter ... became a basis for divisions, fights, instability,” Chiwayo said. But now, the municipality has shown “some visible signs of progress, and that change can come from very difficult circumstances.” —AP

France lures investors

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Asian stocks wobble on EU debt worries

Russia 'trusts and believes' in Euro: Putin

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www.kuwaittimes.net

Abu Dhabi to build 'world's largest' solar plant Total, Abengoa to build UAE solar power plant

ABU DHABI: A view of the 160-metre Capital Gate tower, developed by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company, leans at 18 degrees - over four times the angle of Italy's famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, has been recognized as the "furthest-leaning man-made tower" in the world by Guinness World Records. — AFP

ABU DHABI: French oil firm Total and Spain's Abengoa Solar will partner with Abu Dhabi's alternative energy company Masdar to build "the world's largest" concentrated solar power plant, Masdar announced yesterday. The state-owned firm said it has selected a "consortium of Total and Abengoa Solar as a partner to own, build and operate Shams 1, the world's largest concentrated solar power plant and the first of its kind in the Middle East."

"We are moving on the right path to make Abu Dhabi the main source and the international capital of renewable energy and sustainable development," Masdar CEO Sultan Al-Jaber told a news conference in the oil-rich emirate. The plant "will offset 170 thousand tons of carbon dioxide annually." Construction of the plant, which will cover an area of 2.5 square kilometers and have a 100 megawatt capacity, will begin in the third quarter of 2010 and be completed in approximately two years, Masdar said.

"We expect the cost of this project to be around 600 million dollars (504.2 million euros)," project manager Mohammed Al-Zaabi said. Masdar will hold a 60 percent stake in the project, while Total and Abengoa Solar will each have 20 percent.

"Shams (Arabic for sun) is the first major step for Abu Dhabi to achieve its seven percent target" for renewable energy use by 2020, Zaabi said. "It will be followed by the next projects, Shams Two and Three."

Power demand in Abu Dhabi peaks during the day due to air conditioner use, Zaabi said, making solar power ideal, as sunlight is strongest at the same time. "This is the first time in the United Arab Emirates where we can provide significant (power) capacity that does not rely on fossil fuel," said Nicholas Carter, head of the Abu Dhabi Regulation and Supervision Bureau, which regulates the water and electricity sectors. Concentrated solar power (CSP) plants use mirrors to heat liquid a type of oil, in the case of Shams 1 - to then heat water to run a steam generator and produce electricity, Zaabi said.

Abengoa Solar CEO Santiago Seage said that, compared to other types of solar power plants, "the main advantage of CSP is the fact that it is less intermittent." "You have a solar field ... but you also have a boiler where you use natural gas to create the steam if the solar resource is not enough," he said. Abengoa Solar has already constructed four CSP plants in Spain, and is building others in Spain, north Africa and the United States, Seage said. The plant will be located in Madinat Zayed, about 120 kilometers southwest of Abu Dhabi. — AFP

Pensions draft in Egypt parliament Bill seeks to raise retirement age, savings rate, growth CAIRO: The government submitted a draft pensions law to parliament yesterday designed to boost savings and growth, but which some employers grumble carries tough penalties for errors in implementation that could harm businesses. The bill raises the retirement age by five years to 65 for those entering the workforce from 2012, establishes a fund for each employee into which employers contribute and provides benefits for participants who lose their jobs. It also outlines fines of up to 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($9,024) and prison terms for executives of firms found in violation, measures that prompted heated exchanges at a conference of finance ministry officials and executives on Tuesday. The bill is expected to be approved by parliament, where pro-government lawmakers dominate.

Analysts have said pension reforms are needed to ease pressure on a budget that has to make up for a shortfall in contribu-

tions under the existing system. They also say a new system is needed to ensure Egyptians are better provided for in retirement. "Our goal is not to hurt the businessmen, it is to encourage savings and find an equitable system that benefits all members of society," Assistant Finance Minister Mohamed Maait told a conference. "We have an egregious problem on our hands. Egyptian citizens effectively witness a marked drop in their living standards once they are retired. That simply needs to change," Maait said.

Frustrations expressed by executives indicate challenges facing the government as it moves beyond what analysts say are the easier liberalization measures introduced since 2004 like tax cuts to addressing structural issues. "We are all for change, but these penalties are teetering on the dangerous," Mohamed El Masry, chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, told participants,

saying he and others were lobbying for the provision on prison terms to be scrapped.

SAVINGS Executives fear they could face harsh penalties if their employees, grappling with a new system, make errors.

"Penalties need to be proportional to the crime or else the goal would be to shut down our businesses," Mohamed Ghatwary, chairman of the Alexandria Business Association, told Reuters.

The Finance Ministry has said the law would help raise Egypt's savings rate from 14 to 18 percent of gross domestic product and push growth up by 9 percent. It backs the penalties. Egypt's growth hit more than 7 percent before the financial crisis, and hovered near 5 percent during it.

Economists say the government needs to push ahead with pension, subsidy and other reforms to get growth back up again.

Under the current pension scheme, pensioners receive a maximum of 1,240

pounds a month but most receive much less. The new law links pensions with contributions, which can be much more than the existing system, with payouts based on the final fund built up over a career. Under the new system, the government has said it hopes that two-thirds of each individual's pension fund would be invested in government bonds and the rest in other investment funds. Individuals now working under the old system could migrate to the new one, provided they pay both the personal and employer contributions, Maait said. "This could be a major deterrent for people seeking to change from one system to another, because they would have to pay a hefty cost," Beltone analyst Reham ElDesoki said. Maait said having two pension schemes running in parallel would present challenges but added: "Our goal to ensure the financial sustainability of the new system and we can do that." — Reuters

ABU DHABI: CEO and Managing Director of Masdar Sultan Ahmed AlJaber (center) shakes hands with Chairman and CEO of Abengoa Santiago Seage (left) and President of Total Gas and Power Philippe Boisseau during a press conference yesterday. — AFP

IMF warns Asia of spillovers SINGAPORE: The IMF warned Asia yesterday of the potential spillovers of the European debt crisis, saying it could dampen trade, make capital flows volatile and overheat economies in the region. "Adverse developments in Europe could disrupt global trade, with implications for Asia given the still important role of external demand," IMF deputy managing director Naoyuki Shinohara told a forum in Singapore.

On the financial front, he said major credit problems could result in a "significant spillover" through funding channels, especially where banks were dependent on wholesale funding.

There was also increased uncertainty and potential for volatility in the outlook for capital flows, Shinohara said at the forum hosted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the de facto central bank of the island state. He said Asia's bright growth prospects, together with low interest rates in major economies, would likely attract more capital that could "lead to risks of overheating in some economies if appropriate policy action is not taken.

"On the other hand, further increases in

global risk aversion could see capital flows change direction quickly." Shinohara called on Asian governments to be wary of the potential risks and be prepared to take appropriate action.

"The key will be for policymakers to keep an eye on the bigger picture and be ready to act swiftly as developments unfold," he said. "With Asia's economic muscle growing, the policy choices made in this region will have an important impact on the global economy," he said.

Greece is at the epicenter of a mounting debt crisis that threatens to spread across the eurozone and has pulled down the euro to four year lows. Asian markets have also been affected by the impact of the crisis. Shinohara said there was a risk that sovereign debt problems being experienced in some eurozone countries could spill over to others.

He said the strong fiscal position of most Asian economies provided the "space" to respond flexibly to the European crisis. "In the event of spillovers from Europe, there is ample room in most Asian economies to pause the withdrawal of fiscal stimulus." — AFP

Condensate plant gives Qatar a refining edge Qatar's condensate output rises fast with LNG DUBAI: Qatar's plans to double the size of its condensate refinery in Ras Laffan will not only boost its capacity to pump diesel and other middle distillates but will also give it an economic edge over other regional refineries. It is cheaper to convert condensates to high value fuel such as diesel and jet fuel than it is to process much of the region's crude that is used by competing refineries. The world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter is set to boost its condensate production to 750,000 barrels per day (bpd) by 2014, more than double current output of around 350,000 bpd and almost as much as the OPEC member's daily crude output.

Output of this light and low sulphur crude equivalent has risen rapidly in the tiny Gulf Arab state as it boosts LNG export to 77 million tons per annum (tpy) this year, and comes cheap to the refinery as a by-product of gas output. "Qatar is going to be able to offer a better price, and deal for its customers just because this condensate is coming to them at next to nothing," said Al Troner, president of Asia Pacific Energy Consulting (APEC) in Houston.

This would give it an advantage over other refineries under construction or in the planning stages in the region with heavier crude feedstock. "At the end of the day its a numbers game, if you can refine high end products on the cheap and sell them much higher, you win... that is the case with the Qataris," an Asian-based energy analyst said. The inter-Gulf oil products market is growing fast as demand rises rapidly in the region. Gulf countries are also set to compete for export markets in Europe and Asia as they build refinery capacity as part of efforts to industrialize and to take a bigger slice of profits further down the oil supply chain.

FLEXIBILITY Not only would production of quality fuel rise with the Ras Laffan expansion, but condensate will give it more flexibility than crude refineries to meet shifting demand patterns through changes in refinery configuration. "If coordinated and if blending reaches some level of sophistication, this will give Qatar great flexibility in both pitching quality products and shifting the maximization of any specific product," said Troner. The

146,000 bpd condensate refinery at Ras Laffan produces 24,000 bpd of gas oil, 52,000 bpd of kerosene and jet fuel and 8,000 bpd of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Most of this fuel is aimed at markets in Southeast Asia and Europe. Qatar plans to double the size of the plant, making it a mid-size refinery for the region.

MIDDLE DISTILLATE EDGE "They are going to give Saudi and Kuwait a good run for their money especially for middle distillates, Qatar is going to be a new kind of supplier," Troner said. The world's top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, is expected to add around 800,000 bpd of new refining capacity by 2015 but its heavy investment and use of crude as a feedstock would give Qatar a comfortable edge, Troner said.

Output of condensate in the region is rising quickly as producers boost gas capacity to meet the increasing needs of power plants. Condensate production in the Middle East is expected to rise to between 3 and 3.5 million bpd by 2020 from around 1.5-2 million bpd currently, according to data from FACTS Global Energy.

Qatar is responsible for about 27 percent of the condensate production from the region. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has a 19 percent share. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has no limits on the production of this light oil. Qatar would also boost supplies of middle distillates through its gas-to-liquids project with Royal Dutch Shell, a $19 billion plant that Shell describes as the world's largest energy project. Fuel from this plant is super-clean and can be blended into other fuels to improve its quality. Qatar is looking to lock in future export markets for the condensate that it cannot refine.

Qatar Petroleum has bought a stake in Royal Dutch Shell petrochemical joint ventures in Singapore. Under the deal, Qatar will supply the plants with cheap condensate and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Qatar's LPG output was also rising rapidly as it boosts gas production capacity, and was set to reach 13 million tons per year in 2014.

"They will sell below market prices, undercutting their competition, just to lock in their volumes," Troner said. Qatar, Shell and Petrochina are also looking at the viability of building a refining and petrochemical complex in China. — Reuters

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Wataniya introduces its new branding strategy KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom has just embarked on a new journey, one that is fuelled with passion, commitment and dedication. Wataniya Telecom is proud to unveil its new branding strategy that will surely have a positive impact on the lives of its customers, employees and stakeholders. Wataniya is proud to announce that is has officially started...

Wataniya celebrated its 10 years anniversary with a promise that said "It's Just Getting Started". Today Wataniya stands true to that claim and introduces the new branding strategy that will challenge the conventional norms to go beyond the usual with its fresh and flexible approach. This strategy was created especially to cater to the growing communication needs and expectations of its customers.

A positive customer experience is the foundation of Wataniya's new branding strategy. Building on this with

innovative products and creative services Wataniya aims to satisfy its loyal customers and attract new ones.

Wataniya has always made customer's satisfaction its highest priority and its new branding strategy affirms that and revolves around creating new and innovative ways to further enhance the customer's experience.

The new branding strategy aims at letting the customer feel Wataniya's services before experiencing them. This approach will be evident in the future campaigns, products and services the company will be rolling out and will reflect its commitment to exceed its customer's expectations at all times. Wataniya's new branding strategy will bring waves of change and exciting new developments in Kuwait. Extraordinary services and exciting new programs will add more value to the Wataniya experience and will give customers something new to look forward to.

flydubai celebrates a successful first 12 months Qatar Airways launches Nearly one million passenger bookings in first year of operations

KUWAIT: After an exciting twelve months, flydubai has reached one year in operation with almost one million passenger bookings and a staggering more than three quarters of a million passengers to date. The airline was established by the Government of Dubai in March 2008 with the aim of making travel within a four and a half hour flight radius of Dubai easier, more accessible and more affordable. flydubai's first flight took off to Beirut on June 1, 2009 and just 12 months later the airline has built a network of 21 destinations, 16 of which are operational, with five to follow later this month. This makes flydubai possibly the fastest growing start-up airline ever.

Since the start of operations to Beirut and Amman in June 2009, traffic on the Dubai-Beirut route has increased by 33% and Dubai-Amman has grown by a staggering 40%, which proves that flydubai's simple, uncomplicated low fares help to grow

the market. flydubai has made other changes to the market by giving people the option to purchase checked baggage, seats and meals.

These options have been very popular, with 83% of passengers purchasing an item of food or drink, 30% of passengers paying to select their seat and 56% paying for checked baggage. But 44% of people travelled with only hand luggage, which means they were able to benefit from flydubai's lowest fares. These figures indicate how well this different way of travelling has been accepted in the Middle East market.

In the first year flydubai operated almost 8,000 flights and of those 85% departed on time. In May alone there were more than 1,000 flights and 92% of them departed on time, which are very impressive numbers and show that even though flydubai is getting bigger the airline's performance is getting better. flydubai's fleet of 8 brand new Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft

are being worked hard to ensure they are kept in the air as much as possible. The yearend average aircraft utilization is expected to be around 14 and a half hours.

This would make flydubai the industry leader for an airline operating a 737-800 and is one of the ways the airline ensures low fares for its customers. There has been tremendous growth in staff numbers too. Currently flydubai employs more than 500 staff from almost 70 countries, including more than 100 pilots and more than 200 cabin crew.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO, flydubai commented on this proud occasion: "We would not be where we are today without the vision and leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and it is thanks to the guidance and support of our Chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum that we are in such a strong

position after such a short time. We are also grateful to our many partners and supporters including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, GCAA, DCAA, Dubai Police, DNRD, Emirates, Dnata, Dubai Customs, Dubai International Airport, DTCM, and the many embassies and consulates that have supported us over the last year.

"We are very proud of what we have achieved this year. We have taken a theory and turned it into a reality and that reality is a product that people really like. We have big plans for the future and we hope to continue to be as successful as we have been in our first year." In true flydubai style, the airline shows no let-up in the speed of its growth. In the coming months, the budget carrier is expecting to receive a further five aircraft and will fly to over 25 destinations by the end of this year, further strengthening its network across the region.

Wataniya Airways begins service to Italian capital Airliner continues to conquer Europe with 2 weekly flights KUWAIT: Wataniya Airways, Kuwait's premium service airline, began yesterday scheduled services to the Italian capital, Rome, with an inaugural flight from Sheikh Saad Terminal to Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Fiumiciano Airport. To celebrate the event, Wataniya Airways transformed Sheikh Saad Terminal into a celebration venue, wrapping the building in Wataniya Airways and Italian flags and recreating the Roman atmosphere in the exclusive Wataniya Airways terminal. Guests flying to Rome were welcomed at the terminal by Wataniya Airways hosts and were invited to attend the inaugural flight celebrations in the First Class Lounge. Guests were offered Italian style refreshments and canapĂŠs.

The launch was attended by H E Enrico Granara, the Italian Ambassador to Kuwait, Abdulsalam Al Bahr, Wataniya Airways Chairman and Managing Director, George Cooper, the airline's CEO, and senior members of the Wataniya Airways executive

KUWAIT: George Cooper, CEO of Wataniya Airways and Enrico Granara the Italian Ambassador to Kuwait seen in this photo. management team. Al Bahr said: "We are very proud to be able to extend our services to Rome. Apart from being a world centre of heritage and culture and one of the world's most attractive and popular tourist destinations, Rome has excellent connections to other

parts of Europe for onward travel and I am sure that our new scheduled services will prove to be popular for tourists and business guests alike."

Dubbed as the "Eternal City", Rome is Wataniya Airways' twelfth destination and the company's third

European city, following the launch of regular flights to Istanbul early May and Vienna at the beginning of June. The premium service carrier will run two weekly scheduled flights to Rome, on Mondays and Fridays. All flights will be from Wataniya Airways' exclu-

sive Sheikh Saad Terminal to Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Fiumiciano Airport, with convenient daytime departures and arrivals.

Rome is one of the world's most popular tourist cities.

With its shops, restaurants and dedication to the arts, its rich cultural and architectural heritage stretching back three thousand years, its historic heart listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum, which are among the world's 50 most visited tourist sites, the city has much to offer every visitor.

Rome is also extremely well connected to other European destinations, especially with the convenient arrival timing of Wataniya Airways' flights.

Guests wishing to travel on Wataniya Airways can book their tickets by logging on to wataniyaairways.com or calling the Kuwait Guest Contact Centre on 118 or +965 24379999 or make their reservation through their preferred travel agent.

daily flights to Barcelona Airliner hits 90 destinations with new service from Kuwait KUWAIT: Qatar Airways, one of the world's fastestgrowing airlines, achieved yet another milestone on the 7th of June 2010 as it launched daily flights between Doha and Barcelona - its 90th destination.

With the touchdown of flight QR067 in Barcelona, where the aircraft was welcomed by a dramatic water salute and met by senior airport officials and local dignitaries, the airline reinforced its position as the only Gulf carrier flying to Spain. Barcelona is Qatar Airways' second city served in Spain, after Madrid, and is expected to receive great response from leisure and business travelers alike. The new route underscores a growing commitment by the airline to the Spanish market following earlier capacity increases to the country's capital city of Madrid last year.

As Spain's second largest city, Barcelona is a popular tourist centre on the Mediterranean coastline. It is home to one of Europe's main ports and has a thriving economic base due largely to its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts and international trade. According to official tourism data, 52 million tourists visit Spain every year, making it one of the most visited countries in the world. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that as a result of Spain's escalating demand for air travel combined with the great popularity of the country among travelers from the Middle East and Asia, the Doha-based airline has steadily built up its presence in Spain.

"The launch of flights to Barcelona - our 90th destination in our ever-growing network is truly a milestone for Qatar Airways," he said. "Barcelona is a vibrant city with incredible appeal among leisure and business travelers, and we are confident that our new daily flights will be equally successful as our daily services to Madrid." Added Al Baker: "With 14 flights a week now operating to Spain, this reflects the high demand we have been experiencing in and out of the region, helped by increased economic ties between the Middle East and the Iberian Peninsula."

In time for the summer holiday period, Qatar Airways' newest destination is set to be a hot spot for everyone looking for a great place to spend their vacation. Barcelona is the 2,000-year-old capital of the Catalunyan region, an excellent year-round destination, offering art, unique architecture, nightlife, sophisticated shopping and gastronomical delights which cater to travelers of all ages and budgets. The city has a population of over three million people.

Due to its quaint Old Town centre and plenty of sightseeing attractions in close proximity of each other, visitors can easily explore Barcelona on foot.

Barcelona is also an ideal gateway city to further discover the magic of Spain such as the country's southern region of Andalucia. Rich in Moorish history and architecture including the mythical Alhambra Palace and being the birthplace of the colorful Flamenco dance, the tourism Spain has to offer is one of a kind and determined to attract many travelers from the Middle East, South Asia and Asia-Pacific.

The city is the fifth new destination launched by Qatar Airways so far during 2010. Over the past six

BARCELONA: (From left) Fahad Al Mana Minister Plenipotentiary embassy of Qatar, Qatar Airways Country Manager Spain & Portugal Marimar Laveda, Vice President Commercial Europe Paul Johannes and Director of Barcelona Airport Fernando Echegaray del Pozo are pictured at the cake cutting ceremony at Barcelona International Airport following Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight to the Mediterranean port city. months, the carrier has introduced services to Bengaluru (Bangalore), Copenhagen, Ankara and Tokyo.

Beginning June 24, Qatar Airways will serve the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo and the Argentine capital Buenos Aires with daily scheduled flights direct from Doha. The addition of South America will ensure Qatar Airways becomes a truly global airline - a remarkable feat in just 13 years since its launch.

Qatar Airways' renowned service has received numerous international accolades for its high service standards and great hospitality. The independent aviation industry audit Skytrax recently voted Qatar Airways as the World's 3rd Best Airline at the annual Skytrax Airline Awards 2010 and named Qatar Airways as Best Airline in the Middle East for the fifth consecutive year.

Passengers flying First Class or Business Class through Doha onto connecting cities with Qatar Airways will be able to transit through the airline's exclusive Premium Terminal, where they can unwind and relax enjoying creature comforts of the facilities, including fine dining, spa treatments and duty free shopping.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 83 aircraft to 90 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and North America. On the Doha - Barcelona route, Qatar Airways operates an Airbus A319 in a twoclass configuration of 8 seats in Business Class and 102 in Economy.

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.2870000 .4190000 .3470000 .2510000 .2760000 .2370000 .0045000 .0020000 .0793590 .7731700 .4020000 .0750000 .7579610 .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 .2923500 .4212750 .3488990 .2532570 .2779660 .0468970 .0361550 .2396640 .0374520 .2060980 .0031980 .0062530 .0025810 .0034290 .0042610 .0796330 .7758330 .4134500 .0779970 .7597070 .0062860

US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2944500 .4242470 .2550490 .0784940

.2970000 .4300000 .3550000 .2580000 .2850000 .24800000 .0075000 .0035000 .0801560 .7809410 .4190000 .0790000 .7655790 .0072000 .0580000

281.540 183.300 255.900 240.900 291.250 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

3.227 6.233 3.438 2.579 3.920 207.820 37.634 4.237 6.304 9.000 0.301 0.292 GCC COUNTRIES

.2944500 .4242470 .3513610 .2550490 .2799330 .0472290 .0364110 .2413550 .0377170 .2075570 .0032210 .0062970 .0025990 .0034530 .0042910 .0801400 .7807750 .4163760 .0784940 .7645470 .0063310

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

78.350 80.720 763.220 780.300 80.000 ARAB COUNTRIES

Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

54.500 51.780 1.302 192.620 414.500 197.100 6.271 32.592 GOLD

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

241.000 121.000 60.000

293.650 352.820 426.530

COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash

Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

SELL CASH 244.700 780.720 4.410 282.900 576.400 15.800 49.000 167.800 54.230 355.000

SELL DRAFT 243.200 780.720 4.237 281.400

208.600 51.796 353.500

38.370 6.560 0.035 0.285 0.259 3.310 416.430 0.198 91.890 45.200 4.310 198.700 2.000 46.600 762.650 3.540 6.590 81.190 78.390 208.600 40.260 2.781 427.500 38.500 257.700 6.400 9.390 217.900 80.110 294.000 1.350

38.220 6.250

415.000 0.198 91.890 3.990 197.200

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

2.563 4.222 6.253 3.190 8.942 6.369 3.858

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

762.470 3.450 6.295 80.760 78.390 208.600 40.260 2.579 425.500 256.200 9.190 80.010 293.600

GOLD 10 Tola

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

293.650 3.450 6.260 2.590 4.235 6.340 49.995 78.480 780.200 51.770 431.100 0.0000328000 3.990 1.550 416.800 5.750 356.800 285.000

1,362.540

Sterling Pound

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

Al Mulla Exchange

TRAVELLER'S CHEQUE 425.500

Currency

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Cyprus Pound Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees

291.950 277.520 430.748 358.831 251.784 715.600 772.771 79.467 80.171 77.822 411.987 51.627 6.208 3.425

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 293.200 353.500 427.400 280.000 3.215 6.241 51.760 2.579 4.233 6.285 3.448 779.800 79.900 78.300

BUSINESS

Thursday, June 10, 2010

23

UAE fund pays $655.5m for Blue City Class A debt DUBAI: UAE-based investment fund Essdar Capital, which bought the senior debt of the troubled $15 billion Blue City property development in Oman, plans to focus on developing hotels and tourism in the project, an executive said.

Earlier yesterday, Essdar said in a statement it had bought about 99 percent of Blue City’s class A debt via a public tender offer for $655.5 million, in a distressed debt deal that highlights the woes of the

Essdar buys debt of troubled Oman property project region’s property sector. “We do have a very significant control on the decision making and we do intend to exercise voting rights in a positive manner to develop the project,” Suketu Sanghvi, senior managing director of structuring and investments at Essdar said. “(Hotels and tourism) that’s an element of the project that is

quite positive for us ... occupancy rates are very high in Oman.” “A lot needs to be done before plans can be made,” he added. An hour from Oman’s capital Muscat, Blue City was touted as Oman’s biggest real estate project but it stalled amid dismal sales and clashes between shareholders.

The 20-year project, which will be

Rising China wages could spell end to cheap labor BEIJING: The days of endless cheap labor in the “workshop of the world” could be numbered as a shortage of workers and government fears of social unrest drive up wages in China, experts say. A spate of suicides at Taiwanese hightech firm Foxconn and an unprecedented strike at Honda’s auto parts factory in southern China suggest that employers can no longer take their workforces for granted after decades of rapid growth.

Beijing has reacted to the labor unrest by launching a round of minimum wage hikes across the nation, reflecting concern among top leaders that frustrated workers could trigger wider social turmoil.

Under President Hu Jintao, “the direction of policy has been towards greater concern about income distribution, less emphasis on growth at all costs”, Tsinghua University economist Patrick Chovanec said. The labor problems have received widespread coverage by state-run media and sparked statements of concern from official trade unions-essentially an adjunct of the communist regime. Nearly a quarter of Chinese employees have not had a raise in five years, according to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

Inflation has stayed low, despite blistering economic growth during the period.

But IT giant Foxconn-which counts heavyweights Apple, Dell, Sony and Panasonic among its clients-has now given staff a 70 percent pay rise after 11 suicides among its vast Chinese workforce. Honda, Japan’s number two carmaker, last week offered a 24 percent rise to workers to end a crippling strike that had brought the company’s vehicle production in China to a halt for more than a week. In another case, Taiwanese handset component maker Merry Electronics Co. raised the basic wages of 7,000 staff at its factory in the southern city of Shenzhen by 17 percent to end a brief strike, Taiwanese media reported.

