6 Apr

ON SC RI PT I SU B

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

Inmates riot at Lebanon prison, hold guards

NATO destroys 30% of Gaddafi military power

40 PAGES

NO: 15050

150 FILS

8

www.kuwaittimes.net

JAMADI ALAWWAL 3, 1432 AH

Schalke destroy hapless Inter

Myanmar’s tattooed women lure tourists

40

14

20

Ex-PM reappointed to form 7th cabinet Kafi fumes; Popular Action Bloc threatens grillings

Max 30 Min 21 Low Tide 07:32 : 20:05 High Tide 01:52 & 12:59

By B Izzak

KPC sets $90 bn oil investment budget Kuwait in talks with BP KUWAIT: State-run Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) will invest approximately $90 billion over the next five years in its oil and gas businesses and growth strategy, a company official said yesterday. Hashin Al-Rifai, KPC’s planning manager, told reporters the investments were part of a longer-term program that envisions $340 billion in spending to 2030. “On the oil sector capital program, we are well on track and poised to spend around $90 billion in the coming five years...that is going to mushroom to $340 billion over the 2030 plan period,” he said.

The Gulf Arab state said last year it would invest around KD3 billion ($10.4 billion) in upstream developments by 2015 to expand oil production capacity to 4 million barrels per day (bpd) from 3 million bpd by 2020 and sustain the higher level for 10 years.

Kuwait is also planning major investments in downstream operations, including the Al-Zour oil refinery, which would be the fourth in the country.

Al-Zour, which was expected to start up in 2016, is currently stalled and may face further delays while it awaits the approval of the country’s Supreme Petroleum Council, Rifai told reporters. The OPEC member has said it plans to increase its refining capacity to 1.4 million bpd up from 936,000 bpd.

Rifai added that talks over a heavy oil technical Continued on Page 14

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah chats with the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahamd Al-Sabah yesterday. Amir has asked Sheikh Nasser to form the new cabinet. — KUNA

FM visits Kuwaiti troops in Bahrain MANAMA: Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah stressed yesterday the important role played by Kuwaiti naval troops working within the Peninsula Shield force to protect Bahrain and the unity of the Arab Gulf society. “It gives me great honor to be with you today as you are the protectors of our country, the protectors of honor and of national dignity,” Sheikh Dr Mohammad said. He added that, “every Kuwaiti takes pride in seeing his son respond to the call of duty and you repeatedly proved that whoever entertains evil toward Kuwait, or toward our region, you are up to the mission and are the true sons of Kuwait.”

Sheikh Dr Mohammad expressed the pride Kuwaitis have for the tasks carried out by the force’s members. “We are proud of the mission you are carrying out,” he continued.

“Your message is a simple one, a message of

peace and safety, though whoever harbors evil to our country, its people, and its cultural heritage, we will stand up for our principles.

You proved once and again that you can impart the true meaning of loyalty and sacrifice for the sake of our homeland to people and the world as a whole. We congratulate you on this as you made us hold our heads high, and all Kuwaiti people take pride in the tasks which you are carrying out.”

Sheikh Dr Mohammad went on to say that Kuwait is in the Kingdom of Bahrain to stand by them as they stood by Kuwait during the Invasion of Iraq in 1990. “Such is the faithfulness for which you are famous, people of Kuwait,” he said. “It is impossible to forget to return the favor for anyone who was faithful to us. We will remain grateful as long as we live to our folk not only in Bahrain but in all of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states as a whole.” — KUNA

MANAMA: Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah pictured with the Kuwaiti navy troops. — AP

Working long hours? Watch out for your heart LONDON: People who regularly work long hours may be significantly increasing their risk of developing heart disease, the world’s biggest killer, British scientists said on Monday. Researchers said a longterm study showed that working more than 11 hours a day increased the risk of heart disease by 67 percent, compared with working a standard 7 to 8 hours a day.

They said the findings suggest that information on working hours-used alongside other factors like blood pressure, diabetes and smoking habits-could help doctors work out a patient’s risk of heart disease. However, they also said it was not yet clear whether long working hours themselves contribute to heart disease risk, or whether they act as a “marker” of other factors that can harm heart health-like unhealthy eating habits, a lack of exercise or depression.

“This study might make us think twice about the old adage ‘hard work won’t kill you’,” said Stephen Holgate, chair of the population and systems medicine board at Britain’s Medical Research Council, which part-funded the study. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal, followed nearly 7,100 British workers for 11 years. “Working long days is associated with a remarkable increase in risk of heart disease,” said Mika Kivimaki of Britain’s University College London, who led the research. He said it may be a “wake-up call for people who overwork themselves”.

“Considering that including a measurement of working hours in a (doctor’s) interview is so simple and useful, our research presents a strong case that it should become standard practice,” he said.

Cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes are the world’s largest killers, claiming around 17.1 million lives a year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Billions of dollars are spent every year on medical devices and drugs to treat them. The findings of this study support previous research showing a link between working hours and heart disease.

Continued on Page14

avoid Lebanon, US warns WASHINGTON: US citizens should avoid traveling to Lebanon, the State Department said in a travel warning two days after a US embassy group was attacked

by Lebanese youth. “The Department of State continues to urge US citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon due to current safety and security concerns,” the warning said. “US citizens living and working in Lebanon should understand that they accept risks in remaining and should carefully consider those risks,” it said.

On Saturday, Lebanese youths threw stones and bottles at a US embassy group that was visiting the southern port town of Sidon. There were no injuries

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir yesterday issued a decree renaming outgoing Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to form his seventh government since he was appointed to the post in February 2006. Sheikh Nasser’s sixth cabinet resigned on Thursday after MPs filed requests to grill three senior ministers from the ruling family over a variety of charges including corruption and incompetence.

The resignation was accepted the same day and after traditional consultations in the past two days, HH Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah asked Sheikh Nasser to form the new cabinet. The decision was hailed by a large number of pro-government MPs who insisted that Sheikh Nasser is the most qualified personality to run the affairs of the country, but some of them called on him to select strong ministers who can perform and work together as one team.

MP Askar Al-Enezi thanked the Amir for re-naming Sheikh Nasser to form the new cabinet and described him as the best man capable of completing the development process which he had started after approving the first development plan for the first time since 1986.

MP Ali Al-Rashed also praised the move and warned that he and other MPs will confront those who may submit grillings for “personal” reasons, adding that some MPs are only working to boost their re-election chances.

Rashed called on the prime minister to select the best ministers who can perform and for selecting more women in the cabinet. MP Khalaf Dumaitheer welcomed the return of Sheikh Nasser and blasted his foes who are preparing to grill him, stressing that they will Continued on Page 14

and the group returned to the embassy in Beirut.

South Lebanon is the heartland of the country’s Shiite Hezbollah militia, and saw heavy fighting in the short but sharp summer war of 2006 between the group and Israeli forces.

Lebanese security forces accompanying the US group intervened, but stones continued to be thrown, breaking car windows. The army then arrived and arrested three of the attackers, officials said. “The potential in Lebanon for a spontaneous upsurge in violence is real,” the travel warning said.

Continued on Page 14

ABIDJAN: A soldier loyal to Alassane Ouattara lies wounded in the road after a deadly car accident outside Abidjan, Ivory Coast yesterday. Doctors were unable to get him to a hospital in time to save his life. — AP

Ivory Coast’s Gbagbo huddled in a bunker ABIDJAN: Surrounded by troops backing Ivory Coast’s democratically elected leader, strongman Laurent Gbagbo huddled in a bunker at his home with his family yesterday and tried to negotiate terms of surrender, officials said. France’s foreign minister said officials were demanding that Gbagbo renounce power in writing and formally recognize his rival Alassane Ouattara, the internationally backed winner of the November election that plunged the West African nation into chaos.

Forces loyal to Ouattara yesterday seized the presidential residence where Gbagbo tried to wrest last-ditch concessions, said a senior diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Ouattara has

urged his supporters to take Gbagbo alive.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe told a parliamentary commission that military chiefs in the former French colony have given orders for a cease-fire.

United Nations and French forces opened fire with attack helicopters on Gbagbo’s arms stockpiles and bases on Monday after four months of political deadlock in the former French colony in West Africa. Columns of foot soldiers allied with Ouattara also finally pierced the city limits of Abidjan. “One might think that we are getting to the end of the crisis,” Hamadoun Toure, spokesman for the UN mission to Ivory Coast said by phone. “We spoke to his close aides, some had already defected, some are ready to stop fighting.

Continued on Page 14

‘Gagarin mission’; Astronauts blast off BAIKONUR: The SoyuzFG rocket booster blasts off .

— AP

BAIKONUR: Three astronauts yesterday blasted off for the International Space Station in a spaceship named after the first man in space Yuri Gagarin in honor of his historic flight 50 years ago. The two Russians and one American left on a Soyuz rocket from the main launchpad at Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the same location where Gagarin went on his historic space mission on April 12, 1961.

The flight in the early hours of the morning left a bright beam of light against the background of the clear starry sky over the vast Kazakh steppe, an AFP correspondent reported. Their mission has been dedicated to Gagarin’s flight-which gave the Soviet Union its Continued on Page 14

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

LOCAL

Amir receives 3 ambassadors’ credentials

Local Spotlight

Dust storms affect school children!

By Muna Al-Fuzai

Ambassador of the Republic of Guyana KUWAIT: At a ceremony held at Bayan Palace yesterday, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah formally received the credentials of three newly-appointed ambassadors to Kuwait.

Ambassador of the Republic of Ethiopia The credentials were presented by Ambassador Mohammed Ali Odeen Ishmael of the Republic of Guyana, Ambassador Mohammad Judita of the Republic of Ethiopia and the new ambassador of the Republic of

Ambassador of the Republic of Peru Peru. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, along with a number of other senior Kuwaiti officials and dignitaries. — KUNA

KTA praised for role in fighting corruption Chamber of Commerce hosts seminar

By Nisreen Zahreddine KUWAIT: The Chamber of commerce and industry hosted an anti-corruption seminar where speakers went through the causes of corruption. The conference also discussed how corruption can be countered through the work of civil society organizations and appropriate legislation. Riad Al-Faras, an economy professor at Kuwait University and a board member at the Kuwait Transparency Association (KTA) applauded the association’s role in fighting against corruption and promoting transparenc y. He pointed out that KTA is the only society in Kuwait trying to reduce corruption and that there are no laws to help authorities fight against corruption. He also pointed out that there is no special judiciary department for corruption related cases.

“The need for laws to fight against corruption is badly needed and should be a top priority,” he said. AlFaras went through KTA’s transparency promoting procedures and pointed out that they have established and improved the work processes of 28 groups and that they are working on an additional 47 projects with their ‘reform margin program.’

Regarding international legislations, the legal advisor at DLA Piper Middle East, Carlo Federigoli said that corruption and chaos are widely spread throughout the Middle East, especially in the Gulf. He added that firm laws are required to fight against

KUWAIT: Director General of the Ministry of Interior’s Noncommissioned Officers Training General Directorate, Brig Gen Khalid Al-Janahi, supervised the conclusion of the tenth training course organized for 15 senior staff members of the ministry’s warehouse and impound facilities.

corruption. Carlo went through the differences between corruption laws in the US and the UK, emphasizing that anticorruption laws in the United Kingdom are firmer and give no chance for corruption. He pointed out that punishments in the UK reach up to ten year prison sentences and can have unlimited fines.

“Corruption laws in the US encourages those to complain about corruption and bribery,” said Carlo. He said that laws against corruption should be further developed, especially in Asian and African countries until cases of bribery and corruption decrease.

The regional manager at DL Piper Middle East, Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout said that there are two reasons behind Kuwait’s retreat on the International Transparency Index. The first reason, he explained, is the increasing level of international transparency standards and the second is Kuwait’s lack of political will on the issue.

Carlo said that any company that does not comp with required transparenc y standards cannot have a license to work in the United Kingdom, independently or cooperatively with British companies.

He pointed out though that there have been great improvements in Kuwait, such as the ability to regain money that has been robbed locally or abroad.

He also highlighted Kuwait’s recent role in helping to freeze some of the assets of the former president of Tunisia Zein Al-Abedeen Bin Ali.

KUWAIT: Prof Riad Al Faras (second left) speaking during the seminar.

KUWAIT: A group photo of the speakers at anti-corruption seminar — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

New structure for teachers’ salaries

By A Saleh KUWAIT: The parliament’s education and finance committees approved the new teachers’ salary structures as well as the decision to increase the number of students enrolled at Kuwait University the Public Authority for Advanced Education and Training (PAAET). The committee

approved the new salary structure, which was proposed by the Teachers Society, after discussing it with the Ministry of Education before the decision was made by the Civil Service Commission to increase teacher’s salaries by KD 240 last week. The chairman of the finance committee, MP Yousuf Al-Zalzalah said the approval was unanimous.

NATO senior chief visits KDI KUWAIT: NATO Chief-of-Staff of the Southern Naval Command Admiral Jonathan Westbrook yesterday praised Kuwait’s involvement with NATO ever since the country joined the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI).

Westbrook’s remarks came while he, and his accompanying delegation, were paying a visit to the Kuwait Diplomatic Institute (KDI). They were received by KDI Director General Ambassador Abdulaziz Al-Sharekh and the Institute’s Board Secretary, Councilor Abdullah AlEhaya. “The ICI is the framework where cooperation between NATO and GCC member countries is coordinated,” Admiral Westbrook noted. During the visit, Westbrook was outlined by KDI’s training programs, lectures and seminars, as well as he discussed bilateral relations between NATO and Kuwait at the foreign policy level. — KUNA

KUWAIT: NATO Chief-of-Staff of the Southern Naval Command Admiral Jonathan Westbrook and his accompanying delegation pictured with Kuwaiti officials yesterday.

muna@kuwaittimes.net

W

e live in a desert area so dust and sand storms are no surprise to residents. However, when these storms show up we get worried and official departments get confused, especially schools. Why is that and how can we be ready to handle these storms?

I believe that no man on earth can ever be ready to confront nature. No one could even try if they wanted to. We have witnessed a lot in these past few years and these storms should be taken with less panic and fear. The officials in school departments should be aware of when these storms are going to occur and have a plan for dealing with them.

A dust storm struck Kuwait two days ago and although this was not the first, and will certainly not be the last, many people were affected by the storm, especially school children and little ones. The elderly and those with asthma also suffered and some had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment.

In recent years, and maybe due to climate change, Kuwait has had little rainfall in the winter, making desert sand loose and easily carried by strong winds.

It was clear this time that the Ministry of Interior seemed aware of these weather circumstances as roads were blocked and instructions were given to drivers. I hope they learned their lesson this time because I doubt these storms will be over anytime soon.

The Ministry of Education, just like any other official department, should know about the storms ahead of time because it had already been on the news. They should release children with asthma early when parents come to get them and keep some students in shelters, especially the little ones. Instead, they are kept in class as the wind strikes their schools from all directions until the end of the day. I don’t think it would be too much for each school to have a secure shelter for their students if letting them go home is not possible.

These dust or sand storms are very common at this time of year. However, the amount of complaints from those with chest diseases and those who get really sick is concerning. I wonder if there is a connection to the pollution rate.

I think the Ministry of Health should carry out some studies to see if the rate of chest diseases in the country is normal and make its findings available to the public.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

local

KHAC to charge KD130 for health plan insurance New health insurance policy to be introduced

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: Kuwait’s healthcare system will witness big improvements with the introduction of a new health insurance policy, said Mohammad Al-Munifi, the chairman of the Kuwait Health Assurance Company (KHAC), at a press confer-

vision for synergy and cooperation between the private and government sectors. By letting the private sector manage such a project, we expect an efficient health care system in Kuwait and a better experience for patients,” he stated.

The Kuwaiti government currently spends millions of dinars on

KUWAIT: Ahmed Nassouli, Mohammad Al-Munifi and Abdullah Al-Khrafi.— Photo by Joseph Shagra ence held at the Safir Hotel yesterday for potential investors.

Also speaking at the event were Abdullah Al-Khrafi from the International Counsel Bureau, and Ahmad Nossouli from the Advisory Group.

A Ministerial resolution was issued in 2010 to establish the KHAC and conduct a public auction to sell a 26 percent ownership share to a strategic partner. This comes as part of the Cabinet’s proposed development plan, and is expected to solve many of the loopholes in the current healthcare system.

The company aims to improve the quality of the health care system in Kuwait by establishing three major hospitals and 15 polyclinics within the next three years, explained Al-Munifi. “We have a

healthcare for non-nationals, said Al-Munifi, adding, “We don’t expect the government to continue spending money on healthcare for nonnationals, even for nationals - there are many indicators that suggest the government won’t be giving free healthcare and education.”

Health insurance obtained from the KHAC will cost no more than KD 130 per person, he stressed. After the establishment of the KHAC, the Ministry of Health (MoH) will stop issuing health insurance plan certificates to expatriates. “In order to stamp their visas, expatriates in Kuwait must obtain insurance from the KHAC,” Al-Munifi explained. “We believe that the maximum fee of KD 130 is very reasonable, considering the quality of healthcare the KHAC will provide.” The KHAC head also

noted that this will necessitate the introduction of amendments to sponsorship laws, obliging sponsors to pay staff members’ healthcare insurance fees and guarantee that sponsors do not deduct fees from the employees. “The fact that we have employees with low wages that reach KD 30 is a disaster - the Cabinet has promised to look into that,” he added. The healthcare system provided by the KHAC, however, will be premium-rate, the executive claimed, stressing that the new company is not only providing access to healthcare for expatriates but for Kuwaitis as well. “We plan to target Kuwaitis, too,” he said, continuing, “Many nationals prefer to go to private clinics instead of public clinics because of the poor quality of service at public clinics. We want to give affordable premium healthcare services to all residents of Kuwait whether nationals or non-nationals alike.” Current legislation obliges expatriates to obtain insurance from any ‘healthcare system provider’, which the law defines as a healthcare company providing over 900 beds available across Kuwait’s six governorates. “As things stand today, there are no such healthcare providing companies,” said Ahmad Nossouli of the Advisory Group. “We have private hospitals and clinics, but they don’t meet the minimum requirements of having 900 beds across Kuwait. If such companies are established by the time the KHAC launches its facilities, which is when the Ministry of Health will stop issuing its health insurance plans, the individuals have the right to choose between KHAC or any other such health provider who meets the minimum requirements of 900 beds. As it stands today, no such company exists.”

More information about the KHAC is available on the Kuwait Investment Authority’s website at: www.kia.gov.kw

Juwaihel, Wasmi cases adjourned KUWAIT: The Misdemeanor Court of Appeals adjourned the case in which activist Mohammad Al-Juwaihel is charged with slander and the court is scheduled to reconvene on April 11 for sentencing.

The court also decided to continue Al-Juwaihel’s detention until his verdict is released. His attorneys, Riyadh Al-Sanea and Mohammad Al-Duwaihi pled against the decision to keep Al-Juwaihel in detention, demanding his release on bail until a court order is made.

Attorney Thamer Al-Jadei represented MP Musallam Al-Barrak in the case and accused Al-Juwaihel of insulting his client during a television show. Al-Juwaihel’s defense demands that he be acquitted based on the fact that his comments were made via a satellite channel outside of Kuwait.

The First-Degree court sentenced Al-Juwaihel to one year in prison despite his decision to plead not guilty to the charges.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court adjourned the case filed by S t a te S e c ur i t y S e r vi ce s a g a i n s t Ku w a i t University professor Dr Obaid Al-Wasmi and is scheduled to reconvene on May 9. Al-Wasmi is accused of slandering the state’s top authority during a seminar at the diwaniya of Jamaan Al-Harbash on December 8 of last year, which featured clashes between police and outside gatherers.

During the latest trial, the court heard the testimony of former Interior Ministry Undersecretary, retired Staff Lieutenant General Ahmad Al-Rujaib, who is the main accuser in the case. A surprising turn of events occurred

when Al-Rujaib denied being the one who signed the decision to send Al-Wasmi to the public prosecutor, or that he received a written report detailing the offensive statements that Al-Wasmi made. He explained that he only reported verbally what he hear Al-Wasmi say.—Al-Rai

Baby abandoned

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A newborn baby boy was discovered abandoned near a home in the Kaifan area. Paramedics rushed to the scene and the baby was taken to the maternity hospital where he is understood to be in a healthy condition.

Car accidents A 19-year-old bedoon (stateless) man and a 44year-old Egyptian man were taken to Sabah Hospital after sustaining minor injuries in a car crash on the Fourth Ring Road yesterday.

In a separate incident, a 16-year-old Kuwaiti boy suffered a broken left arm in a car accident in the Ahmadi area. He was taken to Adan Hospital.

Suicide attempt A 27-year-old Pakistani expatriate was rushed to Adan Hospital after he drank rat poison for undisclosed reasons following a fight in the Fahaheel area.

Police murder trial postponed

By A. Saleh KUWAIT: The Criminal Court has postponed the trial of the police officers accused of torturing Kuwaiti man Mohammed Al-Mutairi to death whilst he was in police custody.

Several uniformed police officers have been charged with deliberate, premeditated homicide and face the death penalty if found guilty. The trial has been postponed for three weeks, and is set to resume on April 29.

The court is set to summon senior Ministr y of Interior (MoI) officials Major General Abdullah Al-Rashid and Colonel Adel AlHamdan, along with the paramedic who rushed AlMutairi to hospital to hear their testimonies.

Seven of the 17 individuals detained in connection with the case to date have been released on bail of KD1,000 each at the request of defense lawyers.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah pictured with the officials yesterday.

Amir receives education minister, officials KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday at Bayan Palace Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Moudhi Al-Humoud.

M inister Al-Humoud was accompanied by the newlyappointed leaders of the Education and Higher Education M inistries, as well as Kuwait University (KU), and the Public

Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET).

Minister Al-Humoud introduced the new chiefs to the HH the Amir.

They are Dr Abdullatif Al-Bader as KU Rector, Dr Abdulrazzak Al-Nifisi as PAAE T Director General, Dr Abdulredhah Al-Khayyat as the Director General for the Educational Development Center, Dr Khaled Saad as Undersecretary at the Ministry of Higher Education,

Dr Ali Al-Tarrah as Head of Kuwait Permanent-Supporting Delegation to UNESCO, Dr Khaled Al-Rashed, as Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Information at the Ministry of Education and Mona AlLoughani as Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Higher Education. The reception was attended by Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah. — KUNA

Half of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project completed KUWAIT: Fifty percent of the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Por t expansion projec t has been completed, according to a senior Ministry of Public Works (MPW) official.

Speaking to reporters during a specially organized tour of the project site on Monday, two days before today’s official opening ceremony at which His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone, Ghalib Shallas, the director of the MPW’s major projects division, explained that contractors are expected to complete preliminary work on rail

and road causeways linking the port on Boubyan Island to the mainland via the Khor Al-Subbiya within the next ten months.

The expansion of the port on Boubyan Island off Kuwait’s northeast coast is among the major projects in the country’s ambitious national development plan. Today’s official inauguration ceremony will also be attended by a number of eminent Kuwaiti dignitaries, including caretaker Minister of Public Works and State Minister of Municipality Affairs Dr. Fadhil Safar and MPW Undersecretary Abdulaziz Al-Kulaib.— KUNA

y

A

4

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

local

kuwait digest

Shun sectarians!

By Yousuf Al-Shehab ocieties cannot advance unless they are first stable. Stability can only be achieved when members of the society coexist and give top priority to their nation and stay away from feelings of hatred and categorizing people and ideas based on origins or beliefs.

Kuwait has been blessed by God Almighty with security and stability throughout its history due to the nearly exceptional case of tolerance and coexistence that our society has always committed to. Those main principles were not only present in the public and their leaders but also between citizens. They always worked to ensure that the society’s unity isn’t affected by the conflict that is usually seen in other countries based on sectarian, tribal or even political fundamentalism.

Kuwait’s business culture has also remained safe from sectarianism as the board of a single company can either be Sunni, Shiite, Bedouin or Hadar and work together regardless of their backgrounds. These social categorizations don’t exist in diwaniyas, where Sunnis and Shiites share friendly gatherings. This kind of social coexistence is the characteristic of a society that is elevated in its ethics, behavior and practices.

Whether they are citizens, parliament members or media outlets, those who try to mess with our country’s principles of coexistence have always been, and always will be, shunned by a society whose members have always remained committed to the stability of the nation.

When sectarianism forces its way into a society this signals the beginning of the end for that society and the people will ultimately suffer the consequences. Constantly struggling and fighting against each other with nothing but hatred will lead to nothing other than the destruction of their society. Sectarianism is a flood that can crush an entire country. —Al-Qabas

S

KUWAIT: MP Ali Al-Rashed (left) with the speakers at the seminar held at KTA on Monday.

KUWAIT: Columnist Ahmed Al-Dyein (center) appears during KTA seminar —Photos by Joseph Shagra

KTA seminar on proposed law for political groups

By Nisreen Zahreddine KUWAIT: The Kuwait Transparency Association (KTA) held a seminar to develop a suggestion regarding the formation of political groups in Kuwait. During the seminar KTA Chairman Salah Al-Ghazali said that the suggestions were approved of by the previous government and that, most importantly, the constitution and the government promote democracy. He added that Kuwait has a healthy legislative authority, healthy citizenship and a strong democratic culture.

“The [proposed] political groups law allows 300 people to organize a political group on a non-sectarian basis,” Al-Ghazali explained. Similarly, former state minister

of National Assembly affairs, Abdul Hadi Al-Saleh said that there are some articles in the draft law presented by KTA that needs to be reviewed and re-organized, such as the number of organizers the group can have. He added that the proposed law needs a stronger explanation of non-sectarianism because it is too ambiguous in its current context. He said that the group also wants to add that women must make up 10 percent of any political group.

Ahmed Dyein, a columnist, said that political parties and groups are an essential part of democracy being that political parties are formed for the sake of taking over executive authority. He explained however that the country has ambiguous

laws about whether political parties are allowed in the country.

Ghanem Al-Najjar, another columnist, said that political parties are far more important than political groups. He called upon lifting the prohibition on civil society institutions on political activities. MP Ali AlRashed said that the country is living in political chaos because of the lack of political parties. He suggested that the political party issue be discussed further in a conference and that a study should be carried out on the proposed law.

General Secretary of the Democratic Coalition Bashar Al-Sayegh said that there is a proposed draft law in the General Assembly for declaring political parties.

He described such a proposal as a good

move but added “we still need to review it and discuss it with various political movements.”

Naser Al-Sanea, General Secretary of the Constitutional Movement said that more discussion and dialogue is needed on this regard and that the National Assembly has its role in fostering this issue, especially the legislative committee.

He added that the government must also play an important role in developing the democratic experience of the country.

“We in the Constitutional Movement proposed a political parties declaration law in 2007,” he explained. He added that he hopes there will be political groups first, followed by a movement towards political parties.

Ministry equips schools with CCTV for added security

KUWAIT: Some participants of the 4th Gulf Occupational Health Conference in Kuwait yesterday.

Gulf occupational health conference kicks off in Kuwait KUWAIT: The 4th Gulf Occupational Health Conference kicked off here yesterday with significant participation from the representatives of the world and regional health institutions. The five-day conference, organized by Occupational Health Department and Kuwait Society for Occupational and Environmental Health, is themed “ Towards Sustainable Occupational Health and Safety”. At the opening session, Conference Head and Assistant Undersecretary at the Kuwaiti Health Ministry Youssef AlNesf said the conference is providing an golden oppor tunity for enhancing the qualifications of Gulf health institutions and cadres in dealing with work-place health and safety matters.

“Organizing this conference and the diverse specialized workshops which would be held on its margin is an important step towards creat-

ing Gulf and national health cadres aware of the importance of the safety in occupational health and the need for pre-emptive measures to avoid work injuries as well as qualifying work facilities to be able to deal with health emergencies,” Nesf said.

More than one hundred Gulf, Arab and international health officials and experts are participating in the conference and workshops.

Both the World Health Organization ( WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are present at the conference.

The attendees would exchange expertise and knowledge on the latest studies related to the occupational health and safety.

For his par t, Head of the Occupational Health Department at the M inistr y of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Shatti said more than 100 subjects would be discussed in the conference’s 19 sessions. Shatti

added that the conference aims to introduce the concept of health and vocational safety into the government’s plans and enhancing the relation between vocational safety, and productivity and sustainable development.

The conferees would also touch upon issues such as risk and emergencies management, evaluating disabilities, work environment, house labors, and improving workers health. Meanwhile, the Regional Advisor of the World Health Organization Saeed AlArnaout praised the important role played by Gulf states in improving occupational health and safety. He noted that WHO in cooperation with a number of the leading international and regional medical institutions are participating in the conference and in training health cadres in the Gulf states to enhance their performance in this sector. —KUNA

Upcoming jewelry expo attracts big regional names KUWAIT: More prestigious companies from Kuwait and elsewhere in the Gulf region and the wider Arab world have announced that they will be participating in the Kuwaiti Jewelry Merchants’ Association’s upcoming ‘Konouz’ exhibition. The event, featuring the latest in premium quality jewelry and watches, is set to take place at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Kuwait City from April 24-28.

One of the participants, Nasser Al-Sayegh, the owner of Al-Sayegh Jewelry firm, explained that his company had decided to take part in the second ‘Konouz’ event since it views the exhibition as an opportunity for visitors to see the company ’s latest jewelr y design achievements. He revealed that this year’s collection for the exhibition will feature high-quality gemstones, as well as items in various other precious materials, including gold, platinum and titanium.

Al-Sayegh acknowledged the “impor tant ” role played by the exhibition in raising awareness amongst jewelers and those marketing jewelry around the world of the items in demand from Kuwaiti

Nasser Al-Sayegh

Marie Munier

jewelry buyers. The Kuwaiti jewelry market is considered one of the most important globally due to local consumers’ great wealth and passion for jewelry, he added.

Lebanese jewelr y designer Marie Munier, who owns her own eponymously-named jewelry firm in her homeland, has also confirmed that her company will be par ticipating in the upcoming expo for the second consecutive year, due to the “huge success” it enjoyed at last year’s event. She

assured customers that her firm would be displaying a range of handmade silver jewelry, as well as a special selection of items containing precious stones, on show for the first time. Munier also acknowledged that the affluence of the GCC nations’ consumers has been a great support to the jewelry industry, more especially during periods like the present where high oil prices are helping increase demand from regular customers, as well as new ones.

KUWAIT: In a step to bring safety and security to schools, Minister of Education Moudhi Al-Humoud inaugurated at Salahuddin high school the use of closed circuit tv (cctv), the first of many schools to be provided with that service, it was learned here yesterday.

All the ministry’s 771 schools will be equipped with CC T V, whereby at least 12 cameras will be placed appropriately in every school to monitor all school locations and activities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, said the minister in a press statement at the inauguration yesterday.

This ambitious undertaking on the part of the ministry falls in line with its contribution to the nation’s economic plan, she said, underlining other achievements in that regard such as providing hot meals to elementary schools, on-site school clinics, and soon lab tops for all high school students. —KUNA

MP reiterates demand for expulsion of Iran ambassador KUWAIT: Islamist MP Mohammad Hayef has again demanded that the Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait be dismissed, as well as voicing disappointment at the joint statement issued by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states’ foreign ministers following their latest meeting on Monday.

Hayef reiterated his earlier calls for the Iranian ambassador’s dismissal, insisting that the senior diplomat should be sent back to Iran “after his name was mentioned in more than one case per taining to spy networks in [Kuwait].”

He also reprised his previous warnings of the danger which he insists Iran poses to Kuwait and other Gulf countries, saying, “The events that took place in the Kingdom Bahrain, as well as the spying network uncovered in Kwuait, demonstrate the Iranian threat to the region’s countries, which we’ve warned of repeatedly.”

The deportation of three Iranian embassy staff “is not enough after the involvement of the Iranian embassy [in espionage activities] was proved,” the MP insisted, adding that the Iranian ambassador’s reaction to the diplomats’ expulsion “means that he’s also involved in the same thing.”

Hayef further suggested that despite the criticism in the GCC foreign ministers’ statement of Iranian intervention in GCC member states’ domestic affairs, particularly those of Bahrain and Kuwait, the ministers had not gone far enough. The MP insisted that the ministers should have demanded the “liberation” of three islands in the Gulf which the United Arab Emirates asserts were illegally occupied by Iran.

The Kuwaiti MP also insisted that the GCC foreign ministers should have called for greater international attention to be paid to events in Iran’s western regions, and that they should have stressed the need for elections on selfdetermination for the Arab residents of the Awazh region.

Speaking yesterday, meanwhile, another MP and Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Ali AlDeqbasi, warned Iran against interfering in Arab nations’ internal affairs to promote its own interests and its expansionist agenda.

KUWAIT: Firefighters rushed to the scene after a blaze broke out yesterday in a lumberyard warehouse in Amghara which was being used to store large amounts of wood. Although the fire spread to a 1,000 square-meter ceramics warehouse in the vicinity and residents and staff had to be evacuated from nearby apartments and an adjacent blacksmith’s workshop as a safety precaution, nobody was reported injured and firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze without it spreading to any other neighboring buildings. —Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

KAC contract to be submitted to govt for approval KUWAIT: The Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) verification department has completed its checks on the contract which will see Kuwait’s national carrier, the Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC), be fully privatized. An MoJ insider said that the department had taken all the suggestions put forward concerning the contract by Fatwa and Legislation department specialists into consideration whilst completing its assessment of the document. The contract will now be submitted to the caretaker cabinet to enable it or the next government to formally issue the decree declaring the airline’s establishment as a private body, which will become fully effective once it is published in Kuwait’s official gazette.

The MoJ insider also revealed that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) had reportedly contacted the Kuwait Investment Authority in the latter’s capacity as the body representing the government, requesting that a new bank account be opened for the privatized airline. The MCI proposed that the investment authority should initially deposit KD44 million in the account, which represents 20 percent of the KD220 million allocated to it, for the purpose of settling all the claims of Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti employees.

The insider added that firms wishing to invest in the newly privatized airline would be invited to submit bids and to hold a General Assembly in which shareholders will be able to elect its board of directors. —Al-Jarida

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

local

Malhotra appointed as India’s envoy to Russia End of a successful tenure

By Reaven D’Souza KUWAIT: The Indian ambassador to Kuwait Ajai Malhotra will

be cutting short his highly successful posting here to take up a new ambassadorial assignment in Russia shortly, according to staff at the Indian Embassy in Kuwait. In a brief time span of just two years Ambassador Malhotra has certainly left an indelible positive mark on Kuwait far beyond the realm of international relations alone, said officials at the embassy yesterday.

Kuwait has been an interesting and invigorating posting for Ambassador Ajai Malhotra, a career diplomat, who has won the hearts of both his large contingent of countrymen and the local Kuwaiti populace, said an embassy official.

Displaying very strong diplomatic skills and efficiency in tackling issues facing the Indian community, the official said, he has never failed to use the excellent relations he had with the local authorities to resolve outstanding issues of the community.

He has worked selflessly and tirelessly to further build and develop relations with the Kuwait government establishment while engaging with the Indian community, the official went on, adding that his sharp observation and listening skills, along with his insight and experience have played a pivotal role in identifying areas for improvement and change.

Barely a month after taking charge Ambassador Malhotra arranged a visit to Kuwait by the Indian Vice- President Hamid Ansari. Noting that such a high-level visit last occurred more than 35 years ago, he realized that such visits help to take relations between friendly nations to new levels. Indeed, with practically the whole Kuwaiti cabinet turning up at the airport to receive the vice-president it was a diplomatic coup not witnessed by the Indian community for a long time.

The visit paved the way for even greater strengthening of relations between the two nations with many MoU’s signed to further strengthen the age old friendship, as well as enabling the ambassador to meet and develop a friendship with senior leadership figures in Kuwait. His warm and personable disposition was well received and he was instantly perceived as a dear friend, said the Indian embassy official.

These diplomatic “friendships” soon became the hallmark of his two-year tenure here, where he had easy access to all Kuwait’s high-level decision-makers, with his advice being valued and welcomed on various levels. Ambassador Malhotra strengthened the confidence of the local expatriate Indian community by always being available for either friendly advice or to participate in and offer his support to Indian community-based activities.

During his tenure the ambassador also hosted visits by other high-level Indian dignitaries, such as the Minister of External Affairs, Minister of State for Finance, business delegations, football teams, cultural troupes, journalists and politicians, with the interaction between the two nations becoming even stronger and more outstanding than it had been previously.

During the first year of Ambassador Malhotra’s posting here the Indian community in Kuwait grew to more than 600,000, with the demands of engaging with such a diverse and dynamic group requiring immense reserves of patience, stamina, time and effort, qualities which the ambassador possesses

in abundance. On some occasions the Indian ambassador’s presence was required at multiple locations on the same day, and he graciously managed to fit all of these in, irrespective of their importance, showing a keen interest in the various activities on all his visits.

“If the community feels honored and happy with my presence at their functions then I feel I am duty-bound and happy to honor their requests,” he emphasized, downplaying his hectic schedule.

Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra

The members of Kuwait’s Indian community have long been lauded by the Kuwaiti leadership for their hard work and sincere dedication. Known for their law-abiding and industrious nature, the country’s Indian expatriates have long been favorites with their local hosts. Ambassador Malhotra’s encouragement has always been a source of inspiration and motivation for the Indian community. He has frequently used his good offices to provide timely advice and guidance on several issues.

The ambassador accomplished most of the tasks he set out to achieve within his first year of taking office, with the labor and welfare services offered to the Indian expatriate community being vastly improved while passport services were outsourced. Also during his tenure, the overcrowding at the embassy which had previously become the norm was quickly reduced, whilst two private centers were set up to service the needs of the vast Indian community.

Providing assistance to Indian workers, including domestic personnel, was another area in which Ambassador Malhotra took a keen and compassionate interest. He quickly reviewed recruitment procedures, making them more favorable to the workforce whilst helping bring about an increase in minimum wages, bearing in mind the rising cost of living. Clearly this

has and will further reduce labor-related tensions for the local community in the future.

Working closely with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Ambassador Malhotra’s has been instrumental in persuading Kuwait’s government to adopt labor friendly policies.

Today, the Indian Embassy safe house for runaway maids serves as a role model for other embassies in the country, as well as for other Indian embassies in the region.

It has not always been an easy task, given that he had to work within the limitations of various factors. Changing mindsets has never been easy, but his steely grit and determination to genuinely bring about a change made the difference. His calm perseverance has always kept him on course to achieve his objectives.

There were many instances, such as that during the Diwali celebrations last year, when only his personal intervention at the highest level came to the rescue of Indian nationals.

Similarly, when power cuts affected members of the Indian community living in Jleeb Al Shuyoukh at the height of summer, he went out of his way to ensure that their requirements were met, said the embassy official, adding that the ambassador never declined to support, participate or engage with the community in any instance. Ambassador Malhotra’s earnest and sincere efforts always paid off when dealing with complicated issues.

Whether it was politics, business, culture or sports-related diplomacy Ambassador Malhotra handled his duties with a calm ease and dignity few can emulate, the official went on, adding that the Festival of India in Kuwait was among the crowning achievements of his tenure.

The first-ever one-week Festival of India in Kuwait, the event was a masterpiece showcasing a culturally rich and diverse heritage by providing glimpses of performing and visual arts from all over India. It was the very first time that residents of Kuwait had the chance to witness a cultural extravaganza on such a grand scale.

Ambassador Malhotra also went out of his way to organize a number of local media trips to India, which received extensive media coverage in both Kuwait’s English and Arabic press.

While he comes across as a serious and reserved diplomat, the embassy official revealed, Ambassador Malhotra’s amicable and exuberant personality are quickly reflected in all his interactions. People who had the opportunity to deal with him at closer levels are quick to point to his compassionate and sensitive side and his sincere efforts to help those in need.

It is obvious that the support and encouragement of his charming wife Ira Malhotra have not gone unnoticed either, said the embassy official, adding that her strong presence alongside him has made them one of the most popular couples in diplomatic circles while in her own right she has patronized social activities in Indian and international women associations.

Even after he has left to take up his new posting, the ambassador will be fondly remembered in Kuwait as a friend and mentor of the community who did his best and made his country and countrymen proud of him having also raised India-Kuwait linkages to a qualitatively new level, the embassy official concluded, asserting that Kuwait’s loss will surely be Russia’s gain.

Syrian education delegates hail Kuwait KUWAIT: A delegation of sen-

ior Syrian educational officials, headed by Syria’s Assistant Education Undersecretar y Fouad Al-Ghaloul yesterday reviewed the operations, goals, and functions of Kuwait ’s Center for Child Evaluation and Teaching (CCET), lauding the establishment as a leading institution providing great ser vice to those with special needs.

CCET Assistant Executive Director Abeer Al-Sharhan explained that the delegates were given a review of the center ’s activities and services over the 25 years since it was founded, and the methods adopted in its morning and evening programs.

They also reviewed the project to integrate students with special needs into regular classes, which is being carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and aims to attain quality certification for the center from a prestigious British specialized institute.

The role of the center ’s assessment and training unit was emphasized; the unit organizes training programs for teachers, psychologists, and parents on topics relating to dealing with special needs children. The center’s use of diagnostic tests was also explained, as well as the role of the hotline and the specialist library, the first of its kind in the Middle East.

Al-Sharhan expressed the center’s willingness to cooperate with education ministries in all Arab countries to improve the standard of education offered to those with special needs through the sharing of exper tise and review of the latest advances and developments. — KUNA

MCI set to penalize 90 local firms KUWAIT: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is reportedly set to impose penalties on around 90 local companies accused of violating the law by expanding their operations into areas for which their operating licenses are invalid. One MCI insider said that the ministry’s actions will be clearly displayed in its annual audit report for the next year, adding that a number of the companies in question are listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange.

The insider explained that the ministry has already sent official notices to all the firms instructing them to cease their unlicensed operations and warning them that their operating licenses will be revoked if they fail to do so by the time of the ministry’s annual financial review next year. A number of the companies have already responded positively to the ministry’s notices, the insider added, with a number working actively to end all operations in those fields which they are not legally licensed to operate in and others expressing readiness to comply with the ministry’s instructions.

The ministry insider also revealed that the MCI is also set to introduce additional penalties for other instances of corporate misconduct by local firms in the near future, but did not specify what form this action would take. — Al-Shahed

KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and State minister for Municipality Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar receiving students from Kuwait Modern Private School and Abdelaziz Al-Rushaid Elementary School on the occasion of the 50th anniversary on Kuwait’s independence recently. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

MP backs food authority KUWAIT: A public authority on food examination is the best way to end the spoiled food crisis, said MP Dr Ali Al-Omair during a recent press statement. Its establishment has become a necessity not only to protect the public but also to allow the Kuwait Municipality to focus its efforts on other issues instead of being completely consumed with tackling this problem, he added.

The lawmaker acknowledged the role the Kuwait Municipality has played in fighting against those selling spoiled food to the public. He also

applauded their support for the establishment of a public authority on food safety, as announced by the Municipality’s Assistant Director for Services Affairs Mohammad Al-Otaibi.

Al-Omair said that he believes the combined efforts of the municipality, the Ministry of Health and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, despite being great, have not been enough to completely solve the country’s current spoiled food problem.

“This makes it necessary for an independent body to be established, one that can solely focus on this issue.”

PAHW undecided on Mutla’a home site sizes KUWAIT: The Public Authority of Housing Welfare (PAHW ) has yet to finalize its decision on the size of the housing units to be built in the Mutla’a area, with the body’s board of directors still undecided on whether each unit should measure 400, 500 or 600 square meters in size.

A PAHW insider told a local daily that the senior officials are likely to settle on an area of 500 meters for each of the homes being constructed there, with the project to be undertaken by a public shareholding firm being set up especially

for the purpose. An estimated 25,000 homes are set to be constructed in the area, although this number is subject to change depending on the PAHW’s final decision on the area of each unit.

If the authority decides to allocate a larger area for each unit, this will mean less room for homes to be built, reducing the number.

The PAHW insider added, however, that these considerations will not affect other technical aspects of the housing project. — Al-Rai

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

LOCAL

Five-year-old girl killed in Rihab road accident Man held for alcohol possession KUWAIT: A kindergarten student was killed in front of her school in Rihab after being struck by a car. The incident occurred after the 5-year-old Kuwaiti girl was picked up by her family’s maid and left unattended for only a moment. She was hit by a car being driven by a female citizen. Paramedics responded to the emergency and pronounced the victim dead on the scene.

Cable theft Police are searching for the thieves responsible for knocking down utility poles and stealing electricity cables in the northern part of the country.

Police officers noticed that a number of utility poles by the side of the road had been knocked down while patrolling through the area. It was reported that the poles seemed deliberately cut and that copper-made electricity cables had been stolen. An investigation was launched.

Alcohol possession A middle aged man was arrested in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh for being in possession of alcohol. Police made the discovery after they pulled the man over for driving suspiciously. A search of his car revealed that the man was in possession of 16 bottles of homemade liquor in his trunk.

Kidnap foiled Hawally police freed an Asian maid that had been kidnapped by an Arab man outside of her sponsor’s home in Salwa. Police responded to the emergency after her sponsor informed police that his maid was forced into a car unwillingly. He provided the authorities with the car’s license plate

number and police located the car on another block in the same area. The kidnapper was brought into custody following a brief pursuit and the maid was reunited with her employer. Upon questioning the kidnapper it was discovered that the two had a previous relationship and that he decided to kidnap her when she refused his calls and ignored him.

Salmi fire Firefighters extinguished a fire that burned the entire interior of a mosque in Salmi. An investigation was launched to determine the cause of the fire and no injuries were reported in the incident.

Credit card stolen Mubarak Al-Kabeer investigators arrested a citizen for stealing his friend’s credit card and using it to withdraw KD 250 from his account.

An investigation was launched by authorities as soon as the victim reported that his credit card was stolen. Upon reviewing surveillance footage of the person using his credit card the victim was able to identify the culprit as his friend. After being arrested and questioned the suspect admitted his guilt and explained he

was able to withdraw the money after he found the card’s PIN number written on the card.

Gun found Police found an SUV that was reported stolen a while ago by a Sulaibikhat resident in Kabad. While searching the vehicle police found a handgun, which likely belonged to the car’s thief. An investigation was launched in search of the thief.

Lawbreakers held Ahmadi police arrested four Asian residency violators while raiding a location in Abu Halifa used to offer illegal international calling services.

When questioned, those arrested admitted that they used the equipment found inside the illegal call center to steal line services from the Ministry of Communication.

Security campaign Jahra police arrested thirteen people for violating residency laws during a security campaign through the Amghara scrap yard. Further investigations revealed that nine of those arrested were wanted for previous offenses.

— Al-Watan, Al-Rai, Annahar

MEW to launch prepaid cards for water filling stations KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) is to introduce prepaid cards for the users of water filling stations, generally the tankers which provide water for local businesses. From the beginning of May, users will be expected to produce the prepaid cards, allowing them to fill the tankers at six stations in different governorates, using special meters installed for this purpose, explained Jassem Al-Lenqawi, the MEW’s Assistant Undersecretary for Consumer Affairs.

The move is intended to help prevent water wastage at the stations and will eventually be rolled out to all these facilities, revealed the MEW official. — Al-Anba

Report notes plenty of corruption in Kuwait KUWAIT: Financial and administrative corruption is still spreading throughout various public sector departments stated a recent Kuwait Transparency Society (KTS) report. The report also criticized the speed at which problems regarding corruption are solved and how those responsible are not being held accountable.

The KTS March 2011 report listed some of the most common cases of corruption, such as the registration of fake employees in the private sector at the Kuwait Manpower and Restructuring Department, the unjustified appointment of officials in

the medical sector, the purchasing of college degrees, granting disability certificates to undeserving recipients and the wasting of public funds.

Moreover, the report mentioned that KD 35 million was spent on sick leave in the past year, that there is an increase in the amount of cable thefts and that the government is still unable to solve the problem of unemployed expatriate workers.

Additionally, the report also criticized the government’s failure to give enough warning time against the sandstorm that hit the country late last month. — Al-Qabas

Kuwait Digest

Public sector promotion problems

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

L

aws are made to achieve justice for the people, reinforce the values of contributing to the country and to prevent problems from occurring. It is a golden rule that needs to be followed in all aspects of human life not just the workplace.

Promotions and financial incentives that are granted to state employees must reflect labor laws that insist on awarding workers for their level of performance. A flaw in this system would create chaos in the entire public sector. The fact that the law is not followed properly all the time and that interventions are made into the promotion of staff members has created a lot of problems. Employees have been forced to seek court settlements in order to obtain their rights and be promoted.

Problems such as overcapacity, sectarianism and wasta are the main problems plaguing public sector employees. These problems are reflected in the administration and the only way employees can be promoted is through direct mediation, or favoritism based on sectarianism instead of performance.

This kind of corruption has spread frustration amongst those working in the public sector. They have become aware that their hard work is worthless as long as others have wasta. This situation will continue as long as there is no monitoring from the parliament. — Al-Rai

Al-Mudhaf criticizes UNCC performance

BHCK holds career fair KUWAIT: Box Hill College Kuwait organized its first career fair with the cooperation of the Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP), on Thursday, with the participation of a number of private international and local companies.

The college organized this event to help students with introductions to different private and public industry sectors in Kuwait and to give companies the opportunity to discover the potential and hands-on learning experience of BHCK students.

The event also included workshops on how to prepare CVs and how to pass an interview. The workshops were carried out by Mounira Al-Obaidan from MGRP who said that these kinds of workshops help students prepare for their future careers. Al-Obaidan added “the audience and their interactivity were fabulous; it reflected the interest and mature behavior of the students”.

The participation of MGRP covered different angles and exhibited their different departments, such as “Small Businesses” who help small entrepreneurs by giving them advice and guidance in addition to various workshops that helps them better manage their business. This department serves as a link between these small entrepreneurs and big investors. Another of their departments,

“Career Guidance and Training”, guides students on the major topics required by the private sector and enrolls them in specific workshops during their summer vacation.

Abed Al-Qassar, Head of Public Relations and Communication at MGRP said “this is our first time to participate in a Career Fair. We were very careful in diversifying our activities, from exhibiting to organizing workshops, which will help students and guide them in their future career life. The audience was huge and the students were very interactive.

We would like to thank BHCK for giving us this opportunity and we would like to commend the people who organized this event for a well organized and smooth day.”

Wataniya Telecom also participated in this event and showed high interest in BHCK’s graduates, especially those of the Graphic Design department, recognizing that BHCK is the only private college for women that offer this major. Parsons Brinckerhoff International, a leading company in the engineering consultancy industry, introduced its services and the job opportunities available for students.

This day is considered one of the most important activities organized by the Department of Student Affairs at BHCK to encourage and support students in their career planning.

