11 Apr 2012

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Ex-PM to appear before tribunal •Govt denies envoy to UK has quit

7133 killed in Al-Qaeda violence in Yemen 9

Norway mass killer deemed sane in new finding 27

Facebook buys Instagram photo app for $1 billion 20

Barcelona pile pressure on Real with Getafe romp

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012 JAMADI ALAWAAL 20, 1433 AH www.kuwaittimes.net

‘Silly’ grill of information

minister ends in a whimper

conspiracy theories

A course in

diplomacy

[email protected]

By Badrya Darwish

The word grill has been spoilt for me. I do notwant to hear any more about grilling. Khalas!Bas! Enough is enough! I’ve even begun hat-

ing to order grilled food. For the past few years, theusage of the word grill in Kuwait could enter theGuinness Book of World Records. Somebody shouldreally make serious statistics about how manytimes this word has been used in the public spaceand especially by the parliamentarians. You won’tbelieve it. Day and night, these parliamentariansare threatening to grill this and that minister.

Even when they meet in diwaniyas (a socialplace for gathering) they back each other on howto grill, when to grill and threaten to grill. They evenask each other in the diwaniyas not to grill this orthat minister. They ask each other to postponegrillings. Worst of all, the media carries their words,threats and offensive language. To me it looks likethese honorable gentlemen are like old cowboys ina Western. They enjoy seeing their slogans repeat-ed. They feel they are heroes. They feel like they arein a battlefield like the old-time warriors. They showoff that if someone doesn’t do as they please, hewill face a grilling.

Such kind of threatening language does notrhyme with democracy and parliament work. Whyis parliament there? Maybe they think if they don’tgrill, they are not doing their job. So each of themensures that on his list there are a couple of grillingsuggestions during a session. Otherwise they thinknobody would notice them because they are notdoing what they are supposed to be doing. There isa misconception in the head of our MPs on how tobe a parliamentarian. Guys, it is not all aboutgrilling. There is the word criticize, plan, debate,advise, etc.

If I was in the government’s place, I would sug-gest sending these parliamentarians on a tour toobserve how work is done in other parliaments inthe world and how debates and challenges aremade. Let them sit in the House of Commons, inthe Congress or in a parliament in any advancedcountry for two months. Let them take a refreshercourse on politics and how to handle it. Let themremember that they are politicians and not warheroes in their attitudes and the language they use.

They should understand that they are simplypoliticians elected by the nation to serve thenation. Forget tribes, sects, Sunni, Shiite etc. You area citizen chosen by the nation to serve our interestand to look after the interest of our country. That’sit. Thank you very much.

newsin the

Kuwait-born ‘Al-Qaeda’ militant arrested in Iraq

BASRA: Iraqi forces have arrested 11 alleged Al-Qaedamembers said to be responsible for attacks in thesouthern province of Basra that killed dozens of peo-ple, a top police officer said yesterday. “Eleven criminalsfrom Al-Qaeda have been arrested, including aPakistani man who was born in Kuwait, who areresponsible for recent explosions in Basra,” MajorGeneral Faisal Al-Ebadi, police chief of Basra, told anews conference. A video played during the news con-ference showed alleged confessions of the detainees,in which they said they were responsible for attacks,including one on Jan 14 against Shiite pilgrims that left53 people dead. A Pakistani born in Kuwait namedMahmud Mohammed Abdullah was also among thedetainees. In the tape, he admitted to involvement inan attack on a Shiite place of worship and two attacksin markets in Basra, and to placing explosives target-ting Shiite pilgrims.

Operations at airport,port hit by dust storm

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s main oil export port stopped allow-ing tankers to dock in a thick dust storm yesterday, butthose already loading at the terminal will be allowedto leave, a Kuwait Oil Tanker Co spokesman said. ‘As of2 am there are no new berthing operations. But what-ever vessels that are already berthed have been load-ing,’ the spokesman said. ‘Once they complete loadingthey can sail out. New vessels that are arriving willhave to wait.’ Traffic at the nearby commercial port ofShuwaikh was also disrupted. Visibility in Kuwait fell toaround 500 m in the city centre due to the dust storm.Manager of Operations at the Directorate General ofCivil Aviation Essam Al-Zamil said some incomingKuwait Airways flights were diverted to Saudi Arabiaand Bahrain. Flydubai’s flights changed their course toSaudi Arabia as well, while Emirates’ flights did notmake it to the country and decided to go back toDubai.

KSE to launch Nasdaqbacked trading system

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s bourse will launch a new trading systemon May 13, backed by The Nasdaq OMX Group Inc, to helptrading of financial instruments such as derivatives andIslamic bonds, it said yesterday. The new “X-stream” tradingsystem costs 18.3 million dinars ($65.6 million) and will helpmodernise the exchange which is planning an initial publicoffering, officials said. “This will make the stock exchangemore flexible,” Kuwait bourse’s President Faleh Al-Roqobahtold a news conference. Officials said the new platformwould enable the trade of products such as internationalfutures, options, exchange-traded funds, fixed income andsukuk, perhaps as early as next year for some of them. It willalso allow trades of as little as one share at a time, theexchange said in a statement. Kuwait’s stock market suf-fered heavy losses during the global financial crisis. Thecountry’s new markets watchdog, Capital Markets Authority(CMA), ordered several, mainly financial, companies to delistrecently after they failed to report earnings on time.

Santorum quits GOP race, handing Romney crown

WASHINGTON: Mitt Romneyyesterday effectively won theRepublican Party crown tochallenge President BarackObama in November elec-tions, as chief rival RickSantorum dropped his long-shot White House bid. “Thispresidential race is over forme,” Santorum told reportersin Gettysburg, in his homestate of Pennsylvania. Overthe Easter weekend, the for-mer Pennsylvania senator halted campaigning for fourdays after his youngest daughter, Bella, who suffers froma rare genetic disorder, was hospitalized again. Romneyswiftly congratulated Santorum for being “an able andworthy competitor” and for the campaign he had run.

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: As expected, the grilling of InformationMinister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah end-ed yesterday without submitting a no-confidencemotion but not without “sporadic” exchanges betweenMPs from the majority and the minority blocs. MPHussein Al-Qallaf who filed the request to grill the minis-ter two weeks ago strongly lashed out at the ministerduring the debate which lasted for hardly four hours andwas described by some MPs as “silly and weak”.

In another development, outspoken opposition MPMusallam Al-Barrak said yesterday that former primeminister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabahwill be summoned by a special tribunal for the trial ofministers and former ministers over the foreign transfersscandal. The tribunal had earlier established that a com-plaint filed by a lawyer was serious enough to initiate aninvestigation into the alleged scandal.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry denied yesterdayreports about the resignation of Kuwait’s Ambassador tothe UK Khaled Abdulaziz Al-Duwaisan. Duwaisan “is stillin office,” a ministry source said. But the ambassador hasreached the retirement age, the source explained, so theministry was about to seal a special contract with him toenable him continue his duties. He added the move wasirrelevant to investigations currently underway in theNational Assembly over the foreign transfers scandal.

Earlier, the grilling debate became tense at timeswhen MPs from the “majority” bloc and the minority whobacked the grilling entered into strong verbal exchanges

Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: MP Hussein Al-Qallaf (left) and Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah(right) gesture at the National Assembly during the debate of a grilling submitted by Qallaf against SheikhMohammad over alleged administrative violations. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

DAMASCUS: Syrian forces yesterdaypounded protest hubs in apparentbreach of a ceasefire deal brokered byUN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, whoappealed for his plan to be implementedwithout preconditions. Syria said it wasabiding by the plan, but Annan accusedDamascus of pulling troops from someareas and moving them to others, andthe rebel Free Syrian Army warned itwould resume attacks if the governmentoffensive does not stop. Washington saidit hoped the UN Security Council wouldconsider action if Annan concludes that

Damascus broke its commitments.The violence drew sharp condemna-

tion from France and Britain, with evenRussia urging its ally to act more deci-sively to implement the truce. SyrianForeign Minister Walid Muallem saidDamascus begun carrying out the Annandeal by pulling some troops out of cer-tain provinces. But Annan, visiting Syrianrefugees in Turkey, mocked Damascus’commitment to the plan. “The Syrian mil-itary is withdrawing from some areas butmoving to others not previously

Continued on Page 13

Syria ignores deadline, hits protest hubs

BILAD AL-QADEEM, Bahrain: Bahraini anti-government protesters march towardsthe nearby US Embassy on the edge of the capital Manama yesterday. — AP

COPENHAGEN: A jailed activist who has beenon hunger strike in a Bahrain prison for thelast two months is now in a very critical condi-tion, Denmark’s prime minister HelleThorning-Schmidt said yesterday. AbdulhadiAl-Khawaja, a Shiite with dual Danish andBahraini nationality, was sentenced with otheropposition activists to life in jail over analleged plot to topple the Sunni monarchyduring a month-long protest a year ago.“Denmark demands that Danish-Bahraini citi-zen and human rights activist Khawaja befreed,” Thorning-Schmidt told a press confer-ence. “According to our information, Khawaja’scondition is very critical,” she added.

Khawaja’s lawyer Mohammed al-Jeshi toldAFP on Monday that Khawaja was feared tohave died, after Bahraini authorities turneddown repeated requests to contact him. Thelast time he contacted Khawaja was onSaturday, a day after he was moved from theinterior ministry hospital into a military hospi-tal in Manama, he said. Reacting to his state-ment, Bahrain’s interior ministry said laterMonday that Khawaja was in “good health”.State news agency BNA again said yesterdayKhawaja is in “good condition”, but added hislife could be at risk if he keeps refusing foodand medication.

Continued on Page 13

Danish PM says Khawaja

condition very critical

Bahrain slams F1 ‘scaremongering’

TEHRAN: Iran’s intelligence ministrysaid it has broken an Israeli-linked “ter-ror and sabotage” network which hadits headquarters in an unspecifiednearby country, media reports said yes-terday. “One of the Zionist regime’sbiggest terror and sabotage networksand some of its agents have been iden-tified. A group of criminal terrorists andmercenaries cooperating with themhas been arrested,” the ministry said ina statement picked up by the Iranianoutlets. “A number of the operativeswere arrested as they were preparingto carry out a terrorist operation,” itsaid.

“Heavy bombs,” machineguns, pis-tols, silencers, military communicationsgear and “other terrorist equipment”

were seized in operations “in borderand central provinces” inside Iran, theministry said without being specific.The operations led to “identifying theZionists’ regional headquarters in oneof the regional countries,” it said, with-out naming the country concerned.Iran from time to time announces thearrest of suspects alleged to be work-ing for US, British or Israeli espionageservices. It rarely provides any evi-dence to substantiate such claims.

In recent months, Tehran hasaccused Israel and the United States ofrecruiting Sunni rebels in its southeast-ern province of Sistan-Baluchestan tocarry out sabotage or reconnaissancemissions.

Continued on Page 13

Tehran busts Israel

linked ‘terror’ ring

Rick Santorum

2LO C A LWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

KUWAIT: His Highness the AmirSheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday morning,in a ceremony at Bayan Palace,copies of the credentials of newlyaccredited ambassadors to the Stateof Kuwait.

His Highness received the cre-dentials of the newly appointedAmbassador of Libya, MohammadSalem Emaish, Ambassador ofChina, Cui Jianchun, AmbassadorExtraordinary and Plenipotentiaryof Thailand, Surasak Chuasukonthip,Ambassador of Bhutan, Dasho TashiPhuntsog, and Ambassador ofJordan, Mohammad Salam Al-Kayid.

The Amir received the diplomatsin the presence of the Deputy Prime

Minister and Foreign Minister andMinister of State for Cabinet Affairs,Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-HamadAl-Sabah, Amiri Diwan Advisor,Mohammad Dhaifallah Sharar, AmiriDiwan Undersecretary, IbrahimMohammad Al-Shatti, Director ofHis Highness the Amir ’s Office,Ahmad Fahad Al-Fahad, and AmiriDiwan Advisor, MohammadAbdullah Aboul Hassan.

Also present were Head of AmiriProtocol, Sheikh Khalid Al-AbdullahAl-Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah,Foreign Ministry Protocol Director,Ambassador Dhari Ajran Al-Ajran,and head of the Amiri GuardAuthority, Major General TalaMohammad Al-Musallam. —KUNA

Amir receives credentials of new ambassadors

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: The news that Kuwaiti writerMohammed Al-Mulaifi was sentencedto seven-years of imprisonment, aftera criminal court found him guilty andliable for slander/defamation,received mixed reactions from publicfigures and legal experts. Someobservers opined that a seven-yearsentence was just too harsh for acrime that was a bit vague, consider-ing the comments were posted onTwitter, a social networking site. “Howcan you charge and punish someonewho is just expressing his views? It isagainst the freedom of expression cit-ed in our (Kuwaiti) Constitution,” afemale Kuwaiti observer said.

Attorney Labeed Abdal, an interna-tional lawyer and arbitrator, called onthe Kuwaiti Government to clarify thelimit of the rights and freedom ofexpression.

“Interpretation must be thoroughlystudied and properly identified. In hiscase, they are mixing it with personali-ty and politics. Also, punishment mustbe adjusted to the crime committed.”Adbal asserted that a crime commit-ted through a social networking sitehas not been clarified yet. “Kuwaitshould and must introduce new legis-lation and clarify the punishments forinternet crimes.”

Al-Mulaifi was sentenced to sevenyears in prison along with hard labor,a KD50 fine and to pay temporarycompensation of KD5,001. Al-Mulaifiwas charged after posting false infor-mation about the internal situation inKuwait, and publishing writings whichhint that Kuwait society suffers fromsectarian struggles and conflicts.

He accused a certain group ofbeing disloyal to Kuwait but loyal toanother country, based on their reli-gious belief. He posted online state-ments which contained insults that

undermine the Shiite faith. He wasalso charged with defaming MPAhmed Lari, accusing him of being ofnon-Kuwaiti origin, and slanderingthe Shiite Imam Al-Mahdi.

The public prosecution depart-ment pointed out that his actionundermines the status of state andcan hurt national security and itsinterests.

“The crime, if it was a crime, cannotbe meted out with the harsh punish-ment of seven years. I rememberAhmad Al-Baghdadi, who wrote anarticle which insulted one of theprophets, only got a one month sen-tence. Seven years is jail overkill. It’snot fair,” another Kuwaiti observersaid. Lawyer Osama Ameen believesthe offense was committed, althoughhe has a chance to appeal. “ Thecrime...is a crime which was commit-ted under the law. We have an exist-ing law against slander and defama-tion in Kuwait. He accused and hurtsomeone and even the state, so thelegal and existing law applies here. Hecannot use the excuse that it wascommitted in a new form of socialmedia; although admittedly we haveno law to punish offenders usingsocial networking media. But again,the crime was committed in the pub-lic eye. His comments were read bymany people,” he said.

Although Ameen admitted that hedid not read the article, and he hasnot read the verdict, he again insistedthat slander and defamation isinscribed in the law.

“The old law is applied even to anoffense committed through socialmedia, since the result of defamationand slander is the same as in otherforms of media.”

In a news report published inAnnahar newspaper, a number ofpoliticians expressed satisfactionwith the verdic t i ssued against

the Kuwaiti writer. “Kuwait’s judiciary system is very

honest and is considered a ‘safetyvalve’ safeguarding the whole society”,they stressed, underlining that send-ing someone to prison was far betterthan allowing sectarian tumult tospread in Kuwait and tear it apart.

Former minister Abdul Hadi Al-Saleh was quoted as saying that allofficial and public bodies have greattrust in the honesty and integrity ofKuwait’s judiciary system.

“This sentence is very importantand sends a message that there willbe no tolerance in matters that mightstart sectarian tumult ’, he saidexpressing amazement at Muslimscholars who kept silent on such criti-cal issues as blaspheming the holyProphet Mohammed (PBUH), insultingor slandering the mothers of believ-ers, or Imam Al-Mahdi. “This verdict isbut a worldly penalty, still to be fol-lowed by a heavenly one in the here-after”, he warned.

Abdul Wahed Al-Khalfan, politicalactivist, said such a sentence is amoral lesson to everybody, especiallythose who dare slander others’ beliefs.“Al-Mulaifi slandered the doctrine ofone third of Kuwaitis,” he stated in thenewspaper.

Mansour Al-Muhareb, politicalactivist, said Kuwaitis have completetrust in the judiciary system and thatthis seven-year prison term verdictwill deter people he described as“those trying to drag the whole coun-try into adverse sectarian tumult.”

Dr. Abdulla Al-Ghanim, KuwaitUniversity political sciences professor,said the case is not about an individ-ual. “It is all about law enforcementagainst those slandering any sect ortribe within the Kuwaiti community,or those slandering or blasphemingreligious principles or the Prophet(PBUH),” he concluded.

Al-Mulaifi sentence spurs debate

on social media, internet crimes

Govt urged to clarify limit of rights KUWAIT: MP Mohammed Al-Sager,Chairman of the parliamentaryForeign Affairs Committee, stressedMubarak Al-Bathali, a clergymanand Islamic activist, is not the ‘interi-or ministry’ to threaten visitors toKubbar Island if they commit any‘vice’ there.

Speaking to reporters inresponse to Al-Bathali’s threats, Al-Sager said that not all people areevil or corrupt.

“Personal freedom is fully guar-anteed by law and the Constitution’,

said MP Shayea Al-Shayea. He saidthat while MPs are keen on observ-ing Islamic jurisprudence, it has tobe done constitutionally throughthe right channels and authorities,be them whichever ministry.

MP Adnan Al-Mutawwa called tostop Al-Bathali and warned thatleniency with such statementswould generate more ‘Bathalis’. Healso said that tending to solve one’sown concerns and disputes by one’sown hands only reflects how lawenforcement and justice are slug-

gish in Kuwait. ‘Bathali should bestopped and ignored so as not tomake a big deal out of his remarks’,he added urging Al-Bathali not towatch people, as the law punisheswhoever does so before punishingthe wrongdoers themselves.

Shaikha Al-Nisf, Chairlady of theWomen Cultural Society, expressedthe same concerns saying that Al-Bathali’s threats to ‘purge’ KubbarIsland himself must be completelyrejected as freedoms are constitu-tionally guaranteed. —Al-Jarida

Wataniya Telecom launches

offers at University campusesKUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom contin-ues to launch new offers and exclu-sive products in an effort to provideits customers with the most distin-guished telecom experience. Thelatest Wataniya offers are exclusive-ly tailored to meet the unique pref-erences of everyone between 16 -29 years of age. These new offersare available for postpaid and pre-paid subscribers at UniversityCampuses across Kuwait.

Wink is a special plan which wasdesigned keeping the preferencesof the youth in mind. It offers 50%discount on all SMS sent toWataniya numbers along with 50%off on four favorite Wataniya num-bers. To top it all Wink subscriberscan enjoy discounts and exclusivebenefits at their favorite hangoutsand shops.

With the new offer postpaid andprepaid customers will also receivethe following benefits: Free Gold(for postpaid) or free Silver number(for prepaid), three months of freesubscription to Backstage to down-load unlimited English, Arabic and

Asian music and 300 bonus pointsupon enrolment to the WataniyaRewards Program. In addition tothis, customers will get a gift bagwith exciting giveaways.

But that’s not all; customers whosubscribe to Wink postpaid can alsoget the latest smartphones such asBlackBerrys, iPhones and Androids(a choice of over 15 models) for anaffordable monthly installment.

Those who like gaming and surf-ing can join the Wnet offer and getthe latest iPads, Wnet devices andPS3 for a discounted price and onmonthly installments along withhigh-speed internet.

Commenting on the specialcampaign, Abdolaziz Al Balool,Public Relations Director ofWataniya Telecom said: “Wataniyahas always paid attention to theneeds and preferences of the youth,especially university students. Thisis why we have developed and cus-tomized packages that suit theirtelecom needs.” Wataniya’s newWink campaign will last until April19.

Al Balool concluded: “Followingthe success of Wataniya’s promo-tions especially the recent ones(Special discounts and installmentoffer on Wnet, PS3, iPad and iPodoffers), Wink ’s latest campaigncomes as an added value to meetthe needs of the youth segment inthe Kuwaiti market.

Abdolaziz AlBalool

Al-Bathali Kubbar statements

face angry public reactions

Jordanian ambassador Mohammad Salam Al-Kayid Libyan ambassador Mohammad Salem Emaish Chinese ambassador Cui Jianchun

Thai ambassador Surasak Chuasukonthip Bhutanese ambassador Dasho Tashi Phuntsog

lo c a lWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

By Lisa Conrad

KUWAIT: The vast expansion of medical servicesin Kuwait is well on its way, Husam Al-Tahous,Assistant Undersecretary of construction proj-ects, said earlier this week. The project, whichinvolves the construction of five new hospitals,will provide Kuwait with thousands of hospitalbeds and has received considerable praise. “Ithink it’s wonderful to see some change and realeffort to improve things,” said Sherifa, a motherof two. She added, “It’s great to see attentionbeing paid to the needs of citizens and residentsin Kuwait. The healthcare sector is certainly themost important sector to invest in.”

However, a senior doctor working here inKuwait disputed the need for the expansion:“What’s happening now is a response to publicdemand, but the public don’t understand thatthe issue is the improper utilization of beds. Itdoesn’t mean we need more beds.” According tothe insider, while an appreciation of publicdemand may be noble, creating more beds isnot the way forward. “The concept of preventionis much more effective. The government shouldencourage eating well, exercising, wearing seat-belts and implement harsher punishments forreckless driving and speeding.”

The move, the insider noted, will reap severeconsequences for the country: “In my opinion,this is a disaster. We’re creating thousands ofbeds, which will require thousands of workers.These workers will come with their families, sotraffic will increase, schools will be overcrowded,and pollution will increase.” The insider addedthat the impact of the expansions has not beenproperly considered, further noting that suchmoves have not been successful elsewhere.“What Great Britain did 40 years ago, we’redoing now. They are rectifying their mistake butwe’re about to walk into it - regardless of the les-sons others have learnt.” Recruiting thousands ofstaff needed, he added, will also be problematic,“We already have trouble recruiting enough stafffor the current number of beds; how will theycope later?”

According to the insider, the project willmerely propel Kuwait into a cycle already experi-enced, and remedied, by other countries. “Manycountries have been in the same position andrealized that expansion is not the answer. If youlook at the West, they also went through a phasewhen they thought that expansion of serviceswas the way forward.” The insider added, “After awhile, they realized that the economy was notequipped to handle such an increase, and theyrealized that there are other ways, such as pre-vention. They saw that it’s better to prevent dis-

eases than to just provide treatment.” As well as encouraging prevention, the insid-

er noted the success of alternative plans. “Manycountries realized that a shift in focus from hos-pital-based management to home-based man-agement would improve the situation.” Headded, “They realized that they could createmore beds by properly utilizing the existingbeds. For example creating systems and servicesthat allow patients to sleep at home and reducetheir stay in hospital.” Preparation, he insisted,

ensured that the plans were successful.“Hospitals in the UK, for example, devised a sys-tem whereby patients could be admitted to thehospital on the same day of their surgery,instead of two days in advance. The patientwould be given the appropriate medication andadvice and would arrive prepared, which freedup two days of bed space for someone else touse.”

The decentralization of services also provedsuccessful, according to the insider:“Decentralizing services, but maintaining thesame level of service is great. The UK investigat-ed problems that keep patients at the hospitalinstead of going home, such as medical aware-ness and pain management.” The insider added,“They found that by showing patients that heal-ing at home is better, stays in hospital could bereduced. They provided medical assistance atthe patient’s home, and found ways for pain to

be managed at home.” The division of services,the insider noted, reduced waiting time consid-erably, “Instead of waiting for a bed or waiting ina queue at the hospital for a prescription,patients were assisted at home and allowed tocollect prescriptions at local pharmacies.”

The restructuring of the healthcare system iskey, the insider noted. The current use of paperfiles and forms is creating unnecessary layers ofbureaucracy which, the insider added, is detri-mental on multiple levels. “The amount of

paperwork is ridiculous, as is the amount of timespent dealing with it. There’s a shortage ofpapers and files at some hospitals, so we buymore and then we burn it. It wastes time, wastesmanpower and impacts negatively on the envi-ronment.” The utilization of electronic systems isvital, the insider added, noting that it would cutcosts and eradicate the negative consequencesof relying on paper files and documents.

The insider warned that the planned expan-sions are taking Kuwait a step in the wrongdirection. “Expansion is not the answer; the uti-lization of existing beds is. Health planners needto be brought in to identify where the real needis, or else Kuwait will suffer many negative con-sequences.” The insider added, “An expansion ofbeds only makes sense when there is a newservice that needs its own space and facilities. Ifthe plans go through, I really don’t know howKuwait will cope.”

Vast hospital construction plan ‘disastrous’ for Kuwait: Insider

Focus should be on prevention, not treatment

KUWAIT: A file photo shows the plan of Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital when thehospital is completed. The image is used for illustrative purposes only.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: A gang comprising a Syrian,two Iranians and a bedoon, was arrest-ed in connection with closely followingbank customers and stealing moneyfrom their cars. The suspects confessedto stealing large amounts of money,but the booty could not be recovered.

Libel case verdictsThe Civil Court issued a verdict

ordering that a compensation amount-ing to KD 5,001 be paid to formerInformation Ministry UndersecretaryFaisal Al-Malek. He had filed a lawsuitagainst Ahmad Al-Fadhly, Talal andFajr Al-Saeed, MP Faisal Al-Duwaisan.He claimed that the men insulted himduring a TV program broadcasted onScope satellite TV channel on April 19.

The Criminal Court decided toreview the complaint filed by Qatar’sForeign Minister Sheikh Hamad binJassim on April 15. Sheikh Hamad fileda civil complaint against Talal Al-Saeedwho used to host the ‘Good and Bad’program on Scope TV. Al-Saaed wasaccused of insulting the minister and

misquoting him. Sheikh Hamad alsofiled four lawsuits with the KuwaitProsecutor General through his lawyerMushari Al-Osaimi, also against formerMP Saadoun Hammad, Sheikh SabahAl-Mohammad as Editor-in-Chief of Al-Shahed newspaper, Sheikh Khalifa AliAl-Khalifa, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Watannewspaper, and Talal Al-Saeed foraccusing him of bribing MP MusallamAl-Barrak with a cheque worth 200 mil-lion Qatari riyals.

Doha Bank denied the existence of a200 million Qatari Riyals cheque thatwas transferred to a person namedMusallam by Sheikh Hamad binJassim.

Car accidentsA Sri Lankan fractured his right arm

and ribs in a car accident that tookplace in Rawdatain. The 32-year-oldwas admitted to Jahra Hospital.

A 22-year-old citizen suffered abruised forehead and fractured hisright arm in a car accident that tookplace in Fahaheel near industrial areabridge. He was admitted to AdanHospital.

Four member gang in police custody

KUWAIT: At least 30.7 percentKuwaiti families have at least oneunmarried male member over theage of thirty, while only 19.4 percentfamil ies have unmarried femalemembers belonging to same agegroup. This was disclosed in a fieldstudy carried out by three experts asper Ministry of Awqaf and IslamicAffairs’ request.

The study attempts to identify thereasons behind delayed marriagesamong Kuwaiti youth. A survey cov-ering 449 single male citizens agedbetween 20 and 27 have indicatedthat 37.3 percent believe that mar-riage restricts their freedom, and pre-fer to wait before taking a step. Onthe other hand, only 9.4 percent of587 women surveyed cited the samereason.

The survey also indicates that pur-suing higher studies delay marriagefor 31.2 percent men and 19.9 per-cent women surveyed, while 18.8percent men and eight percentwomen said that “unwillingness tobear responsibilities” drives them todelay marriage.

Most citizens surveyed believethat the age group between 25 and30 is best suited for marriage. Thestudy also identified “luxurious andwealthy lifestyles” as reasons thatalso encourage Kuwaiti youth topostpone marriage plans. It also rec-ommends that the MAIA organizeprograms to spread awarenessamong young citizens about theimportance of marriage, and attemptto eliminate some misconceptionsthey have about marital life.

Marriage restrainsyoung citizens’ freedom

LO C A LWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Both bravery and recklessness involve practicesthat would easily get the doer into definitetrouble and remarkable dangers. So, those who

do not like getting into trouble or dangers avoid theadventure and thus cannot be described as brave orreckless.

Some of our youths and MPs are actually practicingsuch ‘bravery’ while, at the same time, they are reluc-tant to bear any of the possible dangerous conse-quences that might result from such practices. That’swhy they have been avoiding confrontation with theconsequences of their own doing.

Just recently, MP Faisal Al-Mislem and his fellow-lawmakers spoke eloquently about their acceptanceto lift their parliamentary immunity so that they canbe subjected to investigation concerning the storm-ing of Parliament. It is very nice that Al-Mislemstressed his confidence in the honesty of the judiciarysystem. He reminds us of his words when he said thatGod is the best savior, when he went to court in thefamous cheque case.

What we actually need from the distinguished MPand other involved MPs is a promise not to evokepublic opinion, mobilize rallies or organize sit-ins ifthe related court orders contradict their wishes orexpectations. They must trust the judiciary’s justiceand respect its verdicts, to which everybody shouldabide by and be subject to equally. They should allcontest whatever verdicts through the proper legalchannels in various kinds of courts.

Kuwait has been witnessing unprecedented loose-ness over the past few years. This was mainly led bylawmakers, after the gap between them and theGovernment became too wide to bridge when theCabinet of former PM Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohamedwent too far. Their way blocked all possible channelsof cooperation and made such looseness temporarilyacceptable, but only by those particular parties andno others!

However, now, since Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed

and his whole Cabinet are out of office and the formerParliament, that included some bribed MPs, was dis-solved and new elections brought a new one to office,lawmakers are obliged to reason up. They must con-tribute to create stability by regaining the sovereigntyof the law to the country and some peace and quietto the souls of citizens. And, bewareeverybody.........you’d all lose if Kuwait lost security andstability! — Al-Watan

Unprecedented looseness!kuwait digest

By Waleed Jassim Al-Jassim

An MP threatens Iran, another one threatensBahrain, six MPs are threatening the Syrian regime,one MP wants to demolish churches and one MPcalls for j ihad, another MP threatens theGovernment because of a student party, and yet onemore MP wants to monitor Hussainiyas.

All of these things, as per my understanding, havenothing to do with legislation and supervisionwhich are the only two political wings for theNational Assembly as a legislative authority.

Everything mentioned above, from the MPsdemands and declarations, have nothing to do withlegislation or supervision, and I mean supervision inthe political meaning, which is precisely describedas the duty of the National Assembly. All of theabove demands are political showing off or mediashowing off.

I expected this council to at least appear to betrue under the homogenous majority, and keep aneye on legislation and real supervision. But amidstthose declaration and demands, which have nothingto do with legislation or supervision, it seems thatmajority weight has become a burden to itself.Especially as the majority of the above unconstitu-tional declarations “if I may call them that” havebeen made by members of the majority. And ofcourse the minority MPs and those who claim inde-pendence from both groups, they too entered intothe auction of declarations, which is notConstitutional.

We are the ones who elected you and we don’twant you to make maintenance to the houses ofneighbors through inter-boundary declarations, oreven those which are not logical. We want you firstto maintain our house.

It is very hard to believe a person who criticizescorruption, regardless of the kind of corruption inanother state, while corruption eats and drinks andsleeps on our streets. Remedy our house first, there-after, if you wish to declare jihad on mars, we willsupport you.

You are looking for a piece of sand in the eye of aneighbor and you forget the stones which almostclose your eyes. Either you are a liar or you are notaware of the nature of your role as a members ofKuwait National Assembly.

Note: The best dreams are the ones that can’t beachieved. — Al-Anbaa

Keep an eye on legislation

In my view

By Thaar Al-Rashidi

If you were among those who demanded free-dom and an elected prime minister while stag-ing anti-government demonstrations at Irada

Square, I would like to ask you a series of questions,starting with this: Are you satisfied with the resultsachieved from the public campaigns you have tak-en part in?

Did you spend hours at the Irada Square so thatchurches can no longer allowed to be built inKuwait? Do you really support calls to restrict peo-ple’s freedom of religious practice? Did you imposegovernmental monitoring on Hussaniyas (Shiitereligious center) to interfere into the beliefs of citi-zens who do not share the same beliefs as yours?

After persistent pressure to demand a Cabinetchange in both members and approach, are youokay now with a Cabinet that only has a differentprime minister but shares a similar lineup andapproach with that of its predecessor? Was theelimination of Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and female lawmakers the highest point ofyour political ambition? Were all these months ofdemonstration and public pressure aimed atreplacing Saleh Al-Mulla and Aseel Al-Awadhi withMohammad Al-Juwaihel and Nabeel Al-Fadhlrespectively? Were they aimed at instilling a ‘cultureof force’ instead of enforcing law and equal oppor-tunities for dialogue?

Besides a few things that changed, nothing hasso far been achieved with young citizens’ activity inIradah Square. On the other hand, the futureappears darker, with efforts likely to be exerted toenforce more restrictions on freedom of expres-sion, spending even more financial surplus.

Awaiting us are days where newspapers andmedia outlets are forced to follow the ideology oftrue leaders of the Iradah Square demonstrators.The oppression awaits any ideology that does notfall in line with the Parliament’s majority.

I can only see bitter days ahead in which notonly young people would be victims, but alsofuture generations when their safety and securityare violated by the same people who violated thelaw yesterday. — Al-Qabas

Kuwait’s dark future

kuwait digest

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

Once you log in to your Twitter account, atimeline appears on your screen showing achronological order for tweets shared by

friends and other Twitter users you follow. What islisted in this timeline differs from one account tothe other, depending on the type of informationshared by the people every user follows.

Two users might share certain similarities intheir respective timelines, and that basically whenthey follow a number of common accounts. Yet,every person on Twitter has a timeline with distinc-tive features that make them ‘unique’ in quality andshape.

A Twitter user’s timeline usually reflects the waytheir perception of life is. For example, a timelinecontaining much bad news and tweets discussingcynical or disturbing subjects are usually owned bypessimistic users. People with more optimisticviews would have a timeline featuring more joyfuland motivating discussions.

As such, the public’s point of view on social net-working websites vary from one person to another.For example, some users believe that Twitter offersa great opportunity for social communication,while others consider it a tool that can leavedestructive effects on society if misused.

Each opinion is shaped based on what usersread of tweets made by the people they personallychose to follow.

A Twitter timeline is a window viewing a per-son’s perspective of life. It is a reflection of a per-son’s ideology. As timelines differ from one Twitteraccount to another, so do people’s ideologies prac-ticed in all aspects of their life.

Twitter offers you a window to look at the worldthe way you like to see it, which differs partially orcompletely from one person to another. This is thesame way that people’s ideologies are expressed inall other aspects of life. It is normal for people tohave different views, which can sometimes lead todisputes when different parties fail to understandthe other’s point of view.

These differences aren’t supposed to be taken asdistinctive features by which a party can claim theyare on the right side while others are not.

Can someone claim that their Twitter timelineis the best while all other timelines are inferior totheirs? I think it’s not hard to tolerate all differentpoints of view, the same way each of us appreci-ates the differences between our Twitter time-lines. — Al-Rai

Different doesn’t mean wrong

kuwait digest

By Mohammad Al-Sabti

The Middle East has always been strategicallyand geographically significant, particularlyafter the discovery of oil which turned it into

the world’s energy reservoir and, thus, advancedcountries have been keen to control and include itin areas subject to their rule and authority.

In order for regional countries to be in constantneed of the super powers, the latter has alwayscreated special ‘Scarecrows’ to keep them on theirtoes.

In the beginning of the 1950s, the state of Israelwas established to act as the first scarecrow toregional countries, who all started what is knownas the ‘armament race’ to build their own arsenals.This kept weapon manufacturers in the US, Europeand the Soviet Union busy in profitable business.Weapons flowed in and these countries becameinvolved in more offensives.

However, during the stalemate phase regionallyknown as the ‘no war, no peace’ era, another scare-crow was directed to the GCC states. After the‘Nationalistic Trend’ was established by the lateEgyptian president, Nasser, its domination led theGCC states to race to purchase more weapons andget protection from the West.

This trend was terminated by the defeat of allthe Arab armies in 1967, when Israel destroyedthem all and occupied territories that are largerthan its total area. This era ended with Nasser’sdeath.

Another scarecrow was used in the form ofSaddam Hussein, who thought highly of himselfand believed he was Nasser ’s rightful heir.However, Hussein was occupied by violence,killing and ‘liberating’ Iraq from the Iraqis them-selves by killing and torturing them. He waged waragainst the Kurds in the North, then against Iran,and then he headed south to ‘liberate’ Kuwait fromKuwaitis - pending his holy war to liberateJerusalem!

He squandered millions of his people’s wealthon weapons. He also built the ‘Athar’ nuclear reac-tor, that was destroyed by Israel on June 7, 1981

when three Israeli F16s flew from a Sinai airbase atbelow-radar levels, penetrated the air space ofsome Arab countries and dropped 16 bombs thatturned the nuclear reactor to ashes in two minuteswithout any media fuss or daily threats. To every-body’s amazement, the decision was quietly madeand carried out. Later, when Saddam invadedKuwait, he met his end as a scarecrow when hewas toppled in 2003.

He has been substituted by a new scarecrowknown as ‘Iran’s nuclear program’ which started in1950s during the days of the Shah when, ironically,the US gave him a 5 megawatt nuclear reactor as agift to be supervised by Tehran’s Nuclear ResearchCenter.

The US even built Iran seven more reactors forsupposedly peaceful uses. Iran then cooperatedwith Europe, India and Russia to expand theirnuclear program to include many sites such asSagen Deh mine, the Arkan Factory, Isfahan, BuShahar and Arak reactors.

The question is: if it was the US and the Westwho built Iran’s nuclear program in the first place,will they now also destroy it?

Why, then, did they build it in the first place?! Isthe real reason behind intensifying such threats toincrease the GCC states’ fear?

On the other hand, I remember headingKuwait’s delegation to the Organization For theProhibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confer-ence in Lahaye, Holland. There I met an Iraniandiplomat who was a friend of mine and originallyworked as a university professor.

“Will the US and Israel actually strike Iran’snuclear program?” I asked him only. “Do you thinkthey will?” he replied. The answer is still open.

Finally, the most recent scarecrows are the newregimes and parties being currently formed withinsome of the ‘Arab Spring’ countries and whetherthey will compete with existing ones. My biggestfear is that we might be on the verge of a humon-gous tumult, an era during which our traditional‘swords and daggers’ will do us no use! —Al-Jarida

Middle East scarecrows!kuwait digest

By Yousef Abdullah Al-Enizi

Addressing the media recently, MP DrObaid Al-Wasmi declared that Minister ofInterior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-

Sabah is incapable of making decisions to wieldcontrol over his ministry and should step down.

Personally, I hope that Al-Wasmi and his col-leagues would use a less aggressive tone whileaddressing ministers through public statementsover the issue of mismanagement. Instead, MPshave constitutional tools they can freely utilize tohold a minister accountable for committing amalpractice.

Instead of publically demanding that a minis-ter step down, the Constitution allows an MP tofile an interpellation motion followed by request-ing to hold a vote of no confidence motionagainst the minister.

While the practice of issuing threats throughthe press or social networking websites are com-mon, I specifically chose to mention Al-Wasmi’sexample because I noticed that he is more proneto making rash statements.

Regarding Al-Wasmi’s claims, I don’t think it’s asecret that the Ministry of Interior is sufferingfrom internal problems. The best way to identifyand resolve them, however, needs coordinatedefforts from lawmakers who need to avoid focus-ing their attention on the minister’s decision-making process.

I believe that decisions taken by the Ministrycan be influenced by external parties. I’d like toremind readers here about a statement by a pre-vious ministry who admitted to being controlledby outsiders. There are many evidences to sup-port this claim, which can be seen in the way theMinistry uses different approaches in handlingdifferent cases.

Tackling this issue is not impossible. MPs canachieve victory in their quest to reveal the truthif they can coordinate properly. — Al-Rai

Interior Ministry’s woes

kuwait digest

By Dr Terki Al-Azmi

After persistent pressure todemand a Cabinet change in

both members and approach,are you okay now with a

Cabinet that only has a differ-ent prime minister but shares a

similar lineup and approachwith that of its predecessor?

Was the elimination of SheikhNasser Al-Mohammad Al-

Sabah and female lawmakersthe highest point of your politi-

cal ambition?

What we actually need fromthe distinguished MP and otherinvolved MPs is a promise not toevoke public opinion, mobilizerallies or organize sit-ins if therelated court orders contradict

their wishes or expectations.They must trust the judiciary’sjustice and respect its verdicts,

to which everybody shouldabide by and be subject to

equally. They should all contestwhatever verdicts through the

proper legal channels in various kinds of courts.

We are the ones who electedyou and we donít want you to

make maintenance to the hous-es of neighbors through inter-

boundary declarations, or eventhose which are not logical. Wewant you first to maintain our

house. It is very hard to believea person who criticizes corrup-tion while corruption eats and

drinks and sleeps on our streets.Remedy our house first.

lo c a lWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Media City to be built in ShidadiyaKUWAIT: The government has authorized theInvestment Authority and the Ministry of Informationto execute the new Media City Company project tohelp develop media services in Kuwait. High-rankingministerial sources said that the Cabinet has askedboth bodies to coordinate with Kuwait Municipality tobuild the project in Shidadiya at a plot that coversone million square meters. Furthermore, sourceshighlighted that the Finance Ministry has requestedthe investment authority to update it with the pro-ject’s feasibility study within a week.

New marriage loans soonKUWAIT: Salah Al-Mudhaf, Manager at Credit andSavings Bank said that paper work needed to imple-ment the new marriage loan of KD 6,000 was almostcomplete and that applicants can start applying nextSunday. Notably, the former state-funded marriageloan was only KD 4,000 and the increment wasapproved by the bank’s board last November.

Smuggling attempt thwartedKUWAIT: Central Jail security thwarted a suspect’sattempt to smuggle 77 SIM cards for inmates recently.According to a security source, an Egyptian surveil-lance camera technician was busted with possessionof the contraband. He was taken to the PublicProsecution after being held briefly at the Sulaibiyapolice station.

Um Al-Haiman project inauguratedKUWAIT: Jassem Al-Bader, Chairman and GeneralDirector of Public Authority for Agricultural Affairsand Fish Resources said that the second phase of UmAl-Haiman environmental project has been inaugu-rated. The projects include a number of agriculturaland construction works as well. Planting and irriga-tion for 12,000 trees in addition to 3,000 date treesand 75,000 small desert trees will take place.

Newsin brief

By Nawara Fattahova

KUWAIT: Any form of dentaltreatment is painful but does ithave to hurt the wallet as well?The Kuwaiti government doesn’tthink so. Dental-care is absolutelyfree for citizens in the public sec-tor, but there’s a slight catch; thewaiting period can extend tothree or four months whichmakes people eye quicker reliefat private clinics or hospitals.Sleman, a 28-year-old Kuwaitipreferred to go a private dentalclinic rather than wait it out. “Iknow that some dental servicesare expensive in the private sec-tor, but it’s a matter of health. Iknow some friends who havebeen waiting for an appointmentfor tooth implants for more thantwo months which is ridiculous!”he told the Kuwait Times.

Awareness from a young agemay go a long way to help pre-vent further complications. Dr.Sabiha Al-Mutawa, Director of theDental Healthcare of the Ministryof Health said that the dentalawareness programs held inschools have a positive effect onstudents when they grow older.“The statistics proved that manydental problems have decreasedor even disappeared in theyounger generations afterincreasing and improving theawareness programs. I noticedthat the parents are aware andknow that removing teeth duringchildhood will require braces inthe future,” she said.

“Before 1990, this dentalawareness program was onlyapplied in the Asima governorateeducational area. Later in thenineties, this program spread tothe other governorates and spe-cial clinics. All schools with morethan 500 students have a dentalclinic. The Ministry also distrib-uted consent forms for all stu-dents, so the parents will approve

a complete dental plan for theschool period,” said Dr. Al-Mutawa.

Prices differ from private clinicto clinic and they may also usedifferent materials. “At our clinicwe provide all dental services forkids and adults. We offerLumineer (Hollywood Smile) andveneer. We do teeth implants byusing titanium screws that aregum-friendly. We also offer scal-ing and fluoride and for thewhitening, we have two methods:home bleaching and laser bleach-ing with Zoom 3. We have Kuwaitidoctors who have graduatedfrom the US and we are also setto open the biggest dental towerin the Middle East soon,” high-

lighted Bader Al-Eisa, Marketingand PR Manager at Asnan Clinic.

Some people have chosen todo some dental procedures athome. Jolly, a 23-year-old, triedthe home teeth whiteningmethod and was satisfied withthe results. “I chose to whiten myteeth when I saw how common itis in Kuwait. I did want my teethwhiter, but I didn’t want thebright, unnaturally white veneers.

They are very popular here, but Ifeel that it’s a bit too much. I thinkit’s great that people are takingcare of their appearance, but Idon’t like extremes,” she said.

“I got a home whitening kit formy teeth, because it’s faster andeasier than having to go to thedentist. My moulds were takenand I did the rest myself at homefor an hour a day, for three days. Ialso avoid dental clinics becausethey ’re extremely expensive.When something is popular here,it becomes extremely expensiveand I don’t think it’s worth themoney.”, she added.

Jolly was also not sure aboutthe quality of the clinics here. “Ithink home whitening is good

because you’re in control. I wasworried about the clinics beingtoo harsh or severe, which candamage the teeth and gums.Plus, it’s hard to report poor treat-ment in clinics here so there is lit-tle consequence for the clinic ifthey damage your teeth, whichworried me. I was very happywith the results: my teeth areconsiderably whiter but they stilllook natural and not overdone,”

she stated.“I paid KD 25 for 18 months

worth of whitening, whichincludes nine treatments - threeof which I use each time. I would-n’t pay the higher prices, becauseit’s the exact same thing. The onlydifference is the “prestige” ofgoing to an expensive clinic,which I don’t care about,” shesaid.

Compared to other countries,the dental care in Kuwait is stillmuch cheaper. “In the UK, dentaltreatment in general is extremelyexpensive. There are sometimesspecific offers for cosmetic treat-ments, but things like crowns areincredibly high priced, even ifyou’re on the NHS (NationalHealth Service). When I l ivedthere, the quote I got for a basiccrown was around KD 300. I wentto Lebanon and got a premiumcrown fitted for KD 30,” said 30-year-old Natalie.

“The UK is under severe strainto provide dental treatment onthe National Health Service,which I think makes the quality oftreatments much lower. My child-hood dentist once fitted a fillingtoo deep into my tooth and I got a‘tattoo’ on my gum as a result. I’venot had dental treatment inKuwait as I heard it’s expensive. Ithink Lebanon is much cheaperfor dental treatment than Kuwaitand the quality is known to bevery high. Plus, word-of-mouth isa reliable indicator of quality,which also means that the dentistsmake sure they do a great jobevery time” she said. In Canada,the price is cheaper according toSuzan. “All dental services are free-of-charge for those who are under16 years of age. In general, theprices are reasonable, and cheaperthan Kuwait. There is also a lotmore emphasis on dental hygienein Canada and I know that theyput fluoride in water, which meansless tooth decay,” she explained.

Dental-care in private clinics

gives people a reason to smile

KUWAIT: In this file photo a patient is receiving treatment in a den-tal clinic in Kuwait. The image is used for illustrative purposesonly. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Mexican Ambassador to Kuwait Luis Alberto Barrero Stahl paid a visitto Kuwait Times over the weekend and discussed issues of mutual interest withEditor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan.

KUWAIT: Only ten percent of drugssmuggled into Kuwait end up detectedby police each year, according to officialestimates revealed by security sourcesquoted in a recent news report.

Drug Control General Directorate sta-tistics indicate that at least 430 kilogramsof hashish, 1,006,000 drug pills, five kilo-grams of heroin and ten kilograms ofopium were seized in operationsthroughout 2011.

Yet insiders who spoke anonymouslyproclaimed that these huge numbersform just a small part of the amountactually entering Kuwait. They attributethe problem to “security breaches” at sea-ports, land border checkpoints andKuwait International Airport.

Although 1,361 people were arrestedin Kuwait last year on drug-relatedcharges including trafficking, smugglingand abuse, many of the suspects werefound not guilty during trial due toimproper arrest and detention proce-dures. These included arrests without awarrant from the Public ProsecutionDepartment.

Drug overdose was pronounced asthe cause of death in 60 fatalities report-ed in Kuwait last year, according to thestatistics. “The activity with drugs inKuwait indicates that dealers intend touse the country as a market to trade andstore several kinds of drugs while alsoexporting them to nearby countries”, onesource said.

KUWAIT: Three Kuwaiti ambassadors attend-ed Monday’s session, held by a parliamentarycommittee investigating alleged moneytransfers made by the former prime minister,but declined to divulge details about benefici-aries.

According to sources, the ambassadorswho represent Kuwait in London, New Yorkand Geneva separately explained the mecha-nism by which their respective embassiesspend cash received from the ForeignMinistry. The ambassadors reportedly statedthat they were merely “following orders,” andthat they cannot take actions regarding trans-fers made from the Foreign Ministry unlessexplicitly instructed by the Ministry.

The panel will summon the ambassadorsfor further investigations “after committeemembers felt that their answers were incom-plete,” said sources who spoke to Al-Qabas oncondition of anonymity. The case, exposed byoppositionist MP Musallam Al-Barrak lastSeptember, accuses former premier SheikhNasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah of transfer-ring millions of dinars from public funds toprivate foreign bank accounts.

Meanwhile, a source indicated that one ofthe ambassadors was “falsely accused of com-mitting a financial crime and threatened withimprisonment” while making his testimony.“The ambassador had to remind the commit-tee that he was summoned as a witness, not asuspect when accused of misusing publicfunds,” said the source who preferred to keephis identity anonymous.

Separately, the Parliament’s financial com-mittee agreed during Monday’s meeting toincrease the pension paid to retirees by KD100, said rapporteur Ahmad Lari. This increasewould be part of a pay raise made to publicsector employees as proposed by the govern-ment. Meanwhile, MP Marzouq Al-Ghanim,Head of the financial committee said that astudy jointly prepared with the legislativecommittee for public sector demands will beprepared before the three-month deadlineissued late last month, reported Al-Qabas.

On Monday, a team from the IslamicConstitutional Movement met with HisHighness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-AhmadAl-Sabah to talk about the latest develop-ments in the local, regional and international

scenes. ICM Secretary General Nasser Al-Sanea told Al-Rai that the meeting was con-vened as per the ICM’s request “to communi-cate with HH the Amir who is experiencedand can provide good assessment of the pres-ent situations.”

In another development, several MPs com-mented on recent news reports about thearrest of two suspects involved in a majorgold theft, especially regarding reports thatother suspects escaped the country with thebooty.

“Security and customs officers did not actproactively to prevent smuggling,” said MPOsama Al-Munawer. He rejected the sugges-tion that police aided smuggling. Meanwhile,MP Mohammad Al-Dallal announced that hewill soon query the relevant minister. In themeantime, senior security officials told Al-Raithat the suspects who fled the country didnot carry any of the stolen gold with them.The insiders, who spoke on condition ofanonymity, also revealed that one of thedetainees confessed to robbing a jewelryshop in Kuwait a couple of years ago, afterwhich they left the country, reported Al-Rai.

Ambassadors probed in cash transfer case

Only 10% of smuggled

drugs detected

lo c a lWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

KUWAIT: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed yesterdaybetween Center for Child Evaluation and Teaching (CCET) and KuwaitInstitute for Scientific Research (KISR) to encourage mutual cooperationby sharing expertise in scientific research and Information Technology tohelp individuals with learning difficulties. Abdul Mohsen Abdullah Al-Sharhan, Chairman of CCET signed the MoU with General Director ofKISR Dr Naji Al-Mutairi. The CCET will develop scientific cooperation withKISR in the field of computer programming to help students. KISR willprovide CCET with the latest developments in the field of learning dis-abilities to develop mutual partnership.

LUXOR: Ambassador Dr Rashid Al-Hamad, Luxor Governor Dr Izzet Saad and other officials at the ceremony in Al-Qurnah.

KUWAIT: An Arab woman was arrested inFarwaniya after investigations revealed shewas responsible for several house robberiesreported at her building. Investigations wereon for days after a number of residents report-ed that jewelry and cash were stolen fromtheir apartments by a thief who managed toget inside without breaking the front doorlock. Probe soon led to a female resident whoaccording to the complainants made sure tovisit her neighbors after she rented an apart-ment in the building a few months ago. Whensummoned for investigations, the suspecteventually confessed that she was responsiblefor the thefts. She explained that she was ableto enter the apartments using keys she wouldsteal during her first visit. Police also learnedthat the suspect made sure to console herneighbors following the thefts to drive awayall suspicions. She remains in custody pend-ing legal procedures.

Serviceman vs. PolicemanA military man was arrested after he initiat-

ed a fight with a police officer in Salwa recent-ly. According to a security source, the attackerconfronted the policeman after the latterlooked at him in a way the military mandeemed offensive. He reportedly attacked the

officer with pepper spray before the twofought. The fight was broken up by policewho arrived minutes after multiple emer-gency calls were made. The two were taken tothe area’s police station where the militaryman was charged with battery and use of abanned substance.

Returning deportee A man was arrested in Farwaniya after

investigations revealed that he managed tore-enter Kuwait in 2009 after being deportedthree years ago. Search for the Pakistani manwas underway after police received informa-tion about the case. Following his arrest, theman admitted using a forged passport tobypass his banishment and re-enter the coun-try. He is currently in custody pending depor-tation procedures.

