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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Tunisia issues arrest warrant against Arafat’s widow

Sultan Qaboos promises jobs, vows to fight corruption

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THULHIJJA 5, 1432 AH

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Steelers finally find way to stop Brady’s Patriots

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan becomes Indian ‘prince’

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Iran slams ‘imprudent’, ‘irrational’ US buildup US to bolster military presence in Kuwait: NYT conspiracy theories

Tribute to heroes of the nation

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

H

amdullilah (Thank God), it is a little bit quiet in Kuwait nowadays. This tranquility follows the tsunami of strikes and avalanche of demonstrations from many sides - MPs, judiciary, students lawyers and teachers were all on strike. Petrol company employees and most recently Kuwait Airways (KAC) were on strike too. KAC staff were sensible and accepted to put their strike on hold as a gesture of respect for hajj and Eid, or so they said. Or maybe they have brokered a deal with the MPs because their Eid holiday is long and our government has spoilt us.

It is going to be nine days in total. Everybody wants to travel. So, if KAC demonstrates or goes on strike, there won’t be anyone to strike. They are all travelling. We are all travelling.

Why do we travel? Because we can afford to travel.

Even if not on J or first class, we still travel. If not on an expensive airline, half the nation can afford a budget airline. There are at least three budget airlines Jazeera, flydubai and Air Arabia flying to and from Kuwait. I am not advertising airlines, guys. There are also other airlines offering low-cost flights.

I would like to ask the honorable gentleman, Ahmad Al-Saadoun, who said that the winds of the Arab Spring are moving towards Kuwait. Where are we from the Arab Spring? We are a nation that can afford to fly - just come and watch the exodus at the airport even if there is a three-day holiday. Don’t the honorable gentlemen in parliament realize that they are tearing apart the country by their arrogance? When there is an issue in any country, the debate happens in parliament. In Kuwait, however, chaos or anarchy actually ensues. It is not democracy anymore.

Anarchy usually happens when people reach their limit of tolerance and lose hope totally and poverty is spread all over their country. People are sheltered in cemeteries and sleep under bridges or on the streets.

Half of the nation is jobless and they have no help from their government. Does this apply to Kuwait? Is there anybody hungry in Kuwait who sleeps without dinner. Is there a Kuwaiti without a house in Kuwait? If he is a new graduate he is getting help to rent an apartment, for example. If we work in the private sector, we are encouraged by the government with a salary. We don’t pay big amounts for utilities. We do not pay expensive bills for water and electricity. We don’t even pay for our garbage to be collected. We don’t pay road tax. We don’t pay municipal tax. In fact, we are not taxed by any means.

In other countries, there are hundreds of taxes, which thank God we are exempted from, such as garbage collection. By the way guys, when I lived in England, the garbage was collected once a week. In Kuwait, garbage is collected twice a day - early in the morning and then around 7 pm in the evening. Is this a sign of a hungry nation?

Of course, there are many things going wrong in Kuwait. But in my opinion, MPs are not even bothered about them. They are not even mentioning them.

What is lacking in Kuwait? We lack development and the ability to become an industrial country. Why not?

We are an oil-rich country but are our MPs bothered?

No. They are far too busy to publicize themselves as heroes of the nation.

KUWAIT: Great Britain’s Prince Charles is received at Kuwait International Airport by Crown Prince HH Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah yesterday. Prince Charles is in Kuwait on a two-day visit with a delegation that includes his private secretary for foreign and Commonwealth affairs Clive Alderton. — KUNA

Kuwait sees no letup in global oil demand

By Nawara Fattahova and Agencies KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Oil Minister Mohammad Al-Busairi said yesterday that world demand for crude oil is forecast to remain high and put pressure on supply even after Libya returns to pre-crisis production. “Libya’s return (to full production) is still very slow and is expected to take time to reach pre-crisis production,” Al-Busairi told reporters on the sidelines of the Kuwait Financial Forum. “But regardless of whether Libya’s production returns or not, the world market will continue to need more oil ... increasing the burden on main OPEC producers,” he said.

Al-Busairi said that based on OPEC estimates, world market demand is forecast to grow by between 1.0 and 1.5 million barrels per day “for the rest of this year and the beginning of next year”.

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population reaches 7bn UNITED NATIONS: The world welcomed its symbolic seven billionth baby yesterday amid a stark warning from UN chief Ban Ki-moon of the need to tackle inequality on a planet where almost a billion people go hungry. “Our world is one of terrible contradictions,” Ban told a press conference to mark the UN declaration that the world population has reached seven billion. “Plenty of food, but one billion people go hungry. Lavish lifestyles for a few, but poverty for too many others,” he said, highlighting famine in east Africa, the Syria unrest and Wall Street protests.

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Oppn MPs to meet Amir

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The Opposition Bloc comprising around 19 MPs will meet HH the Amir today to discuss the current political crisis after pledging that they will not call for removing the prime minister or dissolving the National Assembly. The move came after it appeared earlier in the day that the meeting will not take place after the Opposition Bloc was asked not to hold the prime Continued on Page 13

SIDON, Lebanon: Nurses hold newborn babies yesterday. — AFP

KUWAIT: Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah (left) honours Qatari Central Bank Governor Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani during the opening session of the 3rd Kuwait Financial Forum yesterday. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Max 29º Min 19º Low Tide 09:52 & 21:44 High Tide 02:03 & 16:37

BAGHDAD: The US is not following a “rational” approach in its reported plans to increase its military presence in the Gulf after it withdraws from Iraq, Iran’s foreign minister said yesterday in Baghdad. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari meanwhile told a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi that Baghdad plans to close a camp of exiled Iranian opposition members in Iraq by the year’s end. “ They are not following a rational and a prudent approach. The Americans always have a deficit, unfortunately, in rationality and prudence,” Salehi said when asked about a report that the US plans to increase its troop presence in the Gulf after its Iraq withdrawal. “It is about time for the Americans... to be more prudent and wise in their approach,” Salehi said.

The New York Times reported yesterday that the United States plans to bolster its military presence in the Gulf after the withdrawal of its troops from Iraq.

Citing unnamed officials and diplomats, the newspaper said the repositioning Ali Akbar Salehi could include new combat forces in Kuwait able to respond to a collapse of security in Iraq or a military confrontation with Iran. In addition to negotiations over maintaining the ground combat presence in Kuwait, the United States is considering sending more naval warships through international waters in the region, according to the report. The Obama administration is also seeking to expand military ties with the six nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, the paper noted.

While the United States has close bilateral military relationships with each, it wants to foster a new “security architecture” for the Gulf that would integrate air and naval patrols and missile defense, The Times said.

Salehi also dismissed warnings from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defence Secretary Leon Panetta against Iranian interference in Iraq after US forces leave. “We have been used to such comments from the Americans for the past 30 years,” Salehi said.

“Iraq does not need anybody to meddle into its internal affairs,” Salehi said. “Iraqis know better than anybody else how to run their country.”

Zebari made the same point at the news conference.

“After the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq... no other party can fill the vacuum in Iraq except the people of Iraq and the government of Iraq, and I think we are capable, we are mature enough... to run this Continued on Page 13

Palestine becomes member of UNESCO US slams move, blocks funds PARIS: Palestinians won entry to UNESCO yesterday, scoring a symbolic victory in their battle for full membership of the United Nations in a move that Israel and the US said harmed hopes for peace. “The general conference decides to admit Palestine as a member of UNESCO,” said the resolution that was adopted to loud applause by 107 countries, with 14 voting against and 52 abstaining. “Accepting Palestine into UNESCO is a victory for (our) rights, for justice and for freedom,” Mahmoud Abbas’ spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina quoted the Palestinian president as saying.

The United States said yesterday it is stopping financial contributions to UNESCO after the Palestinians were admitted. “We were to have made a 60 million dollar payment to UNESCO in November and we will not be making that payment,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. She said the Palestinian admission “triggers longstanding (US) legislative restrictions which will compel the United States to refrain from making contributions

to UNESCO.” Staunch Israel ally the US in the 1990s banned the financing of any United Nations organisation that accepts Palestine as a full member, meaning the body would lose 22 percent of its annual budget.

PARIS: Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority Riyad Al-Malki delivers a speech yesterday at the headquarters of UNESCO. — AFP

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Malki, who was at the UN cultural body’s Paris headquarters for the vote, hailed “a historic moment that gives Palestine back some of its rights”, while Israel said it distanced peace. “This is a unilateral Palestinian manoeuvre which will bring no change on the ground but further removes the possibility for a peace agreement,” the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the move was “premature and undermines the international community’s shared goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East”.

But Malki insisted there was no connection between the UNESCO move and the possible resumption of peace negotiations, stalled by Israel’s ongoing construction of settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. “I don’t think that our status at UNESCO will have a negative impact on relaunching peace talks,” Malki said. “There is no link between the two issues.”

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LOCAL

Legal staff threaten mass resignation MoI officials rewarded for maintaining security KUWAIT: Hundreds of public sector legal workers staged a mass protest in front of the Ministries Complex on Sunday, during which representatives of their labor union threatened mass resignations of staff working in 52 state departments unless the government meets their demands. The legal personnel, who have been staging period strikes for a month, are demanding that they receive equal pay to that of their colleagues in the Fatwa and Legislation Department, as well as the Ministry of Interior’s General Department of Investigations, and the Kuwait Municipality.

Several MPs joined the demonstrators on Sunday, holding both the Cabinet and Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah responsible for the public sector labor strikes, and reiterating their demands for a new Cabinet with a new premier.

“We are dealing with a lying and hypocritical government that failed to commit to a promise made three weeks ago to meet the legal staff’s demands within that period,” said MP Musallam Al-Barrak during the protest, at which he and other MPs offered their support to the legal workers’ union, which warned the government against hiring people to cover for the striking workers.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior

(MoI) is to pay a KD5,000 reward to every ministry undersecretary and head of department involved in organizing the policing of the sporadic demonstrations and protests that took place this summer, focusing in particular on those which saw police officers come under attack by members of the public.

According to a ministry insider, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah personally informed the officials being honored of the decision, as well as conveying the gratitude of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for their role in maintaining state security and preventing the situation from spiraling out of control.

Speaking on condition of anonymity since the news has not yet been officially announced, the insider indicated that those officials being honored include MoI Assistant Undersecretary Major General Mustafa Al-Zaabi and Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Al-Dousari, as well as departmental directors Maj. Gen. Jamal Al-Sayegh, Brig General Ali Mahdi, Brig Gen Mahmoud AlTabbakh and Brig Gen Zuhair Al-Nasrallah.

The list of names also includes around 30 other ministry officials, all nominated by Acting Undersecretary, Lieutenant General Suleiman Al-Fahad, the insider added. —Al-Rai

Health Minister visits injured Libyans KUWAIT: Health minister Dr Helal Al-Sayer yesterday visited the injured Libyan nationals currently receiving treatment at Kuwait’s Adan Hospital.

The Libyan patients arrived in Kuwait the previous day, with their visit being organized as part of a humanitarian initiative pro-

posed by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah. In a statement issued after his visit to the hospital, the minister said that HH the Amir’s initiative to provide treatment for the injured Libyans at Kuwaiti hospitals is a humanitarian gesture that stems from his strong pater-

nal sentiments towards his Libyan brothers.

Dr Al-Sayer added that 26 seriously injured Libyan had been brought to Kuwait for treatment, accompanied by four travel companions, a doctor and an administrator, with some receiving treatment at Adan Hospital and

others at Farwaniya Hospital.

The minister explained that some of the injuries suffered by these patients were the result of gunshot wounds or being hit by flying objects during bombardment, with a number of individuals suffering multiple fractures. — KUNA

Teachers to receive laptop computers KUWAIT: Laptop computers will be distributed to high school teachers within four months, announced a senior Ministry of Education (MoE) official. He added that devices will be distributed to students starting next academic year (2012-2013).

“Work is ongoing to finalize procedures pertinent with awarding tenders to import laptop computers to three companies,” said Dr Khalid AlRasheed Assistant Undersecretary for the Planning and Information Department. He reiterated that the ministry’s Council of Undersecretaries reached an agreement on distribut-

ing laptops instead of iPads as part of the state’s e-learning project, reported Al-Qabas.

Al-Rasheed also noted that a meeting will be held next week with representatives of the three companies to discuss the mechanism through which nearly 14,000 teachers will be given laptops. “Providing laptops to teachers is top priority now. Students will receive theirs during the next academic year.”

He added, “distribution to students will be supervised by teachers who have already been trained on the project previously.”

KUWAIT: Health minister Dr Helal Al-Sayer visiting the injured Libyans at Adan Hospital.

Ministry probes information leak KUWAIT: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will probe the information leak through which lawmakers gained access to financial transactions made by HH Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-

Sabah. According to an Al-Rai report that appeared yesterday, an investigation committee led by Ambassador Khalid Al-Maghames is currently seeking to identify ministry staff members “who

are involved in leaking cables to MPs so that they can be interrogated.”

Proceedings related to the investigation will be kept confidential, reported Al-Rai.

KUWAIT: Maj Abdel Elah Al-Abdul Salam recently delivered a lecture on traffic safety at Umm Al-Hakam High School for Girls yesterday. A large number of teachers and students attended the session.

VIVA offer for Hajj pilgrims KUWAIT: Kuwaiti telecom firm VIVA issued a statement yesterday congratulating the Arab and Islamic world on the upcoming Hajj season, wishing all pilgrims a safe journey to Makkah and the Holy Mosque.

The company also revealed that on the occasion of Hajj it is offering pilgrims and their families the opportunity to use lines specially furnished by Saudi telecom network STC in order to maintain contact during the pilgrimage, with pilgrims only paying 20 Saudi Riyals or KD1.463 for unlimited communications with loved ones back home during the Hajj period.

Those wishing to find out more about the offer can do so at the company’s website, www.viva.com.kw, or any of VIVA’s outlets across Kuwait.

VIVA also wished all its customers a blessed Hajj season and a joyous Eid Al-Adha.

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Cabinet discusses Amiri address to parliament KUWAIT: The Cabinet discussed during its weekly meeting here yesterday the Amiri address to parliament in its fourth regular session of the third legislative term.

Government Spokesman and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ali Al-Rashed said that the meeting, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, focused on the Amiri speech, which touched on the issues that obstructed national development and casted a negative vibe amongst citizens.

He indicated the Cabinet had focused on the instructions delivered by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah during his address, affirming that such guidelines represented the roadmap for reforms and development.

Accordingly, the cabinet has assigned a ministerial committee to implement the guidelines set by HH the Amir, said AlRashed.

During its meeting, the cabinet reviewed letters sent to HH the Amir from Qatari counterpart Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani and Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade. The Qatari letter included an invitation to Connect Arab Summit on developing the Arab world within the mainframe of Information Technology (IT) next March, while the second letter from Wade also included an invitation to HH Amir to partake in the 20th international Dakar commercial exchange conference to be held next December.

The Cabinet also took the opportunity to congratulate the new Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Prince Nayef Bin Abdulaziz AlSaud, affirming the wise decision on part of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, said Al-Rashed.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet welcomed Prince Charles of Wales on his visit to the country, stressing that such visits would further bolster the strong relations.

The Cabinet, said Minister Al-Rashed, touched on the legal committee’s proposals on investment and industrial agreements with the government in Tunisia. The proposals were forwarded to the Amir for further deliberation.

Al-Rashed also noted that the Cabinet had agreed on draft proposals on establishing of storage houses in the northern border area of Al-Abdly with the purpose of such houses to be determined later by the Ministry of Finance and Commerce.

The National Assembly agenda for upcoming sessions, political happenings in the region and the world was also discussed during the meeting, said the Minister, adding that the Cabinet have also discussed the recent earthquake, which hit eastern Turkey and decided on providing $15 million to help relief aid efforts there.

Also the Cabinet agreed on allocating $3.5 million to help in relief aid efforts in Thailand, which was swept by floods recently. —KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah pictured with the newly-appointed Kuwaiti envoys yesterday.

Amir receives Kuwaiti envoys KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received yesterday at Seif Palace Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah AlKhalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, who presented HH with newly-appointed envoys overseas.

The envoys are Ambassador Fayez Al-Mutairi (Djibouti),

India eyes long-term alliance with Kuwait in health sector Dr Al-Sayer to open two-day medical tourism exhibition

By Sajeev K Peter KUWAIT: India seeks to forge a longterm alliance with Kuwait in the medical and healthcare sector, promoting world-class and cost-effective medical facilities available in the country, said Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta yesterday. Addressing a press conference at the Indian embassy, he said a twoday exhibition and conference titled ‘India Medical Tourism Destination (IMTD), Kuwait, 2011,’ will be held on Nov 2-3, at Kuwait International Fair Ground, Mishref, Kuwait.

Health Minister Dr Hilal Musaed AlSayer will inaugurate the conference today evening at Crowne Plaza Hotel.

He will also formally open the exhibition tomorrow (Nov 2) at 10 am at the Kuwait International Fair ground, Mishref.

IMTD 2011 Kuwait is being organized by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Trident Exhibitions in collaboration with the Embassy of India, Kuwait and Indian Doctors Forum (IDF), Kuwait.

The ambassador said about 33 leading hospitals and a number of top-end Indian doctors will participate in the exhibition. The conference will show-

advanced medical facilities available in India. Also, it will open an opportunity to the Kuwaiti people who would like to learn about the traditional system of medicine such as Ayurveda and wellness available in India.

IMTD Kuwait 2011 will also provide a platform to the health authorities in both countries, insurance companies, travel and tour operators, legal entities, medical information management companies, hospital administrators and medical tourism facilitators to exchange information and ideas with each other. The conference is expected to further contribute to the expanding business and trade ties between India and Kuwait as considerable opportunities exist between the two countries for forging tie-ups in the healthcare industry, he added. “In the last decade or two, India has made very rapid strides in the medical field as it has made in all fields of the economy,” the ambassador said.

Growth trajectory Giving snap shots of the development phase since the introduction of economic reforms in the country in 1991, he said Indian economy has grown in a very spectacular manner

KUWAIT: Indian Ambassador Satish C Mehta addresses the press conference at the Indian Embassy yesterday. Dr Narayanan Nampoory (second left), Sujit Gopal (left) and Pankaj Varma (right) are also present. case the world-class medical facilities available in India.

Giving an overview of the Indian medical sector, he said India has some of the best medical professionals with the requisite experience and in-depth knowledge to successfully undertake the most complicated surgical procedures. About 60,000 Indian doctors are working in some of the best hospitals in the US and UK. This is in addition to a large number of medical professionals, who are working in Kuwait and other GCC countries, he said.

Knowledge-sharing The exhibition and the conference will provide an ideal platform for establishing people -to-people contacts between Indian medical professionals and their Kuwaiti counterparts.

“It will provide a useful opportunity for the people of Kuwait to learn about the leading hospitals and about the

over the last 20 years. “In 1991, our exports were $18 billion, whereas they reached $245 billion in the last fiscal year. The IT services-related exports were only $140 million in 1991 which touched $60 billion last year.

“Foreign direct investments in India were only $140 million in 1991. Last year, foreign direct investments and foreign institutional investments in India were in excess of $60 billion,” he added.

Despite the global economic slowdown, India recorded a growth rate of 8.6 percent last year and is poised to grow at a satisfactory rate of 7.6 per cent this year,” he pointed out.

Today, India is emerging as an important center for medical treatments. Last year India was the second most-favored destination for medical treatments with 600,000 patients arriving in India from over 30 countries around the globe, including from Kuwait, the US, Canada, UK, Russia,

Middle East, Uganda, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and the Central Asian Republics.

“The sheer quality of the world class, yet cost-effective treatment, geographic proximity, traditional Indian hospitality and cultural similarities will offer an excellent package for any patient who seeks to visit India for treatment, he added.

The ambassador hoped that the conference and exhibition will open a new chapter in the deep-rooted relationship between Kuwait and India.

Tradition Indian Doctors Forum President Dr Narayanan Nampoory, who was also present at the press conference said, India has been a great destination for medical tourism from the time immemorial. India meets all the four criteria for medical tourism such as acceptability, expertise, cost-effectiveness and tourism, he said.

India has 19 Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited hospitals in the country which is one of the biggest in the world. All kinds of advanced surgeries are performed in India while all ultramodern treatments such as stem cells treatment, gene therapy, transplantations, cardiac surgeries, etc are available at most cost-effective rates, he said.

Healthcare delivery The healthcare delivery in India is done through public hospitals and the private sector (not for profit, charitable and corporate chains). At the tertiary level, the private sector led by corporate chain of hospitals like Apollo Hospitals, Fortis Healthcare, Max Healthcare, Manipal Group etc, and some standalone hospitals have been able to deliver global standards of quality in healthcare delivery driven by world class infrastructure and latest technology.

Sujit Gopal, Managing Director, Trident Exhibitions Pvt Ltd, the organizer of the exhibition, said Kuwait is the venue of the third exhibition after Canada and Kenya.

“The exhibition covers the whole of India in which top-end doctors from all parts of the country are attending.

Talking about patients arrival from Kuwait, he said that 1,500 patients visited India from Kuwait last year. India is witnessing a cumulative growth rate of 22 percent in patients arrival per annum. “Considering the kind of growth rate India is witnessing today, we are expecting the arrival of around 1.2 million patients by next year,” Gopal added.

Healthcare is emerging as one of the largest service sectors of the Indian economy and is expected to reach $75 billion in size by 2012.

Pankaj Varma, Joint Director FICCI and other officials were also present at the press conference.

The IMTD Kuwait 2011 is being held at the Kuwait International Fair ground, Mishref at Hall No 7.

‘Illegal slaughtering will be prevented’

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: Preparations have been made to prevent the slaughter of sacrificial animals outside abattoirs, announced Faisal Sadeq Jumaa Assistant Director General for Farwaniya and Ahmadi Municipality branches. He added that Public Cleanliness Department and Road Affairs in Farwaniya will coordinate

with the Interior Ministry to prevent illegal slaughtering.

Director for Farwaniya Municipality Ahmad Al-Hazeem said that the street leading to the abattoir starting at Abdallah bin Tariq mosque will be turned into a makeshift sheep pen.

He added that owners will have to sign an undertaking promising to clean up once the Eid Al-Adha holi-

days conclude.

As part of Kuwait City’s landscaping plans, the Municipality will cordon off Abdallah Al-Salem and Abdallah Al-Mubarak streets and designate them as pedestrian streets starting Tuesday.

No vehicle will be allowed to ply on those two streets. The Municipality has asked citizens and residents to cooperate with officials.

Ambassador Fayez Al-Jassim (Benin), Ambassador Dherar Nasser Al-Tuwaijeri (Cambodia), Ambassador Nabeel Al-Dakheel (Laos), Ambassador Issa Al-Shimali (Myanmar), Ambassador Bassam Al-Gabandi (Armenia), Ambassador Omar Al-Qenai (General Counsel, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh) and Ambassador Rashid Al-Hajiri

(Ethiopia).

The envoys were sworn in before HH the Amir and were given directions to promote bilateral relations, cooperation and understanding. On his part, Sheikh Sabah AlKhalid stressed that HH the Amir’s directives would help the envoys in carrying out their mission in serving best interests of the country.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, HH the Amir ’s Office Director Ahmad Fahad AlFahad, Head of Amiri Protocols Sheikh Khalid Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah and Director of Ceremonies in the Foreign Ministry Dhari Ajran Al-Ajran. — KUNA

PAHW risk losing housing plots KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW ) could lose the opportunity to provide 10,000 housing units in a number of areas which were allocated as part of a major housing project endorsed by former housing minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, with the project being put on hold since the minister’s resignation in June this year.

The problem has been blamed on Sheik h Ahmad Al-Fahad ’s replacement in the post, Mohammad Al-Noumas, who has yet to reach a decision on whether or not to reestablish the ‘ land utilization committee,’

which was supposed to monitor the project in cooperation with Kuwait Municipality. The committee was created by the former minister to prepare housing units in Khairan, Wafra, Abdullah AlMubarak, Sabahiya and other residential areas, but was suspended following his resignation.

According to one PAHW insider, a number of Kuwaitis who applied for housing units in the aforementioned areas have been visiting and calling the PAHW’s offices daily to enquire about the progress of work on the project, basing their hopes on Sheik h Ahmad Al-Fahad’s promises that

the work would be completed.

Speak ing on condition of anonymity, the insider said that the projects could be suspended for an indefinite period if the land utilization committee is not reestablished, since it is the only body authorized to work with the municipality on making the official arrangements necessary to obtain the building plots required. Ultimately the situation could prove extremely problematic for the PAHW, the insider explained, since it is desperate to find new locations for building homes for citizens on its lengthy waiting lists. — Al-Rai

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kuwait digest

Local Spotlight

Ballot boxes lead to Islam

Arab spring and human rights

By Sherida Al-Maosherji

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hat happened in Turkey when Islamists were elected after a compulsory stage of Westernization, which began when Mustafa Kamal Ataturk turned against the Ottoman regime and redirected Turkey’s political and social compass towards the west by fighting whatever is related to Islam, is surely Allah’s will (‘...they plot, but Allah [also] plots, and Allah is the best of plotters.’: Al-Anfal verse 30).

Under Ataturk, the Turks were extremely oppressive in forcing people to adopt Western lifestyles just to become closer to the European community which, at a certain stage, forcing the Turkish military to be more politically open, compelling elections to be transparent and forcing the country to introduce human rights if it wished to join the European Union and the European Market, which it did, thus discarding with tyranny and resorting to transparent ballot boxes that led them to Islam again.

What happened in Turkey recurred in Tunisia after toppling Bin Ali, a totalitarian ruler who had oppressed the Tunisian people ever since they won their independence without leaving them the slightest breathing space. Thanks be to Allah, his end was not so different from that of Ataturk; they were both humiliated and replaced with the honest ballot boxes that represented the true will of the Tunisian people who, despite being subjected to Westernization for many years, still chose Islam to rule the next leg of their history.

All indicators suggest that the same will happen in Egypt because the free choice of Muslim Arab peoples will surely be to choose Islam no matter how fiercely foreign enemies and their local allies attempt to prevent Islam from controlling the decision-making process since they know for sure that these nations will not regain their strength and glory unless they revert to their true religion and Islamic identity. — Al-Jarida

kuwait digest

MSAL violations?

By Waleed Al-Ghanim

D

uring a recent protest, a group Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) employees threatened to expose ‘scandals’ committed by senior ministry officials, explaining that they have documents which prove the officials’ involvement in illegal acts.

These acts are alleged to include running companies while retaining official government office as well as processing illegal transactions. The protesting employees threatened to make these documents public if their financial demands are not met.

This news was published last week and since then I’ve been considering what the protesting employees said. If they were aware of illegal practices committed by senior ministry officials, then why have they been silent all these years? Besides, the employees claim that these violations include decisions to illegally process transactions. Doesn’t that mean that the employees themselves agreed to those decisions and

The fact that there are state employees benefiting illegally from their positions is no secret. We have already read and heard about many stories in that regard. Yet it is uglier when the employee who is violating the law is a senior official, whose responsibility is ensuring that the law is implemented. processed those transactions?

In their own words, the employees state that they have kept silent regarding the violations for years and they are now using it as a bargaining chip to lobby the ministry and to have their demands met. If they were sincere in their desire for reform, they wouldn’t have kept the violations secret for long. This brings me to the conclusion that some of them are involved in these violations.

But what about their allegations? Is it true that there are MSAL officials who own companies and who are involved in residency trafficking? Are there officials who circumvent the law that prevents them from running commercial activities along with their official post, and operate companies they register their relatives’ names?

A few years ago, news emerged regarding a senior MSAL official who was investigated for bribery and further accusations. The official was then given the option to retire or face a prosecutor; he of course went with the former. It’s sad that instead of holding violators accountable, the state rewards senior officials with retirement when they are found guilty of violating the law. Meanwhile, regular employees usually find themselves the victims of the false reform process.

The fact that there are state employees benefiting illegally from their positions is no secret. We have already read and heard about many stories in that regard. Yet it is uglier when the employee who is violating the law is a senior official, whose responsibility is ensuring that the law is implemented. In the meantime, they are allowed to run businesses in violation of the law, given the disregard of the Civil Service Commission, whose duty it is to ensure that the law is fully implemented.

I therefore urge the MSAL to reveal the truth about the accusations made by the protesting employees, because keeping silent only convinces people that the accusations are truthful. Moreover, I ask the MSAL staff to reveal documents they have-if any-instead of using them as a bargaining chip. - Al-Qabas

By Muna Al-Fuzai

muna@kuwaittimes.net

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kuwait digest

Housing headaches continue

By Khalid Al-Arafa

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here is a real problem in Kuwait’s housing sector, which needs the cooperation of both authorities to resolve, with most Kuwaitis being adversely affected by the associated difficulties.

Housing applications are piling up these days and priority is currently being given to those who applied way back in 1997, which means that those who applied in the year 2000 need to wait at least another ten years for their turn. I was genuinely astonished to see applications being delayed by this much. After checking, I found that the main reason for the delays in this area is that some individuals are allowed to jump the queue and to choose from various housing projects, thus delaying the ability of others to obtain properties.

In practical terms, this is depriving those still waiting of properties which they have a greater right to.

Some have found this to be a lucrative area, with a number of individuals whose name has finally been chosen for the allocation of a home choosing to sell this right for prices that can reach up to KD50,000.

Having pocketed this money, the individual will then put their name down on the Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) waiting list for future housing projects.

Despite such flagrant abuses, we see no objection to this behavior from the government or parliament. It would be far better for the PAHW to introduce regulations forbidding applicants for housing from selling their place on the housing waiting list or reapplying once they’ve done so. Applicants should be compelled to either take the offered property themselves or lose their turn; in fact, these individuals are not actually in need of housing since they are living in their families’ homes.

Meanwhile, other citizens are

living in apartments and paying a fortune in rent every month whilst waiting years for a home to pass onto their children, although these unfortunate citizens may have died of old age by the time a house is offered to them.

Recently, the PAHW introduced new housing regulations for Kuwaiti women. Rather than helping, however, these are simply likely to create new problems.

Up to now, there has been no long-term vision, with applications simply being studied separately before the decision is made on an individual basis.

One PAHW official pointed out that before the law was approved he had called for the provision of housing projects specifically for Kuwaiti women in order to clear up the prevailing confusion, but the legislation introduced was inadequate and muddled things further rather than clearing them up. Another important issue which nobody amongst those responsible for this new legislation appears to have considered is the large number of Kuwaiti women deprived by law of the right to apply for housing provided that they have family members to live with. They forgot that many of these women will not have anywhere to live after the sale of their fathers’ homes whilst others don’t have siblings or don’t get on with their siblings; there has been no legal accommodation made for any of the women in this group.

I demand that the housing minister review the laws on housing for single women in order to ensure that the problems that affected the Sabah AlSalem housing project are not repeated by providing housing allowances for these women similar to those available to male citizens. — Al-Anba

It would be far better for the PAHW to introduce regulations forbidding applicants for housing from selling their place on the housing waiting list or reapplying once they’ve done so.

Applicants should be compelled to either take the offered property themselves or lose their turn; in fact, these individuals are not actually in need of housing since they are living in their families’ homes.

Meanwhile, other citizens are living in apartments and paying a fortune in rent every month whilst waiting years for a home to pass onto their children, although these unfortunate citizens may have died of old age by the time a house is offered to them.

kuwait digest

A step in the right direction

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

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n their continuous struggle against HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, oppositionist MPs boycotted elections for new parliamentary committees and have formed a coalition that aims to oust the Cabinet. As naive-or perhaps, unconstitutional, as some people speculate -this move appears, it remains in my opinion more legitimate and rational than filing repeated grilling motions against HH the Premier with the goal of forcing its dismissal.

Targeting the Cabinet with numerous interpellations not only obstructs Parliament and the government, but it is also clearly a lobbying campaign when the lawmakers admit on numerous occasions that their main goal is a change of prime minister.

The latest effort made by the MPs involved in the boycott, in which they will seek to gather enough support in Parliament to

dismiss the government through a vote of no confidence, is not only logical and smart, but also a step in the right direction.

In its recent ruling, the Constitutional Court said that the prime minister must only be questioned about subjects that fall under the general duty of the government. Generally speaking, it is no secret that the country currently finds itself in a less-than-ideal state of affairs. Recurrent problems, crises and the spread of corruption have frustrated everyone.

For their part, the MPs who boycotted the parliamentary committees’ elections are holding the Cabinet and HH the Premier responsible for our current predicament. Meanwhile many others, myself included, believe that the people share the blame with Parliament.

The best course of action for the oppositionists now is a temporary cessation of grilling motions and a

renewed effort to convince more lawmakers that the nation’s state of affairs is deteriorating and that the government is responsible for this.

If they garner enough support to pass a no-cooperation vote, it will be the easiest way by which the oppositionists can achieve their goal in ousting HH the Premier. Perhaps HH the PM Sheikh Nasser will by then resign, having realized that the majority of Parliament does not wish to cooperate with him.

Whether we like it or not, HH the PM Sheikh Nasser currently enjoys majority support in Parliament; the oppositionists cannot force his resignation without first overcoming this majority. Any attempt to force his resignation without gaining majority support for such a move is nothing short of a waste of time and a violation of the principles of parliamentary work. — Al-Qabas

he Arab spring is the major political upheaval that the region has experienced in several decades. Thousands of people have lost their lives as a result of the mass uprising, and many more face perilous times ahead.

Countries like Syria and Yemen are facing unprecedented turmoil. Laymen may feel that it is a normal practice for people to sacrifice their lives to free their county. But, I donít think that makes murder a justified or acceptable proposition.

No sensible person will agree that political regimes have the right to abuse human beings.

Ironically, when a dictator like Gaddafi was captured, he begged for mercy. It is a virtue he failed to practice during his lifetime.

Tyrannical figures like him suffer from a myopic vision and normally end up in caves or sewages . So, I can understand public sentiment that is unyielding and ruthless.

How can the rebel soldier be merciful to a much reviled figure who made his life living hell? So they subject him to the same treatment that he had meted out to them.

I believe activists from around the world should educate Arab civilians about the basics of democracy.

The new leaders of the region should learn their lessons well and make the transition to a new form of governance easier for people. Is change possible here?

(To be continued)

kuwait digest

Time to revamp higher education

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

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ducation is the main tool used to prepare young generations for the future. The educational process, starting from kindergarten till higher education, is the manner in which children attain knowledge and eventually specialize in certain fields that align with the labor market’s requirements. Education is given top priority in countries around the world. Deterioration in educational levels pose a major threat in some societies.

In Kuwait, the school year started a few weeks ago. According to official estimates, around 33,000 students enrolled in the Kuwait University which suffers from overcrowding and staff shortage issues.

In addition, the KU has for long been suffering from a problem that is described by NGOs as graduates’ incompetency. They lack the basic skills to carry out different job functions. To tackle this problem and ensure that every KU graduate finds a job, the government appoints them in state departments resulting in the emergence of unproductive employees and disguised unemployment.

Today, KU officials are repeating the calls made about the need for more room to resolve the overcapacity problem. Unfortunately, they focus on making extra room for new students, without paying attention to quality education which the stateís labor market desperately needs today and in the future.

KU officials are repeating the calls made about the need for more room to resolve the overcapacity problem. Unfortunately, they focus on making extra room for new students, without paying attention to quality education which the state’s labor market desperately needs today and in the future.

In my opinion, the current criteria according to which unskilled students are churned out from the KU should be changed. Restructuring plans and strategies of higher education should be made, in coordination with the concerned state department that plans for the country’s future. It suggests, for example, that the private sector play a vital role in improving future economy to avoid catastrophic effects when oil prices dip or when oil resources are depleted. This requires for the KU’s management to achieve a radical improvement in curriculums and college programs, placing them in line with the state’s development process. Most importantly, the KU must focus on preparing skilled labor forces in technology, industries, information, communications, environment, engineering, science and others.

If that doesn’t happen, more young people will be hired after graduation and cause further budgetary losses. Kuwait needs specialized colleges more than it needs another university that doles out the same courses. — Al-Rai

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Amir to meet oppositionists Grilling motion delayed KUWAIT: Legislators from anti-government blocs will meet His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah today morning, announced MP Naji Al-Abdulhadi in a press statement. It was released shortly after MP Roudhan AlRoudhan stated that he had met with HH the Amir yesterday and expressed the opposition blocs’ point of view. “The Amiri Diwan has agreed to allow the oppositionist groups to speak about the responsibility of His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah over the country’s downfall,” reads a report quoting Al-Abdulhadi yesterday, a day after the groups were told that the Amir would only meet them on the condition that the premier would not be blamed, reported Al-Aan. Several reports issued yesterday suggested that the meeting would be called off following a statement released by the opposition groups after a late-night meeting on Sunday. They explained that obstacles emerged while scheduling a meeting with HH the Amir, after they linked the prime minister with the present situation.

According to the statement, MP Mohammad Al-Mutair received a call on Sunday afternoon from Director of HH the Amir’s office, Ambassador Ahmad Al-Fahad. He was told that the Amir would meet them as long as they do not request the Parliament’s dissolution or the prime minister’s dismissal. Al-Mutair, who held a meeting with the oppositionist groups on Saturday following which he submitted a request to meet the Amir, agreed on the stipulation. These two options fall under the purview of HH the Amir.

“Al-Mutair also explained that the oppositionist groups want to address the prime minister’s responsibility for the lack of progress in the state,” said MP Dr Waleed AlTabtabaei to Al-Qabas, adding that Ambassador Al-Fahad later called up and added that the subject cannot be broached.

An official told Al-Qabas that Al-Fahad had explained that country’s political situation would be discussed as long as demands to oust the prime minister are not put forward.

The coalition of oppositionists blocs consist of 19 lawmakers who boycotted the parliamentary committees’ voting process last week. They were joined on Sunday by independent MPs Husain Mizyed and Dr Hassan Jouhar who announced that their membership withdrawals from the panels to which they were elected.

Meanwhile, Al-Qabas reported that MP Abdullah AlRoumi has informed MPs Ahmad Al-Saadoun and Naji AlAbdulhadi on Sunday that his National Action Bloc(NAB) would meet yesterday to decide on their membership in parliament committees.

Breaking free from committees is a necessary condition for MPs wishing to join the ‘coalition of boycotters,’ said sources. The meeting held at Al-Mutair’s diwaniya on Saturday was the opposition blocs’ first since last Tuesday’s parliamentary inaugural session.

Officials noted a problem that certain committees faced at present time, including the petitions and foreign affairs committees that share the same repporteur - MP Ghanim Al-Mei’a. It is a violation of regulations which lay down that the same MP cannot hold multiple committee- related posts. Solving these problems is a necessary pre-condition before committees convene their first meetings, sources stated, reported Al-Qabas.

Meanwhile, MP Dr Al-Tabtabaei noted that a grilling motion filed against HH the prime minister over the cash deposits scandal will be presented on Nov 20.

Touristic Park to celebrate Eid KUWAIT: The Touristic Park will host an exclusive entertainment program on Nov 10, 2011 as part of the Eid AlAdha celebrations, announced the Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC).

“Several activities like a cartoon character’s show, a helium balloons display, as well as competitions for children and families will be held,” said Nader Imam Touristic Park Supervisor.

They added that two Blackberry phones, two iPhones, two gold rings, as well as fifteen electronic Nader Imam appliances will be given away as prizes. The Park welcomes visitors everyday between 3:00 am and 10:00 pm.

Al-Mulaifi for larger role in UNESCO PARIS: Kuwait should receive more support from the state’s National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in order to enable the country to assume a larger role within this international body, said the state’s education minister yesterday.

Speaking during his attendance of UNESCO’s 36th General Conference, which began last Tuesday and concludes on Nov 10, the minister, Ahmad Al-Mulaifi, said, “Kuwait’s efforts in international organizations are exceptional, but it needs to be given more attention and support.”

Kuwait is participating in the conference to highlight some of its objectives in achieving a number of cultural and educational goals as part of its development plan, including the construction of an opera house and the Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for People with Learning Difficulties.

The minister further indicated that the country intends to set up a specialist unit tailored to meeting the educational needs of exceptional and gifted students. This unit would monitor the progress of these students during their school and university years and provide them with suitable career opportunities in the public and private sectors to allow them to work in their field of expertise. It would also be open to their suggestions and advice on public projects.

In his speech during the UNESCO conference, AlMulaifi reiterated Kuwait’s supportive stance of the Palestinian Authority’s obtaining full membership of the UNESCO, with the issue was set to be discussed yesterday.

The Kuwaiti minister also took part in a meeting of ministers from other Arab and Islamic states, as well as attending the launch of Saudi Arabia’s online UNESCO portal.

During his stay in the French capital, Al-Mulaifi added that during his stay in the French capital he had also met with members of the Kuwaiti students’ union in France. —KUNA

KUWAIT: The Ambassador of Turkey to Kuwait Helmi Dedeoglu hosted a reception at his residence on Sunday to mark his country’s 88th Republic Day. High-ranking officials, businessmen, media personalities and members of the Turkish community attended the event. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

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Teenage muggers caught in Sabah Al-Nasser area Hunt on for gang of four

KUWAIT: Ahmadi Governor Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah received Abdul-Kareem Sulaiman, the ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Kuwait, at his office recently. They discussed bilateral relations and means to boost cooperation between the two countries.