“If you are a factory owner in Guangdong (southern China), you have got a few things working against you now and you have definitely got to start making it a bit more attractive to make labor come to you,” said Brian Jackson, a senior analyst at the Royal Bank of Canada in Hong Kong. “All the indications are this is something that is going to continue in the months ahead-assuming you don’t have a big impact from European problems on the manufacturing sector,” he said, alluding to eurozone economic worries. But some Chinese-owned factories fear the wage pressure could hurt the vast manufacturing indus-

try as it bounces back from the global financial crisis.

“We are all worried about the cost push and how that will continue to have a higher stress on manufacturers who export,” said Jimmy Kwok, managing director of Rambo Chemicals, which employs 400 workers at a plant in Shenzhen.

He said higher labor costs might force manufacturers to pull back on planned investments in new equipment, to lay off staff or to move their operations to regions where labor costs less. As China’s economy surges, wage demands will continue to pose a headache for companies, forcing some to relocate or pass on the cost through higher prices for their toys and electronic gadgets, analysts say.

The market verdict against Foxconn’s parent company has been brutal. Hon Hai Precision Industry has lost billions of dollars in market valuation as its share price has slumped since the steep wage hikes were announced. For Arthur Kroeber, managing director of the Dragonomics consultancy in Beijing, the laws of supply and demand are reawakening in China. “The simple reason for the wage pressure is that the supply of young workers who are typically the people who move into these factories in coastal China is shrinking,” he said. —AFP

built in 12 phases, was expected to have a population of 200,000.

Phase one constitutes 2.8 square kilometers and more than 3,000 villas and apartments, according to its website.

Construction on phase one began in 2006. In July last year, Essdar said it made a discounted bid for two bonds used to finance

the project, after the notes were downgraded. “Essdar has previously made attempts to buy Class A debt in Blue City. I think reports that Qatari investors were eyeing the project may have pushed them for a tender offer,” said Andre Andrijanovs, corporate analyst at London-based distressed debt firm Exotix Limited.

“The current shareholders could potentially be wiped out. They would like to restructure the project and they probably still find some value in it,” he said.

Blue City issued $925 million worth of bonds in November 2006 and these were divided into four categories-A, B, C and Dwhich are in descending order of

asset security. The two bonds were downgraded in July to nearjunk status, with ratings agencies warning the value of Blue City’s property sales had fallen dramatically, with no sign of recovery in the short to medium term.

Essdar bought the debt through its affiliate Essdar Investments Limited. Blue City Chief Executive Richard Russel declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. —Reuters

France lures investors Investment advisors visit Kuwait

By Ahmad Saeid

KUWAIT: Salim Saifi (right) speaking to journalists about investment opportunities in France. — Photo by Ahmad Saeid

Labor strife spreads to 3rd Honda supplier in China Honda shares down 2.8%

India’s fuel reform at the mercy of rain and politics NEW DELHI: India’s government is hoping monsoon rains will soon give it the political cover it needs to start cutting costly fuel subsidies, but reforms will have to proceed slowly to keep reluctant coalition allies on board. A panel led by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee postponed a decision on reforming fuel pricing on Monday, after two key ministers from small coalition partners failed to attend in a clear signal of their reluctance to be associated with a policy that may improve India’s finances but will also cost votes.

Mukherjee appears determined not to give up, however, and the cabinet will set a date soon for another bid to agree the issue.

Waiting 10 days or so will give the government a better sense of the strength of the oncoming summer monsoon. If it is normal, as expected, this will bolster farm output and give a respite from food price inflation. And that could give the government a window of opportunity to cut fuel subsidies.

Submitting fuel to full market pricing would bolster India’s fiscal health as fuel accounts for a quarter of its estimated subsidy bill of 1.2 trillion rupees ($25.5 billion). It would help state-run energy retailers such as Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd operate profitably. And it would fatten profits for Reliance Industries and Essar Oil, private sector players which captured almost 15 percent of the retail fuel market between them 5 years ago, before they were hit by subsidized sales by state firms. But public and political opposition in the face of looming state elections mean fuel reforms will be gradual at most.

PROTECTING THE COMMON MAN The ruling Congress party coalition does not have the will to risk alienating its mostly poor and rural support base by exposing the price of cooking and motor fuels to market forces. “We will be forced to cut down household expenditure such as on food if the government hikes cooking gas prices,” said Rama Satpathy, a housewife in Bhubaneshwar in eastern India. “We buy chicken, fish and mutton twice in a week. Now we may have to do it once in a week,” said Satpathy, whose husband works in a private firm and who has a child attending school.

By not acting boldly now, however, India may miss a rare window of opportunity for reforms as inflation is forecast to abate, the monsoon is off to a promising start, global crude prices are relatively moderate and the next major state election, in large and impoverished Bihar, will only take place in October.

“We believe the current macro environment is conducive for fuel reforms,” said a report by

Goldman Sachs. Expectations for at least some changes in fuel pricing helped shares of state oil firms rise 3-4 percent on Wednesday.

Politicians worry higher fuel prices would worsen the impact of inflation on consumers already burdened by higher food bills.

Oil ministry officials say that to protect the “aam aadmi”, or common man, the government is keen to retain controls on cooking gas, used mainly in urban homes, and kerosene, used for lighting by the poor in regions that have no electricity. At most, the government might try to raise administered prices for cooking fuels. It favors reforms in the price of petrol, which accounts for only 10 percent of India’s fuel demand and is used primarily by wealthier car owners, and a slower change for diesel, which accounts for a third of the country’s fuel demand. Officials say the oil ministry is pushing for easing controls in phases, starting with market pricing of petrol.

The Trinamool Congress, a West Bengalbased party that provides the government vital parliamentary support, said any rise in fuel prices at a time the government was struggling to rein in inflation would only hurt the common man. Indian authorities are sympathetic. “From a political and welfare perspective, it is difficult to impose on them a hike in fuel prices at the time when they are already dealing with high food prices. Balancing out these two factors will drive the timing,” Subir Gokarn, deputy governor of India’s central bank said this week in Singapore.

HOPING FOR RAIN New Delhi hopes a strong monsoon makes its decision easier. Food prices rose by an annual 15-16 percent after last year’s drought, provoking street protests and worrying regional allies of the coalition government. Within the next two weeks, the weather office will update its forecast for this year’s monsoon. Proponents of ending the subsidies argue that the inflationary impact is overstated.

Fuel has a weight of about 8-9 percent in India’s widely watched wholesale price index, meaning a 10 percent rise in fuel rates would increase inflation by less than 1 percent, said TK Bhaumik, economist at JK Corp. “I don’t think this should have very significant impact on inflation,” he said. Also, India’s inflation rate is expected to soften-the main jump in prices was last year due to the bad monsoon, so year-on-year inflation will soon start to slow. “Both food inflation and fuel inflation will start slowing down because of the base effect,” said N R Bhanumurthy, economist at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy. —Reuters

TOKYO: A third strike in four weeks hit Honda Motor Co’s Chinese suppliers yesterday, fuelling concerns that unrest among workers in the world’s manufacturing hub is spreading. Japan’s No 2 automaker said a strike and production stoppage had begun yesterday at a factory in Guangdong province that supplies locks to all four Honda factories in China. However, progress was made at another factory supplying Honda exhaust systems, with management and striking workers reaching agreement and resuming production late yesterday, according to Honda unit Yutaka Giken.

The latest walk-out comes amid growing labor disputes in China’s Pearl River Delta, a fast-growing and densely populated manufacturing hub home to hundreds of foreign-owned factories. Strikes are usually stamped out quickly in China over government concerns about social unrest. But more disputes have been erupting lately between workers resentful of large income disparities and harsh working conditions, and employers trying to rein in rising costs.

Honda spokesman Yoshiyuki Kuroda said the automaker expected no disruption so far from yesterday’s stoppage at Honda Lock’s factory, with sufficient inventory for now. But the three-day strike at the exhaust systems plant majority owned by

Yutaka Giken would keep both car factories operated by joint venture Guangqi Honda, which builds the Accord, Fit and two other models, idled today, he said. That strike started on Monday, just days after Honda settled a strike at a wholly owned transmission supplier that had forced it to halt all output in the world’s largest auto market. Honda shares ended down 2.8 percent in a Tokyo market.

PRESSURE BUILDS Details were not immediately available on the terms of the agreement between management and workers at the exhaust factory. Earlier, a worker surnamed Yang said workers were pushing for higher pay, compensation for having to shut down for about a week due to disruptions at other plants, and are awaiting a quarterly bonus that was due in March. “I make around 1,700 yuan-1,800 yuan ($249-$264) a month including overtime,” he said, adding that he was not one of the workers on strike. “It’s enough for food and board, but if I want to buy a flat it’s definitely not enough. ... Living costs are getting more and more expensive.”

The strikes come amid a broader rise in wages in the Pearl Delta, which has created a need for more rational discussions between factories and their managers, said Huang Rurong, director of an employment centre close to the affected plant. “Step by

step wage increases are a part of China’s economic development. This is very normal,” said Huang as he smoked a cigarette and sipped green tea in his office. “If you’re a worker you will of course want more pay.

This is very natural.”

GROWING AFFLUENCE Despite the recent labor problems, Honda plans to lift production capacity in China to 830,000 units a year from the current 650,000. It sold about 580,000 cars in China last year, about 17 percent of its global sales. The strikes are certain to affect costs not only for Honda, but also other carmakers in China, said Koji Endo, an auto analyst at Advanced Research Japan. “Foreign firms would have to raise salaries due to severe labor shortage especially around Guangdong, where plants of foreign automakers and electronics makers are concentrated,” he said.

One of the region’s top employers, Foxconn International Holdings, a unit of Taiwan contract electronics giant Hon Hai Precision Industry, has offered workers at its Shenzhen manufacturing hub big pay rises as it tries to deal with fallout from a spate of suicides there. Yesterday, Taiwan media also reported that 2,000 workers at a Taiwanese-owned machinery firm in the city of Kunshan near Shanghai had gone on strike on Tuesday seeking higher wages and better working conditions. —Reuters

KUNSHAN: Some 2,000 workers clash with police as they stage a strike outside the Taiwan-funded KOK Machinery rubber factory in Kunshan, east China’s Jiangsu province. Dozens of striking workers have been hurt in clashes with police in China and a fresh labor stoppage again halted Honda’s production, in the latest unrest to rock the “workshop of the world”. —AFP

KUWAIT: A round table discussion of investment opportunities in France took place yesterday morning at the Regency Hotel Kuwait. The Invest in France Agency (IFA) organized the event in order to let journalists find out more about recently adopted French regulations which aim to facilitate foreign investment in France.

“France has taken, and continues to take positive steps to make it easier for foreign investors to do business in France,” said Salim Saifi, an investment advisor with IFA Middle East. Saifi said that among the most important changes to take place were reforms to the country’s taxation system, explaining, “As of January 2010, France has completely removed the ‘local business tax’, which amounted to 11 percent of income for all the foreign businesses in France.”

The French advisor explained that other measures taken to encourage investment include the adoption of ‘green taxation,’ as well as the deregulation of weekly working hours to allow agreements between employees and employers, and the adoption of a more flexible mobility regime to ease expatriate employees’ access to the French market.

The IFA representative revealed that the French republic is taking serious steps to develop a futuristic approach to investment.

“One of the biggest and most important projects we have is the so-called ‘Grand Paris,’ which aims to make Paris and the surround region a durable city of the future,” Saifi revealed. “Also the French government is putting a great emphasis on and providing great amount of support and funding for the areas of research and development, mainly in the areas of higher education and training, research, sustainable development and the digital economy, by adopting a ‘National Bond’ project for investing in strategic areas, with a budget of 35 billion Euros.”

Saifi noted that among the areas that France is focusing on is Islamic financing.

“France is an open country,” he said. “In fact, we occupy the second place after the US in terms of openness for foreign investment. There were some legal obstacles that limited Islamic financing investment in France, such as double taxation for Islamic bonds, but the French government has adopted a number of laws, and is now working very hard to overcome these obstacles to encourage investments in France.”

Saifi also revealed that France’s Islamic finance sector registered a growth rate of 29 percent in 2009, compared to 6.8 percent for conventional banking. Also yesterday, the IFA in cooperation with the French Business Council in Kuwait held a seminar about investment opportunities in the French real estate market.

The seminar was attended by the French Ambassador to Kuwait Jean-RenÈ Gehan, in addition to a number of Kuwaiti businessmen.

24

BUSINESS

Thursday, June 10, 2010

KSE Price Index decreases by 54.30 points Global Daily Market Report KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) equities ended the day on a negative note.

Trading in the shares of Zain resumed yesterday, the firm said in a statement on the Kuwaiti bourse website. On Tuesday, Zain closed a $9 billion deal to sell most of its African assets to India's Bharti. Global General Index (GGI) fell 6.19 points (-3.18 percent) during yesterday's session to reach 188.80 points. Furthermore, the KSE Price Index decreased by 54.30 points (- 0.81 percent) yesterday and closed at 6,669.10 points. Market capitalization was down KD1.02bn yesterday to reach KD31.19bn.

Sheraton marks 44th anniversary KUWAIT: One more year has unfolded and the Sheraton Kuwait celebrates yet another year of success marking the hotel's 44th anniversary. It was in the year 1966 that the Sheraton Kuwait was inaugurated to be the first managed Sheraton property to open outside North America and the first Starwood property worldwide to continue operating under the same management company for over 40 years.

Sheraton Kuwait has proven throughout the past 44 years to be the undisputed pioneer in the hospitality industry, locally as well as regionally. During this journey, Sheraton Kuwait has won tremendous admiration from global leaders and numerous awards from prestigious organizations. On this special occasion, Fahed Abushaar the Area Director/General Manager of Sheraton

Market breadth During yesterday's session, 111 companies were traded.

Market breadth was skewed towards decliners, as 24 equities advanced versus 68 that retreated. A total of 120 stocks remained unchanged during yesterday's trading session.

Daily trading activity Trading activities ended on a negative note yesterday as volume of shares traded on the exchange decreased by 38.65percent to reach 179.32mn shares, and value of shares traded decreased by 8.69 percent to stand at KD36.71mn. The Services Sector was the value leader accounting for 35.58 percent of total market value, and the Investment sector was the volume leader yesterday, with a total traded volume of 54.20mn shares accounting for 30.22 percent of total market volume.

Abyaar Real Estate Development Co. was the volume leader yesterday, with a total traded volume of 20.96mn shares.

Mobile Telecommunications Co (ZAIN) was the value leader, with a total traded value of KD10.20mn.

Top gainers and biggest decliners In terms of top gainers, Danah Al Safat Foodstuff Company took the top spot yesterday, adding 7.25 percent and closed at KD0.148. On the other hand, Manazel Holding Co was the biggest loser, decreasing by 7.94 percent and closed at KD0.029, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sectors wise Regarding Global's sectoral indices, they all ended the day on a negative note, during yesterday's session. Global Services Index was the biggest decliner, down 9.09 percent, backed by Al Nawadi Co, ending the day down

4.42 percent and closed at KD0.216, Followed by Global Industrial Index, down 1.08 percent backed by Kuwait Building Materails Manufacturing Co down 5.41 percent, and closed at KD0.350. Global's special indices ended on a mixed note yesterday. Global Small Cap was the top advancer, for the second day in a row, up 0.41 percent, backed

by Al- Qurain Holding Co. ending with a gain of 6.67 percent and closed at KD0.032. Global Large Cap Index was the biggest decliner, down 5.25 percent, backed by ZAIN, ending with a loss of 3.39%, closing at KD1140.

Market news Kuwait Stock Exchange

(KSE) announces that Manafae Investment Company has paid back KD5mn on its maturity date of June 08, 2010 to a local bank for previously granted credit facilities.

Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) announces that the board of Grand Real Estate Projects Co proposed on May 31, 2010 setting off KD36,740,106 accumulated losses against the voluntary and legal reserves, as well as issue premium, totaling KD36,740,106, according to the consolidated financial position.

This followed posting financial statements for the FY that ended on December 31, 2009. The board also recommended taking the procedures necessary for the company's sustainability, includ-

ing financial backing from shareholders.

Oil news The price of Kuwaiti oil barrel was up 78 cents during Tuesday's transactions scoring USD 69.52 per barrel after being at USD 68.74 two days ago, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said yesterday. Speculations on ailing economies of some of EU's countries such as that of Greece, and Hungary along factors related to international stock exchange, geopolitical, psychological situations are to account for fluctuating oil prices, analysts said.

Kuwait, expressed his satisfaction at the superlative performance of the Hotel and reiterated the importance of being the pioneer in providing high standards of hospitality in the region.

He also acknowledged the efforts and expertise of the associates and appreciated their contribution in preserving the elegance of Sheraton Kuwait. Today the Sheraton Kuwait features 300 rooms to immerse guests in an atmosphere of magic and opulence ranging from luxurious guest rooms to breathtaking suites.

The hotel also offers a broad range of dining choices at its world class restaurants and a comprehensive range of banqueting facilities to cater for any occasion, suitable for a wide variety of private and corporate functions.

Crowne Plaza burns prices, 'not only on the weekends' KUWAIT: Wouldn't you love to have an entertaining day with your family without having to travel? Aren't you looking for total relaxation, enjoyment and saving at the same time? Then, Crowne Plaza Kuwait is YOUR destination.

Crowne Plaza Hotel has announced its unique surprise which you can find nowhere else in Kuwait. Crowne Plaza gives you the chance to enjoy a stay in one of the most beloved hotels in Kuwait for

only KD39 per night. With this offer you get to stay in one of the totally renovated rooms with your family (Husband and wife with 2 children under the age of 12). In case you are above 4 persons, the hotel provides you another room at an astonishing price.

The room package allows you to access to the Nautilus Fitness Center. And for all swimming, tennis and basket ball fans, you could head to the all new multi sports area and

the renovated swimming pool.

"What about the kids?" maybe your dilemma, the Kids Club is your answer where your kids can spend their time with friends enjoying games, cartoon characters, magic shows, and hoards of activities. Grab this fantastic chance, Crowne Plaza Hotel Kuwait invites you to relax and enjoy this amazing room package with your family and friends. This offer is valid for all GCC visitors and residents of Kuwait.

BUSINESS

Thursday, June 10, 2010

25

Finland slips back into surprise recession HELSINKI: Finland's economy slipped back into unexpected recession in January-March when gross domestic product (GDP) contracted for the second quarter in a row, official data showed yesterday. In the first quarter of 2010 the volume of Finland's GDP fell 0.4 percent versus the fourth quarter of 2009, Statistics Finland said in a state-

ment. This meant that the economy had shrunk by 0.8 percent on a 12month comparison.

"Two quarterly falls in a row was really a surprise," Handelsbanken Finland's chief economist Tiina Helenius said, calling the figures "weak" and "disappointing". She said that "consumers remain cautious, which is visible in particular in the

very weak demand for services," adding that for many Finnish exports, including industrial machines, demand generally picks up later in the cycle.

Statistics Finland also revised down the GDP figure for the fourth quarter of 2009, saying the economy had slipped 0.2 percent from the previous quarter versus an earlier

estimate of flat growth. It also adjusted the year-on-year fall for the fourth quarter to 5.2 percent from a previously given 5.1 percent.

"According to the revised time series, the volume of seasonally adjusted GDP peaked in the second quarter of 2008, thereafter it fell very rapidly especially in the last quarter of 2008 and the first quarter

of 2009," Statistics Finland said.

"Since then output has remained on level with the first quarter of 2009," it added. In the third quarter of 2009, the economy grew 0.5 percent, the statistics office said. The Nordic country's economy has been hit harder by the global economic downturn than those of most other European Union countries, and

going forward, export-reliant Finland's performance will depend very much on recovery in key export countries like Sweden, Russia and Germany.

Earlier this week the International Monetary Fund (IMF) called Finland's economic oultook "unusually uncertain" given the depth of the recession and structur-

al challenges like its rapidly ageing population. The eurozone country's economy, which slumped nearly eight percent in 2009, is nonetheless expected to begin recovering this year, with the finance ministry forecasting 1.1-percent growth.

Unemployment was meanwhile expected to remain high, around nine percent. — AFP

Asian stocks wobble on EU debt worries Euro hovers around 4-year lows

BUDAPEST: A local citizen receives his money in Hungarian forint at the Automatic Telling Machines of the biggest and state-owned Hungarian bank, the 'OTP Bank' in downtown Budapest. Hungary's new government has pledged to keep its finances under control. — AFP

Hungary exits recession Economy expanded by 0.9% BUDAPEST: Hungary emerged from recession in the first quarter when the economy expanded by 0.9 percent, official data showed yesterday the day after the government took tough action to correct public finances. Hungary entered a deep recession at the end of 2008 and the economy shrank by 6.3 percent in 2009. The recovery reported yesterday was driven by rising exports in part to Germany, and by government spending, the final data for the quarter showed. "According to seasonally adjusted data, the economic performance increased by 0.9 percent in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the previous quarter," the statistics office KSH said in a statement.

On a 12-month basis, the economy grew by a marginal 0.2 percent in the period from January to March, the statisticians calculated. The final data, which confirmed preliminary figures released last month, showed that growth was driven mainly by government spending and rising exports. "This latest data has shown that Hungary's growth rate has surpassed the average European GDP growth, even though previous predictions forecast a contraction", said Miklos Hegedus from GKI Energy Research and Consulting Ltd. He added that "this growth rate was mainly thanks to the increased exports to Germany whose economy has grown as well in recent months". Another analyst, Gyorgy Barta from CIB Bank, added that "the biggest contributor to the GDP growth was the export sector and the indus-

trial sector, although fiscal belt-tightening in Western-Europe may change this trend as Hungary's main trading partners, such as Germany, are there." However, this may change as Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, announced spending cuts amounting to 80 billion euros ($95 billion) to consolidate Germany's balance sheets by 2016.

Budget cutbacks introduced by Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban, whose conservative Fidesz party holds a two-thirds majority in Parliament, may slow growth too, because public sector workers will have less disposable income, thus lowering VAT sales tax revenues. These budget cuts will slow domestic consumption and it may not pick up for another year, but, Hegedus said, "the German situation will not affect Hungary because Germany's economy, as Hungary's, is export oriented." He said: "This means that if Germany's exports grow, Hungary's exports will grow too because Hungary is a supplier to the German industries."

Government spending rose by 1.0 percent compared with the level in the preceding three months and exports were up 3.2 percent. At the same time, household spending fell by 0.8 percent. By sector, economic activity in industry was up by 2.7 percent, while the agriculture sector decreased by 0.3 percent and the construction sector contracted by 2.7 percent. The services sector saw marginal growth of 0.3 percent. — AFP

Al Mazaya begins delivery of 104 villas KUWAIT: Al Mazaya Holding has started handover of the 104 villas that comprise Phase One of its 'The Villa' project in Dubai located in Dubailand, on the Emirates Road. The Villa comprises of 520 modern residential villas catering to the needs of citizens, residents, businessmen, investors, etc. The first phase of project has been completed, while construction and development of the 110 Phase Two villas is ongoing, and the 306 Phase Three villas are 70 percent complete.

"We are thrilled with the delivery of Phase

One of The Villa. We have faced a lot of challenges along the way, not least of which was that The Villa development work predominantly took place during the financial crises that had a significant effect on property markets around the world," said Fathi Damiri, Senior Vice President at Mazaya Project Management, Dubai. He added "The Villa is a family-oriented project, away from the buzz and noise of the city. The project is designed in a modern style that allows for a harmonious community, where each family can maintain their privacy".

SINGAPORE: Asian stocks fell yesterday and the euro wobbled near four-year lows after Fitch Ratings said the UK faced a "formidable" fiscal challenge, fueling concerns that Europe's sovereign debt problems could stifle the global economic recovery. Adding to the uncertainty, US Federal Reserve officials on Tuesday gave conflicting signals on the direction of interest rates, highlighting an increasingly important split within the central bank as the US economy shows signs of slowing.

Investors were also awaiting a European Central Bank meeting later in the day to see if it will announce fresh steps to ease strains from the euro zone's debt crisis. The ECB could offer extra funds to banks and will be pressed at a news conference for details of its surprise government bond-buying program.

It is also expected to publish a new set of economic forecasts for the region which are likely to signal somewhat stronger activity despite worries that debt problems and government austerity measures will sharply brake growth.

Solving the debt crisis implies heavy budget cuts at a time when many analysts believe spending is needed to help keep the global recovery on track. Riskaverse investors have streamed into gold, sending prices for the precious metal to a record dollar high, on persistent fears that the euro zone debt problems will spread. "Markets hate uncertainty and at the moment you've got a lot of it," said Peter Wright, a dealer at Burrell & Co in Australia. Japan's benchmark Nikkei fell 1 percent, spiraling toward a six-month low as worries the global recovery was losing steam and as a stronger yen hurt major export4ers such as Sony Corp, which fell nearly 2 percent.

The Nikkei's relative strength index has fallen to around 34, nearing the 30 level which indicates conditions are oversold. But rebounds in recent weeks have proved short-lived as wary investors quickly take profits on any rallies. Stocks

TOKYO: A man walks past an electronic stock indicator in Tokyo yesterday. — AP elsewhere in Asia also retreated, with the MSCI ex-Japan index giving up early gains to stand 0.2 percent lower by late morning. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index flitted in and out of negative territory, while South Korea's KOSPI fell 0.5 percent, led by financials.

European shares fell on Tuesday, hitting a near two-week closing low, after Fitch said Britain faced a "formidable"

Merkel, Sarkozy in joint push for market reform PARIS: France and Germany yesterday called for a European ban on certain highrisk market dealings such as naked short selling in a joint appeal that came amid tensions over the eurozone debt crises.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel wrote jointly to EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and urged quick action to regulate certain transactions due to "turbulence" on the markets.

"The commission's work should include a possible ban at European level on naked short selling of all or certain shares and bonds and of certain credit default swaps on sovereign securities," they wrote in the letter. Credit default swaps are instruments offering insurance against the risk that a government might be unable to honor payments due on debt it has issued to investors to cover its overspending. "Naked" short selling is a particularly aggressive technique of selling assets for a future date without having any immediate access to it, even through borrowing.

Traders seek to profit from a future drop in prices.

The biggest market for such financial products in Europe is in London where the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat government is already facing regulatory moves from EU authorities considered unwelcome for British financial centers. A sudden, unilateral decision by Germany to ban some forms of "naked" short selling in government debt caused consterna-

tion in European government debt markets and helped make big deficits and debt in the eurozone a hot issue. "Strong measures have already come into force," Merkel and Sarkozy wrote in the letter dated Tuesday but released yesterday.