Infant abandonedSearch is currently ongoing for two Asian

women who left an infant at a photographyshop in Farwaniya and escaped. The 10-month-old baby was reportedly carried byone of the women who stayed for a while atthe shop before exiting. Workers noticed thatthe child was left behind moments after thewomen went out. They tried to catch them

but they were quick to catch a taxi and driveaway. The workers then called the police whoarrived and took care of the child.

Investigations onInvestigations are currently ongoing to

determine the cause of death of a senior citi-zen whose body was recently found at hishouse in Nugra. Criminal investigators report-edly noticed burn marks on the lower body ofthe 75-year-old victim, and found an electricheater nearby. The case was classified ashomicide as police suspect that foul play isinvolved.

Man charges uncles Sulaibikhat police are looking into a case

in which a man claims that two of his unclesattempted to kill him over a financial dispute.In his statement, the complainant explainedthat an altercation happened with his uncleswhen they were discussing the distribution ofhis deceased father’s inheritance. Accordingto his statement, the man says that his uncletied him up and drove to a remote locationwhere they attempted to kill him before hecould escape. Police are still trying to confirmthe complainant’s story.

— Al-Rai, Al-Watan, Al-Anbaa

Woman held for robbing neighbors in Farwaniya

10-month-old baby abandoned

BAGHDAD: Iraq should honor, as soonas possible, its international obligationstowards Kuwait which fall withinChapter VII of the UN Charter, UNSecretary General Ban Ki-moon said yes-terday.

He asserted that the United Nations iscommitted to offering assistance to helpIraq meet its obligations towards Kuwait,and that his special representative inBaghdad is ready to help both Baghdadand Kuwait reach common grounds overall outstanding issues.

“I feel optimistic because Iraq andKuwait are still committed to the nor-malization of relations and to solving alloutstanding issues,” Ki-moon said in areport distributed by the UN AssistanceMission in Iraq (UNAMI). The report wasissued in compliance with UN resolution2001 of 2011.

Ki-moon welcomed Iraqi PrimeMinister Nouri Al-Maliki’s recent visit toKuwait, during which both sides dis-cussed how Iraq should honor itsremaining obligations towards Kuwait,

like maintaining border signs, returningnational archives and identifying thewhereabouts of missing Kuwaitis.

The meeting of the Kuwait-Iraq com-mittee this month was “an importantopportunity” to address all sticky issuesand to ensure appropriate implementa-tion of the agreements, Ki-moon said.

“Iraq’s decisive steps to honor allremaining obligations in line with therelevant UN Security Council resolutionsare necessary to guarantee the return ofIraq” to the international fold, said Ki-moon.

Ki-moon’s representative in Baghdad,Martin Kobler, is ready to help Iraq andKuwait reach a compromise in theirthorny matters, he added.

Despite Al-Maliki’s positive visit toKuwait, Iraq “still needs to implement, assoon as possible, what has been waitingfor decades to be implemented towardsKuwait in line with Chapter VII, andthese obligations include UNSC resolu-tions related to the maintenance of Iraq-Kuwait border signs.”—KUNA

Iraq must honor obligationstowards Kuwait: UN chief

KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) isoffering its customers ‘Travel Safe’ insur-ance package in cooperation with Al AhleiaInsurance Company.

NBK travel insurance includes accidentaldeath and disability, accident and sicknessmedical expenses (in- and out- patient),dental expenses, flight and luggage delay,insurance certificate for Schengen visa,medical prescriptions and personal liability.

“NBK’s Travel Safe addresses a wide arrayof travelers’ needs providing policyholdersincreased coverage at highly competitiverates through its alliance with Al AhleiaInsurance Co. NBK customers can apply forand obtain their policy instantly at any ofNBK’s branches in Kuwait. In addition, poli-cyholders can receive the required insur-ance certificate for their Schengen visafrom Al Ahleia Insurance Co. virtually hasslefree when presenting their NBK Travel Safepolicy,” stated NBK Assistant GeneralManager, Consumer Banking Group,Ahmad Al-Khader.

“The coming months are peak traveltimes. In their excitement to travel, peopleoften forget the importance of getting trav-el insurance to guard against an unexpect-ed injury or illness or even a delayed flightor lost luggage, all of which can be anunpleasant and expensive experience,”added Al-Khader.

NBK highlights the importance of ensur-ing that customers check their passportsand required travel documents are in orderbefore embarking on their holidays. NBKtravel insurance is received instantly by vis-iting the nearest NBK branch. For moreinformation, log onto www.nbk.com orcontact Hala Watani on 1801801.

NBK offers ‘TravelSafe’ insurance

Ahmad Al-Khader

KUWAIT: EQUATE PetrochemicalCompany said that its annual sales tolocal Kuwaiti plastic manufacturers haveincreased by over 300 percent during1998 to 2011.

During EQUATE’s Annual LocalCustomers Gathering, EQUATE President& CEO Mohammad Husain said “Localcustomers have EQUATE’s unwaveringcommitment and dedication to ensurethe success of their endeavours to reflectEQUATE’s tagline of ‘Partners in Success’”.Husain noted “The plastic conversionindustry is projected to have greatprospects if it is positioned properlywithin the value-chain and optimized itsoperations to be more export oriented.”

Polyethylene Business DirectorMuayad Al-Faresi said, “Throughout 1998to 2011, the volume of local sales hasincreased from 11,000 Metric TonsAnnually (MTA) to over 40,000 MTA in2011 with a value of over $30 million,”lauding the overall cooperation and busi-ness growth with local customers.

Al-Faresi said, “As you play a criticalrole in Kuwait’s overall sustainability andindustrial growth, EQUATE has specialinterest in local customers by extendingall necessary support to ensure thedevelopment of Kuwaiti downstream

industries for an even brighter future andsustainable growth.” As part of the event,EQUATE presented attendees with a mar-ket overview of the petrochemical indus-try’s trends and developments. Hostingover 30 local customers, the gatheringwas also attended by senior members ofEQUATE management.

EQUATE hosts annual local customers event

KUWAIT: Mohammad Husainaddressing the meeting.

JEDDAH: Kuwait’s Ministry ofAwqaf and Islamic Affairs’Undersecretary Adel Al-Falahpraised yesterday, efforts exertedby Saudi government to serve pil-grims this year, doing their bestfor the success of the Hajj season.He met with Hatem bin HasanQadhi Undersecretary of HajjAffairs at the Saudi Ministry of

Hajj, discussing preparationsmade to embark on a pilgrimagethis year, and the facilities offeredto pilgrims.

Qadhi hailed the organizedmeasures taken by the KuwaitiHajj mission, and affiliated mis-sions, in addition to abiding byinstructions and cooperationwith Saudi-specialized bodies.

Saudi authorities stressed onthe importance of seeking per-mission to perform the pilgrim-age rituals, Al-Falah said.

This permission cannot beduplicated, while the Saudiauthorities have accorded strictpunishment pilgrims who violatethe rules, with the possibility ofimposing a tenfold increase in

fines. Al-Falah later met the chair-man of Faisal Nouh, Arab PilgrimsGuides Foundation to discuss Hajjseason preparations. He empha-sized importance of coordinatingwith the Saudi authorities forspreading awareness betweenpilgrims on safety measures,health tips, besides other mat-ters.— KUNA

Kuwait praises Saudi services offered to pilgrims

KUALA LUMPUR: Omar Suleiman Al-Qenai,Kuwaiti Consul General in Vietnam, held talksin Ho Chi Minh City yesterday with Le HoangQuan, Chairman of the People’s Committeeof the City, on enhancing cooperationbetween the two states.

The meeting was intended to boost rela-tions with top officials in Ho Chi Minh City,Al-Qenai said. Al-Qenai expressed satisfac-tion at serving in Ho Chi Min city, which haswitnessed growth and advancement in thefields of economy and investment.

He also affirmed strengthening bilateralrelations with Vietnam, and particularly in allareas in Ho Chi Minh city, such as economic,trade and investment. The Chairman of thePeople’s Committee asserted his support toease the work of the Kuwaiti consul. — KUNA

Kuwait, Vietnam discuss boosting relations

LUXOR: Kuwaiti ambassador inCairo Dr Rashid Al-Hamad andLuxor Governor Dr Izzet Saadlaid the corner stone for aplanned medical center in thetown of Al-Qurnah in theprovince, named after the emi-nent Kuwait i phi lanthropist ,Abdullah Abdul-Latif Al-Othman.

Dr Al-Hamad, in a statementhe made at the ceremony forlaying the foundation stone, saidthis project was launched, aspart of a program, prepared by

the Kuwaiti bureau for charita-ble ventures in Cairo-includingseveral philanthropic projectslaunched in the countr y thisyear.

It is the latest of a chain ofKuwaiti ventures that have beenexecuted in several villages andtowns in the Egyptian provinces,amounting to 430 — launchedover the past years.

The Kuwaiti charitable activi-ties are, partially, intended todemonstrate the Gulf stateappreciation for the pioneering

role of the nation on the Araband Islamic arenas, and affirmthe solid and distinctive tiesbounding the brotherly peoplesof the two countries, the diplo-mat said.

For his par t , Adnan Al-Othman, son of the late Abdul-Latif Al-Othman, said the newproject would be followed withother charitable ventures, to beorganized by Al-Othman CharityAssociation in Egypt.

The venture, projected to costa total of $one mil l ion, wil l

include specialized clinics and adialysis ward of eight units.

Al-Othman association is dueto sponsor several other identi-cal projects in Egypt, Lebanon,Syria, Iraq, Morocco and Yemen,he said, indicating that theseventures would be, mostly, inthe health sector.

The late Al-Othman seniorwas a well-known supporter ofEgypt. He was honored by thelate president, Jamal Abdul-Nasser, with the f irst-degreestate medal of honor. —KUNA

Corner stone for Kuwaitifunded venture laid in Luxor

Latin America bleeds from drug curse

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

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Flights rerouted as N Korea readies rocket

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Clashes leave 133 dead in YemenYemeni troops, Qaeda battle in restive south

SANAA: Yemeni gunmen oversee the dismantling of barricades erected during recent tribal clashes in Sanaa.— AFP

ADEN: At least 133 people were killed in48 hours of clashes pitting Yemeni soldiersbacked by tribesmen against Al-Qaedamilitants, officials said yesterday, as theextremists vowed to retake a strategictown. At least 124 people were killed inbattles in the southern town of Loder inAbyan province, sparked when militantslinked to Al-Qaeda raided an army bar-racks there on Monday. “One hundred andtwenty-four people were killed in twodays” of clashes around the city of Loderwhich is besieged by Al-Qaeda, said a mili-tary official.

The toll, which was confirmed by tribalsources, comprised 102 Al-Qaeda mili-tants-among them 12 Somalis and manySaudis — 14 soldiers, and eight tribesmenfighting alongside the army. Twenty-eightof the militants and two armed civilianswere killed yesterday, while the rest diedon Monday. A government official inLoder said yesterday that Al-Qaeda mili-tants have surrounded the area in prepa-ration for the complete takeover of thetown. “Al Qaeda has distributed state-ments throughout the town saying that itis determined to take control of Loder,”said the official who requested anonymity.

Loder is located some 150 kilometersnortheast of Zinjibar, the Abyan provincial

capital which the Al-Qaeda-linked self-proclaimed Partisans of Sharia (Islamiclaw) militants overran in May last year. Al-Qaeda briefly seized Loder in August 2010before being driven out by the army. Atribal source had said that the militantswanted to retake it because of its strategiclocation between Shabwa, Bayda andLahij provinces where Al-Qaeda in theArabian Peninsula (AQAP) is also active.Monday’s attack followed a series of airstrikes that killed 24 suspected Al-Qaedamilitants in their southern and easternstrongholds.

In a fresh Al-Qaeda assault yesterday,the militants killed nine soldiers in anattack on a makeshift military post on adesert road in the country’s mostly lawlesseastern provinces, a security official said.“Al-Qaeda militants attacked a militaryposition on the road between Hadramawtand Marib province,” the official saidrequesting anonymity, adding that “ninesoldiers were killed” in the assault. He saidat least eight other soldiers were wound-ed. Al-Qaeda gunmen attacked the sol-diers just after dawn with “automaticweapons,” the official added. The UnitedStates considers the Yemen-based AQAPto be the most deadly and active branchof the global terror network.—AFP

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates yester-day detained six Islamists whose citizen-ship had been revoked for alleged links togroups that fund terrorists, their lawyersaid. The six men “were summoned by theinterior ministry and told that they havetwo weeks to get new nationality andlegalize” their presence in the country,Mohammed Al-Roken said. “They refusedbecause this would be an impossible taskand because they will always considerthemselves UAE nationals,” Roken added.

The lawyer said the men were currentlybeing held in Shahama prison, near thecapital Abu Dhabi. An immigration officialquoted in Al-Khaleej newspaper said thatthe six were put in custody because theyhad “refused to legalize their status.”Colonel Ahmed Al-Khader told the dailythey had violated UAE law by failing to signa document pledging to acquire new citi-zenship within a government-set timeframe of two weeks. The UAE revoked theIslamists’ citizenship in December last yearfor allegedly threatening the Gulf state’ssecurity and safety, a rare move for the emi-rate.

At the time, the UAE said the six natural-ized citizens were being stripped of theirnationality because they “had perpetrated...acts threatening the national security ofthe UAE through their connection with sus-picious regional and international organi-zations and personalities.” They said someof the organizations were linked to entitiesmentioned in UN lists to combat terrorist

financing. The six had originally carried thenationalities of other countries and werenaturalized between 1976 and 1986. All ofthem have identified themselves as mem-bers of the UAE’s Reform and SocialGuidance Association, which is linked tothe Muslim Brotherhood.

Some claimed to have signed a petitioncalling for political reforms which waslaunched by UAE intellectuals and activistsin March 2011. The UAE, a federation of sev-en emirates led by oil-rich Abu Dhabi, hasnot seen any popular protests calling forreform like those that have swept otherArab countries, including nearby Bahrainand Oman. The government however hasincreased its clampdown on voices of dis-sent and calls for democratic reform. Earlierthis month, Reporters Without Borders con-demned the UAE for the “arrests and trials”of online activists, saying the governmentwas “cracking down harder on bloggers...who criticize the regime.”

Their condemnation came after theauthorities shut down the offices of theGerman Konrad Adenauer Foundation inAbu Dhabi and the US National DemocraticInstitute in Dubai in late March. The gov-ernment said the two organizations wereclosed “because they violated license regu-lations.” Human Rights Watch accused thegovernment of shutting them downbecause of their “pro-democracy mandate,”saying that the closures were “part of alarger campaign against those demandingdemocratic change within the UAE.”— AFP

UAE detains 6 Islamists

News

Toddler survives eight-storey fall

SOFIA: A three-year-old girl survived aneight-storey fall from an apartment build-ing in Bulgaria without major injuries, hos-pital officials said yesterday. The Roma girl,named in the press as Poli Filipova, waschasing a ball when she fell from theeighth-floor terrace in the southern town ofPazardzhik. “It is a miracle. The toddler tum-bled down from balcony to balcony to final-ly end on soft soil. She only had a scratchon the head,” local hospital chief nurseElena Sluncheva said. The girl was held inhospital for surveillance and would returnto her family later, the official said. Only lastweek a 20-year-old woman sustained seri-ous spinal injuries when she tripped whilewashing windows and fell from the thirdfloor of the same building, Sluncheva said.

Britain can extradite radical cleric to US

STRASBOURG: Britain can extradite jailedradical Muslim preacher Abu Hamza andfive other alleged terrorists to the UnitedStates, the European Court of HumanRights ruled yesterday. The court found“there would be no violation of Article 3(prohibition of inhuman and degradingtreatment) of the European Convention onHuman Rights” if the six were extradited,but allowed a three-month stay for anappeal. The defendants had complainedthat conditions at the ADX supermax prisonin Florence, Colorado and possible multiplelife sentences they face would be grossly

disproportionate and amount to inhumanor degrading treatment. The court said in itsruling that Mustafa Kamal Mustafa, as AbuHamza is also known, and the five others-Babar Ahmad, Haroon Rashid Aswat, SyedTahla Ahsan, Adel Abdul Bary and KhaledAl-Fawwaz-could be extradited. It held that“conditions at ADX would not amount to ill-treatment”.

Anti-immigrant websiteBRUSSELS: A Flemish far-right partylaunched a website yesterday inviting peo-ple to report crimes committed by illegalimmigrants, mirroring a controversial initia-tive in the Netherlands. The website createdby Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) allowspeople to file anonymous tip-offs of socialsecurity fraud, work on the black marketand more serious crimes, a move anti-racism activists compared to Nazi tactics.Vlaams Belang leader Filip Dewinter saidthe website was needed because of thepresence of “tens of thousands of illegalimmigrants” in Belgian cities and the prob-lems stemming from them. The acts report-ed to the website, http://meldpuntille-galiteit.be, will be transferred to the police,said De Winter, whose Flemish nationalistparty regularly courts controversy with itsanti-Islam and anti-immigrant rhetoric.Jozef De Witte, director of the Centre forEquality and Struggle Against Racism, toldRadio 1 that the website is reminiscent ofmeasures taken by the Nazis in the 1930s orthe East German secret police during theCold War.

in brief

I N T E R N AT ION A LWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

BAGHDAD: Iraqis thought a better lifewas at hand when Saddam Hussein’sregime fell in April 2003, but after nineyears of violence and suffering, many arestill waiting for their dreams to be real-ized. Iraq still faces major shortages inbasic services such as electricity andwater, the UN says some 1.3 millionIraqis are internally displaced, andthough violence is down from its peak in2006-2007, attacks remain common.

On April 9, 2003, US forces used anarmored vehicle to pull down a giantstatue of Saddam in Al-Fardos Square incentral Baghdad-an image shownaround the world that became a symbolof the end of the dictator ’s regime.Today, only a metal support bar and aportion of one of the statue’s legs, towhich a dirty, fluttering Iraqi flag is tied,are visible atop a cylindrical base in thesquare.

The statue’s base is plastered withposters, including one celebrating theUS military’s withdrawal from Iraq at theend of last year that features a picture ofanti-US Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr,whose family opposed Saddam and whocommanded a militia that battled USforces. “April 9 was a historic day for

Iraqis,” said Hilal Sultan, a 54-year-oldwho changes money and sells mobilephone cards at a small stand in Al-Fardos

Square, who said he witnessed Saddam’sstatue being toppled. “The people cele-brated because we all believed theregime would change and there wouldbe freedoms” he said. Sultan recalled

how some Iraqis in the square broke intoapplause while others hit the statue ofSaddam with shoes and others cried.

“There were no freedoms under the for-mer regime,” Sultan said, noting that reli-gious pilgrimages to Shiite holy placesthat were prohibited under Saddamwere allowed after his fall. The fall of

Saddam, however, had its downsides.Violence that tore through Iraq as the USbattled insurgents, bomb attacks lefthuge numbers of civilians dead and thecountry descended into a bloody sectar-ian war. “For nine years, we have beenwatching the killings and explosions,”Sultan said. He also complained aboutsporadic electricity and water short-ages in the Sadr City area of Baghdad,where he lives. But ultimately “April 9represents happiness for Iraqis,” saidSultan. “Things are getting better.” “Wefelt the situation had changed andhoped it would be better; we felt morefree,” Bassam Hanna, a 35-year-old whoworks in a shop near Al-Fardos Square,said of April 9. “It was like a rebirth, andwe were celebrating.” Hanna, who saidhe was also in the square when thestatue was toppled, referred to defi-ciencies in services, but said the situa-tion in Iraq was generally better than itwas before.

But Hanna, a Christian, also hintedat the sectarian conflict that grippedthe countr y and drove many I raqiChristians abroad. He said his wish isthat “no one differentiates betweenChristians and Muslims, and between

Sunnis and Shiites. We are Iraqi; theChristian has a church and the Muslimhas a mosque -we are one.” UmmMohammed, a cleaner at a bank, alsobelieved nine years ago that life waschanging for the best in Iraq. “We saidthat from now on life will be good,” saidthe 50-year-old. “But we have not seenanything. They (politicians) are workingfor their own interests. We aren’t happy,and nothing is accomplished,” she com-plained.

Salam Hajj i Sabhan, 44, recal lswatching television coverage with hisfamily of the fall of Saddam’s regime inCanada, where he moved in 1996. “Wewere dancing. We were happy... anddreaming of a very nice future for ourchildren and our country,” he said dur-ing a recent visit to Baghdad. But thathope was not realized, and overthrow-ing Saddam was in hindsight a “big mis-take,” said Sabhan. “Saddam... was bet-ter than this government,” said the for-mer Iraqi police officer who is nowstudying for a master’s degree in crimi-nal justice. “Saddam was the biggestdictator, he was (a) very bad man. But itis not better now. There is no country,no security, no nothing.” he said.—AFP

Iraqis still wait for realization of 2003 dreams

BAGHDAD: An Iraqi worker fixes a switch linked to a generator which pro-vides electricity to a residential neighborhood in Baghdad during powercuts yesterday. — AFP

CAIRO: An Egyptian court yester-day halted a move to create a newconstitutional assembly pendinga ruling on its legality, challengingthe legitimacy of a body spurnedby liberal and Christian groupsbecause of its domination byIslamists. The injunction slappedon the decision by parliamentcould delay the introduction of aconstitution needed urgently toclarify the powers of Egypt’s newhead of state, due to take overfrom ruling generals by mid-year.

The government and parlia-ment had argued that the courthad no authority over the moveto form the constituent assembly.But Judge Ali Fekri said the court“rejected the argument that thecourt is not specialized and decid-ed to halt the decision” thatformed the assembly. He passedon the case’s documents to a judi-cial panel for a review. This case isone of several lawsuits that haddemanded the dissolution of theassembly because it did not rep-resent the diversity of Egyptiansociety.

Lawyer Khaled Abo Bakr saidthe court’s capacity to review thecase rested on whether parlia-ment’s step to form the assemblywas legally seen as an administra-tive decision. “This means theassembly’s activities are frozen; itis suspended until further notice,until the judicial panel convenes,”he said. Selected by parliament,the 100-member constitutionalassembly is composed mostly ofIslamists, who won the majority of

seats in Egypt’s first free parlia-mentary vote in decades. Only ahandful of seats were reserved foryouth groups, women and forChristian Copts, who said theyplan to boycott the assembly, fol-lowing the example of liberalgroups and the country’s highestSunni Islamic institution Al-Azhar,who all withdrew from the assem-bly. The case was brought by

lawyers and activists complainingthat the body appointed by theIslamist-led parliament to writethe constitution laying out theframework of laws and state insti-tutions fails to reflect the diversityof Egyptian society. The currentconstitution was suspended bythe army rulers in February lastyear, shortly after they took powerfrom Egypt’s long-serving auto-

cratic president, Hosni Mubarak,who was forced out by a popularuprising. The new document isexpected to include more free-doms and define rules for theauthorities including setting outthe terms of presidential power. Itcould also decide which institu-tion of state will effectively rulethe Arab world’s most populouscountry.— Reuters

Egypt court blocks creation of constitutional assemblyLiberals, Christians demand more representation

CAIRO: Egyptian Salafist presidential candidate Hazem Abu Ismail (center) is flanked by securityguards as hundreds of supporters approach him during a rally outside the State Council court inCairo yesterday. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia wil l nolonger allow indefinite detention with-out trial or detain people for their politi-cal beliefs under a new law presented inparliament yesterday. The legislationwould take the place of the InternalSecurity Act (ISA), which was used todetain a range of people including ter-ror suspects and dissidents for extendedperiods and was heavily criticized byrights groups. Prime Minister NajibRazak announced in September hewould scrap the colonial-era ISA in adrive to improve civil liberties in a coun-try long known for authoritarian rule.

Najib has been courting voters aheadof polls expected to be called soon andwhich will likely be a tight battle againsta resurgent opposition, which claimsthe government’s reform promises areinsincere. Najib said in a statement thatthe new law was a “careful balancingact... to protect national security andcombat terrorism at the same time asintroducing new safeguards for civil lib-erties”. “This is a historic day for Malaysiaand another major step forward on theroad to reform,” he said. Under the newSecurity Offences (Special Measures)Act, police can detain those deemed asecurity threat for a maximum of 28days, after which they must be releasedor charged, according to a copy of thelaw seen by AFP.

It also singles out offenders such asdocument forgers and those who “excitedisaffection” toward the countr y ’smonarchy as being subject to the samestipulations. It says the law cannot beused to punish people solely for theirpolitical beliefs or activities and guaran-tees detainees access to a legal counselafter 48 hours. The new law states, how-

ever, that if a person is acquitted by atrial court, the public prosecutor canapply for the person to remain in prisonuntil “all appeals are disposed of”. It alsoallows for wiretapping and electronicmonitoring of suspects. The law isexpected to be approved after a debatein parliament next week, owing to themajority held by Najib’s Barisan Nasionalcoalition government.

Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, chairman ofactivist group Movement to Abolish theISA, criticized the new legislation for stillallowing “arbitrary” detentions of thoseconsidered security threats. “It appearsto be another ISA... If a person is beingdetained for a security offence, whosedefinition (of security offence) is that?”he said. “Twenty-eight days is excessive.It is still a form of detention without tri-al. It is unacceptable,” he said. SyedIbrahim said his group estimated about30 people are currently held under theISA. Home Minister HishammuddinHussein declined to comment yesterdayon whether they would be released orcharged.

Opposition politicians and activistsalso complain that other laws such as asedition law have been used recentlyagainst government critics and remainon the books. Critics have slammedNajib’s reform pledges as ploys to gar-ner voter support after Barisan Nasionalsuffered its worst performance ever atthe last polls in 2008 amid corruption,high-handedness and other complaints.In November, the government intro-duced a new assembly law that bansstreet protest marches, which rightsgroups have said showed Najib was nottotally committed to lifting the shackleson free expression.— AFP

Malaysia to ease grip with new security lawGovt to end indefinite detention

KHARTOUM: Suddenly foreigners in a landthat had been their own, the sweatingSouth Sudanese crowded against the gatesof their new embassy yesterday, hoping tosqueeze inside for the papers to send themhome. Many like John Henry, 37, clutchedyellow airline tickets from MarslandAviation, but since Monday a ticket is nolonger enough to get from Khartoum toJuba, the capital of South Sudan whichbecame independent last July after Africa’slongest civil war. “I’m supposed to take offon Thursday,” but whether that will be pos-sible remained unclear, he said.

Airlines cancelled flights from Sudan tothe South starting on Monday, travelerssaid, after new rules treating the route asinternational took effect. The ending ofdomestic services to South Sudan came theday after a deadline for an estimated half amillion ethnic Southerners to return Southor formalize their status in the north.Sudan’s Aviation Authority said passengersheading to South Sudan must now havevisas. “Khartoum said, if you go to the air-port, present your visa,” said Henry, an eth-nic Southerner who spent years workingwith Sudan’s immigration police. Like otherSoutherners who belonged to Khartoum’scivil service, he lost his job before theSouth’s independence last July.

He said he is owed thousands of pounds(dollars) in severance pay but is not waitingany longer. “I’m going to my country,” hesaid. “I’m not welcome here anymore.”Emmanuel Waani, 32, said he had come tohelp his grandmother who stood abouteighth from the front in an orderly line ofwomen. To their left, a crowd of menpushed against the gate, beneath theSouth Sudanese flag. “She needs a visa,”Waani said, expecting the process would

be finished by early afternoon and hisgrandmother could be on her way South.Several Sudanese policemen calmly heldback the crowd, sweat beading on theirheads, as people entered and left one at atime. “We are foreigners,” said a preachersitting on a shady curb across from theembassy.

He said he had come to get a SouthSudanese identity card, which he wouldthen use to register his presence with theSudanese authorities. Those remaining inthe north need South Sudanese docu-ments in order to formalize their presencein the north. For the preacher, that is just atemporary measure until he can go South.After 25 years in Sudan, he said he does notwish to stay anymore. “No, no, no,” he said.Some who can afford it have already goneto South Sudan for passports and returned,while others are now turning to theembassy for their documents.

Two students, Nguen Nyuong, 25, andPeter Nger, 28, said they did not have themoney, almost 300 pounds ($60), to affordthe new South Sudanese passports thatthey needed. “This is a must, because youare a foreigner,” Nger said. Money, ratherthan documentation, was foremost in themind of William Makuei Deng, 46. He car-ried a letter to the United Nations refugeeagency, saying he had been fired withoutpay from his job as a union leader at asugar factory prior to independence.Deng, his wife and eight children are liv-ing on the street at a local market, alongwith 50 other families, he said. The lettersaid he had no money to take his familySouth, “and that is why I am seeking finan-cial assistance.” He hoped the embassycould help. “I want to tell what has hap-pened to me,” Deng said.— AFP

South Sudan ‘foreigners’ seek exit from Khartoum

KHARTOUM: People line up outside the embassy ofthe newly-independent South Sudan, in Khartoumyesterday, two days after a deadline expired for anestimated half a million ethnic Southerners to returnSouth or formalize their status in the north. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Foreign ministers of theGroup of Eight (G8) major economies willmeet this week in Washington to tacklepressing regional and global security issueslike Syria, Iran and North Korea. USSecretary of State Hillary Clinton’s expectedtalks with her Russian counterpart SergeiLavrov on the margins of the G8 meetingstoday and tomorrow could prove especiallyimportant as Russia plays a key role on allthree issues. State Department spokes-woman Victoria Nuland did not confirm themeeting with Lavrov, but said Clintonwould have four bilateral ministerial meet-ings during the G8 talks as the violence inSyria continued unabated.

“I’m sure that Syria will be a subject ofdiscussion here too,” Nuland said after sheand other US officials said they saw nosigns that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assadwill implement a UN-brokered ceasefire hehas agreed to. The Group of Eight compris-es not just the United States and Russia butalso Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy,and Japan. Like the other G8 capitals,Moscow has backed the ceasefire plan pre-sented by Annan, the United Nations andArab League envoy, but it puts far moreweight on the Syrian opposition to stopthe violence and has vetoed UN resolutionscondemning Assad.

Syria is a traditional Russian military ally.Under the peace plan, Syria’s armed forcesare supposed to withdraw from protestcenters yesterday, with a complete end tofighting set for 48 hours later. But the truceappeared in jeopardy after Damascus saidSunday it would only meet its side of thebargain if rebels first handed over writtenguarantees to stop fighting, a demandrejected by rebel army chief Colonel RiyadhAl-Asaad. With events building to a climax,“Syria is going to take up a lot of air time,”

particularly in the bilateral meetings,according to Bruce Jones, a BrookingsInstitution analyst.

State Department officials also toldreporters that Iran’s nuclear ambitions willcome up. The United States, Russia, China,Britain, France and Germany are to meetwith Iran in Istanbul on April 14, afterClinton recently warned the window forending the atomic showdown peacefullywill “not remain open forever.” The first suchglobal talks for more than a year are setagainst the backdrop of Iran’s failure toallay Western suspicions that its uraniumenrichment program masks a drive to buildatomic weapons.

Tehran insists its program is entirelypeaceful. The G8 foreign ministers will alsotackle concerns over North Korea’s plannedlaunch of a rocket which Pyongyang says isaimed at putting a satellite into orbit butmuch of the rest of the world fears is a dis-guised missile test. The launch is expectedbetween April 12-16. G8 members theUnited States, Russia and Japan take part inthe troubled six-party nuclear disarma-ment talks which also involve South Korea,North Korea and China. The planned rocketlaunch has undercut a recent deal in whichNorth Korea agreed to a partial suspensionof its nuclear activities in return for massivefood aid.

In Tokyo, Japanese Foreign MinisterKoichiro Gemba said he would press for theG8 foreign ministers to speak out on NorthKorea. “This meeting will take place rightbefore or during the period of the missilelaunch announced by North Korea. I wouldlike to cooperate closely with each G8country to demonstrate the strong resolveof the G8 toward urging North Korea toexercise self-restraint,” Gemba toldreporters. —AFP

G8 FMs to tackle Iran,Syria and North Korea

I N T E R N AT ION A LWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

BAMAKO: The head of Mali’s military juntamade it clear yesterday that he would have apowerful say over how the country is run inthe weeks ahead, and does not want foreignforces helping reclaim the country’s northfrom rebels who declared independence. Intelevised comments, Capt Amadou Sanogosaid he is asking Mali’s partners for equipmentand logistical help. The West African regionalbloc known as ECOWAS has been preparing aforce of up to 3,000 soldiers to be deployed inMali to help win back the regions under rebelcontrol.

The comments come just days afterSanogo signed an agreement with ECOWASthat is supposed to return Mali to constitu-tional rule, and a new civilian president is dueto be sworn in this week. Sanogo, though,said Monday that he would decide withECOWAS how the country would be run afterthe 40 days usually set out in the country’sconstitution for a transition of power. “It wasvery clear in the framework agreement thatafter 40 days we would sit down with ECOW-AS to decide on another team to lead thetransition,” Sanogo said.

Under Mali’s constitution, it is the presidentof the national assembly who takes over for amaximum period of 40 days until electionscan be organized after the presidencybecomes vacant. However, the agreementsigned on Friday said that the 40-day limitwould be impossible to stick to given thecountry’s political crisis. Tuareg rebels nowcontrol the northern half of Mali, and one fac-

tion of the rebels declared the zone inde-pendent last week. Mali’s ousted PresidentAmadou Toumani Toure officially resigned onSunday after spending more than more thantwo weeks in hiding after the presidentialpalace was attacked by soldiers on March 21.

He had been due to stand down soon any-way because he was reaching the end of histwo-term maximum. The president of Mali’snational assembly, Dioncounda Traore, is dueto be sworn in as president today, accordingto his chief of staff, Issa Togo. “Is it ideal tohave to broker a deal where the presidentsteps down and you have to have a interimpresident until elections? Of course it’s notideal. But it does mark a very importantrestoration of civilian rule, without which wedidn’t think Mali was going to be able tomove forward,” US State Department spokes-woman Victoria Nuland said Monday.

Soldiers at the military base that hasserved as the de facto seat of Mali’s govern-ment since the coup have said privately thatthey were not happy with their leader’s deci-sion to bow to pressure and hand back powerto civilians.

And throughout the city, soldiers still con-trol strategic points, including a checkpoint atthe airport and several checkpoints outsidethe state television station. The coup beganwhen the soldiers grabbed control of the statebroadcaster, using it to disseminate their mes-sage. Another complicating factor is that thehead of the national assembly, DioncoundaTraore, who is now supposed to become inter-

im leader, is considered a divisive figure. It’sunclear if he has the backing to hold the coun-try together during a tough transition, leadingto new elections.

The soldiers who grabbed power claimedthey did so because of President Toure’s mis-handling of a rebellion in the north, whichbegan in January. Toure’s popularity took anosedive because of his lack of assertivenessin the face of the mounting attacks, whichinflicted large casualties on Mali’s ill-equippedarmy. After Toure was forced from power, theTuareg rebels succeeded in taking the threelargest towns in the north. Kidal, Gao andTimbuktu all fell last weekend. The UN SecurityCouncil said in a statement late Monday thatthe country’s “sovereignty, unity and territorialintegrity” must be upheld.

Security Council members “demand animmediate cessation of hostilities in the northof Mali by rebel groups and acknowledge theefforts of ECOWAS to explore options torestore peace and security in Mali,” the state-ment said. The loss of the northern half of thecountry, an area larger than France, hasplunged Mali into crisis.

The fighters are divided between a seculargroup and an Islamist faction that wants toimpose Shariah law in Mali’s moderate north.It’s unclear which of the factions has the upperhand, though increasingly it appears thatAnsar Dine, the Islamist group, has greatersway, including in Timbuktu, where they con-trol the city, whereas the secular group is rele-gated to the airport. — AP

OSLO: Anders Behring Breivik, who killed77 people in Norway last July, was notpsychotic at the time of the twin attacksand can thus be held criminally responsi-ble, a new psychiatric probe concludedyesterday. The report, which wasreleased only six days before Breivik isdue to go on trial, will reopen the debateon whether the self-confessed killer canbe sent to prison or instead be held in asecure psychiatric unit.

“The experts’ main conclusion is thatthe accused, Anders Behring Breivik, isnot considered to have been psychotic atthe time of the actions on July 22, 2011,”the Oslo district court said in a state-ment. “That means that he is consideredcriminally responsible at the time of thecrime.” The new evaluation counters thefindings of an initial probe that found the33-year-old right-wing extremist was suf-fering from “paranoid schizophrenia,”which meant he would most likely besentenced to psychiatric care instead ofprison.

On July 22, Breivik first set off a carbomb outside government buildings inOslo, killing eight people. He then trav-elled to the small island of Utoeya north-west of the capital where, dressed as apolice officer, he then spent more thanan hour methodically shooting andkilling another 69 people. Most of thevictims on Utoeya were teenagersattending a summer camp hosted by theruling Labor Party’s youth organization.“There is a high risk of repeated violentactions,” experts Agnar Aspaas and TerjeToerrissen said in the court statement.

Toerrissen told reporters gathered atthe Oslo court that the pair had had “asmuch, if not more material” as their col-leagues who had reached the oppositeconclusion about Breivik’s mental state.“We are as sure (of our conclusion) as it ispossible to be,” he added. Their lengthyreport is based on 11 interviews with theaccused, three weeks of permanentobservation and the police interrogationtranscripts. The conclusions of the sec-ond psychiatric evaluation, which wasordered by an Oslo court amid an outcryover the initial exam findings, were pub-lished less than a week before the April16 start date of Breivik’s trial.

In the end however, it will be up to theOslo court judges to determine his men-tal state when they publish their verdictaround mid-July, thus deciding whetherhe will be locked up in a closed psychi-atric ward, possibly for life, or sent toprison. Norway has a maximum limit of21 years behind bars, but Breivik couldstill face life in prison due to a specialprovision that allows for extensions of histerm for as long as he is considered adanger to society.

Ironically, the new expert conclusionshould be welcomed by his defense,which upon his request aims to prove heis sane and criminally responsible.Breivik, who has said being sent to a psy-chiatric ward would be “worse thandeath”, wants to be declared sane,according to his lawyers, so as not todamage the political message presentedin his 1,500-page manifesto publishedonline shortly before the attacks. — AFP

BELFAST: Police in NorthernIreland arrested six men inLondonderry after a group of Irishmilitant nationalists threatenedrenewed armed attacks on lawenforcement during a ceremonyattended by hundreds at a citygraveyard.

A man wearing a balaclavasaid Oglaigh na hEireann, alsoknown as the Real IRA, would“continue to attack Crown Forcepersonnel, their installations, as

well as British interests and infra-structure,” in footage broadcastby television station UTV.

Around 300 nationalistsattended the wreath-laying cere-mony to mark the anniversary ofthe 1916 Easter Rising in Dublinagainst British rule. A number ofsupporters applauded thespeech. A 1998 peace agreementlargely ended over three decadesof violence between Catholic Irishnationalists, who wanted a united

Ireland, and predominantlyProtestant Loyalists who wantedthe province to remain British.

But dissident Irish nationalists,including the Real IRA, opposedto the deal and seeking a unitedIreland fight on with sporadicgun and bomb attacks whichhave intensified in the past cou-ple of years.

The Real IRA is an offshoot ofthe Provisional Irish RepublicanArmy, which was disbanded after

the 1998 peace deal. The PoliceService of Northern Irelandwatched the ceremony from ahelicopter which hovered aboveand officers waited until after thecrowd had dispersed to arrest themen. Police on Friday said a “sig-nificant” bomb was found nearthe main Dublin-to-Belfastmotorway and that investigatorsbelieved the attack may havebeen carried out by dissident Irishnationalists. — Reuters

Malian military juntarejects foreign forces

National Assembly president to be sworn in as president

Militant Irish nationalists renew threats, 6 arrested

Norwegian right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik

Norway gunman ‘sane’

I N T E R N AT ION A LWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

SAN PEDRO SULA: Here in the mostviolent city in the world’s deadliestcountry, gangs settle scores withgrenades and AK-47s, hitmen strike inbroad daylight and police demandextortion payments. A homicide isreported every 74 minutes inHonduras, which has a population ofeight million, and experts directly linkthe violence and corruption plaguingboth the country and the region todrug trafficking. Ninety percent of thecocaine sold in the United States pass-es through Central America, either enroute to the US-Mexico border or des-tined to be smuggled by sea, accord-ing to US figures.

US General Douglas Fraser, head ofthe US Southern Command, howeverhas said that only a third of the drugsthat reach Central America and Mexicoare stopped before entering theUnited States. Leaders from theAmericas-who will head to Colombiafor a regional summit this weekend-are well aware of the drug violencethat has become endemic, and aresearching for new ways to control thescourge. Cocaine, the illegal narcoticextracted from coca-native to SouthAmerica-leaves a trail of destructionacross the region.

Honduras has a homicide rate of 86per 100,000 people, according to aUnited Nations study, and San PedroSula-located near the Atlantic coastand close to the border withGuatemala-lies on a key drug traffick-ing route. Security forces in Honduras,

as in most of Latin America, are out-manned and outgunned by druggangs, who move their shipments onprivate airplanes, speed boats, andeven submersibles known as “narco-subs.” Honduras is not alone: in tiny ElSalvador, there are 66 homicides per100,000 residents, and in Guatemala,the rate is 41.4 per 100,000.

Some regional leaders are advocat-ing the decriminalization of drugs todampen the violence. In February,Guatemalan President Otto Perez saidthat Central American leaders shouldforge a common policy on the issue.Colombian President Juan ManuelSantos, a key regional US ally, said hewould consider decriminalization ifthere were a broad consensus. The USgovernment however opposes such amove, and recently sent Vice PresidentJoe Biden to Central America to talkleaders out of the idea.

Washington has long funded anti-narcotics operations in Latin America,most notably through the PlanColombia-more than $6 billion since2000 - and the $1.6 billion MeridaInitiative, signed in 2008, which coversMexico and Central America.Washington points to successes in thewar on drugs, including the destruc-tion of Colombia’s powerful Medellinand Cali cartels. But those relative vic-tories did not stop the flow of drugs.Today in Cali, small and mid-sized druggangs thrive, and in the nearby Caucavalley, leftist guerrillas, right-wingparamilitary fighters and criminal

gangs are all involved in the drugstrade.

Experts say the demise of theColombian cartels only led to thegrowth of the Mexican syndicates.“Now the Mexicans have the key topassage to the United States and setthe price on cocaine,” said ColombianAlfredo Rangel, who heads a think-

tank focusing on democracy and secu-rity. “The violence is over the divisionof fewer resources.” In Mexico, morethan 50,000 people have been killedsince President Felipe Calderonlaunched a US-supported crackdownon drug trafficking in 2006. Most of

those people were killed in turf warsamong the competing cartels.

There have been important victo-ries in Mexico, including high-levelarrests and the crippling of the once-powerful Tijuana drug cartel. ButMexico’s other cartels appear as strongas ever-so much so that the Zetas,founded by ex-anti-drug commandos,

have formed alliances with CentralAmerican drug gangs like the MaraSalvatrucha, which extends its reachinto Los Angeles and other major UScities. Even more worrying is the factthat regional drug cartels, who some-times pay their workers with cocaine,

have broadened their market beyondthe United States and Europe and arecreating a whole new generation ofaddicts in Latin America.

In Brazil, which recently passedBritain to become the world’s sixthbiggest economy, poor youths addict-ed to crack cocaine fight for their fix insqualid shanty towns across the coun-try. In the northeastern city of Maceio,where tourists enjoy the beacheslargely undisturbed, drug addicts inthe city’s shanty towns-known here asfavelas-are killing each other at analarming rate. While the homicide ratein Brazil is 26.2 per 100,000, in Maceio,it is 109.9 per 100,000. “In seven years Ilost five sons, k illed by their ownfriends,” said Severino Lopez, a 59-year-old candy vendor. “They boughtdrugs, did not pay their debts anddied. The youngest was 18 and theoldest was 23.”

“Cocaine consumption has general-ized across nearly all of Latin Americaand the Caribbean,” said FranciscoCumsille, who works in anOrganization of American States officethat monitors drug abuse. “This is nota drug that is exported only to thenorth.” According to the group, half ofthe world’s cocaine consumers live inthe Western Hemisphere. Surprisingly,drugs play only a small role inVenezuela, another Latin Americancountry with a soaring homicide rate(67 per 100,000 residents). Most ofthose murders are linked to commoncrime and revenge attacks. — AFP

Latin America bleeds from drug curse

VALLE DEL CAUCA: A boy stares at the body of an unidentified man found inthe Cauca river in Cali, Valle del Cauca department, Colombia. — AFP

CARACAS: A Costa Rican kidnapped duringthe weekend in the latest attack on foreigndiplomats in Venezuela has been freed and isin good health, the government said yester-day. “Thanks to police investigation and pres-sure, we achieved the liberation of the CostaRican diplomat,” Venezuelan Interior MinisterTareck El Aissami said on Twitter. He promisedfull details of the operation later in the day.Guillermo Cholele, a trade attache at the CostaRican Embassy in Caracas, was seized onSunday night as he returned to his home in LaUrbina, a middle-class neighborhood in theeastern part of the capital. “He is in goodphysical state, under police protection enroute to meet up with his family,” El Aissamisaid.

Various diplomats stationed in Venezuelahave been victims of robberies and “express”kidnappings - usually short abductions moti-vated by money - in recent months. One con-sul’s daughter was shot dead at a police road-block. Local media said Cholele was 55 andhad lived in Venezuela with his wife and twochildren for the past six years. His abductorshad demanded a ransom, according to CostaRica, but it was unclear if anything was paid.Murders, armed robberies and abductions arerife in Venezuela, which has huge oil wealthalongside deep poverty. Mexico’s ambassadorand his wife were briefly kidnapped in Januaryand last year a consul from Chile was shot andbeaten in Caracas during an abduction thatlasted several hours.

POLITICIZED CRIMEA diplomat from Belarus also was kid-

napped last year. Last month, the teenagedaughter of a Chilean diplomat was shot deadby police after the car she was in failed to stopat a roadblock in the western city ofMaracaibo. Venezuelan’s favorite sport has alsobeen hit. US Major League Baseball playerWilson Ramos of the Washington Nationalswas kidnapped while visiting his parents last

November. He was held in the mountains fortwo days before being rescued by securityforces.

The country’s opposition, which hopes totopple President Hugo Chavez in the Oct 7election and end his 13 years in power, says hisgovernment only shows any urgency in itsfight against crime when foreign or high-pro-

file victims are involved. Seeking to counterthat impression, Chavez’s socialist administra-tion launched two new organizations to com-bat criminality just last week. While votersappear not to hold the president personallyresponsible for one of the world’s highestcrime rates, his government is under growingpressure - and the latest incident quickly

became politicized. Some Chavez supporterssuggest the violence against diplomats may bean opposition plot to discredit the governmentand tarnish the achievements of his self-styledrevolution. Diosdado Cabello, the NationalAssembly boss and a staunch ally of the presi-dent, said he hoped the recent attacks werejust a coincidence and nothing more sinister,

while pro-Chavez talk show host Mario Silvasaid the opposition was following the violentplaybook of a brief coup against Chavez adecade ago. “What better way to show theinternational community that Venezuela does-n’t even have the capacity to protect diplo-mats?” Silva said on Monday night. “They’re fol-lowing the exact same script.” — Reuters

Kidnapped diplomat

freed in Venezuela Latest victim of attacks on foreign diplomats

CARACAS: Residents of a building wait outside it as police officers look for the abductorsof Costa Rican diplomat Guillermo Cholele in Caracas. — AP

WASHINGTON: Defying personal andprofessional pressures, Rick Santorum isreturning to the US presidential cam-paign trail in his uphill battle against pre-sumptive Republican nominee MittRomney. After a five-day break to cele-brate Easter, help care for his sick daugh-ter and thrash out strategy, Santorumkicks off the fight for his home state,Pennsylvania, in earnest yesterday. Heneeds to win the state by a decent mar-gin to stay in the race against Romney,whose allies have already begun nega-tive TV attacks against the conservativeformer senator.

Santorum held a rally in Bedford yes-terday and then addresses his almamater Penn State Dickinson School ofLaw, dampening talk he is near to quit-ting the race. “Clearly, once we get cam-paigning, then that will certainly quietany talk of us doing anything other thanmoving full-speed ahead,” campaignspokeswoman Alice Stewart said.Speculation that Santorum could beheaded for the exit increased lastThursday when he held a strategy meet-ing with conservative leaders. Then his 3-year-old daughter, Bella, who suffersfrom a serious genetic disorder, was hos-pitalized on the weekend. She was likelyto be released on Monday.

A loss in Pennsylvania in the April 24primary would be seen as hammeringthe final nail into the coffin of Santorum’scampaign and unofficially crownRomney as the Republican who will facePresident Barack Obama in November’selection. While Romney’s campaign sus-pended advertising on Monday out ofdeference to Santorum’s ill daughter, thefront-runner’s Super PAC, Restore OurFuture, made no such gesture, staying onthe air with $480,000 in time alreadybought. Neither Santorum nor the SuperPAC that supports him has startedspending money on advertising inPennsylvania, but spokeswoman Stewartinsisted the campaign had the money tospend time on the air.

SANTORUM SPENDING“We have a plan in place. When the

time is right for us, we’ll go up,” Stewartsaid. “Like every other state, there’s noway we can compete with the financialadvantage the Romney campaign has.”As well as enjoying a clear lead infundraising, Romney is well ahead in therace to reach the 1,144 delegates neededto win the nomination at the Republicanconvention in August.

“It’s kinda hard for anyone to get thedelegates to pass me at this stage, so itlooks pretty good,” Romney said on MikeHuckabee’s radio show. Romney also ledin one poll in Pennsylvania last week, butthat has not been enough to convinceSantorum to leave the race. “There’s nogood reason to get out” unless the pollscontinue to slide in Romney’s direction,said Republican strategist Rich Galen.Santorum is considered to have his eyeon another presidential run in 2016 andmay not want to upset the party by stay-ing in too long this time around and hin-dering Romney’s ability to campaignagainst Obama. — Reuters

FLORIDA: From hiding, GeorgeZimmerman has created a website toraise money for his legal defense andliving expenses while he awaits a spe-cial prosecutor’s decision whether tocharge him in the shooting death ofunarmed black Florida teenagerTrayvon Martin. One of Zimmerman’slawyers, Craig Sonner, confirmed onMonday the site was legitimatelyZimmerman’s.

“He is operating this on his own,”Sonner said. “I can confirm this is hissite.” The website, called therealge-orgezimmerman.com, offers one ofthe first publicly available commentsfrom Zimmerman since the neighbor-hood watch volunteer shot Martin onFeb 26 in what he said was self-defense. He went into hiding shortlyafter the shooting, which generatednationwide controversy after policedeclined to arrest him. A special prose-cutor is weighing whether to seekcriminal charges. “On Sunday February26th, I was involved in a life alteringevent which led me to become thesubject of intense media coverage,”Zimmerman says on the home page.“As a result of the incident and subse-

quent media coverage, I have beenforced to leave my home, my school,my employer, my family and ultimate-ly, my entire l ife.” The case led toprotests across the country demand-ing that Zimmerman be arrested.Critics have complained thatZimmerman, 28, who is white andHispanic, thought Martin, 17, suspi-cious because he was black and beganfollowing him.

Zimmerman told police that Martinattacked him and he shot the teenagerin self defense. Zimmerman’s brotherand father have said in television inter-views that he feared for his l ife.Zimmerman said on his website hecould not attest to other efforts pur-porting to raise funds on his behalfand said he has not received any mon-ey. He promised to “maintain account-ability” for any money received.

Martin’s family has established theJustice for Trayvon Martin Foundationwhich is raising money “to supportawareness of civil rights, social justiceand the quality of life for young blackmen,” according to a website that saidit has collected nearly $21,000 as ofMonday afternoon. — Reuters

OKLAHOMA: A proposed law inOklahoma that would grantembryos full rights as people fromthe moment of conception mayrepresent the next big challengeto the constitutional right to abor-tion in the United States.Oklahoma’s Personhood Actpassed the state Senate inFebruary and is expected to beapproved by the Republican-con-trolled House within weeks. Thestate’s Republican governor, MaryFallin, is an abortion opponentand is expected to sign the bill if itpasses.

If an embryo has full legalrights, abortion would representmurder. While the bill does notexpressly prohibit abortion, abor-tion-rights advocates say there’snothing to stop hospital adminis-trators or local law enforcementagencies from restricting or crimi-nalizing abortions under the law.The bill does not carve out excep-tions for rape or incest. Missouri isthe only state so far with such a“personhood” law on its booksestablishing legal rights forembryos, though similar initia-tives have been proposed in a

handful of states. These include last fall’s failed

attempt in Mississippi to enact apersonhood amendment to thestate constitution and a similarproposal in Virginia that was puton hold by the legislature untilnext year. But Oklahoma’s billseeks to go farther than Missouri’sin challenging the landmark 1973Supreme Court decision in Roe vWade that legalized abortion bynot including language acknowl-edging that it defers to the courtand Constitution.

Like other personhood meas-ures, the Oklahoma bill has beencontroversial within the anti-abor-tion camp. The initiatives aredesigned to provoke legal chal-lenges from abortion-rights sup-porters, with the ultimate goal ofgiving the Supreme Court a vehi-cle to overturn Roe v Wade,according to Keith Mason, aleader of the movement. The per-sonhood approach has the back-ing of such abortion opponentsas Republican presidential candi-dates Rick Santorum and NewtGingrich, and it has been an issuein the Republican presidential pri-

mary to select a candidate to runagainst President Barack Obamain the Nov. 6 election.

Several Republican candidates,including Gingrich and Santorum,signed a pledge written byPersonhood USA, the Colorado-based grassroots group behindthe failed Mississippi personhoodamendment. Republican front-runner Mitt Romney, whobelieves abortion should be ille-gal, has not signed the pledge,which proclaims support for the“unalienable right to life of allhuman beings as persons at everystage of development” and vowsto advance laws and judicialappointments that support thosebeliefs.

