16 Jun

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

40 PAGES

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2010

UK finally says sorry for Bloody Sunday killings

RAJAB 4, 1431 AH

Kyrgyz humanitarian crisis grows as refugees stranded

Hamas TV forced to halt broadcasts to Europe

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NO: 14761

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By Badrya Darwish

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Group slams ‘kafala’ DUBAI: Human Rights Watch yesterday urged countries across the Middle East to end forced labour brought by visa sponsorships that the watchdog said have become a gateway for human trafficking. “For efforts to end forced labor and human trafficking to be successful, governments in the Middle East should reform the current visa sponsorship system,” said Nisha Varia, a senior researcher at the New York-based HRW. “When employers have near-total control over migrants’ ability to change jobs, and sometimes to leave the country, workers can get trapped in exploitative situations in which they are forced to work without wages, get beaten, or face other abuses,” she said in a statement.

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Situation ‘critical’ as mercury soars

By B Izzak and A Saleh

JOHANNESBURG: Brazil’s Robinho jumps past a North Korean player during the World Cup Group G football match between Brazil and North Korea at Ellis Park Stadium yesterday. — AP (See Pages 16-20)

KUWAIT: Informed sources have revealed that the ministry of electricity and water has contacted some Gulf states requesting assistance through the GCC electrical grid program, after electricity consumption in Kuwait almost reached production capacity amid record temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius. The sources said that the ministry asked for 1,000 megawatts to be used as backup for its daily production of electricity. “However, the response received so far is discouraging,” said the sources, noting that Saudi Arabia believed that its daily need of electricity is growing, which makes it impossible for it to spare any power and that Bahrain has insufficient production as well. “The only GCC state that has power surplus is Qatar, but so far it has not promised to provide Kuwait with any power as it needs it for major projects,” added the sources, expressing hope that Qatar would at least agree to provide half the amount needed.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly will hold an emergency session on Sunday to discuss the power situation in the country. The request to hold the session was filed by Continued on Page 13

Ireland expels Israeli official DUBLIN: Ireland is to expel an Israeli diplomat over the use of forged Irish passports by suspects in the murder of a Hamas official in Dubai in January, the foreign ministry said yesterday.

The decision was taken by Prime Minister Brian Cowen’s government after investigations by police and passport office officials into the false documents used in the January killing of Hamas operative Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh. It follows similar expulsions announced by Britain in March and Australia last month.

Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said

Ireland had decided that “by way of protest at its unacceptable action, Israel be requested to withdraw a designated member of staff of its embassy in Dublin”. “This demand has been conveyed to the Israeli ambassador and I would expect it to be quickly acceded to,” he said.

Israel called the move “regrettable”. “The Irish decision is regrettable and not in line with the importance of the relations between the two nations,” Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP. Mabhouh, a founder of the military wing of

the Islamist Hamas movement which controls the Gaza Strip, was found dead in his room in the Al Bustan Rotana hotel near Dubai airport on Jan 20. Twelve British, six Irish, four French, one German and three Australian passports were used by 26 people believed linked to the murder, according to Dubai police. In many cases, the travel documents appeared either to have been faked or obtained illegally. Ireland and the four other countries whose passports were used called in Israeli envoys for talks.

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RIYADH: King Abdullah (right) receives a model of the first locally-built car, an all-terrain vehicle called “Ghazal 1”, during a presentation of a carbon fibre prototype of the new car on Monday. — AFP

Saudis unveil local-built car RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has unveiled its first locally-built car, an all-terrain vehicle called “Ghazal 1”, and plans to manufacture 20,000 units a year, its promoters said yesterday. King Abdullah unveiled a carbon fibre prototype of the new car, which was built by the King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, on Monday in Jeddah on the Red Sea, project official Abderrahman AlAhmari told AFP. The vehicle is designed for the desert climate of Gulf countries and was produced

“in collaboration with several major companies, including Motorola, Mercedes-Benz and Magna Canada,” Arab News quoted Said Darwish, an industrial engineering professor at KSU, as saying.

Production of 20,000 units a year is planned, Darwish said.

Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqary said the vehicle was proof that Saudi youth, given the right resources and opportunities, are “able to realize aspirations and excel”.

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Mubarak ‘children’ have mixed feelings

White rice tied to diabetes risk WASHINGTON: A US-based study on Monday linked eating white rice to higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and backed long-held claims that brown rice is healthier than the white variety. People who ate at least five servings of white rice per week had a 17 percent greater risk of developing diabetes than those who consumed less than one serving per month, Harvard School of Public Health scientists found.

Examining data from over 197,000 adults for up to 22 years, the study also found that consuming two or more servings of brown rice per week was associated with an 11 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate less than one serving a month.

Patients with diabetes have high blood sugar levels, which are linked to the body’s inability to produce enough insulin in order to properly break down sugars and starches into glucose for energy.

“We believe replacing white rice and other refined grains with whole grains, including brown rice, would help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes,” said lead author Qi Sun, of Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

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PAGES 16-20

Kuwait power plea ‘rebuffed’

Why are we in the dark?

HRW calls for labor reforms

Ronaldo, Drogba can’t break the stalemate

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conspiracy theories

lectricity, sweet simplicity! This was an ad slogan that I still remember from my student days in England, where gas companies were competing with electricity companies. This rhyme is still stuck in my head. Except in my country, where electricity is not simplicity anymore. It’s a nightmare, which no minister or expert seems to be able to solve - so far. Year by year, it’s worsening.

Instead of finding solutions, it’s becoming impossible. It looks like nobody knows why. Or nobody knows what’s going on, or what to do.

In a kind gesture, our army volunteered not to use electricity from the government, and will depend on their own generators to ease the load on the power grid. Isn’t this ironic, guys? These things only take place during wartimes. Are we in a time or war, God forbid, and we don’t know about it? Or has the population of Kuwait all of a sudden multiplied to hundreds of millions and is no longer around 3 million. Maybe it’s jumped to 300 million and we don’t know about it. Or has Kuwait expanded all of a sudden from around 18,000 sq km to 18 million sq km?

And we also don’t know about it.

Maybe the heavy industries in Umm Al-Haiman and Sulaibiya are competing with China, Germany, US, Japan, Russia etc etc. Apologies to the big industrial countries I didn’t mention. And we also don’t know about it. Are we a bankrupt nation, and our government could not afford to build new power plants since 1988? And we don’t know about it?

None of the above-mentioned scenarios is obviously true, luckily for us. So why are we facing this situation? Why are we in the dark, pun not intended. Can somebody please enlighten me, without putting extra load on the grids?

150 FILS

KARBALA: In this June 6, 2010 photo, women use Iranian rials to pay for goods at a market stall. — AP

Iraqis feel rising Iran clout in their wallets KARBALA, Iraq: Iranian rials change hands as easily as Iraqi dinars in this holy city’s old bazaar, its alleyways teeming with Iranian pilgrims bused in on package tours run by Tehran. The Ayatollah Khomeini banknotes and Farsi chatter aren’t alone in lending a Persian flavor. Shelves in merchant stalls like Yassin Saleh’s sit heavy with containers of honey, cosmetics and toothpaste, all made across the stilldisputed border. Bestsellers include travel-size bottles of Iranian Sehat

brand shampoo. “They’re cheap but effective,” Saleh says, as boxy Iranianbuilt Barfab air coolers trundle away nearby. “Some people don’t care about the cost ... but those who want lower prices like the Iranian products.”

Trade with longtime rival Iran is bringing Iraq investments it sorely needs. Billion-dollar pacts are being signed. Branches of Iranian banks blacklisted by the United States are opening.

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CAIRO: To the millions of Egyptians who have known no other president, Hosni Mubarak is the “Father of the Nation”. But as with many fathers, they also have deeply mixed feelings toward him.

Nearly half of Egypt’s population of 78 million were born or raised under Mubarak’s nearly 30-year authoritarian rule, and they have been hit hardest by the country’s growing poverty and corruption and faltering education system. Yet, many cannot imagine any other viable leader, and they’re deeply worried about what could happen if he passes from the scene.

That possibility was thrown into sharp relief when the 82year-old Mubarak underwent gall bladder surgery in Germany in March and was gone for three weeks, then spent weeks out of the public eye after returning home. “I was terrified when he was in Germany. I was thinking ‘who will take charge of the country if he dies?’ Even with him around, you feel that we are a hair’s breadth away from chaos,” said 28-year-old Noha Al-Shahed.

Al-Shahed is, in theory anyway, one of those who have

benefited from the changes Mubarak has brought. She works as a stock trader in Cairo - a field that hardly existed in Egypt until the regime’s opening of the market economy over the past decade. Still, she’s embittered by what she says is the Mubarak government’s constant denial of democracy. But she fears the unknown could be worse. “High rates of poverty and criminality already are with us, but with Mubarak gone there will be looting and killing on the streets,” she said.

Fear of the unknown is a safeguard the government has intentionally cultivated.

Mubarak has long prevented any political figure from gaining enough prominence to stand as an alternative and has rejected calls to name a vice president who could be seen as a successor. Moreover, his ruling party often pushes warnings that without Mubarak, the way is open to power for the Muslim Brotherhood, the fundamentalist movement that is the strongest opposition force but is deeply mistrusted by many Egyptians.

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TOKYO: Japan’s University of Tokyo post-graduate student Kosuke Nakamura plays with baby robot Noby during its demonstration at the university laboratory yesterday. — AP

Baby-bot to shed light on learning TOKYO: Japanese researchers have created a baby robot designed to simulate the behavior and development of a real infant in an effort to better understand how humans grow up. Named Noby, short for “nine-monthold baby”, it has 600 sensors

across its body to feel touch, cameras and microphones fitted into its head for vision and hearing, and is hooked up to a powerful computer. Noby is 71 cm tall and weighs 7.9 kg, similar to a nine-month-old human.

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NATIONAL

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Summer power crisis imminent?

No electricity reserves in Kuwait, warns MEW official

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: A summer power crisis seems imminent, with Kuwait’s power stations already running at almost full capacity and the temperatures and consumption levels continuing to rise in tandem. With the country having no electrical reserves, the conditions seem ripe for serious problems and major power

KUWAIT: The Ambassador of Nepal, Madhuban P. Paudel, visited the Kuwait Times and discussed matters of mutual concern with Editor-in-Chief Abd AlRahman Alyan. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Standard for curriculum set KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education has set specific standards according to which curriculums for schools of outstanding students will be outlined. The Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Research and Curriculum Department, Maryam Al-Wateed made the relevant announcement. The standards were placed by an elite selection of Kuwait University and Public Authority for Applied Education and Training educators.

They formed a committee as per a decision made by the ministry which comes as part of their commitment to give special attention to students with exceptional learning abilities, reported Al-Rai. “These standards focused on strategies according to which the mental superiority and creativity of these students can be enhanced,” Al-Wateed said.

In another development, MP Faisal AlMislem questioned the Minister of Education about the reasons behind the exaggerated

conditions and procedures for students seeking scholarships to universities abroad. He said that “canceling hundreds of scholarship allocations each year is a waste for the country’s human resources.”

Al-Mislem began his questions with a statement on the importance of scholarship programs, which he considers an essential part of all developed countries. He said that the country needs to send students abroad to earn expertise from successful experiences abroad and noted that all other Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries have outpaced Kuwait on that regard.

In his inquiries, Al-Mislem asked for a list of conditions set by the ministry for approving students for scholarship programs for the school year 2009/2010.

He also asked whether there are intentions to increase scholarship seats for the 2010/2011 school year.

Union demands compensation KUWAIT: The labor union of the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC) requested compensations to be paid to employees who were affected by the reshuffling procedures that were recently undertaken.

Recent decisions had been passed to rearrange professions and cancel certain departments.

On that regard, Secretary of the Union Talal Al-Mejlad, demanded that this compensa-

tion be paid by promoting affected employees, “due to added duties that they bear as a result of the relocation process.”

“Companies have the right to carry out reshuffling. These processes are organized with certain conditions in view. This maintains employees’ rights.

They are affected by this reshuffle,” Al-Mejlad said. He indicated that several employ-

ees lost privileges due to the changes made to the employment structure that took place as a result of deleting certain professions and merging others, reported Al-Rai. Al-Mejlad further noted that several employees found it difficult to maintain productivity levels following their relocation.

This required them to put in more effort to avoid productivity from being affected.

US ranks Middle East poorly in human trafficking report GoverWASHINGTON: nments across the Middle East should reform the kafala (sponsorship) system that gives sponsoring employers substantial control over workers and leaves workers vulnerable to situations of trafficking and forced labor, Human Rights Watch said yesterday.

The US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons report, released June 14, ranked several countries in the region in its two lowest possible categories for efforts to combat human trafficking.

The report ranked Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in Tier 3, the lowest possible category, which makes these countries potentially subject to US sanctions of non-humanitarian aid, and Lebanon and Qatar on the Tier 2 watchlist, the second-lowest ranking.

“For efforts to end forced labor and human trafficking to be successful, governments in the Middle East should reform the current visa sponsorship system,” said Nisha Varia, senior researcher in the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch.

“When employers have near-total control over migrants’ ability to change jobs, and sometimes to leave the country, workers can get trapped in exploitative situations in which they are forced to work without wages, get beaten, or face other abuses.” Millions of migrants, pri-

marily from Asia and Africa, have short-term employment contracts for low-wage jobs in the construction, domestic work, and service industries across the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan have adopted anti-trafficking legislation, and in some cases built shelters. Saudi Arabia has operated a shelter for female domestic workers since 1997, while Kuwait has maintained a shelter facility since 2007.

The UAE government announced last month a decision to establish two new shelters for women and children victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

However, other countries, including Lebanon and Kuwait, have yet to adopt anti-trafficking legislation, and most countries retain immigration laws that penalize rather than protect workers who work under conditions of abuse.

In Kuwait, immigration regulations allow for criminal charges against workers who leave their jobs, even those who worked in abusive conditions, while in Saudi Arabia workers must have their employers’ permission to get exit visas to leave the country.

With limited exceptions, governments in the Middle East require workers to obtain their original sponsor’s consent before taking up new employment. In combination with gaps in labor protections and abusive

recruitment practices that leave workers indebted, the kafala system gives employers tremendous control over workers.

Workers in Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates interviewed by Human Rights Watch have reported employers withholding their passports and wages, and making them work long hours without adequate rest.

Domestic workers in particular risk forced confinement, as employers at times lock them inside their homes or keep them under constant supervision.

“These countries consistently fall at the bottom of the list when compared to others around the world,” said Varia. “It is disappointing that governments across the Middle East have been slow to change the kafala system when it is so easily abused.”

In 2009, Bahrain adopted the strongest sponsorship reform in the region by permitting migrant workers to change employment without their employer’s consent and in the absence of allegations of nonpayment of wages or abuse. In 2010, UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Navi Pillay urged all Gulf Cooperation Council countries to engage in sponsorship reform.

However, like most progress in the region, Bahrain’s positive changes do not apply to domestic workers. — Human Rights Watch

US report ignores draft law: MSAL KUWAIT: Responding to a US State Department report classifying Kuwait as one of more than a dozen countries that could face sanctions due to their failure to take effective measures to counter human trafficking, a Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) official complained that the report “ignores the fact that the cabinet has completed a draft law on combating human trafficking.”

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al-Qabas that the delays in enforcing the

new legislation were probably the reason for Kuwait’s inclusion in the US report.

The report has criticized the way in which sponsors in Kuwait are permitted to retain employees’ passports, as well as the country’s failure to expand the number of shelters for staff fleeing abusive employers, the official explained, adding that the MSAL opposes any sponsor retaining employees’ passports and is currently working on expanding the shelters.

“The temperature at noon [on Tuesday] reached 50 degrees Celsius in Kuwait City and 53 degrees Celsius in the desert, a record temperature increase,” the MEW official told the Kuwait Times in a telephone interview yesterday.

These stifling temperatures see air conditioning units across the country switched to full power, putting far greater pressure than usual on the country’s power grid.

The country’s lack of reserve electrical supplies and steadily rising population magnify the problem still further, the official explained, with Monday’s electricity usage rates reaching the highest levels seen in the country in 20 years, and being outpaced by yesterday’s.

By comparison, the official explained, the highest con-

sumption level recorded for one day last summer was 9,900 megawatts, which has already been exceeded by 1,000 megawatts this year.

Another reason behind the extremely high consumption levels is the current exam period at local schools, with 1,000 of the country’s schools currently hosting final exams for intermediate and senior pupils, the official continued, claiming that the schools’ use of theaters and sports halls as examination facilities has put heavier-thanusual pressure on the national power grid.

At present, all the country’s power stations are working well, the official stressed, voicing optimism that the scorching outdoors would not cause any problems in the electrical supply.

“We hope that the ministry

cuts. Yesterday’s electricity consumption rates reached 10,900 megawatts of the total 11,100 megawatts available, far higher than the previous day, according to a Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) official. The official attributed the steadily rising electricity consumption rates to the searing temperatures, which have already crossed the 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) mark, and to a smaller degree on the current school exam period.

won’t experience any problems or obstacles during this hot summer,” the official said, although he explained that some areas had experienced power cuts because of the extra-high electricity consumption levels there and the ageing generators and other equipment being used.

“There are around 28,000 transformers across Kuwait’s governorates, so it’s normal that some break down,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, MEW Undersecretary for Planning and Training Dr. Meshaan AlOtaibi called upon all Kuwait’s residents, both citizens and expatriates, to help the ministry by reducing their electricity consumption rates, especially during peak hours.

“People should switch off unnecessary equipment and appliances in their homes

between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM and adjust the temperature of their air-conditioning to reduce power consumption, especially if they’re travelling outside the country,” Dr. Al-Otaibi continued, adding, “These precautions will help in saving power so we can avoid facing the introduction of scheduled power cuts.”

Many areas have already witnessed unscheduled power cuts in recent days, including Salmiya, Messila, Hawally, Sabah Al-Salem, Rawdha, AlQaser, Al-Salam, Sabahiya, Fintas and the chalets area in Bnaider and Khairan.

Al-Otaibi also expressed his appreciation for the cooperation of various ministries and government bodies, including the Ministry of Education, for introducing power-saving measures, such as turning off lights, airconditioning equipment and

other appliances in unused offices and buildings and in all facilities outside working hours.

The education ministry has already shortened kindergarten hours, which now finish at 11:00 AM, while the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs is also introducing a program of power-saving measures and switching off the electrical supply to wedding halls and other facilities while they are not being used.

Al-Otaibi appealed to other bodies and companies to adopt similar power-saving measures, saying, “Other ministries and companies should also cooperation with the [MEW] to save power by switching off unneeded lights and other appliances.

They should also adjust the airconditioning temperature as this will effectively help to save power.”

As mercury soars, ACs fall silent

By Rawan Khalid KUWAIT: It seemed like a regular day for Tamader Alaa, an employee in a private company in Hawally, as she left for work yesterday morning. Upon arriving to her company though, she discovered that there was no electricity, air conditioning or power. In the beginning of the day things were under control, she explained, but by midday opening the windows for some air was not a viable option.

When the computers went dead and the fax machine was out of order - both powered by electricity - she discovered that working from her phone was the only available option. “I started sending emails from my Blackberry,” she said.

As the mercury soared these past three days, residents in many areas have experienced power outages. Air conditioners have gone silent and living spaces have turned dark.

Alaa explained that her coworkers were innovative and tried to find alternatives to the hot temperatures. “They were all sitting in the kitchen with the refrigerator open for some cold air,” she said over the phone yesterday.

“I don’t even want to mention the high temperatures because the air conditioner also wasn’t working. We were all sitting and sweating. If we open the windows it is hotter than the office itself,” Alaa added.

Residents in Farwaniya had similar stories to share. Saleem Hussain, a father of four, said, “I live in Farwaniya with my family and I am puzzled as to what is really happening with the electricity in the area.”

“The electricity cuts out three

times a day and this is really bad for my children because it is their exam period. I try to offer them a good place to study and now I have to take them to restaurants or cafes where they can find electricity with lights and air conditioning.”

Hussain said, “I know it costs me but what can I do in this case? Our apartment is really hot. Also, there are no lights, so where should I go?”

He wonders who is to blame for what is happening. “All the neighbors are suffering from what is happening these days and we are still in the beginning of the summer. What shall we do in the coming months?

Ramadan will be in August.

What will we do while we are fasting?,” Saleem asked.

Neveen Morad, who lives in Salwa, said, “my family and I are suffering from these electricity shortages. I don’t know what is happening but at the end of the day there has to be a solution for what is happening.”

He stressed that it is just the beginning of the summer and his family will not take a vacation. “Should I take a vacation and escape from the weather and bad electricity in the country?” he wondered.

“We bought a generator with our neighbors to provide us with electricity until the electricity comes back. Even with a generator we cannot handle the blackouts that last for hours,” she said, explaining that because of the power cuts they stocked up on candles.

Morad continued, “what is really bad is that the generator makes noise all day long which, makes the neighbors in the area complain,” she said. “What we need is a solution for what is happening.”

kuwait digest

Summer holidays

By Sami Al Khorafi ummer holiday starts this month for all schools in Kuwait.

Every year we notice a shortfall in the ministries’ inability to make use of children’s free time by giving them something beneficial to do that will help them become better citizens in the future.

At the beginning of every summer, parents are worried that their children have too much free time. Most children go to commercial markets and waste their time roaming about.

One of the activities provided by the Ministry of Education, led by its Assistant Undersecretary Duaij Al-Duaij, is to allow schools in every governorate to offer summer clubs to children who want to practice the activities they like.

Those clubs are smaller in number compared to the number of children wanting something to do this summer. I know that to open all the schools in Kuwait would require a huge budget but the result would be great and would benefit everyone.

Things could be added to those clubs such as classes for students who have another round of exams or computer training courses.

There are several more ideas that can possibly be listed here. If we were to apply them we would be investing in human resources.

We hope that the ministry puts a plan in action to make use of all the schools in Kuwait during the summer instead of just leaving them empty. — Al-Anbaa

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KUWAIT: Kuwait Fire Services Directorate officials visiting the scene of the blaze. —Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

KFSD management tour scene of Sawaber fire

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: The director of the Kuwait Fire Services Directorate Lieutenant General Ali Al-Mansouri and other senior KFSD officers yesterday visited the scene of Monday’s blaze at the Sawaber Complex.

The fire service management figures were accompanied by engineering officials and others from the Public Authority for Housing Welfare and the Ministry of Electricity and Water, as well as staff in charge

of maintenance at the site.

Following a tour of the building and the burnt-out apartments, the officials held a meeting at which they exchanged views about the reason behind the blaze and the quality of the safety system in place there.

A report on the fire will be submitted to the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Roudhan Al-Roudhan to study what action should be taken.

Also yesterday, the KFSD’s Public Relations Department held a life management skills

seminar for firefighters, with Amiri Diwan Advisor Dr. Ismail Al-Shatti delivering a lecture entitled ‘How to manage your life’ to the assembled personnel.

Among the topics covered by Al-Shatti in his talk were how to identify and achieve life goals, attaining self-knowledge and how to design strategic plans to resolve everyday problems.

After his lecture, Dr. Al-Shatti was presented with a memorial shield by the KFSD Public Relations Director Lieutenant Colonel Khalil Al-Amir.

KUNA honored in UAE DUBAI: A tree was planted in the gardens of Dubai’s Rashid Pediatric Therapy Center yesterday to demonstrate the center’s appreciation for the Kuwait News Agency’s (KUNA) role in increasing awareness of the issues concerning individuals with special needs.

The center’s director Mariam Othman said that the idea behind the Media Garden is to strengthen relations between the center and media bodies.

Media bodies have supported the center since its establishment 16 years ago, she said, adding that the trees planted in their honor will be cared

for by the children who attend the center.

The center invited officials from various local and Arab newspapers and magazines, TV channels, radio stations, and news agencies to plant trees in the names of their corporations in the garden.

Each tree had a gold-plated sign bearing the name of the media body whose name it is planted in. Other bodies taking part in yesterday’s event included the newspapers Al-Bayan, Al-Ittihad, and Emarat Al-Youm, magazines Jawaher, Bint AlKhaleej, Sayidati, Hiya and Taiba, and TV channels LBC, CNN, Dubai and Sama Dubai. — KUNA

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national

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

‘The shelter of criminals’

Rattled by crime, residents of Jleeb fear reporting cases

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The residents of Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, an area thickly populated by bachelors, fall victim to crime on an everyday basis. The area mainly wakes up to 30 crimes per day, according to a police officer. Many of

KUWAIT: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf left Kuwait yesterday after a three-day official visit, during which she held talks with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The Liberian President was seen off at Kuwait International Airport by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, National Assembly Speaker Jassem AlKhorafi, and Deputy Chief of the National Guards Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. She was also seen off by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, First Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad AlSabah, Acting Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, and top Army, Police, and National Guards officials. —Photos by KUNA

local spotlight

Salary reduction woes

By Muna Al-Fuzai ow would you feel if your boss decided, for no reason, to lower your salary, the amount which you had both agreed to from the beginning? Worse still, if the organization you work for, is a government enterprise.

So at the end of the day, the boss does not pay you from his own pocket. The government has allocated a certain budget from which salaries are paid. I have never heard about such a practice taking place in any country, especially in any company that is owned by the government. It is not only weird but is also not fair.

The head of Labor Union for Kuwait Public Transportation Company (KPTC) made a statement recently on this topic. It appears strange and holds no clear justification. When the company decided to lower workers’ salaries by KD 50, an increase was granted to all expatriate workers in accordance with the regulations of the Civil Service Commission. The company is entirely owned by the government. According to its labor union, the company forced workers to sign an approval document that suggested salary reduction. This move contradicts with the new labor law that violates international regulations.

According to the labor union, the company claimed that it needed to cover the losses

H

incurred throughout the year. I think that is totally unacceptable. It is not justified in any manner because the company’s losses should be covered by those in charge of running the business administration. The management should consider the reasons that caused these losses.

Maybe it is their policy. What if senior officials of the company have received raises that are incompatible with the regulations of the Civil Services Bureau?

I empathize with those workers. I agree that the labor union helps these poor workers who earn a low income. I was glad to see more Kuwaitis support their case. Besides, the labor union has raised another serious issue - one which is related to the continued increase in manager’s salaries. This is a senseless move when company has been facing so-called financial losses.

Another issue here is that we should not use expatriates, the ones who earn a limited income, as a method to solve or control problems that we created and failed to manage. The same applies to traffic rules and visas issued here.

Whenever a problem arises with expatriates belonging a certain nationality, they ban the nationality itself. Why don’t they punish those who broke the law or violated the country’s regulations?

I support all demands being made to restore workers’ rights. Also, I think that the labor union is trying its best. Every hand is needed to fix mistakes.

in the news Talks on housing welfare KUWAIT: A joint committee between the National Assembly’s women’s affairs and housing panels failed to come up with a list of categories entitling individuals to housing welfare, said MP Maasouma AlMubarak. The comments were made following the committee’s latest meeting and the MP expressed optimism about finding a solution to the sports crisis, reported Al-Rai. “The committee failed to come up with a complete list because of a lack of vision from both the governmental directorates and members of the Parliament,” AlMubarak said. She added that governmental directorates were asked to provide statistics and data regarding the categories of women entitled to, and those still yet to be entitled to, housing welfare within 48 hours. Al-Mubarak indicated that there won’t be a women’s rights law but rather women’s civil and social rights that will be promoted and protected by amending seven pre-existing regulations.

Canadian medical team KUWAIT: Health minister Dr. Helal Al-Sayer has been holding an increased number of

meetings with local and foreign consultants in order to begin the transition process of affiliating the country’s health services to a central public authority. Assistant Ministry of Health (MoH) Undersecretary for Supportive Medical Services Affairs Dr. Qais AlDuwairi revealed that the minister recently met with a team of medical experts from Canada’s McGill Hospital, which is currently managing Kuwait’s Chest Diseases Hospital.

Academic thefts claims KUWAIT: MP Mohammad Hayef recently asked the Minister of Education about a case regarding officials from the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), reported Al-Qabas.

Head of the PAAET’s promotions committee protested against a decision to promote the head of the insurance and banks department. He claimed that the official was involved in a scandal that was only recently discovered. In his inquiry, Hayef called for a copy to the grievance letter made by the head of the committee in addition to a photocopy of the ministry’s reply.

muna@kuwaittimes.net

Thomas, a Kuwait Times reader and a Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh resident yesterday decided to raise an alarm to the community and raise his voice with the hope that abuse among residents would “finally come to an end.” He said that his father-inlaw, a senior Indian citizen, was subject to attempted attack by four Arab youth while waiting to board a vehicle yesterday at 4:30 am.

He said that his father-inlaw succeeded in escaping from the thugs. He hurried to explain that a similar incident had happened to his colleagues during the same time last week.

“My father-in-law didn’t report this incident to the police as he was afraid of the experience. I advised him not to go to the police station as it’s a nightmarish experience,” the resident told Kuwait Times.

He added that another one of his colleague was attacked last week - beaten and looted.

“He didn’t go to the police because of the same reason,” said Thomas, the KT reader.

The lack of interest in reporting such incidents mostly owes to expatriates’ poor Arabic language skills. “We don’t speak Arabic well. So, communication with the police is difficult. We heard from people who were subject to attacks that filing the case in the police station didn’t help them and they wished they had not reported it,” he added.

Even a law-enforcement officer sees the safety situation

KUWAIT: One of the semi-legal shopping areas in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh that are frequented by residents there. (The image is for illustrative purposes only). in Jleeb as worrisome. A police officer in the Jleeb AlShuyoukh Police Station, on condition of anonymity, noted that there are some 20 to 30 cases reported daily about robberies and other crimes. “The problem is that in most cases, the victim doesn’t know the attacker. In many cases, they register the car plate number of

Pakistan, Kuwait discuss strengthening relations ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistani and Kuwaiti officials yesterday held lengthy discussions on measures to enhance bilateral ties between the two nations in various fields, including the economy, politics and defense.

Kuwait’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Abdulaziz AlEnezi held a meeting with Shehbaz Sharif, the Chief Minister of Pakistan’s most economically powerful province, the Punjab.

Speaking to KUNA following the talks, Ambassador AlEnezi described the meeting, which lasted for over two hours, as “wonderful” and “very productive.”

The ambassador said that he and the minister had held frank and cordial talks on a wide range of issues, ranging from measures to strengthen bilateral ties to how to increase the declining levels of Kuwaiti

the non-Arab nationals who, in the words of one Asian resident, were subject to attacks regularly. They prefer not to report the case with the police station because they feel that it yields no results. Stories about crime circulate during family gatherings, school and community meetings.

investment in the country.

Ambassador Al-Enezi condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Lahore, saying that it was distressing to see such events taking place in the brotherly Muslim nation of He praised Pakistan.

Pakistan’s efforts in the global war against terrorism, stressing that Kuwait would provide all the help possible to Pakistan at any critical period and that Kuwait’s government and people would stand by Pakistan whenever needed. Following the meeting, the Chief Minister hosted a lunch in the ambassador’s honor.

The number of Pakistani expatriate residents in Kuwait has almost doubled over the past five years, with a total of 153,000 Pakistani citizens currently living and working here, according to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior’s latest figures. — KUNA

the criminal. In a majority of the cases, numbers are stolen (from car plates) as per previous reports. So, we then can’t reach any results. Solving the problem doesn’t go far,” he said.

According to the officer, about 30 criminals are deported every day, “Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh is the area that shelters many

criminals. “Most of the runaway maids, drivers or other laborers who have absconding reports filed against them, settle down in this area. Many become criminals,” he said. “Also, many brothels and illegal international call houses are frequently raided in this area,” he said.

The officer, who has been working in the same police sta-

tion since 1992, explained that his establishment is burdened with work. “We don’t take any rest and work continuously the whole day,” he said.

He explained, “Many of the victims who file cases later regret filing them at all when the criminal is not caught.

There is no solution to this problem.”

Battered women’s shelters KUWAIT: MP Dr. Aseel AlAwadhi has reiterated her commitment to combating violence against women. Dr. Al-Awadhi said that this was an issue which she was active in opposing prior to her election to parliament, but that she had been unable to raise the matter at the decision-making level before becoming an MP. In an interview with AlRai, the prominent female MP said that Kuwaiti society, like several other nations, continues to suffer from the phenomenon of familial domestic violence against women and children, asserting, “Our social values force us to act against such misdeeds.”

Dr. Al-Awadhi lamented Kuwait’s failure to follow the example of other nations, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan in building

shelters for battered women, adding that she is currently studying other country’s experience with such refuges in order for the current situation to be reviewed during the next parliamentary term.

While emphasizing the importance of combating “oppressive approaches” towards women, Al-Awadhi said that an underlying problem in the increasing divorce rates in Kuwait is the inability of younger generations to contend with the responsibilities of marriage.

She also address the subject of the rights of Kuwaiti women married to nonKuwaitis, saying that she and others are calling for these women to be accorded the same rights as other citizens in order to ensure a decent life for them and their children.

On the issue of gay

rights, Dr. Al-Awadhi said that homosexuals should have the same rights as everyone else, asserting that gay Kuwaitis should have the same rights as other citizens. She also called for more legal help to be made available for transgender citizens, who she said suffer from a hormonal imbalance.

The MP pointed out that 80 percent of those suffering from gender identity disorders had been victims of sexual abuse in childhood, calling the act of shaving their heads as punishment “superficial” and suggesting that such actions worsen the problem rather than reducing it. Dr. Al-Awadhi proposed that those suffering from gender identity disorders should be given the opportunity to undergo intensive rehabilitation programs in order to help them.

4

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Kuwait hosts meeting

GCC strengthens land, sea border stations KUWAIT: The 19th meeting of the heads of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations' customs and coastguards bodies ended yesterday, with the delegates unanimously agreeing to strengthen communication among the GCC countries' land and sea border stations and to utilize the latest information and communications technology (ICT). The delegates were urged to use the transregional optical fiber cable network which is expected to be put in place shortly as soon as their respective interior ministries begin using it, according to a statement issued by Kuwait's Ministry of Interior (MoI) following the conclusion of the meeting.

Liberian president visits 360 Mall KUWAIT: Senior management at Kuwait's newest luxury shopping mall, the 360 Mall in Al-Zahara, yesterday welcomed the President of Liberia and Africa's first elected female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who was accompanied on her visit by Amiri Diwan Advisor Mohammad Abdullah Abu Al-Hassan.

As part of her three-day official visit to Kuwait, President Johnson Sirleaf visited the mall to gain a better understanding of Kuwait's retail sector.

During her tour of the 360 Mall, she admired a number of the attractions there, including the unique and remarkable Vertical Gardens. She also lauded the mall's flagship entertainment venue, 'Infunity.'

Claudia Lopusinka, the mall's marketing director, voiced delight at the Liberian leader's visit, saying, "We are extremely honored that President Johnson Sirleaf chose to visit the 360 Mall during her official visit to Kuwait."

The delegates also agreed to increase the number of maritime patrol operations to combat the increase in seaborne criminal activities, such as robbery, piracy and attempts to illegally enter GCC member states, and to strengthen their joint capacitybuilding programs.

Among the other business conducted at the meeting was a review of the decisions taken at the recent meetings of GCC interior ministers and of experts from the GCC ministries of interior, defense and communications.

The head of the Kuwaiti delegation, Major General Abdullah Al-Mehanna hailed the meeting as "very fruitful and constructive," while the head of the Saudi delegation Major General Zamim Bin Jubair Al-Sawwat voiced gratitude at Kuwait's contributions to regional cooperation and thanked the Kuwaiti Minister of Interior Lieutenant General (Retd.)

Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah for receiving the delegates and supporting their efforts.

The two-day meeting began on Monday, under the patronage of Major General Sheikh Mohammad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah, the Assistant Undersecretary of Kuwait's Ministry of Interior (MoI), who reportedly told the assembled senior officials prior to the meeting that the event was taking place at a complex juncture in light of recent regional developments.

The official passed on the greetings of Minister of Interior Lieutenant General (Retd.)

Sheikh Jaber Khaled Al-Sabah and MoI Undersecretary Lt. Gen. Ahmad Al-Rujaib, affirming that both are closely monitoring the delegates' efforts to boost cooperation between the GCC bodies represented at the meeting.

The meeting itself was presided over by Maj. Gen. AlMuhanna, with the participants discussing a number of crucial issues, including the importance of joint exercises in protecting land and sea borders, and the need to take action against marine piracy.

Interior minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled met with the heads of the delegations at a separate meeting, where he praised the productive cooperation and exchange of expertise between GCC states, stressing the importance of ensuring their joint security.

The minister also emphasized the need for a unified strategy with the objective of achieving further security and stability.

The United Arab Emirates is scheduled to host the 20th meeting of the heads of the GCC nations border and coastguard bodies, the MoI statement concluded. — KUNA

MEW problems may mean holiday for civil servants

6 14761 Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Who is the captain of the North Korean team?

Hong Yong-Jo Ahn Young-Hak Jong Tae-Se

14761 6 Wednesday, June 16, 2010

KUWAIT: With temperatures and power consumption levels continuing to climb, staff at ministries and other state bodies may be getting an unscheduled paid holiday to help cut back on high electricity consumption levels by cutting off the electricity supply to those facilities.

This is one of the ideas currently being considered by senior Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) officials, as they struggle to cope with increasing power shortages.

Power cuts have already hit several areas, including Salmiya, Jahra, Farwaniya, Maidan Hawally, Al-Salam and Qurtuba, reported Annahar.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has been maintaining close contact with the MEW in order to ensure that power supplies to schools are not affected by power cuts, especially at present as pupils sit their final exams. Assistant MoE Assistant Undersecretary for Public Education Muna AlLughani said that there have been no power cuts reported at any local schools to date.

The Ministry of Health, meanwhile, has already introduced an electricity rationalization policy, with staff at the headquarters buildings and local offices being instructed to turn off all lights, air conditioning units and other electrical items when leaving work.

KUWAIT: Firefighters from Mishref and Al-Shuhada worked together to tackle a blaze that broke out in a secondary electrical transformer in the Salem area yesterday. The firefighters worked closely with MEW personnel, who switched off the electrical supply beforehand, while neighboring buildings were evacuated as a precaution. The fire was quickly extinguished and no casualties were reported. — Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Zumba invites women to 'Ditch the Workout...Join the Party'

By Sarah Alzouman KUWAIT: Women of all ages are gearing up for Kuwait's first Zumbathon tonight. The two hour charity event will begin at 6 at the Women's Cultural and Social Society and benefit AlAmal Club.

But what exactly is Zumba?

According to zumbaq8.com, Zumba is a kind of dance party cardio class hybrid of "calorieburning, body-energizing, aweinspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life!"

And a Zumbathon uses all that fun and energy to raise money for a charity or cause. Tickets for tonight's Zumbathon cost KD 7 and all proceeds will go to Al-Amal Club, which helps care for men, women, and particularly children with cancer.

The ladies-only event will be led by Amani Abbassy and Rana Alomani, both certified Zumba fitness instructors. Alomani, who is also a certified Group

Fitness Instructor, says that not only is Zumba a lot of fun but it is appropriate for all ages and fitness levels because everyone goes at their own pace. Abassy, who has been a Zumba instructor since 2007, is also certified in the strength training fusion The Zumba charity event is open to women ages 15 and older, and will take place from 6 pm to 8 pm. Doors open at 5:30 and those who need to purchase tickets are encouraged to come early.

Women's Cultural and Social Society Khaldiya - Block 2 Ferdous St - Bldg 2 For more information, contact: info@zumbaq8.com Zumba Toning as well as Zumbatomic, a fitness program designed for children.

"Usually after one class people are already addicted to

Zumba" Abbassy says, "There are all different kinds of Latin and international rhythms, with different steps for each song.

People worry they won't be able to get it, but everyone ends up having a good time."

Sarah Al-Mulla, who has been doing Zumba for two years, agrees that it is addictive. She is not only looking forward to the event, but is constantly recruiting friends to join in. "Its great exercise, but you don't feel it's a workout, you feel like you are having fun," AlMulla explains. "My friend laughed at me when I told her that Zumba is the highlight of my day," she adds laughing, "but it's really more like a party than exercise." The event will also include raffles, prizes, and a fun surprise for the attendees.

Abbassy and Alomani hope it will be the first in a series of Zumbathons to raise money for causes close to their hearts throughout Kuwait.

NBK offers valuable travel tips to its customers KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK), the leading bank in Kuwait and the highest rated bank in the Middle East takes the opportunity of this summer travel season to remind its customers to take advantage of NBK's attractive summer promotions, and to offer them valuable travel tips.

NBK Deputy General Manager - Consumer Banking Group Abdullah Al-Najran AlTuwaijri said: "With the arrival of the summer holiday travel season, the majority of our customers will be travelling starting from this month of June.

Every summer we offer our valued customers exclusive promotions and this time we're also providing them with valuable travel tips. Many countries now require customers to enter their debit card PIN numbers instead of providing their signatures at the point of sale. Card PIN numbers are also required to withdraw cash from any ATM

Abdullah Al-Tuwaijri worldwide," stated Al-Tuwaijri.

"Therefore we advise our customers to follow these travel tips": • Always check the expiry dates of their debit and credit cards before they travel.

• Make sure they change the PIN numbers of their debit cards before they travel through any NBK ATM in

Kuwait.

• Request new PIN numbers for their credit cards by calling our Hala Watani call centre, or by visiting any NBK branch.

• To pay in the local currency of their destination and not in their home currency (Kuwaiti Dinars) when they make purchases overseas using their NBK cards. NBK always provides the best exchange rates on foreign transactions.

• Register for our Watani Online banking service through our website nbk.com, so that they can access their accounts online while travelling.

Al-Tuwaijri added: "This month we have also launched a special promotion in which our cardholders can get chances to win one of 3 fantastic Mercedes AMG cars simply by using their NBK debit and credit cards wherever they are this summer! We wish our customers a happy summer holiday and a safe return."

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

NATIONAL

5

'New Blood for the World'

Kuwait launches 'Club 25' to mark World Blood Donor Day

By Abdullah Al-Qattan KUWAIT: The Kuwait Central Blood Bank (KCBB) on Monday evening marked World Blood Donor Day with the launch of a new youth-oriented campaign, 'Club 25,' as well as honoring those who donated blood more than 100 times and the major firms which help and participate in KCBB

KUWAIT: Minister of Health Dr Helal Al-Sayer donating blood.

Sheikh Talal Al-Fahad

KUWAIT: The blood donation campaign in progress.

kuwait digest

Implementation of the law

By Terky Al-Azmi

T

he interpellation is a constitutional tool used by an MP to question one of the ministers of the Cabinet about a legal violation with the intent to correct the problem in a legal manner. Since an interpellation is about applying the law, it's improper for it to be discussed in a confidential session.

The public, affected by the violation that the grilling addresses, deserves to know the details that take place during a grilling session.

That said, there are people who still don't seem to understand the true message that interpellations try to convey. This is more evident in the fifth constituency where six MPs have been purely motivated by their emotions.

It is expected that a series of interpellations will be filed soon. This includes one interpellation sponsored by the National Work Bloc

regarding the sports issue and another one against the Minister of Commerce.

These two interpellations are essential considering they address violations in the sports and commerce sectors. Reactions to them should be based on a willingness to apply the law, regardless of loyalty to the Cabinet.

I urge MPs Saleh Al-Mullah and Marzouq AlGhanim to go ahead with their sports grilling and discuss all the controversial issues which the government could not overcome.

Furthermore, I urge other MPs to live up to their duties, support rights and decide against a confidential session so that the public can know the reasons behind the deterioration of the country's sports sector.

At this point we are waiting for a solution to be reached following the grilling session through the application of the law. This is a vital part of achieving reform.— Al-Rai

Minister of Health Dr. Helal Al-Sayer told the Kuwait Times that Kuwait was celebrating the occasion to remind people that donating blood can save lives and help people fight blood diseases such as hemophilia.

"We should make it our job to teach young generations the importance of this humanitarian obligation," the minister asserted. Dr Rana Abdulrazzaq, the director of the KCBB's Medical and Donor Affairs Department, said that this campaign aims to attract people to donate blood and to make them more aware of the donation process. Dr Rana also added that the 'New blood for the world' aims to attract the younger generation to join 'Club 25,' which she explained specializes in targeting people aged under 25 and increasing their awareness of the benefits of donating blood for both the donor and the recipient. Abdulrazzaq said that Club 25 Kuwait is an extension of the worldwide Club 25 campaign, which began 10 years ago in Zimbabwe, making it the only branch in the Middle East.

The senior KCBB official revealed that she has worked with student volunteers from both the British School of Kuwait (BSK) and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) to establish Club 25, adding that they are currently aiming to attract university students too.

Mosa Al-Khars, the treasurer of the PAAET's Democratic Circle, said that a number of students had volunteered during Monday evening's celebra-

Towers to expand clinic capacity KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health announced yesterday a plan for establishing nine towers to be built annexed to a number of general and specialized hospitals, at a cost of $160 million, with the capacity of 2,000 beds.

The towers will be annexed to the maternity hospital, AlSabah, Al-Razi, Al-Amiri, Ibn Sina, Al-Adan, Al-Jahra, and AlFarwaniya hospitals, as well as Hussain Makki Juma Center for Specialized Surgeries, Ministry Undersecretary for Services and Maintenance Sameer Al-Asfour said. The official was speaking following a meeting between the ministry representatives and a number of consulting offices over the project.

The meeting discussed the specifics of the new towers, including the number of beds, medical equipments, and services needed for their operation, he noted. — KUNA

tion, adding that previous events had shown young people how important it is to play a part in donating blood, and the significant effects that it has on the community.

events. The focus of the 2010 World Blood Donor Day was on young donors, with the slogan for this year's campaign being 'New Blood for the World.' As the demand for blood for transfusions increases worldwide, young people can make an important and possibly life-saving contribution by donating blood and by recruiting other young people to become donors.

One of the first campaigns which Club 25 Kuwait is organizing this summer is a series of awareness-raising events at a number of Kuwait's malls, with volunteers helping to spread the

message and attract new blood donors at the Avenues, the 360 Mall, Al-Manshar and Al-Kout Mall.

Abdulrazzaq revealed that the first of these events will be

held today (Wednesday) at the Avenues, where doctors, volunteers, patients and donors will all be offering their services and advice free of charge to help attract new donors.

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Vice dens busted in Ahmadi

Four bootleggers in police custody KUWAIT: Ahmadi police arrested two Asians after they were found in possession of 65 bottles of imported liquor, reported Al-Rai. The arrests were made after an investigation led authorities to the two bootleggers. They were pulled over and arrested while delivering alcohol to a customer. They were referred to the proper authorities. Meanwhile, Jahra police arrested two Asians after they were caught operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reported Al-Rai. They were found in possession of 75 bottles of homemade liquor. After they were questioned, they were referred to the proper authorities.

Prostitution Ahmadi police carried out a campaign against prostitution in the area, reported AlRai. During the campaign they raided several brothels and arrested 20 Asian prostitutes. They also arrested 13 men who were found in the brothels as well. They were taken to the proper authorities.

Suicide attempt A 26-year-old Ethiopian maid attempted to kill herself by consuming toxic substances at her sponsor's home, reported AlWatan. Paramedics responded to the emergency and brought her to Amiri Hospital. A case was opened to investigate the matter further.

kuwait digest

Hidden intensions of gatherings' organizers

By Saud Al-Samaka

T

he participation of Dr Ahmad AlKhateeb - a person considered a pioneer in defending the country's freedom of speech and expression - was criticized by several people in gatherings organized by parliamentary blocs. They expressed that they were worried about his reputation while attempting to be one of the country's leaders during Kuwait's developmental shift. I believe that their comments were a result of Al-Khateeb's actions to defend freedoms and that he has absolutely nothing to do with the intentions of the organizers of these gatherings.

Their religiously and tribally driven poli-

cies are responsible for the continued issues plaguing the political scene.

These organizers do not defend the principles of freedom as much as hope to avoid being noticed for the violations they commit and for what they take from public funds. The falseness of their claims were exposed when they remained silent during the grilling of their comrade for corruption charges!

The fact that the organizers of these gatherings were decided upon by tribal elections that violate the law further proves that their true intention does not include protecting freedoms, the constitution or the law. Meanwhile they become more popular by targeting the emotions of

citizens with their continuous demand for public funds to be wasted on unproductive projects.

I believe that these actions should be confronted on the national level. Efforts should be taken to stop their actions which only increases political tensions, spreads sectarianism, non-productivity and lawbreaking throughout society while damaging the country's development in the process.

This phenomenon caused a lot of chaos in the country after damaging the democratic and constitutional systems. A national movement should return Kuwait to a country that protects the constitution and freedoms like it always has. — Al-Qabas

Building fire A firefighter sustained second degree burns and a female citizen suffered smoke inhalation after a fire occurred in a building under construction in Nahdha, reported AlWatan. They were sent to the hospital after receiving first aid at the site of the incident.

After the fire was successfully extinguished, investigations were launched to determine the cause of the fire.

Ex-wife accused At the Fintas police station, a Kuwaiti man accused his ex-wife of encouraging their daughter to carry out illicit acts, reported Al-Watan. A subpoena was issued to summon the mother for questioning.

Car thieves Sharq police investigators arrested a gang of five bedoon men for stealing 38 cars across all of the country's governorates except Jahra, reported Al-Rai. The arrests were made after two men were caught trying to steal a car in the Capital Governorate.

When questioned, they led authorities to the residences of their three accomplices.

They were all referred to the proper authorities.

Forger held An expat was arrested after he attempted to bribe a ministry vehicle examination official in order for his car to pass an inspection after it failed to meet safety conditions, reported Al-Rai. The arrest was made after the man unknowingly offered to pay the official while the official pretended to cooperate with the briber. He was apprehended and

questioned along with two accomplices.