"Severe turbulence on the financial markets in recent months has however raised serious concerns among member states of the European Union and all our citizens," they added. "We believe there is an urgent need for the (European) Commission to speed up its work concerning the strengthened framework of the market" governing transactions such as the credit default swaps and short selling. They called on the commission to present a comprehensive action plan before a meeting of economic and finance ministers of the 27 EU countries on July 9. Sarkozy and Merkel are to hold talks on Monday in Berlin ahead of a European Union summit later that week that will be dominated by worries over the eurozone's debt crises. There have been mounting disagreements between the two leaders over economic policy, including frequent clashes over multi-billion-euro (dollar) bailout packages for Greece and then the wider eurozone.

Paris had blamed Berlin for dragging its feet over a near trillion-dollar plan drawn up to prevent Greece's fiscal woes from spreading to other vulnerable countries, saying that it pushed up the price of the package. — AFP

challenge to cut government borrowing and needs more ambitious plans to reduce the deficit over the medium term.

US stocks rose up to 1.3 percent in volatile trade overnight, but investors shied away from larger companies which have significant exposure to Europe. The euro slipped to $1.1945 down 0.3 percent from New York trading levels but above Monday's four-year low of $1.1876.

Against the yen, it fell 0.5 percent from late US levels to 109.05 yen after gaining 0.5 percent on Tuesday.

"The euro decline isn't over," said Marc Chandler, senior strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York.

"What we're seeing now is a brief respite.

A rise above $1.20 would be a good chance to sell." The pound fell after Fitch urged Britain to cut its deficit, the latest in a series of concerns expressed by rating agencies about the state of government finances in Europe. The warning followed credit downgrades of Greece, Spain and Portugal in recent months, and fresh worries this week about Hungary's ballooning deficit and banks' exposure to Eastern Europe as a whole.

Gold firmed, hovering within sight of a record above $1,250 an ounce struck the previous day, as investors looked for safe havens from months of market turmoil. "It is mainly the fear of another slide into recession which is seeing demand for gold as a safe haven," said Commerzbank analyst Daniel Briesemann. Valuations of global equities have come down quickly in the last several weeks, but analysts appear divided over whether the market is bottoming out. The uncertain global economic outlook could have an impact on earnings forecasts, though economists as a whole have not changed their growth predictions in a big way.

Asian investors are awaiting a flurry of data from China this week after reports last month indicated growth may have peaked in the world's third-largest economy. Though the number of property sales in big Chinese cities is decreasing, likely pointing to an easing in price pressures, other indicators do not reflect a massive slowdown in the world's fastest growing economy or its demand for imported goods. US crude oil futures prices rose 50 cents or 0.7 percent to $72.49 a barrel after industry data showed US crude inventories fell more than expected last week. — Reuters

Finnair's outlook improves HELSINKI: Finnish airline Finnair signaled an improvement in business prospects yesterday, ditching an earlier outlook for a worse second quarter. It said it expected its April-June operating figures to show an operating loss similar to or smaller than the first-quarter figure. It had previously forecast the second-quarter result to be "clearly worse" than the January-March operating loss of 26 million euros ($31.1 million). "We naturally cannot be satisfied with a loss-making result, but the trend in profitability is encouraging," Finnair CEO Mika Vehvilaeinen said in a statement.

The forecast upgrade stems from "better than

expected development of demand and unit revenues," Finnair said, adding the impact of massive clouds of ash from an Icelandic volcano eruption that wreaked havoc for air travel in April and May had been "milder than expected". Finnair said demand in markets outside of its Finnish home-base was growing, but domestic business travel remained subdued. Demand for cargo traffic had "improved significantly" in past months, Finnair said. Shares in the airliner were boosted by the news, trading 5.97 percent higher at 4.06 euros shortly before 1200 GMT on a Helsinki stock exchange up 0.6 percent. — AFP

Unions will struggle to thwart UK budget cuts LONDON: Britain can expect industrial action by public sector workers once austerity measures are implemented but strict strike laws and the government's resolve in reducing a record deficit suggest unions will struggle to derail budget cuts. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, which has outlined plans to trim an initial 6.2 billion pounds ($9.6 billion) from spending this year, will give more details in an emergency budget on June 22 of how it plans to cut a deficit running at 11 percent of national output.

Several of Britain's biggest trade unions have vowed to work together to oppose the cuts and defend public sector jobs, pay and pensions, threatening to follow the lead of workers in Greece and Spain with widespread walkouts. But while strike action looks inevitable given the scale of the looming cuts, analysts say, it is unlikely to have a discernible impact on the government's plans. "The Conservatives can't afford early on to be seen to be climbing down in the face of union resistance," said Marc Meryon, industrial relations partner at law firm Bircham Dyson Bell.

"They have got a long way to go on a very hard journey in terms of pushing through cut backs and they need to be seen to be achieving that and not making concessions so I think the unions will have an uphill struggle in resisting change." While union membership was almost four times higher in the public sector than the private sector in 2009, government employees tend to have less leverage when it comes to industrial action, said Meryon. He noted there was no commercial imperative to settle strikes and disputes often have less immediate impact on the general public.

COLLECTIVE ACTION HAMPERED Trade union membership has been steadily declining in Britain since the 1970s when industry was plagued by stoppages, and tough anti-union legislation pioneered by Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives in the 1980s has made strikes more difficult to organize. While unions often work together in lobbying the government, for instance through the Trade Union Congress, their ability to undertake collective action is hampered by the fact that secondary strikes do not have legal protection. "There are severe constraints on the ability of union members to take action in support of the members of another union who are directly affected by threats to their jobs, wages and conditions," said Jason Heyes, associate professor of human resource management at the University of Birmingham.

Mass strikes against government cuts, as opposed to measures targeting a particular group of workers, would likely be deemed political industrial action, which is also illegal, he added. The tight controls over unions in Britain mean strike action on a scale seen in Greece, which has left markets jittery about European governments' ability to enforce austerity measures needed to get debts under control, are not expected. "I don't think (strikes) are a major source of concern in terms of implementation of the cuts that will be announced later this month by the government," said Wolfango Piccoli, analyst at political risk consultants Eurasia Group. "It will be mainly noise on the sides and certainly we shouldn't expect anything that we have seen in Greece and even in other continental European countries where trade unions, generally speaking, are in a much stronger position." — Reuters

BUSINESS

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Chary bank lending, public debt on ECB agenda FRANKFURT: Skittish markets will be watching the European Central Bank closely today as governors hold their monthly meeting against a backdrop of a falling euro and cautious interbank lending. There is little doubt the central bank’s record low interest rate of 1.0 percent will remain unchanged.

But ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet will field thorny questions about how the bank plans to steer out of its biggest crisis ever and restore confidence in the single currency and its promise to foster greater European integration. In particular,

investors want details on the bank’s surprise decision to buy debt issued by countries like Greece Ireland and Portugal and on how long the controversial Securities Market Program might last. One high-profile ECB governor, German Axel Weber, is known to have opposed the action, and he has stressed publicly the purchases should not exceed “a tightly capped limit.”

Strict controls over information on the ECB’s actions may have undermined their effectiveness, some say. “The lack of transparency in the ECB’s bond purchase programs is providing fertile ground for

rumors and conjectures,” UniCredit chief economist Marco Annunziata warned.

Trichet can point to some good news meanwhile, like strong economic results from Germany, progress by eurozone finance ministers on a huge finance backstop for weaker states and the approval of a 17th member, Estonia, next year.

But the euro’s plunge in value by more than 20 percent from late 2009 to about 1.19 dollars and chronic financial market pressure on peripheral eurozone countries have overshadowed plans to unwind unorthodox monetary measures. Beyond

the release of fresh eurozone growth and inflation forecasts by ECB staff, the bank might decide to keep providing unlimited amounts of money to commercial banks in a bid to prevent interbank markets from freezing up.

“The ECB may be left supporting the peripheral economy banking sectors longer than anticipated,” Deutsche Bank analyst Mark Wall noted.

Banks have begun to draw heavily again on ECB lending facilities, even while placing a record of more than 361 billion euros (430 billion dollars) this week in the central

bank’s overnight deposit facility, preferring safety over higher returns on interbank markets. The ECB thus finds itself stuck “in crisis management mode” according to Karsten Junius of DekaBank, and forced to tackle issues normally beyond its remit, causing some observers to worry it is becoming politicized. For now however, eurozone leaders have stopped pressing the ECB for policies aimed at adjusting the euro’s value against other major currencies.

Politicians are generally happy the single currency’s lower level against the dollar

is boosting exports, but maybe less so when comments such as those from Hungary last week incite foreign exchange traders to rush for so-called safe havens like the Swiss franc. Statements by members of the new government in Budapest that the country could face a debt crisis similar to Greece’s demonstrated how negative market sentiment against the euro has become, since Hungary is not even a eurozone member. “The ECB might be growing somewhat uncomfortable with the volatility of the euro (as opposed to its level),” RBS economists said in a research note. — AFP

Russia ‘trusts and believes’ in Euro Over 40% of Russia’s forex reserves is in Euros

SOCHI: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during an interview with major French media in Sochi. —AFP

Germany skeptical on GM aid for Opel BERLIN: German Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle underlined yesterday his strong reservations about a request from General Motors for big state loan guarantees for its Opel unit. Bruederle said the once-stricken US auto giant had now found its feet and could apparently cover its own investments without 1.1 billion euros (1.3 billion dollars) in German aid. “General Motors is in a position to move to modernize itself on the basis of its own strengths,” he told ARD public television.

“If I have 10 billion in liquidity in my coffers, if I make nearly a billion in profit in the

first quarter, if I have outstanding chances on the stock market, you have to add it up and then you have resources to do something of your own accord.” Bruederle said it was only “normal” that a parent company looks after its unit “and does not just foist off the problems elsewhere.” “That is why the main responsibility is clearly with General Motors, the owner.” A government committee in Germany, home to four Opel plants and half of GM’s 50,000 European employees, was expected to deliver a recommendation yesterday on the automaker’s request.

GM is prepared to pump 1.9 billion euros into the restructuring plan but is seeking 1.8 billion euros in loan guarantees from European governments including 1.1 billion euros from Germany. Recent comments from Bruederle and the conclusions of a sub-committee last week have indicated that Berlin will turn GM down. Bruederle on Sunday ruled out any “special treatment” for GM, which wants to cut around 8,000 jobs in an effort to turn around the loss-making Opel.

The final decision on GM’s request rests with Merkel’s government. —AFP

Greece ‘on track’ to meet deficit targets Papaconstantinou rejects ‘defaulting’ allegations ATHENS: Greece is on track to meet its targets of reducing the deficit this year, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said yesterday, adding that any talk of the country defaulting on its debt is “ridiculous.” Papaconstantinou said data to be published in the next few days show Greece’s deficit has fallen by 40 percent in the first five months of 2010.

The country’s estimated 2009 budget gap stood at 13.6 percent of gross domestic product, and the government has pledged to reduce it to 8.1 percent by the end of this year.

“We are on target,” Papaconstantinou told reporters during a briefing, adding that the reduction was achieved by an increase in revenue of over 8 percent and a more than 10 percent cut in spending. Greece has been extended a $131 billion package of rescue loans from the International Monetary Fund and other European Union countries that use the euro to prevent it from defaulting.

Papaconstantinou said Athens is expected to receive the second installment of loans in September, and that the existence of the package gives the country the benefit of not having to go to the markets to raise funds.

“Greece, apart from the treasury bills, has no reason to go to the markets for a very long period of time. That is the luxury of

the 110 billion,” the minister said.

Earlier this month, Papaconstantinou said Greece, which has about 4 billion euros in short-term debt issues expiring next month, would issue new treasury bills in July. The heavily indebted country saw its borrowing costs on the international markets skyrocket in recent months as wary investors showed lack of confidence in the country’s ability to repay its debts.

Papaconstantinou reiterated that any talk of Greece defaulting “is a ridiculous story” and was completely unfounded.

The minister also said a new head to Greece’s statistics agency will be named by the end of the month. The previous head of the statistics agency quit shortly after Prime Minister George Papandreou’s Socialists took over from the conservative government in October elections. The agency

was widely discredited after the new government revealed that budget data had been embellished, and sharply revised its budget deficit upwards.

In early 2009, the estimated deficit for that year had been reported at 3.7 percent of gross domestic product. After several revisions, it was revealed earlier this year to 13.6 percent for 2009. The result was a massive credibility deficit in Greek figures. — AP

ATHENS: Pensioners chant slogans during a protest against the Greek government’s austerity measures outside the Ministry of Health, central Athens yesterday. — AP

SOCHI: Russia, which holds over 40 percent of its forex reserves in Euros, trusts and believes in the single European currency and is sure its current woes are only temporary, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said. “We trust and believe” in the Euro, Putin said in an interview this week in the southern Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

“We would not hold such a huge amount of our currency reserves in the European currency if we did not.” The European Union is by far Russia’s biggest trading partner and Moscow has warily eyed the financial problems that have hit the euro zone since the extent of Greece’s budget problems became apparent.

Russia was itself hard hit by the global economic slowdown, with the economy contracting 7.9 percent last year, but it has managed to avoid a second wave of crisis like that suffered by debt-ridden Greece. The powerful prime minister, seen by most as Russia’s de-facto number one, said there was no objective reason for the plunge of the Euro and he was sure its problems would not last. “In my view, there exist no objective conditions for the fall of the Euro,” said Putin, who was due today to start a two-day visit to Eurozone powerhouse France.

“Yes, there are some difficulties. I am certain they are only temporary.” The Euro has suffered a dizzying fall over the last weeks over worries about the budget situation of several European countries, with the common currency this week dipping below 1.19 dollars for the first time in over four years. Putin however said Russia saw no need to change the structure of its reserves, held largely in Euros and US dollars with around 10 percent in sterling and just over one percent in yen. “On the whole, the European economic authorities are acting absolutely correctly.

“And this confirms yet again that we have no plans to change our relationship to the Euro as a reserve currency and in its proportion of our reserves.” Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who took over the Kremlin from Putin in 2008, has repeatedly suggested that new reserve currencies should appear to end the domination of currencies like the dollar. Putin, whose own government is also seeking to implement economic reforms, said “much still needs to be done” in Europe to work out problems like raising fiscal discipline.

“But the fundamentals of the European economy are on the whole pretty strong,” he said. “No one has an interest in the collapse of the European Union.” The prime minister, who famously spent several years as a KGB agent stationed in Germany under the Soviet Union, also expressed admiration for the European Union. The EU was “created with the strength of many generations, it was so hard to build, and I am convinced it is an absolutely correct process that is positive for the world as a whole, for the global economy, for global security.” —AFP

PARIS: Jerome Kerviel, accused of causing massive losses at French bank Societe Generale, gestures, as he leaves a Paris prison.— AP

Bank turned blind eye to rogue trades: Kerviel PARIS: Accused rogue trader Jerome Kerviel went on the attack against his former bank employers before they gave their first evidence yesterday to back allegations that he secretly gambled tens of billions of euros. Kerviel said on the first day of the showcase trial that Societe Generale managers “encouraged” him to take risks on European share futures. Societe Generale, one of Europe’s biggest banks, said it had to unravel 50 billion euros of unauthorized trades when it discovered the fraud in January 2008 and that it lost 4.9 billion euros (worth 7.1 billion dollars at the time) on Kerviel’s actions.

The judge concentrated on the first day on examining Kerviel’s psychological profile. In a hearing that broke down into squabbling between the lawyers, Kerviel denied he was to blame for the losses and insisted his bosses knew the risks and backed him.

Yesterday, the court questioned Jean-Pierre Mustier, the former head of Societe Generale’s investment division in which Kerviel worked on the “Delta One” trading desk. The court must decide whether Kerviel is solely responsible for the losses in a case seen as a symbol of the banking excesses blamed for the financial crisis. A psychological assessment cited at Tuesday’s hearing described Kerviel as a “balanced” individual, but presiding judge Dominique Pauthe sought to shed light on what prompted the trades and asked: “Who are you, Mr Kerviel?”

The ex-trader presented himself as an ordinary, hard-working man, now a computer consultant earning 2,300 euros per month. He said he made mistakes but that his bosses were happy as long as profits rolled in. “The daily encouragement from my superiors did not stop me. Rather they encouraged me to continue,” he told the judge. Kerviel risks a

maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of 375,000 euros if convicted on charges of breach of trust, falsifying and using fake documents and entering false data into company computers.

Branded a crook by his ex-employer but seen by others as a scapegoat, Kerviel faces criminal charges along with civil suits by the bank and other plaintiffs, including employees and shareholders. Kerviel looked tense and solemn, with bags under his eyes, as he stood before the judges on Tuesday, and took out a cigarette as soon as the hearing ended. He told the court it would be “impossible” to make his trades without others knowing, “not for more than a day, in any case”. His lawyer Olivier Metzner showed the court a projection of the seating plan in Kerviel’s office to illustrate the point and said that bosses could also view his trades via the computer system at any time. He projected a spreadsheet recording the transactions of Kerviel’s trading team, saying it showed that his activities were easily traceable. The bank’s lawyers contested this claim. Societe Generale’s lead lawyer Jean Veil told reporters afterwards that he would show a video that demonstrates how traders did stressful work on several screens and could not be expected to monitor their neighbors’ activities.

Metzner retorted that this was a “fantastical” claim. “It seems that Societe Generale is either blind, or it doesn’t want to see,” he told reporters.

Mustier is to testify among the first witnesses, which will examine the trading limits Kerviel was supposedly subject to. Mustier was subject to an insidertrading investigation by the French market regulator AMF, which has yet to rule on that case. Trial hearings are set to end on June 25 and the court is expected to deliberate for several weeks before giving a verdict. — AFP

More employees jump ship as US economy improves NEW YORK: One sign of better economic times is when more people start finding jobs. Another is when they feel confident enough to quit them. More people in the United States have quit their jobs in the past three months than were laid off - a sharp reversal after 15 straight months in which layoffs exceeded voluntary departures. The trend suggests the job market is finally thawing.

Some of the quitters are leaving for new jobs.

Others have no firm offers. But their newfound confidence about landing work is itself evidence of more hiring and a strengthening US economy. “There is a century’s worth of evidence that bears out this view that quits rise and layoffs fall as the job market improves,” said Steven Davis, an economist at the University of Chicago.

Still, the number of people quitting their jobs is nowhere near what it was before the recession.

Economists expect the improvement in the job market to be fitful, rather than consistent. In May, for example, private employers added only 41,000 net jobs after adding 218,000 in April. Yet the long-term

trend points to an improving job market. The U.S. economy has created a net 982,000 jobs this year after a recession that wiped out more than 8 million of them.

The government said Tuesday that the number of people quitting rose in April to nearly 2 million. That was the most in more than a year and an increase of nearly 12 percent since January. That compares with 1.75 million people who were laid off in April, the fewest since January 2007, before the recession began. During the depths of the recession, workers were hesitant to quit and not only because jobs were scarce. Even if they found a new job, some feared that accepting it would leave them vulnerable to a layoff. At many companies, layoffs follow a simple formula: Last hired, first fired. Many clung to their jobs out of fear, said David Adams, vice president of training at Adecco, a national staffing agency. When Adecco tried to recruit workers to fill open positions, it frequently ran into the same obstacle: Few workers felt like betting on a new job that might soon disappear. — AP

TECHNOLOGY

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Game review NEW YORK: New soccer titles are hitting store shelves as the World Cup is set to beam in from South Africa and descend on televisions around the globe.

Soccer is kind of an odd duck for gaming.

How best should a game developer spice up a sport in which the final score is often 1-0? How do you inject gaming action into a sport where the scoreboard stands, mostly, unchanged? With the World Cup just days away, I took a look at “2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa” and “Pure Futbol” for an answer.

First on the pitch was “2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa,” (EA Sports, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, $59.99). This is the official licensed video game tethered to the real competition which begins June 11. This game adheres to the structure and country lineups of the real World Cup. It includes all 199 teams that took part in qualification. The player names and faces (and often distinct haircuts) are familiar, as are the playing styles of soccer stars, such as Landon Donovan of the United States and English footballer Wayne Rooney.

I played the Xbox 360 version and started off with a quick tutorial to learn some kick and pass controls. It’s hard at first to keep the ball from sailing too high, but once I booted a few past a practice goalie I was off to play a match. I began my quest for the cup in Group C, alongside England, Algeria and Slovenia.

I opted past the qualifying rounds and used the straight-to-the-finals options, although I could have played some friendlies to tune up a bit.

England trounced me straight away, 7-0. No surprise there, but I toughened up a bit and made the following matches closer by leaning on two of my squad’s strongest ball-handlers, Donovan and Jozy Altidore. Donovan beat his man up the sideline pretty well, and consistently set himself up to make a strong cross.

The trouble for soccer video games still exists when you try to make hard cuts with the ball. There’s a bit of a lag on this title, and most others, that gives

27

New-style soccer video games top old

New York: In this video game images released by Ubisoft, scenes are shown from the soccer game, ‘Pure Futbol.’ —AP the computer defender enough time to disrupt your path and bust up your play too often. Sure, you learn to dish the ball off a little sooner as you gain more experience in the game, but it perhaps too closely mirrors real life soccer in which nearly all journeys to the goal end in, well, no goal at all.

That aside, the sport is beautifully rendered here. The replays are fantastic on goals and near misses that graze the cross bar. The announcers and ambient crowd noise are the best I’ve heard in a sports game. They call each play accurately, barking out the names of the exact players involved in the corner kicks and penalties. Hearing the game called in such realistic fashion helped keep me engaged and learn my players and their nuances.

“2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa” is a solid title. It doesn’t break any new ground, but it treats the sport with accuracy and respect. “Pure Futbol” (Ubisoft, for Xbox 360,

PlayStation 3, $39.99) throws tradition aside in favor of a brutal modern twist on soccer. In this game, professional players have grown disgruntled by having matches decided by a referee’s quick whistle. They agree to play at locations across the globe, with no referees and few rules.

These matches are very different from a traditional setup. It’s five-on-five (goalies included) and the ball can move from end to end quickly on what visually appears to be a shortened field.

Instead of the midfield camera angle on most soccer games, I played behind my ball handler and could only see in front of me and to the sides as I sprinted down the pitch. A nice feature in “Pure Futbol” is the cross shot indicator.

When my player moved the ball close to my opponent’s goal, a small purple triangle glowed to indicate that one of my teammates was in good position to receive a cross kick, and possibly take a strong shot on goal. This paid off and I

was blasting strong shots at the goalie in no time.

The matches are quick and set to last three minutes each by default. I could toggle up my aggression level to really take on the role as a bullying ‘hard man’ on my side. I also liked the shot meter, an arc of colored zones determined how well I would perform my power or skill shots. I had to release it as close to the narrow white-colored zone as possible to have a better chance to score. The soccer learning curve on both titles is challenging. I had more fun once I learned to control my shots and keep them low. I preferred the fast pace of “Pure Futbol” over the official FIFA title. It gave soccer a new a fresh new look which purists may shun, but those looking for a departure from the 1-0 contests might appreciate. Two out of four stars for “2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.” Three out of four stars for “Pure Futbol.” Both games are rated “E” for everyone. —AP

Asian computer firms betting on a 3D future

MUMBAI: Indian cricketer Ishant Sharma and Bollywood actress Prachi Desai attend the first showcase of video game ‘International Cricket 2010’ in Mumbai yesterday. —AFP

Swiss solar cell inventor wins technology prize HELSINKI: Michael Graetzel of Switzerland has won the $960,000 international Millennium Technology Prize for inventing low-cost solar cells used in renewable energy, organizers said yesterday. The German-born chemist-director of the photonics and interfaces laboratory at Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne, in Lausanne-was awarded the 2010 prize by the Technology Academy of Finland for his innovation, which led to the development of electricity-generating windows and mobile solar panels.

The academy described finding ways to replace the diminishing fossil fuel supply as one of mankind’s greatest challenges, adding that the sun is “the most obvious energy source.” “The constraint of solar energy has traditionally been its price. Graetzel cells provide a more affordable way of harnessing solar energy,” said Ainomaija Haarla, president of the academy.

“Graetzel’s innovation is likely to have an important role in low-cost, large-scale solutions for renewable energy.” It was the fourth time that Finland has awarded the biennial Millennium Technology Prize, which was launched by the government and industry in 2004.

It is given for achievements in energy and the environment, communications and informa-

HONG KONG: Computer companies are betting that the future is not only bright but in three dimensions, as a string of manufacturers are set to bring 3D laptops and desktops on to the market. Fujitsu announced yesterday a desktop computer that can play 3D content, convert two-dimensional DVDs to 3D and even has a 3D camera.

And Toshiba’s 3D Dynabook TX/98MB laptop, which it says is the first laptop to play 3D Blu-ray discs, goes on sale in Japan in July.

Taiwan-based ASUSTek was the first off the drawing board and into the shops with the launch of its G51 3D late last year, which was branded as “the world’s first true 3D ready notebook”. “We believe 3D is now an important part of the market,” ASUSTek spokeswoman Jenny Lee told AFP yesterday.

“More and more games and more and more movies are being made in 3D. We think there is a huge demand for 3D computers.”

A Fujitsu spokesman said that its machine, which will retail at roughly 200,000 yen (2,200 dollars), comes with a pair of lightweight glasses and has a special filter for the screen that enables 3D viewing. “We came up with a 3D computer because it targets people living on their own who can use it as a television for personal viewing,” the

TAIWAN: This picture taken on June 4 shows a man wearing glasses while operating a personal computer with 3D images at a booth of Gigabyte, a Taiwanese motherboard maker, during Computex Taipei. —AFP spokesman said.

Graphics card and chipmaker NVIDIA make the computer guts that will help create the 3D magic on screen for many of the new machines. The company’s CEO Jen-Hsun Huang made a keynote speech at Computex, Asia’s biggest IT trade fair, in

Taipei last week setting out the company’s 3D stall.

“This is the beginning of the 3D PC revolution,” he was quoted as saying by tech news website TG Daily. “It’s been 10 years since there’s been a revolutionary change in gaming graphics.” “This is by far one of

the most captivating technologies ever introduced on the PC,” said Hidehito Murato, Chief Marketing Executive at Toshiba in an NVIDIA press release. “The era of 3D is upon us.” And many content producers agree. The FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in

Johannesburg tomorrow will for the first time be filmed in 3D and broadcast in selected public viewing areas across the world, Sony said.

The opening ceremony will also be shown in 3D to fans at six FIFA viewing sites in cities around the world, including Berlin, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.

And last week, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and Hollywood director James Cameron announced a deal to work together to boost 3D television content.

Under the agreement, Cameron and his crew will make 3D footage of music videos featuring South Korean pop stars that will be used by Samsung to help promote the sale of its 3D televisions worldwide. Cameron’s 3D blockbuster “Avatar” started a 3D wave in the movie industry and is the world’s highest grossing movie, earning 2.8 billion dollars in ticket sales so far.

