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Kuwait targets 4 million barrels of oil daily by 2020

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012 RABIA ALTHANI 20, 1433 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

Oil price volatility in focus at energy meet

Kuwait National & Liberation Days

2Amir fetes army officers at graduationceremony 22

India’s troubled Kingfisher scraps more flights 40

Rare imperial bowl creates a stir in China 20

Lakers rally past Celtics in another thriller

KUWAIT: The world’s largest energy forum began meet-ings yesterday over oil price fluctuations and safeguard-ing supplies amid heightened tensions over Iran’snuclear program and a softening in global growth. Oilministers and delegates from the 88-memberInternational Energy Forum (IEF) are holding their bien-nial three-day gathering in Kuwait to discuss the role ofthe forum in tackling market volatility. Ministers will dis-cuss “energy market fluctuations and the role of theInternational Energy Forum and its member states indealing with them”, according to a statement by theorganisers. They will also discuss behind closed doors“the long-term demand for energy, safeguarding sup-plies and drawing of appropriate policies for ensuringenergy supplies,” it said.

Kuwaiti Oil Minister Hani Hussein said the meeting isbeing held under “extraordinary circumstances,” citingIran’s recent threats to block the Strait of Hormuz -through which most of Gulf oil shipments are exported,and the eurozone crisis, as causes of concerns. Headded Kuwait aims to boost its crude production capac-ity to 4 million barrels a day by 2020, up from 3 millionbarrels now. “ The threats regarding the Strait ofHormuz, as well as the eurozone crisis, speculators andprice increases are making the situation more complex,”he said in a television interview on Sunday, according toKUNA state news agency. Iranian officials had in Januarywarned they could close the strait if increased Westernsanctions over Tehran’s controversial nuclear programhalt Iranian oil exports, triggering further US securitymeasures in the strategic transit route.

But a top Kuwaiti official said yesterday that the statedid not receive any requests from its customers to

Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: (From left) Kuwaiti Oil Minister Hani Hussein, his Bahraini counterpart Abdul Hussein Mirza and hisSaudi counterpart Ali Al-Nuaimi chat during a reception on the sidelines of the world’s largest energy forumwhich opened yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

JERUSALEM: For more than a decade, Israel hassystematically built up its military specifically for apossible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. It hassent its air force on long-distance training missions,procured American-made “bunker-busting” bombsand bolstered its missile defenses. Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu’s threats to strike Iran, voicedlast week during a high-profile visit to the WhiteHouse, were not empty bluster. Although a unilat-eral Israeli attack would probably not destroy Iran’snuclear program, it appears capable, at least fornow, of inflicting a serious blow.

“If Israel attacks, the intention is more to send amessage of determination, a political messageinstead of a tactical move,” said Yiftah Shapir, a for-mer Israeli air force officer who is now a militaryanalyst at the INSS think tank in Tel Aviv. Israel,along with the United States and other Westerncountries, believes Iran has taken key steps towarddeveloping nuclear weapons. The U.N.’s nuclearwatchdog agency has cited this concern in reports,but notes its inspectors have found no direct evi-dence that Iran is moving toward an atomicweapon.

Continued on Page 13

Israel plans for Iran go back years

Syrian rebels carry the dead body of acomrade to a morgue after heavy fightingwith Syrian government forces in Idlib,north Syria on Sunday. (Inset) Bodies ofchildren and adults are laid out yesterdayon the floor at a makeshift morgue in BabAl-Sebaa, a neighborhood in the restivecity of Homs. — AP/AFP

DAMASCUS: The bodies of more than 50civilians - including 47 women and chil-dren - some with their throats slit, werefound in the restive Syrian city of Homsafter a “massacre” that sent families flee-ing the area, activists and the oppositionsaid yesterday. Syria’s information minis-ter accused “terrorist gangs” of carryingout the killings in order to incite interna-tional pressure on President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime. At a meeting of topdiplomats of UN Security Council mem-ber states in New York, Western foreignministers demanded that Syrian alliesChina and Russia stop blocking UNaction to halt the bloodshed.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

said Assad had cynically launched mili-tary assaults while meeting with Annan.“How cynical that, even as Assad wasreceiving former (U.N) Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan, the Syrian Army was con-ducting a fresh assault on Idlib and con-tinuing its aggression in Hama, Homs,and Rastan,” she told the SecurityCouncil. Britain’s William Hague saidmost of the world believed the councilhad failed in its responsibilities to theSyrian people, while France’s Alain Juppeappealed to China and Russia to heedthe conscience of the world. Russia’sSergei Lavrov retorted that change in theArab world “must not be achieved by

Continued on Page 13

Civilians massacred in Homs, hundreds fleeMany victims raped, throats slit

KABUL: Outrage over a murderous rampage by anAmerican soldier who killed 16 villagers grippedAfghanistan yesterday as parliament called for a pub-lic trial and Taleban insurgents vowed revenge. TheUnited States embassy issued fresh warnings to itscitizens of possible violent protests, while the latestsetback in America’s longest war threatened negotia-tions with the Afghan government on its exit strate-gy. The American walked off his base in southernKandahar province and broke into three villagehomes before dawn Sunday, killing 16 people includ-ing nine children and three women - an eventdescribed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai as“unforgivable”.

“We seriously demand and expect that the gov-ernment of the United States punish the culprits andtry them in a public trial before the people ofAfghanistan,” parliament said in statement beforeclosing for the day in protest. Condemning thekillings as “brutal and inhuman”, parliament declaredthat “people are running out of patience over theignorance of foreign forces”.

It is the latest in a series of actions by troops thathas provoked outrage in Afghanistan, and comes justweeks after the burning of Qurans at a US basesparked riots that killed 40 people and plunged tiesto an all-time low. The Taleban, leading a 10-yearinsurgency against US-led foreign troops and thegovernment in Kabul, threatened to take revengeagainst “sick-minded American savages” for thosewho died. Braced for the worst, the US embassyurged its citizens in Afghanistan to take extra precau-tions, warning against “a risk of anti-American feel-ings and protests in coming days especially in easternand southern provinces”.

But there were no reports of protests by eveningyesterday, and community leaders in Kandaharappeared to be trying to prevent any outbreak of vio-lence. “The people have told us ‘we won’t resort toviolence, we won’t demonstrate, but we want ourgovernment to deliver justice and bring the personresponsible to justice’,” a prominent tribal elder andmember of Kandahar Provincial Council told AFP. “Wehave promised them, the government has promisedthem that they will pursue this at high levels,” said

Continued on Page 13

Afghan outrage grows over GI’s brutal rampage

Israeli soldiers watch as a missile is launched fromthe Iron Dome defence system in the southernIsraeli city of Beer Sheva yesterday. (Inset) Awounded Palestinian youth cries as he lies in ahospital in Gaza City after an Israeli air strike yes-terday. — AFP

GAZA: Israeli war planes struck at theGaza Strip and Palestinians fired morerockets against southern Israel yesterdayin a fourth day of hostilities in which 23Palestinians have been killed. Egyptianefforts to broker a ceasefire appeared tobe stuck over a demand by the IslamicJihad militant group that Israel firstpromise not to target militant leaders forfuture attack. The violence also drewcondemnation from US Secretary ofState Hillary Clinton and United NationsSecretary-General Ban ki-Moon, whocalled for restraint. The Arab League alsourged the United Nations to interveneand stop the conflict.

Eighteen of the Palestinians killedsince fighting flared in the Hamas-con-trolled enclave last Friday were militantsand five civilians, according to medicalofficials. At least 74 Palestinians, mostly

civilians, and eight people in Israel havebeen wounded. The Israeli air strikes yes-terday killed two Palestinian militantsand an elderly man and his daughter, theofficials said. A 15-year-old Palestinianyouth died in an explosion thatPalestinians blamed on an Israeli missile.The Israeli military denied it had carriedout a strike. Thirty-five rockets, at least 20of them intercepted by Israel’s Iron Domeanti-missile system, were fired at Israel,wounding three people, Israeli policesaid.

Gaza’s Hamas leadership, whose owncadres have kept out of the fighting, saidon Sunday neighbouring Egypt wasworking to stop the violence and con-sulting with other militants. A Palestinianofficial close to the mediation toldReuters Israel had agreed to a midnight

Continued on Page 13

Israel-Gaza bloodshedrages into fourth day

2LO C A LTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

New batch of army officers graduates

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir and Supreme Commander of the ArmedForces, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, sponsored and attendedthe graduation ceremony of the 16th class of college army-officers and 39thclass of army-officers at Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy here yesterday.

The Amir was received by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense,Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Army Chief of Staff, SheikhKhaled Jarrah Al-Sabah, Ministry of Defense Undersecretary, Jasser Al-Jasser,and other army officials.

The graduation was also attended by His Highness the Crown Prince,Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, National Assembly SpeakerAhmed Al-Saadoun, Deputy Chief of Kuwait National Guard (KNG), SheikhMishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-MubarakAl-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs, Sheikh AliJarrah Al-Sabah, senior officials of the state and family members of thegraduates.

Brig Sulaiman Al-Huwailah, Dean of the Academy, welcomed the guestsand thanked His Highness the Amir for his continuous support to theKuwaiti military. The graduation proceeded with His Highness the Amirhanding awards to officers who excelled in the 16th class. —KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attending the graduation ceremony of the army officers yesterday.

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti workers and employees whodid not receive allowances have been demand-ing higher salaries, which the governmentpromised to consider. Miffed at its apparent neg-ligence, employees began staging a strike yes-terday that lasted for two hours. The Civil ServiceCommission(CSC) has announced that it hasapproved a 25 percent increase to the basicsalary. The National Union of Kuwait Workersand Employees, representing 21 organizationsand unions rejected the proposal arguing that itdoes not meet their expectations.

Yesterday, Ajmi Al-Mutlaqem, the vice presi-dent of the National Union of Kuwait Workersand Employees held a meeting with the head of

the Civil Service Commission to express its opin-ion on the proposed increase. “We found that a25 percent increase fails to satisfy those who didnot receive any allowances. We demand that thevalue of allowances granted be doubled, inwhich case the 25 percent would be somehowacceptable. But for those who have not receivedany allowances, this is a marginal increase,” hetold the Kuwait Times.

“These demands presented by the Union rep-resent Kuwaiti employees who have notreceived any material benefits. Those benefitingfrom allowances receive much higher salaries.We have not set a certain percentage, and the 25percent proposed by the Civil ServiceCommission should be not less than KD 50 alongwith doubling allowances,” he added.

“The 25 percent increase is not in tune withhigh cost of living. We did not intend to stage astrike and we resorted to it after the governmentfailed to keep its promises. The employees donot want to delay work in different institutions,they have a right to receive fair salaries,” Al-Mutlaqem added.

Kuwaiti employees in all the public sectorswill down their tools, demanding a pay raise,every Sunday for two hours. “We are waitingnow to see the result of the meeting andwhether it will be approved and also if our com-ments and recommendations will be considered.The result of the meeting will decide all futurecourse of action. The strike will then gradually beincreased to four hours, and then a full day, ifdemands are not fulfilled,” he concluded.

Union rejects 25 percent salary increase proposal

Kuwaiti workers down tools for two hours

Kuwait Edu 2012exhibition starts

KUWAIT: Education is the foundation ofour future, said Ministry of Education andHigher Education’s UndersecretaryKhaled Al-Saad as he opened KuwaitInternational Higher EducationExhibition (Kuwait Edu 2012) yesterday.

Al-Saad inaugurated the event onbehalf of Minister of Education andHigher Education, Dr Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, saying that this annual fair is oneof the most important held in the coun-try. Educational and academic institu-tions and bodies in Kuwait and abroadare participating in the event, which lastsuntil March 15.

Evaluating higher education pro-

grams aims at coping with the latest sci-entific developments in developed coun-tries, Al-Saad said. Higher educationseeks scientific quality and evaluation ofuniversities’ programs with its variousmajors and specialties, he added.

The scientific recognition grantedfrom the Ministry of Higher Education toa number of universities after supervis-ing their educational quality results inhighly educated graduate students, hesaid.

Al-Saad invited everyone to attendthis fair, especially high school studentswho can learn about the nature of aca-demic studies.—KUNA

KUWAIT: Education Ministry Undersecretary Khaled Al-Saad inaugurating the Kuwait International Higher Education Exhibition yesterday. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: Warba Bank announced yes-terday the appointment of AdnanSalman Al-Salem as chief retail bankingofficer, as per the approval of the CentralBank of Kuwait. Al-Salem enjoys a signif-icant record of experience with a uniquebackground in the banking field. Al-Salem was one of the main organizers ofWarba Bank since its establishment andcontributed in placing the strategy forthe retail services while ensuring theapplication highest international stan-dards of excellence that coincide withthe Islamic Sharia principles. Al-Salem’sappointment plays a key role in support-ing the Warba team to witness targetedgrowth and continuous development.Given his major expertise in banking -starting from the thorough implementa-tion of the bank’s strategy, to providinginnovative Islamic products and servicesthat cater to the needs of clients - Al-

Salem emphasizes the application of thefinest standards of customer services inthe local Islamic banking sector.

Warba Bank, an Islamic bank estab-lished by virtue of Amiri Decree, wasofficially registered in the Central Bankof Kuwait’s list of Islamic banks on the5th of April, 2010.

Al-Salem appointed as chief retail banking officer at Warba Bank

Adnan Al-Salem

lo c a lTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

KUWAIT: Lt Col Khalil Al-Amir, Kuwait Fire Services Directorate PR andMedia Manager, headed a delegation that visited fire victims at theAl-Babtain and Farwaniya hospitals yesterday. The burns patientswere injured when a fire broke in their Farwaniya apartment recent-ly.—Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: In a highly controversial move, thehead office of the National Assembly approvedon Sunday a modification made to the petitionfi led against the incident in which theParliament was stormed, setting free lawmak-ers complicit in the event that took place inNovember last year. The complaint was filed bythe head office of the previous parliament,accusing members of the opposition of leadingangry protestors to storm the Parliament’sbuilding, assaulting police officers on duty anddamaging state property. The incident tookplace while an anti-government rally was beingheld in response to public pressure demandingthe former Cabinet’s resignation.

On Sunday, Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun,Deputy Speaker Khalid Al-Sultan, SecretaryAbdullah Al-Barghash and Rapporteur Faisal Al-Yahya approved a modification to drop chargesrelated to storming the Parliament. This wasbased on new testimonies which state that citi-zens and lawmakers entered the building afterguards voluntarily opened the doors. The newclause also argues that property damage inside

the building was limited, proven by the factthat sessions were held normally. In general,the new report would address the case asbeing politically motivated rather than a crimi-nal act, according to sources. Head office mem-ber Marzouq Al-Ghanim reportedly votedagainst the new change, while Waleed Al-Tabtabaei did not take part, being one ofaccused in the case.

In other news, Popular Action Bloc(PAB)spokesman MP Musallam Al-Barrak continuedhis campaign against Mustafa Al-Shamali,Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Financesaying that “the time limit he has given [toeliminate alleged corruption in the FinanceMinistry] is shorter than he thinks.” Al-Barrak iswidely expected to co-present a grilling motionagainst Al-Shamali in the near future, reportedAl-Qabas.

Today the debate of a grilling motion filedby MP Saleh Ashour against Prime Minister HHSheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah will be held,unless the Cabinet requests that it be delayed.According to sources, the Cabinet may request

a postponement, and approve parliamentaryrequests to form investigation committees toprobe the cash deposits case and foreign trans-fers scandals. This highlights topics addressedin Ashour’s grilling.

Moving on to another subject, MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan announced plans to submit a requestto discuss “the vicious attack made by theMuslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Kuwaiti clericTariq Al-Suwaidan and Qatari cleric Yousuf Al-Qardawi against the United Arab Emirates.” The“show of solidarity to the UAE” request comeson the wake of reports quoting Dubai PoliceGeneral Commander, Lieutenant General DhahiAl-Khalfan as saying that he plans to press slan-der charges against Al-Suwaidan. The Kuwaiticleric had condemned Al-Khalfan criticizingleading Muslim Brotherhood activist Al-Qardawi. In the meantime, several lawmakersincluding Abdurrahman Al-Anjari, Mubarak Al-Walan and Badr Al-Daahoum criticized the gov-ernment over Lebanese Energy Minister GebranBassil’s visit to Kuwait because his ‘supportivestance’ to the Syrian regime, reported Al-Rai.

Parliament decriminalizes‘storming’ incident

Case ‘politically motivated’

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) had torely on Kuwait’s strategic reserve of desalinated waterthroughout February to meet public consumption. Demandexceeded production rates during most days in the pastmonth. A senior MEW official expressed concern given the rel-atively moderate temperature in February, and that consump-tion rates usually rise during hot days of summer according tostatistics during recent years.

“The highest rate of consumption last month was recordedon February 9, when 364.060 imperial gallons were consumedcompared to 316.752 produced the same day” said the source,who spoke anonymously because he is not authorized torelease official statistics to the press. The strategic reserve ofdesalinated water reached 2,188.753 imperial gallons by theend of that day, the source added. The source revealed thatthe MEW is currently studying ways to reduce consumptionlevels in the upcoming months, which are expected to featurehigher demands on water as the temperature increases.

The level of water consumption in Kuwait reaches 500liters per capita a day, according to official statistics released inApril of last year. The global daily water consumption averageranges between 100 to 200 liters per capita.

Regarding electricity consumption, the source said thehighest consumption rate last month reached 5,250megawatts, recorded on February 7. Electricity consumptionlevels also increase gradually as the temperature rises inKuwait.—Al-Qabas

KUWAIT: Minister of Oil Hani Hussein yesterday said thatthe 13th International Energy Forum, to be held in Kuwaitthis week, gains great importance due to participation byrepresentatives of producing and consuming countries.

Minister Hussein said that Kuwait’s main priority is sta-bilization of global energy markets and establishingunderstanding between producing and consuming par-ties, because “confrontation would harm everyone,” in thelong and short run.

He affirmed that Kuwait will display its opinions dur-ing this forum with all transparency, noting that there willbe a “frank and open” discussion between producers andconsumers without the presence of the press in order toallow for more free space for discussions.

On current oil prices, Minister Hussein said that part ofthe trend comes from speculations and speculators atglobal energy stock markets, while the other part comesfrom supply and demand.

Also, he noted some factors contributing to theincrease, such as distress in some surrounding countries,fear of closure of Hormuz Strait and economic challengesfacing Europe. Furthermore, Minister Hussein said thathigh prices would harm both consumers and producersin general; therefore, efforts must be consolidated to pre-vent its increasing in the future in order to help stabilizeglobal economy.

Meanwhile, EU Energy Commissioner GuentherOettinger will deliver a speech and present the EU’s ener-gy policy at the 13th International Energy Forum.

An EU energy spokesperson said in Brussels yesterdaythat Oettinger will underline the EU attractiveness forinvestments in the energy sector, and is a large and ever-better integrated market for international suppliers ofenergy. He will also take the opportunity to stress the EU’scommitment to global transparent oil markets.

On the sidelines of the forum, he will also have bilater-al talks with with IEF Secretary General, Energy Ministersof Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE. Furthermore, he willmeet his counterparts from Algeria and Turkey, noted thespokesperson.

Through the Forum and its associated events, IEFMinisters, their officials, energy and industry executives,and other experts will engage in a dialogue of increasingimportance to global energy security.

The IEF and the global energy dialogue are promotedby a permanent Secretariat of international staff based inthe Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This year’sIEF mainly concentrates on how to meet future energydemand, energy markets and its mitigating volatility, howto achieve environmental and social sustainability andhow to boost the Global Energy Dialogue. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait Football Association (KFA)may suspend national team activities and anumber of local competitions due to a lackof funding. A KD2 million grant paid justseven months ago by His Highness theAmir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah,will run out soon.

Sheikh Dr. Talal Al-Fahad, KFA President,said on Sunday he bears “full responsibility”for the failure of the national team to reachthe Asian qualifying round for the 2014World Cup.

Sheikh Dr. Talal Al-Fahad announced afinal match, between Qadsiya and Kazmatoday for H.H. the Amir Cup, at a press con-ference held at the Movenpick Hotel in theFree Trade Zone.

“National teams and local competitionsare at risk of suspension if obstacles remainin front of a new budget for KFA”, Al-Fahadsaid. He was referring to the suspension ofthe KFA budget, passed by Parliament andapproved by the Cabinet, due to controver-sy regarding the legality of the KFA board.

Al-Fahad said he plans to ask H.H. the Amirto “support Kuwaiti athletes”, hoping at thesame time for “serious efforts to protect thefuture of Kuwaiti football”.

Kuwait lost its chance to advance to theWorld Cup after being beaten by SouthKorea last month. Apart from their victoryin the Gulf Cup of Nations a couple of yearsago, the national team has failed in majorregional and international competitions.

“I hereby announce that I take fullresponsibility for all national team failures

during my tenure as KFA President, andeven those that happened before that”, Al-Fahad said, calling for both “moral andfinancial support” to improve Kuwait’s foot-ball sector.

In other news, a member of QadsiyaClub’s under-18 team pressed attemptedmurder charges against a fan. The fanreportedly struck him on the head with ahard object. The injury required 13 stitches.The incident happened during a matchwith Al-Sahel club on Sunday in an under-

18 local league competition. Altercationsbroke out between the two teams.

Qadsiya’s Meshan Al-Marzouq fell to theground bleeding heavily after a fan, whojumped over the railings, threw a hardobject at his face. Al-Marzouq was rushedto Adan Hospital and admitted to theintensive care unit.

The club is expected to file a complaintagainst KFA for failing to provide securitypersonnel at Fahaheel Stadium, where thematch took place. —Al-Qabas

Kuwait football Association stops as KD 2 million runs out

Energy forum gains great importance

Strategic waterreserves tapped asdemand exceeds

production

LO C A LTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

No one can be fooled all the time

Has the Muslim Brotherhood benefited fromthe Arab Spring uprising? I think they have.The Muslim Brotherhood found the golden

opportunity to flourish and convince people thatthey will escape the misery they have been sufferingfor many years under dictatorship.

They seem to be waging considerable power, pro-nouncing the final word on many issues. Let us notbe fooled by appearances and assume that theyhave been welcomed with open arms. In fact, I thinkthey are living the honeymoon period; it will not lastvery long. I believe if they keep moving along thisslippery track without learning the big lesson, pow-er will never last !

I have never been in favor of the using the termArab Spring because the daily blood bath we wit-ness cannot be compared to the pleasantness of thespring season. People in places like Tunisia, Egyptand now Syria are paying a heavy price to put an endto this conflict. No sane person wants to live underthreat. Wars mean possible death every moment.

Now think about Egypt. It managed to put an endto dictatorship but I doubt if they want to replaceone tyrant with another. That is not what manyyouths wanted. I’m sure they were hoping forimproved living conditions. The Muslim Brotherhoodmanaged to win the election, but we should not bedeceived by appearances right now. I doubt thatthey will be able to control the country for years at astretch. Although many countries want more free-dom and liberation from dictatorship, the outcomeshave not been glamorous. Therefore, no matter howhard the Muslim Brotherhood tries to flex their mus-cles and dominate people, I doubt they will be ableto control for too long.

The Arabs have changed in the way they view theworld. An example here in Kuwait is that of manywho elected the Islamists to power. They are won-dering if they took the wise decision because of theirproposal to impose a ‘hijab’ and a dress code on allwomen. What happened to all their calls for develop-ment and change?

Time will tell if the Brotherhood has fooled somepeople. But you can’t fool everyone all the time.

Local Spotlight

We really do not know if Khaled Al-Sultan hasbeen misled or if he is voluntarily defendingthe fake snobs who brag about breaking into

the National Assembly. One time we hear that Al-Sultan intends to withdraw his complaint, then wehear that he wants to retract his testimony!

Well, we know for sure that an attorney will gathernew witnesses to help defend his client, but we havenever heard about Parliament office or the deputyspeaker’s role in providing such witnesses! We dounderstand that members of the majority shouldempathize and coordinate with each other. A crime istaking place - hiding the truth that manipulates alllaws, norms and traditions with the sole aim of pro-tecting and saving themselves, quite typical of such‘popcorn heroes.’ However, we are closely watchingsuch attempts. What is baffling is about Al-Sultan’ssuspicious role, despite social and religious prestige!

The only Salafis involved in the incident are formerMPs. Is Al-Sultan trying to protect them? The incidentthat shocked us all was audio-visually recorded, andthe fact that those ‘popcorn heroes’ kept braggingwith ‘their achievement.’ This has made citizens losetrust in law and social security.

Furthermore, the sluggishness of legal proceedingsencouraged others to burn down electoral headquar-

ters during elections and break into satellite TV chan-nels without fear of any punishment. This is until theyreceived a hard blow that brought some sense back totheir heads. The incident was carried out by some cur-rent MPs and groups of young people who were pro-voked by MPs. They have never admitted to provok-ing young people. However, this is no excuse foryoung people to go on a rampage. They will still haveto face legal actions that might ruin many people’sfuture.

The question here is: Can we punish the youthand let MPs walk freely? MPs will surely forget allabout their acts and take refuge in parliamentaryimmunity, which is the responsibility of the parliamen-tary legislative committee headed by MP Waleed Al-Tabtabae. Ironically, he is one of the plotters!Tabtabae will surely utilize conditioning the commit-tee’s approval of any requests to lift parliamentaryimmunity, volunteering with his friends to lift their ownimmunity. Therefore, we would like to tell Tabtabaeand his friends that if the National Assembly refuses tolift your immunity, the least you can do is to resign soas to achieve justice. We can consider the words ofmen who take full responsibility for what they do. If youmanage to cover up such a big crime, all our homesmay be subject to similar raids. — Al-Watan

kuwait digest

By Nabil Al-Fadhl

In the first week of December, we spoke aboutpublic and personal liberties issues as the majorchallenges that Islamic groups face after their

sweeping parliamentary elections in Morocco,Tunisia, Egypt and Libya for reasons mentioned in anextract from the article below:

“...now, after the success of the Islamic powers andgroups particularly the Muslim Brotherhood andSalafists in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Libya, themajor challenge that they will face is how they willdeal with issues of social democracy and particularlypublic and personal liberties, which they faced aspolitical factions during the past four or five decades.Democracy is not limited to general elections only.As for issues related to economics and dealings withdevelopment, unemployment, and raising the stan-dard of living, I do not believe the Islamic factionsand groups have a different view from the capitalistviews in general despite some nomenclatures andnew forms that do not touch the core or content.”

Some extremist Islamic powers speak out loudabout being against public and personal libertiesissues. This threatens the process of building civil anddemocratic societies that can replace previous tyran-nical ones. We are certain that Arab people who suf-fered a lot in past decades and revolted againstoppression and violation of dignity will not allowsuch a thing to happen regardless of the costinvolved.

All political and youth groups that participated inthe election campaign did not mention anythingabout the Constitution, democracy or public free-doms. The results were anyway in favor of Islamistgroups. Some members seem to be ready to start inFeb 26 statement. This was clear in the statementsmade by several Islamic MPs including ‘Justice’ blocMP Bader Al-Dahoum who said that “the Justice blocsubmitted the ‘decency’ draft law which bans inde-cent clothing. So what really is meant by decency?How can it be measured? Who decides it and basedon what standards? Will it differ according to peo-ple’s views, time, place and circumstances ?

Will Islamic groups and powers realize that thedemocracy sought by vibrant people including oursis not just about superficial procedures and ballotboxes, rather it means, among other things, pluralismand peaceful transfer of power, respecting publicand personal liberties and protecting the right to dif-fer over everything- starting with the freedom ofopinion and expression all the way to the shape andstyle of clothes and passing thru the way of thinking.Will they, the Islamic groups, attempt to take advan-tage of the circumstances the relative democracyprovides in order to patronize society and blow awaythe democratic values? The coming months willanswer this. — Aljarida

What about individual liberty?

kuwait digest

By Dr Bader Al-Daihani

It might be hopeless to continue talking aboutKuwait’s traffic problem that causes suffering toanyone behind a steering wheel. It is the psycho-

logical aspect that concerns people the most. Webecome frightened at the mere thought of steppingout of the house and driving.

Most people have high hopes in major traffic proj-ects announced. Unfortunately, they are being con-structed at snail’s pace. We read many official reportsabout projects like new bridges and tunnels, in addi-

tion to a monorail system. We only get to watchexcavations on public streets for maintenance pur-poses which further obstruct traffic flow.

While major projects can help reduce traffic prob-lems on main roads, they still fail to solve the prob-lem of finding parking spaces at public facilities andresidential buildings for more than a million cars ply-ing Kuwait’s streets. Radical solutions should be tak-en to eliminate vehicles that are over ten or fifteenyears old, as well as establishing public transporta-tion means. Kuwait should also raise oil prices whichwill veer people toward public transportation.

I believe it is safe to say that measures should betaken against reckless drivers who are no longerdeterred by fines. If drivers are imprisoned for com-mitting serious traffic violations, they might realizethe gravity of the crime they committed!

A senior official at the state’s traffic departmentonce told me that overflowing vehicles in Kuwait’sstreets reached extreme levels, nearing breakingpoint. “Once it reaches its limit, serious psychologicaland social problems will be created, in addition topersistent traffic crises,” he added. I believe that wealready are suffering psychological and social prob-lems as a result of the traffic problem.

If building a new bridge takes so much time start-ing from the tender phase to the beginning of con-struction, imagine how long it would take for infra-structure-related projects for Kuwait’s roads networkto become a reality? More importantly, how manylives will be lost until that happens? — Al-Rai

How many more lives will be lost?

kuwait digest

By Shereedah Al-Mousharjy

Popcorn heroes!

“If you want one year of prosperity, growgrains. If you want ten years of prosperity,grow trees. If you want one hundred years of

prosperity, grow people” - Chinese proverb.Three years ago, a friend asked me about the rea-

son behind my over enthusiasm at the government’sdevelopment plan, even before it was passed backthen. This was unusual at the time, with many peoplebelieving that the plan was likely to remain unful-filled akin to the fate of many other developmentalprojects.

My answer was very clear: the plan was going toexpose its inherent efficiency. If successful, it wouldturn out to be great for the country. In case of failure,the plan’s flaws would be exposed - these can beresolved with time. So it is basically a win-win situa-tion for people, regardless of the result.

That would have been true, had the governmentadopted strategic planning. We see little action toprove that the government has taken concrete meas-ures to execute developmental projects.

Strategic planning starts with identifying whatneeds to be achieved, then a mechanism should beoutlined, according to which this project can best berealized. After that, we investigate to see if we havethe required abilities to execute the project; especial-ly finances and labor force. If yes, then the buildingprocess gets underway within a certain timeframe.After this project is finished, it is important to evalu-ate it to ensure whether or not it meets the requiredcriteria. If it does not, modifications should be per-formed to correct errors. These are simple steps thateach developmental project in a country goes

through. In Kuwait , however, we hear a lot of talk butsee little action. State officials make public statementson a regular basis about plans, projects and achieve-ments while we hardly see significant accomplish-ments. Developmental projects can be successful ifstrategic planning is properly utilized. — Al-Qabas

Actions speak louder than words

kuwait digest

By Dr Waleed Al-Falah

Strategic planning starts withidentifying what needs to beachieved, then a mechanism

should be outlined, accordingto which this project can best berealized. After that, we investi-

gate to see if we have therequired abilities to execute theproject; especially finances and

labor force. If yes, then thebuilding process gets underway

within a certain timeframe.

lo c a lTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

KUWAIT: A former traffic police-man was recently arrested forstealing pedestrians’ cell phonesand selling them to cover hisexpenses. Police arrested the sus-pect after identifying himthrough the license plate numberof his vehicle. The number wasprovided by a man who reportedthat a thief snatched his phonewhile he was walking in Qurainand then drove away. The suspectwas identified as a Kuwaitinational who was dismissed fromHawally Traffic Department lastyear for repeated violations. Thesuspect admitted carrying outseveral similar crimes during hisunemployment period to coverhis expenses.

Child molesterPolice are looking to appre-

hend a Hawally resident, accusedof sexually molesting a child liv-ing next-door in his apartmentbuilding. Investigations wentunderway after an Arab manreported to officers at the areapolice station that the suspectlured his 10-year-old son to hisapartment at least five times andharassed him sexually. A casewas filed for investigationsbefore an order was made to

apprehend the suspect.

Sexual assaultSalmiya police arrested two

Kuwaiti young men accused ofsexually assaulting a womaninside an apartment in the arearecently. The victim, a GCCnational, told police that the twosuspects forced her to stop whiledriving in the area. Then theytook her to an apartment whereshe was assaulted. Followingtheir arrest, the suspects said thewoman had agreed to give sexualservices in exchange for moneybefore accompanying them tothe apartment. They remain incustody pending the ongoinginvestigation.

SuicidesA housewife was found hang-

ing inside a Khaitan apartmentrecently in an apparent suicidecase. Police and crime sceneinvestigators headed to the loca-tion, where an Asian man report-ed finding his wife’s body hang-ing from a rope tied to the ceiling.The body was taken to the foren-sic department. Investigations areunderway to discover themotives behind the Asianwoman’s suicide.

A domestic worker was founddead inside a house in Qurain.Police launched a suicide investi-gation into the case. The home-owners called police after findingthe body of the Asian womanhanging from the ceiling of herroom via a clothesline tied as anoose.

Three dead in accidentsA male driver was killed in a

recent traffic accident onFahaheel Highway. Paramedicsrushed to the scene with policeas soon as the accident wasreported. They pronounced aKuwaiti man dead from a fatalhead trauma, whereas the driverof another car involved in thecrash was unharmed. An investi-gation was opened into the acci-dent. A 40-year-old Pakistani manwas pronounced dead at the siteof a recent car crash on KingFahad Highway. An investigationis ongoing into the accident.

A 33-year-old Indian citizenwas killed on the Seventh RingRoad, where he was ran over by atruck. The victim’s body was takento the coroner by criminal investi-gators after paramedics pro-nounced him dead at the scene. Acase was filed for investigations.

Residency violators Sixty one Asian nationals

reported missing or found in vio-lation of residency regulationswere arrested during a recentcrackdown carried out by securityforces in Fahaheel, Abu Halaifaand Mahboulah. The mission alsoincluded a traffic campaign dur-ing which 53 tickets were issued.The detainees were referred tothe proper authorities to be heldpending deportation procedures.

Teenagers heldHawally detectives are current-

ly investigating a case involvingthree teenagers who violentlykicked a woman out of their car inSalmiya. Patrol officers pursued acar, which they spotted drovingaway after briefly stopping todrop a girl off. Police were even-tually forced the car to stop inShuwaikh, before arresting threeunderage Kuwaiti youngsterswho were inside the car. Thethree youths refused to cooper-ate during investigations. Policestruggled to charge the trio asthe girl involved in the case neverpressed charges. The suspectsremain in custody pending inves-tigations. —Al-Rai, Al-Watan, Al-Qabas

Dismissed traffic policeman resorts to crime in Qurain

Hunt on for Hawally child molester

KUWAIT: Refat Al-Rashidi, Member of the board of directors andKuwait Economic Society (KES) educational committeeChairperson, said the society shall hold an informative seminar thisweek. “The ideal use for Information Technology” is organized incooperation with the Central Bureau for Information Technologyand will be held at 6 pm on Wednesday 14th March at KES head-quarters in northern Shuwaikh area.

The seminar focuses on qualifying the ideal use for informationtechnology in Kuwait in general and benefitting from governmentelectronic services in particular. The seminar deals with the rela-tionship information technology has with art, health and socialculture.

A number of lecturers from Kuwait University and the Ministryof Health who are specialized in those fields will participate.Lecturers include Dr. Mohammad Al-Mulla, Dr. Salah Al-Najem andDr. Abeer Al-Bahoo.

KUWAIT: The SteeringCommittee of Sheikh Salem Al-AliAl-Sabah Informatics Prizeannounced yesterday the 2011-2012 Kuwaiti and Arab winners inthe 11th session.

Saleh Al-Asoussi, committeemember, expressed gratitude toHis Highness the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for sponsoring the cere-mony to honor the winners, duein the coming few days.

Winners are Fahad BarghashAl-Jafnawi for the best informaticproject (My net Koran), Ras Al-

Khaimah Chamber of Commerceand Industry for the best devel-opment project, Egypt stock mar-ket for the top commercial enter-prise, the Saudi Ministry of HigherEducation for the best serviceenterprise, the Kingdom’s publicauthority for technical training forthe top teaching program.

Yousef Al-Hajeri is the winnerof the best health enterprise. TheArab Center for ElectronicResearch for the top culturalenterprise and KhawarezmiCompany for computers for thebest scientific project. — KUNA

KUWAIT: In collaboration with the British Firefighting College and with theattendance of Kuwait Fire Services Department’s Deputy Director Brig Yousif Al-Ansari, KFSD held a special training course for its 20 engineers and officers. Thecourse will be for three weeks to be followed by a fourth week abroad.

— Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

KES plans information technology seminar

Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Informatics Prize announced

lo c a lTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Sponsored by

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from 19th Feb. till 30th March

2012Shoot & Win

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Name:

Address:

Tel.:

Civil ID:

Contest Rules

Competition is open to all.Participating photos should be taken by the entrants only.A maximum of five entries will be allowed per participant.Photos can be in black & white or color, size 30x40cm.Entries should be provided in hard copy and CD in high resolution. The photo of the participant should be on the CD as well.Original coupon should be stuck on the back of each photo with complete information of the participant.All entries are non-returnable and will be the property of Kuwait Times. The entries can be used by the organizer.Winners will be chosen by a panel of independent judges.

conducted as part of

Kuwait National & Liberation Days

Kuwait National

& Liberation Days

Sponsored by

from 19th Feb. till 30th March

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Photography Competition

Canon will offer KD 110 discount for all on purchase of any of the Canon Mid-Range DSLR cameras on the following condition:

Return your old DSLR camera (any condition/any brand) as a buy back scheme to support the participants to upgrade their camera to a new Canon Mid-Range DSLR Camera.

Offer valid only at Nasser Al-Sayer

Showroom in Kuwait City.

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2ndPrize

3rdPrize

5thPrize

4thPrize

6thPrize

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By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: S.A. Labba, an entrepre-neur and social worker fromIndia, entered at least three pho-tographs into the 2011 KuwaitTimes photography contest. Thephotography contest was intro-duced to mark Kuwait ’s 50thNational and 20th LiberationDays. This year the same contestis open to all photographers,amateurs and professionals alike.Labba considers himself an ama-teur photo hobbyist. In fact hisphotographs were chosenamong the 100 special imageswhich were equally rated ‘best’and deserving special recogni-tion. As a token of appreciation,the 100 selected photographswere put on display in the KuwaitTimes lobby. The photographerswere invited for a special dinnertreat in a five star hotel.

Labba was not just amused,but he gratefully appreciated theKuwait Times gesture of goodwill.

“Even though my photos didnot reach my expectations, thetoken of gratitude by the KuwaitTimes to invite us to a special din-ner was quite a wonderful gift.My efforts were worth it,” he said.

“Many of us will try again thisyear and it could be our momentto take home the prize,” headded. Labba’s photographs sub-mitted last year were mostlyabout the national celebrationlast year. He entered three snapswhich he mixed with the imagesof old and new Kuwait, plus theimages he captured during thecelebration.

“Last year was an amazing yearfor photographers in Kuwait; acelebration filled with beauty andpride. Colors were flying all overKuwait and you felt the sense ofnational pride.

The mood was festive and yousaw photographers feasting inevery corner capturing everymoment: night shot, the sky, thebeautiful colors. There is some-thing in the night that gives realmagic and entertainment to one’seyes,” he reminisced.

Labba is fond of taking photosat any moment. He wants it natu-

ral. He does it when necessary.“Photographs amaze me a lot. Iam basically addicted to takingphotos,” he enthused. Labbastarted taking photos back in1982 when he got his first Nikkonsemi-professional camera.

From then on, he never wentout without it. “Whatever eventscome my way, I will capture them.

I started collecting photos from1982. Photos that give satisfac-tion and pleasure to my eyes. Myfirst camera had to be loadedwith film. If you don’t have it,you’ll never have a photo. Youhave to visit a photo developingshop to see your photos.

Then eventually, I got a profes-sional Nikkon. I found some of my

photos undeniably admirable so Itried entering them in some pho-to contests. I got some positivefeedback, just like the photos Ientered into the Kuwait Timescompetition,” he added.

Now, Labba’s hobby is photog-raphy. Whenever he gets time, hedrives to any location in Kuwaitand takes some photographs. He

likes natural views, natural land-scapes, a festival mood.

“I want something normal,something natural and some-thing that cannot be copied byanybody. I want the natural moodto appear in my photos,” he said.This year, Labba is preparing 10photographs of the recent cele-brations and photographs of old

Kuwait. “Most are in a celebratorymood, for example I captured amoment when a flag fell downand was taken by a child whokissed it. The emotional feelingattached to the flag was there,and I captured that moment. Itwas a once in a life time photoand I hope I will get the approvalof the judges,” he anticipated.

Labba is also pleased with theway Kuwait Times handles pho-tography contests. “Kuwait Timesis never biased, just as they coverlocal and international events.They contract respected judgesfrom all over the world, peoplewho have knowledge about pho-tography, and people who areknown and revered. I am particu-larly happy because they gave achance and priority to amateurphotographers like me.”

Apart from being a socialworker, 52-year-old Labba owns ageneral trading and contractingcompany in Kuwait. He is marriedwith two grown up children. Heowns an Arabic sweets and bak-ery business.

His wife works for the Ministryof Health as a senior nurse. He isthe current Chairman of the Indo-Arab Cultural Association, pro-moting Indian tourism and cul-tural activities of both countries.For him, photographs are impor-tant documents and files ofmoments worth keeping.

“They will be part of historyand memories of the past, a col-lection of moments that cannotbe copied or rewound. No onecan alter or change them, and noone can ever capture the samephoto the way I captured it. If youcapture the moment, it will beyours and part of your treasureforever,” he opined.

Kuwait Times continues toreceive photo entries with thetheme inspired by KuwaitNational and Liberation Days. Thesubmission deadline is March 30,2012. Kuwait Times photographycontest is sponsored by Canon(Kuwait) Middle East, Al-SayerGroup, Swiss-belHotel Plaza,Caesars Travel Company, andResponse Media (Events &Exhibition).

‘Captured moments will be yours, part of your treasure forever’

Kuwait Times photography contest DUBAI: Kuwait could soon see meatprices rise as higher rent fees chargedon agricultural properties was recentlypassed by legislators in the country.Government officials have attemptedto allay fears that the new law will nothave an impact on meat and agricul-tural prices, but farmers in the countrytold Bikyamasr.com that “this is nottrue.”

Mohamed Jawan said that “how canthe two not be related. We are chargedmore for our properties, how are wegoing to make the same profit withoutraising the prices. It is bad for the peo-ple.”

But Shakir Awadh, Public RelationsOfficer of the Public Authority forAgriculture Affairs and Fish Resources(PAAAFR) said this increase “is notlinked to the price of produce.”

The price of these plots have notbeen raised for more than 20 years.

“The lease amount of agricultureplots are nominal amounts chargedper meter annually. Pens and farms arespacious, and the increase in priceswill boost state revenue. It is not fair toretain the same rent for more than 20years,” Awadh said.

He argued in the interview with thelocal newspaper that many other fac-tors come into play and could causethe increase.

“We found out that many of theagricultural plots are not used for thepurpose for which it has been leased

out. The government has rented outthese properties at nominal prices tofarmers so that they can breed animalsand raise produce,” he continued.

“Some people have turned it intoentertainment facilities. Also, every-one receives government subsidies forthe produce grown when it appears inthe market,” he added.

Still, the Kuwait government hopesthat the new legislation will help cleanup the agricultural industry and crack-down on violators of regulation.

Jawan said that this could havebeen done without sending rentprices higher.

“We are not rich people, we make adecent living, but this will really hurtus in our ability to work and maintainour families,” he said.

The rent increase includes differentproperties used for agricultural pur-poses under the inspection of PAAAFR.Jasim Al-Bader, Chairman and GeneralDirector of the Public Authority forAgriculture Affairs and Fish Resources(PAAAFR) issued a decree on thisregard.

According to its provisions, all cur-rent contracts signed betweenPAAAFR and tenants should bechanged according to a revised pricelist.

For Jawan, who is a renter, “thismeans we may have to try and by andtake out a loan because in time, wewon’t make it.”

Kuwait raises agriculture rent prices as farmers cry foul

TOKYO: Kuwait’s gift of five million barrels of crudeoil to help Japan recover from last March’s devastat-ing earthquake and tsunami is highly appreciatedby the Japanese people, especially by those in thedisaster-stricken areas, Japanese Red Cross SocietyPresident Tadateru Konoe said.

The Kuwaiti donation was the largest contribu-tion to Japan by any country in this critical period.“I would like to extend sincere thanks to the Kuwaitileadership and the people for their support andgenerosity,” Konoe said in an interview yesterday.

His comment came as he welcomed the statevisit to Japan by His Highness the Amir SheikhSabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah starting from

March 20. “The donated oil was already delivered tofour Japanese refiners late last year. In order toimplement visible assistance, we established a relieffund with money to the value of the free oil worthsome $550 million,” said Konoe, who doubles asPresident of International Federation of Red Crossand Red Crescent Societies.

“The aid covers eight areas, such as infrastruc-ture recovery and support for medical care, educa-tion, employment and agriculture, in the threehardest-hit prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate andFukushima,” said Konoe.

“The projects in Fukushima have begun, and theplanned projects in Miyagi and Iwate will also kick

off soon after approval from the prefectural assem-blies,” he said, adding that the three local govern-ments, which severely suffer from weak financesfollowing the March catastrophe, show gratitude tothe Kuwaiti government for allowing them to flexi-bly utilize the relief money for the reconstructionprojects.

According to the Japanese Red Cross Society,Fukushima Prefecture, home to the crippledFukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, plans tospend JPY 81 billion ($982 million) in the current fis-cal year for 14 projects, including support to smalland medium-sized companies affected by thenuclear accident, restoration of cultural properties

and rebuilding homes of disaster victims.Kuwait’s generous gift was sent upon directives

of HH the Amir following a 9.0-magnitude earth-quake and tsunami on March 11 that left more than19,000 people dead or missing in the northeasternregion.

Kuwait has responded promptly and sincerelyto Japan’s crisis soon after the disasters, with H.H.the Amir and a number of dignitaries dispatchingletters and messages of sympathy. 5 million barrelsof oil surpasses Japan’s daily consumption of 4.4million barrels and is equal to two days of Kuwait’sproduction.

In addition, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Japan

Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi and his embassy staff helda successful charity bazaar last May and donatedJPY 500, 000 ($6,100), a part of the proceeds, to theJapanese Red Cross Society for the victims.

The ambassador also visited northeastern city ofKesennuma last April to encourage survivors. Wewill remember kindness and support extended bythe Kuwaiti government and people.

While in Kesennuma, where it took six hours forhim to reach from Tokyo, Al-Otaibi offered survivorsfoods, living necessities, school supplies and 240soccer balls with two countries’ national flags paint-ed. Meanwhile, Japanese Reconstruction MinisterTatsuo Hirano said he welcomes the upcoming visitby HH the Amir and extended heartfelt thanks tothe Amir and the Kuwaiti people for unstinting sup-port and assistance following the last March’s mas-sive earthquake and tsunami.

“From my heart, I welcome his visit, which willgive new impetus to friendly relationship betweenthe two countries,” Hirano, head of ReconstructionAgency promoting rehabilitation of the northeast-ern region ravaged by the March 11 catastrophe,said.

HH the Amir will make a four-day state visit toJapan from March 20 to meet Emperor Akihito andPrime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. “Kuwait has provid-ed us with the 5 million barrels of crude oil, ofwhich we make good use through the JapaneseRed Cross Society,” said Hirano, who was born inone of the worst-afflicted areas.

“ Kuwaiti Ambassador Abdulrahman Al-Otaibivisited northeastern city of Kesennuma last April toencourage survivors. We will remember kindnessand support extended by the Kuwaiti governmentand people,” Hirano said, vowing to further boostfriendly Japan-Kuwait relations.

While in Kesennuma, where it took six hours forhim to reach from Tokyo, Al-Otaibi offered survivorsfoods, living necessities, school supplies and 240soccer balls with two countries’ national flags paint-ed. The Kuwaiti Embassy also held a charity bazaarin May to raise funds for the disaster-affected areas,which saw a great success. “Rebuilding the disaster-hit areas is Noda administration’s top priority,”Hirano stressed, pledging to speed up reconstruc-tion efforts.—KUNA

Kuwait’s quake aid to Japan deeply appreciated

TOKYO: Japanese Red Cross Society officials receiving the Kuwaiti donation.

KUWAIT: The Boubyan GroupCompany participated in thefifth annual ‘Proud to beKuwaiti’ exhibition, concludedrecently at Kuwait InternationalFairgrounds in Mishref.

General Manager BaderDashti said the group partici-pated through various compa-

nies it operates, including theSoccer Sports Center forsportswear and equipment,Ahmadi Travel Agency, andNamey Art - a project launchedby young Kuwaiti artists whoscribe names in artistic waysand in multiple languages.

The group’s participation,

for the second year in a row,also included the Ticket’n’allproject, which is a websiteassisting people to buy ticketsto watch European footballevents as well as travel ticketsand accommodation atreduced prices, Dashtiexplained.

Boubyan Group participates in P2BK

Bader Dashti

KUWAIT: S.A. Labba with one of his photos.

Merkel questions 2014 German pullout in surprise Afghan trip

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Page 12

Romney’s victoriesleave GOP leadersunimpressed

Page 10

JUBA: Fierce ethnic clashes over cattle rustlingkilled more than 200 people in South Sudan at theweekend, and hundreds more were abducted inthe troubled fledgling nation, a state governor saidyesterday.

The latest attacks appear to be reprisals for awave of ethnic violence and cattle raids in the samearea in January when an 8,000-strong militia razedvillages and massacred people in their wake. “Thepeople killed are around 223 while 150 are injured,”

Jonglei state governor Kuol Manyang told AFP.“There are about 300 women and children who arethought to have been abducted.”

Manyang said around 100,000 cows were stolenon Friday and Saturday when cattle raiders fromthe Murle community in Jonglei state attacked theethnic Lou Nuer living in neighbouring Upper Nilestate.

Manyang said the attacks in and aroundRomyieri, in Nasir territory, started at dawn onFriday. There has been no independent confirma-tion of the death toll in a region where such num-bers often vary dramatically. The area is veryremote with few roads and no mobile network.

The International Medical Corps, an aid agencyin Akobo, a county in Jonglei, said it had treated 63people evacuated after a five-hour boat journey.“The caseload includes 60 patients with gunshotwounds, as well as fractures and other minorwounds. One person died in transit to the hospital,”the IMC said in a statement yesterday.

It said a medical team had seen “the bodies ofpeople killed in the fighting.” The UN has yet torelease a death toll for the January attacks by LouNuer youths on Murle villages, and a speedily pro-duced figure from the commissioner of Pibor coun-ty of 3,000 dead remains unverified. A state-widedisarmament campaign to collect some 20,000guns in Jonglei started yesterday, but Manyangsaid a promised buffer zone between the warringcommunities had “not been established” as troopsstill needed to set up camps and drill wells.

The last wave of ethnic violence in Jonglei inDecember and January affected an estimated120,000 people, according to Lise Grande, the UN’sHumanitarian Coordinator for the fledgling nation.

Impoverished Jonglei has seen a dramatic esca-lation of bloody attacks between rival ethnic

groups over cattle raidsand abductions of peo-ple. UN teams are alsoentering areas wherereprisal attacks havesince taken place onLou Nuer and Dink atribes, with the govern-ment estimating thatsome 150 people havebeen killed in a series ofrevenge raids. Concernsare growing for the sta-bility of grossly under-developed SouthSudan, which declaredindependence last Julyafter decades of warwith the now rumpstate of Sudan. — AFP

200 dead in SouthSudan clashes

Fierce ethnic clashes over cattle rustling

KHARTOUM: In this Saturday, March 10, 2012photo, Sudanese men pull out drinking water

from a well in Shendi 150 kilometers (93 miles)northeast of Khartoum, Sudan. Lack of drink-

ing water remains to be problematic in mosthomes in Shendi. — AP

I N T E R N AT ION A LTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

JERUSALEM: Israel says its unique“Iron Dome” short-range air defencesystem is performing well, intercept-ing the vast majority of rockets fired atsouthern cities in the latest barrage byGaza militants.

So far three experimental batterieshave been deployed since March 2011— around Ashkelon, Ashdod and theNegev desert capital of Beersheva,which have a combined population ofmore than half a million.

Experts say that a total of 13 batter-ies are needed to give a full nation-wide umbrella. By yesterday after-noon, Palestinians had fired more than200 rockets and mortar rounds fromGaza into southern Israel since a latest

round of fighting erupted on Friday,the military said.

Gaza emergency services said thatat least 23 Palestinians had been killedand 73 wounded since Friday as Israelilaunched 36 air strikes against the ter-ritory. Yesterday, 31 rockets headed forurban centres were targeted by IronDome, which scored 23 hits, the mili-tary said, a 75 percent success rate.

“The system is working very well,”Brigadier General Doron Gavishbriefed reporters at one of the batter-ies in the vicinity of Ashdod, 25 kilo-metres (15 miles) from the Gaza bor-der. “Rockets shot at the cities of Israelare being intercepted by the warriorswho are operating the system,” said

Gavish head of Israel’s national airdefences. Visiting a battery on Sunday,Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuspoke of the system’s “impressiveachievements.” “You are doing excep-tional work,” he told its crew. “I take theIsraeli people’s hat off to you.”

The system, the first of its kind inthe world, was developed by Israel’sRafael Advanced Defence Systemswith the help of US funding. I t isdesigned to intercept rockets andartillery shells fired from a range ofbetween four and 70 kilometres (threeand 45 miles).

Each battery comprises detectionand tracking radar, state-of-the-art firecontrol software and three launchers,

each with 20 interceptor missiles, mili-tary sources said. Militants in Gaza andLebanon’s Hezbollah militia have firedthousands of rockets at Israel in thepast.

The first batteries were deployedfacing the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, fromwhere militants have repeatedly firedimprovised rockets, prompting Israelto launch a devastating 22-day offen-sive into the territory in December2008. It is later to be deployed alongthe Lebanese border, from whereHezbollah militants fired some 4,000rockets into northern Israel during a2006 war. It was that experience whichprompted the development of IronDome. Israel believes Hezbollah now

has an arsenal of some 40,000 rockets.But a complete deployment is expect-ed to take several years. Iron Domejoins the Arrow missile defence systemin an ambitious multi-layered pro-gramme to protect Israeli cities fromrockets fired from Gaza or Lebanon, ormissiles fired from Iran or Syria. “It is anew tool being brought into the bas-ket of tools... a tool we didn’t havebefore,” Gavish said.

“We have something new in thearena that obviously plays in ourfavour.” The defence ministry says athird system, known as David’s Sling, iscurrently being developed with theaim of countering medium-range mis-siles. — AFP

Israel says ‘Iron Dome’ proving itself against Gaza rockets

BAGHDAD: Attacks against al-Qaeda’s favorite targets in Iraqkilled 14 people yesterday asinsurgents struck security forces,a government office and jewelrystores, demonstrating a contin-ued threat from armed groupsahead of a meeting of the Arabworld’s top leaders in Baghdad.

Security officials expect al-Qaeda to ramp up violence overthe next few weeks as Iraq pre-pares to host the annual ArabLeague summit at the end of themonth. There was no immediateclaim of responsibility for yester-day ’s strikes, and numerousarmed groups in Iraq have mixedattacks on political targets withmoney-making criminal opera-tions. But Al-Qaeda in Iraq foryears has been believed to funditself in part with cash and goldstolen from jewelry stores.

Militants struck first in a pre-dawn raid yesterday in the city ofTarmiyah, 30 miles (50 kilome-ters) north of Baghdad, wherepolice said gunmen in at leasttwo cars attacked the local may-or’s office. Three policemen werekilled, police and health officialssaid. The mayor was not in hisoffice at the time. A half hour lat-er and a few miles (kilometers)away, gunmen targeted a policepatrol in a drive-by shooting. Twopolicemen were killed, officialssaid, and it was not known if thegunmen were the same groupwho attacked the mayor’s office.

A few hours later, two carloadsof robbers armed with grenadesand guns killed nine people andwounded 14 in a coordinatedstrike on an eastern Baghdadgold market, officials said. Themilitants simultaneously attackedjewelry stores and a nearbycheckpoint. Baghdad officialssaid two policemen, two soldiers

and two goldsmiths were amongthe dead at the small market inthe Shiite neighborhood of Ur. “Atfirst we heard shootings from theother side of the market, near thepolice checkpoint,” said eyewit-ness Maitham Moussa, 30, whoowns of a dairy shop about 50yards (meters) from the jewelrystores. “Then we heard shootingsvery close to us. When thewomen started to yell, they start-ed to open fire into the air and setoff sound bombs.”

He said people fled the areaand huddled together in a nearbyalley to escape the siege. “I saw awoman was lying on the groundwith a toddler,” Moussa said.

“ There was blood near thewoman, but I’m not sure if shewas injured or if was the baby’sblood.” A police officer said thegunmen stole gold and cash afterthe late-morning heist, which theinsurgents pulled off despite agunfight with nearby securityforces. Iraqi Army Gen. Hassan al-Baydhani of Baghdad’s militarycommand said one of the gun-men was arrested but the restescaped.

A doctor in a nearby Baghdadhospital confirmed the policecasualty figures. They all spoke oncondition of anonymity as theywere not authorized to releaseinformation. Al-Baydhani put the

number of dead at six. Conflictingcasualty totals are common in theimmediate aftermath of attacks inIraq. Although violence hasdropped significantly since thesectarian fighting that broughtIraq to the edge of civil war justfive years ago, deadly attacks stillhappen almost every day.

US officials as recently asSeptember said jewelry robberieswere a main source of funding forAl-Qaeda in Iraq as it grappleswith dwindling financial support.The Sunni militant movementalso frequently targets officials ofthe Shiite-led government in acampaign to undermine confi-dence in its authority. — AP

14 killed in Iraq robbery, attacks

Militants strike in a pre-dawn raid

BAGHDAD: A policeman stands guard as Mohammed Abdullah, 32, lies in a hospital bed after beinginjured in a coordinated strike on a gold market in eastern Baghdad, Iraq, yesterday. Attacks againstAl-Qaeda’s favorite targets in Iraq killed several people yesterday as insurgents struck securityforces, a government office and jewelry stores, demonstrating a continued threat from armed groupsas the country prepares to host a meeting of the Arab world’s top leaders. — AP

AMMAN: A picture taken on March 8, 2012, shows Syrian refugee MahmudMasri, a 62 year-old blacksmith, and his children at their home in Ramtha city,north of Amman. Syrian refugees in Jordan see a grim future in their homeland,saying the regime has not yet shown its “ugly face” and are bracing themselvesfor more bloodshed, in which thousands have already died. — AFP

ADEN: Nine suspected Al-Qaeda mili-tants have been killed in an artilleryattack by the Yemeni army backed by USdrone strikes on their strongholds in thecountry’s south, a local official told AFPyesterday. Three extremists were killedwhen US drones fired missiles late onSunday targeting their weapons hideoutsin Jabal Khanfar, a hill overlooking theAbyan town of Jaar, which is controlledby Al-Qaeda militants, the official said.