GENEVA: Chairman of the Public Authority for Assessment of Compensation for Damages Resulting from the Iraqi Aggression (PAAC) Khaled Ahmad Al-Mudhaf urged here yesterday head of the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) to follow up on special arrangements of independent auditors. Al-Mudhaf urged the Chairman of the UN Compensation Commission, subsidiary organ of the UN Security Council with a mandate to process claims and pay compensation for losses and damage suffered as a direct result of Iraq’s unlawful invasion and occupation of Kuwait, to follow up such arrangements according to the blueprint set by UN Resolution 1956 to the mechanisms of post Development Fund.

Further, Al-Mudhaf said in Kuwait’s address before the 71st session of the board of UN Compensation Commission that, “maintaining such observation ensures that the new mechanism set by Iraq is transparent, and can be checked, and also ensures maintaining payments made to Kuwait from the Compensations Fund regardless of Iraq’s management of these funds.” He also made clear that remaining sums of money which should be paid to Kuwait from the Compensations Fund amount to USD 21 billion, through the efforts made by UN Compensation Commission, and Kuwait’s abiding by applying what was agreed upon through holding a meeting with the Iraqi side to discuss such matter.

Though he said that this, “did not lead except to holding one meeting only in the Jordanian capital of Amman in May 2009, but no other meeting was held to further mull the matter or the proposal put forward by Kuwait as an alternative option.” Al-Mudhaf also stressed the role played by UN Compensation Commission and its executive director in holding such meetings and facilitating talks between Iraq and Kuwait, asserting that, “the State of Kuwait is ready to discuss the topic of remaining sums of money due to it through such mechanism and under the UN patronage.”

He also pointed out that Kuwait accepted the invitation which the executive director made to both governments to attend a technical meeting that aims at determining and discussing topics and the possibilities of finding solutions, noting in the meantime that the Government of Iraq, “could not positively respond so far to such invitation.”

Al-Mudhaf asserted that guaranteeing the repayment of all remaining sums of money due to Kuwait is the responsibility of the board of UN Compensations Commission according to its main tasks, noting that Kuwait is willing to consult with Iraq under the sponsorship of the commission which should not spare efforts till the whole sum of money is being paid, and till another agreement is concluded between Kuwait and Iraq.

In the meantime, Al-Mudhaf made clear that Kuwait’s program goes from the stage of planning to the stage of execution in coincidence with some significant internal changes inside the Kuwait’s National Focal Point, the body supervising projects related to environmental remediation, regarding running the program with Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) being assigned to offer technical support to NFP.—KUNA

DAMASCUS: Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa Jassem Al-Shimali pictured in Damascus yesterday.

Kuwait finance minister in Syria DAMASCUS: Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa Jassem Al-Shimali is here to participate in the meetings of the Arab financial institutions which will kick off today. Upon his arrival, Shimali said that he heads a high-caliber delegation including representatives of the Finance Ministry, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and Kuwaiti Investment Authority.

The two-day gatherings will see the participation by Arab ministers of finance and international cooperation and governors or Arab central banks. Moreover, the Arab Finance Ministers Council will hold its 2th round on the second day. Several other Arab economic and financial agencies would also contribute to the meetings including the Arab Monetary Fund, the Arab Fund for Economic Social Development, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Arab Investment

and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation, and the General Agency for Investment and Agricultural Development.

Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti Minister disclosed that a number of agreements would be signed on the sideline of the meetings to fund several developments projects in Syria including an agreement with Syria on USD 100-million loan to fund the establishment of a power station in Deir Ezzor. A separate meeting will be held on the second day to coordinate the participation of Arab funds in funding the huge and ambitious project of drawing Tigris River water to Hasaka governorate, Shimali said. On the other hand, he hailed the close and distinguished economic relations between Kuwait and Syria. These relations have been witnessing steadily development and growth to cover all economic fields, he noted. — KUNA

Agailah Beach hosts Arab Orphans’ Day celebration KUWAIT: Agailah Beach is prepared to host an open day this Saturday, April 9 in celebration of Arab Orphan Day. Invitations will be made to orphans as well as children with special needs and senior citizens. “ The open day comes as part of the Touristic Enterprises Company’s (TEC) goals to provide services to all parts of society and share special occasions with citizens and residents,” Agailah Beach’s supervisor, Adel Shaban said in a press statement. He indicated that the open day will be held in coordination with Al-Ataa TV, which is known for its support of orphan care activities. Moreover, Shaban noted that the open day will feature several activities and that gifts will be presented to all the children attending.

Adel Shaban

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

Sex, cash and starlets: Berlusconi’s ‘Rubygate’

Inmates riot at Lebanon prison Page 8

Page 9

Sarkozy’s France-Islam debate grows poisonous PARIS: A divisive debate about the place of Islam in French society yesterday became increasingly poisonous after Interior Minister Claude Gueant said the number of Muslims in the country was “a problem.” President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ruling UMP party, which has called the debate for yesterday, has been accused of trying to poach votes from the far-right National Front (FN) party which made strides in last month’s local elections. “It’s true that the increase in the number of faithful in this religion (Islam), a certain number of behaviors, poses a problem,” Gueant said on Monday.

Sarkozy’s closest advisor before becoming minister in January, Gueant said that France’s secular law dates from 1905 when there were “very few Muslims”, while their number today is between five and six million. The SOS Racisme rights group said it would lodge a legal complaint against Gueant, while the opposition socialists hit out at the minister’s provocation.

“Since becoming interior minister, every time Claude Gueant says something, there’s controversy,” said Francois Hollande, a potential Socialist Party candidate in next year’s presidential election.

“He’s obsessed with talking about Muslims.”

Gueant in March provoked the ire of the political left and rights groups after saying that French people “sometimes no longer feel at home” because of “uncontrolled immigration.”

Such statements could have come straight from the mouth of FN leader Marine Le Pen, whose anti-immigration party is on the rise according to opinion polls, to the detriment of Sarkozy and his UMP party.

Several polls put Le Pen, who took over as party head in January from her father Jean-

Marie, ahead of Sarkozy in a hypothetical first round presidential election. Since taking over the party, Le Pen has tried to align her party with the European far-right, axed on the place of Islam in society. She has repeatedly lashed out at Muslims who, lacking prayer space, worship in the streets of a tiny number of neighborhoods in France.

The so-called “traditional” right has picked up the message, with Sarkozy himself condemning praying in the street while UMP head Jean-Francois Cope has vowed to take measures on the matter “in the coming days.”

Cope is the driving force behind the contentious debate on Islam the UMP is hosting late yesterday, which has been criticized by the left and the right, threatening even to implode the UMP. Sarkozy’s Prime Minister Francois Fillon will not take part in the debate having in February warned against any measure that could lead to the stigmatization of Muslims in France. In response, Cope last week accused Fillon of “not being a team player.” Other ministers have sought to distance themselves from the initiative, which will examine 26 UMP proposals on maintaining France’s strict separation of religion and state.

The UMP wants, for instance, to draw up a law to forbid citizens rejecting a public service employee because of their sex or religion.

Cope says that such a measure would resolve what he called “complex situations” in hospitals where “women, often under pressure from their husbands, refuse to be treated by a male doctor.” He will also put a draft resolution to parliament, which has no legal weight, solemnly recalling France’s cherished secular principles. — AFP

PARIS: Head of France’s UMP ruling party, Jean-Francois Cope (center) answers journalists as he arrives at a UMP meeting yesterday. The UMP party is to consider 26 ideas like banning the wear of religious symbols by day-care personnel and preventing Muslim mothers from wearing head scarves when accompanying school field trips. — AP

y

A

8

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Bahraini firms sack hundreds of strikers Mass firings could cement sectarian divide MANAMA: Bahraini firms have fired hundreds of mostly Shiite workers who went on strike to support pro-democracy protesters, part of a government crackdown, an opposition group said yesterday. Bahrain’s unions called a general strike on March 13 to support Shiite protesters against the Sunni-led government who for weeks occupied a square in the capital until security forces moved in on March 16. The strike was called off on March 22.

Officials at Batelco, Gulf Air, Bahrain Airport Services and APM Terminals Bahrain said they had laid off more than 200 workers due to absence during the strike. “It’s illegal in Bahrain and anywhere else in the world to just strike.

You have to give two weeks’ notice to your employer,” said one executive who did not wish to be named. Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition group, Wefaq, said it estimated that more than 1,000 workers had been laid off and that most were Shiites. “Unemployment has its effects on social relationships, the well-being of the society,” said group member Jasim Husain.

Government officials could not be reached for comment on the arrests. Bahrain has increased its arrests of bloggers, activists and Shiites, with more than 300 detained and dozens missing since last month’s crackdown on the pro-democracy protests. Bahrain has seen the worst sectarian clashes between its Shiite majority population and the Sunni-ruled

security forces since the 1990s after Shiite protesters, inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, took to the streets in February. The clashes have killed at least 13 protesters and four police and prompted Bahrain to declare martial law and invite troops by Sunni Gulf neighbors who are wary of the regional influence of Shiite neighbor Iran.

NERVOUS OR CONFIDENT? Gala Riani of risk analysts IHS Global Insight said the sackings showed that the government felt under fire: “This shows, to some degree, both how nervous they (the rulers) are and also how confident they are.” “They feel like they’ve got the security situation under control, so they can fire people in the dozens or the hundreds without risking renewed mass protests.”

After security forces crushed the protests, the government launched a crackdown on opposition activists, Shiite villages and media such as the only opposition newspaper, Al-Wasat. It

suspended the newspaper on Sunday, accusing it of falsifying news about the unrest, replaced the editor and resumed printing on Monday, the same day it arrested and expelled two journalists, both Iraqis.

A government spokeswoman said Al Wasat had broken press laws. Some political analysts said large-scale dismissals of Shiite workers could speed up the disintegration of Bahrain’s society into Shiite and Sunni enclaves. “They’re basically punishing people to the degree that they can, and I think in the long term this is a very risky strategy for them to take,” IHS Global Insight’s Riani said. More lay-offs are expected at Bahrain Petroleum (Bapco) which has fired the head of its workers’ union. Workers fear that hundreds could be fired at the company after parliament launched an investigation headed by a Sunni hardline deputy.

“Everybody is afraid,” a worker who did not wish to be named said. — Reuters

14-yr-old girl held on adultery charges DUBAI: A 14-year-old Arab schoolgirl has been detained on a charge of adultery for the past two weeks and forced to undergo a virginity test in the United Arab Emirates, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. Gulf News said police in the conservative emirate of Ajman had arrested the teenager after she met up with her boyfriend on the roof of her family home. She has since been forced to undergo a gynecological examination which “confirmed she was still a virgin”, the unnamed girl’s father was quoted as saying by the English-language daily.

“The police have ruined the future of my daughter as she missed the school exam. She has been in police custody since March 22,” the father protested, adding that bail had been refused and the girl was being held with adult women. The paper said the man involved in the case, in his mid-20s, was later arrested in a neighboring emirate.” When police called me to report along with my daughter to the CID, I was clueless about what they wanted from me and from her,” said the father, whose nationality was also not disclosed.

“I took ... (her) to police where I learnt that someone had complained against her that she was meeting an adult man on the roof of our building ... I told the police that I would handle the matter within the family.” But police arrested the girl and referred the case to Ajman’s public prosecutor on an adultery charge. “Police surprised me when they said she should go behind bars and I had to go back home without my daughter. I do not see the point in ruining the little girl’s life and image,” the distraught father said. —AFP

Israeli security heads draft new ‘peace’ plan JERUSALEM: Former Israeli security chiefs have drafted a new peace plan they hope to use as a platform to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to renew deadlocked talks with the Palestinians. An Israeli spokesman confirmed the outline of the plan yesterday, saying it was based on a 2002 Arab initiative which Israel has avoided adopting because of its call to repatriate refugees and fully withdraw from land captured in a 1967 war.

About 40 prominent Israelis backed the project, among them dovish former political leaders as well as former heads of the Mossad, Shin Bet domestic security agency and Israeli military, who say they will publicize their ideas fully today. The plan has been devised “in light of the dramatic events in the Middle East”-an allusion to popular uprisings against autocratic rulers in the Arab world flaring since January-and was meant to urge Israel to “immediately renew peace talks,” a statement issued by the group said.

The group includes ex-army chief Amnon LipkinShahak, former Mossad head Danny Yatom and Shin Bet directors Yaakov Perry and Ami Ayalon, as well as ex-general and Labour Party chief Amram Mitzna, a prime ministerial candidate in the 2002 election. A group spokesman, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, confirmed media reports that the plan urged Israel to agree to Palestinian statehood in Gaza and in nearly all the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. It proposes possible financial compensation for Palestinian refugees and dividing control over Jerusalem, with largely Palestinian neighborhoods being put under their control while Jewish areas would be governed by Israel. Palestinian refugees could be offered compensation and a small number may be permitted to return to former homes in Israel, the spokesman added. —Reuters

Hand grenade explodes in Beirut home, kills couple BEIRUT: Lebanese security officials say a hand grenade has exploded in an apartment in a southern Beirut suburb, killing a man and his wife. The officials say they believe the grenade went off by mistake as the man, Ali Jaber, was playing with it at his home in Beirut’s Chiyah neighborhood. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. They say an investigation has been opened into yesterday’s incident.

Chiyah is part of Beirut’s southern suburb that is a stronghold of the militant Hezbollah group. It was not immediately clear if Jaber was affiliated with any political group or why he had a grenade at home. —AP

DARAA: A file picture shows tires burning along a street, 100 kms south of the capital Damascus. —AFP

Syria braces for ‘Martyrs Week’ NICOSIA: Syria was bracing yesterday for a series of demonstrations organized by a Facebook group to mark “Martyrs Week” as the southern town of Daraa held a general strike. “Martyrs Week” is a series of rallies in honor of those killed in security crackdowns on anti-regime demonstrations and is organized by a group calling itself Syrian Revolution 2011. “We announced (the protests) as peaceful and insist on that,” said a spokesman for the group, which has garnered more than 100,000 supporters online and proved a persistent motor of anti-regime rallies.

“The Week of the Martyrs will be a thorn in the regime’s side,” said the organizers who designated Tartus and Latakia, two coastal towns “far from the capital” as yesterday’s protest centers.

The group also called for a boycott of cell phone companies today, a rally against the ruling Baath party tomorrow outside its Damascus headquarters, and countrywide demonstrations on Friday. From Daraa, a rights activist told AFP on condition of anonymity: “The general strike was largely observed.” Activists had distributed leaflets urging shops to remain closed yesterday, he added.

He said security forces fired warning shots on Monday night trying “in vain” to disperse a sit-in outside the Al-Omari mosque, the focal point of three weeks of anti-government protests marred by

deadly violence. The strike came a day after President Bashar Al-Assad appointed a new governor to the restive agricultural town, one of the main flashpoints of an opposition movement that erupted on March 15. The move was dismissed as not enough by Syrian human rights activists because “the residents of Daraa want more than a switch in governor.”

“They want the security services to stop oppressing them, the emergency law lifted, property rights respected, the detained freed and freedom of expression guaranteed,” an activist told AFP. Syrian rights activists estimate more than 130 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, mainly in Daraa and the port city of Latakia, since the start of political unrest. Officials have put the death toll at closer to 30 and blamed the violence on “armed” groups and foreign interference seeking to divide the ethnically and religiously diverse country.

Syrian authorities have promised to end the state of emergency without specifying when but daily newspaper AlWatan, which is close to power, has said “new legislation” to replace emergency rule would be ready by Friday. Ribal AlAssad, a cousin of the Syrian president who is living in exile, warned Monday that Syria risks descending into a civil war if the government does not bow to demands that it carry out democratic reforms. —AFP

Inmates riot at Lebanon prison BEIRUT: Inmates at Lebanon’s largest prison took three guards hostage yesterday to protest against overcrowded conditions and lengthy detentions without trial, security sources said. The inmates first started rioting at the weekend, setting mattresses on fire and burning buildings in the Roumieh prison complex, east of Beirut.

“They are demanding an end to the overcrowding and a general pardon,” a security source said. “There are people who have been detained for months and up to two years without trials.”

Television footage showed police in antiriot gear entering the complex, as relatives of the prisoners threw stones at them. The family members had burnt tires to cut off the main road leading to the jail in a protest yesterday. Roumieh was originally built to hold about 1,500 inmates, but is now crammed with about 3,700.

Caretaker Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said he sympathized with the concerns of the prisoner families and ordered the establishment of a police office within Roumieh to address complaints. Some inmates in Roumieh are members of Fatah Al-Islam, an Al Qaeda-inspired group that battled the Lebanese army in a Palestinian refugee camp in 2007. Four pro-Syrian Lebanese generals who were initially suspected of

BENGHAZI: A training instructor (foreground) schools a new recruit (center) in the disassembly, cleaning, and use of an anti-aircraft gun, at a rebel force training camp yesterday. —AP having a role in the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri were held in Roumieh for nearly four years before being freed in 2009. They were never charged. —Reuters

JENIN: Palestinians take part in a vigil yesterday in honor of Israeli Palestinian actor, director, filmmaker and political activist Juliano MerKhamis, who was shot dead in the West Bank refugee camp. - AP

Hamas suspect in custody for Israeli-Arab actor’s killing RAMALLAH: A top Palestinian security official said police had arrested a member of the Islamist Hamas group over the assassination of award-winning ArabIsraeli actor and director, Juliano Mer Khamis.

“One of those arrested is a prime suspect in the killing, he belongs to Hamas and is being interrogated,” the official, who declined to be named, said yesterday. Jenin governor Qaddoura Moussa also declined to reveal details about the suspect in Monday ’s killing of Mer Khamis, 52, who was shot dead by a masked gunman, but he added that a number of other suspects had been held and were later released.

Western powers, including the United States and European Union view Hamas as a terrorist organization. It took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 in a brief war with security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. “The security forces have arrested a number of people, there is an ongoing investigation,” Moussa told Reuters.

Mer Khamis, the son of a Jewish mother and Christian Arab father, ran the Freedom Theatre in Jenin’s refugee camp in the northern West Bank for several years. He was driving his car near the theatre with his infant son and a babysitter when the gunman ordered him to pull over and shot him. Palestinians in the Jenin area and in the West Bank seat of government in Ramallah held memorial vigils for Mer Khamis.

“This is a sad day for the Palestinian people, you cannot find anyone here

who is not against the killing except for the killer,” said Qasem Ahmad from Jenin refugee camp. Mer Khamis’ project generated hostility from some Palestinians.

In an interview in 2009 after the Jenin theatre was torched he said: “We are under attack from a small group of people who think the arts are undermining the Palestinian struggle,” he said.

“They put out leaflets calling me a Zionist Jew whose hands should be cut off.” His documentary entitled Arna’s Children about his mother and the theatre group won the Best Documentary Feature in the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival.

The Jenin refugee camp, where Mer Khamis lived with his partner and children, is home to some 16,000 Palestinians. It was the scene of some of the fiercest Palestinian-Israeli fighting in the second intifada, or uprising, in 2002.

The United Nations Middle East envoy, Robert Serry, said in a statement: “I am shocked and saddened by the murder of Juliano Mer Khamis, he was a unique, talented actor and director and was also a symbol of co-existence and peace.” Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad condemned the murder as an “ugly crime”. Born in the Israeli-Arab city of Nazareth Mer Khamis served in the Israeli army as a paratrooper and portrayed Israeli Jews in many of his roles both in film and on stage. He appeared in almost 30 movies, including “ The Little Drummer Girl” a 1984 American thriller based on the John Le Carre book of the same name that starred Diane Keaton. —Reuters

Goldstone invited to visit Israel Jurist offers to retract UN report JERUSALEM: South African jurist Richard Goldstone has accepted an invitation to visit Israel and promised to work to nullify his UN report accusing Israel of deliberately targeting civilians during its offensive in the Gaza Strip two years ago, the interior minister said yesterday. The Israeli invitation follows Goldstone’s recent comments in a newspaper article that he no longer believes that Israel intentionally fired at civilians. Israel had shunned the internationally respected jurist, who is Jewish and has strong connections to the country, since his report was issued in 2009.

The report was commissioned by the UN Human Rights Commission, which ordered the investigation into the actions of both Israel and the Hamas militant group during their three-week war in 2008-2009. The commission has said it stands by the report, and Goldstone would need to submit a formal request to change it. Interior Minister Eli Yishai told Israel’s Army Radio station that he phoned Goldstone Monday to express his appreciation for Goldstone’s “courageous” reconsideration of his charges, and to invite him to tour Israel’s southern communities that have sustained years of Palestinian rocket fire.

Yishai said Goldstone “as a Jew understands well the story of the Jewish people’s suffering ... and it is very important for him to come and see this.” Goldstone turned down an interview request from The Associated Press. The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot said Goldstone told the paper Monday he would visit Israel in early July as a guest of the interior minister.

The minister added that Goldstone promised him he would take additional steps to retract his UN report. Also speaking on Army Radio, Danny Gillerman, a former Israeli ambassador to the UN who also participated in the phone call, quoted Goldstone as saying he was ready to take steps to change the status of the report, but first wanted to “wait for the dust to settle” following his op-ed article in Friday’s Washington Post. The Goldstone report concluded that both Israel and Hamas committed potential war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during three weeks of fighting. The findings triggered outrage in Israel and a per-

sonal campaign against Goldstone.

In Friday’s article, Goldstone said new information had come to light that made him rethink his central conclusions. He lauded Israel for conducting dozens of investigations into alleged wrongdoing.

In particular, he cited evidence that a deadly strike that killed more than 20 members of a Palestinian family resulted from faulty intelligence and was not an intentional attack.

Israeli leaders have called for the report to be retracted. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council has said it will continue to treat the report as a legitimate working document. Spokesman Cedric Sapey said that Goldstone would have to submit a formal request for the report to be withdrawn.

Last month, a majority of the council’s 47 members voted to pass the report up to the General Assembly, recommending the powerful UN Security Council be asked to submit it to prosecutors at the International Criminal Court. Such a move is unlikely to pass the Security Council, where Israel’s strongest ally, the United States, has veto power. But the mere suggestion of bringing war crimes charges has infuriated Israel. In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner welcomed Goldstone’s about-face.

“We’ve made clear from when the Goldstone Report was initially presented and maintained ever since that we didn’t see any evidence that the Israeli government had intentionally targeted civilians or otherwise engaged in any war crimes; and now that we see that Justice Goldstone has reached the same conclusion,” Toner said Monday. “I can say that we remain concerned and we’ll continue working to an end to the what we believe is an anti-Israel bias in the Human Rights Council,” Toner said. Israel attacked the Gaza Strip in December 2008 in response to years of persistent rocket fire from Gaza at southern Israel. Some 1,400 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, and 13 Israelis were killed during the campaign. Israel has blamed Hamas for the heavy civilian toll, saying the militant group staged attacks from heavily populated residential areas, as well as mosques and schools. —AP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Central Africa’s marginalized Pygmies strive for inclusion IMPFONDO: Nine-year-old Simon Sengabato, using a ruler to point at letters on a blackboard, helps his classmates learn the alphabet at a school for Congo’s minority Pygmy people. “Read A, read B, read I, read U,” the boy instructs.

“Is that ok, my friends?” he asks.

“Yes, it’s ok,” they reply in chorus.

The special school allows these children to study at least for a few years in an environment free from the discrimination and prejudice

east of the Congolese capital Brazzaville, chooses instructors from the same group as the children “so there is a relationship of confidence between the teachers, the pupils and their parents,” Favre said. Subjects include reading, writing and maths as well as hygiene. “I also want my young brothers to learn French (spoken widely in the region) especially to remove any inferiority complex in front of others,” teacher Jonas

IMPFONDO: Pygmy children are pictured in a classroom in a school using the ‘’ORA’’ (Observe, Reflect, Act) method of learning in northern Congo-Brazzaville. — AFP

often suffered by central Africa’s various Pygmy groups at the hands of majority Bantu peoples.

“These are preparatory schools where the child learns for three years before being integrated into the official or ordinary education system,” said Father Lucien Favre, whose association brought the system to the Republic of Congo.

They are based on a method known as ORA-observe, reflect, act-that was developed specially for Pygmy learners.

The concept was developed in Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which are also home to Pygmies, a collective term for various indigenous tribes that is widely used although considered by some to be pejorative.

There are around three million Pygmy people from various ethnic groups in central Africa, popularly recognized for their diminutive stature, and they make up about two percent of the population of Congo.

This school in Impfondo, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) north-

Mongombo said.

The concept appears to be a success with the number of schools growing ever y year, although Mongombo notes high absenteeism “during the season for fishing, harvesting or collecting honey.” “The students prefer to go with their parents to the forest than come to school,” he said.

They are a group who “live an extremely marginalized existence,” said the UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous people, James Anaya, after a visit to Congo in November.

Many live on the outskirts of villages, without adequate housing or access to health and education, he said. “They are subjected to deep-seated discriminatory attitudes ... including in many cases labor relations that amount to forms of serfdom or involuntary servitude.”

About 65 percent of Congo’s Pygmy children aged between 12 and 15 have not been to school, compared with 39 percent for the general population, according to the UN children’s organization,

UNICEF. A call for more equality, integration and an end to “servitude” was issued at the second International Forum for Indigenous People of Central Africa held in Impfondo in midMarch.

The meeting drew 500 Pygmies, officials and agency representatives from Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Gabon and Rwanda. They released a statement after the meeting calling for “immediate concrete measures for the definitive eradication of discrimination against the assimilation of the indigenous populations” and more room for them in public institutions.

“Yesterday it was the emancipation of women, today it is ours,” said one of the participants, Antoine Goma, a representative of the Niari people in southwestern Congo. Another project in Impfondo, close to the border with DR Congo, has taken the approach of including Pygmy girls in classes with others from the Bantu groups. “Baakas (who are Pygmies), Bantus, we are all young girls. I do not see why I should hate anyone else,” said 16year-old Bantu girl Daphie Kaya.

Nadege Ilangi is among 38 Pygmy girls among about 120 in the school run by Catholic sisters where they learn knitting and sewing as well as academic and life skills. “I am convinced that at the end of this I am going to become someone. I will have my own studio, why not students under my charge?” said the 19year-old. She already has a child, with early parenthood more frequent in indigenous populations, according to officials. “ The more we educate the indigenous girls, the more we can limit their vulnerability,” said regional social affairs director Joseph Ngoma Nababou, who supports the centre along with UNICEF. “The young indigenous girls are not only victims of discrimination, but they have another burden: they are mothers,” said UNICEF’s Marius Biyekele. Of the school run by the sisters, he said: “It is a special school where we find Bantu and indigenous girls: what could be more normal for resolving a problem of superiority of one over the other which is centuries old?” — AFP

Kenyan poll violence victims cry for justice KIAMBAA: The fire scorched the skin off both of her legs, but Mary Mumbi and her newborn son survived the worst single attack of Kenya’s post-election violence when a mob torched a church, killing nearly 30 people.

Kalenjin youth armed with machetes slashed at men outside the pentecostal church and forced women and children inside the mud-brick building, before turning it into an inferno by setting alight petrol-soaked mattresses on New Year’s Day 2208.

“This lit up the church and smoke started billowing in,” said Mumbi, 34. “I looked around and saw a disabled woman who had fallen off her wheelchair and was feebly crawling away from the fire. An old blind woman I knew was screaming that she was burning.” This week, six Kenyans accused of crimes against humanity in countrywide violence that killed more than 1,220 people after the disputed Dec 27, 2007 ballot will make initial appearances at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

A report by a Kenyan judicial commission said the incident at the church, which grabbed world headlines, was the deliberate burning alive of members of President Mwai Kibaki’s Kikuyu tribe. The killers had accused those cowering in the church of voting for Kibaki, whom his rival said had stolen the election. The compound where the razed church once stood is now a graveyard for those killed in the fire, the main flashpoint of the violence that shocked Kenya and severely damaged the east African nation’s reputation for stability in a turbulent region.

Nearly 500,000 people, including Mumbi, were uprooted from their homes during the violence. Only a handful have gone back, and are fearful of fresh attacks.

As fire engulfed the church in Kiambaa near Eldoret, 300 km (188 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi, Mumbi ran to a small window set high in the wall and dropped her shawl-wrapped child outside. “My legs were on fire. I managed to crawl through an opening and pleaded with the attackers to spare me and my child.” ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has accused Kenyan cabinet ministers William Ruto, de facto leader of the Kalenjin, and fellow tribesman Henry Kosgey of coordinating the attacks by their tribesmen. Both have been suspended from their portfolios to face separate graft charges.

Radio executive Joshua arap Sang is also named as a suspect, accused of using broadcasts to incite the raiders. The three are due to appear at The Hague tomorrow. Charges include murder, forcible transfer of population, political persecution, torture and rape.

Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the president’s main election rival who agreed to share power to end the fighting, are at odds over the cases, polarising the nation. Kibaki wants them heard locally, saying Kenya is not a failed state and its judiciary is competent. Odinga backs the ICC, saying a local mechanism could be

manipulated. A majority of Kenyans side with Odinga, according to a poll published yesterday, and support for a local tribunal has dropped since a previous survey in December. Ken Wafula, an Eldoret-based human rights defender who has worked with victims of the violence, sees The Hague process as vital to ending impunity before the 2012 polls. “If the ICC process fails, we will have set this country on fire. That will mean that impunity has won,” he said. “The people down here are still harboring mistrust and suspicion.”

The Kalenjin attacks sparked tit for tat strikes by Kikuyu militia. This led to a separate ICC case against Kenyan Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, who has been crowned “King of the Kikuyu” and is the son of Kenya’s founding father Jomo Kenyatta. Kenyatta and Ruto have since criss-crossed Kenya, holding rallies to blame Odinga for their woes and saying he implicated them. The prime minister denies the accusations. Two other suspects named alongside Kenyatta are cabinet secretary Francis Muthaura and former police chief Mohammed Hussein Ali. The three appear at The Hague on Friday. — Reuters

Moscow questions use of force in Ivory Coast MOSCOW: Russia questioned the use of force by

UN peacekeepers in Ivory Coast yesterday, after peacekeepers backed by the French military targeted Laurent Gbagbo’s heavy weapons with attack helicopters. “We are studying the legal side of the situation, because the peacekeepers had a mandate which obliges them to be neutral and impartial,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference with his Gabonese counterpart Paul Toungui.

Lavrov said Russia had requested an urgent briefing at the UN Security Council on the issue.

“So far we have not heard very clear answers to our questions,” he said. Gbagbo has defied international pressure to give up the presidency of the cocoagrowing country after a November election that UN-certified results showed his opponent Alassane Ouattara won. More than 1,500 people have died in the standoff since, though the real toll is probably much higher. Earlier yesterday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry called for an end to fighting and the start of talks.

France, which has repeatedly called on Gbagbo to step down, said yesterday that it was not at war in Ivory Coast, its former colony. A French government spokesman said “we are applying the democratic will of the people”. —Reuters

Sex, cash and starlets: Berlusconi’s ‘Rubygate’ Today’s trial could end leader’s career ROME: In the dry wording of prosecution documents, sex parties at Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s palatial villa followed a well scripted routine drawing in erotic dancers and underage prostitutes. First, as judges will hear when Berlusconi faces trial today, came dinner; a meal often composed of foods in the red, white and green of Italy’s tricolour flag.

Then followed what has become known as the “bunga bunga” session, “which took place in a disco-like room where the female participants engaged in dressing up, striptease and erotic dances, touching each other or touching and being touched in their intimate parts by Silvio Berlusconi.”

Finally, at the end of the evening, 74-year-old Berlusconi would choose “one or more women with whom he spent the night in an intimate relationship,” in exchange for money, expensive gifts or rent-free apartments. The scandal has eaten away at the popularity of the media billionaire and cast a shadow on a political system dogged by corruption scandals throughout the post-war era. But he is in little danger of being forced from office before a verdict which may take years or may never come.

Prosecution documents list the names of 33 young women, mostly would-be starlets hoping to break into showbusiness on one of Berlusconi’s television channels, who prosecutors say were paid to have sex with him. For Berlusconi, who will not be present when the trial opens, only one of them matters. She is Karima El Mahroug, a Moroccan nightclub dancer known by the stage name of Ruby “Rubacuori” (“Heartstealer). She was 17 when, according to the prosecutors, she was paid to have sex with him.

Paying for sex with a woman under 18 is a crime in Italy.

In the trial, Berlusconi is also accused of abuse of office, by intervening to have El Mahroug released from a Milan police station last May as a cover-up, after she was accused of stealing a 3,000-euro bracelet.

Even Berlusconi’s lawyers acknowledge that he personally phoned

ITALY: This combo image made of two file pictures shows Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (left) and Milan’s magistrate Ilda Boccassini.

Boccassini is in charge of the inquiry which leads to the trial starting today. —AFP

police officers and told them he believed El Mahroug to be the niece of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, although they say he did not exert improper influence.

Berlusconi denies all charges. He says he likes women and is “no saint” but has never paid for sex. Parties at his villa in Arcore, a small town outside Milan, are normal, “convivial” dinners with lots of food, laughter and jokes. The gifts and money he gave to some of the women, he says, were just his own, generous, way of helping people in need and well within his means as one of Italy’s richest men. He accuses leftist magistrates of waging a political, moralistic campaign to oust him from power and has frequently decried the wiretaps used on the phones of his guests.

Wiretaps have played a major role in the investigation, and for months transfixed Italians have been treated to a daily diet of steamy transcripts of phone conversations and witness interrogations by magistrates leaked to the media. In one such transcript, party guest Maria Makdoum tells how she did a belly dance in the “bunga bunga” room while a pair of twin sisters, dressed in bra and panties, danced around “in a hardcore way” before Berlusconi and

another male guest.

In another leaked transcript Lele Mora-a TV impresario accused with others of procuring prostitutes for the premier- asks one woman: “Do you have a nurse’s outfit? Go get one today,” adding that she should wear nothing underneath except white suspenders for a “private health visit”.

Mora is just one of the scandal’s varied cast of characters, which could be taken straight out of a garish reality TV show on one of Berlusconi’s television stations.

Another is 26-year old Nicole Minetti, once Berlusconi’s dental hygienist and now a member of Lombardy’s regional government, who is also accused of recruiting women for him. Last week, she said she hopes to become a minister.

Then there is “Ruby ”, who has become an instant star in Italy ever since the case emerged last October. In a tearful interview on one of Berlusconi’s TV channels she said that, after being sexually abused as a child, she “invented a parallel life”. She said Berlusconi “never laid a finger on me”, did not know she was a minor and only gave her 7,000 euros ($9,845) after a party because she had told him she was in trouble. —Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Carnival king is Haiti’s new leader Haiti faces huge post-quake recovery task PORT-AU-PRINCE: Michel Martelly, a shaven-headed singer and political outsider, won Haiti’s presidential election in a landslide victory that tapped into deep popular desire for change in the poor, earthquake-battered Caribbean state. Preliminary results announced by the Provisional Electoral Council Monday gave the 50-year-old entertainer a clear win with nearly 68 percent of the vote, compared with just under 32 percent for his rival, former first lady Mirlande Manigat.

ACAPULCO: Firefighters and first responders stand in front of a burning supermarket after gun-battle between soldiers and gunmen, Monday April 4, 2011. — AP

9 killed in drug clash in Mexico VERACRUZ: A clash between police and suspected cartel gunmen killed six officers in Mexico’s southeast, just hours before a shootout between soldiers and gunmen in Acapulco on Monday left three people dead and ended in a fire that destroyed a supermarket, movie complex and stores in a shopping center.

The worst bloodshed was in the town of El Higo in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz - near the violence wracked state of Tamaulipas - where municipal police officers on a routine patrol late Sunday ran into at least 20 gunmen on a dirt road and a firefight erupted.

Six officers, including one woman, died of gunshot wounds in the battle, Veracruz state interior secretary Gerardo Buganza said. The dead officers were hit by bullets from assault rifles, weapons favored by Mexico’s

drug gangs. The police patrol was apparently outgunned. The officers carried only two assault rifles, two pistols and a shotgun. The attackers took the dead officers’ weapons. In the face of continued violence, the state government announced Monday that the Mexican army would establish a new base near El Higo.

Hours later across the country in the Pacific resort of Acapulco, a combined patrol of police and soldiers confronted a convoy of drug cartel gunmen outside a shopping center on the outskirts of the city. The stores were closed at the time. State police in Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located, said a fierce gunbattle ensued in which a soldier and two gunmen were killed and six people were wounded: two suspected gunmen, two police officers, a soldier and

a bystander.

A raging fire broke out about the same time, leading some to believe the gunmen may have been trying to burn down a street market at one side of the shopping center. Drug cartels frequently attempt to make such informal businesses pay protection money and burn them if the owners refuse. The fire quickly spread to the shopping center and burned for almost four hours, consuming a grocery store and two US chain outlets.

Shortly later, the severed heads of two men were found on Acapulco’s main boulevard, near the beach resort area of Las Brisas. The men had not been identified, nor were their bodies immediately found. Factions of the Beltran Leyva cartel have been fighting for control of Acapulco since the December 2009 killing of cartel boss Arturo Beltran Leyva. — AP

US to try 9/11 accused at Gitmo WASHINGTON: In a major about-face, the Obama administration will try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other alleged 9/11 plotters in a military tribunal at Guantanamo rather than a civilian court.

Attorney General Eric Holder “reluctantly” reversed course on Monday, insisting the accused co-conspirators of the September 11, 2001 attacks could have been successfully prosecuted in federal court. He blamed Congress for imposing measures blocking the trials of Guantanamo inmates in the United States.

President Barack Obama’s administration had to “face a simple truth” that the congressional restrictions were “unlikely to be repealed in the immediate future,” Holder said. “And we simply cannot allow a trial to be delayed any longer for the victims of the 9/11 attacks or for their family members who have waited for nearly a decade for justice.”

Holder formally referred the cases of Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali and Mustapha Ahmed Al-Hawsawi to the Defense Department for trials before military commissions. The move came the same day the president announced plans to stand for re-election and also followed a decision earlier Monday by the US Supreme Court rejecting three appeals by Guantanamo detainees protesting their indefinite detention. Obama has vowed to close Guantanamo, having held it up as a “legal black hole” and “recruitment tool for terrorists” that symbolized all that was wrong with the so-called “war on terror” waged by his predecessor George W Bush. But the high-profile trials of Sheikh Mohammed and the four other alleged Al-Qaeda figures planned for the US naval base in southeastern Cuba suggested Obama had given up closing the detention center any time soon.

In one of his first acts as president in 2009, Obama halted trials at Guantanamo and announced he would close the controversial detention camp within a year. But he has been thwarted in his ambition by legal complications and mounting opposition from both friends and foes in Congress. “For the sake of the safety and security of the American people, I’m glad the president reconsidered his position on how and where to try these detainees,” said Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader. Holder, however, criticized politicians for having called into question the effectiveness of civilian courts.

“Too many people-many of whom certainly know better-have expressed doubts about our time-honored and time-tested system of justice,” he said.

Human rights groups condemned the decision, saying it showed an increasingly “politicized” Justice Department.” The attorney general’s flip-flop is devastating for the rule of law,” said Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Obama’s position softened last month when he lifted a two-year freeze on new military trials for Guantanamo terror suspects, paving the way for Monday’s decision.

Known in counter-terrorism circles as “KSM,” Sheikh Mohammed is the self-proclaimed architect of 9/11 and a host of other anti-Western plots. His trial likely will face questions about evidence obtained from harsh interrogations carried out by US agents, though the military commissions operate under more lenient rules for the prosecution than a civilian court. Sheikh Mohammed is known to have been “waterboarded” or subjected to simulated drowning 183 times during his years in US custody, a method widely recognized as torture.—AFP

PHOENIX: Workers inspect a tail fin of a Southwest jet Monday, April 4, 2011 at Southwest’s maintenance facility at Sky Harbor International Airport. — AP

Authorities order probe of 80 US planes PHOENIX: The airliner whose roof ripped open 34,000 feet (10,300 meters) over Arizona has had a busy 15-year life: taking off and touching down more than seven times a day, on average, and possibly developing microscopic cracks in its aluminum skin each time. Federal aviation officials were preparing to issue an order yesterday that calls for emergency inspections on 80 US-registered Boeing 737 jetliners with histories similar to that Southwest Airlines jet, which had been pressurized and depressurized 39,000 times before a 5-footlong hole opened in its fuselage.

The order is aimed at finding weaknesses in the metal exterior, but virtually all of the affected aircraft will have already been inspected by the time the order takes effect. The safety directive applies to about 175 aircraft worldwide, including 80 planes registered in the US, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Of those 80, nearly all are operated by Southwest. Two belong to Alaska Airlines.

Southwest grounded nearly 80 Boeing 737-300s for inspections after its jet leaving Phoenix lost pressure Friday, forcing pilots to make an emergency landing 125 miles (200 kilometers) away in Yuma. By Monday evening, 64 were cleared to return to the skies, but three were found with cracks similar to those found on the Arizona plane. Friday’s incident, however, raised questions about the impact that frequent takeoffs and landings by short-haul carriers like Southwest put on their aircraft and the adequacy of the inspections.—AP

Celebrations erupted in the scruffy capital Port-au-Prince as cheering, jubilant Martelly supporters flooded the streets, singing, waving his portrait and setting off fireworks. Martelly thanked voters in a brief statement on his Twitter account: “We’ll work for all Haitians. Together we can do it.” Tense anticipation tinged with fears of violence had led up to the announcement of the results from the March 20 run-off, the first second-round presidential vote ever held in the politically volatile nation, one of the world’s poorest.

“Sweet Micky” Martelly, an iconoclastic entertainer known for his sometimes provocative stage acts, had campaigned on a forceful promise to change the status quo, pledging to break with decades of past corruption and misrule and bring a better life to Haitians struggling to recover from a devastating 2010 earthquake.

“Martelly’s victory implies a rejection of the political class that has both governed and been in the opposition,” said Robert Fatton Jr, a Haiti expert and professor in the University of Virginia’s Department of Politics.

“Martelly captured the mood of the voters by cleverly using his ‘bad boy’ image to enhance his status as the ultimate ‘outsider’ who symbolized change,” he told Reuters. Martelly, a star of Haiti’s Konpa carnival music whose onstage antics include wearing wigs and diapers and dropping his trousers, has no previous government experience. As president, Martelly will face the huge challenge of trying to rebuild a small Caribbean country prostrated in poverty long before an earthquake killed more than 300,000 people and bludgeoned its fragile economy last year. Hundreds of thousands of destitute earthquake victims are still living in squalid tent and tarpaulin camps.

The results are preliminary because they can be subjected to legal challenges which must be dealt with by the electoral council before it can declare them definitive later in April.

To prevent trouble before and after

GONAIVES: In this photo, Haiti’s presidential candidate Michel Martelly poses with supporters at a campaign rally. — AP

the results were announced, blue-helmeted UN peacekeepers were out patrolling Port-au-Prince and other potential flashpoints. Some stores boarded up windows in anticipation of trouble.

The United Nations and donor governments including the United States, which have pledged billions of dollars in reconstruction funds to Haiti, want the election to produce a stable, legitimate leadership to take charge of the recovery.

The elections are choosing a successor to outgoing President Rene Preval and also new members of the parliament. After a chaotic first round of elections on Nov 28 marred by unrest and fraud allegations, the runoff last month passed off generally peacefully. In a statement issued by the US Embassy, Washington called the announcement of the preliminary results “another important milestone as the people of Haiti move forward to rebuild their country.”

The statement did not mention Martelly but said “while there were cases of irregularities and fraud on March 20, these cases were isolated and reduced, especially when compared to

the first round of voting. “The United States calls upon all political actors to resolve any outstanding questions of the electoral results through the contestation process,” it said.

The international community has worked to keep the Haitian elections on track through its UN peacekeeping mission and electoral observers and experts from the OAS and Caricom.

Backed by diplomatic pressure from Washington, these experts persuaded Haitian authorities to revise the disputed first round results to put Martelly-originally placed third-in the March run-off with Manigat, at the expense of a government-backed candidate dropped due to alleged voterigging.

The University of Virginia’s Fatton said Haiti’s heavy dependence on foreign assistance to tackle the huge challenge of post-quake recovery could limit Martelly’s ability to radically transform Haiti’s economic and political system. “He will have to deal with the reality that he will have little room to maneuver as Haiti’s sovereignty is at bay and ... for good or ill he will be thoroughly dependent on outside financial assistance,” Fatton said. — Reuters

US prez turns to social media again for 2012 bid WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama launched his reelection campaign with a social media barrage Monday, turning once again to the online tools that helped propel him to the White House three years ago. Obama, 49, announced his 2012 candidacy with a message on Twitter, a status update on his Facebook page and an email blast to his millions of supporters, all of which provided a link to his BarackObama.com campaign website.

“Today, we’re filing papers to launch our 2012 campaign,” the Democrat told the 7.28 million followers of the @barackobama account on Twitter.

The Twitter message, Barack Obama page on Facebook and email all urged voters to “Say that you’re in” and provided a link to barackobama.com where they could provide an email address and a zip code.

The website invites supporters to make a donation to the campaign, volunteer and offers a new range of branded merchandise, including 2012 badges, bumper stickers, water bottles and T-shirts.

The new campaign logo featured on the items includes the celebrated image of a rising sun used in 2008, but this time nestled in the “0” of 2012. An “Are You In?” application on Facebook lets members of the social network write a message of support for Obama’s candidacy and invite friends and family to do the same.

“I am so IN!,” wrote Facebook user and Obama backer Debra Wilhoite. “Of course I am in just like I was in 2008!” said another, Elizabeth Boergert.

Obama also released a two-minute YouTube video that did not feature the candidate himself speaking but a diverse range of supporters explaining why he

should be given another four years in the White House in the November 2012 elections. Obama relied heavily on the Internet during his 2008 presidential campaign for organizing, fundraising and communicating and Monday’s launch made it clear he plans on doing so again, building a grassroots campaign online.

In his message to supporters, Obama said “the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you-with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, coworkers, and friends. “The work of laying the foundation for our campaign must start today,” Obama said, adding that he was counting on his supporters “forging a new organization that we’ll build together in cities and towns across the country.

“We’ll start by doing something unprecedented: coordinating millions of one-on-one conversations between supporters across every single state, reconnecting old friends, inspiring new ones to join the cause, and readying ourselves for next year’s fight,” Obama said. Nancy Scola, an associate editor at TechPresident.com, a blog which covers technology and politics, said Obama’s reelection campaign announcement was “baked through with the spirit of a social, collective effort.” “Are You In?”-could be the tag line for any number of geo-social start-ups,” Scola said in a blog post. “Clearly, Team Obama is really hoping to drive home the message that the 2012 campaign is meant to be a group project,” Scola said, noting complaints that “the Obama presidency has been one run without the sort of grassroots collaboration implied by the ‘08 campaign.” — AFP

UK police arrest 2 in phone hacking inquiry LONDON: Two men were arrested in an investigation into phone-hacking at Britain’s top-selling newspaper, police said yesterday, in a case that has rocked the media and forced the prime minister’s spokesman to resign. The men were held on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and unlawful interception of voicemail messages after voluntarily going to different London police stations. One of those arrested was Ian Edmondson, a former senior editor at the News of the World tabloid who was sacked after an internal inquiry into his conduct. “(He) was arrested today having attended voluntarily at a police station. He has not been charged,” his lawyer Eddie Parladorio said in a brief statement. Sky News, which like the News of the World belongs to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp media group, named the other

man as Neville Thurlbeck, the paper’s chief reporter.

News International, which also publishes The Times newspaper, said it was co-operating with the police.

“In January, News International voluntarily approached the Met Police and provided information that led to the opening of the current police investigation,” it said in a statement. “News International has consistently reiterated that it will not tolerate wrongdoing and is committed to acting on evidence.” The scandal dates back to 2005/6, when the News of the World’s royal reporter and a private detective were arrested and later jailed for snooping on the voicemail messages of royal aides.

London’s Metropolitan Police launched a new inquiry last January after being severely criticised by some politicians and celebrities who suspected they too had

had their voicemail intercepted. Critics argued the original police probe had not gone far enough, and some have suggested detectives were too close to the News of the World. Police have denied this.

Andy Coulson, the editor of the News of the World at the time of the hacking scandal, quit his job at the paper in 2007, saying he had known nothing about the practice. He later became media chief to Prime Minister David Cameron, but resigned in January, saying the publicity surrounding the case was too distracting.

Cameron, who took power as part of a coalition last May, had repeatedly defended Coulson, prompting criticism of his judgment by the opposition Labor Party.

Murdoch’s News Corp was given the green light by the government to take full control of British satellite payTV group BSkyB last month. — Reuters

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

UK wants India-Pak to make ‘fresh start’ UK leader praises Pakistan’s fight against terror

MUMBAI: This file photo shows Anil Ambani, chairman of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group as he addresses a press conference. — AFP

Indian magnate Anil Ambani faces telecom scam grilling Ambani firm charged with conspiracy NEW DELHI: Anil Ambani, the billionaire chairman of India’s Reliance ADA group, appeared yesterday before a parliamentary panel investigating a multi-billion dollar telecoms graft scandal that has rocked the country’s political and business establishment. Ambani testified days after police indicted officials and a unit of his group for conspiracy, cheating and other offences during a flawed 2008 telecoms license grant process that may have lost the state up to $39 billion in revenue.

The scandal is the largest of several corruption cases to have emerged in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s second term. It has badly damaged the government’s credibility and set off worries about regulatory risk in Asia’s third largest economy. Police accuse Reliance Telecom, a unit of Reliance Communications , and three Reliance ADA officials, of conspiring to set up Swan Telecom as a front company to gain valuable radio spectrum. Indian rules bar an existing license holder from owning more than 10 percent in another operator in the same market.

Emerging from an hour-long questioning, Ambani did not speak to reporters. Two members of the committee told reporters that Ambani was questioned over grants of radio spectrum.

Another member said Ambani told the committee he could not answer all their questions as the matter was in court.

Ambani, one of India’s highest profile businessmen, was questioned a day after tycoon Ratan Tata appeared before the same Public Accounts Committee.

While the committee’s recommendations are not binding on the government, the spectacle of some of India’s biggest business names being questioned is almost unheard of in a country where leading industrialists have long been seen as untouchable. “This investigation has caused corporate India to sit up and take notice of the fact that there are law enforcement agencies in the country who are minded to ask tough questions if things get out of hand,” said Saurabh Mukherjea, head of equities at Mumbai-based Ambit Capital.

“Even if the investigation comes to nothing from this point in, just the fact that we’ve seen our authorities being

willing to ask India Inc tough questions will exert a degree of discipline on corporate behavior going forward.” The parliamentary committee, which scrutinizes government accounts, is headed by lawmaker Murli Manohar Joshi, a member of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The panel was also due to hear testimony yesterday from Sigve Brekke, the head of Telenor in Asia who is also in charge of the Norwegian telecom firm’s Indian unit; Sanjay Chandra, managing director of Telenor ’s partner Unitech ; and Atul Jhamb, the chief executive of the UAE Etisalat’s Indian joint venture.

Police on Saturday charged former telecoms minister Andimuthu Raja, Chandra, three officials and a unit of Reliance ADA group, and the Indian joint venture partners of Telenor and Etisalat in the case. All the accused have denied any wrongdoing. Etisalat and Telenor have said the events described in the charges occurred before they started doing business in India.