Samsung, the world’s largest maker of flat-screen televisions, said it may raise this year’s sales target for 3D TVs given the growing demand.

Early this year it targeted around two million sales.

Cameron told a forum that lack of content was the biggest hurdle to 3D televisions saying that the thousands of hours of content that would be needed “will require a revolution in the way TV is produced”. —AFP

Apple’s iPad muscles into corporate Asia after retail buzz

HELSINKI: Swiss professor Michael Gratzel receives the Millennium Technology Prize on June 9, 2010 in Helsinki. —AFP tion, new materials and processes as well as health care and life sciences.

The previous winner, in 2008, was American Professor Robert Langer from MIT for developing bio-materials used in combating cancer and heart

disease.

Other winners include Japanese Professor Shuji Nakamura for inventions in laser technology and LED lighting, and Tim BernersLee, the MIT scientist credited with inventing the World Wide Web. —AP

SEOUL: Apple’s iPad, initially viewed as a Web entertainment gadget for consumers, is quickly making inroads across businesses in Asia as wedding planners, luxury hotels and airlines hook up to the tablet computer. Apple has sold over 2 million iPads since the device made its debut in April in the United States. It had to delay the international sale due to difficulty in meeting demand for the product, which has received high marks for videos and games, reading electronic books and general Web browsing.

“It’s strong adoption in Asia means iPad could become another strong source of revenue for Apple and it would be not just Asia as myriads of applications that iPad has would make it possible for enterprises to offer personalized experience to their customers,” said Lee Chae-gi, research director at Gartner in Seoul.

Apple now gets almost three-fifths of its revenue outside the US, and is counting on its base of fans who already own an iPod, iPhone or Mac to add the iPad to

their collection as rivals line up with their own tablets.

In Japan, wedding service firm Novarese Inc is using iPads to help customers choose a wedding dress at its flagship store in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district, and plans to adopt iPads at seven other stores and its wedding ceremonial halls. The firm now shows customers video clips of models strutting with dresses on the iPad, making it easier to see things such as how a hemline flares.

“We once considered showing it to customers on laptops but they are heavy.

The iPad perfectly fits our demand,” said company spokeswoman Kazuka Nohara.

“We also found something unexpected.

Grooms are now more proactive in selecting a wedding dress.” InterContinental Hotels is equipping concierges at centers including Hong Kong, London and New York with iPads to provide guests recommendations of restaurants, performances and local destination videos.

“Whether it ultimately becomes a use-

ful tool in a corporate environment will depend on the ability of software developers to adapt business software to the new style of interface,” said Tim Renowden, an analyst at technology consultancy Ovum.

In Australia, Jetstar, the budget carrier of Qantas Airways, became one of the first airlines in the world to announce it would offer iPad as part of in-flight entertainment.

It plans to rent an iPad out from A$10 ($8.30), enabling passengers to read ebooks, play games and watch some preselected movies and television programs on flights. Despite critics who question whether a true need exists for such a gadget, analysts expect Hewlett-Packard, Dell and potentially Nokia and Sony and others to trot out their own competing devices this year.

Sprawling applications Apple has staked its formidable reputation on a 9.7-inch touchscreen tablet with no clear-cut case for use other than pure media consumption. Access to unique

content and programs on Apple’s universe of more than 150,000 applications has the potential to drive tablet adoption.

Microsoft and Toshiba have launched tablets that failed to take off in recent years.

The iPad is helping foster a market for tablet computers that some analysts have forecast to grow to as many as 50 million units by 2014.

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said there have already been more than 35 million downloads of applications for the iPad. In Japan, Otsuka Pharmaceutical said it plans to buy 1,300 iPads for its sales representatives so they can use it to do presentations more visually and with the latest information. Restaurant Global Mundo Tapas in Sydney has replaced its paper menus with digital versions on the iPad last week. It has 10 iPads and has ordered more, while technology firm MenuPad is offering software which would allow restaurants to put their menus on iPad devices. —Reuters

HEALTH & SCIENCE

28

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Nigeria tries to end ‘gold rush’ after child deaths Scores of infants in northern Nigeria could be left with long-term neurological damage from lead poisoning caused by illegal gold mining which has already killed at least 170, most of them under five. Authorities in the state of Zamfara, aided by international agencies including Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the World Health Organisation and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are helping treat the sick and bury mines to try to contain the pollution before heavy rains due next month.

The discovery of a gold deposit triggered a “gold rush” among impoverished farmers who dug up rocks by hand, unaware the ore contained dangerously high concentrations of lead. At least six villages have been contaminated with high concentrations of lead spread by dust from the open mines, and by women processing the ore in compounds where children play barefoot. The Blacksmith Institute, a New York-based anti-pollution consultancy which has sent experts to help in the clean-

up, said at least 170 children had died in the past month.

All but three of 133 children tested had lead levels so high it was off the scale of the detection equipment.

“We expect several hundred children will require treatment over the next few months,” said Richard Fuller, president of the Blacksmith Institute. “Unless the homes are fully decontaminated and the lead removed from the environment, the risk for continued poisoning and death remains,” he said. The Dutch arm of MSF (Doctors Without Borders) has set up an emergency centre in Bukkuyum village, where around 50 children are being treated. It plans to expand to double that number by the end of the week and hopes to open a second facility soon.

“For the more severe cases, we see neurological symptoms that have been as severe as to affect the level of consciousness and cause convulsions, sadly followed by death for some of the smaller children,” MSF coordinator Lauren Cooney told Reuters. “The deaths we

know of, nearly all of them were children under 5 as far as we are aware,” she said, adding one village had lost a third of its children under 5 in a matter of weeks.

Cooney said some of the children who had been receiving treatment for the past week were starting to show signs of improvement. Breast-feeding mothers were also being treated as contamination could be passed through their milk. “One child who had a lot of convulsions and hadn’t really spoken for more than a week ... spoke to his mother for the first time. Another little girl who had some muscle weakness is walking again,” Cooney said. “But I don’t want to exaggerate, we still have some children that are seriously unwell and it remains to be seen how they will do with treatment. Sadly it seems likely some will be left with permanent damage.”

The Blacksmith Institute has brought in two X-ray fluoroscopes - machines that look like giant hairdryers to detect concentrations of metals in the ground. Toxic

earth is dug up and removed before the pits are filled with sand. Few of the residents in Sunke, Dareta, Tungar Magaji and other mud-brick villages in the poor, arid Sahel region on the southern fringe of the Sahara, have received much formal education. They are sceptical that mining killed their children. “This problem has not begun with Dareta or the surrounding villages, it must be from elsewhere,” said Yakubu Ibrahim, a 43year-old Dareta resident. “This is the only way I live. If this mining is no longer possible, what will I do?” he said.

Behind him, villagers warned their youths would turn to stealing cattle if they could no longer mine, saying there had been a rare robbery outside the village just the night before. On the edge of the village, a plot is encircled with bamboo. “This is where we bury the children we lost. It is an act of God,” said Idriss Yahaya, 55.

It is a common response among the Muslim villagers trying to cope with the sudden death of so many chil-

dren. The high infant mortality rate was initially thought to have been caused by cerebral malaria, which can trigger some similar symptoms such as convulsions in small children.

It was only when an MSF team testing for meningitis in the region found high levels of heavy metal in the villagers’ blood that the authorities were alerted. For now, the emergency response is focused on containing the pollution and treating the sick. But educational materials are being prepared in the local Hausa language and aid workers say that in the longer term, only changing the villagers’ behaviour will prevent more children from being poisoned. “This is a great source of livelihood for them and it’s not uncommon in these sort of circumstances that people will deny that their activities are an issue,” said Blacksmith’s Fuller. “There has to be a campaign of education and it has to include training so they don’t lose the livelihood but can do it in a way that is safe for their children.” — Reuters

Father calls operation ‘miracle’

Boy with eight limbs has successful surgery BIHAR, India: An Indian boy w ith eight limbs w hose veneration as a god propelled him in to the public spotlight has been operated on to give him the chance of a normal life, his father said yesterday. Deepak Pasw an, 7, w as born in one of the least developed parts of India w ith a parasitic tw in con-

joined to his abdomen, w hich meant he had four legs and four arms but one head. Hindu pilgrims from the area near his village in the northern state of Bihar used to visit the household to w orship him as an incarnation of the god Vishnu, w ho is often depicted w ith more than four limbs.

BANGALORE: (Left) Deepak Kumar Paswan, 6, poses with his smiling father at a press conference at Fortis Hospital after surgery that separated him from his parasitic twin yesterday. (Right) In this undated photograph, Paswan is seen at Fortis Hospital before surgery. – AFP

Haiti’s disabled find new voice PORT-AU-PRINCE: Before the earthquake ripped through Haiti in January, Anne Luze Denestant had never really thought about what life would be like as a disabled person in the impoverished Caribbean nation. Then on January 12, the earth convulsed bringing a wave of destruction to the capital Port-au-Prince, killing some 200,000 people, and trapping Denestant under the rubble of her home for three days.

When rescuers finally pulled her out, she had to confront the knowledge that doctors were unable to save her left arm. “I knew that before they told me,” said Denestant. The 26-year-old asked doctors to amputate her arm in the hope her pain would stop. “I just decided to let it go.”

Now she’s joined the swelling ranks of Haiti’s disabled, who are finding a new power and new voice in a country where they were once hidden behind closed doors. An estimated 2,000 to 6,000 people were left with some kind of disability by the quake, which struck across all classes and social strata. They join the 800,000 disabled people who already lived in the country before, according to figures from Handicap International.

Recent amputee Denestant, 26, met Beatrice Leveille, 30, who has walked with crutches since contracting polio when she was three, at a recent workshop to empower Haiti’s disabled, organized by international charity Christian Blind Mission.

“For me being disabled used to mean being someone who can’t do anything,” said Leveille, who now represents the Association of the Handicapped in Carrefour (ASHCAR). “We have made some progress but it’s going to be a long fight,” acknowledged Odnel Eleazard, a project manager for the Christian Blind Mission.

Haiti is a signatory to the 2009 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and recently passed a bill for the integration of people with handicaps. But calling for integrated education and greater mobility, Eleazard sees the scores of new disabilities caused by the earthquake as an opportunity for Haitians to move beyond past prejudices. “Now that we have to re-plan the country for everyone we should do that by including the handicapped,” he said.

The earthquake is also an opportunity for Haitians to move beyond the culture of stigmati-

PORT AU PRINCE: Anne Luze Denestant, 26, who lost an arm in the Jan 12 earthquake and Beatrice Leveille, who has walked with crutches since contracting polio when she was three are seen at a recent workshop to empower Haiti’s disabled, organized by international charity Christian Blind Mission on June 5, 2010. – AFP zation that has long surrounded disability, the workshop participants said. “In a country where 10 percent of the population is disabled, you could spend a week here and never see any,” said Josue Joseph, a spokesperson at the Secretariat for Integration. “Parents would lock up their handicapped kids at home.”

People also tended to associate disability with poverty, Joseph added, suggesting the earthquake is likely to revolutionize Haitians’ perception.

“Now there are amputees at all levels, in the upper class, the middle class and the working class,” he said. “January 12 proved that we are all potential handicapped.” Eleazard’s organization has visited buildings to evaluate accessibility and is providing guidelines on how to reconstruct the leveled city, with the needs of the handicapped also being considered.

The campaign, for the moment, is limited to Port-au-Prince, because of lack of greater resources, but Eleazard added there is an enormous need to deal with the question of disability

outside the capital as well. Four months on Denestant is adjusting to her new life, living in a crowded refugee camp. “I can do the same things as before except for combing and washing hair,” said the woman, who used to braid hair for a living. She hopes to continue her studies at some point. “I’m strong, I don’t think about my arm,” Denestant said. “But living in that camp is not a life.”

Luis Metayer, 47, has been walking with a prosthesis since losing a leg in a car accident 15 years ago. An advocate of disabled rights since then, he is now working to ensure amputees have access to the care and services they need. “Do you know how many prostheses a child will need to change while he is growing up?” he asked, saying Haiti’s entire health system has been able to provide only about 130 prostheses a month.

Metayer said a second wave of amputations is now taking place because of the poor treatment many received after the earthquake, leading to infections. — AFP

His family, uncomfortable with the attention, appealed publicly for help in March to secure an operation to have the unwanted limbs removed.

Their wish was granted on May 30 in a hospital in the southern city of Bangalore which bore the cost of the complicated and dangerous procedure. “We always wanted surgery to remove the parasitic twin to get rid of him being treated as a religious object by people,” his father, Viresh Paswan, told AFP by telephone. “My dream has come true, now we will celebrate it after returning to my village.”

The father, a low-caste construction worker in his mid-30s, called the four-hour operation a “miracle” and said his son would now be able to go to school “like any boy of his age”. Deepak’s story mirrors that of Lakshmi Tatma, a girl from Bihar who was born with four arms and four legs but who was successfully operated on in 2007. She was also treated as a rare child with divine powers before she was operated on, a hospital bearing the cost of the $50,000 surgery.

Her remarkable story made her famous worldwide and she was the subject of television documentaries and newspaper articles in countries across the globe. The Fortis Hospital in Bangalore said a team of 15 doctors worked on Deepak’s case and after months of consultations went ahead with the complicated surgery. “He is 100 percent fit,” said chief surgeon Ramcharan Thiagrajan, adding that doctors faced a challenge to ensure his intestines functioned correctly in the long run. “Due to all the mockery and stigma he has faced he is very restless and nervous.

But now after this successful operation and counselling he will lead a normal life.” A parasitic twin occurs when a twin embryo begins to develop in the mother, but ultimately does not separate. This results in a semi-formed twin adjoined to the body of the developed twin. — AFP

GLENCOE, Kentucky: A bee probes the bloom of a thistle on Tuesday. – AP

Caviar poaching killing Russia’s noble ‘tsar fish’ ZELENGA, Russia: As glum Russian fishermen haul in their net, just two small sturgeon are splashing about among the daily catch. The scene on the Volga River has become commonplace in modern Russia, where caviar poaching has decimated the species considered a national pride. “In the old days, we would catch sturgeon each weighing 40 to 50 kg, or 60 kg,” sighed Pavel Syzranov, the head of the once thriving Lenin fishery in southern Russia. “Now there are no sturgeon left of that size,” he said after the two immature fish, known as sterlets, were released back into the Volga.

The relentless hunt for the so-called “Tsar fish” and its precious eggs has acquired such huge proportions in post-Soviet Russia that the prehistoric creature, which outlived the dinosaurs, has itself now been pushed to the edge of extinction. Russia’s wild capitalism and murky reforms of the 1990s dealt a severe blow to fisheries like the one in Zelenga, a tiny, onceflourishing town in the Volga Delta, where sturgeon come to spawn after maturing in the Caspian Sea. Two hours by boat from the regional capital Astrakhan, dust swirls in the hot wind, and streets dotted mainly with decrepit wood huts look almost deserted. A drunken man sleeps right by the side of a potholed road. Poverty and rampant unemployment push many people to try their luck at poaching. Some of their fellow-villagers still cannot believe it has taken the sturgeon so little time to disappear. “This place was once teeming with fish. There were fisheries there and up there, and there - virtually everywhere,” said Alexander Kuznetsov, 76, pointing to the river. “You wouldn’t be able to walk (in the water) - the fish would knock you down ... Where has it all gone now? I don’t know.”

In a bid to stem poaching, Russia banned black caviar exports in 2002, when it declared the situation critical, and allows just nine tonnes of the delicacy to be sold on the home market each year. But a vast decline in sturgeon stocks has already hit the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland body of water and the source of four-fifths of the world’s black caviar. During the Soviet era, experts estimated the annual sturgeon catch at 20,000 metric tonnes and caviar output at 2,000 tonnes.

According to the Federal Fishery Agency (Rosrybolovstvo), poaching has reduced the sturgeon population by 90 percent since 1970. Stocks are down about 40 percent since the start of the millennium.

The Russian tsars created a monopoly for the sale of caviar, and ordinary people paid no less homage to the noble fish. Before the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, churches and monasteries on the Volga were not allowed to ring their bells when giant sturgeon came upriver from the Caspian, for fear of disturbing their spawning. In Soviet times, the authorities kept tight controls over the business. But as a rule, a Soviet worker kept a tin of the cherished roe in a fridge for the New Year holiday or the May celebration of World War Two Victory Day. Though affordable, the delicacy was often in short supply.

Today, criminals bring black caviar to wealthy capitals around the world. In Moscow, prices for beluga considered to be the finest caviar - reach $2,000 or more per kilogram. Andrei Vodopyanov, head of the Astrakhan regional fishing control authority, is charged with fighting the grassroots of the illegal business local poachers. But he also understands what pushes many to break the law. “Bad ecology and dwindling (fishing) quotas mean that people just ditch their jobs, being unable to earn a living by legal means. To feed their families, they are often forced to take to poaching instead,” he said.

His team of “river police” faces an uphill task, often setting free suspected poachers who throw into the water their fishing nets and catch, usually the only available evidence. “I know the law, I know court cases,” one such suspect said defiantly, having only been fined for lacking a proper licence for his motorboat. “But what would they bring me to court for? For going to the river to find food for my child? Should I go to prison for that? Give me a job. The whole village is without work. There is no single enterprise working.”

Meanwhile, Vodopyanov’s men dragged out a rope with dangling razor-sharp hooks placed across one of the channels where the sturgeon come for spawning.

Even a minor scratch means imminent death for a sturgeon after its exhausting migration. In 2000 Russia banned commercial catching of beluga, a predator known for its longevity and size: the largest of the sturgeon, it reaches more than 5 m long and weighs up to a tonne. In 2005 Moscow slapped a ban on commercial catching of the Russian sturgeon - the most populous variety in the Caspian basin - and stellate sturgeon.

But scientists say this is not enough and call for joint action by all five Caspian states, which also include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran. Raisa Khodorevskaya, a leading specialist in sturgeon and a department chief at the Caspian Fisheries Research Institute, said it didn’t make sense for Russia to abstain from commercial fishing while some other littoral states continued catching. Catching at sea must be banned, she argued, because in this case fishermen and poachers alike catch sturgeon that often do not reach maturity for spawning. Depending on the variety and gender of sturgeon, it may take them up to 18 years to mature.

A few decades ago, shops in Volga cities were packed with tins of affordable black caviar and giant chunks of sturgeon. By bitter irony, today’s Astrakhan hosts a unique sturgeon museum - a grim hint that it may become a mere exhibit one day. Khodorevskaya, whose institute releases millions of young sturgeons into the wild each year, said Russia was probably 10 years late to start fighting for the noble fish. “The sturgeon is Russia’s national pride,” she said. We are a bit late ... (but) I believe you can preserve this fish - if you have proper controls, protection and reproduction.

“Russians say: ‘The worth of a thing is best known by the want of it.’ We should have treasured what we possessed once.” — Reuters

Short people prone to heart disease PARIS: Short people are 50 percent likelier than tall people to die prematurely of heart disease, researchers reported Wednesday in a major review of three million people. The study showed that women under 1.53 m (5 ft) and men under 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) are significantly more prone to cardiovascular or coronary heart problems than women and men taller than 1.66 (5 ft 6 in) and 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in), respectively. The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, suggest that short stature should be added to the list of known heart disease risk factors alongside obesity, advanced age and high cholesterol levels, the researchers said.

The link between height and heart conditions has been examined in nearly 2,000 studies from around the world over the last 60 years, but evidence remained contradictory.

Scientists in Finland led by Puula Paajanen of

the University of Tampere sifted through all this research to see if they could tease out a definitive answer. The best approach, they decided, was to compare the shortest group to the tallest group to highlight any differences that might emerge. They focussed on 52 earlier studies, examining more than three million people in all, that met their criteria for both comparability and high standards.

“The results are unequivocal: short stature is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease,” said Jaakko Tuomilehto, a professor at the University of Helsinki in commenting on the new study.

“But the possible patho-physiological, environmental, and genetic background of this peculiar association is not known,” he added in a commentary, also in the European Heart Journal. One theory is that shorter people have smaller coronary arteries that may

become clogged earlier in life, especially when combined with poor nutrition or infections resulting in poor foetal or childhood growth.

But recent findings also suggest genes may be a culprit, Paajanen said. “The genetic background of body height suggest that inherited factors ... may explain the association between small stature and an increased risk of heart disease in later life,” she said in a statement. Short people should not be worried about the new findings, she added.

“Height is only one factor that may contribute to heart disease. Whereas people have no control over their height, they can control their weight, lifestyle habits such as smoking, drinking and exercise.” She also pointed out that being tall eliminated a risk factor for coronary heart disease but was not in itself a protection against it. — AFP

Thursday, June 10, 2010

HEALTH

29

25 years for justice, even more for a clean-up BHOPAL: India’s justice system took 25 years to deliver a verdict on the company executives blamed for the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster, but the pollution clean-up operation is taking even longer. On Monday, seven managers from the local subsidiary of US chemical group Union Carbide were sentenced to two years in prison for criminal negligence in the first convictions in the case. They will appeal and were released on bail.

The sentences, perceived as too lenient by rights groups and survivors, have shone a spotlight on simmering grievances at the way the disaster was handled by the company and authorities.

Union Carbide settled all liabilities related to the accident, including the clean-up costs, with a 470-million-dollar out-ofcourt deal with India’s government in 1989, after years of wrangling about the amount. Ever since, campaign groups, environmental groups and scientists have warned that local authorities have never adequately sanitised the site, meaning toxins continue to cause illnesses and birth defects among residents.

“Nobody wants to clear the poison that is lying in the yard and all our protests demanding safe disposal have failed,” said Satinath Sarangi, a member of a voluntary medical organisation, Sambhavna, in Bhopal. The disaster began on Dec 3, 1984, when the Union Carbide pesticide plant in the central Indian city accidentally released about 40 tonnes of toxic gas into surrounding residential areas.

According to the government, 3,500 lives were lost in the immediate aftermath but activists and rights group calculate that 25,000 people died in the years that followed. A year after the gas leak, the local authorities collected 350 tonnes of waste and left it in the factory yard, ignoring all safe waste management practices. In the past two decades, several studies have concluded that the material containing toxins and heavy metals has leeched into the ground, contaminating groundwater - the only source of drinking water for 20,000 people nearby.

A 2004 high court order requiring the state government to clean up the waste

KOLKATA: A young activist of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) holds a placard during a demonstration against the Bhopal gas tragedy verdict yesterday. — AFP

has resulted in only partial clearance. A study by Indian non-profit organisation the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last year showed groundwater three kilometres (from the plant contained 110 times the maximum quantity of the pesticide carbaryl deemed safe in Indian bottled water. “The factory site in Bhopal is leading to chronic toxicity continuous tiny exposure leading to poisoning,” said the director of the CSE, Sunita Narain.

The local government in Madhya Pradesh, of which Bhopal is the capital, acknowledges the waste is still there.

“For years the matter was in the court and we could not clean the Union Carbide premises, but now we have a green signal to dispose of it,” R.K. Jain, a senior member of the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board, told AFP. Jain said 350 tonnes of waste would be incinerated at a disposal facility by September this year. “We are conducting experiments to check if our incineration plant is working well. If there is no problem, then we will get rid of the waste by

September,” he said.

For some the government is to blame for dragging its feet on the waste disposal, despite a ticking public health timebomb. Others see Union Carbide as shirking its responsibility to clean up after itself. “It is the failure of the Indian government for not being able to get Union Carbide to do the clean up,” says Abhishek Pratap, a campaigner at Greenpeace. “They should have collected the waste and secured it in concrete chambers.”

The company says all of its liabilities were covered by the out-of-court settlement. In the meantime, at least 100,000 people living near the factory suffer from chronic illnesses, with more than 30,000 living in areas with contaminated water, according to government figures. People there remain convinced they are still at risk. “The waste has killed more people than the total number of people killed on the incident night,” said Savitri Mahe, who lost her 16-year-old daughter to the leak. “I drink the toxic chemicals that killed my daughter.” — AFP

30

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Thursday, June 10, 2010

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

5th annual day celebrations held at Pakistan English Academy, Farwaniya

5 P.G. Binu

th Annual Day celebrations held at Pakistan English Academy. Farwaniya where Sauood Abdul Aziz Al Shaya, Ali Al-Tamirni and Mrs. Bushra were the chief guests. Manager Yaser Mehmoud, Principal Amjad Ali Khan and vice principal, Mrs. Tabbasum were also present to encourage the students and teachers.

The function commenced with the recitation of Holy Quran by class ‘A student Mohammed Mohammed.

Then it continued with the National Anthem of Kuwait. A short welcome speech was given

by Manal Haque followed by the Principal spoke on the spot to appreciate the hard work put in by the students, teachers and parents to make it a successful day. Following it, was an Arabic dance to celebrate the success of students. Later the students presented an Islamic skit based on some instances from Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.l1)’s life.

Some students presented a dance depicting Pakistan’s tradition.

In today’s world many of us don’t realize the importance of Mother, students of class 7th and 8th made an effort to show the eternal love for Mother.

Then the students of class 5 gave a demonstration of different types of sounds. Every country has its own folk lore; class 8th students showed us a glimpse of Egyptian folk.

Submitting to the will of Allah and doing true repentance will take you to great heights was the moral of the skit presented by class 8th students. Next performance was a cultural song of Kuwait “Watani habibi” which mesmerized the audience.

The program concluded with the Prize Distribution Ceremony where meritorious students each class received gifts and certificates from the Chief Guest, Manager, Principal and Vice Principal.

Congratulations

Special needs student all India topper

B

atul Kaizar Sadliwala of Senior Branch School became the all India topper in “SPECIAL NEEDS” children category. It is an incredible success to the Indian Community School, Kuwait and to the child in particular. We all are proud of her achievements.

D

ana Emad Jawad Bukamseen recently celebrated her graduation from the American Academy for Girls, in the graduation ceremony for the year school year 2009/2010 that was held for the tenth batch of graduates at the Sheraton Hotel.

Anandaraj

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 petitionbased, including B1/B2 tourist and business visitor visas and all student and exchangevisitor 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 indepth 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.

Raghunadhan Achary

Voice Kuwait elects new committee

V

oice Kuwait (Viswakarma Organistion For Ideal Career And Education) elected its new office bearers as follows: President: P G Binu Gen Secretary: A G Anandaraj Treasurer: Reghunadhan Achari Vice President: A.R.Sathyan Vice President: Padmaraj N Jt Secretary: V Shanil Jt Secretary: Ajimon MU Org Secretary: V Baiju Patron: P C Sukumaran Advisory Members: K Chandramohanan, TN Vijayan, MT Haridasan; MK Mohandas; Keloth Vijayan; Haridas Mookambika, K Vijayan.

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.