A large amount of weapons seized bythe militants in an attack against thearmy that left 185 soldiers earlier thismonth, were destroyed in the shelling,said the official who spoke to AFP by tele-phone from Jaar.

Six other militants were killed whenthe army bombed one of their hideoutsin Makhzan, southeast of Jaar, the officialsaid, asking not to be named. Witnessesand officials said on Sunday that six USdrone missiles had targeted the suspect-ed weapons hideouts in Jabal Khanfar.

Witnesses reported seeing columns ofsmoke billowing into the sky from the tar-geted locations and said that govern-ment buildings, now controlled by Al-

Qaeda fighters, had been damaged. Al-Qaeda extremists took over Zinjibar,

Abyan’s provincial capital, in May, andthen overran several nearby towns acrossthe south, including Jaar. Air strikes byYemeni and US planes on Friday andSaturday killed at least 33 suspected Al-Qaeda militants in Abyan and Al-Baydaprovinces, south of the capital, residentsand local officials said.

Meanwhile in the main southern cityof Aden, suspected Al-Qaeda gunmenattacked a van transporting money to theCooperative & Agricultural Credit Bankseizing 75 million rials (347,000 dollars), apolice spokeswoman told AFP.

She accused Al-Qaeda militants of therobbery, adding that the extremists fre-quently carry out such attacks in anattempt to finance their operations.Yemen is the ancestral homeland of slainAl-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden andthe jihadist network took advantage of aprotracted anti-government uprising lastyear to strengthen their presence acrossthe south and east. Washington has longmade the country a major focus of its“war on terror”. — AFP

US drones, Yemen army kill 9 extremists

DUBAI: A UAE prosecutor has referredto a security court an Emirati manarrested in Dubai last week oncharges of “incitement” and attemptsto undermine national security, theWAM news agency reported yester-day.

Saleh al-Dhafairi was arrested inDubai on March 6th and was accusedby the government of “incitement

through writing or verbally spreadingideas that damage national unity orsocial peace,” af ter comments heposted on the micro-blogging siteTwitter. Dubai’s general prosecutordecided to refer the case to the feder-al security court because Dhafairi’saction “endangered the interests...and security ” of the United ArabEmirates, the off ic ia l WAM news

agenc y said. Al-Dhafair i is a lsoaccused of “using religion to... incite”action against the state, the agencyadded. The security cour t , a lsoknown as the Federal High Court,which rules on cases which involvestate security issues, will decide if Al-Dhafairi should stand trial. The UAE, afederation of seven emirates led byoil-rich Abu Dhabi, has not seen any

popular protests calling for reformlike those that have swept other Arabcountr ies, including Gulf statesBahrain and Oman.

But in November, UAE PresidentSheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahayanpardoned f ive Emirat i Internetactivists, jailed for up to three yearson charges including insulting theGulf state’s leaders. — AFP

Saudis to go on hunger strike against activist detention

JEDDAH: Dozens of Saudis havesigned up to join a two-day hungerstrike this week to protest against thedetention of a prominent r ightsactivist, a rights group said. Mohamadal-Bajadi was detained in March 2011,activists said, for supporting familiesdemonstrating outside the InteriorM inistr y in R iyadh to demand therelease of detained relatives. His trial,on charges including tarnishing thereputation of the state, has been sus-pended as he refused to recognise thecourt.

The Saudi Civil and Political RightsAssociation (ACPRA), which is promot-ing the hunger strike on Thursday andFriday, said 38 activists had signed upon its website so far to participate inthe action.

“ This weekend we will meet in apublic place and strike in public, in afarmhouse in Riyadh, the Qurtuba dis-trict,” activist Mohammad al-Qahtanitold Reuters yesterday. “We hope toshed light on Mohamad al-Bajadi’s caseand others like him because unfortu-nately the state does not listen to thepeople, so we want to alert the interna-tional community to put pressure” onit , he said. An Inter ior M inistr y

spokesman said he was not aware ofthe case and declined to make any fur-ther comment. Saudi Arabia is amonarchy that does not tolerate anykind of public dissent. The kingdom -mostly thanks to a generous spendingpackage announced early last year -has avoided the kind of protests thatrocked other Arab countries and result-ed in the ouster of four heads of state.

The US al ly has seen sporadicprotests, mainly by Shi’ite minority inthe eastern par t of the k ingdom,despite a ban on marches. The king-dom has blamed foreign instigators forthe protests - a reference to Iran.

Independent rights groups estimatethat the number of prisoners rangesbetween 12,000-30,000 but the InteriorMinistry denies there are any politicalprisoners in the kingdom. The ministrysaid last year it was holding 5,696 peo-ple for “militant”-related cases, most ofwhom appeared before courts.

The government-affiliated HumanRights Commission, which repor tsdirectly to King Abdullah, said in astatement yesterday that there arearound 4,600 prisoners held in pris-o n s , w i t h o u t g i v i n g a ny f u r t h e rdetails. — Reuters

GAZA STRIP: Wounded Palestinian children receive medical atttention at a hos-pital in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday, following an Israeli airraid. Israeli war planes carried out new air strikes on Gaza overnight, wounding35, after Israel’s premier vowed no let-up against rocket-firing militants. —AFP

JERUSALEM: The Israeli government strucka deal Sunday to disband the biggest andoldest settler outpost in the West Bank andrelocate its residents to a nearby hill, publicradio said.

The agreement to relocate settlers fromthe Migron illegal outpost was negotiatedby Benny Begin, a minister without portfolioin the government, the radio said.

Migron settlers wil l be moved to a hi l ltwo kilometres (1.2 miles) away where newhomes will be built for them and the currentsite will be turned over to the Israeli mili-tary administration, it said. Isral’s SupremeCourt had ordered the Migron outpost to beevacuated by the end of March.

Migron, located nor th of Jerusalem, isbuilt on privately owned Palestinian land.Israel considers settlement outposts builtwithout government approval to be illegala n d o f t e n s e n d s s e c u r i t y p e r s o n n e l t odemolish them, although in recent monthsthe government has announced its inten-tion to retroactively legalise a number ofthem.

More than 310,000 Israelis live in settle-ments in the occupied West Bank and then u m b e r i s c o n s t a n t l y g row i n g. A n o t h e r200,000 live in a dozen settlement neigh-bourhoods in east Jerusalem, which wascaptured by Israel in 1967 and annexed in amove never recognised by the internationalcommunity.

The international community considersall settlements in territories occupied byIsrael since the 1967 Middle East war areillegal, whether or not approved by its gov-ernment. — AFP

Israel, settlersagree to disbandillegal outpost

Emirati faces charges after tweeting ‘incitement’

9I N T E R N A T I O N A LTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, left, speaks to EconomicDevelopment Minister Elvira Nabiullina in Novo-Ogaryovo residence out-side Moscow yesterday. —AP

THE HAGUE: New Presiding judge of the Court Peter Tomka from Slovakia,center, Vice-President of the Court Bernardo Sepulveda-Amor fromMexico, left and Judge Hisashi Owada from Japan, at the start of a hearingat the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, yesterday.Lawyers for Belgium are urging judges at the United Nations’ highestcourt to order Senegal to either prosecute former Chad dictator HisseneHabre, 69, or extradite him to face trial in Belgium for atrocities during hisbrutal eight-year rule. —AP

PARIS: After an initial bid to run forre-election as self-styled saviour ofthe euro, Nicolas Sarkozy haslaunched a bid to shake up his lack-lustre polling numbers with a sur-prise new eurosceptic stance. Withbarely six weeks to go before thefirst round of voting, and with theFrench leader’s Socialist opponentFrancois Hollande still frontrunnerfor the presidency, Sarkozy struck astrident new tone in a Sunday rally.

He threatened to pull France outof the Schengen open bordersagreement and demanded theEuropean Union adopt measures tofight cheap imports, warning thatFrance might otherwise pass a uni-lateral “Buy French” law.

“I want a Europe that protects itscitizens. I no longer want this sav-age competition,” he declared to acheering crowd. “I have lost none ofmy will to act, my will to makethings change, my belief in thegenius of France.” Sarkozy’s right-

wing supporters were delighted,both in the large conference hall inthe Paris suburbs where his speechreceived an ecstatic reception, andin media interviews and on Internetmessage forums afterwards.

But the left was quick to attackwhat they saw as a populist stunt. “Ifelt I wasn’t listening to a Frenchpresident, because a French presi-dent always wants to build Europe,push it forward. This was a conser-vative British prime minister,” saidHollande’s campaign managerPierre Moscovici.

Moscovici said Britain had ledopposition to the Schengenaccords-under which most EUmembers agreed to abandon bor-der controls between the states-andsaid Sarkozy’s threat was a “phe-nomenal step backwards”.

From the far left, presidentialcandidate Jean-Luc Melenchonscorned what he dubbed a late con-version to euroscepticism from a

leader who had hitherto demon-strated a “particular case ofEuropean servility”.

Melenchon boasted that his “LeftFront”, a coalition of Communistand far left socialists, had pioneeredthe idea of disobeying EU lawswhen they run contrary to Frenchnational interests.

On the far right, Marine Le Penand her National Front have gonefurther than Sarkozy in demandingthat France quit the euro and closeits borders. Thus far in the cam-paign, Europe has been seen as amore difficult issue for Hollandethan for Sarkozy, who has receivedthe more or less open backing ofthe right-wing leaders of Germany,Spain and Britain.

Hollande, by contrast, has beenwarned that his vow to renegotiateEurope’s hard-won debt pact couldsee Paris isolated among its allies.But commentators in the Frenchpress said yesterday that Sarkozy’s

new tack had confused his message,and could offend France’s allies.

“Yesterday he was accused byNicolas Sarkozy of calling France’sword into question. This morning,Francois Hollande may look a verymoderate reformer in the eyes ofour neighbours,” wrote Herve Favrein La Voix du Nord.

“So, will his conservative coun-terparts in London, Madrid andBerlin, who snubbed FrancoisHollande because he wants to rene-gotiate the latest EU treaty, now inturn boycott Nicolas Sarkozy?”demanded Bruno Dive in Sud-Ouest.

A first round of voting in thepresidential election will take placeon April 22, followed by a run-offbetween the top two candidates onMay 6. All recent opinion polls fore-cast that Hollande will win a close-fought first round and then enjoy acomfortable victory against Sarkozyin the second. —AFP

Sarkozy tries to shake up race with eurosceptic turn

BLAGNAC: French far-right Front National (FN) party’s candidatefor the 2012 French presidential election, Marine Le Pen gives apress conference focused on research yesterday in Blagnac,southern France. —AFP

Kenya arrests four over deadly grenade attacksSuspect having links to Shebab, Kenyan affiliates

NAIROBI: Kenyan police said yesterday theyarrested four people over weekend grenadeattacks in Nairobi that killed six people andwhich Kenya blames on supporters of SomaliIslamist insurgents. “On the Al-Shebabthreats and attacks at the Machakos bus ter-minus, four highly suspected criminals werearrested and are undergoing intensive inter-rogation,” Nairobi Provincial Police chiefAntony Kibuchi said.

Six people were killed and more than 60wounded when four hand grenades werehurled at a crowd in a bus terminus in theKenyan capital on Saturday. The suspects, allof whom are believed to be Kenyan, three ofthem reportedly minors, were being interro-gated by specialised police units, includinganti-terrorism officers, a police source said.

The Al-Qaeda allied Shebab has threatened

Kenya since it sent its troops into southSomalia in mid-October to attack bases of theinsurgents, whom Nairobi accuses of a seriesof kidnappings and attacks on its territory.One of the men arrested had been on a policewanted list, suspected of having links toShebab and Kenyan affiliates.

Saturday’s attack was the deadliest inNairobi since one in June 2010, not attributedto Islamists, during a public meeting againstthe adoption of a new constitution, in whichthe death toll was also six.

Neither attack came close to the devastat-ing Al-Qaeda car bombing of the US embassyin August 1998 that killed 213 people andinjured 5,000.

Forty-two people wounded in Saturday’sattacks were still being treated in hospital yes-terday, police said. In Somalia, regional armies

are pushing against Shebab positions, withKenyan forces in the far south, Ethiopian sol-diers in the west and African Union forces inMogadishu made up of troops from Uganda,Burundi and Djibouti.

In retaliation, the Shebab have carried outgrenade attacks and abductions in areas nearthe porous Kenya-Somalia border, killing andwounding several people. Last October, lessthan two weeks after the Kenyan army senttroops and tanks into Somalia, two grenadeattacks in the space of less than 24 hourskilled one person and wounded 30.

The International Crisis Group said in aNovember report that Nairobi should cool itshigh hopes of defeating the Shebab, a ruth-less and resilient militia fighting to overthrowthe Western-backed government in lawlessSomalia. —AFP

THE HAGUE: Lawyers for Belgium urgedthe United Nations’ highest court yester-day to order Senegal to prosecute formerChad dictator Hissene Habre or extraditehim for trial for allegedly mastermindingatrocities during his brutal eight-yearrule. Habre has lived in a luxury villa inSenegal’s capital, Dakar, since rebels oust-ed him 1990 and has become a symbol ofAfrica’s inability to try leaders from thecontinent accused of rights abuses.

The case at the International Court ofJustice is about “taking a stand againstimpunity in the most serious crimes ininternational law,” Belgian representativePaul Rietjens told judges in the wood -paneled Great Hall of Justice.

Belgium indicted Habre in 2005 forcrimes against humanity, war crimes andtorture based on complaints by survivorsof his regime, some of whom haveBelgian citizenship, but has failed to per-suade Senegal to extradite him toBrussels despite repeated requests.

“These victims are entitled to see theperson they accuse of these cr imesbrought to justice,” Rietjens said. “Justicedelayed is justice denied.” Belgium accus-es Senegal of breaching its obligationsunder the convention that says countriesholding people accused of torture have aduty to either prosecute or extraditethem.

“Senegal has been and continues to bein breach of its obligations under the tor-ture convention,” said lawyer Sir MichaelWood. Senegal will present its argumentsstarting Thursday and judges are likely totake months to reach a decision.International Court of Justice rulings arebinding.

Senegal’s chief representative CheikhTidiane Thiam said after Monday’s hear-ing that his country was moving as fast asit could. “Senegal is doing its best in atimeframe we consider reasonable,” hetold reporters outside court.

The Afr ican Union last year urgedSenegal to prosecute or extradite Habre.Days later, Dakar said it would send him

back to Chad, where he has been convict-ed in his absence of crimes against thestate and sentenced to death.

That announcement caused an uproaras activists feared he would not get a fairtrial at home and days later, Senegalbacktracked on the threat to deportHabre. Despite repeatedly saying it wantsto put Habre on tr ial , Senegal hasdragged its feet for years, arguing itneeds outside help to fund the case. Afterinitially saying a trial would cost up toeuro29 mil l ion, Senegal agreed at adonor’s conference in 2010 to a budget ofeuro8.6 mil l ion ($11.3 mil l ion) .“Senegalese authorities have still not tak-en any concrete action to investigate orprosecute,” said Gerard Dive of Belgium’sfederal justice service.

According to a Human Rights Watchreport, Habre seized power in 1982 andswiftly established a brutal dictatorship tostamp out any opposition, but was finallytoppled by current Chad President IdrissDeby in 1990.

A Chadian commission of inquiry con-cluded Habre’s regime killed and torturedtens of thousands of political opponents.“Under Habre, a wife was afraid of herhusband and vice versa and they wereboth afraid of their children,” said lawyerJacqueline Moudeina, who representssurvivors of Habre’s regime. “Chadianswere afraid of their own shadow.”

Habre’s Senegal-based lawyer El HadjDiouf has called the international courtcase a “new kind of judicial imperialism”and said Belgium should give Senegal thechance to try Habre.

But act iv ists say Senegal has hadmore than enough time and now theworld court should turn over the case toBelgium. “For us, the case is ... what wewould call in America a slam dunk,” saidReed Brody, a Human Rights Watchactivist who has long fought for justicefor Habre’s victims. “Senegal has an obli-gation to prosecute or extradite. It hasbeen 21 years and they have not doneit.” —AP

Belgium seeks world court order on ex-Chad leader

BELGRADE: Serbian President Boris Tadic (3R) and widow of the assassi-nated Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, Ruzica Djindjic (C) flanked bySerbian officials arrive at Belgrade’s new cemetery yesterday. Hundreds ofsupporters paid tribute to late reformist Serbian prime minister on theanniversary of his 2003 assassination. Djindjic was the Balkan country’sfirst democratically elected prime minister. He is best remembered forstriving to bring Serbia closer to Europe after late strongman SlobodanMilosevic was ousted in a popular uprising in October 2000. —AFP

LUANDA: Angolan police are investigating aweekend clash in the capital Luandabetween young anti-government protesterscalling for the resignation of President JoseEduardo dos Santos and pro-governmentsupporters who confronted them.

Witnesses said at least three protesterswere injured when individuals dressed inplain clothes, some armed with sticks, movedin to disperse the small demonstration onSaturday by about 30 young people in thepoor suburb of Cazenga.

The demonstrators called for Dos Santosto quit. They also called for the removal ofSusana Ingles, whose re-appointment as thehead of Angola’s national elections commit-tee in January has raised political tensionsahead of an election later this year in sub-Saharan Africa’s second biggest oil producer.

“The National Police received complaintsthat two different groups were confrontingeach other in Cazenga and it is presumed thegroups had different philosophies,” a policespokesman said, quoted by the Portuguesenews agency Lusa late on Sunday. “Somesupport the democratically-elected stateinstitutions and others contest the authori-ties,” he added, saying that the police, whoarrived at the scene after the clash ended,would continue investigating the incident.

Several protests were attempted last yearby a budding anti-government youth move-ment in Angola, presenting a rare challengeto the 32-year rule of Dos Santos. Most of theprotests were blocked by police and oneresulted in several arrests and injuries to pro-testers, journalists and police officers.

Opponents of the government say nation-al elections committee chief Ingles is linkedto Dos Santos’ ruling MPLA party and so can-not guarantee a free and fair vote in parlia-mentary elections to be held in the third

quarter of this year.The parliamentary election will be only

the second in Angola since the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002, and will elect the coun-try’s president as well as lawmakers. TheMPLA has defended Ingles’ re-appointmentsaying it was an impartial decision by theMagistrates Superior Council and that oppo-sition parties’ criticism has been aimed atcausing instability in the run up to the elec-tion. The main opposition party UNITA hasthreatened to organise its own protests if fur-ther appeals and talks with the ruling partyabout the issue are not satisfactory. Humanrights organisations have long accused DosSantos’ government of avoiding public scruti-ny, repressing protest and dissent and mis-managing the country’s oil revenues.

At the Cazenga protest on Saturday, thedemonstrators shouted “Violence no, free-dom yes!” and carried banners saying“Susana (Ingles), get out of the CNE (nationalelections committee)”. They dispersed afteran unidentified person fired a shot in the air.

Earlier, some 15 unidentified individuals inplain clothes, some wielding sticks, hadmoved to break up the demonstration. Theyappeared well organised and commandedby one of their number, witnesses said. Atleast one protester was caried away by col-leagues with his face bloodied.

Lusa said a senior member of the BlocoDemocratico opposition party had also suf-fered injuries at the protest and was laterassaulted by unidentified men outside a clin-ic in Luanda. The agency said police declinedto comment on this. Opposition partiesargue Ingles’ re-appointment violates elec-tion laws because they say she does not fitthe legal requirements to head the commit-tee as she is a lawyer and not a magistratecourt judge. —Reuters

Angola anti-government protest triggered clash

Gunmen kill three near Nigerian

flashpoint cityLAGOS: Gunmen shot dead three Christians inNigeria near the flashpoint city of Jos, hours after 10people were killed in a suicide bombing and relatedviolence at a church, an official said yesterday.

In a separate incident in the northern city ofKano, gunmen in a car opened fire early yesterdayon a police station that has been the target of sev-eral attacks, wounding two officers, according toresidents. The gunmen near Jos struck late Sundayin a village south of the city where Christian-Muslim tensions ran high after the church attack,state government spokesman Pam Ayuba toldAFP, though the two attacks were not thought tobe linked.

“Unknown gunmen, in an apparent ambushlate Sunday, waylaid and shot dead three peopleand injured three others-all Christians-in Chugwivillage,” Ayuba said. Such violence has occurredrepeatedly in and around Jos, located in the mid-dle belt region of Africa’s most populous nationbetween the mainly Muslim north and predomi-nantly Christian south.

Clashes between Christian and Muslim ethnicgroups in the area have killed thousands in recentyears. “We suspect that the attackers were herds-men. They left with the handsets of those killedand called numbers on their phones to alert their(the victims’) relations that they were responsiblefor the killings,” he said from the scene of theattack.

Ayuba, who is a native of the Christian village,said no arrests have been made. The victimsincluded two brothers aged 25 and 30, he said.Three other people at Dogo Garba, a nearby ham-let, were wounded by the same gunmen and weretaken to a nearby government hospital for treat-ment, he added.

The shootings came hours after a suicide attackoutside a Roman Catholic church in Jos killed sev-en people, sparking panic and reprisals in whichsecurity forces opened fire and youths clashed,leaving three others dead.

It was the second suicide attack on a church inthe city in two weeks, after a February 26 attackclaimed by Islamist group Boko Haram killed threepeople and injured dozens. Government and reliefofficials told AFP that in addition to the 10 killed,24 people were injured and had been taken tothree government hospitals in the city.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan con-demned Sunday’s bombing and reaffirmed hisgovernment’s determination “to end the spate ofmindless attacks and killings”. Jos remained tensein the aftermath of the bombing amid fears of arepeat of deadly riots which followed last month’sattack.

The volatile city was gradually returning to nor-mal yesterday morning with banks and shopsopening for business, residents said. No one hasclaimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing.Yesterday’s attack in Kano occurred at Mandawaripolice station, which has been repeatedly target-ed by suspected members of Boko Haram.

Boko Haram carried out its deadliest attack yetin Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city, with coordi-nated bombings and shootings on January 20which killed 185 people. —AFP

I N T E R N AT ION A LTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

YORBA LINDA: Long before RichardNixon rose to power and fell fromgrace, he was just another man in love.Decades before he became known tosome as “Tricky Dick,” Nixon was theone penning nicknames (sweet ones)to his future bride in gushy love notesthat reveal a surprisingly soft andromantic side of the man taken downby Watergate. Nixon shared the stagewith Patricia Ryan in a community the-ater production and six of the dozensof letters they exchanged during theirtwo-year courtship will be unveiledFriday at the Richard NixonPresidential Library and Museum aspart of an exhibit celebrating the100th birthday of the woman Nixonplayfully called his “Irish gypsy.”

In Nixon’s letters, he recalls theirfirst meeting in flowery prose, day-dreams about their future togetherand waxes poetic about the first timehis “dearest heart” agreed to take adrive with him. “Every day and everynight I want to see you and be withyou. Yet I have no feeling of selfishownership or jealousy,” he writes inone undated letter. “Let’s go for a longride Sunday; let’s go to the mountainsweekends; let’s read books in front offires; most of all, let ’s really growtogether and find the happiness weknow is ours.”

Eighteen years after his death, the

correspondence offers a tiny windowinto a fiercely private side of Nixonthat almost no one ever saw and rep-resents a love letter of sorts to fans ofthe 37th US president, who were infu-riated when the National Archivestook over the museum and over-hauled it to include a detailed chroni-cle of Watergate.

“These letters are fabulous. It’s atotally different person from theWatergate tapes that people know.President Nixon started out as an ide-alistic young man ready to conquerthe world and with Pat Ryan he knewhe could do it. There’s a lot of hope,there’s a lot of tenderness and it’s verypoetic,” said Olivia Anastasiadis, super-visory museum curator.

“He loved her, he was absolutelyenthralled by her and that’s all hethought about.” The letters stand instark contrast to the grim-faced leaderforced to resign in 1974, disgraced.Instead, Nixon comes across as anardent and persistent suitor in the let-ters, which date from 1938 to justbefore the couple’s marriage in June1940. The two met while auditioningfor “The Dark Tower” in the SouthernCalifornia town of Whittier and datedfor two years until Nixon proposed tohis sweetheart on the south OrangeCounty cliffs overlooking the PacificOcean. He later delivered her engage-

ment ring in a small basket overflow-ing with mayflowers. They were mar-ried in a small ceremony on June 21,1940.

The romantic touch and chivalrythat Nixon brought to his seaside pro-posal comes through in the letters, aswell. In two of the handwritten notes,

Nixon - raised a Quaker - uses “thee”instead of “you” to refer to his futurebride, a pronoun that signals a specialcloseness in the Quaker tradition. He

also writes about himself in the thirdperson, referring to himself as a “pro-saic person” whose heart wasnonetheless “filled with that grand

poetic music” upon knowing her.“Somehow on Tuesday there was

something electric in the usuallyalmost stifling air in Whittier. And nowI know. An Irish gypsy who radiates allthat is happy and beautiful was there.She left behind her a note addressedto a struggling barrister who looksfrom a window and dreams. And inthat note he found sunshine and flow-ers, and a great spirit which only greatladies can inspire,” Nixon wrote.

“Someday let me see you again? InSeptember? Maybe?” A much morepractical - and somewhat less impul-sive - Pat Ryan replies in one shortnote: “In case I don’t see you beforewhy don’t you come early Wednesday(6) - and I’ll see if I can burn a ham-burger for you.”

The object of Nixon’s affection wasslower to come around, but eventuallywas just as smitten with Nixon as hewas with her, said Ed Nixon, Nixon’syoungest brother, in a phone interviewfrom his Seattle home. “She was quitean independent young lady and shewas very cautious about anyone shemet and if they couldn’t smile, shewouldn’t want to do too much unlessshe could make them smile. That cap-tured Dick’s imagination,” the youngerNixon said. “She was challenging. Shechallenged me and I think she chal-lenged Dick.” — AP

Love letters reveal Nixon’s sensitive side

YORBA LINDA: In this photo taken Thursday, March 8, 2012, Richard NixonFoundation consultant Bob Bostock reads love letters exchanged betweenRichard Nixon and his wife, Pat, in the early years of their romance andlong before he became president, that are displayed at the Richard NixonPresidential Library upcoming exhibit celebrating Pat Nixon’s 100th birth-day, in Yorba Linda, California. — AP

WASHINGTON: Mitt Romney’s Super Tuesdayvictories elicited a collective yawn from hisparty’s superdelegates. Since Tuesday’s vot-ing, Romney has added only a single endorse-ment to his total among members of theRepublican National Committee, the partyleaders who automatically attend the nationalconvention this summer. They can supportany candidate they choose, so they can playan important role at the convention.

Some of the undecided superdelegates saythey expect the former Massachusetts gover-nor to be the eventual nominee but, likemany Republican voters, they’re not quiteready to embrace him. “Right now I am com-fortable with this going a bit longer,” said JeffJohnson, a national committee member fromMinnesota.

In fact, Johnson has endorsed formerHouse Speaker Newt Gingrich, and he said hewas “hanging tight for now.” But, he acknowl-edged, “There may be a point where it seemsall but impossible for him to win.”

The Associated Press has polled 107 of the117 Republican National Committee dele-gates. Romney has 24 endorsements, farmore than any other candidate but only onemore than he had the previous week.Gingrich has four endorsements and formerPennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has two -unchanged from the previous week.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul lost an RNC delegate,leaving him with just one. Seventy-six of thedelegates said they were undecided or notready to make a public endorsement. The lat-est poll was conducted Wednesday to Friday -immediately after the biggest day of the elec-tion, when voters in 10 states made theirchoices. Romney won six of 10 Super Tuesdaycontests and more than twice as many dele-gates that day as any other candidate.

But he’s having trouble connecting withthe party’s conservative base, a weakness thatcould hurt him in Saturday’s caucuses inKansas and Tuesday’s primaries in Alabamaand Mississippi. Many GOP activists say theyworry that a long, nasty primary fight couldleave the eventual nominee bruised when hetakes on President Barack Obama in the fall.But most of the RNC members with the powerto shorten the contest are taking a wait-and-see approach.

After all, these same RNC officials adoptednew rules last summer meant to lengthen thenominating process by requiring early-voting

states to award delegates proportionally,instead of winner-take-all. Henry Barbour, anRNC member from Mississippi, said a vigorousprimary battle will toughen the eventualnominee for what promises to be a rough

campaign against Obama. “If you’re going tobe leader of the free world, you’re going tohave to put on your big boy pants,” saidBarbour, who first endorsed Texas Gov. RickPerry but switched to Romney after Perrydropped out.

James Dunn, an RNC member fromOklahoma, said, “It’s not going to be easy todefeat Obama. If they can’t handle the nomi-nation process, their skin isn’t thick enough tohandle the big race.” Dunn used to supportPaul but said he now is undecided after Paulfinished fourth in the Oklahoma primary.

“I don’t know what the heck I’m going todo. I’m not happy with the two front-runners,”Dunn said of Romney and Santorum. “I likethings about them. I dislike things about bothof them.” In the overall race for delegates,Romney leads with 431, followed bySantorum with 181 and Gingrich with 107.Paul trails with 46.

Romney is still a long way from the 1,144delegates needed to win the nomination, but

he is the only candidate on pace to reach themagic number before the party’s nationalconvention in August. At their current rates,Santorum and Gingrich won’t reach even halfthe number needed.

To date, Romney has won 56 percent of thedelegates available in primaries and caucuses;Santorum has won 24 percent, and Gingrichhas won 14 percent. The RNC has a total of168 members - three from each state, theDistrict of Columbia and five US territories. Insome states, RNC members must support thewinner of local primaries or caucuses.

The AP has identified 39 states and territo-ries in which the RNC members will be free tosupport any candidate they choose. That’s 117RNC delegates who will essentially be freeagents at the convention.

A total of 2,286 delegates are slated toattend the Republican National Convention inTampa, Fla. The RNC delegates make up only 5percent of them. But if Romney stumbles andcan’t amass enough delegates in primariesand caucuses, the RNC members would playan important role.

Jeff Berman, who ran Obama’s delegateoperation in 2008, said lobbying for the RNCdelegates can be intense. — AP

Romney’s victories leave GOP leaders unimpressed

‘It’s not going to be easy to defeat Obama’

MOBILE: Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romneyaddresses supporters while appearing with comedian Jeff Foxworthy at the Whistle Stopcafe yesterday in Mobile, Alabama. Alabama and Mississippi hold their primaries tomor-row. — AFP

NEW ORLEANS: In this March 1, 2012, file photo volunteers from Joplin, Mo. whotraveled to New Orleans to work with a group that renovates Katrina-damagedhomes, help dedicate a newly renovated home in New Orleans. The two citiesdevastated by recent natural disasters — Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and a killerMidwestern tornado 10 months ago — are forging an unlikely partnership thatcould change the way other American cities both plan for and recover from thenext blow by nature’s fury. — AP

NEW ORLEANS: One is a low-lying rivercity built on a swamp basin, a multiculturalmelting pot known the world over for leg-endary excesses, from lung-searing food toFrench Quarter flashers. The other liessquare in the buckle of the Bible Belt, anold Tornado Alley railroad hub best knownas a Route 66 stopover for everyone fromRV campers to the outlaws Bonnie andClyde.

With vastly different cultures and land-scapes, it might seem on the surface thatNew Orleans and Joplin, Mo., have little incommon. But as cities devastated by recentnatural disasters - Hurricane Katrina in 2005and a historic Midwestern tornado 10months ago - the two are forging anunlikely partnership that could change theway other American cities prepare for andrecover from the next unexpected blow bynature.

“We both had natural disasters we didn’task for,” said Jerrod Hogan, a Joplin land-scape surveyor. “And we both have folks inour communities who need help to getback to where things were.” Hogan isamong the founders of Rebuild Joplin, anonprofit group formed after the May 22,2011, twister that killed 161 people anddestroyed 4,000 homes, many in the south-west Missouri city’s low-income neighbor-hoods. The Joplin group recently returnedfrom a 28-hour, 1,400-mile roundtrip bus

ride to New Orleans, which endured adeath toll nine times as large.

The visitors swung hammers and powersaws, working side-by-side with a home-owner still trying to return to his Mid-Cityneighborhood more than six years afterKatrina. Besides dealing with insurancepayments that don’t fully cover repaircosts, the man has been battling injuriesfrom military service and a teenage son’sbone-marrow transplant.

They surveyed a 515-unit affordablehousing complex near City Park, once thegang-ridden St. Bernard public housingdevelopment before it was flooded by 10feet of water. Now it features tree-linedsidewalks, a fitness center and swimmingpool.

They toured business incubators andstartup office clusters where tattooedworkers in shorts and sleeveless T-shirtswork as graphic artists, social media entre-preneurs or freelance lawyers. But no mat-ter who they asked across New Orleans, theJoplin contingent kept hearing the sameunderlying message: Don’t just rebuild, butreinvent. “The day after Katrina, everybodybecame an entrepreneur,” said TimWilliamson, chief executive officer of TheIdea Village, a New Orleans nonprofit creat-ed several years before the August 2005hurricane to promote innovation in localbusiness. — AP

Unlikely partners unite after natural disasters

SAN SALVADOR: A right-wingopposition party yesterday led by aslim margin in El Salvador’s generalelection in which the leftist gov-ernment of President MauricioFunes faced a key test of its popu-larity.

With more than 89 percent ofprecincts reporting, the SupremeElectoral Tribunal said theNationalist Republican Alliance(ARENA) was ahead with slightlyover 39.7 percent of the vote. Itwas closely followed by the rulingFarabundo Marti NationalLiberation Front (FMLN) with 36.8percent.

A conservative coalition namedGANA led by ex-president EliasAntonio Saca, a congressional allyof the FMLN, was a distant thirdwith just 9.4 percent of the ballot.Six smaller parties also fielded can-didates. If the results hold, ARENAwill control 33 out of 84 congres-

sional seats, FMLN 31 and GANA11, officials said. ARENA, whichruled El Salvador for two decadesfollowing the country’s civil war,campaigned on a tough anti-crimeplatform that resonated with manyvoters tired of rampant crime.

“I voted because I want to seechanges in this country-our chil-dren and grandchildren live justlike us, afraid of so much violence,”Mirna de Cordova, 66, told AFP. DeCordova showed up with her hus-band Roberto early to vote at apolling station on the outskirts ofthe capital San Salvador, only tofind that polls opened more thanan hour behind schedule due tologistical problems.

Like many voters, De Cordovasaid she wants to toughen lawsagainst crime. Around 14 peopleare murdered every day in ElSalvador, population six million,according to government figures.

While unemployment droppedduring the Funes administration,young people continue to emi-grate to the United States.

A staggering one in threeSalvadorans now lives in theUnited States, providing remit-tances of more than 3.6 billion dol-lars in 2011, around one sixth ofgross domestic product. Funes, apolitical moderate with highapproval ratings, has two moreyears as president in this tiny,densely-populated CentralAmerican nation.

But his popularity does not nec-essarily transfer into votes for hisparty, the FMLN. In an improvisedpress conference as he votedSunday, Funes urged voters to helphim “guarantee that the changesthat are taking place are strength-ened, and not turned back.”

The FMLN has campaignedpromising social programs and job

creation in a nation with unem-ployment among one third of thepopulation. ARENA has pledged atougher tack against crime andyouth gangs, or “Maras,” that nowcontrol entire neighborhoods inlarge cities and smaller communi-ties, which they turn into drug-traf-ficking havens.

Both main parties “have devel-oped similar propaganda... withoutexplaining how they will deliver ontheir promises,” said Jannet Aguilar,director of the Institute of PublicOpinion at the UCA. As well as vot-ing for lawmakers, about 4.5 mil-lion Salvadorans also elected may-ors of 262 towns and cities. Thebiggest single prize was for mayorof the capital San Salvador, whereARENA Mayor Norman Quijano hasstrong support in his reelectionrace against the FMLN’s SchafikHandal, son of a prominent ex-guerrilla of the same name. — AFP

WASHINGTON: A University ofMaryland student was arrested andtaken for psychiatric evaluation afterposting threats about a shooting ram-page that would “make it to the nation-al news,” the school said.

The university ’s Department ofPublic Safety said it made the arrestSunday of Alexander Song, 19, afterlearning of the threats at the universi-ty’s campus at College Park, Maryland.“The person posting the commentsstated he had thoughts of committingan act of violence at the UMCP campuson Sunday, March 11, 2012,” the state-ment said.

“The quote on the website(s) were ‘Iwill be on a shooting rampage tomor-row on campus,’ ‘hopefully I k illenough people to make it to nationalnews,’ and ‘stay away from the Malltomorrow at 1:30.’” School policetraced the messages to Song, a current

student at the Maryland campus.“University police detectives and patrolofficers worked through the night toidentify and apprehend Mr. Song,” thestatement said. “This incident was tak-en extremely seriously by this agencyand all efforts were put forth to bring itto a speedy and safe resolution.”

After his arrest, detectives “deter-mined that an emergency psychiatricevaluation was necessary,” the state-ment said. “Accordingly, Mr Song wastaken to an area hospital for evalua-tion. Mr Song was unarmed at the timeof the arrest.”

Song has been charged with a mis-demeanor offense of disturbing theorderly conduct of school activitiesand faces up to six months in jail and afine of $2,500 if convicted. The youthhas also been suspended from theschool and will not be allowed on cam-pus. — AFP

Right-wing party leads by slim margin in Salvador pollsUS university student

arrested after threats

in t e r n at ion a lTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

HEFEI: A squad of Chinese special police show off their skill in dealingwith a hostage situation in a bus during a demonstration of theirskills in Hefei, east China’s Anhui province yesterday. China willspend 111.6 billion USD on its police forces in this year, the govern-ment said as it focuses on quelling rising social unrest ahead of a 10-yearly leadership change. — AFP

SEOUL: South Korea yesterday said a submergedoutcropping of rock off its southern coast waspart of its “natural territory”, days after a topChinese official reportedly laid claim to the dis-puted area.

Ieodo-a reef about five metres (16.4 feet)underwater-lies within the overlapping exclusiveeconomic zones of South Korea and China andfor years has been a source of diplomatic strainbetween both nations.

President Lee Myung-Bak called the area a“natural South Korean territory by any measure”,saying it was closer to South Korea’s southern-most island of Marado than to the nearestChinese island by about 100 kilometres.

“Chinese government will know, based oncommon sense, that Ieodo belongs to SouthKorea,” Lee told reporters, adding that years ofbilateral negotiations to reach agreement yield-ed little progress.

Lee’s comment came after Liu Cigui, the chiefof China’s State Oceanic Administration, said thatIeodo was in waters under Chinese control andshould be patrolled by Chinese vessels and air-craft, according to media reports.

South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister KimJae-Shin summoned Chinese Ambassador ZhangXinsen yesterday to lodge a protest against Liu’scomments, ministry officials said. Beijing’srenewed claim to the area is being seen as a way

to get an upper hand in future negotiations withSeoul over maritime territory, analysts say.

Lee warned any disputes in the resource-richarea-Seoul’s major sea trade route-could cause aserious setback to the country’s trade-driveneconomy.

South Korea in 2003 tried to reinforce its con-trol over the disputed area by building a mar-itime research station there despite Beijing’sopposition. — AFP

S Korea rejects China’s claim on disputed reef

MANILA: Lawyers began their defence in the corrup-tion trial of the Philippines’ top judge yesterday, acase which President Benigno Aquino sees as key tofighting graft and attracting investors. SupremeCourt Chief Justice Renato Corona has vowed tokeep his job in a court action which could weakenAquino if it does not produce a conviction.

Corona, appointed by Aquino’s predecessorGloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2010, is charged withshowing bias in favour of Arroyo, and other corruptpractices. Sixteen votes from the 24-member Senateof elected lawmakers who are sitting as judges areneeded to remove Corona from office. Aquino cancount on 14 votes so far.

“If Corona is found not guilty, it will be a poorreflection on Aquino’s leadership and he will becomevulnerable to attacks,” said Benito Lim, political sci-ence professor at Ateneo de Manila University.Aquino will risk losing popularity if he is seen to befar tougher on Arroyo appointees than on his ownpicks, said Pacific Strategies and Assessments, a secu-rity consultancy firm.

“If President Aquino continues this selectiveapproach to fighting corruption, he jeopardises legit-imate prosecution of major Arroyo administrationwrongdoing and being labelled by a growing per-centage of the Philippines populace as simply vindic-tive,” it said in a recent report.

Aquino has remained immensely popular withratings over 70 percent nearly two years after a land-slide election victory. His popularity has helped drawinvestor interest to the Philippines Its stock market,the best performer in Asia last year, is up nearly 13percent this year as foreign inflows into stocks rosemore than threefold in the first six weeks of 2012 to$351 million, overtaking net buying for all of 2009.

Still, Aquino’s government continues to grapplewith graft, a perennial problem in the Philippines.Were Corona to be forced out, it would give Aquino astronger hand in his efforts to attract investors bybeing able to claim the judicial system has beenpurged of corruption. “It would help change publicperception of the credibility of our courts,” said EarlParreno, an analyst with think-tank the Institute forPolitical and Electoral Reforms.

“A more credible court means less flip-flopping indecisions affecting businesses.” Aquino’s spokes-woman, Abigail Valte, told reporters the Aquinocamp is confident the senators will find Coronaguilty, and he will be removed from his job.

Meanwhile, gunmen have shot and seriously

wounded a reporter who is assigned to cover thePhilippine president, bringing the urgency of con-cerns over violent attacks on journalists to Manila’sseat of power. President Benigno Aquino III, fellowjournalists and media watchdogs Monday stronglycondemned the attack on The Daily Tribune reporterFernan Angeles, who was beaten and shot six timeswith a pistol by unidentified men near his home insuburban Pasig city in metropolitan Manila.

Pasig police chief Senior Supt. Jessie Cardonasaid Angeles, 41, was attacked when he left hishome to go to a nearby store to buy credits for hismobile phone Sunday night. He was being treatedunder guard in a hospital’s intensive care unit yester-day.

Police were trying to hunt down possible sus-pects and determine the motive of the attack. Hiswife, Gemma Angeles, said her husband told herthat his attackers were linked to a drug syndicate,

which has a presence in their working-class commu-nity. He appeared to have been suspected of leakinginformation about the syndicate’s operation toauthorities. The Daily Tribune is a Manila daily oftencritical of government officials. Colleagues coveringthe presidential palace demanded a thorough inves-tigation. They said they were holding Aquino to hispromise to give “primacy to press freedom and pro-tection of media practitioners in the country,” thestatement from the Malacanang Press Corps said.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda saidpolice have been ordered to secure Angeles and hisfamily. The National Union of Journalists of thePhilippines says 150 journalists, mostly radio com-mentators, have been killed since 1986 in provincesbut rarely in Manila. The New York-basedCommittee to Protect Journalists has ranked thePhilippines as the second-deadliest country forjournalists next to Iraq.— Agencies

Trial defence of top Filipino judge beginsAquino sees case as key to cleaning courts

BEIJING: With his easy laugh, undyed hairand casual style, Hu Chunhua is not one ofyour average Chinese leaders, who are betterknown for their rigid and dull uniformity.

Stepping out this week at China’s annualmeeting of parliament, Inner MongoliaCommunist Party boss Hu is one of the coun-try’s rising political stars, and like other seniorleaders mixing with the media this past weekhe has been forthcoming about challengesfacing his region.

Just don’t expect Hu or others like him tooffer any insights on how their careers mightplay out. “Everyone is paying rather a lot ofattention to this,” Hu told reporters, cracking asly smile when asked about his prospects foradvancement.

“I will say this: I am currently the PartySecretary of the Inner Mongolia AutonomousRegion. So I have to concentrate on doing myjob well here,” said Hu, a relatively sprightly48. Hu is part of the so-called “sixth genera-tion” of potential national leaders born in the1960s, after the generations headed by MaoZedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, HuJintao and, if this year’s leadership transitiongoes as expected, Xi Jinping.

Other contenders for top office at the 18thCommunist Party Congress in Beijing late thisyear were equally coy about their politicalfutures. Their fates will be decided behindclosed doors by top leaders, and in Party poli-tics misstep can be as important as achieve-ments.

“For myself, speaking from my heart, I’venever associated myself with anything specif-ic about the 18th Congress”, Bo Xilai, theambitious party boss of Chongqing, told athrong of reporters. Bo, 62 and a member ofthe “fifth generation”, has been attending theparliamentary meeting under a cloud sincethe apparent defection attempt in Februaryby a senior aide.

He was characteristically oblique about hiscareer prospects. “ To greet the 18thCongress, Chongqing is now striving do wellin all aspects of its work, and I think that’s themost practical thing, and other matters aren’tfor us to consider.”

Still, the rare interactions between thesesenior officials and the media at parliamentover the past few years have provided aglimpse of the personalities and styles ofthose who could one day craft policy in the

world’s most populous nation.Zhou Qiang, the 51-year-old Party chief in

the southern province of Hunan, has definedhis term in office with a pledge to build therule of law. Zhou drew a veiled distinctionbetween the way things work in his provinceand the campaigns led by Bo, whose crack-down on the mafia in Chongqing with massarrests and executions has left China’s reform-minded lawyers aghast.

“We want to legally fight against allcrimes, including mafia-style crimes,” Zhousaid, stressing the word ‘legally’. “Hunan’ssocial controls have been stable, and the peo-ple’s satisfaction with security has been risingas has their feeling of safety.” Economic issueshave been at the front of worries ofGuangdong’s Party boss Wang Yang, who hassaid his southern export powerhouse facesgreat pressures, including high inflation andrising labour and raw materials costs.

Wang is seen as a frontrunner for promo-tion to the elite nine-member PolitburoStanding Committee with the current genera-tion of leaders, including President Hu Jintaoand Premier Wen Jiabao, due to step downnext year.

A main obstacle to China’s economicreforms comes from within the governmentitself, Wang said, playing up his hands-offgovernance model ahead of that leadershiptransition. Wang’s less-is-more governing phi-losophy is a key element of what some ana-lysts have called the “Guangdong model” forChina’s future development, which contrastswith the more state-driven model champi-oned by his chief political rival, Chongqing’sBo. Some speculate Inner Mongolia’s Hu, oneof China’s youngest top politicians, is a candi-date for the wider Politburo. Hu deflected anyquestions on his possible rise, and insteadsettled on an issue that concerned him most:tackling poverty.

While coal-rich Inner Mongolia hasboomed in recent years on the back ofChina’s bounding economy, income inequali-ty has also surged, fueling widespread publicdiscontent there, as well as in much of therest of the country. “Our per capita GDP willlikely rise to more than $10,000 this year ornext. How can it be justified then that we willstill have a large population of poor people?We hope to resolve this within five or 10years.” — Reuters

Rising Chinese political stars step out in parliament

MANILA: Protesters light candles and display placards during a rally commemo-rating the 1st anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that strucknortheastern Japan on March 11, 2011, which killed more than 19,000 and trig-gered the Fukushima nuclear crisis, at the Japanese Embassy in Pasay south ofManila, Philippines yesterday. — AP

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Women and FamilyMinister Shahrizat Abdul Aziz, left, and her son,Wan Shahinur Izmir Salleh, right, arrive at acourthouse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, yester-day. Malaysian prosecutors have chargedShahrizat’s husband with misusing nearly 50million ringgit ($16 million) of funds meant fora government-backed cattle project. — AP

GENEVA: A scuffle broke out yesterday inthe UN Human Rights Council and a manwas detained by security after a NorthKorean diplomat said a critical report by anindependent expert had been fabricated.

North Korea said it “roundly rejects thisuseless interpretation” which it said was“fabricated by hostile elements” and itcalled on the council not to renew themandate of special rapporteur on humanrights Marzuki Darusman.

As North Korean delegate So Se Pyongwas leaving the hall a scuffle occurred anda man was held by UN security officialsbefore being later released. The disputeerupted when council members took noteof the report by Darusman, the UN specialrapporteur on human rights in NorthKorea.

The report covers the period fromSeptember 2011 to January 2012, when itsaid the situation in North Korea “continuedto deteriorate.” After the report was pre-sented, North Korea took the floor, fol-lowed by repesentatives of the EuropeanUnion and Japan.

As the Japanese representative wasabout to finish his speech, the NorthKorean diplomat stood up to leave and thescuffle broke out. Some diplomats saidSouth Korean parliamentarians tried toengage the North’s envoy. One of the menwho was stopped by UN security shouted,

“Remember Korean refugees.”Japan welcomed the report and urged

North Korea to find a solution to “the issueof abduction of Japanese nationals”. Tokyo,a former coloniser of the Korean Peninsula,and Pyongyang have no formal diplomaticrelations and their relations are oftenstrained, even hostile.

France said “serious and massive viola-tions of human rights” had taken place inNorth Korea and expressed “concern at thedeteriorating human rights situation notedin the UN expert’s report including sendingmany people to prison for political reasons”.

The EU and the United States notedconcern about the report while Cuba,Zimbabwe and Syria said it was a Westernattempt to undermine North Korea. Thereport said the human rights and humani-tarian situation in North Korea has deterio-rated in recent months, while adding thatthe leadership transition following KimJong-Il’s death in December was an oppor-tunity for reform.

“The current transition may be a win-dow of opportunity for the country toadopt a reform process and address allquestions and concerns in relation tohuman rights,” said Darusman. Kim Jong-Un took over as leader of the North Koreanregime after his father Kim Jong-Il’s deathon December 17 from a heart attack at theage of 69. —AFP

Scuffle after N Korea rejects ‘fabricated’ UN report

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian prosecutorscharged a minister’s husband yesterday withcriminal breach of trust and embezzlement in acase that threatens to tarnish the governmentahead of widely expected elections this year.Mohamad Salleh Ismail, husband of Malaysia’sWomen, Families and Communities MinisterShahrizat Abdul Jalil, is the chairman of a pub-licly funded cattle rearing project the politicalopposition said was used to pay for expensiveoverseas trips and luxury apartments.Mohamad Salleh could not immediately bereached for comment.

An official from the attorney general’s officesaid Mohamad Salleh was charged with twocounts of criminal breach of trust as well as twocounts of misusing nearly 50 million ringgitfrom the 250 million ringgit ($83.07 million)project. The 64-year-old pleaded not guilty toall counts.

The charges come a day after Shahrizat saidshe would resign

as a minister on April 8. She will remain asthe head of the women’s wing of Malaysia’s rul-ing party, the United Malays NationalOrganisation. The ‘Cowgate’ scandal, as it hasbeen dubbed, could be potentially damagingas the farmyard connection makes it easier forpoor rural Malays, who form the bedrock ofUMNO’s support, to relate to it than otherfinancial scandals.

Prime Minister Najib Razak in January froze

the assets of the National Feedlot Centre, whichwas supposed to make Malaysia 40 percentself-sufficient in beef production by 2010, andinstructed the anti-corruption commission toinvestigate. Yet the slow pace of the investiga-tions, denials of wrongdoing by Shahrizat’sfamily and fresh accusations appearing almostdaily on the opposition-dominated news web-sites have threatened to overshadow Najib’sreform pledges.

Najib’s approval ratings have risen to 69 per-cent in February from 59 percent in Augustafter the government handed out funds to low-er income households this year.

The handouts come as Najib seeks to winback support from voters in polls that must beheld by April 2013 but are likely to be called inthe first half of 2012 before a looming globalslowdown hits Malaysia.

Corruption and rising income and racialinequalities saw voters abandon Najib’sNational Front coalition, which UMNO domi-nates, in favour of the opposition that madehistoric gains in 2008.

While three government officials have facedcorruption charges in Najib’s campaign againstgraft since he took power in 2009, Malaysia hasnot done too well in TransparencyInternational’s corruption perceptions index.The southeast Asian country was ranked 60thout of the 182 nations in the index last year,down four places from 2010. — Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR: An Australianman has been charged with drugtrafficking in Malaysia, which car-ries a mandatory death penalty,his lawyer said yesterday, addingthe accused claimed he was mis-treated in custody.

Dominic Jude Christopher Bird,32, was charged with drug traffick-ing in a court on Friday, attorneyTania Scivetti said. Scivetti said shewas told of the charge by theAustral ian High Commission,which had been informed byMalaysian authorities, and com-plained that neither she noranother of Bird’s lawyers were

present for the hearing. She saidshe had no fur ther details butadded she and her colleague wereto meet with Bird today. KualaLumpur court officials have beenunable to confirm the charge toAFP. The truck driver from Perth inWestern Australia was arrestedMarch 1 in Kuala Lumpur, the capi-tal, in possession of 225 grammes(7.9 ounces) of methampheta-mine.

Police have said he was arrestedalong with another accomplice,and that three other people weresubsequently detained in relationto the case. Drug trafficking carries

a mandatory death penalty byhanging upon conviction inMalaysia. Anyone found to be inpossession of at least 50 grammesof methamphetamines is consid-ered a trafficker.

Scivetti said during a meetingwith Bird last Thursday he toldthem he was blindfolded andslapped while in custody. AnAustralian High Commission offi-cial who asked that her name notbe used said she could not com-ment on the specifics of the casebut said the high commission was“concerned” that Bird’s lawyerswere not present.

“The high commission is con-cerned about repor ts that thelawyers do not appear to havebeen notified of the hearings,” theofficial told AFP.

According to Malaysian govern-ment figures early last year, some700 prisoners, mostly men, wereon death row. More than two-thirds of those involved drugoffences. Since 1960 more than440 people have been executed,including two Australians whose1986 hanging for heroin traffickingmade headlines as the f irstWesterners executed under newtougher anti-drug laws. —AFP

Minister’s husband charged with graft

Australian faces death on Malaysia drug charges

I N T E R N AT ION A LTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry yesterdayordered news outlets to get prior approval beforesending mobile phone alerts about the military orpolice, a move press freedom groups decried asanother step towards greater censorship.

In a letter hand-delivered to news outletsincluding Reuters, Media Center for NationalSecurity (MCNS) Director-General LakshmanHulugalle said the new order was effective immedi-ately. “I have been instructed to inform you thatany news related to national security, security

forces, and the police should get prior approvalfrom the MCNS before dissemination,” Hulugallesaid in the letter, dated last Friday.

That was the same day local news outletsreported a murder-suicide that left three soldiersdead of gunshot wounds. It also came after reportsof a police officer’s arrest for soliciting a large bribe,and a botched abduction attempt blamed on sol-diers.

The MCNS comes under the defence ministry,and handles the public affairs function for the mili-

tary and police. Contacted by Reuters, Hulugalledenied there were any restrictions on what couldbe reported. “But we want to know what’s going tobe disseminated before it is being disseminated,”he said.

The new directive is the latest control imposedon news and information websites. The govern-ment is increasingly intolerant of criticism, and SriLanka has in recent years headed further down listsmeasuring international press freedom rankings.

“This is the first step in going for wider censor-

ship,” said Sunil Jayasekara, the head of Sri Lanka’sFree Media Movement. In November, the govern-ment required news websites to register with theMedia Ministry, a month after it blocked some sitescritical of the government.

The Indian Ocean island nation’s governmentfirst blocked some websites linked to the TamilTiger separatists during the final phase of a 25-yearcivil war, arguing the ban was acceptable in a timeof war, but the bans have grown since the end ofthe war in 2009. — Reuters

S Lanka to censor news alerts about military, police

BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel called intoquestion yesterday Germany’s planned pulloutfrom Afghanistan as she made a surprise trip to thewar-torn country a day after a US soldier massacred16 civilians.

The point has not yet been reached whereGermany can say “we can pull out today,” Merkelsaid as she visited troops stationed in Mazar-i-Sharif in the north of Afghanistan. “And therefore, Ican also not say that we will manage that by2013/2014. The will is there, we want to do thatand we are working towards that,” she said, accord-ing to German news agency DPA.

NATO said in January it was committed to with-drawing its combat troops from Afghanistan by theend of 2014. Tensions were running high in

Afghanistan as Merkel arrived following the ram-page by the US soldier who killed 16 villagersincluding women and children in their homes inthe Taleban heartland of Kandahar on Sunday.

In a telephone call to Afghan President HamidKarzai, Merkel vowed that everything would bedone to investigate what she called “the dreadfulact of the US soldier”. She expressed her personalcondolences and those of the German people toKarzai for the outrage, DPA cited her spokesmanSteffen Seibert as saying.

Merkel also congratulated Karzai for progressmade in building up Afghan security forces whilehe in turn expressed gratitude for Germany’s com-mitment to peace in the war-wracked country. Shealso urged Kabul to push forward the political rec-

onciliation process with armed groups like theTaleban. Germany is the third biggest supplier oftroops to the 130,000-strong NATO-ledInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF) afterthe United States and Britain.

It had 4,900 soldiers in Afghanistan as ofFebruary 1, but a further 500 are set to be with-drawn by 2013 before a complete pullout. Opinionpolls have shown that the German mission, the firstmajor Bundeswehr deployment outside of Europesince World War II, has been consistently unpopularin the country.

Sunday ’s massacre added to roiling anti-Western sentiment in Afghanistan over the burningof the Quran at a US base last month. Germany andseveral other NATO member states pulled theiradvisors from Afghan institutions after two mem-bers of the international force in Afghanistan wereshot dead in violence over the Quran incident.

The holy Quran burning ignited days of violentanti-US protests in which some 40 people died,plunging relations between foreign forces andtheir Afghan allies to an all-time low.

Sunday’s killing spree came as the United Statesand Afghanistan pursue difficult talks on securing astrategic pact to govern their partnership once for-eign combat troops leave Afghanistan, scheduledfor 2014. The proposed accord would likely coverthe legal status of any US troops remaining inAfghanistan to help Kabul with intelligence, airpower and logistics in the fight against Talebaninsurgents.

In her call to Karzai, the chancellor said a draftof the pact would be available this month. Merkellast visited Afghanistan in December 2010, to meetGerman soldiers just before Christmas. On thatoccasion she described the fighting there for thefirst time as “war”.

This is her fourth trip to Afghanistan since tak-ing office in 2005 and was planned before Sunday’smassacre. It was not announced in advance forsecurity reasons. Merkel also paid homage toGerman soldiers killed in Afghanistan since NATO-led troops first deployed to the country in 2002.

