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THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 JAMADA ALTHANI 22, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net British PM Myanmar IBM makes Bayern humiliate presses UAE Muslims face tiny movie Barca to reach president on uncertain future by pushing Champions ‘torture’8 claims after12 new attack molecules27 League20 final Assembly approves laws on Max 30º prices, foreign investment Min 19º High Tide 05:27 & 15:50 Saudi tweeter gets 5 years jail for insulting Amir Low Tide 10:33 & 22:38 40 PAGES NO: 15796 150 FILS By B Izzak conspiracy theories KUWAIT: The National Assembly yesterday passed a law to enable the government to control prices in some cas- es in a bid to broaden consumer protection methods May Day amid criticism by MPs of the monopoly system that still exists in the country. MPs also overwhelmingly passed a second law to encourage foreign investment inflow into Kuwait and a third legislation giving social and children allowance to Kuwaiti female employees married to non- Kuwaitis provided their husbands do not get it. The law for supervising commodities and limiting the prices of certain commodities when needed was By Badrya Darwish passed in the first reading as MPs demanded a two- week period to introduce some amendments before approving it in the second and final round. The law gives the government the required authority to prevent cheating and artificial increase in prices of commodities, [email protected] especially essential consumer commodities. MPs however said the law is not sufficient to provide complete protection to consumers. MP Khaled Al- esterday the whole world celebrated what’s Adwah said the value of the dinar is slipping and prices called Labour Day. In many countries this day in Kuwait are higher than in neighbouring Gulf states, Yis referred to as May Day. You might wonder which is evidence that there is no sufficient supervision what the origin of the idea was. I read that it started over prices. MP Taher Al-Failakawi said Kuwait’s market in the first years of 1800 during the Industrial and economy “are not entirely free as we claim” because Revolution. Each country has claimed that they initi- customs do not allow anyone to import a commodity ated the first Labour Day. It does not matter who that has an agent in Kuwait, saying if a citizens buys a was first. The idea to dedicate a day to labourers and vehicle from Saudi Arabia, for example, the agent in workers is great. The idea in the past helped regulate Kuwait normally refuses to carry out maintenance or shorter work hours for labourers. Through the years repairs. These practices are in breach of the constitution it has become stronger with the support of labour and the law, he said. unions. This resulted in greater benefits for the Continued on Page 3 labour forces which many of us are enjoying in many different countries today. I do not know why usually this day is accompa- nied by many marches where groups of people Turkmen president express their thoughts in placards which they carry falls from horse, around. I have no idea if this day has started to lose it SANTIAGO, Chile: Demonstrators clash with the police during a May Day march yesterday. — AFP glamour with time. Does it mean anything to work- state media silent ers besides being a day off and people gathering with their families outdoors? In my opinion, maybe May Day protests against MOSCOW: Turkmenistan’s equestrian-mad President Labour Day is respected in the West and not so Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov suffered a spectacular much in the Third World which has been grasped by fall from his horse after a race, according to Internet high unemployment and poverty. Does the Third austerity, ‘slave labour’ videos, but state media in the isolated ex-Soviet state World give a damn for Labour Day? Many such coun- maintained a rigid silence on the incident. Berdymukhamedov suffered the fall seconds after he tries employ young children. Do they observe May MADRID: Tens of thousands of angry protesters staged tra- marches on May 1, called for a light of hope in a France Day? This day could be a mayday, mayday call for won a kilometre-long horse race in Ashgabat on his ditional May Day rallies in several countries of the crisis- “locked in the darkness of Europe”. France “is sinking into an favourite mount Berkarar (The Powerful) at an annual help for the Third World and not the May Day of the wracked eurozone yesterday, as fury erupted at demonstra- absurd policy of endless austerity ... because it’s about West. horse festival on Sunday celebrating the elite Turkmen tions in Bangladesh after a deadly building collapse. always saying yes to Brussels, to Berlin of course, and to Akhal-Teke breed. The videos show a man identified as Of course in the Third World we are not even tak- Although numbers were lower than in previous years, thou- financial moguls in all circumstances,” she said. ing a day off on Labour Day When I say the Third the president and dressed in traditional riding robes sands took to the streets in Spain, some brandishing flags Pope Francis used a private mass in his residence to being thrown to the ground as the horse appears to Work I talk about the Middle East and the Gulf coun- reading “6,202,700”, a reference to the record number out of mark May Day, urging political leaders to fight unemploy- tries. Especially in the Gulf where we have so many stutter just after crossing the finishing line. work in the recession-hit country. “This austerity is ruining ment in a sweeping critique of “selfish profit” which he said The figure lies motionless face down in the race track holidays, we do not need to add another holiday to and killing us,” read one banner in Madrid, blasting the “goes against God”. He slammed as “slave labour” condi- the list. India celebrates this day. Bless the Japanese. sands for several seconds before dozens of black-suited unpopular German-led policy of squeezing budgets in tions in the Bangladesh factory that collapsed last week security officials run from the stands and hide him from For them it is just a day off. In India and Pakistan, response to the eurozone’s three-year debt crisis. killing more than 400 workers, with employees paid just they hold marches. It is a very big day in China too. view. Eventually a van appears and takes him away. The Meanwhile, a strike in Greece stopped ferry services €38 ($50) a month. In Dhaka, protesters held red banners video goes on to show a figure resembling I hope that day will remind people about the and disrupted public transport in Athens as workers and flags chanting “Hang the Killers, Hang the Factory struggles of workers and how to enhance their lives Berdymukhamedov later waving to the applauding marched against austerity in a country whose jobless Owners” after the devastating collapse of the garment fac- crowd in an apparent bid to show all is well. and that it will still be celebrated with the true rate is also around 27 percent. Waving brightly coloured tory, as rescuers warned the final toll could surpass 500. meaning of Labour Day and not just become some- Turkmenistan state media this week reported in great protest flags, nearly 13,000 people answered the call of Police put the number of protesters at the main rally at detail on the president’s victory in the horse race, which thing like Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s unions and leftist groups to rally in the country, facing its more than 20,000, and there were smaller-scale protests day. Labour Day is not about exchanges of presents. won him a cash prize of $11 million, all of which he sixth year of recession and making painful job cuts in elsewhere in the Bangladeshi capital and in other cities. donated to an official horse fund. It is about remembering and appreciating those efforts to appease international creditors.”We only feel In Turkey’s biggest city Istanbul, police fired tear gas around us who build our houses, handle our bank Government newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan insecurity. There is no motive for us to study, nothing is and water cannon at stone-throwing protesters trying to devoted four pages to his victory in a report headlined accounts, take care of our children and prepare the certain,” 21-year-old student Giorgos Tavoularis told AFP. gather for a banned demonstration. More than 30 peo- “The Striving of the Nation, The Striving of the Leader”, food we buy and eat. Unemployment has reached a staggering 59 percent ple, mostly police, were injured and 72 arrests were with six giant pictures of the president in national cos- I hope next year we will take the initiative to cele- among Greece’s under-25s. made as fighting erupted in three neighbourhoods lead- tume. But there was no mention of the president’s brate this day with all the expats in Kuwait with In France, where unemployment has also hit a record ing to Taksim Square - a traditional hub for leftist May potentially serious mishap in the press or on television. more tolerance and appreciation. high of 3.2 million people, the National Front party of Day protests - where the authorities had blocked off the The race was shown on state television, but the footage Have a good day! extreme rightist Marine Le Pen, which also traditionally streets. — AFP (See Page 21) cuts abruptly just after the finish. — AFP 3 more held over Saudi flash floods kill 16

RIYADH: Sixteen people have died and three more are Boston bombings missing in Saudi Arabia after downpours caused flash BOSTON/WASHINGTON: US authorities yes- day, the three men admitted to investigators floods in several areas of the desert kingdom, the civil terday charged three men with interfering that they had removed Tsarnaev’s backpack defence authorities said yesterday. Two others died in flash with the investigation of the Boston Marathon from his dorm room on April 18 - the day that floods in neighbouring Oman, local media reported, as bombing, accusing two students from investigators released photos of the Tsarnaev cloudbursts swept across most Gulf countries. The official Kazakhstan of hiding a laptop computer and brothers, saying they were suspects in the Saudi SPA state news agency quoted a civil defence state- backpack belonging to one of the suspected bombing. Kadyrbayev and Tazhayakov decid- ment as saying people died in several areas including in bombers. The third man, a US citizen named ed to “get rid of” the backpack, as well as a lap- the capital Riyadh, Baha in the south, Hail in the north and Robel Phillipos, was charged with making top computer and fireworks, after seeing in the west. false statements to investigators. The three reports that suggested their friend was one of Earlier yesterday, the kingdom said 13 people had died were described as friends of surviving bomb- the bombers, the criminal complaint said. and four were missing but later the civil defence state- ing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19. They were After seeing Tsarnaev’s photo in TV news ment updated the toll saying “the number of dead bodies not charged with direct involvement in the reports on the bombing investigation, April 15 Marathon bombings, which killed Kadyrbayev texted the younger Tsarnaev to retrieved until midday has risen to 16”. It urged people to three people and injured 264. say that he resembled the suspect, according avoid wadi valleys and plains that have been flooded by Authorities charged the two Kazakhs, to the complaint. Tsarnaev’s response includ- heavy rainfall that began on Friday. Television footage Azamat Tazhayakov, 19 and Dias Kadyrbayev, ed the phrase “lol” and “you better not text showed 4X4 cars stuck in the middle of wadis and people 19, with conspiring to obstruct justice by dis- me”, as well as “come to my room and take clinging to a tree to escape fast-flowing floodwaters. posing of a backpack containing fireworks whatever you want”, according to court The vast Arabian Peninsula country has not experi- they found in Tsarnaev’s dorm room. Tsarnaev, papers. Tsarnaev’s roommate let the three enced such a high volume of rainfall for 25 years. But who attended the University of Massachusetts new suspects into his room, where they around 10 people were killed in 2011 when flooding at Dartmouth, is being held at a prison hospi- found a backpack including fireworks that swept through the western city of Jeddah, where 123 peo- tal where he is recovering from wounds sus- had been emptied of explosive powder. They ple also perished in floods in 2009. The inability of Jeddah’s tained in a gun battle with police. His older decided to remove the backpack to help their infrastructure to drain off flood waters and uncontrolled brother, Tamerlan, died in the gunfight. friend “avoid trouble”, according to court construction in and around the city were blamed at the According to court papers unsealed yester- papers. — Reuters RIYADH: Vehicles drive on a flooded street in the north of the Saudi capital yes- time for the high number of victims. — AFP terday. — AFP THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 LOCAL Increase in expats’ public services fees ‘necessary’ ‘A burden on the state’ KUWAIT: The government has sent a draft law “Unfortunately, Kuwait’s law prohibits the this case as “abnormal” and “untreatable.” organizations for human right violations to the parliament stipulating an increase in government from increasing the fees unilater- According to the ministry, the violations recorded in Kuwait and the entire region. fees collected from expatriate residents for ally,” he said, referring to regulations which warranting deportation include driving with- On a related note, Al-Rai reported yester- Kuwait ‘a land using public services in Kuwait, a senior state stipulate that such decisions must be passed out a driver’s license, jumping the red traffic day that the social affairs and interior min- official said in statements reported yesterday by the parliament before becoming effective. light for a second time, using private vehicles istries are studying the possibility of creating by the local press. Minister of Cabinet Affairs The minister’s statement is the latest turn to carry passengers and exceeding speed lim- an ‘amnesty period’ during the summer to of culture’ Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah fur- in the government’s efforts seen targeted at its by 40 km. Al-Ali refuted the notion that the allow illegal residents to leave Kuwait or DOHA: “Kuwait is a land of culture and literature that ther indicated that the proposal is currently the country’s expatriate community which recent deportations were connected to the obtain a new visa without paying the cumula- taught us a lot,” said Qatar’s Minister of Culture Dr. Hamad under review primarily to ensure it was in comprises two thirds of the population, MSAL’s plan mentioned above. tive fines. Anonymous sources were quoted in bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari at the State Prize for the Literature keeping with the constitution. including a Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Thekra the report as saying that the project depends of Children ceremony. The winning children book “Solomon “The state pays KD6 billion to subsidize announcement to deport 100,000 foreigners Al-Rashidi had indicated that the annual on the two ministries’ ability to “plug some (PBUH) and the Smart Ant” by Kuwaiti writer Omaymah public services, including electricity and annually as part of a ‘demographic balance deportation plan, through which the govern- loopholes” which could make violators irre- Abdulaziz Al-Essa reflects unique cultural creativity of water, while only KD2 billion of it is the aver- restoration plan’; the details of which are yet ment hopes to deport a million foreigners in sponsive to it. Kuwaitis, Al-Kuwari said after the State Prize’s fourth session age share of Kuwaitis,” he told a gathering of to be announced. Meanwhile, Undersecretary ten years, is chiefly going to target ‘marginal “For example, we cannot expect Bengalese that took place at the Qatar National Theatre. third constituency women voters at MP Assistant for Traffic Affairs in the Interior labor forces’ or workers who usually accept nationals staying illegally in Kuwait to leave “The State Prize for Literature of Children is not only for Ahmad Al-Mulaifi’s dewaniya on Monday Ministry, Major General Abdulfattah Al-Ali, menial jobs and often live without valid visas. when they know that they will be banned by Qatar, but for all Arabs and in particular, for our people in night. He also termed the remaining KD4 bil- announced that 213 expats were deported in Such workers are often the victim of visa traf- law in this case from ever returning to Kuwait,” the Gulf,” noted Al-Kuwari, expressing his happiness over lion, a cost which supposedly the government the past few days for committing ‘grave’ traffic fickers who exploit loopholes in the ministry’s one source explained. “There are violators the winning of Al-Essa. Al-Kuwari called on all Kuwaitis to bears for services used by expatriates, “a bur- violations. system to release work permits in the name of who become stuck in Kuwait due to circum- participate at the cultural and artistic events in Qatar, den on the state.” In this regard, Al-Ali told Al-Rai on Tuesday fake companies or nonexistent job openings, stances in their home countries combined adding “we all need each other’s support, because togeth- Al-Sabah, who is also the State Minister for that deportations only happen in cases where and then sell them to unskilled labor forces with regulations that prevent them from issu- er, we can do a lot.” He stressed that the prize aims at Municipality Affairs, added that similar steps people have a record of repeated violations. looking for a chance to work in the oil-rich ing a residency in Kuwait. Legal obstacles in encouraging Arab writers to produce more literary works in have been adopted in the rest of the Gulf “An expatriate who commits the same viola- Gulf region. The system is based on the kafala similar cases need to be removed before an order to elevate level of intellectuality among Arab chil- Cooperation Council states to increase the tion over and over again must be deported in (sponsorship of foreign workers) program amnesty period is announced,” the source dren. The prize is distributed to all Arab ministries as well as state revenue from expatriates. the public interest,” he said, calling a person in which is often criticized by international added. Arab societies concerned with childhood, he added. The prize this year has altered the readable product into a visual and an audible one, the culture minister said, indi- cating that the play “The Cave of Luck” written by Abdu Othman Mohammad and directed by the young Kuwaiti director Yousef Al-Hashash was performed at the ceremo- ny. Kuwaiti Ambassador to Qatar Salman Al-Haifi stressed the importance of paying more attention to intellectuality as it has a significant impact in building and developing nations. The ambassador expressed his pride over Kuwait’s wins during a short period of time, which emphasizes that the Kuwaiti citizen has a solid intellectual foundation from which he/she can be creative in all fields. Kuwait, GCC countries and Arabs are proud of the win- nings of Al-Essa, Saud Al-Sanousi of the 2013 International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) on his novel “The Bamboo Stalk” and the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) that won the Sheikh Zayed Award for Publishing and Techniques of Culture. He said he was keen on attend- ing the honoring ceremony of Al-Essa as he congratulated her over this prestigious award, which was a result of her considerable efforts. —KUNA Municipality inspections in Fahaheel No Safaa-Rola By Hanan Al-Saadoun manager during the weekly meetings, food- The campaign resulted in the sending of 10 The campaign resulted in confiscation of 394 verbal exchange stuff supervisor Jaza Al-Deehani said, a plan samples to MOH labs. Three suppliers were CDs and 89 citations, of which 59 citations KUWAIT: The Ahmadi governorate munici- was made to monitor companies and restau- found whose health documents had expired. were handed out to vendors and 30 for block- KUWAIT: Member of Parliament Safaa Al-Hashim denied that pality branch has conducted a surprise rants supplying meals to the schools. Jameel One of them said the staff concerned were on ing roads. A total of six kgs of used clothes there were differences or that any verbal exchange took place inspection of bakeries and restaurants in Al-Hjailan, a member of an educational activi- leave and therefore could not be contacted and shoes were confiscated. The inspectors between her and minister Rola Dashti. She said both of them Fahaheel area that supply meals to schools. ties committee, worked in coordination with for the time being. also confiscated four half lorry loads of veg- discussed the issue of the strike of “planning” employees, and Municipality branch director Fahad Al- a number of inspectors in order to inspect Meanwhile, Kuwait municipality contin- etables and fruits besides some subsidized she asked her to respond to their demands. Dughaim stated that he recommended strict restaurants, collect food samples and send ued its surprise inspection campaign to check food supplies, including six bags of rice, each She said Minister Rola has invited her to her office next monitoring of companies and restaurants them to the Ministry of Health (MOH) labs. the vendors and thus keep protected the citi- weighing two kgs, three gallons of cooking Sunday to see what her plans were. She said that Rola used that supply meals to Ahmadi governorate The aim of the campaign is to protect the zens and the expats from a health point of oil and six tins of milk powder. Article 184 of the internal rules repeatedly to postpone inves- schools. He also conducted weekly meetings health of students. A list of schools was pre- view. Municipality officials called upon citizens tigation committees’ requests during the National Assembly with the inspectors in order to ensure that all pared so that training could be provided to The Farwaniya municipality branch carried and expats to call the hot line number 139 session on Tuesday. She said this made her wonder and say: necessary steps were taken. their food suppliers on how to store food out several campaigns in the governorate at which operates round the clock to lodge any “We are fed-up with this record.” She said by this she meant Based on the instructions of the branch items in a safe way and maintain their quality. Reqie, Al-Ardiya, Al-Farwaniya and Khaitan. complaint. postponement. THURS DAY, MAY 2, 2013 LOCAL Fauchon opens new flagship store Major developments last year

By Nawara Fattahova Boutiqueat at Crowne Plaza Hotel, In 2011-2012, Fauchon retail all over the region to train our followed by additional branches in sales reached Euro 169 million, franchisees, to give support and to KUWAIT: Fauchon launched its 2007 at the luxurious Salhiya from which 70% is made interna- stay closer to our customers. We fourth branch in Kuwait yesterday Complex and in 2010 in the exclu- tionally through more than 450 have to understand the mindset of at Prestige, The Avenues. Samy sive 360 Mall where it was award- sales outlets, including 51 branded the Middle East and Kuwait where Vischel, Area Manager of Fauchon ed in 2012 as “ Best cafe/restau- stores in more than 50 countries. people adopt our products. And to Middle East said this branch may rant” by the Mall, as well as the Fauchon Kuwait, with its high stan- follow-up on the quality of the well end up winning the best cafe prestigious award from Fauchon dard of services, has captured the brand which is our main target. We restaurant worldwide award by Paris of “Best F&B outlet.” loyalty and trust of high-end clien- are always profiting from the qual- Fauchon Paris for this year. He also Fauchon Kuwait witnessed tele in the county and is now look- ity, service and excellence, as we expected it to emerge as No 1 in major developments in 2012-13 ing forward to new expansion have only fresh products in the sales. While consolidating its posi- when it saw the launch of its high plans within the country in the kitchen. Every day we make the tion in traditional markets in end “Events & Catering depart- near future. food fresh, and nothing is frozen, Europe and Asia, Fauchon is focus- ment” offering catering services of “Launching in Prestige, Avenues so we have to control the quality,” ing on the Middle East with a new the highest quality for all types is matching our standard and will stressed Vischel. flagship store just being opened in and sizes of events. Fauchon help capture our VIP clientele, “Thanks to Chef Thierry, we Kuwait. Kuwait plays a major role Catering has also gone to the next mostly Kuwaiti ladies, and because ensure the best quality, as he is we have a lot of ladies, also men working for Fauchon Kuwait for who want to please the ladies,” more than three years now. He is Samy Vischel told the Kuwait working with all the branches in Times yesterday. Kuwait, and also closely working Fauchon’s first shop in Kuwait with the chefs in Dubai, who are was launched in 2004. “Our part- more into development and train- ner Abu Khamseen continues this ing. Our staff is a mix of different development. We have many nationalities, and all our top exec- future projects also in Kuwait, so utives and top management are KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait took part in the ninth annual job exhibition our expansion is not over. Nothing from France. The raw material flour organized by the American University of Kuwait during the final week of April. is planned in terms of dates. We and chocolate are from France. We opened about 10 flagship stores in also use products that we can find the last two years, in Abu Dhabi, locally. We have the best ingredi- NA approves bill on encouragement Lebanon, Qatar, and others. We ents,” he pointed out. also have new projects coming “Last year the Fauchon at 360 of direct investments in Kuwait soon including Bahrain, Oman and Mall won the award for best cafÈ in KSA with two flagship stores, restaurant worldwide in 2012 by KUWAIT: Kuwait’s National Assembly conflicts of interest in the administration of one in Jeddah and the other in the Fauchon Paris. I believe that in approved at its regular supplementary the Commission and Article VIII stipulates Riyadh, which should open by the 2013 Fauchon Avenue has good meeting yesterday a bill on the encourage- that the Council has all the powers neces- end of 2013,” he added. chance to win the award. ment of direct investments in the country. sary to achieve the objectives of the KUWAIT: The Fauchon Cafe and Restaurant at Prestige, The Avenues. “We are always expanding and According to sales, this branch will The first reading saw the approval of 43 Commission. changing the products. We have a be the best, as we just opened this out of 46 MPs attending the session - one Article X states that the body shall have in Fauchon’s strategy of expansion level by being the only and exclu- new pastry every six months, and shop and we see the demand rejection and the abstention of two MPs. an attached budget with its fiscal year in the Middle East. This journey sive caterer of the new Al Baraka occasional cakes on Christmas, there. This shop exactly reflects According to the explanatory memoran- beginning with the fiscal year of the state. began with the opening of the first Grand Ballroom, which currently Ramadan and Valentine’s Day. the image we want to have all over dum of the bill as stated in the report of the Article 11 states that the Council of branch in Qatar in 1994, followed stands as the largest and most Basically, if you visited our shop the world-French Luxury Food Committee on Finance and Economic Ministers be tasked with identifying a list of by two stores in Cairo, and eventu- prestigious Ballroom in the coun- every month, you will find some- with modern and trendy touch,” he Affairs, the first article stated the definition direct investments that are not subject to ally making its Kuwaiti debut in try. thing new. The new menu is com- stated. of terms and phrases contained in the draft the provisions of this law and has the right 2004. It currently has four stores in Today the new flagship store in ing in June, and also new choco- “We have a large offer from chi- law, while Article II states establishment of to update them in light of the public policy prime locations around the coun- Avenues Mall- Prestige, which is late is coming in November. We naware but our best seller is the a Kuwait-based Commission which enjoys a of the state and according to plans pro- try. Kuwait’s latest luxury shopping like to listen to our clients and to chocolate with the tray. Also, there legal personality to be attached to the posed by the Board of Directors of the Created in 1886, Fauchon is center, has opened its doors as a mix cultures, to bring taste in the are small gifts for new born baby, Minister of Commerce and Industry to be Authority in this regard. renowned for contemporary luxu- Cafe-restaurant combined with a Middle East as far cakes and pas- wedding etc. In terms of retail and called (direct investment promotion Article 12 identified cases of investment ry cuisine, and is internationally Gourmet Boutique. With its central tries are concerned and also in boutique, we are the best shop, authority). subject to the provisions of this law so as to recognized for its pursuit of excel- kitchen and pastry lab, Fauchon case of our chocolates. So we and have everything related to Article III identified targets under which be through an investment entity, while lence and the creation of unique provides its esteemed customers launched chocolate with rose and French luxury food. We are the the authority shall exercise its functions, Article 13 states that the bylaws must indi- combinations of flavor. Fauchon, with the company’s key fresh cardamom flavors, also a pastry in best in the market, thanks to our while Article IV included the terms of refer- cate the rules and procedures for the sub- the Ambassador for French French gourmet products for saffron flavor, and for Ramadan staff and Mr. Jimmy, who is in ence enabling the authority to achieve its mission and registration requests to obtain Culinary Culture worldwide, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, one with pistachio and Ashta. Our charge of service training as he goals. the appropriate license in the cases provid- owned by Michel Ducros, joined including Fauchon’s famous pas- menu is changed every six has been working with Fauchon Article V defines the way the Board of ed for in this law. forces with the Bukhamseen tries, with its signature Èclairs and months,” he further said. for the last nine years. Also I would Directors of the Authority is formed so as to Article 16 stipulates that the decision to Group (Al Houda Hotels and macaroons. The store also offers a Fauchon has a variety of more like to thank Mohammed Bseiso, be chaired by the Minister of Commerce reject the license application must be writ- Tourism) in 2004 to enter the wide range of confectionary, fine than 2000 products in Fauchon GM of Al Baraka Grand Ballroom and Industry and membership of four rep- ten and reasoned while Article 17 calls for Kuwaiti market, with the opening groceries, perfumed teas and Paris. “We can cater to their and Fauchon -Paris for the last resentatives of the ministries and govern- the establishment of the unified window of the first outlet as the classic chocolates including the new requests. Our head office is in three years now,” concluded ment bodies. comprising authorized officials from the Salon de the & Gourmet Chocolate “Choc, Made in F” collection. Dubai. We have staff which travels Vischel. Article VII deals with the rules to prevent relevant governmental bodies. —KUNA Man killed in Kabd accident

By Hanan Al-Saadoun and the head of a 31-year-old Elsewhere, a car accident at the Jordanian woman, along with mul- Sixth Ring Road opposite Al-Jahra KUWAIT: A car accident at Kabd in tiple injuries to a 30-year-old Industrial Area caused multiple between two fences has resulted in Kuwaiti woman. All were taken to injuries to a 26-year-old bedoon the death of a 51-year-old Kuwaiti Al-Sabah Hospital. person, who was then taken to Al- man on the spot. His body was sent Meanwhile, an Indian expat fell Jahra Hospital. to the medical examiner. from an elevated area at Al- A fight broke out at the Friday Another car accident, at the 4th Mahboula, situated opposite market in Al-Rai Area, resulting in Ring Road opposite Yarmouk, Lateefa Mosque. The 27-year-old injuries to the face of a 19-year-old resulted in injuries to the right arm man broke his left leg as a result Kuwaiti man. He was later taken to of a 23-year-old Kuwaiti woman and was taken to Al-Adan Hospital. Al-Sabah Hospital. Number portability still not implemented

KUWAIT: Contrary to all promises, the month of April passed without the implementation of cell phone KISR-Municipality land dispute number portability between the three mobile companies (Zain - Al- KUWAIT: Kuwait Institute for the allocated piece of land. Wataniya - Viva). The Communication Scientific Research has accused the Since then, the institute contin- Minister had promised that the new municipality of taking over a piece ued to pay the rent, as per that con- system would be implemented, but of land belonging to the institute tract. Later, the institute was sur- even the last deadline set for the and giving it to a private company prised to note that municipal coun- month of April also passed by, and all that leased it indirectly. cil had deducted 72,000 square we heard was a lot of noise without Minister of Higher Education metres from the land and given it to any results. Nayef Al-Hajraf wrote a letter to the a private fishing company for fish Meanwhile, many economic general secretary of the council of farming purposes. observers and those concerned with ministers, Abdullateef Al-Roudhan, That is because the institute had the communications sector seemed saying that the municipal council not given up the land. The compa- pessimistic towards implementation had allotted a site - spread over an ny’s contract with state property of the promised facility to retain the area of 1 million square metres, administration is valid until August same number while changing the service provider. They said such a sys- near Khor Iskandar - to KISR to con- 2014. tem would not kick in without the duct experiments on shrimps. However, the company did not existence of a communications Later, the area allocated was carry out its activities at the site and authority to regulate the communi- reduced to 217,000 square metres, instead subleased the site to com- cation sector. The authority has been as per a municipal council decision. munication companies. In order to an idea in waiting for a long time. The Based on that, the institute signed a get the land back, KISR wrote to the observers said they will not be sur- lease agreement with state proper- municipal council and Kuwait prised if the proposed plan of num- ty administration, which operates municipality, but has received no ber portability is not achieved even under the Ministry of Finance, on answer yet. by the end of this year. Assembly approves laws on...

Continued from Page 1 said it will not accept the law. A meets today in a special session to majority of MPs described the law study the problem of unemploy- MP Yacoub Al-Sane said the leg- as just and fair but some others like ment in Kuwait and the measures islation deals with monitoring MP Nawaf Al-Fuzai said the law taken by the government to face prices and does not talk about encourages Kuwaiti women to mar- the problem. monopoly, and accordingly is ry foreigners. The government In another development, the incomplete. MP Adnan failed to delay the debate and criminal court yesterday sentenced Abdulsamad described the law as approval of the law but MPs reject- Saudi tweeter Abdullah Al-Mutairi very important but said the prob- ed the attempt. Later, the Assembly to five years in prison in absentia lem in Kuwait lies in the lack of rejected another attempt to over charges that he insulted HH competition because of monopoly remove the children’s allowance the Amir and undermined his by influential cartels and the fact from the law. authorities. The court also ordered that the anti-trust (competition) The Assembly rejected a propos- him to be deported after serving law is not implemented. The al to hold a special debate on state- the jail term which Mutairi can Assembly also passed a law that ments by senior ruling family mem- object to whenever he faces the would compensate Kuwaiti women ber Sheikh Ahmad Sabah Al-Salem court. In addition, he can appeal married to foreign spouses for Al-Sabah, the son of the late Amir the ruling to the court of appeals social and children allowances about tribes and the current politi- and the supreme court, whose ver- although the government clearly cal crisis in Kuwait. The Assembly dicts are final. THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 LOCAL Kuwaiti footballer admits relationship with minor Serviceman held for damaging cars KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti footballer was was out of the coverage area. Detectives detained after he admitted involvement in are currently trying to locate the woman a sexual relationship with a minor who and reveal the mystery behind her disap- reportedly left her home country to come pearance. (Rai) and meet him in Kuwait. The arrest hap- pened on Tuesday, four days after a Dutch Serviceman held national reported his 17-year-old sister as A military serviceman was being held missing in Kuwait after she arrived here on pending investigations into why he habit- April 21, according to investigations car- ually vandalized cars parked in his neigh- ried out by authorities in Amsterdam. The borhood. Rumaithiya police had launched complainant was reportedly escorted to investigations after receiving 21 com- the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh police station soon plaints from local residents who reported after arriving at the Kuwait International that their vehicles were being damaged. Airport to look for his missing sister. They arrested a man on Monday morning Detectives eventually found the girl, who was seen vandalizing luxury cars who is of an Arab descent, inside a using a screwdriver, while dressed in a mil- Salmiya apartment. She admitted that she itary suit. The man admitted to damaging was staying with her Kuwaiti boyfriend 25 luxury cars in total, but failed to pro- and said she had decided to leave her vide an explanation for his actions. He was family and her home country to be with held and will be sent to the Public that man. The man in question was identi- Prosecution to face charges. fied as a 29-year-old athlete who is also a Meanwhile, Hawally police arrested member of Kuwait’s national football three teenagers who confessed to damag- team. He was put behind bars after admit- ing many cars in Jabriya. The juveniles, all TEC Chess Championship concluded ting that he and the underage girl had a of them Iranians, were caught red-handed sexual relationship. Authorities reportedly while targeting a luxury vehicle that was KUWAIT: The 2nd annual TEC Chess Championship concluded on handed over the girl to the Dutch being monitored at a public parking lot. Monday at the Yachts Club following a ceremony where top finalists embassy which was preparing to send her The three admitted to stealing various were rewarded. back home. The suspect was charged with items from the cars they broke into. They More than a hundred competitors from different age groups and rep- defilement of a minor, and currently were referred to the juveniles prosecution resenting 14 countries participated in the event that was organized by remains in custody pending legal proce- department for further action. the Touristic Enterprises Company in cooperation with the Kuwait Mind dures. Sports Club. Illegal residents Badr Al-Hajri was crowned as the tournament’s champion and hand- Work mishap Thirty four people were arrested during ed a KD250 ‘First Place’ prize. Mohammad Ahmad finished second and A construction worker was killed in a a crackdown on illegal residents carried received a KD200 ‘Second Place’ prize, followed by Mohammad Al- work place accident reported on Tuesday out on Tuesday in Farwaniya and Khaitan. Yaghshi who was rewarded with a KD150 prize. Ahmad Taha and Akram but preliminary investigations indicated The detainees, who were arrested for mul- Ahmad were rewarded KD100 and KD50 after finishing fourth and fifth, no foul play was involved. The 50-year-old tiple violations of labor and residency respectively. Egyptian man was pronounced dead on laws, were referred to the proper authori- The organizers also rewarded the top three finalists in the women’s the scene - an under construction building ties in order to be deported. In the mean- competition, Nadiya Cesar, Zubaiyda Saif and Suad Al-Kandari, with in Hawally. His co-workers said that he lost time, Salmiya police arrested 32 people in KD50 prize each, and the top five finalists in the junior’s competition. balance while working at the top floor and a similar crackdown carried out simultane- fell to the ground. The body was taken to ously in the area. the coroner after investigators examined the scene. A case was filed. (Rai) Search for thief Search is on for a man believed to be Maid kidnapped behind many instances of mugging while Search is on for a domestic worker who impersonating as a police officer. The sus- disappeared and later said in a phone call pect, identified as an unemployed state- that she has been kidnapped. The house- less resident, had escaped on foot follow- maid’s employer filed a case at the Taima ing a car chase in Salmiya. The chase police station after receiving a call from began after he ignored police’s orders to the domestic worker’s recruitment office pull over. Officers searched the car that he where the victim reportedly called. The left behind, and found a police suit, 20 civ- woman reportedly said that she was il IDs, a number of valuable items believed abducted by two dark-skinned men. The to be stolen property, as well as items usu- call was soon disconnected. Police tried to ally used in robbery. Investigations are call back the same number but the phone ongoing.

Cultural Office offers bedoon health insurance AMMAN: Kuwait’s Cultural Attache Kuwait to study in Jordan. Dr Al- such a memorandum and its great is exerting all possible efforts in to Jordan Mohammad Al-Thefiri and Thefiri said following the signing of positive impact on the educational favor of success of the initiative by the CEO of Public Services Company the memorandum said the PSC is progress of the bedoon students. collecting the data about bedoon KUWAIT: Fire fighters from Hawally and technical rescue center rushed to Bader Muneef Al-Enizi signed a responsible for any financial costs of This reflects the distinguished students, and continuously contact- Jabriya yesterday after they received a report about a young girl whose memorandum of understanding the health insurance for bedoon stu- role Kuwait plays in supporting edu- ing and informing them about loca- hand had gotten stuck in a water sewage trap cover. Firemen had to rush the according to which the company dents in Jordan, similar to a previ- cation in the country and abroad tions and appointments of their girl to Mubarak Hospital as a precautionary measure, where they cut away would cover costs of health insur- ously signed memorandum includ- through public and governmental medical follow-ups, in coordination the metal piece and succeeded in releasing the girl’s hand without causing ance offered to illegal residents ing bedoon students in Egypt. institutions, he affirmed. with the Kuwaiti Health Office in any injury to the girl. —Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun (bedoon) with scholarships from He emphasized importance of Kuwaiti Cultural Office in Jordan Jordan.— KUNA Kuwait donates to UN office in East Jerusalem

GEVEVA: Head of Kuwait’s Permanent Mission to the UN Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva Ambassador Dharar Al-Razouqi has announced that part of Kuwait’s donation to the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) will be directed to the United Nations Office in East Jerusalem. “Kuwait aims, through this move, to send a clear message about the need to strengthen the UN presence in East Jerusalem to help desperate Palestinians and enforce the UN resolutions,” Razouqi said yesterday after a meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. He unveiled that Pillay admitted that the Israeli govern- ment is taking no serious steps to respect and improve human rights situation in the occupied Arab territories. “But we still hope the UNCHR would help in tackling vari- ous problems there such as helping freeze construction of ille- gal settlements on occupied Palestinian land,” Razouqi said. He went on to say that “the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is well aware that the Israeli violations of human rights in the occupied territories impose a real threat to regional stability and it tirelessly presses Israel to imple- ment all relevant UN resolutions including the execution of two-state solution”. Razouqi also revealed that the UNCHR has not received yet any official response from Israel about its periodical human rights review report. He pointed out that Kuwait and other Arab members in the UNCHR are coordinating stances and waiting for the Israeli respond to the UN demand. Razzouqi revealed that the Arab countries have announced next October as a deadline for UN-Israel negotiations about the later’s human rights report. “If the deadline was not respected, the UNCHR Board has to take decisive measures” he stressed. Israel became the first country to withhold cooperation from a United Nations review of its human rights practices last June. In response, the UN Human Right Council decided by consensus that its President, Remigiusz Henczel of Poland, should try to persuade Israel to resume cooperation with the review, with an eye on rescheduling Israel’s review at the latest in November. — KUNA THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 LOCAL Zain honors Kuwait media

KUWAIT: Zain celebratory ceremony in progress at the Sahara Golf Club resort. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunications company in Kuwait, held a celebra- Omar took the opportunity to explain that the company will continue its pledge Also contributing to the growth in customer base was the recent launch of 4G tory ceremony at the Sahara Golf Club resort on Tuesday to honor all Kuwaiti based towards being the first and preferred provider in the mobile communications sector technology (LTE) and promoting devices with 4G LTE compatible operations, as well media for their continuous support and role in strengthening social and economic within Kuwait. It is worth mentioning that Zain was the first telecommunications com- as other promotional offers such as Wiyana Gate, Zain Teen, Premier League, development within Kuwait and across the region. pany founded in the region in the field of mobile communications services in 1983, BlackBerry in the box, hybrids virtual private networks (“Hybrid VPN”) and 8 giga- During the ceremony, Zain highlighted the unwritten partnership between deci- and in 1994 the company achieved a historic achievement then when it became the bytes. The company considered that the launch of the 4G LTE network is a signifi- sion-makers and those responsible for broadcasting media messages, to achieve sus- first operator to launch the GSM service on a commercial scale in the region. Since Zain cant benchmark in the journey of the company in the fourth quarter of 2012, tainable development. The company also recognized the tremendous support it has Kuwait is considered the main driver of the Zain Group in Middle East and North Africa, whereby Zain’s network managed to cover 1765 stations. received from media in covering its fascinating journey over the years across the the company in Kuwait still holds leadership in the market through its advanced net- It is worth noting that Zain customers enjoy an advanced call center service region in attaining enormous value creation for shareholders and for bringing world work, which currently operates with the fourth-generation technology. through the company’s dedicated call center on (107). The call center gathers profes- class and pioneering telecommunication services, not only in Kuwait but across two Furthermore, the company stated that due to decisive marketing plans that have sional call agents who respond to customer calls within 3 to 4 seconds and responds continents. been conducted in Kuwait, Zain was able to enhance its competitiveness and to customers enquiries or requests in only two minutes. Moving forward, Zain Commenting during the event, Omar Al-Omar, Zain Kuwait’s CEO said: “Media are enhance the growth of its customer base, by expanding its customer base by 7% Kuwait seeks to achieve two key strategic objectives, namely: consistently exceed Zain’s thrust that drives the company to provide dynamic telecommunication servic- during the year 2012 to reach 2.3 million customers. The company attributed the customer expectations in all points of contact, and the enhancement of the compa- es to our customers. We consider media and press a key partner to the success we growth of its customer base to the launch of a range of new smartphone devices ny’s data network through its recently launched 4G LTE technology, that will enhance have achieved so far and we look forward for further cooperation in the future.” Al- like: iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S generations, Sony, and HTC. the user experience. THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 LOCAL

column the Letters to Badrya The challenges of change Treat expats with dignity

[email protected] By Fouad Al-Obaid

Dear Badrya, I read your commentaries all the time and [email protected] they are wonderful since you tell it like it is. As Twitter:@fouadalobaid regards the expats, I interview/screen them daily for entry to a US base in Kuwait and, man do I come across some interesting stories, to say the hange is perhaps the toughest thing a person can do, least? Some are just broken hearted about living Cespecially when we find ourselves addicted to certain and working in Kuwait, but do so to support habits that may, or may not be in our very best interest. Change is a process that is necessary, one that is preferable to their families living elsewhere. I have been told spearhead, rather than to end up being in a race you did not sign stories such as expats being slapped, spit on, up for. On the political level, the changes happening in the soda pop thrown at them, to outright aggravat- region, in light of the presumed use of Sarin gas in Syria, are ed assault. Most of them tell me they will file a bringing home a very dangerous WMD cocktail. When coupled police report for more serious crimes, but hardly with the Bushehr nuclear reactor situated in an area known for its seismic fault lines, you have a recipe for a disaster waiting to get to hear from the police for deposition in happen. On a personal level, change is something natural. We all their criminal case. I have even been told stories began as toddlers and some of us may very well come to blow about how some expats simply do not go out of their 100th birthday candles. We go into different stages, some in kuwait digest their residence during Independence Day predictable cycles, others are for us to find and deal with as we because of fear of mistreatment. go. Some people nevertheless, believe that Karma is out to get I am a retired police commander with 26 them that they are always on the receiving end of changes hap- pening around them. In the work place, a change of manage- Cancer patients ...... a long story years of police service and this is uncon- ment may lead to a radical change in the modus operandi in that scionable. My question to you is this: do you given company/ministry. When such happens there are only two think this behaviour is random or is this the practical options; to remain idle and hope that the wind blowing By Dr. Khaled Ahmed Al-Saleh norm? Is there any state run program to educate will dissipate like the rain on a summer day, the smart will come people about how to treat each other with ancer patients and I have come a long way since I spe- although their cases were worsening. Some brought the to understand the opportunity that is presenting itself on their respect and dignity? Do you think this behav- shore, and will work arduously to forward their own agenda. cialized in cancer treatment. I have been seeing cancer medical staff great joy while others treated everybody badly. C iour towards expats can change? Expat should Fear usually is the biggest barrier to a person bandwagon on patients for thirty years now, and have memories Some had managed to bring up their offspring to be strong the wave of change, for the security of the status quo may fool about some of them deeply engraved in my heart. Some of while facing various ordeals and became role models for be treated with respect and dignity as they have the person into believing that their limit are pre-set, and that my patients managed to overcome their disease and them, while others only ended up training them to become a right to live a good quality life like anyone else even dreaming of grandeur is ludicrous! Incidentally, I recall a returned to normal life forgetting all about their dilemmas annoyed. Some realized the worth of life and afterlife, thanks living in Kuwait. friend who was teasing a mutual acquaintance about his lack of and considering it an old story, one that they do not wish to to their experience, while others lost sight of both. Thank you for your great writings, it would be dreams, poking him by telling him that even while in the la-la recall. Some continued to live with the disease well into their There were patients who would ask us to diagnose, land of dreams, he is unable to conceive of bliss! Such people an absolute honour to meet you one day, just to later years till they passed away. Some passed the tests and understand and deal with their diseases on a daily basis. I shake your hand and thank you for your gifted tend to be working against their very interest. won the reward for their ‘patience’. Some discovered the real can frankly say that I only came to know them this close in The discrepancy between the individual and the State are essence of people surrounding them and found that some recent years though I have known them for years. Who said writings and the way that you think and minor, for the State is a collective of individuals that share certain people who they had never noticed turned out to be true cancer patients were so demanding! It is us who are giving approach things. I salute you, Badrya. commonalities, just like individuals that understand the value of friends while some friends turned out to be real enemies. and offering them so little. Keep up the great work and remember this: change and are able to ride its wave; States likewise go through Who said that they are nervous and itchy? It is us who do “Never give up, never give in.” cycles, those that will rise in the 21st century may not be those Some wished they had been richer so that they could that we suspect. States that will understand, and perfect the dual spend more on their treatment while others felt greatly not know how to smile before them. Who said they were too Have a Great Day! art of asymmetric politics, and warfare will be those that will lead depressed and miserable as their fortunes failed to help depressed? It is us who do not socialize with them or listen With much respect, in their vicinity; and will emerge as the global leaders of tomor- them heal or even console them in their solitude. to them. Who said they do not want to be treated in Kuwait? row. Size in this context does not matter; it becomes a game of Some were visited by everybody out of love, respect and It is us who do not provide them with enough proper med- Steve..... competitive advantage that begins with a competent human admiration including friends and foes while others were ical service and time. We, the doctors and the entire medical “Semper Fi” resource pool along with the availability present or future of abandoned and rejected even by close friends. and nursing staff, have not been close enough for the cancer financial surplus. In case of some, children were ready at all times to be of patients. We did not listen, understood or did enough to Change is the natural evolution of our days, months, and service while others’ offspring stopped visiting them even help them. We were too busy, we are too busy. Dear Ms.Badrya , years, at the individual and state level, it becomes important to once in a blue moon. Some realized the true meaning of It is high time everybody stopped yelling the word “can- Gratitude. define and place under the right parameters the changes we parents supporting them in distress and taking away their cer” in panic; it is high time we understood those patients. It I have just finished reading the article you want to see. To conclude, I would like to both laud and encour- grief by their beatific smiles that would disappear as soon as is high time patients’ families learnt enough about this dis- wrote in the Kuwait Times. I want to tell you how age the multiple area initiatives to clean, and to renovate public they exited the hospital on their way out. At the same time, ease and how to support their kin to overcome it. There are much I appreciated your clearly written and spaces within the areas by local Kuwaitis proud in their own abili- others again started neglecting their parents after being many stories about people who succeeded in doing this in thought-provoking article. ty to bring about positive change. You can see and follow their cured. Some lived in isolation even after they were cured, Kuwait. It is time everyone realized and was reassured that Thank you for your thorough research and activities on Instagram on the following pages; @SurraME while others loved life even more and started enjoying it cancer treatment in Kuwait was good. —Al-Watan @MishrefME @QurtobaME to name a few active ones... clear writing.

Krish In my view Dear Ms. Badrya, Good afternoon! Cementing ties I often read your articles as you write on very topical issues. I appreciate you for your guts as you make direct observations and comments with Turkey which are true. Bravo! Keep going. I refer to your article on “Military Atmosphere” published yesterday, April 29. I am a law abiding person by nature as I have undergone the covet- ed military training back in India. I have been in Kuwait for the past 19 years, By Labeed Abdal working in senior managerial positions in reput- ed international organisations. I have been driv- ing for the past 40 years, in India, Kuwait and European countries. I have even taken part in official car rallies and adventure drives. Despite my long driving experience, I am now terrified [email protected] with the way the traffic rules are going to be implemented. It is true that not everyone is here is a lot of talk going around in Kuwait about the jumping the red signal for fun. Sometimes, it can Tmarket slowing down, salaries being delayed, and happen even ‘accidently’ or as you rightly said debtors’ payments not being credited. Sometimes, “to save ourselves from the speeding car the delay in payments is happening even in the case of behind.’ It has happened with me once or twice government contracts or by the contracting parties in these 19 years in Kuwait. abroad. No one can deny the effect of the international To contain the traffic problems by getting rid financial crisis which is hitting business everywhere. We are blessed in the GCC region, given that serious of the expats is not a practical solution. Instead, work is happening and our region’s leaders are keeping the city should be further developed and unoc- an eye on the threats that could reach us. cupied areas should be developed to reduce the There is always that threat of war that becomes pro- density of population. The current situation is nounced from time to time. Then, there is the issue of the result of unplanned construction of build- electricity shortages and water supply shortage. ings, especially housing complexes, two/three I am proud of and glad at the wisdom of His Highness storied buildings being replaced with eight/ten the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Aahmad Al-Sabah, when he, storied buildings. thanks to his talent and diplomatic experience, was able Though it ends up increasing the number of to ensure internal stability in Kuwait. Indeed, he had to grapple with many complex factors flats, it does not lead to an increase in the infra- and ensured the supremacy of the rule of law, given the structure such as roads, parking space, drainage, former MPs’ opposition or the external conditions which etc. This results in high density of traffic on the were no less hazardous. roads, resulting in traffic congestion. Definitely, The move to confirm that this existing parliament will those expats without legal residence permit continue is a positive sign that many international should be evicted from the country. However, investors were waiting for. the recent actions have created a sense of inse- One can see a regular flow of new local legislations curity and fear amongst the expats. supporting many international agreements aimed at pro- tecting and promoting investments and even preventing This will lead to a vicious cycle. The expats double taxation. have minimized their spending. Many business The last important visit of His Highness the Amir to houses are experiencing a dip in the business. Turkey was just an example of strengthening the ties This will result in cutting down on manpower between the two countries, especially when Turkey stood and unemployment. The situation will only by us strongly at a time when we were fighting to get worsen further. back our freedom after a brutal invasion. Yes, we should certainly encourage employ- Obtaining the actual signatures of parties for eight ment of Kuwaiti nationals. I have tried to employ agreements and MOAs for boosting relations with one important regional player in areas like aviation, education, young nationals in organisations, but failed health, culture and investment will surely improve mutual because of their attitudes. They should be relationship. moulded from a young age to take up employ- We do need more such achievements and similar ment and to work like anyone else instead of liv- understanding with many more countries as we do have ing on state support. real good friends and allies in the international communi- I wish those in authority will reconsider their ty. decisions and come out with fair and practical Moreover, we definitely want to see our good friends decisions for the overall growth of our state, with our warmest season greetings in our diwaniyas soon, Kuwait, and set an example for other states. especially since the holy month of Ramadan is approach- ing fast. Best regards, Such ties will surely help strengthen the bridges between great nations and will lead to everlasting stabili- Zac ty, peace and security for all. (Zachariah Joseph) THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Knox mulls return to Bolivia president expels US government aid agency Italy, book launched

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DAMASCUS: In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, President Bashar Assad, center right, visits the Umayyad Electrical Station on May Day, a day after a powerful bomb hit the capital in Damascus, Syria, yes- terday. — AP Rebel gains in southern Syria Jordan plays ambivalent role in conflict

AMMAN: The growing power of Islamist fighters Jordan’s national security is now threatened by a group which has targeted Jordan in the past. fought in Iraq, from where he was believed to which relies on Gulf grants to narrow its gaping in southern Syria is causing alarm in neighbour- Islamists in Syria whose hatred of Assad is At the same time, Nusra Front fighters and have planned attacks on hotels in Amman which budget deficit. ing Jordan, which backs rebels battling President matched only by their hostility to the pro- other rebels have opened a new battlefront in killed dozens of people in November 2005. With Publicly, Jordan says it remains neutral in the Bashar al-Assad but fears those linked to al Western monarchy. southern Syria, a move which Assad blamed on the Syrian border just 75 miles (120 km) from conflict. Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour has Qaeda. As a result, senior diplomats in Amman say, the infiltration of thousands of militants from Amman, the conflict in Jordan’s northern neig- even denied in parliament that Jordan hosts Similar concerns among Syria’s other neigh- Jordan has resisted pressure from Gulf Arab Jordan, seizing military posts and swathes of bour is much closer to Abdullah’s capital than rebel training programmes - contradicting bours, including Turkey and Israel, are complicat- states to step up arms shipments to rebels it land. “The security threat comes from the Nusra the turmoil in Iraq ever was. So although Jordan accounts from rebels and diplomats - and said ing an already disjointed world response to the believes might one day turn against it. Front and the radical Islamic groups - if they win has allowed the training of rebels on its territory the kingdom opposed any military intervention bloody turmoil at the heart of the Middle East. Jordan is also concerned that Syria, which is and are stationed on the Jordanian border, that and permitted some Gulf-funded arms ship- to overthrow Assad. Jordan has allowed limited US military training of widely believed to possess chemical weapons, causes problems from the army’s perspective,” ments into Syria, it has rebuffed pressure to send Jordan’s jitters were illustrated last month, rebels on its territory. Some other fighters have might lash out in reprisal for any heightened said retired Jordanian Major-General Fayez larger consignments into the war zone, accord- rebels say, when it warned them not to seize the crossed from the kingdom into Syria, although Jordanian support for insurgents. Dwairi. ing to diplomats. main Nasib border crossing. They said Jordanian others, especially Islamists, have been intercept- “The fire will not stop at our border and Jordanian officials, who asked not to be iden- “Jordan national strategic interests come first forces also detained and interrogated local ed and even put on trial. everybody knows that Jordan is as exposed as tified, said limited security cooperation with and before any Gulf agenda,” said a senior securi- weapons smugglers to curb the flow of small Eighteen months ago, Jordan’s King Abdullah Syria,” Assad said two weeks ago in an interview Damascus was continuing. ty official who asked not to be named, singling arms into Deraa. was the first Arab leader to urge Assad to step which depicted al Qaeda as a security concern As well as the danger of fighting spilling over out Qatar for what he said was a flawed policy of Shortly afterwards Washington announced it aside, but he used a visit to Washington last for both countries - a message which resonated its border from Syria’s southern province of empowering the Muslim Brotherhood, a long- would send an Army headquarters unit - which week to voice Jordan’s concern over “militant ter- with many Jordanians. Deraa, Amman faces the familiar threat of young time adversary of Jordan’s monarchy. could theoretically command combat troops. rorist organisations” gaining ground along Syria’s Syria’s rebel Nusra Front, one of the deadliest Jordanians joining a regional conflict and then The Brotherhood’s political wing in Jordan, Jordan has also beefed up its military capability southern frontier with the kingdom. forces fighting to topple Assad, declared its alle- returning home, battle-hardened and radi- the Islamic Action Front, has taken part in on the border and requested U.S. Patriot batter- His comments in the Oval Office alongside US giance to al Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahri earlier calised. Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi protests calling for political reform and denounc- ies to protect it from any retaliatory missile President Barack Obama underline fears that this month, formally cementing an alliance with travelled to Afghanistan in the 1980s and also ing subsidy cuts in the resource-poor kingdom, attack from Assad’s forces.— Reuters

460 people killed in bloody month for Iraq BAGHDAD: Violence in Iraq rose sharply in April, killing 460 people, according to AFP figures, as May started off with attacks that left 13 people dead yesterday, including six police and four anti-Qaeda fighters. The majority of the April deaths came during a wave of unrest that began near the end of the month when security forces moved on Sunni anti-government protesters in north Iraq, sparking clashes that killed 53 people. Dozens more people died in subsequent violence that included revenge attacks on security forces, raising fears of a return to the all-out sectarian conflict that cost tens of thou- sands of lives in Iraq from 2006 to 2008. It was the deadliest violence so far linked to protests that broke out in Sunni areas of Shiite-majority Iraq more than four months ago. The protesters have called for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite, to quit, and railed against authorities for allegedly targeting their community with wrongful detentions and accusations of involvement in terrorism. Unrest in April also wounded 1,219 people, according to the AFP figures, which are based on reports from security and medical sources. Among the dead in April were 54 police, 53 soldiers, 14 Sahwa anti-Qaeda militiamen, and two members of the Kurdish security forces. The wounded included 171 police, 76 soldiers, eight Sahwa fighters and five Kurdish security forces members. The majori- ty of the rest of those killed and wounded in April were civil- ians, although the figures also include some gunmen who died or were injured in clashes with security forces. In March, 271 people were killed and 906 wounded in violence, though those figures only included security forces and civilians. The month of May began with more deadly attacks. A suicide bomber targeted Sahwa militiamen who were gathering to receive their pay in Fallujah, west of Baghdad, killing four Sahwa fighters and a high-ranking police officer, police and a doctor said. The Sahwa, which means ìAwakeningî in Arabic, are made up of Sunni Arab tribesmen who joined forces with the US military against Al-Qaeda from late 2006, helping turn the tide against the insurgency. They are regarded as traitors by Sunni militants and fre- quently targeted in attacks. A car bomb in Ramadi, west of Baghdad, killed three police on Wednesday, while another in the capital left three people dead, and gunmen killed two police near Tikrit, north of Baghdad, security and medical offi- cials said.—AFP INTERNATIONAL THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Youth voice hope for change in Palestinian politics

