Issue No. 1372 www.alwatandaily.com 150 Fils with IHT

TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012 @alwatandaily 20 PAGES

South Africa government won’t recover illegal miners’ bodies 5

Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy celebrated the graduation of the 16th class of college army-officers and 39th class of army-officers on Monday, March 12, 2012. His Highness the Amir and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sponsored and attended the graduation. (Al Watan) More on 2

CAPITALS: Nearly 50 women and children were found with their throats cut or bearing stab wounds in Syria’s Homs, prompting hundreds of families to flee the restive city, the opposition and activists said on Monday. Hadi Abdallah, a Syrian activist in the central city, told AFP the bodies of 26 children and 21 women were discovered in the Karm El-Zaytoun and Al-Adawiyeh neighborhoods of the be-sieged central city.

“Some of the children had been hit with blunt objects on their head, one little girl was mutilated and some women were raped before being killed,” he said, add-

ing that most victims had been stabbed to death or had their throats cut.

Activists posted videos online show-ing graphic images of charred bodies and children with mutilated and bloodied fac-es. Syrian state television attributed the killings to “armed terrorist gangs”, saying they had kidnapped residents of Homs, killed them and then made video footage of the bodies in an attempt to discredit Syrian forces.

News of the killings sparked a mass exodus from the city, which has been besieged by Syrian forces for more than a month, according to Rami Abdel Rah-

man, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“Hundreds of families fled Homs overnight, notably from the Karm El-Zaytoun neighborhood, for fear of new massacres by regime forces,” Abdel Rah-man told AFP in Beirut. The main oppo-sition group, the Syrian National Coun-cil (SNC), called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the “massacre”, which it said took place on Sunday. “The Syrian National Council is making the necessary contacts with all or-ganizations and countries that are friends with the Syrian people for the UN Secu-

rity Council to hold an emergency meet-ing,” the SNC said in a statement.

And in a clear reference to Russia and China, the SNC said that allies of Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad shared respon-sibility for the “crimes” committed by his regime. The latest killings in Homs came after UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan left Damascus on Sunday with-out managing to secure an accord to end bloodletting in Syria, where more than 8,500 people have died since the revolt against President Bashar Al-Assad erupt-ed a year ago according to the Syrian Observatory. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

• Bodies of 47 women & children found in restive city • Hundreds flee as citizens brace for more bloodshed • Syria attributes killings to ‘armed terrorist gangs’

Dozens of Syrian civilians killed in Homs ‘massacre’

Supporters of opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) attend a rally organised by the BNP and allies in Dhaka on March 12, 2012. Thou-sands of Bangladeshi troops patrolled the streets of Dhaka as opposition parties prepared for a mass protest calling for the government to step down and hold elections. (AFP) More on 5

Kuwait’s candidates for Overseas Filipino Workers pageant announced

Ricky LaxaStaff Writer

KUWAIT: Much awaited official candidates of Overseas Filipino Workers pageant “Miss Kislap 2012” was announced today by the organizer Filipino As-sociation for Culture and Arts in Kuwait (FCAK).

The fourteen finalists, chosen from twenty-four candidates by panel of judges, were results of more than two months of search among Filipino women working and residing in Kuwait. More on 16

Activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) linked to India’s main opposition Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shout slogans as they are stopped by police during a protest against corruption in New Delhi March 12, 2012. (Reuters)

‘Smart civil IDs to be issued for non-Kuwaitis gradually’KUWAIT: The General Manager (GM) of the Public Author-

ity for Civil Information Mussaed Al-Assoussi announced that the smart ID for non-Kuwaitis will be issued to them gradually, and that citizens and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens will receive their new smart IDs when their current regular IDs expire. He added that this step comes after the suc-cess achieved by the authority that managed to issue civil IDs for citizens that are highly secure.

He went on to say that citizens can travel among GCC countries using that ID, and can also be used for electronic sig-nature. He explained that the new ID has the same security and technical features found in the smart card, but the color is different.

He further elaborated by saying that the card has an elec-tronic chip that can save enormous datum and information, in addition to the picture and the finger print that can be used for multiple purposes. Moreover, he noted that the author-ity began contacting governmental authorities to approve the new smart card for non-Kuwaitis, while still allowing them to use their current regular IDs until a decision is reached to stop using the current IDs. More on 2

Afghan civilian deaths spark calls for US exit

KANDAHAR: The massacre of 16 vil-lagers by a US soldier has triggered angry calls for an immediate American exit from Afghanistan as Washington tries to nego-tiate a long-term presence to keep the country from sliding into chaos again.

Just days before Sunday’s attack, Ka-bul and Washington had made significant progress in negotiations on a Strategic Partnership Agreement that would allow American advisers and special forces to stay in Afghanistan after foreign combat troops leave at the end of 2014.

But securing a full deal may be far more difficult now after the shooting spree in villages in the southern province of Kandahar, the Taleban heartland, which killed mostly women and children.

“This could delay the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement,” an Af-ghan government official told Reuters.

The attack, the latest American public relations disaster in Afghanistan, may be a turning point for the United States in a

costly and unpopular war now in its elev-enth year. Afghanistan’s parliament con-demned the killings, saying Afghans had run out of patience with the actions of foreign forces and the lack of oversight.

Popular fury over the killing spree, which brought demands that the United States withdraw earlier than scheduled, could be exploited by the Taleban to gain new recruits. The civilian deaths may also force Afghan President Hamid Karzai to harden his stand in the partnership talks to appease a public already critical of his gov-ernment’s performance. The partnership agreement, which Washington and Kabul have been discussing for more than a year, will be the framework for US involvement in Afghanistan after foreign combat troops leave at the end of 2014. Civilian deaths are one of the main sources of tension be-tween Kabul and Washington.

US officials warned of possible repri-sal attacks after the villagers were killed in the likely “rogue” shooting. –Reuters

Sri Lanka slaps censorship on text messagesCOLOMBO: Sri Lanka has imposed

censorship on security-related mobile phone messages despite the withdrawal last year of tough emergency laws fol-lowing the end of its separatist war with Tamil rebels. The defense ministry’s Me-dia Centre for National Security (MCNS) in a directive to media organizations said they must get prior approval to publish SMS news alerts “related to national se-curity and security forces.” The censor-ship, which was announced in a directive dated Friday but seen by AFP on Monday, appeared to be limited to SMS news alerts issued via mobile phones.

The directive came after reports of the killing Friday of three soldiers in the island’s north raised fears that the Tamil Tiger rebels, crushed in May 2009, were re-gathering to resume attacks.

However, tensions eased after the army announced that the killings were carried out by a soldier who later turned

the gun on himself and no rebel activity was suspected.

“Any news related to national secu-rity and security forces (and) the police should get prior approval from the MCNS before dissemination,” MCNS Director General Lakshman Hulugalle said in his directive. It was not immediately clear what legal provisions were being used to censor SMS alerts. The censorship direc-tive came into immediate effect and ap-plied to over a dozen news services. Sri Lanka’s five-player mobile industry has over 18 million subscribers.

Almost all major media outlets have their own SMS alerts to complement their mainstream radio, television and newspa-pers. The directive came at a time when Sri Lanka is facing censure at the UN Hu-man Rights Council in Geneva over its handling of the war against Tamil Tigers as well as its treatment of the independent media. -AFP

HONG KONG: Scientists in Australia have crossed a popular, commercial vari-ety of wheat with an ancient species, pro-ducing a hardy, high-yielding plant that is tolerant of salty soil.

The researchers, who published their work on Monday in the journal Nature Biotechnology, hope the new strain will help address food shortages in arid and semi-arid places where farmers struggle with high salinity in the soil.

“This is first time that ... a genetic vari-ation that has been lost in plants through domestication has been reclaimed from a wild relative and put back into the plant,” said lead researcher Matthew Gilliham

of the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture.

The researchers used a gene believed to be responsible for controlling the salt content in plants and that was isolated more than 10 years ago from an ancient wheat variety.

The gene makes a protein that is pres-ent in the roots of wheat and it helps block salt from travelling up the plant, Gilliham said in a telephone interview. Salt lowers yields and eventually kills the plant.

“When plants grow in salty condi-tions, the enzymes in the plants don’t work very well anymore,” Gilliham said.

More on 15

Experts develop salt-tolerant, high-yield wheat

Kony 2012 group vows to address critics with new film

NEW YORK: As of Monday morn-ing, the half-hour Kony 2012 video that took the online world by storm last week had over 73 million Youtube views. And with anything that rises to popularity that quickly comes its fair share of criticism.

CNN reports that Invisible Children, the San Diego-based nonprofit group be-hind the film, will release a new video, this one only about 10 minutes long, later Monday in a bid to address its critics, who have taken issue with the organiza-tion’s transparency and say the filmmak-ers manipulated facts in telling the story of Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army.

“There’s nothing to hide-Invisible Children has been transparent since 2004, when we started,” Ben Keesey, the group’s chief executive, told the news net-

work late Sunday. “That’s our intention and we want to show that this campaign is part of a model and strategy that’s com-prehensive.”

Invisible Children has been trying for years to focus the world’s attention on Kony, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for such crimes against humanity as enlisting child soldiers in Uganda. But, after it struck viral gold, the group came under increased scrutiny last week.

Some critics say that the film glossed over the context of the conflict and un-fairly focuses on the LRA while other groups in the region have used similarly atrocious tactics. Others, meanwhile, have criticized the nonprofit for spending only 30 percent of its proceeds to help Uganda’s children. -Agencies

Anonymous-affiliated hacker group targets Tunisia Islamists 4

MPs spar over altering Parliament storming complaint

Mohammed Al-Salman & Mohammed Al-KhaldiStaff Writers

KUWAIT: MPs are due to convene today amid anticipation that the session will be marred by bitter arguments over a range of thorny issues. A decision by the Parliament Office to alter the complaint filed over the storming of Parliament is likely to cause rifts among the MPs.

Lawmakers are expected to engage in argu-ments regarding the discussion or deferral of the interpellation filed by MP Saleh Ashour against His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. Other contentious issues to be addressed by the Parliament include the formation of parliamentary investigatory com-

mittees into allegations that lawmakers in the previous Parliament received kickbacks and that financial transfers were illicitly made through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Other investiga-tions involve diesel smuggling and audio-visual law for which the government has previously re-quested a two-week postponement. With regard to the interpellation of the prime minister, there is no any clear decision so far about the matter, in the sense that there has been no official news on whether the Cabinet has agreed on discussing or deferring the motion. However, unconfirmed reports emerged that the Cabinet agreed on the discussion today or after tomorrow (Thursday) if the Parliament agrees on a proposal made by MP Mohammad Al-Dallal for the interpellation to be postponed. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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Amir sponsors army officer’s graduation

KUWAIT: his highness the Amir and supreme com-mander of the Armed Forces sheikh sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-sabah sponsored and attended the graduation cer-emony of the 16th class of college army-officers and 39th class of army-officers at Ali Al-sabah military Academy. the Amir was welcomed by Deputy Prime minister and minister

of Defense sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled Al-hamad Al-sabah, the Army’s chief of staff sheikh Khaled Jarrah Al-sabah, undersecretary at the Defense minister Jasser Al-Jasser, and other army officials. the graduation was also attended by his highness the crown Prince sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-sabah, National Assembly speaker Ahmad Al-

saadoun, Deputy chief of Kuwait National Guard (KNG), sheikh mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-sabah, his highness sheikh Nasser Al-mohammed Al-Ahmad Al-sabah, his highness the Prime minister sheikh Jaber Al-mubarak Al-hamad Al-sabah, Deputy minister of the Amiri Diwan Af-fairs sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-sabah, senior officials of the state,

and family members of the graduates. Dean of the Academy Brigadier sulaiman Al-huwailah welcomed the prestigious guests and thanked the Amir on his continuous support to the Kuwaiti military. the graduation proceedings com-menced after the speech with his highness the Amir hand-ing awards to excelling officers of the 16th class. -KuNA

MPs spar over altering Parliament storming complaint Al-Assoussi: Smart civil IDsto be issued for non-Kuwaitis gradually

Al-Fadalah: Employment mechanism for Bedoun in both sectors to begin next week

Salafist Bloc discusses priorities ofmembers, increase in prices, job opportunitiesStaff Writer

KUWAIT: Islamic salalfist Bloc mem-ber Ahmad Baqer asserted that the bloc will begin to discuss important draft laws through its mPs Khaled Al-sultan, Ali Al-Omair, mohammed Al-Kandari, and Adu-lateef Al-Omairi. he added that the draft

laws include the independency of the judiciary system, tenders, small projects, and insurance against unemployment, setup of environment and food authori-ties and anti-corruption.

he stressed that the bloc underlines those draft laws and that the members began to scrutinize them from all aspects.

he revealed that there are certain issues that the bloc is interested in, such as the increase in prices, health, education, of-fering citizens job, and applying privatiza-tion law.

he hoped those draft laws are ap-proved after being studied by parliamen-tary committees.

KUWAIT: the head of the central Apparatus for Illegal residents saleh Al-Fadalah said that the apparatus has fin-ished setting an employment mechanism for illegal residents in the public and pri-vate sectors. he added that this mecha-nism will be effective next week. Al-Fada-lah said that the civil service commission

will receive employment requests for the 1965 statistics’ illegal residents who hold university degrees and diplomas. he added that the ministries of education, health, Public Works, Awqaf, commu-nications, and social Affairs will receive the employment requests, in addition to the companies in which the government

possesses 51 percent of their shares. con-cerning the employment mechanism in the private sector, he explained that the there is coordination with the chamber of commerce and Industry that has setup a site to receive employment requests, where it will act as a liaison between job seekers and employers. -KuNA

KUWAIT: the General manager (Gm) of the Public Authority for civil Information mussaed Al-Assoussi an-nounced that the smart ID for non-Ku-waitis will be issued to them gradually, adding that the Kuwaiti citizens and oth-er Gulf cooperation council (Gcc) na-tionals will receive their new smart IDs when their current regular IDs expire. he noted that this step comes after the success achieved by the authority which managed to issue highly secured civil IDs for citizens. he added that citizens can travel among Gcc countries using that ID and can also be used for electronic

signature. he explained that the new ID has the same security and technical features found in the smart card, but the color is different. he further elaborated that the card has an electronic chip that can save enormous datum and informa-tion, in addition to the picture and the finger print that can be used for multiple purposes.

moreover, he noted that the author-ity began contacting governmental au-thorities to approve the new smart card for non-Kuwaitis, while still allowing them to use their current regular IDs, until a decision is reached to stop using

the current ones.the required documents to issue the

smart card for non-Kuwaitis are two pho-tos for anyone who is five years old and above, a copy of the passport and resi-dency page, blood type, and other docu-ments.

he stated that inquiries can be re-ceived on 188-99-88 then dialing ‘0’ to speak to the operator from 7 A.m. to 11 P.m. he thanked all authorities and em-ployees who took part in this important national project, and applauded them for being keen to serve Kuwait as best as they can. -KuNA

Continued FRoM Page 1In the meantime, a meeting to be held by the cabi-

net today ahead of the Parliament’s planned session is expected to clarify the situation.

For his part, mP saleh Ashour has reportedly fi-nalized his preparations for the discussion of the in-terpellation. the lawmaker is said to have conducted a rehearsal in anticipation of any decision that might be made on the discussion.

Informed sources have revealed that Ashour has so far secured the support of eight mPs who apparently expressed readiness to sign off a no-cooperation mo-tion against the premier. Leading shiite figures are re-portedly making efforts to convince mPs Adnan Abdul-samad and Ahmad Lari to join.

Furthermore, the Parliament Office’s decision to ad-just the complaint filed over the storming of Parliament has triggered a new crisis between the Parliamentary majority and minority. the Office’s secretary Abdullah Al-Bargash announced that the adjustment includes that the Parliament was not stormed; rather it was opened for the mPs and citizens. he also argued that the move did not entail any criminal offense; hence it should be dealt with from a political perspective.

certain mPs have gone as far as saying that the de-cision is equivalent to interference with judicial deci-sions.

mP Ali Al-rashed described the decision as “strange and unacceptable”, adding that it seeks to distort facts by certain lawmakers for their own political gains at the expense of justice and truth. the lawmaker further stated that the decision is provocative for the people of Kuwait. Al-rashed revealed that he is considering

legal action against the Parliament Office on charges of forgery and false testimony.

For his part, mP Faisal Al-Duwaisan termed the de-cision as scandalous and that it is a form of interference with the judiciary.

In the same vein, mP Nabeel Al-Fadhl has expressed dismay over a decision by the Parliament Office to al-ter the complaint filed with regard to the storming of Parliament. the lawmaker argued that the lawmakers behind the decision were themselves accomplices in the case.

In an exclusive statement to Al Watan the National Assembly speaker Ahmad Al-saadoun is closer to mP musallam Al-Barrak than his own siblings, and argued that the latter was ironically the one who led the storm-ing of Parliament.

In the same context, mP Adnan Abdulsamad con-demned the decision by saying that “We either have to be in a state of institutions or one of chaos.” the lawmaker place the blame on the doorstep of the Par-liament speaker. he recalled that the speaker stated during his election campaign that the issue of Parlia-ment storming was before the judiciary and he will not interfere in the process. Abdulsamad further revealed that he possess information about alterations made with regard to the Parliament storming.

mP marzouq Al-Ghanem, who is a member of the Parliament Office, affirmed that he did not take part in the decision and that he protested against it. the mP elaborated by saying that the decision does not rep-resent him in any way, explaining that the office over-whelmingly voted in favor of the decision but not on consensus.

Ali Al-Sabah Military Academy celebrates the graduation of the 16th class of college army-officers and 39th class of army-officers on Monday, March 12, 2012. His Highness the Amir and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sponsored and attended the graduation. (Al Watan)

Sheikh Al-Humoud attends Arab Interior Ministers’ Council meeting in Tunisia

KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime minister and Interior minister sheikh Ahmad Al-humoud Al-Jaber Al-sabah on monday headed to tunisia, leading a high level Kuwaiti delegation, to take part in the 29th ses-sion of the Arab Interior ministers council which is scheduled to be held on march 13-15, 2012. -KuNA

Former MP: Government,

Parliament must set disputes aside

EU Energy Commissioner

to speak at Kuwait ForumBRUSSELS: eu energy commissioner Guenther

Oettinger will deliver a speech tuesday and present the eu’s energy policy at the 13th International energy Fo-rum (IeF), which will kick off in Kuwait today.

An eu energy spokesperson told Kuwait News Agen-cy (KuNA) in Brussels yesterday that Oettinger will underline the eu attractiveness for investments in the energy sector, and is a large and ever-better integrated market for international suppliers of energy.

he will also take the opportunity to stress the eu’s commitment to global transparent oil markets.

On the sideline of the forum, he will also have bilat-eral talks with with IeF secretary General, energy min-isters of saudi Arabia, Kuwait and uAe. Furthermore, he will meet his counterparts from Algeria and turkey, noted the spokesperson.

through the Forum and its associated events, IeF ministers, their officials, energy and industry executives, and other experts will engage in a dialogue of increasing importance to global energy security.

the IeF and the global energy dialogue are promoted by a permanent secretariat of international staff based in the Diplomatic Quarter of riyadh, saudi Arabia.

this year’s IeF mainly concentrates on how to meet future energy demand, energy markets and its mitigat-ing volatility, how to achieve environmental and social sustainability and how to boost the Global energy Dia-logue. -KuNA

Staff Writer

KUWAIT: Former member of Parliament (mP) mubarak Al-Khurinij asked the gov-ernment and National Assembly to set aside their disputes in order to build a new future for citizens and to cooperate with each other to meet their aspirations.

It is worth noting that Al-Khurinij made those statements during a dinner he held at his diwaniya in Al-Omareya to welcome the head of the International Parliamentary union Abdul Wahed Al-radi and head of egyptian Parliament mohammed Al-Katatni. he hoped that those two organizations would play a more prominent role, particularly in issues concerning the massacres being com-mitted in syria. he revealed that Kuwait was one of the first countries that took an initia-tive to help the syrian people, and applauded his highness the Amir sheikh sabah Al-Ah-mad Al-sabah for donating five million us dollars to the syrian people. regarding the anticipated visit of Iraqi prime minister to Kuwait, he mentioned that all bickering with Iraqis should stop, and the strong relationship between the two countries should be further cemented, in order to be able to solve the mubarak Al-Kabeer Port issue. Undated Photo of Steering Committee of Sheikh Salem Al-Ali

Al-Sabah. (KUNA)

Winners of SheikhSalem Al-Ali Informatics Prize declared

KUWAIT: steering committee of sheikh salem Al-Ali Al-sabah Informatics Prize declared on monday names of Kuwaiti and Arab winners in the 11th session of the year 2011-2012.

saleh Al-Asoussi, member of the commission, started a

news conference, held at headquarters of Kuwait News Agency (KuNA) on the occasion, expressing gratitude to his highness the Amir sheikh sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-sabah for his planned sponsorship of the honoring ceremony for the winners, due in the coming few days.

the prize is granted with the aim of enhancing skills of the national cadres and boosting voluntary and collective commu-nity action.

Winners of the prize were Fahad Barghash Al-Jafnawi for the best informatic project (my net Koran), ras Al-Khaimah cham-ber of commerce and Industry for the best development project, egypt bourse for the top commercial enterprise, the saudi minis-try of higher education for the best service enterprise, the King-dom’s public authority for technical training for the number-one teaching program.

Winner for the best health enterprise was Yousef Al-hajeri, the Arab center for electronic research for the top cultural en-terprise and Khawarezmi company for computers for the best scientific project.

Zaher hashem won the prize for the best media project, the e-Gulf company won for the best applications of smart devic-es.

Al-Asoussi expressed gratitude to sheikh salem, KuNA, namely its chairman, sheikh mubarak Al-Duaij Al-sabah, for hosting the event. -KuNA

KUWAIT TUESDAY, mArch 13, 2012

ALWATAN DAILY

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Mohammad AtifStaff Writer

KUWAIT: Lawmaker Osama Al-menaw-er affirmed that the so called Decency Law caused sharp media reactions, adding that some attempted to deform the draft law as well as distorting the reputation of Justice Bloc. Al-menawer indicated that the suggestion he submitted doesn’t need any clarifications as it is very comprehensible and aims at banning inappropriate clothing on public beaches and islands given that article 49 of the Kuwaiti constitution stipulates respecting the public traditions.

Al-menawer opposed, during an interview by the TV program The Political Scene, referring to his draft law as the “Decency Law”, add-ing that the draft includes several other items that have not been enforced and harmonizes with the values and traditions of the Kuwaiti society. he might submit another draft law, af-ter endorsing the current one, in order to force women to wear the veil (hejab). “We don’t feel shame in applying God’s Sharia,” he said.

The lawmaker affirmed that Justice Bloc, which he represents, is aware of the citizen’s requests and doesn’t interrupt executing any priorities. he then criticized conducting plastic

surgery, particularly if not needed while stress-ing that those surgeries should be approved by an honest medical committee.

meanwhile, Al-menawer affirmed that he rejects discussing the interpellation motion that was filed against the Prime minister by mP Saleh Ashour in a closed-door session. Fol-lowing is part of the interview held with the lawmaker.

Tell us about the plastic surgery law?Al-Menawer: We took into consideration

the psychological and organic results for such matter, therefore the new law bans altering the sex of an individual in addition to prohibiting changing gender, which is usually typed on the civil ID card. Even the needed plastic surgery should be approved by a relevant committee.

Some plastic surgeries are dangerous and should be conducted by specialized depart-ments at the various hospitals, either private or public. moreover, plastic surgery might cause cancer and it could cause other problems for girls who attempt lip inflation. As a result, plas-tic surgery should be approved by a commit-tee that includes seven doctors. The medical committee should be formed by the minister of health and it must include qualified mem-bers too.

Do your priorities focus on education and housing?

Al-Menawer: We know well the problems that the Kuwaiti people suffer from, therefore I joined the majority Bloc and we will never seek to interrupt any priorities that can ben-efit the Kuwaiti people. The priorities of the majority Bloc include establishing a medical city and focusing on the cases of early retire-ment, tenders, and submitting suggestions for establishing a hospital for retired employees, another hospital for women and demolishing all military camps in Jahra area.

What about writing off loan’s interest?

Al-Menawer: We reject writing off the loan’s interests since many citizens had al-ready paid the interests, so, we don’t see a point in approving such law. however, we have another law for banning usury. If this law is endorsed then usury which consumes the salary of civil servants will be halted.

How do you expect to solve loans problem?

Al-Menawer: By endorsing the law that prohibits usury because we have to put an end to the exaggerated interests.

Will you support no cooperation request if you are persuaded by the items of the motion?

Al-Menawer: Of course, I’ll do that. If the interests of Kuwait require supporting a no cooperation request then I will support it. regarding mP Dr. Obaid Al-Wasmi, I consider his presence and membership at the Parlia-ment as important because he is an expert in the field of law. The sole point of disagreement is not informing us on his intention to submit an interpellation motion.

What is your comment on those who consider the Decency Law as a trespass

on public freedom?Al-Menawer: I think that the Decency

Law is one of the hottest issues due to the numerous discussions by the different media means and social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook. Some newspapers have published irresponsible news concerning the law and they also attempted to deform the reputation of the majority Bloc.

Are unveiled women allowed to go to the beach?

Al-Menawer: The second article of the constitution bans men from mingling with

women in stadiums, sport galleries, hotels and health clubs. But the items of this article are not enforced, therefore I complied these items into one to have a comprehensive draft that consists of laws that comply with the Kuwaiti traditions and values.

How do you comment on a recent statement which said that the Decency Law is

an attempt to control society?Al-Menawer: On the contrary, we main-

tain the dignity of women and public order and we don’t trespass on the rights of indi-viduals or their freedom. We want to maintain our habits and traditions according to the Ku-waiti constitution, which include dressing in a modest way that doesn’t reveal the women’s body parts.

What about sexual harassment law?Al-Menawer: Some people accused us of

being extremists as a result of this law, but one of the electronic newspapers conducted a sur-vey on the Decency Law and 55 percent of the Kuwaiti participants supported it. So, can we consider the Kuwaiti people as extremists? Such result encourages us to exert further ef-forts for serving the people.

Al-Menawer: After endorsing Decency Law we will submit another that obliges women to be veiled

KUWAIT: Japanese red cross Society President Tadateru Konoe said that Kuwait’s gift of five million barrels of crude oil, to help Japan recover from last march’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, is highly appreciated by the Japanese people, especially by those in the disaster stricken areas. he also added, “The Ku-waiti donation was the largest contribution to Japan by any country in this critical period.” In an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on monday, Konoe said “I would like to extend sincere thanks to the Ku-waiti leadership and the people for their support and generosity”.

his comment came as he welcomed the state visit to Japan by his highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah starting from march 20. The donated oil was already delivered to four Japanese re-finers late last year.

“In order to implement visible assistance, we estab-lished a relief fund with money to the value of the free oil worth some 550 million US dollars,” said Konoe, who is also known as President of International Federa-tion of red cross and red crescent Societies.

“The aid covers eight areas, such as infrastructure recovery and support for medical care, education, em-ployment and agriculture, in the three hardest hit pre-fectures of miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima,” noted Ko-noe. “The projects in Fukushima have begun, and the planned projects in miyagi and Iwate will also kick off soon after approval from the prefectural assemblies,” he went on to say.

he added that the three local governments, which severely suffer from weak finances following the march

catastrophe, show gratitude to the Kuwaiti government for allowing them to flexibly utilize the relief money for the reconstruction projects.

According to the Japanese red cross Society, Fu-kushima Prefecture, home to the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, plans to spend $982 mil-lion in the current fiscal year for 14 projects, including support to small and medium sized companies affected by the nuclear accident, restoration of cultural proper-ties and rebuilding homes of disaster victims.

Kuwait’s generous gift was sent upon directives of the Amir following a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on march 11 that left more than 19,000 peo-ple dead or missing in the northeastern region. Kuwait has responded promptly and sincerely to Japan’s crisis soon after the disasters, with the Amir and a number of dignitaries dispatching letters and messages of sympa-thy. There is five million barrels of oil surpasses Japan’s daily consumption of 4.4 million barrels and is equal to two days of Kuwait’s production.

In addition, Kuwaiti Ambassador to Japan Abdul-rahman Al-Otaibi and his embassy staff held a success-ful charity bazaar last may and donated $6,100, a part of the proceeds, to the Japanese red cross Society for the victims. The ambassador also visited northeastern city of Kesennuma last April to encourage survivors. We will remember kindness and support extended by the Kuwaiti government and people. It took six hours for him to reach from Tokyo, during his trip to Kesen-numa. Al-Otaibi offered survivors food, living neces-sities, school supplies and 240 soccer balls with two countries’ national flags painted. -KUNA

Kuwait’s earthquake aid deeply appreciated: Japan Red Cross chief

Photo of Kuwait’s gift of five million barrels of crude oil to help Japan recover from last March’s devastating earthquake and tsunami on Monday, March 12, 2012. (KUNA)

Foreign ministry undersecretary discusses ties

with Egyptian senior diplomatKUWAIT: Foreign ministry Undersecretary Khaled

Al-Jarallah on monday met with Egyptian Assistant For-eign minister for consular Affairs Ambassador Ahmad ragheb. The meeting addressed various aspects of bilat-eral relations, as well as status of the Egyptian commu-nity in Kuwait.

The meeting was attended by the Director of the Bu-reau of the Undersecretary Ayham Abdullatif Al-Omar and Egypt’s Ambassador in Kuwait Abdulkareem Sulei-man. -KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s minister of Public Works and minister of State for Planning and Develop-ment Affairs Dr. Fadhel Safar Ali Safar hailed as “impressive achievement” the working out of the human development report by a constellation of national academics and experts.

“The growing number of population requires constant studying of the relationships among peo-ple and building up the capacity of the workforce in keeping with the surrounding changes and devel-opments,” the minister, also chairman of the con-sultative council of the national report, said.

he made the remarks in an address at a work-shop organized by the Arab Planning Institute (API) here on monday on the first report, to be issued late this year in collaboration with experts from the UN Development Program (UNDP).

“The development of the report is an impres-sive achievement that comes at a time when we are on the threshold of the launching of an ambitious development plan,” Dr. Safar pointed out.