Jaihind family club launched Various dignitaries and their family participated at the launching ceremony of Jaihind family club, Nixon George, its promoter said.

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA On the occasion of Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday, the Australian Embassy wishes to advise that it will be closed on Sunday 13 June 2010. The Embassy will reopen on Monday 14 June 2010.

31

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Comonomics Day celebration at FAIPS

C Balakalamela winners Bharithiya Vidhya Bhavan School receiving ever rolling trophy from chief guest Sebatian Paul.

KALA holds ‘JYOTHIS-2010’ K

erala Art Lovers Association - KALA, celebrated “Jyothis-2010”, the main program for this year, with full ambience on 28 May 2010 at Khaitan Indian Community School. Hon Ambassador of India His Excellency Ajay Malhotra inaugurated “Joyothis-2010” followed by the formal launch of “Malayalam Free Education Program” in Kuwait and the new website ‘Pravasi Malayalam’ aiming to promote ‘Malayalam language’ all over the world, by renowned journalist and Chief Guest Dr. Sebastian Paul, Ex-MP. Ghazal Maestro Umbayee released the Souvenir by giving the first copy to T A Ramesh, General Manager, Gulf Mart, Kuwait. Renowned personality of Kuwait John Mathew, Raghunathan Nair, PatronMathrubhasha Samithi, Mr. Pancily Verkey, Country Manager UAExchange, Valsa Stanley, Gen Secretary Vanitha Vedi and Master Beysal Jose felicitated the function.

The trophies for the winners of Balalakalamela-2010, which KALA conducted in the month of

April 2010 were distributed by the distinguished guest.

Bharathiya Vidyabhavan received the “Benji Benson Memorial Ever Rolling Trophy” with maximum

point in the Balakalamela, for the second time consecutively.

Dr Sebastian Paul presented mementos to students from KALA family on their victory in

Class X & XII students. Also, K G Unnikrishnan & E B Sailesh, the senior members of KALA,who are leaving Kuwait, were presented mementos.

Preman Ellathu, Member of Mangaf unit of KALA and recipient of Janasakthi-Mumbai award for his literary works was honored.

KALA president J Albert presided over the function, while Gen. Secretary Janardhana Saji welcomed the audience. Sam Pynumoodu, Convener Mathrubhasha Samithi presented the report and Joji Aipe, Joint Secretary, KALA read the condolence message on the Mangalore air crash and those victims of the massacre by Maoist in India.

General Convener R Ramesh rendered vote of thanks.

The programs were coordinated by K.Vinod, V M John, R Naganadhan, P R Kiran, Dileep Naderi, T A Rasheed, Bineesh Babu, Vinod K John, Sunny Saijesh, C. Krishnan, Krisha Kumar, Binu Rani Albert, G Sanal Kumar, T V Hikmath, K P Paulose, Vijayan, Thomas Mathew Kadavil, T K Saiju, Sudhakaran, Sunil, Binu Rani Albert, V Anil Kumar, Thampan, Sudarshanan, Rajan Kulakkada, Renju, Sasidharan, Sajitha Skaria, Jojn Skaria, Sudheer & Rajeesh.

Arpan’s summer picnic

A

rpan, conducted its Annual Summer Picnic in Ahmadi Kuwait. The event has attended by very large number of members. The children of Arpan had taken part in various kinds of activities and also the adults. There were, dances, songs, quiz contest etc for the children to take part and most of the children bagged attractive gifts. The

couples were enjoying with Family quiz, Antakshari etc.

Earlier President of Arpan, Dr Radhakrishna Panicker welcomed the gathering and stressed the importance of such events among the community members, who are leading expatriates life in countries like Kuwait. He applauded the effort of A R

Subbaraman, Sathish Prabhakaran, Sam C Vilanilam, for the arrangement of the picnic, which has been enjoyed by a large member crowd.

Earlier the executive committee of Arpan, convened a meeting and unanimously passed the Resolution against the proposed plan for charging the international travelers, with users

fee at the Trivandrum International Airport and urged the authorities to review the proposal which would adversely affect hundreds of passengers from Southern states of Kerala and Tamilnadu. The picnic had come to an ended with the conclusion speech by K Nagarajan, advisory board member, who thanked all for making the picnic as a grand success.

CSK Reshuffle Executive Council extended

C

hittagong Samity Kuwait recently convened the General Body meeting of its member to reshuffle the new executive council for the next year to lead the organization.

Mahfuzur Rahman Mahfuz presided over the meeting and Haroon Ar Rashid conducted

the program. The organizing secretary Mohd Eliyas Chy high lighted the respective achievements in providing assistance to needy members of the Bangali Community residing in Kuwait.

Mahfuzur Rahman Mahfuz was elected President and Mohammed Jahangir elected

the General Secretary for the next one year along with the 71 members of its Executive Council. After due introduction, the office bearer’s stressed on enhancing the efforts for welfare of the Bangladeshi residents who are working for enlightening the image of Bangladesh.

omonomics Day was celebrated on 24th May 2010, Monday, at Fahaheel Al Watanieh Indian Private School, Kuwait. Students studying commerce and economics in Senior Secondary classes from 12 Indian Schools of Kuwait participated in the program. The program was organized in the school auditorium and began with the welcome address by Principal Anju Dheman.

The first phase of the function constituted of a lively debate on a very relevant topic ‘The consumer of today - King Kong or King Conned.’

Two Participants from each school spoke, one for the topic and the other against, delivering opinions and answering interjections.

Then came the second phase when the AD-MAD competition, where all twelve teams from the various schools were allotted, out of the box, product ideas. Each team had 5 members and was given a preparation time of one hour after which they had to come up with a theatrical advertisement for their respective product of maximum four minutes.

The function came to an end with the prize distribution ceremony.

Surabhi Chaturvedi of FAIPS bagged the 1st prize in the debate and Rijisha of IIS and Sukamya S. Telang of ICSK Khaitan tied were in the second position.

Sharan Pillay of FAIPS won the Best Interjector award with Arwa Hussain of ICSK Senior School winning the second prize.

In the AD MAD competition as well, the FAIPS team emerged as Winners with IES being the Runner’s Up. FAIPS topped the overall scores, but being the host school, the overall trophy was passed on to the second highest scoring team - ICSK seniors. The event was a huge success, greatly appreciated by one and all.

TV PROGRAMS

32

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Battle of the Hollywood Hotties 05:30 Streets of Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:45 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 30 Most Outrageous Celebrity Feuds 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 17:10 Kendra 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Wildest TV Show Moments 19:15 Pretty Wild 19:40 THS 21:20 Giuliana & Bill 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

00:00 Burn Notice 01:00 Life 02:00 One Tree Hill 03:00 CSI Miami 04:00 Life 05:00 Dawson’s Creek 06:00 The Ex-List 07:00 Burn Notice 08:00 Lie to Me 09:00 Law & Order 10:00 One Tree Hill 11:00 Dawson’s Creek 12:00 The Ex-List 13:00 CSI Miami 14:00 Hawthorne 15:00 Life 16:00 Lie to Me 17:00 Law & Order 18:00 Burn Notice 19:00 The Ex-List 20:00 Defying Gravity 21:00 Ghost Whisperer 22:00 CSI Miami 23:00 Supernatural

00:15 Dark Days in Monkey City 00:45 Animal Cops South Africa 01:40 Untamed & Uncut 02:35 The Animals’ Guide to Survival 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 Vet on the Loose 07:00 Wildlife SOS 07:25 Pet Rescue 07:50 Orangutan Island 08:15 Dark Days in Monkey City 08:45 Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous...

09:40 Monkey Business 10:05 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:30 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:55 Monkey Life 11:20 RSPCA: On the Frontline 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: On the Frontline 15:30 Orangutan Island 15:55 Dark Days in Monkey City 16:25 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 16:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:20 Monkey Business 17:45 Monkey Life 18:15 Going Ape 18:40 Going Ape 19:10 Orangutan Island 19:40 Dark Days in Monkey City 20:10 Animal Cops South Africa 21:05 Untamed & Uncut 22:00 Going Ape 22:25 Going Ape 22:55 Animal Cops Philadelphia 23:50 Orangutan Island

00:30 Doctor Who Confidential 00:45 A Thing Called Love 01:45 The Weakest Link 02:30 Last Of The Summer Wine 03:00 Teletubbies 03:25 Me Too 03:45 Tikkabilla 04:15 Teletubbies 04:40 Me Too 05:00 Tikkabilla 05:30 Teletubbies 05:55 Me Too 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 Egypt 11:00 Last Of The Summer Wine 11:30 Last Of The Summer Wine 12:00 The Weakest Link 12:50 Eastenders 13:20 Doctors 13:50 Mastermind 2006 14:20 Egypt 15:15 Last Of The Summer Wine 15:45 Last Of The Summer Wine 16:15 The Weakest Link 17:05 Doctors 17:35 Eastenders 18:00 Casualty 18:50 Casualty 19:40 Doctor Who Confidential 20:00 The Weakest Link 20:50 Doctors 21:20 Eastenders 21:50 Blackadder The Third 22:20 Supernova 22:45 The Omid Djalili Show 23:15 Red Dwarf (re-mastered) 23:45 Red Dwarf (re-mastered)

00:00 Masterchef Goes Large 00:20 The Hairy Bakers 00:45 Trish’s French Country Kitchen 01:10 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 02:00 Here’s Looking At You 02:25 Here’s Looking At You 02:50 The Restaurant Uk 03:40 Hidden Potential 04:05 Diy Sos 04:35 Bargain Hunt 05:20 Here’s Looking At You

I Love You, Man on Show Movies 05:45 Here’s Looking At You 06:10 Masterchef Goes Large 06:40 Masterchef Goes Large 07:05 Antiques Roadshow 07:55 Bargain Hunt 08:40 Bargain Hunt 09:25 Hidden Potential 09:50 Diy Sos 10:20 The Hairy Bakers 10:50 Trish’s French Country Kitchen 11:15 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 12:05 Here’s Looking At You 12:30 Here’s Looking At You 12:55 The Restaurant Uk 13:45 Hidden Potential 14:10 Diy Sos 14:40 Bargain Hunt 15:25 Bargain Hunt 16:10 The Hairy Bakers 16:40 Trish’s French Country Kitchen 17:05 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 17:55 Hidden Potential 18:20 Diy Sos 18:50 The Restaurant Uk 19:40 Masterchef Goes Large 20:10 Indian Food Made Easy 20:35 Ching’s Kitchen 21:00 Colin And Justin’s Home Show 21:50 Little Angels 22:15 Little Angels 22:40 The Restaurant Uk 23:30 Masterchef Goes Large

01:15 Death In Love-R 03:00 Liberty Heights-18 05:30 Mes Stars Et Moi-PG15 07:30 Dragon Hunters-PG 09:00 Losing Isaiah-PG15 11:00 Brideshead Revisited-PG15 13:30 Max And Co.-PG 15:00 Juno-PG15 16:45 Solaris-PG15 18:30 The Bridges Of Madison CountyPG15 21:00 Yasmin-18 23:00 The Baader Meinhof Complex-18

00:00 Moments of Terror 01:00 Street Customs 2008 02:00 Dirty Jobs 02:55 Breaking Point 03:50 Extreme Engineering 04:45 Mythbusters 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 Dirty Jobs 07:00 Extreme Engineering 07:55 Massive Engines 08:20 Street Customs 2008 09:15 Mythbusters 10:10 Ultimate Survival 11:05 Overhaulin’ 12:00 Border Security 12:30 How It’s Made 12:55 How It’s Made 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 It’s Made 20:00 Mythbusters 21:00 Destroyed in Seconds 21:30 Destroyed in Seconds 22:00 Undercover 23:00 Deadly Women

00:30 Engineered 01:20 Space Pioneer 02:10 What’s That About?

03:00 Beyond Tomorrow 03:50 Thunder Races 04:45 How Does That Work?

05:10 Weird Connections 05:40 One Step Beyond 06:10 Engineered

07:00 Thunder Races 08:00 NASA’s Greatest Missions 09:00 What’s That About?

09:55 Stunt Junkies 10:20 Weird Connections 10:50 Engineered 11:45 How Does That Work?

12:15 Kings of Construction 13:10 One Step Beyond 13:35 What’s That About?

14:30 Perfect Disaster 15:25 How Does That Work?

15:55 NASA’s Greatest Missions 16:50 Brainiac 17:45 Kings of Construction 18:40 Speed Junkie 19:30 Science of the Movies 20:20 How It’s Made 20:45 How It’s Made 21:10 Mythbusters 22:00 Speed Junkie 22:50 Science of the Movies 23:40 Kings of Construction

00:00 The Suite Life of Zack and Cody 00:25 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 00:50 Fairly Odd Parents 01:15 A Kind of Magic 01:35 I Got A Rocket 02:00 Wizards of Waverly Place 02:25 Phineas and Ferb 02:50 Suite Life On Deck 03:15 Replacements 03:35 Hannah Montana 04:00 Kim Possible 04:25 Famous Five 04:50 Fairly Odd Parents 05:15 Phineas and Ferb 05:35 Replacements 06:00 Special Agent OSO 06:10 Timmy Time 06:25 Jungle Junction 06:35 Special Agent OSO 07:00 Handy Manny 07:20 Imagination Movers 07:45 Jungle Junction 08:00 Timmy Time 08:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:00 Handy Manny 09:20 Jungle Junction 09:35 Special Agent OSO 09:45 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 10:10 Fairly Odd Parents 10:35 A Kind of Magic 11:00 I Got A Rocket 11:25 Wizards of Waverly Place 11:45 Phineas and Ferb 12:10 Suite Life On Deck 12:35 Replacements 12:55 Hannah Montana 13:20 Kim Possible 13:40 Famous Five 14:05 Fairly Odd Parents 14:30 Phineas and Ferb 14:55 Replacements 15:15 A Kind of Magic 15:40 Wizards of Waverly Place 16:00 Hannah Montana 16:25 Sonny With A Chance 16:45 Fairly Odd Parents 17:10 Phineas and Ferb 17:35 Suite Life On Deck 18:00 Wizards of Waverly Place 18:25 Hannah Montana 18:45 JONAS 19:10 Suite Life On Deck 19:30 Sonny With A Chance 19:55 Hannah Montana 20:20 Wizards of Waverly Place 21:10 Suite Life On Deck 22:00 Hannah Montana 22:50 Sonny With A Chance 23:15 JONAS 23:35 The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

00:15 Leave It To Lamas 00:40 Dr 90210 01:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 01:55 Reality Hell 02:20 E!ES 03:15 Extreme Hollywood

00:00 Untracked Series 2 01:00 Kick Ass Miracles 02:00 M1selection 2010 03:00 F.I.A European Drag Racing 04:00 Wicked Wheels 05:00 I-Ex 07:00 F.I.A European Drag Racing 08:00 Quattro Int Events: Red Bull Hare, Scramble 08:30 Quattro Int Events: Pkra World Cup Mondial Du Vent 09:00 Quattro Int Events: Midnight Sun Festival Wakeboard 09 09:30 Quattro Int Events: Swatch Profile: Mat Rebeaud 10:00 Quattro Int Events: Rb Cliffdiving Series: Dubrovnik 10:30 Quattro Int Events: Red Bull Romaniacs 11:00 Untracked Series 2 12:00 Wicked Wheels 13:00 F.I.A European Drag Racing 14:00 Ride Guide Mountain Bike 2007 15:00 Untracked Series 2 16:00 Wicked Wheels 17:00 Quattro Int Events: Red Bull Hare, Scramble 17:30 Quattro Int Events: Pkra World Cup Mondial Du Vent 18:00 Quattro Int Events: Midnight Sun Festival Wakeboard 09 18:30 Quattro Int Events: Swatch Profile: Mat Rebeaud 19:00 Quattro Int Events: Rb Cliffdiving Series: Dubrovnik 19:30 Quattro Int Events: Red Bull Romaniacs 20:00 Wicked Wheels 21:00 Untracked Series 2 22:00 Bad Boy Racers 23:00 M1selection 2010

00:00 Iron Chef America 01:00 30 Minute Meals 01:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 02:00 Guys Big Bite 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 Food Network Challenge 15:30 Barefoot Contessa 16:00 Everyday Italian 17:00 Iron Chef America 17:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 18:00 Guys Big Bite 18:30 Chopped 19:00 30 Minute Meals 19:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 20:00 Food Network Challenge 21:00 Barefoot Contessa 21:30 Everyday Italian 22:00 Iron Chef America 23:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 23:30 Guys Big Bite

00:30 A Haunting 01:20 FBI Files 02:10 I Almost Got Away With It 03:05 Murder Shift 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 Royal Inquest 09:30 Mystery ER 10:20 Forensic Detectives 11:10 FBI Files

12:00 The Prosecutors 12:50 On the Case with Paula Zahn 13:40 CSU 14:30 Forensic Detectives 15:20 FBI Files 16:10 Royal Inquest 17:00 Mystery ER 17:50 Forensic Detectives 18:40 FBI Files 19:30 The Prosecutors 20:20 On the Case with Paula Zahn 21:10 CSU 22:00 Dr G: Medical Examiner 22:50 Disappeared 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner

01:30 Cherry 2000 03:05 Perez Family, The 04:55 Bar Girls 06:30 Laws Of Gravity 08:05 Huckleberry Finn 09:55 Operation Lookout 11:30 Ski School 13:00 Escape, The 14:30 My American Cousin 16:00 Fantasticks, The 17:25 Man Inside, The 19:00 Grow Old Along With Me 20:30 Jiminy Glick In Lala Wood 22:00 The Alamo

00:00 Bondi Rescue 00:30 Lonely Planet 01:30 Banged Up Abroad 04:30 Madventures 05:00 Food School 05:30 Surfer’s Journal 06:00 Bondi Rescue 06:30 Lonely Planet 07:30 Banged Up Abroad 10:30 Madventures 11:00 Food School 11:30 Surfer’s Journal 12:00 Bondi Rescue 12:30 Lonely Planet 13:30 Bondi Rescue 14:30 The Best Job In The World 15:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 15:30 Banged Up Abroad 16:30 Madventures 17:00 Food School 17:30 Surfer’s Journal 18:00 Bondi Rescue 18:30 Lonely Planet 19:30 Bondi Rescue 20:30 The Best Job In The World 21:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 21:30 Banged Up Abroad 22:30 Madventures 23:00 Food School 23:30 Surfer’s Journal

00:00 Community 00:30 Rita Rocks 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Cleveland Show 03:30 The Book Group 04:00 Saturday Night Live 05:00 Drew Carey 05:30 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 06:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 07:00 Just Shoot me!

07:30 The Fresh Prince of Bel Air 08:00 Frasier 08:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 09:00 Married with Children 09:30 Drew Carey 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Just Shoot me!

11:00 Frasier 11:30 Hope & Faith 12:00 Saturday Night Live 13:00 Rita Rocks 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 14:00 Married with Children 14:30 The Fresh Prince of Bel Air 15:00 Community 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 Modern Family 19:30 New adventures of old Christine 20:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Inbetweeners 22:30 Plus one 23:00 Saturday Night Live

00:00 The Martha Stewart Show 01:00 10 Years Younger 01:30 Look A Like 02:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

03:00 The Monique Show 04:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 05:00 GMA (repeat) 07:00 GMA Health 07:30 What’s the Buzz 08:00 The Martha Stewart Show 09:00 Look A Like 09:30 10 Years Younger 10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

11:00 The View 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 What’s Good For You 14:00 GMA Live 16:00 GMA Health 16:30 What’s the Buzz 17:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 18:00 Look A Like 18:30 10 Years Younger

19:00 The View 20:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 21:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

22:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 23:00 The Monique Show

00:00 Halloween 2-18 02:00 The Secret Lives Of Second WivesPG15 04:00 Capturing Mary-PG15 06:00 Baby Mama-PG 08:00 Beverly Hills Chihuahua-PG 10:00 Semi-pro-PG15 12:00 Ocean’s Thirteen-PG15 14:00 Cutting Edge 3-PG15 16:00 Beverly Hills Chihuahua-PG 17:30 The Dark Knight-PG15 20:00 I Love You, Man-18 22:00 Death Race-18

01:00 Behind Enemy Lines: ColombiaPG15 03:00 The Cottage-18 05:00 Stargate: Continuum-PG15 07:00 Chocolate-PG15 09:00 Vantage Point-PG15 11:00 Planet Of The Apes-PG15 13:00 Road Of No Return-PG15 15:00 Vantage Point-PG15 17:00 Battle Of Wits-PG15 19:15 Ice Twisters-PG15 21:00 Linewatch-18 23:00 W Delta Z-18

00:00 Zero Effect-PG15 02:00 National Lampoon’s: Electric Apricot-PG15 04:00 The War Of The Roses-PG15 06:00 First Sunday-PG15 08:00 My Favorite Martian-PG 10:00 Mchale’s Navy-PG15 12:00 The Hammer-PG15 14:00 Down To Earth-PG15 16:00 Zero Effect-PG15 18:00 All Night Long-18 20:00 Friday After Next-18 22:00 Play Dead-18

00:00 Barbie Mariposa-FAM 02:00 Harriet The Spy-PG 04:00 Zeus And Roxanne-PG 06:00 Scooby-Doo And The Loch Ness Monster-FAM 08:00 Simba Junior To The World CupFAM 10:00 Zeus And Roxanne-PG 12:00 Barbie As The Princess And The Pauper-FAM 14:00 Harriet The Spy-PG 16:00 The Jungle Book II-FAM 18:00 D3: The Mighty Ducks-PG 20:00 Dark Crystal-PG 22:00 Barbie As The Princess And The Pauper-FAM

00:00 Grey’s Anatomy 01:00 Private Practice 02:00 Criminal Minds 03:00 Dawson’s Creek 04:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 04:30 Home Improvement 05:00 Beauty and the Geek 06:00 Emmerdale 06:30 Coronation Street 07:00 Criminal Minds 08:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 08:30 Home Improvement 09:00 Dawson’s Creek 10:00 Beauty and the Geek 11:00 Criminal Minds 12:00 Emmerdale 12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 13:30 Home Improvement 14:00 Grey’s Anatomy 15:00 Private Practice 16:00 Beauty and the Geek 17:00 Parkinson 18:00 Emmerdale 18:30 Huey’s Cooking Adventure 19:00 Heroes 20:00 Hotel Babylon 21:00 Cold Case 22:00 Lie to Me 23:00 Parkinson

07:00 Futbol Mundial 07:30 World Sport 08:00 Live NRL Premiership 10:00 NRL Premiership 14:00 World Sport 14:30 European Tour Weekly 15:00 Live European PGA Tour 19:00 NRL Premiership

00:00 V8 Supercars Championship 02:00 WWE NXT 03:00 UFC 114 06:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 WWE Smackdown 09:00 WWE Vintage Collection 10:00 Red Bull X-Fighters 11:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 12:00 WWE Vintage Collection 13:00 V8 Supercars Championship 15:00 V8 Supercars Extra 15:30 NFL Full Time 16:00 UAE National Race Day 17:00 Prizefighter 20:00 WWE NXT 21:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 22:00 UFC Unleashed

01:00 Hindsight-PG15 03:00 W-PG15 05:15 The Firm-PG15 07:00 The Longshots-PG15 09:00 Bring It On 5: Fight To The FinishPG15 11:00 Fool’s Gold-PG15 13:00 Beauty And The Briefcase-PG15 15:00 Shadows In The Sun-PG15 17:00 Bring It On 5: Fight To The FinishPG15 19:00 Sunshine Cleaning-PG15 21:00 G-force-PG 23:00 Miracle At St. Anna-18

01:50 Man Of La Mancha 04:00 Across The Wide Missouri 05:20 Welcome To Hard Times 07:00 Cimarron 09:25 The Wonderful World Of The Brothers Grimm 11:30 Ice Station Zebra 13:55 Please Don’t Eat The Daisies 15:45 The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn 17:30 Bad Day At Black Rock 18:50 My Favorite Year 20:20 The Wizard Of Oz 22:00 Wild Rovers

00:00 Dr 90210 01:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 01:30 Dallas Divas & Daughters 02:00 Split Ends 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 Giuliana & Bill 17:30 Giuliana & Bill 18:00 Dallas Divas & Daughters 19:00 Split Ends 20:00 Clean House 21:00 Clean House Comes Clean 21:30 Dress My Nest 22:00 Jerseylicious

01:04 Latina 01:45 Playlist 02:00 Urban Hit 02:45 Playlist 05:04 Legend 06:00 Playlist 08:04 Latina 08:45 Playlist 13:04 Urban Hit 13:50 Playlist 14:00 Trace Video Mix 15:00 Playlist 16:04 RNB 16:45 Playlist 18:00 Urban Hit 18:45 Playlist 20:04 Sound System 20:45 Playlist 21:00 Guest Star 21:15 Playlist 22:00 Code Compilation 22:24 Playlist

00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Tokyo Revealed 02:00 Cruising the Spirit of Adventure 03:00 Warner Bros Movie WorldAustralia 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 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 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 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Travel Today 17:30 Taste Takes Off 18:00 Planet Food 19:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 20:00 Tokyo Revealed 21:00 Cruising the Spirit of Adventure 22:00 Warner Bros Movie WorldAustralia 23:00 Globe Trekker

00:00 VH1 Rocks 00:30 Smells Like The 90s 01:00 Greatest Hits 02:00 Vh1 Music 05:00 Chill Out 07:00 Vh1 Hits 09:00 Vh1 Music 11:00 Aerobic 12:00 Top 10 Smashing Pumpkins 13:00 Music For The Masses 14:00 Vh1 Pop Chart 15:00 Vh1 Music 17:00 Music For The Masses 18:00 Vh1 Music 19:00 VH1 Viewer’s Jukebox 20:00 Final Countdown Best Alternative Videos

01:00 Mobil 1 The Grid 01:30 AFL Highlights 02:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 03:00 Futbol Mundial 03:30 European Tour Weekly 04:00 Masters Football 07:00 Rugby Union 11:00 AFL Highlights 12:00 Futbol Mundial 12:30 NRL Full Time 13:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 14:00 ICC Cricket World 14:30 Masters Football 17:30 Live PGA European Tour 20:30 World Sport 21:00 Total Rugby 21:30 AFL Highlights 22:30 PGA European Tour

01:30 International Rugby Union 05:30 Total Rugby 06:00 Futbol Mundial 06:30 ICC Cricket World

Sunshine Cleaning on Super Movies

Star Listings (UAE Timings) STAR Movies 20:50 Wyvern 22:20 Phantom Racer 23:45 Yeti 01:10 Carny 02:40 Someone Like You 04:15 Finding Amanda 05:45 Phantom Racer 07:10 In Tranzit 09:00 Someone Like You 10:35 Carny 12:05 Perfect Assistant, The 13:40 Savages, The 15:35 Great Train Robbery, The 17:30 Wild Hogs 19:10 Gone Baby Gone STAR World 20:00 Prison Break 20:50 Starsky & Hutch 21:00 Cops S19 21:25 Cops S19 21:50 Who’s The Boss?