Fifty-two German soldiers have been killed, 34of them through enemy action, according to themilitary’s website. — AFP

Merkel questions 2014 German pullout in surprise Afghan trip

Urges to push forward reconciliation with Taleban

KATHMANDU: At a cafe near a Tibetanrefugee camp in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu,Tsewang Dolma stirs her iced tea nervouslyas she talks of her fears for the future of herpeople. She worries she will be followedhome and arrested again, yet the 27-year-old is one of the few Tibetans in Nepal keento speak about what they see as an increas-ingly hardline approach by the governmentto their community.

“It’s not easy because we have no free-dom. We are refugees here. Things havechanged and people feel very suffocated,”she said ahead of commemorations lastSaturday to mark the 1959 uprising againstChinese rule in Tibet. For decades, Nepal hasbeen a safe haven for Tibetans fleeing Chinabut activists say their people’s peaceful exis-tence is at threat because of Beijing’s grow-ing influence over its Himalayan neighbour.

Campaigners believe the wave ofprotests against Chinese rule that began inTibet in March 2008 and the resulting crack-down has transformed the attitude ofNepal’s government. Arrests of activists inKathmandu have become frequent in recentyears and the periods of detention are get-ting longer, activists say.

In February, Nepal police arrested 13 stu-dents protesting in front of the UnitedNations headquarters in Kathmandu, releas-ing them only after they had spent twoweeks in jail. “They were just taking part in ahuman rights protest and they were arrest-ed. Before, when people got arrested theywould be released on the same night,” saidDolma, who has been detained twice inrecent months.

“We get information that they got ordersfrom China to be kept in detention for solong.” Nepal-born Dolma, the president ofthe Nepal chapter of the Tibetan YouthCongress, said pre-emptive arrests andlarge-scale police deployment in her com-munity were contributing to fear and inse-curity.

“They don’t allow any Tibetan to do any-thing freely,” she told AFP. “I don’t know whatreally changed but it’s all Chinese influence.It was bad but now it’s worse.” At Saturday’s1959 commemorations, Kathmandu policearrested 22 Tibetans for “suspicious activi-ties” at demonstrations that were more mut-

ed than in previous years as hundreds ofofficers looked on.

For three decades Nepal welcomedTibetans into the country after the uprising,issuing them with refugee identity certifi-cates, known as the “RC”. But the govern-ment has refused since 1998 to issue RCs toTibetans, including children born in Nepal torefugee parents.

“I have a lot of friends who don’t haveRCs and they face so many problems. Theywere born here but they don’t have citizen-ship,” said Dolma. “If they want to go abroadfor study, they can’t. And if you want to workin a bank they require Nepali citizenshipdocuments.”

Analysts say while India has traditionallybeen the influential player in Nepal, China ismaking in-roads in a nation that is recover-ing after a decade-long civil war came to anend in 2006.

Impoverished Nepal, home to 20,000exiles from Tibet, appears keen to seek fur-ther Chinese aid. In January Chinese PremierWen Jiabao and his Nepalese counterpartBaburam Bhattarai discussed investmentfrom Beijing for infrastructure projects thatcould amount to billions of dollars. In return,Nepal expressed support for Beijing’s “one-China” policy which states that Tibet is anintegral part of the Chinese territory.

In the last few months rights groupsincluding the International Commission ofJurists, Human Rights Watch and theUnited Nations’ Office of the HighCommissioner for Human Rights, havevoiced concerns over Nepal’s hard line onits Tibetan community. And Tibetan groupssuch as the US-based InternationalCampaign for Tibet say the change in atti-tude is increasingly apparent.

“The characterisation of peaceful Tibetancommunity activities and demonstrationsas anti-Chinese clearly reflects China’s agen-da in Nepal,” an ICT spokeswoman told AFP.Chinese authorities declined to commentbut Nepal’s Home Ministry said its policywas to arrest Tibetans for “agitation againstthe Chinese government in sensitive loca-tions inside Nepal”. “We have a policy fornot allowing any activities against ourfriendly neighbour China,” said spokesmanShankar Prasad Koirala. — AFP

Tibetans ‘suffocated’ by Chinese influence

NEW DELHI: Tibetan childredn born in-exile walk over an effigy representing ChinesePresident Hu Jintao during a protest march marking the 53rd anniversary of the TibetanWomen’s Uprising Day in New Delhi yesterday. — AFP

MAZAR-E-SHARIF: German chancellor Angela Merkel, second right, Chief of Federal Armed ForcesStaff, Volker Wieker, left, and the German commander Erich Pfeffer, right, visit the memorial for killedGerman soldiers in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, yesterday. — AP

PESHAWAR: Pakistani bomb disposal squad personnel are pictured with a defused explo-sive device which was found inside a car in Peshawar yesterday. The Bomb Disposal Squaddefused some 40kgs of explosives in an abandoned car parked in Peshawar. — AFP

Britain’s Haguesued over Pakistan

drone attacksLONDON: A British law firm said on Sunday it was to sueForeign Secretary William Hague on behalf of a Pakistani manover claims that British intelligence was used to assist USdrone attacks. London-based Leigh Day and Co confirmedthey would issue formal proceedings at Britain’s High Court onbehalf of Noor Khan, whose father was killed by a US strike inPakistan. Lawyers will claim that civilian intelligence officerswho pass on intelligence to the US are not “lawful combat-ants”, therefore cannot claim immunity from criminal law andcould be liable as “secondary parties to murder”. They will alsoargue that the immunity clause does not apply as Pakistan isnot currently involved in an “international armed conflict”.

“There is credible, unchallenged evidence that (Hague) isoperating a policy of passing intelligence to officials or agentsof the US government and that he considers such a policy tobe in ‘strict accordance’ with the law,” Richard Stein, head ofhuman rights at Leigh Day, said in a statement.

“If this is the case, the Secretary of State has misunder-stood one or more of the principles of international law gov-erning immunity for those involved in armed attacks onbehalf of a state.” Britain’s Foreign Office said it would notcomment on legal or intelligence matters.

Khan says his father, Malik Daud, was killed by a drone mis-sile while at a council of elders meeting in northwest Pakistan.Drone attacks have become a key feature of US PresidentBarack Obama’s fight against terrorism in Pakistan, but manyinhabitants are deeply unhappy about the civilian death tollincurred in the raids.

Meanwhile, Pakistan yesterday invited Islamist militantgroups including the Taleban for peace talks and said bannedorganisations would be delisted if they “closed down their mil-itant wings”. Pakistan has banned more than 30 militant out-fits, including Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan andLashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the group blamed by New Delhi andWashington for the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

“If the proscribed organisations assure us that they haveclosed down their militant wings and abandoned extremism,then we would like to meet them in next few days,” InteriorMinister Rehman Malik told reporters. Pakistan has facedheavy criticism for not doing more to clampdown on thegroups, many of which are allowed to operate freely undernew names, such as Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a UN blacklisted charityconsidered a front for LeT.

Despite a relative decline in high-profile attacks, there hasbeen a recent surge in bombings in the northwest blamed onthe Taleban and their accomplices. “We have been contactedby several banned organisations that want to sit and talk. Ifthey want to give up militancy we will talk to them as we arerevising the list of proscribed organisations,” Malik said. He didnot identify any group but said that the government had“even offered the Taliban to give up militancy and join the fed-eration”. According to an AFP tally, Islamist militants havekilled more than 4,900 people across Pakistan since govern-ment troops raided an extremist mosque in Islamabad in July2007. The military says more than 3,000 soldiers have died.

There were about 120 bomb attacks in Pakistan in 2011, upfrom 96 in 2010, but fewer than the 203 in 2009, according toan AFP tally. — AFP

DHAKA: Thousands of Bangladeshi troopspatrolled the streets of Dhaka yesterday asopposition parties prepared for a mass protestcalling for the government to step down andhold elections.

Schools and shops were closed and roadsin the capital were empty ahead of the rally,which has been planned for months by theBangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and itsallies. Media reports said thousands of opposi-tion activists were detained ahead of theevent, but police denied any organised crack-down. “These are regular arrests nothing to dowith the opposition grand rally,” deputy com-missioner of Dhaka police Monirul Islam toldAFP. Islam said at least 15,000 policemen andborder guards were deployed in Dhaka to pre-vent violence.

Bus and ferry services to the city were also

suspended, making it hard for opposition sup-porters to travel from rural areas. BNPspokesman Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir toldAFP that at least 3,000 people had beendetained nationwide over the last four days.

“Police have been holding our officials andsupporters en masse,” Alamgir said. TheProthom Alo newspaper said more than 2,800had been held since Wednesday. Oppositionanger has been growing since the govern-ment, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, lastyear scrapped a neutral caretaker system foroverseeing elections.

Bangladesh politics have often eruptedinto violence, with the last serious outbreak ofstreet fighting between rival party activists in2006 when several people were killed. Thenext national election is due to be held by ear-ly 2014. — AFP

KUNAR: An avalanche engulfed houses andcut off roads in eastern Afghanistan yester-day, killing at least 45 people, the latest vic-tims in the country’s worst winter in 30years. Heavy snow blanketed 13 houses andblocked roads leading into a district ofNuristan province, near the border withPakistan, preventing help from reachingavalanche victims, deputy provincial gover-nor Mohammad Nabi Ahmadi said.

An entire village in northernBadakhshan province was covered by anavalanche almost a week ago, killing atleast 50 people. Though avalanches arecommon in the mountainous north andeast, the latest deaths are particularlypainful during a winter that has killeddozens in the capital Kabul and created fur-ther food shortages in one of the world’spoorest countries. — Reuters

Avalanche inAfghanistan kills 45

Bangladesh opposition holds mass rally in Dhaka

DHAKA: Supporters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) attend a rallyorganised by the BNP and allies in Dhaka yesterday. Thousands of Bangladeshi troopspatrolled the streets of Dhaka as opposition parties prepared for a mass protest callingfor the government to step down and hold elections. — AFP

N E W STUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

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increase production due to a looming cut in Iranianoil exports. “We do not expect any special request toincrease production,” Farouk Al-Zanki, the chief execu-tive officer of state-owned Kuwait PetroleumCorporation, told reports at the forum. He said the statewas pumping around three million barrels per day andwas working on building its spare capacity. “If there isspare capacity and there is demand for it, you will hearabout it,” he added.

Energy-hungry Japan and South Korea earlier thisyear held energy talks with Gulf states aimed to securealternative oil resources in case Iran sanctions hit theirimports. Last Tuesday EU foreign affairs chief CatherineAshton said on behalf of Britain, China, France, Russia,the United States and Germany that they were ready tohold talks with Iran. Last week, the OPEC oil carteltrimmed its 2012 global oil demand growth forecast forthe second time in two months because of worriesabout developed countries’ economies and highercrude prices.

The Energy Minister of the United Arab Emirates,Mohammad bin Dhaen Al-Hamli, acknowledged that oilprices were high and blamed it on uncertainties in theMiddle East. “The prices are on the high side, but reallyprices are reacting to what is happening in the Middle

East,” he told reporters on the first day of the forum.Angola’s oil minister also blamed geopolitical concernsfor the surge in oil prices, but he said he did not expectcrude prices to rocket to the 2008 levels of around $150per barrel. “Oil prices are rising because of geopolitics...but are unlikely to rise to the levels seen in 2008,” saidJose Maria Botelho de Vasconcelos on the sidelines ofthe forum, according to Dow Jones newswire. “I think$110-115 is a good price range,” he added.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) blamed a weak growth in the OECD economies,mainly the situation in Europe, in addition to high oilprices, for the expected ease in demand. It also pointedto tensions between Iran and the West and speculationabout Israeli military action against Tehran. The 12-member cartel, which accounts for about 30 percent ofglobal crude oil output, now expects daily demand thisyear of 88.63 million barrels per day, down from its fore-cast a month ago of 88.76 million bpd, it said in itsMarch monthly report.

This still represents growth compared to 2011, whendemand was 87.77 million bpd, according to OPEC fig-ures that were revised slightly downwards. On March 1,West Texas Intermediate crude hit $110.5 per barrel, thehighest since May 2011, while Brent North Sea cruderocketed to $128.4 a barrel, the highest since July 2009.— AFP

Oil price volatility in focus at energy meet

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Israeli leaders, however, arguethat time is quickly running out.They have grown increasingly vocalin their calls for tough concertedinternational action against Iranwhile stressing they are prepared toact alone if necessary. Israelidefense officials believe Iran is capa-ble of producing highly enrichedweapons-grade uranium within sixmonths. After that, it would requireanother year or two to develop ameans of delivering a nuclearbomb, they predict.

But Israel believes the window toact will close much sooner thanthat. Officials say in the comingmonths Iran will have movedenough of its nuclear facilitiesunderground and out of reach ofconventional airpower, and that theworld will be powerless to stop it.Defense Minister Ehud Barak callsthis the “zone of immunity”. Defenseofficials acknowledge that plans togo after Iran have been in the worksfor years, with the air force expectedto take the lead in what would bean extremely complicated opera-tion. The officials spoke on condi-tion of anonymity because theywere discussing sensitive militarydeliberations.

Israel has a total of 300 war-planes, but about 100 frontlineplanes would participate in the mis-sion, officials suggest. They wouldinclude attack aircraft as well as oth-ers used to escort, target enemywarplanes and anti-aircraft batteriesand provide support like communi-cations and search and rescue. Themost powerful is the squadron of 24F15i warplanes, American-made air-craft capable of carrying heavy pay-loads that could include 2,200 kg,laser-guided GBU-28 bombs pur-chased from the US. These “bunker-busting” bombs would be at theheart of any operation.

In addition, Israel has foursquadrons, or about 100, F-16i war-planes. These planes are more nim-ble in the air, capable of attackingground targets but also ideal forescorting the heavier attacking air-craft. The air force also has devel-oped long-range unmanned dronesthat can provide intelligence, com-munications and other support inany mission. Experts believe thatsome of the Israeli warplanes, evenF16s with upgraded fuel tanks,could not make the round trip with-out refueling in flight - dependingon the route as well as the weight oftheir payload. Israel, which has eighttanker planes, can refuel an airplanein flight in a matter of minutes,though it’s unclear where the taskwould take place since much of theairspace in the region is hostile.

There is precedent: Israeli war-planes destroyed an unfinished Iraqinuclear reactor in 1981, and did thesame thing to a nascent reactor inSyria in 2007. But an operation in

Iran would be far more difficult -complicated by distance, strongerIranian defenses and the Iranianstrategy of scattering its nuclearinstallations in underground loca-tions. The Israeli air force has carriedout a series of long-distance train-ing runs that could serve as modelsfor striking Iran. In 2008, 100 jetsparticipated in a drill in Greece. Theair force has carried out similar drillsmore recently with both Greece andItaly, officials say.

Probable targets in Iran, includ-ing the Natanz and Fordo enrich-ment facilities south of Tehran, liesome 1,600 km from Israel. Shafir,the former air force officer, saidplanners would need to chooseamong three likely flight paths, allof which carry grave risks. The short-est, most direct flight would be tocross over neighboring Jordan andthrough Iraq. Neither country hasthe capability to stop an Israeli war-planes from crossing through its air-space. But this would deeply embar-rass them.

Such an operation would raisethe likelihood of a diplomatic spatwith Jordan, Israel’s closest ally inthe Arab world, and potentiallyexpose Jordan to Iranian retaliation.Jordanian officials refused to com-ment on how the governmentwould react if Israel uses its air-space. A second route would be tofly south and through Saudi Arabia.The Saudis have no relations withIsrael, and while they feel deeplythreatened by a nuclear Iran, anysigns of cooperation with theJewish state would unleash fiercecriticism throughout the Arabworld. The Saudis would also be aneasy target for an Iranian counter-strike.

The last possibility would becrossing through Turkey, as Israelillicitly did in the 2007 airstrike inSyria. But Turkey is believed to haveupgraded its radar systems sincethen, and Israel’s relations withTurkey, once a close ally, have dete-riorated. A Turkish official said it was“out of the question” for Israel to useTurkish airspace. He said the jetswould be “brought down” if Israelattempted to use the airspace with-out permission. He spoke on condi-tion of anonymity because he wasnot authorized to comment publiclyon the matter. Once Israeli planesreach Iran, they would come underfire from Iranian air-defense systemsand warplanes. Israeli officials saythey take these threats seriously,but believe Israel’s superior firepow-er and radar-jamming technologywould allow them to perform themission.

Iran’s air attack capabilitiesdepend heavily on domesticallymodified versions of long-outdatedwarplanes, including former SovietMiGs and American F14A Tomcatsfrom the 1970s. Iran is also believedto possess retooled versions ofRussia’s state-of-the-art S-300 anti-

aircraft missiles, as well as advancedChinese radar systems. Russia hasheld up an official sale of S-300defenses for five years, citing techni-cal glitches. Outside experts sayIranian capabilities, particularlyhomegrown technologies, are limit-ed.

The biggest challenge to Israelmay be the limits of its firepower.Iran’s main uranium-enrichmentfacility at Natanz is believed to beabout six meters underground andprotected by two concrete walls.This would stretch the capabilitiesof Israel’s arsenal of bunker bustersand explains why the Israelis wouldmuch prefer that the US take thelead in an operation. The U.S. hasforces near Iran in the Gulf and pos-sesses bunker busters even morepowerful than Israel’s.

Iran has also been shifting itsenrichment operations to the farmore fortified Fordo site, dug 90 minto a mountain south of Tehran.Further complicating the task, Israeliofficials say Iran uses specialRussian-made nets that conceal thefacilities and distort the detection ofWestern spycraft. Iran has threat-ened to retaliate and has developedsophisticated Shahab missiles capa-ble of striking the Jewish state. Italso could encourage its local prox-ies, Hezbollah in Lebanon andHamas in the Gaza Strip, to unleashtheir arsenals of tens of thousands ofrockets. Hezbollah has not said whatit would do, while Hamas has sig-naled it does not want to getdragged into an Israel-Iran war.

Nonetheless, Israel has developeda series of air-defense systems forthe various threats. It has beguntesting the third generation of itsArrow system, designed to shootdown incoming missiles from moredistant origins like Iran. It also hasdeployed its “Iron Dome” rocketdefense system, which has success-fully shot down about 90 percent ofincoming rockets from Gaza in anew round of fighting in recent days.

Many experts believe Iran wouldretaliate against American targets inthe Gulf, as well as US allies likeSaudi Arabia for their perceived sup-port of an Israeli strike. Any unilater-al strike would likely also draw fierceinternational criticism. That meansan Israeli operation would have tobe short-lived, perhaps a onetimeattack, and not a sustained air cam-paign. Scott Johnson, an analyst atthe IHF Jane’s military research firm,said that given these limitations,Israel would at best set back, but notneutralize, the Iranian program.Success, he added, would dependon the effectiveness of the bunkerbusters. Danny Yatom, a formerdirector of Israel’s Mossad spyagency, said even if Israel cannotdestroy Iran’s nuclear program alto-gether, a serious disruption wouldbe enough. “This might delay theappearance of the bomb by manyyears,” he said. — AP

Israel plans for Iran go back years

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misleading the internationalcommunity or manipulating theSecurity Council.”

The grisly murders in Homs cameafter UN-Arab League peace envoyKofi Annan warned on Sunday thatthe situation in Syria had reached a“dangerous” level, as he failed toconclude a deal to end violencerocking the country during a week-end mission to Damascus. “Thereare grave and appalling reports ofatrocities and abuses (in Syria),”Annan told reporters in Ankarabefore meeting Turkish PrimeMinister Tayyip Erdogan. “Killings ofcivilians must end now. The worldmust send a clear and united mes-sage that this is simply unaccept-able.”

Hadi Abdallah, a Syrian activist inHoms, told AFP the bodies of 26children and 21 women, some withtheir throats slit and others bearingstab wounds, were found after a“massacre” in the Karm El-Zaytounand Al-Adawiyeh neighbourhoodsof the besieged central city. “Someof the children had been hit withblunt objects on their heads, one lit-tle girl was mutilated and somewomen were raped before beingkilled,” he said. “We received thebodies in two batches ... we tried togo to see if there were any survivorsbut they were all dead,” said a med-ical worker, who called himselfYazan. “I saw two females who wereraped, one was around 12 or 13years old. She was covered in bloodand her underclothes were off. Oneof the women was strangled; shehad bruises on her neck. Some ofthe bodies I saw, especially the chil-dren, had their throats slit.”

Activists posted videos onlinethat showed graphic images of

charred bodies and children withmutilated and bloodied faces.Syrian state television also airedgruesome footage showing homeswith white walls splattered withblood, bodies of women and chil-dren piled on top of each other, andseveral men, with bullet wounds tothe head, lying facing down in a dis-used building, their hands tiedbehind their backs.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of theSyrian Observatory for HumanRights, said news of the killings inHoms had prompted hundreds offamilies to flee the city for fear of anew massacre. Syrian state TV saidthe weekend killings were a clearploy by “armed terrorist gangs” tograb the spotlight ahead of yester-day’s meeting of foreign ministersfrom key UN Security Councilnations in New York. “We are used tothem committing more crimesbefore meetings of the UN SecurityCouncil,” it said, while denouncing“hysteria” in the media over eventsin Syria. Information Minister AdnanMahmoud told AFP: “Terrorist gangscarried out the most horrible mas-sacre in the Karm El-Zaytoun neigh-bourhood of Homs... in order toincite international reaction againstSyria.” Activists contacted in Homsaccused pro-Assad “shabbiha” militi-amen of carrying out the killings.

In New York, Britain’s Haguecalled for the Security Council topass a resolution which calls for “animmediate end to the brutal repres-sion and violations of human rights”and support for Annan’s peace mis-sion. France’s Juppe said: “It is unac-ceptable that our council bestopped from assuming its responsi-bilities. After months of blocking, Iappeal to China and Russia to hearthe voices of the Arabs and theworld conscience and join us.” In his

address, Lavrov renewed Moscow’swarnings about the perils of anydrive for regime change. Withoutreferring specifically to Westerncountries, Lavrov said that unilateralsanctions, moves for “regimechange” and encouraging the Syrianopposition were “risky recipes ofgeopolitical engineering which canonly result in a spread of the con-flict.”

According to the Britain-basedSyrian Observatory, more than8,500 people have been killed inSyria since the outbreak of therevolt against President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime a year ago. Activistssaid the army launched a newassault yesterday in the restivenorthwestern province of Idlib andthe city of the same name, wherethey reported residents suffering“indescribable” humanitarian condi-tions. “The army bombarded theDbeit district in Idlib city andpounded the Ath-Thawra neigh-bourhood, where several buildingscollapsed,” an anti-regime activist inthe city told AFP via Skype, givinghis name only as Yasser. “ Thehumanitarian situation is indescrib-able, the residents are totally with-out water and electricity, and com-munications have been cut off,” headded.

While the army controls someparts of the city that were wrestedfrom the rebels in an assault onSaturday, others remain in thehands of the insurgents. Annan onhis first mission to Syria to attemptto secure a halt to the violence,acknowledged in Damascus onSunday that ending the violencewould be “tough” but said heremained optimistic. He added,however: “The situation is so badand so dangerous that all of us can-not afford to fail.” — Agencies

Civilians massacred in Homs, hundreds flee

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Haji Agha Lalai, who hosted a large gathering of tribalelders from Panjwayi district in his Kandahar home.

US President Barack Obama telephoned AfghanPresident Hamid Karzai to promise a speedy investigationinto the “shocking” killings, and an American soldier is inmilitary detention over the shootings. The detained soldierwas described by US officials as a staff sergeant who wasmarried with three children. He had served three Iraq toursbut was on his first Afghan deployment. Sunday’s massacreposes an acute test of the US-Afghan alliance, as the twocountries pursue difficult talks on securing a strategic pactto govern their partnership once foreign combat troopsleave Afghanistan in 2014. Any deal would address the legalstatus of US troops who may remain to help prevent thecountry falling back into the hands of the Taleban, whowere toppled in 2001 for sheltering Al-Qaeda leader Osamabin Laden.

“The killings in Kandahar cast a long shadow over nego-tiations on a strategic partnership deal and certainly givegreater leverage to Karzai,” Candace Rondeaux of theInternational Crisis Group told AFP. “The question of immu-nity for US troops remaining in the country after the end ofcombat operations in 2014 will come to the forefront.”

Karzai spoke by telephone with the families of thosekilled, including Rafihullah, a 15-year-old boy wounded inthe leg who told the president the soldier had torn the

dresses of the women in the house and insulted them. “Hecame to my uncle’s home, he was running after women, hewas tearing their dresses, insulting them,” Rafihullah said onan audiotape of the conversation heard by AFP. “He killedmy uncle and killed our servant and killed my grandma, heshot dead my uncle’s son, his daughter,” the boy said.

The Taleban wasted no time in trying to capitalise onthe killings, sending fighters to mosques in Kandahar’sPanjwayi district as the funerals of the victims of the shoot-ings took place, urging villagers to rise up. “They weretelling the people: ‘The invading infidel Americans come toyour homes, insult your women and kill your children, whatare you waiting for? You should come out and demon-strate’,” local resident Abdul Khaliq told AFP. Kandahar is astronghold of the Taleban fighting to oust Karzai’s govern-ment, which is supported by some 130,000 US-led NATOtroops.

Afghan resentment of US forces was also provoked inJanuary by a video posted online showing US Marines uri-nating on the bloodied corpses of slain Afghan insurgents -an incident condemned by the Pentagon. In November,the ringleader of a rogue American “kill team” charged withmurder for shooting civilians for sport was found guiltyand sentenced to life in prison by a military panel. But thevast majority of civilian deaths in the Afghan war are attrib-uted to the Taleban. A total of 3,021 civilians died in thewar last year, according to a UN report, which blamed 77percent of the deaths on the militia. — AFP

Afghan outrage grows over GI’s brutal...Continued from Page 1

ceasefire. But Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed factionbehind most of the rocket fire, said any truce should includean undertaking by Israel “to end assassinations”.

The exchanges began after two chiefs of the PopularResistance Committees (PRC) faction, accused by Israel ofplanning to attack it through Egypt’s Sinai desert, were killedin an Israeli strike on Friday. Israel signalled that it would nothalt what it calls “preventive targeting” operations aimed atstopping rocket fire and cross-border attacks. Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu told members of his Likud party inParliament: “The Israeli army will continue to attack the terror-ists in Gaza with strength and determination.” He also said theIsraeli military was prepared to widen its operations and con-tinue them for as long as necessary.

That prospect would revive memories of the 2008-2009Gaza war in which some 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israeliswere killed. But Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai told ArmyRadio: “Israel is not keen to see an escalation, Israel is not keento hurt innocents, Israel is absolutely opposed to this. For now,it is on this kind of scale. But if it will prove protracted, thenwithout a doubt there will be a powerful, painful blow so thatthis will not continue.”

The Palestinian attacks against Israel disrupted normal lifein the south and forced many schools to close on Sunday andyesterday. Alerts to residents of southern towns to take shelterfrom incoming rockets punctuated radio programs. IslamicJihad and the PRC, armed groups largely independent ofIslamist Hamas, have said they fired most of the scores of rock-

ets launched at Israel since Friday. Some experts in Gazabelieve Hamas had provided some smaller groups withammunition but avoided direct participation out of concernIsrael would step up its attacks in the enclave. Hamas is alsoeager to avoid any long-term military campaign as it strugglesto adapt to political upheaval in Arab countries such as Egypt,which shares a border with Gaza, and in Syria, where thegroup has abandoned its traditional headquarters.

Washington - Israel’s principle ally - and the United Nationsexpressed concern at the violence. “Once again civilians arepaying a terrible price,” Ban told the UN Security Council. Hedenounced rocket attacks on Israel as “unacceptable” andurged Israel to “exercise maximum restraint”. In her remarks tothe council, Clinton condemned the rocket fire at Israel andurged both sides to restore calm. But she did not specificallymention the Israeli air strikes nor the dozens of Palestiniancasualties.

France and Russia also both appealed for an end to thefighting and stressed the need to avoid civilian suffering. ArabLeague Secretary-General Nabil al-Araby issued a statementin Cairo condemning the Israeli raids and urged the SecurityCouncil to step in and “stop the aggression”. Gaza, home to 1.7million people, was under Israeli occupation from 1967 until2005 and remains under blockade. Hamas has controlledGaza since 2007 and is fighting for an independentPalestinian state but has shunned the stalled peace processsupervised by international powers and refuses to recognisethe Jewish state. Islamic Jihad is less influential than Hamasbut shares the same ideology, which advocates Israel’s ulti-mate destruction. — Reuters

Israel-Gaza bloodshed rages into fourth day

RIYADH: Saudi KingAbdullah bin Abdul Aziz

(right) meets hisJordanian counterpart

Abdullah II (center) andhis son Crown Prince

Hussein yesterday. — AFP

14o p i n i o nTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

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By Ritu Daou

A year on, civil war looms over Syria

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President Bashar Al-Assad’s rule in Syria is bound toend, but the country risks partition or civil war after ayear of mass protests and deadly repression, analysts

say. “If you asked us one year ago if Bashar Al-Assad couldbe on his way out, many people would have said no way.Today, I believe the regime is losing, it is running out oftime,” said Salman Shaikh of the Brookings Institute. “A yearon, even though this is proving to be a very tough nut tocrack, it still shows that the uprising is alive and well andwill likely lead to the end of this regime,” said the Doha-based analyst.

The uprising that has shaken one of the Middle East’smost autocratic regimes erupted on March 15, 2011, whena group of youths no older than 14 scrawled graffiti on thewalls of their school in the southern Daraa province. “Thepeople demand the fall of the regime,” they daubed on thewalls, echoing protesters in Tunisia and Egypt, where massdemonstrations drove from power veteran strongmendespised by their people.

The Syrian authorities responded with brutality, arrest-ing the youths and throwing them in jail, triggeringprotests by relatives which were repressed with deadlyforce. At the same time two small protests were held in theiconic Damascus Hamidiyeh and Marja markets urging therelease of political prisoners. More protests then eruptedacross Syria, with people emboldened after decades of fearunder the Assad family’s iron-fisted rule flooding onto thestreets demanding change.

Assad responded by promising a string of reforms,including an end to decades of emergency rule, a lawallowing the creation of political parties and a new consti-tution stripping his Baath Party of its monopoly. But theviolent crackdown by regime forces against demonstra-tions and the mounting death toll stripped Assad’s reformpledges of any credibility. “The Syrian revolution is differentfrom the other Arab Spring movements due to the hugesacrifices made by the people and the unprecedentedrepression” of the regime, said university professor KhattarAbu Diab. “The regime is authoritarian to the bone and Ithink that its methods are even worse than Stalin’s repres-sion,” said Abu Diab, who teaches international relations atParis-Sud University.

At least 8,500 people have been killed in the Syriancrackdown on dissent since last March, according to theSyrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. Inrecent weeks the regime has stepped up its militaryassaults, targeting the central province of Homs and thenorthwestern province of Idlib in particular, in a bid tocrush rebel fighters with the Free Syrian Army. “The degreeof repression forced people to defend themselves... Theregime did everything in its power to militarise a protestmovement which had sprung up from the grassroots andwas peaceful in nature,” said Abu Diab.

Over the months the popular slogan “God, Syria,Freedom”, chanted mantra-like by tens of thousands ofdemonstrators, was replaced by another slogan resound-ing at the rallies: “Yes to arming the Free Syrian Army.” SomeArab countries like oil kingpin Saudi Arabia have also calledfor the arming of the heavily-outgunned rebels who arebattling the regime forces in a number of flashpoint areas.But world powers including the United States have warnedof the dangerous consequences of foreign intervention.

And despite a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situa-tion, world powers remain deeply divided over how tosolve the deadly crisis, with Russia and China twice wield-ing their veto power at the UN Security Council on resolu-tions damning the Syrian regime. “There is a deadlockinside Syria and around it due to the cold war” betweenMoscow and the West, said Abu Diab. He argues that therevolution in Syria is different from those that rockedTunisia and Egypt, “where the armed forces were influ-enced by the West” and therefore rallied around the peo-ple. And in Libya, where rebels ended the 42-year rule ofMuammar Gaddafi, “oil was the bait that attracted (NATO)intervention”. “In Syria there is no such attraction,” he added.

Analysts also warn about the risk of civil war in Syriaand partition of the country between the majority Sunnisand the minority Alawite community of the Assad dynastywho now hold the reins of power. “Arming the oppositionwill only fuel further a sectarian civil conflict because themajority of Alawites are increasingly becoming more andmore fearful for their fate and more entrenched,” saidShaikh. This situation “may lead to massacres in the future”,said the Brookings Institute expert. Abu Diab agrees, warn-ing against the emergence of an Alawite state that couldlink forces with Hezbollah, the Shiite militants inLebanon.—AFP

Down but not out, sick Chavez seeks reelection By Mica Rosenberg and Diego Ore

Cranes tower over new apartment blocksin Venezuela’s capital where PresidentHugo Chavez’s government plans to

house 20,000 poor families as part of a pop-ulist pre-election spending push. Though fin-ished, the buildings stand empty - waitingfor the usual fanfare inauguration of suchprojects by Chavez himself. The socialistleader is in Cuba convalescing after a thirdcancer surgery, so the question is when - oreven if - Chavez will be strong enough to cutthe ribbon. The charismatic Chavez has beenin campaign mode for most of his 13-yearrule, and his signature style of personallymeeting the beneficiaries of his welfare pro-grams has helped him win reelection andextend his powers in the South Americannation.

Now facing potentially debilitating radia-tion treatment or after a second malignanttumor was removed from his pelvis, theonce-inexhaustible Chavez, 57, is beingforced to slow down just as he goes intowhat could be his toughest election yet.“Unfortunately you are not going to see thatmuch of me,” a reflective Chavez said fromCuba, where he is recovering from surgerylate last month after a recurrence of the can-cer that struck him in 2011. “I’m forced toconfront this new situation, to rethink mypersonal agenda and take better care ofmyself.” Chavez has denied rumors that hiscancer has spread but if his health worsensand less-popular ministers are pushed intothe spotlight on his behalf, voters will won-der if a weakened Chavez can govern foranother six-year term. Nobody, though, iswriting off a man who has overcome somuch in the past - US opposition, massivestreet protests, a strike that paralyzed the oilindustry and a coup that briefly toppled himfrom power.

With savvy use of media and the internet,and drawing on his unique emotional con-nection with the poor, Chavez still has a highchance of triumphing yet again if he can staywell enough. That might mean running a “vir-tual” campaign largely from Caracas andmaking the most of any personal appear-ances he is able to make in slums and ruralareas. “He won’t be in physical shape to visitevery corner of the country,” said Glen

Martinez, who runs a pro-Chavez communityradio station in a hilly neighborhood spray-painted with murals of Mexican guerrillaleader Subcomandante Marcos and ofMuammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader top-pled and killed last year. “But it doesn’t mat-ter, if he can’t come here, we will go to him,wherever he does show up.”

The cancer saga appears to have tight-ened the bond with Chavez’s most militantbackers. One pollster said last month’s newsgave him a 5 percent popularity bumpamong hard-core supporters. “Whoeverbelieves Chavez is destroyed doesn’t under-stand anything. Even now, at this difficultmoment, he has half the nation behind him,”said another pollster, Luis Vicente Leon.Unless Chavez’s health veers into full recov-ery or a fatal downturn, the key to the elec-tion will likely be how the roughly one-thirdof undecided voters view a sick candidate.

Formal surveys and interviews on thestreet show no clear trend yet, although inpast elections they have tended to backChavez. There are, however, universal worriesabout instability and the lackof a clear successor toChavez. “We have noidea if tomorrowChavez will be okayor have the samestrength,” saidB e a t r i zColmenares, 52,describing herselfas a “thermome-ter ” for herCaracas apartmentbuilding becauseshe mixes with bothChavez and opposi-tion supporters. “Noone trusts the peoplewho are behind him.He just moves themaround like chesspieces but they arealways the same,”added Colmenares,who rents phones fora living.

Chavez’s person-ality-driven adminis-tration has prevent-

ed the cultivation of an obvious heir, with allthe senior figures around him lacking charis-ma and popularity on the street. ManyVenezuelans also tend to blame them, morethan Chavez, for rampant corruption, nepo-tism and inefficiency in services. Trying toquash rumors of in-fighting, Chavez’s aidesare repeating a mantra that he remains at thehelm. “Not only are we sure that he will beour candidate, but that he will win onOctober 7,” said the head of Congress,Diosdado Cabello. “It’s going to be hard toput the brakes on the president... we’ll findthe right form of campaign.”

The undecideds will inevitably contrastsigns of Chavez’s physical weakness with theimage of youth and energy projected byopposition candidate Henrique Capriles, a 39-year-old, motorbike-riding, baseball cap-wearing state governor. Mocked as a“chameleon” by Chavez, he is emulating thepresident’s on-the-ground approach with dai-ly trips into the slums. Campaign videos showhim giving houses built by the state govern-ment to elderly women and playing basket-

ball with young people in poorneighborhoods.

Capriles has a long wayto go, though, with thelatest poll - albeit a dis-puted one on a smallsample - giving him 34percent support ver-sus 52 for Chavez invoter intentions. Theopposition’s big chal-lenge is to invent theirown proposals to com-pete with Chavez ’senormously popularoil-funded social pro-grams, like the “GreatVenezuelan HousingMission,” that hasbuilt tens of thou-sands of new houses.“Chavez will not beable to run the cam-paign he wants to, buthe doesn’t need tocampaign as much asCapriles,” said Leon.

Probably fore-shadowing the race

to come, even from his Cuban hospitalChavez kept himself in the spotlight viaTwitter messages, phone calls to state TV, adrip-drip of photos and videos, and a tele-vised cabinet meeting. The only person giv-ing information on his condition, Chavez hasnot said what kind of cancer he has or laidout a detailed prognosis, though he hasannounced he will need radiation treatmentswhich are bound to take a heavy physical toll.

Cancer experts say the treatment couldlast for a couple of months with nasty side-effects possible towards the end. “The pelvisis a bit tricky because the field where hewould have to have radiotherapy wouldencompass the rectum and the bladder andpart of the small bowel so he is likely to havesymptoms derived from the treatment,” saidSunil Daryanani, an oncologist at the Hospitalde Clinicas Caracas.

Whether the former soldier could recoverbefore the campaign really kicks in hasbecome a national guessing game. Last year,when surgeons removed a baseball-sizedtumor, many thought Chavez would takemore of a backseat. Yet even after chemother-apy that left him bald and bloated, Chavezplayed baseball, danced in public, hosted aregional summit, gave the world’s longest-ever presidential speech, and merrilydeclared himself “completely cured”.

His optimism, which convinced six in tenVenezuelans he was free of cancer accordingto polls, was proven wrong with this year’srecurrence, and Venezuelans are now muchmore skeptical about whether he can stage afull recovery. Though possibly enhancing itschances of victory, the affair has sucked someof the air out of the headlines and momen-tum the opposition garnered from a primaryelection where a higher-than-expected 3 mil-lion voters participated. It has also overshad-owed everyday problems like rampant crimeand high cost of living. Capriles’ team is stick-ing to its strategy, wishing the president aspeedy recovery while asking for more trans-parency about his condition, and trying toreturn the focus to issues like crime, jobs andhealth services. “We don’t agree with a coun-try where the president decides everythingabout what we should know (on his health),and he is the central plank of the nation,”Capriles’ campaign manager ArmandoBriquet said. — Reuters

By Anne Flaherty

The decade-long war in Afghanistan has spiraled into aseries of US missteps and violent outbreaks that haveleft few ardent political supporters. After NATO detained

a US soldier Sunday for allegedly killing sleeping Afghan vil-lagers, Republicans and Democrats alike pointed to the stresson troops after years of fighting and reiterated calls to leaveby the end of 2014 as promised, if not sooner. Afghanistan,once the must-fight war for America, is becoming a publicrelations headache for the nation’s leaders, especially forPresident Barack Obama.

And there’s recognition of that problem on both sides. “It’sjust not a good situation,” said Senate Majority Leader HarryReid. “Our troops are under such tremendous pressure inAfghanistan. It’s a war like no other war we’ve been involvedin. ... We’re moving out, as the president said. I think it’s theright thing to do.” Many Republicans -who as a party foughtagainst a quick exodus in Iraq and criticized Obama’s 2008presidential campaign promise to end the war - are nowreluctant to embrace a continued commitment inAfghanistan.

In the wake of the shootings and the recent burning ofMuslim holy books at a US military base, Republican presi-dential hopeful Rick Santorum said Monday, “Given all ofthese additional problems, we have to either make a decisionto make a full commitment, which this president has notdone, or we have to decide to get out and probably get outsooner” than 2014. Santorum spoke on NBC’s “Today” show.“There’s something profoundly wrong with the way we’reapproaching the whole region, and I think it’s going to getsubstantially worse, not better,” said Republican presidentialhopeful Newt Gingrich. “I think that we’re risking the lives ofyoung men and women in a mission that may, frankly, not bedoable.” American voters appear frustrated as well. In resultsfrom a Washington Post-ABC News poll released Sunday, 55

percent of respondents said they think most Afghans opposewhat the United States is trying to do there. And 60 percentsaid the war in Afghanistan has been “not worth fighting”.

The latest incident in Afghanistan was disturbing: At 3 amSunday, an American staff sergeant allegedly wandered 500m from a special operations base in the southern Kandaharprovince and began shooting villagers as they slept. As manyas 16 Afghans were killed, including nine children, before theshooter apparently returned to base and turned himself in.One eyewitness described the body of a young boy, appar-ently wearing red pajamas, lying lifeless in the back of aminibus. That and other searing images, including an AP pho-tographer’s confirmation of burned bodies at the scene, easi-ly eclipsed Friday’s upbeat announcement that the US andAfghanistan had agreed on the transfer of Afghan detaineesto Afghan control.

Obama and top US officials quickly condemned the attackand offered their condolences to families of the victims.Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called AfghanPresident Hamid Karzai, both vowing to hold any perpetra-tors accountable. Their statements stopped short of a fullapology but appeared to want to ward off any retaliatoryattacks, like those seen recently after US officials acknowl-edged the burning of Muslim holy books at an airbase inAfghanistan. Six US service members were killed in attacksimmediately following that revelation, including twoAmerican officers who were assassinated while workinginside a heavily protected Afghan ministry.

“This deeply appalling incident in no way represents thevalues of (US and coalition troops) or the abiding respect wefeel for the Afghan people,” Gen John Allen, the top US com-mander in Afghanistan, said Sunday. “Nor does it impugn ordiminish the spirit of cooperation and partnership we haveworked so hard to foster with the Afghan National SecurityForces.” But the damage is probably inevitable. Pulling nopunches, Karzai called the shooting an “assassination” and “an

intentional killing of innocent civilians” that could not be for-given. For their part, US officials pointedly noted that the sus-pect would be tried under US law, a fine point perhaps madeto head off any demands by Karzai that Afghanistan be givencustody of the soldier. The tension could be enough to raise akey question among Obama’s top advisers as they stare downthis fall’s bid for re-election: Should Obama press NATO tospeed up its scheduled transfer of security responsibility tothe Afghan government at the end of 2014? Panetta hasalready said he hopes Afghans will assume the lead combatrole across the country by mid-2013, with US and other NATOtroops remaining in smaller numbers to perform numeroussupport missions. US and Afghan officials have said they wanta strategic partnership agreement signed by the time a NATOsummit convenes in Chicago in May.

Further complicating the matter is the limited patiencemany of Obama’s top supporters have for Karzai. “The greatweakness in Afghanistan is Karzai,” said Sen Chuck Schumer.“Nobody seems to trust him or like him. And the idea of turn-ing it over to the Afghan forces is the right way to go, butthat’s a major question mark: Karzai.” Sen. John McCain, thetop Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee,pleaded for public patience on the war. “I understand thefrustration, and I understand the anger and the sorrow,”McCain said. “I also understand and we should not forget thatthe attacks on the United States of America on 9/11 originat-ed in Afghanistan. And if Afghanistan dissolves into a situa-tion where the Taleban were able to take over a chaotic situa-tion, it could easily return to an Al-Qaeda base for attacks onthe United States of America.”

Sen Lindsay Graham said a primary problem is leaving thecountry vulnerable and signaling to Iran that the US wasn’tcommitted to the region. “We can win this thing. We can getit right,” Graham said. Reid spoke on CNN’s “State of theUnion.” Graham and Schumer spoke on ABC News “ThisWeek.” McCain spoke on “Fox News Sunday”. — AP

Shootings complicate Afghanistan mission

sp ortsTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

SANTIAGO: Paul Haley II won the Chile Classic in his third careerNationwide Tour start, closing with a 1-under 71 on Sunday for athree-stroke victory.

The 24-year-old former Georgia Tech player shot 64 on Fridayand Saturday to take a six-shot lead into the final round. He fin-ished at 22-under 266 and earned $108,000 in the inaugural event.

“I expected to come out here and play well, but nobody expectsto win in their third professional start,” Haley said. “This is awesome.”Joseph Bramlett shot a 64 to finish second at Prince of WalesCountry Club. Paul Claxton was another stroke back after a 68.Haley missed all but one fairway in his first 12 holes.

“I felt like if I could just hit a fairway I’d be OK,” Haley said. “I washitting my irons fairly well and my putter felt great all day. I figuredif I could somehow get a ball in the fairway, the birdies would even-tually come.”

Haley found the fairway on the par-4 12th and made a 6-footbirdie putt to widen the lead to three, then hit the fairway on thepar-4 14th and holed a 12-footer for birdie to push his advantageto four strokes. “The course setup was the hardest of the week andother than Joseph, nobody was going crazy low on the front nine,”Haley said. “I didn’t look to see how things were until 14. I wantedto know what I had to do to get it in.” — AP

DORAL: Tiger Woods withdrew from the WGC-Cadillac Championship onSunday with an Achilles tendon injury, raising doubts about his fitness fornext month’s Masters at Augusta National.

The former world number one had been limping during his final roundwhen he abruptly called it quits and left the course aftercompleting 11 holes. He was three-over-par for theday and seemingly out of contention to win thetournament. Woods initially told PGA officials it wasa left leg injury but later clarified the nature of hisproblem in a statement.

“I felt tightness in my left Achilles warming upthis morning, and it continued to get progres-sively worse. After hitting my tee shot at 12, Idecided it was necessary to withdraw,” he said.

“In the past, I may have tried to continue to play,but this time, I decided to do what I thought wasnecessary. “I will get my Achilles evaluated some-time early next week,” the statement conclud-ed. Woods, who had changed shoesmidway through the round, wasescorted from the Blue Monstercourse on a buggy and taken tothe carpark. — Reuters

STOCKHOLM: Former Olympic and world champion Anja Paerson will retireafter this week’s Alpine ski World Cup finals, bringing an end to a glittering

14-year career, the Swede said yesterday.Paerson, whose season has been hampered by

a knee injury, made her World Cup debut atthe 1998 finals in Crans-Montana,Switzerland, and the season-ending eventin Schladming, Austria, will be the 30-year-old’s last. “Spectacular crashes and

long, drawn-out injury problems overthe last few years have reduced myability to perform at the highest level,”Paerson said in a statement. “I have

always been a fighter and this is atough decision, but after thinking itover I am ready for new challengesin my life.” Paerson picked up aslalom gold medal at the 2006Winter Olympics in Turin, won sev-en world championship titles andtwo overall World Cup crowns, in2004 and 2006. — Reuters

Woods withdraws from WGCPaerson plans to quit Paul wins Chile Classic

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division

W L OTL GF GA PTSNY Rangers 43 18 7 188 148 93 Pittsburgh 42 21 5 219 173 89 Philadelphia 39 22 7 220 197 85 New Jersey 40 24 5 195 179 85 NY Islanders 28 31 10 160 206 66

Northeast Division Boston 40 25 3 222 164 83 Ottawa 36 25 9 216 206 81 Buffalo 32 29 8 171 194 72 Toronto 30 31 8 200 212 68 Montreal 27 32 10 183 193 64

Southeast Division Florida 32 23 13 166 191 77 Washington 35 28 6 184 193 76 Winnipeg 32 29 8 181 195 72 Tampa Bay 31 30 7 191 233 69 Carolina 26 28 15 181 207 67

Western Conference Central Division

St. Louis 45 18 7 183 135 97 Detroit 44 22 3 217 162 91 Nashville 40 21 7 195 175 87 Chicago 37 25 8 209 206 82 Columbus 22 40 7 161 223 51

Northwest DivisionVancouver 42 19 8 215 172 92 Calgary 32 25 12 173 191 76 Colorado 36 30 4 183 187 76 Minnesota 29 30 10 150 193 68 Edmonton 26 35 7 180 206 59

Pacific Division Dallas 38 26 5 185 183 81 Phoenix 34 25 10 178 173 78 Los Angeles 32 25 12 154 152 76 San Jose 33 25 9 184 173 75 Anaheim 29 30 10 171 193 68

NHL results/standings

Pittsburgh 5, Boston 2; Washington 2, Toronto 0;Florida 2, Carolina 0; St. Louis 2, Columbus 1;Calgary 4, Minnesota 3; New Jersey 4, Philadelphia1; NY Rangers 4, NY Islanders 3 (Overtime); LosAngeles 3, Chicago 2 (Shootout).

PITTSBURGH: James Neal had a goal and two assists asthe Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Boston Bruins 5-2 onSunday for their ninth straight victory.

Chris Kunitz, Arron Asham, Pascal Dupis and MattNiskanen also scored for Pittsburgh. Evgeni Malkin hadthree assists to move into the NHL points lead with 84,two ahead of Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 34 shots to run his per-sonal winning streak to eight. David Krejci scored twicefor the Bruins, but the Penguins chased Tim Thomasafter the first period to keep the pressure on the EasternConference-leading New York Rangers.

Rangers 4, Islanders 3At New York, Marian Gaborik scored the Rangers’

third power-play goal in the dying seconds of overtimeas New York snapped its season-worst, three-game reg-ulation losing streak with a victory over the Islanders.

With the Madison Square Garden crowd imploringthe Rangers to “Shoot the puck,” Gaborik snapped a ris-ing shot over goalie Evgeni Nabokov’s right shoulder towin it at 4:54.

Brad Richards scored twice on the power play toreach 20 goals for the ninth time, and helped set upGaborik’s winner for the Rangers. Brian Boyle alsoscored for the Rangers. John Tavares, Matt Moulson anddefenseman Andrew MacDonald scored for theIslanders.

Blues 2, Blue Jackets 1At Columbus, Ohio, David Perron broke a tie early in

the third period, and Jaroslav Halak made 33 saves tohelp NHL-leading St. Louis beat Columbus for its sea-son-high fifth straight victory.

Patrik Berglund also scored for St. Louis. The Blues,coming off a 4-1 victory over Columbus on Saturdaynight in St. Louis, have won nine of 10 to improve to 45-18-7. Mark Letestu scored for Columbus.

Kings 3, Blackhawks 2At Chicago, Mike Richards scored the lone goal in a

six-round shutout to lift Los Angeles past Chicago.Richards beat Ray Emery with a quick wrist shot afterEmery stopped the Kings’ first five shooters.

Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick stopped all sixChicago shooters after making 35 saves - includingViktor Stalberg’s third-period penalty shot - through

overtime. Slava Voynov and Jeff Carter scored in regula-tion for Los Angeles. Marcus Kruger and Patrick Kanescored for Chicago. Kane tied it at 2 at 7:36 of the thirdwith his fifth goal in seven games.

Panthers 2, Hurricanes 0At Sunrise, Florida, Jose Theodore made 34 saves for

his third shutout of the season as Florida beat Carolinato maintain the Southwest Division lead.

Tomas Fleischmann scored in the second period, and

Marcel Goc added an empty-net goal. The Panthers, apoint ahead of Washington in the division race, won forthe second time in their past six games, and have beat-en the Hurricanes in all four meetings this season. CamWard stopped 31 shots for Carolina.

Capitals 2, Maple Leafs 0At Washington, Michal Neuvirth made 23 saves for

his third shutout of the season, and Brooks Laich andMatthieu Perreault scored in Washington’s victory overToronto.

Jonas Gustavsson made 21 saves for the Maple Leafs,who have lost four straight and 10 of 11, their fortunesbarely changed in the five games since the change incoaches from Ron Wilson to Randy Carlyle. Toronto wascoming off a 1-0 shootout loss at home to Philadelphiaon Saturday night.

Devils 4, Flyers 1At Newark, New Jersey, Martin Brodeur made 18

saves for his 650th career victory and Ilya Kovalchukhad a goal and two assists in New Jersey’s victory overPhiladelphia.

Patrik Elias, Anton Volchenkov and Zach Parise alsoscored for the Devils, who have won four straight andfive of their last six. With victory, the Devils pulled evenwith the fifth-place Flyers. Both teams have 85 points,although the Flyers have played one fewer game.

Sergei Bobrovsky was in goal for the Flyers as thestreaking Ilya Bryzgalov got a night off after starting 11straight games. Claude Giroux scored for the Flyers.

Flames 4, Wild 3At St. Paul, Minnesota, Jarome Iginla scored early and

set up Curtis Glencross’ go-ahead goal late with abotched shot that became a pass as Calgary hung on tobeat Minnesota for its third straight victory.

Glencross has a goal in seven straight games for theFlames, who moved into a tie for eighth place with theColorado Avalanche in the Western Conference with 76points.

Sven Baertschi scored his first career goal to put theFlames up 2-0 early in the third period, but ErikChristensen scored twice for the Wild in less than 2 1/2minutes to level it. Olli Jokinen also scored for Calgary.Devin Setoguchi had a late goal for Minnesota. —AP

Penguins see off Bruins

CHICAGO: Los Angeles Kings’ Mike Richards (10)checks Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Sharp (10) duringthe second period of an NHL hockey game. —AP

LAS VEGAS: Timing the restart perfectly, TonyStewart dove to the edge of the apron andducked under the two cars in front of him. Withone bold move, the defending Sprint Cup cham-pion was on his way to a redemptive win.

Stewart made a three-wide pass on a laterestart and held off Jimmie Johnson at Las VegasMotor Speedway on Sunday, winning at a trackthat was the site of his biggest disappointmentlast season.

“We had to wait 365 days for a shot at it again,”Stewart said. “I might not have been so mad onthe airplane had I known I was going to win ayear later.”

Stewart came back to Las Vegas with a newcrew chief and the hope of having a little betterluck than he had a year ago, when a pit mishapspoiled a chance at victory with what he believedto be the best car in the field.

With Steve Addington calling the shots fromthe pit box, Stewart again had a good car in hisreturn trip to the desert, uncatchable on therestarts and good enough to hold off Johnson,Greg Biffle and anyone else who tried to trackhim down.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a car thatfast,” said Biffle, who finished third. “On therestarts, I’ve just never seen a car driving off likethat.” Stewart got the lead with a did-he-just-do-that move with 34 laps to go in the 400-mile race.

Coming around turn 4 to the start/finish line,Stewart charged up behind Brad Keselowski andtimed it just right to dip below him on the apron.He zipped to the front and stayed there, pullingaway on three more less-thrilling restarts over thefinal 17 laps.

It was his sixth win in the past 13 Sprint Cupraces and first on the 1.5-mile tri-oval not far fromthe bright lights of the The Strip.

“We almost got too good a restart because Igot such a good run on Brad, I almost got theretoo quick,” Stewart said. “If we’d have got there afoot earlier, we’d have had to check up and proba-bly wouldn’t get a run and get underneath himlike that.”

A year ago, Stewart appeared to be cruising toVictory Lane at Las Vegas, only to be tripped up inthe pits. He was penalized for leaving his pit stallwith an air hose still attached and the team optedto take two tires on a later stop to get him back to

the front. Stewart did get to the front, but the restof the teams saw that taking two tires wouldwork and switched tactics. Forced to take fourtires late in the race, he dropped to 22nd and ranout of time to catch Carl Edwards, finishing sec-ond.

Stewart went on to win his third Sprint Cupchampionship, thanks to the five times he wasable to get to Victory Lane. He fired crew chiefDarian Grubb after the season and luredAddington from Penske Racing to replace him.

Stewart was 16th at the Daytona 500 and hada good finish ruined last week at Phoenix after heturned off his car to save on fuel and couldn’t getit to re-fire, a problem believed to be linked toNASCAR’s new electronic fuel injection system.He was well back in the pack after a lengthy pitstop and finished 22nd. Stewart qualified seventhat Las Vegas and took his first lead on lap 135,beating Johnson on a restart. He lost the leadbriefly on a cycle of green-flag pit stops andquickly regained it.

He turned back a challenge by Keselowski andpulled away from Johnson on a final restart withfour laps left to finally take the checkers, leavingDarlington and Kentucky as the only active trackshe hasn’t won at.

“I really believe Tony is really coming into hisown with Stewart-Haas Racing,” co-owner GeneHaas said. “He’s as calm as I’ve ever seen him,composed, very confident in what he does. I haveno doubt this could be another pivotal year forTony.”

Johnson had to break out a backup car after acrash in practice on Saturday, sending him to theback of the field. He didn’t take long to get to thefront, though, challenging Matt Kenseth for thelead by lap 83. Johnson, who has never won in abackup car, overtook Kenseth 16 laps later andstayed there until Stewart beat him on a restarton lap 134. The five-time Sprint Cup championstayed within range and was third coming out ofa caution with 17 laps, then quickly passed Bifflefor second. — AP

MADRID: Ferrari’s dour preseason has undermined the Italian team’sFormula One title hopes, and will likely leave a frustrated FernandoAlonso in Red Bull’s rearview mirror again.

Ferrari’s new design lacked competitive edge in testing andappears to have fallen behind McLaren and Lotus in the chase todethrone Red Bull and two-time defending champion SebastianVettel.

Pat Fry already said Ferrari has no shot at the podium in the sea-son opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday as the team strugglesto stabilize an already radically redesigned car.

“I saw in (team principal Stefano) Domenicali and our engineers agreat desire to show what they’re worth and to react to a winter pro-gram that didn’t live up to our targets,” Ferrari president Luca diMontezemolo said. “We will only discover the truth about where westand compared to the others after Saturday’s qualifying session inMelbourne. Today we can only make assumptions.”

Fry replaced technical director Aldo Costa last season with theItalian team struggling and the decision to take risks on this year’sdesign has left Ferrari looking vulnerable due to its inability to com-pletely understand its car in testing.

“The new car has certain characteristics that are difficult to under-stand and you could say we are not exactly where we want to be,”said two-time world champion Alonso, the Spanish driver going intohis third season with the team. “But we’ve all lived through manyFormula One seasons and we all know very well that until we’re inAustralia we don’t really know where we stand regarding to the oth-ers.” Since Kimi Raikkonen edged Alonso and then McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton for the 2007 title in the season’s final race, theItalians have struggled to compete with McLaren and Red Bull, whohave swept to three of the four titles since. Alonso, meanwhile, hastwice lost championships in season finales, the last to Vettel duringhis debut season with Ferrari.

Alonso won at Silverstone last year but Ferrari never mounted aserious challenge to Vettel, who won 11 of 19 races to become theyoungest driver to win back-to-back titles - breaking Alonso’s recordearned with Renault in 2005 and ‘06.