“The report serves as a road map for human development including policy recommendations, programs and analyses that could help the deci-sion-makers outline the priorities in this regard,” he revealed “It assesses the situation of the national human development in the last decade and the cur-rent situation, and identifies the future trends as well as the obstacles lying ahead,” he added.

meanwhile, representative of the UNDP Dr.

Adam Abdulmawla said the report, first conceived by the higher planning council, will culminate lengthy consultations between the council and the UNDP. “The report will follow the internationally-recognized scientific standards relating to human development,” he added. On his part, Director of the central Administration of Statistics (cAS) Ab-dullah Sahar said the report is in keeping with the country’s new approach to human development tak-ing stock of the statistical and professional achieve-ments. “The report will help specify Kuwait’s rating among other countries at the international forums concerned with human development,” he added. Dr. Bader malallah, API’s director-general, said the institute is about to finalize the basic chapters of the report. “These chapters will provide a clear insight into all problems relating to the various sectors of human development, including the social, educa-tional, health and demographic factors affecting the labor market,” he disclosed. Dr. Adel Al-Wuqyan, secretary-general of the higher council of the sec-retariat of planning and development, said the re-port is of crucial importance since it will reflect the state’s vision for addressing the weak points in the field of human development.

“It will serve as a strategy for handling the hu-man factor in economic development and provide feedback for the ministry of Education and higher Education and other concerned agencies,” Dr. Al-Wuqyan added. -KUNA

FM holds luncheon in honor for heads of diplomatic

missions in KuwaitKUWAIT: Deputy Prime minister, Foreign minister and

minister of State for cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-hamad Al-Sabah held here monday a luncheon in honor of heads of diplomatic missions in Kuwait, on occasion of the coun-try’s national celebrations.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled praised Kuwait’s growing bilateral relations during the past six years, pointing to the increase of Ku-waiti embassies and diplomatic missions in about 30 countries.

The luncheon was attended by Foreign ministry Undersec-retary Khaled Suleiman Al-Jarallah, heads of departments and senior officials at the ministry. -KUNA

KUWAIT: ministry of Education and higher Education’s Undersecretary Khaled Al-Saad said on monday that evaluating the higher education programs aims at coping with the latest scientific de-velopments in the developed countries.

Al-Saad in press remarks on the open-ing of Kuwait International higher Edu-cation Exhibition (Kuwait Edu 2012), on behalf of the minister of Education and higher Education Dr. Nayef Falah Al-hajraf, said that this annual fair is one of the most important ones held in the country.

The exhibition allows educational and academic institutions and bodies in Ku-wait and abroad to take part in the event. “Education is the foundation of our fu-ture,” Al-Saad affirmed.

“higher education seeks scientific quality and evaluation of universities’ programs with its various majors and spe-cialties,” he added.

“The scientific recognition granted from the ministry of higher Education to a number of universities after supervising their educational quality results in having highly educated graduate students,” he said.

Al-Saad invited everyone to attend this fair that would last until march 15, especially the high school students, to take an idea about nature of the academic studies. -KUNA

Education exhibition 2012 kicks off, ends March 15

Ministry of Education and Higher Education’s Undersecretary Khaled Al-Saad giving press remarks on the opening of Kuwait Edu 2012 on Monday, March 12, 2012. (KUNA)

Ricky LaxaStaff Writer

KUWAIT: Ambassador of the United Kingdom Frank Baker inaugurated on monday the Kuwait Legal Services Bu-reau at Dasman in the presence of a num-ber of dignitaries and diplomats, includ-ing Ambassadors of Sri Lanka, malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam and Togo.

chief Executive Officer (cEO) of Kuwait Legal Services Bureau markos

Williams welcomed the gathering to the inauguration ceremony. Owner of Kuwait Legal Services Bureau and member of the Kuwait municipal council Lawyer Abdul-lah Al-Kandari thanked the dignitaries and presented a memento to the British Ambassador.

Williams told Al Watan Daily, “We have a tie-up with the India International Arbitration centre headed by Dr. renjit A. Das. The center is an institutional arbi-trational place under the Indian Arbitra-

tion and conciliation act 1996 that also follows UNcI TrAL rules, American Ar-bitration Association rules and the rules framed by the London court of Arbitra-tion for settlement of International com-mercial disputes. This tie-up enables us to access all high courts in India including the Supreme court as well as major law firms and celebrated legal luminaries of the country. We are in the process of fi-nalizing an agreement with a British legal firm with a global presence.”

UK Ambassador inaugurates Kuwait Legal Services Bureau

Ambassadors of Vietnam, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Togo with Ambassador of UK Frank Baker, CEO of Kuwait Legal Ser-vices Bureau Markos Williams, Owner of Kuwait Legal Services Bureau and member of the Kuwait Municipal Council Lawyer Abdullah Al-Kandari during the opening of the center Sunday evening, March 11, 2012. (Al Watan daily)

Safar commends human development report

regionaltuesDAY, mArch 13, 2012

alWaTan DailY

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Saudis to go on hunger strike against activist detentionRIYADH: Dozens of saudis have signed up to join a two-day hunger strike this week to protest against the detention of a prominent rights activist, a rights group said. mohamad Al-Bajadi was detained in march 2011, activists said, for supporting families demonstrating outside the Inte-rior ministry in riyadh to demand the release of detained relatives. his trial, on charges including tarnishing the reputa-tion of the state, has been suspended as he refused to recognize the court. the saudi civil and Political rights Association (AcPrA), which is promoting the hunger strike on thursday and Friday, said 38 ac-tivists had signed up on its website so far to participate in the action. -reuters

UAE web activist faces anti-state chargesDUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Dubai’s public prosecutor says an online activ-ist will face charges of threatening state security in the latest move by the united Arab emirates to crack down on per-ceived political dissent on the web. saleh Al-Dhafairi was arrested last week on ac-cusations of “spreading ideas that dam-age national unity or social peace.” his twitter posts included comments on Arab spring uprisings elsewhere in the middle east. the official news agency WAm says Dubai Public Prosecutor essam Al-hu-maidan referred the case monday to state security court. -AP

Iran stands by Syria, blames US for unrestTEHRAN: Iran stands fully behind syria and blames the united states and Arab nations for the bloody unrest shaking its ally, media on monday quoted a deputy foreign minister as saying. “the Islamic republic of Iran underlines its total sup-port for the syrian people and govern-ment,” hossein Amir Abdollahian said, according to Iran’s official IrNA news agency. he said Western and Arab nations “that support the insecurity and instabil-ity in syria are responsible for any aggra-vation of the crisis in syria.” Amir Abdol-lahian said Iran continues to believe in a “political solution” based on reforms agreed to by Al-Assad. -AFP

NEWS IN BRIEF New Israeli airstrikes kill 5 in GazaGAZA CITY, Gaza Strip: Israeli airstrikes

killed two Palestinian militants and a schoolboy in the Gaza strip on monday and Palestinian rocket squads barraged southern Israel, in escalating fight-ing that has defied international truce efforts.

the cross-border violence, touched off by Is-rael’s killing of a top militant leader on Friday, has been the worst exchange of fire between Israel and the hamas-ruled territory in months.

the fighting so far has killed 21 Gazans, includ-ing 18 militants, seriously wounded two Israelis, and disrupted the lives of 1 million Israelis living within the range of Gaza rockets.

the Israeli military said it carried out nine air attacks against rocket-launching sites and a weapons storage facility early monday. Islamic Jihad said two of its militants were killed in two separate raids, one while he was riding a motorcycle. A 16-year-old boy wearing a school uniform was killed when a group of five civilians was struck in another attack, Gaza health official Adham Abu salmia said.

two dozen Palestinians, including several chil-dren, were wounded in a separate pre-dawn strike monday in Gaza city, Abu salmia said. chief Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yoav mordechai told Army radio that this raid had targeted munitions that were stored in a residential building.

the military said the air attacks came in response to continued rocket fire, and Israeli police spokes-man micky rosenfeld reported that 16 rockets were fired into southern Israel early monday. One rocket damaged a preschool building on a communal farm shortly before children were scheduled to arrive, but no one was hurt, rosenfeld said.

schools in the area were closed for a second day to avoid casualties; a day earlier, a rocket struck the courtyard of one of the empty schools.

Also monday, militants fired three mortar shells into Kerem shalom, the sole cargo crossing between Israel and Gaza and the conduit for 70 percent of all goods that enter the Palestinian territory. two vehi-cles were hit on the Palestinian side of the crossing, but there were no injuries, Israeli officials said. Op-erations were halted for about half an hour before resuming.

Israel says the newly introduced Iron Dome mis-sile defense system intercepted dozens of the rock-ets since the clashes erupted, and military officials speculated this averted more casualties and damage. But although the violence shows no immediate signs of subsiding, both hamas and Israel seem eager to avoid the kind of all-out war that erupted three years ago.

In keeping with its practice since that conflict, hamas has stayed out of the current clashes, for fear of provoking a harsh Israeli retaliation. But it has not stopped other, smaller Gaza factions from attacking Israel, and Israel continues to hold it ultimately re-sponsible for any violence emanating from Gaza.

In the past, similar flare-ups have died out by themselves or with informal cease-fires negotiated by third parties, often egypt.

In this case too, egypt has been trying to medi-

ate an end to the clashes, and hamas has also ap-pealed to other mideast countries to join the truce attempts.

But the efforts have failed, with militants and egypt insisting that Israel first halt its airstrikes.

“the Zionist state began this aggression. It has to stop its aggression first and then we will evalu-ate the situation and study the possibility of calm,” the deputy secretary-general of Islamic Jihad, Ziad Nakhleh, was quoted as saying on the movement’s

web site. mordechai, the military spokesman, said Israel would halt its raids if the rocket fire would cease, but added that the Israeli military would con-tinue to take pre-emptive action to foil militant at-tack plans.

mordechai said monday that Israel was pre-pared for a ground offensive if necessary. he also said Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz has postponed a trip this week to the us because of the fighting. -AP

Palestinians walk next to a destroyed building after an Israeli air strike in Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip March 12, 2012. Israeli air strikes killed two Palestinian militants and wounded 25 civilians in the Gaza Strip on Monday, medical sources said, as cross-border hostilities continued into a fourth day. (Reuters)

14 killed in Iraq robbery,

attacksBAGHDAD: Attacks against Al-

Qaeda’s favorite targets in Iraq killed 14 people monday as insurgents struck security forces, a government office and jewelry stores, demonstrating a continued threat from armed groups as the country prepares to host a meeting of the Arab world’s top leaders.

security officials expect Al-Qaeda to ramp up violence over the next few weeks as Baghdad prepares to host the annual Arab League summit at the end of the month.

there was no immediate claim of re-sponsibility for monday’s strikes, and nu-merous armed groups in Iraq have mixed attacks on political targets with money-making criminal operations.

militants struck first in a pre-dawn raid monday in the city of tarmiyah, 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Baghdad, where police said gunmen in at least two cars attacked the local mayor’s office. three policemen were killed, police and health officials said. the mayor was not in his office at the time.

A half hour later and a few kilometers (miles) away, gunmen targeted a police patrol in a drive-by shooting. two police-men were killed, officials said, and it was not known if the gunmen were the same group who attacked the mayor’s office.

A few hours later, two carloads of rob-bers armed with grenades and guns killed nine people and wounded 14 in a coordi-nated strike on an eastern Baghdad gold market, officials said. the militants simul-taneously attacked jewelry stores and a nearby checkpoint.

Baghdad officials said two policemen, two soldiers and two goldsmiths were among the dead at the small market in the shiite neighborhood of ur.

“At first we heard shootings from the other side of the market, near the police checkpoint,” said eyewitness maitham moussa, 30, who owns of a dairy shop about 50 yards (meters) from the jewelry stores.

“then we heard shootings very close to us. When the women started to yell, they started to open fire into the air and set off sound bombs.”

he said people fled the area and hud-dled together in a nearby alley to escape the siege. “I saw a woman was lying on the ground with a toddler,” moussa said. “there was blood near the woman, but I’m not sure if she was injured or if was the baby’s blood.”

A police officer said the gunmen stole gold and cash after the late-morning heist, which the insurgents pulled off despite a gunfight with nearby security forces. Iraqi Army Gen. hassan Al-Baydhani of Baghdad’s military command said one of the gunmen was arrested but the rest es-caped. -AP

Dozens of Syrian civilians killed in Homs 'massacre'

Annan to brief Turkey after Syria trip

Continued from Page 1

Annan departed at the end of a two-day mission during which he said he presented Assad with “con-crete proposals” to halt the unrest that has rocked syria since pro-democracy protesters rose up against his regime on march 15, 2011. On the ground, more than 150 people - 61 of them civilians caught in the crossfire - were killed in weekend clashes between armed rebels and regular soldiers in various flash-point areas, according to the Observatory.

most of the deaths occurred in an ferocious assault by regime forces against rebel bastions in the north-western Idlib province, it said, adding that fighting also occurred sunday in the central city of hama, the nearby province of homs, and in the Damascus coun-tryside. Annan on his first mission to syria to attempt to secure a halt to the violence had emerged positive from talks on sunday with Assad, a follow-up to their first meeting the previous day. “It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be difficult, but we have to have hope. I am optimistic,” Annan told reporters, while stress-ing the urgency of finding a solution. “the situation is

so bad and so dangerous that all of us cannot afford to fail,” the former uN chief warned, in response to a suggestion that dialogue with the government was futile. Assad had insisted during their first meeting on saturday there would be no dialogue until the “ter-rorist groups” he claims are fomenting the violence are disbanded. Opposition figures in their meeting with Annan however were adamant that the regime troops pressing the crackdown on dissent must first return to barracks before talks can begin.

Diplomats at the united Nations in New York had expressed pessimism about the prospects for Annan’s mission after troops poured into Idlib city, which lies in the province by the same name, late on saturday just hours after his first meeting with Assad. Annan was in Doha on monday to discuss the situation in syria with Qatari officials, a government spokesman said without giving details. the military crackdown in Idlib came after the homs neighborhood of Baba Amr was stormed on march 1 after a month-long blitz in which hundreds of people died. china meanwhile on monday welcomed a russian and Arab League joint plan for ending the deadly violence in syria as

“positive”, and renewed its call for a “political settle-ment” to the conflict. russian Foreign minister ser-gei Lavrov and his Arab counterparts on saturday issued a five-point statement after holding talks in cairo, calling for “unhindered humanitarian access” in syria as well as an end to the violence. Damascus is planning to respond in kind to countries that have recalled their ambassadors from syria in response to President Bashar Al-Assad’s bloody crackdown on a nearly year-long uprising, syria’s envoy to russia riad haddad said on monday. “there are certain eu-ropean countries that have already recalled their am-bassadors from syria. syria will respond in the same way,” haddad, told journalists, speaking through an interpreter. eu member states have been discuss-ing proposals, promoted by France, to collectively downgrade diplomatic ties both in eu capitals and Damascus, but with no agreement so far. syria has begun pre-emptively withdrawing ambassadors from europe because it fears eu members will expel them, Arab diplomats said on saturday. the united states, Britain, switzerland, canada and France have already closed their embassies in Damascus. -Agencies

ISTANBUL: Kofi Annan, the international mediator on the syrian crisis, was due to hold talks with turkish Prime minister recep tayyip erdogan on monday after a weekend trip to Da-mascus failed to yield results.

A turkish diplomatic source told AFP that “Kofi Annan will be in Ankara in the afternoon” where he would discuss details of his contacts in Damascus with the premier before a working din-ner with Foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

turkey, which had been an ally of neighbor-ing syria, has been increasingly critical of the Damascus regime’s brutal year-long crackdown on the opposition and has called for President Bashar Al-Assad to quit.

It has also playing to host to opposition groups and an increasing number of refugees fleeing the violence in their homeland.

Although Annan was previously scheduled to visit the syrian refugee camps in the turkish province of hatay on the border with syria, his tight schedule may not allow the refugee camp

tour, the turkish source added.hatay is home to a massive tent camp that

has been set up to provide shelter for thousands of refugees who have been flocking into turkey to escape violence at home since the revolt erupted last march.

hatay tent settlements also provide shelter to defecting syrian army officers who have formed the rebel Free syrian Army.

A total of 12,605 syrians who fled their homes are currently staying in turkey, according to the latest official data from Ankara. the num-ber of syrians arriving at the border increases every day.

Annan, a former united Nations secretary general who is mediating on behalf of the uN and Arab League, left Damascus on sunday without managing to secure an accord to end bloodletting monitors say has claimed more than 8,500 lives.

After leaving Damascus, he travelled to Qatar where he was to hold meetings with government officials. -AFP

Security heightened in Iraq ahead of

Arab League summitBAGHDAD: Iraqi forces may

shut down Baghdad and its air-space to safeguard an upcoming Arab League summit in the capi-tal because Al-Qaeda is seeking to derail the meeting, a senior gen-eral told AFP on monday.

Lieutenant General hassan Al-Baydhani said security forces hoped to keep the Iraqi capital “functioning” for the summit, but noted that plans were already set to limit air travel on march 29 only to dignitaries attending the meeting, with officials consider-ing barring vehicle traffic that day as well.

his remarks come amid ques-tions over whether Iraq’s forces are able to secure the capital for the summit, the first non-emergen-cy meeting of the 22-nation body to be held in violence-wracked Baghdad in more than 30 years.

“Al-Qaeda is working hard to create chaos and trying hard to gain media attention,” Baydhani, chief of staff for the Baghdad se-curity command centre, told AFP in his office in the capital’s heavi-ly-fortified Green Zone. he added that loyalists of now-executed dic-tator saddam hussein were also looking to carry out attacks.

“We are working to keep Baghdad functioning normally during the summit,” he said, add-ing: “We do not put to put in place a curfew, but maybe necessity will require that.”

Baydhani continued: “cer-tainly airspace will be limited only to” planes carrying top offi-cials visiting Iraq for the summit, with commercial air traffic set to be barred.

An extra 10 brigades of se-curity forces - four police and six army - had been sent to Baghdad to reinforce the capital’s own mas-sive security apparatus, amount-ing to around an additional 5,000 soldiers and policemen.

Baydhani said security forces had carried out several opera-tions in a bid to clear areas of the capital, and had arrested some 10 senior Al-Qaeda fighters who he said were plotting to carry out at-tacks in Baghdad.

“there are no security con-cerns,” he said.

“We have assured the presi-dents (of the Arab League) of our security measures, and the am-bassadors of the various countries have seen the measures that have been taken, and they have seen the security training.” -AFP

UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan reads a statement af-ter his meeting with Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad in Damascus, March 11, 2012. (Reuters)

Anonymous-affiliated hacker group targets Tunisia Islamists

TUNIS: hackers claiming to belong to the Anonymous Internet freedom group posted video messages on Facebook pages of tunisian Islamists, threatening reprisals over their efforts to introduce salafist laws. “We are fighting you... your emails, your bank accounts and transactions will be probed, your hard discs will be copied,” said a man wearing the Guy Fawkes mask that has become a trade mark of Anonymous mem-bers. “If the tunisian government won’t stop your activities in the weeks to come, Anonymous will,” he added. “We are not against religion, we are muslims, but we are defending freedom in our country,” a separate written message said, posted along with images of the tunisian flag.

tunisia’s moderate Islamist leaders, who took power following last year’s ouster of strongman Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, are under pressure from

a radical muslim fringe. the ultra-conservative salafists have in recent months demanded full-face veils for female university students, casti-gated a tV channel for an allegedly blasphemous film and beaten up journalists at a protest.

Among the sites hacked was that of the hizb ut-tahrir party, which staged an international women’s conference near tunis at the weekend calling for the return of the caliphate, the Islamic system of government which held sway over the muslim world for hundreds of years. the attacks came as tunisia prepared to mark a national day of Internet freedom on tuesday in memory of blogger Zouhair Yahyaoui, who died on march 13, 2005 at the age of 36 after arrest and torture under Ben Ali’s regime. President moncef mar-zouki is to officially declare the national day and decorate Yahyaoui’s family. -AFP

Egyptian expat dues to finally be settled by Iraq

CAIRO: Iraqi Foreign minister hoshyar Zebari and his egyptian counterpart mohammad Kamel Amr signed sunday evening an agreement under which Iraq will transfer to egypt the pay arrears of egyptian expatriates amounting to usD 408 million, some 2.5 billion egyptian pounds.

the deal put an end to a prolonged dispute, dubbed as “the yellow transfers” that dates from the pre-Iraq war era; it concerns up to 670,000 egyptian former workers in Iraq. Addressing a joint press conference with his host, Zebari said: “these funds should have been transferred to egypt two years ago but the situations in egypt led to the delay.”

“the development of the situations in egypt resulted in today’s deal,” he said, affirming the commitment of his gov-ernment to all the previously signed agreements.

As for the dues of egyptian companies, Zebari said negotiations will start soon, adding that through today’s agreement Iraq “sends friendly message to the egyptian people.” -KuNA

SEOUL: US President Barack Obama will visit the tense military border between the two Koreas and ad-dress a message to the communist state during a trip to South Korea this month, a report said Monday.

Obama will tour the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during his visit to attend the March 26-27 Seoul Nuclear Secu-rity Summit, Chosun Ilbo newspaper cited a diplomatic source as saying.

“Obama is expected to... comment on North Korea issues and may make a speech regarding the global communi-ty’s concerns on the North and the US’s determination to support the South-US alliance,” said the source.

Yonhap news agency also reported Obama’s possible visit to the heavily guarded DMZ, which is surrounded by barbed wire and minefields and bisects the peninsula. The president may also meet US troops at the border during what would be his first trip to the DMZ, Chosun said. The US has based troops in the South since the 1950-53 war with the North and the force currently numbers 28,500.

The White House has proposed the DMZ visit to showcase the strength of the US-South Korean alliance and to address a message to the North’s re-gime under its new young leader Kim Jong-Un, the newspaper added.

A spokesman for the South’s presi-dential office said the DMZ trip was not finalized yet, although Seoul has con-

firmed Obama will be visiting the coun-try. A US embassy spokesman said he had no knowledge of the matter.

The impoverished but nuclear-armed North late last month agreed a deal to suspend some nuclear and mis-sile activities in return for US food aid.

The surprise announcement by the new leadership raised hopes of a re-sumption of long-stalled six-party nu-clear disarmament talks.

But the North has remained unre-mittingly hostile to South Korea and to its President Lee Myung-Bak, a close

friend of Obama’s.The border has been visited by

several US leaders including George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, who in 1993 described it as “the scariest place on earth”.

Cross-border tension has been high since Seoul accused Pyongyang of tor-pedoing one of its warships with the loss of 46 lives in March 2010.

The North angrily denied involve-ment but went on to shell a border is-land and kill four South Koreans in No-vember the same year. -AFP

NEWS IN BRIEFAt least 14 construction workers killed in TurkeyISTANBUL: A fire engulfed a tent used as a dormitory for workers at an Istan-bul construction site late Sunday, killing 14 people, a local official said. The work-ers were staying in a giant tent at the construction site of a supermarket, said Necmi Kadioglu, the mayor of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district. “We suspect that the fire might have originated from an electri-cal heater,” Kadioglu said, noting the cold weather in Istanbul. -AP

UK court to rule on euthanasia bidLONDON: A British judge is due to make a preliminary ruling on a paralyzed man’s wish that a doctor be allowed to end his life. The ruling expected Monday is on the government’s bid to throw out the case. The case was brought by Tony Nicklinson, who suffers from “locked-in” syndrome. Since suffering a stroke in 2005, he has been incapable of moving except to blink his eyes, but his mind is unaffected. -AP

Gunmen kill three near Nigerian flashpoint cityJOS: Gunmen shot dead three people near the flashpoint central city of Jos, hours after a suicide bombing of a Catho-lic church killed 11 people, the Plateau state government said Monday. The gun-men struck late Sunday in a village south of the city, hours after the attack raised Christian-Muslim tensions in the city, government spokesman Pam Ayuba told AFP, adding that those killed were Chris-tians. -AFP

Activists tap court to block Japan reactor restartTOKYO: A group of Japanese citizens said they would file a lawsuit Monday to prevent the restart of a nuclear power plant, a day after the first anniversary of the country’s atomic disaster. The group of 259 citizens are to file the suit in Osaka District Court seeking an injunction that would block the reopening of utility Kan-sai Electric’s nuclear power plants Oi Unit 3 and 4 in central Fukui prefecture. On Sunday, tens of thousands rallied near Japan’s crippled Fukushima plant de-manding an end to nuclear power after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami sparked meltdowns at the stricken plant. -Reuters

Merkel on Afghan trip questions 2014 German pullout

Obama to visit tense border with North Korea

South Africa government won’t recover illegal miners’ bodies

Bangladesh opposition holds mass rally in Dhaka

DHAKA: Thousands of Bangladeshi troops patrolled the streets of Dhaka on Monday as opposition parties prepared for a mass protest calling for the government to step down and hold elections.

Schools and shops were closed and roads in the capital were empty ahead of the rally, which has been planned for months by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies.

Media reports said thousands of opposition activists were detained ahead of the event, but police denied any organized crackdown.

“These are regular arrests nothing to do with the opposi-tion grand rally,” deputy commissioner of Dhaka police Monirul Islam told AFP.

Islam said at least 15,000 policemen and border guards were deployed in Dhaka to prevent violence.

Bus and ferry services to the city were also suspended, mak-ing it hard for opposition supporters to travel from rural areas.

BNP spokesman Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told AFP that at least 3,000 people had been detained nationwide over the last four days.

“Police have been holding our officials and supporters en masse,” Alamgir said. The Prothom Alo newspaper said more than 2,800 had been held since Wednesday.

Opposition anger has been growing since the government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, last year scrapped a neu-tral caretaker system for overseeing elections.

Bangladesh politics have often erupted into violence, with the last serious outbreak of street fighting between rival party activists in 2006 when several people were killed.

The next national election is due to be held by early 2014. -AFP

Right-wing party takes lead in El Salvador vote

Avalanche in Afghanistan kills at least 45

KUNAR: An avalanche engulfed houses and cut off roads in eastern Af-ghanistan on Monday, killing at least 45 people, the latest victims in the coun-try’s worst winter in 30 years.Heavy snow blanketed 13 houses and blocked roads leading into a district of Nuristan province, near the border with Paki-stan, preventing help from reaching avalanche victims, deputy provincial gov-ernor Mohammad Nabi Ahmadi said.

An entire village in northern Badakhshan province was covered by an avalanche almost a week ago, killing at least 50 people. Though avalanches are common in the mountainous north and east, the latest deaths are particularly painful during a winter that has killed dozens in the capital Kabul and created further food shortages in one of the world’s poorest countries. -AP

US President Barack Obama will tour the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during his visit to attend the March 26-27 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. (AFP)

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid an unexpected visit to German troops serving in the NATO mission in Af-ghanistan on Monday, a government spokes-man said. Merkel’s trip to German troops based near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan coincides with heightened tensions after an American soldier went on a shooting spree on Sunday killing 16 villagers in the south of the country. Germany is the third largest contributor of troops to NATO’s International Security As-sistance Force (ISAF), with over 5,000 soldiers. Merkel on Monday called into question Berlin’s planned pullout from Afghanistan in 2014 as she visited the war-torn country a day after a US sol-dier massacred 16 civilians. In a phone call to President Hamid Karzai from the northern town of Mazar-i-Sharif, Merkel expressed “her deep-est condolences” over the killings of the civilians in the southern province of Kandahar, Karzai’s spokesman said.

The point has not yet been reached where Germany can say “we can pull out today”, Merkel said as she visited troops stationed in Mazar-i-Sharif in the north of Afghanistan.

“And therefore, I can also not say that we will manage that by 2013/2014. The will is there, we want to do that and we are working towards that,” she said, according to German news agen-cy DPA.

NATO said in January it was committed to

withdrawing its combat troops from Afghani-stan by the end of 2014, when Afghan forces are scheduled to take full responsibility for national security.

It had 4,900 soldiers in Afghanistan as of February 1, but a further 500 are set to be with-

drawn by 2013 before a complete pullout.Opinion polls have shown that the German

mission, the first major Bundeswehr deployment outside of Europe since World War II, has been consistently unpopular in the country. Tensions were running high in Afghanistan as Merkel ar-

rived following a US soldier’s massacre of 16 villagers, including women and children, in their homes in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar before dawn on Sunday. “(Merkel) expressed condolences on behalf of herself and the people of Germany to the president over the killing of the innocent people in Kandahar,” Aimal Faizi, Karzai’s spokesman told AFP in Kabul. She also invited Karzai to visit Germany before the planned May NATO summit in Chicago, Faizi said. She congratulated Karzai for progress made in building up Afghan security forces and urged Kabul to push forward the political reconcilia-tion process with armed groups like the Taliban.

Sunday’s massacre added to roiling anti-Western sentiment in Afghanistan over the burn-ing of the Koran at a US base last month.

Germany and several other NATO member states pulled their advisors from Afghan insti-tutions after two members of the international force were shot dead in violence over the Quran incident.

The Koran burning ignited days of violent anti-US protests in which some 40 people died, plunging relations between foreign forces and their Afghan allies to an all-time low.

Sunday’s killing spree came as the United States and Afghanistan pursue difficult talks on securing a strategic pact to govern their partner-ship once foreign combat troops leave Afghani-stan, scheduled for 2014. -AFP

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s department of mines will not recover the bodies of at least 20 illegal miners pre-sumed dead after a disused gold mine col-lapsed on them last week, an official said Monday.

“The department does not engage in illegal mining. The owners of the assets should be responsible,” minerals and en-ergy department spokeswoman Zingaphi Jakuja told The New Age newspaper.

The accident at the Grootvlei mine near Johannesburg came to light last

Monday when one of the miners man-aged to escape from underground and alerted police.

A search was called off five days lat-er.

According to the trade union Solidar-ity, rescuers found a group of men still working in another part of the mine.

“These men confirmed that at least 20 of their comrades had died in the rock-fall,” said spokesman Gideon du Plessis.

Du Plessis said a decision to seal the section with concrete would be taken later Monday at a meeting of the depart-ment, the Chamber of Mines, and labor unions.

He said no further rescue operations were possible. “The area where they are trapped is inaccessible.”

The mine in the east of Johannesburg is owned by President Jacob Zuma’s neph-

ew and a grandson of Nelson Mandela. It had been officially closed but not made secure. Illegal mining, often operated by criminal syndicates, is common in South Africa’s disused gold mines. -AFP

SAN SALVADOR: A right-wing opposition party took an early lead in El Salvador’s general election, in which the leftist government of President Mauricio Funes is facing a key test of its popularity and support. With nearly six per-cent of precincts reporting, the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal said the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) was ahead with nearly 39.8 percent of the vote.