RAMALLAH: Far from the children who enue,” answers Jihad al-Jaabari, who is over their futures. “We’re a people under Bassem Sati, 24, as he milled around the Nearly three quarters of young peo- beg for change from idling cars and the taking part in the show via a remote occupation. We feel failure while hunger campus with a bandana of Hamas’s ple from Gaza, East Jerusalem and the teenagers who hurl rocks at armed connection from Gaza. and unemployment rise. We see corrup- trademark green over his shoulders. West Bank are not affiliated with any Israeli troops, a different spectacle of “Do you speak Hebrew?” an Arab tion and foreign aid distracting our lead- Fatah officials in recent years party and say the factions have not Palestinian youth is playing out in the member of the Israeli legislature, Ahmed ers,” contestant Maher al-Komi, 25, from explored the idea of creating a vice-pres- earned their trust, according to a survey ballroom of a luxury Ramallah hotel. Tibi, chimes in. the West Bank city of Hebron, told idency under Abbas, hoping to avoid of 1,851 people aged 15 to 29 published Young contestants are gathered for a “No...but it’s important to learn the Reuters. having to devolve power to the Hamas this year by the Sharek Youth Forum, a taping of “The President”, a game show enemy’s language,” Jaabari replies, elicit- “I have a degree in media but I work speaker of parliament, as per Palestinian local non-governmental organisation. that aims to select a “new leader” for the ing slight smiles from the judges. Almost in a corner store. I hope my speaking on law, if something should happen to the Almost two-thirds believe a combina- Palestinians based on their views on the a third of the 4.2 million Palestinians in this show will make those in charge real- ageing president. tion of Israel’s policies and internal poli- pressing political issues of the day. The the West Bank and Gaza are between 15 ize the problems of youth and make The drive was ultimately dropped. tics will doom efforts to establish a panel of judges is made up of top offi- and 29 years old, and a third of this changes,” he said. Most Palestinians feel the split in their Palestinian state. But a slim majority also cials and businessmen. youth bulge have no jobs and scant While Palestinian politics may be in a leadership has distracted them from the said they believed Palestinian youth Bleak Palestinian realities mean what- opportunity to challenge their own age- moribund condition at the national lev- real struggle - coming up with a national have the ability to bring about change. ever comes out of the contest to be “The ing leaders, let alone Israel’s occupation, el, the paralysis has not stifled youthful strategy to confront Israel’s occupation. It’s unclear how much longer they President” will have only symbolic signif- beyond taking to the streets. debate, however. The main university of “We hope the will of the youth will can retain that optimism, however. icance. The winner will be “ambassador After the Islamist Hamas party’s sur- Nablus in the West Bank was a riot of yel- bring Fatah and Hamas together. Of Despite the ambition and enthusiasm on for a day” at one of the Palestinian mis- prise 2006 electoral win, the Palestinian low and green flags, the colours of Fatah course, we want Fatah’s focus on negoti- display on the set of “The President”, a sions in Europe, among other prizes. parliament has not met for six years and and Hamas, on the day of the student ations to give ground to our choice of different reality is the rule on the But it’s a rare chance for a frustrated fresh elections are long overdue. council elections last week. resistance,” Sati said. Palestinian street. and marginalized generation to air their Following a brief civil war with Fatah’s “Martyrs” bloc and “Muslim “An uprising will give us suffering and Local people gathered at a mosque in views. Hanan Ashrawi, a veteran of the President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah in Palestine” led by Hamas were the two attacks from the Israelis, but we need it the town of al-Ram in March were Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), 2007, Hamas now rules over Gaza while main contenders to lead the 22,000- to gain our freedom, and we are ready to attending the funeral of a resident who asks a contestant in the Gaza Strip, on Abbas’ Palestinian Authority governs the member student body, with Hamas tak- sacrifice,” he added. Mervat Abu Hijleh, medics said was killed by an Israeli tear- which Israel has imposed a tight block- Israeli-occupied West Bank. ing part for the first time in six years. sporting a T-shirt and Fatah’s black and gas round fired into his taxi during clash- ade, about the smuggling of goods from Abbas, 78, has outstayed his mandate Both candidates made similar cam- white chequered headscarf around her es between soldiers and youths. neighbouring Egypt. by four years and has no clear rival or paign promises about student loans, neck, said school elections provided an As the corpse was carried toward the “What about the tunnels between successor after Prime Minister Salam Internet access and better classroom example of the healthy competition that cemetery, a young man in a soccer jersey Egypt and Gaza, what would you do Fayyad resigned this month. conditions, but it was ultimately a popu- could revive flat-lining national politics. wrapped a shawl over his face so only about that?” she asked of the trade, In the meantime, real wages have larity contest along party lines. In the “We see how old officials are, how lit- his eyes were visible. He and his friends which bypasses both Israeli and declined by around 8 percent since 2006 end, Hamas barely lost out to its rival in a tle action is being taken and we see the were preparing again for a street battle, Palestinian officials. and a third of Palestinian homes do not ballot widely seen as a barometer of the need for change. We, the youth in this trading rocks for Israeli soldiers’ bullets. “Well, the goods going through them have secure, reliable access to food, the Palestinian popular mood. vote, are that change, and the different “If I die, good, I welcome that. I would be create an illicit economy which isn’t United Nations says. The real platforms of Fatah and parties can at least agree on that,” she dying for our martyr and our people,” he taxed and take away government rev- Youth despair of ever having control Hamas are poles apart, conceded said. said. — Reuters Libya gunmen press Root of Palestinian conflict siege of ministries ‘not territorial’: Netanyahu TRIPOLI: Gunmen demanding the sacking of former on Tuesday to press for the expulsion of former officials from the ousted regime of Moamer Kadhafi regime officials from government posts. were yesterday still surrounding the foreign and jus- The same groups briefly occupied the finance min- Peace could provide framework for future deal tice ministries in the Libyan capital. istry on Monday, and angry policemen invaded the JERUSALEM: Prime Minister ward.” But Netanyahu has categorical- of the 1967 lines, there wouldn’t be Vehicles equipped with anti-aircraft guns and interior ministry twice, on Monday and Tuesday, to Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday ly ruled out any withdrawal to the very much to negotiate about,” said rocket launchers blockaded the justice ministry demand higher pay and promotions. that an Israeli withdrawal would not “indefensible” 1967 lines, and yester- Gilad Erdan, a member of the security building, several kilometres (miles) from the city cen- On Sunday, former rebels briefly blockaded the bring peace with the Palestinians day said such a move would not solve cabinet. “We cannot start negotiations tre, where traffic flowed smoothly on the May Day headquarters of Libyan national television, although because the heart of the conflict was the conflict, which was not about land after agreeing in advance to give up holiday. broadcasts were not interrupted. They had previously their refusal to recognise Israel as a but about “the very existence of a everything,” he told public radio. n”I Militiamen also showed no sign of lifting the siege been responsible for security at the building. Jewish state. Jewish state,” the source said. hope that Abu Mazen doesn’t think of the foreign ministry, which they first encircled on The General National Congress (GNC), Libya’s high- His remarks came a day after the “If we reach a peace agreement I that Israel will give up its positions Sunday. est political authority, has been studying proposals Arab League announced moves to want to know that the conflict will not and agree to hand over all the land “The siege of the foreign and justice ministries is for a law that would see top figures from the Kadhafi revive and modify its 2002 peace ini- continue. That there won’t be any where we believe we have a right to continuing and will go on until our demands are regime sacked from their posts. tiative, drawing praise from more Palestinian claims afterwards,” settle,” he added, referring to completely satisfied,” Aymen Mohammed Abudeina, The proposals have caused a stir among Libya’s Washington and from Israel’s chief Netanyahu told the diplomats. “The Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. a member of a group committed to ensuring the political elite, as several senior officials in the current peace negotiator Tzipi Livni but no root of the conflict is Acre, Jaffa and Israel hopes the principle of land exclusion of former Kadhafi officials from public life, administration could be affected by such a law. official response from the Israeli gov- Ashkelon and you need to say it. You swaps will allow it to retain the large told AFP. On Tuesday, the justice ministry dismissed Under increasing pressure from demonstration, the ernment. don’t need to apologise. You need to blocs where most settlers live, while the idea of using force to break the siege, saying that GNC said on Monday that it was suspending plenary “The root of the conflict is not terri- say the truth,” he told them. the Palestinians would be compensat- the government preferred to “let wisdom prevail.” The sessions until Sunday. It said the delay was needed to torial. It started a long time before US Secretary of State John Kerry, ed by receiving territory currently militiamen who had been surrounding the foreign give political blocs in the GNC time to examine the 1967,” Netanyahu said in a meeting who is engaged in efforts to relaunch under Israeli sovereignty. ministry extended their siege to the justice ministry bill to reach a compromise on the law. —AFP with foreign ministry officials, refer- stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Israeli opposition leader Shelly ring to the year Israel seized Gaza, the believes the Arab Peace Initiative Yachimovich hailed as “important” the West Bank and east Jerusalem during could provide a framework for a Arab League’s move, saying on public the Six-Day War. future peace deal. radio it could “allow a restart of nego- “You saw what happened when we Speaking to Haaretz, two foreign tiations.” left the Gaza Strip. We evacuated the ministry sources who attended the She urged Netanyahu to respond last settlers and what did we get? meeting quoted Netanyahu as saying to the initiative as laid out on Tuesday Missiles,” he said of Israel’s withdrawal the demand to recognise Israel as a by Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin of all troops and settlers from the Jewish state was not a condition for Jassim, saying that even if the initia- coastal enclave in 2005. the start of talks, but rather for their tive failed, it would still win Israel “The Palestinians’ lack of will to conclusion. points in the court of international recognise the state of Israel as the “Until the Palestinians recognise public opinion. national state of the Jewish people is our right to exist as a national state- She also said her Labour party the root of the conflict,” he said, in no matter what the borders-and until would consider entering government remarks communicated by a senior they declare that the conflict is over, if any of the more hardline coalition government source. there will not be peace,” they quoted partners, such as Jewish Home which The Saudi-led proposal, which him as saying. opposes a Palestinian state, threat- offers full diplomatic ties with the Earlier, a cabinet minister consid- ened to bolt over a renewal of seri- Arab world in exchange for Israel’s ered close to Netanyahu ruled out any ous talks. “If we get close to an agree- withdrawal from land occupied in acceptance of the 1967 lines as the ment and Jewish Home threatens to 1967, now includes a reference to the starting point for negotiations. “If leave Benjamin Netanyahu’s govern- principle of mutually agreed land Israel agrees to come to the negotiat- ment, we would positively consider swaps, in a move hailed by ing table while accepting in advance the possibility of taking its place,” she Washington as “a very big step for- that talks would be held on the basis said. —AFP British premier to press UAE president on ‘torture’ claims

LONDON: The UAE president was to face questions from Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday over allega- tions that three British men jailed in Dubai were tortured. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al- Nahyan, head of state of the United Arab Emirates, will hold talks with Cameron at his Downing Street office on the second day of a two-day state visit to Britain. Cameron has said he wants a “proper, independent investi- gation” into the allegations of police mistreatment. The three Londoners in their 20s, jailed for four years each on drugs charges, were subjected to beatings and electric shocks, campaigners have claimed. “The point I will make today is that we think there needs to be a proper, independent investigation LONDON: Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron (L) greets Emirati into these allegations of what hap- President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan (R) at 10 Downing Street in pened,” Cameron told ITV television. Central London yesterday. The UAE president was to face questions from “That is the first step really of work- Prime Minister David Cameron over allegations that three British men ing out what needs to happen next.” jailed in Dubai were tortured. — AFP He said Britain had a “very good rela- Cameron said. She said the case had help Somalia tackle sexual violence. tionship” with the UAE. “We have very been a “catastrophic” experience for Britain, which is hosting this year’s deep economic and trading relations the families of the three young men, Group of Eight summit, is making and we have also got over 100,000 but was “very confident” progress combating sexual violence in conflict British people who choose to live in could be made. zones a priority. It will also be raised at Dubai and Abu Dhabi. “So our coun- Yesterday Sheikh Khalifa will also a major London conference on tries are very close but nothing visit Westminster Abbey for a short Somalia on Tuesday. Emirati Foreign should be off limits in these discus- private tour along with Prince Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed sions.” Andrew, the queen’s second son. He al-Nahyan said: “Through this contri- The mother of one of the men, was to lay a wreath at its tomb of the bution, the UAE is delighted to be Grant Cameron, welcomed the prime unknown warrior. able to support the Somali govern- minister’s intervention but said she The president was then to visit ment in its efforts to protect and hoped he would go further in the Clarence House, the official residence empower women.” At the start of the talks. “I would like him to go one step of Prince Charles, the queen’s oldest visit on Tuesday, Sheikh Khalifa sat further and see whether he can ask son and the heir to the throne. Britain alongside the queen for a ceremonial Sheikh Khalifa, if it’s appropriate, to and the UAE on Wednesday carriage procession to Windsor Castle, expedite any pardons that are going announced £1 million ($1.6 million, west of London, where a state lunch- to be given to the boys,” Tracy 1.2 million euros) each in funding to eon was held.— AFP INTERNATIONAL THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Nigeria pledges justice as pressure over killings grows Human rights watch urges inquiry into killings

BAGA: Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan promised yesterday to punish any soldier found guilty of misconduct during a deadly raid on a suspected Islamist hideout after a rights group said satellite pictures had raised concerns of a cover-up. Scores of houses were destroyed in the fishing village on the shores of Lake Chad raided by troops from Nigeria, Niger and Chad searching for Islamist militants, and there were 22 fresh graves, a Reuters reporter who visited said. NEW YORK: This April 9, 2013 photo released by ABC shows Amanda Knox, left, Residents said there were more graves in speaking during a taped interview with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer in New York. In other areas but the military prevented jour- March, Italy’s highest criminal court overturned Knox’s acquittal in the 2007 murder nalists from reaching the alleged sites. of a British student and ordered a new trial. — AP Nigerian forces have long been criticised over their heavy handed tactics against Boko Knox mulls return to Haram, a radical group fighting to revive an Islamic caliphate in religiously-mixed Nigeria that is seen as the main security threat to Italy, book launched Africa’s top oil producer. LOS ANGELES: Amanda Knox may return to “So, somehow, I feel it’s important for me to But reports that close to 200 people may Italy for a murder retrial, she said as she convey that. And if my presence is what is nec- have died in one of the most violent clashes launched a memoir Tuesday about her night- essary to convey that, then I’ll go.” Knox has with the shadowy sect since it launched its mare, including frank details about sex, drugs launched a publicity blitz in the United States to uprising in 2009 have shocked Nigerians and and her harrowing time behind bars. promote her autobiography “Waiting to be prompted calls from politicians and human In interviews to promote the book-which Heard” for which she was reportedly paid a $3.8 rights groups for an investigation. MAIDUGURI: Joint Military Task Force (JTF) patrol the streets of restive northeastern Nigerian also recounts how she considered suicide in jail- million advance. Islamic scholar Madu Ibrahim said he was town of Maiduguri, Borno State, yesterday. Fierce fighting between Nigerian troops and sus- she said she hoped her slain former roommate In the 480-page book, she describes her ear- sitting in the courtyard of his thatched home pected Islamist insurgents, Boko Haram at Baga town in the restive northeastern Nigeria, left Meredith Kercher’s family would read it, ly life in Seattle and her decision to take a year when Nigerian soldiers came and set fire to it. dozens of people dead and scores of civilians injured. — AFP although she has had no contact with them. out to live in the small Italian city of Perugia to Soon afterwards explosions went off and countries across the Sahel. had managed to confirm the existence of 32 “It matters to me what Meredith’s family learn Italian language and culture. there was automatic gunfire from inside his Nigerian authorities argue civilians are individual graves but that villagers had not thinks ... I really hope that the Kerchers read my She is open about her attitude to sex, and neighbour’s house. killed in the crossfire because militants use managed to produce any others-apparently book. And they don’t have to believe me. I have how it was changing as she headed overseas. “The soldiers told me to get out so I ran them as human shields. Human Rights Watch contradicting reports from an opposition no right to demand anything of anyone. But I She had had sex with four men before her (HRW) said yesterday satellite images senator from the north that he counted 228 hope they try,” she told USA Today. departure. “I left for Italy having decided I need- into the bush,” he said, recounting the raid on graves. The army has labelled that a gross “I want them to know, their grief has my ed to change that. For me, sex was emotional, April 16 on Baga. For five days he hid, scav- revealed “massive destruction of civilian every respect, has the respect of my family,” she and I didn’t want it to be anymore. “I hated feel- enging fruits in mangrove swamps before property” in Baga, undermining the army’s exaggeration. added to ABC television, in her first television ing dependent on anyone else. I wanted sex to “returning to see what’s left of Baga,” he said, claim that only 30 houses were destroyed. The Nigerian commander of the Baga raid interview since her release two years ago. The be about empowerment and pleasure, not as he gestured towards the blackened husk There were 2,275 destroyed buildings, the Brigadier-General Austin Edokpayi said rocket American student and her Italian former about ‘Does this person like me? Will he still like of his mud-brick house. watchdog said, urging Nigeria to investigate propelled grenade fire by Boko Haram mili- boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were sentenced to me tomorrow?’,” she said. “Many people died, including women and claims by community leaders that more than tants set Baga’s houses ablaze, not the army. 26 years and 25 years in prison for the killing of She moved in with two Italian girls and children,” he said, adding that he had buried 180 died-the military maintains a toll of 37. “There are no fire fighters in this place,” he Kercher six years ago, allegedly in a drug-fuelled Kercher, who was also a foreign student, and led six of his neighbours. In a rare statement “The glaring discrepancies between the added. Whether by militants or the military, sex attack. an easy-going life with a group of boys who admitting the possibility of abuses by his facts on the ground and statements by senior Aishatu Bukar fears someone killed her 13- She was acquitted on appeal and released in lived downstairs in the same house. forces, Jonathan said: “Where any kind of mis- military officials raise concerns that they tried year-old boy Abdullahi, who has been miss- 2011, returning to her native Seattle. But in “Around our house, marijuana was as com- conduct is established, the federal govern- to cover up military abuses,” it said. Nigeria ing since they fled on the night of the Baga March Italian authorities overturned that judg- mon as pasta,” she wrote, while describing in ment will not hesitate in ensuring that due Human Rights Commission head Anselm raid. ment, and ordered the 25-year-old to stand trial detail a number of sexual encounters before sanctions are enforced and that justice is Odinkalu on Tuesday opened an investiga- “We heard gunshots all over while houses again. Although most legal analysts expect she met Sollecito, a week before the murder. done.” tion into what happened at Baga-a rare move burned,” she said, while her grief-stricken Knox to be tried again in absentia following the She also recounted the day Kercher’s body Soldiers are seldom prosecuted for alleged in more than three years of conflict. friend, widowed Amina Yagambo, sat in the decision, the former student told USA Today in was found, how police rapidly became suspi- abuses in the north, which rights groups say On a media trip to Baga late on Tuesday, dirt rocking forward and crying out an interview she was “considering” returning to cious. In one early interrogation she reported include summary executions and spraying choreographed by the Nigerian military “Kumande!”, or “Oh God!” in the local Kanuri Italy. “My lawyers have said that I don’t have to being slapped around the head while being people’s homes with bullets. which had been blocking access to the site language. told “Stop lying!” Knox was eventually charged, and that I don’t need to. I’m still considering it, Western powers, particularly the United for several days, locals said there were more Jonathan’s statement pledging to probe to be honest,” she was quoted as saying when tried and sent to jail-where she described States, are heaping pressure on Nigeria to graves. The military declined to allow media the killings admitted no wrongdoing, but asked if she planned to return to Italy. repeated sexual harassment and detailed promised to “end the intolerable threats to “It’s scary, the thought. But it’s also impor- thoughts of suicide, for example in the shower, punish soldiers’ abuses, which they fear are access to other alleged sites. tant for me to say, ‘This is not just happening far where “steam would fog up the guard’s viewing driving enraged locals into the arms of vio- A spokesman for Nigeria’s emergency national security which have necessitated away from and doesn’t matter to me.’ window.” —AFP lent Islamists seen as a growing threat to services coordinator, Manzo Ezekiel, said they such confrontations.” — Reuters

DUBLIN: This Saturday Nov 17, 2012 file photo shows people lighting candles as abortion rights protesters march through central Dublin demanding that Ireland’s government create a law defining when abortions can be per- formed to save a woman’s life. Ireland’s government has published a long-awaited bill, yesterday, explaining the law on when life-saving abortions can be performed in a country that officially bans the practice. — AP First year of turmoil for France’s feisty first lady

PARIS: Just like her partner the president, Valerie Trierweiler months later, by which time her career was on hold and her has had to abandon some of her pre-election promises over time consumed by the kind of humanitarian work that first the course of his first year in office. ladies specialise in. A twice-divorced career journalist, Trierweiler arrived at In December she was asked by a group of Algerian the Elysee Palace declaring she was going to redefine the school children what it was like to France’s premiere dame: role of first lady to the point that they’d have to come up “It’s scary at the beginning,” she confessed. “You don’t know with an alternative term. what you have to do. But afterwards you learn, like you do “I’m more careful now,” she admitted 10 chastening at school.” The contrite, self-effacing tone could not have been more removed from the confident way in which Trierweiler, now 48, unveiled herself to the world during Hollande’s first days in office. An appearance in spiky high heels and a thigh-revealing dress had Britain’s Daily Mail breathlessly exclaiming that she was the real star attraction in the cou- ple, the epitome of the “effortless Parisian chic that makes French women the envy of the world.” Trierweiler’s personal learning curve was steepened by the Tweetgate scandal that erupted within weeks of that display. Reportedly enraged by Hollande’s support for Segolene Royal, his former partner and the mother of his four children, Trierweiler let fly with a tweet backing a rene- gade Socialist candidate who was up against Royal in a bat- tle for a parliamentary seat. The rebel won but Trierweiler lost the de facto immunity she had enjoyed from media scrutiny of her place in Hollande’s complicated domestic set-up. He rebuked her in public and his four children reportedly stopped talking to her. “It was a mistake that I regret,” Trierweiler confessed four months later. “I had not yet realised that I was no longer a simple citizen.” By then, publishers were falling over them- selves to rush out books centred on a woman who had cap- tured the nation’s imagination, if not its heart. Opinion polls suggest up to two-thirds of French voters have a negative opinion of her, perhaps not surprisingly, as both serious and satirical portrayals tend to depict a tem- pestuous personality who keeps Hollande on a tight leash and is ferociously jealous of Royal. —AFP THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 INTERNATIONAL Immigration debate gives life to annual rallies SAN DIEGO: Social media and text mes- what was expected to be the nation’s than 1.2 million subscribers, including Organizers are also reaching out by a restaurant in the city’s Koreatown neigh- saging have emerged as indispensable largest rally. recipients of text messages and Facebook email and old-fashioned phone banks. borhood that drew several hundred tools for advocates of a sweeping immi- The May Day crowds were not expect- followers. A text-message blast during a “The general rule is you keep people on demonstrators in 2000. Crowds grew each gration overhaul, but street marches have ed to approach the massive demonstra- key vote in 2010 on legislation to provide the platform they’re used to,” Parcher said. year until the House of Representatives an enduring allure. Tens of thousands are tions of 2006 and 2007, during the last legal status to many who came to the “If they’re on Facebook, we’ll ask them to passed a tough bill against illegal immigra- expected to rally in dozens of cities from serious attempt to introduce major country as children resulted in 75,000 post something to Congress members’ tion, sparking a wave of enormous, angry New York to Bozeman, Mont., on changes to the US immigration system. phone calls to members of Congress in pages.” Gabriel Villalobos, a Spanish-lan- protests from coast to coast in 2006. Wednesday in what has become an annu- Despite the large turnouts, many advo- two days, said Jeff Parcher, communica- guage talk radio host in Phoenix, said The rallies, which coincide with Labor al cry for easing the nation’s immigration cates of looser immigration laws felt they tions director for the Center for many of his callers believe it is the wrong Day in many countries outside the US, laws. The rallies carry a special sense of were outmaneuvered by opponents who Community Change, which works on tech- time for marches, fearful that that any often have big showings from labor lead- urgency this year, two weeks after a bipar- flooded congressional offices with phone nology-driven advocacy for the network of unrest could sour public opinion on immi- ers and elected officials. Aside from Los tisan group of senators introduced a bill calls and faxes at the behest of conserva- groups. gration reform. Those callers advocate Angeles, big crowds were expected in that would bring many of the estimated tive talk-radio hosts. A phone blitz targeting Sen. Orrin instead for a low-key approach of calling New York, Chicago and Milwaukee. At a 11 million living in the US illegally out of Now, immigrant advocacy groups are Hatch produced 100 calls a day to the members of Congress. rally in Salem, Ore., Gov. John Kitzhaber the shadows. focusing heavily on calling and writing Utah lawmaker’s office last week, Parcher “The mood is much calmer,” said planned to sign legislation to authorize “The invisible become visible on May members of Congress, sometimes target- said. After Hatch was quoted Sunday in Villalobos, who thinks the marches are still drivers’ licenses to people in the state ille- 1,” said Angelica Salas, executive director ing specific lawmakers at key moments in The Salt Lake Tribune saying immigration an important show of political force. Salas, gally. With Congress in recess, there were of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant the debate. Reform Immigration for reform couldn’t wait, a message went out whose group is known as CHIRLA, dates no major demonstrations planned in the Rights of Los Angeles, which is organizing America, a network of groups, claims more to call his office with thanks. the May Day rallies to a labor dispute with nation’s capital. —AP Ohio to execute man in baby girl’s death ‘Smith took the life of innocent 6-month-old infant’

LUCASVILLE: A man who admitted raping a 6- ness Smith’s execution, and feel that it will bring her before she was pronounced dead. The baby month-old baby but claims he never meant to some justice for her killing. was covered in bruises and welts, had cuts on her kill her is set to be executed after his last pleas for Back on that awful night of September 29, forehead, and had severe injuries showing she mercy failed. Steve Smith is scheduled to be exe- 1998, Autumn’s mother, Kesha Frye, was awoken had been brutally raped, although there was no cuted by lethal injection at the state prison in by Smith, who she’d lived with for four months. semen. southern Ohio for the September 1998 killing of At the home, there was no sign of forced his live-in girlfriend’s infant daughter, Autumn entry, and police found a large amount of white Carter.Smith, 46, denied killing Autumn for more cloth that came from Autumn’s diaper strewn than a decade but recently tried to get his sen- about; police found the rest of the diaper in a tence reduced to life in prison, arguing that he garbage bin outside, along with 10 empty beer was too drunk to realize that his assault was cans and a T-shirt. At the time, Smith told police killing the baby. The Ohio Parole Board and Gov. that he “didn’t do anything.” “I’m not sick like that,” LA PAZ: Bolivian President Evo Morales (R) and his vice-president Alvaro John Kasich unanimously turned him down, with he said. At trial, Smith didn’t testify in his own Garcia Linera attend an official meeting celebrating May Day in La Paz yester- the board finding that Smith is among “the worst defense on the advice of his attorneys, even as day. Morales announced the expulsion of USAID from Bolivia, accusing the of the worst.” prosecutors repeatedly referred to him as a “baby US development agency of meddling in the country’s internal affairs. —AFP “Smith took the life of an innocent 6-month- raper,” showed pictures of Autumn’s battered old infant while using the baby to sexually gratify body and told jurors that her assault lasted up to himself,” the board said in its decision. “It is hard a half-hour. Bolivia president expels to fathom a crime more repulsive or reprehensi- Expert witnesses for Smith said he may have ble in character.” accidentally suffocated the girl within three to Smith’s daughter, sister and niece all plan to five minutes of the assault. The jury found Smith US government aid agency witness the execution. They believe he’s innocent guilty of aggravated murder and sentenced him LA PAZ: President Evo Morales said yester- governments he accused of trying to over- despite his admission of guilt and maintain he to die. At an April 2 hearing in which Smith day he is expelling the US Agency for throw him in 2008. Since US assistance has only admitted to the crime because he’s given up sought to have his death sentence reduced to life International Development from Bolivia for “dwindled to a trickle,” the financial impact hope after 15 years of prison and has no memory in prison, he admitted to the crime and said he Steve Smith allegedly seeking to undermine his leftist will be limited as well, Ledebur said. of the assault. didn’t mean to kill Autumn. He told Ohio Parole government, and complained about the US Morales made yesterday’s announce- “I know my dad’s innocent,” said 21-year-old Smith, extremely drunk and naked, laid a naked Board that he was not in his right mind the night secretary of state calling the Western ment to a crowd outside the presidential Brittney Smith, Smith’s only child. “I do not and lifeless Autumn on Frye’s bed, according to of the crime and has to live every day with what Hemisphere the “backyard” of Washington. palace during an International Workers’ Day believe he did this, and you know, he raised all court records. he did. He said he was sorry and wished he could Morales did not specify exactly what rally and said he was protesting a recent my cousins and my sister before I was even born, Frye rushed the baby and her other 2-year-old ask Autumn for forgiveness. Smith is set to USAID had done that merited expulsion, statement by US Secretary of State John and he never did anything (sexually).”Autumn’s daughter to a neighbor’s house and called 911. become the 51st inmate put to death in Ohio but the ABI state news agency said it was Kerry that Latin America is the backyard of mother, grandmother and aunt also plan to wit- Doctors spent more than an hour trying to revive since it resumed executions in 1999. —AP “accused of alleged political interference in the United States. peasant unions and other social organiza- Kerry said in April 17 testimony to the tions.” U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee that In the past, Morales has accused the “the Western Hemisphere is our backyard. Mexico detain agency of funding groups that have It’s critical to us.” He was discussing percep- opposed his policies, including a lowlands tions in the region that the United States drug kingpin’s indigenous federation that organized doesn’t pay enough attention to it. protests against a Morales-backed highway Many Latin Americans, leftists in particu- father-in-law through the TIPNIS rainforest preserve. lar, are sensitive to any U.S. statements that In 2008, Morales expelled the US ambas- could imply hegemonic designs, especially MEXICO CITY: Mexican police arrested the father-in- sador and agents of the US Drug in light of Washington’s 20th-century histo- law of drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman near the Enforcement Administration for allegedly ry of backing repressive regimes in the US border on Tuesday, delivering a personal blow to the inciting the opposition. While Morales did Americas. most wanted man in Mexico, officials said Tuesday. not provide evidence Wednesday of “The United States does not lack institu- Ines Coronel Barreras, who is suspected of smug- alleged USAID meddling, funds channeled tions that continue to conspire and that’s gling marijuana to the United States, was captured by through it have been used in Bolivia and its why I am using this gathering to announce federal police in a house in the northern Sonora state leftist ally Venezuela to support organiza- that we have decided to expel USAID from “without taking a single shot,” said senior interior min- tions deemed by those governments to be Bolivia,” Morales told the crowd, turning to istry official Eduardo Sanchez Hernandez. a threat. his foreign minister, David Choquehuanca The 45-year-old alleged member of the Sinaloa drug As US-Bolivian relations soured and and ordering him to inform the US cartel was detained alongside four other suspects in Washington canceled trade preferences, Embassy. the town of Agua Prieta, which borders the US state of total US foreign aid to the poor, landlocked Morales has been especially vocal lately Arizona, Sanchez told a news conference. South American nation have dropped from in his rejection of Washington’s support for Police also seized two vehicles, four rifles, one gun $100 million in 2008 to $28 million last a full recount of the results of April 14 elec- and 255 kilograms of marijuana. Sanchez said Coronel year, with counter-narcotics and security tions in Venezuela. The annointed heir to CARACAS: Opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado is escorted by party was growing marijuana and smuggling it into Arizona. aid on track to all but disappear in the com- the late Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro, won members as she arrives to her political party’s headquarters before a press The government showed a video of the burly, mus- ing fiscal year in one of the three cocaine- that election by fewer than 250,000 votes conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday. —AP tachioed Coronel coming off a federal police airplane in producing nations. in balloting that opposition candidate handcuffs, wearing a short-sleeve checkered shirt and Analyst Kathryn Ledebur of the nonprof- Henrique Capriles was stolen from him. holding his head down. it Andean Information Network in Bolivia Chavez and Morales were especially Venezuelan lawmakers hurt One of the four other detainees was identified as was not surprised by the expulsion itself close allies. The Associated Press could not Ines Omar Coronel Aispuro, 25, but officials did not say but by the fact that Morales took so long to immediately obtain comment from the US during punch-up in parliament if he was related to Coronel Barreras. The US Treasury do it after repeated threats, which she Embassy. A spokesman did not answer his Department designated Coronel as a “key operative” of believes diminishes its political impact. phone or respond to email. CARACAS: Fistfights broke out in Venezuela’s par- the incident, the assembly employee added. the Sinaloa drug cartel in January, blacklisting him “USAID alternative development efforts Bolivia’ Constitutional Court on Tuesday liament on Tuesday, injuring a number of legisla- Government parliamentarian Odalis Monzon alongside a “senior lieutenant” of Guzman identified as tied to forced coca eradication provoked ruled that Morales can run for a third con- tors during an angry session linked to the South said she and some colleagues were attacked and Damaso Lopez Nunez. his mistrust,” she said of Morales, a long- secutive term, interpreting that 2009 con- American nation’s bitter election dispute. beaten. “Today again I had to defend the comman- The designation bars any US citizen from conduct- time coca-growers union leader before his stitution that set a two-term limit as not The opposition said seven of its parliamentari- der’s (Chavez’s) legacy,” she said. ing business with them and freezes any assets they may December 2005 election as Bolivia’s first being retroactive. He won re-election by a ans were attacked and hurt when protesting a The fracas came after the government-con- have in the United States. Coronel is the father of indigenous president. landslide in 2009 and his approval rating measure to block them from speaking in the trolled assembly passed a measure denying oppo- Guzman’s third wife, former beauty queen Emma She said Morales was also upset that was 55 percent in a January opinion poll, National Assembly over their refusal to recognize sition members the right to speak in the chamber Coronel Aispuro, who married the drug kingpin in the USAID money reached lowland regional the latest available. —AP President Nicolas Maduro’s April 14 vote victory. until they recognized Maduro as president. northern state of Durango in 2007. Government legislators blamed their “fascist” “Until they recognize the authorities, the insti- She reportedly gave birth to twin girls in California in rivals for starting the violence, which illustrated the tutions of the republic, the sovereign will of our 2011 but was not detained because there were no volatile state of politics in the OPEC nation after people, the opposition deputies will have to go charges against her. Coronel’s arrest “is more a personal blow to El Chapo than against his organization,” Raul the death of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez last and speak (to the private media) but not here in Benitez Manaut, a security specialist at the National month. this National Assembly,” said Diosdado Cabello, the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), told AFP. “We knew the opposition came to provoke vio- head of parliament. Guzman has been in hiding since escaping from a lence,” Maduro said of the incident. “This must not Both sides accused each other of starting the Mexican maximum security prison in 2001. He had be repeated.” incident, which took place behind closed doors been captured in Guatemala in 1993. The United States The 50-year-old Maduro, who was Chavez’s without media present. has offered a $5 million reward for information leading chosen successor, defeated opposition candidate In a video that pro-opposition private TV sta- to the arrest of Guzman, who was taken off Forbes Henrique Capriles by 1.5 percentage points. tion Globovision broadcaster said it obtained from magazine’s list of billionaires this year. Capriles, 40, has refused to recognize his victory, a parliamentarian, various assembly members Coronel’s arrest came two days before US President alleging that thousands of irregularities occurred could be seen hitting each other and scuffling to Barack Obama visits Mexico for talks with President and the vote “stolen.” cries of “stop” from others. Enrique Pena Nieto amid a shift in Mexico’s approach to The vote exposed a nation evenly divided after In another potential flashpoint for Venezuela, the drug war. 14 years of Chavez’s hardline socialist rule. the government and opposition are planning rival The talks on Thursday come as Pena Nieto, who took “They can beat us, jail us, kill us, but we will not marches in Caracas on Wednesday to commemo- office in December, has recalibrated the strategy by focusing on reducing violence and implementing crime sell out our principles,” one of the opposition par- rate May Day. prevention programs after more than 70,000 people liamentarians, Julio Borges, told a local TV station, Venezuela has been on edge since the April 14 were killed in the past six years. showing a bruised and bloodied face. “These presidential election. At least eight people died in His predecessor, Felipe Calderon, deployed thou- blows give us more strength.” violent protests the day after the vote. There have sands of troops to take on the cartels and forged a close One assembly worker, who asked not to be been scores of arrests in what the opposition is relationship with US intelligence and law enforcement named, told Reuters the trouble began when calling a wave of repression. agencies in the drug war. Pena Nieto said he would opposition legislators shouted “fascist” at the Maduro has accused the opposition of plan- keep soldiers in the streets of Mexico until the levels of National Assembly leader and unfolded a protest ning a coup. Former colonial ruler Spain this week violence come down. banner reading “parliamentary coup.” offered to mediate in Venezuela’s political tensions. Benitez Manaut said the shift has fueled rumors that COHASSET: Republican candidate for the US Senate, Gabriel Gomez, center, Government parliamentarians attacked them. But Maduro rejected that. “Stop sticking your the intensity of the drug war has come down and that celebrates with supporters as he makes his way to the stage to address an Laptops and tables were hurled in the ensuing noses in Venezuela. Spanish foreign minister, get the Mexican government wants to negotiate with drug audience with a victory speech at a watch party, in Cohasset, Mass., Tuesday. melee, with one legislator hit over the head with a out, you impertinent man. Venezuela is to be bosses. With the arrest of Guzman’s father-in-law, “they Gomez won his primary bid for the Republican nomination to contest a US chair, the witness said. Workers later had to show respected,” he said in a speech, referring to Foreign can demonstrate that it’s not the case,” he added. —AFP Senate seat, defeating Republican hopefuls Michael Sullivan and Dan their phones to see if they had photos or videos of Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo. —Reuters Winslow. —AP THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 INTERNATIONAL 550 feared dead in Bangladesh Pope slams ‘slave labour’

DHAKA: Bangladesh rescuers said Mango admitted using factories in the 4,500 garment factories have been yesterday at least 550 people likely collapsed building. closed since last Wednesday, a major Three British soldiers died in the collapse of a garment fac- Nearly 60 percent of Bangladesh’s blow for the economy which depends tory complex last week as the pope garments are shipped to the on garments for 80 percent of its condemned the use of “slave labour” European Union free of duties and tar- exports. killed in Afghan blast in the local clothing industry. iffs, giving the 27-nation bloc a huge At a government graveyard in the As bulldozers and cranes worked say over workplace safety issues in capital, 2,000 people looked on as 32 to remove the rubble of the eight- Bangladesh. Anger in Bangladesh bodies unclaimed by relatives were LONDON: Prime Minister David rorists that can threaten us here in October 2001. A total of 444 British storey building on the outskirts of remains palpable and the demonstra- buried in an unmarked mass grave Cameron said yesterday that Britain the UK. “But today our thoughts troops have lost their lives in the Dhaka, a senior army officer said the tions on Wednesday again saw close to the graves of victims from the was paying a “very high price” in should be with the families and campaign. The MoD said that secu- number of confirmed dead stood at demands for the building owner and November factory fire. Afghanistan after three soldiers friends of those that have suffered.” rity in Helmand, a hotbed of the 411 while around 140 people were four factory bosses who have been In a dramatic moment, the sister of were killed in a roadside bomb. The three soldiers from the Taliban insurgency, was improving still missing. arrested to face execution. They have one victim identified her sibling’s Six British soldiers have now Royal Highland Fusiliers infantry but that it remained a risky and The impoverished nation’s worst been killed this year in Afghanistan, battalion died when their vehicle dangerous environment for British industrial accident, which has focused where British casualties have was hit on a routine patrol in the troops. Afghan police and soldiers attention on hazardous conditions in slowed over the past year. Britain district of Nahr-e Saraj. are taking over responsibility for Bangladesh’s factories making has not lost so many soldiers in one “Their deaths come as a great security, but there is growing con- Western labels, brought tens of thou- incident since six were killed by a loss to all those serving in Task cern over the war-torn country’s sands of protesters onto the capital’s similar blast in March last year. Force Helmand,” spokesman Major prospects after 2014 when all for- They received immediate med- Richard Morgan said in a state- eign combat deployments will end. streets. ical attention at the scene of the ment. Their families have been told. General Richard Dannatt, the Workers holding red banners blast in Helmand province on Their names will be released in due former head of the British army, shouted “Hang the killers, Hang the Tuesday and were evacuated by air course. It is the first time since was asked Wednesday if it was Factory Owners!” during a May Day to Britain’s main Camp Bastion base September 2012 that British troops harder to justify the deaths given rally that was largely peaceful unlike but could not be saved, the have been killed by a roadside the fact British forces will soon larger and more violent protests Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. bomb, which have accounted for withdraw from Afghanistan. He told staged since last Wednesday’s disas- The deaths take the total num- many of the British deaths in BBC radio: “It certainly makes ter. At the Vatican in a private mass, ber of British troops killed by ene- Afghanistan. There was no immedi- deaths like these ones more painful Pope Francis weighed into the contro- my action in Afghanistan over the ate claim of responsibility but as we are close to the end. versy, speaking out against labour 400 mark, to 401. “We have paid a Taleban militants frequently use “Often those who we are fight- conditions in Bangladesh that have very high price for the work we’re roadside bombs against foreign ing increase their efforts towards been decried by campaigners. “A doing in Afghanistan,” Cameron troops and their Afghan allies. the end to try and play up the fact headline that really struck me on the told ITV television. The deaths brings to 401 the that they have driven us out or to day of the tragedy in Bangladesh was “It is important work because it’s total number of British troops killed increase their hand in bargaining at ‘Living on 38 euros a month’. That is vital that country doesn’t again as a result of hostile action since the negotiating table subsequent- what the people who died were being DHAKA: Bangladeshi activists shout slogans and wave flags during become a haven for terrorists-ter- operations in Afghanistan began in ly.”—AFP paid. This is called slave labour,” the a procession to mark May Day or International Workers Day in pope was quoted by Vatican Radio as Dhaka yesterday. Tens of thousands of Bangladeshis joined May saying. Day protests yesterday to demand the execution of textile bosses Truce reached among In fact, wages are even lower, with over the collapse of a factory complex, as rescuers warned the final the legal minimum salary routinely toll could be more than 500. — AFP paid to employees only 38 dollars (29 climbers on Everest euros) a month for a six-day week been charged with death due to neg- body minutes before it was to be low- with 10-hour shifts. The Bangladesh ligence. “We want the severest pun- ered into the ground. She took the government faces growing foreign ishment possible for those responsi- body away to be buried separately by KATHMANDU: A truce has been Mountaineering Department said a Wednesday, and Italian Simone Moro pressure to take action to improve ble for this tragedy,” Kamrul Anam, the family. reached between three foreign truce was reached at base camp also was planning to return. conditions in the garment industry, head of the Bangladesh Textile and At least 411 people have been con- climbers and Nepalese Sherpa guides between the foreigners - an Italian, a Nepalese officials are investigating with the collapse at the Rana Plaza Garments Workers League, told AFP. firmed dead since the building col- who were involved in a fistfight on Briton and a Swiss - and the Sherpas the fight, which both sides accuse the factory complex only the latest in a “The government should hang the lapse on April 24, army spokesman Mount Everest, officials said yesterday. on Tuesday. Nima Nuru of Cho-Oyu other of starting. Steck and Griffith Two of the foreigners, however, Trekking, who equipped the expedi- refused to talk to reporters in string of deadly disasters. building proprietor and the factory Lieutenant Mir Rabbi told AFP. More returned to Nepal’s capital and were tion, said Swiss climber Ueli Steck and Kathmandu. Sumit Joshi, a mountain A textile factory blaze last owners. We want justice for these than 2,430 people have been rescued undecided if they would quit their British climber Jonathan Griffith flew guide from Sydney, Australia, said by November claimed 111 lives, and murders,” said Liakot Khan, another of alive. Speaking to parliament Tuesday climb. Tilak Pandey of the to Katmandu by helicopter on telephone from the Everest base there have been widespread accusa- those taking part in the Dhaka night, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina camp that the argument started when tions that safety standards are both protest, which echoed to the sound of had urged employees to return to the Sherpa guides, who were fixing too lax and rarely enforced in the $20- drums and horns. work and criticised reported attacks ropes and digging a path on the billion sector. The European Union Police put the number of protest- on some factories. “I would like to tell snowy trail above Camp 2, asked the said late Tuesday that it would look at ers at the main Dhaka rally at over the workers to keep their head cool, foreign climbers to wait until they steps to promote better practices 20,000, and there were smaller keep mills and factories operative, were finished. He said the climbers after a host of European retailers protests elsewhere in the capital and otherwise you will end up losing your ignored them and started climbing, including Primark, Benetton and in other cities. Many of the country’s jobs,” she said. — AFP knocking ice chunks onto the Sherpas below. The foreign climbers yelled “foul words” during an argument, he said. On their return to Camp 2 later in the evening, the three climbers were sur- rounded by 30-40 Sherpas and there was a scuffle and punches were thrown, Joshi said. Other climbers at the camp, located at 6,500 meters (21,300 feet), were able to stop the fight and once the climbers returned to the base camp a truce was reached, he said. KATHMANDU: In this handout photograph received from Jonathan Hundreds of climbers from 32 Griffith yesterday and dated April 27, 2013 climbers Ueli Steck (L) of expeditions and their Sherpa guides and helpers are at the base camp Switzerland and Simone Moro (R) of Italy, accompanied by British waiting for the window of good alpine photographer Jonathan Griffith are pictured in a tent imme- weather in May to make their way to diately after an altercation with Nepalese sherpas took place at the the 8,850-meter (29,035 foot) summit. 6,500 metres (21,300 ft) ‘Camp Two’ on Everest. A new account of a Spring is considered the best season brawl on Mount Everest which emerged yesterday said one of the to climb. Nepal will celebrate the 60th foreign climbers involved had sworn at a group of Nepalese guides anniversary of the conquest of Everest and challenged them to a fight. —AFP later this month. — AP Pakistan-US alliance takes hits on campaign trail

ISLAMABAD: On the campaign trail in about the election because they don’t with foreign countries on the basis of Pakistan, candidates boast about their want to be seen as influencing who wins. mutual respect, dignity and equality.” readiness to stand up to Washington and But Secretary of State John Kerry has met Sharif’s party controlled the govern- often tout their anti-American creden- Pakistani army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez ment of Pakistan’s largest province, tials. One party leader even claims he Kayani twice in the last month, underlin- Punjab, in 2011 when it turned down would shoot down US drones if he ing the importance of the relationship to more than $100 million in US aid follow- comes to power. Washington. The US needs Pakistan’s ing the raid that killed bin Laden. But So it’s perhaps no surprise that the help in battling Islamic militants and Lodhi, the former ambassador, said she government that emerges from next negotiating an end to the war in neigh- thought it was unlikely Sharif would give month’s parliamentary election is likely boring Afghanistan. Pakistan relies on up the more than $1 billion in American to be more nationalistic and protective of the US for billions of dollars in aid and aid Pakistan receives annually if he came Pakistani sovereignty than its predeces- also needs American support as it seeks a to power. sor. As a result, the US may need to work bailout from the International Monetary Former cricket star-turned politician harder to enlist Islamabad’s cooperation, Fund to shore up the government’s Imran Khan, who many analysts believe and the new Pakistani government shaky fiscal situation. The relationship will end up playing a key role in the might push for greater limits on unpopu- has been severely strained in recent opposition after the election, has been lar American drone strikes targeting years, especially following the 2011 raid even more critical of Pakistan’s relation- Taleban and al-Qaeda militants in the that killed Osama bin Laden near ship with the US, saying he would “end country. But ultimately, the final say on Pakistan’s equivalent of West Point. But it the system of American slavery.” Pakistan’s stance toward drones and has never broken down completely and But the manifesto of Khan’s party, many aspects of the relationship with has settled into a wary calm over the last Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, is more tem- Washington is in the hands of the coun- year or so. Trust is still in short supply, but pered, saying “Pakistan will endeavor to try’s powerful army. And even nationalist both sides recognize they can’t do with- have a constructive relationship with the politicians like former Prime Minister out each other. US based on Pakistan’s sovereign nation- Nawaz Sharif, the leading contender in “We have moved into a phase of al interests and international law, not on the election, recognize the need for a U.S. reduced expectations of each other, aid dependency.” alliance and are unlikely to go too far in which is good,” said Maleeha Lodhi, a for- Pakistan’s relationship with the US - disturbing it. mer Pakistani ambassador to the US “It’s and foreign policy in general - has been “I think the tagline here is different what they call the new normal.” less of a focus in the election than posturing, same substance” when it This pragmatism seems largely set to domestic issues, such as corruption, per- comes to the next government’s relation- continue, despite often pointed com- vasive energy shortages and stuttering ship with the U.S, said Moeed Yusuf, an ments by Sharif and other candidates on economic growth. expert on South Asia at the United States the campaign trail. Sharif has criticized Lodhi believes this is because the US Institute of Peace. the outgoing Pakistan People’s Party for has said it is largely pulling out of Nevertheless, it’s unclear how long selling out the country’s sovereignty in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and is Pakistan’s alliance with the U.S. can exchange for U.S. aid and likes to recount seeking a peace settlement with the remain relatively insulated from anti- how he tested Pakistan’s first nuclear Taleban - a move long advocated by the American sentiment. The May 11 vote is weapon in 1998 despite American pres- Pakistani government and supported by historic because it will mark the first sure. the main contenders in the election. transfer of power between democratical- “We will never accept any foreign “That has helped to take the edge off ly elected governments in a country that pressure,” said Sharif, head of the Pakistan negative sentiment in Pakistan which we has experienced three military coups. Muslim League-N party, during a recent saw in the last couple of years against the US officials have remained fairly quiet campaign speech. “We will have relations United States,” Lodhi said. —AP THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 INTERNATIONAL S Korea sees progress on factory row with North SEOUL: South Korea said yesterday it was spokesman for the South’s Unification banned entry by southerners, pulled out men to visit the joint industrial zone on spokesman said. “It plays roles in the edging towards a deal with North Korea Ministry told reporters. He said the South all its own 53,000 workers and rejected Tuesday for talks on its future. future of inter-Korean relations and to ensure the return of the remaining Koreans had remained at the Kaesong the South’s call for talks on the impasse. Established in 2004, Kaesong is a cru- peace and prosperity on the Korean workers at a joint industrial zone that has industrial complex “voluntarily” to resolve Tension has been high since the cial hard currency source for the impov- peninsula. become a casualty of military tensions. the issues at the North’s request, down- North, angered by fresh UN sanctions erished North, through taxes and rev- “Our position is that Kaesong industri- The last South Korean workers had all playing fears they might be held hostage. sparked by its nuclear test in February enues, and from its cut of worker wages. al district should be continuously main- been due to return from the North on The complex-built 10 kilometres (six and South-US military drills, issued a The project was born out of the tained and developed.” Pyongyang has Monday but seven remained to settle miles) north of the tense border in 2004 series of apocalyptic threats of a nuclear “Sunshine Policy” of inter-Korean concili- blamed Seoul for the deadlock. “All unresolved issues such as unpaid taxes — was once a rare symbol of inter- war against Seoul and Washington. ation initiated in the late 1990s by South Koreans will never forgive the (South’s and wages for North Korean workers, Korean cooperation but now faces the South Korean companies with inter- Korean President Kim Dae-Jung. government) if it allows the Kaesong believed to amount to millions of dollars. possibility of permanent closure. Seoul ests at Kaesong have expressed shock at “We’re not dealing with the issue of complex to collapse,” the North’s govern- “Differences are being narrowed even last week ordered all remaining South the sudden withdrawal. The North Kaesong simply from the perspective of ment newspaper, Minju Joson, said in an if the pace is slower than we expected,” a Koreans to leave after Pyongyang ignored a plea by South Korean business- economic gains,” the Unification Ministry editorial on Tuesday. —AFP