22:00 Grey’s Anatomy 23:00 [V] Tunes 00:00 [V] Tunes 01:00 [V] Tunes 02:00 Ugly Betty 03:00 Scrubs 03:30 Scrubs 04:00 BOSTON LEGAL 05:00 Cops S19

05:30 Cops S19 06:00 Grey’s Anatomy 06:50 Starsky & Hutch 07:00 BONES 08:00 Prison Break 09:00 The King Of Queens 09:30 The Bold and the Beautiful 10:00 [V] TUNES 11:00 Grey’s Anatomy 11:50 Who’s The Boss?

12:00 Ugly Betty 12:50 Starsky & Hutch 13:00 BONES 14:00 Scrubs 14:30 Scrubs 15:00 BOSTON LEGAL 16:00 Samantha Who? 16:30 Rules Of Engagement 17:00 Desperate Housewives 18:00 Dirty Sexy Money 19:00 Asia Uncut Granada TV 20:00 What Katie Did Next (Series 1) 21:00 Filthy Homes From Hell 22:00 Emmerdale 22:30 Coronation Street 23:00 Filthy Homes From Hell 00:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 2) 01:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 02:00 Action Thursday: Lenny Blue 03:30 Strange But True? (Series 4)

04:00 Essex Wives 05:00 Emmerdale 05:30 Coronation Street 06:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 2) 07:00 Action Thursday: Lenny Blue 08:30 Strange But True? (Series 4) 09:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:00 Essex Wives 11:00 Emmerdale 11:30 Coronation Street 12:00 Million Dollar Traders 13:00 Action Thursday: Vincent (Series 1) 14:30 Strange But True? (Series 4) 15:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:00 Emmerdale 16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 Million Dollar Traders 18:00 Action Thursday: Vincent (Series 1) 19:30 Strange But True? (Series 4) Channel [V] 21:00 Keys To The VIP Double Bill 22:00 [V] Tunes 22:30 [V] Tunes 23:00 Backtracks 23:30 Double Shot 00:00 Loop 00:30 [V] Tunes 01:00 [V] Plug 01:30 Loop 02:00 Backtracks 03:00 XO

03:30 [V] Tunes 04:00 [V] Plug 04:30 The Playlist 05:00 Keys To The VIP Double Bill 06:00 [V] Tunes 06:30 [V] Tunes 07:00 Backtracks 07:30 Double Shot 08:00 Loop 08:30 [V] Tunes 09:00 [V] Plug 09:30 Loop 10:00 Backtracks 11:00 XO 11:30 [V] Tunes 12:00 [V] Plug 12:30 The Playlist 13:00 Videoscope 14:00 [V] Tunes 14:30 [V] Tunes 15:00 Backtracks 15:30 Double Shot 16:00 Loop 16:30 [V] Tunes 17:00 [V] Plug 17:30 Loop 18:00 Backtracks 19:00 XO 19:30 [V] Tunes 20:00 [V] Plug 20:30 The Playlist

Fox News 20:00 Happening Now 21:00 The Live Desk 23:00 Studio B with Shepard Smith Live 00:00 Your World with Neil Cavuto 01:00 Glenn Beck with Glenn Beck 02:00 Special Report with Bret Baier 03:00 The FOX Report with Shepard Smith 04:00 The O’Reilly Factor 05:00 Hannity 06:00 On the Record with Greta Van Susteren 07:00 The O’Reilly Factor 08:00 Hannity 09:00 On the Record with Greta Van Susteren 10:00 Glenn Beck with Glenn Beck 11:00 Fox Report 12:00 Special Report with Bret Baier 13:00 The O’Reilly Factor 14:00 FOX & Friends First Live 15:00 FOX & Friends Live 17:00 America’s Newsroom 18:00 America’s Newsroom 19:00 Happening Now National Geographic Channel 20:00 Superhuman : Steroids 21:00 Wild Wednesday -Dangerous Encounters With Brad : Shocking S5-4 22:00 Wild Wednesday -Hooked : Fish Gone Wild 23:00 Theme Week -Aftermath : Population Overload 00:00 Seconds From Disaster -Space Shuttle

Explosion S3-13 01:00 ABOUT ASIA -Sudden Death 02:00 Interpol Investigates -Tracks of a Stalker 03:00 Rescue Ink -House Of Horror 4 04:00 Hollywood Fox 05:00 ABOUT ASIA -Sudden Death 06:00 Lonely Planet -Lonely Planet- Roads Less Trav : China 7 07:00 DogTown -New Beginnings S2-1 08:00 Interpol Investigates -Tracks of a Stalker 09:00 Monkey Thieves -Searching For Sanctuary 16 09:30 Weddings & Funerals -5 Weddings Couple of funeral : Malay Wedding 4 10:00 Theme Week -Aftermath : When The Earth Stops Spinning 11:00 Seconds From Disaster -Space Shuttle Explosion S3-13 12:00 ABOUT ASIA -Sudden Death 13:00 Mega Thursday -Megacities : Paris 5 13:30 Mega Thursday -Megacities : Sao Paulo 6 14:00 Mega Thursday -Build Up To The Cup : Train 15:00 Theme Week -Aftermath : When The Earth Stops Spinning 16:00 Inside -Inside:Sumo’s Ultimate Clash 17:00 Seconds From Disaster -Space Shuttle Explosion S3-13 18:00 Mega Thursday -Megacities : Paris 5 18:30 Mega Thursday -Megacities : Sao Paulo 6 19:00 Mega Thursday -Build Up To The Cup : Train

Thursday, June 10, 2010

33 Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Thursday 10/06/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jordanian 802 Amman Wataniya Airways 188 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 306 Cairo Wataniya 408 Beirut Bangladesh 045 Dhaka/Bahrain Gulf Air 211 Bahrain Turkish 772 Istanbul Air Arabia Egypt 551 Alexandria Jazeera 267 Beirut DHL 370 Bahrain Emirates 853 Dubai Cargolux 792 Luxembourg Etihad 305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 138 Doha Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa Kuwait 802 Cairo Falcon 201 Dubai Jazeera 637 Aleppo Jazeera 503 Luxor Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok Jazeera 527 Alexandria British 157 London Jazeera 529 Assiut Jazeera 613 Lahore Kuwait 204 Lahore Iran Air 605 Isfahan Kuwait 302 Mumbai Fly Dubai 053 Dubai Kuwait 332 Trivandrum Kuwait 676 Dubai Kuwait 284 Dhaka Kuwait 362 Colombo Emirates 855 Dubai Arabia 121 Sharjah Qatari 132 Doha Etihad 301 Abu Dhabi Wataniya Airways 182 Bahrain Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Middle East 404 Beirut Wataniya Airways 102 Dubai Jazeera 113 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 447 Doha Syrian Air 341 Damascus Jazeera 171 Dubai Almasria Universal 407 Assiut Wataniya 422 Amman Egypt Air 610 Cairo Jazeera 457 Damascus Kuwait 672 Dubai Kuwait 772 Riyadh Jordanian 800 Amman United 982 Washington DC Dulles Wataniya Airways 432 Damascus Egypt Air 621 Assiut Fly Dubai 057 Dubai Wataniya 332 Alexandria Jazeera 257 Beirut Jazeera 125 Bahrain Saudia 500 Jeddah Kuwait 552 Damascus Nas Air 745 Jeddah Qatari 134 Doha Kuwait 546 Alexandria Kuwait 678 Muscat/Abu Dhabi Jazeera 173 Dubai Kuwait 118 New York Mihin 403 Colombo/Dubai Etihad 303 Abu Dhabi Emirates 857 Dubai Wataniya Airways 402 Beirut Gulf Air 215 Bahrain Saudia 510 Riyadh Kuwait 562 Amman Arabia 125 Sharjah Iran Air 617 Ahwaz Jazeera 493 Jeddah Jazeera 129 Bahrain Srilankan 227 Colombo/Dubai Wataniya Airways 304 Cairo Kuwait 104 London Wataniya Airways 106 Dubai Rovos 093 Kandahar/Dubai Kuwait 542 Cairo Kuwait 502 Beirut Kuwait 786 Jeddah Wataniya Airways 202 Jeddah Kuwait 618 Doha Jazeera 177 Dubai Kuwait 674 Dubai Kuwait 614 Bahrain Kuwait 774 Riyadh Bahrain Air 344 Bahrain Singapore 458 Singapore/Abu Dhabi Jazeera 433 Mashad Almasria Universal 109 Alexandria Fly Dubai 061 Dubai Jazeera 459 Damascus Oman Air 647 Muscat Wataniya 612 Sabiha Middle East 402 Beirut Jet A/W 572 Mumbai KLM 0445 Amsterdam Egypt Air 618 Alexandria Wataniya Airways 404 Beirut Jazeera 183 Dubai DHL 372 Bahrain Gulf Air 217 Bahrain Emirates 859 Dubai Qatari 136 Doha Kuwait 178 Geneva/Frankfurt United 981 Bahrain Indian 981 Chennai/Hyderabad/Ahmedabad Jazeera 429 Bahrain Lufthansa 636 Frankfurt Jazeera 117 Abu Dhabi Egypt Air 612 Cairo Bangladesh 043 Dhaka India Express 389 Kozhikode/Mangalore Pakistan 205 Lahore Wataniya Airways 108 Dubai

Time 00:05 00:30 00:50 01:05 01:05 01:05 01:15 02:00 02:10 02:15 02:25 02:50 02:55 03:25 03:30 04:45 05:25 05:45 05:30 06:15 06:20 06:30 06:40 07:40 07:10 07:45 07:50 07:55 07:55 08:00 08:10 08:20 08:25 08:40 09:00 09:25 10:45 10:45 10:50 11:05 11:10 11:20 12:05 12:50 12:45 12:50 12:55 13:10 13:15 13:20 13:35 13:35 13:35 13:40 13:50 14:05 14:10 15:10 14:30 14:35 14:55 15:05 15:30 15:35 16:05 16:15 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:15 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:40 17:40 17:55 18:00 18:35 18:35 18:45 18:45 18:50 18:50 18:55 18:55 18:55 19:05 19:20 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:25 19:40 19:50 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:20 20:20 20:30 20:40 20:50 20:50 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:05 22:10 22:30 22:45 22:55 23:00 23:10 23:55 23:55

Departure Flights on Thursday 10/06/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 528 Assiut Shaheen Air 442 Lahore Egypt Air 607 Luxor India Express 394 Cochin/Kozhikode KLM 0447 Amsterdam Indian 576 Goa/Chennai Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt Pakistan 216 Karachi Bangladesh 046 Dhaka Turkish 773 Istanbul Air Arabia Egypt 552 Alexandria DHL 371 Bahrain Emirates 854 Dubai Etihad 306 Abu Dhabi Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa Cargolux 792 Hong Kong Qatari 139 Doha Wataniya Airways 101 Dubai Jazeera 112 Abu Dhabi Jordanian 803 Amman Jazeera 331 Alexandria Jazeera 446 Doha Jazeera 456 Damascus Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 181 Bahrain Wataniya 421 Amman Rovos 094 Dubai/Kandahar Jazeera 256 Beirut Wataniya Airways 431 Damascus British 156 London Jazeera 170 Dubai Kuwait 545 Alexandria Fly Dubai 054 Dubai Kuwait 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat Iran Air 606 Mashad Kuwait 671 Dubai Kuwait 551 Damascus Arabia 122 Sharjah Kuwait 101 London/New York Emirates 856 Dubai Qatari 133 Doha Kuwait 771 Riyadh Etihad 302 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 124 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 401 Beirut Gulf Air 214 Bahrain Kuwait 165 Rome/Paris Wataniya Airways 303 Cairo Middle East 405 Beirut Jazeera 172 Dubai Kuwait 541 Cairo Wataniya 611 Sabiha Jazeera 492 Jeddah Kuwait 561 Amman Kuwait 501 Beirut Syrian Air 342 Damascus Kuwait 785 Jeddah Almasria Universal 408 Alexandria Wataniya Airways 201 Jeddah Jazeera 426 Bahrain Egypt Air 611 Cairo Jazeera 432 Mashad Jordanian 801 Amman Wataniya Airways 105 Dubai Fly Dubai 058 Dubai Egypt Air 622 Assiut Jazeera 458 Damascus United 982 Bahrain Jazeera 176 Dubai Jazeera 128 Bahrain Kuwait 673 Dubai Wataniya Airways 403 Beirut Kuwait 617 Doha Nas Air 746 Jeddah Saudia 505 Jeddah Kuwait 773 Riyadh Kuwait 613 Bahrain Qatari 135 Doha Jazeera 182 Dubai Etihad 304 Abu Dhabi Mihin 404 Dubai/Colombo Wataniya Airways 305 Cairo Emirates 858 Dubai Gulf Air 216 Bahrain Kuwait 543 Cairo Arabia 126 Sharjah Saudia 511 Riyadh Iran Air 616 Ahwaz Jazeera 116 Abu Dhabi Kuwait 285 Chittagong Srilankan 228 Dubai/Colombo Jazeera 428 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 407 Beirut Wataniya Airways 433 Damascus Wataniya Airways 107 Dubai Kuwait 283 Dhaka Bahrain Air 345 Bahrain Jazeera 266 Beirut Kuwait 361 Colombo Jazeera 512 Sharm El Sheikh Wataniya Airways 321 Sharm El Sheikh Almasria Universal 110 Assiut Fly Dubai 062 Dubai Singapore 457 Abu Dhabi/Singapore Wataniya 321 Sharm El Sheikh Jazeera 186 Dubai Kuwait 351 Cochin Oman Air 648 Muscat Middle East 403 Beirut Jet A/W 571 Mumbai Wataniya Airways 187 Bahrain KLM 0445 Bahrain/Amsterdam Egypt Air 619 Alexandria Gulf Air 218 Bahrain Jazeera 240 Amman DHL 373 Bahrain Kuwait 675 Dubai Emirates 860 Dubai Falcon 102 Bahrain Qatari 137 Doha Kuwait 301 Mumbai Kuwait 205 Islamabad Jazeera 526 Alexandria United 981 Washington DC Dulles Jazeera 502 Luxor Kuwait 411 Bangkok/Manila Kuwait 415 Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta Egypt Air 613 Cairo

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

Time 00:05 00:10 00:15 00:25 00:30 00:50 00:50 01:10 02:15 02:15 02:40 03:15 03:45 04:00 04:15 04:20 05:00 06:50 07:00 07:00 07:30 07:40 07:45 07:45 07:50 07:50 08:00 08:25 08:10 08:25 08:30 08:35 08:40 08:45 08:45 09:00 09:10 09:20 09:30 09:40 10:00 10:00 10:10 11:15 11:35 11:35 11:45 11:50 11:50 11:55 12:00 12:05 12:15 12:25 13:00 13:05 13:30 13:35 13:45 13:55 13:55 14:05 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:40 14:45 14:50 14:55 15:00 15:10 15:10 15:35 15:45 16:00 16:05 16:20 16:20 16:55 17:35 17:40 18:05 18:05 18:05 18:10 18:20 18:35 18:40 18:40 18:45 19:10 19:10 19:25 19:30 19:40 20:00 20:10 20:10 20:20 20:20 20:30 20:40 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:20 23:40 23:30 23:40 23:50 23:55

ACCOMMODATION Accommodation available for bachelors or couples at Bneid Al Gar (Sharq) to share with an Indian family.

Contact: 22543185/ 99249903. (C 2374) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya, 2 bedroom/2 bathroom C-AC flat, fully furnished with car parking for couple or working ladies or visiting family with Keralite family. Contact: 66013882. (C 2383) Spacious room for rent bachelors/small family from 25th June or 1st - July 10 in Jleeb Al Shuyuokh, near schools and Touristic Park on 6th Ring Road. Please contact: 99317817.

(C 2379) 10-6-2010 Sharing accommodation available in a 2 big bedroom flat, opposite Al Rashid Hospital in Salmiya. Please contact: 66577745. (C 2376) A fully furnished flat for sharing during summer vacations from mid-June to mid-Aug CA/C, nice location bldg, prefer families on visit.

Phone: 66702685, 66674242. (C 2377) Sharing accommodation available for family near Indian Central School, Abbassiya from 25 June.

Contact: 99853244.

(C 2375) 9-6-2010

Sharing accommodation available for two working ladies with a small Keralite family near Neethi store Abbassiya.

Phone: 65730628. (C 2370) 8-6-2010 Furnished one BHK/flat for rent from 24/5 to 26/6 in Abbassiya near Uduppi palace.

Please call: 66910015. (C 2369) 7-6-2010 One single room with separate bathroom available in Farwaniya for couples/one executive bachelor (Indians only) to share with a Keralite family in a two BHK CA/C flat, opp. Farwaniya police station. If interested please contact 66786103.

(C 2365) 6-6-2010

FOR SALE Pajero model 92, golden + brown, V6 3000, full automatic, engine, gear, AC, interior & exterior all in excellent condition, passing till 25/11/10, price KD 750.

Call 99322585. (C 2381) PC IBM, P4 Intel 3.0, Ram 256 & HD 40 GB with Dell 15” LCD & IBM laptop. All in excellent condition, for details call: 99322585.

(C 2382) 10-6-2010 Mercedes Benz car, model 2005, S350 L, full option +

navigation, black color, kilometer: 170,000, used by diplomat, excellent condition, maintained since purchased by Al-Bishr & AlKazemi workshop. Contact: 66420301, 99774390.

(C 2371)

rent KD 270, good quality furniture and appliances KD 575 ono. Can sell separately. Call 66228644. (C 2366) 8-6-2010

Audi - A6 - 2000 model, 6 cylinder, sun roof, leather seats, well maintained. Tel: 97416536, 55880927.

(C 2380)

Indian female (MBA in HR), 10 years experience in HR/Administration, specializing in recruitments, PMS, MIS reports & overall admin functions. Proficient in MS Office. Good communication skills. Please contact: 66634322. (C 2368) 7-6-2010

P4, Intel Celeron, 2.4 GHz, 40 GB HDD, 256 MB RAM, CD ROM, 56K modem, soundcard, speakers, 17” CRT monitor, ready for Internet KD 25. PIII, Intel, with 17” CRT monitor KD 12. Contact: 66244192.

(C 2378) 9-6-2010 Pajero 2007, color red, 3.8 GLS, 6-cylinder, sun roof, leather seats, only 37,000 kms, expat leaving, KD 4,500 neg. Tel: 94449173.

(C 2372) One year Internet card, original price KD 55, sale price KD 15. Tel: 55451465, 66451465. (C 2350) Indoor plants, KD 10 to KD 2, great deal, also bunk bed, leather sofa, recliner, table football etc, expat leaving, priced to sell. Call 94449173. (C 2373) Engineer leaving Kuwait 30-06-2010, spacious flat, 2BHK + maid room, opp.

Mughal Mahal, Salmiya,

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION VACANT

English speaking maid for a family living in Mangaf.

Please contact 60055305 or 23741548.

5-6-2010

CHANGE OF NAME I, Chaman Sharif Abdul Gafur Kathari, holder of Indian Passport No. F 1478448 have changed my name to Sharif Shaikh.

(C 2363) 4-6-2010

LOST Lost passport, Motalib Jaj Miah, Bangladeshi Passport No: V0064058, Civil ID No: 275052008605. Finder please contact: 666556013.

(C 2367) 7-6-2010

34

SPECTRUM

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Calvin

CROSSWORD 1015

Aries (March 21-April 19) Your sense of direction and guidance are the key to understanding you at any in-depth level. You seem to naturally find a solution--always managing to come up with the correct approach. There is a great capacity to negotiate with the law and authorities, plus an ability to find your way when it comes to inner and spiritual matters. Others sense this gift and accept guidance and council from you often--including today. Matters of law, religion and philosophy of the most definite kind hold your interest. You could find that houses and other real property take on greater significance. A move is in the forecast and now is the time to think about exactly what that means to you; the world is yours! Gain power through dependable information.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Your timing is much better today. Others seem to have a need to listen to what you have to say. Although you may not have all the answers you feel you need, the combination of your ideas with other people’s ideas is productive and has good results.

There may soon be a greater focus on family life--parents, children, relatives; the domestic scene. On a somewhat broader scale, you are likely to find that houses and other real property take on greater significance for you.

Nurturing is where you concentrate your efforts in your personal life now: making things grow and taking care of them, planting seeds that will develop and survive far into the future--that's what it's all about now. Patience should be practiced, especially just now. Take things slowly.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. Fiddler crabs.

4. A master's degree in theology.

7. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

11. (prefix) Reverse of or absence of.

12. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

13. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

14. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

16. A baby bed with sides and rockers.

17. (used of certain religious orders) Barefoot or wearing only sandals.

20. Half the width of an em.

21. A drug combination found in some over-the-counter headache remedies (Aspirin and Phenacetin and Caffeine).

24. An iconic mental representation.

26. Lower in esteem.

30. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp.

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

33. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

35. A former monetary unit in Great Britain.

37. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

39. A native-born Israeli.

43. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

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

48. (Islam) The man who leads prayers in a mosque.

49. Consisting of or made of wood of the oak tree.

50. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

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

52. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

53. A light touch or stroke.

DOWN 1. Relatively small fast-moving sloth.

2. German botanist who is generally recognized as founding bacteriology when he recognized bacteria as plants.

3. Type genus of the Anatidae.

4. A hard gray lustrous metallic element that is highly corrosionresistant.

5. A heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element.

6. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric.

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

8. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

9. A large bundle bound for storage or transport.

10. A primeval personification of air and breath.

15. God of wealth and love.

18. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

19. The district occupied entirely by the city of Washington.

22. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

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

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

27. A small cake leavened with yeast.

28. A white trivalent metallic element.

29. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

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

34. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

35. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

36. Port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay. 38. Informal terms for a (young) woman.

40. (computer science) A data transmission rate (bits/second) for modems.

41. Avatar of Vishnu.

42. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

44. At a great distance in time or space or degree.

45. A state of southwestern India.

46. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) This is a lucky day for you when it comes to career decisions. You will work hard to make your dreams a reality. Flashes of insight with tremendous originality and independence are typical. You may find yourself teaching others about some new technical skill. You have a natural sense of invention and a love of all things electrical and of communication in general. A born traveler, not afraid to be alone, you will find opportunities to travel--perhaps through lecturing. You are unconventional today, when it comes to self-expression. You will find new and different ways to get this expression over to others--possibly through sports, or entertainment, the creative arts, etc. Always independent when it comes to emotions, you do not mind feeling a little different.

Non Sequitur Cancer (June 21-July 22) Past restrictions are gone. You will be able to move forward and get much accomplished. Your ideas and thoughts will be clear and the unusually difficult tasks will not slow you down. You become organized as soon as you know your schedule. It will feel exhilarating to know you are on the right road to success and your self-confidence should be high enough that nothing can stop you. There are highlights of leadership and opportunities for advancement. You will feel powerful and those around you will see that you have the ability to make good decisions, accomplish goals and network with authorities. There should be some compliments coming your way this afternoon. A love story or poem is shared tonight.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Your artistic side jumps to attention as some new challenges that are similar to a business advertisement tease your imagination. You can create a presentation that results in some innovative ideas. There is a sense of testing the limits, but there is also some fun of accomplishment involved in today's work. Being more in touch with your emotional roots is a keynote of the cycle that now takes hold in your life. This has to do with feelings, but it's more than that it is about making the things you feel and care about a reality. At some levels, this may mean creating a greater balance when it comes to career and family. Credit yourself with the will to get things done and realize that now is a good time to plan an important party.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You seem to possess a ceaseless need to be analytical today. You spend a great deal of time analyzing or studying certain situations and can undermine your own progress. If you are not moving forward with your work, you might consider a little extra help or a bit of overtime with your work. Thinking things through and accounting for all the details and making careful measurements, keeps the mind active and involved.

An interest in health and work may come to your attention. There may be new ways of communication, technical probably, that will take much of your spare time this afternoon. Very little is accomplished at home since you may learn about someone in the neighborhood that you would like to know better.

Libra (September 23-October 22) Co-workers enjoy being around you, particularly today. You are in a happy mood and you plan to stay that way for a long time. Your thought is that nobody could sway you from this good feeling. Your workload is good and it is starting to look as if you have a good grasp on the way your work is moving along. If you have a team, you will find that all of you work very well together. You and your family have been considering real estate lately and this just may be a good time to discover what you want in a home. Taxes, investments and other financial ties or obligations grab your attention. You may even be looking to upgrade or downgrade into a different home. There may be less of a need to have lots of space; it will all need care.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) A renewed emphasis on reading, writing, studying and all forms of information exchange is highly motivating. New ideas and creative solutions are at the ready. You are not usually the talkative one in your work area but today there are great things to talk about--new discoveries. You might enjoy being a sales person or in the advertising business; success is certain. Your imagination and sense of what connects all of life are felt in your speech and in the way you communicate. You love a good story and a sense of the mystical pervades every one you tell. At some level, there is a greater focus on family life--parents, children, relatives and the whole domestic scene. You are looking forward to a fun family gathering soon.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You may be helping a young co-worker with their duties or in understanding their work this morning. Everyone wants a piece of you and this can result in your needing more space, a chance to be alone--escape! It is because of your being in demand that brings about a great deal of satisfaction. Your ambitions are usually supported by the will to get things done.

Achievement, ambition and authority are the things that take on greater importance. Organizing and administering to people and projects will become more central to your lifestyle. A marriage or other partnership can raise high hopes. There are good feelings from all around you and there is a sense of support and harmony and enjoying this happy time.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yester

Yesterday’s Solution

To

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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) This is a time to take risks and dare to be a little unconventional. New insights bring bright ideas for new inventions. Your career could open up by taking the road less traveled and by daring to be the oddball--new approaches. An understanding attitude on your part could have farreaching effects on your own life-path and career during this time. A little restraint for now could be beneficial; keep notes so that you can stay focused. Careful with the budget today, you may be more than a little eager to acquire things or indulge too much. Be alert for the knowledge that will help you to fine-tune your work program. A friend will invite you to do some fun activities that could be a bit out of the ordinary this afternoon.

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) There is a focus on worldwide events and the need to keep in touch with others. This could be a group energy type of thing but it looks as if you joined the competition to fulfill a special need. It is time to be involved in the big picture. The media are instrumental in this social awareness and you may be a part of the media. You are certainly seen obtaining information from as many different sources as possible this month. Expect, then, to be involved with newspapers, magazines, TV, Internet and discussions on computer networks and in coffee houses.