DILEMMAS FOR BOTH SIDESBut Oklahoma’s measure has

been criticized by some anti-abor-tion leaders, who fear the strategycould backfire by provoking theSupreme Court to strike it down.The measure also poses aquandary for the abortion-rightsside. If it chooses not to challengepersonhood initiatives, even thesymbolic ones, that plays into the

anti-abortion strategy of chippingaway at Roe. However, if abortion-rights advocates challenge suchlaws, they run the risk of handingthe Supreme Court an opportuni-ty to definitively repudiate Roe.

With four liberal and four con-servative justices on the court,Justice Anthony Kennedy is con-sidered the pivotal fifth vote onabortion, having gone both wayson the issue. The wording of theOklahoma measure appears tohave been guided by the moreaggressive anti-abortion strategy.The bill mimics almost verbatimlegislation enacted in Missouri in1986. Like the Missouri law, theOklahoma bill requires the stateto give unborn children the samerights and privileges available toother citizens from the “moment ofconception until birth.” But there isa crucial difference. While theMissouri statute explicitly recog-nized that the rights of unborn chil-dren are “subject to the Constitutionof the United States, and decisionalinterpretations thereof by theUnited States Supreme Court,”Oklahoma makes no such acknowl-edgement. — Reuters

Florida shooter starts

fund-raising website

Santorum hitting campaign

trail again despite pressures

HOLLIDAYSBURG: Republican presi-dential hopeful Rick Santorum hugssupporters in front of the Blair CountyCourthouse during a campaign rally inHollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. — AFP

Oklahoma weighs ‘personhood’ law

12in t e r n at ion a lWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

News

House fire kills 7MEDAN: An Indonesian family of six and their Taiwaneseguest burned to death in a house fire on the island ofSumatra yesterday, a police spokesman said. “The firestarted early in the morning when the family was sleep-ing, killing three children and four adults, including aTaiwanese woman,” Heru Raden Prakoso said. He saidone of the victims of the fire, which occurred in the cityof Medan, was a family elder and the foreigner was a vis-iting guest. Only the maid escaped the blaze. She wasbeing treated in hospital for burns, said Prakoso from theprovincial police. He said the fire in the two-story build-ing began on the bottom floor, where the homeownerheld a shop selling electrical equipment. “The victims’bodies were completely charred,” Prakoso said, addingthat the cause of the blaze was being investigated.

Rights lawyer jailed BEIJING: A Chinese court sentenced a disabled lawyerrenowned for defending people evicted from theirhomes to two years and eight months in prison yester-day for causing a disturbance and fraud, Beijing’s latestuse of a controversial law to stifle dissent. The lawyer, NiYulan, and her husband, Dong Jiqin, were detained inApril 2011 and later convicted of the charges. Rightsactivists contend the charges were trumped up in aneffort to silence the couple. Dong was given two years inprison, also for “causing a disturbance”, a court officialtold reporters at the courthouse in a western suburb ofBeijing. Ni’s imprisonment is the latest signal of the rulingCommunist Party’s determination to stifle China’s civilrights movement, which is reeling from the jailing of sev-eral dissidents in recent months. The party is especiallywary of political challenges ahead of a leadership succes-sion later this year. Ni has been an outspoken advocatefor Chinese residents forced from their homes to makeway for development, often for what residents say isgrossly inadequate compensation.

Suicide attacks kill 15HERAT: At least 15 people were killed and 33 woundedin two suicide attacks targeting police and governmentoffices in Afghanistan just hours apart yesterday, officialssaid. Eleven people died and 28 were wounded whentwo suicide attackers rammed a car bomb into a gov-ernment compound near the western city of Herat, theinterior ministry said. Provincial police chief Sayed AghaSaqeb told reporters that the bombers were being pur-sued by police when they detonated the vehicle at theentrance to the Guzara district compound along theroad from the airport to the city. “The car was under oursurveillance. It was ordered twice to stop but they didn’tstop,” said the police chief. “There were two individualsin the car, one was wearing a burqa. One of thebombers is totally shattered and the other person’sbody is still there with his (suicide) vest still unexploded.”

‘Land grab’ rules tightened BEIJING: China has tightened regulations governingforced land expropriations in a bid to put a lid on whathas become an explosive social issue and one of thecountry’s biggest sources of unrest. Authorities have foryears tried to address the issue of government-backed“land grabs”, which regularly trigger protests as resi-dents complain of poor compensation for homes thathave been demolished to make way for new buildings.In January 2011, new rules were issued stipulatingamong other things that violence cannot be used toforce homeowners to leave and that compensationmust not be lower than the market price, but these reg-ulations are often flouted. The Supreme People’s Courton Monday clarified and tightened these rules in a bidto “protect the public interest and guarantee the legiti-mate rights and interests of expropriated home owners.”Under the tightened rules, government authorities thatwant to expropriate land but cannot reach an agree-ment with residents and apply to a local court forapproval, must provide additional documents to provetheir case.

India takes US visa fee hike to WTO

NEW DELHI: India is challenging the United States atthe World Trade Organization over increased visa feesfor skilled workers that have hit the country’s flagshipoutsourcing firms, an official said yesterday. “We arepursuing this at the consultation level. It is our hope wereach an amicable conclusion,” a senior commercedepartment official in New Delhi said, asking not to benamed. India has sought consultations withWashington, which is the first step in the World TradeOrganization’s complaints process, he said. IndianCommerce Minister Anand Sharma discussed the visaissue with his US counterpart John Bryson when he vis-ited New Delhi last month, the official added. Morethan half of the world’s top 500 companies outsourcework to India which has become the world’s back officewhere Western firms have set up call centers, and num-ber-crunching and software development outlets tocut costs.

in brief

MERAK: Around 120 Australia-bound asy-lum-seekers yesterday left the tanker thatrescued them at sea, after a two-day stand-off with Indonesian authorities. The shipsailing from Australia to Singapore pickedup the asylum seekers, all males and mostlyAfghans and some Iranians, in Indonesianwaters on Sunday. Most left voluntarily butsome were dragged off by Indonesianauthorities after a dramatic scene on deckwhen two refugees began shouting: “Wewant to die, we want to die,” an AFP corre-spondent said.

The pair began to bleed after repeatedlybeating their heads with metal objects. “Wehave evacuated all of the asylum seekersand they are now being taken to the FeriMerak hotel,” near the western Java port ofMerak where the ship is docked, said immi-gration spokesman Maryoto Sumadi. Theasylum seekers were driven away on twobuses, including the bleeding pair whowere not seriously hurt. Earlier yesterday,the refugees had said they would not dis-embark until Indonesia agreed to provide a

vessel to allow them to continue toAustralia, Indonesian officials said.

A few hours before they disembarked, anAfghan speaking on behalf of the grouphad said they wanted certain reassurancesbefore agreeing to leave. “We will get off theboat only if they promise that no one will beput into detention centers and no one willgo to jail,” said the man, who identified him-self only as Atiqullah. “I have been sent bythe others on the boat to convey this mes-sage,” he told reporters in English, beforereturning to the ship. Sumadi said thatthose without proper documents would besent to detention centers. “We will checkwhich asylum seekers have legal docu-ments identifying them as refugees andwhich do not. Those without the papers willbe sent to detention centers,” he said.

The Singapore-flagged MT Hermia res-cued the asylum seekers from a sinkingwooden vessel in the Sunda Strait, betweenJava and Sumatra islands, and took them toMerak. Some of the men cried and screamedhysterically Monday as Indonesian police

and immigration officials boarded the tankerand tried to pull some off the vessel. Somesaid they would refuse to disembark unlessthey were granted asylum in Australia. In2009, more than 200 Sri Lankan Tamil asy-lum seekers refused to get off a boat dockedat Merak in a six-month standoff withIndonesian authorities, demanding to go toAustralia.

They were not granted asylum, whilearound 80 other Sri Lankans rescued at thesame time by an Australian customs vesselwere granted a special resettlement deal bythe Australian government. In December, aboat carrying around 250 mostly Afghanand Iranian asylum seekers sank inIndonesian waters en route to Australia’sChristmas Island, with only 47 surviving.Indonesia is not a signatory to the UNrefugee convention and often jails asylumseekers awaiting refugee status. Asylumseekers are a hot political issue in Australiaand dominated national elections in 2010due to a record number of boat arrivalsfrom Asia.—AFP

Australia-bound asylum seekers end standoff

MERAK: Asylum seekers shouting ‘we want to die’ beat their heads with iron cov-ers, seen in the middle, as they are evacuated by Indonesian authorities from atanker in Merak port yesterday. —AFP

TOKYO: Asian airlines said theywill divert planes from the intend-ed flight path of North Korea’srocket as shipping in the area waswarned yesterday to beware offalling debris. Japan’s two largestcarriers, Japan Airlines and AllNippon Airways said they willalter the route of flights betweenTokyo and Southeast Asian citiesincluding Manila, Jakar ta andSingapore during the plannedrocket launch window. PhilippineAirlines said it “plans to reroutesome of its flights in view of thepossible effects on a portion ofPhilippine territory of the satellitelaunch of North Korea within themonth.”

The moves came as Philippineair control authorities declared ano f ly zone in airspace whereNorth Korea’s rocket was project-ed to pass, a Japanese transportministry official said.

“ The Japanese side are alsopreparing to issue a ‘notice to air-men’ that warns them not toenter a no f ly zone set by thePhilippine authorities,” he said.“These no fly zone-related noticesshould apply to all internationalcarriers,” he added. The re-routingcomes as North Korea ramps upits preparations for what it says isa peaceful satellite launch, butwhat Japan and its Western allies

claim is a disguised missile test.Pyongyang insists the launch,

which is planned for some timebetween April 12 and 16 to markthe centenary of the birth of latefounding president Kim Il-Sung, isits right. But countries around theglobe have condemned the plan,which they say will contraveneUN resolutions. South Korea hasvowed to shoot down the rocketif it strays into its territory. Japanhas said it may do likewise. TheSouth’s military plans to deploydestroyers armed with missiles tothe Yellow Sea to track the rocket.The transport ministry in Seoulsaid it would provide up-to-dateinformation to shipping on therocket launch.

All 15 maritime traffic controlcenters will be placed on alertfrom today, issuing navigationwarnings every two hours to pro-tect vessels operating in theYellow Sea, it said. The first stageof the rocket is expected to fall inwaters 170 kilometers west ofGunsan in the southwest of SouthKorea, it said. Japan’s coast guardyesterday began issuing warningsto ships in the area to be on thelookout for falling debris from therocket.

“We are announcing by radiothe expected time and placeswhere fal l ing objects could

appear,” coast guard spokesmanYoshiyuki Terakado said. Coastguard officials will issue the warn-ing every day in Japanese andEnglish until the launch is con-firmed, he said. In the Philippines,commercial fishing vessels havebeen told to remain in port dur-ing the launch window. Office ofCivil Defense chief Benito Ramossaid evacuation plans had alsobeen put in place in case debrisfell on the Philippines’ island ofLuzon.

“Our concern is that in a worstcase scenario the trajectory (ofthe rocket) deviates by even afew degrees, it could jettison itsbooster over mainland Luzon andthere could be a lot of peopleaffected,” he said. The Philippinenavy has deployed ships north-east of Luzon. Vice AdmiralAlexander Pama said: “ I don’tthink there is anyone who canexac tly say where the rocket(debris) will land, so we are work-ing in the context of estimates.Our naval forces have alreadybeen given heads up to be onalert.” “As we speak now, plans arebeing put in place relative to con-tingencies that could happen.The ships are going to be there incase there is a need for assistancejust in case vessels get hit,” hesaid. —AFP

Flights rerouted as

DPRK readies rocketBeware of falling debris, shipping warned

TOKYO: A Japan Airlines aircraft (top) and an AllNippon Airways aircraft arrive at TokyoInternational Airport in Haneda in Tokyo. SomeAsian airlines, including Philippine Airlines, JapanAirlines and All Nippon Airways, plan to changeflight paths for several routes to avoid a rocketNorth Korea is expected to launch between April12 and April 16. —AP

WASHINGTON: More than 150,000North Koreans are incarcerated in aSoviet-style, hidden gulag despitethe communist government’s denialit holds political prisoners, a humanrights group reported yesterday.The US-based Committee forHuman Rights in North Korea said itbased its report on interviews with60 former prisoners and guards. Itincludes satellite images of what aredescribed as prison labor campsand penitentiaries.

The repor t documents thealleged incarceration of entire fami-lies, including children and grand-parents for the “political crimes” ofother family members, and infanti-cide and forced abortions of femaleprisoners who illegally crossed intoChina and got pregnant by menthere, and were then forcibly repa-triated to North Korea. The commit-tee, a private, US-based group, isholding a conference yesterday inWashington, timed for Pyongyang’scelebrations to mark the centennialof the repressive nation’s founder.

The US envoy on North Koreanhuman rights, Robert King, is due toaddress the conference, which takesplace as the international spotlightshines on the North over its plans tolaunch a long-range rocket and,according to South Korean intelli-gence, a third nuclear weapons test.“It is not just nuclear weapons thathave to be dismantled,” saidRoberta Cohen, chairwoman of thecommittee’s board of directors, “butan entire system of political repres-sion.”

The report says the camp systemwas initially modeled in the 1950son the Soviet gulag to punish“wrong thinkers” and those belong-

ing to the “wrong political class” orreligious persuasion. It cites esti-mates from Nor th Korean statesecurity agenc y off ic ials whodefected to South Korea that thecamp system holds between150,000 and 200,000 people out ofa total population of around 24 mil-lion. It urges North Korea to allowthe International Committee of theRed Cross access, and to dismantlethe camps.

The 200-page report describeddifferent kinds of detention facili-ties, including penal labor colonieswhere it says political detainees areimprisoned without judicial processfor mostly l ifetime sentences inmining, logging or agriculturalenterprises. The labor colonies areenclosed behind barbed wire andelectrified fences, mainly in thenorth and north central mountainsof the countr y, the repor t says,al leging high rates of death indetention due to systemic mistreat-ment, torture, execution and mal-nutrition.

The report says former prisonerswere able to identify their formerbarrack and houses, work sites, exe-cution grounds and other landmarksin the camps via imagery availablethrough Google Earth. The commit-tee says the report’s findings contra-dict a December 2009 statement byNorth Korea to the United NationsHuman Rights Council that the polit-ical prisoner camps do not exist.Greg Scarlatoiu, the committee’sexecutive director, said more than30,000 North Korean defectors havenow fled the country, up from just3,000 a decade ago, so Pyongyangcannot hide the harsh reality of itspolitical prison camps.—AP

150,000 languish in

North Korean gulagKABUL: While NATO soldiers worry whether an Afghanpartner might turn from an ally to a lethal foe, Afghansoldier Sayed Rahim says he’s afraid his own comradesat a small outpost in eastern Paktika province will killhim. “There are some soldiers who have Taleban warsongs on their cellphones,” Rahim said. “Do we do ourduty, or should we watch out for these guys who will killus one day?” While successive attacks by rogue Afghansecurity forces against NATO allies worry Western com-manders, less-known incidents of Afghan-on-Afghanviolence within the security forces point to Taleban infil-tration nearer to home. More than a decade since coali-tion forces toppled the Taleban, NATO forces and theWestern-backed government are scrambling to buildup local security forces ahead of the withdrawal of mostforeign combat troops by the end of 2014. The surge inattacks by lone Afghan security force members onNATO troops has raised concern over the ability ofAfghan soldiers and police to take primary responsibili-ty against the tenacious insurgency in the two-and-a-half years still left. Insider attacks have killed 17 NATOsoldiers this year, forcing the coalition to take new stepsto safeguard troops working with Afghans, including“guardian angel” protectors. Personal grievances, battlestress, and domestic problems are behind more attacks

than Taleban sympathies, according to NATO forces,who put the number of incidents by Islamic militantinfiltrators this year in single digits. The NATO coalitionsays a similar number of Afghan troops and police havedied at the hands of their own compatriots. “I can’t real-ly sleep. Soldiers don’t trust one another very much.When I go to sleep I fear someone will shoot me dead,”said Rahmatullah, a comrade of Rahim’s near thePakistan border, through which insurgents cross withreinforcements and material. “We are also very fearful offood and night guards but what can we do? We are sol-diers and have to do the job,” the 24-year-old said in aprovince where an Afghan policeman this monthdrugged nine colleagues and shot them dead as theyslept.

EXTREME ATTEMPT TO INFILTRATEIn a country with myriad ethnic and political divi-

sions, many Afghan officials have turned to close rela-tives or tribesmen to protect them as infiltration worriesmount. “They feel safer with their relatives or tribesmenaround them for security, not with strange faces. But wemake sure to properly train them,” one security sourcesaid, declining to be named because of security sensi-tivities. “The officials believe their own men won’t targetthem. It’s their choice.”

But even shielding by close family or ethnic alliesdoes not always keep them safe. In July last year,Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s younger half-brother,one of the most powerful men in southern Afghanistan,was killed at home by a highly-trusted bodyguard. Thehighly-contested and divided political loyalties withinone of the world’s poorest countries are set to intensifyas national elections near in 2014 with no clear succes-sor for Karzai, who is constitutionally barred fromanother term. Add the withdrawal of foreign troops thesame year and the volatile country could slide intoanother cycle of bloodletting. Key to avoiding morebloodshed will be the transition from coalition forces toAfghan security personnel who NATO hopes will beready to wrest control over regions of the countrywhere major insurgent groups continue to wageattacks. But the large size of the Afghan army andpolice, now at about 250,000, makes it difficult to stopinfiltration. Afghan counter-intelligence agents arebeing placed into police and army units while there aremore regular checks of biometric data taken on allAfghan security personnel against that of Taleban mili-tants or supporters. —Reuters

Security forces worry over

fratricidal brothers-in-arms

HERAT: An Afghan policeman stands infront of dead bodies at the site of a sui-cide bomb attack in Herat province yes-terday. —AFP

N E W SWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Continued from Page 1

over a variety of issues. The strongest duel took placejust at the start of the debate when Qallaf began showinga footage of an interview with the tribal chief of Al-Awazem bedouin tribe Falah bin Jame to strong objec-tions by MPs from the tribe. The exchanges went out ofcontrol and forced Apeaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun to adjournthe session temporarily.

Qallaf grilled the minister over two major issues - unfairimplementation of the press and audiovisual laws and fail-ure to take action on a report that a local newspaper wasimplicated in money laundering operations. The lawmakersaid that the minister referred local television stationSCOPE to the public prosecution not on the basis of thelaw but in order to appease the majority bloc so he willnot be grilled by them. SCOPE was referred to the publicprosecution last month after airing an interview withQallaf during which he reportedly criticized the Al-Awazem tribal chief.

Qallaf said SCOPE did not violate the law and that otherstations and newspapers committed more serious viola-tions and were not referred. He also claimed that the min-ister had referred the pro-Shiite daily Al-Dar on the samepolitical basis for writing a normal article that did not vio-late the law. Al-Dar was handed a three-month suspensionby the criminal court over a controversial article in January.

The minister refuted Qallaf’s allegations, insisting thatSCOPE was referred to the public prosecution because itviolated the law and vowed that he will not hesitate torefer any other station to court if they commit a similar vio-lation. The minister said that since the implementation ofthe press and publication and audiovisual laws severalyears ago, newspapers and TV stations were referred tocourt on 426 occasions for a variety of violations. He saidthat since he was appointed minister on Feb 14, he hasreferred nine different media outlets to court for commit-ting violations and that he was prepared to refer any othermedia if they violate the law.

Regarding Al-Dar newspaper, the minister said that itwas referred to court on Feb 1, two weeks before he wasappointed in the post and the action was taken by the for-mer minister. Al-Dar was suspended by the court. Withregards to money-laundering allegations, Qallaf claimedthat Alam Al-Youm newspaper and Al-Youm television sta-tion, both of which belong to one establishment, havebeen implicated in money laundering operations of mil-lions of dollars. Qallaf alleged that the establishmentreceived the money from a foreign country to stir prob-lems in Kuwait, hinting at the Gulf state of Qatar withoutnaming it. He said that the minister did not take any actionregarding the serious reports.

The minister denied the allegation saying that ministry-appointed accountants have not found any evidence thatany of the local media outlets have been involved in anyway in money laundering operations. Sheikh Mohammadalso insisted that the grilling involves at least five viola-tions of the constitution and that the griller failed to pro-vide necessary illustrations he had officially demandedahead of the debate. The minister strongly criticized Qallafon the grilling, saying it was “personally motivated” and atone stage accused the lawmaker that the grilling was pre-pared for him.

Meanwhile, Barrak said he was interrogated lateMonday for four hours by the special tribunal over infor-mation he has about the foreign transfers scandal whichhe was the first to break in September. The lawmaker saidhe told the tribunal that the total amount of the transferswas about KD 77 million. He denied allegations by the for-mer prime minister that the transfers were made based onofficial decisions by the Cabinet for official commitmentsof Kuwait and that the former premier had nothing to dowith it personally. But Barrak said that the transfers weremade on verbal instructions by the former prime ministerand denied the claim that it was for official commitmentsbecause former acting foreign minister Ali Al-Rashed hadclaimed that the former premier returned the money tothe public treasury.

‘Silly’ grill of information minister ends...

Continued from Page 1

targeted,” he said. “I again appeal to the Syrian gov-ernment and the Syrian parties to cease violence inaccordance (with) the plan,” he told reporters. “Ibelieve there should be no preconditions for stoppingviolence.”

The Annan plan has been under a cloud sinceSunday, when Damascus said it would keep its side ofthe bargain only if rebels gave guarantees they wouldalso stop fighting, a condition rejected out of hand. Atleast 31 people died across Syria yesterday, includingsix soldiers in the northeastern province of Hassakeh,the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rightssaid. Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad also shotfour people in the village of Kfar Zeita in the centralHama province, but it was unclear if they were rebelsor civi l ians. Clashes also rocked the district ofMzeyreeb in the southern province of Daraa, wherethe dissent movement launched a year ago. The LocalCoordination Committees, one of the main oppositiongroups inside Syria, said “large military reinforcements”had arrived overnight on the eastern outskirts ofRastan in central Homs province. The report could notbe verified because of curbs on media activity.

Under the Annan deal, Syria was supposed to with-draw its forces from population centres yesterdayahead of a complete ceasefire tomorrow. Activists saySyria has intensified its crackdown since the weekendwhen around 180 people were killed. On Monday, 105died in one of the bloodiest days since mid-March lastyear. Free Syrian Army spokesman Colonel KassemSaadeddine warned that rebel forces would resumeattacks on regular forces if they do not withdraw. “If(the regime) does not stop shelling and not withdrawtanks, we will intensify our military operations andlaunch attacks,” he told AFP.

The head of the opposition Syrian National Council,Burhan Ghalioun, warned that his group, “as the legiti-mate representative of the people, will not allow theregime to use the (UN) plan as a licence to kill”. ButMuallem insisted Damascus had begun implementingthe Annan plan. “We have already withdrawn militaryunits from different Syrian provinces,” he told aMoscow news conference after talks with Russiancounterpart Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov said Syria should bemore decisive in fulfilling the Annan plan, which most

notably calls on Syria to pull troops and weaponry outof cities hit by protests. “We believe their actions couldhave been more active, more decisive when it comesto the implementation of the plan,” he said.

Lavrov later spoke with Annan by phone, tellinghim to put more pressure on the rebels to cooperatewith his initiative. He told Annan “the Syrian opposi-tion and states that support it must take urgent meas-ures to ensure a sustainable ceasefire,” and urged him“to step up his work with them along these lines,” theforeign ministry said. White House spokesman JayCarney said Washington had so far only seen evidenceof further “brutality and aggression” from Assad’sforces. “We would certainly hope the UN SecurityCouncil would evaluate the situation in Syria if in factMr Annan finds that the Assad regime has not abidedby its own commitments to begin withdrawal bytoday,” Carney said.

Germany’s UN ambassador, Peter Wittig, said Syriahas not complied with the plan and that internationalmeasures must be studied. Assad “has not compliedwith the Annan plan; instead he has scaled up violenceand human rights violations,” Wittig said. There wasequally tough language from London and Paris. “Thereis no evidence so far that the Assad regime has anyintention of adhering to any agreement it makes,”Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague said. Syrianforces “have ruthlessly subjected whole communitiesto an inhumane campaign of shelling, forced expul-sions and executions. “All those with influence over theSyrian leadership, including Russia, have a duty toback efforts to stop the violence and to isolate aregime which is as doomed as it is dangerous to theSyrian people,” he added.

French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valerocalled Muallem’s assertion that Syria pulled troops outof some areas “a new expression of a flagrant and unac-ceptable lie”. Damascus was also rebuked for violencethat spilled over into its neighbours on Monday, killinga Lebanese TV cameraman inside Lebanon and wound-ing four people in a Turkish camp for Syrian refugees.Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accusedSyria of a “clear violation” of common frontiers, whileLebanon demanded an investigation. The UnitedNations says more than 9,000 people have been killedsince anti-regime protests broke out in March 2011.Monitors put the number at more than 10,000. — AFP

Syria ignores deadline, hits protest hubs

Continued from Page 1

A Danish foreign ministry spokesman said Khawaja wasalive on Monday according to “credible independentsources” who saw him that day. Danish ambassador toBahrain Christian Koenigsfeldt was not allowed to see theprisoner on Sunday or Monday, as he has done daily, thespokesman told AFP. Denmark has asked Bahrain to sendKhawaja to the Scandinavian country but Bahrain’s officialnews agency BNA reported on Sunday that Manama hasrejected the request.

Amnesty International also called on Bahrain in a state-ment yesterday to “immediately and unconditionallyrelease” Khawaja, whose “health is rapidly deteriorating ashe passes his 60th day of hunger strike”. “At the very least,the authorities must immediately allow Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja’s family and lawyer to visit him,” the London-basedrights watchdog said.

Meanwhile, Bahrain lashed out yesterday at foreigncountries, asking them to stay out of its “internal affairs”. Theinterior ministry said it “deplores the statements of somecountries” on the health of Khawaja “due to inaccurate andmisleading information, which is likely to cause chaos.”Bahrain “calls on all states to respect its sovereignty and notinterfere in its internal affairs” the ministry said. “No statehas the right to demand the release” of a citizen or a resi-dent of Bahrain condemned by the “honest and independ-ent” judiciary of the country.

Bahraini authorities also arrested four people yesterdayin a dawn raid on a Shiite village, the opposition said, afterseven policemen were wounded there in what officialsclaimed was a “terrorist attack”. Al-Wefaq, the main opposi-tion bloc, said that security forces arrested four people inthe village of Akr, south of Manama, and “brutally” beat uprelatives of those wanted by authorities in a crackdownwhich also left several wounded. The arrests came hoursafter BNA quoted public security chief, General Tareq Al-Hassan, as saying that an improvised bomb exploded lateMonday near a police checkpoint at the entrance to Akr“wounding seven policemen, three of them critically.”Hassan added that the initial investigation “revealed thatthe explosion was caused by a pipe bomb attached to acontainer full of gasoline”.

In a late Monday statement, Al-Wefaq said that it wasclosely “following the developments in Akr... but we haveno independent information” about the incident, addingthat the village was “entirely surrounded by security forceswho are imposing collective punishment”. “We havereceived calls for help from village residents,” it said, addingthat security forces are “using pellet guns” against the vil-lagers.

Separately, Bahrain Grand Prix organisers summonedsupport for their troubled Formula One race yesterday andsaid a campaign for it to be cancelled was being driven by“armchair observers” and “extremist groups”. The BahrainInternational Circuit produced witness statements from for-eign observers, including two members of the Lotus team,and the British ambassador to the Gulf kingdom in defenceof the April 22 race. It said a briefing by the Lotus represen-tatives had been sent to all 12 team principals on April 5and ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix inShanghai, where a final decision is expected.

Bahrain is due to follow on immediately after China.There have been increasingly vocal calls for it to be can-celled however, with one unnamed team principal tellingBritain’s Guardian newspaper that all the teams were hop-ing the governing FIA would call off the race. “Yes, there is aneed to keep the circuit and the teams secure and they aredoing this and they feel very comfortable about thearrangements,” the Lotus report said in excerpts reproducedin the Bahrain circuit statement.

“If there is going to be protestation then it will be con-fined to peaceful protests - you will maybe see some ban-ners being waved and maybe some tyres on fire but that isall they expect. We came away from Bahrain feeling a lotmore confident that everything is in hand,” it added. “If itwasn’t for a few more police you wouldn’t know any differ-ence from last year we were there.” Last year’s race had to becancelled due to the unrest after an initial postponementand the last race there was in 2010. The circuit statementalso quoted John Yates, a former assistant commissioner inthe London Metropolitan police who now advises Bahrain’sInterior Ministry, as saying policing would be low-key anddiscreet. “There is nothing that in any way warrants for therace to be postponed,” he added.

Circuit chairman Zayed Al-Zayani said in a statementthat “armchair observers” had been driving the debate atthe expense of neutral parties “who have taken the troubleto investigate the situation at first hand. “This, combinedwith the scaremongering tactics of certain small extremistgroups on social networking sites, has created huge mis-conceptions about the current situation,” he added. Heurged all stakeholders in the sport to “listen to those withan informed, educated view of the situation and to formtheir view on the facts of the situation as presented by neu-tral first-hand observers.”

The governing International Automobile Federation hassaid it is in daily contact with foreign embassies and author-ities in Bahrain while F1’s commercial supremo BernieEcclestone is eager for the race to go ahead. Zayani said lastmonth that the race contributes $220 million directly to thelocal economy and $400-500 million indirectly. — Agencies

Danish PM says Khawaja condition very...

Continued from Page 1

Relations between Iran and its northern neighbourAzerbaijan have also become strained, with each accus-ing the other of preparing “terrorist” actions. For example,last month Azerbaijan’s national security ministry said 22Azerbaijani citizens had been arrested on suspicion ofcooperating with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards “to committerrorist acts against the US, Israeli and other Westernstates’ embassies and the embassies’ employees”. Tehranis also unhappy over Baku’s ties to Israel, and its purchaseof hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Israeli militaryweapons and equipment. Additionally, Iran is borderedby Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which have a US militarypresence.

Separately, Iran’s English-language state televisionreported yesterday Iran has cut oil exports to Spain andmay halt sales to Germany and Italy, in an apparent moveto strengthen its position ahead of crucial talks withworld powers later this week. Iran has played a tit-for-tatgame over crude shipments since the European Unionagreed in January that it would stop all Iranian oil importsas of July. EU states have since scrambled to find alterna-tive supplies before that deadline, with Iran threateningto cut exports before then. “Tehran has cut oil supply toSpain after stopping crude export to Greece as part of itscounter-sanctions,” Press TV said, citing unidentifiedsources, adding that a similar move was being consideredfor Germany and Italy.

Industry sources say Spain and Greece have alreadycut imports substantially in anticipation of the embargoand because of increasing difficulties in paying Iran aftertough new sanctions were imposed on its banking sector.The EU had been the second biggest buyer of Iranian oilafter China and its embargo is a direct strike on the OPECmember’s biggest source of export income. The sanctionsare designed to force Iran to stop some of the atomicwork that the EU and the United States suspect is part ofa nuclear weapons program, a charge Tehran denies.

Talks between Iran and six world powers aimed at eas-ing the nuclear stand-off are set to resume in Istanbul onSaturday, more than a year after previous negotiations

failed. In a sign Tehran was pressuring other important EUcustomers, the semi-official Mehr news agency said theNational Iranian Oil Company had been in contact withItalian buyers about signing long-term oil contacts inrecent days. “It has been said that if Italian oil refineries donot agree to sign long-term contracts, oil sales to thisEuropean country will be stopped,” Mehr reported. Thereports followed confirmation from Iranian ForeignMinister Rostam Qasemi that oil sales to Greece hadstopped.

With fresh talks in sight, Iran has said it has no interestin reviving a nuclear fuel swap that formed the basis of aprevious deal that was never implemented and, earlieryesterday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Irancould withstand a total embargo on its oil sales for severalyears. “We must say to them (the West) that we have thatmuch (money) saved that even if we did not sell oil fortwo to three years, the country would manage easily,” thesemi-official Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

But Foreign Ministr y spokesman RaminMehmanparast, speaking to reporters in Bosnia, took asofter tone and played down reports of a cut in sup-plies. “Our country has decided to revise its relationswith France and Great Britain when it comes to oilexports,” Mehmanparast said when asked about thereported oil export cuts to Spain and plans for Germanyand Italy. “As for other countries, there are still no suchdecisions,” he said.

The International Energy Agency, the energy adviserto industrialised nations, has said the sanctions againstIran could reduce its oil exports by as much as 1 millionbarrels per day, or 40 percent, from the middle of theyear. In addition to the European embargo, Iran facescuts in orders from its biggest customers in Asia afterconcerted diplomatic pressure from the United States.Analysts say such a large dent in revenues would bepainful for the Islamic Republic which is experiencing ris-ing inflation, already well above 20 percent, and a deval-ued currency. But since the European embargo wasannounced the price of Brent crude has increased byaround $12 a barrel, giving Tehran more flexibility to dis-count shipments. — Agencies

Tehran busts Israel linked ‘terror’ ring

Ukrainians dressed as cartoon characters roam around in search for clients to pose with for photos to earn extra money near an inflatable lotus installed by Korean artist Choi Jeong-Hwain atIndependence Square in Kiev yesterday. Kiev is one of Ukraine’s four cities which, together with Poland, will co-host the Euro 2012 football tournament. — AP

14o p i n i o nWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

All articles appearing on these pagesare the personal opinion of the writ-ers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibil-ity for views expressed therein. KuwaitTimes invites readers to voice theiropinions. Please send submissions viaemail to: [email protected] orvia snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat,Kuwait. The editor reserves the rightto edit any submission as necessary.

By Marc Jones and Eva Kuehnen

New rules Balkanising euro zone

Issues

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The ECB’s decision to give the euro zone’s nationalcentral banks the power to ban certain types of col-lateral being used by banks to get loans has ignited

fears that the bloc’s one-size-fits-all monetary policy issplintering into a two-tier system. While the national cen-tral banks that sit under the ECB’s wing have always hadsome freedom over what their commercial banks can useas collateral, two sets of new powers introduced over thelast few months have given them a broader licence tohand pick exactly what they accept or reject.

At the same time, the central banks are also being toldthat they alone will have to handle any losses that arisefrom the changes rather than being covered by the eurozone’s usual loss-sharing scheme. This threatens to createa split system, a Balkanisation in which core euro zonecentral banks such as those in Germany, Austria, Finlandand the Netherlands do not accept as low a quality assetas their peers in the euro zone’s debt-strained peripherymight do.

Economists say that as governments underwrite theircentral banks, the recent moves could have dangerousknock-on effects. As well as raising the chance that multi-national banks may shop around central banks for thebest deal on their collateral, the changes could funnelpoorer-quality assets into the central banks of countriesalready struggling against the debt crisis. “Any losses onloans backed by bank bonds guaranteed by euro areagovernments currently under EU/IMF programmes willno longer necessarily be shared among euro area centralbanks and instead fall on those central banks still willingto accept them as collateral,” said Tobias Moerschen, vicepresident and senior research analyst at Moody’s.

An example might be that if a Greek bank collapsedand the collateralised loans were not paid, the centralBank of Greece would be left with the losses rather thanas previously, sharing them with the 16 other euro zonebanks. The first change was made at the end of last yearwhen the ECB gave national central banks the option totake more ‘credit claims’ - loans made to companies orhouseholds - and gave them the power to tailor the con-ditions to suit their own banks. By February, Ireland,Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Portugal and Austria had alltaken up this option to loosen collateral requirements.

These changes were worth around 200 billion euroscombined, of which 50 billion euros have been used,helping demand for the ECB’s 3-year low-interest loanprogrammes top the 1 trillion euro mark. But evenamong that group of central banks the terms differed. InItaly you could use loans with a default probability of 1percent but in Cyprus it could be 1.5 percent. ECB policy-makers argue it ensures banks across the euro zone arenot prevented from borrowing from the ECB due to a lackof collateral, something which could distort their policies.

But commercial bankers at a regular gathering withECB top money market experts said the move put banksin non-participating countries at a disadvantage. “Theparticipation of only seven (national central banks) in therecent collateral expansion raises a question of level play-ing field,” minutes of the meeting showed. Citi economistWillem Buiter agrees and has gone as far as to warn thatthe move marks a switch from a single monetary policyto a post Soviet Union-style, multi-speed system. Afterthe breakup, many former Soviet republics continued touse the rouble but monetary policies went their ownway. “The euro zone is not the rouble zone yet, but it is atrisk,” Buiter said. “Ultimately, a fracturing of the monetaryunion into multiple independent national monetaryregimes (is possible).”

The divide was widened further in March when theECB gave national central banks the right to ban banksfrom using bonds backed by governments that havebeen bailed out by the European Union and theInternational Monetary Fund. Germany and Austria havebeen quick to impose the ban and others may feel theyhave to follow suit if they don’t want to be lumbered withoutcast assets others don’t want. ECB President MarioDraghi said last week the move was designed to stopbanks using the bonds to borrow outside the countries inwhich they were created and that the amounts involvedadded up to “peanuts”. Nevertheless, ECB watchers saythe move is another symbolic step towards a two-tierpolicy. “What this shows is that some central banks havereservations and they are signalling this (the loosening ofthe collateral rules) is going too far and we don’t want tobe part of this anymore,” said Goldman Sachs economistDirk Schumacher. — Reuters

Libya violence puts poll timing at riskBy Dominique Soguel

Violence in Libya risks escalating and could evenderail elections if the interim government fails toimpose its authority by disarming militias and

strengthening the judiciary, analysts say. In the southerndesert cities of Sabha and Kufra, clashes pitting Arabsagainst non-Arab tribesmen have cost more than 250lives since February, according to an AFP tally based onofficial estimates. Inter-communal fighting in Libya’s westlast week left at least 20 people dead and hundredswounded before the government secured a ceasefire withthe help of the nascent army and revolutionary brigades.

The unrest coupled with calls for autonomy in the easthas raised concerns over the ruling National TransitionalCouncil’s grip on power in the country where decades ofdictatorship left an institutional void. It has also put intoquestion the NTC’s ability to conduct elections for a con-stituent assembly which are scheduled for June. “Clasheswill escalate and may well become more frequent simplybecause there is no effective central authority,” predictsGeorge Joffe, co-editor of The Journal of North AfricanStudies.

There are many possible triggers: ambitions forautonomy in the east, resentment against individuals orgroups which allegedly collaborated with the formerregime, racial tensions, and the desire to hang on to pow-er, Joffe said. Tribal clashes, he told AFP, “could easilyderail Libya’s transition to democracy simply by prevent-ing the organisation of an effective poll.”

Peter Cole of the International Crisis Group stressesthat while the root cause of the violence is not always

tribal in nature, communal and tribal loyalties come intoplay when grievances do arise. “These communal conflictsrisk growing in scale and frequency if the governmentdoes not put a justice system in place,” he said, becausepeople tend to take matters into their own hands todefend or punish a community. “The country is not at atipping point, but it is vulnerable,” he said. Returning fromSabha, Cole said reconciliation councils and tribal leadersin the city were at a “breaking point” trying to preventindividual squabbles from becoming all-out conflicts.“Without a justice system to refer cases to, they can onlydo so much.”

Fred Abrahams, special adviser to Human RightsWatch in Libya, says the interim government needs “totake reconstruction of the judicial system much moreseriously” and demobilise militias, who hold “roughly8,000 detainees”. It is no surprise, Abrahams added, thattribes and militias are stepping up to fill the power vacu-um and no coincidence that the latest rounds of fightingwere concentrated in border areas. “The struggles aremostly about business and the control of smugglingroutes,” where a lot of money is up for grabs and wheredisputes are fraught with danger due to the proliferationof weapons after Gaddafi’s fall, he said. The response timeof the government had improved since the first seriousoutbreak of violence in Kufra late February, Abrahamsnoted.

Analysts agree the disarming of militias, who controlseveral strategic sites and provide services as diverse astraffic control to border patrols, is key to a smooth transi-tion. But the NTC has proved powerless on this point.Joffe said the ruling Council, handicapped by internal

power struggles and lacking resources and authoritybeyond the east where it was conceived, has proved to bea “paper tiger” politically. “If local militia leaders decidedthat they wish to intervene to determine the outcome ofany poll, there is no power or authority that can preventthem from doing so,” Joffe said, adding the army lacksclout and manpower. “(Some militias) are transmutinginto political parties and see their armed strength as anextension of political power,” he said.

A handful of commanders of rebel units in the 2011conflict, including Abdelhakim Belhaj who now heads theTripoli military council and recently formed a political par-ty, have made no secret of their aspirations.”Militias andlocal citizen groups constitute the primary barrier to sta-bility, reconstruction and a democratic transition,” saidJason Pack, a researcher at Cambridge University andpresident of Libya-Analysis.com. Libya’s interim leaderMustafa Abdel Jalil warned last week that he would resignif the June vote was pushed back. But Pack said the pollsare likely be postponed - not because Libya is not readyor able to hold them on time, but because the NTC is fail-ing to make the “difficult decisions needed to carry themout” on schedule. He warned that postponing the elec-tions could send a “very bad signal” to Libyans, the inter-national community and the investors who can make orbreak the country’s economic recovery. David Mack, a for-mer US envoy to Libya and a scholar at the Middle EastInstitute, acknowledged there could be delays but credit-ed the NTC with paving the way for an elected govern-ment against incredible odds. “Fortunately, I think there iswide, popular backing for the (electoral) process. Libyanswill get there, eventually,” he said. — AFP

By David Rosenberg

Tunisia’s Ennahda Party’s strategy ofbringing a moderate sort of Islam tothe country is earning it enemies on

both sides of the political spectrum, withconservative Salafists pressing hard formore religious strictures and liberals fear-ful of a return to repression. The tensionsare felt everywhere, from the halls of par-liament, to university campuses and court-rooms, but Habib Bourguiba Avenue - themain thoroughfare in the capital of Tunis -has become the principal battlefield forthe two sides.

On Monday, police fought some 2,000protesters marking the 1938 suppressionof pro-independence demonstrators byFrench colonial troops. They were met bysecurity officers armed with teargas andtruncheons. Witnesses say that bystandersout strolling for the Martyrs Day holidaywere swept up in the violence. At the endof March the government banned demon-strators on the boulevard after r ivalgroups of liberal artists and ultra-conser-vative Islamists engaged in violent clash-es. Critics say the order, blocking rallies ata place loaded with the same kind of revo-lutionary symbolism Cairo’s Tahrir Square,was tantamount to an invitation for vio-lence protests.

“People have many grievances againstat the government,” Sadok Belaid, whoteaches at the University of Tunis, told TheMedia Line. “It’s afraid that these demon-strations will concentrate all the anger ofthe people on its bad performance on thepolitical, economic and social levels, thereaction and the counter-reaction willaccumulate.”

Ennhada’s troubles could serve as a les-son for Egypt, where another Islamistmovement labeled “moderate” by many,the Muslim Brotherhood, is facing similarpressures. Voters in both countries haveawarded big majorities in post-revolutionelections to Muslim parties, but a secular,liberal minority worries that the revolu-tions they led are being stolen from themand that the Islamist leadership will clampdown on their new freedoms.

The police crackdown on Mondayinspired the demonstrators on HabibBourguiba Avenue to compare the new

government to the toppled regime of ZineAl-Abidine Ben Ali and his once powerfulin-laws, the Trabelsi family. “The peopleare sick of the new Trabelsis,” protesterschanted.

Amna Guellali, a researcher based inTunisia for Human Rights Watch, sympa-thizes with that point of view. “We see thesame pattern of repression that we usedto see under the Ben Ali regime. For me,that underscores the lack of social over-

haul, to structurally change the security,”she told The Media Line.

Ben-Ali was unpopular with his people,but scored points with liberals for keepingIslamists at bay and granting rights towomen. But when Tunisians finally got tovote in free and fair elections last October,the Islamist Ennahda Party emerged as thefrontrunner. Ennahda now runs the coun-try in coalition with two secular parties onan interim basis and is also taking theleading role in writing a new constitutiondue to be completed sometime this year.Last month, Ennahda pledged to keep

intact the first article of the 1959 constitu-tion that separates religion and state. Ithas also promised not to ban alcohol orimpose the veil.

But conservative Muslims are not giv-ing up. They often take to the streets withdemands for such things as the impositionof Islamic (sharia) law and some activistshave taken to freelance enforcement. Atelevision station is being sued for violat-ing “sacred values” and “disturbing public

order ” by air ing the animated f i lm“Persepolis” about the 1979 Iranian revolu-tion because it contains a scene depictingGod. Manouba University has been thesite of repeated clashes between liberalsand Salafists, with the latter demandingan end to the campus ban on womenwearing the veil.

Individual Salafists in small townsreportedly harass women for not abidingby conservative dress. In one incident aprominent secular intellectual and a news-paper editor were punched and kicked bya crowd of Salafists protesting outside a

courtroom. “The problem is that even if ittried, and it is willing to do, Ennhahda isnot capable of satisfying everybody,”Belaid said. “ They cannot meet thedemands of the extremists of either side,but especially of the Salafists. They wantto take power and push out Ennahda,which in the Salafists’ eyes is a traitor.”

Meanwhile, Tunisia’s liberals are not yetconvinced that Ennahda won’t cave in toat least some of the conser vatives’demands, nor do they fully trust that thegovernment will guarantee human rights.When the Interior Ministry ordered its banon demonstrations on Habib BourguibaAvenue, it cited complaints from localmerchants that the constant protests weredisrupting traffic and business. But theorder enraged the opposition, which itinterpreted as a strike against freedom ofexpression.

“During the first phase of the transition,the political elite acted in a very smoothway. There was an attempt to use dialogueand comprise. Now, there are wideningdivisions in the political elite betweenIslamists and secularists,” said Guellali ofHuman Rights Watch. “Each one is tryingto defend its own turf, and that might leadto heightened tensions on the street.”

Compounding the government’s woesover the rel igious-secular division,Tunisia’s economy is still struggling. Directforeign investment jumped by more thana third in the first two months of this yearfrom a year earlier, but government fore-casts of the economy growing 4.5 percenthave been trimmed back to 3.5 percent.Unemployment climbed to nearly 19 per-cent in the fourth quarter of 2011. Thetourism sector has yet to recover. TourismMinister Elyess Fakfak said last month thatthe number of visitors would rise 20 per-cent this year, but that would be a millionfewer than the record seven million thatarrived in 2010.

Ennahda can take solace in the factthat despite the noise in the street, manyTunisians continue to back the govern-ment. Opinion polls suggest that EnnahdaPrime Minister Hamadi Jebali’s supporthas grown from the 37 percent of the votehis party received in the October elec-tions. Approval ratings for his coalitionpartners have also risen. — Media Line

Ennahda squeezed between Salafists, liberals

Protesters gesture in front of security forces on April 9, 2012 inTunis. —AFP

sp ortsWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR: Manager Arsene Wenger is supportive of Arsenal’s change ofpolicy to conduct lucrative tours in Asia, the Premier League club told Reutersyesterday, as they announced a fixture against a Malaysia XI inJuly. Having previously favored taking his squad to main-land Europe for low-key pre-season tours, Wengerrelaxed his stance and the 13-times English championsplayed money-making fixtures in Kuala Lumpur andHangzhou, China last year.

They will return to the Malaysian capital on July24 before facing Premier League rivals ManchesterCity in Beijing three days later and finishing on July29 in Hong Kong against local side Kitchee FC.

Arsenal’s Communications Director MarkGonnella said Wenger and the players fullyunderstood the need for such tours thathelp the team engage with the support-ers and showcase themselves to poten-tial sponsors as well.—Reuters

BEIJING: China’s top tennis player LiNa has blasted media scrutiny of herOlympic preparations by insisting shewill not be giving her hen-peckedhusband coach the boot for this year’sLondon Games.

The reigning French Open champi-on, who has always had an uneasyrelationship with the Chinese media,will stick with Jiang Shan and not hirea foreign coach, she told the ChinaDaily.

“I don’t know why the media are sointerested,” said the outspoken 30-year-old. “Maybe you are not confi-dent in Jiang and my current team.

“Up to now, I haven’t had anyintention of recruiting a foreigncoach,” said Li, who often pokes fun at

her husband in interviews. “I hope themedia won’t ask about it again.”

Jiang guided Li to the final of lastyear’s Australian Open, where she losta tough three-setter to Belgium’s KimClijsters. Danish Fed Cup captainMichael Mortensen took over andhelped her win the French Open titlebut Jiang was reinstated after the U.S.Open.

Li’s form dipped after becomingAsia’s first grand slam winner in Paris,although the player expressed confi-dence ahead of the Olympics.

“Compared with reaching the finalat the Australian Open last year, peo-ple may feel a little bit disappointedabout my results this year,” said theworld number eight. —Reuters

No London ‘divorce’ for LiWenger backs Arsenal’s trip

JOHANNESBURG: Olympic hopefuls Caster Semenya and Oscar Pistorius are scheduledto compete at this week’s South African championships. Semenya will run in the 800

meters, while double-amputee Pistorius will run in the 400.Semenya, a silver medalist at last year’s world champi-

onships, needs to run 1 minute, 59.90 seconds or better toqualify for her first Olympics. The former world champion ran asluggish 2:03.60 in her season debut last month - her first two-

lap race under new coach and Olympic great Maria Mutola.Pistorius needs one more qualifying time of 45.30 seconds

in an international event to make history as the firstamputee runner to compete at the Olympics. He ran

45.20 at a meet in Pretoria on March 17, the secondtime he’s gone inside the able-bodied qualifying

time for London.Athletics South Africa has said athletes hop-

ing to go to the Olympics must compete at thetwo-day nationals that start Friday in the southcoast city of Port Elizabeth.—AP

Semenya and Pistorius to run at S African nationals

American LeagueEastern Division

W L PCT GBTampa Bay 3 0 1.000 -Baltimore 3 1 .750 .5Toronto 2 2 .500 1.5NY Yankees 1 3 .250 2.5Boston 1 3 .250 2.5

Central DivisionDetroit 3 0 1.000 -Chicago W Sox 2 2 .500 1.5Kansas City 2 2 .500 1.5Cleveland 1 3 .250 2.5Minnesota 0 4 0 3.5

Western DivisionTexas 3 1 .750 -Seattle 3 2 .600 .5LA Angels 2 2 .500 1Oakland 2 3 .400 1.5

National LeagueEastern Division

NY Mets 4 0 1.000 -Washington 2 2 .500 2Miami 2 3 .400 2.5Philadelphia 1 3 .250 3Atlanta 0 4 0 4

Central DivisionSt. Louis 4 1 .800 -Houston 3 1 .750 .5Pittsburgh 2 1 .667 1Milwaukee 2 2 .500 1.5Cincinnati 2 2 .500 1.5Chicago Cubs 1 3 .250 2.5

Western DivisionArizona 3 0 1.000 -LA Dodgers 3 1 .750 .5San Francisco 1 3 .250 2.5Colorado 1 3 .250 2.5San Diego 1 3 .250 2.5

Miami 6, Philadelphia 2; San Francisco 7, Colorado 0; LA Angels 5, Minnesota 1; Milwaukee 7,Chicago Cubs 5; NY Yankees 6, Baltimore 2; Chicago White Sox 4, Cleveland 2; Boston 4, Toronto 2;NY Mets 4, Washington 3; St. Louis 7, Cincinnati 1; Texas 11, Seattle 5; Houston 8, Atlanta 3;Oakland 1, Kansas City 0.

MLB results/standings

BALTIMORE: The New York Yankeesfinally won for the first time thisseason, using four hits by DerekJeter and an effective pitching per-formance by Ivan Nova to defeatthe Baltimore Orioles 6-2 Mondaynight. Andruw Jones homered forthe Yankees, who averted thefourth 0-4 start in the club’s history- the first since 1973. New Yorkbegan the season by losing threestraight to Tampa Bay.

Nova (1-0) allowed two runs and10 hits (six for extra bases) in seveninnings, striking out seven with nowalks. Orioles starter Brian Matusz(0-1) threw 96 pitches in laboringthrough four innings. He gave upfour runs, six hits and four walks inabsorbing his 10th straight lossover two seasons.

Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 2At Toronto, Ryan Sweeney sin-

gled home the go-ahead run in theninth inning as the Boston Red Soxrallied to beat the Blue Jays, spoil-ing Toronto’s home opener andavoiding the first back-to-back 0-4starts in team history.

Dustin Pedroia homered andscored the tying run as the Red Soxhanded new Blue Jays closer SergioSantos his second blown save inthree appearances.

Handed a 2-1 lead to start theninth, Santos (0-1) surrendered aleadoff double to Pedroia, whoadvanced to third on a passed balland scored on a sacrifice fly byAdrian Gonzalez.

Kevin Youkilis struck out beforeDavid Ortiz and Cody Ross drewconsecutive walks. After a visit tothe mound by pitching coach BruceWalton, Sweeney hit an RBI singlethrough the right side.

Rangers 11, Mariners 5At Arlington, Texas, Yu Darvish

overcome a rocky start and got abig boost from the powerful Texaslineup, winning his much-anticipat-ed major league debut in theRangers’ victory over the Mariners.

After giving up four runs whilethrowing 42 pitches in the firstinning, then allowing another runin the second, Darvish (1-0) settleddown and later retired 10 in a rowwhile pitching into the sixth.

Nelson Cruz hit a three-runhomer in the third for Texas to tie

the game at 5, then MitchMoreland and Josh Hamilton bothwent deep in the fourth to giveDarvish an 8-5 lead. Ian Kinsleradded a three-run blast in theeighth.

Darvish was Japan’s top pitcherbefore the Rangers committedmore than $107 million to acquire

him, including his guaranteed $56million, six-year contract.