The telecoms ministry is considering whether to cancel several licenses issued during that period, potentially jeopardizing billions of dollars in investment that operators have made in the world’s second-largest mobile market by users.

Such worries prompted the Norwegian prime minister to write to Singh seeking “fair treatment” for Telenor.

The corruption charges have weighed on the stock market, with the benchmark Mumbai index ending the March quarter as the world’s worst performer. The scandal saw the main opposition BJP all but shut down an entire session of parliament demanding a special cross-party panel investigate the charges. The government agreed to the demand, and that panel is carrying out parallel hearings.

The Supreme Court, which is monitoring the police investigation, had reprimanded Singh for not acting quickly enough against the telecoms minister and had ordered police to go after the rich and powerful involved in the case.

“We have a large number of people who think themselves to be above the law. You must catch all of them. Merely because a person is in the Forbes list of millionaires and billionaires does not matter,” the court said in February. — Reuters

ISLAMABAD: The British prime minister urged Pakistan and India to build on recent, tentative steps toward better relations, saying yesterday the “time was now ripe” for both nations to put their history of war and mistrust behind them. David Cameron’s remarks were some of the first by an international leader in support of the recent thawing of ties between the two countries, whose relations are seen as important to long-term stability in Afghanistan once Western forces withdraw.

Building strong ties with Pakistan is a major foreign policy concern for the United Kingdom, given that the 2005 London transit bombings and several other terror plots have been traced to extremists in its one millionstrong Pakistani community. The nation also is part of the US-led coalition fighting the Taleban and Al-Qaeda in Pakistan’s neighbor, Afghanistan.

On a visit to India last year, Cameron sparked a diplomatic dustup with Pakistan by suggesting it exported terrorism. Cameron on his first trip to Pakistan as leader - declined to answer questions on those remarks, but called for the two countries to make a “fresh start” in their relations. He stressed that the UK wanted strong ties between India and Pakistan. In a speech at a university in the capital, Cameron praised a recent meeting between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in India, which took place around a cricket World Cup fixture between the two countries.

“The sight of Prime Minister Gilani and Prime Minister Singh sitting together at last week’s cricket World Cup ... is a tremendous sign of hope for the future,” he said to applause. “I believe the time is ripe for your countries to look even further beyond what divides you and embrace what unites you.”

Analysts have said any talk of a breakthrough between the two nations, which have fought three wars and had frequent aborted diplomatic initiatives, was premature. India is bitterly opposed to any international efforts to mediate in the dispute, which has at its heart

ISLAMABAD: Visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) shakes hand with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani prior to their meeting yesterday. — AP

conflicting claims over the Kashmir region.

Better relations would mean Pakistan could free up its forces to fight the Taleban as well allow it to spend more money on development. The Pakistan army is widely seen as fighting a proxy war in Afghanistan against what it sees as Indian influence there, complicating US efforts there.

Pakistan’s security establishment has long ties with militant networks it used as proxies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and faces frequent suspicion internationally that it is either tolerating some groups or even supporting them. Those accusations, which set off a defensive reaction in Islamabad, resonate in many Western nations because of the aid they are giving to Pakistan to prop up its economy.

Cameron said in his speech “neither the Pakistan Army nor NATO forces must ever tol-

erate sanctuaries for people plotting violence” but otherwise did not mention the topic publicly.

His reference to NATO forces was apparently regarding Pakistani accusations that NATO and the US does not do enough in Afghanistan to crack down on militants moving into Pakistan. Most Western critics say the bulk of the militant traffic is coming the other way - from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

Cameron’s visit is one of relatively rare trips to Pakistan by Western heads of government, reflecting the country’s precarious security situation and often uneasy international ties.

Emphasizing the visit’s focus on security issues, Cameron was joined by John Sawers, the head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service - also known as MI6 - and the head of Britain’s armed forces, Gen. David Richards. — AP

Bangladesh’s Yunus loses appeal against sacking DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Nobelwinning Muhammad Yunus lost a final appeal yesterday against his sacking from the pioneering microfinance bank he built into an empire for helping the poor.

“The appeal has been dismissed by the Supreme Court,” Tamin Husain Shawan said, adding that the decision, made by the full seven-member Supreme Cour t bench of judges, was unanimous. The central bank, which is nominally independent from the government, removed Yunus on March 2 on the grounds that he had failed to seek its approval when he was reappointed indefinitely in 1999.

The High Court upheld this order in a March 8 ruling, with judge Muhammad Mamtaj Uddin Ahmed saying that the central bank’s sacking order was legal and that Yunus had also exceeded Grameen Bank ’s

mandatory retirement age of 60. Backed by a high-profile international lobby group, Yunus, 70, has defied the sacking order by returning to work at Grameen Bank’s headquarters and launching a legal battle to keep control of his organization.

Supporters say he has been victimized by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who he crossed in 2007 when he set up a political party during a period of military rule. In December, following the release of a Norwegian T V documentary critical of Yunus, Prime Minister Hasina accused him of “sucking blood from the poor ” and pulling a financial “trick ” to avoid paying tax.

Having exhausted his personal legal options, Yunus’s only hope now resides in a separate legal case lodged by nine Grameen Bank board members

in the Supreme Court that also seeks his reinstatement.

The case may be heard today at the Supreme Court, lawyers said, but few observers expect it to be successful. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said Yunus’s legal battle was now over. “The Supreme Court today has upheld the verdict of the High Court,” Alam told AFP after the hearing, adding it was “highly unlikely” the verdict on the Grameen Bank board members’ appeal would be different.

“After this verdict by the country’s highest court, Yunus’s position as managing director of Grameen Bank is illegal,” he said. The Supreme Court took into consideration in its ruling the fact that Yunus, at 70, is 10 years past the mandatory retirement age for Grameen Bank officials, Alam said. “There is no possibility of a compromise,” he said, adding that “a person can

retire but an institution will not die.” Grameen Bank’s government-appointed chairman, Muzammel Huq told AFP that he would call a board meeting after he had received a full copy of the Supreme Court verdict.

According to Grameen Bank’s internal rules, the board, nine out of 12 of whom suppor t Yunus’s legal battle to stay on at Grameen, has the right to appoint a new managing director. As well as being sacked, Yunus has been vilified in the Bangladeshi press and summoned to court three times in cases nominally connected to Grameen. The bank has become the target of a government probe.

Analysts say Grameen’s huge influence in Bangladesh and its move into solar panels, mobile phones and other consumer goods has triggered the government’s envy. — AFP

NATO troops kill 6 Afghan civilians Students protest in Kabul on 5th day KABUL: Around 250 young Afghans gathered at Kabul University yesterday shouting “death to America” on the fifth day of protests against the burning of a Quran by a fundamentalist US pastor. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in protests around Afghanistan. There has been deadly violence in two cities, although most protests ended with nothing more dramatic than burning of flags and effigies. Twelve people died in Kandahar over Saturday and Sunday, when demonstrators waving white Taliban flags burnt cars, attacked police, smashed shops and sacked a girls’ high school.

On Friday, seven foreign UN staff and five Afghan protesters were killed after demonstrators overran their office in normally peaceful Mazar-i-Sharif city in the north. The Kabul demonstrators, who included both university students and outsiders, were staying on the university campus, said Hashmat Stanekzai, spokesman for the Kabul police chief. Across Afghanistan, protesters have denounced fundamentalist Christian preacher Terry Jones, who supervised the burning of a Quran at a church in Florida on March 20.

There have been angry sermons by imams urging people to stand up in defense of their religion.

But in eastern Kunar province, a conservative insurgent stronghold which has not seen any protests, senior clerics who form a council known as an ulema, said they were actively working to prevent any gathering because of the violence in other areas. “The ulema are in discussions to avoid protests against

Indian spiritual guru in critical condition HYDERABAD: One of India’s best-known spiritual

KABUL: Afghan students shout anti-US slogans during a demonstration yesterday. — AP

Quran burning because only Afghans face losses of life and damage to their properties, not the one who burnt the Holy Quran,” said Shahzada Shahid, head of the ulema council in Kunar and a member of parliament from the province. “Terry Jones will be happy seeing Muslims kill Muslims and bloodshed, he won’t be hurt,” he added.

In another development, NATO troops killed six civilians during a night raid on a house in northern Afghanistan’s Sar-e Pul province late, the provincial governor told Reuters.

The NATO-led force said soldiers on a joint operation with Afghan troops had killed five men who were armed and opened fire on them. They are investigating the identity of the dead men, a spokesman said.

Afghans are allowed by law to own

guns, and in rural areas many do, to protect against threats from bandits, militias or rivals with weapons.

Critics of night raids say people confused at being woken from sleep may open fire on troops who arrive under cover of darkness, even if they have no insurgent links. The deaths come at a time of high antiWestern sentiment, after several days of protests against the burning of a Quran presided over by a fundamentalist US pastor. Some of the demonstrations have turned violent and more than 20 people have been killed including 7 foreign UN staffers. Four men were also detained in the late Monday raid in Sayad district, and initial information suggested only one was an insurgent, governor Sayed Anwar Rahmati told Reuters. —Agencies

leaders, known for his apparent miracles and long list of influential followers, is on life support in hospital, doctors said yesterday. Satya Sai Baba, 85, who has devotees in more than 100 countries, was admitted to a hospital funded by his organization in the southern town of Puttaparthi with lung and chest congestion on March 28. His condition has since deteriorated and he was now on a ventilator and receiving kidney dialysis, the most recent health bulletin from the hospital said yesterday.

He remained “critical,” although his “level of consciousness has considerably improved” and his vital systems are “stable”, said the update from the Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences.

Thousands of followers have begun arriving in Puttaparthi, home to Sai Baba’s ashram in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh, with many agitated by conflicting information given out by local authorities.

Government officials have sought to play down the seriousness of his condition, while police are preventing groups from gathering in the town and well-wishers from assembling outside the hospital, local reports said. “I am confident that all this will be over and Baba will give darshan (appear to his followers) soon,” Sanjeev Singh, a devotee from Uttar Pradesh, told the Press Trust of India.

“This is only temporary,” Mirek, a devotee from Poland, told the news agency. The leader has a following of millions in India and abroad, many of whom believe him to be reincarnation of the great holy man, Sai Baba of Shirdi, who died in 1918. Sai Baba, who claims to have performed several miracles including bringing men back to life, counts former Indian prime ministers, top businessmen and even the country’s cricketers among his devotees.

His organization funds health and education projects in India, including a string of hospitals that claim to be able to cure ailments beyond the capa-

bilities of mainstream medicine. He and Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, “hugging saint” of Kerala, are the best known of thousands of Hindu ascetics who can be found wandering the streets or teaching to followers in their ashrams.

The swami was born in Andhra Pradesh, in an event shrouded in mystery. In his teens he is said to have begun singing verses in Sanskrit, a language of which he had no prior knowledge, and then became able to materialize flowers and sweets to the astonishment of observers. — AFP

NEW DELHI: In this file photograph, Indian spiritual leader Satya Sai Baba looks on at a function to meet his followers. — AP

y

A

12

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

i n t e r n at i o n a l

Radioactive water found at 5m times the legal limit in Japan TEPCO offers ‘condolence money’ TOKYO: The operator of Japan’s crippled nuclear power plant said yesterday it had found water with 5 million times the legal limit of radioactivity as it struggles for a fourth week to contain the world’s biggest nuclear disaster in quarter of a century. Underlining the concern over spreading radiation, the government said it was considering imposing radioactivity restrictions on seafood for the first time in the crisis after contaminated fish were found in seas well south of the damaged nuclear reactors. The plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) offered token “condolence” money to those affected in the Fukushima region where the plant is based, the local mayors who came to Tokyo to meet Prime Minister Naoto Kan made clear they expected far more help.

“We have borne the risks, coexisted and flourished with TEPCO for more than 40 years, and all these years, we have fully trusted the myth that nuclear plants are absolutely safe,” said Katsuya Endo, the mayor of Tomioka town. He was one of eight Fukushima prefecture mayors who went to Kan to demand compensation and support for employment, housing and educa-

director-general of Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA). “We also still do not know how the highly contaminated water is seeping out of reactor No 2,” said Nishiyama.

TEPCO said it suspected that a stone layer beneath the trench feeding into the pit at reactor No 2 might be the source of the contaminated water, but added they were still investigating the exact

and stored somewhere else or released into the sea.

There is a total of 60,000 tons of highly contaminated water in the plant after workers frantically poured in seawater when fuel rods experienced partial meltdown after the tsunami hit northeast Japan on March 11. TEPCO on Monday had to start releasing 11,500 tons of low-level radioactive seawater after it ran out of

OTSUCHI: A Buddhist monk who is on a pilgrimage to devastated areas after the earthquake and tsunami offers prayer in front of the debris yesterday. —AP tion for the tens of thousands of people evacuated as a result of the radiation crisis . In desperation, engineers at the Fukushima Daiichi plant have turned to what are little more than home remedies to stem the flow of contaminated water. On Tuesday, they used “liquid glass” in the hope of plugging cracks in a leaking concrete pit.

“We tried pouring sawdust, newspaper and concrete mixtures into the side of the pit (leading to tunnels outside reactor No 2), but the mixture does not seem to be entering the cracks,” said Hidehiko Nishiyama, deputy

causes and were prepared for the possibility that there were other sources of radioactive water.

Engineers also plan to build two giant polyester “silt curtains” in the sea to block the spread of more contamination from the plant. Workers are still struggling to restart cooling pumps- which recycle the water-in four reactors damaged by last month’s 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. Until those are fixed, they must pump in water from outside to prevent overheating and meltdowns. In the process, that creates more contaminated water that has to be pumped out

storage capacity for more highly contaminated water. The release will continue until Friday.

Radioactive iodine of up to 4,800 times the legal limit has been recorded in the sea near the plant. Caesium was found at levels above safety limits in tiny “kounago” fish in waters off Ibaraki Prefecture, south of Fukushima, local media reported.

Iodine-131 in the water near the sluice gate of reactor No. 2 hit a high on April 2 of 7.5 million times the legal limit. The water, which was not released into the ocean, fell to 5 million times the legal limit on Monday.

TEPCO said it had started paying token “condolence money” to local governments to aid people evacuated from around its stricken plant or affected by the radiation crisis. It faces a huge bill for the damage caused by its crippled reactors, but said it must first assess the extent of damage before paying actual compensation. “We are still in discussion as to what extent we will pay on our own and to what extent we will have assistance from the government,” TEPCO executive vice president Takashi Fujimotohe told a news conference.

TEPCO offered just 20 million yen ($238,000) in condolence money each to towns near the reactors whose residents were forced to evacuate. A second TEPCO official said they offered that sum to 10 towns but one refused to take the money.

Fishermen from neighboring Ibaraki prefecture saw prices for flounder and sea bream tumble as buyers shunned their catch.

“Unless problems at the plant end soon, fishermen won’t be able to go on living without compensation. We want compensation from TEPCO, the government and the prefecture,” said Hikaru Sugiyama a fishing cooperative official in Ibaraki. The company’s shares plunged to a record low of 363 yen on Tuesday on uncertainty over the nuclear crisis, and are now over 80 percent of their value before the quake struck.

The quake and tsunami have left nearly 28,000 people dead or missing, thousands homeless and Japan’s northeast coast a wreck. The world’s costliest natural disaster has caused power blackouts and cuts to supply chains, threatening Japan’s economic growth and the operations of global firms from semiconductor makers to shipbuilders. Fujimoto said TEPCO wants to avoid having to impose rolling power blackouts in summer, when demand surges due to heavy use of air-conditioning.

Analysts say blackouts could cause the biggest economic damage to Japan.—Reuters

109 detainees flee immigration center KUALA LUMPUR: Detainees set fire to a Malaysian immigration center and about 100 of them escaped as the blaze partially gutted the facility, officials said yesterday. Authorities recaptured 30 of the 109 detainees who broke out of the camp in central Negri Sembilan state late Monday, said Home Ministry official Mohamed Asri Yusof. Most were from Myanmar.

Officials were unsure how the detainees managed to start a blaze. About 1,000 other detainees remain in custody, and no injuries were immediately reported, Mohamed Asri said. The fire and escape could refocus attention on conditions at detention centers.

Activists have long said such facilities are overcrowded with detainees awaiting deportation after being arrested for illegally entering Malaysia or overstaying.

The national news agency, Bernama, quoted state deputy police chief Abdul Manan Mohamad Hassan as saying that some detainees had been at the center for up to a year. “Investigations show that they were dissatisfied with what they perceived as cramped living conditions, the food and long detention periods,” he said. Bernama said police have mounted road blocks in Negri Sembilan and were using tracker dogs and helicopters in the search. Human rights group Amnesty International said those who escaped may have included refugees from Myanmar who are often detained with other illegal immigrants until their claims for asylum can be assessed.

Malaysia doesn’t recognize asylum seekers and treats them as illegal immigrants who can be arrested, caned and detained for being in the country illegally.

“We are concerned for their safety,” Amnesty researcher Lance Lattig said. “We’ve seen how migrants at (the Negri Sembilan center) are held in conditions that fall far short of international standards.” Thousands of illegal immigrants are held at Malaysia’s 13 immigration detention centers. Most of them are illegal immigrants from Indonesia who are deported within weeks. But those with refugee claims - many from Myanmar - must wait for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to assess their status. If the UN agency finds their claims to be valid, they are allowed to leave the centers and stay in Malaysia until they can be resettled to a third country, which grants them full legal status. Malaysia legally employs about 1.8 million foreigners, mostly from poorer regional countries, on plantations, construction sites, factories and other labor-intensive industries.

Authorities estimate that in addition, as many foreigners work in Malaysia illegally. —AP

HONG KONG: Human rights protesters hold a rally carrying the picture of Ai Weiwei, one of its most famous contemporary Chinese artists with Chinese written “Release Ai Weiwei” outside the China Liaison Office yesterday. —AP

EU calls for release of China’s detained artist BEIJING: Western powers and rights groups have expressed anger and concern over the fate of outspoken Chinese artist and social critic Ai Weiwei, who has disappeared into policy custody. The United States, France, Germany and Britain joined Amnesty International and other groups in calling for the release of Ai, who was detained on Sunday at Beijing’s airport as he prepared to board a flight abroad.

His wife and lawyer both told AFP yesterday that they still had no news about the whereabouts or situation of the artist, whose outspoken criticism of China’s ruling Communist Party has landed him in hot water in the past. Beijing police and China’s foreign ministry refused to comment on the disappearance of the 53-year-old. The artist’s detention comes amid a huge clampdown on dissent apparently triggered by anonymous online calls for people to gather every Sunday around China in peaceful protests, aimed at emulating unrest rocking the Arab world.

Scores of dissidents, activists and rights lawyers have been rounded up in recent weeks, with many placed under house arrest or disappearing into police custody. Some have even been formally charged with “inciting subversion.” The EU ambassador to China expressed concern yesterday about the “increasing use of arbitrary detention in China” following Ai’s disappearance. “ We call on the Chinese authorities to refrain from using arbitrary detention under any circum-

stances,” Markus Ederer said in a statement.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner, meanwhile, said Monday that Ai’s detention was “inconsistent with the fundamental freedom and human rights of all Chinese citizens.” “We urge the Chinese government to release him immediately,” he added. Germany, France, Britain and Austria have also expressed concern about Ai, known for helping design Beijing’s famous “Bird’s Nest” Olympic stadium. Rights groups said Ai’s detention marked a widening of China’s crackdown on dissent, with Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders warning that the Chinese government was “trying to silence all of its critics.”

Ai, a burly, goateed man whose work is currently on display in London’s Tate Modern gallery, has repeatedly challenged Chinese authorities. He has investigated school collapses in the huge 2008 earthquake in the southwestern province of Sichuan, and more recently launched a “citizen’s investigation” into a Shanghai fire that killed at least 58 people in November.

At the 2009 trial in Sichuan of activist Tan Zuoren, who also probed school collapses and was later handed a five-year jail term, Ai said he was detained and beaten by police who blocked him from testifying on Tan’s behalf. In February this year, he said his first large solo exhibition in mainland China was cancelled after organizers said the timing was too politically sensitive. —AFP

Tibetan monk succumbs after ‘severe torture’

TOMIYAMACHI: Onodera and a dog named Ban react as they were reunited at an animal shelter following separation by the tsunami. —AP

Dog swept away by tsunami reunited TOKYO: A dog rescued from the rooftop of a house swept to sea by Japan’s March 11 tsunami was reunited on Monday with her owner, who recognized her in television news coverage of the dog’s rescue by coast guards.

The two -year- old dog sur vived for three weeks in a house adrift in an island of debris nearly 2 km (1.25 miles) from the shore. On Friday, coast guards flying over the area to search for survivors spotted the medium-sized brown dog on the roof of the floating house. The aerial view was broadcast repeatedly, as was footage of the ensu-

ing rescue, and the dog being fed and hugged by coast guards afterwards.

The owner saw the footage in her own par tially damaged home in Kesennuma, a coastal city badly damaged by the earthquake and tsunami that followed it, NHK public television said. Recognizing the dog as the family’s missing pet, the woman sought her out in the animal shelter in another part of Miyagi prefecture. “I saw the rescue on the news, and knew it was her. I knew her rightaway, from her face,” the woman, whose name was not given, told NHK. —Reuters

BEIJING: A Tibetan monk who in 2008 joined a protest in front of foreign journalists in China has died after allegedly suffering “severe torture” while in detention, an activist group said yesterday.

Jamyang Jinpa, a monk in the northwestern province of Gansu, died on April 3, three years after taking part in the demonstration at his Labrang monastery, the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) said. The group of foreign reporters were visiting Labrang in Xiahe county in April 2008 as part of a tour organized by Chinese authorities to show the situation was back to normal after widespread unrest in Tibetan areas.

Violent demonstrations against Chinese rule erupted in Tibet’s capital Lhasa in March 2008, and these subsequently spread to neighboring areas and monasteries, including Labrang.

Jamyang Jinpa had been acting as the journalists’ guide when a group of 14 monks began protesting. He joined in and condemned the lack of human rights in Tibetan areas, ICT said in a statement. He was subsequently detained for more than a month, after which authorities told his family to come and fetch him, it added.

“When they came to collect Jamyang Jinpa, he could not walk or stand, and had no feeling in his legs,” the activist group quoted a Tibetan source in touch with monks from Labrang as saying. “He could not recognize his family, his eyesight was completely gone, and he seemed to have no memory of what had happened to him.” The monk’s overall condition deteriorated over the next few years until his death, ICT said.

The group said it was impossible to

Jamyang Jinpa determine the exact cause of his death, but added Jamyang Jinpa had been in good health before his detention. Police in Xiahe and the wider Gannan prefecture were not available for comment when contacted by AFP. Resentment against Chinese rule runs deep in Tibetan regions of China. Many Tibetans are angry about what they view as increasing domination by China’s majority Han ethnicity, and accuse the government of trying to dilute their culture. China, however, says Tibetan living standards have improved markedly in recent decades, pointing to the billions of dollars in spending on infrastructure and development projects. —AFP

13

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

opinion

THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961

Founder and Publisher

YOUSUF S. ALYAN Editor-in-Chief

ABD AL-RAHMAN ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait.

E MAIL :info@kuwaittimes.net Website: www.kuwaittimes.net

Issues

Oil, state spending to boost Arab Gulf

By Martin Dokoupil olitical unrest in the Gulf threatens private sector spending and investment but thanks to high oil prices, governments have enough financial firepower to prevent their economies from slowing sharply.

Protests, some of them violent, have touched almost every country in the Gulf over the past two months.

Except for Bahrain, the direct economic impact in terms of lost output has been tiny. But the protests have highlighted the potential for more trouble if political issues are not resolved, and this is dampening the mood in the private sector.

However, high global oil prices-themselves partly due to unrest in the Gulf and North Africa-are boosting energy sectors in the region and giving governments enough cash to spend their way out of trouble. “The increase in oil prices will significantly add to growth dynamics both directly and through the wealth effect,” said Marios Maratheftis, regional head of research for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan at Standard Chartered in Dubai.

P

BANKS HESITANT The unrest in the Gulf erupted when banks in some countries such as the United Arab Emirates were still hesitant to lend in the wake of the global credit crisis and local debt problems. As a result, prospects for foreign direct investment in the region “have deteriorated, in the short term even in those countries that have not seen significant levels of protest”, said Simon Williams, chief economist at HSBC Bank in Dubai. “Foreign capital will be more difficult and more costly to access until the market is persuaded that the long-term order has been restored.”

After the global crisis, foreign direct investment tumbled by over 70 percent in Saudi Arabia and the UAE in 2009, and by 86 percent in Bahrain. More recent data is not available, but political jitters are delaying a recovery of investment in Bahrain and possibly in other countries.

“I have an investment project that I’m working on which has been delayed by these events for a whole month,” said a long-term investor in Bahrain, who declined to be named. “I have to wonder whether Bahrain is the best place for it, compared to Dubai for example.”

Bahrain, a regional financial centre where the Sunni government used tanks to crack down on mainly Shi’iteled protesters, has been by far the worst-hit economy.

Around 24 people died in a month of unrest which brought in Saudi troops, closed banks and shops and triggered capital flight. Economic losses reached $1 billion or about 20 percent of quarterly gross domestic product, NCB Capital estimates.

But not all the capital flight from Bahrain, estimated at tens or possibly hundreds of millions of dollars, left the Gulf; some of it simply moved to more stable countries in the region, benefiting them in the short term at least. Debt insurance costs for Dubai, viewed as a safe haven in the Gulf, are tighter than they were before the unrest at 389 basis points, down from February’s threemonth high of 459 bps.

OIL Meanwhile, all of the Gulf economies are benefiting from the rise of US crude oil prices to a 2-1/2-year high above $108 a barrel. A $10 increase in the expected average oil price faced by Saudi Arabia to $92 per barrel should contribute $43 billion to the country’s nominal GDP this year, Banque Saudi Fransi estimates; that is roughly a tenth of last year’s GDP. In addition, Saudi Arabia and other countries are boosting state spending aggressively to ease social pressures. High oil prices give them more to spend, but in any case they are willing to run down financial reserves if necessary to head off the biggest political threat to their stability in over a decade.

Saudi Arabia announced in February and March that it would spend an additional $130 billion-presumably over several years-on housing, bonuses for state employees, job creation and other projects to improve social welfare and the economy. This is expected to help drive the state sector’s output over 5 percent higher for the third year in a row in 2011, the first time such extended growth in the sector has been seen since the early 1980s. Taking into account increased oil output to make up for Libya’s shortfall, Saudi Arabia’s economy is expected to expand 4.5 percent this year and 4.4 percent in 2012, an acceleration from 3.8 percent growth in 2010, a Reuters poll of analysts showed in mid-March.—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.

Dictators beware: UN ‘all necessary measures’ means trouble, attacks helicopter strikes on rocket launchers used by Ivor y Coast rogue leader Laurent Gbagbo were a stunning warning to any strongman to beware of the ominous words “all necessary measures” in a UN Security Council resolution. After the international air assaults launched in Libya, the innocuous little phrase set up UN forces, alongside French helicopters, to stage the most daring urban warfare operation yet by international peacekeepers in Abidjan on Monday.

UN officials say more attacks against Gbagbo, who refuses to hand power to internationally recognized president Alassane Ouattara, are planned. The military capability of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Gbagbo in Ivory Coast have taken a severe beating from the strikes.

In each case, the 15-nation Security Council agreed to allow “all necessary measures” to protect civilians rather than sign up for regime change. “It should be a warning. In UN Security Council-speak ‘all necessary measures’ means military action,” explained Mark Quarterman, a specialist on conflict and crisis for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and a former UN political advisor.

The same term was used to set up nofly zones over Iraq in the early 1990s and to help peacekeepers in East Timor as deadly conflict erupted after the territory voted for independence from Indonesia in 1999. The Abidjan offensive was rare but not unprecedented. Peacekeepers have already had to go on the attack in Bosnia and Somalia in the 1990s and in East Timor to keep troublemakers in check. Western nations had been pressing the UN mission to get tougher with Gbagbo for several weeks.

UN helicopters targeted the Agban and Akuedo military camps where M-21 rocket launchers are based, UN peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy told reporters.

He said French helicopters went for launchers believed to be near the presidential palace and Gbagbo residence.

The Security Council unanimously passed a resolution last Wednesday authorizing “all necessary means” to put “heavy weapons” threatening civilians in Ivory Coast out of action. But the UN said Gbagbo had since escalated attacks.

Le Roy said the UN base in Abidjan had come under “almost continuous attack for three days.” When he telephoned the UN special envoy, Choi YongJin, on Friday and Saturday he was hiding in the basement of the hotel headquarters because of mortar attacks. UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon asked France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday to add his forces to a military assault and plans were made within hours.

While China, Russia and others still oppose the air strikes in Libya, no doubts have been expressed about the Ivory Coast action. Le Roy said after briefing the Security Council on Monday night that no voices of opposition had been raised by any of the 15 ambassadors. Ban has strongly denied that the attacks signified the UN was taking sides in the conflict between Gbagbo and Ouattara, who now seems to have the upper hand as his forces surround Abidjan. “No we are shooting at heavy weapons, we are not

UN

shooting at the presidency, we are shooting where the heavy weapons are,” declared Le Roy. He acknowledged that the attacks are an “extraordinary move” but insisted: “the political backing of the Security Council was very clear. It was a clear mandate to tackle the question of heavy weapons that were attacking civilians and peacekeepers.” Quarterman, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it could be part of a trend that the UN leader says is pushing back the frontiers of humanitarian law to protect civilians in conflict. “This is not a genie that can be put back in the bottle,” he commented. “There is a desire on the part of a number of international actors that there be a more robust capacity to respond to attacks on civilians. But the Security Council may not be able to use it for every conflict,” he warned.— AFP

ABIDJAN: UN peacekeepers from Jordan patrol the streets in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. — AP

Saudi: Key to Yemen power transfer

By Erika Solomon possible US shift calling for Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to be eased out may signal that his days in office are numbered, but it is Yemen’s neighbor Saudi Arabia that is likely to decide his fate.

Saudi Arabia, a conservative Muslim absolute monarchy, does not want to see people power bring political change on its borders. It has long been Saleh’s main financial backer, and Saleh may not stand down until Riyadh calls him out.

“I don’t think the United States is a player, they have much less influence ... the only country Saleh cares about is Saudi Arabia,” said analyst Barak Barfi of the New America Foundation. “If the US cuts off military aid, it hurts them as much as Saleh and he knows it ... The Yemenis need pressure from Riyadh.” The United States has long seen Saleh as a pivotal ally in its fight against al Qaeda; he has allowed strikes on suspected bases in Yemen and has pledged to fight militancy in return for billions of dollars in military aid.

But on Monday, the New York Times said Washington had “quietly shifted positions” and concluded Saleh was “unlikely to bring about the required reforms and must be eased out of office”. Sources close to talks between Saleh and the opposition, some held in the presence of the US ambassador, told Reuters that Washington gave Saleh an ultimatum last week to agree to a transition deal or have the United States urge him to step down. Asked on Monday if the United States believed Saleh must go, State Department spokesman Mark Toner replied: “That’s not necessarily a decision for us to make”, and said Washington was talking to government and opposition in the hope of achieving a “peaceful solution”. Yet Saleh stepped up rhetoric over the weekend, telling a crowd of supporters he would defend Yemen with “blood and soul”.

A

DEFECTIONS Saleh has also appeared unmoved by a string of defections by key tribal, military and political backers. On Monday, his security forces stepped up violence in a crackdown on protesters who were calling for his resignation, killing at least 15 in the city of Taiz and wounding hundreds. “After today, it’s over. We’re only counting down now,” said Yemeni political analyst Ali Seif Hassan. “My fear is, if he doesn’t go soon, there won’t be a chance for a peaceful transition, which will mean a lot of bloodshed as southern separatists and Houthis (northern Shiite rebels) fight with Islamic fundamentalists to fill the vacuum.” Even before the wave of pro-democracy protests against his 32-year rule, Saleh was struggling to quell a separatist rebellion in the south and a Shiite insurgency in the north. Frustration with Saleh’s intransigence may push Yemenis, many of them heavily armed and with experience of wars and insurgencies, closer to a violent power struggle that could give Al-Qaeda’s regional wing more room to operate.

All of these factors spark concern for stability in a country that sits on a shipping lane through which more than three million barrels of oil pass each day. “Saleh wants to go down with the ship. That means the situation will get more precarious, possibly with worse violence on both sides,” said Theodore Karasik, a security analyst of the Dubai-based INEGMA group. “The Americans don’t want Yemen to sink into a Libya situation-that would give al Qaeda too much breathing space.” Saudi pressure for change may now be on the way. The Gulf Cooperation Council has resisted Sanaa’s effort to lure it into a mediating role, but on Monday GCC foreign ministers meeting in Riyadh invited the Yemeni government and opposition representatives to talks in Saudi Arabia on an unspecified date.

The GCC groups Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. Some diplomats in Saudi Arabia have suggested Riyadh is considering throwing its weight behind General Ali Mohsen, a powerful military leader who credits himself with bringing Saleh to power, but defected to protesters weeks ago. Mohsen has said he is not interested in taking the reins, but some feel he would appeal to Riyadh, should it seek a power transition. “The Saudis have two problems: They don’t like Saleh but they don’t like the idea of revolutions bringing change. So Mohsen may be an option,” said Hassan. “But really, Saudi movements are in the black box; we still don’t know.”

VIOLENCE SHOWS WEAKNESS Saleh is a clever operator who has survived many tussles with rivals, and skilfully used bribes and favors to keep tribal and political backers loyal. Local analysts say his party’s ability to draw big support rallies at weekends emboldens him, even as hundreds of thousands demand his resignation. But keeping his allies’ loyalty has become more difficult as Yemen sinks into an economic crisis. More than 40 percent of Yemenis live on less than $2 a day while a third face chronic hunger. Dwindling water and oil supplies are also problems.

“He’s losing support by the day. After the killings today in Taiz, he’ll lose more,” said Hassan. “But he still has support from his relatives, and they create these large rallies to show him crowds of support, and it’s misleading him.”

If Saleh takes that as a signal to push harder against the rising pressure from the US administration and the opposition, it may hasten his demise. “The more pressure, the more he seems to respond with violence and intransigence. We saw that first on March 18, when there was one of the worst massacres in recent Arab memory,” said Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Centre in Doha, referring to a sniper attack on protesters in Sanaa that killed at least 52. “Today, we’ve seen additional violence. I think this actually suggests his days are numbered. Sometimes the use of violence can suggest strength. But other times it suggests weakness,” he said.

“We’re talking about the latter here.”— Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

ne ws

BREGA: Libyan rebels shell pro Gaddafi positions yesterday. Libyan government forces yesterday unleashed a withering bombardment of the rebels outside a key oil town pushing them back. — AP

NATO destroys 30% of Gaddafi military power TRIPOLI: Libya’s government said yesterday it is ready to negotiate reforms but only provided Muammar Gaddafi is not forced out, as loyalists troops pushed rebel fighters back from the key oil port of Brega. NATO-led air strikes have destroyed 30 percent of the regime’s military capacity since the UN-backed bombing campaign started on March 19, an alliance commander said, even as the rebels suffered their first significant loss of territory in almost a week.

A one-million-barrel supertanker docked in the rebel-held port of Tobruk to pick up the first oil cargo for 18 days, the specialist shipping newsletter Lloyd’s List said, in a big boost to the anti-Gaddafi forces’ finances. Government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim told journalists in Tripoli that everything except the departure of Gaddafi was negotiable, saying he was a unifying figure after ruling the nation for four decades. “What kind of political system is implemented in the country? This is negotiable, we can talk about it,” Ibrahim said. “We can have anything, elections, referendums.”

But Gaddafi’s future was sacrosanct, he stressed, only hours after the rebels flatly rejected a reported peace deal that could

see the embattled leader’s son take charge of the North African nation. The “guide of the revolution”, who has always rejected the title of head of state, was “the safety valve” for the unity of the country’s tribes and people, Ibrahim said. “We think he is very important to lead any transition to a democratic and transparent model.”

In a show of defiance, Gaddafi greeted supporters late Monday in his first public appearance since March 22 at his Bab El-Aziziya residence in Tripoli, bombed by coalition forces two days earlier, state television said. Gaddafi’s son Seif Al-Islam meanwhile dismissed former foreign minister Mussa Kussa, who defected to the West last week, as just a “sick and old” man who had succumbed to the psychological pressures of war.

Long seen as the heir apparent to his father before the wave of protests shook the country, Seif Al-Islam briefly showed up at a Tripoli hotel to record an interview with the BBC in which he made dismissive comments about Kussa, once a pillar of the regime. The son, who had not been seen in public since coalition air strikes began on March 19, said Kussa had been allowed to go abroad for medical treatment.

‘Gagarin mission’; Astronauts blast off Continued from Page 1 greatest Cold War victory over the United States-and their Soyuz capsule is named after and even inscribed with the name of the cosmonaut. “The flight is normal,” mission control told the crew, who waved and gave the thumbs-up sign to a camera relaying images from the capsule back to Earth.

Cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Andrei Borisenko are making their first space flight while US astronaut Ronald Garan is making his second mission, having already flown on US shuttle Discovery in 2008. “We are feeling good,” said the voice of one of the crew, apparently flight commander Samokutyaev. “I wish you success and a good flight,” said the head of Russia’s space agency, Anatoly Perminov. As well as his name, the exterior of the Soyuz capsule is decorated with a picture of Gagarin in his iconic space suit and also the famous “Let’s Go!” slogan he pronounced at blast off in 1961.

The craft successfully went into Earth orbit and is due to dock with the ISS at 2318 GMT today, after a two-day journey. The mission is a

centerpiece of celebrations for the half century of manned spaceflight and there had been worries it could miss the anniversary after a technical problem forced a delay from the original March 30 lift-off date. Russian state television said the crew were taking a recording of the famous radio exchanges between Gagarin in his tiny capsule and chief Soviet rocket designer Sergei Korolyov on the ground from half a century ago.

Also going to space was an icon presented by the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church as well as a small toy dog presented by Samokutyaev’s daughter. Gagarin’s 108-minute mission-which ended with him parachuting down into a rural area of central Russia-came at the height of the Cold War but these days the spaceflight is promoted as a joint endeavor between the former foes. Russia’s Soyuz delivery system will later this year become the sole means for taking humans to the ISS when NASA takes its shuttle out of service, leaving the United States reliant on the more rudimentary Russian technology.

The United States is due to launch the shuttle Endeavour on April 29 and Atlantis is set for its

final mission in June, marking the end of the US space shuttle program after 30 years. At the time of Gagarin’s flight, even the location of the Baikonur cosmodrome was a tightly-guarded secret and the presence of Americans anywhere near would have been unthinkable.

In the pre-flight press conference at Baikonur, NASA astronaut Ronald Garan played up the emotions of international harmony by reciting-in Russian-verses of a poem by romantic Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov.

Garan has described his involvement in the mission as an “incredible honor ”, saying that from Gagarin’s flight “humanity became a different species ... humanity was no longer bounded to the confines of the Earth”. Refusing to break with tradition in any way, the astronauts watched the classic Soviet “Eastern” movie “White Sun of the Desert” which has been ritual viewing ahead of Baikonur liftoffs since its release in 1969. The three-who will spend the next six months in space-will join on board NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman, Europe’s Paolo Nespoli and Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev.- — AFP

Working long hours? Watch out for your ...

Continued from Page 1 But the scientists said hard workers should not necessarily be alarmed about their heart health. “Current evidence on (heart disease) prevention emphasizes the importance of focusing on the total risk, rather than single risk factors,” Kivimaki said.

“People who work long hours should be particularly careful in following healthy diets, exercising sufficiently and keeping their blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood (sugar) within healthy limits.” The research used data from a study called Whitehall II which has followed the health and wellbeing of

more than 10,000 civil service workers in Britain since 1985.

For this study, men and women who worked full time and had no heart disease were selected, giving 7,095 participants.

The researchers collected data on heart risk factors like age, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking and diabetes and also asked participants how many hours they worked-including work during the day and work brought home-on an average weekday. During the 11-year study, 192 participants had heart attacks. Those who worked 11 hours or more a day were 67 percent more likely to have a heart attack than those with fewer hours. — Reuters

Ex-PM reappointed to form 7th cabinet Continued from Page 1 be defeated because most of the lawmakers and the people solidly back Sheikh Nasser. MP Saadoun Hammad called on all to respect the Amir’s decision in renaming Sheikh Nasser to form a new cabinet. He called on the premier not to rush in his selection of the new ministers, saying that the new cabinet should include highly-qualified ministers ready to work together.

MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri, who voted against the prime minister in January, said the people are looking for a government that respects the

constitution and applies it, fights against financial and administrative corruption and does not squander public funds. He said the new government should work for safeguarding national unity and should serve public interests away from any influence. MP Mubarak Al-Waalan, who supported the premier’s grilling, said that renaming Sheikh Nasser to lead the next cabinet is respected since it is in line with the constitution. But he said that others should not be worried if MPs use their constitutional tools against the cabinet, including grillings.

The Popular Action Bloc has

vowed that it will grill Sheikh Nasser over allegations of squandering public funds and incompetence if he was reappointed as premier. Soon after announcing the decision, youth group Kafi, or enough in Arabic, called on Sheikh Nasser to decline the offer to form the new cabinet and called on its members to assemble outside the National Assembly. All the previous six cabinets that Sheikh Nasser headed were forced to resign either over disputes with the National Assembly or after general elections. The sixth cabinet, formed in May 2009, was his longest serving cabinet.

“Regarding Mussa Kussa, he said: ‘I’m on a travel ban list and I’m sick and I have to go every three months to Cromwell hospital, in London, if I can get permission. I want to go there,’ so ... and we allow him to go to Djerba, in Tunisia, so there’s nothing against that,” the younger Gaddafi said. He added: “We have been bombed for two weeks, imagine the psychological pressure and you are sick and old, so you resign. It’s a war.” Asked what information Kussa might provide the West, Seif al-Islam said: “He’s sick, he’s sick and old, of course, he would come out with funny stories.”

But he dismissed the idea Kussa might have secrets to share, for instance on the extent of the involvement of the Libyan intelligence services, in which he was long a senior figure, in the December 1988 bombing of a US airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 270 people. “Like what? The British and Americans know about Lockerbie, there’s no secrets anymore,” the son said. Scottish investigators expect to interview Kussa over the bombing within “the next few days”, a spokesman for the nation’s devolved government said after talks with British foreign ministry officials.

Gaddafi’s forces pushed back rebels from the oil refinery town of Brega on the central Mediterranean coast despite a NATO air strike on loyalists who launched an intensive artillery barrage at their fleeing foes. Heavy fighting erupted in the morning around Brega, with rebels using rocket launchers to counter the incoming artillery barrage of loyalists. But by afternoon, the rebels were seen pulling back in hundreds of vehicles in the direction of Ajdabiya, a transport hub about 80 kilometers back towards their stronghold of Benghazi.

Yesterday’s thrust by the loyalists appeared to mark the first real movement in the ground battle since last Thursday, when the two sides hunkered down around Brega after Gaddafi’s forces sent the rebels stampeding out of a string of vital oil terminals.

Gaddafi’s heavier weaponry has been hard hit by UN-backed strikes, now under the command of the NATO alliance as Washington has moved to give the lead to its European allies.

“We have taken out 30 percent of military capacity of proGaddafi forces,” said Brigadier General Mark van Uhm, citing an assessment by the Libya operation’s commander, Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard. — AFP

‘Gagarin mission’; Astronauts blast off Continued from Page 1 “Lebanese government authorities are not able to guarantee protection for citizens or visitors to the country should violence erupt suddenly. Access to borders, airports, and seaports can be interrupted with little or no warning.” The ability of US government personnel to

provide emergency services “may at times be severely limited.” The State Department, which issued a similar warning last October, also cautioned US citizens about kidnappings. It noted that seven Estonian bicyclists were kidnapped in the Bekaa Valley on March 23. The event was “pre-planned and well coordinated,” the warning said.— AFP

Ivory Coast’s Gbagbo huddled in a bunker Continued from Page 1 He is alone now, he is in his bunker with a handful of supporters and family members. So is he going to last or not? I don’t know.” Toure said that the UN had received phone calls yesterday from the three main Gbagbo-allied generals, saying they were planning to order their troops to stop fighting.

“They asked us to accept arms and ammunition from the troops and to provide them protection,” he said. French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet also told a Paris news conference yesterday that he hoped the situation would be resolved within hours.

The offensive that began Monday included air attacks on the presidential residence and three strategic military garrisons, marking an unprecedented escalation in the international community’s efforts to oust Gbagbo, as pro-Ouattara fighters pushed their way to the heart of the city to reach Gbagbo’s home. President Barack Obama said yesterday he welcomed the role of the UN and French forces in Ivory Coast, also known by its French name Cote d’Ivoire.

“To end this violence and prevent more bloodshed, former President Gbagbo must stand down immediately, and direct those who are fighting on his behalf to lay down their arms,” Obama said in a statement. “Every day that the fighting persists will bring more suffering, and further delay the future of peace and prosperity that the people of Cote d’Ivoire deserve.” Gbagbo refused to cede power to Ouattara even as the world’s largest cocoa producer teetered on the

brink of all-out civil war as the political crisis drew out, with both men claiming the presidency. Ouattara has tried to rule from a lagoonside hotel.

Yesterday, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council again urged Gbagbo to cede power immediately to Ouattara “in order to curtail the suffering of the Ivorian people.” The French foreign minister said negotiations with Gbagbo and his family were ongoing. “His adviser, Alcide Djedje, who is presented as his foreign minister, has arrived at the French Embassy and he’s in the process of discussions on conditions of Gbagbo’s departure,” Juppe said from France.

Even before the offensive, postelection violence had left hundreds dead - most of them Ouattara supporters and forced up to 1 million people to flee their homes. Ivory Coast gained independence from France in 1960, and some 20,000 French citizens still lived there when a brief civil war broke out in 2002. French troops were then tasked by the UN with monitoring a cease-fire and protecting foreign nationals in Ivory Coast, which was once an economic star and is still one of the only countries in the region with four-lane highways, skyscrapers, escalators and wine bars.

Following four months of attempts to negotiate Gbagbo’s departure, the UN Security Council unanimously passed an especially strong resolution giving the 12,000-strong peacekeeping operation the right “to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence ... including to prevent the use of heavy weapons against the civilian population.” — AP

KPC sets $90 bn oil investment budget Continued from Page 1 service agreement with oil major ExxonMobil are expected to be concluded by the summer.

Meanwhile, development is running behind schedule on the disputed Dorra natural gas field, part of Kuwait’s plans to use gas to reduce domestic oil consumption, a senior executive from Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) said yesterday. “We are slightly behind schedule, the budgets are all in place,” said Hashim Al-Rifai.

Development of Dorra, which is one of the fields jointly operated by Kuwait and neighboring Saudi Arabia, is currently being slowed by a lack of agreement between the two sides over the route the pipeline from the field will take, Rifai explained. Kuwait plans to nearly quadruple its gas output to more than 4 billion cubic feet per day (cfd) by 2030. It has not given a precise figure for gas output from Dorra, which is shared with Iran.

Dorra has been a bone of contention between Kuwait and Tehran since the 1960s and the two have yet to strike a deal on how to develop it.

Kuwait and other major oil producers in the region are anxious to increase the amount of gas they produce to slow the rapid growth of domestic oil consumption for power generation and other applications. The Middle East sits on an estimated 40 percent of the world’s natural gas reserves but every country but Qatar is not producing as much natural gas as it could consume.

Dorra is one of the fields operated by the Al-Khafji Joint Operations Company (KJO) split between Aramco Gulf Operations, a subsidiary of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, and Kuwait Gulf Oil Co (KGOC), a unit of KPC. Rifai said drilling at Dorra, set to begin in 2013, was still on schedule and on track to begin as planned although political problems could still prove an obstacle.

Kuwait has increased imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to help meet local demand. Rifai said the country will import 0.5 billion cfd of LNG from March to November this year.

In another development, Kuwait is in talks with BP Plc and other major energy companies over a possible role in its $9 billion refining joint venture with Sinopec in China, a Kuwaiti official

said yesterday. Mohammed Jasem, vice president and chief planning officer for Kuwait Petroleum International, the overseas arm of the state oil company, told reporters Kuwait hoped to conclude the partner selection process by May. “We are not at the final stage.

Along with BP there are others,” Jassem said. “The door is open for whoever is potentially interested.”

The $9 billion refinery and petrochemical project was approved by Beijing last month and is par t of Kuwait’s aim of more than doubling crude exports to China to 500,000 barrels per day. The project consists of a 300,000 bpd refinery and a 1 million ton-per-year ethylene cracker.

Kuwait and Sincopec are equal partners in the project. Kuwait exported less than 200,000 bpd to China in 2010 but Beijing is keen to lock in future oil supplies to feed its booming economy. A third partner would be expected to bring financing to the project. Kuwait held talks in 2009 with Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Dow Chemical Co over a role in the project in 2009 but no deal with either firm was reached. — Agencies

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

sp orts

BRUSSELS: Kim Clijsters will be sidelined for a month with shoulder and wrist injuries, forcing her out of Belgium’s Fed Cup semifinal next week against the Czech Republic. The US Open and Australian Open champion said a busy spring schedule overexerted her right shoulder and wrist. She will not be able to hold a tennis racket for the next couple of weeks while she recovers. Clijsters will also miss the Madrid Open in the first week of May but hopes to resume her season on clay in Rome on May 9, giving her two weeks to prepare for the French Open. “I don’t want to force anything,” she said on her website. “I want to avoid at all cost that this becomes chronic.”

Despite promises to take it easy and limit her tournaments, Clijsters acknowledged she had already taken on too much this year.

After she capped a stint Down Under with victory in the Australian Open, she played Fed Cup and Paris in February before moving to the United States for two long tournaments. —AFP

Lithuania bans marathon champ

C’wealth Games Federation denies Indian report

Clijsters out for a month

NEW DELHI: The Commonwealth Games Federation yesterday dismissed an Indian government report investigating last year’s competition in New Delhi, saying that some of the findings were inaccurate and unfair.

The report, which was commissioned amid an uproar over alleged corruption surrounding the 2010 Commonwealth Games, says delays, administrative inefficiency and wasteful spending cost India’s government $355 million.

“In so far as the reports relate to the CGF or its role in the organization of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, there are numerous statements

contained in the reports which are inaccurate and unsubstantiated,” the Britain-based federation said in an emailed statement.

“Many of the opinions expressed in the report relating to the CGF also lack context and fairness.” The report was submitted last week by a twoperson committee headed by former government auditor VK Shunglu.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said several ministries are reviewing the findings, including its recommendation of an official investigation. The committee itself is only exploratory, and has no power to file charges or order investigations. —AP

VILNIUS: European women’s marathon champion Zivile Balciunaite was yesterday hit with a two-year competition ban after being found guilty of doping, Lithuania’s athletics federation said.