Abortion An Asian woman was accused of carrying out an abortion after becoming pregnant during an illegal relationship, reported AlWatan. The incident took place at the woman's workplace and the company's legal representative filed a case against her at the Fintas police station.

Infiltrator caught An Iranian infiltrator was arrested by Jahra police at the Amghara scrap yard after he was caught trying to avoid police, reported Al-Watan. When questioned, he admitted that he infiltrated the country by sea two months ago.

School theft Thieves stole five sets of computers from a school they broke into in Abdullah AlMubarak, reported Al-Rai. Investigators responded to the emergency and examined the crime scene. It was reported that they were able to lift the fingerprints of potential suspects. A case was opened and the investigation is ongoing.

Quranic studies center in Al-Salam KUWAIT: The Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs, Minister for Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Rashed Aldolmehsen Al-Hammad, stressed the ministry's keenness in serving and financing the Quranic studies centers and their activities.

The minister was speaking Monday night, on the occasion of laying the foundation stone for a new center in Al-Salam area, through generous donation of

Sheikha Moudhi Al-Salem Al-Malek AlSabah.

The increasing number of students of Islamic studies requires the ministry to build further buildings to serve this field, the minister affirmed. Kuwait is a pioneer in services and programs offered by these centers, he said.

The Ministry's undersecretary Adel Al-Falah praised the keenness of parents to enroll their children in Quranic studies

centers to instill Islamic values in them at an early age.

He stressed there are always new facilities under construction and planning, noting there is cooperation with other ministries to cover both financial and logistic needs of Quranic centers.

He hailed the generous donations of Kuwaiti individuals which come in realization of the principle of social responsibility and partnership. —KUNA

The Dragon ride

Entertainment City launches summer program The 'Dardoor' ride

The lightning ride

Anwar Al-Nisf

KUWAIT: The Entertainment City (EC) has prepared a summer program that will be held as part of the activities conducted by the Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC). The event will be held early this year, ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

The Head of the TEC's Activities Department, Anwar Al-Nisf indicated that several programs and activities have been set aside for the

event. This includes competitions held for children and adults, in addition to cultural and musical shows.

Shows will be held by larger-thanlife cartoon characters, in addition to weekly parties held on Mondays and Fridays.

The summer festival activities will begin on June 25th and will last until August 10. An inaugural ceremony has been prepared for the opening day. Another special cere-

Kart racing The 4D cinema

Bumper boats

The water slide

mony will be held on July 30th to honor students who have achieved academic excellence.

The festival also features special 50 percent discounts on a set of rides, as well as weekly raft draws on Fridays for which various prizes have been allotted.

The Entertainment City opens every day between 5:00 pm to 1:00 am during summer. Monday is specially reserved for female visitors.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

InternAtIOnAL

7

Decision to deprive Gaza-based channel of most viewers

Hamas TV forced to halt broadcasts to Europe GAZA CITY: A France-based satellite provider is halting broadcasts of the Hamas TV channel to Europe and parts of the Arab world because of concerns that it spreads incitement, a station official said yesterday.

The decision will deprive Gaza-based Al-Aqsa TV of most of its viewers, said the channel's head, Hazem Sharawy. The Hamas station, best known for its children's programs glorifying violence against Israel, is

CAIRO: Egyptians hold pictures showing 28-year-old Khaled Said as they shout anti-police slogans during a demonstration in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday. — AP

Egypt orders new autopsy for police beating victim CAIRO: Egypt's prosecutor general yesterday ordered a new autopsy for an alleged victim of police brutality, following opposition claims that the young man was beaten to death. The death of Khaled Said, 28, has become a rallying point for government critics who say it is an example of rampant police abuses made possible by a threedecade-old emergency law they describe as a central tool of repression by President Hosni Mubarak's regime.

For its part, the US State Department expressed its concern over the case and called for a transparent investigation, urging Egypt to "hold accountable whoever is responsible," spokesman P J Crowley told reporters. Said died on June 6 following an encounter with two plainclothes policemen at an Internet Cafe in the port city of Alexandria. His family and human rights groups cite witnesses that he was beaten to death in the street. A picture circulated after his death showed his jaw split, teeth broken and blood pouring from his head.

Police officials denied Said died of torture, saying the young man was wanted for various legal offenses, and died after attempting to swallow a packet of drugs and choking to death. The damage to his face in the photograph was due to the autopsy, forensic doctors said in state newspapers. The ministry statement and the initial investigation in the case outraged activists and other Egyptians

who viewed the official response as a dismissive cover up. One government newspaper even referred to Said as the "marijuana martyr" in an apparent slap to activists who had dubbed him the "emergency law martyr." Said's body will now be exhumed and re-examined by the country's top coroners.

Said's death has come at a particularly sensitive for Egypt as government officials have been facing pressure from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to investigate torture offenders and revise their narrow legal definition of torture.

The government pledged to implement the council's recommendation and prosecute offenders, but denies that torture is systematic.

The case has prompted activists to take to the streets. Protesters gathered outside the police station in Said's hometown after the photos emerged and demanded the culprits be brought to justice. A larger protest on Sunday in Cairo near the ministry responsible for the police saw security forces beating demonstrators and arresting dozens. Hossam Bahgat, the director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said Said's death touched many nerves because it shattered the illusion that only activists or criminals are beaten by police. "The fact that it (torture) led to death is particularly striking. The details served to highlight that no one is safe, that it could happen to anyone," he said.—AP

Iraqi official found with TNT, charged with terror BAGHDAD: Iraqi police have arrested a local official on terrorism charges after finding a large amount of explosives in his home, a security official said yesterday. Amer Rifaat, with the Diyala provincial security committee, said 11 pounds (five kilograms) of TNT and three remote controlled devices were uncovered in a Sunni official's home in the town of Sadiyah, 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Baghdad.

He said Saleh Mahdi Saleh, head of Sadiyah's municipal council, was taken into custody yesterday morning and charged with terrorism. Rifaat said police acted on the confession of Saleh's son who was arrested two days ago on terrorism charges and said his family kept explosives in their home. "Saleh's son, Younis, was arrested based on the complaints of neighbors about his suspicious activities in the area," said Rifaat, refusing to elaborate on the nature of these activities.

Saleh was affiliated with the Sunni Arab Group

in Diyala province, a bloc made up of Sunni parties. Many Sunnis in Iraq have complained that they have been the target of arrests similar to Saleh's and claim such incidents show the Shiitedominated government is persecuting them.

Also yesterday, the U.S. military said one American soldier died in Baghdad of injuries sustained in a noncombat related accident. A statement released by the army said the incident is under investigation and provided no details. The name of the deceased soldier is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The death raises to 4,406 the number of U.S. military personnel who have died in Iraq since the war began in March 2003. That's according to an Associated Press count. Meanwhile, Iraqi police said a roadside bomb in the northern town of alHajaj, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Baghdad, exploded yesterday as a car was driving by, killing the driver and wounding a passenger inside.—AP

Clashes in Iraq's restive Mosul kill 7 MOSUL: At least seven people were killed in clashes in Iraq's turbulent city of Mosul, where a stubborn Al-Qaeda and Sunni Arab insurgency continues to fight the Iraqi government, police said yesterday. The clashes broke out in Bou Saif village on Monday night to the south of the northern city after suspected AlQaeda militants stormed a home and killed a civil servant working for Iraq's Trade Ministry.

The family of the victim set off to seek vengeance, attacking the nearby homes of residents suspected of being associated with Al-Qaeda. They killed six people including two women, police sources said, asking not to be identified. "An initial investigation found that the violence was triggered by the killing of a civilian by suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists overnight," a police officer investigating the incident told Reuters.

Security forces cor-

doned off the village and arrested suspects, police said. Separately, a roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi military patrol killed two soldiers in western Mosul and a mortar round landed at a police checkpoint, wounding a policeman, in the east of the city. Mosul is seen as Sunni Islamist Al-Qaeda's last remaining urban stronghold after the group was kicked out of many parts of Baghdad and western Anbar province

by US troops allied with local Sunni Arab tribal militias in 2007. Overall violence has fallen sharply in Iraq since the peak of sectarian warfare in 2006/07, but an inconclusive election in March that produced no outright winner has fuelled tensions.

The new parliament convened on Monday for the first time since the March 7 election, but negotiations over forming a government are expected to take many more weeks. — Reuters

In Paris, Eutelsat spokeswoman Vanessa O'Connor said that last week the French broadcasting regulator CSA ordered it to stop beaming the Hamas channel into Europe by June 26.

Al-Aqsa TV is part of a package of channels transmitted by Bahrain-based satellite operator Noorsat, which passes them in a single signal to Eutelsat, O'Connor said. Eutelsat has passed on the CSA's order to stop transmitting al-Aqsa TV to Noorsat. O'Connor said it was up to Noorsat to block the alAqsa TV signal. She would not comment on what would happen if Noorsat doesn't comply with the CSA order by the June 26 deadline. Sharawy said Noorsat called late Monday, telling AlAqsa TV that its programs incite to hatred. The al-Aqsa chief alleged that the decision was politically motivated and meant to silence criticism of Israel.

"The enemy (Israel) can kill us, destroy our lands and blockade us. But we aren't allowed to expose them," Sharawy charged.

The Hamas channel immediately flipped into campaign mode Monday. The top left hand corner of the channel showed a countdown and read "time remaining for broadcast." The satellite broadcasts, which reach Europe, North Africa and parts of the Gulf, are expected to be

the centerpiece of a growing media operation of Gaza's Islamic militant Hamas rulers. Losing the satellite provider will hamper the group's attempts to spread its message and raise funds abroad. The decision to cut off the Hamas station came six years after a similar move by France and the US against al-Manar, the channel of Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah.

GAZA CITY: Palestinian crew work in the control unit at the Hamas Al Aqsa TV station in Gaza City yesterday. —AP halted Thursday, Sharawy said.

The channel is not beamed to the US Al-Aqsa's second satellite provider only reaches viewers in the Middle East, he said.

Viewers can also still watch the station on the Internet.

Sharawy said he did not know how many viewers the station had, but that viewer phone calls and text messages indicate the bulk are from outside Gaza.

He said the station's coverage during Israel's three-week war with Hamas in Gaza that ended in January 2009 dramatically boosted al-Aqsa TV's popularity. During the war, the station's building was bombed and employees broadcast from a secret location. In the past, Israel and others have repeatedly accused al-Aqsa TV of inciting against Israel, especially in children's programs.

One of its most criticized programs, Tomorrow's Pioneers, once featured a highpitched Mickey Mouse rip-off called "Farfour" who encouraged children to fight against the occupiers of Muslim countries, while taking calls from kids who were praised for singing about fighting Israel. After a wave of criticism, the station killed off Farfour with mock-Israeli soldiers beating him to death. But

it has not toned down the message of its children's programs.

The station is popular with conservative Muslims in Gaza for its Islamic-based programming.

Women wear headscarves and sometimes face veils on morning talk shows.

Music videos show girls modestly dressed in headscarves singing, as well as gunslinging militants fighting Israel and chanting for revenge. The channel's lengthy interview programs provide the Hamas viewpoint to the world. Hamas sees media outreach as a vital part of the movement's success.

It has another television channel that broadcasts from Lebanon, several affiliated Web sites, a radio station, a glossy magazine for its military wing and two newspapers printed in Gaza. The militant group has also produced a movie glorifying one their militants and created animations boasting about their capture of an Israeli soldier held for the last four years in Gaza.

Six years ago, Hezbollah's Al-Manar television was also limited. At the time, France's highest administrative body banned satellite broadcasts by the Lebanese television station.

Later, the US State Department placed the Hezbollah station on its list of terror organizations for broadcasting incitement.— AP

Israel reviews Gaza Jordan legislative polls set blockade format JERUSALEM: Israel is examining ways to ease its Gaza blockade, a cabinet minister said yesterday, calling the current policy counterproductive and confirming remarks by Middle East envoy Tony Blair that change is likely. "It is time to end the closure in its current form. It does not provide any value to Israel. From a diplomatic standpoint it causes great image problems," Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog told Israel Radio.

International pressure has mounted to lift or ease what Israel calls its "closure" of the enclave, run by Hamas Islamists, since naval commandos stormed a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on May 31, killing nine pro-Palestinian activists. An Israeli official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would convene his cabinet on Wednesday to discuss a plan to widen the range of goods allowed into Gaza through army-controlled border crossings.

Herzog said Israel had informed Blair, who briefed EU foreign ministers on Monday, that it intends to "permit an easier passage of goods" to the Gaza Strip. "At the moment, they are working on the technical details ... of an updated formula that would also prevent smuggling of munitions to the Gaza Strip," Herzog said. Blair said on Monday that Israel had agreed in principle to begin easing the Gaza blockade "in days". In his remarks, Herzog gave no timeframe for revising the policy.

Israel imposed the blockade soon after Hamas, which has spurned Western calls to recognise the Jewish state's right to exist, won legislative elections in 2006. Restrictions were tightened after Hamas seized power in the Gaza Strip in 2007. — Reuters

AMMAN: Jordan said yesterday it will hold parliamentary elections on November 9, nearly a month after endorsing a new law that kept a controversial oneperson-one-vote system.

"The council of minister decided at a meeting today to hold the parliamentary elections on November 9," the state-run Petra news agency reported without elaborating. Jordan approved a new election law on May 18, increasing the number of

lower house seats from 110 to 120 and doubles a quota for women MPs to 12, while maintaining the 1993 controversial system.

Opposition parties, trade unions and the media have constantly attacked the system since its enforcement in 1993, arguing it produces lawmakers who do not represent the people. Voters were previously able to cast ballots for all seats in their constituency, but since 1993 they have been able to

choose just one candidate, a move the furious critics say empowers pro-government hopefuls. King Abdullah II had dissolved parliament in November 2009 and called for a general election two years early, after months of press criticism of the ineffectiveness and-in some cases-alleged corruption of MPs. It was the second time the king has dissolved parliament early since he acceded to the throne in 1999.—AFP

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Kenyan politicians arrested over hate speech charges NAIROBI: Kenyan police have arrested two members of parliament and an assistant minister on charges of hate speech, an official said yesterday in the increasingly turbulent run up to an Aug. 4 constitutional referendum. Preparations for the vote, seen as a crucial step in reforms after post-election violence killed hundreds in 2008, were hit by a weekend attack on a religious meeting, also a rally for the “No” campaign, that killed six and wounded over 100 more.

It is not yet clear who was behind the three grenade blasts in central Nairobi but they have inevitably been linked to the vote

despite calls for calm from the government and donors. Kenyan Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere yesterday accused both camps of engaging in hate speech, but the three arrested- MPs Fred Kapondi, Joshua Kutuny and Assistant Minister for Roads Wilfred Machage-are all from the “No” camp.

The politicians were being questioned and could appear in court on Wednesday, Iteere said. “The law is very clear about hate speech so the president ordered that anybody or any politician who is engaging in hate speech should be arrested,” Kenyan

government spokesman, Alfred Mutua, told Reuters yesterday. As well as the arrests, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, a body formed after the postelection crisis, has summoned William Ruto, minister for education and de-facto leader of the “No” campaign, for questioning.

The commission has also called for a ban on all rallies until July 13, the official start of campaigning on the referendum, but the president’s office said on Monday that the process would continue regardless of the blasts. The new constitution, which curbs

sweeping presidential powers and boosts civil liberties, is meant to heal ethnic divisions that have long-dominated Kenyan politics.

But some politicians complain the new charter fails to devolve power to regions and imposes caps on land holdings.

Christian leaders also oppose clauses on abortions. Weeks of violence following hotly contested elections in late 2007 killed 1,300 people, displaced hundreds of thousands and crippled East Africa’s biggest economy.

Sunday’s blasts brought back the spectre

of violence and Kenyans are nervous politicians will stoke tensions further.”Much of what they are saying is likely to poison people’s minds. Such talk can only worsen the situation,” the Daily Nation, a leading Kenyan daily, said in an editorial. The paper warned that the path to the new constitution was full of saboteurs and had already been long and bloody.

“Worse things are likely to happen as we approach the finish line, which is why we call for maximum vigilance and absolute tolerance of divergent views,” it added.

Kenya’s economy has bounced back from

the impact of the 2007-2008 violence, as well as the global crisis, and is due to post 4.5 percent growth this year and 5.7 percent in 2011. But no one has been held accountable for the post-election violence, despite threats by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for senior leaders later this year.

And there are concerns that politicians will play on fears over land, especially in the Rift Valley, which was a flashpoint during the post-election violence, which could spill over into violence in the run-up to the constitution. — Reuters

Killings ‘unjustified and unjustifiable’: British PM

Britain finally says sorry for Bloody Sunday killings LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron apologized yesterday for the Bloody Sunday killings, one of the darkest days in Northern Ireland’s history, calling them “unjustified and unjustifiable.” As a long-awaited report

into the shootings of 13 civilians by British troops in 1972 was published to joy from victims’ families, he said none of the victims were armed and soldiers gave no warning before opening fire.

LONDONDERRY: John Duddy the brother of Michael Duddy who was shot dead on Bloody Sunday 1972 reacts after leaving the Guildhall in Londonderry, Northern Ireland yesterday. —AP

Zimbabwe blames EU for holding up talks HARARE: Zimbabwe’s foreign minister yesterday accused the European Union of delaying a new round of talks meant to assess progress in meeting long-delayed political and human righst reforms. “It seems to suggest to us that the EU has never taken this dialogue seriously at all,” Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said after meeting with Portugal’s deputy foreign minister Antonio Braga, the state-run Herald newspaper reported.

“They are just playing games with the lives of people of Zimbabwe and I know that in international relations, morality is the first casualty,” he said. “We are still waiting for the EU to indicate to us when our delegation should go there and they certainly seem to be taking their time.”

A Zimbabwean government delegation was supposed to travel to Brussels in May for talks on improving ties, but the trip was canceled as a result of the cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland that disrupted flights over

Europe.

Relations between Zimbabwe and the European Union were strained 10 years ago by elections marred by violence and widespread allegations of human rights abuses by President Robert Mugabe’s government.

EU leaders in February renewed sanctions against Mugabe and his inner circle for another year, citing a lack of progress in implementing political and human rights reforms. —AFP

Hostage drama in German H&M BERLIN: A man believed to be armed held a number of hostages in an H&M clothing store in the east German city of Leipzig for several hours yesterday before giving himself up, police said. Police commandos evacuated a large part of the city centre and deployed snipers on rooftops after being called at around 12:30 pm (1030 GMT) and told that a man with a pistol was threatening customers.

Several hostages were released in shock but unharmed during the drama but media reports said that before the man surrendered, there were still around 10 people inside. The Bild newspaper named the man on its website as Oliver Q., a 41-year-old with previous firearms offences.

Other reports said he was psychologically disturbed and angry about a medical error by his doctor. A police spokeswoman said it was unclear whether the man, who was arrested, was armed with a real gun or a toy. —AFP

LEIPZIG: Policemen try to secure a pedestrian in front of a fashion shop in downtown Leipzig, Eastern Germany yesterday. —AP

Spanish move to restric burqa MADRID: Spain’s government yesterday said it favors barring the use of burqas in government buildings, joining other European countries considering similar moves on the grounds that such garments are degrading to women. Total body-covering Islamic veils demean women and the restriction will be included in an upcoming bill on religious issues, Justice Minister Francisco Caamano said. The minister said garments like the burqa are “hardly compatible with human dignity” or with identifying

a person in public spaces such as town halls or public schools. The so-called religious freedom bill would also prohibit religious symbols like crucifixes or statues in stateowned buildings including hospitals.

Authorities in several European countries have been debating regulating the use of body-covering burqas or face-covering niqabs. Belgium’s lower house has approved a ban on face-covering veils, though it must be ratified by its upper chamber.

The Netherlands debated banning burqas

four years ago and may yet outlaw attire that is considered as demeaning to women. Even Britain and France, home to millions of migrants from former colonies, are questioning their strong multicultural traditions, with the French government currently considering legislation. Some countries have broadened the debate to cover other Islamic traditions. Switzerland recently banned the construction of minarets that broadcast Muslim calls to prayer following a national referendum. —AP

“There is no doubt... what happened on Bloody Sunday was both unjustified and unjustifiable. It was wrong,” he told the House of Commons in London. “Some members of our armed forces acted wrongly,” he said. “The government is ultimately responsible for the conduct of the armed forces.

And for that, on behalf of the government, indeed on behalf of our country, I am deeply sorry.”

Cameron’s apology was greeted with cheers from relatives and thousands of supporters listening to him on a huge screen in Londonderry, where the notorious shootings took place. Amid jubilant scenes in Northern Ireland’s second city, relatives took turns to voice their relief that their 38-year campaign to clear their loved ones’ names had been vindicated.

“Now the world knows the truth,” said Liam Wray. “Jim was murdered, Jim was innocent”. The report found Jim Wray was shot in the back, probably as he lay already gravely wounded, with “no possible justification”. The killings, when British soldiers opened fire on a civil rights march in Londonderry, was one of the most controversial incidents in Northern Ireland’s history, and there had been fears the 5,000page report could re-open wounds.

More than 3,500 people died during The Troubles, which were largely ended by a 1998 peace deal, but emotions still run high in Northern Ireland over its violent history, which pitched Catholics against Protestants. The inquiry, which took 12 years to report at a cost of more than 190 million pounds (275 million dollars, 230 million euros), aimed to paint a full picture of events.

It was commissioned by then premier Tony Blair in 1998 as the peace process gained momentum and headed by senior judge Mark Saville after a 1972 probe, immediately after the killings, was dismissed as a whitewash.

Key conclusions of the new report include: “The firing by soldiers of 1 Para on Bloody Sunday caused the deaths of 13 people and injury to a similar number, none of whom was posing a threat of causing death or serious injury.” “What happened on Bloody Sunday strengthened the Provisional IRA, increased nationalist resentment and hostility towards the army, and exacerbated the violent conflict of the years that followed.”

“Bloody Sunday was a tragedy for the bereaved and the wounded, and a catastrophe for the people of Northern Ireland.” Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness-an IRA commander at the time-was there on Bloody Sunday, probably armed with a sub-machine gun which he may have fired. But the report said he did nothing to provoke soldiers opening fire.

The inquiry heard from more than 900 witnesses and received statements from around 2,500 people. The evidence ran to an estimated 20-30 million words. It is the longestrunning and most expensive public inquiry in British history.

In Washington, a US State Department spokesman welcomed the report. “We recognize the deep and enduring pain of those who lost loved ones on Bloody Sunday and throughout Northern Ireland’s conflict in all communities,” he said. —AFP

BERLIN: In this June 11, 2010 file picture German Chancellor Angela Merkel briefs the media prior to a meeting with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso at the chancellery in Berlin. —AP

German govt’s future questioned BERLIN: Less than a year ago Chancellor Angela Merkel was riding high, triumphing in elections that allowed her to create the center-right coalition she’d long craved. Now, her government is looking increasingly brittle and there is a sense the government could even collapse, a rarity in postwar Germany which would rattle markets as Europe looks to its biggest economy for stability and leadership in guiding it out of its worst financial mess since the euro’s creation.

The latest crisis involves Merkel’s choice of candidate for Germany’s largely ceremonial presidency, but the governing alliance has long been riven with tensions over everything from tax cuts to aid for automaker Opel. Those differences have been exacerbated by the debt crisis.

“In better days, this coalition would probably have had a chance,” the daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung commented in an editorial this week.

“But in view of the scale of the crisis, its unity has proved grotesquely limited.” Merkel, fresh from reluctantly pushing through two rescue packages for Germany’s partners , this month swept tax cuts off the table and drew up 80 billion euro ($97 billion) austerity package.

The Free Democrats, her conservatives’ new coalition partners, had emerged from 11 years in opposition last year after wooing voters with pledges of big tax cuts. The economy minister, a Free Democrat, last week rejected Opel’s bid for government aid. Merkel said that wasn’t the “last word,” then offered little real alternative.

Meanwhile, she sought unsuccessfully to quell complaints in her own party that the austerity package included no tax hikes for the rich , complaints that annoyed the Free Democrats.

Other nasty squabbles have arisen over the future of nuclear power stations and military conscription, reform of the health insurance system and aiding General Motors Co’s Opel unit.

President Horst Koehler’s sudden resignation last month opened up a new front for Merkel. The opposition has nominated a candidate more inspiring that the one picked by coalition leaders, who now face an unexpected struggle to get their man elected, giving the June 30 presidential vote a symbolic weight far exceeding the actual importance of the mostly ceremonial post. Ironically, it seems Merkel found it easier to govern over four years in an unwieldy “grand coalition” with Social Democrats than with the more ideologically compatible Free Democrats, with whom she teamed up after elections eight months ago. The right-left coalition established after a tied 2005 vote had cemented Merkel’s reputation as a competent, pragmatic leader.

But the free-market Free Democrats are her conservatives’ traditional partners, and most Germans seemed to think the alliance established last year was better placed that its predecessor to foster economic growth. In the presidential vote, Merkel needs to prevent disgruntled members of her coalition from supporting a widely respected and charismatic opposition candidate, former East German democracy activist Joachim Gauck.

Merkel nominated a colorless state governor,

Christian Wulff, a deputy leader of her conservative Christian Democrats.

The government should have a majority in the assembly that elects the president but several Free Democrats have voiced admiration for Gauck, who for years headed the agency that oversees the files of East Germany’s secret police. Unity in electing Wulff is “the signal that they must send to say, ‘OK, we had a crisis and it’s over now,”’ said Oskar Niedermayer, a political science professor at Berlin’s Free University.

“I would say that if he doesn’t get a majority, the coalition will fall apart,” he added. A failure for Wulff would be a major rebuff for Merkel and signal that the coalition is unable to agree on even basic issues. The weekly Der Spiegel had a simple message for the bickering alliance on its front cover this week: “Stop It!” Joerg-Uwe Hahn, a regional official with the junior coalition party, said in a weekend newspaper interview that “either we get our act together in Berlin or it will be over for the coalition soon.” That still seems improbable, but no longer unthinkable: two recent polls found that a majority believe the government won’t serve out its four-year term. A collapse likely would lead to early elections and deepen drift in Germany, with polls pointing to an indecisive result.

Last month, the coalition lost a bellwether election in Germany’s most populous state following months of bickering over the tax cuts that the Free Democrats championed and many in Merkel’s conservative party questioned from the start.

Merkel has been hurt by her own tendency to show a light leadership touch, letting disputes resolve themselves before making decisions.

Recent attempts to impose order looked ineffective. On the weekend, she made a new appeal to the coalition to close ranks, declaring that “we must offer people reliability in difficult times.”

The opposition Social Democrats raised the prospect of new elections. Leader Sigmar Gabriel said that would be the only option if Merkel’s alliance parts ways, telling the daily Tagesspiegel that his party won’t simply form a new “grand coalition” with hers if the current government fails. A glance at recent polls may help dissuade dissenters from taking the risk. They show the Free Democrats’ support, in particular, down sharply from nearly 15 percent in last year’s election to as little as 5 percent now. The Social Democrats remain weak after a bad defeat last year, polling below 30 percent.

The coalition parties would “clearly get the blame for these early elections and be punished” by voters, Niedermayer said. One advantage for Merkel is that the center-left is divided: the Social Democrats and allied Greens are still too estranged from the hard-left Left Party to form a government together.

And while Merkel’s personal popularity has slipped recently, she remains ahead of opposition leaders. The vice chancellor, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, sought to brush aside doubts over the government’s future after a weekend of bruising headlines. —AP

French court postpones extradition for Rwandan BORDEAUX: A French court yesterday postponed until October its decision on a request by Rwanda to extradite a Rwandan doctor accused of taking part in the genocide of 1994.

The president of the appeals court in Bordeaux said that this was “the second and last postponement and the affair will in any case be examined in depth” from October 7. On June 3, the court already put off the case while waiting for details of the charges against Doctor Sosthene Munyemana, who has been working for eight

years in a hospital at Villeneuve-sur-Lot in southwest France.

The court found that Rwanda had only sent an arrest warrant and extradition request without giving any details of the charges against Munyemana. On June 3, the counsel for the prosecution asked for a delay until October to allow time for more details to be provided.

Munyemana’s lawyer, Florence Bourg, stated that Rwandan authorities had already had four months to comply and declared that Munyemana “could not bene-

fit from a fair trial” in Rwanda.

This argument has worked in front of several French appeal courts, which have refused to extradite suspects.

Munyemana, 45, comes from the Butare region in southern Rwanda and has been under judicial surveillance in France since 1995. His file was transferred from Bordeaux to Paris in 2001.

More than 800,000 people, mainly minority Tutsis, were massacred by Hutu soldiers and extremist militias in the Rwandan genocide from April to July 1994, according to UN figures. —AFP

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

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University of California Muslim group faces suspension LOS ANGELES: A University of California, Irvine, disciplinary committee ruled that a Muslim student group should be suspended for at least a year because of a protest that disrupted a talk by Israel's ambassador and led to the arrest of 11 students, according to documents released Monday. The letter from a student affairs disciplinary committee to Muslim Student Union leaders said the group was guilty of disorderly conduct, obstructing university activities, furnishing false information and other violations of campus policy.

University spokeswoman Cathy Lawhon said the

committee's decision will be a binding recommendation to the campus' office of student affairs if a planned appeal by the group does not succeed. MSU attorney Reem Salahi said the committee relied on evidence relied that was "inadequate and problematic" but declined to outline the group's challenge in detail. She said the decision, if sustained, would leave Muslim students without an organization representing their interests.

"It really does have very lasting constitutional implications," she said. "It's a chilling effect for

Muslims on campus and their right to associate."

Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren was repeatedly interrupted and called "murderer" and "war criminal" by pro-Palestinian students as he was giving a talk on the Middle East peace process in February. Eleven students were cited on charges of disrupting a public event after they were requested to refrain from heckling but did not.

Orange County district attorney spokeswoman Susan Schroeder said criminal charges have yet to be filed and it was unknown if or when they would be.

The MSU condemned the ambassador's appearance but insisted it did not organize the protests.

The disciplinary committee, however, said a review of online message group conversations and minutes from an MSU meeting revealed that the group did engineer the protests and instructed participants to lie about its involvement. The group's preparations allegedly included scripting statements for protesters to make during the event and instructing participants to cheer at disruptions. "Be VERY LOUD, firm and strong ... but remain composed and under control. Do

not let your emotions get the best of you. Remember that this is a planned/calculated response and not a venting session," the committee quoted organizers as telling participants in meeting minutes. The committee also ruled that the group should be put on disciplinary probation for a year following its suspension, which ends in August 2011, and that members collectively complete 50 hours of community service. The letter, dated May 27, was released following a Freedom of Information Act request by the Jewish Federation Orange County. —AP

Attack latest in series of mass slayings

Gunmen kill 15 Mexican officers in two attacks MAZATLAN: Relatives of inmates wait for news outside of the penitentiary after a riot in the Pacific city of Mazatlan, Mexico Monday. —AP

29 inmates killed in Mexico prison clashes MEXICO CITY: At least 29 inmates were killed Monday as rival gangs clashed inside a prison in a cartel-plagued Mexican state, authorities said.

Three policemen guarding the prison were wounded.

In one attack, 20 inmates were shot to death when a group of prisoners opened fire on members of a rival gang inside the prison in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, state Public Safety Secretary Josefina Garcia told Radio Formula. One of the three wounded police was in serious condition, Garcia said. The gang that initiated the attack killed 17 rivals and lost three of its own members.

An inmate who was wounded died later Monday at a hospital, said Martin Gastelum, a spokesman for the Sinaloa state prosecutors' office. He didn't say which gang the prisoner belong to. The lockup in the Pacific coast city of Mazatlan was quickly brought under control and investigators found two pistols and an assault

rifle inside, Gastelum said. Gastelum said the killings were all at the hands of other prisoners.

Local media said those attacked were apparently members of the Zetas drug gang, which is battling the powerful Sinaloa cartel, but officials were unable to confirm that. Hours later, eight more prisoners were stabbed to death by other inmates, said state Public Safety Department spokeswoman Angeles Moreno. She said police are investigating what sparked the violence.

Many of Mexico's most powerful drug traffickers hail from Sinaloa, a key smuggling corridor and cultivation area for marijuana and opiates. The northwestern state, and Mazatlan in particular, are rife with turf battles among drug gangs.

Mexico's drug gangs frequently try to break their members out of prison, by staging attacks from the outside or buying off prison officials.

But there was no immediate confirmation Monday's shootings involved a prison-break attempt.— AP

Obama to capitalize on spill in high-stakes speech WASHINGTON/PENSACOLA: President Barack Obama will make a high-stakes address to the nation yesterday night that aims to restore public confidence in his handling of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and drive forward his ambitious plans to cut US dependence on fossil fuels. In his first nationally televised address from the Oval Office, Obama will seek to show that he is on top of the BP Plc oil spill crisis that has tested his presidency and overshadowed his efforts to reduce US unemployment and reform Wall Street.

Public opinion polls show a majority of Americans believe Obama has been too detached in his handling of the spill, the worst environmental disaster in US history, and he has come under intense pressure to show more leadership. The speech will be closely watched by the oil industry and investors worried about the future of offshore drilling in the United States, in particular the possibility of tighter regulations that could impose additional financial costs.

An April 20 explosion on an offshore rig owned

by British energy giant BP killed 11 workers and ruptured a deep-sea well. The ensuing spill has fouled 120 miles (190 km) of US coastline, imperiled multibillion-dollar fishing and tourism industries and killed birds, sea turtles and dolphins.

Executives from other major oil companies turned on BP and defended their own drilling practices during a US congressional hearing in Washington yesterday. During the hearing, lawmakers criticized oil companies for having insufficient plans to handle a deepwater oil disaster.

Summoned before the US House of Representatives subcommittee on energy and

environment, executives of the biggest oil companies moved to isolate BP as they sought to stave off new government regulations in the wake of the spill.

"I believe the independent investigation will show that this tragedy was preventable," said John Watson, chairman and chief executive of of Chevron. BP's US boss Lamar McKay is expected to face tough questions by lawmakers on why the company made repeated choices that appeared to favor cost savings over safety before its rig blew up. Two Democratic lawmakers said in a letter to BP's CEO Tony Hayward on Monday that the company appeared to have chosen faster and cheaper drilling options in the Gulf of Mexico that "increased the danger of a catastrophic well failure." The accusations come as BP, a listed company that has lost about half its market value since the spill began almost two months ago, was stripped of its AA debt rating by rating agency Fitch. The downgrade follows a precipitous 9 percent fall in BP's shares on Monday. Its stock price dipped 4 percent in London trading yesterday, while its US-listed shares were down about 1 percent in early trading in New York. Ahead of his 8 pm EDT (0001 GMT) speech, Obama was in Florida on the second day of a two-day tour of Gulf Coast communities hit by the 57-day-old spill.

As he strolled on a seashore in Pensacola with Florida's Republican governor Charlie Crist, a crowd shouted "Save our Beach." Obama is expected to use his speech to say the spill underscores the need for the United States to end its dependence on oil and move to a "clean energy" economy. —Reuters

VANCOUVER: A house sits damaged by a landslide near Oliver, BC, on Monday. Noone was hurt but five homes were destroyed when a wall of mud, water and rock swept down Testalinden Creek, south of Oliver, about 400 kilometers east of Vancouver on Sunday. —AP

MEXICO CITY: Gunmen killed 15 federal police officers Monday in separate attacks in two drug-plagued states, marking one of the bloodiest days for security forces since the government stepped up its fight with drug cartels.

Twelve officers died in an ambush near a high school in the western state of Michoacan, while assailants killed three more officers in a northern border state. The latest in a series of mass slayings came as President Felipe Calderon defended his crackdown on traffickers in an essay on his office's website. He vowed he won't back down despite criticism that violence has only surged since he deployed thousands of troops and federal police in late 2006 seeking to crush the cartels.

"I'm clearly convinced that we would be in a much worse situation if we hadn't decided to fight criminals," Calderon wrote in the 5,000-word essay, which was published by several newspapers. "If we remain with our arms crossed, we will remain in the hands of organized crime, we will always live in fear," the president said in the essay, which also blames Mexico's violence on the United States' voracious appetitive for illegal drugs.

In the ambush in Michoacan, Calderon's home state, officers riding in four pickup trucks were returning from a patrol when they came under fire in the city of Zitacuaro, the federal Public Safety Department said in a statement. Ten officers died on the spot and two more on the way to a hospital.

Thirteen other officers with wounds were taken to hospitals in Mexico City, the nearby city of Toluca and to the Michoacan state capital, Morelia, the Michoacan Public Safety Department said in a statement.

The federal safety department said several assailants were also killed or wounded, but officials did not provide a number.

In a separate statement, the department said gunmen killed three federal officers patrolling in the northern city of Chihuahua. One officer was wounded, the statement said.

Also Monday, three gunmen were killed in a clash with soldiers in Michoacan. Two soldiers were wounded, the state attorney general's office said. It said one of the attackers was detained.

Brutal drug-gang violence has swept Michoacan, a state known for its picturesque colonial capital, beaches and Monarch butterfly sanctuary, and as the place where Calderon first launched his crackdown. The state is a stronghold of La Familia, a cartel known for beheading its rivals and making bold attacks on government security forces.

Among attacks on law enforcement, the bloodied and tortured bodies of 12 federal agents were found last year dumped along a highway in Michoacan. Police did not immediately identify attackers involved in Monday's ambush or indicate whether they were suspected of being gunmen for La Familia. But the Public Safety Department did say the assailants picked up their wounded and dead and fled with them, a tactic often used by drug cartels.

The US State Department has issued a travel warning urging US citizens "to exercise extreme caution when traveling in Michoacan." Nationwide, more than 22,700 people have been killed in drug violence since Calderon ordered the government offensive against cartels when he took office in December 2006.— AP

ZITACUARO: Crime scene investigators and a Mexican army soldier stand over the body of a fallen federal policeman after an ambush on a patrol of federal agents near the town of Zitacuaro, Mexico Monday. —AP

US applauds release of Cuban political prisoner HAVANA: Washington applauded the release of an ailing political prisoner in Cuba, saying Monday that it welcomes the role Catholic officials have played in negotiating with Raul Castro's government and hopes other dissidents will be freed.

Meanwhile, Cuban authorities set a trial date for another prisoner, Darsi Ferrer, a step his wife viewed as a potential breakthrough that could see him freed soon. US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the United States views the Saturday release of Ariel Sigler as "a positive development." "We hope that this will lead to the release of additional prisoners of conscience," Crowley told reporters in Washington.

Sigler, 44, who is paralyzed from the waist down, was freed on medical grounds.

One of 75 activists arrested in 2003 during a crackdown by Cuban authorities, he had been serving a 25-year sentence for treason.

Crowley's comment was the most positive yet by a US official since Cuba began making a series of concessions following landmark talks between the communist government and the Roman Catholic church.

Under an agreement ironed out with church leaders, 12 prisoners of conscience have been transferred to jails closer to their homes in recent weeks. The concessions came ahead of a visit to Cuba by the Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, who arrived yesterday. "We certainly respect the positive role played by ... those working for the improved treatment of released political prisoners, including the Catholic Church," Crowley said.

The church has suddenly burst on the scene as a powerful political voice in Cuba.

In May, Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega negotiated an end to a ban on marches by a group known as the Ladies in White, which is made up of the wives and mothers of some of the dissidents jailed in 2003.

The cardinal and another church leader later met with Raul Castro, leading to the agreement on prisoners. Human rights officials say Cuba holds 180 political prisoners in all. Havana says the dissidents are a mix of common criminals and agitators paid and manipulated by Washington to bring down the government. Emblematic of the differ-

ence between the two sides is the case of Ferrer, a longtime opposition figure who has been jailed without trial since July 2009, when he was arrested on charges of illegally purchasing cement. All construction projects in Cuba are tightly regulated and materials are controlled by the state; thus, Havana considers him a criminal.

However the purchase of supplies on the island's black market is extremely commonplace and usually goes unpunished, leading diplomats and international observers to call his arrest a clear retaliation for political activity. Ferrer's wife, Yusnaimi Jorge, told The Associated Press on Monday that his trial will take place June 22 and prosecutors have recommended a 3-year sentence.

Under Cuban law, those convicted of short jail terms are often allowed to remain free.

"We hope they will free him," she said.

Elizardo Sanchez, who heads the Havanabased Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation and monitors dissident activity, reacted cautiously to the news. "If they free him, it would be a positive step," he said. "But if he is condemned (to jail time) it is a step backward."—AP

Earthquake measured at 5.7 shakes Southern Calif SAN DIEGO: The California-Mexico border region was rocked by a magnitude-5.7 quake, rattling nerves from San Diego north to Orange County and Los Angeles. The US Geological Survey said the quake was centered five miles (eight kilometers) southeast of Ocotillo in Imperial County, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) east of San Diego. It struck Monday at about 9:26 pm PDT Monday (0426 GMT) and has been followed by dozens of aftershocks. The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services made a round of calls to all cities in the county and found no reports of significant damage.

Louis Fuentes, chairman of the Imperial County board of supervisors, said he had no immediate reports of damage.

"As soon as it hit, my wife said, 'Grab the baby.' My daughter ran out to the back yard," said Fuentes, who was in his garage in Calexico, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the epicenter. "It thumped really hard." The quake was an aftershock of the deadly Easter Sunday magnitude-7.2 quake that shook Baja California and Southern

California, said Egill Hauksson, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He said the epicenter of Monday's quake occurred in the same zone of the quake in April.

"Aftershocks can go on for months and years," he said. Thousands of aftershocks have occurred since the Easter earthquake.

At least 45 aftershocks were recorded immediately following Monday's 5.7 quake, with the largest measuring at magnitude4.5. A 5.7-magnitude earthquake "could break windows, it could throw things on the floor, it could create cracks on the wall, but we don't expect things to collapse," Hauksson said.

Fuentes said the chandeliers swayed at his home and metal objects banged but nothing fell off the shelves. Imperial County suffered significant damage in April's Easter Sunday quake. "All the lamps, the liquor bottles and the TV hanging from the ceiling shook, but nothing dropped," said Marina Garcia, an employee at the Burgers and Beer restaurant in El Centro, about 30 miles

(50 kilometers) east of Ocotillo. The quake was felt as a gentle rolling motion in the Los Angeles area.

San Diego's Petco Park swayed during the quake, causing a momentary pause at the Toronto Blue Jays-San Diego Padres baseball game. The public address announcer asked that everyone remain calm. The crowd cheered. David Eckstein of the Padres had just grounded out in the bottom of the inning when the stadium began shaking. The next batter, Chase Headley, stayed out of the batter's box for a few seconds, then stepped in. San Diego County Sheriff's dispatch supervisor Becky Strahm said some of her colleagues reported things falling off their shelves, but there were no immediate reports of significant damage or injury. The quake followed a series of temblors that struck Southern California over the weekend, including a pair of moderate earthquakes that rattled a desert area east of San Diego. Residents in downtown San Diego felt the ground rumbling during at least one of the Saturday quakes. — AP

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InternAtIOnAL

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Reports that rioting deliberately started

UN urges Kyrgyz to vote despite unrest BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan: The United Nations and the European Union urged Kyrgyzstan not to let ethnic riots derail a key constitutional referendum and parliamentary elections, as reports emerged yesterday that suggested the rioting was deliberately started. The southern part of the impoverished Central Asian nation has been convulsed by days of rioting targeting minority Uzbeks, which has left the country's second-largest city, Osh, in smoldering ruins and prompted tens of thousands of Uzbeks to flee for their lives to

neighboring Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan's interim government, which took over when former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted in an April uprising, has accused Bakiyev's family of instigating the violence to halt a June 27 referendum on a new constitution. Uzbeks have mostly backed the interim government, while many Kyrgyz in the south have supported Bakiyev. From self-imposed exile in Belarus, Bakiyev has denied any ties to the violence.

OSH: People help an elderly ethnic Uzbek to get out from his burnt house in Osh yesterday. — AFP

Small leakage at Chinese nuclear plant: Hong Kong HONG KONG: A nuclear power plant in southern China that supplies electricity to Hong Kong suffered a small radiation leak last month that was contained, the government said yesterday. A fuel rod at the Guangdong Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station experienced a "very small leakage" that increased radioactivity levels slightly in the nuclear reactor's cooling water on May 23, Hong Kong's Security Bureau said in a statement.

The leak was "completely quarantined and, therefore, had no impact on the public," the bureau said. A director at Hong Kong's CLP Group, which owns 25 percent of the power plant, said the leak likely occurred in one of the 41,000 fuel rods inside the nuclear reactor. Richard Lancaster said there was no risk of the radiation leaking outside the reactor because it is thickly encased in steel and concrete.

"It was a very, very minor event,"

Lancaster said.

With Hong Kong just 30 miles (48 kilometers) away, many nervous residents had opposed the construction of the Daya Bay plant, which opened in 1994, with 1 million people signing a petition against it. Seventy percent of the output at Daya Bay is allocated to this semiautonomous southern Chinese city. China's Guangdong Nuclear Investment Co. holds the remaining stake in the plant.— AP

Japan may quit whaling commission if ban stays TOKYO: Japan is considering withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission if no progress is made toward easing an international ban on commercial whaling, its fisheries minister said yesterday. The IWC, the international body that regulates whaling, will gather for its annual meeting next week in Agadir, Morocco. The meeting is expected to seek a compromise between pro- and anti-whaling countries, which may include allowing commercial whaling on a limited scale. A moratorium has been in place for 25 years, but countries such as Japan, Norway and Iceland hunt whales under a variety of exceptions to the ban. An IWC proposal was circulated in April to allow limited commercial hunts for 10 years.

Japan has frequently threatened to pull out of the IWC in the past. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Masahiko Yamada was asked yesterday if Tokyo would quit the IWC if progress was not made toward easing the ban on commercial whaling. "I am considering various options," Yamada said. "This is really the final stage, and we're not sure how things are going to turn out." The proposal to allow commercial whaling has drawn criticism from all sides and drawn fresh attention to the whaling issue. The foreign minister of New Zealand and Australia's environment minister are due to attend next week's meeting.

Yamada said he would not attend, citing budget concerns. An official from Japan's foreign ministry said its representatives to the meeting had not yet been decided. "This is one of the most important meetings of the IWC in the last 30 years. It is my sincere hope that all member nations come to this meeting determined to break the gridlock that has been a hallmark of the Commission

for so long," Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett said in a statement.

Anti-whaling states, including Australia and New Zealand, have called a proposed whaling quota system unacceptable and demanded an end to Japan's hunt in Antarctic waters. Japan's whaling program includes large-scale scientific expeditions to the Antarctic, while other whaling countries mostly stay along their coasts. Opponents

call Japan's scientific research hunts a cover for commercial whaling. Australia is taking Japan to the International Court of Justice in a bid to stop Japanese whaling for scientific research purposes.

Yamada's comments were the first he made to reporters since assuming his post a week ago. He was one of several Cabinet ministers appointed by new Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan. — AP

TOKYO: In this March 12, 2010 file photo, a Metropolitan Police Department boat, foreground, escorts the Japan's governmentbacked research whaling vessel Shonan Maru No 2 on the way to Harumi pier in Tokyo, carrying anti-whaling activist Pete Bethune, captain of the Sea Shepherd vessel Ady Gil. —AP

Interim President Roza Otunbayeva insisted again yesterday that Bakiyev supporters stoked the conflict. "Many instigators have been detained and they are giving evidence on Bakiyev's involvement in the events. No one has doubts that he is involved," she said. Rupert Collie, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters in Geneva there was evidence the violence was coordinated and began with five simultaneous attacks in Osh by men wearing balaclavas. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay also said the fighting "appears to be orchestrated, targeted and wellplanned" and urged authorities to act before it spread further.

Kyrgyz security chief Kenishbek Duishebayev said Bakiyev's younger son, Maxim, was arrested Monday in Britain.

Prosecutors allege that companies he owned avoided almost $80 million in taxes on aviation fuel sold to suppliers of the US air base near the capital of Bishkek.

Suspects from Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan were also detained and claimed to have been hired by Bakiyev supporters to start the rioting, government spokesman Farid Niyazov said.

UN representative Miroslav Jenca, visiting the capital of Bishkek yesterday, said the June 27 referendum and parliamentary elections scheduled in October must go ahead so Kyrgyzstan moves further toward democracy.

"The referendum and the elections must be held at the announced times," Jenca said, a position backed by the EU, according to Germany's ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Holger Green.

Yet the scale of the damage was so vast in the south it was hard to see how a legitimate vote could be held in less than two weeks. Up to 200,000 people have fled violence within Kyrgyzstan just since Thursday, UN refugee agency spokesman Andrej Mahecic said in Geneva.

An AP photographer in the southern town of Nariman, near Osh, saw 10 buses and trucks filled with Uzbek refugees heading toward the border yesterday in just 10 minutes. At a Nariman hospital, dozens of wounded Uzbeks lay in corridors and broken beds, some recovering, some not. Many at the hospital, which was out of medical supplies for a sixth day, claim the rampages had been premeditated. "Well-armed people who were obviously well prepared for this conflict were shooting at us," said Teymurat Yuldashev, 26, who had bullet wounds in his arm and chest of different caliber. "They were organized, with weapons, militants and snipers. They simply destroyed us." Deadly rampages in the country's south began Thursday, as mobs of ethnic Kyrgyz torched homes and businesses of ethnic Uzbeks. Many sections of Osh, a city of 250,000, have burned to the ground since then, and the rampages have spread into surrounding towns and regions. Tens of thousands of Uzbeks are now in makeshift accommodation in 30 different refugee camps in Uzbekistan.

Several camps were centered in the eastern city of Andijan. An AP photographer saw several thousand refugees waiting in squalid conditions on the Kyrgyz side of the border. Clashes continued in and around Osh yesterday, said Omurbek Suvanaliyev, regional police chief told The Associated Press.