It was closely followed by the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) with 34.3 percent.

A conservative coalition named GANA led by ex-pres-ident Elias Antonio Saca, a congressional ally of the FMLN, was a distant third with 12.1 percent of the ballot.

Six smaller parties also fielded candidates.On Sunday, about 4.5 million Salvadorans elected 84

members of the unicameral legislature and mayors of 262

towns and cities. ARENA, which ruled El Salvador for two decades following the country’s civil war, campaigned on a tough anti-crime platform that resonated with many voters tired of rampant crime.

“I voted because I want to see changes in this country - our children and grandchildren live just like us, afraid of so much violence,” Mirna de Cordova, 66, told AFP.

De Cordova showed up with her husband Roberto ear-ly to vote at a polling station on the outskirts of the capital San Salvador, only to find that polls opened more than an hour behind schedule due to logistical problems.

Like many voters, De Cordova said she wants to tough-en laws against crime. Around 14 people are murdered ev-ery day in El Salvador, population six million, according to government figures.

While unemployment and underemployment dropped from 40 to 36 percent during the Funes administration, young people continue to emigrate to the United States.

A staggering one in three Salvadorans now lives in the United States, providing remittances of more than 3.6 bil-lion dollars in 2011, around one sixth of gross domestic product. Funes, a political moderate with high approval rat-ings, has two more years as president in this tiny, densely-populated Central American nation.

But his popularity does not necessarily transfer into votes for his party, the FMLN. In an improvised press con-ference as he voted Sunday, Funes urged voters to help him “guarantee that the changes that are taking place are strengthened, and not turned back.”

The FMLN has campaigned promising social programs

and job creation in a nation with unemployment among one third of the population, while ARENA has pledged a tougher tack against crime and youth gangs, or “Maras,” that now control entire neighborhoods in large cities and smaller communities, which they turn into drug-trafficking havens.

Both main parties “have developed similar propa-ganda... without explaining how they will deliver on their promises,” said Jannet Aguilar, director of the Institute of Public Opinion at the UCA.

The biggest single prize of the day is for mayor of the capital San Salvador, where ARENA Mayor Norman Qui-jano has strong support in his reelection race against the FMLN’s Schafik Handal, son of a prominent ex-guerrilla of the same name. -AFP

WORLD TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

ALWATAN DAILY

5

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (center) speaks with German soldiers in the Marmal Camp at the German Bundeswehr troops base in Masar-i-Sharif on March 12, as she made an unan-nounced visit to Afghanistan. (Reuters)

Heavy snow blanketed houses and blocked roads leading into a district of Nuristan province, near the border with Pakistan, preventing help from reaching avalanche victims. (AP)

Hundreds of illegal gold pirates are destroying their properties to loot property owners gold-dust from small holdings. (AFP)

Britain’s Hague to be sued over

Pakistan drone attacksLONDON: A British law firm said

it was to sue Foreign Secretary William Hague on behalf of a Pakistani man over claims that British intelligence was used to assist US drone attacks. London-based Leigh Day and Co confirmed they would issue formal proceedings at Britain’s High Court on behalf of Noor Khan, whose fa-ther was killed by a US strike in Pakistan. Lawyers will claim that civilian intel-ligence officers who pass on intelligence to the US are not “lawful combatants”, therefore cannot claim immunity from criminal law and could be liable as “sec-ondary parties to murder”.

They will also argue that the immuni-ty clause does not apply as Pakistan is not currently involved in an “international armed conflict”.

“There is credible, unchallenged evi-dence that (Hague) is operating a policy of passing intelligence to officials or agents of the US government and that he considers such a policy to be in ‘strict ac-cordance’ with the law,” Richard Stein, head of human rights at Leigh Day, said in a statement.

“If this is the case, the Secretary of State has misunderstood one or more of the principles of international law govern-ing immunity for those involved in armed attacks on behalf of a state.” Britain’s For-eign Office said it would not comment on legal or intelligence matters. Khan says his father, Malik Daud, was killed by a drone missile while at a council of elders meet-ing in northwest Pakistan. Drone attacks have become a key feature of US Presi-dent Barack Obama’s fight against terror-ism in Pakistan, but many inhabitants are deeply unhappy about the civilian death toll incurred in the raids. -AFP

Abdullah Al-Hadlaq

The genocide which was committed in Rwanda be-tween 1993 and 1994 which led to killing more than 800,000 persons because of the battles that occurred

between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes resulted as one of the worst crimes in the twentieth century. The other genocide of Srebrenica also led to killing more than 2,000 Muslims in Bosnia. These two genocides were a stain for the Euro-pean Countries but the current genocides that the barbaric Syrian regime is committing against the Syrian people are as brutal and disgusting as the Rwandan and Bosnian genocides.

The genocide in Syria led to killing more than 12,000 people within less than one year especially in Homs, Hama and Daraa city. Therefore we call the Internation-al Community and the Security Council to be up to its

moral and humane responsibility through taking effec-tive procedures for stopping the brutal practices of the Syrian regime.

The criminal Ba`ath regime is murdering civilians in the resistant Syrian cities and the Syrian people need an urgent relief either inside Syria or through submitting aids to the Syrian people who still live in the south of Tur-key near the Syrian borders. We hope the United Nations Security Council would support the mission of the for-mer Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan in order to reach a solution to ending the bloodshed in addition to setting in place a decent and secure life for the Syrian people who reject dictatorship and oppression.

At the present time, nobody can expect the coming development in the Syrian arena but a lot of specialized figures expect that a sharp human crisis will occur in the country soon as the number of the Syrian refugees is in-

creasing in Turkey and Jordan as people are escaping the barbaric practices of the regime which turned their coun-try into havoc due to the huge genocidal acts that the regime commits everyday which can be condemned as crimes against humanity.

Although the crimes of the criminal and the leader of the Ba`ath gang Bashar Al-Assad are as dangerous as the Rwandan ones, the Persian regime, Hezbollah and Hamas still support such a dying regime. The Member of Politi-cal Bureau of Hamas Mahmud Al-Zahar announced that Hamas will never cut its ties with the Syrian regime and he hoped the Syrian regime to revive again.

Iran also played a wicked role for suppressing the Syrian people through submitting military, logistic and intelligence support to the barbaric Syrian regime which is used to carrying out collective executions by hanging a number of youths in the meantime. Several reports af-

firmed that Persia plays a wicked role for supporting the dying regime in addition to providing the regime with weapons. The Persian forces have already suppressed the demonstrations of the Green Movement in Iran in 2009 due to forging the results of the presidential election.

It is time to reform United Nations Security Council which can be considered as the most supreme author-ity in the world in the field of making political decisions particularly after the practices of the Syrian regime have proven that power could suppress human rights. Such force also defeated the laws in Syria!! So, the UN Secu-rity Council is a frozen authority since the World war _ and such a leading authority faces some obstacles on the way of enforcing its role. The obstacle is the right of veto wherein five leading members enjoy this right out of 15 members. The five members are the United States, UK, France, Russia and China.

Rashed Al-RadaanStaff Writer

Perhaps the best news I have ever read was yesterday’s report that the government is seeking to refer senior officers to retirement. If the report is true then we can safely say that our government is on

the right track towards reform and a constructive approach. Those senior officers had already made their valuable contributions to this country and now it is time that they realize that their role and functions should be passed to younger officers to make their own contributions to the country in equal terms.

It is hard to believe that some of the senior officers have been in their position for the past 30 years continuously. In simple terms, this means that generations have arrived and gone, leaders and presidents have passed away and new ones appointed, countries have been divided and others were liberated and yet some officers remain in their office untroubled.If it is up to me and if I would have influence over the MPs, I would most certainly tell them to make the issue of forced retirement of very senior officers their top priority so that the younger generations would have ample opportunities to come up with their own ideas and contributions.

The problem of some senior officers capitalizing their own post is not peculiar to the Kuwaiti military. The judiciary system has witnessed similar demands as some of the ambitious young employees demanded that court judges should not remain in their posts more than four years after which they may return to their former posts.

Therefore, it would be most fitting to say to the government that the establishment, across the spectrum, needs to reinvigorate the system with younger people who have fresher ideas.

It is outrageous to see people occupying the very same position for the past thirty years and still yearning for more. Another military officer is now serving 33 years minus 10 days, and five minutes!

This is totally unacceptable in principle and especially in this day and age to have someone occupying the very same position for three decades and which cannot be described as positive and constructive. Of course, there are instances where people stay in their positions for an exception-ally longer period of time but usually they are there because of their extraordinary skills and unique qualifications and therefore they cannot be replaced that easily. It seems to me that the issue of being antiquarian is thematic in this country. Take for example, the statement made by the Minister of Commerce and Industry who said that the new commerce law is by far the most important because the old one was still dealing with rupees of the old Kuwaiti currency.

If the minister is saying that the old law were still dealing with the ru-pees, then his statement is incorrect. We know for a fact that law 9/1985 clearly states that the old currency is replaced by the new dinar ban-knote which is equal to 57 fils for one rupee.

Finally, a parliamentary expert stated that the government has cer-tain reservations against some of the investigative committees formed and set up by the National Assembly including a committee set up to investigate the multi-million deposits and cash transference. Wonders never cease!

Abdullah BisharaStaff Writer

Without any prior introduction and the usual prepa-rations, MP Saleh Ashour presented his own par-liamentarian interpellation against His Highness

the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah over the issue of the multi-million deposits and at the same time the MP had made accusations against the government of being reluctant to take decisive measures to sort out this particular issue which has caused tremendous political and social unrest in the country and to a certain extent has touched upon the issue of national unity.

MP Saleh Ashour was not one of the MPs who took the initiative and made the issue of the multi-million deposits one of the top priorities and national interests. It was only through the endeavors of some of the MPs as well as the fact that the issue has become a popular demand following various rumors and wide concerns that the disclosure of the truth and facts has become an inevitable and undisputed request.

Let us not forget that the MP Ashour was in the yester years very much supportive of the former Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad who, along with his associates, worked hard to provide the former prime minis-ter with the immunity he needed then after a no-confidence motion was taken against him. The MP did this even though he knows for a fact that the former prime minister was the architect behind the controversial issue.

The MP also knows for a fact that the current Prime Minister had taken no part of the issue let alone instigating

it in the first place. But we know for a fact that the MP Ash-our has a special agenda of his own and it is remotely linked to the issue of multi-million deposits as he claims. The man has his own political and parliamentary calculations and is never hesitant to use whatever winning cards he has in his possession. He is in the habit of reshuffling those cards in line with whatever is convenient for his political interest.

I am totally convinced that the motive behind the parlia-mentary interpellation is mere “naughtiness” on the part of the MP so that all expectations and anticipations are miscal-culated. It is obvious that there is a tendency to cause confu-sion and disorder so that the opposition finds itself stepping into the unknown and subsequently gets preoccupied with the initiative and its consequences of MP Saleh Ashour.

The MP is fully aware of the tactics he is adopting; his tone of voice is cool and controlled and has provided his rea-sons behind his parliamentary interpellation with exhibiting easiness and rational characteristics. The inference here that one may make and arrive at is that the MP Ashour is keen to get closer to the opposition for reasons of his own.

It is difficult not to ascertain that the MP Ashour knows what he is doing. The MP has been involved in the parlia-mentary life enough to make up his own conclusions. He has been closely observing the performance of various gov-ernments and now he has long arrived at the conclusion that

the government is feeble and weak not to mention the fact that coordination and discipline is very much absent.

Most certainly, he has noticed the absence of govern-ment’s solid cooperation within its own departments which usually coordinates between the state departments and subsequently formulates a uniformity and united front for the government stance and performance. Such coordination and cooperation between the state departments is like the maestro who conducts the musical band to produce musical harmony and synchronization.

The fact that the maestro is not present and is not pro-moted by the parliament makes an inevitable outcome to see some members of parliament taking advantage to fur-ther weaken the government and thus make it venerable to those who seek to target the government.

Despite all this, the MP Ashour, it seems, is forgetful to the fact that his timing for the parliamentary questioning is not accurate as he thought. The MP should have known and that the timing is not appropriate and that the condi-tions and circumstances which the country is going through would make his move inappropriate.

We all know that the current parliament is still in its early stages after a very long and difficult election. The new government is not a continuation of the old as it seeks des-perately to distance itself from the line of policies the for-

mer one had adopted. So, one should expect some teething problems at this stage. We also know that there is an opposi-tion whose thoughts and ideology are not in concordance with the government, and certainly is not in harmony with the ideas and thoughts adopted by the MP Ashour.

Against such background, one certainly questions the motives and reasons behind the timing and circumstances of the parliamentary interpellation and whatever goals the MP Ashour is trying to achieve.

In addition, the Kuwaiti public is not fully ready for such political scenarios and certainly is not eager to see yet an-other conflict between the parliament and the government. Above all, the Kuwaiti public doesn’t want to witness fric-tions between the two authorities which may at the end af-fect the very fundamentals which the country and the peo-ple of the country are keen to instill and firmly establish.

Let us not forget the country has been busy dealing with all forms of sectarianism which in some instances had reached unprecedented and sharp levels following the con-clusion of the last national elections. This has given many of us the impetus and deep belief that the country needs to overcome such trepidations and move forward brushing off all attempts to bring to surface the issue of sectarian conflict and dispute.

Now, the public are seriously looking at better parlia-mentary performances and allow a larger space for rational-ism and pragmatism at the expense of personal gains and interests.

It is democracy, discipline, respect and harmony which are the mottos that the country seeks to prevail and the criteria which each one of us would need to adhere to.

OPINIONTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

ALWATAN DAILY

6

Tendency to cause confusion for the opposition to tread into the unknown

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Younger generations needed to reinvigorate military blood

It is difficult not to ascertain that the MP Ashour knows what he is doing.

Mohmmed Thallab mthallab@alwatan.com.kw

BU QUTADA & BU NABIL

The massacres that the Syrian regime commits are as barbaric as Rwandan and Serbian massacres

This is a surreal painting .... It is about a

Kuwaiti woman ... do you know why we cover it ....

Because of the decency law

This is another painting about a woman too ....... We covered it because of

decency law too

This is a sculpture .... We covered it because

of decency law

Ummmm

These are paintings, sculptures and images .... You are violating a law

Oh,

they might

prevent us later

on from publishing

the drawings of

Bu Nabeel in the

newspaper!!

Do we need a referendum on referendums?

viewstuesDAY, mArch 13, 2012

ALwATAN DAiLY

7

Do we want those whom we elect to represent us, or channel us? to exercise their own judgment, or to be a simple conduit for the views of the majority of

their electors?It’s an old question, and the most famous answer to it,

still much treasured by parliamentarians, is the one given by the Anglo-Irish political philosopher edmund Burke to his electors in Bristol, england in 1774. An opponent vying for Burke’s seat had seemed to promise the Bristol voters not numerous, in those days that he would vote as they told him to.

that, said Burke, was wrong. “You choose a member indeed; but when you choose him, he is not a member of Bristol, but a member of parliament.” As that member, he has to determine not just the will of the little electorate of Bristol but that of the nation. “Your representative owes you, his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving, you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”

edmund Burke is a hero of the political right: margaret thatcher, before she was leader of the conservatives and later prime minister, quoted him when making the same point as his. But his opinion also registered across the politi-cal divide, as well as across the centuries: clement Attlee, leader of the Labor Party and prime minister in its postwar government, thought the same, even more vehemently than Burke or thatcher.

Nor is this confined to the “mother of parliaments” in London. It has been the common belief of electoral systems in democracies worldwide. And it’s been generally accepted that elected politicians need to exercise their judgment, es-pecially at critical moments - rather than rely on the shifting opinions of the electorate.

When a us president, burdened with the largest cares in the world, must decide what to do about momentous af-

fairs of state - whether the possibility of soviet nuclear mis-siles in cuba in 1962 or the possibility of an Iranian nuclear weapon 50 years later - no one says: Let’s have a referen-dum! Ask the people what they want!

We don’t want mob rule: We want the lonely man in the Oval Office to come up with the right answer. As europe still trembles on the verge of the collapse of its common curren-cy, we expect a lonely woman in the German chancellery - Angela merkel, the German chancellor and de facto leader of the european union - to similarly get it right. And when silvio Berlusconi’s government in Italy ran out of excuses, diversions and money, the political class in that country vot-ed for an unelected, technocratic prime minister in mario monti to take over, precisely so he, in his own loneliness, could take decisions. We don’t turn these decisions over to the people in referendums, because citizens wouldn’t know what to do - or if they did, they would have hundreds of different opinions. someone has to take the general view, in the fullest knowledge possible of the up- and downsides of every option. someone has to carry the can.

Besides, tests of the popular will through referendums* give much practical support to edmund Burke’s view of po-litical life. california, the most persistent referendum taker among the us states, is lumbered with the results of a ref-erendum from 1978, Proposition 13, which placed a cap on property taxes, the main source of funding for schools - and has had a worsening, cash-strapped school system ever since. In 2009, six referendums on taxes to patch up the vast holes in the state’s budget were all voted down, which means the crisis has deepened.

european leaders aren’t keen on referendums either:

the voting keeps giving them the wrong answers. In the past few years, referendums in France, Ireland and the Neth-erlands have all rejected one or other of the major decisions taken by the european union, a reflection of the fact that euro-skepticism, once thought the preserve of only the Brit-ish, is creeping over the continent.

For liberals, referendums are a particular challenge. there’s some substance to the view of the right that the people should decide, and when they do, they’ll be right, both morally and politically. surveys by London’s YouGov polling organization this year showed that the British, given the chance, would vote heavily to reduce net immigration to zero; vote quite decisively to give the names of convicted pedophiles to parents in their areas; only a little less con-vincingly to take the uK out of the european union; and narrowly bring back the death penalty (abolished in most of the uK in 1969) for the murder of a police officer.

All of the measures that would be voted down, mean-while, were liberal causes - as with the banning of the death penalty for all crimes and a relaxed immigration policy. Were Britain to go the way of switzerland and take its key decisions by popular will through referendums, it would be a much less liberal place. And it would not be alone. espe-cially now, in europe, when immigration is unpopular, the British mood on immigrants would meet agreement else-where.

Yet the Burkean consensus is under strain. Politicians, aware of their unpopularity and a growing public demand to be involved in political decisions, are now promising to consult the people by referendum more than they have. President Nicolas sarkozy - who earlier this week said that

France had “too many immigrants” - has promised referen-dums, not just on immigration but on education and wel-fare, as he seeks to claw down his socialist opponents’ lead in the polls before the presidential election in April. David cameron, the British premier, has called for a referendum in scotland to determine whether or not it will remain in the uK. most recently, the Irish taoiseach, enda Kenny, has called a referendum on the european stability treaty, which would give Ireland access to extra funding but commit it to more budgetary control from Brussels.

the uK’s foremost pollster, the former journalist Peter Kellner, who is a co-founder and president of YouGov, sees this gathering tendency as a gathering threat to democratic politics. Noting the low trust ratings for politicians in his data, he told an audience in London on monday that “the confidence of our political classes has been shot. they no longer take the big decisions.”

some of this is the media’s fault, or at least our fault for loving the type of media that we do. the American media writer Neal Gabler (the triumph of the American Imagi-nation and much else worth reading) told Bill moyers last month that Americans love political contests, and movies about great (or crooked) presidents, but they can’t bear to watch or read about the messy, tedious, compromising busi-ness of governance - “governance,” said Gabler, “is a lousy movie. And we don’t know how to deal with that.” And be-cause Americans love movie politicians and hate the real ones, they withdraw their support from the real politicians in government and weaken them further. With such a pub-lic mood, Burke’s refusal to “sacrifice” his judgment to his electors’ opinions sounds like arrogance, the kind of thing few politicians would dare to say.

Yet it isn’t arrogance: Burke is still right. In democratic systems, we elect politicians to, more often than not, com-promise; make deals; dilute their election rhetoric and ig-nore their voters’ demands. In doing so - if they do so in good faith and in pursuit of a general good - they serve de-mocracy, and thus their voters, best.

* John Lloyd co-founded the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, where he is Director of Journalism.

There’s some substance to the view of the right that the people should decide, and when they do, they’ll be right, both morally and politically.

Obama’s hamburger problem

If President Barack Obama can per-suade congress to reduce the corpo-rate income tax rate to 28 percent from

35 percent, he will move tax rates closer to what other modern countries charge.

But his plan to treat “manufacturing” as a special category, with a 25 percent tax rate, brings us to what I call Obama’s hamburger problem.

the problem is how to define manu-facturing. to paraphrase Justice Potter stewart on obscenity, I know manufactur-ing when I see it; I just don’t know how to define it in tax law.

Assembling automobiles is considered manufacturing. so what about assembling two hot protein discs with special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions - all on a sesame seed bun?

the notion of hamburger-making as manufacturing may seem silly, a bit like the 1981 us Agriculture Department proposal to classify ketchup as a vegeta-ble for school lunches. But classifying ac-tivities as manufacturing or not becomes crucial if manufacturers pay taxes at a reduced rate. Imagine all the high-paying jobs Obama’s plan would create. compa-nies of all kinds will want to hire more tax accountants and lawyers making the case that their client’s business activity is manufacturing. these are not the sort of additional jobs America needs.

there could also be more work for economists, engineers and historians whose expertise would be tapped for creative ways to expand the definition of manufacturing. We have the prototype for the reduced manufacturer’s tax rate in the Domestic Production Activities Deduc-tion, a law implemented in 2005 which comes with a plethora of complex eligibil-ity rules that already create more work for tax professionals.

Drag On Economyscrutinizing tax returns to determine

what is and is not manufacturing would further require a diversion of Irs audi-tors, lawyers and specialists from the more important job of hunting for calcu-lated tax evaders. Inevitably there would be litigation aplenty, a boon to trial law-yers but a drag on the economy.

Building an automobile obviously involves manufacturing. rocks must be refined to turn their useful elements into steel and aluminum. much of the added value will be in the engine and transmis-sion, where steels made with special al-loys must be heat-treated and machined to endure enormous, and rapid, twisting forces. Increasingly cars are built with plastics, sophisticated chemical com-pounds that must be created from base materials and then molded or extruded.

But should mere assembly of an au-tomobile qualify as manufacturing? Does fitting the already manufactured pieces together qualify as manufacturing? And what if the parts were all manufactured in, say, Japan while the only activity in the united states was assembling them into a whole?

Would tax law define manufacturing as the process of making a car as a whole? Or would companies lobby for laws that break it into parts with profits earned at different stages of production taxed at

different rates? Would that, in turn, mean accounting practices that load costs onto one stage of production to take profits at the 25 percent rate and losses, such as an assembly line, at the 28 percent rate?

Imagine a car company that reports a 200 million us dollars profit to sharehold-ers. Now imagine that it reports a 300 us million dollars manufacturing profit taxed at 25 percent and a $100 million assembly line loss at the 28 percent general corpo-rate rate. the company’s profit would still be 200 million us dollars, but its blended tax rate would be just 23.5 percent.

hamburgers may seem like pure as-sembly, but a case can be made that they are more like manufacturing than assem-bling a car from finished parts made over-seas.

Your local hamburger joint starts with raw meat, fresh or frozen. If it comes in lumps then someone must make the meat into uniform discs or squares. then the protein must be fried, grilled or broiled. Only then can the meat, lettuce and what-not be assembled.

eight years ago the Bush administra-tion used this very example to warn about the unintended consequences of tax in-centives for manufacturing.

the 2004 economic report of the President asked,”when a fast-food res-taurant sells a hamburger, for example, is it providing a ‘service’ or is it combining inputs to ‘manufacture’ a product?”

the comment, put in a box on its own page to draw attention to the issue, also noted that “sometimes, seemingly subtle differences can determine whether an industry is classified as manufacturing. For example, mixing water and concen-trate to produce soft drinks is classified as manufacturing. however, if that activity is performed at a snack bar, it is considered a service.”

taxing different corporate activi-ties at different rates is a bad idea unless you think we need more national income spent on gaming the tax system. Let’s not go there.

* David Cay Johnston is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. The views expressed are his own.

Scrutinizing tax returns to determine what is and is not manufacturing would further require a diversion of IRS auditors, lawyers and specialists from the more important job of hunting for calculated tax evaders.

The Age of Authoritarian Democracy

Sergei Karaganov

the world is currently being shaken by tectonic changes almost too numerous to count: the ongoing economic crisis is

accelerating the degradation of international governance and supranational institutions, and both are occurring alongside a massive shift of economic and political power to Asia. Less than a quarter-century after Francis Fukuyama declared “the end of history,” we seem to have arrived at the dawn of a new age of social and geopolitical upheaval.

Dramatically, the Arab world has been swept by a revolutionary spring, though one that is rapidly becoming a chilly winter. Indeed, for the most part, the new regimes are combining the old authoritarianism with Islamism, result-ing in further social stagnation, resentment, and instability.

even more remarkable, however, are the social and antisocial grassroots demonstrations that are mushrooming in affluent Western soci-eties. these protests have two major causes.

First, social inequality has grown unabated in the West over the last quarter-century, ow-ing in part to the disappearance of the soviet union and, with it, the threat of expansionist communism. the specter of revolution had forced Western elites to use the power of the state to redistribute wealth and nurture the growth of loyal middle classes. But, when com-munism collapsed in its eurasian heartland, the West’s rich, believing that they had nothing more to fear, pressed to roll back the welfare state, causing inequality to rise rapidly. this was tolerable as long as the overall pie was ex-panding, but the global financial crisis in 2008 ended that.

second, over the past 15 years, hundreds of millions of jobs shifted to Asia, which offered inexpensive and often highly skilled labor. the West, euphoric from its victory over commu-nism and its seemingly unstoppable economic growth, failed to implement necessary structural reforms. Germany and sweden were rare excep-tions. Instead, Western prosperity relied increas-ingly on debt.

But the economic crisis has made it impos-sible to maintain a good life on borrowed mon-

ey. Americans and europeans are beginning to understand that neither they, nor their children, can assume that they will become wealthier over time.

Governments now face the difficult task of implementing reforms that will hit the majority of voters hardest. In the meantime, the minor-ity that has benefited financially over the past two decades is unlikely to give up its advantages without a fight.

All of this cannot fail but to weaken West-ern democracy’s allure in countries like russia, where, unlike in the West or to a large extent the Arab world, those who are organizing the mas-sive demonstrations against the government be-long to the economic elite. theirs is a movement of political reform - demanding more freedom and government accountability - not of social protest, at least not yet.

A few years ago, it was fashionable to worry about the challenge that authoritarian-style capitalism, for example, in china, singapore, malaysia, or russia presented to Western demo-cratic capitalism. today, the problem is not only economic.

Western capitalism’s model of a society based on near-universal affluence and lib-eral democracy looks increasingly ineffective compared to the competition. Authoritarian countries’ middle classes may push their lead-ers toward greater democracy, as in russia, but Western democracies will also likely become more authoritarian.

Indeed, measured against today’s standards, charles De Gaulle, Winston churchill, and Dwight eisenhower were comparatively author-itarian leaders. the West will have to re-adopt such an approach, or risk losing out globally as its ultra-right and ultra-left political forces con-solidate their positions and its middle classes

begin to dissolve.We must find ways to prevent the political

polarization that gave rise to totalitarian sys-tems - communist and fascist - in the twentieth century. Fortunately, this is possible. commu-nism and fascism were born and took root in societies demoralized by war, which is why all steps should be taken now to prevent the out-break of war.

this is becoming particularly relevant today, as the smell of war hangs over Iran. Israel, which is facing a surge of hostile sentiment among its neighbors in the wake of their “democratic” up-heavals, is not the only interested party. many people in the advanced countries, and even some in russia, look increasingly supportive of a war with Iran, despite - or perhaps owing to - the need to address the ongoing global econom-ic crisis and failure of international governance.

At the same time, huge opportunities beck-on in times of far-reaching change. Billions of people in Asia have extricated themselves from poverty. New markets and spheres for applying one’s intellect, education, and talents are ap-pearing constantly. the world’s power centers are beginning to counterbalance each other, undermining hegemonic ambitions and herald-ing a creative instability based on genuine multi-polarity, with people gaining greater freedom to define their fate in the global arena.

Paradoxically, today’s global changes and challenges offer the potential for both peaceful coexistence and violent conflict. Whether fortu-nately or not, it is up to us - alone - to determine which future it will be.

* Sergei A. Karaganov is Dean of the School of World Economics and International Affairs at Russia’s National Research University High-er School of Economics.

ReutersDavid Cay Johnston

ReutersJohn Lloyd

Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev meets United Russia political party leaders in the Gorki residence outside Moscow, on March 6, 2012. (AFP)

New markets and spheres for applying one’s intellect, education, and talents are appearing constantly.

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In Focus

Yours, mineand our ‘chaoticians’

KUWAIT: Everybody, every bank and investment com-pany and every country has their very own ‘Green Mon-key’. The Green Monkey is a colt that was sold as a two year old for 16 million US dollars, a world record auction price. The colt was so named after the owner’s connections with The Green Monkey golf course in Barbados (the is-land has green monkeys) and the colt was also foaled in the Chinese year of the green monkey. The Green Monkey, raced only thrice, was retired after only a year, did not win a single race and showed no inclination to run competitive-ly. The cerebral occupations of the 19th and 20th century were mathematician and scientist in that order. The 21st century is likely to have ‘Chaostician’ (pronounced ‘kay-oh-tician’) as the key occupation, as delivering results in times of strategic chaos becomes increasingly important in the business world.

‘Yours, mine and ours’ (a 1968 movie starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball and remade in 2005) gets a whole new 21st century meaning. Africa is a continent with min-eral wealth that has not yet been fully mapped, explored or estimated. South Africa alone has mineral wealth estimated at nearly $3 trillion. Ghan (gold), Nigeria (oil), South Su-dan (oil), Libya (oil), Zambia (copper), Guinea (bauxite), Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia are other examples. As both Western governments and China make a beeline for African mineral deposits, governments in Africa seek to increase state intervention (regulation and taxes) on the mining sector to raise revenue quickly. In addition to taxes, miners are likely to be increasingly asked to dish out local goodies such as roads, railways, schools, hospitals and in-vestments in power plants and refineries. Divestment regu-lations will also make it mandatory in some instances to sell equity stakes to locals.