“The verdict has been issued. Zivile Balciunaite is guilty,” the federation’s secretary general Nijole Medvedeva told AFP, confirming the two-year penalty.

Lithuanian Balciunaite was provisionally suspended by her home federation in October after a urine sample-taken after her European title win in Barcelona in July-revealed abnormal levels in the ratio between the male sex hormone testosterone and epitestosterone.

Both testosterone and epitestosterone occur naturally in women but an increased level of testosterone can indicate it has been administered artificially. —AFP

Braves roll over Brewers

BALTIMORE: Baltimore Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis (center) celebrates with Felix Pie (left) and Adam Jones after the Orioles’ 5-1 win over the Detroit Tigers. — AP

Tigers lose to Orioles BALTIMORE: Brian Roberts hit a three-run homer and Jake Arrieta allowed one run in six innings as the unbeaten Baltimore Orioles thrilled a sellout crowd in their home opener by defeating the Detroit Tigers 5-1 Monday.

On a gorgeous afternoon at Camden Yards, the Orioles extended a surprising winning streak that began with a threegame sweep at Tampa Bay. Off to its best start since 1997, Baltimore (4-0) has not yet trailed, hasn’t given up more than one run in a game and has outscored the competition 17-4.

With the score tied at 1-1 in the fifth, Felix Pie walked and went to third on a double by J.J. Hardy before Roberts hit a 12 pitch from Rick Porcello (0-1) over the wall in right-center. Roberts has Baltimore’s only two home runs this season.

Nick Markakis followed with his third hit, a double, and Matt Wieters delivered a twoout RBI single for a 5-1 lead.

Yankees 4, Twins 3 At New York, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada each hit a two-run homer and rookie Ivan Nova kept New York ahead in a win over Minnesota.

Joba Chamberlain, Rafael Soriano and Mariano Rivera each pitched a scoreless inning to close the Yankees’ 15th victory in

their last 16 home tries against Minnesota — that includes wins in New York’s opening-round playoff sweeps over the Twins the last two years.

Rodriguez lined his 615th homer in the first, then Posada connected the next inning for his third home run in two days.

The shots off Scott Baker (0-1) gave the Yankees 11 home runs through their first four games. Jim Thome had a two-run double for the Twins.

Rangers 6, Mariners 4 At Arlington, Texas, Nelson Cruz became the third player in major league history to hit home runs in the first four games of a season as Texas beat Seattle to remain one of four unbeaten teams in the big leagues.

Texas (4-0) is off to its best start since opening 7-0 in 1996, following up a threegame weekend sweep of Boston. Cruz joined Willie Mays (1971) and Mark McGwire (1998) as the only players to go deep in each of their first four games of a season.

Derek Holland (1-0) allowed three runs and seven hits with five strikeouts in six innings. Neftali Feliz worked a perfect ninth for his first save. Elvis Andrus got the Rangers rolling in the first inning with his first homer in 705 at-bats. Julio Borbon had a two-run triple. — AP

KOTC Shooting tournament KUWAIT: Shooters began training for the upcoming Kuwait Oil Tankers Company tournament which will start tomorrow. Shooters from the Shooting club, police, national guard and army will participate in the skeet, trap, double trap and archery. Shooters from the shooting school will also participate.

Official practice will start tomorrow morning for all groups from 9.00 am until noon.

Kuwait Shooting Sport Club treasurer Essa bu Taiban said he is satisfied with the efforts of the organizers of the KOTC tournament and hoped that competition will be as strong as it was in the previous tournaments.

Bu Taiban asked the shooters to utilize the support they are receiving from the chairman and board members in order to achieve the best results possi-

Essa bu Taiban ble both in Kuwait and abroad. He thanked KOTC for its support and continued sponsorship of the shooting sport activities.

MILWAUKEE: Martin Prado and Dan Uggla homered off Takashi Saito in the eighth inning, rallying the Atlanta Braves to a 2-1 victor y and spoiling the Milwaukee Brewers’ home opener on Monday.

Rickie Weeks continued his impressive start for winless Milwaukee with his third homer. But the Brewers are 0-4 after getting swept at Cincinnati to begin the season. Peter Moylan (1-0) got three outs to earn the win and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.

Prado equalized with his leadoff drive in the eighth. Saito (0-1) got two outs before Uggla hit a deep fly to left-center that hit off the top of the wall and bounced over. Atlanta starter Brandon Beachy and Milwaukee’s Chris Narveson each tossed six sparkling innings.

Cubs 4, D’backs 1 At Chicago, Randy Wells overcame a shaky start to pitch six solid innings and Kerry Wood escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth as Chicago beat Arizona.

Alfonso Soriano homered and drove in two runs for the Cubs. Carlos Marmol, who blew a save in Sunday’s loss to the Pirates, worked the ninth for his second of the season.

Wells (1-0), hoping to regain the form of his 2009 rookie season, outpitched Diamondbacks left-hander Joe Saunders (0-1) on an overcast afternoon at Wrigley Field. Willie Bloomquist hit his first career leadoff homer for Arizona.

Pirates 4, Cardinals 3 At St. Louis, Charlie Morton won his first road game since the end of 2009 in a 47-degree chill as Pittsburgh stunned St. Louis starter Kyle Lohse with a four-run sixth inning. In a span of four pitches, Lohse (0-1) issued his first walk all year, then allowed Neil Walker’s two-run double and Andrew McCutchen’s second homer to put Pittsburgh ahead 4-1.

Joel Hanrahan got four outs to preserve a one-run lead for his third save in three chances for the Pirates, who are 3-1 on the road to start the year after going a major league-worst 17-64 away from home last season.

The Cardinals were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and 2 for 16 with men on base against Morton (1-0) and four relievers. Albert Pujols was 0 for 3 with a walk and is 2 for 16 with a homer and one RBI thus far. —AP

MILWAUKEE: Atlanta Braves’ Dan Uggla hits the game winning home run in the 8th inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers. — AP

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results and standings on Monday.

Atlanta 2, Milwaukee 1; Chicago Cubs 4, Arizona 1; Baltimore 5, Detroit 1; NY Yankees 4, Minnesota 3; Texas 6, Seattle 4; Pittsburgh 4, St. Louis 3.

American League Eastern Division W L PCT Baltimore 4 0 1.000 NY Yankees 3 1 .750 Toronto 2 1 .667 Tampa Bay 0 3 0 Boston 0 3 0 Central Division Kansas City 3 1 .750 Chicago White Sox 2 1 .667 Cleveland 1 2 .333 Minnesota 1 3 .250 Detroit 1 3 .250 Western Division Texas 4 0 1.000 Seattle 2 2 .500 Oakland 1 2 .333 LA Angels 1 3 .250

GB 1 1.5 3.5 3.5 0.5 1.5 2 2 2 2.5 3

National League Eastern Division Philadelphia 3 0 1.000 Atlanta 3 1 .750 NY Mets 2 1 .667 Washington 1 2 .333 Florida 1 2 .333 Central Division Cincinnati 3 0 1.000 Pittsburgh 3 1 .750 Chicago Cubs 2 2 .500 St. Louis 1 3 .250 Houston 0 3 0 Milwaukee 0 4 0 Western Division LA Dodgers 3 1 .750 San Diego 2 1 .667 Colorado 1 1 .500 Arizona 1 2 .333 San Francisco 1 3 .250

0.5 1 2 2 0.5 1.5 2.5 3 3.5 0.5 1 1.5 2

Carberry hoping for lady luck in National LONDON: Nina Carberry has watched two members of her family celebrate Grand National success and would dearly love to add to their triumphs on Saturday by becoming the first female jockey to win the world famous steeplechase.

Like Red Rum and Ginger McCain, the Carberry name will always have a special association with Aintree and the National. Dad Tommy won as a jockey on L’Escargot in 1975, then as a trainer in 1999 with Bobbyjo, ridden to victory by son Paul.

Daughter Nina was then a teenager caught up in the “amazing” celebrations, both at Aintree and at home in County Meath in Ireland, that followed Bobbyjo’s triumph.

Now, as an acclaimed rider herself, 26-yearold Nina is reunited with 33-1 chance Character Building, who she steered to seventh place last year in only her second National ride. She finished ninth on her first attempt with Forest Gunner in 2006.

“I’m very grateful to the owner and trainer (John Quinn) to put me back up (on Character Building),” Carberry, widely considered to be the most talented female jump jockey, told Reuters.

“I thought we had a good chance last year and we’re going in with the same type of chance this year. “The trainer thinks he is even better prepared so hopefully we’ll get a bit closer.”

Carberry is one of only 14 women to have ridden in the race first run in 1839 and said it would be her “biggest dream” to emulate her father and brother’s successes.

“It was a great day. It was great to be part of it ... massive to have your dad and brother as winners of the Grand National ... amazing,” she said.

“It’s a big lottery of a race so everyone wants to get around safe and sound. If you’re

not in you can’t win.”

In a remarkable family bloodline, two other siblings- Philip and Peter John-are also jumps jockeys. Only Nina and Paul have a National ride this year, with Paul, 37, on the well-supported Backstage.

“I look to see him (Paul) do well and I’m sure he wants me to do well,” she said. “Any jockey wants to be strong in a finish and make the right decisions in a race. I model myself on Paul.”

Carberry, backed by the powerful Noel Meade stable, has ridden over 200 winners

since celebrating her first as a 16-year-old.

In 2005 she became the first female rider to win at the Cheltenham Festival for 18 years when she rode Dabiroun to victory in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, but despite a string of big-race wins since, she has no plans to turn professional. “I’m happy enough at the minute ... I prefer to be doing what I am doing,” she said.

“I have Noel Meade behind me as an amateur so I’m better off being as I am. I’m not going to turn professional in the near future.” —Reuters

Thanou and Kenteris guilty, says prosecutor ATHENS: Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou and their coach Christos Tzekos should be found guilty of giving false statements to authorities before the 2004 Athens Olympics in a doping probe, the Athens prosecutor told a court yesterday.

The two Sydney 2000 Olympic sprint medallists and their coach are accused of staging a motorcycle crash on the eve of their home Games to avoid a drugs test.

In his summary, Athens public prosecutor Giorgos Petros told a court that “there is no evidence that there was an accident. The police found no trace of an accident at the scene where the two athletes claimed it took place.”

The pair were taken to hospital after the accident where they stayed several days but the prosecutor added that there was no evidence that they had suffered head injuries as claimed.

He also stated that the banned stimulant

ephedrine and androgen steroids were found in a warehouse of Tzekos.

The prosecutor requested that the doctors involved be found guilty of misconduct although acknowledging that they made decisions in difficult circumstances with two huge figures in Greek sport in front of them.

Kenteris, who won the 200m gold medal at the Sydney Olympics, and 100m silver medallist Thanou, were regarded as Greece’s best hopes of success in track and field at their home Olympics.

The episode cast a pall over the entire Games and was regarded by Olympic watchers as the biggest scandal to hit the event since the 1988 Ben Johnson affair when the 100m sprint champion gave a positive doping test after winning gold. The trial of Kenteris and Thanou, which took years to start after frequent postponements, began in January and has already been held up due to the absence of witnesses. —Reuters

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

S P ORT S

Player tips Mickelson as favorite AUGUSTA: Golfing great Gary Player regards holder

Phil Mickelson as the favorite for this week’s US Masters but he also has “a feeling” Ireland’s Rory McIlroy will flourish in the season’s opening major.

American left-hander Mickelson shortened his odds on winning a fifth major title with a three-shot victory at the Houston Open on Sunday while McIlroy is viewed by many as a future world number one.

“Phil Mickelson winning yesterday is a very significant thing,” Player, 75, told Reuters at a sun-splashed Augusta National on Monday. “It’s given him coming in here a big psychological lift.

“He’s got to be saying: ‘I’m going to win.’ It’s a feeling you get and it’s a positive feeling that you have and either you have it or you don’t. It’s not something you can say you manufacture. It’s a gift.

“Without a question Phil is the favourite right now.” However South African Player singled out the 21-year-old McIlroy as his pick for success this week.

“Rory McIlroy is so talented,” said the nine-times major champion. “I’ve got a feeling about him. I don’t know why. “He is ready to come through. I just love the way he plays golf. However we don’t know how he will rise to the occasion if he comes down the line (on Sunday) and he’s leading.

“You never know who has got what I call the ingredients. The swing is not the thing. It’s what’s inside that makes you win. You don’t know if you have it until you are tested.”

McIlroy is yet to win a major title but the world number nine is one of the most exciting players in the game with his high ball flight and ability to shoot very low numbers.

The mop-haired Irishman catapulted into the limelight with a stunning maiden PGA Tour victory at last year’s Quail Hollow Championship, where he won by four strokes after firing a course record 10under-par 62 in the final round.

Player, who was one of golf’s so-called ‘Big Three’ with fellow greats Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer in the 1960s, was less certain about Tiger Woods’s prospects this week.

The American former world number one, who has lifted the prized green jacket on four occasions at Augusta National, has slipped to seventh in the rankings and has not triumphed anywhere since the 2009 Australian Masters.

“I am surprised he has not won since then but his swing has been out of kilter,” Player said of 14-times major champion Woods, who began working on the fourth swing change of his career last August after the break-up of his marriage.

“He’s been to quite a few different (swing) coaches and I think that’s the thing you’ve got to be careful, that you don’t get paralysis by analysis. Change is

AUGUSTA: Phil Mickelson hits at the driving range before his practice round for the Masters golf tournament. —AP

okay as long as you’re making the right change.

“Particularly over the last year, I have noticed quite a few flaws in his swing, in my opinion. But golf is like genetics. You know a hang of a lot about nothing.”

Player, a three-times Masters champion, felt Woods was still capable of enhancing his reputation as the greatest scorer of all time.

“Of all the super stars that I have seen, Tiger Woods was on his way to being the best scorer that ever lived,” he said. “The best player that ever lived was Ben Hogan. But that’s not what they pay you for.

They pay you for a score.

“Golf is a humbling game and you don’t know if it (form) will come back. But I’ve always said if anybody was going to break (Jack) Nicklaus’s record (of 18 majors) it would be Tiger.

“It’s food for thought now. Will he do it? The man is very focused and he has a passion, but you don’t know what happening inside. You can give an opinion but none of us really know.” The 75th Masters starts tomorrow. —Reuters

K’S PATH holds fundraiser Go-Karting KUWAIT: K’S PATH (Kuwait Society

for Protection of Animals and Their Habitat) - formerly known as Animal Friends Kuwait - recently held an exciting fundraiser Go-Karting event at Pro Kart Racing sponsored

by Porsche Approved Pre-Owned the division of Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company.

The fun-filled evening saw over 50 families and community supporters, both racers at the track and spectators cheering along. Proceeds from the fundraiser go towards the welfare of K’S PATH’s animals, upkeep of the shelter and support K’S PATH’s many community initiatives.

In the true spirit of sportsmanship all for a good cause, six enthusiastic racing teams took to the tracks in practice rounds of four laps to later compete in racing rounds of three laps. Exclusive racing rounds were held for women and men to recognize the fastest and slowest lap in each category.

Eight racers across all teams scoring the fastest lap competed in the grand finale race for the coveted title of fastest circuit racer. DJ Omy spun his music to root for racers while the youngest child racer inaugurated the track by being the first to go-kart a lap under the vigilance of trained go-karting coaches and support staff.

The eventful fundraiser closed with a felicitation ceremony where K’S PATH Chief Operating Officer and Shelter Manager Hanna Al Mansour awarded winners across categories with fabulous prizes courtesy of patrons such as Movenpick, Al Corniche Club, Kefan Optics, and Organica Fish and Chips.

K’S PATH’s fundraisers centre on activities that the community loves and engage the entire family, such as outdoors and extreme sports.

Past fundraisers along these lines include a Golf tournament held in late 2010 at the Sahara Golf Club.

AUGUSTA: A green jacket defined

the golden era of European golf.

For the better part of two decades, Europeans seemed to have partownership of Augusta National by winning the Masters six times in a seven-year stretch, and 11 times in the 1980s and 1990s.

Seve Ballesteros was the first European in a green jacket. Nick Faldo won three times. Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Olazabal each won twice. Perhaps it was only fitting that when the world ranking made its debut in 1986 at the Masters, the top three were Europeans.

“It would be nice to recreate some of that magic,” Justin Rose said Monday under the large oak tree next to the Augusta National clubhouse. “And I think this is as good a time as any.” On paper, European golf has never been stronger.

They have won two of the last three majors — Martin Kaymer in a playoff at the PGA Championship, Graeme McDowell at Pebble Beach in the US Open. Padraig Harrington was the last player to win successive majors, at the end of 2008.

And then there’s the world ranking.

Europe would have had the top five spots except for Phil Mickelson winning the Houston Open to go to No. 3. As it is, K aymer and Westwood are Nos. 1 and 2, with Luke Donald, McDowell and Paul Casey at Nos. 4-5-6. Tiger Woods is at No. 7. About the only thing missing from this new era of European dominance is a green jacket.

“I t ’s been too long,” said Ian Poulter, among those determined to change this trend. “There’s more guys with more chances.” Olazabal was the last European to win the Masters, holding off Greg Norman in the final round in 1999.

A year later, no Europeans were among the top 10 at the Masters, and none came particularly close to winning except for Westwood last year when he was runner-up by three shots to Mickelson. Europe now seems more poised than ever.

In the middle of that great European run from two decades ago, they had four of the top 10 in the world. Now there are six Europeans in the top 10, and nine of the top 20.

“If you look at the guys who compete week in and week out, we’ve got more now than what we had 15 years ago,” Poulter said.

“There’s definitely more of a chance now. But you’ve got a lot of good players to go up again. Tiger and Phil have won quite a few of these jackets over the last few years.”

Woods and Mickelson have combined to win six of the last 10

AUGUSTA: Hiroyuki Fujita of Japan hits out of a trap on the second green during a practice round for the Masters golf tournament. —AP

times at the Masters, although it’s Mickelson who comes into the first major as the biggest favorite. Not only is he the defining champion, Mickelson made 18 birdies on the weekend to win in Houston. For a tournament that had lacked a clear favorite, it has one now.

“I t seems that ever yone has pretty much got Mickelson in the green jacket Sunday evening and there’s not much use in turning up at this point,” McDowell said with a grin. “He’s a great player around Augusta, and if you finish ahead of him, you’ve got a decent chance.”

All McDowell wants is a shot on the back nine Sunday.

That would be a good starting point for Europe to win the only major that has eluded him over the last 12 years. Westwood was just starting to get good as a junior when Faldo won the Masters in back-to-back years. Then came Woosnam in 1991, winning with a par on the 18th hole in a year in which Olazabal and Tom Watson were tied for the lead going to the last hole.

Francesco Molinari remembers Olazabal coming back from a career-threatening injury to win in 1999. “For every European, it was inspiring,” Molinari said. “It’s been awhile, but I think we’re ready for another run.”

Poulter was folding shirts and selling candy bars in a golf shop in England toward the end of the European run. He remembers Woosnam winning, and Langer and Olazabal in back-to-back years. And no one could forget Faldo winning his last green jacket in 1996 when he rallied from a six-shot deficit against Greg Norman. “They were just so strong,” Poulter said.

“They were on the board every

year. They were the best in the game around that era. I guess it’s been a while since you’ve had those guys back in that position.

But if you look at Europe in the world ranking now, we’ve filled that back with guys who are definitely going to have a chance.”

Poulter and Westwood shared the 36-hole lead a year ago.

Westwood fought to the end, while Poulter faltered. It would be surprising if Europe didn’t show itself when the Masters begins on Thursday. Donald, Casey and Rose each have flirted with contention over the years, and Harrington appeared to take a step forward last week with his play in Houston.

The best proof is not the names, but the numbers. Beyond the ranking, Europeans keep showing up at the top of World Golf Championships — Donald, Molinari and Poulter have won three of the last five. And then there was that little exhibition at Celtic Manor last October, with Europe winning the Ryder Cup again.

Now comes the first major of the year. What once were hopes for Europe now are expectations.

“There’s no shortage of great players, especially in Britain and Ireland,” said McDowell, who played a full practice round Monday with Poulter and Rose.

This current crop of European players has been compared with Woosie, Ollie, Ballesteros, Lyle, Faldo and Langer. I think if you compared them with this crop, yeah, you’ve got to start suggesting that it’s time to start winning the Masters.

“There’s no doubt we’ve got the talent. We’ve got the players,” he said. “But it’s tough to win.”—AP

Olympic amateurs may ditch their headguards

‘Gold at London 2012 will equal slam’ LONDON: A gold medal at London 2012 will mean just as much as any grand slam title, international tennis chief Francesco Ricci Bitti said yesterday as he made a staunch defence of his sport’s Olympic credentials.

The Italian president of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) also said Wimbledon’s grasscourts would be the perfect stage provided the sun shines on the oneweek tournament that will offer mixed doubles medals for the first time since 1924.

“When I talk to the players, in terms of pure tennis then a grand slam win is the pinnacle but in terms of memories then I know Rafael Nadal regards winning the gold medal in Beijing as one of his most special ones,” he told Reuters at a convention of sports leaders in London.

“It’s not like a usual tennis tournament and it’s great that these top players feel like that.” American Andy Roddick skipped the Beijing Olympic to concentrate on the US Open while Britain’s Andy Murray bowed out in the first round but Ricci Bitti believes the allure of Wimbledon will mean all the top players show up. “I believe that there is not one player who doesn’t consider the Olympics impor-

Europe poised for another run for the green jacket

tant,” he said. “When you consider we only came back as a medal sport in 1988 we have achieved that much earlier than expected. I think tennis needs the Olympics and the Olympics needs tennis in equal measure.”

While Ricci Bitti, a former international tennis player himself and now an IOC member, says grass is the “natural” fit for Olympic tennis, he is concerned the schedule will be tight with players competing in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. With only Centre Court boasting a roof and lights, any repeat of the rain experienced in Beijing in 2008 would make it especially hard to cram in what is effectively a grand slam tournament in a week rather than a fortnight.

“The schedule with the mixed doubles is going to be tough,” he said. “We need very good weather the first day so that the losers in the singles can be committed to doubles and mixed doubles.

“Play will start a bit earlier than at the Wimbledon championships but we can’t do it too early because of the dew.

“The other problem at the Olympics is that the matches tend to go on longer because nobody wants to lose, even in doubles, when medals are at stake.” —Reuters

LONDON: Amateur boxing would like to get rid of headguards after next year’s London Olympics in a move that will take the sport ever closer to the professional version.

International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) president Wu Ching-Kuo also told Reuters in an interview that London 2012 will have a new scoring system to ensure fights cannot be manipulated.

The changes to scoring, making each ringside judge openly accountable for his actions, will be welcomed but any move to ditch head protection is sure to be controversial with the medical profession.

Wu said however that AIBA’s new World Series of Boxing, which features bare -chested boxers without headguards and paid prize money, had led to a rethink of the traditional amateur approach.

“I took a very big step introducing the WSB, introducing the professional competition with no headguard and no vest,” declared the Taiwanese.

“This is very much a test. The reason I can take this test is because the material for the gloves has been improved tremendously. The material absorbs a lot of this impact. “ The boxers are so happy.

Without headguards they suddenly feel completely relaxed.

It’s a relief from this very tight thing on the head,” he added, speaking at the SportAccord convention in London.

Wu said AIBA’s medical commission planned to collate data from the first three seasons of

WSB and then present it to the International Olympic Committee.

The first season, involving 12 city-based franchises around the world from Los Angeles to Astana, had seen only five or six knockouts from 360 bouts.

“In 2013, we will evaluate and then present it to the IOC medical commission,” said Wu. “They will examine our data and the evidence we have collected. If they feel comfor table, then maybe (headguards will go).

“I think if you ask everybody involved in boxing, nobody likes it (headguards),” he added. “For me, as president of the AIBA, I want to go step by step. It must be fully proven that safety is no problem. “We will still need to keep the vest for amateur boxing because of the countr y name.”

Wu said AIBA had devised a new electronic scoring system to replace the one used at the 2008 Beijing Games, where there was fear that members of the organisation or competition officials had tried to manipulate bouts. “ The past scoring machine was if three of the five judges push the same colour button within one second, you get one point. We found out this still has room for manipulation...so we wanted a new machine,” he declared.

“After research and testing it is now ready. “So we are sending it to all the national federations now. If the judge pushes the button, he has to be responsible. His personal score will be recorded. It is open, so he has to

be very careful and responsible.”

Wu said the system would be used for the first time later this month at the women’s world junior championships in Turkey and then the men’s world championships.

“The IOC is so happy to see it,” he said. “We have spent a lot of time and money to develop this new system.” The WSB series, with $500,000 in prize money for the winning team, has blurred the lines between professional boxing and what AIBA nowadays prefer to call Olympic-style rather than amateur. That distinction could become even cloudier in future.

Wu hinted that AIBA could one day sanction full professional fights, under their own rules and carefully-controlled conditions.

“Now we have WSB, step by step,” he said. “ The Olympic medals are awarded to the best athletes. The gold have to be awarded to the best athletes in that sport. If the professional boxing is not in the Olympics, people wonder if that boxer is the best-just like in tennis in the past.

“For us maybe the sports are different because we are concerned with safety and we have to be very cautious, step by step, evaluation all the time.

“If they (amateur boxers) join the WBC, WBA, they can never come back to AIBA. It may be that one day in the future AIBA have their own professionals but not now.

We have to concentrate on WSB, make sure it is successful.

Maybe in the future.” —Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

sp orts

Departing Kirsten hails Dhoni as best leader

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara prepares to leave after addressing the media in Colombo. —AP

Sangakkara quits as ODI and T20 captain NEW DELHI: Kumar Sangakkara has stood down as captain of Sri Lanka’s limited overs team after their World Cup final loss to India on Saturday but plans to carry on as the interim test skipper until a replacement is found.

The 33-year-old led by example at the World Cup, finishing as the third highest scorer with 465 runs behind team mate Tillakaratne Dilshan (500), who many pundits believe may succeed him as the next captain, and Indian Sachin Tendulkar (482).

“I would like to announce that after careful consideration I have concluded that it is in the best long-term interests of the team that I step down now as national captain,” Sangakkara said in a statement on the Sri Lanka team website (www.srilankacricket.lk) yesterday.

“I met with the selectors on Monday and I explained my reasons for my decision and I assured them of my fullest support in helping our new captain settle into the leadership.

“I have offered to continue as the Test captain for the forthcoming series with England and possibly Australia if the selectors believe this would help the

new captain and aid the transition.”

The left-hander, however, dismissed any talk of retirement. “I have no plans for retirement from international cricket at this stage and subject to form and fitness I would like to be considered for selection in all three formats of the game for the foreseeable future,” the wicketkeeper-batsman said.

Sangakkara took over the captaincy reins from Mahela Jayawardene in 2009 and under him, Sri Lanka won five of their 14 test matches and 27 out of 45 one-day internationals.

Sangakkara said he made the decision prior to the World Cup jointly hosted by Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh. “I will be 37 by the next World Cup and I cannot therefore be sure of my place in the team. It is better that Sri Lanka is led now by a player who will be at the peak of their career during that tournament,” he said.

“It has been a true honor and a great privilege to serve my country as captain during the past two years and, although bitterly disappointed that we could not win the final, I am very proud of the performance of the team.”—Reuters

India gears up for IPL after World Cup glory CHENNAI: Just six days after its national team sparked nationwide celebrations by winning the World Cup, India’s obsession with cricket will switch to the start of the money-spinning Indian Premier League when the Twenty20 event gets under way on Friday.

The euphoria since India beat Sri Lanka to secure the 50-over world title on Saturday can only be good news for the fourth edition of the IPL, which starts in Chennai after allegations of corruption prompted a change in management.

The league’s former head Lalit Modi has been suspended since April 2010 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which has been investigating bribery allegations in the 2008 auction for new IPL teams.

Modi was later replaced by Indian cricket board vice president Chirayu Amin. The IPL is the world’s richest cricket tournament, worth $4 billion in franchise fees and television rights. It has some of the best-known Bollywood cinema stars and billionaire tycoons among its owners, while several of the world’s top cricketers play in its teams.

Two new franchises — Kochi and Pune — joined in 2011 after bids worth a combined $703 million. The newcomers will increase the league to 10 teams and the number of matches from 60 to 74 for the April 8-May 28 event. Sahara Adventure Sports, part of the diversified Sahara Group, bought the rights for a team in the western city of Pune for $370 million, and called it Pune Warriors. A consortium called Rendezvous Sports World

won the franchise for the southern city of Kochi for $333 million and named it Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

Teams have also undergone an overhaul following the second player auction in January. Only 12 players were retained by five of the eight teams from their original squads.

Defending champion Chennai Super Kings retained Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, his compatriots Suresh Raina and Murali Vijay, and South African Albie Morkel — as it parted with half of the $9 million salary cap available to teams.

The 2010 finalist Mumbai Indians kept India stars Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, Sri Lankan pace bowler Lasith Malinga and West Indian allrounder Kieron Pollard for $4.5 million. India batting star Gautam Gambhir was the most expensive player at the auction, picked up for $2.4 million for two years by Kolkata Knight Riders. The team also bought Indian allrounder Yusuf Pathan for $2.1 million.

Among other top internationals at the high end of the bidding were Sri Lanka vice -captain Mahela Jayawardene, bought by Kochi for $1.5 million, Australian David Hussey, hired

by Punjab for $1.4 million and a South African trio — Dale Steyn, netted by Deccan Chargers for $1.2 million, AB de Villiers by Bangalore and Jacques Kallis by Kolkata for $1.1 million each.

Mukesh Ambani, who controls India’s most valuable company, Reliance Industries, and film actors Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty, all own teams in the IPL.—AP

MUMBAI: Departing India coach Gary Kirsten hailed World Cup winning-captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the best leader in contemporary cricket as he bid an emotional goodbye yesterday following a successful three years in charge.

The former South Africa opener, who refused an extension to his contract which ended at the completion of the World Cup, reckons Dhoni has a lot more to offer.

“I believe that he’s the best captain in world cricket today. He’s a leader by example,” Kirsten, who took over the reins of the India team in Dec. 2007, told reporters in his farewell news conference. “He expects his troops to be ready for battle. He’s calm and level-headed. I have never seen him lose his temper. If things don’t go well, he takes the responsibility.”

Kirsten, 43, was due to leave for South Africa yesterday after helping India become the number one test side and win the World Cup after a gap of 28 years in his first stint as a national coach.

“Tonight I leave with my wife to return home to South Africa. It has been a remarkable journey with Team India over the last three years,” an almost tearful Kirsten read from a statement.

“This will remain one of the most cherished experiences of my life. Believe me when I say that this is one of the hardest of goodbyes that I ever had to say.”

The cricketers and the India cricket board (BCCI) made repeated requests to him to stay on in the role but Kirsten refused to budge on his decision to return home to his family.

“I just want to take a break. Even I don’t know what I am going to do next,” Kirsten, dressed in a BCCI blazer and tie, told reporters. “I am going home to spend some time with my family. At some stage I have to

MUMBAI: Indian cricket team coach Gary Kirsten smiles during a press conference in Mumbai. —AP consider my future.

“I am very fortunate to receive a few offers.

I have turned them all down with a specific reason of wanting to have a good time after the Indian job and spend time with the family I have missed tremendously over the last three years.”

Kirsten, who scored 34 international hundreds during his playing days, said it will be difficult for the as yet unnamed new coach to maintain the high standards that have been set but he felt a strong foundation has been laid.

“We set our goals as a team way back in

October 2008. We wanted to become the number one-ranked test team in the world and win the World Cup,” he continued reading from a sheet of paper.

“We have achieved both of these goals, and the players of both the test team and World Cup squad can be extremely proud of this magnificent achievement. “It’s going to be tough for the new coach in terms of the standards that has been set by the team.

“There’s no reason why this team should not continue with success. The foundation has been set and there are some good young players coming through.”—Reuters

Ireland to fight ‘outrageous’ ICC World Cup decision DUBLIN: Ireland will fight the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) “outrageous” decision to shut them and other associate member nations out of the 2015 World Cup, the country’s cricket chief said yesterday.

The ICC has bowed to calls to shorten the tournament, limiting the next World Cup to the 10 full member nations before giving non test cricket playing countries the chance to qualify for the slimmed-down 2019 edition.

Ireland, the only associate side to cause an upset in last month’s World Cup when they beat England before bowing out at the group stage, said the sport’s governing body made the call purely for financial reasons.

“Clearly this demonstrates that there are no sporting principles being discussed at the board table, it’s purely about money and the protection of privilege. We think it’s a disgraceful decision,” Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom told Reuters.

“I was absolutely ashamed to be part of a mechanism which can permit decisions like this to be made,” Deutrom, an ICC committee member, added.

Ireland, who beat England by producing the tournament’s highest ever successful run-chase, upset Pakistan four years ago on their way to qualifying for the World Cup last eight for the first time.

The fact that Ireland have also been ranked 10th in the one-day world rankings for most of the last four years, ahead of full member nation Zimbabwe, makes the decision all the more outrageous, according to Deutrom.

“Some action is definitely required.

What way, shape or form that will take, it’s difficult to say but action will come.

We are simply going to have to examine all the possibilities,” he said, refusing to rule out legal action.

Deutrom, who has been giving as many interviews on the issue as when Ireland beat England in Bangalore, said he has received a “massive depth” of support from fellow associated sides as well as the sport’s biggest names.

New Australia captain Michael Clarke, former England skipper Michael Vaughan and England bowler Graeme Swann have all spoken out in favour of including the smaller teams.

Ex-England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff called it a terrible decision on his twitter account, joking whether that meant England might fail to make the cut for 2015. Deutrom said the consequences for Irish cricket and its funding could be dire.

“There was a discussion with one of the government agencies before the World Cup when a 10-team event was possible and he said why should we support when your own sport don’t and it’s a strong point,” he said.—Reuters

NEW YORK: Henrik Lundqvist No. 30 of the New York Rangers gets set for the opening faceoff against the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. —AP

Sharks clinch division with win over Kings SAN JOSE: Joe Thornton had a goal and an assist to give him 999 career points and help the San Jose Sharks clinch their fourth straight Pacific Division title with a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.

Kyle Wellwood added a goal and two assists, and defensemen Dan Boyle and MarcEdouard Vlasic also scored for the Sharks, who won for the eighth time in nine games. Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi also scored as San Jose moved one point past Detroit for second place in the Western Conference with 103 points with three games remaining.

Michal Handzus scored the lone goal for the Kings, who lost for the second time in seven games and missed a chance to clinch a playoff berth. Los Angeles remained tied for fourth in the West with Phoenix.

Rangers 5, Bruins 3 At New York, Brandon Dubinsky and Michael Sauer scored 51 seconds apart late in the third period as New York turned a likely crippling defeat into its most stirring victory of the season by rallying to beat Boston.

The Rangers, who trailed 3-0 in the second period, seemed beaten by the Northeast Division-champion Bruins when the game suddenly turned without warning. Dubinsky scored the tying goal with 3:48 remaining and Sauer followed at 17:03 with the winning tally that shook Madison Square Garden.

Derek Stepan sealed it with an empty-net goal with 52.2 seconds left. Vinny Prospal had two goals in the second period to start the Rangers’ rally that might have saved their season. —AP

NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Monday: NY Rangers 5, Boston 3; San Jose 6, Los Angeles 1.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W X-Philadelphia 46 X-Pittsburgh 46 NY Rangers 43 New Jersey 36 NY Islanders 30

L OTL 22 11 25 8 32 5 37 5 37 12

GF 247 225 228 163 220

GA PTS 210 103 192 100 193 91 196 77 250 72

X-Boston Montreal Buffalo Toronto Ottawa

Northeast Division 44 24 11 238 189 42 30 7 208 204 40 29 10 232 220 37 32 10 213 240 30 39 10 183 243

99 91 90 84 70

X-Washington X-Tampa Bay Carolina Atlanta Florida

Southeast Division 46 22 11 216 192 44 24 11 235 232 38 30 11 225 232 33 33 12 214 252 29 38 12 190 220

103 99 87 78 70

X-Detroit Nashville Chicago St. Louis Columbus

Western Conference Central Division 46 23 10 255 231 102 42 26 11 209 188 95 42 28 8 246 214 92 36 33 10 232 229 82 34 32 13 210 246 81

X-Vancouver Calgary Minnesota Colorado Edmonton

Northwest Division 52 18 9 254 181 40 29 11 242 233 37 34 8 198 224 29 41 8 218 275 24 43 11 186 256

Pacific Division X-San Jose 47 23 9 240 Los Angeles 45 28 6 214 Phoenix 42 25 12 224 Anaheim 44 30 5 228 Dallas 39 28 11 214 X - clinched playoff spot

202 191 217 231 224

113 91 82 66 59 103 96 96 93 89

Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

S P ORT S

Kloeden leads Basque Tour

HOUSTON: Connecticut’s Kemba Walker shoots as Butler’s Matt Howard defends during the second half of the men’ s NCAA Final Four college basketball championship game. — AP

Huskies capture college crown HOUSTON: Connecticut overcame a sub-par performance

by All-America guard Kemba Walker with an inspired second-half rally to defeat Butler 53-41 on Monday and win the NCAA basketball tournament for the third time.

Connecticut (32-9) broke the game open when Jeremy Lamb scored 11 points during a 22-3 run that turned a sixpoint deficit into a 41-28 lead with less than six minutes to play.

Walker, the Huskies’ leading scorer with an average of 23.7 points per game, finished with a team-high 16 points on five of 19 shooting from the floor and missed all four of his three-point attempts.

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said the game was a defensive dogfight, a “thing of beauty” from a purist’s standpoint.

“You’d like a few more baskets made, certainly,” he said.

“But it was two teams that weren’t going to give in to each other and finally our superiority took over.

“But, damn, I loved it in the sense of the fight and competitiveness, between the two teams.” Butler (28-10) hit only 12 of 64 shots (18.8 percent) to lose in the national

championship game for the second consecutive year.

“Without question, 41 points, 12 of 64, is not good enough to win any game, let alone the national championship game,” said Butler coach Brad Stevens.

“We guarded as well as we could. We gambled a little bit late because we had to, because we were just trying to figure out something to generate, a turn of the tide. “And we just couldn’t.”

The Bulldogs’ two best players, Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard, shot a combined five for 28, dooming Butler’s chances of pulling off an upset of the Big East tournament champions.

“They’re a great team, great defensive team,” said Mack, who his just four of 15 shots. “They did a great job of contesting every shot. They just weren’t falling today.”

Mack hit a 23-foot, three-pointer at the first-half buzzer to give Butler a 22-19 lead, the lowest combined point total in the opening 20 minutes since 1945.

The Bulldogs shot 22 percent in the opening half but had the advantage by virtue of hitting five three-pointers, while Connecticut missed all five of their shots from

beyond the arc. Butler’s lead evaporated during their second-half dry spell and with it went their chances of a first national title. “Our inside game was a little bit too much for them,” said Connecticut’s Walker, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. “They had a tough time shooting the ball. We blocked a couple shots.

“We did a great job at just keeping them to one shot.

There wasn’t many offensive rebounds for those guys.”

Butler, a liberal arts school in Indianapolis with 4,200 students, lost the championship game to Duke last year 61-59 when a game-winning shot caromed off the rim at the buzzer. The Bulldogs lost their best player from a year ago, Gordon Hayward, to the NBA and were widely believed to have little chance of repeating last year’s success.

They started the season slowly but closed on a roll, winning 14 in a row before losing to Connecticut. “We couldn’t put the ball in the hole,” said Butler center Andrew Smith, who connected on just two of nine shots.

“If you don’t score too many points, you’re not going to win too many games. Unfortunately, we were the team that couldn’t score.”— Reuters

MADRID: Germany ’s Andreas Kloeden of the RadioShack team took the overall leader’s jersey after the second stage of the Tour of the Basque Country yesterday which was won by Belarus rider Vasil Kiryienka.

Moviestar’s Kiryienka clocked 4hr 06min 39sec after the 163km run from Zumarraga to Lekunberri to finish two seconds ahead of Kloeden and Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck of the Leopard team.

“I haven’t won anything for the past two years so it was my turn after all the work done by the team who I must thank,” said Pamplona-based Kiryienka.

“Today I was near my home and it’s my usual training route, I knew the terrain perfectly.” Kloeden leads Spanish pair Joaquin Rodriguez and Samuel Sanchez in the overall standings, with reigning champion Chris Horner of the United States just one second off the pace.

As in Monday’s first stage there were numerous breaks with all the favorites present in the final climb — the category one Col Azpiroz — before Kiryienka surprised his rivals by attacking just after the descent before the finish line.

Meanwhile, Olympic road race champion Samuel Sanchez said he is hoping to transform a series of nearsuccesses on the Tour of the Basque Country into his maiden overall victory in the Spanish stage race this week.

Sanchez is one of the few non-Basque riders employed by the Euskaltel team, and comes to the sixstage race in fine fettle having won the Miguel Indurain Grand Prix in neighbouring Navarro this weekend.

After finishing on the podium three times and among the top ten six times, Sanchez, 33, said he will give it everything to finally secure overall victory next Saturday, when the race finishesd with a 24km time trial. “It’s a big objective for me and the team,” Sanchez, who was born in Oviedo, told the website of Spanish daily Diario Vasco.

“I’ll be doing everything I can to win. For us (Euskaltel), this race has always been extra special.

Personally, I’ve had three podiums and four stage victories” from the race.

Sanchez excels on hilly terrain and the absence of three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, the winner of the Tours of Murcia and Catalunya, will give him an extra boost.

Euskaltel, however, have their work cut out against several big name contenders such as Andy and Frank Schleck (Leopard-Trek), Ivan Basso (Liquigas), defending champion Chris Horner (RadioShack) or German Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad). — AFP

Rezai falls as Kuznetsova

BERLIN: This Aug. 22, 2010, file photo shows Caster Semenya of South Africa gesturing after winning the women’s 800 meter final of the ISTAF Athletics Meeting. The International Olympic Committee has agreed to adopt rules for dealing with cases of female athletes who have excessive levels of male hormones. — AP

IOC addresses gender test rules LONDON: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) yesterday established rules on the eligibility of females suffering from hyperandrogenism which will come into effect for the 2012 London Olympics.

Arne Ljungqvist, chairman of the IOC’s medical commission, yesterday published rules which are meant to ensure that female competitors who show “androgen levels below the male range” do not derive any competitive advantage.

A group of experts would assess ath-

letes on a case-by-case basis and issue their recommendations on eligibility to the relevant sport.

“Some women develop male-like body characteristics due to an overproduction of male sex hormones, so-called ‘androgens’,” Ljungqvist said.

The IOC official added that the issue had been on the agenda for a long time, and wasn’t a reaction to recent high-profile cases. South Africa 800 metre runner Caster Semenya was ordered to undergo

sex tests after winning the 2009 world championships.

“The question of sex determination has occupied the sporting organisations for some time now,” said Ljungqvist, who pointed out that controls on femininity were removed in 2000 due to uncertainty in the testing process, and had never been replaced. The rules will be studied by the IOC’s executive commission when they meet in Durban, South Africa, at the beginning of June.—AFP

MARBELLA: France’s Aravane Rezai fell at the first hurdle at the WTA Andalucia Tennis Experience tournament yesterday, suffering a straight sets defeat in the first round to Spanish wildcard Estrella Cabeza.

Third seed Rezai, ranked 24, went down 6-3, 6-0 against 258th-ranked Cabeza who had lost her only previous meeting with the French player in Palermo five years ago.

Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced to the second round but not without the second seed dropping a set to qualifier Mona Barthel at the 220,000-dollar event.

Former US and French Open champion Kuznetsova was led by a set and 4-1 by the German before digging deep to win through 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.

“For me it takes maybe two weeks to prepare for clay properly, and there just wasn’t time,” said Kuznetsova. “I was expecting to hit more winners and it wasn’t happening because this is clay. But I knew that if I kept fighting things might go my way, and I’m happy that I was able to do it.” Meanwhile, Rezai’s serve was broken five times as the Frenchwoman could only convert one of her nine break point chances.

“Although she was one of the seeds and that she hits the ball well, I knew that she hadn’t been in great form,” said 24-year-old Cabeza after the biggest win of her career.

“I tried to take advantage of that.”

Russia’s Dinara Safina avoided a similar fate as she advanced despite dropping her opening set before seeing off Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

“It’s good to finally win one,” said Safina, who had been 0-3 in three set matches this year. “Everything she hit was landing in, on the line. But I hung in there and the moment she thought that she could win she got tight and started to miss shots. So I think at the crucial moment my experience played a big part and helped me to win.”

Fifth seed Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria eased into the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Spaniard Maria Teresa Torro with home hopes Lourdes Dominguez and Lara Arruabarrena also advancing to the next round.

Hungary’s Agnes Szavay continued her return from injury with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Swede Johanna Larsson, and next meets Kuznetsova, with top seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus playing her first round tie today against Spain’s Arantxa Parra Santonja. — AFP

Munich bid counts on German financial clout 2018 Winter Games LONDON: German companies provide around 50 percent of overall sponsorship for all seven international winter sports federations annually, Munich 2018 Winter Games bid chief Katarina Witt said yesterday.

Witt, in London to push Munich’s bid to become the first city to host summer and winter Olympics, said sponsorship by German companies in winter sports would be growing in the coming years, irrespective of the Munich candidacy.

“Germany brings in 50 percent of (sponsorship) finance for the seven international

winter sports federations,” the twice Olympic figure skating champion told a small group of reporters on the sidelines of an international sports business convention.

“There is much more room to grow,” she said, adding that BMW board member Ian Robertson would also back the bid in the British capital.

German companies contribute 2.6 billion euros ($3.7 billion) per year in winter sports and summer sports sponsorship, Witt said.

The International Olympic Committee will decide on the winning bid on July 6 in

Durban, South Africa, with South Korea’s Pyeongchang and France’s Annecy also in the running.

Witt also played down the importance of a referendum among residents of GarmischPartenkirchen set for May 8 on whether they want the Games there or not.

Garmisch, which hosted the 1936 winter Games, is the site of the Alpine events if Munich gets the nod and opponents to the bid say the Games would damage the environment there. Witt said she was informing IOC members about this ongoing issue but

it was nothing new to them. “We are honest about it, open about it, it is part of our culture, it is democracy,” said Witt.

She said in every bid city there was a small group of people who were opposed to the Games and IOC was used to this by now.

Witt also sounded confident a land dispute over the use of some fields for the Olympics would be resolved with the Bavarian owners. “It is only one small piece (of land) that is in the field of play,” she said, adding that should Munich win there was sufficient time to settle any differences. — Reuters

Andreas Kloeden

Indonesian govt grateful for FIFA support JAKARTA: FIFA’s decision to remove power from the chaotic Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has been warmly received by the southeast Asian country’s government.

Soccer’s world governing body said on Monday they would appoint a normalisation committee to run the PSSI and organise presidential elections by May 21.

“The government warmly welcomes FIFA’s decision because it means the government and FIFA are in agreement,” Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng told local media yesterday.

“As soon as the committee is formed, the government will facilitate it so it can work immediately and start preparing for the PSSI congress.”

FIFA’s move came after weeks of protests against controversial PSSI head Nurdin Halid and his organisation’s failure to stop the popular breakaway Indonesian Premier League (LPI) which was started in January by local oil tycoon Arifin Panigoro.

FIFA said the PSSI had lost all credibility in Indonesia and were not in a position to control the current crisis.

The news of FIFA’s intervention was also welcomed by the LPI, who have received government support from the outset and have been working with the Indonesian Professional Sports Body instead of the PSSI. “Right now, we will keep running with the Indonesian Professional Sports State Body (BOPI) but we are sure that the new officers of the PSSI will accept LPI,” league official Abi Hasantoso told Reuters.

“The LPI is based on FIFA’s direction ‘For the Good of the Game’ and the AFC’s (Asian Football Confederation) Pro-League Committee.”

Halid and Panigoro, along with Nirwan D. Bakrie and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Toisutta, are believed to be the four PSSI presidential candidates FIFA rejected on Monday. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

19

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

sp orts

Preview

Chelsea seek revenge or bust against Man United

SEOUL: South Korea Jeju United’s Kang In-jun (left) shoots the ball past the Japan Gamba Osaka’s Yosuke Fujigaya (center) during their Group F soccer match of the AFC Champions League. Jeju United defeated Gamba Osaka 2-1. —AP

Osaka win over Jeonbuk OSAKA: Japan international Takashi Inui scored in the 53rd minute yesterday to give Cerezo Osaka a 1-0 win over Jeonbuk Motors, handing the South Korean side its first loss in Group G of the Asian Champions League.

Cerezo had not played since losing 2-0 away to China’s Shandong Luneng on March 16. It was the first J-League club to play an official match in Japan since the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami in the country’s northeast that killed up to 25,000 people.

“There were a lot of fouls and it was not a pretty game at times but we got the result,” Cerezo Osaka coach Levir Culpi told Kyodo news agency. “It’s an important win for us.” Inui scored when he collected a backheel pass from Rodrigo Pimpao and beat Jeonbuk goalkeeper Kim Min-sik.

“Pimpao gave me a good ball and I am glad I was able to keep my head and put it away,” Inui said. “In the end we were able to play our game and got the result and that will set us up nicely for the next match.”

The match was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of those killed and injured in the earthquake. At Malang, Indonesia, midfielder Muhammad Fakhrudin scored a penalty in injury time to give Arema Malang a 1-1 draw with

Shandong in Group G. Brazilian striker Obina scored in the 21st minute to give Shandong the early lead.

It was the first point of the competition for Arema, which lost its first two matches.

Shandong has a win, draw and loss for four points to sit in third place in Group G. Jeonbuk and Cerezo have six points each, with the South Korean side holding top spot on goal difference.

In Group E, South Korean team Jeju United came from behind to beat Gamba Osaka of Japan 2-1 after Bae Ki-jung scored the winner in the 65th minute.

Center back Sota Nakazawa had given the visitors the lead in the 23rd minute, before Shin Young-rok equalized in the 55th.

At Tianjin, China, Kevin Muscat scored in the 52nd minute to give the A-League’s Melbourne Victory a 1-1 draw with Tianjin Teda. Serbian defender Marko Zoric had put the home side ahead in the 19th minute, but was sent off in the 75th for a rough tackle.

Tianjin remained in first place in the group with seven points, one ahead of Jeju. Melbourne is in last place with one point after losing its two opening matches. In one of five matches later Tuesday, Foolad Sepahan was scheduled to host Qatar’s Al-Gharafa in the Iranian club’s bid to win its third Group A match in a row. —AP

LONDON: Chelsea must avenge their 2008 Champions League final defeat by Manchester United or face a trophyless season if they lose the all-English quarter-final which starts at Stamford Bridge today.

Defeat for Chelsea, 11 points behind United in the Premier League title race with eight games to play, would put manager Carlo Ancelotti under huge pressure less than a year after he led the team to a league and FA Cup double.