Teammate Felipe Massa, meanwhile, is racing to keep his place onthe team after two sub-par seasons following a serious crash inHungary in 2009. The Brazilian driver, who lost the 2008 title on thelast lap of the season when Hamilton edged him by a single point,hasn’t had a top-three finish in 21 races. Struggling on the track,Domenicali turned to the country’s storied tradition in football forinspiration. “To those who ask me if I would sign today for a thirdplace in Melbourne, I would say that I’m not signing anything. Maybethe same will happen as in 1982 when in the World Cup, Italy got offto a bad start and then in the end, went on to win when it mattered,”said Domenicali, going into his fifth season in charge and still insearch of his first title.

“Sport goes in cycles ... and at the moment, this is the Red Bullcycle.” Perhaps Alonso should note Raikkonen’s words at the close ofpreseason testing last week. “There is no point to guess here. I don’tknow who’s going to be fastest,” Raikkonen of Lotus said. “Nobodyknows.” —AP

Stewart uses bold move late to win at Las Vegas

Dour preseason frustrates Ferrari’s F1 title hopes

LAS VEGAS: Tony Stewart (14) leads coming out of a restart during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Seriesauto race. Stewart won the race. —AP

sp ortsTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

SANTIAGO: Paul Haley of United States holds up the tro-phy during the final round of the Chile Classic presentedby Pacific Rubiales at Prince of Wales Country Club.—AFP

MEXICO: French driver Sebastian Loeb (right) and co-driver DanielElena from Monaco, celebrate after winning the Mexican FIA WorldRally Championship.—AFP

NEW YORK: There’s only one No. 1 teamin the country, as the selection commit-tee made clear in picking Kentucky asthe overall top seed in the NCAA tourna-ment just a few hours after the Wildcatswere upset by Vanderbilt in theSoutheastern Conference tournamentfinal. No argument there.

Actually, there wasn’t much to screamabout on any of the tournament picks,which made for some dull momentsamong the talking heads on television.They spent all week sharpening theirclaws, only to find out the selectioncommittee left them few targets toattack.

If anything, the people who pick thefield might have done their best work todate. They’ve got a formula that works,and they managed to find a way totweak it this year to make things evenmore fun. How else do you explain apossible meeting of UNLV and Duke forthe first time since the Blue Devils upsetone of the greatest college teams ever21 years ago in the Final Four? Even bet-

ter, Duke and Kentucky could meet inthe South final almost 20 years to theday since Christian Laettner hit The Shotto give Duke a thrilling 104-103 win overthe Wildcats in the East Regional final.

So Drexel didn’t get in. So what.Nevada didn’t get an invite, either, andthe Wolf Pack won 16 games in a row atone point during the season and lostonly one conference game before fallingin the WAC tournament.

Glittering records just don’t count likethey used to. Not with coaches loadingup with soft nonconference games, somany so that 112 teams in the countryhad 20 wins or more.

Win your conference title, and you’rein. Lose, and you’re just another 25-winteam heading to the NIT. Besides, thereare better things to do than complain.Like look forward to some tournamentstory lines like these:

The Wildcats are so loaded that JohnCalipari’s biggest worry heading into thepostseason was that his players wouldbe so busy worrying about the NBA draft

that they would forget to take care ofbusiness. That might well have been thecase last year when Kentucky was beat-en in the national semifinals byConnecticut, and four players werepicked in the draft.

Complacency also might have set inSunday, when the Wildcats lost toVanderbilt and had a 24-game winstreak snapped. This year up to six play-ers could be drafted if all the underclass-men come out early, which begs thequestion: How does Calipari maintainKentucky’s graduation rate with so manyone-and-done players arriving on cam-pus every season?

There is no quieter top-five team inthe country than the Tigers. That’s prob-ably fine with first-year coach FrankHaith, who made the wrong kind ofheadlines before the season when ques-tions were raised about his ties with abooster at the University of Miami wholiked to show players a good time.Missouri benefited from a cupcakeschedule early, but the Tigers won 30

games and the Big 12 title. Their four-guard team will cause mismatch prob-lems for anyone.

No, the Cardinals won’t make a rundeep into the NCAA tournament,though that doesn’t make them any lessfascinating. Lamar hasn’t lost sincecoach Pat Knight ripped into them forbeing, among other things, quitters anddrug users.

Psychologists can debate themethod, but no one can debate Lamar’splace in the tournament after winningthe Southland Conference tournament.Knight’s father, Bob Knight, called it hisbest day in college basketball, whichalmost made Brent Musburger cry onnational television. This would be a greatfeel-good story, except it’s hard to feelgood about anything father or son hasto say.

Bernie Fine won’t be on the bench forthis Final Four run, and for a while itlooked like Jim Boeheim might not beeither. But Boeheim survived the childsex-abuse scandal surrounding his long-

time assistant and his team won 31games to get the No. 1 seed in the East.Assuming yet another scandal - playerson previous teams not being suspendedfor positive drug tests - doesn’t derail theOrangemen, they have a legitimate shotof making the title game for the fourthtime in Boeheim’s 36 years in charge.

My personal favorite in the tourna-ment, if only because I love the way TomIzzo coaches. He schedules tough teamsand isn’t afraid to take a few hits doing it,something that happened this year inopening losses to Duke and NorthCarolina. His teams play hard night afternight, which makes them especially diffi-cult in tournaments, one reason Izzo hasled the Spartans to six Final Four appear-ances in 16 years. Michigan State alsohas Draymond Green and one of theeasier paths in the West region to makeanother run.

So many good stories. Almost asmany good teams. No need to manufac-ture controversy. And no need to whineabout what might have been.—AP

Good story lines and some good NCAA picks

DORAL: England’s Justin Rosewon the WGC-Cadil lacChampionship on Sunday by onestroke from American BubbaWatson after former world num-ber one Tiger Woods set off alarmbells by withdrawing mid-roundwith injury.

The composed Rose shot a finalround 70 to finish at 16-under-parwhile Watson, who had led bythree at the start of the day, end-ed at 15-under after closing with a74. “These moments are incredibleand they are few and far betweenas a golfer,” said Rose. “There hasbeen a lot of work going on withmy game and days like this, whereit just all shows up, makes it allworthwhile.”

Watson missed an eight-footbirdie putt on the last hole thatwould have forced a playoff butthe left-handed American ulti-mately paid the price for fourbogeys on the front nine.

Rose, who had played smartand tidy golf all week, offered aglimmer of hope to his rival whenhe bogeyed the 18th after drivinginto the rough then launching hisapproach over the back of thegreen.

The victory was the first in aWGC event for Rose and couldmove him into the top ten whenthe next edition of the world rank-ings are released.

Watson had driven into thetrees on the 18th but, knowing heneeded a birdie, produced a mag-nificent shot to eight feet to givehimself a chance of extending thecontest only to miss the putt.

“We just didn’t give enough.We thought it was not going tobreak as much and it broke aboutthree inches too much,” saidWatson. “I still had a chance in theend so I was proud of myself forfighting, not giving up, grinding it

out and never got down today.”World number one Rory McIlroyhad put himself in the frame withan eagle on the par-five 12th butneeded a birdie on the 18th toreally put the pressure on Rose.But the Northern Irishman’s bogeyleft him two shots back in thirdplace after carding 67 for theround. After shooting a 73 and 69in his first two outings this week,McIlroy continued his impressiverun of finishes following his victo-ry in the Honda Classic last week.

“I would have taken this afterFriday, being only two-under par,”he said. “It ’s been a really goodweekend with lots of positive. Itwasn’t quite the way I wanted to

finish but it ’s still been a goodweek.” There was drama midwaythrough the round when Woods,clearly in discomfort, withdrew onthe 12th hole with an Achilles ten-don injury prompting concernabout his fitness for next month’sMasters. Woods was three-over-par for the day and seemingly outof contention to win the tourna-ment when he abruptly called itquits, returning to the carparkthen driving himself off thecourse.

“In the past, I may have tried tocontinue to play, but this time, Idecided to do what I thought wasnecessary,” he said in a statement.

South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel

showed good form ahead of hisMasters title defence, shooting 68to finish tied on fourth, three offthe lead, with Dane Peter Hanson.

American Keegan Bradley, thePGA Championship winner lastyear, was in contention until fad-ing down the stretch with bogeyson the 15th and 17th and a dou-ble on the final hole.

Austral ia’s John Sendenimpressed with his flawless roundof 65 pushing him up to a tie forsixth with England’s Luke Donald,the world number two. Senden’sround was the equal best of thefinal day along with I tal ianFrancesco Molinari who was alsobogey-free in his 65—Reuters

LONDON: Standing in neat lines in asouth London gym, a squad of hand-picked, tracksuited youngsters stretchtheir arms in unison, counting togetherin Mandarin.

Taking the proverb ‘if you can’t beatthem, join them’ quite literally, CrystalPalace diving club has turned to Chineseexpertise to foster Britain’s futureOlympic hopes.

“We always had good divers. But Ithought that if we wanted medals enmasse then we would have to do whatthe Chinese did,” club founder and for-mer world champion Chris Snode said.

Snode made the decision to recruitChinese coaches seven years ago whenLondon won the bid to stage the 2012Olympics, and now 15 of the approxi-mately 460 children in the program are inthe top England talent squad, with theireyes set on Rio 2016.

Key to the program, says Snode, isthat rather than waiting for potentialdivers to come to them, they proactivelygo into schools to seek out youngsterswith the right kind of physical attributesto excel at the sport.

Those characteristics include flexibili-ty, upper body strength and co-ordina-tion. By the end of this month, the clubwill have tested 100,000 seven- to 10-year-olds across the British capital, look-ing for perfectly pointed toes and natu-rally loose Achilles tendons.

More than 90 percent of the youngdivers at the club have been chosen thisway. It is a far cry from the 1970s, whenSnode took up diving relatively late aftersome free vouchers were sent to hisschool, and was able to build on his natu-ral ability because he happened to livenear a diving pool with good coaches.

“In the old days, you had to be lucky,”he said. The Crystal Palace training pro-gram is led by Chen Wen, who wasBritain’s Olympic coach in 2004 and 2008and Australia’s coach in 2000.

Wen and his team have introducedgreater discipline and hard work - gettingthe children to put in more hours andspending much more time practising

tumbles in a ‘dry gym’ that builds the ath-letes’ confidence. They have also broughtin innovative new methods of using har-nesses, bouncy boards and other equip-ment. “What they do is logical, it’s fasci-nating to watch,” Snode added.

The squad is dominated by girls, whothe coaches say are more likely to doactivities such as gymnastics and dancethat complement diving and build upearly flexibility.

“It’s harder to find boys,” admits assis-tant coach Chen Yang, shouting advice tothe practising divers from the side of thepool. “They all play football.”

That’s not a problem China has, headds, though the desire to perform to anaudience and plethora of competitionsthat are a feature of British schoolchild-ren’s lives are a rare advantageWesterners have over the Chinese.

China’s divers are currently dominat-ing the sport, winning all the divinggolds at last year’s world championshipsand firm favourites to sweep the medalsin August.

Britain’s main London 2012 medalhope Tom Daley, who became a house-hold name when he competed in Beijingat the age of 14 and then won the 10-metre world platform championship ayear later, has been struggling to live upto national expectations.

However, Daley ’s high profile hashelped spark interest in the sport amongyoung Britons, with the numbers ofentries in the country’s club competitionsrising significantly.

“Tom’s been very good for British div-ing,” Snode said. The Olympics coming tohome territory is largely shrugged off bythe youngsters, most of whom have notbeen able to secure seats in the much-criticised ticket lottery, meaning theywon’t be able to see their older compatri-ots diving at the Aquatics Centre just afew miles away.

But the minds of these confidentyoung athletes are more on Rio thanLondon. “One day we’ll get to theOlympics,” said 10-year-old Anais. “So wedon’t need tickets, do we?”—Reuters

MEXICO: Sebastien Loeb extended his leadin the world championship with a comfort-able victory in the Rally Mexico on Sunday.

The Frenchman won the rally for thesixth year in a row after starting the finalday with a commanding 36-second leadwhich he increased to more than 42 sec-onds by the end.

His Citroen team mate Mikko Hirvonenfinished second and Norway’s PetterSolberg came third, more than two minutesbehind the winner, on the gravel stagesaround host city Leon.

“I am very happy,” Loeb told reporters. “Ialways win here. It is a great result for theteam as well, with Mikko finishing second, aone-two for us.”

Solberg’s factory Ford team mate Jari-Matti Latvala was poised to finish thirdwhen he went off the road after getting

distracted when Russia’s Evgeny Novikovcrashed ahead of him. Latvala finished thestage but the damage to his roll cageforced him to retire with two stagesremaining. “I saw from far away Novikov’scar and I was very confused,” said the Finn.

“I first thought the car was on the roadand I made a movement to avoid it and mycar went off and rolled. It took a lot to get itback on the road.”

Norway’s Mads Ostberg recovered froma puncture to finish fourth while Estonia’sOtt Tanak was fifth and Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah sixth. Loeb, already an eight-timeworld champion, extended his lead in thisyear’s title race to 16 points after three of13 rounds. He has 66 points with Hirvonensecond on 50 and Solberg third with 47.The next rally is in Portugal at the end ofthe month.—Reuters

PUERTO RICO: American George McNeill birdied the last three holes to surgepast Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa and win his second PGA Tour title by two shots at thePuerto Rico Open on Sunday. The 36-year-old fired a three-under-par 69 atTrump International Golf Club in Rio Grande to post a 16-under total of 272.Japanese sensation Ishikawa, seeking his first victory on the US circuit, had tosettle for second place after closing with a six-birdie 68.

American Boo Weekley (66) and Swede Henrik Stenson (71) were a furtherstroke back at 13 under in a tie for third. McNeill, who claimed his maiden PGATour victory as a rookie at the 2007 Frys.com Open, held a one-stroke leadgoing into Sunday’s final round but trailed early finisher Ishikawa by one withtwo holes to play.

“I was not aware that Ryo Ishikawa had the lead,” McNeill told reportersafter mixing six birdies with three bogeys. I knew that I needed to make a fewbirdies coming in, and that’s the only thing I could really control.

“After I birdied 16 and was walking up to the 17th green after I hit my sec-ond shot is when I saw that he had the lead with me. “So I had about a 10-foot-er there, and I said: ‘Well, I need to make it.’ So it was not like it was an easy cakewalk, but it was a nice way to win.”

McNeill rolled in birdie putts from 25, 10 and four feet at the 16th, 17th andthe last to seal victory. Ishikawa, a winner of 10 professional titles worldwide,hoped to capitalise on his best PGA Tour finish.

“I made three birdies in the last four holes, and it was great for me to bevery close to the winning experience,” the 20-year-old said. “It felt like a dreamsometimes. If I get the next chance (to win), I will grab it for sure.”—Reuters

Loeb triumphs in Mexico

Britain takes leap of faith

Rose wins in Doral

MIAMI: Justin Rose of England hits a shot during the second round of the World GolfChampionships-Cadillac Championship.—AFP

McNeill charges past Ishikawa

MARCOUSSIS: France coach Philippe Saint-Andre yesterday made six changes to his squadto take on Grand Slam-chasing Wales for the finalday of the Six Nations tournament in Cardiff.

The changes for this Saturday’s game followthe shattering 24-22 loss to England at the Stadede France on Sunday, a result that wreckedFrench hopes of successfully defending the titlethey won last year.

In come lock Julien Pierre, flanker FulgenceOuedraogo, scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili, centreFlorian Fritz, winger Alexis Palisson and full-backJean-Marcellin Butin, who at 20 is called up tothe international squad for the first time.

Paying the price of the loss to the English arelock and former skipper Lionel Nallet, scrum-halfJul ien Dupuy, centre Maxime Mermoz andwinger Julien Malzieu, while winger VincentClerc was not considered due to injury.

“It’s sort of a page that’s turning,” said Saint-Andre. “There are players injured, choices we

made, certain players who are very tired as wellafter three consecutive high-level matches.

“Like Lionel Nallet for example, a monumentof French rugby, an exemplary player. “We wouldhave liked for the veterans to have an exception-al celebration Saturday in Cardiff. Unfortunatelyit’s not possible. It’s difficult but we have to thinkabout the future.”

“I wanted to really thank Lionel Nallet regard-ing his spirit, his professionalism. “I was lucky tocoach him at Bourgoin and again in the Franceteam. He knew that we had a sort of a dealtogether - if we played a final at Cardiff, hewould have continued the adventure.Unfortunately the adventure finishes here.”

Saint-Andre said that the decision to leaveout Mermoz, 25, was strategic. “It’s more a strate-gic choice regarding the Welsh. We brought ontwo players who can play wing-back (Buttin andPalisson) while knowing that we have solutionsat centre with Wesley Fofana, who started at

centre and finished on the wing,” he said. FlorianFritz was also given the nod ahead of Toulouseteammate Yann David, who suffered a groininjury two weeks ago and is not 100 percent fit.

And Saint-Andre warned his side would notbe taking their foot off the pedal against Waleswho will win their second Six Nations title andGrand Slam of coach Warren Gatland’s four-yearreign if they win at the Millennium Stadium.

“There is the pride that comes with playingfor your country and for the France team. Pridealso at trying to take the Grand Slam off theWelsh in front of their public. We’re going to bein a packed stadium with an incredible atmos-phere.

“For them (the Welsh) i t ’s a chance forrevenge for the (World Cup) semi-final.

We have to be courageous, with a lot of self-sacrifice, but I’m sure that the 23 French playersare going to do everything to play a great matchon Saturday in Cardiff.”—AFP

Saint-Andre make changes against Wales

17S P O R T STUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Bradley Wiggins

PALMA DE MALLORCA: Spanish Edgar Torronteras performs at the freestylemotocross jumping demonstration during the FIM Indoor Trial WorldMotorcycling Championship. —AFP

NEW DELHI: Right when it should be over-seeing the selection and final preparationsfor its team for London 2012, the IndianOlympic Association has been consumedwith two more divisive and contentiousissues.

Persistent rumors of a boycott have allbeen ruled out, but constant speculationover the continued involvement of scandal-tainted IOA president Suresh Kalmadi won’tgo away.

The IOA is under scrutiny by theInternational Olympic Committee for keep-ing Kalmadi as its figurehead - even withoutexecutive powers - while he fights corrup-tion allegations stemming from his role inthe organizing committee of the 2010Commonwealth Games.

The IOC executive board meets inLausanne today and tomorrow, and couldrefer Kalmadi’s situation to the ethics com-

mittee. Kalmadi has spent time in jail await-ing trial over the corruption allegationsrelating to the scandal-plagued New DelhiGames in 2010, with Vijay Kumar Malhotraperforming all the presidential duties in astand-in capacity. Malhotra says Kalmadi -who has refused to resign - is innocent untilproven guilty, and shouldn’t be denied nat-ural justice.

“We’ve been in touch with the IOC andhave explained to them that Mr. Kalmadi isnot running the affairs and that he has alsonot been pronounced guilty so far,”Malhotra told The Associated Press. “We’renot expecting any sanctions from the IOCbecause of these reasons.”

Interest in Olympic sports has increasedin this country of 1.2 billion since shooterAbhinav Bindra won India’s first ever indi-vidual Olympic gold medal at Beijing in2008. The performances of athletes at the

2010 Commonwealth Games and at theAsian Games later that year also gave rise toincreased expectations for London 2012.

A number of doping cases has tarnishedsome of those performances, whileMalhotra has had other concerns to dealwith - namely calls for an Olympic boycottbecause of a sponsor’s links to a gas leakdisaster in the central Indian city of Bhopalin 1984.

Dow Chemicals, which is sponsoring an$11-million decorative wrap that will beinstalled around London’s OlympicStadium, bought Union Carbide in 2000.

Union Carbide’s Bhopal plant is blamedfor a deadly gas leak that killed about15,000 people and injured half a million.Critics argue that the purchase makes theUS-based company responsible for linger-ing contamination and other issues.

After pressure from lobby groups, the

IOA and the Indian sports ministry wrote tothe IOC asking for Dow to be dropped as asponsor.

But the IOC has maintained the positionthat Dow was not responsible for the gasleak and the company would continue asan Olympic sponsor.

Pere Miro, the IOC’s director of NationalOlympic Committee relations, wrote to theIndian sports ministry last week saying thatthe IOC sympathized with the grief of thevictims’ families but that Dow had boughtUnion Carbide 16 years after the accidentand 12 years after a compensation settle-ment was agreed upon.

Malhotra appears to be against a fullboycott of the London Games. “There is noquestion of a boycott but we may decide totake part under protest,” Malhotra said. Butthe issue has also been taken further by thesports ministry.

Amid unsubstantiated reports thatIndian officials were considering stayingaway from official functions including theopening and closing ceremonies, India’ssports minister Ajay Maken said last weekthe government had not decided on aboycott.

“What athletes feel will play an impor-tant role in our decision,” Maken told theCNN-IBN news channel, fueling more spec-ulation about protest action at the LondonGames. Malhotra has subsequently accusedthe government of hypocrisy, citing its ownassociation with Dow.

“The government’s double speak hascreated more problems and weakened ourcase further. While it wants the (London)organizers to drop Dow as sponsor, adepartment of the agriculture ministry helda seminar last month which was sponsoredby Dow,” Malhotra said. —AP

Distractions overshadow Olympic buildup in India

ISTANBUL: ‘Watch out London -the Americans are coming’ wasthe message after the US teamrecorded their best showing at theworld indoor championships with10 gold medals in Istanbul.

Men’s team coach John Moonwas in buoyant mood as the ath-letes, fresh from their record suc-cess, now turn their attention tothe year’s main event, theOlympics. “Going into the champi-onships I gave the team a chal-lenge of 17 medals,” Moon toldReuters.

“Some people might havethought that was foolish withsuch a young team. But we camehere and got 18 medals. We sent amessage that we are ready forLondon. I’m proud of this teamand it was a team effort.

“Of all of the big stars here, tocome out with that many medalsis great. They came to the chal-lenge. A lot of these kids will be inLondon,” he added.

One of the younger teammembers was 24-year-old AshtonEaton, who was a class apart in theheptathlon and is seemingly ableto break the world record at willafter setting his third for the eventin two years with 6,645 points.

The US also have the Olympicgold medallist Bryan Clay andworld champion Trey Hardee intheir ranks. “If all of us are 100 per-cent healthy, and even 80 percentin shape, realistically we couldsweep (the Olympic medals),”Eaton said.

A revitalised Justin Gatlinshowed he was heading back tohis best after returning from afour-year doping ban by winningthe men’s 60 metres fromJamaican Nesta Carter.

It is likely, however, that he willface a much tougher test in

London against the likes of com-patriot Tyson Gay and Jamaica’sworld record holder Usain Bolt.

The US also showed strength indepth in the jumps with one-two’sfor Brittney Reese and JanayDeLoach in the long jump and WillClaye and Christian Taylor in thetriple.

“Seeing everyone else do wellwas great,” said Claye. “The jumpsin the US are coming back. Plentyof guys are jumping far. They are

good guys in college and (worldchampion) Dwight (Phillips) hasn’teven jumped yet this year.”

There were some timelyreminders from Olympic champi-ons Yelena Isinbayeva, Pamela

Jelimo and Nataliya Dobrynska atthe Atakoy Athletics Arena.

Both pole vaulter Isinbayevaand 800 metres runner PamelaJelimo suffered from injury andloss of form following their tri-umphs in Beijing but after takingbreaks from the sport, the paircomfortably won their respectiveevents.

Russian world record holderIsinbayeva needed just two jumpsto earn a fourth world indoor title

while Jelimo sped away on thefinal lap to win the 800.

Ukraine’s Dobrynska won theOlympic heptathlon title but hasbeen overshadowed by Britain’sJessica Ennis and Tatyana

Chernova of Russia since.However, she stepped out of theshadows in Istanbul to break thepentathlon world record with ascore of 5,013 and propel herselfinto the favourite’s position forLondon.

All eyes were on Ennis andworld 5,000 metres champion MoFarah for the Olympic hosts andalthough neither won their eventsin Turkey, Britain finished secondin the medals table with their best

haul of nine medals, includingtwo gold thanks to surprise victo-ries for 39-year-old YamileAldama in the women’s triplejump and the women’s 4x400relay team. —Reuters

US head to Olympics after show of strength

ISTANBUL: United States’ Aries Merritt celebrates winning the gold medal in the Men’s 60mHurdles final during the World Indoor Athletics Championships in this file photo. —AP

PARIS: Bradley Wiggins has made himselfa credible Tour de France contender withhis Paris-Nice victory, showing guts andcomposure to claim one of the biggestwins of his career on the road.

A Tour route tailor-made for ‘rouleurs’,Alberto Contador’s absence, a strong teamand a few lessons learnt mean thatWiggins will have the biggest chance of hiscareer to win the greatest cycling race inthe world.

The Team Sky rider won the Paris-Nicerace after claiming the final time trial, a9.6-km dash to the Col d’Eze on Sundaythat suggested Wiggins still had plenty leftin the tank after a week of climbing andracing in the wind and cold.

He became the first Briton to win theweek-long ‘Race to the Sun’ since TomSimpson in 1967. The late Simpson neverwon the Tour, but Wiggins surely has whatit takes to make 2012 a vintage year forBritish cycling.

This year’s Tour will feature 101.5 kmsof time trials, compared with 65.5 last yearand 60.9 in 2009, a great asset for Wigginswhile it should dramatically reduce thechances of Andy Schleck, a pure climberwho has always struggled against theclock.

“It’s obvious that this Tour will favourWiggins much more than the last two edi-tions,” Radioshack-Nissan team managerJohan Bruyneel, who guided LanceArmstrong to his seven Tour titles andContador to his 2007 and 2009 triumphson the French roads, told Reuters duringParis-Nice.

Wiggins, however, believes freshnesswill be the key factor, especially in the finalindividual time trial , a 53.5-km ridebetween Bonneval and Chartres on theeve of the Champs Elysees parade.

“It’s more about freshness. If you’re notfresh, your time trial abilities count fornothing,” the 31-year-old Wiggins toldReuters before the start of Paris-Nice.

In 2009, Wiggins finished a decent sixthin the final time trial in Annecy, andSunday’s performance in the uphill ride tothe Col d’Eze suggested the three-timestrack cycling Olympic champion hasenough energy to get through threeweeks of racing - if he does not peak tooearly, that is.

“You cannot win the Tour de France if

you also want to win the Dauphine (a fewweeks earlier),” Bruyneel said, referring toWiggins’s victory in last year’s Criterium duDauphine.

Another factor in the June 30-July 22race will be Contador’s absence after theSpaniard was banned for failing a dopetest during the 2010 race.

Contador would have been thefavourite and his absence will undoubted-ly leave a spot available on the podium inParis.

Defending champion Cadel Evans ofAustralia will probably start as thefavourite now, but Wiggins will focus onhimself. “You can’t worry too much aboutif he’s there...you just concentrate on whatyou’re doing as a team and individually,”he said.

Wiggins’s team on the Tour could fea-ture several decent domestiques whocould help him in the mountains, such asAustralian Richie Porte or ColombianRigoberto Uran.

The Belgium-born Wiggins will have todeal with the presence of world championMark Cavendish in the team and his com-patriot’s goal in the race could affect TeamSky’s line-up.

“If they pick seven lead-out riders (forthe sprints) it’s clear that I’m on my ownfor GC (general classification),” he said.

His Paris-Nice win suggests, however,that Team Sky will put resources behindWiggins, especially as several domestiquescan double up for the lead-out.

Wiggins even sees Cavendish’s pres-ence as a blessing in disguise because itwill allow him to ride towards the front ofthe peloton during the flat stages as TeamSky will look to set up the Manxman forthe sprint finishes.

Last year, Wiggins crashed out in theseventh stage, partially because of somebad positioning in the bunch. “One of thebig gains of having Cav is you can ridemore in the front. I’ll probably get a saferride,” he explained.

That lesson learnt, Wiggins should beable to rely on a well-oiled squad. “Agreat week for the team and we’re mov-ing onwards and upwards. The way werode and how we handled all the situa-tions makes it a great result,” Team Skysports director Sean Yates said onSunday. —Reuters

Wiggins makes himself a credible Tour threat

Curvy dancing prepares Fujiwara

for marathonTOKYO: The hip-shaking Japanese fitness fad ofcurvy dancing helped marathon runner ArataFujiwara to qualify for the London Olympics.

Hiromi Kashiki, the creator of the popular dancestyle based on highly suggestive hip-gyratingmovements, says Fujiwara, who visited her studiofor a one-on-one workout the day before lastmonth’s Tokyo Marathon, is a natural.

“When I first saw Fujiwara, I noticed his pelviswas going up and down, left and right - it wasn’tvery stable,” she told Reuters in her Tokyo dancestudio. “I tried to make sure his pelvic area wasmore relaxed - removing wasted energy to releasethat explosive power.”

Fujiwara said: “Up till now I’ve been really badat using my hips effectively. After I got some les-sons from Kashiki and her curvy dancing my run-ning style dramatically improved.”

The 30-year-old Fujiwara qualified for the Japanteam by finishing runner-up in Tokyo with a per-sonal best of two hours, seven minutes, 48 sec-onds.

Qualification was a personal triumph forFujiwara, who quit a marathon squad bankrolledby Japan Rail to go solo two years ago. He reliedon donated shoes and trained in a Tokyo park.

“I don’t have any cash but people have helpedme out in all sorts of ways, so I’ve been able to getby,” he told Reuters under the plum blossoms inthe park.

“It was a real struggle. (Ernest) Hemingway saysin one of his short stories (‘A Moveable Feast’):‘Hunger was a good discipline’. Well it’s exactly likethat. “Being starving, being hungry, really wascharacter-building.”

Fujiwara will be joined in London by RyoYamamoto, 27, and Kentaro Nakamoto, 29. TheOlympics begin on July 27 with the men’smarathon on Aug. 12. —Reuters

CHELTENHAM: The genteel Georgiantown of Cheltenham wil l from todaybecome the centre of the universe forjump racing enthusiasts as it plays host tothe 2012 National Hunt Festival.

Cheltenham is famed for its spa butover the next four days stout and cham-pagne rather than water will be the liquidsof choice as racegoers from Ireland andEngland descend on the Cotswolds forjump racing’s top draw.

The feast of racing begins with theopening day’s Champion Hurdle and con-cludes on Friday with the compelling GoldCup clash between Long Run and hisnemesis this season Kauto Star - the lat-ter’s well-being permitting.

The Gold Cup hero in 2007 and 2009has made a remarkable recovery from aheavy fall when schooling last month andbarring further mishap is set to line up forthe big one. His trainer, Paul Nicholls, andowner Clive Smith are due to make a finaldecision late yesterday.

The chasing machine, who has earnedalmost £2.4 million ($3.76 mn) during hisstellar career, has achieved such celebritystatus even Queen Elizabeth II was inquir-ing after his health last week.

The veteran, known as ‘the extra-terres-trial’ in his native France, also has his ownFacebook page with over 10,000 follow-ers. Kauto Star is just one of a strong teamrepresenting champion trainer Nichollsthis week. Today he has Zarkander, thirdfavorite in the Champion Hurdle behindIreland’s defending titleholder HurricaneFly and former winner Binocular.

Thursday sees Big Buck’s try for afourth consecutive World Hurdle The stay-ing hurdle phenomenon - he’s unbeatenover the smaller obstacles since 2008 - ismany people’s idea of the banker of themeeting. Then on Friday, all being well,comes the mouthwatering rematchbetween Long Run and Kauto Star.

Long Run put the seven-year olderKauto Star firmly in his place last year butKauto has returned this season with all

guns blazing, blasting Long Run aside inboth the Betfair Chase at Haydock inNovember and in the King George VIChase at Kempton on December 26.

Successful in the blue riband in 2007and 2009 Kauto Star is seeking not only tojoin a rare club of triple Gold Cup winnersbut also become the oldest winner of therace since What A Myth triumphed in the1969 edition aged 12 like Nicholls’ flag-bearer.

After watching the French bred work atWincanton racecourse on Friday Nichollssaid: “What I like is that he’s in the sort ofnick he was in before (his victories) in theKing George and at Haydock. He looks fan-tastic, he’s feeling great and he’s full ofenthusiasm, and that’s what you want.”

Cheltenham has borne witness to somegripping moments of sporting drama overthe years but if Kauto Star does run up thefamous Cheltenham hill to claim victory itwill be a story to surpass any that havegone before.

Standing in his way though is the for-midable presence of Long Run, who likelast year is being ridden by leading ama-teur rider and owner’s son Sam Waley-Cohen.

The Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year-old warmed up for his title defencewith a confidence boosting win atNewbury last month, although his work-manlike defeat of stablemate Burton Portdid not seduce everyone.

But the man on board on Friday is abeliever, Waley-Cohen tell ing TheTelegraph last week: “I think there is more,and better, to come from Long Run.

“To be mixing it with Kauto Star - I real-ly hope he’s over his fall and runs nextFriday - already puts you on the doorstepof the greats.

“The dream is not just to ride the win-ner of the Gold Cup but to ride a horsewho made the Gold Cup his own race. “Ihonestly believe that like Kauto beforehim, Long Run could be a horse of a life-time.”—AFP

Kauto Star leads all star cast

S P ORTSTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

INDIAN WELLS: Top seed Victoria Azarenkacharged ominously into the fourth round of theIndian Wells WTA tournament on Sunday whilethird-seeded Petra Kvitova made an unexpectedearly exit.

Belarusian world number one Azarenkacrushed Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1 6-2,improving her record to 19-0 this year, butKvitova was ousted 2-6 6-2 6-3 by Americanteenager Christina McHale.

The pony-tailed Azarenka, who was taken toa third set tiebreak in her opening match againstGermany’s Mona Barthel, broke Kuznetsovathree times in the first set and twice in the sec-ond to sweep through.

Serving for the match at 5-2, she went 40-15up before double-faulting but then sealed thewin on the next point when her opponent’sbackhand flew long.

“I’m really pleased with that,” a smilingAzarenka told reporters after dispatchingKuznetsova in one hour. “We have practisedquite a few times, and I know she’s a great play-er.

“She has so much experience and she’s beena grand slam winner, so I knew she was gonnabe dangerous. “I really had to step it up from mylast match,” she added, referring to her three-hour battle with Barthel. “I’m glad I could per-form much better... and show some good ten-nis.”

Kuznetsova, who won the 2004 US Open andthe 2009 French Open, had won four of theirprevious meetings but she was outplayed by theBelarusian on a sun-splashed afternoon in theCalifornia desert.

Azarenka, who clinched her first grand slamcrown at the Australian Open in January, willnext meet Germany’s Julia Goerges, a 6-3 6-4winner against Spaniard Anabel MedinaGarrigues.

Goerges, who won her second WTA singlestitle in Stuttgart last year, was eager to take onthe game’s top player. “Of course, when you playNo. 1 in the world you have nothing to lose,” the23-year-old said. “She’s a tough player, she’s justrecently won a first grand slam and hasn’t lost sofar a match this year.

“I will just try to focus on my game and play

my game, and then I see how far it brings me. It’sa tough challenge... but I will be ready for it.”

Kvitova made a strong start against the 19-year-old McHale before errors began creepinginto her game and she was bundled out of thetournament after a match lasting nearly twohours. “She played very solid and she didn’t havemany mistakes,” the Czech said. “She was movingvery well, and she played a lot of shots to theback. My serve was not too good, too, so it wastough.”

French Open champion Li Na beat fellowChinese Zheng Jie 6-1 6-3, her first victory overher compatriot in five career meetings.

“It’s always tough to play a same-countryplayer because we know each other a lot,” saidLi, who became the first Asian woman to win a

grand slam singles title with her victory overItalian Francesca Schiavone in Paris last year.

“We stay in the national teams so we practiseevery day and travel all of the time, so it’s verytough. But I was so happy because it’s the firsttime I beat her.

“The last meeting was six years ago, so sixyears can change many things,” added Li, who isaffectionately known as “Big Sister Na” and“Golden Flower” in China.

In other matches, f ifth seed AgnieszkaRadwanska of Poland eased past Italy’s FlaviaPennetta 6-4 6-2 whi le Czech K laraZakopalova was gifted a spot in the fourthround when Russian Vera Zvonareva becamethe latest victim of a viral infection affectingthe tournament. — Reuters

INDIAN WELLS: Twice champion RafaNadal and triple winner Roger Federerbarely raised a sweat as they each cruisedinto the third round of the Indian WellsATP tournament with imperious victorieson Sunday.

Spaniard Nadal ruthlessly dealt withArgentine Leonardo Mayer 6-1 6-3 beforeSwiss maestro Federer eased pastAmerican wild card Denis Kudla 6-4 6-1 inthe evening session at the Indian WellsTennis Garden.

Left-hander Nadal, who has reachedthe semi-finals at Indian Wells in his lastsix appearances, broke Mayer twice ineach set to wrap up a commanding win inone hour, 15 minutes.

In dazzling afternoon sunshine, thematch ended when a Mayer forehandsailed wide and Nadal removed his greenheadband in triumph as the near-capacitycrowd erupted in applause.

“It’s nice to be back playing at the verygood level,” the Spaniard, who will nextface compatriot Marcel Granollers, toldreporters. “Winning is the most importantthing.

“It’s not easy to be back after a whilewithout competition, but I did really well. Istarted the match very focused, veryaggressive. I’m very happy about almosteverything.”

Nadal, who dominated Mayer with hiscrunching ground strokes from behindthe baseline, had not competed since helost an epic Australian Open final toNovak Djokovic in January.

The world number two enjoys a superbrecord at Indian Wells where he won thetitle in 2007 and 2009 and was beaten inlast year’s final by Serb Djokovic.

“This is a tournament that I love,” saidthe 25-year-old from Mallorca. “I enjoy a

lot playing this tournament. Always in mycareer I’ve had good success here. I haveplayed very good matches.”

Granollers had earlier booked his placein the third round with a 6-3 2-6 6-3 winagainst Germany’s Tommy Haas. Worldnumber three Federer, who is shaking offa flu bug and slight temperature, brokeKudla twice in the opening set and threetimes in the second to wrap up a one-sided victory in under an hour.

“I’m always relieved and happy when Iam able to find my way into a tourna-ment, see where you’re at,” said the 16-times grand slam champion, whose entirefamily has been sick.

“It’s a good start for me. I didn’t knowKudla very much, or at all really, so it was agood win for me. I’m looking forward towhat’s next.”

Federer, who won three consecutivetitles at Indian Wells from 2004, next facestowering Canadian Milos Raonic, a 6-4 6-2winner against Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq.

Asked how he felt health-wise, Federerreplied: “I have a bit of a combination (offlu and a cold). Not a terrible temperature,but I have some things going on. But I’mthe best off in my family... the rest of themare struggling much more.”

In other matches, fifth-seededSpaniard David Ferrer crushed BulgarianGrigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-2, David Nalbandianof Argentina battled past Croat Marin Cilic7-6 7-6 and Serb Janko Tipsarevic beatGilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4 6-2.

Sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsongaadvanced when fellow FrenchmanMichael Llodra retired hurt because of aknee injury when trailing 4-1. The big-serving Tsonga will next face Czech RadekStepanek, who crushed Belgium’s XavierMalisse 6-2 6-1. — Reuters

World T20 places at stake

DUBAI: International Cricket Council (ICC) chief execu-tive Haroon Lorgat has called the ICC World Twenty20qualifier that begins in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)today “the biggest development event in cricket history”.

It is not an empty boast as 16 teams from cricket’ssecond and third tiers will play 71 matches at five venuesover 12 days, with two places at stake in September’smain event in Sri Lanka.

The UAE tournament follows on from 12 qualifyingevents to reach this stage that took place in locationsincluding Ghana, Slovenia, Nepal and Florida.

The previous ICC World Twenty20 qualifier in 2010involved eight teams playing 17 matches over five daysat two venues, while last year’s ICC Cricket World Cup,won by India, featured 49 matches and was spread over43 days and 13 venues in three countries - Bangladesh,India and Sri Lanka.

“The fact this qualifier’s footprint, thanks to the tour-nament itself and the qualifying events that preceded it,touches so many places around the world is a great signfor the health of the game and interest in it globally,”Lorgat told Reuters yesterday.

For the first time, a cricket tournament involvingteams outside the world’s top 10 will have global televi-sion coverage. The ICC has reached agreements with itsofficial broadcasters in Asia, Africa and the Americas toshow six matches over the final three days at the DubaiInternational Cricket Stadium. Those matches will alsobe streamed live on the internet, as will 14 other match-es over seven days.

The tournament lacks the abundance of big namesthat Sri Lanka’s main event will contain but there is still asprinkling of quality on show.

Ireland will have vice-captain Kevin O’Brien, who lastyear scored the fastest hundred in the history of the 50-over World Cup, reaching three figures from 50 balls enroute to a 63-ball 113 that helped his side to a famouswin over England in Bangalore.

“It is massive (for us to qualify) as people in Irelandand other countries expect us to be at every World Cupthat is on,” O’Brien told Reuters in the build-up to thetournament. “With only two teams qualifying and withTwenty20 being so unpredictable, it would be stupid torule out any team. That does bring extra pressure (on us)but we have got a very talented team and if we play toour strengths then hopefully that will be enough tocome out on top.”

Ireland are the pre-tournament favourites, havingreached the past two ICC World Twenty20s, in England in2009 and the West Indies in 2010.

Their main rivals are expected to be Afghanistan,who beat them in the final of the qualifying event twoyears ago, Canada, the Netherlands and Scotland. TheNetherlands beat 2009 hosts England in the openingmatch but are without leading all-rounder Ryan tenDoeschate this time.

Papua New Guinea are boosted by the inclusion ofGeraint Jones, the former England wicketkeeper andpart of the Ashes-winning team in 2005, who has optedto play for the country of his birth.

“I saw playing for PNG as an opportunity to playsome international cricket again and maybe get to aWorld Cup which I did not get a chance to do withEngland,” Jones told Reuters from the team’s pre-tourna-ment camp in Canberra, Australia.

Former Australia one-day international batsmanMichael di Venuto, now playing for English county sideDurham, is lining up for Italy, qualifying because he hasan Italian passport. The sides are divided into twogroups of eight with group A featuring Afghanistan, theNetherlands, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong,Bermuda, Denmark and Nepal. Group B is made up ofIreland, Kenya, Scotland, Namibia, Uganda, Oman, Italyand the US. The final is on March 24 and admission to allmatches is free. — Reuters

DUBAI: Afghanistan are determined to usetheir resentment over being snubbed for theAsia Cup to fire them to a second appearanceat the World Twenty20. The Afghans areamong the favorites to land one of the twoplaces up for grabs at the 2012 finals in SriLanka in September and October when the16-nation qualifying tournament starts today.

But such has been the team’s remarkableprogress in recent years-from a ramshackleunit developing a love of the sport in refugeecamps on Pakistan’s wild frontier to attainingone-day status-that they believe they deservemore respect.

The team are angry that they were over-looked for the Asia Cup in Dhaka this week,where they could have faced regional powers

India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.“We are not featuring in the Asia Cup, that

is really disappointing,” said hard-hitting bats-man and off-spinner Mohammad Nabi, whowas the leading wicket-taker whenAfghanistan qualified for the 2010 WorldTwenty20 in the Caribbean.

“How are we going to improve if we donot play against these teams? “The ICC shouldalso make sure that any team that comes toAsia for a series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan orIndia also plays one-dayers or Twenty20sagainst Afghanistan,” Nabi toldPakPassion.net. Afghanistan will once againbe coached at the qualifiers by Kabir Khan,who has returned to the hot seat, succeedingRashid Latif.—AFP

ABU DHABI: The world’s ultimate desert rally, the 2012 AbuDhabi Desert Challenge (30 March - 6 April) is set to featurean even more varied line-up than ever before, with some 35different nationalities and a record number of female com-petitors already signed up to tackle the towering dunes andspectacular terrain of the formidable Liwa Desert.

With the registration deadline for the 22nd edition of oneof the world’s toughest and most popular cross-country ral-lies just hours away, the Automobile and Touring Club of theUAE (ATCUAE), organiser of the race, has confirmed it hasalready received entries from across six continents.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, ATCUAE President and founderof the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, said: “The Abu DhabiDesert Challenge is a ‘Must’ for all serious rally drivers andriders. It is renowned for testing participants and theirmachines, to their absolute limits, giving them a chance toreally prove themselves in front of their peers. That is why, inits 22nd year, it continues to attract such a strong line-up ofentrants from around the world.”

In a significant development for the race, 2012 sees amarked increase in entrants from South America, with com-petitors from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Venezuela and Uruguay

already confirmed. By attracting growing numbers ofentrants from a continent where rallying is extremely popu-lar, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will further spread thenames of one the world’s most beautiful and spectacularlocations, the Western Region of Al Gharbia.

Among the contestants battling it out across the breath-taking dunes and stunning scenery of the Rub Al Khali(Empty Quarter), there will once again be a strong contin-gent from right across the Middle East. Notably, the UAE’sentrants include two of the region’s most famous rally driv-ers, Sheikh Abdulla Al Qassimi and 2004 FIA World Cupchampion Khalifa Al-Mutaiwei.

Al-Mutaiwei, who recently announced his return to inter-national cross-country rallying after an eight-year absence,will race with the celebrated German X-raid team. Another ofthe region’s most experienced rally drivers, Sheikh Abdulla AlQassimi will take on the Desert Challenge in a PowertechBuggy, having claimed podium places for the past two yearsin the Middle East Rally Championship.

An indication of the increasing popularity of cross-coun-try rallying among female racers, the global appeal of therally sees the number of participants rise to six this year.

Desert Challenge regular and UAE resident, Sheila Hutton-Barker will again compete in a Nissan Patrol as co-driver toher husband Ian. The Brit will be joined by contestants fromBrazil, Bulgaria, the US and Italy, including the most experi-enced female quad biker in the field, Camelia Liparoti.

This year riding a Yamaha Raptor 700 quad bike, Liparotihas taken on and completed the Abu Dhabi Deser tChallenge three times before, providing the ideal spring-board to help her claim the crown of women’s champion ofthe FIM Cross Country Rallies Championship for the pastthree years.

The Desert Challenge is held under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler ’sRepresentative in the Western Region, and with supportfrom a number of key partners including as the Abu DhabiTourism & Culture Authority, Nissan and ADNOC.

This year it serves as the FIM Cross Country Rallies WorldChampionship season-opener and the second round of theFIA Cross Country Rally World Cup. It offers spectators unri-valled, free access to top-class motorsport in a number ofbreathtaking settings, with dedicated, easy-to-access view-ing points in the beautiful desert of Al Gharbia.

Azarenka advances,Kvitova bundled out

Nadal, Federer ease through

INDIAN WELLS: Roger Federer of Switzerland returns a backhand to Denis Kudla duringthe BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. — AFP

INDIAN WELLS: Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic returns a shot to Christina McHale during theBNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. — AFP

Six continents collide at 2012 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Afghanistan eye T-20after Asia Cup snub

S P ORTSTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

ITALY: Inter Milan coach ClaudioRanieri believes it would be a cry-ing shame if his improving side failto overturn their 1-0 deficit intoday’s Champions League last-16second leg at home to OlympiqueMarseille.

Inter won their first match in 10games in all competitions whentwo late goals sealed a 2-0 Serie Avictory at Chievo Verona on Fridayand Ranieri was so overjoyed hehad tears in his eyes.

While 2010 champions Inter aredigging themselves out of a hole,Marseille have slipped into the mirewith four straight defeats sincetheir first-leg win and Ranieri seesan opportunity.

“Emotion is the most beautifulthing. I do this job to feel emotions,both positive and negative, but totell the truth the positive ones arebetter,” he said. “I hope that todayagainst Marseille the San Siro willbe full and the fans will be urgingus on. It won’t be an easy game, butwe’ll try. We have a chance. Let’s tryto see what we can manage to dowith our fans behind us.”

Inter will be without suspendeddefender Cristian Chivu while cen-tre back Andrea Ranocchia andmidfielder Ricardo Alvarez areinjured. Ranieri’s team selection willbe hard to predict for counterpartDidier Deschamps after the Italiantried various formations in recentweeks to try to stop the rot.

He played three up front in the2-2 home draw with Catania lastweekend, when Inter’s nervousnessat home was again exposed as theywent 2-0 down, but reverted to a 4-3-1-2 against Chievo with playmak-er Wesley Sneijder coming in.

Substitute Giampaolo Pazzinireplaced fellow striker Diego Forlanand previously out-of-form EstebanCambiasso came on for Andrea Polibefore Walter Samuel’s and forwardDiego Milito’s late goals in Verona.

Marseille’s reversal of fortunewas unexpected given their 1-0 winover Inter at the Stade Velodromelast month had stretched theirunbeaten run in all competitions to16 matches. Deschamps, a formerJuventus player and manager whoknows all about the Italian game,rested several key players on Fridaywhen Marseille lost 1-0 at ACAjaccio.France winger Mathieu

Valbuena and holding midfielderAlou Diarra came on only as sec-ond-half substitutes while MorganAmalfitano and Loic Remy playedone half as Deschamps tried tokeep his squad fresh.

“It was Didier’s decision so thatthe players can be fully fit onTuesday in Milan. I think we will befine physically speaking,” assistantcoach Guy Stephan told the club’swebsite (www.om.net).

Ghana striker Andre Ayew, whoscored the injury-time winner inthe first leg, is also likely to be fitto play after recovering from ashoulder injury as Marseille seek

their first goal since his header.

Possible teams:Inter: 1-Julio Cesar; 13-Maicon,

25-Walter Samuel, 6-Lucio, 55-YutoNagatomo; 4-Javier Zanetti, 19-Esteban Cambiasso, 5-DejanStankovic; 10-Wesley Sneijder; 22-Diego Milito, 7-Giampaolo Pazzini.

Marseille: 30-Steve Mandanda;2-Cesar Azpil icueta, 3-NicolasN’Koulou, 21-SouleymaneDiawara, 24-Rod Fanni ; 17-Stephane Mbia, 4-Alou Diarra, 7-Benoit Cheyrou, 28-MathieuValbuena, 18-Morgan Amalfitano;11-Loic Remy.—Reuters

Inter’s Ranieri hopes to cry more tears of joy

MILAN: Olympique de Marseille’s players warm up during a training session on the eve of the ChampionsLeague football match against Inter Milan. —AFP

MUNICH: Basel’s German defender Markus Steinhoefer (center, left) and Basel’sKorean defender Joo Ho Park (center, right) joke during the final team training onthe eve of the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen second leg match againstBayern Munich.—AFP

MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s hopes of play-ing in a Champions League final in theirown stadium will be hanging on a knifeedge today as they face a 1-0 deficitagainst an FC Basel side unbeaten in theirlast 17 outings.

Despite thrashing Hoffenheim 7-1 in theBundesliga on Saturday, Bayern are tread-ing warily against Basel who are attempt-ing to become the first Swiss team to reachthe last eight of Europe’s top club competi-tion for 33 years.

“The win over Hoffenheim will give ussome thrust for today,” said coach JuppHeynckes ahead of the second leg of theround-of-16 tie. “The game on Saturdaywas proof that we can score goals. ButBasel will not make it as easy asHoffenheim,” said Heynckes who twice ledBayern to the semi-finals of the EuropeanCup during a previous stint at the clubwhich lasted from 1987-91.

Bayern, whose stadium hosts this year’sfinal, have won 11 of their last 12 Europeangames at home, yet have made a habit ofslipping up at the Allianz Arena at crucialmoments. Three of their last fourChampions League campaigns endedwhen they failed to win games on hometurf. Last season, Bayern went out at thesame stage when they lost 3-2 at home toInter Milan, having won 1-0 away in the firstleg. A 1-1 draw against Barcelona sentthem out 5-1 on aggregate in 2009 andtwo years before that, Bayern lost 2-0 athome to AC Milan in the quarter-finals, hav-ing drawn the first leg 2-2 away.

Basel are unbeaten and have scored inevery match away from home in the com-petition this season, their most impressiveresult being a 3-3 draw at ManchesterUnited after trailing 2-0 at halftime.

Basel coach Heiko Vogel spent nineyears working with Bayern’s youth teambefore moving to Basel as assistant toThorsten Fink.

He was giving the senior role last yearafter Fink left to join Hamburg SV and hasbeen an instant hit. After losing at home toBenfica on his debut, Vogel’s team has

gone unbeaten for 17 games, beatingManchester United 2-1 to qualify for theknockout stages at their expense and alsoovercoming Bayern in the first leg.

Vogel has repeatedly played down hisBayern connections. “It would be an unbe-lievable triumph if a Swiss team reachedthe quarter-finals and that should be themain thing. Beating Bayern Munich, my for-mer employees, does not play a role,” hesaid.

“We have our qualities. My team have adeep belief in their capabilities, so we goonto the pitch without worries no matterwho is on the other side.”

Basel’s progress has come in an other-wise miserable season for Swiss footballwith the national team having failed toqualify for Euro 2012.

Neuchatel Xamax were kicked out of theSwiss league for a series of administrativeirregularities under Russian-born ownerBulat Chagaev while Servette Geneva’sfuture is uncertain after they filed for bank-ruptcy 10 days ago.

FC Sion had 36 points deducted forfielding ineligible players and taking theircase to the civil court in defiance of FIFAstatutes which at one point led to the pos-sibility of Switzerland being suspendedfrom international football.

Vogel said he was aware that his careerwould not always be as smooth as it has sofar. “I’m going to make a 1,000 mistakes,” hesaid. Basel will be hoping he does not startmaking them on Tuesday.

Probable teams:Bayern Munich: 1-Manuel Neuer; 21-

Philipp Lahm, 17-Jerome Boateng, 28-Holger Badstuber, 27-David Alaba; 30-LuizGustavo, 31-Bastian Schweinsteiger; 10-Arjen Robben, 25-Thomas Mueller, 7-FranckRibery; 33-Mario Gomez

FC Basel: 1-Yann Sommer; 27-MarkusSteinhoefer, 19-David Abraham, 6-Aleksandar Dragovic, 3-Park Joo Ho; 17-Xherdan Shaqiri, 8-Benjamin Huggel, 34-Granit Xhaka, 20-Fabian Frei; 9-MarcoStreller, 13-Alexander Frei.—Reuters

Bayern’s hopeson a knife edge

SINGAPORE: Indonesia’s beleaguered footballassociation (PSSI) will get a shot in the arm froma group of businessmen led by oil and gastycoon Arifin Panigoro, who will make up a fund-ing shortfall after the government cut off sup-port, the PSSI has told Reuters.

PSSI Vice President Farid Rahman told Reutersin a recent interview that Panigoro would sup-port the organisation, which has been plaguedby infighting and has been blamed for thenational team’s humiliating 10-0 defeat byBahrain in their World Cup qualifier last month.

Indonesia were forced to field a hugely inex-perienced side after world governing body FIFAbanned them from picking any players from therebel Indonesian Super League (ISL), which thePSSI has refused to recognise.

The shock result, which led to a ‘routine FIFAinvestigation’, was the final straw for the govern-ment, who opted to pull their funding last week.

“The shortfall will be covered by Arifin andother businessmen who love Indonesian foot-ball, there are several friends but he is the headof that,” Rahman told Reuters in an interview inSingapore.

“This shows his commitment. For the futureof Indonesia football Arifin will do a lot, he is sac-rificing a lot in order to make Indonesian footballbetter.”

Rahman did not reveal how much fundingthe group would provide but said the PSSIrequired $40 million a year to revamp all aspectsof soccer in the country, including introducingsports science programmes and establishingmore youth teams.

“(Ideally) the $40 million would involve mon-ey coming from government funding and TVrights and sponsors and ticket sales,” Rahmanexplained.

Rahman said the government would renewtheir funding if the PSSI brings the two leaguestogether, or under control at least.

FIFA wants that to happen before March 20 orsanctions could be imposed. “Hopefully,” wasRahman’s response when asked if Indonesiawould avoid a ban from international competi-tion.

The PSSI has not had its troubles to seek. Lastyear, under the guidance of former chairmanNurdin Halid, the association was fortunate toavoid suspension after failing to control thethen-rebel Indonesian League (LPI) and arrangeleadership elections.

Halid eventually left office after losing a Julyelection to Panigoro-backed Djohar Arifin Husinand the LPI became the PSSI’s recognisedleague. However, Halid’s former deputy NirwanBakrie restarted the ISL and reignited the old

problems.Indonesia President Susilo Bambang

Yudhoyono said last week he could not inter-cede due to FIFA rules preventing governmentinterference but asked for the two side to reacha resolution for the good of the nation.

Soccer is hugely popular in Indonesia but thenational team have failed to appear at a WorldCup since 1938 and missed out on qualifying forlast year’s Asian Cup. The recent 10-0 defeat leftIndonesia 147th out of 208 teams in the FIFArankings.

Rahman said he had no idea the mess he andhis colleagues were walking into when they tookoffice at the PSSI in July but said they were com-mitted to fixing the issues.

“For eight years, or maybe 16 years, there waslots of mismanagement. The last eight years dur-ing the Nurdin Halid era, but even before then itwas not in a good condition.

“To have a better football environment in thefuture we have to start from zero. It is not easy,we have to struggle, we have to start with theyouth team development. With clean and hon-est fair competitions with a strong managementof the PSSI and finance ability to support theseactivities. “We still need the government fund-ing. It will be a big problem for Indonesian foot-ball (without it).”—Reuters

Panigoro backs Indonesia after govt cut off funds

BUENOS AIRES: Striker Ernesto Fariasscored a hat-trick including a brilliant last-gasp winner to give Independiente a 5-4upset victory over Boca Juniors in a pul-sating Clausura championship clash at theBombonera on Sunday.

Champions Boca, who conceded theirf irst goals in the championship, hadlooked set to claim the three points hav-ing come back from two goals down afterseven minutes and 3-1 behind near theend of the first half to lead 4-3 with oneminute to go.

But Farias struck twice in the finalstages to seal the unlikely victory for thevisitors, their first points after four open-ing defeats.

I t was not enough to l i f tIndependiente off the bottom of the tablebut brought some welcome cheer aftercoach Ramon Diaz resigned following lastweekend’s home defeat by ArgentinosJuniors with Cristian Diaz taking over ascaretaker.

“You’ve always got to want it right upto the end. The team have come awaywith victory we always sought,” Farias toldbroadcasters Futbol Para Todos after the‘clasico’ between two of Argentina’s tradi-tional Big Five clubs.

Boca, slumping to their second consec-utive home defeat after they lost 2-1 toBrazil’s Fluminense in the LibertadoresCup on Wednesday, slipped off the top ofthe standings with Tigre taking over on 13points from five matches after a 2-0 win atBanfield.