Working well into the golden years appears to be crush-ingly good economics. The previous broadsides that people should retire earlier to free up jobs for the younger gen-eration, have slowly sunk. However, historical data in both developed and developing economies has shown that high employment rates among the older workforce is invariably accompanied by high rates among the younger workforce as well. People working, at any age, earn money and spend that money, this in turn creates jobs for the younger generations in an expanding economy.

eople retiring early place a burden of pension and taxes on the younger generations, while reducing average dis-posable incomes. Early retirement ages reduce wage bills but result in ballooning pension costs. No society can be prosperous and progress if it eventually pays an increas-ing number of people not to work (retirement benefits). Working long hours and working long years are here to stay. Here today and gone tomorrow is no longer good eco-nomics. In fact econometrics shows that if the retirement age was brought down to 40, most young people would be employer, however, average per capita incomes would reduce, taxes would increase, demand would reduce. Re-tirement, economically speaking, is moving from a practice to a concept.

The 18th century English rhyme, ‘Sing a Song of Six-pence’ included the lyrics ‘pocket full of rye, four and twen-ty blackbirds, baked in a pie, when the pie was opened the birds began to sing’. More recently, private equity fees of ‘two and twenty’ have come under increasing criticism. Pri-vate equity managers charge a two percent management fee and a 20 percent share of profits. The sharp edge of the pie is that the two percent management fee is calculated on capi-tal committed, not on capital invested. The management fee could amount to as much as 20 percent of invested capital. Academics at Yale have shown that private equity fund man-agers are (not surprisingly) better at enriching themselves than their investors. In times of economic crises, two and twenty is plenty.

The views expressed above are the writer’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Al Watan Daily and its staff. Savio is a financial and management advisor with a background in economics. He has carried outconsulting and management intervention projects in several countries such as USA, UK, Australia, Kenya, Armenia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia etc. The writer may be contacted on saviosgomes@gmail.com.

tuesdAY, mArch 13, 2012

BUSINESSSee page 10

Oil slips under $125 on growth concernsLONDON: Oil prices fell on Monday, snapping four

days of gains as worries over supplies from the Middle East eased and investors focused on the health of the global economy and fuel demand.

Tension between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear program has raised fears this year of a disrup-tion to oil supplies from the Mideast Gulf but talks on the dispute are due to start soon, calming fears of an im-mediate crisis.

European economies are either contracting or stalled and there are increasing doubts whether the US Federal Reserve will maintain its loose monetary policy, which has been a major support for growth.

Brent crude oil futures for April fell to a low of 124.20 US dollars, down $1.78, before recovering a little trade around $124.50 by 1425 GMT. US crude dropped to an intra-day low of $105.38, down $2.02.

“Evidently investors are beginning to feel that the oil price has reached its upper limit and are taking profits while they can,” said Carsten Fritsch, commodity analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.

“With less emphasis on Iran and the Middle East, the focus is shifting back on to the fundamentals of oil supply and demand,” Fritsch added.

Signs the US economy is regaining strength buoyed the dollar on Monday but shares and commodities gave up some recent gains as investors fretted about a possible slowdown in Asia and Europe’s struggle with big debts and scant growth.

China’s weak export data released over the weekend, showing a record monthly trade deficit for February, set the early tone in risk asset markets, coupled with recent numbers showing falling inflation, softer retail sales and lower industrial output than expected in the world’s sec-ond largest economy.

China posted its largest trade deficit in at least a decade, fanning concerns of lower fuel demand in the world’s second largest economy.

While the deficit raised questions over the global economy’s appetite for its goods, China’s crude imports and implied oil demand reached record levels in Febru-ary.

Speculators cut their net long positions in US crude

oil futures and options positions in the week to March 6 for the first time in five weeks as prices fell, data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) showed on Friday.

Brent rose 1.88 percent last week in its sixth weekly rise in seven, after Greece averted an immediate default while US employment data improved, strengthening prospects of better fuel demand in the world’s largest oil user.

Investors are still spooked by supply concerns stem-ming from Iran’s dispute with the West over its nuclear program, on top of lower output from Syria, South Sudan and Yemen.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) pumped the most oil in more than three years in February but oil prices have surged more than eight per-cent this year, raising concerns that expensive oil could hurt global economic growth. -Reuters

Exxon, Iraq agree on West Qurna oilfield payments

CAPITALS: Exxon Mobil and Baghdad have reached agreement for the US-based company to be paid in oil for work on the huge West Qurna-1 oilfield, after months of negotiations over contract terms, an Iraqi oil official said.

The foreign oil companies involved in Iraq’s oil expansion generally prefer to be compensated for capital expenditure and service fees in oil, be-cause cash payments are more complicated to ar-range.

US Crude $106.01 $1.39

London Brent $124.48 $1.50

Kuwait Crude $120.58 $0.54

Information Courtesy: KAMCO

market watch

KUWAIT DUBAI QATAR OMAN ABU DHABI BAHRAIN EGYPT SAUDI

cUrreNcIeSUS Dollar

Buy 0.2782Sell 0.2797

EuroBuy 0.3653Sell 0.3659

British PoundBuy 0.4354Sell 0.4361

Japanese YenBuy 0.003388Sell 0.003394

Saudi RiyalBuy 0.0743Sell 0.0744

UAE DirhamBuy 0.07582Sell 0.07594

Qatari RiyalBuy 0.07662Sell 0.07648

Bahraini DinarBuy 0.7387Sell 0.73985

Indian RupeeBuy 0.005582Sell 0.005572

Philippine PesoBuy 0.006541Sell 0.006527

Prices in Kuwaiti fils As of March 12, 2012 Courtesy: KAMCO

OIL marketS

0.07%6150

1.1%1667 0.0%

86340.3%5902

1.1%2615

0.0%1150

0.1%7540

1.4%5229

Exclusive to Al Watan Daily

Savio S. Gomes

Workers make spare parts for a drilling machine inside a factory in Kolkata March 12, 2012. India’s in-dustrial output in January grew at its fastest pace in seven months, powered by a surge in manufactur-ing including consumer non-durables, a sign of strength in a sluggish economy that reinforces expecta-tions the central bank will wait until April before cutting interest rates. (Reuters)

Burgan Bank agreesto 10 fils cash dividend payout, 5% bonus share distribution

Doha Bank senior debt issue nearly 8 times oversubscribed

CAPITALS: Sheikh Fahad Bin Mo-hammed Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Chairman of Doha Bank, announced in a press release on Monday, “We have successfully com-pleted the senior bond issue of 500 mil-lion US dollars under Doha Bank’s Euro Medium Term Note Program (EMTN) of two billion dollars through arrangers Morgan Stanley and J P Morgan.

The bond is listed on London Stock Exchange (LSE). The proceeds will be used for general funding purposes required to support the bank’s growth plans.

Sheikh Abdul Rehman Bin Moham-mad Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Managing Direc-tor of Doha Bank said, “The issue gen-erated an overwhelming response from investors in Asia, the Middle East and Eu-rope resulting in oversubscription of the bond by nearly eight times. It shows the exceptionally high profile of Qatar and Doha Bank in the global market space.”

R Seetharaman, Chief Executive Offi-cer (CEO) of Doha Bank Group, said, “The senior five-year bond carries a coupon of 3.5 percent and was issued at a spread of 262.5 basis points (bps) over mid swaps. This landmark deal is a follow up issue from Doha Bank’s previous debut sub-ordinated bond issue of $340 million in 2006. Doha Bank’s successful bond issue follows perfectly executed road shows in major financial centers in Asia, the Mid-dle East and Europe including Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, London, Zurich and Geneva. Leading investors comprising of banks, investment funds and other finan-cial institutions invested in Doha Bank’s

bond. We received over 250 orders from institutions globally which speaks vol-umes on the faith of global investors in the bank’s strong performance in recent years, its strategy, franchise and leading market position along with the impressive economic growth in Qatar”.

Doha Bank is the third largest con-ventional Bank in Qatar. Total assets of the bank as of Dec. 31, 2011, were 52.4 billion Qatari riyals and total sharehold-ers’ equity for the same period was 7.1 billion riyals with a net profit of 1.24 bil-lion riyals. The return on average share-holders’ equity which was 22 percent and the return on average assets that was 2.49 percent. Moody’s has assigned a rating of ‘A2’ to Doha Bank indicating strong cred-it quality of the bank.

Holds annual general assembly meetings, Shafafiya Investors Forum

KUWAIT: Burgan Bank on Monday held its annual Al Shafafiya Investor’s fo-rum at the Sheikha Salwa Al Sabah ball-room. The forum was followed after the bank’s annual general assembly meet-ings, in which members of the board pre-sented Burgan Bank’s financial earnings report for the year ended Dec. 31, 2011 and agreed to a payout of 10 Kuwaiti fils as cash dividends while also distributing bonus shares of five percent to registered shareholders. This was stated in a press re-lease on Monday.

Following the Annual General As-sembly Meetings, Burgan Bank held its annual Shafafiya forum which serves as a platform for the bank’s management to present the main events for 2011 as well as its outlook for 2012 to shareholders, partners, as well as institutional inves-tors.

Burgan Bank’s Chairman, Majed Essa Al-Ajeel said, “2011 marked a period of turnaround for Burgan Bank Group. It has been a challenging year in terms of the European debt crisis, the contraction of the Kuwait economy and political unrest in sections of the Middle East. Despite this, the group has delivered a net profit that is on par with its pre-global financial crisis results. Throughout the year the group’s subsidiaries continued also to de-

liver solid financial results amid political tension across the region. Our operations in Kuwait achieved quarter on quarter growth - a substantial turnaround in its fi-nancial performance despite challenging local market conditions and a lower level in the implementation of the country’s development plan.”

Eduardo Eguren, Chief Executive Offi-cer of Burgan Bank also noted, “Through-out the year, the bank has maintained a strong balance sheet and healthy top-line performance and is poised for organic and in-organic growth in 2012. The results we have achieved are a testament to the support of the Board and the drive of the Executive Management team. In 2012 the bank will continue its focus on driving in-organic growth through strategic acquisi-tions whilst continuing to build local mar-ket share to drive organic growth.”

The Shafafiya Forum is an annual event that is held amongst Kuwait Proj-ects Company’s (KIPCO) subsidiaries, and reflects a strong corporate gover-nance practice, which promotes corporate fairness, transparency and accountability. The forum provides an ideal gate to dis-cuss financial reports and outlook as well as market predictions openly with share-holders.

Earlier, Burgan Bank announced signif-icantly improved financial results for the year ended Dec. 31, 2011. The bank post-ed 50.6 million Kuwaiti dinars net profit, 10 times increase from the same period of 2010 reported at KD 4.7 million.

Sheikh Fahad Bin Mohammed Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Chairman of Doha Bank

Oil minister says energy forum comes at critical circumstancesSingapore takespart in energy forum in Kuwait

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Minister of Oil Hani Hussein said the 13th International Energy Forum due in Kuwait on Monday comes at very critical circumstances across the world, especially the uprising-hit Arab region.

Speaking to Kuwait Television, the minister said what really adds fuel to the fire are threats of closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the Eurozone crisis, speculations and hiking oil prices.

He stressed the significance of the forum, which will

kick off on Monday, with representatives from 76 coun-tries participating. The gathering focuses on the future of oil industry, which concerns producers and consumers alike, he said.

Ministers of energy and oil from several countries and representatives from 19 international organizations and major world companies are to be present in the forum, he noted.

This large presence shows the participants’ eagerness to reinforce relations with Kuwait, which is a tiny, but in-fluential, country, the minister added.

On oil prices, he said his country is against a fresh rise in international oil prices, which could be useful on the short run, but surely harmful on the middle and long run.

The Kuwaiti oil minister went on to say that Kuwait plans to boost its oil output up to four million barrels per day by 2020 from three million barrels per day at present.

On new oil refinery and environmental fuel projects, he said they are of paramount significance to Kuwait, not-ing that they would cost roughly 8.5 billion dinars and need 100,000 workers.

In more related news, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck declared on Monday he would discuss at the International Energy Forum, to be shortly hosted by Kuwait, prospected energy investment oppor-tunities.

Singapore joined the International Energy Forum in February 2011. -KUNA

Doroo Holding Company established with KD 1.360 million capital

KUWAIT: Kuwait Gazette announced on Monday establishment of Doroo’ Holding Company, with a capital of 1.360 million Kuwaiti dinars.

It was incepted as a Kuwaiti closed shareholding company with a capital of KD 1.360 million, distributed over 13.608 million shares, each valued at 100 Kuwaiti fils, the gazette said in its latest edition.

The company owns shares in Kuwaiti or foreign shareholding compa-nies, besides stocks or stakes in Kuwaiti or foreign limited liability com-panies, takes part in establishment of these two types of companies and management and lending and acting as guarantor for others with no less than 20 percent participation of the holding company in the borrowing company.

The company owns industrial property rights of patents, industrial trademarks, royalties or any other related rights, or hires them for other companies for use in Kuwait and abroad. -KUNA

KUWAIT: Investors Group organizes the Gulf Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (GPCE) during April 9-10 under the slogan (Gulf Petroleum Integration .. Prospects and Challenges) under the patronage and pres-ence of Oil Minister and Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC) Chairman, Hani Abdul-Aziz Hussain; and several chairmen of local, regional, and international oil companies; in addition to executive directors, oil experts, economists, and politicians from Kuwait and abroad. This was mentioned in a press release on Monday.

The GPCE organizing committee held a press conference in Costa Del Sol Hotel on March 11 addressing the objectives of the conference, its themes, and the participants.

Moreover, it discussed a number of the new developments and changes occurring in the field of oil, gas, and petrochemicals industry locally, regionally, and internation-ally.

Head of the organizing committee, Jamal Al-Gharabally, said in the press conference that the conference is tak-ing place in light of regional changes that cast its shadows over the global oil mar-kets, thus highlighting the importance of Arabian Gulf region because of its potential and capabilities contributing to the stability of global oil markets and reinforce the con-fidence in it.

Furthermore, Al-Gharabally added that the conference reflects Kuwait’s interest in the development of oil sector, through the sponsorship of Kuwait Petroleum Company and other local, regional, and international companies operating in the oil and gas in-dustry.

The conference will also address chal-lenges and prospects of oil and gas Industry in Arabian Gulf region in specific, and in the world in general.

Al-Gharabally mentioned that the confer-ence will be accompanied with a specialized exhibition for sponsor and participant com-panies and organizations, displaying major projects under development or that will be executed in the coming months and years in Arabian Gulf region in the field of oil, gas, and petrochemicals industry; with avail-able opportunities in this regard for the participation of specialized international companies.

The conference has attracted the atten-tion and participation of the most important companies operating in this vital sector in Kuwait, Arabian Gulf, and the world to dis-play the newest technologies used in it var-ied activities and introduce its current and future projects, in addition to identifying the potential impacts on the regional scene, Al-Gharabally said.

On the other hand, the conference will be an excellent opportunity for international companies, Al-Gharabally articulated, to view the latest developments in the oil sec-tor in Arabian Gulf region and the works and tenders to be put forward within the major projects in the country, and the region. The conference will witness the participation of a large number of local and international ex-perts, economists, politicians, decision mak-

ers, and local and international specialists in oil, gas, and petrochemicals industry; from regional and international organizations, companies, and authorities to discuss major developments in the industry and the chal-lenges facing it, the future trends and pros-pects.

The importance of the conference, Al-Gharabally stated, lies in the important role Kuwait plays in the oil field and a country holding 10 percent of the world oil reserves, and being one of the countries aiming to in-habit the latest technologies in exploration, extraction, exploration, drilling, transporta-tion and export fields.

Al-Gharabally said that Kuwait oil pro-duction currently reaches three million bar-rels per day (bpd), where as KPC has set up a long term strategic plan seeking to reach 3.5 million barrels per day in 2015, then four million barrels per day few years later.

He added that huge amount of the finance of the recent government development plan, which was approved in Feb. 2, 2010 with total of KD 30 billion was dedicated for spending on major projects in the oil and gas sector.

Al-Gharabally expressed his gratitude for KPC headed by Minister of Oil and Chair-man of KPC for its support of this conference which demonstrates the key and central role played by this institution in this context.

For his part, head of the Scientific Com-mittee of Gulf Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (GPCE), Dr. Jassem Bishara, said in the press conference that the slogan of the conference is Gulf Petroleum Integration .. Prospects and Challenges, whereas the con-ference will address several themes and sub-jects covering important areas regarding the oil, gas, and petrochemicals industry, whether it is technical, economic, commercial, and po-litical issues and the role of this vital industry in the development process in Kuwait and the GCC countries in general.

Dr. Bishara affirmed that GCC coun-tries have strategic importance with re-spect to oil, gas, and petrochemicals indus-try as they provide the world with quarter of its oil needs, and around 20 percent of natural gas, and they own around 40 per-cent of world oil reserves, and around 15 percent of world gas reserves.

Clyde RussellReuters market analyst

SINGAPORE: China’s record crude im-ports in February are most likely as high as they will go, at least for the coming months, as rising prices, refinery maintenance and slower economic growth curb demand.

China swallowed a record 5.95 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude last month from overseas, continuing a recent strong run of imports.

Since November China has racked up three of the four strongest months on record for oil imports, and at a time when economic growth is moderating, given the dual need to tackle high domestic inflation and weakness in key export markets such as Europe and the United States.

The conventional thinking is that Chinese refiners have been filling storage in recent months, a view borne out by the seeming

disconnect between imports and implied oil demand. Implied demand was 9.71 million barrels a day in February, with this figure cal-culated by adding net fuel imports to refinery throughput.

However, if you add together crude im-ports, net imports of refined products and domestic oil output, you get a figure some 670,000 barrels a day north of the implied demand.

This means China has most likely been fill-ing storage tanks, although it’s impossible to know for certain as the world’s second-largest oil user rarely publishes inventory data.

But if you assume the extra crude oil im-ports are going into storage, the question then becomes how likely is this to continue?

If history is any guide, it appears the Chi-nese buy crude for storage when they assess oil prices to be relatively cheap.

This is no longer the case, with Brent hav-ing gained more than 26 percent since its low

in October last year to trade around 126 US dollars a barrel.

This means that cargoes arriving in March and April would have been purchased at con-siderably higher prices than those bought for January and February, given the lag of up to two months between order and delivery.

This makes it less likely that the Chinese will continue to fill stockpiles, and more likely they will wait until prices moderate again.

Take away the extra demand for storage and suddenly China’s oil imports are more likely to be around 5.3 million to 5.4 million barrels a day.

And this figure could also drop in coming months if the upcoming refinery maintenance season is as heavy as a Reuters poll suggests.

Refinery runs are forecast to drop to their lowest in 31 months in March, the poll found.

This means crude imports are likely to trend lower, while net imports of refined

products may trend higher temporarily, to make up for lost domestic output during the maintenance season.

There is also the chance that Chinese re-finers have been stocking up on crude just in case the Iranian situation gets worse and there is a genuine supply disruption.

Part of the rise in oil prices in recent weeks has been put down to escalating ten-sions between Iran and the West over the Islamic republic’s nuclear program, which it insists is for peaceful purposes while Europe and the United States fear Tehran is develop-ing atomic weapons.

So far, US and European pressure has forced as many as half a million barrels a day of Iranian crude out of the market, with the possibility that this could rise to more than one million barrels a day when Europe bans imports from Iran.

While Saudi Arabia and other producers have been able to pump enough to cover the

shortfall, whether Iran’s total of about 2.5 million barrels of exports could be made up is another matter.

Chinese refiners are likely being prudent in building up a cushion of inventories and there is a risk this could continue even in the face of higher crude prices.

However, if the Iran tensions ease, or even stabilize, it is likely that China’s crude imports will trend lower in coming months.

This doesn’t mean they will collapse or even turn negative in year-on-year compari-sons, but it does mean that import growth will slow to levels more consistent with the Inter-national Energy Agency’s forecast for China’s total product demand to rise by 371,000 bar-rels a day over 2012.

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions presented in the column are the company’s own and do not necessarily repre-sent those of Al Watan Daily and its staff.

BUSINESSIN REGION TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

ALWATAN DAILY

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China oil demand as good as it gets

Exxon, Iraq agree on West Qurna oilfield paymentsIraq oil exports to top 2.3 million barrels per day in April

CAPITALS: Exxon Mobil and Baghdad have reached agreement for the US-based company to be paid in oil for work on the huge West Qurna-1 oilfield, after months of ne-gotiations over contract terms, an Iraqi oil official said.

The foreign oil companies involved in Iraq’s oil expan-sion generally prefer to be compensated for capital expendi-ture and service fees in oil, because cash payments are more complicated to arrange.

BP, which leads the Rumaila project, and Italy’s Eni, leader of the Zubair project, had signed up to Iraq’s oil sales agreement from the outset, the first step towards being paid in crude.

Exxon and minority partner Royal Dutch Shell held out as they sought to tighten up some contractual loose ends, said an industry source.

After lengthy negotiations, the parties have reached an agreement, in which the world’s largest publicly traded oil company also will get paid in crude, the Iraqi official said. Exxon and Shell spent 910 million US dollars on West Qur-na-1 last year and were repaid $470 million in cash.

“In principle there is agreement, although there is noth-ing in writing yet,” he said by telephone from Baghdad. “Exxon asked us to rephrase some of the wording, which in general will not affect the provisions of SOMO’s (State Oil Marketing Organization) oil export agreement.”

Iraq has signed service contracts with international oil companies targeting a total production capacity of 12 mil-lion barrels per day by 2017. But industry observers say infrastructure problems and logistical bottlenecks are likely to limit their output to about half that level.

Under the terms of Iraq’s service contracts, it is crucial

for companies to be paid on a timely basis for their projects to be profitable. The US oil and gas major has angered Bagh-dad by signing an exploration deal with the Kurdistan Re-gional Government (KRG), which the central government considers illegal.

The KRG announced in November the signing of a deal for six exploration blocs with Exxon, the first major oil com-pany to deal directly with the Kurds in northern Iraq.

Exxon Chief Executive Rex Tillerson said last week the company was committed to working in both areas of the country.

Exxon could not be reached for immediate comment.In more news, Iraq plans to raise oil sales to a post-war

record rate of over 2.30 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, an Iraqi oil official said on Monday, with exports boosted by a new loading facility in the Gulf.

“Our target is above 2.3 million for April,” said the official by telephone from Baghdad. He said oil sales are expected to average around 2.25 million bpd in March, up from 2.01 million bpd in February.

Iraq’s oil exports have been held back by a lack of load-ing capacity in the Gulf after decades of neglect of infra-structure caused by war and economic sanctions.

Iraq began loading oil from a long-awaited floating Sin-gle Point Mooring (SPM) platform on March 8. The SPM is handling about 200,000 bpd.

While Basra Light sales from southern Iraq are expected to rise gradually as production increases from Iraq’s super-giant oilfields, Kirkuk shipments from the north will remain relatively steady at about 400,000 bpd.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is contrib-uting about 75,000 bpd in exports, said another Iraqi oil official.

Baghdad’s oil export target is 2.6 million bpd - with Bas-ra Light sales making up 2.2 million bpd and Kirkuk sales from the north making up the rest. -Agencies

FILE - In this April 20, 2011 photo an Exxon gas station near the Watergate complex in Washington, DC. Exxon Mobil and Baghdad have reached agreement for the US-based company to be paid in oil for work on the huge West Qurna-1 oilfield, after months of negotiations over contract terms. (AFP)

Jamal Al-Gharabally, Head of the organizing committee.

GPCE discusses challenges, prospects of oil, gas industry in Gulf

TOKYO: Saudi Arabia, the world’s top crude exporter, will supply full contracted volumes of crude oil in April to at least one Asian term buyer, unchanged from March, an industry source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

State-run Saudi Aramco made no changes to its monthly allocations of light and heavy grades for April, the source said.

The move was expected as the kingpin of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has supplied full contrac-tual volumes to most Asian buyers since late 2009.

The buyer does not plan to immediately take additional volumes from Saudi Arabia to compensate for possible disruptions to oil from Iran, another of its suppliers, the source said. Saudi Arabia always gives buyers the option of asking for cargoes to be loaded with up to 10 percent more or less crude than contracted.

The source added that the firm would con-sider options such as buying in the spot mar-ket.

The West has imposed tough sanctions to try to force Iran to open up its atomic activi-ties to international scrutiny amid suspicions it is secretly trying to develop nuclear weap-ons. Iran has denied any military development work but has not given international inspec-tors access to suspicious sites.

A second Asian buyer also received its al-locations, but the details were not disclosed.

Saudi Arabia supplied 9.4 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude to the market in Feb-ruary steady from January, an industry source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sat-urday.

“Production from the kingdom was in the range of 9.85 million bpd also steady from the previous month,” the industry source added. -Reuters

Egypt’s Palm Hills falls into loss, revenues plungeCAIRO: Egypt’s second-biggest listed property developer, Palm Hills, reported on

Monday it made a net loss of 331.3 million Egyptian pounds(55 million US dollars) last year, compared with a profit of 526 million pounds in 2010, as sales revenue plunged 67.6 percent. The firm suffered from last year’s uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak and was followed by graft probes that froze sales and increased cancellations. Palm Hills is among several real estate firms facing legal challenges contesting its land acquisition deals with the state.

Analysts said they had expected a big drop in the company’s yearly sales.“We cannot say the results were unexpected. We expected a sharp drop in revenues due

to the unsolved legal disputes between the state and the company on the land deals which made people less interested in buying from the company,” investment and capital market analyst Nader Khedr said.

“Plus most of the firm’s projects are in remote areas that many people now see as not safe given the drop in security in Egypt since the uprising,” he added.

Khedr also blamed the losses on the general slowdown in the Egyptian economy after the uprising.

Egypt’s economy continues to suffer from worker strikes and political uncertainly, in-cluding a series of violent clashes against the ruling military council since the uprising, which have kept investors and tourists away.

The company’s stock was down 4.7 percent at 2.05 Egyptian pounds by 1030 GMT. -Reuters

Saudi to supply full April crude to Asia

BUSINESSIN REGION tuesDAY, mArch 13, 2012

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Qatar central bank governor becomes financial watchdog chairNext fiscal year budget won’t expand much, says Qatari minister

DOHA: Qatar’s central bank governor has become the chairman of the Qatar Financial centre regulatory Author-ity (QFcrA) in the first step towards establishing a single regulator in the Gulf Arab state, its finance minister said on monday. Qatar announced a plan in 2007 for a unified market watchdog, which would make the regulation process simpler and clearer for companies, but there has been little progress since.

“As of march 7, the central bank governor has been chairman of the QFcrA as part of the process of unifying the regulatory regime,” Youssef Kamal told a financial con-ference in the Qatari capital without giving further details.

the plan would combine the Qatar Financial centre regulator, Qatar central Bank and Qatar Financial markets Authority, which regulates the stock exchange, into one en-tity.

At QFcrA, central Bank Governor sheikh Abdullah bin saud Al-thani replaces Phillip thorpe, acting chief ex-ecutive of the Qatar Financial centre Authority shashank srivastava told a separate news conference on monday. he declined to say when a single regulator would be estab-lished. “It’s going to take time to merge and have a single rule book. But at least the first step has been taken,” srivas-tava said.

Qatar’s state budget for next fiscal year will be roughly the same size as the current year’s budget, finance and econ-omy minister Youssef Kamal said on monday.

“It will be the same size as the prevailing budget, maybe a little increase,” he told reporters.

Previously, an economic adviser to the country’s emir had said last month that budget spending for the 2012-2013 fiscal year, which starts on April 1, would be much higher than in the current year. Kamal did not explain the contra-dictory statements or give details.

Last week, Qatar’s state news agency, citing a decision by the cabinet, reported that the deadline for releasing the state budget for the coming fiscal year would be pushed back to the end of may because of changes to the govern-ment’s accounting system and the way it prepares budgets.

the annual budget is usually announced by April 1.In its 2011-2012 budget, the world’s top liquefied natu-

ral gas exporter originally planned spending worth 139.9 billion Qatari riyals (38.4 billion us dollars) and a surplus of 22.5 billion riyals, or 4.9 percent of gross domestic prod-uct.

Partly in response to political unrest elsewhere in the middle east, Qatar hiked basic salaries and social benefits for the state’s civilian employees by 60 percent last septem-ber, while military staff received 50-120 percent rises. the International monetary Fund (ImF) estimated such extra social spending would add $1.6 billion to expenditure in 2011-2012.

DebtKamal said government revenues were quite sufficient

to cover its budget, but that would not preclude debt issues by the government this calendar year.

“Last year we were on the market - we issued some bonds internationally and locally. revenue for the state ex-ceeds the budget but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a plan to be on the market once or twice a year,” he said.

“We want to create a yield and give a benchmark to other institutions. Government issuance last year helped create a benchmark for QNB (Qatar National Bank) and Doha Bank.”

In January last year, the government sold 50 billion ri-yals worth of domestic bonds; it issued $5 billion of bonds internationally last November.

Kamal reiterated previous statements by government officials that inflation was expected to be between three and 3.5 percent this calendar year.

the government is not concerned about controlling in-flation, partly because debt issues can be used to limit in-flationary pressure, he said. economists believe last year’s domestic issues of domestic government bonds and trea-sury bills were intended partly to limit inflation by draining excess funds from the banking system. -Agencies

FILE - Sun reflects off the glass and steel buildings on the Doha skyline in this Feb. 9, 2010 file photo. Qatar’s central bank governor has become the chairman of the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) in the first step towards establishing a single regulator in the Gulf Arab state, its finance minister said on Monday, March 12, 2012. (Reuters)

Middle East airlines ‘unstoppable’, says Emirates executive

PARIS: A top emirates executive has deliv-ered a warning to europe’s struggling airlines that they could lose more business to booming middle east carriers as they pay the price of years of po-litical neglect. thierry Antinori, who walked away from the top job at Austrian Airlines to join the largest Arab carrier last year, said airlines such as emirates were well placed to continue expanding while some rivals lurched into a downward spiral of investment.

“I think with our geographical position and the quality of products and networks we are offering, there is clearly an opportunity for the middle east airlines to strengthen their position on the global industry map,” he told reuters. “I even consider the next years as an opportunity for emirates to increase the gap with some of our competitors, because we are just looking at what the customer wants.”

the Frenchman dismissed the possibility that Dubai-based emirates would step in to bail out or buy european airlines and repeated its reluctance to join one of the major alliances.