The Italian knows his future is on a knife -edge after an uneven season and recent history between the two clubs suggests that the Champions League tie, which concludes at Old Trafford next Tuesday, will be decided by the slimmest of margins.

Only two of their last 11 competitive matches have been settled by more than one goal, while their most famous meeting, the Champions League final in Moscow, went to penalties.

Chelsea go into the match with a good record at home against United. They are unbeaten in their last 10 matches against Alex Ferguson’s men, including last month’s Premier League game when they came from behind to win 2-1 with a goal from David Luiz and a Frank Lampard penalty.

Chelsea’s front men, however, have been lacklustre with Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Salomon Kalou and Fernando Torres scoring just three goals in their last nine matches.

LONDO: Chelsea’s Fernando Torres (left) and Frank Lampard take part in a training session.

Chelsea are due to play Manchester United in a Champions League quarterfinal soccer match at Stamford Bridge today. —AP Torres, two months after his 50 million-pound ($80.81-million) move from Liverpool, is still looking for his first goal for Chelsea after eight appearances, and might start on the bench.

Chelsea drew 1-1 at Stoke City on Saturday, though they played better than the result suggested, and Ancelotti is looking forward to today ’s game.

“The condition of the players is good psychologically and physically. We don’t have any problems and we are ready to play United. We have the confidence to do our best and win,”

he said.

“We know that United have the same opinion. It will be a very exciting game, a very tough game. We know everything about Manchester United and they know everything about us. Whoever deserves to win, will win.”

United recovered from trailing 2-0 to win 4-2 at West Ham United where Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick and Javier Hernandez the other goal.

Rooney blotted his performance by a foul-mouthed rant live on television, for which he has been charged by the FA, but he will play today and look

to repeat the goal he scored in the league match at Chelsea last month.

Saturday’s victory at West Ham left United seven points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table. Defender Chris Smalling, whose trip on Yuri Zhirkov led to the penalty that cost United the league game at Stamford Bridge, said the mood in Manchester was confident. “ Those things happen in your career...and it’s important how you react, and we’ve kicked on with our performances. We’re now going into today’s game with a lot of confidenceand so we should.”—Reuters

Preview

Bilbao defeat Almeria ALMERIA: Athletic Bilbao moved up to fifth place in the Spanish league on Monday by coming from behind to win 3-1 at last-place Almeria.

Almeria led in the sixth minute when Pablo Piatti raced through the defense before beating goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz. Iker Muniain equalized for Bilbao in the 29th, rifling in the rebound after goalkeeper Diego Alves had failed to hold a shot.

The hosts tried to respond with their passing game, but Bilbao led 2-1 when Gaizka Toquero slotted under Alves with a left-footed strike in the 52nd.

Pablo Orbaiz hit a long-range shot from near the midfield circle to catch Alves off his line in the 60th. “(We let) Almeria impose their rhythm in the first 15 minutes, but then we got control of the ball,” Bilbao coach Joaquin Caparros said.

Bilbao’s first away win in five games

took it level on points with sixth-place Sevilla and nine points behind fourthplace Villarreal.

“We knew (Almeria) was a team that was playing for its life,” Caparros said. “It is important that we have fought to change the image of team away from home.” Almeria’s first loss in seven games at Juegos Mediterreanos stadium left it four points from safety with eight rounds to play.

“We can’t allow the team to fall apart. The point difference is not unsalvageable,” Almeria coach Jose Luis Oltra said.

On the weekend, front-runner Barcelona beat Villarreal 1-0 to open up an eight-point lead over Real Madrid after Jose Mourinho’s side lost its first home match of the season, going down 1-0 to Sporting Gijon.

Also, third-place Valencia moved three points ahead of Villarreal through a 4-2 win at Getafe. —AP

Quintero banned for headbutt MEXICO CITY: Santos Laguna’s Colombian striker Darwin Quintero, who said he headbutted an opponent after being racially abused, has been banned for six matches for violent conduct by the Mexican Football Federation (Femexfut).

Quintero was sent off after 71 minutes of Santos’ 3-0 win over Cruz Azul on Saturday for a headbutt on Argentine opponent Christian ‘Chaco’ Gimenez.

“Darwin Quintero of Santos is sanctioned with a suspension of six matches: three for being guilty of violent conduct and three more for aggression towards another player or member of the rival team after being sent off in the match,” the Femexfut disciplinary committee said in a statement issued late on Monday. Quintero, who scored the opening goal, had been brought down in the box and said afterwards h e h ad re a c te d to b eing racial l y abused by defender Rogelio Chavez.

The penalty was converted by Juan Pablo Rodriguez for Santos’ third goal.

The 23-year-old Colombia forward said on Sunday that Chavez had called h i m a “s i m i a n” a n d Gimenez had pushed him.

“If they call you a negro you let it pass, but when you’re called a simian you’re not used to having such things said about you,” Quintero was quoted as telling the spor ts daily Record’s

website (www.recaord.com.mx). “ Then Ch aco push ed me an d I headb u t te d h im. I sh ould h ave restrained myself because we were leading. I reacted very badly, but it’s done.”

Quintero’s Ecuadorean team mate Christian Benitez told Record: “The federation is exaggerating a bit, they should take into account how he was provoked, six matches is a lot, I expected two or three, but six is too much.”

Santos said they were sending a formal complaint to the Femexfut asking fo r an investigation . Ch avez h as denied offending Quintero.

Femexfut rules say a player found guilty of racial insults towards an opponent will be suspended for a minimum of five matches and fined between 216,000 and 345,000 Mexican pesos ($18,230-$29,120).

Quintero will miss the remaining five matches in the round-robin phase of the Clausura championship and the quarter-finals if Santos qualify.

Santos, runners-up to Monterrey in the Apertura in the first half of the season, are a lowly fifth in Group One, 10 points adrift of leaders Tigres UANL and seven behind Monterrey. The top two teams in each of the three groups plus the next two best-placed teams in the overall standings go through to the knockout phase. —Reuters

SPAIN: Shakhtar Donetsk’s players attend a training session at the Nou Camp, in Barcelona. Barcelona will play in a Champions League quarter final against Shakhtar Donetsk today. —AP

Villa eyeing end to goal drought MADRID: Barcelona striker David Villa has the ideal stage to end an unusual goal drought when the 2009 winners host Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League quarterfinal, first leg yesterday.

Villa became Spain’s leading scorer when he netted his 45th and 46th goals for the world and European champions against Czech Republic last month, but last found the net for his club against Real Mallorca on Feb. 26, a barren run of six games.

“You always get a bit worried when you aren’t scoring but you have to stay calm,” Villa told a news conference on Monday.

“I know it’s been a while since I scored, but the only way to put that behind me is to work hard in training and on the pitch,” the 29-year-old added.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola is likely to have fit-again forward Pedro and fullback Maxwell available for the clash at the Nou Camp as the Spanish champions eye a possible semifinal against great rivals Real Madrid.

The pair trained at the same pace as their team mates on Monday, Barca said on their website (www.fcbarcelona.cat).

However, captain and central defender Carles Puyol, who has a knee injury, is yet to rejoin the group.

World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, joint top scorer in this year’s edition of Europe’s elite club competition with eight goals, did not train as a precaution after an injury scare on duty with Argentina.

Barca are on a high after stretching their lead over Real at the top of La Liga to eight

Matches on TV (Local Timings) UEFA Champions League Barcelona v Shakhtar Al Jazeera Sport +5 Al Jazeera Sport 2 HD

21:45

Chelsea v Man United Al Jazeera Sport +3 Al Jazeera Sport 1 HD

21:45

points at the weekend with eight games left.

Barca need to be careful of complacency after Saturday’s 10 win at Villarreal and focus fully on the Shakhtar match, Villa said. “ When you come into a game after losing or drawing everyone knows you have to put it behind you and concentrate on the next match, but the same thing holds true if you’ve just won.

“Now we have to try and play well, win and get a good result for the second leg.”

Shakhtar, who recorded a shock 3-2 win at the Nou Camp in December 2008 before Barca went on to win the final, have defensive problems.

Centre back Dmytro Chygrynskiy, who had an unsuccessful spell at Barca last season, is struggling to recover

from a minor injury picked up two weeks ago but could make the starting lineup.

His defensive partner Olexandr Kucher is definitely out and has travelled to Barcelona only for a consultation on his injured knee.

However, influential Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho is back in action after seven months out with a knee problem and played the whole of Shakhtar’s 3-1 win away to FC Ilichivets Mariupol on Friday.

“Now I am ready to play all 90 minutes. In fact, the whole team are ready,” Fernandinho said. “It is the most important game for us because we have reached the quarter-finals for the first time,” he added. “It would be perfect to score in Barcelona.” Shak htar are in t h e l a s t e i g h t fo r t h e f i r s t time. —Reuters

Oosthuizen leads South African charge AUGUSTA: Reigning British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has new confidence after his first Major triumph entering the 75th Masters, where he is among a host of strong South African contenders.

Oosthuizen withstood the swirling winds of St. Andrews last July for a seven-stroke triumph and followed it by winning the African Open in January. But even now, he has not totally adjusted to the changes in his life.

“Going into a tournament, confidence and everything is a lot higher, especially in

the Majors,” Oosthuizen said yesterday. “Just showed me that I can win a major and compete in big tournaments.

“Off the golf course, it’s completely different than what I was used to. It took me a while to get used to it and probably I’m still getting used to it, but it’s a good change.”

The former farm boy missed defending his breakthrough European Tour title at the Andalucia Open last month because of an eye infection, but has recovered and surprised himself with his form last week at the US PGA Houston Open. —AFP

Huskies capture college crown

Chelsea seek revenge or bust against Man United

18 19

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

Sharks clinch division with win over Kings Page 17

Champions League

MILAN: Schalke forward Jefferson Farfan jumps past Inter Milan Argentine defender Javier Zanetti during a Champions League, first-leg, quarterfinal soccer match, at the San Siro stadium. (Inset) Inter Milan Argentine forward Diego Milito reacts during the match. —AP

Schalke destroy hapless Inter MILAN: Inter Milan’s defence of the Champions League is hanging by a thread after the Italians suffered a 5-2 thrashing at home to Schalke 04 in their quarter-final, first leg here yesterday.

In a thrilling game Inter twice took the lead but saw their defensive frailties ruthlessly exposed and even finished with 10 men as Cristian Chivu was sent off for the second game in a row.

Dejan Stankovic, with possibly the goal of the season, and Diego Milito had both put the hosts in front.

But Joel Matip, Brazilian Edu with two, Spain legend Raul with his 70th Champions League strike and an Andrea Ranocchia own goal gave the Germans a near unassailable lead to take back to Gelsenkirchen next week.

The result continued Inter boss Leonardo’s miserable run of having never won at home in the Champions League as a coach in six attempts.

“We are just really happy, we worked well as a team, everyone helping each other and you saw that in the result,” said Schalke captain and goalkeeper Mauel Neuer who admitted his team would be celebrating with apple juice and mineral water to prepare for their next Bundesliga match.

“I have never experienced a team scoring five goals in a game like this. To happen at Inter is just incredible.” A pulsating first half began as it meant to continue with a stunning goal after just 27 seconds.

Neuer came charging out of his area to meet the ball with a crowd-pleasing flying

header to clear but Stankovic, just a couple of yards inside the Germans’ half, adjusted his body quickly and on the volley sent the ball straight back over the Schalke captain’s head and into the gaping open goal.

Schalke were level on 17 minutes as Kyriakos Papadopoulos had a free header from a corner but although his effort was weak and Julio Cesar stopped it with his feet, the ball broke kindly to Matip to blast home from close range.

Cesar then came to Inter’s rescue as he saved again with his feet when Jose Jurado met a deflected Jefferson Farfan cross full on the volley. The hosts went back in front on 34 minutes from a lovely move as Wesley Sneijder stood the ball up to the back stick and Esteban Cambiasso put a cushioned headed back into

the danger zone where Milito, for once onside, volleyed home.

But on 40 minutes Edu ran onto an inchperfect through ball and although his initial shot was deflected, it almost deceived Cesar, who could only weakly parry allowing the Brazilian to slide in the follow-up from a tight angle.

Attacks had been on top in the first 45 minutes and they were again after the restart as Milito got in behind the Schalke backline but surprisingly failed to hit the target.

Samuel Eto’o then danced through the visiting defence but Neuer pulled off a one-handed save to deny the Cameroon captain.

And yet it was Schalke who took control as Farfan slipped in Raul, who held off Andrea Ranocchia and shot past Cesar on 53 minutes.

Real thump Spurs MADRID: Real Madrid put a giant foot in the last four of the Champions League with a thumping 4-0 home win over 10-man Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-final first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu yesterday.

A headed brace from Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor and late goals from Angel di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo put Tottenham to the sword in Madrid’s fifth straight home win in Europe and a four-goal lead gives Tottenham a mountain to climb in the second leg at White Hart Lane on April 13.

Tottenham, who last reached a European Cup semi-final back in 1962, were left to rue the early sending off of striker Peter Crouch on 15 minutes for a late lunge as Real made the ten men pay.

Real coach Jose Mourinho had seen his 150-match nine-year unbeaten home league record come to an end on Saturday with a 1-0 loss against Sporting Gijon, however, his team responded with a victory that puts the ninetime champions in the driving seat to reach the last four.

Mourinho, who won the Champions League with Inter Milan on this ground last May, said he would have to take a risk on Portuguese star Ronaldo, who was struggling with a hamstring complaint, and he felt the gamble was worth it as the world’s most expensive player started. Brazilian left back Marcelo also came back from injury with Adebayor starting as a lone striker.

Tottenham coach Harry Redknapp wel-

comed Welsh winger Gareth Bale overcoming a niggling hamstring to start, while experienced French centre-back Willam Gallas was passed fit.

Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart started against his old club, but Redknapp had to draft in Jermaine Jenas for Aaron Lennon at the last minute.

The Bernabeu home crowd were nervous after the shock loss to Gijon, but the hosts got off to the perfect start scoring after just four minutes.

A corner from the right found Adebayor in the penalty area and the striker planted a header goal wards and the unfortunate Luka Modric could not keep the effort out as it went between his legs.

It was a setback for the visitors, who were then reduced to ten men on 15 minutes with Crouch’s rash lunge on Marcelo earning him a second caution.

Real dominated possession but a half chance from Ronaldo was all they had to show for their extra man. Bale had been quiet but sparked into life in the 28th minute with his gigantic throw catching Real off guard but van der Vaart could not get a shot off.

Bale then powered down the left and homed in on goal but his shot went into the side netting. Adebayor, well known to the Spurs fans from his Arsenal days, was inches away from heading in his second goal on 32 minutes but was centimetres away from con-

Four minutes after that Ranocchia inadvertently directed a Jurado cross past his own keeper as Inter started to implode.

Their task became even more complicated as Chivu received his marching orders on 62 minutes for a second booking in quick succession-he had also been dismissed against AC Milan on Saturday. Moments later Jurardo pinged a skimming low shot off the base of the post with Cesar beaten.

With a quar ter of an hour left Far fan danced through Inter’s demoralised backline and although Cesar saved, the Peru flyer shot his follow-up against Ranocchia and onto the post. Inter didn’t survive for long, though, as a few seconds later Edu curled home a killer fifth that surely renders the second leg a formality. — AFP

Rangers seize top spot

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Emmanuel Adebayor from Togo (left) scores a goal during a quarter final, 1st leg Champions League soccer match against Tottenham Hotspurs. —AP verting Sergio Ramos’ unorthodox headed cross. Portuguese centre-back Pepe was booked for hacking down Bale close to halftime and will now the miss return leg. Van der Vaart made way for striker Jermain Defoe in the second half in a brave move from Redknapp.

Ronaldo, shooting from ever ywhere, drilled a left-footed shot wide of the post early in the second half to sound out a warning. On 57 minutes Real got the second goal

they craved with a corner finding Marcelo who crossed and Adebayor was again unmarked to direct a header into the corner.

Adebayor almost got a hat-trick with another header before Argentine di Maria netted on 72 minutes cutting inside before bending a terrific shot into the corner with his left foot. Ronaldo made it four in the closing minutes with a volley although goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes should have done better. —AFP

GLASGOW: Rangers returned to the top of the Scottish Premier League for the first time since December with a 2-0 win over St Johnstone yesterday.

Kyle Lafferty took advantage of a slack headed backpass from Danny Grainger to round keeper Peter Enckelman and slot home in the 20th minute.

Rangers never looked comfortable with just a one goal advantage on a terrible McDiarmid Park pitch and they had keeper Allan McGregor to thank for a string of saves before Steven Naismith sealed the win seven minutes from time.

The win takes Rangers one point above rivals Celtic, who play their game in hand against Hibernian at Parkhead today. Rangers made one change to the side which lost to Dundee United at the weekend as Lafferty returned from injury to replace El-Hadji Diouf.

The Ibrox club found themselves on the back-foot in the early exchanges but St Johnstone, who have gone 12 hours without one of their own players finding the back of the net in a league game, failed to test McGregor.

Grainger was appealing for a penalty in the 13th minute after he appeared to be caught by the trailing leg of Gregg Wylde but his protests were waved away by referee Crawford Allan. —AFP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Business

Kuwait banking sector recovers on fast pace

Years

Page 22

Kuwait equities rally on renewed buying interest Page 24

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

All-New BMW 6 Series Convertible in Kuwait

Flydubai conquers MENA skies, eyes growth

Page 23

Page 25

HANNOVER: A Volkswagen Beatle covered in a green grass-like material is “fueled” with electricity at the Hannover Messe 2011 technology fair on Monday in Hanover. According to the organizers, exhibitors from 65 countries will present their latest products during the trade show running until April 8, 2011. France is this year’s partner country. — AFP

Oil could rocket to $200-$300: Yamani Brent hits $122 on unrest LONDON: Oil prices could rocket to $200-$300 a barrel if the world’s top crude exporter Saudi Arabia is hit by serious political unrest, former Saudi oil minister Sheikh Zaki Yamani told Reuters yesterday.

Yamani said he saw no immediate sign of further trouble following protests last month calling for political reforms but said that underlying discontent remained unresolved. “If something happens in Saudi Arabia it will go to $200 to $300. I don’t expect this for the time being, but who would have expected Tunisia?” Yamani told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference of the Centre for Global Energy Studies (CGES) which he chairs.

Meanwhile, oil prices rose to fresh 2-1/2 year highs yesterday, with Brent crude topping $122 a barrel as unrest in oil exporting countries in the Middle East and Africa outweighed China’s fourth interest rate hike since October.

The prospect of a stalemate prolonging the loss of 1.3 million bpd of exports from Libya loomed amid unsuccessful efforts to end the war and clashes over the oil town of Brega intensified.

Brent crude for May was 84 cents up at $121.90 barrel at 1452 GMT after closing at $121.06 a barrel on Monday, the highest settlement since Aug 1, 2008. US crude fell 42 cents to $108.05 a barrel after settling at $107.78 on Monday, the highest since Sept 22, 2008. “ The path of least resistance remains higher on account of both Middle-Eastern headlines, as well as the watch-and-wait status coming from Nigeria,” said Edward Meir at MF Global in a note. “The political events that took place are there and we don’t expect them to finish. I think there are some surprises on the horizon,” Yamani said in a speech.

Saudi King Abdullah offered $93 billion in handouts in March in an

effort to stave off unrest rocking the Arab world. So far, demonstrations in the Kingdom have been small in scale and police were able to easily disperse a Shiite protest in the oil-producing eastern province last month.

But Yamani said that the reluctance of people to participate in popular protests was merely concealing underlying discontent. “Some people relax about the situation in Saudi Arabia because the Saudi Islamic brand prohibits people to go to the street and to talk,” he said in a speech.

Oil traded at two-and-a-half-year highs above $121 a barrel yesterday.

Libya’s rebellion has shut its oil exports, stoking fears of disruptions in other major producers.

Yamani, responsible for Saudi oil policy from 1962-1986, famously predicted in 1990 that crude, near $20 at the time, could rise to $100 a barrel if Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait led to war.

In the event, oil peaked at just $41 because Saudi oilfields escaped dam-

Egypt economy to grow at 2.5%: FM CAIRO: Egypt’s finance minister sharply revised down earlier estimates of the country’s economic growth rate to 2.5 percent, and said the nation would try to broaden its “fiscal landscape” by trying to secure aid and reaching out to the oil rich Gulf Arab states. Officials had earlier projected Egypt’s economy would grow by roughly 4 percent, a level

CAIRO: T-shirts supporting Egyptian revolution are displayed for sale at Tahrir Square, in Cairo yesterday.

Egypt’s finance minister sharply revised down earlier estimates of the country’s economic growth rate to 2.5 percent, and said the nation would try to broaden its “fiscal landscape” by trying to secure aid and reaching out to the oil rich Gulf Arab states. —AP

many analysts viewed as overly optimistic as fallout from the protests that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak in February mushroomed. Even that figure was a blow to a country that had forecast 6 percent growth before the start of the Jan 25 popular uprising.

In a statement e-mailed yesterday by his office, Samir Radwan said GDP growth could fall between 2.5 and 3 percent in the current fiscal year and that the budget deficit could widen to 8.5 percent from earlier estimates of 7.9 percent. The deficit could expand further, hitting 9.5 percent in fiscal 2011-2012, the statement said. Radwan said the country’s “fiscal landscape” needed to be widened, including securing outside aid or grants and that the government was intent on some immediate measures that would bring about new employment opportunities, such as developing infrastructure projects. The effort reflects an attempt to deal with unemployment, one of the key catalysts behind the mass protests, and comes as chief revenue sources such as tourism and foreign direct investment are expected to take big hits. Labor unrest that emerged after the popular protests that toppled Mubarak have sharply undercut productivity and manufacturing while banks are said to have curtailed lending-all trends that bode ill for the economy. “I think they’re trying to provide a buffer in case ... something tragic happens with the growth rate,” said Nada Farid, an economist with Mideast investment bank Beltone Financial, adding that the expectation is that private consumption, which accounts for the brunt of GDP, will pick up in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year as more political clarity emerges in the country. —AP

age in the first Gulf War and it was another 18 years until oil finally broke the $100 mark.

While some analysts at the CGES conference were skeptical that protests will break out in Saudi on the same scale as Egypt or Libya, Jaafar AlTaie, managing director of Manaar Energy Consulting, said political change in the kingdom was inevitable. “I don’t think that what the King is doing now is sufficient to prevent an uprising. Saudi Arabia is a time bomb, but one that is constantly being reset,” said Al Taie, whose firm advises foreign oil firms operating in the region. Saudi Arabia is the effective leader of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and the only country with any significant spare production capacity. Riyadh has lifted output to replace some of the lost Libyan production but many traders and analysts doubt its potential to expand output further.

Yamani said it was struggling to

Former Saudi Oil Minister Sheikh Zaki Yamani quickly get extra volumes of a new grade of the low-sulfur low-density “sweet” crude required by European refiners missing Libyan oil to the market. “It is not that easy when there is an interruption of the supply in oil in Libya...We don’t forget that Libyan oil is very light and it’s a short-haul. There is a replacement, but not without diffi-

culties.”

Leo Drollas, deputy executive director at the CGES, said the kingdom had provided over half or 550,000 barrels per day of the extra barrels pumped by Gulf countries to replace lost Libyan supplies. Kuwait and the UAE have also contributed additional output. — Reuters

Saudi falls on Almarai; Air Arabia at record low MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: The Saudi bourse fell for a third day yesterday, with the first of the earnings results disappointing investors, and Air Arabia dropped to an all-time low in Dubai on a dividend price adjustment.

Almarai Co, the Gulf’s biggest dairy firm by market value, shed 1.1 percent after it posted a first-quarter net profit gain of just 0.5 percent. “Almarai’s numbers disappointed due to pressures from rising raw material prices,” said Amro Halwani, a senior trader at Shuaa Capital in Riyadh.

Saudi Electricity fell 5.3 percent after it went ex-dividend. “Investors are far more selective than they have been in recent weeks resulting in mixed performance within sectors with no major trend to talk of,” said Halwani.

The Saudi benchmark slipped 0.9 percent. UAE markets edged lower as trading was range-bound and Air Arabia lost 1.5 percent to 0.74 dirham, its lowest close ever. Analysts said the fall was insignificant, but firstquarter earnings for the airline will be hit by fuel cost pressures. “Market has been trading in a range, after a

strong performance in mid-February,” said Marwan Shurrab, vice -president at Gulfmena Alternative Investments. “We are waiting for a catalyst to move to a higher close above these levels - which in our view will be Q1 results.” Dubai’s benchmark fell 0.7 percent and Abu Dhabi’s index slipped 0.4 percent, a new threeweek low. Heavyweight Etisalat weighed for a second day, falling 0.5 percent. First Gulf Bank lost 1.8 percent, also extending Monday’s losses.

Egypt’s benchmark index extended losses, weighed by a deteriorating economic outlook and widening budget deficit.

The country’s finance minister said on Monday he expected budget deficit to rise to 9.5 percent of gross domestic project in the financial year that begins next July. Egypt’s economic and security concerns are seen contained and not expected to affect Gulf Arab markets. “We are in a position where pressure from geopolitical issues has been priced in,” said Mohammed Yasin, UAE-based CAPM Investment’s chief investment officer. —Reuters

y

A

22

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

business

Kuwait banking sector recovers on fast pace KAMCO RESEARCH REPORT KUWAIT: All the Kuwaiti listed banks have strong capital adequacy ratios (CAR) that exceed the CAR set by the Central Bank of Kuwait at 12 per cent. The capital adequacy ratio of the sector improved to 18.8 per cent in 2010 up from 16.7 per cent in 2009, indicating the solid financial standing that the sec tor enjoys. Also banks achieved a strong growth in their bottom line with aggregate net profit increasing by 62 per cent to reach KD 575.3 million in 2010 up from KD 355.8 million in 2009. As a result, Return on Average Equity (ROAE) improved to 10.4 per cent in 2010 up from 7.5 per cent in 2009. While banks asset quality is stabilizing, the sector is still in the repair and recovery stage as conditions in the real estate and equity market are still difficult. That was reflected in the relatively high NPL to Gross Loans Ratio which is still high at 8.6 per cent compared to 3.1 per cent in 2007.

Balance Sheet Analysis Kuwaiti Banks’ total asset base stood at KD 45.7 billion at the end of Dec-2010, growing by a marginal 3.9 per cent compared to a growth of 8.8 per cent and 2.5 per cent in 2008 and 2009, respec tively. The slowdown in assets growth can be mainly attributed to the unfavorable business environment and the stricter lending policies implemented by local banks, given the higher perceived risk of default, and hence lower growth in loans and advances extended during the period.

With a market share of 28.2 per cent, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) holds the largest asset base among local banks, with a total of KD 12.9 billion as of Dec-10; KFH which recorded a growth of 11.1 per cent or KD 1.3 billion in asset during 2010 to reach KD 12.6 billion, gained additional market share to reach 27.5 per cent, hence approaching NBK’s size yet still the second in terms of asset base.

The first two leading Banks, NBK and KFH have a 55.7 per cent market share of Kuwaiti listed banks’ total assets. Gulf Bank (GBK) and Burgan Bank (BB) are the third and fourth largest banks with total assets of KD 4.6 billion and KD 4.15 billion, respectively.

Loan Portfolio Credit growth remains stagnant in Kuwait with local banks’ net loan portfolio growing by 1.7 per cent during 2010 to reach KD 27.5bn that was reflected in flat net interest income which merely grew at 0.5 per cent to KD 1.2bn.

NBK sustained its leading position, holding the largest loan portfolio within the local credit market with a market share of 28.5 per cent equivalent to a net loan portfolio of KD 7.85 billion. KHF, which maintained a constant growth rate of 7 per cent in loans for 2009 and

2010, represents the second largest lender with a net loan portfolio of KD 6.82 billion, controlling around 24.8 per cent of local credit market. GBK came third with a market share of 11.6 per cent, while Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CMBK) and BB market share was

8.5 per cent and 7.8 per cent, respectively.

Customer Deposits KFH has the largest customer deposit base (KD 7.65 billion) among its peers, controlling around 28.5 per cent of deposits held with local banks. NBK came

second with a market share of 23.8 per cent or a customer deposit base of KD 6.39 billion.

Following a significant growth of 13 per cent in 2008 triggered by the financial crisis and the flight to safety, customer deposit with local banks grew by 2 per cent and 2.6 per cent in 2009 and 2010, respectively, indicating that the private sector wealth is growing at a slower pace and the sources of funding for banks are on test.

In terms of total deposits (customer deposits plus deposits with banks and F.I.), NBK is the largest in Kuwait with a total deposit base of KD 10.46 billion or a market share of 28 per cent followed by KFH with a market share of 26.4 per cent.

Driven by the better financial and economic conditions and recovery in the local bourse along with the restructuring and debt rescheduling for local stressed corporates and the write-off of doubtful loans, Non-performing loans (NPLs) for the sector have improved in 2010 to KD 2.5bn, down from KD 2.99bn in 2009.

Such improvement in the quality of loan portfolio represents a positive sign for the sector ’s prospects which eventually will discharge local banks from the burden of booking further provisions in addition to recovery of part of the provisions booked during the last two years.

However, NPLs remain very high when compared to the KD 701 mn reported in 2007 while NPL coverage ratio for the sector still below 100 per cent.

KFH has the biggest NPL portfolio as it represents around 37 per cent of aggregate NPLs with local banks. GB & CMBK follow with NPLs of KD 641.9 million and KD 397.6 million, respectively.

The 3 banks together represent around 78 per cent of Kuwaiti banks’ NPLs as of Dec-2010.

Despite challenging business environment and tight credit conditions, Kuwaiti banks continue to enjoy adequate capitalization and solid financial standing with a total equity base of KD 5.98 billion as of Dec-2010, 18.5 per cent higher than its level at the end of 2009. This growth was mainly driven by the recapitalization of some banks along with the healthy profits reported during the year. Total available provisions for NPLs with Kuwaiti banks dropped from KD 2 billion at the end of Dec-2009 to KD 1.69 billion as of December 2010, indicating that banks started to write off doubtful debts and recover some provisions despite the high level of NPLs which recorded KD 2.5 billion.

TEG organizes Real Estate & Investment Expo KUWAIT: Top Expo Group ( TEG) for Organizing Exhibitions and Conferences is ready to organize the Real Estate and Investment Exhibition which is hosted in cooperation with the Kuwait International Fair company at Hall 8 in the KIF Fairground at Mishref. The exhibition will take place between April 11th and 16th, and will be under the patronage of Ministry of Commerce and Industry undersecretary Abdul-Aziz Al-Khaldi, while featuring participation of nearly 30 companies from Kuwait and the Gulf region.

“This year’s exhibition takes place while the Middle East is undergoing vast political and economic reformation movements which will transform the region into an attractive spot for investors in all fields”, said managing director of the group Waleed Al-Qadoumi in a press statement, in which he further noted the upcoming real estate opportunities created through those changes will help achieve the dreams of people with limited income in owning their own property.

Al-Qadoumi further recognized the “very promising phase” that the real estate along with other business sectors is poised to have due to the political changes taking place in the region, as well as other developmental programs such as Kuwait’s development plan as well as Qatar’s preparation to host the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar CB cuts rates by at least 50 bps ABU DHABI: Qatar’s central bank slashed key interest rates by at least 50 basis points yesterday for the first time since August, in a move that analysts said was aimed at boosting domestic lending and reducing capital inflows.

The cuts, which brought the main overnight deposit rate to 1.0 percent from 1.5 percent, follows a January policy measure that limited the amount of money banks could earn interest on with the central bank.

The overnight lending facility and the repo rate were both cut to 5.0 percent from the original 5.5 percent and 5.55 percent, respectively, the website www.qcb.gov.qa also showed. The central bank did not give reasons for the cuts.

“They want to discourage more hot money from coming into the country and they don’t want local banks to leave large surplus amounts in their reserve accounts with Central Bank and earn a decent return on the reserve cash at the same time,” said Farah Ahmed Hersi, senior economist at Masraf Al Rayan in Doha.

“Instead, they want the banks to lend out this excess cash to the private sector in order to help induce private credit sector growth.” Qatar, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas exporter, last changed its policy settings in August when it trimmed its deposit rate by 50 basis points but left other rates unchanged. —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

.2725000 .4470000 .3905000 .2980000 .2840000 .2835000 .0045000 .0020000 .0751330 .7319980 .3900000 .0715000 .7175920 .0045000 .0460000

.2825000 .4570000 .3980000 .3070000 .2920000 .2910000 .0075000 .0035000 .0758880 .7393550 .4085000 .0790000 .7248040 .0072000 .0560000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2767500 .2788500 .4490680 .4524760 .3926670 .3965460 .3003580 .3026370 .2859870 .2881570 .0526580 .0530580 .0435850 .0439160 .2857580 .2879270 .0355910 .0358610 .2195210 .2211870 .0032870 .0033120 .0000000 .0063090 .0000000 .0025350 .0000000 .0032900 .0000000 .0039000 .0753780 .0759500 .7345720 .7401460 .0000000 .3944130 .0738200 .0743800 .7193920 .7248510 .0000000 .0064850

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

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.311 6.250 3.259 2.515 3.922 221.020 35.777 3.817

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

6.401 9.210 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 74.197 76.457 722.750 738.880 75.754

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 49.500 46.709 1.273 201.780 392.950 184.400 6.007 35.478

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 278.150 Euro 396.360 Sterling Pound 450.600 Canadian dollar 288.750 Turkish lire 181.220 Swiss Franc 303.000 Australian dollar 287.160 US Dollar Buying 276.950 GOLD 271.000 137.000 70.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees

SELL CASH SELL DRAFT 292.000 290.500 739.340 739.340 4.010 3.819 291.000 289.500 546.000 14.100 53.700 167.800 222.000 49.300 46.729 399.500 398.000 38.430 38.280 6.480 6.255

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

0.033 0.250 0.247 3.400 394.250 0.188 94.180 47.300 4.360 217.400 1.885 51.400 722.110 3.340 6.630 76.900 74.230 222.050 43.970 2.697 452.500 45.000 304.700 6.000 9.530 198.263 75.860 278.400 1.270

0.032

392.930 0.187 94.180 3.930 215.900

Sterling Pound US Dollar

303.200 6.000 9.390 75.760 278.000

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 450.500 278.000

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees

Selling Rate 277.700 290.400 449.875 397.460 300.968 734.993 75.584 76.255 74.023 392.280 46.647 2.512 6.258

3.258 3.828 6.403 681.183 3.398 9.270 6.057 3.991 91.329

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. 721.930 3.270 6.420 76.470 74.230 222.050 43.970 2.515 450.500

GOLD 1,498.110

10 Tola

Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

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 Canadian Dollars

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 277.900 3.270 6.265 2.535 3.830 6.445 75.765 74.310 738.800 46.695 454.100 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 394.800 5.750 400.40000 295.300

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 277.550 Euro 397.800 Pound Sterling 450.300 Canadian Dollar 289.300 Japanese Yen 3.325 Indian Rupee 6.255 Egyptian Pound 46.675 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.514 Bangladesh Taka 3.814 Philippines Peso 6.400 Pakistan Rupee 3.256 Bahraini Dinar 739.200 UAE Dirham 75.650 Saudi Riyal 74.150 *Rates are subject to change

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

business

KUWAIT: Mohammed Alghanim behind the wheel of BMW 6 Series Convertible during the launch ceremony.—Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: Mohammed Alghanim, Group General Manager at Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive with officials during the launch.

All-New BMW 6 Series Convertible in Kuwait Redefining aesthetics, stylish presence and driving pleasure in an open-top premium car KUWAIT: The new third generation BMW 6 Series has made its debut in the Middle East, over thirty years after the world’s most successful premium automotive manufacturer launched the first BMW 6 Series model.

Arriving at the Ali Alghanim & Sons showroom in Kuwait this month, the new BMW 6 Series Convertible has a new interior and exterior design and comes with a wealth of new technology highlights that distinguish the new car from the predecessor model. Offering stylish design, outstanding performance, luxury and sheer driving pleasure, the latest generation model is expected to set trends in the premium car segment.

Design Although the new BMW 6 Series retains its strong characteristic lines, it has been restyled with a refined modern design. Some new characteristics include a “shark nose” in its front end design giving the car a sense of surging forward, while a broad air intake, strikingly contoured bonnet and muscular wheel arches hint at its powerful engine technology and impressive road holding promise. Meanwhile the luxurious atmosphere of the interior is highlighted by the driver-oriented set up, and optionally, offers individually tailored seats for the driver, front and rear passengers.

The roof of the new BMW 6 Series Convertible takes just 19 seconds to open and closes within 24 seconds. Both operations can be activated while on the move at speeds of up to 40 km/h.

High-class functionality is underlined prominently in the updated and redesigned Control Display with the

Guests and journalist admire the all-new BMW 6 Series Convertible. iDrive control system. High-quality materials, carefully coordinated colours and, once again, meticulously formed surfaces combine to produce an ambience defined by luxury in the new BMW 6 Series Convertible.

BMW ConnectedDrive The progressive character of the new BMW 6 Series Convertible is emphasized with numerous BMW ConnectedDrive optional driver assistance technology features for enhanced comfort and safety, some of these include: rear-view camera; Surround View; BMW Night Vision (optional) with pedestrian recognition; and BMW Park Assistant. In addition, the new BMW 6 Series Convertible is the only car in its segment available with a full colour Head-Up Display (optional)

which projects driving-related information onto the windscreen within the driver’s direct field of view.

Owners of select BlackBerry smart phones can also access the phone’s office function via the operating system iDrive. A new Bluetooth interface that integrates the BlackBerry device into the vehicle enables e-mails, contact lists, messages and calendar entries to be received and displayed on the Control Display and even read out by means of an optional voice output function. In addition, Bluetooth Audio Streaming enables the driver to listen to music from an audio player or mobile phone without the need for a cable. The title information for the song appears in the vehicle display and can be selected and accessed via the iDrive Controller.

The interior of the BMW 6 Series Convertible.

Performance The new BMW 6 Series Convertible is available in Kuwait with two engine variants: 650i and 640i, which offer more power and more fuel efficiency than their predecessors. The eight-cylinder power unit in the BMW 650i Convertible produces 407 hp and the BMW 640i Convertible generates 320 hp. Both engines come with BMW TwinPower Turbo power, direct fuel injection and VALVETRONIC technologies team up as standard with an eight-speed Sports automatic gearbox.

Dynamic Drive Control which allows the driver to choose from a range of preprogrammed suspension settings comes as standard, while the Adaptive Drive (optional) which helps stabilize the vehicle around corners ensures the premium

comfort, safety and driving pleasure for the driver.

Commenting on the launch, Mohammed Alghanim, Group General Manager at Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive said: “Convertible models are important for us as they reiterate the athletic appeal and sportiness of the BMW brand. The new generation 6 Series will add a new chapter to a tradition of impressive BMW open-top cars that stretches back decades - and we have no doubt that it will be a popular addition to our portfolio.”

The new BMW 6 Series Convertible is now available at the Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive showroom and will be joined by the new BMW 6 Series CoupÈ in the second half of 2011.

GCC oil windfall boosts govt spending power NBK GCC Brief

Shaikha Al-Bahar

Dr Yaser Hasan

NBK posts EGP 447m net profits from AWB Activities KUWAIT: NBK Group posted EGP 447 million from Al Watany Bank of Egypt AWB’s operations in 2010 compared to EGP 405.3 million in 2009, an increase of 10.3%.

NBK Deputy CEO & AWB Chairman Shaikha Al-Bahar said that AWB has once again proved its ability to post record profits and unprecedented growth in the Egyptian market despite the unfavorable and challenging regional and international situation. AWB’s return on average assets reached 2.62% in 2010, while the return on shareholders’ equity increased to 33.03%, from 31.29% in 2009.

Total assets increased to EGP 17.06 billion compared to EGP 14.82 billion. Shareholders equity, including profits for this period, reached EGP 1.8 billion as of the end of 2010, up from EGP 1.77 billion in 2009.

On his part, Dr Yaser Hasan, AWB CEO, said that “the positive results achieved by AWB are the outcome of focusing on service quality, enhancing risk management systems and implementing a business work model that meets the variable requirements of all customer categories”.

AWB, a member of NBK Group, was established in 1980 and has a branch network comprised of 40 branches situated at strategic locations within the various Egyptian governorates and cities, including Cairo, Al-Jezza, Alexandria, Sharam AlShaikh, Al-Ghardaka, Tanta, 6th October, 10th Ramadan, Al Mansoura, Dumyat and Souhaj.

KUWAIT: Oil prices have risen dramatically in the past few months, as political unrest across the energy-exporting Middle East has disrupted Libyan output and added a risk premium to prices at a time when strong growth in global oil demand was already causing markets to tighten. From $75 per barrel (pb) in September 2010, the price of the OPEC crude basket increased to $115 in early March 2011. (See chart 1.) At this level, prices are nearly 50% higher than their average for 2010 and 22% above the average for 2008 - which was the highest ever recorded.

Although there is no guarantee that the current price will be sustained, few analysts are predicting a significant near-term drop.

Futures markets are pricing in a dip of just $5 pb by the end of 2012.

For the energy-exporting Gulf region, higher oil prices raise incomes and provide local governments with extra revenues via oil concessions or state-owned oil companies. In current circumstances, this has an influence beyond narrow economic considerations: it provides extra spending power for those governments undertaking measures to boost living standards for nationals, in an attempt to address social and political grievances. Of course, governments have to consider the long-term financial sustainability of spending measures, not just shortterm affordability. But the issue of how much extra spending can take place without governments dipping into their vast sovereign wealth funds may still be a real one. How does the recent run-up in oil prices affect the amount of cash at GCC governments’ disposal? Table 1 shows some broad estimates of the amount of extra budget revenue generated by each $1 pb increase in the price of oil. The estimates are based upon export sales of crude oil and crude oil products (implying that governments get no extra revenue from domestic sales), and assume that - for countries other than Kuwait and Saudi Arabia - the private sector captures a share of incremental oil revenues through oil concessions, production sharing agreements and so on.

Each $1 increase in oil prices yields extra budget revenues of $4.5 billion for the GCC as a whole. More than half of this is attributable to the region’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, which exports more than 7 million barrels per day (mbpd) of crude oil and products. Bahrain - which has net exports of less than 0.2 mbpd - sees just $50 million in additional revenues.

Note that these figures are shown before any transfer of revenues to the region’s various sovereign wealth funds. In addition, we take no account of any potential rise in gas revenues, even though they are an important part of total state revenues in countries like Oman and Qatar. In current circumstances, however, this might be reasonable.

gained in comparison to the oil prices assumed in each government’s budget for 2011 (the figures for Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are estimates). These government price projections tend to be conservative, and for 2011 they range between $55 - $80 pb. An oil price of $100 pb would imply additional state revenues (above budget) of a massive $194 billion this year. This is equivalent to 17% of regional GDP, or more than half of budgeted expenditure. Some $120 billion of this would go to Saudi Arabia, while $1 billion would go to Bahrain.

This does not imply that $100 oil would generate government budget surpluses of the same magnitude, since under their respective price projections, most GCC gov-

Because of a global supply influx, natural gas prices have not shared in the run-up in crude oil prices in recent months, implying less of a windfall for gas exporters. In energy equivalent terms, the barrel of oil equivalent price of natural gas stood at around $22pb in March, just below its average of $23 pb for last year.

Table 2 provides some indications of what an increase in oil prices to $100 pb (on average) in 2011 might mean for government revenues in relation to two different benchmarks. Scenario 1 shows the revenue

ernments are projecting budget deficits for this year. Rather, it represents the potential improvement in the budget position.

Scenario 2 shows the extra revenues generated in comparison to a crude oil price of $77 pb, which was the average price of the OPEC basket last year. In this case, the additional revenues amount to a smaller but still very significant - $104 billion. This is equivalent to 9% of regional GDP and 28% of budgeted government spending for this year. These are huge sums, but are they likely to be enough to finance the additional

emergency spending measures announced recently, without radically changing the budget position or forcing governments to dip into their vast sovereign wealth funds?

The near-term budgetary impact of the various spending measures can only be estimated in broad terms, since the cost of some of the measures have not yet been revealed, while others - such as house building programs - will be spread out over a number of years. Nevertheless, the revenue increases described in the two scenarios above should be comfortably enough to pay for the measures announced to date in Kuwait and the UAE. Qatar has not yet announced any spending measures.

The positions of Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia are less clear cut. The Saudi Arabian government has announced by far the most extensive - and expensive - series of supplementary spending measures in the GCC. Those range from a 15% pay increases for public sector workers to a commitment to build 0.5 million new homes. Estimates of the total amount of extra spending are above $130 billion, half of which could be spent this year. This would account for more than the increase in revenues generated by $100 oil this year compared to the $77 of 2010. But the government would still be left with a substantially better fiscal position than that implied by its budget oil price assumption.

The NBK report concluded: Meanwhile, we estimate that the major new spending measures in Bahrain might add around $2 billion to budget spending in 2011, close to double the additional revenues generated by higher oil prices this year. Short of higher revenue from other sources, the Bahraini government is likely to see its financial position deteriorate as a net result of the spending and oil revenue increases. Finally, we estimate that the main measures announced by the Omani government should cost in the $1-2 billion range, which would absorb half of the extra revenues generated by higher oil prices this year than last.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

business

Kuwait equities rally on renewed buying interest GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: KSE equities continued their north-

ward trend for the third consecutive day backed by gains in the heavyweight stocks.

Zain stock witnessed hefty trading activity during the day as investors exchanged 11.01mn shares at a total value of KD15.1mn.

The scrip was up by 1.47 percent, closing at KD1.380 and hit its highest level since March 15, 2011. Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) had the same story. Buying interest was witnessed on the scrip, which was one of the prominent gainer for the day, adding 6.67 percent to close at KD0.400.

Global General Index (GGI), market weighted, ended the day up by 0.41 percent, at 202.90 point. Market Capitalization was also up for the day at KD32.98bn. KSE Price Index closed at 6,303.6 point, adding 2.50 points (0.04 percent) to its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 90 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 31 equities retreated versus 30 that advanced.

Yesterday’s performance was accompanied by diminishing trading activity with most of the trades conducted in the Investment sector. Total volume traded was down by 42.59 percent with 87.89mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD29.75mn (44.91 percent higher compared to the day before).

The Investment Sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 28.26 percent of total shares. Services sector was the value leader, with 58.43 percent of total traded value. Zain was the most value traded in the market with KD15.11mn traded on the scrip.

Zain share price closed up by 1.47 at KD1.380.

Sector-wise As measured by Global weighted sectoral indices, major financial indices were the biggest gainers for the day, the Investment index was a prominent gainer, adding 1.64 percent to its value.

Manafae Investment Company was the second biggest gainer in the sector, adding 5.36 percent to its share value to close at KD0.059. National Investment Company was also up by 3.57 percent and closed at

KD0.290. Moreover in the sector, Al Mal Investment Company has paid back on April 04, 2011 five-year bonds worth KD20mn, which had been issued on April 05, 2005 by National Bank of Kuwait (NBK). The bonds’ maturity date had been extended from April 05, 2010 to April 05, 2011. Al Mal I nvestment Company closed flat at KWD0.087. The banking sector was also up by 0.23 percent.

Heavy weighted Services Index added 0.90 percent to its value, and contributed to the market ’s gain this session. Agility Company reported a 1.30 percent climb in its share price. The services sector is up 2.64 percent since the end of March and is the second best per forming sector so far in April. Investors continued to shy away from insurance scrips, with only 60,000 shares changing hands. The sector index saw a 0.30 percent withdrawal for the day, on the back of 1.64 percent recoil in the equity price of Kuwait Insurance Company.

Corporate news Heavy Engineering and Ship Building Co (HEISCO) has signed contract of tender No. RFP 2174. Under the tender, relevant to agreement No. 46898, HEISCO will establish a main power transformation plant and improve the distribution network in Huqoul, south east Kuwait for Kuwait Oil Co (KOC). The KD1,776,454 worth of tender lasts for 450 days as of the first day of actual work.

Oil news OPEC member Kuwait is in talks with BP Plc and other international energy companies over a possible role in its $9bn refining joint venture with Sinopec in China, a Kuwaiti official said yesterday. Mohammed Jasem, vice president and chief planning officer for Kuwait Petroleum International, the overseas arm of the Gulf nation’s state oil company, told reporters Kuwait hoped to conclude the partner selection process by May. Kuwait and Sinopec signed the joint venture deal in March and are currently equal partners in the project.

Saudi investment firm Khalijia to retrench DUBAI: Khalijia Invest, a Saudi investment firm which counts two major Kuwaiti investment banks as shareholders, plans to shut down most of its operations due to a cash crunch, an internal document seen by Reuters showed.

The retrenchment could be the first in a slew of similar actions in the kingdom where a raft of investment firms have been facing financial stress, with consolidation expected.

Riyadh-based Khalijia, which counts Kuwait’s National Investments and Gulf Bank as shareholders, has decided to cancel the licenses of its asset management, brokerage and custody services, an email to Khalijia staff said. “A full restructuring of the company’s activities and staffing is being considered and will be conveyed to all staff members in due time,” the email said, adding the decision had been taken after an extraordinary board meeting on March 29.

Khalijia will decrease the company’s capital and retain its investment advisory and consultancy business, the email said.

Khalijia Invest declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

The firm, which was incorporated with a capital base of 400 million riyals ($106.7 million) in 2008, saw its authorized share capital fall below the stipulated regulatory requirement of 50 million riyals, prompting the move to shut down, two sources familiar with the matter said. Over 70 percent of its capital

was depleted after the firm invested shareholder money in its investment funds, said one of the sources, based in Saudi Arabia and who spoke on condition of anonymity. Shareholders refused to commit more capital prompting the move to scale down operations, the two sources added.

Khalijia will meet with the Saudi regulator, Capital Markets Authority (CMA), yesterday, the Saudi source said. He said the CMA may intervene to bail out the firm. “They had ambitious plans but they lost a lot money investing shareholder’s money into funds. As far as I know, they did not do a single investment banking deal since inception,” said the Saudi source.

Khalijia Invest received a license to operate as a fully-fledged sharia-complaint investment bank from the CMA in 2008 and began operations in 2009.

Saudi-based wealthy investors form up to 65 percent of the remaining shareholders. Investment firms operating in the Gulf Arab region came under intense pressure during the financial crisis as the value of their investments fell sharply and access to credit became increasingly difficult.

The CMA has granted investment licenses to about 120 companies in the kingdom. Some of these firms are under a lot of financial stress and the sector may see some consolidation in the nearterm, the Saudi source said. — Reuters

Oman’s United Securities to launch Gulf fund DUBAI: United Securities LLC, a Muscatbased brokerage and advisory firm, is launching an equity fund to tap investment opportunities in the Gulf, it said yesterday.