Independiente shocked Boca by goingin front after only 40 seconds with a goalby midfielder Patricio Vidal and in the sev-enth minute defender Osmar Ferreyracurled a free kick past goalkeeper AgustinOrion to put them two up.

Facundo Roncaglia pulled one back inthe 13th minute when he headed home across to the far post from fellow defenderRolando Schiavi.

With playmaker Juan Roman Riquelmetrying to get a grip on midfield and dic-tate Boca’s f ightback, Independiente

restored their two-goal advantage justpast the half hour with Farias’s divingheader.

Boca kept in touch, though, asRiquelme pulled a cross down in first halfstoppage time and shot with the ballgoing in off Ferreyra’s outstretched leg.

The champions equalised six minutesinto the second half with Roncaglia’s sec-ond goal af ter a blunder byIndependiente’s young goalkeeper DiegoRodriguez and they went ahead aftermidfielder Pablo Ledesma’s headed homein the 75th.

Former River Plate and Porto strikerFarias, saving his best for last, equalisedwhen his header found the net at the farpost when defender Eduardo Tuzzio sentin a tight cross from the right in the 90thminute.

In the fourth minute of added time,Farias chased a long clearance, slippedpast Schiavi and chipped Orion from justinside the box to stun a packedBombonera as Boca’s unbeaten leaguerun ended at 33 matches. Boca will belicking their wounds as they prepare toface fellow Argentine side Arsenal in a keyLibertadores Cup match tomorrow havingtaken only one point from a possible sixin Group Four. —Reuters

Farias stuns Boca to give Independiente 5-4 win

UEFA Champions League

Bayern v Basel 22:45Aljazeera Sport +5Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

Inter v Marseille 22:45Aljazeera Sport 1 HDAljazeera Sport +4

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

SAO PAULO: Ronaldinho scored a goal but wassent off in the first half of Flamengo’s 2-0 winover Fluminense in the Rio Cup on Sunday.

In the Sao Paulo state tournament, Palmeirasthrashed Botafogo 6-2 with two goals byArgentine striker Hernan Barcos. The teammoved to within a point of leader Corinthians.

Ronaldinho converted a 23rd-minute penalty,then was shown a red card in the 40th after hecaught midfielder Wagner’s foot in a hard chal-lenge. The two-time FIFA Player of the Yearreceived his first yellow card eight minutes intothe match for a hard foul at Engenhao stadium.

“The referee had already told me he wasgoing to send me off, he told me not to makeany more fouls,” Ronaldinho said as he left thefield. World Cup veteran Kleberson scored forFlamengo in the 25th minute as Brazil’s mostpopular club held on despite Fluminense pres-suring with its man advantage.

Ronaldinho, the team’s captain, convertedthe penalty with a firm low shot into the rightcorner. It was his second goal in as many match-es in the Rio Cup, the first stage of the Rio deJaneiro state championship.

Fluminense had several scoring opportunitiesafter Ronaldinho was sent off, but goalkeeperPaulo Victor came up with several big saves tokeep Flamengo ahead. Victor is replacing regularstarter Felipe, who last weekend sustained headtrauma during the match and left the field in amambulance. Fluminense was without some of itstop starters because of its Copa Libertadoresmatch tomorrow, including striker Fred and for-mer Chelsea playmaker Deco.

Because it won the Guanabara Cup, the firststage of Rio’s state championship, Fluminensehas already secured a chance to play for theoverall state title against the winner of the RioCup. Also Sunday, 2006 World Cup veteran mid-fielder Juninho scored a goal in Vasco’s 3-0 rout-ing of Madureira. Vasco rested several regularstarters because it will also play in the Copa

Libertadores later this week. Botafogo of Rio deJaneiro was held by Bangu to a 1-1 draw in MocaBonita on Saturday.

In the Sao Paulo state tournament, Barcosscored in the 55th minute with a penalty kick insecond-half injury time to give Palmeiras a winat Botafogo, extending the team’s unbeatenstreak to 19 matches. One of Palmeiras’ top sign-ings this season, Barcos has scored seven goalsin as many matches with the eight-time nationalchampion. Palmeiras opened the scoring withan own goal by Botafogo defender Marquinhosafter a header by Chile midfielder Jorge Valdiviain the 23rd in Ribeirao Preto, and also got goalsfrom striker Maikon Leite in the 36th, substitutestriker Ricardo Bueno in the 81st and left backJuninho in the 90th. Botafogo had Marquinhossent off after a second yellow card in the 60th,

and goalkeeper Juninho was shown a red cardthree minutes into second-half injury time forthe foul that prompted the penalty, convertedby Barcos, the former Liga de Quito star striker.

Palmeiras reached 29 points from 13 match-es, one point less than Corinthians, which onSaturday was held by Guarani to a 1-1 homedraw at the Pacaembu stadium. Corinthiansplayed without many regular starters ahead ofits Copa Libertadores match again Cruz Azul inMexico on Wednesday.

Fourth-place Santos, also without regularstarters because of the Copa Libertadores, lost 3-1 at Mogi Mirim. Sao Paulo moved to third placein the state tournament with a 2-1 win overPortuguesa with goals by former ShakhtarDonetsk midfielder Jadson and former Brazilstriker Luis Fabiano on Sunday. —AP

Ronaldinho sent off after scoring in Flamengo win

MILAN: This handout picture released yesterday by the AC Milan press office shows (left-right)AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani, UEFA president Michel Platini and former soccer play-er Gianni Rivera attending the UEFA President’s Award at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium. —AFP

18Azarenka advances, Kvitova bundled out

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 201219Inter’s Ranierihopes to cry more tears of joy

Distractions overshadow Olympic buildup in IndiaPage 17

DENVER: Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley(right) steals the ball from Denver Nuggets

guard Andre Miller in the waning seconds of thefourth quarter to seal the Grizzlies’ 94-91 victory

in an NBA basketball game.—AP

LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 26points in the fourth quarter and hit a go-ahead jumpshot with 41.7 seconds to play to lead the LosAngeles Lakers to a 97-94 victory over the BostonCeltics on Sunday. Andrew Bynum had 20 points and14 rebounds for the Lakers, who rallied from a five-point deficit in the final 21/2 minutes. The All-Starcenter hit a short hook shot over Kevin Garnett with15.5 seconds left, and Boston couldn’t get a goodlook at a tying 3-pointer. Rajon Rondo had 24 pointsand 10 assists for the Celtics, who opened an eight-game road trip by blowing a late lead. On Boston’sfinal possession, Ray Allen failed to get free for a 3-pointer before Rondo badly missed a tying attempt.

76ers 106, Knicks 94At New York, Lou Williams scored 12 of his 28

points in a dazzling third-quarter flurry, and EvanTurner had 24 points and 15 rebounds asPhiladelphia handed New York its fifth straight loss.

Williams tossed in a long jumper to beat the half-time buzzer, then had a dozen points in the final 3:28of the third quarter, when the 76ers seized control fortheir third straight victory.

Andre Iguodala had 19 points, eight assists andseven rebounds for the 76ers, who turned a competi-tive game into a rout to end a three-game losingstreak to the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony scored 22points but Jeremy Lin shot just 5 of 18 for 14 pointsfor the Knicks. Tyson Chandler had eight points and12 rebounds after missing two games with a strainedleft hamstring.

Cavaliers 118, Rockets 107At Cleveland, Antawn Jamison scored 28 points

and rookie Kyrie Irving came through again in thefourth quarter as Cleveland beat Houston.

Cleveland, which recorded a season high inpoints, had six players in double figures in winning itsthird straight game for the first time this season. LuisScola scored a season-high 30 points to leadHouston, which has lost six of seven.

Bucks 105, Raptors 99At Toronto, Ersan Ilyasova had 31 points and 12

rebounds, and Drew Gooden added 21 points asshort-handed Milwaukee won its sixth straight overToronto. Mike Dunleavy scored 19 points, includingthe go-ahead 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, as theBucks pulled within one game of the New York Knicksfor the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.The Bucks had just 10 active players, having lostShaun Livingston (sprained left ankle) and LucRichard Mbah a Moute (right knee) in Friday’s winover New York. Milwaukee swingman StephenJackson has sidelined by a sore right hamstring sinceFeb. 19. DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points and JerrydBayless had 16 for the Raptors.

Magic 107, Pacers 94At Orlando, Florida, Dwight Howard had 30 points

and 13 rebounds, and J.J. Redick added 18 points anda career-high nine assists as Orlando ran past Indiana.The Magic played without starters Hedo Turkogluand Jason Richardson, but seemed unfazed as they

built a 20-point lead in the first half and got 30 pointsfrom their reserves. Paul George led the Pacers with22 points, Tyler Hansbrough added 19 and DannyGranger 18.

Grizzlies 94, Nuggets 91At Denver, OJ Mayo scored 22 points, including a

critical 3-pointer in the closing seconds as Memphishung on to beat Denver to sweep the three-gameregular-season series for the first time in their history.Mike Conley, who returned to play after suffering acut above his right eye, had 13 points. DanteCunningham added 12 points and Tony Allen 10 forthe Grizzlies, who also snapped an eight-game losingstreak in Denver. Nene, Al Harrington and CoreyBrewer each scored 15 for the Nuggets, whodropped to 2-2 on a season-high nine-game homes-tand.

Warriors 97, Clippers 93At Los Angeles, Dorell Wright scored 18 of his 20

points in the first half and Monta Ellis added 19 pointsand 11 assists as Golden State knocked the LosAngeles Clippers out of first place in the PacificDivision. David Lee had 18 points and 10 reboundsafter spending most of the game in foul trouble,helping the Warriors beat the Clippers on the road forthe fourth straight time despite blowing a 21-pointthird-quarter lead. Blake Griffin had 27 points and 12rebounds for the Clippers, who missed 16 of 35 freethrows. The loss, coupled with the Lakers’ 97-94 vic-tory over the Boston Celtics a few hours earlier in the

first half of the Staples Center doubleheader, put theClippers a full game behind their L.A. rivals in the racefor the Pacific Division lead and homecourt advan-tage in the opening round of the playoffs.

Hawks 106, Kings 99At Sacramento, California, Josh Smith scored

19 of his 28 points in the second half for Atlanta,

which defeated Sacramento for the eighthstraight time.

DeMarcus Cousins fouled out late in the gamebut not before tying a season high with 28 andadding 12 rebounds for the Kings, who had theirmodest two-game win streak snapped. JoeJohnson scored 21 points and Jeff Teague had 16points and seven assists for the Hawks.—AP

Lakers win Celtics thriller

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division

W L PCT GB Philadelphia 25 17 .595 - Boston 21 19 .525 3 NY Knicks 18 23 .439 6.5 New Jersey 14 28 .333 11 Toronto 13 28 .317 11.5

Central Division Chicago 34 9 .791 - Indiana 23 16 .590 9 Milwaukee 17 24 .415 16 Cleveland 16 23 .410 16 Detroit 15 26 .366 18

Southeast Division Miami 31 9 .775 - Orlando 27 15 .643 5 Atlanta 24 17 .585 7.5 Washington 9 30 .231 21.5Charlotte 5 34 .128 25.5

Western Conference Northwest Division

Oklahoma City 32 9 .780 - Denver 23 19 .548 9.5 Minnesota 21 21 .500 11.5Portland 20 21 .488 12 Utah 19 21 .475 12.5

Pacific Division LA Lakers 25 16 .610 - LA Clippers 23 16 .590 1 Phoenix 19 21 .475 5.5 Golden State 17 21 .447 6.5 Sacramento 14 27 .341 11

Southwest Division San Antonio 26 13 .667 - Memphis 24 16 .600 2.5 Dallas 23 20 .535 5 Houston 22 20 .524 5.5 New Orleans 10 31 .244 17

NBA results/standingsPhiladelphia 106, NY Knicks 94; La Lakers 97, Boston 94; Cleveland 118, Houston 107; Orlando 107,Indiana 94; Milwaukee 105, Toronto 99; Memphis 94, Denver 91; Atlanta 106, Sacramento 99; GoldenState 97, LA Clippers 93.

ROME: Spaniard Joaquin Rodriguez of theKatusha team won the sixth stage of theTirreno-Adriatico cycling race over 181kmaround Offida yesterday.

Chris Horner of RadioShack holds the overallleader’s jersey ahead of the final stage todaywhen he will take a 5-second lead over CzechRoman Kreuziger and 6sec over Italian VincenzoNibali into a 9.3km time trial.

As all three riders are relatively strong timetriallists, it looks to be a three-way battle to suc-ceed Cadel Evans of Australia as the race cham-pion. Horner’s chances of keeping his losses to aminimum on Monday were, meanwhile, scup-pered by a cunning attack by Rodriguez 1kmfrom the finish. The American could only finishfourth, losing out on the six bonus secondspicked up by Nibali for his second place aheadof fellow Italian Danilo Di Luca.

Earlier yesterday stage four riders pulled outof the race. Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert,Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen, who won astage on Saturday, and Australia’s Matthew Gossall withdrew citing illness.

Reigning world champion Mark Cavendishalso pulled out during the stage as he looksahead to challenging Milan-San Remo champi-on Goss for victory in ‘La Primavera’ next week, arace Cavendish won in 2009. Meanwhile,Bradley Wiggins’ victory in the 70th Paris to Nice

race on Sunday not only makes him its firstBritish winner in 45 years, but also sets up theprospect of his country topping the Tour deFrance.

While the Team Sky rider on Sunday baskedin the glory of having equalled icon TommySimpson’s 1967 victory in the Race to the Sunhere, he was clear that his triumph in the early-season classic was part of a longer-term strate-gy. “We have a plan with my training team. Theplan took off on November 1, in order to hit thepeak in July. Paris to Nice was part of that plan,”Wiggins said. “Even if Paris to Nice was a target,I’m probably at 95 percent form-wise, and I canget better,” added the rider, who turns 32 inApril. “I must continue that progression to July,”he said. The Londoner is part of a high-profilegeneration of British cyclists that also includesManxman and fellow Sky rider Mark Cavendish.

Wiggins, who finished fourth in the 2009edition of the Tour de France, won last year’sDauphine, adding to a career haul that alsoincludes three British road titles, a trio of worldtrack honours and as many Olympic track golds.

“I don’t know if I’m a favorite but I’m one ofmaybe five riders who can do something there,”he said on Sunday, referring to the Tour. Wigginstook possession of the Paris to Nice yellow jer-sey in Monday’s 185.5-kilometre second stageand kept focused on matters in hand.—AFP

LONDON: Television footage showed someManchester City fans in tears after their side’s 1-0defeat at Swansea City on Sunday cost them topspot in the Premier League.

While their reaction was premature, City’shopes of winning their first English title since1968 now look fragile with championsManchester United once again displaying theirknack of accumulating victories down the homestraight. United’s 2-0 victory over West BromwichAlbion put them a point clear with 10 games togo and although City manager Roberto Mancinishrugged off the significance of defeat atSwansea, fans will be fearing the worst.

Before United travel to City on April 30 theyhave winnable home games against Fulham,Queen Park Rangers, Aston Villa and Evertonwhile away trips to relegation-hauntedWolverhampton Wanderers and Wigan Athleticlook enticing. In that same period City, for whomthe goals away from home have dried up, hostChelsea and must also travel to a rejuvenatedArsenal.

By the time Chelsea arrive at the EtihadStadium on March 21, United could already havestolen a march in the title race with victory atWolves three days earlier. Bookmakers havemade United odds on favorites to retain the title

they have monopolised in the past five seasons.City’s biggest problem appears to be in the

goalscoring department, particularly away fromhome where they have found the net only twicein their last five matches - a run that has included1-0 defeats at Swansea, Everton and Sunderland.“There are 10 games to go, and it’s important westart to score and win again,” Mancini told theclub’s website (www.mcfc.co.uk). “Some playersmay be tired after seven months of the season,but I think we have a lot of energy to get back tothe top.

“It all depends on us; we have 10 games andanything could happen. We have to be strong,when you’re at the top it’s easy, when you’re notyou have to be strong.”

A lack of firepower could even signal a sur-prise return for troubled striker Carlos Tevez,especially with Mario Balotelli’s histrionics on andoff the pitch causing problems for Mancini.United, on the other hand, have Wayne Rooneyreaching peak form at just the right time. Hescored both goals against West Brom and has hitnine in his last six games in all competitions. “It’swhere you want to be and it’s where you want tofinish,” Rooney told MUTV. “It’s nice to be therenow. I don’t think we’ve had the credit wedeserve over the last few months.— ReutersJoaquin Rodriguez in action in this file photo

Rodriguez wins stage six Ominous signs for City as United take charge

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Lexus launches the all-new 2012 GS in Mideast

Page 25

Kuwait equities mixed

Qatar FY budget won’t expand much: Minister

Page 22

Kuwait capital spending slightly off in FY2011-12

Page 23

Page 24

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank Chairman Majed Essa Al-Ajeel (center) addresses the annual general assembly meeting and Shafafiya Investor’s Forum yesterday.

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank yesterday held itsannual Al-Shafafiya Investor’s forum at theSheikha Salwa Al-Sabah ballroom. The forumwas followed after the bank’s annual generalassembly meetings, in which members of theboard presented Burgan Bank’s financial earn-ings report for the year ended December 31,2011 and agreed to a payout of 10 fils as cashdividends while also distributing bonus sharesof 5% to registered shareholders.

Following the Annual General Assemblymeetings, Burgan Bank held its annualShafafiya forum which serves as a platform for

the bank’s management to present the mainevents for 2011 as well as its outlook for 2012to shareholders, partners, as well as institu-tional investors.

Burgan Bank’s Chairman, Majed Essa Al-Ajeel said: “2011 marked a period of turn-around for Burgan Bank Group. It has been achallenging year in terms of the Europeandebt crisis, the contraction of the Kuwait econ-omy and political unrest in sections of theMiddle East. Despite this, the group has deliv-ered a net profit that is on par with its pre-global financial crisis results. Throughout the

year the group’s subsidiaries continued also todeliver solid financial results amid politicaltension across the region. Our operations inKuwait achieved quarter on quarter growth - asubstantial turnaround in its financial perform-ance despite challenging local market condi-tions and a lower level in the implementationof the country’s development plan.”

Eduardo Eguren, Chief Executive Officer ofBurgan Bank also noted: “Throughout the year,the bank has maintained a strong balance-sheet and healthy top-line performance and ispoised for organic and in-organic growth in

2012. The results we have achieved are a testa-ment to the support of the Board and thedrive of the Executive Management team. In2012 the bank will continue its focus on driv-ing in-organic growth through strategic acqui-sitions whilst continuing to build local marketshare to drive organic growth. In addition tomaintaining the 2011 strategic objectives, thebank has set three primary objectives whichinclude gaining market share, repositioningthe Kuwait retail bank, as well as expandingour footprint.”

The Shafafiya Forum is an annual event that

is held amongst Kuwait Projects Company’s(KIPCO) subsidiaries, and reflects a strong cor-porate governance practice, which promotescorporate fairness, transparency and account-ability. The forum provides an ideal gate to dis-cuss financial reports and outlook as well asmarket predictions openly with shareholders.

Earlier, Burgan Bank announced significant-ly improved financial results for the year end-ed December 31, 2011. The bank posted KD50.6 million net profit, 10 times increase fromthe same period of 2010 reported at KD 4.7million.

Burgan Bank delivers solid results in 2011Bank hosts annual general assembly meetings, Shafafiya Investors Forum

DUBAI: The Dubai owner of Jumeirah Essex House, the artdeco hotel perched prominently on the edge of NewYork’s Central Park, said yesterday it is putting the propertyup for sale.

A subsidiary of the Dubai Holding investment companycontrolled by the emirate’s ruler bought the 44-story luxuryhotel in September 2005. It has been managed by a sistercompany, Dubai Holding’s Jumeirah Group hotel division,since shortly after the acquisition.

Jumeirah said the hotel’s owner, Dubai InvestmentGroup, has “appointed advisers to explore opportunities”for the property - typically a euphemism for shopping forbuyers. “Jumeirah remains confident in the value it bringsas an internationally respected luxury hotel brand andexpects that it will continue to manage the hotel after thesale of the property,” the hotel company said.

DIG is part of a larger investment company known asDubai Group, which in turn is part of the sprawling DubaiHolding firm personally controlled by Dubai’s ruler, SheikhMohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum. Dubai Holding is oneof three major holding companies in the Gulf emirate. Likethe city-state’s Dubai World conglomerate, it expandedrapidly by taking on large amounts of debt which it thenstruggled to repay as the world economy turned sour.

The emirate and its state-linked companies togetherowe lenders at least $101.5 billion, credit rating firmMoody’s Investors Service estimated in December. DubaiHolding’s many divisions have quietly sold off assets in thepast couple of years as the emirate works to get its finan-cial house in order.

Dubai Group, the Essex House owner, has spent morethan a year trying to convince its lenders to agree to newterms on some $10 billion of debt it holds. No deal hasbeen reached yet, though the company says negotiationsare continuing.

It holds stakes in several financial companies, includingEurope’s Marfin Popular Bank, and owns commercial prop-erty in Germany and the US.

Fadel Al-Ali, Dubai Group’s acting CEO, said the compa-ny constantly reviews its portfolio of holdings and will selloff assets if the market conditions are right. “Current globalinvestor demand for world-class hotel assets such as EssexHouse provides a timely opportunity to capitalize on therepositioning and operational improvements executed byour team,” he said in a statement.

Essex House opened in 1931 at the southern end ofCentral Park, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Its redrooftop “Essex House” sign has made the hotel aManhattan landmark for decades. —AP

Dubai owner mulls sale of

NY’s Essex House PARIS: A top Emirates executive has deliv-ered a warning to Europe’s struggling airlinesthat they could lose more business to boom-ing Middle East carriers as they pay the priceof years of political neglect. Thierry Antinori,who walked away from the top job atAustrian Airlines to join the largest Arab carri-er last year, said airlines such as Emirates werewell placed to continue expanding whilesome rivals lurched into a downward spiral ofinvestment.

“I think with our geographical positionand the quality of products and networks weare offering, there is clearly an opportunityfor the Middle East airlines to strengthen theirposition on the global industry map,” he toldReuters.

“I even consider the next years as anopportunity for Emirates to increase the gapwith some of our competitors, because weare just looking at what the customer wants.”The Frenchman dismissed the possibility thatDubai-based Emirates would step in to bailout or buy European airlines and repeated itsreluctance to join one of the major alliances.

In December, Gulf rival Etihad Airways ofAbu Dhabi took a stake of almost 30 ofGermany’s Air Berlin. There are also reportsthat Etihad is interested in holding talks withthe Irish government over the sale of its 25percent stake in Aer Lingus.

“We prefer to rely on our product, so weprefer to buy airplanes than airlines,” theEmirates official said. “We do not lose time indiscussion with alliances, which are not veryclear for the customer to understand. Theysay ‘we offer you seamless travel’ but in theend they offer seamless trouble,” saidAntinori, who joined Emirates as ExecutiveVice President, Passenger Sales Worldwide, inSeptember. Antinori’s decision to defect fromLufthansa came days before he was due tobecome chief executive of loss-makingAustrian and took the industry by surprise. Sixmonths later, he has a blunt assessment ofthe malaise gripping European airlines, half adozen of which have gone bankrupt this year.

“Aviation was made a strategic industry inDubai 20 years ago. In Europe it is not strate-gic and it is not important for politicians towin elections. That is why airline lobbying isnot heard, investments are blocked, taxes areincreasing and as a result airlines do not have

modern fleets and then they save money onproducts.”

Recent aircraft improvements have putmost of the world’s population within a directflight from the Gulf, resulting in airport andfleet expansion and shifting more of theglobal network map to large hubs such asDubai from the US and Europe.

“You cannot stop the Middle East airlinesbecause they are in the centre of the world;they have the best infrastructure... and neversave money on product,” Antinori said.

“That is the big difference with Europe(where) there is no strategy, and because ofthat they reduce the quality and the infra-structure, and the fleets become older.”

The critique of European aviation policycomes as the industry faces tough battlesover airport expansion in the UK or a new sys-tem of European Union charges for jet emis-sions-two issues that also affect airlines in theGulf and elsewhere.

Antinori said the EU’s emissions tradingscheme would cost Emirates 40 millioneuros in 2012, rising to half a billion in 2020,and this would ultimately mean higher tick-et prices. Emirates meanwhile remainslocked in a battle over access to Germany,where it has long sought to secure landingrights in Berlin and Stuttgart, as well asaccess in Canada.—Reuters

NEW YORK: A view of Central Park is seen from the top of the Jumeirah Essex Housein New York. The Dubai owner of Jumeirah Essex House, the art deco hotel perchedprominently on the edge of New York’s Central Park, said yesterday, is consideringputting the property up for sale. —AP

BRUSSELS: Crisis-hit Greece and Spain werein focus when euro-zone finance ministersgathered in Brussels hoping for progress on afirewall to protect fragile states from marketpressure.

The next step for indebted Greece will bethe release by nations sharing the single cur-rency of 130 billion euros ($170.6 billion) ofloans to Greece, following an unprecedentedagreement last week between Athens and itsprivate creditors to write off 107 billion euros’worth of debt.

Diplomats told AFP that the Eurogroup offinance ministers, meeting from 5:00 pm(1600 GMT), was unlikely to begin releasingthe promised loans to Greece these talks. Thenext phase in the Greek government’s secondbailout will be the subject of separate tele-conference talks later this week as ministersneed first to define the exact level ofInternational Monetary Fund participation inthe rescue, the diplomats said.

However, “there are no doubts that thedecision will be taken, the program is not inquestion,” stressed one euro-zone govern-mental source. Neither will the ministers atyesterday’s talks take decisions on a giant gapin Spain’s public finances-a gap the size of a

small bailout. German Finance MinisterWolfgang Schaeuble and Spanish counter-part Luis De Guindos however will meethead-to-head before the talks.

European partners want to know preciselywhy the Spanish government now tips itsdeficit to reach 5.8 percent of gross domesticproduct (GDP) this year, when it was meant tofall to 4.4 percent of GDP under a targetagreed with the European Union. Diplomatssay Madrid blames autonomous regional gov-ernments for overspending. Overspendinglast year amounted to 90 billion euros, andthe scale of Spanish budget slippage this yearwill be almost as high. However, Madrid hasstill to present its full 2012 budget to EU part-ners next month and Spain could eventuallybe given leeway on 2012 provided it commitsto meet the EU’s 3.0-percent of GDP ceiling asplanned by 2013.

“We think that such a course of action isreasonable,” said London-based analyst GillesMoec of Deutsche Bank in a note to investors.“Given the country’s still relatively favorabledebt position, we think that a crash fiscalretrenchment should not be the govern-ment’s top priority,” at a time of rampantunemployment and recession.— AFP

Greece, Spain in focus as euro-zone meets

ME airlines ‘unstoppable’, says Emirates executive

Emirates Airlines Executive ThierryAntinori

22b u s i n e s sTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

EXCHANGE RATES

Commercial Bank of Kuwait

US Dollar/KD .2740000 .2810000GB Pound/KD .4340000 .4440000Euro .3620000 .3700000Swiss francs .3000000 .3110000Canadian Dollar .2780000 .2850000Australian DLR .2920000 .3030000Indian rupees .0040000 .0070000Sri Lanka Rupee .0020000 .0035000UAE dirhams .0754850 .0762440Bahraini dinars .7354290 .7428200Jordanian dinar .3830000 .4010000Saudi riyals .0710000 .0760000Omani riyals .7209560 .7282020Philippine peso .0040000 .0072000Egyptian pounds .0430000 .0500000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATESUS Dollar/KD .2773000 .2809000GB Pound/KD .4347370 .4403810Euro .3637760 .3684990Swiss francs .3017410 .3056580Canadian dollars .2797900 .2834220Danish Kroner .0489420 .0495770Swedish Kroner .0407930 .0413220Australian dlr .2932170 .2970240Hong Kong dlr .0357440 .0362080Singapore dlr .2210620 .2239320Japanese yen .0033640 .0034080Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0056800Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0023260Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0031090Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0034510UAE dirhams .0755280 .0765080Bahraini dinars .7358370 .7453890Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3973130Saudi Riyal/KD .0739660 .0749270Omani riyals .7205400 .7298950Philippine Peso .0000000 .0066530

Bahrain Exchange Company

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

UAE Exchange Center WLL

Al Mulla Exchange

Pakistani rupees 3.130 3.083Philippine peso 6.810 6.560Qatari riyal 77.290 76.860Saudi riyal 74.600 74.600Singapore dollar 222.990 222.990South Africa 39.480 39.480Sri Lankan rupees 2.662 2.290Sterling pound 441.400 439.400Swedish krona 42.000Swiss franc 306.900 305.400Syrian pound 3.700 3.700Thai bhat 9.490 9.320Tunisian dollar 198.263UAE dirham 76.180 75.080U.S. dollars 279.800 279.400Yemeni Riyal 1.360

GOLD10 Tola 1,790.820

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUESterling Pound 439.400US Dollar 279.400

Currency Rate per 1000 (Tran)US Dollar 279.300Pak Rupees 3.078Indian Rupees 5.605Sri Lankan Rupees 2.305Bangladesh Taka 3.415Philippines Peso 6.590UAE Dirhams 76.145Saudi Riyals 74.635Bahraini Dinars 742.500Egyptian Pounds 46.275Pound Sterling 444.100Indonesian Rupiah 3.190Yemeni Riyal 1.550Euro 371.500Canadian Dollars 287.200Nepali rupee 3.510

Sterling Pound 441.00 443.50Japanese Yen 3.46 3.70Bangladesh Taka 3.409 3.550Indian Rupee 5.591 5.765Sri Lankan Rupee 2.300 2.625Nepali Rupee 3.507 4.250Pakistani Rupee 3.076 3.180UAE Dirhams 75.98 76.45Bahraini Dinar 742.79 741.75Egyptian Pound 46.30 47.49Jordanian Dinar 397.28 395.00Omani Riyal 725.75 728.00Qatari Riyal 77.00 77.25Saudi Riyal 74.56 74.80

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

GCC COUNTRIESSaudi Riyal 74.150Qatari Riyal 76.402Omani Riyal 722.230Bahraini Dinar 738.540UAE Dirham 75.715

ARAB COUNTRIESEgyptian Pound - Cash 47.500Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.282Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.272Tunisian Dinar 189.860Jordanian Dinar 392.670Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.865Syrian Lier 6.003Morocco Dirham 33.814

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIESUS Dollar Transfer 277.950Euro 370.650Sterling Pound 431.930Canadian dollar 268.420Turkish lire 153.940Swiss Franc 300.620Australian dollar 277.000US Dollar Buying 277.750

GOLD20 Gram 315.50010 Gram 159.0005 Gram 81.500

Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000)US Dollar 278.450Euro 369.300Pound Sterling 440.700Canadian Dollar 281.000Japanese Yen 3.475Indian Rupee 5.530Egyptian Pound 46.173Sri Lankan Rupee 2.287Bangladesh Taka 3.410Philippines Peso 6.480Pakistan Rupee 3.067Bahraini Dinar 741.600UAE Dirham 75.800Saudi Riyal 74.350*Rates are subject to change

ASIAN COUNTRIESJapanese Yen 3.598Indian Rupees 5.667Pakistani Rupees 3.154Srilankan Rupees 2.436Nepali Rupees 3.341Singapore Dollar 213.250Hongkong Dollar 35.672Bangladesh Taka 3.580Philippine Peso 6.336Thai Baht 8.873Irani Riyal - Transfer 0.271Irani Riyal - Cash 0.273

COUNTRY SELL CASH SELL DRAFTAustralian dollar 298.700 296.200Bahraini dinar 743.060 743.060Bangladeshi taka 3.640 3.411Canadian dollar 285.000 283.500Cyprus pound 548.800Czek koruna 46.600Danish krone 50.200Deutsche Mark 167.800 223.000Egyptian pound 47.600 46.302Euro Cash 369.700 368.200Hongkong dollar 36.710 36.580Indian rupees 5.810 5.590Indonesia 0.032 0.032Iranian tuman 0.160Iraqi dinar 0.243Japanese yen 3.490Jordanian dinar 396.690 395.910Lebanese pound 0.189 0.188Malaysian ringgit 94.330 94.330Morocco dirham 45.400Nepalese Rupees 4.300 3.510New Zealand dollar 232.000 230.600Nigeria 1.810Norwegian krone 50.000Omani Riyal 725.750 725.570

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 277.750Canadian Dollar 283.990Sterling Pound 442.665Euro 368.570Swiss Frank 305.435Bahrain Dinar 738.165UAE Dirhams 75.870Qatari Riyals 76.515Saudi Riyals 74.295Jordanian Dinar 392.380Egyptian Pound 46.222Sri Lankan Rupees 2.286Indian Rupees 5.633Pakistani Rupees 3.069Bangladesh Taka 3.398Philippines Pesso 6.533Cyprus pound 683.765Japanese Yen 4.405Thai Bhat 9.195Syrian Pound 5.870Nepalese Rupees 3.640Malaysian Ringgit 92.240

Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000)Australian Dollar 299.70 298.00Canadian Dollar 283.62 283.00Swiss Franc 306.23 308.00Euro 369.60 371.00

DOHA: Qatar’s state budget for next fiscal yearwill be roughly the same size as the currentyear’s budget, finance and economy ministerYoussef Kamal said yesterday.

“It will be the same size as the prevailingbudget, maybe a little increase,” he toldreporters.

Previously, an economic adviser to the coun-try’s Amir had said last month that budgetspending for the 2012/13 fiscal year, which startson April 1, would be much higher than in thecurrent year. Kamal did not explain the contra-dictory statements or give details. Last week,Qatar’s state news agency, citing a decision bythe cabinet, reported that the deadline forreleasing the state budget for the coming fiscalyear would be pushed back to the end of Maybecause of changes to the government’saccounting system and the way it preparesbudgets. The annual budget is usually

announced by April 1. In its 2011/12 budget, theworld’s top liquefied natural gas exporter origi-nally planned spending worth 139.9 billion riyals($38.4 billion) and a surplus of 22.5 billion riyals,or 4.9 percent of gross domestic product.

Partly in response to political unrest else-where in the Middle East, Qatar hiked basicsalaries and social benefits for the state’s civilianemployees by 60 percent last September, whilemilitary staff received 50-120 percent rises. TheInternational Monetary Fund estimated suchextra social spending would add $1.6 billion toexpenditure in 2011/12.

Kamal said government revenues were quitesufficient to cover its budget, but that would notpreclude debt issues by the government this cal-endar year. “Last year we were on the market-weissued some bonds internationally and locally.Revenue for the state exceeds the budget butthat doesn’t mean we don’t have a plan to be on

the market once or twice a year,” he said.“We want to create a yield and give a bench-

mark to other institutions. Government issuancelast year helped create a benchmark for QNB(Qatar National Bank) and Doha Bank.”

In January last year, the government sold 50billion riyals worth of domestic bonds; it issued$5 bill ion of bonds internationally lastNovember. Kamal reiterated previous state-ments by government officials that inflation wasexpected to be between 3 and 3.5 percent thiscalendar year.

The government is not concerned aboutcontrolling inflation, partly because debt issuescan be used to limit inflationary pressure, hesaid. Economists believe last year’s domesticissues of domestic government bonds andTreasury bills were intended partly to limit infla-tion by draining excess funds from the bankingsystem. — Reuters

Qatar FY budget won’t expand much: Minister

Revenues sufficient to cover budget

MUMBAI: An Indian passenger enquires at the Kingfisher Airlines booking counter inthe domestic terminal in Mumbai. India’s beleaguered Kingfisher Airlines yesterdaycancelled more flights after staff went on unofficial strike over unpaid wages, deal-ing another blow to the carrier. — AFP

MUMBAI: India’s beleagueredKingfisher Airlines cancelled dozens offlights yesterday, including at least oneinternational route, after staff went onunofficial strike over unpaid wages.

Kingfisher said that its schedule wasalso affected after the company was sus-pended last week by the InternationalAir Transport Association (IATA) from aglobal payments system. The airlineissued a statement blaming “employeeagitation on delayed salaries” and theIATA suspension for the cancellations,which it said would hit about 20 percentof its already reduced service.

It did not say how many flights wereaffected during the day, but a Mumbaiairport spokesman said 11 flights fromMumbai had been cancelled. Severalother airports including New Delhi werealso hit yesterday and at least one inter-national flight, a 7:00 pm service fromDelhi to Dubai, was among the flightsscrapped.

Kingfisher, which has never turned aprofit and has sunk deeper into debtsince its launch in 2005, has often run areduced flight schedule in recent weeksamid growing fears for its survival. Thecarrier, controlled by Indian liquor baronVijay Mallya, owes suppliers, lenders andstaff millions of dollars.

Mallya told The Week magazine pub-lished on Monday that the airline need-ed $200-250 million immediately tosecure its future, and he pushed for for-eign ownership restrictions to be liftedin the aviation sector.

“Additional equity can and must bepart of the plan,” Mallya said. “That iswhy I have been requesting the govern-ment to reconsider its ban on foreignairlines investing.” “I have never askedthe government for a rupee... (but) theairports are government-owned. Thefuel supplier is government-owned. Thebanks are government-owned. It’s intheir hands,” he said.

Mallya pointed to high fuel prices,taxes and the plunging rupee as beingresponsible for the current crisis-notbad management. Kingfisher’s bankaccounts have been frozen by Indianauthorities due to non-payment of tax-es, and at least 60 pilots have alreadyleft the air l ine to work with r ivalsaccording to the Press Trust of Indianews agency.

The air l ine’s net loss widenedsharply to 4.44 billion rupees ($88 mil-lion) in the three months to Decemberfrom a loss of 2.54 billion rupees a yearearlier, while its debt totals at least $1.3billion. — AFP

Troubled Kingfisher scraps more flights

DUBAI: Abu Dhabi is trying a new tack in itsproperty bailouts. To end the misery at Aldar,the emirate’s top state backed developer, thegovernment has initiated a merger with small-er rival Sorouh. Aldar has already sucked up$10 billion in emergency funds, equivalent tothe amount funneled to Dubai at the height ofits debt crisis. Creating a single developercould make sense, depending on the terms ofthe deal. But in any case Abu Dhabi, whichalso owns 20 percent of Sorouh, will have towork hard to protect its majority independentshareholders.

Two successive lifelines have left Aldar 49percent owned by state-investment vehicleMubadala, which is eager to ease the develop-er off its books. Putting it together withSorouh would reduce Mubadala’s stake andcreate a developer with $15 billion worth ofassets.

The hope is clearly that the new enlargedcompany will be better run than Aldar.Furthermore, both companies would stopcompeting for the same projects, most ofthem government contracts.

Yet uncertainty over the structure andterms of the deal makes shareholder enthusi-asm for a government-blessed merger at leastpremature. Based on Sunday’s closing price, ashare swap would result in a 60/40 split of thenew company in favor of Aldar. But a split of44/56 in favor of Sorouh, which is more con-servatively-run than its rival, might be moreappropriate based on 12-month fair value esti-mates from EFG-Hermes.

A merger will also ease Aldar’s short-termfinancing position and give it a broader assetbacking for its debt. The enlarged balancesheet would have had net debt worth 108 per-cent of equity at the end of 2011, compared toAldar’s current net debt worth around 200percent.

Aldar expects its net debt would fall to

around one sixth of its current level by 2015,once the full impact of the governmentbailouts has kicked in.

But the deal wouldn’t be enough to fix AbuDhabi’s ailing property market, where pricescontinue to fall amid fresh supply. To achievethat, Abu Dhabi would need to extend themerger to include other smaller developers. Inthe meantime, the majority owners of Sorouh,who won’t really have the option of opposinga merger, don’t have much to grasp in the wayof protection.

But given that foreigners account foraround 12 percent of the register, Abu Dhabihas a serious incentive to not run rough-shodover independent shareholders.

Abu Dhabi’s Aldar Properties said on March11 that it was in talks to merge with local-rivalSorouh Real Estate in a state-backed deal. Amerger of the No 1 and 2 developers in theemirate will create one of the largest propertyfirms in the region by assets with more than54 billion dirhams ($15 billion). The companiessaid a special team will study a merger andprovide recommendations to the senior man-agement of both companies within the nextthree months.

In 2009, debt-laden Dubai Holding was intalks to merge four local real estate companiesincluding Emaar Properties, Dubai Properties,Sama Dubai and Tatweer.

The merger wasn’t completed after studiesby the board of Emaar Properties questionedthe economic feasibility of a tie-up. Last year,Dubai lender Emirates NBD took over smallertroubled rival Dubai Bank under orders fromDubai’s ruler.

Shares in Aldar and Sorouh rose 10 percentyesterday, following the announcement.Aldar is 49 percent owned by state-ownedinvestment vehicle Mubadala. Sorouh isaround 20 percent owned by governmententities. — Reuters

KUWAIT: Kuwait Gazette announced yes-terday establishment of Doroo’ HoldingCompany, with a capital of KD 1.360 mil-lion. It was incepted as a Kuwaiti closedshareholding company with a capital of KD1.360 million, distributed over 13.608 mil-lion shares, each valued at 100 fils, thegazette said in its latest edition.

The company owns shares in Kuwaiti orforeign shareholding companies, besidesstocks or stakes in Kuwaiti or foreign limit-

ed liability companies, takes part in estab-lishment of these two types of companiesand management and lending and actingas guarantor for others with no less than 20percent participation of the holding com-pany in the borrowing company. The com-pany owns industrial property rights ofpatents, industrial trademarks, royalties orany other related rights, or hires them forother companies for use in Kuwait andabroad. — KUNA

KUALA LUMPUR: The long-haul arm ofbudget carrier AirAsia said yesterday itwould axe flights to New Zealand, its latestmove to shed unprofitable routes and re-focus on the group’s core Asian market.

Malaysia-based AirAsia X, which will cutits four-weekly flights to Christchurch, hasalready announced plans to cease service toLondon, Paris and Delhi this month, afterscrapping flights to Mumbai in January.AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani said in astatement that jet fuel prices had risen morethan 30 percent since Christchurch routesbegan in April 2011.

“The high cost of fuel has compromisedour ability to offer our renowned low fares,”he said. The move was part of the carrier’sdrive to consolidate operations on its “coremarkets” of “Australia, China, Taiwan, Japan,Korea and Iran”, he said.

Former record industry executive TonyFernandes plucked ailing AirAsia from itsdeathbed in 2001 and quickly turned it intoone of the aviation sector’s biggest success-es. Fernandes established a successful tem-plate for AirAsia that included flying intosecondary airports in major cities, with theirlower landing costs.

Its network spread quickly in SoutheastAsia and Fernandes in 2007 launchedAirAsia X to serve long-haul routes to China,India and eventually Europe.

But the group’s recent pull-back fromthe longer routes has indicated they werebleeding money. AirAsia X will now focuson medium-haul flights within Asia, whilemain carrier AirAsia continues with routesup to four hours’ f l ight from its KualaLumpur hub.

AirAsia said last month its 2011 profitswere halved to $186 million, citing risingfuel costs. The AirAsia group now currentlyserve about 80 cities in more than 20 coun-tries. — AFP

AirAsia X to call off New

Zealand service

Abu Dhabi tries merger to end property mess

Doroo’ Holding formed with KD1.360m capital

B U S I N E S STUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Demand for aviation personnel in Mideast

Astounding progress has beenmade on the vision to transformthe Middle East into a global

crossroads - a diversified economic andtransportation hub, with cities such asDubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha forming anexus for the flying world betweennorth and south, east and west.

Yet, the aviation industry today isfacing a challenge to that progress thatis going to require equal vision and ini-tiative to overcome - meeting thegrowing demand for people in aviation.

As airlines in the Middle East buildon their success, they are expandingtheir fleets. In fact, according to themost recent Boeing Current MarketOutlook (CMO), more than 2,500 air-planes are expected to be ordered byairlines in the region over the next 20years.

The thousands of new airplanesrequired to support this growth willneed a corresponding supply of hun-dreds of thousands of pilots and main-tenance technicians. Boeing recentlyreleased the 2011 Pilot and TechnicianOutlook, predicting a global need for460,000 new commercial airline pilotsand 650,000 maintenance techniciansover the next 20 years.

The implications of this report aresignificant for the Middle East: 36,600new pilots and 53,000 new skilledmaintenance personnel are required tostaff the region’s airlines between nowand 2030.

But traditional infrastructure thatonce supported careers in aviation isdiminishing, along with the correspon-ding philosophies and methodologies.That means the current ability toattract, recruit, educate, train and retainpeople is not sufficient to meetdemands. It is a situation that threatensto limit the amazing opportunities fortravel and economic growth..

In fact, the need is increasinglyurgent. Emirates recently recruitedmore than 500 new pilots and, likeQatar Airways and Etihad Airways, isfacing a limited pipeline of personnel inthe region. Successful low-cost carrierssuch as flydubai, Air Arabia and JazeeraAirways are also growing at a fast paceand are facing the same challengestheir full-service counterparts are.

For a fast-growing region, resourcesare critical, and none more so thanhuman capital. It comes as little sur-prise that Etihad Airways, for instance,one of the world’s youngest, yet fastest-growing full-service airlines, was quickto leverage the untapped local expert-ise of female pilots. Airlines are alsolooking farther afield, recruiting pilotsfrom other airlines and other regions ofthe world.

In this social media era, in order toengage the employees of today andtomorrow, all of the Middle Eastern avi-ation powers are reaching out to theworld with fan pages and accounts viaTwitter, Facebook and YouTube. Butconsidering other regions of the worldare using similar tactics, and given theshrinking pool of pilots to recruit from,we can’t expect that this tactic will suc-ceed in the future.

The Middle East may have fewerageing airplanes to replace compared

with other regions of the world, but thedemand for pilots and technicians inthe region is growing just as rapidly aselsewhere due to rapid expansion andinvestment in new-generation air-planes such as the Boeing 777, 747-8and 787 Dreamliner.

These new jetliners may just give theindustry a chance to radically changethe way it attracts, teaches and trains. Itwill take a new approach, which, likethe newest jetliners and the youngergeneration which forms much of theindustry ’s human resource pool, ishighly digital.

It starts with online and mobiledevice-based training, which not onlysaves paper, but more importantly,appeals to today’s students. These new“recruits” are significantly more tech-savvy. The industry needs to acknowl-edge the generational and technologychanges shaping the lives of today’syoung people and adapt aviation train-ing methodologies, philosophies, tools- and even the instructors - themselvesto these new realities.

One new methodology is MPL (mul-ti-crew pilot license), a programdesigned to train an individual with noflight experience to be qualified as afirst officer on a commercial jet. It isfocused on performance and compe-tence and is the way many pilotsaround the world will be trained in thefuture.

Boeing estimates it’s going to takemore than one thousand new pilotinstructors each year to do the job.Clearly, the industry is going to have topartner with airlines, schools and othertraining providers to find creative waysto meet this urgent need.

Research shows that the instructorplays a critical role in learning and per-formance. In the future, aptitude willtake precedence over flying hours forthe next wave of flight instructors.

There is also a need to formallyestablish and upgrade global require-ments of Certified Instructors at avia-tion training academies and schoolsaround the world.

Overall, it will take an industry-wideeffort reaching into schools and univer-sities to generate excitement aboutcareers in aviation.

It’s a great time to be in the aviationindustry. Markets are growing andtechnology is advancing. New-genera-tion airplanes make the world smallerand smaller by the day. We need tosupport and sustain this growth byworking hard to make our industrymore eye-catching for the young, thetalented, the creative and the profes-sional.

The Middle East is a world air trans-port hub thanks to a vision and com-mitment decades in the making. Weneed similar vision and commitmentnow to deliver vital people resourcesto the aviation industry. It’s the onlyway to transform the ambitions of theregion’s airlines into reality and ensurean engaged and highly-qualif iedworkforce for the future. — SherryCarbary is vice president of BoeingFlight Services, a business unit ofCommercial Aviation Services, BoeingCommercial Airplanes.

Challenge and opportunity

By Sherry Carbary KUWAIT: Total Kuwait govern-ment spending reached KD 8.3billion for the 9 months of fiscalyear (FY11/12), 2% above the pre-vious comparable period.Demand-impacting spendingstood at KD 5.1 billion, up 3.3%y/y.

Total revenues reached KD 21.4billion, up a strong 42% y/y, main-ly due to higher oil prices. Threequarters into the fiscal year, rev-enues are already at 159% of thefull year budget. The conservativeoil price assumption of $60 pbcompared to an actual average of$107 pb for the nine-month peri-od is behind this discrepancybetween budgeted and actualrevenues. So far, Kuwait’s budgetreveals a massive surplus of KD13.1 billion. We forecast a KD 9-10billion surplus for the entire fiscalyear, as spending typically accel-erates later in the year.

Nine months into FY11/12,Kuwait has spent 43% of its fullyear budget, slightly below its 5-year average for comparable peri-ods. Both actual spending andreporting usually pick up in thelast fiscal quarter.

Spending on chapter 1, wages

and salaries, reached KD 2 billion,up 15% from the comparableperiod of FY10/11. Salary hikesthat were approved last year bythe government, on top of theusual annual raises, were behindthe stronger spending on thischapter. At 44% of budget, spend-ing on this chapter is slightlyahead of the historic average.

Spending on chapter 2, goodsand services, were KD 1.5 billion,up 7.2% y/y. The increase camemostly from the cost of fuelincurred by the Ministry ofElectricity and Water (MEW ),which normally makes up morethan two thirds of this category.

Spending on chapter 3, vehi-cles and equipment, was KD 62million, down 10.7% y/y. Thischapter remains a small (andvolatile) spending category withminimal impact on aggregate fig-ures. Nine months into FY11/12,spending on the more closelywatched chapter 4, projects,maintenance and land purchases,reached KD 815 million, down11% compared to the previouscomparable period. At 34% ofbudget, spending on this chapterseems more or less in line with

the historic average. Chapter 5, transfers and miscel-

laneous expenditures totaled KD4 billion, slightly off compared tothe same period of FY10/11. Thedecline was primarily driven bylower subsidies and other trans-fers, though it was partially offsetby larger transfers to social securi-ty (PIFSS). At 43% of budget,spending on this chapter seemsto be falling behind historictrends mostly due to delays inother transfer payments and mis-cellaneous expenditures.

Revenues reached KD 21.4 bil-lion, well above the budget figurefor the full year. The increase waslargely driven by strong oilreceipts. Kuwait export crude(KEC) averaged around $107 pb inthe first 9 months of FY11/12compared to an average of $83pb during the same period ofFY10/11.

Non-oil revenues totaled KD1.3 billion, up 12% y/y. Theincrease came mostly from “mis-cellaneous revenues and fees”likely related to compensationpayments from the UnitedNations CompensationCommission (UNCC). Meanwhile,

“land sales” and “property fees”,though small categories, sawgood growth likely related toimproved real estate sales thisyear.

Recent early press leaks on theFY2012/2013 budget cited totalspending of KD 22 billion, a 13.2%increase y/y. Spending on chapter1, wages and salaries is expectedto rise 6.1% to KD 4.7 billion.Chapter 2, goods and services,spending is projected to reach KD4.2 billion, up 45%. The sharp risein this category would comealmost exclusively from theincrease in spending on fuel byMEW (oil prices assumed at $65vs. $60 in FY11/12). Chapter 4spending is also projected toincrease a notable 23% reachingKD 3 billion. FY12/13 will mark the3rd year of the development planand capital spending should near-er to “full pace.”

Chapter 5, transfers and miscel-laneous expenditures, is expectedto total KD 9.5 billion, up 3.8%.The final budget, which may seemajor amendments, is not expect-ed to be approved for a couple ofmonths, now that a new govern-ment has been formed.

Kuwait capital spending slightly off in FY2011-12

NBK economic report

HYDERABAD: An Indian laborer wipes clean a poster of India Aviation 2012show at Begumpet airport in Hyderabad yesterday. The third edition of IndiaAviation, a five-day event scheduled to run from March 14-18, some 250 compa-nies will showcase the latest global aerospace technology offering businessopportunities in India. — AFP

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Indian indus-trial output in January grew at itsfastest pace in 7 months while carsales hit a record high in February,signs of a rebound for India’s flaggingeconomy, although both figures wereboosted by one-off factors.

Output at factories, mines and util-ities grew 6.8 percent from a year ear-lier, notoriously volatile data showed,the highest since June 2011, reinforc-ing expectations the central bank willwait until April before cutting interestrates. Separately, the governmentsaid it was confident of returning to8-9 percent annual GDP growth soon.The economy is set to grow at around7 percent in the fiscal year that endsthis month, its slowest in three years.

The Reserve Bank of India holds amonetary policy review on Thursdayand is expected soon to begin cuttinginterest rates after raising them 13times between March 2010 andOctober 2011. On Friday night, it sur-prised markets with a 75 basis pointcut in the cash reserve ratio for banks.

Economists on average hadexpected industrial growth of 2.1 per-cent, a Reuters poll showed. TheJanuar y f igure compares with arevised annual rise of 2.5 percent inDecember.

“The central bank is certainly goingto wait for the budget and the gov-ernment’s borrowing program for thenext year and what is going to be the(fiscal) deficit number. That is why webelieve the rate decision will happenin April,” said Ashok Gautam, globalhead of markets at Axis Bank inMumbai.

The RBI has another policy reviewset for April 17.

Manufacturing output, whichmakes up three-quarters of industrialoutput, grew an annual 8.5 percent inJanuary, fuelled by a 42.1 percentsurge in production of consumernon-durable goods, including bever-ages and food products, thanks to bigspending ahead of state elections.

“This has happened because of aboost from the election campaignswhere all these political parties sup-ply food products and beveragessuch as alcohol for free and they do it

for some months,” said PINC Researchanalyst Naveen Trivedi. Capital goodsproduction, a proxy for investment,remained weak, falling 1.5 percentfrom a year earlier in its fifth straightmonth of decline.

“In the coming months we have tobuild up so that capital goods’ pro-duction, which is very disappointing,is fixed up. We shall have to makeeffor ts for that,” Finance MinisterPranab Mukherjee told reporters afterthe industrial data.

Car sales in February rose 13 per-cent annually, the biggest rise in 10months, as buyers rushed to show-rooms ahead of a federal budgetexpected to lift the cost of car owner-ship.

Indian automakers sold 211,402cars in February, data released by theSociety of Indian AutomobileManufacturers (SIAM) showed, thebiggest ever monthly total.

“A lot of people wanted to buytheir cars before the budget, becausethey expect prices to go up after thebudget,” Vishnu Mathur, director gen-eral of SIAM, told reporters.

The benchmark 10-year 8.79 per-cent, 2021 bond yield rose 2 basispoints to 8.28 percent after the indus-trial data release. Five-year and one-year swap rates rose 4 basis pointseach before retreating.

India’s December quarter econom-ic growth slowed to 6.1 percent, itsweakest annual pace in almost threeyears, as high interest rates and risinginput costs constrained investmentand manufacturing. The Indian gov-ernment, whose economic forecastshave proven optimistic, expectsgrowth to return to its earlier sharptrajectory. The Indian economy grewmore than 9 percent for three yearsuntil 2007/08, and at an annual 8.4percent in the last two fiscal years.

“The long-term fundamentals ofthe Indian economy remain robust,”President Pratibha Devisingh Patiltold lawmakers. Mukherjee, who willpresent the federal budget on Friday,is expected to set a target of 7.5 per-cent to 8 percent economic growthfor the 2012/13 fiscal year startingApril 1. — Reuters

India industrial output strongest in 7 months

Government eyes return to stronger growth path

BEIJING: The head of China’s central bank saidyesterday it has room to ease lending curbs tosupport economic growth but any changeswould be gradual. The rapid growth of theworld’s second-largest economy has slowed overthe past year as Beijing tightened controls toprevent overheating. Chinese leaders haveresponded to a decline in global demand bypromising pro-growth policies, and companiesand investors are closely watching what stepsthey will take.

There is scope to lower the level of reservesChinese banks are required to hold - a movethat would free more money for lending to busi-nesses - after the minimum level was raised fivetimes in 2010 and 2011, said Gov. ZhouXiaochuan of the People’s Bank of China. Theminimum stands at 20 percent of deposits forChina’s biggest lenders. “We have a lot of roomto adjust the reserve ratio. On the other hand, itis necessary to see whether there is a necessityto adjust,” Zhou said at a news conference duringthe annual meeting of China’s legislature. Hegave no indication when regulators might lowerreserves.

“We need to take in to consideration the dif-ferent restriction factors and we need to see theadvantages and disadvantages of adjustment,especially its impact on financial flows,” Zhousaid.

Zhou and other officials at the event said thecentral bank will closely watch Europe’s debt cri-sis and other global factors that might hurt theChinese economy. But they emphasized that ona wide range of issues, policy changes will begradual and cautious. “Our monetary policy willhave to follow conditions in China and also inter-nationally. We will cope with problems responsi-bly,” Zhou said.

China’s economic growth eased to 8.9 percentin the final quarter of 2011 from the previousyear’s double-digit expansion. The government’sgrowth target this year is 7.5 percent.

The latest trade data show both Chinese andglobal demand weakening. Figures released onSaturday showed export growth in the com-bined January-February period slowed to 6.9percent, compared with December’s 13.4 per-cent. Analysts often combine the two months toscreen out disruption from the Lunar New Yearholiday, which falls at different times in that peri-od each year.

Growth in imports for the two monthsdeclined to 7.7 percent from December’s 11.8percent.

Also yesterday, central bank officials saidBeijing will press ahead with reforms to easecontrols on its tightly regulated currency andgive market forces a bigger role in setting theyuan’s exchange rate, but they gave no details.

“We will continue with the reform to have anexchange-rate regime that is more market-based,” said Yi Gang, the deputy bank governorin charge of foreign currency. Washington andother trading partners complain an undervaluedyuan gives China’s exporters an unfair priceadvantage and swells its trade surpluses. SomeAmerican lawmakers want to raise tariffs onChinese goods if Beijing fails to end its controls.Yi and other officials did not respond to a ques-tion about whether Beijing believed the yuanhas reached its fair value after its gradual riseagainst the dollar stopped in recent months andChina reported an unexpectedly large $31.5 bil-lion trade deficit for February. Yi also expressedconfidence in the ability of Europe, China’sbiggest trading partner, to solve its debt crisis.He said China will continue to invest in Europe,though he stressed that minimizing risk will be apriority. He gave no indication whether Beijinghas decided to contribute to a bailout fund forcountries that use the euro. “ We believeEuropean countries will be able to cope with theeuro crisis,” Yi said. “We will continue to invest inEurope as a responsible investor.” — AP

ROME: Italy is in recession, final data con-firmed yesterday, underscoring the difficul-ties facing Mario Monti’s technocrat gov-ernment as it grapples with a shrinkingeconomy dragged down by austerity meas-ures and a debt crisis. Italy ’s economyshrank 0.7 percent in the fourth quarter of2011, following a 0.2 percent decline ingross domestic product in the third quar-ter.