In December, Gulf rival etihad Airways of Abu Dhabi took a stake of almost 30 of Germa-ny’s Air Berlin. there are also reports that etihad is interested in holding talks with the Irish gov-ernment over the sale of its 25 percent stake in Aer Lingus. “We prefer to rely on our product, so we prefer to buy airplanes than airlines,” the emirates official said.

“We do not lose time in discussion with alli-ances, which are not very clear for the customer to understand. they say ‘we offer you seamless travel’ but in the end they offer seamless trou-ble,” said Antinori, who joined emirates as exec-utive Vice President, Passenger sales Worldwide, in september. Antinori’s decision to defect from Lufthansa came days before he was due to be-come chief executive of loss-making Austrian and took the industry by surprise. six months later, he has a blunt assessment of the malaise gripping european airlines, half a dozen of which have gone bankrupt this year.

“Aviation was made a strategic industry in Dubai 20 years ago. In europe it is not strategic and it is not important for politicians to win elec-tions. that is why airline lobbying is not heard, investments are blocked, taxes are increasing and as a result airlines do not have modern fleets and then they save money on products.”

recent aircraft improvements have put most of the world’s population within a direct flight from the Gulf, resulting in airport and fleet ex-

pansion and shifting more of the global network map to large hubs such as Dubai from the us and europe. “You cannot stop the middle east air-lines because they are in the centre of the world; they have the best infrastructure... and never save money on product,” Antinori said. “that is the big difference with europe (where) there is no strategy, and because of that they reduce the quality and the infrastructure, and the fleets be-come older.”

Emissions costthe critique of european aviation policy

comes as the industry faces tough battles over airport expansion in the uK or a new system of european union charges for jet emissions - two issues that also affect airlines in the Gulf and elsewhere. Antinori said the eu’s emissions trad-ing scheme would cost emirates 40 million euros in 2012, rising to half a billion in 2020, and this would ultimately mean higher ticket prices.

emirates meanwhile remains locked in a battle over access to Germany, where it has long sought to secure landing rights in Berlin and stut-tgart, as well as access in canada. emirates’ de-

cision to choose the Berlin Air show in 2010 to order 32 extra A380s was seen as a reminder of its importance for Airbus jobs, many of which are in Germany. But the airline is still unable to add to four existing German entry points. “We under-stand that governments need time to think. We are patient; I am sure we will find a solution,” An-tinori said. emirates is the world’s largest buyer of A380s, with a total of 90 on order, and Boeing’s 777 mini-jumbos.

european airlines accuse emirates and others in the Gulf oil region of expanding on the back of subsidies. emirates denies this, saying it pays a full price for its fuel and that critics like Air France, which unveiled steep losses last week, should ex-amine their own business models. Antinori said emirates was outperforming the industry but was not immune to record fuel prices.

“We were able in the last months to increase our load factor in comparison with previous years. the revenue increase at emirates is higher than the percentage increase in seats.” middle east passenger traffic grew 14.5 percent in Janu-ary, versus 5.3 percent in europe, according to airlines body IAtA. -reuters

FILE - The 1,000th Boeing Company 777 airplane sits in the spotlight during the celebration of its completion, Friday, March, 2, 2012, in Everett, Wash. Emirates is the world’s largest buyer of A380s, with a total of 90 on order, and Boeing’s 777 mini-jumbos (AP)

G30 Chairman Jean Claude Trichet to speak at NBK symposium

KUWAIT: the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) will host G30 chair-man and former President of the european central Bank (ecB) Jean-claude trichet for its annual international symposium in Kuwait.

trichet, who also served two terms as the governor of the Bank of France, will give a speech on the european debt crisis entitled, ‘Lessons to be drawn from the global financial crisis: the new economic governance in the euro zone’. this was stated in a press release on monday.

A world renowned economic and financial leader, trichet has been named by the Financial times as ‘Person of the Year’ and as ‘central Bank-er of the Year’ by the Banker.

trichet ranked fifth on on a 2008 Newsweek list of the world’s most powerful along with economic triumvirs Ben Bernanke and the governor of the Bank of Japan, masaaki shirakawa.

NBK regularly invites world-recognized authorities on energy, eco-nomics and politics to Kuwait as part of its International symposium se-ries.

Past speakers include former us Presidents George hW Bush and Bill clinton, former Prime minister of singapore Lee Kuan Yew, former us secretaries of state colin Powell and condoleezza rice, mohamed el-erian, chief executive Officer (ceO) and co-cIO of PImcO, the world’s largest bond investment house and Dr. Daniel Yergin, author Author of

the acclaimed work, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power which won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize. the event will be VIP invitation-only.

Abu Dhabi realty merger to salve state fund’s painDUBAI: Abu Dhabi’s move to merge builders Aldar Properties and sorouh real

estate is geared towards shoring up sovereign wealth fund mubadala and stabilizing the emirate’s brittle real estate market.

Bankers say that a deal is likely to be effected through a share swap, which would dilute mubadala’s sizeable stake in Aldar, a developer hit by stagnant sales and falling asset prices, and improve its ability to tap capital markets. “mubadala will emerge as the winner in this merger ... the terms of the deal are not clear but it’s likely that the merger will reduce mubadala’s stake and its exposure to Aldar,” said an Abu Dhabi-based property sector analyst. Aldar has swiftly become a millstone around the neck of mubadala, a fund with 46 billion us dollars in assets and invest-ments including stakes in carlyle and General electric, and a year ago, mubadala had to come to Aldar’s aid by subscribing to the developer’s $2.8 billion bond.

sources have said that attempts have been made for the fund to sell its Aldar stake or set up a new holding company that could take over the equity, a move denied by mubadala. talks for the merger, announced on sunday and which would see the formation of a property firm with $15 billion in assets, have been styled as having “the blessing of the Abu Dhabi government”, widely seen as code for a gov-ernment-enforced deal. “mubadala’s role was that of a stop-gap entity who would shoulder the Aldar responsibility for a while. It was never the perfect solution,” said a Dubai-based investment banker. the state fund’s stake is expected to go up to 60 percent from 49 percent when it converts the remaining portion of its Aldar bonds into equity. “Any deal will be in the form of a share-swap agreement,” said an Abu Dhabi-based source who is aware of the talks.

“I am sure there is no discussion of exchanging cash in the current market. mubadala’s stake will be diluted if the merger goes through but they will retain a stake in the combined entity. What the share-swap ratio will be and what percentage mubadala will retain after the deal is all under discussion.”

mubadala, for its part, stuck to a one-line statement.“As a long-term shareholder in Aldar, mubadala is supportive of efforts to in-

crease value to Aldar’s stakeholders,” it said, declining to give any further details.While a real estate crisis in glitzier neighbor Dubai brought it to its knees in

2009, the deterioration in Abu Dhabi property has been gradual.the oil-rich emirate has given Aldar nearly $10 billion in bailout funds, almost

equivalent to the amount it extended to rescue Dubai just over two years ago.shares of Aldar and sorouh jumped 10 percent on monday as investors wel-

comed signs of consolidation in the Abu Dhabi real estate market, which is set to record a further 11 percent fall in prices this year, according to a reuters poll.

Working groupAldar’s Deputy chief executive mohammed Khalifa Al-mubarak said efforts to

appoint a working group had begun but banks were not part of the committee.“At this point, we expect the working group to only comprise representatives

from both companies,” he said, adding that he hoped the group would be set up this month. “there is no talk at the moment on staff cuts or anything like that,” he said. No mandates have yet been handed out to investment banks to assist in the transac-tion, according to people close to the deal.

Aldar’s $1.25 billion 10.75 percent bond maturing 2014 rallied slightly in mon-day’s trade. It was bid at 109.400 on monday afternoon by BNP Paribas to yield 6.2 percent, down about 9 basis points from Friday. “Aldar’s 2014 bond is one of the various issues that need to be discussed in the coming three months,” said moham-med Ali Yasin, an independent capital markets analyst. “A change in Aldar owner-ship could trigger a call back of the total bond by bondholders. however, the bond pays a very handsome return of 10.75 so the temptation of holding it considering the terms will overweigh the risks of calling it back, considering that the new entity has a clear Abu Dhabi government support.” -reuters

Adnan Al-Salem appointed as Chief Retail Banking Officer at Warba Bank

KUWAIT: Warba Bank announced in a press release on monday the appointment of Adnan salman Al-salem as chief retail Banking Officer, as per the approval of the central Bank of Kuwait. Al-salem enjoys a significant record of experience with a unique background in the banking field. Al-salem was one of the main organizers of Warba Bank since its establishment and con-tributed in placing the strategy for the retail services while ensuring the application high-est international standards of excellence that coincide with the Islamic sharia principles.

Al-salem’s appointment plays a key role in supporting the Warba team to witness tar-geted growth and continuous development. Given his major expertise in banking - start-ing from the thorough implementation of the bank’s strategy, to providing innovative Islamic products and services that cater to the needs of clients - Al-salem emphasizes

the application of the finest standards of cus-tomer services in the local Islamic banking sector.

G30 Chairman and former President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Jean-Claude Trichet.

Adnan Salman Al-Salem the newly ap-pointed Chief Retail Banking Officer at Warba Bank

STOCKSWITH NBK CAPITAL tuesday, march 13, 2012

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SAUDI ARABIA

Rebased Performance Summary Best Performers

Tadawul Index (% Chg.) Close % Chg.% of stocks trading above 1yr avg. price 4220.SSE Emaar the Economic City 11.85 7.7%Advance/Decline Ratio 5110.SSE Saudi Electricity Co. 15.70 4.3%Tadawul Index 52 week High / Low 1030.SSE Saudi Investment Bank 20.00 4.2%Turnover (SAR '000) 1211.SSE Saudi Arabian Mining Co. 35.30 4.1%Market Cap. (SAR '000) 4300.SSE Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Dev. Co. 10.50 4.0%

Highest Turnover Worst Performers

Turnover (SAR) Close % Chg.43Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Dev. Co. 3050.SSE Southern Province Cement Co. 101.75 -4.7%70Zain - Saudi Arabia 3030.SSE Saudi Cement Co. 92.00 -2.9%42Emaar the Economic City 3020.SSE Yamama Saudi Cement Co. 52.50 -2.3%1 Alinma Bank 7020.SSE Etihad Etisalat Co. 63.25 -1.9%23Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. 1050.SSE Banque Saudi Fransi 46.00 -1.5%

Quotes

% Chg. High Low High Low on high YTD 12 mths PE PB1 Al Rajhi Bank 78.00 0.0% 78.50 77.75 1,378 80.75 67.25 -3.4% 12.2% 0.0% 117,000,000 15.9 3.6 1 Alinma Bank 13.10 -0.4% 13.25 13.05 52,452 13.15 9.05 -0.4% 40.1% 37.9% 19,650,000 45.6 1.2 2 Almarai Co. 109.50 2.8% 109.50 106.50 307 106.50 83.75 2.8% 10.6% 15.6% 25,185,000 22.1 3.7 1 Arab National Bank 32.40 -0.3% 32.80 32.20 69 35.18 26.60 -7.9% 17.8% -1.0% 27,540,000 12.7 1.7 1 Bank AlBilad 26.50 -0.4% 26.70 26.30 1,075 27.20 17.20 -2.6% 33.5% 46.8% 7,950,000 24.3 2.3 1 Bank Al Jazira 26.00 3.2% 26.10 24.00 4,061 25.20 15.75 3.2% 53.4% 45.3% 7,800,000 28.8 1.6 1 Banque Saudi Fransi 46.00 -1.5% 46.90 45.70 206 50.00 37.50 -8.0% 9.3% 1.1% 33,267,858 11.4 1.7 4 Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Dev. Co. 10.50 4.0% 10.65 10.10 98,253 10.15 6.05 3.4% 44.8% 25.0% 11,340,000 10.4 0.7 4 Emaar the Economic City 11.85 7.7% 12.10 11.15 65,930 11.00 6.20 7.7% 61.2% 89.6% 10,072,500 nmf 1.4 7 Etihad Etisalat Co. 63.25 -1.9% 63.50 62.50 878 64.50 46.60 -1.9% 20.5% 24.6% 44,275,000 8.7 2.4 4 Jabal Omar Development Co. 16.95 0.3% 17.10 16.70 10,220 16.90 11.10 0.3% 39.5% 30.8% 15,753,330 nmf 1.7 4 Jarir Marketing Co. 153.00 0.3% 155.25 153.00 58 153.00 87.50 0.0% 9.9% 69.4% 9,180,000 17.9 10.1 4 Kingdom Holding Co. 12.15 0.0% 12.65 11.00 11,298 12.15 7.05 0.0% 37.3% 39.7% 45,026,470 nmf 1.8 2 National Industrialization Co. 44.40 0.7% 44.50 43.90 1,965 45.10 30.91 -1.6% 9.1% 40.8% 24,749,824 10.1 2.2 2 Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Co. 25.90 0.0% 26.30 25.60 5,478 29.80 21.20 -13.1% 11.4% 13.3% 22,688,400 nmf 2.8 1 Riyad Bank 26.30 0.4% 26.40 26.10 245 26.50 23.10 -0.8% 12.9% 1.2% 39,450,000 12.5 1.3 1 Samba Financial Grp. 51.25 0.0% 51.75 51.00 383 56.75 42.40 -9.7% 10.0% -6.0% 46,125,000 10.7 1.6 2 Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co. 187.00 -0.7% 188.25 185.50 273 192.75 165.00 -3.0% 6.3% 2.2% 46,750,000 11.4 5.7 1 Saudi Arabian Mining Co. 35.30 4.1% 35.50 33.80 6,358 34.00 22.30 3.8% 39.5% 51.2% 32,652,500 nmf 1.9 2 Saudi Basic Industries Corp. 104.75 -0.7% 105.75 104.50 5,507 112.50 87.75 -6.9% 8.8% 2.2% 314,250,000 10.7 2.3 3 Saudi Cement Co. 92.00 -2.9% 95.50 91.25 578 98.00 51.50 -6.1% 27.8% 74.4% 14,076,000 16.9 4.3

221,413 578,242 53,482

141,956 6,437

19,711 50,988

173,331 8,850

134,372 86,869

9,525 1,018,573

764,764 55,331

Market Cap.(SAR '000)

2,252 28,481

100,920

107,505 690,347 33,172

Volume('000)

690,347,209 667,180,879

Company Name CloseDaily Turnover

(SAR '000)52-Week % Change

800,597,398 764,763,729

7,534 / 5,91614,712,089

1,483,369,218

95%1.23

1,018,573,449

7,540 (0.1%)

Trailing

112

120

95

100

105

110

115

120

125

11-Dec-11 11-Jan-12 11-Feb-12 11-Mar-12

S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite Saudi SE

Rebased Performance Bull/Bear Indicator Daily Index Performance Snapshot

GCC Best Performers

Close % Chg.ALDALDAR Properties AED 1.34 9.8%SO Sorouh Real Estate Co. AED 1.34 9.8%422Emaar the Economic City SAR 11.85 7.7%

MENA Indices Highlights NM Wataniya KWD 2.260 4.6%511Saudi Electricity Co. SAR 15.70 4.3%

PE PB GCC Worst PerformersSa Saudi Arabia (Tadawul All Share Index) 7,540 0.1% 17.5% 7,534 5,916 3,923 395,533 13.31 2.05 Ku Kuwait (KSE Weighted Index) 415 0.3% 2.3% 467 396 140 99,993 13.78 1.42 Close % Chg.UAUAE (ADX Index) 2,615 1.1% 8.8% 2,775 2,293 34 69,088 8.90 1.09 305Southern Province Cement Co. SAR 101.75 -4.7%

UAE (DFM Index) 1,667 -1.1% 23.2% 1,754 1,301 170 35,230 10.42 0.79 TAMTamweel AED 1.24 -4.6%Qa Qatar (DSM Index) 8,634 0.0% -1.6% 8,892 8,071 113 124,303 11.66 1.89 DEYDeyaar Development Co. AED 0.40 -3.9%OmOman (MSM Index) 5,902 0.3% 3.6% 6,416 5,419 11 18,498 10.93 1.63 AREAREF Energy Holding Co. KWD 0.114 -3.4%Ba Bahrain (BSE Index) 1,150 0.0% 0.5% 1,433 1,129 1 17,232 9.28 0.88 DFMDubai Financial Market AED 1.20 -3.2%Eg Egypt (EGX 30 Index) 5,229 -1.4% 44.3% 5,628 3,587 101 61,226 10.35 1.39 Jo Jordan (Amman General Index) 1,997 0.1% 0.2% 2,246 1,921 26 27,454 14.11 1.64 GCC Highest TurnoverM Morocco (Casa All Shares Index) 11,317 -0.3% 1.8% 12,752 10,785 2 61,614 16.47 3.63 Le Lebanon (Beirut SE Index) 1,214 0.2% 3.2% 1,425 1,164 0 10,549 6.47 0.89 Pa Palestine (Al-Quds Index) 484 0.2% 1.5% 513 465 0 2,535 9.45 1.18 430Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Dev. Co. (KSA)Tu Tunisia (Tunis SE Index) 4,763 -0.1% 0.1% 4,785 4,091 6 9,592 14.91 1.70 703Zain - Saudi Arabia (KSA)

422Emaar the Economic City (KSA)115Alinma Bank (KSA)235Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. (KSA)

*Market Closed* Market Closed

203,920,681 184,077,863

Trailing

177,900,669

Turnover (USD)271,597,859 213,475,561

* Market Closed

March 12, 2012

Country (Index) IndexLevel % Chg. 52 Wk

High52 Wk LowYTD Turnover

USD million Mkt. Cap.

USD million

112

111

95

100

105

110

115

12-Dec-11 12-Jan-12 12-Feb-12 12-Mar-12

S&P GCC Large/ Mid CompositeS&P Pan Arab Large/ Mid Composite

BahrainKuwaitOman

QatarSaudi

Dubai

Abu Dhabi

-2%

0%

2%

-2 1 4Period's Liquidity Ratio (PLR x)*

Daily

Ret

urn

(%)

-2%

-1%

0%

1%

2%

Bahr

ain

Egyp

t

Jord

an

Kuwa

it

Leba

non

Mor

occo

Om

an

Qat

ar

Saud

i

Duba

i

Pales

tine

Abu

Dhab

i

5 Saudi Electricity Co. 15.70 4.3% 15.80 15.00 29,766 15.05 12.85 4.3% 13.0% 18.5% 65,415,523 29.4 1.3 1 Saudi Hollandi Bank 33.10 0.3% 33.10 32.80 88 33.00 25.70 0.3% 11.1% 13.4% 10,947,825 10.8 1.5 22 Saudi Industrial Investment Grp. 23.95 0.2% 23.95 23.60 1,561 27.20 18.55 -11.9% 26.1% 15.1% 10,777,500 20.4 1.8 2 Saudi International Petrochemical Co. 24.00 2.4% 24.10 23.50 4,052 23.45 17.75 2.3% 21.8% 14.8% 8,800,000 12.5 1.6 1 Saudi Investment Bank 20.00 4.2% 20.20 19.00 1,704 24.60 15.55 -18.7% 23.8% -13.2% 11,000,000 15.5 1.3 2 Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. 19.10 1.9% 19.15 18.70 35,281 19.15 15.50 -0.3% 9.8% 7.0% 28,650,000 nmf 1.9 7 Saudi Telecom Co. 40.20 -0.5% 40.50 40.00 632 40.40 33.00 -0.5% 18.9% 7.8% 80,400,000 10.5 1.7 20 Savola Group Co. 35.40 0.9% 35.90 34.90 610 35.10 23.70 0.9% 23.3% 33.1% 17,700,000 14.8 2.3 30 Southern Province Cement Co. 101.75 -4.7% 106.75 101.25 132 106.75 59.50 -4.7% 18.3% 67.5% 14,245,000 15.9 5.4 1 SABB 45.60 -0.2% 46.20 45.50 229 46.50 37.00 -1.9% 12.0% 9.9% 34,200,000 11.8 2.0 3 Yamama Saudi Cement Co. 52.50 -2.3% 54.25 52.50 474 83.25 49.90 -36.9% -25.0% 5.0% 10,631,250 14.5 3.1 2 Yanbu National Petrochemicals Co. 52.50 -1.4% 53.25 52.25 986 54.00 41.60 -2.8% 19.3% 12.7% 29,531,250 9.3 2.8 7 Zain - Saudi Arabia 9.70 0.0% 9.95 9.55 82,105 9.70 5.25 0.0% 74.8% 48.1% 13,580,000 nmf 3.2 800,597

13,492 10,516 25,271 51,829

33,252 667,181 25,408 21,457

96,509

458,098 2,915

37,081

Rebased Performance Bull/Bear Indicator Daily Index Performance Snapshot

MENA Best Performers

Close % Chg.428Kingdom Hldg. Co. SAR 5.60 9.8%GECGalfar Engineering & Contracting OMR 0.703 8.8%KCBAl Khaliji Commercial Bank QAR 6.35 8.6%

MENA Indices Highlights QGTQatar Gas Transport Co. QAR 21.60 8.0%BKMBankMuscat OMR 0.720 8.0%

PE PB MENA Worst Performers

Sa Saudi Arabia (Tadawul All Share Index) 5,250 -4.0% 9.3% 10,090 4,130 2,183 264,263 10.24 1.77 Ku Kuwait (KSE Weighted Index) 406 1.8% -0.2% 787 316 718 98,547 9.99 1.52 Close % Chg.UAUAE (ADSM Index) 2,695 0.6% 12.8% 5,148 2,137 122 69,783 7.29 1.37 FACCommercial Facilities Co. KWD 0.265 -13.1%

UAE (DFM Index) 1,745 1.9% 6.6% 5,860 1,433 305 37,413 6.87 0.88 238Rabigh Petrochem. SAR 22.95 -8.9%Qa Qatar (DSM Index) 5,590 3.9% -18.8% 12,627 4,230 196 65,352 8.85 1.74 201Saudi Basic Industries Corp. SAR 48.00 -8.6%OmOman (MSM Index) 5,478 5.1% 0.7% 12,109 4,224 46 15,024 9.50 1.68 225Saudi Industrial Inv. Grp. SAR 13.70 -6.8%Ba Bahrain (BSE Index) 1,681 0.4% -6.8% 2,903 1,572 4 18,727 8.07 1.29 101Riyad Bank SAR 24.70 -6.4%Eg Egypt (Hermes Egypt Index (HFI))* 463 - 8.5% 1,033 328 - 63,640 7.67 1.56 Jo Jordan (Amman General Index) 2,825 2.2% 2.4% 5,044 2,551 67 33,782 12.71 2.15 MENA Highest TurnoverM Morocco (Casa All Shares Index)* 10,621 - -3.3% 14,635 9,406 - 59,990 18.36 3.95 Le Lebanon (Beirut SE Index)* 1,094 - -7.2% 2,119 1,043 - 8,507 6.47 0.86 Pa Palestine (Al-Quds Index) 546 0.9% 23.6% 739 407 2 2,079 8.67 2.50 201Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (KSA)Tu Tunisia (Tunis SE Index)* 3,282 - 13.6% 3,418 2,837 - 6,576 13.85 1.92 115Alinma Bank (KSA)

NBKNational Bank of Kuwait (KUW)KFI Kuwait Finance House (KUW)EMAEmaar Properties (UAE)

TurnoverUSD million

64,280,166

Turnover (USD)343,553,085

97,126,838 88,742,222

Trailing Mkt. Cap.USD million

119,955,261

April 21, 2009

Country (Index) IndexLevel % Chg. 52 Wk

High52 Wk LowYTD

*Market Closed

113

111

113

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

19-Jan-09 3-Feb-09 18-Feb-09 5-Mar-09 20-Mar-09 4-Apr-09 19-Apr-0

Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Qatar

Saudi

Dubai

Abu Dhabi

-6%

0%

6%

-1 1 3Period's Liquidity Ratio (PLR x)*

Dai

ly R

etur

n (%

)-6%

-4%

-2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

Bahr

ain

Jord

an

Kuw

ait

Om

an

Qat

ar

Saud

i

Dub

ai

Pale

stin

e

Abu

Dha

bi

STOCKSWITH NBK CAPITAL tuesday, march 13, 2012

ALWATAN DAILY

13

KUWAIT

Rebased Performance Summary Best Performers

KSE General Index (% Chg.) Close % Chg.KSE Weighted Index (% Chg.) NMTC.KSE Wataniya 2.260 4.6%% of stocks trading above 1yr avg. price FACIL.KSE Commercial Facilities Co. 0.280 3.7%Advance/Decline Ratio IKARUS.KSIkarus Petroleum Industries Co. 0.190 3.3%KSE General Index 52 week High / Low BURG.KSE Burgan Bank 0.480 3.2%KSE Weighted Index 52 week High / Low OULAFUELOula Fuel Marketing Co. 0.270 1.9%Turnover (KWD '000)Market Cap. (KWD '000)

Highest Turnover Worst Performers

Turnover (KWD) Close % Chg.B Burgan Bank AREFENRGAREF Energy Holding Co. 0.114 -3.4%N National Bank of Kuwait FOOD.KSE National Bank of Kuwait 1.060 -2.8%K Kuwait Finance House KIB.KSE Kuwait Food Co. 1.420 -2.7%ZAZain Kuwait IFC.KSE Kuwait International Bank 0.250 -2.0%N Wataniya ALAFCO.KSInternational Finance Co. 0.106 -1.9%

Quotes

% Chg. High Low High Low on high YTD 12 mths PE PBA Agility 0.420 -1.2% 0.420 0.415 1,350 0.435 0.248 -3.4% 12.0% 15.1% 439,671 nmf 0.5 A Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait 0.610 - - - - 0.657 0.581 -7.2% -3.0% -4.4% 923,076 18.3 1.9 T Al Themar Intl. Holding Co. 0.087 - - - - 0.104 0.079 -16.3% -4.4% -11.2% 88,088 nmf 1.0 A Alafco Aviation Lease and Fin. Co. 0.305 -1.6% 0.305 0.305 690 0.380 0.280 -19.7% -3.2% -14.1% 237,830 6.0 1.6 A AREF Energy Holding Co. 0.114 -3.4% 0.118 0.114 140 0.142 0.085 -19.7% 7.5% 5.6% 85,500 nmf 1.2 B Boubyan Bank 0.560 0.0% 0.560 0.550 330 0.620 0.550 -9.7% -5.1% -5.1% 979,012 nmf 4.2 B Boubyan Petrochemical Co. 0.610 0.0% 0.610 0.600 170 0.620 0.495 -1.6% 8.9% 19.6% 295,911 12.0 1.3 B Burgan Bank 0.480 3.2% 0.480 0.465 4,500 0.550 0.440 -12.7% 1.1% 2.8% 706,271 14.0 1.6 A Burgan Co. for Well Drilling 0.255 - - - - 0.420 0.198 -39.3% 20.3% -45.7% 53,454 26.2 1.0 C Combined Grp Contracting Co. 1.540 -1.3% 1.540 1.520 93 1.945 1.300 -20.8% -2.5% -14.4% 148,811 18.7 4.1 C Commercial Bank of Kuwait 0.700 0.0% 0.700 0.700 230 0.960 0.700 -27.1% -11.4% -24.7% 890,416 nmf 1.7 F Commercial Facilities Co. 0.280 3.7% 0.285 0.275 640 0.395 0.255 -29.1% 7.7% -25.3% 150,294 13.8 0.9 G Global Investment House 0.049 - - - - 0.055 0.019 -10.9% 0.0% 11.4% 64,309 nmf 3.1 G Gulf Bank 0.485 0.0% 0.485 0.480 180 0.580 0.470 -16.4% -4.9% -6.7% 1,216,236 39.7 2.8 C Gulf Cable and Electrical Industries Co. 1.440 -1.4% 1.440 1.440 5 1.700 1.380 -15.3% 1.4% -14.3% 302,301 8.3 1.7 IF IFA Hotels & Resorts 0.420 - - - - 0.500 0.285 -16.0% -11.6% -17.6% 190,630 nmf 4.0 IK Ikarus Petroleum Industries Co. 0.190 3.3% 0.190 0.184 300 0.190 0.134 0.0% 11.8% 37.7% 142,500 14.8 1.0 IF International Finance Co. 0.106 -1.9% 0.106 0.102 1,240 0.260 0.096 -59.2% 3.9% -60.0% 85,106 nmf 0.8 JAJazeera Airways 0.460 -1.1% 0.460 0.455 20 0.480 0.114 -4.2% 1.1% 303.5% 101,200 8.9 4.1 K KIPCO Asset Management Co. 0.242 - - - - 0.310 0.236 -21.9% -0.8% -23.2% 63,719 nmf 0.8

415 (0.3%)

129 9

-

86 7

- 56

142 161 178 -

183 103

2,113 -

Market Cap.(KWD '000)

- 210 16

567 -

Volume('000)

914,000

Company Name CloseDaily Turnover

(KWD '000)52-Week % Change

6,150 (-0.1%)

53%0.57

6,523 / 5,694467 / 396

2,112,950

27,888,056 39,044

1,844,850 1,331,600 1,099,650

Trailing

112

101

95

100

105

110

115

11-Dec-11 11-Jan-12 11-Feb-12 11-Mar-12

S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite KSE Weighted Index

F First Gulf Bank 10.20 2.9% 10.45 9.85 1,055 10.75 6.98 -5.1% 32.0% 26.3% 30,600,000 8.3 1.1 G Gulf Cement Co. 1.26 - - - - 1.56 0.67 -19.2% 77.5% -7.4% 1,034,582 nmf 0.8 M Mashreq 91.45 - - - - 102.00 74.70 -10.3% -9.9% 22.4% - 18.8 1.3 N National Bank of Abu Dhabi 11.65 1.3% 11.85 11.55 409 11.90 9.42 -2.1% 6.4% 21.6% 33,436,004 9.0 1.3 N National Bank of Fujairah 4.10 - - - - 4.70 2.91 -12.8% -9.9% -5.7% 4,510,000 16.1 2.2 N National Bank of Umm Al Qaiwain 1.99 0.0% 2.01 1.87 227 2.39 1.63 -16.7% 9.9% 1.5% 3,184,000 9.9 1.0 S Sharjah Islamic Bank 1.00 2.0% 1.01 0.97 231 1.02 0.80 -2.0% 19.0% 9.9% 2,425,500 9.7 0.6 S Sorouh Real Estate Co. 1.34 9.8% 1.34 1.34 3,176 1.54 0.67 -13.0% 57.6% 26.4% 3,517,500 10.5 0.6 T Tamweel 1.24 -4.6% 1.39 1.20 47,123 1.49 0.53 -16.8% 105.6% 25.3% 1,240,000 12.2 0.5 U Union National Bank 3.20 1.0% 3.21 3.17 241 3.90 2.82 -17.9% 10.7% 9.3% 7,986,000 5.3 0.7 U Union Properties 0.45 0.0% 0.49 0.44 28,667 0.50 0.24 -9.1% 74.4% 73.1% 1,515,086 nmf 0.6 U United Arab Bank 3.70 - - - - 5.30 3.28 -30.2% 1.6% -34.5% 3,686,685 11.2 1.8