The United GCC fund will be actively managed and will invest across the Gulf equity markets, the firm said in a statement. The initial public offering (IPO) period for the open-ended fund will run for a month from April 10. The minimum subscription for the fund will be 3,000

units with an IPO price of 1.02 rials ($2.65) per unit, United said.

Several local and international firms have launched equity funds in the Gulf Arab region, aiming to benefit from opportunities in the region touted as the next big emerging market.

The relatively nascent asset management industry in the Gulf took a heavy blow during and after the global financial crisis, hit by investor outflows and a sharp drop in fund values. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

25

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

business

flydubai conquers MENA skies, eyes growth

By Velina Nacheva KUWAIT/DUBAI: The cumulative impact of spiraling fuel costs entangled with the unrest in the Middle East, a plunge in passenger numbers caused by the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan and rising airfares, along with the closure of an airline in the Gulf, have prompted a broader rethink in the aviation industry.

Against the backdrop of the swathe of aviation mishaps globally, the world’s fastest growing startup airline, flydubai, demonstrates a unique recession-proof business model based on flexibility.

“Our company DNA is built on smart planning,” says Ghaith Al-Ghaith, flydubai’s Chief Executive Officer. With a 25-year career in the aviation industry, Al-Ghaith sums up the twin-pronged approach that helps airlines battle the dark clouds looming over the field of aviation for the past decade. The short lifespan of problems that have repeatedly crippled the industry, such as SARS, the volcanic ash cloud and 9/11, and the flexibility of moving capacity around has allowed the aviation industry to bounce back into profit.

flydubai’s CEO Ghaith Al-Ghaith poses near a flydubai aircraft.

“Once the problem is over, passengers come back to travel almost immediately because travelling is becoming an essential part of the fabrics of our lives,” spotlighted Al-Ghaith, who opines that such problems are short-lived and the industry meets them with flexibility.

The turmoil in the region has restrained capacity to some unrest-hit destinations but has increased the range of flights to others. “It is easier to move capacity in the airline industry. If one route is not working for some reason, you go somewhere else,” Al-Ghaith says. “Since we are in the beginning of our lifecycle we can always stop one route and go somewhere else because we still have many places to cover.”

Doom, gloom or boom?

The short-term forecast for aviation globally looks gloomy, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the world’s largest aviation watchdog, recently downgrading its outlook for 2011 announcing last month that the political turbulence in the Middle East and North Africa in February had cut international traffic and “is responsible almost entirely for the slippage in passenger demand growth.”

The watchdog’s predictions are echoed by a host of analysts. “It is a perfect storm of influences that threaten to derail the seemingly unstoppable MENA expansion,” says David Bentley, an airline industry analyst and the joint managing director of Big Pond Aviation, a consulting and analysis company.

In an email response to Kuwait Times’ queries, he said, “I think both the legacy and the LCC (lowcost carrier) segments will be equally affected; so far it is Wataniya that has felt the pinch most extremely.” In March, Kuwait’s premium air carrier Wataniya Airways announced that it was ceasing its operations, citing financial troubles and political unrest in the region.

By way of contrast, for an all-economy, no-frills

Budget carrier soaring high: Over 45 routes, a fleet of 20 aircraft by 2011-end service carrier, optimism seems the better bet for aviation in the Middle East and in Dubai in particular. Two years after the launch of the Dubai-based state-owned budget airline, Al-Ghaith remains upbeat about the foreseeable future. “We have the infrastructure to attract people to come and visit or to come and live here,” he said, explaining that this encourages travelers.

The airline industry is a corollary for the support of infrastructure and for encouraging people to travel, Al-Ghaith observed. The numbers validate his optimism. In the last quarter of 2010, the fledgling airline emerged as the second biggest contributor to Dubai airport, the second largest airport in the Middle East and one of the largest in the world, which has witnessed tremendous traffic growth.

Using the analogy that an airline is like a real estate company Al-Ghaith outlined, “You need to sell as many plots as possible, as many seats as possible.”

Aviation analysts argue that the proliferation of airlines drives traffic. Al-Ghaith shares the same premise that the more airlines there are, the more people will travel. “Many people use airlines more and more to do business and to travel. The whole world is a small village,” Al-Ghaith stressed.

With over 20 legacy carriers and four low-cost carriers in the region, the market will become more competitive and will offer more choices to travelers. Also, Dubai - a major player on the world aviation map and a stopover destination linking the East and the West - offers a strategic location for leisure vacationers, weekend getaways, daytrippers and business travelers. In addition, with its short-haul low-cost model, flydubai caters to a diverse segment of travelers for whom the airfare is affordable. Nowhere else is this observation more valid than in the Gulf, where the demographic dynamics feature a 40 percent youth population who are highly mobile, as well as a large migrant labor force.

Bridging the Gulf One year after the launch of flydubai’s inaugural flight to Kuwait, Al-Ghaith estimates the year as successful further stressing on the importance of the economic, cultural and social ties between Kuwait and the UAE. Kuwait’s geographical proximity to the UAE, close family and trade links between the countries have kept Kuwait on the radar of the budget airline. flydubai’s four daily flights between Dubai and Kuwait open up a new low-cost option to the increasing number of people wanting to shuttle between the two, making travel more accessible.

“Increasing numbers of low-cost flights between Kuwait and the Emirates strengthens the ties between the two nations and increase the opportunities for business, trade and tourism for both countries,” Al-Ghaith said.

Asked if flydubai is facing competition from any of the Kuwait-based network carrier counterparts, he responded succinctly: “We keep a close eye on airlines in Kuwait.” “We always view competition in a positive light. We work in harmony with every service provider and other airlines in order to give the customer the best services. It is important to know that all airlines complement each other...but there is a benchmark,” Al-Ghaith told a group of journalists from Kuwait at a press conference held on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Dubai-Kuwait route’s launch.

History in the making flydubai’s maiden commercial flight was on June 1st two years ago, since when it’s seen two years of robust performance. For such a short timespan the budget airline has altered the aviation landscape in the Middle East, developing an extended network of 33 routes which is set to grow further, increasing to over 45 in number by the end of 2011. In its two years of operation, flydubai has added frequency at a phenomenal rate spanning a network flying to a wide range of destinations within a five-hour radius from Dubai across the GCC, Middle East, Africa, the Indian subconti-

Journalists from Kuwait with Ghaith Al-Ghaith in Dubai. nent and Russia as well as the former CIS. Its current destinations include: Beirut (Lebanon), Amman (Jordan), Lucknow (India), Baku (Azerbaijan) and Kathmandu (Nepal), along with the most recent addition Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

With such an extensive network flydubai considers all of its routes to be “key markets.”

“Our destinations are equally important to us.

The Gulf countries are important to us,” Al-Ghaith says. The airline has flown over one million passengers during its first 14 months of operation.

Flydubai has one of the youngest fleets of 16 brand new aircraft Boeing 737-800 and has placed an order which will bring its fleet to a total of 50 aircraft by 2016. “Our main focus is to consider the economy of scale and to continue being sustainable in the market...That is how you want to grow,” Al-Ghaith said hinting at the opening of new destinations in the short and long-term. “We have strategic expansion plans,” he says.

He explains that flydubai’s target is to start making profit in 2012. Al-Ghaith further forecast that in terms of operations, flydubai will more than double in size in 2011. “We are constantly seeing growth in the number of flights we have,” he told The Kuwait Times, evaluating the first quarter of the year as “very good.” “Unfortunately because of the problems in the region it is not as good as we [had] hoped because there are issues on some of the routes that we are flying to,” he said. “The business will come back quicker than anybody can imagine.”

State and synergy Al-Ghaith’s sanguine viewpoint is further sup-

ported by the continuous growth of Dubai as a logistics hub for services, travel and business. The Dubai government has had a long interest in establishing a second airline, says Al-Ghaith who is a former Emirates senior executive. The success of Emirates Airlines, the world’s largest airline by international seating capacity, and the opening of Jaber Ali Airport were the joint trigger for the establishment of flydubai. The aviation industry has come a long way because it has a vision, AlGhaith observed. “I cannot have an airline if there is no development and suitable infrastructure in the country.”

The embryonic low-cost market in the Middle East, which is still underserved, has been a boon for flydubai’s growing portfolio. “From a low-cost point of view our region does not have enough carriers,” Al-Ghaith said.

His view has been supported by the statistics.

Low-cost carriers operate one in nine of the commercial flights worldwide. Compared to the European and North American markets, where the budget airline segment is respectively 35 percent and 25 percent, budget carriers in the Middle East account for only 10 percent of the total air travel market, according to the IATA. “There is still potential for this type of business (in the region),” AlGhaith stresses.

On a final note, Al-Ghaith explained to the Kuwait Times what he sees as making flydubai stand out in the region: “We’re still new and we are constantly growing. We don’t have any excess baggage. We don’t have an old system. We are continuing to grow. We are exploring new areas. We don’t have to cut, we have to build.”

flydubai aircrafts on the tarmac.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

business

Toyota didn’t cause man’s accident, Jury rules Toyota Motor Corp wasn’t responsible for causing a doctor’s 2005 Scion to suddenly accelerate and smash into a tree, a federal jury in Central Islip, New York, ruled yesterday. The accident was caused by the driver, Amir Sitafalwalla, rather than the brake or the floor mat, said a lawyer for Toyota, John Randolph Bibb Jr, in his closing statement yesterday.

Sitafalwalla “made a mistake in the operation of his 2005 Scion TC,” Bibb told jurors. “He made a simple but unfortunate mistake.” The jury deliberated for less than an hour. “It was all about how the mat came into play and obviously it didn’t,” juror Penny Overbeck, 38, of Center Moriches, New York, said after the verdict. She said her vote was also influenced by “all the testing Toyota did. They had it all on video. It pretty much explained it.” Toyota faces hundreds of lawsuits for accidents involving unintended acceleration, but the automaker needs only to win them one at a time.

Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Toyota has done exactly that, as a New York jury ruled that the automaker was not responsible for an accident involving Dr. Amir Sitafalwalla.

Sitafalwalla claimed that his 2005 Scion accelerated on its own either through a throttle problem or a faulty floor mat, causing him to run into a tree. The jury didn’t see it that way. Penny Overbeck, one of the jurors on the case, says that Toyota’s extensive testing played a role in her decision, adding, “They had it all on video. It pretty much explained it.”

Floor Mat Due to its design, “it’s just not physically possible” for the Scion TC’s floor mat “to entrap the accelerator pedal,” said Bibb, of Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop PC in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We weighed all the evidence and came to the conclusion that there was not a defect with the automobile,” said Regina Desio of Plainview, New York, the jury forewoman. The jury found Toyota wasn’t liable for product liability concerning either the mat or the absence of a brake-override system.

JD Power’s 2011 JD Power’s 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study names

Toyota as winner of most segments.

J.D. Power and Associates has released its annual Vehicle Dependability Study for 2011, and there are a few surprises in store for those who religiously keep track of who outperforms who on the automotive reliability front. Lexus comes in second place with a score of 109, and Toyota’s seven individual segment victories gives the Japanese automaker more individual victories than any other brand. A brief explanation of how this

particular study is compiled: J D Power polled 43,700 original owners on problems experienced during the past 12 months on 2008 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. As such, this study is not ranking the latest vehicles by any given manufacturer, but is instead intended to help consumers predict the durability of a potential automobile purchase.

On that note Mubarak Al-Sayer the CEO - Units Group MNSS said:” In the occasion of such positive outstanding results of J D Powers, we praise ourselves for being the sole distributor of Toyota and Lexus cars, the world’s most practical & luxury automotive brand; TMC has managed to produce “Reliable Dependable Cars” that does not stand still, tremendous advances in innovative technology and driving capabilities, as well as in environmentally friendly solutions, Toyota managed to capture customers loyalty and trust, for that Toyota shall remain the best in terms of dependability and innovation. On our turn here in Kuwait, we are committed to insure our customer’s complete satisfaction with their cars, Al-Sayer will always continue to be committed to offer the best products and service available in Kuwait, and to always meet the best of customer care”.

Mubarak added: “We are pleased that TMC has once again led the way with the most segment awards in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study. We’re especially proud of our consistency in the annual study. Since 1994 Lexus has continued to place among the top three nameplates in every year of eligibility, while Toyota has been in the top five among non-luxury manufacturers since 1990. Toyota has once again topped this year’s study as the top-ranking full-line manufacturer”. “This is great news and timely for both our customers and our dealers, as it provides reassurance our vehicles continue to be an industry benchmark for quality.”

Moody’s cuts Portugal rating, banks reported to shun bonds Millennium CEO says country needs loan

GUANGZHOU: A worker from the CBL Group, a contract manufacturer, welds a seat frame in Guangzhou, Guangdong province in Southern China. When millions of workers didn’t return to their southern China factory jobs after Lunar New Year holidays, a turning point was reached for foreign manufacturers scraping by with slim profit margins.—AP

LISBON: Portugal’s credit rating was downgraded again yesterday and its biggest banks reportedly threatened to stop buying government debt, urging the caretaker administration to seek a short-term loan during pre-election limbo.

Business daily Jornal de Negocios said the heads of the country’s biggest banks met the governor of the Bank of Portugal on Monday, telling him that the country should secure short-term financing to soothe concerns until a June 5 general election. If true, a bond-buying strike from Portugal’s major domestic buyers could shut it out of financing from the markets in the way Greece and Ireland were before they were bailed out.

Moody’s cut Portugal’s sovereign debt by one notch, saying it believed the caretaker government would need to seek urgent financing support from the European Union, before a full-blown bailout is requested by a new government.

The agency said it could cut Portugal’s

rating further before its next review in July if it saw that short-term support was not available from its euro zone partners.

Standard & Poor’s and Fitch have already downgraded Portugal since the minority Socialist government resigned last month after parliament rejected an austerity package. Moody’s lead analyst for Portugal, Anthony Thomas, told Reuters the caretaker government did not cite any short-term loan as part of its contingency plans for financing.

“The government has not mentioned anything like that to us,” he said, adding that any loan could come from European institutions rather than the International Monetary Fund as local media have suggested. A European Commission spokesman said the euro zone’s emergency lending facilities extend loans to countries that ask for help in an established procedure that involves strict conditionality. A source said no special “short-term loan” outside a negotiated financial aid program

was possible. A spokesman at Portugal’s central bank would not comment on the Jornal stor y, which reported that Portuguese banks were no longer in a position to buy government debt after purchasing large quantities of bonds in the past year. Spokesmen from Millennium bcp and Banco Espirito Santo declined to comment.

But Carlos Santos Ferreira, head of Millennium bcp, Portugal’s biggest private bank, said in a television interview late on Monday that it was “indispensable that the country seeks a short-term loan”, of at least 10 billion euros. Andre Rodrigues, a banking analyst at Caixa Investment Banking, said banks were pressured by the depreciation of the sovereign debt on their books, their own liquidity problems and forthcoming European financial stress tests.

“For banks, it’s not a theoretical issue but a practical one,” said Rodrigues.. “It’s an additional pressure factor to push Portugal into seeking a bailout or an interim loan.”

A short-term loan has been mooted by Portugal’s opposition Social Democrats.

The party’s leader, Pedro Passos Coelho, suggested it in a Reuters interview last month. Such a loan could soothe concerns around two big bond redemptions the country faces in April and June, which total about 9 billion euros.

It would be separate to any eventual bailout, which economists say is virtually inevitable. The euro slipped from a fivemonth high versus the dollar, knocked by the Moody’s downgrade.

The cost of insuring Portuguese debt against default rose and 10-year Portuguese bond jumped above nine percent. Portuguese bond yields have shot higher since the resignation of the government two years before its term ends and yields are scaling new euro-era highs on a daily basis. “The government’s current cost of funding is nearing a level that is unsustainable, even in the short-term,” Moody’s said. — Reuters

China CB raises France cuts power price hike, cancels gas rise key interest rates again BEIJING: China raised key interest rates yesterday for the fourth time since October as it tries to dampen high inflation. The People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, said the quarter-percentage-point increase lifts the one-year lending rate to 6.31 percent and the rate for one-year bank deposits to 3.25 percent. The series of rate hikes reflects concerns about overheating and excess liquidity in the Chinese economy that are driving up prices, especially of food. China’s consumer prices rose 4.9 percent in February, driven by an 11 percent jump in politically sensitive food costs that account for half or more of household spending among the millions of Chinese who have seen little benefit from three decades of economic reform. Beijing is using gradual hikes in interest rates and bank reserve levels to stanch a flood of lending that helped China rebound quickly from the global financial crisis but now is fueling price rises.

Analysts say a bank lending boom is partly to blame for the overheating, prompting measures to curb the credit boom that is pushing up real estate and stock prices. Those moves appear to be gaining traction, although economists say more rate hikes are needed and it will be months before the effect is seen.

The central bank said bank lending in February fell 26 percent from the same month last year to 535.6 billion yuan ($81.5 billion). China’s banks lent just over 1 trillion yuan ($153 billion) in January. That was after their 2010 lending rose to nearly 8 trillion yuan ($1.2 trillion), overshooting the official target of 7.5 trillion yuan. Analysts say Chinese leaders acted too slowly in heading off inflation after they deflected the 2008 crisis and growth quickly returned to normal levels. The government has set a 4 percent inflation target this year but private sector analysts say consumer prices could rise by up to 6 percent. — AP

PARIS: France has cancelled a planned increase in gas prices and cut the size of electricity price hikes to appease public discontent with rising energy costs.

In the run-up to elections next year, President Nicolas Sarkozy will hope that turning down state-run utility EDF’s request for bigger electricity price rises will deflect criticism that he is not protecting consumers’ purchasing power. It might, however, hobble EDF’s ability to update its rapidly ageing fleet of nuclear power plants, another hot political issue in the wake of the nuclear crisis in Japan following last month’s earthquake and tsunami.

The government’s tough line on prices was also bad news for France’s main gas supplier GDF Suez, which had been hoping for a further increase in July after a 5 percent rise in household gas prices came into force earlier this month. EDF shares were down 3 percent at 1200 GMT, while GDF’s were down 3.1 percent.

According to the government’s plan, electricity prices can rise by 1.7 percent in July and by 1.2 percent in the summer 2012, it said yesterday.

The decision to put the brakes on electricity rates falls far short of EDF’s request for annual increases of 5.1 percent for the next four years to take into account needed investments to upgrade France’s 58 nuclear reactors. But one analyst noted that some

had expected to see an outright freeze in tariffs, especially after French industry minister Eric Besson said in late March that prices would rise only by a small amount.

“Any kind of price hike at this point in the year is a win for EDF,” said the analyst.

EDF has over the past decade turned itself into a global utility with ventures in eastern Europe, the United States and the UK. But it is still highly dependent on the French market for its profits.

Some analysts estimate that every 1 percent rise in electricity prices adds around 220 million euros ($313 million) to EDF’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).

France’s Prime Minister Francois Fillon has also asked Finance Minister Christine Lagarde and Energy Minister Eric Besson to work out a new gas tariff formula that would include a higher percentage of spot prices. Spot prices only account for 10 percent of the current formula, which mostly includes oil-indexed long-term contracts.

One Paris-based analyst said GDF Suez was more affected by regulatory uncertainty over the gas tariff formula than by the actual gas price freeze.

“We are of course ready to work with the government on the tariff formula,” a GDF Suez spokesman said. About 11 percent of GDF’s consolidated sales come from gas distribution in France. — Reuters

BANGKOK: A Thai pedestrian walks past sales advertisement in Bangkok yesterday. Thailand’s economy expanded 7.8 percent last year as it bounced back from the global crisis but is forecast to slow in 2011 amid higher fuel prices and labor shortages, according to report from the country’s National Economic Social and Development Board (NESDB) released last month. —AP

Swedish premier upbeat on economy, crown not a worry

MADRID: People line up to enter a government employment benefit office in Madrid on Monday. The number of people signing up for unemployment benefits in Spain rose in March to a new record of 4.3 million, as the country struggles to overcome recession in the euro-zone. —AP

STOCKHOLM: The strength of the Swedish crown is a reflection of strong economic fundamentals and is not worrying at current levels, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said yesterday.

He told Reuters in an interview that already upbeat economic forecasts could be raised further and that a curtailed privatization program would include the sale of stakes in Nordea and airline SAS. “The fact that it (the crown) is very strong is a market-based reaction to the fact that the Swedish economy is very strong, therefore it is kind of a sound reaction to a good economy,” Reinfeldt said.

“As long as that is the case I think we can cope with it,” he added.

The crown hit a decade high against the euro in mid-February of 8.6990 to the euro, though it has since eased back to stand at 9.0168, meaning the euro has depreciated 12 percent against the crown since the start of 2010. “Overall, this is not a trou-

blesome level at the monent,” Reinfeldt added. The crown edged up to session highs versus the euro after Reinfeldt’s comments.

The finance ministry in early March raised its forecasts for 2011 and 2012 growth and the prime minister, who heads a minority four-party centreright coalition, said the risk for growth was on the upside. “Every new projection is better than the last one ... yes, there might be even better conditions given that we are still in a pick-up phase of the economy,” he said.

He said the government was watching the economy closely to ensure it did not become stretched, though at the moment there were few signs of capacity constraints, he said. “We still have an open output gap ... we still have capacity in our economy for increased fiscal spending,” he added.

He repeated that a fiscal boost, which would probably include more income tax cuts and which

was originally planned for 2013 or 2014, could be brought forward to 2012.

He also said that given strong state finances, further sales of state assets were not an economic cornerstone, though he wanted to carry out plans to sell remaining shares in Nordea and in airline SAS. “It is a tough market. Probably a lot of structural changes are still to come and I think it is best for us not to own SAS,” he added. Swedish debt levels are falling. The domestic budget watchdog, ESV, has forecast a public sector surplus of 0.3 percent of gross domestic product this year, rising to 1.6 percent of GDP in 2012.

Reinfeldt said the countries of the euro zone which had debt and deficit problems had to bite the bullet, as Sweden did in the early 1990s, to sort out their finances. “There’s no other way than to take the measures to get balance in public finances,” he said. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

technology

Anonymous vows payback for case against PS3 hacker SAN FRANCISCO: Internet vigilante group Anonymous has vowed retribution against Sony for taking legal action against hackers that cracked PlayStation 3 (PS3) defenses to change console operating software. A message signed

by Anonymous at website anonnews.org on Monday announced an “Operation Payback” campaign aimed at the

Japanese consumer electronics titan because of its cases against George “GeoHot” Hotz and Alexander Egorenkov.

“Your recent legal actions against fellow internet citizens, GeoHot and Graf, Chokolo (Egorenkov) have been deemed an unforgivable offense against free speech and Internet freedom,” the mes-

Startup serves up bargains to online shoppers SAN FRANCISCO: As startups rush to offer smartphone users coupons for discounts at nearby shops, Dealpulp.com is out to woo the bargain hunter inside online shoppers across the United States. DealPulp is based on the premise that online shoppers have been neglected in an Internet Age fusion of smartphones and coupons so hot that it will be the focus of a first-ever Daily Deal Summit kicking off in New York City on Wednesday. “We started to see all of these local daily deals popping up,” said DealPulp director of brand and strategy Jess Swain, referring to hot startups such as LivingSocial and Groupon. “We wondered who was doing deals for online shoppers on a nationwide basis,” she continued. DealPulp membership has grown to more than 88,000 people, who have saved a combined total of nearly $450,000 since the service launched in January, according to figures posted on the website late Monday.

“Localized daily deal sites have been welcomed with open arms by consumers and are driving foot traffic to neighborhood businesses, but they are falling short of their potential,” said DealPulp founder Kiha Lee. DealPulp offers members daily bargains available nationwide and redeemable only online. The San Jose, California-based service recently began letting people share deals with friends or family via gift cards.

The service’s most successful deal to date was an offer to buy boxes of “gently used” children’s clothing from website thredUP for six dollars each. DealPulp members bought 8,940 boxes of clothing during the one-day promotion.

“We’ve seen success with a wide array of deals,” Swain said.

“We’ve done everything from deals on women’s shoes to green home and green health care products and electronics.” DealPulp works with online merchants to offer price discounts of at least 50 percent. DealPulp takes a share of voucher revenue, with merchants getting half or more, according to Swain. She said websites are often interested in using DealPulp to get people to check out their online shops rather than rack up one day’s sales.

Industry figures cited by Swain indicated that US online sales tallied $165.4 billion last year and were predicted to climb to $269.8 billion by 2015. “This is just such an important space to be in right now,” Swain said. Rival daily deal services are rooted in getting people into local shops or restaurants and provide less opportunity for nationwide online bargains, she argued. “It looks like the trend is to expand into hyper-localized deals,” Swain said. “That is great if you like local, but maybe it is a little bit of tunnel vision.”

US Internet coupon deals website Groupon in February launched China venture GaoPeng.com in partnership with local web giant Tencent, looking to tap into the world’s largest Internet population. Founded in 2008, Chicagobased Groupon offers discounts to its members on retail goods and services, offering one localized deal a day. The company announced in January it had raised $950 million in a month to invest in technology, fund its global expansion and compensate company employees and early investors. The company said then its subscriber base had grown to 50 million from just two million at the beginning of 2010. LivingSocial, based in Washington, is considered a strong competitor for Groupon in the US market.—AFP

sage read. Anonymous argued that people who bought PS3 consoles have the right to do what they wish with them, including modify them in whatever manner they wish. The hacker group threatened to retaliate against Sony by attacking the company’s websites.

Sony went to court early this year to stop hackers that figured out how to “jail-

break” PS3 consoles to operate on software other than that originally installed by the firm.

A judge granted Sony a restraining order against Hotz, a 23-year-old New Jersey resident, and opposing sides are wrangling over the company’s request to have the case heard in a federal district court in California. Sony wants Hotz taken

Google’s Page presages bolder era; some uneasy Shares down more than 6 pct since CEO plan announced SAN FRANCISCO: Google Inc’s Larry Page is back in charge of the company he founded a decade ago and, while some investors are uneasy about his credentials, they hope he will breathe new life into the Internet search giant. Page takes over Monday after a decade of “adult supervision” for Google under Eric Schmidt, as the outgoing CEO called it. The switch comes as mobile gadgets redefine the way people use the Internet and Google’s main ad business is under threat from rapidly growing upstarts such as Facebook and Groupon.

Page, who as a graduate student paired up with Sergey Brin to create the algorithm that launched Google’s search engine to Web stardom, has yet to make his battle plan public. But industry insiders and analysts expect he will tr y to shore up Google’s strength in search and mobile, while breaking into a hot social networking market that has eluded his company. In the three months since the announcement that Schmidt would step down to become executive chairman, Page has wasted little time taking greater control of the company and hacking away at some of the bureaucracy, according to a Google executive who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about internal matters.

Page’s first official day on the job was also marked by the resignation of Google’s Senior Vice President of Product Management, Jonathan Rosenberg. A Google spokesperson told Reuters Rosenberg had planned to leave the company in the next year or two as his children reached college age, but decided it was appropriate to do so now since he could not commit to being part of the team for any significant amount of time going forward. Rosenberg plans on writing a book and is not joining another company, the

spokesperson said.

To some industry observers, the jury is still out as to whether Page can win back investors and shareholders to re-energize the company’s stock and stem an exodus of talent to smaller start-ups dangling pre-IPO stock options.

Google shares have slid more than 6 percent since his CEO appointment was announced in

in how he performs and I think he’s bound to disappoint,” said Jackson, who does not have a position in Google. Like Yahoo Inc founder Jerr y Yang’s, whose tenure there as CEO in 2007 and 2008 drew an extraordinar y investor backlash, Page may not be comfortable as the face of Google, Jackson said.

“He probably underestimates

KAZAKHSTAN: US astronaut Ron Garan, crew member of the mission to the International Space Station, ISS, takes a photo of himself by mobile phone prior to the launch of Soyuz-FG rocket at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan yesterday. —AP

US lawmakers eye plan to compete with Asia on robotics entries in a contest held by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to encourage innovation by kids.

Asked about her ideas for greater youth involvement in robotics, Shaheen told AFP: “I think we need to do a whole variety of things. This is one of the steps we need to do. “What we know is that young people who participate in these program are much more likely to get excited about theses subjects, science and math and engineering and technology. They are more likely to go to college to major in these subjects... So this is one of the areas where we need to invest,” she said.

Only five percent of US university graduates now major in engineering, according to data included in the bill. In Asia broadly, the figure is 20 percent, and in China is a higher 33 percent.—AFP

and Page declined to comment for this article.

According to those who know Google’s 38-year-old co-founder, the era of Page is not likely to be measured in half-steps. “I always say to my team, you can never outflank Larry,” Dave Girouard, head of Google’s enterprise business, told Reuters shortly after the announcement of the CEO

FRANKFURT: In this photo dated October 7, 2004 shows Google founders Sergey Brin (L) and Larry Page posing for photographers prior to presenting their new Google Print product at the Frankfurt Book Fair, Germany. —AFP January. Page and Brin were the top managers under Schmidt.

Ironfire Capital Managing Partner Eric Jackson says Page, whose reported disdain for marketing and public relations was detailed in the Ken Auletta book “Googled,” could make investors uneasy.

“The first couple of big public events he does, whether it’s an earnings call or an investment banker conference, there is going to be a huge immediate interest

the importance of that public role aspect and being a liaison with the public and shareholders,” Jackson added. BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis wrote in a note to investors on Monday that one of the key questions of the Page era is whether meeting analysts’ earnings expectations will become less of a priority. “The company may be moving back to a mindset where investments take priority over profits,” wrote Gillis. Google

Court dismisses challenges to FCC Internet rules

WASHINGTON: US senators unveiled an initiative Monday to try to narrow the US gap with Asian nations more advanced in robotics, proposing exposing American high school students to a curriculum heavier on technology and science.

Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire sponsored the plan calling for exposing students to heavier doses of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) seen as essential starting points on tracks to the better-paying jobs of the present and future.

The text could end up in a broader education funding bill. Shaheen argued her case in a Senate hearing room as high school students presented their forwardlooking projects outside. The senator herself later took in the robotics demonstration and even steered one of the machines herself. Some of the robots were

task for violations of the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act and a Computer Fraud Abuse Act. The case against Egorenkov, who also maintains his innocence, is playing out in Germany. Hotz has denied doing anything wrong. Sony has reportedly tried to find out whether other hackers helped Hotz or if he shared his PS3 breakthrough with others.—AFP

WASHINGTON: A federal appeals court has dismissed two legal challenges to new Federal Communications Commission regulations that prohibit phone and cable companies from interfering with Internet traffic on their broadband networks.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia on Monday dismissed lawsuits filed by Verizon Communications Inc. and MetroPCS Communications Inc. on technical grounds. The court said the companies filed their challenges prematurely since the rules have not yet been published in the federal register.

The new “network neutrality” regulations bar broadband providers from favoring or discriminating against Internet content and services, including online calling and Web video services that could compete with their core phone and cable operations. The FCC’s three Democrats voted to adopt the regulations late last year over the objection of the agency’s two Republican members.

FCC spokesman Rob Kenny defended the new FCC policy, saying it “preserves Internet freedom and openness.” Edward McFadden, a Verizon spokesman, said the company plans to re-file its appeal as soon as the rules are published in the federal register. MetroPCS had no comment. The companies are suing the FCC in the same court that ruled last year that the agency had exceeded its legal authority in sanctioning cable giant Comcast Corp. for discriminating against online filesharing traffic on its broadband network. Congressional Republicans also are seeking to repeal the new FCC rules and could bring a measure to overturn them up for a House floor vote this week.

Republicans argue that the rules will discourage phone and cable companies from investing in costly network upgrades by barring them from offering premium services over their lines or prioritizing traffic from business partners in order to earn a return on those investments. They also maintain that the FCC overstepped its authority in adopting the rules. In addition, House Republicans are seeking to prohibit the FCC from using government money to implement the new regulations.—AP

change. “As much as you think you’re going to go in and blow him away with something cool, he’s going to say: ‘Well, why are you just doing it for three-quarters of the world?’”

In recent months, Page’s stamp has already become clear within the company. Among the first items he has reworked are the way internal meetings are run and decisions are made, said the Google source. “It’s part of the

larger thesis of let’s make this plan run faster, move more quickly and take bigger bets.” The executive now expects Page to take a hard look at the many projects underway at Google, placing bigger bets on those that seem to show promise and pulling the plug on others.

With more than 24,000 employees, Google has used its vast resources to expand into various markets beyond Web search, including telephone and television products, online productivity software and even electronic books. Google’s Android software has become the No 1 smartphone operating system after barely three years on the market, but many other projects remain works in progress. Some, like the infamous self-driving car and a plan to join a $5 billion offshore wind grid venture, have drawn fire as extravagant excesses or pipe dreams.

But the company’s dominance in search is inviting heightened regulatory scrutiny, which is one reason Google shares underperformed in 2010. Investors also fretted about increased competition from social networking sites and the company’s decision to partially pull out of China. While Page is widely respected for his technology prowess and vision, it remains to be seen how he will adapt to the day-to-day duties of running a giant, advertising-supported business. “His focus tends to be on the end-user experience,” said Paul Buchheit, a former Google engineer who created Gmail and is now a partner at early-stage venture capital firm Y Combinator.

Buchheit praised Page’s penchant for betting on big ideas that can yield hit products, but said some parts of the business might get less attention from the new CEO. “In terms of running the sales organization, I can imagine that that is not his priority,” Buchheit added.—Reuters

Cyber attacks on the rise HELSINKI: Targeted cyber attacks will pose a growing threat to companies around the world this year after the Stuxnet worm hit Iran’s nuclear program in 2010, security software maker Symantec Corp said yesterday. “Last year was the year of high-profile targeted attacks. We will see so many more,” said Sian John, security strategist at Symantec. So-called targeted attacks succeed as most consumers avoid clicking on suspicious links in spam emails, but open files that seem to arrive from legitimate senders. “They are more challenging, but the return is higher,” John said. In total, the number of measured Web-based attacks rose 93 percent in 2010 from a year ago, boosted by proliferation of shortened Internet addresses, Symantec said in its annual threat review.

“Last year, attackers posted millions of these shortened links on social networking sites to trick victims into both phishing and malware attacks, dramatically increasing the rate of successful infection,” Symantec said. Social networking sites are increasingly important platform for attackers as their popularity among consumers is rising fast. The software company said attacks on leading mobile platforms were also set to increase after a 42 percent rise in mobile vulnerabilities last year. “The major mobile platforms are finally becoming ubiquitous enough to garner the attention of attackers,” Symantec said. “Attackers are really following the consumers here.”— Reuters

Eagle webcam becomes Internet sensation WASHINGTON: Cameras installed high in a tree in the US state of Iowa have made an internet sensation of a family of bald eagles, whose nest is streamed online live day and night. “Why viral, I’m not really sure,” Bob Anderson, director of the Raptor Resource Project, said of the success of the eagle webcam. “The world just likes to hear something good instead of negative,” he said.

“This is all positive, this makes people feel good.” Anderson had been transmitting live images of the nest, 80 feet high in Docorah, Iowa, mainly for schools and universities. But this year, using a new site, UStream, the eagles are challenging the likes of troubled actor Charlie Sheen for internet popularity. There have been 11 million online views, according to the project’s website.

Some 150,000 viewers at a time check out the live action, captured by two cameras installed on branches five feet

above the nest. The male and female eagles have been together since the winter of 2007-08, the project’s website explained. They have successfully hatched and fledged eaglets each year since. Interest spiked in late February when the mother laid three eggs, two of which have hatched.

The third is expected to hatch any day now. Most days viewers can see the wind pushing about the feathers of the eagles, as well as spot the remains of a muskrat, rabbit, crow and trout lying in the nest. “Our dream always has been to provide an insight to wildlife, as a science tool for school,” Anderson said. “It’s a wonderful education tool, people are learning the good and the bad of nature.” “Now,” he continued, “kids are learning that animals do eat other animals and that is the way of life. They are gaining a great insight to Mother Nature.”—AFP

28

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

health & science

Scientists find gene linked to alcohol consumption LONDON: Scientists have identified a gene that appears to play a role in regulating how much alcohol people drink and say their finding could help the search for more effective treatments for alcoholism and binge drinking. In a study of more than 47,000 people, an international team of scientists found that people who have a rarer version of a gene called AUTS2 drink on average 5 percent less alcohol than people with the more common version.

The AUTS2 gene, also known as called “autism susceptibility candidate 2” has previously been linked to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but its actual function is not clear, the researchers said. “Of course there are a lot of factors that affect how much alcohol

a person drinks, but we know...that genes play an important role,” said Paul Elliott of Imperial College London, who was part of the team conducting the study.

“The difference this particular gene makes is only small, but by finding it we’ve opened up a new area of research.” According to the World Health Organization, harmful use of alcohol results in 2.5 million deaths a year globally. It is the world’s third largest risk factor for causing diseases such as neuropsychiatric disorders like alcoholism and epilepsy, as well as cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis of the liver and various forms of cancer.

Gunter Schumann from the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London said com-

Tempting foods can trigger urge to indulge CHICAGO: Seeing a milkshake can activate the same areas of the brain that light up when an addict sees cocaine, US researchers said on Monday.

The study helps explain why it can be so hard for some people to maintain a healthy weight, and why it has been so difficult for drugmakers and health experts to find obesity treatments that work.

“If certain foods are addictive, this may partially explain the difficulty people experience in achieving sustainable weight loss,” Ashley Gearhardt of Yale University in Connecticut and colleagues wrote in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Gearhardt’s team wanted to see what happens in the brain when young women are tempted by a tasty treat.

They used a type of brain imaging known as functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, to study brain activity in 48 young women who were offered a chocolate milkshake or a tasteless solution.

Women in the study ranged from lean to obese.

The team found that seeing the milkshake triggered brain activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and the medial orbitofrontal cortexbrain areas that have been implicated in an addict’s urge to use drugs.

And this activity was higher

among women in the study who had high scores on a scale that assessed their eating habits for signs of addictive behavior.

“These findings support the theory that compulsive food consumption may be driven in part by an enhanced anticipation of the rewarding proper ties of food,” Gearhardt and colleagues wrote.

People who are addicted to a substance are more likely to react with physical, psychological and behavioral changes when exposed to that substance. Altering visual “cues”-billboards of tempting treats, for example-might help curb the urge to indulge, they said.

“Ubiquitous food advertising and the availability of inexpensive palatable foods may make it extremely difficult to adhere to healthier food choices because the omnipresent food cues trigger the reward system,” they wrote.

The study suggests that advertising might also play a role in the nation’s obesity problem, and future studies should look at whether food ads trigger this same kind of brain activity.

Obesity is one of the biggest health challenges facing the United States, and health officials already added a requirement to President Barack Obama’s new healthcare law requiring that restaurants add calorie counts to their menus. — Reuters

bining genetic studies and behavioral data should help scientists better understand the biological basis of why people drink, some of them to excess. “This is an important first step toward the development of individually targeted prevention and treatments for alcohol abuse and addiction,” he said.

In their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal, the team analyzed DNA samples from over 26,000 volunteers to search for genes that appeared to affect alcohol consumption, and then checked their findings in another 21,000 people. The volunteers answered questionnaires to report how much alcohol they drank. After identifying AUTS2, the scientists analyzed how

Study finds statins reduce pneumonia death rates Cholesterol-lowering statins available as cheap generics LONDON: Taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs such as Pfizer ’s Lipitor and AstraZeneca’s Crestor could help prevent people dying from pneumonia, according to a study by British scientists released yesterday.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that the risk of death in the six-month period after being diagnosed with pneumonia was substantially lower among those who were already taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs than in those who were not.

Previous studies have suggested statins, which are also available as cheaper generics, may be linked to better outcomes after bacterial infection. These findings suggest the pills may help protect against death in patients with pneumonia. Statins such as Lipitor, Crestor, and a generic called simvastatin are widely prescribed to lower so-called “bad” or LDL cholesterol-a risk factor for heart diseaseand are credited with being among the most successful drugs in helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Separate research published in March found that lowering cholesterol levels could help the body’s immune system fight infections, a finding that appears to be supported by yesterday’s study. “Statins are safe, cheap, and an easy intervention in terms of delivery,” said Ian Douglas, a lecturer in epidemiology at the LSHTM who led the research.

“Given the potential low number needed to treat to prevent a death suggested by this study, we believe that a strong case exists for randomized trials of statins in people with

Thinking of electric car?

Get your garage ready DETROIT: With gas prices rising and instability in the Middle East, the thought of an electric car in the garage might be getting more appealing.

Before you jump for the new technology, though, make sure your garage is ready to be a refueling station. Depending on which car you buy and how old your home is, it could cost a couple thousand dollars to prep the garage so you can charge a car quickly enough to take off for work in the morning with a full battery.

Start with the age of the home. Older houses may not have enough juice to handle an electric car. Fifty years ago, who would have thought we’d be plugging in cars at night? So the garage may have to be rewired. According to experts, you need at least a 12-amp circuit to charge a car in a reasonable amount of time. You also need a circuit in the garage with little or nothing else on it.

Anything else drawing power from the same circuit can slow the charging. Even if you have a dedicated circuit in the garage, it still may not work for you.

Most garages in the US have standard 120-volt outlets. But a dedicated 240-volt outlet, similar to the kind that powers an electric dryer, can cut the charging time in half. That’s important depending on the electric car you buy. Two mass-market electric cars, the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf, have different power systems and different charging needs. The Leaf is all electric and can go up to 100 miles on a single charge. But it needs more juice than the Volt to refill the batteries. It takes eight hours to recharge a Leaf even with a 240-volt circuit, double that at 120 volts.

The Volt can only go about 40 miles on battery power, but it has a small gas motor on board that can keep the car going when the battery runs out. With its smaller battery pack, it can be recharged in 10 hours even on 120 volts, five hours or less at 240.

GM estimates that recharging the Volt will add no more than about $1.50 per day to your electric bill, based on the national average electricity cost of 11 cents per kilowatt hour. AeroVironment, the company that makes charging stations for Nissan, recommends outfitting your garage with a special 240-volt station. The basic station begins charging when you plug the car in; a smart station can start charging later in the evening when the load on the power company

grid is lower. Either way, you’ll need an electrician who knows about car charging to figure out your needs and hook the 240-volt station to a dedicated 40-amp circuit, said Kristen Helsel, vice president of electric vehicle solutions for AeroVironment.

“This is no different than installing an appliance or something else,” she said.

“We need to take the power from your breaker box and run it to where you want the charging station installed.” Charging stations also are available from other manufacturers. Helsel said it will cost about $2,000 to buy the dock and standard installation services by an electrician when done through AeroVironment and a Nissan dealership.

The Volt, however, may not need anything. If you have a dedicated circuit in your garage, General Motors, which makes the car, recommends charging the car first on 120 volts before spending the cash on a 240-volt charging station. “Most cars are parked more than 10 hours,” said Britta Gross, GM’s director of electrical infrastructure.

“If I were a consumer, I would always try 120 first, and if you’re not satisfied, then you can consider the 240-volt upgrade.” The Volt has a setting that lets the owner pick the time by which the car

active the gene was in samples of donated brain tissue. They found that people with the version of the gene linked to lower alcohol consumption had higher activity of the gene.

The researchers also looked at strains of mice that had been selectively bred according to how much alcohol they drink voluntarily, and found there were differences in the AUTS2 gene activity levels among different breeds.

In another part of the study using flies, the researchers found that blocking the effect of a fruit fly version of the same gene made the flies less sensitive to alcohol. This suggests AUTS2 seems to be involved in regulation of alcohol intake in a number of different species, they said. — Reuters

has to be recharged fully, and the car can wait to start charging. The Leaf has a timer so the owner can set on and off times for charging based on the day of the week.

The Volt charger from GM costs $495, and about $1,500 to install, although it could be more depending on how much work is needed at the house, Gross said.

And whether you need a special charging station depends on how far you drive. If you go only 20 miles a day, a 120-volt outlet will work for either car because the battery doesn’t have to be fully charged every night. Gross said she’s working to change building codes so that all garages have 240-volt outlets to charge cars, but she conceded that will take years.

Many auto industry analysts say it will be years before electric cars are in a lot of garages because cars powered by internal combustion engines will continue to get more efficient. A 120-volt outlet wouldn’t work for James Brazell, 84, of Asheville, North Carolina, one of the first people in the US to buy a Volt. He didn’t want to use any gasoline, yet he makes several short trips per day, and on some days, when he attends class at the University of North Carolina Asheville, he will drive 51 miles, more than the Volt’s electric range. — AP

SINGAPORE: Bino, a three-month-old Sumatran Orangutan, is carried by his 14year-old mother Chomel at the Singapore Zoo yesterday in Singapore which is actively involved in the conservation and education of wildlife reserves. These Sumatran Orangutans are critically endangered and currently only 7,000 are estimated to be left in the wild. —AP

serious infection to determine if a simple and practical intervention at the point of diagnosis of pneumonia has a beneficial effect.”

Douglas’s team, whose research was published in the British Medical Journal, used data from computerised medical records of doctors’ practices in Britain to identify statin users.

They then matched each statin user-who was aged over 40 when first prescribed a statin between 1995 and 2006 — with up to five non-statin users for comparison. Patients with

a record of pneumonia were followed for six months to see if they died, and the researchers found that 13 percent (109 out of 847) of statin users died compared with 20 percent (578 out of 2,927) of non-statin users.

Douglas noted that since this study looked at patients who were already taking statins when they developed pneumonia, a full randomised clinical trial was needed to find out whether starting a statin at the time of diagnosis has a similar effect. — Reuters

US court hears appeal in key gene patent case WASHINGTON: A US appeals court heard arguments Monday in a closely watched case involving a pharmaceutical firm’s patent of two genes linked to cancer. The case was brought by Myriad Genetics, which is appealing a March 2010 ruling invalidating its seven patents on the genes dubbed BRCA1 and BRCA2, mutations of which have been linked to cancers of the breast and ovary.

Last year, US Distric t Judge Rober t Sweet in New York ruled that the company cannot patent genes created by natural phenomena. Myriad repeated its argument that it cannot attract the resources needed for research for a cancer treatment if it cannot obtain the patents. But the American Civil Liberties Union, which was one of the groups that filed suit in 2009 to invalidate the patents, joined the US government in asking the three-judge panel to uphold the lower court ruling.

“The human gene is a product of nature and no more patentable than a human kidney,” said Chris Hansen, an ACLU staff attorney. “The district court ruling striking down patents on human genes was a victory for

the free flow of ideas and information, and could lead to important medical and scientific advances. The appeals court should uphold that ruling.” The lawsuit alleged that the patents restrict scientific research and patients’ access to medical care. Acting US Solicitor General Neal Katyal said the government’s position “is that there is a fundamental distinction between human invention on one hand and products of nature on the other hand.”

On the other side, the company and its partner, the University of Utah, have argued that US legal precedent set by the Supreme Court has upheld similar protection for living organisms since 1980.

The case is being closely watched because patents are being sought for some 20 percent of human genes in a sector believed to be worth billions of dollars. Biotech firms say these patents are needed to develop diagnostic tests and treatments for various diseases. The American Medical Association is among the groups opposing the patent request. The federal appeals court panel in Washington is expected to issue its ruling in the coming months. — AFP

Record depletion of ozone recorded over Arctic: UN GENEVA: Record loss of the ozone, the atmosphere layer that shields life from the sun’s harmful rays, has been observed over the Arctic in recent months, the World Meteorological Organization said yesterday.

“Depletion of the ozone...has reached an unprecedented level over the Arctic this spring because of the continuing presence of ozone-depleting substances in the atmosphere and a very cold winter in the stratosphere,” the WMO said in a statement.

Observations from the ground, balloons and satellites show that the region has suffered an ozone column loss of about 40 percent from the beginning of the winter to late March, according to the United Nations agency. The highest ozone loss previously recorded over the Arctic, about 30 per-

cent, occured in several seasons over the past 15 years or so, according to a WMO spokeswoman.

“If the ozone depleted area moves away from the pole and towards lower latitudes one can expect increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation as compared to the normal for the season,” WMO said, adding that the public should check their national UV forecasts. But any increase in UV radiation over lower latitudes away from the Arctic-which could affect parts of Canada, Nordic countries, Russia and Alaska in the United Stateswould not be of the same intensity as one suffers in the tropics, it said.

UV-B rays have been linked to skin cancer, cataracts and damage to the human immune system. “Some crops and forms of marine life can also suffer

adverse effects,” the agency said.

Unlike over Antarctica, large ozone loss is not an annually recurring phenomenon in the Arctic stratosphere, where meteorological conditions vary much more each year.

The record ozone loss over the Arctic comes despite the “very successful” Montreal Protocol aimed at cutting production and consumption of ozone-destroying chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons, the WMO said. The substances were once present in refrigerators, spray cans and fire extinguishers, but have been phased out.

Nevertheless, due to the long lifetimes of these compounds in the atmosphere, it will take several decades before their concentrations return to pre-1980 levels, the target laid down in the 1987 pact, it said. — Reuters

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

H E A LT H

Environment at risk as parched Jordan taps water AMMAN: In its desperate eorts to battle chronic water shortages, Jordan, one of the world’s 10 driest countries, is mulling “unconventionalâ€? and “environmentally unfriendlyâ€? plans, experts say. The challenge is huge for this tiny country where desert covers 92 percent of the territory and the population of 6.3 million is growing. Critics say the government’s eorts to manage the country’s limited water resources and generate new ones are being hindered by a strategy which at best is chaotic.

Jordan is tapping into the ancient southern Disi aquifer, despite concerns about high levels of radiation, while studies are underway to build a controversial canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. “Unconventional projects, like Disi for example, are environmentally unfriendly,â€? water expert Dureid Mahasneh, a former Jordan Valley Authority chief, told AFP. The 990-million-dollar project seeks to extract 100 million cubic metres (3.5 billion cubic feet) of water a year from the 300,000-year-old Disi aquifer, 325 kilometres (200 miles) south of Amman, oďŹƒcials say.

The plan is to provide the capital Amman with water for 50 years, said water ministry oďŹƒcial Bassam Saleh, who is in charge of the project that was launched in 2008 and is due to be completed in 2012. A 2008 study by Duke University, in the United States, shows that Disi’s water has 20 times more radiation than is considered safe, with radium

content that could trigger cancers. “Our research shows that the Disi aquifer is heavily contaminated with radium,� according to the study done by the Durham, North Carolina team which tested 37 pumping wells in the aquifer. Mahasneh said “Disi water should not be touched.� “How can you go for a non-renewable water resource that is contaminated with radiation and needs treatment?�

But the government has brushed aside such concerns. “We know there is radiation in Disi because it is underground water but we will treat it by diluting it with an equal amount of water from other sources,� said Saleh. Jordan University professor Elias Salameh agreed. “The radioactivity can be treated, and it is not a complicated matter.�

Munqeth Mehyar, of the Jordanian-IsraeliPalestinian non-governmental group Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME), warned against abusing the water resource. “If we overpump the Disi water, we will suer from problems like sinkholes for example. And there are no studies that tell you for sure how long the aquifer water would last,â€? he said. Jordan has also agreed in principle to build, along with its Palestinian and Israeli neighbors, a four-billion-dollar pipeline from the Red Sea to reďŹ ll the rapidly shrinking Dead Sea. But the world’s lowest and saltiest body of water lies below the Red Sea and the pipeline must cross higher land in order to reach it-a project that will entail a

GYbgYg \Ufacbm"" k]h\ `]ZY

major pumping eort. A desalination plant would also be built to remove the salt and provide 200 million cubic metres of potable water to Jordan each year. “This project is worrisome. It will cause indescribable damage,â€? Mehyar warned. A feasibility study is being carried out by the World Bank but environmentalists fear that an inux of seawater could undermine the Dead Sea’s fragile ecosystem.