Angels 5, Twins 1At Minneapolis, CJ Wilson won

his awaited Angels debut with sev-en smooth innings, giving LosAngeles all the boost it needed to

beat the Twins and spoilMinnesota’s home opener.

Wilson (1-0) allowed three hitswhile striking out five, giving uponly one fly ball, a home run byJosh Willingham. Wilson, whostruck out Joe Mauer twice, had a2-0 lead before he even touchedthe mound, after Torii Hunter’s sin-

gle and Bobby Abreu’s doubledrove in first-inning runs againstNick Blackburn.

Albert Pujols didn’t get a ball outof the infield in four at-bats, but hereached on a fielder’s choice, hus-tled from first to third on a single tocenter and scored the Angels’ first

run. Pujols is 3 for 14 through fourgames, with one run batted in.

Blackburn (0-1) was chargedwith five runs over six innings, buthe recorded 15 straight outs in onestretch and surrendered just fivehits, a decent first start after twostraight rough seasons.

White Sox 4, Indians 2At Cleveland, Chris Sale won his

first career start, limiting Clevelandto one run in 6 2-3 innings as he ledthe White Sox to a win over theIndians.

Sale pitched out of Chicago’sbullpen the past two seasons butmoved into the rotation after aceMark Buehrle left as a free agentthis winter. The left-hander, whohad made 79 relief appearances,took a one-hit shutout into thesixth. In his longest outing, Saleallowed three hits and struck outfive.

The 23-year-old had little trou-ble with a Cleveland team thatcame in batting .153. Rookie HectorSantiago gave up Jose Lopez ’shomer in the ninth before gettinghis second save.

AJ Pierzynski hit a two-runhomer in the first, four batters afterAlejandro De Aza homered leadingoff against Josh Tomlin (0-1).

Athletics 1, Royals 0At Oakland, Tommy Milone

allowed three hits over a career-high eight innings in an impressiveOakland debut as the Athletics heldoff the Royals.

Milone (1-0) faced the minimumin five of his innings, including get-ting through the fourth despitethrowing only two strikes amonghis 10 pitches.

Perhaps for a night, Milonemade it easier for the small groupof fans who turned out at theColiseum to picture life withoutlefty Gio Gonzalez. The A’s acquiredMilone from the Nationals inDecember, sending All-StarGonzalez to the nation’s capital.

Luis Mendoza hung toughthrough 5 2-3 innings in the openerof Kansas City’s lone trip to Oaklandthis year. The right-hander (0-1),who went 4-0 with a 0.47 ERA in sixspring training starts, allowed oneearned run on five hits, struck outtwo and walked four.—AP

AUGUSTA: Champion Bubba Watsonwill always have the prestigiousgreen jacket but, once the dust set-tles, the most stirring memory of the76th Masters will be the wonder shotfor the ages conjured up by LouisOosthuizen.

Oosthuizen, who romped to a sev-en-stroke victory at the 2010 BritishOpen, triggered one of the loudestroars ever heard at Augusta Nationalwith his astonishing albatross two atthe par-five second. The gap-toothedSouth African with the silky swing

holed out from 253 yards with a four-iron to record the first albatross, ordouble-eagle, on that hole and onlythe fourth ever achieved at theMasters. Playing with eventual win-ner Watson in Sunday’s final round,Oosthuizen watched as his ball land-ed on the front of the green inbetween the two bunkers andbounced along before rolling up thehill. The fans crammed around thegreen applauded politely but the ballkept on rolling, tracking sharply fromleft to right before dropping into thecup with what appeared to be itsdying breath.

The cheering reached an ear-split-ting crescendo and the sound rever-berated around the Georgian pinesas players on every part of the coursewere alerted to something very spe-cial.

Oosthuizen thrust both arms sky-wards before high-fiving his caddie.Watson considered joining the cele-brations but thought better of it.

“When we were walking up 18during regulation, I told Louis I justwanted to run over there and givehim a high-five,” Watson said afterbeating the South African on the sec-ond extra hole to claim his first majortitle.

“It was amazing to see the crowd.The crowd roared forever. As a fan ofgolf, that’s what you love watchingand I got to see it front row. We got tohear some roars out there.”

Oosthuizen’s remarkable feat gavehim a two-shot lead but the leader-board was the last thing on Watson’smind having witnessed such a specialmoment.

“I wasn’t thinking about he wasleading at that time,” said the

American left-hander, who is knownfor being a shot-making genius him-self. “I wasn’t paying attention at thetime.

“I was just thinking how amazingthat shot was. It was his first doubleeagle, so special for him, too.”Oosthuizen had perfectly executedhis pre-shot strategy, but was dumb-founded when he saw his ball disap-pear into the cup.

“It was about 210 yards to thefront and that was a good four-ironfor me,” he said of the task facing himwith his second shot from the fair-way.

“I needed to pitch it about five, sixpaces on the green, and I knew if Iget it right, it’s going to feed towardsthe hole. But I never thought it wouldgo in,” he grinned.

While Oosthuizen ultimately fellshort of a perfect afternoon when hewas edged out by Watson in the play-off, his name will forever be etchedinto Masters folklore as one of thefour ‘albatross’ men.

Gene Sarazen was the first, holingout with a four-wood at the par-five15th in the fourth round of the 1935edition, his storied “shot heard roundthe world” helping set up a playoffvictory over Craig Wood. That miracleshot, probably the most famous sin-gle stroke of all time in golf, pulledhim level with fellow American Woodand Sarazen went on to win his onlygreen jacket by five strokes in a 36-hole playoff the following day.

Australian Bruce Devlin followedsuit at the par-five eighth in the firstround of the 1967 Masters andAmerican Jeff Maggert grabbed hisalbatross at the par-five 13th in thefourth round in 1994.—Reuters

CINCINNATI: Matt Holliday, David Freese andYadier Molina homered during the Cardinals’big first inning to help the defending WorldSeries champions to a 7-1 win over theCincinnati Reds on Monday night.

St. Louis improved to 4-1 with an offensethat hasn’t missed Albert Pujols so far. Only20 pitches into the game, Reds starter HomerBailey (0-1) trailed 4-0. It was the second timethis season that St. Louis hit three homers inan inning. Molina also doubled home a pair ofruns in the eighth.

Jake Westbrook (1-0) overcame an earlybout of wildness, allowing only three hits andone unearned run in seven innings. The right-hander slimmed down in the offseason andhad an impressive spring training, getting thesink back on his fastball.

Bailey retired the first two Cardinals thencame apart. Holliday homered, LanceBerkman walked and Freese homered. Molinaalso homered on the next pitch.

After the bad opening inning, Bailey set-tled in and allowed only two more hits whilepitching into the sixth inning.

Marlins 6, Phillies 2At Philadelphia, Anibal Sanchez took a

three-hitter into the seventh and OmarInfante hit a pair of solo homers as Miamispoiled Philadelphia’s home opener.

Sanchez (1-0) allowed two runs and sixhits in 6 1-3 innings, outpitching two-time All-Star Cole Hamels (0-1). Gaby Sanchez had twohits and two RBIs, Emilio Bonifacio had threehits and Austin Kearns hit a solo shot offJonathan Papelbon.

Hamels allowed four runs - three earned -and eight hits, striking out nine in 5 1-3innings for the Phillies, who are missingChase Utley and Ryan Howard from the mid-dle of the lineup.

Giants 7, Rockies 0At Denver, Barry Zito threw a four-hitter

for his first shutout in nine years and PabloSandoval hit a two-run homer to lead SanFrancisco over Colorado.

Zito (1-0) allowed three harmless singlesand a double. He didn’t walk a batter andstruck out four in tossing his fifth careershutout and first since April 18, 2003, againstTexas.

Brandon Crawford helped ruin the Rockies’home opener with a three-run double offreliever Matt Reynolds in the fifth that madeit 7-0. Jhoulys Chacin (0-1), who led theRockies in wins, ERA, innings and strikeouts

last season, gave up four runs, all earned, onfour hits and five walks in four shaky innings.

Mets 4, Nationals 3At New York, Daniel Murphy singled home

the winning run in the ninth and New Yorktook advantage of a throwing error by reliev-er Henry Rodriguez to beat Washington.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit his first major leaguehomer for the Mets, who are 4-0 for the firsttime since 2007. Jon Rauch (1-0) worked twohitless innings for his first win with New York.

Pinch-hitter Mike Baxter drew a leadoffwalk from Rodriguez (0-1) in the ninth. RubenTejada put down a sacrifice bunt and Baxteradvanced to third on a wild throw to first.

Baxter was initially waved home, but a latestop sign caused him to slip and scrambleback to third. Murphy followed with his win-ning single.

Astros 8, Braves 3At Houston, Travis Buck drove in two runs

and Justin Maxwell homered in his Houstondebut as the Astros rebounded from an earlydeficit thanks to sloppy defensive play byAtlanta.

Houston trailed 3-0 in the third before atrio of errors by the Braves, with two fromthird baseman Juan Francisco, led to threeunearned runs and tied the game.

Astros starter J.A. Happ drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the fourththat made it 4-3. Pinch-hitter JD Martinez andJose Altuve drove in a run each in the sixth.

Happ (1-0) allowed six hits and three runswith five strikeouts in six innings for the win.Brandon Beachy (0-1) allowed four hits andfour runs - one earned - in five innings.

Brewers 7, Cubs 5At Chicago, Aramis Ramirez drove in two

runs in his return to Wrigley Field, Ryan Braungot booed relentlessly and Milwaukee hungon to beat Chicago.

The Brewers held a four-run lead goinginto the ninth before the Cubs scored tworuns and had the bases loaded when JohnAxford struck out Starlin Castro on threepitches to end it.

Shawn Marcum (1-0) settled down after ashaky start and gave up three runs in six solidinnings. Rickie Weeks homered, while Braunhad two hits and scored a run.

Matt Gamel added a run-scoring triple offShawn Camp (0-1) and scored in the sixth,breaking a 3-3 tie. Camp gave up three runson five hits in two inning of work.—AP

Yankees, Red Sox advance

Cardinals roll over Reds

CINCINNATI: St. Louis Cardinals’ Yadier Molina (4) hits a two-run doubleoff Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jose Arredondo as Cincinnati Reds catcherRyan Hanigan (left) watches during the eighth inning of an MLB baseballgame.—AP

BALTIMORE: New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Novathrows against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning of abaseball game. —AP

AUGUSTA: Louis Oosthuizen, of South Africa, tips his capafter hitting a double eagle two on the par 5 second holeduring the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament inthis file photo.—AP

Oosthuizen joins elite Masters company with wonder shot

sp ortsWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

ROUBAIX: Lionel Messi, Roger Federerand ... Tom Boonen. Granted, Boonenisn’t the global mega-star those othertwo are, but they’re alike in that theytower above others in their sport.

On a bicycle over cobblestones,there’s never been anyone better thanBoonen. To the layman, that might notseem much of a claim to fame. But incycling, it makes Boonen something ofa god. This sport has built a whole tradi-tion of venerating hard men who winhard races the hard way. Boonen onSunday won the hardest one-day racethere is, for a record-tying fourth time,and did it the hardest way possible -alone.

For 53 kilometers (32 miles), Boonenrode solo at the front of Paris-Roubaix,his long, muscular legs inexorablychurning him forward over the brutallybumpy cobblestones that make thisrace a monument in cycling, as cher-ished by hard-core fans as Le Mans inmotorsport and football ’s ‘clasico’matches between Barcelona and RealMadrid.

The cobblestone tracks through

French farmland shake loose nuts andbolts, puncture tires and spill riders. Therattle and shake of gripping handlebarsover them is so exhausting, like holdinga jackhammer for hours, that many ofthe 113 riders who reached the finishand the 82 others who founderedbefore the northern French town ofRoubaix will suffer aches and pains forthe rest of this week.

“Everything hurts - your arms, yourhands, your legs, your back, your neck,”said Allan Peiper, a director with theGarmin-Barracuda team who rode infive Tours de France and multiple Paris-Roubaix. He said the battering metedout by the cobbles makes the race evenmore punishing than the toughestmountain stages at the Tour.

But Boonen seemed to glide over therocks. That takes tremendous powerand bike-handling technique. And ittook courage to ride off the front of therace when the finish was so distant. Inrecent decades, few have pulled offsuch a long, one-man victory.

Bike fans adore such daring. The riskfor Boonen was that he would quickly

tire and be swallowed by rivals huntingas a pack behind. But once Boonenescaped, they couldn’t catch him.Cobblestone by cobblestone, Boonenpedaled relentlessly to maintain andthen increase his lead. When it finallyreached 1 minute, with 26 kilometers(16 miles) to ride, it became clear thatthe game was up.

“I don’t get many chances to pull offa number like that one,” Boonen said. “Ifound myself at the front alone andthought, ‘OK, why not give it a try?’ Ifought for every second and when I hadaccumulated a minute, I thought, ‘OK.It ’s possible to ride all the way toRoubaix.’”

“Frankly, it was beautiful,” saidChristian Prudhomme, the Tour directorwho had the best seat in the house, rid-ing in a car behind.

“We were right behind him for anhour and a half. It was a sort of animal-like strength. Not at all robotic,”Prudhomme said. “It was impressive.”

This was the 110th Paris-Roubaix,which started in 1896, making it olderthan the Tour. With the other champi-

ons, Boonen has a plaque bearing hisname in the communal showers atRoubaix’s velodrome, where the raceends among cheering crowds.

Boonen on Sunday also happily liftedthe wonderfully bizarre trophy the racehas awarded winners since 1977 - a cob-blestone mounted on marble.

In 2009, when Boonen tested posi-tive for cocaine a second time, it lookedlike success was ruining him. He unhap-pily acknowledged that when he par-ties, “I apparently turn into somebodydifferent.”

Now, the former world championlooks like a winner again.

“People said he was finished,because of his health problems, hisknee problems, his wobbles outside ofsport,” said Prudhomme. “Now, he isback.”

Boonen also won Roubaix in 2005,‘08 and ‘09, and now shares the recordof victories with Roger de Vlaeminck,winner in 1972, ‘74, ‘75 and ‘77.

This month, Boonen also won histhird Tour of Flanders, the daylong racethrough his native Belgium. It, too, rat-

tles over cobbled sections.Federer’s record of 16 tennis majors

and the football marks Messi is settingalmost every week with Barcelona arearguably more impressive and certainlymake them better known.

But Boonen’s combined total of sev-en Roubaix and Flanders wins, a newrecord, is important stuff to fans whothink cycling over rocks really rocks.

“It makes him almost a god,” saidFrancois Doulcier, president of TheFriends of Paris-Roubaix, a group dedi-cated to preserving the ancient cobble-stone tracks.

“It means he really is strong, that heloves cycling, and that he loves classicraces with paving stones. We’re in awe.”

After Boonen crossed the line, anemployee of his Omega PharmaQuickStep team cleaned him up a bit with aquick wipe of his arms, face and legs,making him presentable for televisioninterviews.

Shame, really. Because covered in thegrime and dust this race throws up,Boonen looked the part: the cobble-stone king. —AP

Federer, Messi and ... Boonen

West Indies inningsA.Barath c Siddle b Harris 22K.Brathwaite c Wade b Siddle 57K.Edwards c and b Warner 61D.Bravo c Hussey b Watson 51S.Chanderpaul not out 103N.Deonarine c Wade b Harris 21C.Baugh run out 22D.Sammy c Cowan b Hilfenhaus 41K.Roach c Clarke b Lyon 16F.Edwards c Hussey b Warner 10D.Bishoo not out 18Extras (b-12, lb-9, w-4, nb-2) 27Total (for 9 wickets, 153 overs) 449

(declared)Fall of wickets: 1-38 2-142 3-167 4-240

5-285 6-316 7-369 8-402 9-421.Bowling: R. Harris 29-8-83-2,

B.Hilfenhaus 33-12-67-1 (nb-1), P.Siddle31-10-83-1 (nb-1, w-2), N.Lyon 31-11-94-1, M.Clarke 2-0-4-0, S.Watson 15-5-

46-1, D.Warner 10-0-45-2, M.Hussey 2-0-6-0.

Australia inningsE.Cowan c Baugh b Sammy 14D.Warner c Bravo b Sammy 42S.Watson c Baugh b Roach 39R.Ponting tun out 4M.Clarke c Deonarine b Bishoo 73M.Hussey not out 47M.Wade not out 19

Extras (lb-8, nb-2) 10Total (5 wickets, 95 overs) 248To bat: P.Siddle, R.Harris, B.Hilfenhaus,

N.Lyon.Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-65, 3-84, 4-133,

5-215Bowling: F.Edwards 15-2-41-0 (nb-1),

K.Roach 17-2-56-1, D.Bishoo 30-7-77-1(nb -1) , D.Sammy 15-5-33-2,N.Deonarine 18-5-33-0.

Scoreboard at the close of play on the third day of the first test between WestIndies and Australia at Kensington Oval in Barbados yesterday:

SCOREBOARD

CHARLOTTE: Greg Biffle fell twolaps down at Martinsville, clawedhis way to a 13th-place finish, thenheaded to the Bahamas asNASCAR’s points leader. “It feelsgood to go on vacation being thepoint leader,” Biffle said after theApril 1 race in Virginia.

Biffle better have enjoyed histime away from the track, becauseit’s game-on from here. NASCARresumes racing this weekend atTexas Motor Speedway, the first in astretch of 14 consecutive races thatwill shape most of the Chase for theSprint Cup championship field.

Brad Keselowski proved last yeara driver can overcome a slow startand still be a championship con-tender. He was a season-low 28th inthe standings nine races into theseason, turned things around at thestart of the summer and used threewins to claim one of the two wildcard spots in the 12-driver Chasefield. That leaves hope for KaseyKahne, who has had a horrendousstart to his Hendrick Motorsportstenure.

Despite two poles and strongcars, Kahne has been plagued withproblems and has four finishes of29th or worse. His best showing sofar this season was 14th atCalifornia, and an engine failure atMartinsville has him sitting 31st inthe standings.

He’s been furious at times andfrustrated with his position but isn’tgiving up hope he can turn thingsaround with strong Chevrolets thatare struggling to make it to the fin-ish. “I am upset that we haven’t rungreat this year, but we are great onFriday and Saturday,” Kahne said.“We have the speed, so when it’sour time we will be ready to takeadvantage of it.”

He’ll have to get moving prettysoon, though, because there aresome big names sitting outside thetop 10 in points right now.

Carl Edwards, who lost thechampionship to Tony Stewart lastseason on a tie-breaker, is currently11th, and Keselowski, despite a win

at Bristol, is 12th.Kyle Busch is stuck back in 16th

and uncharacteristically has onlychallenged for one victory so farthis season. He settled for secondto Stewart at California, where heled 80 laps in the rain-shortenedrace, but has only one other top-10finish this season.

Busch has only missed theChase twice in his career - his 2005rookie season, and in 2009, whenhe won four races but fell just shortof claiming the final spot in thefield.

Stuck in 21st is four-time cham-pion Jeff Gordon, outside the top

10 in points six races into the sea-son for only the third time in hiscareer. He rallied to make the Chasein 2004 and 2011 but has a lot ofground to make up this season.

Although Gordon has led atleast one lap in every race - andwas out front for 328 laps atMartinsville - he’s got just one top-10 finish. Still, he isn’t all that wor-ried. “I l ike the Chase format,because we are still in it,” he said.“We just have to focus on winning

races right now. We can’t focus ontrying to be in the top 10 in points.... There’s not an urgency, but we’restarting to feel a bit more pressureto start putting those good finishestogether that I know we are capa-ble of doing, which is the goodthing,” So the attention, for now,shifts toward the back of the fieldto see who can salvage their sea-son.

It takes the heat off Biffle, who’sleading the points standings forjust the second time in his career.Biffle’s only other time out frontwas in 2005, when he won six racesbut spent just one week atop the

points and finished second in thefinal standings.

Now, behind four top-10 finishesin the first six races, Biffle currentlyholds a six-point lead over DaleEarnhardt Jr. It shows he’s had astrong start to the season butmeans very little else at this stageof the game.

Kyle Busch spent 21 weeks atopthe points standings in 2008, onlyto stumble at the start of the Chaseand finish 10th in the champi-

onship race. Gordon led for nineweeks early in the 2009 season,then Stewart took over the top spotfor 13 straight weeks leading intothe Chase. Neither challenged forthe title.

Same thing happened to KevinHarvick in 2010, and Edwards,despite leading 16 of 26 regularseason weeks last year, also failedto win the title.

So Biffle heads into Saturdaynight’s race at Texas with a clearunderstanding of what’s ahead forhis Roush Fenway Racing team.

“I know that we’re probably notgoing to lead the points the wholeway,” he said. “So I’m happy andproud of our team fighting to stayin the points lead (and) running asgood as we can every week. But thereality is I know that we may (losethe points lead). If and when thathappens, certainly I’m not going tolet that take the wind out of oursails.” What he needs, though, is avictory.

Biffle hasn’t won a race sinceKansas in 2010 and takes a 49-racewinless streak into Texas. But he’sconfident he’s getting close behindnew crew chief Matt Puccia, whohas already this season matchedthe three top-five finishes Bifflescored last season.

“You’re never happy unless youwin or you’re winning. I don’t meanhappy as you’re not satisfied, butyou’re going to continue to workhard, or harder, be aggressive, untilyou win,” Biffle said. “When I saywe’re looking for a good, solid, top-five run, we want to be in the topfive, and the reason why I use thatanalogy is because a winner usuallynever comes from out of the topfive. “If you’re not running in thattop five, you don’t stand a snow-ball’s chance of winning that race.Are we happy with finishing thirdor whatever? Yeah, we’re happybecause we went there, we gave ita hundred percent, and that’s theresult we ended up with. But we’regoing to continue ‘til we reach thatVictory Circle.” —AP

DUBAI: Security at the Bahrain Grand Prixwill aim to be “low key and discreet” butwill include contingency plans to deal withpotential disruptions such as demonstra-tors invading the circuit, an adviser to theGulf Kingdom’s Interior Ministry saidMonday.

John Yates, a former assistant commis-sioner in the London Metropolitan PoliceService, told The Associated Press that hereviewed the plans ahead of the BahrainGrand Prix on April 22. He said authoritiesare aiming to provide adequate securitythat keeps fans safe without showing overtforce that impinges on Bahrain’s biggestsporting event.

“It is very much hoped that the policingwill be low key and discreet,” Yates said. “Butif there are problems, they ... must be ableto escalate their response if need be.People can be assured that if problemsarise, then there will be a plan to deal withthat as there would be with any publicevent in the world.”

The 2011 race at Bahrain InternationalCircuit was canceled due to a wave of anti-government protest and the subsequentcrackdown that has left at least 50 peopledead. There are still daily clashes betweendemonstrators and security forces, but thecountry’s Sunni rulers are desperate to holdthe race to show the country is recoveringfrom the protests. The protesters, however,are demanding the race be canceled untiltheir concerns of right abuses and greaterequality for the Shiite majority areaddressed by authorities.

Yates acknowledges there are “pocketsof violence” in Shiite villages but said that“95 percent” of the Gulf island is safe.

He said he expects some protests will beallowed but warns that anyone trying toshut down the race would be treatedharshly.

“If people want to protest lawfully andgive proper notice, as they have to, thenthey will be allowed to protest,” Yates said.“But you can’t have a protest that shuts offevery road and doesn’t allow people to getto the grand prix circuit. That would beabsurd. They can be allowed to protest incertain places where it doesn’t cause hugedisruptions and their message can getacross.”

Yates noted that anyone copying theactions of the protester who interruptedthe Boat Race between Oxford andCambridge on the River Thames in Londonlast Saturday would be foolhardy to do so.

“If someone chooses to invade the cir-cuit, what an incredibly stupid and recklessthing to do,” he said. “You saw what hap-pened in the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Raceover the weekend. That man is lucky to getaway with his life. Anyone who invades thecircuit is putting themselves in danger, put-ting the drivers in danger, putting poten-tially other spectators in danger. That willbe clamped down on and properly so.”

Despite former world champion DamonHill calling on motor racing’s governingbody to reconsider staging the grand prix,Yates said the race goes ahead for Bahrain.

“It’s a really important event for thiscountry. It’s hugely important for the econ-omy,” Yates said. “There is nothing that inany way warrants for the race to be post-poned.” Those comments were echoed byanother Englishman, Bahrain national foot-ball coach Peter Taylor. —AP

Biffle claws to the top, others mired in pack after break

BARBADOS: Australia’s Matthew Wade watches as he is caught by West Indies’ DarrenBravo (right) for 28 runs on the fourth day of their first cricket Test match. —AP

BARBADOS: West Indies kept the pres-sure on Australia on day three of the firsttest in Bridgetown, Barbados on Mondaywith the tourists restricted at the close to248 for five in 95 overs.

Skipper Michael Clarke (73) was thebackbone of the Australian batting asthey laboured in reply to West Indies’ 449for nine declared.

Resuming on their overnight total of44-0, Australia suffered an early setbackwhen West Indies skipper Darren Sammystruck twice to remove both openers.

Sammy’s nagging line outside offstump finally teased Ed Cowan (14) intoan edge to wicketkeeper Carlton Baughand then Sammy struck again with a sim-ilar delivery to Dave Warner (42)whofound Darren Bravo at second slip.

The home team certainly smelt bloodwhen Ricky Ponting was run out for fourafter Shane Watson hesitated while call-ing his partner for a second and left theformer Australia captain stranded.

At 84 for three, Australia needed toget their heads down and Watson andClarke ground out 49 runs in 18.2 oversbefore lunch.

That set a possible foundation for theexperienced pairing but Watson need-lessly chased the second ball from KemarRoach after lunch, gifting Baugh anothercatch as he departed for 39.

Sammy was disappointed whenClarke, on 27, was given out caughtbehind off Devendra Bishoo but had thedecision overturned on a review showinglittle of a conclusive nature.

Clarke took advantage of the reprieveand put on a patient 82 run partnershipwith Mike Hussey for the fifth wicket but

the hard work was undone when theClarke unwisely tried to go over the topagainst Bishoo and found NarsinghDeonarine in the deep.

It was a needless shot and althoughHussey (47 not out) and Matthew Wade(19 not out) saw it through to an earlyclose because of bad light, Australia haveplenty of work to do on the fourth day.

Clarke, was disappointed with the wayhe got out but believes his team can stillwin the test. “I think Michael Hussey and Iwere building a pretty good partnership,maybe it was a lapse of concentration, Igot done in flight so it was a pretty goodball from Bishoo,” he said.

“But once you are in you have to makethe most of it and go on and get bigscores,” he added. Clarke said his bats-men had been restricted by some smartbowling from their opponents on a sur-face which was starting to help thebowlers.

“I thought all the West Indies bowlersdid a fantastic job on a wicket that hasprobably deteriorated a little bit, there isa little bit of inconsistent bounce,” hesaid.

“We are going to have to bowl betterthan we did in the first innings and makeas many runs as we can in this innings. Icertainly think we can still win the testmatch from here,” added Clarke.

For the West Indians, looking animproved unit so far in this series, the keyis clearly to try to finish off Australiaquickly.

“Early wickets will be crucial tomor-row,” said Sammy, “Five wickets todaywas good but there is still a lot of workto do”. —Reuters

Windies bowlers keep pressure on Australia

NAPLES: Emirates Team New Zealand crew lower thecatamaran in the sea to prepare the trial of America’sCup World Series in Naples. America’s Cup World SeriesNaples will start today and will see the final match-raceon April 15. —AFP

MARTINSVILLE: This March 30, 2012 file photo shows NASCAR driversGreg Biffle (right) and Tony Stewart talking during practice atMartinsville Speedway. —AP

Bahrain adviser says F1 security plans in place

S P ORTSWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

BEIJING: Four years after Beijing hosted a spectacularsummer Olympics, China’s bustling capital sees vastlyimproved public transport and infrastructure, butmany of the venues built for the event languishunloved, underused and draining public finances.

The jewels in the crown were two architecturally-stunning buildings-the main “Bird’s Nest” stadium andthe “Water Cube” aquatics centre, described byInternational Olympic Committee President JacquesRogge as “beautiful” and “unprecedented” venues.

“The successful hosting of the Olympics was notonly splendid for Chinese sports, it ... excited the pas-sion of one billion people about sport,” China’s sportsminister Liu Peng was cited as saying by state medialast year, summing up the Games legacy for Beijing.

Yet today both places are better known for thesteady stream of curious tourists they attract-some4.61 million visitors in 2011 — rather than as locationsfor major sporting events.

While the Bird’s Nest does host the odd footballmatch or track and field competition, it has also been

the site of a “winter wonderland” theme park and con-certs.

The stadium’s management estimates that at thecurrent rate, it will take some three decades to recoupthe 3 billion yuan ($480 million) cost of building it.

The neighbouring Water Cube lost an estimated 11million yuan last year, even with a state subsidy andrevenue from an attached water park built after theOlympics to capitalise on its fame.

“The cost for building Olympic venues was substan-tial. But the organisers failed to consider overall how touse the venues after the Olympics when building thesesites or even bidding for the Olympics,” said Yan Qiang,chief sports editor of NetEase Media Group.

“For sports venues, the more frequently they areused, the longer they will last, the better protectionthey will receive, and society will benefit that muchmore,” Yan added. “I think Beijing has a severe shortagein this regards.”

Other venues have fared even worse than the Bird’sNest or Water Cube. The kayaking venue sits all but

abandoned, what water remaining in it being suckedup by a large pipe to quench a surrounding park in themidst of a typically parched Beijing spring, during arecent visit by a Reuters journalist.

The rowing venue, located in a remote and hard toreach northeastern suburb, now hosts mostly smalldinghys. Neither sport is well-known in China, whichpartly explains the almost total abandonment. Somesites, such as for table tennis and wrestling, were builtinside universities.

“They were given these huge venues ... and theyhad no event management experience, and theyweren’t allowed to get any before the Olympic Games,”said Susan Brownell, professor of anthropology andexpert on Chinese sports at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. “After the Games were over they were learn-ing from scratch in terms of how to manage an event,”she added. Plus, in Communist Party-controlled China,there is the added concern over large crowds in thecurrent tense run-up to a once-in-a-decade handoverof power for the country’s top leadership, which will

happen in the autumn.“In order to hold a major sports event you have to

bring thousands of people together, and that’s a publicassembly. In the current political atmosphere there’sjust a lot of fear of large public assemblies,” Brownellsaid. Even the trumpeted closing of polluting factoriesto improve Beijing’s notoriously poor air has only had alimited effect and the city is still regularly cloaked in athink pall of choking smog.

Where once Chinese swelled with pride at the host-ing of the Olympics, especially after the countrytopped the gold medal table in 2008, some now criti-cise the venues for their wastefulness. “I think thebuilding materials are very expensive and wasteful,”said tourist Li Fang.

The Water Cube “changes water everyday, which is ahuge waste of water resources. It also consumes lots ofelectricity when the lights are on. I think it’s better todevote these resources to people’s daily life. Theseexpenses are totally unnecessary”, the 21-year-oldadded. — Reuters

Beijing grapples with Games legacy four years on

BUENOS AIRES: Olympic judo bronzemedallist Paula Pareto could be forgiven forforgetting to take the stethoscope fromaround her neck when she steps onto themat for her first fight at the London Games.

Argentine Pareto, who won a surprisemedal in Beijing in the 48kg category, isburning the candle at both ends as shetries to fit training and her medical studiesinto a packed day, which includes spendingfour hours at a hospital.

The 26-year-old told Reuters her statusas an Olympian does not mean her tutorsat University of Buenos Aires give her a freepass if she needs to train or get away for atournament.

“As far as being absent is concerned, Ihave to tell them I’m going to be away,maybe a week or a bit less ... In that sensethey give me consideration, but when I’maround I do what everyone does,” she saidreferring to her fellow students.

“I think the London dates just fit in andtutors won’t make an issue concerningabsenteeism,” she said in an interviewbefore evening training.

Pan-American champion Pareto,Argentina’s first Olympic medal winner injudo, says she is better for her Beijing expe-rience but knows there is no guarantee shewill do better in London.

“Really, I went to Beijing looking to seewhat would happen and get experienceand I came back with the bronze medal soit was a return to my country with greatjoy,” said Pareto, who has the nickname “LaPeke. “I’m going to London more preparedthan for Beijing, that’s sure, but we’ll see.

“I only had fifth place at the worldchampionships the previous year and itwas like no one knew much about me in

Beijing.” Watching her practice at theCenard national training centre on theedge of the capital with an intensity onecan imagine she also puts into her studies,it is difficult to imagine when she has timeto rest.“I take my rest more at the weekendsthan in the week because during the weekthe free time I have left between one prac-tice and another I try to study,” she said.

Travelling also eats up hours of Pareto’stime. She lives in a northern suburb 30 kilo-meters from the city centre and her coach,Fernando Yuma, works at her clubEstudiantes in the provincial capital 60kmto the south. The journey that can takemore than three hours by bus and train -one way.

“It’s quite complicated because I live inTigre ... and I travel to La Plata, so it’s moreor less three and a half hours by train andbus. Sometimes I have the luck of going bycar but it isn’t often.

“My personal coach, who trains thenational team, comes on Mondays andFridays here to Cenard, and on Wednesdaysand Fridays he’s in La Plata so I go therebecause ... I think it’s worth the effort.”

She does not waste a second of the trav-elling time, getting her books out to studyduring the journey. Pareto, who has twobrothers, says having the support of herfamily is crucial, although it is not alwayseasy for them to watch her compete.

“None of them went to China,” she said.“My mother didn’t manage to get the mon-ey together so it became impossible. Nowshe’s doing all she can to go to London.

“My father prefers to follow me on TV ... Ican understand him because he’s a fatherand he’s afraid I might get hurt.” — Reuters

Judo gold just what the doctor ordered

Paula Pareto seen in this file photo

Carmen Marton in action in this file photo

SYDNEY: Taekwondo fighter CarmenMarton has two big events pencilled in for2012 and her fiance Safwan Khalil willnow be with her at both after they werenamed as the Australia team for theLondon Olympics yesterday.

Marton, who reached the quarter-finalsat the Beijing Olympics, and Khalil, whowill be making his Games debut inLondon, plan to marry later this year, adecade after meeting at the taekwondojunior world championships.

“I feel very fortunate to be with some-

one who knows exactly what it is going totake to prepare and perform at theOlympic Games,” said Marton, who willcompete in the women’s under 67 kgclass at the ExCeL in London’s docklands.

“We have both pushed the lengths ofpatience and understanding, especiallysince I am based in Melbourne preparingwith my coaches and club, and he is inSydney preparing with his coach and club.

“Maintaining a relationship can behard at times, but I also believe it hasbuilt up our strength and determinationas individuals.”

Khalil, who will compete in the men’sunder-58kg class, will also be supportedby his brother and coach Ali in London.

“My family completes the puzzle,” theLebanon-born 25-year-old said. “Theirsupport and help throughout the pastyears have been what keeps me goingwhen I feel like I’ve hit a wall.

“Ali and I work great together and toshare this journey with him is an amazingfeeling. “Also having Carmen on the teamis fantastic - she’s so clever, smart andexperienced and knows what to say whenI’m down and out.”

Marton is the more likely of the two toreturn home from the July 27-Aug. 12Games with a medal and, like mostOlympians, she has no doubt which oneshe wants.

“I am there to win gold,” the 25-year-old said. “I do not want to go there andsimply participate. My goal is to do every-thing I possibly can to prepare so I amconfident and happy when it comes tomy competition day.” — Reuters

Australia taekwondo team a perfect match

Safwan Khalil

MELBOURNE: British track cycling teambosses admit they are unlikely to dominatethe Olympics as they did in Beijing followingthe resurgence of rivals Australia.

But after the 2012 world championships,where both countries looked down on theirrivals from atop the medals table, Britain’sperformance director Dave Brailsford waslooking to London with optimism.

“If we were maxing out, then there wouldbe cause for concern,” said Brailsford. “But Ithink there’s no reason why we can’t step upagain. Britain’s impressive 12-medal haulfrom the Laoshan velodrome in 2008 includ-ed seven gold from the 10 Olympic finals.Australia, the track kings of Athens in 2004,won only one medal, a silver, through sprint-er Anna Meares.

Australia, however, have now dominatedthe track world championships for the fourthconsecutive year. “We are going to go toLondon expecting to be at our absolutebest, and if we go there at our best the out-comes will take care of themselves,” saidAustralia’s performance director KevinTabotta. His team topped the table at thefive-day championships with 15 medalsincluding six gold while Britain were secondon 13 including six gold.

Brailsford admitted the competitive gaphas narrowed. “There is nothing in it,” saidBrailsford. “Previously in some events therehas been a physical difference and I don’tthink that’s any longer the case.”

As well as winning more than a third ofthe competition’s 57 medals, both teamsdug deep to crucially win world titles ineight of the 10 Olympic events.

Australia won the men’s team sprint, thewomen’s keirin and the men’s omnium whileBritain fared better with five gold in thewomen’s and men’s team pursuit, thewomen’s sprint and omnium and the men’skeirin. From the 10 Olympic disciplines,Britain and Australia won a total of 16

medals at the championships.A year on from winning just one world

championship gold, Brailsford says he iseven more encouraged by the intensity ofperformance shown by his team.

Calling it the “hardest fought worldchamps I’ve ever seen”, Brailsford saw worldrecords in the men’s and women’s team pur-suit as well as a number of intense battlesfrom riders still fighting for Olympic selec-tion.

“There’s so many nations now who havegot so close, and there’s so many riders des-perate to get selection for the Games, thewhole cocktail of those things has made itterrifically difficult and challenging,” saidBrailsford.

“But I think we’ve come through it well, Ithink we’ve moved on which was the keything and some of the key battles have goneour way.” Tabotta echoed those thoughts:“I’m pretty pleased about the individual andteam performances so far. “Medals havebeen great but the personal bests and thetimes that have been hit by the athleteshave exceeded what we expected for thechampionships.

“We’re tracking really well... so we’repleased with the progress the athletes havemade. We know what events we need toimprove on between now and London.”

In the British capital the Britain v Australiarivalry is likely to lead to new world recordsfor the men’s (4 km) and women’s (3 km)team pursuit events.

Both nations also have solid gold medalcontenders in the second endurance event,the omnium-which will make its Olympicdebut in London. The sprint events of theindividual sprint, keirin and team sprint willbe more difficult to predict.

World records in the women’s teamsprint, for example, have been set five timesin less than two months by teams fromAustralia, Britain and now Germany. —AFP

CALAIS: The duck-egg blue lorry gingerly joins aqueue of cars lined up along the Eurotunnelplatform in Calais, northern France, as Channeltunnel shuttle boarding begins.

Inside, Voske, a 10-year-old show-jumpingchampion, and his six equine companionsbreakfast on hay before the last leg of theirMiami-Amsterdam-Britain journey.

“They are getting bored, like us,” said SophieBroome, one of three grooms who have beentending the horses since they left Florida andthe Winter Equestrian Festival.

The seven thoroughbreds are travelling onthe dedicated horse transport service thatChannel tunnel operator Eurotunnel haslaunched ahead of the London Olympics thissummer, when 1,000 horses are expected totravel to Britain.

Elite competition horses can clock up thou-sands of travel miles every year and require spe-cial care worthy of pampered rock stars.

Eurotunnel, which has been carrying passen-gers and freight along the 55-kilometre longundersea tunnel between France and Britainsince 1994, has teamed up with four horse-trans-port firms to provide a faster, smoother servicethat aims to minimize disruption for prized hors-es that must arrive in peak form for competi-tions.

“We are always looking at ways we canexpand our services for cross-channel transport,”said Jo Willacy, commercial director atEurotunnel. “We became aware a few years agothat there was clearly going to be a majoropportunity for transportation linked to theOlympics.” Environmental changes and the stressof travelling can weaken the horses’ immune sys-tem, making them more susceptible to illnessand even life-threatening conditions.

Compared to the 90-minute cross-channelferry service, a journey on the Eurotunnel shuttletakes just 35 minutes, requires minimal waitingtime and is available up to four times every hour.

Eurotunnel first began working with threeBritish horse travel companies-PedenBloodstock, Harbour Shipping and John ParkerInternational-in March 2010, targeting not justcustomers who needed to transport horses forcompetitions, but also British horse-owners whowanted to take their animals to holiday homes inFrance.“We wanted to understand the customersbefore we fully launched the service,” saidHarvey Alexander, marketing and sales directorat Eurotunnel.

The positive feedback from horse owners,and growing demand, led Eurotunnel to joinforces with another firm, Equine Travel Agency,which has operations in mainland Europe, inNovember 2011.

Horse transport needs to be meticulouslyplanned as travel can take its toll on horses. Theanimals are prone to stress and can develop seri-

ous conditions such as travel sickness, a respira-tory disease.

Travelling in cramped spaces means theycannot lower their head freely to snort, coughand clear their throat and lungs. They also haveto eat with their head raised, standing in oneplace, instead of typical head-down grazingbehavior. To minimize the risk of travel sickness,vehicles used for horse transport must be keptas clean as possible to avoid a build-up of dustparticles and need proper ventilation to ensurethe horses can breathe clean, fresh air all thetime. Hay and feed have to be kept dampenedto avoid dust.

Grooms have to be on hand to check thehorses and need round-the-clock access during

the journey to make sure they are travellingcomfortably.

Red-tape for horse transport can be equallycomplicated. Like humans, horses need to carrya passport when they travel abroad, but alsorequire health certificates and export licences,which have to be obtained every time they trav-el. Before Eurotunnel began carrying horses,connections between the UK and mainlandEurope were ensured by air or ferry.

When flying with horses in the cargo hold,pilots have to take special precautions, such astaxiing gently and only gradually acceleratingbefore lifting off at a shallow angle to minimizethe risk of horses losing their balance.

Ferry travel is often disrupted by bad weatherand, in case of choppy seas, can cause horses tosuffer from sea sickness. Crossing and loadingtimes are longer and grooms do not have access

to the horses during the crossing. “The biggest advantage of Eurotunnel is

speed,” said John Parker, the owner of JohnParker International, a British-based horse-trans-port firm that handles 5,000 horses every year.“For example, it saves us two days on a trip toItaly.” Although using Eurotunnel adds around100 pounds ($160) to the cost of the journeywhen compared to the ferry service, boarding isvery swift and waiting time is kept to a mini-mum. The lorry-which needs specifications suchas a leak-proof floor and ventilation when theengine is switched off - is loaded in one of thepassenger shuttles, rather than the noisierfreight shuttles, without any other vehicles, toleave horses undisturbed.

“The most important difference is that thegroom stays with the horse for the entire jour-ney, in case there are any problems,” said Parker.

Eurotunnel carried over 1,000 horses in thefirst year. This year it expects to transport 2,000,excluding those travelling for the Olympics.

The company has declined to provide fore-casts for the Olympics, saying it expects toreceive most bookings later in April and May.Among them there will be the French equestrianteam, which is shipping 10 horses to London inlate July. “Although travel by Eurotunnel is morecomplex because the lorries need to have certainspecifications, the journey is smooth and there isno risk the horses will be stuck at the port in caseof bad weather conditions,” said Pascal Dubois,technical director of the Federation Francaised’Equitation. “There’s no chance they will missthe competition.” —Reuters

Horses get rock star treatment

Voske, a 10-year-old show-jumping champion

Britain on track forOlympic charge

18S P ORTSWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

BANGALORE: Royal Challengers Bangalore Zaheer Khan (right) celebrateswith captain Daniel Vettori (left) the dismissal of Kolkata Knight Riders bats-man Manoj Tiwary (center) during their Indian Premier League (IPL) cricketmatch. —AP

PARIS: Montpellier playmaker Younes Belhandasays he does not expect beleaguered Marseille toroll over when his title-chasing side visit StadeVelodrome today.

With Marseille in ninth place in Ligue 1 and ona run of 11 games without a win, some of theclub’s fans have pledged to support Montpellier,who are bidding to pull clear of OM’s hated rivalsParis Saint-Germain at the top of the table.

Victory for Montpellier would put them threepoints above PSG with seven games to play andtheir cause is helped by the fact that Marseillewill have one eye on Saturday’s League Cup finalagainst Lyon at Stade de France.

Belhanda, though, says he does not expectMarseille coach Didier Deschamps to field aweakened side.

“Not only do I not believe that, but it would bestupid for them to give up on the match,” theMoroccan told Tuesday’s edition of L’Equipe.“Doing that would be lying to themselves. Itwould be an insult to football.”

The game was initially pushed back to allowMarseille extra time to prepare for the second leg

of their Champions League quarter-final againstBayern Munich, in which they succumbed to a 4-0 aggregate defeat. Marseille will have to dowithout top scorer Loic Remy and right-backCesar Azpilicueta, who were both substitutedduring Sunday ’s 2-1 loss to PSG at Parc desPrinces.

Remy is yet to fully recover from a right thighinjury, while Azpilicueta received a heavy knockto his ankle against PSG.

“Remy has a problem with his thigh,”Deschamps told reporters yesterday. “We have tomake sure he feels free enough. You can see it inhis play. He won’t be there.”

Ghanaian midfielder Andre Ayew, meanwhile,may miss out due to an ongoing shoulder problemthat could require an operation before the end ofthe season. “I’m a competitor,” he said. “If the coachneeds me, I’ll always be there for the team, as longas I’m able to play.” Montpellier coach Rene Girardis likely to make one change to the team that beatSochaux 2-1 on Saturday, with Garry Bocalyexpected to replace Cyril Jeunechamp at right-back after serving a suspension. —AFP

Belhanda not expecting favors from Marseille

NEW ORLEANS: Pau Gasol had 25points and nine rebounds as theLos Angeles Lakers overcame KobeBryant’s absence to beat the NewOrleans Hornets 93-91 on Mondaynight.

Bryant missed his secondstraight game with a sore left shin,but Ramon Sessions helped pickup the slack with 17 points, includ-ing a 3-pointer that put the Lakersahead by six with 26 seconds left.Andrew Bynum added 18 pointsand 11 rebounds for the Lakers,who snapped a two-game skid.

Carl Landry had 20 points and11 rebounds, and Marco Belinelliscored 20 points for New Orleans,which led by as much as eightpoints in the fourth quarter, beforethe Lakers stormed back.

Greivis Vasquez added 18points and 11 assists for theHornets, hitting a career-high five3-pointers on six attempts. ChrisKaman had 16 points and fiveblocked shots.

Grizzlies 94, Clippers 85At Memphis, Marc Gasol scored

18 points and Rudy Gay had 16 asthe Grizzlies held on to beat theLos Angeles Clippers.

Mike Conley and OJ Mayoadded 13 each for Memphis, whichwon for the eighth time in 10games and moved one-half gamebehind the Clippers for the fourthseed in the Western Conference.Marreese Speights finished had 12points and Zach Randolph added10 points and 12 rebounds as theGrizzlies finished with a 48-36rebounding edge, but committed20 turnovers.

Chris Paul led Los Angeles with21 points and six assists, whileBlake Griffin had 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field.DeAndre Jordan added 14 pointsand 14 rebounds, and Eric Bledsoeand Randy Foye scored 11 pointseach.

Pacers 103, Raptors 98At Indianapolis, Danny Granger

and George Hill scored 18 pointseach as Indiana took an early leadand held off Toronto.

Paul George had 15 points andLeandro Barbosa added 14 to helpthe Pacers - third in the EasternConference - win for the fourthtime in their last five games.

Hill also had seven reboundsand four assists while making hisfirst start of the season in place ofthe Darren Collison, who sat outwith a groin injury sustained inIndiana’s loss to Boston onSaturday.

Linas Kleiza scored 18 points

- all in the fourth quarter - asthe Raptors tried to rally from a15-point deficit at the start ofthe period. Alan Anderson had13 of his 17 points in the thirdquarter and Amir Johnson fin-ished with 16 for Toronto. EdDavis added 11 points and 10rebounds and Jose Calderonhad 14 assists.

Thunder 109, Bucks 89At Milwaukee, Russell

Westbrook scored 26 points andOklahoma City won its secondstraight, beating Milwaukee in agame that featured seven techni-cal fouls and an ejection of Bucksbackup forward Larry Sanders.

Sanders was ejected after earn-ing a pair of technicals in the sec-ond half, while Mike Dunleavy,Brandon Jennings and coach ScottSkiles also were assessed techni-cals for Milwaukee. OklahomaCity’s Nazr Mohammed and SergeIbaka also were called for techni-cals. Kevin Durant added 19 for theThunder, who broke a three-gamelosing streak with a victory overToronto on Sunday. Oklahoma Citycame into Monday’s game trailing

San Antonio by percentage pointsfor the No. 1 seed in the WesternConference. Ersan Ilyasova scored18 for the Bucks.

Wizards 113, Bobcats 85At Charlotte, Jordan Crawford

scored 20 points and Washingtongot 67 points from its reserves ina matchup of the NBA’s two

worst teams.James Singleton had 18 points

and 12 rebounds and CartierMartin chipped in with 19 pointsas the Wizards (13-44) swept thethree-game season series from theBobcats. John Wall scored just twopoints but had 12 assists. CoreyMaggette scored 23 points for theBobcats (7-48), who lost their 12thstraight.

Magic 119, Pistons 89At Orlando, Jason Richardson

hit six 3-pointers and scored 22points as Orlando cruised pastDetroit. Glen Davis added 16points and 16 rebounds starting inplace of center Dwight Howard,who missed his third game in twoweeks with back spasms.

All five Orlando starters reacheddouble figures in the Magic’s firstwin over the Pistons this season.The Magic also were playing with-out backup point guard ChrisDuhon, who was suspended forthe game for conduct detrimentalto the team. Tayshaun Prince ledDetroit with 21 points and eightrebounds.

Suns 114, Timberwolves 90At Minneapolis, Shannon

Brown had 17 points and sevenrebounds as Phoenix’s reservesoutscored Minnesota’s 66-27.

Markieff Morris led the backupswith 21 points and Steve Nash had14 points and five assists for theSuns, who have won five of theirlast six games and 11 of 16 tosurge back into the playoff picture.They started the day one gamebehind Denver for eighth in theWest.

Kevin Love had 25 points and13 rebounds for the Timberwolves,who have lost six in a row. Theyhave lost 22 straight games in Aprildating back to 2009. JJ Barea had16 points, but the Wolves’ massivedefensive problems continuedwith the Suns shooting 57 percent.

Nuggets 123, Warriors 84At Denver, rookie Kenneth

Faried had season highs of 27points and 17 rebounds, and theDenver never trailed en route to itsmost lopsided win of the season.

The 39-point margin exceededDenver’s previous high of 29points against Sacramento on Jan.25, and coincided with the returnof Danilo Gallinari. He helped pickup the offense by scoring 15points in his first game since break-ing his left thumb against Dallason March 19.

Arron Afflalo also had 15 points,and JaVale McGee and CoreyBrewer each added 13 for Denver.Golden State was led by KlayThompson and Nate Robinsonwith 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Jazz 91, Spurs 84At Salt Lake City, Devin Harris

scored 25 points, including 11straight in the fourth quarter, asUtah halted San Antonio’s 11-game winning streak and boostedits own playoff hopes. Paul Millsapadded 18 points for the Jazz, whoavenged a 114-104 road lossSunday to the Spurs.

Utah (30-28) is injury riddledbut the Spurs (40-15) were short-handed in a different way, choos-ing not to bring stars Tim Duncan,Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili forthe rematch of the home-and-home set. Coach Gregg Popovichwanted the trio, averaging 46.8points, to rest.

Gary Neal and Tiago Splitterscored 14 points apiece, andDeJuan Blair added 13 in SanAntonio’s first loss since March 17.

Rockets 94, T Blazers 89At Portland, Goran Dragic

scored 22 points as Houston beatPortland to complete an unbeatenfour-game road trip.

Chase Budinger added 15points off the bench for theRockets, who beat the Bulls,Lakers and Kings before visitingPortland. Houston, jockeying forplayoff position in the WesternConference, has won six of its lasteight games overall. LaMarcusAldridge had 20 points and sixrebounds for Portland, whichtrailed by as many as 14 points.The Trail Blazers, who are seeingtheir playoff hopes dwindle, havegone 7-8 since firing coach NateMcMillan. —AP

Lakers get past Hornets

PORTLAND: Houston Rockets forward Patrick Patterson (left)blocks a shot by Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus dur-ing the second half of their NBA basketball game. —AP

Eastern ConferenceAtlantic Division

W L PCT GBBoston 32 24 .571 -NY Knicks 29 27 .518 3Philadelphia 29 27 .518 3New Jersey 21 37 .362 12Toronto 20 38 .345 13

Central DivisionChicago 43 14 .754 -Indiana 35 22 .614 8Milwaukee 28 29 .491 15Detroit 21 36 .368 22Cleveland 18 36 .333 23.5

Southeast DivisionMiami 40 15 .727 -Atlanta 34 23 .596 7Orlando 34 23 .596 7Washington 13 44 .228 28Charlotte 7 48 .127 33

Western ConferenceNorthwest Division

Oklahoma City 42 15 .737 -Denver 31 26 .544 11Utah 30 28 .517 12.5Portland 27 31 .466 15.5Minnesota 25 33 .431 17.5

Pacific DivisionLA Lakers 36 22 .621 -LA Clippers 34 23 .596 1.5Phoenix 30 27 .526 5.5Golden State 22 34 .393 13Sacramento 19 38 .333 16.5

Southwest DivisionSan Antonio 40 15 .727 -Memphis 33 23 .589 7.5Houston 32 25 .561 9Dallas 31 26 .544 10New Orleans 15 42 .263 26

Orlando 119, Detroit 89; Indiana 103, Toronto 98; Washington 113, Charlotte 85; LA Lakers 93, New Orleans 91; OklahomaCity 109, Milwaukee 89; Memphis 94, LA Clippers 85; Utah 91, San Antonio 84; Phoenix 114, Minnesota 90; Denver 123,Golden State 84.