Interior Ministry troops were patrolling the nearby city of JalalAbad, but city spokeswoman Klaya Tapkeyeva said she did not consider the town safe. The Health Ministry yesterday said the death toll from the clashes has reached 171, with nearly 1,800 injured. Observers believe the real figures to be much higher, with communities burying bodies before the deaths had been registered. In addition, many Uzbek refugees arriving in Uzbekistan had gunshot wounds.—AP

SEOUL: Employees of the Ministry of Unification take part in a civil defense drill yesterday in Seoul, South Korea.— AP

South Koreans hold civil defense drill amid tension SEOUL: Air raid sirens blared as hundreds of thousands of South Koreans donned gas masks yesterday in a nationwide civil defense drill, as Seoul's defense chief said North Korea has bolstered its military readiness amid tensions over the sinking of a South Korean warship. Although both Koreas have exchanged harsh rhetoric and increased their military vigilance in recent weeks, Seoul officials have said it is unlikely renewed tension would lead to all-out war.

The defense drill was the first on a nationwide scale for possible chemical, biological and radiological attacks since 1989, the National Emergency Management Agency said. It said the exercise was resumed in the aftermath of the ship sinking in March that South Korea blamed on North Korea.

"Now, North Korea is maintaining a considerably strengthened vigilance posture and as you know it's been issuing many threats and statements through various channels," South Korean Defense Minster Kim Tae-young told the National Assembly yesterday. "But there have been no serious military activities at the border and in rear areas."

The UN Security Council said late Monday it is "gravely concerned" the ship sinking could endanger peace on the peninsula and urged both Koreas to refrain from any provocative acts. A statement was issued after the council listened to separate presentations from each side, with Seoul seeking UN action to punish Pyongyang.

South Korea has taken punitive measures against North Korea, including trade restrictions, after the warship Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo

attack in March, killing 46 sailors. North Korea flatly denies its involvement and has warned any retaliation would trigger war, with its military threatening Saturday to turn Seoul into "a sea of flame." Kim said South Korea was closely watching North Korea's military because it may engage in provocative acts anytime. At the UN Security Council meeting, South Korea made a 23-minute presentation and showed a video on the findings it reached with US, British and other foreign investigators.

North Korea repeated its stance that it had nothing to do with the sinking. "We are just a victim," North Korea's deputy UN ambassador Pak Tok Hun told reporters before heading into his closed-door meeting with the council. "So we'd like to make our position clear here." UN diplomats familiar with contacts on possible council action said China, the North's closest ally, is opposed to a third round of sanctions against Pyongyang and indicated the more likely result will be a presidential statement. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the contacts have been private.

A presidential statement is considered a weaker form of rebuke than the imposition of sanctions.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak renewed calls yesterday for international action to get North Korea to acknowledge and apologize for the ship sinking, according to the presidential office.

The two Koreas are still technically at war because their 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The sinking occurred near the tense Korean sea border, a scene of three bloody maritime battles. —AP

BANGKOK: Leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) or the Red Shirt movement, Kwanchai Praipana waves to supporters from a police bus at Bangkok's criminal court in Thailand yesterday.—AP

Thailand protest leaders charged with terrorism BANGKOK: Eleven leaders of bloody, anti-government protests could face the death penalty after being charged yesterday with terrorism during the worst political upheaval in modern Thai history. The Criminal Court denied bail for the 11 who were taken to a Bangkok prison after being charged with committing, threatening to commit and supporting terrorist acts. While the charges carry a maximum penalty of death, executions are rare in Thailand.

The leaders, including Veera Musikapong and Nattawut Saikua, had been detained since surrendering to the government on May 19 following weeks of clashes between so-called Red Shirt pro-

testers and security forces in which nearly 90 people were killed and more than 1,400 injured.

Most of the dead and injured were protesters, largely made up of rural and urban poor, who demanded a dissolution of Parliament and new elections, claiming the government had come to power through illegitimate means. Since the quelling of the Bangkok protests, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has attempted to implement a reconciliation policy to heal the social and economic rifts in Thai society.

But critics said the charges of terrorism will only serve to deepen the divisions and possibly lead to more violence. — AP

Plane crashes in Sydney neighborhood; 2 dead SYDNEY: Two people were killed after their light plane crashed in a Sydney neighborhood yesterday, narrowly missing houses and an elementary school. Seven people on the ground were hospitalized for emotional distress. The charred aircraft was so mangled after crashing into a power pole that authorities initially had trouble determining how many people were on board. Police later confirmed two people were on the plane and both were killed, federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament.

Debris from the crash smashed into a car with three children and an adult inside. Two of the children and the driver were among the seven people hospitalized for apparent shock.

The crash was near Canley Vale Public School and a home in western Sydney, and emergency

officials evacuated about 80 students, teachers and parents to a nearby park. Fuel from the burning wreckage poured into a drain and set fire to a parked car that was later extinguished.

The plane also brought down power lines, cutting electricity to thousands of homes.

While in the air the pilot told Bankstown Airport traffic control tower he was losing altitude and having trouble spotting a place to land.

"We're not maintaining height here , you got any ideas? ... Are there any good roads around?" the pilot asked, according to a recording on LiveATC.net, a website devoted to controller talk. An air-traffic controller suggested a nearby highway, but the pilot responded seconds later, "We've got no height here, sorry." The controller then advised landing on a raceway, but the pilot said he couldn't see it.—AP

international

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

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Afghan mineral wealth could top $1 trillion Finding could reshape country’s economy WASHINGTON: Untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan may be worth more than $1 trillion, a finding that could reshape the country’s economy and help US efforts to bolster the war-battered government, Pentagon officials said on

KANDAHAR: A member of a US Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team stands at the entrance to a container wearing a bomb disposal suit prior to an exercise at Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar City yesterday. —AFP

Afghan government: 12 police, 6 civilians killed KABUL: A string of militant attacks in Afghanistan have killed 12 police officers while six civilians died in bombings, authorities said yesterday. Also, a US service member was killed yesterday in a gunbattle in eastern Afghanistan, said Col. Wayne Shanks, a spokesman for US forces.

And a British Marine died in a hospital in Britain from injuries sustained in a firefight Sunday in southern Helmand province, the British Defense Ministry said.

Both NATO troops and Afghan security forces have been suffering heavier casualties in recent weeks. Including the latest deaths, 41 international service members have been killed in Afghanistan so far this month, 27 of them American.

The Taleban have declared a summer offensive against NATO forces and those allied with the coalition or the Afghan government , ramping up attacks as NATO troops prepare operations in the Taleban heartland of southern Kandahar

province.

The civilians were killed in two attacks , one a remote-controlled explosive that killed four people in Helmand, and the second a roadside bomb that killed two others in western Herat province, the Interior Ministry said. The police deaths occurred in a number of incidents in the east and south.

Militants attacked a police checkpoint in eastern Ghazni province before dawn yesterday, killing five officers and wounding one, said Ghazni Deputy Police Chief Nawroz Ali Nawroz. He said the attackers overran the checkpoint north of Ghazni city and made off with weapons. On Monday, militants attacked Afghan and NATO forces outside of Jalalabad city in the east.

The resulting firefight left two police officers and five attackers dead, the Interior Ministry said.

Roadside bombs killed four police officers in Wardak province and one in Kandahar province, the ministry said. —AP

Sri Lanka challenges war crimes allegations COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s top defense official has challenged international human rights groups to present any evidence of war crimes alleged to have been committed in the last phase of island’s civil war before it ended last year.

Sri Lanka has faced growing international criticism for not examining alleged abuses committed during the war, in which tens of thousands of combatants and civilians died.

The island’s civil war ended last year after the military crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels in their stronghold in the country’s north. According to UN documents, more than 7,000 civilians were killed in the last five months of the war.

An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people died during a quarter-century of fighting.

Government troops were accused of shelling a small strip of land where hundreds of thousands of people were boxed-in during the last stages of the conflict. The rebels were accused of killing noncombatants trying to leave the area they controlled and firing

artillery from civilian-populated regions that led to retaliatory military.

“It is said there is evidence. Then show that evidence. If there are pictures, produce them,” defense secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was quoted as saying in an interview in a daily Sinhalese-language newspaper Lankadeepa yesterday.

Rights groups have said they have photographic and video evidence of rights abuses and have called for war crime investigations.

Sri Lankan officials have refused calls to establish an international tribunal, preferring to conduct its own probe.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa last month established a commission to look into the final phase of the conflict.

The defense secretary, a brother of the president, rejected the allegations of war crimes and said the war was fought giving utmost protection to civilians. He challenged rights groups to provide any such evidence to police and pursue it through Sri Lankan courts. “There is a judicial

system (in Sri Lanka), anyone can do it, but no one has submitted such charges,” he said.

New York-based Human Rights Watch last month released five photographs showing a man identified as a Tamil political activist in the custody of army soldiers, then later lying on the ground, apparently dead.

Journalists, aid agencies and rights groups were not permitted to enter the war zone during final months of the war. After it ended, however, UN agencies and a few other agencies were allowed into the region to assist hundreds of thousands of Tamils displaced by the conflict.

Rajapaksa’s comments came ahead of a visit by a senior UN official that will focus on political reconciliation, human rights and the resettlement of the war-displaced people.

Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe is scheduled to arrive Wednesday and hold talks with top government officials, opposition lawmakers and Tamil leaders. —AP

India rebels lift blockade after government threat GUWAHATI: Tribal rebels in northeast India agreed yesterday to lift a blockade that had cut off the remote state of Manipur for over two months after the government threatened to send in troops. Several Naga tribal groups had blocked highways into the state, which borders Myanmar, to protest against a government decision preventing their separatist leader Thuingaleng Muivah from visiting his birthplace.

“We are temporarily suspending the economic blockade following personal requests by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after we met him in New Delhi,” Naga Students Federation (NSF) president Mutsiikhoyo Yhobu told AFP by telephone The blockade, which was spearheaded by the NSF, led to severe shortages of food and medical supplies as well as soaring prices.

State police said that paramilitary troops were now not needed to break the blockade but would still be used to escort trucks into Manipur. “In view of the NSF decision, we have decided not to use force for the time

being,” a senior police official said, requesting not to be named. On Monday, top interior ministry official G K Pillai had vowed to use troops to ensure essential supplies could get in to Manipur from the neighboring state of Assam.

Muivah’s National Socialist Council of Nagaland has been campaigning for decades for a Naga homeland to be carved out from three of India’s seven northeastern states, including Manipur. The state government had banned Muivah’s trip to his home village, saying it could stoke unrest. On May 6, up to six tribal protesters are said to have been killed and 70 injured during demonstrations over the ban.

“We may resume our agitation once again if the Manipur government fails to address our primary demands,” the NSF’s Yhobu warned yesterday. Manipur, which has long been affected by insurgent violence, is home to dozens of tribal groups and small guerrilla armies that resist rule from New Delhi and often compete against each other. —AFP

“It’s certainly potentially good news, especially for Afghanistan,” said Pentagon spokesman Colonel David Lapan. “If we can assist the Afghans in developing these resources, it certainly has the potential for adding a lot to their Deputy economy.”

Undersecretary of Defense Paul Brinkley, who headed the task force, said the findings showed Afghanistan a path “toward its own economically sovereign capability to finance its own human and security needs.”mineral wealth was huge and could take decades to overcome. The country has little mining infrastructure, is in the midst of a wrenching war and has a reputation for government corruption.

Mineral wealth in Afghanistan is scattered throughout the country, including along the border with Pakistan, where the Taliban-led insurgency is the most intense.

“This is an uphill climb for Afghanistan,” State Department spokesman P J Crowley said, adding the United States was helping Afghan officials develop a system to fairly distribute future revenues.

“We’re not underestimating the challenges involved here.”

The extent of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth was identified by a task force that included members from the Pentagon, State Department and US Geological Survey working in conjunction with officials from the Afghanistan Ministry of Mines. A briefing paper released released by the Pentagon said the main resources were iron ore with an estimated value of nearly $421 billion and copper deposits valued at $273 billion.

The minerals survey was part of a broader effort to identify the economic potential of Iraq and Afghanistan and help the governments develop the international business relations to exploit their resources.

“This really is part and parcel of Gen. (Stanley) McChrystal’s counterinsurgency strategy,” Lapan said. “This is that whole economic arm that we talk about but gets very little attention.”

The Afghan review was initially carried out in 2006 and 2007, but the task force focused primarily on Iraq. With the drawdown of US forces in Iraq, the task force turned its attention back to Afghanistan and did a follow-up assessment. The assessment concluded the scale of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth “was much bigger” than initially realized, Lapan said.

An estimate based on mineral prices late last year concluded Afghanistan was sitting on mineral wealth of $1 trillion, a figure Afghan President Hamid Karzai mentioned at a news conference Jan. 31. Lapan said that figure may be low.

“There’s ... an indication that even the trillion dollar figure underestimates what the true potential might be,” Lapan told reporters at the Pentagon.

Officials said the trillion dollar figure did not include known oil and gas reserves or the value of expected deposits of minerals like lithium that have not been verified scientifically to the point of being able to estimate a value. Brinkley said what was important was the mineral deposits were large enough to give Afghanistan its own economic sovereignty.

“This is a country that has an $800 million annual budget, that depends on the international community for the vast majority for the cost of its security, its development,” he said.

“So what’s relevant about the number ... is the Afghan people ... have a source of indigenous wealth that, properly developed, will enable them to be sovereign.”

But resources are likely to pose challenges as well. Robert Lamb, an expert in post-conflict reconstruction at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said if the minerals were to help produce a positive outcome to the US-led war in Afghanistan, their exploitation had to be managed carefully and ordinary Afghans needed to benefit. —Reuters

Monday. Afghanistan has significant deposits of copper, iron ore, niobium, cobalt, gold, molybdenum, silver and aluminum as well as sources of fluorspar, beryllium and lithium, among others, a task force studying the country’s resources found.

COX’S BAZAR: Bangladeshi army personnel clear the area after landslides struck in the southern coastal area of Cox’s Bazar, 185 miles (296 kilometers) south of Dhaka, Bangladesh yesterday. —AP

53 dead in Bangladesh flash floods, landslides COX’S BAZAAR: At least 53 people have been killed after days of heavy rain triggered flash floods and landslides in southeastern Bangladesh, police said yesterday.

The country’s flood warning centre said most of the southeast had experienced heavy rainfall during the past 24 hours, with 24.2 centimetres (9.5 inches) falling in many areas. “We’ve found 48 bodies, including six soldiers, in the Cox’s Bazaar region so far,” said the district police chief Nibhas Chandra Majhi.

Five more bodies have been recovered in the neighboring hill district of Bandarban, police said. Most of the dead were washed away by flash floods or buried alive by landslides as Cox’s Bazaar was pounded on Monday by some of the heaviest rains in decades, Majhi told AFP. “It was a huge flash flood, it washed everything in its path away,” he said. “At least 20,000 people have been trapped by the flash floods. We cannot reach them as the roads are flooded or blocked with mud.”

The worst affected location, Teknafwhich is on the border with Myanmar and

home to hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingya refugees-was where at least 34 of the bodies were recovered. Rescue workers say the death toll was high because many residents live on hillsides in makeshift houses. Around 15,000 Rohingya refugees living in camps-both legal and illegal-around Teknaf have also been affected by the floods, Firoz Salauddin, the government’s spokesman on Rohingya issues told AFP. Described by the United Nations as one of the most persecuted minorities on Earth, thousands of Rohingya from Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state stream across the border into Bangladesh every year.

Bangladesh recognises 28,000 Rohingya as registered refugees, who live and receive aid at an official UN camp in Kutupalong.

This figure is a fraction of the 200,000 to 300,000 unofficial refugees, according to government estimates.

“I’ve never seen anything like it-water was coming from everywhere, hundreds of bamboo shacks have been washed away by the rains,” Mojibur Rahman, a Rohingya

refugee who lives in an official refugee camp, told AFP. The refugee camps are often set up on newly cleared forest land and are vulnerable to landslides in heavy rain, local official say.

Conditions are dire in the unofficial camps where people have been without food for two days since the heavy rain began, said Manzural Islam, an unregistered Rohingya refugee. “Flash floods are the worst thing that could have happened to us,” said Islam, who fled Myanmar last year. “People are living under the sky and we haven’t had food for two days as we can’t cook in the rain with no shelter,” he told AFP by telephone.

Down the coast in Cox’s Bazaar, an army barracks at the foot of a hill was destroyed by a landslide, with all of the six soldiers on duty and at least 20 army vehicles buried in the mud. Weather officials have forecast further rains due to a major depression in the Bay of Bengal.

Landslides triggered by heavy rains are common in Bangladesh’s southeastern hill districts where thousands of poor people live on deforested hill slopes. — AFP

MUMBAI: Indians get drenched in a wave that hit the shore during high tide in the Arabian Sea at the Worli promenade in Mumbai, India yesterday. According to news reports, the city would witness high tides measuring about 4.70 meters (15 feet) till tomorrow. —AP

Indian boat accident death toll rises to 55 LUCKNOW: The death toll from an overloaded boat that sank in the Ganges in northern India rose to 55 yesterday, with more bodies plucked from the fast-flowing river by police divers. “Eight dead bodies were recovered yesterday morning after we resumed rescue operations that were suspended last

night,” district magistrate Senthil Pendiyan told AFP from the accident area. Pendiyan said the number of people on board the vessel was higher than the 60 initially estimated, with “not less than” 70 packed on the boat, which had a capacity for 25-30.

The accident occurred on

Monday in Ballia district, 250 miles (400 kilometres) southeast of Lucknow, after families hired the boat to perform a religious ceremony on the river, which is sacred to Hindus.

“Preliminary inquiries indicated that the boat sank essentially due to overloading,” Pendiyan said, adding that more bodies

might still be pulled from the water.

He quoted one of 17 survivors, Ram Sumer, as saying that the boatman jumped overboard as soon as he lost control of the vessel and then fled the scene. “The cops are trying to track him down and initiate necessary action,” he added. — AFP

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India, Brazil on hold, luxury eyes Mideast

By Astrid Wendlandt

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uxury groups discouraged by thickets of red tape and taxes are putting on ice ambitions to expand into India and Brazil and focusing instead on the Middle East, their No.2 priority after fast-growing China. Gulf countries represent a tiny pool of buyers compared to India and Brazil but they offer low tariffs, a friendly business environment, retail space and solid appetite for Western upmarket products, luxury executives say. In contrast, they complain of a shortage of retail infrastructure in India, and other bottlenecks that make it easier for wealthy travellers to buy luxury goods while flying through Dubai.

And Brazilians often prefer buying luxury watches and handbags in Florida, Paris or London to avoid paying several times more at home due to the high customs duties. French luxury lobby group Comite Colbert, whose 75 members generate about a quarter of world luxury sales, said luxury companies struggled to enter both countries. "For the moment, we consider India to be a market on stand-by," said Comite Colbert Chief Executive Elisabeth Ponsolle des Portes.

Custom duties are often more than 100 percent on luxury products in India and Brazil, and sometimes as high as 300 percent. In India, tariffs can change depending on which region the product is sold. With regards to Brazil, duties depend on the customs officer's interpretation of the rules, Ponsolle des Portes said. Therefore, luxury groups are not hurrying to develop their business in the country and the Comite Colbert plans to wait until 2012 to help groups develop their presence there. "This country (Brazil) has an important potential," said Ponsolle des Portes.

But "we are focused on the Middle East at present...

Comite Colbert members have identified the Middle East as a top target."

She added that nearly all of the Comite Colbert's members had a growing presence in the Middle East, aside from wine and spirits makers "for obvious cultural reasons". But in India, many luxury companies had a small presence, she said, with Chanel and Louis Vuitton, for example, operating mainly out of luxury hotels due to the shortage of retail space.

Hermes, which opened a shop in New Delhi in 2008, sees India as a long-term project. "I don't see India as a fire that will take off like China did over the past 10 years. India will take much more time," Chief Executive Patrick Thomas told

Reuters. Swiss watchmaker Blancpain this spring said it was feeling slightly discouraged about entering Brazil and India. "In India, we feel that if the state can do something to make our life more complicated, it will," Mark Hayek, CEO of luxury watchmaker Blancpain told Reuters this spring. While in Brazil, Hayek said: "there is no guarantee our products will enter the country as tariffs and rules change all the time."

On the other hand in Dubai, there is no valueadded tax and companies can do business relatively easily, executives say. But analysts warn Dubai is getting flooded with luxury products, prompting distibutors and makers to expand their presence in neighbouring cities and countries. Rivoli Group, one of the biggest importers of luxury products in the Middle East, said much retail infastructure was now being made available in Abu Dhabi.

Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Valentino, Van Cleef & Arpels, and luxury face cream maker La Prairie, are among many luxury groups who regard the Middle East as their main focus after China. "Definitely, the Middle East is our No.2 target after China," Valentino Chief Executive Stefano Sassi told the Reuters Global Luxury Summit earlier this month. Valentino, which has shops in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai, said it looking for new partners in the region.

The Middle Eastern luxury market is worth about Ä7 billion ($8.53 billion) in annual sales, which is about 4.5 percent of world sales, estimates London-based broker Bernstein. In comparison, the broker calculates that India represents only 0.5 percent of global luxury sales and Brazil 0.7 percent. For jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels, about onefifth of total sales are made to clients from the Middle East.

The jeweller, which started operating in the Middle East five years ago, said it planned to open two shops in Kuwait this year, one in Qatar and another in Abu Dhabi. Marie Girardot, Van Cleef head of Europe, Middle East and CIS, said every market was different, with for example Saudi Arabia more sensitive culturally than the United Arab Emirates.

Hermes, which is keen to expand in the Middle East, said it planned to open a store in Beirut in July and next year one in Kuwait and in Abu Dhabi. It makes only 2.5 percent of its sales in the region.

Bernstein calculated in a recent note that Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama in Bahrain and Doha in Qatar had developed a higher luxury retail point-of-sale density than Seoul and Tokyo. — Reuters

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

Bracketed by crimes: Van der Sloot's last 5 years

By Frank Bajak

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or all of his garrulous charm, Joran van der Sloot didn't do himself any favors in his online interactions, where his generation tends to reveal a lot about itself. "If I would have to describe myself as an animal it would be a snake," he wrote on his YouTube page. Perhaps wistfully wishing the past undone, he continued: "however, I want to be a lion and one day I will be a lion."

At age 22, Van der Sloot is now a caged animal. He sits in a bleak Peruvian prison, where he fears his fellow inmates. After requesting isolation, he shares a cellblock with a reputed Colombian murderer-for-hire. Van der Sloot's journey from the quiet comfort of Aruba to being escorted briskly in handcuffs past Peruvian crowds screaming "murderer" is a tale of dissolution, deception and increasing desperation, according to friends and people who have chronicled his life.

Bracketing that journey are the May 30, 2005, disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba and, five years later to the day, the strangling death of Stephany Flores in his hotel room in Lima, Peru. Bred in privilege on a Caribbean tourist island, a high school soccer and tennis star, the handsome, physically imposing young Dutchman has fallen about as far as a young man can fall. But between the disappearance of Holloway, one year his senior, and the death of Flores, one year his junior, where was Joran Van Der Sloot? What journey led him from the ashes of one missing-persons case to the heart of a murder?

Who, really, is he? The moment word got out that Van der Sloot was suspected of Flores' murder, speculation swirled that he'd left a trail of young female victims in his travels - that he was something of a playboy killer for the globalized 21st century. He likes to travel, after all, and there were visits to Cambodia, Hong Kong, Venezuela, the United States. Peruvian police officials called Van der Sloot a "psychopath". A New York detective who worked for the Holloways, Bo Dietl, branded him "a homicidal maniac." But no evidence has emerged thus far linking Van der Sloot to any other disappearances or killings, and he certainly does not fit the profile of a deranged loner. He has had plenty of interpersonal relationships - friends, girlfriends, ardent defenders.

"Joran isn't a monster and isn't a serial killer," his cousin, Natalia den Boer, told the AP. "I think that Joran needs help. Because something is bad in his head." Before Lima, the only case in the past five years where he's known to have caused bodily harm was in January 2008. Then, he threw a glass of red wine in the face of Dutch crime reporter Peter de Vries right after a live TV program on which the journalist called him a liar. But the five years in between those brackets - Holloway and Flores were bumpy ones for Van der Sloot: He is twice arrested in the Holloway disappearance, and twice released. He is harassed by crime-obsessed media and tracked doggedly by investigators hired by the Holloway family. He relocates to Holland but, perpetually accosted, can't live a normal university student's life. He settles in Thailand, where he studies business without earning a degree. He buys a coffee shop.

In February, his prominent lawyer

father collapses and dies of a heart attack on an Aruba tennis court at age 57. Van der Sloot flies home, lingering there after the funeral.

Then he moves. Strapped for cash, he obtains $25,000 from Holloway's mother in exchange for a promise to lead her to her daughter's body. The FBI secretly records the alleged extortion but Van der Sloot is not arrested.

Instead, he heads off to Lima to play poker. He kills Flores, Peru's police say, after a night of poker with her at a casino in which he had about 10 drinks of whiskey and pisco while she drank wine. The evidence against him is so overwhelming, they say, that he has no choice but to confess.

But what motivated Van der Sloot, as his signed confession describes, to slam Flores in the face with his right elbow, strangle her for a full minute, then take off his shirt and asphyxiate her? In the confession, a copy of which was obtained by AP, he says Flores threw the first blow. The two were playing online poker on his laptop, said Van der Sloot, when an insulting message arrived mentioning the Holloway case and saying, "I'm going to kill you, you little Mongoloid." He said that after he explained the Holloway disappearance and how he'd been accused of it, she punched him on the left side of his head. There is no mention in the confession about Flores and Van der Sloot having sexual relations. Police say there is no evidence of sexual abuse.

Peru's criminal police chief, Gen.

Cesar Guardia, says he's skeptical about Van der Sloot's story. The defendant is, after all, a person who described himself as "a pathological liar" in a 2007 book he co-wrote when several of the figures in the Holloway saga cashed in on the case with published accounts. Asked about his motive for killing Flores, Van der Sloot told his questioners he didn't really know. "I lost control of my actions," the confession quotes him as saying. "I didn't know what I was doing."

Van der Sloot's Facebook picture is a near-empty bottle of Johnny Walker Red whisky, corked, with a powerboat at rest in the ocean as a backdrop. He likes the rapper Notorious B.I.G. and pop singer Katy Perry, the TV show South Park. He has 160 kills in the game "Mob Wars" and likes "Pissing in random places when totally drunk/wasted", Texas Hold'em Poker, Heineken beer and Barack Obama.

On his DateInAsia.com profile page, created when he was living in Thailand, he says he is attractive, agnostic, a smoker, regular drinker and a former professional card player. He retired from cards, he says, because it's "too much stress and ups and downs." In the sleepy Bangkok suburb of Muang Ake, he attended Rangsit University in 2008 as a business major but dropped out and bought the Sawadee Cup cafe just off the campus, which served sandwiches and pizza.

One person who met Van der Sloot there, a 35-year-old schoolteacher from Illinois named Matthew Lufcy, was

Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot holds his inmate number before being transferred to the Miguel Castro prison in Lima on June 11, 2010. – AP

struck by his cavalier attitude about his notoriety. "I would describe him as arrogant, like nobody can do anything to me. He wasn't shy about it," Lufcy said.

He said he met Van der Sloot's thengirlfriend, a blonde from California.

Lufcy was surprised, given all the media attention on him, that she was with him.

Van der Sloot may have been a charmer, but he apparently wasn't much of a businessman. So says the young Thai woman who, with her American boyfriend, bought the cafe from him early this year.

"I looked at the documents and balance sheets he left. Many items just look wrong," said the woman, who would identify herself only by her first name, Siripat. Still, Siripat described him as "a very affable guy. He'd invite us for meals. Sometimes, he'd let us eat for free at his cafe." One souvenir Van der Sloot apparently picked up in Thailand is visible on his chest in a photo taken during a medical checkup after Chilean police handed him over to Peruvian authorities on June 4. It is a tattoo that says, in Thai, "never mind." The word reflects two prominent characteristics of Thai culture in foreigners' eyes: tolerance and forgiveness.

If Joran van der Sloot can be said to have a nemesis, it is De Vries, a no-nonsense 53-year-old investigative reporter who has refused to leave him alone. In 2008, the Dutch crime journalist broadcast video of Van der Sloot confessing in front of hidden cameras in the Netherlands to having a friend dispose of Holloway's body after, intoxicated, she went into convulsions. In the conversation with businessmen and excon Patrick Van Eem, Van der Sloot describes how he wanted her to give him oral sex.

In the video, Van Eem comments on the huge media hype the Holloway case has caused. Van der Sloot, smoking what appears to be a large marijuana joint, smiles. "But now," he says, "I can abuse that as well." Nine months later, De Vries drops another bombshell. He airs undercover footage of Van der Sloot in Bangkok alleging that he was trying to recruit Thai women to go to the Netherlands to work as prostitutes. No women were actually delivered, and Thai authorities have no record of ever opening an investigation.

Van der Sloot's next confession comes that same month - Nov 2008. He tells Fox News' Greta van Susteren that he sold Natalee into sexual slavery. But before she airs the interview, he calls to say it was all a lie.

In recent months, particularly after the death of his father, it appears Van der Sloot got back into gambling in a big way online. "I do not have a real job but am a professional poker player," he says on his YouTube page. He says he hasn't read many books, but if he had to choose a favorite it would be "Ace on the River" by Barry Greenstein, a poker strategy book.

Jaap Amesz, a Dutch reality TV star, befriended Van der Sloot and extracted yet another confession from him in the Holloway disappearance. In this one, she falls off a balcony drunk and is disposed of in a swampy lake. On his blog, Amesz writes about how Van der Sloot was often broke and constantly losing at poker. Van der Sloot, Amesz acknowledges, has swindled him, too. "He likes to think of himself as a gambler, but he's a loser," said Harold Copus, a former

FBI agent who worked as a private investigator for Holloway's family.

The Van der Sloot family's finances were already depleted hiring lawyers to defend him in the Holloway case. Now his mother Anita, an art teacher at Aruba's international school, must pay for defense counsel in Peru. "She is devastated. She just lost her husband a few months ago, and now she's essentially lost her son," said Julia Renfro, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Aruba Today. Neither Van der Sloot's mother, his two younger brothers or his friends or neighbors would speak to the AP about the case. An old girlfriend, Aline Hibbert, replaced her Facebook photo with a picture of words: "Mind Your Own Business."

On his TV show's blog last week, De Vries reported that its reporters "have gotten countless e-mails in recent months pointing to the money problems Joran had. He made up anything to get money, and did not hesitate to pry money from the pockets of friends or his own family."

The blog publishes an instant-message exchange it says is between Van der Sloot and a 20-year-old girlfriend five days before Flores was killed. In it, he asks her to wire him 300 euros in Peru. He claims his wallet has been stolen.

Separately, Amesz said on his blog that a close friend of Van der Sloot's told him Joran had run out of money, didn't know how he'd pay his hotel bill and was hungry. In the Peru confession, Van der Sloot says he took the equivalent of $300 from Flores' wallet and that he also paid drivers who took him south to Chile with his digital camera, his watch and some clothing.

On the day he was arrested outside the Chilean capital, Van der Sloot told police an elaborate story of two bandits jumping him and Flores in his Lima hotel room. According to a transcript obtained by the AP, he asserted that one was armed with a pistol, the other with a knife.

The knife-wielder told them to be quiet, it says, "but Stephany starts to talk in a loud voice and he strikes her in the face, making her bleed from the nose." The same men, Van der Sloot claims, had pulled over Flores' car the previous day and robbed them, taking $4,000 from her and a Thai bracelet from him.

One person Van der Sloot didn't deceive in Lima was Roberto Blades, brother of the famed Panamanian singer and former government minister Ruben Blades. He told Peruvian media that he played poker at the same table as Van der Sloot at the Atlantic City casino in Lima's upscale Miraflores district and said he warned casino employees about the Dutchman. Blades, who lives in Miami, said he was surprised at how no one in Peru seemed to have heard about the Holloway case.He also said in one TV interview that he was astounded by Van der Sloot's brazenness in asking for help to find female companionship: "When you have that reputation, when you have history, how can you so openly be talking about how you want to pick up women?" For an answer, he might have turned to his acquaintance's YouTube page. Listed by Van der Sloot there as one of his favorite songs is "Fear," by the rap artist Drake. In its refrain, the rapper sings plaintively: "Please don't be scared of me." — AP

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

NEWS

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MONROE, Ohio: This combination of photos of the six-storey-tall “King of King’s” statue of Jesus Christ (PBUH) outside the Solid Rock Church shows the statue as it stood on March 19, 2008 (left), on fire in the early morning hours of yesterday after an apparent lightning strike (center) and the remains of the statue yesterday. — AP

Iraqis feel rising Iran clout in their wallets Continued from Page 1 But the growing ties also frame a political imbalance the US is loath to see in a country struggling to rebuild after years of war. As America’s influence wanes in Iraq, and its troops withdraw, Iran is capitalizing on centuries-old religious and cultural ties to secure greater leverage in the country - even as Washington works to dissuade others from dealing with Tehran over its nuclear program. It’s a political and economic tug-of-war the US risks losing, if only because Iraq’s reconstruction needs open the door for a marriage of convenience.

Iran, squeezed elsewhere by sanctions, finds in Iraq a rare and ready market at a time when lingering security fears continue to discourage Western investments in the country. “Iran would like to have a stronger presence in Iraq ... primarily because so many other places have been closed off to it. It’s partly necessity,” said Anoush Ehteshami, a professor at Britain’s Durham University. “Iran doesn’t want to lose its footing again in Iraq.”

Under Saddam Hussein, Iraq fought a ruinous eight-year war with Iran beginning in 1980 that killed hundreds of thousands of people and devastated both countries’ economies. Many of Iraq’s majority Shiites, persecuted by Saddam, sought sanctuary in Iran, only to return after the Iraqi dictator’s fall in 2003. Some now hold key government posts. Many others have bought homes and set up businesses in places like Karbala, relying on Farsi learned in exile to cater to Iranians.

That allows the trade links to keep growing - quadrupling to $4 billion last year compared to three years earlier, according to Iranian government figures.

Senior Iraqi and Iranian officials meet frequently. The visits have netted a series of economic cooperation agreements, including power supply deals for Iraq and

pledges to create cross-border free trade zones. Iran has offered its neighbor a $1 billion loan to buy Iranian goods.

In Basra, Iraq’s second largest city and a nucleus for powerful Shiite groups, more than 60 Iranian companies gathered this year for a five-day trade fair. The fair was the biggest such Iranian-run event since the US-led invasion. Freezer trucks and motorcycles were on display, along with dairy products, canned goods, clothes and cement. The port city, which is also the springboard for the majority of Iraq’s oil exports, last month signed off on a nearly $1 billion plan for an Iranian construction company to build thousands of homes, hotels and a mall, said Haider Ali Fadhil, who heads the Basra Investment Commission.

In March, Iran state-run Bank Melli opened its second Iraqi branch, even though the bank is under U.S. and European sanctions over its alleged ties to Iran’s nuclear program. Two other Iranian banks on a US watch list, Parsian and Karafarin, plan to open in Iraq soon.

Iranian embassy officials in Baghdad say actual trade levels are as high as $7 billion, making Iraq one of its biggest trading partners. Iran’s Commerce Ministry is aiming for trade of $10 billion per year within three years.

For Iran, investing in places like Basra and the shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala is a “supplementary means of exerting influence in Iraq,” said Kenneth Katzman, a Mideast specialist at the US government’s Congressional Research Service.

“I don’t see the US as wanting to promote that. The U.S. interest is to ... isolate Iran,” not encourage greater economic integration, he said. The increasing closeness also worries many of Iraq’s minority Sunni Muslims, and Iraq’s mostly Sunni neighbors, such as fellow OPEC member Saudi Arabia.

Tehran has for years pushed for a pipeline to carry Iraqi crude oil to Iran’s

Saudis unveil local-built car Abadan refinery. Refined fuel would then be shipped in the opposite direction. Iran already exports fuel to Iraq, even though both lack the refining capacity to meet local demand. It’s a strategy that analysts say makes little economic sense. “It’s a politically motivated decision,” said IHS Global Insight energy analyst Samuel Ciszuk. While many Iraqis say they benefit from the closer ties, they also grumble that Iran floods the market with cheap, low-quality goods that make it hard for domestic companies to compete.

There are other complaints too. In the lobby of Karbala’s Noor Al-Zahra Hotel, across from the gold-domed Imam Hussein shrine, two clocks hang on the wall: One set to local Iraqi time, the other to the time in Tehran. But owner Samoel Muhsin Abid-Ali says he tries to avoid renting rooms to Iranians, who he complains are “full of problems.” The issue, he says, is that a state-run Iranian firm known as the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization has a virtual lock on the religious tourist trade that delivers 5,000 Iranian Shiites to Iraq each day.

Representatives for the government body impose stringent terms, demand steep discounts and deal only with a handful of well-connected travel agencies, according to Abid-Ali and other businessmen. Its Karbala office did not respond to interview requests. Karbala traders also fear that Iranian intelligence agents could infiltrate pilgrimage groups.

And they say they resent being addressed in Farsi rather than Arabic, making them feel like foreigners in their own country. Even so, no one here said they missed the days before the war, when store shelves offered less variety and far fewer pilgrims came. “Tourists and mainly the Iranians - contribute so much to our economy,” said Saleh, the grocery stall owner. “Under Saddam, it was very hard for the pilgrims. Now Iraq is open to all.” — AP

Mubarak ‘children’ have mixed feelings Con tinu ed f rom Page 1 Mubarak told reporters during a visit to Italy in mid-May that “only God knows who will be my successor”, raising criticism at home from some who saw it as a rather flip dismissal of the idea that democracy would determine who comes after him. Since his surgery, Mubarak has not said whether he will run for a new, six-year term in presidential elections due next year - but top party officials said in late May that they want him to, making it very likely he will run. But Egyptians’ uncertainty over the future only underscores how deeply Mubarak - the country’s longest-serving ruler in two centuries - in entrenched in their lives.

The former air force bomber pilot, who became president when his predecessor Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981, has significantly modernized Egypt during his rule. He liberated the quasisocialist economy he inherited, opening doors to foreign investors and imports and giving the private sector a virtually free rein. The result in recent years has been strong annual economic growth of up to seven percent. But critics say the wealth has gone only to a small elite, while the middle class has been crushed under high inflation and other woes.

Moreover, the generation raised under Mubarak has had a tough time even entering the economy. Overall unemployment has hovered around nine percent in past years, but among those aged 20-25 it has been as high as 40 percent, according to official figures. Among college graduates, unemployment has risen from 12 percent in 1995 to 17 percent in 2005.

At the same time, democratic practices and freedoms have regressed.

Opposition parties are little more than figureheads set up by the regime, elections are routinely rigged or fraught with irregularities and police brutality is common. Security agencies hold wide powers under the emergency law in place since Mubarak came to office and also have considerable political influence. The result is a generation that is deeply frustrated, and while many will grumble about Mubarak, at the same time he is the only one they can turn to.

In recent months, a “popular” judgment of the regime has sprung up on the sidewalks outside parliament and the prime minister’s office in central Cairo, with hundreds of protesters camping out to press demands for better pay, jobs or to air personal grievances. Significantly, many of these protests don’t criticize Mubarak, but rather appeal to him for help. Some of the protesters shout slogans accusing “traitors” within the ruling party of stripping authority from Mubarak amid his illness.

Among them on a recent day was 32year-old Alaa Moharam, who was camping out along with dozens of fellow workers from a telephone equipment factory whose privatization in 2000, they claim, is placing their jobs in jeopardy.

“Mubarak is the only one who can save us from this predicament,” said 32-yearold Moharam. Then he added, “But he is isolated from the people. Honestly, maybe he can no longer make a difference.”

Isolation from their leaders is something Egyptians have complained more and more of in recent years. Mubarak never ruled by charisma. Instead, his image has been that of a spartan military man and a paternal “common man” who

wants the best for his children. That image never won him Egyptians’ enthusiasm but it won him their reliance.

“Egyptians see in Mubarak a true ‘ibn balad’ who is all for the poor and the needy,” said analyst Amr Hamzawy, using the Arabic phrase for a man who knows the ins and outs of his country and its people.

Even if the reality doesn’t reflect it, “it remains a source of his legitimacy and a degree of popular support for his leadership”, said Hamzawy, head of Middle East research at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washingtonbased think tank. But the growing sense of a government out of touch with people’s problems is eroding that image.

“My own personal view is that if economic and social reforms don’t reach the people, then they have not succeeded.

They mean nothing to the people,” said 35-year-old Maged Sorour.

Sorour banged his head against the door for years seeking a government job, and losing out for a job at state TV to a rival he said had better connections reflecting the widespread feeling among the young that a job depends on who you know, not what you know. Now he runs a non-governmental agency he founded in 2005 to tutor young Egyptians on new media and monitoring human rights.

Sitting behind a desk with nearly a meter-high pile of papers perched atop, Sorour mused on the regime’s failings, on how a nominally multiparty system is undermined by the government and how benefits of economic reform have not filtered down. Still, he said, “Mubarak is a father to all Egyptians. He is our only hope. He has all the authority needed to introduce reform.” — AP

It has soft urethane skin, is flexible and has joints that move like those of a human baby.

Researchers are using it to test theories of human development, said Tokyo University professor Yasuo Kuniyoshi, who led development of Noby with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. “You can load your software into the robot, watch how it reacts to human actions and its surroundings, and compare it with the behaviour of real chil-

dren,” Kuniyoshi told AFP yesterday Researchers could modify their software if the robot acted strangely in order to finetune its development, he said. Noby is one of the humanoids created under a broader project headed by Minoru Asada, robotics engineering professor at Osaka University, and funded by the government-backed Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). The team is adopting a new approach to getting to know humans by replicating them, JST said in a statement. “Human beings learn and develop various functions in the process of growing up, but the exact

Saudis contributed “90 percent of the design of the Ghazal 1 and 60 percent of its fabrication,” Ahmari said. “Contacts are ongoing with Saudi investors for the mass production of the Ghazal 1,” he said, adding that he hoped the project would be achieved within two to three years. “This is a national strategic product and KSU holds

its patent rights and intellectual property rights,” university president Abdullah alOthman said, also quoted in Arab News.

The project for the car, which is named after the Arabic for deer, would require a $500-million investment, according to unofficial estimates. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude, seeks to develop local industry, particularly by training its own managers and experts, and by

technology transfer. Saudi Arabia last year also set up a new coed, postgraduate science and technology university believed to have cost billions of dollars. The university, intended as a world class research institution, however drew quick criticism from conservatives in the deeply religious Islamic nation who have objected to, among other things, men and women studying together. —Agencies

HRW calls for labor reforms Continued from Page 1 The appeal came as the US State Department’s annual human trafficking report released on Monday ranked several Middle Eastern countries in its two lowest possible categories.

It maintained Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in tier 3, the lowest possible category, which makes these countries potentially subject to US sanctions of non-humanitarian aid. It also placed Lebanon and Qatar on the tier 2 watchlist, the secondlowest ranking. Millions of migrant workers, mainly from Asia and Africa, have short-term employment contracts for low-wage jobs in the construction,

domestic work, and service industries across the region, said HRW. The sponsorship system, locally known as “kafala”, is mostly prevalent in energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council states which are home to at least 12 million foreign workers, many of whom complain of maltreatment. In April, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called on Gulf countries to stop requiring migrant workers to secure local sponsors, saying the system fosters abuses.

“I wholeheartedly support those efforts and call on other states to replace the kafala system with updated labour laws that can better balance rights and

duties,” she said in a speech in Saudi Arabia during a Gulf tour. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan have adopted anti-trafficking legislation, and in some cases built shelters, HRW said. Other countries, including Lebanon and Kuwait, have yet to adopt such legislation, and most countries retain immigration laws that penalise rather than protect workers who work under conditions of abuse, it said. In Kuwait, immigration regulations allow for criminal charges against workers who leave their jobs, while in Saudi Arabia and Qatar workers must have their employers’ permission to get exit visas to leave the country. — AFP

Ireland expels Israeli official Continued from Page 1 Martin said evidence produced by Irish probes and the sophistication of the forged documents “clearly points to the involvement of a foreign state agency or a very well resourced criminal organisation with access to details of significant numbers of Irish passports”. Investigations by British and Australian authorities have reached similar conclusions, the Irish minister said, adding that there were “compelling reasons to believe that Israel was responsible”.

Britain announced in March that it was expelling one Israeli diplomat, while Australia announced in May that it was throwing out an official from the Israeli embassy. Martin added that, in accordance with normal diplomatic practice, he would not reveal either the name or function of the official whom the Israeli government has been requested to withdraw. The

Israeli spokesman also did not identify the diplomat in question, except to say it was not the ambassador. The Israeli embassy in Dublin includes four diplomats and two security officials. The Irish Times reported it was one of the security officials.

“I want to state clearly that the official concerned is not accused or suspected of any particular wrongdoing. In being obliged to leave their post prematurely, the official concerned is a victim of the actions of the state they represent,” Martin said. He noted that he met his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman in March and asked him for any information which he felt might help the Dublin in its investigation.

But Israel has failed to provide any help, he said. “I have to report that efforts to enlist the assistance of the Israeli authorities in the investigation of this case have yielded no response and no denial of Israeli involvement,” he said. “The misuse of Irish passports by a state with which

Ireland enjoys friendly, if sometimes frank, bilateral relations is clearly unacceptable and requires a firm response.”

Martin condemned Israel’s alleged assassination of Mabhouh. “Many allegations have been made against Mr Mabhouh which, if true, would categorize him as a committed terrorist,” Martin said. But Ireland “does not believe that states should fight terror with terror. As a matter of principle, Ireland opposes extra-judicial killings. We believe that states have a duty to operate according to the law and to respect that way of life that terrorists seek to destroy.”

Israel’s ambassador to Ireland, Zion Evrony, said he was summoned Tuesday to the Department of Foreign Affairs to be told of the expulsion. “Israel regrets this decision. We believe that it does not reflect the overall positive relations which exist between Ireland and Israel,” Evrony’s office said in a statement. — Agencies

Kuwait power plea ‘rebuffed’ Continued from Page 1 21 MPs who said they want to question the government over the serious deterioration of the power situation which has resulted in cuts that affected many residential areas.

Kuwait is experiencing almost emergency conditions after power consumption hit an all-time high for the third day in a row at 10,921 megawatts at 2:30 pm, which is around 30 megawatts short of maximum production capacity. The record consumption was triggered by record temperatures that reached 51 degrees Celsius at Kuwait Airport, 50 degrees in Kuwait City and as high as 53 degrees at the Abdali border post with Iraq. The high temperature was caused by the impact of the Indian summer depression which is affecting the Arabian Peninsula, mainly Kuwait. The heat is also assisted by the lack of dust storms which normally block the sun from affecting the earth directly.

The government immediately accepted the emergency session when Electricity and Water Minister Bader AlShuraian said he will present the government’s viewpoint and the efforts taken in this field. Shuraian described the situa-

tion as “very critical” and added that this will continue through the summer of 2010 because Kuwait has not built a new power plant since 1988. The minister appealed for cooperation from all sides to rationalize consumption in order to pass through this period safely. He also said that the power cuts in several residential areas were due to incidents at transformers and ageing cables, adding that the continuous operation of production units is not a healthy sign.

Meanwhile, MPs Jamaan Al-Harbash, Waleed Al-Tabtabaei and Falah AlSawwagh proposed that working hours at ministries should be reduced to noon instead of 2:30 pm in order to save electricity. State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Roudhan Al-Roudhan said the proposal will help reduce consumption but added that it will be considered by the government. Roudhan described the consumption level hit during the day as “highly dangerous” and urged cooperation.

Responding to the calls, the ministry of defense decided that the army will only use its diesel-run generators, while the education ministry said it will close schools early to save electricity. The ministry of health and other ministries were instructed to switch off lights and air-con-

ditioning immediately at the end of working hours and until half an hour before the start of work.

This year is expected to be the last year when Kuwait meets shortage of electricity production since the first units of the new Subbiya power plant with 1,000 megawatts are slated to come online by mid-2011. The plant will be fully operational by the middle of 2012.

Temperatures have not reached this high level above 50 degrees Celsius in June for at least a decade, though temperature tops 50 degrees several times during the summer, usually in July and August, the two hottest months of the year.

Separately, the sports crisis persisted yesterday as liberal MP Marzouk AlGhanem said the grilling against the prime minister will be submitted as long as the law is not implemented. Roudhan said if the grilling is submitted, the government will deal with it in accordance with the constitution. It was not clear however if the grilling will be submitted this week or early next week.

Meanwhile, the Assembly yesterday passed the budgets of a number of independent government bodies but failed to approve the budget of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation for a lack of quorum.

White rice tied to diabetes risk

Baby-bot to shed light on learning Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1 mechanism is yet to be explained,” it said.

Shedding light on the field will help develop robots that could live together with humans in the future, it said. The project team has also unveiled a humanoid the size of a five-year-old, the M3-Kindy the M3 stands for “man-made man”, and Kindy for kindergarten - which can walk hand-in-hand with a human. Noby and M3Kindy are the latest additions to humanoids created in the project, which also includes the M3-Neony, which mimics a new-born baby and which was unveiled earlier this year. — AFP

While still lower than in Asian countries, US rice consumption is increasingly rapidly. More than 70 percent of the rice consumed in the United States is white, the researchers noted.

According to the researchers, replacing just a third of a typical daily serving of white rice with the same amount of brown rice each day would lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 16 percent. They also found that replacing white rice with other whole grains, such as barley and whole wheat, could reduce risk of the dis-

ease by 36 percent. “From a public health point of view, whole grains, rather than refined carbohydrates, such as white rice, should be recommended as the primary source of carbohydrates for the US population,” said senior author Frank Hu. “These findings could have even greater implications for Asian and other populations in which rice is a staple food.”