Monti, who rushed through a 33 billioneuro austerity plan in December and is nowworking on reforms to boost growth, is dueto meet Germany’s Chancellor AngelaMerkel today for talks in Rome. Germany’seconomy contracted by 0.2 percent in thefourth quarter, but analysts are expectingEurope’s largest economy to pick up steamagain this year, while Italy is seen lagging.

Weak consumption in the euro zone’sthird largest economy weighed heavily inthe fourth quarter, while investments andinventories also declined but net exportscontributed positively.

“Domestic demand is the weakest link,the area hardest hit by fiscal tightening,”said Paolo Mameli from Intesa Sanpaolo,who said GDP would likely decline by asimilar rate in the first quarter of 2012.

Italy’s national statistics office ISTAT saidGDP fell 0.4 percent year-on-year in thefourth quarter, revising a preliminary esti-mate of a 0.5 percent fall.

The data lagged a euro zone average of-0.3 percent quarter on quarter and 0.7 per-cent year-on-year. Economic indicators arepointing to a further slowdown for most of

2012 in Italy, which has been the mostsluggish economy in the euro zone overthe last decade.

The Organization for Economic Co-oper-ation and Development said yesterdaythere were tentative signs of economicimprovement in the euro-zone. Analystspolled by Reuters in January expected GDPto shrink by about 0.6 percent in the firstquarter of this year.

Data last week showed industrial outputwas much weaker than expected inJanuary, plunging 2.5 percent and markingan extremely poor start to the year. TheBank of Italy forecasts a 1.5 percent full-year contraction in 2012, far steeper thanthe government’s official projection of -0.4percent.

Monti’s austerity measures includingspending cuts, tax hikes and pensionreform and are aimed at balancing thebudget in 2013, though critics say they willweigh on Italy’s already chronically lowgrowth rates. Market concerns about thesustainability of the country’s 1.9 trillioneuro public debt have calmed since Montireplaced Silvio Berlusconi in November andyields on Italy’s 10 year bonds have fallento below 5 percent from peaks close to 8percent at the end of 2011.

Monti is now working on measures tostimulate the economy, and his govern-ment is due to meet with unions andemployers yesterday to discuss a labor mar-ket reform to follow deregulation measuresannounced in January. — Reuters

China CB seesroom to ease

lending curbs

Italy in recession, headache for PM

b u s i n e s s

GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti equities endedyesterday’s session on a mixednote as investors became globallycautious after weak data in Chinapartially offset a strong US jobsreport last week.

The Global General Index end-ed the day up by 0.26 percent at183.52 points. However, the mar-ket has inched higher by 1.41 per-cent so far in March. KSEWeighted Index was up by 0.26percent at 415.09 points. Themarket benchmark, KSE PriceIndex recoiled by 4.2 points (or0.07 percent) to close at 6,150.2points. The market ’s heavy-weights staged a session ofsteady performance. The GlobalLarge Cap Index ended the dayup by 0.55 percent, at 190.29points.

The performance was accom-panied by a mixed trading activi-ty. Volume of shares traded onthe exchange increased by 2.85percent, at 431.28mn shares.Investment groups accounted for139.22mn shares (32.28 percent)of the market ’s total volume.International Financial Advisors(IFA) was the most actively tradedstock, with 50.52mn shareschanging hands. Ahlia closed flatyesterday.

In terms of top gainers, FutureCommunications Co Global wasthe top gainer for the day, adding9.43 percent. Industrial &Financial Investments Companywas the biggest loser, as its shareprice fell by 8.77 percent to closeat KD0.026.

Sectors On a sector-by-sector basis,

four out of the eight sectorsinched higher during the day.Services and Real Estate stocksspearheaded advancers, with thesectors indices adding 0.52 per-cent each. National Mobile

Telecommunications Co. extend-ed its winning streak to three-ses-sions, with today’s 4.63 percentimprovement. Aayan Real EstateCompany was up by 4.76 percent.Earlier, The company announcedthat its 31.5 percent owned sub-sidiary, Hajar Tower Real EstateCompany, has sold several floorsin its Hajar Tower project inMakkah (Saudi Arabia) to aKuwaiti investor, for a total valueof KD4.71mn. The company’sshare of the profit reachedKD1.48mn.

The food sector performedpoorly, as highlighted by a 2.2percent drop in the Global FoodIndex. Kuwait Foodstuff Company(Americana) and LivestockTransport & Trading Co, pulledback by 2.74 percent and 1.06percent respectively. Non-Kuwaitistocks too succumbed to the sell-

ing pressure, dipping by 0.19 per-cent. Sector heavyweight, GulfFinance House saw its share valuedepreciate by 7.58 percent.

Corporate newsKuwait Gazette announced

yesterday the establishment ofDoroo Holding Company with acapital of KD1.36mn. I t wasincepted as a Kuwaiti closedshareholding company with acapital of KD1.36mn, distributedover 13.608mn shares, each val-ued at 100fils, the gazette said inits latest edition. The companyowns shares in Kuwaiti or foreignshareholding companies, besidesstocks or stakes in Kuwaiti or for-eign limited liability companies,takes part in establishment ofthese two types of companiesand management and lendingand acting as guarantor for oth-

ers with no less than 20 percentparticipation of the holding com-pany in the borrowing company.The company owns industrialproperty rights of patents, indus-trial trademarks, royalties or anyother related rights, or hires themfor other companies for use inKuwait and abroad.

Oil newsOil prices fell yesterday, snap-

ping four days of gains as worriesover supplies from the MiddleEast eased and investors focusedon the health of the global econ-omy and fuel demand. Tensionbetween Iran and the West overTehran’s nuclear program hasraised fears this year of a disrup-tion to oil supplies from theMideast Gulf but talks on the dis-pute are due to start soon, calm-ing fears of an immediate crisis.

Kuwait equities mixedLONDON: Oil prices fell yesterday, snap-ping four days of gains as worries oversupplies from the Middle East eased andinvestors focused on the health of theglobal economy and fuel demand.

Tension between Iran and the Westover Tehran’s nuclear program has raisedfears of a disruption to oil supplies fromthe Mideast Gulf but high-level talks aredue to start soon, calming fears of animmediate crisis.

European economies are either con-tracting or stalled and there are increas-ing doubts whether the US FederalReserve will maintain its loose monetarypolicy, a major support for growth. Brentcrude oil futures for April fell 55 cents to$125.43 a barrel by 0923 GMT while UScrude was down 55 cents at $106.85.

“With less emphasis on Iran and theMiddle East, the focus is shifting back onto the fundamentals of oil supply anddemand,” said Carsten Fritsch, commodi-ty analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.

China posted its largest trade deficitin at least a decade over the weekend,fanning concerns of lower fuel demandin the world’s second largest economy.

While the deficit raised questionsover the global economy’s appetite forits goods, China’s crude imports andimplied oil demand reached record lev-els in February.

Speculators cut their net long posi-tions in US crude oil futures and optionspositions in the week to March 6 for thefirst time in five weeks as prices fell, datafrom the US Commodity Futures Trading

Commission (CFTC) showed on Friday.Brent rose 1.88 percent last week in

its sixth weekly rise in seven, afterGreece averted an immediate defaultwhile US employment data improved,strengthening prospects of better fueldemand in the world’s largest oil user.

“Western Europe seems to be swing-ing into a positive trend, with Greek aus-terity measures in place and the largestsovereign debt swap in history being allbut finalized,” Stephen Schork, editor ofthe Schork Report in Villanova,Pennsylvania.

He said the Brent-WTI spread may testthe 2012 low of minus $20.70 a barrel ifthe market sees encouraging data thisweek from Germany’s economic senti-ment survey and UK jobless claims thisweek. Investors are still spooked by sup-ply concerns stemming from Iran’s dis-pute with the West over its nuclear pro-gram, on top of lower output from Syria,South Sudan and Yemen. The chairmanof the US Senate Armed ServicesCommittee said on Friday that an inter-national naval blockade of Iranian oilexports should be considered before anyresort to air strikes against the country’sdisputed nuclear program. OPECpumped the most oil in more than threeyears in February but oil prices havesurged more than 8 percent this year,raising concerns that expensive oil couldhurt global economic growth. Kuwait’soil minister expressed similar worries onSunday, saying that current world oilprices are not justified. — Reuters

Oil slips towards $125 as Mideast worries ease

TOKYO: Saudi Arabia, the world’s topcrude exporter, will supply full contract-ed volumes of crude oil in April to atleast one Asian term buyer, unchangedfrom March, an industry source familiarwith the matter said yesterday.

State-run Saudi Aramco made nochanges to its monthly allocations oflight and heavy grades for April, thesource said. The move was expected asthe OPEC kingpin has supplied full con-

tractual volumes to most Asian buyerssince late 2009.

The buyer does not plan to immedi-ately take additional volumes from SaudiArabia to compensate for possible dis-ruptions to oil from Iran, another of itssuppliers, the source said. Saudi Arabiaalways gives buyers the option of askingfor cargoes to be loaded with up to 10percent more or less crude than con-tracted. — Reuters

Saudi to supply full April crude to Asia

B U S I N E S STUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

DUBAI: Toyota Motor Corporation’s Middle East and NorthAfrica Representative Office has announced that Lexuslaunched its new re-designed Lexus GS, the 1st model of thenew generation of Lexus vehicles. The 2012 Lexus GS hasbeen completely redesigned, with a new exterior, interiorand improved features and driving performance. Reflectingthe evolutional “L-Finesse” design philosophy with a bolderand more dynamic styling’s, Lexus have created a powerfuland commanding performance sedan.

Commenting on the launch of the new GS, YoshihikoKanamori, Chief Engineer of the Lexus GS said that “The GSis the core of Lexus sedan family and our new model signi-fies the shift in our design philosophy that we first started toshow in both the LFA and CT200h. We hope that we havecreated a car that not only signifies the new direction ofLexus, but the continuation of the high luxury and perform-ance standards that our customers with unique andadvanced value expect”

New Bolder Exterior DesignThe new GS has been completely redesigned, with a new

unique exterior that embodies the evolutional “L-Finesse”design philosophy, which makes Lexus vehicles bolder andmore dynamic.

The GS has a new well-balanced stance, with a protrud-ing face that ends in a new “Spindle Grille” design giving thecar a wide, ground-hugging stance. The inverted trapezoidupper grille and slanted lower grille have been combinedand integrated into a single element, bridging the bumpermid-section to create a prominent ‘spindle’ shape. The brakecooling ducts at either side of the spindle grille combine adistinctive style with engineering functionality.

Next to the grille, the GS headlamps have newly devel-oped integral LED daytime running lights. The GS continuesits long and elegant cabin proportions and at the rear, thenew design narrowsbehind the flared

wheel arches. The New GS is available in a choice of 11 col-ors with three new additions, Crimson Red, Meteor Blue andSonic Silver.

Excellent Driving Performance The new GS, with its rigid bodyshell and new suspension,

is a vehicle created for optimum agility and superb ridecomfort allowing it to respond to the driver’s commandswith much greater accuracy.

The 2012 GS will be available in a choice of three 6 speedautomatic engine choices; a V6 2.5L engine on the GS 250with 206HP, a V6 3.5L Engine on the GS 350 with 312HP anda 3.5L engine combined with Lexus hybrid system with340HP on the GS 450h. The new GS features a double wish-bone front and multilink rear suspension system, whichupholds the famed Lexus ride comfort and quality withexcellent agility, steering and stability. Also, new rear sus-pension structure helps to increase the luggage capacity.

The next generation GS also features a Drive Mode Selectfunction that allows the driver to choose between ECO,NORMAL, SPORT S and SPORT S+, which help maximize theefficiency of the GS or its sportier dynamic abilities. The GS450h offers the Lexus Dynamic Handling system for the firsttime as Lexus, which is an integrated four-wheel steeringsystem with ultimate agility and stability.

Improved Ergonomic Interior DesignThe 2012 GS continues its redesigned look in the interior

with a new ergonomically designed, driver focused cockpitand advanced Human Machine Interface technologies. Anew horizontal dashboard design creates roominess in thecar, allowing the GS to enjoy a 12.3inch LCD multi-displayscreen, the largest on any production cars. The screen allowsfor the permanent display of two types of information simul-taneously such as map/audio and navigation input/incom-

ing call and can be controlled by Lexus’s mouse-styleRemote Touch Interface.

Green Edge(tm) tech-nology is only for

Mark Levinson Audio and its power saving technology hasbeen incorporated into the speakers of the 17 speaker GSaudio system, which also comes with a 12 speaker option.The GS is also equipped with a new Head up Display (HUD)which gives essential information such as the tachometerand navigation instructions to the windscreen base in thedriver’s line of sight.

The interior is complimented by an all-white LED lightingsystem, creating a sense of ambiance in the vehicle. SatinMetal trim and brushed aluminum knobs adorn the centreconsole and switches, along with a new LED illuminatedanalog clock to create a unique atmosphere.

Advanced TechnologiesLexus continues its tradition and philosophy of imple-

menting the latest technologies into its vehicles and thenew GS is no exception. The GS is equipped with a new air-conditioning feature called S-flow Technology, which main-tains optimum driver/passenger comfort while significantlyreducing power consumption. New ‘Nano-e’ Technologycleans the air and has a both purifying and odor eliminatingeffect.

Advanced technologies are also seen in the safety fea-tures of the GS, such as the Driver Monitor Camera which isable to determine if driver’s eyes are closed and the All-Speed Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) which works with theAdvanced Pre-Crash Safety system that is able to detectobstacles in front of the car, even during cornering. (Allspeed ACC is available only for 450h)

launches the all-new 2012 GS in Mideast

❍ The first model of the New Generation Lexus

❍ New Bolder Exterior Design

❍ Excellent Driving Performance

❍ Spacious interior

❍ Advanced Technologies

26b u s i n e s sTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

DUBAI: Two world-class Germanbrands, Siemens and Volkswagen andRotana, the leading hotel managementcompany in the Middle East and Africa,have joined forces in an environmentalawareness drive. The ‘Clean the Desert’initiative aims at raising public con-sciousness of the littering problem inthe desert, the grave consequences ithas to local wildlife and the importanceof a clean environment. On Saturday 17March the three companies will taketeams of volunteers out into the desertto clear an area of trash, disposing of itin a safe and environmentally friendlymanner.

Commenting on the initiative,Stefan Mecha, managing director,Volkswagen Middle East said: “The‘Clean the Desert’ project focuses onpreserving the desert and actively tak-ing care of local wildlife, believing thatit is the everyday small actions that canbring about the big changes the envi-ronment needs. It is great to team upwith Siemens and Rotana on this initia-tive as both companies share our con-cern about the serious issue of litteringand the need to do something aboutit.” Siemens and Volkswagen have hada long history of collaboration in the

development of parts, technology andprocesses, and focusing on eco-friendlyinitiatives. In their most recent joint ini-tiative Volkswagen provided mobilitysolutions for Siemens employees thathelp drive environmental awareness

and behavioral changes in the MiddleEast.

“The ‘Clean the Desert’ campaignemphasizes our commitment to raisingawareness, encouraging the public tobe more environmentally conscious in

the sensible disposal of garbage andwaste,” said Erich Kaeser, CEO ofSiemens Middle East. “Wildlife is greatlyaffected by the changes in the ecosys-tem of the desert and through this ini-tiative Siemens and Volkswagen are

reinforcing their commitment to acleaner and safer environment in thedesert.

“Siemens’ philosophy has alwaysbeen underlined with a devotion tosustainability and developing the next

green technology, which is apparent inour close work with Masdar City and inour new offices featuring the latest inenergy saving technology”, Erich Kaeseradded. “Everyday a tragedy is takingplace in our deserts, along the beaches,

and in the mountains of the UAE.Camels, sheep, goats and cattle, as wellas the protected Arabian Onyx, theSand Gazelles and other wildlife aredying after ingesting plastic and otherwaste materials that are being dumped

in the desert,” said Thomas Tapken, AreaVice President, Rotana Dubai &Northern Emirates. “Rotana has a long-standing commitment to sustainablepractices and environmental awarenessfor the aim to maximize benefits and

minimize harm to our earth,” concludedTapken. The campaign will be support-ed by the PlasticNotSoFantastic initia-tive, the online community expatak-tuell.de, averda international recycling,KTM and Uschi Musch’s camel farm.

Volkswagen, Siemens and Rotana team up Desert cleaning drive to raise public awareness

R Seetharaman, CEO of Doha BankGroup

Sheikh Fahad Bin Mohammed BinJabor Al-Thani

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait(NBK) will host G30 Chairman andformer President of the EuropeanCentral Bank Jean-Claude Trichetfor its annual international sym-posium in Kuwait. Trichet, whoalso served two terms as the gov-ernor of the Bank of France, willgive a speech on the Europeandebt crisis entitled, ‘Lessons to bedrawn from the global financialcrisis: The new economic gover-nance in the euro zone’.

A world renowned economicand financial leader, Trichet hasbeen named by the FinancialTimes as ‘Person of the Year’ andas ‘Central Banker of the Year’ byThe Banker. Trichet ranked fifth

on a 2008 Newsweek list of theworld’s most powerful along witheconomic triumvirs Ben Bernankeand the governor of the Bank of

Japan, Masaaki Shirakawa.NBK regularly invites world-

recognized authorities on energy,economics and politics to Kuwait

as part of its InternationalSymposium series.

Past speakers include formerUS Presidents George HW Bushand Bill Clinton, former PrimeMinister of Singapore Lee KuanYew, former US Secretaries ofState Colin Powell andCondoleezza Rice, Mohamed El-Erian, CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO,the world’s largest bond invest-ment house and Dr Daniel Yergin,author Author of the acclaimedwork, The Prize:

The Epic Quest for Oil, Moneyand Power which won the 1992Pulitzer Prize.

The event will be VIP invita-tion-only.DOHA: Sheikh Fahad Bin Mohammed

Bin Jabor Al-Thani, the Chairman of DohaBank with great delight announced, “Wehave successfully completed the Seniorbond issue of USD 500 million underDoha Bank’s Euro Medium Term NoteProgram (EMTN) of $2 billion througharrangers Morgan Stanley and J PMorgan. The Bond is listed on LondonStock Exchange. The proceeds will beused for general funding purposesrequired to support the bank’s growthplans.”

Sheikh Abdul Rehman BinMohammad Bin Jabor Al-Thani,Managing Director of Doha Bank said,“The issue generated an overwhelmingresponse from investors in Asia, theMiddle East and Europe resulting in over-subscription of the bond by nearly 8times. It shows the exceptionally highprofile of Qatar and Doha Bank in theglobal market space.”

R Seetharaman, CEO of Doha BankGroup, said “The Senior 5-year bond car-ries a coupon of 3.5% and was issued at aspread of 262.5 basis points over MidSwaps. This landmark deal is a follow upissue from Doha Bank’s previous debutsubordinated bond issue of $340 millionin 2006. Doha Bank’s successful bondissue follows perfectly executed roadshows in major financial centers in Asia,the Middle East and Europe includingSingapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, London,Zurich and Geneva. Leading investorscomprising of banks, investment funds

and other financial institutions investedin Doha Bank’s bond. We received over250 orders from institutions globallywhich speaks volumes on the faith ofglobal investors in the bank’s strong per-

formance in recent years, its strategy,franchise and leading market positionalong with the impressive economicgrowth in Qatar”.

Doha Bank is the third largest conven-tional Bank in Qatar. Total assets of thebank as of December 31, 2011, were QR52.4 bn and total shareholders’ equity forthe same period was QR 7.1bn with a netprofit of QR 1.24 bn. The return on aver-age shareholders’ equity which was 22%and the return on average assets thatwas 2.49%. Moody’s has assigned a rat-ing of A2 to Doha Bank indicating strongcredit quality of the bank.

HANOI: Vietnam’s central bank said yesterday it wasslashing a key policy interest rate for the first time innearly three years after double-digit inflation easedin the communist country.

The State Bank of Vietnam will cut the refinancingrate-which it charges on its loans to commercialbanks-to 14 percent from 15 percent with effect fromtoday, it said in a statement on its website. The cen-tral bank last cut the rate, one of several monetarypolicy tools, in April 2009, to seven percent.

Since then, it has repeatedly hiked rates, mostrecently in October 2011, in a bid to rein in soaringinflation, which peaked at an annual rate of 23 per-cent in August of last year. Inflation has eased overthe last six months, reaching an 11-month low of16.44 percent year-on-year in February, from 17.27percent in January.

“This is a test for the economy-how it plays out willaffect future reductions in the interest rate,” Vu DinhAnh, deputy director of the state-backed Institute ofEconomy and Finance, told AFP. The most pressingproblem for Vietnam now is to avoid a situation ofslow economic growth coupled with high inflation,he said, warning that price pressures were likely togrow in March and April.

“(After that) we will be able to see whether weshould increase or decrease interest rates, and howwe should adjust monetary policy to cope with infla-tion,” he said. The central bank also announced yes-terday that the discount rate would be cut to 12 per-cent from 13 percent.

“Easing monetary policy will help the economyachieve the government’s six percent GDP (grossdomestic product) growth target this year,” Hai Pham,an economist at ANZ in Singapore, wrote in a recentnote to clients. But she added that “sticky” core infla-tion-which excludes food and fuel costs-remained aconcern.

Last year, GDP growth eased to 5.9 percent from6.8 percent in 2010. The government is targeting eco-nomic growth of six percent for 2012, up slightlyfrom 2011, and has said it aims to bring inflation intosingle digits. — AFP

KUWAIT: AUB has announced theresults of the Weekly draws of its Al-Hassad Islamic savings scheme. Thelucky customers winning the grandweekly prize worth KD 25,000 each atthe draws held on the 7th of March2012: Khames Hassan Al-Sulite, GhadaAlian Salah, Ali Abdurrahman Al-Bader.

The following Al-Hassad Islamic cus-tomers won cash prizes of KD 1000each: Esam Hameed Abbas JraghIsmaiel, Nasser Al-Maadeed, Said GharibSaid Al-Gharbi, Abdulla Mohamed Al-Hajri, Subheyah Hmoud Abdulaziz Al-Muqahwi, Abdulla Mohamed Al-Hajri, ASalam Masoud, Sadeeqah HussainMohammad Ashkanani, Faisal AhmedMejren Al-Shallal, Bader Hadib HassanAl-Saadi, Salah Ahmed Mohammed Al-Kanderi, Bibi Abdulla MahmoudFayrouz, Mansour Bander Husain,Mutlaq Mohammad Awadh Al-Resheedi, Aisha Ahmad Al-Sada,Kelthem Albuayenein, Sochacki Tomasz,Ali Moosa, A Mohsin Isa A.Rasool Al-Saiqal, Ebrahim Ahmed Mohd Al-Kooheji, Khalil Eid Adam Darwish,Jamileh Yousif Tawil, Ebrahim KhalilEbrahim Al-Satrawi, Ahlam Hasan AliHasan Ebrahim, Emile JaffarMohammed Ali Al-Mahdi.

With the new Al-Hassad Islamic 2011scheme, customers have a lot more tolook forward to. With 28 Weekly Prizestotaling KD 100,000 each week and“Salary for Life” Prizes every month, thechances to win bigger prizes more oftencouldn’t get any better. The most attrac-tive feature of the new scheme is thechance to win bigger prizes, more fre-quently with 3 grand prizes of KD25,000 each, week on week plus 25 oth-er weekly prizes of KD 1,000. Chances towin big prizes on a weekly basis, offerinstant rewards to both existing as wellas new Investors in Investment Saving

Account (Al-Hassad Islamic). With theintroduction of a “Salary for Life” Prize ofKD 250,000 every month, the grandprize is also now more frequent andcustomers do not need to wait for aquarter or more to qualify for the grandprize. The “Salary for Life” has been acore feature for the Al-Hassad Islamicscheme with prizes paid out to dateexceeding KD 10 Million. The monthly“Salary for Life” prize has enabled win-ners to afford better homes, ensure bet-ter education for their children andenjoy an improved quality of life, withthe assurance that the rewards will con-tinue to come month after month for250 months. Al-Hassad Islamic is theonly scheme to offer high value weeklyand monthly prizes that are significantlyhigher than the total outlay of otherprize schemes in Kuwait. In addition tothe attractive prize pool, customerswith high balances can opt for otherunique features such as Investment sav-ings plan, cheque facility linked to theirinvestment savings account and state ofthe art e-banking and 24 x 7 ContactCenter support.

The new Al-Hassad Islamic 2011 isgeared to meeting the needs of salariedindividuals. Customers can benefit fromnot only the biggest and most attractiveprize pool but can also enjoy state ofthe art banking benefits and access toAUB’s unique products’ range for IslamicFinances ,credit cards and investmentproducts. All Al-Hassad draws are con-ducted under the scrutiny of officialsfrom the Ministry of Industry andCommerce and independent auditingfirm, Ernst& Young.

For more information on the Al-Hassad Islamic investment savingsaccount, its prize structure and eligibili-ty criteria, customers may visit any AUBKuwait

Former ECB chief Trichet to speak at NBK symposium‘Lessons on the euro-zone crisis’

Doha bank senior debt issue nearly 8 times oversubscribed

Sheikh Abdul Rehman Bin MohammadBin Jabor Al-Thani

KARACHI: A Pakistani stockbroker talks on a phone as he watches share pricesduring a trading session at the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) in Karachi yester-day. The benchmark KSE-100 index was 13425.04, with increase of 72.30 pointsin mid of the day’s session. — AFP

First prizes draw program based on Sharia in Kuwait from AUB

Vietnam cuts key rate for first

time since 2009

YANGON: Myanmar’s government plans tohold trial foreign exchange auctions in Marchbefore floating the currency from April 1, thestart of the 2012/13 fiscal year, a central bankofficial said yesterday. The float would markthe most substantial economic reform yet byMyanmar’s new government and coincideswith political reforms that are ending half acentury of isolation in the former Britishcolony also known as Burma.

“Arrangements are under way to float thekyat against the US dollar effective April 1through a sealed auction system,” the officialtold Reuters, declining to be named.

“It’s a managed float system. Every day the

central bank will invite sealed bids for a cer-tain amount of US dollars from 11 privatebanks, which have been granted AuthorizedDealer Licenses,” the official said.

The trials had been suggested by theInternational Monetary Fund, which is advis-ing Myanmar’s one-year-old civilian govern-ment on unifying its various exchange rates,the official added.

A central bank presentation seen byReuters on March 6 had outlined the plans fora managed float in the fiscal year starting inApril, but it stopped short of identifying whenthe kyat would be floated.

The official said the government had calcu-

lated the national budget for the year fromApril 1 using an exchange rate of 800 kyat perdollar, which is around where the black mar-ket rate has been in recent weeks. Since 1977,the kyat has been pegged to the InternationalMonetary Fund’s (IMF) special drawing rights,with one dollar equalling 6.4 kyat.

Last March the former mil itar y juntamade way for a nominally civilian govern-ment that embarked on a major reformdrive, freeing hundreds of political prison-ers, loosening media controls and engagingwith Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung SanSuu Kyi, leader of Myanmar’s pro-democracymovement. — Reuters

Myanmar eyes trial FX auctions before float

27T E C H NOLO G YTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

AUSTIN: In this photograph, Buddy, the top cat gamer, faces-off against ahuman competitor in a match of Friskies “You vs. Cat” during the SXSWInteractive Festival on Sunday, March 11, 2012. The first ever duel-speciesgame allows cats and humans to play together using tablet technology. —AP

Apple’s market powerto draw more scrutiny

A wake-up call for Apple?SAN FRANCISCO: In everything it does, fromproduct design to business deals, Apple strivesfor as much control as possible. But as theworld’s most valuable company sets out todefine and dominate the rapidly evolving mar-kets it created with the iPhone and iPad, Appleis likely to face antitrust regulators who want tocurb its power.

Apple’s clout is coming under scrutiny asthe US Justice Department considers filing alawsuit against the company and five US pub-lishers for an alleged scheme that has drivenup the prices of electronic books since the2010 release of the iPad. The involved partiesare trying to avoid a high-profile court battleby negotiating a settlement, according to TheWall Street Journal. The newspaper broke thenews last week about the US JusticeDepartment’s plans to allege that Apple Inc.and the publishers orchestrated the price-fix-ing scheme to thwart the e-book discountsoffered by Amazon.com Inc.

“I think this might be a bit of a wake-up callfor Apple,” says Ted Henneberry, an antitrustattorney for the Orrick law firm in Washington.Apple declined to comment. The e-book casedemonstrates the market leverage Apple hasgained from its system of Internet-connecteddevices that tie into iTunes, its digital market-place for mobile applications, books, newspa-pers, magazines, textbooks, movies and music.

“That platform has become really essentialfor a lot of people,” says David Balto, anantitrust attorney who was a Federal TradeCommission policy director during the Clintonadministration. “Apple clearly has gained a lotof power in a number of markets.” Apple hassold more than 315 million iPhones, iPads andiPods that run on its mobile operating system,giving it the keys to a market that will becomeincreasingly influential as more people buydigital content for their electronic devices.

Apple’s success has transformed the compa-ny from a technology boutique to a trend-set-ting juggernaut in the past decade. Its annualrevenue has soared from $5 billion in 2001 to$108 billion last year. About three-quarters ofthat revenue comes from sales of iPhones,iPads and iPods. The company, based inCupertino, Calif., now has a market value of

nearly $510 billion - more than Microsoft Corp.and Google Inc. combined.

So far, though, government regulatorshaven’t paid as much attention to Apple asthey did to Microsoft during the 1990s and toGoogle during the past four years. Microsoft’sefforts to maintain and increase its dominanceof personal computer software provoked anantitrust lawsuit that unsuccessfully attemptedto break up the company. Allegations thatGoogle has been abusing its dominance of theInternet search and advertising markets havesparked wide-ranging government probes intothe company’s business practices in the U.S.and Europe.

Apple may simply behave better than someof its rivals, or it may be doing business in areasthat are so new that government regulators arestill learning how those nascent markets func-tion, says D. Daniel Sokol, an associate law pro-fessor who focuses on antitrust issues at theUniversity of Florida. “To attract antitrust atten-tion, you have to be more than just big. Youhave to be big and bad,” Sokol says. “It was only2007 when Apple released the iPhone, andonly 2010 when it released the iPad. The com-pany hasn’t had that long to be bad yet, if it isindeed bad.” Apple hasn’t been flying com-pletely under the government’s radar. In 2009,the Federal Trade Commission opened aninvestigation into whether Apple and Googlehad been stifling competition by sharing twoof the same directors - Eric Schmidt and ArthurLevinson - on their respective boards. Thatinquiry ended when Schmidt, then Google’sCEO, resigned from Apple’s board andLevinson, former CEO of biotechnology com-pany Genentech, resigned from Google’sboard. In 2010, Apple, Google and several oth-er Silicon Valley companies settled a JusticeDepartment investigation into an arrangementthat prohibited the employers from recruitingeach other’s workers. Apple, Google and fourother companies, including Intel Corp., prom-ised not to enter into any other “no-solicitation”agreements for five years. A federal lawsuitfiled on behalf of the workers at the companiesis still seeking damages.

Government regulators in the US andEurope are also monitoring Apple, Google and

Microsoft for any sign they are wielding keypatents to gain an unfair competitive advan-tage in the mobile phone market. Apple’s sta-ble of popular mobile devices and the con-joined market for selling digital content willbecome even more pivotal if the vision of thecompany’s late co-founder and CEO, SteveJobs, pans out.

The way Jobs saw it before he died fivemonths ago, technology is in the early stagesof a phase that will de-emphasize the impor-tance of personal computers running onMicrosoft’s software as people instead rely onsleek, highly portable devices that traversehigh-speed Internet connections to fetch con-tent and other files stored in far-flung data cen-ters. If Apple fulfills its destiny as foreseen byJobs, the company will dominate this “post-PC”era with its array of iPhones, iPads and possiblya revolutionary television set. Jobs hinted atApple’s looming breakthrough in TV last yearduring interviews with his biographer, WalterIsaacson. As it is, the iPad already has grabbed62 percent of the tablet computer market,according to IMS Research.

Even if Apple’s market share grows larger,the company may be able to minimize itspotential antitrust headaches by pointing towhat should still be fierce competition in bothsmartphones and tablet computers,Henneberry says. For instance, more than 300million devices are already running on Google’sAndroid software, and major PC makers suchas Hewlett Packard Co. and Dell Inc. are hopingto make a dent in the tablet computer marketlater this year with devices running Microsoft’snew operating system, Windows 8.

Apple has already girded for more govern-ment attention. At the end of 2010, it hiredKyle Andeer, a former antitrust lawyer for theFTC and Justice Department. Andeer becamethe first antitrust specialist on Apple’s internallegal team. “Any big US tech company under-stands that when they are successful enoughto create and expand markets, they may getgovernment scrutiny,” says David Turetsky, anantitrust attorney with the law firm Dewey &LeBoeuf in Washington. “Apple is going to keepantitrust lawyers very busy for some time tocome.” —AP

SAN JOSE: It’s half an hour before the CEO ofSilicon Valley’s hottest social network is set totake the stage, and it’s already standing roomonly at the Startup Grind gathering in Palo Alto,Calif. The bi-monthly gathering of tech entre-preneurs has nabbed some high-profile speak-ers in recent months. “The crowd was big forKevin Rose,” Dave Wamsley, a regular attendee,says of the Digg founder. “But now Elvis hasentered the building.” Elvis, it turns out, is ababy-faced native of Iowa with a somewhat shymien. Ben Silbermann is also CEO of one of thefastest-growing websites in history - Pinterest,which lets its 12 million-and-counting users col-lect and share digital images and link them towebsites. Wamsley, a serial entrepreneur who’sbeen in Silicon Valley since the dot-com era,said he hasn’t seen a startup take off overnightlike this since Netscape. Indeed, Startup Grindfounder Derek Anderson admitted while chat-ting onstage with Silbermann last week thathe’d never heard of Pinterest until a year ago,when he asked his wife, “What’s that on yourcomputer?” Turned out she’d been spendingevery night on the site, looking for recipe tipsand the like - for four hours at a pop. Beforelong, all of her friends were, too, in keeping withthe site’s heavily female demographic.

Silbermann’s wife, for her part, was key togetting her husband to finally tackle the startuphe’d been talking about for years while holdingdown a customer support job at Google. “Shesaid, ‘You should do it or shut up about it,’ “Silbermann told the audience at AOL’s WestCoast headquarters in Palo Alto. He soundsslightly thunderstruck by the site’s wildfiregrowth: Pinterest is the 16th most-visited web-site in America - ahead of CNN and ESPN.com -and the 50th most popular in the world, accord-ing to ranking service Alexa.

Venture capitalists who, two years ago, did-n’t understand the startup now are clamoringto follow in the footsteps of Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen, whose venture firm

in September led a $27 million investment. Big-name media have come calling to interviewSilbermann and been largely rebuffed.

“We’ve been too busy to hire a press personyet,” he said, almost apologetically. AllSilbermann wanted, after all, was a place to helppeople share their hobbies. The son of two fami-ly-practice physicians in Des Moines,Silbermann grew up collecting leaves andinsects. He went to Yale figuring he’d follow inthe family trade, then switched to political sci-ence. After graduating in 2003, he landed a con-sulting job in Washington, DC and joined thefirm’s technology practice because, he said,that’s what was open.

But even though he’d grown up a Luddite -his father still refuses to ditch the family’s oldVCR - the younger Silbermann saw the changesbeing wrought by Web 2.0. “I felt like the storyof my time was happening in California,” he toldlast week’s crowd, “and I wanted to be part of it.”

The Google job, he said, taught him a lot,but as a non-engineer in a company that prizestech skills, his ceiling was limited. After his wife’stough-love pep talk, he finally took the plunge -right before the 2008 Wall Street meltdownmade it nearly impossible to raise money.

It didn’t help that Silbermann’s two co-founders were as non-technical as he was. Butas he kept refining his idea during long hours atHacker Dojo, a Mountain View, Calif., hothousefor techies, he became more convinced of thepotential of a clean, colorful interface thatwould let users collect and “pin” digital images -much the way he’d pinned and displayedinsects as a boy.

“A ‘pin’ is a digital representation of an objectthat means something to you,” he said. “Whenyou open the site, you should see things thatyou love - and be able to connect to the peoplewho found them.” After the site launched inJanuary 2010, however, the going was slow. Fourmonths in, Pinterest had 200 users; half wereSilbermann’s friends in Des Moines. —MCT

Pinterest co-founder bemused at site’s rise

China’s top 2video websites set to merge

BEIJING: China’s top two video websites announcedplans yesterday to merge in hopes of creating thedominant competitor in a fast-growing industry thatis drawing viewers from bland state television.Youku Inc. and Tudou Holdings Ltd. said the newcompany, Youku Tudou Inc., will be created in astock-for-stock transaction. They said it requiresshareholder approval but is expected to be complet-ed by the third quarter of this year.

China’s dozens of privately owned video websiteshave nearly 400 million viewers and industry ana-lysts say the field might represent the future ofChinese video watching and advertising. Chinesevideo websites initially imitated Western video-shar-ing sites that rely on user-supplied content. But theyhave evolved to act like TV stations, showing import-ed programs or their own productions to appeal toaffluent urban viewers coveted by advertisers.

Youku and Tudou are former rivals and wereinvolved in a legal battle earlier this year over accu-sations they were misusing each other’s content.Both have reported losses recently due to high costsfor Internet bandwidth and programming. Youkuhad 21.8 percent of China’s online video market inthe final quarter of 2011, with Tudou in second placeat 13.7 percent, according to Analysys International,a research firm in Beijing. Sohu TV, a service ofChinese portal Sohu.com Inc., was in third placewith 13.3 percent. Other competitors had single-digit market shares.

In a statement, Youku founder and CEO VictorKoo said the merged entity should have the market’sbiggest user base and content library. “Youku TudouInc. would establish a clear and dominant leadershipposition in China’s online video sector,” Koo said.Total revenue for Chinese video websites rose 135percent over a year earlier in the final quarter of2011 to 1.7 billion yuan ($275 million), according toAnalysys International.

Video websites show popular Western series andallow users to download movies and other program-ming to watch on smart phones or tablet comput-ers. Beijing has allowed such private companies toflourish with less of the censorship imposed onChina’s entirely state-owned newspapers, TV andradio, possibly to avoid stifling what is seen as apromising high-tech industry.

Regulators might be driving still more viewersonline and away from state TV with rules imposedthis year to limit the number of reality, talent anddating shows local broadcasters can show on satel-lite channels. The number of Chinese who watchonline video jumped from 284 million in 2010 to 394million in 2011, according to CMM Intelligence, amedia consulting firm in Beijing. It said the totalmight pass 445 million by the end of 2012.

The surging popularity of online video threatensto erode viewership for state TV, which Beijing seesas a tool to mold public opinion. That raises thethreat communist leaders might tighten controls toprotect their media presence.

Youku reported a 49.6 million yuan ($8 million)loss for the three months ending Dec. 31 but saidfull-year profit was 200.3 million yuan ($32.3 mil-lion), up 450 percent from 2010. Tudou reported aquarterly loss of 148.9 million yuan ($24 million) anda full-year loss of 511.2 million ($82.4 million). —AP

RIYADH: EMC Corporation sponsors theSaudi E-Health Conference 2012, the largestof its kind in the Middle East, being held fromMarch 11-13, 2012 at the IntercontinentalHotel Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. E-Health 2012 will explore the new trends andthe latest technology knowledge in the fieldof healthcare informatics, in order to createawareness around Public health informatics,emphasize its importance in enhancing thequality of healthcare delivery, and ensuringthe efficient utilization of resources.

With data growth predicted to increase ata rate of 100 percent every 18 months it isessential that IT infrastructures withinHealthcare organizations not only cope withthe expanding volume but also add consider-able value. The Healthcare providers and pay-ers are being asked to improve clinical andfinancial outcomes and address the growingdemand with limited resource. To deliveroptimum patient care, healthcare providersneed access to a full patient view through anelectronic health care records system.

With over 30 years experience withhealthcare organizations, EMC has beencommitted to provide innovative and reli-able solutions that leverage patient informa-

tion to deliver complete patient care. YvesMahieu, EMEA Director Healthcare, EMC, par-ticipated in the conference and explained todelegates EMC’s Collaborative Solutions forhealthcare industry, aimed at improvingpatient care delivery and regulatory compli-ance, while reducing management complex-ities, and cutting costs. Mahieu also dis-cussed with healthcare providers EMC’s solu-tions that enable them to efficiently andsecurely utilize information to makeinformed clinical, operational and financialdecisions.

EMC solutions allow Healthcare providersto manage risk and compliance by protect-ing patients’ data and preventing againstdata loss and security breaches. They alsoaccelerate EHR adoption by providing anintegrated information infrastructure forease of capture and access of patients’ data,and enable them to leverage and share pre-dictive data and optimize IT Infrastructures.With EMC Documentum, VMware and EMCStorage, EMC Collaboration Solutions EMCoffers an integrated IT solution that helpshealthcare providers to build a 360 degreepatient view, enhance data-sharing, andmanage better medical data volumes.

SAN FRANCISCO: Peter Thiel, the superstarSilicon Valley investor, has famously dismisseduniversity as a waste of time and money, andeven offered students cash to drop out. But hisviews apparently do not apply to himself - or toStanford University. Thiel, 44, will teach at theelite university this spring, sharing pearls ofentrepreneurial wisdom in a class called“Computer Science 183: Startup.” The course isalready oversubscribed, with Thiel’s return to hisalma mater sparking both enthusiasm and skep-ticism on a campus increasinglyobsessed with start-up success.

“It’s puzzling to us what he has tosay,” said Nruthya Madappa, a seniorin electrical engineering who sawrumours of Thiel’s class explode onher Facebook news feed on a recentevening and rushed to sign up “sev-eral minutes” after course enrolmentwent live. “He’s famously known tomake people furious with his viewsand the way he questions things,” she said. “Buthe’s challenging us to look at our education herein a different way.” Thiel, who co-founded onlinepayment processor PayPal and later reaped bil-lions with bets on gilded names like Facebook ,LinkedIn and Zynga, is known for his maverickways, even emerging recently as the main finan-cial backer for libertarian presidential contenderRon Paul. Thiel has argued that the brightestyoung minds should strike out on their own andstart companies rather than take on crushingdebt to pursue a college degree.

Never mind that Thiel himself holds both abachelor’s degree in philosophy and a lawdegree from Stanford; he has backed up his talkwith his checkbook. Last year, Thiel started a fel-lowship that offered $100,000 to 20 buddingentrepreneurs between the ages of 14 and 20who would drop out to focus on their ventures.

But Thiel last year also submitted a formal

course proposal to Stanford after approachingSebastian Thrun, a Stanford computer scienceprofessor, to discuss the possibility of teaching.(Thrun has since left the university to work on anonline education project.) “If I do my job right,this is the last class you’ll ever have to take,” Thielsaid through a spokesman. Mehran Sahami, thedepartment’s associate chair for education, saidthe curriculum committee debated whetherThiel would use the class as a conduit to recruitstudents to his companies. Other faculty voiced

concerns that they were “not sure ofhis motivations given his history withrespect to universities,” Sahami said.“We went into this with eyes wideopen,” said Sahami, a former researchscientist at Google. “But on balance,this would be something our studentswould benefit from.” Still others, likeVivek Wadhwa, a fellow at Stanford’sRock Centre of Corporate Governance,were not so sure. “It’s hypocritical, but

I’m not surprised,” Wadhwa said. “The same peo-ple who go around bashing education are themost educated. What’s he going to do? Tell stu-dents, ‘When you graduate from my class, dropout right after that?’”

Jim O’Neill, the head of the Thiel Foundation,which administers the entrepreneurship fellow-ship, said that the investor has been concernedfor several years about the skyrocketing cost oftuition and the burdens of student debt formany graduates. “He’s only said that college isgood value for some people, it’s just not neces-sarily a good value for everyone,” O’Neill said.“He’s not calling for the abolition of college.”Thiel chose to deliver his message in the class-room because he “wants to reach out to peoplein many different spaces,” O’Neill said, addingthat Thiel chose Stanford, his alma mater,because the university’s startup culture made ita “natural fit.” —Reuters

Star tech investor set to teach at Stanford

Peter Thiel

EMC showcases healthcareinformatics solutions

HEALTH&SCIENCETUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

LEIPZIG: A young male Rothschild giraffe and its mother are presented atthe zoo. The giraffe, born on February 22, 2012 belongs to the mostendangered giraffe subspecies with only a few hundred members in thewild.— AFP

MARSEILLE: A global meeting on water opened inFrance yesterday with demands to provide billionsof poor people with clean water and decent sanita-tion and address the spiralling demands of thefuture. “The challenges are huge and the problemsare deep-rooted,” French Prime Minister FrancoisFillon said as he opened the sixth World WaterForum in the southern city of Marseille. “The num-ber of human beings who have no access to cleanwater is in the billions. Each year, we mourn mil-lions of dead from the health risks that this causes.This situation is not acceptable-the world commu-nity must rise and tackle it.”

The World Water Forum, held every three years,gathers policymakers, big corporations and non-governmental organisations. As many as 20,000participants from 140 countries are expected forthe six-day event, including scores of ministers forthe environment and water and a scattering ofheads of state from francophone west Africa.Separately, a massive UN report, issued only onceevery three years, said water problems in manyparts of the world were chronic. Without a crack-down on waste will worsen as demand for food ris-es and climate change intensifies, it said.

“Pressures on freshwater are rising, from theexpanding needs of agriculture, food productionand energy consumption to pollution and theweaknesses of water management,” UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said in the report. “Climatechange is a real and growing threat.

Without good planning and adaptation, hun-dreds of millions of people are at risk of hunger,disease, energy shortages and poverty.” Demandfor food will increase by some 70 percent by 2050,which will lead to a nearly 20 percent increase inglobal agricultural water consumption, the UN’sFourth World Water Development Report said.

Abstraction of aquifers has at least tripled in thepast 50 years and now supplies almost half of alldrinking water today. “In some hotspots, the avail-ability of non-renewable groundwater resourceshas reached critical limits,” the report said. Thereport demanded an overhaul in the use of water,especially by curbing waste. Smarter irrigation, lessthirsty crops and the use of “grey,” or used water, toflush toilets are among the options. Already, more

than 2.5 billion people are in need of decent sanita-tion and nearly one in 10 has yet to gain access to“improved” drinking water, as defined under theUN’s 2015 development goals.

Ministers attending the forum will issue a non-binding statement today affirming their awarenessof the problems and intent to fix them. Lookingahead to the “Rio plus 20” summit in June, Fillonstood by France’s plan to create a WorldEnvironment Organisation, an idea opposed by theUnited States.

“What is at stake here is the historic change ofour societies from a development that is economi-cally efficient but environmentally destructive to amodel that combines economic development, the

fair sharing of resources among the region’s of theglob and the preservation of ecosystems,” saidFillon.

The water forum is shunned by some environ-mentalists or development activists, who deride itas a trade fair lacking democracy and transparency.An alternative forum is being staged elsewhere inMarseille by 2,000 members of civil society fromEurope, the United States, Latin America and Africa.“Water cannot be solely determined by politicians,financiers and technicians,” organisers of the rivalforum said in a statement. “Every woman and everyman, whatever his responsibilities, must take partin decision-making, contributing to the protectionof water and ensuring fair access to it.” — AFP

Climate, food pressures require rethink on waterWorld Water Forum opens to warnings of scarcity

MARSEILLE: French President of the World Water Council, Loic Fauchon (right)delivers his speech, standing by Malian participants Mailin Walet Ahmoudene(center) and her brother Sidi Ahmed Ag Ahmoudene (left) during the WorldWater Forum yesterday. — AP

MINNEAPOLIS: Dick Andersonreached the pinnacle of his rock-climbing endeavors - literally as wellas figuratively - 10 years ago when,after 3 exhausting days of clinging tothe side of a sheer cliff, he reachedthe top of El Capitan, a majestic gran-ite monolith in Yosemite Park that ris-es nearly three-fourths of a milestraight up. Shortly after finishingthat climb, Anderson, then 52, dislo-cated his right shoulder. Two yearslater, while trying to come back fromsurgery on that shoulder, he blew outthe left one. The Minneapolis man’sclimbing days were over, and theprospect of being relegated to anoverstuffed chair in front of a T Vpained him as much as his injuredshoulders.

“I found that I needed to be activeto feel complete as a person,” he said.But he also found that being activeon the other side of 50 often involvesembracing new approaches andtechniques. And if you’re a lifelongathlete, it can mean coming to gripswith the fact that you’re not going tobe able to run as fast, hit a golf ball asfar or climb rock walls the way youonce did. Maintaining fitness as weage takes extra diligence, includingmore emphasis on stretching, moni-toring hydration, focusing on formand strengthening core muscles. Yes,these are the same things we weretold to do in our 20s and 30s, butnow the trainers really mean it. A 50-year-old body isn’t nearly as forgivingabout us ignoring these things as a20-something body.

Anderson decided to appreciatewhat he still could do rather thanmourn the loss of what he couldn’t.“I’m so thrilled to be able to do whatI’m doing at my age that I just let (thedisappointment) go,” he said. “Forsome reason, my shoulders are OKwith the motion for cross-country ski-ing and kayaking, so I do a lot of that.”Keeping physically fit as we age isn’ta pipe dream.

A study conducted at theUniversity of Pittsburgh MedicalCenter and published in January inthe professional journal Physicianand Sportsmedicine found that lossof muscle mass isn’t an inevitablebyproduct of aging. “This study con-tradicts the common observationthat muscle mass and strengthdecline as a function of aging alone,”it says, putting the blame on inactivi-

ty. But just keeping active isn’tenough either, experts say. The key iskeeping active in ways that help yourbody handle the activity. Mia Bremer,fitness manager at the retirementcommunity Friendship Village ofBloomington, Minn., has seen thisfrom both perspectives. “We haveclients in their 70s who wouldn’t behaving (physical) problems now” ifthey had done what they were sup-posed to when they were in their 50s,she said. And at the same time, “Wehave clients in their 80s who did itright and are in excellent shape.”

Jill Lile was teaching dance atCreighton University when she wassidelined by a toe injury that oftenafflicts ballet dancers. She not onlywas forced to redefine her dancing -“I started perfecting my flat-foottechnique,” she said - but she seguedinto a new career as a chiropractor.

“I could see the writing on thewall” as far as dancing, said Lile, 54. “Iwanted to keep exercising because Ilike the way I feel when I exercise. Ilike the benefits of exercising, and Iwasn’t ready to pack it up. I realizedthat there was so much else available.There’s yoga and Pilates and Zumba.”

There’s even still dance, includingteaching classes at Minnesota DanceTheatre. It ’s just not at the sameintensity. “After I got surgery on myfoot, I tried to work with it the best Icould,” she said. “I can do ballet flat-footed. I just can’t do it all the way.I’ve modified it as best I could. I canstill get out and move to the music.”

Lile combines her injury experi-ence with her technical knowledge asa chiropractor, although not all of herclients at the Hippocrates Center forHolistic Healing in Minneapolis likewhat she has to tell them. “A lot of

runners are like dancers - when theyget hurt, you can’t get them to stop,”she said. “You have to know when tostay down. A lot of injuries become atest of patience.”

Returning to action too soon afteran injury has become so commonthat there’s even a term for it now,said Mark Richards, vice president ofprogram development for the Edina,Minn.-based Welcyon Fitness After 50clubs. “It’s called incomplete rehabili-tation syndrome,” he said. I f youinjure, say, a knee, use the other kneeto establish “a baseline physiologicalstatus,” he said, and don’t return toaction until the injured joint has thesame strength and range of motionas the healthy one. Otherwise, “you’rean injury waiting to happen,” hewarned.

Rick Goullaud knows how hard itcan be force yourself to abstain.When he broke his foot in October,the pain was worsened by the disap-pointment of it happening the week-end before he was going to competein a triathlon for which he’d spentmonths training.

“It was hard to stop training whenyou’d been looking forward to some-thing that long,” said Goullaud, 67, ofPlymouth, Mich. “There were 10 of uswho train together who were goingto Las Vegas for the Monster Dashtriathlon. We work pretty hard whenwe train, so it was disappointing. ButI’m back at it now. I train at least fivedays a week, sometimes seven.”

The triathlon’s format forces himto cross-train, rotating among biking,swimming and running. Experts saythat mixing activities is a key to exer-cising as we age. One of the maincauses of repetitive stress injuries - asthe name indicates - is repetition.“Keep your body guessing,” saidSarah Hankel, a personal trainer atthe Lifetime Fitness club in St. LouisPark, Minn. “Stop running every dayand bike some days. Or swim. Takeyoga. There are lots of alternatives.Injuries tend to occur when monoto-ny sets in.”

The important thing, everyoneagreed, is to not give up. “There’s noage limit” at which a body quitsresponding to exercise, Richards said.“When it comes to a wide range ofhealth issues, exercise is the magicbullet. It’s that powerful with respectto its benefits. If exercise were a pill,everyone would take it.” — MCT

For athletes, ageing can be a pain

Like many people growing older, Jill Lile (left) DickAnderson and Rick Goullaud have found they need to limitor change some of their athletic activities. — MCT

NEW YORK: As fuel prices soar and theweather warms, more adults are rediscov-ering bicycling as a way to get fit, getaround, and rekindle that childhood joy ofmovement. Experts say whether you’repedaling down suburban paths, mountaintrails or city lanes, taking a few precautionswill have you sitting sweet upon your bicy-cle seat. “With the tough economy and gasprices rising, suddenly biking seems likethis sensible, fun way to get fit,” said PeterFlax, editor-in-chief of Bicycling magazine.“It’s cheaper than joining a gym. And youcan drive your car less.”

In 2010, there were 19.8 million bicyclessold in the United States, up 15 percentfrom 2009, according to the NationalBicycle Dealers Association, a non-profittrade group. “The biggest surprise is thegrowth in big and mid-size cities,” said Flax.“Go to a coffee shop or a farmers’ market,you’ll see many people who aren’t hardcore, spandex-clad athletes using theirbikes to get around.”

The League of American Bicyclists, anadvocacy group, reported that bicyclingincreased by an average of 36 percent inthe 70 largest US cities from 2005 to 2010.Consequently, Flax said, city biking is get-ting safer. “Infrastructure changes like bikelanes are on the rise, and people in cars arebecoming more patient.”

While many a workable bicycle is lan-guishing in a garage or closet, Flax said,before pedaling off into the sunset, or theoffice, on one, visit the bicycle shop for atune up and fitting. “Make sure someonelooks at your body. Is saddle at the rightheight? The handle bars? Someone whohas seen hundreds of thousands of peoplecan do a better job than you can do on

your own.” If you’re in the market for a newride, Flax says, stick with the specialists. “Goto a bike shop, not a big box store,” saidFlax, whose magazine’s 2012 Buyer’s Guidereviews over 100 bicycles. “Airplane tech-nology has been pushed on to bikes sothey are really light and comfortable now.”Another consideration is the groundbeneath your wheels.

On suburban trails you want tires wideenough to ride on muck, Flax explained; inthe city, the bike should be rugged enoughto handle tough pavement; for toolingaround the woods, a mountain bike is opti-mal. And don’t forget the helmet. “Even atlow speeds things can happen,” said Flax,who compared riding without a helmet todriving without a seatbelt. “And helmetshave gotten a lot cooler looking lately. Itdoesn’t have to be like wearing a giantmushroom on your head.”

Bicycling is an effective cardio exercisegets the heart and lungs into shape andexercises large muscle groups, saidAmerican Council on Exercise spokesper-son Liz Neporent. “Unlike running or walk-ing, it takes a lot of stress off the joints,” shesaid. “And it’s more of a whole body exer-cise than you would think. There’s a lot ofcore work, and it’s obviously great for work-ing the legs and butt.” Neporent recom-mends supplementing bicycling withstrength or resistance training, and urgesbeginners to start slow.

“You can’t undo 10 years of sloth withone workout,” she said. Flax said a brisk ridecan burn 500 to 800 calories in an hour, andwith the wind in your hair. “The advantageof biking is how much fun it is,” he said.“Compare it to being on a stair climber for40 minutes.” — Reuters

Finding and riding the bicycle built for you

A few sessions of behavioral thera-py, even a “self-help” version, may helpsome women find relief frommenopausal hot flashes, according toa British study. Researchers writing inthe journal Menopause said that aftersix weeks of cognitive behavioral ther-apy, more than two-thirds of thewomen who underwent, throughgroup sessions or self-help, had a “clin-ically significant” drop in problemsrelated to hot flashes and nightsweats.

Hormone replacement therapy isconsidered the most effective treat-ment of hot flashes, but since hor-mones have been linked to increasedrisks of heart disease, blood clots andbreast cancer, many women wantalternative remedies. Some antide-pressants have been found to cool hotflashes, but “natural products”-such asblack cohosh, soy and flaxseed-havegenerally failed to meet the test ofclinical trials.

“These results suggest that cogni-tive behavioural therapy delivered ingroup or self-help format is an effec-tive treatment option for women dur-ing the menopause transition andpostmenopause with problematic hotflashes/night sweats,” wrote seniorresearcher Myra Hunter, at King’sCollege London.

Cognitive behavioural therapy is atreatment option for problems rang-ing from depression to sleep problemsto digestive disorders. I t aims tochange the unhealthy thinking pat-terns and behaviours that can feed

mental or physical symptoms.Hunter said the therapy “involves

developing helpful, acceptingapproaches to hot flashes and alsousing breathing exercises to focusattention away from the flashes andnegative thoughts.” Hunger recruited140 women who had been having hotflashes and night sweats at least 10times a week for a month or more, ran-domly assigning them to either group-based therapy, a self-help version orno treatment.

Group therapy sessions took placefour times a month. Self-help therapyinvolved one meeting and a phonecall with a psychologist, but otherwisethey used a book and CD. After sixweeks, 65 percent of women whounderwent group therapy reported ameaningful drop in how problematictheir hot-flash symptoms were. Thesame was true of 73 percent of womenin the self-help group.

That compared with 21 percent ofwomen who had had no treatment. Thebenefit was still apparent after sixmonths, though by then one-third ofthe untreated group had also improved.Women in the therapy groups said theywere having fewer hot flashes-butwomen who had received no treatmentreported a similar drop, the study said.Instead, the benefit seemed to comefrom changes in how women perceivedtheir symptoms. “Women say that theymight still have hot flashes but notnotice them, and then they feel moreconfident about coping with them,”Hunter said. — Reuters

Behavioural therapy may help hot flashes

LOS ANGELES: F. Sherwood Rowland, the Nobelprize-winning chemist who sounded the alarm onthe thinning of the Earth’s ozone layer, has died. Hewas 84. Rowland died Saturday at his home of com-plications from Parkinson’s disease, the dean of theUniversity of California, Irvine’s physical sciencesdepartment said Sunday. “We have lost our finestfriend and mentor,” Kenneth C. Janda said in a state-ment. “He saved the world from a major catastrophe:never wavering in his commitment to science, truthand humanity and did so with integrity and grace.”