NBA results/standings

BANGALORE: Seam bowler LakshmipathyBalaji produced a superb spell of 4-18 asKolkata Knight Riders beat Bangalore RoyalChallengers by 42 runs in the Indian PremierLeague yesterday.

Balaji bowled an immaculate line to claimthe important wickets of Virat Kohli and ABde Villiers to help restrict Bangalore to 123-9after Kolkata had scored 165-8 in 20 overs.

South Africa allrounder Jacques Kallis hadearlier removed big-hitting opener ChrisGayle and Cheteshwar Pujara to complete anallround performance of 22 and 2-7.

Captain Gautam Gambhir (64) andManvinder Bisla (46) were the other perform-ers for Kolkata, which won its first game aftertwo losses. Bangalore has one win and oneloss.

Kolkata made a superb start after beingput in to bat, but faltered in the latter half ofits innings when a total of close to 200looked likely.

After Kallis’s steady innings was broughtto an end by Bangalore captain DanielVettori, Gautam Gambhir and ManvinderBisla added 64 in less than eight overs.

Gambhir struck nine fours in 39 balls, thecaptain hitting pace bowler Harshal Patel for15 in an over, including the lone six of hisinnings.

Bisla struck three sixes and two fours, the

wicketkeeper-batsman using his feet wellduring his 29-ball innings. He was fooled by aball that left him from Sri Lankan offspinnerMuttiah Muralitharan to be stumped as hejumped out of his crease.

Muralitharan, Zaheer Khan and VinayKumar took two wickets each as Kolkataslipped from 125-1 in the 14th over. ManojTiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Ryan ten Doeschateand Shakib al-Hassan all failing to get intodouble-figures.

In reply, Bangalore failed to recover fromthe early wickets by Kallis and Balaji was laterwell supported by allrounder Rajat Bhatia inthe middle of the innings to mount pressureon the batsmen.

Bangalore was 33-5 in the 10th over. Abrief resistence by Vettori (20) was broughtto an end by Balaji in his final over. VinayKumar threw his bat around for 25 off 26balls but the contribution was too little toolate.

Scores:Kolkata Knight Riders 165-8 (Gautam

Gambhir 64, Manvinder Bisla 46; VinayKumar 2-18, Zaheer Khan 2-31, MuttiahMuralitharan 2-31) def. Royal ChallengersBangalore 123-9 ( Vinay Kumar 25,Lakshmipathy Balaji 4-18, Jacques Kallis 2-7,Shakib Al Hassan 2-21). —AP

Balaji stars as Knight Riders win

KARACHI: Deprived of hosting internationalmatches since a deadly attack on the Sri Lankanteam bus three years ago, Pakistan hopes ahigh-profile new Twenty20 league can lure backoverseas players.

No international team has played in Pakistansince the March 2009 attack in Lahore, whichleft eight people dead and several visiting play-ers wounded, and the national team has had toplay its “home” matches abroad, mostly in theUnited Arab Emirates.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is still wait-ing for Bangladesh’s response to an invitation toplay a limited-overs series later this month.

If Bangladesh are reluctant to come, it isinevitable that bigger-name teams likeAustralia, India, England and South Africa willcontinue to stay away while any doubts lingerover players’ safety. Passion for cricket inPakistan remains undiminished, however, andcorporate interest has reignited the PCB’s effortsto start a Pakistan Premier League (PPL), mod-elled on the megabucks Indian Premier League.

Nine teams are competing in this year’s IPL,the fifth edition of the tournament, withdefending champions Chennai Super Kings ledby Indian captain M.S. Dhoni again emerging asone of the sides to beat.

But Pakistani players, who are usually amajor draw in India, have been kept out of thetournament since the second edition, reported-ly due to security fears.

Four companies, including one from India,are expected to give a presentation to the PCBthis week on how to stage the PPL, with a UAE-based bank and two telecoms companies inter-ested in taking up team franchises.

“It’s exciting to have a very good initial

response from corporate companies on thePPL,” PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmedtold AFP.

“We are looking at the viability of aTwenty20 event involving some foreign players,and it would be great if it comes about,” he said.A British Universities team played two limited-overs games in Lahore last week-at the GaddafiStadium that hosted the fateful Sri Lanka Test in2009 and Ahmed said the visit should encour-age other foreign sides to follow.

“The security situation has improved and isimproving. That is why the British Universitiesteam toured Pakistan, and we have stringentsecurity plans for the safety of the foreign play-ers.”

But convincing foreign players to come to acountry still battling Islamist militancy will be noeasy task-particularly with the IPL on thedoorstep offering huge salaries and reliablesafety.

Ehsan Mani, a Pakistani who wasInternational Cricket Council (ICC) presidentfrom 2003 to 2006, admits there is a lot of workto do and warns it will take time to persuadeoverseas players it is safe to come to Pakistan.

“The PCB should have a strong security planand engage the ICC, ask them on what bench-marks of security they will send their officials,”he said.

“They should start a league in which veryfew overseas players come initially, and confi-dence should be built gradually.” It is not thefirst time the PPL idea has been floated. FormerPCB chairman Naseem Ashraf wanted to launcha league to rival the IPL, but he had to quit aftermilitary ruler Pervez Musharraf was ousted andthe idea was dropped. —AFP

International-starved Pakistan

eyes Twenty20 league action

PreviewBARCELONA: Barcelona’s French interna-tional defender Eric Abidal was scheduledto undergo a liver transplant late yester-day, a club spokesman said without con-firming whether the operation hadbegun. “I confirm that the operation wasscheduled for today but I don’t knowwhether it has started,” the Barcelonaspokesman told AFP.

“We have not received any informationto the contrary. We are in the hands of thedoctors, waiting to see what they will say.”

Barcelona-based sports daily Sportsaid Abidal entered the operating block ofBarnaClinic and the surgery was expectedto last between six and eight hours. The32-year-old defender was to receive a liverdonated by his cousin Gerard, the paperreported on its online edition.

Barcelona announced March 15 thathe would have a liver transplant “in thecoming weeks”, nearly a year after theplayer had a tumor removed from thesame organ.

The club did not give any indication ofhow long he would be out of action butthe operation puts him in doubt for theFrench team in the June 8-July 1 Euro2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine. Shortlyafter the club made the announcement,Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said he

was confident that Abidal would return tothe pitch after getting a new liver.

“I am sure he will return. Not havinghim available to play is not what is impor-tant. He is irreplaceable for us. We don’thave a substitute. He gives us an infiniterange of possibilities,” Guardiola said.

But the internationally-renownedhead of Spain’s organ transplant service,Rafael Matesanz, has warned that itwould be “very difficult” for Abidal toplay again after undergoing a transplant.“It’s clear that everything should go welland that he could play sport at a highlevel but football is a contact sport andone of the things that you have to avoidafter a transplant is trauma and blows inthat area,” he told sports daily Marca lastmonth. “He has to take a series of pre-cautions for the rest of his life, including

not getting hit in that area. He will havemedical treatment for life and will haveto have regular check-ups.”

Abidal made a rapid recovery afterundergoing surgery to remove a tumorfrom his liver in March 2011 and drewloud cheers as he made a symbolicreturn on May 3 in the final minutes ofBarca’s Champions League semi-finalsecond leg tie with Real Madrid. “TheCamp Nou’s ovation in the semi finals ofthe Champions League was one of themost amazing things I’ve ever seen. He’sa very good person and very muchloved by the squad,” Guardiola said lastmonth.

“If people love him so much it ’sbecause he has earned it. I’m sure thatthat will give him a lot of strength to getthrough this.” Abidal has been a regularthis season for the Catalan side, startingin 20 first division matches. But he hasnot played since picking up a hip injuryplaying for France in their friendly winover Germany at the start of March.

His contract had been due to expireat the end of the current season but inJanuary he agreed a new one-year dealwith Barcelona which ties him to theclub until 2013 with options to extend itby two more years. —AFP

Barca’s Abidal due for liver transplant

Eric Abidal

19S P O R T SWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

LONDON: With ManchesterUnited closing in on a 20thEnglish championship title,Manchester City is discoveringthat not even investing morethan $1 billion on players canguarantee success over a unifiedand settled squad.

Man City had been predictedby many to win a first Englishleague title since 1968 after itsmassive outlay on players. Butthe Abu Dhabi-owned club haslost a five-point lead to allowdefending champion United tosurge eight points clear with sixrounds left.

“We have brought players inand it takes time for them to set-tle, coming from abroad or fromother clubs, and gelling as ateam,” City winger James Milnersaid. “We have challenged thisseason and are still fighting untilthe end. As a team to move for-wards, to keep improving, youhave to work hard and be togeth-er for a number of years.”

United’s advantage couldgrow further after today, when itplays Wigan and City meets WestBromwich Albion.

A successful title defense forUnited could even be clinched atCity’s Etihad Stadium on April 30,completing a remarkable turn-around for the team after beingbeaten 6-1 in the October derby.

“It would be huge (winningthe title) when you look at thespending power Manchester Cityhave, the injuries we’ve had, theexperience we’ve lost - Scholesy(Paul Scholes) for half the season,Edwin van der Sar, John O’Shea,Wes Brown,” United midfielderRyan Giggs said. “Then the chal-lenge we faced bringing in a newgoalkeeper - David de Gea camein for a lot of criticism early onbut he’s worked hard and he’sshowing terrific form at a keytime - and the young talent we’veblooded in, it would be a massiveachievement.”

Giggs has been part ofUnited’s 12 title-winning sides inthe previous 19 seasons, whileCity has only starting becoming acredible challenger since the firstinjection of funds from AbuDhabi’s royal family in 2008.

“United are obviously a strongside, but we knew that all sea-son,” Milner said. “For the last 20years, they have got that knack ofwinning and know how to closeout title races. This is the first yearwe have been up there as agroup ... learning is the biggestthing, of being in these posi-tions.”

City also needs to learn aboutteam unity, with the squadimploding of late after havingmade an electrifying start to theseason.

Carlos Tevez’s feud with theclub after refusing to warm upduring a Champions Leaguematch in September kept him outof the team for six months.

Manager Roberto Mancini hasalso had to deal with anothertroublesome striker, MarioBalotelli, whose conduct on andoff the pitch has been a constantdistraction.

Mancini said the gifted-but-flawed Italian is likely to be soldin the offseason after he was sentoff in Sunday’s loss at Arsenal.

The red card came after a sec-ond lunge on Bacary Sagna and,when considered with previousindiscretions, could lead toBalotelli being banned for ninematches by the English FootballAssociation. But the aggravationcaused by Balotelli and Tevez isnot the only reason for City’s col-lapse.

“We have played well for themajority of the season but havecome unstuck for whatever rea-son over the past few weeks,most of the time away fromhome,” Milner said. “We havebeen very strong at home, butaway have not got the results we

want. It is about having that ruth-lessness on the road which wecan learn from.”

After beating City 1-0 onSunday, Arsenal can strengthen itsgrip on third place with a victoryat bottom-place WolverhamptonWanderers today.

The Gunners have a two-pointadvantage and a game in handover Tottenham and Newcastle.“We play for the battle for thirdplace, which gives us direct quali-

fication for the ChampionsLeague,” Arsenal defenderThomas Vermaelen said. “That isvery important for the club and isour main target at the moment.

“ In some games we haveshown a lot of quality and wecan compete with everybody.You have to be consistent in theleague and sometimes that’s notbeen the case for us, but we willtry to do that better nextyear.”—AP

City discovering money no guarantee of success

LONDON: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini makes apoint to his team in this file photo. —AP

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo

BARCELONA: With its lead over Barcelonacrumbling, league pacesetter Real Madridfaces a crucial Spanish capital derby at anAtletico Madrid eager to break a run of 22games without a victory over its crosstownrivals today.

Three draws in its last five games havecut Madrid’s once commanding advantageof 10 points down to four, and Barcelonawill have a shot at pulling even closer lateyesterday at home against Getafe.

Madrid’s visit to Vicente Calderon stadi-um is even more important with it set totravel to Barcelona in less than two weeks.“The gap with Barcelona has been reduced,but now we just have to keep moving for-ward,” said Madrid captain Iker Casillas.“The derby will be a special match. After solong without beating us, for them it willalso be a vital game.”

“Real Madrid can lose this leaguebecause mathematically it isn’t over. Eachmatch is a final.” Atletico hasn’t beatenMadrid since 1999, and Madrid’s domi-nance has only increased over time withwins in each its last seven meetings.

For Atletico to have a chance it will needto repeat Valencia’s feat on Sunday when itheld Madrid’s potent attack in check for a0-0 draw.

Jose Mourinho’s Madrid has scored aleague-high 100 goals so far this season -74 of those coming from the trio ofCristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain andKarim Benzema - and is on pace to breakthe all-time league record of 107.

While struggling away, coach DiegoSimeone has his Atletico team playing wellat home where it has won three in a row.

“We have to respect them because theyare leaders and are more than 30 pointsabove us in the standings. This is one of thebest Real Madrid sides ever,” said Atleticodefender Filipe Luis. “But we will be playingin front of our fans and will try to get thewin. “All of us dream about beating Madridafter all these years.” Getafe dealtBarcelona its first loss of the season inNovember thanks to Juan Valera’s second-half goal when the modest side was able tostifle the European champions by adoptinga defensive approach.

Barcelona should have an easier time ofbreaking down Getafe at home where ithas not lost since September of 2010.

Despite Madrid’s recent troubles,Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola says histeam’s fierce rivals are still likely winners ofthe league title.

“It’s almost impossible for us to win thisleague,” Guardiola said. “Madrid is thefavorite. The difference of four pointsmeans that Madrid is favorite because if weslip up, the league is theirs.”

Barcelona will be without suspendedmidfielder Cesc Fabregas, while defendersGerard Pique and Dani Alves are bothdoubtful because of injury.

The defending champions will be ableto count on prolific scorer Lionel Messi asthey seek a tenth straight league win.

Messi is playing perhaps the best foot-ball of his already illustrious career. OnSaturday, he scored twice to become thefirst player to score 60 goals in a majorEuropean league since Gerd Mueller had 67for Bayern Munich in 1972-73.

The Argentina forward leads theSpanish league with 38 goals, one morethan Madrid’s Ronaldo. Both are vying tobreak the Portuguese international’sleague record of 40 set last season.

“We will pay (Messi) special attentionand be on top of him, but that is what allthe coaches do and at the end he alwaysscores,” said Getafe coach Luis Garcia.“There are times he cannot be stopped.What he is doing is incredible, not just thegoals but also everything else he gener-ates.” Third-place Valencia will look to buildon its draw at Madrid today as it welcomesthe explosive Rayo Vallecano, fresh off a 6-0 rout of Osasuna over the weekend.

Levante will try to take three points atlast-place Sporting Gijon that would keepthis season’s surprise team in the thick ofthe hunt for a top-four finish and aChampions League place. Also Wednesday,Athletic Bilbao visits Granada in search of asecond straight win to maintain its fadinghopes of a late-season rally to move up thestandings. Tomorrow, it’s: Villarreal vs.Malaga; Racing Santander vs. Mallorca; andSevilla vs. Zaragoza.—AP

Real faces Atletico as league lead shrinks

BERLIN: Bayern Munich are hunt-ing their first win over Bundesligachampions Borussia Dortmundfor two years today in the eager-ly-anticipated clash which coulddecide the German league titlerace. With five league games leftthis season, second-placedBayern are three points behindleaders Dortmund and the winnerat Borussia’s sold-out Signal IdunaPark stadium will be in pole posi-tion to claim the league title.

“We can’t af ford to lose,”admitted Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “It will prob-ably be decisive in the title race.“It would still be all to play forshould we draw, and if we win,we’d take pole posit ion fromDortmund.”

‘Clash of the Titans’, ‘Game ofGames’ and ‘Festival of Football’are just some of the catchphrasesused to describe the showdownin the media here.

Victory for Dortmund will leavethem six points c lear of theBavarians, but a win for Bayernwill put them top of the leaguefor the first time since the start ofFebruary, when Dortmundreplaced them. Bayern’s Germanystar Bastian Schweinsteiger, whoplayed in Saturday’s 2-1 win overAugsburg, is again set to starthaving proved his fitness afterdamaging ankle l igaments inFebruary.

“I just want to win the game -no matter how dirty or how richlydeserved,” he said. Dortmund’steenage star Mario Goetze couldwell play a role, but it remains tobe seen how much coach JuergenKlopp is prepared to use the

young star, who

has struggled with a groin prob-lem for the last 10 weeks.

When the teams last met inNovember in Munich, Goetze’ssecond-half winner gave his sidea 1-0 victory, while Dortmundwon both league matches againstBayern home and away last sea-son. The last time Bayern beatDortmund was back in February2010 when the hosts claimed a 3-1 win at Munich’s Allianz Arena,but their midfielder Toni Kroossaid the present is all that mat-ters. “All that counts is that we’rein superb shape and we’ve won alot of matches in a row,” insistedthe 22-year-old. “We travel toDortmund in good form.

“Obviously, we’re wary and weknow how good they are, butwe’re still just a little bit better interms of footballing quality. “It’llbe very tense and we know weabsolutely can’t afford to lose.

“You sense that everyone inthe team knows the importanceof this match.” Dortmund are infine form with ten wins and twodraws since Christmas and thetitle is theirs to lose.

“On Wednesday, it’s going tobe a clash of footballing cultures,”said Klopp. “Bayern’s ‘Mia san Mia’meets our ‘We are football’, it’sgoing to be excit ing. “We aregoing to put on a show for the80,000.” With a ChampionsLeague semi-f inal f i rst- leg athome to Real Madrid to comenext Tuesday and nine straightvictories behind them, the menfrom Munich are brimming withconfidence.

Dortmund president DrReinhard Rauball has describedtoday’s clash as the ‘game-of-

games’, while his Bayern counter-part Uli Hoeness has dubbed itthe ‘moment of truth’.

“We have a great deal of opti-mism, but also the necessaryrespect,” said the Bavarian club’sdirector of sport Christ ianNerlinger. Neither coach is pre-pared to admit the title race willbe decided by today’s result .

“We’ l l only know who to cal lchampions after the last day. Evenafter today, a whole lot can stillhappen,” said Bayern coach JuppHeynckes.

Dortmund are chasing a sec-ond consecutive league t i t le ,while the teams will meet again inthe German Cup final at Berlin’sOlympic Stadium on May 12.—AP

Bayern, Dortmund clashto decide German title

GERMANY: Bayern’s Mario Gomez (right) celebrates with team-mates in this file photo. —AP

English Premier LeagueWolves v Arsenal 21:45Abu Dhabi Sports HDWigan v Man United 21:45Abu Dhabi Sports HDMan City v West Brom 21:45Abu Dhabi Sports HDQPR v Swansea 22:00Abu Dhabi Sports HD

Spanish LeagueAtletico v Real Madrid 23:00Aljazeera Sport +2Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

LONDON: Wojciech Szczesny has insistedArsenal could yet catch Manchester Cityand finish the season as Premier Leaguerunners-up. Arsene Wenger’s side travel toface relegation-threatened Wolves todaywhere they will attempt to build on lastweekend’s 1-0 win over City.

That victory, secured by Mikel Arteta’slate goal, effectively ended City’s hopes ofwinning the English title and moved theGunners to within 10 points of RobertoMancini’s side with six games remaining.

The primary target for the north Londonclub is to finish third and gain direct qualifi-cation into the Champions League groupstage, but Szczesny believes City may nowfalter, paving the way for Arsenal to clinchsecond spot with Manchester United allbut assured of retaining their PremierLeague title.

“I believe we will finish third,” said theArsenal goalkeeper. “Man City have losttheir chance of the title-it was a big blow tous last year and they might drop a little bit,so who knows maybe we can catch themas well. “Our aim is to win every game andif we do that we will be in the ChampionsLeague next season.” Wenger was frustrat-ed by a mid-season slump that preventedhis side from mounting a stronger chal-lenge at the top of the table.

But a run of eight wins in the last nineleague games has revived their season,with the unexpected defeat at Queens ParkRangers the only blemish on Arsenal’srecent record. And midfielder YossiBenayoun believes they must maintain thatrun to fend off the challenge of fourth-placed Newcastle and Tottenham, twopoints behind the Gunners and Chelsea,who are four points adrift of Arsenal insixth place.

“We had to take three points (againstCity) to open the gap,” said Benayoun. “Itwill be very close until the end of the sea-son, we have to continue to play like this,”the Israeli added.

“At this time of the season I think everygame is a difficult one. Teams will fight fortheir lives in this league and it is harder toplay against them, especially when youplay at their ground. “It will be like thisagainst Wolves. But if we are 100 percentcommitted, then we will win the game.”Wolves manager Terry Connor insists hehas “no regrets” about taking on the posi-

tion despite garnering a solitary point fromhis first seven games in charge after hispromotion from assistant boss followingthe sacking of former manager MickMcCarthy. Saturday’s defeat by Stoke madeit six successive losses for Wolves after theyhad drawn in Connor’s opening match incharge at Newcastle.

They are now six points adrift at the footof the table and relegation to theChampionship is starting to look like a for-mality. But Connor said: “I’m in charge andhave been given a job to do till May 13 andwill carry that through. “That hasn’tchanged one iota for me unless Jez Moxey(the chief executive) or Steve Morgan (theowner) tell me otherwise.

“Wherever we are after that I am surethe club will sit down and take stock anddecide where they go from there.

“I have no regrets about taking the job.It is a tremendous challenge and honourand privilege to be manager of Wolves inthe Premier League.

“I am enjoying it-but I just wish wecould get a few results for the fans and theclub.” Connor must decide whether torecall Roger Johnson and Kevin Doyleafter leaving the pair on the bench forSaturday’s defeat at the BritanniaStadium.—AFP

Szczesny says Arsenal gunning for second spot

LONDON: Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesnyreacts after his team made a near missin this file photo. —AP

18Balaji stars asKnight Riders win

WEDNES DAY, APRIL 11, 201219City discoveringmoney no guaranteeof success

Bahrain adviser says F1 security plans in place Page 16

MADRID: Defending champions Barcelona uppedthe pressure on leaders Real Madrid yesterday as theymoved to within a point of their bitter rivals after a 4-0 thumping of Getafe.

Two goals from Alexis Sanchez, one from PedroRodriguez and Lionel Messi’s 39th in the league thisseason gave Barca a 10th consecutive league victoryafter another near perfect performance by theCatalans. Real can restore their four point advantageif they beat Atletico Madrid today - they have not lostto their city rivals since 1999 .

The clash between Barca and Madrid on April21st in the Camp Nou has become increasinglyimportant as the Catalans have reduced the gap onMadrid from 10 points to only one in less than amonth. Barcelona dominated Getafe throughout,controlling possession with their usual passing gameand goalkeeper Victor Valdes summed up the situa-tion on the final whistle.

“Our work is done here, let’s wait and see what

Madrid do tomorrow night in their game,” he said.Andres Iniesta had the game’s first chance when hisshot was tipped over by Miguel Angel Moya in theGetafe goal on 12 minutes.

A minute later and Barca were ahead. Iniesta start-ed the move on the left for Messi to chest the ballinto the path of the Chilean Sanchez who made nomistake from 20 yards out.

On 17 minutes the lead was almost doubledwhen Xavi Hernandez had appeared to finish per-fectly a neat passing move only for Argentinian cen-tre-half Cata Diaz to scoop the ball clear on the goal-line. Barca continued to dominate but did not add totheir lead until just before half-time when Iniesta sup-plied Messi with a delightful back flick for theArgentinian to finish with a powerful shot.

On 72 minutes Alexis doubled his tally headinghome an inch perfect right-wing cross from young-ster Isaac Cuenca.

Two minutes later and it was another header from

Pedro who rounded off the scoring when he wasquickest to meet a right-wing free-kick from Messi.

Barca turned on the style for the final minutes andMessi almost scored again from an impossible anglewith two minutes remaining after a twisting run hadtaken him past 3 defenders.

Earlier yesterday Raul Garcia scored two second-half goals to help Osasuna beat Espanyol 2-0 in a bat-tle between two teams competing for places in nextseason’s Europa League.

For Osasuna the result was the perfect recoveryfrom last weekend’s 6-0 reversal at Rayo Vallecano,however they were helped by a card happy refereewho booked players from start to finish.

Espanyol ended the game with nine men whenPhilippe Courtois and Juan Forlin were sent off in thesecond half for two bookable offences each.

Osasuna stay sixth on 46 points while Espanyol,who have not won in five matches, remain fourpoints behind in ninth position.

Real Betis and Real Sociedad shared a 1-1 draw tohelp both teams edge closer to survival. Carlos Velaput Sociedad ahead just after half-time before Ruben

Castro equalised on 69 minutes for Betis. EarlierImanol Agirretxe had a first-half penalty saved byFabricio Agosto in the Betis goal. — AFP

Barcelona pile pressure on Real

ROME: AC Milan went back to the top ofSerie A, for 24 hours at least, with a hardfought 1-0 victor y at Chievo in rainyVerona yesterday.

Milan bounced straight back fromSaturday ’s 2-1 defeat at home toFiorentina despite being ravaged byinjury and suspensions-they had 14 play-ers missing.

Ghana midfielder Sul ley Muntariscored the only goal of the game early onas Milan moved two points clear ofJuventus. The Old Lady of Turin can retakethe lead if they beat Lazio today.

It was a far from vintage Milan per-formance as Chievo bossed the game butshowing the true form of champions theymanaged to nick the three points despitenot playing well.

Such were their problems that coachMassimiliano Allegri gave teenage full-back Mattia De Sciglio a first ever leaguestart, although he previously played inthe Champions League.

And veteran midfielder GennaroiGattuso was draughted back in for a firststart since September. Under pressureafter picking up a single point from theirprevious two games and being over-hauled by Juve, Milan needed a bt of luckand things immediately started to lookrosy.

Muntari set his sights from more than25 yards out and although he hit his striketruly, goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentinoseemed slow in diving to his right and theball nestled into the bottom corner oneight minutes.

That apart it was almost all Chievo inthe first half but Milan still led at thebreak. Former Milan for ward Alber toPaloschi had the ball in the net after hewas slipped in by Nicolas Frey but thateffort was ruled out for a dubious-lookingoffside.

The young for ward then played inFrenchman Cyril Thereau but goalkeeperChristian Abbiati tipped his low effortaround the post.

Milan were playing exclusively on thebreak and one long punt forward caughtthe hosts’ defence napping, sendingAntonio Nocerino scampering clear onlyfor the midfielder’s awful first touch tocarry straight through to Sorrentino.

Frey crossed to the back post butSergio Pellissier headed wide. Up the oth-er end, Brazilian Robinho’s step over senttwo defenders the wrong way but hisnear post shot was shovelled behind.

On the stroke of half-time Pellissierteed up Luca Rigoni but he failed to hitthe target from 15 yards. Chievo contin-ued to dominate against a weakenedMilan team in the second half andPellissier had two glorious chances toscore but the first he volleyed straight atAbbiati and the second was deflectedover.Milan had their hear ts in theirmouths when Thereau’s back flick clearlyhit Alessandro Nesta’s hand in the box butthe Frenchman was flagged for offside.Francesco Acerbi had the ball in the Milannet with the last kick of the game but thattoo was chalked off for offside, this time aclear one.—AFP

Milan edge Chievo

to regain top spot

SPAIN: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi from Argentina scores against Getafe during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium.—AP

BLACKBURN: Andy Carroll struck a dramatic injury-timewinner as 10-man Liverpool beat Blackburn Rovers 3-2 atEwood Park in a rollercoaster Premier League clash hereyesterday.

Liverpool looked to be cruising to victory after goalsfrom Maxi Rodriguez fired them into a 2-0 lead early on.But a red card for goalkeeper Alexander Doni-himself fill-ing in for the suspended Pepe Reina-changed the com-plexion of the game and thrust third-choice goalkeeperBrad Jones into the limelight.

Jones promptly announced his entrance by savingAyegbeni Yakubu’s spot-kick but Rovers hauled them-selves back into the contest and eventually drew level.

Yakubu made amends for his penalty miss to headhome for 2-1 and then levelled from the penalty spot inthe second half to make it 2-2 and give Rovers hope ofpulling clear of the relegation zone.

However Carroll was to have the final word with hisheader a minute into stoppage time to give KennyDalglish, the Liverpool manager, another Ewood Parkoccasion to put in his memory bank.

It will always be a special ground for Dalglish afterwinning the Championship while in charge of Blackburnin 1995. And it became extra-special within 16 minutes asLiverpool’s lightning start eased the pressure on Dalglish.Only 13 minutes had gone when Blackburn went behind,with much of the credit going to Liverpool defenderMartin Skrtel who speared a splendid 80-yard pass intothe feet of Craig Bellamy.

The winger charged forward before delivering a per-fectly-judged cross that Rodriguez turned in from close-

range. Three minutes later, Liverpool stretched their lead -and Rodriguez was again the scorer after impressive workfrom Jonjo Shelvey. The midfielder won the ball in mid-field and surged forward to force a save from Rovers’keeper Paul Robinson. Carroll’s shot from the reboundwas blocked, but Rodriguez was more clinical when theball dropped to his feet and he swept it in.

Liverpool’s stunning start came despite a much-changed side with Dalglish clearly eyeing this weekend’sFA Cup semi-final against Everton. Another regular miss-ing was Pepe Reina, serving the second game of his threematch suspension to give a rare opportunity to BrazilianDoni. Reina’s red card at Newcastle had presented Doni

with the chance to play in Saturday’s semi-final - but hisWembley dream was shattered after just 25 minutes afterhe brought down Junior Hoilett.

Third-choice keeper Jones replaced Jon Flanagan, thefull-back whose mishit back-pass had left Hoilett racingclear. And Jones, now heading to the Wembley show-piece tie, made an instant impact when he saved theunconvincing penalty from Yakubu. Jones was beaten,though, in the 36th minute when a fine free-kick fromDavid Dunn gave Yakubu the chance to head inside thepost rom eight yards. Dalglish’s outnumbered team werepinned back for long periods during the rest of thematch. — AFP

10-man Reds sink Rovers

Real Madrid 31 25 4 2 100 27 79Barcelona 32 24 6 2 94 23 78Malaga 31 15 5 11 47 43 50Valencia 31 13 10 8 46 37 49Levante 31 14 6 11 44 41 48Osasuna 32 11 13 8 37 52 46Atletico 31 11 9 11 42 37 42Sevilla 31 11 9 11 36 33 42Espanyol 32 11 9 12 39 43 42Getafe 32 11 9 12 33 43 42

Bilbao 31 10 11 10 45 42 41Rayo 31 12 4 15 48 53 40Betis 32 11 6 15 39 45 39Sociedad 32 10 8 14 39 48 38Mallorca 31 9 10 12 32 40 37Granada 31 10 5 16 28 46 35Villarreal 31 7 11 13 31 45 32Zaragoza 31 7 7 17 28 56 28Racing 31 4 13 14 23 48 25Gijon 31 6 7 18 29 58 25

Barcelona 4 (Sanchez“13,”“73,”Messi 44“, Pe”dro75)“Getafe 0; Real Sociedad 1 (Vela 55) Real Betis 1 (Ruben Castro 69);Osasuna 2 (Raul Garcia 53, 69) Espanyol 0.

Spanish league table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

Spanish League results/standings

Man Utd 32 25 4 3 78 27 79Man City 32 22 5 5 75 26 71Arsenal 32 19 4 9 63 41 61Tottenham 33 17 8 8 57 38 59Newcastle 33 17 8 8 50 42 59Chelsea 33 16 9 8 56 38 57Everton 33 13 8 12 38 34 47Liverpool 33 12 10 11 40 36 46Fulham 33 11 10 12 43 43 43Norwich 33 11 10 12 46 52 43Sunderland 33 11 9 13 42 41 42Stoke 33 11 9 13 32 45 42West Brom 32 11 6 15 39 43 39Swansea 32 10 9 13 35 41 39Aston Villa 32 7 14 11 35 44 35Bolton 32 9 2 21 36 65 29QPR 32 7 7 18 35 56 28Blackburn 33 7 7 19 45 70 28Wigan 32 6 10 16 30 57 28W’hampton 32 5 7 20 34 70 22

Blackburn 2 (Yakubu 36, 61-pen) Liverpool 3 (MaxiRodriguez 13, 16, Carroll 90)

English Premier League table after yesterday’smatch (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goalsagainst, points):

Blackburn 2

Liverpool 3

LONDON: Liverpool’s Slovak defender MartinSkrtel (top) heads clear from Blackburn Rovers’French midfielder Steven N’Zonzi during theEnglish Premier League football match. —AFP

EPL result/standings

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Cameron on Japan, S Asia tour to boostbusiness

Page 25

Bank stocks help KSE rebound from loss

Flow of Iran oil to Asia slows as sanctions bite

Page 22

Kuwait employment grows 6% in 2011

Page 23

Page 24

MADRID: A broker sits in the stock exchange in Madrid yesterday. Worries about Spain’s finances intensified yesterday when the country’s bond yields on international markets rose despite expectations of a new round of austeritymeasures. — AP

PARIS: France’s economy posted nogrowth in the first quarter and there are nosigns of a strong recovery in activity in thecoming months, according to a Bank ofFrance survey yesterday.

In its monthly report, the Bank of Franceindicated that the euro-zone’s secondlargest economy avoided a recession, afterit grew by 0.2 percent in the fourth quar-ter. However, it said that activity was likelyto remain stable in the coming months, apic yesterday from the INSEE national sta-tistics office.

The Bank of France said that its businesssentiment indicator for industry wasunchanged in March at 95, a 3-month lowit reached in February. It noted that indus-trial activity improved, with rises in phar-maceuticals and chemicals, transportequipment and hi-tech goods. “Forecastssuggest that activity will remain stable inthe short term,” the bank said.

Economists said that with fiscal tighten-ing across Europe weighing on externaldemand for French goods and with risingdomestic unemployment likely to peak

next year above 10 percent, it was no sur-prise the growth outlook was weak.

The US and Japanese economies areshowing strong signs of recovery, and theeuro-zone is also picking up speed butlags behind, the OECD said yesterday.

The Organization for EconomicCooperation and Development said thatits composite indicator of leading indica-tors pointed to a “potential turning pointin economic activity in the euro area andregained momentum in other majoreconomies.”

The individual indicators for Japan andthe United States “continue to show strongsigns of regained momentum in economicactivity,” the OECD said. The signs from theeuro-zone point to “a potential turningpoint but with diverging assessments forthe four major European economies,” itsaid.

“The figures are a little bit disappoint-ing,” said Michel Martinez, economist atSociete Generale in Paris, who forecastsmodest 0.5 percent growth in France forthe year as a whole.

“They are in line with the cyclical pic-ture of the French economy which stalledin the fourth- and the first-quarter andwhere the recovery will be weak,” he said.“You cannot have a tough fiscal adjust-ment over two years and expect stronggrowth at the same time.”

President Nicolas Sarkozy, who trails hisSocialist rival in polls ahead of nextmonth’s crucial presidential runoff, hasmade cutting France’s deficit a top priority.His government cut the deficit to 5.2 per-cent of GDP last year, below its target of5.7 percent, and has pledged to balancethe budget by 2016. The Bank of Francesaid industrial capacity utilization wasunchanged in March and remained belowits long-term average. Order books wereclose to normal levels while inventorieswere slightly above target.

For the services sector, meanwhile, thebusiness sentiment level was alsounchanged at 93, while the Bank of Francesaid activity here had grown at a fasterpace on the back of transport and engi-neering.

In a separate survey, INSEE said thatmanufacturing output fell by 1.2 percent inFebruary after slipping a revised 0.1 per-cent in January. For industry as a whole,output increased by 0.3 percent, in linewith economists’ forecasts, helped by a risein gas and electricity consumption amid acold snap.

Industrial output rose a revised 0.2 per-cent in month-on-month in January, in linewith the euro zone average. “Industrialproduction has been on a downward slopesince mid-2011,” wrote Fabrice Montagne,an economist at Barclays Capital.

“We will need to see stronger signs interms of business sentiment, demand andcompetitiveness before we can expect aclear upswing in the French industrial sec-tor,” he said.

Economists said that the data con-firmed the picture of an economy in thedoldrums.

“Today’s industrial production data sup-port our forecast for flattish GDP in the firstquarter,” wrote Tullia Bucco, an economistat Unicredit in Milan. — Agencies

French economy grinds to a haltUS, Japan economies pick up, euro-zone lags: OECD

TEHRAN: Iran has cut oil exports to Spain, Iranianmedia outlets Al-Alam and Press TV said yesterday,quoting unidentified sources. “Oil exports to Spainhave been cut,” the Arab-language Al-Alam networksaid on its website. If confirmed, the halt of crude toSpain would expand Iran’s pre-emptive stoppage ofcrude sales to the European Union, which is imple-menting an oil embargo on Iran due to come fully intoeffect on July 1.

In February, Tehran announced it was stopping alloil exports to Britain and France in a largely symbolicgesture because those countries imported little Iraniancrude anyway. Spain, though, relied on Iran for some12 percent of its crude imports last year, or around160,000 barrels per day, according to the InternationalEnergy Agency. Al-Alam reported that Iran was alsomulling stopping crude exports to Germany and Italy.Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said earlier yester-day that his country was also no longer supplying anyoil to Greece, according to his ministry’s website. Thereports of the cut in oil exports came ahead of talksIran is to hold on Saturday in Istanbul with world pow-ers over its disputed nuclear program.

The European Union and the United States havebeen upping sanctions on Iran this year to punish it foractivities they fear masks a drive towards nuclearweapons capability-something Tehran denies it isseeking. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterdaydefiantly said Iran was able to survive up to three yearswithout selling any of its oil, which last year brought in$100 billion.

“We have enough foreign currency so that, even ifone barrel of oil is not sold for two or even three years,the country will be managed well and the enemies willnot see their wishes (come true),” he said in a televisedspeech.

He also said that “whoever wants to violate therights of the Iranian nation will be dealt a blow to themouth so bad they will forget the path to their homes,”implying that Iran was taking a hardline position in theIstanbul talks. Qasemi, saying that Iran was no longersupplying any oil to Greece, insisted that “Iran is nothaving any problem selling its oil and oil products” inother markets. Greece was heavily dependent onIranian oil, buying 100,000 barrels per day on favorablecredit conditions its cash-strapped economy was find-ing difficult to obtain elsewhere.

The United States announced last month it wasexempting 10 EU countries-including Spain andGreece-and Japan from its own sanctions punishingcountries that did not significantly reduce Iranian oilimports. Last week, an official in Greece’s energy min-istry confirmed that Greece

was seeking “alternative sources” for oil because ofthe EU embargo. Additional quantities were beingsought from Russia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Libya, theofficial said. Iran is the second-biggest producer inOPEC, pumping some 3.5 million barrels a day, 2.5 mil-lion of which are sold as exports. — AFP

Tehran cutsoil supplyto Spain

PARIS: State-owned companies wield huge influence inMiddle East and North African economies but many aresubject to undue political influence and conflicts of inter-est, the OECD said yesterday.

It said that “improved corporate governance is key toreducing corruption and restoring confidence in publicinstitutions in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.” TheOrganization for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment urged a shake-up of the way such compa-nies are run while also commenting that “privatization isnot the only answer to reforming state-owned firms.”

Reforms would bring about “greater public accounta-bility and improve their efficiency,” the OECD said in areport entitled “Towards New Arrangements for StateOwnership in the Middle East and North Africa.” Thereport said state-owned enterprises accounted for up tohalf of economic output in some of these countries andprovided nearly 30 percent of all employment, comparedwith two to three percent in the advanced countriesbelonging to the OECD. The organization, an influentialresearch and advisory body for rich countries, said thatreforms should be focused in several areas. It noted inparticular that in many countries, ministries were directlyresponsible for commercial activities by such companies,and that the functions of ownership and regulation wereoften in the same hands. This could result in “significantconflicts of interest,” the OECD said. Some state-ownedcompanies were not subject to laws covering companiesbut came under special legal arrangements “which effec-tively politicize their governance and exempt them fromcompetition and bankruptcy frameworks.” For govern-ments in these countries it was essential to tighten upgovernance of such enterprises to increase transparencyand accountability, for example separating regulationform ownership and increasing competitive pressures,the report recommended. —AFP

OECD says Mideaststate firms wield

huge cloutBEIJING: China’s ZTE Corp, whichrecently sold Iran’s largest telecom-munications firm a powerful surveil-lance system, later agreed to ship toIran millions of dollars worth ofembargoed US computer equipment,documents show.

The American components werepart of an 8 million euro ($10.5 mil-lion) equipment-supply contract, dat-ed June 30, 2011, between ZTE, aChinese trading firm and a unit of theconsortium that controls the Iraniantelecom, Telecommunication Co. ofIran, according to documentsreviewed by Reuters. ZTE is China’ssecond-largest telecommunicationsequipment maker. The documentsshed further light on how Iran obtainssophisticated American tech productsdespite US sanctions on Iran. China isa major conduit. Reuters in Marchrevealed an earlier deal between ZTEand TCI, which centered on non-American surveillance equipment butalso included some US tech goods.The latest deal, though smaller inscale, was much more reliant on USproducts.

Beijing and Moscow have vetoedWestern attempts to strengthen sanc-tions against Iran over its nuclear-development program. ZTE, based inthe city of Shenzhen, is publicly trad-ed but its largest shareholder is aChinese state-owned enterprise.

According to the contract’s partslist, the equipment to be deliveredfrom China included IBM servers;switches made by Cisco Systems Incand Brocade CommunicationsSystems Inc; database software fromOracle Corp and a unit of EMC Corp;Symantec back-up and ant-virus soft-ware; and a Juniper Networks firewall.The parts were intended for business-support services, including a ZTEbilling system.

A spokesman for ZTE said last weekin an email that “as far as we know”the company had not yet shipped anyof the products. Asked if ZTE intendedto do so, he emailed a new statementMonday that said: “We have no inten-tion to implement this contract orship the products.”

He also said ZTE decided “to aban-don” the agreement after “we realizedthat the contract involved some USembargoed products.” The contracthad made clear the American prove-nance of the goods: Its accompanyingparts list, signed by ZTE, lists morethan 20 different computer productsfrom US companies. Washington hasbanned the sale of such goods to Iranfor years.

US companies that responded torequests for comment said they werenot aware of the Iranian contract; sev-eral said they were investigating thematter. A spokesman for IBM said:

“Our agreements with ZTE specificallyprohibit ZTE from the transfer of IBMproducts to Iran. If any of IBM’s busi-ness partners are breaching ourexport compliance agreements, thenIBM will take appropriate actions.”

A Brocade spokesman said thecompany doesn’t sell any products toIran “and we certainly have notshipped these products to” ZTE. Aspokesman for Greenplum, the EMCunit, said: “We have no knowledge ofthe contract described, but are active-ly researching this matter.” A Ciscospokesman said: “We continue toinvestigate this matter, as any viola-tion of US export controls is a veryserious matter.” According to the USTreasury Dept., a US company wouldviolate sanctions if it shipped prod-ucts requiring an export license to athird party knowing the goods wouldend up in Iran.

The United States, Europe and theUnited Nations have been imposingincreasingly tough economic sanc-tions on Iran to pressure it to refrainfrom developing nuclear weapons,which Iran denies it is doing. The fivepermanent members of the UNSecurity Council - the US, China,Russia, Britain and France - plusGermany are scheduled to hold talkswith Iran Saturday in Istanbul over itsnuclear program, which it maintains ispeaceful. — Reuters

China’s ZTE planned UScomputer sale to Iran

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

EXCHANGE RATES

Commercial Bank of Kuwait

US Dollar/KD .2730000 .2810000GB Pound/KD .4380000 .4490000Euro .3610000 .3690000Swiss francs .3000000 .3100000Canadian Dollar .2760000 .2840000Australian DLR .2840000 .2940000Indian rupees .0040000 .0070000Sri Lanka Rupee .0020000 .0035000UAE dirhams .0753770 .0761340Bahraini dinars .7343730 .7417540Jordanian dinar .3830000 .4000000Saudi riyals .0720000 .0770000Omani riyals .7199210 .7271560Philippine peso .0040000 .0072000Egyptian pounds .0430000 .0500000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATESUS Dollar/KD .2776500 .2797500GB Pound/KD .4402970 .4436280Euro .3630270 .3657730Swiss francs .3020890 .3043740Canadian dollars .2781230 .2802260Danish Kroner .0487940 .0491630Swedish Kroner .0409610 .0412710Australian dlr .2855770 .2877370Hong Kong dlr .0357550 .0360260Singapore dlr .2201470 .2218130Japanese yen .0034220 .0034480Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0054840Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0022210Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0030940Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0034350UAE dirhams .0756230 .0761950Bahraini dinars .7367650 .7423380Jordanian dinar .0000000 .3956860Saudi Riyal/KD .0740600 .0746200Omani riyals .7214500 .7269070Philippine Peso .0000000 .0065750

Bahrain Exchange CompanyKuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Al Mulla Exchange

Currency Rate per 1000 (Tran)US Dollar 279.100Pak Rupees 3.080

Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000)US Dollar 278.450Euro 368.300Pound Sterling 445.600Canadian Dollar 282.000Japanese Yen 3.455Indian Rupee 5.435Egyptian Pound 46.140Sri Lankan Rupee 2.210Bangladesh Taka 3.407Philippines Peso 6.515Pakistan Rupee 3.073Bahraini Dinar 740.650UAE Dirham 75.850Saudi Riyal 74.350

COUNTRY SELL CASH SELL DRAFTAustralian dollar 290.900 289.400Bahraini dinar 742.530 742.530Bangladeshi taka 3.630 3.410

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Australian Dollar 291.88 292.00Canadian Dollar 284.28 282.50Swiss Franc 309.48 308.50Euro 369.35 369.00Sterling Pound 447.22 447.00Japanese Yen 3.50 3.70Bangladesh Taka 3.404 3.650

Rate for Transfer Selling RateUS Dollar 278.900Canadian Dollar 281.160Sterling Pound 444.435Euro 367.515Swiss Frank 305.395Bahrain Dinar 738.565UAE Dirhams 75.910Qatari Riyals 76.555Saudi Riyals 74.335Jordanian Dinar 392.590Egyptian Pound 46.189Sri Lankan Rupees 2.224Indian Rupees 5.460Pakistani Rupees 3.095Bangladesh Taka 3.411Philippines Pesso 6.521Cyprus pound 684.130Japanese Yen 4.385Thai Bhat 9.070Syrian Pound 5.875Nepalese Rupees 3.505Malaysian Ringgit 92.285

Canadian dollar 283.800 282.300Cyprus pound 548.400Czek koruna 45.500Danish krone 50.000Deutsche Mark 167.800 223.000Egyptian pound 47.420 46.250Euro Cash 368.700 367.200Hongkong dollar 36.670 36.520Indian rupees 5.770 5.445Indonesia 0.032 0.031Iranian tuman 0.159Iraqi dinar 0.237Japanese yen 3.520Jordanian dinar 395.680 395.630Lebanese pound 0.189 0.188Malaysian ringgit 93.210 93.210Morocco dirham 45.400Nepalese Rupees 4.290 3.410New Zealand dollar 231.900 230.400Nigeria 1.809Norwegian krone 49.200Omani Riyal 725.230 725.050Pakistani rupees 3.180 3.092Philippine peso 6.850 6.540Qatari riyal 77.230 76.800Saudi riyal 74.550 74.550Singapore dollar 223.000 223.000South Africa 39.160 39.160Sri Lankan rupees 2.660 2.217Sterling pound 446.700 444.700Swedish krona 42.300Swiss franc 307.500 306.200Syrian pound 4.200 4.200Thai bhat 9.400 9.230Tunisian dollar 198.263UAE dirham 76.120 76.020U.S. dollars 279.600 279.200Yemeni Riyal 1.340

GOLD10 Tola 1,721.690

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUESterling Pound 444.700US Dollar 279.200

Indian Rupees 5.470Sri Lankan Rupees 2.220Bangladesh Taka 3.409Philippines Peso 6.555UAE Dirhams 76.065Saudi Riyals 74.555Bahraini Dinars 741.700Egyptian Pounds 46.187Pound Sterling 448.500Indonesian Rupiah 3.190Yemeni Riyal 1.550Euro 371.200Canadian Dollars 285.600Nepali rupee 3.510

Indian Rupee 5.438 5.700Sri Lankan Rupee 2.221 2.600Nepali Rupee 3.416 4.000Pakistani Rupee 3.080 3.250UAE Dirhams 75.87 76.50Bahraini Dinar 741.73 741.00Egyptian Pound 46.16 47.20Jordanian Dinar 396.71 395.50Omani Riyal 724.71 725.00Qatari Riyal 76.89 77.25Saudi Riyal 74.46 74.95

DUBAI: Shuaa Capital, the strugglingDubai-based investment bank, yester-day named a former ABN Amro bankeras its new chief executive, replacingMichael Philipp who stepped downafter just six months in the job.

Shuaa said Colin MacDonald, whowas previously ABN’s group managingdirector and regional head for theMiddle East, will over a bank strug-gling to find its feet after the global

financial downturn hit its core busi-ness. MacDonald left the Dutch lenderin 2010 and has been working as anindependent financial advisor sincethen. Shuaa also said in a statementthat Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Al-Maktoum, a member of the ruling roy-al family, will assume the position ofexecutive chairman with immediateeffect.

Sources had told Reuters earlier

that Philipp, a former Credit Suissebanker who was named CEO inOctober, had resigned. Phillip’s depar-ture comes as the latest blow toShuaa, whose stock price has fallen bymore than 90 percent since 2008.

One of the Arab world’s largestinvestment banks and once a symbolof the sector’s potential in the region,Shuaa was hit by the 2008 globalfinancial downturn, with asset impair-

ments erasing profits. The company reported a wider

2011 net loss of 293.8 million dirhams($80 million)for 2011, compared with anet loss of 223.7 million dirhams ayear earlier as it booked provisionsand one-off charges.

The Dubai-listed company sharesclosed down 2.8 percent yesterday.The stock is up 43.6 percent since thebeginning of 2012 after hitting bot-

tom and losing more than 56 percentof its value in 2011. Shuaa, whichhelped float ports operator DP Worldseveral years ago, fired close to 60employees by the end of December,and is in the process of cutting morejobs. The majority of the redundanciesrelated to the retail brokerage busi-ness, which Shuaa exited after slump-ing trade volumes in the United ArabEmirates. — Reuters

Dubai’s Shuaa names Colin Macdonald as new CEO

TOKYO/HONG KONG: Japanese trading houseswill cut Iranian crude imports from April, indus-try sources said yesterday, in the latest sign thatWestern sanctions are curbing the flow ofTehran’s oil to its biggest customers in Asia.

Insurers are showing growing reluctance tocover tankers carrying Iranian oil and a seniorofficial at a unit of Chinese refiner Sinopec Corpsaid it was increasingly wary of crude from Irandue to the supply threat posed by sanctions.The United States and European Union havetightened sanctions on Iran’s oil trade as theyseek to reduce the flow of petrodollars and forceTehran to halt a nuclear program the West sus-pects is intended to produce weapons.

“Iranian crude currently is a rather sensitivesubject,” Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemicals ChiefFinancial Officer Ye Guohua told reporters at anearnings briefing. “This year we will continue tobe cautious about Iranian crude imports.”

China, India, Japan and South Korea are thefour biggest buyers of Iranian crude in Asia, andall of them have cut imports. The sanctions aremaking it hard for refiners who want to continueimporting to find shippers, insurers to under-write trade and banks to clear payments.

Industry sources in Japan said that tradinghouses and refiners there would reduce Iranian

crude imports by about 60,000 barrels per day(bpd) in April. The reduction is the equivalent toabout 18.5 percent of the 322,900 bpd thatJapan imported in the first two months of theyear, according to the latest government dataavailable.

The cuts come even after the United States inMarch exempted Japan and 10 EU nations fromsanctions due to take effect in July because theyhave significantly cut purchases of Iranian oil.Soon after receiving the exemption, FinanceMinister Jun Azumi said Japan would continueto cut imports of Iranian oil. Washington haspointed to the world’s third-largest importer,Japan, a s an example for other Iranian crudebuyers as the country reduced purchases eventhough it needed more oil to help meet risingdemand after the earthquake, tsunami andnuclear disaster in March 2011.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, arriv-ing in Tokyo yesterday, said he would tell hishosts it was important to keep up the pressureon Tehran. “We know that the Japanese haveparticular needs and a particular reliance onimported oil,” he told reporters. “Obviously I willbe saying how important it is that we maximizethe pressure on Iran... The stronger the oilembargo can be, the better.”

On Monday, a senior industry official toldReuters that Hong Kong maritime insurerswould not provide full cover to tankers carryingIranian oil after EU sanctions take effect fromJuly, another blow to Chinese importers strug-gling to find ways around the measures.

China, the world’s second-largest oil con-sumer, is Iran’s largest trading partner andbiggest oil client that buys up 20 percent of theIslamic Republic’s total crude exports. Iran isChina’s No.3 supplier after Saudi Arabia andAngola.

Arthur Bowring, managing director of theHong Kong Shipowners Association, said that asmore insurers confirm they will soon halt orsharply reduce coverage to tankers operating inIran, China’s government may need to step inand take the risk to get contracted crude sup-plies from Tehran.

The EU sanctions on Tehran will close off theEuropean re-insurance market for all tankers car-rying Iranian oil anywhere in the world.Reinsurance helps spread the risk when the cov-erage surpasses what commercial insurers canhandle. Japan and South Korea have lobbied forexemptions to the EU sanctions, but insuranceand shipping executives say a complete banlooks likely. — Reuters

SINGAPORE/DUBAI: Jordan Petroleum Refinery Co, the coun-try’s sole refinery, is importing more fuel oil and gasoil forpower generation, as continued attacks on a pipeline runningthrough Egypt, Israel and Jordan disrupt natural gas supply,industry sources said yesterday.