Rice loses most of its bran and germ its most important sources of fiber and nutrients-when it is refined to produce the white variety. Brown rice, which retains the bran and germ, has more fiber, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals

than white rice. It also usually does not cause blood sugar levels to spike as much as the white variety.

Sun pointed out that they adjusted for numerous factors that might influence the results and the findings still held up but added that it was possible that eating more brown rice was a marker for a healthier lifestyle. “We adjusted for these factors including body adiposity (fat), smoking, physical activity, and other dietary factors, and the significant associations remained. This suggests that what we observed is unlikely the result of other factors,” said Sun. — Agencies

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results and standings on Monday: ST. Louis 9, Seattle 3; Milwaukee 12, LA Angels 2; Toronto 6, San Diego 3; San Francisco 10, Baltimore 2.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT GB NY Yankees 40 23 .635 Tampa Bay 40 23 .635 Boston 37 28 .569 4 35 30 .538 6 Toronto Baltimore 17 47 .266 23.5 Central Division Minnesota 36 27 .571 Detroit 33 29 .532 2.5 Chicago White Sox 28 34 .452 7.5 Kansas City 27 37 .422 9.5 Cleveland 25 37 .403 10.5 Western Division Texas 35 28 .556 LA Angels 36 31 .537 1 Oakland 32 33 .492 4 24 40 .375 11.5 Seattle National League Eastern Division Atlanta 37 27 .578 35 28 .556 1.5 NY Mets 32 29 .525 3.5 Philadelphia Florida 31 32 .492 5.5 Washington 31 33 .484 6 Central Division 36 28 .563 Cincinnati St. Louis 35 29 .547 1 Chicago Cubs 28 35 .444 7.5 Milwaukee 27 37 .422 9 25 39 .391 11 Houston Pittsburgh 23 40 .365 12.5 Western Division San Diego 37 27 .578 36 27 .571 .5 LA Dodgers San Francisco 36 27 .571 .5 33 30 .524 3.5 Colorado Arizona 26 38 .406 11

ANAHEIM: Los Angeles Angels shortstop Erick Aybar (right) grimaces after colliding with Milwaukee Brewers’ Casey McGehee in the seventh inning. — AP

Cardinals whip Mariners 9-3 ST. LOUIS: Albert Pujols singled three times and walked twice, and Ryan Ludas homered as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Seattle Mariners 9-3 on Monday Pujols stayed in the game after a throw to the plate glanced off his helmet ear flap in the fifth, Ludwick finished with four RBIs and Adam Wainwright (9-4) pitched into the eighth after a shaky start.

The Mariners have lost six of seven, fizzling after Ichiro Suzuki hit the second pitch of the game for his 31st career leadoff homer. Luke French (0-1) allowed four runs in four innings.

Pujols broke for the plate on David

Freese’s chopper to third during St. Louis’ four-run fifth and was struck by Jose Lopez’s errant throw. He was helped off the field by teammate Yadier Molina after receiving treatment from a trainer, but just moments later was chatting with teammates in the dugout.

Blue Jays 6, Padres 3 At San Diego, John Buck homered twice and Aaron Hill had three doubles and three RBIs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres.

Play stopped momentarily in the eighth inning as Petco Park swayed during an

earthquake. David Eckstein had just grounded out in the bottom of the inning when the stadium began shaking. The next batter, Chase Headley, stayed out of the batter’s box for a few seconds, then stepped in. The public address announcer asked that everyone remain calm. The crowd cheered.

Jon Garland (6-5) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked four. Shaun Marcum (63) pitched seven innings for Toronto, yielding three runs, two earned, and six hits. Kevin Gregg worked the ninth for his 16th save in 19 chances.

Brewers 12, Angels 2 At California, Ryan Braun hit a grand slam and Casey McGehee added a solo shot off the glove of a leaping Torii Hunter, leading Randy Wolf and Milwaukee to a victory over Los Angeles.

Wolf (5-6) allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings. The left-hander, who gave up a career-worst five homers in his previous start against the Cubs, retired his final 13 batters.

Joe Saunders (5-7) gave up six runs and six hits over 5 1-3 innings for Angels. The lefty is 1-6 with a 6.75 ERA in eight home starts _ compared to 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA

in his six outings on the road.

Hunter, a nine-time Gold Glove winner, timed his leap perfectly on McGehee’s drive to center in the sixth.

But the ball spun off the webbing of his glove and disappeared behind the centerfield fence.

Angels shortstop Erick Aybar departed with a hyperextended left knee after McGehee’s straight-on slide into second in the seventh.

Giants 10, Orioles 2 At San Francisco, Pat Burrell homered for the second time in four days, Freddy

Sanchez drove in four runs as San Francisco won its fourth straight victory.

Jonathan Sanchez (5-5) pitched 7 2-3 innings for the Giants, allowing two runs and eight hits in the victory over Baltimore.

Chris Tillman (0-3) gave up six runs and six hits over two innings for Baltimore. Matt Wieters hit a solo homer for the Orioles, who have lost 18 of 21.

Baltimore also fell to 1-6 in interleague play this season. San Francisco moved to a season-high nine games over .500 and pulled within a half-game of NL Westleading San Diego. — AP

England defeat Barbarians

GOSFORD: England’s Dave Attwood (left) stretches in a line-out against the Australian Barbarians during their rugby match at the Central Coast Stadium. — AP

GOSFORD: Olly Barkley kicked three penalties and Charlie Hodgson two as England beat the Australian Barbarians 15-9 yesterday in an international rugby match decided entirely on goalkicks.

Hodgson landed two first-half penalties to contribute to a 6-6 deadlock at halftime, then handed the kicking duties to Barkley, who landed three more goals, including two in the last seven minutes, to seal the win.

Wallabies center Berrick Barnes came off the bench in the 14th minute to kick three penalties for all of the Barbarians’ points. The first match between the teams at Perth last Tuesday ended in a 28-28 draw.

England dominated the first 15 minutes, pressing the Barbarians inside their own half but, as with last Saturday’s first test — won 27-17 by Australia — lacked an ability to turn possession and territory into tries.

Hodgson kicked England into the lead with a penalty after three minutes and rewarded their territorial advantage with a second goal after 13 minutes for 6-0. Both sides created scoring chances in the next 15 minutes but were unable to breach determined defenses.

Barnes, who replaced Will Chambers, finally put his team on the board with a penalty after 28 minutes. He missed a long-range attempt in the 34th before tying the scores with his second penalty two minutes later. Barnes had the chance to put the Barbarians ahead with another attempt from 50 meters after the halftime siren but was again astray and the teams went into the interval locked at 6-6.

Wallabies hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, returning after missing the first two matches of Australia’s international season through injury, played effectively for 42 minutes before being replaced by Huia Edmonds.

Polota-Nau is expected to be named in the Australia lineup for Saturday’s second test against England at Sydney. Barnes kicked the Barbarians into the lead in the 51st when Steffon Armitage was penalized for leaving his feet at a ruck.

The Barbarians’ 9-6 lead endured for nine minutes until Barkley, who had assumed the kicking duties from Hodgson, slotted his first goal from 30 meters. Polota-Nau was forced to return to the field in the 72nd as a replacement for loosehead prop Pekahou Cowan and continued to show useful scrummaging ability.

England was able to wear down the Barbarians in other areas and Barkley slotted goals in the 73rd and 76th minutes to clinch his team’s first win on this Australian tour. England winger Matt Banahan was later cited for a dangerous tackle, a 26th-minute lift of Barnes. Banahan faces a judicial hearing today.

Pepsi takes football stars from stadium to safari KUWAIT: Pepsi-Cola International’s commitment to youth and sports is entering a new dimension with a unique campaign that targets today’s’ consumers who are born of a generation of passion, purpose and creativity - young people who want to and can have an impact on the world to make it a better place.

To reach this audience, Pepsi is using its best platform, football, to connect with fans everywhere by fostering their unrivalled passion for the game and enabling them to have a positive impact on the world in a fun and engaging way.

With a summer of word-class football ahead, Pepsi’s latest global TV ad campaign showcases Pepsi star players including; Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Ricardo Kak·, Frank Lampard, Andrei Arshavin and Didier Drogba, transporting them from stadium to safari where they find themselves deep in an adventure in the African savannah.

“This year Pepsi is celebrating the spirit of youth and football with a unique creative TV campaign that will delight and entertain football fans everywhere,” said Hossam Dabbous, GCC Beverages Director

at PepsiCo International.

“Reflecting Pepsi’s commitment to its consumers in the Gulf region we have assembled a line-up of top stars with a huge following of fans throughout the Middle East and have created a campaign around them that combines fun and simplicity in a storyline that will win the hearts of all football fans.”

As the ad kicks off, we see the players taking a stroll through a small African village under the scorching African sun. As the footballers browse the market stalls, Henry sees a local boy drinking an ice cold Pepsi and strolls over to ask whether the team can have a few cans too. The young boy instead challenges them to a game of football to decide who wins the refreshing drinks.

Quickly a crowd of villagers emerge from the horizon, gathering around the players and forming the boundaries of a makeshift football pitch. The Pepsi team thinks they will easily win the game, however the global superstars haven’t factored in the locals’ ‘home field’ advantage and they soon find out that playing a match in this particular vil-

lage is not as easy as it would seem!

The game begins as Lampard bursts up field, but in the midst of a display of expert footwork, he suddenly notices a familiar face in the crowd. Nestled amongst the locals is none other than globally renowned artist Akon, leading the cheers for the home team! Lampard soon passes to Messi and you see the villagers who form the pitch boundaries move alongside the Argentinean striker pushing the goal further away from him!

Now even more determined to win, the Pepsi players keep pushing for that winning goal but whether it’s Lampard rummaging through dense wild grasses, Kaka stumbling over potholes or Messi trying to keep up with the ‘human pitch’ as it moves wildly across the savannah, the players are outsmarted at every turn.

Will the players triumph against all odds and celebrate in the African sunset with a refreshing can of ice cold Pepsi? Tune in to find out...

To find out more on Pepsi’s 2010 football campaign, see exclusive photos and get the latest updates, simply visit www.youtube.com/pepsifootball or www.pepsiarabia.com.

15

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Malinga rattles Pakistan

DAMBULLA: Sling-arm fast Lasith Malinga bowler grabbed 5-34 as defending champions Sri Lanka stunned Pakistan by 16 runs in the opening match of the Asia Cup yesterday.

Shahid Afridi’s first one-

Asia Cup opener

Winning Team — Aroma Cricket Club

Aroma lift TACK - T20 Champions Trophy KUWAIT: A highly anticipated final of TACK- T20 Champions Trophy took place on June 11, 2010 between Aroma Cricket Club and Rising Stars Cricket Club and was played at the well-known TACK Grounds in Sulaibikhat.

The atmosphere was charged throughout the day despite the heat, thanks to a loud bunch of fans who turned up in big numbers to support their respective teams and a number of families, friends, and former cricketers which was a great sign of encouragement for the players and TACK. The match was broadcasted live on www.tac-kuwait.com where many in Kuwait and other parts of the world enjoyed every moment. This was the first time in Kuwait’s cricket history a match was broadcasted live on the internet.

The all important final match started with Khalid Butt, the captain of Rising Stars winning the toss and electing to bat first. Instead Aroma had a great start with Haider picking up the early wickets of Irfan and Yaseen with 20 runs on the board.

Mohammed Ali and Khalid Butt had a decent partnership of 40 runs and were looking dangerous before Rizwan got the major break through by getting rid of Mohammed Ali at long off followed by the ever crucial wicket of Khalid Butt who also held out at long off caught by Haider.

Aroma was all over Rising Stars at this point in time but with the experience of Liaquat and Saifullah, Rising Stars managed to stay in the game by crossing 100 runs in 13 overs.

The target still could’ve been a

Runners-up — Rising Stars big one but the off spinners and doosras of Kashif proved to be too lethal as he picked three wickets in one over and pegged down the Rising Stars to 130 for seven with Ahsan also taking an important wicket of Saifullah.

Rising Stars were eventually bowled out for 144 with a few balls to spare; no way near a true reflection of their class batting line up and the credit goes to Aroma who bowled and fielded brilliantly.

Undoubtedly, Rizwan was the pick of the bowlers as he got the crucial wickets of Khalid Butt, Irfan and Javed Chodhury, however, Kashif also took 4 wickets and bowled superbly with Haider taking two and Ahsan one. For Rising Stars: Khalid Butt 44 ( 32), Mohammed Ali 25 (16), and Saifullah 27 ( 24) were the main contributing batsmen.

A chase in the final is always tricky and with 145 set as a target, Rising Stars had more than one reason to put up

a good fight. However, the opening pair of Aroma CC, Kashif and Usman, two cricketers who have captured the imagination of many in a short span of time, mesmerized the entire crowd as the first two overs went for 40 runs including a six off the very first ball of the innings.

The pair kept on playing aggressively with boundaries coming off every bowler and all over the park. Aroma reached 90 in as less as 9 overs and then lost the wicket of stylish Usman (37) who was bowled by Nabeel Ghafour off a full length delivery.

Sajid joined Kashif at one down and with 54 runs required off the last ten, Kashif was going down all guns blazing and reached his 50 off 32 bowls with two huge sixes and a couple of boundaries.

After hitting a classic mid on drive at long on for four, Sajid (10) was given lbw and clearly looked disappointed for more than one reason. Adnan came in to bat and did what he is best

known for, finished the game off in style with two huge sixes at long on and mid-wicket respectively which was followed by the entire crowd who rushed to the pitch to congratulate the man of the final Kashif for taking 4 wickets and scoring an unbeaten match winning half century.

Nabeel and Yaseen took one wicket each for Rising Stars.

Finally Aroma CC defeated Rising Stars by 8 wickets and lifted the winners trophy.

Best Batsman of the tournament (KD.40 and a trophy) went to Abid Mushtaq of Sky Lark team for accumulating a mammoth 750 runs in the tournament. Best Bowler of the tournament (KD.40 and a trophy) went to Amjad Ashraf; the skipper of Aroma team for picking up 22 wickets at an economy rate of 6. Best AllRounder of the tournament (KD.40 and a trophy) went to Mohammed Afzal of Alghanim team for picking up 20 wickets and scoring 439 runs.

day century in five years was in vain as Sri Lanka, restricted to 242-9, bowled out Pakistan for 226 in 47 overs at the Rangiri stadium.

The Pakistan captain, who came in to bat with his side struggling at 32-4, smashed 109 off 76 balls to leave the team needing just 38 runs off the last 9.2 overs with four wickets in hand.

Afridi, visibly uncomfortable at the crease due to leg cramps, was caught behind off Muttiah Muralitharan, triggering a dramatic collapse.

Malinga bowled Mohammad Aamer, had Shoaib Akhtar caught at midoff and then yorked last man Mohammad Asif to finish with his best one-day figures.

Afridi hit eight boundaries and seven sixes in his fifth one-day hundred, the first since making 102 versus India at Kanpur on April 15, 2005.

He was let down by the Akmal brothers, Umar and Kamran, who ran themselves out after putting on useful stands with their captain.

Umar made 30, adding 73 for the fifth wicket with Afridi before Tillakaratne Dilshan beat him with a direct throw as he attempted a quick single.

Kamran had put on 49 for the sixth wicket when he charged down the wicket from the non-striker’s end and was easily run out as Afridi declined his call for a run.

Earlier, fast bowler Akhtar made an impressive return to international cricket with 3-41 from 10 overs in his first game for Pakistan since May last year after recovering from a knee injury. Sri Lanka slipped to 36-2 by the ninth over, before skipper

DAMBULLA: Pakistan’s Umar Akmal plays a shot during the opening Asia Cup cricket match against Sri Lanka. —AP

Scoreboard DAMBULLA, Sri Lanka: Full scoreboard of the Asia Cup one-day international between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Rangiri stadium yesterday: Sri Lanka U. Tharanga c Butt b Akhtar 11 18 T. Dilshan c Amin b Asif K. Sangakkara c Umar Akmal b Afridi 42 54 M. Jayawardene lbw b Malik T. Samaraweera c Umar Akmal b Razzaq 17 C. Kapugedera c Umar Akmal b Akhtar 2 A. Mathews not out 55 F. Maharoof c Kamran Akmal b Akhtar 1 N. Kulasekera b Aamer 14 L. Malinga b Aamer 16 M. Muralitharan not out 1 Extras: (lb5, w6) 11 Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 242 Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Tharanga), 2-36 (Dilshan), 3-119 (Sangakkara), 4-150 (Jayawardene), 5-150 (Samaraweera), 6-160 (Kapugedera), 7-168 (Maharoof), 8-211 (Kulasekera), 9-239 (Malinga).

Bowling: Akhtar 10-1-41-3, Asif 9-0-55-1 (w1), Aamer 10-1-57-2 (w1), Razzaq 8-0-27-1 (w2), Afridi 10-0-43-1 (w1), Malik 3-0-14-1 (w1).

Kumar Sangakkara (42) and Mahela Jayawardene (54) put on 83 for the third wicket.

Angelo All-rounder Mathews hit an unbeaten 55 off 61 balls to help the defend-

Pakistan Shahzaib Hasan c Malinga b Mathews 11 0 Salman Butt b Malinga Umar Amin c Sangakkara b Malinga 7 Shoaib Malik c Sangakkara b Mathews 8 Umar Akmal run out 30 Shahid Afridi c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 109 Kamran Akmal run out 14 Abdul Razzaq not out 26 5 Mohammad Aamer b Malinga Shoaib Akhtar c Mathews b Malinga 1 Mohammad Asif b Malinga 0 Extras: (lb5, w10) 15 Total (all out, 47 overs) 226 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Butt), 2-11 (Amin), 3-28 (Malik), 4-32 (Hasan), 5-105 (Umar Akmal), 6154 (Kamran Akmal), 7-205 (Afridi), 8-217 (Aamer), 9-219 (Akhtar), 10-226 (Asif).

Bowling: Kulasekera 9-1-25-0 (w2), Malinga 100-34-5 (w3), Mathews 10-1-38-2 (w3), Maharoof 8-0-53-0 (w1), Muralitharan 10-0-71-1 (w1).

Sri Lanka won by 16 runs

ing champions set a challenging target under lights after they were reduced to 168-7 by the 37th over.India and Bangladesh, the two other teams in the four-nation tour-

nament, will meet in their first match today.

Each team plays the other once in the league before the top two advance to the final on June 24. — AFP

Goldikova wins at Royal Ascot ASCOT: Champion mare Goldikova won the Queen Anne Stakes on opening day at Royal Ascot, beating Paco Boy by a neck yesterday for her sixth victory over male horses.

Goldikova held off a late challenge by Paco Boy in her debut at the prestigious meet, enhancing her credentials as one of the best female horses in the world.

The 5-year-old from Ireland is a twotime Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and the 2009 Eclipse Award champion as the top female turf horse in the United States.

Goldikova has 12 victories in 17 career starts. The goal this year is winning the Breeders’ Cup Mile for a third

time in November at Churchill Downs.

Goldikova has twice as many wins over male horses than US Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. Goldikova has six wins over males in Group 1 races; Rachel Alexandra won the Preakness Stakes, Haskell Invitational and Woodward; and unbeaten Zenyatta won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in her lone race against males.

Ridden by Olivier Peslier, Goldikova was sent off as the 11-8 favorite in the mile (1,600-meter) race, which drew a field of nine. Paco Boy, who won this race last year, made a strong run in the straight, but came up short.

LONDON: Goldikova ridden by Olivier Peslier wins The Queen Anne Stakes on day one of the Royal Ascot Meeting at Ascot Racecourse. —AP

“When Paco Boy came I was a little scared, but when she gets to the front she is never beaten,” winning trainer Freddie Head said. “She always finds something else. She is extraordinary.”

Dream Eater was third, followed by Zacinto, Dalghar, Rip Van Winkle, Ouqba, Cat Junior and Calming Influence.

Paco Boy’s jockey Richard Hughes rode to victory later in the day when he won the St. James’s Palace Stakes on Irish 2000 Guineas winner Canford Cliffs, trained by Richard Hannon.

Hughes, who rode three winners on opening yesterday last year, timed his run to perfection, breezing past English and French 2000 Guineas runner-up Dick Turpin with a late surge.

“Being on him is like getting into a Rolls Royce instead of a Morris Minor,” Hughes said. “The difference is unbelievable. You just sit on him and everything is smooth and is electric.” “I said all week I knew I was on the best horse, but I just needed a bit of luck in running.”

Hearts of Fire came in third. Noble’s Promise, which placed fifth in the Kentucky Derby, finished fifth. Hughes was unable to repeat his triple-winner feat of last year. However, he had his second win of the day on a Hannon-trained horse when he rode favorite Strong Suit to victory in the Coventry Stakes, ahead of Elzaam and Roayh. Strong Suit fell behind early on before a strong finish and was installed as favorite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in 2011.

“I’m lucky to have two horses as good as this pair,” Hannon said of Canford Cliffs and Strong Suit. “With Paco (Boy) and these two, I have three great milers and I’ll have to keep them apart if I can.

Canford Cliffs has got to go for Group Ones so I suppose the Sussex Stakes and the Jacques le Marois would be possibilities.” Equiano, trained by Barry Hills and ridden by his son Michael, won the King’s Stand Stakes for the second year in a row.

The 5-year-old stumbled out of the stalls before quickly recovering to finish ahead of Markab and Borderlescott. —AP

Gulf Bank representatives awarding the winning team with a trophy

Gulf Bank hails ‘outstanding success’ of the RED Football Tournament KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has hailed its sponsorship of the RED Football Tournament, which was held at the Goal Football Fields opposite Shaab Park, as an outstanding success.

The RED Football Tournament was organized by the Youth’s Creative Group and coordinated by Mohamed Al-Hulaila, the Organizing Committee’s Chairman, and Ahmad Al-Hamdan, the General Coordinator.

Thirty-two teams of eight players each competed for 3 days in the hopes of winning the RED Football Tournament. Young men between the ages of 15 and 24 years old participated in the elimination games and final match.

The final was won by the ‘Tawseel’ team, who beat the ‘Khaled Al-Mutawa’ team 3-2. Gulf Bank’s official representative, Nasser Al Daihani, Assistant Manager in Gulf Bank’s Marketing Department along with Mohamed Halila honored the winning team.

The final day of the Gulf Bank RED Football Tournament also included many other exciting football related competitions

and activities in appreciation and honor of exceptional talent. Awards were distributed to dedicated participants in which Adel Hanoun won ‘Best Player’, Saad Shaalan was named ‘Best Goalie’ and Nasser Bou Hamad received the ‘Best Referee’ award.

Commenting on the Championship, AlHulaila said: “We came up with this idea just before we graduated from High School, while we were waiting for the final results to come in. We wanted to invest our time in developing our capabilities in a constructive manner. We chose sports, namely football, as it is the most popular sport among young Kuwaitis. Our families as well as Gulf Bank were supportive of us, which helped us to be creative and invest our time in this useful activity. Gulf Bank has a long-standing tradition in supporting and helping youth initiatives and creativity, and I would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Bank.”

Aly Shalaby, Gulf Bank’s General Manager- Consumer Banking Group said: “We are very pleased to be involved in such a successful event. The role of Gulf Bank

is not only limited to developing youth capabilities in education, it also covers many other areas, including sports, which we believe is one of the healthiest ways to use free time, helping people get physically and mentally fit. Sports can uncover strong potential and talent among young people.

We are proud to be part of this event and we believe events such as these do make a difference in young peoples’ lives.”

Gulf Bank’s RED is a specially designed program that compliments the lifestyle of University and College students all over Kuwait. RED program offers students the chance to win monthly prizes including holiday trips and iPod music stations. To find out more about Gulf Bank’s RED program please visit one of Gulf Bank’s branches or call 1805805 for more information.

The Gulf Bank RED Football Championship is one of the many youth and awareness initiatives supported by Gulf Bank. The Bank is committed to discovering and developing youth capabilities as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility program, which is aimed at changing the lives of the future leaders of Kuwait.

16 Wednesday, June 16, 2010

S Africa faces moment of truth

World Cup Photo gallery PORT ELIZABETH: A Portuguese fan waits for the World Cup Group G soccer match between Ivory Coast and Portugal at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

—AP

RUSTENBURG: Slovakia fans sit together before the Group F first round 2010 World Cup football match Slovakia versus New Zealand. —AFP

BRATISLAVA: Slovakian fans react as they watch the screening of Group F’s first round 2010 World Cup football match between New Zeland and Slovakia in South Africa.

—AFP

Pienaar: Beat Uruguay and we’re through JOHANNESBURG: Midfielder Steven Pienaar has joined the chorus of South Africa World Cup footballers who believe victory over Uruguay today will secure a second-round place.

“It is going to be a tough game for us and we have to take maximum points,” said the Everton Footballer of the Year Monday after a training session in typical clear, warm daytime winter conditions.

“Uruguay are a really physical team who are well organised in defence with three centrebacks and also boast several good attacking players apart from Diego Forlan.

“But we must focus on our game and make sure we get the right result as the group is wide open with each team having secured one point,” he told reporters at a stadium on the edge of the Johannesburg central business district.

Pienaar echoed the views of midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala, scorer of the first 2010 World Cup goal, who said after a previous training session that victory against Uruguay would virtually clinch a last-16 berth.

A 1-1 stalemate between South Africa and Mexico followed by a 0-0 deadlock involving France and Uruguay confirmed the view of many pundidts that Group A was among the tightest of eight mini-leagues.

South Africa tackle Uruguay at Loftus Versfeld, home of Super 14 rugby union champions Northern Bulls, followed 24 hours later by 2006 runners-up France against Mexico in Polokwane.

Pienaar, who operates just behind lone striker Katlego Mphela in the 4-5-1 system of Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, is the only South African consistently performing at the highest level in Europe.

He attributed a poor first-half showing against Mexico to nerves as Bafana Bafana (The Boys) had to ride a wave of expectations from a football-obsessed nation.

Rightback Siboniso Gaxa, criticised for not pushing forward enough against a Mexican side ranked 66 places above South Africa, shared the beliefs of Pienaar about the South Americans who won 4-3 and drew 0-0 with Bafana previously.

“We need to start well this time which did not happen against Mexico. There is room for improvement from the fullbacks and the midfielders when it comes to wide play,” he admitted.

Gaxa and leftback Lucas Thwala, replaced at half-time after 45 torrid minutes against Mexican magician Giovani dos Santos, took a media ham-

our supporters is amazing and we need to reach the second round for their sake. I believe four points will be enough to claim a place in the knockout stage.”

—AFP

South Africa's midfielder Steven Pienaar

Pretoria slow to catch World Cup bug: Fans PRETORIA: Amid the din of vuvuzelas and the waves of green and yellow shirts flooding the host country, there is one spot in South Africa that seems to have been a bit slow on the uptake: the capital.

While the rest of South Africa, and indeed the continent as a whole, goes World Cup crazy, life is trundling along at its usual languid pace in Pretoria.

That’s the verdict of the capital’s residents and visitors.

Face painter Kgomotjo Tolo, 24, has set up a stall in the Brooklyn Shopping Centre but he was hoping for a bit more business.

“It’s not what I was expecting, people seem a bit relaxed.

The vibe isn’t there yet but there’s no rush, there’s only been a few games,” he told AFP. “I was expecting people to engage fully into this thing, to take part in the fan clubs but there are only a few people. “But the foreign fans are great, they love the country, they love things here and they are friendly.”

Fashion stylist Nicoleah Ogle, 35, came to Pretoria from Johannesburg to do some sourcing and she too has been surprised at how different the atmosphere is to her home city.

“It’s a bit quiet compared to the city centre of Johannesburg,” she said, before revealing that Pretoria isn’t as calm as other places. “My cousin flew to Durban for the Germany (v Australia) game yesterday (Sunday) and he said: ‘is the World Cup even happening here?’. “But Durban is a sleepy town.”

Not everyone is in agreement, though, as taxi driver Kenneth Mhlanga, 40, from Johannesburg, was actually expecting fewer people.

Halal and caviar — home comforts at World Cup

BRAZIL: A fan of Portugal’s soccer team crosses her fingers as she watches the World Cup 2010 soccer match between Portugal and Ivory Coast on TV in Rio de Janeiro. —AP

mering and Tshabalala and Teko Modise were criticised for not retreating more.

The defender believes the vuvuzelaloving South African supporters who blow the plastic horns incessantly at a match can continue to play a key role as Bafana seek to improve on first round exits in two previous Cup appearances.

“What we have seen from

PORT ELIZABETH: Halal for the Algerians, tubs of caviar for any wandering WAGS — South Africa is pushing the boat out to ensure its VIP World Cup guests don’t feel homesick.

Algeria, first round rivals for England, are based in the four-star Mondazur Resort Estate hotel at the San Lameer golf complex on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast.

And to make the Desert Foxes feel at home they have installed their own chef to prepare halal meals at their World Cup headquarters 140 kilometres from Durban. Staff at the hotel have reportedly also been taught a smattering of French just for good measure with phrases like ‘bon appetit’.

Said Elmare Kotze, the hotel’s general manager, told South Africa’s Sunday Times newspaper: “Our main focus is to ensure that the team experience a ‘home away from home’ feeling for the duration of their stay.”

England manager Fabio Capello may have slapped a ban on visiting WAGS to avoid a repeat of the media circus that accompanied the England team’s wives and girlfriends in Germany in 2006 yet one resort is leaving nothing to chance in the event that one or two slip through the net. —AFP

Having come to Pretoria to bring a client to the Mozambique Embassy, he said: “I was thinking that maybe it would be different because it’s the first time (the World Cup has been held in Africa) but there’s more people than I thought.

“People keep on coming. I was picking them up from the airport yesterday. Different people keep arriving.” One of those coming from far and wide is Layssa Diop, who owns a tourism agency in Senegal and has brought children Gaelle, 14, and Babacar, 12, to the World Cup for an entire month.

They picked Pretoria in the hope of seeing as many games involving African teams as possible, Their first game will be CameroonDenmark at the Loftus Versfeld stadium here on Saturday. “We’re here to support the African teams,” she said. “But we’ve not met many fans, just a few French and Spaniards.”

Mrs Diop said that she was having difficulties picking up tickets, though. “We haven’t found many tickets, we wanted to go to BrazilIvory Coast but the only tickets we could find were the most expensive ones.

“We’ll try to find some for USAAlgeria.” One thing that does come out from the people here, though, is that they have faith in the continent’s teams to do them proud.

“We want to see them win, we have great hopes for Ghana and Cameroon, and Ivory Coast, although we haven’t seen them yet,” said Mrs Diop. “I’m not sure about South Africa and it will be tough for Algeria but we expect at least two teams to make the second round.” Ms Ogle had similar thoughts.

“It was exciting for Africa to see Ghana win (on Sunday), (African) supporters are even getting together on Facebook pages,” she said. “I have faith in Ghana and Ivory Coast. I hope Bafana Bafana will win at least one game, that would bring Uruguay's striker their confidence Diego Forlan level up.” —AFP

PRETORIA: South African dreams of a shock run into the second round of the World Cup face a moment of truth today in a critical match against Diego Forlan-led Uruguay.

Unfancied South Africa, trying to avoid becoming the first host nation to fail to advance from the group stage, opened with a 1-1 draw against Mexico while Uruguay and France played out a nervy 0-0 draw, leaving Group A up for grabs.

“Uruguay will be in trouble if we carry on where we left off against the Mexicans,” said South African midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala, whose opening

strike of the tournament was the first World Cup finals goal on African soil.

“A win against Uruguay will virtually seal our passage into the second round and make the nation even prouder.”

Forlan, who scored both goals in Atletico Madrid’s Europa League final victory over Fulham to cap an outstanding club season, leads a Uruguay attack that figures to be a formidable challenge for the defence of “Bafana Bafana” (The Boys).

“It is going to be a tough game for us and we have to take maximum points,” said South Africa’s Steven Pienaar, whose performances from midfield for English Premier League club Everton have made him his country’s bestknown player.

“Uruguay are a really physical team who are well organised in defence with three centrebacks and also boast several good attacking players apart from Diego Forlan,” Pienaar added.

“We must focus on our game and make sure we get the right result as the group is wide open.” South African centreback Bongani Khumalo is excited for the chance to face Forlan.

“Diego is a world-class footballer, but the whole point of playing in this tournament is to test yourself against the best,” Khumalo said.

“There is no fear of Forlan nor Uruguay.”

Pienaar said his side will be no less formidable than against Mexico. “We just have to go on,” Pienaar said. “We can only get better now.”

After escaping their emotional and historic World Cup opener with a draw, the passion lingers among South African players, Mokoena insisted.

“The confidence is still there among the boys,” he said. Thousands of vuvuzela-tooting supporters will be on hand at Loftus Versfeld, the same pitch where Ghana beat Serbia 1-0 on Sunday, making a little piece of history as the first African side to win a World Cup finals match in Africa.

South African captain Aaron Mokoena called vuvuzelas “our 12th man that we need.

It’s our weapon. We don’t mind vuvuzelas at all.”

The loud buzz from the plastic trumpets has unsettled some teams but is sweet music to spark the spirit of South African players.

“What we have seen from our supporters is amazing and we need to

reach the second round for their sake,” South African defender Siboniso Gaxa said. “I believe four points will be enough to claim a place in the knockout stage.”

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez knows his side, which has beaten South Africa 4-3 and drawn 0-0 in prior meetings, will need every point it can get to avoid being left out of the last 16.

“All the teams are on the same footing now,” Tabarez said.

“The group is now evenly balanced and the next games will be crucial.”

How well Khumalo, a standout for South African champion Supersport United, and Bafana Bafana’s defence can contain Forlan will go a long way to deciding the outcome. The X-factor will be the emotional lift of South Africa’s historic host role and the ardent and loud support from the stands. —AFP

17 Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Chile eye second round JOHANNESBURG: A family tragedy will inspire Honduras midfielder Wilson Palacios when he confronts Chile today in a Group H Nelspruit showdown.

Younger brother Edwin was kidnapped in the politically troubled Central American country three years ago and although a 150,000-dollar ransom was paid, his body was discovered in a remote rural area.

“Everything I do in football is for Edwin. He is watching over me,” Palacios told Honduran reporters as the country prepares for only their second appearance at the four-

Chile’s striker Humberto Suazo

yearly football spectacle.

In a squad containing 14 local semi-professionals, Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa and midfielder Hendry Thomas are other English Premiership representatives.

Midfielders Edgar Alvarez and Julio de Leon and striker David Suazo play in Italy, although the latter is a doubtful starter for the match at the 42,000-seat Mbombela Stadium in the north-east city.

Honduras proved a tough nut to crack in Spain 28 years ago, drawing twice and losing the other group game by a single goal, and this offer hope to Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda.

“Chile play a different brand of football to most countries and you have to be very intelligent to match them,” is the warning he drills into a team prone to defensive lapses.

Since defeating Yugoslavia to finish

third as hosts of the 1962 tournament, Chile have played 13 matches in four appearances without celebrating a victory.

But hopes are high that a team which finished second behind Brazil in the qualifying competition for South Africa can not only defeat Honduras, but reach the second round.

The Chilean schedule suggests they will face increasingly tougher opposition with Honduras followed by European rivals Switzerland and World Cup favorites Spain.

This is a young, hungry Chilean outfit lacking household international names that has already impressed in South Africa, defeating the host nation more convincingly than a 20 scoreline suggests in a friendly last year.

Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, whose El Loco nickname hardly does him justice, favors a 3-3-1-3 system with the team swarming about the field like bees, trying to unsettle rivals.

Bielsa is desperate for success after failing to take his homeland beyond the first round at the 2002 World Cup with Argentina losing to England and held by Sweden.

Famous for thorough preparations, he spends hours studying videos of his own team and opponents, looking for that one chink in the armour that could tilt the balance.

While Bielsa has become a national hero in his adopted country with an offer of citizenship, he quickly passes credit to a squad captained by Spain-based goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

“This team got to South Africa on its own.

I did not take them there, rather I am going there with them,” he told Chilean journalists regularly subjected to multihour news conferences as the coach answers every question.

Bravo has shrugged off relegation of Real Sociedad from Spanish L a Liga and a knee injury to remain a dependable last line of defence for C h i l e w h i l e i m p re s s i v e s h o t s t o p p e r Va l l a d a re s o f t e n induces Honduran palpitations with his suspect handling of c ro s s e s . — A F P

Bielsa will make late decision on Suazo NELSPRUIT: Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa will make a last-minute decision on whether to start Humberto S u a z o a g a i n s t H o n d u r a s t o d a y.

Bielsa said yesterday the striker has recovered from a lef t thigh injury sustained two weeks ago but was still short of match fitness.

“Suazo has still got that special quality of scoring goals,” Bielsa said. “I never take a risk with a player who’s not fit, but that’s not the case with Suazo.” Bielsa said he would watch the players in training Tuesday before making a

decision on the lineup.

“We’ve still got one training session left. I still don’t have the formation resolved,” he said. “Suazo has been training the last few days in the same way as the rest of his teammates but he’s still affected in his physical fitness by the break he had after the injury.”

Bielsa said the rest of his squad was fit and that his game plan would be the same as always.

“We only think about attacking.

We will try to attack as much as we can,” he said. —AP

WCup is dream come true NELSPRUIT: For Honduras defender Maynor Figueroa, playing in the Central American country’s second World Cup is a “dream come true,” with the side preparing for its opening match against Chile. Honduras’ only other appearance at the tournament was in 1982.

The squad landed in Nelspruit on Monday morning and trained at a nearby stadium, two days before the Group H match against Chile today.

“We’re very close now,” Figueroa said. “We’re about to make our dream come true.” Defender Sergio Mendoza said the nation would be focused on proving pundits wrong about how far Honduras can go.

“You can’t say one team is favorite ... we all deserve respect,” he said.

Honduras has fitness concerns over striker David Suazo and midfielder Wilson Palacios. Both players have right thigh muscle injuries.

Palacios looks set to be fit for today’s match, but Suazo’s problem is said to be more serious. Both players stretched and jogged with the rest of the squad and did ball

work between themselves during the 20 minutes of the session open to the media.

Coach Reinaldo Rueda is expected to give a better idea of what his team will look like at a pre-match news conference late yesterday.

Figueroa said it was important to make the most of the two days the team has before kick off.

“We’ve got to stay calm, take advantage of these two days to work as hard as possible and realize that it’s going to be difficult, but not impossible,” he said. Figueroa said the Honduras team had spent “several weeks” analyzing the Chilean side, saying the South Americans were “a very good national team”.

Mendoza, who returned from a one-year doping ban just in time to make Rueda’s squad, refused to pick out individual Chile players to watch out for. “I’m more interested in the team as a whole,” he said.

“They always play well as a team.” Honduras also faces Spain and Switzerland in later Group H matches. — AP

Rueda has new injury concern NELSPRUIT: Honduras playmaker Julio De Leon is doubtful for today’s Group H match against Chile because of an injury, coach Reinaldo Rueda said yesterday.

“He’s on the right track,” Rueda said of Suazo’s progress. “He’s now had his third training session with the rest of the group and that’s good news for us all. “The key is to make the right decision regarding whether he starts or not, thinking not only about the game with Chile but about the following games too.”

Rueda will watch the game from the stands today Rueda said the after being sent Torino midfielder from the touchline was undergoing in the team’s last tests after picking qualifying game against up an injury in El Salvador in October.

Honduras’ training on The Honduras coach striker David Monday. He did said his assistants was Suazo not give any ready to take charge of details. the team while he sat out “He’s the one-game suspension. depressed “We’ve been talking conand a bit tinually about the game and irritated to what we visualize happening,” have this he said. “We hope there’s no situation crisis and that the group is able just a few to perform as normally as possihours from ble.” Rueda said Chile would be a the first difficult rival — with or match,” without star striker Rueda said.

Humberto Suazo, who “Everything is racing to recover depends on how the from a left thigh injury pain evolves and ahead of the game. what the doctors “Chile is a very comsay.” Rueda said pact national side that Genoa striker has performed very well David Suazo, and has a great team who has a right spirit,” Rueda said. “We thigh know Suazo’s characteristics and his injury, qualities, I think Honduras has to be would also prepared to rise to the game be evaluated whether Humberto plays or not.” In ahead of the other Group H game today, Wednesday’s Spain takes on Switzerland in game.

Durban. — AP

Mexico expect big things of ‘Little Pea’ Hernandez JOHANNESBURG: Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez has the ideal chance to whet the appetites of Manchester United fans assuming he gets to start in Mexico’s crucial World Cup encounter with France tomorrow in Polokwane.

Hernandez will head to Old Trafford in a reported seven-million pound deal having caught United’s eye with seven goals in his first dozen appearances for his country and after impressing for Guadalajara’s Chivas since making his debut in 2006.

Mexico’s fans will be hoping for big things from the man they have dubbed “Chicharito”, or “Little Pea”, who has followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as a World Cup player.

“Big Pea” was his father, former player Javier Hernandez Gutierrez, who earned the nickname for his green eyes.

Now the 22-year-old Hernandez and Arsenal’s Carlos Vela, 21, will carry the hopes of some 105 million Mexicans into the game against the French.

It’s an encounter Vela says will be a case of “kill or be killed” with all four sides in the group having one point from their opening match after Uruguay held the French.

Mexicans always have a soft spot for big-hearted centre forwards such as Hugo Sanchez and Cuauhtemoc Blanco, still in the squad and at 37 almost old enough to be the father of his fellow strikers.

Hernandez says he is itching for a bigger slice of the action against the French having had just 17 minutes against South Africa on Friday, when he came on for Guillermo Franco.

As Vela has indicated, a loss is likely

World Cup Photo gallery

to mean elimination and yet Hernandez says he does not feel nervous about the responsibility which could be about to fall on his inexperienced shoulders.

“I am calm, as I have always said this is a team game. We win together and we lose together. Whoever scores is immaterial - the important thing is to go out and look for a win and deliver it,” says the Guadalajara-born youngster who only turned 22 the week the squad arrived in South Africa.

Hernandez has enjoyed a dizzy rise in his fortunes. By the age of nine he was playing for the local Chivas junior side and by 18 was in the first team.

On September 9, 2006, he came on and scored with virtually his first touch in a league match against Necaxa, quickly becoming a fan favourite at a club where his grandfather Tomas

Balcazar had starred as well as his father. “It was a wonderful feeling to don the same shirt as they had before me,” Hernandez recalls. His father made the 1986 World Cup squad and his grandfather was in the 1954 team.

A goal every other game in his first season alerted other clubs to his talents with first PSV Eindhoven, Wolfsburg and Valencia all tracking him before United landed him after dangling a fiveyear deal starting next month.

Although no giant at 1.77m he reads the game well and displays considerable penalty area cunning. Injury forced him to miss Mexico’s 2005 under-17 world championship triumph, but four of that generation - Giovani Dos Santos, Vela, Efrain Juarez and Hector Moreno - are with him in the senior squad this summer. — AFP

PORT ELIZABETH: An Ivory Coast fan gestures prior to the World Cup Group G soccer match between Ivory Coast and Portugal at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. — AP

PORT ELIZABETH: Portuguese fans hold up a card referring to Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo prior to the World Cup Group G soccer match between Ivory Coast and Portugal.

—AP

RUSTENBURG: Football fans cheer during the Group F first round 2010 World Cup football match between New Zealand and Slovakia at Royal Bafokeng stadium. — AFP

RUSTENBURG: A Slovakian fan with his country’s flag painted on his face cheers as he waits for the start of the World Cup Group F soccer match between New Zealand and Slovakia.

—AP

18 Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Spain ‘hungry for title’

World Cup Photo gallery

Goalkeepers facing a net loss

PORT ELIZABETH: Portuguese fans cheer during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Ivory Coast and Portugal at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. —AP

PORT ELIZABETH: A fan blows a vuvuzela during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Ivory Coast and Portugal at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

—AP

PARIS: England goalkeeper Robert Green and Algerian guardian Faouzi Chaouchi may have been subjected to ridicule after their howlers in their respective weekend World Cup matches, but it is nothing new for people who have occupied that isolated position.

It may be a team game but goalkeeping errors are the ones that stick in people’s memories, whilst outfield players who miss penalties get a sympathetic pat on the back and generally sensitive press coverage.

While strikers more often than not grab the glory it is the goalkeeper who is the regular butt of people’s humor and ire.

Green was well advised to take to the golf course on Sunday, after his error gifted the Americans an equaliser in the 1-1 draw, than read headlines such as ‘Hand of Clod’ and ‘This is one spill that the Americans would have liked’ — the latter referring to the ongoing spat between the two countries over BP’s massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Green and Chaouchi — who also was at fault for Slovenia’s goal in the 1-0 defeat — have not resorted to blaming the much-maligned Jabulani official football, though, several of their counterparts such as Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon have given it the thumbs down.

“Rotten” opined Spain’s Casillas, “unpredictable” commented Italy’s World Cup winning ‘keeper Buffon, who went on to say that it was ‘a disgrace that such a rotten ball was being used in such a great tournament’.

However, Green and Chaouchi will not be the last ‘keepers to have their mistakes emblazoned all over the internet or on TV - and they are the

latest in a long list to be pilloried.

Rare is it that goalkeepers are remembered for winning games, even Gordon Banks’ stunning save from Pele in a 1970 World Cup group match ended in a 1-0 defeat.

However, Banks was much-needed when having been laid-low through illness his replacement Peter Bonetti did not live up to his nickname ‘The Cat’ as West Germany defeated England 3-2 in the quarter-final with Bonetti being blamed for the defeat.

South American countries too have provided a fair quota of eccentric goalkeepers, good entertainment if you are an opposing player or sitting in the crowd a nightmare if you are in the same team.

Rene Higuita of Colombia had his moments of

inspiration but also reflected his nickname of ‘El Loco’ such as his indecisiveness on the ball when well outside his area in the 1990 World Cup match with Cameroon which resulted in Roger Milla scoring and the Colombians going home. Neither England nor Algeria are on their way home yet, but should they depart after the first round Green and Chaouchi can expect no quarter such is the fate of the goalkeeper. —AFP

Xavi — the key for Spain

RUSTENBURG: New Zealand soccer fans arrive for the World Cup Group F soccer match between New Zealand and Slovakia at Royal Bafokeng Stadium. —AP

PORT ELIZABETH: A Portuguese fan arrives at the stadium for the World Cup Group G soccer match between Ivory Coast and Portugal at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

—AP

POTCHEFSTROOM: While David Villa has set his sights on being the World Cup’s leading scorer, Spain’s game will pass through the boots of midfield genius Xavi Hernandez.

Forced to wait until day six to begin their campaign, Spain’s players are itching to get started against Switzerland in Group H today.

“We want to start the World Cup on the right foot, that’s fundamental,” defender Sergio Ramos said on Monday.

“We’re very motivated to get started, we want to show off what we’ve been doing here for a long Xavi time now.”

Midfielder Xavi is the key to Spain’s fluid style of play. “Our team’s style over the past few years has been marked by touch football, by a lot of quick movement, especially in the center of the field.

Though we all contribute to this, Xavi especially does,” Villa said. “He’s the lynchpin.”

The 30-year-old Xavi, who was named best player at Euro 2008, has been vital to Spain since a disappointing World Cup campaign four years ago. Former coach Luis Aragones decided to base the national team’s play around Barcelona’s possession based style after that 2006 early exit to France.

Villa knows his chances of being leading scorer in South Africa - as he was at Euro 2008 - depends on his team. “It would be nice because it would mean a lot of goals for the team,” Villa said. “Goals are achieved through the work of the team.”

Xavi just helped Barcelona defend its league crown and has won two Champions Leagues to go with five league titles since his club debut in 1998. Xavi is fifth on Spain’s all-time list with 87 appearances.

“He’s the one who controls the play in the team, he provides our team’s balance. He plays a fundamental role,” Ramos said. “Inside the locker room he also has a lot of personality and brings a lot of experience.

Apart from being a good player, he’s a great friend.”

Xavi is among 11 current squad members who were in Germany four years ago and is among the core group that has been contributed to Spain’s recent success, which has seen the team lose only once in its past 49 games — stretching to November 2006.

“The most important thing that we have is unity within the group, and that’s reflected on the field,”

Ramos said. “We have a style and we’ve maintained our regularity ... and that’s down to the indisputable quality of players we have.” Both Ramos and Villa lauded Germany’s performance in a 4-0 win over Australia on Sunday, saying its Euro 2008 final opponent is a contender to reach the July 11 final at Soccer City.

Many have earmarked Spain as serious World Cup title challengers, but Ramos said the team felt no added pressure. “The press and people have given us the title of favorites. But we’re going to respect all teams the same,” Ramos said. “It would be an error to believe we’re favorites. We’re in the first phase and there are some important games to go.”—AP

SOUTH AFRICA: Spain’s goalkeeper Pepe Reina stops a ball during an official training session at Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban. —AFP

DURBAN: European champions Spain make their World Cup bow against Switzerland here today with star midfielder Cesc Fabregas saying they were “hungry for the title”.

Spanish football is riding the crest of a wave following Spain’s Euro 2008 victory and the record-breaking achievements of Barcelona in 2009, and La Roja have rightly been installed as joint favourites for the World Cup with Brazil.

Spain hold the distinction of being the only side to ever be ranked number one in the FIFA standings without winning a World Cup. Their best placing remains fourth place in 1950.

The country would only appear in two more World Cups until 1978, but have qualified for every tournament since then.

But in players like goalkeeper Iker Casillas, midfield magicians Xavi and Andres Iniesta and lethal strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres they possess the kind of quality that emerges only once in a generation.

Spain, coached by Vicente Del Bosque, qualified with a flawless record, winning all 10 matches in their European qualifying group, and Fabregas said maybe the time had come for Spain to step forward for a first World Cup crown.

“We are hungry for the title and we can show we are the best at this championships,” said Fabregas, the Arsenal playmaker who struggles to get in the Spanish team such is their embarrassment of riches.