Others will want to know the latest--you must keep on the right path and avoid being misleading. Celebrating the evening with people, music and good feelings is certainly enjoyable.

Word Sleuth Solution

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You seem most creative with your ideas and ways of communicating. Unique and unconventional approaches to study or research are forthcoming. You value change and transformation and have an almost reckless faith in the life process. You may find yourself in an excellent job or at least with a defined path and plan.

You appreciate goals and efforts at the global level and try to find ways in which you can implement them into your own life. Your energy level is high but the nervous tension level may also be high. Take the full time allotted to you at each break--particularly the noon break--and find peaceful ways to relax. A new animal or family member demands your attention this evening. It looks like playtime! Enjoy!

INFORMATION

Thursday, June 10, 2010

35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 112 Al-Madena 22418714 Al-Shohada始a 22545171 Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Sabhan 24742838 Al-Helaly 22434853 Al-Fayhaa 22545051 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Ahmadi 23980088 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 Al-Jahra 25610011 Al-Salmiya 25616368

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 HOSPITALS Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha始a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

24874330/9 CLINICS

Roudha

22517733

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22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

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22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

4892674

Al-Omariya

4719048

N.Kheitan

4710044

Rabiya

4732263

Fintas

3900322

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988 AIRLINES

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE Ahmadi

PHARMACY Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

ADDRESS Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

PHONE 23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554

EMERGENCY 112

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea Dr. Masoma Habeeb Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy Dr. Mohsen Abel Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly

25622444 25752222 25321171 25739999 25757700 25732223 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

22617700 25625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Zahra Qabazard Sohail Qamar Snaa Maaroof Pradip Gujare Zacharias Mathew

25710444 22621099 25713514 23713100 24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe 23729596/23729581 Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 General Surgeons: Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 25717111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

(2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535 Dentists:

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists:

Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 25339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555 Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari

25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr

25329924

Psychologists/Psychotherapists Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kuwait Airways Wataniya Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines

22433377 24379900 177 22477631 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/2433141 22456700 22412284/5 22453820/1

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK)

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345 00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044

Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Holland (Netherlands) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Ibiza (Spain) Iceland India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia

00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689 00241 00220 00995 0049 00233 00350 0030 00299 001473 00590 001671 00502 00224 00592 00509 0031 00504 00852 0036 0034 00354 0091 00873 0062 0098 00964 00353 0039 00225 001876 0081 00962 007 00254 00686 00965 00996 00856 00371 00961 00231 00218 00370 00352 00853 00389

36

SPECTRUM

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Preston’s ‘changed’ by pregnancy K

iley Cyrus has a problem with her boyfriend’s fashion sense. The 17-year-old singer-and-actress confesses her gay best friend has far better style than her boyfriend Liam Hemsworth, and she gets annoyed when the Australian actor wears surfing shorts when he isn’t anywhere near a beach. She said: “I have a problem with people who are wearing board shorts when they aren’t going to the beach and Liam is constantly in surf trunks. “He just wears trunks all the time. My best friend is gay, so it doesn’t help.

He’s always decked out and really hot and then I see my boyfriend and I’m like, ‘I kinda want that one. Even though you don’t like me, I really like you!’ “ The teen star - who has been dating Liam since they met on the set of movie ‘The Last Song’ - also confesses her friend has more in common than her than 20-year-old Liam does. She told UK chat show host Graham Norton: “My best friend is way cuter and way more fun and wants to do everything I want to do, so that’s the difference.” Recently Miley revealed she loved her boyfriend because of his positive nature. She said: “He gives the best comments when asked about our relationship. He’s smart, positive and non-judgemental.”

M

eautiful Girls’ hitmaker Sean Kingston - who worked with the 16-year-old singer on ‘Eenie Meenie’ - revealed while he doesn’t like to see what’s written about him online, the ‘Baby’ singer is constantly searching for the latest information on himself. When asked whether he’s ever Googled himself, Sean said: “No, but Justin does that though, he loves to Youtube himself and Google himself, I’m not like that.” The recent collaboration between the pair may not be their last, as Sean revealed they may have more tracks in the pipeline. He revealed: “To be honest with you, we did like five songs together, I have four other songs with Justin Bieber that’s not ‘Eenie Meenie’ so keep your eyes peeled for future collaborations!” Justin isn’t the only star to look themselves up on the internet. Rock legend Meat Loaf recently admitted he checks what has been written about him online in a bid to prevent people spreading lies. He said: “I Google myself every once in a while, like when someone tells me about an article that upsets me. The world should be more about truth than it is.”

‘B

Spears accused of sexual assault ritney Spears has been accused of sexually harassing her minder. Former policeman Fernando Flores, 29, has quit his job as the pop superstar’s head bodyguard after the mother-of-two allegedly paraded around naked in front of him on numerous occasions. Flores is now reportedly considering a sexual harassment lawsuit against the ‘Toxic’ singer. A friend of the father-of-two said: “She was always giving him the come on and he felt if he didn’t reciprocate he could lose his job.

He finally handed in his notice last week and is considering legal action. “Working for Britney is tough. She’s a nightmare to deal with and her emotions are totally out of control. She runs round the house naked and yelling at staff.” The situation had increasingly become “unbearable” for Flores, but he was finally motivated to quit when he was blamed by Britney’s father Jamie for the singer going out without any underwear. The pal explained: “Unfortunately for Fernando, she took a liking to him, so he was under more pressure than most. He wanted to be a good security guard and look after her but the situation became unbearable. “It was embarrassing to tell her to put on underwear. Some guys would do it but others were too ashamed.” —Bang Showbiz

B

T

he 26-year-old singer was handed the prestigious prize at the Glamour Awards which were held in London’s Berkeley Square. Upon collecting the accolade, Cheryl - who is currently divorcing cheating husband Ashley Cole - said: “Four or five years ago I’d never dreamt I’d be here amongst so many women. One person I definitely have to thank is my dentist. So thank you very much.” Other winners at the annual ceremony hosted by the women’s magazine included Dannii Minogue who was presented with the TV Personality of the Year award, Lily Allen who received the Solo Artist of the Year accolade and Billie Piper who was named UK TV Actress of the Year. Earlier in the evening, Cheryl admitted it felt strange attending the ceremony which was hosted by British comic star James Corden - alone. She told UK television show ‘GMTV’: “I’m feeling really good, I’m really excited actually. I’ve never been to one of these things alone last time I was here was years ago with the girls, so it’s really exciting.”

T

Woman of the Year

Cyrus has issue with boyfriend’s style

he ‘Russian Roulette’ singer - who has been dating baseball star Matt Kemp since the beginning of this year admits spending time with the sportsman helps calm the stresses of her hectic lifestyle. She explained: “I have a boyfriend.

I’m so happy. I feel really comfortable, and it’s so easy. I have such a chaotic life, but at the end of the day, that is just my peace. It keeps me sane, really, talking to him and talking to my family.” The 22-year-old star also spoke of her “confusion” in the aftermath of being assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown in February 2009 because she couldn’t understand why her “best friend” would turn on her. She added to America’s Elle magazine: “A year ago, I was very confused. Because he was my best friend. All of a sudden, one night changed our whole livesnot only our friendship, but our lives. I wanted to wake up one day and just not have that pain anymore. I wanted to be with him again or get over him-it was either-or. I just didn’t want to feel the pain, the confusion.”

Cheryl Cole was named

T

not concerned. She takes really good care of herself and she’s in good health. She looks so much younger.” Shortly after Jett’s death, the family were victims of an extortion plot, which Linda believes worsened their grief over the teenager’s passing. She added to Usmagazine.com: “They have been through so much.

Not only losing Jett but those horrible men trying to extort them! Unbelievable. It was awful on them, they were grieving so badly. They do weather it, but holy cow, such grief. John was devastated, just devastated.”

Rihanna s boyfriend keeps her sane

he 25-year-old socialite - who is married to basketball star Lamar Odom - laughed off speculation the couple are expecting their first child together, but admits she is hoping to start a family soon. She said: “I’m not pregnant, just fat! “I don’t know if I’ll definitely be pregnant this summer, but you never know. I’m 25, healthy and married, so whenever it happens, it happens. It’s up to the gods.” The ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ star is currently working on improving her fitness so that if she does have a baby, she will find it easier to get back into shape afterwards.

She added to Life and Style magazine: “I’m trying to get my body into tip-top shape because they say that after you have a baby, your body bounces back to how it was right before you were pregnant. I pray I’ll be a fit pregnant woman, but I’ll do what’s best for the child.” Meanwhie, Khloe’s stepfather, Bruce Jenner, has spoken about the brunette and her husband, admitting he thinks Lamar - who has two children from a previous relationship - is more “ready” to start a family. He said: “Lamar’s probably more ready for kids than Khloe is. He lost his mom when he was 13 and had a tough upbringing.

another baby. She just loves babies! So do I. I just can’t wait for this child to arrive. It’s taken them out of such deep grief and made them able to focus on new life. “It couldn’t come at a better time. Her aura is so filled with peace. It’s changed their lives.” Linda has promised the baby will be taught all about their late brother as they get older.

She added: “He’ll see the pictures and he’ll be told stories. He or she, whatever.”

Despite her advancing years, 47-year-old Kelly is not concerned about the effect her age may have on the baby’s health. Linda said: “She’s not worried about it at all. She’s

Khloe Kardashian to prepare for pregnancy

elly Preston’s pregnancy has “changed her life”. The actress and her husband John Travolta - whose 16-year-old son Jett died after suffering a seizure in January 2009 - recently revealed they are expecting a baby, and her mother Linda Carlson believes the new addition is just what the couple and their 10-year-old daughter Ella need to get over their grief.

Linda said: “We are over the moon I’ve been praying that this would happen, especially since Jett’s death. Anything to get them out of their sorrow.

I know Kelly has been longing for

Glamour Awards 2010 Radio Personality of the Year ...... Fearne Cotton UK TV Actress of the Year ............... Billie Piper Accessory Designer of the Year ........ Emma Hill Band of the Year ....... Florence and The Machine Entrepreneur of the Year ............... Nicole Richie Comedy Actress of the Year .............. Ruth Jones Filmmaker of the Year ............ Sam Taylor-Wood Presenter of the Year ............. Christine Bleakley Writer of the Year ........................... Sarah Waters Sheer Infusion Newcomer ......... Alexandra Burke Sportswoman of the Year .............. Amy Williams Editors Special Award ................. Anna Kendrick Solo Artist of the Year .......................... Lily Allen Film Actress of the Year .................. Zoe Saldana Woman of the Year ........................... Cheryl Cole US TV Actress of the Year .............. Lea Michele TV Personality of the Year ........ Dannii Minogue Fashion Designer of the Year ........ Isabel Marant Outstanding Contribution ..................... Yoko Ono Man of the Year ............................. Aaron Johnson

SPECTRUM

Thursday, June 10, 2010

37

Lifestyle

By Anthony Mccartney indsay Lohan’s alcohol-monitoring bracelet got her in trouble Tuesday with a judge who doubled the actress’ bail to $200,000. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel determined Lohan violated the terms of her release after a closed-door meeting with the actress’ attorney and a prosecutor. Revel did not detail the violation, but said her decision was made after receiving “results” issued by a court-ordered alcohol monitor. District Attorney’s spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales said it was an “alcohol-related violation,” but did not have further details.

A source familiar with Lohan’s case told The Associated Press that the violation was reported after the “Mean Girls” star appeared at the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday night. Lohan was not present in court Tuesday, but several denials of wrongdoing were posted on the actress’ Twitter account shortly before and after the hastily called hearing. Lohan’s $200,000 bail was posted less than two hours after the hearing, a move that quashed a bench warrant issued for the actress’ arrest by the judge.

Lohan’s attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, issued a statement Tuesday, saying the device indicated the “presence of a small amount of alcohol” on Sunday night. “Having just received the report, I am not in a position to speak to its accuracy or validity, however Ms Lohan maintains that she has been in complete compliance with all of the terms of her probation and her bail,” Chapman Holley said in a statement.

Lohan has been required to wear the device since May, when she missed a court hearing.

L

rench-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf, whose books seek to build bridges between East and West, has been awarded Spain’s prestigious Prince of Asturias literature award, organizers said yesterday.

Maalouf, 61, edged out 26 other contenders including British spy novelist John Le Carre, Portugal’s Nobel-winning author Jose Saramago and Canadian author Alice Munro to take the 50,000-euro (60,000-dollar) prize.

“His work, which has been translated into more than 20 languages, proves him as one of the contemporary writers who has most deeply explored Mediterranean culture, represented as a symbolic space of coexistence

F

and tolerance,” the prize jury said in a statement.

Maalouf has published several novels which focus on the themes of Arab religious and national identity in addition to journalism, essays and a work of history. In 1983 he published his first work, “The Crusades Through Arab Eyes”, which examines this period from an Arab perspective. His fifth novel, “The Rock of Tanios”, set in early 19th-century Lebanon as the seeds of sectarian bloodshed were being sown, published a decade later won France’s premier literary award, the Prix Goncourt.

Soon after the Lebanese civil war broke

out in 1975, Maalouf, then a journalist in Beirut, moved to Paris with his family.

Former winners of the Asturias literature prize include Peru’s Mario Vargas Llosa, Germany’s Gunter Grass and Canada’s Margaret Atwood. Last year’s winner was Albanian writer Ismail Kadare. Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe is the patron of the Asturias foundation which annually hands out eight awards in the fields of communication and humanities, scientific and technical research, social science, arts, letters, international cooperation, understanding and sport.The awards are presented in the northern Spanish city of Oviedo. — AFP

By Claire Rosemberg othic icon and “grande dame” of photographic erotica, Irina Ionesco, is back in the public eye at almost 75 with more of her often-controversial black-and-white works. A boa tattoo crawling up one leg and another etched into a hand, petite and impeccably turned out Ionesco, eyebrows carefully pencilled and lips smoothly rouged, describes her work as a mirror on her life.

“Eroticism is life, the contrary of death,” Ionesco told AFP in her Paris apartment, a dimly-lit clutter of pictureheavy walls and shoes and hats and feathers and other bits of the theatrical memorabilia emblematic of her work. From circus girl to cabaret dancer to femme fatale before shooting to almost instant photographic notoriety in the 1970s, Ionesco is perhaps best known for erotic stills of her daughter Eva shot from age four to 11.

The why’s, wherefore’s and moral connotations of those pictures continue to stir debate across the blogosphere. “It was another time, another age,” says Ionesco, whose actress-daughter currently plans a movie on her mother, with Irina to be played by French star Isabelle Huppert.

Ionesco’s theatrically gothic touch and

G

Irina Ionesco posing at her apartment yesterday. — AFP sensual frames has made her a style icon for many designers. On show in Paris in June and July is a selection of fashion shots for houses such as Givenchy and publications such as Stiletto and Vogue Japan.

Born in Paris to a violinist father and trapeze artist mother, Ionesco was abandoned at age four and shipped off to

Lohan is due back in court on July 6, when Revel will decide whether Lohan has violated her probation. Lohan, 23, is facing jail time if the judge determines she has failed to comply with the terms of her probation. The actress has received multiple chances and admonishments from the

Romania to be brought up by her grandmother and circus family uncles. She dreamt of being a dancer but with a tiny frame and supple body wound up a snakelady contortionist, touring cabarets in Europe, Africa and the Middle East with two giant boas for seven years, from 15 to 22.

“I was a slave to the boas, in the end I’d had enough,” she says, recalling the fastidiousness of feeding the reptiles, keeping them warm and hauling them from hotel bath to hotel bath. Then came a dance routine until a partner accidentally dropped her in a theatre pit in Damascus, Syria. Convalescing, she began to draw, then paint, but before moving to Paris to study art, spent time travelling with a very rich Iranian gambler, who showered her in couture clothes and jewels.

Photography came late-and haphazardly, like much of her life. The old pre-digital-era Nikon F camera she still usesalong with tungsten lighting-dates back to Christmas of ‘64, a gift from her partner of the time, avant-garde Belgian artist Corneille. Self-taught, she took her first shots of friends and friends’ daughters using candles for lighting, setting 400 ASA film on 800 ASA, and emptying her cupboardfuls of cabaret costumes and fancy clothes to drape the models.

From obscurity she hit fame on her first show of 1970, featuring women in theatrical and often enticing poses draped in-sometimes very little-lace, beads and fake flowers and surrounded by fetishist bits and pieces. “Irina Ionesco’s sexual world,” wrote French surrealist Andre

court, which extended her probation in October by a year after Lohan struggled to complete the terms in time.

At the May hearing, Revel set Lohan’s bail at $100,000, which she revoked on Tuesday. The judge also issued a bench warrant for Lohan’s

Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf

Lindsay Lohan arrives at the MTV Movie Awards at Universal Studios in Universal City, California, on June 6, 2010. — AFP

Paparazzi and members of the media wait outside a Beverly Hills, Calif, courthouse Tuesday June 8, 2010 during a closed-door meeting between the judge and lawyer for actress Lindsay Lohan. —AP

Pieyre De Mandiargues at the time, “belongs to a space where there is no licence to touch. It is the world of dreams.”

She says the feminine universe depicted in her frames relates to her loss of a mother, from the age of four to 15 when they met again in Paris.

“My universe repeats itself over and over in my work. It’s part of a dream, part of the unconscious,” she said. “There are lots of women because it’s about me looking for the woman I missed-my mother.”

“The women in the photographs morph into dreams,” she added. Addressing the years of controversy over her Lolita-style photos of her daughter in similar poses to adult women, Ionesco said: “When Eva was born, because I’d come from the world of performing arts I wanted her to be part of it too. Nowadays it would be impossible.”

Blogs and photographers up until now debate the rights and wrongs of snapping daughter Eva, an actress who has worked with some of France’s top stage and film directors. But Ionesco since has moved on, shooting for UNESCO in Mauritania, on assignment in Egypt, and just back from an exhibition in Brazil to focus once again on a fashion shoot.—AFP

By Reinnier Kaze

here did Stefano Pilati park the yacht in the middle of Manhattan? The Parisbased Yves Saint Laurent designer crossed the pond to present his new resort-cruise collection on Thursday. Fully in the spirit, he stood — wearing a navy blazer, white pants and a red bandanna tied just so around his neck —with the photographers as the models walked an intimate runway at the Consulate General of France on Fifth Avenue near Central Park.

The house normally shows its bigger fall and spring collections in Paris. The look oozed YSL with menswear tailoring, chemise dresses, a wide-leg jumpsuit and a structured white coat tipped in black. Prints, including a four-leaf clover and a butterfly motif, were light and lovely, while still sophisticated. The bandeau tops, in black and white as well as lipstick colors, and bloomer shorts could be imagined on just the sort of well-heeled woman who needs a cruise-resort wardrobe in the middle of winter.

More practically, the resort collections often offer a preview of the direction a designer might take in

he Cameroonian band Zangalewa has gained a new lease of life after years in obscurity now that one of its old hits has inspired “Waka Waka”, the official song of the World Cup, performed by Shakira. “The reprise of our song ‘Zangalewa’ by Shakira has enabled us to come out of the solitude of retirement,” said group leader Jean Paul Ze Bella. “It has enabled us to get together again and to get down to work.” “I was in my plantation at the village when I got a telephone call to tell me the news. I couldn’t get over it! Thanks to Shakira,” Ze Bella enthused in both a warm and proud tribute to the Colombian star.

At the beginning of May, the world football governing body FIFA announced jointly with Sony records that it had chosen “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” as official song of the World Cup, co-produced and sung by Shakira, accompanied by the South African pop group Freshlyground. They’ll perform the song to a worldwide audience at a kick-off concert on Thursday.

“The refrain is based on a Cameroonian song,” FIFA stated. The Zangalewa band and the producers of “Waka Waka” reached an agreement, according to the Cameroonian group’s manager, Didier Edo, who added that they “weren’t badly done by” in the settlement. Neither party would give further details of the financial accord. Members of Zangalewa, who have not played together in more than a year, began to rehearse on June 1 and are today talking about a possible international tour and a “best of” album.

“Negotiations (with international show pro-

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By Samantha Critchell

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Fashion designer Stefano Pilati reacts following a presentation of his Yves Saint Laurent resort and cruise wear collection in New York.—AP the new year. “In my case, resort is not so much different in need or function or wardrobe than the main collections. Resort is very loyal to the look, but there’s a bit more time for the main collections to experiment with cut and silhouette and fabric,” Pilati said. “The main collections are more directional; this is more versatile,” he added. — AP

This public relations handout released yesterday and taken on June 7, 2010 shows a group from the German national football team, including (L-R) striker Miroslav Close, head coach Joachim Loew, defenders Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker (2nd row) and Arne Friedrich, and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, posing with Colombian singer Shakira during the flight from Germany to South Africa. Shakira is to sing the World Cup song ‘ This time for Africa’ at the inauguration ceremony tomorrow. — AFP ducers) are under way, said Edo, who added that the group would like to give “a series of shows during the time of the World Cup”, which takes place in South Africa from tomorrow to July 11.

Zangalewa won renown in Africa and the African diaspora in the mid-1990s, with a hit single of the same name as the band, written years earlier. “Zangalewa” was composed in the early 1980s by three members of the presidential guard. “”Zangalewa” comprises onomatopoeia drawing on the slang of the Cameroonian sharpshooters. The expression comes from Zangalowa which means “Who called you up?”,” in the

Ewondo language, explained Ze Bella, who wrote the song with Guy Dooh and Emile Kojidie.

“The song was written to give some spirit to a young soldier in difficult times,” he added.

Zangalewa is defined by its founders as a breakaway group of the orchestra of the Presidential Guard, which was created “to produce healthy and festive music,” its leader says. The adaptation of one of its hits by Shakira is “a dream come true,” said Dooh. After accompanying great Cameroonian artists, including the globetrotting saxophoniste Manu Dibango, “we dreamed of international recognition.” —AFP

arrest, but that may be quashed if the actress is able to post the new bail amount. David Perez, a bail bondsman, posted Lohan’s $100,000 bail last month and said he was not concerned with posting the additional sum ordered Tuesday. Authorities said they did not have additional details on what Lohan’s alcohol-monitor registered in order to be found in violation.

The bracelet is designed to test the skin for alcohol every half hour by sampling a person’s perspiration. There are also sensors that check for tampering.

Lohan appeared at the MTV awards show on Sunday. She also attended at least one of the show’s after-parties. She covered up the ankle monitor on the show’s red carpet by wearing long pants. The actress has been on probation since August 2007 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug charges and no contest to three driving charges.

Despite spending 84 minutes in jail and performing mandatory service at the county morgue, Lohan has repeatedly struggled with the terms of her sentence. In October, a judge extended her probation for another year but Meyers warned the actress she was facing jail time if she violated her probation.

The extension was the third time Lohan escaped punishment after her alcohol-education program notified the court the actress had violated its rules. Two of the instances were described as misunderstandings; the third was chalked up to a busy work schedule. Chapman Holley said Lohan missed the hearing last month because her passport had been stolen while the actress was at the Cannes Film Festival. — AP

By Sean O’driscoll

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hen she goes to the supermarket, Bea Johnson takes along a sealable glass jar so the butcher can slide in a pork cutlet. In the bulk aisle, she fills reusable bags she makes from old bed sheets to carry rice, pasta, oatmeal or nuts. In fact, everything she and her husband buy is without packaging: They make their own household cleaning products, buy soap that comes unwrapped and return milk bottles to suppliers for refills.

At least three times a week, Johnson phones marketing companies in her unrelenting war against junk mail. “The amount of money you can save by just carrying your own water bottle is huge. Plus, the more you get away from plastic, the more likely you are to buy fresh,” said Johnson, who blogs about her lifestyle in Marin County, California, at zerowastehome.blogspot.com.

Johnson has emerged as a guru for people looking to take green living to a new level.

“We’re definitely seeing more people interested in living without waste, but the demographic has changed,” said Sarah Kennedy of San Francisco’s Rainbow Food Cooperative, which offers bulk goods from shampoo to seaweed.

“Before it was tree-hugging hippies who washed and reused their produce bags. Now we’re seeing a much more middle class movement, more moms with their kids, with Tupperware boxes and neatly folded linen bags,” she said. The effort to reduce packaging has moved into the mainstream. The state Assembly in California approved a bill that would ban plastic bags from stores and require retainers for paper bags. The measure has yet to reach the Senate, but other towns and cities across the United States have already placed restrictions on plastic bags, including an outright ban in larger retail stores by three counties in North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Johnson, who began with the less ambitious target of simplifying her family’s life, soon realized that less clutter also was good for the planet.

The health benefits of a wrapper-free life are also a major theme for Colin Beavan in New York. He wrote a book, “No Impact Man,” which was about a year that he and his family spent without electricity and living with as little waste as they could. Although their experiment ended in November 2007, they have committed to staying packaging free.

“Most of the fattening foods, the bad stuff, come heavily wrapped. If you confine yourself to fresh products from the supermarket or farmer’s market, your family is going to be a lot healthier,” he said.

Beavan buys most of his food at the farmers market in Manhattan’s Union Square. He returns his egg cartons and milk bottles to the farmers and buys round blocks of cheese that come without packaging.

“I think my family is a lot happier now,” he said. “It’s not simply about less packaging; it’s about changing your whole outlook, about wanting less and getting so much more as a family.” I wondered if I, too, could live without any packaging, except for plastic bags I reuse during trips to the supermarket.

For the past month, every gro-

cery item I’ve purchased has been without wrapping. I go to the bulk aisle of my local food co-op for pasta, rice, beans, flour, oatmeal, nuts and anything else that I can pour into my own bags, which are then weighed at the checkout counter.

I now have ten reusable bags, including a plastic one I use to buy loose spinach and broccoli. One of the strangest byproducts of this experiment has been my newfound respect for plastic; it is no longer discarded after a one-night stand, but has become more like a longterm relationship. Apart from saving vast amounts of chemicals and oil that go into making shopping bags and reducing the giant soup of plastic clogging oceans, saying no to packaging has improved my waistline and my wallet.

With no more sad looking, single-serving microwave meals, and my coffee from a paper cup replaced with a drink from my water bottle, I feel more energetic and less stressed. Because I bring broccoli and carrots to work and do not touch additives, my skin is clearer. The sudden arrival of middle age spread has completely disappeared from my waist. I also find myself cooking less. I have my plastic container of spinach and broccoli at work every day, so I feel less of a need for big meals.

Finding cage-free eggs and dairy products can be a problem, but many local farmers markets will refill your egg boxes and replace your milk bottles. I was almost overcome with joy when I found a supermarket steps from my home that sold chocolate and dried apricots in bulk, so dessert was back on.