The refiner is expected to buy all 210,000 tons of fuel oil itsought via tender in mid-March from various sellers, thoughdetails will only be available after the tender is awarded today,a source familiar with the matter said. In addition to fuel oil,the refiner is also seeking 500,000 tons of gasoil, with the ten-der closing at the end of April.

The increased demand for fuel oil that meets Jordan’s pow-er utility specifications has prompted at least one seller to pullvolumes from East Asia, a rare move as fuel oil normally flowsfrom the Middle East to the East. Sahara Energy Internationalhas arranged a ship to move 80,000 tons of fuel oil fromSingapore to Aqaba around April 16, a shipping reportshowed. “Their specifications, which require very low metalcontent, make it difficult to source for supplies,” a trader said.

Jordan’s monthly fuel oil import requirement before thepipeline explosions had been just the occasional 40,000 tonsto meet its summer power generation demand, the sametrader added. The country also normally exports high-sulfurfuel oil from its Aqaba port, but the volumes actually originatefrom Iraq, traders said. “Jordan does not export its own fueloil, they lease out tankage to Iraqi exporters instead. But Iraqifuel oil does not meet the power utilities’ specifications, that’swhy they get exported,” another trader said.

An explosion hit the Egyptian pipeline carrying gas toIsrael and Jordan on Monday for the 14th time since the upris-ing against President Hosni Mubarak began last year.

The installation is run by Gasco, a subsidiary of Egypt’snational gas company EGAS, and has been shut since Feb. 5after an explosion. — Reuters

BEIRUT: Lebanon is delaying tendersfor offshore exploratory drilling as itsets up an oil and gas oversight com-mittee, but seismic tests suggestincreasingly large potential gasreserves, Energy and Water MinisterGebran Bassil said. Interest in drilling inthe eastern Mediterranean has grownsince two natural gas fields were dis-covered off the coast of Israel,Lebanon’s southern neighbor. Estimatesvalue those reserves at tens of billionsof dollars.

Lebanon had aimed to launch ten-ders for exploration drilling by the endof March, but oil industry sourcesrecently said the licensing round wasexpected around mid-year.

Bassil told Reuters in a telephoneinterview that delays in establishing anadministrative state oil body were hold-ing up the plans but did not set a newtarget date for the licensing round.

“Before we form the committee, wecan’t talk about tenders,” he said.Twenty-seven companies have boughtseismic surveys of the coastal waters,and several have expressed interest indrilling including British oil explorerCairn Energy and London-listed Genel,he said.

Cairn’s local partner is CC EnergyDevelopment SAI, an associated com-pany of CCC, a Lebanese private com-pany. Cove Energy, currently subject toa bid battle between Royal Dutch Shell

and Thailand’s PTT, has also said it ismulling entering the licensing roundwith Cairn and CCC.

Analysis of three-dimensional seis-mic data is continuing and has showedincreasingly encouraging prospects,Bassil said. “We can’t talk today aboutexpected (quantities of gas), but everytime (we review the data) it gets better,”he said. “Between the 2-D and the 3-Dsurveys we confirmed additional quan-tities three to five times higher in thesurvey areas.”

“There is a high possibility of verypromising commercial quantities ofgas,” he said.

Any sizeable gas discovery and pro-duction could help Lebanon tacklechronic power shortages, which resultin daily power cuts across the countryof between three to 10 hours.

Bassil plans to lease two electricitygenerating boats, possibly from Turkey,to meet some of the shortfall, while thegovernment addresses plans to buildnew power plants or expand existingones.

Lebanon remains in dispute withIsrael over an 850-square-km stretch ofsea off their coast, but Bassil has dis-missed concerns over possible delays todrilling because of the disagreement.

The disputed region lies near to aregion where US and Israeli firms dis-covered the two massive natural gasfields. — Reuters

BANGKOK: Myanmar’s hermit economycould boom on an anticipated influx of for-eign investment in a “gold mine” of oppor-tunities once sanctions are lifted, the AsianDevelopment Bank’s country manager forMyanmar said yesterday.

Growth is expected to be 6 percent thisfiscal year and 6.3 percent for 2013-2014,but that is likely to be surpassed if Westernsanctions are undone and investmentpours in to one of Asia’s last remainingfrontier markets, much through public pri-vate partnerships (PPP), said CraigSteffensen, the ADB’s country manager forMyanmar and Thailand. “Myanmar is a goldmine, any way you look at it - naturalresources, gas and oil deposits, spatialdimensions, location between China, India,Southeast Asia. It’s a huge market waitingto happen and growth will come fromeverywhere, not one specific sector,” hetold Reuters in an interview.

“The boom that’s about to begin hasbrought people from four corners of theglobe. There’s tremendous potential ...there’s no flight to, or hotel in Myanmarthat isn’t booked by businesspeople look-ing at opportunities there to get involvedin tourism, banking, telecommunicationsand construction.” That interest in the long-isolated country picked up after its year-oldquasi-civilian government embarked on anastonishing wave of reforms unimaginableunder the five-decade rule of the military,which plundered and mishandled an econ-omy squeezed by Western sanctionsimposed for human rights abuses. Theembargoes, some of which could be liftedin coming weeks, were holding the ADBback from providing proper assistance tothe government, which, though inexperi-enced, was committed to transparency andliberalization, Steffensen said.

The ADB’s provisional assessment of thesize of Myanmar’s economy was about $40billion, an eighth of neighboring Thailand’s,which has a similar population.

The ADB and IMF have been visiting

Myanmar since October to compile assess-ments and advise the government andcentral bank on economic strategy, butSteffensen said full engagement - such asfull-time technical support and loans -could not take place until sanctions werelifted and Myanmar’s outstanding arrearsof $500 million were cleared.

“It’s not what we’re doing, but whatwe’re not doing. Until sanctions are lifted, itmakes it difficult to do anything inMyanmar, but there’s a very capable team(of Myanmar economists) running thingsthere,” Steffensen said.

“We’re impressed by the fact this is areform-minded administration in the eco-nomic sphere. They’ve set off on a veryambitious agenda, they’ve turned to theIFIs (international financial institutions) forassistance in laying out the agenda, pri-vatising, sequencing measures to ensurestability is maintained and the ability tohelp growth.” The ADB set up a joint officewith the World Bank in the commercial cap-ital, Yangon, on Thursday, he said, adding afull mission would be opened in the admin-istrative capital, Naypyitaw, when sanctionswere lifted.

Last week’s managed float of the kyatcurrency was a sign of the government’scommitment, he added. The kyat waspegged at 6.4 per dollar for the previous 35years but has traded at black market ratesabout 130 times higher.

It has hovered around 818/dollar sincethe float started on April 2. “Auctions havebeen transparent so our hat goes off to thecentral bank, they seem to be doing verywell so far,” he said.

But despite the potential, there are bigtests ahead and the government shouldprioritise development and proper han-dling of the economy and the influx of for-eign capital over big growth. “I wouldn’t besurprised if our projections in 2013 are sur-passed,” Steffensen said. “The trick is notgenerating growth, but managing thatgrowth responsibly.” — Reuters

Flow of Iran oil to Asia slows as sanctions bite

Insurers more reluctant to cover tankers

An Afghan boy walks with his cow at sunset in Mazar-I Sharif, capital of the Balkhprovince yesterday. Agriculture has traditionally driven the Central Asian nation’seconomy, with wheat and cereal production being mainstays and quality fruits,especially pomegranates, apricots, grapes, melons, and mulberries being exportedto many countries. — AFP

Investment surge seen for ‘gold mine’ Myanmar: ADB

Jordan to import more fuel oil

Lebanon delays gas tenders, sets up administrator

B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s total population reached3.69 million at the end of December 2011according to figures published by the PublicAuthority for Civil Information (PACI). The pop-ulation grew by 3.2% from a year ago. Thenumber of Kuwaiti nationals reached nearly1.18 million, or 32% of the total population.Growth was slightly higher than in recentyears, as the population grew at an annualaverage of 2.9% in the previous five years. Theexpatriate population represented 68% ofKuwait’s population at the end of 2011. Theirnumbers increased by roughly 80 thousand(3.3%) over the previous year, in part reflectinga pickup in economic activity. Growth in theexpatriate population peaked four years agoat 8.6% before dropping to around 0.5% dur-ing 2008 and 2009. It has since recovered to amore moderate pace.

Kuwait’s total labor force grew by 3.2% in2011 to reach 2.18 million. Growth amongKuwaiti nationals was strong, exceeding 6%year-on-year. For expatriates, the numberswere up in both the public and private sectors,though they fell for domestic workers. Growthfor expat workers was slower at 3.4%.

The number of employed Kuwaitis at theend of 2011 rose by over 21,500, better thanthe 16,200 gain in the previous year.Seventeen thousand of the new jobs were inthe public sector, roughly twice the increase inpublic sector employment of Kuwaitis a yearago. Of the new jobs for Kuwaitis, 21% were inthe private sector, keeping the public/privateshares little changed from previous years. Newemployment in the private sector amongKuwaiti nationals in 2011 was 4,400. About

half of the new jobs in this sector went towomen. The number of Kuwaitis employed inthe private sector rose to 80 thousand.

For Kuwaitis employed in the public sector,growth accelerated during 2011 as the gov-ernment created the most jobs in more than adecade. The public sector added more than 17thousand jobs for nationals in 2011. In fact, thenumber of Kuwaiti entrants to the public sec-tor nearly doubled compared to 2010. Therewere over 17,000 new public sector employ-ees compared to 8,800 during the same perioda year before; that figure was the highest ever.The strong employment performance forKuwaitis in the public sector was likely encour-aged by the approval of salary hikes in thegovernment sector that are perhaps luringsome workers from the private sector. Thepublic sector added 5,500 expatriate jobs,somewhat stronger than the previous two

years. Since 2000, the share of women of theKuwaiti work force has steadily increased, from35% to nearly 46%. These gains are in partlinked to women’s educational achievements.As much as 61% of women aged 25 and olderhave received a diploma or a higher degree,compared with 39% of men.

In the public sector, the proportion ofKuwaiti women has risen from 41% in 2005 to45% at the end of December 2011. While thegain in this sector has been gradual, the pri-vate sector has seen a far more dramatic shiftin women’s participation. The proportion ofwomen employees in the private sector hasrisen from 39% to 51% over the last five years.

The net change in the expatriate labor force(excluding domestic workers) reached 48,700at the end of 2011. Public sector hiring of non-Kuwaitis was a relatively small 5,400 while theprivate sector hired 43,200.

Kuwait employment

grows 6% in 2011NBK ECONOMIC REPORT

PIRAEUS: People pull their luggage along the quayside yesterday at the port ofPiraeus as Greek sailors began a two-day strike against government reforms, haltingferry connections to the islands ahead of the Orthodox Easter holidays and disrupt-ing the export of agricultural produce. — AFP

ATHENS: Greece yesterday paid sharplylower rates to raise 1.3 billion euros ($1.7billion) in a sale of 6-month treasury bills,the debt management agency said.

“Total bids reached 2.62 billion eurosand the amount finally accepted was 1.30billion euros,” the agency said in a state-ment, with the interest paid to investors4.55 percent, down from 4.80 percent atthe last equivalent sale on March 6 whichhad raised 1.14 billion euros.

The auction is Greece’s second since alandmark exchange and writedown withprivate creditors last month to erase 107billion euros from the country’s short- andmedium-term debt.

Greece has already exchanged over 94.8billion euros in debt issued under Greek

law and will add another 20.27 billioneuros in bonds and state utility loans guar-anteed by the government under foreignlaw. Remaining bondholders have beengiven until April 20 to join the operation.

The debt rollover, supported by aglobal bank association, was tied to a 130-billion-euro bailout approved by the euro-zone in February.

The International Monetary Fund lastweek also decided on a new 28 billion euroloan for Greece, payable over four years.Greece has a public debt of over 350 bil-lion euros and was forced to seek a firstEU-IMF bailout in May 2010 when it couldno longer raise funding at sustainablerates on the markets to cover its obliga-tions. — AFP

Greece raises $1.7bn,

borrowing costs drop

Rajhi Bank Q1 net up 18%RIYADH: Saudi-based Al Rajhi Bank, the kingdom’sbiggest Islamic lender, yesterday it posted an 18percent rise in first-quarter net profit due to anincrease in operational income, but it missed ana-lysts’ forecasts. Earnings for the three months end-ed March 31 rose to 2.01 billion riyals ($536 mil-lion) from 1.70 billion riyals a year earlier, the banksaid in a statement posted on the website of theSaudi bourse. Analysts surveyed by Reuters hadexpected 2.09 billion riyals on average. The bankhad net profits of 1.9 billion riyals in the last quar-ter of 2011. Operational income rose 16.7 percentto 3.43 billion riyals, net income from finance andinvestments rose 4.3 percent to 2.33 billion riyalsand total assets at the end of the period were 234billion riyals, compared to 203 billion a year earlier.In March, the bank’s board accepted the resigna-tion of its chief executive, Abdullah Al-Rajhi,replacing him with Suleiman Al-Zain.

Egypt’s Ezz Steel net profit falls CAIRO: Egypt’s largest steel producer, Ezz Steel,posted a 20 percent drop in 2011 net profit yester-day as soaring costs and higher taxes offset a risein sales during a year of economic and politicalturmoil. An uprising ousted President HosniMubarak in February last year and the turmoilrocked Ezz Steel, which gets much of its businessfrom infrastructure and real estate sectors thatwere plunged into crisis. Ezz Steel’s net incomedropped to 202 million Egyptian pounds ($33.5million) last year, despite a 12 percent rise in netsales to 18.6 billion pounds. “The increase of cor-porate tax rates from 20 percent to 25 percent inEgypt weighed on net profits,” Beltone Researchsaid in a note.

Banque Saudi Fransi Q1 up RIYADH: Banque Saudi Fransi posted a 10 percentgain in its first-quarter net profit on the back ofimproved operating income, the bank said in abourse statement yesterday, edging ahead of ana-lysts’ expectations. The 789 million riyals ($210.4million) it earned in the first three months of 2012compared with net earnings of 717 million riyalsin the same period a year earlier and 661 millionriyals in the last quarter of 2011. Analysts sur-veyed by Reuters expected the firm to post, onaverage, 778 million riyals in profit in the firstquarter. The company attributed its profit gains toan increase in total operating income, which roseby 6.1 percent to 1.22 billion riyals from 1.15 bil-lion in the first quarter of 2011. Profits from specialcommissions grew by 5.9 percent to 802 millionriyals from 757 million riyals in the same period ayear earlier.

Saudi Hollandi Bank profit upRIYADH: Saudi Hollandi Bank posted a 21.9 per-cent rise in first-quarter net profit on higher oper-ating income and lower expenses, but missed ana-lysts’ expectations for the first three months of theyear. The bank made 290 million riyals ($77.3 mil-lion) in the first quarter, it said yesterday, com-pared to 238 million riyals for the same period ayear ago. Six analysts canvassed by Reuters hadforecast, on average, that the bank would record anet income of 318 million riyals in the first quarter.The bank attributed the result to lower operatingexpenses and higher operating income, whichrose 11.3 percent to 540 million riyals from 485million riyals in the first three months of 2011, itsaid in a statement posted on the website of theSaudi bourse. Saudi Hollandi Bank said its netincome from special commissions rose 3.6 percentto 322 million riyals, total assets rose 18 percent to60.2 billion riyals and loans and advances rose22.2 percent to 40.2 billion riyals. — Reuters

In the newsMADRID: Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos

defended yesterday plans to save 10 billion euros bymaking public services run more efficiently, saying thiswas needed ensure the “sustainability” of healthcareand education. The government announced the meas-ure late Monday amid growing investor concerns overSpain’s ability to rein in public spending which hascaused the country’s borrowing costs to rise steadily.

The savings which the government expects to makethrough its reform of public services are on top of the27 billion euros in spending cuts and tax increasesincluded in its 2012 budget agreed late last month. “Thereform of health and education services are unavoid-able but not to save 10 billion euros; it is unavoidable toguarantee the sustainability of public health and educa-tion in the medium- and long-term,” the minister said.

“I would not see it as a response to a (specific) situa-tion in the markets. They are structural reforms whichare going to produce results over the next five to tenyears,” he added at a business conference.

The government will approve the reform of thecountry’s public health and education systems later thismonth, De Guindos said. “It is going to be done very,very quickly,” he said.

Spain 17 autonomous regions are responsible forproviding education and healthcare and they are at theheart of investor concerns over the country’s ability toslash its public deficit to the EU limit of 3.0 percent ofGDP in 2013 from 8.5 percent last year. De Guindos saidhis conservative government, in power since December,would push ahead with its agenda of reforms aimed atreviving the economy and meeting the public deficittargets. “I think our European partners know perfectlywell that the Spanish government is their best ally whenit comes to finding solutions to the problems which wehave right now,” he said.

The government has not outlined how it intends tostreamline public services, saying only Monday that itwould seek to eliminate overlaps and ensure “a greaterrationalization.” Budget Minister Cristobal Montoro saidthe details of the reforms will be ready within twoweeks so as to be included in the budgets this year ofthe regional governments. “They are ambitious reforms,”he said, during an interview with public radio RNE.Spain’s regions ended 2011 with a public deficit equalto 2.94 percent of national gross domestic product,compared with the central government’s target forthem this year of 1.5 percent. — AFP

Spain defends cost-cutting reform of public services

MADRID: Spanish Minister of Economy andCompetitiveness Luis de Guindos (left) talks withSpain’s Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism JoseManuel Soria (right) before the “Forum Europa” meet-ing in Madrid yesterday. — AFP

GENEVA: Hinduja Group’s Swiss-basedprivate banking arm is able to continueproviding financing to trading housesshipping food to Iran, its chief executivetold Reuters, despite difficulties in pro-cessing payments. “We are happy to pro-vide help for the Iranian people in sup-porting trade finance on a humanitarianbasis for food and pharmaceuticals,”Chief Executive Charles de Boissezon toldReuters by telephone.

Hinduja Bank is part of an Indian fami-ly-owned conglomerate that invests insectors including energy and automo-biles. “Every transaction we do we haveto have pre-approval from the regulatorsand it’s examined under a microscope.There’s still business to be done totallylegally and even the Americans appreci-ate you have to continue this trade,” saidDe Boissezon. Food shipments are nottargeted under western sanctions aimedat Iran’s disputed nuclear program, but

financial measures have frozen Iranianfirms out of much of the global bankingsystem.

Some suppliers have resorted to usingTurkish banks as an alternative tradefinancing route to work around Westernsanctions.

De Boissezon did not specify whichtype of food deals the bank was financ-ing but Hinduja Bank is known for lend-ing to large Geneva-based agriculturaltrading houses.

US agribusiness group Cargill’s vicechairman told Reuters in February that itwas possible to supply Iran with grain vianon-dollar currencies and that it plannedto continue shipments.

Trading houses such as Bunge andLouis Dreyfus also have large tradingoffices in Geneva. Iran imports around4.5 million tons of grain a year, includingabout 3.5 million tons of corn, which ismainly used in animal feed. — Reuters

TOKYO: The Bank of Japan yesterday leftits key interest rate unchanged and main-tained its view that the world’s third-largest economy was picking up, butdashed hopes for fresh easing measures.

The central bank, which made theannouncement after a two-day policyboard meeting, said the vote to keep ratesunchanged at between zero and 0.1 per-cent was unanimous.

Its decision not to usher in more easingmeasures took a bite out of the benchmarkNikkei 225 index, which closed in negativeterritory after staging a morning rally whilethe yen strengthened on the news.“Tuesday’s decision seems to have disap-pointed some short-term speculators, butfor a majority of market economists it’s nota surprise,” said Satoshi Osanai, economistat Daiwa Institute of Research.

BOJ governor Masaaki Shirakawa cau-tioned against speculation the bank wouldtake action at its next policy meeting laterthis month. He also warned that Europe’sdebt problems and global commodityprices remained a concern, adding that thekey US economy was “improving moder-ately.”

“Japan’s economic activity has shownsome signs of picking up, although it hasremained more or less flat,” he told a pressbriefing. The battle against the stubborndeflation that has haunted the nation’s

economy for years would continue, hesaid. Falling prices cut into corporate prof-its, leading firms to slash jobs and put offcapital investment that generates growth,while also encouraging consumers todelay purchases.

“The bank recognizes that Japan’s econ-omy faces the critical challenge of over-coming deflation and returning to a sus-tainable growth path with price stability,”Shirakawa said.

He added that the bank would “pursuepowerful monetary easing, and will sup-port private financial institutions in theirefforts to strengthen the foundations forJapan’s economic growth.”

Earlier Tuesday, finance minister JunAzumi said he hoped the central bankwould “act appropriately” by reaching intoits policy bag to help fuel economicgrowth, hinting at a strong appetiteamong lawmakers for further easing. “Ibelieve this is an important month for usto build a solid base for the economy thisyear so it can make a further leap forward,”he told a regular news briefing.

Last month, the bank boosted a loanprogram by 2.0 trillion yen ($24.5 billion)to 5.0 trillion yen amid reconstructionefforts seen as crucial to reviving the econ-omy, which was hammered by last year’squake-tsunami disaster and flooding inThailand. —AFP

BOJ leaves rates

interest unchanged

TOKYO: Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Masaaki Shirakawa speaks before the press atthe bank headquarters in Tokyo yesterday after a two-day policy board meeting. — AFP

Hinduja Bank backs

Iran food financing

NEW DELHI: India’s Bharti Airtel said yesterdayit had become the first company in the countryto offer high-speed Internet services usingfourth-generation (4G) telecommunicationstechnology.

The company said high-speed wirelessbroadband “has the potential to transformIndia” and to provide a platform for “buildingthe country’s digital economy”. “Today’s launchis a major milestone for India and Airtel,” BhartiAirtel chairman Sunil Mittal said in a statement.

Bharti rolled out the 4G wireless broadbandservices in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata andis working on launching advanced technologynetworks in other parts of the country.

With one of the largest pools of young peo-ple in the world, India will see massive growthin consumption of data and content overmobile devices and proliferation of mobilecommerce, analysts say. 4G allows mobilephone users to surf the Internet, at a rate sever-al times faster than 3G services that are stillbeing rolled out across the country.

Analysts say India’s rural areas offer hugemarket potential but erecting infrastructure to

support high-speed networks is costly, makingurban areas the immediate battlegrounds forcustomers.

The arrival of 4G comes as India’s fast-grow-ing telecoms sector is reeling from a huge cor-ruption scandal in which a former telecom min-ister is alleged to have underpriced 2G licensesto favor some companies, costing the treasuryup to $39 billion. Bharti, which operates in 20countries in Africa and Asia and has 200 millioncustomers, said after Kolkata it will launch 4G inthe high-tech Indian city of Bangalore withinthe next month. It said it expected it would takeseveral years for 4G services to become widelyused. However, 3G, now common in Europe andthe United States, has been slow to take off inIndia. Bharti and other telecom firms paid atotal of 386 billion rupees ($7.5 billion) in 2010to purchase fourth-generation wireless broad-band spectrum in a fiercely contested auctionstaged by the government. Bharti secured 4Gspectrum in four of India’s 22 telecom areas, inKolkata and the states of Maharashtra,Karnataka and Punjab, for 33 billion rupees($650 million). — AFP

Bharti Airtel offers

4G service in India

24b u sine s sWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange(KSE) rebounded from Monday’s six-week low with the banking sectorsupport yesterday. Shares in BoubyanBank climbed 3.6 percent afterNational Bank of Kuwait (NBK)received regulatory approval to raiseits stake in the Islamic lender to 60percent.

The gains registered in four out ofthe 10 blue-chips, in addition to thegood performance of the bankingsector was reflected on the generalperformance of major indices. Themarket benchmark KSE Price Indexincreased by 0.47 percent, and closedat 6,148.7 points. Global GeneralIndex reported a gain of 0.98 percentto close at 176.92 points.

Volume of shares traded increasedby 6.97 percent to reach 369.89mn ofshares traded at a value ofKD46.47mn through 5,566 deals.Investment sector accounted for thehighest percent of the total tradedvolume, accounting for 28.42 per-cent, followed by the services sector,which accounted for 25.29 percent oftotal traded shares. Gulf FinanceHouse recorded the highest volumetraded with 44.08mn shares exchang-ing hands. The scrip registered anincrease of 5.45 percent to close atKD0.058. On the other hand, Zain wit-nessed the highest traded value atKD5.08mn.

KIPCO Asset Management (KAM-CO) was the prominent gainer. Thescrip added 15.7 percent to close at

KD0.280. On the other hand, KGLLogistics Company was the biggestloser today as it plunged by 5 percentto close at KD0.285.

Sector-wiseGlobal Services Index topped the

gainers list by appreciating 2.42 per-cent. Zain rose by 5.80 percent toclose at KD0.730; while AgilityCompany added 1.27 percent toclose at KD0.400. Global Food Sectoradvanced by 1.16 percent. From thesector ’s components, Livestock

Transport & Trading Company wasthe only loser today as it declined by2.13 percent to close at KD0.184.Kuwait United Poultry Company wasthe biggest gainer in the sector as itmanaged to rise by 7.94 percent toclose at KD0.136.

The real estate sector also wit-nessed a positive performance asGlobal Real Estate Index increased by0.52 percent today. Many stock regis-tered gains in this sector, notingKuwait Real Estate Company (+3.70percent), National Real Estate

Company (+5.17 percent) and SalhiaReal Estate Company (+2.73 percent).

Corporate newsNational Bank of Kuwait (NBK)

announced that it has received theCentral Bank of Kuwait’s approval toincrease its stake in Boubyan Bankfrom 47.29 percent to 60 percent,which still awaits the authorities’approval. OPEC’s reference crude oilbasket price fell to $120.40pb onMonday from $121.15pb in the previ-ous session, OPEC said yesterday.

Bank stocks help KSE rebound from loss

GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

LONDON: Oil slipped below $122 yester-day as soft Chinese import data raisedconcerns about oil demand growth in theworld’s second-biggest consumer. Front-month Brent crude futures were down 85cents at $121.85 a barrel at 0843 GMT. Thecontract slipped as low as $121.02 onMonday, the lowest since March 15.

US oil was down 58 cents to $101.88.Copper prices also fell due to soft Chinesedata. Investors are watching for signs thatChina can avoid a hard landing as ittweaks monetary and fiscal policies to cutrising costs and help small businesses hitby a global downturn. Overall importsgrew 5.3 percent, lagging expectations forgrowth of 9 percent. “There have beensome doubts about global oil demandgrowth creeping into the market, andChina’s crude oil import numbers won’thelp change that perception very much,”said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst atCMC Markets. China’s exports grew 8.9percent compared with a consensus callfor 7.2 percent, but the slide in importssuggested soggy domestic demand in thefirst quarter.

Asia shares slipped along with base

metals on worries about the demand out-look for the leading importer of raw mate-rials. “An important point of the tradenumbers is the softer overall import fig-ure,” Spooner said.

“That raises a question on the coun-try’s domestic activity and investmentprogram and if economic activity hasbeen softer than anticipated.” China’sMarch crude imports were off the previ-ous month’s record. Still, the volume rose8.7 percent on the year to 5.55 millionbarrels per day (bpd), their third highestever, data showed, as refiners built stockswhile scaling back operations. Europeanshares also fell as investors returningfrom a holiday weekend in Europe cuttheir exposure to risky assets after sur-prisingly weak March US jobs data latelast week. Oil futures are also under pres-sure on expectations of a further increasein US commercial crude inventories,building on the biggest two-weekincrease in more than a decade, as higherimports easily outpaced sluggish refinerydemand. Industr y group AmericanPetroleum Institute (API) is due to releaseits numbers later in the day. — Reuters

Brent slips below $122 on soft China data

NEW YORK: Accenture PLC has completed itsbuyout of Spain’s Neo Metrics Analytics SL, themanagement and technology services consul-tancy said yesterday. Financial terms were notdisclosed. Accenture said that the deal, whichwas announced in January, will bolster its ana-

lytical models and techniques for fraud man-agement, quality management, pricing opti-mization and demand forecasting. Last monthAccenture reported that its fiscal second-quar-ter net income jumped 28 percent as revenueincreased across all of its divisions. Accenture is

based in Dublin, Ireland, but has a main officein New York. Neo Metrics is based in Madrid,Spain. I ts US shares closed at $63.74 onMonday. They are trading near their 52-weekhigh of $65.89 reached last week. They tradedas low as $47.40 in mid-August. — AP

Accenture closes on Neo Metrics takeover

LONDON/COPENHAGEN: British aero elec-tronics group Cobham renewed its 270 mil-lion pound ($428.20 million) bid for Thrane& Thrane, after some investors warmed tothe proposal, selling the suitor almost aquarter of its Danish rival.

Cobham submitted an offer of 420Danish crowns ($73.78) per share inFebruary, but on March 12 withdrew theoffer for the satellite and radio communica-tions equipment maker after its boardfailed to recommend the proposal.Cobham Chief Financial Officer WarrenTucker said in a conference call that the sit-uation surrounding Cobham’s interest hadchanged over the past few weeks, with theresignation of the previous Thrane &Thrane chairman leading to a number ofshareholders offering Cobham their shares.

“We concluded that we did want to buythose shares at the same level as we had

mentioned earlier,” Tucker said.Cobham lastweek said it owned more than a quarter ofThrane & Thrane having bought a 22.7 per-cent stake after some investors in theDanish company offered to sell theirshares. Cobham’s 25.59 percent stakemakes it Thrane & Thrane’s largest share-holder and exceeds the 24 percent holdingof co-founder Lars Thrane who hasopposed the takeover. Shares in Thrane &Thrane leapt 8.5 percent to 422 crowns by1232 GMT after earlier touching 428crowns. Cobham shares were up 0.1 per-cent in London. “Cobham continues to seekto work with the board of Thrane & Thraneto achieve a recommendation for this offerand to facilitate the bringing together ofThrane & Thrane and Cobham’s SATCOMbusiness in a way that provides the bestfuture for the business, its employees andcustomers.”— Reuters

Cobham renews Thrane & Thrane bid after stake buy

25B U S I N E S SWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

FRANKFURT: Germany’s trade surplusfell in February but stronger-than-expected demand from outsideEurope may keep the euro-zone’sbiggest economy out of recession,analysts said yesterday. Germanyexported goods worth 91 billion euros($119 billion) in seasonally-adjustedterms in February, up 1.6 percent fromJanuary, the national statistics officeDestatis said. At the same time,imports were up 3.9 percent at 77.4billion euros, giving a trade surplus of13.6 billion euros, down from 15.1 bil-lion euros in January. It was the sec-ond month in a row that exports haveincreased and defied analysts’ expecta-tions for a drop this month.

A breakdown showed that it wasprimari ly demand from outsideEurope that was behind the exportgrowth. While exports to the euroarea rose a modest 3.3 percent year-on-year in

February, exports to non-euro-zone countries increased 9.7 percentand to non-European nations 13.4percent, the figures showed. On theother side, imports from the euro-zone rose 5.5 percent year-on-yearwhile imports from countries outsideEurope grew 5.2 percent. Analystssaid that following disappointingmanufacturing orders and industrialoutput data last week, the tradereport suggested that Germany might

be able to avoid a recession after all.The German economy contracted

0.2 percent in the fourth quarter of2011 and there are concerns it mightshrink again in the first quarter of2012. A recession is defined as twoconsecutive quarters of economiccontraction.”A string of poor numbersfrom manufacturing and lower pur-chasing managers’ indices sparkedfears that the German economymight actually be affected more thanexpected by the weak activity in theperiphery,” said Commerzbank econo-mist Ulrike Rondorf. However, thetrade numbers “give hope that in thefirst quarter, gross domestic productexpanded at least at a modest pace.

Global economic activity has pickedup again and competitive Germanyshould continue to profit in the com-ing quarters,” she said.

ING Belgium economist CarstenBrzeski said that last week’s “industrialdata showed that the German econo-my is still flirting with a technicalrecession. “However, a weather-drivensharp rebound in the constructionsector, moderate production andtoday’s trade data still have the poten-tial to lift the economy into recession-free territory.”

Germany’s economic fate was“more and more in the hands of itstrading partners outside the euro-zone,” Brzeski said.”The main drivers of

Germany’s export engine are currentlynon-euro-zone countries-the UnitedStates, Britain and China.”

Peter Kaidusch at Natixis said thatwhile the economic news coming outof Germany is “hardly brilliant ... thereis still a chance to achieve maybe zerogrowth in the first quarter and thusovercome hard times without a reces-sion.”

The German federation of exportersand wholesalers, BGA, said Tuesday itwas projecting the trade surplus toremain more or less stable this yearand that despite the debt crisis, “thereare more opportunities than risks” forthe German economy, which was fun-damentally healthy. —AFP

German exports buoyed by demand from outside EU

TOKYO: British Prime Minister David Cameron (center) is briefed on a newhatchback vehicle, the Japanese car maker plans to produce in Britain, byNissan Executive Vice President Andy Palmer (right) and Nissan Chief OperatingOfficer Toshiyuki Shiga (left) during his visit to the global headquarters of theJapanese automakers in Yokohama near Tokyo yesterday. —AP

Cameron on Japan, S Asia

tour to boost businessNissan announces $200m investment in Britain

TOKYO: British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron began yesterday atour of Japan and Southeast Asiavowing to explore opportunitiesthe region offers to bolsterBritain’s sluggish economy byboosting trade and investmentties.

Hours before Cameron’s planetouched down in Tokyo, Japanesecarmaker Nissan Motor Co said itwould spend $200 million to builda new hatchback at its Britishplant. British officials said, in all,more than 200 million pounds($317.19 million) of Japaneseinvestment in Britain had beenagreed, including a Mitsui Corpwind turbine research project inEdinburgh and a Panasonic fuelcell research centre in Cardiff.

“This trip is really about Britishbusiness, British exports andinvestment from Britain into thesecountries, and investment fromthese countries into Britain,”Cameron told reporters. “Nissan’sinvestment in the UK is a hugevote of confidence in the skillsand flexibility of the UK workforce.We want to attract more invest-ment like this,” said Cameron,due to meet Japanese PrimeMinister Yoshihiko Noda lateryesterday. Nissan’s new car willgo into production in 2014 andcreate 225 jobs at its Sunderlandfactory in northern England and900 more at the carmaker ’ sBritish suppliers. The new com-mitment comes on top of $200million earmarked for produc-tion of a new compact car Nissanannounced last month and willtake manufacturing capacity atBritain’s biggest car plantbeyond 550,000 vehicles a year.

Accompanied by about 35executives from defense, energy,construction and other firms,Cameron will head from Tokyo toIndonesia today and Malaysia thefollowing day. On Friday,Cameron is due in Myanmarwhere he will meet pro-democra-cy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as thefirst major Western leader to visitthe long-isolated country since a1962 coup began a half century of

military rule. His visit, confirmedby sources in Myanmar, comesnearly two weeks after Suu Kyi’sNational League for Democracywon historic by-elections by alandslide, convincing the UnitedStates and European Union toconsider relaxing economic sanc-tions imposed years ago inresponse to human rights abuses.

Cameron’s two-year-old coalitiongovernment is trying to boostBritish manufacturing to lessenreliance on financial servicesroiled by the 2008-2009 globalfinancial crisis. It also seeks to limitthe economy’s exposure to thecrisis-hit euro-zone by doingmore business with fast-growingAsian economies and emergingmarkets around the world.

In Japan, Cameron and Nodaare expected to discuss coopera-tion on defense manufacturing,nuclear decommissioning andfree trade, as well as the violencein Syria and relations with Iranand North Korea.

Architecture and infrastructurefirms and nuclear industry execu-tives are with Cameron, reflectingBritish hopes for a slice of the vastsums Japan will spend to clean upand rebuild regions devastated bylast year’s earthquake and tsuna-mi. The tsunami washed awayswathes of Japan’s northeasterncoast and wrecked the Fukushima

nuclear plant north of Tokyo,releasing radiation and forcing80,000 people from their homes.“British companies have signifi-cant expertise in nuclear decom-missioning and clean-up, with 19nuclear sites in the UK currentlybeing managed through theprocess,” Cameron said. He alsohopes to capitalize on Japan’srecent decision to relax its self-imposed decades-old ban on mili-tary equipment exports, whichcould open the way to the jointdevelopment of arms by Japaneseand British firms. Progress onsecuring a free trade agreementbetween the European Union and

Japan is also on the agenda. In Indonesia, the world’s fourth

most populous country, theBritish delegation will focus ondeals in energy, construction,retail, pharmaceutical, defenseand financial services sectors.“There’s enormous upside poten-tial, and I think a number of busi-nesses are very excited by the fact

we’re going to Indonesia,”Cameron told reporters.

In Malaysia, Britain aims to tapthe Southeast Asian country’sposition as a regional educationhub, with many Western universi-ties setting up campuses there.The British leader also hopes tobolster moderate forces in thetwo Muslim democracies.

“There’s the issue of encour-aging moderate Islam and show-ing that Islam and democracyare compatible. And I think thatboth Indonesia and Malaysia aregreat examples of that,” Cameronsaid. —Reuters

TOKYO: Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron meets Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda(right) at the latter’s official residence in Tokyo yesterday. —AFP

LONDON: Gold prices rose yesterday as expec-tations that a sluggish employment market inthe United States could spark a fresh round ofUS quantitative easing drove prices higher,despite the influence of a firming dollar. Ultra-loose US monetary policy, which keeps realinterest rates and consequently the opportunitycost of holding gold low, is a key driver of high-er bullion prices. Expectations for a fresh roundof QE were lifted by soft US jobs data last week.Spot gold was up 0.2 percent at $1,643.80 anounce at 0915 GMT, while US gold futures forJune delivery were up $1.20 an ounce at$1,645.10. Spot prices have declined in five ofthe last six weeks as QE expectations have fluc-tuated.

Analysts betting on higher prices say theyare concerned that Friday’s jobs data, coupledwith the end of a jewellers’ strike in key con-sumer India, had not driven prices higher. “Itlooks like we need bigger and better news tosupport gold right now,” Saxo Bank vice presi-dent Ole Hansen said. “Traders have beenwrongfooted on numerous occasions duringthe last two months on QE on/off talks.”

“The non-farm payrolls and India ending thestrike should have triggered a stronger bounce,but at this moment, where general softness incommodities has been seen, traders wants tosee the cash before jumping back into gold in amajor way.” The euro failed to hold onto earlygains against the dollar and drifted lower, ascautious buying linked to hopes that soft USpayrolls data might bring forward anotherround of quantitative easing petered out.

Other assets seen as higher risk also retreat-ed, with European shares falling nearly 1 per-cent, oil prices slipping and base metals on theback foot. Soft Chinese import data raised con-cerns about commodities demand growth inthe world’s largest consumer of many raw mate-

rials. Safe-haven German Bund yields hit six-month lows and the cost of insuring Italian andSpanish debt against default rose sharply onTuesday as disappointing U.S. jobs data lastweek further dented appetite for riskier assets.

Gold demand in number one buyer Indiapicked up slightly at the start of the week after athree-week-long jewellers’ strike ended, butdealers said demand was surprisingly sluggish.“For gold to turn a corner and build momen-tum, physical buying really needs to kick in,” saidUBS in a note yesterday. “The end of the jew-ellers strike in India provides a good foundation,especially with the Akshaya Tritiya festival onApr. 24. But prices need to be appropriate. “Lastweek, Indian demand only became impressivewhen gold traded below $1,620,” it added.“Appetite from India so far this week has beenquite modest. Premiums in China have beenabove average of late. But in terms of volumes...gold turnover on the Shanghai Gold Exchangeis not particularly exceptional.” China’s gold out-put was 26.9 tons in February, up 11 percentfrom January, the Ministry of Industry andInformation Technology said yesterday, aftermining activity rebounded back after the LunarNew Year holidays in January. China is theworld’s biggest gold producer and recordedrecord output last year, although its domesticdemand still outstrips supply by hundreds oftons a year. Among other precious metals, silverwas flat at $31.52 an ounce. The gold/silverratio, which measures the number of silverounces needed to buy an ounce of gold, rose toits highest since early January on Tuesday.Silver imports into India, the biggest consumerof the white metal, are likely to decline up to 27percent this year on expectations of volatileprices, the head of the country’s biggest bullionimporter, ScotiaMocatta’s Sunil Kashyap, said onMonday. —Reuters

Gold firms on hopes

for fresh easing

WASHINGTON: Chairman Ben Bernanke saidyesterday that the Federal Reserve is working toaddress the regulatory failures that wereexposed by the 2008 financial crisis. But he cau-tioned that as the financial system evolves, newrisks will emerge. The Fed has overhauled its reg-ulatory efforts to focus much more on the stabili-ty of the entire financial system, Bernanke said. Itseeks to avoid mistakes of the past crisis, such asbig non-bank institutions escaping the supervi-sion. But the Fed chief said it was not enough forregulators to just address problems exposed bythe crisis. The financial system is constantlyevolving and unanticipated future risks to stabili-ty will develop, he said. Bernanke’s commentscame in a speech Monday night to a conferencesponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank ofAtlanta.

The financial crisis, which hit with force in thefall of 2008 after the collapse of LehmanBrothers, underscored the need for regulators todo a better job in policing the financial system,he said. “About three and a half years havepassed since the darkest days of the financial cri-sis, but our economy is still far from having fullyrecovered from its effects,” Bernanke said in hisremarks. In terms of closer supervision,Bernanke noted that the central bank last monthreleased the results of stringent stress tests inwhich all but four of 19 major US financial institu-tions got passing grades. The Fed declared theinstitutions strong enough to survive an eco-

nomic downturn worse than the GreatRecession. In another example of stepped upsupervision, Bernanke said that the Fed has beenactively monitoring US banks’ direct and indirectexposures to the European debt crisis. It is alsotracking the way US banks are managing theirexposure to the risks posed by the European cri-sis. Bernanke said that the Fed and other bank-ing regulators are moving to impose tougherstandards, not just on big banks but on big non-financial institutions such as insurance compa-nies. The aim is to better regulate all financialinstitutions that could pose a risk to the stabilityof the financial system.

“But even as we make progress on knownvulnerabilities, we must be mindful that ourfinancial system is constantly evolving and thatunanticipated risks will develop over time,”Bernanke said. He said that was an unavoidableconsequence of the new financial regulationsput into place by the sweeping Dodd-Frank Actthat Congress passed in 2010 to overhaul thefinancial regulatory system.

“An inevitable side effect of new regulationsis that the system will adapt in ways that pushrisk-taking from more-regulated to less-regulat-ed areas, increasing the need for careful monitor-ing and supervision of the system as a whole,” hesaid. Bernanke said that the Fed has increased itsefforts at system-wide monitoring with the cre-ation of an Office of Financial Stability Policy andResearch. —AP

NEW DELHI: India’s car industryforecast yesterday that saleswould grow 10 to 12 percent thisfiscal year as expected interestrate cuts lure buyers back intoshowrooms-up from just two per-cent last year.

The forecast by the Society ofIndian Automobile Manufacturers(SIAM) came as passenger carsales raced ahead last month by19.66 percent from a year earlier,marking the fifth straight month-ly increase. But sales growth

slowed to 2.19 percent for the fullyear to March 31, well down froma scorching 29 percent rise theprevious financial year. The lowgrowth, the slowest in threeyears, reflected a weak first fewmonths as climbing fuel pricesand high interest rates thatpushed up loan costs deterredbuyers.

Sales for 2011-12 totalled 2.02million cars in the emerging mar-ket giant, which has a populationof 1.2 billion people.

Vishnu Mathur, director gener-al of SIAM, said the car marketshould revive this year with thecentral bank expected to startrolling back its aggressive stringof rate hikes as inflation eases.

“The number of car owners isstill pathetically low in India-thereis huge scope for the auto indus-try,” Mathur told reporters in NewDelhi. Just 12 out of every 1,000Indians own a vehicle, comparedwith more than 500 out of every1,000 people in the United States,Mathur said. “That’s why all theauto manufacturing companiesfrom across the globe are comingto India-they are all coming herebecause they see good long-termgrowth.”

Global automakers fromGeneral Motors to Toyota havebeen steering to India and neigh-boring China seeking to boostsales with markets in most devel-oped countries saturated.

Car ownership remains low inIndia, where hundreds of millionslive below the poverty line, butan expanding economy is mint-ing millions of new middle-classfamilies and millionaires eachyear. The government expectsAsia’s third-largest economy togrow 7.6 percent in the currentfiscal year, up from an estimated6.9 percent last year. —AFP

Indian car makers see

double-digit growth

NEW DELHI: Tata Motors Passenger Car Business UnitPresident Rajiv Dube (right) and Managing Director ofAMP Motors Gurmeet Singh Anand pose in front of Jaguarand Land Rover cars during the inauguration of a Jaguar-Land Rover showroom in New Delhi. —AFP

Bernanke: Fed working

on regulatory failure

Loop Telecom

latest casualty

of 2G ruling

MUMBAI: India’s Loop Telecom will closedown its operations after losing its licensesin the wake of an alleged multi-billion dollarcorruption scandal, a company spokesmansaid, while its sister company Loop Mobilewould continue operations in Mumbai.India’s Supreme Court in February orderedcancellation of 122 telecoms licenses held byeight operators, including that of LoopTelecom, because of alleged irregularities inthe way they were awarded in 2008. A stateauditor estimated New Delhi may have lostas much as $34 billion as the permits weregiven out at “unbelievably low” prices.

Loop is the third casualty of the court rul-ing, after Abu Dhabi’s Etisalat said it wouldclose its Indian operation and Bahrain’sBatelco agreed to sell its 43 percent stake inits Indian joint venture. “We have no choicegiven the Supreme Court judgment,” aspokesman for Loop Telecom told Reuters.Loop Telecom has written to the govern-ment to demand a 38 billion rupee ($740.81million) refund for its license fees plus inter-est, compensation charges and bank guar-antees, the Mint newspaper reported yester-day, citing a letter signed by the company’smanaging director. The companyspokesman confirmed the letter had beensent, but declined to comment on theamount demanded. Loop Telecom has con-tacted its around 6,000 subscribers to urgethem to switch to an alternative mobile tele-com provider. The decision will not impactLoop Mobile, a company in the Loop Groupthat runs mobile services in the city ofMumbai. —Reuters

26b u s i n e s sWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterdaythat it has officially launched its own iPhoneapplication. The new application includes anarray of banking along with informative serv-ices such as account summaries and state-ments, transfer between accounts, locatingbranches using the GPS guide, updatedexchange rates, the bank’s latest offers, as wellas the most recent news updates.

Muneera Al-Mukhaizeem, Burgan Bank’sChief Retail Banking Officer- General Managersaid “We are delighted to launch the BurganBank application for iPhone users. iPhones,amongst other smartphones, are increasinglypopular in Kuwait, and we are committed tousing this technology to provide more addedvalue services and convenience to our cus-tomers.”

“We will continue to enhance functionalityof our iPhone application. This new initiativereflects on the bank’s continuous efforts ofproviding a variety of banking choices to itscustomers wherever they are,” added Al-Mukhaizeem.

The iPhone application, which is availableat the Apple application store, will also allowusers to enjoy the Burgan Bank’s online facili-ty. The feature on the iPhone will give ease ofaccess to customers to wish to do onlinebanking in a safe and secure manner.

For further information on how to use the

application, customers are required to visitApple’s application store, and download theBurgan Bank iPhone application free ofcharge, or contact the bank on 1804080.

Established in 1977, Burgan Bank is theyoungest commercial Bank based in Kuwait,

with a significant focus on the corporate andfinancial institutions sectors, as well as havinga growing retail and private bank customerbase.

Burgan Bank has four majority owned sub-sidiaries: Gulf Bank Algeria - AGB (Algeria),Bank of Baghdad - BOB (Iraq), Jordan KuwaitBank - JKB (Jordan) and Tunis InternationalBank - TIB (Tunisia), (collectively known as the“Burgan Bank Group”).

The Bank has continuously improved itsper formance over the years through anexpanded revenue structure, diversified fund-ing sources, and a strong capital base. Theadoption of state-of-the-art services and tech-nology has positioned it as a trendsetter inthe domestic market and within the MENAregion.

Burgan Bank’s brand has been created on afoundation of real values - of trust, commit-ment, excellence and progression, to remindus of the high standards to which we aspire.‘People come first’ is the foundation on whichits products and services are developed.

Excellence is one of the Bank’s four key val-ues and Burgan Bank continually strives tomaintain the highest standards in the indus-try. The Bank was re-certified in 2010 with theISO 9001:2008 certification in all its bankingbusinesses, making it the only Bank in GCC toreceive such accreditation. The Bank also hasto its credit the distinction of being the onlyBank in Kuwait to have won the JP MorganChase Quality Recognition Award, twelveyears in succession.

Burgan Bank launches new iPhone applicationApplication includes banking and info services

Muneera Al-Mukhaizeem

KUWAIT: Gulfmart, the fastest grow-ing supermarket chain with the largestnumber of branches in Kuwait, willopen their twelfth branch in the coun-try at Farwaniya. The newest branch ofGulfmart will be inaugurated by IndianAmbassador Satish C Mehta today at10am.

The new Gulfmart branch, locatedin the Radhi Mutlaq Al-RashidiComplex, next to Al-Sana roundaboutand in close proximity to Farwaniyapolice-station, provides convenientcar parking facilities and a comfort-able shopping ambience. The 11,000square feet spacious supermarket withits broad aisles and easily accessibleshelves stocked with a wide selectionof products from around the world,offers shoppers enormous valuethrough convenient access, extensiveselection, competitive prices and greatservice.

Speaking on the sidelines of theinauguration, Arif Sheikh, ManagingDirector of Gulfmart Group, said,“Customers in Kuwait have beenpatronizing Gulfmart ever since weopened our first outlet here in 1999.We are very grateful for this supportwhich has encouraged us to now openour twelfth branch in Kuwait atFarwaniya. We hope to meet thedemands of residents in this area, whohave long yearned for quality prod-ucts at affordable prices. Togetherwith our eleven other branches, weare now able to provide value offer-ings to customers across the country,from Fahaheel in the south to Jahra inthe north.”

Gulfmart ’s entrepreneurship inopening new stores in suburbs under-served by full-service retail supermar-kets is widely appreciated by residentsin those areas. The supermarket, well-known for carrying a wide variety ofproducts that cater to the shoppingneeds of the diverse population inKuwait, is especially popular for offer-ing products that meet the require-ments of customers in the locality.Nikil Ajagaonkar Gulfmart ’sOperations Manager, and top officialsof the Centralized MerchandizingDepartment of the Group, includingNicolas Panse, Raju Sawlani,Fakhruddin Kabir, Imran Sheikh, ZujerSaifee and Sameer Sheikh, affirmedthat unbelievable offers, great promo-tions and special offers for the upcom-ing Indian festival of Vishu, await shop-pers at the new branch in Farwaniya.

Elaborating on opening the newbranch, TA Remesh, Gulfmart CountryManager in Kuwait, said, “The openingof our twelfth branch in Farwaniya is amomentous occasion for Gulfmart; itmarks the beginning of the secondphase of our aggressive expansionstrategy in Kuwait. With the scheduledlaunch next month of two more

branches in Fahaheel and Salwa, andthe imminent opening of a secondmini-mart in Abu Halifa, we will bewell on the way to realizing our ambi-tious goal of having 25 stores inKuwait by the end of 2013.”

The new branch is also significantin that it is our second branch inFarwaniya, and illustrates our confi-dence in the growing consumer basein this area. The new branch, whichoffers 11,000 square feet of comfort-able shopping ambience, also pro-vides easy access and ample car park-ing facilities for our customers.Gulfmart has always endeavored toachieve total customer satisfaction byoffering customers incredible promo-tions, best services and convenientshopping locations that deliver qualityproducts at affordable prices, said theCountry Manager.

The result of Gulfmart’s commit-ment to customer satisfaction is evi-dent in the consistent successes of theever-increasing number of Gulfmartbranches across the country. In addi-tion to their two branches each inJleeb Al Shuyoukh, Hawally and nowin Farwaniya, and a mini-mart inSalmiya, they also have full-serviceoutlets in Shuwaikh, Salmiya,Fahaheel, Khaitan and Jahra.

ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways continues tobuild its presence in Europe with theexpansion of its codeshare agreementwith Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines,which will now include Brussels Airlinesservices to three regional French cities -Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse - fromtoday.

These are in addition to BrusselsAirlines’ services to Barcelona,Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Madrid, Osloand Stockholm, on which Etihad Airwaysalready codeshares.

James Hogan, Etihad AirwaysPresident and Chief Executive Officer,said: “This adds three very popular desti-nations to the Etihad Airways network,and opens up more of Europe for ourcustomers.

“This expansion is as a natural nextstep in what has been a very successfulpartnership since 2006, and we look for-ward to continuing to work with BrusselsAirlines to also enable passengers from

various points on their network to travelto Abu Dhabi and further afield.”

Etihad Airways operates eight weeklyAbu Dhabi-Brussels services in a two-class aircraft configuration.

Travellers can book the new code-share destinations through travel agents,Etihad shops, Etihad Airways contactcentres or via www.etihad.com

Etihad Airways, the national airline ofthe United Arab Emirates, began opera-tions in 2003, and in 2011 carried 8.3 mil-lion passengers. From its hub at AbuDhabi International Airport, EtihadAirways serves 84 passenger and cargodestinations in the Middle East, Africa,Europe, Asia, Australia and NorthAmerica, with a fleet of 67 Airbus andBoeing aircraft, and 100 aircraft on order,including 10 Airbus A380s, the world’slargest passenger aircraft. Etihad Airwaysalso owns nearly 30 per cent of airberlin,Europe’s sixth largest airline, and 40 percent of Air Seychelles.