One dead, 9 hurt after new anti-Muslim riots in Myanmar Myanmar Muslims face uncertain future after attack OAKKAN: Religious violence that in the latest attacks, according to a lagers ran away. We were scared and civilian regime that took power two saw mobs attack mosques and torch local government official, who asked didn’t resist. They destroyed until years ago. homes left at least one dead in cen- not to be named. they were satisfied,” Soe Myint, 48, a President Thein Sein, who was tral Myanmar, officials said yesterday, “A 29 year old man died of his Muslim, told AFP. criticised for waiting days to speak as anti-Muslim unrest crept closer to injuries and nine others were also The mosque was seriously dam- out during the last round of vio- the commercial hub Yangon. hurt during yesterday’s violence,” he aged and around 10 homes burned, lence, is set to address the nation on A Muslim woman was among told AFP, adding that calm had been according to an AFP journalist at the Thursday morning, state media those being held after authorities restored. He said 18 people were scene. “Even we were threatened to reported late yesterday. said she accidentally bumped into a arrested over their involvement in be killed. We are also scared. We At least 43 people were killed and thousands left homeless in March in fighting apparently trig- gered by a quarrel between a Muslim gold shop owner and Buddhist customers in the central town of Meiktila. Some monks were involved in those clashes, while oth- ers are behind a nationalistic cam- paign calling for a boycott of Muslim-owned shops. Muslim resi- dents in Mie Laung Sakhan were urged to hide as the mob descend- PETALING JAYA: Supporters of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim plant flags ed on their village. along a street corner near posters of Prime Minister Najib Razak (back) in Win Hlaing said local Buddhists Petaling Jaya yesterday. Malaysia’s opposition and clean-polls activists said had tried to help their Muslim yesterday the integrity of weekend elections was in doubt after revelations neighbours. “We have been living together for a long time and have that indelible ink meant to prevent fraud was easily washed off. —AFP had no problems at all,” the 60-year- old told AFP. Last year around 200 people were killed in clashes in Malaysia’s clean-polls Rakhine state between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya-a minority treated with hostility by many pledge smudged by ink Burmese, who see them as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s opposition and contain huge numbers of unaccounted-for Human Rights Watch last week clean-polls activists said yesterday the voters and say the government has dragged accused authorities of being integrity of weekend elections was in doubt its feet on addressing such issues. involved in “ethnic cleansing” in after revelations that indelible ink meant to They also accuse the Electoral Rakhine-a claim rejected by the gov- prevent fraud was easily washed off. Commission of being in Barisan’s pocket. The ernment. An official probe into the Pressured by huge demonstrations for government has promised a clean election. YANGON: Muslim people gather near their house in Okkan where fresh anti-Muslim violence Rakhine unrest this week suggested free and fair polls in recent years, the coun- But commission officials appeared to broke out, 64 kilometers (40 miles) north of Yangon, Myanmar, yesterday. Hundreds of rampag- doubling the security presence in try’s long-ruling government is introducing acknowledge yesterday that the ink system ing Buddhists armed with bricks on Tuesday, stormed a clutch of Muslim villages in the coun- the state, and recommended keep- indelible ink in Sunday’s vote, the first in his- was not foolproof. Commission secretary try’s latest outbreak of anti-Muslim violence. —AP ing the communities apart as a tem- tory in which the opposition has a chance of Kamaruddin Baria said some officials had porary measure to prevent further winning power. failed to shake the bottles before applying young monk in the street on Tuesday the unrest and Win Win Sein, the need security urgently,” Than Soe, a violence. The United Nations yester- But reports have mounted that security the ink, meaning it could be washed off. sparking rioting in the small town of woman who had knocked into the Buddhist, told AFP. day acknowledged the report’s call personnel who took part in early voting had “This is the first time (the ink is used). I Oakkan, around 100 kilometres (60 novice monk, was also being held, A heavy security presence was for an urgent increase in humanitari- easily been able to clean off the ink, which is cannot guarantee anything,” he told AFP, but miles) north of Yangon. although he did not give a reason for visible yesterday morning in an aid to the state, where some applied to a person’s finger to show they had added that he was “confident” the commis- Myanmar is in the grip of acute her detention. Oakkan, where some 30 shops in 140,000 people are in squalid camps voted and is supposed to remain visible for sion had cleaned up the electoral roll and religious tension after a wave of Terrified villagers of both faiths the market had been destroyed and and vulnerable to the impending at least a week. there would be no multiple voting or other unrest in March that saw monks and said police were not there to protect another mosque damaged. monsoon. “Definitely we are concerned. The whole irregularities. Buddhist mobs attack Muslim areas them when a crowd attacked a local Attacks against Muslims-who UN Resident and Humanitarian integrity of the electoral process has come Maria Chin Abdullah, a member of elec- in violence that spread towards the mosque on Tuesday evening in Mie make up an estimated four percent Coordinator Bertrand Bainvel urged into question,” said veteran opposition politi- toral reform group Bersih, said the ink flap country’s main city. Laung Sakhan village, near Oakkan. of Myanmar’s population-have the government to help aid workers cian Lim Kit Siang. “(The Election Commission) “reconfirms our fear” that the government Two mosques and more than 80 “About 200 to 300 people arrived exposed deep fractures in the for- access the displaced and “take should immediately address this problem. was resisting reforms to stamp out alleged homes in four villages around in our village on motorcycles and merly junta-run country and cast a action against all forms of incite- Otherwise it will be a black mark on the com- cheating. Oakkan were damaged or destroyed destroyed the mosque. All the vil- shadow over reforms under a quasi- ment”. —AFP mission and undermine the public confidence The ruling bloc has faced numerous accu- in the results.” sations of fraud in past votes, including cases The Barisan Nasional (National Front) of voters well past 100 years old yet still listed coalition that has ruled since independence on electoral rolls, massive vote-buying and Indonesian policewomen wow in 1957 has been under pressure over army officials filling out ballots for soldiers. charges it sought to manipulate the vote Hard-fought campaigning officially got through an allegedly biased electoral sys- under way on April 20, and police have said protesters with Gangnam Style tem. more than 1,000 reports of election violence The opposition has claimed that electoral and intimidation have been made. No SURABAYA: A group of policewomen took an rolls in some closely fought constituencies deaths have yet been announced.—AFP unusual approach to crowd control at a May Day protest in Indonesia yesterday, breaking into a China’s paper warns against performance of “Gangnam Style” to keep demonstrators happy. ‘underground’ extravagance Thousands of protesters in the city of Surabaya in eastern Java cheered with excite- BEIJING: China’s top newspaper warned yes- drunk at banquets. ment as around 80 female officers did the signa- terday that some government officials were “These ways of pulling the wool over peo- ture horse-riding dance from South Korean rap- avoiding new President Xi Jinping’s graft-bust- ple’s eyes is typical of not following instruc- per Psy’s global hit. ing instructions to be frugal by taking ban- tions and not stopping what is banned,” the Some of the 5,000-strong crowd even joined quets and other lavish displays underground, commentary added. This phenomenon has in with the officers, who were wearing standard- including hiding liquor in water bottles. reminded the party of the need to strictly Since becoming Communist Party boss in enclose power “in the fence of supervision” issue dark police uniforms, sunglasses and caps. November, and president in March, Xi has and “the cage of regulation”, it said. “Such a “The crowd went wild. They were so happy, made battling pervasive corruption a top mechanism must be a long-lasting one, in and it was a great feeling to get them excited,” theme of his administration, warning the order to make corruption not only detectable, Elly Wahyuningtyas, the top female police officer problem is so severe it could threaten the par- but also impossible.” While Xi has also in the area, told AFP, adding they did the dance ty’s survival. attempted to tackle corruption in the armed twice for around half an hour. “We’d been practis- But despite his repeated admonitions for forces, for example by seeking to dismantle a ing for three days and I think it really helped officials to practice frugality and stop wasting system of privilege which has allowed the keep everyone calm and happy.” “They were all public funds, some people still have not got- drivers of military vehicles to do as they so beautiful,” she added proudly. The festive ten the message or are actively finding ways please on the roads, he has taken few other atmosphere was a contrast to other rallies in the around it, the party’s main People’s Daily said concrete steps. country, including one which attracted 55,000 in a front page commentary. “In some places There has been little apparent progress to people in Jakarta, where police were faced with the use of public money for eating and drink- get officials to publicly disclose their assets, angry workers complaining of low salaries and ing has switched from high-end hotels to pri- and the party has given no indication it will poor working conditions. vate venues and places of business ... which allow the establishment of a fully independ- Protesters held rallies around the world on has become known as ‘low-key luxury,’” the ent judicial body to tackle corruption. As well, Wednesday to call for a better deal for workers. paper said. almost no senior officials have been fired or Cases had come to light of “saunas in farm- prosecuted for graft since Xi came to power, EAST JAVA: Indonesian policewomen and demonstrators break out into a “Gangnam “Gangnam Style” was a viral sensation on the houses” and “maotai being put in mineral with the vast majority of cases which have Style” dance performance while securing a Labour Day rally in front of the city hall of Internet and in December became the first Surabaya in East Java province yesterday. —AFP water bottles”, the paper said, in reference to come to light involving lower level officials video to pass a billion views on YouTube. —AFP the fiery - and expensive - spirit traditionally with little real power. —Reuters Taleban kill senior peace envoy in south Afghanistan

KANDAHAR: Taleban fighters killed a ment. Malim Shahwali, the council’s Three policemen and an Afghan sol- Taleban minister turned peace negotia- is also due that year. senior member of Afghanistan’s peace chief in the southern province of dier were wounded, Zwak said. tor. Helmand, which is the largest pro- NATO and its partners are training council yesterday, officials said, dealing Helmand, was traveling to the violence- The attack came a day after three ducer of opium in Afghanistan, has Afghanistan’s 350,000-strong security another blow to nascent peace efforts plagued Gereshk district when insur- British soldiers were killed in a roadside been the scene of the some of the forces, though questions remain over with the insurgency. gents ambushed his convoy, said the bomb attack in Helmand. fiercest fighting between NATO-led for- how well the Afghans will be able to President Hamid Karzai formed a 70- provincial governor’s spokesman, Omar In 2011, a suicide bomber disguised eign forces and their Afghan govern- tackle the insurgency. member High Peace Council in 2010 in Zwak. as a peace envoy killed the then chair- ment allies and the Taleban. Last week, the Taleban vowed to a bid to reach a peace settlement with “First an explosion hit his convoy man of the peace council, former presi- Fear is mounting that Afghanistan start a new campaign of suicide attacks the insurgents, but little has been and then the Taleban gunmen opened dent Burhanuddin Rabbani. could be engulfed in turmoil after the on foreign military bases, diplomatic achieved, with the Taleban saying they fire, killing Malim Shahwali and two In May last year, gunmen in Kabul pullout of most NATO combat troops by areas as well as the “Karzai regime” as will not talk with the Afghan govern- bodyguards,” Zwak told Reuters. assassinated Arsala Rahmani, a former the end of 2014. A presidential election part of their spring offensive. —Reuters

14 THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 ANALYSIS

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Issues Shisha makes reappearance in Khartoum

By Ulf Laessing

or Sudanese businessman Mohamed Ali the tedium of Fthe evening hours is finally over - his favourite shisha cafe in the capital Khartoum has reopened after a two- year break. “I come here every day. I love to be here and smoke water pipe with my friends and socialise,” said Ali, sit- ting at a table in a noisy shisha cafe on the top floor of a hotel. Enormously popular across the Middle East and in North Africa, shisha smoking is frowned upon in conserva- ‘Quiet man’ Kerry’s strategy for peace tive Muslim countries such as Sudan or Saudi Arabia on “morality” grounds. By Jo Biddle Saeb Erakat played down the significance, saying: “This is not statement in Washington... and the realities of recasting the Arab Khartoum city authorities revoked the licences of shisha something new.” initiative in the Arab League as a whole? Which is why I do not cafes two years ago after radical preachers said the practice Secretary of State John Kerry is moving cautiously However, Hussein Ibish, senior fellow at the American Task understand why Kerry is crowing about this.” He cautioned the - which involves inhaling flavoured tobacco, or shisha, USand smartly towards fresh Middle East peace talks, Force on Palestine, said the statement answered “a long-standing Israelis would have a vastly different interpretation of land swaps, through a water pipe also known as a hookah or arghila - but deep distrust between all sides means success is Israeli concern about the Arab Peace Initiative which is that it is a warning about the “Israelis putting their own spin on this” and not only damaged the health but also provided unmarried far from guaranteed, analysts say. Wresting an important conces- diktat or a ‘take it or leave it offer.’” It shows the API “is a set of ideas then “the whole thing is going to be toast before it’s useful and men and women an opportunity to mix. But the realities of sion from Arab League nations on Monday that land swaps could that can be worked with. And if there are elements that the Israelis productive.” the country’s moribund business environment and econo- be on the table in any deal between Israel and the Palestinians, is want clarification on, or there are parts of it that need to be There were “very likely to be very discordant positions on bor- my since South Sudan seceded in 2011 mean it is creeping one sign of a new seriousness to resume the negotiations. But on expanded or filled in ... that is entirely possible.” While Kerry ders and security... we’re talking here about months and months back into daily life. Local authorities have allowed shisha a path littered by decades of failures and dashed hopes, Kerry appeared to be newly empowered to take up the peace process, of negotiations,” said Miller, who has advised six secretaries of smoking back in “touristic hotels and restaurants”, and they needs to tread carefully towards the US-avowed goal of a two- Ibish cautioned the two sides remained “enormously” far apart. state on Middle East peace. “I don’t think the skepticism about the tend to look the other way in some other venues. A few state solution of Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side. Miller agreed, arguing it was far from clear if Al-Thani was prospects of an agreement has ever been stronger in the past 20 large restaurants have also started to stage live music Since taking up his post on Feb 1, the new top US diplomat speaking on behalf of all the Arab League, or indeed exactly what years,” added Ibish. “On both sides people want it, but I don’t think events that they stopped with the shisha ban because some has plunged into the quagmire of the Israeli-Palestinian peace he meant. “Who knows what the lag is going to be between the they’ve ever believed in it less.” — AFP Islamists deem such performances as “haram”, or forbidden. talks which collapsed in late 2010, vowing to pursue “a quiet strat- The return of the cafes is welcome news for the young egy” to revive them. “Getting them to the table is one thing, keep- Sudanese who complain about the capital’s dull nightlife. ing them there is another... he clearly wants to figure out some While Cairo’s Nile banks bustle with diners, there are hardly concept to keep them at the table,” Aaron David Miller, vice presi- Letta to juggle demands any cafes on the river promenade in Khartoum. The dusty dent of the Wilson Center’s Middle East program, said. Kerry streets are deserted from 11 pm, when most restaurants seems to be focusing his efforts on “multiple building blocks,” By Gildas Le Roux gle room. Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose pro- and the country’s only shopping malls close. “If I don’t have Miller told AFP, including an effort to boost economic develop- tege Angelo Alfano is now deputy prime minister, said his cen- a shisha, I’m unhappy,” said Mohamed Ismail, another smok- ment in the West Bank, a push to bring other Arab nations on taly’s new coalition government has been cheered by many tre-right People of Freedom party “will not support the govern- er in the busy hotel cafe. Hotel owners hope the business of board and a bid to ensure Israeli security. “So it’s smart to be creat- at home and cautiously welcomed abroad, but faces chal- ment” if it does not keep its word on the tax. Billionaire shisha will offset a sharp drop in the occupancy rates since ing these building blocks, there’s no question about that. But I lenges to its survival, from managing rivalry between the Berlusconi had made abolishing it one of his electoral promises, southern secession. The loss of oil reserves has drained the there will be a moment where someone is going to ask to see a newly united right and left to funding growth-boosting meas- and Letta can ill afford to alienate the media magnate, who government’s coffers and hit spending on infrastructure, line on a map and there will be the so-called proverbial moment ures. Summing up the widespread hope that Prime Minister could pull his support and bring the new government down. driving away executives from China and other Asian coun- of truth.” On Monday an Arab League delegation met with Kerry Enrico Letta holds the keys to ending Italy’s crisis, Ugo Magri Letta has also promised to respect commitments made to tries who used to do a good business in Sudan. Most far from prying eyes to discuss reviving a decade-old Arab Peace wrote in La Stampa daily that the young and diplomatic pre- the European Union, though his plan is to persuade his Western firms shun Sudan due to US sanctions over its Initiative. Under the original 2002 Saudi-led plan, the League’s 22 mier had received “unanimously favourable” initial reactions. He European partners to allow him a “margin for manoeuvre” in human rights record. members would forge full diplomatic relations with Israel in is “a point of convergence for vast sectors of the political class reigning in Italy’s debt. The aim is to buy more time for the gov- “Demand for rooms is very weak. I’ve been thinking of exchange for “total withdrawal by Israel to the June 4, 1967 lines” and society”, Magri said. ernment to balance the budget, giving it room to find the bil- closing one floor,” said Majid Osman, a lawyer who owns the and the establishment of a Palestinian state. But after the talks, While not everyone approves of the deals done to bring the lions of euros needed to finance his plans for better welfare, hotel with the shisha lounge. “We have some 70 people Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani, who centre-left and right together to break months of political dead- more jobs and growth. The EU has been outwardly upbeat coming every day, spending at least 20 (Sudanese) pounds headed the delegation, announced the Arab League recognized lock - the anti-establishment Five Star Movement is in fierce about Letta’s chances, with Simon O’Connor, economic affairs ($3.20),” said Osman, who has to pay an annual fee of 5,000 the need for a “comparable and mutual agreed minor swap of the opposition - Magri’s comments captured the general sense of spokesman, saying the commission had “full confidence in the pounds for the shisha licence. “There are other places who land” to reflect the changing demographics on the ground. optimism about Letta’s prospects. However, just two days after determination of the new government to reach the objectives even sell 500 shishas every night,” he said. Mohamed Ali Kerry hailed the surprise move as a “very big step forward”. “If being sworn in, the 46-year-old leftist moderate attempted to fixed for this year. “They have said they are committed to spends $200 a month there on water pipes alone. Like oth- the Palestinians and Israelis reach a final status agreement dampen down the enthusiasm, warning Tuesday that the coun- respecting the European objectives within the stability pact,” he er regular visitors, the cafe has reserved a personal shisha between them then - 22 Arab countries and 57 Muslim countries - try had “excessive expectations”. “Reading the newspapers this said, adding however that it was too early to tell how Italy for him with his name written on it. all of them have agreed, number one, that they would consider morning I realised we have a big problem; there are excessive would do. But the relaxation of the water pipe ban doesn’t mean the conflict ended,” Kerry said. But much remains to be decided, expectations compared to the fragility of the situation,” he said. Expert Dino Pesole from Italy’s business daily Il Sole 24 Ore Khartoum is not still a very conservative place. Alcohol is including the size of the land swaps, as well as the most difficult The eurozone’s third-largest economy is in debt to the tune described Letta’s road ahead as “a real obstacle course”. banned, and those caught brewing beer at home are issues such as borders, security, the return of Palestinian refugees of some two trillion euros ($2.6 trillion) and fears linger that it Economics professor Marco Menegatti from Parma University flogged. The few tourists who make it to the capital these and the fate of Jerusalem claimed by both as their capital. could slip back into the eurozone debt crisis. On Monday, Letta said that “a lot will depend on the government’s ability to per- days would never know from walking Jumhuriya “I would not say it is a major breakthrough,” said Salman announced he would act fast to tackle the social fallout from an suade the EU that it will respect its engagements, regardless of (Republican) street now that this was once the heart of a Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center, describing it more austerity policy imposed by his predecessor Mario Monti, but requests for more time.” The problem with trying to forecast the cosmopolitan capital with a nightlife as vibrant as Dubai or as “an expression of goodwill”. “It all depends again on the Israeli details on specific measures to be taken were thin. One thing he government’s success in reversing the worst recession the Beirut today. Home to shops selling mainly cheap Chinese positions whether we really see any kind of movement or break- did promise was to suspend a controversial housing tax starting country has seen in 20 years is that “Letta remained fairly vague goods during the day and deserted and unlit at night, the through there.” The Arab League pronouncement was initially in June. The vow left many wondering how Letta would plug in his speech, and much is mere hypothesis for now,” he said. street was lined in the 60s and 70s with luxury shops selling hailed by Israeli chief negotiator, Tzipi Livni, due to hold talks with the gap, and if he would sooner or later be forced to back-ped- “The real question on everyone’s minds is: where is he going to the latest Italian fashion, delicatessen shops offering French Kerry in Washington on Thursday, as “very good news,” although dle. The premier, one of the youngest in Europe, has little wrig- get the money?” — AFP cheese - and bars and nightclubs. another official was much cooler. And chief Palestinian negotiator “Here was an ice cream parlour where you would get the same standard like in Europe,” said Omar El Fadli, showing a small stall opposite his restaurant, the Papa Costa. Further Youth voice hope for change in static politics down he points to an empty strip of land where once stood a nightclub founded by British colonial rulers who left in By Noah Browning Jaabari replies, eliciting slight smiles from the the West Bank was a riot of yellow and green around her neck, said school elections pro- 1956. “Life was completely different. It was amazing,” said judges. flags, the colours of Fatah and Hamas, on the vided an example of the healthy competition 56-year-old Fadli, who left in 1974 to study in Cambridge ar from the children who beg for Almost a third of the 4.2 million day of the student council elections last that could revive flat-lining national politics. and came back in 2005 when Sudan made peace with the change from idling cars and the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza are week. Fatah’s “Martyrs” bloc and “Muslim “We see how old officials are, how little south. “Businesses were booming. We had a large communi- F teenagers who hurl rocks at armed between 15 and 29 years old, and a third of Palestine” led by Hamas were the two main action is being taken and we see the need for ty of expatriates. Greeks, Italians, Armenians, Egyptians, who Israeli troops, a different spectacle of this youth bulge have no jobs and scant contenders to lead the 22,000-member stu- change. We, the youth in this vote, are that were mainly running businesses. Even social habits were dif- Palestinian youth is playing out in the ball- opportunity to challenge their own ageing dent body, with Hamas taking part for the change, and the different parties can at least ferent,” he said, sitting in his almost empty restaurant. “We room of a luxury Ramallah hotel. Young con- leaders, let alone Israel’s occupation, beyond first time in six years. agree on that,” she said. had entertainment, parties, weddings which started at mid- testants are gathered for a taping of “The taking to the streets. After the Islamist Hamas Both candidates made similar campaign Nearly three quarters of young people night and would go until 4 o’clock in the morning.” President”, a game show that aims to select a party’s surprise 2006 electoral win, the promises about student loans, Internet from Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank His restaurant, founded by Greek merchants in the 1950s “new leader” for the Palestinians based on Palestinian parliament has not met for six access and better classroom conditions, but are not affiliated with any party and say the initially as a bakery, is one of the few outlets from the old their views on the pressing political issues of years and fresh elections are long overdue. it was ultimately a popularity contest along factions have not earned their trust, accord- times that still exist on the street. It doesn’t serve alcohol the day. The panel of judges is made up of Following a brief civil war with President party lines. In the end, Hamas barely lost out ing to a survey of 1,851 people aged 15 to 29 anymore, of course. The booming scene was harshly curbed top officials and businessmen. Bleak Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah in 2007, Hamas now to its rival in a ballot widely seen as a barom- published this year by the Sharek Youth when late President Jaafar Nimeiri decided to introduce Palestinian realities mean whatever comes rules over Gaza while Abbas’ Palestinian eter of the Palestinian popular mood. The Forum, a local non-governmental organisa- Islamic law in 1983, closing all bars and banning alcohol. out of the contest to be “The President” will Authority governs the Israeli-occupied West real platforms of Fatah and Hamas are poles tion. Almost two-thirds believe a combina- “They took it (the alcohol) by truck loads and dropped it have only symbolic significance. The winner Bank. Abbas, 78, has outstayed his mandate apart, conceded Bassem Sati, 24, as he milled tion of Israel’s policies and internal politics into the Nile,” said Fadli, laughing. will be “ambassador for a day” at one of the by four years and has no clear rival or succes- around the campus with a bandana of will doom efforts to establish a Palestinian What little was left of the nightlife was snuffed out in the Palestinian missions in Europe, among other sor after Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Hamas’s trademark green over his shoulders. state. But a slim majority also said they 1989 Islamist revolution of President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, prizes. resigned this month. Fatah officials in recent years explored the believed Palestinian youth have the ability to which made Sudan in the 90s a haven for Islamic militants But it’s a rare chance for a frustrated and In the meantime, real wages have idea of creating a vice-presidency under bring about change. such as Osama bin Laden.— Reuters marginalized generation to air their views. declined by around 8 percent since 2006 and Abbas, hoping to avoid having to devolve It’s unclear how much longer they can Hanan Ashrawi, a veteran of the Palestine a third of Palestinian homes do not have power to the Hamas speaker of parliament, retain that optimism, however. Despite the Liberation Organization (PLO), asks a contest- secure, reliable access to food, the United as per Palestinian law, if something should ambition and enthusiasm on display on the All articles appearing on these ant in the Gaza Strip, on which Israel has Nations says. Youth despair of ever having happen to the ageing president. The drive set of “The President”, a different reality is the pages are the personal opinion of imposed a tight blockade, about the smug- control over their futures. “We’re a people was ultimately dropped. rule on the Palestinian street. Local people the writers. Kuwait Times takes no gling of goods from neighbouring Egypt. under occupation. We feel failure while Most Palestinians feel the split in their gathered at a mosque in the town of al-Ram “What about the tunnels between Egypt and hunger and unemployment rise. We see cor- leadership has distracted them from the real in March were attending the funeral of a resi- responsibility for views expressed Gaza, what would you do about that?” she ruption and foreign aid distracting our lead- struggle - coming up with a national strategy dent who medics said was killed by an Israeli therein. Kuwait Times invites read- asked of the trade, which bypasses both ers,” contestant Maher al-Komi, 25, from the to confront Israel’s occupation. “We hope the teargas round fired into his taxi during clash- ers to voice their opinions. Please Israeli and Palestinian officials. “Well, the West Bank city of Hebron, told Reuters. “I will of the youth will bring Fatah and Hamas es between soldiers and youths. As the goods going through them create an illicit have a degree in media but I work in a corner together. Of course, we want Fatah’s focus on corpse was carried toward the cemetery, a send submissions via email to: opin- economy which isn’t taxed and take away store. I hope my speaking on this show will negotiations to give ground to our choice of young man in a football jersey wrapped a [email protected] or via snail government revenue,” answers Jihad Al- make those in charge realize the problems of resistance,” Sati said. “An uprising will give us shawl over his face so only his eyes were visi- mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait. Jaabari, who is taking part in the show via a youth and make changes,” he said. suffering and attacks from the Israelis, but we ble. He and his friends were preparing again The editor reserves the right to edit remote connection from Gaza. “Do you speak While Palestinian politics may be in a need it to gain our freedom, and we are for a street battle, trading rocks for Israeli sol- Hebrew?” an Arab member of the Israeli leg- moribund condition at the national level, the ready to sacrifice,” he added. diers’ bullets. “If I die, good, I welcome that. I any submission as necessary. islature, Ahmed Tibi, chimes in. “No...but it’s paralysis has not stifled youthful debate, Mervat Abu Hijleh, sporting a T-shirt and would be dying for our martyr and our peo- important to learn the enemy’s language,” however. The main university of Nablus in Fatah’s black and white chequered headscarf ple,” he said. — Reuters SPORTS THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Singh cleared of doping We’re not just the warm-up F1 wary of ‘Vettel effect’ TORONTO: Vijay Singh has been cleared of doping by the PGA Tour despite admit- act, New Zealand tell England SILVERSTONE: British Formula One Grand Prix organisers are counting on Lewis Hamilton ting that he used a spray containing elements of a banned substance. LONDON: New Zealand coach Mike Hesson warned England yester- and Jenson Button producing the goods in the next few races to boost ticket sales dented Although he never failed a drugs test, Singh was deemed to have breached golf’s day not to treat his side as the starter before they tuck into the main by a ‘Vettel effect’. Sebastian Vettel has won the last three championships in succession for rules on doping when he told Sports Illustrated earlier this year he had used deer course of the Ashes series against Australia. Red Bull and the 25-year-old German leads the standings again as the only driver to have antler spray. The spray was found to have contained small extracts of IGF-1, a growth England host New Zealand for two tests, the first at Lord’s starting won twice in four races so far. McLaren’s Button, the last world champion before Vettel, hormone on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of prohibited substances. on May 16 and the second in Leeds on May 24, before playing back- has finished no higher than fifth this season while Hamilton, the 2008 champion, has had The PGA Tour imposed a sanction on Singh following his admission but the Fijian to-back Ashes series later this year. two third places since he moved to Mercedes. Silverstone managing director Richard appealed, saying he was unaware the spray contained any banned “These are two hugely important test matches for us,” British Phillips said on Wednesday that ticket sales for the June 30 race were down nearly 10 per- substances. media quoted Hesson as saying. “We’re making progress as a test side cent on last year, when 297,000 people attended over the three and certainly won’t like to be the entree for the main course later in He was later cleared when WADA informed the PGA Tour the use days despite flooded campsites and torrential downpours. the season. “England’s record in England in recent times has been of deer antler spray was not prohibited unless a positive test result- “If you look at the cycle on selling tickets...on the Monday outstanding. It’s a tough place to tour and we know that we’ve got to after a grand prix Sunday you tend to see a spike. The ed. “Based on this new information, and given WADA’s lead role in be on the top of our game.” interpreting the Prohibited List, the Tour deemed it only fair to no weekend we had Lewis on the podium there was a spike The tour also includes three one-dayers before the International and when you see Vettel there is less of a spike,” he told longer treat Mr. Singh’s use of deer antler spray as a violation of the Cricket Council’s one-day Champions Trophy tournament and ends Reuters, referring to demand for tickets for the British Tour’s anti-doping program,” the PGA said in a statement released with two Twenty20 internationals. It comes less than two months Grand Prix. “I think the needle-movers (for sales) are going to on Tuesday. “Since his initial quote was made public, Singh after underdogs New Zealand drew a three-test series against be basically ‘not Vettel’. Britain had the biggest crowd of the has cooperated with the Tour investigation and has been England at home, having got to within a wicket of achieving a season last year, with a record race day attendance of completely forthcoming and honest. remarkable 1-0 series victory over the world’s second-ranked side late 127,000 and more people turning out on a Friday than on “While there was no reason to believe that Singh on the final day. “I’ve tried to forget about that game to be honest, a Sunday in some parts of the world where Formula knowingly took a prohibited substance, the PGA Tour especially the end of it,” Hesson said. One has no tradition. Eight of the 11 teams are based Anti-Doping Program clearly states that players are “We felt we dominated but that’s the game. These two tests will be in Britain, including champions Red Bull, and last responsible for use of a prohibited substance regard- tough in very different conditions. We gained a lot of confidence, but year saw seven different winners in the first seven less of intent.”—Reuters it was a series in isolation and we can’t get carried away.” —Reuters races. —Reuters Tigers thrash Twins

DETROIT: Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder each hit a two- run homer, Justin Verlander pitched seven strong innings and the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 6-1 Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory. Verlander (3-2) allowed a run and five hits. He struck out eight and walked two. Vance Worley (0-4) gave up six runs and 10 hits in 4 2-3 innings, raising his ERA to 7.22. Cabrera opened the scoring with his fourth homer of the year, and Fielder’s seventh was part of a three-run fifth. Alex Avila also went deep for Detroit. Tigers pitchers struck out 10 - reaching that mark for the fifth straight game. That equals the longest streak by an American League team since at least 1921. The major league record since then is eight games by the Milwaukee Brewers last August, according to STATS.

ATHLETICS 10, ANGELS 6 In Oakland, Yoenis Cespedes drove in four runs, Seth Smith knocked in three with a bases-loaded double and Oakland beat Los Angeles. One night after outlasting the Angels 10-8 in a 19-inning classic that lasted 61/2 hours, the A’s defeated Los Angeles for the fifth consecutive time this season. Jarrod Parker (1-4) pitched into the seventh for Oakland, which has won 13 straight against AL West teams. Mike Trout drove in four runs and Mark Trumbo homered for the second straight game for the Angels. Los Angeles fell to 9-17, the worst start in franchise history. The Angels are 0-5 against Oakland for the first time since 1990. Garrett Richards (1-2) gave up seven runs in 5 2-3 innings.

BLUE JAYS 9, RED SOX 7 In Toronto, Edwin Encarnacion hit an upper-deck homer in the fifth inning, then connected for a go-ahead shot in the seventh that sent Toronto over Boston. The Blue Jays ended a four-game losing streak and avoided the first 18-loss April in club history. David Ortiz homered and drove in four runs for Boston, which had won five in a row and was trying for its first 19-win April. ATLANTA: Braves starting pitcher Tim Hudson works in the first inning of the Braves’ Mike Carp and Jonny Gomes also connected for the Red baseball game against the Washington Nationals. — AP Sox, who head into May with the best record in the majors for the 11th time in team history. Braves pound Nationals Encarnacion’s pair of two-run shots marked the 10th multi- homer game of his career and second this season. He has nine home runs this year. ATLANTA: Tim Hudson was a dual threat in for the Brewers, who won their ninth Encarnacion became the 14th player to reach the upper DETROIT: Tigers’ Prince Fielder swings on a two-run home run during the fifth inning his 200th career win, combining with straight against Pittsburgh. They improved deck in left field at Rogers Centre, tagging starter Jon Lester. of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins. — AP Anthony Varvaro on a three-hitter while to 46-7 at Miller Park against the Pirates Toronto trailed 7-6 when Encarnacion homered off Junichi Dickerson had his first two RBIs of the season Philadelphia had won three in a row adding a homer and a double to lead the since the start of 2007. Tazawa (2-1). Steve Delabar (2-1) got two outs for the win. with a two-run single in the sixth. before Roy Halladay (2-3) got tagged for eight Atlanta Braves to an 8-1 win over the Andrew McCutchen homered and had Casey Janssen finished for his seventh save in as many Jason Hammel (4-1) pitched into the sixth runs and nine hits in 3 2-3 innings. Activated Washington Nationals on Tuesday night. four hits for Pittsburgh. After Tom chances. inning. A high pitch count ended his night from the disabled list before the game, Hudson (3-1) dominated the Nationals Gorzelanny (1-0) escaped a two-on, none- YANKEES 7, ASTROS 4 despite a 6-0 lead. Maurer (2-4) lasted four Delmon Young homered in his first at-bat for through seven innings, striking out six, out jam in the seventh, Yuniesky In New York, Hiroki Kuroda settled in after a rocky start to innings, giving up four runs and six hits. the Phillies. walking two and giving up one run. The 37- Betancourt lined his sixth home run of the pitch four-hit ball through seven innings, Travis Hafner had Michael Morse hit his eighth home run for the Cleveland’s first five homers were two-run year-old also led off the second with a dou- year off Pirates reliever Bryan Morris (0-1). three RBI singles and New York used small ball to beat Mariners. shots. Carlos Santana, Mark Reynolds and ble to left field off Gio Gonzalez (2-2) and Weeks, who began the night batting .167, Houston. Lonnie Chisenhall homered off Halladay, then hit a fifth-inning homer off Zach Duke. The hit his second homer of the season in the Lyle Overbay homered for the banged-up Bronx Bombers, INTERLEAGUE Raburn and Michael Brantley connected off Braves won their ninth straight against eighth. who bounced back from a 9-1 loss to the Astros on Monday. INDIANS 14, PHILLIES 2 Chad Durbin. Washington, dating to last season. New York took advantage of Phil Humber’s four wild pitches In Cleveland, Ryan Raburn homered twice Raburn and Drew Stubbs hit back-to-back Andrelton Simmons had three hits, DODGERS 6, ROCKIES 2 and a couple of close calls at first base to score its first four for the second straight game and Cleveland shots in the seventh against Raul Valdes. The including a homer to lead off the first In Los Angeles, Hyun-Jin Ryu had a runs without an extra-base hit. hit seven home runs in all to rout Indians fell one homer short of the franchise inning for Atlanta. Freddie Freeman had career-best 12 strikeouts in six innings and Kuroda (4-1) threw 67 pitches in the first three innings, put- Philadelphia. record. three singles and three RBIs, and Evan Hanley Ramirez homered in his first start of ting at least two runners on in each one. But just as he did in The Indians set a major league high this Given a 12-1 lead in the fifth, Zach Gattis drove in two runs with two hits. the season, leading Los Angeles over his previous start, he got into a better rhythm and retired 14 season for homers in a game. Cleveland has McAllister (2-3) coasted. He gave up two runs Hudson’s homer was the third of his Colorado. of his final 15 batters. won three in a row, outscoring opponents 33- in seven innings on solo homers by Young career and first since June 20, 2011 against Carlos Gonzalez gave the Rockies a 1-0 The right-hander won his fourth consecutive decision, 5 during that span. and Chase Utley. — AP Toronto. He became the third active pitcher lead in the first with a homer - but it didn’t matching a career best. Mariano Rivera got one out for his 10 with 200 wins, joining Andy Pettitte (248) last. After giving up the home run to straight save to start the season. and Roy Halladay (201). Hudson is 200-105 Gonzalez, Ryu (3-1) retired 14 of the next Ichiro Suzuki had three of the 15 hits for the Yankees, who in his career, including 92 wins while with 15 batters he faced. His 12 strikeouts were put Kevin Youkilis on their star-studded disabled list with a Oakland from 1999-2004. Gonzalez lasted the most by a Dodgers rookie since Hideo lumbar spine sprain. only four innings, allowing five runs on sev- Nomo fanned 13 on Aug. 20, 1995. Ryu, Chris Carter hit a two-run homer for Houston and Jose en hits and five walks. Matt Kemp, Adrian Gonzalez and Jerry Altuve had a two-run double. Humber (0-6) was lifted after the Hairston Jr. all drove in runs for the sixth trailing 4-0. GIANTS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1 Dodgers. In Phoenix, Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run Jorge De La Rosa (2-3) worked four ROYALS 8, RAYS 2 homer with one out in the top of the ninth innings for the Rockies, giving up six In Kansas City, James Shields made a stellar first start to lead San Francisco to a win over Arizona. earned runs on 11 hits with two walks and against his former team and Mike Moustakas hit a two-run Arizona starter Trevor Cahill left after a strikeout. He fell to 0-8 in his career homer to lead Kansas City over Tampa Bay. allowing a leadoff single to Angel Pagan, against the Dodgers. Shields (2-2) allowed a two-run shot to Matt Joyce in the the Giants’ fourth hit against the right-han- first inning, but only three more hits over the next six. The der. J.J. Putz (2-1) came on for Arizona and MARLINS 2, METS 1 right-hander struck out seven in the kind of dominant per- struck out Marco Scutaro, and quickly went In Miami, Juan Pierre scored standing up formance that the Royals were hoping for when they acquired ahead 0-1 on Sandoval, who sent the next on a wild pitch with none out in the ninth him in December. pitch into the stands in right. and Miami came from behind in the final The Royals trailed 2-1 in the sixth when Moustakas’ first It was Putz’s fourth blown save in nine inning for the second consecutive game to homer of the year gave them the lead. Kansas City added chances. Sandy Rosario (1-0) recorded the beat reeling New York. another run to chase starter Alex Cobb (3-2), and three more last out of the eighth for his first career win, Jeremy Hefner (0-3) took a 1-0 lead and off reliever Brandon Gomes in the seventh. and Sergio Romo pitched the ninth for his a three-hitter into the ninth inning but The Royals finished 14-10 in April, a dramatic improvement 10th save. couldn’t get another out for the Mets, who from the 6-15 mark they carried into May a year ago. Tampa have dropped six straight games. Hefner Bay dropped to 4-10 on the road. CARDINALS 2, REDS 1 had a career-high eight strikeouts and low- In St. Louis, Matt Holliday hit a two-run ered his ERA from 5.14 to 3.72. RANGERS 10, WHITE SOX 6 homer, Jaime Garcia continued his mastery An intentional walk loaded the bases In Arlington, Yu Darvish overcame a shaky start for his fifth of Cincinnati with eight strong innings and before Mets reliever Brandon Lyon’s first victory in April and Texas backed him with plenty of big hits St. Louis snapped a three-game losing pitch to Greg Dobbs was a low breaking against Chicago. streak. ball that got away from Recker, allowing Darvish (5-1) struck out nine in six innings, but the game Garcia (3-1) gave up one run on seven Pierre to score. Ryan Webb (1-1) pitched a was tied when he threw the last of his 108 pitches. He leads hits, struck out three and did not walk a perfect ninth to get the win. the majors with 58 strikeouts in 38 2-3 innings. batter. The left-hander improved to 7-0 in The Rangers scored six times in the sixth to break it open. eight starts against the Reds at Busch PADRES 13, CUBS 7 Mitch Moreland, who had three hits, delivered a go-ahead Stadium and is 9-2 overall against them. He In Chicago, Carlos Quentin homered double and Adrian Beltre capped the burst with a two-run retired the last seven batters he faced and and drove in three runs and San Diego bat- homer. The bases were loaded when Beltre got to the plate recorded 18 ground ball outs. Edward tered Edwin Jackson in a win over Chicago. before two wild pitches by Nate Jones allowed two runs. Mujica struck out the side in the ninth for Edinson Volquez (2-3) worked 5 2-3 Nelson Cruz and Jeff Baker homered on consecutive pitch- his fifth save in as many chances. Bronson innings, allowing four runs while striking es from White Sox starter Jose Quintana. Adam Dunn hit his Arroyo (2-3) allowed two runs on six hits out three in his first outing against Chicago sixth homer for Chicago. Dewayne Wise, who entered in an 0- over seven innings for the Reds, whose win while with San Diego. Volquez is 5-0 in sev- for-15 slide, was 4 for 4 with a home run after being a late streak ended at three games. en career starts against the Cubs, including addition to the lineup. Matt Lindstrom (1-2) took the loss. 3-0 at Wrigley Field. BREWERS 12, PIRATES 8 Quentin was 3 for 4 with the home run ORIOLES 7, MARINERS 2 In Milwaukee, Rickie Weeks broke out of and two doubles. He is 34 for 101 (.337) In Seattle, Nate McLouth hit a leadoff homer and Baltimore a season-long slump with a three-run with nine homers against the Cubs in his battered Seattle rookie Brandon Maurer for four runs in the homer and five RBIs to lead Milwaukee over career. Jackson (0-4) went 4 2-3 innings, first inning. Pittsburgh. Weeks finished with three hits giving up 11 hits and eight runs. — AP Matt Wieters added a two-run double in the first and Chris SPORTS THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Daley’s long, hard road to Players Championship

CHARLOTTE: Joe Daley learned at rookie orientation man,” he said. “It’s pretty cool.” To put some of that the prize money was paid in cash in the back room of He went to South America and South Africa, wherever that as a PGA Tour member, he had access to the vast into perspective, the winner of The Players a pro shop. He remembers his first U.S. Open at he could find a place to play. His two years on the TPC network. He was at tour headquarters that week Championship gets $1.71 million. Pebble Beach in 2000, where he followed an 83 with a PGA Tour (1996 and 1998) brought him career earn- and wasted no time taking advantage of this perk, That’s nearly as much as Daley’s earnings ($1.96 69 and still missed the cut. Looking for a place to play ings of $155,532 - about what Marcel Siem earned for sneaking out to play the TPC Sawgrass and holing out million) in two decades playing the PGA Tour, the a few years ago when he turned 50, Daley played a his tie for 10th in the Texas Open - so he toiled in the from the 10th fairway for eagle. That was December Champions Tour and what is now called the Web.com developmental tour in Carolina and tied for third minor leagues. If he ever felt like giving up, Daley 1995. Ben Crenshaw was the Masters champion. Tiger Tour. Other than his two wins in the minor leagues while walking and carrying his own bag. leaned on a friend in Virginia Beach, Va., an account- Woods was a two-time US Amateur champion in his and his one big win on the Champions Tour, the high- “We still love the journey,” he said. “And it’s been a ant who left a standing offer of a job along with a second year at Stanford. lights have been limited. cool journey.” This much can be said of Daley: He subtle hint. Daley could not have imagined it would take him Daley, who didn’t start chasing his dream until he devotes all his energy into whatever he is doing, and “He said, ‘If you ever get tired of that, I’ll put you to more than 17 years to get back to Sawgrass, and cer- was 32, remembers the first time he played a PGA it took him awhile to realize that all he wanted was to work. But there are millions of people who would tainly not under these circumstances. He finally Tour event. He was a Monday qualifier for the old play golf for a living. He was a walk on for the golf love to do what you’re doing,’” Daley said. “After every returns next week, at 52 the oldest player to make his Anheuser-Busch Classic at Kingsmill, made the cut team at Old Dominion and earned his degree in year, I asked my wife, ‘Are you cool with this, honey?’ debut in The Players Championship. “I’ve played a lot and wound up getting paired with Curtis Strange in finance. Having spent so much time around country And she always said yes.” Daley made just over $1 mil- of courses between then and now,” Daley said. The the third round. “I had to remember to breathe on the clubs as a kid - first as a caddie, then in the kitchen, lion in all his years in the minor leagues, not much most significant course was Fox Chapel in Pittsburgh, first tee,” he said. later as a waiter - he decided to put his college stud- considering all the hotel rooms and the miles he put where last July he won the Seniors Players He was playing in the final round at the Greater ies to use. on four used cars. Championship by two shots over Tom Lehman to Milwaukee Open in 1996 when a 20-year-old making Daley’s specialty was credit management, a career He was driven by pure passion. He learned the val- earn a spot in The Players Championship, the tourna- his pro debut - Woods - had a hole-in-one. And, in that was going along fine except that he didn’t have ue of working hard, eating right and getting plenty of ment with the strongest field and richest purse. 2000, he became the image of all that can go wrong much time to play amateur events. In an era of hostile rest. He studied other players and was honest about That he never played Sawgrass except for that at Q-school, which even now might be what Daley is takeovers, his company was bought and then stream- his own shortcomings as a player. For 20 years, he casual round is not surprising. Daley only had two full remembered for the most. He rapped in a 4-foot par lined. Daley hated the idea of laying off people, so he tried to figure out how to get better after every round years on the PGA Tour. He spent 10 full years in the putt that dropped into the bottom of the cup at such quit and worked for a small company as a credit man- and every tournament. After winning the Senior minors, long enough to play under three umbrella an angle that it popped back out. Daley was so ager. “I still wanted to play golf for a living,” he said. “I Players, he said in his press conference, “I’m my own sponsors - Nike Tour, Buy.com Tour and Nationwide stunned that he flung his cap to the ground. He figured out I needed to be in better shape. So I saved competition. Have been for years.” Such is the nature Tour. When he turned 50, he had to Monday qualify wound up missing his card by one shot. “I’ve had peo- up some money and quit my job in ‘92, got on a flight of golf, and why Daley loves this game so much. One for Champions Tour events. He finally got his big ple overseas says, ‘I know you.’ And that happened 12 and flew to Vancouver and qualified for the Canadian of the greatest appeals of golf is the process of get- break with a 66-64 weekend in the Senior PGA years ago,” Daley said with a laugh. There are other Tour. I went broke and went back to Florida.” His wife, ting better. It’s what keeps him going even at 52. He Championship to tie for fourth, which make him eligi- highlights only Daley would appreciate. Like the time Carol, was a teacher. Daley took a job as a banquet knows that a positive attitude and hard work can go a ble for the Senior Players. he joined a group that included Woody Austin and waiter at night, allowing him to play, practice and go long way, even if he had to wait a long time for it to And here he is. “It’s a lot of years of hard work, Doug Dunakey for a tour into South America, where to the gym in the day. He tried (and failed) Q-school. pay off. — AP Armstrong case could Blues, Blackhawks and Ducks hinge on USPS benefit AUSTIN: Lance Armstrong is facing the federal using to pursue Armstrong. “They’ve got to win as NHL playoffs begin government in a legal fight with tens of mil- know they’ve got a squishy case on damages.” lions of dollars at stake, and a loss could bank- Paul Scott, an attorney for Floyd Landis, the ST. LOUIS: St. Louis’ Alex Steen stole the puck from rupt the cyclist who until last year ranked former Armstrong teammate who brought the goalie Jonathan Quick behind the net and scored to among the wealthiest and most popular ath- whistle-blower lawsuit and would get a cut of give the Blues a 2-1 overtime victory over the letes in the world. any damages awarded, dismissed the argu- defending NHL champions, the Los Angeles Kings, Armstrong’s best chance at protecting his ment that the Postal Service wasn’t damaged. as the playoffs got underway on Tuesday. personal fortune may rest in convincing a jury “It was all a fraud,” Scott said. “US Postal would The Chicago Blackhawks also won 2-1 in over- the government has already earned plenty not have paid a dime if they had known the from him, regardless of whether he cheated to truth.” Armstrong was sued first by Landis, who time, downing the Minnesota Wild, while the win the Tour de France and lied to cover it up. admits participating with Armstrong in the Anaheim Ducks won 3-1 over the Detroit Red Wings Armstrong is being sued by the US Justice team doping program. The Justice Department as all three home teams won. Department to recover at least the $40 million announced in February it would join the case St. Louis’ Steen scored unassisted on a backhan- the U.S. Postal Service paid to sponsor his and filed its formal complaint on April 23. der at 13:26 of overtime, less than a minute after the team, claiming Armstrong was “unjustly Landis and the government allege Armstrong, Blues had been reduced by one man when defense- enriched” by using steroids and other drugs to Postal Service cycling team director Johan man Kevin Shattenkirk was whistled for high stick- win the Tour de France seven times. Bruyneel and the team ownership company, ing. Steen also scored on a power play in the first Armstrong’s legal team says the benefits Tailwind Sports Inc., committed fraud by period for the Blues, who ended an eight-game los- the Postal Service reaped from putting its engaging in a doping program that was ing streak against the team that swept them in the name on Armstrong’s jersey was worth far against cycling rules. second round last spring. more than that. The Postal Service commis- Armstrong has publicly admitted doping. Quick, last year’s playoff MVP, made 35 saves in sioned four studies that said the contract was Bruyneel has challenged the US Anti-Doping regulation, keeping the Kings in it long enough for worth more than $100 million in worldwide Agency’s report on the team doping program Justin Williams to score the tying goal with just 31.6 exposure for the agency at a time it was trying and is awaiting an arbitration hearing separate seconds left in regulation, but rued holding the puck to boost its brand. Armstrong could still settle from the lawsuit. Ben Vernia, a Washington long enough for Steen to score the winner. “You try the case before going to trial, which likely attorney who specializes in federal whistle- to force it and I tried to give my D-men a little more ST. LOUIS: Jonathan Quick No. 32 of the Los Angeles Kings stretches prior to the beginning of would not start until 2014. Previous settlement blower lawsuits, said Armstrong’s case was time with the puck,” Quick said. “I tried to make a overtime against the St. Louis Blues in Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals talks broke down this year. If it goes to trial, unusual because it deals with a government good decision and he got a stick on it.” Game 2 of during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. — AFP experts say the government will likely have an agency that paid for publicity instead of some- easy time proving Armstrong committed fraud thing more tangible like an airplane part or the series will be played today. while Marian Hossa also scored for Chicago. The and Francois Beauchemin added an empty-netter for by violating his contract. But proving financial specific service that wasn’t delivered. “We had a chance to win the game, everybody Blackhawks finally put the game away when Johnny the second-seeded Ducks. They hung on in the final damages could be far more difficult and the “Engine parts are easy to quantify,” Vernia was focused on doing that,” Kings center Anze Oduya chipped the puck off the boards to Viktor minutes of the opener in just their second playoff stakes are huge because the False Claims Act said. “In this case, did (Postal Service) get the Kopitar said. “Unfortunately, we gave up what obvi- Stalberg on the right side. Stalberg then dished it to series in four years. The 42-year-old Selanne came up allows the government to seek triple damages. benefit of the bargain?” The agency was the ously shouldn’t happen, can’t happen.” Bickell on the two-on-one rush in front for the win- with yet another huge goal for the Pacific Division “They are going to have to get creative,” lead sponsor for Armstrong’s team from 1998- In Chicago, Bryan Bickell scored in overtime on a ner at 16:35 of overtime. Anaheim veteran Teemu champions, putting a perfectly placed one-timer said Dallas attorney Michael Orwig, a former 2004, a span that included six of Armstrong’s two-on-one rush as the Blackhawks escaped with a Selanne scored a memorable power-play goal early over Jimmy Howard’s shoulder while gliding back- federal prosecutor who has handled lawsuits seven Tour victories that have now been narrow victory over Minnesota after a dominant reg- in the third period to put the hosts in front and the ward. Howard stopped 24 shots and Daniel Cleary filed under the same statute the government is stripped away. —AP ular season. Goalie Corey Crawford settled down Ducks went on to beat Detroit. Jonas Hiller made 21 scored on a power play for the Red Wings in their after allowing a weak goal in the opening minutes, saves, Nick Bonino also scored a power-play goal, 22nd consecutive postseason appearance. — AP Int’l Grand Prix a huge success

By Abdellatif Sharaa 3- Shooter/ JAY NEVILLE - Third Place from: UK

KUWAIT: President of the Arab Shooting Federation, vice Third: Compack Sporting Event Junior category president of Kuwait Shooting Sport Federation Eng. Duaij 1- Shooter/ TALAL ALRASHIDI - First Place from: KUWAIT Khalaf Al-Otaibi said, during the closing ceremony of the 2- Shooter/ MOHAMMAD ALHAMMLI - Second Place from: International Sporting Grand Prix in Kuwait that the tourna- KUWAIT ment enjoyed the participation of well established shooters who came to Kuwait to compete for the honor of winning in Fourth: Compack Sporting event Ladies category the first tournament of its kind in Asia. 1- Shooter/ AFRAH ADEL - First Place from: KUWAIT He said, we in Kuwait were honored to meet our guests 2- Shooter/ LAMAN NUSHRANOVA - Second Place and hope that we succeeded in organizing it the way that all from: AZERBIAJAN expected, adding that we hope to get the opportunity to 3- Shooter/ FOTOUH ADIL - Third Place from: KUWAIT organize it again here at Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex. Al-Otaibi thanked Sheikh Salman Sabah Open category Fifth: Compack sporting Event Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah for his support during the 1- Shooter/ TALAL ALRASHIDI - First Place from: KUWAIT organization of the tournament. 2- Shooter/ ILHAM MAHMUDOV- Second Place from: Al-Otaibi congratulated the winners and wished those AZERBAIJAN who missed out success in coming tournaments. Meanwhile 3- Shooter/ JOHN POOL - Third Place from: UK Al-Otaibi thanked HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Awarding Ceremony of the sporting grand prix of Kuwait . Jaber, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad and HH First: Sporting Grand Prix Super Veterans category the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah for their 1- Shooter/ JEAN FRANCOIS PALINKAS - first Place from: support of the sport of shooting. FRANCE 2- Shooter/ AMATO PAOLO - Second Place from: ITALY 3- Shooter/ WILLIS BRAIN - third Place from: UK

Second: Sporting Grand Prix event Veterans category 1- Shooter/ JOHN POOL - First Place from: UK 2- Shooter/ JAY NEVILLE - Third Place from: UK 3- Shooter/ JOHN SMITH - Second Place from: UK Fourth: Sporting Grand Prix event Ladies category 1- Shooter/ AFRAH ADEL - First Place from: KUWAIT 2- Shooter/ FOTOUH ADIL - Third Place from: KUWAIT shooting sport. He said Kuwait shooters showed great skills 1- Shooter/ JEAN FRANCOIS PALINKAS - first Place from: 3- Shooter/ LAMAN NUSHRANOVA - Second Place and their results indicate that. Palinkas concluded by saying FRANCE from: AZERBIAJAN that the International Sporting Shooting Federation is looking 2- Shooter/ AMATO PAOLO - Second Place from: ITALY forward to organize other tournaments in Kuwait, which has 3- Shooter/ WILLIS BRAIN - third Place from: UK Open category Fifth: Sporting Grand Prix Event one of the best shooting ranges in the world. 1- Shooter/ Abdullah Alrashidi - First Place from: KUWAIT Second: Compack sporting event Veterans category 2- Shooter/ PETRI KOKKONEN - Second Place from: FIN- Results of the tournament are as follows: 1- Shooter/ JOHN POOL - First Place from: UK LAND First: Compack sporting Super Veterans category 2- Shooter/ JOHN SMITH - Second Place from: UK 3- Shooter/ TERO RANTONEN - Third Place from: FINLAND

Al-Otaibi awards Talal Al-Rashidi Meanwhile President of the International Sporting Shooting Federation Jan Francois Palinkas lauded the good organization of this tournament which is held for the first time in Asia. He also thanked Sheikh Salman Al-Humoud Al- Sabah and Eng. Duaij Al-Otaibi for the efforts that made the Grand Prix a success. Palinkas gave special thanks to Kuwait referees who performed very well during the tournament Al-Otaibi hands Abdallah Al-Rashidi his trophy Palinkas receives a plaque from Al-Otaibi Talal Al-Rashidi, Jean Palinkas, Abdullah Rashidi although this was the first time for them to officiate such a SPORTS THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Russian bank to sponsor Europe-wide students league