Financially, all of this has been a major boost. Carrots and onions unburdened by plastic are a lot cheaper, and making my own shampoo saves money.

The major downside is that I am now a crushing bore. Where once my conversations might have been about sports and cinema, now all my sentences seem to begin with, “Did you know ...” followed by a list of places you can get refills on shampoo, honey or milk, or the best type of reusable bags for buying flour.

I find myself recoiling in horror when I see workmates dumping plastic plates, forks, knives and a mountain of napkins after they have eaten lunch at delis and restaurants.

The shock is starting to show on my face. The other difficult point is remembering my bags when I leave for the supermarket. That also is a problem for Carlos Soligo, who has been a member of the Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn, New York, for 10 years. “I have about 20 reusable linen bags I bought at the coop because I had to buy new ones when I forgot to bring my own,” he said.

Soligo came up with a novel answer.

“I look on the floor or in the shelves for plastic bags that coop members have dropped. The bags are sealed anyway, so it’s just the outside of the bag that is in contact with the ground. I find so many bags, and they were all going to be thrown out.” Johnson said you don’t have to resort to that to reduce waste. “A lot of people tell me that they forget their bags. It takes a bit of experimentation, but even that can be fun,” she said. “Once you get your system, you will never want to go back.”—AP

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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Travel In April 2010 construction keeps the gates to Hogsmeade Village closed at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida.

— MCT photos

By Marjie Lambert arry Potter is about to arrive in Florida-not via broomstick or Floo powder, but by a mystery technology that will sweep fans along on a lifeand-death adventure in the realm of young wizards.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which officially opens this month, will be the newest themed zone — or “island” — at Islands of Adventure, one of Universal Resort’s two Orlando parks. While the Wizarding World will have other attractions — two roller coasters and a Hogsmeade Village of shops straight from the book — it is the centerpiece ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, that has Harry Potter fans and thrill ride aficionados atwitter.

Literally. Fan blogs and online bulletin boards are filled with breathless speculation. But Universal has maintained a vow of secrecy when it comes to the new ride, saying only it combines new robotic-arm technology and 360-degree film technology to deliver guests to a Quidditch match, where they will have the sensation they are flying in the game.

A handful of media (including The Miami Herald) and tourism officials — plus Ellen DeGeneres — have been allowed in the ride area, but not on the Journey itself. Among them was Andrew Sims, news editor at Mugglenet.com, a fan website, who toured the park in September. “What really struck me about this is you’re really going to feel like you’re in the movies, like you’re in Harry’s world,” Sims says.

“Especially that walk-through for the Forbidden Journey ride. Those are some of the more iconic Harry Potter scenes.”

The Cloak of Invisibility was lifted Friday, when people who bought special hotel/park packages were able to enter Wizarding World. The grand opening for everyone else is on June 18. The Wizarding World isn’t all that’s new at the theme parks. In Tampa, Busch Gardens opened its Sesame Street Safari of Fun for the preschool and kindergarten set in March.

At Disney, Epcot has a DIY thrill ride, Sum of all Thrills, that allows guests to design their ride, then climb into a capsule on a robotic arm that simulates it. But for now, the theme park buzz is all about the boy wizard.

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Wizarding world Enter the gate into Wizarding World and you’re in Hogsmeade Village — the Hogwarts Express puffing steam on the right, shops on the left, the peaked roof of the Owlery ahead. And in the distance, the imposing towers of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which serves as the entrance to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

The queue is an attraction in itself, jammed with characters, scenes and a stunning level of detail from the Harry Potter books and movies — the Daily Prophet with its pictures that move, the Mirror of Erised where Harry sees the reflection of his deepest desires, the greenhouse where Professor Sprout teaches Herbology. The ride itself is rumored to last about 4 minutes. But combined with the queue for the ride, the attraction will take about an hour, Universal says.

While many of the scenes will be familiar to those who saw the movies, some will not. As the pre-show queue winds through the Portrait Hall, fans see the founders of Hogwarts for the first time as the four — Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin — talk to passersby and to each other, slipping in and out of their frames and appearing in other people’s portraits.

The line moves into the office of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. The office and its props — including the pensieve, which played a critical role in “The Goblet of Fire” — were recreated from the films, “down to the finest detail,” says Thierry Coup, Universal’s creative director. “It was extremely important for us to be authentic. The expectations of the fans are so high, we wanted to deliver beyond those expectations.”

Dumbledore appears on a landing, welcomes everyone to the school and points them toward the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, where Professor Binns will lecture on the history of Hogwarts. In the classroom, heroes Harry, Ron and Hermione appear out from under the Invisibility

Hogwarts castle takes center stage, along with Hogsmeade Village, right, at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Cloak. In both scenes, the characters appear as a sort of hologram — Universal isn’t yet revealing the technology — so lifelike it appears Daniel Radcliffe and the other actors are in the room.

“The technology is pretty impressive,” says Melissa Anelli, webmistress of a Potter website (www.the-leaky-cauldron.org). “And the paintings in the Portrait Hall — I’ve seen many incarnations of the moving portrait and it’s usually just a TV screen with a frame around it. These really look like moving portraits.” Binns is boring, the classmates say — dead actually — and suggest the Muggles attend a Quidditch match instead. The portrait of the Fat Lady lets visitors into the Gryffindor common room, the sorting hat gives a safety message and the queue

moves into the Room of Requirement, lit by hundreds of floating candles. There, they board enchanted benches, and take off with the help of Floo powder.

“You fly into the Quidditch match — you are part of it,” says Coup, who also designed The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man ride in the same park. “It’s a new technology, one that has never been used before... . You really feel like you’re flying along. “You fly over the castle, into the forest. You run into a dragon with Harry, run into the Whomping Willow, feel the coldness of the dementors. This is going to feel like an epic journey with Harry and the other characters.”

Riders exit through Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods into Hogsmeade Village, where

A sign in April 2010 shows construction continues on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

A sign in April 2010 shows construction continues on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

they’ll also be able to buy Potter merchandise in Zonko’s joke shop; Honeydukes, with treats including Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans; Ollivanders wand shop, a branch of the original on Diagon Alley; Dervish and Banges, which sells Quidditch equipment and Triwizard apparel; and the Owlery, where visitors can mail a postcard with a Hogsmeade Village postmark.

The Three Broomsticks and Hog’s Head pub will feature traditional British fare and a “feast” inspired by meals in the Hogwarts dining hall. They’ll also serve pumpkin juice, which reportedly tastes like pumpkin pie, and Butterbeer, a non-alcoholic brew described as tasting like a cross between shortbread and butterscotch.

The new island also includes two existing rides that were redesigned to fit the Harry Potter story.

The former Dueling Dragons twin roller coasters has been transformed into the high-speed Dragon Challenge, featuring elements from the Triwizard Tournament from “The Goblet of Fire.” (The old Dueling Dragons queue, which had elaborate theming, has been stripped of the bones, armor, candles and other props and has a new entrance, which has not been shown to the public. The ride itself changed little and reopened after a brief closure in March.)

The former Flying Unicorn, a junior roller coaster, had more extensive changes, including new cars. It will reopen as the Flight of the Hippogriff, named after one of the magical creatures — part eagle, part horse — under the care of Hagrid. Hagrid’s Hut is next to it, along with the Weasleys” enchanted Ford Anglia, badly damaged by an encounter with the Whomping Willow.

More universal

Time to leave the magical village. Next door, at Universal’s other park, Universal Studios, a roller coaster unveiled in August lets you choose the music for your 1 1/2-minute ride. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit then makes a vertical climb up a 167-foot tower — the car goes straight up, and you’re lying on your back. The car dives at 65 mph, then climbs back up, twisting around the world’s largest non-inversion loop, never quite going upside down.

The track traces a treble clef lying on its side, but you might not notice this whimsical touch, part of which disappears into a building facade and bursts out the other side. Instead of the snapshot photo now ubiquitous on thrill rides, you can buy a video that shows you experiencing the coaster from launch to finish, with the music you chose providing the soundtrack.Universal also added two restaurants to CityWalk this spring: Fusion Bistro Sushi & Sake Bar, a walk-up bistro with sushi rolls at $5-$16; and Fat Tuesday, a Bourbon Street-themed purveyor of frozen daiquiris.

Busch gardens

This park updated and expanded the old Land of the Dragons to create the Sesame Street Safari of Fun, which opened March 27 and picks up the Africa theme with characters dressed in safari gear.

Like Wizarding World, Sesame Street relies in part on old attractions that have been rethemed, but the area has been expanded and rides and entertainment added. The former dragon cars in the junior flume ride were exchanged for hippos; a circular swing ride was pulled from storage, refurbished and

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SPECTRUM

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Travel Continued from previous page called Rosita’s Djembe Fly-Away. Sesame Street’s anchor is Elmo’s Treehouse, which got a makeover from its dragon days. At its feet are Bert & Ernie’s Watering Hole and Oscar’s Swamp Stomp, two splash playgrounds for toddlers, while netted canopy bridges overhead connect the treehouse to other play areas. New is “A Is for Africa,” a show in which the characters have an adventure in Africa; upgrades to a dining pavilion and the park’s first regular character breakfasts and lunches. The highlight is Air Grover, a 42-second coaster ride with mini-dives and two horizontal loops — a starter coaster for kids within view of two of Busch Gardens’ heart-stopping adult coasters. With Grover in helmet and aviator glasses at the controls, the coaster flies over the Sahara. Busch Gardens is also building a thrill ride, set to open next year, but has not released details about it.

Disney

Most of Disney’s attention is focused on its biggest expansion ever, one that will double the size of Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland. The Fantasyland — which opens in two parts, in 2012 and 2013 — will play heavily on interactive attractions, including “homes” for three princesses with whom guests can chat, along with Journey of the Little Mermaid and a renovated and expanded Dumbo’s Flying Circus.

This year, Disney World’s newest ride is an undisguised math and science lesson where guests design their thrill ride. Sum of All Thrills is part of Epcot’s Innoventions attraction, a complex of quasi-educational interactive exhibits, and is sponsored

by Raytheon. Guests use a touch- screen work table to design their choice of ride — a bobsled, roller coaster or jet — and a customized series of corkscrews, inversions and steep hills. If a hill is too high or speed too fast, a “virtual test dummy” lets the designer know that section needs to be reworked. (Tip: Take too long with your design and the computer will take over and finish it for you.)

Two guests take seats in a robotic simulator, capsules are lowered over their heads, and they experience the ride they designed. The simulator doesn’t go anywhere, but it turns and shakes, and high-definition video, sound and air motion create a not-quite 100 percent sensation of speeding through space with dips, dives and twists.

If a simulated thrill ride feels odd inside the capsule, it’s an even odder sight for those outside: An array of robotic capsules moving in place at helter skelter angles, two pairs of legs sticking out of each, tracing the arc of the ride in the air.

Fans can get back in line and re-engineer their ride, or come back with their design card for up to six months and experience the same ride.

Elsewhere at Disney: At Epcot, guests can play an interactive high-tech game inspired by the animated TV series “Disney’s Kim Possible” as they walk through the park. Armed with a “Kimmunicator” — a specially programmed cellphone that they can pick up at kiosks for free — guests become secret agents trying to save the world.

Players connect with Kim Possible characters, learn about villains and their dastardly plans and are assigned a mission. When a player arrives at a designated pavilion, he receives instructions to stop the bad guys from taking over the world. Each player’s Kimmunicator sets off special effects at the pavilion — perhaps a wall or piece of decor will light up — that are key to accomplishing the mission.

The Main Street Electrical Parade returns to the Magic Kingdom this summer for the first time since 2001. Tinker Bell will lead the parade on a new float; Snow White and Pinocchio also have new floats. The parade is part of Summer Nightastic!, which runs June 6 through Aug. 14. Other summer events include a daily dance party for tweens in the courtyard of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios and a series of tribute concerts at Epcot.

Mobile Magic, a new Disney app for smart phones, combines GPS technology with real-time information about rides, attractions, events and characters. Guests can use their Verizon phone to find out which rides are closest to their location; the wait times and Fastpass return times; daily events (including the schedule for Disney characters); park maps and information about park restaurants.

The app is available only to Verizon customers and costs $9.99 for six months. Guests who are not Verizon customers can get a limited amount of information on browser-enabled phones, but they can’t get any of the features that are tied to the GPS. Inspired by the popularity of dressing up like a princess, Magic Kingdom has introduced The Pirates League, an opportunity for boys and girls to become pirates. The basic package —

The CoCo Key Water resort is shown sans water in Orlando, Florida. bandana, scars, tattoos, fake teeth, earring and eye patch for boys; bandana, shimmering makeup, face gem, tattoos, nail polish, earring and eye patch for girls — runs about $30. The new pirates can also take part in the daily Pirates Parade through Adventureland.

While the kids are on a ride, adults can slip away to the new La Cava del Tequila in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot. La Cava offers shots of more than 70 tequilas, with prices ranging from $8 to as much as $55 for a rare tequila, plus exotic margaritas and a small menu of snacks.

At Downtown Disney, Paradiso 37, featuring 37 varieties of tequila and cuisine of the Americas (Chilean salmon, Argentinian skirt steak, tacos, enchiladas, cheeseburgers and chili d o g s ) , o p e n e d l a s t f a l l a t Pa r a d i s e I s l a n d .

Entrees $8.99-$26.99.

Disney”s two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, have added cabanas that, for an extra fee, provide a roof or umbrella, locker and cooler, plus an attendant to take food orders. The cabanas were part of Disney”s Year of a Million Dreams and were so popular that the park decided to add them permanently.

Seaworld aquatica

Omaka Rocka opened at Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park, this spring. It consists of two closed slides that widen into funnel shapes that spin tube riders and rock them so that they might end up facing front, back or sideways when the ride spits them out. The addition of two slides brings to 38 the number of slides at Aquatica. Aquatica, which already had cabanas, converted some to premium cabanas with more privacy, including one “ultimate cabana,” with two tents, a dining table for six and a daily rental fee of $600.

At SeaWorld, the killer whale show continues with some temporary changes after one of the orcas killed its trainer Feb 24. Whale trainers are still doing everything from the deck, says Jill Revelle, park spokeswoman, but eventually will return to the water after the park finishes reviewing its practices. Tilikum, the 12,000-pound orca who grabbed his trainer in his mouth and held her underwater, is expected to return to the show as well, but the date has not been set.

Going to the theme parks • Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: One-day Florida resident admission — adult or child — is $64.95; an annual pass for Florida residents is $69.95, good for unlimited admission through Dec 31. To celebrate the opening of Sesame Street Safari of Fun, kids ages 5 and under who are Florida residents get in free all year; young guests must register online before visit. See website for deals on multi-park passes (including SeaWorld), www.buschgardens.com ; 888-800-5447.

Busch Gardens also operates a water park, Adventure Island (www.adventureisland.com).

• Disney: A one-day, one-park pass for Florida residents, purchased online in advance, is $71.10 for adults, $61.20 ages 3 to 9. A variety of multi-day, multi-park passes is also available. In addition to the four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios — Disney has Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks, DisneyQuest, Oak Trail golf course and Disney’s Wide World of Sports. www.disneyworld.com ; 407-W-DISNEY (407-9347639).

• SeaWorld Orlando: One-day Florida resident admission — adult or child — is $68.95; an annual pass for Florida residents is $69.95, good for unlimited admission through Dec. 31. Special deal: With certain adult tickets purchased online, children 12 and under are admitted for $5; the $5 goes to wildlife conservation.

Details at www.SeaWorldCares.com (offer not good with the Florida resident rate). See website for deals and multi-park passes (including Busch Gardens), www.seaworldorlando.com ; 888-800- 5447.

SeaWorld also operates the Aquatica water park and Discovery Cove.

• Universal: One-day Florida resident admission is $70.99 for adults, $60.99 ages 3-9 (not available July 1-31, Dec 23-Jan 1) for one park, Universal Studios or Universal Islands of Adventure. Multi-day and multi-park deals available online. Universal also operates the Wet ‘n Wild water park. www.universalorlando.com ; 407-363-8000.

• Orlando Magicard: This free card, which can be downloaded at the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau website (www.VisitOrlando.com/deals), offers discounts at certain hotels, restaurants and attractions. For information on lodgings, www.VisitOrlando.com. — MCT

Elmo’s Treehouse is an attraction at the Sesame Street.

The Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, features the world’s largest non-inversion loop. The track twists around the loop so riders are never completely upside down.

Air Grover is the new junior roller coaster at the Sesame Street of Fun Safari at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida.

Kids cool off at Bert & Ernie’s Watering Hole at the Sesame Street of Fun Safari.

www.kuwaittimes.net

A wax model of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is unveiled during a photocall at Madame Tussauds museum in London, yesterday. Ronaldo is expected to take part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.—AFP

Spoonful of history: Museum to display rare collection Always single, happy that

By Richard Cowen

F

or more than 40 years, the Lambert Castle Museum in Paterson, NJ, has had what is believed to be one of the largest antique spoon collections in the world. But it’s never had the funding to properly mount the display, and the collection has stayed largely out of sight. But not out of mind. The collection, numbering more than 5,400 spoons, is a remnant of the Victorian Era when people would travel the world and collect silver spoons from faraway places as souvenirs. One of those wealthy travelers was Bertha SchaeferKoempel, a former Paterson resident who wanted the world to see her spoon collection, so she donated it to the museum after her death in 1966.

The museum Board of Trustees now plans to use proceeds from its Antique Show to create a “spoon room” on the second floor of the museum. The Antique Show and Sale, which will be held June 4 through 6, features high-end furniture, flatware and other memorabilia and is expected to raise at least $10,000.

“Our museum visitors should have the pleasure of viewing this magnificent collection in its own room with museum-grade lighting,” said Edward A. Smyk, the Passaic County, NJ, historian. Koempel’s father, Dr Louis Schaefer, was a pioneer in the field of chemistry and emigrated from Germany to Paterson in 1895. Schaefer founded the Maywood Chemical Works in Maywood and the family became wealthy.

Bertha Schaefer-Koempel was 13 when she arrived in Paterson and got caught up in the American fad of collecting silver spoons. It was a fad she never tired of. She collected spoons from as far away as North Africa and Egypt. When she died in 1966, her apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York City had more than 5,000 silver spoons in the closet. In her will, Koempel required that Lambert Castle “keep the collection intact as a whole and to have such collection marked ‘Bertha Koempel

A photo of Bertha Schafer Koempel is shown with one of her 5,000 antique spoons.—MCT Spoon Collection’ and exhibited in one of the public halls of said institution.”

Smyk said the collection was displayed for a time in the museum store, but was taken down in the mid-1990s during a renovation and stashed in a closet, except for a handful of spoons currently mounted in a glass case in the museum foyer. The collection has never been fully appraised, so its

value is unknown.

Before making her donation, Koempel meticulously catalogued each of the 5,400 spoons-where they came from, when they were bought, plus a description of each-in two binders. In the process, she created what some experts believe is one of the largest spoon collections found anywhere.

“The word I would use to describe this

collection is ‘eclectic,’” said Robert McKay Wilhelm, an archaeologist and editor of Spooners Forum, a collectors’ guide.

Wilhelm and his wife, Michelle, also an archaeologist, are considered leading experts in spoon collecting. Both husband and wife have been working with Lambert Castle to appraise the collection. Wilhelm said it was the biggest collection he had ever seen.

“The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a spoon collection, but nothing like this,” Wilhelm said. “There are spoons from all over the world,” Wilhelm said. “And what’s really important is that each spoon has already been catalogued. There’s a lot that we can learn from that.”

Spoon collecting fad Spoon collecting became a fad in the United States around 1890, as steamship travel allowed Americans to visit the rest of the world. Travelers picked up silver spoons as souvenirs of their journeys to foreign places. A spoon from Holland has the turning blades of a windmill; another spoon from Egypt has a locket attached with a mummy inside. Others depict historic events, like the mysterious sinking of the USS Maine in Havana that led to the invasion of Cuba, an eruption of Mount Vesuvius volcano in Italy, and the World’s Fair held in Chicago in 1902.

Wilhelm said the collection includes two of the earliest souvenir spoons manufactured in the United States, one depicting the Salem witch trials, and the other with the portrait of George and Martha Washington in enamel on the bowl.

Lambert Castle Director Alison Faubert said the money raised from this weekend’s antique show will go toward purchasing glass cases and mounting the spoons. Once mounted, the spoon exhibit could become a major attraction, she said.

“The freeholders have been emphasizing Passaic County history as a way to bring tourists, and the spoon collection fits perfectly into that strategy,” Faubert said.

Faubert said that Lambert Castle receives about 10,000 visitors a year.—MCT

5,500-year leather mocassin world’s oldest shoe

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A handout image shows the 5,500-year leather moccasin said to be the world’s oldest leather shoe.—AFP

roving fashion changes little over time, a just-found 5,500-year leather moccasin said to be the world’s oldest leather shoe may be the ancestor to “pampooties” worn in Ireland only half a century ago.

The perfectly preserved cow-hide shoe, 1,000 years older than Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza, is a moccasin-like piece in a single piece of leather shaped to fit the wearer’s foot, according to a team of archeologists led by Ron Pinhasi, of Ireland’s University of Cork. In shape and apparent comfort it resembles loafers, currently back in vogue.

“Interestingly, the shoe is very similar to the ‘pampooties’ worn on the Aran Islands (in the west of Ireland) up to the 1950s,” said Pinhasi.

“In fact enormous similarities exist between the manufacturing technique and style of this shoe and those found across Europe at later periods, suggesting that this type of shoe was worn for thousands of years across a large and environmentally diverse region.”

Unearthed below a layer of sheep dung in a cave in Armenia, the shoe was perfectly preserved due to the dung and to the stable dry conditions. A small 37 European size (US 7), the footwear found in Vayotz Dzor province on the Armenian-Iranian border could have belonged to either a man or a woman, according to the findings published in online journal PLoS ONE. The shoe contained grass, the research team said, but it was unclear whether this was to keep the foot warm or keep the shape of the shoe-like a modern shoe-tree.—AFP

This undated handout photo shows a well preserved and complete shoe was recovered at the base of a Chalcolithic pit in the cave in Armenia.—AP

way: ‘Shut up about it!’

By Leanne Italie

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ot all older single ladies want a ring on it, and they have a message for relatives, co-workers, neighbors, friends, acquaintances and life’s random buttinskys who think they need one: Shut up already!

They have other messages: We are not all sad.

We are not all divorced, unlucky in love or unlovable. We are not all gay (and even if we were, have we not evolved as a culture, even just a little, to stop making that assumption?

Don’t answer that.)

Singledom and a massive case of “singlism” are red hot right now as short hair, softball and being single at 50 swirl around Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, and Samantha Jones cracks menopause jokes at 54 as she romps in the desert with her three fab friends in “Sex and the City 2.” For women, say 45 and up, who are living single and always have, it is a chronically sizzling subject as they face down the seemingly unstoppable tangle of stereotypes that has plagued them for EVER: Old Maid. Desperate. Quirky.

Cougar. Incapable of committing. Workaholic.

Bitter. Damaged goods.

“There always has to be something wrong,” said Rose Clayton, 48, who works in the tasting room of a winery in Alexandria, Virginia, and always has been single. “It’s always, ohhh, what’s wrong? I always go, ‘With me you mean? Or other people?”‘ Imagine being happy and nobody believes you, she said. “I have plenty of friends, family.

I go out and do things. I travel, go to dinner and parties, socialize.” Social psychologist Bella DePaulo is 56 and happily an always-single near Santa Barbara, California. She has been trying to turn off the stereotypes and end the stigma, first through a book, “Singled Out,” and now a blog called Living Single for Psychologytoday.com. Older, single women often are painted as what DePaulo called “quirkyalones” when really they’re “singles at heart” and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Even more important, perhaps, she asks why we’re still desperately trying to suck them into the “Matrimania” vortex? “The single at heart are not looking for long-term coupling, whereas quirkyalones still romanticize the quest for The One, and that makes the quirkyalone less threatening, easier to understand,” DePaulo said. Over-the-top hyping of marriage and coupling, including “wedding porn” that includes TV ads selling everything from muffins to motor oil, was not necessary back when everybody got married, when they divorced less and when women had little opportunity for financial security or having children outside of marriage.

In 1970, 28 percent of the U.S. population was divorced, widowed or never married. By 2008, it was 45.2 percent, with single women 45 and older 27 million strong across those categories.

According to a 2009 census report, 11.5 percent of women between the ages of 45 and 49 had never been married, up from 10.7 percent in 2005. For women 50 to 54, it was 10 percent, compared with 8.7 percent four years earlier. Negative assumptions about living single and older do not pack the wallop of other “isms,” like racism, DePaulo said. “There’s no consciousness raising. The stereotypes are so rarely challenged.” Betsy Robinson, 59, is madly in love with the single life she’s always had.

“I remember really lighting into my grandmother when I was in my 20s for referring to a time when I was going to get married,” said the writer in New York City. “I told her never, and I think she went into shock. She was the sweetest person in the world, and I got really mad at her.” Not so much has changed in nearly four decades, said Robinson, who has been following media coverage and commentary on Kagan’s single status and coded speculation about her sexual orientation.

Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (the one who resigned over hiring a high-priced hooker) is Kagan’s friend from Princeton University. He went so far as to tell Politico, a Washington insider political newspaper: “I did not go out with her, but other guys did.”

Living happily single without hunting for a mate, or living happily single while dating, especially outside one’s age range, the stereotypes never end. Take the cougar craze. Kim Cattrall, Samantha in the Sex and the City movies, recently questioned the term, for herself and her character in the movies. “I think cougar has a negative connotation,” she told Extra, a show biz television show.

“I was asked recently by a significant magazine for women over 40 to pose with a cougar, and I refused to do it because I felt it was insulting. They took away the cover because I refused to do so.” DePaulo said friends, family, colleagues and the world at large sometimes can more easily get their minds around an older single woman interested in younger men, or any man, than a woman who makes it clear she is not and really likes her life without that goal in mind. “I think there’s really a belief that if you get married you are actually a better person than a single person,” she said.

Like Cattrall’s Samantha, 45-year-old Lori Goodwine in Las Vegas, Nevada, has her own public relations firm. She loves how her life is “really focused on me,” but falls somewhere in the middle on the issue of a long-term relationship. Ideally, she said, she would love to have “a great guy around,” so long as he does not live with her. “If I hear one more time, ‘You’re not married? You don’t have a kid? Are you gay?’ I’m going to scream,” she said.

“My life is pretty fabulous, a ‘Sex and the City’ story with the occasional pair of $500 shoes that I get on sale. I feel great about my life.”—AP

(From left) Betsy Robinson and her dog Maya walk through Central Park in New York, Tuesday, May 25, 2010.—AP