Etihad Airways expands code share with Brussels Airlines

KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s newestand most advanced mobiletelecommunications serviceprovider, announced the winnerin its hugely successful “Win aCar Every Week” campaign.

Jaber Marzouq Al-Azemi andSultan Ayeth Aldosari were eachlucky winners of a newMercedes Benz C180 2012 inthe campaign. The winnersexpressed their happiness forbeing the lucky winners of thenew Mercedes Benz C180 car asit is a dream come true and ithas been made possible byVIVA.

VIVA congratulated the win-ners and invited customers toparticipate in the ongoing cam-paign in order to be one of themany winners in the upcomingweekly draws.

VIVA also reiterated its com-mitment to continuously pro-vide unique and tailor madeoffers designed to better serveand reward its customers.

The offer is only applicable toprepaid customers where theycan enter the draw through two

options, the first option is tosubscribe with 500 fils per daywhich gives them infinite min-

utes and SMS within VIVA net-work. For every 500 fils spent,the customer is entitled 1

chance to enter the draw. Thesecond option for prepaid cus-tomers includes subscribing toBlackBerry KD7 which givesthem full and unlimitedBlackBerry Services, where cus-tomers will gain 15 points auto-matically.

Customers are able to sub-scribe to both options in orderto enter the draw to win a luxu-rious car, where their points willbe accumulated and carried onto the next draw if they did notwin. To increase their chances towin a new car every week, pre-paid customers can subscribe tothe ‘Flavor of the Week’ whichwill be a ‘special service’ for thatweek allowing more opportuni-ties to win every week.

To subscribe, to ‘Infinite Callsand SMS’ offer, Send “1” to 535in an SMS. Prepaid customersinterested in the full, unlimited,local KD 7 BlackBerry offer, cansend an SMS with the number‘2’ to ‘535’.

For the full menu of the pre-paid offers, send an SMS withthe word “GO” to number ‘535’.

MUSCAT: Joyalukkas the world’s largestjewelry retail chain has opened its firstJoyalukkas Centre in Ruwi, Muscat. Themega showroom, located in a landmarknew building across the Ruwi police station,offers a unique combination of jewelry andfashion under one roof. The largest and firstof its kind showroom was inaugurated byBollywood celebrity and Joyalukkas Brandambassador, R Madhavan. The occasion wasalso graced by the presence of dignitariesthat included Hassan Ali Jawad, ManagingDirector, United Securities LLC, and YassinBin Jaffer, Partner, Joyalukkas Jewellery. JoyAlukkas, Chairman and MD, JoyalukkasGroup, Mr. John Paul Joy Alukkas, ExecutiveDirector, Joyalukkas Group and other seniorexecutives of the group also attended thegrand opening.

“It is a dream come true. We feel honoredto be able to offer to the discerning shop-pers of Oman this unique experience ofjewelry and fashion under one roof. TheJoyalukkas Centre features a large formatjewelry showroom and also a very largefashion section that will cater to bothwomen and men with a wide collection offashion and textile materials. We look for-ward to the blessings and patronage of theresidents of Oman to make the JoyalukkasCentre a grand success,” said Joy Alukkas,Chairman and MD, Joyalukkas Group.

The showroom is very convenientlylocated on the popular Ruwi high street inMuscat with ample parking space and thelargest collection of various jewelry, textilesand fashion to ensure the biggest retailexperience of its kind in Oman. The fantas-tic retail mix of this unique format includesthe largest collection of traditional and con-temporary gold jewelry, the widest range ofdiamonds, precious stones, pearls and plat-inum jewelry, a big choice of saris, churi-dars, bridal wear and men’s formal andinformal wear.

“It is an absolute honor to be here for thisgrand opening. Joyalukkas is a brand that isconstantly innovating and striving to offerthe consumer the best in all aspects ofshopping. The sheer size, convenience,

choice, value and unique collections thatthe Joyalukkas Centre is offering, will I amsure be the best in Oman. Muscat is beauti-ful place with great people and this trip hasbeen a pleasure,” said R Madhavan.

The showroom features an exclusive cor-ner for men that offer the best of office andcasual wear. From suits to jeans theJoyalukkas Centre plans to cater to all theneeds of men, across all budgets possible.For women other than exclusive and bridalwear, the Joyalukkas Centre is also offeringa wide range of formal and everyday wearin all forms like Sarees, Churidars, Formalwear and more. The Joyalukkas textile andfashion collections and range has beensourced from the best sources possible toensure customers best quality at the lowestprices.

“We are delighted to be able to offer ourunique retail concept to the discerningshoppers of Oman. At the JoyalukkasCentre we have ensured a team of highly

trained staff to ensure they serve everyneed of shoppers with commitment andpleasure. The Joyalukkas’ irresistible combi-nation of choice, value, service, conven-ience and this unique format, is tailored tothe needs of the residents of Oman,” saidJohn Paul Joy Alukkas, Executive Director,Joyalukkas Group.

Joyalukkas, the only ISO 14001-2004 &ISO 9001-2008 certified jewelry retail chainhas been recognized with many awards andaccolades for its exceptional standards injewelry retailing. Its popular Chennai show-room has also been recognized by theLimca Book of records for being the largestjewelry showroom in the world. In additionto this, Joyalukkas has also been awardedthe Middle-East Retailer of the Year awardand recognized by the Government ofDubai under the Dubai Quality Awards pro-gram for its consistent adherence to proce-dures, systems and correct practices toensure 100 percent customer satisfaction.

Joyalukkas Centre, biggest fashion, jewelry showroom in Oman now open

TA Remesh, Gulfmart Country Manager

Gulfmart to open second branch in Farwaniya

Brand new Mercedes Benz C180 2012 to lucky winner

MUSCAT: Film star R Madhavan, Joy Alukkas, John Paul Joy Alukkas, Hassan Ali Jawad,Yassin Bin Jaffer of Joyalukkas Jewellery, Thomas Scaria, Justin Sunny of Joyalukkas Group,Henry George, Joyalukkas Group and Jose KF during the opening of the showroom.

Fahad Al-Fahad with one of the winners Jaber Marzouq Al-Azemi.

HEALTH&SCIENCEWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO: Nail care products are displayed at a beauty supplyshop in San Francisco. California’s chemical regulators randomly sam-pled dozens of professional grade nail polishes that claimed to be free ofa “toxic trio” of dangerous substances and found that many still con-tained the chemicals in high levels. — AP

HONG KONG: The carcass of the world’s most well-preserved baby mam-moth, named Lyuba, is displayed in Hong Kong yesterday. Lyuba, whosecarcass is 42 thousand years old was found by a reindeer herder in YamalPeninsula in Russia on 2007. She will be exhibited at IFC Mall in HongKong. —AFP

HERAT: Afghan women look on as a child lies on a bed in a tuberculosissection of the main hospital in Herat yesterday. According to the last esti-mate of World Health Organization (WHO) more than 10,000 Afghans dieannually due to tuberculosis. — AFP

ATHENS: Healthcare in Greece risksbecoming a privilege after two years ofsweeping budget cuts imposed by theauthorities in their desperate effort toslash bills and steady the finances,experts warn. With public health spend-ing at around 10 billion euros, 25 per-cent lower than in 2009, staying healthy“risks becoming a privi lege,” saysHaralambos Economou, a sociologyprofessor at Panteion University inAthens.

Two years of biting austerity haveleft Greece in a fifth year of recessionwith over a million people officiallyunemployed, some 20 percent of theworkforce.

Healthcare experts argue that up to10 percent of the population now hasto dig into their dwindling savings ifthey need treatment. Previously, mostGreeks had turned to private carewhenever possible, even to the tune ofpaying nearly 40 percent of total health

costs out of their own pocket, one ofthe highest rates among developednations.

Now, demand at public hospitals isup 20-30 percent as they fall back onthe state system just as it comes underintense pressure from the cost cutting.

Worse still, many people seek tofinesse the system, turning up at hospi-tal as an emergency case in order to getimmediate treatment, rather thanarrange -and have to pay for-anappointment in advance.

The hospitals try their best in the cir-cumstances. “After recent reformsforced us to take money from peoplewho lack healthcare coverage, moreand more patients try to avoid makingappointments for lack of cash,” saysMeropi Manteou, a lung specialist atSotiria general hospital in Athens.

“They come in with the flu and try topass it off as an emergency. We do whatwe can to help the poorest that come

but I don’t know how long we’ll be ableto turn a blind eye,” Manteou said.

Even those with years of healthcarecontributions behind them faceincreasing problems. The health min-istry has cut the list of medicines andtests eligible for a partial refund fromsocial insurance funds, which are them-selves in dire straits from fiscal misman-agement and chronically low contribu-tions now exacerbated by the risingrate of unemployment.

State hospitals are having to makedo with reduced funding, doctorsalaries cut by a quarter, a chronicshortage of nurses and overtime paypending since December, grumblesGeorge Kalliabetsos, a pathology clinicsupervisor in the central city of Volos.

Kalliabetsos says his clinic frequentlyhas to accommodate 45 patients withonly 35 beds, four doctors out of arequired seven and just two night nurs-es, not to mention regular shortages in

medical supplies.Health ministry officials insist the

cuts were necessary to rid a system,originally modelled in the 1980s onBritain’s National Health Service, ofdecades of wasteful practice. “There isgreat room to cut cost without hamper-ing the system,” argues StavrosKarvounis, a financial advisor to HealthMinister Andreas Loverdos.

As an example, he notes that medi-cine costs ultimately borne by the statehad skyrocketed before the economiccrisis hit Greece in 2010. The healthminister recently charged that Greeksare still overspending on unnecessarymedicine and hospital tests, burdeningsocial welfare funds as the countryfaces its worst debt crisis in decades.

Loverdos said 3.5 million CAT bodyscans were carried out in Greece lastyear, double the number in the otherEuropean Union states combined whileGreeks also threw out one billion euros

($1.3 billion) of out-of-date medicinestored in their homes.

Public spending on medicine alsowas cut to 3.75 billion euros last yearfrom 5.6 billion euros in 2010, and thehealth ministry plans to make another800-mill ion-euros cut this year,Loverdos said.

One of the ministr y ’s proudestachievements this year has been theintroduction of a new online prescrip-tion system to eliminate the chaoticbook-keeping that had al lowedunscrupulous doctors and pharmaciststo write bogus prescriptions for years,skimming the proceeds.

But the kinks in the new system aresuch to drive law-abiding doctors mad.“It ’s a total shambles; the system isdown two or three times a week, andthe drugs are listed in a completely irra-tional manner,” says Maria, a generalpractitioner who declined to give hersurname.—AFP

Healthcare a ‘privilege’ in Greece after cuts, experts warn

NEW YORK: People in the United States whoreceive a kidney from a live donor who is nota relative tend to be white, highly educatedand live in wealthier neighborhoods, accord-ing to a study that calls for wider outreach topromote living donation.

Researchers, whose findings appeared inthe Journal of Urology, said the findingsdemonstrate that financial and educationalbarriers make it harder for the poor andminorities to give or receive an organ.

“We’re not doing enough in this country toremove disincentives to living donation,” saidGabriel Danovitch, senior author of the studyand director of the kidney and pancreas trans-plant program at UCLA.

The kidney is one of the few organs a per-son can give away, yet still lead a healthy lifeafterwards with one remaining kidney. Sincethe 1990s, advances in immune-suppressionhave made it safer to receive an organ fromsomeone who isn’t biologically related. Less-invasive surgery techniques also make it easi-er to donate.

But while medical costs for a live donor aretypically covered by health insurance, addi-tional expenses - such as travel, lodging and

time off from work - are not. To see who wasmost likely to donate, Danovitch and his col-leagues looked at information about all39,000 adult kidney transplants in the UnitedStates from 1997 to 2007 that occurred with alive donor. They gathered information on edu-cation, race, insurance type, zip code andwhether people were related.

Danovitch’s group found that kidney dona-tions from non-relatives have become morecommon, rising from seven percent of livedonations in 1997 to 26 percent in 2006. Thevast majority of unrelated donors have anemotional relationship with the patient, suchas friends. In a few cases, though, organscame from volunteers with no relationships.

But they found that both unrelated donorsand recipients were generally older, likely tolive in slightly higher-income neighborhoodsthan related donors and recipients, and morelikely to have a college degree.

Patients with higher socioeconomic statusare probably more likely to have access topotential donors who have similar means andresources, the researchers wrote. “It’s notbecause (people in lower socioeconomic sta-tus groups) care about their loved ones any

less, but because they can’t pay for the flight,the hotel or losing their job,” Danovitch toldReuters Health.

Kidney donors typically have to take sixweeks off work after the transplant. In addi-tion, informational barriers may explain whyrecipients of organs from unrelated donorsare more likely to have had more education.

Cultural differences may also be a factor,they wrote. Amber Reeves-Daniel, the medicaldirector of abdominal organ transplant atWake Forest Baptist Medical Center, said she’sseen that African American transplant recipi-ents almost always receive a live donor kidneyfrom a relative.

“I think there’s a sense of closeness in theAfrican American family structure of ‘we’regoing to make this work,’” said Reeves-Daniel,who was not involved in the study. “If thatdoesn’t work out, then they say ‘I would justget a kidney from a deceased donor.’”

But the number of people waiting for a kid-ney from a deceased donor greatly outnum-bers availability. According to the OrganProcurement and Transplantation Network,91,000 people are waiting for a kidney in theUnited States. — Reuters

Living kidney donations

favor some patient groups

Donors take six weeks off work after transplant

WASHINGTON: People who get regulardental X-rays are more likely to suffer acommon type of brain tumor, USresearchers said yesterday, suggestingthat yearly exams may not be best formost patients.

The study in the US journal Cancershowed people diagnosed with menin-gioma who reported having a yearlybitewing exam were 1.4 times to 1.9times as likely as a healthy control groupto have developed such tumors.

A bitewing exam involves an X-rayfilm being held in place by a tabbetween the teeth. Also, people whoreported getting a yearly panorex exam-in which an X-ray is taken outside themouth and shows all the teeth on onefilm-were 2.7 to three times more likelyto develop cancer, said the study.

A meningioma is a tumor that formsin the membrane around the brain orspinal cord. Most of the time thesetumors are benign and slow growing,but they can lead to disability or life-threatening conditions.

The research, led by Elizabeth Claus ofthe Yale University School of Medicine,was based on data from 1,433 USpatients who were diagnosed with thetumors between the ages of ages 20-79.For comparison, researchers consulteddata from a control group of 1,350 indi-viduals who had similar characteristicsbut had not been diagnosed with ameningioma.

Dental patients today are exposed to

lower radiation levels than they were inthe past, but the research should promptdentists and patients to re-examinewhen and why dental X-rays are given,said Claus.

“The study presents an ideal opportu-nity in public health to increase aware-ness regarding the optimal use of dentalX-rays, which unlike many risk factors ismodifiable,” she said. The AmericanDental Association’s guidelines call forchildren to get one X-ray every one totwo years; teens to have one every 1.5 tothree years, and adults every two tothree years.

The ADA said in 2006 there was littleevidence to back up the routine use offull-mouth dental X-rays in patients with-out any symptoms. Michael Schulder,vice chairman of the department of neu-rosurgery at Cushing NeuroscienceInstitute, part of the North Shore LongIsland Jewish Health System in New York,said he was not shocked by the findings.

“This should come as no great sur-prise given the connection between radi-ation and meningioma developmentthat has been established in various oth-er contexts,” said Schulder, who was notinvolved in the research.

“The chance of these tumors arising inpatients who were X-rayed yearly stillwas low. Nonetheless, dentists and theirpatients should strongly consider obtain-ing X-rays less often than yearly unlesssymptoms suggest the need for imag-ing.” — AFP

Dental X-rays linked

to brain tumors: Study

WASHINGTON: The number of new teenage mothers in theUnited States is at its lowest level in nearly 70 years butremains the highest of any major developed country, accord-ing to official figures released yesterday.

The current rate of 34.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 is down 44 percent from a peak in 1991, and is 64 percentlower than the record set during the 1957 “baby boom” of 96.3births per 1,000. In 2010 just under 368,000 babies were bornto women aged 15-19, in addition to 4,500 born to girls aged10-14, according to the figures released by the NationalCenter for Health Statistics.

In one year, between 2009 and 2010, the rate plunged bynine percent, a “phenomenal” decline, Brady Hamilton, anauthor of the study, told AFP. He attributed the “good news” ofthe report to both the general decline in fertility among allage groups-except women aged 40-45 — and to “numerousprograms” aimed at preventing teen pregnancy.

However, the US teen birth rate remains far higher thanthat of other industrialized countries. A UN report from 2009found a rate of 16.5 births per 1,000 teenage women inAustralia, 12.2 in Spain, 10.2 in France, 9.8 in Germany, 4.9 inJapan and 25 in Britain. The US report said the teen birth ratewas down across all racial groups and all areas of the country.However, the rate varies by region, with the southern state ofMississippi recording a rate of 55 births per 1,000 teenagewomen and the northeastern state of New Hampshire record-ing just 15.7. The overall teen birth rate “continues to be amatter of public concern because of the elevated health riskfor teen mothers and their infants,” the National Center forHealth Statistics said. —AFP

SEATTLE: It’s already against Washingtonstate law to discriminate against publicbreastfeeding, but the Seattle City Councilspecifically made it illegal for businessesand other entities to ask nursing moms tostop, cover up or move to a different loca-tion in public areas.

The council unanimously approved ameasure that adds a mother ’s right tobreastfeed her child to a list of protectedcivil rights, such as race, color, disability andreligion - allowing the city’s office of civilrights to enforce the law and educate thepublic about the issue.

“The bottom line is, it’s a health issue forour community,” said Councilman BruceHarrell, who sponsored the bill. “It’s veryclear the benefits of breastfeeding. Whatwe want to do is move the needle in termsof community acceptance of breastfeedingby having our local civil office of rightsenforcing the law.”

Mayor Mike McGinn will sign the billinto law, his spokesman Aaron Pickus saidMonday. Supporters say nursing moms inSeattle continue to be told to stop, coverup or move to a different area while atcafes, stores, restaurants, theaters and oth-er areas of public accommodation, despitethe existing state law.

“We know that every single day, momsare being discriminated against,” saidRachel Schwartz, manager of the advocacygroup Breastfeeding Coalition ofWashington. “It’s not about duplicating the(state) law. It’s making it easier to followthrough with the law.”

Dozens of states have laws that specifi-cally allow women to breastfeed in anypublic or private location, according to theNational Conference of State Legislatures.Seattle’s ordinance would make it illegal toask a nursing mom to stop, cover up ormove to another location; it would apply toareas open to the public, including doctor’soffices, restaurants, libraries and theaters.

Seattle mom Alice Enevoldsen said it’ssilly that Seattle needs such a law, but she

thinks it’s important that it passes. It’ll beeasier for the city to enforce, she said.

“Babies don’t have a lot of control overwhen they’re hungry. We need to feedthem when they’re hungry,” said the momof a 1-year-old. Sometimes that meansyou’re out in a public place, she said,adding: “Just get out of my business. I’mgoing to feed my baby.”

The Seattle Women’s Commission lob-bied for the bill after hearing from dozensof community and women’s groups thatmothers were being told to cover up orleave.

“For those who have been discriminatedagainst, it’s embarrassing,” said AbigailEcho-Hawk with the Seattle Women’sCommission. “It can embarrass a woman somuch that she may choose to stop breast-feeding.”

Eliminating barriers to breastfeedingwill help more women continue to nurse,she added.

Since the Washington state law protect-ing public breastfeeding went into effect in2009, three mothers have filed complaintswith the state Human Rights Commission.One mother was asked to move to anotherlocation while she was breastfeeding herbaby in the lobby of her physical therapistin Sultan. She was uncomfortable with thesituation so she left the office withoutkeeping her appointment. That businessagreed to buy a $5,000 US Savings Bond inthe child’s name, said Laura Lindstrand,policy analyst state commission.

Two other cases are pending. One com-plaint was filed by a mother who was toldshe couldn’t breastfeed her baby at a day-care center in Long Beach. Another wasfiled by a mother who was breastfeedingwhile soaking at the Sol Duc Hot Springs inPort Angeles.

“I don’t think everybody wants tobreastfeed in public, but I think we shouldall have the ability to do what’s best for ourbabies when it’s best for our babies,” saidEnevoldsen, the Seattle mom. — AP

Seattle council protects

public breastfeeding

Number of US

teen births

lowest in 70 yrs

CALIFORNIA: A draft federal evaluation has found that threemore common pesticides used on home lawns and agricul-tural crops jeopardize the survival of West Coast salmon. Theevaluation from NOAA Fisheries Service is the latest oneresulting from lawsuits filed by conservation groups andsalmon fishermen demanding the US EnvironmentalProtection Agency enforce restrictions on pesticides aroundsalmon streams. This one looked at the pre-emergent herbi-cides oryzalin, pendimenthalin and trifluralin. They are used tocontrol weeds in lawns, on road shoulders, in orchards, vine-yards, and farm fields growing soybeans, cotton, corn,Christmas trees and other crops. Heaviest use is in California.The herbicides are ingredients in more than 100 commercialproducts made by dozens of manufacturers.

NOAA Fisheries informed the US Environmental ProtectionAgency that they are likely to jeopardize half the 26 salmonpopulations on the West Coast protected by the EndangeredSpecies Act, and suggested restrictions like no-spray buffersto keep them out of salmon streams.

Trifluralin is the most toxic of the three, and deforms fishbackbones even at low concentrations. It is used on soybeans,cotton, lawns and road shoulders. Oryzalin is the least toxic,and is harmful to aquatic plants that make up salmon habitat.It is used on shrubs, lawns and golf courses.

Pendimenthalin is toxic to aquatic plants and insects thatsalmon eat. It is used on soybeans, cotton, corn and peanuts.Heather Hansen of Washington Friends of Farms and Forests,which represents commodity growers, said the proposedrestrictions were less dramatic than those suggested for otherpesticides. —AP

3 more pesticides

may harm salmon

HEALTHWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

GCC gets super-specialty healthcare

Opening of Burjeel Hospital in Abu DhabiKUWAIT: The first advanced health-care facility capable of meeting thelifestyle requirements of GCC citizensbegan operations with the opening ofBurjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi on April3, 2012. With this, patients from theGulf states, who previously needed totravel to the West and elsewhere, look-ing for high quality healthcare, cannow get access to such services righthere in the region.

The multi-specialty and wellnesshospital has combined the best tal-ents, equipment and technologieswith unbeatable luxury and person-alised services. In fact, Burjeel standsout as the only hospital in the Gulf tooffer the comfort and convenience ofsuites, based on the lifestyle needs ofArab families. It has a total of 32 suitesand 88 rooms, with duplex extrava-gant Royal suites spreading over 557sq m, rooms and suites across six cate-gories with varying levels of luxuryand comfort. Particular attention has

also been paid to the comfort of rela-tives and friends staying with in-patients.

“The idea for Burjeel Hospital wasborne out of the vision of Abu Dhabito become the most advanced centrefor healthcare services in the region,”said Dr Shamsheer, VP, ManagingDirector, Burjeel Hospital. “Burjeel hasbeen envisaged as a truly internationalmedical facility that will offer cuttingedge healthcare services, adminis-tered by some of the finest medicaltalent available.”

Currently, a large number of peoplerequiring advanced treatment for vari-ous diseases depend on specialisedhospitals abroad, primarily in Germanyand the United Kingdom. Recently,Thailand and India too have becomepopular destinations for such patients.According to studies, it is estimatedthat GCC citizens spend AED92 billionannually to travel abroad for healthreasons.

With its state-of-the-art facilitiesand infrastructure and use of latesttechnology, Burjeel is set to provide abig boost to the UAE’s medical tourismindustry, considering that the hospitalwas set up keeping in mind Arab stan-dards and emphasis on family. I t,therefore, also features a fully-equipped gymnasium with state-of-the-art fitness and equipment, a spa,and a multi-cuisine restaurant.

“At Burjeel, our outstanding health-care services are complemented by ahealing touch, which is rare to find intoday’s fast-paced world. We under-stand the region and its requirements,and our medical infrastructure is capa-ble of giving a new dimension to med-ical tourism in the UAE,” said DrShamsheer.

Burjeel Hospital will be fully func-tional in a phased manner in the com-ing months. Currently it has begunoperations of its Out Patient Serviceswhich includes consultations in differ-

ent specialties, dental services, speci-men testing and diagnostic imaging.

The newly launched services alsoinclude Out-Patient DepartmentClinics offering family medicine, paedi-atric, vascular surgery, general surgery(consultation only) and nephrology.More clinics are set to open in thecoming weeks.

Dr Charles Stanford, Chief ExecutiveOfficer at Burjeel Hospital, said:“Burjeel is Arabic word for wind tower,standing for the traditional hospitalityof the Gulf region. But along with tra-ditional charm, Burjeel Hospital is allabout sophistication. At Burjeel, wehave the right mix of medical talent,technology and wellness infrastruc-ture to offer patients from the UAE andother parts of the region a truly inter-national healthcare environment.”

Burjeel Hospital is located on AlNajdah Street in Abu Dhabi and is easi-ly accessible from most locations with-in Abu Dhabi. The hospital, on an area

of over 70,000 square metres, will offermore than 200-beds and provide theentire range of specialised healthcareservices, including a state-of-the-artsurgery department, capable of deliv-ering comprehensive treatment.

Burjeel has established centres ofexcellence in association with theworld’s best health service providers.These centres of excellence will bringtogether highly accredited medicalexperts across almost all specialisa-tions. Additionally, each departmentwithin the hospital offers an aestheticambience to put patients at ease.

The hospital provides 10 operatingrooms, including a state of the artHybrid OR, intensive care units (sepa-rate units for medicine, neonatology,new born, cardiac and surgery), deliv-ery suites, dialysis facilities, and clinicaldepartments and two pharmacies.

The ground and 6-storey hospitalalso has a large basement parking,adding to the convenience of visitors.

30W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Future Eye Theatre anniversaryFuture Eye Theatre, Kuwait will celebrate its secondanniversary on April 13, 2012 (6 pm to 9.30pm onFriday) at the Indian Central School auditorium,Abbassiya. The celebration entitled ‘Kaliyarangu’, willshowcase a variety of theatre presentations.Manjulan, a well-known film and theatre personalityfrom Kerala, will be the chief guest of the this year’scelebration. Manjulan’s solo drama ‘Koonan’ will be amajor attraction of the anniversary celebration. Thehighlight of the celebration will be the staging of theMalayalam version of Samuel Beckett’s most celebrat-ed play ‘Waiting for Godot’ by Future Eye Theatremembers. A theatre sketch on Bertolt Brecht’s popu-lar play ‘Threepenny Opera’ will also be staged on theoccasion. All theatre lovers are welcome. Entry is free.

Grand Mosque TourFor a rewarding, spiritual and informative experience.This is a 1 1/2 tour of one of Kuwait’s most famouslandmarks. Ladies are required to cover (long sleevesand long ankle length skirt, otherwise the mosquewill provide a cloak; If you have your own scarf you’rewelcome to bring it). Cameras are allowed and chil-dren are welcome. This tour meets directly at theGrand Mosque at 9:15am on April 14, 2012 @ 9:15 am- 10:45 am at Grand Mosque. Contact: AWARE Center2533-5280

Announcements

Thrissur Association of Kuwait(TRASSK) Conducted its AnnualGeneral Body meeting at Salmiya

Indian Community School, Aman branchon Friday 23rd March. Annual GeneralBody meeting elected its new OfficeBearers for the year 2012-13. The meetingstarted with a silent prayer followed by aremembrance speech by Joint secretaryMr.Ashraf for the three members whopassed away this year.

TRASSK Joint treasurer Sreejith wel-comed all members for the meeting.TRASSK President Sebastian Vathukadanduring his presidential address congratu-lated members, central committee mem-bers and office bearers for their contribu-tion towards the growth of TRASSK.General Secretary Steephen Vadakethalapresented the annual working report,Vanitha Vedi report was presented by Mrs.Shiny Frank and finance report was pre-

sented by Treasurer Manish Kumar. Allreport was well defined and got approvalfrom all of its members. Members raisednew suggestions & all their queries werereplied by President Sebastian through anopen discussion forum. The new scheme ofBuilding houses for needy members wasexplained to the members by President.

A appreciative memento was awarded

by Sebastian Vathukadan to Joy Joseph(Advisor & Former president of TRASSK)who leaves Kuwait after 8 year of his serv-ice. TRASSK Abbassiya-B area ConvenerMr. Ravi was awarded with a memento forhis valuable effort for the maximum salesof coupons. TRASSK President MR.Sebastian Vathukadan was recognized forhis dedicated leadership throughout his

Presidential tenure with a memento fromMr. Joy Joseph former president ofTRASSK.

The general body elected Ajith Menon(President), Biju Kadavi (General Secretary),Jeejo Sunny(Treasurer) Chandran P.S (VicePresident) Babu Paryil, Sherin Mullakara,and Sudheer. (Joint Secretaries), and SanojSahadevan (Joint Treasurer) as new officebearers for the year 2012-13. The generalbody also elected Kochurani Wilson(President), Priya Manikandan (Secretary)and Lissy Wilson (Treasurer) as new officebearers for Vanitha Vedi for 2012-13. K. R.Prasad, Rafi Padiyath, and JosephWadakkan were the returning officers.

Sports meet victors prize were distrib-uted in the same venue after meeting.More than 500 members attended themeeting and around 10:30 PM meetingwas concluded with the thanks givingspeech from Joint Secretary Baiju C.P.

TRASSK annual general body meeting

Kozhikode District NRI Association (KDNA) organizedone day Vinoda Yatra (family picnic) to AbdaliRawdatain Spring Camp on Friday 6th April 2012.

Picnic provided a great escape from the routine to themembers & family. Picnic started with breakfast followedby a brief morning session and Area Presidents andGeneral Secretaries gave picnic guidelines to the entireparticipants to ensure the safety and picnic schedule.

Chief Tour coordinator Rasheed Payanthong wel-comed the audience and Advisory Board memberKrishnan Kadalundi were inaugurated the Picnic.Association President Zubair MM Advisory Board MemberBasheer Batha, General Secretary Suresh Mathur, VicePresidents Azeez Thikkodi, Kalathil Abdurahiman, JointTreasurer RN Shoukath Ali were spoken during the inau-gural session.

Picnic provided lot of entertainment, sports, games,different types of competitions, quiz, Musical Orchestraand various other activities to the members to rejoice in aleisurely atmosphere.

Delicious food was served to all the participants forthe lunch. In the evening session prizes distributed to thewinner of various competitions were given by the guests

Vinod V Nair, Malayalam Media Forum convener & JeevanTV Kuwait Bureau Chief and Sathar Kunnil, E-Jalakam por-tal Chief Editor, Central Executive Members, Area/Unitoffice bearers and senior members.

Picnic came to end with musical extravaganza lead byAssociation Arts & Cultural Secretary Rafi Kallai & JointSecretary Abdurahiman Naduvannur. Famous Singer RafiKozhikode, Kabeer, Shana Hakim, Adv.Anas Puthiyottil ,Basheer Batha, Dhanya Padmanabhan among

enthralled the audience.Santhosh Punathil, Mohanraj Areekad, Ubaid

Chakalakkal, Sajeevan Kunnimmel, Premaraj Koroth,Mohammed Vazhayil, Nisar Kannam Velly, Ilyas Thottathil,K Ali Koya, Sathyan Varunda, Zaheer Alakkal, RN ShoukathAli, Hakeem Vilyapalli, Swapna Santosh, Shahina Zubair,Jisha Suresh, Sofia Rahman, Shajina Nisar, ShafeeraRasheed, Rejitha Thulasi were coordinated and controlledthe picnic.

KDNA organizes one day family picnic

Palakkad Pravasi

Association to

conduct Arts Day

Palakkad Pravasi Association of Kuwait is con-ducting Arts Day, a full day socio-cultural eventfor its members and children. The program will

be held on 27th April 2012 at 10 am at Indian CentralSchool Auditorium, Abbassiya. The program will con-sist of various items include bharatanatyam, mohiniy-attam, folk dance, Mono Act, mimics, fancy dress,mappilapaattu, recitation, cinematic, group danceetc. PALPAK has been conducting similar event everyyear since its inception aiming to encourage the tal-ents of its members and children.

For registration and more details please contactSuresh Pulikkal - Arts Secretary (97260159) and theArea Secretaries Suresh Madhavan - Salmiya(97253235), Sankaranarayanan - Fahaheel (90925460),Sunilkumar - Farwaniya (97201399), Udayavarman -Abbassiya (97216434).

The Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST)Department of Humanities and Social Sciences incooperation with the US Embassy and American

Voices Abroad welcomed a performance by Jazz artistsCoco York, Jazz Vocalist and Mike Del Ferro, Jazz Pianist intheir auditorium for a lively presentation of pure jazz.

York wowed the crowd with her soulful performanceand witty humor. Everyone was entertained with DelFerro’s experience on the piano and how his sound blend-ed beautifully with York’s strong vocal talent.

In attendance was Dr Abdulrahman Al-Muhailan,Chairman of the Board of Trustees, who thoroughlyenjoyed the performance and enjoyed the students’ inter-action and participation with York on her scat renditions,following the explanation of where scat came from - thelate Ella Fitzgerald. She mentioned that it was said thatFitzgerald was the one who started scat singing as a younggirl singing with her father’s band, when she would forgetthe lyrics of the songs.

GUST was the first stop in the duo’s tour and the univer-sity hopes to welcome them back again in the future. TheHumanities Department at GUST is always on the lookoutfor talent to share with its students and faculty to exposethem to different sounds and cultures.

GUST welcomes jazz

performers Coco York

& Mike Del Ferro

‘Simha Gharjana’ mega musical pro-gram, which was organized byPravasandhra Telugu Desam, NBK

Seva Samithi was grand success withhuge crowd at the Abbasiya Open Parklast Friday.

Kuwait Telugu community andNandamuri Fans dream came true as theirbeloved popular Telugu legendary heroNandamuri Bala Krishna, who is a son ofthe great Telugu/Indian personalityPadmasri Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, ex-chief minister of Andhra Pradesh came toKuwait to appreciate their relentless serv-ices as one of the main reasons. They haveseen their hero with great admiration ashe arrived to Kuwait on his 3 days trip andparticipate as chief guest in this event.

On behalf of Nandamuri Bala KrishnaKuwait visit, Pravasandhra Telugu Desam,NBK Seva Samiti organized, ‘Simha

Gharjana’ a mega musical program. Theunique program was a mega success dueto the presence of large audience and BalaKrishna fans.

Indian ambassador Satish C Mehta wasalso present as one of the dignitaries.

Bala Krishna expressed his appreciationfor Telugu people, who are living inKuwait, their role of development ofAndhra Pradesh, social activities in hisspeech. He explained the greatness ofTelugu language and culture and calledfor Telugu people’s unity. Bala Krishnaappreciated the PravasandhraTelugudesam, NBK Seva samithi efforts forarranging this event.

Bala Krishna also recognized the servic-es of Pravasandhra Telugu Desam, GulfWide Nandamuri fans and other associa-tions and appreciated their sincere effortsfor this great cause in fund raising for

“Basava Tarakam Indo - American CancerHospital & Research Institute” a hospitalwith ultra modern equipment which isserving the downtrodden people of Indiasuffering from dangerous disease “cancer”with minimum charges possible.

Pravasandhra Telugu Desam presidentMulakala Subbarayudu, President VenkatKoduri conveyed their sincere thanks toBala Krishna for accepting the invitationand visiting Kuwait, Telugu community inKuwait attended in large number for thisevent.

Telugu play back singers Simha andKousya troupe mesmerize the audiencewith songs and music.

After that Pravasandhra Telugu DesamPresident M Subbarayudu Naidu,President Koduri Venkata Siva Rao, VicePresident Pidikiti Sreenivas Chowdary,General Secretary M. Suresh Babu, Joint

Secretary’s Peram Ramana, AdusupalliUday Prakash, Treasurer P Sudarsan,Program Coordinator K V N Prasad, PROsRajesh Kumar, P Gopal Raju and members,The Gulf Wide Nandamuri Fans PresidentSantharam Naidu, Vice President DivakarOleti, General Secretary Venkatesh NaiduVegi, other executive committee membersMalepati Babu, Kishore Daruru, BabuNaidu Polarapu, Medamalli Sreenu, MohanBabu Kottapalli, Mani Sannapaneni,Nagendra Marathu, Master MahaboobBasha, Bujjaiah Naidu Penigalapati, ChinnaSubbaiah, Naidu Konanki, Manohar NaiduPaidi, Narasimha Naidu Meka, Bala Polinaand other members, Paritala Yuvasena,Yugastar Nadamuri fans members felicitat-ed individually their beloved hero and pre-sented a mementos to Bala Krishna infront of thousands of NBK lovers and gar-landed him with immense pleasure.

Pravasandhra’s ‘Simha Gharjana’ a grand success

Worldwide viewed satellite TV channel BanglaVision’s successful completed six year andhad a grand celebration in Kuwait with fes-

tivity in accordance. Bangla vision family in Kuwaitorganized a colorful celebration and discussionmeeting by cutting the cake.

The festivity commenced with the recitation ofverses from the holy Quran, recited by A.K. Azad Nur -well wisher of the channel and President ofManikganj Society in Kuwait..

Prayers were offered for continuous success of thechannel and well being of the nation as well.Renowned journalist and poet Sheikh Ehsanul HaqueKhokan presented a program and was presided over

by Bangla vision’s Kuwait representative KamrulHasan.

Media personality and the CEO of Marafia Kuwaitiagroup of companies - Shahid Islam Papul attendedthe festivity as the chief guest. Among other inviteesthe special guests were Zafar Ahmed Chowdhury,Bangabandhu Parisad president SheikhAkramuzzaman, Abdul Quddus, Seschsasebak Dalpresident Mornin ullah Patwary, Abdul Awal, GeneralSecretary of Seschsasebak League - Kuwait ShamsulIslam, President of Sramik dal- Kuwait Iqbal alongwith them a vast number of expatriate socio-culturalactivists, journalists and community leaders partici-pated in the celebration.

Satellite TV channel - Bangla vision’s successful

Greetings

Happy Birthday Favor! We pray thatGod will bless and guide you as yougrow to be a blessing to our family

Amen. Greetings from LAIF, daddy, mummy,sister and aunt Chinwe.

31W H AT ’ S ONWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 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 ofCanada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sundaythrough Thursday. The reception is closed from12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. ConsularServices for Canadian Citizens are provided from09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday throughWednesday. The Canadian Embassy will beclosed on Sunday and Monday 08 and 09 April2012 on the occasion of Easter. The Embassy willresume its duties on Tuesday 10 April 2012. TheCanadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visaand immigration services to residents of Kuwait.Individuals who are interested in visiting, work-ing or immigrating to Canada are invited to visitthe website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAEat www.uae.gc.ca.

EMBASSY OF THAILANDThe Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait, wishes toinvite the Kuwaiti companies that deal busi-ness with Thai companies or those agenciesof Thai commercial companies to visit theEmbassy’s Commercial Office to register their rele-vant information to be part of the embassy’s busi-ness and trade database. The Royal Thai Embassy islocated in Jabriya, Block 6, Street 8, Villa No. 1,Telephone No. 25317530 -25317531, Ext: 14.

EMBASSY OF KOREAThe Embassy of the Republic of Korea wishesto inform that it has moved to Mishref. NewAddress: Embassy of the Republic of KoreaMishref, Block 7A, Diplomatic Area 2, Plot 6The Embassy also wishes to inform that it will beopened to the public on the following 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 [email protected] or faxed to 22253227or given by phone to 65906048 (Mrs Christine).

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EMBASSY OF ROMANIAThe Embassy of Romania to the State ofKuwait would like to inform that theConsular Section of the Embassy will beclose for construction works beginning with 18April 2012, till 10 May 2012. During this period oftime the Consular Section will not issue any typeof visas for Romania and will not issue anyRomanian passports or travel documents. TheConsular Section will only be able to assist withnotary deeds. We would like to apologize for anyinconvenience.

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EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Braziliancitizens in Kuwait to proceed to the web-site www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form /Fale Conosco) in order to register or update con-tact information. The Embassy encourages all citi-zens to do so, including the ones who havealready registered in person at the Embassy. Theregistration process helps the BrazilianGovernment to contact and assist Brazilians livingabroad in case of any emergency.

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:[email protected]

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Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: [email protected] Fax: 24835619 / 20

Write to us

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EMBASSY OF NEPALThe Embassy of Nepal will be moving fromits current location to a new place in Jabriya,Block 8, St. 13, House No. 514, effective fromSunday, 15th April, 2012. Till the new tele-phone connections are installed, the Embassy maybe contacted by email: [email protected]

EMBASSY OF NIGERIAThe Nigerian embassy has its new office inMishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. Forenquires please call 25379541. Fax-25387719. Email- [email protected] [email protected]

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.

The Gulf University for Science andTechnology (GUST) sponsoredInstructor Ahmad Al-Majed on his

recent conquest of conquering the 2012Absa Cape Epic, which is considered thelargest full-service mountain bike stagerace in the world, an 8-day, approximate-ly 800 km race on the nature of theWestern Cape and around 15,000metersof climbing over some of the most “mag-nificent passes in South Africa.” AhmadAl-Majed, is one part of the first Arabteam to participate in the race in the past10 years.

As the official website states, the AbsaCape Epic takes place every year aroundthe last week of March and the first weekof April and every year, the route changesevery year, and welcomes new aspiringamateur and professional mountain bik-ers from around the world.

GUST is an avid supporter of sportsand took the opportunity to sponsor Mr.Al-Majed on this adventure. In the AbsaCape Epic, the athletes’ satisfaction, well-being and enjoyment of the race are theorganizers’ primary goals

The ninth edition of the race kickedoff with a 27-kilometer prologue. Theevent saw 1,200 excited riders from 46countries enjoy sunny weather with thefirst group of riders starting their 8-dayjourney at 6:45am. According to Dr. BasilBonner, the Mediclinic Race Doctor, the2012 Absa Cape Epic was the toughestCape Epic he has experienced, stating:“We saw more clavicle fractures than the

average for previous races. The route wasdry, rocky and very technical and riderscame off their bikes more often.”

After eight days of uphill climbs andslopes of seemingly never-ending miles,Ahmad Al-Majed completed the race: “Ihave no idea how we managed to finishthat race. It was the toughest experiencewe ever had! It was 60 hours and 8 min-utes of hammering on the bike trying our

best to cross the South African moun-tains. It was a great experience. ThankGod we came back in one piece.Nevertheless, I’m not sure if I’d want to doit again!”

GUST is honored to have sponsoredthis journey and continuously encour-ages their students and staff to partici-pate in sports and athletics to ensure awell-rounded and wholesome lifestyle.

GUST sponsors instructor Ahmad

Al-Majed on 2012 Absa Cape Epic

Largest mountain bike race

Kindergarten GraduationFiesta was celebrated atEnchanted Kingdom of

India International School (IIS)on Thursday, 22nd March2012.

It was an evening filled withmysteries, wonders, Fantasy,Magic and High -Octane funand entertainment wrapped ina pixie of dust which wasunleashed by the students.

The event began when thelittle comperes Master Jeffryand Miss. Sabrina transportedthe audience to the enchant-ed kingdom where colourswere bright, the air soft andthe evening more fragrantthan before as technicallytheir mission was to keep theaudience happy and enter-taining.

The graduation Fiesta wasgraced by the galaxy of digni-taries, guests and proud par-ents. The evening was adoredby the chief guest Dr ShaikhaMaymoona Khalifa Al-Sabha,Osama Al Shaheen, R.K. Nair,Kuwait International bank,Falah Ahmed Al mane,Fahaheel Branch, Kuwait (CBK)Mashhoor, President of IndoKuwait Friendship society,Talal Baqer, Sr.BranchManager, Kuwait InternationalBranch were the guest of hon-our.

Dr. P.A Ibrahim, the chair-man welcomed the augustgathering. He congratulatedthe parents and students andhe focussed on all rounddevelopment and achieve-ment of the students.

Director Malayil MoosaKoya honoured the Chiefguest with blossom flowers.Principal F.M.Basheer Ahmed,Vice principal Narider Kaurgraced the occasion.

The technical savy of IISwas inaugurated by the chair-man, Dr.P.A Ibrahim. IIS alwaysaims to provide the best possi-ble education to the students.It also develops in them quali-ties of integrity, honesty, trust,tolerance and compassion topromote a spirit of enquiry tofoster an educational temperwithin the bonds of human-ism. Keeping in pace with theaim, the school honored themeritorious students of class12th and 10th.Class X &12

who excelled their talents inCBSE board exams.PAAbdullah Memorial Award forscience stream was awardedgold coins to Ms.Reena &Ms.Sana of class XIIMs.Munazza was honouredwith chairman’s award forsecuring A1 i.e 10/10 grade incumulative grade percentage(C.G.P.A) A gold coin for excel-lence was awarded to her.

The cultural show at thekingdom was unfurled by aspectacular welcome dancepresented by the students ofLKG C with vigor and panacheand the charismatic bash wasswirled up by Hawa Hawapresented by tiny tots of LKGC.

The glitz and glamour ofKuwait was evident when thechildren of UKG E &F followingthe glowing speck of right ofKuwait and presented theglimpses of Kuwait. The guests& audience also joined onswirling flags to the irresistiblerhythmic beat of Kuwait song.

The power of magic was ini-tiated on the award winning

best musical lion king fol-lowed by waka-waka with anaerial act performed by MasterMohammed Qazi. The wildentry of Salim was swasbuck-ling and kept the audienceawe-struck with his perform-ance.

The heartbeat of the audi-ence raised high. When theyexperienced life time journeythrough the stormy desert anddisclosed the secret of Arabianland by UKG G.

The meticulous action,emotion drama and unbeliev-able sight and fireworks ofrapid moving steps was seenin the dramatic art form whenthe students of UKG C & Ddrove the audience on acyclonic carpet ride withAlladin and Jasmine.

The exciting creatures ofthe kids world was displayedby the Monster dance andexhibited animal party at theenchanted kingdom by UKG A

&D.An essay of creativity and

captivating poetry of foot stepwas presented by BollywoodHungama by UKG A,B,& C.

The rip roaring programmecame to an end when all thegraduating students with themask came along with theirteachers with the message oflove. The guests also joinedhand with the students andwished the students to takethe world with stride.

The little compere wereappreciated by one and all fortheir excellent voice modula-tion and dialogues deliveries.It was a nostalgic moment forthe parent s to see their chil-dren graduating and complet-ing their 1st milestone withconfidence.

The school was in full sparkto bring out the best and cre-ate another mark in the histo-ry of India InternationalSchool. The happy ending atthe enchanted kingdom cameto an end after the vote ofthanks presented by head ofKG Dept. Mrs.Shifana Muizz.

A grandiose celebration of

kindergarten graduation at IIS

ClassifiedsWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

For labor-related inquiries and complaints:

Call MSAL hotline 128

112

Ministry of Interior

website: www.moi.gov.kw

THE PUBLICAUTHORITY FOR

CIVIL INFORMATIONAutomated enquiry

about the Civil ID card is1889988Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Wednesday 11/4/2012Airlines Flt Route Time

JZR 185 DUBAI 0:15QTR 148 DOHA 0:20JZR 539 CAIRO 0:30JZR 267 BEIRUT 0:50QTR 6130 DOHA 1:40ETH 620 ADDIS ABABA 1:45GFA 211 BAHRAIN 2:20UAE 853 DUBAI 2:25ETD 305 ABU DHABI 2:30DHX 370 BAHRAIN 2:55FDB 67 DUBAI 3:10MSR 612 CAIRO 3:20QTR 138 DOHA 3:25KAC 544 CAIRO 4:10THY 770 ISTANBUL 4:35DHX 1707 BAHRAIN 5:00FAH 201 DUBAI 5:30JZR 555 ALEXANDRIA 6:00AFR 6702 PARIS 6:05KAC 412 MANILA 6:15BAW 157 LONDON 6:30JZR 529 ASSIUT 6:40KAC 206 ISLAMABAD 7:15KAC 382 DELHI 7:30FDB 53 DUBAI 7:45KAC 302 MUMBAI 7:50ADB 1354 AL MAKTOUM INTERNATI 8:00KAC 352 COCHIN 8:05KAC 284 DHAKA 8:15KAC 344 CHENNAI 8:20KAC 362 COLOMBO 8:20UAE 855 DUBAI 8:25ABY 125 SHARJAH 8:30QTR 132 DOHA 9:00FDB 55 DUBAI 9:20IRA 603 SHIRAZ 9:25ETD 301 ABU DHABI 9:30GFA 213 BAHRAIN 10:00RNV 311 YEREVAN 10:20FCX 203 DUBAI 10:30MEA 404 BEIRUT 10:55JZR 165 DUBAI 11:05MSR 606 LUXOR 11:10RBG 3553 ALEXANDRIA 11:10IRM 5066 MASHAD 11:55KNE 460 MEDINAH 12:10JZR 561 SOHAG 12:25IRC 6791 MASHAD 13:15CLX 792 LUXEMBOURG 13:15MSR 610 CAIRO 13:30GFA 219 BAHRAIN 13:35KAC 672 DUBAI 13:40RJA 640 AMMAN 13:40FDB 57 DUBAI 13:45KNE 472 JEDDAH 14:15KAC 790 MEDINAH 14:25QTR 140 DOHA 14:25SVA 500 JEDDAH 14:30KAC 788 JEDDAH 15:00KAC 546 ALEXANDRIA 15:05QTR 134 DOHA 15:15JZR 535 CAIRO 16:00KAC 538 SHARM EL SHEIKH 16:10SVA 9354 JEDDAH 16:25ETD 303 ABU DHABI 16:35IYE 824 SANAA 16:35SYR 341 DAMASCUS 16:40UAE 857 DUBAI 16:55GFA 215 BAHRAIN 17:15SVA 510 RIYADH 17:20UAL 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 17:25JZR 177 DUBAI 17:30BAB 436 BAHRAIN 17:35JZR 777 JEDDAH 17:40ABY 127 SHARJAH 17:45ALK 227 COLOMBO 18:00KAC 542 CAIRO 18:15KAC 166 PARIS 18:40KAC 786 JEDDAH 18:40FDB 63 DUBAI 18:45MSR 620 ASSIUT 18:55KHT 7605 AL MAKTOUM INTERNATI 19:00JZR 787 RIYADH 19:10KAC 618 DOHA 19:20KAC 674 DUBAI 19:25KAC 102 NEW YORK 19:35JAI 572 MUMBAI 19:35KAC 774 RIYADH 19:40AXB 393 KOZHIKODE 19:55FDB 61 DUBAI 20:00OMA 647 MUSCAT 20:10MEA 402 BEIRUT 20:15QTR 146 DOHA 20:25GFA 221 BAHRAIN 20:35KAC 514 TEHRAN 20:55KLM 417 AMSTERDAM 21:05JZR 135 BAHRAIN 21:15UAE 859 DUBAI 21:15ETD 307 ABU DHABI 21:20ABY 129 SHARJAH 21:30QTR 136 DOHA 21:35DHX 372 BAHRAIN 22:00AIC 975 CHENNAI 22:25GFA 217 BAHRAIN 22:35UAL 981 BAHRAIN 22:40SAI 441 LAHORE 22:50JZR 239 AMMAN 22:55RBG 3563 ASSIUT 23:05DLH 636 FRANKFURT 23:10BBC 44 ESENBOGA 23:15THY 772 ISTANBUL 23:40

Departure Flights on Wednesday 11/4/2012Airlines Flt Route TimeAIC 982 AHMEDABAD 0:05UAL 981 WASHINGTON DC 0:25DLH 637 FRANKFURT 0:30PIA 206 LAHORE 1:25THY 773 ISTANBUL 2:15ETH 621 ADDIS ABABA 2:45QTR 6131 DOHA 3:10UAE 854 DUBAI 3:45FDB 68 DUBAI 3:50DHX 371 BAHRAIN 3:55ETD 306 ABU DHABI 4:05MSR 613 CAIRO 4:20QTR 139 DOHA 4:50QTR 149 DOHA 5:40JZR 560 SOHAG 6:00JZR 164 DUBAI 6:55GFA 212 BAHRAIN 7:05THY 771 ISTANBUL 7:10AFR 6702 DUBAI 7:55KAC 545 ALEXANDRI 8:10KAC 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH 8:20BAW 156 LONDON 8:25FDB 54 DUBAI 8:25KAC 175 FRANKFURT 8:55ABY 126 SHARJAH 9:05JZR 534 CAIRO 9:10KAC 671 DUBAI 9:20KAC 787 JEDDA 9:35UAE 856 DUBAI 9:40KAC 789 MADINAH 9:45KAC 117 NEW YORK 10:00QTR 133 DOHA 10:00FDB 56 DUBAI 10:05ETD 302 ABU DHABI 10:15IRA 602 SHIRAZ 10:25GFA 214 BAHRAIN 10:45RNV 312 YEREVAN 11:30KAC 541 CAIRO 11:30FCX 204 DUBAI 11:45RBG 3564 ASSIU 11:50MEA 405 BEIRUT 11:55ADB 1354 KANDAHAR 12:00MSR 619 ASSIUT 12:10JZR 776 JEDDAH 12:15KAC 103 LONDON 12:30KNE 461 MADINAH 13:00KAC 785 JEDDAH 13:10JZR 176 DUBAI 13:20IRM 5065 MASHHAD :25IRC 6792 MASHHAD 14:15GFA 220 BAHRAIN 14:20FDB 58 DUBAI 14:25MSR 611 CAIRO 14:30RJA 641 AMMAN 14:35CLX 792 GIALAM 14:45KAC 673 DUBAI 15:05KNE 473 JEDDAH 15:15SVA 503 MADINAH 15:45KAC 617 DOHA 15:45JZR 786 RIYADH 15:50QTR 135 DOHA 16:15KAC 773 RIYADH 16:25KAC 513 IMAM KHOMEINI 16:25ETD 304 ABU DHABI 17:20JZR 238 AMMAN 17:30IYE 824 SANAA 17:35SYR 342 DAMASCUS 17:40JZR 538 AIRO 17:40QTR 141 DOHA 17:45SVA 2055 JEDDAH 17:55UAE 858 DUBAI 18:05GFA 216 BAHRAIN 18:15JZR 134 BAHRAIN 18:20ABY 128 SHARJAH 18:25KAC 153 ISTANBUL 18:30SVA 511 RIYADH 18:35UAL 982 BAHRAIN 18:40JZR 266 BEIRUT 18:50ALK 228 DUBAI 19:10FDB 64 DUBAI 19:25BAB 439 BAHRAIN 19:35MSR 621 ALEXANDRIA 19:55JZR 184 DUBAI 20:05KAC 283 DHAKA 20:15KAC 361 COLOMBO 20:20JAI 571 MUMBAI 20:35FDB 62 DUBAI 20:40KAC 331 RIVANDRUM 20:50KHT 7603 KANDAHAR 21:00KAC 351 KOCHI 21:05OMA 648 MUSCAT 21:10MEA 403 BEIRUT 21:15KAC 543 CAIRO 21:30GFA 222 BAHRAIN 21:35JZR 502 LUXOR 21:45DHX 171 BAHRAIN 21:50KLM 417 DAMMAM 22:05ABY 120 SHARJAH 22:10ETD 308 ABU DHABI 22:20KAC 381 DELHI 22:20UAE 860 DUBAI 22:25FAH 102 DUBA 22:30QTR 137 DOHA 22:35KAC 301 MUMBAI 22:40KAC 205 ISLAMABAD 22:45JZR 554 ALEXANDRIA 23:00DHX 373 BAHRAIN 23:00BBC 44 DHAKA 23:05QTR 147 DOHA 23:10AXB 394 KOCHI 23:10GFA 218 BAHRAIN 23:30RBG 3554 ALEXANDRIA 23:45KAC 415 KUALA LUMPUR 23:50JZR 528 ASSIUT 23:50SAI 442 LAHORE 23:59

TUITION

Math teacher for secondarystage, language schools, bi-lingual schools and inter-mediate stage: Algebra,Gmath, Geometry, Statisticsfor arts and science branch-es. 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.