MOSCOW: Russian basketball officials, impressed interest in joining the ISBL’s division in the Far East. leges and universities,” he said. North American sports after working in Canada for by the college game’s huge popularity in the United In all, we think 30 or 32 teams would be an optimal “Students are a young, dynamic group of people, several years. States, hope to imitate their former Cold War adver- number.” many of whom will become political and business “I’ve even played basketball in one of Canada’s saries by creating a Europe-wide student league. Officials and business people in several sports, leaders in their respective countries in the future. amateur leagues so I know their model pretty well. Formed last September with the help of Russia’s such as soccer, have recently announced plans to We want to be associated with such an audience.” Ours is a bit different. It’s more suited for Europe. second-largest bank VTB, the International Students create a joint league, bringing neighboring coun- College basketball is a billion-dollar business in We want the ISBL to resemble basketball’s Basketball League (ISBL) has quickly grown into a tries together. the United States. The National Collegiate Athletic Euroleague, but for students.” top-notch competition, with 26 collegiate teams In December, several top Russian soccer clubs, Association (NCAA) championship, culminating All of the ISBL’s expenses are covered by VTB and from the Baltics to the Far East taking part. including champions Zenit St Petersburg, big- with the Final Four, draws thousands of fans, with other commercial partners while teams only pay for “We have teams from Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, spending Anzhi Makhachkala and CSKA Moscow, millions glued to their TV sets. their travel. The league is also discussing a plan to Lithuania, Kazakhstan and even China competing,” unhappy with the way the domestic game is run, The ISBL’s inaugural Final Four, staged at the allow professional players to participate, hoping such ISBL chief and VTB senior vice-president Andrei unveiled a plan to break away from Russia’s top Tallinn University of Technology over the weekend, a move would significantly improve its level of play. Peregudov told Reuters in an interview. flight and start a joint venture with neighbouring was a much smaller affair, with the hosts beating “We’re not talking about top international players. I “Next season, we’re adding teams from Belarus Ukraine as early as next year. Peregudov said he has the Moscow Academy of Physical Culture in the don’t think our league would be of much interest to and Latvia. We hope Finland and Sweden will also a different idea. final in front of a few hundred spectators. them. But those third-fourth line players who usually take part. We also negotiating with schools from “As a bank, as a business, we obviously don’t “Well, the NCAA championship is what you call a spend time warming the bench would get enough Serbia and Spain about their participation. want just to spend money, we want to get some- benchmark for us in terms of a business structure,” playing in our league,” Peregudov said. “Of course, all “Japan and South Korea have also expressed thing in return, that’s why we have targeted col- said Peregudov, who has a first-hand knowledge of of them must be active students.” — Reuters

LOS ANGELES: Caron Butler No. 5 and DeAndre Jordan No. 6 of the Los Angeles Clippers box out against Marc DENVER: Festus Ezeli No. 31 of the Golden State Warriors, Wilson Chandler No. 21 of the Denver Nuggets, Harrison Barnes No. 40 of Gasol No. 33 of the Memphis Grizzlies during Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA the Golden State Warriors, Kenneth Faried No. 35 of the Denver Nuggets and Draymond Green No. 23 of the Golden State Warriors Playoffs. — AP photos battle for rebounding position during Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs. Dirty play accusations as Nuggets defeat Warriors DENVER: Accusations of dirty play were “Some dirty plays early,” Jackson said. “It’s going down with a freak injury, let everybody 1 or 2, when Bogut leaned in to me on a screen. Andre Iguodala had 25 points and 12 exchanged after the Denver Nuggets beat the playoff basketball, that’s all right. We own it. But leave out of here healthy. That’s not good basket- And I didn’t remember what happened the rest rebounds for the Nuggets, Ty Lawson had 19 Golden State Warriors 107-100 on Tuesday to make no mistake about it, we went up 3-1 play- ball.” “It’s basketball,” countered Faried. “I try to do of the game,” Denver’s Andre Iguodala said. “They points and 10 assists and Faried had 13 points avoid elimination from the NBA playoffs. ing hard, physical, clean basketball - not trying to the little things my team needs me to do. It’s kind of brought the physicality to the series. And and 10 boards. Stephen Curry finished 1 of 7 Needing a win to stay alive, the Nuggets hurt anybody.” Jackson mentioned Faried setting physical. If you can’t stand the physicality, you we stopped being the receivers and we’re start- from 3 and scored 15 for the Warriors. Harrison played tough basketball, with fiery forward some “great screens and some great illegal ones, shouldn’t be playing.” ing to hit back a little bit. But as far as anybody Barnes led Golden State with 23 points. Kenneth Faried at the center of the action. too.” Asked about accusations he tried to hurt trying to cheap shot, I don’t condone that myself. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, Memphis moved Denver cut the series deficit to 3-2, sending it “He did his job. Hey, I played with guys like Curry, Faried said: “That’s intriguing because I It’s not my game.” within one win of a spot in the next round of the back to Oakland for Game 6 today. Also Tuesday, that. They get paid to do that. Dale Davis, think they were purposefully trying to hurt me Faried said he’s been beat up all series long. playoffs by beating the LA Clippers 103-93. the Memphis Grizzlies won 103-93 at the Los Anthony Davis, Charles Oakley. You get paid to every play I went for a rebound - the hits, the “I’m surprised tonight I didn’t get my hair pulled Zach Randolph scored 10 of his 25 points in Angeles Clippers to take a 3-2 lead in their series. do it. So give them credit,” Jackson said. “As an grab to the throat.” Curry said there were a few like before,” Faried said. “It’s all good. If we’re play- the fourth quarter as the Grizzlies capitalized on Denver slowed down Golden State’s guards, opposing coach, I see it, and I’m trying to protect plays that went overboard. ing dirty, hey, it’s basketball. We’re just playing Blake Griffin’s ankle injury. jumpstarted their transition game and got under my guys.” “There were a couple, man. Going through physical.” Said Bogut: “It’s the series, it’s physical, Mike Conley added 20 points for the Grizzlies, Andrew Bogut’s skin in Game 5, jumping out to a Jackson complained about one screen in par- the paint minding my own business and they whether they’re taking cheap shots or not we who will try to wrap it up Friday at home. The 22-point lead before weathering the Warriors’ ticular on Curry being “a shot at his ankle, clearly. come out of nowhere trying to throw elbows,” he need to match that physicality.” Pacific Division champion Clippers, who won frenetic fourth-quarter rally. That can’t be debated.” He added, “I got inside said. “I got a (target) on me, I don’t know what it Klay Thompson said “a couple of them could their last seven games of the regular season to Warriors coach Mark Jackson accused the information that some people don’t like that is, just got to keep playing and do your thing.” have been cheap shots. I thought Steph got clinch home-court advantage for the first two Nuggets of trying to hurt Stephen Curry, his brand of basketball and they clearly didn’t co- The Nuggets said they were surprised the cheat shot one time, he got a bloody nose. It’s rounds, would force a deciding seventh game on injured sharpshooter who was just 1 for 7 from sign it. They wanted to let me know they have no Warriors were the ones complaining about physi- not acceptable, but we’ve got to match that. We Sunday back at Staples Center if they win in long-range and finished with a series-low 15 parts in what was taking place. Let the best team cal play. can’t let it get in our heads, just do what we did Memphis. Chris Paul led Los Angeles with 35 points. win. And let everybody with the exception of “I’ve taken the hardest hit in the series, Game in the second half.” points, tying a career playoff high. —AP Afridi blames Misbah for exclusion

ISLAMABAD: Shahid Afridi has blamed Pakistan’s one- to go into his recent statistics. “I am much better than day cricket captain Misbah-ul-Haq for his exclusion from lot of other (Pakistan) players and I know I could play for the Champions Trophy squad, and has vowed to return Pakistan for few more years.” Afridi now plans to prepare to the national team. for a Twenty20 tournament in England in July where he “It’s the captain’s decision to drop me,” Afridi told the will represent English county Hampshire. Urdu language Daily Jang yesterday. “It’s no big deal for “I have received lots of text messages from my fans me if a captain doesn’t want a certain player in the and I am thankful to all of them,” he said. The flamboy- team.” In announcing the squad earlier this week, selec- ant allrounder refused to accept that his exclusion from tors said Afridi, who has scored 7,201 and taken 348 the Champions Trophy squad spelt the end of his career. wickets in ODIs, was left out due to recent poor form in “I know I have to work very hard to return to Pakistan one-day internationals. team,” he said. “I want to make it clear I don’t want to be He has scored only 161 runs at an average of 17.88 burden on the team. I want to represent Pakistan on and taken just four wickets at an astonishing cost of performance and fitness. “The day I believed I am bur- 113.75 runs each in the last 12 ODIs. But Afridi refused den on the team I will quit myself.” — AP Shahid Afridi Australia recall Marsh for Champions Trophy SYDNEY: Australia recalled all-rounder selector John Inverarity said in a state- Mitchell Marsh to the squad for their ment. Fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile Champions Trophy defence and named and his Western Australia team mate KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of George Bailey as vice captain yesterday. Adam Voges also made it to the squad, Kuwait and Al-Ahli United The 21-year-old Marsh, who played who will begin their Champions Trophy Bank meet Saturday in the Usain Bolt his only one day international in 2011 campaign against hosts England at final match to determine against South Africa, was rewarded with Edgbaston on June 8. the winner of this year’s Bolt to skip Twenty20 captain Bailey was named KBC Bowling vice captain, stepping in after all-rounder Championship. The event Shane Watson stepped down from the takes place at the Cozmo Jamaica meet post last month. Bowling Center in Salmiya, “The NSP (National Selection Panel) and is set to be attended by KINGSTON: Six-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt has has been impressed with George’s lead- senior Kuwait Banks Club been ruled out of Saturday’s Jamaica International ership when he stepped in to guide the officials as well as represen- Invitational meeting because of a slight hamstring strain, ODI team in Michael’s absence last sum- tatives of local banks. his agent said on Tuesday. mer and leadership of the T20 team over The 100 and 200 metres world record holder felt tight- the past two seasons,” Inverarity said. ness in training over the weekend and in consultation with “Given George’s experience and cre- Coach Glen Mills decided not to risk anything at this early dentials, he was viewed as the ideal per- stage of the season, agent Ricky Simms told Reuters. son for the role.” Steve Smith, Aaron Finch “It’s a small strain and he’s hoping to be OK for next and Moises Henriques were “close to week but you know it’s day by day ... maybe for the two or selection”, while paceman Ben Cutting three days. It just a problem of sprinting,” Simms said in a was not considered because of injury telephone interview. Asked if the injury was serious, Simms concerns, Inverarity said. replied: “No. He hopes to be running in Cayman by next LONDON: New Zealand cricket player Pacemen Mitchell Starc and Clint week, so it’s what you call a grade one strain, which is you Kane Williamson smiles during a press McKay were recovering well from injury can’t sprint, but you can walk OK. He’s not limping or any- conference in London. New Zealand and would join Mitchell Johnson to form thing.” Bolt was scheduled to run his first 200 metres of the will play a Test series against England the core of the limited-overs bowling season against Jamaican Olympic bronze medallist Warren starting May 16.—AP group, he said. Weir and American Wallace Spearmon in the meeting. “The ICC Champions Trophy is another His next scheduled race is a 100 metres in the May 8 a place in the 15-member squad for his important step in our aim to get back to Cayman Islands meeting. “I am disappointed to miss the strong domestic limited over perform- the number one ranking,” Inverarity said. Kingston meet as I love running in front of my home crowd ance for Western Australia. “As the two-time defending champi- in Jamaica,” Bolt said in a statement. “I’m told it is only a “Mitchell’s domestic season was inter- on, the squad has been selected with the grade one strain so hopefully I will be OK soon.” rupted by (hamstring) injury but there’s aim of winning the tournament ... while Bolt started his season in style on March 31 on Rio de no doubt he has the potential to perform also keeping the 2015 ICC World Cup Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach with a 14.42 seconds clocking strongly at international level,” national firmly in mind.” — Reuters over 150 metres on the purpose-built track. — Reuters SPORTS18 THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Photo of the day So far so good for NASCAR’s new car

CHARLOTTE: The only certainty at the unveiling of ment design a car that could improve the product. NASCAR’s new car was that the Gen-6 was aesthetically “I have said repeatedly, every minute, that contact, espe- pleasing. cially late in the race when you are going for a win, that’s The new design looked more like a stock car and not only going to happen - that’s expected,” France said returned brand recognition to the manufacturers. Adding last month. “Both of them did exactly what I think you driver names to the windshield was a late addition, but a would do when you really, really want to win. Getting some sporty touch. contact, trying to race extra hard to win the race, that’s But if the Gen-6 wasn’t racy, NASCAR’s exhaustive year- what we’re about.” long effort would amount to nothing more than putting It was on display again Saturday night at Richmond lipstick on a pig. Turns out all that hand-wringing was when a late caution sent the race into overtime for a two- unnecessary. lap sprint to the finish. Kevin Harvick rocketed from seventh Through nine races, the on-track action with the Gen-6 to first, while Tony Stewart was knocked out of the groove is much improved from a year ago, when fans were scream- by a hard-charging Kurt Busch, who called the final two ing about how boring NASCAR had become. The races laps “a free for all.” haven’t been perfect, but there’s been no shortage of story Stewart restarted fifth, was bumped out of the way by lines and few runaway wins. Busch, and wound up 18th and angry. “He just rammed “I’m telling you, whoever designed this new car, we right into us there at the end,” Stewart said through a team should kiss ‘em every weekend. It’s creating drama,” Clint spokesman. Bowyer said after Saturday night’s race at Richmond. “We Logano, who finished third at Richmond and joked sev- haven’t seen racing like this in years, since I first started in eral times how pleased he was to not be in the middle of this sport (in 2004). When you can leave a race track and any new drama, praised the new car for improving the there’s people in tears because they won, and in tears action. because they got crashed, that’s what brings us to the race “Like Clint said, about every single race has been enter- track, that kind of racing and determination and passion.” taining and crazy, especially the finishes of them,” Logano The idea behind the Gen-6 was to improve the racing on said. “I think the car has done a great job. They look awe- intermediate tracks, where it was unwatchable at times last some, they have put on a good race. So we don’t really year. have anything to complain about.” NASCAR suffered through a brutal stretch last spring of The Gen-6 is 150 pounds lighter than the old car, which painfully long green-flag runs with very little side-by-side makes them a little easier to drive and allows drivers to racing. There were few cautions beyond occasional yellow push a little harder. Changes to the design have helped flags for debris, and a four-race stretch without a multicar eliminate the aerodynamic push that limited passing on accident. The problems were never more glaring than bigger tracks, almost doubled the rear camber to put more Memorial Day weekend, when just hours after one of the grip in the rear tires and added more down force that has most exciting Indianapolis 500’s in history, NASCAR staged given drivers more confidence to attempt a pass. a nearly four-hour snoozefest at Charlotte Motor “You can be aggressive with the cars,” Harvick said. “Last Will Gadd ice climbs a mixed route called Fantasy Shower, M7+ in Marble Canyon, British Columbia, Canada. Speedway. Only nine cars were on the lead lap of the Coca- year, the spoiler was shortened, it’s hard to be aggressive www.redbullcontentpool.com Cola 600 when Kasey Kahne beat Denny Hamlin to the fin- with those cars because they’re so edgy, you don’t have a ish line by a whopping 4.295 seconds. lot of confidence in racing side-by-side. I feel like I can drive The racing hasn’t been so monotonous this year and the my car in 10 miles deep, do what I have to do on the inside statistics back it up after nine races: of another car, not worry about spinning out and wrecking.” • There have been 1,203 more green flag passes The next test is Talladega, where everyone is waiting to Ferrer scrapes into last eight throughout the field. see how the car performs. The two-car tandem racing of • The average margin of victory is .634 seconds, com- the last several years was widely panned by fans, and OEIRAS: Top seed David Ferrer had pared to 1.759 seconds last year. NASCAR eliminated it last year with changes to the rules to dig deep to reach the quarter- • There are 49.9 percent of the cars finishing on the lead package. finals at the ATP Portugal Open yes- lap this year, up from 38.2 last year. But the result was a wreckfest last May in which Stewart terday finally overcoming Frenchman • The percentage of cars running at the finish of the race shredded the product in post-race and suggested a radical Eduardo Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. is up 3 percent to 83.2. tongue-in-cheek change to the racing, making the track “a The 31-year-old Spaniard, who And, as Bowyer said, the drama has increased immense- figure 8. And/or we can stop at halfway, make a break, and was beaten in his opening match at ly. Former teammates Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano turn around and go backwards the rest of the way. Then last week’s Barcelona Open, will play crossed paths in the closing laps of the season-opening with 10 to go, we split the field in half and half go the regu- Romanian journeyman Victor Daytona 500, and the feud culminated with their white- lar direction and half of them go backwards.” Hanescu, who accounted for sixth- knuckled, door-to-door race to the finish in California last The Gen-6 isn’t guaranteed to eliminate the wrecks that seeded Frenchman Benoit Paire 7-6 month. Each driver was so bent on not losing to the other, have become a staple of restrictor-plate racing, but it has (7/2), 6-4. they ended up wrecking moments after Kyle Busch slid past added a spark everywhere else. Ferrer, who missed the Monte them for the victory. “I think there’s still a few things here and there, Carlo Masters after injuring a thigh in The accident sent Hamlin to the hospital, where he was whether it be the superspeedways that everybody wants the final of the Miami tournament in diagnosed with a compression fracture in a vertebra that to see how the racing is at Talladega compared to how it March, is looking to get some valu- has sidelined him the last four races. was at Daytona,” Harvick said. “There’s still some unan- Injury aside, that’s the racing NASCAR chairman Brian swered questions. But I think all in all, it’s been a huge suc- able court time prior to the French France had in mind when he demanded his senior manage- cess so far.” — AP Open later this month. The Spaniard had looked to be crusing to victory when he led by a set and 4-2 in the second but then lost his concentra- tion. “I lost that game and the set, In the third it was tough to break him,” he said. “It was a very good match to get through but I certainly have to lift my level for the next round. Hanescu is a good player even if I’ve beaten him before (he has beaten David Ferrer hom on both occasions they have she beat Kazakh Galina Voskoboeva Garros five years later. “She’s very played). I have to play well.” Ferrer, 6-4, 6-4. unpredictable and I will have to play who has not played here since 2009, Kuznetsova, ranked 45 in the much better than I did today.” took nearly two hours to subdue his world and a wild card entry, said that Three of the four seeds in the feisty French opponent, serving four while she was happy to win, she was women’s singles advanced to the double-faults and being broken not particularly impressed with how quarter-finals, led by number three three times. she got through over her rival, who is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, coached He was brought in as a late ranked 117th. part-time by former great Martina replacement for Argentine Juan “I was a little lazy at the start, it Hingis. Martin Del Potro, the holder who was an OK win but I’m not so happy The Russian beat Spain’s Estrella could not play at their edition due to about it. I like to play on clay but this Cabeza Candela 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). a stomach virus. court feels a little bit slow,” she said. Fourth-seed Carla Suarez Navarro Despite his recent setbacks, world The Spanish-trained Russian who came good for Spain, beating former number four Ferrer stands a formida- now lives in her homeland but says Portugal Open winner Yanina ble 26-6 since the start of the year she still needs Spanish-atyle coach- Wickmayer of Belgium 6-4, 6-3 while having won the titles in Auckland ing, will play Romina Oprandi, who Estonia’s defending champion Kaia (hard) and Buenos Aires (clay) before beat China’s Peng Shuai 6-1, 6-3, in Kanepi upset Romanian fifth seed finishing runner-up to Nadal in the quarter-finals. Kuznetsova has Sorona Cirstea 6-1, 6-2. Acapulco on clay in February and won all three meetings with the Monica Puig of Puerto Rico ended then losing to Andy Murray in Miami. Swiss, but they last played seven the 2010 French Open champion In the women’s draw, two-time years ago. “She’s got a very different Francesca Schiavone’s hopes of a grand slam winner Svetlana game, she doesn’t give you any second successful title, after winning RICHMOND: Mark Martin (55) trails smoke as David Stremme (30) passes by during the Toyota Owner’s 400 Kuznetsova reached her first quarter- rhythm,” said the 27-year-old, who in Marrakech last Sunday, as she beat NASCAR Sprint Cup series auto race. — AP final since the Australian Open when won the US Open in 2004 and Roland the Italian 6-3, 6-2.— AFP

Preview Chinese 12-year-old ‘Retired’ Loeb all out to tees up for age record hinder Ogier’s title charge BEIJING: China’s 12-year-old Ye the spotlight with the youngsters. Wocheng will become the European “It’s amazing. I only started playing PARIS: France’s ‘retired’ rally maestro Sebastien is a good way to continue to compete for CitroÎn ally, defend our lead in the championship until Tour’s youngest ever player when he the game at 11, so I wouldn’t like to think Loeb dips back into the world rally championship in 2013, but I’m not as well prepared as (team- the end of the season. For now, however, we tees off at the Volvo China Open today, what handicap I was playing off when I this weekend, the nine-time world champion aim- mates) Mikko (Hirvonen), Dani (Sordi) and the oth- would be happy with another podium.” smashing the record set by April’s was 12,” he said. “I’ll be looking out for ing to maintain his iron-like grip on the Rally of er guys. We’ll see what happens when we get our “I am looking forward to the duel with Masters sensation Guan Tianlang. The (Ye’s) results here this week, as I’m sure Argentina. The Citroen DS3 driver has won every helmets on...” Ogier says he is more intent on Sebastien. We had a great battle in Sweden, and it two go head-to-head a year after Guan will most other people. It’s a great story, edition of this South American leg of the champi- extending his lead in the overall standings with a will be anything but easy again here. However, my played in his country’s Open in Tianjin great for him and for the game of golf in onship since 2005, and his presence in the line-up first ever win in Argentina than beating his arch- main focus is on my rivals in the World aged just 13 years and 177 days, and just general.” Guan made the cut at last adds spice to a field headed by compatriot rival. He said: “After the three victories, we obvi- Championship.” The Rally of Argentina runs from three weeks after he finished with the week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, but Silver Cup at Augusta National as top- then finished last, and it has been sug- Sebastien Ogier. Ogier heads the 2013 driver ously want to continue where we left off and, ide- today to Saturday. — AFP placed amateur. gested the links-style Tianjin course may standings after shrugging off a debilitating virus Ye will be almost a year younger — 12 prove a bit long for the younger players. to notch up his third win of the season in the Rally years and 242 days-when he tees off at Other products of the Chinese golf of Portugal last time out. That lifted the Tianjin Binhai Lake Golf Club Thursday in boom will also feature, including Bai Volkswagen driver up to 102 points, with Citroen a field that boasts a host of young play- Zhengkai, 16, thanks to his victory in last rival Mikko Hirvonen in second on 48 points. Loeb, ers and emerging Chinese talent. year’s Volvo China Junior Match Play who is only competing in four rallies ahead of his “My main aim this week is just to go Championship. switch to the touring car championships with out there and enjoy it, I don’t really want American teen Jim Liu, who in 2010 debutants Citroen in 2014, is lying third on 43 to think too much about the result,” said became the youngest US Junior Amateur points, despite missing the last two rallies.. The 39- Ye, according to a release from OneAsia, champion at the age of 14, will also tee year-old believes his lack of recent seat time in his who have co-sanctioned the tourna- off, though China’s Andy Zhang, who DS3 will put him at a disadvantage on the ment. “This course is very long, and it will became the youngest US Open competi- Argentine gravel roads. play even longer in the wind, but it gives tor last year at the age of 14, withdrew “Apart from one day of testing, I haven’t driven me confidence to know that (my coach) through injury. Should Ye, who earned on gravel since the 2012 Rally of Spain,” he told is here to give me tips and advice on how his spot by winning a qualifying tourna- wrc.com. “ So I don’t know what sort of feeling I’ll to cope in the conditions. I’m excited ment in March, make the cut, he will easi- about getting started tomorrow.” ly outdo Hong Kong’s Jason Hak, who have on the first few stages in Argentina. I think South African Branden Grace, 24, who became the youngest player to reach the that you can lose your rhythm pretty quickly, and is seeking to become the first player to weekend rounds of a European Tour that’s why I’m cautious about my chances. win the Volvo China Open for a second event, aged 14 and 304 days, at the 2008 “There’s no denying the fact that I have pretty time, said he was comfortable sharing Hong Kong Open. — AFP much moved on from rallying and am now focused on the future. “This reduced programme Sebastien Loeb in action in this file photo SPORTS THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Welsh regions concerned by football resurgence

LONDON: Next season’s English Premier League clubs. which could spell bad news for the it will only get harder for the four him. North followed in the footsteps of League will feature two Welsh clubs for Even the much maligned national Blues. regional rugby teams to compete. international team-mates Jamie Roberts the first time in the top flight’s 125-year team are on the up, having leapt 22 Rugby side the Ospreys reported a “There’s only so much money around and Dan Lydiate, who have both left history but the achievements of places to 49th in the latest FIFA ranking. sharp decline in attendances when in the economy, in south Wales especial- Welsh clubs to play in France’s lucrative Swansea City and Cardiff City have But while the nation’s football fans jubi- neighbours Swansea were promoted to ly,” Hall told the BBC. “When you decide Top 14 championship, where Wales trio sparked fears for the future of rugby late, Wales’ cash-strapped rugby clubs the Premier League and the football to spend your pound, are you going to Mike Phillips, James Hook and Luke union in the sport’s south Wales heart- are feeling the pinch. Cardiff are expect- teams’ gates already dwarf those of their watch (Robin) van Persie, (Wayne) Charteris already ply their trade. land. ed to quadruple their revenue to around rugby counterparts. Rooney and (Frank) Lampard, or are you The North case crystallised concerns Everywhere you look in English foot- £80 million ($124 million, 95 million Cardiff City’s average home crowd going to watch regional rugby in empty about the financial health of Welsh rug- ball, Welsh clubs and players are making euros) next season, as the Premier this season is close to 22,500, while the stadiums?” by, prompting the Welsh Rugby Union inroads. Swansea are the League Cup League clubs savour the first chunks of a Blues attract an average of only 7,880 Complicating matters for the rugby (WRU) to urge the regional clubs to champions. Cardiff are back in England’s new television deal worth more than £5 fans to each game. teams is the fact that a lack of funding sanction the introduction of central con- top division after a 51-year absence. The billion over three seasons. Meanwhile, at the Liberty Stadium has led to a steady exodus of leading tracts in a bid to keep Wales’ star players Premier League’s most lauded individual In stark contrast, the city’s profession- that Swansea share with the Ospreys, Welsh players leaving the country in within the country’s borders. player, Gareth Bale, is a Welshman. al rugby team, Cardiff Blues, must attendances fluctuate by up to 10,000 pursuit of bigger contracts elsewhere. In the international arena, Wales con- Further down the English football respect a £3.5 million salary cap. With depending on whether the footballers Wales wing George North is the most tinue to thrive, triumphing in the Six pyramid, Welsh clubs Newport County glamour teams like Manchester United, or the rugby players are in town. high-profile recent player to leave, hav- Nations and contributing 15 players to and Wrexham are preparing to contest Chelsea and Liverpool due to visit the With the Premier League’s superstar ing agreed to swap Scarlets for English the British and Irish Lions squad for their the Conference National play-off final Cardiff City Stadium next season, the players now set to make twice as many Premiership side Northampton Saints tour of Australia in a month’s time but at for the right to join the ranks of Bluebirds can also expect a spike in the visits to south Wales next season, former on a three-year deal despite the best a regional level, football’s gains may England’s 92 professional Football number of fans attending their games, Wales rugby captain Mike Hall believes efforts of the Llanelli-based club to keep prove to be rugby’s loss.—AFP

Preview Vote-buying, abuse claims overshadow Asian vote

KUALA LUMPUR: Asia’s troubled football ends in 2015. The Qatari stepped down last race late yesterday after earlier saying he did body elects a new leader today after a bitter year after allegations of bribery and financial not want to dilute the Arab vote. campaign dominated by claims and counter- wrongdoing, and is barred from football Chinese press speculated that the shock claims of outside interference, and even alle- activities. decision of caretaker leader Zhang Jilong not gations of rights abuses. Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa is to stand was taken by the country’s sports Two years after vote-buying accusations the favorite. But the Bahraini royal has been administration, in order to maintain OCA prompted the eventual downfall of former on the defensive over vote-buying allega- support for keeping badminton and table president Mohamed bin Hammam, the Asian tions and claims that he oversaw the arrest tennis in the Olympics. Football Confederation (AFC) is at risk of new of footballers during a crackdown on pro- Three Bahrain-focused human rights controversy as delegates gather to choose democracy protests. groups have urged FIFA to block Sheikh his successor. Sheikh Salman has also hit back over com- Salman’s candidacy and investigate claims he All three candidates for the presidency ments, by disgraced former FIFA vice presi- took part in a purge of players and officials have been accused, at some point, of either dent Jack Warner, that he paid a British jour- who were arrested and abused. corruption or allowing outside powers to nalist to launch a smear campaign against Sheikh Salman is also standing against meddle in the vote, tempering hopes of a bin Hammam when he challenged for the Qatar’s Hassan Al Thawadi for a seat on FIFA’s new era of openness and transparency. presidency in 2009. executive committee, with Australia’s Moya COBHAM: Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta (front right) and Fernando Torres (front Accusations, denials and counter-claims The UAE’s Yousef Al Serkal is also confi- Dodd an uncontested candidate to become center) during a training session at their training ground ahead of their Europa have flown thick and fast in recent days, dent about his chances, and has been per- the AFC’s mandatory female vice president. League semifinal second leg soccer match against Basel today. — AP lending a testy atmosphere to proceedings haps the most persuasive about cleaning up Dodd, North Korea’s Han Un-Gyong and as representatives of the AFC’s 46 members Asian football after vowing to reveal his Palestinian candidate Susan Shalabi Molano Dropouts Chelsea, Benfica meet at a five-star hotel in downtown Kuala allowances and launch a “whistle-blower” are also vying for two female seats on the Lumpur. anti-corruption scheme. AFC’s executive committee. target Amsterdam Arena If the battle has been hard-fought, it’s However, Al Serkal is a friend of bin Whoever wins the battle for the presi- because the stakes are high: the AFC, the Hammam, a connection which will worry dency will face a difficult task in uniting LONDON: Chelsea’s relentless march towards last won a European trophy, lifting the second either more European glory or an heroic, bat- of their successive European Cups in 1962. world’s biggest football confederation, has some voters-especially after an accusation the diverse body after the divisive elec- tle-weary failure, continues today when they Their coach Jorge Jesus is likely to opt for significant revenues and influence across a this week, by an ally of Sheikh Salman, that tion campaign, and in initiating reforms face FC Basel with the final of the Europa the in-form Argentine duo of Enzo Perez and vast region stretching from the Middle East the Qatari businessman was meddling in the during the truncated term before the next League beckoning. Nicolas Gaitan in midfield to help break down to Oceania. election. election in 2015. “The member associa- The Londoners, like Benfica who face Fenerbahce after a surprising punt on rarely In an indication of the vote’s profile, FIFA Worawi Makudi of Thailand, a longstand- tions are split not in half, but in several Fenerbahce in the other semi-final, were elimi- picked 33-year-old playmaker Pablo Aimar president Sepp Blatter, who was instrumen- ing but controversial presence on the Asian parts,” a source close to Zhang warned nated from the Champions League after the and teenager Andre Gomes did not pay off in tal in the spectacular fall of Hammam, is one scene, is the third contender. Worawi, who AFP in February, when he revealed that group stage, but both dropouts could yet meet the first leg. of the prominent personalities in the has faced down corruption accusations in the Chinese interim leader would not con- in the final at the Amsterdam Arena on May 15. Jesus blamed the 1-0 defeat in Istanbul on Malaysian capital. the past, is also a bin Hammam ally. test the vote. He added: “The election Chelsea are well-placed after a 2-1 victory in the juggling act he must perform to rest key Three candidates are in the running to Saudi Arabia’s Hafez Ibrahim Al Medlej, itself could be not only a split of the Switzerland but Benfica trail their Turkish players and keep the squad fit as they chase a complete bin Hammam’s current term, which considered an outsider, withdrew from the votes, but also a split of the hearts.”—AFP opponents 1-0. Victory in the Europa League memorable treble consisting of a Portuguese would not have been either club’s target at the league and cup double and the Europa start of the season but it now offers redemp- League. tion at the end of long and punishing road. Like Chelsea, Benfica are facing a burn-out Chelsea, the outgoing European scenario. “Fatigue is our problem. We are fight- Champions, will be playing their 11th match ing on all fronts,” he said. Mourinho return ‘not in 33 days against the Swiss champions at The rotation policy paid dividends on Stamford Bridge. Monday in a rousing 2-1 league win at Unless their tired limbs finally decide that Maritimo that kept Benfica four points clear at my business’ — Benitez enough is enough, they look set to book their the top with three matches to play meaning place in the final and give interim coach Rafa they could be crowned champions next Benitez the chance of a glorious exit. week. Although Dutch winger Ola John is sus- LONDON: Interim Chelsea man- Thursday’s game at Stamford Benitez has managed to rotate his squad pended, the Eagles fancy their chances in ager Rafael Benitez yesterday Bridge, after David Luiz’s injury- and keep it fresh to challenge for both front of their fans. “Some important players refused to be drawn on specula- time free-kick secured victory in European honours and a place in the top four were missing and we lacked our usual passing tion that Jose Mourinho is poised the first leg at St Jakob-Park last of the Premier League and a return to the precision,” Uruguay right back Maxi Pereira to return to Stamford Bridge at week. Champions League. said about the first leg which Fenerbahce won the end of the season to replace The London club are bidding to A header from Victor Moses and a free kick with a second-half header from Egemen him in the dug-out. add a first Europa League crown from David Luiz deep in stoppage time gave Korkmaz. “Benfica have overturned worse Mourinho is expected to leave to the maiden Champions League Chelsea victory last week after Fabian Schaer’s results. We strongly believe we can reach the Real Madrid at the end of the cur- title they won last season, but 87th-minute penalty for Basel. final,” he added. Fenerbahce, bidding to rent campaign and dropped a hint Benitez says Basel’s pedigree Murat Yakin’s men are attempting to become the second Turkish side to win a that he could go back to his for- means they cannot afford to look become the first Swiss team to win a competi- European trophy after their arch-rivals mer club after Madrid were elimi- too far ahead. “Obviously, as a tive match in England since 1995 - a run of 18 Galatasaray lifted the UEFA Cup in 2000, will nated from the Champions manager you want to win every games without a win. be without suspended midfielder Mehmet League by Borussia Dortmund on trophy you can, so we have an Basel have already enjoyed success Topal, suspended striker Pierre Webo and ex- Tuesday. opportunity, but my concern is against a London side though this season Chelsea midfielder Raul Meireles, who is The Portuguese, who won two that we’ll be thinking we’re in the having knocked Tottenham Hotspur out of injured. Premier League titles, one FA Cup final, but it’s not the case,” he said. the competition on penalties in the quarter- Fenerbahce could have taken a bigger and two League Cups during his “We play against a very good finals after drawing 2-2 in London and 2-2 at lead to Lisbon but for Cristian Baroni firing a three-year stint at Chelsea, said: “I team, a team that scores goals home. However, nothing less than an unlikely first-half penalty against a post last week, and know I am loved by the clubs (in away. Everyone has to realise it win will keep alive their chance of becoming that miss could yet come back to haunt them England), especially one.” will be difficult. First of all we have the first Swiss team to reach a European final. at the Stadium of Light. — Reuters Benitez has accepted that he to win and after we can think Thursday’s match will be their 20th in will leave Chelsea when his tem- about the final.” Europe this season, a run which started in the porary contract expires at the end Chelsea will be without left- second qualifying round of the Champions of the season, but he was reluc- back Ashley Cole due to suspen- League away to Flora Tallinn in July. Matches on TV tant to address rumours about the sion, but Benitez reported no “It’s nice to win domestic leagues and cups (Local Timings) identity of his successor when fresh injury concerns. but to qualify for the semi-finals of the Europa questioned yesterday. Basel, meanwhile, will give League is fantastic,” said coach Yakin. “The Speaking ahead of the return striker Marco Streller a fitness test players are aware that we can trouble every UEFA Europe League leg of his side’s Europa League on the morning of the game after opponent we face. We’re happy with what Chelsea v Basel 22:05 semi-final with Swiss side FC Basel, he sustained a thigh muscle we’ve achieved so far and everything else is a Al Jazeera Sport +5 Benitez said: “It’s not my business. injury. The Swiss Super League bonus.” Benfica v Fenerbahce 22:05 I have to concentrate on my busi- leaders have never won in nine Benfica are still widely regarded as one of Al Jazeera Sport +4 Europe’s top clubs but it is 51 years since they ness, which is with Basel tomor- previous visits to England and are row.” On Mourinho’s comments, he still awaiting their first away win in added: “Each one has his way-my this season’s competition. way is to concentrate on the next However, having seen his side game, and that’s it.” eliminate Tottenham Hotspur on Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata penalties in the quarter-finals, also shied away from discussing coach Murat Yakin says Basel are the probability of Mourinho’s confident they can secure the win arrival, but he did give his backing they need to reach the final. to Benitez, who has faced protests “I don’t hold much store by sta- from some of the club’s fans since tistics,” he said. “What I want is for he was appointed in November. us to play good, fresh football “It’s not the players’ business here. Chelsea are very good right now,” said the Spaniard. “We defensively and in attack, but our have so many important things team has very good qualities and still to come. We just have to be we showed that against focused on what we’re playing for, Tottenham. A good start is very which is a very important trophy important for us. for the club, to finish third in the “Every game is different and we league so the club can qualify for know we’re playing against the Champions League, and that’s Chelsea, who are the Champions all I can say right now.” League winners and have two top He added: “It’s tricky. It doesn’t players in every position. depend on me. All I can say is that “But we’ll play with confidence LISBON: Fenerbahce’s Slovakia’s forward Miroslav Stoch (left) and teammates we’re working really, really well and who knows? Maybe we can train at Luz Stadium on the eve of their second leg half-final Europa League foot- with Rafa, and that’s the truth for achieve a small wonder and quali- SPAIN: Real Madrid’s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho reacts in this file ball match against Benfica.— AFP me.” Chelsea take a 2-1 lead into fy for the final.”—AFP photo. —AFP Dirty play Ferrer scrapes accusations as into last eight Nuggets defeat Warriors

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 17 18 Vote-buying, abuse claims overshadow Asian vote Page 19

SPAIN: Barcelona defender Gerard Pique (left) and Bayern's Mario Mandzukic of Croatia collide during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match. —AP Bayern humiliate Barca again Cruise into all-German CL final

BARCELONA: Bayern Munich cruised into their against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on May have so much quality in the team that we can win on 23 minutes with a long-range effort that the Victor Valdes into the far corner. third Champions League final in four years as a 3-0 25 in some style. games like these, in this manner.” Already without German number one turned round the post and Robben ought to have had a second moments win over Barcelona at the Camp Nou yesterday Afterwards Pique admitted it was one of the Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba through injury Xavi then had the hosts’ best chance of the first later as another quick Bayern break caught Barca gave them an incredible 7-0 aggregate semi-final most difficult nights he has had in his five years at and suspension respectively, Barca were handed period as he hooked over on the volley after Cesc outnumbered at the back, but this time the for- victory. the club. “Perhaps it was the bitterest night I have another huge blow before kick-off as the persist- Fabregas had chested the ball down inside the mer Real Madrid man couldn’t get the required The absence of Lionel Messi from the Barca had at Barcelona,” he told Spanish Canal Plus tele- ence of a hamstring injury suffered in the first leg area. However, Barca were still out of sorts with a touch to Franck Ribery’s cross and the ball drib- starting line-up almost eradicated any hope of an vision. “We tried but they scored a goal very early of their quarter-final tie against Paris Saint- number of uncharacteristically long balls failing to bled wide. unlikely comeback before the game had even in the second half and this left us broken. The last Germain forced Messi to start on the bench. find their target and another weak effort from dis- But further pain was inflicted upon the hosts begun, but Bayern showed their 4-0 first-leg win 25 minutes were very difficult.” For Robben mean- Without their talisman, Barca started tentative- tance by Adriano was the only other effort they 18 minutes from time when a beautiful pass from last week had been no fluke with a display of con- while it was unconfined joy as he aims to make ly and only a desperate sliding challenge from managed on goal before the break. Luis Gustavo played in Ribery down the left and trolled dominance. amends at Wembley for missing a penalty that Pique prevented Robben from having a clear shot It only took three minutes after the restart for his cross was sliced into his own net by Pique. Arjen Robben opened the scoring for the visi- could have won Bayern the trophy on home soil on goal after he galloped clear down the left on Bayern to completely wipe away any lingering And four minutes later it was 3-0 on the night tors with a trademark left-foot strike just after half- against Chelsea last season. 11 minutes. Pique had to be alert again seven doubts they would be travelling to London for the as more terrific play from Ribery saw him burst time before a Gerard Pique own-goal and Thomas “That’s history - 4-0 at home and then 3-0 here, minutes later as he again slid in to deny Philipp final when Robben collected a raking crossfield past Alex Song and dink a lovely ball to the far Mueller’s header in the final 20 minutes ensured we should be proud of that and enjoy it. Now we Lahm at the end of a wonderful Bayern move. pass from David Alaba, cut inside Adriano onto his post for Mueller to head home his third goal of Bayern booked their place in an all-German final have to win this thing,” he told Sky Germany. “We Pedro finally forced Manuel Neuer into a save favoured left foot and buried a rasping drive past the tie. — AFP Extra scrutiny at Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE: The small camera attached to the helmet Rodriguez recently served a 20-day suspension for of Rudy Rodriguez belongs to a video outlet looking to two earlier overages of Banamine. The third overage - capture his viewpoint from atop Kentucky Derby con- considerably higher than the others - is being investi- tender Vyjack. gated and could result in further penalties. “We’re lucky The four cameras positioned in Vyjack’s stall at that Kentucky gave me the opportunity to be here,” he Churchill Downs are there to keep an extra watch on said. Rodriguez went out on his own as a trainer three the gelding trained by Rodriguez. He was forced to years ago after working for father-son trainers Richard accept the surveillance as a condition ordered by the Dutrow Sr. and Rick Jr., and the late Hall of Famer Bobby Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in exchange for Frankel. getting a trainer’s license to run Vyjack in Saturday’s big Kentucky officials were interested in Rodriguez’s race. tenure as an employee of the younger Dutrow, who is “Being in the Derby is an amazing accomplishment currently serving a 10-year suspension from New York for me,” said Rodriguez, who turns 41 on Wednesday, racing officials for multiple rules violations. Some of when 24-hour security for all 20 Derby horses was set Dutrow’s clients moved their horses to Rodriguez. to begin. “I don’t let nobody ruin this moment for me. I got The extra scrutiny for Vyjack was the result of a nothing to hide,” Rodriguez said. “We’re trying to play string of disciplinary issues involving Rodriguez during everything by the rules.” his career as a New York-based trainer, jockey and exer- He’s got the support of Vyjack’s owner David LOUISVILLE: Trainer Rudy Rodriguez watches Kentucky Derby hopeful Vyjack get a bath after a workout at cise rider. Kentucky racing officials ordered him to Wilkenfeld, who named the gelding using a combina- Churchill Downs. — AP appear at the hearing two weeks ago. “I don’t think it tion of his parents’ names Vivian and Jack. trips around the barn or helping bathe the gelding before, he was in the background at major races work- was right, but you got to respect what the rulings are,” Also in Rodriguez’s corner is Eclipse Award-winning afterward. He holds the reins in his right hand while ing for the Dutrows and Frankel. he said. trainer Dale Romans. They first met in 2008 when reaching around with his left to massage Vyjack’s rump “Rudy is kind of a laidback guy,” said Garrett Gomez, Last month, a filly trained by Rodriguez tested posi- Rodriguez exercised horses for the trainer in Dubai. as they circle the stalls in the barn. who will ride Vyjack. “There are some loose vibes going tive at New York’s Aqueduct for a high level of Romans served as a character witness for Rodriguez at “I love to be around horses,” he said, refusing to let on.” Vyjack is 4 of 5 in his brief career, with his only loss Banamine, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that the Kentucky hearing. the extra scrutiny cloud his upbeat disposition. “I’m in coming to undefeated Verrazano in the Wood is legal for horses but must be below an allowable limit “He’s a very good man,” he said. “I thank him a lot for the place where every trainer in the world wants to be. Memorial. Vyjack finished third that day, and will take on race day. It was the third time in the last year that supporting me.” Rodriguez is about as hands-on as How can you not be happy?” on his rival again Saturday in the Derby. “I’m glad we one of his horses tested positive for excessive levels of many trainers get, whether it’s riding Vyjack during his Rodriguez calls Vyjack the best horse of his 80-head got the one loss out of the way,” Wilkenfeld said. “We’re the drug. morning workouts, staying aboard for his cooling out stable. Although he’s never saddled a Derby horse here to win the big one.” — AP Gulf Arab banks seek to expand regionally Page 22

Inflation spikes as Qatar Business gears for spending spree Page 25 THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Lufthansa, workers’ union settle dispute OSN opens new flagship showroom in Kuwait Page 22 Page 23

ISTANBUL: A protestor uses a slingshot during clashes with police at a May Day demonstration yesterday in Istanbul. Several people were injured as Turkish riot police used water canons and tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters who defied a May Day ban on demonstrations. (Inset) Protesters chant slogans as they stand at the windows of the DISK (Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey) building yesterday. — AFP Workers reject austerity, ‘slave labor’ News May Day strike, protests rock Europe in brief JAKARTA: Tens of thousands of low-paid coalition of workers’ groups chanted while persuade euro zone governments of the case received sovereign bailouts. With little or no workers took to the streets on May Day to holding steamers that also called for lower for easing austerity measures and boosting sign of growth in the euro-zone, the demand higher wages, better benefits and food and utility prices. “Trash contractualiza- growth. Thousands of protesters marched in European Central Bank is expected to cut World growth still too improved working conditions a week after a tion.” Some workers rallied outside the US Madrid, snaking up the Gran Via central shop- interest rates to a record low 0.5 percent at slow to generate jobs Bangladesh garment factory building col- Embassy, torching a wooden painting ping street, waving flags and carrying plac- its policy meeting today. But analysts say NEW DELHI: The world economy is still not growing fast lapse killed hundreds - a grim reminder of stamped with the words “low wages” and ards reading “austerity ruins and kills” and that alone will do little to lift the euro zone enough to generate jobs for tens of millions who have how lax safety regulations make going to “union busting” that depicted Philippine “reforms are robbery”. out of recession, and several governments become unemployed but it is strengthening gradually, a work a danger in many poor countries. President Benigno Aquino III as a lackey of “The future of Spain looks terrible, we’re are now openly discussing policies to try to top IMF official said yesterday. While global growth is Laborers in Indonesia, Cambodia, the President Barack Obama. going backwards with this government,” said boost growth. Italy’s new Prime Minister seen at 3.3 percent in 2013 and an even better four per- Philippines and elsewhere marched and Meanwhile, more than 10,000 Taiwanese former civil servant Alicia Candelas, 54, who Enrico Letta told Germany on Tuesday that cent next year, this masks significant divergence in chanted en masse yesterday, sounding com- workers also protested a government reform has been without a job for two years. The his government would meet its budget com- prospects, said Naoyuki Shinohara, deputy managing mitments but expected Europe to drop its director of the International Monetary Fund. The world plaints about being squeezed by big business plan to cut pension payouts to solve worsen- Spanish economy has shrunk for seven con- is seeing a “three-speed” global recovery without amid the surging cost of living. Asia is the ing fiscal problems, saying the payout cuts secutive quarters, and unemployment stands austerity mantra and do more to lift growth. “enough growth to generate jobs for the millions who manufacturing ground for many of the reflect a longstanding government policy to at a record 27 percent. There had “never been Pope Francis made a May Day appeal for have fallen into unemployment over the past five years”, world’s largest multinational companies. bolster economic growth at the expense of a May 1 with more reason to take to the governments to tackle unemployment, as Shinohara told a gathering of diplomats and business Thousands of garment factory workers in workers’ benefits and compromised work- streets”, said Candido Mendez, head of UGT, “work is fundamental to the dignity of a per- people. Creating jobs must be “an overarching issue” as Bangladesh also paraded through the streets place safety. one of two main unions that called on work- son”. “I think of how many, and not just it goes to the heart of the global economic crisis that is screaming for safeguards to be put in place Analysts say the poor income level has ers and the unemployed to join more than 80 young people, are unemployed, many times “falling disproportionately on young people”, he empha- and for the owner of the collapsed building forced many young Taiwanese to share hous- demonstrations across the country. due to a purely economic conception of sized in a speech in New Delhi coinciding with May Day. to be sentenced to death. ing with their parents and delay marriages. In Trains and ferries were cancelled in society, which seeks selfish profit, beyond In Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most pop- Cambodia, more than 5,000 garment workers Greece, and bank and hospital staff walked the parameters of social justice,” he told tens Qatar’s QIB rules ulous country, tens of thousands of workers marched in Phnom Penh, demanding better off the job after the main public and private of thousands of people packed into St. out sukuk issues rallied for higher pay and an end to the prac- working conditions and a salary increase from sector unions there called a 24-hour strike, Peter’s Square for his weekly general audi- DOHA: Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), the Gulf state’s largest tice of outsourcing jobs to contract workers, $80 to $150 a month. About a half million the latest in a string of protests in a country in ence. Traditional May Day marches were also sharia-compliant lender by assets, is not expecting to among other demands. Some also carried people work in the country’s $4.6 billion gar- its sixth year of recession. About 1,000 police taking place outside the euro zone. In issue more Islamic bonds before 2014, its chief executive banners and protested against a proposed ment industry that makes brand name officers were deployed in Athens, but the Russia, about 1.5 million people were said yesterday. “I don’t think it will be needed; there plan for the government to slash fuel subsi- clothes for many US and European retailers. demonstration passed off peacefully, with expected to take part in parades, a fraction seems to be enough liquidity currently,” Bassel Gamal dies that have kept the country’s pump prices The garment industry has come under fire about 5,000 striking workers, pensioners and of the millions that used to march in Soviet told reporters at a conference in the Qatari capital. QIB, among the cheapest in the region. A day ear- since an illegally built eight-story building students marching to parliament holding times. whose biggest shareholder is the country’s sovereign lier, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono collapsed last week in Bangladesh, bringing banners reading: “We won’t become slaves, In Istanbul, Turkish riot police fired wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, last said the country can no longer afford to pay down five garment factories and killing more take to the streets!”. water cannon and tear gas to disperse tapped the market with a $750 million five-year sukuk in to keep fuel prices low, given a growing than 400 people. The collapse followed a gar- Earlier, hundreds of protesters affiliated crowds gathering for a rally on what has October as part of its $1.5 billion sukuk program. Qatari budget deficit. ment factory fire in November when 112 peo- with the Communist KKE party raised their become a traditional labor holiday. A banks remain very liquid, but much of this cash is held The government is trying to iron out a ple died. A loud procession of workers wound arms in a clenched fist salute on Syntagma Reuters photographer said at least six peo- in local riyals with lenders keen for dollar funding to plan that would help offset the increase through central Dhaka, waving the national Square, scene of violent clashes between ple were injured in the clashes. Thousands service a number of infrastructure projects in the among the poor who would be most affected flag and chanting “direct action!” and “death police and protesters during previous of police were stationed across the city pipeline ahead of the country hosting the 2022 football by it. Most factory workers earn about $120 a penalty!” while one participant vowed the protests. “The economy won’t be resurrected centre to block access to the main Taksim World Cup. Investor demand for sukuk issuance is also month. In 2011, the subsidy bill ran close to deaths would not be in vain. “My brother has by the bankrupt banks and the corrupt politi- square. Authorities often use force to pre- high and not satisfied by a significant lack of supply, $20 billion, the same amount the govern- died. My sister has died. Their blood will not cal system but by the workers and their fight,” vent the rally in the city centre, having this meaning sharia-compliant debt offerings from Gulf enti- ment plans to spend on infrastructure this be valueless.” Alexis Tsipras, leader of the anti-bailout Syriza year denied trade unions permission to ties are normally well supported. year. In the Philippines, an estimated 8,000 party, told protesters. march on Taksim, saying construction work workers marched in the capital, Manila, to ACROSS EUROPE there would make it too dangerous. Two Groups agree to develop also demand better pay and regular jobs Workers hit by lower living standards and AUSTERITY VS GROWTH officers were wounded by stones and met- big downtown complex instead of contractual work. record high unemployment staged May Day Four heavily indebted euro zone countries al objects thrown at police lines, state-run DUBAI: The Meydan Group and the Sobha Group, two conglomerates in Dubai, said yesterday they had agreed “Wage increase, increase!” members of a protests across Europe yesterday, hoping to - Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus - have TRT television said.—Agencies to form a joint venture to develop a major leisure, retail and residential complex adjacent to the city’s down- town area. The complex will be built on 4 million square Turkish Airlines bans meters of land, the companies said in a statement with- out revealing a timeline, financing plans or other details. The complex is to be a cornerstone of a huge urban lipstick on hostesses development project announced last November by Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al- ANKARA: Turkish Airlines has banned air ice sector.” In recent months the booming Maktoum, who said at the time that plans included the hostesses from wearing brightly-colored airline - 49 percent state-owned-has also largest shopping mall in the world, a park 30 percent lipsticks such as red or pink, a move stopped serving alcohol on internal bigger than Hyde Park in London, and over 100 hotels. which has sparked fierce debate as the flights. In February, images of proposed government is accused of trying to new uniforms for flight attendants bring- Air-passenger traffic Islamize the country, local media reported ing in ankle-length dresses and Ottoman- increases 5.9 percent yesterday. Numerous women posted pic- style fez caps were criticized as too con- GENEVA: The globe’s air-passenger traffic rose by a solid tures of themselves wearing bright red servative. The skirts of Turkish Airlines 5.9 percent in March compared with a year ago, fuelled lipstick on social media websites to stewardesses once came in far above the by strong performances in emerging markets, the protest at the measure, part of a new aes- knee. International Air Transport Association said yesterday. thetics code for stewardesses working for However the more conservative new “Strong demand for air travel is consistent with improv- Turkey’s main airline. The lipstick ban is uniforms have not been adopted. Prime ing business conditions,” IATA chief Tony Tyler said in a the latest in a string of conservative meas- Minister Recep Tayyin Erdogan’s Islamist- statement. “Performance, however, has been uneven. ures adopted by the airline, which have rooted Justice and Development Party, in Mature markets are seeing relatively little growth while sparked the ire of fiercely secular Turks. power for over a decade, is often accused emerging markets continue to show a robust expan- “This measure is an act of perversion. of creeping efforts to coerce the country sion.” Part of the rise may be attributable to traffic relat- How else could you describe it?” said to be more conservative and pious. ed to the Easter holiday, which occurred in March this Gursel Tekin, vice-president of the main Turkey is a fiercely secular state, despite year versus April 2012, IATA underlined. But it said that opposition party CHP. being a majority Muslim country. Under the seasonally-adjusted trend continued to show strong growth, with demand expanding at an 8.0-percent Turkish Airlines defended the ban, say- Erdogan’s rule headscarves-banned in annualized rate in the six months since October 2012. ing in a statement Tuesday that “simple public institutions-have become more vis- make-up, immaculate and in pastel colors, ible in public places and alcohol bans are ATHENS: Protesters raise their fists during a demonstration yesterday. — AFP is preferred for staff working in the serv- more widespread.—AFP THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 BUSINESS OSN opens new flagship showroom in Kuwait Pay TV network bolsters regional footprint