Trash to Treasure: Fun fashion for a great cause

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Kuwait’s fashion fans and style devotees have a treat in store at tonight’s ‘Trash to Treasure’ fashion show, which takes place at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Salmiya from 7pm to 9pm. Members of the public will be warmly welcomed at the event, which sees recycled materials and fabrics imaginatively reused to make around 30 funky, fashionable, eco-conscious and unique outfits, all made by women in real need and designed by exciting new designers.

“We’ve got 14 models, from Kuwait, Lebanon, India, the Philippines, Venezuela, Egypt, America, Nigeria and Jordan, who auditioned and are ready to model the outfits made from recycled materials,” explained Michelle Johnson, the Managing Director of the Iszonica Modeling School (IMS). The IMS is supervising the event in cooperation with the Salvation Army, which currently manages the ‘Trash to Treasure’ initiative after its founder, Cheryl Spessert, returned to the United States.

Spessert came up with the ‘Trash to Treasure’ initiative to help women facing deportation, many of whom allegedly fled abusive employers and subsequently found themselves homeless and penniless.

“The dresses on display in this show were made by ladies who are set to be deported from the country,” Johnson explained. “The revenue from selling these dresses will go

to these women in need so that they can buy basic essentials and a few things to take back with them to their home countries when they leave.”

The IMS head was optimistic that this year’s event would be even better than its predecessor. “this will be the second year for holding the Trash to Treasure fashion show,” she explained. “After the great success last year we decided to use two new artists and three designers - we provide them with publicity and sponsor them to display their work at this fashion show.”

As well as providing the women with a way to raise money, donations to the ‘Trash to Treasure’ initiative also fund counseling services for them, while the project itself gives them a chance to develop useful tailoring and design skills and to spend the stressful period of waiting for the resolution of their cases in an enjoyable creative way.

Tonight’s show will also feature a number of stalls selling a range of fashion-related items, whilst audience members are welcome to donate whatever they can to help those less fortunate.

The IMS is Kuwait’s only modeling and deportment school, teaching young women about the basics of the modeling business, and offering instruction in a wide range of areas such as personal grooming, walking properly in heels or flat shoes, and expressing poise and confidence in social situations.

67% Kuwait companies to hire in year’s time: Survey KUWAIT: The latest Jobs Index survey conducted by Bayt.com and YouGov, a research and consulting organization, has revealed that the majority of jobs in the next three months, will be from the private sector with most companies looking to hire five or less people in the next three months mostly to fill junior executive positions. O ver the nex t three months, 29 percent companies in Kuwait will be ‘definitely hiring’, with a further 26 percent ‘probably hiring.’ The majority of these jobs are likely to come from the private sector which, regionally, has the highest hiring levels; survey statistics show that Multi-National Companies (MNCs) will offer the most jobs, with 30 percent ‘definitely hiring.’

This is followed by large local companies (29 percent) and small-medium local enterprises (SMEs) (27 percent). From the public sector (including government, charities, semi- and quasi-public companies), 22 percent stated that they will be ‘definitely hiring’ in the nex t three months. The figures are slightly more positive for a year’s time, with the private sector still providing the most jobs: 34% percent of MNCs will be ‘definitely hiring’, as will 31 percent of large local companies, 26 percent of local SMEs and 23 percent of public sector companies.

“Statistics across the region are very similar. Companies are less likely to hire in the coming three months, though it’s interesting to note that local companies have the largest cumulative percentages of ‘definitely’ and ‘probably hiring.’ In that respect, SMEs will make up the bulk of employment possibilities in a year’s time, suggesting that there may be an increase in start-up companies,” commented Amer Zureikat, Vice President - Sales, Bayt.com.

“The number and type of employees sought by companies is suggestive that there are still cost-conscious initiatives at play which extend themselves to the HR arena. Kuwait employers realize that using an online portal, such as Bayt.com, offers direct, convenient and cost-effective access to the region’s most talented job-seekers including a very large and significant cross-section of highly qualified, top-caliber local talent.”

Companies across the region looking to hire in the next three months are predominantly seeking employees for junior executive positions (37 percent), although there is also a relatively high demand for executives (30 percent), coordinators (29 percent) and senior executives (27 percent). Most companies (49 percent) will offer less than five jobs, while an additional 20 percent will look to hire between six and 10 new employees.

In the same timeframe, a cumulative 73 percent of Kuwait companies, who claim they will hire in the next three months, will look for ten or less employ-

ees. Of these, 55 percent will have five or less positions to fill.

“While it is reassuring to see that some hiring is expected to take place over the next quarter, it’s perhaps not surprising to see most companies aiming to hire later in the year. With the global economy back on the front pages, many companies will be pushing potential recruitment plans out in the hope that the current Euro zone crisis does not trigger a regional recession”, said Sundip Chahal, CEO, YouGov. The qualifications most desired regionally are those to do with commerce (23 percent). However, in Kuwait, Computer Science qualifications are most desirable (22 percent opted for Computer Science graduation/post-graduation qualifications). Commerce follows with 21 percent, then Administrative qualifications (19 percent). Psychology, Social Science and Statistics qualifications came in as the least desirable at only one percent.

In terms of experience, managerial skills topped the list as most sought after across the region with 38percent.

Computer skills came second with 31 percent. Candidates with mid-level experience (3-7 years) are preferred, with 23 percent placing them higher than those with senior level (7-10 years) or junior level (less than three years) experience, both of which ranked at 14 percent; those with very senior level experience ranked in last at 12 percent. In Kuwait, employers look most for candidates with managerial skills (33 percent), and computer skills (32 percent).

Good communications skills in both Arabic and English are a must for 58 percent of respondents across the region.

Other traits that employers look for in candidates are team player abilities (48 percent) and overall personality and demeanor (46 percent). In Kuwait, employers look most for the ability to communicate effectively in both English and Arabic (78 percent), trustworthiness (56 percent) and jointly, team player abilities and overall personality and demeanor (52 percent).

The industries that are attracting or retaining top talent across the region are bank ing and finance (36 percent), telecommunications (35 percent) and construction (31 percent). In Kuwait, banking and finance ranked first (43 percent), followed by oil, gas and petrochemicals (35 percent), and consumer goods (27 percent).

When asked about the attractiveness of their country of residence, respondents in Qatar were the most optimistic with 49 percent saying their country was much more attractive than other countries in the region, UAE came second with 48 percent stating the same, while KSA came in at third at 44 percent.

KUWAIT: Police who pulled a car over in Sabah Al-Nasser area after becoming suspicious of the three teenage occupants discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen earlier in the day, also finding a police patrol vehicle flashing light in their possession. After being taken into custody for questioning, the three admitted that they had been posing as plainclothes officers to attack and rob expatriate victims, as well as stealing several cars. All were referred to the relevant authorities and face a number of charges.

Thuggish thieves A Syrian shopkeeper who attempted to stop two men who ransacked the cash till at his baqala (grocery store) in Jahra from escaping with the contents was stabbed by one of the duo, who both subsequently fled the scene. The victim was rushed to hospital and police are hunting for the thuggish thieves.

Dire date A hunt is underway for a gang of four people, including one woman, who assaulted and stabbed a Kuwaiti man at his flat in Salmiya before stealing KD1,000 in cash and fleeing the scene. The man told police that after going back to his apartment with a woman, she had called three male friends who turned up shortly afterwards, assaulting and stabbing him before ransacking his flat. After the gang stole the cash and fled, the man sought medical treatment before contacting police and providing them with a description of the female suspect, which detectives are using in their attempts to trace her and the other members of the gang.

11 injured in accidents

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: A 25-year-old Egyptian fractured his right thigh bone in a motorcycle accident that took place near Ardiya. He was admitted to Farwaniya Hospital. A 31-year-old citizen fractured his left leg and was admitted to Mubarak Hospital. Also, a 27-year- old citizen suffered a compound fracture to his right thigh bone. He was admitted to Mubarak Hospital.

A citizen suffered facial injury , a 46-year-old Bangladeshi suffered an injury to the head and two Pakistanis sustained multiple injuries in a motor accident. They were admitted to Adan Hospital.

A 21-year-old non-Kuwaiti and a 16-year-old citizen suffered facial injuries while a 35-year-old Indian sustained a graze to his face in a car crash. He was admitted to Jahra Hospital. A 24-year-old citizen sustained multiple injuries, while a 20year-old citizen suffered from bruises in an accident .

Bad cop A police officer is facing a number of charges after he caused a car accident and resisted arrest whilst under the influence of alcohol.

Other officers arrived at the scene of the accident where they learnt that the male driver of one of the cars, who was accompanied by two women, had been abusive towards the driver of the other vehicle involved as well as to some bystanders. The officers discovered that the obnoxious motorist was a police officer, also quickly ascertaining that he and his female companions were drunk. All three were taken into custody after violently resisting the officers’ attempts to handcuff them and take them into custody.

Party over Police arrested three Kuwaiti men and two women - one Kuwaiti, one Yemeni - at a Salmiya apartment used for prostitution and alcohol consumption. A team of police officers raided the flat after a tip-off about the illegal activities taking place there, also recovering eleven bottles of imported liquor. Investigations also revealed that the apartment is owned by a Ministry of Interior officer, who faces questioning over his possible involvement in the activities that took place at the apartment.

Abduction foiled Police are hunting for three teenage boys who are accused of attempting to murder another adolescent after failing to abduct him.

The victim told his father after the incident that he had been making his way out of a fast food

restaurant in Abu Halifa when the trio appeared and attempted to abduct him. When he fought back and managed to run away, he said, they pursued him, with one of them threatening him with a knife. He managed to escape and immediately went home, telling his father what had taken place. Detectives are using details of the three youngsters provided by the alleged victim in their hunt for the suspects.

Suicide attempt Police managed to prevent a Kuwaiti resident of Qusour from committing suicide by slashing his own throat. Emergency services personnel rushed to the scene after receiving repor ts that the man was holding a knife against his neck and threatening to slit his own throat. Police officers managed to calm the man down and persuade him to rethink his course of action, eventually disarming him before paramedics took him to Adan Hospital. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man has a history of mental illness and a family dispute earlier in the day could have triggered a relapse.

Addict thief Patrol officers who became suspicious on spotting a young man running from a cell phone shop in Salmiya pursued and caught him, discovering that he had stolen a phone from the shop. On searching the man, the officers also found a quantity of drugs in his possession, with detectives believing that he planned to sell the phone to raise money for more drugs. He is currently being held pending trial. —Al-Rai, Al-Anba, Al-Watan

Income tax proposal shelved over fears of public unrest KUWAIT: A government committee studying the possibility of introducing income tax for Kuwait’s citizens and residents has reportedly agreed to postpone the introduction of such a system for the time being, fearing that it could lead to further public unrest. According to a committee insider, another reason behind the committee’s decision to delay the introduc-

tion of any income tax system was to determine the final bill for public sector wage rises as strike action continues to cripple the country.

Income tax is being considered as a way of compensating for the amount paid by the government in subsidies and to recoup at least part of the cost of services provision. The measure is being considered in

a move to help balance the state budget following another round of pay rises for Kuwaiti public sector workers.

The decision was taken following a meeting between the committee members and government consultant and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with a number of economic experts, to discuss a number of issues. — Al-Anba

New oil projects approved KUWAIT: The Cabinet’s economic committees and the Supreme Planning Council recently approved Kuwait Petroleum Corporations (KPC)’s proposal to diversify the oil sector and increase Kuwait’s share of oil production.

The proposal includes 50 new projects valued at KD 1.5

billion in addition to plans to privatize fertilizer factories and gas cylinder stations. “The government encourages diversifying the scope of oil and gas production to raise Kuwait’s productivity by building a number of new facilities,” stressed an official.

He explained that the new projects include building new

refineries and petrochemical facilities in China, Vietnam and India, implementing the biofuel project at a cost of KD 103 million, purchasing eight new vessels at the cost of KD 20 million, building a gas line between Khafji and Ahmadi refinery and building two units to produce liquefied gas, reported Aljarida.

‘The AsiaN’ to be launched next month KUWAIT: The leading company Asia Journalists Association for Media and Culture will launch its giant network “The AsiaN” next month, in Seoul.

The AsiaN will have four regional news categories, corresponding to the four major regions in Asia - Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Central and South Asia and the Middle East. The new network aims are to cover Politics, Societies, Biz/Finance, IT/Technology, Culture, Sport, Religion and Lifestyle.

The AsiaN Steering Committee is made up of Lee Sang-ki, Publisher of AsiaN & Founder President of AJA; Ivan Lim, Adviser of AsiaN & President of AJA; with six members to represent the Asian countries; Eddy Suprapto (Indonesia); Dolgor Chuluunbaatar (Mongolia); Ashraf Aboul-Yazid ( Egypt); Norila Daud (Malaysia), and Bishnu Nisthuri (Nepal); and Ito Ryoji (Japan).

Lee Sang-ki said that the launching day shall be November 11, 2011, for the AsiaN that will respect and reflect a diverse range of views and opinions of its writers. “We believe in airing and sharing our perspectives under the concept of an open and free-flowing market of ideas. We will be served by a pool of more than 150 veteran journalists from 45 Asian countries including the 40 senior Korean journalists. We will also differentiate the AsiaN from other portals by injecting an Asian flavor in content and viewpoints on issues of the day”, he said.

Insights on business, finance, environment, energy, religion and politics will be filed by AsiaN stable of more than 100 influential bloggers, leaders and experts in Asia. They will be complemented by contributors from United States, Europe and Latin America so as to provide a mix of viewpoints and counter-points.

The AsiaN shall be guided by writings of the ethical code and standard of the journalistic profession. This means being accurate and balanced in reporting. It also means exercising fairness and objectivity in editorials and commentaries.

The inauguration shall be in the Korean capital; Seoul, but it shall be celebrated virtually all over the world by the members of the columnists, writers and reports. AsiaN assures it shall give due recognition and respect of the unique traditions and cultural norms that characterize each Asian country. Even so, it can count on certain common values and ethos that set us apart

Anuradha Koirala

Shirin Ebadi

Ashraf Aboul-Yazid

Lee Sang-ki

from Western countries. It shall also mobilize network of more than 150 member journalists in more than 45 countries, making full use of everyone’s expertise in all aspects of journalism - reporting, editing and photography.

AsiaN will feature the latest news, in-depth analysis, columns/contributions and interviews as well as culture, religion and lifestyle articles.

The op-ed section will also feature columns and contributions from the world’s leading figures.

In order to engage with the public and in line with today’s context of citizen journalism, AsiaN will extensively incorporate elements of social media like Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.

Among its columnists are Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights activist, awarded Rafto

Prize in Norway (2001), First Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (2003), and Founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center.

Also the columnists shall have Anuradha Koirala, the Nepali social activist, Founder of Maiti Nepal (1993), CNN Hero of the Year (2010), Manhae Peace Prize (2011). Also Chung UnChan, Prime Minister of Korea, President of Seoul National University and Founder President of Commission on Shared Growth for Large and Small Companies. And Hwang WooSuk, as well, who is President of H-bion, Professor of Seoul National University, Founder of Sooam Biotech Research Foundation and who has been awarded the 11th Jang Young Shil Award (2009).

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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CAIRO: An anti-Syrian regime protester burns a poster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, during a protest. — AP

Arab League awaits Syrian response 61 civilians, 30 soldiers reported killed in last 3 days DOHA: The Arab League awaited a response from Syria yesterday to its proposal to end seven months of increasingly violent unrest against President Bashar Al-Assad’s rule and to start talks between Syrian authorities and their opponents.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani, whose country presides over the committee, also said Assad must launch serious reforms if Syria was to avoid slipping further into violence. “The whole region is exposed to a big storm. It’s important that Arab leaders know how to respond, and not respond with deception or twisting and turning,” Sheikh Hamad told reporters late on Sunday.

“What is needed is taking steps for reform which avoid what happened in some Arab countries, because the change was difficult, and the destruction and losses were great,” he said, apparently referring to NATO’s military action in Libya which helped bring about the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. Arab diplomats said the plan, put to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem in Qatar, included immediate release of prisoners held since February, a withdrawal of security forces, deployment of Arab League monitors and starting a dialogue.

Assad told Russian Television on Sunday he would cooperate with the opposition. “We will cooperate with all political powers, both those who had existed before the crisis, and those who arose during it. We believe interacting with these powers is extremely important,” he said. But in another interview with a British newspaper he portrayed Syria’s uprising as an Islamist insurgency which would be defeated. The United Nations says more than 3,000 people have been killed in the Syrian government’s crackdown on protesters demanding political reforms and an end to Assad’s rule. Assad blames the unrest of foreignbacked armed gangs and said in the television interview there had been “hundreds of deaths among the military, police and security forces”.

Syrian objections Syrian objections to hav-

ing its internal affairs aired in a meeting outside Syria was a main sticking point. “More important than a dialogue is action... This committee has given a very strong response to the recent killings,” Sheikh Hamad said. Opposition sources said 61 civilians and 30 soldiers had been killed in clashes in the past three days.

Opposition figures have repeatedly said Assad’s offers of dialogue were not serious, and reported a rise in mass arrests, torture, disappearances and assassinations of activists and street protest leaders in recent weeks.

China’s Middle East envoy called on the authorities on Sunday to speed up the reforms Assad has promised, saying the situation was dangerous and the bloodshed could not continue. A committee set up by Assad two weeks ago to draft a new constitution met for the first time yesterday, the state news agency SANA said. The committee has until mid-February to propose the new constitution.

Assad told Britain’s Sunday Telegraph that Western powers would cause an “earthquake” in the Middle East if they intervened in Syria, after protesters demanded outside protec-

tion to stop the killing of civilians. Syria sits at the heart of the volatile Middle East, sharing borders with Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Jordan. “It is the faultline, and if you play with the ground, you will cause an earthquake,” he said. “Do you want to see another Afghanistan, or tens of Afghanistans?” Western sanctions aimed at Assad and the ruling elite have not been matched by any sign of military intervention in Syria. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has repeatedly stated that organisation has no intention to intervene in Syria, despite calls for it to do so by Syrian opposition activists. — Reuters

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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

Yemeni militants deny death of senior Al-Qaeda member ADEN: An Islamist group linked to AlQaeda has denied that its media chief was killed in an air raid in southern Yemen two weeks ago. The group, Ansar Al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), also took responsibility for an explosion at France’s Total gas pipeline in mid-October that halted supplies to the Belhaf LNG plant. In leaflets distributed in mosques and markets in

Yemen’s southern Shabwa province, it described government reports of Ibrahim al-Banna’s killing as “lies”.

“We denounce American attacks on the Arabian Peninsula which is based on crusader thinking,” said the leaflet, referring to US drone attacks in Yemen. “ The blood of Muslims will not be spilled in vain.” Yemen’s government says Ansar Al-Sharia is the Yemeni wing

of al Qaeda. Some analysts say other local militant Islamist groups could be at work. Months of protests against President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 33-year rule have weakened already loose central government control over whole swathes of the country.

Neighbouring Saudi Arabia and the United States fear militants including al Qaeda’s Arabian Peninsula branch

(AQAP) are exploiting growing lawlessness in the impoverished state and firming their foothold there. The leaflets said the Yemeni government had often taken credit for killing militants, only for them to turn up alive later on. Al Qaeda usually hails the death of its members or affiliates in postings on Internet forums. Separately, an army official said a soldier and two mil-

itants were killed in a gun battle yesterday in the southern province of Abyan, where Islamist fighters have seized several towns in recent months. The official said clashes broke out when militants tried to sneak into a part of the provincial capital Zinjibar held by the army, which last month said it had recaptured the city, although fighting has continued there. — Reuters

NATO chief celebrates end of Libyan mission Libya’s four airports to resume operations

CAIRO: Egyptian street vendors sell balloons in a crowded street yesterday.

According to the United Nations, the global population hit 7 billion yesterday. — AFP

Israel aircraft hits Gaza, 2 dead GAZA CITY: Israeli aircraft struck the southern Gaza Strip targeting rocketlaunching militants, the military said yesterday, and Palestinian officials reported that two men were found dead in the area. The strike came after two days of rocket attacks and airstrikes that risked escalating into a more serious cycle of violence, although Israel’s defense minister downplayed the chances that a largescale ground offensive into Gaza would be launched. The Israeli military said in a statement that its aircraft attacked a squad that had just fired a rocket into Israel. The military said it had “confirmed a hit” but provided no further details. Palestinian security officials said two bodies were discovered around dawn wearing the uniform of Al-Ahrar, or “The Free People”, a littleknown group with ties to Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers that previously had no history of violence against Israel.

The men were unarmed and no rocket launchers were found in the area, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Deadly violence between Israel and Gaza militants flared over the weekend. In earlier exchanges of rockets and airstrikes, 10 militants and an Israeli civilian were killed. But despite the worst bloodshed in months, both sides have indicated they were interested in restoring calm.

Israeli defense officials are eager to contain the attacks on southern Israel, where more than 1 million people live within the range of Gaza militants’

rockets. Israeli defense officials have confirmed that contingency plans have been drawn up for a broad invasion of Gaza to topple Hamas, which would require Israel to reoccupy the territory.

But they said this is a worst-case scenario among many options, and the preference is to restore the calm that has largely prevailed since 2009.

“I don’t rule out that at some point we might find ourselves required to embark upon a full-fledged operation (in Gaza),” Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Army Radio yesterday. “(But) I am not one of those people who miss returning to Gaza.” Most of the violence this weekend has been between Israel and Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed group that is considered even more extreme than Hamas. On Sunday, Islamic Jihad said it was prepared to halt the violence provided Israel would do so, too. While acknowledging that Hamas militants were not directly responsible for the recent rocket fire, Israel says it holds the group accountable for attacks from Gaza. And there is little doubt that Hamas’ control - when it wants to exercise it - is strong.

Hamas, which overran Gaza in June 2007, lost hundreds of men in a fierce Israeli war against rocket squads three years ago and has largely maintained calm since then. The group is also waiting for Israel to free more than 500 Palestinian prisoners in a second phase of a swap for a long-held Israeli soldier.

A protracted cycle of new violence could endanger that release, which was a major political coup for Hamas among the Palestinian people. —AP

Food, oil put pressure on Tanzania inflation DAR ES SALAAM: Tanzanian food exports and oil imports are boosting inflationary pressures in the east African country, though recent measures to support the currency should help economic stability, a deputy governor at the central bank said yesterday. Food, fuel and energy costs have helped drive the inflation rate in the region’s second biggest economy into double digits, while the shilling has hit a string of record lows and is down more than 13 percent against the dollar this year. “I am confident things will improve ... but we are facing a number of challenges and inflationary pressures, notably oil imports,” Lila Mkila, one of three Bank of Tanzania deputy governors, told reporters.

“There is infrastructure financing by the government, so you need the (US) currency in very high demand. We are also seeing pressure from neighboring countries in terms of food exports,” he said on the sidelines of a mortgage finance meeting.

Mkila also said Tanzanian plans to issue a debut $500 million eurobond to fund infrastructure projects were on track, despite the global market turmoil, and there were ongoing talks with Citi about appointing the bank as the transaction adviser.

Some of the key measures the central bank introduced this month to curb inflation and the shilling slide include

raising the statutory minimum reserves for commercial banks from 20 percent to 30 percent to try and mop up excess liquidity. It also lowered the foreign exchange net open position limit that banks can hold from 20 percent to 10 percent.

Tanzania-one of Africa’s biggest per capita aid recipients-increased infrastructure spending in its 2011/12 budget by 85 percent to 2.78 trillion shillings.

Mkila said the central bank had not set a target for the exchange rate, but said the government was still working towards the mid-term goal of achieving a 5 percent inflation rate. Tanzania’s year-onyear inflation jumped to 16.8 percent in September from 14.1 percent in August.

Mkila, who is responsible for financial stability at the central bank, said food exports to countries in the region such as Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan were hurting domestic supplies and putting pressure on the inflation rate in Tanzania. “Our borders are very porous, therefore there is pressure for food to go out. We also need to improve our distribution systems to ensure surplus food in the southern parts of the country reaches the north of the country,” he said.

“Sugar prices are also adding to the inflationar y pressures,” Mkila said.

Tanzania banned sugar expor ts in September in a series of measures to tame spiraling prices. —Reuters

TRIPOLI: NATO’s top official yesterday praised the alliance’s 7month sea and air campaign in Libya - a key in ousting longtime dic tator Muammar Gaddafi saying the mission’s end yesterday’s marks the close of a “successful chapter in NATO’s history.” Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who was making his first visit to Tripoli since the end of the civil war less than two weeks ago, also congratulated the country’s revolutionaries on their victory and said they “helped change the region.” “You acted to change your history and your destiny, we acted to protect you,” Fogh Rasmussen said at a joint news conference with Libya’s interim leader, Mustafa Abdul-Jalil. “Together we succeeded: Libya is finally free.”

NATO operations in the country officially ended at midnight yesterday Libyan time (2200 GMT, 6 pm EDT). Last week, the UN Security Council - which authorized the mission in March - ordered an end to all military action in Libya. Over the past seven months, allied air forces carried out 9,600 strike sorties, destroying about 5,900 military targets. An average of 15 warships were on station at all times off the Libyan coast to enforce an arms embargo.

“At midnight tonight, a successful chapter in NATO’s history is coming to an end, but you have already started writing a new chapter in the history of Libya, a new Libya based on freedom, democrac y, human rights and the rule of law,” Fogh Rasmussen said. “We know it’s not easy. We k now the challenges, and if you ask us for help in areas where we can help, we

NAIROBI: A Kenya activist writes on the wall of the Libyan Embassy yesterday a slogan in support of slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. — AFP will.” NATO persevered during a monthslong period of stalemate on the battlefield, when it appeared that Libya could become an Afghanistan-like quagmire. With the alliance airstrikes helping open the way, revolutionary forces eventually captured Tripoli in late August, and brought an end to the war with the capture and death of Gadhafi on Oct 20.

Abdul-Jalil, who is the head of Libya’s National Transitional Council, thanked Fogh Rasmussen for the alliance’s suppor t. “NATO operations were successful, with the grace of God and the determination of fighters,” he said. “ The strikes were accurate so that civilians were not impacted, the people of Libya can testify to this.” The

end of the NATO mission clears the way for passenger flights to and from Libya. Transportation Minister Anwar Al-Fitouri said that Libya’s four airports would resume operations today.

In recent weeks, some airlines had resumed limited service, with planes landing at Tripoli’s Metiga military airport. Several flights carrying Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia have taken off from Tripoli’s main airport.

With the Libya mission drawing to a close, spokesman Col. Roland Lavoie said NATO staff temporarily seconded to the headquarters in Naples, Italy, for the operation are being reassigned to regular duties. The alliance concluded its airstrikes soon after Gadhafi’s capture and death on Oct 20, but maintained

Tunisia issues warrant against Arafat’s widow TUNIS: A Tunisian court has issued an international arrest warrant against the widow of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat over alleged corruption, a justice official said yesterday. Suha Arafat, who was stripped of her Tunisian citizenship in 2007 following a dispute with the former ruling family and currently lives in Malta, vehemently denied any corruption allegations and said she was ready to lay the case bare. Justice ministry spokesman Kadhem Zine el Abidine told AFP that a Tunis court had issued the warrant against 48-year-old Suha Arafat, but gave no reason for the move. According to Tunisian papers, Arafat’s widow is wanted over alleged corruption dating to the spring of 2007, when she founded the Carthage International School in Tunis with the country’s much-vilified former first lady Leila Trabelsi.

The two women then fell out, purportedly over Suha Arafat’s criticism of an alleged move by Trabelsi to close down another private school that would have been in direct competition with their joint venture. According to a US diplomatic cable revealed by WikiLeaks, Suha Arafat met the then US ambassador after the dispute and lashed out at the ruling family. She said that now ousted dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali would spend all day in his residence running after his young son and “simply does what his wife asks him to do”.

She was subsequently declared persona non grata, stripped of her Tunisian nationality in 2007, less than a year after acquiring it, and expelled. She settled in Malta, where her brother served as Palestinian ambassador. Speaking to AFP on the phone from Malta, Suha Arafat said she had hired a lawyer to defend her case.

“I reject all the accusations listed in the media; I am ready to deal with this issue, to submit documents, and I have entrusted a Tunisian lawyer to present these documents,” she said. She also said she had not been informed of the warrant against her. Born into a well-to-do Christian Palestinian family, Suha Arafat

CAIRO: In this file photo, Suha Arafat, the widow of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, chairs the Palestinian delegation during the Arab Women Summit. —AFP married the historic leader in 1990, though the marriage was not revealed until two years later.

She served as secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which was based in Tunisia between 1982 and 1994. Suha Arafat gave birth to the couple’s only child Zahwa in 1995, in a private hospital in Paris, but marital life quickly degenerated into de facto separation. While her husband shepherded the Palestinian cause in Gaza and Ramallah, Suha was often accused of siphoning the aspiring state’s meagre public funds to bankroll her lavish lifestyle in Paris.

After her husband’s death in November 2004, Suha Arafat returned to Tunisia, where she was eventually granted Tunisian citizenship for the second time. Ben Ali was ousted in January following a popular uprising and the country’s interim rulers have since initiated hundreds of corruption trials against the exiled dictator and his entourage. —AFP

regular air patrols over Libya.

The operation’s critics - including Russia, China, the African Union, and others - have argued that NATO misused the limited UN resolution imposing a no-fly zone and authorizing the protection of civilians as a pretext to promote regime change. With the end of NATO’s Libya mission, the alliance has faced some calls to intervene in Syria’s uprising.

But Fogh Rasmussen said NATO has no intention to get involved in Syria. “I can completely rule that out,” he said. “Having said that, I strongly condemn the crackdowns on the civilian population in Syria. What has happened in Libya sends a clear signal to autocratic regimes all over the world - you cannot neglect the will of the people.” —AP

UN says Cyprus talks positive, productive MANHASSET: A UN envoy for ethnically split Cyprus said talks on Sunday to overcome a logjam in peace negotiations were “positive” but said it was up to the rival sides to find common ground in the decades-old conflict. The United Nations is trying to revive flagging peace talks with two-day meeting at a secluded farm in Manhasset outside New York to resolve a dispute harming Turkey’s EU entry bid and energy projects in the eastern Mediterranean.

Cyprus’s reunification process has stumbled on complex issues such as future co-governance under a federal system, one of the issues of the two-day meeting that started on Sunday.

United Nations officials said discussions were productive and positive, and “appropriately vigorous.” “The UN is pleased with the way it’s going,” said Alexander Downer, a former Australian foreign minister who has been overseeing on-island peace talks for three years. Cyprus, with a combined population of about 1 million people, was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. The conflict, a source of tension between NATO allies Greece and Turkey, is thrown into sharper focus by Ankara’s attempts to join the European Union and a simmering dispute over Mediterranean hydrocarbon riches.

Trading the normal venue of peace talks from an abandoned airport compound on the scorching hot island to a tranquil woodlands retreat blanketed by snow on Long Island, the United Nations is hoping the consultations will break the logjam and clear a way forward in the long-running conflict. “We have said all along that we won’t be arbitrators or mediators in this process, but we are happy to be as helpful as possibly as can be,” said Downer. “At the end of the day, (and) where the two sides have to make convergences, the UN cant impose anything on them and we have no intention of doing so.”

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, together with Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, made a brief joint appearance on Sunday but had no comments.

Downer said Ban planned to spend about six hours with the leaders yesterday. When he called the meeting in July, Ban had hoped to report agreement on outstanding issues. That has not materialized but he was likely to give the two sides more time to resolve differences, diplomats said.—Reuters

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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

Belgium okays conditional nuclear exit plans by 2025 BRUSSELS: Belgium’s political parties have reached a conditional agreement to shut down the countr y ’s t wo remaining nuclear power stations, owned by GDF-Suez unit Electrabel, a government spokeswoman said yesterday. The plan for a shut-down of the three oldest reactors by 2015 and a complete exit by 2025 is conditional on finding enough energy from alternative sources to prevent any shortages. “If it turns out we won’t face shortages and prices would not skyrocket we intend to stick to the nuclear exit law of 2003,” a spokeswoman for Belgium’s energy and climate ministry

said. Belgium, which has seven nuclear reactors at two plants, had passed a law in 2003 outlining the planned shutdowns. Sunday’s decision to affirm the law knocked GDF Suez lower yesterday. The shareprice fell as much as 4.5 percent in early trading, making it the worst performer on the STOXX 600 Europe Utilities Index , which traded 0.8 percent lower at 1030 CET (0930 GMT ). Belgium is in the throes of agreeing a new government. It has long considered the prospec t of a complete exit from nuclear.

Public hostility has grown since Japan’s nuclear catastrophe earlier this

year, which prompted Europe’s biggest economy Germany to announce it would phase out all its atomic plants by 2022. Atomic generation is carbon free and Germany’s plans have raised concerns that more polluting fossil fuels will be used to ensure there is enough baseload power. Renewable energy can be intermittent, meaning coal and gas have to be used as backup.

Belgium’s t wo nuclear sites are operated by Electrabel. Rival SPE, in which EDF owns a 63.5 percent stake, has drawing rights on some 7 percent of capacity. EDF itself has the right to

about 8 percent. Electrabel said yesterday it did not want to comment on the nuclear exit as it had so far not received an official confirmation. GDF Suez and EDF also gave no comment.

In 2009, Belgium decided to keep its oldest nuclear reactors running for 10 years longer than planned in 2003 but this change never came into force as the government that decide the measure lost power. Belgium will now negotiate with investors to see how it can find new capacity to replace the 5860 MW that will be lost if the two nuclear sites at Doel and Tihange are shut.

“The government will actively look

for new investors and sites that are still unused to see what can be done,” the spokeswoman said.

The political parties also discussed how much more they would tax Electrabel, which already agreed in 2009 to pay between 215 million and 245 million euros per year in the period 2010-2014, for operating the nuclear power plants. Belgian business daily L’Echo wrote earlier this month that Elio Di Rupo, the French-speaking Socialist party chief leading coalition talks, wanted to charge the nuclear power industry, dominated by Electrabel, 1 billion euros per year. — Reuters

Kyrgyz PM claims victory as rivals rally in election OSCE observes flaws in election

ROCHELLE PARK: Jill Pavlik plays with Daniel, who is better known as the “Miracle Dog”, moments after arriving home from work. — AP

Dog survives gas chamber, ready for adoption in NJ NEWARK: Unnamed and unwanted, the young beagle mix was left anonymously in a drop box outside an Alabama pound. His life was supposed to end in a gas chamber.

Instead, the young stray emerged frightened but unscathed, wagging his tail. Now, he’s being hailed as a miracle dog, given the name Daniel after the biblical figure who survived the lion’s den. And he has a fresh start in New Jersey, where a rescue group hopes to find him a good home.

Only three animals have survived the gas chamber at the Animal Control facility in Florence, Ala., in the past 12 years. “Maybe God just had a better plan for this one,” said city spokesman Phil Stevenson.

Daniel’s tail never stopped wagging as he stepped off a plane at a New Jersey airport, where he was flown last Wednesday by the nonprofit Eleventh Hour Rescue group and placed with volunteer Jill Pavlik until he can be adopted. “He’s absolutely fabulous,” Pavlik, a hairdresser who works and lives in northern New Jersey, said Friday. “He walked in the house like he had always lived there. He’s very sweet, happy and outgoing.” Linda Schiller, the shelter’s founder and president, said the facility has already received about 100 applications from people around the country seeking to adopt Daniel. About half said they weren’t interested in adopting another dog if the 20-pound Daniel wasn’t available.

“Maybe we’ll get a cosmetic surgeon to make all our dogs look like Daniel,” Schiller said jokingly. She added that Daniel, while thin, hadn’t shown any residual effects of

his ordeal. No one is sure why Daniel was the lone survivor. “It may be that his breathing was shallow because of a cold or something,” Stevenson said. He said the gas chamber is a stainless-steel box roughly the size of a pickup truck bed, and dogs are put into the chamber about seven or eight at a time. A computer-controlled pump slowly feeds carbon monoxide into the chamber once it’s sealed, and an operator presses a button.

Normally, the animals just go “to sleep slowly. It’s like the cases you hear about where people are overcome by carbon monoxide in their home and just never wake up,” he said. On that Oct. 3 day, a new animal control officer placed the stray beagle into the chamber with several other animals and started the machine, Stevenson said. Variables that could allow a dog to survive such a gassing include the number of animals placed in the chamber, the concentration of carbon monoxide, whether the chamber is airtight or gas is leaking out and the health of the animal, said Julie Morris, senior vice president of community outreach for the ASPCA. Young, healthy animals have the best chance for survival.

Since carbon monoxide is heavier than air, it sinks, so a tall dog, or one that climbed to the top of a pile, would have a better chance of surviving, she said. Vinny Grosso, the Florence animal shelter’s director, said Daniel showed up in one of the shelter’s “drop box” cages where people can drop off animals anonymously. —AP

BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan’s moderate prime minister yesterday won the presidency of the violence-scarred nation with a decisive election victory, but his rivals refused to recognize the result amid claims of fraud.

Almazbek Atambayev, a close ally of outgoing President Roza Otunbayeva who took power after a 2010 uprising ousted the regime of Kurmanbek Bakiyev, won 63 percent of the vote in Sunday’s polls, the central election commission said. The international observer mission led by the OSCE said there were shortcomings with the vote count, even though it was cautiously optimistic for the future of the only parliamentary democracy in ex-Soviet Central Asia.

An unrest-free election would in itself be a major achievement for Kyrgyzstan which in the two decades since the fall of the Soviet Union has not once seen a peaceful transition of presidential power.

The crushing victory over his two nationalist rivals-who garnered less than 15 percent apiece -gave Atambayev the presidency without the need for a potentially tricky second round. “According to the initial results, Almazbek Atambayev has been elected the president of Kyrgyzstan,” central election commission chief Tuigunaly Abdraimov told reporters. “There will be no second round.”

Atambayev, 55, now faces the task of healing the wounds of a divided nation that within the space of a year in 2010 endured the bloody revolution that ousted Bakiyev and horrific intercommunal violence that killed some 470. The April 2010 uprising was the second for independent Kyrgyzstan after the 2005 Tulip Revolution that ousted post-Soviet leader Askar Akayev and installed Bakiyev in his place.

“People said ‘No’ to a destabilization of society. Sunday’s events will be the first step to genuine unity in the country,” Atambayev said after his victory was announced. “I will work so that the problem of a split among the Kyrgyz people and the

BISHKEK: Almazbek Atambayev (left) meets supporters. Kyrgyzstan’s moderate prime minister yesterday won the presidency of the violence-scarred nation with a decisive election victory, but his rivals refused to recognize the result amid claims of fraud. — AP danger of the break-up of the state are history,” he added.

The future of the nation of 5.3 million is closely watched by the West, which uses Kyrgyzstan as a hub for transit operations for the campaign in Afghanistan. It is the only country in the world to house US and Russian bases. Kyrgyzstan remains tense after the June 2010 ethnic violence in the south between the Kyrgyz majority and the Uzbek minority communities that followed the April 2010 revolution.

International observers led by the OSCE international observers said the elections were marred by “significant irregularities” in the vote count which extended to protocols being altered or completed by higher-level commissions. They also found instances of ballot box stuffing, multiple voting and vote buying.

But the mission also noted that the election in a country notorious for its volatility had passed peacefully. “We are cautiously optimistic about the future of democracy in Kyrgyzstan,” said Walburga Habsburg Douglas, special coordinator of the mission. Atambayev’s two leading rivals out of 15 challengers-the one-time parliament speaker Adakhan Madumarov and former boxer Kamchybek Tashiyevsaid they refused to recognize the results and warned of protests.

“If the results of the elections are not cancelled, disturbances are unavoidable,” said Tashiyev, adding that he believed 1.2 million people were deprived of their right to vote.

His fellow nationalist contender Madumarov added: “I do not accept the results of these elections. My demand is that they are declared invalid.” Two hundred supporters of Tashiyev blocked the only road

Russia could clinch WTO deal in 6 weeks

Head of famed London cathedral steps down LONDON: The head of St Paul’s Cathedral resigned yesterday due to criticism he faced over moves to evict protesters inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement from outside the London landmark. Graeme Knowles, the dean of the cathedral in London’s financial district, said his position had become “untenable” amid a row over the hundreds of demonstrators who forced the closure of the church last week.” The past fortnight has been a testing time for the chapter and for me personally,” Knowles said in a statement read out by a church official to the media.

“It has become increasingly clear to me that, as criticism of the cathedral has mounted in the press, media and in public opinion, my position as dean of St Paul’s was becoming untenable,” he added. Knowles is the third churchman to resign over the row at the historic cathedral, which announced last week that it was taking legal action to remove more than 200 tents which sprung up in the churchyard two weeks ago. “In order to give the opportunity for a fresh approach to the complex and vital questions facing St Paul’s, I have thought it best to stand down as dean, to allow new leadership to be exercised,” added Knowles. “I do this with great sadness, but I now believe that I am no longer the right person to lead the chapter of this great cathedral.”

The dispute over the Occupy London Stock Exchange protesters at St Paul’s has plunged the Anglican church itself into crisis as it wrings its hands over how to handle the

demonstrators while maintaining its principles. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the leader of the world’s Anglicans, called Knowles’s resignation “very sad.”“The announcement today of the resignation of the dean of St Paul’s, coming as it does in the wake of the resignation of canon Giles Fraser last week, is very sad news,” Williams said in a statement.