Arabic language teacher,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.

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.

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 22417901Indian Airlines 22456700Oman Air 22958787Turkish Airlines 22453820/1

AIRLINESHospitals

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 24732263

Rawdha 22517733

Adailiya 22517144

Khaldiya 24848075

Khaifan 24849807

Shamiya 24848913

Shuwaikh 24814507

Abdullah Salim 22549134

Al-Nuzha 22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764

Al-Qadisiya 22515088

Dasmah 22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar 22531908

Al-Shaab 22518752

Al-Kibla 22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla 22451082

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

Ardiya 24884079

Firdous 24892674

Al-Omariya 24719048

N.Khaitan 24710044

Fintas 3900322

Australian man 50 yearsold Lebanese born justarrived in Kuwait, seekingalliance from a Kuwaiti lady

MATRIMONIAL

SITUATION WANTED

SITUATION VACANT

With my determination ofhard work & an experience ofmore than 10 years in theFashion Warehouse, I am look-ing for a job as WarehouseManager/ Assistant WarehouseManager. Contact: 99796229

(C 3940)8-4-2012

CHANGE OF NAME

Suresh Kumar Ramachandranholder of Indian passport No.G4510525 has converted to Islamwith name of MOHAMMEDSUREKH; and shall be known hereforth.

(C 3939)8-4-2012

I,Penigalapati Chinnanarsaiah,S/O Venkataiah Naidu, holder ofIndian Passport No,G9940624,Resident of Venkatanarayanampalli,Chakrampeta Post, Rajampeta,Kadapa District, Andhrapradeshhave changed my name toPolarapu Babu Naidu.

I, Penigalapati Sailaja, H/O

A room available for a sin-gle working class lady in afurnished 2-bedroom flat inSalmiya -close to Hadi hos-pital. Please call 66801355

Furnished room in apart-ment (for Pakistani orIndian decent bachelor) inSalmiya near City Center.Rent KD 65. Tel: 99959140.(C 3946)

11-4-2012

For decent bachelor (nonsmoking) or working ladieslocation: Amman street,opposite to Al Rashid hos-pital. Building no. 44 2ndfloor, room no. 10. Contact:66232356, 50223132.

(C 3945)10-4-2012

Sharing accommodationavailable for one bachelorin Abbassiya, double bed-room flat, available on 1stMay, Rent KD 40/- only.Contact: 99162583.

(C 3938)8-4-2012

Room available in Salmiyanear City Center for decentbachelor. Rent KD 75/-.Contact: 99959140. (C 3934)

5-4-2012

ACCOMMODATION

FOR SALE

A family is looking to hire acook for Arabian and Indiandishes. Contact: 99006777.

(C 3942)9-4-2012

ICDL / ECDL trainer neededfor home tuition. Mustspeak English. Contact:97862486 (C 3941)

8-4-2012

Eitcher half lorry model2001 for sale. Contact:50631577. (C 3937)

10-4-2012

single divorce widow ok,must be God fearing lady.Contact [email protected](C 3947)

11-4-2012

Marthomite parents inKuwait, invite proposals fortheir daughter (27/160/Fair),B/B in Kuwait, Masters fromUK, currently working inBangalore as senior execu-tive, from well qualified andemployed MARTHOMA/CSI/ORTHODOX boys(preferably working in(USA/UK/AUSTRALIA/CANA-DA/KUWAIT/DUBAI). Email:[email protected]

(C 3943)

Pakistani parents SunniMuslim in Kuwait invite pro-posals for their son(31/179/Fair) currently work-ing in Kuwait. Email:[email protected]

(C 3944)10-4-2012

Polarapu Babu Naidu holder ofIndian Passport No: H1830112,Resident of Venkatanarayanampalli,Chakrampeta Post, Rajampeta,Kadapa District, Andhrapradeshhave changed my name toPolarapu Sailaja.

I, Sai Nikhil Chowdary, S/OPolarapu Babu Naidu, holder OfIndian Passport No:J1329699,Resident of Venkatanarayanampalli,Chakrampeta Post, Rajampeta,Kadapa District, Andhrapradeshhave changed my name toPolarapu Sainikhil Chowdary.

I, Krishna Chaitanya Chowdary,S/O Polarapu Babu Naidu, holderof Indian Passport No:H1830044,Resident of Venkatanarayanampalli,Chakrampeta Post, Rajampeta,Kadapa District, Andhrapradeshhave changed my name toPolarapu Krishna ChaitanyaChowdary.

11-4-2012

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

By Khurram Shahzad

Fighting can be a way of life in parts of Taliban-scourged Pakistan, but on the farms it is morelikely to be dogs who are in training for their

own violent and bloody battles. Officially bannedby the government and condemned as cruel byanimal rights groups, thousands of wealthyPakistani farmers, landowners and businessmenuse the quiet winter months to indulge a passionfor bloody bulldog fights. “I love Moti just like mykids. He’s a source of pride,” crowed a jubilant MalikTassaduq Hussain after his dog won a fight inTangdhe Sayedan, a village in Punjab province, 110km east of Islamabad.

To the din of drum beats and flutes, men hoistedMoti onto their shoulders, danced through thecrowds and showered the animal with banknotesafter thousands watched him bite and tear his wayto victory on a secluded plateau. In villages such asthese, fights between bulldogs, known as “booly” inPunjabi, provide one of the few forms of entertain-ment while crops grow. The rules are brutally sim-ple: the dogs fight until one bleeds to death, runsoff, or until the owner takes pity and withdraws theanimal from battle, handing the opponent victory.

Winning owners can get small prizes such as tro-phies, cell phones, or televisions while some organ-

isers give prize money ranging from 5,000 rupees($55) to 100,000 rupees, depending on whatthe organisers can afford. “We organisethese festivals because we love dogfights. Every organiser chooses his ownor associates’ land in the village to stagethese fights. It’s a hobby of the powerful,”said Abdul Ghaffar, a local organiser. Achampion like Moti, whose namemeans Pearl, costs hundreds ofdollars a month in food andrequires extensive trainingbefore the annual fightingseason, which runs fromlate September to lateMarch.

Hussain explains Moti’scomplicated, and expen-sive diet. “We give him twolitres of milk, one kilogram ofmeat, butter and a supplementof an apple every day. It costsus 50,000 rupees ($548) everymonth,” said the 59-year-old farmer.“Half my family is settled in Britainand my brother, who is a lawyer over there,gives me money to feed the dog and keep ourfamily’s honour.” Moti is two years old but spent a

year training for his first fight, running behind amotorcycle for more than 20 km a day,

Hussain said.Those who win, bring hon-

our and pride to the owners.But it’s a different story for those

who lose. “Please don’t ask meanything. I am disturbed. My dog

lost,” said one young man in hisearly twenties. “I have no courage to

speak, it is shame,” he added, rub-bing salt into his dog’s wounds

to stop them becoming infect-ed. As with bans on terror

groups that allow organisa-tions to rename them-selves and carry on largelyunchecked, Pakistan doeslittle to enforce the prohi-

bition on dog fights and theindustry they attract.

Traders set up tea andsnack stalls around the field.There are organised parking con-

tracts and every fight is filmed. Videosof major fights go on sale. There is an

unwritten calendar of meets, and every fan, dogowner and stall holder knows when and where to

ship up within 200 kilometres. “I go to every fightand set up my stall everywhere. I earn around 3,000rupees ($33) a day which is much more than what Iget from my shop,” Ishtiaq Ahmed, 45, told AFP.

Police say they do raid fights and arrest culpritsbut Punjab police spokeswoman NabeelaGhazanfar concedes that most get bail. The maxi-mum penalty - six months in jail and a fine equiva-lent to $11 - is hardly prohibitive and activists wantthe government to do more to outlaw dog fights,which they say are “wrong” and “cruel”. “Many dogsdie due to wounds after the fights. Fighting dogsdevelop skin diseases and many of their wounds donot heal,” said Nasim Ahmad, secretary in Pakistanfor the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty ofAnimals.

Zulfiqar Otho, a vet who volunteers for thePakistan Animal Welfare Society, told AFP that own-ers of losing dogs sometimes shoot them afterfights and that on average, one dog dies per festi-val. “They are rich businessmen, feudal lords, mem-bers of the parliament and other bigwigs of society.They influence police through their stature andmoney... Police can’t move against the will of thesepeople,” he told AFP. But the fans are unperturbed.“God created dogs to fight and bite,” said farmerChaudhry Javed. “Even if we don’t arrange this,they’ll fight each other,” he added. — AFP

Pakistan canine fighters forced into blood sport

35s t a r sWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Yesterday’s Solution

You are full of confidence in how to succeed at some new proj-ect today. Consider leading others in this new project—your inven-

tiveness is heightened. An unexpected turn of events could be profitable this after-noon. Later today it will be good to drop whatever you are doing and do somethingoriginal and exciting. The domestic scene gains new appeal this afternoon and a littleeffort to sort out some of those relationship problems is successful. Treat others as youwould want others to treat you—you will find comfort. Communal activities that takeplace at this time should be both well-attended and successful. This is a great time toplan some future event with your parents and family. You’d want to be with friends orfamily and just have a good time.

Word SleuthSolution

Aries (March 21-April 19)

STAR TRACK

You will be glad to find some time to mark items and choresoff your list. You will be feeling full of energy and a great deal of

ambition sends you gobbling up any work you are given. What a day for relationshipsand relating! Your completeness genuinely depends on someone else and you do notwant to be alone. If any ruffled feathers need smoothing, now is the time to do it,because nobody will want to argue. Anyone you attract today will be good for youand you will make a great first impression. You may show an interest in cultural or liter-ary affairs regarding the spending of money. You also may use the social sphere toimprove your position in the world of moneymaking through a business associate orfriend. Networking is good at this time.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Your energy is high and your creative juices are ready to beapplied to this day’s work. Try to remain somewhat objective;

your patience could be tested. Now is the time to get many things accomplished.Those engaged in creative work will be blessed with inspirations. You will enjoy aninteresting exchange of ideas with a friend later today. Challenges at home are metwith insight—your optimism is appealing and contagious. Take care you do notoverspend on pleasure interests. However, all work and no play makes Jack, or Jill, adull person. Add some fun into your life without spending a great deal of money. Itmay be a good time to plan a trip to the zoo or take a tour. A young person enjoysyour company this evening.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

You attract many opportunities in the workplace; you alsomust choose which to pursue. Faith in yourself is an important

factor as to how you choose. You reap what you sow; thus working hard now willmost likely pay off well in the future. The energies around you now may presentthe opportunity for a personal, romantic relationship with someone from theworkplace. Caution should be exercised before entering into any type of relation-ship or transaction impulsively. This should be an amorous time for friends whofeel a genuine desire to both give and receive. Neither one will feel whole withoutthe other. There could be a temptation to make too much or too little of a rela-tionship. Keep a perspective, even with all that passion.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Your concentration, when it comes to details, helps you to cre-ate works of art. This is as much in the workplace with regard to a

simple business letter as it is in some large project—artistic or not. You are the perfectcandidate for jobs in advertisement, finance, banking or accounting. If you have con-sidered running your own business, now may be a good time to create a plan.Planning first, of course, is the basis of success. Your sound business sense and yourenthusiasm to work often leads to a healthy bank account. Do not be afraid to diversi-fy your investments: diamonds, real estate, bonds, etc. At home this evening, set downsome goals on paper and create long-term goals as well as short-term goals. If youhave family in your home, create family goals together.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

There is an accent on relationships now—professional, social orintimate. You are well-disposed to others at this time; however, you

should be careful of bending over backwards just to please someone. Today marks aperiod of hard work and responsibility, both in salvaging some endeavors that appearto be failing and in branching out in new directions. It may not be long before you willfeel qualified for a bit more responsibility on the job. You may be able to choosebetween travel and relocation. Your thirst for freedom and excitement, while a definiteboon to any relationship, should not completely dominate your relationship or yourdecision making in a new job venture. Ask yourself where you would like to be in five

years. Romance is in tonight.

Virgo (August 23-September 22)

Everything points to your taking the controls today. You couldfeel great support from those around you. This is a time when the

desire to increase your finances is great—though you may be reckless through gam-bling or speculation in handling new-found finances. Deposit any of these new fundsinto a moneymaking account before you have second thoughts. You are apt to spenda great deal of time communicating with co-workers and people apart from work thisweek. You have the ability to control your emotions and use them wisely in interac-tions that are professional as well as personal. Someone you have not heard from in along time will call this evening; laughter will be heard from far away and you encour-age each other to be successful.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

Wanting to escape from responsibilities is a human condition.As we grow and become adults we learn to accept the conse-

quences of our actions and to be a responsible individual. This good character engen-ders trustfulness from others. Today, you may decide to make some changes withregard to some of your responsibilities. After others see the changes you have made,you will notice quite a lot of praise and respect for your hard work. Most of all, there isrespect of self. This could mean losing weight, stopping a bad habit, finishing an unfin-ished project or being on time at meetings, etc. If you already exhibit a show ofresponsibility, you will find yourself encouraging a friend, co-worker or relative toaccomplish and gain that respect.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

You may be able to find answers to some insurmountableprofessional problem today. New thoughts become more impor-

tant just now. Teaching, learning, communicating and social contacts have a wayof outlining new directions in your life. Staying on an even keel with a businesspartner is the best bet just now. You have a festive spirit and should do well atsocial gatherings. Activities you hold at home for friends or relatives could bemost rewarding this week. Relations with members of the opposite sex arestrengthened during this time. If favors are needed, now is a good time to ask, orto grant favors to another person. There is an easygoing manner to friends andfamily. Love relationships are exalted.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

Mental motivation from others is helpful today; it is a good ideato make every effort to cooperate and compromise with others. The

project at hand should therefore be a great success. Concepts normally too subtle tograsp should come clear to you today—one after the other! Your sensitivity and imag-ination are running rampant. Do not expect too many people to understand you fornow—you may be just too far ahead of them at this time. This is a good day for artisticendeavors. Not a good day for legal or business negotiations even though they willmove along at an average pace. Your fundamental beliefs about your position in soci-ety and responsibilities as an adult are now seriously examined. You may find that justabout anything can happen.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

There are powerful energies spilling into your life in unpre-dictable ways. Careful—the decisions and actions of today will have

long-lasting effects. Your attitude of ambition helps motivate those around you toachieve. You are hardworking and you enjoy working and involving others in a suc-cessful outcome. You do not like to alienate fellow workers. Your emotions should besailing on relatively calm seas this afternoon, giving you an unhurried chance to sitdown and take an accounting of how the projects or current work is proceeding. Ifthere are any problems on the horizon, you will have a breather for now. Your under-standing of the needs of others is in perfect balance with your own needs. People areyour best friends today—enjoy.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

You should expend great zest in moneymaking efforts butshould show caution about the type of activities in which you

become involved. Mostly, though, you should avoid the desire to obtain material sta-tus symbols at this time. Teaching, learning, communicating and social contacts havea way of outlining new directions in your life. There is much activity and involvementwith these kinds of issues now. Your mental faculties are sharp these days, making youreadily receptive to all thoughts that impinge upon you. It’s best to rely on facts ratherthan feelings during this time, especially when an expensive mistake might be theoutcome. By tomorrow you will be laughing at any negative or insecure feelings thatyou have had recently—have patience with yourself.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

CROSSWORD 644 CALVIN & HOBBES

POOCH CAFE

NON SEQUITUR

ZITS

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

ACROSS1. A fatal disease of cattle that affects the central nervous sys-tem.4. King of England who was renounced by Northumbria infavor of his brother Edgar (died in 959).10. The basic unit of electric current adopted under theSystem International d'Unites.13. (informal) Of the highest quality.14. Flesh of large European flatfish.15. The month following February and preceding April.16. A flexible container with a single opening.17. Contrary to or forbidden by law.18. A plant hormone promoting elongation of stems androots.19. A public promotion of some product or service.21. A cart drawn by a dog.24. A radioactive element of the actinide series.25. A soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent)metallic element.26. A member of the Nahuatl people who established anempire in Mexico that was overthrown by Cortes in 1519.29. Recently borne.34. A unit of electrical charge equal to the amount of chargetransferred by a current of 1 ampere in 1 second.36. The capital of Western Samoa.37. A hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers.38. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organ-ism.39. A graphical recording of the cardiac cycle produced by anelectrocardiograph.40. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.46. Undergo resorption.48. A percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollowpieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb andfingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanishdancers) in rhythm with the dance.51. Somewhat ill or prone to illness.55. A rapid bustling commotion.56. An agency of the United Nations responsible for programsto aid education and the health of children and mothers indeveloping countries.59. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).60. Extremely pleasing.61. Marine fishes with a flattened elongated body and a suck-ing disk on the head for attaching to large fish or movingobjects.62. (prefix) Bad or erroneous or lack of.63. A sweetened beverage of diluted fruit juice.64. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruitthat resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkeybread.65. The residue that remains when something is burned.

DOWN1. A small cake leavened with yeast.2. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.3. A graphical record of electrical activity of the brain.4. A body of poetry that conveys the traditions of a society bytreating some epic theme.5. Scale-like structure between the base of the wing and thehalter of a two-winged fly.6. An audiotape recording of sound.7. Marked by extreme lack of restraint or control.8. The United Nations agency concerned with civil aviation.9. Cheap showy jewelry or ornament or clothing.10. Type genus of the Amiidae.11. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by anexplosion.12. The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on.20. Norwegian mathematician (1802-1829).22. A communist state in the Caribbean on the island of Cuba.23. make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow.27. (anatomy) Any encircling or beltlike structure.28. Payment due by the recipient on delivery.30. A federal agency established to coordinate programsaimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.31. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on acommon policy for the sale of petroleum.32. Possessing material wealth.33. Kamarupan languages spoken in northeastern India andwestern Burma.35. A very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begunto walk or talk.41. The cry made by sheep.42. A genus of orb-weaving spiders including common gar-den spiders and barn spiders.43. Manufactured in standard sizes to be shipped and assem-bled elsewhere.44. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.45. An inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities.47. A drama set to music.49. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.50. An edge between a sidewalk and a roadway consisting ofa line of curbstones (usually forming part of a gutter).51. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.52. God of love and erotic desire.53. Armor plate that protects the chest.54. Distinctive and stylish elegance.57. The United Nations agency concerned with internationalmaritime activities.58. Nut of any of several trees of the genus Corylus.

Yesterday’s SolutionTo

Yester

36l i f e s t y l eWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

G O S S I P

The 32-year-old basketball player - whoarrived from the Los Angeles Lakers inDecember - has come under fire from sup-

porters for a number of poor performances thisseason, which insiders believe are down to thepressure of his celebrity lifestyle and being infront of the cameras on reality TV show ‘Khloeand Lamar ’. An NBA (National BasketballAssociation) source told the New York Post news-paper: “When he wasn’t playing well, it meant helooked bad. “And when you have a show aboutyour life, when you are off-court, you have to dealwith the producers asking all those questions. Hehad a horrible summer, but ... he was more con-cerned about the cameras and how he looked.”Lamar - who took a leave of absence in Februaryafter his father fell ill - confirmed in a statement:“The Mavericks and I have mutually agreed thatit’s in the best interest of both parties for me tostep away.” But Khloe - who relocated from LosAngeles to Dallas in December and got a job as aradio host, presenting ‘The Mix Up With KhloeKardashian Odom’ on MIX 102.9 - has pledged hersupport to the basketball star and admitted shewill “miss” the city. In a series of tweets, the 27-year-old brunette wrote: “Never a dull moment.“U deserve so much better. Know ur worth andknow ur skills that have been proven and earned!U showed ur strength, I love u. “Blessed to havehad such an amazing experience. Short but verysweet :) #memories “I loved Dallas and will miss it!(sic)” Lamar will be listed as inactive, rather thanbeing immediately released, allowing theMavericks to trade him when the season ends inJune. During his Mavericks career Lamar aver-aged less than seven points a game, but he man-aged an average of more than 14 points a matchwith the Lakers last season. K

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Kourtneyis keeping a list of baby

names on her phone

The 32-year-old reality star - who isexpecting a baby girl with partnerScott Disick in July - is relying on

modern technology to keep track of herever-changing choices. She said: “Wealways have our little list that I keep inmy phone “I have my little list of names,and I cross it off one day and a new onecomes. We definitely don’t have thename. We’re going back and forth.” Withtwo-year-old son Mason to care for,Kourtney admits this pregnancy has notbeen quite as easy as her first. Sheexplained: “I think it’s a little bit harder

being pregnant when you have a tod-dler I’m chasing after. Last time I couldnap more.” Although she has been suf-fering from “a little more morning sick-ness”, the ‘Keeping Up With theKardashians’ regular is still managing toexercise. She told People Magazine: “I’vebeen active chasing after Mason. We goon walks all the time. Pushing thestroller is like carrying all these weights,and then [there’s] the extra weight onmy stomach, so it’s good. It’s fun. “Lasttime I felt amazing the whole [pregnan-cy], and this time too. I feel really lucky.”

The former ‘90210’ actress - whoalready has son Liam, five, anddaughters Stella, three, and Hattie,

five months, with husband DeanMcDermott - says she would like anotherson to give Liam a play mate. She said:“We would like a little boy, and Stella ...

she’s now a middle child and when wetold her about the pregnancy she said ‘Ihope it’s a little boy for Liam’. The 38-year-old discovered she was pregnantwhilst being treated in hospital for amigraine just one month after givingbirth to Hattie, and admits that while shewas shocked, her kids seemed unfazed.She explained: “It was as if we had said,‘Oh we got milk today’. We brought homemilk today and put it in the fridge andyou can go help yourself to a glass.’”However, Dean, 45, has been revelling inhis virility since learning of the pregnan-cy. Appearing on the Rachael Ray show,she said: “Well, my husband got reallylucky that night and then I got lucky. He’sfeeling real proud of himself. “He’s like afluffed up chicken. Women walk by andhe’s like, ‘Don’t walk too close to me - I’vegot the batter’.”

ToriSpelling

hopes her next baby

is a boy

The ‘Clueless’ actress recently revealedher unorthodox method for feeding11-month-old Bear - which involves

chewing food then spitting it into theyoungster’s mouth - and says she can’tbelieve the uproar it’s caused because it isa natural way to feed babies. She said:“People have been feeding their kids thatway for thousands for years. It’s a weaningprocess. Honestly, when I posted the videoI was not thinking, so maybe I was like Cher(her character in ‘Clueless’)! I think it ’sadorable and it makes me laugh every timehe does it. “He attacks my mouth and Ithink it’s adorable. He also knows how touse his hands and he also eats regular foodso when babies are weaning, he still breast-feeds. Some people think that’s disgusting

too which is insane.” Alicia insists she andher husband Christopher Jarecki weren’ttrying to tell people how to raise their chil-dren when she posted the video, but sayit’s a routine they feel comfortable with.Speaking at an audience Q&A with directorAmy Heckerling following a screening of‘Clueless’ and her upcoming film ‘Vamps’,Alicia said: “It’s just a thing that has beengoing on for thousands of years and I did-n’t think I was inventing anything but inour culture... “Every time my husbandgoes to the YMCA some guy comes overand says, ‘That’s how we do it in the south!’Between him getting those great com-ments and me knowing in my gut it’s natu-ral and lovely, I really wasn’t trying to tellanybody what to do.”

Silverstone chews her son’s food for him

The ‘Moves Like Jagger’ singer admits he wasn’t prepared for allthe extra attention he has received since becoming a coachon the US version of ‘The Voice’. When asked about his

increased fame since the pop star search TV show started, he said:“This has been very intense. I wasn’t really expecting it. I was veryused to what had been happening with me and the band for manyyears, so it takes some adjustments and I’m getting used to it. Things

like being surrounded by people asking questions like this are a lit-tle bit new for me. But it doesn’t really bother me very much and

I stay relatively private most of the time so it’s all good.” Onething that has definitely changed for Adam since he

appeared on ‘The Voice’ - which also stars Christina Aguilera, Cee LoGreen and Blake Shelton as coaches - is that people now pay moreattention to what he has to say. The 33-year-old musician - whoreleased his first album with Maroon 5 in 2002 - admits he does some-times worry about his words coming back to haunt him. In an inter-view in Britain’s OK! magazine, he said: “You need to be careful aboutwhat you say. It’s a kind of weird balancing act between carefullyconsidering what you’re saying and then not worrying too muchabout what you say - as long as you don’t say anything absolute-ly terrible ... But I like the fact people are listening to what I saynow, at least a little bit more than they had before.”

Levine says TV fame is more ‘intense’ than with Maroon 5

Beyonce and Jay-Z take daughter

on first vacation

The couple - who celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary last week - havebeen enjoying the sunshine on the Caribbean island of St. Barts with three-month-old Blue Ivy over the weekend, and took the tot for a day trip on a

yacht. As well as doting on the youngster - whose head was covered to protect herfrom the sun - Beyonce, 30, and her 42-year-old spouse have also been able to havequality time alone. The couple were seen strolling hand in hand before soaking upthe sun on the beach. Both were clad in black swimwear and were prepared for theday, toting an ice bucket containing a bottle of wine and several bottles of water,while the ‘Otis’ rapper was also seen sipping from a coconut. The break comes daysafter it was claimed the pair renewed their wedding vows in a midnight ceremonyto mark their anniversary on April 4. Beyonce and Jay-Z reaffirmed their commit-ment to one another in a “moving” ceremony in front of guests including OprahWinfrey, Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. The couple are said to haveexchanged rings during the vow renewal, with Jay - whose real name is ShawnCarter - spotted at the Jacob and Co. jewellery store in New York the following day. Asource said: “I know he checked out coloured diamonds, the rare blue ‘Lumina’ inparticular.”

Heigl admits her adopted daughter initially rejected her

The former ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star - whoadopted Naleigh from South Korea in 2009with husband Josh Kelley - says she felt like

a “bad mother” when she failed to bond withher little one. She said: “I fought incredibly hardfor my daughter to accept me as mother. Herrejection almost broke my heart. “At first Iblamed myself and thought I was a bad mother.It took a while before I could admit to myselfthat the lack of trust had nothing to do withme.” To make matters worse, Josh was quick toform a relationship with the 10-month-old. Sheadmitted: “I wasn’t exactly jealous, but I was a lit-tle bit envious.” To cope with the pain, the 33-year-old actress threw herself in to work, butsoon understood her absence was only makingmatters worse. She said: “When I realised that, Iimmediately cut back on work.” With more timeto spend together, the bond gradually devel-oped and Katherine carved out a parental iden-tity of her own. In an interview with Germanmagazine Bild am Sonntag, she explained: “I’mthe cuddler. I’m the one she comes to if she’shurt. And I have a ritual for putting her to bed.She has one blankie that goes over her, one thatgoes by her face, and one that she holds. It’s ourlittle thing.”

l if e s t y l eWEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

Dior names Raf Simons

as new artistic directorChristian Dior has named Belgian

designer Raf Simons as its newartistic director, seven months after

its icon, John Galliano, was convicted by aParis court for drunken anti-Semitic rav-ings. A fashion rebel of a different sort,Simons - who began his career as a furni-ture designer and has had his own suc-cessful menswear label - will present hisfirst show for the renowned Dior fashionhouse in July, according to Monday’sannouncement. Galliano was dismissedby Dior in March 2011, days before its fall-winter runway show, after a video wentviral on the Internet showing the bad-boydesigner inebriated and insulting a fellowclient at a Paris cafe. He was heard slur-ring “I love Hitler,” among other incendi-ary remarks.

The 44-year-old Simons, whodesigned for the minimalist Jil Sanderlabel from 2005 until just recently, was atop name among rumored candidates forthe Dior job. A statement by Dior saidSimons will serve as artistic director forhaute couture, ready-to- wear andwomen’s accessories. It praised him as“one of the greatest current talents” andsaid he will “inspire and propel into the21st century” the style carried on by theprestigious house since its creation in1946.

“I am thrilled to join this great house...,” the statement quoted Simons as say-ing. “The house of Dior is the symbol ofabsolute elegance.” How Simons willtranslate his own vision for Dior willdoubtless be the top question at the Parisshow in July. His palette has producedboth minimalist and maxed-out colors onprecision designs. “I’m sure Raf ’s NewLook for Dior will be incredible and wecan’t wait to see what he creates,” saidHarper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief GlendaBailey in an e-mail.

Simons has had a quirky career. Aftermoving from furniture to menswear in1995, he then took a sabbatical and end-ed up as a professor of the fashiondepartment at the University of AppliedArts in Vienna, from 2000 until 2005. Hismenswear label mixed a rebellious touchwith precision.

“The most important message Rafwants to communicate is: pride in indi-viduality,” his official CV says. Simons wasclearly preparing for his Dior momentwith his February shows in Paris thenMilan his last for Jil Sander. At his Milanfinale, he shed tears and took a secondcurtain call after ovations and a sponta-neous invasion of the runway.Fashionistas will clearly be glad to havehim back, this time at a house with deeproots in a venerable fashion institution.After its founding in 1946, Dior presentedits first collection a year later. Today, Dioris one of the world’s top fashion houses,producing finely crafted couture to wide-ly available cosmetics.

The interim design leadership at Diorcame from Bill Gaytten and was safe andserviceable, but likely not enough to sus-tain Dior’s buzz and prestige. With theannouncement, Dior can close for goodthe painful chapter of the Galliano affair.Galliano was convicted in September of“public insults based on origin, religiousaffiliation, race or ethnicity” but not givena prison term or forced to pay a fine,imposed but suspended.

At the trial, the once prideful designerhumbly explained he had a “triple addic-tion” - to alcohol, barbiturates and sleep-ing pills - and said he recalled nothing.He said he was sorry for “the sadness thatthis whole affair has caused.” In testimonybefore the court in proceedings in June,Galliano said he didn’t recall anything.Where Galliano had showmanship andflair - sometimes outrageous - Simonstends to be more restrained. He took thehelm at Jil Sander when the falteringlabel was looking for a designer whocould push the line further without aban-doning the minimalist trademark of thefounder, who had since left the company.

Simons began with a black and whitewomenswear collection. His evolutionthere culminated several seasons ago in aburst of color that dazzled the fashionworld. The winter 2013 show, presentedon the fourth day of Milan Fashion Weekon Feb. 25, was his last as creative direc-tor for the label. It was feminine and soft.Simons has much support in the industry.His designs have increasingly becoming abellwether for trends. Lately, his clothesgained support in fashion magazines,and the Jil Sander show became a must-have ticket during the Milan FashionWeek.

Still, he doesn’t have the celebrity of aGalliano, and Jil Sander didn’t have asbroad an audience to please as does Dior.It will be the trick for Simons to balanceexciting, fashion-forward design withglobal appeal that will find its place on redcarpets and in department stores. Fashionwriter Samantha Critchell in New Yorkcontributed to this report. — AP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

l if e s t y l eF E A T U R E S

By Lenin Kumar Polineni

KUWAIT: Social services are the responsibility of everyartist, says Nandamuri Bala Krishna, an artiste, actor andpolitical activist from India. “I feel this,” he says during anexclusive interview with the Kuwait Times during histhree-day visit to Kuwait last week.

Nadamuri Bala Krishna, also popularly known as‘Balayya’ and ‘NBK’ by fans and admirers alike, is the son ofNandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, the former Chief Minister ofAndhra Pradesh and Telugu film legend. He starred inmany critical and commercial films and established him-self as one of the leading contemporary actors of Telugucinema.

In addition to films, Balakrishna is associated with sev-eral philanthropic and social activities. He campaigned forthe Telugu Desam Party during many elections, and is theChairman of the Board of Basavatarakam Indo AmericanCancer Hospital & Research Institute. He was also theChief Guest at ‘Simha Gharjana Mega Musical NightProgram’ which was organized by Pravasaandhra TeluguDesam, NBK Seva Samithi on the evening of April 6.Excerpts from the tete-a-tete:

KT: How has your visit to Kuwait been so far? NBK: I am very happy to visit Kuwait. The Telugu commu-

nity which is residing in Kuwait has been extremelywarm and hospitable. I am very proud to see morethan 250,000 Telugu people living together and partici-pating in so many social, cultural and welfare activities.It gives me great joy to see this and wish our Telugupeople will stay united always.

KT: What would you like to convey during this visit?NBK: We can survive and thrive anywhere in the world

because of our work and business. We came here withthe purpose of making a living and must respectKuwait’s system and laws. Also as humans, we have tofulfill our responsibilities.

KT: We hear that you have been spending more time onsocial service. Is this true?

NBK: Yes, it’s true. Social service is the responsibility ofevery artiste. My father who was the former ChiefMinister of Andhra Pradesh apart from a legendaryTelugu film star used to tell me the same. He practicedwhat he preached and initiated many welfare activitiesas a film star. He reacted spontaneously to people’sproblems and national calamities. I’m just walking inhis footsteps. I have been spending time on the Telugufilm industry welfare programs and Basava TarakamMemorial Cancer Hospital activities apart from fund-raising events.

KT: Tell us more about your political participation.NBK: I have announced my participation in the upcoming

2014 elections. I will contest on behalf of the TeluguDesam Party.

KT: You have been an important part of the politicalscene in Andhra Pradesh for the last 30 years. Howdo you think it has changed over the years?

NBK: Well, there has been a visible change for sure. Myfather NT Rama Rao and brother-in-law Chandra BabuNaidu ruled as chief ministers for more than 17 yearsover the last 30 years. There were no instances of anyabuse of power but these days, none of my familymembers are involved in official procedures. Today,every newspaper is filled with corruption cases,inquiries and so on. Unfortunately Telugu Desam Partylost power twice and this turned out to be a big disas-ter for the state and resulted in uninhibited corruption.People have been observing this. About seven or eightyears ago, Andhra Pradesh was an icon and reflectedthe development taking place in India. Now, we aresorry to say that the condition is quite bad in manyaspects. For this reason, Telugu Desam party will defi-nitely come back to power soon.

KT: You are very straightforward; do you think this isappropriate in politics? Are you confident of yoursuccess in politics?

NBK: Yes, I am. Even my father was very straightforwardand he went on to create history. His empathetic atti-tude helped him understand people better and thusmade him iconic in Indian politics. My father nevercared about his critics and I am the same. We have ourown manifesto.

KT: You have completed 92 movies and are currentlyworking on a few more films. Can we expect 100thmovie shortly?

NBK: Definitely! I will surely complete 100 movies inTelugu very soon.

KT: Tell us more about your upcoming film‘Adhinayakudu’.

NBK: ‘Adhinayakudu’ will be a blockbuster in the TeluguIndustry. I played three different roles as a grandfather,father, and grandson for the first time on screen. I amcertain that Adhinayakudu will be the biggest hit.

KT: Which is the movie you are most proud of? NBK: I am proud of all my movies and have done many

mythological, historical, social and fantasy films.

KT: When is your son Moshagna entering films?NBK: He still has time. He has another five years of studies

to complete before thinking of joining films.

Popular Indian film star set to complete 100 movies

Soon Chuan Choo has spent 45 years sweating nextto a sizzling curbside wok in Malaysia’s heat, fryingup flat noodles mixed with chilli sauce, prawns, tofu,

cockles, egg and sprouts. It may not sound like much of alife unless you grasp the priorities of her home statePenang, where cheap, spicy street food and the hawkerswho provide it are venerated as local treasures.”I grew upeating her char kway teow and still it’s so perfect and sheis such a character,” said office worker Janthi Victor, refer-ring to Soon’s trademark protective goggles, floppy redchef’s hat and sour demeanour.

For well over a century, Penang’s food hawkers havebeen conspicuous by the clouds of steam, pungent aro-mas and devoted crowds surrounding them. But somefear it is a dying art as a new generation shuns taking overtheir parent’s modest curbside stands, threateningbeloved recipes and a slice of the island’s multi-culturalcharacter. “My daughter won’t do it so I don’t know whatwill happen,” Soon said in the Hokkien dialect spoken bymany Malaysian Chinese as she brusquely plunked asteaming plate onto a wobbly plastic table of tourists fromIndonesia.

Penang food blogger C.K. Lam says many young peo-ple today are not keen on a life of “sweating under the hotsun.” “Some lucky hawkers are able to pass it on but manyjust hope to earn enough to retire and there is nobody tofollow up,” she said. Once one of Britain’s oldest Asian set-

tlements, Penang is widely recognized as Asia’s street

food capital, its mix of immigrant Chinese, Indian, andlocal Malay flavors creating a unique culinary heritage.

Street hawkers first sprang up to meet the needs of theimmigrant underclass and today operate from portablemetallic stands on lanes in and around Georgetown,Penang’s capital. Street food is prevalent across Malaysiabut most dominant in Penang, whose name is evoked byhawker stalls across the country as a mark of tastiness.Penang’s hawkers serve up a diverse array of dishesunique to Malaysia, typically based on noodles and pack-ing a spicy punch.

Char kway teow is considered a signature dish, typicallykept moist, but not oily, by discreetly-added lard. The ricenoodles of curry mee swim in a broth of curry, coconutmilk and pig’s blood, while various other rice and noodledishes are packed with intestines and other organs proud-ly advertised on hawker signs as “offal”. Locals developstrong allegiances to certain hawkers-an iPhone app helpsthem keep track of who is cooking what and where-andoften closely watch cooks in hopes of divining their fierce-ly guarded secrets.

“We all get along well except when it comes to (Penanghawker) food,” said Chua See Poh, a government workerfrom the nearby city of Ipoh, while slurping down currymee with friends. “It’s the only thing we might argueabout.” Soon became a target of such passions in 2010when a Facebook boycott was launched after a customerreported being verbally abused by her while waiting for a

7 ringgit ($2.30) plate of her char kway teow. The boycottcampaign fizzled, however, and the demanding crowdskeep her as grumpy as ever.

When celebrity TV chef Anthony Bourdain visitedrecently for a piece on Penang, he asked Soon if she spokeEnglish, said Penang Global Tourism Director Ooi GeokLing. Soon snapped in Hokkien, “If I could speak English, Iwouldn’t be doing this, would I?” Her polar opposite isMahboob Zakaria, a garrulous ethnic Indian Muslim

whose family has for more than 80 years sold its deliciousmee goreng-thin noodles fried with a smoky tomato-chillisauce, squid, potato, and other ingredients.

A showman, the 57-year-old Mahboob spins his siz-zling wok with a flourish while tossing in the ingredientsas he banters happily with customers in English, Tamil,Malay and Hokkien. His son Sabik Ahamed will take overthe operation someday, calling it predestined. “This camefrom God,” he said. But increasingly, sons and daughtersdemur, and the food suffers as secret homemade recipesare replaced by store-bought ingredients used by newhawkers, said Lam. Hope for keeping traditions alive maylie in people like John Martin, who bought the hawker set-up and secret recipe of Ewe Chooi Guan in 2005.

For decades, Ewe’s family had served Penang laksa-aspicy-sour noodle soup unique to Penang and made fromhomemade fish stock, prawn paste, and pineapple-buthad no willing heirs.

“We wanted to keep up the tradition. It is such goodfood, it would have been a waste to just start fromscratch,” said Martin, who is of Portuguese-Chinesedescent. Martin made plastic moulds in a previous jobthat earned about 3,000 ringgit per month. He makesmore now, he says, while declining to say how much.“There is a risk of losing these great foods. A lot of workgoes into preparing them, you work from 7 am to 9 pmMost people wouldn’t do that.” — AFP

Penang’s famed food hawkers see tradition lose steam

American chef Cat Cora has been travelingaround the United States to raise aware-ness about nutrition and to promote better

school meals as a part of First Lady MichelleObama’s “Chefs Move to Schools” campaign. The44-year-old, who lives in California, is also a co-host of a food competition show, “Around theWorld in 80 Plates,” which is set to debut in May.She spoke to Reuters about her passion forhealthy eating and helping school cafeteriasaround the US.

Q: Why did you get involve in “Chefs Moveto Schools”?

A: “It’s really important to get the word out onnutrition education in public schools. I have oneson in public school and another one coming up.It’s important to show why it is important to eathealthier and have money go into school lunchesand school cafeterias.”

Q: What are the problems with schoollunches and cafeterias?

A: “It’s education, but it’s really funding. Weknow there are problems with the quality of the

school lunches. That’s something we all know. It’sgetting the school more funding so we could raisethe quality of the food that goes on those platesin the cafeterias. The people who are cooking andserving the lunches are just limited by their budg-ets.”

Q: What activities have you engaged in sofar?

A: “When we kicked off ‘Chefs Move to School’program, her (Obama’s) overall philosophy was forchefs to adopt schools and go into those schoolsand make changes in a way that really motivatesthe school system. It’s really us as chefs goingaround the country being grassroots about it. “Myschool is the one that my son goes to, WashingtonElementary in Santa Barbara which is practicallyacross the street from where I live. I’ve gone there,done some demos and spoke to the principal.That school doesn’t even have a cafeteria, so it’stalking about how do we build a cafeteria.”

Q: How do you answer critics about whygovernment shouldn’t get so involved intelling children what to eat?

A: “Obviously that’s not happening at home.We see that because we have an obesity epidemicon our hands in the country. That affects every-one. That affects our healthcare system. It affectsour economy. So what we have been doing isn’tworking. If we do get more funding for nutritionaleducation, we do need to get the government toget involved. It’s very appropriate for the FirstLady to get involved. It should be commendedthat she’s involved. Bringing these chefs togetheris a brilliant move. She’s brought an army of chefsout there to fight obesity. That’s what we do. Wefeed and nurture people. Chefs are some of thepeople that kids look up to these days.”

Q: There is plenty of information on televi-sion and the Internet about nutrition andhealthy eating. Why don’t we see more peoplechange their unhealthy habits?

A: “It has to be more real for people. I think it’seasy to watch a diet or weight loss or a healthy eat-ing or a healthy cooking show, but not really par-ticipate in their own life. I think people want aquick fix. They are busy. They are stressed and theyhave kids ... There is no quick fix to losing weight

and staying healthy. It’s a lifestyle change.”

Truffled Orzo with Asiago Cheese (Serves 4-6)1 tablespoon salt1 1/3 cups orzo1 tablespoon butter1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated Asiago

cheese1 teaspoon truffle oil1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a 4-to6-quart stockpot, bring 4 quarts ofwater to a boil.

2. Add the salt and the orzo, and cook for 5 to7 minutes or until the pasta is al dente (or justslightly chewy)

3. In a 10-inch saute pan, melt the butter.4. Add the cooked pasta and 3 tablespoons of

the Asiago cheese. Drizzle on the truffle oil, sprin-kle on the salt, and give it a few cranks of freshlyground pepper. Toss well.

5. Spoon the orzo into a serving bowl, topwith the remaining cheese, and serve immediate-ly. — Reuters

Chef Cora stumps for healthier school meals

Bala Krishna is seen essaying various characters in hisfilms.

‘Adhinayakudu’ portraysBala Krishna in father, son,

and grand-father roles

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 201239

Popular Indianfilm star set to complete100 movies

A woman (C) throws a roseinto the sea at berths 43/44from where the RMS Titanicset sail on its ill-fated maidenvoyage 100 years ago atSouthampton dock yesterdayduring a ceremony wheredescendants of some of thosewho died on the Titanic paidtribute to the lost. —AFP

French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeoletwas part of the first expedition to reachthe wreck of the “unsinkable” Titanic in

1987, and 30 dives later he says the magic stillremains. The remains of the transatlantic linerhold no secrets for Nargeolet, a retired FrenchNavy captain who is now director of underwa-ter research for RMS Titanic, Inc., the officialcustodian of the vessel.

He has led six of the eight official expedi-tions to the site of the epic maritime disastersome 12,400 feet (3,780 meters) down at thebottom of the North Atlantic. Among the5,000 artefacts his teams have recovered is a20-ton section of the ship’s prow. “It’s themost beautiful piece, with its anchor chains,its still shining hoist, as clean as if they werepolished that very morning,” Nargeolet said.

He is just as passionate about the debrisfield trailing away from the wreck which con-tains thousands of objects, and the steadydeterioration of the wreck he has visited overthe last quarter century. His last expeditionwas in 2010. No light penetrates so far downin the ocean’s depths, and the remains of theship are shrouded in “complete darkness,”Nargeolet said, explaining divers use hugeprojectors to light their way. “But they are abit like dipped headlights, they don’t shinetoo far,” he said. “The water is extremely cold-at near-freezing temperatures-and there is a

current which is quite strong,” Nargeoletadded.

“On some days, it looks like it’s snowing onthe wreckage due to particles falling downfrom the Gulf Stream,” a powerful Atlanticocean current. His most memorableencounter remains that fateful day 25 yearsago when he discovered the legendary shipfor the first time. “There were three of us inthe submarine. Not a word was spoken for 10minutes. Usually we talk a lot in a submarine,but we were very emotional. It was breathtak-ing,” Nargeolet recalled.

“We were lucky to come upon it at thefront section-the most beautiful part. Wewent back up along the hull. We knew thiswas the Titanic for sure and then we reachedthe stern.” The Titanic split in at least twomajor sections as it sank after hitting an ice-berg four days into its maiden voyage fromSouthampton, England to New York in theearly hours of April 15, 1912. More than 1,500people lost their lives.

The after part broke up and everythingthat was in that section “is in a pile of debris,to the east of the ship’s stern,” according toNargeolet. “You can see dishes, pieces ofmachinery, boilers, a lot of coal. We found alittle bit of everything-very beautiful objects,vases, but also pieces from the boat that hadbeen completely twisted and bent, showing

the very intense stress on the hull when itbroke,” he said.

Over the course of the expeditions, thelongest of which lasted eight or nine weeks,Nargeolet and other divers hauled back to the

surface thousands of items, including dishes,clothing, documents, personal belongingsfrom the passengers and pieces of the shipnow shown in exhibitions. “We have notrecovered anything from inside the ship,”

Nargeolet said, adding that all the items wererecorded, along with the place they werefound and the owner’s name, if known.

Emotions ran high at times, like when theexplorer read a French musician’s score left inan open leather trunk. Saturated but nearlyintact, the sheet of music was later treatedand preserved. “We also salvaged some hand-written letters that can still be read today,”Nargeolet said. Of all the objects broughtback to shore-and Nargeolet says thousandsmore still lay on the ocean floor-he has hisfavorites such as a small watering can and acherub that used to stand at the bottom ofthe rear staircase.

The century-old wreck is continuing todeteriorate, with “increasingly visible” results,he said. The damage is making its way to thefront of the ship, which had been in bettershape than the rest, and is now reaching thegrand staircase, while the decks are fallingapart. But Nargeolet remains fascinated bythe site. “I love wreck sites, whatever they maybe,” he explained. “I like to find them, pull ona line and bring back a piece of history.”Nargeolet, who led an expedition in theAtlantic to search for the wreck and black box-es of a 2009 Air France crash that killed 228people, is now working with severalresearchers to map out the entire Titanic site.That project is nearly complete.— AFP

Titanic wreck still inspires awe for explorer, 30 dives on

Volunteers put up gas filled with LED light lanterns to commemorate the 100th anniver-sary of the Titanic sinking at the Marina Bay Sands ArtScience Museum in Singapore yes-terday. Over 2000 lanterns were placed outside the museum to mark the 100th anniver-sary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. —AFP

Acentury after the Titanic sank, the legacy of the ship’s wealthi-est and most famous passenger lives on quietly at the luxuryhotel he built in New York City. John Jacob Astor IV, who was

one of the richest men in America, went down with the ship in 1912after helping his pregnant wife escape into the last lifeboat. But atthe St. Regis, one of Manhattan’s oldest luxury hotels, the aristocraticsensibilities of the Gilded Age remain intact.

Butlers in white ties and black tailcoats still roam the hallways. Thelobby, with its frescoed ceiling and elaborate marble staircase, hasnot been altered since Astor died. And the thousands of leather-bound books that he collected have been preserved on the samebookshelves for 100 years. This year, in tribute to Astor’s memory, thehotel worked with a publisher to add a new book to those shelves. “ASurvivor’s Tale,” which was released this month, is the first-personaccount of a passenger who survived the disaster by jumping over-board as the ship disappeared into the water.

“This was his jewel,” said Astor’s granddaughter, Jackie Drexel, asshe gazed around the hotel one recent morning. “My grandfatherused to come and walk the stairs frequently first thing in the morn-ing to make sure everything was running perfectly. He conceived of itwith great pride.” The copper moldings on the roof have turned greenwith age, but inside, the antique furniture and silk wall coveringshearken back to a more refined era. And the guests wandering itshallways are still the wealthiest of the wealthy: the hotel is a favoriteamong royal families and celebrities hoping to keep a low-profile andavoid the paparazzi.

“The key element to everything in the hotel is the discretion,” saidPaul Nash, the general manager. “We have heads of state, royal fami-lies, entertainers, politicians.” When Astor built the St. Regis in 1904, itoverlooked Fifth Avenue’s row of mansions and, at just 18 storieshigh, was the tallest skyscraper in the city. It was modeled after theextravagant hotels of Europe that had not yet become ubiquitous inthe US.

At that time, it was common for the very rich to live in luxurioushotels like the St. Regis for long stretches of time. According to Nash,

that hasn’t changed, either: The hotel’s presidential suite, which costsa cool $21,000 per night, is routinely occupied by the same guests forthree months straight. “They can walk around the hotel like it’s theirhome, and nobody will disturb them,” explained 25-year-old JenniferGiacche, one of the hotel’s butlers.

While the uniform looks like it was plucked from the set of a peri-od drama, the St. Regis butlers’ job responsibilities have evolved overthe years to meet the needs of 21st-century jetsetters. They still pourcoffee and fluff pillows, but the butlers of today - a rarity at modernhotels - are really more like highly educated personal assistants whospeak several languages, not the stuffy servants portrayed on TV’s“Downton Abbey.” —AP

Titanic’s wealthiest passenger built NYC hotel

The newly redecorated Dior Suite is seen in New York’s St. RegisHotel, Wednesday, March 14, 2012. A century after the Titanicsank, the legacy of the ship’s wealthiest and most famous pas-senger, John Jacob Astor, quietly lives on at the luxury hotel hebuilt in New York City. —AP

The French branch of US fast food giantMcDonald’s said yesterday it was tointroduce a “McBaguette” sandwich in

a bid to cater to local tastes. Often deridedin food-mad France for its mass-productionapproach, the chain has worked to adaptwith sandwiches featuring local ingredientssuch as goat’s cheese and pepper sauce,alongside its traditional burgers and chips.

The McBaguette will be launched as atest product on April 18 for six weeks in thechain’s 1,230 French restaurants, NawfalTrabelsi, McDonald’s France’s vice presidentfor marketing, told journalists. “It’s a crispybaguette, served hot, with beef, a slightly

strong whole grain mustard sauce and ripeEmmental cheese,” Trabelsi said, adding thatthe product was of “symbolic importance”and part of the company’s efforts at local“integration”.

After long resisting the lure of fast food,French consumers have increasingly turnedto chain restaurants in recent years, withthe fast food market growing from about 20billion euros ($26 billion) in 2004 to nearly33 billion euros last year. McDonald’s hasdone particularly well, growing to 63,000employees since opening its first Frenchbranch in 1979 and with pre-tax turnoverlast year of 4.2 billion euros.— AFP

A worker shows the McBaguette, the French “baguette” sold by US fast food giantMcDonald’s in their French outlets yesterday at a McDonald’s restaurant in Paris. TheMc baguette, filled with a hamburger, will be tested from April 18 for six weeks in its1,200 fast-food in France and the group will decide whether to market it fromSeptember. —AFP

McDonald’s looks to lure French with ‘McBaguette’