By Sajeev K Peter growth. The Kuwait customer base is one as many people as possible because the of the best for us in the region as we medium is changing,” he said. “Indeed, KUWAIT: OSN, the leading pay-TV net- appeal to a cross section of the communi- OSN has a very strong strategic partner- work in the Middle East and North Africa, ty with our English and Arabic language ship with Samsung. We not only provide yesterday opened its flagship state-of- content. We are rapidly growing in Egypt content on mobile phones, but also on the-art showroom in Kuwait, further as well,” Butorac said. Samsung smart TVs. There is an OSN strengthening its regional footprint. According to the Arab Media Outlook application already resident on the box. David Butorac, CEO of OSN, inaugurated Report 2011-15, pay-TV penetration is set We work with Samsung on galaxy tablets the new showroom in Dajeej by cutting to grow significantly in Kuwait led by the and a range of smartphones. Similarly the ceremonial ribbon in the presence of high disposable incomes of residents. OSN application is available on all iOS Amal Rhali, OSN Country Sales Director, OSN is drawing on this robust growth devices,” he said. Mahdi Al-Jumah, General Manager, OSN opportunity through the new showroom, “Yesterday, we launched a new prod- Kuwait and a host of guests and media which opens doors to the most sought- uct called ‘OSN TV Guide’, which is avail- persons. after TV entertainment. able in App Store. You can download OSN “Kuwait is one of our fastest growing TV guide in four colors with four interac- markets in the MENA region with a large COMPETITION tivity,” he pointed out. “We will continue segment of discerning television viewers When asked how OSN is faring in an to invest millions of dollars to maintain who demand high quality entertainment increasingly competitive market, Butorac the technological advantage and the across multiple platforms,” Butorac said KUWAIT: David Butorac cuts the ribbon to inaugurate OSN’s new flagship show- said competition in pay TV industry is leadership,” he added. after the inaugural ceremony. Talking to room in Dajeej yesterday. Amal Rhali, OSN Country Sales Director and Mahdi Al- changing dramatically. “I don’t see digital OSN has around 400 locations in the Kuwait Times, Butorac said OSN recorded Jumah, General Manager, OSN Kuwait look on. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat media as a competition. I see it as an region and over 900 staff to deliver high a healthy 24 percent growth in its sub- opportunity. OSN is working clearly with quality of customer service, he informed. scriber base last year in Kuwait. “The very advanced technology platforms in OSN boasts the most comprehensive opening of the brand new showroom in the region today. “As a matter of fact, we portfolio of exclusive rights from all the Dajeej is an important part of our growth encourage competition as it widens the major studios including Warner Brothers, strategy across Kuwait. It also reflects our choices of the consumers whether it is tel- Paramount, Fox, Disney, Sony, MGM, continued commitment to provide evision or newspapers in digital forms. Universal and DreamWorks and offers Kuwait residents a world-class premium Since there are different means of distri- access to the world’s leading television entertainment with the highest standards bution, we ensure the very best in terms brands including Disney channel, Sky of service,” he said. of content and technology,” he said. News, Discovery Network and Nat Geo. The showroom focuses on a new TV “With the new set-top box, which is As the leader in innovation, OSN has viewing experience with features includ- connected to the Internet as well as to a changed the TV viewing experience by ing a home theatre area, sales and cus- satellite, we can provide consumers with bringing quality entertainment through tomer service centre, as well as a specially a wide choice and the best in content. 36 High Definition channels and is cur- designed demo area for OSN’s new tech- We offer our content on a range of rently the only network offering a full HD nology including OSN Play and OSN Plus devices such as televisions, PCs, tablets bouquet of channels as well as 3D enter- HD. OSN currently has six key locations and smartphones etc. So we continue to tainment in the region. OSN was the first across Kuwait including Marina Mall, be ahead of our competitors with a cut- to launch the DVR, the OSN Showbox HD; Avenues Mall and Al-Fanar Mall with over ting edge technology and the quality of the regions first online TV platform, OSN 400 retail touch points across the region. content. With pay-TV, we can offer a pre- Play; the regions first 3D, HD, internet Customers can experience firsthand widest choice of brand new premium our business across the region particularly mium that the region has not seen enabled satellite receiver and recorder, the pioneering OSN Plus HD, the region’s Western, Arabic and Filipino entertain- Kuwait through new retail touch-points before,” he explained. OSN expects to OSN Plus HD and the region’s first VOD first 3D, HD, Internet enabled satellite ment in the Middle East and Africa. OSN is that bring us closer to our customers and see accelerated growth throughout 2013 service, OSN on Demand offering viewers receiver and recorder. With a terabyte the home of 100 channels filled with provide an enriched experience. We con- which is expected to continue in 2014- the opportunity to watch over 1,000 storage capacity, viewers get access to a great value entertainment, offering view- ceive that the continuation of our expan- 15. “We are very proud that we are rapid- movies and 52 latest seasons of the top vast library of on-demand content at the ers in the MENA region exclusive access to sion in the region is a very important fac- ly becoming the biggest broadcaster in series, all available in full HD quality and touch of a button. Visitors can also the latest blockbuster movies, top-rated tor for the company’s growth. The show- the region,” he said. Dolby Digital sound. explore OSN Play, the region’s first online series, sports, documentaries, news, kids’ room in Dajeej will provide an opportuni- September 2012 saw the launch of TV platform, an ideal fit for Kuwait which entertainment and live talk shows. The ty for all of our customers to come and Strategic partnership OSN’s first rewards program, OSN has one of the region’s highest Internet movie offering includes over 100 uncut share the OSN experience,” he explained. Giving a snapshot of the strategic part- Privileges, offering subscribers money penetration rates of over 74 percent. With and uninterrupted movie premieres a The biggest economic markets for nership OSN has reached with global can’t buy experiences, special offers and OSN Play, viewers can watch their favorite month so viewers can watch them the OSN in the MENA region are Kuwait, the technology players, Butorac said, “We premium prizes all year round. The OSN TV on-the-go anytime, anywhere on mul- way they were meant to be watched. UAE and Saudi Arabia. “Though Kuwait work closely with our technology part- platform is owned and operated by tiple devices including their laptop, the market is not numerically the biggest, it is ners such as Samsung and Apple to pro- Panther Media Group Limited, a company iPad or Android tablets. EXPANSION definitely one of the growing markets for vide the very best choice to the con- registered in DIFC, and is owned by OSN is the ultimate destination for the “We continue to aggressively expand OSN and the core market for its future sumers. We are trying to be appealing to Mawarid Group Limited and KIPCO. Gulf Arab banks seek to expand regionally Intense competition, high liquidity prompt move DUBAI: For years, Dubai’s top bank Emirates the Gulf Arab region which, flush with liquidity Boueiz, a managing director at Bank of America been a very difficult market to enter due to a either sale. “The larger the country, particular- top destinations for Gulf banks to expand. Net NBD (ENBD) relied on its home base and cosy and backed by sound capital bases, are reviving Merrill Lynch and co-head of the US lender’s cor- lack of new licences issued and the prohibi- ly in terms of population, the greater the interest margins at Turkish lenders are above relationship with leading government-related mergers and acquisitions in the financial sector - porate and investment banking for the Middle tively high valuations,” said Nabil Lahham, attraction for retail banks to be present. So the 4 percent level, higher than 2.8-2.9 percent entities in the emirate to drive profit growth. an industry which until last year had seen little East and North Africa (MENA). “That’s a theme partner at Perella Weinberg Partners, which Egypt, for example, with a population of for Gulf-based banks, according to BofA’s That strategy underwent an abrupt shift late in action since the 2008 credit crisis. Deals worth which is likely to continue, especially if the advised ENBD on its Egyptian acquisition. around 80 million, is a compelling opportunity Boueiz. “Banks in the region are keen to 2012 when the bank agreed to buy the Egyptian nearly $6 billion were agreed by finance firms in European situation does not improve.” Egyptian deals in the past were often done for some banks,” said Klaus Froehlich, Morgan deploy capital in markets that have higher operations of French lender BNP Paribas for 2012, a substantial jump from $800 million in between four and six times book value but val- Stanley’s MENA investment banking head. In returns and growth prospects,” he said. This $500 million, securing a foothold in Egypt and 2011 and accounting for 27 percent of overall CATALYSTS uations were now closer to the levels normally Turkey, a 75 percent stake in small lender makes Europe and the United States much less diversifying a business hit hard by debt prob- activity in the Middle East last year, according to Heightened deal activity has been driven seen in the Middle East, he said. Tekstilbank has been put on the block by par- attractive for Gulf banks. “You aren’t going to lems at the Dubai state-linked firms it banked Thomson Reuters data. The sector was only by disposals from Western financial institu- Qatar National Bank’s (QNB) $2 billion pur- ent GSD Holding with interest seen mainly see the rescue deals of 2007-8, where you saw heavily. slightly behind telecommunications, which led tions under pressure to raise capital levels in chase of Societe Generale’s Egyptian unit, one from Gulf Arab lenders. Gulf money go into the likes of Citi,” said “If you want to be a truly regional bank, you the way with 30 percent of activity. The resur- the post-credit crunch regulatory clampdown. of the largest financial deals in MENA in 2012, Bankers are also awaiting the announce- Richard Rollinshaw, partner at PwC, pointing need to be in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the gence of financial M&A looks set to continue this Political turmoil triggered by Arab Spring came at two times book value. Bankers expect ment of a mandate for the sale of National to the big losses suffered by Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates,” said Chief Executive Rick year as eager buyers are met by willing sellers. uprisings has accentuated the desire to exit more deals to follow, in Egypt and elsewhere. Bank of Greece’s Turkish arm Finansbank, one Investment Authority on its capital injection Pudner on a recent results call, adding that the “Pressure to reduce risky portfolio assets and such non-core assets, reducing valuations and Top of the list are Credit Agricole’s 61 percent of the best-run banks in the country, despite into the US lender. “When everything cleans bank’s plans to grow by acquisitions would con- deleveraging requirements of Western banks creating rare opportunities for well-capitalized stake in Credit Agricole Egypt and Italian bank the Greek lender saying it was in no rush to itself out in places like Spain, they may look at tinue even after his departure at the end of this have been key factors for the increased activity Gulf names to expand into neighboring coun- Intesa Sanpaolo’s 70 percent stake in Bank of sell. Turkey’s growth prospects and cultural it but only when there’s clarity on the down- year. ENBD is among a growing list of banks in we have seen in the financial sector,” said Wadih tries at good prices. “Egypt has historically Alexandria. No formal process has begun for affinity with the region has made it one of the side risk.” —Reuters EXCHANGE RATES

Commercial Bank of Kuwait Thai Baht 9.728 Omani Riyal 740.69 743.000 Guinea Franc 0.0000442 0.0000502 Malaysian ringgit 94.221 Qatari Riyal 78.59 78.500 Hg Kong Dollar 0.0341291 0.0372291 Irani Riyal 0.271 Saudi Riyal 76.02 76.400 Indian Rupee 0.0052226 0.0052866 US Dollar/KD .2770000 .2880000 Irani Riyal 0.273 Indonesian Rupiah 0.0000243 0.0000294 GB Pound/KD .4310000 .4470000 Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Jamaican Dollars 0.0028429 0.0038429 Euro .3680000 .3760000 GCC COUNTRIES Japanese Yen 0.0028434 0.0030234 Swiss francs .3020000 .3170000 Saudi Riyal 76.084 Rate for Transfer Selling Rate Kenyan Shilling 0.0033451 0.0035751 Canadian Dollar .2780000 .2920000 Qatari Riyal 78.395 US Dollar 284.600 Malaysian Ringgit 0.0887016 0.0957016 Omani Riyal 741.070 Nepalese Rupee 0.0031568 0.0033568 Australian DLR .2940000 .3020000 Canadian Dollar 286.245 Bahraini Dinar 757.810 Pakistan Rupee 0.0028636 0.0029036 Indian rupees .0040000 .0069000 Sterling Pound 443.135 Sri Lanka Rupee .0020000 .0035000 UAE Dirham 77.690 Philippine Peso 0.0064636 0.0069336 Euro 372.160 Sierra Leone 0.0000727 0.0000757 UAE dirhams .0771240 .0778990 Swiss Frank 306.715 Bahraini dinars .7513970 .7589480 ARAB COUNTRIES Singapore Dollar 0.2270163 0.2330163 Egyptian Pound - Cash 39.950 Bahrain Dinar 753.485 Sri Lankan Rupee 0.0022045 0.0022465 Jordanian dinar .3930000 .4110000 UAE Dirhams 77.465 Saudi riyals .0720000 .0770000 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 40.618 Thai Baht 0.0093245 0.0099245 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.331 Qatari Riyals 78.120 Arab Omani riyals .7366120 .7440150 Tunisian Dinar 177.970 Saudi Riyals 75.855 Bahraini Dinar 0.7486136 0.7571136 Egyptian pounds .0370000 .0440000 Jordanian Dinar 402.291 Jordanian Dinar 401.190 Egyptian Pound 0.0389769 0.0410069 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.914 Egyptian Pound 40.535 Ethiopeanbirr 0.0128685 0.0193685 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES Syrian Lier 3.100 Sri Lankan Rupees 2.245 Ghanaian Cedi 0.1481701 0.1499601 US Dollar/KD .2841000 .2862000 Morocco Dirham 34.238 Indian Rupees 5.298 Iranian Riyal 0.0000792 0.0000797 GB Pound/KD .4338920 .4370990 Pakistani Rupees 2.887 Iraqi Dinar 0.0001731 0.0002331 Euro .3707360 .3734770 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES Bangladesh Taka 3.650 Jordanian Dinar 0.3959095 0.4034095 Swiss francs .3043390 .3065880 US Dollar Transfer 285.200 Philippines Pesso 6.913 Kuwaiti Dinar 1.0000000 1.0000000 Canadian dollars .2795430 .2816100 Euro 374.750 Cyprus pound 698.135 Lebanese Pound 0.0001746 0.0001946 Danish Kroner .0497330 .0501010 Sterling Pound 443.340 Japanese Yen 3.920 Moroccan Dirhams 0.0221506 0.0461506 Swedish Kroner .0443660 .0446940 Canadian dollar 282.940 Thai Bhat 10.160 Nigerian Naira 0.0012088 0.0018438 Australian dlr .2963730 .2985640 Turkish lira 158.720 Syrian Pound 4.065 Omani Riyal 0.7283396 0.7393396 Hong Kong dlr .0365940 .0368650 Swiss Franc 306.010 Nepalese Rupees 3.355 Qatar Riyal 0.0775310 0.0783140 Saudi Riyal 0.0753733 0.0760133 Singapore dlr .2291130 .2308060 US Dollar Buying 284.000 Malaysian Ringgit 93.880 Japanese yen .0029600 .0028810 Sudanese Pounds 0.0462820 0.0468320 Syrian Pound 0.0031761 0.0033961 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 .0052870 GOLD Bahrain Exchange Company Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 .0022880 20 Gram 298.000 Tunisian Dinar 0.1762745 0.1822745 10 Gram 150.000 UAE Dirhams 0.0760724 0.0775224 Pakistan rupee .0000000 .0029190 COUNTRY SELL CASH SELLDRAFT Bangladesh taka .0000000 .0036810 5 Gram 77.500 Europe Yemeni Riyal 0.0012840 0.0013840 UAE dirhams .0773800 .0779520 British Pound 0.4354216 0.4444216 Bahraini dinars .7538810 .7594530 UAE Exchange Centre WLL Czech Korune 0.0061368 0.0181368 Al Mulla Exchange Jordanian dinar .0000000 .4048090 Danish Krone 0.0462032 0.0512032 Euro 0.3697939 0.3772939 Saudi Riyal/KD .0757800 .0763400 COUNTRY SELL DRAFT SELL CASH Norwegian Krone 0.0453316 0.0505316 Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) Omani riyals .7382100 .7436660 Australian Dollar 299.45 298.000 Scottish Pound 0.4325910 0.4400910 US Dollar 284.200 Philippine Peso .0000000 .0069870 Canadian Dollar 285.97 285.000 Swedish Krona 0.0398503 0.0448503 Euro 377.050 Swiss Franc 306.21 307.000 Swiss Franc 0.3013612 0.3083612 Pound Sterling 444.200 Euro 376.06 374.500 Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Australasia Canadian Dollar 284.550 US Dollar 284.60 285.500 Australian Dollar 0.2850898 0.2970898 Japanese Yen 2.950 Sterling Pound 444.81 449.000 New Zealand Dollar 0.2362269 0.2462269 Indian Rupee 5.287 ASIAN COUNTRIES Japanese Yen 2.98 3.300 Uganda Shilling 0.0001112 0.0001112 Egyptian Pound 40.535 Japanese Yen 2.917 Bangladesh Taka 3.675 3.720 America Sri Lankan Rupee 2.242 Indian Rupees 5.294 Indian Rupee 5.263 5.450 Canadian Dollar 0.2757363 0.2847363 Bangladesh Taka 3.650 Pakistani Rupees 2.892 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.245 2.430 Colombian Peso 0.0001482 0.0001662 Philippines Peso 6.917 Srilankan Rupees 2.246 Nepali Rupee 3.313 3.400 US Dollars 0.2825000 0.2846500 Pakistan Rupee 2.892 Nepali Rupees 3.297 Pakistani Rupee 2.896 2.953 Asia Bahraini Dinar 757.000 Singapore Dollar 231.870 UAE Dirhams 77.55 78.000 Bangladesh Taka 0.0036053 0.0036603 UAE Dirham 77.475 Hongkong Dollar 36.748 Bahraini Dinar 757.78 756.800 Cape Vrde Escudo 0.0031575 0.0033875 Saudi Riyal 76.000 Bangladesh Taka 3.651 Egyptian Pound 40.62 40.500 Chinese Yuan 0.0450535 0.0500535 Eritrea-Nakfa 0.0164433 0.0195433 *Rates are subject to change Philippine Peso 6.927 Jordanian Dinar 405.45 410.000 THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 BUSINESS

Syria investors flock to Damascus bourse to protect savings Turnover quadruples; Leap of faith in post-conflict Syria AMMAN: Syrian investor Khaleel which some shares had lost 40 percent by allowing them to raise prices. “If you have your money in Syrian operator, Syria Tel. Tohmeh is on a buying spree in the of their book value. It will go up,” said “There are no longer any speculators pounds, they could disappear if the situ- The war does not appear to have Damascus stock market, pinning his Tohmeh, head of GTASCO, an invest- entering the market - now most of the ation worsens, but at least here you inflicted major damage on the compa- hopes on a long-term recovery of a ment firm whose buying has helped to investors who enter eye long-term have a chance for upside, because you ny’s bottom line, perhaps because all bourse that has seen about two-thirds fuel the bull run in equities. investments,” said Mohammed Halwani, are investing in a bank share with assets, parties in the conflict have continued to of its capitalization wiped out by the chief broker at the brokerage arm of a strong client base etcetera,” said one use its service. Syria Tel, which is owned two-year-old civil war. “I am finding DAMAGE Banque Bemo Saudi Fransi, the largest Syrian financial analyst who requested by a range of private and institutional shares very attractive at these levels and Syria’s stock exchange, which began brokerage among eight licensed firms. anonymity because of political sensitivi- investors, many of whom are connected cannot find another place to put my operating in March 2009 as part of “People are looking at higher inflation ties. Many of Syria’s medium-sized com- to Assad’s regime, said its 2012 net prof- money, even if it will be two years efforts to liberalize the economy, has 22 and the Syrian pound will be losing its panies, such as insurers, are obliged by it climbed 1 percent to 7.5 billion before I can benefit,” said Tohmeh, listed companies; 12 are banks, most of value. It’s a way to hedge against the law to keep part of their capital in local pounds ($60 million). Its shares have speaking by telephone from his them majority-owned subsidiaries of depreciation. Investors now prefer a currency, and they have bought shares gained about 20 percent during the Damascus office. “Whatever the timing, foreign banks from Lebanon and the stock to the pound.” instead of depositing their cash in banks recent rally to around 315 pounds, the market will rise much faster than it Gulf. There are six listed insurance firms, Bank shares are a preferred target of to be eroded by inflation, brokers said. though they are still half their pre-crisis fell.” For the last few weeks, the stock as well as industrials and service compa- investors because the banks are gener- level of about 630 pounds. market, with a capitalization of about $1 nies. Perversely, damage to the econo- ally well capitalized and backed by FORTUNES OF WAR Investing in Syria’s stock market billion at the Syrian pound’s beaten- my from the civil war now appears to be strategic partners; for example, The fortunes of war in different parts remains a leap of faith: that companies down exchange rate, has boomed. After contributing to the stock market’s par- International Bank for Trade and Finance of the country have helped to deter- will survive the war, that ownership hitting a record low of 768 points on tial recovery. is a subsidiary of Jordan’s Housing Bank. mine stock prices; although much of the rights will survive in the economic and Jan. 7, the main market index jumped The Syrian pound has lost about 60 Another leading stock is Qatar National country’s industrial base has been political turmoil that may accompany nearly 20 percent in the space of a percent of its value against the US dollar Bank of Syria (QNBS), a subsidiary of destroyed, other parts have continued the eventual end of the conflict. But it month to rise above 900 points on April in two years; many wealthy Syrians have Qatar National Bank ; in a strange operating. Ahlia Vegetable Oil Co, is a leap that some Syrians are willing 24. It closed Tuesday at 897 points, com- been unwilling or unable to move all accommodation of business and politi- whose plants are in a relatively safe gov- to take, in the absence of better pared to around 1,500 in March 2011, their money out of the country. Some cal interests, it has continued to operate ernment-controlled area in the city of options. “This speedy rise has seen new before the uprising against President see the stock market as a chance to pro- even though Qatar is publicly support- Hama, has seen its shares rise 35 per- liquidity entering the market,” said Bashar Al-Assad began. tect their capital against currency ing rebels fighting Assad. cent since January. In addition to the Mohammad Al-Ostwani, a broker in Average daily trading turnover has depreciation. Equities are also being Shares in QNBS and other privately stock exchange, there has been brisk ChamCapital financial services firm in climbed to between 15 and 20 million used as a hedge against inflation, which owned banks have jumped between 20 trading in the over-the-counter share Damascus. “For many investors, owning pounds ($200,000) from around 4 mil- has risen to at least 60 percent, accord- and 30 percent in the last month; QNBS market, where investors have bought a share in a company is now better lion pounds in 2012. “I don’t think we ing to independent economists. closed Tuesday at 97.75 pounds, against shares in some of the country’s big firms than holding a pound that goes up and will get back to the bottom we saw, in Inflation can benefit some companies levels above 150 pounds in early 2011. such as Syria’s main mobile telephone down.”— Reuters Gold falls, investors cautious Investors await Federal Reserve statement LONDON: Gold fell yesterday as buying slowed down due to holi- days in China and parts of Europe, and as investors waited to see if the US Federal Reserve would stick to its stimulus program to spur the economy. The Fed’s policy-making committee ends its meeting later in the day and is widely expected to keep the current pace of bond buy- ing at $85 billion a month due to recent weak economic data. Gold fell 0.7 percent to $1,466.06 an ounce by 1151 GMT. US gold futures for June delivery HAMBURG: German President Joachim Gauck reacts as he looks out of a cockpit of were down 0.4 percent to $1,464.00 an Airbus A330 with a Lufthansa logo at a Lufthansa Technology production hall in an ounce. “The market is holding Hamburg, northern Germany. — AFP back a little with China and most European countries closed and nobody is going to take the lead Lufthansa and workers’ ahead of the FOMC and US employ- ment figures, which will be very union settle pay dispute critical as they will give us fresh direction,” MKS Capital vice presi- dent Bernard Sin said. Pay rise between 3.0-5.2 percent The dollar eased against a bas- ket of main currencies as investors FRANKFURT: German trade union Verdi ($20 million). Two weeks ago Lufthansa warily awaited the outcome of the has agreed a pay deal with Lufthansa for offered to raise pay by 1.2 percent from US Federal Reserve’s policy meet- 33,000 cabin crew and ground staff across October and by a further 0.5 percent a ing, while expectations the HONG KONG: Photo shows a US$1198 (9300 HKD) 24 carat gold plated custom-built 16gb iPad on display the airline group, it said yesterday, avert- year later, in a deal with no job guaran- European Central Bank will cut at customized luxury goods store in Hong Kong. — AFP ing another round of strikes that the tees. Lufthansa management are current- interest rates today capped the pointing employment number,” its holdings fell 0.19 percent to changed in Tokyo at up to $1 to the union had threatened. Employees of ly pushing through a cost-cutting plan euro. Accommodative policy is gen- UBS analyst Joni Teves said in a 1,078.54 tons on Tuesday, the low- spot London prices, levels last seen Lufthansa Systems, Lufthansa Cargo and dubbed SCORE which aims to shed erally seen as supportive for gold, note. “But on the employment est since September 2009. But gold in July 2012 before they were revis- Lufthansa Technik will see their pay rise 3,500 jobs worldwide and increase because printing of money tends to front, the risk is that non-farm pay- has recovered more than half of its ited two weeks ago, following a by 4.7 percent, while Lufthansa AG staff annual operating profits to 2.3 billion be inflationary, but traders noted rolls are expected to have recov- $225 loss incurred between April surge in physical buying. Other will get a rise of 3 percent, in a deal which euros by 2015 from 524 million last inflation readings were lower ered in April (which) would poten- 12 and 16, boosted by strong physi- precious metals edged lower, also runs for 26 months and excludes forced year. Verdi said yesterday the pay rises recently. “(Gold) seems to pick up tially offset the positive impact of a cal demand, especially in top bul- undermined by slower-than- lay-offs, Verdi said in a statement. would occur in two steps, with steam either as a result of turmoil in more cautious FOMC,” she added. lion consumers China and India. expected Chinese manufacturing Lufthansa confirmed that a deal had Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa Technik the financial markets or on the back Gold tumbled to $1,321.35 on data for March. Silver fell 1.7 per- been reached and said it would con- staff getting a 2.4 percent rise from of higher inflation readings, neither April 16, its lowest in more than PHYSICAL FLOWS SLOW cent to $23.87 an ounce. Platinum tribute to the company’s restructuring Aug. 1, 2013 and a further 2.3 percent of which seem to be prevalent at two years, after a drop below A rush in buying of gold bars dropped 1.5 percent to $1,483.24 efforts. Verdi and Lufthansa had been in from Aug. 1, 2014. Lufthansa AG ground this particular time,” INTL FCStone $1,500 sparked a selloff that after the recent plunge in prices an ounce, having reached a two- talks since the end of February and work- crew would receive 1.5 percent rises on said in a note. Investors will also stunned investors and prompted has led to tight physical supply in week high of $1,522 on Monday. ers on April 22 virtually grounded the air- both dates, while trainees would see closely watch US non-farm payrolls them to further slash holdings of Asia, but overall trading was quiet Palladium was down 1.3 percent to line with the second strike in a month. pay rise by 5.2 percent, the union said. numbers on Friday. “A slight dovish exchange-traded funds. SPDR Gold this week, with most markets shut $686.25, having hit a two-week Analysts estimate that walk-out alone The deal is still subject to the approval tilt in the FOMC’s tone would be Trust, the world’s largest gold- for the Labor Day holiday. high of $700.72 in the previous ses- cost Lufthansa more than 15 million euros of union members by May 14.— Reuters good for gold, as would a disap- backed exchange-traded fund, said Premiums for gold bars were little sion.—Reuters Deadly bargains: Dhaka disaster IRS targets US accounts at the Caribbean bank puts pressure on fashion stores WASHINGTON: The US Justice became the bank’s majority shareholder, Department said that a federal court had according to the website. PARIS: The deadly collapse of a Bangladesh Fire and Building authorized the Internal Revenue Service CIBC did not immediately reply to Bangladesh garment factory has Safety Agreement. “I’ve been in (IRS) to seek information on US taxpayers requests for comment. FCIB does not have piled pressure on Western fashion many factories and what I’ve seen is who may have accounts at Canadian US branches but it has a correspondent stores that churn out the season’s that for instance emergency exits Imperial Bank of Commerce account in the United States at Wells hottest looks at cheap prices, many are normally blocked with boxes, FirstCaribbean International Bank (FCIB). Fargo, Justice said. The IRS uses ‘John Doe’ of which are sourced from sweat- are blocked with rubbish from the In a move resembling a recent IRS inquiry summonses to get information on possi- shops in poor countries. The coun- factory,” said Blanch. “The windows into Americans with Swiss bank accounts, ble tax law breakers whose identities are try’s worst ever industrial disaster, of the factory... there are bars, so the Justice Department said a court order unknown. “This John Doe summons which has left at least 388 dead, basically if there is a fire, workers would let the IRS serve a ‘John Doe’ sum- directs Wells Fargo to produce records comes after deadly fires in other can’t escape from the windows as mons seeking records of FCIB’s US corre- identifying US taxpayers with accounts at factories and years of concerns over well.” spondent account at Wells Fargo & Co. A FCIB and other banks that used FCIB’s cor- the flouting of safety standards in Ineke Zeldenrust from Clean correspondent account is a bank deposit respondent account,” the statement said. the bargain-basement clothing Clothes Campaign backed up these account maintained by one bank for In a declaration filed to the court, a industry. Bustling high-street retail- demands, saying brands’ safety pro- another bank. senior IRS revenue agent said many FCIB ers are routinely accused of turning posals in the past had been “insuffi- The order would allow the IRS to iden- customers in the John Doe class may have a blind eye and making a fortune cient”. “Workers need a structural tify US taxpayers with “interests in finan- been under-reporting income, evading off the backs of cheap laborers solution, not a quick fix. The lack of cial accounts at FCIB and other financial income taxes, or otherwise violating the working in dangerous conditions. A action demonstrated by brands institutions that used FCIB’s Wells Fargo internal revenue laws of the United States. week after the disaster in a suburb amounts to criminal negligence,” correspondent account,” the Justice The FCIB case stemmed from information Zeldenrust said. Aid agency Oxfam of the capital Dhaka, with hundreds Department said in a statement. “Our from 129 customers of the Barbados bank still missing under the rubble, the welcomed the offer by Primark and SAN FRANCISCO: Protesters stand next to a list of Bangladeshi work- work here shows our resolve to pursue and its predecessor banks who took part backlash is growing against these Loblaw-who were both supplied ers that died in the Tazreen factory fire during a demonstration out- these cases in all parts of the world, in an IRS voluntary disclosure program, brands. Clothing retailers such as from the collapsed Rana Plaza com- side of the Gap Inc headquarters in San Francisco, California. Dozens regardless of whether the person hiding the Justice Department said. In a similar Britain’s low-cost retailer Primark plex-to compensate victims. “Other of protesters staged a demonstration outside of the Gap Inc head- money overseas chooses a bank with no case in January 2013, a federal court and Canada’s Loblaw have offered companies who had premises in quarters demanding that the retail clothing giant improve working offices on US soil,” IRS Acting allowed the IRS to serve a ‘John Doe’ sum- compensation to victims and their the building should follow their conditions in their manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh. — AFP families, but activists have demand- example,” Oxfam’s Bangladesh Commissioner Steven Miller said in a mons on Switzerland’s UBS AG , seeking ability in the industry,” said Julie and “Cheap clothes = sweat shops”, statement. A spokesman for Wells Fargo records of Swiss bank Wegelin & Co’s US ed they do more. “International country director Gareth Price Jones Stoll of the French Fair Trade “Primark’s shame” or “Love fashion, brands must take responsibility for said in a statement. said the bank would “review the summons correspondent account at UBS. Platform, referring to apparent con- hate sweatshops”. and respond as legally required.” That action was part of a wide-ranging what has happened there,” said Spanish label Mango said it had fusion among companies as to Gareth Jones, who works in Laila Blanch from anti-poverty placed orders for sample items at An FCIB spokeswoman said the bank US government effort to crack down on whether their suppliers were social media, said the offer of com- intended to “cooperate with authorities in tax avoidance by Americans. Wegelin, group War on Want, which has the factory, while Italian group involved or not. pensation by Primark was “a nice accordance with the respective laws of all Switzerland’s oldest bank, in March launched an online petition against Benetton has also admitted it had The country’s $20-billion (15-bil- gesture, it’s the least they could do jurisdictions involved” and to comply with agreed to pay nearly $58 million in penal- high street brands Primark, Matalan products recently manufactured in lion-euro) garment industry is the really”. Another Londoner, speaking legal and regulatory requirements. The ties and said it would shut its doors after and Mango. the building. Benjamin Martin of PR world’s second-biggest after on condition of anonymity, said: “It bank was working with Wells Fargo to admitting to helping wealthy Americans “They outsourced the produc- agency Publicis Consultants told China’s, and Bangladeshi textile will not be enough to replace the understand the court order, she said in a evade taxes. The serving of ‘John Doe’ tion to countries such as AFP that these companies “can no bosses scrambled Monday to loss for these families.... It’s not real- summons on correspondent accounts is Bangladesh and China because of longer feign surprise” after a assure leading brand names such ly enough, not at all.” However, for prepared statement. FCIB, based in the lowest wages in the world,” she November 2012 fire left 111 dead as H&M and Gap about safety stan- the fashion-hungry shoppers ply- Barbados, has branches in 18 Caribbean likely to become more common as the said, accusing them of ignoring in a Bangladesh factory, which dards. On Saturday a handful of ing these stores, dodgy practices by countries. According to its website, the government widens its tax inquiries “very poor health and safety stan- made clothes for the likes of US people protested in front of the textile industry “are still not a bank was formed in 2002 by Britain’s beyond Switzerland, Luxembourg and dards”. The organization has giant Wal-Mart. “There is clearly a Primark on London’s Oxford Street, priority”, said a source from a large Barclays Bank and Canadian Imperial Bank Liechtenstein, said William Sharp, a lawyer demanded these brands sign the problem of transparency and trace- with placards reading “Never again” European consumers’ union.— AFP of Commerce (CIBC). In 2006, CIBC who represents taxpayers.— Reuters THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 BUSINESS Dollar slides; China data hit oil

LONDON: The dollar edged to a two-month low are the only ones currently heading upwards. two-month low of 81.596 against a basket of six yesterday as investors awaited the outcome of the Economists remain decidedly cautious about the major currencies as sterling moved upwards. US US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting later and country’s near term outlook, however, with sluggish stock index futures also signaled that the recent ral- brighter-than-expected UK manufacturing data internal growth and a battle to bring down debt ly on Wall Street, which sent the S&P 500 index to its pushed sterling to a 2-1/2 month high. The levels weighing on the economy. “It’s a relatively latest record high on Tuesday, was likely to continue Markit/CIPS Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ decent result,” said Investec economist Philip Shaw. though much will depend on the noises coming Index (PMI) rose to 49.8 in April from an upwardly “The manufacturing sector is still weak - the PMI from the Fed. revised 48.6 in March, putting the sector within a remains below the 50 break even level - but there is The central bank is widely expected to maintain whisker of the 50 line that separates growth from some semblance of stabilization, which could imply its monthly purchases of $85 billion in bonds when contraction. a gentle building of recovery momentum across the the two-day meeting wraps up as it looks to sup- Economists had expected a much weaker read- economy.” port an economic recovery that is nearly four years ing of 48.5 and the first rise in the new orders com- old but still too weak for the job market to truly ponent of the survey since January instilled a tone CENTRAL BANKS heal. With the central bank’s favored inflation gauge of optimism into markets. Sterling rose to a new 2- Wider market attention remained largely on cen- slipping and employment growth faltering, Fed offi- 1/2 month high against the dollar of $1.5591, UK tral bank actions though. The Federal Reserve will cials could again find themselves in the uncomfort- gilts fell and London’s FTSE 100, the only of Europe’s announce the outcome of its latest meeting at 1800 able position of having to shift from talk of curbing major stock markets not closed for Labor Day, GMT, while the European Central Bank is expected stimulus to the possibility of doing more. The ECB is climbed 0.4 percent to move back towards its to cut its interest rates to a new record low of 0.5 also expected to cut rates when it meets in the recent 4-1/2 year high . percent today. The dollar was on the back foot Slovak capital Bratislava on Thursday but econo- Unlike the US, China and the euro zone, UK PMI’s ahead of the Fed statement and dipped to new mists are eyeing whether it can do more.—Reuters

BEIJING: A Chinese migrant worker passes by The People’s Bank of China as he heads to a bus station in Beijing yesterday. Manufacturing activity in China slowed slightly in April from the previous month, in a sign of further weakness in the world’s second-biggest economy. — AFP Kuwait rises above 7,500 points; Emaar slips 1.3% Dubai shrugs off soft Emaar earnings DUBAI: Dubai heavyweight Emaar Properties Egypt’s market and Bahrain’s bourse were fell yesterday after reporting a drop in quar- closed, as was much of Asia and Europe, for a terly profit on rising costs, but the overall mar- Labor Day bank holiday. Kuwait’s measure ket recovered from an early slide, suggesting jumped 1.8 percent to 7,563 points, rising for investors’ underlying optimism had not the ninth straight session. Some said the rise changed. Property developer Emaar reported above 7,500 points was technically bullish. a worse-than-expected net profit of 556 mil- “Over the medium and short terms, the index lion dirhams ($151.4 million) in the quarter is moving in an uptrend. A break above this ended March 31, compared to 606 million level (7,500) would indicate a continuation of dirhams in the same period a year ago. A the uptrend,” said a note from NBK Capital. Reuters poll of six analysts had predicted an “The next target is 7,600. We view any pull- average profit of 600 million dirhams. back to the support levels as a buying oppor- Emaar shares slipped 1.3 percent in tunity. The medium term target is 8,400.” response, but they remain up 48 percent since Kuwait Projects Co (Kipco) rose 1.2 percent the end of last year. The profit drop was large- after it said it was on track for double-digit ly due to higher sales costs, the company said, revenue growth this year, although quarterly and revenue rose 16 percent. So investors profit was flat. Several blue chip stocks fell in decided the profit drop made no difference to Saudi Arabia after oil dropped below $101 a the bullish outlook for the property sector. barrel yesterday, extending its biggest month- Emaar’s chairman said yesterday that he ly drop in 11 months, as fresh concerns over expected his company’s real estate business economic growth in China weakened the to increase drastically. demand outlook. Saudi Basic Industries Dubai’s index shrugged off early losses to (SABIC) slipped 0.6 percent, weighing on the end 0.1 percent higher, though gains were general index, which ended 0.1 percent lower smaller than in recent sessions. “As the UAE at 7,175 points. Loss-making telecommunica- bellwether, a great deal was expected from tions operator Zain Saudi fell 4.0 percent, Emaar numbers. Whilst solid, there was no adding to losses from the previous session, upside surprise and some profit-taking has after it said it had extended the maturity on been evident today,” said Julian Bruce, EFG- $3 billion of loans for up to five weeks. It was Hermes’ director of institutional equity sales. the latest in a series of extensions since 2011, “This prompted caution from recent buyers in and investors had been hoping the company the broader market, and it was good to see would finally be able to put together a new the index taking a bit of a breather after long-term financing package, reducing uncer- recent exuberance.” tainty. Qatar Navigation climbed 4.2 percent after posting positive first-quarter results and KUWAIT CLIMBS announcing board agreement for a share buy- Other Gulf markets were mixed yesterday. back program. — Reuters No end in sight for Fed stimulus; inflation sags

WASHINGTON: The Federal Reservoe’s the economy’s fortunes do not improve, debate over US monetary policy could the US central bank may well look for fresh begin to shift away from the prospect of ways to boost its support to the economy- reducing stimulus toward a discussion increasing the amount of assets it is buying about doing more, given the signs of eco- is just one option. nomic weakness and slowing inflation. But The Fed could announce an intent to policymakers are not there yet. At a two- hold the bonds it has bought until maturity day meeting that wraps up yesterday, the instead of selling them when the time Fed is widely expected to maintain its comes to tighten monetary policy. Fed monthly purchases of $85 billion in bonds Chairman Ben Bernanke has already raised to support an economic recovery that is this as a possibility. US central bankers nearly four years old but still too weak for could also set a lower unemployment the job market to truly heal. threshold to signal when the time might be With the central bank’s favored inflation ripe to finally raise overnight interest rates, gauge slipping and employment growth which they have held near zero since faltering, Fed officials could again find December 2008. Currently, the threshold themselves in the uncomfortable position stands at 6.5 percent, provided inflation of having to shift from talk of curbing stim- does not threaten to breach 2.5 percent. ulus to the possibility of doing more. Research suggests such “forward guid- Currently, analysts see the Fed buying a ance” about the future path of interest rates total $1 trillion in Treasury and mortgage- can have a strong impact on current bor- backed securities during the ongoing third rowing costs, and one Fed official-Narayana round of quantitative easing, known as Kocherlakota, president of the Minneapolis QE3. Until recently, analysts had believed Federal Reserve Bank-has already suggest- the Fed would start taking the foot off the ed lowering the threshold to give the econ- accelerator in the second half of the year. omy a boost. “Forward guidance would be Now, things are looking a bit more perceived as having lower costs (than bond shaky. The housing market continues to purchases) by most, I think, and for that show signs of strength, with home prices reason I think it could be the preferred posting their biggest yearly gain since avenue, especially if more stimulus was 2006, the year the market began a historic projected to be needed for a long period of slide that snowballed into a global financial time,” said Roberto Perli, a partner at crisis. However, the industrial sector is not Cornerstone Macro in Washington and a quite as perky. Durable goods orders post- former Fed economist. ed their largest drop in seven months in Analysts generally agree that is a debate March, while an index of Midwest manufac- for the future, if the Fed even gets there at turing showed an unexpected contraction all. Victor Li, a former regional Fed econo- in the sector for April. mist who teaches at Villanova University in Economic growth did rebound in the Pennsylvania, said employment growth first quarter after a dismal end to 2012, but would have to be consistently below the the 2.5 percent annual rate of expansion 100,000 jobs per month pace in combina- fell short of economists’ estimates, and tion with core inflation of around 1 percent economists are already penciling in a weak- for the Fed to consider a greater easing of er second quarter. At the same time, infla- monetary policy. “There is just no evidence tion has steadily been coming down. The that this is going to happen.” Fed’s preferred measure of core inflation, Others are less sanguine. Justin Wolfers, which excludes more volatile food and an economics professor at the University of energy costs, rose just 1.1 percent in the Michigan’s Gerald Ford School of Public year to March. Overall inflation was up just Policy, said the risk that prices will drop 1 percent, the smallest gain in 3-1/2 years. persistently, causing further economic The Fed targets inflation of 2 percent. damage, cannot be ruled out. “What’s more relevant than the current inflation trend is CHECKING THE TOOLKIT what this means for forecast inflation,” Despite the economy’s softer tone, a Wolfers said. “And I think even more rele- wait-and-see attitude seems the most likely vant than the Fed’s official point estimate approach for now. The Fed is expected to for inflation is the probability that deflation nod to the economy’s disappointing per- looms as a real threat. Inflation rates lower formance when it announces its decision at than 1 percent certainly raise a greater risk 2 pm, even as it maintains its course. But if of deflation.”— Reuters THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 BUSINESS Egyptian Refining Company receives global recognition

KUWAIT: Egyptian Refining Company, Year,” Trade Finance Magazine’s “Deal of (CCAP.CA on the Egyptian Exchange), Journal Awards, with projects backed Dutch development bank FMO, one of the largest oil and gas projects the Year,” and the International the leading investment company in by major global industry players and Germany’s DEG, and the InfraMed in Egypt and the region, stands as an Financial Law Review’s “Project Finance Africa and the Middle East with $9.5 financiers, including some 28 con- Fund. ERC is also supported by a $2.6 example of public-private cooperation Deal of the Year” for legal advisory on billion in investments under control, tenders that included major oil & gas billion debt package announced in and underscores the fundamental the transaction, bringing its total num- ERC is a public-private partnership and infrastructure projects from across August 2010 which was arranged by attractiveness of the Egyptian market ber of wins for the year to 6 awards with the private sector investing the globe. The awards are the latest in ERC’s financial advisor Societe to long-term international investors. thus far. ERC has also been shortlisted alongside the government to address a string of international acknowledg- Generale and supported by ERC’s legal Citadel Capital’s Egyptian Refining for the upcoming 2013 Ai African Egypt’s growing demand for octane- ments following the financial close of advisors, Shearman & Sterling and Company (ERC), a $3.7 billion green- Infrastructure Investment awards. rich products, namely jet fuel and the landmark deal. “The ERC project Arab Legal Consultants. field petroleum refining upgrade proj- ERC is investing US$ 3.7 billion to diesel, that are currently imported in weathered many challenges such as The package includes $2.35 billion ect in the Greater Cairo Area, received build a state-of-the-art refinery that rising quantities. The project aims to the 2008-2009 global financial crisis of senior debt and $225 million of sub- the Infrastructure Journal “Oil & Gas will reduce Egypt’s present-day diesel address the critical need for national and the reduced investment appetite ordinated debt. With the Bank of Deal of the Year” and overall “Deal of imports by more than half, eliminate infrastructure development and will in Egypt post January 25 Revolution. Tokyo-Mitsubishi serving as the global the Year” awards in April 2013. approximately 93,000 tons of sulfur create 700 permanent jobs and an The financial close was only made coordinator, institutions participating The awards underscore the impor- emissions annually, and produce over additional 10,000 jobs during the con- possible by the strong economic in the senior debt package include the tance of this vital national project and 4.2 million tons of refined products struction phase. rationale of the project and its benefits Japan Bank for International its ability to win substantial interna- and high-quality oil derivatives per “ERC is a key component of Egypt’s to Egypt. ERC is not only a transforma- Cooperation (JBIC), Nippon Export and tional backing despite the economic year including 3 million tons of jet fuel energy security and we look forward to tive import substitution project, but it Investment Insurance (NEXI), the challenges Egypt presently faces. ERC and Euro V diesel (the cleanest-burn- seeing the project through to its com- will also help improve the air quality in Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), stands as among the largest-ever proj- ing diesel fuel in the world). pletion. It is an honor to win recogni- Egypt,” said Heikal. The equity compo- the European Investment Bank (EIB) ect finance transactions in Africa and is Additionally ERC will produce tion from IJ for this landmark project, nent of the transaction, which reached and the African Development Bank one of Egypt’s largest inward invest- 700,000 tons of octane-rich petrol fuel which would have not been possible final close on 14 June 2012 at a total of (AfDB). ments. The financial close of ERC con- that represents more than 70% of without the help of our dedicated in- US$ 1.1 billion, was the largest raising Mitsui & Co, which is part of the firms to international investors and the Egypt’s current imported volume. ERC house team and advisors, the support of equity in Egypt since 2007 and the contractor consortium building the global community that Egypt is open will also lead to an estimated US$ 300 of our equity and debt partners and largest in the MENA region in 2012. refinery, and the African Development for business. million in annual savings and revenues the cooperation of the government In addition to Citadel Capital, Bank are providing the subordinated The project has received numerous to state coffers, as its contractual and EGPC as well as the people of investors in the transaction include debt financing. Energy is one of five global awards this year prior to the agreement states that the Egyptian Mostorod where the refinery will be EGPC, Qatar Petroleum International core industries in which Citadel Capital Infrastructure Journal recognition, General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) located,” said Ahmed Heikal, Founder (QPI), investors from Egypt and the invests across its 15-country footprint, including Reuters-affiliated Project will purchase all of ERC’s production of and Chairman of Citadel Capital. Gulf Cooperation Council countries, alongside transportation and logistics, Finance International’s “Middle East high-quality fuel products. ERC faced substantial international and global institutions including the agriculture and consumer foods, min- and Africa Petrochemical Deal of the Developed by Citadel Capital competition for the Infrastructure International Finance Corporation, the ing, and cement and construction. Inflation spikes as Qatar gears for spending spree Small size, dollar peg make Qatar vulnerable

DOHA: Five years ago, inflation in Qatar soared rate jumped to 3.6 percent in March, from 3.2 per- in order to curb arbitrary price increases following into the double digits after the tiny country spent cent in February and 2.6 percent in December. A that year’s state salary hike. It is not clear, howev- heavily on hosting the 2006 Asian Games. Now, major reason for the rise was a rebound in hous- er, whether the committee could if needed intro- with another government spending spree and an ing rents, which account for about a third of con- duce widespread price controls or whether they even bigger sports event looming, inflation is on sumer expenses; they gained 5.5 percent in would be effective. the rise again. The country of just 1.9 million peo- March. One factor behind the inflation surge Another weapon against inflation is monetary ple plans to spend about $140 billion to build sta- appears to be increased government spending on policy. In March, the central bank introduced diums, roads, railways, a new airport, a seaport social welfare in the wake of the Arab Spring quarterly issues of riyal-denominated bonds, giv- and other infrastructure before it hosts the 2022 uprisings elsewhere in the region. In September ing it a tool to manage excess funds in the bank- soccer World Cup. 2011 the Qatari government boosted basic ing sector. The central bank governor told Reuters Spending on that scale could destabilize a salaries and social benefits for state civilian this month that these issues could be adjusted NEW YORK: Job applicants wait in line under rain fall in New York. — AFP much bigger economy. So recent data showing a employees by 60 percent. flexibly. Officials and some analysts say such tools sharp rise in inflation is unwelcome - and might, if Inflation would be higher at present if Qatar will be sufficient to avoid another burst of dou- Rebound in job growth it becomes a trend, threaten the smooth comple- had been quicker to get its infrastructure projects ble-digit inflation in the next few years. “We do tion of some of the construction projects. into gear after winning the right to host the World foresee inflation going up, but we expect it to Government officials and company executives Cup nearly 2-1/2 years ago. Partly because of remain in the single digits,” Ghorairi said. Others eyed; Momentum slow insist they have learned from the last inflation bureaucratic delays, the government has been are less sure, given Qatar’s heavy dependence on WASHINGTON: debacle and will be able to avoid another one, slower to award contracts than many companies imports - except for energy, most of the basic US job growth likely acceler- er and spur a stronger recovery. Their next partly because they have given themselves more had expected - disappointing many foreign busi- goods which it consumes are imported - and the ated in April, but probably still lacked enough meeting is in mid-June. time to carry out the construction. “In 2006, we nessmen, but limiting upward pressure on prices. fact that the Qatari riyal is pegged to the US dol- muscle to help the economy head off the SLUGGISH GROWTH saw a very different situation compared to what “The two-year delay has had the effect of control- lar. The peg constrains Qatar’s ability to raise blow from deep government budget cuts and we have now. We had to execute all the projects ling inflation,” said Abdulaziz Al-Ghorairi, senior interest rates to fight inflation, and prevents it higher taxes. Nonfarm payrolls are expected The US economy grew at a moderate 2.5 within a tight time frame, and were faced with a vice president and chief economist at from appreciating its currency to offset any rise in to have increased by 145,000, according to a percent annual rate in the first quarter, but very sudden inflow of people into the country,” R. Commercialbank Capital in Doha. import costs. “I don’t there is much the central Reuters survey of economists after stumbling data for March and April has suggested a loss Seetharaman, chief executive of Doha Bank, This year, however, infrastructure spending bank can do about the kind of inflation Qatar to a nine-month low of 88,000 in March. of momentum. Second-quarter growth fore- Qatar’s fifth-largest bank by market value, told looks set to ramp up in earnest. Plans call for state faces from population growth and project While March’s meager job gains probably casts range between a 1 percent to 2 percent Reuters. “Now, we have enough time to execute expenditure to increase 18 percent to 210.6 bil- spending,” said a Doha-based economist at a exaggerated the labor market’s weakness, the rate-a slowdown that analysts pin on belt- these projects; it will be done gradually over the lion riyals ($57.8 billion) in the 2013/14 fiscal year major financial institution, declining to be expected increase for April would still fall tightening in Washington. To slash the budg- next five years. The time frame will help in acting that started on April 1, and to stay at about this named under briefing rules. “Also, it can’t influ- short of the monthly average of 200,000 new et deficit, lawmakers let a 2 percent payroll as a stabiliser in preventing inflationary issues.” year’s level until 2017, Finance and Economy ence imported inflation because of the dollar jobs for the first two months of this year. tax cut expire at the end of last year and left Minister Youssef Kamal said this month. In peg. If you have a dollar-pegged currency, you’ve “It’s consistent with the sluggish rate of in place $85 billion in across-the-board gov- BOTTLENECKS January the International Monetary Fund’s mis- effectively abdicated all monetary control to the growth that we have been seeing and expect ernment spending cuts, which began to kick Qatar’s inflation rate skyrocketed to a record sion chief for Qatar told Reuters that the econo- host country. Effectively we have US monetary to see going forward,” said Sam Bullard, a sen- in at the beginning of March. 15.2 percent in 2008, partly because of a building my’s ability to absorb heavy infrastructure spend- policy in Qatar now.” ior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Some economists believe the budget cuts boom for the Asian Games; logistical problems ing was an issue, though he added there were no A burst of inflation could disrupt the infra- Charlotte, North Carolina. The Labor weighed on private job growth in April and and bottlenecks, including difficulties in bringing concerns about the economy overheating for the structure program by raising the costs and crimp- Department will release the April employ- may have led to government job cuts. enough building materials into the country, moment. ing the profit margins of companies building the ment report tomorrow at 8:30 am. The fore- “Although the government did most of its caused costs in the economy to spiral. In a sense, projects. However, the impact would probably be cast job gains in April should be just enough cost cutting through furloughs, we suspect the global financial crisis came to Qatar’s rescue. DEFENCES bearable for Qatar’s affluent population of local to hold the unemployment rate at a four-year there were also some outright job cuts,” said Inflation fell rapidly as housing rental prices plum- One of the government’s defenses against citizens, who number only about 250,000 of the low of 7.6 percent, though the rate could Michelle Meyer, a senior economist at Bank of meted in response to the global turmoil, and inflation is its ability to regulate prices. In a state- total population of 1.9 million. “Who is really dam- even fall as older Americans retire and America Merrill Lynch in New York. “The pri- Qatar actually experienced deflation - falling con- ment in December, the government said it would aged by single-digit inflation? Most corporates younger people give up the hunt for work in vate sector will likely be impacted. At a mini- sumer prices - in 2009 and 2010, underlining how use regulatory powers to prevent traders from have cost-of-living adjustments, and people who frustration. mum, it likely reduced hiring in those indus- vulnerable the wealthy gas-exporting economy is imposing “unjustified” price hikes on consumers. own assets see the benefit of it,” said Steve Troop, The workforce participation rate-the share tries most closely exposed to the govern- to global trends. In September 2011 the country’s ruling emir chief executive of Doha-based Barwa Bank, of working-age Americans who either have a ment, such as defense contracting.” In the last few months, however, the spectre of directed the Ministry of Business and Trade to adding “3.6 percent isn’t the end of the world in a job or are looking for one-hit a 34-year low in Construction payrolls are expected to high inflation has reappeared. The year-on-year establish a committee to monitor prices of goods, place where people don’t pay tax.”— Reuters March. “We expect the unemployment rate to have posted gains for an 11th successive continue its slow downward trek, reflecting month, thanks to a recovering housing mar- our expectation that shifting demographics ket. Manufacturing employment may have and discouraged workers will continue to snapped back after falling in March for the overcome the number of workers returning first time since September. Employment SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY - Mazda to the labor market to seek employment,” said gauges in regional manufacturing surveys Lewis Alexander, chief economist at Nomura were mostly mixed in April. Job gains in the technologies redefining the future Securities in New York. private services sector are expected to have “Federal Reserve officials are sure to take picked up from March’s nine-month low. note of a slow economy that is unable to pro- Employment could be supported by retail KUWAIT: Kuwait Automotive Imports Co WLL (Al Brand Manager, KAICO. duce consistent strong job gains, and dis- employment, which fell after eight straight Shaya & Al Sagar), exclusive distributor of Mazda SKYACTIV-G and SKYACTIV-D count at least some of the decline in unem- months of gains. Government payrolls are cars in Kuwait since 1969, is proud to announce ployment as being for the ‘wrong’ reasons.” expected to have dropped by about 15,000 in that shortly a new-generation SKYACTIV TECH- Highly efficient engines with a world-beating Fed officials will wrap up a two-day policy April after falling by 7,000 in March. NOLOGY will be introduced in some of its models compression ratio is developed in pursuit of ideal meeting on Wednesday and are widely Government employment in March was in Kuwait, like New Mazda6. This technology combustion. It is forecast that internal combus- expected to keep purchasing $85 billion in weighed down by an 11,700 decline in jobs at enhances the efficiency of powertrain compo- tion engines will still account for a high percent- bonds a month to press borrowing costs low- the US Postal Service.— Reuters nents - engines and transmissions -, reduces vehi- age of powertrains even as far ahead as 2020. But cle body weight, improve aerodynamics, etc. with conventional internal combustion engines Ashish Tandon, GM of KAICO, explained that some 70 to 80 percent of the energy contained in United Real Estate Company the name SKYACTIV has its origins in the term fuel is lost within a vehicle’s powertrain and fails “The SKY is the limit.” and it expresses the spirit to be transferred as motive power to its wheels. announces $7 million profit that is driving Mazda engineers in their develop- One of Mazda’s recent developments towards an ment work. They developed SKYACTIV with a ideal engine configuration is the Homogenous KUWAIT: United Real Estate Company (URC), belief in unlimited possibilities. They broke down Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine, a leading real estate developer in the Middle the boundaries between departments and which offers the combined advantages of both East, announced their first quarter results yes- together, they began to design and develop new petrol and diesel engines. improves the vehicle’s core performance attrib- terday achieving a net profit of $7 million, technologies from scratch, always aiming to In commercializing the rotary engine and utes when driving, turning and stopping. equivalent to KD2 million, for the three achieve the ideal. “By developing SKYACTIV through other remarkable technical achieve- To gain maximum benefit from the complete months ending March 31st, 2013. URC’s Gross TECHNOLOGY Mazda’s goal was to build cars that ments, Mazda has a history of making the seem- redesign of its base technologies, Mazda also set Profit increased by 169.29% compared to the do not sacrifice driving pleasure or environmental ingly impossible possible. Now, they have taken itself the challenge of reducing the weight of its same period last year reaching $22.179 mil- performance”, stated Mohamed Osman, Mazda on the challenge of pursuing ideal combustion. vehicles through a process of “comprehensive lion (KD6.298 million). Consolidated Assets as As a result, with Mazda SKYACTIV-G and SKYAC- weight reduction,” which was focused mainly on of March 2013 was recorded at a total of TIV-D new-generation engines Mazda have the next-generation body and chassis. This all- $1.960 billion (KD556.6 million) an increase of attained a world’s best: a compression ratio of inclusive process aimed to achieve a lightweight 9.85% compared to the first quarter of 2012. 14.0:1 (actual compression ratio varies by prod- and highly-rigid body with excellent crash safety URC’s operations focus on retail, commer- uct/region) in both the petrol and diesel cate- performance by pursuing an ideal body structure, cial, hospitality and residential developments, gories. Thanks to a number of technological adopting new production technologies and sub- with prominent projects under construction breakthroughs, Mazda succeeded in dramatically stituting new materials. such as Abdali Mall in Jordan, Raouche View improving fuel efficiency, power, exhaust gas The optimization of materials and sheet thick- at 1090 residential building in Lebanon, emissions and other attributes. nesses was enabled through the use of comput- Salalah Gardens Mall, Salalah Mall Residences, SKYACTIV-BODY and SKYACTIV-CHASSIS er-aided engineering (CAE). Additionally, new and Junoot Resort in Oman. KIPCO Tower, the production technologies such as weld bonding first mixed-use building in Kuwait City, is one It has highly rigid body and chassis that ultimately helped reduce weight and resulted in of URC’s most recently completed develop- achieve outstanding crash safety performance better crash safety performance and rigidity. ments, which became operational in Q4 2012. through comprehensive weight reduction tech- Chassis was also improved through an optimized KIPCO Tower features retail, office and resi- nology. Reducing vehicle weight does not simply suspension structure and mounts. Mazda is confi- dential segments under one roof with a num- boost fuel economy; combined with the innova- dent that SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY will prove itself ber of local and international F&B outlets and tive engines described above, it complements the a pleasant surprise to drivers in Kuwait and all well-established, prominent businesses occu- engine’s performance potential, and vastly over the world. pying several of the office floors. THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 BUSINESS New Nissan Sentra defies sales expectations

DUBAI: The popularity of the new Sentra start of sales is living up to our expecta- more and pay less. The Nissan Sentra has among Middle East customers has tions,” said Samir Cherfan, Managing so much space and is comfortable. I am strengthened Nissan’s position as market Director, Nissan Middle East. “Since its also connected with all the technologies leader in the highly competitive C seg- launch, on average more than one Sentra like Navigation and Bluetooth that the car ment. Impressively, in the first 50 days of is sold every hour. This proves customers offers,” he concluded. Scott Dylan another sales, nearly 1,500 Nissan Sentras have recognize that we are producing cars of Sentra buyer added: “I commute every day been sold, underlining the appeal of the the highest quality, cars that people are from Sharjah to Jabal Ali and am quite compact sedan which offers spaciousness buying in ever-increasing numbers.” impressed with my Sentra’s fuel consump- and comfort usually found in the segment “Nissan has a proven record of success tion. The drive experience itself is enjoy- above, as well as spirited 1.6-litre or 1.8- in this segment with Sentra being its 13th able with comfortable leg space, latest litre engines. generation sedan,” continued Samir. “This technology, and I now enjoy driving.” The C-segment is the largest single car high-value choice features unexpected Nissan Sentra is the all-new nameplate category in the Middle East with 24 differ- spaciousness and many technologies not in the Middle East’s compact sedan seg- ent models currently vying for the top seen before in cars of this class, along with ment but the 13th generation Nissan spot, held by the Nissan Sentra. Nissan will an ability to over-deliver on the basics. sedan in its model line globally. It has a now use the strong initial response from These qualities have immediately found seductive design with high-end details the region’s car buyers as a platform on favor with Middle Eastern customers look- such as LED accented headlamps and tail which to build towards an ambitious sales ing for an aspirational andupscale com- lamps and upscale interior craftsmanship. target of 25,000 Sentra sales per year in pact sedan.” Sentra has unexpected spaciousness the GCC region in the next three years. “I recently purchased a brand new including class-leading legroom and boot “Nissan Sentra was launched with the Nissan Sentra and was extremely happy. space with class-above convenience clear intent to reinforce our strong leader- The all new Sentra is a class apart,” said including dual zone climate control, intelli- ship position in the C segment and the Rohan Kumar, a proud owner. “Expect gent key and rear view camera.