Fraser, the canon chancellor of the cathedral, resigned last week saying he disagreed with cathedral policy and feared that violence would be used against the protesters. A parttime cathedral chaplain, Fraser Dyer, also resigned. Williams said: “The events of the last couple of weeks have shown very clearly how decisions made in good faith by good people under unusual pressure can have utterly unforeseen and unwelcome consequences, and the clergy of St Paul’s deserve our understanding in these circumstances.”

The Church of England leader said the “urgent larger issues raised by the protesters at St Paul’s remain very much on the table and we need-as a Church and as society as a whole-to work to make sure that they are properly addressed.”

Bishop of London Richard Chartres, who has himself faced criticism over the row, will assume temporary control of the cathedral, St Paul’s said in a statement. The cathedral closed last week for the first time since World War II on the grounds that the anti-capitalist camp posed a health risk, but it finally reopened Friday. — AFP

connecting northern and southern Kyrgyzstan yesterday afternoon while 300 people have gathered in the central square in the southern town of Jalalabad, police said.

But police said the situation was under control and there were no reports of violence. The central election commission chief Abdraimov reported isolated incidents of voting irregularities, including attempts to stuff ballot boxes in certain regions, but stressed these were small in scale.

Despite the problems, the election was a stark contrast to the largely ceremonial polls held in the other ex-Soviet states of Central Asia which have been run by the same strongmen leaders for years on end. According to the results based on 99.7 percent of the electoral precincts, Atambayev won 63.1 percent, Madumarov 14.8 percent and Tashiyev 14.3 percent. —AFP

SAO PAULO: Picture shows Brazilian former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (center) meeting with doctors for his first session of chemotherapy for his larynx cancer at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital yesterday. —AFP

Lula starts chemotherapy SAO PAULO: Brazil’s ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula arrived at a Sao Paulo hospital yesterday to begin chemotherapy treatment for his larynx cancer. Lula arrived at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital just days after his condition was diagnosed.

Accompanied by his wife Marisa Leticia, the Brazilian leader skirted dozens of journalists who had gathered at the door of the hospital awaiting his arrival. One day earlier, doctors told reporters that Lula was ready to commence with his treatment, despite having only last week received his cancer diagnosis. “He is in good spirits and on board, committed, and that is key to the success of any treatment,” Dr. Roberto Kalil Filho told reporters assembled outside Lula’s home in Sao Bernardo do Campo.

He added that the popular former leader, who was Brazil’s first democratically elected leftist president, has a greater than 80 percent chance of a making a full recovery. Officials in Brazil announced last

week that the 66-year-old Lula was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx following a series of tests.”It is a localized tumor in the larynx, without ramifications, and it is perfectly treatable,” Paulo Hoff, one of the doctors treating Lula, told the daily O Estado de Sao Paulo on Sunday.

Jose Crispiniano, a spokesman for the Citizenship Institute that Lula created after leaving office, said the ex-president, a former smoker, went to the hospital on Friday complaining of throat pain. Lula, who is known for his raspy voice, was “even hoarser than usual,” he said. News of Lula’s cancer came as a shock to Brazilians, who adore the former metal worker and labor activist, who left power with a soaring 80 percent approval rating after two consecutive terms from January 2003 to December 2010.His social programs helped lift 29 million Brazilians out of poverty, and his foreign policy helped turn Brazil into a global power player. — AFP

MOSCOW: Russia could agree a deal on joining the World Trade Organization by December 15, a Kremlin aide said yesterday, amid growing signs its 18-year campaign to join the trade body is coming to a conclusion.

One of the biggest obstacles to Russian membership appeared to have been at least partly removed last week when its foe and WTO member Georgia agreed to a “final proposal” from Swiss mediators to assist Russia to join. “If we manage to complete all the necessary processes, a working group is going to meet on November 11,” Arkady Dvorkovich, the economic adviser of President Dmitry Medvedev, told reporters.”If the decision of the working group is positive, then the process of Russia’s accession to the WTO may be completed by December 15 in a ministerial meeting,” he added, without specifying the nature of the meetings.

Dvorkovich made clear the deal would still require ratification before Russia-the largest economy in the world to remain outside the WTO-formally became a member. The Kremlin’s adviser on foreign policy Sergei Prikhodko meanwhile said that the “Russian position on our readiness to enter the WTO remains unchanged.”

Medvedev said on Sunday that he hoped to see Moscow join the WTO by the end of the year after meeting Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey for previously unannounced talks at his residence. In an apparent sign of growing momentum to solve the issue for good, a Swiss delegation is due to meet Georgian officials in the resort city of Batumi later yesterday, where Calmy-Rey is also set to hold a meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. A senior Georgian official repeated that the Swiss compromise deal was “final” and said that it “cannot be changed”. “Georgia has already agreed to this proposal, so Russia has its WTO membership on the table-they just have to take it,” the head of the country’s National Security Council Giga Bokeria told AFP. The exSoviet state says it is in favour of Russian membership of the WTO but its conditions for agreeing to allow its powerful neighbour to join have threatened to derail Moscow’s efforts to finally become a member.

Tbilisi has been demanding international monitoring of cross-border trade in the Russian-backed breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Moscow recognised as independent states after the 2008 Georgia-Russia war but are seen by most other countries as sovereign Georgian territory. Georgian officials say the proposed compromise deal would see a private company contracted by a third international party physically and electronically monitoring goods entering and leaving the breakaway regions. — AFP

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Trick and treat: Schools shut in snowy Northeast Halloween downpours threaten soggy South Florida

WASHINGTON: Republican presidential candidate, Herman Cain pumps his fist as he answers questions on his tax plan yesterday. — AP

Cain denies sexual harassment reports WASHINGTON: Herman Cain, a Republican candidate for the 2012 presidential nomination who has stunned the political establishment with his rise to the top of the polls, was forced on the defensive yesterday by a report he faced sexual harassment accusations in the 1990s. Cain was making several scheduled appearances in Washington a day after the report that he was twice accused of sexual harassment while he was the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. Cain’s top aid Mark Block flatly denied the report in remarks to MSNBC cable television.

“Herman Cain has never sexually harassed anybody. Period, end of story,” he said. Furthermore, he said he is not personally aware of any settlement dealing with Cain and sexual harassment. In a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday, his campaign disputed a report on the website Politico that said Cain had been accused of sexually suggestive behavior toward at least two female employees. Cain - a self-styled outsider relatively new to the national stage - is facing a new level of scrutiny after a burst of momentum in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

He’s been steadily at or near the top of national surveys and polls in early presidential nominating states, competitive with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

The report said the women signed agreements with the restaurant group that gave them five-figure financial

payouts to leave the association and barred them from discussing their departures. Neither woman was identified. The report was based on anonymous sources and, in one case, what the publication said was a review of documentation that described the allegations and the resolution. The Cain campaign told the AP that the allegations were not true, and amounted to unfair attacks.

“Inside-the-Beltway media have begun to launch unsubstantiated personal attacks on Cain,” spokesman JD Gordon said in a written statement.

“Dredging up thinly sourced allegations stemming from Mr Cain’s tenure as the Chief Executive Officer at the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, political trade press are now casting aspersions on his character and spreading rumors that never stood up to the facts.” Asked if Cain’s campaign was denying the report, Gordon said, “Yes.” “These are baseless allegations,” Gordon said in a second interview later Sunday evening. “To my knowledge, this is not an accurate story.”

Despite the embarrassing report, Cain continued with several planned appearances in Washington. He discussed his tax plan at the American Enterprise Institute, was to appear at the National Press Club and hold a health care briefing on Capitol Hill.

At AEI, a conservative think tank, rules of his appearance precluded discussion of any topic beyond his tax plan. — AP

SOUTH WINDSOR: Thousands of schoolchildren around the Northeast had one of the earliest snow days in memory yesterday after a storm dumped as much as 30 inches of wet, heavy snow that snapped trees and power lines, caused widespread power failures and threatened to disrupt Halloween trick-or-treating.

Communities from Maine to Maryland that suffered through a tough winter last year followed by a series of floods and storms went into now-familiar emergency mode as shelters opened, inaccessible roads closed, regional transit was suspended or delayed, and local leaders urged caution.

The storm’s lingering effects likely will outlast the snow.

Temperatures were expected to begin rising yesterday and the heavy, wet snow will start melting, the National Weather Service said.

The unseasonably early nor’easter had utility companies struggling to restore electricity to millions of homes and businesses. By late Sunday, the number of customers without power had dipped to below 3 million and continued falling. But officials in some states warned it could be days or even a week before residents have power again, even though crews have been brought in from as far away as Michigan and Canada.

“We are in full restoration mode,” said Marcy Reed, president of National Grid Massachusetts.

Some local officials canceled or postponed Halloween activities, fearful that young trick-or-treaters could wander into areas with downed power lines or trees ready to topple over. “With so many wires down ... the sidewalks will not be safe for pedestrians,” Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton told The Hartford Courant. A weekend that should have brought activity no more strenuous than raking colorful autumn leaves left Northeasterners weather-weary.

“You had this storm, you had Hurricane Irene, you had the flooding last spring and you had the nasty storms last winter,” Tom Jacobsen said Sunday while getting coffee at a convenience store in Hamilton Township, NJ. “I’m starting to think we really ticked off Mother Nature somehow because we’ve been getting spanked by her for about a year now.” The storm smashed record

snowfall totals for October and worsened as it moved north.

Communities in western Massachusetts were among the hardest hit. Snowfall totals topped 27 inches in Plainfield, and nearby Windsor got 26 inches. The snowstorm was blamed for at least 12 deaths, and states of emergency were declared in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and parts of New York.

“Look at this, look at all the

Irene, said Peter Bloom, 70, of South Windsor, because he relies on electricity to heat his home.

“I’m going to put another blanket on. What else can I do?” he said Sunday as he gassed up a snow blower to clear his driveway. “At least I’ll save a few bucks on my electric bill.”

The severity of the storm caught many by surprise, and it disrupted Halloween plans, too.

Sharon Martovich of Southbury,

every few minutes, and roads that were plowed became impassible because the trees were falling so fast. Along the coast and in such cities as Boston, relatively warm water helped keep snowfall totals much lower. Washington received a trace of snow, tying a 1925 record for the date. New York City’s Central Park set a record for both the date and for October with 1.3 inches But in New Hampshire’s capital

VALLEY COTTAGE: Cars drive under and around a fallen tree on Route 303 in Valley Cottage, NY. — AP damage,” said Jennifer Burckson, 49, after she came outside Sunday morning in South Windsor to find a massive tree branch had smashed her car’s back windshield. Trees in the neighborhood snapped in half, with others weighed down so much that the leaves brushed the snow.

Compounding the storm’s impact were still-leafy trees, which gave the snow something to hang onto and that put tremendous weight on branches, said National Weather Service spokesman Chris Vaccaro. That led to limbs breaking off and contributed to the widespread power failures. “This is not going to be a quick fix,” said Peter Judge, a Massachusetts emergency management official.

The more than 800,000 who lost power in Connecticut broke a record for the state that was set when the remnants of Hurricane Irene hit in August, Gov. Dannel P Malloy said. This power failure will be worse than the one caused by

Conn., who was grocery shopping Sunday morning in nearby Newtown at one of the few businesses open for miles, said she’s hoping the power will come back on in time for her husband’s Halloween tradition of playing “Young Frankenstein” on a giant screen in front of their house. “We would be really sad and it would disappoint a lot of people if we can’t play ‘Young Frankenstein,’” she said. But no matter what, they will make sure the eight or so children who live in the neighborhood don’t miss out on trick-ortreating.

“Either way we will get the giant flashlights and we will go,” she said. She was already making the best of the power failure. After the lights went out around 4 pm.

Saturday, she invited neighbors over for an impromptu Halloween party with wine and quesadillas in front of her propane fireplace.

Around Newtown, snow-laden branches were snapping off trees

of Concord, more than 22 inches fell, weeks ahead of the usual first measurable snowfall. West Milford, NJ, about 45 miles northwest of New York City, had 19 inches by early Sunday. New Jersey’s largest electric and gas utility, PSE&G, warned customers to prepare for “potentially lengthy outages” and advised power might not be fully restored until tomorrow.

More than 612,000 lost electricity in the state, including Gov Chris Christie. Pennsylvania had more than 200,000 customers without power early yesterday. Two of the airports serving New York City, Newark Liberty and Kennedy, had hours-long delays Saturday, as did Philadelphia’s airport. Commuter trains in Connecticut and New York were delayed or suspended because of downed trees and signal problems. Amtrak suspended service on several Northeast routes, and one train from Chicago to Boston got stuck overnight in Palmer, Mass. — AP

Studies challenge wisdom of 2012 candidates’ plans SAN JOSE: In this photo San Jose police prevent bikers from leaving Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park cemetery. — AP

Hells Angels violent year sheds light on biker gang SAN FRANCISCO: The Hells Angels have had a rough year in California. Three Northern California members have died violently in the last month amid a turf battle with a rival biker gang. And law enforcement officials on both ends of the motorcycle club’s home state are pursuing and jailing members, with 26 Angels and their associates arrested recently in San Diego. The violence spilled into public view in the unlikeliest of places two weeks ago when thousands of HarleyDavidsons rolled up to a San Jose cemetery on a sunny Saturday afternoon to bury a Hells Angels leader who was gunned down weeks earlier in a Nevada casino.

A Hells Angel allegedly shot and killed a fellow member at the cemetery and fled - the latest sign of the in-fighting and violence that has plagued the gang in recent months. And if the deadly gunfire were not enough, a member was plowed down by a van a week later near Oakland, the alleged victim of road rage.

While no one is predicting the demise of the notorious outlaw motorcycle club, law enforcement officials and gang experts said the Hells Angels’ recent woes still stand out for an organization they describe as violent, sophisticated and disciplined with loyal-to-the-death members.

“They are the heavyweight champions of the biker gang culture,” said Jay Dobyns, an agent with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who infiltrated the Hells Angels in Arizona for two years beginning in 2001. “And every

other biker gang wants the belt.” The organization has a long histor y in California, dating to its founding in 1948 by returning World War II veterans in the dusty town of Fontana and including a notorious incident during a Rolling Stones show in Altamont in 1969 in which a spectator was stabbed by a Hells Angel working security. A jury later acquitted the killer, finding he acted in self defense.

The US Department of Justice says the Hells Angels now have as many as 2,500 members in 230 chapters in 26 countries, and are a major source of drug-trafficking. Federal, state and local police have pursued the club for decades, infiltrating it with undercover agents, prosecuting suspects with harsh charges once reserved for the Mafia and indicting members on charges ranging from drug trafficking to mortgage fraud. Yet the club flourished. They opened chapters worldwide, aggressively enforced their trademarks in court like a responsible Wall Street corporation and won highprofile acquittals and other legal battles with law enforcement.

The ATF, which handles many federal biker cases, said it arrested more outlaw motorcycle gang members last year than any other since 2003. Police in Germany, Canada and elsewhere also report a surge in motorcycle gang violence, with much of it connected to the Hells Angels.

The California Hells Angels’ current problems are partly rooted in a battle with the Vagos, a California-based motorcycle club founded in the 1960s. — AP

WASHINGTON: Key proposals from the Republican presidential candidates might make for good campaign fodder. But independent analyses raise serious questions about those plans and their ability to cure the nation’s ills in two vital areas, the economy and housing. Consider proposed cuts in taxes and regulation, which nearly every Republican candidate is pushing in the name of creating jobs. The initiatives seem to ignore surveys in which employers cite far bigger impediments to increased hiring, chiefly slack consumer demand. “Republicans favor tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, but these had no stimulative effect during the George W Bush administration, and there is no reason to believe that more of them will have any today,” writes Bruce Bartlett. He’s an economist who worked for Republican congressmen and in the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. As for the idea that cutting regulations will lead to significant job growth, Bartlett said in an interview, “It’s just nonsense. It’s just made up.”

Government and industry studies support

his view. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks companies’ reasons for large layoffs, found that 1,119 layoffs were attributed to government regulations in the first half of this year, while 144,746 were attributed to poor “business demand.”

Mainstream economic theory says governments can spur demand, at least somewhat, through stimulus spending. The Republican candidates, however, have labeled President Barack Obama’s 2009 stimulus efforts a failure.

Instead, most are calling for tax cuts that would primarily benefit high-income people, who are seen as the likeliest job creators. “I don’t care about that,” Texas Gov Rick Perry told The New York Times and CNBC, referring to tax breaks for the rich. “What I care about is them having the dollars to invest in their companies.”

Many existing businesses, however, have plenty of unspent cash. The 500 companies that comprise the S&P index have about $800 billion in cash and cash equivalents, the most ever, according to the research firm Birinyi Associates. The rating firm Moody’s says the roughly 1,600 companies it monitors had $1.2

LAS VEGAS: Republican presidential candidates (from left) former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Rep Ron Paul, R-Texas, businessman Herman Cain, former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep Michele Bachmann, R-Minn, pose for a photo before a Republican presidential debate. — AP

trillion in cash at the end of 2010. That’s 11 percent more than a year earlier. Small businesses rate “poor sales” as their biggest problem, with government regulations ranking second, according to a survey by the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Of the small businesses saying this is not a good time to expand, half cited the poor economy as the chief reason. Thirteen percent named the “political climate.”

More small businesses complained about regulation during the administrations of Bill Clinton and George HW Bush, according to an analysis of the federation’s data by the liberal Economic Policy Institute. Such findings notwithstanding, further cuts in taxes and regulations remain popular with Republican voters. A recent Associated Press-GfK poll found that most Democrats and about half of independents think “reducing environmental and other regulations on business” would do little or nothing to create jobs. But only onethird of Republicans felt that way. The Republican presidential hopefuls are shaping their economic agendas along those lines.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney says his 59-point plan “seeks to reduce taxes, spending, regulation and government programs.” Businessman Herman Cain would significantly cut taxes for the wealthy with his 9 percent flat tax plan. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota said in a recent debate, “It’s the regulatory burden that costs us $1.8 trillion every year. ... It’s jobs that are lost.”

The candidates have said little about another national problem: depressed home prices, as well as the high numbers of foreclosures and borrowers who owe more than their houses are worth. After the Oct. 18 Republican debate in Las Vegas, a center of foreclosure activity, editors of the AOL Real Estate site wrote, “We didn’t hear any meaningful solutions to the housing crisis. That’s no surprise, considering that housing has so far been a ghost issue in the campaign.” To the degree the candidates addressed housing, they mainly took a hands-off approach. “We need to get government out of the way,” Cain said. “It starts with making sure that we can boost this economy and then reform DoddFrank,” which is a law that regulates Wall Street transactions. — AP

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Suicide bombers hit US, UN offices in Kandahar Five Afghans dead in latest attack

KABUL: Afghanistan’s National Police (ANP) prepare to participate in a march with other Afghan security forces in a police training centre yesterday. —AFP

Afghan summit to chart future after NATO exit ISTANBUL: The United States will warn against efforts to destabilize Afghanistan when it joins Pakistan and other key players in Turkey tomorrow to chart the war-torn nation’s future after Western troops depart.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will be among the senior diplomats from 20 countries joining representatives from aid organizations at the talks in Istanbul almost exactly 10 years since the Taleban were driven out of power in Kabul.

The Istanbul conference is intended to map out Afghanistan’s future with the US-led NATO mission already locked into troop drawdowns that are scheduled to bring all foreign combat troops home by 2014.

Selcuk Unal of Turkey’s foreign ministry said delegates would discuss ways of deepening regional cooperation in South Asia. In particular, Clinton is set to promote her New Silk Road project linking the economies of Afghanistan and Pakistan with other Central and South Asian countries as part of a longterm plan to boost regional peace and stability. Despite billions of dollars poured into Afghanistan since the coalition forces ousted Taleban from power in mid-November 2001, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with half of its 30 million population living below poverty line, according to the United Nations. And the Taleban’s resilience a decade after its toppling was again underlined on Saturday when it killed at least 17 people in a car bomb attack on a NATO convoy in Kabul.

Pakistan was the Taleban’s chief diplomatic backer when it was in power and is regularly accused by both Kabul and Washington of helping destabilize its northern neighbor. Clinton said last week that the US was “working with the Afghan govern-

ment to help them secure commitments from all of their neighbors to respect Afghan sovereignty and territorial integrity and to support Afghan reconciliation. “This will be a key focus when I go to Istanbul next week to meet with regional foreign ministers,” she told Congress, shortly after her return from a visit to both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Karzai recently accused Pakistan of playing a “double-game” with its links to militant groups including the Haqqani network, which has been behind some of the deadliest recent attacks in Afghanistan. Some American officials have been even more scathing, with the outgoing US military chief, Mike Mullen, describing the Haqqani network as a “veritable arm” of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence. Karzai himself will be in Islamabad and will take part in a tripartite summit on the eve of the larger talks with Turkish President Abullah Gul and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari.

That meeting is specifically designed to develop further cooperation and dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan, said Unal. “Pakistan supports efforts for a secure, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan contributing to stability, security and prosperity in the region,” Pakistani foreign ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua told reporters last week. The US provides more than two-thirds of a total of 140,000 foreign troops currently in Afghanistan. Apart from United States, the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council-Britain, France, Russia and China-will participate in the Istanbul conference. One notable absentee however is Iran, which has a long border with western Afghanistan. A follow-up conference on Afghanistan will be held in Bonn in early December. —AFP

SRINAGAR: Sheep colored to attract customers gathered at a market ahead of the Eid-Al-Adha festival yesterday. —AP

Swimming in cash, but can Afghan training legacy last?

KABUL: As over a thousand Afghan army graduates raise both palms to their faces in prayer under blazing sunshine, one of the country’s most experienced generals surveys the new recruits with a mixture of pride and trepidation.

Lined up on the stretch of cement, beside rows of green duffel bags, they are the latest addition to a force expected to secure almost all of the country by the end of 2014, when foreign combat forces are due home. Amlaqullah Patyani, the tall moustachioed general in charge of all Afghan army training, fears a bumpy road ahead, even for his most courageous recruits.

“We have no clue how to operate the weapons that NATO gives us. And even if we did, will the weapons keep coming after 2014?” he asked Reuters at the ceremony. His question is at the heart of mounting concern by Afghans and analysts about the sustainability of expensive Western efforts to build up Afghan security forces. NATO is racing against the clock to train Afghanistan’s ill-equipped and often illiterate police and army, molding a force that is expected to become 350,000strong in order to take over fighting in an increasingly violent war.

Foreign governments often highlight the training of Afghan forces as among their most important and valuable contributions to the country, giving Kabul the tools to battle insurgents on its own-and their own soldiers a way home. The United States poured in a record amount, near $12 billion between October 2010 and September 2011, to train and equip Afghanistan’s security forces. Almost as much cash, some $11 billion, is planned for the year through September 2012. But with all the money, and over 130,000 foreign troops in the

country, the mission is missing hundreds of trainers and the Afghans complain of receiving equipment they cannot use. The 1,810-strong training force says it has commitments for another 510 troops “in the near future”, and is also trying to recruit another 480 mentors-suggesting around one-third of posts are currently open.

Finding the cash But senior US military officials admit that money has not always been spent in the wisest ways. “We have received an awful lot of money from the US government. We need to use it differently now,” said US Major General Peter Fuller, deputy commander for programs and resources within the NATO training mission.

Another US official in Kabul, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the mission was buying up high-tech equipment to satisfy Washington, while more basic needs were ignored.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has made a personal plea for a focus on sustainable training. “This could get problematic,” said Major General Aminullah Karim, who oversees the army’s education and training. “We need the training to be completely Afghan-led and a success. And there must be enough NATO mentors for this,” he told Reuters at the sprawling Kabul Military Training Centre (KMTC) just outside the capital. Longer term, there are questions about how much the West will stump up for Afghanistan’s army. The Afghan government hopes vast copper and iron ore mines will one day pay its bills, but they are in very early stages of development and will not bear fruit for years. NATO have not yet said how much they plan to spend on training once combat troops leave. —Reuters

KANDAHAR: Suicide attackers yesterday blew up a truck bomb and raided UN and a US development offices in Kandahar, killing five Afghans in the latest major attack on American interests in Afghanistan. The bombers struck at a compound of UN offices and US-based International Relief and Development (IRD) in the southern city, as Turkey gears up to host a conference designed to quicken efforts to end the 10-year war. The bombing came two days after 17 people died in the deadliest attack yet in Kabul against the US-led NATO mission, including 10 Americans, and three days after a US-run base in Kandahar was targeted.

One attacker detonated the vehicle outside the buildings, killing one unarmed watchman, before three others entered the compound and hid in a veterinary clinic to engage in a firefight with police, authorities said. The attackers then made their way to the UN refugee agency’s offices where they shot dead three of its guards. They managed to shoot dead a local district police chief before they were themselves shot dead after more than six hours.

“Fighting is over, all the attackers are dead,” said Kandahar provincial police chief Abdul Raziq.

UNHCR confirmed that three of its employees were killed and two other staff members were wounded, calling the attack a “tragedy”. Taleban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said the insurgent group carried out a car bomb attack in Kandahar-the Taleban’s former capital-claiming the UN refugee agency was the target.

“At this point we are not sure if UNHCR in Kandahar or if the IRD compound was the target.

They’re adjacent to one another,” a Western diplomat told AFP. The volatile city is the largest in southern Afghanistan and the birthplace of the Taleban, who

have been fighting for a return to power since being ousted by the US-led invasion in late 2001 that followed the 9/11 attacks. There is widespread acceptance that there can no battlefield victory in the war, with Western diplomats urging talks to negotiate a political settlement ahead of two international conferences aimed at

in the end of 2014. The conference talks will cover “political, economic and security issues”, Karzai’s office said. He was expected to meet his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the sidelines. Clinton says Washington is now pursuing a three-pronged strategy of “fight,

admitted with injuries. According to its website, IRD provides nearly $500 million annually in development assistance to Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East; and works in nearly 40 countries. Western officials said it is an implementing arm of the US government’s USAID development organisa-

KANDAHAR: An Afghan security guard, who was wounded in a suicide bombing, is taken to the hospital for treatment yesterday. —AP making long-term plans.

President Hamid Karzai yesterday left for Istanbul, for a regional conference tomorrow at which he will announce a second wave of areas in up to 17 provinces that will soon be handed over from NATO to Afghan control. That will mark the second stage of a transition process that began in July and is scheduled to see Afghans take responsibility for national security by the time that NATO winds down its combat mission

talk, build”, but with the Taleban mounting a series of high-profile deadly attacks, there has been little public evidence of their willingness to talk. The bodies of the dead from yesterday’s Kandahar siege were taken to the nearby Mirwais hospital along with several people wounded in the assault.

Sardar, a doctor at Mirwais hospital, said that apart from the dead, another five people including a Nepalese guard had been

tion. The Kandahar area was the focus of a US-led military “surge” of thousands of extra troops ordered into Afghanistan by President Barack Obama in late 2009 as part of a last-ditch military effort to reverse Taleban momentum. On Friday, the Taleban launched a major assault on a US-run civilian-military base in Kandahar, sparking a four-hour siege that left one Afghan interpreter dead and eight other people wounded. —AFP

Bombings force Pakistani kids into work PESHAWAR: At seven years old, it’s a struggle for Zabita Khan to work all afternoon, dodging vehicles, rickshaws and donkey carts to carry drinks for thirsty customers in a hot, crowded Pakistani market. But two years ago his father was killed in a bomb attack and he has to work to put food on the table for his family. So after school, he spends sizzling afternoons catering to shopkeepers and their guests for 300 rupees ($3.50) a month in the northwestern city of Peshawar. “I don’t like working in the market. I like school, where I study and play hide and seek with friends,” said a downcast Zabita, working the same street where his father was killed on October 28, 2009.

“I don’t have friends over here. I come here because my mother sends me and tells me I have to work for my family, for my siblings,” said Khan, who has two younger brothersSajjad, 5, and Arif, 3. His father Khairullah was killed in one of Pakistan’s deadliest attacks-125 people slaughtered when a car bomb tore through the packed Meena Bazaar while US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was holdings talks in Islamabad.

There was no claim of responsibility but officials blamed the Taleban, who are accused of killing 4,700 people across Pakistan since government troops besieged Islamist militants holed up in an Islamabad mosque in 2007.

Thousands more have been wounded or incapacitated, living with injuries slow to heal or that make an ordinary working life impossible.

But a hidden tragedy is the children-indirect victims of terror attacks who are forced to join already swollen ranks of child labor to help keep their families alive after the loss of a parent. “ We closed the shop for two months after the death of Zabita’s father Khairullah. When we reopened, his mother sent him to the shop to work on behalf of his family,” Zabita’s uncle, Mohammad Umer told AFP. “It is our tradition that the eldest son becomes the head and breadwinner of the family after the father’s death and Khan is playing that role because his mother wants him to work to avoid bad feeling in the family,” said Umer. Zarina Jillani, research manager at the Pakistani branch of the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, estimates there are 10 million children working

in Pakistan, out of a child population of 80 million.

Huge swathes of Pakistan are beset by desperate poverty. According to the last government survey in 1996, 3.3 million children were working. Government statistics estimate the literacy rate at 58 percent and say 22 percent of the population live in poverty, although independent economists say the figure is closer to 30 percent.

“No organization has calculated statistics

he was badly injured in a Taleban attack on his paramilitary check post in the northwestern valley of Swat. After two years in hospital, he was discharged from service with a withered leg and bought a rickshaw for 40,000 rupees ($465) with his pension.

At first he worked alone, and sometimes Wajiha would sit up front with him for fun. But when she realized how painful he found his wounded leg, she took on solo shifts to earn more money. Now she goes to school in the

TANGI: In this photograph, 11-year-old Pakistani girl Wajiha weeps as she talks outside her house. — AFP about children getting involved in work after breadwinners die in bomb attacks but we believe these attacks have enhanced the number of child laborers in the country,” said Jillani. In Tangi, a town some 125 kilometers (about 80 miles) from the capital Islamabad, in the heart of the northwestern region troubled by a Taleban insurgency, 11-year-old Wajiha is the only girl driving a motorcycle rickshaw.

Her father Inamuddin used to be a proud member of the paramilitary but in July 2006

morning and helps her father in the afternoon, when he gets tired. “I don’t like my daughter going out to work, but I am helpless,” said Inamuddin. Wajiha said she likes to help.

“I feel good to help my father, I also enjoy the drive, it is easy to drive motorcycle rickshaw and earn some money for the family,” she said.”I make 150 rupees ($1.70) from three trips a day,” she said as she parked the rickshaw and ran into her home. —AFP

Japan PM apologizes over foreign donation TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda yesterday apologized for having received cash from foreigners in an echo of a donations scandal that brought down a previous minister. Noda admitted having “unknowingly” received 471,000 yen ($6,000) from two foreign nationals but

said he had already returned the funds. “I sincerely apologize for causing concerns and trouble,” Noda said.

“I will pay full attention from now on so that such cases will never happen again.” According to the prime minister, one of the unidentified foreign donors had

provided him with 261,000 yen over seven years to 2006, while the other gave him 210,000 yen over a three-year period up to 2003.

In March, then foreign minister Seiji Maehara resigned after opposition parties piled pressure on him over money he received

from a foreign resident of Japan, in violation of the law. Funding laws in Japan bar politicians from receiving any money from non-Japanese, even those who were born in Japan but do not have Japanese citizenship because of the country’s strict nationality laws. —AFP

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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Anger rises in Bangkok as centre remains dry Govt eyes huge spending on long-term protection BANGKOK: Thailand hopes industrial estates swamped in its worst floods in half a century can be up and running within three months, the prime minister said yesterday, as the danger of central Bangkok being inundated appeared finally to have passed. Nearly 400 people have been killed in months of floods that have disrupted the lives of more than 2 million, economic growth has been set back and global supply chains for Thaimade computer and auto parts thrown into disarray. But inner Bangkok, protected by a network

The disaster has been the first big test for the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, a political novice who took over this year after an election that many Thais hoped would heal deep divisions. Saving Bangkok from a ruinous flood would be an important victory.

The city’s 12 million people account for 41 percent of Thailand’s gross domestic product. Another economically vital region is just north of Bangkok, in particular Pathum Thani and Ayutthaya provinces, which have

still nearly 1.5 meters (5 feet) deep.

Long-term protection Thailand is the second-largest exporter of computer hard drives and global prices are rising because of a flood-related shortage of major components used in personal computers. Thailand is also Southeast Asia’s main autoparts maker and Japan’s Honda Motor Co said car production could be difficult in the second half of its business year ending in March. Its Ayutthaya plant has

BANGKOK: A Thai monk uses his sandals to paddle a boat at a flooded Buddhist temple at Bangkok’s Laksi yesterday. —AP of dikes and sandbag walls, appeared to have escaped the deluge with peak tides on the Chao Phraya river due to pass yesterday, water levels falling upstream and clear weather setting in.

While the centre of the capital remained dry with business mostly as usual, neighborhoods on the wrong side of the protective ring, especially to the north and west, and provinces to the north, have been swamped by deep, fetid flows. Anger is rising in hard-hit communities. Tension boiled over into skirmishes with police in some areas as villagers tried to pull down flood barriers keeping water high in their communities but protecting the capital.

been largely inundated for weeks.

Seven industrial estates that have sprung up over the last two decades on what used to be the central plain’s rice fields have been overcome by the vast volumes of water. Yingluck said it should take three months to rehabilitate the estates, where some foreign investors have built produc tion hubs. “ We expect after the water recedes the industrial estates will recover within three months if we can release the water and recover the machinery quickly,” Yingluck told repor ters. A resident of Pathum Thani province said the water had fallen for the first time and was down about 5 cm (2 inches) yesterday, but was

suspended work indefinitely.

Yingluck said she had assured Japanese investors of steps to prevent a repeat of disaster from the annual rainy season. “ They are still confident to invest in Thailand but we have to invest in a long-term flood-protection plan,” she said. Energy Minister Pichai Naripthaphan said the government expected a recovery plan would cost up to 900 billion baht ($30 billion), including 800 billion baht for an overhaul of the water-management system and 100 billion for the rehabilitation of industrial estates.

“Every crisis has an opportunity. We are studying how to rebuild the country’s economy and com-

petitiveness. We have studied models from several countries,” Pichai told Reuters. “Solving the flood crisis is the main issue.”

Yingluck said that huge sum had yet to be finalized. The president of South Korea’s Samsung Electronics said at the weekend he expected the floods to hit the computer memory chip market further by hurting PC production until the first quarter of next year.

Honda said the interruption at its Thai plant was expected to disrupt car production in Indonesia, Vietnam and Pakistan, where it uses Thai parts.

Tourists stay away The Bank of Thailand has nearly halved its projection of economic growth this year to 2.6 percent from July’s 4.1 percent estimate, and said the economy-Southeast Asia’s second largest-would shrink by 1.9 percent in the December quarter from the previous three months due to the floods. Foreign tourist arrivals in the fourth quarter were expected to drop as much as 20 percent, meaning losses of up to 30 billion baht, said Kongkrit Hirankij, president of the Federation of the Thai Tourism Industry.

The floods submerged four million acres (1.6 million ha), an area roughly the size of Kuwait, and destroyed 25 percent of the main rice crop in the world’s largest rice exporter. The deluge was caused in part by unusually heavy monsoon rain falling on a low-lying region, but the weather has been largely clear for a week as the cooler dry season begins. But the danger is far from over with the run-off still moving and swamping neighborhoods as fears of disease grow.

People living in Thonburi, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya, have been struggling in waist-deep water for days, as have those in suburbs and provinces to the north of Bangkok. About 30 riot police were deployed in an area of Pathum Thani to maintain order after residents destroyed a barrier.

Yingluck assured victims in a Facebook message that they would be taken care of. As well as a big risk of diarrhoea and mosquito-borne diseases, skin infections are a major problem and in some areas, crocodiles have escaped from flooded farms and snakes searching for dry land have slithered into homes. —Reuters

Ruling conservatives in disarray in South Korea

SABAH, Malaysia: Malaysian fire fighters survey the scene after a passenger train and an oil truck collided near Kota Kinabalu airport in Sabah state yesterday. A passenger train collided with a fuel truck but so far no casualties have been reported. —AFP

Australia CO2 plan must be scrapped: Opposition SINGAPORE: Australia’s main opposition party vowed yesterday to repeal a carbon pricing scheme expected to become law next month as a key plank for polls due by 2013, threatening to prolong uncertainty in energy investments. “We will absolutely deliver on our mandate. So the first thing we’ll do is we’ll seek a mandate for repeal,” Greg Hunt, opposition climate change minister, said in an interview. Labor Party Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who lags the opposition Liberal Party in opinion polls, has staked her minority government’s future on sweeping economic reform such as taxes on mining and carbon.

But voters have been concerned over industry fears the plan to tax carbon emissions will lead to higher costs and job losses, prompting Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott to announce a “blood oath” to repeal the scheme should his party and partners win the next election. The government yesterday labeled the repeal pledge absurd, underscoring the divisive nature of plans to fight climate change by pricing carbon emissions in Australia, the United States and elsewhere.

“Of all the blatantly absurd claims we have heard from Abbott in recent months, this ‘blood oath’ on carbon pricing is the least credible and the most hysterical,” Climate Change Minister Greg Combet wrote in a commentary in The Australian newspaper yesterday. “The investment community knows that if Abbott’s threat were ever realised it would increase sovereign risk. Consequently, Australia would suffer as an investment destination.”

The program will impose a carbon tax on around 500 of the country’s biggest polluters from July 2012, before moving to a carbon trade scheme in 2015. It also includes more than A$13 billion in support for green energy investments, compensation for households against higher prices and firms that export goods to countries without carbon costs. The Senate began discussing the package of bills yesterday. —Reuters

SEOUL: The death knell for conservative rule is getting louder by the day in South Korea, where voters are rejecting the big-business friendly policies of the government and demand a fairer share of the country’s growing wealth. The Grand National Party’s dramatic fall from grace in Asia’s fourth largest economy raises the prospect of a shift in policy to a more welfareoriented system, as well as change in its North Korea strategy and shift in ties with Washington.

The popular vote is not going to a rival left-leaning party, rather to so-called “people candidates”-high-profile civilians with no political affiliation. Local media has cast this as a vote of no-confidence in the political establishment.

Less than six months before South Korea elects a new parliament and just over a year out from a presidential poll, the conservatives last week suffered their second big by-election loss this year, mirroring opinion polls which show it is in serious trouble. In last week’s vote for the mayor of Seoul-the country’s capital and the largest constituency-the GNP was cast out of office for the first time in nearly a decade. An analysis of the results translates into the GNP losing about 30 seats in the 299-seat national assembly, which signals an end to its majority rule. Moreover, no president has ever won office without carrying Seoul.

But the GNP is not alone in losing favor with the electorate. The main opposition Democratic Party failed even to make it through to the two-way run-off for Seoul mayor. Analysts say young and working class voters are tired of both of the country’s largest parties.

“Most of the votes in this election could be labeled as the vote against the establishment, voicing the need for change in the current politics, hence the clear loser of the election would be the GNP,” said Hyun Jae-ho of Korea University.

While the Democrats themselves do not pose a direct threat in the general election, surveys show that if the left pool their vote in an alliance of liberal, or so-called “progressive” parties, they could end GNP majority rule in parliament. “This election showed the strength of the civic groups in politics, but the problem is whether there are enough star players from civic groups who can act as the face of the people like Park was for the mayor election,” said Woo Jung-yup of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

At the forefront of the anti-establishment movement are the winner in the mayoral race, Park Won-soon, a human rights lawyer and anti-corruption campaigner, and software

mogul-turned university professor Ahn Cheolsoo. Both men’s politics lean to the left. Opinion polls show Ahn has bolted from the blue to emerge as the frontrunner for next year’s presidential election, even though he has stated he has no interest in running. Analysts say there is a good chance he will change his mind given the current mood in the electorate.

GNP leadership shakeup?

Now, for the second time this year, the conservatives are bracing for a leadership shakeup amid criticism they are out of touch with ordinary voters. Analysts say voters are angry that while the national wealth has grown, their share has dwindled. “Deaf and Dumb GNP” screamed the headline of an editorial in the conservative JoongAng Daily, which lashed out at the party for tolerating corruption, intransigence and self-indulgence.

If the GNP was shown a yellow card for its crushing defeats in last April’s by-elections, it deserves a red card for failing to rectify its problems by the time of the Seoul vote, it said.

Young voters who propelled Lee Myung-bak into the Blue House in 2008, turned their back on the president and his party in last week’s vote, with over two-thirds of them voting against the GNP’s candidate in Seoul.

Rising college fees, jobs and the government’s inability to improve the lives of average citizens were among the main reasons given for their anti-government vote. Even as South Korea grows economically, mainly as a result of the earnings of its conglomerates-or chaebolthe middle and working classes say they are seeing nothing of the profits.

To the contrary, they argue inflation and stagnant wages mean they are losing out.

Hyun says the party simply must strive to become more “people friendly” as opposed to “business friendly”. “Although the economic environment for the corporations and the businesses in Korea is great, the economic situation for small business and the low middle class has been at its worst in the past few years,” said Hyun. Last year, South Korea’s GDP rose to an eight-year high of 6.2 percent, but an indicator of how well the wealth was distributed fell to a six-year low.