* Closing Prices, Turnover and Market Cap. in USD-

4,256 61,742

772 13,309

4,765 - 451 231

10,765 - -

UAE

Rebased Performance Summary Best Performers

DFM Index (% Chg.) Close % Chg.ADSM Index (% Chg.) ALDAR.AD ALDAR Properties 1.34 9.8%% of stocks trading above 1yr avg. price SOROUH.A Sorouh Real Estate Co. 1.34 9.8%Advance/Decline Ratio ADNH.ADS Abu Dhabi National Hotels 2.18 3.8%DFM Index 52 week High / Low ARKAN.AD Arkan Building Materials Co. 1.10 3.8%ADSM Index 52 week High / Low FGB.ADSM First Gulf Bank 10.20 2.9%Turnover (AED '000)Market Cap. (AED '000)

Highest Turnover Worst Performers

Turnover (AED) Close % Chg.E Emaar Properties TAMWEEL Tamweel 1.24 -4.6%D Dubai Financial Market DEYAAR.D Deyaar Development Co. 0.40 -3.9%TATamweel DFM.DFM Dubai Financial Market 1.20 -3.2%A Arabtec Holding AIRARABIA Air Arabia 0.72 -1.1%D Deyaar Development Co. DU.DFM du 3.09 -1.0%

Quotes

% Chg. High Low High Low on high YTD 12 mths PE PBA Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank 3.15 0.3% 3.16 3.12 1,613 3.32 2.32 -5.1% 13.3% 38.2% 17,626,132 5.8 0.8 A Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank 3.48 0.0% 3.50 3.44 190 3.55 2.92 -2.0% 10.1% 14.5% 8,229,176 7.1 1.3 T Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. 1.26 -0.8% 1.27 1.25 521 1.63 1.14 -22.7% 5.0% -10.0% 7,843,500 5.0 1.1 A Abu Dhabi National Hotels 2.18 3.8% 2.18 2.18 100 2.94 2.02 -25.9% -0.9% -26.1% 2,180,000 13.2 0.3 A Air Arabia 0.72 -1.1% 0.74 0.72 12,264 0.84 0.57 -14.0% 22.9% -8.9% 3,360,024 12.5 0.6 A ALDAR Properties 1.34 9.8% 1.34 1.34 3,942 1.68 0.76 -20.2% 45.7% 3.1% 5,474,073 8.5 0.8 A Amlak Finance 1.02 - - - - - - 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1,530,000 nmf 1.1 A Arabtec Holding 2.94 0.3% 3.15 2.94 12,636 3.63 1.07 -19.0% 84.9% 168.2% 4,395,300 17.3 1.5 A Aramex 1.92 0.0% 1.94 1.83 374 1.96 1.69 -2.0% 6.7% 6.7% 2,811,072 13.3 1.5 A Arkan Building Materials Co. 1.10 3.8% 1.12 1.08 1,145 1.77 0.71 -37.9% 8.9% -9.1% 1,925,000 50.0 1.2 C Commercial Bank of Dubai 3.06 - - - - 3.45 2.90 -11.3% 5.5% 2.0% 5,940,340 7.2 0.9 D Dana Gas 0.50 2.0% 0.51 0.49 24,283 0.71 0.34 -29.6% 11.1% -16.7% 3,301,001 7.9 0.4 D Deyaar Development Co. 0.40 -3.9% 0.45 0.40 68,006 0.46 0.20 -12.1% 87.8% 76.2% 2,311,200 nmf 0.5

D du 3.09 -1.0% 3.15 3.04 3,298 3.30 2.80 -6.4% 6.9% 0.3% 14,125,714 12.9 2.3 D Dubai Financial Market 1.20 -3.2% 1.29 1.18 84,874 1.46 0.68 -17.8% 42.9% -2.4% 9,600,000 nmf 1.3

D Dubai Islamic Bank 2.18 -0.5% 2.22 2.17 3,967 2.31 1.88 -5.6% 12.4% 2.3% 8,277,578 8.2 0.9 E Emaar Properties 2.99 -0.3% 3.14 2.97 41,799 3.49 2.41 -14.3% 16.3% 11.6% 18,212,803 10.2 0.6 E Emirates NBD 3.20 0.3% 3.23 3.05 358 4.63 2.65 -30.9% 8.8% 0.0% 17,784,879 7.0 0.5 E Etisalat 9.29 0.3% 9.40 9.25 1,339 11.40 8.64 -18.5% 1.8% -17.8% 73,448,041 12.6 1.9

128,129 1,146

12,442

10,217 105,469

8,699

- 12,159 29,527

- 38,289

720 1,255

656 218

8,944 5,283

Market Cap.(AED '000)

Trailing

5,082 663

29,527,483

Company Name CloseDaily Turnover

(AED '000)Volume('000)

52-Week % Change

128,128,849 105,469,121 61,742,401 38,288,556

412,026,375

86%1.63

1,754 / 1,301

1,667 (-1.1%)

2,775 / 2,293755,679

2,615 (1.1%)

112

106

120

90

100

110

120

130

11-Dec-11 11-Jan-12 11-Feb-12 11-Mar-12

S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite Abu Dhabi SE Dubai FM

K Kuwait Cement Co. 0.420 - - - - 0.630 0.415 -33.3% -8.7% -25.3% 267,815 19.4 1.9 K Kuwait Finance House 0.860 0.0% 0.870 0.850 1,550 1.100 0.820 -21.8% -4.4% -21.3% 2,312,575 38.4 1.3 F Kuwait Food Co. 1.420 -2.7% 1.440 1.420 65 1.620 1.420 -12.3% -4.1% -2.7% 570,843 11.9 2.0 K Kuwait International Bank 0.250 -2.0% 0.255 0.250 640 0.350 0.236 -28.6% -2.0% -18.0% 259,332 22.0 1.3 P Kuwait Portland Cement Co. 0.900 1.1% 0.900 0.880 20 1.580 0.660 -43.0% 26.8% -38.9% 81,814 13.9 1.3 K Kuwait Projects Co. (Holding) 0.340 1.5% 0.340 0.335 20 0.425 0.295 -20.0% 11.5% -17.9% 432,795 11.5 0.8 M Mabanee Co. 0.920 1.1% 0.930 0.910 455 0.940 0.627 -2.1% 7.0% 48.9% 511,176 26.1 3.6 M Mena Holding 0.033 - - - - 0.060 0.033 -45.0% 0.0% -49.2% 21,780 2.3 0.1 N National Bank of Kuwait 1.060 -2.8% 1.060 1.040 1,743 1.145 0.909 -7.4% 4.1% -2.8% 4,614,707 15.2 2.1 N National Industries Co. 0.320 - - - - 0.340 0.260 -5.9% 14.3% -4.5% 110,766 38.6 1.4 N National Industries Grp. Holding 0.238 0.0% 0.238 0.236 1,600 0.285 0.192 -16.5% -8.5% -8.5% 308,234 nmf 0.8 N National Investments Company 0.172 -1.2% 0.172 0.168 2,060 0.320 0.158 -46.3% 0.0% -41.7% 150,709 nmf 0.8 N National Real Estate Co. 0.146 0.0% 0.146 0.142 1,260 0.168 0.056 -13.1% 14.1% 35.2% - nmf 0.6 O Oula Fuel Marketing Co. 0.270 1.9% 0.270 0.270 20 0.360 0.265 -25.0% -10.0% -11.5% 89,019 24.5 2.1 A Qurain Petrochemicals Industries Co. 0.216 -2.7% 0.220 0.216 1,080 0.226 0.174 -4.4% 0.9% 20.0% 237,600 13.1 1.1 S Salhia Real Estate Co. 0.222 -0.9% 0.224 0.222 40 0.240 0.200 -7.5% 6.7% -5.9% 113,825 22.0 0.9 S Sultan Center Food Products Co. 0.126 -3.1% 0.128 0.122 1,820 0.146 0.093 -13.7% 5.0% -10.0% 72,932 nmf 1.1 T Tamdeen Real Estate Co. 0.238 - - - - 0.270 0.216 -11.9% 3.5% -0.8% 88,803 17.9 0.9 A The Commercial Real Estate Co. 0.089 0.0% 0.089 0.088 5,080 0.092 0.067 -3.3% 15.6% 15.6% 163,298 19.0 0.7 S The Securities House 0.130 - - - - - - 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 88,400 nmf 7.0 N Wataniya 2.260 4.6% 2.260 2.180 410 2.260 1.640 0.0% 16.5% 32.9% 1,139,114 3.1 1.4 Z Zain Kuwait 0.850 0.0% 0.850 0.840 1,305 1.420 0.840 -40.1% -5.6% -37.5% 3,661,404 12.9 1.8

914 1,100

228 - 447 -

182 5

235 9

1,845 - 379 351

18 7

416 -

163

- 1,332

93

STOCKSWITH NBK CAPITAL tuesday, march 13, 2012

ALWATAN DAILY

14

QATAR

Rebased Performance Summary Best Performers

DSM Index (% Chg.) Close % Chg.% of stocks trading above 1yr avg. price QTEL.DSM Qatar Telecom 166.40 1.0%Advance/Decline Ratio QNBK.DSMQatar National Bank 135.00 0.8%DSM 52 week High / Low AHCS.DSMAamal Co. 15.69 0.6%Turnover (QAR '000) VFQS.DSMVodafone Qatar 7.29 0.4%Market Cap. (QAR '000) BRES.DSMBarwa Real Estate Co. 28.55 0.4%

Highest Turnover Worst Performers

Turnover (QAR) Close % Chg.IQIndustries Qatar CBQK.DSMThe Commercial Bank of Qatar 73.70 -1.6%QQatar Gas Transport Co. QEWS.DSMQatar Electricity & Water Co. 138.00 -1.1%QQatar National Bank MARK.DSMMasraf Al Rayan 26.45 -0.8%QQatar Electricity & Water Co. QNNS.DSMQatar Navigation 72.80 -0.7%MMasraf Al Rayan IQCD.DSM Industries Qatar 143.90 -0.6%

Quotes

% Chg. High Low High Low on high YTD 12 mths PE PBA Aamal Co. 15.69 0.6% 15.69 15.55 14 24.09 15.40 -34.9% -1.3% -11.5% 7,766,550 14.4 1.4 K Al Khalij Commercial Bank 16.10 -0.4% 16.20 16.05 101 19.15 16.10 -15.9% -6.2% -10.5% 5,796,000 11.9 1.1 B Barwa Real Estate Co. 28.55 0.4% 28.55 28.35 236 35.90 28.10 -20.5% -4.7% -10.6% 11,109,508 9.2 0.9 C The Commercial Bank of Qatar 73.70 -1.6% 75.00 73.60 134 85.50 68.00 -13.8% -12.3% -1.7% 18,236,798 9.7 1.3 D Doha Bank 60.00 0.0% 60.60 59.90 146 67.00 50.00 -10.4% -6.4% 18.8% 12,401,868 10.0 1.8 E Ezdan Real Estate Co. 18.88 0.0% 18.88 18.88 0 24.97 18.60 -24.4% -15.0% -19.5% 50,079,138 nmf 1.8 IQIndustries Qatar 143.90 -0.6% 144.60 143.40 702 148.50 118.80 -3.1% 8.2% 8.4% 79,145,000 10.0 3.0 M Masraf Al Rayan 26.45 -0.8% 26.70 26.30 500 28.10 21.13 -5.9% -5.0% 23.4% 19,837,500 14.1 2.3 Q Qatar Electricity & Water Co. 138.00 -1.1% 138.90 138.00 100 153.50 126.20 -10.1% -1.1% 6.4% 13,800,000 10.6 4.6 Q Qatar Gas Transport Co. 17.57 0.1% 17.95 17.49 4,489 19.58 16.59 -10.3% 0.3% -4.3% 9,731,039 12.4 8.0 Q Qatar International Islamic Bank 50.00 -0.6% 50.30 50.00 47 56.20 44.90 -11.0% -7.4% 8.0% 7,568,437 11.6 1.5 Q Qatar Islamic Bank 76.80 -0.1% 77.00 76.70 40 85.30 76.30 -10.0% -8.9% -8.8% 18,147,318 13.3 1.6 Q Qatar National Bank 135.00 0.8% 135.00 133.90 173 141.73 112.05 -4.7% -2.3% 15.2% 94,463,474 12.6 2.2 Q Qatar Navigation 72.80 -0.7% 73.10 72.80 76 92.60 69.90 -21.4% -4.8% -22.4% 8,337,435 15.5 0.8 Q Qatar Telecom 166.40 1.0% 167.00 165.00 27 167.00 131.33 -0.4% 18.2% 31.5% 29,286,400 11.4 1.4 V Vodafone Qatar 7.29 0.4% 7.33 7.27 313 8.12 7.24 -10.2% -3.4% -4.1% 6,162,966 nmf 0.9 2,288

3,095 23,290 5,558 4,506

13,265 13,818 79,211 2,364

9,994 8,754

0 101,422

Trailing

220 1,619 6,711

Volume('000)

52-Week % Change Market Cap.(QAR '000)Company Name Close

Daily Turnover(QAR '000)

79,210,684 23,289,583 13,818,439 13,265,166

452,675,057

8,634 (0.0%)

101,421,942

39%0.75

8,892 / 8,071413,118

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S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite Doha SM

BAHRAIN

Rebased Performance Summary Best Performers

BSE Index (% Chg.) Close % Chg.% of stocks trading above 1 yr avg. price BATELCO.BBahrain Telecommunications Co. 0.41 1.0%Advance/Decline Ratio AUB.BSE Ahli United Bank 0.67 0.0%BSE 52 week High / Low #N/A #N/A #N/A #N/ATurnover (BHD '000) NBB.BSE National Bank of Bahrain 0.58 -1.7%Market Cap. (BHD '000) #N/A #N/A #N/A #N/A

Highest Turnover Worst Performers

Turnover (BHD) Close % Chg.B Bahrain Telecommunications Co. NBB.BSE National Bank of Bahrain 0.58 -1.7%A Ahli United Bank #N/A #N/A #N/A #N/AB Albaraka Banking Grp. AUB.BSE Ahli United Bank 0.67 0.0%N National Bank of Bahrain BATELCO.BBahrain Telecommunications Co. 0.41 1.0%A Arab Banking Corp. ABC.BSE Arab Banking Corp. 0.42 -

Quotes

% Chg. High Low High Low on high YTD 12 mths PE PBA Ahli United Bank* 0.670 0.0% 0.670 0.670 36 0.770 0.660 -13.0% 0.8% -10.7% 3,339,507 10.8 1.3 B Albaraka Banking Grp.* 1.060 0.0% 1.060 1.060 12 1.280 1.000 -17.2% -2.8% -8.2% 921,723 7.8 0.8 A Arab Banking Corp.* 0.420 - - - - 0.570 0.420 -26.3% 0.0% -26.3% 1,306,200 6.4 0.4 B Bahrain Islamic Bank 0.082 - - - - 0.116 0.082 -29.3% -8.9% -29.3% 77,053 nmf 0.8 B Bahrain Telecommunications Co. 0.410 1.0% 0.410 0.408 67 0.492 0.380 -16.7% 4.6% -1.0% 590,400 7.4 1.2 B BBK 0.414 - - - - 0.436 0.390 -5.0% 0.0% -8.0% 352,461 11.1 1.5 IN Investcorp Bank* 797 - - - - 1,139 797 -30.0% 0.0% -37.0% 637,560 4.5 0.6 IT Ithmaar Bank* 0.090 - - - - 0.115 0.065 -21.7% 38.5% -21.7% 240,999 nmf 0.4 N National Bank of Bahrain 0.575 -1.7% 0.575 0.575 5 0.655 0.560 -12.2% 0.0% -12.2% 491,832 10.8 1.8 U United Gulf Bank 0.304 - - - - 0.424 0.270 -28.3% 1.3% -25.9% 253,707 nmf 1.2

* Closing Prices, Turnover and Market Cap. in USD

- -

3 -

- - 27

-

Market Cap.(BHD '000)

Trailing

24 13

2,875 -

Company Name CloseDaily Turnover

(BHD '000)Volume('000)

52-Week % Change

9,213 4,905

1,433 / 1,129200

6,496,396

37%1.00

27,157

1,150 (0.0%)

112

99

95

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11-Dec-11 11-Jan-12 11-Feb-12 11-Mar-12S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite Bahrain SE

OMAN

Rebased Performance Summary Best Performers

MSM Index (% Chg.) Close % Chg.% of stocks trading above 1yr avg. price BKMB.MSMBank Muscat 0.74 1.4%Advance/Decline Ratio NBOB.MSMNational Bank of Oman 0.32 1.3%MSM 52 week High / Low RNSS.MSMRenaissance Services 0.61 1.0%Turnover (OMR '000) OTEL.MSMOman Telecommunications Co. 1.41 0.4%Market Cap (OMR '000) BKDB.MSMBank Dhofar 0.54 0.0%

Highest Turnover Worst Performers

Turnover (OMR) Close % Chg.B Bank Muscat OCOI.MSM Oman Cement Co. 0.52 -1.0%OOman Telecommunications Co. BKDB.MSMBank Dhofar 0.54 0.0%B Bank Dhofar OTEL.MSMOman Telecommunications Co. 1.41 0.4%R Renaissance Services RNSS.MSMRenaissance Services 0.61 1.0%N National Bank of Oman NBOB.MSMNational Bank of Oman 0.32 1.3%

Quotes

% Chg. High Low High Low on high YTD 12 mths PE PBB Bank Dhofar 0.543 0.0% 0.543 0.543 210 0.680 0.509 -20.1% -0.7% -19.0% 496,974 12.9 2.3 B Bank Muscat 0.741 1.4% 0.744 0.737 1,202 0.781 0.658 -5.1% -3.3% 5.6% 1,147,349 9.8 1.3 N National Bank of Oman 0.315 1.3% 0.317 0.311 99 0.332 0.302 -5.1% -1.6% 3.6% 340,515 10.0 1.2 O Oman Cement Co. 0.516 -1.0% 0.521 0.512 33 0.608 0.416 -15.1% 19.4% -11.6% 170,730 13.3 1.2 O Oman Telecommunications Co. 1.410 0.4% 1.415 1.404 137 1.410 1.041 0.0% 7.7% 21.2% 1,057,500 9.5 2.1 R Raysut Cement Co. 0.925 - - - - 1.190 0.711 -22.3% 21.7% -20.1% 185,000 12.4 1.8 R Renaissance Services 0.608 1.0% 0.610 0.604 132 1.197 0.458 -49.2% 11.6% -44.6% 171,513 nmf 1.0 80

31 17

194 -

Market Cap.(OMR '000)

Trailing

114 890

31,152

Company Name CloseDaily Turnover

(OMR '000)Volume('000)

52-Week % Change

890,229 193,776 114,084 80,043

7,121,814

5,902 (0.3%)53%4.00

6,416 / 5,4194,401

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S&P GCC Large/Mid Composite Muscat SM

TUESDAY, mArch 13, 2012

LIFE The right diet can boost athletic performanceEating the right balance of nutritious foods can improve athletic performance,

whether you’re an elite athlete or just enjoy sports and exercise on a regular basis. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics lists these benefits of a healthy diet for athletes: •Improved cardiovascular health, including better blood flow, delivery of oxygen and blood pressure. •Improved respiratory function. •A stronger immune system. •Stronger bones and muscles. •Improved metabolism to keep your body burning calories.

PARIS: A global meeting on water opened in France on Monday with demands to provide billions of poor people with clean water and decent sanitation and address the spi-raling demands of the future.

“The challenges are huge and the problems are deep-rooted,” French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said as he opened the sixth World Water Forum in the southern city of Marseille. “The number of human beings who have no access to clean water is in the billions. Each year, we mourn millions of dead from the health risks that this causes. This situation is not acceptable -- the world community must rise and tackle it.”

The World Water Forum, held every three years, gath-ers policymakers, big corporations and non-governmental organizations.

As many as 20,000 participants from 140 countries are expected for the six-day event, including scores of min-isters for the environment and water and a scattering of heads of state from francophone west Africa.

Separately, a massive UN report, issued only once ev-ery three years, said water problems in many parts of the world were chronic.

Without a crackdown on waste will worsen as demand for food rises and climate change intensifies, it said.

“Pressures on freshwater are rising, from the expand-ing needs of agriculture, food production and energy con-sumption to pollution and the weaknesses of water man-agement,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in the report. “Climate change is a real and growing threat. With-out good planning and adaptation, hundreds of millions of people are at risk of hunger, disease, energy shortages and poverty.”

Demand for food will increase by some 70 percent

by 2050, which will lead to a nearly 20 percent increase in global agricultural water consumption, the UN’s Fourth World Water Development Report said.

Abstraction of aquifers has at least tripled in the past 50 years and now supplies almost half of all drinking water today. “In some hotspots, the availability of non-renewable

groundwater resources has reached critical limits,” the re-port said. The report demanded an overhaul in the use of water, especially by curbing waste. Smarter irrigation, less thirsty crops and the use of “grey,” or used water, to flush toilets are among the options.

Already, more than 2.5 billion people are in need of decent sanitation and nearly one in 10 has yet to gain ac-cess to “improved” drinking water, as defined under the UN’s 2015 development goals.

Ministers attending the forum will issue a non-binding statement on Tuesday affirming their awareness of the problems and intent to fix them.

Looking ahead to the “Rio plus 20” summit in June, Fillon stood by France’s plan to create a World Environ-ment Organization, an idea opposed by the United States.

“What is at stake here is the historic change of our soci-eties from a development that is economically efficient but environmentally destructive to a model that combines eco-nomic development, the fair sharing of resources among the region’s of the glob and the preservation of ecosys-tems,” said Fillon.

The water forum is shunned by some environmental-ists or development activists, who deride it as a trade fair lacking democracy and transparency.

An alternative forum is being staged elsewhere in Mar-seille by 2,000 members of civil society from Europe, the United States, Latin America and Africa.

“Water cannot be solely determined by politicians, financiers and technicians,” organizers of the rival forum said in a statement. “Every woman and every man, what-ever his responsibilities, must take part in decision-mak-ing, contributing to the protection of water and ensuring fair access to it.” -AFP

Time to tackle water crisis, global forum told

FILE - A Sudanese child is helped with a drink of clean water at the Abu Shouk refugee camp in Darfur. (AFP)

This March 10, 2012 NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) image shows giant sunspot AR1429(Upper-R) on the face of the Sun. Two new solar flares erupted from the sun Saturday, blasting streams of plasma and charged particles into space. The outbursts were both categorized as M-class solar flares, and exploded from the surface of the sun at 12:27 a.m. EST(0527 GMT) and 12:44 p.m. EST (1744 GMT), respectively, according to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. (AFP)

PARIS: The Greenland icesheet is more sensitive to global warming than thought, for just a relatively small -- but very long term -- temperature rise would melt it completely, ac-cording to a study published on Sunday.

Previous research has suggested it would need warming of at least 3.1 degrees Celsius (5.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, in a range of 1.9-5.1 C (3.4-9.1 F), to totally melt the icesheet.

But new estimates, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, put the threshold at 1.6 C (2.9 F), in a range of 0.8-3.2 C (1.4-5.8 F), although this would have to be sustained for

tens of thousands of years.Greenland is second to Antarctica as the

biggest source of locked-up water on land.If it melted completely, this would drive up

sea levels by 7.2 meters (23.6 feet), swamping deltas and low-lying islands. If global warming were limited to 2 C (3.6 F), a target enshrined in the UN climate-change negotiations, com-plete melting would happen on a timescale of 50,000 years, according to the study.

Current carbon emissions, though, place warming far beyond this objective. If they were unchecked, a fifth of the icesheet would melt within 500 years and all would be gone within

2,000 years, the study says.The probe is authored by scientists from

the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Re-search (PIK) and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

They say that the risk of total loss may seem remote, given the immense timescale.

But they also warn that their findings chal-lenge many assumptions about the icesheet’s stability in response to long-term warming.

Earth’s atmosphere has already warmed by 0.8 C (1.4 F) since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century, and car-bon dioxide (CO2) that is being emitted today

will linger for centuries to come.The icesheet is vulnerable to a kind of vi-

cious circle, also known as a positive feedback, that cranks up the melt, according to the pa-per. Reaching over 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) thick in some places, the icesheet today ben-efits from the protective effect of higher, cooler altitudes.

But when it melts, the surface comes down to lower altitudes which have higher tempera-tures, and this accelerates the cooling, the com-puter models show.

In addition, patches of land that become exposed by ice absorb solar radiation because

they are darker and do not reflect the light. As they warm up, they in turn help melt the ice nearby.

“Our study shows that under certain con-ditions the melting of the Greenland ice sheet becomes irreversible. This supports the notion that the icesheet is a tipping element in the Earth system,” says PIK researcher Andrey Ganopolski.

“If the global temperature significantly overshoots the threshold for a long time, the ice will continue melting and not regrow -- even if the climate would, after many thousand years, return to its pre-industrial state.” -AFP

Greenland icesheet more vulnerable than thought to warming

HONG KONG: Scientists in Australia have crossed a popular, commercial variety of wheat with an ancient species, producing a hardy, high-yielding plant that is tolerant of salty soil.

The researchers, who published their work on Mon-day in the journal Nature Biotechnology, hope the new strain will help address food shortages in arid and semi-arid places where farmers struggle with high salinity in the soil.

“This is first time that ... a genetic variation that has been lost in plants through domestication has been reclaimed from a wild relative and put back into the plant,” said lead researcher Matthew Gilliham of the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture.

The researchers used a gene believed to be respon-sible for controlling the salt content in plants and that was isolated more than 10 years ago from an ancient wheat variety.

The gene makes a protein that is present in the roots of wheat and it helps block salt from travelling up

the plant, Gilliham said in a telephone interview. Salt lowers yields and eventually kills the plant.

“When plants grow in salty conditions, the en-zymes in the plants don’t work very well anymore,” Gilliham said.

“We crossed the gene into modern, commercially-grown wheat. It confers salinity tolerance by withdraw-ing the salts from the xylem, retaining them in the roots and stopping them getting up the shoots where the salt damages the plant and stops it from photosynthesiz-ing,” he explained.

The researchers grew the new, improved wheat variety in soil with high salt content and found that it produced yields up to 25 percent more than strains without the ancient gene.

“People will see how it works ... maybe in 5 years it will benefit other varieties of wheat,” Gilliham said.

He said farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, the United States and Russia may also benefit from the modified wheat. -AFP

Experts develop salt-tolerant, high-yield wheat

Nobel scientist who warned of thinning ozone dies

Protesters link arms around the world to decry nuclear power

LOS ANGELES: F. Sherwood Row-land, the Nobel prize-winning chemist who sounded the alarm on the thinning of the Earth’s ozone layer and crusaded against the use of man-made chemicals that were harming earth’s atmospheric blanket, has died. He was 84.

Rowland died Saturday at his home in Corona del Mar of complications from Parkinson’s disease, the dean of the Uni-versity of California, Irvine’s physical sci-ences department said Sunday.

“We have lost our finest friend and mentor,” Kenneth C. Janda said in a state-ment. “He saved the world from a major catastrophe: never wavering in his com-mitment to science, truth and humanity and did so with integrity and grace.”

Rowland was among three scientists awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize for chem-istry for explaining how the ozone is formed and decomposed through chemi-cal processes in the atmosphere.

The prize was awarded more than two decades after Rowland and his post-doctoral student Mario Molina calculated that if human use of chlorofluorocarbon, a byproduct of aerosol sprays, deodor-ants and other household products was to continue at an unaltered rate, the ozone layer would be depleted after several de-cades. Their work at UC Irvine built upon findings by atmospheric scientist Paul Crutzen.

Their prediction caught enormous at-tention and was strongly challenged partly because CFC’s non-toxic properties were

thought to be environmentally safe. Their work gained widespread recognition more than a decade later with the discov-ery of the ozone hole over Earth’s polar regions and leaders of nations worldwide began to act to ban or curb usage of the chemicals.

“It was to turn out that they had even underestimated the risk,” a Nobel com-mittee said in its award citation for Row-land, Molina and Crutzen.

Molina said his former mentor never shied from defending his work or advo-cating a ban on CFC. “He showed me that if we believe in the science ... we should speak out when we feel it’s important for society to change,” Molina told the Asso-ciated Press.

His work on ozone depletion made Rowland a prominent voice for scientists concerned about global warming.

“Isn’t it a responsibility of scien-tists, if you believe that you have found something that can affect the environ-ment, isn’t it your responsibility to do something about it, enough so that action actually takes place?” Rowland said at a White House climate change roundtable in 1997. “If not us, who? If not now, when?” he asked.

Rowland, who was known by those who knew him as “Sherry,” was survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Joan, a son and a daughter. -AP

FILE - This 1989 photo provided by the University of California Irvine shows F. Sherwood Rowland, one of three chem-ists who shared the 1995 Nobel Prize for chemistry for discovering that a by-product of aerosol sprays, deodorants and other consumer products could de-stroy the earth’s atmospheric blanket. (AP)

PARIS: Tens of thousands of anti-nuclear protesters across the globe called for an end to nuclear power as they marked the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami at Japan’s Fuku-shima power plant.

In Japan, tens of thousands rallied near the crippled plant, demanding an end to nuclear power as the nation held memorial ceremonies for a disaster that claimed almost 20,000 lives.

The tsunami swamped cooling sys-tems at Fukushima and sent three reac-tors into meltdown, spewing radiation into the environment. Around 16,000 people gathered at a baseball stadium in Koriyama, some 60 kilometers (40 miles) from the plant. Participants called for an end to nuclear energy in Japan and compensation for victims from operator Tokyo Electric Power.