Rowland was among three scientists awardedthe 1995 Nobel Prize for chemistry for explaininghow the ozone layer is formed and decomposedthrough chemical processes in the atmosphere. Theprize was awarded more than two decades after

Rowland and post-doctoral student Mario Molinacalculated that if human use of chlorofluorocarbons,a byproduct of aerosol sprays, deodorants and otherhousehold products, were to continue at anunchanged rate, the ozone layer would be depletedafter several decades. Their work built upon findingsby atmospheric scientist Paul Crutzen.

Their prediction caught enormous attention andwas strongly challenged partly because the non-tox-ic properties of CFCs were thought to be environ-mentally safe. Their work gained widespread recog-nition more than a decade later with the discoveryof the ozone hole over the Earth’s polar regions. “Itwas to turn out that they had even underestimatedthe risk,” a Nobel committee said in its award citationfor Rowland, Molina and Crutzen. Molina said his for-

mer mentor never shied from defending his work oradvocating a ban on CFCs. “He showed me that if webelieve in the science ... we should speak out whenwe feel it’s important for society to change,” Molinatold The Associated Press. His work on ozone deple-tion made Rowland a prominent voice for scientistsconcerned about global warming. “

Isn’t it a responsibility of scientists, if you believethat you have found something that can affect theenvironment, isn’t it your responsibility to dosomething about it, enough so that action actuallytakes place?” Rowland said at a White House cli-mate change roundtable in 1997. “If not us, who? Ifnot now, when?” he asked. Rowland was survivedby his wife of nearly 60 years, Joan, a son and adaughter. —AP

Scientist who warned of thinning ozone dies

HEALTHTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Health

Diabetics should lift weights before cardioNEW YORK: People with diabetes may have betterblood sugar control during workouts if they liftweights before doing cardio exercise, according toa new study by Canadian researchers. It’s importantto define the best way for people with type 1 dia-betes to exercise so that blood sugar doesn’t droptoo low, yet they can still reap all the benefits ofaerobic exercise, Dr. Ronald Sigal, an endocrinolo-gist at the University of Calgary in Canada and leadauthor of the study told Reuters Health.

Sihuan prepares anti-hypertension drug HONG KONG: Chinese drugmaker SihuanPharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd has registeredits anti-hypertensive drug with the country’s drugregulator and hopes to obtain approval to beginclinical trials in China by the end of 2013. Theannouncement, made over the weekend, sent itsstock price up 1.9 percent to HK$3.18 on Mondaymorning, the highest since March 5. Shares were up0.64 percent at HK$3.14 by 0338 GMT, comparedwith a 0.28 percent decline in the benchmark HangSeng Index.

Fake Avastin shows very little protects drug supply

NEW YORK: As drug counterfeiters step up theirsales of bogus medicines, global health regulatorshave few protections in place to prevent them fromreaching patients, and new laws aimed at address-ing the problem could be years away. Scrutiny ofthe supply chain has grown since fake versions ofRoche’s multibillion-dollar cancer drug Avastinturned up at US oncology practices late last year,sparking an international investigation that so farstretches from southern California back to Turkeywith a stopover in a Cairo suburb.

After jail, former inmatesface higher death risk

NEW YORK: People released from New York Cityjails face an increased risk of death from drug over-dose, homicide or suicide-especially in the first cou-ple weeks of freedom, city health officials say. In astudy of more than 155,000 people released fromcity jails over five years, researchers found that for-mer inmates were twice as likely as other city resi-dents to die of a drug overdose or homicide.

Florida passes bill to teststate workers for drugs

TALLAHASSEE: Florida lawmakers on Fridayapproved a measure allowing state agency headsto randomly test employees for illegal drugs, send-ing the bill to Governor Rick Scott, who is expectedto sign it. By a 26-14 vote, the Senate approved ameasure, House Bill 1205, that allows up to 10 per-cent of a department’s employees to be randomlytested for alcohol and other substance abuse.

in brief

VICTORIA: Bursts of torrential rain lashthe idyllic white beaches of theSeychelles, where conservationists fearthat rare species such as the giant tor-toise are at severe risk from climatechange. As changing season patternsbring harsher storms and much longerdry spells, international organisations arehelping fight climate change in the tinynation, the only one in the world where50 percent of the land is a nature reserve.

“The seasons are merging, there’smore rain but in short bursts, with longdry periods. Drinking water dries up andthe climate plays havoc with breedingand feeding patterns,” said Seychelles cli-mate change expert Rolph Payet.Recognising the risks, the United NationsDevelopment Programme and GlobalEnvironment Facility have approved $8.7million (6.6 million euros) this year for cli-mate change adaptation projects in theIndian Ocean archipelago.

While part of the funds will go to tack-ling issues affecting Seychellois peoplesuch as drought, the rest is earmarked forfurther research into protecting the vastarray of species from the fallout fromglobal warming. “We have a range of ani-mals at risk, from the rare turtles and tor-toises which lay their eggs on our beach-es, to mountain frogs and birds such asthe Black Parrot, which are endemic tothe Seychelles,” Payet said.

On the remote Aldabra atoll, aUNESCO World Heritage Site more than1,100 kilometres (685 miles) from themain Seychelles islands, more than100,000 wild giant Aldabra tortoises lum-ber and doze together in groups in the

baking sun. One of the biggest tortoisesin the world, the Aldabra is listed by theInternational Union for Conservation ofNature (IUCN) as at risk of extinction, andsmall but notable shifts in the climatehave sparked concern among experts.

“Climate change causes storm surgesand higher tides, both of which erodethe coast. As the sea warms up, it alsokills off the coral reefs, which providefood for fish but also protect the coastfrom the waves,” Payet said. The Aldabraatoll lies only a few metres above theturquoise waves of the Indian Ocean andthe fear is that rising sea levels and tropi-cal cyclones may eventually swallow itup, taking the giant Seychelles tortoiseswith it.

“It’s not only the Aldabra which is atrisk,” said David Rowat from theSeychelles marine conservation society,which heads up a programme to tag andmonitor critically endangered Hawksbillsea turtles on Mahe Island’s beaches.“Hawksbills have always been hunted fortheir shell to make tortoiseshell jew-ellery. Their numbers are low but wehave the fifth largest population in theworld here, and it’s imperative we act toprotect them,” he said.

Changes in temperature play havocwith breeding patterns because theHawksbills, which live in tropical coralreefs and have prominent hooked beaks,tend to produce only females if the eggsare left in a very warm nest, he said. “The

warming also means there are violentand more frequent storms. The turtles laytheir eggs in the sand, but if you have abad storm surge, you can lose big tractsof sand and a whole season of nestingturtles,” Rowat said.

“We move the nests we come acrossto above the high water line on thebeach, but even doing that cannotalways protect them from a flash surge,”he added. A significant part of the newfunds will go to projects aiming to pro-tect and restore the coral reefs and shoreup the coastline against storms.

“The ideas we’re testing include usingwooden poles as a barrier to protect thecoast and replanting trees to help pre-vent erosion, as well as attempting toregrow coral or transplant and growmore resilient coral,” Payet said. TheSeychelles Islands Foundation whichmanages the Aldabra atoll also works toconserve the rare species at the Vallee deMai, a national park on Praslin islandhome to Bulbul birds, fruit bats andSeychelles Skink geckos among others.

Black Parrots swoop above a canopy oftowering palm trees with vast leaves,feasting on fruit while brightly colouredtree frogs and geckos lurk near the park’sstreams and dart over large moss-coveredboulders in the gorge. “The Black Parrot isonly found on Praslin. It is a beautiful bird,but is at risk because changing seasonscan lead to a decrease in food,” Payet said.Rising temperatures also bring anotherdanger to this picturesque island-thepalm leaves covering the forest floorcould catch alight. There’s a real risk of for-est fires,” Payet said. — AFP

Seychelles’ idyllic habitat at risk from climate change

PRASLIN ISLAND: The beach is pictured. — AFP

PRASLIN ISLAND: A green Gecko walks on a palm at Vallee de Mai naturalreserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site. —AFP

30W H AT ’ S ONTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Talent launchKuwait’s Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness andCreativity (SACGC) called on to the Kuwaiti community tocome out and support its local young talented Kuwaitis byvisiting the “Mawaheb” gallery exhibition on March 15, 16,and 17 at the Avenues Mall. The exhibition, created andorganized by SACGC, provides a platform for 15 of the topKuwaiti photographers, artists and musicians, to showcasetheir talent directly to the community through unique,signature performances, displays, and presentations.SACGC General Manager, Dr Omar Al Bannai said,“”Mawaheb” is a talent-driven exhibition that connectKuwait’s undiscovered talents to the community andshowcases to Kuwait some of the great art. “Mawaheb”will kick-off on 7 pm on March 15 at the Avenues locationnear Dean and Deluca in the presence of SACGC CEO, Dr.Bader Al-Omar, Kuwait Foundation for the Advancementof Sciences General Manager, Dr. Adnan Shihab-Eldin,SACGC General Manager, Dr. Omar Al Bannai, and allmembers of the SACGC Board of Directors.

Aware SeminarThe AWARE Center invites you to its diwaniya presenta-tion today March 13 entitled, “The Fundamentals ofIslamic Banking & Finance” by Dr. Muhammad Al-Qattan.Have you ever wondered what is Islamic Banking? Howis it different? What principals is it based on? Does itwork? Are there any benefits? Do you have to be Muslimto have an account in an Islamic Bank? Come along toAWARE’s diwaniya at 7pm on Tuesday 13th March whenDr. Mohammed Al-Qattan will be discussing all theseissues and more. For more information, call 25335260ext 0 / 104 / 105 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw oremail: saleha.aware@gmail.com “

Lecturers at AUKThe Center for Gulf Studies (CGS) will be organizing thefollowing events in March. Event Title: “The People areMissing” Lecturer By Dr Mai Al Nakib, on March 21, 2012 at6-9 pm, AUK Auditorium. Event Description: Dr. Mai Al-Nakib’s presentation looks at the Palestinian community inKuwait prior to the first Gulf War, and considers the ethicalconsequences to Kuwait after their expulsion in 1991.Event Title: City Images, on March 27, 2012, at 6-9 pm, AUKAuditorium. Event Description: This talk presents theissues surrounding the concept of ‘branding’ in relation tothe city states of the Gulf, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, andQatar. Event Title: “Energy Conservation” Lecture by JimKrane, on March 28, 2012 at 6-8 pm, AUK Auditorium.Event Description: The speaker discusses the energy con-sumption issue in the Gulf. He examines the role of gov-ernment, the population, and the barriers to promotingless consumption and reforming the energy sector. Allevents are open for public.

ExhibitionUnder the patronage of HE Sheikh Mohammed AbdullahAl-Mubarak Al-Sabah Minister of Information President ofthe National Council of Culture, Arts and Letters with thesupport of TOTAL organised by Institut du Monde Arabe -Paris in cooperation with Embassy of France-Kuwait DarAl-Athar Al-Islamiyyah will hold the exhibition “TheGolden Age of the Arab Sciences” tomorrow, March 14 at 7pm, at the American Cultural Centre.

Desert get-togetherA full day in the desert with the collaboration of the BBF(British Business Forum), BLS (British Ladies Society),ANZAK (Australians & New Zealanders), Diwaniya Italia(Italians in Kuwait), UFE (French Community in Kuwait),and the Lebanese community as well. It’s a get togetherday with loads of fun and a chance to compete in a realPaint Ball arena in the desert, participate in a mini footballtournament & volleyball tournament, and there will alsobe many other activities such as ATV (Quads) Karaoke andmore! A BBQ buffet catering will be provided by HolidayInn Salmiya, and entertainment will be provided by DJShatti and Chromatic Band). For more information andearly booking please call 5010-0734.

Latin Party Sizzling Latin Party at the Swiss Hotel Plaza in Kuwait CIty(next to Al-Mouthana Complex)! The “fiesta” will be onMarch 16th, beginning at 8:30pm and will continue until1:30am. For more information call Yolanda.

TIES Ladies ClubThe TIES Ladies Club invites you to their Kuwaiti cuisinecooking classes which will start soon. Join them for a onemonth cooking program where you will learn to cook realKuwaiti food. All ladies are invited to join their classes andlet your family enjoy mouth watering Kuwaiti cuisine!on March 15th - April 5th frpm 6 pm to 8 pm. For moreinformation/ registration: 2523-1015/6 or 9722-8860/9779-3440.

Quiz nightThe TIES Center Ladies Club invites all ladies to an educa-tional and entertaining quiz night session. Feel free tocome with your family and enjoy this fun night together.Refreshments will be provided tomorrow March 14th from6 pm to 7:30 pm. For more information/ registration:2523-1015/6

What do you get...When you mix African drums with a herd of elephants anddelicious food, to which you add lots of African music &rhythms, unique fashion in a flavor of colors, a few dropsof a sleepy panther, a mini African market and just theright amount of leopard spots... all sprinkled with inim-itable African spirit? Come and find out on Thursday, 22March At Holiday Inn Hotel (Salmiya), Al Dana Ballroomfrom 7 pm - 10 pm For details regarding participation inthe kids’ contest “Best African Costume”, e contact LorieBeverly at lorie@indigoshadows-events.com

Announcements

Distinguished guests and theschool community wereenthralled by recent performanc-

es of Ocean Commotion at The BritishSchool of Kuwait. Collaborationbetween Primary staff produced a fan-tastic show in the Shakespeare Theatre.

Ocean Commotion wove a story aroundthemes of animal welfare and environ-mental protection, winning the heartsof parents and students alike. Theunderwater scenery and fantastic cos-tume display were a sight to behold asthe children of 7-9 years old enacted the

story of a dolphin captured and anocean mistreated by humans. The taleended happily as the cast relayed theirmessage to all regarding environmentalconservation and animal welfare in anhour-long showcase of BSK talent!Director Richard McPherson and

Producer Lauren Huskings wereimmensely proud of their team andpleased to affirm the place of the cre-ative arts in the unparalleled opportuni-ties available to students.

BSK delights with Ocean Commotion

The Regency Hotel, Kuwait is theappointed venue for the 5thInternational Energy Business Forum

(IEBF) and the 13th International EnergyForum (IEF), to be held in Kuwait City fromMarch 12-14, 2012, by Kuwait’s Ministry ofOil, (MOO).

The IEF is the largest gathering of ener-gy Ministers in the world, and its 88 mem-ber countries account for 90 percent ofglobal oil and gas supply and demand.This strategic forum is attended by high

level ministerial representatives as well asthose multinationals involved in explo-ration and production of oil. The forumprovides an opportunity for all those relat-ed to the global energy sector to meet anddiscuss issues and challenges affecting theworld. General Manager of The Regency,Riaz Mahmood stated “The choice of TheRegency as the venue for this prestigiousinternational event is indeed a great hon-our. We are delighted to have such emi-nent representatives of the global energy

sector staying with us and we wish themand the Ministry of Oil a successful andfruitful forum”. Since mid-February, TheRegency has seen an enormous marqueewhich has been erected to host the highlevel officials; measuring almost 15m inheight it provides 2,400sq m of clear floorspace, and is the largest tent structure ofits kind ever erected in Kuwait. Similartents have been seen at some of theregion’s most prestigious major sportingevents including the PGA Abu Dhabi Golf

Tournament and the Al-Ain Air Show.Most of the furniture - from the execu-

tive’s tables to waste paper baskets - hasbeen painstakingly tailormade by TheRegency’s very own team of skilled crafts-men in just over three weeks. The tentoffers a plethora of high-end facilities fromprivate meeting rooms to state-of-the-artaudio-visual and lighting. Due to thisimportant commitment The Regency willbe welcoming back its valued guests fromMarch 16, 2012.

The Regency set to welcome world energy leaders

Founded in 2007, Yoforia is aself serve concept with sixmachines serving over 12

flavours like Original, Pomegranate,Mango, Pineapple, Chocolate,Vanilla, Watermelon, Ferrero RocheCookies and Cream and also serv-ing sorbets of Raspberry andStrawberry. Yoforia also exclusivelyfor the Middle East have developedMiddle Eastern flavours such asDates, Pistachio Zaifron, Vimto andCoffee.

Kuwait’s Industry andTechnology Co For General Tradingand Contracting ITC ChairmanSheikh Yousef A Al-Sabah hasannounced that ITC have taken thefranchise rights for the Middle Eastand North Africa as the masterfranchiser and have plans to openbranches in other GCC countries.

Yoforia will also open anotherlocation in the Luxury Al-HamraMall and Tower in Kuwait City. It iscurrently the only self-servingfrozen yogurt concept in Kuwaitand also the only one that serves12 flavours to meet the differenttastes of healthy Froyo lovers.

The current location in Kuwaithas been supported directly by theUSA , with Luke Tashie CEO, PaulPaul Plocharczyk, OperationsDirector, Erik Tashie RegionalDirector and Sara, Chestnut StoreDevelopment director.

Yoforia opens first branch in ME in Kuwait

The children of KNES Early Years recently visited the Kuwait Zoo. Children from Pre-School, Kindergarten and Reception, each visited the ani-mals and built on their knowledge of animals and their habitats. The Early Years children are very appreciative of the staff of the Kuwait Zoo,who help to make these trips memorable for the children between 18 months to 5 years.

Kuwait Zoo hosts KNES students

—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

31W H AT ’ S ONTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Information

Embassy

EMBASSY OF CANADAThe Embassy of Canada is located at Villa24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah.Please visit our website atwww.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada isopen from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday throughThursday. The reception is closed from 12:30to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Servicesfor Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00A.M until 12:00 P.M on Sunday throughWednesday. Canada offers a registration serv-ice for all Canadians travelling or living abroad.This service is provided so that ConsularOfficials can contact and assist Canadians in anemergency in a foreign country, such as a natu-ral disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadiansof a family emergency at home. The Embassyof Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens toregister online through the Government ofCanada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca.The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi providesvisa and immigration services to residents ofKuwait. Individuals who are interested in visit-ing, working or immigrating to Canada areinvited to visit the website of the CanadianEmbassy to the UAE at www.uae.gc.ca.

EMBASSY OF THAILANDThe Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait, wishesto invite the Kuwaiti companies that dealbusiness with Thai companies or thoseagencies of Thai commercial companies to visitthe Embassy’s Commercial Office to registertheir relevant information to be part of theembassy’s business and trade database. TheRoyal Thai Embassy is located in Jabriya, Block 6,Street 8, Villa No. 1, Telephone No. 25317530 -25317531, Ext: 14.

EMBASSY OF KOREAThe Embassy of the Republic of Koreawishes to inform that it has moved toMishref. New Address: Embassy of theRepublic of Korea Mishref, Block 7A, DiplomaticArea 2, Plot 6 The Embassy also wishes to informthat it will be opened to the public on the follow-ing office hours: Saturdays to ThursdayMorning: 8:00 am to 12:30 pmLunch Break: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pmAfternoon: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

EMBASSY OF CYPRUSThe Embassy of the Republic of Cyprusrequests Cypriot citizens living in Kuwait toregister with the Embassy has moved. This reg-istration service is provided so that theEmbassy can update its contact list and assistCypriot citizens in cases of emergencies. Registrationinformation can be emailed tocyprusembassykwt@gmail.com or faxed to 22253227or given by phone to 65906048 (Mrs Christine).

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EMBASSY OF VENEZUELA Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic ofVenezuela, request Venezuelan citizens living inKuwait to register with the Embassy, This regis-tration service is provided so that the Embassycan update its contact list and assist Venezuelan citizensin cases os emergencies. Registration Information25324367 or by email: embavenez@gmail.com. Ourtime is from Sunday to Thursday from 8.30am till 2 pm.

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EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests allBrazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed tothe website www.brazil.org.kw (ContactUs Form / Fale Conosco) in order to regis-ter or update contact information. The Embassyencourages all citizens to do so, including theones who have already registered in person atthe Embassy. The registration process helps theBrazilian Government to contact and assistBrazilians living abroad in case of any emer-gency.

EMBASSY OF MYANMAREmbassy of the Republic of the Union ofMyanmar would like to inform the generalpublic that the Embassy has moved its officeto new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, Al-Salaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes toadvice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmarto contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location.Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, e-mail:myankuwait11@gmai1.com

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINEWe’d like to inform you that in response tothe increasing number of our citizens whowork in the state and the need for 24-houroperational telephone in case of emer-gency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State ofKuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” -(+ 965) 972-79-206.

Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Write to us

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EMBASSY OF NIGERIAThe Nigerian embassy has its new office inMishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. Forenquires please call 25379541. Fax-25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.comor nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk

The Kuwait Engineering competi-tion was concluded for the secondyear at an awards ceremony that

took place on March 7, 2012, under thepatronage of Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, Managing Director ofGovernment, Parliament, PublicRelations & Media. Senior representa-tives from Shell Companies in Kuwait,the Ministry of Education and theEnergy Center for EngineeringConsultancy, awarded the three winningteams with cash prizes, commemorativetrophies and certificates at thePetrochemical Industries CompanyBoubyan Club Theatre.

The first place was secured by a teamfrom the Ahmad Al-Rubee High Schoolwhose innovative Balsa Bridge designwas able to hold up to 72 KG of weight.The second and third places went to

teams from the Universal AmericanSchool and the New English School,respectively, who competed against 43teams from all over Kuwait’s private andpublic high schools.

Ahmad Atallah, Chairman &Managing Director for Shell Companiesin Kuwait commented; “I am impressedwith the competition turn out for thisyear and proud that Shell initiated such

activity. I believe that innovative think-ing requires courage and taking on chal-lenge, and this is the essence of thiscompetition. All participating teamsrelied not only on their intelligence, butthey pushed their creative boundariesfurther by testing their skills with the“Balsa Bridge Design”. It is very encour-aging to see so much young talent andhealthy competition spirit in Kuwaitthat’s waiting to be discovered and Ihope this competition will encouragestudents to pursue an education inengineering”.

The Kuwait Annual EngineeringDesign Competition has been a successsince its launch in 2010 and as part ofShell’s corporate social responsibilityprogram that supplements other youthdevelopment projects being carried outin partnership with Kuwait University.

Shell applauds winners of Kuwait Engineering design competition

Australian College in Kuwait (ACK)announced sponsorship ofEducation Exhibition 2012, to be

held under the auspices of the Ministerof Higher Education, Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf,at the International Fair Grounds -Mishref, from March 12-15.

On this occasion, Dr. Raghd Al-Kazmi,Director of Students Affairs at ACK, stat-ed: “The College is keenly desirous tosponsor the Education Exhibition 2012,

for its positive reflections on high schoolstudents, allowing them proper opportu-nity to familiarize with the disciplinesand programs provided by ACK to itsaffiliates.”

“The mission of ACK is to enable indi-viduals by maximizing their capacity in asponsoring environment. This mission isbased on academic principles to

empower a new generation of youngmanpower with knowledge and person-al skills,” she said.

“Accordingly, ACK provides academicdisciplines and system to global stan-dards, in collaboration with a selectedpartnerships with universities and col-leges, whereby the graduates can attainthe opportunity to study for diploma orbachelor degree in the various disci-plines, such as mechanical and civil engi-

neering, electronics,communication, oil andgas, aircraft mechanicsengineering (1.1B, aswell as Management,marketing and humanresources. Graduatesobtain a degree fromACK and partner univer-sities,” she elaborated.

Dr. Al-Kazmi stressedthat ACK supports thelocal labor market withhuman resources thatare provided with scien-tific and practical quali-fications in the areas ofengineering and man-

agement at diploma and bachelor levelsthrough a global system. In this process,ACK established the “Project-basedEducation” concept, which enhances thestudents’ applied and professional skisand their capability to work in severalfields. “The scientific side is one of themost significant areas focused by theeducation system in ACK,” she concluded.

ACK to sponsor education exhibition

On March 3, the Al-JahraCopthorne Hotel and Resort,part of the Millennium &

Copthorne Hotel group, celebrated its4th anniversary with a staff party for allemployees and their families. Markingfour years of successful operation, thestaff party was a great chance for allemployees to celebrate the Al-JahraCopthorne Hotel & Resort’s successesand to recognise the fantastic contribu-tion that members ofstaff have made overthe past four years.

Held in the hotel’sSlayil ballroom, the par-ty was attended bymore than 100 employ-ees, from all nationali-ties, and their families.Before the start of fes-tivities, Dani Saleh,General Manager of theAl-Jahra CopthorneHotel & Resort, DonBombuwela PrasadChamara was named asEmployee of the Yearfor his outstanding service to the hotel.Chamara was chosen from a shortlist of12 candidates for the title.

Each department had their momentin the spotlight showcasing their tal-ents, followed by competitions, games,prizes and gifts galore. A great day washad by all, adults and children alike.Dani Saleh, General Manager at Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort said:“Our staff is what makes the Al-Jahra

Copthorne. From our reception staff toour finance teams, it is them that keepeverything running smoothly. This isour chance to say thank you to them forall their hard work.”

Part of Millennium & CopthorneHotels, one of the world’s largest hotelcompanies with more than 120 ownedand managed hotels across 20 coun-tries, the Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel andResort is located in Al-Jahra - a growing

city within driving distance of the SaudiArabian border, 25 minutes from theinternational airport and 20 minutesfrom Kuwait City Centre. Part of the‘Slayil Al-Jahra Tourist Resort’, the hotelhas access to a shopping mall, themepark and numerous restaurants nearby.It offers an attentive, personal serviceas well as boasting business and con-vention centre services and an outdoorpool.

Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resortcelebrates 4th anniversary

Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel’s Mother’s Day celebrations

The Al-Jahra CopthorneHotel and Resort, part ofthe Millennium &

Copthorne Hotel group, is mak-ing March ‘Mothers’ Month’, incelebration of Mother’s Day,March 21. We all know thatmothers are the most hard-working people in the world,and sometimes we do not havethe time to thank them enoughfor all that they do for us. Thismonth, Al-Jahra CopthorneHotel & Resort is providing thatchance to take an evening totell your mother how much youlove her. As a thank you fromthe hotel to mothers, for eachfamily of three or more, theywill eat for free at the Mothers’Month buffet.

Running each Friday untilMarch 30, a dinner buffet inthe Taima’a restaurant makesthe perfect evening setting to

say thank you to mothers.With a special menu preparedfor the occasion, treat yourmother to a feast every Friday

from 7 pm-11 pm. On Mothers’Day, Wednesday March 21, aspecial Mother’s Day buffetwill be laid on, giving you thechance to treat your mother instyle.

Dani Saleh, GeneralManager at Al-JahraCopthorne Hotel and Resortsaid: “Taking time to thankmothers for the invaluablepart they play in our lives issomething that we shouldn’tjust limit to one day of theyear. That’s why we have des-ignated March as Mothers’Month - our special buffetoffer is the perfect chance totake time throughout Marchto say a big ‘thank you’.”

Part of Millennium &

Copthorne Hotels, one of theworld’s largest hotel compa-nies with more than 120owned and managed hotelsacross 20 countries, the Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel andResort is located in Al-Jahra - agrowing city within drivingdistance of the Saudi Arabianborder, 25 minutes from theinternational airport and 20minutes from Kuwait CityCentre. Part of the ‘Slayil Al-Jahra Tourist Resort’, the hotelhas access to a shopping mall,theme park and numerousrestaurants nearby. It offers anattentive, personal service aswell as boasting business andconvention centre servicesand an outdoor pool.

T V PR O G R A M S

Anniversary

Years TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

LEGION ON OSN ACTION HD

A SINGLE MAN ON OSN CINEMA

00:40 Engineered01:35 Moon Machines02:25 The Tech Show02:50 Mega World03:40 Superships04:35 How Does That Work?05:00 How Stuff’s Made05:25 Science Of The Movies06:20 Thunder Races07:10 Moon Machines08:00 The Gadget Show08:25 The Gadget Show08:50 How Does That Work?09:15 How Stuff’s Made09:40 Mega World10:35 Superships11:25 Engineered12:20 Thunder Races13:15 Moon Machines14:05 Science Of The Movies14:55 How Does That Work?15:20 How Stuff’s Made15:50 The Gadget Show16:15 The Gadget Show16:40 The Tech Show17:05 Thunder Races18:00 Engineered18:50 Nasa’s Greatest Missions19:40 Race To Mars20:30 Meteorite Men21:20 The Gadget Show21:45 The Gadget Show22:10 Thunder Races23:00 Race To Mars23:50 Meteorite Men

00:15 Destroyed In Seconds00:40 Surviving Disaster01:35 Dirty Jobs

00:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy01:00 Banged Up Abroad03:00 Graham’s World03:30 Destination Extreme04:00 Somewhere In China05:00 Perilous Journeys06:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy07:00 Banged Up Abroad09:00 Graham’s World09:30 Destination Extreme10:00 Somewhere In China11:00 Perilous Journeys12:00 Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy13:00 A World Apart14:00 Treks In A Wild World15:00 Endurance Traveller16:00 On The Camino De Santiago16:30 The Music Nomad17:00 The Green Way Up18:00 Dive Detectives19:00 A World Apart20:00 Treks In A Wild World21:00 Endurance Traveller22:00 On The Camino De Santiago22:30 The Music Nomad23:00 The Green Way Up

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00:00 Allen Gregory00:30 The Daily Show Global Edition01:00 The Colbert Report GlobalEdition01:30 Entourage02:00 How To Make It In America02:30 The Cleveland Show03:00 The Simpsons03:30 Mr. Sunshine04:00 Dharma And Greg04:30 The Tonight Show With JayLeno05:30 The Simpsons06:00 Just Shoot Me06:30 Til Death07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon08:00 Dharma And Greg08:30 The Simpsons09:00 The Simpsons09:30 Two And A Half Men10:00 Hot In Cleveland10:30 Til Death11:00 The Tonight Show With JayLeno12:00 Just Shoot Me12:30 Dharma And Greg13:00 The Simpsons13:30 Yes Dear14:00 Mr. Sunshine14:30 Hot In Cleveland15:00 Two And A Half Men15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition16:00 The Colbert Report GlobalEdition16:30 Just Shoot Me17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon18:00 The Simpsons18:30 Mr. Sunshine19:00 Two And A Half Men19:30 Hot In Cleveland

00:00 SPL Highlights00:30 NRL Full time01:00 Anglo Welsh Cup03:00 Super Rugby Highlights04:00 World Cup of Pool05:00 World Pool Masters06:00 Ping Pong WorldChampionship08:00 SPL Highlights08:30 NRL Full time09:00 Top 14 Highlights09:30 Super Rugby Highlights10:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights11:00 NRL Premiership13:00 Trans World Sport15:00 NRL Full time15:30 Scottish FA Cup17:30 Scottish FA Cup19:30 Top 14 Highlights20:00 Super Rugby Highlights21:00 Cricket ODI Highlights21:30 Top 1423:30 Premier League Darts

00:00 WWE Experience01:00 V8 Supercars Highlights02:00 V8 Supercars Highlights03:00 Speedway04:00 UFC Unleashed05:00 UFC Unleashed06:00 UFC Unleashed07:00 WWE NXT08:00 WWE Bottom Line09:00 Speedway FIM World10:00 Prizefighter13:00 WWE Bottom Line14:00 WWE Vintage Collection15:00 Mobil 1 The Grid15:30 V8 Supercars Extra16:00 Speedway FIM World17:00 Power Boats17:30 Power Boats18:00 WWE NXT19:00 WWE Experience20:00 UFC Unleashed21:00 UFC23:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter

00:15 Stalked: Someone’s Watching00:40 Extreme Forensics01:30 The Haunted02:15 A Haunting03:05 I Married A Mobster03:30 Scorned: Crimes Of Passion04:15 Stalked: Someone’s Watching04:40 Extreme Forensics05:25 The Haunted06:15 A Haunting07:10 Mystery Diagnosis08:00 FBI Files08:50 Forensic Detectives09:40 Murder Shift10:25 Killer Outbreaks11:10 Real Emergency Calls11:35 Who On Earth Did I Marry?11:55 On The Case With Paula Zahn12:40 Disappeared13:25 Murder Shift14:15 Mystery Diagnosis15:00 Mall Cops ‚Äì Mall Of America15:50 On The Case With Paula Zahn16:35 Disappeared17:20 FBI Files18:10 Forensic Detectives19:00 Murder Shift19:45 Real Emergency Calls20:10 Mystery Diagnosis20:55 Mall Cops ‚Äì Mall Of America21:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn22:10 Disappeared23:00 Couples Who Kill23:50 Deadly Women

00:00 Desperate Housewives01:00 Breaking Bad02:00 Top Gear (US)03:00 Revenge04:00 Bones05:00 Live Good Morning America07:00 The Good Guys08:00 Emmerdale08:30 Coronation Street09:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show10:00 The Martha Stewart Show11:00 The View12:00 Desperate Housewives13:00 Revenge14:00 Live Good Morning America16:00 The Good Guys17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Emmerdale18:30 Coronation Street19:00 Grey’s Anatomy20:00 Private Practice21:00 Royal Pains22:00 Pillars Of The Earth23:00 Bones

00:00 White Collar01:00 Top Gear (US)02:00 Breaking Bad05:00 One Tree Hill06:00 White Collar07:00 Emmerdale07:30 Coronation Street08:00 Franklin & Bash09:00 Top Gear (US)12:00 Emmerdale12:30 Coronation Street13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show14:00 Franklin & Bash15:00 White Collar16:00 Emmerdale16:30 Coronation Street17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show18:00 Terra Nova19:00 Grey’s Anatomy21:00 Royal Pains22:00 Pillars Of The Earth23:00 Game Of Thrones

01:00 Alive-PG1503:15 True Justice: Brotherhood-PG1505:00 Mirrors 2-1807:00 A Lonely Place For Dying-PG1509:00 Smoke Screen-PG1511:00 Madso’s War-1813:00 The Devil’s Teardrop-PG1515:00 Smoke Screen-PG1517:00 All Star Superman-PG1519:00 Julia’s Eyes-1821:00 Warriors Of Heaven AndEarth-PG1523:00 Game Of Death-PG15

00:00 Backstory00:30 World Sport01:00 The Situation Room02:00 World Report03:00 Anderson Cooper 36004:00 Piers Morgan Tonight05:00 Quest Means Business06:00 Erin Burnett Outfront07:00 World Sport07:30 African Voices08:00 World Report09:00 World Report10:00 World Sport10:30 Talk Asia11:00 World Business Today12:00 Backstory12:30 News Special13:00 World One14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight15:00 News Stream16:00 World Business Today17:00 International Desk18:00 Global Exchange19:00 World Sport19:30 News Special20:00 International Desk21:00 Quest Means Business22:00 Piers Morgan Tonight23:00 Connect The World WithBecky Anderson

00:25 Kendra00:55 Style Star01:25 Young, Beautiful & Vanished03:15 25 Most Stylish04:10 Sexiest05:05 Extreme Hollywood06:00 40 Smokin’ On Set Hookups07:50 Behind The Scenes08:20 E! News09:15 Scouted10:15 THS12:05 E! News13:05 Kendra13:35 Kendra14:05 Keeping Up With TheKardashians15:00 Style Star15:30 THS16:25 Behind The Scenes16:55 Khloe And Lamar17:55 E! News18:55 E!es19:55 Kourtney & Kim Take NewYork20:55 Chelsea Lately21:25 Khloe And Lamar22:25 E! News23:25 Chelsea Lately23:55 Keeping Up With TheKardashians

01:30 Super Rugby Highlights02:30 NRL Premiership04:30 Futbol Mundial06:30 Super Rugby07:00 Super Rugby Highlights08:00 Premier League Darts11:30 Super Rugby Highlights12:30 Scottish FA Cup16:00 Super Rugby Highlights17:00 Super Rugby19:00 NRL Premiership21:00 Trans World Sport22:00 Futbol Mundial22:30 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights23:00 Super League

00:15 Born Yesterday-PG1502:00 Cop Out-PG1504:00 Post Grad-PG1506:00 Guarding Tess-PG08:00 Mr. Wrong-PG1510:00 A Pyromaniac’s Love Story-PG1512:00 Tom And Huck-PG1514:00 Knucklehead-PG1516:00 Born Yesterday-PG1518:00 Feed The Fish-PG1520:00 Easy A-PG1522:00 The Making Of Plus One-PG15

00:30 Top 14 Highlights01:00 Futbol Mundial01:30 Premier League Darts05:00 Trans World Sport06:00 Top 14 Highlights06:30 NRL Full Time07:00 NRL Premiership09:00 Golfing World10:00 World Cup Of Pool11:00 World Pool Masters12:00 Ping Pong WorldChampionship13:00 Futbol Mundial13:30 Super Rugby Highlights14:30 Trans World Sport15:30 Premier League Darts19:00 Scottish Premier LeagueHighlights19:30 NRL Full Time20:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights20:30 Mobil 1 The Grid21:00 Futbol Mundial21:30 ODI Cricket Highlights22:00 Trans World Sport23:00 Scottish Premier LeagueHighlights23:30 Golfing World

00:15 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS00:40 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS01:05 BRANDY & MR WHISKERS01:30 BRANDY & MR WHISKERS01:55 REPLACEMENTS02:20 REPLACEMENTS02:45 EMPEROR’S NEW SCHOOL03:10 EMPEROR’S NEW SCHOOL03:35 BRANDY & MR WHISKERS04:00 BRANDY & MR WHISKERS04:25 REPLACEMENTS04:50 REPLACEMENTS05:15 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS05:35 FAIRLY ODD PARENTS06:00 FISH HOOKS06:15 RECESS06:40 TIMON AND PUMBAA07:05 PHINEAS AND FERB07:30 GOOD LUCK CHARLIE07:55 FISH HOOKS08:20 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE08:45 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE09:10 JAKE & THE NEVERLANDPIRATES09:25 JAKE & THE NEVERLANDPIRATES09:35 HANDY MANNY09:49 THE HIVE10:00 RECESS10:25 SO RANDOM10:45 HAVE A LAUGH10:50 HANNAH MONTANA11:15 SUITE LIFE ON DECK11:40 JAKE & BLAKE12:05 SONNY WITH A CHANCE12:30 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE12:55 PHINEAS AND FERB13:20 SO RANDOM13:45 SUITE LIFE ON DECK14:10 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE14:35 SHAKE IT UP15:00 GOOD LUCK CHARLIE15:25 A.N.T. FARM15:50 PHINEAS AND FERB16:15 RECESS16:40 SO RANDOM17:05 FISH HOOKS17:30 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE17:55 SHAKE IT UP18:20 A.N.T. FARM18:45 SUITE LIFE ON DECK19:10 GOOD LUCK CHARLIE19:30 HAVE A LAUGH19:35 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE20:00 HANNAH MONTANA20:25 PHINEAS AND FERB20:37 PHINEAS AND FERB20:50 SHAKE IT UP21:15 FISH HOOKS21:40 RECESS22:05 Good Luck Charlie22:30 Good Luck Charlie22:55 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE23:20 WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE23:45 KIM POSSIBLE

01:00 Shrink-1803:00 My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend-PG1505:00 How To Train Your Dragon-PG07:00 Remember Me-PG1509:00 Just Go With It-PG15

00:00 Wacky Races00:20 Dastardly And Muttley00:45 New Yogi Bear Show01:10 Duck Dodgers01:35 The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop02:00 Tom & Jerry Kids02:25 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo02:50 The Jetsons03:15 Puppy In My Pocket03:40 Popeye04:00 Tom & Jerry04:25 Looney Tunes04:50 Scooby Doo Where Are You!05:15 Droopy: Master Detective05:40 Wacky Races06:00 The Flintstones06:25 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo06:50 Popeye Classics07:00 The Garfield Show07:30 Bananas In Pyjamas07:55 Baby Looney Tunes08:20 Gerald McBoing Boing08:45 Jelly Jamm09:00 Pink Panther And Pals09:25 Pink Panther And Pals09:50 Puppy In My Pocket10:15 The Scooby Doo Show10:40 Scooby Doo Where Are You!11:05 The Flintstones11:25 Duck Dodgers11:50 Tom & Jerry Kids12:15 Pink Panther And Pals12:40 Wacky Races13:00 Jelly Jamm13:15 Baby Looney Tunes13:40 Bananas In Pyjamas13:55 The Garfield Show14:45 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo15:10 Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo15:35 Looney Tunes16:00 Puppy In My Pocket16:50 Pink Panther And Pals17:15 Pink Panther And Pals17:40 Tom & Jerry18:05 Tom & Jerry18:20 The Garfield Show19:10 The Scooby Doo Show19:35 Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo20:00 Jelly Jamm20:15 Baby Looney Tunes20:40 Gerald McBoing Boing21:05 Bananas In Pyjamas21:30 Pink Panther And Pals21:55 Tom & Jerry22:20 Looney Tunes22:45 Scooby Doo Where Are You!23:10 Droopy: Master Detective23:35 The Flintstones

00:20 SPECIAL AGENT OSO00:35 SPECIAL AGENT OSO00:50 LazyTown01:15 LITTLE EINSTEINS01:40 JUNGLE JUNCTION01:55 JUNGLE JUNCTION02:10 LITTLE EINSTEINS02:30 SPECIAL AGENT OSO02:45 SPECIAL AGENT OSO03:00 LazyTown03:25 LITTLE EINSTEINS03:50 JUNGLE JUNCTION04:05 JUNGLE JUNCTION04:20 LITTLE EINSTEINS04:40 SPECIAL AGENT OSO04:55 SPECIAL AGENT OSO05:10 LazyTown05:35 LITTLE EINSTEINS06:00 JUNGLE JUNCTION06:15 JUNGLE JUNCTION06:30 LITTLE EINSTEINS

00:20 Antiques Roadshow01:10 James Martin’s Brittany01:35 James Martin’s Champagne

01:20 Cuba-PG03:20 Illegal In Blue-1804:55 Avanti-PG07:15 In The Arms Of A Killer-PG08:50 Charge Of The Light Brigade-PG11:00 Grow Old Along With Me-PG12:30 Hell Boats-PG14:05 It’s A Mad Mad World-FAM16:35 The Pride And The Passion-PG18:45 From Noon Till Three-PG20:25 Joey-PG22:00 Life Of Sin-1823:50 Thunderbolt And Lightfoot-PG

00:20 Karina: Wild On Safari00:50 Animal Cops Specials 200901:45 Untamed & Uncut02:40 Sharkbite Beach03:35 Animal Planet ’s MostOutrageous04:30 Karina: Wild On Safari04:55 Karina: Wild On Safari05:25 Speed Of Life06:20 Escape To Chimp Eden06:45 Planet Wild07:10 Wild Animal Orphans07:35 Wild Animal Orphans08:00 Orangutan Island08:25 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife08:50 Talk To The Animals09:15 The Really Wild Show09:40 Project Puppy10:10 My Cat From Hell11:05 Speed Of Life12:00 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip12:55 RSPCA: Have You Got What ItTakes?13:20 Wildlife SOS13:50 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer14:15 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer14:45 Animal Cops Houston15:40 Speed Of Life16:30 Shamwari: A Wild Life17:00 The Really Wild Show17:30 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife18:00 Talk To The Animals18:25 Dogs 10119:20 America’s Cutest...20:15 Orangutan Island21:10 Escape To Chimp Eden21:35 Planet Wild22:05 Speed Of Life

00:45 Eastenders01:15 Doctors01:45 Waking The Dead02:35 2 Point 4 Children03:00 dinnerladies03:30 My Family04:00 Me Too!04:20 Charlie and Lola04:30 Gigglebiz04:45 Boogie Beebies05:00 Poetry Pie05:05 Tikkabilla05:35 3rd & Bird05:45 CBeebies Stories05:50 Me Too!06:10 Charlie and Lola06:20 Gigglebiz06:35 Boogie Beebies06:45 Poetry Pie06:50 Tikkabilla07:20 3rd & Bird07:30 CBeebies Stories07:35 2 Point 4 Children08:05 dinnerladies08:35 The Weakest Link09:20 Eastenders09:50 Doctors10:20 Holby City11:10 Born and Bred12:00 My Family12:30 2 Point 4 Children13:00 The Weakest Link13:45 Eastenders14:15 Doctors14:45 Holby City15:35 Born and Bred16:25 The Weakest Link17:10 Eastenders17:40 Doctors18:10 Holby City19:00 2 Point 4 Children19:30 The Old Guys20:00 Red Cap20:50 dinnerladies21:20 My Family21:50 Lark Rise to Candleford22:40 The Old Guys23:10 The Weakest Link23:55 Holby City

06:50 LazyTown07:15 JUNGLE JUNCTION07:30 JUNGLE JUNCTION07:45 HANDY MANNY08:00 SPECIAL AGENT OSO08:15 JUNGLE JUNCTION08:30 JUNGLE JUNCTION08:45 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE09:10 THE HIVE09:20 HANDY MANNY09:35 JAKE & THE NEVERLANDPIRATES09:55 JAKE & THE NEVERLANDPIRATES10:15 MINI ADVENTURES OF WINNIETHE POOH10:20 MOUK10:32 MOUK10:45 THE HIVE10:55 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE11:20 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE11:45 ART ATTACK12:10 IMAGINATION MOVERS12:35 SPECIAL AGENT OSO12:45 LazyTown13:10 HANDY MANNY13:25 JUNGLE JUNCTION13:40 IMAGINATION MOVERS14:05 THE HIVE14:15 SPECIAL AGENT OSO14:25 LITTLE EINSTEINS14:50 LazyTown15:15 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE15:45 JAKE & THE NEVERLANDPIRATES16:05 MOUK16:25 HANDY MANNY16:40 JAKE & THE NEVERLANDPIRATES16:55 IMAGINATION MOVERS17:20 LazyTown17:45 ART ATTACK18:15 JUNGLE JUNCTION18:35 HANDY MANNY18:55 JAKE & THE NEVERLANDPIRATES19:10 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE19:35 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE20:00 MINI ADVENTURES OF WINNIETHE POOH20:05 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE20:25 101 DALMATIANS20:40 101 DALMATIANS20:50 JAKE & THE NEVERLANDPIRATES21:05 JAKE & THE NEVERLANDPIRATES21:20 THE HIVE21:30 MINI ADVENTURES OF WINNIETHE POOH21:35 A POEM IS...21:40 ANIMATED STORIES21:45 MOUK22:00 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE22:25 JAKE & THE NEVERLANDPIRATES22:40 SPECIAL AGENT OSO22:55 LITTLE EINSTEINS23:20 TIMMY TIME23:30 JUNGLE JUNCTION23:45 HANDY MANNY23:55 MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE

02:00 James Martin’s Champagne03:15 10 Years Younger04:05 Fantasy Homes By The Sea04:50 James Martin’s Brittany05:15 James Martin’s Champagne05:40 James Martin’s Champagne06:50 Antiques Roadshow07:40 Cash In The Attic USA08:05 James Martin’s Champagne08:30 French Food At Home08:55 MasterChef Australia09:40 MasterChef Australia10:25 Bargain Hunt11:10 Antiques Roadshow12:00 Come Dine With Me12:50 10 Years Younger13:35 Holmes On Homes14:25 Fantasy Homes By The Sea15:10 Fantasy Homes By The Sea15:55 House Swap16:40 Bargain Hunt17:25 Antiques Roadshow18:15 Cash In The Attic USA18:40 Cash In The Attic USA19:00 James Martin’s Champagne19:25 French Food At Home19:45 French Food At Home20:55 10 Years Younger21:40 Holmes On Homes22:30 Fantasy Homes By The Sea23:20 Bargain Hunt

00:00 BBC World News America00:30 Hardtalk01:00 BBC World News01:30 World Business Report01:45 Sport Today02:00 BBC World News America02:30 Asia Business Report02:45 Sport Today03:00 BBC World News03:30 Asia Business Report03:45 Sport Today04:00 Newsday04:30 Asia Business Report04:45 Sport Today05:00 Newsday05:30 Asia Business Report05:45 Sport Today06:00 Newsday06:30 Asia Business Report06:45 Sport Today07:00 Newsday07:30 Hardtalk08:00 BBC World News08:30 World Business Report08:45 BBC World News09:00 BBC World News09:30 World Business Report09:45 BBC World News10:00 BBC World News10:30 World Business Report10:45 Sport Today11:00 BBC World News11:30 World Business Report11:45 Sport Today12:00 BBC World News12:30 Hardtalk13:00 BBC World News13:30 World Business Report13:45 Sport Today14:00 BBC World News14:30 BBC World News15:00 GMT With George Alagiah15:30 GMT With George Alagiah16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain16:30 Impact With Mishal Husain17:00 Impact With Mishal Husain17:30 World Business Report17:45 Sport Today18:00 BBC World News18:30 Hardtalk19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing19:30 The Hub With Nik Gowing20:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing20:30 World Business Report20:45 Sport Today21:00 BBC World News21:30 World Business Report21:45 Sport Today22:00 World News Today WithZeinab Badawi22:30 World News Today WithZeinab Badawi23:00 World News Today WithZeinab Badawi23:30 World Business Report23:45 Sport Today

02:30 Overhaulin’03:25 Ultimate Survival04:20 Mythbusters05:15 How Does It Work05:40 How It’s Made06:05 Dirty Jobs07:00 Mythbusters07:50 Alaska’s Great Race08:45 Fight Quest09:40 How Does It Work10:05 Cake Boss10:30 Border Security10:55 Dirty Money11:25 I Could Do That15:30 I Could Do That16:00 Overhaulin’16:55 Ultimate Survival17:50 Mythbusters18:45 Cash Cab Us19:10 Border Security19:40 Dirty Money20:05 How It’s Made20:35 Rebuilding Japan21:00 Cake Boss21:30 Fight Quest22:25 Freddie Flintoff vs The World23:20 Scrappers23:45 Carfellas

20:00 The Tonight Show With JayLeno21:00 The Daily Show With JonStewart21:30 The Colbert Report22:00 Weeds22:30 The Ricky Gervais Show23:00 The Cleveland Show23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

11:00 Quest For Zhu-PG13:00 Too Big To Fail-PG1515:00 The Green Hornet-PG1517:00 Just Go With It-PG1519:00 Gentlemen Broncos-PG1521:00 Cars 2-FAM23:00 The Wolfman-18

ClassifiedsTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

No: 15386

F O R S A L E

Maid required for a family,couple only, in Shaab from9 am to 6 pm only SriLankan nationals with validresidency may call :97285837. (C 3896)

7-3-2012

SITUATION VACANT

Toyota Prado 2006, goldencolor, 6 clr, 4 doors, km101000. Price KD 5250.Mob: 66729295. (C 3908)

13-3-2012

VW Tiguan (car) 2010,exterior white, interiorblack / Tan manual gear, ingreat condition, 22000mph, under Kuwait warran-ty. Price KD 4900. Contact:66663494. (C 3907)

Mitsubishi Pajero 2003,baige color, GLX, 1,35000km, 2 doors, 6 cyl, (oneowner, company main-tained). Contact: 66133001.

12-3-2012

Lady driven Land Rovermodel 1996, passing up toNov 2012, available for sale,KD 550. Contact: 97358878.

(C 3905)11-3-2012

Mitsubishi Colt model1993, white color, goodcondition. Insurance til l25th Jan. 2013. Price KD250. Contact: 99322585/99337034. (C 3899)

8-3-2012

Alliance sought forBrahmin boy aged 28,decently employed inKuwait, from parents ofgirls preferably employedin Kuwait. Please contact:nagan21@gmail.com

11-3-2012

Proposals invited for aKeralite Marthoma girl24/154, BBA, working inIndia (Baroda), seeksalliance from God fearing,well-educated employedboys (Kuwait/ India). Email:sunilvgs73@gmail.com

(C 3898)7-3-2012

MATRIMONIAL

ACCOMMODATION

Sharing accommodationavailable in Abbassiya withKeralite Christian familynear German clinic, rent KD55 (Christian visiting cou-ples only). Contact:97145592. (C 3909)

13-3-2012

Accommodation availablein Abbassiya double bed-room flat, two bachelorsaccommodation availableApril 1st, rent KD 40.Contact: 99162583.

(C 3900)

Sharing accommodation inFarwaniya near Gulf Mart,big room for bachelor orcouple, Filipino only, avail-able April 21. Contact:94418396.

10-3-2012

SITUATION WANTED

Female, MBA, with total 8years experience (3 years, inKuwait). Specialized in allareas of HR/Admin func-tions of big companies.Looking for suitable post.Contact: 94062123. (C3902)

10-3-2012

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 13/3/2012Airlines Flt Route TimeQTR 138 DOHA 0:20JZR 185 DUBAI 0:20JZR 539 CAIRO 0:50THY 772 ISTANBUL 2:15UAE 853 DUBAI 2:35OMA 641 MUSCAT 2:50QTR 148 DOHA 2:55DHX 370 BAHRAIN 2:55FDB 67 DUBAI 3:05ETD 305 ABU DHABI 3:10RJA 642 AMMAN 3:10GFA 211 BAHRAIN 3:15KAC 544 CAIRO 4:40DHX 170 BAHRAIN 5:15FCX 201 DUBAI 5:30JZR 529 ASSIUT 6:20KAC 416 JAKARTA 6:25BAW 157 LONDON 6:40KAC 412 MANILA 6:45JZR 503 LUXOR 7:25KAC 206 ISLAMABAD 7:40FDB 53 DUBAI 7:45KAC 352 COCHIN 7:50KAC 302 MUMBAI 7:55KAC 332 TRIVANDRUM 8:05KAC 284 DHAKA 8:15UAE 855 DUBAI 8:30ABY 125 SHARJAH 9:00QTR 132 DOHA 9:05ETD 301 ABU DHABI 9:15FDB 55 DUBAI 9:20IRA 605 ISFAHAN 9:45GFA 213 BAHRAIN 9:55IRA 619 LAR 10:50JZR 165 DUBAI 11:20MEA 404 BEIRUT 11:55MSR 623 SOHAG 12:30MSR 610 CAIRO 12:55UAL 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 13:05RKM 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 13:10GFA 219 BAHRAIN 13:25KAC 512 TEHRAN 13:40FDB 57 DUBAI 13:50GRF 93 KANDAHAR 14:15QTR 140 DOHA 14:20SVA 500 JEDDAH 14:30KAC 546 ALEXANDRIA 14:30RJA 640 AMMAN 14:40KAC 562 AMMAN 14:45QTR 134 DOHA 15:25KAC 678 ABU DHABI 15:30JZR 561 SOHAG 16:10ETD 303 ABU DHABI 16:50UAE 857 DUBAI 16:55GFA 215 BAHRAIN 17:15SVA 510 RIYADH 17:20RBG 3555 ALEXANDRIA 17:20ABY 127 SHARJAH 17:40JZR 777 JEDDAH 17:45ALK 227 COLOMBO 18:10JZR 177 DUBAI 18:15FDB 63 DUBAI 18:40KAC 502 BEIRUT 18:45KAC 542 CAIRO 18:50KAC 744 DAMMAM 18:55JZR 787 RIYADH 19:05KAC 786 JEDDAH 19:10KAC 618 DOHA 19:15KAC 674 DUBAI 19:25KAC 166 PARIS 19:30KAC 104 LONDON 19:35KAC 774 RIYADH 19:40FDB 61 DUBAI 20:00KAC 552 DAMASCUS 20:05JAI 572 MUMBAI 20:10OMA 647 MUSCAT 20:15AXB 389 KOZHIKODE 20:30DHX 372 BAHRAIN 21:00MEA 402 BEIRUT 21:20GFA 217 BAHRAIN 21:25QTR 136 DOHA 21:35UAE 859 DUBAI 21:40JZR 135 BAHRAIN 21:55UAL 981 BAHRAIN 22:00KLM 443 AMSTERDAM 22:05AIC 981 CHENNAI 22:05QTR 6130 DOHA 22:20JZR 239 AMMAN 22:45BBC 43 DHAKA 23:45DLH 636 FRANKFURT 23:50

Departure Flights on Tuesday 13/3/2012

Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 976 GOA 0:50BBC 44 DHAKA 1:00JZR 502 LUXOR 1:05PIA 240 SIALKOT 1:10DLH 637 FRANKFURT 1:20THY 773 ISTANBUL 3:15FDB 68 DUBAI 3:45UAE 854 DUBAI 3:50OMA 642 MUSCAT 3:55DHX 371 BAHRAIN 3:55ETD 306 ABU DHABI 4:00QTR 139 DOHA 4:40QTR 149 DOHA 5:40JZR 164 DUBAI 6:55GFA 212 BAHRAIN 7:00RJA 643 AMMAN 7:10KAC 545 ALEXANDRIA 7:40FDB 54 DUBAI 8:25BAW 156 LONDON 8:40KAC 677 ABU DHABI 8:55KAC 511 IMAM KHOMEINI 9:15KAC 561 AMMAN 9:20JZR 560 SOHAG 9:30KAC 101 LONDON 9:35UAE 856 DUBAI 9:40ABY 126 SHARJAH 9:45ETD 302 ABU DHABI 10:00FDB 56 DUBAI 10:05QTR 133 DOHA 10:10GFA 214 BAHRAIN 10:40IRA 604 ISFAHAN 10:45KAC 165 ROME 11:45IRA 618 LAR 11:50KAC 541 CAIRO 12:00JZR 776 JEDDAH 12:15MEA 405 BEIRUT 12:55KAC 501 BEIRUT 13:00MSR 624 SOHAG 13:30KAC 785 JEDDAH 13:40JZR 176 DUBAI 13:50MSR 611 CAIRO 13:55RKM 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 14:10GFA 220 BAHRAIN 14:20UAL 982 BAHRAIN 14:25FDB 58 DUBAI 14:35KAC 551 DAMASCUS 14:40KAC 673 DUBAI 15:05RJA 641 AMMAN 15:35SVA 501 JEDDAH 15:45JZR 786 RIYADH 15:50KAC 617 DOHA 15:50KAC 743 DAMMAM 16:15KAC 773 RIYADH 16:25QTR 141 DOHA 16:30JZR 238 AMMAN 17:15QTR 135 DOHA 17:25ETD 304 ABU DHABI 17:35JZR 538 CAIRO 17:40RBG 3966 LUXOR 18:00GRF 82 BAGHDAD 18:00UAE 858 DUBAI 18:10GFA 216 BAHRAIN 18:15ABY 128 SHARJAH 18:25SVA 511 RIYADH 18:35JZR 266 BEIRUT 18:45JZR 134 BAHRAIN 19:05ALK 228 DUBAI 19:10FDB 64 DUBAI 19:20JZR 184 DUBAI 19:55KAC 283 DHAKA 20:15KAC 361 COLOMBO 20:20FDB 62 DUBAI 20:40KAC 343 CHENNAI 20:55DHX 171 BAHRAIN 21:00KAC 351 KOCHI 21:05JAI 571 MUMBAI 21:10OMA 648 MUSCAT 21:15DHX 373 BAHRAIN 22:00MEA 403 BEIRUT 22:20GFA 218 BAHRAIN 22:25KAC 381 DELHI 22:30FCX 102 BAHRAIN 22:30QTR 137 DOHA 22:35KAC 301 MUMBAI 22:45JZR 554 ALEXANDRIA 22:45UAE 860 DUBAI 22:50KAC 205 ISLAMABAD 23:00KLM 443 BAHRAIN 23:05JZR 528 ASSIUT 23:35UAL 981 WASHINGTON DC 23:45QTR 6131 DOHA 23:50KAC 411 BANGKOK 23:55

LOST

Lost Indian Passport No.Z1959053, finder pleasecall 99866856 or IndianEmbassy 22530600, will berewarded.