No walk in the park A few months ago, the GNP’s Park Geun-hye, the daughter of former dictator Park Chuunghee, was considered a shoe-in to succeed Lee next year in the December presidential vote.

Now, her victory is looking less secure. —Reuters

MANILA: Children queue up for candies and sweets in the annual “Trick or Treat” tradition on Halloween yesterday. —AFP

Malaysians living overseas sue for right to go to poll KUALA LUMPUR: A group of Malaysians have sued election authorities in what they described yesterday as an attempt to extend voting rights to nearly 1 million citizens living abroad. In a separate case linked to public demands for wider political transparency, a court ruled that Malaysian university students should be allowed greater freedom to participate in politics. Rights activists have long criticized restrictions that prevent most Malaysians abroad from casting ballots.

Exceptions include government workers, military personnel and full-time students.

Another law has prevented university students from publicly voicing support for political parties since the 1970s.

A group of Malaysians called “My Overseas Vote” said in a statement that six citizens working in the United Kingdom have asked the Kuala Lumpur High Court to force the Election Commission to register them as voters before the next general elections, widely expected by mid-2012. “To say that only certain groups of citizens are allowed the postal ballot is nonsense that amounts to outright discrimination,” Teo Hoon Seong, one of the litigants, said in the statement. The court is scheduled to hear preliminary arguments Nov. 14 on

whether to allow a full hearing for the lawsuit.

Commission officials had no immediate comment. The commission recently announced plans to extend voting rights at an unspecified time. Separately yestedray, Malaysia’s Court of Appeals ruled that a nearly 30-year-old law that bars undergraduates from expressing support for political parties was an unconstitutional violation of free speech.

The verdict was in favor of four political science students who challenged their university for trying to penalize them for participating in an election campaign. The university is expected to appeal the verdict in Malaysia’s top court.

Demands for fairer political rules have spiked over the past year, prompting tens of thousands of Malaysians to stage a rare march for electoral transparency in Kuala Lumpur in July. Many activists accuse Prime Minister Najib Razak’s National Front ruling coalition of manipulating the law to remain in power. The coalition has governed since 1957, but complaints about corruption and racial discrimination caused it to win 2008 elections with less than a two-thirds parliamentary majority for only the second time in history. —AP

VIENNA: Free Tibet activists protest in Vienna during Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit yesterday. Hu Jintao said he was confident that Europe could work through its current debt crisis, at the start of an Austrian state visit. —AFP

Airstrike on Somali civilian camp kills 5 NAIROBI: An airstrike on Sunday in Somalia killed five people and wounded 45, mostly women and children, in a camp for people displaced by drought and violence, aid agency Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said. Kenya’s military spokesman confirmed on Sunday its jets struck the town of Jilib, where the camp is located, saying 10 Al-Shabaab insurgents had been killed. He dismissed reports of any civilian casualties as propaganda from Al-Shabaab, an insurgent group linked to Al-Qaeda. Somalia’s Defense Minister Hussein Arab Isse also denied the airstrike had hit a civilian camp. He told Reuters the target in Jilib was a convey of Al-Shabaab vehicles heading towards Kenya and dozens had been killed.

“I can confirm five dead and 45 wounded,” said Gautam Chatterjee, Head of Mission for MSF Holland in Somalia.

He said three children, one man and one woman had been killed. “In our hospital in Marare, we received 31 children, nine women and five men. All of them of with shrapnel injuries.” Kenya sent troops into Somalia in mid-October in pursuit of the Somali insurgents it blames for a series of kidnappings on Kenyan soil and frequent assaults on its security forces in the border province of North Eastern.

The first serious clash between Kenyan troops and Al-Shabaab militants was last Thursday. Kenya said it killed nine rebels and one Kenyan soldier wounded in the insurgent ambush subsequently died. MSF’s Chatterjee said the aerial bombardment was witnessed by MSF employees in the camp that is home to 1,500 households. Chatterjee declined to comment on Kenyan military denials of civilian casualties in Jilib, saying he could only give details of the

patients MSF had received for treatment.

He said MSF had now evacuated its team from Jilib so a distribution of rations planned for yesterday had been postponed.

More AU troops needed The offensive by Kenyan troops in southern Somalia also comes as an African Union force (AMISOM) is battling Al-Shabaab rebels for full control of the capital Mogadishu. U.N. special envoy to Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, said yesterday that Somali government troops and AMISOM now control 98 percent of the coastal capital, but that the 9,000-strong African Union force needed reinforcements to deal with guerrilla-style attacks in so-called “asymmetric warfare”.

“In the north east of city we are witnessing a combination of conventional warfare as well as asymmetrical warfare.

It is of course quite a challenge and sends a big reminder to the troop contributing countries that we should be expediting the deployment of the remaining 3,000 troops,” he said. “There is a need for additional equipment like helicopters and engineering teams to deal with asymmetric warfare,” he told reporters in the Kenyan capital.

AU forces from Uganda came under attack from two suicide bombers on Saturday in the capital. The AU force said two of its soldiers had been wounded, although sources said some Ugandan soldiers had been killed in a brief firefight. Al-Shabaab said it had killed 80 Ugandan soldiers in a twohour battle. Somalia’s Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali was in the Kenyan capital yesterday for talks about the Kenyan offensive with government officials. —Reuters

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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NEWS

MAKKAH: A panoramic picture showS tens of thousands of pilgrims moving around the Kaaba inside the Grand Mosque yesterday. — AP

Sultan Qaboos promises jobs, vows to battle corruption MUSCAT: Oman’s ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said promised ferent state sectors and was working with the private secyesterday action to lower unemployment and fight cor- tor to increase employment. Oman has one of the world’s ruption in his first public speech since protests rocked the youngest populations - about 40 percent of its people are usually quiet Gulf Arab state earlier this year. But he said under 21, according to official figures - and youth unemnothing about giving Oman’s elected assembly more leg- ployment is high. In September, two Omani journalists were sentenced to five months prison for islative powers after promising earlier this publishing an article on alleged corruption year to institute reforms. Last week Sultan in the justice ministry. The government has Qaboos, in power since a 1970 coup, issued so far twice delayed the hearing for their a decree allowing the assembly, known as appeal. the Shura Council, to approve or amend In his address, the sultan said the govlaws proposed by the cabinet before a final ernment ensured freedom of expression. draft goes back to him for approval.

“The government’s laws ensure that every In the address yesterday, he told governOmani has the right to express his opinion,” ment officials that Oman was not isolated he said. Despite praising the sultan’s sucfrom regional and international trends and cess in using Oman’s limited oil revenue to that corruption and unemployment could improve social and economic infrastructure not be ignored. “We are living in a world in the last four decades, critics have that is witnessing rapid developments on bemoaned the country’s lack of popular the regional and international levels that representation. In last week’s amendments, have clear effects,” he said. “It is not possible the 70-year-old leader, who has no children for us to be isolated from what is happenor named heir, added a clause to the sucing around us.”

Inspired by uprisings in Egypt and MUSCAT: Omani Leader cession laws giving the elected assembly a Tunisia, Omanis began protesting in Sultan Qaboos bin Said role in choosing the country’s next leader, February for increased political and eco- addresses the opening but only if the ruling family does not mannomic rights. The sultan said the govern- session of the Council of age to come up with a chosen successor within days of his death. — Reuters ment had created thousands of jobs in dif- Oman yesterday. — AFP

Oppn MPs to meet Amir Continued from Page 1 minister responsible for the deterioration of situation in the country but they refused. The dramatic developments regarding the meeting began late Saturday night when the opposition decided to request a meeting with the Amir to call for sacking Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and dissolve the National Assembly over corruption allegations.

But on Sunday, opposition MPs held a meeting that lasted until the early hours yesterday and issued a statement in which they said that the meeting will not take place. The statement said that the head of the office of the Amir called MP Mohammad AlMutair, who requested the meeting with the Amir, and informed him that the opposition should not call for removing the prime minister and dissolving the Assembly. Al-Mutair agreed in respect of the Amir’s constitutional authorities but said the oppo-

sition MPs will only talk about the role of the prime minister in the deterioration of the situation in the country, the statement said.

But later in the day, the Amiri office called again to inform Al-Mutair that the opposition also cannot talk about the negative role of the prime minister, the statement added. As a result, the opposition called an emergency meeting and decided that the meeting will not take place, the statement said. However, the breakthrough happened at noon yesterday after a meeting between MP Roudhan AlRoudhan, who is a member of the Opposition Bloc, and the Amir. MP Naji Al-Abdulhadi, another opposition lawmaker, said that the meeting will take place at 10.00 am today. MP AlMutair said that based on the agreement, the opposition MPs will not call for removing the prime minister or dissolving the Assembly. Under Kuwaiti constitution, the Amir has exclusive undisputable powers to appoint or sack the prime minister

and dissolve the Assembly.

Opposition MPs have already claimed that their group has increased to around 22 MPs. The bloc was formed last week in a bid to press for changing the prime minister and the government, besides dissolving the Assembly and calling for fresh polls.

Meanwhile, MPs Waleed AlTabtabaei and Saadoun Hammad continued their tit-for-tat exchanges yesterday. The exchange began when Hammad charged two weeks ago that Tabtabaei has a bank account in a Gulf state and recently deposited $2.3 million in it and vowed he will provide details at the opening session of the Assembly, but he did not. Tabtabaei on Sunday called Hammad a liar after he failed to prove his accusations and said his claims were totally baseless as he does not have any foreign bank account. Hammad yesterday came back to criticize Tabtabaei and promised again that he will provide details about the alleged bank account.

Palestine becomes member of UNESCO Continued from Page 1 France, which had voiced serious doubts about the motion, in the end approved it along with almost all Arab, African, Latin American and Asian nations, including China and India. Israel, the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany voted against, while Japan and Britain abstained. The United States and Israel will withdraw their funding from the UN cultural body, while other UN agencies may have to debate the thorny issue.

Washington has slammed the move as counterproductive and premature, while Israel’s ambassador Nimrod Barkan admitted before the vote that he was resigned to the Palestinians gaining entry. US ambassador to UNESCO David Killion said after the vote that “this action today will complicate our ability to support UNESCO programs”. Barkan slammed countries that “have adopted a science fiction version of reality by admitting a non-existent state to the science organisation.... UNESCO should deal in science not science fiction.” He admitted that the vote, while symbolic, could have a knock-on effect: “There is potential for a cascad-

ing effect of this resolution on many other UN specialised agencies and in New York.”

Palestinian leader Abbas submitted the request for membership of the UN General Assembly in September, and the UN Security Council is to meet on Nov 11 to decide whether to hold a formal vote on the application.

As a permanent Security Council member the United States says it will veto any resolution granting full UN membership to the Palestinians, but no one can veto measures at UNESCO. Arab states braved intense US and French diplomatic pressure to bring the motion before the UNESCO executive committee in October, which passed it by 40 votes in favour to four against, with 14 abstentions. The Palestinians previously had observer status at UNESCO. Washington boycotted UNESCO from 1984 to 2003 over what the State Department called “growing disparity between US foreign policy and UNESCO goals”. Despite the 20-year US boycott, President Barack Obama now considers UNESCO a strategic interest and Washington sees it as a useful multilateral way to spread certain Western values. — Agencies

Iran slams ‘imprudent’, ‘irrational’ US buildup Continued from Page 1 country,” he said. Zebari also said Iraq’s government is resolved to close down Camp Ashraf, an installation northeast of Baghdad where thousands of members of the People’s Mujahedeen Organisation of Iran have been based for

decades. “We have already made it clear about closing... Camp Ashraf before,” Zebari said. “The decision will be implemented by the end of this year. The government insists on completing this mission... There is no government that would agree to an organisation staying against its (authorities’) will, laws and sover-

eignty.”

US President Barack Obama announced on Oct 21 that all US troops would leave Iraq by the end of 2011, ending a war that resulted in the deaths of more than 4,400 US troops, tens of thousands of Iraqis and the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars. — Agencies

population reaches 7bn Continued from Page 1 The United Nations said that by its best estimates the seven billionth baby would be born on Oct 31, and countries around the world have been marking the demographic milestone. But any celebrations for parents, who were showered with gifts in some countries, was largely tempered by fears of the strain that burgeoning humanity is putting on the Earth. “What kind of world has baby seven billion been born into? What kind of world do we want for our children in the future?” Ban asked.

He said he would take his message that world leaders need to battle inequality to the Group of 20 summit in Cannes, France this week and tell them that despite the international crisis “we cannot afford to cut loose those who are hardest hit.” “We cannot burn our way to the future - at the cost of destroying our planet. And we have to empower women and young people. Around the world, they have taken to the streets demanding their rights, new opportunities and a voice in their future.”

The Philippines was the first country to declare a seven billionth baby, a little girl named Danica May Camacho.

Weighing 2.5 kg, Danica was delivered just before midnight Sunday under a blitz of media camera flashes at Manila’s Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital. “She looks so lovely,” her mother, Camille Dalura, whispered as she cradled her baby girl. “I can’t believe she is the world’s seven billionth.”

UN rights chief Navi Pillay said in a statement that the seven billionth birth comes at a time of great hope amid the Arab spring uprisings in the Middle East. He warned, however, that “she or he will also be born into a world where some people, given the chance, will trample on those rights and freedoms in the name of state security, or economic policy, or group chauvinism”. “Today, the seven billionth person was born to the firm promise of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Delivering on that promise, is the responsibility of all of us.”

The United Nations named a Bosnian child, Adnan Mevic, as the Earth’s six billionth inhabitant on Oct 12, 1999, when then-secretary general Kofi Annan was pictured in a Sarajevo hospital with the child in his arms. The Mevic family is now living in poverty - which is one reason why no one baby was being singled out for the global spotlight this time. Instead a number of births were being marked throughout the day.

In Bangladesh, authorities named another baby girl the world’s seven billionth child. Weighing 2.75 kg and named Oishee, she arrived a minute after midnight at a hospital in the capital Dhaka. “I’m so happy. I’ve become the father of a baby girl at a historic moment,” her father Mohsin Hossain said. In Cambodia, the honor fell to a baby girl who has yet to be named. Weighing three kilos, she was born in the southern province of Preah Sihanouk, her parents’ fifth child. “I am very glad for her. She is the last child for us. I hope she will have good future. I had a dream that she would be the luckiest among my children,” proud mother Pring Phal, 42, told AFP. However, Indian Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said the birth of the seven billionth child was “not a matter of joy but a great worry”. “We shouldn’t be celebrating,” he said Sunday in an interview with The Times of India. “For us a matter of joy will be when the population stabilizes.”

India’s population, the world’s second biggest at 1.2 billion, is set to surpass China’s by 2025, according to the US census bureau.

The world has added a billion babies - or almost another China - since Adnan Mevic was born in 1999. Having taken millennia to pass the one-billion mark, the world’s population has now doubled in 50 years. Mounting concern over humanity’s environmental impact and fears that we

may not be able to feed ourselves 100 years from now cast a cautionary tone over the buildup to Monday’s milestone.

With about two babies being born every second, the figure can only rise in the decades to come - to more than 10 billion by 2100, according to UN estimates. Children’s rights group Plan International meanwhile noted that many births go unregistered, notably in parts of Africa, where as many as two-thirds are not recorded.

At a crowded public hospital in Lagos, Seun Dupe’s twin boys squirm underneath a bundled-up mosquito net as they share the same bassinet. That strain is already apparent at Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, where the droning roar of a generator could be heard throughout one hot ward as it powered the slowly rotating ceiling fans and incubators. While Nigeria is oil-rich, its power grid doesn’t produce anywhere near enough electricity for its more than 160 million people.

Dupe, a 32-year-old hairdresser, remains an optimist even as experts warn of the staggering burden facing Africa’s most populous nation and other developing countries. Officials say Nigeria’s megacity of Lagos is expected to surpass Cairo as the continent’s most populous. “Where there is life, there is hope,” says Dupe, who has yet to decide on her boys’ names. “So I know Nigeria will be a great nation.”

In South Africa, Nozipho Goqo, an unemployed 19-yearold from Johannesburg, gave birth to a boy yesterday. She gave him a Zulu name - Gwakwanele - that means “enough”. A nurse at Charlotte Maxeke, a sprawling teaching hospital, teased Goqo that she was too young to know whether Gwakwanele would be her last. Goqo smiled, and said she was sure. Across the maternity ward, Dora Monnagaratoe cuddled her newborn son in a bed. The 40year-old maid named her fourth baby Tebogo, or “we are thankful” in the Sotho language.

In Uttar Pradesh - India’s most populous state - officials said they would appoint seven girls born yesterday to symbolize the 7 billion. India, which struggles with a deeply held preference for sons and a skewed sex ratio because of millions of aborted female fetuses, is using the day to highlight that issue. “It would be a fitting moment if the 7 billionth baby is a girl born in rural India,” said Dr Madhu Gupta, an Uttar Pradesh gynecologist. “It would help in bringing the global focus back on girls, who are subject to inequality and bias.”

According to US government estimates, India has 893 girls for every 1,000 boys at birth, compared with 955 girls per 1,000 boys in the United States. Yesterday, the chosen Indian babies were being born at the government-run Community Health Center in the town of Mall, on the outskirts of the Uttar Pradesh capital of Lucknow. Six babies were born from midnight to 8 am yesterday. Four were boys.

China, meanwhile, which at 1.34 billion people is the world’s most populous nation, said it would stand by its one-child policy, a set of restrictions launched three decades ago limiting most urban families to one child and most rural families to two. “Overpopulation remains one of the major challenges to social and economic development,” Li Bin, director of the State Population and Family Planning Commission, told the official Xinhua News Agency. He said the population of China would hit 1.45 billion in 2020.

While the Beijing government says its strict family planning policy has helped propel the country’s rapidly growing economy, it has also brought many problems. Soon, demographers say, there won’t be enough young Chinese to support its enormous elderly population. China, like India, also has a highly skewed sex ratio, with aid groups saying sex-selective abortions have resulted in an estimated 43 million fewer girls than there should be, given the overall population. — Agencies

Kuwait sees no letup in global oil demand Continued from Page 1 The minister said Kuwait continued to produce 2.9 million bpd in October after reaching this level in the previous month, adding that OPEC’s third largest producer “is capable of sustaining this output level”. All non-OPEC and most of OPEC producers were pumping at full capacity and “only Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE have spare capacity”, said Al-Busairi, adding that if they had not raised output, oil prices would have been higher now.

In his inaugural speech at the forum, Central Bank Governor Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah said that the event “is being held during a global financial crisis and its effects on the world economy, as well as during an unstable political situation in the Arab region”. All these factors, he said, have “caused challenges to the financial

systems in these countries, which should be tackled in order to strengthen political and economic stability in these nations”.

The governor stressed the importance of implementing comprehensive economic and financial reform programs as soon as possible in many of these nations as part of the development of their social and economic systems. The problem of sovereign debts in some countries in the eurozone over the past two years has affected the world markets, he warned, bringing fears of the possible downgrading of sovereign fiduciary ratings of more countries, and raising concern over these countries’ abilities to meet their existing debts and to resist incurring further debt.

Sheikh Salem also warned of “fears of the possibility that the crisis could spread from these sovereign bodies to banks, thus spreading the crisis

from these markets to beyond the euro zone”.

He lauded the agreement reached

by European Union leaders at a meeting held in Brussels on Thursday in a bid to solve the crisis over European sovereign debts. “This agreement was internationally welcomed and strengthened trust in the markets.”

He warned, however, that international economic recovery still faces challenges in many countries.

Sheikh Salem indicated that despite the US government’s decision to increase the upper government borrowing limit in August, there are still fears that public spending cuts will harm the country’s economic growth and prolong the period of economic stagnation, which he suggested could lead to unexpected developments and extremely negative instability in financial markets worldwide.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

opinion

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Issues

USA world’s Number One? Think again

By Bernd Debusmann he United States is the greatest country on earth, different from others and better than the rest in all respects. Or so the great majority of its citizens believe, in good times and bad. Two new reports might dent that self-image. One is the World Bank’s annual ranking of how easy (or not) it is to do business in 183 countries. The other is from the Bertelsmann Foundation, a German think tank, and examines social justice in the 31 of the 34 countries of the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Economic Development (OECD), often dubbed the rich-country club.

On the World Bank list, the United States came fourth behind Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand. In the Bertelsmann study the United States ranked a dismal 27th. It shows the United States as the country with the biggest rich-poor gap of those examined, except for Mexico and Chile. On providing healthcare, it ranks 23rd; on access to education 20th. Five Scandinavian countries - Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland - topped the list, prompting the conclusion that social justice and economic performance are not mutually exclusive.

(This is not a concept embraced by most of the Republican presidential hopefuls. Herman Cain, a frontrunner, made headlines with a punchy comment on the growing anti-inequality Occupy Wall Street movement: “Don’t blame Wall Street. Don’t blame the big banks. If you don’t have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself.”)

The World Bank’s ranking shows that the United States is better at Doing Business (the report’s title) than it is at social justice but even on the business front, it is no longer the best overall. It doesn’t fare well in a number of categories, from “ease of starting a business” (13th) and “trading across borders” (20th) to “ease of registering property” (16th). The five top scorers in the social justice study also rank among the top 15 rated by the World Bank, evidence that American-style inequality is not a prerequisite for flourishing capitalist enterprise.

How do such statistics mesh with the perception of most Americans that their country is the best?

They don’t. According to a poll in April, 84 percent of American adults think the United States is the greatest country in the world.

Almost 70 percent said they would not leave the United States to live anywhere else. Just 19 percent said they would, for financial security or greater physical safety. While two thirds considered the United States weaker than it was five years ago, they still thought it the best.

That firm belief in America’s standing as the world’s number one became a political issue early in the presidency of Barack Obama who said, in reply to a news conference question in France four months after taking office: “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.”

Ever since, Republican critics of the president have accused him of lacking patriotism and the conviction that American values and the American way of life are superior. That criticism is likely to bubble up again in the 2012 presidential election campaign and the offending sentence will be recycled without the rest of the quote. That included references to the American constitution, democratic practices, free speech, equality, an exceptional set of core values “and if you think of our current situation, the United States remains the largest economy in the world. We have unmatched military capability.” True enough. The United States spends almost as much on military power than the rest of the world combined and even if that expenditure were cut in half, it would still be more than its current and potential adversaries.

The current defense budget is higher than at any time since World War II and could be cut substantially without risking the country’s security, according to Lawrence Korb, assistant secretary of defense under President Ronald Reagan. Defense spending now takes up more than a fifth of the total budget.

Is there a link between that kind of military spending and America’s poor showing in the social justice study? It’s a question that merits debate. — Reuters

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All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

US candidates’ Twitter use varies widely

By Beth Fouhy witter is abuzz with presidential candidates this year, though not all in the Twittersphere are equal. Rick Santorum tweets a lot more than Rick Perry, Herman Cain is the Republican most likely to be retweeted, and their Twitter followers are dwar fed by President Barack Obama’s. That’s according to an AP analysis of the presidential candidates’ use of Twitter that found widely different levels of engagement, despite the site’s emergence as a go-to hub for political communication.

The AP analyzed each candidate’s Twitter stream beginning the day he or she joined the presidential contest through Monday, Oct 24. The data, available from Twitter’s website, highlights every message posted by candidates, as well as how many times their messages were “retweeted,” or reposted, by other users on the site. No one believes the campaign will be won or lost on Twitter it’s just one slice of an enormous communication effort each campaign wages in cyberspace. But with a well-timed 140 character blast, candidates can make news, respond to charges or reinforce talking points in a matter of seconds.

“Candidates are living in a new media ecology that rewards speed, and there is no faster way to distribute your message intact than over Twitter,” said Andrew Rasiej, the founder of Personal

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Democracy Media which tracks the intersection of media and politics. “If TV ads were the rifles of campaign battles in the past, Twitter is the machine gun used to distribute a message or annihilate an opponent.” And unlike pricy television and Web advertising, tweeting is free.

That’s one reason some of the financially struggling candidates have relied on Twitter as a way to promote themselves away from the media filter. To that end, the AP found the Newt Gingrich campaign, which trails many other rivals in fundraising and is more than $1 million in debt, to be one of the most active on Twitter. The former House speaker has Tweeted more than 470 times as of last Monday.

Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, had tweeted 326 times to more than 35,000 followers.

Perry, the well-funded Texas governor, is at the other end of the Twitter spectrum.

His campaign has sent 42 tweets to more than 99,000 followers under his Twitter handle, (at)GovernorPerry, since he launched his presidential campaign in August. “20% Flat Tax is the way to go!

Cut, Balance and Grow plan,” Perry’s campaign tweeted after delivering a speech announcing his flat tax plan Tuesday.

Over the weekend, Perry tweeted that he was enjoying “a picture perfect Sunday at home with the greatest woman in the world....”

A candidate’s Twitter feed is often a

reflection of his or her persona. Former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney’s campaign has tweeted 233 times under the Twitter handle (at)MittRomney to more than 150,000 followers, almost all directly from Twitter’s website. Most of his messages have been relatively safe, largely reflecting the campaign’s orderly nature.

“Excited & honored to officially be on the NH ballot-great being there yesterday with Gov Sununu,” Romney tweeted after receiving the endorsement of New Hampshire’s former governor.

Former Utah Gov Jon Huntsman has taken a riskier approach. Trailing in polls, Huntsman has used Twitter to raise eyebrows and draw attention to his unconventional candidacy. Huntsman, who served as Obama’s ambassador to China, responded to a renewed debate about Obama’s birthplace Tuesday after Perry questioned the validity of the president’s birth certificate. “Barack Obama was born in America. Period,” Huntsman tweeted to some 44,300 followers. The AP analysis found Huntsman had sent 120 tweets since becoming a candidate.

The success of a candidate’s Twitter strategy can in part be gauged in how often a candidate’s message is retweeted by followers to a broader audience. By that measure, the AP analysis found Cain has outpaced his GOP rivals. Cain, the former pizza magnate, has sent 579 messages to about 142,000 followers under (at)THEHermanCain handle since joining

the race. Of those, 144 have been retweeted more than 100 times.

Despite their best efforts, none of the Republicans are in the same league with the president when it comes to the successful use of Twitter. Obama, whose campaign revolutionized the use of the Internet as a fundraising and organizational tool in his 2008 campaign, has 10.8 million Twitter followers. His campaign, under the handle (at)BarackObama, has tweeted 731 times since launching his re -election bid. Of those, 690 were retweeted more than 100 times.

Most of his tweets are sent by staff, but Obama has personally tweeted a handful of times, such as when he went to Capitol Hill to pitch his jobs plan in September.

Tweets directly from the president are signed -bo. Obama’s digital advisers acknowledge the campaign had a huge head start online against the Republican field. But they also maintain the success of their Twitter strategy, particularly measured by their retweets, comes from using Twitter to ask supporters to take a specific action - attending an event, watching a speech, sharing their story about how his jobs plan might help them. The Republicans haven’t learned yet how to make best use of the platform, Obama advisers say. “Fundamentally, you are trying to shape a relationship with voters. Go volunteer, donate, go vote. It’s not a novelty for us,” Obama campaign digital director Teddy Goff said. —AP

Rivals circle as Qantas image tarnished

By Martin Abbugao ustralia’s Qantas is slowly getting back in the air but analysts say its brand has suffered serious long-term damage, with rival carriers in Asia and the Middle East set to benefit from its disarray. Many passengers who were stranded

by Qantas’s weekend decision to ground its entire fleet, bringing a long-running dispute with unions to a head, are already vowing never to travel with the “Flying Kangaroo” again.

Experts say that their bad experience, and the impact of months of negative publicity arising from the labour disputes, could affect the carrier’s international business running up to the crucial Christmas holidays. “ The shutdown has severely tarnished the reputation of Qantas,” said Shukor Yusof, an aviation analyst with Standard & Poor ’s Equities Research in Singapore. “It takes decades to build the reputation of a company and only one day to destroy it. That day arrived on Saturday,” he told AFP. Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, who has infuriated unions with an Asia-focussed revamp, argues that drastic action is required to salvage competitiveness on the airline’s loss-making international arm.

Qantas began resuming passenger flights yesterday after Australia’s industrial mediator stepped in. The tribunal stands ready to impose a binding set-

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tlement on management and unions if they fail to agree a way forward. But, observers say, the damage to the 90-year-old flag carrier ’s reputation has already been done and the airline is likely to suffer in an industry where competition is becoming fiercer, from low-cost and established carriers alike.

Moody’s Investors Services spelt out the damage, warning that it may downgrade the air-

line’s “Baa2” credit rating as the weekend shutdown could “have longer term implications for Qantas’s brand and reputation”.

Moody’s analyst Ian Lewis said “incremental earnings loss and impact on Qantas for ward bookings are likely to exer t additional pressure on the ratings”.

In the long term, Qantas is already facing an uphill fight against established rivals like

Singapore Airlines and fast-rising competitors like Dubai’s Emirates Airlines and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways, analysts said.

“Despite Qantas’s resilience, this has pushed them back further behind its competitors,” Shukor said. “ The longer the dispute goes on, the more damaging it will be to the airline,” he said. “Essentially we’re back to square one.”

Domestic rivals such as

Passengers wait for Qantas flights to resume service at Sydney International airport yesterday. — AFP

Virgin Australia, co-founded by British tycoon Richard Branson, eagerly stepped into the breach over the weekend, boosting capacity and enlisting its airline par tners to help stranded Qantas passengers.

Internationally, Malaysia’s budget AirAsia X offered “rescue fares” to unhappy Qantas fliers.

Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Etihad already pose stiff competition on Qantas’s business to Asia and Europe.

“Over the past two days, we have been accommodating affected passengers on many of our flights and that will continue wherever possible,” Singapore Airlines said in a statement to AFP. Peter Harbison, executive chairman of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation in Sydney, noted the short-term hit to Qantas but sympathised with Joyce’s determination to drive through change. “It’s great to have a brand, but PanAm was the best brand around, and it doesn’t exist anymore because it couldn’t change, it couldn’t make the adjustments,” Harbison said.

Qantas would have to work hard to win back disaffected passengers, he added, “but in the long run it’s still a tough task”. Passengers like Scotsman Iain Taylor, 65, who was stranded in Singapore yesterday, will not be rushing to rebook with the airline. Asked if he would fly Qantas again, he said: “I would have serious thoughts about doing that.” — AFP

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sp orts Gerrard awaits injury results LONDON: Steven Gerrard will know by the middle of this week whether he faces another lengthy layoff or will be back in action for Liverpool soon after being diagnosed with an infected ankle.

The 31-year-old Liverpool skipper has only recently returned to the side after being out with a groin injury for six months but missed Saturday’s 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion with this new, unrelated problem.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish told Liverpool’s website (www.liverpoolfc.tv) that Gerrard had been in the frame for Saturday’s match but was forced to pull out late.

“Steven was in my mind for the game, but it just flared up,” he said.

He also told reporters he was not sure when Gerrard would return or if he would be fit enough to be included in the England squad for the friendlies against Spain and Sweden this month.

“I haven’t got a clue,” he replied to the question.

“It’s nothing to do with any injuries before, it’s an infection.” Yesterday’s newspapers carried photos of Gerrard leaving hospital on crutches with his right leg heavily bandaged.

The problem started last week when he cut his ankle in training and was later kicked on it. —Reuters

‘The Emperor’ Albert dies BUDAPEST: Florian Albert, the only Hungarian to win the European Footballer of the Year award, died yesterday aged 70, the Hungarian Football Association said in a statement.

The former Ferencvaros forward, who turned 70 last month, won Europe’s top individual award in 1967 and made 75 appearances for his country, scoring 31 goals. He died following complications after heart surgery last week, the FA reported.

Born in the village of Hercegszanto in southern Hungary in September 1941, he became known as “The Emperor” in his homeland, and stayed a oneclub player for his whole career. He made his debut for Ferencvaros as a 17-year-old in 1958 and in all he

made 537 appearances, scoring 383 goals before retiring in 1974.

Despite the brilliance of the Hungary’s Magical Magyars team of the early 1950s, the European award, which began in 1956, passed them by and Albert remains the only Hungarian to win the honour. “You know what is so special about the Golden Ball-the defenders never took it away from me,” he told Nemzeti Spor t, Hungar y ’s daily spor ts newspaper on his 70th birthday last month. As well as winning four Hungarian League titles with Ferencvaros, he was also part of the Ferencvaros team which won the 1965 Inter Cities Fairs Cup, precursor of the UEFA Cup, beating Juventus in the final in Turin. — Reuters

New deal for coach Cotter FRANCE: Clermont’s New Zealand coach Vern Cotter signed an extension to his contract yesterday, the new deal tying him to the French Top 14 side until 2014.

Cotter, who joined Clermont in 2006, has taken them to four Top 14 finals, and guided them to their first ever title in 2010 when they defeated Perpignan. The 49-year-old elected to stay in France rather than take up an offer to return home to join the World Cup winning All Blacks’ coaching staff.

“I’m happy to continue my adventure that I began six seasons ago at Clermont,” Cotter told the club’s official website. “The directors have reassured me of the club’s ambitions over the coming seasons and there are still great things to achieve. I like this region.”

He added: “In signing a new two year deal I hope to be able to continue to bring to Clermont the same values and ambitions which have always been my own.”

Clermont, in their centenary year, have made the European Cup a key objective this season, and they were keen to hold on to their manager. Clermont president Rene Fontes said he was “personally delighted that this adventure is continuing”. — AFP

Avalanche bury Kings Oilers slip past Blues DENVER: Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots and Matt Duchene scored early in the third period as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 Sunday night for their first home win of the season.

Milan Hejduk and Chuck Kobasew also scored and David Jones and Kyle Quincey had two assists each for the Avalanche, who won for the first time in four games in Denver. They are 6-1 on the road. Anze Kopitar and Scott Parse scored goals and Jonathan Quick made 13 saves for Los Angeles.

Oilers 4, Blues 2 At Edmonton, Ryan Smyth had a pair of goals as the Oilers won their fifth straight.

Shawn Horcoff and Jordan Eberle also scored for the Oilers, who moved back into first place in the Western Conference with the win.

Davis Backes and Alex Pietrangelo responded for the Blues, who have lost two in a row on the heels of a three-game winning streak.

DHAKA: West Indies batsman Darren Bravo celebrates his century during the third day of the second cricket Test match against Bangladesh. —AP

Bravo puts Windies in control DHAKA: Darren Bravo cracked his maiden Test century to put the West Indies in command on the third day of the series-deciding second and final Test against Bangladesh yesterday.

The left-hander was unbeaten on 100 after Kirk Edwards hit a solid 86 as the West Indies reached 207-3 in their second innings at stumps for an overall lead of 331 runs.

Bravo completed his century off the last ball of the day when he cut debutant left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo for two runs. He has so far hit two sixes and seven fours in his 165-ball knock.

The tourists, leading by 124 runs on the first innings, consolidated their position as Bravo and Edwards put on 151 for the third wicket after openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Keiran Powell had fallen cheaply.

The opening Test of the two-match series ended in a draw in Chittagong. “I am very happy with my effort,” the 22year-old Bravo said. “I just tried to play the right shots and waited for the loose balls to put them away.

“There was not too much turn in the wicket. Maybe one or two balls did turn, but the ball came on well onto the bat. “I don’t see too much deterioration in the wicket. Tomorrow is another day, we will go out there to continue batting and put on a big target for Bangladesh to chase,” he said.

Bangladesh coach Stuart Law said his team faced a tough fight to save the game.

“At the moment it is not going the way we wanted it to,” the former Australian international said. “A mediocre batting performance in the first innings ruined our plans.

“We are not really controlling the game. We have them three wickets down, but they lead us by over 300 runs. It’s going to take a lot of hard work to come back into the match.

“We need to find a way to score runs, we need to find a way to stay a long time at the crease,” said Law. Edwards, who scored 121 in the first innings, looked set to score his second hundred of the Test when he fell in the closing overs of the day, bowled by Shuvo after hitting one six and seven fours in his 204-ball knock.

Bravo, dropped on 45 by Imrul Kayes in the slips off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan, made the most of the chance as he bolstered the innings with a big stand with Edwards.

Both the batsmen played attractive shots, with Bravo once smashing offspinner Nasir Hossain for two fours and a six in an over and then Edwards hoisting paceman Shahadat Hossain for a six.

Brathwaite, who made a half-century in the first innings, was run out for no score in the opening over after Naeem Islam hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end with a direct throw.

The hosts struggled for success on an easy-paced pitch for more than two sessions, with Shakib and Shuvo being the lone wicket-takers. Bangladesh were earlier bowled out for 231 in their first innings in reply to the West Indies’ 355.

The hosts added 27 runs to their overnight total of 204-7 before losing their remaining three wickets in 17 overs, with leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo taking two wickets and offspinner Marlon Samuels one. —AFP

Scoreboard DHAKA: Scoreboard at close on the third day of the second test between West Indies and Bangladesh yesterday: West Indies first innings 355 Bangladesh first innings (overnight 204-7) T. Iqbal c Bravo b F. Edwards 14 I. Kayes c Brathwaite b F. Edwards 29 S. Nafees c Bravo b F. Edwards 7 R. Hassan lbw b F. Edwards 0 M. Rahim c C’paul b F. Edwards 0 S. Al Hasan b Bishoo 73 N. Islam run out 45 N. Hossain c K. Edwards b Samuels 42 S. Shuvo c Brathwaite b Bishoo 15 S. Hossain b Bishoo 4 R. Hossain not out 2 Total: (all out; 68 overs) 231 Fall of wickets: 1-14 2-36 3-46 4-46 5-59 6-143 7-195 8-225 9-225.

Bowling: F. Edwards 13-0-63-5, K. Roach

9-0-52-0, D. Sammy 10-3-32-0, D. Bishoo 23-4-62-3, M. Samuels 13-2-22-1.

West Indies second innings: K. Brathwaite run out 0 K. Powell c Nasir b Al Hasan 12 K. Edwards b S Shuvo 86 D. Bravo not out 100 K. Roach not out 4 Extras: (lb-2 nb-3) 5 Total: (three wickets; 71 overs) 207 Fall of wicket: 1-0 2-33 3-184.

To bat: M. Samuels, S. Chanderpaul, C. Baugh, D. Sammy, F. Edwards, D. Bishoo.

Bowling: R. Hossain 9-2-22-0 (nb-2), N. Hossain 16-3-49-0, S. Al Hasan 17-1-621, N. Islam 7-2-13-0, S. Shuvo 15-2-32-1, S. Hossain 3-0-15-0 (nb-1), R. Hassan 40-12-0.

Senators 3, Maple Leafs 2 At Ottawa, Colin Greening and Chris Neil scored power-play goals as the Senators extended their winning streak to six with a win over Toronto.

Kaspars Daugavins scored his first NHL goal to put Ottawa up 3-1 in the third.

Robin Lehner stopped 22 shots in his season debut for the Senators, who moved two games over .500 at 7-5-0 after winning only one of their first six.

Clarke MacArthur scored his second goal of the game midway through the third to draw Toronto within one. Jonas Gustavsson made 27 saves in his fourth straight start for the Maple Leafs, who had won two in a row.

Blue Jackets 3, Ducks 1 At Columbus, Rick Nash, rookie Ryan Johansen and Fedor Tyutin each scored for the Blue Jackets in only their second win of the season.

James Wisniewski added two assists for the Blue Jackets. Steve Mason turned-aside 18 shots, including three key saves with the Ducks on the power play and pressing for the tying goal in the second period.

Bobby Ryan scored and backup goalie Dan Ellis made 18 saves for Anaheim. The Ducks have lost five of six and are 1-2-1 on their 13-day, seven-game road trip. —AP

EDMONTON: Oilers’ Taylor Hall (4) tries to score on a breakaway against St. Louis Blues goalie Jaroslav Halak during the first period of an NHL hockey game. —AP

NHL results/standings Results and standings from the NHL games on Sunday. Columbus 3, Anaheim 1; Ottawa 3, Toronto 2; Colorado 3, Los Angeles 2; Edmonton 4, St. Louis 2.

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTLGF GA PTS Pittsburgh 8 3 2 39 28 18 Philadelphia 6 4 1 41 36 13 New Jersey 4 4 1 20 24 9 NY Rangers 3 3 3 20 23 9 NY Islanders 3 4 2 18 23 8 Northeast Division Toronto 7 3 1 36 35 15 Ottawa 7 5 0 39 45 14 Buffalo 6 4 0 29 22 12 Montreal 4 5 2 29 30 10 Boston 3 7 0 22 25 6 Southeast Division Washington 7 2 0 35 23 14 Florida 6 4 0 26 25 12 Tampa Bay 5 4 2 33 35 12 Carolina 4 4 3 28 35 11 Winnipeg 3 6 1 26 36 7

Western Conference Central Division Chicago 6 2 2 32 25 14 Nashville 5 4 1 24 26 11 Detroit 5 4 0 22 23 10 St. Louis 5 6 0 28 31 10 Columbus 2 9 1 28 40 5 Northwest Division Edmonton 7 2 2 25 18 16 Colorado 7 4 0 32 29 14 Minnesota 4 3 3 21 23 11 Vancouver 5 5 1 31 33 11 Calgary 4 4 1 22 23 9 Pacific Division Dallas 8 3 0 28 23 16 Los Angeles 6 3 2 26 22 14 San Jose 6 3 0 28 21 12 Phoenix 5 3 2 30 30 12 Anaheim 5 5 1 22 28 11 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

Compton qualifies for PGA Tour CHARLESTON: Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton earned a PGA Tour card hen he finished in the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour money list, while Ken Duke won the season-ended Nationwide Tour Championship on Sunday to also secure a spot on the big tour.