“We are in a very competitive group, but we are keen to show that this is our moment and we are hungry to show that Spain can be the best.” After the Switzerland game, Spain face Honduras on June 21 in Johannesburg and Chile four days later in Pretoria.

Switzerland, who reached the last 16 in 2006 before falling on penalties to Ukraine, overcame a shock 2-1 defeat to minnows Luxembourg to top their pool in

European qualification.

The team, now coached by former Bayern Munich boss Ottmar Hitzfeld, features a healthy blend of youth and experience, combining talented youngsters Eren Derdiyok, Tranquillo Barnetta and goalkeeper Diego Benaglio with seasoned campaigners like skipper Alexander Frei and Congo-born striker Blaise N’Kufo.

In their warm-ups, the Swiss drew 1-1 with reigning world champions Italy, but suffered a 1-0 loss to Costa Rica and midfielder Gelson Fernandes was under no illusion how tough an opponent Spain represented.

The Spanish team, he said, were “the best team of all time - they play like Barcelona”. “I have rarely seen such dominance in collective play. You can see they all fit together well as a unit on the pitch and it’s really great to see - it will be magnificent to play against them.

“They are the favorites as they are very strong tactically and technically. We will have to put them under pressure high up the field.”

But the Swiss have been dealt a harsh blow with Frei and Kosovo-born West Ham midfielder Valon Behrami both out injured.

Coach Hitzfeld, who is just one of three coaches to win the Champions League with two different teams (in his case Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich), insisted that even without the injured duo there was no question of playing for a 0-0 draw with the Spanish.

“Against Spain, we have to score one or two goals, because playing for 0-0 against Spain is very hard, few teams succeed in doing that,” he said. “We have been training in restricted spaces so as to adapt ourselves to the Spanish game.

“We will in any case be defensive minded and will have to take our chances when we counter attack, because the Spanish are likely to have 65-70 percent of possession.”

With Basel frontman Alexander Frei now missing through injury, the onus will fall on the Swiss back four to hold out against what is expected to be a smart-passing and slick Spanish midfield boasting some of the world’s most talented playmakers: Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas. —AFP

Gourcuff enigma clouds French camp KNYSNA: Socially isolated and largely anonymous on the pitch, Yoann Gourcuff has endured a disquieting start to his first World Cup campaign with France.

The Bordeaux playmaker has long been considered his country’s natural heir to Zinedine Zidane, but his ineffective performance in Friday’s 0-0 draw with Uruguay has added weight to calls from him to be dropped. At 23 and with only 21 caps to his name, Gourcuff is experiencing for the first time the unique claustrophobia of a major tournament.

In France’s opening match against the Uruguayans, the former AC Milan player looked hesitant and uncomfortable, frequently giving the ball away despite his deserved reputation as a midfielder of supreme technical quality.

The question on everyone’s lips since the start of last season has been: Where is the Gourcuff of 200809, who swept all before him with Bordeaux and became an integral component of France’s firstchoice XI? Gourcuff had been looking to the World Cup to help banish the memories of a dreadful season with Bordeaux, who meekly failed to defend their French title and finished sixth.

But his poor form has persisted and his problems have been compounded by the suspicion that he has become a peripheral member of the France squad, ignored by the team’s leaders and senior stars.

In French sport daily L’Equipe on Friday, France captain Patrice Evra confirmed in just a few words that Gourcuff is something of an outcast.

“Yo (Gourcuff), I never hear him,” Evra said. “To speak to Gourcuff, you have to talk to (Jeremy) Toulalan. It’s with him that I see him having a laugh.” en speculation in the French media that Gourcuff is being ignored by his teammates on the pitch, with Nicolas Anelka and Franck Ribery allegedly guilty of deliberately failing to pass to him against Uruguay.

In training and particularly during warm-ups at France’s plush World Cup base, the malaise is noticeable. Gourcuff often trains alone or goes through his warm-up routine with either his Bordeaux teammates - Alou Diarra, Cedric Carrasso and Marc Planus - or Toulalan, his only allies in the French setup.

Is Gourcuff a victim of jealousy provoked by his golden boy status or is he simply too fragile psychologically? Writing in L’Equipe on Sunday, former France left-back Bixente Lizarazu said Gourcuff was “too self-effacing, too nice and probably too wellbrought up”.

“Today he needs to start baring his teeth and sharpening his elbows.” Gourcuff’s current struggles come as a surprise to Patrick Rampillon, his coach at Rennes during his formative years. —AFP

19 Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Last-gasp All Whites snatch historic point

RUSTENBURG: New Zealand’s Shane Smeltz (bottom) falls as Slovakia’s Zdeno Strba (top) controls the ball during the World Cup Group F soccer match. —AP

Police take charge after strikes JOHANNESBURG: South African police stepped in to take over security at four World Cup venues yesterday after new strikes by stewards, including a walk-out hours before Brazil’s first match of the tournament.

South Africa’s government said the move would not affect fans’ safety but organisers were left red-faced by the failure to contain the industrial unrest.

National police commissioner Bheki Cele said his officers would now be in charge of security at the stadiums in Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg’s Ellis Park where fivetimes champions Brazil played North Korea.

Around 1,000 police were on duty in and around the ground for one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the first round.

“We have activated necessary and adequate contingency plans to different stadia in the country,” said Cele. “We are confident that we will not compromise the safety of the tournament or our day to day normal policing.”

An AFP correspondent at Ellis Park reported several hundred staff walked out of the stadium around four hours before kick-off.

Staff at Cape Town staged a similar protest over their pay on Monday night shortly before champions Italy began their defence of the trophy. And their colleagues in Durban clashed with riot police

as they protested against their employees after a late game on Sunday.

The dispute is a major embarrassment for organisers who also had to find alternative transport for nearly 1,000 supporters stuck at Johannesburg’s showpiece Soccer City stadium when bus drivers staged a wildcat strike.

The organising committee had said on Monday they would convene a meeting between stewards and the security in a bid to resolve the dispute, but their efforts appeared in vain.

The workers say they were initially promised a daily salary of 180 rands (around 24 dollars, 17 euros) plus bonuses by the Stallion security firm but were later told they would get only 120 rands.

Contacted by AFP, a source at the company refused to comment and said questions should be directed towards the organising committee.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, government spokesman Themba Maseko said the strikes would not affect fans’ security.

“The South African police and other security agencies are ready to deal with any situation,” he told reporters. There had been speculation that rights activists would try to stage a protest against North Korea but there was no incident before the kick-off.

The stadium was mostly a sea of yellow and green Brazil shirts although there was a pocket of around 50 North Korean

fans.

One North Korean player, the Japanbased Jong Tae Se, sobbed when the national anthem was played. While the stewarding row remained unresolved, transport officials said a dispute with drivers on Johannesburg’s new bus system had been settled.

Fans attending the Netherlands’ match against Denmark in Johannesburg were left fuming Monday after drivers who dropped them off then went on strike.

Ever since it was awarded the hosting rights six years ago, South Africa has had to fend off claims its transport system, lack of infrastructure and high crime make it an unsuitable stage for the world’s most popular sporting event. The strikes came on top of concern about the number of empty seats.

After the sport’s governing body FIFA promised to investigate how the attendance at a weekend match was about 8,000 short of capacity, there were more big gaps at Tuesday’s game between New Zealand and Slovakia in Rustenburg.

FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot said attendance levels had been around 92.5 percent, similar to those in the first round at the last World Cup in Germany.

“It is not nice to see empty seats at stadiums, but so far we have done well in terms of attendance,” said Maingot, attributing some of the empty seats to transport problems. —AFP

RUSTENBURG: A stoppage time equaliser by defender Winston Reid saw New Zealand claim the first World Cup point in their history with a 1-1 draw with Slovakia yesterday.

The All Whites, who lost all three matches in their only other finals appearance in 1982, looked destined for defeat after Robert Vittek had headed Slovakia into a 50thminute lead in the Group F match.

But three minutes into injury time, Reid popped up at the back post to head Shane Smeltz’s cross in off the post to deny Slovakia victory in their first World Cup match as an independent nation.

New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert hailed the point as the greatest result in the rugbymad country’s football history. “We came across with the intention to make a difference and we certainly did that against a highly rated team,” said Herbert, who played in Spain 28 years ago.

“We are very, very proud. You would have to say this is our best ever result. We have never picked up a point in a World Cup before. We have come and thrown some extremely good punches and got what I thought was a fully deserved result.”

The draw was indeed no more than New Zealand deserved from a scrappy encounter in which Slovakia did little that will worry group rivals Italy or Paraguay, who also drew 1-1 when they met on Monday.

Vittek admitted the draw felt more like a defeat. “It is so disappointing to lose a goal in the 94th minute. It is just a nightmare. We could have had three points and at the end it felt like we have lost the match.” Head coach Vladimir Weiss described the late equaliser as a “small sporting tragedy for us.”

“During the match we were the better team, it is just a pity we did not take the oppor tunities we had. The mood in the dressing room is very sad but that is football. We have to cope with the sadness and I hope we will per for m well in the next match.”

With Slovakia struggling to get their passing game going in cold, windy conditions, it was the All Whites who had the better of the chances with both Chris Killen and Smeltz (twice) failing to take good chances before Reid found the net.

Middlesbrough’s Killen needed only five minutes to underline the threat he poses in the air, outjumping both centrebacks to meet Simon Elliott’s inswinging free-kick with a header that was directed straight at Slovakia’s goalkeeper Jan Mucha.

Twenty minutes had elapsed before Slovakia produced a moment of menace, captain Marek Hamsik curling a shot beyond the far post.

Gradually they began to assert themselves and, after being played into the box by the lively Vladimir Weiss, Stanislav Sestak toe-poked a shot inches wide of Mark Paston’s left-hand upright.

Paston, who had already flapped hesitantly at one cross, was fortunate to escape unpunished after completely missing the ball as he attempted to punt the ball clear from the left edge of his box.

Vittek then sent a long range effort wide before New Zealand’s best chance of the opening period fell to Smeltz. The forward’s strike from a tight angle was cleanly struck but Mucha’s touch was enough to deflect it into the side netting.

Hamsik’s dipping shot had to palmed over

by Paston just before half-time and, five minutes after the restart, the Slovakians broke the deadlock.

Allowed time on the right, Sestak whipped in a cross and Vittek, who may have been fractionally offside, got away from Reid to send a header beyond Paston and into the bottom corner.

Vittek should have made it two at the end of a sweeping counterattack with 20 minutes left, only to be frustrated by Reid’s fullstretch block.

With three minutes left, Smeltz got above Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel only to steer his header wide. New Zealand’s last chance looked to have gone but Reid had other ideas. —AFP

World Cup matches (local timings) Honduras v Chile ................................................................. 14:30 Al Jazeera Sport 1HD Al Jazeera Sport +10 Al Jazeera World Cup Spain v Switzerland ............................................................. 17:00 Al Jazeera Sport 1HD Al Jazeera sport +9 Al Jazeera World Cup

DURBAN: A group of protesters dance and sing next to police officers near the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa. More than 100 World Cup soccer security stewards have protested in Durban. —AP

South Africa v Uruguay ..................................................... 21:30 Al Jazeera Sport 1HD Al Jazeera sport +9 Al Jazeera World Cup

World Cup Photo gallery

SOUTH AFRICA: A North Korean (left) and a Brazilian fan wait for the World Cup Group G soccer match between Brazil and North Korea at Ellis Park Stadium. —AP

SOUTH AFRICA: A Brazilian fan beats a drum before the World Cup Group G soccer match between Brazil and North Korea at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.

—AP

JOHANNESBURG: Brazilian fans cheer prior to the World Cup Group G soccer match between Brazil and North Korea at Ellis Park Stadium. —AP

PORT ELIZABETH: A Portuguese fan cheers prior to the World Cup Group G soccer match between Ivory Coast and Portugal at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

—AP

www.kuwaittimes.net

Brazil pierce N Korea defence

World Cup Photo gallery

SOUTH AFRICA: Brazilian fans smile prior to the World Cup Group G soccer match between Brazil and North Korea at Ellis Park Stadium. —AP

PORTO: A Portuguese fan reacts as she watches the South Africa 2010 World Cup Group G soccer match between Portugal and Ivory Coast on a giant screen in downtown Porto. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.

—AP

RUSTENBURG: A Slovakian fan wears a mask prior to the World Cup Group F soccer match between New Zealand and Slovakia at Royal Bafokeng Stadium. —AP

JOHANNESBURG: A combination of pictures taken in June 2010 shows supporters from various countries attending during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. —AFP

JOHANNESBURG: Maicon and Elano scored a goal each as Brazil broke through a solid North Korean defense to win their opening World Cup match 2-1 yesterday.

Brazil escaped with a hardfought victory in the Group G match after struggling to get past the defensive setup of the North Koreans, who are making their first World Cup appearance in 44 years and arrived as the tournament’s lowestranked team.

“The opener is always harder,” Dunga said. “There is the anxiety, the players are more nervous than usual, trying to do too much. But we are satisfied.”

Maicon scored at Ellis Park after a through ball from midfielder Elano in the 55th minute, making a run on the right side and shooting into the far corner from a tight angle as North Korea goalkeeper Ri Myong Guk went for the cross.

Elano then added to the lead in the 72nd after a well-timed pass from Robinho, finding the net with a one-timer from inside the area.

Ji Yum Nam pulled one back for North Korea in the 89th.

The victory gives Brazil first place in the group after Portugal and the Ivory Coast drew 0-0 in their opener earlier Tuesday.

“It is important to start with a victory and we did it,” Maicon said. “It was a good step toward our goal of being in the final on July 11.” Brazil controlled possession from the start but struggled to break through the Korean lineup with five men at the back. Robinho was about the only Brazilian able to create some dangerous opportunities.

He took advantage of his nifty skills to give Brazil its first chance just two minutes into the match, using a stepover move to clear a defender and set up Kaka inside the area, but the playmaker failed to get a shot off as North Korea’s An Yong Hak stole the ball.

Robinho had his own chance with a long-range shot that missed the target in the seventh and with a quick strike from inside the penalty area that was saved by Ri in the 20th. Robinho cleared a defender again inside the area in the 34th and set up Michel Bastos’ shot that missed over the crossbar.

The defensive-minded North Koreans played with only Japan-based Jong Tae Se in attack, but he was able to cause some problems to the Brazilian defense. He got past three defenders in the 12th but his weak shot was easily saved by Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

The Koreans also had chances with a few long-range shots, but Cha Jong Hyok missed the target in the 17th and Ri Kwang Chon missed in the 32nd.

Brazil continued to dominate in the second half but still without enough poise to break through the Korean defense.

Left back Michel Bastos nearly opened the scoring for Brazil with a powerful left-footed free kick that missed wide in the 51st, and Robinho’s strike from outside the box in the 53rd also barely missed.

Striker Luis Fabiano nearly increased the lead in the 63rd after a pass from Robinho. He cleared a defender inside the area but his shot sailed over the crossbar. Brazil has won all of its opening matches since a 1-1 draw with Sweden in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.

The five-time champions begin the World Cup with a revamped squad following the disappointing elimination in the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Dunga left out stars such as Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Adriano and preferred lesser-known players known for their discipline and hard work.

North Korea is hoping to repeat its heroic campaign from the 1966 tournament in England, when it produced a surprising win over Italy to reach the quarterfinals. The Koreans arrived as most mysterious team in the tournament, with opponents having a hard time finding information about the team playing for the reclusive communist state. It was the first match between the two nations. —AP

N Zealand hero made in Denmark RUSTENBURG: Winston Reid, the scorer of the goal that earned New Zealand their first World Cup point, admitted that opting for the All Whites had been the toughest decision of his life.

Reid, who was raised in Denmark and won ten caps for the Scandinavian country’s under-21s, only committed himself to the country of his birth in March, with the lure of playing in the World Cup finals proving too strong to resist.

For a time yesterday, it looked as if his adventure in South Africa was going to end in tears with the 21-year-old caught out of position as Robert Vittek headed Slovakia into the lead five minutes after half-time.

But he made amends in fairytale fashion. After producing a superb block to deny Vittek a second goal, it was Reid who popped up in the box deep into injury time to head Shane Smeltz’s cross in off the post and earn New Zealand a historic point.

“If you look at the smiles on the guys’ faces, that says it all,” Reid said afterwards. “I thought their goal was offside but they made it tough for us in the second half. So to come back and get the equaliser is a fantastic feeling.

“This is the biggest stage in the world for football and that has to be the most important goal of my life.” Reid left New Zealand as a ten-year-old after his parents separated and his mother relocated to Denmark with his Danish step-father. —AFP

SOUTH AFRICA: Brazil’s Lucio (back) tackles North Korea’s Jong Tae Se (front) during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Brazil and North Korea at Ellis Park Stadium. —AP

Ivory Coast draw with Portugal PORT ELIZABETH: Ivory Coast and Portugal entered the World Cup fray here yesterday and produced a goalless draw marked by Didier Drogba’s return to action just ten days after surgery on his broken arm.

The African superstar, wearing a protective cast, was introduced as a second half substitute but he was unable to tip the balance in his countrymen’s favour in the Group G clash. Ivory Coast manager Sven Goran Eriksson described the encounter as “tight”.

The former England boss explained: “There weren’t many occasions to score, you saw two teams which didn’t want to lose. I thought if one team had won it should have been us, we created more chances than Portugal.

“I was very happy with our discipline and organisation, we were organised for 90 minutes, in the past it wasn’t like that.

“Another plus was Didier coming on to play. He’ll be even fitter for the next game,” added Eriksson, who as England manager lost to Portugal on penalties in the 2006 quarter-finals.

Portugal boss Carlos Queiroz said Ivory Coast had proved tricky rivals as he said they had set out to contain Portugal and launch

World Cup table JOHANNESBURG: World Cup table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

GROUP A Mexico South Africa France Uruguay GROUP B South Korea Argentina Nigeria Greece GROUP C Slovenia England United States Algeria GROUP D Germany Ghana

GP W D

L GF GA

Pts

1 1 1 1

0 0 0 0

1 1 1 1

0 0 0 0

1 1 0 0

1 1 0 0

1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1

1 1 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 1 1

2 1 0 0

0 0 1 2

3 3 0 0

1 1 1 1

1 0 0 0

0 1 1 0

0 0 0 1

1 1 1 0

0 1 1 1

3 1 1 0

1 1

1 1

0 0

0 4 0 1

0 0

3 3

counter attacks.

“What Eriksson wanted us to do was to take risks so we had to prevent Ivory Coast taking advantage of any errors that we might make.

“We had to play intelligently.

Our motivation and attitude was clear. Everything is still possible.

This is the Group of Death, only

Serbia Australia GROUP E Netherlands Japan Cameroon Denmark GROUP F Italy New Zealand Paraguay Slovakia GROUP G Brazil Ivory Coast Portugal North Korea

two from Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal, with respect to North Korea, can move forward.”

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo had the best chance to break the stalemate on a crisp winter’s afternoon in the first half when the Real Madrid winger’s 25m shot rattled Boubacar Barry’s left post in

PORT ELIZABETH: Ivory Coast’s striker Didier Drogba (left) shoots the ball past Portugal’s striker Cristiano Ronaldo during the Group G first round 2010 World Cup football match. —AFP

1 1

0 0

0 0

1 0 1 0

1 4

0 0

1 1 1 1

1 1 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 1 1

2 1 0 0

0 0 1 2

3 3 0 0

1 1 1 1

0 0 0 0

1 1 1 1

0 0 0 0

1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1

1 0 0 0

0 1 1 0

0 0 0 1

2 0 0 1

1 0 0 2

3 1 1 0

the 10th minute.

Barry’s opposite number Eduardo was let off the hook when shortly after Siaka Tiene’s curling long range free kick edged wide.

Another Ivorian, Ismael Tiote, then watched as his effort went over the Portuguese crossbar.

Referee Jorge Larrionda flashed his yellow card at defender Guy Demel for a foul on Ronaldo who in turn was cautioned for his stroppy reaction.

The Ivory Coast, the last of the six teams from Africa to enter the World Cup fray in South Africa, were giving as good as they got against their rivals from Europe ranked third in the world.

The game needed a goal and Salomon Kalou had Eduardo working with his shot on target in the 50th minute as Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz made his first change, replacing Danny with Atletico Madrid forward Simao.

Gone now was the caution that had marked much of the first period as this Group of Death curtain raiser really opened up and Barry had to be at full stretch to get hold of Liedson’s header after some nifty work down the left from Deco. On 66 minutes Eriksson unleashed Drogba, who came on for his Chelsea teammate Kalou to by far the biggest cheer of the afternoon.

As the rain came down Ronaldo thought he had put the 2006 semifinalists into the lead but Larrionda had already whistled for a foul by Liedson.

On 80 minutes Ronaldo, who failed to score in any of Portugal’s World Cup qualifiers, sent a 35m freekick edging over Barry’s crossbar. —AFP

Boodai Group opens Jazeera Airways office in Shuwaikh

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Brussels attacks Moody’s over Greece downgrade

German confidence index slumps on Europe woes

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

www.kuwaittimes.net

EU leaders lock horns as debt heat rises Spain under pressure to detail deficit reduction plans BRUSSELS: European leaders will try to nail down credible strategies at a summit on Thursday to slash debts and tighten cross-border “economic government”, amid rapidly intensifying global pressure. As fears grow over Spain’s debt exposure, subtle prods administered before a Greek emergency rescue are turning into blunt demands for action in the United States, Japan and Canada—the G7 partners with Europe’s big four of Germany, France, Britain and Italy.

Europe yesterday pressed Spain to clarify precisely how it intends to slash 15 billion euros from its budget in order to get its public deficit below the required three percent of GDP by 2013.

“There is an invitation to specify as soon as possible measures to substantiate the targets for the years beyond 2010,” the European Commission, the EU’s budgetary watchdog, said in a statement.

The Commission was addressing excessive deficits in 12 member countries which are supposed to keep their public deficit to less than three percent of Gross Domestic Product under EU rules.

The commission judged that Spain’s newly revised targets are “appropriately ambitious and imply substantial fiscal consolidation.”

The Spanish government is expected to announce its 2011 budget around midSeptember when precise measures are to be laid out.

The Spanish parliament last month approved a 15-billion-euro ($18.5 billion) austerity plan by just a single vote, on top of 50 billion euros of radical cuts announced in January.

Spain is under close scrutiny on the capital markets because its public deficit soared to 11.2 percent of GDP in 2009, the third-highest level in the euro-zone af ter Greece and Ireland, with investors demanding ever higher interest payments in return for providing fresh cash.

Portugal and 10 other EU member states, including Cyprus, Denmark and Finland, also came under Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn’s review.

While the new British prime minister and summit debutant, David Cameron, has other issues on which he may put up obstacles, German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted in Berlin late Monday that “Spain, or any country, knows that it can make use of this mechanism at any time, if necessary.

“If there are problems-and I don’t think we should bring it about by talking about it-then this mechanism can be activated at any time.

The conditions are clear,” she said.

G7 finance ministers fear that problems with Spain’s economy-which is far bigger than that of Greece, with its banks heavily involved in Latin America-could undermine global recovery.

Merkel, enjoying influential support from eastern powerhouse Poland, may have seen off French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s call for euro-zone countries to run their affairs together.

If Sarkozy backtracked from his call for a new “secretariat” for the 16 euro countries, he does however support Germany’s proposal for sanctions, including the withdrawal of voting rights, for EU members in serious breach of bloc fiscal rules.

Nevertheless, Berlin and Paris are determined to secure his backing for a bid to persuade hesitant leaders of the Group of 20 major global economies to bring in a financial transaction tax and a global banking levy at a summit later this month in Canada. —AFP

China’s US debt holdings hit 2010 high: Treasury WASHINGTON: China has raised its US government debt holdings to the highest level this year, according to US Treasury data published yesterday.

The Chinese government raised its US Treasury bond holdings to $900.2 billion in April, its highest level since November 2009, the Treasury Department said in a monthly report on international capital flows. China remained far ahead as the top foreign debt holder, followed by Japan, which held $795.5 billion in April, and third-placed Britain at $239.3 billion, according to the figures.

There has been an influx of investments into US Treasury bonds a channel used by the government to borrow from the public to finance its burgeoning deficit-amid the mounting European debt crisis.

The latest Treasury data also showed that net foreign purchases of US securities rose in April but at a slower pace than the record set in March.

Net long-term foreign purchases fell to $83 billion from a record $140.5 billion in March. —AFP

PARIS: People demonstrate during a nationwide day strike called by French union “Force ouvriere” to protest against the pension overhaul yesterday in Paris. The French government defends plans to raise the retirement age from the current 60 years as part of efforts to tackle its gaping welfare deficit. —AFP

Saudi STC eyes steady overseas expansion AMMAN: Saudi Telecom (STC) is looking to build on its international expansion with deals that will bring operational synergies and value for money.

“We are on a trail of rational expansion, but we are not looking just for financial investments but assets that make operational sense in South Asia, Middle East and North Africa,” said Ghassan Hasbani, Chief Executive of STC’s International division. “This is where our current footprints exist today and where there are potential

markets that would complement our current footprint,” he told Reuters in an interview.

Hasbani’s division manages in excess of $7 billion worth of foreign assets acquired by STC in the last three years. Like other Gulf telecom operators, STC, the Arab world’s largest telecom company by market value with over 100 million subscribers calculated on a consolidated group basis, has expanded overseas after losing its monopoly at home.

In 2007, it spent $3 billion to take a

25 percent stake in Maxis, Malaysia’s biggest mobile operator, in a deal that opened markets in Malaysia, Indonesia and India. STC paid about $3.5 billion in 2008 for a 35 percent stake in Oger Telecom which controls Turk Telecom and a 26 percent stake in Kuwait’s third mobile phone license.

“STC only started investing about three years ago so we are in growth investments mode. STC is moving into the second stage of its internationalization,” Hasbani said.

In South Asia, STC eyed growth

opportunities in India, where it already has a presence through its stake in Maxis, which owns a majority stake of Chennai-based Aircel, Hasbani said.

“We are already in the Indian market, there are major investments that will go into India. India is a growing market. There is a very large youthful population that is coming into the telecoms sector now,” Hasbani said. But Indian investment would depend on how the market developed following Aircel’s recent acquisition of third generation (3G) and broadband access

Iran taps local firms to develop giant gas field

BP shares hit new low after Fitch downgrade LONDON: An influential ratings agency downgraded BP yesterday because of worries about the continuing Gulf of Mexico spill, sending the oil company’s shares to a new low.

Shares in BP fell below 350 pence for the first time since the oil rig disaster, dropping 2.5 percent to 346 pence ($5.12) by midafternoon on the London Stock Exchange. Fitch Ratings downgraded BP’s long-ter m issuer default rating and senior unsecured rating to BBB from AA. “The scale of today’s rating action has been par tly driven by the increased risk that the balance between long-term and near-term cost payments may now be skewed much more heavily toward the near ter m than previously anticipated,” Fitch said.

The ratings company said it was concerned by reports from US government scientists that the volume of the spill was significantly larger than previously indicated, and it was also worried by pressure from US officials on BP to pay billions of dollars into an escrow account to guarantee payment of cleanup costs.

“Both of these events have a direct bearing on BP’s fundamental financial flexibility,” Fitch said.

On Monday, shares fell 9 percent in London and 10 percent in New York as the company remained under intense pressure to stop the catastrophic leak of oil from a well in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP has lost 45 percent of its value since the April 20 explosion at the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 workers and set off the worst oil spill in history. —AP

licenses.

“Before that clarity is in place, it is difficult to think beyond continuing to grow our current investments in India and continuing to invest in infrastructure and services in that market through Aircel,” he added.

Hasbani said STC expected the contribution to revenues of overseas operations to grow beyond the current 30 percent in the next three years, driven by favorable demographics and expansion of data and broadband services. —Reuters

LOUISVILLE: Construction workers Arnulfo Medina (top) and Alfonso Del Castillo frame a new home under construction in Louisville, Kentucky.

Homebuilders are losing confidence in the housing market now that government incentives that spurred home sales have ended. —AP

Indonesia eyes sharia tax sops, wants Gulf money SINGAPORE: Indonesia may provide tax incentives for sukuk issues and sharia bank deposits to better compete with Malaysia, the world’s top sukuk market, the central bank said yesterday.

One tax incentive being considered would help boost bank capital and another could provide a tax holiday for sukuk issues, Mulya E Siregar, an Islamic banking director at Bank Indonesia, said. Indonesia has already removed double taxation on Islamic finance transactions to give the industry a level playing field with conventional banking, but Siregar said more was needed.

“To support Islamic banking and finance, it’s not enough just

to have tax neutrality. We need also tax incentives like in Malaysia,” he told Reuters on the sidelines of an Islamic banking conference in Singapore.

“For investment to come into Indonesia, it is possible to give a kind of holiday tax.”

Islamic bank assets in Indonesia are just a fraction of total bank assets, while in Malaysia they are close to a fifth of the total. Indonesia’s Islamic bank assets were 66 trillion rupiah as of December 2009, compared with 2,534 trillion rupiah for the banking industry as a whole, central bank figures show.

In Malaysia, Islamic banking assets totalled about $95 billion, or 19.6 percent of the total, as of

December 2009, the central bank has estimated. Still, with the world’s biggest Muslim population, Islamic bankers say Indonesia is set for explosive growth. But first, authorities need to lay the right legal and regulatory framework.

Malaysia is the world’s top sukuk market. It accounted for about 40 percent of total global issuance last year of $19.1 billion. Industry incentives include a 20 percent stamp duty exemption on Islamic financing instruments until 2015. Siregar said Indonesia’s finance ministry and central bank are studying tax incentives that could boost growth of Islamic finance. The study is expected to be finished by the end of 2010. —Reuters

TEHRAN: Iran yesterday signed a $21 billion contract with several domestic companies, including at least one linked to the powerful Revolutionary Guard, to develop the giant South Pars gas field, highlighting the country’s self-sufficiency, the president said. The signing of the deals follows a warning by Iran last month to several Western oil companies that they needed to decide on their investments in South Pars or be replaced by domestic companies.

Many international oil companies have been wary about investing in Iran because of the sanctions linked to its nuclear program.

“Those who imagine that the Iranian nation needs them ... are wrong,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at the signing ceremony, which was carried on Iranian state television.

Ahmadinejad said the project would be financed through domestic banks. The deals reflect Iran’s challenges in developing its grossly underfunded and ill-equipped oil sector. The country sits atop the world’s second largest proven reserves of gas and is the second largest OPEC oil producer, though most of its production is used domestically.

Years of sanctions, augmented just last week by a fourth round of measures by the UN Security Council, have deterred significant investment by international companies with deep pockets and technical expertise. Iran has been forced to rely either on local firms or countries like Russia and China, which are not as swayed by US pressure, to develop its oil sector and boost output. The report said the local firms included Idro, PetroPars, PetroPaydar as well as PetroSina and Sadra, which is owned by Khatam alAnbia, the Revolutionary Guards’ engineering arm.

The Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s most powerful military force, has been steadily increasing its economic might through lucrative deals in a

range of sectors in Iran. Khatam alAnbia, which has stakes in mining, telecommunications, dam construction, as well as the oil and gas sector, is among the companies blacklisted by the US and was listed under the latest round of sanctions approved by the Security Council last week.

Sadra will work as part of two consortiums on Phases 13 and 14, and independently on Phases 22, 23 and 24. PetroPars will handle Phase 19 of the project. With the new planned production, Iran’s gas output would climb to 3.2 billion cubic feet per day (900 million cubic meters) in the next three years, the Oil Ministry’s Web site, Shana, reported, citing Javad Owji, the head of the stateowned National Iranian Gas Company — an increase of about 20 percent.

Iran says the projects will take three years and it will help to boost its natural gas output by 7.06 billion cubic feet per day (200 million cubic meters) — an increase of about 30 percent.

Phases 13 and 14 were initially slated to be handled by European energy giants Shell and Repsol, but the two companies were dropped after they failed to meet a two-week deadline set by Iran in May to determine their investments in the project.

Analysts, and even some within the Iranian government, have said questioned whether Iranian firms _ particularly those linked with the Revolutionary Guards — are qualified to work on such projects. Iranian officials, however, have dismissed those concerns.

“The quality of the Iranian contractors is very high,” Ali Vakili, the head of the state-owned Iran Oil and Gas Company, told state radio.

“Local companies are able to build some 70 percent of the required equipment.” South Pars, which is shared by Iran and Qatar, holds an estimated 50.97 trillion cubic meters (1,800 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas. —AP

22

BUSINESS

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

More options and great value fares for customers

Boodai Group opens Jazeera Airways office in Shuwaikh KUW AIT: Booda i Avia tion Group ha s a nnounced yesterda y the op ening of the 6th J a zeera Airw a ys sa les office in Lif e Center in Shuw a ik h, fa cing the Genera l D epa rtm ent of Im m igra tion. This new loca tion w ill help B ooda i offer the best services to its clientele in Shuw a ik h, giving them m ore options a s w ell a s grea t va lue fa res from J a zeera Airw a ys. Monzer Na jia , Vice President a nd Genera l Ma na ger

of Booda i Avia tion Group a nd Stefa n Pich ler, Chief Executive Officer of J a zeera Airw a ys, p a rticipa ted in the ribbon cutting cerem ony.

Those a tten ding included R obert Ha yek , Senior Sa les a nd Ma rk eting Ma n a ger for B ood a i A via tion Gr ou p a n d R a fik Boghd a d i, Vic e President Sa les for J a zeera Airw a ys, a s w ell a s a group of businessm en a nd m edia p ersonnel.

KUWAIT: Monzer Najia, Stefan Pichler and other Boodai Aviation Group officials pose for a photo after the opening of the office in Shuwaikh.

Addressing the crowd, Najia expressed joy at witnessing the realization of the franchise agreement signed in March 2009, which guaranteed exclusivity for Boodai Aviation Group to operate all sales offices of Jazeera Airways in Kuwait.

Robert Hayek pointed out that the expansion plan of Jazeera Airways sales offices is ongoing, reaching out to different areas within Kuwait. This plan was the outcome of months of studies and preparation, which saw the group spend a great effort to raise the bar for its offerings, in order to continue providing its clients with the most distinguished services in the most convenient ways, at schedules and times suitable to them, where the clients will be welcome at all six branches everyday from 10 am until 10 pm.

Stefan Pichler, CEO Jazeera Airways added “The expansion of the Jazeera Airways sales offices has provided our customers with even easier ways to book Jazeera tickets. These offer the best value in the market. Added to this the 40 Kgs baggage allowance for all Economy Guests and Jazeera is proving itself as the Airline of Choice for travel out of Kuwait.

Jazeera Airways offices can be found in Shuwaikh, Kuwait City, Al-Fahaheel, AlFarwaniya, Al-Jahra and Hawally.”

KUWAIT: Monzer Najia, Vice President and General Manager of Boodai Aviation Group and Stefan Pichler, Chief Executive Officer of Jazeera Airways, with other officials cut the ribbon to officially open the office.

— Photos by Joseph Shagra

LG website embraces new SEO initiative KUWAIT: LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator, has announced the launch of a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) project for its new regional web portal www.lg.com/ae. This new initiative will contribute to the company’s growing brand exposure and digital presence by increasing user and search engine recognition of its new URL, improving the domain’s search engine ranking and boosting the link’s popularity.

“We believe this to be an important move for LG in achieving a strong foothold in the digital arena. In the long run, it will convert our online visitors to customers and have a positive effect on sales. Proven to be one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing available, this project will no doubt help us on our journey to becoming one of the Gulf’s leading digital marketers,”

Qatari Diar readies $3.5bn bond issue

NBK’s Islamic KD Ijara Fund IV fully subscribed in one day

DOHA: Qatari Diar, a property arm of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, is preparing a $3.5 billion bond as it helps lead a restructuring in Qatar’s real estate market, a source involved with the issue said yesterday.

The issue will have five- and 10year maturities and come through a syndicate of local and international banks including HSBC, Barclays Capital, Standard Chartered and QNB Capital, the investment banking unit of Qatar National Bank, the source said.

Qatar, the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is ensuring its key property firms weather the global crisis, which has hit nearby Dubai hard, by pushing through defensive mergers and using Diar to invest in

Outstanding demand for bank’s funds KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait announced that the Islamic KD Ijara Fund IV was fully subscribed in the first day of its offering period with a fund size of KD33 million. This announcement reflects NBK’s capability to meet investor requirements by providing Islamic investment solutions. The Fund was launched in response to the increasing demand for NBK Ijara funds which have been successful in achieving attractive returns to NBK clients.

Nabil Maroof, NBK Capital’s Managing Director of Asset Management, said that “the success of NBK’s Ijara fund series is down to investors’ demand for superior quality

coupled with NBK’s widespread expertise and conservative approach which emphasizes the need for attractive returns and capital preservation.”

The Fund was created to grant NBK clients the opportunity to invest in a diversified portfolio of leasing contracts that are structured according to the principles of Islamic Sharia. These contracts involve the leasing of various types of mission critical equipment including manufacturing, IT hardware, construction materials, telecommunication equipment, networking equipment, material handling and other types of equipment to creditworthy companies.

Maroof added, “Ijara transactions have

said H.S Paik, President of LG Electronics Gulf FZE. Ongoing from 1 May 2010 - 28 February 2011, the project will help boost the ranking of www.lg.com/ae across leading search engines such as Google and Bing. LG’s new domain will be indexed by search engines and awarded high rankings on organic listings for keywords related to the company’s products and services, making it easier for customers to find the brand online.

“Through intelligent link building, we aim to increase our website visitor numbers by facilitating easy and more relevant browsing through sophisticated SEO techniques,” added H.S Paik. “The online environment is becoming increasingly competitive and we believe performing SEO will give us a decided advantage in attracting visitors and customers.”

shown that they typically outperform during economic recessions as companies substantially decrease their capital expenditure, preferring to lease their mission critical equipment instead. Lessees also tend to retain equipment for longer periods, offsetting the increased credit losses that result from a typical recession.”

The Islamic KD Ijara Fund IV has a 5 year term with a possible 2 year extension and provides investors with the opportunity to enjoy steady monthly lease income on a Sharia compliant basis. The Fund allows investors to reap the benefits of monthly income distributions at an expected annualized rate of 6% in Kuwaiti dinars.

Nabil Maroof

them.

Diar holds a 45 percent stake in Barwa Real Estate company, the sixthlargest developer in the Gulf Arab region by market value, which is taking over rival Alaqaria in a government-ordered deal.

Barwa also plans to sell assets through 2010 and 2011 to meet its obligations. The wealthy Gulf Arab state has said it will keep spending to maintain domestic growth momentum as well as acquiring overseas assets.

Qatar, which is eyeing a $100 billion budget for new projects over the next four years, issued 10 billion riyals ($2.75 billion) worth of eight-year conventional and Islamic bonds to local banks earlier in June. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

.2865000 .4270000 .3530000 .2530000 .2790000 .2470000 .0045000 .0020000 .0790340 .7700030 .4020000 .0750000 .7548560 .0045000 .0500000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2911500 .4289510 .3553000 .2550810 .2818120 .0477800 .0369100 .2492490 .0373550 .2080480 .0031810 .0062940 .0025710 .0034250 .0042440 .0793060 .7726540 .4117560 .0776780 .7565940 .0062940 TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2932500 .4319790 .2568870 .0781730

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.200 6.269

.2960000 .4370000 .3610000 .2620000 .2880000 .2590000 .0075000 .0035000 .0792320 .7777420 .4180000 .0790000 .7624420 .0072000 .0580000 .2932500 .4319790 .3578080 .2568870 .2838060 .0481190 .0371720 .2510080 .0376190 .2095210 .0032030 .0063390 .0025890 .0034490 .0042740 .0798120 .7775770 .4146700 .0781730 .7614150 .0063390

Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.429 2.572 3.937 209.900 37.590 4.225 6.272 8.995 0.296 0.310 GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal 78.121 Qatari Riyal 80.484 Omani Riyal 761.010 Bahraini Dinar 778.700 UAE Dirham 79.770 ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 54.500 Egyptian Pound 51.610 Yemen Riyal 1.298 Tunisian Dinar 193.700 Jordanian Dinar 413.600 Lebanese Lira 196.510 Syrian Lier 6.253 Morocco Dirham 33.010 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 292.800 Euro 358.700 Sterling Pound 430.300 Canadian dollar 285.940 Turkish lire 186.300 Swiss Franc 257.100 Australian dollar 250.500 US Dollar Buying 291.000 GOLD 20 Gram 238.000 10 Gram 120.000 5 Gram 60.000

Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal 10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL CASH 254.500 777.540 4.400 286.800 574.100 14.100 48.300 167.800 53.720

360.000 38.060 6.270

413.300 0.197 91.800 3.940 205.100 759.350 3.440 6.300 80.430 78.070 211.010 40.550 2.570 433.000

9.150 79.880 292.400

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound

361.500 38.210 6.520 0.035 0.284 0.258 3.290 414.740 0.198 91.800 45.000 4.290 206.600 1.992 46.100 759.530 3.530 6.580 80.880 78.070 211.010 40.550 2.770 435.000 38.400 260.200 258.700 6.400 9.360 217.900 79.780 292.800 1.350 GOLD 1,338.390 TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 433.000 292.400

SELL DRAFT 253.000 777.540 4.220 285.300

211.000 51.584

Ra te for Transfer 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

Selling Ra te 292.900 283.739 427.059 357.213 254.471 717.932 775.290 79.726 80.432 78.075 413.330 51.681 6.268 3.438

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

2.581 4.235 6.301 3.210 8.981 6.389 3.899

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency 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

Ra te per 1000 (Tran) 292.450 3.440 6.280 2.580 4.220 6.340 79.690 78.200 776.095 51.535 438.100 0.0000328000 3.990 1.550 415.100 5.750 362.500 290.400

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal

Tra nsfer Rate (Per 1000) 292.000 359.000 432.000 285.500 3.215 6.275 51.540 2.570 4.215 6.300 3.430 776.800 79.575 77.950

BUSINESS

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

23

CBK helps credit growth, oil market stable KUWAIT: During the month of May, the CBK continued its policy of helping banks, who have excess liquidity, to find shortterm investment opportunities that could contribute in compensating for the slowdown in credit growth. Accordingly, the CBK announced the issuance of two tranches of one-year Treasury Bonds, totaling KD 185 million and carrying a coupon of 1.25 per cent per annum. As well, two-year Treasury Bonds worth of KD 33 million was issued during the month carrying a coupon of 1.35 per cent per annum. Treasury Bonds issues by the CBK serve to wipe off excess cash in local banks and to create investment opportunities for risk-averse banks that are reluctant to extend credit or invest amid the global credit crunch.

Kuwait Inter-bank Offered Rates (KIBOR) across different maturities sustained the same level for the third consecutive month this year. The downward trend seen in 2009 and first 2 month of 2010 is mainly affected by the CBK’s monetary tools to spur the local economy, solve for the liquidity squeeze problems, and enhance the tight credit market through discount and repo rate cuts as well as the issuance of T-bonds. The above chart shows the changes in KIBOR across different maturities.

In its meetings on the 9th and 10th of May, the Federal Open Market Committee has authorized re-establishment of its temporary US dollar liquidity swap arrangement with the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Swiss National Bank and Bank of Japan that will provide the central banks with the capacity to conduct tenders of US dollars in their local markets at fixed rates for the full allotment.

In response to the re-emergence of

KAMCO INTEREST RATES AND OIL MARKET REPORT strains in US dollar short-term funding markets in Europe, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, and the Swiss National Bank have announced the reestablishment of temporary US dollar liquidity swap facilities. These facilities are designed to help improve liquidity conditions in US dollar funding markets and to prevent the spread of strains to other markets and financial centres. The FOMC maintained its target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 per cent and continued to anticipate that economic conditions, including low rates of resource utilization and stable inflation expectations, are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period.

The governing council of the European Central Bank (ECB) decided in its meeting on 6 May to leave the key ECB rates unchanged at 1 per cent. The Governing council also decided several measures to address the severe tensions observed in certain market segments which are hampering the monetary policy transmission mechanism and thereby the effective conduct of monetary policy oriented towards stability of price stability in the medium term. In particular, the Governing council decided to conduct interventions in the Euro zone public and private debt securities markets, under a Securities Program, to ensure depth and liquidity in those market segments which are dysfunctional.

London inter-bank offered rate (LIBOR) that banks charge each other for 3-month

loans saw a marginal increase of 15 bps during May-10 and recorded a monthly average of 0.46 per cent; Similarly, the longer-term rates, 6-month and 12-month LIBOR saw a moderate increase of around 18 bps and 17 bps respectively to average around 0.66 per cent and 1.13 per cent respectively.

Meanwhile, the spread between the average daily KIBOR and LIBOR narrowed during the month with the spread between the 3M KIBOR and 3M LIBOR recording 42 basis points as compared to 56 basis points during the previous month. Interest rates on KWD showed a slight variation from last month across different maturities; 1-month KWD deposit rate increased by 1 bps compared to last month to end the month of April at 1.08 per cent. So far this year, the rate saw a drop of 29 bps from Dec-09 compared to the plunge of 87 bps during 2009.

On the other hand, the 1-month USD rate was almost unchanged from last month rate of 0.25 per cent. The rate saw around 78 bps slash during 2009 from 1.03 per cent in December-08, yet stabilized at 0.25 per cent during 2010.

On the other hand, interest rate on the 6-month and 12-month KWD deposits shed around 24 and 17 bps since Dec-09 to end the month of April at 1.52 per cent and 1.77 per cent respectively. The 6-month and 12month USD deposit rates, which shared a similar plunge since the beginning of the crisis, were almost unchanged from last month to stand at 0.52 per cent and 0.76 per cent respectively.

Fears about Europe’s ability to address

its large debts fuelled a massive flight-to safety shift towards US debt and away from assets considered to be riskier. US Treasury yields posted sharp drop across all maturities compared to last month amid the sovereign debt crisis in Europe which raised concerns about the future of the common European currency and thereby its adverse impact on global economic recovery. The 10-year yield shed the most during May or around 38 bps to record 3.31 per cent, the largest drop since the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to record low in Dec-08 to spur the economy, on speculation efforts to contain Europe’s debt crisis will slow global economic recovery. The 2-year note yield fell 21 bps in May to 0.76 per cent, the biggest drop since February-09.

However, 2-year notes have fallen less as investors assume that Federal Reserve has no choice but to eventually raise interest rates, even if not in the foreseeable future.

Up till last month, oil prices have continued to stabilize and register lower volatility along with a general upward trend on the back of the bullish sentiment in the oil market which continued to be driven by rising positive expectations about global economic growth. However, the current month saw oil prices plunging significantly, reaching the lowest level for 2010, as the euro continued to lose ground against the dollar and US oil inventories continued to build.

OPEC Reference Basket showed fluctuating prices during April, as the Basket moved to a low of $66.84/b after reaching a high of $84.36/b at the beginning of the

month. On a monthly basis, OPEC oil prices averaged $74.48/b during May-2010, down by 9.7 per cent from last month’s average of $82.47/b and closed the month at $71.88/b.

However, the average price since the beginning of the year reached $76.58/b, while the average price for 2009 was at $61/b compared to an average of $94.45/b for 2008. The Reference Basket plunged to a low of $66.84/b, a level last seen since early October-09, hence breaking the upward trend witnessed during the current year. On the other hand, the Kuwait Blend Spot Price FOB averaged $71.53/b and closed the month at $71.77/b, down from $84.05/b recorded at the end of April.

World economic growth forecast is kept unchanged at 3.5 per cent for 2010, as stated in OPEC monthly oil report for May-10.

While the US, Japan and China showed encouraging signs of a recovery, the Eurozone has just managed to avoid a spill-over of the sovereign debt crisis of Greece to other economies. OECD growth remains unchanged at 1.9 per cent, as the US forecast was increased to 2.8 per cent from 2.6 per cent and the Euro-zone’s forecast was revised down to 0.6 per cent from 0.7 per cent. China is expected to grow by 9.5 per cent in 2010 and India by 7.1 per cent. The global economy is improving; however the challenges of sovereign debt in the developed countries, the ability of China to avoid overheating and persistently high unemployment levels need careful monitoring.

In 2010, global demand growth is expected at 0.9 mb/d, in line with the previ-

ous month’s forecast. Although the economic recovery shows signs of improving momentum, important risks remain that could impact demand growth expectations for this year. China has been among the main drivers behind oil demand growth so far this year, which should continue for the rest of the year despite the recent price increase in its gasoline and diesel sales.

Non-OPEC supply is forecast to increase by 0.53 mb/d over 2009 to average 51.67 mb/d. Supply growth remained relatively steady with the previous forecast experiencing only a minor increase of 30 tb/d; healthy production figures in the first quarter by many non-OPEC producers supported the revision. The first quarters experienced the biggest revision of 0.30 mb/d which was partially carried over from 2009. The rest of the quarters’ supply expectations encountered upward revisions with the second quarter seeing the next largest increase. The overall supply forecast remained relatively stable with Developing Countries expected to have the highest growth followed by the FSU and China, while OECD supply is foreseen to decline in 2010. On a quarterly basis, nonOPEC supply is seen to average 52.04 mb/d, 51.58 mb/d, 51.32 mb/d and 51.74 mb/d respectively.

OPEC total crude oil production averaged 29.25 mb/d in April, indicating a minor increase of 0.01 mb/d from the previous month. All OPEC Member Countries crude production experienced a minor change in April compared to the previous month, with Iraq indicating the highest decrease and Nigeria showing the highest increase.

OPEC crude oil production, excluding Iraq, stood at 26.91 mb/d, up 0.06 mb/d from the previous month.