(C 3901)10-3-2012

TUITION

Math teacher for second-ary stage, languageschools, bi-lingual schoolsand intermediate stage:Algebra, Gmath, Geometry,Statistics for arts and sci-ence branches. Tel:66974020.

English language teacherspecialized in starting ele-mentary and intermediate,10th and 11th experiencedin starting functions, gram-mar, set book, vocabulary,notes and model examsavailable. Tel: 65791555.

Female Syrian Arabic lan-guage teacher for elemen-tary and intermediate, andstarting the weak usingHalaby method in herhouse located in AbdallahAl-Mubarak area. Tel:50513699.

Senior biology and scienceteacher for 12th, 11th and10th grades, and sciencefor all intermediate classes,religious institutes, nurs-ing, educational experi-ence, simple explanationfor fast understanding. Tel:66543474.

Arabic language teacher,

FOR RENT

CHANGE OF NAME

Flat in South Surra, 3 bed-rooms, 2 of which are mas-ter + living room + kitchen+ maid room, new, superdeluxe. Tel: 97864628.

For rent, commercial flat inHawally, can be used asworkshop, large area. Nomiddle men. Parking. Tel:66043961.

Flat in Bneid Al-Gar, 2rooms + 2 bathrooms + liv-ing room + kitchen + Gym+ swimming pool over-looking the sea, centralsatellite + internet. Forfamilies, no middle men.Tel: 66043961.

Flat in Salmiya 3 bedroom+ 2 bathrooms + livingroom + kitchen + centralsatellite + internet. 4x4rooms, 4x8 living room forexpatriates only. Rent KD330. No middle men. Tel:66043961.

Flat in Salmiya 2 rooms + 2bathrooms + living room +kitchen + central satellite +internet. Families only, nomiddle men. Tel: 66043961.

A commercial floor inSalmiya. Close to Blajat. Carparking. No middle men.Tel: 66043961.

First floor in Shuhada, 4

I, Kandli Qadar ShaikhAhmed, Indian Passport No:E5351994, hereby changemy name to Kadar AhmedKundlik. (C 3906)

11-3-2012

masters in methods ofteaching for secondary andintermediate students. Tel:50644685.

Senior Arabic languageteacher, elementary andintermediate, long experi-ence in Kuwait curricula,explaining grammar rulesand starting those weak inreading and writing. Tel:99262948.

Senior chemistry andphysics teacher. Long expe-rience for 10th, 11th and12th stages. Intermediatescience and applied institu-tions. Highly competent.Tel: 99542922.

Mathematics and statisticsfemale teacher for femalestudents in the secondary,intermediate, universityand applied institutionsfemale students. Tel:99410370.

rooms + living room + 5bathrooms + maid room +balcony. Must be small fam-ily. Tel: 60308586.

Flat in Zahra, 2 rooms + liv-ing room + kitchen + 3bathrooms + laundry room+ maid room. Tel:60308586.

A floor in Zahra, 4 rooms +living room + kitchen + 3bathrooms, second floor,elevator. Must be smallfamily. Tel: 99719887.

Flat in west Jleeb, 3 rooms+ living room + kitchen + 2bathrooms first floor. Noelevator. Must be newly-weds or one child only.Tel:99719887.

Flat in Salam, 3 rooms + liv-ing room + kitchen + 3bathrooms + maid room.Must be newlyweds or twochildren only. 60308586.

First floor in Rumaithiya. 4rooms + living room +kitchen + maid room + 6bathrooms. Super deluxe.Must be foreigners andexpats only. Tel: 60308586,99719887.

Large first floor with theroof in Firdous. No middlemen. Tel: 99490502.

Fully furnished flat inMahboula 2 rooms + 2baths + living room + Gym+ DSL, Satellite + full seaview. Rent starts from KD450. Tel: 66060822.

Furished flat in a Salmiyaresort 3 rooms + maid room+ garden + swimming pool+ children play room + DSL.Sea view + hotel service +car parking. Rent KD 800.Tel: 66060299.

For rent or investment,medical clinics in Salmiya.Good location licensed andunlicensed. No brokers. Tel:66060299.

34s t a r sTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Yesterday’s Solution

Career opportunities call out to you today. Push forward now—go forward and conquer! Your energy is high and you feel vital. You

feel in harmony with yourself, the entire world and everybody in it. Others can feelthis, so they in turn are drawn to you, making this a successful day for any kind ofgroup endeavor. Best of all, relations with the opposite sex are at a peak. This is a superday for just about anything that comes to your attention. This afternoon you will enjoythe company of a friend. You attach importance to friendships and taking part ingroup activities with friends. Harmony and beauty are deeply satisfying. Close person-al ties to other people are a focal point for your feelings—marriage and other partner-ships are key arenas for this.

Word SleuthSolution

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

Your great sense of fairness makes you a good judge or lawyer.You may be able to bring a group together with words or ideas

that transport others. Refinement and relationships are the keys to emotional satisfac-tion now. Your base of security, which is your home and loved ones, is the place youwant to be this evening. Visiting with friends that come by your place or playing acompetitive game in your yard is the glue that keeps your friends communicative andin-touch. Companionship with close family and friends is important now and you willwant to take every opportunity to keep this network of loved ones close to you. This isa successful and fully packed day. Consider a walk with your family or loved one afterdinner and retire early tonight.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Your emotions are accented today. Emotions are great to warnus when trouble is near or to enjoy the finer things in life. Remember

to set aside emotions when solving problems today and you will achieve most posi-tive results. Good communication is sure to reign, no matter where you are today.Plans take you where you want to go . . . travel could be available soon. There areopportunities today to meet people that could help you, your profession or your fami-ly. An insight about your support system, your mother or other females may be impor-tant just now. Some sort of genealogy study brings to you an interest in family back-ground. You could discover a student, neighbor or a young person that opens up toyou this evening.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

You are your usual expressive and sociable self today. There arethings you have always wanted to try but never had the time—you

are creative and curious. You make time for one personal project today. Originality andinvention are your tickets to breaking the barriers that hold others back from reachingfor that brass ring. The exchange of ideas becomes a focal point of your day. This couldinclude a conference or a trip to a new computer store during the noon break.Learning, knowing a little about a lot of things, staying in touch and on top of the lat-est developments are what satisfies your need for mental stimulation. Neighbors andbrothers or sisters may join in some fun celebrations tonight. Young people bringlaughter to the table.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

This is a good time to celebrate! Relationships, professional andpersonal, are the keys to emotional satisfaction now. Harmony is

deeply satisfying—and the lack of it may become emotionally unsettling. You arelearning to put the super-sensitive you in the past. The trials you have faced in the pasthave given you the wisdom you need to deal with present and future trials. Beinghuman and understanding the human condition helps you to be an understandinghelpmate, co-worker and teacher. You are also learning to look past any emotionalmaneuvers with compassion—yours or others. Close personal ties to other people areimportant this day. You always try to be helpful when a friend needs help and todaysomeone needs your help.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

Your mind is in a receptive mode and ready for whatever proj-ects are set before you today. In order to avoid any misunderstand-

ings from a sensitive higher ranking person today, remove your own emotions—come from the truth. Office politics may become disastrous conversations, so stayaway from it when at all possible. This time is a high achievement cycle. It is easy foryou to get-along, you are surrounded with people that want to achieve what youhave achieved. Keep moving forward to new goals. Social activity with co-workers,friends or family is enjoyable this afternoon. You may have insights into the inner-workings of a loved one today. You help bridge a communication gap. This evening

you search for different ways to relax.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

The atmosphere is absolutely crackling with your own energytoday. Logic is important but could be forgotten if decisions are

made too quickly. Balance will return this afternoon. Practicality takes on a specialimportance as you weed through the chores and demands of the day. You are in aself-reliant mood—determined to move forward and accomplish much. You canfocus on your goals and know that you have a good chance of success. Keep alert anddo not be afraid to make your views known to bosses and other authority figures.Friends or relatives are happy to drop in and join you for a snack and a fun get-togeth-er later today. Charm oozes from every pore and others enjoy being with you. Sharingwith others is favorable.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

There is an instinctive push to be in control. This inner pushcould lead to a greater interest in investing, management, teaching,

etc. Others value you for your ability to make smart decisions. You have a natural senseof what the public wants and can express yourself well. Clear decisions affecting oth-ers could be made now. Some of your co-workers or customers may find you especial-ly witty from time to time. Your sense of humor helps you make demands on others inan acceptable manner. Others value you for your independence and unique qualities.Romance and such creative pursuits as hobbies is an outlet for much of your energythis afternoon. You want to plan out tomorrow’s schedule this evening—careful . . .family interests may take priority.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Your attitude is positive and you look for ways to improve theworld. Mental stimulation from others is the key for you right now. A

group meeting this morning has you comparing the views of others and making sug-gestions of your own. You may gain attention for finding solutions to technical prob-lems today. You have a tendency to enjoy working in group activities. You may displayan urge to be recognized by co-workers, but this could cause jealousy. This afternoonyou may desire to seek out a new friend or do something with a neighbor or relativeyou have not seen in a long time. It is a good time to go out and witness the splendorof nature. This could involve an interest in some social activities and pursuits like reli-gion and volunteer work.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Stay clear of financial propositions that involve risk-taking. It isalso not a good time for combining business with pleasure. However,

this workday is full of cheery, light-hearted people and you probably wish it was thisway more often. Everything seems to bring out your best qualities today. You may findthat your sales technique or job responsibilities move along in an easier fashion andwith successful results. You could come up with new solutions or inventions. Your psy-chic abilities are more prominent now and you enjoy the interaction with others.Learning what makes people think the way they do is interesting but you should becareful in expressing too many opinions. Close personal ties are important and enjoy-able this evening.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Your focus this morning may be on celebrating some specialoccasion in the workplace. You put in the hours and enjoy the com-

pany but this afternoon you go in a different direction. You may have said yes recentlyto a volunteer organization and they are going to take you at your word—they needyour help. Perhaps you will be helping in some youth violence prevention or interven-tion program. Beginning a pilot project provides such services as anger managementand conflict resolution training, job training, employment, counseling, educationalassistance, victim awareness training, peer mentoring and substance abuse andhealth services referrals. If you are not planning the organization, you will be there tohelp. You are a positive influence to others.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

New ideas and an independent or pioneering mental orienta-tion are the modes of expression today. Teaching, learning, commu-

nicating and social contacts have a way of outlining new directions in your life; there ismuch activity and involvement with these kinds of issues. Challenging authority andstriving for success are on your agenda. Losing sight of the practical can make youvery artistic—but might not be so good for the bankbook. There is a need for cautionon the material and financial level. This evening is a good time to show your affectionto loved ones. Movies, poetry, books and all forms of escape could prove quite enjoy-able this evening, particularly with a special loved one! You are surrounded by lovingpeople tonight.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 615 CALVIN & HOBBES

POOCH CAFE

NON SEQUITUR

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

ACROSS1. Young sheep.5. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.10. (Roman mythology) Goddess of abundance and fertility.13. A shade of blue tinged with green.14. Botswanan statesman who was the first president ofBotswana (1921-1980).15. Liquid excretory product.16. (Norse mythology) God of light and peace and noted forhis beauty and sweet nature.18. A public promotion of some product or service.19. Variety of silica containing microcrystalline quartz.21. A religious belief of African origin involving witchcraft andsorcery.23. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs inminute amounts in uranium ores.24. The largest and southernmost island in the Marianas.26. A decree that prohibits something.28. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.32. A lyric poem with complex stanza forms.34. A chronic skin disease occurring primarily in womenbetween the ages of 20 and 40.36. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.37. A Dravidian language spoken in southern India.41. Constituting or having to do with or suggestive of a liter-ary epic.43. Any of the forms of Chinese spoken in Fukien province.44. A colorless and odorless inert gas.45. A republic in southern Europe on the Italian Peninsula.46. A Loloish language.49. A very large person.52. A solution containing a phosphate buffer.54. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.58. The seventh month of the Moslem calendar.59. (botany) Of or relating to the axil.61. (British) Your grandmother.62. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned froma fixed point or event.63. Small dry indehiscent fruit with the seed distinct from thefruit wall.65. A branch of the Tai languages.66. Resonance of protons to radiation in a magnetic field.67. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruitthat resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkeybread.68. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the WorldBank.69. An international organization of European countriesformed after World War II to reduce trade barriers andincrease cooperation among its members.

DOWN1. Productive work (especially physical work done for wages).2. Jordan's port.3. Sterile offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.4. A member of an agricultural people of southern India.5. A state in northwestern North America.6. Grayish baboon of southern and eastern Africa.7. A coenzyme derived from the B vitamin nicotinic acid.8. The square of a body of any size of type.9. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh.10. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on acommon policy for the sale of petroleum.11. A beautiful and graceful girl.12. Stalk of a moss capsule.17. Syncopated music in duple time for dancing the rumba.20. The (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb.22. A poplar that is widely cultivated in the United States.25. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and Bantigens.27. A game in which numbered balls are drawn and randomand players cover the corresponding numbers on their cards.29. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.30. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities wor-shipped by ancient Semitic peoples.31. In a competent capable manner.33. A barrier constructed to contain the flow or water or tokeep out the sea.35. Surpassing the ordinary especially in size or scale.38. City in Sudan.39. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morsecode.40. A member of a North American Plains people (now livingin Oklahoma and Wyoming).41. A coenzyme derived from the B vitamin nicotinic acid.42. A distinct part that can be specified separately in a groupof things that could be enumerated on a list.47. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usuallywith vegetables.48. (Hindu) A manner of sitting (as in the practice of Yoga).50. Any physical damage to the body caused by violence oraccident or fracture etc..51. Slightly open.52. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).53. (pathology) An elevation of the skin filled with serous flu-id.55. (prefix) Opposite or opposing or neutralizing.56. King of Saudi Arabia since 1982 (born in 1922).57. Small buffalo of the Celebes having small straight horns.60. (informal) `johnny' was applied as a nickname forConfederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the AmericanCivil War.64. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

Yesterday’s SolutionTo

Yester

inf or m at ion

Anniversary

Years TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

POLICE STATION

Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558

Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622

Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967

Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638

Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241

Afghanistan 0093Albania 00355Algeria 00213Andorra 00376Angola 00244Anguilla 001264Antiga 001268Argentina 0054Armenia 00374Australia 0061Austria 0043Bahamas 001242Bahrain 00973Bangladesh 00880Barbados 001246Belarus 00375Belgium 0032Belize 00501Benin 00229Bermuda 001441Bhutan 00975Bolivia 00591Bosnia 00387Botswana 00267Brazil 0055Brunei 00673Bulgaria 00359Burkina 00226Burundi 00257Cambodia 00855Cameroon 00237Canada 001Cape Verde 00238Cayman Islands 001345

Central African 00236Chad 00235Chile 0056China 0086Colombia 0057Comoros 00269Congo 00242Cook Islands 00682Costa Rica 00506Croatia 00385Cuba 0053Cyprus 00357Cyprus (Northern) 0090392Czech Republic 00420Denmark 0045Diego Garcia 00246Djibouti 00253Dominica 001767Dominican Republic 001809Ecuador 00593Egypt 0020El Salvador 00503England (UK) 0044Equatorial Guinea 00240Eritrea 00291Estonia 00372Ethiopia 00251Falkland Islands 00500Faroe Islands 00298Fiji 00679Finland 00358France 0033French Guiana 00594French Polynesia 00689

OphthalmologistsDr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426

General PractitionersDr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501

UrologistsDr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427

THE PUBLIC

AUTHORITY FOR

CIVIL INFORMATION

Automated enquiry

about the Civil ID card is 1889988

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals

Sabah Hospital 24812000

Amiri Hospital 22450005

Maternity Hospital 24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700

Chest Hospital 24849400

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010

Adan Hospital 23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300

Al-Razi Hospital 24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9

ClinicsRabiya 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

112 Al-Madena 22418714Al-Shohada’a 22545171Al-Shuwaikh 24810598Al-Nuzha 22545171Sabhan 24742838Al-Helaly 22434853Al-Fayhaa 22545051Al-Farwaniya 24711433Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983Al-Fahaheel 23927002Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983Ahmadi 23980088Al-Mangaf 23711183Al-Shuaiba 23262845Al-Jahra 25610011Al-Salmiya 25616368

FIRE BRIGADE

Ministry of Interior

website: www.moi.gov.kw

GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE

PHARMACIESON 24 HRS DUTY

Al-Madena Police Station 22434064Al-Murqab Police Station 22435865Al-Daiya Police Station 22544200Al-Fayha’a Police Station 22547133Al-Qadissiya Police Station 22515277Al-Nugra Police Station 22616662Al-Salmiya Police Station 25714406Al-Dasma Police Station 22530801

Kuwait Airways 171Jazeera Airways 177Jet Airways 22924455FlyDubai 22414400Qatar Airways 22423888KLM 22425747Air Slovakia 22434940Olympic Airways 22420002/9Royal Jordanian 22418064/5/6Reservation 22433388British Airways 22425635Air France 22430224Emirates 22921555Air India 22438184Sri Lanka Airlines 22424444Egypt Air 22421578Swiss Air 22421516Saudia 22426306Middle East Airlines 22423073Lufthansa 22422493PIA 22421044Alitalia 22414427Balkan Airlines 22416474Bangladesh Airlines 22452977/8Czech Airlines 22417901/

2433141Indian Airlines 22456700Oman Air 22958787Turkish Airlines 22453820/1Aeroflot 22404838/9

AIRLINES

Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700

Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60

Family Doctor

Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists

Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians

DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272

Dr. Salem soso 22618787

General Surgeons

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3

Paediatricians

Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard 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) 25655535

Dentists

Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875

Gastrologists

Dr. Sami Aman 22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135

Endocrinologist

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924

Physiotherapists & VD

Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart

DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital

Consultant Cardiologist

Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Soor CenterTel: 2290-1677Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.comwww.soorcenter.com

Psychologists/Psychotherapists

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

PRIVATE CLINICS

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

INTERNATIONALCALLS

36L I F E S T Y L ETUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

G o s s i p

Fun day for Beyonceand Jay-Z at NY concert

It was Sunday “fun day” for Beyonce and Jay-Z:The new parents enjoyed a concert by R&Bsinger The-Dream in New York. The top music

couple jammed to the singer-songwriter in the VIPsection of SOB’s, a small club that houses a fewhundred people. The-Dream co-wrote and co-pro-duced Beyonce’s massive hit “Single Ladies (Put aRing On It).” He also worked his magic on Rihanna’s“Umbrella,” Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and “Touch MyBody” by Mariah Carey. He performed a number of

his own hits Sunday night, including “Shawty In a10,” “Falsetto” and “I Luv Your Girl.” He’ll release hisfourth album, “Love IV MMXII,” later this year. TheGrammy winner thanked the crowd for comingout, saying: “I know some of ya’ll got kids at home.”BeyoncÈ and Jay-Z gave birth to their daughterBlue Ivy in January.

French actor confirms engagement to Berry

French actor Olivier Martinez has confirmed that he andOscar winner Halle Berry are engaged to be married, theMiami Herald reported. “Yes, of course it’s true,” Martinez

told the newspaper inan article posted online on Saturday, refer-ring to engagement rumors that have been swirling around thecouple. Martinez, who was in Miami for the opening of his SouthBeach restaurant, Villa Azur, also took the opportunity to set therecord straight on the designer of the engagement ring Berryhas been wearing since January. Contrary to reports that theemerald ring is Gurhan-designed, it’s the creation of jewelerRobert Mazlo from the actor’s native Paris, he said. The Mazlojewelers have been designing jewelry for “kings and queens formany centuries,” Martinez told the paper. Berry and Martinezhave been dating since 2010, when they worked together on thefilm “Dark Tide,” due for release this year. This would be the thirdmarriage for Berry, 45, who won a best actress Oscar for her rolein 2001 film “Monster’s Ball.” She was married to former baseballplayer David Justice from 1993 to 1997 and to singer Eric Benetfrom 2001 to 2005. She had a daughter, Nahla, who turns 4 thismonth, with French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, with whomshe is embroiled is a bitter custody battle. For Martinez, 46, thewedding would be his first. He has been involved with a numberof high-profile women, among them actresses Mira Sorvino andsinger Kylie Minogue.

Hemsworthseeks advice from

CyrusLiam Hemsworth gets career advice from

Miley Cyrus. The ‘Hunger Games’ actor -who met the star while working on ‘The

Last Song’ in 2009 - admitted having afamous girlfriend and brother, ‘Thor’ actorChris Hemsworth, makes working inHollywood “easier” to deal with. He said: “It’sdefinitely nice to have people around me likemy brother and my girlfriend who haveexperienced it before. To ask them questions,it definitely makes it easier in that sense. “Itdoesn’t make it any easier getting roles. It’sjust me in the room when I’m meeting direc-tors and reading with directors.” However,the 22-year-old hunk explained he worrieshe could “lose focus” if he didn’t have thesupport of his family and friends around him.Liam added in an interview with Flaunt mag-azine: “You lose focus when you don’t havegood people around you. “I think whatever Iwas doing in this world I would want a lovingfamily that supported me and friends, goodpeople around me that bring out the best.”

Dannii Minogue admits sleepless nights puther off having more children. The 40-year-old TV star often thinks about having a sib-

ling for Ethan - her 20-month-old son with partnerKris Smith - but sometimes thinks it would be a“stupid” idea because of the difficulties of raisingyoung children. She said: “I kind of think it’s a goodidea when I see a gorgeous little baby and I’mthinking, ‘Oh I want a cuddle, a tiny little one again.’“And then I think about all the sleepless night and Ithink, ‘No bad idea, really stupid.’ “I don’t know -everyone says to me when you have two and yousee them interact together that it brings even morejoy than just watching one child. But I don’tknow...” Dannii and Kris - an English rugby player-turned-model - relocated to her native Australialast year because they wanted a stable environ-ment for Ethan, and despite moving closer to herfamily, the former ‘X Factor’ judge insists it wasn’ther idea to make the move. She explained in aninterview with Britain’s HELLO! magazine: “Wewanted to set up a base so Ethan was settled. Asmuch as kids are very portable at a small age, youalso want to have some routine. “So we decided tomake Australia our base. In Melbourne, my parents are there, my brother is there with his kids, my sisteris there at the moment and Kris’ parents come out and visit us. “It was sort of Kris’ idea. He was like, ‘Ireally love Australia, that’s where I see us being.’ And I’m a lot less stressed when I’m in Australia.”

Minogue unsure about more kidsCannon makes health documentary

Nick Cannon has made a documentary abouthis recent health problems. The ‘America’sGot Talent’ host was hospitalized for kidney

failure in January, then again a few weeks later withblood clots in his lungs, and has since been diag-nosed with rare disease lupus nephritis, and hasdocumented his struggle in short film, ‘TheIncredible Health Hussle’. He told CNN talk showhost Piers Morgan: “The whole process I’ve beendocumenting. Since probably my first time out ofthe hospital in January, I’ve just been having thecameras on. It’s real intimate and raw.” Nick - whohas 11-month-old twins Monroe and Moroccanwith his wife Mariah Carey - made the documentaryas a way to highlight health issues and help otherswho are suffering. He added: “I want to kind of showthe other people that are dealing with these illness-es that they’re not alone. “There’s so many ques-tions. How did you get this? How are you workingthrough it? “You’re going to see all of this in ‘TheIncredible Health Hussle’.” Nick also praised Mariahfor taking care of him and their children throughouthis ordeal. He said: “She is such a pro, she knows allthe home remedies.”

The Wanted are in talks to appear in the‘Entourage’ movie. The ‘Lightning’ group -which features Max George, Siva

Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker andNathan Sykes - hit it off with executive producerMark Wahlberg when they met him recently inBarbados and he is keen to sign up the guys for arole in the film version of the comedy-dramaseries about a film star and his group of friends. Asource told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “The boysgot on like a house on first with Mark when theymet him at Sandy Lane resort and they’ve kept intouch. Mark is a big fan and wants them to star inthe film in some capacity. “The Wanted are hotright now and Mark is right to want to capitaliston that.” Speaking about the movie previously,creator Doug Ellin said: “We’re going to do amovie. We’re going to do it. It’s a question ofwhen and how quick. We’ll sit down and comeup with an idea.” Mark also agreed that a movie isthe next step for the show since people say theepisodes are too short. He said: “[Viewers] wantto go on a journey. ‘The Hangover’ to me is like‘Entourage’.” The final episode of the TV seriesaired last year after eight seasons.

The Wanted to appear in ‘Entourage’ movie Leonardo DiCaprio hasn’t found true loveyet. The Hollywood heartthrob is current-ly dating 22-year-old Victoria’s Secret

model Erin Heatherton and has previouslyenjoyed relationships with actress Blake Livelyand models Bar Refaeli and Gisele Bundchen,but doesn’t think he has met the love of his lifeyet. Asked about his first love, he said: “My firstlove? Boy I don’t even remember. I suppose ifI’d found my true love I would be married rightnow wouldn’t I? “ Leonardo, 37, has very specif-ic standards about what he wants in a girl-friend and is turned off by “pretentious” and“vindictive” women. He explained to The Sunnewspaper: “Pretentious women really turn meoff. Vindictive women too. So do opportunisticwomen. I think what turns me on about a girl iswhat most men find attractive - which is some-thing genuine about them. Being a good per-son.” Leonardo also revealed he will alwaystreasure the memories of working on 1997blockbuster movie ‘Titanic’ and credits co-starKate Winslet for making it such a great experi-ence. He said: “The fact that Kate said ‘yes’ wasthe final decider. She was awesome. We weredefinitely shoulders for each other to lean on.We had to be partners on the film. All the com-plaining in the world was done between ustwo, so we did not have to vent on anyoneelse.” —Bang Showbiz

DiCaprio still looking for love

37L I F E S T Y L ETUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

M u s i c & M o v i e s

The ice sculpture of Twilight’s Bella Swan is filmed by media alongside the wax figures of other Twilight actors Robert Pattinson, right, and Taylor Lautner, left, at Madame Tussauds, Londonyesterday. It’s the first time an ice sculpture has been on display at Tussauds London and has been created to mark the transformation, in the film, of Bella into an immortal as she is frozen intime as an 18 year old. —AP

Whitney Houston’s daughter on Sunday saidshe still hears her mom encouraging her“keep moving, keep going,” and the pop star’s

sister-in-law revealed new details of the day Houstondied in their first public interviews since the singer’sdeath. Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, told talk show hostOprah Winfrey that she was “doing okay ... I’m doing asgood as I possibly can” since her mother was foundlifeless in the bathtub of her room at the Beverly HillsHilton hotel on Feb 11, the eve of the music industry’sGrammy Awards. “I can hear her voice, you know, andspirit talking to me, telling me, you know, ‘keep mov-ing baby. I’m right here. I got you’ ... she’s always withme. I can always feel her,” Bobbi Kristina Brown toldWinfrey. “I feel her pass through me all the time,” saidBrown, whose father is singer Bobby Brown. Houstonand Brown’s only daughter said she feels her mom’spresence in the house they shared in Atlanta. The“lights turn on and off, and I go ‘mom, what’re youdoing?’ ... I can still laugh with her. I can sit there and Ican still talk with her.” Houston was 48-years-old whenshe died. She rose to fame in the 1980s and enjoyed a

long career that peaked with her 1992 hit “I Will AlwaysLove You” from the movie “The Bodyguard.”

But her life was plagued by a troubled marriage tosinger Brown, and she had previously admitted toheavy use of cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and prescrip-tion pills. Officials have said prescription drugs werefound in the hotel room where she died, but a cause ofdeath is still pending toxicology tests which areexpected later this month. The interview, which tookplace at the Atlanta home of Houston’s brother Garyand sister-in-law and manager Patricia, revealed newdetails of the day the singer died.

Face down in bathtubOprah opened the broadcast by saying “members

of the family told me she (Houston) was face downand naked” in the bathtub, and Patricia revealed thatHouston’s assistant, Mary, discovered the singer’s bodyin the hotel room bathtub. A security guard who isPatricia Houston’s brother tried in vain to resuscitateHouston in the room but was unsuccessful.

He was “trying to revive her to the point of exhaus-

tion,” Patricia Houston said, “and I called his name. Isaid, ‘Ray ... let it go.’ They (paramedics) asked him tomove. He was on his knees. He said, ‘I tried.’ He was soout of breath.” A tear rolled down Patricia Houston’sface as she recalled the sight of her sister-in-law lyingdead on the hotel room floor. “She had a peacefulness

on her, a look on her. She had a peaceful look,” PatriciaHouston said. Winfrey asked Patricia Houston if shebelieved drugs were involved in the singer’s death.Patricia Houston said she believed the pop star’s worsedays of drug abuse were behind her, although shestopped short of saying Houston was not on drugs ordrinking on the day of she died. “I don’t think drugs(were) an issue for her before her death. I don’t knowwhat happened that day. Do you understand what I’msaying,” Patricia Houston said. Finally, Winfrey askedHouston’s brother Gary whether Brown, whomWhitney Houston divorced in 2007, was asked byHouston’s family not to attend the singer’s funeral andGary replied “Absolutely not.” Brown did turn up for thefuneral, but left early, blaming a mixup with securityover seating. He said his family was not angry about apicture of Houston in her casket that was printed inthe tabloids following her death, and added that hismother long ago had premonitions about a youngdemise for his sister. “I remember my mother used tosay ... Whitney’s not going to be with us too long,” GaryHouston said. “She’s an angel. She’s a gift.” —Reuters

Houston s daughterhears mom talk to her

Bobbi Kristina Brown and Oprah Winfrey

Whitney Houston and Bobbi Kristina Brown

The film “Girl Walk // All Day” opens on ablonde girl joyfully dancing past unim-pressed New Yorkers on the Staten

Island Ferry. Moving to the remixed beats ofthe DJ known as Girl Talk, she and otherdancers breeze through New York’s urbanspaces - Central Park, the financial district,Yankee Stadium - turning the city into a play-ground. Just as “Girl Walk // All Day” trans-forms familiar landscapes, the source ofmuch of its funding - the crowd-financingwebsite Kickstarter.com - has electrified thetraditional structures of filmmaking. “GirlWalk // All Day,” a dance-music film not easilycategorized, was enabled by Kickstarter. Aftercreating an eight-minute Internet video, themovie’s director, Jacob Krupnick, put in arequest to Kickstarter’s community for vari-ous levels of investment from interested fans.

With options like $50 for an associate pro-ducer credit and $500 for a dance lesson, hehoped to raise $5,000. He got nearly fivetimes that. “Kickstarter came at a reallyopportune moment in my life when I neededit,” says Krupnick, a filmmaker and photogra-pher. For the last month, he’s been touringthe film at different venues around the coun-try, where screenings often turn into danceparties. It’s one of 33 Kickstarter-aided filmsat the South By Southwest Film Festival.That’s a full 10 percent of the festival’s entireslate, an eye-opening total that shows what asignificant role the nearly three-year-oldKickstarter is playing in financing indie films.Even SXSW Film head Janet Pierson was sur-prised when she heard the number.

“I’m fascinated that this is a viable tool, orseems to be,” says Pierson, who producedindie films in the ‘80s and ‘90s. “How greatthat this vehicle exists that’s working for allthese filmmakers. I didn’t know that it wouldbe so viable.” Certainly, the budgets for evensmall films often get into hundreds of thou-sands or millions of dollars. Typically,Kickstarter funds makes up a portion of afilm’s budget. And most of the Kickstarterfilms still struggle to find theatrical distribu-tion and promotion. But it’s undoubtedlyemerged as a realistic option to help get afilm made. In making a movie, every little bithelps. “It’s gone from being possibly a novel-ty, a different way of doing things, to becom-ing much more of a tool, much more of astandard thing that people think about,” says

Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickler. “It’sgiving audiences the power instead of execu-tives.” Kickstarter, the leader among crowdfunding companies, has funded 19,000 proj-ects in its three years. It funds a variety ofthings, including music albums, tech prod-ucts and art projects. Projects are only fund-ed if they reach their target amount.Kickstarter doesn’t have any piece of owner-ship in the finished product, but they take 5percent from successful funding. (AmazonPayments, which facilitates the financialtransactions, also takes about 3-5 percent.)

Still, movies have been its biggest success. Ofthe first $140 million pledged via Kickstarter,$50 million was for movies. Earlier this year atthe Sundance Film Festival, 17 films withKickstarter backing played. The festival andthe site announced a three year programwith the artist development nonprofitSundance Institute.

Recently, Kickstarter has, for the first time,repeatedly crossed the $1 million mark infunding a project. Strickler says the last fourmonths have been “particularly nuts.”“Kickstarter growing and getting biggermeans that more and more projects are hav-ing success, more things are able to exist inthe world that maybe wouldn’t have other-wise,” says Strickler. “Those are people’sdreams.” Sometimes, the final results validate

the refusal of other avenues for financing.Often, they reveal perspectives not custom-arily embraced by film distributors.

“Gimme the Loot,” is about a pair of Bronxgraffiti artists. It came to SXSW with days leftto reach its funding goal. As of late Sunday, itneeded about $1,200 in about a week. “BlueLike Jazz,” based on a bestselling memoir byDonald Miller, was on the brink of collapseafter an investor dropped out shortly beforeproduction was scheduled to begin. DirectorSteve Taylor was soon going to lose his staractor, Marshall Allman (“True Blood”), so the

film needed to be shot soon. Taylor asked for$125,000 on Kickstarter with another investoroffering to double what was raised. “It was farand away, at that point, the biggest goal any-one had set at Kickstarter,” says Taylor.“Frankly, it just seemed impossible.”

The film raised a record $346,000. It willbe released this April by RoadsideAttractions. Certainly, its success has some-thing to do with its Christian themes. Allmanplays a 19-year-old Texan who embarks oncollege in the Pacific Northwest, where hisChristianity sticks out like a sore thumb.“Kickstarter proved there was an audience forit,” says Taylor, who pledged a personal thankyou phone call to anyone who contributed$10 or more. About a month ago, he finallyfinished the last of some 3,500 calls. —AP

Crowd-financing plays starring role in SXSW films

This image provided by Wild Combination shows Anne Marsen in ascene from the dance-music film “Girl Walk // All Day.” —AP

‘Salmon Fishing’ hooks an audience

“Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” whichCBS Films hooked at last year’sToronto Film Festival, opened to a

strong $240,000 on 18 screens this weekend.That’s an impressive $13,333 per-location aver-age in a good weekend for specialty films past.CBS Films had expected a $10,000 per-screenaverage. “This is a film that not only couldattract an art-house audience and a commercialupscale audience,” but a broader audience,Steven Friedlander, CBS Films’ head of distribu-tion, told TheWrap Sunday afternoon. “It is a filmthat critics and audiences say, ‘This was enjoy-able.’” The movie stars Ewan McGregor as aBritish fisheries expert who’s brought to Yemenby a sheik who dreams of introducing salmonfishing to his country. Emily Blunt and KristinScott Thomas also star. The comedy, written bySimon Beaufoy and directed by the Swedishfilmmaker Lasse Hallstrom (“My Life as a Dog”),is based on Paul Torday’s novel.

A handful of movies opened in limitedrelease this weekend, with generally goodresults. “Friends With Kids,” from RoadsideAttractions, took $2.2 million at 374 locations;“Footnote,” from Sony Pictures Classics, took$48,076 at two locations; and “Jiro Dreams ofSushi,” from Magnolia, took $43,500 at two loca-tions. The most notable of the weekend’sholdovers, The Weinstein Company’s Oscar win-ner “The Artist,” took $2.3 million at 1,505 loca-tions. That put it past the $40 million mark.

The PG-13 movie is now in its 16th week ofrelease, and clearly is slowing down. TheWeinstein Company expects it to end its theatri-cal run with between $45 million and $50 mil-lion. Just below “The Artist” at the box office thisweekend was “Friends With Kids.” The R-ratedcomedy, starring Jon Hamm, Kristin Wiig, MayaRudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Adam Scott, MeganFox, Ed Burns and writer-director-producerJennifer Westfeldt, saw a bump of 53 percentfrom Friday to Saturday, and RoadsideAttractions is expanding the film to 600 loca-tions next weekend. “Footnote,” a comic dramaabout Talmudic scholars, is the Israeli film nomi-nated for the best foreign-language Oscar, and“Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is a documentary aboutrenowned sushi chef Jiro Ono. —Reuters

Alongside rooms peopled withvisions of technological futuresand carefully calibrated self-pro-

motion, Jeffrey Tambor is urging twoyoung actors to scream and wrestle witheach other. This has become an annualtradition at South By Southwest, the year-ly tech, film and music gathering inAustin. Tambor, the booming baritonecharacter actor of “ArrestedDevelopment,” “The Larry Sanders Show”and many films, has hosted his actingworkshop, “Performing Your Life,” for thepast five years. The contrast of Tambor atSXSW can be stark. Tambor’s only gadgetis a microphone. He has little interest inhyping his career. And he refuses to pres-ent himself as a divined oracle of certain-ty. Instead, he simply coaches two youngactors before a crowd of SXSW attendees,repeatedly insists on disrupting his ele-vated platform by having the house lightsturned on, and rambles through an inspi-rational and intentionally chaotic 90-minute riff on acting and, ultimately, one’sattitude in life. He denied ownership ofthe lessons he teaches, noting they’reones he’s “tripped on all my life.” “I cannottell you how important attitude is duringthis little thing that we’re doing,” Tamborsaid. “What I’m interested in is attitude onthe set and care and maintenance ofdirectors, actors, writers. Especially when

you have no money, especially whenyou’re behind. Just especially.” In what fol-lowed, Tambor touted, above all, theimportance of confidence, friendly collab-oration and positive reinforcement. Heurged his two actors to push outward indifferent directions everything from“over-act” to “do a French accent” - makemistakes and mess up their performancesto find them.

A sampling of his encouragements:l “There’s no such thing as a finished

performance.”l “You know what I think of sincerity? I

hate it.”l “Resistance is hard. ... ‘Atta boy’ is easy.”l “Don’t make waves? Make waves.”l “Confidence is the game. ... It’s the

game in life and art.”l “Just play. Lighten up.”

This year’s workshop drew hundredsof SXSW attendees. The crowd, easilyfilled by more non-actors than perform-ers, had questions about Tambor’s oldlate-night sidekick character Hank from“Larry Sanders” (“He’s kind of real to me. ...I loved him very much”) and the planned“Arrested Development” movie (“Theybetter hurry because I will be in a walk-er”). But most were transfixed by Tambor’scandid musings, and applauded theworkshop he had sucked them into. Heclosed: “See you next year.” —AP

Tambor carries onannual tradition at SXSW

Jeffrey Tambor, center, conducts his acting workshop with stu-dents Matthew Newton, left, and Kate Sheil during the SXSWFilm Festival and Conference in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. —AP

l if e s t y l eTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

F a s h i o n

In home decor, there’s something about thestart of spring. When life’s renewing itself out-doors, we feel the urge to revive our interiors

too. This season, decor offerings are especiallyupbeat. Start with the palette. “Saturated” is aword being used a lot; it means ripe plum hues,intense tangerines, rich indigos, verdant greens,zingy turquoises, hot reds and peppy yellows.Dee Schlotter, a color expert with PPGPittsburgh Paints,

says exuberant orange is No 1 on her trendradar. “It’s full of joy and playful,” says Schlotter,who also cites Geranium Pink as a hot hue. “It

goes really well with orange, and it’s a happy,girly color.” Teal and turquoise are back after alengthy retirement, and with experience in mid-century modern and traditional decor, they’vegot legs that will carry them into fall. Erin Olsonloved the color family enough to devote a blogto it; the House of Turquoise follows all thingsblue-green.

“What I love about turquoise is that it can bepaired with any other color, since it has bothwarm and cool undertones,” she says. “My per-sonal favorite is using turquoise as a fun punchof color to an otherwise neutral space. Aturquoise throw pillow, lamp or rug will instantlybring new life to your room, and can easily beswitched out,” she says. Crisp clean white’s acommon counterpoint, but you’ll see black as afoil as well. Graphic prints pop in these bold col-ors: Zigzags and stripes are all over the homeaccessories marketplace. So are lattice and iron-work prints; big and little florals; and abstracts.African handblock, Moroccan and Silk Road pat-terns have crossed over from last season.

Not a fan of bright? Look for a whole world ofcalming neutrals such as soft putty, grellow (agray/yellow blend), greige (a gray/beige), aqua,pewter, copper, vanilla and shell pink. You’ll seelots of texture in this category: weathered wood,animal hide, burnished metals, burlap and gauzycottons. Honeycomb patterns, naturalistic motifslike twigs, leaves and birds, watery Impressionistprints and airy florals soothe the soul.

Neutrals are “taking the popular gray trendand moving it forward, by adding warmth withnatural materials like jute and linen, and thengiving it a real punch by adding a sunny pop ofyellow,” says Sherwin-Williams’ color marketingdirector, Jackie Jordan. Repainting walls in afresh spring hue is one way to update a room,but if you’re not ready to commit in a major way,small changes can also alter a room’s mood. Try a

lemony throw, clean white paint trim, a teal rugor sandy-toned drapery.

Go for a bright, candy-hued lamp base, andpick the color up again in a big fruit bowl. In thekitchen, replace cooking tools with new ones inluscious tomato red. Flor’s new spring collectionof floor tiles features Fedora, in a soothingpalette of dusty turquoise, oatmeal, walnut andflannel. Used in a bedroom with lavender, creamor pale pink textiles, you’d wake up to spring’sbirdsong in the most serene of sleeping spaces.Land of Nod has a cheery Watermelon Stripeduvet cover in a rainbow of fruity hues, as well asthe Dot Matrix rug, composed of hundreds ofrolled felt balls like colorful gumballs.

Black and white geometrics make a dramaticstatement - you’ll find them on dinnerware,patio umbrellas, candles and awning stripes at ZGallerie, including a very Jonathan Adler-esquevase made of lacquered bamboo. IKEA is offeringits Expedit shelving in fire engine red; there’s thenew Varmdo rocking chair in the hue, too.

Loll Designs’ cubby bench comes in a prettygrass green. And CB2’s Go-Cart desk in vibrantblue would be a fun place to work. Their Parlouratomic orange chair adds energy to a neutralroom. Pier 1’s Liliana armchair has an ironworkpattern that’s recurring in textiles and furnituredetail this season. The Annie Black Bird wingbackchair features a dramatic black and white naturemotif that would pop against dark or white wallsand wood floors. And a hanging lamp in caramelwith leaves rendered in gold is the perfect addi-tion to a restful room filled with tawny hues.

If you like strong pattern but prefer quiet col-ors, consider BlissLivingHome’s muted deep seaand celery chevron reversible Maru throw.DwellStudio’s got a new collection of zigzag flat-weave wool and cotton rugs in lapis and citrine.And Galbraith & Paul’s loop-embellished velvetpillows come in gentle shades of coral and nut-

Bossini Spring Summer ’12 Collection isgeared up for all the excitement it has tooffer young kids, ladies and men. Aspire to

the lavish bright colors this summer and explorethe tribal patterns and intense embroidery withthe dash of lace for a real change. Bright blue, rosepink, sunny orange and capturing gold are all inthis season; reach over for the all over printed slip,knitted dresses and beautiful floral blouses if youaim for a striking feminine look. For a fabulousstyle on the beach, Bossini’s white denim capris,hot pants, and check tanks are perfectly tailored toyour fashion trend this season.

Kids are promised a happy, fun and joyful sum-mer with the delightful clothing line by Bossini thisseason. Children will love the new Moto Extremetheme, with road signage polo shirt, distressedrolled up jeans/ shorts, multi colors checker shirtsand cargo shorts outfits. Besides, Urban Marinertheme infused with a blend of preppy. Slightlytwists on classic smart style with the updated sailorstripes. The colors mix of solid red, royal, navy,green and creamy white with a hint of red to com-pliment the summer energy. In Romantic Marinertheme, we ride the nautical wave combining thesmart casual looks, classic sailor stripes blend withfunny cartoon graphics, seagull and florals in a tra-ditional palette.

Pretty artsy dresses with cute accessories willdraw a smile on your little ones, while boys willmatch their dads’ style with the line of cotton topsand cargo pants all sizzling with beach colors,relaxing tropical shades, and comfy denims just toadd to the inspiring cartoon tops to wrap it all.

Ladies summer fashion by Bossini this year is allabout great taste inspired with Leisure - FrenchSailor theme consisting of bold stripes, polka dot,graphic of sea-shore, boat wheel & navy’s ropeswith all over print tunic shirt, dip dye print tee andankle length cargo pant. The season’s floral theme

happened in a garden with natural greens andflowery bright colors all over floral printed tunicblouse in crepe fabric lace, tee ?light weight, poplinpant in loose fit & wooden button.

There are brighter and fresher colours for Springopening, all over print pattern of star and dotsgraphic give surprises to the range, cotton polydouble, breast short jacket, coordinated cigarettepant and bold stripe printing on poly satin easy topmaintain the feminine side of a cool lady. For acomplete ravishing look, don’t miss the taperedskinny and super skinny jeans with the printedlong-body, colorful thread stitches design , lightweight parka jackets, madras extraordinary lightweight shirt , slim fit top to add to your shoppingbasket this summer.

Men’s summer fashion by Bossini this year is allabout great taste inspired from retro naval style.Key garments include Sailor & pier. Key Items:Marine Stripe is the key word of this season, weoffer up a diverse selection of stripe style includingstripe sweatshirt with toggle detail, special printtee & polo which work best with naval jacket.

Emphasize seafearing style by pairing with doublecloth shirt and rolled up chino.

To reflect the playful mood this summer, Bossinibrings light weight denim pant, expandable waist-band pants, signature polo t-shirts, multi-colorplaid and rainbow color shorts to compliment thefun experience at the beach. Visit Bossini atHawally, Fahaheel, Farwaniya, Khaldiya Co-op andQortuba Co-op to experience a whole lot of sum-mer fun!

An Annie Black Bird chair incrisp black and white with a

nature motif.

In this product image released by Z Gallerie, Inc, a Lilianachair featuring an ironwork pattern of grey and white large isshown. — AP photos

Fans of Rachel McAdams may know her bestfor roles in romantic movies, with appear-ances in films such as “ The Vow,” which

opened Friday, and the tear-jerker “The Notebook,”but the Canadian actress also has a talent for highfashion. From her first appearance at the 2011Cannes Film Festival in a sheer, red lace embroi-dered Marchesa gown, the fashion world tooknotice. Other notable festival attire included a hotwhite Maxime Simoens dress and MoniqueLhuillier high-waisted raw silk trousers with nudesequined corset from the designer’s spring 2011collection.

McAdams once again put herself on the fashionradar at the Los Angeles premiere of the new film“Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” She wore anelectric blue short-sleeve knit top and floral maxiskirt from the Peter Som spring 2012 collection.

The vibrant floral print could easily transitionfrom a premiere to a daytime brunch with strappysandals. For a comparable floral print skirt, try theVelvet floral maxi skirt from Forever21.com for$20.99, Carnaby sheer maxi skirt by Mink Pink fromThreadsence.com for $94.50 or the Glamazon floralmaxi skirt by Cheap Monday for $44, also fromThreadsence.com.

McAdams’ knit top could be replaced by anynumber of colored T-shirts or blouses, but for asimilar blue get the basic scoop-neck tee fromLoft.com for $16.50 or the Mossimo Supply Co.juniors scoop-neck tee in oxygen blue fromTarget.com for $8.

On the runway, McAdams’ Peter Som look wasshown with a pale blue pair of strappy sandals. Forthe premiere, she chose to accessorize with a bluesnakeskin clutch and black Anouk pumps byJimmy Choo. Snakeskin can be a bit pricey, butyou can achieve the same look with any patternedor embellished colored clutch such as the TopChoice sequin clutch from Nordstrom.com for $20and any pair of solid-colored heels. — MCT

Get a look similar to what she has worn at filmfestivals with this velvet floral maxi skirt($20.99 at Forever.21.com). — MCT photos

Get a look simi-lar to what shehas worn at filmfestivals withthis Top Choicesequin clutch($20 atNordstrom.com).

meg. A hammered brass stool from India makesa cool side table, from Wisteria; there are Kubacloth chocolate and white throw pillows and agreat collection of cowhide stools, trunks andbenches here, too. — AP

l if e s t y l eTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

F a s h i o n

Today’s little girls are probably thewrap-dress wearers of the future, sowhy not just start them young? Gap

tapped Diane von Furstenberg, who hasbuilt her business on easy-to-wear, cheerfulwrap dresses, for a limited-edition girls col-lection that arrives in US stores next week.It’s another designer label for the kids’ clos-et, joining the likes of Gucci, StellaMcCartney and Burberry.

When first approached by Gap, however,von Furstenberg said no. “I always thought Ididn’t want to do children’s clothes,” vonFurstenberg said in a telephone interview.“I did do a little in the ‘70s, but I stoppedbecause I wanted girls to take their time togrow up to be women.” But then shethought about taking colors and prints,and making them stylish in an age-appro-priate way. She is pleased with the results,

describing the wrap rompers, T-shirt dress-es, capri leggings and other items as theright balance of fun and practicality, shesaid.

Von Furstenberg was the right partnerto go after, said Art Peck, president of GapNorth America. She’s surefire buzz and fash-ion credibility, he said. Although he joinedthe company after the project was in theworks, he said she would have been at thetop of his list, too, because both brands aimfor a straightforward style instead of gar-ments that are fussy or uncomfortable. Gapis looking to get back to its roots after someyears of declining sales.

“Diane von Furstenberg has a successfulwomen’s business and she didn’t want tocompete with that, but kids was new to her,and she has grandchildren,” Peck said. “A 5-year-old doesn’t know Diane von

Furstenberg but mom certainly does.” Gappreviously collaborated with McCartney onkids’ clothes, and Peck said more dealsmight come sooner rather than later. “Thereare a number of irons in the fire.” There’ssomething to be said for building brandloyalty young, he explained. “I’d like to getthem as Gap customers the moment theycome out of the hospital as a baby and staywith us the rest of their lives.” — AP

DVF starts courting them young at Gap

Models display out-fits at the ARISEFashion Weekevent in Lagos,Nigeria on Sunday,March 11, 2012. —AP/AFP photos

A toddler girl wrap dress in black, green,white, orange and pink.

A girl’s T-shirt dress in blue and white.

A baby girl wrap romper in green andwhite.

Photo shows a toddlersandal, green with

white hearts.

In this product image released byGapKids + DVF, designer Diane Von

Furstenberg poses with childrenwearing her designs.

Anniversary

Years 37TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Houston’s daughter hears mom talk to her

Two different camel beauty contests wereheld on Sunday in Al-Roudhatain (north)with an unprecedented attendance. The

event was organized as part of the PopularHeritage Festival which will last till March 24,2012. The competitions featured camels fromthe breed known as ‘Al-Mujaiheem,’ popularlyused by Bedouin tribes. The first competitionwas held in the 50-camel herd category featur-ing five camel breeders, while the second com-petition was held in the solo category featuring30 contestants from Kuwait and the GulfCooperation Council countries.

“In this year’s competitions, winners of theUm Ruqaiba (competitions) held in Saudi Arabia

are also making their presence felt,” said SheikhSabah Fahad Al-Nasser, Head of the judgingcommittee. Sunday’s competitions follows onthe heels of four other camel beauty contestsheld since the beginning of the Popular HeritageFestival on March 1.

The contests also provide trading opportuni-ties with breeders. According to Al-Nasser, thetrade activity also increased this year, addingthat a breeder was offered KD 1 million for oneof his camels.

Meanwhile, the Arabian sheep beauty con-tests resumed on Sunday with a competitionheld for the Al-Ardhy breed. Kuwaiti contestantsnotched the five top spots. The first place went

to breeder Mohammad Al-Mutairi who won theKD 4,000 grand prize, followed by Fahad Al-Azbwho was awarded KD 2,000, while Adel Al-Otaibitoo home KD 1,500 as the third place prize.

The Popular Heritage Festival is an annualevent featuring traditional sports and activitiesof Bedouin nature. Different types of beauty con-tests for camels, sheep and falcons are held. Anequestrian race, Arabian horse beauty contestsare also held at the Hunting and Equestrian Club,in addition to fishing competitions organized bythe Fishermen’s diwaniya in Al-Fintas, Salmiyaand Wuttiya.

Karen Briskey gently rubbed Ellie’s head,then her back. Not long ago, this wouldhave been all but impossible. The 7-year-

old Arabian mare didn’t like to be touched, evenby her own foal. So when Ellie was set to haveanother foal, owner Barb Hoover-who runsYellow Rose Arabian Horses-called Briskey, oneof a growing number of massage practitionerswho work with animals. “I decided I needed todo whatever I could to make sure Ellie took to(this foal),” Hoover said on a recent evening. Themassage sessions seemed to have worked. Ellie’snew colt, Captain, born about three weeks ago,hardly left his mother’s side.

Hoover watched as Briskey kneaded herhands from Ellie’s mane to her tail. “There yougo,” she said soothingly to the horse as sheworked. “That’s much better.” Briskey, 44, hasbeen certified in small and large animal mas-sage since 2008. Her range of clients includes aPomeranian with an injured leg and Ellie theequine.

She’s also licensed to work with people andcalls her business Two ‘n Four Legged Massage.She didn’t set out to be a massage practitioner;she spent several years working in ground serv-ice for an airline. But friends who received heramateur massages encouraged her to pursue itas a career.

Folding animals into her clientele was a natu-ral progression. She grew up around them; herdad, William Briskey, is a veterinarian. “Theirintentions are so pure,” she said of her animalclients. “If they tell you they don’t like you, theydon’t like you. You can maybe help them aroundthat.” Briskey lets one of her own animals in onthe massage act.

She’s had Banjo, a towering quarter-horse, forabout 11 years and regularly brings him to LifeCare Center of Puyallup, Wash., and other seniorfacilities. His visits are a form of therapy for resi-dents; they feed him apples, stroke his mane,lead him around.

When they turn their backs to him, he doeshis own version of massage, nuzzling his noseinto their necks. “They love it,” Briskey said,showing off photos of a recent visit.

“It just completely soothes people,” saidDaisha Cruz, activities director at the Puyallupcenter. “It makes them feel more at home.”Briskey said she feels lucky to be able to workwith animals and do what she loves. She hopesto expend her practice, which now includesabout a dozen regular clients, as the economyimproves.

At Yellow Rose, she spent about an hourworking with Ellie. When she was done, sheturned her attention to the colt, Captain. Like hismom, he was scared to be touched. Briskey tooka step forward and reached out to him, but heflinched and darted back, his spindly legs turn-ing him in circles. Briskey kept inching closer,extending her hand. Captain kept darting away.

After several minutes passed, he let hertouch his nose. Then his head. Eventually, shestarted rubbing his back. She spoke gently tohim, like she had to his mom. “There you go,”Briskey said, “it’s your first little massage.” — MCT

Arare Chinese imperial ceramicbowl that was made around900 years ago and could

fetch $10 million when it goesunder the hammer next month hastriggered huge excitement amongAsian art collectors. The interestgenerated by this small, modest-looking flower-shaped bowl- and itspotentially sky-high sales price-are atestament to the vitality of Asia’s artmarket, which has witnessed explo-sive growth over the past decade.The antique was due to go on pub-lic display in Beijing over the week-end on a pre-sale roadshow. Butorganizers, fearing a stampede afterit drew big crowds in Shanghai,decided at the last minute to showit to potential buyers only.

“An object has rarely generatedso much excitement and for securityreasons, we thought it would bepreferable for our clients to view itwithin the confines of a privateroom,” said Nicolas Chow, deputyhead of Sotheby’s Asia division. Theflower-shaped “Ru” bowl from theNorthern Song dynasty (960-1127)sports a pale blue-green translucentmatte glaze that imitates the colorof jade, and is believed to be theonly one of its type in the world.“Ru” ceramics-named after one offive large kilns operating under theSong-are the rarest in China, and itis estimated that only 79 completepieces remain in the world, most inmuseums. “There are very few ofthese as they were imperial piecesand also because they were madeover a very short period of time —20 years,” Jean-Paul Desroches, cura-tor at the Guimet Museum in Paris,told AFP.

There are only six “Ru” ceramics in

private collections, including thisbowl-probably intended for wash-ing brushes after writing-whichcould fetch up to HK$80 million($10.3 million) at Sotheby’s auctionin Hong Kong on April 4. “We sellincredibly rare objects, but this is adifferent realm of rarity,” said Chow.“These are objects that... barely 100years after they were made werealready deemed to be extremely dif-ficult to obtain.” As such, the bowlhas generated a huge buzz amongcollectors and art lovers in China,and visitors who had flocked toadmire the prized antique onSaturday were disappointed not tobe able to see it. “I’m unhappy. Anauction house must exhibit itspieces,” said He Tao, a porcelain-lover who had come from the north-eastern city of Dalian-some 1,000kilometres away by railway-to seethe bowl in a luxury Beijing hotel.

Chow said imperial porcelainpieces are of particular interest toChinese collectors, amid a boom inAsia’s art market. “In the last tenyears, we have seen a big leap inprices and that’s mainly due to thedramatic entrance of mainlandChinese collectors into the market,particularly since 1999,” he said.Experts say the buyer of the “Ru”bowl will likely be a rich individual-perhaps from Hong Kong or Taiwan-or even a billionaire from the West,where the simplicity of Song mas-terpieces is widely admired. “Allmajor academic (researchers) and allbig collectors cannot help but feel athrill (about the bowl),” saidChristian Bouvet, an Asian art spe-cialist at Sotheby’s.

He pointed to the color of thebowl, which an advisor to the

Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722) in thelater Qing dynasty famouslydescribed as similar to the blue tintof the sky after it had rained. AfterBeijing the bowl, which has aboutthe same diameter as a DVD, will beexhibited to the public in theTaiwanese capital Taipei. “ TheTaiwanese are probably among themost sophisticated collectors in thefield of Chinese art,” said Chow.“They’ve been buying for a longtime, they are at a stage where theyare not building collections... they’llpick something extraordinary toraise their collection.”— AFP

Karen Briskey massages the mare Ellie,mother of the colt Captain, at Yellow RoseArabian Horses, the Graham, Washingtonbusiness of Barb Hoover, at right. — MCT