The degradation of the Dead Sea began in the 1960s when Israel, Jordan and Syria began to divert water from the Jordan River-the Dead Sea’s main supplier. Over the years 95 percent of the river’s ow has been diverted by the three neighbours for agricultural and industrial use, with Israel alone diverts more than 60 percent of it, according to FoEME. The impact on the Dead Sea has been compounded by a drop in groundwater levels as rain water from surrounding mountains dissolved salt deposits that had previously plugged access to underground caverns. Industrial and tourist operations around the shores of the lake exacerbate the situation. “We ask the government to keep an open mind while examining the plan,â€? said Mehyar.

The government acknowledges the project will be a challenge. “Six studies on the Red-Dead plan’s impact on the environment are currently being conducted,� said Fayez Batainah, who heads the project at the

water ministry. “We are coordinating and cooperating with the World Bank and all concerned sides.�

But Mahasneh said the authorities did not have a comprehensive strategy. “There is chaos in the country’s water polices. We do not have a real strategy and eďŹƒcient water management, and the current plans did not consider what independent experts think or say,â€? he said. “The country for example is still cultivating crops that consume a lot of water. We should import these crops and save our water,â€? he said, singling out tomatos and bananas. More than 60 percent of Jordan’s annual water consumption of 900 million cubic metres goes to agriculture, which contributes 3.6 percent to gross domestic product, according to oďŹƒcial ďŹ gures. “We have water... but we suer from massive water mismanagement,â€? Mehyar said.

According to him around 48 percent of pumped water supplies are lost annually due to worn-out pipes and theft. “We need very ďŹ rm decisions to deal with such problems. If we save this lost water, our situation will improve a lot. We do not even have a comprehensive study about the water situation in Jordan,â€? Mehyar said. Jordan’s population is expanding by 3.5 percent a year and every drop of water is needed. Years of below-average rainfall have created a shortfall of 500 million cubic metres a year, and the country forecasts it will need 1.6 billion cubic metres of water a year by 2015.—AFP

5`!GYYZ <cgd]hU` 5`!GYYZ <cgd d]hU` 9"B"H 8YdUfhaYbh d 8f" 9nnUh 5` ;\UZYYf # 8f" " 9nnUh 5` ;\UZYYf # 9"B 9"B"H GdYW]U`]gh B"H GdYW]U`]gh A"8"8"@"C F"7"G"9 @cbXcb A"8"8"@"C F"7 7"G"9 @cbXcb ;Yh mcif U``Yf[m hYgh fYgi`hg h\fci[\ cbY cZ h\Y `UhYgh hYW\b]eiYg ]b cb`m &$ a]bihYg ;Yh mcif U``Yf[m hYgh fYgi`hg h h\fci[\ cbY cZ h\Y `UhYgh hYW\bb]]eeiYg ]b cb`m &$ a]bihYg

@ 8YU`]b[ k]h\ X]gYUgYg cZ YlhY 8YU`]b[ k]h\ X]gYUgYg cZ YlhYfbU` fbU` a]XX`Y UbX ]bbYf YUf @ 8]gWcjYf]b[ UbX hfYUh]b[ \YUf 8]gWcjYf]b[ UbX hfYUh]b[ \YUf]b[ `cgg ]b UXi`hg UbX ]bZUbhg Ug YUf`m Ug h\Y Z]fgh XUm cZ `]ZY Vm h\Y f]b[ `cgg ]b UXi`hg UbX ]bZUbhg Ug YUf`m Ug h\Y Z]fgh XUm cZ `]ZY V U Vm h\Y ChcUWcigh]W 9a]gg]cb C59 HYgh ChcUWcigh]W 9a]gg]cb C59 HYgh @ HHfYUhaYbh cZ X]nn]bYgg UbX h]bb]hig cZ h\Y YUf fYUhaYbh cZ X]nn]bYgg UbX h]bbb]hig cZ h\Y YUf @ HHfYUhaYbh cZ VfYUh\]b[ X]gcfXYfg fYUhaYbh cZ VfYUh\]b[ X]gcfXXYfg gbcf]b[ UbX `cgg cZ gaY`` gbcf]b[ UbX `cgg cZ gaY`` @ 8YU`]b[ k]h\ U``Yf[]W f\]b]h]g @ BUgU` gif[Yf BUgU` gif[Yfm Y"[" GYdhcd`Ughm UbX BUgU` HifV]bYWhcam m Y"[" GYdhcd`Ugghm UbX BUgU` HifV]bYWhcam @ :ibWh]cbU` 9bXcgWcd]W G]big :ibWh]cbU` 9bXcgWcd]W G]big Gif[Yfm :"9"G"G" Gif[Yfm :"9"G"G" @ @Uf @Ufmb[YU` gif[Yfm Vm a]WfcgWcdY" mb[YU` gif[Yfm Vm a]WfcgWWcdY" @ HHcbg]`g UbX UXYbc]X YlW]g]cb Vm UXjUbWYX gif[]WU` hYW\b]eiYg cbg]`g UbX UXYbc]X YlW]g]cb Vm UXjUbWYX gif[]WU` hYW\b]eiiYg @ Gif[]WU` fYdU]f cZ YUf UbX bcg Gif[]WU` fYdU]f cZ YUf UbX bcgY XYZcfa]hm gY XYZcfa]hm

To a advertise on this t page l t t us: please contact

248 33 199 ads@kuwaittimes.net

:cf FYgYfjUh]cb. :cf FYgY YfjUh]cb.

&)+*(&&( ! &)+*(&&) &)+*(&&( ! &)+*(&&)

y

A

30

e niv rsar n

Years

w h at ’s o n

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

Announcements Blood needed Mrs. Titiana D Sousa is in need of B-ve blood very urgently. She is suffering from lever malfunction and admitted in Adan hospital ICU. Her contact person is Mr. Casino Periera, Mob: 60972597. Dear friends this is time to respond.

Early Years Sports Day at KNES

O

n Tuesday March 22nd, The Early Years Department at Kuwait National English School (KNES) in Hawally, participated in their annual Sports Day. The participants included all the children from Kinder Heart Nursery, Kindergarten and Reception. The children shared in the competition as classmates and friends. They encouraged each other to do their best. They

Celebrating Vishu on April 15 Seva Darshan Kuwait will be celebrating this Vishu on April 15th, 2011 as Seva Dinam at the Indian Central School in Abbasiya, in the true spirit of our philosophical thought, seva dharma param dharma. Our families will be offering Visukkaineetam to the scores of children and parents who have no one to take care of them and have been residing in various shelters across the country.

proudly showed their understanding of competition as fun and a challenge.

Madame Chantal, Director of the school congratulated the children on their enthusiasm and support of each other as friends and fellow students. It was certainly an enjoyable day for all the students!

Crowne Plaza participates in global earth hour

I

n line with its social responsibility towards not just the people and community, but also towards planet Earth, Crowne Plaza Kuwait participated in the Earth Hour on 27 March 2011. With a minimum amount of lights switched on, the hotel management, guests and staff met at the lobby with candles

symbolizing the hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Switching off the lights voiced the thoughts of the people and the management of the Crowne Plaza Kuwait as they stood together in the soft glow of the candlelight towards working better for the creation of a brighter future for our planet. Taking part in the

world’s largest global climate change initiative, people from all walks of life came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing they have in common - Planet Earth.

A

variety entertainment program “Keraleeyam 2011” is scheduled at 3.30 pm on Friday, 8th April at Indian Central School, Abbasiya. The program has been scheduled with an event of giving away “Kala Kuwait-Sambasivan Award” to the famous Malayalam Drama Artist Karivallur Murali and a stage presentation of Karivallur Murali’s famous One Act Play ‘Aboobakkarinte Umma Parayunnu’ is performing by Mrs Rejitha Madhu. Also have variety entertainment by other distinctive artists, traditional dances, fancy dress competition for Students etc. To attribute the occasion, we have also scheduled to release a multi colour souvenir.

Chak de India The Human Epic

F

rom expression to reality: The experiment of Egyptian artist Alaa Hegazi. The course of the exhibition seeks to capture the truest moments of humanity through a celebration of characters and portraiture. Under the title “The Human Epic”, we will follow the artist’s works through a rhythm established by his strokes of watercolor on paper and canvas. The exhibition opens from April 11-19 from 10 am - 2 pm and 5.30 - 9.30 pm. At Shuwaikh, Jahra Road 40, Al Tilal Complex, M3-M4. ndian expats in Jleeb celebrating India’s winning of the cricket world cup on Saturday. India beat Sri Lanka in the final.

NAFO to present Soorya’s ‘Sangamam’ National Forum Kuwait (NAFO Kuwait) is all set to bringing a spectacular, well conceptualized, a jewel in crown super cultural show ‘Sangamam’ for the art lovers of Kuwait, according to a press release.

Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra will inaugurate the first of its kind super show, scheduled for the evening of Friday, May 13, 2011 (6.00 PM) at the American International School Auditorium, MaidanHawalli. Dignitaries from the Kuwaiti community, diplomats from various embassies in Kuwait and prominent figures from Indian expatriate community are expected to witness the cultural extravaganza.

Conceived and directed by the versatile celebrity, the founder of Soorya India Society, Padmashree Dr Soorya Krishnamurthy “Sangamam’, a mega show with a difference depicting the great dream of Bappuji “Unity in Diversity”, features more than 30 highly acclaimed cultural personalities from the northern and southern parts of India. The show will highlight oneness in all spheres of life and showcase a wholesome entertainment for the masses with their artistic talents.

“A 2-hour breath-taking show, a fusion of traditional and contemporary dance and music, Bharathanatyam, Odissi ensemble, Kathak, Manipuri, instrumental music, contemporary dance style inspired by martial arts and ancient arts of India, by the glittering galaxy of multitalented artistes, capturing the essence of Incredible India, will be an unforgettable cultural feast to all art enthusiasts of Kuwait”, Murali Nair, the Program Convener said.

“The entry for the show will be restricted with invitations”, Murali added. For more details, please contact M S Nair 99260356, Subbaraman 66872372, Gopa Kumar 9960428, Anil Kumar 66408395, Pradeep Kumar 99591156, Krishna Kumar 66894907 or mail at contact@nafoglobal.com.

National Forum Kuwait (NAFO Kuwait), a non-profit, non-political organization, registered with the Indian Embassy, has been in Kuwait for the last 6 years serving the community in various levels such as social, welfare and cultural.

‘Kathakali 2011’ Arpan Kuwait, an Indian socio-cultural organization, will present ‘Kathakali 2011’ on Saturday, April 30 at 6.00 pm at the Indian Community School (Senior Girls), Salmiya as part of its initiative to promote Indian classical art and culture in Kuwait. It was Arpan that brought Kathakali for the first time to Kuwait way back in 2005.

Now, Arpan is presenting the unique classical dance drama once again before the Kuwait’s elite audience on popular demand. For details, contact: 99716105, 97277151, 66872372 or 94063428.

Kala Keraleeyam on April 8

I

3rd Multi lingual poetry reading Writers’ Forum Kuwait is proud to present its 3rd Multi Lingual Kavi Sammelan / Mushaira / Poetry Reading (along with English translation).

Poets shall present their poetries in varied Indian languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Urdu, Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, Konkani, Punjabi, English, Malayalam, Telugu etc. The Forum, in its unique way, attempts to bring All Indian languages under one fora and weaves a multi-layered fabric of national integration with the spirit of unity amongst its members and the people in general. Honourable Chief Guest: Ajai Malhotra, the Ambassador of India to Kuwait Date: April 6, 201 1 ( Wednesday) 7.00 pm onwards. Venue: Indian Community (Senior Girls) School, Salmiya. All Indians Are Welcome.

For further details, please contact: Maimuna Chougle, (President) 25623513 or Sunil Sonsi (General Secretary) 66846654.

Voice Kuwait 6th Anniversary Voice Kuwait celebrating its 6th anniversary “VISWAKALA 2011” on May 20th Friday from 4 pm to 9 pm at Carmel School Khaitan. The program presided over Voice Kuwait president P.G.Binu formed new program committee for Viswakala 2011.

P.C.Sukumaran (Chairman),Baiju Vijayan (Gen: Convener). Leelamma Lakshmanan (Joint convener), C.K,Pradeepan, M.Sreenivasan (Refill), V.Shanil,Surendran Mathur, Gireev.P.Kumar, (souvenir), Raghunathan Achari, Deepa Baluchandran (finance), Saritha Rajan, K.Shajan (Arts), Pramod Kakkoth, Balasubramanyan (Stage), Pramod Manukkara, P.Sasidharan (food), Mohanan Achari, Unnikrishnan(transportation), N.Raveendran(Volunteer Captain), Satheesan Kunneru (Vice captain), Keloth Vijayan, Mini Krishna, M.T.Haridasan, K.S.Sajeev, Gireeshwayanad, V.U.Rajan, A.K.Vilasini, Sreekala Vipin,Salini Raju(reception) are the members of program committee.

Voice Kuwait is giving award to its member’s children who got highest mark in last S.S.L.C. either from Kuwait or from Kerala. The students those are eligible should give attested copy of their mark list to Area conveners or sent copy to voicekuwait2004@gmail.com General Secretary K.Chandramohanan gave welcome speech and Treasurer Raghunadhan Achari gave vote of thanks. For more information please contact 66950482, 94419371.

y

A

31

e niv rsar n

Years

w h at ’s o n

Embassy

Digger Day at The Sunshine Kindergarden

C

hildren came to school on Tuesday to find some very special vehicles outside The Sunshine Kindergarden (TSK). A digger, a crane, 2 forklift trucks and a mini digger were lined up ready for action with their operators and some special guests. The children of TSK have been busy finding out about different vehicles and how things work so were delighted to see such exciting machinery which they could actually climb onto and touch!

The staff took them to visit the machinery class by class and used the excitement and motivation created by the special event to teach them new vocabulary. They will continue to draw, paint, write and talk about the event for a long time to come.

One of the favourite moments was when the forklift took some of the teachers high up into the air.

Special thanks to the First Source Co. facilitated by the managing partner, also a very helpful parent of Rakan in KG6, Rami Abu Baker.

Football coaching program

P

ictured are John Simon and Eric Engineer from Al Mulla Exchange during their visit to support the P.G.A. Shaab Park community football coaching programme organised by the Premier GOAL Academy in association with Everton F.C.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

The program is sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company and offers professional football coaching for boys and girls aged from 3 to 15 years on Fridays and Saturdays. Patron is The British Ambassador, Frank Baker, and over 350 youngsters are

currently participating and enjoying the fun and games.

Al Mulla Exchange are delighted to offer their support for sport in the community and provide encouragement to the young soccer stars of the future.

Information EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah.

Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait.

Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

Effective Januar y 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form. All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed. To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website.

As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

The forms are available on the internet at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IM M5257E.PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5 256E.PDF.

■■■■■■■

B

in Nisf Gen Trading & Contg Co., a division of Al-Nisf group of companies organized a picnic and open day for the staff of Bin Nisf on 18th March in the beautiful Khairan Garden & Resorts area, about 85 Km South from Kuwait City.

The event included games like cricket, soccer, basketball and other fun filled games, cycling, boating in the beautiful creeks of Khairan Resorts.

It was a really a great time of entertainment for the staff members. Omar Y.M AlNisf, the vice president of the company, advised to conduct such open day in view of improving the team spirit and to realize

that the staff members are an integral part of our organization and everyone should feel that we are one family.

In his view such programs will relieve the staff members from the work tensions, at the same time better understanding between the staff and management and it will help them to open up and come out more efficiently in the workplace.

He promised to conduct such open days and family get together events in the coming years as well.

Box Hill is a phenomenal institution

B

ox Hill Australia is a leading Victorian and higher education provider known for its collaborative and creative approach to education in Australia and overseas. The Institute has a long and diverse history and over the years has been the recipient of many awards and achievements demonstrating Australia-wide recognition for its efforts.

Recently, BHI was the main topic of Ms. Anna Burke, the federal member for Chisholm, Australia.

Ms. Burke spoke about Box Hill Australia at the Australian Federal parliament, in the presence of 194 House Representatives on Monday 21st March, 2011.

“I specifically want to speak about Box Hill Australia tonight...

Box Hill Australia is a phenomenal institution” Ms. Burke said.

Ms. Burke was amazed with the way Box Hill differentiated itself in its teaching style and its ability to nurture students. Students get amazing support from the staff, the

small class sizes where they can have easy interaction with their teachers, the relevance of the courses and, most importantly, the hands-on experience. She went on by saying “By virtue of that, most of the people who are doing these courses already have paid employment lined up for when they finish their studies-something that I can tell you as a university graduate was not forthcoming when most of us finished our graduate courses.”

Box Hill College Kuwait (BHCK) is proud to be an extended campus of Box Hill Australia where they provide local students access and opportunity to higher education qualifications from their campus in Kuwait. As an extended campus, BHCK gives students the chance to study in their own country, providing a cost effective and culturally aligned alternative to studying overseas.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy. We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area - Block 6 - Street 9 - Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN Should you come into contact with British nationals in or transiting Kuwait requiring consular assistance please have them contact us at the following new consular inquiry numbers: 972 71877 or 972 71922. Our new temporary switchboard number is 999693651 For the latest FCO travel advice please visit: w w w. fc o. g ov. u k / e n / t r ave l - a n d - l i v i n g abroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-eastnorth-africa/kuwait The Embassy is open Sunday to Thursday 7:30am to 14:3Opm. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has moved its office to Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on Thursday, April 14, 2011 on account of birthday of Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

Greetings

Bin Nisf picnic and open day at Khairan garden & resorts

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Embassy encourages all Australians to register their presence in Kuwait through Smartraveller Online (see link below).

Australians who are registered are asked to update their details. The information provided will assist us in contacting you in an emergency. www.smartraveller.gov.au Kuwait citizens can apply for and receive visit visas to Australia online at www.immi.gov.au. This usually takes two working days. All others visa applications are handled by the Australian Visa Application Centre Tel. 22971110. Witnessing and certifying documents are by appointment only, please contact the Embassy on 2232 2422. The Australian Embassy is open from 8.00am to 4.00pm, Sunday to Thursday.

L

olwah Mosaed, Hessah Mosaed and Latifah Mosaed convey their best wishes to their uncles Sadoon Al Sadoon and Abdullah Al Sadoon on their foreign trip.

The Chief Electoral Officers of the states of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry, where elections have been declared, have issued notification under Rule 8A of Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, allowing overseas electors to submit registration forms to exercise their franchise in their respective constituencies. Relevant application forms, guidelines for filling them, as well as postal addresses of the Electoral Registration Officers of all constituencies in India are on the website of the Election Commission of India (http://eci.nic.in) and Indian nationals in Kuwait desirous of exercising their franchise are advised to access the website. It is clarified that the attestation of Form 6-A and other documents relating to the election process are to be done by the applicant himself/herself (i.e., self attestation) and not by the Embassy of India, Kuwait.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

00:45 Untamed And Uncut 01:40 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 02:35 Life Of Mammals 03:30 K9 Cops 04:25 Return Of The Prime Predators 05:20 The Most Extreme 06:10 Animal Crackers 07:00 Lemur Street 07:25 The Really Wild Show 07:50 Natural Born Hunters 08:15 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 Must Love Cats 10:05 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 11:00 Animal Precinct 11:55 Wildlife SOS 12:50 Last Chance Highway 13:45 RSPCA: On The Frontline 14:10 Vet On The Loose 14:40 The Most Extreme 15:30 Planet Wild 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Baby Planet 17:25 Extraordinary Dogs 17:50 Cats Of Claw Hill 18:20 Life Of Mammals 19:15 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 20:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 21:05 Life In The Undergrowth 22:00 Mutant Planet 22:55 Buggin’ With Ruud 23:50 The Most Extreme

00:05 00:35 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 04:50 05:10 05:25 05:30 05:40 05:45 06:05 06:25 06:40 06:45 07:00 07:20 07:40 07:55 08:00 08:15 08:20 08:40 09:00 09:15 09:20 09:35 10:10 10:40 11:25 12:25 12:55 13:25 14:20 14:50 15:20 16:25 17:10 17:40 18:10 19:00 20:00 20:45 21:15 21:45 22:40 23:30

Keeping Up Appearances The Weakest Link Holby City London Hospital Eastenders Doctors Keeping Up Appearances Me Too Tweenies The Roly Mo Show The Adventures Of Spot The Large Family Buzz And Tell Me Too Tweenies The Roly Mo Show Buzz And Tell The Large Family Me Too Tweenies The Roly Mo Show The Adventures Of Spot The Large Family Buzz And Tell Me Too Tweenies The Roly Mo Show The Adventures Of Spot The Large Family Buzz And Tell Keeping Up Appearances The Weakest Link Coast Doctors Eastenders Holby City Keeping Up Appearances Dinnerladies Coast The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City Coast The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Casualty Paradox My Family

00:00 Cash In The Attic USA 00:25 Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey 01:15 Rhodes Across China 02:00 Eating With The Enemy 02:45 Cooked

03:10 04:00 05:00 05:50 07:00 08:05 09:05 09:25 09:55 10:20 11:00 11:25 11:50 12:45 13:30 13:50 15:20 16:40 17:25 17:55 18:20 19:10 19:55 20:25 21:40 23:00 23:45

How Not To Decorate Daily Cooks Challenge Antiques Roadshow Fantasy Homes In The City Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 Daily Cooks Challenge Glamour Puds What Not To Wear Trish’s French Country Kitchen Fantasy Homes In The City What Not To Wear Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen Antiques Roadshow Fantasy Homes In The City Glamour Puds Daily Cooks Challenge Cash In The Attic USA Eating With The Enemy Cooked Chuck’s Day Off How Not To Decorate Eating With The Enemy Cooked Chuck’s Day Off Cash In The Attic USA Design Star Design Star

00:00 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 00:30 Business Edition With Tanya Beckett 00:45 Sport Today 01:00 BBC World News 01:30 Asia Business Report 01:45 Asia Today 02:00 BBC World News America 03:00 BBC World News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Asia Today 04:00 BBC World News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Asia Today 05:00 BBC World News 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Asia Today 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Hardtalk 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 World Business Report 07:45 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 21:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 BBC World News 23:30 Hardtalk

00:15 00:40 01:05 01:30 01:55

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Tom And Jerry

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 02:20 02:45 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:10 04:35 05:00 05:35 06:00 06:25 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:40 09:05 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 11:35 12:00 12:20 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:05 Doo 14:30 14:55 15:20 15:45 16:10 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:50 Doo 18:15 18:40 19:00 19:25 20:00 20:30 20:55 21:20 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:25 23:50

King Arthur’s Disasters Popeye Classics The Scooby Doo Show Tom And Jerry Kids Looney Tunes The Flintstones Dastardly And Muttley Hong Kong Phooey Droopy: Master Detective A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Tom And Jerry Kids Looney Tunes The Flintstones Duck Dodgers Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Addams Family Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Tom And Jerry Dastardly And Muttley The Scooby Doo Show Wacky Races The Jetsons Popeye Classics Looney Tunes Top Cat Droopy: Master Detective Hong Kong Phooey Scooby-Doo And ScrappyKing Arthur’s Disasters Tom And Jerry Dastardly And Muttley The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Scooby Doo Where Are You! Pink Panther And Pals Duck Dodgers Popeye Scooby-Doo And ScrappyLooney Tunes Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show The Addams Family Johnny Bravo The Scooby Doo Show Tom And Jerry Wacky Races Dastardly And Muttley The Scooby Doo Show Top Cat Popeye The Jetsons Duck Dodgers

00:05 Cow And Chicken 00:30 Cramp Twins 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Adrenalini Brothers 01:45 Eliot Kid 02:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 02:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 03:00 The Powerpuff Girls 03:15 Chowder 03:40 The Secret Saturdays 04:05 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:30 Ben 10: Alien Force 04:55 Best Ed 05:20 Skunk Fu! 05:45 Cramp Twins 06:10 Eliot Kid 06:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 07:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 07:25 Cow And Chicken 07:50 Best Ed 08:15 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 08:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 09:05 The Secret Saturdays 09:30 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 09:55 The Powerpuff Girls 10:20 Robotboy 10:30 Hero 108 10:55 Ben 10 11:20 Chowder 11:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 12:10 Camp Lazlo 12:35 George Of The Jungle 13:00 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 13:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 13:50 Ben 10 14:15 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 14:40 Squirrel Boy 15:05 Eliot Kid

LOST IN SPACE ON OSN ACTION HD

15:35 Ed, Edd N Eddy 16:00 Cow And Chicken 16:25 Chop Socky Chooks 16:50 Skunk Fu! 17:15 Chowder 17:40 Best Ed 18:05 Hero 108 18:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 18:55 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 19:20 Ben 10: Alien Force 19:45 The Secret Saturdays 20:10 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 20:35 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 21:00 The Powerpuff Girls 21:25 Ed, Edd N Eddy 21:50 Robotboy 22:00 Camp Lazlo 22:50 Ben 10 23:15 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 23:40 Chowder

00:00 00:30 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00

Backstory World Sport World Report World Business Today Piers Morgan Tonight Anderson Cooper 360 World Sport Inside Africa World Report Backstory World Report World Sport Inside The Middle East World Business Today World One World Sport Talk Asia Piers Morgan Tonight News Stream World Business Today International Desk The Brief World Sport Prism International Desk Inside The Middle East Quest Means Business Piers Morgan Tonight Connect The World

00:40 01:35 02:30 03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:10 09:40 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 16:00 16:55 17:50 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:45

Dirty Jobs Stan Lee’s Superhumans Ultimate Survival Man Made Marvels Asia Mythbusters How It’s Made How Stuff’s Made Dirty Jobs Man Made Marvels Asia American Chopper How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Chop Shop Ultimate Survival Mythbusters La Ink Dirty Jobs Chop Shop Mythbusters Deadliest Catch Border Security Deconstruction How Stuff’s Made How It’s Made Deconstruction Time Warp Mythbusters Black Gold

00:30 00:55 01:45 02:35 03:25 03:50 04:45 05:40 06:10 07:00 07:55 07:58 08:25 08:55 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:25 11:50 12:40 13:05 13:30 13:55 14:45 15:35 16:00 16:03 16:30 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:05 19:30 20:20 20:45 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:40

00:00 00:25 01:15 02:00 02:50 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:45 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:35 09:00 09:25 09:50 10:10 10:35

The Gadget Show Mega World Space Pioneer Sci-Fi Saved My Life How Stuff’s Made Thunder Races Robocar One Step Beyond Superships Scrapheap Challenge Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections How The Universe Works The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Engineered Green Wheels Scrappy Races One Step Beyond Sci-Fi Science Sci-Fi Science Space Pioneer Mega World The Gadget Show Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Brainiac How The Universe Works How It’s Made How It’s Made How Stuff Works Sci-Fi Science Cool Stuff And How It Works The Gadget Show The Gadget Show How It’s Made How It’s Made How Stuff Works The Colony

Kim Possible Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Replacements Emperors New School Phineas And Ferb Kim Possible Suite Life On Deck Jonas La Wizards Of Waverly Place Fairly Odd Parents Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Imagination Movers Phineas And Ferb

10:50 11:15 11:35 12:00 12:25 12:45 13:10 13:30 13:55 14:20 14:40 14:55 15:20 15:40 16:00 16:25 16:45 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:35

Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Fairly Odd Parents Phineas And Ferb Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Have A Laugh A Kind Of Magic Shake It Up Kim Possible Hannah Montana Forever Sonny With A Chance Jonas La Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Forever Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Hannah Montana Phineas And Ferb Fairly Odd Parents Replacements Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas

06:00 Phineas & Ferb 08:50 Kid Vs Kat 09:00 Zeke & Luther 09:25 Zeke & Luther 09:50 I’m In The Band 10:15 The Super Hero Squad Show 10:40 Suite Life On Deck 11:05 Suite Life On Deck 11:30 Escape From Scorpion Island (Cema) 11:55 Phineas & Ferb 12:40 Have A Laugh 12:45 Kid Vs Kat 13:50 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 14:15 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 14:40 Phineas & Ferb 15:05 Phineas & Ferb 15:25 Z 15:35 Phineas & Ferb 18:30 Escape From Scorpion Island (Cema) 18:55 Pokemon 19:20 American Dragon 19:45 Aaron Stone 20:05 Z 20:15 Kid Vs Kat 20:40 Phineas & Ferb 21:05 I’m In The Band 21:30 Zeke & Luther 21:50 Phineas And Ferb 22:00 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 22:20 The Super Hero Squad Show

00:15 Kendra 00:40 Style Star 01:05 Style Star 01:30 Young, Beautiful & Vanished 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks 07:45 Behind the Scenes 08:10 Behind the Scenes 08:35 E! News 09:25 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 10:15 THS 12:00 E! News 12:50 Giuliana & Bill 13:15 Giuliana & Bill 13:40 Keeping Up with the Kardashians 14:05 Kendra 14:30 E!ES 15:25 E! Investigates 16:15 Behind the Scenes 16:40 Behind the Scenes 17:10 E! Investigates 18:00 E! News 18:50 Kourtney and Kim Take New York 19:15 Kourtney and Kim Take New York 19:40 E! Investigates 20:30 Extreme Close-Up 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:20 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane 22:10 E! News 23:00 Chelsea Lately 23:25 Kendra 23:50 Kourtney & Khloé Take Miami

00:15 Fantasy Factory 00:40 Carpocalypse 01:30 World Combat League 02:20 Fantasy Factory 03:10 Aiya TV 04:00 Cape Epic 04:50 Carpocalypse 05:40 World Combat League 06:30 iEX 2009 08:00 Quattro Events 2009 08:25 Summer Dew Tour 2010 09:15 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

10:05 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

10:55 Eds Up 11:45 Untracked 12:35 Fantasy Factory 13:25 Carpocalypse 14:15 World Combat League 15:05 Eds Up 15:55 Untracked 16:45 Quattro Events 2009 17:10 Summer Dew Tour 2010 18:00 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

18:50 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross Championships...

19:40 Untracked 20:30 Fantasy Factory 21:20 I’ll Do Anything 22:10 World Combat League 23:00 Aiya TV 23:50 Fantasy Factory

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:50 04:45 05:15

Ghost Lab A Haunting Deadly Women The Prosecutors Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghosthunters Ghost Lab

DELGO ON OSN CINEMA 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 Jones 12:50 13:40 14:30 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 Jones 21:10 22:00 23:40

Mystery Diagnosis Forensic Detectives Solved Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Fugitive Strike Force FBI Files True Crime With Aphrodite Extreme Forensics Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Fugitive Strike Force Forensic Detectives Solved FBI Files Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls True Crime With Aphrodite Extreme Forensics I Almost Got Away With It Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:00 Bondi Rescue 1 00:30 Bondi Rescue 2 01:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 02:00 Departures 03:00 Departures 04:00 The Best Job In The World 04:30 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 05:30 The Best Job In The World 06:00 Bondi Rescue 1 06:30 Bondi Rescue 2 07:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 08:00 Departures 10:00 First Ascent 11:00 Danger Men 12:00 Bondi Rescue 1 12:30 Bondi Rescue 2 13:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 14:00 Warrior Road Trip 15:00 Meet The Natives USA 16:00 First Ascent 17:00 Danger Men 18:00 Bondi Rescue 1 18:30 Bondi Rescue 2 19:00 Lonely Planet- Roads Less Travelled 20:00 Warrior Road Trip 21:00 Meet The Natives USA 22:00 First Ascent 23:00 Danger Men

00:00 The Ruins-R 02:00 Fast And Furious-PG15 04:00 Collateral-18 06:00 The Taking Of Pelham 123-18 07:45 A Knight’s Tale-PG15 10:00 The One-PG15 11:30 Lost In Space-PG15 13:45 A Knight’s Tale-PG15 16:00 Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen-PG15 18:30 Lost In Space-PG15 20:45 Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans-18 22:15 Paranormal Activity-PG15

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 PG 11:00 13:00 15:00 16:30 18:15 21:00 23:15

Little Ashes-18 The Answer Man-PG15 Delgo-FAM Adventures Of Power-PG15 The Wild Thornberrys MovieMessengers-PG15 The People Speak-PG15 The Cake Eaters-PG15 My Bollywood Bride-PG15 2012-PG15 Mr. Nice-PG15 The Uninvited-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Family Guy 02:00 The Cleveland Show 02:30 Entourage 03:00 Just Shoot Me 03:30 Kath And Kim 04:00 Family Guy 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

05:30 Coach 06:00 Yes Dear 06:30 The Drew Carey Show 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 08:30 Dharma And Greg 09:00 Just Shoot Me 09:30 Coach 10:00 Yes Dear 10:30 Rita Rocks 11:00 The Drew Carey Show 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Dharma And Greg 13:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 13:30 Coach 14:00 Yes Dear 14:30 Kath And Kim 15:00 Rita Rocks 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 The Drew Carey Show 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Just Shoot Me 18:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 19:00 Rita Rocks 19:30 Community 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 The Big C 22:30 Entourage 23:00 Family Guy 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

01:00 The Tournament-18 03:00 Collateral-18 05:00 Clive Barker’s Book Of Blood18 07:00 Wushu Warrior-PG15 09:00 National Treasure-PG15 11:15 Star Trek-PG 13:30 Virtuality-PG15 15:00 National Treasure-PG15 17:15 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-PG15 19:15 The Order-PG15 21:00 XXX-PG15 23:00 Knife Edge-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

The Break-Up Artist-PG15 Death Becomes Her-PG15 Mr. Baseball-PG Mama’s Boy-PG15 Cop And A Half-PG15 Can’t Buy Me Love-PG15 The Cable Guy-PG15 Mystery Men-PG15 The Break-Up Artist-PG15 Marci X-PG15 The Freshman-PG American High School-18

01:00 The Medicine Show-PG15 03:00 The Damned United-PG15 05:00 I Like It Like That-18 07:00 Stevie-PG15 09:00 The Secret Lives Of Second Wives-PG15 11:00 Nurse.Fighter.Boy-PG15 13:00 From Mexico With Love-PG15 15:00 Witness: The Kidnapping Of Patty Hearst-PG15 17:00 Meet Bill-PG15 18:45 You Don’t Know Jack-PG15 21:00 Dead Man Walking-18 23:00 The Firm-PG15

01:30 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Head Over Heels-PG Cutting Edge 3-PG15 Morning Light-PG All About Steve-PG15 Up-FAM Someone Like You-PG15 Mean Girls-PG15 Fantastic Mr. Fox-FAM Up-FAM An Education-PG15 Mr. Nice-PG15 Legion-18

00:00 Moomin And Midsummer Madness-FAM 02:00 Gladiators: The Conspiracy-PG 04:00 Dark Crystal-PG

06:00 Rolie, Polie, Olie: The MovieFAM 08:00 Dennis The Menace: Cruise Control-FAM 10:00 Dark Crystal-PG 12:00 Time Kid-FAM 14:00 Gladiators: The Conspiracy-PG 16:00 The Princess And The FrogFAM 18:00 Pocahontas And The Spider Woman-PG 20:00 Pete’s Dragon-PG 22:15 Time Kid-FAM

00:00 American Son-PG15 01:45 Paper Man-PG15 03:45 Che Part One: The ArgentinePG15 06:00 By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama-PG15 08:00 Toy Story 3-FAM 10:00 Che Part Two: Guerilla-PG15 12:15 Paper Man-PG15 14:15 Daddy Day Care-PG 16:00 Toy Story 3-FAM 18:00 Did You Hear About The Morgans?-PG15 20:00 Up In The Air-PG15 22:00 Youth In Revolt-PG15

00:00 Super League 02:00 Futbol Mundial 02:30 World Hockey 03:00 Super 15 05:00 PGA European Highlights 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 NRL Premiership 09:00 PGA European Highlights 10:00 Futbol Mundial 10:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 11:00 NRL Premiership 13:00 AFL Premiership 15:30 Super 15 17:30 PGA European Highlights 18:30 Trans World Sport 19:30 Futbol Mundial 20:00 AFL Highlights 21:00 Super 15 23:00 Super 15

00:00 Futbol Mundial 00:30 Super 15 02:30 NRL Premiership 04:30 NRL Full Time 05:00 NRL Premiership 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 AFL Premiership 10:30 ICC Cricket World 11:00 PGA European Highlights 12:00 Golfing World 13:00 NRL Full Time 13:30 Futbol Mundial 14:00 Aviva Premiership 16:00 Mobil 1 The Grid 16:30 Super League 18:30 NRL Full Time 19:00 Golfing World 20:00 European Tour Weekly 20:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 21:00 Trans World Sport 22:00 AFL Highlights 23:00 Ladies European Highlights

Tour

Tour

Tour

Tour

Tour

00:00 Adventure Sport 01:00 V8 Supercars Championship 02:00 V8 Supercars Championship 03:00 British Triathlon 05:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 WWE Vintage Collection 08:00 Adventure Sport 08:30 Adventure Sport 09:30 UAE National Race Day Series 10:30 British Triathlon 11:30 Sports Adventure 12:00 WWE NXT 13:00 UAE National Race Day Series 14:00 Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge 15:00 British Triathlon 16:00 V8 Supercars Championship 17:00 V8 Supercars Championship 18:00 WWE NXT 19:00 WWE Bottom Line 20:00 WWE Vintage Collection 21:00 UFC Fight Night

Classifieds WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

Healthy Living

ACCOMMODATION

Humble jicama Known variously as the Mexican potato, the Mexican yam bean or the Mexican turnip, this odd-looking vegetable has a crisp, sweet taste and many nutritional benefits.

Street food and more Â&#x2021; 6ROG LQ LWV QDWLYH 0H[LFR DQG WKURXJKRXW 6RXWK $PHULFD DV VWUHHW IRRG VHUYHG ZLWK OLPH DQG FKLOL SHSSHU MLFDPD LV DOVR DW KRPH DW WKH GLQQHU WDEOH Â&#x2021; /LNH SRWDWRHV MLFDPDV FDQ EH VWHDPHG EDNHG ERLOHG PDVKHG RU IULHG FDQ DOVR EH VDXWHHG ZLWK RWKHU YHJJLHV RU DGGHG WR VWLU IULHV DQG VDYRU\ VWHZV Â&#x2021; 8QOLNH SRWDWRHV WKH\ FDQ EH HDWHQ UDZ WDVW\ LQ IUXLW VDODGV JRRG ZLWK GLSV Â&#x2021; /RZ LV VWDUFK DQG FDORULHV KLJK LQ YLWDPLQ & DQG ZLWKRXW IDW MLFDPDV DUH DOVR JRRG IRU \RX 6RXUFH IRRGUHIHUHQFH FRP H+RZ 0&7 3KRWR 6HUYLFH *UDSKLF 3DW &DUU

© 2011 MCT

Week ending April 5, 2011

#1 Album

Top tracks

ekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ranking in to top p five e ( ) Last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

United State States es es

Songs for Japan Various V a arious Artists

E.T. E.T T. Â&#x2021; .DW\ 3H Â&#x2021; .DW\ 3HUU\ HUU\

(3) (3 3)

1

G Enough Â&#x2021; %ODFN (\HG 3HDV Â&#x2021; %ODFN (\HG 3HDV Just Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Get

(1 1) (1)

2

Â&#x2021; 5LKDQQD S&M Â&#x2021; 5LKDQQ QD

(2 2) (2)

3

On the Floorr Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021; Jennifer Jennifer Lopez

4

the Rolling in th e Deep Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021; $GHOH $GHOH

5

United Kingdom King gdom On the Floorr Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021; Jennifer Jennifer Lopez

21 $GHOH

(1 1) (1) (5 5) (5)

2

Someone Lik ke Y o ou Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021; $GHOH $GHOH Like You

(2) (2 2)

3

Just Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Get G Enough Â&#x2021; %ODFN (\HG 3HDV Â&#x2021; %ODFN (\HG 3HDV

(3 3) (3)

4

Your Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Hold Y o our Breath Â&#x2021; 1LFROH 6FKHU]LQJHU (4 (4) 4)

5

Spain (2) (2 2)

Songs for Japan V a arious Artists Various

(4 4) (4)

2

Lead the W a ay ... RMX Â&#x2021;Â&#x2021; &DUORV -HDQ &DUORV -HDQ Way

(1) (1 1)

3

Lead the W a ay Â&#x2021; &DUORV -HDQ Way

(3) (3 3)

4 5

Source: iT iTunes unes

Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya near High Way center with Indian family, double bedroom flat with separate bath room, preferred working lady or family from India. Contact: 99509436.

(C 3246) Sharing accommodation available for a Goan or Manglorean bachelor to share with a Goan bachelor with all facilities in Salimya at Prime location. Call: 97226273/ 99318340.

(C 3247) 5-4-2011 Accommodation available for 2 working ladies along with a teacher. Location: Abbassiya.

Contact: 66508649/ 65953600.

(C 3235) 2-4-2011

FOR SALE Toyota Corolla model 2011, color golden pearl, 4000km only, new car, leaving Kuwait price KD 3,850 only.

Tell: 60951195. (C 3242)

1

$OH[DQGUD 6WDQ Mr. Saxobeat Â&#x2021; $OH[DQGUD 6WDQ Mr r. Saxobea at Â&#x2021;

More Â&#x2021; 8VKHUU

Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya, Neethi Store building, from May 1st. 2 bedroom flat, share with Kerala family, executive bachelors or ladies or couples only.

Contact: 66944127/ 67709169. (C 3240)

1

Party Rock Anthem A Â&#x2021; /0) $2 Â&#x2021; /0)$2

On the Floorr Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021; Jennifer Jennifer Lopez

Two bedroom flat available with window A/C, household items, dish antenna, car parking space inside compound in Chithra Studio building, next to Asia Store in Abbassiya from 1st June 2011.

Contact: 97973657.

(C 3248) 6-4-2011

© 20 2011 011 MCT

Toyota Corolla 2007 1.8 XLi, white color, excellent condition, very low mileage, well maintained, price KD 2650. Contact: 66015265.

(C 3243)

We buy used cars. Contact: 66104141. (C 3245) 5-4-2011 Harvard sports pool table (Made in U.S.A) in excellent condition for sale. Call: 99777004. (C 3238) 4-4-2011 Mercedes E280, model 2007, 27,000kms, silver grey owned by Indian expat, price KD 8250. Contact: 99874399, 97886119.

(C 3233) Lancer Ex 2008 model, 2000cc, very low mileage 37000km, excellent condition, alloy wheel, CD player, single owner doctor leaving for good. Passing Oct 2011, full insurance. Expected

price KD 2950. Phone: 67087427. Email: johnjmaveli2@yahoo.com (C 3234) 2-4-2011

MATRIMONIAL Egyptian Engineer, 49 old needs an Asian wife, working, serious and decent who recently coming to Kuwait.

Email: fathitemsah@yahoo.com (C 3236) Proposal inviting for RC boy (Syro Malabar) fair/ 28 yrs, hgt 165cm, wgt 70 kg, B.Com/ working as accountant, seeking alliance from girls working in Kuwait.

Please contact: arjunjacob23@gmail.com (C 3231)

SITUATION VACANT American family looking for living maid. Contact: 66104141/ 65023811.

(C 3244) 5-4-2011

LOST

Policy No. 633001406 issued by the state life insurance corporation of Pakistan Gulf Zone on the life of Mr. Waseem Ali is reported to have been lost. Anyone finding the same or claiming any interest in it should communicate with the Manager (PHS) state life P.O.Box No: 11278 Dubai,

UAE within one month from this date. Tel: 22452208/9.

(C 3239) 4-4-2011

SITUATION WANTED Finance professional (Indian) well experienced in all areas of accounts & finance, of Single Corporation & Multinational Group seeks suitable placement. Contact: 66126258.

(C 3241) 5-4-2011 Young smart first class B.Com graduate knowing Tally and Peachtree Accounting worked in Indian and Kuwait, seeking immediate employment as Accountant. Tel: 65179245.

(C 3237)

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines JZR THY ETH ETH UAE DHX FDB GFA QTR JZR JZR JZR FCX JZR KAC BAW IRC KAC KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY IRA ETD GFA FCX MEA JZR IRM JZR RBG KAC MSR IRC UAL RJA FDB KAC SVA

Flt 267 772 620 3718 853 370 67 211 138 529 207 503 201 555 412 157 6964 206 382 302 53 352 284 344 362 855 132 125 603 301 213 203 404 165 5066 561 3557 672 610 6791 982 640 57 802 500

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 6/4/2011 Route BEIRUT ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA LIEGE DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA ASSIUT DAMASCUS LUXOR DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MANILA / BANGKOK LONDON TEHRAN ISLAMABAD DELHI MUMBAI DUBAI COCHIN DHAKA CHENNAI COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH SHIRAZ ABU DHABI BAHRAIN DUBAI BEIRUT DUBAI MASHAD SOHAG ALEXANDRIA DUBAI CAIRO MASHAD WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN DUBAI CAIRO JEDDAH

Time 0:35 1:15 1:45 2:00 2:25 2:55 3:10 3:15 3:20 3:35 3:55 5:15 5:25 6:10 6:15 6:30 7:10 7:15 7:20 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:20 8:20 8:25 9:00 9:10 9:25 9:30 9:35 10:30 10:55 11:10 11:50 12:30 12:55 13:15 13:20 13:25 13:30 13:35 13:50 14:00 14:30

KAC KNE CLX SYR QTR KAC JZR KNE ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY KAC JZR ALK IYE KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC FDB JZR OMA VOS MEA JAI DHX UAE GFA QTR UAL JZR JZR DLH SAI AXB KLM PIA

552 745 792 341 134 546 201 701 303 857 215 510 777 239 127 550 177 227 824 166 502 542 618 786 614 102 674 774 975 61 787 647 81 402 572 372 859 217 136 981 135 185 636 441 393 447 215

DAMASCUS JEDDAH LUXEMBOURG DAMASCUS DOHA ALEXANDRIA DAMASCUS RIYADH ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH SHARM EL SHEIKH / SOHAG DUBAI COLOMBO / DUBAI SANAA / DOHA PARIS / ROME BEIRUT CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN NEW YORK / LONDON DUBAI RIYADH CHENNAI / GOA DUBAI RIYADH MUSCAT BAGHDAD BEIRUT MUMBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI FRANKFURT LAHORE / KARACHI KOZHIKODE / COCHIN AMSTERDAM / BAHRAIN KARACHI

14:35 14:45 14:50 15:00 15:15 15:30 15:45 16:00 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:00 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:00 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:25 19:30 20:00 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:40 21:00 21:15 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:05 23:15 23:35 23:55

Airlines AXB DLH AIC PIA THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETH QTR JZR JZR GFA KAC IRC VOS BAW KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY KAC KAC QTR ETD GFA JZR IRA FCX MEA KAC JZR JZR KAC KAC IRM KAC RBG JZR MSR IRC

Departure Flights on Wednesday 6/4/2011 Flt Route 390 MANGALORE / KOZHIKODE 637 FRANKFURT 982 AHMEDABAD / CHENNAI 206 LAHORE 773 ISTANBUL 620 BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 3718 HONG KONG 139 DOHA 560 SOHAG 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 801 CAIRO 6963 TEHRAN 94 DUBAI / KANDAHAR 156 LONDON 545 ALEXANDRIA 54 DUBAI 177 FRANKFURT / GENEVA 671 DUBAI 551 DAMASCUS 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 549 SHARM EL SHEIKH / SOHAG 117 NEW YORK 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 200 DAMASCUS 602 SHIRAZ 204 DUBAI 405 BEIRUT 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 238 AMMAN 103 LONDON 501 BEIRUT 5065 MASHAD 785 JEDDAH 3558 SOHAG / ALEXANDRIA 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 6792 MASHAD

Time 0:25 0:40 1:05 1:10 2:15 2:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 5:00 5:55 6:55 7:10 7:20 7:55 8:00 8:25 8:35 8:40 8:55 9:00 9:10 9:40 9:50 9:55 10:00 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:20 10:25 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:10 12:30 13:00 13:20 13:30 13:35 13:40 14:20 14:25

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

RJA FDB UAL KAC KNE KAC SVA SYR KAC QTR CLX KAC JZR KNE ETD UAE GFA ABY JZR JZR SVA JZR JZR ALK IYE KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA JAI DHX UAE GFA KAC FCX QTR KAC KAC JZR JZR UAL KAC SAI

641 58 982 673 746 617 503 342 773 135 792 613 786 704 304 858 216 128 184 266 511 204 134 228 824 283 361 62 331 351 648 403 571 373 860 218 381 102 137 301 205 502 554 981 415 442

AMMAN DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI JEDDAH DOHA MEDINAH / JEDDAH DAMASCUS RIYADH DOHA HONG KONG BAHRAIN RIYADH MEDINAH ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH DUBAI BEIRUT RIYADH DAMASCUS BAHRAIN DUBAI / COLOMBO SANAA DHAKA COLOMBO DUBAI TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT MUMBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN DELHI BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD LUXOR ALEXANDRIA WASHINGTON DC DULLES KUALA LUMPUR / JAKARTA LAHORE

14:30 14:35 14:45 15:10 15:30 15:35 15:45 16:00 16:05 16:15 16:20 16:20 16:35 16:45 17:35 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:55 19:10 19:10 19:40 20:00 20:20 20:40 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:40 22:00 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:40 23:50 23:59

34

star CROSSWORD 279

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

s

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You are quick to act and can save the day on more than one occasion. There is good communication among authority figures as well as your peers. Believing in yourself is very important to your well-being. Expand your vision and do not give into any negative thinking that could suppress your progress. You may enjoy discussing your educational background with a co-worker today. You find yourself remembering the fun times as well as the struggles that you have worked through. You feel value in your life and it is admirable to express your appreciation for your own hard work as well as for those that helped you. Your creativity is strong. Opportunities exist to gain in recognition, applause and attention from wherever you navigate.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You may find yourself analyzing situations, perhaps even people, in order to come up with solutions to problems. Someone could be hard to get along with and an underlying truth will help guide him or her through a misunderstanding. You crave organization and practicality and you want to get things accomplished. This person or situation could slow your progress—be prepared. Taking care of business is a major theme where your emotional orientation is concerned. Your earning power seems to be in a holding pattern and a loved one may be more important to you at this time. Plan some fun as well as relaxing times around your family for tonight. Your earnings will pick up in due time. This time will allow a healing to occur.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. An accountant certified by the state.