Bayt.com online poll reveals employees support environmental friendliness

88% of Mideast professionals vote for greener offices: Poll KUWAIT: A la rge majority of professionals in the region wish to w itness a shift tow ards greener offices in their w orkpla ce, revealed a recent poll conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one job site. The poll found tha t a n astonishing 88% of employees w ould prefer to w ork in greener offices, w hile only 10% said tha t it did not rea lly matter to them. The “Green offices

AMRITSAR: Indian artisan Krishan Kumar, 70, sells his handmade wooden baskets as he waits for customers by roadside in Amritsar. The baskets are used in a variety of tasks in vegetable markets, construction sites and wedding parties. — AFP

Egypt growth seen at 5-5.5% in 2009/10 CAIRO: Egypt’s economy is expected to grow by five to 5.5 percent in fiscal year 2009/10, which ends on June 30, the investment minister said yesterday. The government previously said the economy could expand by 5.3 percent this year, after growing by 4.7 percent in 2008/9. “We expect average growth rates to reach 5 to 5.5 percent,” minister Mahmoud Mohieldin said. “In any case, it will not be lower than 5 percent.”

Economic Development Minister Osman Mohamed Osman said in May GDP could grow as much as 5.3 percent this fiscal year, up from a previous estimate of 5 percent, and 6 percent in 2010/11, up from an estimate of 5.8 percent.

Mohieldin echoed the 6 percent growth forecast for the coming fiscal year. The investment minister was speaking at a real estate and construction conference in Cairo, where he told delegates construction has grown by 70 percent in the last five years and that real estate closely tailed construction as Egypt’s most productive sector.

“The most important sectors boosting growth are real estate and construction.

Those sectors grew at a pace that is no less

than double what was expected,” he said, referring to the current fiscal year.

“We expect growth to reach 6 percent next year and with more investment in the real estate sector, particularly toward low-income margins-to house the masses-we expect growth will continue,” Mohieldin added. The booming sector, aided by a young population and plentiful and cheap materials, helped Egypt escape the worst of the global downturn. The economy had been humming along before the crisis, registering 7.2 percent growth in 2007/08.

Egypt produces around 50 million tons of cement annually and aims to boost its capacity to 80 million tons a year by 2012. Domestic consumption of cement grew some 25 percent in 2009, prompting the government to impose an export ban in a bid to fill the gap between demand and supply. “There is a consistent and regular demand for housing in Egypt,” Mohieldin said.

Last month, state newspapers reported government plans to raise taxes on cement and steel, in part to offset a growing budget deficit weighed down by planned health and agriculture spending. — Reuters

“This poll has given a remarkable insight into professionals’ attitudes in the Middle East with regard to environmental friendliness.

The fact that the vast majority consider having a greener office a vital illustrates the significance of this study,” commented Rabea Ataya, Chief Executive Officer, Bayt.com.

Among the key points addressed during the poll, 46% of the respondents said that they are greatly concerned with and interested about “green” issues, while only 8% said that they were not concerned at all.

Interestingly, over a quarter of professionals surveyed (27%) revealed that they did not know enough about the subject.

Similarly, while only 16% of professionals stated they were aware of measures needed in order to establish a green workplace, more than half of them (57%) were not familiar with the concept, but were interested in learning more. This comes as no surprise since only 22% of the professionals surveyed have ever been invited to a lecture or awareness campaign about green offices, while the an overwhelming 78% had never attended such events..

“These findings show that professionals in the region do take actual interest in adopting environmentally friendly practices. However, many of them have never been intro-

duced or exposed to such concepts, which is an issue that clearly needs to be addressed in the Middle East,” stated Ataya. when asked if working in greener offices would increase their organizational loyalty, more than half of the respondents (52%) stated it definitely would as it would make them feel part of a greater noble cause. Establishing environmentally friendly practices in the Middle East appears all the more urgent, since only 35% of the current employers actually make a conscious effort to foster such practices in the workplaceaccording to professionals surveyed-, while 30% don’t bother at all. Alarmingly, only 4% of employers encourage recycling paper, while 30% choose not to adopt any form of environmentally friendly action.

Respondents were finally asked whether they were willing to take steps to promote a greener workplace in their company.

While 69% expressed their sincere willingness, 20% of them agreed that they did not know where to start or how to incorporate such practices into their work environment.

Data for the ‘Green offices in the Middle East’ online poll series was collected between the period of April 16 and June 4 2010 with a total of 8506 respondents from across the Middle East. This and other Middle East human resources research is available online at www.bayt.com.

in the Middle East” poll w as conducted in order to a ssess the significa nce of environmenta l friendliness for compa nies operating in the Middle East. It also exa mined the environmenta lly friendly practices that are currently being put to use by employers a nd explored employee attitudes towa rds initiating greener offices in the region.

BERLIN: People walk past and look at a section of the Berlin Wall in front of a giant billboard featuring Apple’s new iPad yesterday at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. The iPad, a flat, 10-inch (25-centimetre) black tablet targeted at the leisure market, went on sale on May 28 in Japan, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland as part of a staggered global roll-out. — AFP

Oman trade gap quadruples in Jan on oil price jump MUSCAT: Oil producer Oman’s trade surplus more than quadrupled to 493.7 million rials ($1.28 billion) in January from a year ago as higher crude prices spurred a surge in exports, data showed yesterday. Last year, the global crisis slashed oil output across the Gulf, trimming the growth rates of key producers such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Much smaller Oman was not as badly affected because as a non-OPEC member it did not have to follow the cartel’s oil output cuts. The sultanate posted a trade surplus of 459.4 million rials in December 2009. A year ago, in January 2009, it recorded a 107.3 million surplus.

Exports jumped 26.6 percent year-on-year to 1.069 billion rials in January this year, after a 27.4 percent rise in the previous month, the economy ministry’s preliminary data showed.

Imports fell 22.0 percent to 575.2 million rials compared with an 18.5 percent decline in December, the data showed. Crude exports, which account for more than 57 percent of overall exports, surged 47.5 percent year-on-year in money terms in January. Oman, which is producing around 850,000 barrels of oil a day, sold its crude at an average price of $77.64 a barrel in January, up 55.4 percent from a year ago. US benchmark crude traded above $75 a barrel yesterday. — Reuters

24

BUSINESS GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

KSE stocks edge lower as investors turn cautious renewed optimism over global economic recovery which in turn hikes demand for fuel.

News of hike in Chinese exports last month, hikes in stocks markets, and drops in US reserves figures were also among the factors.

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended yesterday’s trading session on a negative note. Investors remain cautious amid ongoing concerns about Europe’s debt woes affecting a global economic recovery. Global General Index (GGI) declined 1.47 points (0.80 percent) during yesterday’s session to reach 183.12 points.

Furthermore, the KSE Price Index decreased by 24.90 points (0.38 percent) yesterday and closed at 6,528.6 points. Market capitalization was down KD242.95mn yesterday to reach KD30.25.

Market breadth During the session, 107 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners, as 37 equities retreated versus 32 that advanced. A total of 143 stocks remained unchanged during yesterday’s trading session. Trading activities ended on a positive note today as volume of shares traded on the exchange increased by 0.36 percent to reach 171.33mn shares, and value of shares traded increased by 13.80 percent to stand at KD38.17mn. The Real estate Sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 25.85 percent of total market volume. The Service Sector was the value leader, with 41.85 percent of total market value.

Investors Holding Group Co was the volume leader today, with a total traded volume of 17.68mn shares. Zain Company was the value leader, with a total traded value of KD12.86mn.

In terms of top gainers, National Industries Co took the

top spot for the day, adding 7.14 percent and closed at KD0.375.

On the other hand, Al Themar International Holding Company shed 8.47 percent and closed at KD0.108, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sector-wise Regarding Global’s sectoral indices, they ended the day on a negative note, except for Global Banking Index which was the only gainer during yesterday’s trading session up 1.11 percent backed by Commercial Bank of Kuwait and heavyweight National Bank of Kuwait ending the day up 4.71 & 1.72 percent

respectively.

Global Service Index being the top decliner. The index ended the day down 3.25 percent backed by heavyweight Zain Co. The scrip ended the day down 5.45 percent and closed at KD1.040. followed by National Mobile Telecommunications Co down 1.19 percent and closed at KD1.660.

Global Real Estate Index was the second biggest decliner, down 1.43 percent during the session. The index’s decline was backed by Mabanee Company & National Real Estate Company down by 1.67

& 1.49 percent respectively.

Global’s special indices ended on a negative note. Global Large Cap. Index ended the day down 0.83 percent backed by Zain.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $73.35 a barrel on Monday, compared with $72.29 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. Kuwaiti crude oil gained 66 cents on Monday to reach $72.40 per barrel (pb) compared to Friday’s $71.74, said Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) yesterday.

Analysts attributed the gain to

Market news A total of 82 investment companies in Kuwait meet 2 out of the 3 supervision criteria adopted by the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) and 94 companies meet at least one of them, CBK Governor Sheikh Salem Abdelaziz Al-Sabah said in an interview yesterday.

Updating its previous announcement dated 06/06/2010, Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) declares that United Industries Co (UIC) will increase capital from KWD 24.773.437 to KD 49.546.875, at 100 fils par value without issue premium to shareholders of record on the day prior to the capital call. The subscription to these shares will be effected via Kuwait Clearing Co (KCC) Ahmad Tower. The capital call started yesterday and will last till Tuesday, June 29, 2010. The capital hike was approved by the shareholder meeting, held on Thursday, June 3, 2010.

Industrial and Financial Investments Co (IFIC) clarified the news published on Monday in a local newspaper as regards divesting an investment in Qatar.

IFIC indicated that it was in final talks to offload the project.

Upon completing the divestiture, the company will inform the KSE management of the deal value and generated profit.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Saudi Aramco’s 2009 crude output falls 1m bpd on year KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia: State oil firm Saudi Aramco’s crude output fell by a million barrels per day in 2009 from the previous year as the kingdom led OPEC in making steep production curbs, data from Aramco showed yesterday.

Aramco’s crude output was 7.9 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2009, the company said in an annual review released yesterday, down from 8.9 million bpd in 2008. OPEC pledged to cut output by 4.2 million bpd in late 2008 as global oil demand plummeted with slowing economic activity. Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia shouldered the biggest share of the cuts.

Aramco’s crude exports fell to 5.65 million bpd in 2009, from 6.88 million bpd in 2008.

Capacity and output from the Neutral Zone shared by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia is excluded from Aramco figures.

Aramco added more than 2 million barrels per day of production capacity in 2009, the company said. It completed an expansion program that took Aramco’s capacity to 12 million bpd, boosting the kingdom’s total capacity to 12.5 million bpd.

The biggest increment was from the 1.2 million bpd Khurais oilfield project, the biggest in Saudi history and the largest ever single addition to global oil supplies.

The expansion in capacity was completed as the economy slowed and the kingdom cut output, leaving Saudi Arabia sitting on around 4.5 million bpd of spare capacity, more than double the 1.5 million to 2.0 million bpd cushion it aims to keep to meet any surprise outages in global supply. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the

world that has significant spare capacity that can be brought into production swiftly if needed. The kingdom keeps the supply cushion as a matter of oil policy.

RECOVERABLE Aramco’s recoverable oil and condensate reserves edged up to 260.1 billion barrels from 259.9 billion barrels stated in last year’s review.

Gas reserves rose to 275.2 trillion cubic feet, Aramco said, up from 263 trillion cubic feet last year. It discovered two new gas fields in 2009, one named Sanaman and the other Sirayyan.

The 12.2 trillion cubic feet increase in reserves was much higher than the kingdom’s stated aim of finding 3 to 7 trillion cubic feet per year in additional reserves.

Despite the fall in Aramco’s crude production, gas output rose. The company pumped 8.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2009, up from 8.3 billion cfd in 2008.

With its crude capacity expansion completed and a comfortable supply cushion in place, Aramco has focused on developing gas production to meet rapidly rising domestic demand.

Most of the kingdom’s gas output is associated with oil output, so when Saudi Arabia curbs crude production with OPEC it loses some gas volumes. To boost output regardless of crude supply policy, the Gulf Arab state is developing gas fields that are not associated with crude.

“By reaching 12 million bpd of oil production capacity, Saudi Aramco closed an illustrious chapter in its history, but this does not mean the story is over, just that another chapter has begun,” Aramco said in the review. —Reuters

Oman Cement, Raysut see profit rise after payout MUSCAT: Oman Cement Company raised its profit outlook yesterday after receiving $19 million in government compensation, sending its share price 7 percent higher.

The government paid Oman Cement Company 7.34 million rials ($19.06 million) on June 14 as a compensation for keeping cement prices low on the directive of the ministry of finance, the company said in a statement on the bourse website. “This will have the effect of improving

the profitability of the company by this amount during the current quarter and the year ending 31st December 2010,” an Oman Cement statement said.

The news lifted shares in the company by 7 percent, making it Muscat’s top gainer.

Raysut Cement said in a statement it received 5.005 million rials from the government.

“This will have (a) positive effect (on) the cash flow of the company,” Mohammed Ahmed Al-Dheeb, chief executive offi-

cer of Raysut Cement, said in a statement posted on the bourse website. Raysut’s stock ended 1.8 percent lower yesterday, before the statement was issued.

Oman Cement posted a 30.1 percent profit drop in 2008 to 12.473 million rials but made a 24.32 million rials net profit in 2009.

Raysut made a net profit of 28.68 million rials in 2009, up from 27.1 million rials a year earlier. —Reuters

business

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

25

Singapore SMX to launch euro-priced Brent crude futures SINGAPORE: The Singapore Mercantile Exchange (SMX) is set to become the first bourse to trade oil priced in euros, allowing market participants to hedge energy and currency exposure simultaneously during Asian trading hours.

SMX plans to launch the first euro-denominated futures contract for Brent crude, the benchmark for pricing two-thirds of the world’s oil, to coincide with the bourse’s opening in August, the exchange said in a statement yesterday.

“They’ve got to try as many different concepts as possible in the marketplace to try to get a response,” said Peter McGuire, man-

aging director of Commodity Warrants Australia in Sydney.

“I’m not going to say it’s going to be a success or a failure, but if you don’t try, you won’t know. Traders are always looking for different styles of hedges.” Investors have increasingly become involved in the oil market as energy and commodities gained relevance as an asset class over the past decade, when Asian economies have driven demand growth.

The electronically-traded Brent contract in euros will complement SMX’s West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures, which the exchange in the past few weeks

announced as a debut contract together with gold. The parallel trading of two crude contracts in different currencies could stifle liquidity, said Tony Nunan, a risk manager with Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Corp.

“The most important thing is to have liquidity, and investors I think prefer a single currency to compare everything. If they want currency exposure they will trade currencies.”

By listing both Brent and WTI, the SMX will enter into direct competition with the world’s top two oil bourses, the Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), where Brent is the flagship contract, and the Chicago Mercantile

Exchange (CME), home for the WTI contract.

The CME also trades Brent crude through its affiliate, the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), while ICE also trades WTI. But tighter rules loom for these US exchanges, and some traders have said Singapore’s regulation is more attractive.

“It may be that SMX would like to attract traders who are concerned about US regulations,” Mitsubishi’s Nunan said. “If the trade is denominated in euros that is one less area that the US can intervene in.”

President Barack Obama is leading an overhaul of financial markets reg-

ulation and a Senate bill has proposed new rules to push as much over-thecounter (OTC) derivatives trading as possible via central clearing houses and boost transparency through exchange trading.

“Regulatory developments in the West are poised to trigger off an exodus of futures trading back to the Asian marketplace, where commodity trading has its roots historically,” McGuire from Commodity Warrants said in an e-mailed note.

The Singapore-based SMX, owned by Financial Technologies, aims to create Asian commodity benchmarks that serve the region’s specific trading and hedging needs,

capitalizing on the gap in liquidity between the end of the New York trading session and the beginning of London’s session the following day.

The trading hours for the Singapore Brent contract in local time will be 10 am to 3:30 am (02001930 GMT), shortened to 2:30 a.m. during US daylight savings time, SMX said.

“We want something that is open in our times, a day-time product for our time zone,” McGuire said, adding that “people are looking for alternatives, there is going to be demand for it.”

Some oil-exporting nations such as Iran have in the past requested

payment in euros as the value of the dollar eroded, but those calls have subsided with the European debt crisis and the single currency’s debacle.

Iran’s central bank will sell 45 billion euros from reserves to buy dollars and gold, state-owned media said in early June, signalling a u-turn on a long-standing policy to limit exposure to the US currency.

SMX’s euro-denominated Brent contracts will be listed for the frontmonth and 11 consecutive months and their size will be 1,000 barrels.

Singapore Brent will be cash-settled against ICE Brent, using the exchange rate at the end of the trading session. —Reuters

‘Surprising, unfortunate’ rating downgrade to ‘junk’ status

Brussels attacks Moody’s over Greece downgrade KUALA LUMPUR: A laborer off loads sacks of cement at a construction site in down town Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Malaysia last week unveiled a 69-billion-dollar plan intended to spur growth and attract much-needed foreign investment. —AFP

Australia says rates held on Europe fears SYDNEY: Australia’s central bank indicated it has room to keep interest rates on hold as it assesses the impact of the European debt crisis on Asian growth, documents showed yesterday.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said market confidence had been severely eroded by growing concerns about the fiscal situation in Greece, Spain and Portugal, with “sizeable deficits expected to persist over a number of years.” Despite bailouts from the European Union and International Monetary Fund as well as austerity pushes in several euro-zone nations, the RBA said uncertainty prevailed and would “inevitably weigh somewhat on prospects for global growth.”

“In areas such as Asia where growth had recently been strong, it had become more likely that the withdrawal of policy stimulus would be delayed as a result of the developments in Europe,” it said in the minutes of its June 1 meeting.

At that meeting, the central bank opted to leave rates on hold at 4.50 percent-pausing an aggressive series of six 0.25 percentage point hikes since October-after sharp falls in Australia’s stock market and currency.

The RBA said monetary policy had moved from “very expansionary settings” at the height of the global financial crisis to now having rates at their “average levels of the past decade or so”, giving it room to hold fire for now.

“Members judged that these previous actions

(of raising rates) afforded policy the flexibility to await information on how the recent market uncertainty might affect the global economy, as well as news about the outlook for inflation,” the RBA said.

Resource-rich Australia dodged the financial crisis due to strong exports to Asia, which helped it become the only advanced economy not to enter recession and the first to raise interest rates, from 49-year lows of 3.0 percent.

RBA deputy governor Ric Battellino said Australia’s relative resilience during the 1997 Asian financial crisis showed its exports would hold up through any slowing in China or other key export markets.

“All our major trading partners basically had this massive financial crisis, and you’d think that would have really affected the Australian economy,” Battellino said.

“One of the advantages that comes from being a commodity exporter is that it’s very easy to reorientate your markets... If you’re selling coal and iron ore and this customer now doesn’t want it, you just send the ship somewhere else.”

Australia was enjoying an “unprecedented” commodities boom, with mining investment running at 4.5 percent of gross domestic product, or three times its normal rate, Battellino said.

“All the projections are that it’s going to go a lot higher yet. If you start adding up all the projects that are scheduled around the place, it is going to be very strong.” —AFP

NEW YORK: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. US stocks opened higher Monday as positive economic news from Europe helped extend a recent uptick. —AFP

News Corp bids for all of British pay-TV giant BSkyB LONDON: Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp revealed a bid of 7.8 billion pounds ($11.5 billion) in cash yesterday for the near 61-percent of British pay-television group BSkyB which it does not yet own.

But BSkyB reeplied that the informal offer of 700 pence per share was too low and that it would be prepared to support a formal bid only “in excess of 800 pence per share”. “News Corp and the BSkyB Independent Directors have been unable to reach a mutually agreeable price at the current time,” Murdoch’s media titan said in a statement.

“However, both parties have agreed to work together to proceed with the regulatory process in order to facilitate a proposed transaction.”

News Corp. currently owns 39.1 percent of BSkyB. The price of shares in the television busi-

ness rocketed by almost 21 percent to 725 pence in early London trade. The US group’s chief operating officer Chase Carey said the offer proposed

by News Corp represented a premium of 27.5 percent over BSkyB’s average share price for the past year.

“We believe that this is the right time for BSkyB to become a wholly-owned part of News Corporation with its greater scale and broader geographic reach,” he said. “For News Corporation, our proposal presents an opportunity to consolidate a core business with which we have been closely associated for over two decades.

“News Corporation will also benefit from increasing the geographic diversification of our earnings base, reducing our exposure to cyclical advertising revenues and increasing our direct consumer subscription revenues,” Carey added. —AFP

STRASBOURG: The European Union’s top economic commissioner Olli Rehn European parliament that the decision to cut Greece’s rating was both “surcriticized US-based rating agency Moody’s yesterday for slashing its sover- prising” and “unfortunate” at a time when EU and IMF auditors were taking eign debt rating for Greece to ‘junk’ status. Rehn told a debate in the a hard look at the country’s attempts to slash its debt.

“The timing of Moody’s decision is both surprising and highly unfortunate,” Rehn told European parliament lawmakers sitting in Strasbourg, France, during a speech on improving audit powers available to EU data agency Eurostat.

He said that the downgrade, which he had discussed with financial services commissioner Michel Barnier and European Commission boss Jose Manuel Barroso, “again raises issues related to the role of credit rating agencies in the financial system.”

He said that the commission, which proposes to regulate ratings agencies under wide-ranging, new supervisory architecture due to enter force in 2011, will probe “the level of competition in the sector” and fears that a lack of transparency could represent a “conflict of interest.”

The system appears to be “based on the payer-issuer model,” Rehn said of doubts there. Rehn underlined that Eurostat staff resources are immediately being beefed up.

ATHENS: Chinese vice Premier Zhang Dejiang (left) and his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos proceed Moody’s said that considerable uncertainty about Greek plans, for the signing of the shipping and trade agreements at the ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens yesterday. even with the help of an EUChina plans to invest billions of euros in shipping, logistics and airport projects in Greece, as the European IMF bailout package, to reduce nation battles to slash its massive debt, a report said. —AFP its huge debt and balance its finances justified the ratings cut by four notches from A3 to Ba1.

As bond yields-the rate of return-moved higher, Athens swiftly rejected the verdict, saying the government had billion yen against eligible collateral at an TOKYO: Japan’s central bank unveiled a lic debt mountain. taken major steps to balance its Crippling deflation, soaring welfare interest rate equal to the central bank’s $33 billion loan scheme yesterday to boost books. The downgrade means growth and battle deflation, as it faces costs and weak domestic demand continue key lending rate at the time. It is currently some investors will no longer mounting pressure from a new government to weigh on growth as consumers defer at 0.10 percent. be allowed to buy Greek debt Banks will be able to roll over the onefocused on economic restoration. The purchases in the hope of further price falls. under the terms of their investPrime Minister Naoto Kan said in par- year loans up to three times, meaning that Bank of Japan (BOJ) will make low interest ment mandate and could lead to funds available to private banks to lend to liament Monday that the government and they could potentially hold on to the funds still higher borrowing costs for companies, a move it hopes will in turn the central bank would work together in an for four years. “It’s a drastic step for the Athens if it goes to the markets encourage firms to make longer-term busi- effort to crush deflation after warning in his bank,” said Maiko Noguchi, economist at for cash. ness investments in a bid strengthen the policy address last week that Japan faced a Daiwa Institute of Research, noting that Jean-Claude Juncker, head the scheme’s impact would be limited “risk of collapse”. economy. of the Eurogroup of finance The bank said it would aim to start pro- given currently weak corporate demand for Raising Japan’s potential economic ministers, criticized rating growth rate and productivity was its “most viding funds by the end of August and tar- funds. agency Moody’s yesterday for “There are only a limited number of critical challenge” the bank said, as it get growth sectors including healthcare, its “irrational” downgrade of companies banks are willing to lend money announced it would offer as much as three the environment and tourism.

Greece’s debt to “junk” status.

However, analysts said they expected to. And such companies have enough funds trillion yen ($33 billion) in a temporary “I don’t understand why this the scheme to have limited impact. “The at hand thanks to growing exports. It’s low-interest loan scheme. further downgrading did interThe bank had been looking at ways “to central bank seems to have no choice but unclear if the scheme will work,” she said. vene,” Juncker, who is also In March, the bank doubled the amount rid Japan’s economy of deflation and to announce this scheme, partly because of prime minister of Luxembourg, achieve sustainable growth with price sta- covert political pressure from the govern- of cash it will make available to banks, told reporters following a semibility”, it said. The measure “aims to act as ment,” said Taro Saito, economist at NLI extending emergency steps taken in nar on the European Union in December by boosting its short-term loan a catalyst for financial institutions in mak- Research Institute.

Oslo.

“It’s questionable whether it is appro- facility to 20 trillion yen ($220 billion). The ing efforts toward strengthening the founLate on Monday, the USpriate for the central bank to offer lending central bank yesterday kept its key lending dations for economic growth.” based rating agency slashed its Pressure on the central bank is expect- to ‘growth sectors’ and outdated to think rate unchanged at 0.10 percent, as widely debt rating for Greece by four ed to rise as Japan’s new government puts that the government or the public sector expected and said “Japan’s economy shows notches from A3 to Ba1, saying further signs of moderate recovery” aided fiscal discipline at the heart of its agenda in can predict which sectors they are.” that even with the help of an The BOJ said each participating bank by exports to fast-growing emerging a bid to repair the country’s tattered EU-IMF bailout package there finances and slash the world’s biggest pub- would be able to borrow a maximum of 150 economies. —AFP was considerable uncertainty about Greece would reduce its huge debt and balance its finances.

The downgrade means some PARIS: French bank Societe Generale said yes- pened since then,” he told a news conference. investors will no longer be “Societe Generale responded immediately” to terday it aimed to double its profits over two years, allowed to buy Greek debt insisting it had moved on since losing billions of the discovery of the risky trades, Oudea added. under the terms of their invest“There was a need to reinforce controls and we euros in a rogue trade scandal in 2008. ment mandate and could lead to Societe Generale said it aimed to double net did so.” In Friday’s earnings statement, Oudea still higher borrowing costs for profits by 2012 to six billion euros ($7.3 billion) said that “the results delivered in the first quarter Athens if it goes to the markets from a target of three billion this year and to grow are a first tangible proof of our ability to rebound.” for cash.

Last month it posted a net profit of 1.06 billion its revenues four percent annually. The announce“I am totally convinced that ment came during the second week of the trial of euros for the first quarter of the year, compared to ... a few months from now, the the bank’s former trader Jerome Kerviel, accused a loss of 278 million euros in the first three months financial markets will see that of gambling away 4.9 billion euros ($7.1 billion at of 2009. Analysts have forecast profits of 3.1 billion they were wrong. They’re misthe time) and forcing it to unwind 50 billion euros euros in 2010. Societe Generale on Friday interpreting the decisions in risky deals. The scandal shook the bank months announced a new strategy focusing on its French which have been taken,” before the fall of US investment giant Lehman networks, international retail banking and corpoJuncker insisted.

LA DEFENSE, France: Societe Brothers in September 2008, which sparked a rate and investment banking.

“These downgradings of ratIt said that losses on hard-to-sell toxic assets in ing are not in each and every Generale chairman Frederic global financial crisis and widespread recession. its portfolio would not exceed 700 million to one The trial has seen bitter wrangling between case understandable and ratioOudea poses at the bank headKerviel and his former employers who accuse him billion euros this year, in line with previous expecnal,” he said, adding “personalquarters in Paris. Societe of hiding his risky bets, while he insists his bosses tations. Such assets are to be reduced by 60 perly, I think that financial markets Generale said yesterday it knew what he was doing and turned a blind eye as cent by 2015. “The last few years have been chalare behaving sometimes in a aimed to double net profits by long as he was making a profit. lenging for the group, its shareholders and very irrational way.” Two other “For me, it’s in the past,” said the group’s chief employees but we have learnt from the crisis,” rating agencies, Standard and 2012 to six billion euros ($7.3 Poor’s and Fitch, had previousbillion) from a target of three executive Frederic Oudea, who was financial Oudea said in an earnings statement, adding that “2010 represents a new period for Societe director at the time of the scandal. ly downgraded Greek debt to billion this year. —AFP “It was two and a half years ago. A lot has hap- Generale.” —AFP junk status. —AFP

BOJ outlines $33bn loan scheme

French bank SocGen eyes rebound

BUSINESS

26

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

German confidence index slumps on Europe woes

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) and French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrive at a news conference during a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin on Monday to prepare for a European Union summit later this week, amid speculation of a rift in German-French views on economic policy. — AP

MANNHEIM, Germany: German analyst and investor sentiment fell in June by the most since the height of the financial crisis in 2008, hit by concerns over the euro zone’s debt troubles and sending the euro lower against the dollar.

The closely watched survey by the Mannheim-based ZEW think tank dropped much more than expected to 28.7 from 45.8 in May, its sharpest fall since October 2008. The consensus forecast in a Reuters poll of analysts was for a slide to 42.0.

“Today’s ZEW index illustrates the uncertainty the current sovereign debt crisis and latest market turmoil have created,” said Carsten Brzeski at ING Financial Markets.

“The euro-zone’s bailout package and the European Central Bank’s latest measures to support bond and money markets have not, yet, been sufficient to stabilize confidence,” he said.

The euro fell against the dollar and Bund futures rose off session lows after the data was released. Germany emerged from its deepest post-war recession in the second quarter of last year but the recovery slowed in the winter when severe weather disrupted business activity.

Recent economic indicators however have beaten forecasts and pointed to a renewed pick-up. Industrial orders and output rose more than expected in April and the Economy

Ministry said the recovery was likely to continue.

Yet forward-looking data has suggested the euro-zone debt crisis could hamper the recovery, and German business sentiment fell in May. “Prospects are bit more unstable than in the month before despite an improving economic situation,” ZEW economist Peter Westerheide said.

The fall in sentiment was not a shock, but an easing in sentiment and exacerbated by improved current conditions, added Westerheide. “It is not a shock, we are even slightly above the long-term average, it’s still a positive signal,” said Westerheide. “It is not really a bad assessment of the economy, but it is a moderation in

mood.”A separate gauge of current conditions rose to -7.9 from 21.6 in May, according to the ZEW survey of 279 analysts and investors conducted between May 31 and June 14. A reading of -15.0 had been forecast.

“Traders have disregarded the positive effects of the crisis. Export economies in the entire euro zone are benefitting from a weak euro, especially Germany,” said Stefan Muetze, an economist at Helaba.

Earlier yesterday, the German DIHK chambers of industry and commerce released a survey showing that German firms were increasingly upbeat about their future prospects and the weaker euro was supporting exports. — Reuters

Treaty could end prosecution threat of UBS

Swiss parliament approves US tax deal on second try GENEVA: The Sw iss parliament yesterday a pproved a treaty w ith the United States tha t w ill hand thousands of files on suspected tax chea ts to US a uthorities. The government hopes the treaty w ill end, once a nd for all, the threat of prosecution looming over Sw iss bank UBS AG if the country refuses to honor its agreement to ha nd over the names of 4,450 A majority of 81 to 61 lawmakers in Switzerland’s lower house voted in favor of the government-backed deal, and 53 abstained. The vote passed after the powerful Swiss People’s Party dropped its opposition. The nationalist party and the left-wing Social Democrats blocked a first attempt last week to have parliament approve the treaty, which has been portrayed as a nail in the coffin for Swiss banking secrecy.

But details remain to be ironed out in the deal.

US clients. Sw iss authorities have a lready transmitted the na mes of about 400 UBS clients w ho signed w a ivers as part of the Internal Revenue Service’s voluntary disclosure program, according the Sw iss Federal Tax Administration. Another 100 UBS clients gave their consent directly to Sw iss authorities.

Parliament’s lower house decided yesterday that the treaty can be put to the Swiss public in a popular referendum before it finally becomes law. The upper house has yet to decide on that possibility and has until Friday to deliberate.

A referendum would make Switzerland miss the August deadline to hand over all 4,450 names because the vote would be held in November at the earliest.

Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf tried to dis-

perse fears of some lawmakers that the treaty might open the door to the United States receiving client data from other Swiss banks.

“This is about a single agreement ... on a clearly defined group of clients who allegedly committed tax fraud or tax evasion,” she told parliament, adding that it will have “no impact on future cases.” Shares of UBS shot up 2.5 percent on news of the vote, reaching 15.59 Swiss francs ($13.7) on the Zurich exchange. — AP

China urges improvements at work as Honda strike ends

CARACAS: A man waits at a branch of the Banco Federal in Caracas. Venezuela on Monday seized the assets of the Banco Federal, a mid-sized private bank which authorities accused of ‘irregularities.’ Edgar Hernandez, head of the country’s bank regulator Sudeban, also accused the bank of a severe lack of liquidity. — AFP

Three American women lead fight on Wall Street excess NEW YORK: Their names are Mary Schapiro, Sheila Bair and Elizabeth Warren-three women that head financial bodies and panels which embody a steely American determination to clean up Wall Street’s excesses.

“Unlike many of the men they oversee, the new sheriffs of Wall Street never aspired to eight-figure compensation packages or corporate suites,” read a recent profile of the women in Time magazine.

“Bair, Schapiro and Warren all made their careers far from Manhattan, taking on new jobs during pregnancies and outhustling the men around them.”

The three bring different backgrounds that highlight their strengths and are widely respected in financial and banking circles.

Schapiro heads the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), an independent agency that enforces federal laws and regulates the securities industry and US stock exchanges.

President Barack Obama named Schapiro to the post in January 2009 tasked with restoring the SEC’s reputation after it failed to foresee the financial crisis and missed master swindler Bernard Madoff’s massive Ponzi scheme.

Under Schapiro’s leadership, the SEC has demanded greater transparency in awarding stock options, and called for restraint in bonuses

pad out to traders.

She has shaken the financial titans by targeting star investment bankers Goldman Sachs, accusing them of misleading investors by selling risky financial products.

She also recently introduced circuit breakers to prevent a new “flash crash” such as one on the New York Stock Exchange on May 6. But Schapiro also has her critics, among them Gregori Volokhine, an analyst with Meeschaert New York.

Before taking her current job Schapiro headed the FINRA-the independent securities regulator agency-and was not seen as a “proactive” leader, he said.

“Attacking Goldman Sachs, this is not systemic reform,” Volokhine said.

Sheila Bair, who since 2006 has headed the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the US banking regulator, is a former college professor with broad experience in financial regulation agencies.

She is respected for being one of the few people to anticipate problems with collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), a key source in how the credit market meltdown spread across the global financial system.

“The country would be in better shape if Obama had chosen her for secretary of Treasury instead of Tim Geithner,” said Peter Morici, an economics professor at the

University of Maryland.

Volokhine however believes Bair lost some steam when she failed to broaden the FDIC’s authority as part of financial reform proposals being considered in Congress.

Elizabeth Warren, an attorney and Harvard law professor, was named in November 2008 as chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel, a body of lawmakers set up to investigate the crisis and the government’s bailout of the financial and auto industries.

Morici said he was skeptical about plans for a consumer protection agency-part of a financial reform bill before Congress which Warren has supported-but Volokhine welcomed her as an “independent-minded activist” who “tries to make things happen.”

Added to this team in charge of policing Wall Street is Senator Blanche Lincoln, who has proposed sweeping financial reform measures.

The Arkansas Democrat wants to see bank derivative products separated so this lucrative and risky market is no longer guaranteed by the Federal Reserve.

It is a measure feared by Wall Street, but which may not be included in the final text in Congress. All three of these women “are going to do very well as long as they stay in public service because they all very talented,” said Morici. — AFP

ZHONGSHAN, China: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urged better treatment of the nation’s vast army of migrant laborers as employees at a Honda factory halted the latest strike that has laid bare growing worker assertiveness.

The strike at the factory making locks for Honda vehicles was the latest labor dispute to hit factories in southern China’s Pearl River Delta, a sprawling industrial zone that makes nearly a third of the country’s exports, by workers demanding a greater piece of China’s growing economic wealth.

If it spreads, the ripples of unrest could present hard choices for China’s ruling Communist Party, which has vowed to raise the incomes of hundreds of millions of farmers and migrant workers, but also wants to keep export-driven industry humming and stifle any threats to top-down Party control.

In the most high-level comments to touch on migrant worker conditions since the strikes broke out, Wen said he recognized that a new generation moving from poor villages to work in factories and on building sites would not be satisfied with the same tough conditions their parents endured.

“Rural migrant workers are the main army of the contemporary Chinese industrial workforce. Our wealth and our tall buildings are all distillations of your hard work and sweat,” Wen told a group of migrant workers in Beijing on Monday, the official People’s Daily reported yesterday.

“Your labour is a glorious thing, and it should be respected by society. The government and all parts of society should treat young migrant workers as they would treat their own children.”

Wen’s published comments did not directly address the recent labor unrest. But he told a group of young and vocal migrant workers that he “understood” their complaints about demanding conditions, long hours, and drab lives.

Some workers, however, both at a striking Honda plant and at a nearby work centre plastered with notices for jobs paying slightly more than minimum levels, dismissed Wen’s rhetoric and called for more formal policy intervention to extend recent increases of minimum wages in Chinese coastal regions.

“At least he (Wen) makes us feel that workers aren’t being ignored,” said one striking worker. “But what he’s doing is limited ... wage levels shouldn’t be set just by factory bosses, the government needs to do more.”

A recent survey by Hong Kong’s trade promotion body in the Pearl River Delta indicated worker wages had already risen 17 percent over the past six months, partly given labour shortages and to retain skilled workers as export orders pick up again.

At the Honda Lock factory, hundreds of workers streamed back to work on a drizzly morning in the South China city of Zhongshan, ending a work stoppage that began nearly a week ago when hundreds of the plant’s 1,500 workers went on strike.

Some said they’d agreed to come back until Friday, when management has promised to give a new offer on their wage demands, after an earlier raise of 200 yuan was deemed too low. — Reuters

LONDON: A man walks past a sale sign in the window of a store in central London. Britain revised down its economic growth and borrowing forecasts on Monday, setting the tone for the new government’s emergency budget due next week. — AFP

British consumer price inflation down to 3.4% LONDON: British consumer price inflation fell to 3.4 percent in May from April’s 17-month high of 3.7 percent, but remains well above the official target, the national statistics agency said yesterday.

Consumer price inflation has been above the Bank of England’s target of 2 percent since November, worrying some about the impact of record low interest rates, but analysts said the May drop was reassuring. “A combination of the increase in the rate of value-added tax, higher petrol prices and the continued feed through of the impact of weaker sterling have been responsible for keeping inflation above 3 percent since the beginning of the year,” said Andrew Goodwin, senior economic adviser to the Ernst & Young ITEM Club.

“However, these effects are beginning to fade and the massive amount of spare capacity in the economy is likely to become increasingly influential over the coming months,” Goodwin said.

The Office for National Statistics said the retail prices index — a measure widely used in wage negotiations — rose by 5.1 percent in May, compared to the 5.3 percent rate in April which was the highest since July 1991. Excluding mortgage interest payments, it was 5.1 percent higher than a year ago, down from 5.4 percent in April.

Jonathan Loynes at Capital Economics called the report “a pleasant surprise.” “Inflation worries are not about to disappear overnight. But there is some reassurance here that the (Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee) will be able to avoid the nightmare scenario of having to

raise interest rates alongside the huge fiscal squeeze,” Loynes said. The government, intent on slashing a record spending deficit, will give details of its plans to cut spending and raise taxes next week.

While inflation has remained stubbornly high as the economy makes a slow recovery from a deep recession, both the Bank of England and the government expect the inflation rate to fall back to target next year. The largest contributor to inflation was housing and household services, where prices increased this year after falling last year.

The biggest effect within the sector was in electricity bills, which were unchanged between April and May and fell a year earlier, the agency said.

Food prices fell slightly since April, it added. High consumer prices, however, are squeezing household budgets. The ONS said in a separate report that regular earnings — excluding bonuses and arrears — rose just 1.9 percent in the first quarter of the year. Howard Archer, economist at IHS Global Insight, said Tuesday’s report was further reassurance that the Bank of England could keep its base rate at an all-time low of 0.5 percent for the rest of the year.

In other economic news, the government said average house prices in April were 10.1 percent higher than a year ago, following a gain of 0.4 percent from March. A report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors indicated that the trend continued in May, with the number of surveyors reporting higher prices 22 percentage points higher than those reporting a drop — compared to a 17 percent gap in April. — AP

UK’s Bellway says economic worries hit house sales LONDON: Fears of government spending cuts has dented momentum in the UK housing market housebuilder Bellway said yesterday, while proposed reform to the planning system could be a further obstacle to recovery.

The Newcastle-based company said it made 100 sales per week in the 18 weeks to June 15, with a slight dip in visitor levels and weekly sales rates since the general election due to fears of spending cuts and fiscal policy review. “The uncertainties are really around the macro picture. What is the new government going to bring to a) an average consumer spending and b) the planning system,” CEO John Watson told Reuters.

The recovery in British house prices has lost its steam in recent months, with prices falling according to mortgage lender Halifax.

General malaise about the economic picture and fear of unemployment is leading to many postponing a house sale or purchase.

“We’re in a hiatus period, we’re waiting to see how things pan out next week in terms of the budget, and how Mr Average’s confidence is affected by that,” said Watson.

“If people are confident about life they make the big ticket decisions,” he added.

The update from Bellway, the first housebuilder to comment on market conditions since the election, did not alarm analysts. “The stock market should be relieved that sales in the last 18 weeks are stable on

last year, up on the first half and show only a ‘slight’ deterioration since the election,” said Charlie Campbell at Liberum Capital.

The company said annual legal completions will rise by 200 from last year to an estimated 4580. It added that 1,800 reservations have been taken for 2010/2011 so far, with selling prices up 10 percent year-onyear.

A tentative recovery in the UK property market is likely to be undermined by new planning red tape that will devolve more planning power to local levels, and is expected to hinder new projects in the short term.

Bellway said that possible changes surrounding the planning system could “pose new challenges to the business” but Watson was confident that the system will continue to function. “I don’t think the local authorities are going to down tools, they’ve still got planning permissions to make. It’s nothing new, we’ve seen quite a few changes in government, and this inevitably happens,” he added.

Nonetheless, Watson added that he is only interested in buying land with planning permission already granted at the moment, in case of disruption to the planning system.

The group is targeting 200 sites next year, up from the current figure-just shy of 180 — in order to boost volumes.

Bellway said it has so far committed 151 million pounds ($221.3 million) to new land, representing 2,475 plots. — Reuters

technology

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

27

Microsoft's high school in US traveled rocky road When the PHILADELPHIA: Microsoft-designed School of the Future opened, the facility was a paragon of contemporary architecture, with a green roof, light-filled corridors and the latest classroom technology, all housed in a dazzling white modern building. It might as well have been a fishbowl: Educators and the media from around the world watched to see whether Microsoft could reform public education through innovation in technology.

Although the US school's creative ambitions have been frustrated by high principal turnover, curriculum tensions and a student body unfamiliar with laptop computer culture, the school graduates its first senior class yesterday with every graduate headed for an institution of higher learning.

"The first three years were definitely a challenge," said Mary Cullinane, Microsoft's liaison to the school. "They're hitting they're groove now. I'm excited to see what's in store." From the beginning, everything about the $63 million School of the Future was designed to be different. Built in Philadelphia's rough Parkside section with district money, the school partnered with Microsoft on new approaches to curriculum, instruc-

tion and hiring. It attracted reformminded teachers and students bent on avoiding older high schools.

The vision was for a paperless, textbook-less school that embodied the motto "Continuous, Relevant, Adaptive." Each learner would get a take-home laptop on which to keep notes, do homework and take tests.

But students are chosen by a lottery of public school students. Most are low-income and without home computers, yet they are expected to manage their high school careers on a laptop. "I felt kind of awkward," said senior Kenneth Bolds, 17. "I was used to using books and pencils for eight years." Educators also assumed learners would enter the school performing at grade level, but half the students in the academically troubled district haven't been proficient at reading or math.

The school's first set of standardized test scores last year were dismal. Only 7.5 percent of 11th graders scored proficient or higher in math; 23.4 percent scored proficient or higher in reading.

Cullinane notes that the school can't control who comes into the school, but said test scores don't tell the whole story. "It is a long-term journey and we have to get away from short-term yardsticks," she said. The project-based curriculum

This May 20, 2010 photo, students use laptop computers in the classroom at the "School of the Future" in Philadelphia. —AP also caused problems because it did not translate to district benchmarks.

Its interdisciplinary nature made it hard to tell what material had been taught, said Nancy Hopkins-Evans,

special assistant to the district's chief academic officer. "Our issue was that you had content and standards that you absolutely needed to cover," Hopkins-Evans said. Report

cards, too, were incompatible with the district's needs. The narrative assessments rated students from "Advanced" to "Not on the Radar" instead of giving letter grades. And

the idea to replicate a professional work day by using a 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule had to be altered; some students needed the traditional school day. All the while, there were tours, tours, tours. More than 3,000 people from 50 countries have visited the school, said Cullinane, worldwide director of innovation for Microsoft Education.

Senior Mahcaiyah WearingGooden, 18, said she led countless tours as a freshman, showing off computerized blackboards ("smart boards") and digital lockers that popped open by waving an ID card.

"It was a lot to process at the time," she said. Jan Biros, a vice provost at nearby Drexel University who served on the school's original curriculum planning committee, wrote in a report last year that the group overlooked the school's place in the larger district. "We were not naive -- but our assumptions were essentially flawed," Biros wrote.

Principal Rosalind Chivis -- the school's fourth -- described the building's journey as "trying to build a plane while flying it." Yet now, she said, a revamped curriculum, steady leadership and better use of resources and scheduling has yielded the "first full year of uninterrupted education." Teacher Aruna Arjunan said part of the school's

strength lies in offering a combination of academic, technical and realworld skills.

Students' familiarity with Microsoft programs make them employable straight out of high school, she said. They are also evaluated on "competencies" that Seattle-based Microsoft uses with its own employees, such as dealing with ambiguity and thinking on the fly. "There are kids in this building who would have flunked out of other high schools," Arjunan said. "I just think the culture here is unlike any other." All 118 seniors have been accepted to post-secondary programs, from community colleges to selective schools like Villanova University. Some, like WearingGooden, weren't even considering college as freshmen. This fall, Wearing-Gooden will be studying climatology on a scholarship at Green Mountain College in Vermont. She said the School of the Future offered individual attention, a supportive atmosphere and a familial dynamic that helped her realize her potential.

The hectic first years also taught Wearing-Gooden a valuable life lesson. "It showed me that the world is not as stable as we want it to be," she said. "Now I'm ready for anything." —AP

CommunicAsia 2010 technology conference

Mobile video calls the next frontier, says Skype head SINGAPORE: A trade visitor walks past a poster which shows the Yahoo mobile applications at the CommunicAsia 2010 conference and exhibition show in Singapore yesterday. Apple's hugely successful applications store has spawned similar setups around the world but it will be tough to compete with the US technology giant, an industry expert said.—AFP

Microsoft makes big push for new game audience LOS ANGELES: To appeal to families ready to graduate from the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Corp wants to build on the success of the Wii's motioncapture wand -- by getting rid of the wand entirely.

On Monday, Microsoft detailed its new Kinect game technology, coming this fall for the Xbox 360 game console. Once known as Project Natal, the Kinect system recognizers users' gestures and voices, so you can control on-screen avatars in racing, action and sports games just by moving your body. Microsoft showed off a "Star Wars" game, coming in 2011, that will use Kinect to let players swing virtual lightsabers in their living rooms, and a dance title from the makers of "Rock Band" that eliminates the need for controllers and high-tech mats to get moving. Kinect's voice feature also means you can say "pause" or "play" when watching a movie on the Xbox instead of reaching for the remote. And it has a video chat function that can connect people from different sides of the country, as Microsoft demonstrated Monday at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, a video game conference with 45,000 industry insiders.

Kinect will launch Nov. 4 in North America, Microsoft said. Prices were not disclosed, and it's not clear whether Kinect will come with new Xboxes or only be sold separately. The technology works with existing systems, as well as a new version of the Xbox console that goes on sale next week. It's smaller, sleeker and comes with built-in Wi-Fi and a 250 gigabyte hard drive. The new Xbox will cost $299, which previously got you a hard drive with half the capacity.

Until now the Xbox has been mainly known as the device to play hard-core shooter games such as "Call of Duty" and "Halo." Microsoft ranks second in console sales to Nintendo, just ahead of PlayStation maker Sony Corp. "We've established ourselves as a strong No. 2," said Dennis Durkin, chief operating officer of Microsoft's video game business. He called the launch of Kinect an inflection point for Xbox, adding "we're not content with being No 2 anymore." Since the original Xbox launched in 2001, the video game system has been part of three money-losing divisions.

Microsoft doesn't break out results from the Xbox, but in total, the divisions that housed the game unit reported operating losses of about $7.45 billion from fiscal 2002 through 2007. The past two years, the group that now includes Xbox, Zune media players, Windows phone software and the touch-screen Surface table computer finally was profitable, with operating earnings of $497 million in fiscal 2008 and $169 million in fiscal 2009. The most recent figure was still less than 1 percent of the company's total operating income.

Scott Steinberg, video game analyst and most recently founder of Game Exec magazine and Game Industry TV, said the most exciting applications of Kinect are the uses that go beyond gaming, like video chat and the ability to select and watch movies without the need for a remote con-

troller. It opens up new possibilities for interfacing with technology -- for instance, calling up movies and TV shows with the flick of a wrist or interacting with virtual pets with just a smile, he said.

Though it is working to broaden its reach, Microsoft is still trying to nurture its loyal gamer fans, who reliably buy sequels to blockbusters like "Halo" and "Gears of War." To that end, the company announced an exclusive deal Monday with Activision Blizzard Inc., the maker of the "Call of Duty" games, that will bring downloadable content known as "map packs" to the Xbox first (and then the PlayStation 3) through 2012. Such extra content is an increasingly important business for video game makers because they can extend the life of games. — AP

LOS ANGELES: Don Mattrick unveiled a slimmer, sleeker new Xbox 360 at the Microsoft E3 Media Briefing on Monday in Los Angeles. The console began shipping to retailers yesterday and is priced at $299. —AP

SINGAPORE: Making video calls from a mobile phone to TV sets or computers will be the next frontier for the telecoms industry, the head of Internet telephony pioneer Skype said yesterday.