Duke closed with a 4-under 68 to finish at 10 under on Daniel Island Club’s Ralston Creek Course, two better than Scott Brown. The 42-year-old Duke earned $180,000 and went from 36th to seventh on the money list. Compton wasn’t sure he’d ever play pro golf, let alone be member of the PGA Tour.

Yet the two-time heart transplant recipient finished off his dream Sunday. Compton mostly secured his spot in June when he won his first Nationwide title at the Mexico Open. He ended 13th overall with $239,737 to advance.

The 31-year-old Compton has played 30 career PGA events, but none with a tour card in his bag.

“It’s a miracle,” he said. “It really is a miracle what I’ve been able to achieve.” J.J. Killeen won the money title, which made him fully exempt on the PGA Tour and gave him entr y into the The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in May. And the day ended with some drama as Brown made a long parsaving putt on the 17th and birdie on the 18th to finish alone in second when a bogey down the stretch would’ve dropped

Billy Hurley III from the final qualifying spot at No. 25.

Hurley, a former Naval lieutenant who was on active duty in the Persian Gulf guarding Iraqi oil platforms two years ago, hugged his wife when Brown’s last put

its ability to pump blood. Three years later in 1992, Compton received a new heart. He needed another donor heart in 2008 when the first one failed.

Compton took up golf after his first transplant as a way to exer-

Erik Compton seen in this file photo. dropped. James Nitties, who began the week in 23rd, fell to 26th, just outside what it took to join the PGA Tour.

There were plenty of smiles and disappointments as loud, celebratory music blared from the clubhouse when the event was over. None of the triumphs, though, seemed as amazing as Compton’s rise from two heart transplants. He was diagnosed at age 9 with cardiomyopathy, an enlarging of the heart that deters

cise. It’s turned into much, much more. “This game has been such a rehab for life for me, where I could go out and not think about the issues I have,” he said.

Compton had another setback this summer after playing in the PGA Tour’s AT&T National last July when his body rejected his heart, something doctors got under control with additional medicine.

He took several weeks off and struggled to find his earlier form until recently. His tie for 18th at

Daniel Island was his best placing since the win in Mexico.

“I came in here and just till the end I was pretty frustrated because I really wanted to play well and have a top finish,” Compton said. “At the end of the day, we’re all perfectionists.”

Duke said he’s ready to take once again take on the challenges of the sport’s top series.

He might want to circle any events played in South Carolina.

Duke’s only other Nationwide victory came at the BMW Classic around Greenville in 2006. He lost in a playoff on this course a year later to Michael Sim when the event was the Palmetto Pride Classic. He’s already planning an early April stop in Hilton Head for next year ’s RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links.

“I knew I had some good memories here and I just had to be patient,” Duke said. That was good advice for everyone who sweatted out the final round with their futures on the line. Hurley was 25th when the tournament began, then bounced back and forth on the qualifying line as the round played out. He seemed destined for disappointment when as David Lingmerth worked his way into second place for a while, but bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes dropped him back into a tie for third - and gave Hurley the last spot by fewer than $6,000 over Nitties. “It was nice to see the cameras out there,” Hurley said. “I knew I was close.” —AP

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sp orts

NOIDA: Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso of Spain steers his car during the Indian Formula One Grand Prix in this file photo. — AP

India can be one of the great F1 venues NEW DELHI: Formula One and India have the makings of a long and happy relationship after an inaugural grand prix that exceeded expectations.

Some of the facilities were far from finished, traffic snarls made access difficult for many on race day and there were constant reminders away from the circuit of the glaring social inequalities in the world’s second most populous nation.

And yet the reaction from the Formula One community and local officials alike was overwhelmingly positive, a feeling that India was sure to become a favourite fixture once the teething problems were resolved.

The drivers loved the Buddh International Circuit, with its flowing terrain and long straights, and the fans made their passion evident. “There’s pretty good advertising for this place and I think the word is going to get

out,” said McLaren’s Jenson Button, second in Sunday’s race behind Red Bull’s double world champion Sebastian Vettel.

“Even though it was the first race it was a pretty good crowd here. And the Indian people seem to love motor racing,” he added. “I think it will turn out to be one of the great events on the Formula One calendar.”

Organisers said 95,000 attended the race, on the outskirts of New Delhi, and yesterday’s newspapers delighted in declaring India the winner.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who had expressed some concern before arriving in the country about whether the circuit would be ready, was impressed.

“F1 is as popular in India as cricket in France but things will improve drastically in the years to come,” declared the 81-year-old, who normally leaves once the race has start-

ed but this time stayed on to watch the action. “I’m very, very happy with it, and everybody else is as well. We’ve nothing to complain about,” he told reporters afterwards.

“There are bits and pieces they can do, but this is a prototype, so I’m sure they’ll get down and have a good look at everything.”

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh highlighted the difference between Delhi and some other races on the calendar, such as Turkey’s Istanbul, where visitors to the city would not be aware there was a grand prix on. “I think the response from the people here in India has been great. I believe this will be a successful event,” he told reporters.

“You sense it in Delhi, you sense it in the people and there is a sporting passion here...I think they’ve embraced it (the race) and we’ve got to work with them and I’m

sure we can build it up.” The track itself was one of the biggest positives, with drivers hailing it as a fantastic layout unlike some of Hermann Tilke’s other creations.

“It was fantastic,” said Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso. “Okay, it was a very narrow line of normal grip and outside that line there was a lot of dust and low grip but this is normal for new circuits and I think with the years that will improve.”

Button agreed the dust was a challenge but the positives outweighed the negatives.

“The circuit itself is a great circuit to drive, it’s a fun circuit, it’s a real challenge,” he said.

“A massive challenge. And it’s one of the more physical circuits as well because there aren’t really that many for us any more. So it’s great. The only thing is the dust but I don’t really know what you can do about that in India.”— Reuters

Jason Line wins Pro Stock title

MARTINSVILLE: Denny Hamlin (11), AJ Allmendinger (43), Martin Truex Jr. (56), Jeff Burton (31) and Mike Skinner (37) tangle during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race. — AP

Stewart closes in on Edwards in Chase NASCAR’s 10-race playoffs MARTINSVILLE: Tony Stewart hadn’t won a race all season and didn’t list himself as a championship contender when asked to handicap the field before NASCAR’s 10-race playoffs got going.

Now, his third championship is there for the taking. “We’ve had one of those up-and-down years and we’re having a run in this Chase and now we’re hungry,” Stewart said after his third victory in the first seven Chase races moved him within eight points of leader Carl Edwards. “We’re hungry for this. I feel like our mindset into these next three weeks, we’ve been nice all year to a lot of guys, given guys a lot of breaks.

“We’re cashing tickets in these next three weeks.” Stewart won this one by passing Jimmie Johnson on a restart with three laps to go Sunday. Stewart then playfully called out Edwards.

“He better be worried. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Stewart said in Victory Lane, a broad smile spreading across his face. “He’s not going to sleep for the next three weeks.”

Stewart moved from 19 points behind leader Edwards and in fourth place to just eight points behind in second as several contenders got caught up in a season-high 18 caution flags.

Even Stewart had trouble, at one point having to apologize to race leader Denny Hamlin for racing him hard to stay on the lead lap. And that was with less than 200 laps to go.

“I was pretty mad all day, but I was the only guy who didn’t get in a wreck with somebody, so I was kind of proud of that,” Stewart said, adding that crew chief Darian Grubber, his spotter and several team members told him before the race to stop being so nice on the track. The winning pass, to Johnson’s outside, surprised even him.

“I don’t think anybody has ever passed Jimmie Johnson on the outside,” he said, crediting Grubb for making the right calls and adjustments all race long. “I don’t think we had the best race car today, by any means, but we had the most determined pit crew.”

Johnson, for much of the day, looked like he might be the one making a huge gain in the points race, especially as Edwards floundered in the mid-20s and wasn’t getting any better.

The cautions, which slowed things for 108 laps, also a season high, allowed Johnson to

weather a call by crew chief Chad Knaus to stay out when all the leaders behind him pitted for fresh tires with just over 40 laps to go. But he couldn’t hold on with Stewart pressing him at the end.

“I just could not get away from him on the restart,” he said, adding that he tried to be cognizant of Stewart’s better position in the championship battle. “I thought about going in there and leaning on him, move him up, but that is just not the right thing to do.”

Stewart last won the championship in 2005.

Edwards laughed when told about Stewart’s challenge. “He’s wound up. He won the race. We’ll see what happens at Texas,” Edwards said. “I told you guys I thought he was one of the guys that could win this race and be a guy that you’d have to beat for the championship and I think he’s proving that right now. But yeah, we’ll have fun.

“We’ll go race hard. They’re going to have to race us, too. I’m excited about the next three races.” Edwards struggled all day, twice needing the get a free pass as the first car a lap down. He made it pay off the second time, adjusting his car and rallying to finish an unlikely ninth.

“That’s just a gift,” he said. “We did not deserve to finish ninth.” Given his history at Martinsville, where he has struggled, Edwards felt like he’d won.

“I had become OK with the fact that we were probably going to finish 20th or 25th,” he said. “I was thinking already about Texas and how we were going to have to go there and everything we were going to do, but my guys stuck with it and we got very, very fortunate.”

Others deserved much better than what they got, namely Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski.

They started the day second and third in points, and both were running near the front all day until getting caught up in late accidents. Kenseth finished 31st and Keselowski wound up 17th.

It seemed especially harsh for Kenseth, who was doing uncharacteristically well for him on the 0.526-mile oval until tangling with Kyle Busch on lap 464. Kenseth wound up in the garage.

“That ruined my day, along with his and whoever else got unfortunately collected in that mess,” Kenseth said about Busch, who also ran up front all day but limped home in 27th place.—AP

LAS VEGAS: Jason Line won his second Pro Stock championship Sunday when he advanced to the semifinals of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“At this point in my life, I’ll appreciate this one more,” Line said. “I understand better now how hard it is to achieve that. Five years ago when I won the first, I was naive and didn’t realize how hard it is.”

Del Worsham (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won the pro categories in the NHRA Big O Tires Nationals.

Line, a 42-year-old Minnesota native, will start the season finale in two weeks at Pomona, Calif., with an insurmountable 199-point lead over KB Racing teammate and reigning champion Greg Anderson.

Line relished his first championship since 2006 but wanted to win the Las Vegas event title Sunday as well. But his day ended when he left the starting line too early in the semis and drew a red-light disqualification. However, Anderson also false-started in the other semifinal race. “It feels unbelievable,” Line said. “It’s a great day. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t have finished it in true championship style but it is what it is and I’m not giving the (championship) jacket back or the trophy.”

Line, who will receive a $250,000 bonus from NHRA, worked as an engine tuner for Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR and helped Bobby Labonte win the 2000 Sprint Cup championship. Before moving to North Carolina and shifting to stock-car racing, Line was a successful drag racer and won the 1993 NHRA Stock Eliminator championship.

“My dad said I was crazy when I told him I was leaving Gibbs,” Line said. “It was the best job I had ever had. Now it’s the second best job I’ve ever had.”

Las Vegas businessman Ken Black started the Pro Stock team in 1999 and hired Anderson to run it, serve as crew chief and be the primary driver. Line began working part time for Black while still at Gibbs.

The only reason he left Gibbs was for a promise to be able drive a 200-mph Pro Stocker. Line’s series-best six wins this year pushes his total to 28 since 2007. It is the sixth championship for Black.

In Top Fuel, Worsham raced to his seventh win of the season when he powered his dragster to a 3.823-second run at 318.77 mph past Spencer Massey. The win moved Worsham into the second spot in the point standings, two points behind leader Massey heading into the final race of the season.

Matco Tools dragster pilot Antron Brown sits third in the standings, 14 points out of the lead, while defending world champion Larry Dixon is fourth, 44 points behind leader Massey.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps beat fellow Don Schumacher Racing teammate Johnny Gray for his second win of the season. Capps drove his Dodge Charger to a 4.109 at 311.34 to secure his 33rd career win.

While Capps raced to the win, teammate Matt Hagan took the points lead away from Jack Beckman. Hagan leads Beckman by a point, while third-place Cruz Pedregon sits 26 points behind Hagan.

Edwards raced to the win in Pro Stock when he powered his Pontiac GXP to a 6.641 at 208.30 past Allen Johnson in the final round.

For Edwards, it was his fourth win of the season and 32nd of his career. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, 2008 champion Krawiec beat fellow HarleyDavidson rider Andrew Hines, powering to a 6.936 at 194.30. It was Krawiec’s fourth win of the season and 11th of his career. The win also increased his points lead over Hector Arana Jr. to 69 points. — AP

Duaij Al-Otaibi with Kuwaiti shooters

McLaren boss: Hamilton too hard on himself NEW DELHI: McLaren have told Lewis Hamilton to be less hard on himself after an inaugural Indian Grand Prix that again had the 2008 Formula One champion apologising profusely to team and sponsors.

The Briton collided with Ferrari’s Brazilian Felipe Massa during the race, their sixth clash on track this season, after being demoted three places on the starting grid for ignoring warning flags in practice.

Race stewards ruled Massa was to blame for Sunday’s collision, handing him a drive through penalty, but Hamilton remained contrite about his own general performance over the weekend. “I’ve had to apologise to the team,” the 26-year-old told television reporters after the race. “I’m sorry for the team, they always do a great job every weekend, so to disappoint them like this ... Just big apologies to the team, my sponsors, after yet another disastrous race. It’s been an eventful year.

“I just can’t apologise enough to my team for the negativity that surrounds me nowadays,” added Hamilton, who finished the race in seventh place and made a quick getaway afterwards. Team principal Martin Whitmarsh felt Hamilton should be easier on himself. “Yes I do, frankly,” he told reporters. “I’ve told him that on several occasions.

Don’t apologise. You’re a racing driver. If you’ve made a mistake accept it, learn from it, move on.”

Hamilton has been repeatedly punished by the stewards this season for aggressive driving while he and Massa have developed a magnetic attraction on the track that has developed into something of a feud and caused concern at both teams.

Whitmarsh said he had spoken about it to Ferrari counterpart Stefano Domenicali but added that there would be no contrived peace gesture for the cameras.

“A staged handshake, a conciliatory gesture outside the garage at the next Grand Prix ... you don’t want that, unless it’s to take the mickey out of it. They’ve got to sort themselves out,” he said firmly.

Hamilton has made errors of judgement while team mate Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, has gone from strength to strength in the closing races of a championship already won by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.

Second placed Button is now 38 points ahead of Hamilton, who has never before finished a championship behind a team mate, with only two races remaining.

“He’s very analytical,” Whitmarsh said of Hamilton. “He’s very serious about trying to do the best job he can. He’s much too hard on himself.

“I’ve known Lewis for a long, long time and he’s been like it since he was a kartist and he would beat up on himself. That’s his way. That’s his psychology. That’s how he motivates himself,” he added.

Whitmarsh would not comment on whether the Briton’s personal life had been part of the problem, with Hamilton recently splitting up with American singer girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger. “His body language this weekend has been much stronger than it has been in the last races,” he said. — Reuters

Duaij Al-Otaibi with Shooter ZAid Al-Mutairi

Kuwaiti shooters excel in Morocco Kuwait shooters continued their supremacy in the Arab clay shooting tournament in Tangiers, Morocco, as they claimed six gold medals and two silver. Shooter Zaid Al-Dakheel Al-Mutairi took the gold medal in the skeet event, while the team of Zaid Al-Mutairi, Abdallah Al-Rashidi and Nasser Al-Daihani took the teams’ gold.

Shooter Nasser Al-Miqlid took the trap gold, while the team of Saud Al-Miklid, Nasser Al-Miklid and Khalid Al-Mudhaf took the team’s gold.

In the junior trap event, Abdallah Al-Hamily took first place and took the gold medal while Talal Al-Rashidi ended in second place and took the silver medal. The team of Abdelaziz Al-Saad, Mater Al-Rashidi and Mohammad Al-Azmi took the silver medal. This raises the medal count to eight gold and three silver, for the Kuwaiti team who top the list. Secretary General of Kuwait and Arab shooting federations, and head of Kuwait’s delegation to the current championships lauded

the Kuwaiti shooters’ high spirits and their keenness on having Kuwait’s team among the best.

He said that the board of directors is happy with the achievements Kuwaiti shooters made in the Arab clay shooting tournament, as more than 184 shooters are participating, from eight Arab countries: Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt and UAE. The tournament will be concluded today with the men’s double trap event.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

sp orts

Wozniacki must back up statistics with majors

LAS VEGAS: Robson Palermo of Brazil (left) and Silvano Alves of Brazil, congratulate each other at the PBR World Finals rodeo.

Palermo won the event and Alves won the season title.—AP

Silvano Alves wins PBR world title LAS VEGAS: Silvano Alves held on to his sizable lead to win the Professional Bull Riders world title and $1 million bonus, and Robson Palermo jumped from fourth to first place Sunday to take home $250,000 as the winner of the six-round event at Thomas & Mack Center.

Alves, from Pilar Do Sul, Brazil, finished with a 2,706.25-point margin over Palermo, from Rio Branco, Brazil, for his first PBR season title. He earned just over $1.4 million in 2011.

Alves scored 88.25 on Big Iron in the

LAS VEGAS: Mike Lee is thrown from Spit Fire during the final round of PBR World Finals rodeo. —AP fifth round, and was third with a 92.25 on Yellow Jacket Jr. in the championship round, both Sunday.

“That (Yellow Jacket Jr.) was a really hard bucking bull,” Alves said. “He bucked away from my hand to make it more difficult to ride him. It took everything that I know how to do, all my knowledge, to stay on his back. I knew that I had to ride him today.

“I managed to do this without becoming injured this year. All I can really say is that I’m going to keep trying next year to do it again. I can’t predict what will hap-

pen, and I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Palermo, who earned $301,000 in the event and $618,00 overall for 2011, won the championship round with a 93.25 on King of Hearts that propelled him to his second event title with 446.25 points.

Caleb Sanderson of Kissimmee, Fla., who was second in the championship round with a 92.5 on RMEF Gunpowder and Lead, finished second in the event standings with 440.75 points. Alves was third with 434.5.

“I was bucked off one bull and rode the rest,” Palermo said. “My shoulder has been bothering me, but I tried hard and kept going and gave everything I got.”

Rubens Barbosa of Monte Aprazivel, Brazil, took the event lead in round five and clinched the 2011 PBR Rookie of the Year Award with a score of 92.5 on Priceless.

Barbosa’s fourth successful ride in five rounds gave him 357.25 points and put him ahead of Sanderson, who was bucked off Unser Racing Bull in 5.18 seconds in round five. Sanderson was the lone rider to have ridden all of his first four bulls for a score.

Barbosa entered the championship round ahead of Palermo with 353 points, Guilherme Marchi of Leme, Brazil, with 351, Sanderson with 348.25, Alves with 342.5 and J.B. Mauney of Mooresville, N.C., with 333.5. The top six were the lone riders to have gone 4-for-5 over the first five rounds.

Barbosa was trying to become the third competitor to claim the event and Rookie of the Year titles during the same year of this 18-year-old event. Luke Snyder (2001) and Jody Newberry (2003) were the rookies who had won the PBR World Finals.

“For me it’s a very big deal to win Rookie of the Year, especially because I got here halfway through the year,” Barbosa said. “I think it’s really difficult to win with only half a season, so for me it’s an awesome honor.” Bushwacker, who has bucked off his last 26 riders and is 281 overall, claimed the 2011 Bull of the Year Award. He ended the championship hopes of Mauney when he bucked him off in the championship round.

Bushwacker was 14-0 in 2011.—AP

ISTANBUL: Statistically Caroline Wozniacki remains the best female tennis player in the world but the controversy over her number one status showed no signs of abating after her season ended in disappointment at the WTA Championships.

True, the 21-year-old Dane won six titles, amassed more victories (63) than any of her rivals and topped the end-of-year rankings for a second consecutive year.

However, when asked who was the stand-out player of 2011, none of the seven other women who qualified for the season-ending finale in Istanbul named Wozniacki.

Former world number one Maria Sharapova, who battled back to the top four from injury, was mentioned, as was the player of the moment Petra Kvitova, who capped a remarkable season by winning the Championships undefeated on Sunday.

Czech Kvitova has emerged as the new force in women’s tennis and there is an air of inevitability about her rise to the top of tree after she beat another challenger to Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, to win the prestigious title on her debut.

The 21-year-old is not there yet-she still lags 100 or so points behind Wozniacki-but with a grand slam title to her name already and a destructive game that, when working, is almost unstoppable, the Wimbledon champion appears to be the number one in waiting. But what of Wozniacki?

Despite spending all but a week as number one since last October, she failed to reach a single grand slam final this year and her lack of a major among her 18 career titles is beginning to weigh heavily on her shoulders.

While the WTA Tour points to the fact that the rankings system rewards consistency, the fact that Wozniacki has so far failed to shine on the biggest stages gives plenty of ammunition to those who say she is there by default.

Wozniacki, the theory goes, has benefited from injuries to the likes of Serena Williams and Kim

Clijsters and from the fact that some of her peers are still developing their games.

Williams, and before her the likes of Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, used to provide the ultimate benchmark for women’s tennis in various spells of domination but Wozniacki, despite racking up victories, points and dollars, lacks that authority.

She may still be just 21, but both Serena and Venus Williams, Seles, Graf, Martina Hingis and Sharapova all had a clutch of

OKLAHOMA CITY: International softball leaders will continue to explore a possible joint bid with baseball to try and get both sports back into the Olympics in 2020.

Representatives from about 70 countries attended a weekend International Softball Federation Congress in Oklahoma City and approved a resolution to move forward with talks with the International Baseball Federation.

“We’ve got a long ways to go yet,” ISF President Don E. Porter said Sunday. “I think it’s just right now it’s an expression of, ‘Yes, we want to explore the possibility to move ahead with it.’”

Porter said the group still doesn’t have clarity from the International Olympic Committee on the guidelines for submitting a combined bid between two similar sports that still have plenty of differences in their rules. He and ISF SecretaryGeneral Low Beng Choo of Malaysia hope to meet with IOC officials in the next month or so to find out. “It’s not a unanimous thing either way but we wanted to give everybody a chance to really air it out and see how people felt about it,” Porter said.

“Now, we’re going to push ahead and see if we think that’s going to work. The IOC’s still got to say you can do it or you can’t do it, or what you need to do.”

Porter has expressed concerns, shared by other softball leaders, that entering a

bid as women’s baseball could jeopardize the sport’s identity.

In its last bid to get reinstated to the Olympics, softball focused its case on a lack of problems with steroids or doping, an ability to bring the sport’s top players from around the world and additional opportunities for women - all ways to distinguish itself from baseball.

Now, the two sports are considering working together because neither will be in the London Games next year or the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

It won’t be until 2013 - after the IOC decides whether to drop any sports that are contested in London - that softball and baseball make their case to get back in.

But the sports already must consider what angles they’ll use to convince the IOC they are deser ving of another chance. The first step is hearing from softball federations around the world what tactic they believe is best.

“That was why it was important for us to give the members a chance to speak at the forum, so that at least we know and hear from them because every federation is different, every country is different, every level of development is different,” Low said.

The congress also awarded the 2014 women’s world championships to the Netherlands and the 2015 men’s world championships to Canada.—AP

how she gets her points without winning a slam.”

After bowing out of the Championships with just one win from her three round-robin matches, Wozniacki headed home to recover from her 80match season.

After a rest starts the work on taking the next step in her career, according to her father and coach Piotr-a firm believer that his daughter should get more plaudits for finishing first in the rankings for a second year in succession. “I know she has not won a

ISTANBUL: Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki in action in this file photo. —AP grand slam titles in the bag at the same age.

All of those, with the exception of Hingis whose brain was possibly her greatest strength, could also dominate opponents in a way that Wozniacki’s solid percentage game cannot.

When it gets down to the later stages of a major, the chances are Woznaicki will run into a player with the weapons to break down her barricades.

“She’s certainly not the best player in the world at her best, but at her worst she’s probably the best player in the world compared to the others,” former men’s

extremely hard, and really makes you work for it.”

Stosur also said the way the rankings points are structured favoured Wozniacki’s habit of rarely losing early in a tournament.

“I think you do get rewarded for winning a grand slam and you definitely get the most points by far if you’re able to do that,” she said. “But we’ve got nine other really big tournaments, and four of those are not too far behind a slam.

“They’re the tournaments that Caroline manages to do very well in, week in and week out. That’s

grand slam but she has had many good results so it’s a fantastic achievement,” he told Reuters.

“There are many, many players now, probably the top 30 who play to a very high level. Before maybe it would be hard from the quarter-finals now the first three rounds are very tough. “A grand slam is the next step for her but and it’s a big ambition but we are taking it step by step.” With players such as Kvitova and Azarenka breathing down her neck and Serena and Clijsters soon to return to action, however, the worry for Wozniacki is that step may be backwards.—Reuters

Fit-again Djokovic asks for time to find form

Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif

Softball-baseball bid for 2020 still on table

world number one Mats Wilander said this week.

It is a recipe for the kind of consistency in results which US Open champion Samantha Stosur believes is Wozniacki’s major strength.

“Kvitova’s got a lot more visible weapons than what Caroline has,” the Australian told Reuters after losing to Kvitova in the semifinals at the Championships.

“But what Caroline does very are the things that a normal tennis fan may not necessarily see. I mean, she moves well, competes

Judge accepts majority verdict in Pakistan trial LONDON: The judge in the spot-fixing trial of former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif told the jury yesterday he would accept a majority verdict.

After three days of deliberations by the jurors at Southwark Crown Court in London, judge Jeremy Cooke was informed yesterday that they could not reach a decision they all agreed upon.

He told the six men and six women to try to reach an unanimous verdict but said he would now accept a majority verdict of 10-2.

They still did not reach a decision and so were sent home to resume their deliberations for a fourth day at 1000 GMT Tuesday, the 20th day of the trial.

Butt, 27, arrived at court yesterday wearing a grey pinstripe suit, a white shirt and a scarf around his neck, carrying a newspaper. Asif, 28, arrived in a black suit with a blue shirt and a grey overcoat over his arm.

They have both pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat at gambling.

Prosecutors allege that the pair conspired with British agent Mazher Majeed and bowler Mohammad Aamer to deliver three intentional no-balls during the Lord’s Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010.

Over three weeks of evidence at Southwark Crown Court, the jury has heard that there are huge sums to be made by fixing parts of matches, known as spot-fixing, for gambling syndicates.

Butt and Asif were charged after allegations about their involvement in spot-fixing appeared in the now-defunct News of the World tabloid, owned by Rupert Murdoch, shortly after the Lord’s Test.

Cooke finished his summing-up of the case on Thursday before sending the jury out to start their deliberations. Majeed and Aamer face the same charges as Butt and Asif but are not standing trial alongside them.—AFP

BASEL: Novak Djokovic said Sunday he needs “some time” to rediscover top form after his historic season was interrupted by a six-week injury break.

The top-ranked Serb resumes at the Swiss Indoors with a 64-3 record this year, after a back muscle injury forced him to retire from a Davis Cup semifinals singles match against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina on Sept. 18.

“Certainly, it’s going to take me some time to get back to the right shape,” Djokovic said.

The US Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open champion faces 50th-ranked Belgian Xavier Malisse on Tuesday in Basel, the hometown tournament of 16time Grand Slam singles winner Roger Federer.

“I don’t expect myself to be 100 percent in this tournament but obviously I will try,” said Djokovic, who beat Federer in the 2009 final here and lost their rematch a year ago. Djokovic succumbed to pain that had flared up days earlier during his intense, 4-set victory over Rafael Nadal to earn his first US Open trophy. Though the muscle tear was “quite bad,” Djokovic acknowledged the timing was a blessing. “The injury is never welcome ... but it came in the right moment, let’s say. It gave me a little more time to rest and recover,” he said. “I think it was the longest (break) I had in the last four or five years.”

Djokovic said he had daily therapy on his back while missing the Asian tournament swing, and a shot at beating John McEnroe’s dominant 82-3 season in 1984. He now has just Basel, the Paris Masters and season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London remaining, and must win all three to get close to the American’s mark.

“I don’t feel unbeatable and I don’t think anybody is,” Djokovic cautioned. “It’s just a matter of the

right momentum, the confidence you are building up.

“Sometimes you see the ball as a water melon. You feel so good on the court, you trust every shot that you have. I guess every top player has experienced that and has experienced the bad times as well.” The good times really rolled for Djokovic after leading Serbia to its first Davis Cup title last December in an emotional final in Belgrade against France. His determination to help defend that title worsened the injur y he brought home from New York.

“I decided to play Davis Cup which turned out to be a wrong decision somehow for my health,” Djokovic said. “But I don’t regret it because I do things as well with my heart and I wanted to play for the Davis Cup team.”

The enforced break also took Djokovic out of the spotlight having become world number one on winning Wimbledon in July.

“I think I’m doing well handling everything that (comes) with the new position that I have. I haven’t changed my professionalism or anything like that in the last couple of months,” he said.

“We’re trying to do things that we always have done and keep a simple life. That’s the only way I can keep playing well and performing well and winning titles.”

Djokovic believes that he “matured mentally” - on and off the court - to create a foundation for success. “It took me maybe longer than I expected to really star t believing that I can win Grand Slams next to Roger and Rafa,” he said. He has also talked of marrying his longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic. “Whoever says you have to make a line between private life and professional life, I don’t think that’s true,” Djokovic said. “It has to be balanced. You cannot run away from that fact. I got everything together in my private life as well.”—AP

18

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

SPORTS

Barcelona take on Czech champion

LONDON: Chelsea‘s John Terry celebrates after scoring in this file photo. —AP

Chelsea under pressure for trip to Genk in Europe BRUSSELS: Chelsea is set to find out whether two consecutive domestic losses are the start of a slump or merel y an a b e r r a t i on wh en it p l ays at Racing Genk in the Champions League today.

A win would put Chelsea back on t r ac k a n d e n s u r e t h e t w o Premier League defeats, including Saturday’s 5-3 home loss against Arsenal, are not necessarily a fundamental issue for new manager Andre Villas-Boas.

A t h i r d s t r a i g h t l o ss, ho w ever, would undermine the team’s lead in Group E of the Champions League and could be the start of a crisis at one of Europe’s leading clubs. Backed by a 50 home win over Genk on Oct. 19, Villas-Boas refuses to be flustered.

“In the Champions League, the scenario is another one,” he said. “We can get in a very good position if we win the game. We have a chance of qualifying if Leverkusen wins.”

Chelsea leads the group by one p o i n t f r om G e r many’ s Bayer Leverkusen. Valencia is five points off the pace and Belgian champion Genk has only a single point. Leverkusen travels to Valencia in the other group matc h . Th e r e a r e t w o mo re g ro u p rounds are left after today’s games.

On top of Chelsea’s poor results, all eyes will also center on John Terry. The captain faces a Football Association investigation centering on allegations he directed a racial slur at Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a 1-0 loss last week.

Suddenly facing pressure from all sides, Chelsea will have to prove that two bad weeks in football doesn’t make a critical difference and that its

defense has only lapsed momentarily.

The Londoners were all over Genk of the lowly Belgian league two weeks ago with a spate of early goals, with Fernando Torres leading Chelsea in equalling its biggest ever win in the Champions League.

Conceding five at home against crosstown rival Arsenal last weekend, though, wiped that happy memory off every fan’s mind. It left Chelsea third in the Premier League standings but facing a nine-poin t gap fr om leader Manchester City.

The swing in fortunes and momentum compared to Genk could hardly be bigger. If Chelsea fell hard against Arsenal, Genk dragged itself out of a crisis against FC Brugge that same Saturday.

Trailing 4-2 with 17 minutes to go, the team scored 3 times for a 5-4 victory which eased the pressure on coach Mario Been after a bad mon th of October. The reigning champion is still back in sixth place, 10 points behind leader Anderlecht. Still, it was exactly what the team needed.

“One vic tor y c an do mor e th an 1,000 words from a coach,” said Been.

“Now we have to take up the good things from Saturday against Brugge and avoid the bad things.”

Leverkusen won a scrappy game against bottom club Freiburg 1-0 on Friday to rise to a disappointing eighth position in the Bundesliga. The 35year-old Michael Ballack scored his first Bundesliga goal for more than five years. He broke his nose in the game and a decisison whether he will play in Valencia will only be taken just before the game.—AP

Zenit take on Shakhtar SAINT PETERSBURG: Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg go into today’s Champions League Group G clash with Ukraine giants Shakhtar Donetsk on the back of a confidence-boosting 3-0 domestic league win.

On Thursday Zenit thrashed Russian league minnows Volga Nizhny Novgorod with their goals coming from midfielder Viktor Faizulin, forward Alexander Bukharov and Serbian winger Danko Lazovic. The result left Zenit on top of the Russian table two points ahead of CSKA Moscow.

Zenit manager Luciano Spalletti said he was pleased with his team’s performance ahead of the match with Shakhtar.

“I like how my players were looking in the recent domestic league matches,” he said. “Under these conditions they do not need any additional motivation for the match with Ukraine’s champions.”

Zenit and Russia internationanl striker Alexander Kerzhakov has an ankle injury and remains uncertain for the match with Shaktar.

Attacking midfielder Vladimir Bystrov has failed to regain his top form and is an unlikely starter in today’s showdown in which Zenit will seek their 11th successive European home win.

Shakhtar, bottom of Group G with two points from three matches, are in a mustwin position to keep alive their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage.

Shakhtar, who have 5-5 win-loss record in their last 10 European away matches, will also be without several first-choice players. Full back Dmitry Chygrynskiy has a serious hip injury suffered in the Ukraine Cup match with Dynamo Kiev, while Brazilian midfiedlers Fernandinho and Jadson will also miss the match at Saint Petersburg because of injuries.

Shakhtar won their last domestic league match with minnows Aleksandria 3-2 courtesy of goals fron Brazilian trio Dentinho, Willian and Alex Teixeira.

Ukraine’s reigning champions are second in their domestic league, one point behind Dynamo Kiev.—AFP

Iran suspends 2 players for ‘immoral’ celebration DUBAI: Iranian state TV says two players have been suspended from the country’s professional football league for an “immoral” goal-scoring celebration.

T h e r e p or t y est erday says Mohammed Nosrati, a defender for Persepolis, squeezed the backside of teammate Sheis Rezaei while the Tehran team’s players celebrated a goal against Damash Gilan.

After Persepolis scored again in the 3-2 victory, Rezaei seems to have also squeezed an unidentified

teammate, according to footage posted on YouTube.

Nosrati and Rezaei say they did not intend to offend anybody. Iran T V said t h ey wer e in defin itely banned from entering any stadium and could face even more sanctions.

Saturday’s match was broadcast live to millions of football fans in the Islamic Republic, a country that has for years tried to curb rowdy behavior on the pitch and foul language among players and spectators.—AP

PRAGUE: With Lionel Messi having rediscovered his scoring touch, Barcelona can clinch a berth in the second round of the Champions League when it plays Czech champion Viktoria Plzen today.

Messi ended a goal drought of three matches with his 13th career hat trick, and second of the season, to take his tally to 19 goals this campaign when Barcelona beat Mallorca 5-0 on Saturday to extend its unbeaten run to 16 games in all competitions.

The defending European champion is tied atop Group H with AC Milan. The teams have six more points than Plzen and Belarus champion BATE Borisov at the halfway stage of the group phase. Milan could advance when it visits BATE today.

Plzen and BATE are realistically fighting for third place in the group to receive a spot in the Europa League. Barcelona eased past Plzen 2-0 in the first of their back-to-back games at the Camp Nou on Oct. 19 after goals from Andres Iniesta and David Villa.

Messi hit the post twice in a match in which Barcelona controlled 78 percent of possession. With Plzen promising to focus more on attack at home, Messi is likely to find enough space to have a good chance of scoring his 200th goal for the club.

“We know Messi is the world’s best player, that he’s the leader of this team and a player who changes a game,” Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets said. “But he’s not a machine and there are games when he won’t score goals.”

Coming off 4-1 and 5-0 league victories since losing at Barcelona, Plzen is ready to fight for a decent result. But the players realize that there’s a huge difference between Barcelona and Czech first-division clubs.

“When you score, it boosts confidence,” Plzen midfielder Milan Petrzela said. “I hope we could be better than in the previous game. Barcelona comes to win, that’s for sure. They play a game of their own and they don’t care whom they face.”

Barcelona forward Pedro Rodriguez has been ruled out due to an ankle injury for the game at Slavia Prague’s stadium because Plzen’s arena is being renovated.

Milan is riding a four-match winning streak in Serie A that has moved the Italian champion up from 15th place to within two points of

PRAGUE: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi during a training session prior to Champions League Group H soccer match. Barcelona face Viktoria Plzen today. —AP the lead. Zlatan Ibrahimovic produced his first double of the season in a 3-2 win at Roma on Saturday.

“After a bunch of injuries, the squad continues to improve,” Ibrahimovic said. “If we continue this way we have a great future.

We’re better than last year.”

In other recent matches, midfielder KevinPrince Boateng scored a hat trick in a 4-3 win over Lecce and Antonio Nocerino also scored

three in a 4-1 win over Parma last week.

“We’re allowing too many goals but we’ve got a crazy amount of firepower,” Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said following the victory over Roma.

Milan striker Alexandre Pato is out with a thigh injury while forward Antonio Cassano was taken to a hospital with an undisclosed illness. Boateng was bruised in the match against Roma.—AP

Porto aim to avoid another slip-up NICOSIA: Porto are not afraid to make wholesale changes to their team as they seek to improve on their recent Champions League form and avoid being stunned again by Group G’s surprise leaders APOEL Nicosia in today’s Champions League match in Cyprus.

The Cypriots, who drew 1-1 at twice European champions Porto last time and are the biggest overachievers of this season’s competition so far, will also be looking for a better performance than Friday’s display against Anorthosis when they were forced to settle for a goalless home draw the league.

APOEL’s Serbian coach Ivan Jovanovic said he could understand why the team played so poorly on Friday with the Porto match looming and the possibility of a place in the last 16 awaiting his squad, but an anticipated capacity crowd of 22,000 fans in Nicosia on Tuesday will have high expectations.

With the group stage at the halfway point, APOEL lead the tightly-bunched Group G quartet with five points, one clear of Zenit St Petersburg and Porto and three ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Portuguese champions, who beat Pacos Ferreira 3-0 on Friday and are ahead of Benfica on goal difference at the top of the league, were booed by their fans after what was regarded as an embarrassing draw with APOEL earlier this month. Coach Vitor Pereira said his team had no choice but to go for the three points in Nicosia.

“The APOEL match is fundamental to us. We know that to go over there and win will require a Porto side at its very best level,” he said.

Pereira made some deep changes in the last two domestic league matches, including dropping regulars Kleber and Nicolas Otamendi for striker Walter and centre back Eliaquim Mangala.

The coach told his players that none of them had a guaranteed place in the starting 11 and his shake-up paid dividends as Porto crushed Nacional Madeira 5-0 and then Pacos on Friday.

“I am sure that in the APOEL match, with a good performance and a good win, the fans will applaud, because they love the club and they love football,” said Pereira, assistant to Andre Villas-Boas last season when the club claimed a memorable treble of Europa League, Portuguese Premier League and domestic cup. “Wins bring confidence and confidence brings quality. That is what we will be looking for in Cyprus.”

Mangala, also captain of France’s under-21 team, will probably feature against APOEL. He is taller and physically stronger than Otamendi and impressed in his last two performances in the backline.

Walter, who was on the scoresheet in Porto’s rout over Nacional, cannot be picked because he was not registered to play in the Champions League, a decision that Pereira has publicly regretted. This leaves Brazilian striker Kleber as Porto’s only obvious option to play with Hulk up front.

APOEL coach Jovanovic has problems ahead of the match and does not have too many options to strengthen his side, which contains three Portuguese players and two Cypriots.

They are without injured goalkeeper Dionisios Chiotis and Brazilian defender William Boaventura while midfielder Marchinho is not 100 percent fit after a lengthy injury absence and is unlikely to feature.

The well-organised Cypriots may have had to wait until their second Champions League tournament to earn their first win-at home to Zenit in September-but they have since shown that they are not out of their depth.

They boast a compact defence and pace up front, with Brazilian duo Ailton and Gustavo Manduca their main threats. —Reuters

NICOSIA: Joao Moutinho of FC Porto controls a ball during a training session at GSP stadium in Nicosia. Porto will face Apoel Nicosia today, in a Group G Champions League soccer match.—AP

Matches on TV (Local Timings) UEFA Champions League BATE v AC Milan Al Jazeera Sports +1 Zenit v Shakhtar Al Jazeera Sports +6 Plzen v Barcelona Al Jazeer Sports +2 Apoel v Porto Al Jazeera Sport 8

20:00 20:00 22:45 22:45

Dortmund v Olympiacos Al Jazeera Sports +6 Arsenal v Marseille Al Jazeera Sport +4 Genk v Chelsea Al Jazeera Sports +5 Valencia v Leverkusen Al Jazeera Sports +9

22:45 22:45 22:45 22:45

A

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19

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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Arsenal plan to expose out-of-form Marseille

MEXICO: Fireworks explode as Puerto Rico’s singer Ricky Martin performs during the closing ceremony of the Pan American Games. —AP

US win medals from start to end at Pan Am Games GUADALAJARA: From the first gold right up until the end, the United States was in the mix for medals at the Pan American Games.