Nigeria faces bumpy road Kuwait Energy announces increases in revenue and to make the lights work production during Q1 2013 KUWAIT: Kuwait Energy (‘the Company’) - Govt to privatize state electricity firm one of the fastest growing independent oil and gas exploration and production com- ABUJA: In an unwanted daily routine lasting 17 years, ers to investment and growth in Africa’s second mistic. Industry experts believe some improvements panies in the Middle East yesterday Phillip Cleatus sits in the dark doorway of his shoe- biggest economy and top oil producer. Nigeria is in will be felt in 2-3 years. If Nigeria gets the lights announced an update on its financial and making shop in Nigeria’s northern city of Kaduna, the process of breaking up the defunct state power working it would reduce business costs by up to 40 corporate activities during its first quarter. waiting for the lights to come back on. President company into 17 private generation and distribution percent, add 3 percent to GDP and cut the mass Goodluck Jonathan is trying to persuade Cleatus and companies and selling them for about $2.5 billion in unemployment that fuels unrest seen in oil theft in HIGHLIGHTS some 170 million other Nigerians that will soon total, as part of efforts to increase electricity output the south and a bloody Islamist insurgency in the l Q1 revenue up 8.6%, year-on-year, to change. tenfold over the next seven years. north, economists say. US$64.0 million (Q1 2012: US$59.0 million) Yet while his plan to privatize power is creeping It might be its most advanced effort yet to end It could also spur a boom in labor intensive areas l Q1 production up 24.2% year-on-year, forward, it is likely to take decades to end the chronic its perennial power shortfall, but progress has been like manufacturing, food processing, textiles and to 21,568 boepd (Q1 2012: 17,370 boepd) electricity shortages that are among the main barri- so slow that Jonathan’s targets look far too opti- pharmaceuticals, while opening up the opportunity lQ1 revenue up 11.6%, quarter-on-quar- for new low-cost service industries like the call cen- ter, to US$64.0 million (Q4 2012: US$57.4 ters that aided India’s rise. The $13 billion a year that million) l Q1 production up 7.5%, quarter-on- Nigerians spend on diesel, most of which is imported, Kuwait Energy CEO Sara Akbar ABK’s ‘Ahli Chat’ service in would be a bill of the past. Power from generators quarter, to 21,568 boepd (Q4 2012: 20,052 costs more than twice as much as from the grid. “This boepd) Russia 838 855 its second popular year is killing my business, I lose 45 percent of my annual l Significant increase in production pri- Ukraine 638 317 profit to poor power supply,” Cleatus, 38 said. marily due to the contribution from the Total 21,568 17,370 GENERATORS Company’s newly acquired 15% interest in During the quarter, the Company for- KUWAIT: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait’s ‘Ahli Chat’ dous success with our customers.” Block 5, Yemen service started two years ago, ever since then, Tawfiqi added, ‘Al Ahli Chat’ service was the A glitzy ceremony hosted by Jonathan last week mally completed the acquisition of Jannah celebrated the first payment by private companies l Formal completion of acquisition of Hunt Oil Company (JHOC), a company it has steadily gained first of its kind in Kuwait, which was created Jannah Hunt Oil Company (JHOC), Yemen popularity with cus- and developed to become one of the best which are taking over the unbundled state electricity operating in Yemen, which had a 15% par- firm and a deal by the World Bank to give an initial with JHOC’s 15% interest in Block 5 adding ticipating interest in Block 5. Block 5 is tomers, who are look- communication channels for customers in the c. 5,700 bopd to Kuwait Energy’s production ing for simple and local banking sector. ABK management is $145 million risk guarantee for gas supply. A close look located in the Marib-Shabwa basin and at the private companies which won bids shows a mix l Contract signed in January 2013 for comprises four oil producing fields. Current innovative ways to keen on supporting up gradation of services, exploration and development contract for complete their bank- investing in modern banking technology of oligarchs and influential figures connected to total production from this Block is c. 38,000 Nigeria’s political elite, and some recognized technical Block 9, Basra, Iraq with effective date of 3 bopd with Kuwait Energy’s working interest ing transactions. This backed by trained professionals to provide February 2013 service was the first of customers with the kind of premium service partners like Siemens and Manila Electric. This has share contributing c. 5,700 bopd. raised some questions about the expected efficiency lContinued participation in negotiations The Kuwait Energy-led consortium that its kind in Kuwait - expected from Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait.” for Afghanistan Exploration and Production part of an initiative to He also pointed out that to use ‘Ahli Chat’ of the privatization process and what it can deliver, but was awarded the Exploration and there are those who argue that effective business in Sharing Contracts, in Blocks I and IV, in sec- Development contract for Block 9 in Basra, develop alternate all the customer has to do is visit ond Afghanistan Bid Round communication chan- www.eahli.com and register, then chat directly Nigeria is impossible without political connections and Iraq, formally signed the contract in Othman Tawfiqi l Short term, three month, debt facility nels that are time sav- with a customer service officer to answer rele- patrons. January 2013 with an effective date of 3 “Much has been achieved, yet the race will not be established with Kuwait International Bank February 2013. The contract is valid for a ing and convenient to the customers. vant banking queries. Tawfiqi concluded, “The for US$25 million to fund a part of the Othman Tawfiqi, Head of Alternative customers’ increasing frequency to use this over until Nigerians can take electricity supply for period of 20 years until 2032. The consor- granted,” Jonathan told dignitaries and power compa- Company’s consideration for the JHOC tium comprises Kuwait Energy and Dragon Delivery Channels stated, “Since the launch of service in its second year has validated the acquisition the ‘Ahli Chat’ service in 2011, the number of quality of service ABK provides. We now look nies last week at his villa. Electricity capacity had been Oil. Kuwait Energy is the operator of the lYear end reserves audited: customers using it has significantly increased, forward to offering more services that con- in steady decline for a decade when Jonathan block with a 70% working interest with l2P reserves recorded as 221.6mmboe; exceeding the 200% barrier, which indicates it tribute to the ease and convenience of our launched his reform plan in 2010, pledging Nigeria Dragon Oil holding the remaining 30%. l Working interest contingent risked is an incomparable feat that has seen tremen- valuable customers.” would boost generation from 3,000 megawatts (MW) The consortium submitted a field explo- to 10,000 MW by the end of this year, and 40,000 MW resources recorded as 48.4mmboe; and ration plan to the Joint Management by 2020. —Reuters l Best estimate of risked prospective Committee on 31 March 2013. Kuwait resources recorded as 679.6mmboe Energy also continued to participate in Sara Akbar, Chief Executive Officer of negotiations, in the second Afghanistan Kuwait Energy, commented, “I am pleased Bid Round, to finalize the terms of to announce another quarter of production Exploration and Production Sharing Ford records highest and revenue increases. During the first Contracts (EPSC) for exploration licences quarter, we formally completed our Yemen for Block I (Sanduqli) and Block IV (Mazar-i- acquisition and also signed a contract for Sharif). Exploration activity is expected to new exploration in Iraq. We also increased commence soon after the signing of the ever Mideast Q1 sales our daily average working interest produc- EPSCs. tion to well over the 20,000 boepd level. Financially, by the end of the first quar- These are very important operational mile- ter, Kuwait Energy had drawn down $50 stones for the Company and 2013looks set million of its facility with Abraaj Capital Trucks and SUVs lead the surge in sales to be another very exciting year for Kuwait and $50 million with Qatar First Bank to Energy.” Ford and Lincoln products reported 14 achievement and proof of the growing populari- as well as outstanding value and after-sales sup- finance near-term development and DUBAI: Q1 PRODUCTION per cent growth in sales during the first quarter ty of America’s best-selling truck in the region. port.” Thierry Sabbagh, Ford Middle East’s direc- growth plans. The Company also drew Daily average working interest produc- down a further $50 million from its $165 of 2013, registering the highest ever Q1 sales for As for the Ford Expedition, the full size utility tor of Sales said: “We have grown aggressively tion (boepd) the Middle East region. The strong boost comes remains a popular GCC family SUV with about a across the region thanks to the great new prod- million facility with the International Country of operations as a result of the continued demand and grow- 10 per cent growth. ucts we’ve rolled out and the continued support Finance Corporation and Deutsche Bank. A Q1 2013 Q1 2012 short term facility for three month was ing popularity of the latest Ford and Lincoln Full-size crossover Lincoln MKT followed suit from our dealers who are keen on further Egypt 11,510 12,637 models coupled with the marked improvements with a 343 per cent increase while Lincoln MKX expanding their network and customer base. established with Kuwait International Bank Yemen 5,753 508 for $25 million to fund a part of the JHOC in quality and innovations across the range. and Navigator followed closely with gains of 296 “It is more and more evident that our new Oman 2,829 3,035 The positive news is also evident in North per cent and 90 per cent, respectively. The new generation models are gaining wider ground in (Yemen Block 5) acquisition. the region today as shown by the tremendous growth recorded. Our new product range fea- tures award winning segment leaders, and we are confident that these nameplates together Mas International showcases with the new products we will launch later this year will continue to drive our regional growth,” ‘Batisehir’ project in Istanbul Sabbagh added. Iraq posted the highest increase in sales during the first quarter this year, KUWAIT: Mas International established its glob- Investment Exhibition, which started on April with almost 200 percent thanks to the growing al presence with the ideal ‘Batisehir’ project 29 until May 4, 2013 at the Kuwait International demand for Taurus, Edge, Explorer and providing marketing services and innovative Fairgrounds in Mishref, hall number 8. Expedition models. real estate solutions professionally in keeping The Regional Director of Sales Salah Al In the GCC, Bahrain commanded the lead pace with high-level global ambition and to Abdali said, “Turkey is one of the most promi- with a 65 per cent increase followed by 50 per ensure the strengthening of its competitive- nent and promising countries growing into an cent from Oman and 42 percent in Qatar. Saudi ness in the market. This ambition achieved economic power to be reckoned in addition to Arabia also saw a 16 per cent growth, while the great success when they showcased the mod- supporting international investments. We wel- United Arab Emirates and Kuwait showed strong ern Islamic world represented in the “Zamzam come investments from various business seg- sales in trucks and SUVs with 17 per cent and 16 Tower” in front of the Haram Al-Sharif in Saudi ments who wish to have ownership and part- per cent, respectively. In the Levant region, Ford Arabia, with an area of 91.226 square meters ner with this wonderful project. Abdali added and Lincoln sales grew by 38 per cent in Jordan, and included 1314 suites. that Mas International company in the first while they continued the steady growth in As the ambition and goal was to be a global place is keen on pleasing its customers and Lebanon following the appointment of the new company, it attained its purpose by making a establishing a trusting relationship with them importer-dealer. qualitative leap to maintain its position as a and has been able to achieve success, which prestigious company in the field of marketing lies in the satisfaction and acceptance of their real estate. With a high level of performance, clientele”. EXPANDING IN MIDDLE EAST America. Ford Motor Company recently Ford passenger cars also scored high in the first Ford Middle East and its dealers are closely expertise and use of modern media tools and Salah Al Abdali further added that’ Batisehir’ announced a pre-tax profit of US$2.1 billion in quarter with the Taurus flagship model main- working on network expansions in the GCC, applications for its customers to ensure the is characterized by its unique and strategic the first quarter driven by the highest North taining its pole position as one of the segment Levant and Iraq, whether in dealership facilities, continued success and development, MAS location, since it is located near the subway America profit in more than a decade. Net leaders and recording an 88 per cent increase. service centers and parts distribution outlets. International attained the trust and confidence and close to the largest shopping malls in income was at US$1.6 billion, US$215 million The legendary muscle car, Mustang, saw a 79 per Currently there are over 60 new Ford and Lincoln of its customers, in addition to its transparency Istanbul, and its scenic surroundings draw higher during the same period in 2011. In the cent growth, while sales of the Fusion went up sales and service facilities in process region-wide and credibility as the main criteria and key ele- attention at the very first glance, whereby Middle East, growth was boosted by the surge in by 34 per cent and the new Focus - world’s best- to serve the ever growing customer base. ments in the progress of each project and trees, beautiful landscaping and waters which sales of trucks and SUVs, up by 30 per cent dur- selling nameplate for 2012 hands down - saw a In terms of service, Ford expects to increase upcoming projects as well. makes the place delightfully beautiful. ing the first quarter. 64 per cent boost. the number of Quick Lane and Quick Parts out- The dream came true in the form of the Abdali further pointed out that Turkey is a The Ford Edge remains one of the segment “We’ve recorded quite a strong start to the lets in the GCC, with 40 branches scheduled to modern architecture, ‘Batisehir’, which cement- first class tourist destination in addition to its leaders with over 70 per cent growth recorded, year,” said Larry Prein, Ford Middle East’s manag- be opened in 2013to help provide a wider reach ed the company’s existence. ‘Batisehir’ in fact, is civilization and cultural wealth, climate and while Built Ford Tough trucks, the Ford Ranger ing director. “Our results so far prove our One for customer service and genuine Ford and located in the continent of Europe and specifi- geographical location, all these elements compact pickup and the F-150 full-size pickup Ford plan and strategy are paying off and we MotorCraft spare parts. The $53m Middle East cally in the city of Istanbul, Turkey bounded by which provide investors an increased value in led the strong performance, registering massive remain focused on the business together with Regional Parts Distribution Centre in Jebel Ali, the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus Strait pro- their investments. He also noted that acquisi- increases of 400 per cent and 215 per cent our dealers, and work together to bring quality Dubai is already providing the necessary sup- viding picturesque scenery. The Giant dream tions in project “Batisehir” is a great investment respectively. In fact, the F-Series registered the products that Ford and Lincoln customers want, port to the regional customer base and dealer- project ‘Batisehir’ is all set to be showcased to opportunity distinguished by its appropriate biggest growth in the segment - a remarkable featuring unique innovations and technologies ships of Ford and Lincoln in the region. the rest of the at The Real Estate and location and price compared to other projects. THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 technology

Google Plus racks up followers, but not all are devoted

PARIS: When Google launched its social networking service, Google Plus, during the summer of 2011, tens of millions of people clamored to sign up for an account. But within months, critics had panned the new service, pointing to user pages bereft of meaningful content and exchanges. They said the new social site just wasn’t, well, social. It seemed as though Facebook had cornered the market Google was too late to the party. Perhaps not. According to data released this week by Internet analytics firm GlobalWebIndex, Google Plus is racking up large numbers of new users and continues to outpace Twitter as the world’s number two social network, behind perennial titan Facebook. The reasons behind Google Plus’s growth-it now can boast 359 million active users, up 33 percent from 269 million users at the end of June 2012, according to GlobalWebIndex-are complex and tied to Google’s effort to build a connecting layer WASHINGTON: Photo screen image shows the Google logo in This undated image made available by Google shows ‘Google Now.’ across all its services, including search, Washington, DC. Google announced it will offer its personal assistant Google is trying to upstage Siri, the sometimes droll assistant that YouTube, maps and other products. Log into app Google Now to users of Apple devices, stepping up its challenge to answers questions and helps people manage their lives on Apple’s one, and you’ve logged into the lot. its rival’s Siri program. —AFP iPhone and iPad. —AP Google itself is tight-lipped about its numbers. Its last released figures were in Facebook is pretty good, but it’s harder to doing much on Google Plus, and see it as lit- while Google Plus is the second-most popu- some countries, with some users growing December, when the search giant said 500 discover new people or have more in-depth tle more than a tricked-out sign-in service lar social networking service after Facebook, bored of the service or million people had created Google Plus discussions around passions,” he said in an for Google’s products. Twitter is actually growing at a slightly faster else bemoaning its myriad changes to accounts. But of this number, only 135 mil- email exchange. Claire Stokoe, who works as social media clip, increasing from 206 million users at the privacy settings and other tweaks, including lion were actively posting to Google Plus Indeed, this may be how Google Plus manager at Mediaworks, a marketing end of June last year to about 297 million the growing prevalence of sponsored con- pages. Millions more were using some of will find its niche in the crowded social agency in the English city of Newcastle, said today, a rate of about 44 percent. tent. A study by the Pew Research Center in the service’s features, such as clicking the media world: Whereas Facebook is the go- she is doubtful Google Plus will ever catch The study also found that usage was February found that more than half of US “+1” button to show they liked certain web to service for connecting friends, Google up to Facebook, but she warns clients not to growing fastest among older people, espe- Facebook members had taken breaks from pages. It remains far behind Facebook, Plus is more often used to meet strangers ignore it. “An authoritative Google Plus cially with Twitter, confounding stereotypes the leading social network. While the top which boasts 701 million active users, who share common interests. Google Plus account is one of the factors that will help that social networking is for the young. reason was they were just too busy, people according to the report, though Facebook acknowledged as much last year by you rank high on Google (search results),” GlobalWebIndex is a London-based firm also cited fatigue with the service. founder Mark Zuckerberg last year claimed adding its “Communities” section, which she said, noting that a popular Google Plus that tracks Internet users through a series of Judith Catterall, a retired choreographer more than a billion active accounts. hosts a diverse mass of groups and lets account was an important criterion in the surveys in 31 countries, with an annual sam- from Portland, Oregon, said she tried to Still, the volume of Google Plus accounts users join a “hangout” the popular group search algorithm that ranks pages. ple size of about 120,000 people. It asks close her account after getting fed up with suggests naysayers were too hasty in calling video service. But she doesn’t see the service expand- respondents which social platform they changes and a news feed becoming its demise. Like many social networking “We’re extremely happy with our ing far beyond the business and marketing have directly contributed to in the last increasingly cluttered with sponsored con- services, Google Plus has won over a devot- progress so far, and one of our main goals is world-at least for now. “Whoever I ask, month and said Google itself uses its num- tent. “It’s one of those things where you ed core of users. One such convert is New to transform the overall Google experience everyone has a Facebook account. I don’t bers internally. The study found that think ‘OK, I have no control,’ and that may Zealand photographer Trey Ratcliff, whose and make all of the services people already know anyone who has a Google Plus Facebook also continued to grow rapidly, at have been the final straw,” she said. But picture-centric Google Plus page has nearly love faster, more relevant, and more reli- account unless they are in the industry, and about the same rate as Google Plus. within 10 days of deactivating her account, five million followers. “It’s nice to pop into able,” Google said. But some observers that’s because they have to,” Stokoe said. But the leading social network is also Catterall was back on Facebook. She missed Google Plus to discover new things. remain sceptical that account holders are GlobalWebIndex’s latest figures show that said to be battling “Facebook fatigue” in her friends. —AFP Dailymotion: France wants Yahoo as an equal partner Orange hunts for investor to develop beyond Europe PARIS: France’s industry minister said and French government officials investors as Dailymotion needed to French government officials and yesterday that Yahoo Inc’s plan to had raised concerns that the coun- find a partner outside Europe to France Telecom executives had buy a majority stake in online video try would lose control over one of its accelerate its development. He said sought a compromise in which website Dailymotion from France biggest Internet industry successes this could be in the United States or Yahoo would take a 50 percent stake Telecom would not have benefited if the deal went ahead, two people Asia, for example, where Dailymotion instead, but Yahoo balked, the Wall the two companies. “The minister familiar with the matter said. needed to expand to ensure its Street Journal reported on Tuesday. expressed his desire that a partner- A deal with Dailymotion and a future development. “It is not about Dailymotion, founded in 2005 by ship between Yahoo and Orange non-European partner would have finding a new source of funding.” two young entrepreneurs has (France Telecom) be built on an equal had little impact on employment in Dailymotion is the 12th biggest received roughly $68 million in ven- basis that would be beneficial to France since Dailymotion operates video-sharing website in the world, ture capital backing and was bought both sides,” Arnaud Montebourg’s with only about 165 employees. according to web tracking firm by France Telecom in 2011. Online office said in a statement. Montebourg, one of France’s Socialist comScore, trailing Google Inc’s video, which commands higher ad The minister also said he regret- government’s most outspoken minis- YouTube, but with a leading position rates than traditional Web content, is ted Yahoo Inc’s decision to abandon ters, said he remained committed to in Europe. increasingly important to Yahoo as it plans to buy the stake. Yahoo had attracting foreign investment espe- It gets roughly 120 million unique seeks to reverse declines in revenue been in talks to buy a 75 percent cially from American firms, which are users per month, more than any oth- and visitor traffic. Yahoo Chief stake in Dailymotion, owned by the biggest investors in the country, er French web company. Last year it Executive Marissa Mayer, who took France Telecom, in a deal that would but that the investments had to con- broke even and generated 40 million the reins of the struggling Internet have valued Europe’s largest video tribute to the recovery of the country. euros in sales. France Telecom has pioneer in July, has so far focused website at $300 million. Yahoo A spokesman for Orange, part of been searching for a partner to her acquisition efforts on small, declined to comment. France owns France Telecom, said discussions boost the site’s development outside mobile start-up companies. — a 27 percent stake in France Telecom were ongoing with several potential Europe, especially the United States. Reuters Kaspersky PURE 3.0 - delivers ultimate computer protection

KUWAIT: Kaspersky Lab yesterday announced the new then automatically launches a secure web browser to Exploit Prevention technology anticipates and blocks version of its premier product for consumer PC protection offer extra protection from online malware. For even more these types of attacks by watching over the programs - Kaspersky PURE 3.0 Total Security. Offering everything protection, Safe Money also includes anew Secure installed on the PC and monitoring them for abnormal users need in a computer security suite, including online Keyboard feature, which ensures login information isn’t behavior. If the program tries to perform unusual or unau- banking security, password management, and online recorded by key logging software. Secure Keyboard mode thorized activities, this technology blocks the potentially backup, Kaspersky PURE 3.0offers maximum protection will activate automatically when someone opens a bank malicious action. for users to secure their online activities and digital assets or payment website or inserts a password on any web PARENTAL CONTROLS across their home network of PCs. page. No other security software offers the same level of Parents aren’t always aware of what children are doing TOTAL SECURITY protection for their users’ money as Kaspersky Lab, which while they’re on the computer, which can be worrisome. With 77% of computer users regularly shopping was awarded MRG Effitas’s Seal of Approval for its airtight With Kaspersky PURE’s parental controls, users will know online, according to a study conducted by 0+K Research financial data security at the end of 2012. their children are completely protected with Kaspersky in 2012, it’s easy to imagine how many transactions occur ONLINE PASSWORD MANAGER Lab’s premier security features and filters. Parents can This image provide by IBM (International Business Machines) shows a movie daily, and how many credit card numbers are at the fin- Passwords are a vital way to control the information block access to inappropriate websites, set Internet usage poster for the ‘A Boy and His Atom: The World’s Smallest Movie.’ —AFP gertips of cybercriminals. 70% of phishing emails trick vic- that makes up a person’s identity, making it crucial to time limits, and prevent valuable information from being tims into visiting malicious, cleverly-forged websites for ensure the strength and complexity of their passwords. shared via Facebook and Twitter, such as addresses or the sole purpose of stealing their bank credentials accord- On average, Internet users have at least five password- credit card numbers. If a child has their own computer, ing to the average value received from Kaspersky Security protected accounts that use various combinations of parents can manage and monitor all these Parental IBM unveils ‘smallest Network during 2012. characters and symbols to securely login. Multiple pass- Control settings from their own computer via the central In addition, according to the same data, more than words are often difficult to remember and keep organ- management tool. To round out the features included in 5,000 websites are compromised daily, including popular ized. Kaspersky PURE 3.0, users are able to conveniently man- movie’ using atoms banking and shopping websites. Kaspersky PURE 3.0 is Kaspersky Lab’s online password vault allows users to age the security of multiple PCs from one, central comput- equipped with a unique and efficient array of technolo- store all their login information in a single, secure vault, er. Use the PC clean-up tools to keep all of the systems NEW YORK: IBM scientists yesterday and magnifies the atomic surface over 100 gies to protect its users from any form of cyberattack. that can be synced across multiple PCs, instead of carrying linked to PURE running smoothly, or run virus scans, unveiled what they called “the world’s small- million times. The ability to control the tem- Many people keep their important physical documents, a list of passwords on a piece of paper, or using the same updates and backups all from one computer. est movie,” which tracks the movement of perature, pressure and vibrations at exact cash, and family memories in fireproof safes in their details for every login. If users are looking to create the PROTECTION FROM MODERN CYBERCRIMINALS atoms magnified 100 million times. The film, levels makes our IBM Research lab one of homes, but what about the information stored on their most secure passwords they can, the Kaspersky Password Kaspersky PURE 3.0 is built on the award-winning “A Boy and His Atom,” depicts a character the few places in the world where atoms can computers? Manager will generate an incredibly sophisticated pass- foundation of Kaspersky Lab’s premium security technolo- named Atom who befriends a single atom be moved with such precision.” The movie Users accumulate similar precious digital assets on word so they don’t have to, and further save it to the gy, which has been praised time and again by a variety of and follows him on a journey of dancing and was certified by the Guinness Book of World their computers over the years - like photos, music, and cloud, so memorizing it won’t be necessary. industry experts. Products from Kaspersky Lab’s line of bouncing that helps explain the science Records as the “World’s Smallest Stop legal or financial documents. It makes sense to give your ONLINE BACKUP home-user protection participated in more than 50 inde- behind data storage. “Capturing, positioning Motion Film,” IBM said. The film used a digital identity and assets as much protection as possible With so many critical documents, photos and informa- pendent tests in 2012, and achieved a first-place in half of and shaping atoms to create an original microscope to control a super-sharp needle while browsing online, and to keep backup copies stored tion stored on users’ computers, it’s important to plan for these evaluations. More information on the award results motion picture on the atomic-level is a pre- along a copper surface to attract atoms and for peace of mind. Kaspersky PURE 3.0 acts as a vault, a physical loss, damage or theft of PCs. Kaspersky PURE 3.0 can be found here. cise science and entirely novel,” said Andreas molecules and pull them to a precisely spec- life-boat, and personal security guard for all things stored now offers an integrated online backup feature, allowing In fact, after winning the prestigious “Product of the Heinrich, a scientist at IBM Research. ified location on the surface. and exchanged on users’ PCs. Here are some of the inno- users to automatically backup their files online via a pre- Year” award from independent test organization AV- “At IBM, researchers don’t just read about IBM said this kind of science is needed to vative protection technologies found in the new liminarily created account on Drop box service. Once the Comparatives in 2011, Kaspersky Lab again posted the science, we do it. This movie is a fun way to help improve computer data storage as tech Kaspersky PURE 3.0: files have been backed up, users will be able to access the highest score for the second consecutive year. In addition, share the atomic-scale world while opening firms run into physical limitations using tra- Safe Money files from any computer with an Internet connection. Dennis Labs, an independent testing facility dedicated to up a dialogue with students and others on ditional techniques. “Research means asking Cybercriminals are after one thing in the end: money. AUTOMATIC EXPLOIT PREVENTION recreating real-world malware situations, tested eight the new frontiers of math and science.” To questions beyond those required to find The Internet gives these modern con-artists new ways to Many of the software programs we use daily can be products from leading security companies. Of a possible make the movie, the atoms were moved good short-term engineering solutions to steal, so Kaspersky PURE 3.0 includes new ways to stay easily exploited and turned into an effective entry point 300 points, Kaspersky Internet Security 2012scored a with an IBM-invented scanning tunneling problems,” Heinrich said. “As data creation protected. Using new Safe Money technology, Kaspersky for cybercriminals. These common programs, such as near-perfect 298 to claim first place and earned Dennis microscope, a device which earned its and consumption continue to get bigger, PURE 3.0 verifies that all websites requiring banking, pay- Adobe Acrobat, Java, and more, may contain vulnerabili- Lab’s AAA rating, the highest ranking the company gives, inventors a Nobel Prize.The tool “was the data storage needs to get smaller, all the ment, or shopping information are genuine, so users ties that have not been fixed by the software creator, or by and the title of “Best Home Anti-Virus Protection.”The cur- first device that enabled scientists to visual- way down to the atomic level. We’re apply- aren’t tricked into entering personal information onto a users who absentmindedly click “ignore” when prompted rent version, Kaspersky Internet Security 2013, the foun- ize the world all the way down to single ing the same techniques used to come up fake website. to install software updates. If these vulnerabilities are left dation of PURE 3.0’s security software, offers even better atoms,” said IBM researcher Christopher Lutz. with new computing architectures and alter- By using security certificates and checking website unpatched, cybercriminals can use these holes to gain detection of all types of malicious programs, including the “It weighs two tons, operates at a tem- native ways to store data to making this reputation, Safe Money verifies the sites’ authenticity, and access to their computer. Kaspersky Lab’s new Automatic most complex samples. perature of negative 268 degrees Celsius movie.” —AFP THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 HEALTH & SCIENCE Most greenhouse gas reports wrong World’s 800 biggest firms ranked on emissions transparency

LONDON: Most of the world’s largest compa- ing markets like Russia and across Southeast unmeasured risk for companies but it also means nies do not report their greenhouse gas emis- Asia, have all but ignored the idea. The we are not getting the full picture in terms of cor- sions fully or correctly and do not have the data Environmental Investment Organization (EIO) porate emissions,” he added. Companies are independently verified, a study by an environ- found that just 37 percent of the world’s 800 increasingly measuring and disclosing their envi- mental research body showed yesterday. largest companies disclosed complete data and ronmental performance in their annual reports. Companies are under pressure worldwide from correctly adopted the basic principles of emis- However, the lack of a universally accepted or policymakers, and a public increasingly con- sions reporting. mandatory standard means both reporting for- cerned with green issues, to report the environ- Only 21 percent had their data externally veri- mats and content vary widely. mental fallout of all activities related to their fied and only one firm, German chemicals pro- The rest of the best 10 companies at reporting daily business, from plane journeys to office ducer BASF, reported emissions across its entire emissions were telecoms firms such as Canada’s supplies. value chain, from sources such as business travel, BCE, Singapore Telecom, Spain’s Telefonica, BT Officials hope the data generated can point transport, distribution and investments. This Group and Deutsche Telekom, according to the to potential energy savings and encourage transparency placed it at number one in the EIO. The bottom 10, with no publicly disclosed REDMOND: Occupational therapist Sarah Niwa (left) with Mia Beatty, 7 (cen- firms to reduce their emissions, while many rankings. “This ought to be a wakeup call for emissions data, was made up of mainly Russian companies see it as a way of planning for expo- companies. Since the majority of total corporate and US utilities and oil and gas companies, such ter) and volunteer Diane Johnson (right) work together during a “hippother- sure to long-term costs such as taxes on emis- emissions often come from (value chain) sources, as Phillips 66, Lukoil, Edison International and apy” horseback-riding session at Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in sions. But for now London is the only stock large quantities of emissions are not being First Energy. The EIO based its findings on the lat- Redmond. — MCT exchange that forces all major companies to accounted for,” said Sam Gill, chief executive of est publicly available data, which for most com- Riding high: Horses report in detail and many, particularly in emerg- the EIO. “Not only could this be a source of panies was from 2011. — Reuters that help disabled US allows hunter to import

SEATTLE: When Christine Beatty watches which the horse’s motion is used by a phys- her daughters ride horseback, she sees ical or occupational therapist to achieve rare black rhinoceros trophy things that might not be obvious to others. specific treatment goals. “Look at that posture! For me it’s amazing Most of the riders at Little Bit - including MILWAUKEE: The US is allowing a hunter to considered endangered, and officials estimate shot each year, the service said. The rhino that to see how straight she sits,” Beatty said as some who have ridden there 30 years or bring a slain African black rhinoceros back about 20,000 are still alive. Reinke shot was 34 years old. The Fish and Wildlife 7-year-old Mia returned from a trail ride. more - are there for adaptive riding, in home, the first time officials have allowed such a “My desire is to help save the rhino through a Service says the rhino typically lives 30 to 35 years. Mia, whose cerebral palsy affects both legs which they learn to ride more independ- trophy to be imported since the animal was list- scientific method approved by the United States “The removal of limited numbers of males has and her right arm and hand, wasn’t able to ently, under the guidance of an instructor. ed as endangered in 1980. David K Reinke, 52, and other agencies,” Reinke said. The US govern- been shown to contribute to overall population sit up on her own when she first went to Many riders, like Megan Beatty, start with killed the rhino in 2009 with the blessing of the ment has listed the black rhinoceros as endan- growth in some areas by reducing fighting the Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center two hippotherapy and graduate to adaptive rid- Namibian government. He argued that the gered, making it illegal to import the animal, dead injuries and deaths among males, decreasing years ago. ing. killing was an act of “conservation hunting” or alive, except for scientific purposes or if doing juvenile mortality and shortening calving inter- Now she sits, crawls, stands and, with Sue Lamoree began adaptive riding 14 because he was culling an elderly rhino that was so enhances the species’ survival. Other species of vals,” the service said in a statement. All black rhi- the help of therapists and her parents, is years ago after transverse myelitis put her unable to reproduce but could still aggressively rhino, including the northern white rhinoceros, are nos in Namibia are marked on their ears so offi- taking steps. Beatty also has seen Mia’s 10- in a wheelchair and made it more difficult crowd out fertile rivals. But the decision angers protected as well. The Fish and Wildlife Service cials can identify them and select which ones are year-old sister, Megan -who has Down syn- for her to use her hands. When she jokingly wildlife supporters, who worry it sets a danger- said last month it granted Reinke’s permit “in appropriate for hunting. Reinke’s target was drome and attention-deficit hyperactivity told an instructor she wanted to become “a ous precedent encouraging trophy hunters to recognition of the role that well managed, limited Rhino bull No 27, which Namibian officials had disorder - learn to stay calm and focused, real cowgirl,” he responded, “You can do kill endangered animals. Black rhinos are catego- sport hunting plays” in the recovery of the black monitored since it was brought to Waterberg interact with a riding instructor and give whatever you put your mind to do.” rized as a critically endangered species, with rhino in Namibia. The country allows five male Plateau National Park in 1981. The Fish and verbal commands to a horse After getting over her initial terror of about 5,000 animals remaining. White rhinos are black rhinos that are too old to reproduce to be Wildlife Service also noted that Reinke con- Mia and Megan are among the 222 chil- horses, Lamoree learned to love them. She tributed $175,000 into Namibia’s Game Products dren and adults with disabilities who, with said she has gained a sense of empower- Trust Fund, which helps support conservation varying degrees of help, ride horses at Little ment - and greater strength to drive her efforts. Wayne Pacelle, the president of The Bit’s new location near Redmond. The non- van with hand controls. As demand began Humane Society of the United States, called profit’s move this month from Woodinville, to outstrip Little Bit’s capacity to take on Reinke’s arguments self serving. He said big game Wash, to the new Dunmire Stables, on 17 new riders, its staff and board in 2007 hunters have a sort of fraternity in which wealthy acres, will give it the capacity to serve twice launched an $11 million capital campaign. individuals try to distinguish themselves by killing as many riders and shorten its waiting list The honorary campaign chairs, retired rare and endangered species, even if they justify of up to two years. investment-fund manager Mike Dunmire the shootings as advancing the causes of preser- Built on the site of a former thorough- and his wife, Phyllis, contributed $3 million vation. bred facility, Little Bit’s new quarters to buy the Redmond, Wash, property. “There are lots of people who give more than include a large covered arena, stalls for 41 Retired Major League baseball player $200,000 a year to help animals, but no one says, horses, a tack barn, a building with therapy John Olerud and his wife, Kelly Olerud, ‘I’ll give you the money if you let me shoot one,’” rooms, lounge and office cubicles designed chaired the campaign and made a dona- Pacelle said. “I think we should disassociate the to look like horse stalls. Little Bit won’t be tion from the Jordan Fund, named after notion of giving money to help the rhino, from able to increase the number of riders their daughter, who has been a Little Bit the act of killing them.” Reinke said he was mak- before next year, Executive Director Kathy rider for years. The Oleruds agreed to help ing sure the black rhino was being entirely used. Alm said, because it must first raise addi- with fundraising, John said, because of the He said he left the meat for local church groups tional operating funds, hire more staff, improvement they saw in Jordan, who was and community leaders, and the skin, skull and recruit more volunteers and select and born in 2000 with a chromosome abnor- horn were coming back to the US to be mounted. train new horses. The Seattle Police mality. She began riding at 3, despite her He said he planned to enjoy the specimen for sev- Department recently donated Blaze, a father’s doubts. eral years before eventually donating it to a retired police horse, to the center. “How is that going to work?” he won- museum so future generations could appreciate Mia’s parents waited more than a year dered about horseback therapy. “My it. The Endangered Species Act would bar him and a half after a physical therapist referred daughter can’t sit up on her own. How is from legally selling the rhino. The Fish and Wildlife them to Little Bit, the largest therapeutic she going to get up on the back of a Service has an application pending from another riding center in the Northwest. “That’s the horse?” Olerud watched as a therapist and hunter who hopes to shoot a black rhinoceros in hard part,” Beatty said. “There’s this thing a volunteer held her in place atop a horse, South Africa this year. The service said it has not everyone says is fabulous for your child, while another volunteer behind the animal yet determined whether that situation would everybody’s trying to get you in - and you controlled its gait with a long line. Soon he qualify for a permit under the Endangered have to wait.” saw her core strength improve, and she MKUZE: In this photo, a black rhino male and calf are seen in Mkuze, South Africa. — AP Species Act. — AP Little Bit was founded in 1976 by learned to sit up. Now 12, Jordan is able to Margaret Dunlap and riding instructor walk, but not talk. Lamoree also met her Debra Powell Adams when they saw that husband, who was a volunteer, at Little Bit. Implants may delay Morning after pill okay riding seemed to slow the progression of “I had never been married before,” she said. Dunlap’s multiple sclerosis. There isn’t “I was 50 when we met, and was never sure cancer diagnosis much published research demonstrating - when I would meet that knight in shining for ages 15 and above or debunking - the effectiveness of horse- armor. Here he appeared in the horse barn PARIS: Breast implants may delay cancer diagnosis in WASHINGTON: The US government on form of identification, are issued at age 16. back therapy, said pediatric neurologist - how perfect.” women, said a study yesterday that urged a thorough probe Tuesday lowered to 15 the age at which girls Other contraceptive contraception advocates and Little Bit advisory-board member Alm, who has run Little Bit since 1999, into the potential health risks of this type of cosmetic surgery. can buy the morning after pill without a pre- called the move promising. Social conserva- Stephen Glass. said she, too, has been lucky. “The powerful In a review of 12 earlier studies of breast cancer patients, a scription and said the emergency contracep- tives had opposed any efforts to loosen restric- But he has seen “absolutely dramatic” connection between human and horse is team of epidemiologists from Canada found that women tion no longer has to be kept behind pharma- tions on sale of the morning, after pill, arguing improvement in many children, and the hard to explain,” Alm said, “but having with implants had a 26 percent higher risk of being diag- cy counters. The decision by the Food and that it was important for parents and medical practice has been increasingly accepted by watched these children and adults with dis- nosed at a later stage of the disease. Drug Administration is an attempt to find mid- professionals to be involved in such decisions physicians and physical and occupational abilities improve and blossom over the This was possibly because implants cast shadows on dle ground just days before a court imposed involving young girls. The group Concerned therapists, Glass said. Some young riders, years, it’s hard to deny. “That’s why I feel like mammograms, blocking the view of breast tissue. A separate deadline to lift all age restrictions on the drug. Women for America charged that health offi- like Mia, receive what’s called hippotherapy I’m the luckiest person in the world, because review of five other studies showed that women with Today, Plan B One-Step is sold behind pharma- cials were putting politics and so called - after “hippo,” the Greek word for horse - in I get to see that every single day.” —MCT implants also had a 38 percent greater risk of death from cy counters, and buyers must prove they’re 17 progress ahead of the health of children as breast cancer, said the authors-likely due to the later diagno- or older to buy it without a prescription. well as women. Half of US pregnancies every sis. There was no data to suggest that the implants them- Tuesday’s decision lowers the age limit to 15 year are unintended, and doctors’ groups say selves were a cause of cancer. and will allow the pill to sit on drugstore more access to morning after pills could cut “The research published to date suggests that cosmetic shelves next to condoms and spermicidal or those numbers. The pills contain higher doses breast augmentation adversely affects the survival of women other women’s health products. But customers of regular contraceptives, and if taken within who are subsequently diagnosed as having breast cancer,” must prove their age at the cash register. 72 hours of unprotected sex, can cut the wrote the team. But they stressed the findings should be Teva Women’s Health, which maes Plan B, chances of pregnancy by up to 89 percent. interpreted “with caution” as some of the studies included in said it would begin over the counter sales in a But it works best if taken in the first 24 the meta-analysis may have had scientific shortcomings. few months. The question is whether Tuesday’s hours. The FDA had been poised to lift all age The studies analysed were all published after 1993, mainly action settles a larger court fight. Earlier this limits and let Plan B sell over the counter in in the United States, Europe and Canada. Commenting on month, US District Judge Edward Korman of late 2011, when Health and Human Services the research, plastic surgeon Fazel Fatah, agreed the findings New York blasted the Obama administration Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in an unprece- should be treated with caution. “This paper does raise how- for imposing the age-17 limit, saying it had let dented move, overruled her own scientists. ever the important issue of possible problems with early election year politics trump science and was Sebelius said some girls as young as 11 are diagnosis of localised breast cancer in some women who making it hard for women of any age to obtain physically capable of bearing children but have breast implants due to difficulty with mammography,” the emergency contraception in time. He shouldn’t be able to buy the pregnancy-pre- he told AFP. Implants did not prevent women from feeling ordered an end to all age restrictions by venting pill on their own. President Barack lumps in their own breasts. “Further studies are required to Monday, for Plan B and its generic versions. Obama supported Sebelius’ move and a see if other forms of breast scanning, such as MRI, could be The FDA said Tuesday’s decision was inde- spokesman said earlier this month that the preferable to mammography in women who have breast pendent of the court case and wasn’t intended president’s position hadn’t changed. The implants,” said Fatah, a former president of the British to address it. Technically, the FDA approved Justice Department could appeal Korman’s rul- Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. Teva’s application to sell Plan B in this manner. ing and seek a stay. If granted, the appeals Added Britain’s Breast Cancer Campaign: “We need fur- The Justice Department remained mum on process would move through the courts, while ther robust research before we can say that breast implants whether it planned to appeal Korman’s deci- Plan B is sold over the counter whenever Teva impact on survival or that these women may benefit from sion, and the White House had no immediate has the product repackaged to meet FDA’s TEXAS: File photo shows an abandoned baby gorilla from Texas. — AP different screening techniques.” An estimated one in eight comment. The women’s group that sued over requirements. women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast the age limits said Tuesday’s action is not Absent a stay, “we will want to go back to cancer at some time in their lives, according to the study. enough, and it will continue the court fight if court as quickly as possible and ask the judge Deserted baby gorilla According to the World Health Organisation, there are necessary. Lowering the age limit “may reduce to hold them in contempt,” said Janet Crepps, a about 1.38 million new cases and 458,000 deaths from breast delays for some young women but it does senior counsel for the Center for Reproductive gets human love, care cancer each year-the most common type of cancer among nothing to address the significant barriers that Rights. The FDA said Tuesday that Teva had women. Breast implants have been at the centre of a global far too many women of all ages will still find if provided data proving that girls as young as 15 CINCINNATI: An abandoned baby gorilla Gladys was born Jan 29 at the Gladys health scare since French company Poly Implant Prothese they arrive at the drugstore without identifica- could understand how Plan B works and use it from Texas has made its debut at the Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. Her moth- (PIP) was found in 2010 to be using substandard industrial- tion,” said Nancy Northup, president of the properly, without the involvement of a health Cincinnati Zoo with some of the people er rejected her, and she was moved to grade silicone gel in manufacturing its prostheses. Center for Reproductive Rights. care provider. Teva plans to conduct a con- who have served as its primary caregivers. Cincinnati in February to be paired with a An estimated 300,000 women in 65 countries are The FDA said the Plan B One-Step will be sumer-education program, and indicated it is The 3 month old lowland gorilla is named gorilla surrogate mother. A Cincinnati Zoo believed to have received PIP implants, which some health packaged with a product code that prompts willing to audit whether stores are following Gladys Stones. She made her media debut spokeswoman says about 10 people have authorities say are twice as likely to rupture as other brands- the cashier to verify a customer’s age. Anyone the age requirement, the agency said. FDA Tuesday in a yard where she’ll spend time been caring for Gladys until one of four though officials said there was no proven cancer risk. The PIP who can’t provide such proof as a driver’s said its ruling applies only to Plan B One-Step, over the next month with her human care- gorillas at the zoo is selected to be her sur- scandal has given rise to several court cases and calls for license, birth certificate or passport wouldn’t and not to generic versions of the pill which givers, climbing trees and getting familiar rogate mother and they can be introduced tougher medical controls. — AFP be allowed to complete the purchase. In most would remain behind pharmacy counters with with being outdoors. gradually. — AP states, driver’s licenses, the most common the age-17 restriction. — AP THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 HEALTH & SCIENCE Partner exercise routines more fun than going solo

hen the alarm goes off at 6 am, get- you should lean forward at the same time Arm resistance shoulder toning so that it takes about 3 seconds for your bridge position. Your thigh, abs and chest Wting out of bed and heading to the while raising your innermost legs up and Facing your partner, stand arm’s length arms to be down at your waist level, and should form a straight line with your lower gym may seem like an impossible back. Stretch the leg up and back until your apart. Raise your arms to shoulder level in then start raising your arms against your back, and your glutes should be off the floor. task. Good news! Recent studies have found chest, abdomen and innermost legs are par- front of your body at about 45 degrees. Your partner’s continued pressure for 3 more sec- Your partner should be doing the same that exercising with a partner boosts motiva- allel to the floor. Hold this position for 3 sec- hands should face the floor. Start by having onds until you are back at shoulder level. thing using his opposite leg. Keep your right tion - and it’s more fun than doing it alone. onds before returning to an upright position. your partner push your arms down by plac- Repeat this 10 times before switching posi- leg engaged by actively pressing into your Ivy Ingram Larson, the West Palm Beach, Fla, Repeat 10 times before turning to face the ing pressure on the back of your hands and tions and letting your partner do 10 repeti- partner’s left foot as your raise and lower trainer and star of the “Full Fitness Fusion” other way to exercise your other leg. wrists. Actively resist your partner’s efforts tions. your body from bridge position to floor DVD, created this partner workout. Larson position 10 times, holding the bridge posi- suggests moving quickly between exercises Tip-toe squats tion for 3 seconds with each repetition. Then in order to keep your heart rate elevated. Face each other with your arms fully switch feet and work the other side 10 Repeat the circuit three times. extended in front of you, holding hands with times. your partner. Both should be standing on tip- Medicine ball toss toes and holding that position for 3 seconds. Couple’s hamstring and bicep curls Face your partner while standing 6 feet Next, both should drop into a chair position Lie on the floor face down. Your partner apart. From a standing position, toss a by bending your knees, squatting down and should kneel on the floor on a mat, rug or weighted medicine ball (4 pounds is good pushing your behind backward until your towel, just behind your feet and grasp the for beginners) to your partner, who will catch thighs are parallel to the floor. While doing back of your ankles as you raise your feet it while moving into a squat, thighs parallel this, you should still be on your tiptoes hold- toward your back while keeping your knees to the floor. Your partner should toss the ball ing hands. Hold the chair position for 3 sec- on the ground. Stop the motion once your back to you while rising into a standing posi- onds before lifting back up to the starting lower legs are perpendicular to the floor. tion. Each partner should throw and catch position on your toes. Repeat 10 times. Your partner should actively resist this the ball 20 times. movement. It should take about 3 seconds Single-leg bridge with foot press for your feet to travel from the floor to the Airplanes holding hands Lie on the floor on your back in a straight upright position. Once at the top, your part- Stand at your partner’s side with both line so that your feet touch your partner’s. ner will start to actively pull your ankles and hands outstretched to your sides. You should The sole of your right foot should touch the feet back down to the floor as you resist the be far enough away from your partner that sole of your partner’s left foot. Lift your right effort for 3 more seconds. Your partner only your hands are touching. Hold one of foot and your partner’s left foot about 2 feet should remain kneeling on the floor so your partner’s hands while you both face for- Ivy (left) and Andy Larson from Full Fitness Fusion demonstrate the medi- off the floor. Keep your left leg bent to allow biceps and arms are working. Repeat 10 ward, looking in the same direction. Both of cine ball toss. - MCT you to push your body off the floor into a times, then switch. —MCT WHAT’S ON THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 2nd Lebanese Cultural Bazaar at AUK

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he Lebanese Culture Club (LCC) at the photo display of famous and historic places American University of Kuwait (AUK) that are landmarks in Lebanon. More Torganized its 2nd Annual Lebanese importantly, there was also a student edu- Bazaar. The event took place on the AUK cational activity involving the Lebanese Campus, and was open to the AUK commu- “Bosta” or mini-bus. This activity involved a nity, friends, and family. The Lebanese display of a mini van with a poster explain- Culture Club at AUK is a student club repre- ing the history and meaning of how the senting the Lebanese community and pop- “Bosta” was involved in the “Ain el- ulation of AUK, and aims to promote the Rammaneh” incident that sparked of the country of Lebanon, its culture, and its his- Lebanese Civil War in 1975. And, as a sign appy 8 birthday to our dear Sheren Nasser. Indian Frontliners book release, tory to the AUK community, while also of symbol of peace, students took turns May you have more candles to blow and serving to educate them by organizing writing their messages of peace, hope and Hwishing you all the best in life. Good National Integration cultural show events that are entertaining, educational, better future on the van. health and be a good girl always. Greetings from and beneficial for students and campus. Amer El-Assaad, Assistant Director of PR ndian Frontlinersproudly announces - the Doha Bank, Qatar, who is a dynamic Dada Tareq, tita Juvy and Baba Nasser and Mama This is how the idea of the Lebanese Bazaar & Marketing at AUK, and Advisor for the ”Indian Achievers” Part 17 book release and dashing Indian taking the financial Dalia and from your brother and sister. Samee, was introduced; the desire was to combine Lebanese Culture Club, also commented on IFunction on 3rd May 2013, at 6 pm world by storm. He introduced many nov- all these elements into one major event. the success of the event, saying, “based on Ahmed, Sarah and Heba. Friday at Kuwait Medical Association hall, el concepts in banking including kick The Lebanese Bazaar included different the success of last year’s bazaar, which was Jabriya. Satish C. Mehta, Indian starting driving DOHA Bank mobile ATM companies that showcased Lebanese prod- much smaller, the student club decided to Ambassador to Kuwait will grace the vans to people. He works throughout the ucts and services, such as restaurants, have it again this academic year, but much Function. The chief guests for the function day with short breaks and his staff is used shops, artisans, and many more, that had larger in scale, and with more activities. As Announcements are the prominent & dynamic Indian to his 24 hours round the clock work style, the opportunity to promote and sell their the club advisor, I of course supported their Personalities Justice AR. Lakshmanan- any time, any day from around the Globe. various items. These vendors included decision, and assisted as much as I could Former Supreme Court Judge and Dr.R. He is an authority on the economy and Lama Fruits & Produce, Casper &Gambinis, with the event.” NAFO ‘Samanwayam’ Seetharaman- CEO, Doha Bank Group, finance of Qatar and world at large and Falafel Nadia, Sandy Snacks, Arzet Lebnan, The event was sponsored by Yiaco he 10th anniversary of NAFO Kuwait will be Qatar. his biggest achievement is building the Let’s Popcorn, Bayt Al-Saboun El-Lebnany, Apollo Medical Center, which served as the global brand “Doha Bank”. With Qatar Nazih Cosmetics, Beirut International official sponsor for the event. Yiaco Apollo celebrated on May 10 at the American Justice Dr. AR. Lakshman hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup Soccer International School Auditorium from 6pm Exhibitions Company, Buy2Best, and Medical Center in Kuwait agreed to come T Justice Dr. AR. Lakshman, former judge Tournament, Doha Bank is positioned for numerous vendors for hand-made acces- on board as sole sponsors for the Bazaar, to onwards. Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta will of the Supreme Court of India served the a spectacular if not superlative growth sories, jewelry, crafts, and souvenirs. The get involved with community outreach, inaugurate the event. Former Indian Ambassador Indian judiciary in various capacities for under double doctorate, Dr. Seetharaman. Lebanese Culture Club set up a booth that and to promote their services involving the to the US and the United Nations T P Sreenivasan over four decades. He serves as Judge at The popular Cine &TvArtists displayed different Lebanese crafts, and latest and most comprehensive technolo- Madras High Court, Kerala High Court and Nethran,Jennifer,Swetha, created engraved key-chains made of gies in medical care and beauty services. and NSS Director Board Member Pandalam then Chief Justice at High Courts of Dharshini&Sujeetha are performing at Sivankutty will be guests of honor. NAFO will also authentic Lebanese cedar wood. The Abdulkader Al-Mursal, Marketing Manager Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh and he the National Integration Grand variety bazaar also included traditional Lebanese of Yaico Medical Center, is also a 2008 grad- present an eclectic dance drama ‘Krishna’ which is retired as a Supreme Court Judge in 2007. entertainment show. music, which played throughout the event, uate of AUK, and saw a perfect opportunity conceived and choreographed by Padmashri He was appointed then as Chairman of as well as a traditional Lebanese Dabke to get involved with AUK again as an alum- Shobana. She will be accompanied by a 15-mem- the 18th Law Commission of India. Breakfast Interaction Meeting performance by a group of professional nus. He is a prolific reader and writer who Indian Frontliners fix a Breakfast performers. The American University of Kuwait (AUK) ber troupe from Kalarpana Chennai and supported has authored many books in Tamil and Meeting with these Dynamic Stalwarts by Oscar winner Rasool Pookkutty. It has voice- Student Club President, Mireilleannnous is an independent, private, equal opportu- English. He is the receipient of numerous A.R. Lakshman & Dr R.Seetharaman on the said, “The Lebanese Bazaar is a perfect nity, and co-educational liberal arts institu- overs in English by film personalities such as Irrfan awards including “Vijay Shree”, “Dynamic same day Friday 3rd Morning at 9.30 opportunity for AUK students to get to tion of higher education. The educational, Khan, Konkonasen, Shabaana Azmi, John Abraham, Indian of the Decade”, “Life Time am”Law Maker & Law Breakers!” &”Where know the Lebanese culture, as well as the cultural and administrative structure, meth- Prakash Raj, Stephen Devassy and P Rajeevan. Achievement”. He is a down to earth Goes World & Indian Economy..?”. All are participating companies to promote their ods and standards of AUK are based on the human being with a booming stature and welcome for the Interaction section. services to the public. It’s a mutual bene- American model of higher learning. The a pleasing personality. Konkani musical show fit!” In addition, there were various displays language of instruction is English. around campus, such as a Lebanese Wall of nited Friends Club - Kuwait presents Kuwait Dynamic and Dashing Dr. Fame, which educated students about Trio’s Konkani Songit Sanz (a Konkani musi- R.Seetharaman famous people around the world who are U cal evening) with fun filled comedy and Dr. R. Seetharaman is the Group CEO of Lebanese or of Lebanese origins, and a songs, starring: Gracy Rodrigues, Clemmie Pereira, Irene Vaz, Lucy Aranha, Espy Crasto, Bab. Agnel, Katty de Navelim, Salu Faleiro, Gasper Crasto, Braz de Parra, Anthony D’Silva, Agnelo Fernandes, Seby & Seby, Zeferino Mendes, Lopes Bros., Comedian Nelson, Laurente Pereira & Cajetan de Sanvordem- Michael D’Silva-Mario de Majorda (Kuwait Trio). The show will be held on Friday, 10th May 2013 at 4 pm at the Indian Community School (Senior), Salmiya, Kuwait. Music will be provided by Maestro Shahu.