“Our town has turned out to be an-other Chernobyl,” Masami Yoshizawa, who ran a cattle farm in Namie, 10 ki-lometers (six miles) from the plant, shouted through a loudspeaker. “We are in despair now, but I will get back my

hometown even if it takes me the rest of my life.” Demonstrators in France’s Rhone valley formed a human chain that organizers said stretched for 230 kilome-ters (140 miles) and consisted of about 60,000 people. The region has Europe’s highest concentration of nuclear reac-tors, demonstrators said.

France’s 58 nuclear reactors generate about 75 percent of the country’s elec-tricity, making it the world’s most nucle-ar-dependent nation.

Activists across Germany carried out similar protests, with organizers claim-ing as many as 50,000 people turned out across the country.

Following the Fukushima disaster, Berlin said it would immediately switch off Germany’s eight oldest reactors and close nine others by 2022.

Demonstrators, who formed a chain around the nuclear power station in Brokdorf in northern Germany, want the government to quicken that timeline.

Hundreds of anti-nuclear demonstra-tors converged on the Australian head-quarters of global mining giants BHP

Billiton and Rio Tinto, calling for an end to uranium mining in Australia.

Organizer Kazuyo Preston said Rio and BHP had both supplied uranium to Fukushima from their Australian mines.

Australia does not use nuclear power but is the world’s third-ranking ura-nium producer behind Kazakhstan and Canada, exporting 9,600 tons of oxide concentrate worth more than Aus$1.1 billion (US$1.2 billion) a year.

In the Taiwanese capital Taipei, a crowd of thousands observed a one-min-ute silence and called on the government to shut down the island’s three nuclear plants that generate about 20 percent of its power.

Spanish demonstrators demanded the closure of a nuclear plant in Garona. The reactor in northern Spain is similar in design to Fukushima and has been running since 1971, making it the oldest of Spain’s eight reactors.

Around 5,000 anti-nuclear demon-strators in Switzerland called for the im-mediate closure of two of the country’s power stations. -AFP

BERLIN: A German engineering company is ramping up the image of the humble trolleybus, a mode of public transport often regarded as being a relic from the past.

The typical trolleybus is a box on wheels which gets its power from over-head wires. What it lacks in glamour is made up by green credentials and that is what prompted officials in Saudi Arabia to call in Bavarian-based manufacturer Viseon.

The innovative company based in the small southeast town of Pilsting is sup-plying 12 high-tech electric buses for a key prestige project in the Gulf state - a new transport system taking shape at the medical complex of King Saud University in Riyadh.

The Viseon LT20 trolley is sleek, fu-turistically styled and bends in the middle to make it easier to negotiate tight curves and obstacles. The vehicle can carry up to 180 passengers and runs almost silently under overhead cables.

The contract for Saudi Arabia even in-cludes a VIP trolleybus for the royal family and prominent guests, probably the only one of its kind in the world. The interior boasts luxury fittings such as leather sets, oak flooring, monitors, kitchenette and a lowered baldachin roof.

Viseon managed to realize the entire project within 18 months. The electric buses have already been shipped to Jed-dah and are due to whirr into action later this month for extensive trials before the 11-kilometre network officially opens next February.

“This is a prestige project which calls for an innovative transport system to match,” said Viseon managing director Joachim Reinmuth. “The buses are robust and long-lasting and they can cope with the extreme ambient heat in Saudi Ara-bia.” Unlike trains or trams the trolleybus does not need a complex infrastructure of rails and switching points, resulting in large savings of energy and cash.

The new trolleybuses are also far re-moved from the thousands of rough-and-ready electric buses operated around the world on the world’s largest network in Moscow, Russia and in countries from Be-larus to China. It might seem odd that oil-rich Saudi Arabia should be interested in

technology which bypasses fossil fuels but even the world’s largest producer knows supplies will not last forever.

The Saudi scheme comes amid a glob-al surge of interest in the trolleybus, trig-gered by the need to move large amounts of people around modern cities in an envi-ronmentally responsible way and without massive investment. “The trolleybus has a great future ahead of it since it produces no emissions at all and the electric power can be taken from generating stations us-ing the optimum in modern technology,” said Reinmuth.

Two more trolleybus projects for Sau-di Arabia are on the drawing board and there is interest from India and other big cities suffering what Reinmuth calls “suf-focating levels of traffic”.

The northern English city of Leeds is poised to re-introduce trolleybuses to the UK 40 years after the country’s last system closed in 1972 and compact net-works have sprung up in Italy, Sweden and Spain. Montreal in Canada is also mulling whether to wire up for trolley traction and replace hundreds of diesel buses.

“In the old days, any moves to get rid of trolleybuses would have been met with

sad resignation by the population as a ‘sign of the times’, now citizens are resist-ing such attempts.” said pro-trolley cam-paigner Ashley Bruce in the introduction to his campaign website Leeds Tbus.

“People are much more aware of environmental issues than they were in the ‘60s and are prepared to campaign strongly to keep their beloved trolleybus-es.” Other trolleybus advantages include rapid acceleration and the ability to climb steep inclines with ease.

Switzerland is currently Europe’s trol-leybus stronghold with 13 active systems and there are flourishing networks in Austria, the Netherlands and in Germany where three cities have remained faithful to the old-fashioned mode of transport. In South America large new rapid tran-sit systems using trolleybuses have been built in recent years at Barisquimeto in Venezuela and Quito in Ecuador.

A recent survey in Salzburg where 140,000 people daily use the city’s trol-leybus network showed continuing strong support for the electric buses. “Custom-ers really appreciate the trolleybus as a reliable and environmentally sound form of transport,” said municipal transport di-rector Gunter Mackinger. -dpa

CULTUREALWATAN DAILY

16TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Kuwait’s candidates for Overseas Filipino Workers pageant announcedThe grand coronation night is slated for May 4, 2012 at Al-Zummoroda HallRicky LaxaStaff Writer

KUWAIT: Much awaited official candi-dates of Overseas Filipino Workers pageant “Miss Kislap 2012” was announced today by the organizer Filipino Association for Culture and Arts in Kuwait (FCAK). The fourteen fi-nalists, chosen from twenty-four candidates by panel of judges, were results of more than two months of search among Filipino women working and residing in Kuwait.

The list of official candidates are; Myla Padua, Karen Yvonne Urzais, Winiliza An-tonino, Milet Marimla, Jeravin Mathi, Rhose Angelyka Rabe, Catherine Baltazar, Daisy Angel Paningbatan, Jeddah Diaz, Bunny Jean Misa Bibandor, Mahaleen Belisimo, Sheila Rose Dearos, Jamille Anne Aggabao and Van-essa Ruth Chan. “Judges based their criteria on: face with 30%, figure with 20%, poise and personality with 30% and intelligence with 20%” said FCAK Chairperson Primitivo Aguilar.

The final selection Friday afternoon was held at the Kyokushin Karate Club in Jabriya and kicked off with an introduction by the host and supplemented by a brief message deliv-ered by Philippine Cultural Attaché Remedios

Alcaraz.“We just have to appreciate the beauty of

Filipina women. This pageant is a testimony of the real character of Filipinos and we are happy to be part of the final selection process,” said Alcaraz.

To add, the Attaché congratulated FCAK for organizing such an event, which is deeply rooted in the tradition and culture of Filipi-nos.

The contestants took the runway and in-troduced themselves with a brief message as to why they have to be among the official list of candidates.

Impressively, few have stood out and im-pressed the panel of judges with not only their look and poise but intelligence in answering simple and unprepared questions.

“I am very impressed with how these ladies managed to walk, stand and answer questions with confidence and composure. We have wit-nessed and have been part of several pageants before but FCAK’s Miss Kislap 2012 is a prod-uct of the evolution that will typify an ideal and confident Filipina woman working in for-eign land yet respected, appreciated and hon-ored for her strength, courage and takes pride with her natural Asian beauty,” commented Consultant to Middle East for ABS-CBN and journalist Michelle Santiago.

The set of judges comprised head of panel of judges Raymond Hernandez, Philippine Embassy Cultural Attaché Remedios Alcaraz, Al-Alamia Manpower Agency Dolor Suarez El-Elinany, Fonz, Zain Telecommunications and Swiftel representative Leah Gratil, Optica House Dr. Cecile Tamayo, President of Light-benders Chris Sanan and officers of the FCAK

Filipino Association for Culture and Arts in Kuwait.

Several Filipino fashion designers and fash-ion consultants were also present to support their candidates.

As for Aguilar he said that the pageant is a special occasion that Filipinos in Kuwait will be proud of. It will solely be a show that show-cases beauty, wit and talent but also one that has a lasting impact and can add to respect and honor to Filipinos in Kuwait.

Aguilar promised to stage the event that will leave positive imprint about Filipinos tra-ditions and culture.

Organizers expressed their gratitude to all supporters and sponsors; Dr. Al-Bannay, Phil-ippine Embassy, and even aspirants that did not made it to the top 15 list of official can-didates.

FCAK would also like to thank the fol-lowing sponsors: Dolor Suarez El-Elinany’s Al-Alamia Manpower Agency, Giordano, Teresa Zapra’s Ajwa Travel Agency, Zain Tele-com, Swiftel, Fonz, Joint Material Support International(JMSI), Sebamed, Primitivo Graphics, Lutong Pinoy (Farwaniya), Sisig Ex-press (Farwaniya) RL Beauty Saloon (Farwani-ya) and to those who never made it to the final selection.

“Prior to the grand coronation on the 4th of May 2012 at Al-Zummoroda Hall in Salwa area, talent, casual and sportswear competi-tions will be announced.

Renowned member of the local and foreign media, producer and director of The Morning Talk Show Ricky Laxa has been chosen to host the grand coronation night”, concluded Agui-lar. Photos of the official candidates for ‘Miss Kislap 2012’ vying for the grand title.

The sleek, new Viseon trolleybuses for Saudi Arabia have little in common with their more mundane equivalents around the world. (dpa)

The sleek, new Viseon trolleybuses for Saudi Arabia have little in common with their more mundane equivalents around the world. (dpa)

Germans reinvent the humble trolleybus for prestige Saudi project

Mass wedding in Indian ‘village of sex workers’

FRANCE: Eight young women whose mothers are sex workers were married in a so-called “village of prostitutes” in India on Sunday under a plan to save them from being pushed into the world’s oldest pro-fession.

The event, held in the village of Vadia in the west-ern state of Gujarat, was organized by Vicharta Samu-day Samarthan Manch (VSSM), a non-profit group which works with marginalized nomadic communi-ties.

The brides, all aged 18 or slightly older, were dressed in colorful saris with their grooms wearing fantail turbans as loud drummers accompanied the wedding party.

Women from Vadia village have worked in the sex trade for generations and the marriage ceremony was an attempt to break the cycle of exploitation, said Mittal Patel of VSSM.

“Marriage means that the young girls will be saved from the traditional profession of prostitution,” she said. “Once the girl gets married or engaged, she cannot be forced into the flesh trade.”

Another 12 girls aged under 18 were also engaged at the event, which was held 210 kilometers from Gu-jarat’s main city of Ahmedabad.

However three more engagements were cancelled when the boys failed to turn up.

Patel said her group had been working closely with local communities for five years and had found young men willing to marry the women “by building trust among them”.

Mittal said no one had previously wanted to marry a girl from Vadia, which is known locally as the “vil-lage of prostitutes”. Men in the village are known to make money by pimping the women to clients.

About 3,000 people attended Sunday’s celebra-tions in Vadia after invitations, which included an emotional poem by a Gujarati writer, were sent out for the big day.

“I am not the fruit of your love; I came to this world owing to your profession, I don’t blame you for this,” read one line of the poem according to the Times of India.

One of the wedding rituals was performed by J.B. Vora, a top district official who also gave away gifts to the couples.

“This is a historic event which is going to bring in a big social change in the lives of the women of Vadia village,” he said before an elaborate feast began for guests.

Arranged marriages are common in India, and mass wedding ceremonies are often held in poor, rural areas with groups of young couples taking their vows with others to cut down on costs. -AFP

BERLIN: Consumers increasingly are discovering that if they want service - any-thing from having their sandwich wrapped at a bakery to checking in for a flight at the airport - they have to provide it them-selves.

The customer is becoming a sort of em-ployee who doesn’t get a pay check, isn’t in a union and needs no office space. Many in-dustries have embraced self-service, which saves costs. Some people find it practical; others feel that it not only makes the effort of completing a transaction even more bur-densome, it is eliminating jobs.

Guenter Voss, a sociologist in Germany, says consumers are increasingly required to be “working customers.”

There are numerous examples of self-service in the marketplace. Food stores provide stations where people can bag their

own groceries, petrol stations require peo-ple to pump their own fuel and post offices have stamp machines that calculate postage. Online shops are designed from the ground up on the principle of self-service.

The customer does his or her own searching and fills out all the necessary in-formation.

Companies have names such as “cus-tomer orientation” to describe the restruc-turing of the buying process and the broad palette of processes that customers have to do themselves. For the company this typi-cally means fewer employees are needed to provide the services.

Bjorn Weber of Planet Retail, a com-merce information service, has calculated how much companies can potentially save by implementing things such as self-service cash registers. “The check-out procedure at

a store takes up on average at least 65 per cent of personnel costs,” said Weber. “That’s a large parameter.”

Unions are closely observing the devel-opments in the area of self-service. Ulrich Dalibor, an official with the 2.1-million-member German trade union ver.di, which represents employees in more than 1,000 trades and professions, said the union is skeptical over the increase in self-service.

“It contributes to the devaluation of the check-out procedure and the image of the job of cashier and therefore wages deter-mined on a pay scale can be circumvented,” Dalibor warned.

Representatives of the German whole-sale association see that position as nothing less than hostile toward technology. “On a locomotive these days we no longer have a worker shoveling coal into the engine,” said

Heribert Joeris, chief executive of the asso-ciation, adding that some activities become redundant. “In exchange new ones arise in other areas. The entire chain of commerce lives on the notion that customers will take over tasks and want to take over tasks.”

Michael Gerling, chief executive of a commerce research institute in Cologne, agrees. “The self-service cash registers can-not comprehensively replace those with a cashier,” he said. “This type of self-service is only supplemental.”

Weber noted that recently there has been a technical development that we’re likely to see more of. In the future custom-ers will be able to use an app to scan the item when they put it into their shopping carts and when they are done shopping the app will calculate their entire purchase.

Voss sees advantages not only for busi-

nesses. “It is critical that they recognize the new potential and deal with it correctly,” he said. An example he cited is the participa-tion of customers in product development, which is known as crowd sourcing and takes place primarily over the internet. A group of people collaborates, for example, on de-signing a new company logo, submits im-provements for the design of a sport shoe or creates a new popular hamburger.

However, when consumers become the producers, marketers and sources for ideas, the companies must adjust to a new form of customer loyalty and react accordingly, said Voss. Companies are on the cusp of many new possibilities in the area of customer relations. “It’s not only about reducing costs. They also will be able to realize profit through direct comprehension and under-standing of the customer.” -dpa

Serve yourself: Self-service becoming more pervasive in retail world

entertainmentaLWatan DaiLY

17TUESDAY, mArch 13, 2012

Song Of The Day

Fahad AlSabahStaff Writer

Song: OneArtist: muhsinahAlbum: Gone - EPGenre: AlternativeIn short: Soulful crooner muhsinah, mostly known for her work with common and hip-hop duo The Foreign Exchange, has been busy at work writing, singing, and producing her own music, ending up with a fresh sound that blends elec-tronic beats and core hip-hop elements. Gone, her latest EP, features six songs that are so different in sound and style, it’s hard to believe they were written and produced by the same person. While the title track features the richest produc-tion, the true highlight is the vulnerable “One,” which shows muhsinah’s softer side, both musically and lyrically.

To listen to the song visit www.alwatandaily.comE-mail your feedback to falsabah@alwatandaily.com

The BuzzSunday fun day for Beyonce and Jay-Z at NY concertIt was Sunday “fun day” for Beyonce and Jay-Z: The new parents enjoyed a concert by r&B singer The-Dream in New York. The top music couple jammed to the singer-songwriter in the VIP section of SOB’s, a small club that houses a few hundred people. The-Dream co-wrote and co-produced Be-yonce’s massive hit “Single Ladies (Put a ring on It).” he also worked his magic on rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Justin Bie-ber’s “Baby” and “Touch my Body” by mariah carey. he performed a number of his own hits Sunday night, including “Shawty Is a 10,” ‘’Falsetto” and “I Luv Your Girl.” he’ll re-lease his fourth album, “Love IV mmXII,” later this year. The Grammy winner thanked the crowd for coming out, saying: “I know some of ya’ll got kids at home.” Beyonce and Jay-Z have a daughter, Blue Ivy carter, who was born in January.

French actor confirms engagement to Halle BerryFrench actor Olivier martinez has confirmed that he and Os-car winner halle Berry are engaged to be married, the miami herald reported. “Yes, of course it’s true,” martinez told the newspaper in an article posted online on Saturday, referring to engagement rumors that have been swirling around the couple. martinez, who was in miami for the opening of his South Beach restaurant, Villa Azur, also took the opportunity to set the record straight on the designer of the engagement ring Berry has been wearing since January. contrary to re-ports that the emerald ring is Gurhan-designed, it’s the cre-ation of jeweler robert mazlo from the actor’s native Paris, he said. The mazlo jewelers have been designing jewelry for “kings and queens for many centuries,” martinez told the paper. Berry and martinez have been dating since 2010, when they worked together on the film “Dark Tide,” due for release this year. This would be the third marriage for Berry, 45, who won a best actress Oscar for her role in 2001 film “monster’s Ball.” She was married to former baseball player David Justice from 1993 to 1997 and to singer Eric Benet from 2001 to 2005. She had a daughter Nahla, who turns 4 this month, with French-canadian model Gabriel Aubry. For martinez, 46, the wedding would be his first. he has been involved with a number of high-profile women, among them actresses mira Sorvino and singer Kylie minogue. -reuters

Michelle Obama to appear on Letterman showmichelle Obama is returning to the late-night stage. The first lady will appear on the “Late Show with David Letterman” on march 19. mrs. Obama will discuss her Joining Forces ini-tiative, which supports military families, and her plans for the program’s one-year anniversary. cBS, which airs Letterman’s show, says this will be mrs. Obama’s first appearance on the program. But she has made other stops on the late-night talk show circuit to promote her initiatives and stump for Presi-dent Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. her recent ap-pearances include “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and Jimmy Fallon’s “Late Night” program. Both shows are on NBc. -AP

Actor Michael Madsen arrested after alleged fight with sonActor michael madsen, known for roles in films such as “Thel-ma & Louise,” was arrested for child cruelty after getting into a fight with his teenage son, authorities said on Saturday. The Los Angeles county Sheriff’s Department said madsen, 54, was arrested at his malibu, california, home on Friday af-ternoon by deputies investigating a report of a family distur-bance. madsen “appeared under the influence of alcohol,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. he was arrested without incident. The chicago-born actor, best known for his roles in films such as “reservoir Dogs,” “Thelma & Louise” and “Kill Bill,” was booked and jailed on charges of cruelty to a child. his bail was set at $100,000. -reuters

MTV Europe Music Awards return to Frankfurt in 2012The mTV Europe music Awards (EmA) will be held on No-vember 11 in Frankfurt, returning to the Germany city which also hosted the annual ceremony in 2001, the music channel announced on monday. The EmA show is billed as a celebra-tion of music from around the globe, although it tends to fo-cus on top U.S. artists who are popular internationally and so score well with fans who vote for the winners. mTV will be hoping to build on the popularity of its 2011 show in Belfast, which attracted 23 million viewers on all platforms as well as 158 million votes worldwide. Last year’s event starred Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, coldplay and LmFAO. -reuters

Whitney Houston’s daughter: ‘She’s always with me’

NEW YORK: In her first interview since Whitney houston’s death, daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown said she’s “doing as good as I possibly can” and recalled the tender last mo-ments she shared with her superstar mother before her sudden death last month.

“She’s always with me,” said the 19-year-old, houston’s only child and sole heir. “her spirit is strong, it’s a strong spirit. I feel her pass through me all the time.”

Brown made the comments in a Sunday interview with Oprah Winfrey on Winfrey’s network, OWN, that also featured Pat hous-ton, the singer’s manager and sister-in-law, and Gary houston, the brother of Whitney houston.

Brown credited her family and God for helping her cope since her mother’s death on Feb. 11 at the age of 48.

“It comes in waves. One moment I can be happy and laughing, but then it comes over me. It’s my mom,” she said.

houston, who had struggled with drugs and alcohol in the past but according to fam-ily had been apparently clean, was found in a bathtub at the Beverly hilton hotel in Bev-erly hills, calif., on the eve of the Grammys. She was to attend a pre-Grammy party the night she died.

Brown said the night before her mother’s death, she asked houston to spend the night with her.

“I slept in her arms all day, all night long,” said Brown, whose father is singer Bobby Brown.

Pat houston said in the days before hous-ton died, the singer had not been abusing drugs, despite reports that she had been act-

ing erratically. She said an event she attended two days before her death where houston looked disheveled was particularly difficult because the legendary performer got into a verbal spat with a former contestant on the “X Factor.” Pat houston would not name the woman, but Stacy Francis has said that she and Whitney houston had words that night.

According to Pat houston, Francis “made herself present everywhere we were,” unnerv-ing houston and leading to an argument.

The day of her death had been unevent-ful, according to her manager. houston had lunch in her hotel and was preparing for her

mentor clive Davis’ annual party. houston was scheduled to tape an infomercial and other interviews that day.

Pat houston went out to run errands for about a half hour and when she came back, Whitney houston’s assistant went to check on the singer.

“When I headed down the hallway (to her room), I heard screaming,” she said.

When Pat houston arrived in the room, she saw the singer’s security guard frantically trying to revive her ahead of the paramedics. he told her: “I tried.”

Pat houston said the singer had “a peace-

ful look on her face.” The cause of houston’s death has not yet been revealed.

The 90-minute television special also touched on the singer’s ex-husband, Bobby Brown, who had a tumultuous marriage with houston. While some have accused Brown of introducing houston to drugs, leading to the once pristine singer’s downfall, Pat houston said that was untrue, and both Pat and Gary houston had warm words for Brown.

“I loved Bobby Brown. Bobby was a good guy,” said Gary houston, her older brother. “I don’t know how good they were for each other.” They also denied that the houston family had asked Brown to leave her funeral service or didn’t want him to come; Brown showed up briefly but left after a dispute over seating.

“Bobby was supposed to be there,” said Gary houston.

Pat houston said Bobby Brown and his daughter have a relationship, but indicated they hadn’t spoken since at least houston’s funeral.

Bobbi Kristina Brown said she planned to carry on her mother’s legacy and become a singer, as well as act and dance. She expressed frustration over the “negativity” surrounding her mother’s image: “That’s not my mother.”

Instead, she described her as her con-fidant, a sister, her best friend - “my every-thing.”

She still spends time in the house she and her mother shared together, and at times said it’s hard to believe she’s not there.

“Sometimes, it’s so surreal. I still walk into the house like, ‘mom?’” she said. “But I’ve accepted it.” -AP

In this undated image from video released by Harpo, Inc., host Oprah Winfrey, left, em-braces Bobbi Kristina, daughter of the late singer Whitney Houston during an interview in Atlanta, Ga. (AP)

Iran cancels home ceremony for Oscar winner

Madonna bringing ‘provocateur quality’ to dance-inspired shoe line

TEHRAN, Iran: Iranian authorities canceled a ceremony monday in honor of the country’s Oscar-winning director even though the government had hailed his win as a triumph over a competitor from Israel.

The event for Asghar Farhadi, whose movie, “A Separation,” won the Oscar for best foreign film last month, was abruptly scrapped after authorities denied permis-sion, according to the semiofficial Ilna news agency.

There were no details as to why a per-mit was denied but some Iranian conser-vatives were upset with the film’s themes: domestic turmoil, gender inequality and the desire by many to leave the country.

Ilna said two cinema groups, the cen-ter for Directors of Iranian cinema and the high council of Producers of Iranian cinema, issued a statement decrying the cancellation. All public events in Iran need government approval.

“We intended to have a simple and friendly meeting to say ‘thank you’ for the great achievement you brought Iran and Iranian cinema but the cultural custo-dians did not let us realize this,” said the statement, addressing Farhadi.

“We deeply regret this,” the statement added. There was no immediate reaction from Farhadi.

Iran had welcomed Farhadi’s Oscar as the movie beat an Israeli film and three others in the foreign language category, describing it as a conquest for Iranian culture and a blow for Israel’s perceived outsized influence in America.

But Iranian hard-liners were also up-set by the movie’s exposure of the trou-bles in Iranian society through the story of a collapsing marriage. Authorities have long had an uneasy relationship with the country’s filmmakers and influential cler-ics have often denounced the domestic cinema as dominated by Western-tainted liberals and political dissenters. Some directors and actors have faced arrest or fled the country.

In January, authorities ordered the

closure of the house of cinema, an inde-pendent film group that had operated for 20 years and counted Iran’s top filmmak-ers, including Farhadi, among its mem-bers.

Last year, film director Jafar Panahi, who won awards at cannes, Venice and other major film festivals, was sentenced to a six-year house arrest and a 20-year ban on filming after being convicted of “making propaganda” against Iran’s rul-ing system. -AP

FRANCE: As her debut perfume launch approaches, madon-na has announced expansion into the realm of footwear, with a series of dance-inspired styles to launch for Fall 2012.

The shoe line comes under the singer’s new Truth or Dare label, and will be produced by canada-headquartered firm Aldo Group Inc.

With prices set from $89 to $349, the initial range comprises over 60 styles, including flats, heels and booties. Dance influ-ences come in the form of studs and cap-toe details. While the pop star’s stylist Arianne Phillips is creative consultant, madonna has had a key input on the line.

“her fingers are really on this brand,” Phillips told Footwear News. “The first thing I did was remind her of all the shoes she wore over the years, and we took the styles that we can’t live without. You can always depend on her to bring her style and pro-

vocateur quality, but she also has a very feminine perspective.” retailers supporting the footwear launch include US department stores Nordstrom and macy’s, canada’s The Bay and the UK’s Selfridges, as well as website Asos.com. The brand is expected to expand into European countries including France and Spain for 2013. The expansion won’t end there either, as madonna looks set to follow in the footsteps of pop stars-turned-fashion moguls such as Jessica Simpson who has her own lifestyle brand with over 20 product categories.

In addition to shoes, the Truth or Dare brand will venture into intimates later this year and there are discussions regarding legwear and additional accessories for 2013. The label is aimed at 27- to 50-year-old women, compared to the material Girl cloth-ing line madonna launched in 2010 in collaboration with her teenage daughter Lourdes, targeting younger consumers. -AFP

FILE - In this undated file photo released by Filmiran film distributing company, Iranian actress Leila Hatami, and actor Peyman Moadi, act in a scene of movie “A Separation” which won the Academy Awards in foreign films. (AP)

Looks from the Truth or Dare collection, owned by MG Icon. (Agencies)

Lorax trumps John Carter with $39.1M weekendLOS ANGELES: “Dr. Seuss’ the Lorax” has

easily beaten Edgar rice Burroughs’ “John cart-er” at the weekend box office.

Studio estimates Sunday put Universal Pic-tures’ “The Lorax” at No. 1 for the second-straight weekend as the animated adventure based on the children’s book took in $39.1 million. That raised its 10-day domestic total to $122 million, mak-ing “The Lorax” the top-grossing movie released this year.

“John carter,” based on “Tarzan” creator Burroughs’ tales of the interplanetary adven-turer, opened in second-place with $30.6 million. That’s an awful start given the whopping $250 million that Disney reportedly spent to make “John carter,” which also earned generally poor reviews that will hurt its long-term prospects.

The movie’s salvation could come overseas, where “John carter” opened in 55 markets with $70.6 million, giving it a worldwide total of $101.2 million.

The stronger international business helps, but that worldwide total still pales compared to global debuts of $200 million and up for many modern blockbusters.

The Warner Bros. teen comedy “Project X” held up well in its second weekend with $11.6 million to finish at No. 3 and raise its domestic haul to $40.1 million.

Elizabeth Olsen’s horror tale “Silent house,” released by Open road Films, opened modestly at No. 4 with $7 million. Olsen plays a young woman terrorized inside her family’s spooky summer home.

Eddie murphy’s comedy “A Thousand Words,” a leftover shot in 2008 and finally dumped into theaters by distributor Paramount, was a dud at No. 6 with just $6.4 million.

The movie features murphy as a fast-talking literary agent and neglectful family man who gets a lesson on the important things in life after dis-covering he has only a thousand words left to ut-ter before he dies.

“A Thousand Words” was so bad it had a per-fect score on the film critic site rottentomatoes.com: all of the 37 reviews compiled there for the movie were negative.

“John carter” at least managed 49 percent favorable notices of the 170 reviews compiled there. That’s still not a recipe for staying power at the box office, particularly with such a bad open-ing in the United States. -AP

In this film image released by Universal Pic-tures, animated character Lorax, voiced by Danny Devito, is shown in a scene from “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.” (AP)

If you have an event you wish to include, please email: aroundtown@alwatandaily.com

AROUND TOWN / TIME OUTALWATAN DAILY

18TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

Aries: March 21 - April 19Think of today as a restorative time for yourself in which you can come to a point of greater ease and comfort, Aries. Trust yourself and the people around you. Open your eyes to the reality of the

situation at hand. If you’re currently working through some ma-jor life changes, have faith that whatever happens will work out to your benefit.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20You may find yourself gravitating toward solid, grounded things, Taurus, in hopes that these will provide you with the stability that you lack. A key word for you today is patience. Learn how to wait

without becoming restless or grumpy. What you will discover af-ter a while is that the stability you seek is actually sitting right there inside of you, and has been all along.

Gemini: May 21- June 21Try to come to a place of serenity today in which you free yourself from desire and jealousy, Gemini. It’s important that you take time to recognize the incredible growth that can spring from this position

of calm and pure satisfaction. Rid yourself of the excess baggage that you cling to as some sort of support or means of comfort.

Cancer: June 22 - July 22The key word for you today is boundaries, Cancer, so think for a minute about what this means to you. It’s time to have a serious talk with yourself. Set some limits and be honest about drawing the line.

Your health, your state of mind, and your relationships with oth-ers all depend on your taking the initiative to know when to say no in certain situations.