The Americans won the very first gold of the 16-day multi-sport event when Heather Irmiger claimed the title in women’s mountain biking. They didn’t get a gold on the final day, but they did earn two bronze medals in Sunday’s three events. “Our whole goal was to reach the podium. That’s what the USOC wanted,” United States rugby sevens coach Al Caravelli said. “We would have liked for it to be higher than bronze, but for our first outing - for some of these younger players - they did an outstanding job.” In the medals table, the United States finished way out ahead with 92 gold and 236 overall. Cuba, which came on strong in the second week of competition, ended up in second place with 58 gold and 136 overall, while Brazil was third with 48 gold and 141 overall.

Brazil’s final gold medal came on the last day of competition when Solonei Silva won the men’s marathon.

Silva, who had been working as a garbage man until two years ago, won the race in 2 hours, 16 minutes, 37 seconds. Colombian teammates Diego Colorado and Juan Cardona took silver and bronze. “I won this medal through sacrifice and a four-month preparation,” Silva said. “People always ask me about my past and I always answer the same thing: I’m very proud of it and now I want to keep working hard as an athlete and train in physical education.”

The Americans got their first bronze of the day in men’s basketball, beating the Dominican Republic 94-92. The United States had not won a medal in the event since 1999, and last won gold in the sport in 1983.

“We came here and we got a medal, that was one of our goals,” said United

States forward Lance Thomas, who scored a team-high 14 points. “We played a pretty tough Dominican Republic team. They fought until the end.”

Puerto Rico ended up with the gold, beating Mexico 74-72. The Puerto Rican women also won gold in basketball.

The second bronze for the United States came in rugby sevens, which will make its Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. After losing to Canada 21-19 in the semifinals, the Americans beat Uruguay 19-12. In the first rugby sevens final at the Pan American Games, Canada beat Argentina 26-24.

But even though the Americans came up short of gold on the final day, they had plenty to celebrate over the two weeks. The swimmers from the United won 18 gold and 44 overall in the pool.

Besides Brazil with 10 golds, no other country won more than one swimming title. And in fencing, the Americans were even more consistent, winning 11 of the 12 gold medals in the sport.

The Cubans won almost half of their gold medals in only two sports - 18 came in athletics and eight more came from nine finals in boxing.

“We’re satisfied, happy, but also not content because we didn’t win the ninth,” said Rolando Acebal, the head coach of the Cuban boxing team. “It’s very important to retake the leadership in the Americas.” Host Mexico finished in fourth place in the medals table, well ahead of Canada with 42 gold and 133 overall. Three of those golds came from diver Paola Espinosa, who may have turned out to be the biggest star of the games in Guadalajara. But like just about everyone else that competed over the last two weeks, it’s the Olympics in London that they are all gearing up for. “I want to be Olympic champion,” Espinosa said. “The Olympic gold is something every day I dream of.” —AP

LONDON: Arsenal’s players are aiming to expose stuttering Marseille to the same attacking football that blew away Chelsea when the teams meet in the Champions League today.

Arsenal’s recovery from a terrible start to the season gathered further momentum with Saturday’s remarkable 5-3 Premier League win at Chelsea, which was previously unbeaten at Stamford Bridge.

With Borussia Dortmund hosting Olympiakos in the other Group F match, leader Arsenal can move to the verge of a second-round place with victory. But the Gunners want another sparkling attacking display to go along with three points.

“If you have gone through what we have gone through since the start of the season, it’s reassuring for me,” Wenger said. “The players have suffered, but that shows the belief and spirit is back. “The players are determined together and they want to play like we did against Chelsea. That encourages us to believe that we have the quality.”

Arsenal won 1-0 at Marseille two weeks ago to take control of their group and another victory at the Emirates Stadium, where the Gunners are unbeaten in Champions League action since the 2008-09 semifinals.

With 28 goals in 27 Premier League matches in 2011, Robin van Persie will again lead the Arsenal attack against Marseille, which is mired in mid-table in the French league with just three wins from its opening 12 matches.

“His intelligence of movement is exceptional and his confidence at the moment is so high that he takes advantage of every situation,” Wenger said. “The captaincy has contributed to his form as well.”

Wenger is likely to select largely the same team that recovered from 1-0 and 2-1 down

against Chelsea, with Per Mertesacker now settling in defense and Mikel Arteta dovetailing well in midfield with Aaron Ramsey, who scored the winner at Stade Velodrome on Oct. 19.

While Arsenal has won five straight matches in all competitions, Saturday’s 3-2 win at Dijon was the first time this season that Marseille has won consecutive league games.

Marseille almost threw away victory when

LONDON: Marseille players take part in a training session at the Emirates stadium in London. Arsenal are due to play Marseille in their Group F Champions League soccer match today. —AP it allowed unheralded Dijon to rally from 2-0 down before substitute Alou Diarra headed the winner with eight minutes left from Mathieu Valbuena in the 82nd. Still, Marseille French champion in 2010 and runner-up to Lille last season - is in ninth place and 14

Canada upset Argentina to win Pan-Am rugby title GUADALAJARA: Two interception tries from Conor Trainor spurred Canada to a 26-24 upset victory over Argentina in the gold medal match in the inaugural rugby sevens tournament at the Pan-American Games on Sunday.

The two-point winning margin ultimately derived from Nathan Hirayama’s fine conversion kick from the left touchline after Canada’s first try but it was Trainor ’s successful forays into the Argentina backline that kept his team in the match. “This time last year he was on the fringe of going to the World Cup and he’s just come back from the World Cup (where he) scored two tries against New Zealand. Now he’s got a gold medal here,” Canada coach Geraint John said of Trainor after the medal ceremony.

“He’s a very instinctive player ...

Sometimes as a coach we tell them not to do it because it can put us out of our structure, but it worked,” John added.

The curly-haired, 21-year-old Trainor said: “I’m sure the coaches were pretty unhappy while I was running but I’m sure their hearts lifted when they saw me catch the ball and go in.”

Rugby, which has also been played at

the Commonwealth Games, will return to the Olympic Games in the sevens format at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

The United States, last winners of the Olympic gold medal in rugby in Paris in 1924, were third at the Pan-American Games after beating Uruguay 21-17 for the bronze medal. In the gold medal final, favourites Argentina went ahead with a converted try under the posts by Gabriel Azcarate with John Moonlight touching down in the left corner in a Canadian breakaway and Hirayama converting to put the teams level at 7-7.

Francisco Cuneo crossed to give Argentina a 12-7 lead at the interval but Moonlight scored his second try soon after the restart and Trainor’s first intercept gave Canada the lead for the first time. Replacement Ramiro Moyano scored under the posts at the other end and Gonzalo Gutierrez converted to put Argentina level again at 19-19.

But Trainor, who scored his t wo t r i e s a g a i n s t e ve n t u a l c h a m p i o n s New Zealand in a pool match at the World Cup, made another interception when Argentina lost possession in a tackle. — Reuters

League season since 2002-03. “It’s the most important (game) for us to date,” Dortmund defender Neven Subotic said. “We’ve gotten ourselves into a situation where we really need a win. The faster we score the better, because we only have three chances left.” —AP

Ronaldinho greeted by jeers, protests on return RIO DE JANEIRO: Ronaldinho was greeted by jeers and protests as he returned to Gremio, the club where he was raised, for a Brazilian championship match with Flamengo.

The former AC Milan and Barcelona player’s unhappy return was completed when he received a yellow card and his side squandered a 2-0 lead to lose 4-2.

“Everyone knew this was going to happen but for anyone who is used to the Flamengo supporters, it’s not really much noise,” he told reporters after Sunday’s game.

Ronaldinho left Gremio in 2001 to join Paris St Germain in acrimonious circumstances. He angered fans of the Porto Alegre club still further this year when he chose to join Flamengo instead of Gremio on leaving AC Milan. He was jeered every time he touched the ball and fans held up banners reading “mercenary.”

Although Gremio scored four goals, one of the biggest cheers of the after-

noon came when Ronaldinho received a yellow card for dissent.

Deivid and Thiago Neves put Flamengo 2-0 ahead but Gremio hit back with goals by Andre Lima either side of halftime before Dougles and Argentine substitute Ezequiel Miralles completed a home win.

Corinthians went top with a 2-1 win over relegation-threatened Avai, coming from behind despite playing most of the second half with 10 men.

Robson put Avai in front after 12 minutes in torrential rain and Leandro Castan was sent off in the 50th minute for a professional foul.

Despite this, Emerson levelled just after the hour and former Portugal striker Liedson grabbed the winner with a header which just crossed the line.

Corinthians have 58 points from 32 games, level with Vasco da Gama who were held 0-0 at home by Sao Paulo, and lead by virtue of the number of games won. —Reuters

AC Milan aiming to secure qualification

MEXICO: Argentina’s Manuel Montero (right) pushes back the face of Canada’s Ciaran Hearn during the men’s gold medal rugby match at the Pan American Games. Canada won the gold and Argentina took the silver. —AP

points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain after only 12 games.

“We’ve started a small streak,” striker Loic Remy said. “Let’s hope it will continue.” Arsenal has seven points to Marseille’s six and is almost certain to advance if it wins today.

Borussia Dortmund is bottom of Group F with a single point and looking for its first win after losing to Olympiakos and Marseille, and drawing with Arsenal in its first Champions

MINSK: AC Milan could secure qualification for the Champions League knockout rounds if they come away from Belarus with three points today.

Milan and Barcelona have been totally dominant in the group stages so far and if they both win they will both be through to the last 16 with a winner takes top spot clash to come at the San Siro in three weeks time.

If the Italians beat BATE Borisov then they will have qualified unless Viktoria Plzen stun the Spanish title holders and win in the Czech Republic.

Milan already beat the Belarussians 20 at the San Siro two weeks ago and won by the same score on their only previous visit to their opponents in September 2001.

That match was played in Minsk’s Dinamo Stadion, as this one will be, as the Haradzki Stadium in Borisov doesn’t meet European standards.

Milan come into the game in fine form in the league following four straight wins, and five in all competitions, but they have a couple of worries before heading to Minsk.

Striker Antonio Cassano was taken ill on Saturday night when returning from Milan’s 3-2 victory at Roma and had to be admitted to hospital.

He was allegedly having difficulty speaking and moving and had to spend a second night at the hospital after being transferred to the neurological department.

Milan club doctor Rodolfo Tavana ruled Cassano out of the trip to Belarus as he had to undergo tests on his heart and brain.

“The boy is not well and we’re looking into it,” said Tavana. “He won’t be travelling to Minsk and will be out of action for several days.”

Milan are already without Brazilian striker Pato and Italian full-back Luca Antonini while Ghana midfielder KevinPrince Boateng is a doubt after picking up a knock against Roma and was due to be assessed yesterday morning.

At least veteran Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf is expected to be back from a knee problem for the trip. If there is hope for Borisov it will be that Milan have been far from secure at the back this season.

They have let in 14 goals, giving them the fifth worst defence in Serie A. Last week chief executive Adriano Galliani felt compelled to ring Allegri and remind him that the best defence rather than the best attack usually wins the league but Milan still conceded two at the weekend.

Surprisingly, Allegri pointed at veteran Alessandro Nesta and told his stallwart to improve following the Roma game.

“We conceded a goal from a corner and we have to improve there,” he said.

“On the second Nesta needed to be a little more decisive and maybe just hoof the ball into touch. “But the important thing was to win and earn our fourth successive win in the league. “Now we have the Champions League and then we’ll prepare for Catania, who are doing very well at the moment. —AFP

BELARUS: AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri speaks during a news conference on the eve of his team’s Champions League soccer match against Borisov Bate. —AP

GERMANY: Dortmund’s scorer Lukasz Piszczek (left) and teammate Shinji Kagawa of Japan celebrate in this fie photo. —AP

Dortmund in crunch clash DORTMUND: Borussia Dor tmund coach Jurgen K lopp admits his side must beat Greece’s Olympiakos today to keep any hopes alive of reaching the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

After drawing with Arsenal in their first game, consecutive defeats at both Marseille and Olympiakos mean Dortmund have just one point from their first three games and a third defeat would mean they are just playing for pride.

Dortmund’s main injury concern is Germany midfielder Sven Bender, who had to come off with a numb foot during his team’s 1-1 draw at VfB Stuttgar t in the German league on Saturday.

But K lopp says his side must match Olympiakos at home after losing 3-1 in Greece a fortnight ago as the defeat left the Germans bottom of Group F, five points adrift of secondplaced M arseille and six behind leaders Arsenal.

“We need to play at least as well as we did against Stuttgart,” said Klopp. “Our chances of qualifying are over if we lose. “We have learned our lessons from the first three games and we know what we have to do to make this group more interesting.”

While Dortmund were drawing in Stuttgart, Olympiakos were held to a 2-2 draw at home to OFI Crete and the Greeks, third in the group, need a win just as badly as the Germans.

“It is our most important game to date,” said Dortmund defender Neven Subotic. “We got ourselves into a situation where we really need a win. “ The faster we can score the better, because we only have three chances left to get some points.”

With German cup and league games coming thick and fast for Dortmund, on top of their Champions League campaign, Dortmund face their sixth game in 19 days on Tuesday and Subotic says there is little time for anything other than resting and playing.

“All we are doing at the moment is sleeping and playing football,” he said. “Sunday was a day of regeneration and lying on the couch, so to be ready for today. “It’s not much of a life at the moment.” —AFP

Bravo puts Windies in control

15

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Canada upset Argentina to win Pan-Am rugby title

19

Arsenal plan to expose out-of-form Marseille

Page 19

TORONTO: Buffalo Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin (21) dives to try to make an interception against Washington Redskins wide receiver Anthony Armstrong during the first half of an NFL football game. —AP

Rams shock Saints 31-21 in NFL ST. LOUIS: Inspired by the hometown Cardinals stunning surge to the baseball World Series title, the St. Louis Rams pulled off a shocking win of their own in the NFL. Steven Jackson scored twice in his first 100-yard game in three seasons and the lowly Rams earned their first win this season Sunday, a 31-21 upset of the New Orleans Saints.

Drew Brees barely kept alive his touchdown pass streak on a meaningless score in the final seconds a week after throwing five in a 62-7 rout of the winless Colts. Brees was intercepted twice, too, with Darian Stewart’s pick and 27-yard return putting the game away with 2:51 to go. The NFC Southleading Saints (5-3) average a league-best 35 points, but never got going against a defense ranked near the bottom of the league. The Rams (16) had a season-high six sacks after entering the game with just 11, three by Chris Long.

Steelers 25, Patriots 17 At Pittsburgh, Ben Roethlisberger passed for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers finally found a way to beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes and led the Steelers (6-2) on a series of clock-chewing drives, effectively keeping Brady and the NFL’s topranked offense off the field. Pittsburgh held the ball for more than 39 minutes and survived a late rally to win its fourth straight following a 2-2 start.

Brady passed for two touchdowns but threw for a season-low 198 yards and couldn’t get into any sort of rhythm while losing to the Steelers for just the second time in his career. The Patriots (5-2) drew within six when Brady hit Aaron Hernandez for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 2:35 remaining, but a last-gasp drive ended when Brady was sacked and the ball rolled out of the end zone for a safety with 8 seconds to play.

NFL results/standings Tennessee 27, Indianapolis 10; St. Louis 31, New Orleans 21; NY Giants 20, Miami 17; Minnesota 24, Carolina 21; Baltimore 30, Arizona 27; Houston 24, Jacksonville 14; Buffalo 23, Washington 0; Detroit 45, Denver 10; Pittsburgh 25, New England 17; San Francisco 20, Cleveland 10; Cincinnati 34, Seattle 12; Philadelphia 34, Dallas 7.

American Football Conference AFC East W L T OTL PF PA Buffalo 5 2 0 0 211 147 New England 5 2 0 0 202 160 NY Jets 4 3 0 0 172 152 Miami 0 7 0 1 107 166 AFC North Pittsburgh 6 2 0 0 176 139 Cincinnati 5 2 0 0 171 123 Baltimore 5 2 0 0 182 110 Cleveland 3 4 0 0 107 140 AFC South Houston 5 3 0 0 206 142 Tennessee 4 3 0 0 139 145 Jacksonville 2 6 0 0 98 163 Indianapolis 0 8 0 0 121 252 AFC West San Diego 4 2 0 0 141 136 Oakland 4 3 0 0 160 178 Kansas City 3 3 0 0 105 150 Denver 2 5 0 0 133 200

PCT .714 .714 .571 0 .750 .714 .714 .429 .625 .571 .250 0 .667 .571 .500 .286

National Football Conference NFC East NY Giants 5 2 0 0 174 164 Philadelphia 3 4 0 0 179 152 Dallas 3 4 0 0 156 162 Washington 3 4 0 0 116 139 NFC North Green Bay 7 0 0 0 230 141 Detroit 6 2 0 0 239 147 Chicago 4 3 0 0 170 150 Minnesota 2 6 0 1 172 199 NFC South New Orleans 5 3 0 0 260 186 Tampa Bay 4 3 0 0 128 169 Atlanta 4 3 0 0 158 163 Carolina 2 6 0 0 187 207 NFC West San Francisco 6 1 0 1 187 107 Seattle 2 5 0 0 109 162 St. Louis 1 6 0 0 87 192 Arizona 1 6 0 0 143 183

.714 .429 .429 .429 1.000 .750 .571 .250 .625 .571 .571 .250 .857 .286 .143 .143

10 of 30 passes for 97 yards with two interceptions.

Vikings 24, Panthers 21 At Charlotte, Ryan Longwell kicked a 31-yard field goal with 2:43 left, and Carolina’s Olindo Mare missed from the same distance with 26 seconds left that would have leveled it.

Cam Newton put the Panthers (2-6) in position with a 44-yard completion to Brandon LaFell on fourth-and-15, but Mare’s kick was wide left and Minnesota (2-6) came away with the win.

Adrian Peterson had 162 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns for the Vikings.

Christian Ponder won the battle of rookie quarterbacks, completing 18 of 28 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown. Newton threw a season-best three TD passes, but had two costly fumbles on blindside hits that led to a pair of Minnesota touchdowns in the first half.

Lions 45, Broncos 10 At Denver, Detroit sacked Tim Tebow seven times and turned his two turnovers into touchdowns. Cornerback Chris Houston had the fourth 100-yard interception return in team history and defensive end Cliff Avril got a sack, strip and scoop, rumbling 24 yards into the end zone with a fumble as part of Detroit’s 45-point run after the Broncos (2-5) had taken a 3-0 lead on their first drive.

Matthew Stafford hardly showed any ill effects from a sprained right ankle sustained a week earlier, completing 21 of 30 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Tebow was 18 for 39 for 172 yards.

Giants 20, Dolphins 17 At East Rutherford, Eli Manning threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz with 5:58 remaining to keep Miami winless. Manning hit 31 of 45 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns in rallying the Giants from an 11-point first-half deficit. Mario Manningham caught the other touchdown, a 7yard play which got New York (5-2) back into the game late in the first half.

Titans 27, Colts 10 At Nashville, Matt Hasselbeck threw for 224 yards and a touchdown, and Nate Washington scored twice as Tennessee kept Indianapolis winless. Rob Bironas kicked field goals of 51 and 50 yards, and Jason McCourty recovered a blocked punt in the end zone as the Titans (4-3) snapped a two-game skid. Colts quarterback Curtis Painter was sacked twice and threw two interceptions, which were turned into touchdowns by the Titans in their first win over the Colts since Oct. 27, 2008.

The Colts (0-8), without Peyton Manning, trailed 20-0 by halftime coming off a 62-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Eagles 34, Cowboys 7 At Philadelphia, Michael Vick threw two touchdown passes and LeSean McCoy had a career-best 185 yards rushing and two scores as Philadelphia thrashed Dallas. The Eagles racked up 495 total yards and held the ball for 42:09. They thoroughly outplayed a defense that came in ranked seventh in the NFL. DeMarcus Ware was one of the few players who played well for Dallas. He had four sacks, and has 12 this season.

Coming off a 253-yard rushing performance in a win over St. Louis, Cowboys rookie DeMarco Murray was held to 74 yards on only eight carries.

Ravens 30, Cardinals 27 At Baltimore, Billy Cundiff kicked a 25-yard field goal as time expired and Ray Rice scored a careerhigh three touchdowns as Baltimore pulled off the biggest comeback in Ravens history.

Using a fumble recovery and an 82-yard punt return by Patrick Peterson, Arizona scored three

with 8:55 left, but the Ravens won it with a 37-yard, beat-the-clock drive in the final minute.

DENVER: Broncos wide receiver Quan Cosby (center) is tackled by Detroit Lions strong safety John Wendling (29) and linebacker Ashlee Palmer (left) in the third quarter of an NFL football game. —AP touchdowns during a five-minute span of the second quarter to take a 24-3 lead. Baltimore (5-2) then went on a 24-point run and moved in front

27-24 when Rice scored his third touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Arizona (16) pulled even with a 45-yard field goal by Jay Feely

Texans 24, Jaguars 14 At Houston, Arian Foster rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown, and Houston shut down rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert and the NFL’s worst offense. Matt Schaub threw a TD pass and ran for another score for Houston (5-3), off to its best eight-game start. The Texans also took one more step toward the franchise’s first division title and playoff berth by improving to 3-0 in the AFC South. The Jaguars (2-6) couldn’t carry momentum from their surprising 12-7 win over Baltimore on Monday night. Maurice JonesDrew scored with 5:15 left, but the Texans used nearly the rest of regulation to set up Neil Rackers’ 39-yard field goal. Gabbert completed

Bengals 34, Seahawks 12 At Seattle, rookie quarterback Andy Dalton threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes and Brandon Tate returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown. Dalton tossed TDs of 14 yards to Jerome Simpson and a 43-yarder that dropped into the arms of A.J. Green in the second quarter to give the Bengals (5-2) a 17-3 lead.

From there, the Bengals leaned on their impressive defense that bent, but managed to keep Seattle out of the end zone until the fourth quarter.

The victory made gave Marvin Lewis a record 65 career victories as Bengals coach.

Bills 23, Redskins 0 At Toronto, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdowns and the Bills defense had nine sacks over injury-riddled Washington in Buffalo’s adopted home north of the border. Scott Chandler caught both touchdown passes, including a 15-yarder to open the third quarter, that put Buffalo ahead 20-0. Fred Jackson had 120 yards rushing and 74 receiving in helping the Bills (5-2) get off to their first 4-0 start at “home” since 1995. The Redskins (3-4) have lost three straight and continue to unravel due to injuries.

49ers 20, Browns 10 At San Francisco, Frank Gore ran for both 125plus yards and a touchdown in a fourth straight game and Michael Crabtree made his first TD reception of the season. Alex Smith completed 15 of 24 passes for 177 yards, leading the NFC Westleading 49ers (6-1) to their fifth consecutive victory since an overtime loss to the Cowboys in Week 2.

For Colt McCoy and the Browns (3-4), it’s 0-for the Bay Area. They lost two weeks ago in Oakland, then flopped across San Francisco Bay at Candlestick Park. Gore already had 103 yards on 19 carries by halftime, then got the other 7 he needed to pass Roger Craig and move into second place on the franchise rushing list with 7,089. Gore wound up with 134 yards on 31 carries.—AP

$13.4bn worth of projects being tendered in Kuwait Page 23

eXtra IPO to open for subscription on Dec 5 Page 22 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Kuwait stocks advance

Page 24

New ECB chief Draghi faces tussle over bank’s role Page 26

KUWAIT: Dr Martin Feldstein addresses NBK International Advisory Board meeting 2011 at Sehraton Hotel. — Photo Yasser Al-Zayyat

US recovery not before 2012 elections: Expert Dr Feldstein addresses NBK International Advisory Board meeting 2011

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The United States has been experiencing a ‘very unusual’ and unprecedented economic crisis that could persist till 2013 or immediately after the November 2012 elections, a renowned US academic predicted.

Addressing the NBK’s International Advisory Board Meeting 2011 held on Sunday night at Sheraton Hotel, Dr Martin Feldstein, President Emeritus of NBER and Professor of Economics at Harvard University opined that members of the Congress are too busy planning their reelection. “When I talk to them [members of Congress and Senate] in private, they said, their priority right now is to get re-elected. Once they are reelected, they’re going to talk about the situation and perhaps agree on reasonable policies that could change economic conditions,” he said.

He pointed out that the November 2012 elections can bring about a dramatic change in the economic outlook in the US. “New presidency and policy makers can change the whole scenario. But Republicans are saying that they have simple message for the voters” ‘We are not going to raise any taxes.’ Democrats are also equally saying that they are not going to cut entitlements. Both sides are not prepared to help the economy back on track,” he said. The truth according to the eminent pro-

fessor, the United States is experiencing two deep economic problems - the recession which began in December 2007 and the piling up of national debt, which is virtually connected to previous recession. He noted that there is a huge possibility [about 50 percent] that even before completely exiting in the economic recession, America is sliding down [again] to another troubling recession. “The national debt rise from unprecedented 40 percent to 60 percent a year ago and we are predicting that in the coming decade it will run close to 100 percent,” he said.

Feldstein who is also a member of advisory board of NBK reiterated that economic troubles in the US economy will persist till after the election and that dramatic policy changes will only happen after the election. “I am optimistic by 2013. When we see the election and the policy changes; I think it will have a dramatic impact especially in bringing down fiscal deficits,” he added. He underlined that policies and economic recoveries under the Obama administration has been too weak to bring the economy back on track or to healthy growth.

According to Feldstein, the economic trouble in the United States has not only been over-extended for a lengthy period but also, if there has been some recoveries [that took place] it was slower and made unsustainable.

He argued that the recession wasn’t the typical

recession that was experienced in the US in the past. “We had several recessions in the past and lasted only for few months, the longest was ten months. When we are back, recovery has always been quick and fast. But the economic recession we experienced has been long lasting and definitely at a slower pace and I am afraid the US will not recover soon, could be after elections,” he added.

Feldstein noted that US economy this year began with a very weak growth rate with only one percent during the first half of this year.

“Maybe in the third quarter, we have about 2.5 percent growth rate, but it was also very weak and wasn’t strong enough since it was artificial in nature,” he argued. Feldstein mentioned the growing number of unemployed Americans.

“We have about nine percent unemployment rate and six percent accounted for workforce that are not working-in-full-time. Wages are also two percent lesser than a year ago,” he pointed out. “Consumers lack confidence about the future and they are nervous and as a result most of the consumers are cutting back,” he argued.

Other speakers were Dr Mohammed ElErian and Bill Rhodes who focused their presentations on the economic troubles and gain in Europe and China respectively. El-Erian pointed out that no-one is immune to the troubles being experienced right now by two

largest economies, US and Europe. “The question now is not about the impact on the GCC because it is already obvious. It is the ability of GCC to play a good defense. The good thing is that the GCC has a strong balance sheets, and

KUWAIT: Dr Martin Feldstein, Dr Ibrahim Dabdoub and NBK officials pose for a photo. they have institutions that are both private and public to play selected offense,” he added. He added GCC or MENA region is placed in the right side of the world to absorb or react positively in the global economic downturn.

Ibrahim Dabdoub, NBK Chairman intro-

ent world indeed. The advanced economies of the US and the EU are the ones suffering the most and are hoping that ‘yesterday’s students’ including the Chinese and GCC sovereign wealth funds will be the ones to come to their financial rescue,” he said.

UAE, Qatar slip on profit-taking

Wataniya releases iPhone 4S starting at KD 7 per Month KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom continues its efforts in providing the latest smartphones to its customers bundled with a wide range of packages to suit their preferences. Apple’s newest device, the iPhone 4S is now available at all Wataniya branches across Kuwait. By introducing and offering this product Wataniya aims at giving its customers a wider range of choice in the world of technology.

The newly launched iPhone 4S is available at a starting cash price of KD 150 or for KD 7 per month installment when customers subscribe to any Wataniya postpaid package. The device has a faster processor, iOS 5 and an enhanced 8 MP camera. The main highlights and upgraded features of the iPhone 4S include SIRI for voice commands and iCloud to store and manage large amounts of information.

Abdolaziz Al-Balool, Public Relations Director at Wataniya Telecom commented on the release of the new device by saying, “Our customers are our priority. They are entitled to choose from the best available products and services. That is why we successfully launched the Android Smart phones from Google and we also want to offer them Apple’s latest model, iPhone 4S. We want people to choose what is best for them and we are reaffirming our commitment to them with the latest in the world of communication.”

Al Balool added, “We are always working hard to provide products and services of high quality to our customers. We want to make them feel unique and distinguished. For that, Wataniya is eager to always provide a variety of choices of devices whether they’re Android, Apple, BlackBerry or others.”

For more information around Wataniya Telecom’s newest products, please visit www.wataniya.com , or follow Wataniya on Twitter www.twitter.com/wataniyatelecom , or check latest updates on www.facebook.com/wataniya or get the latest news on their blog www.wataniya.com/blog .

duced them to group of spectators mostly from banking and financial sector executives.

He said, speakers will talk about the global crisis and why the world is facing intractable financial and economic problems. “It is a differ-

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

CANNES: French anti-riot motorcyclists pass by the Palais des Festivals yesterday in Cannes, southeastern France, three days ahead of the G20 summit held in this building. The leaders of the world’s economic powerhouses meet on November 3 and 4, 2011 in this French seaside resort of Cannes hoping to agree measures to head off the threat of global recession. The board reads : “.. new world, new ideas”. —AFP

DUBAI: UAE’s markets slipped from fourweek highs yesterday as investors booked profits following steep gains in the previous two sessions, with property stocks mixed after a fresh set of quarterly results, and Qatar also dipped. Dubai’s index slipped 0.6 percent.

Builder Arabtec shed 1.4 percent despite posting a more -than-fivefold increase in quarterly net profit and beating analyst expectations. Emirates NBD and Aramex were the main drags, dropping 0.9 and 2.7 percent respectively.

“Today’s retracement is healthy as it probably signals a transitory period of price consolidation,” said Talal Touqan, head of equity research at Al Ramz Securities. “We could see DFM index testing 1,385 levels before resuming the corrective wave.

Panic starts only if it drops below such retracements... technically speaking,” he add.

Abu Dhabi’s benchmark also slipped, falling 0.3 percent. Banks weighed, with National Bank of Abu Dhabi down 0.9 percent and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank losing 1.3 percent. Sorouh Real Estate bucked the trend, rising 1 percent after posting a 13.4-percent rise in third-quarter net profit that missed forecasts. The stock was down 37.7 percent in 2011. “Given where Sorouh is at the moment and the balance sheet that they have, they are in a really good position to capitalize on the growth in Abu Dhabi over the next three to four years,” said Amer Khan, fund manager, Shuaa Asset Management. Aldar Properties shed 0.9 percent after saying it

will cut its workforce by 24 percent.

Elsewhere, Qatar’s index shed 0.3 percent, slipping from Sunday’s five-month high. Barwa Real Estate was the main drag, down 3.2 percent from Sunday’s 12-week high, after its third-quarter profits fell.

Qatar Electricity and Water dipped 1.3 percent.

“Foreigners were a large part of selling in the beginning of the month, but last week, they have been coming back as buyers,” says Robert Pramberger, acting head of asset management at Doha-based investment company The First Investor.

“They are coming back on a longer-term view and on valuations, now that Europe is looking better.”

In Kuwait, the shares index edged higher by 0.2 percent but investor sentiment remained mixed as they wait for major companies to post quarterly results. Lowcost carrier Jazeera Airways jumped 5.3 percent, rising for a sixth straight session to a fresh three-year high.

The airline’s chairman said last week it would post record profit for 2011. “The bluechips that have risen recently will be tested once the results are out,” said a Kuwait-based trader. Small caps were actively traded, with Global Investment down 2 percent. Al Enma Real Estate climbed 5.6 percent and Al Salam Group gained 3.1 percent. In Oman, the index rose 0.3 percent, helped by Renaissance Services , which gained 2.7 percent. Oman International Bank added 1.5 percent.

Markets in Saudi Arabia and Egypt ended little changed. —Reuters

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New ASUS N series notebooks take sound to the next level KUWAIT: To meet the ever-growing multimedia needs of users, ASUS has continuously pushed notebook audio to new milestones, as shown by the redesigned N Series. Featuring a simple and elegant design by David Lewis and an enhanced version of SonicMaster Technology co-developed with Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, N Series notebooks also ship with a bundled subwoofer.

Instant On two-second notebook resume and 15-day standby power, USB Charger+ device charging even with the notebook turned off, the latest 2nd gen-

eration Intel Core processors, NVIDIA GeForce graphics, and superfast USB 3.0 help new N Series notebooks provide users with a more incredible multimedia experience than ever before.

Designed with David Lewis ASUS has established a close relationship with master designer David Lewis, whose studio has been responsible for accounts such as Bang & Olufsen for several decades. Previous collaboration included work on the NX90 notebook, and ASUS and Lewis got together again

to develop the new N Series. Its streamlined and modern concept combines simplicity and elegance for a unique look. Some of the main points include polished metal frames around edges, glossy piano-like surfaces, and a sound wave-inspired speaker mesh. The keyboard offers seamless integration with the rest of the notebook as well as reinforced fast action keys for improved typing, while palm rests give consumers the benefit of a soft-touch feel.

Creating a new dimension of notebook PC audio, SonicMaster delivers an

expanded sound range, improved fidelity, deeper bass and more distinct vocals.

Its performance rivals that of dedicated surround systems, thanks to audio by Bang & Olufsen ICEpower. ASUS is also offering a bundled external subwoofer with new N Series notebooks to further improve bass output and create impactful sound. It’s important to note the enhanced version of SonicMaster Technology as featured on new N Series notebooks offers performance beyond that found on previous NX90 models, yet does so on a more portable form factor.

Lulu Hypermarket picks winners of final draw for Dream Drive promotion KUWAIT: Lulu Hypermarket, the regional retail heavyweight announced the winners of their ‘Dream Drive’ promotion, on Sunday, October 30, at the hypermarket’s Al Rai branch.

The special ‘Dream Drive’ promotion, which started on 21 July, 2011 and ran till 22 October, 2011, included a raffle coupon for every KD 3 worth of purchase, which entitled the holder to two raffle draws.

Fifteen winners of the first draw, held on 4th September, walked away with a 16GB iPhone each, and one lucky winner received keys to a brand-new Mercedes Benz car. The second draw, which took place at the end of the promotion, in

front of large crowd of shoppers, again featured 15 more iPhones and another Mercedes Benz car.

As part of Lulu Hypermarket’s initiative to make shopping at the hypermarket rewarding to their customers, the ‘Dream Drive’ promotion rewarded 30 shoppers with an iPhone each, and two lucky winners both went home driving a Mercedes.

At the prize distribution ceremony to mark the end of the Dream Drive promotion, Sreejith, Regional Manager, presented the Mercedes car keys to the winners in the presence of Martin Daly, Operation Manager, Abdul Samad, Commercial Executive and Abdul Khadar, General Manager of Al Rai Branch.

eXtra IPO to open for subscription on Dec 5 Consumer giant to offer 7.2 million shares KUWAIT: United Electronics Company (eXtra), Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing big box consumer electronics and home appliance retailer, announced yesterday that the Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA) has approved the company’s application to hold an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The eXtra offering consists of 7.2 million shares, representing 30 per cent of the company’s share capital. Following the completion of the bookbuilding process, this landmark offering will open for subscription on December 5, 2011, and close on December 11, 2011. The offering will be open to all Saudi nationals.

HSBC Saudi Arabia Limited has been appointed as the Financial Advisor, Lead Manager and Lead Underwriter for the IPO, and Blominvest Saudi Arabia as co-underwriter.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Khobar, eXtra is by far the largest consumer electronics and home appliances retailer in Saudi Arabia - at more than three times the size of its nearest competitor in terms of number of stores. Indeed, with an annual turnover of more than SAR 2 billion and earnings of SAR 126.5 million for the 12-month period from July 2010June 2011, eXtra is today uniquely positioned to realize its aim of becoming the regional consumer electronics retail leader by 2020.

Currently, eXtra provides the over 9 million customers it serves annually with more than 12,000 products across its 21 stores - serving 90 per cent of the population of Saudi Arabia. The company has announced that it intends to open three more stores by the end of this year.

In addition, eXtra recently introduced its online shopping portal (www.extra.com), the first fully fledged electronics and home appliance website of its kind in the Kingdom with home delivery to more than 23 cities.

“Today’s announcement represents a major milestone in the ongoing development of eXtra, one of Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing companies

Abdullah A. Al Fozan and most-admired brands,” said Abdullah A. Al Fozan, Chairman, United Electronics Company (eXtra). “We are grateful to the Capital Market Authority for approving our application, which

will enable the wider public to participate directly in our ongoing success.”

Al Fozan added that the offering comes at a time when eXtra is determined to continue its rapid growth trajectory. “With more stores and more products than any other consumer electronics retailer in the Kingdom,” he said, “we continue to demonstrate our ability to meet the needs of our customers - wherever they are and whenever they need us. We are delighted to have this opportunity to expand our exceptional brand promise to the market through our upcoming public offering.”

“By any standard, eXtra represents one of the Kingdom’s true retail success stories, and we are very proud to be associated with the company’s IPO,” said Walid Khoury, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Saudi Arabia Limited. “We are working closely with the management of eXtra and the Capital Market Authority during this exciting process.” With more than 1,700 employees, eXtra is a major contributor to the economic growth and diversification of Saudi Arabia. It has been voted by one of the Kingdom’s leading financial newspapers as having the “Best Retail Working Environment in the Kingdom.”

In both 2010 and 2011, eXtra was cited by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) as one of the Kingdom’s fastest-growing companies. In addition, the company was recently named, for the second consecutive year, as one of the top 50 brands in the Kingdom in recognition of its exceptional growth and sustained commercial success.

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2720000 .4370000 .3820000 .3130000 .2720000 .2870000 .0040000 .0020000 .0743610 .7244760 .3810000 .0700000 .7102170 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2731500 GB Pound/KD .4377090 Euro .3827920 Swiss francs .3137850 Canadian dollars .2738760 Danish Kroner .0514380 Swedish Kroner .0423610 Australian dlr .2891020 Hong Kong dlr .0351680 Singapore dlr .2190110 Japanese yen .0035100 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0743970 Bahraini dinars .7248240 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0728590 Omani riyals .7097570 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.495 5.632 3.173 2.494 3.543 220.420 35.451 3.606 6.454 8.960 0.271 0.273

.2775000 .4470000 .3920000 .3230000 .2790000 .2970000 .0072500 .0035000 .0751080 .7317570 .4010000 .0760000 .7173540 .0072000 .0530000 .2767500 .4434780 .3878370 .3179210 .2774850 .0521160 .0429200 .2929120 .0356320 .2218970 .0035560 .0057180 .0025190 .0032120 .0036510 .0753780 .7343770 .3914430 .0738200 .7191110 .0065430

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 73.443 75.673 715.340 731.500 74.993

Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.500 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.105 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.260 Tunisian Dinar 198.130 Jordanian Dinar 388.920 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 184.800 Syrian Lier 5.946 Morocco Dirham 35.295 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 275.300 Euro 387.070 Sterling Pound 441.580 Canadian dollar 276.540 Turkish lire 156.900 Swiss Franc 316.910 Australian dollar 289.840 US Dollar Buying 274.100 GOLD 314.000 160.000 82.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

COUNTRY

SELL CASH

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal

294.300 731.790 3.720 278.700 540.500 36.600 53.800 167.800 48.120 389.700 36.110 5.980 0.032 0.225 0.239 3.580 390.510 0.186 92.480 46.300 4.230 227.000 1.783 51.300 714.700

SELL DRAFT

292.800 731.790 3.613 277.200

221.200 46.133 388.200 35.960 5.650 0.032

10 Tola

74.920 275.100

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

273.850 277.615 442.140 389.790 317.635 726.070 74.535 75.165 72.990 385.475 45.923 2.482 5.619 3.164 3.606 6.425 671.723 3.710 9.070 5.765 3.560 90.965

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

275.100 3.180 5.630 2.505 3.620 6.495 75.000 73.515 731.400 46.105 445.000 3.190 1.550 390.900 5.750 390.800 280.200 3.690

Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

294.71 280.12 320.77 388.10

444.00 3.62 3.705 5.950 2.600 4.250 3.250 75.25 732.00 48.10 392.00 717.00 76.15 73.50

Al Mulla Exchange

UAE Exchange Center WLL Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro

443.43 3.58 3.620 5.635 2.497 3.541 3.181 74.88 731.76 46.11 381.39 714.96 75.86 73.46

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 443.000 275.100

Sterling Pound US Dollar

Currency

714.520

318.700 5.500 9.160

Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

Currency

389.900 0.185 92.480 3.540 225.500

3.180 6.460 75.690 73.470 221.180 37.710 2.495 443.000

GOLD 1,773.880

Rate for Transfer

Bahrain Exchange Company

3.250 6.540 76.120 73.470 221.180 37.710 2.599 445.000 43.600 320.200 5.500 9.330 198.263 75.020 275.500 1.200

295.00 279.00 320.00 389.50

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

274.750 388.000 442.800 277.000 3.550 5.640 46.055 2.495 3.608 6.455 3.180 731.700 74.850 73.400

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Exclusive tie-up with Gulf Bank and KNCC during Eid Al-Adha

$13.4bn worth of projects being tendered in Kuwait

Latest blockbusters at just 500 fils

Kuwait Energy, Infrastructure Projects 2011 expo

KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced yesterday an exclusive partnership with Kuwait National Cinema Company (KNCC). The launch of its joint promotion offers the Bank’s red customers the latest movies at any KNCC theater for only 500 fils, by using their red ATM cards to purchase

Yaser Sulaiman, Manager

Executive

cinema tickets from ticket kiosks in all KNCC cinema theatres throughout Kuwait. This promotion is valid from November 3 to 12, 2011.