KALA-Balakalamela registration alakalamela-2013, the art and cultural com- petition for Indian students in Kuwait, B organized yearly by KALA-Kuwait is sched- uled to be conducted on 3 May 2013 at Indian Public school, Salmiya. The completions are open for Indian students from Class 1 to 12 categorized as Sub Juniors (Class 1-4), Juniors (Class 5-8) and Premier Goal Academy Seniors (9-12). The completions will be held for he Premier Goal Academy in associ- Participating teams included Everton, Bharathanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Folk Dance, Group ation with Everton F.C. and under Arsenal Academy, Saracens, International Dance, Light Music, Classical Music, Fancy Dress, Tthe patronage of British Academy, Hawally Pakistan English Elocution (English & Malayalam), Essay (English & Ambassador, Frank Baker, organised a School and Don Bosco Indian School. Malayalam), Recitation (English & Malayalam) in 6 football festival and Carnival Day at British Ambassador attended the event different stages in the venue. The registrations can Bayan, involving over 500 young players and presented gifts to all the players, be done through schools or directly through KALA aged from 3 to 17 years of age. provided by event sponsors Go Sport. web site ‘www.kalaonweb.com’ or directly handed over to any of the nearest KALA-units, or to sent to our e-mail ‘[email protected]’ on or before 20 April 2013.

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Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: [email protected] Fax: 24835619 / 20 WHAT’S ON THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Embassy Sebamed goes Information

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA Instagram The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian Consulate-General in Dubai. Email: info.aus- [email protected] (VFS) [email protected] (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more informa- tion. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm. e are glad to inform you that we launched our site on instagram. n n n n n n n Follow us on @sebamedkuwait and (hashtag)#sebamedkuwait and EMBASSY OF CANADA Wsend us your shots involving all family members and be the lucky The Embassy of Canada in Kuwait does winner of a valuable prize from Sebamed products. not have a visa or immigration depart- ment. All processing of visa and immi- gration matters including enquiries is conduct- ed by the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Individuals who are interested in working, studying, visiting or immigrating to Canada should contact the Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, website: www.UAE.gc.ca or www.going- tocanada.gc.ca, E-mail: abdbi-im- [email protected]. The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakei St, Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is open from 07:30 to 12:30. Consular services for Canadian citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00, Sunday through Wednesday. n n n n n n n EMBASSY OF CYPRUS In its capacity as EU Local Presidency in the State of Kuwait, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus, on behalf of the Member States of the EU and associated Al Mulla Exchange takes customers States participating in the Schengen cooper- ation, would like to announce that as from on musical journey of Bollywood 2nd October 2012 all Schengen States’ Consulates in Kuwait will use the Visa Information System (VIS). The VIS is a central l Mulla International Exchange organized beautifully rendered Mohammed Rafi tune, database for the exchange of data on short- a nostalgic trip for its customers on a Suhaani Shaam Dhal Chuki Hai, audiences got a stay (up to three months) visas between Amusical journey down the golden era of taste of all time classics like Waqt ne Kiya, Rasik Schengen States. The main objectives of the Bollywood. Aptly titled, Purani Yaadein, the Balma, Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan, Chandan Se VIS are to facilitate visa application proce- evening comprised of a selection of songs from Badan and Tera Mera Pyaar Amar, to name just a dures and checks at external border as well the 1950 - 1970. few. as to enhance security. The VIS will contain all The evening began with addresses by Rajesh Video clips of the songs accompanying the the Schengen visa applications lodged by an Goirala, General Manager of Al Mulla live singing on stage brought them to life on the applicant over five years and the decisions International Exchange, the chief guest HE Satish screens. Audiences thoroughly enjoyed them- taken by any Schengen State’s consulate. This Mehta, Indian Ambassador to Kuwait and an selves clapping, cheering and demanding ‘once will allow applicants to establish more easily introduction to the evening by John Simon, more’ as the singers presented one great song the lawful use of previous visas and their Marketing Manager for Al Mulla International after another. . Exchange. A talented group of singers supported A soulful rendition of Ae Mere Pyaare Watan bona fide status. For the purpose of the VIS, by a live band, presented songs sung by the added the perfect touch of patriotism to the applicants will be required to provide their playback greats like Mohammed Rafi, Talat melodious evening, finally closing the evening biometric data (fingerprints and digital pho- Mehmood, Geeta Dutt, Kishore Kumar and Lata with the peppy Ramiayya Vasta Vaiyya sung by tos) when applying for a Schengen visa. It is a Mangeshkar among others. all the singers together. simple and discreet procedure that only takes The compere of the show shared interesting a few minutes. Biometric data, along with the backgrounds and snippets on various songs as data provided in the Schengen visa applica- the singers took the stage. Starting with the tion form, will be recorded in the VIS central database. Therefore, as from 2nd October 2012, first-time applicants will have to appear in person when lodging the application, in order to provide their fingerprints. For subse- quent applications within 5 years the finger- prints can be copied from the previous appli- cation file in the VIS. The Cypriot Presidency would like to assure the people of Kuwait and all its permanent citizens that the Member States and associated States participating in the Schengen cooperation, have taken all necessary technical measures to facilitate the rapid examination and the efficient process- ing of visa applications and to ensure a quick and discreet procedure for the implementa- tion of the new VIS.

n n n n n n n EMBASSY OF VATICAN A three-day seminar on Vedic Maths was held in Carmel School Kuwait from the 26th-29th April 2013 by a pioneer in the field-Mr.Dhaval Bathia,a graduate from Narsee The Apostolic Nunciature (Embassy of Mongee College. In the course of his studies, magical Vedic techniques fascinated him and led him to share his knowledge with his colleagues. From the age of 17 he held the Holy See, Vatican in Kuwait presents courses on his skills to students, professors and the public at large and is the author of many books. At Carmel, he captured the attention of almost 2000 students from its compliments to Kuwait Times the 3rd-12th grade in 7 sessions with his amazing calculating techniques and memory skills. It was surely a magical mathematical experience. Newspaper, and has the honor to inform the same that the Apostolic Nunciature has moved to a new location in Kuwait City. Please find below the new address: Yarmouk, Block 1, Street 2, Villa No: 1. P.O.Box 29724, Safat 13158, Kuwait. Tel: 965 25337767, Fax: 965 25342066. Email: [email protected]

n n n n n n n EMBASSY GREECE The Embassy of Greece in Kuwait has the pleasure to announce that visa applica- tions must be submitted to Schengen Visa Application Centre (VFS office) located at 12th floor, Al-Naser Tower, Fahad Al-Salem Street, Al- Qibla area, Kuwait City, (Parking at Souk Watia). For information please call 22281046 from 08:30 to 17:00 (Sunday to Thursday). Working hours: BSK presents Alice the Musical Submission from 08:30 to 15:30. Passport collec- tion from 16:00 to 17:00. For visa applications n 15, 16 and 17 April, The Konstantinidou, who played the please visit the following website British School of Kuwait’s leading role as Alice, said of her www.mfa.gr/kuwait. OMiddle Department was involvement: “I gained lots of self- involved in three fantastic perform- confidence and I had lots of fun play- n n n n n n n ances of the musical version of “Alice ing the part.” EMBASSY OF ALBANIA in Wonderland”. The storyline was Students and staff worked dili- The Embassy of the Republic of Albania loosely based on the original story. gently to ensure a brilliant show. to the State of Kuwait would like to However the performance included However credit must also go to a inform that on 03.04.2013, the new elements of humour and also called number of the Upper Department Albanian Ambassador, Kujtim Morina present- upon audience participation. The students who volunteered to work ed credential letters to His Highness, the Amir three evenings were roaring success- backstage. Ten of the crew of seven- of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad es, with the students performing to teen were students, who saw this as Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The address of the embassy full houses. an opportunity to develop their is the same: Al - Zahra, Block 8, Street 802, Villa The students who participated leadership skills as well as to assist 169, Kuwait,P.O.BOX 3090, Safat 13131. The had worked tirelessly for months the Middle Department students. ebassy offers consular services as well. Working beforehand. All of the students thor- All of the students, who partici- hours are from 9:00 to 14:00, Sunday through oughly enjoyed this singing and dra- pated, whether cast or crew were Thursday. ma experience and believed it to be given ten house points for their extremely beneficial. Aikaterina efforts. TV PROGRAMS THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

12:40 Jelly Jamm 20:35 Auction Hunters 08:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 13:00 Tom & Jerry Kids 21:00 Baggage Battles 09:05 Zou 13:25 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo 21:30 You Have Been Warned 09:20 Doc McStuffins 13:50 Moomins 22:25 Magic Of Science 09:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 03:45 I Almost Got Away With It 03:15 Shamwari: A Wild Life 14:20 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 23:20 Mythbusters 10:00 Lilo And Stitch 04:30 Dr G: Medical Examiner 04:05 World Wild Vet 14:45 Tiny Toon Adventures 10:30 Mouk 05:20 A Haunting 04:55 Call Of The Wildman 15:10 The 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo 10:45 Art Attack 06:10 Murder Shift 05:20 Baboons With Bill Bailey 15:35 Taz-Mania 11:10 Imagination Movers 07:00 Mystery Diagnosis 05:45 Shamwari: A Wild Life 16:00 Tom & Jerry Tales 11:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 07:50 Street Patrol 06:35 Wildlife SOS 16:25 Moomins 12:00 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of 08:40 Real Emergency Calls 07:00 The Really Wild Show 16:50 The Garfield Show 03:35 Prototype This Friendship 09:05 Who On Earth Did I Marry? 07:25 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer 17:15 The Looney Tunes Show 04:25 Man-Made Marvels Asia 12:10 Zou 09:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn 07:50 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer 17:40 Tiny Toon Adventures 05:15 Gadget Show - World Tour 12:25 Doc McStuffins 10:20 Murder Shift 08:15 Dogs 101 18:05 Taz-Mania 05:40 The Tech Show 12:40 Higglytown Heroes 11:10 Disappeared 09:10 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 18:30 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 06:05 Race To Mars 12:55 Timmy Time 12:00 Mystery Diagnosis 09:35 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 18:55 The 13 Ghosts Of Scooby-Doo 07:00 Space Pioneer 13:05 The Hive 12:50 Street Patrol 10:05 Wildest Africa 19:20 Pink Panther And Pals 07:50 NASA’s Greatest Missions 13:15 Mouk 13:40 Forensic Detectives 11:00 Animal Cops Houston 19:45 The Looney Tunes Show 08:40 Gadget Show - World Tour 13:30 Little Einsteins 14:30 On The Case With Paula Zahn 11:55 Call Of The Wildman 20:10 Taz-Mania 09:05 The Tech Show 13:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:20 Real Emergency Calls 12:20 Wildlife SOS 20:35 Puppy In My Pocket 09:30 Smash Lab 14:20 New Adventures Of Winnie 15:45 Who On Earth Did I Marry? 12:50 RSPCA: On The Frontline 21:00 What’s New Scooby-Doo? 10:25 Sci-Fi Saved My Life The Pooh 16:10 Disappeared 13:15 SSPCA: On The Wildside 21:25 Looney Tunes 11:15 Kings Of Construction 14:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 17:00 Murder Shift 13:45 Animal Precinct 21:50 Dexter’s Laboratory 12:05 The World’s Strangest UFO 15:00 The Little Mermaid 17:50 Forensic Detectives 14:40 Wildest Africa 22:15 Tom & Jerry Tales Stories 15:25 Doc McStuffins 18:40 On The Case With Paula Zahn 15:30 Baboons With Bill Bailey 23:05 Pink Panther And Pals 13:00 NASA’s Greatest Missions 15:40 Higglytown Heroes 19:30 Disappeared 16:00 The Really Wild Show 23:55 Moomins 13:50 Patent Bending 15:55 Zou 20:20 Nightmare Next Door 16:30 Dogs 101 14:20 Gadget Show - World Tour 16:20 Doc McStuffins 21:10 Couples Who Kill 17:25 Weird Creatures With Nick 14:45 The Tech Show 16:35 The Hive 22:00 Nightmare Next Door Baker 15:10 Space Pioneer 16:45 Lilo And Stitch 22:50 Nightmare Next Door 18:20 Groomer Has It 16:00 Punkin Chunkin 2010 17:10 Doc McStuffins 23:40 I Almost Got Away With It 19:15 Monkey Life 03:00 The Amazing World Of 16:55 Ecopolis 17:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:40 Rescue Vet Gumball 17:45 Man-Made Marvels Asia 18:05 Mouk 20:10 Call Of The Wildman 03:25 Regular Show 18:35 Race To Mars 18:35 Zou 20:35 Baboons With Bill Bailey 03:50 Ben 10: Omniverse 19:30 Space Pioneer 19:00 Animated Stories 21:05 Wildest Africa 04:15 Scooby-Doo! Mystery 20:20 NASA’s Greatest Missions 19:05 Timmy Time 22:00 Wildest Islands Incorporated 21:10 Gadget Show - World Tour 19:15 Pajanimals 03:00 Newsday 22:55 Wild France 04:40 Powerpuff Girls 21:35 The Tech Show 19:25 Doc McStuffins 03:30 Asia Business Report 23:50 Animal Cops Phoenix 05:05 Evil Con Carne 22:00 Space Pioneer 19:35 Zou 03:45 Sport Today 05:30 Cow & Chicken 22:50 The Colony 19:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 04:00 BBC World News 06:00 Casper’s Scare School 23:40 Gadget Show - World Tour 20:15 Winnie The Pooh: Tales Of 04:30 Asia Business Report 06:30 Angelo Rules Friendship 04:45 Sport Today 07:00 Dreamworks Dragons: Riders 05:00 BBC World News 03:10 Coastal Kitchen 20:25 Pajanimals Of Berk 05:30 Asia Business Report 03:35 Cash In The Attic 20:35 The Adventures Of Disney 07:25 The Amazing World Of 05:45 Sport Today 04:20 Bargain Hunt Fairies Gumball 06:00 BBC World News 05:05 Britain’s Dream Homes 03:05 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 21:00 New Adventures Of Winnie 07:45 Scooby Doo! Mystery 06:30 Hardtalk 05:55 Gok’s Fashion Fix 03:55 Replacements The Pooh Incorporated 07:00 BBC World News 06:45 New Scandinavian Cooking 04:45 Emperor’s New School 21:25 Pajanimals 08:10 Evil Con Carne 07:30 World Business Report 07:15 The Roux Legacy 05:35 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 21:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:55 Adventure Time 07:45 BBC World News 07:50 Nigel Slater’s Simple Cooking 06:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:45 Regular Show 08:00 BBC World News 08:15 Homes Under The Hammer 06:25 Doc McStuffins 10:35 Angelo Rules 08:30 World Business Report 09:05 Bargain Hunt 06:40 Suite Life On Deck 11:25 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 08:45 BBC World News 09:50 Antiques Roadshow 07:10 A.N.T Farm 12:15 Hero 108 09:30 World Business Report 10:40 Extreme Makeover: Home 07:55 Jessie 03:15 Style Star 13:05 Mucha Lucha ! 09:45 BBC World News THE DECOY BRIDE ON OSN CINEMA Edition 08:45 Good Luck Charlie 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 13:30 Angelo Rules 10:30 World Business Report 11:25 Masterchef: The Professionals 09:35 Austin And Ally 04:10 THS 10:00 Ernest Scared Stupid-PG15 14:20 Evil Con Carne 10:45 BBC World News 12:10 Come Dine With Me 10:00 Bolt 07:50 Style Star 12:00 The Year Dolly Parton Was My 15:10 Ben 10 11:30 Hardtalk 13:00 The Roux Legacy 11:30 Prankstars 08:20 Opening Act Mom-PG 16:00 Johnny Test 12:00 BBC World News 13:30 New Scandinavian Cooking 11:40 Suite Life On Deck 10:15 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body 04:00 RoboCop 3-PG15 14:00 In Her Shoes-PG15 03:00 Super Rugby 16:35 Scooby Doo! Mystery 12:30 World Business Report 13:55 Bargain Hunt 12:05 Hannah Montana Bouncebacks 06:00 Season Of The Witch-PG15 16:15 Ernest Scared Stupid-PG15 05:00 PGA European Tour Incorporated 12:45 Sport Today 14:40 Cash In The Attic 12:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place 12:05 Khloe And Lamar 08:00 True Justice: Brotherhood 18:00 Turner & Hooch-PG15 Highlights 17:00 Ben 10: Omniverse 13:00 BBC World News 15:25 Antiques Roadshow 13:20 Jessie 13:05 Married To Jonas 10:00 True Justice: Blood Alley-PG15 20:00 The Switch-18 06:00 Trans World Sport 17:25 Dreamworks Dragons Riders 13:30 BBC World News 16:15 Extreme Makeover: Home 13:45 A.N.T. Farm 14:05 Kourtney & Kim Take New 12:00 Barricade-PG15 22:00 High School-18 07:00 Golfing World Of Berk 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah Edition 14:35 Austin And Ally York 14:00 True Justice: Brotherhood- 08:00 PGA European Tour 17:50 The Amazing World Of 15:00 BBC World News 17:00 Homes Under The Hammer 15:25 Good Luck Charlie 15:00 Style Star PG15 Highlights Gumball 15:30 World Business Report 17:55 Baking Mad With Eric Lanlard 15:50 Jessie 15:30 E!es 15:45 Kingdom Of Heaven-PG15 09:00 World Pool Masters 18:15 Adventure Time 15:45 Sport Today 18:20 The Good Cook 16:15 Shake It Up 16:30 Extreme Close-Up 18:15 Barricade-PG15 10:00 World Cup Of Pool 18:40 Regular Show 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 18:45 Baking Made Easy 16:40 A.N.T. Farm 17:00 Chasing The Saturdays 20:00 Alien-18 03:00 Sleepy Hollow-PG15 11:00 Trans World Sport 19:05 Total Drama World Tour 17:30 Hardtalk 19:10 New Scandinavian Cooking 17:00 Toy Story 2 18:00 E! News 22:00 Gridlock’d-18 05:00 Water For Elephants-PG15 12:00 Top 14 Highlights 19:30 Total Drama: Revenge Of The 18:00 Global With John Sopel 19:40 Come Dine With Me 18:30 Prankstars 19:00 Fashion Police 07:15 Courage-PG15 12:30 ICC Cricket 360 Island 19:30 World Business Report 20:35 Extreme Makeover: Home 18:45 That’s So Raven 20:00 E!es 09:00 Separate Lies-PG15 13:00 Golfing World 19:55 Starwars: The Clone Wars 19:45 Sport Today Edition 19:10 Cory In The House 21:00 Kourtney And Kim Take Miami 11:00 Taken Back: Finding Haley- 14:00 Futbol Mundial 20:20 Ben 10: Omniverse 20:00 BBC World News 21:20 Antiques Roadshow 19:35 Good Luck Charlie 22:00 Chasing The Saturdays 03:00 The Decoy Bride-PG15 PG15 14:30 AFL Premiership Highlights 20:45 Hero 108 20:30 BBC Focus On Africa 22:15 Bargain Hunt 20:00 Jessie 22:30 E! News 05:00 Winx-FAM 13:00 Kings Ransom-PG15 15:30 World Pool Masters 21:00 World News Today With 23:00 Homes Under The Hammer 20:25 Wizards Of Waverly Place 23:30 Chelsea Lately 07:00 Blank Slate-PG15 15:00 Separate Lies-PG15 16:30 World Cup Of Pool Zeinab Badawi 23:55 Cash In The Attic 20:50 Wizards Of Waverly Place 09:00 The Decoy Bride-PG15 17:00 Yona Yona Penguin-PG 17:30 European Challenge Cup 22:30 World Business Report 21:15 Phil Of The Future 11:00 The Vow-PG15 18:45 Mr. Nobody-PG15 19:30 Asian Tour Golf Show 22:45 Sport Today 03:00 Mythbusters 21:40 Hannah Montana 13:00 Dangerous Flowers-PG15 21:00 The Preacher’s Wife-PG15 20:00 Super League 23:00 Business Edition With Tanya 03:55 Border Security 22:05 Jonas Los Angeles 15:00 Hidden Crimes-PG15 23:15 The Intouchables-U 21:30 Ladies European Tour Beckett 04:20 Auction Hunters 22:30 Sonny With A Chance 16:45 A Separation-PG15 Highlights 23:30 Hardtalk 04:50 Baggage Battles 22:55 Wizards Of Waverly Place 03:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 19:00 Young Adult-PG15 22:30 Champions Tour Highlights 03:00 Dexter’s Laboratory 05:15 How Do They Do It? 23:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place 03:25 Unique Eats 21:00 Cleanskin-18 23:30 Golfing World 03:30 Wacky Races 05:40 How It’s Made 23:45 Hannah Montana 03:50 Kid In A Candy Store 23:00 Husk-18 03:55 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 06:05 Sons Of Guns 04:15 Andy Bates American Street 04:30 Take Shelter-PG15 04:20 Tom & Jerry 07:00 Mythbusters Feasts 03:30 Banged Up Abroad 04:45 The Garfield Show 06:30 B-Girl-PG15 03:00 Ping Pong World 07:50 Ultimate Survival 04:40 Chopped 04:25 City Chase Rome 08:00 Into The Wind-PG15 05:00 Bananas In Pyjamas 03:00 Breaking In 04:00 US Bass Fishing 08:45 Flying Wild Alaska 05:30 Iron Chef America 05:20 Departures 09:00 The Adventures Of Tintin-PG 05:25 Gerald McBoing Boing 03:15 Handy Manny 03:30 Friends 05:00 NHL 09:40 Border Security 06:10 Food Network Challenge 06:15 Food Lover’s Guide To The 11:00 Lady And The Tramp II: 05:45 Jelly Jamm 03:40 Special Agent Oso 04:00 Seinfeld 07:00 WWE Vintage Collection 10:05 Auction Hunters 07:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Planet Scamp’s Adventure-FAM 06:00 Ha Ha Hairies 04:00 Timmy Time 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay 08:00 WWE NXT 10:30 Baggage Battles 07:50 Unique Eats 06:40 Earth Tripping 12:30 Ring Of Deceit-PG15 06:25 Bananas In Pyjamas 04:10 Imagination Movers Leno 09:00 Ping Pong World 10:55 How Do They Do It? 08:15 Kid In A Candy Store 07:10 Exploring The Vine 14:15 The Phantom Of The Opera At 06:50 Lazytown 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:30 Til Death 10:00 US Bass Fishing 11:25 How It’s Made 08:40 Andy Bates American Street 07:35 Kimchi Chronicles The Royal Albert Hall-PG15 07:15 Krypto: The Super Dog 05:00 Jungle Junction 06:00 Arrested Development 11:00 NHL 11:50 Dual Survival Feasts 08:05 Somewhere In China 17:00 The Adventures Of Tintin-PG 07:40 Baby Looney Tunes 05:30 Little Einsteins 06:30 Gary Unmarried 13:00 WWE SmackDown 12:45 Finding Bigfoot 09:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To 09:00 Making Tracks 19:00 Contagion-PG15 08:05 Gerald McBoing Boing 05:50 Special Agent Oso 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 15:00 European Le Mans Series 14:35 Border Security Basics 09:25 Making Tracks 21:00 Locked In-PG15 08:30 Cartoonito Tales 06:15 Jungle Junction 08:00 Seinfeld 16:00 UIM Powerboat Champs 15:05 Auction Hunters 09:30 The Next Iron Chef 09:55 Banged Up Abroad 23:00 The Five Year Engagement-18 08:55 Lazy Town 15:30 Baggage Battles 06:45 Handy Manny 10:20 Extra Virgin 10:50 Banged Up Abroad 08:30 Til Death 17:30 UFC 09:45 Baby Looney Tunes 16:00 Futurecar 07:00 Special Agent Oso 11:10 Everyday Italian 11:45 City Chase Rome 09:00 Breaking In 20:30 NHL 10:10 Krypto: The Super Dog 16:55 Flying Wild Alaska 07:15 Higglytown Heroes 11:35 Unwrapped 12:40 Departures 09:30 How I Met Your Mother 22:30 European Le Mans Series 10:35 Cartoonito Tales 17:50 Mythbusters 07:45 Handy Manny 12:00 Chef Hunter 13:35 Food Lover’s Guide To The 10:30 Gary Unmarried 23:30 UIM Powerboat Champs 11:00 Jelly Jamm 18:45 Sons Of Guns 08:00 The Hive 12:50 Grill It! With Bobby Flay Planet 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay 04:30 Turandot 11:25 Gerald McBoing Boing 19:40 How Do They Do It? 08:10 New Adventures Of Winnie 13:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To 14:00 Earth Tripping Leno 06:00 Tinker Bell And The Secret Of 11:50 Lazy Town 20:05 How It’s Made The Pooh Basics 14:30 Delinquent Gourmet 12:00 Arrested Development The Wings 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To 14:55 Kimchi Chronicles 12:30 Seinfeld 08:00 Everyone’s Hero Basics 15:25 Somewhere In China 13:00 Til Death 10:00 Robots 03:45 Chicagolicious 14:05 Extra Virgin 16:20 Market Values 13:30 Gary Unmarried 11:30 The Adventures Of Don 04:40 Open House 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 16:45 Market Values 14:00 Friends Quixote 05:10 Videofashion News 15:20 Guy’s Big Bite 17:15 Banged Up Abroad 15:00 How I Met Your Mother 13:00 Crab Island 05:35 Videofashion Collections 15:45 Chopped 18:10 Banged Up Abroad 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon 14:30 Tinker Bell And The Secret Of 06:05 Clean House: New York 16:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To 19:05 City Chase Rome Stewart The Wings 07:00 Videofashion News Basics 20:00 Delinquent Gourmet 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:00 101 Dalmatians (1961) 07:30 Videofashion News 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 20:30 Kimchi Chronicles 16:30 Arrested Development 18:00 Robots 08:00 Videofashion Daily 18:15 Symon’s Suppers 21:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 20:00 Teo: The Intergalactic Hunter 09:00 Open House 18:40 Guy’s Big Bite Planet 18:00 Ben And Kate 22:00 Crab Island 09:30 Dress My Nest 19:30 Chopped 21:30 Earth Tripping 23:30 Everyone’s Hero 10:00 Giuliana & Bill 21:10 Iron Chef America 22:00 Departures 10:55 Tia And Tamera 22:00 Charly’s Cake Angels 22:55 Food Lover’s Guide To The 11:55 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 22:50 Unique Sweets Planet 12:50 Videofashion Specials 23:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:20 Market Values 03:00 Greek 04:00 Crisis Point-PG15 13:20 Videofashion Collections 23:50 Travel Madness 04:00 House Of Cards 05:45 The Tree Of Life-PG15 13:50 Chicagolicious 05:00 Grey’s Anatomy 08:00 A View From Here-PG15 14:45 How Do I Look? 06:00 Supernatural 10:00 The Big Year-PG 15:40 How Do I Look? 07:00 Emmerdale 12:00 Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of 16:35 Built 03:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 07:30 Coronation Street Shadows-PG15 17:30 Built 03:25 Unique Eats 03:00 Departures 08:00 The Closer 14:15 Rio-FAM 18:25 Chicagolicious 03:50 Kid In A Candy Store 04:00 Engineering Connections 09:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 16:00 A View From Here-PG15 19:25 Jerseylicious 04:15 Andy Bates American Street 05:00 Caught In The Act 10:00 Grey’s Anatomy 18:00 Damsels In Distress-PG15 20:20 Giuliana & Bill Feasts 06:00 Pirate Patrol 11:00 The Americans 20:00 Coriolanus-PG15 21:15 Giuliana & Bill 04:40 Chopped 07:00 Megastructures 12:00 Emmerdale 22:15 Outlaw Country-PG15 22:10 Kimora: House Of Fab 05:30 Iron Chef America 08:00 World’s Toughest Fixes 12:30 Coronation Street 23:05 Fashion Police 06:10 Food Network Challenge 09:00 Somewhere In China 13:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 07:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 10:00 Megacities 14:00 The Closer 07:50 Unique Eats 11:00 Pirate Patrol 15:00 Supernatural 08:15 Kid In A Candy Store 12:00 Engineering Connections 16:00 Emmerdale 03:30 NRL Full Time 04:00 NRL Premiership 08:40 Andy Bates American Street 13:00 Caught In The Act 16:30 Coronation Street 03:00 Anderson Cooper 360 06:00 AFL Premiership Highlights Feasts 14:00 Pirate Patrol 17:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 04:00 Piers Morgan Live 07:00 Snooker World Championship 09:05 Barefoot Contessa - Back To 15:00 Lockdown 18:00 The Closer 05:00 Quest Means Business 11:00 Champions Tour Highlights Basics 19:00 Touch 06:00 The Situation Room 12:00 Live Snooker World 09:30 The Next Iron Chef 20:00 Bones 07:00 World Sport Championship 10:20 Extra Virgin 21:00 Castle 07:30 News Special 16:00 NRL Full Time 11:10 Everyday Italian 22:00 The Client List 08:00 World Report 16:30 Live Snooker World 11:35 Unwrapped 03:45 World’s Deadliest Animals 23:00 Treme 09:00 World Report Championship 12:00 Chef Hunter 04:40 World’s Deadliest 10:00 World Sport 20:00 Futbol Mundial 12:50 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 05:35 Wild Mississippi 10:30 Inside Africa 20:30 PGA European Tour Weekly 13:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To 06:30 Moray Eels: Alien Empire 11:00 World Business Today 21:00 Live Snooker World Basics 07:25 Man v. Monster 03:45 RoboCop 2 12:00 World One Championship 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To 08:20 World’s Deadliest Animals 06:00 RoboCop 3 12:30 Inside The Middle East Basics 09:15 Ultimate Animal Countdown 08:00 Season Of The Witch 13:00 Amanpour 14:05 Extra Virgin 10:10 Freaks & Creeps 10:00 True Justice: Brotherhood 13:30 CNN Newscenter 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 11:05 Wild Case Files 12:00 True Justice: Blood Alley 07:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 14:00 Piers Morgan Live 15:20 Guy’s Big Bite 12:00 The Lion Ranger 14:00 Barricade 08:00 Super Rugby 15:00 News Stream 15:45 Chopped 13:00 Fish Warrior 16:00 True Justice: Brotherhood 10:00 NRL Full Time 16:00 World Business Today 16:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To 14:00 Man v. Monster 17:45 Kingdom Of Heaven 10:30 AFL Premiership Highlights 17:00 International Desk Basics 15:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 20:15 Barricade 11:30 European Challenge Cup 18:00 Global Exchange 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 16:00 Dragon Chronicles 22:00 Alien 13:30 Super Rugby 19:00 World Sport 18:15 Symon’s Suppers 17:00 Bizarre Dinos 14:30 PGA Tour Highlights 19:30 Inside The Middle East 18:40 Guy’s Big Bite 18:00 Wild Case Files 15:30 Premier League Darts 20:00 International Desk 19:30 Chopped 19:00 Fish Warrior 19:00 NHL 21:00 Quest Means Business 21:10 Iron Chef America 20:00 Man v. Monster 04:00 The Year Dolly Parton Was My 21:00 Inside The PGA Tour 22:00 Amanpour 22:00 Charly’s Cake Angels 21:00 World’s Deadliest Animals Mom-PG 21:30 Trans World Sport 22:30 CNN Newscenter 22:50 Unique Sweets 22:00 Dragon Chronicles 06:00 Hop-PG 22:30 AFL Premiership Highlights 23:00 Connect The World With SEPARATE LIES ON OSN MOVIES FESTIVAL 23:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:00 Bizarre Dinos 08:00 The First Wives Club-PG 23:30 Super Rugby Becky Anderson Classifieds

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Kuwait ACCOMMODATION KNCC PROGRAMME FROM THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY Sharing accommodation (02/05/2013 TO 08/05/2013) available for decent single person (male/female) with a separate room with SHARQIA-1 THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 (DIG) 5:15 PM NO SUN+ TUE+WED attached bath in Amman NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 12:45 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 7:15 PM Street near roundabout. NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 2:45 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 9:00 PM AL-KOUT.2 Please call 5 pm to 10 pm NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 4:45 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 11:00 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 12:45 PM 66321532. (C 4399) WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 6:45 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 12:45 AM THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 (DIG) 2:45 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 8:45 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 4:45 PM 1-5-2013 WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 10:30 PM MARINA-2 THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 (DIG) 6:30 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 12:30 AM THE CALL (DIG) 1:45 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 8:30 PM Sharing accommodation OBLIVION (DIG) 3:45 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 10:15 PM available for decent bache- SHARQIA-2 FIRE WITH FIRE (DIG) 6:15 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 12:15 AM lor or family non smoking, expetional. Email: TAD, THE LOST EXPLORER (DIG-3D) 12:30 PM THE CALL (DIG) 8:15 PM NO SUN+ TUE+WED Amman street, one big IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 2:30 PM THE CALL (DIG) 10:15 PM [email protected] SPIDERS (DIG-3D) 5:00 PM THE CALL (DIG) 12:15 AM AL-KOUT.3 room, opposite to Al (C 4400) IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 7:00 PM OBLIVION (DIG) 1:45 PM Rashed Hospital. Contact: 2-5-2013 IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 9:30 PM MARINA-3 THE CALL (DIG) 4:15 PM 66232356. (C 4395) IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 12:05 AM TAD, THE LOST EXPLORER (DIG-3D) 2:00 PM OBLIVION (DIG) 6:15 PM 28-4-2013 IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 4:00 PM THE CALL (DIG) 8:45 PM SHARQIA-3 IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 6:30 PM THE CALL (DIG) 10:45 PM OBLIVION (DIG) 1:45 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 9:00 PM THE CALL (DIG) 12:45 AM FIRE WITH FIRE (DIG) 4:15 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 11:45 PM CHANGE OF NAME THE CALL (DIG) 6:15 PM BAIRAQ-1 THE CALL (DIG) 8:15 PM AVENUES-1 IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 1:30 PM I, Kamalapuram Basheer, THE CALL (DIG) 10:15 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 1:15 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 4:00 PM Indian Passport No: OBLIVION (DIG) 12:15 AM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 3:30 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 6:30 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 5:45 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 9:15 PM K9684632 change my name 112 MUHALAB-1 WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 8:00 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 12:05 AM to Shaikh Basheer Ahmed. NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 12:45 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 10:15 PM (C 4398) NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 2:45 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 12:30 AM BAIRAQ-2 29-4-2013 WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 4:30 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 12:45 PM Prayer timings NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 6:45 PM AVENUES-2 THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 (DIG) 3:00 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 8:45 PM OBLIVION (DIG) 12:45 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 5:15 PM FOR SALE Fajr: 03:41 NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 10:45 PM OBLIVION (DIG) 3:15 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 7:30 PM OBLIVION (DIG) 5:45 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 9:30 PM Shorook 05:07 MUHALAB-2 THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 (DIG) 8:15 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 11:30 PM For sale car Corolla model THE CALL (DIG) 2:00 PM OBLIVION (DIG) 10:30 PM 2000, price KD 700/-. Contact: Duhr: 11:45 OBLIVION (DIG) 4:00 PM THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 (DIG) 1:15 AM BAIRAQ-3 99017342. (C 4402) Asr: 15:21 GREEKU VEERUDU (DIG) (TELUGU) 4:00 PM THE CALL (DIG) 1:45 PM 2-5-2013 THE CALL (DIG) 7:00 PM AVENUES-3 THE CALL (DIG) 3:45 PM Maghrib: 18:24 THE CALL (DIG) 9:00 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 2:15 PM OBLIVION (DIG) 5:45 PM THE CALL (DIG) 11:00 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 4:15 PM THE CALL (DIG) 8:15 PM Isha: 19:47 NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 6:15 PM THE CALL (DIG) 10:30 PM MATRIMONIAL MUHALAB-3 NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 8:15 PM THE CALL (DIG) 12:30 AM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 12:30 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 10:15 PM TAD, THE LOST EXPLORER (DIG-3D) 3:00 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 12:15 AM PLAZA 27 year Roman Catholic Ministry of Interior IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 5:00 PM SHADOW (DIG) (TELUGU) 7:00 PM girl, 158cms, BSN MOH IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 7:30 PM 360º 1 SHADOW (DIG) (TELUGU) 10:00 PM invites proposals for a suit- IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 10:00 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 1:15 PM GREEKU VEERUDU (DIG) (TELUGU) 4:00 PM able groom - Male nurses website: www.moi.gov.kw NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 3:15 PM GREEKU VEERUDU (DIG) (TELUGU) 7:00 PM FANAR-1 NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 5:15 PM NO THU THE CALL (DIG) 1:30 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 7:15 PM GREEKU VEERUDU (DIG) (TELUGU) 10:00 PM OBLIVION (DIG) 3:30 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 9:15 PM No: 15796 THE CALL (DIG) 6:00 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 11:15 PM LAILA THE CALL (DIG) 8:00 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 1:15 AM IRON MAN 3 (DIG) 5:45 PM THE CALL (DIG) 10:00 PM NO MON+TUE+WED OBLIVION (DIG) 12:05 AM 360º 2 IRON MAN 3 (DIG) 8:15 PM FIRE WITH FIRE (DIG) 2:30 PM NO MON+TUE+WED FANAR-2 FIRE WITH FIRE (DIG) 4:45 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG) 10:45 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 12:45 PM FIRE WITH FIRE (DIG) 7:00 PM NO MON+TUE+WED NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 2:30 PM FIRE WITH FIRE (DIG) 9:15 PM THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 4:15 PM FIRE WITH FIRE (DIG) 11:30 PM AJIAL.1 NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 6:15 PM SHADOW (DIG) (TELUGU) 6:45 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 8:00 PM 360º 3 SHADOW (DIG) (TELUGU) 9:45 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 9:45 PM EMPEROR (DIG) 1:00 PM GREEKU VEERUDU (DIG) (TELUGU) 3:45 PM THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 (DIG) 11:45 PM EMPEROR (DIG) 3:15 PM GREEKU VEERUDU (DIG) (TELUGU) 6:45 PM EMPEROR (DIG) 5:30 PM GREEKU VEERUDU (DIG) (TELUGU) 9:45 PM FANAR-3 EMPEROR (DIG) 7:45 PM THE COMPANY YOU KEEP (DIG) 2:00 PM EMPEROR (DIG) 10:00 PM AJIAL.2 WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 4:30 PM EMPEROR (DIG) 12:15 AM SOODHU KAVVUM (DIG) (TAMIL) 6:00 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 6:30 PM SOODHU KAVVUM (DIG) (TAMIL) 9:00 PM WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 8:30 PM AL-KOUT.1 WINTER OF DISCONTENT (DIG) 10:30 PM TAD, THE LOST EXPLORER (DIG-3D) 1:00 PM AJIAL.3 THE COMPANY YOU KEEP (DIG) 12:30 AM SPIDERS (DIG-3D) 3:00 PM ETHIR NEECHAL (DIG) (TAMIL) 4:00 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 5:00 PM FRI+MON MARINA-1 IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 7:30 PM ETHIR NEECHAL (DIG) (TAMIL) 7:00 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 1:30 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 10:00 PM ETHIR NEECHAL (DIG) (TAMIL) 10:00 PM NO TELL MOTEL (DIG) 3:30 PM IRON MAN 3 (DIG-3D) 12:30 AM

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Arrival Flights on Thursday 2/5/2013 KNE 470 JEDDAH 15:05 Departure Flights on Thursday 2/5/2013 QTR 141 DOHA 14:55 Airlines Flt Route Time FDB 8057 DUBAI 15:50 Airlines Flt Route Time KAC 673 DUBAI 15:05 BBC 43 DHAKA 00:05 RJA 640 AMMAN 15:55 AIC 976 GOA/CHENNAI 00:05 KNE 473 JEDDAH 15:30 QTR 148 DOHA 00:15 OMA 645 MUSCAT 16:00 AXB 490 MANGALORE/COCHIN 00:15 KAC 617 DOHA 15:45 JZR 267 BEIRUT 00:20 KAC 118 NEW YORK 16:00 JAI 573 MUMBAI 00:20 JZR 188 DUBAI 16:00 JZR 539 CAIRO 00:40 JZR 535 CAIRO 16:10 UAL 981 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 00:25 SVA 505 JEDDAH 16:00 SAI 441 LAHORE 01:30 JZR 787 RIYADH 16:15 DLH 637 FRANKFURT 00:30 KAC 773 RIYADH 16:00 THY 764 SABIHA 01:40 QTR 134 DOHA 16:15 JZR 502 LUXOR 01:30 KNE 471 JEDDAH 16:05 ETH 620 ADDIS ABABA 01:45 JZR 125 BAHRAIN 16:25 BBC 44 DHAKA 01:30 KAC 613 BAHRAIN 16:35 GFA 211 BAHRAIN 01:55 ETD 303 ABU DHABI 16:35 THY 773 ISTANBUL 02:20 FDB 8058 DUBAI 16:40 UAE 853 DUBAI 02:25 UAE 857 DUBAI 16:55 SAI 442 LAHORE 02:30 OMA 646 MUSCAT 16:50 ETD 305 ABU DHABI 02:30 ABY 127 SHARJAH 17:10 THY 765 SABIHA 02:40 RJA 641 AMMAN 16:55 FDB 67 DUBAI 03:10 SVA 510 RIYADH 17:20 ETH 621 ADDIS ABABA 02:45 JZR 238 AMMAN 17:05 RBG 555 ALEXANDRIA 03:15 GFA 215 BAHRAIN 17:20 UAE 854 DUBAI 03:45 JZR 512 SHARM EL SHEIKH 17:15 MSR 612 CAIRO 03:15 UAL 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 17:25 FDB 68 DUBAI 03:50 QTR 135 DOHA 17:15 QTR 138 DOHA 03:30 JZR 177 DUBAI 17:30 RBG 556 ALEXANDRIA 03:55 ETD 304 ABU DHABI 17:20 DHX 170 BAHRAIN 04:20 KAC 176 GENEVA/FRANKFURT 17:45 MSR 613 CAIRO 04:15 JZR 538 CAIRO 17:40 THY 770 ISTANBUL 04:35 JZR 777 JEDDAH 17:50 ETD 306 ABU DHABI 04:20 ABY 128 SHARJAH 17:50 FDB 69 DUBAI 05:50 TAR 327 TUNIS/DUBAI 18:00 QTR 139 DOHA 04:25 UAE 858 DUBAI 18:15 KAC 412 MANILA/BANGKOK 06:15 KAC 502 BEIRUT 18:00 QTR 149 DOHA 05:15 SVA 511 RIYADH 18:20 JZR 555 ALEXANDRIA 06:20 KAC 542 CAIRO 18:15 FDB 70 DUBAI 06:30 GFA 216 BAHRAIN 18:20 BAW 157 LONDON 06:30 QTR 144 DOHA 18:25 GFA 212 BAHRAIN 07:00 JZR 184 DUBAI 18:30 JZR 529 ASSIUT 06:40 KAC 786 JEDDAH 18:30 JZR 240 AMMAN 07:10 JZR 266 BEIRUT 18:40 KAC 206 ISLAMABAD 07:25 KAC 104 LONDON 18:45 THY 771 ISTANBUL 07:10 UAL 982 BAHRAIN 18:40 KAC 382 DELHI 07:30 FDB 63 DUBAI 18:55 KAC 545 ALEXANDRIA 07:20 TAR 328 TUNIS 18:50 JZR 503 LUXOR 07:40 NIA 251 ALEXANDRIA 19:00 JZR 164 DUBAI 07:25 QTR 145 DOHA 19:25 FDB 53 DUBAI 07:45 GFA 219 BAHRAIN 19:05 BAW 156 LONDON 08:25 FDB 64 DUBAI 19:35 KAC 302 MUMBAI 07:50 KAC 618 DOHA 19:10 FDB 54 DUBAI 08:25 GFA 220 BAHRAIN 19:50 KAC 332 TRIVANDRUM 07:55 AXB 393 KOZHIKODE 19:15 JZR 256 BEIRUT 08:50 NIA 252 ALEXANDRIA 20:00 KAC 352 COCHIN 08:05 KAC 774 RIYADH 19:25 JZR 534 CAIRO 09:10 AXB 394 KOZHIKODE 20:15 UAE 855 DUBAI 08:25 KAC 674 DUBAI 19:25 KAC 561 AMMAN 09:25 RBG 554 ALEXANDRIA 20:20 IRA 605 ISFAHAN 08:40 KAC 614 BAHRAIN 19:35 KAC 671 DUBAI 09:25 JAI 571 MUMBAI 20:35 IZG 4161 MASHAD 08:45 JAI 572 MUMBAI 19:35 ABY 126 SHARJAH 09:30 FDB 62 DUBAI 20:40 KAC 362 COLOMBO 08:45 RBG 553 ALEXANDRIA 19:40 KAC 787 JEDDAH 09:35 ABY 120 SHARJAH 20:45 ABY 125 SHARJAH 08:50 FDB 61 DUBAI 20:00 IRA 606 MASHAD 09:40 KAC 331 TRIVANDRUM 20:50 QTR 132 DOHA 09:00 OMA 647 MUSCAT 20:00 IZG 4162 MASHAD 09:45 KAC 343 CHENNAI 20:55 IRA 617 AHWAZ 09:10 ABY 129 SHARJAH 20:05 UAE 856 DUBAI 09:50 OMA 648 MUSCAT 20:55 FDB 55 DUBAI 09:15 JZR 189 DUBAI 20:10 FDB 56 DUBAI 09:55 KAC 351 COCHIN 21:05 ETD 301 ABU DHABI 09:30 MEA 402 BEIRUT 20:15 QTR 133 DOHA 10:00 MEA 403 BEIRUT 21:15 SYR 341 DAMASCUS 10:10 AFG 415 KABUL 20:20 IRA 616 AHWAZ 10:10 AFG 415 JEDDAH 21:20 GFA 213 BAHRAIN 10:40 MSC 405 SOHAG 20:25 ETD 302 ABU DHABI 10:15 MSC 404 ASSIUT 21:25 MEA 404 BEIRUT 10:55 MSR 618 ALEXANDRIA 20:30 KAC 101 LONDON/NEW YORK 10:25 MSR 619 ALEXANDRIA 21:30 ABY 121 SHARJAH 11:25 KNE 474 JEDDAH 20:45 SYR 342 DAMASCUS 11:10 KNE 475 JEDDAH 21:45 JZR 165 DUBAI 11:35 MSC 401 ALEXANDRIA 21:00 GFA 214 BAHRAIN 11:25 DHX 171 BAHRAIN 21:50 KAC 284 DHAKA 12:05 ALK 229 COLOMBO 21:10 KAC 541 CAIRO 11:30 MSC 402 ALEXANDRIA 22:00 JZR 241 AMMAN 12:35 UAE 859 DUBAI 21:15 KAC 165 ROME/PARIS 11:45 ETD 308 ABU DHABI 22:15 MSC 403 ASSIUT 12:40 ETD 307 ABU DHABI 21:30 MEA 405 BEIRUT 11:55 ALK 230 COLOMBO 22:20 UAE 871 DUBAI 12:45 QTR 136 DOHA 21:35 KAC 501 BEIRUT 12:00 UAE 860 DUBAI 22:25 MSR 610 CAIRO 13:00 GFA 217 BAHRAIN 21:45 ABY 122 SHARJAH 12:05 QTR 137 DOHA 22:35 THY 766 ISTANBUL 13:10 DHX 372 BAHRAIN 22:00 JZR 776 JEDDAH 12:25 KAC 301 MUMBAI 22:40 KNE 480 TAIF 13:25 QTR 146 DOHA 22:00 JZR 786 RIYADH 12:50 GFA 218 BAHRAIN 22:45 KAC 672 DUBAI 13:40 FDB 59 DUBAI 22:20 KAC 785 JEDDAH 13:00 DHX 373 BAHRAIN 23:00 QTR 140 DOHA 13:45 AIC 981 CHENNAI/HYDERABAD/AHMEDABAD 22:25 FDB 60 DUBAI 23:00 JZR 239 AMMAN 22:30 JZR 176 DUBAI 13:20 FDB 57 DUBAI 13:50 KAC 205 ISLAMABAD 23:00 JZR 185 DUBAI 22:40 JZR 124 BAHRAIN 13:30 KAC 546 ALEXANDRIA 14:15 UAL 981 BAHRAIN 22:40 MSC 406 SOHAG 13:40 QTR 147 DOHA 23:05 SVA 500 JEDDAH 14:30 DLH 636 FRANKFURT 23:10 MSR 611 CAIRO 14:00 JZR 554 ALEXANDRIA 23:20 JZR 257 BEIRUT 14:30 JAI 574 MUMBAI 23:20 THY 767 ISTANBUL 14:10 KAC 411 BANGKOK/MANILA 23:40 KNE 472 JEDDAH 14:35 JZR 513 SHARM EL SHEIKH 23:20 KNE 481 TAIF 14:15 KAC 283 DHAKA 23:45 KAC 562 AMMAN 14:40 KLM 411 AMSTERDAM/DAMMAM 23:40 UAE 872 DUBAI 14:15 KAC 415 KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA 23:50 KAC 788 JEDDAH 15:00 THY 772 ISTANBUL 23:45 FDB 58 DUBAI 14:30 JZR 528 ASSIUT 23:55 Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw) 34 THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 stars