Chief executive Josh Silverman told a technology conference in Singapore that communication was moving from a "hardware-based" industry to being driven by software applications that allowing people to keep in touch using a range of devices such as mobile phones, personal computers and televisions.

"What's the next frontier? I believe it's about ubiquity," Silverman told delegates to the CommunicAsia 2010 technology conference and trade exhibition in Singapore.

"It's about allowing you to communicate whenever, wherever and however you like. At Skype, we envision a world where communication flows like water. "The basic idea is that any computing device becomes a communications device with the addition of our software and you can communicate however and wherever you want."

Skype's free Internet video and audio calls using desktop and laptop computers have connected millions of people worldwide, from business executives to migrant laborers. Currently, mobile video calls using the system can only be made using certain handsets such as Nokia's N900 smartphone and Apple's iPhone, but the company said it plans to introduce more platforms.

By next year, eight of the 10 leading personal computer manufacturers in the world will have their products pre-loaded with Skype software before they are shipped, Silverman said.

The firm has also forged partnerships with some of the world's leading electronics makers to put its software on their products, allowing people to make free video calls to other countries from a high-definition TV, according to Silverman.

While video calling technology has been in the market for sometime, "what made Skype successful is that we've made it simple and easy", Silverman said.

Skype last year accounted for 12 percent of the world's international calling minutes, up from eight percent in 2008.

On top of the free audio and video calls, Skype offers more sophisticated services for a fee, allowing it to generate revenues of 716 million dollars last year, up 30 percent over the previous year, Silverman said.

"The best is yet to come," Silverman promised. — AFP

SINGAPORE: Trade visitors stand in front of the Skype booth at the CommunicAsia 2010 conference and exhibition show in Singapore yesterday. Making video calls from a mobile phone to TV sets or computers will be the next frontier for the telecoms industry, the head of Internet telephony pioneer Skype said.— AFP

Check your inbox: Big Brother is emailing you SINGAPORE: Singapore will give all citizens, foreign residents and businesses an electronic mailbox to receive bills and other correspondence from the government, officials said yesterday.

Called "OneInbox," the service will be launched in 2012 in the high-tech city-state, which now has five million residents including a million foreigners who enjoy nearly universal computer access.

The mailbox provides a centralized platform for the government to contact individuals and businesses. Messages can be automatically forwarded to a preferred personal email address.

"It's your own personal correspondence with the government," a spokeswoman from the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) said. Recipients can opt to get text alerts when a message is sent, a highly useful feature in a society where the mobile phone penetration rate was estimated at 137 percent last year because some people own two or more phones.

A fact sheet issued by the IDA said "OneInbox is expected to bring greater convenience to individuals and businesses, by providing a one-stop access to all correspondence from government agencies in place of hard copy letters."

"Through the integration of the OneInbox with e-services of government agencies, it will also allow individuals and businesses to perform transactions with the government immediately upon receiving the electronic correspondence."

The service will be confidential and secure, and users can link their OneInbox accounts to their personal emails and mobile phone numbers, the literature said.

Government agencies will be able to confirm receipt of correspondence and bills paid.

However, users will not be able to tap their OneInbox accounts for personal purposes, such as sending casual emails to

friends, an IDA spokeswoman said. A business survey conducted by the government showed 66 percent of respondents "would definitely use OneInbox." A separate study done by the Ministry of Finance and the IDA showed nearly 65 percent of respondents willing to receive correspondence from the government via electronic means. Many government transactions, including income tax payments, renewal of residency permits and payment of traffic fines can now be done online in Singapore, where the government estimates 83 percent of people have a computer at home and Internet cafes are widespread. — AFP

HEALTH & SCIENCE

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Faecal attraction: Whale poop fights climate change PARIS: Southern Ocean sperm whales are an unexpected ally in the fight against global warming, removing the equivalent carbon emissions from 40,000 cars each year thanks to their faeces, a study found yesterday.

The cetaceans have been previously fingered as climate culprits because they breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2), the commonest greenhouse gas. But this is only a part of the picture, according to the paper, pub-

lished in the British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. In a heroic calculation, Australian biologists estimated that the estimated 12,000 sperm whales in the Southern Ocean each defecate around 50 tonnes of iron into the sea every year after digesting the fish and squid they hunt. The iron is a terrific food for phytoplankton marine plants that live near the ocean surface and which suck up

CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. As a result of faecal fertilisation, the whales remove 400,000 tonnes of carbon each year, twice as much as the 200,000 tonnes of CO2 that they contribute through respiration.

By way of comparison, 200,000 tonnes of CO2 is equal to the emissions of almost 40,000 passenger cars, according to an equation on the website of the US Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA). The whales’ faeces are so effective because they are emitted in liquid form and close to the surface, before the mammals dive, said the paper.

Industrialised whaling not only gravely threatened Southern Ocean sperm whales, it also damaged a major carbon “sink”, the scientific term for something that removes more greenhouse gases than it produces, it added.

Before industrial whaling, the population of this species was about 10 times bigger, which meant around two million tonnes of CO2 were removed annually, said the paper. The Southern Ocean is rich in nitrogen but poor in iron, which is essential for phytoplankton. The scientists suspect that because sperm whales cluster in specific areas of the Southern Ocean there is a clear link between food avail-

ability and cetacean faeces. This could explain the “krill paradox,” they believe. Researchers have previously found that when balleen whales are killed, the amount of krill in that sea area declines, which thus affects the entire food chain.

The study is lead-authored by Trish Lavery of the School of Biological Sciences at Flinders University in Adelaide. The EPA’s website, on the basis of a calcula-

tion made in 2005, says that a passenger car that is driven for 20,000 km a year yields annual emissions in CO2 or its equivalent of just over five tonnes. The future of sperm whales and other species comes under scrutiny next week in Agadir, Morocco, where the International Whaling Commission (IWC) discusses a plan to relax a 24-year moratorium on commercial whaling. —AFP

Slim and Gates work on health program

Richest men want better health for Latam’s poor

BERLIN: A young skunk peers out of a basket during their presentation at the Tierpark Friedrichsfelde zoo yesterday. Ten skunks were born at the zoo on May 4, 2010. Their parents “Wolfgang” and “Hannelore” came to the zoo in Nov 2009. —AFP

Simple drug could save 100,000 lives each year PARIS: An easy-to-use bloodclotting drug that costs just a few dollars could save up to 100,000 lives each year from road accidents and violence, according to a paper published yesterday by The Lancet.

Doctors at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine tested an off-patent treatment called tranexamic acid (TXA) among 20,000 severely-injured adults in 274 hospitals in 40 countries.

Participants received either one gram of TXA by injection followed by another one gram in a drip over the following eight hours, or a dummy lookalike.

TXA reduced the risk of death by any cause by 10 percent compared with the placebo, the paper said. When it came to the risk of death by bleeding, TXA scored a reduction of 15 percent over the placebo.

Each year, more than a million people die as a result of traffic injuries, and another 1.6 million die as a result of acts of violence, and many could be saved by swift action to stop haemorrhaging, the researchers said.

“Each year about 600,000 injured patients bleed to death worldwide,” said lead author Ian Roberts, a professor of epidemiology. “Injuries may be accidental, for example, road crashes, or intentional, such as shootings, stabbings or land-mine injuries, and the majority of deaths occur soon after injury.” TXA works by reducing the breakdown of clots.

The drug is manufactured by a number of companies, and a gram of it costs about 4.50 dollars.

If TXA became widely available and was used

promptly, it could save as many as 100,000 lives a year, 13,000 of them in India and 12,000 in China, where road deaths are surging, the paper said. “The drug is inexpensive and could be given in hospitals worldwide,” said Etienne Krug, director of violence and injury prevention and disability at the UN’s World Health Organisation (WHO). “It is essential that doctors are aware of these results and take them into account in the emergency management of seriously injured patients.” The trial was carried out to see whether TXA was effective and whether it had bad side effects, such as increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and lung clots. On the latter score, there was no increase in any of these complications, the authors said. —AFP

BERLIN: A white-handed gibbon sits in his enclosure at the Tierpark Friedrichsfelde zoo yesterday. The animals are native to the forests of Myanmar, Thailand and Sumatra. —AFP

MEXICO CITY: Carlos Slim and Bill Gates, the world’s richest men with a combined fortune of over $100 billion, announced a joint effort yesterday that will bring basic preventive health care to poor people in southern Mexico and Central America. Mexican tycoon Slim took the top spot in the Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest for the first time this year.

He and Microsoft’s Chairman Bill Gates will pitch in $50 million each to sponsor vaccinations, child nutrition and natal health for the region’s most poor.

The five-year program will target indigenous communities - particularly women and children - from Mexico across the Central American isthmus to Panama. Slim and Gates are the wealthiest men in the world, but the entrepreneurs followed very different roads to riches. With a childhood interest in computer programming, Gates left Harvard University without a degree so that he could work on softwaredevelopment, which eventually led to the creation of Microsoft.

Slim, a born deal maker, spent his early life in finance before he bought state telephone company Telmex in 1990 in a move that saw his net worth skyrocket. They have both made health a cornerstone of their philanthropy efforts in recent years. “This is the first time that we have worked together (in charity) but surely it will not be the only or the last time,” Slim told reporters at Mexico City’s grand anthropology museum that celebrates indigenous cultures of Mexico and Central America.

While both men have donated a portion of their fortunes through their health charities, Gates has emphasized vaccine development and new health sciences and Slim has channeled much of his money to wellness, cultural and sports programs.

Both men, though, have emphasized the health and nutrition needs of the poor. “Our foundation does a lot of innovation in terms of new drugs and new vaccines and what you need is both science to invent new tools and innovation and delivery to put those tools out,” Gates said.

“I’m sure that we’ll find ways to work together on both aspects of improving health.”

While Slim has groomed his six children to continue his wealth and public interest, Gates, a father of three, has said that he expects to give away most of his vast fortune. Slim has said that businessmen do more good by creating jobs and wealth through investment, “not by being Santa Claus”. The new health initiative, which is also backed by the Spanish government, will be overseen by the InterAmerican Development Bank and local governments. —Reuters

MEXICO CITY: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates (left) talks to Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim during a press conference Monday. —AP

Obese likelier to practice unsafe sex PARIS: Obese women are likelier to neglect contraception, obese men are more prone to impotence and both are far less sexually active than counterparts of normal weight, a study said yesterday. The findings highlight “a major reproductive health challenge,” requiring doctors to pierce the twin taboos of obesity and sex, it said. The research covered 10,170 men and women aged 18-69 whose data was randomly chosen from a French survey of sexual behaviour carried out in 2006.

Around two-thirds were of normal weight, a quarter were overweight and the remainder (411 women and 350 men) were obese. Overweight was defined by having a body mass index (BMI) of between 25 and 30, and obesity as a BMI of at least 30. Obese women were 29 percent less likely to have had a sex partner in the previous 12 months, compared with

women of normal weight. Obese men were 69 percent less likely to report having more than one sexual partner in the same period and two and a half times likelier to report erection problems than nonobese counterparts. Obese men under 30 were also far likelier to have a sexuallytransmitted disease.

Sexual dysfunction - lack of desire or arousal or pain in intercourse - was not a problem for obese women. However, those under 30 were far likelier not to use contraception or to seek contraceptive advice. Unintended pregnancies among obese women were more than four times higher than among women of normal weight. That discovery is especially worrying, as obesity is a major factor in mother and infant death and sickness.

The study, published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), was head-

ed by Nathalie Bajos of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) in Paris. In a commentary published by the BMJ, Sandy Goldbeck-Wood, a British gynaecologist specialising in psychosexual medicine, said the findings should ring alarm bells, given the unfurling global epidemic of obesity.

“In public health terms, the study lends a new slant to a familiar message: that obesity can harm not only health and longevity, but your sex life. And culturally, it reminds us clinicians and researchers to look at the subjects we find difficult.” BMI is derived by dividing one’s weight in kilograms by the square of one’s height in metres. Using Imperial or US measurements, it is one’s weight in pounds multiplied by 703, and then divided by the square of one’s height in inches. —AFP

CHARLESTON, West Virginia: A newborn kitten, known as Two Face, is held at the Kanawha Charleston Humane Association. The kitten is being given a 50 percent chance of survival by an area veterinarian. Dr Erica Drake says the kitten was born with a rare condition called diprosopus, which means the kitten literally has two faces. Two Face has four eyes, two noses and two mouths. —AP

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

HEALTH

US study shows murder rates affect IQ tests scores WASHINGTON: A murder in the neighborhood can significantly knock down a child’s score on an IQ test, even if the child did not directly witness the killing or know the victim, US researchers reported on Monday. The findings have implications both for crime control efforts and for the heavy reliance on standardized tests, said New York University sociology professor Patrick Sharkey, who conducted the study. They can also explain about half the achievement gap between blacks and whites on such tests, he reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“It means being more aware of the potential for violence to have a reach that extends beyond just those victimized and those who witness a violent event, to reach across a community and affect all children in a community,” Sharkey said in a telephone interview. Sharkey compared data on crimes broken down to within a few blocks in a neighborhood with school test scores. He collected details of more than 6,000 murders in the Chicago area and the results of two surveys of children and families in Chicago neighborhoods. The surveys included scores from tests that are used to determine a child’s IQ. If a murder occurred in a child’s neighborhood - an area of roughly six to 10 square blocks as denoted by the US Census - the children’s test scores fell by an average of half a standard deviation, Sharkey reported. On an IQ test using 100 as the average or norm, one standard deviation is 15 points. So if a child took the test within a week of a local murder, his or her score was 7-8 points lower on average than the score of a similar child in a similar neighborhood where there was no murder.

This fits in with what is known about the effects of post traumatic stress, Sharkey said. “The results suggest that children may carry the burden of violence with them as they take part in daily life within the neighborhood or school settings,” he said. The effects wear off after a week to nine days, Sharkey found. But in areas with a lot of crime, this does not provide much relief. “When one takes into account the prevalence of homicide in the most violent neighborhoods in cities like Chicago, these results mean that some children spend about one week out of every month functioning at a low level as they navigate the home or school environment,” he said in a statement.

In general, black US children score about one standard deviation lower on standardized tests than white children.

This finding accounts for half that difference, Sharkey said.

He was unable to find enough murders in predominately white neighborhoods to see if white children were affected.

Curiously, there were enough murders in Hispanic neighborhoods but Latino children seemed unaffected. “I just didn’t find the same effect,” Sharkey said.

It could be the Hispanic children did not identify with the violence, Sharkey added. “Most of the victims, even in the Hispanic neighborhoods, were black.” It is well documented that blacks are far more likely to be murdered than members of any other US ethnic group - murder is the most common cause of death for young black men. Sharkey said the findings also have implications for IQ tests, which are supposed to be neutral assessments of ability. “These tests are not purely capturing some underlying intelligence,” he said. — Reuters

29

Robot fighters to face off in S Korea

GOYANG, Korea: In a handout picture taken in Oct 2009 and received yesterday, taekwondo robots fight in an exhibition match. — AFP

SEOUL: South Korea is planning to stage robot taekwondo bouts, blending the country’s ancient martial art with cutting edge technology, officials said yesterday. The Taekwon Robots will face off at an international robot contest being staged by the Knowledge Economy Ministr y and Gyeonggi province in October. In bouts guaranteed to be bloodless, the robots will detect their opponents’ movements with sensors and respond according to the data.

They will fight under the same rules as human contestants - three rounds each of three minutes, with three judges. Taekwondo, a traditional Korean martial art, has gained worldwide popularity in recent years. It became an official Olympic event at the

2000 games. “One of the main purposes of the contest is to promote taekwondo by displaying its movements with high-technology robots,” a knowledge economy ministry official told AFP. The robots will be less proficient than human fighters but “will improve as time goes by”, Roh Sung-Su, a researcher at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, was quoted by the Korea Times as saying. The institute will supply the robots, which will be programmed by university students.

October’s International Robot Contest will also include a variety of other competitions. More than 200 prizes worth 180 million won ($147,000) will be up for grabs - by the humans. — AFP

WHAT’S ON IN KUWAIT

30

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Embassy information EmbASSy of AmEriCA The United States Department of State announces the increase in various visa fees to ensure sufficient resources to cover the increasing cost of processing nonimmigrant visas (NIVs).

US law requires the Department to recover the cost of processing non-immigrant visas through the collection of the application fees. The increased fees are to take effect June 4, 2010. Under the new rule, applicants for all visas that are not petition-based, including B1/B2 tourist and business visitor visas and all student and exchange-visitor visas, will pay a fee of $140. Applicants for petition-based visas will pay an application fee of $150, as each of the below categories requires a review of extensive documentation and a more in-depth interview of the applicant than other categories, such as tourists.

These categories include: H visa for temporary workers and trainees L visa for intra-company transferees O visa for aliens with extraordinary ability P visa for athletes, artists and entertainers Q visa for international cultural exchange visitors R visa for religious occupations The application fee for K visas for fiance(e)s of US citizens will be $350. The fee for E visas for treaty-traders and treaty-investors will be $390.

EMBASSY OF INDIA

KES holds a concert, marks achievements of young students ast week, Kuwait English School KG Department held lively concerts each day to mark the amazing achievements of the youngest students at the end of their hard working school year.

“We had a week of concerts last week at Kuwait English School. The nine KG classes all presented a variety of catchy songs and there was a very friendly, happy atmosphere in the hall. Some of the parents were so familiar with the songs that they couldnít help but sing along! “ said Helen Searle, Head of KES Prep Department.

“Pictures of the childrenís year in KG

L

were shown on a screen and each child had drawn a picture of themselves for a certificate. It was amazing to see how these little children had changed and developed over a year” Searle said.

The nine concerts ended with a grand finale by Kismet, Year Leader. “It was fantastic, excellent. I really am proud of them. They all sung beautifully.” she said.

Kismet said all 25 of her children stood up individually with their own picture and explained it to the parents in their own words without being shy. “They were really good. they behaved well. They sang.

I was very, very proud of them. And the

best part of all was they had so much fun”, said Lorraine.

Iwona said the concert by her class was linked to the environmental theme adopted by KES this year: “We have been covering a lot this year. They are really familiar with the solar system, planets and the environment”. Iwona said the children in her class have surprised her by reminding her to turn off the lights when leaving the room, and helping each other to turn off the taps after washing their hands.

“All the children sang beautifully. They all looked so cute and enjoyed themselves,” said Zara.

Autism Center holds seminar

T

he Kuwait Autism Center recently held a seminar to spread awareness with regards to the diagnosis of autism in children and the proper way in dealing with autistic children. During the event several specialists explained optical and practical ways of dealing with autistic children of all age groups. This seminar comes as part of the center’s ongoing activities in supporting families of autistic children and in helping them with the situation they face. The seminar also aimed to spread awareness within housemaids with regards to dealing with children who are autistic.

“They were excellent. It was a big surprise at the end of the year. They were wonderful”, said Julie. Hannah sang a confident solo, and Julie said Head of the Infant Department, Juliet Lambert, wrote an e mail to her remarking upon the star of the show, little Noor, who thanked the parents for coming.

“The parents loved the concert. It was very positive feedback. They really enjoyed it” said Jeniffer. After an introduction by Yousef Kombar, Salma Heikel read Days of the Week, followed by Aseel Al Shomali singing Pussycat solo, and Arwa El Jamel singing a solo in Arabic.

Sarah said her class all sung enthusiastically.”They all looked very colorful in their tabards and crowns” Sarah added.

Elizabeth Taylor said she enjoyed singing Freres Jaques, which the class sung in English, Arabic and French.

“Great achievements for the children, most are second language children”, Doris said, adding that they learned their lines nicely.”The whole concept of lining up and sitting in position. It was a good encouragement builder”.

“I was happy. the children were happy.

They were just being three year olds and having fun” said Barbara.

Love water sports?

Catamaran Sailing Dive Caroline Beach Fafaheel The Kuwait Catamaran Club is a group of enthusiasts who love sailing on fast cats in the Arabian Gulf’s waters around Kuwait.

Usually an informal group sail on Friday afternoons. Boats are privately owned but visitors are very welcome and can be taken out as crew. Boats for hire, a Dart 18 and Hobie 16. Tel: 6658 7737 Fahaheel Sailing Club Tel: 2371 9289 or visit www.horn3.com KOSA The Kuwait Offshore Sailing Association (KOSA) meets on the first Tuesday of each month (except July and August) at the Dive Caroline

clubhouse, which is located at the Fahaheel Sea Club.

Fortnightly racing plus international events in Bahrain and Dubai. www.kospg8.com or call: 9974 5383; 2398 3365

Dive Centre The Palms Hotel, Salwa offers a full service PADI 5 Star Dive Centre catering for all of your diving requirements. www.thepalmsdivecenter.com or call: 9964 9482

Dive Caroline Fahaheel Dive Caroline is a friendly sailing and diving club with pool, beach, sauna, steam room, fitness and social areas.

Scuba diving training and equipment sales; skippered sailing yacht charter for up to eight passengers. Swimming lessons for children as well as private lessons for adults. Banana boat rides, water skiing, kayaking. For more information go to www.divecaroline.com or call: 2371 9289

KIM Dive Centre Located at Villa 365, Hilton Kuwait Resort Kuwait International Marine (KIM) Centre is a full service PADI 5 Star Dive Centre catering for all of your diving requirements. Tel: 2371 6002 Kuwait Mantas Non profit scuba diving group.

For more information: visit info@kuwaitmantas.com or www.kuwaitmantas.com

The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week.

Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays. Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no. 25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday.

EMBASSY OF 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.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

WHAT’S ON IN KUWAIT

31 Cinemagic program Thursday, June 17 at 7pm Jar City, Iceland 2006 Director: Baltasar Kormkur English subtitle It looks like nothing ever happens in Iceland and when a seemingly innocuous old man is brutally killed; the news is in someway amplified.

Detective Erlendur Sveisson, fifty and living a life plagued by various forms of addiction, is appointed the apparently incomprehensible case. During his investigations of the murder, Erlendur discovers that the victim was anything but an innocent pensioner, his past filled with rape and violence. These findings lead Erlendur to connect the assassination to other unsolved homicides, revealing an unsettling and gory picture that spreads virtually over the entire country. An austere yet powerful and gripping detective story, Jar City has been very well received by demanding American audiences.

Perfectly crafted as a suspense-generating machine, what really makes Jar City a unique film in its genre is the effective balance between its vivid and somewhat physical images, and its cerebral, nearly philosophical narrative mood.

KNES holds annual achievement awards

K

uwait National English School (at Al-Farabi Roundaboutin Hawally) held its annual Achievement Awards for the students of Special Needs Department in the framework of joy and fun. The music, poetry and dance performed by the students showed the distinctive abilities and their creative energies. The School Director Madame Chantal Al-Gharabally was present for the event and informed parents that Kuwait National English School has achieved the highest standard rating by both the Council of International Schools and The New England Association of Schools and Colleges in their recent inspection of the school.

Happy Birthday

Saturday, June 19 at 7pm Festen, Denmark 1998 Director: Thomas Vinterberg English subtitle To celebrate his 60th birthday, family patriarch Helge Klingelfeldt throws a lavish dinner party for all his friends and family. After years of tense estrangement Helge is particularly anxious that his three children, Christian, Michael and Helene support the party’s festive mood by parading an impression of happy and loving family. When dusk falls and the master of ceremonies introduces himself to announce that dinner is served, Christian raises his glass to what all the guests believe to be a poignant toast to his father. However, the eldest son’s speech serves only to expose a secret that descends the celebration into a tragic and heartbreaking night that will never be forgotten.

Thursday, June 24 at 7 pm Tears of the Black Tiger, Thailand 2001 Director: Wisit Sasanatieng English subtitle In the countryside of Thailand, a gang of outlaws makes the region unsafe. Among them is the handsome gun hero Dum, who became unwillingly involved in the bandit life. Handsome Dum made a promise to his upper-crust lover Rumpoey: despite the class difference, they will get married. When the moment of reunion arrives, Dum gets involved in a firefight and cannot possibly reach Rumpoey in time. She is desperate: her father has married her off to a policeman. The taciturn Dum, called the ‘Black Tiger’ by his co-conspirators, has however not forgotten Rumpoey. He does everything in his power to reach her, but fate gets in the way: his gang leader suspects him of treachery and his blood brother turns into his greatest enemy. Will the two lovers ever meet up?

This urgent question propels the melodrama forward, supported by exciting music, spectacular shootouts and heroic duels.

Saturday, June 26 at 7 PM The Unknown Woman, Italy 2008 Director: Guiseppe Tornatore English subtitle Cinema Paradiso director Giuseppe Tornatore returns to the helm for this suspenseful thriller concerning a young Ukrainian prostituteturned-cleaning woman named Irina (Kseniya Rappoport).

Years ago, Irina was drawn into an international prostitution ring before being brutalized by a man named Mold (Michele Placido) who also killed her boyfriend. Flash-forward to the present, and Irina is a humble cleaning woman in a building owned by jewellers. Though her appearance would suggest poverty, Irina always has a sizable wad of cash in her pocket and lives in a large apartment across the street from the loudly dysfunctional Adacher family.

Gradually, the mousy cleaning woman works her way into the family home, befriending the parents (Claudia Gerini and Pierfrancesco Favino) and becoming a trusted confidante to their daughter Thea (Clara Dossena). As her relationship with the family deepens, her motivations for getting so close become frighteningly clear.

The black belt students pause with their Sensei’s Mani Pappu and Govindan Prasad.

Happy Birthday Rama Camor Raju Gowardama!

Wish you all the best for your special day.

From a well-wisher

Nine students qualify for black belt

T

he International Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Seibukan Karate do - Kuwait proudly announces the successful competition and grading test which was conducted on Thursday (June 10) at the Indian Public School in Salmiya. The competition and grading were supervised by Sensei Mani Pappu - the chief instructor and Sensei Govindan Prasad - the chief examiner. Four students from Salmiya Dojo (Roby John George, Arjun Satheesh, Aswin Jacob, Ritu Sanjay) and five students from Abbasiya Dojo (Sidharth Sateesh, Kevin Shaji, Rexsen Roy, Kunal Kumar, Shahzaib Ali), qualified for the black belt Shodan grading. The successful candidates were awarded Shodan certificates by K A Rodrigues, the principal of IPS.

❏❏❏ Admission KD1, for the venue fees including refreshments, popcorn and much more. Consider it a token of care for us to keep on the venue rolling.

Contact: screenings@cinemagics.com; or join Facebook’s group Cinemagic Kuwait. ● Screenings will be canceled when confronted with very bad weather. ● Screenings will take place at our location in Old Salmiya, above LG Electronics.

TV PROGRAMS

32

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings 08:35 E! News 09:00 The Daily 10 09:25 Denise Richards: It’s Complicated 09:50 Leave It To Lamas 10:15 15 Most Infamous Child Star Mugshots 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 E!ES 17:35 Giuliana & Bill 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Wildest TV Show Moments 19:15 Pretty Wild 19:40 E!ES 21:20 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 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 Psych 02:00 Hawthorne 03:00 CSI Miami 04:00 Psych 05:00 Dawson’s Creek 06:00 The Ex-List 07:00 Burn Notice 08:00 House 09:00 FlashForward 10:00 Hawthorne 11:00 Dawson’s Creek 12:00 The Ex-List 13:00 CSI Miami 14:00 Hawthorne 15:00 Kathy Griffin 16:00 House 17:00 FlashForward 18:00 Burn Notice 19:00 The Ex-List 20:00 Lie to Me 21:00 Law & Order 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 Pit Bulls and Parolees 03:30 Animal Cops Philadelphia 04:25 Animal Precinct 05:20 Ultimate Killers 05:45 Monkey Business 06:10 E-Vets: The Interns 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 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:30 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:55 Monkey Life 11:20 RSPCA: On the Frontline 11:50 Animal Precinct 12:45 E-Vets: The Interns 13:40 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 The Animals’ Guide to Survival 19:10 Orangutan Island 19:40 Dark Days in Monkey City 20:10 Animal Cops South Africa 21:05 Untamed & Uncut 22:00 The Animals’ Guide to Survival 22:55 Animal Cops Philadelphia 23:50 Orangutan Island

00:05 Love Soup 00:35 North And South (2004) 01:30 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 Coast 11:00 Last Of The Summer Wine 11:30 Last Of The Summer Wine 12:00 The Weakest Link 12:45 Eastenders 13:15 Doctors 13:45 Mastermind 2006 14:15 Coast 15:15 Last Of The Summer Wine 15:45 Last Of The Summer Wine 16:15 The Weakest Link 17:00 Doctors 17:30 Eastenders 18:00 North And South (2004) 19:00 Red Cap 20:00 The Weakest Link 20:45 Doctors 21:15 Eastenders 21:45 A Thing Called Love 22:45 Casualty 23:35 Casualty

00:00 Masterchef Goes Large 00:50 What To Eat Now - Summer 01:20 Superhomes 02:10 10 Years Younger 03:00 The Restaurant Uk 03:50 Hidden Potential 04:15 Cash In The Attic Usa 04:40 Bargain Hunt 05:25 10 Years Younger 06:15 Masterchef Goes Large 07:00 Cash In The Attic Usa 07:20 Antiques Roadshow 08:10 Bargain Hunt 08:55 Bargain Hunt 09:40 Hidden Potential 10:05 Cash In The Attic Usa 10:30 James Martin’s Brittany 10:55 What To Eat Now - Summer 11:25 Superhomes

Red Riding on Show Movies 12:10 10 Years Younger 13:00 The Restaurant Uk 14:00 Hidden Potential 14:25 Cash In The Attic Usa 14:50 Bargain Hunt 15:35 Bargain Hunt 16:20 James Martin’s Brittany 16:45 What To Eat Now - Summer 17:15 Superhomes 18:05 Hidden Potential 18:30 Cash In The Attic Usa 18:55 The Restaurant Uk 19:45 Masterchef Goes Large 20:35 Trish’s French Country Kitchen 21:00 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 21:50 Here’s Looking At You 22:15 Here’s Looking At You 22:40 The Restaurant Uk 23:30 Masterchef Goes Large

01:00 Kiss Of Life-PG15 02:30 Fear And Loathing In Las VegasPG15 04:30 Darfur Now-PG15 06:30 Jacquou Le Croquant-PG15 09:00 Sunset Park-PG 11:00 Teknolust-PG15 12:30 2012: Startling New Secret-PG 14:00 L’age Des Tenebres-PG15 16:00 Meet Joe Black-PG15 19:00 Morning Light-PG 21:00 Baghead-18 23:00 Croupier-18

00:00 Moments of Terror 01:00 Street Customs 2008 02:00 Dirty Jobs 02:55 Industrial Junkie 03:20 Industrial Junkie 03:50 Really Big Things 04:45 Mythbusters 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 Dirty Jobs 07:00 Really Big Things 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 Breaking Point 22:00 Prototype This 23:00 Mythbusters

00:30 Mighty Ships 01:20 Eco-Tech 02:10 Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg 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 Mighty Ships 07:00 Thunder Races 08:00 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 09:00 Space Pioneer 09:55 Stunt Junkies 10:20 Weird Connections 10:50 Mighty Ships 11:45 How Does That Work?

12:15 Kings of Construction 13:10 One Step Beyond 13:35 Space Pioneer 14:30 Engineered 15:25 How Does That Work?

15:55 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 16:50 Brainiac 17:45 Kings of Construction 18:40 How It’s Made 19:05 How It’s Made 19:30 What’s That About?

20:20 How It’s Made 20:45 How It’s Made 21:10 Mythbusters 22:00 How It’s Made 22:25 How It’s Made 22:50 What’s That About?

23:40 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 08:35 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 20:45 Wizards of Waverly Place 21:10 Suite Life On Deck 21:35 Suite Life On Deck 22:00 Hannah Montana 22:25 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 THS 03:15 Extreme Hollywood 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Battle of the Hollywood Hotties 05:30 Streets of Hollywood 06:00 50 Cutest Child Stars: All Grown Up 07:45 Style Star 08:10 Style Star

00:00 Fantasy Factory 01:00 Fight Girls Series 2 02:00 M1selection 2010 03:00 FIA European Drag Racing Championships 03:30 FIA European Drag Racing Championships 04:00 The Millionaire’s Club 05:00 I-Ex Season 2 07:00 FIA European Drag Racing Championships 07:30 FIA European Drag Racing Championships 08:00 Quattro Int Events 2009 37: Free4style Estavyer Le 08:30 Quattro Int Events: Kayaking Freestyle World Championship Thun (Switzerland) 09:00 Quattro Int Events: Athlete Profile: Teje Haakonson 09:30 Quattro Int Events: Rb Cliffdiving Series Antalya/hamburg Ep40 10:00 Quattro Int Events: Rb Cliffdiving Series Siskon/athens Ep 41 10:30 Quattro Int Events:freestyle Zurich 11:00 Fantasy Factory 12:00 The Millionaire’s Club 13:00 FIA European Drag Racing Championships 13:30 FIA European Drag Racing Championships 14:00 Ride Guide Mountain Bike 2008 2 14:30 Ride Guide Mountain Bike 2008 3 15:00 Fantasy Factory 16:00 The Millionaire’s Club 17:00 Quattro Int Events 2009 37: Free4style Estavyer Le 17:30 Quattro Int Events: Kayaking Freestyle World Championship Thun (Switzerland) 18:00 Quattro Int Events: Athlete Profile: Teje Haakonson 18:30 Quattro Int Events: Rb Cliffdiving Series Antalya/hamburg Ep40 19:00 Quattro Int Events: Rb Cliffdiving Series Siskon/athens Ep 41 19:30 Quattro Int Events:freestyle Zurich 20:00 The Millionaire’s Club 21:00 Fantasy Factory 22:00 Dr Danger 23:00 M1selection 2010

00:00 Food Network Challenge 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 Chopped 15:30 Barefoot Contessa 16:00 Everyday Italian 17:00 Food Network Challenge 17:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 18:00 Guys Big Bite 18:30 Iron Chef America 19:00 30 Minute Meals 19:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 20:00 Chopped 21:00 Barefoot Contessa 21:30 Everyday Italian 22:00 Food Network Challenge 23:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 23:30 Guys Big Bite

00:30 Dead Tenants 00:55 Dead Tenants 01:20 FBI Files 02:10 Deadly Women 03:05 Deadly Women 04:00 Forensic Detectives 04:55 Real Emergency Calls 05:20 Dr G: Medical Examiner

06:10 Ghosthunters 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:50 FBI Files 08:40 Fugitive Strike Force 09:30 The Prosecutors 10:20 Forensic Detectives 11:10 FBI Files 12:00 Solved 12:50 Real Emergency Calls 13:40 Royal Inquest 14:30 Forensic Detectives 15:20 FBI Files 16:10 Fugitive Strike Force 17:00 The Prosecutors 17:50 Forensic Detectives 18:40 FBI Files 19:30 Solved 20:20 Real Emergency Calls 21:10 Royal Inquest 22:00 I Almost Got Away With It 22:50 Murder Shift 23:40 Dr G: Medical Examiner

1:05 Just A Little Harmless Sex 02:40 Final Combination 04:10 Virgin High 05:40 Sometimes They Come Back 07:14 Legend Of The Lost 09:05 House On Carroll Street, The 10:45 Signs Of Life 12:15 The Cure 13:50 Marie: A True Story 15:40 Heart Of Dixie 17:15 Fantasticks, The 18:45 Give Me Your Life 20:15 Rich In Love 22:00 Rocky Marciano 23:40 Body And Soul

00:00 Bondi Rescue 00:30 Lonely Planet 01:30 The Best Job In The World 02:00 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 02:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 03:30 Banged Up Abroad 04:30 Madventures 05:00 Pressure Cook 05:30 Surfer’s Journal 06:00 Bondi Rescue 06:30 Lonely Planet 07:30 The Best Job In The World 08:00 Weird And Wonderful Hotels 08:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 09:30 Banged Up Abroad 10:30 Madventures 11:00 Pressure Cook 11:30 Surfer’s Journal 12:00 Bondi Rescue 12:30 Lonely Planet 13:30 Banged Up Abroad 16:30 Madventures 17:00 Pressure Cook 17:30 Surfer’s Journal 18:00 Bondi Rescue 18:30 Lonely Planet 19:30 Banged Up Abroad 22:30 Madventures 23:00 Pressure Cook 23:30 Surfer’s Journal

00:00 The Office 00:30 Will & Grace 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Party Down 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 Yes dear 09:00 Married with Children 09:30 Drew Carey 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Just Shoot me!

11:00 Frasier 11:30 Hope & Faith 12:00 Saturday Night Live 13:00 Will & Grace 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 14:00 Married with Children 14:30 The Fresh Prince of Bel Air 15:00 The Office 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 Community 19:30 Rita Rocks 20:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Cleveland Show 22:30 The Book Group 23:00 Saturday Night Live

00:00 The Martha Stewart Show 01:00 10 Years Younger 01:30 10 Years Younger 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 10 Years Younger 09:30 10 Years Younger 10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

11:00 The View 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 The Martha Stewart Show

14:00 GMA Live 16:00 GMA Health 16:30 What’s the Buzz 17:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 18:00 Look A Like 18:30 10 Years Younger 19:00 The View 20:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 21:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

22:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 23:00 The Monique Show

00:15 Live!-18 02:00 The Understudy-PG15 04:00 Dragonlance-PG 06:00 Red Riding 1974-PG15 08:00 Jonas Brothers Concert-PG 10:00 Three Investigators-PG15 12:00 Confessions Of A Shopaholic-PG 14:00 Fireproof-PG 16:00 Jonas Brothers Concert-PG 17:30 Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix-PG 20:00 300-18 22:00 The Cell 2-PG15

01:00 Polar Storm-PG15 03:00 Punisher: War Zone-18 05:00 Mercury Man-PG15 07:00 Monster Ark-18 09:00 Street Fighter II-PG 11:00 Dead Water-PG15 13:00 Newton Boys-PG15 15:00 Street Fighter II-PG 16:45 Black Hawk Down-18 19:10 Star Trek 10: Nemesis-PG15 21:10 Final Destination 3-PG15 23:00 Screamers: The Hunting-18

00:00 Life-U 02:00 Lymelife-PG15 04:00 Car Babes-PG15 06:00 Picture This-PG15 08:00 Scrooged-PG 10:00 The Jerk Theory-PG15 12:00 Harold-PG15 14:00 Ping Pong Playa-PG15 16:00 Life-U 18:00 How To Be-PG15 20:00 American Pie 2-18 22:00 National Lampoon’s One Two Many-18

00:00 Santa Buddies-PG 02:00 The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian-PG 04:30 War Of The Buttons-PG 06:00 Velveteen Rabbit-FAM 08:00 Elias And The Royal Yacht-FAM 10:00 War Of The Buttons-PG 12:00 Yogi’s Great Escape-PG 14:00 The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian-PG 16:30 Robotech - The Shadow ChroniclesFAM 18:00 Curious George: Follow That Monkey-PG 20:00 House Arrest-FAM 22:00 Yogi’s Great Escape-PG

00:00 Lost 02:00 Without A Trace 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 Without A Trace 08:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 08:30 Home Improvement 09:00 Dawson’s Creek 10:00 Beauty and the Geek 11:00 Without A Trace 12:00 Emmerdale 12:30 Coronation Street 13:00 Every Body Loves Raymond 13:30 Home Improvement 14:00 Lost 16:00 Beauty and the Geek 17:00 Dawson’s Creek 18:00 Emmerdale 18:30 Coronation Street 19:00 Grey’s Anatomy 20:00 Private Practice 21:00 Criminal Minds 22:00 Beauty and the Geek 23:00 Dawson’s Creek

0:00 Futbol Mundial 00:30 AFL Toyota Premiership 03:00 Premier League Darts 07:00 AFL Highlights 08:00 World Sport 08:30 Futbol Mundial 09:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 10:00 World Hockey 10:30 Masters Football 13:30 Premier League Darts 17:30 AFL Highlights 18:30 NRL Full Time 19:00 Rugby League State Of Origin 21:00 International Rugby Union 23:00 PGA European Tour Highlights

01:00 Kisses-18 03:00 Stan Lee: Mosaic-PG 05:00 A Dog Year-PG 07:00 Little Girl Lost-PG 09:00 Shadows In The Sun-PG15 11:00 Leaving Barstow-PG15 13:00 December Boys-PG15 15:00 Where God Left His Shoes-PG 17:00 Shadows In The Sun-PG15 19:00 The Golden Compass-PG 21:00 Moon-R 23:00 Bride Wars-PG15

00:10 House Of Usher 01:10 The Honeymoon Machine 02:35 Viva Las Vegas 04:00 Ice Station Zebra 06:30 The Screening Room 07:00 Little Women 09:00 Sunday In New York 10:45 The Bad And The Beautiful 12:40 The Screening Room 13:10 The Sunshine Boys 15:00 Bad Day At Black Rock 16:20 The Big Sleep 18:15 The Screening Room 18:40 Singin’ In The Rain 20:20 Seven Brides For Seven Brothers 22:00 Sam Whiskey 23:35 Easy Money

00:30 Dogfights 01:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 02:10 Mega Disasters 03:00 World War II: Lost Films 03:55 Battlefield Detectives 04:50 Battle 360 05:40 Battles B.C. 06:30 Dogfights 07:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 08:10 Mega Disasters 09:00 World War II: Lost Films 09:55 Battlefield Detectives 10:50 Battle 360 11:40 Battles B.C. 12:30 Dogfights 13:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 14:10 Mega Disasters 15:00 World War II: Lost Films 15:55 Battlefield Detectives 16:50 Battle 360 17:40 Battles B.C. 18:30 Dogfights 19:20 Ice Road Truckers 2 20:10 Mega Disasters 21:00 Russia: Land of the Tsars 21:55 The True Story of Hannibal 23:40 Egypt: Land of the Gods

00:00 Dr 90210 01:00 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane

00:00 NRL Full Time 00:30 International Rugby Union 03:30 World Hockey 04:00 International Rugby Union 06:00 World Sport 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 NRL Full Time 07:30 International Rugby Union 09:30 World Sport 10:00 International Rugby Union 12:00 ICC Cricket World 12:30 NRL Full Time 13:00 Live Rugby League State of Origin 15:00 International Rugby Union 17:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 18:00 World Hockey 18:30 FEI Equestrain World 19:00 Futbol Mundial 19:30 European Tour Weekly 20:00 AFL Highlights 21:00 World Hockey 21:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 22:00 Masters Football

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 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 Jerseylicious 19:00 Split Ends 20:00 Clean House 21:00 Clean House Comes Clean 21:30 Dress My Nest 22:00 My Celebrity Wedding With The Knot 23:00 Glamour’s 20 Wedding Do’s and Don’ts

01:04 French Only 01:45 Playlist 02:00 Urban Hit 02:45 Playlist 05:04 Focus 06:04 Playlist 08:04 Hit US 09:00 Code Compilation 09:24 Playlist 13:04 Urban Hit 13:50 Playlist 16:04 Sound System 16:45 Playlist 18:00 Urban Hit 18:45 Guest Star 19:00 Playlist 20:04 RNB 20:45 Playlist 21:00 Legend 22:00 Playlist

00:00 Intrepid Journeys 01:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 02:00 Planet Food 03:00 Planet Sports 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 Spring 09:30 Grannies On Safari 10:00 Planet Food 11:00 Intrepid Journeys 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Sophie Grigson in the Souk 13:30 The Thirsty Traveler 14:00 Journey Into Wine-South Africa 14:30 Panasia 15:00 Spring 15:30 Grannies On Safari 16:00 Globe Trekker 17:00 Essential 17:30 Sophie Grigson in the Souk 18:00 Planet Food 19:00 Globe Trekker 20:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 21:00 Planet Food 22:00 Planet Sports 23:00 Globe Trekker

Kisses on Super Movies

Star Listings (UAE Timings) STAR Mo vies 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 Wo rld 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 Gra nad a 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) Cha nnel [ 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 Na tiona l Ge ogra phic Channe l 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

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

33 Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Wednesday 16/06/2010 Airlines Flt Route Wataniya Airways 188 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 306 Cairo Wataniya Airways 434 Damascus Wataniya Airways 408 Beirut Gulf Air 211 Bahrain Turkish 772 Istanbul Wataniya Airways 322 Sharm El Sheikh Wataniya 422 Amman Jazeera 267 Beirut DHL 370 Bahrain Emirates 853 Dubai Etihad 305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 138 Doha 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 Kuwait 382 Delhi Kuwait 302 Mumbai Fly Dubai 053 Dubai Kuwait 676 Dubai Kuwait 352 Cochin Kuwait 284 Dhaka Kuwait 362 Colombo Kuwait 344 Chennai Emirates 855 Dubai Arabia 121 Sharjah Qatari 132 Doha Iran Air 603 Shiraz Etihad 301 Abu Dhabi Iran Aseman 6791 Mashad Jazeera 425 Bahrain Falcon 203 Dubai Wataniya Airways 182 Bahrain Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Middle East 404 Beirut Alnaser 711 Baghdad/Najaf Wataniya Airways 102 Dubai Jazeera 165 Dubai Mahan Air 5066 Mashad Jazeera 171 Dubai Gulf Air 219 Bahrain Egypt Air 610 Cairo Kuwait 672 Dubai Oman Air 645 Muscat Saudia 508 Riyadh Wataniya Airways 432 Damascus United 982 Washington DC Dulles Jordanian 800 Amman Egypt Air 621 Assiut Wataniya 4001 Cairo Fly Dubai 057 Dubai Jazeera 257 Beirut Wataniya Airways 422 Amman Kuwait 562 Amman Saudia 500 Jeddah Kuwait 552 Damascus Jazeera 481 Sabiha Cargolux 792 Luxembourg Nas Air 745 Jeddah Jazeera 525 Alexandria Qatari 134 Doha Kuwait 546 Alexandria Kuwait 544 Cairo Nas Air 703 Riyadh Bahrain Air 344 Bahrain Jazeera 427 Bahrain Etihad 303 Abu Dhabi Rovos 061 Baghdad Emirates 857 Dubai Gulf Air 215 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 402 Beirut Saudia 510 Riyadh Arabia 125 Sharjah Jazeera 493 Jeddah Jazeera 239 Amman SriLankan 227 Colombo/Dubai Wataniya Airways 304 Cairo Kuwait 166 Paris/Rome Yemenia 824 Sanaa/Doha Wataniya Airways 106 Dubai Kuwait 542 Cairo Kuwait 502 Beirut Kuwait 618 Doha Kuwait 786 Jeddah Jazeera 497 Riyadh Jazeera 177 Dubai Kuwait 614 Bahrain Kuwait 674 Dubai Kuwait 774 Riyadh Kuwait 102 New York/London Indian 575 Chennai/Goa Wataniya 202 Jeddah Fly Dubai 061 Dubai Middle East 402 Beirut Rovos 081 Baghdad Jet A/W 572 Mumbai Wataniya Airways 642 Vienna Wataniya Airways 404 Beirut DHL 372 Bahrain Gulf Air 217 Bahrain Jazeera 459 Damascus Emirates 859 Dubai Qatari 136 Doha United 981 Bahrain Jazeera 449 Doha Lufthansa 636 Frankfurt Jazeera 185 Dubai Jazeera 429 Bahrain Shaheen Air 441 Lahore/Karachi Kuwait 548 Sharm El Sheikh/Luxor India Express 393 Kozhikode/Cochin KLM 0447 Amsterdam/Bahrain Egypt Air 606 Luxor Pakistan 215 Karachi Wataniya Airways 108 Dubai

Time 00:30 00:50 00:55 01:05 01:05 01:15 01:20 02:00 02:10 02:15 02:25 02:55 03:25 04:45 05:25 05:45 05:50 06:15 06:20 06:30 06:40 07:20 07:50 07:55 08:00 08:05 08:10 08:20 08:20 08:25 08:40 09:00 09:20 09:25 09:55 10:25 10:30 10:45 10:45 10:50 10:55 11:05 11:15 12:20 12:40 12:50 12:55 13:15 13:15 13:30 13:35 13:35 13:35 13:40 13:45 13:50 14:05 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:40 14:50 14:55 15:00 15:05 15:30 15:30 15:45 16:40 16:50 16:50 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:15 17:20 17:40 17:40 17:40 18:00 18:35 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:50 18:55 18:55 19:00 19:05 19:20 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:45 20:05 20:20 20:30 20:30 20:45 20:50 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:15 21:35 21:55 22:30 22:30 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:10 23:10 23:10 23:15 23:55 23:55

Departure Flights on Wednesday 16/06/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 528 Assiut India Express 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt Indian 994 Mumbai/Chennai Pakistan 206 Lahore Turkish 773 Istanbul DHL 371 Bahrain Emirates 854 Dubai Etihad 306 Abu Dhabi Qatari 139 Doha Wataniya Airways 101 Dubai Wataniya 4002 Cairo Jazeera 480 Sabiha Jazeera 164 Dubai Jazeera 422 Bahrain Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 181 Bahrain Jazeera 524 Alexandria Jazeera 256 Beirut Wataniya Airways 431 Damascus British 156 London Jazeera 170 Dubai Kuwait 545 Alexandria Fly Dubai 054 Dubai Kuwait 543 Cairo Kuwait 177 Frankfurt/Geneva Kuwait 671 Dubai Wataniya Airways 421 Amman Kuwait 551 Damascus Kuwait 561 Amman Arabia 122 Sharjah Emirates 856 Dubai Wataniya Airways 641 Vienna Qatari 133 Doha Etihad 302 Abu Dhabi Iran Air 602 Shiraz Iran Aseman 6792 Mashad Wataniya Airways 401 Beirut Falcon 204 Baghdad Middle East 405 Beirut Wataniya Airways 303 Cairo Rovos 062 Najaf/Baghdad Kuwait 541 Cairo Jazeera 238 Amman Jazeera 492 Jeddah Alnaser 712 Najaf/Baghdad Kuwait 103 London Kuwait 501 Beirut Kuwait 785 Jeddah Mahan Air 5065 Mashad Gulf Air 220 Bahrain Jazeera 426 Bahrain Egypt Air 611 Cairo Oman Air 646 Muscat Wataniya Airways 105 Dubai Jordanian 801 Amman Wataniya 201 Jeddah Fly Dubai 058 Dubai Egypt Air 622 Assiut Saudia 509 Medinah United 982 Bahrain Jazeera 176 Dubai Kuwait 673 Dubai Wataniya Airways 403 Beirut Kuwait 617 Doha Jazeera 496 Riyadh Kuwait 547 Sharm El Sheikh/Luxor Nas Air 746 Jeddah Saudia 501 Jeddah Jazeera 458 Damascus Kuwait 773 Riyadh Qatari 135 Doha Cargolux 792 Hong Kong Kuwait 613 Bahrain Nas Air 704 Medinah Rovos 082 Baghdad Bahrain Air 345 Bahrain Etihad 304 Abu Dhabi Emirates 858 Dubai Gulf Air 216 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 305 Cairo Arabia 126 Sharjah Jazeera 184 Dubai Saudia 511 Riyadh Jazeera 448 Doha SriLankan 228 Dubai/Colombo Wataniya Airways 407 Beirut Yemenia 824 Sanaa Wataniya Airways 107 Dubai Jazeera 428 Bahrain Kuwait 283 Dhaka Jazeera 266 Beirut Kuwait 361 Colombo Fly Dubai 062 Dubai Kuwait 331 Trivandrum Middle East 403 Beirut Jet A/W 571 Mumbai Wataniya Airways 187 Bahrain Gulf Air 218 Bahrain Kuwait 801 Cairo DHL 373 Bahrain Kuwait 675 Dubai Emirates 860 Dubai Jazeera 612 Lahore Falcon 102 Bahrain Qatari 137 Doha Kuwait 203 Lahore Kuwait 301 Mumbai Jazeera 526 Alexandria Jazeera 636 Aleppo Jazeera 502 Luxor United 981 Washington DC Dulles Kuwait 415 Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

Time 00:05 00:25 00:50 00:50 01:10 02:15 03:15 03:45 04:00 05:00 06:50 07:00 07:00 07:05 07:30 07:45 07:50 08:00 08:05 08:10 08:25 08:30 08:35 08:40 08:45 08:55 09:00 09:10 09:10 09:15 09:20 09:40 09:45 10:00 10:10 10:20 10:55 11:35 11:45 11:50 11:50 12:00 12:00 12:10 12:15 12:15 12:30 13:00 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:55 13:55 14:15 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:35 14:40 14:45 14:50 14:55 15:10 15:10 15:35 15:35 15:40 15:45 15:45 15:50 16:05 16:20 16:20 16:20 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:35 18:05 18:05 18:05 18:20 18:30 18:35 18:50 19:10 19:25 19:40 19:40 19:50 20:00 20:10 20:20 20:50 21:00 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:55 22:00 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:20 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:50

ACCOMMODATION Accommodation available for executive bachelor, with Keralite family, two bedroom flat in Abbassiya.