4. A genus of orb-weaving spiders including common garden spiders and barn spiders.

10. An enclosed space.

13. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

14. An alloy of copper and zinc (and sometimes arsenic) used to imitate gold in cheap jewelry and for gilding.

15. An emergency procedure consisting of external cardiac massage and artificial respiration.

16. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

18. Conforming to truth.

19. Flightless New Zealand birds similar to gallinules.

21. God of love and erotic desire.

22. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

24. The Jewish rite of circumcision performed on a male child on the eighth day of his life.

25. Antipsychotic drug (trade name Moban) used in the treatment of schizophrenia.

26. Lower in esteem.

27. A small cake leavened with yeast.

30. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

31. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

32. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

33. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

38. A narrow headband or strip of ribbon worn as a headband.

41. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

43. Large antelope with lightly spiraled horns of desert regions of North Africa.

45. An international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members.

49. Common Indian weaverbird.

52. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

54. A clique that seeks power usually through intrigue.

58. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

61. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

62. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

63. A town in northern Michigan on an arm of Lake Huron.

65. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

66. Irritate or vex.

67. Established irrevocably.

68. The seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located adv.

DOWN 1. The quantity a cask will hold.

2. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

3. The biblical name for ancient Syria.

4. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

5. Late-spring-blooming rhododendron of eastern North America having rosy to pink-purple flowers.

6. Without moral standards or principles.

7. A soft gray ductile metallic element used in alloys.

8. Take in solid food.

9. Jordan's port.

10. Scarabaeid beetle considered divine by ancient Egyptians.

11. Type genus of the Aphididae.

12. The largest Greek island in the Mediterranean.

17. Fallow deer.

20. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

23. Squash bugs.

28. In bed.

29. An unofficial association of people or groups.

34. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its mother and raised by hand.

35. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

36. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

37. A state of southwestern India.

39. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy.

40. An edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle.

42. Being ten more than one hundred forty.

44. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

46. A telegram sent abroad.

47. Nocturnal badger-like carnivore of wooded regions of Africa and southern Asia.

48. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

50. Any culture medium that uses agar as the gelling agent.

51. Noisy talk.

53. Plant with an elongated head of broad stalked leaves resembling celery.

55. South African term for `boss'.

56. A French abbot.

57. A cord that is drawn through eyelets or around hooks in order to draw together two edges (as of a shoe or garment).

59. An associate degree in applied science.

60. The compass point midway between northeast and east.

64. A public promotion of some product or service.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You may decide to pitch the idea of where you wanted your present profession to take you and instead take on a new persona.

Working for a charity organization or a religious group may be exactly where you want to be at this time, and besides, there may be a very important person of dating possibilities, just waiting for you to join in the group. If you create a plan for yourself that includes helping others, you tend to excel. However, if you wait until you are much older before deciding to work with charities, there will be fewer opportunities for you to be expressive and helpful to others. You have great appreciation for others that have not progressed in life and may find yourself analyzing and aiding in their future goals. Planning for the future is always good.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Taking care of business is a major theme where your emotional orientation is concerned. You crave organization and practicality and you want to get things accomplished. You aim to have a place for everything and everything in its place. Health and work goals take on greater importance now.

Secrets, conspiracies and the hidden links that unite all things take on a great deal of mystery. Digging into the past for hints about the present and future uncovers a lot of answers to the questions that will not go away. When an elderly person is responsible for an animal or has friends, they usually remain more alert and invested in their own daily living. Consider buying a houseplant or a few fish for a special elder; check back occasionally.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You would do well to play it low key today. A friend has something to talk about and you could schedule in some visiting time for after work, or perhaps the noon break. You may be asked to listen to a customer’s complaint. There are opportunities to make your thoughts known in positive ways.

You know how to make fussy customers happy in an instant. This day brings some opportunities for financial gain. There are, however, the usual difficulties in the workplace today, but nothing you cannot handle. Your concentration is enhanced and you could discover mistakes or improve on steps to a quick resolution to whatever you are concentrating on now. If you want to begin a diet, today and tomorrow will be a time of productive beginnings.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Your judgment could be temporarily out of order. Perhaps you have other things on your mind. To head off any real problems with your work, check and re-check your progress. Your judgment of people and products are usually accurate but today’s planetary energies may help to create a few distractions. There are impressionable moments today and you could regret your decisions, particularly based on someone else’s influence—take your time. You may experience a heightened artistic inspiration that manifests itself in creative work or just the urge to experience the beauty of nature. Work in the yard or with plants can be quite calming later today and will help you to gain a focus on the more positive parts of your life.

Balance is returning.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Put your mind to work and take care of any details that you may need to pull things into a completion. There are improvements scheduled now. Anything you do in groups or as teamwork will be successful. Throw away anything that does not serve you and set aside those things that are in need of updating or correction. You underestimate your creative skills and may need some positive feedback today in order to continue with some particular project. Guard against any misunderstandings with a parent or older family member this afternoon.

You have been on such a roll lately—it seems only right that you provide time for rest.

This evening, rest is everybody’s attitude—perhaps a movie or a good book would help. Protect your love interests.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) In-depth discussions and probing conversations find you at your mental best. Your analytical abilities are at a high. At one point today, you may feel that it is important to prove your ideas. Back up and take the whole situation into consideration. It certainly does not hurt to express your view and give some short demonstration; keep it simple and your audience wanting more. Your creative spirit is on automatic drive, making you very expressive—give people time to digest your presentation. The drive for interactions with loved ones is strong. There is a desire for physical intimacy tonight with your loved one. Feed the spirit through some form of art, music or dance. This is a wonderful time to do something special for your loved one.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

You might like to ignore responsibilities and do some socializing today but you know that is impossible for now. You drag your mind back into the business world and make your intentions to create some plans this evening to enjoy the company of your friends . . . perhaps a dinner party this weekend. You aim to complete your tasks—goals and work are soon accomplished. There is stability in your movements with objective to see end results. There will be an urge to communicate. Also, perhaps a short trip or a special phone call is in order. Later this afternoon you will find you have a lot of energy and drive to be with your friends. This is a very physical time in which exercise is fun and invigorating. Romance is possible this evening.

Your work is successful. If a little attention goes a long way, think of what a dedication to your work would bring about. You could be making new discoveries—it is important not to become distracted. An older person in the family may need help later today and you are ready to comply. See if there is some way you could enlarge the circle of caretakers so that you are not alone in this endeavor. This afternoon you will find yourself visiting and communicating with your many friends. Perhaps a hobby has your attention. Your attitude is good and you are in a mood to communicate with everyone you see. Being more involved with neighbors or siblings satisfies a deep emotional need. This is also a beneficial time to exchange ideas and look for new ventures.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) The pace of your success is rather dizzying now. This is a great time to work with others in a sharing situation. If you are looking to improve your position in the workplace, become more public by helping others with their work projects. In your personal life, your interest in caring for your home and your planet may find you teaching others. A strong need for nurturing is a bigger than usual element in your life. Food also takes on more importance for you and there could be a tendency to gain weight. In this case, however, your culinary talents are great, and you could fine-tune your expertise to conducting classes in the early evening for teenagers that are interested in your skill. You would be teaching them survival, job skills and good nutrition.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Painstaking attention to details may keep you busy most of this workday. Taking care of business is a major theme where your mental orientation is concerned. You crave organization and practicality and find yourself getting much accomplished. Health and work goals take on a greater importance. You may find that you enjoy walks after the noon meal or during breaks. You may find yourself becoming intensely personal and passionate in the way you appear to others. You will develop a more direct method of communication, getting to the very heart of things. You show your appreciation toward your friends later this day, as you join in a social event or participate in some joint activity. You could be inspired to stay awhile.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

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

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah 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

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

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 Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai 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 Aeroflot

22433377 177 22924455 22414400 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 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 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-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist 25340300

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581 22641071/2

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Salem soso

22618787

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

25339330

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

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 Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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

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

Central African 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) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia

00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

y

A

36

e niv rsar n

Years

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

lifestyle G o s s i p

Pitt gives kids early Easter treats rad Pitt treated his children to some Easter treats at a film screening last weekend. On Sunday the actor took Maddox, nine, Pax, seven, Zahara, six, and four-year-old Shiloh to see animated movie ‘Hop’ at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles, where they also indulged in some delicious treats and took part in an Easter egg hunt. With their mother Angelina Jolie and two younger siblings Knox and Vivienne absent from the family occasion, the children made the most of their sweet tooths but also made sure to take home some treats for the two-year-old twins. An eyewitness told E!: “Each child walked away with A. sweeT Boutique’s chocolate-covered pretzel rods, gummy butterflies, gummy cherries and jelly beans. The kids were so cute, polite and

B

Bieber sets

shy. Brad had to help them do the ordering of what they wanted in their little goody bags. They also made sure to take home some candy sticks for their siblings who weren’t there.” Another source told the Los Angeles Times newspaper: “The kids participated in the hunt and everyone looked like they were having a great time. They stayed for pretty much the whole event.” The film’s stars James Marsden, Adam Sandler and Elizabeth Perkins were also at the event, which was put on to benefit EBMRF - an organization that Brad has supported for a long time and is dedicated to researching and curing skin diseases that affect children.

Winehouse

mother’s hair on fire

hoping to get pregnant this year he ‘Rehab’ singer - who has turned her life around after overcoming battles with drink and drugs - is said to be “obsessed” with having children with her boyfriend Reg Traviss, who she has been in a relationship with for a year. A source told Reveal magazine: “Amy’s obsessed with having children. It’s all she’s talking about right now. She is desperate to have a baby within the next year. “Amy is doing everything she can to have kids. Because of the drugs and drinking, her body would not have been able to handle a baby. Now she’s on the road to recovery and is turning things around.” The 27-year-old hitmaker was thought to have been hugely upset when she heard her exhusband, Blake Fielder-Civil, is due to have a baby with his girlfriend, Sarah Aspin, in May. The source added: “She was devastated when she found out, and it made her even more determined to have her baby.” Amy’s father, Mitch, has previously admitted his daughter is broody, although he’s not sure she’s ready to settle down just yet. He said: “She’s become so broody. She’s now at the age where she wants to have a baby. But I can’t see her settling down with 15 children just yet.”

T

Reeves discusses Bill & Ted script

ustin Bieber accidentally set his mother’s hair on fire over the weekend. The ‘Baby’ singer was playing at the Berlin O2 World arena in Germany on Saturday and surprised mom Pattie Mallette by bringing her out a birthday cake as she joined him on stage. However, as she leaned over to blow out the candles, a few strands of her hair caught on fire, but thankfully Justin was there to put them out. He then told her: “Mama, I’ll always be your baby.” Following the show, Justin and Pattie both took to twitter to write about the incident. Justin, 17, said: “sick show in Berlin...brought @studiomama on stage 2 sing her happy bday but she lit her hair on fire with the candles. lol. i saved her. (sic)” While Pattie wrote: “Thank u @justinbieber for the cake (& embarrassing me on stage lol).” Justin is very close to his mother and recently revealed how she has to approve his girlfriends. The teen heartthrob - who is dating 18-year-old Disney star Selena Gomez said: “I wouldn’t bring home a girl unless my mom would approve. You don’t bring the bad girls home to mom.”

J

eanu Reeves has revealed he knows a “little bit” about the plot for Bill & Ted 3. For months there has been plenty of speculation surrounding the movie, which is set to see Keanu and Alex Winter reprise their roles as time travelling rockers in the hit franchise.

The first movie in the series, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, hit screens in 1989, with Keanu portraying Ted and Alex playing Bill. The second film was Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey in 1991, and although a third film has been in the pipeline for some time, very little has been confirmed yet. But now Keanu has dished some details on the plot, explaining that it is currently set to act as a direct follow-on from the Bogus Journey movie. “I know a little bit. But I don’t know - the fellas went off and cooked it up,” he told MTV. “I don’t know what happened when they put the elements together. When we last got together, part of it was that Bill and Ted were supposed to have written the song that saved the world, and it hasn’t happened. “So they’ve now become kind of possessed by trying to do that. Then there’s an element of time and they have to go back.” The first two movies in the franchise were written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. Last year Keanu confirmed that both writers were working on the script for the third movie, and he has now explained that it is still a work in progress. “I believe the writers are six weeks away from a draft,” he added. “No pressure, guys!”

K

ate Moss is “shy” when it comes to fashion public appearances, says her friend James Brown. The 40-year-old hairdresser has been pals with the supermodel since meeting her on a London train as a teenager, and has been credited with creating some of her most copied hairstyles. The talented hair stylist has revealed that Kate was nervous for the launch of her Topshop range in 2007, despite looking fabulous in her vintage red dress. “Kate loves the 1920s and 1930s, and that’s what inspired this dress she’s wearing with Manolos and a vintage belt from New York,” he told a UK magazine. “She’s quite shy, believe it or not, and doesn’t really do public things like that, so to be suddenly in the window of TopShop on Oxford Street was a bit nerve-wracking.” James has admitted that designers fall over themselves to dress his stunning supermodel friend.

For her 30th birthday party in 2004, Kate decided on a vintage dress she chose herself which she later found out was originally owned by Brit Ekland. James has revealed the legendary Swedish actress, 68, was impressed with the way it looked on Kate’s famous frame.

“Every designer in the world sent her a dress for her birthday, but we found that vintage one at Alfie’s Antique Market, London, on the day of the party. Afterwards, it was in all the papers and she got a letter from Britt Ekland, saying, ‘That was my dress originally, you looked amazing in it.’ It was a fabulous night,” he said.

ill Smith and his son Jaden have signed on to star in M. Night Shyamalan’s new movie, it has been claimed.

The as-yet untitled picture is set 1,000 years in the future. The story centres on a young boy who roams around an abandoned planet with his estranged father, after their spaceship crashes. Deadline are reporting a deal has been struck with Sony for the sci-fi film and that Will and Jaden have agreed to play the father and son characters. Will and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith are set to act as producers on the project, according to The Hollywood Reporter. If the movie goes ahead, this won’t be the first time Will and Jaden have teamed up together on the big screen. They previously starred in The Pursuit of Happyness in 2006. Shyamalan has been working on the idea with writer Gary Whitta, whose previous credits include The Book of Eli. Further details about the schedule for the movie are as yet unknown. However, it has been rumoured shooting could begin late summer.

W

Cyrus

K

iley Cyrus is obsessed with cupcakes. The singer-andactress was reportedly delighted when she came across a dessert stand backstage at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday) as it was stocked with her favorite type of sweet treat. An onlooker told website HollywoodLife: “Miley was with her publicist and told her to hang on for a second so she could come over to the Sprinkles cupcakes area and get a mini-strawberry and a mini-red velvet cupcake. “Miley was like, ‘You don’t understand, Sprinkles is my thing,’ and said her mom ‘has a cupcake problem’ too.”

While attending the star-studded event in Los Angeles, Miley

M

loves cupcakes

was quizzed on rumors she has reunited with former boyfriend Liam Hemsworth. However, she shrugged off the questions, saying only: “Shhh! I’ll never tell. My lips are sealed.” The 18-year-old star is preparing to tour Liam’s native Australia and she can’t wait to get back on the road again.

She told US TV show ‘Extra’: “I love being on the road and travelling.” Miley and Liam, 21, split last August after around a year of dating, before reconciling the following month and eventually splitting again in November. — Bang Showbiz

A

y

e niv rsar n

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

lifestyle

Years

MUSIC & MOVIES

Angelina says people fleeing Libya need support

(Left) This handout photo released by the UNHCR shows US film star and UNHCR goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie walking with Patrick Mansour, a UNHCR protection officer at the TunisianLibyan border town of Ras Djir. (Above) Angelina Jolie meeting with 26-year-old Ivorian refugee Veronica and Nanig Karekinian, a UNHCR Protection Officer at Shousha camp. —AFP

A

No joke ‘Raymond’ sent to comedy gulag in Russia

ctress and goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie appealed yesterday for international support for people fleeing the conflict in Libya and for increased aid for those inside the country. Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations’ refugee agency UNHCR who visited the LibyanTunisian border, said recent arrivals from Libya had told her about heavy fighting, harassment

and assaults. More than 400,000 people have fled Libya to Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Algeria, Chad and Sudan since February when rebels rose up against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. More than half have arrived in Tunisia.

“The international community has done well to reinforce Tunisia’s remarkable relief effort,” Jolie said in a UNHCR statement. “But with 2,000 people still crossing each day, we

cannot let the funding dry up and need to sustain the momentum.” She also appealed for measures that would allow the U.N. and nongovernmental organizations to access Libya and distribute urgent assistance, including food and medical supplies.

At the end of February, transit facilities were erected 7 km (4 miles) inside Tunisia to provide temporary shelter for those arriving

T

he vaults of American networks are littered with the corpses of imported sitcoms that died during the tricky adaptation process. Kath & Kim, anyone? “Exporting Raymond” offers a funny inside view of the reverse trajectory, as a beloved US hit gets retooled for the Russian market, courting disaster at every step. Seemingly against all odds, “Everybody Loves Raymond” did go on to join the ranks of other successful transplants like “The Nanny,” “ Who’s the Boss?” and “Married... With Children,” becoming the No. 1 show on Russian television. That gives this fish-outof-water/culture-clash comedy an uplifting final act. But the real key to the documentary’s appeal is its writer-director Phil Rosenthal, creator of the long-running CBS sitcom.

The small screen would seem to be a more natural home for this zippy documentary. But its all-access tour of the choppy waters of the TV export business will make the Samuel Goldwyn release of interest to industry insiders, and a curiosity for “Raymond” fans. It opens April 29.

Sent to Moscow by Sony to supervise development of “Everybody Loves Kostya,” Rosenthal took along a small crew and approached his assignment with the bemused detachment (and some of the spotlight-seeking instinct) of a Michael Moore.

Nobody will question the importance of Ray Romano and the chemistr y of his castmates in

Sheen spoofs himself in a new online video

A

ctor Charlie Sheen is spoofing an infamous T V appearance in a new online video. Uploaded to YouTube over the weekend, the seven-minute parody intercuts his newly taped responses with questions posed by ABC News correspondent Andrea Canning in the widely viewed interview that aired last month.

As Canning is seen repeatCharlie Sheen waves to edly asking Sheen if he’s on fans as he leaves the drugs and when he last used Chicago Theatre them, the former “Two and a Sunday.

Half Men” star makes fun of his various catch phrases, his many slogan-embossed T-shirts and his nicotine habit. At one point, he poses with cigarettes jamming his nostrils and both ears. The wacky video had been viewed more than 140,000 times by Monday afternoon. Sheen began a multi-city concert tour Saturday. He was due to appear in Cleveland yesterday. —AP

making “Raymond” a nine-season smash and syndication perennial.

But exposure to Rosenthal reveals just how much of his self-effacing everyman persona went into the central character. Not to mention the influence of his bickering par-

ents on the show ’s Marie and Frank. That “relatability” factor was central to Raymond’s popularity in the US It’s also the prime element that the Russians just don’t get. One of the chief disagreements is about whether the

from Libya and UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized humanitarian air evacuations. More than 70,000 people have returned home with the help of UNHCR and IOM but more continue to arrive. Some 11,000 third country nationals are still in transit. UNHCR said Jolie’s family JoliePitt foundation had covered the costs for a flight of 177 people and bought an ambulance

family dynamic alone is sufficient hook for a comedy, thereby undermining the entire foundation of the Great American Sitcom. But that’s also the point here about the difficulty of finding cultural equivalents in humor.

The Russian director and writers insist on making Kostya more assertive and less henpecked, in line with tougher national codes of masculinity. The costume designer wants Kostya’s wife to be a fashion-conscious babe, cleaning house in white cashmere and heels. Deadpan verbal comedy has less traction than broad shtick and physical pratfalls. Rosenthal describes one especially turgid actor in the running for Kostya as “a perfect storm of terrible.” With every sign that his baby is being mauled, Rosenthal’s face dissolves from polite apprehension to horror.

Through a series of shakeups and delays, including the ousting of the Russian network head, the replacement of the entire creative team and encounters with a remarkably dour comedy guru, Rosenthal attempts to get to know his host country. His enigmatic driver takes him on a notso-fun tour of a Soviet munitions museum. He attends a typical Russian family dinner, finding parallels with his own experience.

Most entertaining is his visit to the hallowed Moscow Art Theater, temple of Stanislavsk i and Chekhov, to lobby for the release of an ensemble member chosen to play Kostya. —Reuters

‘Scream 4’ Is Tech Savvy yet Tech Wary

W

hen the original “Scream” sliced into theaters nearly 15 years ago, the term “blog” had yet to be invented, and the closest thing to Facebook was America Online. While such innovation serves as fodder for the tongue-in-cheek slasher series’ fourth edition, it’s also a threat to the franchise’s first sequel since 2000’s “Scream 3.” As with the previous films, the filmmakers have worked hard to keep “Scream 4” under wraps. Wes Craven, the franchise’s director, said it’s only been shown six times prior to the previews for the media ahead of the film’s April 15 release.

“We took everyone’s cell phones,” declared Craven. “We made them sign non-disclosure agreements, and we went on the Internet and watched all night to see who posted what. ...

By in large, people honored our plea to keep it a secret.” Besides the sharp wit and tense action sequences, the “Scream” films have always been known for their whodunit twist end-

In this publicity image released by The Weinstein Company, Neve Campbell is shown in a scene from the horror film “Scream 4.” — AP ings that reveal which suspect was than it took Rebecca Black to become actually slicing through the cast of a YouTube sensation, potentially characters while sporting a Ghostface decreasing moviegoers’ motivation to costume. “Scream 4,” however, is see the latest stab-a-thon. In fact, for being unmasked at a very different those who look hard enough online, the film’s actual ending has already time than the original trilogy.

With the tap of a “tweet” button, been described in detail - but so have “Scream 4” could be spoiled faster several fake ones, too. —AP

to help support Tunisian efforts to assist the wounded.

There are some 2,500 people who are originally from war-torn countries and are unable to return home, UNHCR said. “They’re waiting here with little hope, unable to return home and unsure of what’s to come. This constant cycle of displacement must finally come to an end,” Jolie said. — Reuters

File photo of Lady Gaga makes an appearance at MTV Studio’s in Times Square for MTV’s “Total Request Live” show in New York. —AP

Lady Gaga leads MTV’s O Music Award nominations

L

ady Gaga and Tyler the Creator lead MTV’s newly inaugurated O Music Awards with three nominations each. MTV announced yesterday the categories and nominees for its new Web-based awards show, a celebration of digital music. Categories include best fan cover, most viral dance and best music hashtag meme. Lady Gaga and rapper Tyler the Creator are among the nominees for most innovative artist and must-follow artist on Twitter. Lady Gaga is also nominated for favorite animated GIF, a kind of avatar. Tyler the Creator, of the much buzzed-about hip-hop group Odd Future, is also nominated for his remix of Lykke Li’s “Follow Rivers.” Winners will be decided by fan voting in social media, with the results shown in real-time. The awards will be presented in a live hour-long webcast April 28 on MTV websites and mobile apps.

MTV, which is part of the Viacom-owned MTV Networks, hopes the show will do for digital music what its Video Music Awards, launched in 1984, did for the music video. As a reference to the rapidly shifting online world, even the “O” in the OMAs is being left undefined and open to interpretation by viewers.

“Some elements of this will be experimental,” said Dermot McCormack, head of digital media at MTV Music Group. “If there is such a thing as a beta award show, this is it.” Several of the awards will go to fans or even pets. Best animal performance is a category, with nominees like a parrot dancing to Willow Smith’s song “Whip My Hair.” Other categories fete the new epicenters of online music, such as best independent music blog, best music discovery service and best performance series. The latter features a group of nominees that pits acclaimed online series like NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concerts” and La Blogotheque’s “Take Away Shows” against MTV’s own “Unplugged.”

“We’re really launching a new franchise here, something that we’re investing in,” says Shannon Connolly, vice president of digital music strategy for MTV Music Group. Other nominated artists include Kanye West, the Flaming Lips, Nicki Minaj, Arcade Fire and Justin Bieber. Among the non-artist nominees are the comedy site Funny or Die, the music discovery service Pandora and Andy Samberg’s comedy troupe, the Lonely Island. The network says success for the O Music Awards won’t be assessed by ratings or view counts, but by its cultural influence. “We won’t be judging by how many streams we do on several websites,” says McCormack. “We will be judging it by how much we can affect the conversation around digital music in the lead-up and beyond.”—AP

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

38

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

LIFESTYLE T r a v e l

Kiosks along the Sea to Sky Highway showcase the native history of the area. The kiosks, like this one at Tantualus viewpoint, have interpretive panels and roofs shaped like the traditional woven cedar bark hats of the Squamish and other First Nations people.

Skiers g at li f t r id e her in Whistler s up Wh village fo is t mountain r s in Cana le r a n d B la c k c ski omb da. —MC T photos

d istory an es the h d Lil’wat s a c w o h Centre s amish an Cultural groups, the Squ t a ’w il L ative amish The Squ rary life of two n o p contem ns. io First Nat

Here’s your guide to roadside attractions worth a stop ears ago, the road to Whistler was a white-knuckle drive. The narrow twolane road clung to cliffs, squeezed around blind corners and dropped off sheerly to the sea. And that was just the first half of the 85-mile route from Vancouver, BC, to the Whistler ski resort. The second part, from Squamish to Whistler, was a paved version of a logging road, twisting and clambering through tangled forests and mountains.

Y

Fast forward: Highway 99, also called the Sea to Sky Highway, now is an easy and gloriously scenic drive, thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars in improvements. It was blasted straighter and wider-with many fourlane sections-in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics that were held in Whistler and Vancouver. What hasn’t changed along the road are the jaw-dropping views of craggy peaks, Howe Sound inlet and forest wilderness.

You could zip from Vancouver to Whistler in 90 minutes. But why? Instead, stop along the highway to savor the views, see waterfalls, take a walk or explore a mining museum. And don’t miss the roadside kiosks and cultural center in Whistler that showcase the native peoples for whom the region has been home for thousands of years; even road signs are now in aboriginal languages as well as English.

Whether you’re going for spring skiing (until late May) or planning a summer getaway with mountain biking, golf and zip lines, take along this guide to roadside stops from Horseshoe Bay, the southern starting point of the Sea to Sky Highway, to Whistler.

don’t-miss waterfall tumbles almost 1,000 feet down massive cliffs. Once privately owned with its water used for making beer, the waterfall now is protected within Shannon Falls Provincial Park.

The waterfall can be seen from the highway. But park your car and take an easy 10minute walk through the thick forest of hemlock, fir and cedar to the base of the falls where water thunders into a pool, misting the air.

●

First Nations kiosks Get some culture along with scenery by stopping at some of the seven kiosks in pullouts along the highway. They tell of the mythology and everyday life of two native groups, the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations. Each kiosk has illustrated panels on tribal history and mythology tucked under a distinctive roof shaped like a traditional woven cedar-bark hat. The cultural drive culminates in Whistler at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, a don’t-miss small museum.

See www.slcc.ca for details on the highway kiosks and museum.

●

● Porteau Cove Provincial Park

Want to stretch your legs? Porteau Cove Provincial Park, just off the highway, gives views of the shimmering waters and fjordlike Howe Sound where, say Squamish myths, the fearsome two-headed serpent Say-nothka roamed. Stroll the waterfront or picnic in the 123-acre park. Watch scuba divers head out to explore two sunken ships just offshore. ● Britannia Mine Museum

Looming beside the highway is the historic mill building, part of what was a very productive (and polluting) copper mine that operated from the early 1900s into the 1970s.

The 20-story-tall mill is part of the recently renovated Britannia Mine Museum, with interactive exhibits, gold-panning and a ride through a mining tunnel, with visitors donning hard hats to go deep underground in an open-sided mine train. ●

Shannon Falls Not just another roadside attraction ... this

Stawamus Chief From the comfort of your car you can spot rock climbers toiling up the sheer 2,300-foot face of Stawamus Chief, a world-class climbing destination just off the highway.

Or park in a viewing area at the base of the massive granite monolith for a closer look.(The hardy could hike a steep trail up the back of Stawamus Chief for dizzying views from the top.)

●

Squamish True confessions: I don’t often stop in Squamish, preferring the natural attractions along the Sea to Sky Highway. But the town, which boomed in the run-up to the Winter Olympics with new condos, hotels and even a Walmart, offers restaurants and pubs.

The adjoining community of Brackendale calls itself the “world eagle capital,” thanks to the hundreds of bald eagles that gather in early winter to pluck salmon from the Squamish River; a landviewing area and river-float tours help visitors see the eagles. ●

Tantalus viewpoint If you stop at only one of the First Nations kiosks along the highway, make it the Tantalus viewpoint (for driving safety, stop there when heading south from Whistler since it’s on the other side of the highway).

Perched at about 1,000 feet, the viewpoint looks across a deep valley to the jagged peaks of the rugged Tantalus range. Learn about Squamish history and leaders on the kiosk’s panels.

Garibaldi Lake Have a day to spare and love to hike? A trailhead by the highway is the steppingoff point (once the snow melts) for one of my favorite hikes, a 5.5-mile trek to Garibaldi Lake. The 3.5-mile-long alpine lake, within the sprawling wilderness of the 481,000-acre Garabaldi Provincial Park, is ringed by glacier-draped peaks and Black Tusk, the dramatic basalt core of an eroded volcano that thrusts above the landscape like a giant, dark chimney.

In the Squamish language, Black Tusk is called t’ak’t’ak mu’yin tl’a in7in’a’xe7en — “the landing place of the Thunderbird,” a supernatural creature said to have squeezed the rock into a pinnacle shape with its giant talons. The trail to Garibaldi Lake switchbacks up about 2,600 feet; make it a long day hike, or backpackers can camp by the lake. ●

Brandywine Falls Provincial Park For a short, easy stroll, Brandywine Falls is a 15-minute walk from a parking lot beside the Sea to Sky Highway. The 200-foot-tall waterfall tumbles through a

●

narrow slot. ● Whistler Olympic Park Before you reach Whistler Village, you pass the Olympic Park. One of the top legacies of the Winter Games, this area-which hosted nordic skiing, ski-jumping and the biathlon competitions-now is open to the public with more than 90 kilometers of trails groomed for cross-country skiing (both classic and skate) winding through the forest or through open meadows with big-mountain views.

There’s a stylish timber and glass day lodge, including a cafe. Whistler Olympic Park is 10 miles south of Whistler and about five miles off the highway (up the Callaghan Valley Road). ● Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre

On the edge of Whistler Village’s fancy hotels and condos, this museum/cultural center celebrates the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations, who have lived in the region around Whistler for thousands of years. It’s a beautifully designed, compact museum with a 15minute film on the First Nations; galleries of aboriginal artifacts, including a hand-hewn canoe and ceremonial masks; and contemporary artwork (see www.slcc.ca).

One of its real treasures is the staff, young aboriginal people who seem genuinely pleased to talk to visitors, talking of their history and customs. In the museum cafe, a chef strolled over to my table to check if I liked my meal (I did), explaining how they smoked their locally caught sockeye (used in the cafe’s excellent chowders and salads) and make bannock, a traditional fry bread that he’d flavored with sage and cheese.

A young employee took me into a peakroofed wood building modeled after a Squamish longhouse, and patiently taught me how to weave a cedar-bark bracelet. It’s a souvenir with heart, from an aboriginal heartland.

If you go: The Sea to Sky Highway begins near Horseshoe Bay on the outskirts of Vancouver, BC Reach it via the Trans Canada Highway (Highway 1). Road conditions: To check on road conditions: www.drivebc.ca or 800-550-4997.

ining) is

along

d the B

lso calle

um (a ine Muse M ia n n a The Brit Sky Highway . o the Sea t

m of M C Museu

1,430 ore than . m g in h ea c ada e route r ountains in Can il -m .7 2 m travels a ckcomb gondola Whistler and Bla k a e P 2 The Peak ground between e above th

Traveler’s tips: Get BC tourism information at www.hellobc.com For required border-crossing documents, see www.getyouhome.gov.

An icy ride in whistler: The Whistler Sliding Centre, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics competitions in bobsled, luge and skeleton, recently began letting the public hurtle down the icy track.

What’s called the “Skeleton Sport Experience Program” opened in February and quickly sold out for the just-ended winter season.

Participants get several hours of training, then don heavy helmets and hurtle down the track face-first on the one-person skeleton sleds, their heads just inches from the surface at speeds of almost 60 mph.

For safety, the public starting point is just a third of the way up the 4,757-foot-long track (which opened for the Olympics with tragedy when Nodar Kumaritashvili, a Georgian luger, died in a crash on a practice run).

There are year-round tours for those who want to see the track; public sliding is expected to resume in November. www.whistlers-

n reak o e s a b o ve t h e k a t r A s k ie b mountain ab e sits. g Blackcom re Whistler Villa e h w y e vall

tands

s em pole pped tot Park. a -c w o n As r Olympic at Whistle

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

39

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Take a page from designer Jim Rosenau to give your home a bit of “Anatomy of a Murder” book shelf design by California artist Jim literary flair.—MCT Photos Rosenau.

Jim Rosenau California, crafted a fully functional and aesthetically appealing bookshelf from five volumes. Three tomes are used for the flat part of the shelf, while another two make up the brackets.

Design by the book ou have to study the piece called “Inversion” for a minute to fully appreciate the joke. Jim Rosenau, an artist based in Berkeley, Calif, has crafted a fully functional and aesthetically appealing bookshelf from five volumes. Three tomes are used for the flat part of the shelf, while another two make up the brackets. So far, so good. Now, look closely at what’s actually resting on that shelf. They’re not ... are they? Yep-there are a dozen neatly lined up, book-shaped blocks of wood. Bet you just smiled. For home decorators and artists alike, books are the new bricks. They pile them up, paint them and drip wax over them. “The climate has changed in the past five years,” says Rosenau, who sells tables made from a stack of legal books, and chairs with oversized “pencils” for legs from his website, http://www.thisintothat.com.

“People no longer view my furniture through a transgressive lens,” he says. “Few people have that shocked reaction, ‘My God, he cuts up books.’” When Rosenau started his company in 2002, he was one of the few artists who repurposed old books. Now when he exhibits at national crafts show, he has plenty of company.

For instance, fashionistas have been snapping up the handbags that Caitlin Phillips of Rebound Designs crafts from such beloved novels as “Sense and Sensibility” and “Jane Eyre.”

In 2004, when Phillips first realized that a hardback book was the ideal size and shape for a purse, she initially feared consumer backlash. “I made my first purses from Reader’s Digest Condensed Books because they are the lowest form of books,” she says. “I had no idea how popular they would be. But the market really exploded. I quit my job three months after making the first one.” When Phillips’ wallets and purses ($30-$250, http://www.etsy.com/shop/rebounddesigns) aren’t toting around their owners’ wallets and lipsticks, they can be shelved in the library, just like any other volume.

“They are useful purses and they are fully functional, but most people won’t want to carry the same purse every day,” Phillips says. “The handle tucks away inside when you’re not using it. It looks just like a book when you put it on a shelf.” Most artists want the books they are transforming to be instantly recognizable as former reading material. That’s kind of the point.

But under the skilled hands of Baltimore

Y

artist Susan Brandt, Agatha Christie paperbacks undergo a profound metamorphosis. Brandt cut up the pages of one of the original Miss Marple mysteries, “The Body in the Library,” into thin strips. She then “knitted” the paper into a 4-by-2foot shawl ($800, http://www.susanbrandt.net.) called “Comfort Wrap.” You wouldn’t want to wear the shawl in the rain or, for that matter, anywhere else. The wrap is meant for display purposes only, just like any other piece of contemporary art.

“I wanted to make something beautiful from old paperback novels that no one wants anymore,” Brandt says. “Comfort Wrap” won the top prize in the 2009 Altered Book Competition sponsored by the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore.

The artists say that the recent proliferation of book-based crafts reflects a profound shift taking place in the way that bookworms view their favorite pastime. As long as there have been bound volumes, some readers have valued them primarily for their content; for others, the object’s aesthetic properties have been paramount.

For example, illuminated Bibles from the Middle Ages, with their elaborate illustrations adorned with malachite and lapis lazuli and their oversized letters burnished with gold and silver, can attract even atheists. But it wasn’t until the creation of computers that it was possible to think of the physical book, with its bindings and glued pages, as occupying a different part of the universe than the virtual book of stories, ideas and arguments.

Readers began to realize that maybe books didn’t live only inside libraries and bookstores.

Maybe they also lived inside some machines. The advent of such portable e-readers as the Kindle, Nook and iPad only widened the divide between the object and its content. In that light, Rosenau’s “Inversion” isn’t merely funny-it’s positively metaphysical.

Suddenly, it became possible for Ellicott City, Md, artist Kristen Christy to convert former Golden Books into colorful birdhouses ($18 at http://www.etsy.com) ideal for hanging in a children’s bedroom without fear of criticism. “The Poky Little Puppy”, she says, is a particular customer favorite. “People are initially less shocked by the destruction of the book because they realize the ideas in it aren’t bound in paper but can take so many forms,” Phillips said. “Books have

“Now, people have the opposite problem. How lost a little bit of their untouchableness, and many books are printed each year? There are only that’s a good thing.”

At the same time, books have been held in rev- so many that people can read.”

When Phillips graduated from high school, she erence for a very long time, and some artists and worked at a used bookstore and says she was designers intentionally play around with those historic associations.

For instance, Grace Macfarlane, an 18year-old senior at Baltimore’s School for the Arts, has chosen not to display her fanciful watercolors and sketches on walls. Instead, she binds them between leather covers, which are themselves works of art. Macfarlane says the familiar rectangular shape lends gravitas to whatever images or ideas are contained within.

“As an aesthetic object, books seem very old and serious,” Macfarlane says. “Things in book form seem more important than maybe than they actually are. If you have something bound together and printed, you know it will be there for a long time.”

Some artists also are motivated by environmental concerns. When Rosenau makes a Furniture made from books is featured in “For Her” design by coffee table from a artist Jim Rosenau. pile of books that have been read once staggered by the waste she witnessed. “I was realand thrown away, or Macfarlane scoops up her ly shocked at how many books we couldn’t sell college brochures and turns them into paper for and ended up throwing away because they were her illustrations, they are finding another use for something that would have ended up in the trash. unwanted,” she says. “I would take them home and think, ‘Someday I will make something out of “When books were first printed, they were valuthem. And now, I am.’” able because they were so scarce,” Rosenau says.

orld-renowned baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky and soprano Ekaterina Siurina mesmerized audience with performance of opera’s greatest arias yesterday. The sounds of opera’s best known arias brought the auditorium of the Emirates Palace to life last night for the rousing finale of the Abu Dhabi Festival 2011, presented by the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation. In a fitting finale to the Festival for 2011, the spectacular voices of Russia baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky and soprano Ekaterina Siurina delighted the audience with superb music provided by the Festival’s orchestra-in-residence the Russian National Orchestra, conducted by the specialist in Italian opera, Maestro Nicola Luisotti.

In a truly unmissable performance, the stars showcased a selection of opera’s best-loved and wellknown classics including arias from Rossini’s Guillaume Tell and Barbiere di Sivigli. Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni and Verdi’s Rigoletto amongst others.

Speaking directly after the performance, Her Excellency Hoda AlKhamis Kanoo, founder and artistic director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, said: “This evening’s Opera Gala has proven to be a most spectacular end to an amazing Abu Dhabi Festival in 2011.

The blend of music and song was utterly captivating throughout It is always a delight to welcome international talent to Abu Dhabi.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Ekaterina Siurina have provided the audience with wonderful entertainment this evening. I would also like to offer my sincere gratitude to our 2011 orchestra-in-residence, the Russian National Orchestra, and the fabulous maestro Nicola Luisotti for their energy and enthusiasm throughout their tenure in Abu Dhabi.”

W

OPERA GALA brings the curtain down in Abu Dhabi Festival

Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky and soprano Ekaterina Siurina performing at the Abu Dhabi Festival Opera Gala.

Music Notes The Russian National Orchestra (RNO), conducted by the fabulous

Homes by the book Sometimes, you really can judge a book by its cover. Gerald Smith, the Washington-based designer behind GL Smith Associates, offers the following tips for incorporating your favorite volumes into your home decor: ● Display books that reflect the homeowner’s passions. “The selection of books should be meaningful in some way,” Smith says. “They might be travel books about places the owner has visited, or books that reflect an art collection or another personal interest. I seldom ever put books on a shelf just to put them there.

Otherwise, the books become purely decorative and the house becomes a showroom.” ● Don’t be afraid to use books in untraditional ways. “Use them as platforms for picture frames or artwork or sculpture,” Smith says. “I might put a few books beneath a table lamp to add a little height. Or if the owner has a large collection of books, I’ve even been known to stack them up as an occasional table next to a chair for a look that is very spontaneous and casual.” ● Don’t worry if the books you choose aren’t in like-new condition. Yellowing pages, minor stains and tears can actually enhance the look. “If they are older books and they have a little bit of wear on them, I don’t have a problem with that,” Smith said. “It’s called ‘patina.’” ● Cluster, Buster. “When there aren’t enough books displayed together, they get lost,” Smith says. “The collection loses significance.” ● Appearances count. Sure, a book’s content matters most. But that’s no reason to willfully ignore any and all aesthetic considerations.

Hardcover books, for example, are always preferable to paperbacks. “The wrong color in the room can really make a difference,” Smith says. “A chartreuse book won’t work in a room that’s all burgundy and green. But, that same book might be fine in an all white or all black room, where the color really jumps out at you.” —MCT

maestro Nicola Luisotti got the evening off to a stunning start with Rossini’s overture to his opera La Gazza Ladra. (The Thieving Magpie), written in 1817, before welcoming Dmitri Hvorostovsky to the stage for a spell-binding performance of Resta immobile from Rossini’s opera Guillaume Tell (William Tell). The celebration of the music of Rossini continued with soprano Ekaterina Siurina’s interpretation of Una voce poco fa followed by a beautiful duet from the pair Dunque io son, both of which are drawn from Rossini’s most famous opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville).

The rousing music of Mozart.s overture to Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) gave the stage back to the RNO and fantastic conductor Nicola Luisotti, setting the scene for the beautiful aria Deh vieni, von tardar, from the same production. Closing the fantastic first half was Hvorostovsky’s commanding performance of the world famous Largo al factotum from Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. The overture to Verdi’s Nabucco. provided the opening to a second half packed with opera classics. With three pieces from the opera Rigoletto , including Caro nome, Cortigiani vil razza and Mio padre!

Solo per me l’infamia music and song combined to celebrate the talents of Verdi and one of the most frequently performed operas in the world.

The work of Mozart rounded off an amazing evening with Don Giovanni and Idomeneo taking centre stage. The haunting overture to Don Giovanni led seamlessly into Siurina’s performance of Zeffiretti lusinghieri from Mozart’s Idomeneo, before returning to Don Giovanni for a triumphant close. Fin ch’han dal vino gave Hvorostovsky the opportunity to display his masterful command of the classics whilst the rousing final duet, La ci darem la mano brought the house down as the curtain fell on the Abu Dhabi Festival 2011.

Jolie says people fleeing Libya need support

37

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2011

ken in File photo ta ge, in la Vil Panmaung remote Myanmar’s ws an sho northwest, ty Chin ri o in ethnic m g a facial n ri ea b an wom FP tattoo. —A

Myanmar’s

tattooed women lure tourists

M

a Htwe recalled the day of agony she suffered, more than five decades ago, when her face was etched with the intricate tattoo that still lines her papery skin like a spider’s web. “When they tattooed my eyelids I thought that they would disappear,” she said, chewing pensively on betel nut. “I wanted to run away.” The 65-year-old was one of the last in her village to undergo the facial inking-once a rite of passage for young ethnic minority Chin women in the remote northwest of military-dominated Myanmar. With the practice ceasing about two generations ago, Ma Htwe is among a smattering of women left alive who bear the tattoos. When they die, the ancient tradition will die with them.

In the meantime, the vanishing custom has turned her sleepy village, nestled on the banks of the Lemro River just outside Chin state, into a tourist attraction. “These women are the last of their kind,” said Jens Uwe

Parkitny, a German photographer and writer who has documented the tradition among different Chin groups over the past ten years.

The ritual was officially banned by the then socialist regime in the 1960s, and the tattoos became increasingly rare as Christian missionaries converted the previously animist communities, said Chin pastor Shwekey Hoipang.

Soon the procedure stopped completely.

“The Chin girls do not want to get tattoos anymore, because they don’t feel this is beautiful decoration,” added Hoipang, who is currently studying in the UK. According to one legend, the tattooing emerged as a way to “uglify” Chin women and protect them from predatory Burmese kings-but Parkitny is not convinced, given that the practice was once widespread in Asia. “It is likely that the story was fabricated in more recent times by those representing a ‘civilized world’ view, which perceives a facial tattoo as defacing and ugly,” he

said. The women themselves say the marks were a stamp of womanhood and attractiveness: Ma Sein, another villager now aged 60, was just seven when she started to pester her parents for her own tattoo.

“I thought it was beautiful,” she told AFP. Little did she realise then that it would also prove lucrative. A couple of hours downstream in the town of Mrauk U, tour guides now offer regular boat trips along the Lemro to visit the women’s isolated settlements.

Curious travelers are drawn to see the striking Chin faces as they are to the “longnecked” women of Myanmar’s ethnic Padaung tribe, so-called for their tradition of adorning and stretching female necks with brass rings.

Fascination with the Padaung, based both in Myanmar and across the border in Thailand, has generated income but also an ethical debate: critics denounce the ongoing restrictive practice and the phenomenon of “human

zoos”. But while younger generations of Padaung women continue to wear the disfiguring brass rings to earn money by posing for photographs, Chin girls no longer go through their grandmothers’ painful tattooing experience. Aware their days are numbered, the unusual-looking elders are embracing the outside interest in their lives, having struggled to get by on traditional income sources of farming and logging. “Late in life they are using their unique and soon-to-disappear looks as a way of earning money for the betterment of their impoverished communities,” said Simon Richmond, a researcher for the Lonely Planet guidebook to Myanmar.

The number of visitors they receive is still relatively low: even the day-trip starting point of Mrauk U, in western Rakhine state, receives just a few thousand travellers a year.

Nevertheless, tourists’ donations have helped especially to maintain local schools, after

Picasso loan to West Bank a study in complications A

File photo shows Pablo Picasso’s painting Buste de Femme, 1943 . —AP

Palestinian art academy is preparing to spruce itself up for a famous guest: a $7 million Pablo Picasso masterpiece that would be the first displayed in the West Bank. But simply arranging the painting’s journey remains a far more difficult work in progress over complications such as finding reliable transport and clearing Israeli checkpoints. The more than yearlong negotiations and planningdrawing in the Israeli military, Palestinian curators and Dutch museum officials-highlight the obstacles for even ordinary commerce or movement within the West Bank or through the few openings in the separation barrier with Israel.

“Of course, at the beginning, we saw these complications but didn’t know to what extent this would reach,” said Remco de Blaaij, the curator at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, who is overseeing the proposed loan of Picasso’s 1943 “Buste de Femme.” If the painting makes it to the International Academy of Art, Palestine, by the summer-and that remains an open question-it will become the most valuable and prestigious artwork ever shown in the West Bank. The small art school in Ramallah put in the loan request in early 2010. Normally, such inter-museum exchanges are routine and take about six months to coordinate. But de Blaaij said the logistics are still being addressed for the 52-mile (88kilometer) trip from Israel’s international airport near Tel

Aviv to Ramallah.

“The main concern is with getting into the West Bank and even more with getting out of there,” de Blaaij said.

“You never know what’s going to happen at checkpoints.” Beyond that, Israelis aren’t allowed to drive to certain parts of the West Bank because of safety concerns. Palestinians’ freedom of movement is limited within the West Bank. Those seeking to enter Israel require a permit and often wait for hours in line at security checkpoints. So curators are still hunting for a reliable transport company that can drive in both Israel and the West Bank. De Blaaij said they have found an insurer but didn’t want to go into details.

The 39-by-31 inch (100-by-80 centimeter) oil-on-canvas work-a cubist deconstruction of a woman’s face, dominated by gray hues-is the Dutch museum’s most valuable piece of art and has traveled before to Sao Paolo, Brazil. For the Palestinian academy, however, it’s more than just a chance to host a renowned painting.

The Academy hopes the loan will encourage other institutions to send artworks to the West Bank. Tina Sherwell, the director of the Ramallah art school, said it will give Palestinians a chance to view world-class pieces without facing the daunting journey to Israel’s museums that are filled with famous works by artists including Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne and Rene Magritte. “The arrival of the painting is a historic event for us,” Sherwell said. “It is important to be able to put on for public view a historic work of art, for the first time.” —AP

years of neglect towards the villages by “what passes for government in Myanmar,” Richmond said. Many have shunned Myanmar because of its undemocratic record-the army has ruled with an iron fist for almost half a century and widespread human rights abuses have been reported, particularly against minorities such as the Chin.

After a widely panned election in November, few signs of political change are evident in the secluded villages of the northwest, but one likely outcome is a gradual opening up of Myanmar and a rise in visitor numbers. As one of the last to carry her tribe’s unique heritage, Ma Sein is happy to welcome all those who do venture to see it, while she still can.

“Sometimes I feel like my parents’ spirits are coming back to me through the visitors,” she said, as she waved goodbye to the latest group of tourists. —AFP

Hunt is on for remains of possible Mona Lisa model

I

talian researchers said yesterday they will dig up bones in a Florence convent to try and identify the remains of a Renaissance woman long believed to be the model for the Mona Lisa. If successful, the research might help ascertain the identity of the woman depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece-a mystery that has puzzled scholars and art lovers for centuries and generated countless theories. The project launched yesterday aims to locate the remains of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich silk merchant named Francesco del Giocondo.

File photo shows a man taking a photograph of Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th century masterpiece the “Mona Lisa” painting, kept behind a protective glass, in the Louvre museum in Paris. —AP

Tradition has long linked Gherardini to the painting, which is known in Italian as “La Gioconda” and in French as “La Joconde.” Giorgio Vasari, a 16th-century artist and biographer of Leonardo, wrote that da Vinci painted a portrait of del Giocondo’s wife. Gherardini was born in 1479. A few years ago, an amateur Italian historian said he had found a death certificate showing she died on July 15, 1542, and her final resting place, the Convent of St Ursula in central Florence.

That’s where the digging will begin later his month, said Silvano Vinceti, an art historian and the project leader. The project falls within a current trend of employing CSI-like methods in art history, for example to find out about an artist’s technique, discover details hidden in a painting or even learn about an artist’s life or death. The group led by Vinceti has already reconstructed the faces of some Italian artists on the basis of their skulls, and last year it said it had identified the bones of Caravaggio and discovered a possible cause of death, 400 years after the artist died in mysterious circumstances.

The Mona Lisa project uses some of the same techniques applied to the Caravaggio investigation. First, the researchers will use ground-penetration radar to search for hidden tombs inside the convent. —AP