CROSSWORD 177 STAR TRACK

Aries (March 21-April 19) Libra (September 23-October 22)

Hit hard and fast when needed, but don’t use up all your If someone else offers to pay, don’t be polite, just go along with ammunition on the first target you see. The essence of exercise is that it should it. It’s your turn to be treated, and why not? The joy of giving is not complete not exhaust you, but should reinvigorate and leave your stronger for the effort. without a pleased and satisfied recipient, so try being on the receiving end for a So it is with life. You can feel temporarily blocked emotionally now. Resistance while. You’ll most likely make the other person happier and yourself as well. You and challenges from others or from outside situations suggest this is not a are inclined to flow along with people and situations, attracting what you need good time to try to force your will and desires onto others, as friction is the only and letting the world come to you. Contentment, emotional well being and likely result. Take some time out from any romantic interactions and just enjoy harmony prevail in your personal relationships. This is a good time for you to your own company if possible. relax, and indulge in your pleasure loving side.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Scorpio (October 23-November 21)

Exploring new ways of expressing your feelings can open up new You are capable of forceful, decisive action, and you have the will to approaches to personal communication and introduce fresh ways to establish intimacy. carry through on your intentions at this time. Physically, you feel good and your energy is You don’t have to push things to the limit to get noticed, just a touch of the unusual or flowing smoothly. Also, your interactions with others are feisty and spirited. you inspire unique in your responses will turn heads sufficiently to get a second look. You are likely to others to take action and group efforts or joint projects are favored. Up and down emo- distance yourself from others now, feeling the need to withdraw and reflect. Your tions with energies running high make for uncomfortable moments today, so avoid hasty thoughts are inclined to be heavy and pessimistic at this time, so it would be good to choices or impulse buying. If tempers flare, just don’t go there, spare yourself and others realize that you are only seeing part of the picture. This can also be a time of leaving, sep- the hassle. Commitments made now will tend to partake of this atmosphere, so have the arating from relationships and choosing a new way. patience to wait a little before moving ahead.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)

You are belligerent, argumentative and impatient now. Disagreements Today’s energy brings a flurry of monetary activity, perhaps a quick find or mini-crisis, but it passes quickly. Keep its brevity in mind so you don’t lay erupt because you aren’t willing to overlook minor irritations as normally as usual. heavy bets on a passing fancy, unless other longer-range cycles are much in focus with Confrontations with others may be fruitful if you keep your anger in check. You are highly this as trigger. Creativity and a talent for new approaches are the lynch pins to your suc- ACROSS 80. Wandering freely. competitive at this time. A relationship may end or a temporary time out may occur in a cess, so don’t hold back, let the juices flow. Directions begun today can be the start of 1. Type genus of the Muridae. 81. A loose sleeveless outer garment made relationship today. This is a time to let go of something or someone you once cherished great friendships that bring both wealth and love. The energy of love and desire allows 4. Liable to sin. from aba cloth. but which no longer has a positive purpose in your life. Conflicts between duty and for all sorts of pleasantries and can provide the foundations of lots more like it to come, if 12. An orange-brown antelope of southeast pleasure, or between the mundane and a yearning for love and emotional satisfaction you allow it to happen. Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy by putting up bar- Africa. DOWN are likely now. riers, try to let them down today. 15. Electrical conduction through a gas in an 1. Made from residue of grapes or apples applied electric field. after pressing. 16. Squeeze together. 2. The chief solid component of mammalian Cancer (June 21-July 22) Capricorn (December 22-January 19) 17. The month following March and preced- urine. CAPRICORN ing May. 3. A device (trade name Aqua-Lung) that lets There’s a sudden breakthrough in this continuing saga of responsibility A fast pace, with many letters, phone calls, errands, meetings, or discus- 18. (Old Testament) A son of Jacob and fore- divers breathe under water. sions, is on the agenda. You may feel mentally restless, impatient, and over- father of one of the tribes of Israel. versus freedom. The easing of this deadlock creates a welcome sense of relief. It is likely 4. A genus of Bothidae. family members will support any major decisions you make at this time. Be prepared to ly eager to get your own ideas across. Also, a situation may arise which requires you to 19. Having a broad or rounded end. 5. An inactive volcano in Sicily. take bold steps to reach your goals in the coming days. Knowing who you want and say what is on your mind, to make a decision, or to clearly voice your personal opinion on 20. Large brownish-green New Zealand par- 6. A hard brittle blue-white multivalent moving on to win their affection is the opportunity of the day, and who you fall in love or some issue. Today is a good time to express your feelings with conviction, knowing that rot. metallic element. even very like with now may be just the chance you’ve been waiting for. Sharing goals there will be response in kind. Situations that arise now will have lasting clarity and a 21. A compartment in front of a motor vehi- 7. An esoteric or occult matter that is tradi- and deciding to mutually go for it will be the best of all possible worlds for everybody, quality of self reinvention as they move along, as head and heart are on the same page cle where driver sits. tionally secret. with a minimum of conflict resulting later. and will tend to remain that way. 22. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh. 8. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning. 24. Relating to the use of or having the 9. A unit of heat equal to the amount of heat nature of an interrogation. required to raise one pound of water one Aquarius (January 20- February 18) 26. A legal document codifying the result of degree Fahrenheit at one atmosphere pres- Leo (July 23-August 22) deliberations of a committee or society or sure. During this trend you may experience prophetic dreams, psychic phe- legislative body. 10. German physicist who studied cathode Your health may be like a rollercoaster ride over the next cou- nomena, or the ability to read the minds of others. This is a creative period that will 28. A republic in northwestern Africa on the rays (1862-1947). ple of days if you take on too many tasks. Postpone additional projects until enable you to escape from the harshness and reality of life by indulging yourself in paint- Mediterranean Sea. 11. The Uralic language spoken by the you’ve got existing ones finished. You can reserve alot energy like this. Put your ing, music lessons, dancing, ceramics, or other refined arts. You feel especially attractive 31. A ductile silvery-white ductile ferromag- Yeniseian people. intuitive feelers out there before you jump in or commit to anyone right now or or friendly, and the warmth you radiate is noticed and appreciated. Love, relationships, netic trivalent metallic element of the rare 12. Small deciduous Asiatic tree bearing you might run into a cold reception. People taking themselves too seriously are beauty, and pleasure are emphasized now. A new romance or friendship may start or an earth group. large red or orange edible astringent fruit. probable today, so try not to be one of them. Take it all with the idea and old or current one may take a new turn for the better. Enjoy your day and look forward to 33. A state in midwestern United States. 13. Affording unobstructed entrance and respect that others may be having problems. 34. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow exit. many more like it. leaves and small flowers. 14. (informal) Exceptionally good. 35. An aggressive remark directed at a per- 23. A Dravidian language spoken in south- son like a missile and intended to have a ern India. Virgo (August 23-September 22) Pisces (February 19-March 20) telling effect. 25. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on 39. A training program to prepare college a skewer usually with vegetables. The Lords of Karma are fast approaching, so be prepared for a students to be commissioned officers. 27. Stout-bodied insect with large membra- Don’t worry about those around you. They can take care of time when balance is restored. If you’ve been wondering about the concept of 42. A unit of weight equivalent to 1000 kilo- nous wings. themselves. Focus your energies on solving your own dilemmas, and don’t hes- grams. 29. Disability of walking due to crippling of itate to consult those close to you when the quandaries before you seem to be soul mates, you may soon learn the truth about the deeper significance of what 43. A Muslim or Hindu mendicant monk the legs or feet. irreparable. You are more clear and objective about personal matters and your it’s all REALLY about. The urge to break away from your normal routine and do something radical may have to be resisted but it shouldn’t be ignored. Perhaps who is regarded as a holy man. 30. Animal food for browsing or grazing. relationships, so this is a favorable time to work out differences or come to a it’s just what you need, but only if you do it with decisiveness and clarity, as you 44. A particular geographical region of 32. A member of one of the four divisions of decision. Communicating openly with loved ones, taking a trip to visit friends, indefinite boundary (usually serving some probably won’t be able to take it back. A peek into the unusual can be both the prehistoric Greeks. or going on an outing with someone you care about or love is likely now. special purpose or distinguished by its peo- 36. Jordan's port. entertaining and gratifying. ple or culture or geography). 37. A ribbon used as a decoration. 45. A high-crowned black cap (usually made 38. Wild geese. of felt or sheepskin) worn by men in Turkey 40. A unit of magnetic flux density equal to Word Search Yesterday’s Solution and Iran and the Caucasus. one weber per square meter. 47. A small cake leavened with yeast. 41. Any of various spiny trees or shrubs of 48. Lead someone in the wrong direction. the genus Acacia. 50. A state of southwestern India. 46. Ratio of the hypotenuse to the opposite 52. A decree that prohibits something. side. 53. Stem of the rattan palm used for making 49. Enthusiastic approval. canes and umbrella handles. 51. The branch of computer science that 56. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods. deal with writing computer programs that 57. Being one more than fifty. can solve problems creatively. 59. An official prosecutor for a judicial dis- 54. The act of turning aside suddenly. trict. 55. A Hindu disciple of a swami. 61. Delivered from danger. 58. Capital of Armenia. 65. Deciduous South African tree having 60. A city in northwestern Switzerland. large odd-pinnate leaves and profuse fra- 62. East Indian tree yielding a resin used grant orange-yellow flowers. medicinally and burned as incense. 69. A region of central Europe rich in 63. A member of a Turkic people of deposits of coal and iron ore. Uzbekistan and neighboring areas. 72. Weapons considered collectively. 64. The capital and largest city of 74. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single Bangladesh. ovary having one or many seeds within a 66. A theocratic republic in the Middle East fleshy wall or pericarp. in western Asia. 75. Pathetically lacking in force or effective- 67. Projectiles to be fired from a gun. ness. 68. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of 76. Proceed or issue forth, as from a source. Lamaism. 78. A rotating disk shaped to convert circular 70. Someone who works (or provides work- into linear motion. ers) during a strike. 79. An organic compound that contains a 71. God of love and erotic desire. hydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atom 73. An emotional response that has been which in turn is doubly bonded to another acquired by conditioning. carbon atom. 77. A state in east central United States. Yesterday’s Solution

Daily SuDoku Yesterday’s Solution THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 information

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 Al-Madeena 22418714 Al-Shuhada 22545171 GOVERNORATE PHARMACY ADDRESS PHONE Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Ahmadi Sama Safwan Fahaeel Makka St 23915883 Sabah Hospital 24812000 Abu Halaifa Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd 23715414 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Danat Al-Sultan Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd 23726558 Amiri Hospital 22450005 Sabhan 24742838 Maternity Hospital 24843100 Jahra Modern Jahra Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 24575518 Madina Munawara Jahra-Block 92 24566622 Al-Helaly 22434853 Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700 Capital Ahlam Fahad Al-Salem St 22436184 Chest Hospital 24849400 Khaldiya Coop Khaldiya Coop 24833967 Al-Faiha 22545051

Farwaniya Hospital 24892010 Farwaniya New Shifa Farwaniya Block 40 24734000 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Ferdous Coop Ferdous Coop 24881201 Adan Hospital 23940620 Modern Safwan Old Kheitan Block 11 24726638 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300 Hawally Tariq Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25726265 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Al-Razi Hospital 24846000 Hana Salmiya-Amman St 25647075 Ikhlas Hawally-Beirut St 22625999 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9 Hawally & Rawdha Hawally & Rawdha Coop 22564549 Ghadeer Jabriya-Block 1A 25340559 Kindy Jabriya-Block 3B 25326554 Ahmadi 23980088 Ibn Al-Nafis Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St 25721264 Mishrif Coop Mishrif Coop 25380581 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Kaizen center 25716707 Salwa Coop Salwa Coop 25628241 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 Rawda 22517733

Adaliya 22517144 Al-Jahra 25610011 Khaldiya 24848075 Al-Salmiya 25616368 Kaifan 24849807 Shamiya 24848913 INTERNATIONAL Shuwaikh 24814507 CALLS Abdullah Salem 22549134

Nuzha 22526804 Afghanistan 0093 Iran 0098 Albania 00355 Iraq 00964 Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764 Algeria 00213 Ireland 00353 Qadsiya 22515088 Andorra 00376 Italy 0039 Angola 00244 Ivory Coast 00225 Dasmah 22532265 Anguilla 001264 Jamaica 001876 Antiga 001268 Japan 0081 Bneid Al-Gar 22531908 Argentina 0054 Jordan 00962 Shaab 22518752 Armenia 00374 Kazakhstan 007 Australia 0061 Kenya 00254 Qibla 22459381 Austria 0043 Kiribati 00686 Bahamas 001242 Kuwait 00965 Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082 Bahrain 00973 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Mirqab 22456536 Bangladesh 00880 Laos 00856 Barbados 001246 Latvia 00371 Sharq 22465401 Belarus 00375 Lebanon 00961 Belgium 0032 Liberia 00231 Salmiya 25746401 Belize 00501 Libya 00218 Jabriya 25316254 Benin 00229 Lithuania 00370 Bermuda 001441 Luxembourg 00352 Maidan Hawally 25623444 Bhutan 00975 Macau 00853 Bolivia 00591 Macedonia 00389 Bayan 25388462 Bosnia 00387 Madagascar 00261 Mishref 25381200 Botswana 00267 Majorca 0034 Brazil 0055 Malawi 00265 W Hawally 22630786 Brunei 00673 Malaysia 0060 Bulgaria 00359 Maldives 00960 Sabah 24810221 Burkina 00226 Mali 00223 Jahra 24770319 Burundi 00257 Malta 00356 Cambodia 00855 Marshall Islands 00692 New Jahra 24575755 Cameroon 00237 Martinique 00596 Canada 001 Mauritania 00222 West Jahra 24772608 Cape Verde 00238 Mauritius 00230 South Jahra 24775066 Cayman Islands 001345 Mayotte 00269 Central African 00236 Mexico 0052 North Jahra 24775992 Chad 00235 Micronesia 00691 Chile 0056 Moldova 00373 North Jleeb 24311795 China 0086 Monaco 00377 Ardhiya 24884079 Colombia 0057 Mongolia 00976 Comoros 00269 Montserrat 001664 Firdous 24892674 Congo 00242 Morocco 00212 Cook Islands 00682 Mozambique 00258 Omariya 24719048 Costa Rica 00506 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 N Khaitan 24710044 Croatia 00385 Namibia 00264 Cuba 0053 Nepal 00977 Fintas 23900322 Cyprus 00357 Netherlands (Holland) Cyprus (Northern) 0090392 0031 Czech Republic 00420 Netherlands Antilles 00599 Denmark 0045 New Caledonia 00687 Diego Garcia 00246 New Zealand 0064 Djibouti 00253 Nicaragua 00505 PRIVATE CLINICS Dominica 001767 Nigar 00227 Dominican Republic 001809 Nigeria 00234 Ecuador 00593 Niue 00683 Egypt 0020 Norfolk Island 00672 El Salvador 00503 Northern Ireland (UK) Paediatricians Ophthalmologists Plastic Surgeons Endocrinologist England (UK) 0044 0044 Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272 Dr. Khaled Hamadi 25665898 Equatorial Guinea 00240 North Korea 00850 Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari 22617700 Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300 Eritrea 00291 Norway 0047 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Abdel Quttainah 25625030/60 Dr. Zahra Qabazard 25710444 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Estonia 00372 Oman 00968 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Ethiopia 00251 Pakistan 0092 Family Doctor Dr. Sohail Qamar 22621099 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Falkland Islands 00500 Palau 00680 Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581 Dr. Snaa Maaroof 25713514 Faroe Islands 00298 Panama 00507 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Physiotherapists & VD Psychiatrists Dr. Pradip Gujare 23713100 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Fiji 00679 Papua New Guinea 00675 Dr. Zacharias Mathew 24334282 Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Finland 00358 Paraguay 00595 Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 (1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288 France 0033 Peru 0051 French Guiana 00594 Philippines 0063 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, Rheumatologists: French Polynesia 00689 Poland 0048 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 DrAdrian arbe 23729596/23729581 FRCS (Canada) 25655535 Gabon 00241 Portugal 00351 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dentists Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Gambia 00220 Puerto Rico 001787 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr Anil Thomas 3729596/3729581 Georgia 00995 Qatar 00974 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Shamah Al-Matar 22641071/2 Germany 0049 Romania 0040 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 Ghana 00233 Russian Federation 007 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed 22562226 Internist, Chest & Heart General Practitioners Gibraltar 00350 Rwanda 00250 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer 22561444 Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Greece 0030 Saint Helena 00290 Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan 22619557 General Surgeons Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid Greenland 00299 Saint Kitts 001869 Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash 22525888 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Grenada 001473 Saint Lucia 001758 Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan 25653755 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148 Assistant Professor Of Medicine Guadeloupe 00590 Saint Pierre 00508 Dr. Bader Al-Ansari 25620111 Guam 001671 Saint Vincent 001784 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Internists, Chest & Heart Head, Division of Cardiology Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Neurologists Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Guatemala 00502 Samoa US 00684 Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Guinea 00224 Samoa West 00685 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Guyana 00592 San Marino 00378 Urologists Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 25345875 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Farida Al-Habib 2611555-2622555 Haiti 00509 Sao Tone 00239 Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Gastrologists MD, PH.D, FACC Holland (Netherlands) 0031 Saudi Arabia 00966 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Sami Aman 22636464 Inaya German Medical Center Honduras 00504 Scotland (UK) 0044 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Te: 2575077 Hong Kong 00852 Senegal 00221 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 22633135 Fax: 25723123 Hungary 0036 Seychelles 00284 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Ibiza (Spain) 0034 Sierra Leone 00232 Soor Center Iceland 00354 Singapore 0065 Psychologists [email protected] Tel: 2290-1677 Kaizen center William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 India 0091 Slovakia 00421 /Psychotherapists www.soorcenter.com Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 25716707 Indian Ocean 00873 Slovenia 00386 Indonesia 0062 Solomon Islands 00677 LIFESTYLE36 THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Gossip Gwyneth Paltrow teams up with Ryan Seacrest

he ‘Iron Man 3’ actress - who recently launched her second healthy cookbook, ‘It’s All Good’ - is Tfronting a 10-episode show called ‘Second Chances’ on the AOL On Network, produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions, alongside her fitness Lindsay Lohan still guru pal Tracy Anderson, during which they will share stories of numerous women who have faced and overcome a variety of obsta- hasn’t picked a rehab cles in their lives. AOL announced they signed a deal to premiere the series and issued a statement saying: “Gwyneth Paltrow and Tracy he ‘Liz & Dick’ star - Anderson spend time with women who’ve who was sentenced overcome hardship, injury, and setbacks to tri- Tto 90 days in treat- umph in the face of adversity. “We’ll hear their ment after pleading “no inspiring stories firsthand, whether fighting contest” to charges for back from a career-ending injury or transforming lying to police about driv- their lives and bodies through diet and exercise.” ing during a car crash on ‘American Idol’ host Ryan, 38, who already pro- the Pacific Coast Highway duces a number of reality shows including in California last June - ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ told must enter a facility Variety.com that he is excited to focus on digital today or she will have to shows. He said: “It’s a new focus for us, in the appear in court for violat- context of this company.” Meanwhile, Sarah ing her probation. A Jessica Parker, Hank Azaria and Nicole Richie source told E! News that have also inked deals with AOL to host other the 26-year-old actress new digital shows. Nicole’s show is based on her still hasn’t made a deci- Twitter feed and the first episode sees her meet- sion about where she will ing with a specialist about the possibility of getting seek treatment and time her lower back tattoo or ‘Tramp Stamp’ removed. is running out for her to ‘Sex and the City’ star Sarah is producing a docudra- “secure admission into a ma on the New York City Ballet and funnyman Hank is court-approved facility.” The insider said Lindsay will be “required to hosting a parenting series called ‘Fatherhood.’ show up to court on Thursday with her lawyer Mark Heller in Los Angeles,” if she hasn’t registered for a program on or before Thursday, adding: “If Lohan does not comply with the judge’s order that would be a violation of probation that could land her in jail.” Lindsay, who has been looking at rehab clinics in New York, was previously said to be in discussions with website Celebuzz recently to detail her experi- ence for their readers and is due to meet with editors to discuss ideas. Celebuzz consultant A.J. Daulerio recently said: “I’m still wait- ing for the official grooming session (with Lindsay).” If both parties can agree terms the ‘Scary Movie 5’ star’s first rehab diary post would happen in August after she checks out. An insider said: “She will not be blogging from rehab but she does plan to have her own space on the web where she can talk about her passions. She wants a place to discuss her love of fashion, music, art and her unique sense of style. She wants to be able to connect to her fans directly.”

Ozzy Osbourne Kim Kardashian to sober up for doesn’t want daughter’s wedding baby gifts he ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ star and her partner Kanye he 64-year-old rocker - who recently admitted he West will welcome their first child into the world in July, and have relapsed and has been addicted to prescription drugs Tasked friends not to send presents for the new addition to their Tfor the past 18 months - has promised the ‘Fashion family, insisting numerous baby registries that have appeared online Police’ co-host that he will get his life back on track before she are all fake. Instead, the couple have asked well-wishers to send dona- ties the knot with vegetarian chef Matthew Mosshart so he tions to the Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, close to where Kanye can walk her down the aisle. A source close to the 28-year-old grew up, website TMZ reports. While Kim doesn’t want to receive baby star told gossip website RadarOnline.com: “Kelly’s using a little gifts, it was recently claimed she had sent one to Britain’s Duchess blackmail to help her father get clean sooner rather than later. Catherine - who was known as Kate Middleton before her marriage - She knows he has to want it, but she thinks a little tough-love and her husband Prince William, as she is a big fan of the royal couple encouragement can’t hurt. “Kelly went right for daddy’s heart and their first child is due at a similar time to her own. A source said: - she made it clear that she needed him to be present when “When Kim found out the pair had similar due dates, she got incredibly he walked his little girl down the aisle. Ozzy would never ruin excited. “She had her PA write a kind, warm note to Kate, enclosing a her big day, so he promised Kelly that he would get it together gift for the future heir to the throne and explaining they were both due way before her wedding to Matthew. “Ozzy knows better than in July.” anyone that he can’t sober up for anyone except himself. “But he says he’s motivated by the fact that Sharon left him and now he’s promised Kelly that he would walk her down the aisle only if he’s clean. Kelly even threatened that if he wasn’t coherent by the time of the wedding that she would have her brother Jack give her away.” Kelly and Matthew, who met at Kate Moss’s wedding to Jamie Hince in July 2011, reportedly got engaged before Christmas. Kelly’s mother Sharon, 60, recently admitted that she “didn’t realise the extent” of her husband’s problems with prescription drugs. However, the mother-of-three insisted she has no plans to walk away from their marriage. She said: “We’re not getting divorced. However, am I happy? No. Am I upset? Yes I am. I’m devastated right now. “It’s a disease that not only hurts the person that has the disease but it hurts the family. It hurts people who love you. We’re dealing with it. We’ve dealt with worse. We’re dealing with it and this too shall pass.”

Danielle Lloyd expecting a baby boy

he former ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ star - who already Thas two young children, Archie, two, and 22-month-old Harry with soccer star husband Jamie O’Hara - is expecting a Katy Perry’s third boy. Although she was ini- tially “upset” when the doctor confirmed they aren’t expecting a girl, she quickly realised the songs are her new arrival will be a perfect addi- tion to their family. Writing in her Closer magazine column, she ‘lockbox’ of secrets said: “After having two boys, I was really keen for a little girl and as he ‘Firework’ singer may not be as obvious soon as the doctor told me it was when she’s singing about her past boyfriends in a boy, I got very emotional. Jamie Ther tracks as Taylor Swift, but she does use her smiled and said, ‘Wow! Three songwriting as a way of healing her broken heart and boys - it’s going to be amazing!’ working through her emotions. Katy - who has But he could tell I was upset. “As recently split with John Mayer and was previously soon as I got home, though, and married to Russell Brand - said: “Maybe I’m not specif- saw my two amazing boys I felt ic with names, but that’s my lockbox where all my like such a fool and realised there secrets go. Writing is like therapy. “They all [songs] are some people who can’t even stem from the truth inside of me. I just want songs to have kids so I’m so lucky to have be relatable, and to be adopted as someone else’s three healthy boys. I just can’t soundtrack.” Katy, 28, saved her most risquÈ song, ‘I wait to meet my new son now.” Kissed a Girl’ until she got a big break, because she The 29-year-old model has more knew it would be the track to get people talking reason to celebrate as doctors about her. She is quoted by Britain’s OK! magazine as predict she will reach her full saying: “I had something to prove, but I knew exactly term, good news after complica- what I was doing. I knew I had ‘Hot N Cold’ up my tions with her last pregnancy. She sleeve, and ‘Thinking of You’ and ‘Waking up in Vegas’. added: “The doctors also told me Even if those weren’t going to chart, I was putting out they’re confident this pregnancy ‘I Kissed a Girl’ first so it would open the most doors. will go full term. After Harry was It was more risquÈ than the other ones, but it would born 10 weeks early and had to get people talking.” —Bangshowbiz be put on a ventilator, it’s a huge relief.” LIFESTYLE37 THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Features

A photo shows an empty corridor in the “D-0” art Visitors look at paintings by Croatian painter Edo Murtic. —AFP museum before the opening ceremony of Second Art Biennale in the Bosnian town of Konjic. —AFP Cold War bunker in Bosnia revived by modern art

bsolete and lifeless for years, a huge bunker, which lies near to the blocks covering a total area of 6,500 put up in the bunker in 2011, paving Project manager Edo Hozic has secret anti-nuclear shelter built southern Bosnian town of Konjic. square metres (10,800 square feet), and the way for a permanent collection played on the long-standing veil of Oinside a remote Bosnian moun- The military installation “ARK D-0” designed to accommodate 350 people. which can be enriched over the years. secrecy surrounding the bunker to tain during the Cold War for Yugoslav was constructed under the highest Now, 30 years after its construction, Like the first exhibition two years ago, make its revival a success. “Everyone is communist leader Josip Broz Tito has secrecy measures by Yugoslav army the memory of the shelter’s Cold War this one will only stay open for three attracted to secrets. All bunkers radiate opened its doors as a modern art space. experts from 1953 to 1979. Some $4.5 past has come alive again through the months, but the hope is for it to open repulsive energy, but it seems that we “The idea of installing a contemporary billion (3.4 billion euros) were reported- works gracing its walls. Photos decorate permanently, curators say. have been able to change the energy of art collection in Tito’s bunker is ly invested in the construction of the the long corridors of the underground “It is a hybrid of a military and con- this vast place whose original reason for absolutely outstanding and hilarious,” shelter, planned as a command centre settlement, while sounds and light-and- temporary art museum. Both will be existence has no sense nowadays,” he said French artist and gallery owner for Marshal Tito in case of a nuclear video installations seek to bring the complementary and create a unique said. But artist Pierre Courtin still thinks Pierre Courtin, one of a number of attack on Yugoslavia, which fell apart in fears of a nuclear attack to life-and give synergy,” Franceschi said. For the artists, producing a work especially for the international artists attending the a series of bloody wars in the 1990s. goosebumps to visitors. the Cold War theme is a major draw bunker must be “very difficult” with “all recent opening of an exhibition at the It was equipped with rooms and Numerous rooms, conference halls that allows them to explore feelings of the weight of the past, of history”. His bunker. offices for the controversial leader- and communication centres have been fear and paranoia that are still pertinent favourite works, he said, are those “that The mysterious shelter is certainly a whose death in 1980 heralded the transformed into small, and unique, today, they say. “This bunker is a monu- have a feeling of being really made for source of inspiration for artists, he said. bloody breakup of the Yugoslav federa- galleries. “We have chosen artists who ment, a monument to ideological divi- this place”, pointing at a large mirror “This is not a neutral place.... It has such tion a decade later-and his officers. But felt able to meet specific challenges of sions, a divided Europe and a polarised shattered onto the ground in one of the a physical presence which presents a Tito died a year after it was finished and this place, which is not a simple gallery world.... These questions are still rele- corridors-a creation by Italian artist huge challenge for artists to exhibit in never saw his underground hideout. and requires patience, ingenuity and vant because we live in a climate of Alfredo Pirri. “This really is a work that it,” he said. Thirty artists from 19 coun- Horseshoe-shaped, the bunker, dug vision,” said curator Branko Franceschi. division and fear nowadays,” said artist can only exist here and cannot be tries have their works on display in the deep into the rock, is composed of 12 These latest artworks will join 40 others Conor McGrady, from Northern Ireland. moved,” said Courtin. —AFP Keith Richards: I don’t own an iPod

e’s rock royalty and likes to keep it old-school: Keith Richards says he doesn’t own an iPod. The Rolling HStones guitarist says he isn’t a fan of the ultra-popu- lar music device. “I don’t have an iPod. ... I still use CDs or records actually. Sometimes cassettes. It has much better sound; a much bet- ter sound than digi- tal,” he said in a recent interview. The 69-year-old believes music lovers are “all being shortchanged” with the sound that comes out of an iPod, launched in 2001. “My old lady’s Tyler Clark, 21, from Boston, stretches Catherine Wolfson, 20, from New York, curls her lashes before an Monica Woods, 21, from Mascoutah, got one. My kids before making her third audition to appear audition. Illinois, auditions for the second time. have got them. I with The Rockettes at the 2013 Radio City say, ‘Look me up Christmas Spectacular, Tuesday, April 30, this.’ Or, ‘Oh I like 2013 in New York. —AP photos that. Check me that,’” he said. “I Keith Richards know what these things can do. I’m not totally anti-them.” The Rolling Stones’ “50 & Counting Tour” kicks off tomorrow Dancers audition to appear with Rockettes in NYC in Los Angeles. The Stones released their self-titled debut in 1964, and while Richards has accepted that the music undreds of young women from quick, precise routine includes a double 27, of San Diego, Calif. “You get one shot,” was younger,” said Moran, who lives in New industry is digitally driven today, he’s not completely OK around the world are kicking their pirouette and a leg extension. she added. “But it’s not disappointing; York City and works in finance for a Dutch with it. “They’re sucked into it and they can’t get out of it, Hdance routines into high gear in Those who survive through the end of there’s all kinds of choreography, and that’s bank. nor can we; so is the public,” he said. “There’s something New York this week in hopes of joining the week - a good dozen or so - will still how it goes.” Knapper, who was taking her second missing there, but it’s the price of the future I guess.” —AP perhaps the most famous dance troupe have to wait months to find out if they’ll To even audition, prospective Rockettes shot at a spot on stage, noted only a select there is - the Rockettes. The aspiring actually be invited to join the holiday show must be between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-10 in few make the cut. “People spend years try- dancers lined up Tuesday morning on a that runs from Nov 8 to Dec 30. Madison stocking feet, and proficient in ballet, tap, ing out,” she said. Her backup plan is med- Manhattan street - getting just 30 seconds Square Garden Entertainment, which pro- and jazz. Directing the whole Christmas ical school. Monica Woods, 21, didn’t last each to audition for a chance to be in the duces the show, declined to discuss earn- spectacular is choreographer Linda the day, “but I’ll be back, for sure.” “You 2013 Radio City Christmas Spectacular. ings. But Rockettes reportedly earn about Haberman. “I either keep you or cut you,” learn not to take it personally,” said Woods, Amid noisy rush-hour traffic, their hair $1,500 a week. she said. Whoever survives the cutthroat who is graduating from Fordham was neatly pulled back. Their makeup was They pay their own expenses to get to process will join a troupe of about 80 University this year. perfect, some batting fake eyelashes. And New York because, Knapper said, “I’d love Rockettes who are “a part of history, an She comes from Mascoutah, an Illinois they all wore high-heeled dance shoes. to be on the line, it’s my dream.” Groups of iconic part of New York City,” Haberman community with one traffic light and a “I’ve always wanted to do this,” said dancers waited their turn at either side of said. population of about 7,000. Signed with a Chelsey Knapper, 22, of Detroit, who didn’t the studio. Some wiped beads of nervous Another 40 or so Rockettes go on the talent agency for musical theater work, survive last year’s auditions. For this “cattle sweat off their foreheads, fanning them- road. Prospective Rockette Elizabeth she’ll keep auditioning while working at a call” - as the free-for-all lineup is called - selves. Others leaned down for sips of bot- Moran is in her 30s - “that’s older for a coffee shop. “Everyone is kind of in the Knapper and the others were led upstairs tled water as ceiling fans whirred to keep Rockette,” she said with a wry smile, same boat - nervous but trying not to act into a rehearsal studio to perform a dance the space cool. On her third try to become explaining her reluctance to give her exact like you’re nervous,” she said. “You just put routine before a panel of judges. The a Rockette, “I just got cut,” said Liz Daniels, age. “I’ve loved the Rockettes ever since I on a smile. “I love it, though.” —AP Korean rapper Psy’s story immortalized in comic book he story of South Korean rap sensation Psy’s from US publisher Bluewater Productions and South ascent to global stardom with his megahit Korean firm “able”. ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ T“Gangnam Style” has now been immortalized in “His stubby build and dynamic stage presence full colour and with appropriate dramatic flourishes in caught people’s eyes. Psy’s not your typical pop star”. a comic book. “Fame:Psy”, which went on sale in the In similarly breathless prose the comic covers the switches spices United States and South Korea on Wednesday, focus- decade of Psy’s pre-Gangnam career in Korea, the ori- es mainly on what went into making “Gangnam Style,” gins of the video and the dance, and the fame that ne of Australia’s top-rated talent shows has a new spice mix. Geri which catapulted the sunglassed singer with the gar- followed, including scenes of a delighted Psy teaching Halliwell, known as Ginger Spice when she was part of the Spice ish jackets to global fame and became YouTube’s UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon his dance and per- OGirls, has replaced former bandmate Melanie Brown, aka Scary most popular song ever with more than 1.5 billion forming for USPresident Barack Obama. Spice, as a judge on “Australia’s Got Talent”, broadcaster Channel Nine said hits. The comic, which also touches on the less happy yesterday. The switch comes after Australia’s Supreme Court blocked “Has he fallen from the sky? Has he risen from the parts of Psy’s past such as being charged with posses- Brown’s appearance on the show, ruling she had breached her contract Huckleberry sits on the throne after being earth?” the comic begins, with illustrations showing sion of marijuana in 2002, includes a guide that shows with the rival Seven Network when she attempted to defect to Nine. The crowned the winner of the 34th annual Drake Psy - in the suits he made famous in “Gangnam Style” readers how to do Psy’s dance themselves. It ends court barred Brown from working for any other network until January Relays Beautiful Bulldog Contest in Des Moines, and striking poses from his “Horse Riding Dance” - with the release of Psy’s second video, “Gentleman”, 2014. Nine bought the rights to “Australia’s Got Talent” late last year after descending from heaven and bursting through the last month. The video has racked up nearly 260 mil- the program was dropped by Seven. “I think shows like this are brilliant Iowa. The bulldog is owned by Steven and earth. “It was the end of summer, 2012, when a little- lion YouTube hits after smashing the previous record and I love the opportunity they give to normal everyday people,” Halliwell Stephanie Hein of Norwalk, Iowa. The pageant known Asian rapper put his music video on YouTube. of first-day views for songs, and hit fifth place on the said in a statement. —Reuters kicks off the Drake Relays festivities at Drake It exploded in popularity,” continues the 26-page tale, Billboard Hot 100 last week.—Reuters University where a bulldog is the mascot. —AP lifestyle THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 FEATURES

(Above) Carolina Brid smiles after being crowned Miss Panama 2013 in Panama City. (Left) Contestants pose during the Miss Panama 2013 beauty pageant in Panama City, early Tuesday, April 30, 2013. — AP photos

Review ‘Iron Man 3’ loaded down by heavy metal

n the galaxy of big-screen superheros - a rather glum lot make a good team playing a kind of mock-Spielbergian - Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man is the snappy one. He’s pair, and it’s the best and most natural part of the movie. Ithe sarcastic, motor-mouthed, preening, self-referential There are good bad guys. Guy Pearce plays Aldrich do-gooder, as opposed to all those self-serious crusaders. Killian, an inventor turned military contractor who Stark No matter how much of a scrap heap of metal-twisting haphazardly jilted back in his partying years. His connec- mayhem the franchise piles on (and it’s a lot), Downey’s tions to the terrorism aren’t immediately clear, but his rise sheer charm - his unsentimental, offhand yammering - is comes from a kind of biological enhancement that makes the only real super power in Marvel’s “Iron Man” trilogy. its users nearly indestructible and, when really angry, “Iron Man 3” follows not just “Iron Man 2” but the box- breathe fire. The “Iron Man” films have always played in the office busting “The Avengers,” in which Tony Stark, a.k.a. world of the military industrial complex, one where the Iron Man, joined forces with other superheros. These global guys with the fancy weapons control the world more than blockbusters are more produced than directed, but it’s politicians. Soldiers, and even terrorists, are merely pawns nevertheless particularly fitting that Shane Black here in a larger corporate battle. inherits the helm from John Favreau, the director of the But within “Iron Man 3” is a fight between screwball previous two. Black (the “Lethal Weapon” screenwriter) and irony and blockbuster bombast. The script, by Black and Downey last teamed up (before Downey’s career had been Drew Pearce, contains the best dialogue of the series. But fully resurrected) in the wonderfully zippy, deconstructed the wisecracking begins to feel suffocated under the LA noir “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” “Iron Man 3” begins exactly weight of a whole lot of action, more Iron Man suit the same, with Stark in a halting voiceover that he restarts changes than Beyonce would even dare, and the lumber- and then gives up on, concluding: “Well, you know who I ing machinations of a plot that closes in on a lengthy oil rig am.” finale as if pulled by magnetic force. Black’s film, more than any other “Iron Man,” is stuffed This is the first “Iron Man” in 3-D, and the darkening with this self-aware, winking style. This includes loads of effect is particularly disappointing for what’s been a bright- references to “The Avengers,” an experience from which hued franchise. The action scenes, too, are cut too quickly Stark has developed panic attacks and sleep-depriving bodyguard (Favreau, looking happily unburdened) in the arated from him, and his damaged computer operator so that your eye often feels like it’s racing to catch up. The nightmares. Though the stated cause is the alien battle hospital, Stark swears vengeance and brazenly supplies his Jarvis (voiced in formal British by Paul Bettany in a manner heavy metal action could never sink the irrepressible that concluded “The Avengers,” one suspects it could be home address for a fight. You might think Superman not unlike the classic butler Jeeves) rockets Stark to Downey, but it weighs down the otherwise light joy of Scarlett Johansson’s acting that haunts him. would be the favorite of journalists everywhere, but I sus- Tennessee. “Iron Man 3.” “Iron Man 3,” a Walt Disney release, is rated PG- He is pulled into a confrontation with a terrorist named pect it’s Iron Man. With a damaged suit and grasping at leads on the 13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence Mandarin (a bearded Ben Kingsley), who, in hijacked Ever since Stark declared his identity at the conclusion bombing, Stark has to rebuild himself, which he does with throughout, and brief suggestive content. Running time: broadcast transmissions, takes credit for public explosions of the first “Iron Man,” he’s unique among his more secre- the help of a mop-headed, fatherless boy (an excellent Ty 130 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four. Motion that, in a movie such as this, chafe awkwardly in the wake tive brethren: He’s the superhero who comments. When Simpkins). Tennessee isn’t an accidental landing spot, but a Picture Association of America rating definition for PG-13: of the Boston Marathon bombings. When reporters mob helicopter missiles collapse Stark’s Malibu estate into the preprogrammed flight to a location where Stark begins to Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inap- Stark for his response after an explosion puts his friend and sea, his companion Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is sep- learn what’s behind the bombings. Downey and Simpkins propriate for children under 13. — AP Jackson’s private life on display in civil trial urors in the civil case between Michael Jackson’s portrayal of Jackson’s struggle with addiction led one mother and concert giant AEG Live got another juror to lean forward and stare at the floor for several Jglimpse of the singer’s private life on Tuesday moments. through the eyes of a paramedic who described the Katherine Jackson and two of the superstar’s chil- singer’s bedroom and the frantic efforts to revive the dren, Prince and Paris, are potential witnesses whose King of Pop on the day he died. Many other private testimony would likely focus heavily on their grieving moments from the singer’s life will be exposed as the and losses. Panish played a song Jackson wrote for case progresses over the next several months, with his children as a montage of photos played during witnesses expected to testify about secret medical opening statements. He also read a handwritten note treatments, lavish spending and tender moments from Jackson that his mother framed and has hang- spent with his mother and children. ing on her wall. In the nearly four years since his death, nearly “The only way you can assess damages, is to know every aspect of Jackson’s life has been explored in what they had,” Panish told jurors Monday before court proceedings, documentaries, books and news reading the letter and playing “You Are My Life.” stories. Still, the negligence case filed by his mother Katherine Jackson dabbed her eyes with a tissue. On against AEG promises to deliver the most detailed Tuesday, she left the courtroom while the paramedic This image shows Leslie Kritzer (left) and Catherine Cox, in a scene from the Transport Group account of the singer’s addiction struggles, including described her son’s condition on the day he died. It production of the musical, ‘The Memory Show’. — AP testimony from his ex-wife Debbie Rowe about treat- may be several days before jurors get another look at ments involving the anesthetic propofol dating back Jackson’s softer side. The trial will also feature testi- to the 1990s. mony about Jackson’s troubled finances, with debts Jackson died from a propofol overdose in 2009 that reached nearly $400 million by the time he died. ‘Memory Show’ while preparing for a series of comeback concerts at AEG contends the debts made him desperate to AEG’s O2 Arena in London. Katherine Jackson con- have a successful concert series. tends AEG didn’t properly investigate the doctor who “The private Michael Jackson was like a lot of later administered the fatal dose. The company Americans in the 2000s, spending a lot more than he is poignant musical on loss denies wrongdoing. During opening statements, was making,” Putnam told the jury after describing attorneys framed Jackson’s prescription drug addic- the singer’s lavish Neverland Ranch, his art collection he words “musical” and “Alzheimer’s disease” aren’t persuade the audience to take their side, when they’re not tion through the prism of his superstar status. and other spending. often used together. Yet Sara Cooper’s new work, arguing and getting on each other’s nerves in the way that Attorney Brian Panish, who represents Katherine A Los Angeles police detective who investigated T“The Memory Show,” turns out to be a poignant, only family can. Cox is slightly manic as Mother, who Jackson, said the drug problems worsened when the Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray, told jurors Tuesday sophisticated and often humorous musical about dealing knows she’s forgetting things and often confused, but pop star was under the stress of live performances. the physician was more than $500,000 in debt and with Alzheimer’s disease. Cooper has written an emotion- attributes it to “a calcium deficiency.” Yet Cox wears a hint AEG attorney Marvin S Putnam countered that may have been motivated by a large payday for ally layered story about the frustrating effects of the dis- of melancholy behind her gleeful smile, creating a complex Jackson’s stardom provided a cover to receive multi- working with Jackson. Detective Orlando Martinez ease on both patient and caregiver, which opened Tuesday portrayal of a woman who’s always been emotionally “diffi- ple, secret medical treatments, many involving testified that he looked into Murray’s finances search- night off-Broadway, in a well-done Transport Group pro- cult” and now finds her past disappearing during a very propofol. At one point in the proceedings, the harsh ing for a financial motive for his role in Jackson’s duction at the Duke on 42nd Street. confusing present. death and relied mostly on public records. He turned Joe Calarco’s direction keeps the two actors moving nat- Kritzer is grounded and wry as the Daughter who up that Murray’s Las Vegas home was in foreclosure urally around the stage, and helps the audience figure out patiently - at first - navigates the difficulties of caring for proceedings, and Murray faced several liens for what year the Alzheimer’s patient may think it is. Calarco her confused yet combative mother. Kritzer becomes more unpaid child support and other unpaid debts. also connects the audience to the dark humor that Cooper openly irritable as her character wearies of her mother’s The searches led Martinez to conclude that finds even in despairing moments. The book and lyrics by impaired thought processes and prickly barbs. Aside from Murray’s financial condition was “severely distressed.” Cooper are enveloped in moodily dissonant music by Zach a humorous but unnecessary number that Kritzer sings to Martinez said that led him to believe Murray’s actions Redler that reflects the mental confusion of dementia. That the toilet she’s cleaning, Cooper is strikingly accurate and were motivated by the $150,000 a month he expect- dissonance, combined with the way the lyrics are often sensitive in her depiction of words and actions that will be ed to be paid by AEG. “He may break the rules, bend spoken rather than sung, also mirrors how frequently upset familiar to anyone who’s seen the effects of Alzheimer’s dis- the rules, do whatever he needed to do to get paid,” the pair of characters can become with each other. Vadim ease in a friend or relative. In the affecting song, “Memory Martinez said. “It might solve his money problems.” Feichtner, who conducts a trio of musicians while playing Like an Elephant,”Cox sings “I can’t remember half the Murray’s finances were not a factor in the criminal the piano, provides subtle and effective musical direction. things I know I used to know.” At another time, Mother says case that ended with his 2011 conviction for adminis- The patient known only as Mother, (a brave perform- reflectively, “It’s full of emptiness, this place.” tering a fatal dose of propofol to Jackson. Martinez ance by Catherine Cox) opens with a comical number Brian Prather’s scenic design and Chris Lee’s lighting also showed jurors photographs the various medica- about how annoying doctors can be, constantly asking her work harmoniously, especially when family photos lining a tions officers uncovered in Jackson’s bedroom, who the president is. hallway light up, then fade away like Mother’s disappear- including several vials of propofol. With the start of Then Daughter (Leslie Kritzer) lists the contents of her ing memories. In the metaphor-laden number “Apple and testimony Tuesday, the panel was transported by suitcase for the audience - mostly clothing - but concludes Tree,” Cooper provides a wrenching examination of how paramedic Richard Senneff into the singer’s bed- with, “and a sense of impending doom.” At age 31, she’s put even a loving mother and daughter can remain embattled, This file photo shows Pop superstar Michael Jackson perform- room, a place he kept locked and where his propofol her life on hold to move back home to care for her mother, with lines like, “The closer two are/The more ing during the halftime show at the Super Bowl in Pasadena, treatments were administered out of sight of every- and soon they’re arguing about who’s made the greater unforgiving/So we fight and we spar/That’s the cost of liv- Calif. — AP one but Murray. —AP sacrifice. The characters are contentious, and both try to ing.” — AP lifestyle THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Salman Al-Hmoud Al-Sabah Minister of Information and Minister of Youth Affairs Student Art Competition under the slogan of Kuwait Beautiful & Green 2013 concludes its activities

By Ben Garcia animations. Svitlana Arndt, from Ukraine, another member of the panel of judges, told Kuwait Times that KUWAIT: Over 10,000 paintings from various schools having been part of the panel of judges was a pleasure. in Kuwait were submitted to the Kuwait Times for the “I see talent thriving in Kuwait. Paintings which we ‘2013 Art Competition’ organized by the Kuwait Times noticed here were all beautiful and I was privileged to under this year’s theme, ‘Keep Kuwait Beautiful and see them all with my own eyes. They are quite fantastic Green’. Over 70 schools from both private and public drawings and they deserved recognition,” she said. elementary and high schools participated. The paint- Svitlana, who graduated from Kiev Pedagogical State ing contest is being sponsored by Chevron, a Saudi- University as a Methodologist who specialized in based oil company, along with the Crowne Plaza Hotel. teaching teachers, said participants in the contest were The awards ceremony will be held next week. able to remarkably demonstrate and put their ideas “Today’s younger generation needs to be made onto the paper provided by Kuwait Times. “To balance aware of our environment and how they can help save the colors, the techniques and ideas inside the frame it from destruction, so we organized this contest under ings,” Adnan mentioned. Judges were told to select 10 that he or she deserved to be the winner amongst provided by Kuwait Times is quite amazing. Now, an the patronage of Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al- winners for each category and five from children with thousands submitted,” he said. The challenge, though, artist is an artist, they have their own instincts about Hmoud Al-Sabah, the Minister of Information and special needs. Their judging will be based on creativity, was to solve the mystery behind some beautiful paint- placing things or adding elements in the drawings. Minister of Youth Affairs,” announced Adnan Saad, the as well as the amount of effort and technique used in ings that had been submitted. “We received paintings But what I see is their own identity, their creativity and Kuwait Times art competition coordinator. the drawings. Abul Karim Al-Enezi, the chairman of the that are so wonderfully created, I would say maybe individuality in the drawing,” she said. “The theme of this student art competition is ‘Keep board of judges noted, since selecting winners is their they are works by professional artists. If we feel that Participants of the 2013 Art Competition have been Kuwait Beautiful and Green’, and is meant to raise the responsibility, the amount of time devoted to select they are not the work of a nine-year old or ten-year old divided into three categories: Elementary (6-8 years level of awareness among the younger generation, the correct winners was considerable. “It took us at child, we set them aside. Your heart will simply tell the and 9-11 years), Intermediate (12-14 years), Secondary especially the importance of protecting the environ- least two weeks to finally select the best. We dedicated truth. We don’t allow any help from professionals, (15-17 years) and those with special needs. Valuable ment,” he added. Each student was provided with a lots of our time to study and deliberate to select the meaning from parents or from teachers. They can sug- prizes await winners and at least 10 runners-up in each special recyclable sheet of paper (70x90 pristol 240 best paintings. First we selected the best 50, then gest ideas but we discourage parents or professionals category. The top five will be given a plaque and valu- gm) to draw on, bearing in mind that the subject of the reduced that to 25, and then 10,” he added. A psychol- from touching their children’s work. Now, there are able prizes, while the remaining five runners-up will contest was saving the environment, green lands and ogist by profession and a member of the Kuwait Art geniuses though. And in order to confirm or determine receive a certificate and prizes. Participating schools avoiding human destruction of plants. Paintings were Association, Al-Enezi said choosing a winner is difficult, their credibility we call them out; we ask parents. We and their art teachers received their official entry submitted and examined by a panel of judges headed especially if there are thousands of talented students. ask teachers. We feel it,” he noted. sheets and each student selected an environmental by Abul Karim Al-Enezi, Svitlana Arndt, Abulazis Arti “However, if you know and understand the basic prin- A psychologist by profession, Al-Enezi advises chil- subject to paint. The objective is to create awareness and Ellen Khabasi. “The judges were all professionally- ciples of painting, judging can be fun and easy. What dren with artistic talents to seek professionals to edu- about the importance of Kuwait’s fragile environment. inclined artists; people with integrity and with passion we are looking for in the paintings are basics pertain- cate them. “Take drawing courses. Get the training nec- Through the student community, it is hoped that in the arts and with professional backgrounds,” Adnan ing to the theme. The paintings must be about Kuwait, essary, get more ideas from other people around you,” Kuwait’s population could be made more aware of noted. “We would like to thank all the schools that par- include something about our heritage, green environ- he advised. Al-Enezi is the current president and chair- national environmental issues. ticipated in the Student Art Competition. We are proud ment and something beautiful. If the drawings contain man of the Kuwait Advertising Union and a member of to say that more than 10,000 drawings were distrib- the things I mentioned, then it could be the winner,” he the Kuwait Journalist Association. He also run his own Note: The paintings featured here are not necessarily uted to the schools and came back to us with draw- said. “In fact, we found the winner and we all agreed business in Cairo involved in the production of cartoon those of the winners. ‘Iron Man 3’ loaded down by heavy38 metal THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Lahore Fashion Week

Pakistani models present creations by various designers during Lahore Fashion Week, in Lahore, Pakistan. — AP/AFP photos

Amsterdam’s Van Gogh reopens after facelift msterdam’s Van Gogh Museum reopened its doors dle”, the arrangement is the one said to be favoured by trait”, with his wife taking pictures. “I paint as a hobby and to the public yesterday with a stunning new display Vincent van Gogh himself. Visitors can now study the can learn so much from this.” Aof some of the Dutch master’s greatest works, com- artist’s methods in depth, including by peeping through “I think Van Gogh’s very accessable style is what really pleting a trio of renovations of the city’s most famous microscopes at some of his canvasses to examine strokes appeals to people,” added another early-bird enthusiast museums. The hanging of Van Gogh’s final 1887-88 “Self- and paint selections. “You will be able to see the hidden Tom Rounds, 31, from London. The Van Gogh Museum is portrait as a painter” moments before reopening to the treasures on some of the paintings, for instance where Van the last of Amsterdam’s three major museums to reopen public was the last task after a seven-month multi-million Gogh painted one painting over another,” Marije its doors after extensive refurbishments, underlining the euro (dollar) facelift. “From today, visitors will be able to Vellekoop, head of collections, research and presentation Dutch capital’s status as a top art destination. view the new exhibition that displays Van Gogh as if they told AFP. Rueger said renovations totalled some 21 million euros (visitors) were watching over his shoulder” as he painted, Visitors can also see how restorers worked painstaking- (28 million dollars) which were funded party by the muse- museum director Axel Rueger told AFP. ly for the last eight years to bring the new exhibition to um and partly by the Dutch state. “It really shows how Van Gogh developed as an artist life. The Van Gogh Museum is located on Amsterdam’s his- Earlier this month Dutch queen Beatrix, now Princess and vistors can get into the ‘nitty-gritty’ of his methods in toric Museumplein where many other Dutch art treasures Beatrix, reopened the Rijksmuseum to fanfare and fire- the new exhibition,” he said. The Van Gogh Museum like Rembrandt’s “Night Watch” can also be found at the works after a decade of refurbishment, while the Stedelijk closed its doors for renovations in September last year recently reopened Rijksmuseum. The Van Gogh museum modern art Museum reopened late last year after a nine- and some 75 of Van Gogh’s works moved to the features 200 works, 140 by the Dutch master himself and year renovation. Hermitage in Amsterdam, where they attracted some the rest by contemporary painters. The former queen abdicated Tuesday in favour of her 665,000 visitors. “With the reopening of our museum They include other iconic works such as “The bedroom”, son, Willem-Alexander, and reopening the Rijksmuseum they’ve come home,” said Rueger. The exhibition also the colourful “Irises”, “The Potato Eaters” and the ominous was one of her final jobs as monarch. “We did not expect vaunts its hanging of the museum’s own painting from “Cornfield with crows.” Some of the early visitors on queen Beatrix’s abdication when we announced the date the famous “Sunflowers” series next to one from the same Wednesday-the first of some 1.2 million expected over the of own reopening last year. But yes, for us it is of course an series on loan from London’s National Gallery, for the next next year-were Stellian Ciulacu, 65, and his wife Lucia, 64, added bonus that it was yesterday,” Rueger said with a three months. from Bucharest. “It’s fantastic that they are back,” Stellian laugh, referring to the almost one million visitors who The famous painting ‘Sunflowers’ of painter Vincent Van Gogh is back Together with a third painting, “Woman rocking a cra- Ciulacu said as he scrutinised the newly-hung “Self-por- attended the new king’s enthronement. — AFP at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. — AFP