Contact: 97927655. (C 2397) Sharing accommodation available for a Keralite nonsmoking bachelor in Abbassiya.

Contact: 66577233. (C 2396) Required bachelor to share with another bachelor in a 2 BHK with a Goan family next to kids village Farwaniya facing airport road. Mob: 99015746. (C 2395) Sharing accommodation available for Indian couple preferably Keralite in a central A/C flat, having tel/internet/satellite, Amman street, Salmiya opp to Appolo hospital.

Contact: 66757539.

(C 2398) 16-6-2010 Sharing accommodation available for bachelors, Goan/Mangalorian only, with Mangalorian family with food near Jabriya bridge, 4th Ring road. Contact: 22662734. (C 2393) Sharing accommodation available, one room vacant, in a flat in Khaitan to share with a single lady, searching for a lady she should be clean and

decent.

Contact: 99435575. (C 2392) Room 5 square meters, with big window, attached toilet and kitchen with separate entrance in a flat in Salwa block 10, only Indian family, rent KD 90. Tel: 99468765. (C 2394) One room for rent in Maidan Hawally, preferred bachelor, with Srilankan family rent KD 85, new CAC flat.

Contact: 94068316.

(C 2391) 15-6-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya near

No: 14761

Integrated Indian School, from July 1st, rent KD 70, family or good bachelor.

Phone: 66598187, 66598187. (C 2389) Sharing accommodation available in Abu Halifa with Keralite Christian family CA/C building, near SAS restaurant. If anybody is interested call: 97135749, 99167951. (C 2390) 14-6-2010 Furnished flat for sharing for a couple or one bachelor to share with another, behind Arbid bldgs Farwaniya. Contact: 97245851 (C 2387) 13-6-2010

SITUATION WANTED

I am searching full two job as sales executive, my qualification is MBA (Marketing) valid Kuwaiti driving license, I have good PR skills and can join immediately. Call: 55355954. (C 2386) 13-6-2010 SITUATION VACANT

Required immediately driver and cook for a small Kuwaiti family, must have experience. Call: 66444474.

Required first class Indian cook (female) for a small Kuwaiti family.

Tel: 99059090. (C 2388) 13-6-2010

34

SPECTRUM

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Calvin

CROSSWORD 1011

Aries (March 21-April 19) There is much communication today. You are out-front, frank and even rough at times as you try to get to the heart of a subject. If you are asking a child questions today, you might want to back off just a bit and give them a little more time to answer. You are a traveler of both the world and the mind-philosophy and religion. You can demonstrate great understanding the needs of others; you are in a good position to speak concerning groups and society. Perhaps you will be scheduling or organizing a program today. You can encourage the participants to do their best. This is a good day to solve problems and make important decisions. Your sense of inner direction is good and should lead you into many successes.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Given only a few facts, you are able to take in a situation and come up with a real picture of what is happening. You may be helping others to problem-solve today. This may come as some sort of teaching or professional service. You are happy today as you are fully engaged in progressive work, with progressive people. Most days, you tend to respond to others quite easily. You will be able to put your ideas into words and describe or analyze situations for yourself and others. Your mind and caring attitude are what others find so special about you. Travel could be available now if you wish. Enlightenment in many areas of your life gives you a greater understanding of many life matters. New friends are fascinating this evening.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. (music) The pace of music measured by the number of beats occurring in 60 seconds.

4. A disreputable vagrant.

8. A solution containing a phosphate buffer.

11. An awkward stupid person.

12. The capital of Western Samoa.

13. A diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it).

14. Singing jazz.

16. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

17. The compass point that is one point east of due south.

18. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

19. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

22. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

23. A state in New England.

26. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

29. Lower in esteem.

32. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.

34. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

35. A nurse who has enough training to be licensed by a state to provide routine care for the sick.

37. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

39. A very light colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses.

44. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

48. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

49. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

50. An associate degree in applied science.

52. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

53. The portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

54. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

DOWN 1. Greenish-yellow pear.

2. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

3. A master's degree in fine arts.

4. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

5. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

6. Slanting diagonally across the grain of a fabric.

7. An implement used to propel or steer a boat.

8. A syndrome that occurs in many women from 2 to 14 days before the onset of menstruation.

9. A small cake leavened with yeast.

10. A detailed description of design criteria for a piece of work.

15. Of or relating to a speaker of the Tamil language or the language itself.

20. A region whose eastern part is Bangladesh and western part is included in India.

21. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

24. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

25. A river that rises in central Germany and flows north to join the Elbe River.

27. A decree that prohibits something.

28. Light informal conversation for social occasions.

30. A metallic element having four allotropic forms.

31. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

33. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

36. Type genus of the Percidae.

37. A master's degree in fine arts.

38. Someone who is morally reprehensible.

40. A French abbot.

41. Having or denoting a low vocal or instrumental range.

42. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

43. In bed.

45. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

46. An enclosed space.

47. Airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc..

51. A soft gray ductile metallic element used in alloys.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You work well with those in authority who are independent and original. You could become engaged in nonconformist causes, always ready to promote what is independent and innovative.

You like radical approaches and may become in support of whatever new-wave product or breakthrough advance is next in line.

Communication, computers, electronics and everything new wave excite you and you excel here. You discover new ways of working with traditional materials. Your inner resources and emotions are accented. Your business expertise is in high focus. Expect a sense of support and good will from those around you. This is a great time to be with others and to work together. Neighbors pass along new and positive information.

Non Sequitur Cancer (June 21-July 22) Unhappiness in your professional or personal situation may be improved by working with, instead of against, your most obvious qualities. You have an uncanny ability to get beyond the regular routine. You are always coming up with new ways of doing things. You seldom depend on the regular rule of order, preferring to create-as-you-go type of process. This would indicate that you have a great deal of creative talent and the ability to coordinate a business of your own. Much of what makes you the person you are depends on this independence and love of freedom. You will discover new techniques that will help you energize your day. Understanding your circumstances better can be found in your environment or support system. You care for animals this evening.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This is a time of good fortune when opportunities to better yourself and your surroundings open up naturally. Opportunities to expand and grow are plentiful and you may be able to do almost everything. It is important to pick and choose the subjects that are most beneficial as well as fun. This will not be a difficult task. You will prosper through new insights. You have an independent point of view that is just what is needed to survive in a competitive task. In thinking about a vacation or a change of scenery, there is a love of the sea and of whatever heals that, which separates us.

Mysticism, mythology, poetry and music are naturals. These are all known items to you. You may enjoy taking a class in writing music.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You naturally gravitate toward positions of power and authority. Others see you having a great practical ability and accept you as a leader or authority figure easily. Your career may be very important to you, even at the expense of home life. However, you may push yourself in a direction, at times, against your own best interests. You have a knack, however, for always finding assistance in whatever career moves you decide to make. In fact, your ability to rally support makes a public career of one kind or another quite probable. Success is indicated in education, politics or law.

You know how to attack and solve problems, whether personal or public.

A musician, artist or perhaps a singer will hold your attention this evening.

Libra (September 23-October 22) Your career is smooth today. Continued successful career moves may demand conformity and cost you personal freedom, perhaps toning down your unconventional habits. You make your way now by using practical vision and common sense. You could have some recognition in your career soon. At the same time, a change of direction is in order, finding you in a gradual curve toward an inward time.

You have strong family, business or property ties that affect your public image and goals. There may be tricky finances connected with your business or profession. Obligations involving women, research or detecting is important in your career at this time. Avoid troubling individuals. Home and family are your main focus this evening.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may be very forceful in what you say and think today. With all of this emotional energy, you could speak or correspond very well.

You have a lot of mental drive in order to accomplish your goals. You may have trouble understanding those who seem emotional or sentimental, yet your own practicality and factuality may attract just such types into your life. You may try to balance your lack of intuitiveness with logic and common sense. There may be difficulty now, in getting outer recognition for your efforts or accomplishments-patience, this recognition will come with time. You should throw your efforts into the work you love. Make it a point to make someone smile this evening. He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Your communication skills are varied and well performed with perfect timing; this day should flow along quite well.

Ideas and thoughts will have insights worth sharing.

Forward moving inventions or new knowledge is something that spurs your interest. If you are not solving problems, you will look for problems to solve. This may only mean that you look for that fine line between myth and reality and you write or read and solve the world's mysteries. The rebel in you likes to ignore your dreams and ideals and just let come what may. You relish your freedom and independence and pursue it even at the expense of what you know you really want. The romantic in you struggles against the frontier spirit that often moves you into action.

Yesterday’s Solution

Yester

Yesterday’s Solution

To

00965 00974 009712 009714 009717 009716 00968 009626 00973 009661 009662 00202 00203 009611 0096311 0096321

Tunisia Rabat Washington New York Paris London Madrid Zurich Geneva Monaco Rome Bangkok Hong Kong Pakistan Taiwan Bonn

0021610 002127 001212 001718 00331 004471 00341 00411 004122 0033 00396 00662 00852 0092 00886 0049228

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You do not care much for the superficial. You appreciate getting past the surface and down to the heart--the bare bones of a situation; especially today. It may be that other people have led you away from the things you feel are important in your life.

Your mind and thoughts gravitate to what is lasting, true.

Your ideas are to the point and candid--never florid or superficial.

Subjects concerning philosophy and religion come into play today and may influence your decision-making. You desire to lecture, teach and inspire others to set goals and learn more about themselves and their hidden talents. This is a good time to organize your affairs or rearrange your living situation. Enjoy some quiet time near a pleasant body of water this evening.

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) This is a time when you can expect a little boost, some extra support or recognition from those around you. You may feel that you are in touch and in harmony with others. Work, achievement and ambition mean a lot to you. You may fail to appreciate some out of the ordinary demands on you today--tread carefully here. Later today, your enthusiasm may carry you away from family and friends. This could be a unique type of profession that is of interest to you or simply, a hobby that looks as though you might enjoy. Try not to burn yourself out as you may feel that you have an abundance of energy. Your inspiration sparks creative play. Domestic issues demand your attention and you lend your energies over to making your surroundings most pleasant.

Word Sleuth Solution

Pisces (February 19-March 20) As a natural architect and builder, you are able to use your mind in making decisions regarding matters of form and function. For you, the goal and the way to get to it are the same thing. You like to build each step and have each decision be an end in itself. Things must be done right. You also have great skill with the law, whether fabricated or those of nature. You can put all of this into words.

You can put your understanding of how to handle authorities to good use today. You enjoy working with your mind and your sharp perceptions make finding new solutions easy. You are able to bring an unexpected twist or insight to anything you set your mind to now. This evening you should enjoy some healing conversations with loved ones.

INFORMATION

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 112 Al-Madena 22418714 22545171 Al-Shohada’a Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 22545171 Al-Nuzha Sabhan 24742838 22434853 Al-Helaly Al-Fayhaa 22545051 24711433 Al-Farwaniya Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 23927002 Al-Fahaheel Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 23980088 Ahmadi Al-Mangaf 23711183 23262845 Al-Shuaiba Al-Jahra 25610011 25616368 Al-Salmiya

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 HOSPITALS Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

24874330/9 CLINICS

Roudha

22517733

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22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

4892674

Al-Omariya

4719048

N.Kheitan

4710044

Rabiya

4732263

Fintas

3900322

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988 AIRLINES

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE Ahmadi

PHARMACY Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

ADDRESS Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

PHONE 23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554

EMERGENCY 112

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea Dr. Masoma Habeeb Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy Dr. Mohsen Abel Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly

25622444 25752222 25321171 25739999 25757700 25732223 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

22617700 25625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Zahra Qabazard Sohail Qamar Snaa Maaroof Pradip Gujare Zacharias Mathew

25710444 22621099 25713514 23713100 24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe 23729596/23729581 Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 General Surgeons: Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 25717111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

(2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535 Dentists:

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists:

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290 Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 25339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555 Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari

25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr

25329924

Psychologists/Psychotherapists Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kuwait Airways Wataniya Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines

22433377 24379900 177 22477631 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/2433141 22456700 22412284/5 22453820/1

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK)

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

Shakira won’t pose naked - for now

36

SPECTRUM

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

T

he sexy singer - who appeared in a skin-tight body and danced in a cage in her ‘She-Wolf’ video - is too shy to bare all for a photo shoot but admits she may change her mind one day. The 33-year-old pop star said: “I don’t want to and I don’t have to. I couldn’t strip naked.

Maybe when I’m 40 I will change my mind. “Around 10 years ago I couldn’t imagine putting on a skin-tight body suit and high heels and dancing in a golden cage, hanging upside down from the bars. Today I’m saying I’ll never show myself naked.

Our opinions change all the time.” Shakira who is in a long-term relationship with Antonio De La Rua thinks her reluctance to strip off is grounded in her Catholic upbringing in Columbia. She added in an interview with website Tagesspiegel.de: “I was brought up in a very Catholic environment. My father has Lebanese roots. I grew up on the North coast of Columbia where life is quite traditional. There are things I’m not courageous enough to do.”

Greene wants womanly curves

A

shley Greene refuses to get so slim she has a “child’s body”. The ‘Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ star says she doesn’t understand why some women aspire to have the physique of a young girl and prefers to have a healthy and toned figure. She said: “A lot of people like to be super tiny, but I don’t want a child’s body - I want a woman’s body that is extremely fit. It’s so much sexier.” Although the 23year-old beauty admits she is usually healthy when it comes to her diet, she’s a firm believer in having the occasional treat because it has its health benefits. She told Women’s Health magazine: “I’m a big believer in feeding your body what it needs. Deny yourself something and you’re going to end up shoving your face full of it.” As well as doing regular exercise, Ashley also credits filming the vampire franchise movies for her stunning figure. She said: “We had a lot of action and fight training. So it really toned up my body for these pictures.”

Pattinson uses fan sites to check his schedule

T

he ‘Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ actor who plays vampire Edward Cullen in the hit movie franchise -admits he is astonished at how quickly his supporters find out his plans and post the information on the internet, but admits he can use it to his advantage. He said: “It’s kind of incredible the information they get so quickly. Sometimes I’ll check them to see what my schedule is on stuff, especially on the weekend when I can’t get through to my agency, or even to see my emails sometimes. “It’s strange being in ‘Twilight’ because so much of

the fan base is being on the internet and having a community with each other.”

Although the 24-year-old star feels there is a particular devotion to the ‘Twilight Saga’, he is aware that his appearance in the movies generates interest in his other work - even if it is just to boast to fellow fans of the vampire franchise. He explained: “You see people turn up on sets of other movies I’ve done and take a picture. You know the main reason is so they can have a thing within their online community and you know it’s going to be up within five seconds. It’s strange.”

Montag has hired a private investigator

Stewart thinks she needs a ‘face transplant’

H

eidi Montag has allegedly hired a private investigator to find out whether her husband has been cheating on her. The reality TV star is reportedly concerned her estranged spouse Spencer Pratt - who she split from in May has been romancing other women. An insider told RadarOnline.com: “She is very anxious to find out if her suspicions and the rumors are true, especially if he’s spent any money on another woman. “Heidi has hired a former member of the sheriff department, who now works as a private investigator, to look into it. It is really important to Heidi to find out if Spencer has been cheating on her.” Heidi isn’t the only one with a suspicious mind. Spencer allegedly believes his wife who filed for a legal separation last week - is now seeing Marine-turned-bodyguard Cougar Zank, after he invited the 23-year-old blonde beauty to stay with him at his Malibu home following the couple’s break-up. The source said: “They are definitely friends, and I don’t know if there is anything more to it than that, but Spencer believes there is. He’s certain there is.”

Mendes happy to be naked

E K

risten Stewart thinks she needs a “face transplant” to look happier when she meets fans. The ‘Twilight Saga’ actress - who admits she finds fame difficult and is often criticized for looking sullen in public - tries hard to “smile” and look happy when she’s approached by strangers, but can never relax fully. She said: “I totally am more comfortable now. I try not to have that thing that people have which is like a celebrity skin and I think that’s maybe where I run into problems. “I have had so many people say, ‘Why don’t you just play the part? Just like, go smile, talk about whatever they want you to talk about.’ It’s like, ‘I do, I really try to do that.’

I guess I should get a face transplant or something... But it’s gotten weird. I’ve like, relinquished control.” Despite trying hard to relax, the 20-year-old star doesn’t plan to alter her persona for others. She explained to US TV show ‘Access Hollywood’: “People are much better at doing this than I am and that’s fine and I’m getting better and whatever, but I’m not gonna try to force myself to do anything.” Since her rise to fame as Bella Swan in the vampire franchise, Kristen has kept relatively quiet about her personal life, including rumors she is dating her co-star Robert Pattinson.

The ‘Runaways’ actress deliberately avoids social networking websites like twitter, which are often updated with reports on her whereabouts. She added: “I’m not a huge fan. I just wouldn’t have one. “I’m gonna start walking around with a squirt gun. And just be like, ‘No, it’s cool.’ I’m not trying, I mean, just to... like squirt their phones...

Yeah, twitter’s kind of crazy.”

va Mendes is happy to be naked on screen. The ‘Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans’ star is not prudish about uncovering her sexy curves in front of the cameras as long as the part requires it. She said in an interview with the July edition of W magazine: “I’ve never had a problem with nudity, but I don’t put it out there without a reason. I’m not an exhibitionist. But, honestly, for my art I’ll do anything almost. I’ll go there.”

Although she is comfortable with nudity, the 36-year-old actress recognizes her willingness to embrace her sexuality can influence the types of roles she is offered. She said: “I know I walk a fine line between being a respected actor and being a sex symbol. “But I’ve never felt objectified. Nothing you see me do is an accident. I might act like it’s an accident but the opposite is true. I’m incredibly calculated when it comes to my career.” It seems Eva’s willingness to bare all also extends to her private life. She previously revealed she does her gardening in the nude and thinks her Cuban roots are the source of her naturist tendencies.

She said: “I love being naked. I do everything in the nude, even the gardening! “We’re Cuban, and it’s a hot island. Why not go nude?” —Bang Showbiz

SPECTRUM

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

37

Music & Movies

Filipino inmates belt out a song during the first public performance of the Bureau of Corrections Orchestra and Chorale inside the social hall of the New Bilibid Prison maximum security compound in suburban Muntinlupa, south of Manila, Philippines yesterday. — AP photos

By Teresa Cerojano

T

he sound of Broadway medleys and love songs echoed inside the walls of the Philippines’ maximum security penitentiary yesterday when convicts, many of them serving life sentences for murder and other major crimes, gave their first public concert. The 100-member Bureau of Corrections Grand Orchestra and Chorale at the New Bilibid Prison in Manila played Broadway pieces and love songs in the local Tagalog language to prison officials, relatives and media. A soloist,

Filipino inmates dance during the first public performance of the Bureau of Corrections Orchestra and Chorale.

backed by the orchestra, also sang “New York, New York” as women inmates in top hats and coattails danced.

Prison officials and organizers said the project was part of efforts to showcase musical talents of some of the inmates and help prepare them for release. The performance was reminiscent of an Internet smash hit several years ago, when the central Cebu provincial prison warden organized hundreds of inmates to dance to Michael Jackson’s songs. Their performances have received millions of hits on YouTube.

US

Saxophone player Rey Matias, a 45-year-old inmate serving a life sentence for murder, said his days are now filled with band practice, a welcome change from the boredom of loitering around the maximum security compound, staring into space and pondering his fate. “When the band was put up, it put color and perked up our days,” he said. “Even a prisoner can be proud of something.” “I’m so happy because my heart is in music and even while detained, I can do what I want,” said Manuel Esguerra Jr., 58. The former military band member and murder convict is

heavy metal veterans Metallica closed the five-day Rock in Rio 2010 festival in Spain on Monday with a performance before 48,000 people, organizers said. “It is great to see you once again, we are grateful to be back in Madrid,” singer James Hetfield told the crowd at Arganda del Rey some 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Madrid after performing “Creep”, Bellz” and “Never”.

The Grammy-winning band last performed in the Spanish capital in July 2009.

“I came to learn from the masters,” said Santi Mayoral, a 31-year-old singer with Spanish heavy metal group Shalm which will release its first album later this year.

Metallica formed in 1981 when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a local newspaper and went on to be one of the biggest rock metal acts in history, selling more than 100 million records worldwide. Total audience for this year’s Rock in Rio reached 250,000, down from 290,000 in 2008 when it was first held in Spain.

The five-day festival-spread over June 4-6 and Friday and Monday-featured a wide range of musical genres and a diverse group of acts, including Colombian pop star Shakira, US teen idol Miley Cyrus and US rockers Bon Jovi. Organizers initially expected the total audience to reach

A

nne Hathaway is stepping into a new Cinderella story. The star of “Ella Enchanted” and “The Princess Diaries” will appear in the film adaptation of David Nicholls’ popular novel “One Day,” about a working-class woman’s romance with a charming rich man, played by Jim Sturgess.

The movie begins filming this summer. It will be directed

by Lone Scherfig, an Oscar

D

nominee for “An Education.”

The project was announced yesterday by Focus Features and Random House Films, which have a partnership.

“One Day” was a No. 1 bestseller in Britain. It was released yesterday as a paperback by Vintage Books, an imprint of Random House, Inc Nicholls has written the script for the film, scheduled to come out next year. — AP

olphin activist Ric O’Barry urged Japanese theatres yesterday to screen Oscar-winning documentary “The Cove,” despite threats from groups who see its footage of dolphins being slaughtered as an affront to traditional culture. O’Barry, a former dolphin trainer who is in Japan to promote the film, told Reuters Television that the cancellations were an “assault on democracy.” “This is not North Korea. It’s not China and it’s not Cuba. It’s a democratic society. There’s a very small minority of radicals who are going to theatre owners and threatening them. They don’t want people to see this film,” O’Barry said.

The documentary, which shows dolphins being herded into a cove and slaughtered, has met with fierce resistance from some groups in Japan. Fears that protests might inconvenience movie-goers have prompted cancellations at two cinemas in Tokyo and one in Osaka, according to Unplugged, the Japan distributor. Unplugged is still in negotiations to show the movie at several venues around the country when it is released on June 26, said a spokeswoman for the company, who asked not to be named.

Earlier this month, a group of about 60 Japanese journalists and film makers released a statement urging “open discussion” of the film. Directed by former National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos, the documentary follows a group of eco-activists who struggle with Japanese police and fishermen to gain access to a secluded cove in Taiji, southern Japan, where dolphins are hunted. —Reuters

320,000 this year but unusually cool, wet weather for this time of the year during the final two days of the festival hurt ticket sales.

“I think Rock in Rio is one of the world class festivals. They are significant players on the world stage,” said Gary Bongiovanni, the president of Pollstar, a US company that provides worldwide concert tour information at its popular web site. The first Rock in Rio festival was held in Rio de Janeiro in January 1985 and it drew 1.4 million people over ten days, which organizers say makes it the largest paid rock festival ever held in the world.

Subsequent editions of the festival staged in Portugal and Spain have been arranged by its Brazilian founder, Roberto Medina, who has already announced that the event will return to Arganda del Rey for a third edition in 2012. The event is scheduled to return to Brazil in 2011 for a fourth edition and Medina is in talks to hold a version of the event in Poznan, Poland as well as in London. Organizers spent 27 million euros (32.7 million dollars) to stage Rock in Rio this year, with about half the bill footed by over 40 corporate sponsors whose ads featured prominently on giant video screens at the festival grounds. — AFP

serving a life term.

Bureau of Corrections Director Oscar Calderon said through music they hope to reform the inmates and “remove their criminal minds, soften up their feelings.” Security in the prison was lowkey during the performance, although police sharpshooters stood guard. Relatives and reporters could mingle and talk freely with the inmates inside the hall. After the performance, the inmates, clutching their instruments, were led back to their cells. The group does not have all the elements of a modern orchestra, such as a full string section,

In this July 17, 2007 file photo, Prince performs during a jam session in the Montreux Jazz Cafe after his concert at the 41st Montreux Jazz Festival, in Montreux, Switzerland.

— AP

J

Hong Kong actor Jaycee Chan and actress Fiona Sit react during a premiere of their new film ‘Break up club‘ in Hong Kong yesterday. — AP

but they have an impressive complement of brass and woodwind instruments. Warren Zingapan, an inmate who organized the performance, said it’s a good start.

He said that because music transcends barriers, the symphony and chorale members feel that even while they are physically detained, their music can go beyond the walls of the facility. “Just by that alone ... it is as if they are free,” said Zingapan, who topped the civil engineer board exam in 1996 but later was sentenced to life in prison for murder over a killing at a fraternity rumble. — AP

US heavy metal veterans Metallica closed the five-day Rock in Rio 2010 festival in Spain. — AFP

By Min Lee ackie Chan’s son says he has overcome initial doubts about joining his father in show business, but he prefers making music over movies. Six years after his movie and album debut, 27-year-old Jaycee Chan said he was starting to shed the baggage of his famous family name and finding his niche in the Chinese-language entertainment industry.”At first I did (have doubts), but not anymore because I found quite a few supporters and fewer and fewer haters,” Chan told The Associated Press with a chuckle. “So I’m happy with what I’m doing now.”

But speaking late Monday on the sidelines of the Hong Kong premiere for his new romance, “Break Up Club,” the singer-songwriter was keener to speak about his music career. The younger Chan recently released his third album, “Messy,” which he hopes will offer an alternative to the sappy ballads that dominate Chinese pop. “I’m not that into that. I think music is more than only love. It can be family love. It can be friendship,” Chan said. He said he enjoys music more than the trade of his action-star father.

“My music career is actually more important than my movie career because music is me, only. I create them (the songs), I sing them, I write them, I direct most of my own music videos,” Chan said.

He said in movies he felt like a pawn. “People tell me to do this, I do it, I get the money and I’m happy. If the movie does well, I’m even happier,” Chan said. “But if it’s music, that’s on me. —AP

Filipino inmates wait to return to their cells as they performed with the Bureau of Corrections Orchestra and Chorale.

T

his month’s BET Awards will be a royal affair: Prince is getting a lifetime achievement honor. The 51-year-old joins the likes of James Brown, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross and Al Green in being honored by the BET Awards, which will celebrate its 10th year in Los Angeles on June 27.

BET says the Prince tribute will stand out. Stephen G Hill, president of program-

ming, music and specials for the network, said BET will celebrate the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s “unique style.” “Prince is dynamic.

Prince is genius. Prince is music,” Hill said of the performer, who has 10 platinum albums and 30 Top 40 singles to his name. The BET show will be hosted by Queen Latifah and include performances by Kanye West. — AP

By Alex Dobuzinskis

A

judge on Monday ruled that Michael Jackson’s physician can keep his California medical license, and he set August 23 as the start date for a preliminary hearing into a manslaughter charge against Dr Conrad Murray.

Murray, who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the pop star, betrayed no emotion as Judge Michael Pastor ruled that he did not have the authority to suspend the doctor’s license, as state officials asked.

The “Thriller” singer’s mother and father watched in the courtroom as Judge Pastor explained that because a previous judge issued a ruling restricting Murray’s use of sedatives, any further restraint must come via an appeal to the initial ruling and not from a new decision by Pastor. “I simply don’t have the ability to revisit the actions of one of my colleagues,” Pastor said.

Jackson, a global superstar and member of the Jackson family of singers, died on June 25 last year in a drug overdose. Coroners have ruled his death a homicide caused principally by the surgical anesthetic propofol, which Murray has admitted giving Jackson as a sleep aid. But Jackson’s body also had in it the sedative lorazepam, as well as painkillers and other drugs.

The California Medical Board had requested

Joe Jackson, the father of Michael Jackson, and Michael Jackson’s sister, LaToya Jackson, arrive to a Los Angeles courthouse Monday. — AP Murray’s license be suspended, barring him from practicing in the state. Deputy Attorney General Trina Saunders argued that the alleged crime was serious and the public should be protected from him. Defense attorneys countered that suspending Murray’s license requires evidence of a crime to be submitted to the court and, so far, no evidence has been.

The defense has also said Murray is suffering financially and needs his licenses to make

money. Murray mainly practices in Houston and Las Vegas, but his attorneys have said if one state suspends his license, others might soon follow. Judge Pastor said if California officials wanted to pursue the matter further, they could appeal his ruling. Meanwhile, the judge set August 23 as a start date for a preliminary hearing where evidence will be presented against Murray to determine if enough exists for him to stand trial. —Reuters

SPECTRUM

38 Fashion

A picture taken on February 14, 2000 shows a Maori woman sporting traditional facial tattoos, known as moko, at a marae in Waikato.—AFP

By David Brooks

T

he tattooists bent over Kingi Taurua for 15 hours, using chisels and a stick as a hammer to gouge bold Maori designs into his bloodied face, buttocks and legs. “It started at 5 o’clock in the morning and it didn’t finish until 8 o’clock at night and so it was continuing all the time,” Taurua told AFP. “They asked me if I wanted a break and I said no, because it was so painful, I thought if I stopped for a minute I won’t be able to go back and finish it.” Taurua was following a long line of ancestors in receiving the tattoos, or moko as they are known to New Zealand’s indigenous Maori.

The art gradually died in the 19th and early 20th centuries as Maori culture was swamped and suppressed by a wave of European settlers. But in the last 20 years, Maori culture and tattooing-ta moko have experienced a strong revival and the distinctive dark swirls and designs once again can be seen on a growing number of Maori and on non-Maori as well. All but a few now opt to have their moko done with modern tattoo machines rather than the painful and bloody traditional chisels or uhi and a range of colors are sometimes used as well as the traditional black.

The visibility of moko on some of New Zealand’s rugby All Blacks and international celebrities, such as English pop singer Robbie Williams, has helped spur a following internationally, especially in Europe. The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tatau and the Maori brought the art form with them when they migrated to New Zealand from eastern Polynesia around 700 to 800 years ago, eventually establishing a distinctive local style.

Botanist Joseph Banks, who sailed with 18th century explorer James Cook on his first voyage of discovery to the Pacific, described “the immense elegance and justness” of the Maori moko, saying they were “finished with a masterly taste and execution”. Facial moko on Maori men recognized high birth and rank, as well as achievements on the battlefield. Men and women of all ranks often had moko on their bodies and women had small tattoos carved on their chins, sometimes with blackened lips.

As Maori culture and society started to weaken with the growing flood of colonists, the tattooing of men’s faces ended in the mid-19th century, although the female or kauae moko continued to be done on some women into the 1920s. A strong revival of Maori language and culture since the 1980s has also seen a resurgence of ta moko, reflecting a renewed pride in Maori identity.

Another influence was the 1994 New Zealand film “Once Were Warriors”, a story of domestic violence in a Maori family set against the backdrop of a working class Auckland suburb beset by gang violence.

Auckland-based moko artist Inia Taylor worked on the film before he took up tattooing, and he contributed to the design of the moko-type tattoos which adorned gang members and made a big impact on audiences.

“I didn’t know anyone who was involved in moko prior to that film,” Taylor told AFP. “Afterwards, there was a lot of interest, people wanted to get tattooed. There was this massive hunger for it.” Taurua said he was apprehensive about agreeing to a request by his fellow Ngapuhi tribe elders to get a moko in 2000 as a mark of respect for his position as an important elder.

“I was worried that people might see me as a member of a gang rather than a chief of a tribe,” he said.

“Afterwards, I didn’t know whether to look up or look down when I passed people because I didn’t want to see the reaction on their faces, but now after all these years I am getting used to the fact.” Most of the negative reactions come from European New Zealanders, many of whom still associate facial tattoos with gangs, he said.

Ta moko is a sensitive issue in more ways than the physical pain involved, with some Maori, including Taurua, arguing it should continue to be done only for traditional reasons.

“I believe once a moko goes on, it tells a story and it talks about the person wearing it, their genealogy, their ancestors-it‘s a story,” he said. “My question is, if you put a moko on somebody from overseas what story is on that moko?”. But ta moko artist Rangi Kipa, from Whakatane on the east coast of the North Island, said the culture Maori live in has changed and ta moko has to reflect that. “I don’t have a problem with the commercial side, as long as we (Maori) are doing it. I do have an issue with other people overseas doing it,” Kipa told AFP. “I have probably 20 clients a year who fly over from the UK or Europe.

They just come because they have seen my work on the web and they want to get something. “A lot of times they are looking to an opportunity to make a statement to themselves and mark themselves with something with meaning-not like if you just walk into a tattoo store.” Taylor says there is no reason ta moko should be exclusive to Maori as culture becomes more global. “I’m quite happy for moko to be popular culture because I think that’s where it needs to be.” “It’s like if people had told (reggae musician) Bob Marley not to play outside Trenchtown, Jamaica.”

But he recognizes the special significance ta moko has for some Maori.

“The first woman I tattooed by hand (using traditional tools) was an 80year-old who wanted to be as ‘old school’ as possible,” Taylor said. “The whole thing was in memory of her grandmother who wore a moko and she wanted to get as close to that experience as possible.”

— AFP

Ngapuhi Maori elder Kingi Taurua sports traditional facial tattoos, known as moko, at a marae in Whangarei on October 17, 2007. —AFP

Models wear Spring/Summer designs from the Andre Lima collection during Sao Paulo Fashion Week in Sao Paulo, Monday. — AP

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

39

SPECTRUM

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Fashion

World’s best department store named S

elfridges has been named as the Best Department Store in the World. The prestigious London flagship store - famed for its lavish window displays - beat off competition from New York’s Bloomingdale’s and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong to be given the title by the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores and the International Association of Department Stores. Paul Kelly, Selfridges vice-chairman, said: “We are delighted to have won this very special award and very proud of our teams who have all contributed in making this happen. This is very much in recognition of their hard work.

This centenary-old brand

built on the most extraordinary heritage, confirms that Selfridges is the most relevant and exciting department store today.”

Selfridges is only the second store to win the award after Saks Fifth Avenue in New York was given the inaugural prize two years ago.

Stores were judged on the strength of their brand, innovation, in-store experience, customer service and financial results. Selfridges was founded by an American, George Selfridge, in 1909 and floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1998 before being bought by Galen Weston, a Canadian businessman, in 2003.

— Bang Showbiz

M

egan Fox thinks corsets should make a comeback. The stunning actress had to wear one to play gun-wielding prostitute Lilah in new movie ‘Jonah Hex’ and says she would like them to become fashionable again because of how much they can change your figure. The sexy star said: “I do think there’s a place for corsets. I think they should come back. They should make a reappearance. I enjoy them, but maybe I’m sick.” Despite wanting corsets to make a comeback, Megan admits it was difficult to wear the tight fashion piece, particularly in her action scenes. She said: “It’s small. We got it down to 18 inches.

But in the action scenes, we loosened it up, because everyone was afraid I was going to pass out.” The corset even left marks on Megan and she was left with pained ribs as a result. The 24-year-old beauty told MTV: “At the end of the day when we would take it off, it would leave these deep grooves, these deep indents from the boning in the corset. “I’d have it for the whole next day. The next 24 hours I’d be imprinted with the corset.

It hurts your ribs!”— Bang Showbiz

Models wear Spring/Summer designs from the Ronaldo Fraga collection during Sao Paulo Fashion Week in Sao Paulo, Monday. — AP

R

oberto Cavalli became a fashion designer after “making love” to a pretty model. The Italian style legend admits his first ever runway show was “terrible” because he was preoccupied with one of his female catwalk stars. Discussing his first show in Paris, France, in 1970, he said: “It was terrible. It wasn’t designing. I chose a pretty shy model and, of course, I make love with her. That was why I start to be in fashion.” Roberto decided to turn to art, and then fashion, after being urged by his mother to make up his mind on what career path to follow. He said: “When I was 18, my mother said, ‘Roberto, you should go look for a job.’

I decided art was the only thing I would maybe like. “I wanted a sports car and to enjoy life. I knew the more sweaters I printed, the more money I’d make.”

Roberto got his big break in the industry after discovering a unique six-color technique for printing on leather.

He added to Marie Claire magazine: “I showed people at Hermes in Paris. They wanted exclusivity on my idea. I thought, ‘If my idea is revolutionary, I should get to know the fashion world. I didn’t know anything about fashion, but thought it could be fun.” The 69-year-old designer’s outfits grew in fame in the 70s, when actress Bridget Bardot took a shine to his collections. He added: “It was the time of beautiful stars like Bridget Bardot. I am proud I was there - with my Ferrari and my boat! She was an icon to me but I was shy. When she came into my store, my heart went boom, boom, boom. Today, I’d be different. I’d jump on her. I’m joking!”

—Bang Showbiz

www.kuwaittimes.net

By Alistair Lyon

H

ad she stuck to the art world, Anissa Helou might have ridden a surge of interest in Islamic and Middle Eastern art that has seen auction houses and world-class museums sprout offshoots in oil-rich Gulf cities. Instead, this one-time seller, collector and consultant, who had unclasped family shackles to carve out a Europe-based art career, turned to writing on the cookery of her native Lebanon. “I didn’t plan to be a food writer, it just happened,” she said over breakfast in a tranquil hotel courtyard in the Old City of Damascus, where her culinary tour group was staying.

“Lebanese Cuisine” was published in 1994. Five more books on Lebanese, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food have followed. Helou, a tall 52-year-old with a shock of silvering curly hair, laughs ruefully, but says she doesn’t regret this choice-or anything else in her self-consciously independent life.

“In a way I think I should have persevered. You see the collections being formed, the art being bought by all these sheikhs, and the museums-it’s very exciting. But I left the art world after 20 years and I’m unlikely to go back to it.”

It was Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait and the 1991 Gulf War to expel Iraqi forces that first jolted Helou, then an art consultant to some Kuwaiti princesses, onto a new trajectory.

“Suddenly, they were much more worried about what was going on in their country than wanting to buy art.”

The earlier torment of Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war, which uprooted thousands of Helou’s compatriots, also fed into her impulse to turn to unveiling the art of a Lebanese cuisine which is based on fresh vegetables, olive oil and the rich, sunny flavors of a Mediterranean country. “All these Lebanese kids were brought up abroad and didn’t do what I did, which was be with my mother and grandmother in the kitchen and see everything made at home and understand everything about the traditions of Lebanese cooking,” she said. “So I really wanted to write a cookbook that anybody could use, whether they were foreign or Lebanese living abroad, and be able to reproduce those recipes from the mountains of Lebanon. “I paid great attention to being precise, so I’d have these amazing arguments with my mother, who would say oh, a handful or a coffee cupful or a pinch. And I’d say, listen, I’m writing for people who don’t understand these things,” she laughed.

Fresh and varied Helou described Lebanese food as naturally healthy, ranking with other great culinary traditions such as

A

treasure trove of “Star Trek” memorabilia is to boldly go under the hammer later this month, offering devotees of the science fiction show a chance to grab a piece of history. Personal effects of late “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry are among lots put up for auction from June 24 to June 27 at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas.

Items up for grabs include a projector used by Roddenberry at his home to screen outtakes from the “Star Trek” series as well as props and costumes from the 2009 “Star Trek” blockbuster.

All sales will benefit various charities, according to Julien’s Auctions. The company estimated

Chinese, French, Persian and Japaneseher own favorite-as well as a Middle Eastern range encompassing Syrian, Lebanese and Turkish. “Lebanese cuisine is fresher and more varied and a bit more sophisticated,” she said. “Aleppo cuisine is also fantastic.” Helou, born to a Lebanese mother and a Syrian father, was never enthralled by the conformity of education, marriage, kids. Inspired by the French existentialists she read at her convent school in Beirut, she was always determined to go her own way.

Cheerfully unmarried, she encountered few obstacles as an Arab but plenty of gender prejudice in the art world.

“As an art dealer I could have achieved a lot more as a man than as a woman.

Being attractive, you are always fighting those who see you as an object more than as a professional person.” She says she was never tempted to start a family.

“I didn’t want to be domesticated. I didn’t want to be attached to anyone and I didn’t want to have people dependent on me.”

To overcome her father’s refusal to let her study abroad- and, horrors, live alone-she signed up as an air hostess with Lebanon’s Middle East Airlines and began earning her own money. At 21, with Lebanon sliding into chaos, she began a works of art course at Sotheby’s in London, which then hired her to tap into a virgin Gulf market already flush with oil money in the mid-1970s. But a taste for collecting art had yet to emerge. “I was ahead of my time. I went to Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, but could hardly convince anyone to buy anything,” she said.

Two decades later, a casual London dinner table conversation spawned the idea of writing on Lebanese cookery.

Now she teaches cooking in her London kitchen, works as a consultant and takes gourmet clients on food-centered tours of the Middle East. “All my life revolves around food-and trying to stay thin, which is difficult on culinary tours.”

Helou delights in food and has an aversion to obesity. “It repulses me,” she confessed. “It’s a sign of being greedy and that’s a sign of being out of control.

If you like food, you want to taste it, savour it, not stuff your face.”

Helou, who exerted so much effort to break away from her own family upbringing in 1973, can’t quite work out why so many Lebanese women today seem to have more modest aspirations. “I’m puzzled that they are not wanting to do more with their lives, not wanting to branch out or leave the nest,” she mused. “But there is a young generation that I suspect will be more like me-girls who are eager to work, do things on their own, be independent and forget what their parents want them to be.”— Reuters

the priciest item may be actor William Shatner’s custom Harley Davidson motorcycle, expected to fetch up to 14,000 dollars.

Roddenberry’s son, Rod, was on hand as a viewing of auction lots got under way in L as Vegas Monday. An only child, the “Star Trek” creator’s son said he decided to sell items from his childhood home after his mother, Majel, died in early 2009. “It was a big house.

I felt like I was ready to sell stuff and move on,” he told AFP. Another prized lot is expected to be the jacket Leonard Nimoy wore when starring as his character Spock in last year’s film.

“That’s gonna get big bucks,” predicted Paul Walker, leader of a Las

The installation “Clockwork for Oracles II” (2008) by artist Ugo Rondinone, represented by Gladstone Gallery (New York, USA), is shown at the exhibition ‘Art Unlimited’ in the context of the international art show ‘Art 41 Basel’, in Basel, Switzerland, Monday. — AP

By Boris Bachorz

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sculpture by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani has fetched $52.6 million at a Paris sale, an auction record for the artist and the highest price paid for a work of art sold in France. The 65 cm limestone work, entitled “Tete,” was executed in 1910-12 and was one of only around 10 Modigliani sculptures to be held privately, according to Christie’s, which sold the piece. The artist is known to have created only 27 sculptures overall, and its rarity value, combined with booming values for top works of art,

Vegas “Star Trek” fan club.

Alongside the “Star Trek” lots are several items of note from the late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson.

These include a custom-made couch with 24 carat gold leaf worth up to 150,000 dollars.

Jackson had the furniture made especially for his planned residence in England last year during his comeback “This Is It” concerts. His death a year ago came before any of the scheduled performances. The auction will also feature a white glove worn by Jackson during the 1984 Victory tour, one of only 40 worn by Jackson on stage during his career. — AFP

The installation “Animal Farm” (1994) by artist Tim Rollins and K.O.S., represented by the gallery Eva Presenhuber (Zurich, Switzerland), is shown at the exhibition ‘Art Unlimited’ in the context of the international art show ‘Art 41 Basel’, in Basel. — AP photos

drove prices higher. “Our Paris sale results confirm a vigorous market in which collectors demonstrate an insatiable appetite for works of great rarity and excellence,” said Anika Guntrum, head of Christie’s impressionist and modern art department in Paris.

Both Sotheby’s and Christie’s set world auction records this year, each selling a work of art for more than $100 million. The Modigliani was from the collection of Gaston Levy, which acquired the work in 1927. — Reuters

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“Head”, a sculpture by Amadeo Modigliani is seen during an auction at Christie’s auction house in Paris, Monday.

— AP

group of young Somali musicians in exile is challenging the hardline Shebab Islamists who control large swathes of their homeland, by recording anti-Shebab songs set to hip-hop and rap. Their songs, recorded in the Kenyan capital, find their way into Somalia on pirated CDs, on the radio or via internet, to the anger of the Shebab.

“We hear these young men and girls who go around naked insulting the Mujahideen and their culture,” the spokesman of the Shebab, the main Islamist group, raged recently.

“Wherever they are, they cannot escape the long arm of the soldiers of Allah,” Sheikh Ali Mohamoud Rage threatened. The members of the group Waayaha Cusub (New Era in the Somali language) could hardly be accused of walking around naked in Nairobi. The two women singers, Felis Abdi, 23, and 22-year-old Amal Mohamed, wear capacious black dresses that trail the floor and are careful not to show any hair when they put earphones on over their brown Islamic veils in the group’s tiny recording studio.

“We’re good Muslims. We pray five times a day. We go to the mosque, we fast. But we don’t steal and we don’t kill,” the head of the group, 27-year-old Shino Abdullahi told AFP, referring to abuses he says the Shebab are guilty of.

The Shebab have imposed their own radical version of Islamic law, including dress regulations and public mutilations, on the parts of the country they control.

Exiled in Kenya since childhood, the musicians of Waayaha Cusub hope to be able to fight against the Islamist influence and get a humanist message through to the youth of their country.

The sculpture “Hero” (2009) by artist Zhang Huan, represented

by The Pace Galeria (New York, USA).

The group, which counts some 10 members, was set up in 2004 and quickly caused a sensation both by attacking Somalia’s warlords in its songs and by having women dance on stage in its clips. For the past several months their attacks have centered on the Shebab, whom they have attacked in six songs and a DVD. “You are supporters of Satan. You don’t know what Sharia law is, nor even the five pillars of Islam,” read the lyrics of the song “Terrorists”. The group invite their fans in Somalia to copy their CDs and distribute them. “Some people in Somalia follow our music on Youtube.

Others download it onto their mobiles,” said Abdullahi. Both activities are highrisk, particularly since the Shebab in April banned music on all of Mogadishu’s radio stations.

“My brother sent me a CD player and two Waayaha Cusub albums from Nairobi but I can’t use it in public. If they see you with something like that they punish you,” Udbi Hassan, a 21year-old student in Mogadishu, told AFP. Shino Abdullahi was shot in the hip by an unknown gunman who broke into his home in November 2007. A former singer with the group was stabbed in the face and has since quit.

For security reasons the group make only the briefest of forays into their headquarters in Eastleigh, Nairobi’s Somali quarter. They give appointments elsewhere in town, peeking out of a window whenever a car draws up outside. Yet Abdullahi claims he and and his friends “have a good laugh over the never-ending threats” they get on their mobiles.

“We’re proud of showing that the Shebab are not untouchable, that you can criticize them and still stay alive,” he said with a little smile. — AFP

The installation “Three sets of tangented arcs in daylight and cool white” (1969) by artist Dan Flavin, represented

by David Zwirner (New York, USA).