Yaser Sulaiman, Executive Manager, Consumer Banking Group at Gulf Bank said: “Our customers are, and will remain our top priority and we try very hard to meet their needs. We were pleased by the feedback we received since the last KNCC offer and have decided to introduce it again during Eid Al Adha, to provide our red(tm) customers the chance to see the latest movies at a fraction of the price. We will continue to develop new promotions that are suited to our customers’ needs. Gulf Bank wishes all our customers Eid Mubarak.”

Gulf Bank’s red program caters to university and college students aged 17 to 24 years old. There is no deposit required to open a red account nor a minimum balance charge. To join red program, existing or prospective Gulf Bank customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 55 branches or contact the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance. They can also log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website, to find all the information they need regarding the red(tm) program and its benefits.

KUWAIT: Opportunities in Kuwait’s $13.4 billion projects market will be in the spotlight at a four-day conference being hosted by MEED, the primary source of business intelligence for the Middle East.

Kuwait Energy and Infrastructure Projects 2011, being held from Monday 31 October to Thursday 3 November 2011 at The Kuwait Marriott Courtyard, Kuwait City, will update delegates on major developments in Kuwait’s project market and address the key issues in delivering the successful implementation of the National Plan.

LG unveils air care product range for home users KUWAIT: LG Electronics (LG), global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, has introduced an extensive range of Air Purifiers aimed at providing cleaner and healthier indoor breathing air. Most individuals spend over 80% of their lifetime indoor inhaling unfiltered air which can lead to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). SBS can lead to respiratory and sensory irritation causing discomfort to the

of air within closed spaces, we realize that it is equally harmful and can cause several respiratory as well as chronic joint and muscle ailments. CoreCare, LG’s smart technology, filters harmful substances in the air, humidifies and washes the air through natural vaporization, catching viruses and bacteria with NPI. With LG’s Air Purifier, customers can enjoy more pleasant air, safe in the knowledge that their family is being protected from respiratory diseases”, said H.S Paik, President, LG Gulf FZE. The range includes Aqua 3 in 1 Air Purifier, Black Hole Air Purifier, Air Bus Air Purifier, Virus Pro Nano Plasma Ionizer and Air Washer 3 in 1 Natural Humidifier.

LG Aqua 3 in 1 Air Purifier The LG Aqua 3 in 1 Air Purifier offers advanced filtration and sterilization.

Additionally, the natural humidification process provides pleasant indoor air and enables comfortable sleep patterns. This purifier comes equipped with a smart sensor that indicates indoor air pollution levels. With a convenient design, the purifier is easy to clean and maintain.

occupants.

LG’s Air Purifiers provide proper humidification which prevents the proliferation of dust, germs and viruses thereby preventing various respiratory diseases. Indoor air can also lead to dehydration due to lack of humidification which can cause issues such as dry skin, chronic joint and muscle pain, irritable throat, sore eyes and difficulty in concentrating. This multiuse air purifier functions as three different air-solution devices: an air cleaner, an NPI (Nano Plasma Ion) sterilizer and a natural humidifier.

“The general perception is that staying indoor is more healthy than being outdoors. But as we understand the circulation

LG Black Hole Air Purifier The visual dust lighting feature of the LG Black Hole Air Purifier senses and immediately indicates indoor air pollution levels and automatically sets the most appropriate fan speed. The Black Hole also comes equipped with the sleeping mode function. Unlike others, LG purifier’s don’t emit a ‘buzz’ sound, disturbing sleep patterns.

LG Air Bus Air Purifier Get clean breathing air and save energy with the LG Air Bus Air Purifier. The Air Bus Purifier is the winner of the 2010 Energy Winner awards due to its technology innovation, appropriateness, energy efficiency and economic impact on energy saving.

The Air Bus inhales polluted air and delivers a great amount of clean air far and wide through the unique air flow structure. The ‘Ergonomic Air Flow System’ accumulated technology from LG Air conditioners is suitable for use in wide spaces such as living rooms and offices.

$80-$100 oil price is reasonable: UAE SINGAPORE: Oil producers can tolerate a further fall in oil prices to $80-$100 a barrel, the oil minister for the United Arab Emirates said yesterday, the first indication of a preferred price range from a Gulf Arab producer since OPEC talks collapsed in June.

“For us it is very important to see a reasonable price...to us a price that is around $80-$100, that is reasonable,” said UAE Oil Minister Mohammed bin Dhaen Al-Hamli.

“We need a reasonable price to continue building capacity,” Hamli told the Singapore International Energy Week conference.

The UAE is one of the trio of Gulf OPEC producers alongside leading producer Saudi Arabia and Kuwait which work closely together on output policy. The three control nearly all the world’s spare capacity and raised oil supplies this year to compensate for lost Libyan production.

Brent crude yesterday was valued at just over $109 a barrel, having fallen from about $118 when OPEC met in June, leaving plenty of room to fall further to get into the UAE’s preferred price range.

June OPEC talks broke down in acrimony when Gulf producers failed to convince the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to lift production.

Saudi, the UAE and Kuwait raised output unilaterally. They are the group’s most moderate on prices, keen to prevent energy costs restricting global economic and fuel demand growth.

Hamli said the UAE had not yet cut back on the production it added in June to cover for Libyan civil war losses and was still pumping 2.5 million bpd of its 2.7 million capacity. “It’s still premature to say. We don’t know when Libyan production will be back,” Hamli said. Libya pumped 1.6 million bpd at the start of the year and since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi has restored only a few hundred thousand barrels a day.

Hamli said it was too early to talk about any decision from OPEC at its next meeting in December. He said a high oil price would lead to more investment in alternative energy and also more investment in crude production capacity, which would mean less volatile prices. “The higher the capacity, the less fluctuation in prices, except that capacity that is not in used is very expensive.”

He said an oil pipeline to its Fujairah port from its oilfields that will allow UAE oil exports in part to bypass the Straits of Hormuz would be completed in “a few months.” — Reuters

Edmund O’Sullivan, Chairman, MEED Events

The opening day and second day will focus on the Energy sector which includes determining Kuwait’s long-term energy vision, procurement and development strategies, and perspectives on Kuwait’s energy sector. Day three will be dedicated to the infrastructure and construction sector, with first hand information on mega projects. The last day has been set aside for a Masterclass on understanding and dealing with the Kuwaiti procurement process and requirements in line with recent changes in legislation. Keynote speakers addressing the conference include Farouk Al Zanki, Chief Executive Officer, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and Shaikha Al Bahar, Chief Executive Officer, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Edmund O’Sullivan, Chairman, MEED Events, said: “This is the seventh year in a row that we are hosting this conference, and every year proves to be an invaluable opportunity for those at the cutting edge of Kuwait’s future to discuss its development.

“It is the essential platform for all organizations, local, regional or multinational, looking to enter or grow their business footprint in Kuwait’s booming economy.”

National Bank of Kuwait, the leading banking institution in Kuwait, is a strategic partner of the event. Kuwait Petroleum

Company and Agility are the supporting partner and silver sponsor respectively. Gulf Bank, ABB and Al Tamimi & Co are the bronze sponsors. The event’s primary focus will be on the sectors identified as presenting the best commercial opportunities.

Other confirmed speakers addressing vital sector issues include: • Eng. Suhaila Marafi, DirectorDepartment of Studies and Research, Ministrt of Electricity and Water • Abdulnaser Al-Fulaj, Deputy Managing Director, Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) • Eng. Mahdy Al Dhakheel, Director of Projects Department Kuwait International Airport, Directorate General for Civil Aviation (DGCA) • Dr. Salah Al-Mudh’hi, Director General, Kuwait Environment Public Authority

• Eng. Saad Soud Al Muhibly, Director of Master Plan Department, Kuwait Muncipality • Sami Al-Rushaid, Chairman & Managing Director, Kuwait Oil Company • Khaled Mubarak Al-Mushileh, Manager-Corporate Planning, Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) With an array of industry leaders and government officials already confirmed to attend, the event promises unrivalled opportunities for developing new business partnerships and new investments.

Kuwait Energy and Infrastructure Projects Conference 2011 is part of MEED’s comprehensive portfolio of largescale summits and conferences that offer businesses unique oneto-one networking opportunities and facilitate the showcasing of solutions to key target groups and niche professionals.

Gold eases as dollar gains post-BOJ intervention LONDON: Gold fell by more than 1 percent yesterday, following its best weekly performance in a month, after Japan’s intervention in the currency market triggered a spike in the dollar, which was already benefiting from ongoing concern about the euro zone.

Japan intervened unilaterally in the foreign exchange market yesterday to curb the yen’s strength, sending the dollar up more than 1 percent against a basket of currencies.

A stronger US currency makes dollardenominated commodities more expensive for non-US buyers, pushing down the price of silver, copper and crude oil.

This week is also dominated by major US data, including monthly employment and several measures of manufacturing, along with Chinese factory activity, which also kept investors cautious.

Spot gold was last down by 1.1 percent at $1,720.20 an ounce by 1100 GMT, having risen 6.0 percent last week and set for a 5.8 percent rise this month, following the near-11 percent slide seen in September, when prices hit a record $1,920.30.

“I didn’t buy the story last week of gold trading like a safe-haven again. But gold often trades in line with the other commodities (quantitative easing) and inflation and those kinds of things obviously supporting the price of both,” said Mitsubishi analyst Matthew Turner.

“This week, it’s all about the economic data and central bank policy meetings.

There’s no real sense of direction, except for the fact that it is trading more like a risk asset.”

The US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank meet this week to discuss monetary policy. The correlation between gold and the European equity market rose to a multimonth high of nearly 50 percent, meaning gold was more likely to move in tandem with stocks, while gold’s negative correlation to the dollar strengthened to -40 percent on Monday from around -30 percent last week.

“The huge spike in the dollar is pressuring gold prices,” said Ong Yi Ling, an analyst at Phillip Futures. “But so long as gold stays above $1,700, the sentiment should remain pretty bullish.”

Buyers in the physical market were on the

sidelines, which led to gold bar premiums easing to a range between $1 to $1.50 an ounce over spot prices, from about $1.50 last week. “We saw some light buying from Thailand,” said a Singapore-based dealer. “If prices drop below $1,700, physical buyers are expected to return.”

Investment interest in gold has been rekindled in recent weeks after euro zone leaders progressed towards an agreement to solve the bloc’s debt crisis, albeit painstakingly, sending prices up 6 percent last week. Last week, money managers raised their bullish bets in gold futures and options to the highest in four weeks, data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission data showed.

SPDR Gold Trust , the world’s largest goldbacked exchange-traded fund, registered an inflow of 16.04 tons last week and 11.62 tons since the end of September, after a small outflow of 0.38 tons in September. In the days ahead, investors will be watching a policy meeting of the US Federal Reserve, as well as a key Group of 20 meeting for coordinated efforts or pledges to help stabilize world financial markets.

In other precious metals, platinum and palladium were both down by some 2.0 percent on the day. Key this week for both metals will be gauges of global factory activity, with US monthly vehicle sales offering insight into the health of a key source of demand for platinum group metals.

UBS strategist Edel Tully said the bank’s auto analysts expected monthly US vehicles to pick up thanks to credit availability, improving inventories as well as other purchase incentives.

“Our conversations with producers and end-users in recent weeks have revealed enduser supply contracts remain unchanged, with metal shipments still being comfortably absorbed. The price decline in late September has in fact encouraged forward-buying, as a still rosy medium-term outlook made levels around $1500 a good entry-point,“ she said in a note.

Platinum was last down 2.3 percent at $1,605.99, while palladium was down 1.9 percent at $652.25 and silver fell 2.5 percent to $34.32 an ounce. — Reuters

Zain Kuwait launches new BlackBerry Torch 9810 KUWAIT: Zain Kuwait, leading telecommunications company in Kuwait, is pleased to announce the launch of the new BlackBerry Torch 9810, a device that represents a new generation of smart phones.

Acting CEO of Zain Kuwait, Omar Saud al Omar, said “The new device has many advanced features compared to other smartphones. It is beautifully designed, features a large touch screen with a QWERTY hidden keyboard, a 5megapixel camera and runs the BlackBerry 7 operating system plus much more.”

Al Omar added, “We at Zain are commited to our customers in meeting their expectations to access to the very latest handsets technology on the market via their network operator”.

Turkey CB striving to slow economy KUWAIT: The Turkish central bank is trying to slow down economic growth, internal demand and credit expansion to avoid dangerous imbalances bet ween Turkey and other countries where growth is weaker, deputy central bank governor Mehmet Yorukoglu said yesterday. “I n 2010, (Turkey’s) growth was close to 9 percent. For 2011, we are expecting the rate of around 7 percent year-on-year growth.

But we cannot say that this growth is a healthy growth,” he told a financial forum in Kuwait. “We have very good fundamentals at home. The public sector finances are very healthy, the banking sector is very healthy, productivity and output growth is very strong, but demand imbalances

between our economy and the economies we export to may create financial stability risks.

“We have to be more creative and we have to use other tools, macroprudential tools to bring our economy to a more balanced pattern.” Turkey ’s strong growth, combined with much weaker demand in trading partners such as Europe and the United States, is fuelling a huge Turkish current account deficit which the government estimates at 9.4 percent of gross domestic product this year.

This month the central bank hiked its overnight lending rate by 3.5 percentage points to 12.5 percent in an effort to prevent excessive depreciation of the lira. Last Wednesday, central bank governor Erdem

Basci said the bank had started monetary tightening to prevent lira depreciation from having a lasting impac t on inflation.

Yorukoglu’s mention of macroprudential tools referred to efforts to influence banks’ lending behavior through tools other than interest ratesfor example, reserve requirements. He struck a gloomy note on the ability of policymakers to remove sources of instability in the global economy. “Let’s assume that sovereign debt problems are resolved successfully without creating any deep recessions and crisis. Will that be over?

Are we done? Are we going to be safe? No. Because the main problems, imbalances that created the initial 2008 crisis are

still there, even now bigger,” Yorukoglu said.

“If you look at growth differentials between advanced and emerging economies, that differential is increasing and will probably increase even more.”

He added, “If you look at inflation differentials bet ween advanced and emerging economies, that is also widening. Polic y interest rates bet ween advanced and emerging economies are also getting wider. “So under these circumstances, even if we successfully resolve the sovereign debt crisis globally, increasing global imbalances will accumulate further financial stabilit y risks, unless especially emerging economies star t using stronger macroprudential tools.”—Reuters

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Kuwait stocks advance GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended yesterday’s session on a higher note, staging its fourteen winning session in the past 22 trading days during October. Kuwaiti equities ended the trading month on an optimistic note adding 1.76 percent after swinging up and down during October. However, at the end the advance was broad-based with 7 out of 8 sectors edging up M-o-M. Global General Index (GGI) ended the day up by 0.35 percent, at 183.61 point. Market capitalization rose reaching KD30.06bn. KSE Price Index closed at 5,919.6 point, adding 11.1 points (0.19 percent) to its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 111 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 34 equities advanced versus 31 that declined. Total volume traded was up by 1.85 percent with 156.39mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD23.67mn (16.39 percent lower compared to Sunday’s session).

Investment sector was the volume leader, accounting for 38.86 percent of total shares exchanges. Global Investment House was the session’s most traded stock with 24.88mn shares exchanged. The banking sector was the value leader, having 30.91 percent of total traded value.

In terms of top gainers, Automated Systems Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 8.82 percent to its share value and closing at KD0.222. On the other hand, IFA Hotels & Resorts Company shed 6.76 percent and closed at KD0.345 making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sectors With the exception of the industrial and services sectors which ended the day marginally down and the insurance sector that closed flat, all other market sectors moved north. The real estate sector led the pack of advancers during the session.

The sector index managed to eke out 0.88 percent in gains during the day.

National Real Estate Company and Union Real Estate Company saw their share values appreciate by 7.58 percent and 1.89 percent, respectively. Elsewhere in the real estate sector, Heavyweight Mabanee Company announced its 9M2011 financial results.

The company realized a 6.02

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percent growth in its 9M2011 earnings figures compared to the corresponding period of 2010, at KD15.58mn. The scrip closed flat at KD0.880.

Bank ing sector played a prominent role during the session, as four banks witnessed hikes, among which were Kuwait International Bank (+1.85 percent), National Bank of Kuwait (+1.79 percent) and Commercial Bank of Kuwait (+1.37 percent).

The heavyweight sector Index managed to add 0.59 percent to its value by the end of the day.

Within the investment sector, shares of Al-Salam Group Holding Company extended their winning streak to eight sessions, clocking 3.08 percent in gain for the day. Trading was

intense on the scrip, with 7.84mn shares changing hands. The scrip posted a 28.85 percent gain in the past 8 sessions. Heavyweight Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) climbed by 2.94 percent, closing at KD0.350.

Consequently, Global Investment Index added 0.42 percent to its value by end of the session.

Corporate News The BOD of Zain Company will meet in November 01, 2011 to discuss the company’s financial statements for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011. The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $109.15pb on Friday, compared with $109.09pb the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

Oil eases below $110 as dollar strengthens LONDON: Oil prices eased yesterday with Brent slipping below $110, as the dollar rose against the yen after Japan intervened in the currency markets to stem the rise of the yen.

Investors and analysts said the oil market may be swayed by a spate of economic events this week including a US Federal Reserve tomorrow, a European Central Bank press conference on Thursday and a G20 meeting mid-week amid deepening concerns over the euro zone debt crisis.

Brent crude fell 51 cents to $109.40 a barrel by 0949 GMT after closing at $109.91 on Friday.

US crude fell 82 cents to $92.50 per barrel. The dollar climbed to a three-month high against the yen yesterday after Japan’s intervention.

The US dollar index also rose against a basket of currencies. A stronger dollar makes oil more expensive in other currencies.

“This morning, it is the Japanese intervention in the foreign exchange market. On the macro front, it is a big week this week,” Olivier Jakob with Petromatrix said. Jakob also said trading of the price spreads between US crude and Brent and of the forward curve might continue to influence the market this week.

In the middle of last week US crude rallied on trading of its spread with Brent, while Brent was held back as backwardation of the curve flattened. Both got a brief boost from a deal struck by the euro zone to recapitalize its banks and strengthen its rescue fund.

But persistent doubts about the plan have put pressure on the market, and the outright price of Brent crude ended Friday little changed from the week before.The oil market reaction to euro-zone inflation and jobs data yesterday was limited.

Consumer prices in the 17-nation euro area stayed at 3 percent in October, according to a first estimate by the European Union’s statistics

office Eurostat, roughly in line with a 2.9 percent forecast in the Reuters poll of economists.

Eurostat in a separate report said the jobless rate in the euro zone rose slightly to 10.2 percent in September from a revised 10.1 percent in August.

OPEC A reasonable price for crude was between $80 and $100 a barrel, said Minister Mohammed bin Dhaen AlHamli, the oil minister of OPEC producer United Arab Emirates Oil, at an oil conference in Singapore. OPEC will meet in December to review its output policy amid a faster-thanexpected recovery in exports from war-torn Libya.

Richard Jones, deputy executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said the agency would not want OPEC to cut its output target. The agency represents developed nations, which are mostly net oil consumers.

Nobuo Tanaka, former executive director of the IEA, said an oil price of $70 to $80 was just right but that prices of $100 or more would derail global economic growth, just as the record prices preceding the 2008 financial crisis did.

Over the weekend, Spain and Portugal called for the United States and other G20 powers to take action to help contain the fallout from the European debt crisis at the G20 summit, set for Cannes, France, on Nov 3 and 4.

In the United States, mixed economic data did little to support oil prices last week. The market will focus on jobs data later this week to see any signs of economy improvement in the world’s largest economy.

The market was also eyeing weather in the US Northeast, which was hit with an early winter storm, leaving more than 3 million households without power on Sunday and killing at least eight people. — Reuters

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BMW 6 Series Coupe arrives in Kuwait KUWAIT: Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, the exclusive importer of BMW Group vehicles in Kuwait has announced the arrival of the all new BMW 6 Series Coupe. Launched at the Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive showroom in Shuwaikh, the vehicle is set to amaze car enthusiasts in Kuwait, with its irresistible design and driving dynamics.

The model has new interior and exterior designs and comes with a wealth of technology highlights that distinguish it from competitors. Offering stylish design, outstanding performance, luxury and sheer driving pleasure, the model is expected to set trends in both the premium car and sports activity vehicle segments.

Commenting on the launch, Yousef Al-Qatami, General Manager of Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive, said: “The all new BMW 6 Series Coupe, marks a new chapter in sporting design for Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive. With its beautiful exterior, luxury and innovative technology, the BMW 6 Series Coupe will make the hearts of sports car aficionados in Kuwait beat a little faster.”

“The initial response we have received on this car has been positive, and we are confident it will prove popular among our customers in Kuwait,” he added.

Following the launch of the BMW 6 Series Convertible earlier this year, the third generation of the 2+2-seater sports Coupe sees premium automotive manufacturer BMW adding another exciting chapter to its thirty year-long tradition in the production of sports cars.

On board to deliver the BMW 6 Series Coupe’s signature driving experience is a range of innovative driver assistance systems and BMW ConnectedDrive infotainment features. The new car therefore meets the highest, not to mention the broadest, expectations of driving pleasure in a large, premium 2+2-seater in incomparable style.

Design The new model’s extra length and width over its predecessor model combines with its 5-millimetre lower height to produce a strikingly low-set and powerful design. The new interpretation of the traditional BMW Coupe’s proportions is embellished by flowing lines and harmonious curves that create a feeling of athletic grace, complemented by extremely classy and eye-catching design features.

The exterior paintwork of the new BMW 6 Series Coupe can be ordered in a choice of eight metallic and two non-metallic shades, allowing customers

to highlight both the sporting credentials of the Coupe and its modern and elegant character.

Interior The driver-oriented cockpit layout and a dynamic forward-surging movement define the interior design. The centre section of the instrument panel including the Control Display, central air vent and the controls for the audio system and climate control - is angled slightly towards the driver. The fluent transition between the centre console and instrument panel can be accentuated with optional stitching in contrasting color for the leather surfaces.

BMW ConnectedDrive The new BMW 6 Series Coupe is emphasized with numerous BMW ConnectedDrive optional driver assistance technology features for enhanced comfort and safety, some of these include: rearview camera; Surround View; BMW Night Vision with pedestrian recognition; and BMW Park Assistant. In addition, the new BMW 6 Series Coupe is the only car in its segment available with a full colour Head-Up Display which projects important driving-related information onto the windscreen

within the driver’s direct field of view.

Performance One V8 and one six-cylinder in-line engine are available in the Kuwait.

The eight-cylinder, 4.4 litre engine in the new BMW 650i Coupe produces a maximum output of 407 hp. This unique engine, with turbochargers positioned in the V-shaped area between the cylinder banks, as well as its TwinPower Turbo, produces an instantaneous and sustained wave of power, making its responsiveness a delight for the driver.

The new BMW 640i Coupe is powered by a sixcylinder in-line engine in which the BMW TwinPower Turbo technology brings both direct injection and VALVETRONIC fully variable valve control to the table. This combination optimises both the responsiveness and efficiency of the 3.0-litre, which generates a maximum output of 235 kW/320 hp at 5,800 rpm and puts its peak torque of 450 Newton metres (332 lb-ft) on tap between 1,300 and 4,500 rpm.

The new BMW 6 Series Coupe is now available for sale at Ali Alghanim & Sons Automotive showrooms in Kuwait.

Jazeera Airways posts KD 9.2m net profit for 9 months in 2011 Group announces record earnings

United airlines celebrates fifth anniversary of Kuwait-Washington service KUWAIT: United Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Continental Holdings, Inc, marked the fifth anniversary of its daily nonstop service between Kuwait City and its Washington, D.C. hub, Washington Dulles International Airport, at a reception held at the US Embassy in Kuwait City last night.

Charles Duncan, United’s Vice President Sales - Transatlantic, Middle East & India, and US Ambassador to Kuwait Matthew H. Tueller cut a special cake in celebration of the route’s fifth anniversary and were joined by United customers and employees, diplomats and government officials. Since its inauguration on Oct. 30, 2006, United’s Kuwait City-Washington/Dulles service has been in great demand, benefiting business travel, inward investment and transatlantic trade, and has paved the way for further United routes between the Middle East and the United States.

“We are delighted to celebrate the fifth anniversary of this successful service,” said Charles Duncan. “Since 2006, the route has gone from strength to strength, proving to be popular with customers on both sides of the Atlantic. In fact, we have extended the United network in the Gulf region, introducing our Dubai-Washington/Dulles service in October

2008, followed by Bahrain-Washington/Dulles in April 2010.”

United’s Washington/Dulles hub offers connections to over 80 destinations across the US, including frequent daily services to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston. United Airlines and Continental Airlines together with United Express, Continental Express and Continental Connection offer over 290 daily flights out of the Dulles hub.

United’s Kuwait City-Washington/Dulles non-stop flight, UA981, departs from Kuwait City daily at 11:45 p.m. and arrives at Washington/Dulles at 6:47 a.m. local time the next day. The return flight, UA982, departs from Washington/Dulles daily at 5:57 p.m. and arrives in Kuwait City at 1:05 p.m. the next day.

The winter schedule commences on Nov. 6, 2011. Flight UA981 will depart from Kuwait City daily at 12:45 a.m. and arrive at Washington/Dulles at 6:47 a.m. local time the same day. The return flight, UA982, will depart from Washington/Dulles daily at 5:57 p.m. and arrive in Kuwait City at 2:05 p.m. the next day.

The service is operated by a United Boeing 777-200 aircraft featuring 269 seats - eight in United First, 40 in United Business and 221 in Economy and Economy Plus.

KUWAIT: In a live webcast with financial analysts, Jazeera Airways Group yesterday announced a nine-months net profit of KD 9.2 million and third quarter (Q3) net profit of KD 6.1 million, up 36% from Q3 2010, making Q3 2011 the Group’s fifth consecutive quarter of record-profits since the introduction of the company’s Turn-Around Plan in mid-2010, and the best nine-month performance since inception Jazeera Airways Group comprises a fully-owned aircraft leasing business (Sahaab Leasing) with assets deployed across the world, and a passenger airline business (Jazeera Airways) serving 18 destinations across the Middle East from Kuwait. Jazeera Airways is the largest airline serving the region from Kuwait. The results reflect the consolidated earnings of both business operations.

• • • • • • •

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Q3 2011 Financial Highlights: Operating revenues: KD 19.3 million, up 38% from Q3 2010 Operating expenses: KD 11.8 million, a marginal increase of 11% from Q3 2010 Operating profit: KD 7.5 million, up 121% from Q3 2010 Net profit: KD 6.1 million, 36% from Q3 2010 Average yield up 42% from Q3 2010

• • •

Operating profit: KD 12.1 million, compared to an operating loss of KD 1.7 million in ninemonth 2010 Net profit: KD 9.2 million, compared to a net loss of KD 4.8 million in nine-month 2010 Average yield: up 44.8% from nine-month 2010

Nine-month Operational 2011 Highlights: Flown passengers: 902,007 Maintained largest market share on leading routes • Load factor: 67.1%, up 15% from nine-month 2010 • •

Jazeera Airways Group Chairman Marwan Boodai said, “We are glad to report another quarter of record earnings, proving the continued success of the Turn-Around Plan (TAP) and the institutionalization of the business and opera-

tional enhancements that were introduced as part of the plan. Today, the Group is well positioned for growth over the coming years.”

Turnaround plan Since inception in late 2005, Jazeera Airways Group has been profitable every year until 2009, when it registered a net loss for the first time ever due to the overcapacity that was dumped in the market by existing government airlines and new players as well. The Turn-Around Plan was created as a direct response to this situation and aimed at solving this external challenge by resizing its own operations internally, and to ultimately bring the Group back to profitability. Implemented in May 2010, the Turn-Around Plan included asset redeployment, staff reductions, rigorous cost management, network/market alignment and enhanced commercial offering, which were rolled out over the months that followed.

Q3 2011 Operational Highlights: Flown passengers: 337,629 Highest on-time performance (OTP) in the Middle East (as cited by Flightstats.com) Nine-month Financial Highlights Operating revenues: KD 44.5 million, up 40% from nine-month 2010 Operating expenses: KD 32.5 million, a decrease of KD 2.7 million from nine-month 2010

Qantas resumes flights grounded by dispute

SINGAPORE: Passengers queue up at Qantas check-in counters at Singapore’s Changi International Airport yesterday. Australia’s Qantas is slowly getting back in the air but analysts say its brand has suffered serious long-term damage, with rival carriers in Asia and the Middle East set to benefit from its disarray. — AFP

MELBOURNE/SYDNEY: Australia’s Qantas Airways returned to the air yesterday after grounding its entire global fleet over the weekend in a bold tactic to force the government to intervene in the nation’s worst labour dispute in a decade. Qantas took the drastic step to ground all flights on Saturday, disrupting 70,000 passengers and spurring the government and its labor-market regulator to seek a quick end to hostilities between the airline and unions.

At the government’s instigation, Australia’s labor tribunal ordered Qantas to resume flights and banned trade unions, which have waged a damaging campaign of industrial action, from staging more strikes while negotiations continued. “That was the only way we could bring that to a head,” a blearyeyed Qantas CEO Alan Joyce told reporters after 36 hours of round-theclock brinkmanship.

Later, after being given the all-clear from aviation regulators, Qantas resumed flights from Sydney with an

Airbus A330 bound for Jakarta . Around the country and overseas, airport departure lounges filled up with Qantas passengers keen to resume their journeys after a frustrating weekend of waiting.

German backpacker Stephanie Giertz, 28, said a Qantas flight cancellation meant she had missed the start of a tour to Australia’s iconic Uluru, or Ayers Rock.

“I just hope to arrive in time for sunrise at Ayers Rock, this is my biggest dream,” she said at Sydney airport. “I have felt lost... I have had enough.”

Joyce, dubbed a “kamikaze” by one newspaper for effectively staging his own strike against the unions, came under fire from Canberra and also credit rating agencies for the grounding.

Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s signalled possible credit downgrades for the airline yesterday, citing the grounding and the risk of brand damage. Both agencies currently rate Qantas at the lower end of investment grade.

But the share market, in contrast,

judged Qantas and Joyce the winners, driving the airline’s shares up as much as 7.4 percent. The stock closed up 4.3 percent at A$1.61.

The tribunal ruling, handed down in the early hours of the morning, gives both sides 21 days to settle the dispute or submit to binding arbitration-an expedited process likely to favor Qantas in its battle with unions to cut costs and base more operations in Asia, a laborlaw expert said. “I think that will give Qantas a victory,” said Ron McCallum, professor of industrial law at Sydney University.

Qantas says it has lost about A$70 million ($75 million)since September from industrial action in its dispute with three trade unions over pay, working conditions and its Asian plan. Joyce had described the union campaign as “death by a thousand cuts” for the 90-year-old airline.

Despite Qantas’ share price rebound, the stock has lost more than a third of its value this year. Investors worry about

longer-term damage to the brand from the grounding, which disrupted travel plans for some leaders at the end of a summit of Commonwealth nations in the western city of Perth, as well as passengers in 22 airports worldwide.

In Australia, Qantas departure lounges were crammed with passengers hoping to board the first flights.

Qantas is not expected to be back to full operation until Wednesday. “I will never ever even think of flying Qantas in the future,” said Robert Moore, on the airline’s Facebook page.

About 2,000 passengers are stranded in London’s Heathrow airport and other airports across Europe. There were chaotic scenes at Singapore’s Changi airport, Australian broadcaster Seven Network said.

“I understand strikes happen, but to stop all flights without thinking about the passengers-I don’t agree with that,” said Mary Keers, a 50-year-old Irishwoman waiting at Changi Airport to catch a flight to Perth. — Reuters

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Germany blushes at 55-bln-euro windfall from deficit error FRANKFURT: The German finance minister is furious over how 55 billion euros ($77 billion) were wrongly added to public overspending, and is demanding

answers from top officials at a critical time for Germany’s public finances on the international stage.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble

MUNICH: The headquarters of the German Hypo Real Estate Holding in Unterschleissheim near Munich, southern Germany. The discovery of a 55-billion-euro accounting error at the state-owned bank may have sizeably reduced Germany’s overall debt burden, but throws up embarrassing questions as to how such a big mistake could be made. — AFP

is expected to grill the head of the nationalized mortgage lender Hypo Real Estate, Manuela Better, and the head of FMS Wertmanagement which manages HRE’s problem assets, Christian Bluhm, later yesterday.

And he has also called a meeting with HRE and FMS officials, plus auditors PWC and the financial market stabilization agency FMSA on Wednesday.

“A mistake like this involving such a sum of money makes us very angry, to put it politely,” said ministry spokesman, Martin Kotthaus, warning “consequences may have be to drawn”.

The mistake apparently arose because changes in the value of collateral held for derivatives were not fully taken into account. The error reportedly came to light in early October and in its half-year accounts, FMS was compelled to correct its balance sheet for 2010 to lower debt by 24.5 billion euros and will reduce the borrowing figure for 2011 by 31 billion euros.

Because FMS is ultimately owned and guaranteed by the German government, this means the country’s overall debt burden is expected to amount to

81.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year instead of a previous estimate of 83.7 percent.

IHS Global Insight analyst Timo Klein said such a massive error will inevitably tarnish the ultra-correct reputation of Germany and its finance minister Schaeuble. “Against the background of the growing commitments of Germany to the European rescue fund, one could welcome this significant reduction of the German debt level,” said Natixis analyst Christian Ott. “However, the magnitude as well as the reasons for this incredible mistake casts serious doubt on the quality of the ‘bad bank’s’ management,” he said.

Opposition parties were quick to pounce on the incident, with the parliamentary spokesman for the Social Democrats, Thomas Oppermann saying: “This isn’t the kind of sum that a housewife stashes away in a biscuit tin and forgets.” Schaeuble had let himself be distracted by efforts to save the ailing euro, Oppermann said. Nevertheless, analyst Klein insisted the state of Germany’s public finances was not in doubt, as had been the case with Greece.

“It’s an error. The figures haven’t been manipulated,” he said. The finance ministry argued it was not its task to draw up and audit a company’s accounts.

Nevertheless, in the case of HRE, the ministry is directly involved, because the mortgage lender was nationalized in 2009 to save it from bankruptcy.

The rescue has already cost the state 10 billion euros and the losses are unlikely to stop there.

On June 30, HRE’s ‘bad bank’ FMS Wertmanagement said it held Greek government bonds with a nominal value of 7.2 billion euros, plus a further 1.6 billion euros in loans and bonds of Greek issuers. And it took a charge of 808 million euros on those holdings in the first half of this year, pushing it into net loss of 690 million euros.

FMS’s losses are underwritten by the German state, but since it already booked a loss of 3.0 billion euros last year, the 3.9 billion euros of state money pumped into it last year have practically already been used up.Thus, if further losses are incurred in the coming months, the state will have to put up more money. — AFP

China’s Hu ‘convinced’ EU can overcome debt crisis Beijing closely monitoring European developments VIENNA: China is “convinced” Europe can work through its current debt crisis, President Hu Jintao said yesterday in Vienna at the start of an Austrian state visit and ahead of a G20 meeting in France later this week. China “is convinced Europe has the wisdom and the competency to overcome the current difficulties,” Hu, speaking through an interpreter, told journalists after talks with Austrian President Heinz Fischer.

“We are closely following the economic developments,” he added. Hu’s two-day state visit to Austria is to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

But the trip, Hu’s second to Europe in a year, also comes at a time when the region is struggling with a spiralling debt crisis and amid hopes that Beijing might invest in its debt rescue fund.

At the end of his Austrian visit, Hu will travel to the French south-east resort of Cannes to attend a G20 meeting of world leaders on November 3-4.

Last week, European leaders appealed to China to invest in the region’s debt rescue fund to help it overcome the debt crisis.

Klaus Regling, the head of the bailout fund-the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) — also travelled to Beijing to strike a deal with the world’s second-largest economy, reportedly seeking a pledge of $100 billion (71 billion euros).

However, Beijing has officially remained noncommittal about its involvement and Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao played down hopes of a breakthrough at the G20 meeting, insisting that investment in the European bailout fund was not on the agenda.

In talks yesterday, Fischer and Hu discussed the upcoming G20 meeting, as well bilateral economic and cultural ties, Fischer told journalists.

He also hinted at Europe’s current difficulties.

The Chinese president’s visit “comes at a time of great significance for China as well as Europe and Austria, where important decisions are needed and where the partnership between China and Europe is especially important,” Fischer told a joint press conference after the talks.

He added he had also brought up the question of human rights, without going any further.

VIENNA: Austrian President Heinz Fischer (right) and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao (left) attend a news conference after their talks at the Hofburg palace in Vienna yesterday. — AP

MF Global said to near bankruptcy NEW YORK: Struggling US brokerage firm MF Global appeared poised to file for bankruptcy yesterday, as trade in its shares was halted on the New York Stock Exchange and the firm was frozen out by regulators.

The derivatives broker-which at one time held approximately $41 billion in assets-was expected to file for bankruptcy after a string of losses related to Europe’s debt crisis.

The Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal reported the firm was to issue the filing as part of a plan to sell off assets to Interactive Brokers Group. Yesterday the trade in shares was halted on the New York Stock Exchange as the New York Federal Reserve announced MF Global was “suspended from conducting new business with the New York Fed.” That would continue “until MF Global establishes, to the satisfaction of the New York Fed, that MF Global is fully capable of discharging the responsibilities.”

While MF Global is well-known on Wall Street, it is not thought to be so interconnected that its collapse could trigger a crash like that seen in the wake of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in 2008.

If it collapses, however, it would be “the biggest US casualty so far in the European sovereign crisis,” according to Chris Low of FTN Financial. “Hopefully, the firm’s situation is unique. (Chief executive Jon) Corzine’s bet on sovereign debt is what got the firm in trouble. According to regulators, other, bigger US entities are not exposed.” — AFP

pro-Tibetan protester was jostled by pro-China demonstrators who tried to snatch her Tibetan flag during Hu’s visit, witnesses said. The Tibetan community in Austria already staged a protest Sunday evening and also yesterday minor protests near Hu’s hotel and elsewhere were planned, including in Salzburg, during his stay.

Tight security was in place and parts of the city centre were also to be shut down. Hu and his wife Liu Yongqing arrived Sunday evening in the Austrian capital for the wo-day visit combining business and sight-seeing.

The official part of the visit however began Monday as Hu held talks with Fischer and the two oversaw the signing of seven bilateral agreements in areas like energy efficiency, environmental protection, hydropower and cultural exchanges.

Hu and his wife were received with full military honors at the former Imperial Palace (Hofburg), the seat of the presidency, by Fischer and his wife Margit. Later, a state banquet and meetings with Chancellor Werner Faymann and parliament speaker Barbara Prammer were also planned.

Today will be dedicated to sightseeing, with a visit to the scenic Salzkammergut region, a short lake cruise in St-Gilgen and a classical concert at the former Salzburg home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Hu’s visit to Austria, only the second by a Chinese president after Jiang Zemin in 1999, follows an invitation by Fischer, who travelled to Beijing last year. Foreign trade between the two countries amounted to 8.2 billion euros ($11.6 billion) in 2010. China, which reportedly sent a 160strong delegation to accompany Hu, is especially keen on Austrian know-how in areas like infrastructure, transportation and environmental technology.

Vienna has meanwhile sent a stream of ministers to Beijing this year for talks and business deals, including Chancellor Faymann and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger, who also made a point of meeting political activists such as artist Ai Weiwei. Hu flies on to Cannes from Salzburg early tomorrow. — AFP

Euro-zone inflation still above target at 3% LONDON: Inflation in the 17 countries that use the euro remained at 3 percent in October, official figures showed yesterday, likely reinforcing market expectations that the European Central Bank will keep interest rates on hold at its monthly policy meeting this week.

The rate published by Eurostat, the EU’s statistics office, remains above the ECB’s target of keeping price rises just below 2 percent on an annual basis.

It was also higher than anticipated - most economists thought it would ease to 2.9 percent.

The news comes on Jean-Claude Trichet’s last day as president of the ECB. He is to be replaced today by Italian Mario Draghi. Though no breakdown on the figures was available, most analysts think that higher energy and food costs will again

have been the main factor behind the above-target rate. Both are expected to ease in coming months and that should start getting inflation lower.