Leo: July 23 - August 22Make sure that you’re living consciously at this time, Leo. It could be that you’re going through a period of denial and simply refusing to see the truth of the situation. Open up your eyes to the

world around you so you can invite in joy and compassion. Don’t be satisfied with superficial interactions that don’t really satisfy you emotionally and intellectually.

Virgo: August 23 - September 22In some ways, today could seem like a day of reck-oning for you, Virgo. You might look in the mirror and see things that you really aren’t very happy with. Perhaps you harbor a sense of shame based

on past events that still linger in your mind. Don’t let this shadow of insecurity continue to dwell in your life.

Libra: September 23 - October 22Let today serve as a reminder of the importance of love, Libra. Don’t just think of it as a commod-ity you fight for and conquer with conniving tricks and strategic dating tactics. Realize that love is evi-

dent in how you see the world; it’s a seed in you. The more you see love in the people around you, even in the heart of a stranger, the more you’ll be blessed with its radiant light.

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21You may be feeling a strong sense of guilt now because of something you did in an effort to feed your ego, Scorpio. Be aware of how your actions have affected others and apologize. Guilt is basi-

cally a useless emotion that you should get rid of as quickly as possible. Don’t let this feeling keep you from opening up your heart to restore it to its original innocence.

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21Pure wisdom is an important quality for you to aspire to on this day, Sagittarius. Know that the wisdom you seek should come from a point of calm knowing and strength as opposed to a fran-

tic, loud, and outlandish display for attention. You’ll be recog-nized accordingly.

Capricorn: December 22 - January 19Why keep fighting a fight that you know you can’t win, Capricorn? Why keep trying to fool yourself and others into thinking that you have all the an-swers when you’re only aware of the tip of the

iceberg? The mass of knowledge lies well beneath the surface. Instead of fighting, offer to surrender. At this point, others will be much more willing to quench your thirst for truth.

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18Anger is apt to stir inside you today, Aquarius, so beware of any actions that might manifest as a re-sult of this powerful feeling. Do what you can to find the deep source of this anger. If it’s an obvi-

ous injustice, see the situation as an opportunity for change, and work to reform the policy that led to this breach of fairness and equality.

Pisces: February 19 - March 20Show some gratitude to the people around you today, Pisces. The seat of your personality is very strong at this time, and you’re confident to your core. Mix this feeling with the service-oriented sensitivity of the

day that asks us to do things for others. Keep in mind that a gesture as simple as a smile can be healing for another person - and you.

HOrOSCOPeS

SuDOku

Feature o f t h e d a y

DILberT NANCy

MODerATeLy CONFuSeD GrAFFITI

Month a t a g l a n c e

Kuwaiti cuisineMarch 15-April 5/6 p.m. - 8 p.m./TIES Center: TIES Ladies Club invites you to our Kuwaiti cuisine classes which will start soon. Join us for a one month cooking program where you will learn to cook real Kuwaiti food. All ladies are invited to join our classes and let your family enjoy the mouth watering Kuwaiti cuisine. For more information/registration, contact 25231015/6.

Art exhibitionMarch 5-15/ 7 p.m. / Dar Al Funoon: Mohammed Abou El Naga is a multidis-ciplinary visual artist, art professor, curator and developer. Throughout his col-orful career, he created award winning art projects, fulfilled his responsibility towards his community and brought up new generation of young artists with his teaching, workshop and his multitude of practices.

Arabic courseMarch 11-April 19/ TIES Center: TIES Center is glad to announce the start of Arabic courses. We offer classes for all levels, from beginners to advance and also introduced new classes called Kuwait dialect. TIES Arabic classes are intended for all expatriates who wish to learn Arabic for whatever purpose- business, basic communication, as a second language or simply as a hobby.

For more information/registration, contact 97228860/97793440.

Diwaniya presentationMarch 13/ 7 p.m. /The AWARE Center: The AWARE Center cordially invites you to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “The Fundamentals of Islamic Bank-ing & Finance” by Dr. Muhammad Al-Qattan. Have you ever wondered what Islamic Banking is? How is it different? What principles is it based on? Does it work? Are there any benefits? Do you have to be Muslim to have an account in an Islamic Bank? For more information, call 25335260 ext 0.

Quiz night for ladiesMarch 14/ 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. / TIES Center: Ties Center Ladies Club invites all ladies to the educative and entertaining session. You can come with your fam-ily and enjoy the quiz night together. Refreshments will be provided. For more information/registration, contact 25231015/6 or 97228860/97793440.

New Toastmasters ClubSecond and fourth Tuesday/ 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. / Jabriya: A new Toastmasters Club is being formed and encouraging new members to join. Toastmasters Interna-tional is a world leader in communication and leadership development. It is a non-profit international organization dedicated to improve member’s commu-nication and leadership skills by attending and participating toastmasters meet-ings. For more information, please contact Khaled Al-Hashem at 65588824.

Waist WatchersEvery Tuesday/ 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. / British Ladies Society: Meetings are based on the world’s most successful healthy eating plan. Weekly meetings include pri-vate weigh in, motivational talks, recipes to try, and cooking demonstrations. Fee of KD 2.500 is required to cover for the cost of course material. For more info contact; Danielle desertdanny@hotmail.com.

Hip Hop at BAIA Every week/ Salmiya: BAIA offers weekly Hip Hop classes for students aged five and up. These “just for fun” classes are a great work-out. For more in-formation visit www.thebaia.com or contact: info@thebaia.com. Telephone: 2562 3604 ext.154, 2562 0706 ext.154. Mobile: 6005 2087.

Royal Thai EmbassyThe Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait wishes to invite Kuwaiti companies that deal business with Thai companies or those agencies of Thai commercial companies to visit the Embassy’s Commercial Office to register their relevant information to be part of the embassy’s busi-ness and trade database. The Royal Thai Embassy is located in Jabriya, Block 6, Street 8, Villa No. 1, Telephone No. 25317530 -25317531, Ext: 14.

EducationUSADo you have questions regarding studying at a university in the US? AMIDEAST can help. Please visit our EducationUSA Advising Center in Sharq, and attend one of our weekly free group advising sessions, held every Monday, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. For further information, visit: www.amideast.org, telephone us at 2247-0091, ext. 6819, or E-mail us at: kuwait@amideast.org.

General A n n o u n c e m e n t s

Lana is a very affectionate and sweet female puppy of mixed breed. She was born in Oc-tober 2011. Lana is a happy girl who loves to play and go for long walks. She will be a great addition to a family with children over 10 years of age.

Fiona is a beautiful female Semi-Long Haired cat born in May 2008. She loves being cuddled and a good belly rub! She enjoys being held and likes to play. Fiona would be a lovely new family member in a household with children over 5 years of age. To adopt, call (+965) 6700 1622.

K’S PATH invites applicants for the adoption of pets

Intermediate Advanced Elementary

NES open age girl’s basketball team secure league title

KUWAIT: The U19 Girls Basketball team at the New English School (NES) have just completed a per-fect season in the ISACK Championships, winning all 7 of their games. The team began the season with a 62 - 3 victory over The English Academy, followed by a 22 - 13 victory over The English School Fahaheel. Further League play victories were then earned against the American Bilingual School: 40 - 0, Kuwait English School: 29 - 15 and the British School of Kuwait: 25

- 16. In the semi final a 26 - 19 score line was earned against KES and in the Final, NES secured their 3rd Championship trophy in 4 years with a 14 - 12 vic-tory against BSK. This was an amazing achievement for the New English School and just reward for all of the hard work put in by both players and coach alike. A special mention must go to team captains and seniors - Noor Bibi and Juana Al-Shaer who have led the team superbly all season.

CAPITALS: Formula One has too many daydreamers who need to take off their rose-tinted glasses and tighten their belts by spending less, according to commercial su-premo Bernie Ecclestone.

Speaking to the official Formula One website (www.for-mula1.com) before the start of the new season in Australia next weekend, the 81-year-old Briton said it was time for a reality check.

“There are still too many people in Formula One run-ning around with rose-tinted glasses. They obviously like to see the world as they want it to be - wonderful, the sun is shining, isn’t life delightful - and not how it is,” he said. “The downside of these glasses is that they blind you to re-ality.” Asked what advice he would give to such ‘daydream-ers’, Ecclestone replied: “Change the color of your glass-es and tighten your belts. Stop spending more than you need to.

“The teams have to learn to be competitive without tons of money,” he added. “They have to refocus again on the basics - on racing, spending on the sport - and not on baronial motorhomes and all kinds of entertainment.”

Formula One teams have tried to rein in spending in recent years, through a Resource Restriction Agreement, from a time when some spent several hundred million dol-

lars a year.However the teams organization FOTA, which has long

sought a bigger share of Formula One’s revenues, has be-come depleted by the departure of five of the 12 teams, including champions Red Bull and Ferrari.

Ecclestone, whose comments should be seen in the con-text of ongoing talks with teams for an extension of the con-fidential ‘Concorde Agreement’ governing the sport, said he would welcome a mandatory budget for all teams and felt it could happen.

On the championship ahead, Ecclestone tipped Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel to take a third successive title.

“Realistically, everything points to Sebastian. He’s got it all: talent, passion, zeal, a clear head and he hates to lose. I could imagine him beating Schumacher’s record of seven titles,” he said. “If I were to bet now, it would be Sebas-tian world champion, Mark Webber second and one of the McLarens third, probably Lewis Hamilton.”

Ecclestone said Hamilton, the 2008 champion, was a “huge talent” who was probably “mentally a bit unstable” last year with everything going on in his private life.

The Briton had a crash-ridden year and was beaten overall by Jenson Button, the first time he had lost to a team mate over the course of a season. -Reuters

SPORTSTUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012

ALWATAN DAILY

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Basketball

CRICKET

Formula one

Tennis

LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and hit a go-ahead jumper with 41.7 seconds to play, leading the Los Angeles Lak-ers to a 97-94 victory over the Boston Celtics on Sun-day. Andrew Bynum had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who rallied from a five-point deficit in the final 2 1/2 minutes. The All-Star center hit a short hook shot over Kevin Garnett with 15.5 seconds left, and Boston couldn’t get a good look at a tying 3-pointer.

The Lakers scored the final eight points in their 18th victory in 19 home games, stylishly finishing their third straight victory over Boston in yet another thrill-ing meeting of the NBA’s most storied rivalry.

Rajon Rondo had 24 points and 10 assists for the Celtics, who opened an eight-game road trip by blow-ing a late lead. On Boston’s final possession, Ray Allen failed to get free for a 3-pointer before Rondo badly missed a desperate tying attempt.

Boston erased an early 15-point deficit before cling-ing to a small lead down the stretch. Allen’s 3-pointer put the Celtics up 94-89 with 2:41 left, but Los Angeles trimmed the lead to one point on baskets from Bryant and Bynum before Bryant nailed his 14-footer to put the Lakers ahead.

Allen finished with 17 points for the Celtics, while Brandon Bass had 15 before missing a go-ahead jump-er in the final minute. Paul Pierce had 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting and nine assists, while Garnett had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The game might have been one of the final meet-ings for the current veteran cores of the franchises that met in the NBA finals in 2008 and 2010, adding new chapters to the NBA’s most storied rivalry. The matchup

still means something special to both teams - including Bynum, who said the Lakers would “go at their heads” in this matchup.

Metta World Peace scored 14 points for Los Ange-les, which has won 10 of 14 overall. Pau Gasol had 13 points and 13 rebounds, including two key boards in the final seconds.

Rondo, the Celtics’ three-time All-Star point guard, and four-time All-Star big man Gasol have attempted to keep their focus on their current teams instead of their prospective future employers. They’ll know their fates by the trade deadline later this week.

The Lakers returned to California for a single home game in a stretch with five of six on the road. Ugly loss-es at Detroit and Washington last week worried fans who believe a major restructuring is the only way to turn the Western Conference’s fourth-place team into a title contender, but Bryant has repeatedly discounted the Lakers’ road woes, blaming them on the shortened season and the new coaching system.

The Lakers led 37-22 before Boston got rolling midway through the second quarter, closing the first half on a 20-7 run capped by Rondo’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Bryant went 4 for 11 and committed four of the Lakers’ 11 turnovers in the first half, also picking up another technical foul.

Boston took its first lead early in the third quarter, but World Peace led the Lakers back after getting into a brief scuffle with Pierce and Garnett under the basket. World Peace responded with 10 points in less than 3 minutes for Los Angeles’ streakiest player, capped by a steal and a length-of-the-court drive for a dunk on Pierce. -AP

DUBAI: International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat has called the ICC World Twenty20 qualifier that begins in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday “the biggest development event in cricket history.”

It is not an empty boast as 16 teams from cricket’s second and third tiers will play 71 matches at five ven-ues over 12 days, with two places at stake in Septem-ber’s main event in Sri Lanka.

The UAE tournament follows on from 12 qualify-ing events to reach this stage that took place in loca-tions including Ghana, Slovenia, Nepal and Florida.

The previous ICC World Twenty20 qualifier in 2010 involved eight teams playing 17 matches over five days at two venues, while last year’s ICC Cricket World Cup, won by India, featured 49 matches and was spread over 43 days and 13 venues in three coun-tries, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.

“The fact this qualifier’s footprint, thanks to the tournament itself and the qualifying events that pre-ceded it, touches so many places around the world is a great sign for the health of the game and interest in it globally,” Lorgat told Reuters on Monday.

For the first time, a cricket tournament involving

teams outside the world’s top 10 will have global tele-vision coverage. The ICC has reached agreements with its official broadcasters in Asia, Africa and the Ameri-cas to show six matches over the final three days at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Those matches will also be streamed live on the internet, as will 14 other matches over seven days.

The tournament lacks the abundance of big names that Sri Lanka’s main event will contain but there is still a sprinkling of quality on show.

Papua New Guinea are boosted by the inclusion of Geraint Jones, the former England wicketkeeper and part of the Ashes-winning team in 2005, who has opted to play for the country of his birth.

Former Australia one-day international batsman Michael di Venuto, now playing for English county side Durham, is lining up for Italy, qualifying because he has an Italian passport.

The sides are divided into two groups of eight with group A featuring Afghanistan, the Netherlands, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Denmark and Nepal. Group B is made up of Ireland, Kenya, Scotland, Namibia, Uganda, Oman, Italy and the US. -Reuters

Lakers rally past Celtics in another thriller

World T20 places at stake in qualifying event

Howard scores 30 as Magic get past Pacers 107-94

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (center) jumps to pass past Boston Celtics’ Rajon Rondo (left) and Ray Allen during their NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, March 11, 2012. (Reuters)

FILE - England’s Stuart Broad prepares to leave the field during the third cricket test match against Pakistan at the Dubai International cricket stadium in Dubai, Feb. 3, 2012. (Reuters)

ORLANDO: Dwight Howard had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and J.J. Redick added 18 points and a career-high nine assists as the Orlando Magic ran past the Indiana Pacers 107-94 on Sunday night.

The Magic played without starters Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson, but seemed unfazed as they built a 20-point lead in the first half and got 30 points from their reserves. Orlando has won four out of its last five, and also earned a 3-1 season series victory over Indiana. Paul George led the Pacers with 22 points, Tyler Hansbrough added 19 and Danny Granger 18. The Pacers lost their fourth straight game and will try to avoid their second five-game losing streak of the sea-son Tuesday when they host Portland.

Richardson sat with a sprained left ankle and Turkoglu was out serving a one-game suspension for making contact with a referee in last week’s win over Chicago.

Orlando flourished without them, though, thanks to the strong efforts of replacements Redick and Quentin Rich-ardson and an equally active night by the Magic on defense.

Howard did his damage in just 37 min-utes of action and also connected on 8 of 12 attempts from the free-throw line.

The Pacers certainly were accomplic-es in the Magic’s production on both ends, and as though they had some leftover fa-tigue from their overtime loss Saturday night at Miami.

Indiana cut a huge Magic first-half lead

to single digits early in the third quarter before watching it balloon back above 20 points late in the period, connecting on just 1 of 12 3-pointers overall.

Orlando was 10 for 27 from beyond the arc to offset being outscored 50-36 in the paint.

The Magic led by as many as 24 in the first half before seeing their lead trimmed to just 11 at halftime.

Howard topped all scorers with 15, but he got help from both Redick (12) and Chris Duhon off the bench with nine.

George had 13 for Indiana to keep the Pacers close. They did it despite their bench contributing just four points in the opening 24 minutes, compared to 15 by their Magic counterparts. -AP

INDIAN WELLS, California: Twice champion Rafa Nadal and triple winner Roger Federer barely raised a sweat as they each cruised into the third round of the Indian Wells ATP tournament with imperious victories on Sunday.

Spaniard Nadal ruthlessly dealt with Argentine Leonardo Mayer 6-1 6-3 be-fore Swiss maestro Federer eased past American wild card Denis Kudla 6-4 6-1 in the evening session at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Left-hander Nadal, who has reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells in his last six appearances, broke Mayer twice in each set to wrap up a commanding win in one hour, 15 minutes.

In dazzling afternoon sunshine, the match ended when a Mayer forehand sailed wide and Nadal removed his green headband in triumph as the near-capacity crowd erupted in applause.

“It’s nice to be back playing at the very good level,” the Spaniard, who will next face compatriot Marcel Granollers, told reporters. “Winning is the most important thing.It’s not easy to be back after a while without competition, but I did really well. I started the match very focused, very ag-gressive. I’m very happy about almost ev-erything.” Nadal, who dominated Mayer with his crunching ground strokes from behind the baseline, had not competed since he lost an epic Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic in January.

The world number two enjoys a su-perb record at Indian Wells where he won the title in 2007 and 2009 and was beaten in last year’s final by Serb Djokovic.

“This is a tournament that I love,” said the 25-year-old from Mallorca. “I enjoy a lot playing this tournament. Always in my career I’ve had good success here. I have played very good matches.”

|Granollers had earlier booked his

place in the third round with a 6-3 2-6 6-3 win against Germany’s Tommy Haas.

World number three Federer, who is shaking off a flu bug and slight tempera-ture, broke Kudla twice in the opening set and three times in the second to wrap up a one-sided victory in under an hour.

“I’m always relieved and happy when I am able to find my way into a tourna-ment, see where you’re at,” said the 16-times grand slam champion, whose entire family has been sick. It’s a good start for me. I didn’t know Kudla very much, or at all really, so it was a good win for me. I’m looking forward to what’s next.” Federer, who won three consecutive titles at In-dian Wells from 2004, next faces towering Canadian Milos Raonic, a 6-4 6-2 winner against Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq.

Asked how he felt health-wise, Feder-er replied: “I have a bit of a combination (of flu and a cold). Not a terrible tempera-ture, but I have some things going on. But I’m the best off in my family... the rest of them are struggling much more.”

In other matches, fifth-seeded Span-iard David Ferrer crushed Bulgarian Grig-or Dimitrov 6-2, 6-2, David Nalbandian of Argentina battled past Croat Marin Cil-ic 7-6, 7-6 and Serb Janko Tipsarevic beat Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4, 6-2.

Sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ad-vanced when fellow Frenchman Michael Llodra retired hurt because of a knee in-jury when trailing 4-1.

The big-serving Tsonga will next face Czech Radek Stepanek, who crushed Bel-gium’s Xavier Malisse 6-2, 6-1. -Reuters

Nadal eases through at Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal of Spain, returns a shot to Leonardo Mayer, of Argentina, during a match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, March 11, 2012. (AP)

INDIAN WELLS, California: Top seed Victoria Azarenka charged omi-nously into the fourth round of the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Sunday while third-seeded Petra Kvitova made an un-expected early exit.

Belarusian world number one Azaren-ka crushed Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-2, improving her record to 19-0 this year, but Kvitova was ousted 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 by American teenager Christina McHale.

The pony-tailed Azarenka, who was taken to a third set tiebreak in her open-ing match against Germany’s Mona Bar-thel, broke Kuznetsova three times in the first set and twice in the second to sweep through.

Serving for the match at 5-2, she went 40-15 up before double-faulting but then sealed the win on the next point when her opponent’s backhand flew long.

Kuznetsova, who won the 2004 US Open and the 2009 French Open, had won four of their previous meetings but she was outplayed by the Belarusian on a sun-splashed afternoon in the California desert.

Azarenka, who clinched her first grand slam crown at the Australian Open in January, will next meet Germany’s Julia Goerges, a 6-3, 6-4 winner against Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues.

Goerges, who won her second WTA singles title in Stuttgart last year, was ea-

ger to take on the game’s top player.Kvitova made a strong start against

the 19-year-old McHale before errors be-gan creeping into her game and she was bundled out of the tournament after a match lasting nearly two hours.

French Open champion Li Na beat fel-low Chinese Zheng Jie 6-1, 6-3, her first victory over her compatriot in five career meetings.

In other matches, fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland eased past Italy’s Flavia Pennetta 6-4 6-2 while Czech Klara Zakopalova was gifted a spot in the fourth round when Russian Vera Zvonareva be-came the latest victim of a viral infection affecting the tournament. -Reuters

Azarenka advances, Kvitova bundled out

Too many daydreamers in F1, says Ecclestone

tuesdAY, MARCH 13, 2012

SPORTSFootball

Sports Editors HighlightLONDON: Czech Republic captain Tomas Rosicky has been rewarded for his impressive

recent form for Arsenal with a new contract from the Premier League club. Arsenal didn’t reveal the length of the deal signed by the 31-year-old Rosicky, who joined the London club in 2006 from German side Borussia Dortmund. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the attacking mid-fielder “is an exceptional player, a natural footballer who is technically top class. He plays the style of football we champion here.” After a number of injury-plagued seasons, Rosicky has re-discovered his full fitness and been a regular in Arsenal’s midfield in recent months, scoring twice in the last three games in strong performances against Tottenham, Liverpool and AC Milan. -AP

Bayern Munich confident of comeback against Basel

MUNICH: After putting seven goals past Hoffen-heim, Bayern Munich is confident it can overcome a one-goal deficit to FC Basel in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Swiss champion holds a slim advantage going into the second leg of their round of 16 tie thanks to substitute Valentin Stocker’s 86th-minute winner at St. Jakob Park.

But Bayern thrashed Hoffenheim 7-1 on Saturday in its 900th Bundesliga win to lift sagging morale after a difficult start to the year that had yielded only three wins from six league games.

“This will give us a push for Tuesday. We know we have to make good a one-goal deficit,” Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes said. “We’re capable of scoring goals.”

After boasting of textbook goals, sublime football and a frenzy, however, Heynckes warned that “Basel won’t make it as easy for us as Hoffenheim did.”

Basel ousted Manchester United in the biggest up-set of the group stage, but progression is seen as manda-tory for three-time winner Bayern with the Champions League final to be played In Munich on May 19.

“We have to get past Basel,” said Bayern president Uli Hoeness, warning that failure would make it “difficult for us to make amends for this season.”

Bayern’s problems have come away from home this season but its record at home is impressive, with 16 wins from 18 games in all competitions.

The Bavarians’ home record in the Champions League is no less formidable, with 11 wins from its last 12 appearances in Munich in the competition, with four straight victories this season.

However, Basel is unbeaten away from home in the Champions League this season, and on the road in all competitions since August, when it picked up its last de-feat in the Swiss League.

The Swiss champion won 2-0 at Grasshoppers Zurich on Saturday, with goals from future Bayern player Xher-dan Shaqiri and Philipp Degen, to extend its lead in the standings to 12 points.

Basel’s South Korean left-back Park Joo Ho missed the league match to rest a calf injury.

Basel forward Alex Frei said the team is looking for a

third miracle following its wins over Manchester United and Bayern at home in its last two Champions League matches.

“If we should qualify, it would be even bigger. It

would be extraordinary,” Frei said. “For a Swiss club to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Champions League is already not normal, but to eliminate Bayern to get there this is really unusual.” -AP

Teary-eyed Ranieri seeks more emotion from Inter

MILAN: Inter Milan manager Claudio Ranieri was moved to tears when he saw his squad end a nine-match winless streak at the weekend, and he’s hoping the emo-tion carries over for another inspirational victory against Marseille in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Marseille carries a 1-0 first-leg lead to the San Siro but the French club is reeling after slipping to its fourth league defeat in a row without scoring a goal on Friday night, 1-0 away to Ajaccio.

Inter beat Chievo Verona 2-0 Friday with late goals from Walter Samuel and Diego Milito for its first win since defeating Lazio 2-1 on Jan. 22 and Ranieri had tears in his eyes after Milito’s strike.

“It shows how much this means to me,” Ranieri said. “This win comes just at the right time, it should give us the enthusiasm necessary to turn the result around.”

Inter has endured an up and down season, with Ra-nieri being drafted in to replace Gian Piero Gasperini in September, and there had been speculation recently that Ranieri could be on his way out, too.

While defender Cristian Chivu is suspended, Inter is relatively healthy and Milito will likely partner Giampaolo Pazzini in attack against Marseille, with Diego Forlan pro-viding another option. Playmaker Wesley Sneijder is near-ing 100 percent after missing two months with a right leg muscle injury and Samuel and Lucio form a solid pairing in central defense.

Marseille’s last goal was Andre Ayew’s injury-time win-ner that decided the first leg at Stade Velodrome. Since then, Marseille has been blanked at home by Toulouse and away by Brest, Evian and Ajaccio.

It is Marseille’s longest scoreless run since the 2006-07 season.

But coach Didier Deschamps will be boosted by the return of top scorer Loic Remy, winger Mathieu Valbuena, and defensive midfielder Stephane M’Bia.

Inter, the 2010 winner, is aiming for its third succes-sive quarterfinal appearance, while Marseille is looking to reach the last eight for the first time since lifting the trophy in 1993. -AP

FILE - Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben (right) vies with FC Basel’s (FCB) Park Joo-Ho during their Champions League last 16 first leg soccer match in Basel, Feb. 22, 2012. (Reuters)

ENGLAND: Manchester United got their noses in front in the two-horse race Premier League title race on Sunday and were installed as the odds-on favourites to keep the trophy in the red half of town.

The champions’ 2-0 win over West Bromwich Al-bion and Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat at Swansea City left United one point ahead with 10 matches left, and London bookmaker William Hill made United 8/13 fa-vorites to win the title with City drifting out to 6/5.

Both teams clearly have the resources to finish as England’s top club, but while United can call on the experience of winning 12 titles since 1993 and 19 in total, City, who won the last of their two titles in 1968, have a joker in their pack. Now could be the time for Mancini to gamble by unleashing Carlos Tevez to swing the title City’s way for the first time in 44 years.

Tevez, whose last league appearance was as a late substitute against Fulham in September before his spec-tacular fall-out with the club, knows what it takes to collect Premier League titles having won two at United in 2008 and 2009. Since making up with Mancini, he has played in two reserve matches and scored one goal, and Mancini knows City need to start finding the net

again. Tevez might be rusty, lacking match fitness and never be totally welcomed back into the hearts of the City faithful, but he knows where the goal is.

This time last year he was on his way to finishing the season as joint-top scorer in the Premier League and the least he owes the City fans is goals in a run-in which includes next week’s home match against Chel-sea, a visit to resurgent Arsenal and tricky games against Sunderland and Newcastle as well as the visit of United on April 30. While Tevez has missed a large chunk of the season on his unauthorized trip back home in Argen-tina, his old United team mate Wayne Rooney has been finding the net regularly, taking his total to 26 for the season with both goals against West Brom.

United’s run-in appears to be easier with six of their next seven games against clubs currently in the bot-tom seven, Wolverhampton Wanderers (19th), Fulham (10th), Blackburn Rovers (16th), Queens Park Rangers (18th), Wigan Athletic (20th) and Aston Villa (15th).

Apart from the match at City, United also have to play Everton, Swansea City and Sunderland and as their string of titles proves, they know how to handle the pressure. -Reuters

United hit the front as City mull Tevez return

ENGLAND: Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata has told his team-mates they can stage a dramatic fightback against Napoli if they treat the Champions League last 16 second-leg tie like a cup final. After a 3-1 defeat in the first leg in Naples, Mata knows Chelsea are un-derdogs heading into Wednesday’s return at Stamford Bridge, but the Spanish star is convinced Roberto Di Matteo’s team can secure the 2-0 win that would send them through to the last eight on away goals.

Mata insists Chelsea, who have won both their matches under interim boss Di Matteo following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas, should take inspiration from their perfect European record at Stamford Bridge this season. While Napoli’s attacking trio of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi are ca-pable of troubling the Chelsea rearguard, Mata believes his side’s forwards should be able to exploit the Ital-

ians’ own weaknesses at the back.Mata, whose side beat Stoke 1-0 on Saturday, ad-

mits morale was low during the final weeks of Villas-Boas’s reign, but he is adamant that is no longer a prob-lem under Di Matteo.

“It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t easy, because you know we had a change, a big, big change,” he said. “But I believe the team is still believing, is still working very good and the two wins, for sure, bring to us a lot of con-fidence.” Di Matteo has persisted with the Villas-Boas experiment of playing Mata more centrally, something that paid off on Saturday when the Spaniard came off the bench to set up Didier Drogba’s 100th Premier League goal. Asked whether a free role was something he could expect more often, Mata said: “I always try to be in contact with the ball - it’s the football that I like. But, I don’t know, it’s a question for Robbie.” -AFP

Mata sets sights on Chelsea Euro fight back

Redknapp cools speculation about England jobENGLAND: Tottenham Hotspur manager Har-

ry Redknapp has distanced himself from the vacant England manager’s post, saying on Monday he is happy at White Hart Lane and hinting that the na-tional job would be too frustrating.

The 65-year-old is favorite to be named as the successor to Fabio Capello after the Italian quit last month with both fans and media trumpeting the Spurs boss as the man to lead England at the Euro 2012 finals. Redknapp insists he has had no contact from the Football Association (FA) who have in-stalled Stuart Pearce as caretaker until they decide on a full-time replacement.

Meanwhile Tottenham are reported to have of-fered him an improved contract and a large trans-fer budget. “When you’re in a club, you look for a

striker and you sign him. When you’re a national coach, you have to make do with what you have in your country,” Redknapp said in an interview with French sports daily L’Equipe.

“If you don’t have a striker, you just don’t have one. And you almost never see the players. Two days a month: it’s very difficult.” Asked if he would like the England job, he replied: “I’m not sure. I have a very good job at Tottenham and I like it here. But I don’t know. Wait and see.”

Redknapp joined Tottenham from Portsmouth in 2008, and has has turned the north London club into serious challengers for a top-four place in the Premier League.

They are currently third despite a three-match losing streak. -AFP