On Thursday, the ECB is expected to keep its main interest rate at 1.5 percent even though economic growth is faltering in many of Europe’s top economies, such as Germany and France, and contracting in weaker countries like Greece and Portugal. “We think the ECB’s governing council will consider the case for a rate cut in November, but ultimately decide to ease policy by 50 basis points (to 1 percent) in December, once the near-term inflation hump is behind and once there is further evidence that Q4 GDP growth in the euro area will be anaemic at best,” said Gustavo Bagattini, European economist at RBC Capital Markets.—AP

SHANGHAI: People inspect bargain watches and jewellery for sale at a store in Shanghai yesterday. China said its economic growth slowed to 9.1 percent in the third quarter as government efforts to tame inflation and turbulence in Europe and the United States curbed activity. — AFP

Outgoing European Central Bank (ECB) President Jean-Claude Trichet (left) hands over a bell to his successor Mario Draghi from Italy at the end of a farewell ceremony at the old opera house in Frankfurt, Germany. — AP

New ECB chief Draghi faces tussle over bank’s role FRANKFURT: When Mario Draghi takes over as head of the European Central Bank today, he faces a high-pressure struggle with euro-zone governments over how much the bank should do to rescue indebted countries.

Where he can draw the line will go far in determining the outcome of Europe’s government debt crisis and the future of the euro. Like his predecessor Jean-Claude Trichet, Draghi is a consistent defender of the ECB’s tough and sometimes unpopular anti-inflation stance. But he’s also a skilled backroom negotiator who knows how to forge agreement and compromise.

He will need both attributes - principle and flexibility - as the ECB tries to keep financial disaster from engulfing the 17country currency zone.

Under Trichet, whose eight-year term expired yesterday, the bank reluctantly eased its resistance to bailouts and started buying government bonds. That lowers the rates at which governments borrow and kept Italy and Spain from being driven to insolvency the way Greece, Ireland and Portugal have been.

The bank’s purchases since August have kept Europe from meltdown - but it now wants to hand off the rescue mission to elected governments. They would handle the crisis through their newly-strengthened bailout fund, the European Financial Stability Facility. Yet the fund, at euro 440 billion ($623 billion), is considered too small to do so convincingly, and new measures meant to increase its firepower to euro1 trillion still lack detail.

Draghi warned Italy last week to fix its budget problems itself, decrying “the hesitancy and delay with which steps to correct imbalances have been taken and measures to correct growth have been adopted.” He said that the “extraordinary measures” the bank has taken - such as the bond purchases were “temporary.” Draghi will get his first public chance to start defining “temporary” when he holds his first news conference after the ECB’s rate-setting meeting Thursday.

Halting the purchases risks disastrous debt defaults that could topple banks, choke credit to the economy, cause a deep recession, and in some scenarios lead to the breakup of the euro. Continuing the purchases risks sending the message that politicians can sit back and let the central bank bail them out.

The markets’ lack of confidence in states like Italy was evident yesterday, when the countr y ’s bond yields rose sharply and stock markets fell, unwinding some of the optimism generated last week by Europe’s grand plan to save the euro. Economist Marco Valli at Unicredit says Draghi’s job will be to use the carrot and stick, supporting markets in the short term while “making sure any kind of support is perceived as temporary and therefore there is no government addiction to

ECB action. That would be extremely dangerous.”

While the crisis has shown the need for the bank to act, Draghi will quickly have to draw a clear line over what it will do and for how long. “The central bank must cut for itself a piece of this objective, financial stability, and be responsible for it with a specific list of instruments and a specific strategy,” said Franco Bruni, an economist at Milan’s Bocconi University.

Draghi, 64, brings long experience as a crisis manager and discreet, behind-thescenes negotiator to the task of dealing with euro-zone leaders. He served as a World Bank director for six years, and as a top official at the Italian Treasury from 1991 to 2001, including a period in 1992 when Italy teetered on the edge of default with high debt and deficits. The country was knocked out of the European Exchange Rate mechanism, the prelude to the euro.

But Italy recovered through tough measures including pension cuts and new taxes. Draghi, a veteran of international and European finance minister’s meetings, helped negotiated Italy’s way back into the euro project in time to join at launch in 1999. He also oversaw a program to sell off much of Italy’s bloated state sector.

He served as head of the Bank of Italy from 2005 and steered the banking system through the crisis of 2007-2009. Italy’s banking system came through in relatively good shape, in contrast to the bank bailouts in Germany, Britain and Belgium.

As Bank of Italy head, he sat on the ECB’s 23-member governing council but has remained one of the quieter members. He lets others give interviews or make statements to signal rate policy.

As a result, his views on monetary policy are less known than others’. That may give him more room to maneuver in office.

Economists say his record shows he clearly supports the ECB’s mission as defined in the Maastrict Treaty: fight inflation first before lowering rates to help growth, and a no-bailout culture in which governments are pushed to balance budgets.

Yet like Trichet he has a flexible streak and a cool character that clearly set him apart from Axel Weber, the Bundesbank head who was originally favored to succeed Trichet. Weber quarreled publicly with the council majority over the bond purchases. Isolated and unwilling to yield ground on his positions, Weber dropped out of the running. Bruni, who attended graduate school with Draghi at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1970s, used the word “serene” to describe his character.

Draghi also retains many habits from his days as a top Italian civil servant. He’s practical, discreet and focused on serving the institution, not ideology, said Paul Furlong, a scholar on Italy at the University of Cardiff School of European Studies. — AFP

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TECHNOLOGY

Price drop for Androids? Smartphones getting cheaper BERLIN: Those looking for a new smartphone need not spend as much money nowadays. The entrance ticket to the colourful world of internet apps can be had for just a couple of hundred euro. And the bar will be lowered even further for the 2011 Christmas shopping season.

‘We have a clear drop in prices right now,’ said Dirk Waasen, editor in chief of the trade magazine Connect. Entry level devices with the Google system Android are heading to the 100 euro mark (139 dollars) and even less.

The Android platform offers the advantage that it is available as Open Source software for telephone manufacturers without any additional costs ‘even though Microsoft is trying to enforce license fees for using certain patents. This openness certainly is

News

in brief

Dell’s all-in-one PC FRANKFURT: Dell’s new Inspiron One 2320 all-inone PC fits into one 23-inch display. Customers have a choice of an i3, i5 or i7 processor from Intel.

The biggest possible working memory is 8 gigabytes of RAM, while the hard drive can reach 2 terabytes. The most basic version costs 699 euros (963 dollars).

New sat-nav sticks to basics United Navigation’s new satellite-navigation device focuses on the basics. The Navi Falk Pur 550 tries to do away with unnecessary functions, instead focusing on a five-inch display with larger images and heightened volume, making it accessible for senior citizens. The PUR 550 comes with maps of 44 countries and costs 200 euros (275 dollars).

Blackberries swapping data Blackberry smartphones now have a new function for swapping data like contacts, photos, videos or documents between devices. Using Near Field Communication (NFC), two devices must only be held together with the new function, called Tag, for the data transfer. It should be available with Blackberry’s next operating system update to 7.0, for the Bold 9900 and 9930 and the Curve 9350, 9360 and 9370, all of which contain the necessary NFC chip.

Asus to bring out ultrabooks Asus is coming out with new lighter, thinner ultrabooks, named Zenbooks, weighing 1.3 kilograms and measuring 17 millimetres thick. The first batch will contain five models using either Intel’s i5 or i7 processors. The top-of-the-line is the UX31ERY010V, with a 13.3-inch display, a i7-2677M dualcore processor, 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM and a 256 GB SSD hard drive. It will cost 1,299 euros (1,790 dollars). The more toned-down versions - the 13inch UX31E-RY012V and the UX31E-RY009V will cost 1,099 and 999 euros respectively. The 11.6inch-display versions are called the UX21E-KX004V and the UX21E-KX008V, costing 999 and 1,099 euros.

Skobbler navigation system Skobbler is bringing out a new version of its map app for the iPhone. This time its GPS Navigation 2 allows people to download maps onto their phone, so they can navigate when there is no internet connection. Developers say it will also be easier to use on iPads. Skobbler’s maps are based on modified maps from OpenStreetMap. The app costs 1.59 euros (2.20 dollars).

Downloadable maps cost extra; about 3 euros for Germany and other European countries, for example.

Bluetooth headset Plantronics has developed a Bluetooth headset that can tell whether or not it is lodged in an ear.

That means users can accept calls simply by plugging the Voyager Pro HD into their ear. Taking it off means the phone call is then picked up by the linked mobile phone. The company is also introducing two new apps for iOS and Android.

MyHeadset includes instructions and a variety of tools for testing the gadget. InstantMeetings, also available for the Blackberry, allows users to set up conference calls. The Voyager Pro HD sells for 100 euros (138 dollars).

Navigon app for Windows Phone 7 Navigon’s map app is now available for the Windows Phone 7. iOS and Android users have already been able to use Navigon Europe or Navigon USA, which can be used offline to downloaded maps. The app also offers real-time traffic data, a route planner and the ability to choose routes based on driving styles. To use the new app, users must have Windows Phone version 7.5 (Mango). The European version costs 85 euros (117 euros), while the US version goes for 42.50 euros.

AMD FX new processor With its FX family, AMD has developed a new generation of desktop processors with eight cores.

FX processors are done with Bulldozer microarchitecture, meaning pathways 32 nanometres wide.

The new processors should perform well enough to allow labour-intensive applications like games on multiple screens or editing high definition videos.

But AMD notes that the new processors can be overtaxed. The fastest is the FX-8150 with 3.6 gigahertz (Ghz), while the FX-8210 clocks in at 3.1 Ghz. They cost 245 and 205 dollars and have 8 MB caches. There are also six-core processors, the FX6100, clocking in at 3.3 Ghz, 6 MB cache and costing 165 dollars, while the quadcore FX-410 has 4 MB cache and 3.6 Ghz, costing 115 dollars. — dpa

playing a role in the spread of the Android, said Wassen.’ In two years, noone will talk about mobile phones any more. They will all be smartphones.’

Devices such as the Huawei X3 are available for about 100 euro’ with the current Android 2.3 OS (Gingerbread), a 3.2-inch touch screen (320 by 480 pixels), a 600 MHz processor and a 3.2 megapixel camera.’ Target groups are buyers who until now have used a simple mobile phone and are now interested in the expanded smartphone possibilities,’ said European manager Lars-Christian Weisswange.

Waasen gave the example of the smartphone Base Lutea 2, which is available in Germany for the flat rate of 17 euro per month. The device’s manufacturer is ZTE, which like Huawei is a Chinese company.’ It was so convincing

in the practical test that we gave it four out of five stars,’ said the Connect expert.

One compromise, according to Waasen, is the quality of the casing.

But with such a price, you cannot expect an aluminium or titanium casing.’ But it’s a solid device underneath the dressing,’ said Waasen.

One should also pay attention to the screen resolution, according to managing director Arno Becker, whose Germany-based company Visionera develops mobile solutions for the Android platform. Many apps for example require a resolution of at least 320 by 480 pixels. Devices with a display of only 240 by 320 pixels could have problems with the presentation.

Also important is a capacitive touchscreen. Older, resistive touchscreens

only have one pressure point, leaving multi-finger controlling impossible.

These touchscreens are also not as sensitive, making typing on an onscreen keyboard an ordeal, warned Becker. Also important, according to Becker, are GPS and UMTS support.

Without this ability, many apps from the Android market cannot even be installed. Becker recommends that at least the Android version 2.2 be installed.

Slowly, the inexpensive competitors from China are putting the established smartphone manufacturers under pressure. Samsung countered with the Galaxy Y, which was presented at the IFA in Berlin and is available online starting at 139 euro. The Android device has a single core processor with a clock speed of 832 MHz, a 3-inch

touch screen and a camera with a resolution of 2 megapixels. The Y in the model’s name stands for ’ Young?, which shows exactly whom the Korean manufacturers are trying to attract as smartphone newcomers.

The Taiwan smart phone specialist HTC, meanwhile, has six new devices in their program for the end of the year, with the HTC Explorer being targeted at’ buyers who are more price sensitive’, according to German managing director Andre Loenne at a presentation in Berlin.

The device and its 3.2-inch screen, 600 MHz processor and 3 megapixel camera is available for 199 euro.

According to Loennes, HTC has adjusted the software to the needs of smartphone newcomers and has also integrated a cost control function. — dpa

Sister remembers Steve Jobs in touching eulogy Bill Gates unfussed by Jobs’ jab WASHINGTON: Steve Jobs’ sister hailed him as a loving, tender soul in her touching eulogy for the Apple co-founder, which was published in The New York Times on Sunday. Jobs, revealed novelist Mona Simpson, was “like a girl in the amount of time he spent talking about love.”

Love, for the legendary innovator and inventor, was “his supreme virtue, his god of gods,” said Simpson, who delivered the address at an October 16 memorial service, after Jobs lost his years-long battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 56 earlier this month.

Simpson recalled first meeting Jobs when they were in their 20s, after she learned of having a long-lost brother, who was already a hugely successful computing innovator. And she remembered what Jobs told her on the day he first met his wife, Laurene. “There’s this beautiful woman and she’s really smart and she has this dog and I’m going to marry her,” Jobs gushed.

The couple, who shared 20 years of marriage, went onto to raise three children. The trio were in the hospital room hours before his death, when Jobs, weakened by his fight to stay alive, spent time looking at them-the final words of his life, revealed Simpson, were “Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow.”

In a recently published autobiography, Jobs apparently at first ignored protests of family, friends and his physicians for nine months in a bid to fight his cancer with a vegan diet, acupuncture

and herbal remedies. When he eventually underwent surgery in 2004 but the cancer had spread by that time to tissues around the pancreas.

“I really didn’t want them to open up my body, so I tried to see if a few other things would work,” Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson. At the memorial this month, celebrities and Silicon Valley

nobility paid tribute to the revered Apple co-founder at a private memorial service under tight security at Stanford University.

Meanwhile, Microsoft founder Bill Gates coolly parried some harsh criticism from late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, in an interview with ABC television Sunday, saying their professional rivalry was posi-

CALIFORNIA: In this June 11, 2007 photo shows Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs gives the keynote address on the opening day of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2007 (WWDC 07) at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco, California. Steve Jobs’ sister hailed him as a loving, tender soul in her touching eulogy for the Apple co-founder, which was published in The New York Times. — AFP

Universal connectors USB and Thunderbolt BERLIN: It wasn’t until a universal connector came along, towards the end of the 1990s, that people could hook up their printer, scanner or camera to a running computer without a lot of fuss. That’s when USB (universal serial bus) connections came along. The first one was released in 1996 and created a revolution. Since then it has become universal indeed, with all kinds of computers and components using its connections to communicate.

Of course, nothing can last forever and a successor system, Thunderbolt, seems to be waiting in the wings. It is capable of multiple times more performance, which could one day put it ahead of USB. But USB remains a draw. Chip manufacturer Intel has recently released an ad campaign acclaiming staff member Ajay Bhatt, an American of Indian descent who helped create the USB standard, as a “rock star.”

The creation was a big step.

Finally, it was possible to do without a multitude of connections and use devices as plug and play components, without first having to go through a lengthy software installation process before the computer would recognize them. Nowadays, no-one thinks twice before plugging a USB stick into a computer to download data.

It ’s become so common that almost every producer of computers and peripherals builds the sockets into their products in an effort to ease communication. It makes sense, since USB 2.0 is still widely used in the industry.

The newer USB version was first released in 2000, a high speed interface that could theoretically transfer data at rates of 480 megabits per second (Mbps). Since it could transfer data 40 times faster than its predecessor, it could finally be used with video players.

Of course, as data files have grown

ever more complex and common, USB has become something of a bottleneck, since people want today’s larger files transferred as quickly as those from 10 years ago.

Many external hard drives connected to computers can now hold hundreds of gigabytes of data. Of course, it’s not always USB’s fault.

Other components, like controllers, can play a role in slowing the movement of data. And USB 3.0 went on the market this year, promising an increase of speed by a factor of 10.

That would mean a gigabyte (GB) of data could be transferred between a flash drive and a computer in just 3.3 seconds. A high definition 25 GB film would, thus, only need 70 seconds to upload to a computer, instead of today’s 13.9 minutes.

In the mean time, Intel has teamed up with Apple and Sony to come up with a faster, cable-based transfer standard. Dubbed Thunderbolt, Apple has already incorporated it into its Macbook Pro, Macbook Air and its newest Mac mini. Sony also uses it, under

the name Lightpeak, in its Vaio 721, providing a connection between the laptop and its docking station.

LaCie is working on the first peripherals using Thunderbolt, including a just-released, Apple-compatible, 2-terabyte external hard drive.

By transferring data at speeds of up to 10 Mbps, Thunderbolt could transfer a full-length high definition movie in less than 30 seconds.

Speeds like that could quickly turn Thunderbolt into an industry standard. “We’ve made our idea about a simple and fast way to transfer data between devices and PCs reality,” says Intel manager Mooly Eden.

Thunderbolt has another advantage beyond speed. It can simultaneously transmit audio, video and files, while also transmitting power.

“Thunderbolt is perfect and universally useable,” says Johannes Schuster, an editor with the German computer magazine Mac & i. But the system’s transmission cables are expensive, even when copper is used instead of the more expensive glass fibre. “Thunderbolt will more than likely remain a highend market item.” —dpa

Portable charger with universal USB connector.

tive. Gates, who maintained a long rivalry with the Apple innovator, was asked about an authorized biography of Jobs

by Walter Isaacson which portrayed Gates as comparatively uninspired as a creative spirit.

The Microsoft founder was told by ABC that Jobs “basically said that you were ‘unimaginative, had never invented anything and shamelessly ripped off other people’s ideas.’ That’s pretty tough stuff. What’s your reaction to that?”

“Well, Steve and I worked together, you know, ... creating the Mac. We had more people on it, did the key software for it,” Gates explained. “So over the course of, you know, the 30 years we worked together, you know, he said a lot of very nice things about me and he said a lot of tough things.

Gates went on: “I mean, he faced, several times at Apple, the fact that their products were so premium priced that they literally might not stay in the marketplace. So the fact that we were succeeding with high volume products, you know, including a range of prices, because of the way we worked with multiple companies, it’s tough.

“So the fact that, you know, at various times, he felt beleaguered, he felt like he was-he was the good guy and we were the bad guys, you know, very understandable. “I, you know, respect Steve.

We got to work together. We spurred each other on, even as competitors.

None of that bothers me at all,” Gates told ABC. — AFP

Mouse click puts internet video at your fingertips BERLIN: It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for Lady Gaga’s Pokerface or Monty Python’s Vikings. You can be looking for a film classic, a TV series, shaky homemade movies or professional documentation. You can find it all online.

But there are some rules. First, you need to have a speedy internet connection and some way to download and format them if you want to keep the videos. But, with the right tools, this can all be done simply and legally. Firefox’s DownloadHelper is the most favoured and versatile tool for downloading video, partially because it’s so easy to use. The company reported in September that the tool had been installed more than 100 million times. Once it’s set up, a button appears in the browser’s menu bar and “when DownloadHelper detects it can do something for you, the icon gets animated and a menu allows you to download files by simply clicking an item,” the company’s website explains.

A menu then allows users to pick which images and videos to download. Whereas some browser add-ons only support YouTube, DownloadHelper supports dozens, including DailyMotion, Vimeo and Clipfish, multiple T V channels and the site for the National Basketball Association. Right-clicking gives you an option to see a list of supported websites. The tool is especially useful with broadcasters who choose to - or are required to - remove video content from their websites after a certain period of time. Downloading them on to your computer gives you access to them for longer. Mediathek View offers a similar service for Mac users. “These tools list the entire programming guide,” explains Volker Zota of German computer magazine c’t.

With a single click, you get “something that works like a podcast manager,” he says. Your computer can master just about any format as soon as it is installed. To take the video files with you you’ll have to convert them into the proper format for viewing. For example, your iPad won’t play flash files.

“For watching videos when you’re on the move, you should just download the files directly as MP4s,” advises Zota. “That works on practically every device.” If that doesn’t work, there are dozens of free converter programmes online. You can pick your favourite for preparing files, whether you use a PC or Mac, or the XBox or Playstation 3 consoles. Video Downloadhelper also has conversion functions.

For more complicated jobs, Zota recommends XMedia Recode. It provides a menu where users pick which device they have. The tool then converts files into the appropriate format. “You don’t have to think about the settings,” says Zota. There are 150 profiles from which to choose, including those for the Blackberry and Android smartphones. —dpa

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H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Health worries on the rise with Thailand’s floodwaters BANGKOK: Somporn Nanthakote, 28, woke up Sunday night with a foot-long centipede sitting on her shoulder, which proceeded to bite her on the arm when she screamed and brushed it off. “I’m lucky it wasn’t a snake, or I’d be dead by now,” Somporn said, standing on Bangkok’s overhead tollway, watching people swim, wade and ride boats along what used to the Vibhavadi Rangsit Highway but is now a waterworld.

Flood-related cases are on the rise, health workers and officials say, adding that they are braced for more to come.

Somporn has been living on the second floor of her wooden house in Don Mueang district, northern Bangkok, with her five cats, three dogs and eight ducks for the past two weeks with a metre of floodwater occupying the ground floor.

After getting bitten, Somporn had to wade through chest-high water to the tollway and catch a cab to the Ratchavithi Hospital for anti-centipede-bite injections.

Residents of Don Mueang, the site of Bangkok’s former international airport, have for two weeks been living with floodwaters caused by torrential river runoff from northern Thailand.

The district’s tollway, little used since the new international airport Suvarnabhumi opened in 2006, has been transformed into a giant parking lot for people trying to keep their cars dry, and a vital link to supply food and drugs to the victims of the flood. “We were stranded in our house for two weeks and the government didn’t send any food to help us,” said Somsak Suknimit, standing with his wife Somphet outside a Thai Red Cross centre

set up near the raised toll-road.

The petite Somphet had made the trip on her husband’s shoulders as he waded to the centre, where they stocked up on donated food and medicines before returning to their waterlogged rented home. “ The main complaints are headaches, diarrhoea and foot fungus,” said Varabhorn Bhumiswasdi, a volunteer nurse at the Red Cross centre.

“We’re also worried about leptospirosis but we haven’t seen any cases yet,” Varabhorn said. Leptospirosis, also known as seven-day fever or Rat Catcher’s Yellows, is a bacterial infection commonly transmitted to people via water contaminated by mice or rat urine.

The disease is common in north-eastern Thailand, especially during the rainy season. Another disease that thrives dur-

ing the rainy season is dengue fever, borne by the Aedes mosquito that likes to breed in fresh, standing water. “Dengue is already endemic to Thailand, even when there are no floods, but this year’s floods will make it a lot worse,” said Chaovalit Thanthinmitkul, a dengue expert at the World Health Organization’s Bangkok office. “The government will need to prepare for a surge in cases,” he said. The World Health Organization has also expressed concern about an increase of influenza. Thailand is experiencing its worst floods in decades.

Unusually long and heavy monsoon rains triggered floods in the northern and central provinces in July and August, filling the reservoirs of the country’s two largest dams to capacity. The government was forced to release water from the

Bhumibol and Sirikit reservoirs in early October, causing a surge of water into the Chao Phraya River, which runs through the central plains and Bangkok on its way to the Gulf of Thailand.

The runoff overflowed the riverbanks, swamping the central provinces of Nakorn Sawan and Suphan Buri, as well as Ayutthaya around 90 kilometres north of the capital, Pathum Thani on the capital’s northern edge and parts of Bangkok itself.

Flood-related deaths over the past three months have reached 381. “Most have died from drowning or electric shock, not diseases,” Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri said. He said that nearly 75 per cent of the 50,000 patients admitted to public hospitals in Pathum Thani had complained of Hong Kong foot, or foot fungus, and common colds. — dpa

Australian dieting study shows why the kilos come back on 50 people put on a 10-week crash diet

KABUL: An Afghan doctor shows an X-ray of Nakibullah (C) who is suffering from broken leg and infections at the Gandhi hospital in Kabul.

Although health services are almost free of charge for all Afghan people, vulnerable segments of population encounter many problems since health services are low quality or there is inadequate geographical coverage. —AFP

How parents can help a stuttering child STUTTGART: When 5-year-old Jasmin has a good day, she chatters away without faltering or having to try more than once to say certain words. On her bad days she struggles with a stutter. Then she says, “Mama, today’s a stupid day. My word doesn’t want to come out,” said Anja, Jasmin’s mother.

Anja, who is 35, also stutters. She heads a support group for stutterers in Stuttgart and has established a network for parents with a stuttering child. She noted that many parents are unable to cope with the speech disorder: “They don’t want to admit that their child isn’t perfect.”

Adults do not always intuitively do the right thing when a child stutters. Walburga Bruegge, a speech therapist in the German city of Hamm and co-author of a book about stuttering in children, pointed out that it was often best to ignore the disfluency and not draw attention to it.

“Otherwise you’re bringing up a matter that for the child may not even exist yet,” she said.

To make an issue of a stutter conveys to a child that he or she is doing something wrong, agreed speech therapist Werner Rauschan, who noted that not finding the right words immediately or repeating a word several times did not mean that a child is a stutterer. Gradually learning to speak fluently

is “a normal part of speech development,” he said.

Because parents find it difficult to overlook snags in their child’s speech development, Rauschan advises them to seek counselling from a speech therapist-but not in the child’s presence.

Though parents cannot influence stuttering, they can create an atmosphere in which their child feels comfortable speaking freely.

“It’s important to not interrupt the child and to maintain eye contact when the child wants to say something,” Bruegge said.

Parents can initially observe the child for a while to see whether the stuttering goes away. Speech therapy should begin if they notice the child avoids speaking or pronounces certain words with a great deal of effort. The therapy can be prescribed by the family doctor or an ENT physician.

Pre-schoolers who stutter do so unselfconsciously, but this usually changes after they start school. “They develop a fear of speaking in front of class and the blockages become stronger,” Rauschan said.

Speech therapists are not always successful in completely eliminating stuttering. The goal is to get stutterers to stop worrying about stuttering. “They should no longer find it stressful and learn how to deal with the blockages,” Rauschan said.—dpa

Therapy examines patient in context of relationships COLOGNE: Emotional problems are not independent of a person’s social environment. This is why the psychological treatment known as systemic therapy examines the significance of such problems in the context of personal relationships and how the problems affect those relationships.

“The individual alone isn’t the focus in systemic therapy, but rather always the individual in connection with his or her social system,” pointed out Cornelia Oestereich, chairwoman of the Colognebased Systemic Society and medical director of the psychiatric ward at Hanover Wunstorf Region Clinic.

The system can be the family, the couple or the peer group, she said, noting that systemic therapy developed from family therapy. “Emotional disorders often arise from major changes in life such as moving out of your parents’ home, reaching retirement age or having a child,” Oestereich said. “A social system, for example the family, may falter when trying to cope with challenges. It can be helpful to jointly examine these phenomena and their impact on the relationships from many perspectives in a therapeutic conversation.”

Depression in an adolescent may be due, for instance, to difficulty separating from his or her parents, she said.

“The central question is how communication between the patient and the people who are most important to the patient influence the symptoms and are influenced by them,” remarked Jochen Schweitzer, chairman of the German Association for Systemic Therapy, Counselling and Family Therapy. He said systemic therapy involved discussing whether and how the interactional dynamics could be changed by all

participants in a way favourable to health.

For a depressed partner in a longstanding relationship, the other partner’s reaction and its effect on the depressive can be very important, for example.

“The non-depressed partner saying peppily all the time, ‘Keep your chin up-I’m going to sort out your life and get you back in stride again,’ may be taken by the depressed one as an offer of help,” Schweitzer said. On the other hand, he added, the depressive may feel belittled, incompetent or guilty for his or her plight because of the partner’s willingness to help.

“It’s exceedingly important that systemic therapists actively avoid pinning guilt on someone for a situation,” Oestereich said. “It must be clear: No-one will be faulted.”

Systemic therapy sessions can include family members or the patient’s partner, but they can also be one-on-one with the therapist. “The basic prerequisite is the realization that everyone in a social system can change him - or herself only, hoping that the others will change themselves, too,” Schweitzer said.

Visual and action-oriented methods are sometimes employed, such as drawing a family tree or creating a “family board” whose playing pieces are used to represent relationship situations, after which possible changes are discussed.

A further, controversial method in a group therapeutic setting is known as the family constellation, in which the patient places people in the therapy group-who stand in for members of his/her family-at various distances from him- or herself to depict familial relationships.—dpa

SYDNEY: Even the strong-willed find it hard to keep the kilos off that they shed through dieting. It is because our bodies are programmed to get back to the weight we were before, an Australian researcher said Friday.

University of Melbourne researcher Joseph Proietto said 90 per cent of dieters regain the weight they had lost after five years because their hormones are telling them they ought to eat more.

“What our research shows is that most of the hormones in the blood that control hunger change to make people more hungry and that change is still present 12 months after,” Proietto said of research published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

It is the first study of its kind looking at weight re-gain and is likely to be distressing reading for dieters. “You have to admit that such a mechanism that forces people to go after food (after weight loss) was very advantageous in the past,” Proietto told national broadcaster ABC. “But in our modern society it becomes a problem.”

The Melbourne University team enrolled 50 overweight people and put them on a 10-week crash diet.

Sixteen dropped out or did not get to the required 10-per-cent weight loss. When the remaining 34 patients were tested, it was found that the levels of hormones that signal hunger to the brain had risen. The levels of a hormones that tell the brain how much body fat is

present had fallen.

More than a year after the initial weight loss, hormones had not reverted to their former level and were still either urging the patient to eat or not doing their job and alerting the brain to increased body fat.

“Even though you are trying very hard, you start to nibble here and nibble there,” Proietto said. “ The problem arises when that effort becomes harder and harder

as people become more hungry.

“What this all means is that people cannot say ‘Oh, well I’ve lost weight I can now take it easy.’ You can’t. You have to keep on being very focused and maintain your lifestyle changes in order to sustain the weight loss.” It is not entirely hopeless.

Proietto pointed to clinical trials in the United States to top up or reduce hormone levels to what they were before weight loss.

“I can see the time in the not too distant future when we can inject a combination of these drugs in concentrations so that they don’t cause nausea and yet control the pangs of hunger,” he said. Until then, though, he urged parents to redouble efforts to prevent their children becoming fat.

“If you’ve never been fat, you don’t have to lose weight and so the hormones don’t have to change,” he said. — dpa

Pets transmit fungal skin infections BERLIN: It is hard to resist petting a playful puppy or cuddly kitten that rubs up against your legs.

This behaviour is not without risk if the animals are unfamiliar, however, because our four-legged friends can carry fungal skin diseases.

“Most often the infection comes from Microsporum canis, a parasitic skin fungus especially common in dogs and cats,” noted Hans-Juergen Tietz, who runs the private Institute for Fungal Infections and Microbiology in Berlin.

Another frequent cause, he said, is the fungus Trichophyton mentagrophytes, whose pre ferred hosts include guinea pigs and rabbits, and Trichophyton verrucosum, which mostly infects cattle. But many other mammals can carry contagious fungal diseases.

“Actually, any that have hair can,” said Heiko Grimme, a member of the German Dermatologists Association. Birds and reptiles can also transmit fungal skin infections to humans.

Once they have arrived on a

host, these fungi, known as zoophile dermatophytes, lodge themselves in skin and hair and feed on their keratin, a structural protein. Host animals react very differently to the parasites. Some show no symptoms at all or only mild ones such as lustreless fur or split hairs. Others suffer inflamed skin and hair loss. Human hosts frequently have strong reactions.

“As incidental hosts, we have no immunity against them,” Tietz explained. In humans, the parasitic fungi always cause skin inflammation with very characteristic symptoms. “The infection manifests itself as circular dry patches of scaly skin that are red around the edges,” said Antina Luebke-Becker from the Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics at the Free University of Berlin. It is commonly known as ringworm because of the ring-shaped rash, although worms have nothing to do with it.

There is also itchiness and, in severe cases, blisters or pustules.

Further possible symptoms are hair loss and, occasionally, fever or swollen lymph nodes. “If the

skin is damaged by inflammation and possible scratching, bacteria can enter and cause pus-filled infections,” Luebke-Becker said.

The fungus appears on the parts of the body that have come into contact with it. “Transmission occurs via spores located on or in the hair and skin of the infected animal,” according to LuebkeBecker. She said this typically happened during direct contact with the animal - by petting it, for example. But infections are sometimes indirect - via hair the animal has shed or flakes of skin it has left at a place it frequents, such as the corner of a sofa.

Symptoms tend to appear first on arms and torso, and occasionally on the face-particularly in children, who often cuddle intensely with animals. Left untreated, the dermatophytes can spread to other people or constantly form new seats of infection on the body and infest the scalp.

“Then it becomes particularly unsightly. Round bald patches appear because the fungus settles at the hair roots,” Grimme

said, adding that abscesses could form at the infection site if the fungus penetrates skin layers.

“You definitely should not let the illness progress that far,” Tietz warned. He said it was advisable to see a dermatologist as soon as a rash appeared, or to treat it with an anti-fungal cream if it is recognizably dermatophytosis - that is, ringworm.

“Self-medication has its limits, though, such as when the skin has more than eight seats of infection or when the head is affected,” he said. Should this be the case, or if anti-fungal medication brings no improvement, medical attention should be sought.

Several precautionary measures protect against fungal infections. Animals whose fur or skin appears abnormal should not be touched. It is generally inadvisable to have close bodily contact with unfamiliar dogs, cats and other animals. If contact has occurred, thorough washing and prophylactic application of an anti-fungal medication can often prevent an infection. — dpa

Older mums tagged ‘selfish, self-centred’ SYDNEY: Australian obstetrician Barr y Walters tells it like it is: “I see many, many women with diabetes, high blood pressure and all sorts of medical problems and, of course, the older the woman is, the more likely she’s got medical problems.”

No argument with that: Those in their late teens and early 20s have the best pregnancy outcomes and difficulties rise with the age of the prospective mother. And there are more and more older mothers. Women aged over 35, as a proportion of those giving birth in Australia, has risen from around one in 10 in 1991 to nearer a quarter today. One in seven first births are to a woman aged over 35 compared with 1 in 19 in 1997.

It was what Walters went on to say that caused consternation. Older mothers, he said, were “selfish and self-centred” for burdening their offspring with the job of looking after them at a time when they will have so many other responsibilities.

“They’re starting out in life, having a family, working, getting mortgages and have to deal with geriatric parents - it’s just not fair,” he said. There was the obvious howl of protest that women were being singled out rather than couples. If older mothers are selfish so are the older men who get them pregnant. Out came the studies showing that older women make good mothers, including a recent British study, quoted by obstetrician Louise Farrell, that found “parenting later in the reproductive life cycle was not associated with poorer child outcomes ... or disadvantage for children in any maternal age group.”

Farrell, a colleague of Walters at Perth’s King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, noted that pregnancy outcomes, at all ages, were pretty good in Australia. She pointed out that older mothers were less likely to take risks in pregnancy, to smoke, to drink alcohol or take illicit drugs - and are likely to

have higher levels of education and joint income.

But she did warn that miscarriages and chromosomally abnormal babies rise with the age of the mother. “As women age, not only do the numbers of eggs in their ovaries decline but also the quality,” she said. Also in the rush of honest talk about older mothers was a particularly plain-speaking contribution from Gab Kovacs, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Melbourne’s Monash University.

Kovacs said at least part of the delay in family formation was that women had become too picky. “I think they should be working harder to find a partner or changing their criteria for Mr Right,” Kovacs said.

“Maybe there is no Mr Right and you have to settle for Mr Not-Too-Bad.” “There is no such thing as a perfect person for anybody, and even if they’re perfect now, they won’t be perfect in five or 10 years’ time.” — dpa

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Kuwait doctors warn of vitamin D deficiency ‘epidemic’ in Gulf Risk of osteoporosis increasing due to severe vitamin D insufficiency, according to local experts

LUCKNOW: A volunteer at a Community Health Center in Mall, near the central east Indian city of Lucknow holds a new born baby girl as her mother watches yesterday. According to Plan International, a non govermental organisation for children’s welfare the seventh billion inhabitant of earth was born in India yesterday. Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh, which has the highest birth rate and fertility rate among all Indian states.—AFP

India marks birth of world’s 7 billionth person NEW DELHI: A baby girl born in northern India yesterday has been symbolically claimed as the world’s 7 billionth person, in a campaign against selective female foeticide. Baby Nargis was born in Mall village in Uttar Pradesh state, said child rights group Plan International, which marked the day to draw world attention to India’s growing gender gap.

India, an emerging global power with a population of 1.2 billion that is predicted to overtake China by 2025, is estimated to be “missing” 7 million girls.

Hundreds of thousands of female foetuses are terminated ever y year, although sex-selective abortions are illegal, and even sex determination by ultrasound is not permitted.

“By celebrating the birth of a girl as Baby 7 billion we are drawing attention

to the serious issue of India’s declining child sex ratio,” said Bhagyashri Dengle, executive director of Plan India.

Authorities have said they are considering ways to improve the prevention of selective foeticide.

“We should all be worried about the declining child sex ratio and the serious social ramifications,” Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said recently. “We must take all necessary steps - political, social, economic and scientific - to end the discrimination against the girl child.”

According to the 2011 census, there are just 914 girls for every 1,000 boys aged between 0 and 6 years across India, with the ratio of female births even lower in Uttar Pradesh. The natural discrepancy between birth rates in humans is estimated at around 950 girls for every 1,000 boys. — dpa

KUWAIT: Kuwait doctors have warned that the lack of sufficient vitamin D intake is becoming a growing problem in the state and entire region, due to lack of exposure to sunlight, leading to an increased risk of the debilitating bone disease osteoporosis and associated bone fractures.

The warning was issued this week by doc tors attending the “New Era in Treatment of Osteoporosis” Speaker Tour in Kuwait, where physicians gathered to listen to Professor Serge Ferrari, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Bone Diseases, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland, a world expert in osteoporosis. “The Middle East has the highest vitamin D deficiency worldwide, and this statistic is not decreasing at all and in fact we see younger people every day with severely low levels of the mineral.

“Younger patients have lower bone mineral density (BMD) levels compared to the standards, and fractures are occurring at a lower age than the equivalent in the Caucasian population,” said Nadia Al Ali, Head of Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Amiri Hospital, Kuwait.

“Unfortunately the Gulf is synonymous now with bad lifestyle choices that increase the risk of contracting osteoporosis, such as lack of physical activity, bad diet, and reduced sun exposure due to the extremely hot summers,” she added.

Osteoporosis affects one in two women and one in four men over the age of 50, higher than the incidence of breast cancer and prostate cancer respectively, with the rate of osteoporosis-related fractures almost doubling over the last decade (1).

Statistics suggest an osteoporotic fracture occurs every three seconds, with one in three women and one in five men over 50 years old expected to be burdened with a fracture at some point(2).

“Once someone gets their first osteoporosis-related fracture, it doubles the risk

Dr Nadia Al Ali, Head of Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Amiri Hospital, Kuwait. for the second. Once a bone is fractured for the second time, it triples the risk for the third, and so on. BMD tests are therefore crucial in the Middle East for people over 60, which is still younger than the international standards of 65 for women and 70 for men due to the increased risk

factors here,” added Dr Al Ali, who is also a Clinical Member of the Committee for the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis, a committee under the umbrella of Kuwait’s Ministry of Health. The committee established the first Kuwait-specific guidelines for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and also made available all drugs licensed for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Vitamin D deficiency is the result of lack of exposure to the sun and poor dietary intake of foods containing the vitamin, such as fish and eggs. Vitamin D is essential for bone health as it assists in the absorption of calcium, without which the bones become less dense and fracture easily. Many people do not know they have osteoporosis until they suffer a fracture and undergo a Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scan to check their bone density.

Treating osteoporosis involves reducing bone resorption using bisphosphonate drugs, which are either taken weekly or monthly orally. However, a new medication, which is given via an infusion, only needs to be administered once a year, so helping to improve medication compliance. Spending 10 minutes per day, exposing 40 percent of the body area such as the back, arms and legs to the sun as well as eating sufficient foods containing vitamin D, are both recommended actions for helping to maintain vitamin D levels within the normal range that prevents osteoporosis. The “New Era in Treatment of Osteoporosis” Speaker Tour took place 24 October at the JW Marriott Hotel in Kuwait City.

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Announcements Exhibition on healthcare The India Medical Tourism Destination (IMTD) exhibition and conference, which aims at promoting India as a global healthcare destination, is to take place tomorrow and 3rd of November at the Hall No 7, Kuwait International Fair Grounds in Mishref. The two-day mega medical tourism exhibition and conference is being organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Trident Exhibitions in collaboration with the Embassy of India, Kuwait and the Indian Doctors Forum, Kuwait.

EDA Onam 2011 Ernakulam District Association Kuwait (EDA) ‘Onam 2011” celebration will be on November 4th at Indian Community School, Salmiya (Senior Girls). It will be a full day entertainment from 9 am to 5 pm. Indian Ambassador Satish C. Mehta will be the chief guest.

EDA family will be staging various cultural activities bringing back the nostalgic memories of a bygone era of prosperity, equality and righteousness under the golden reign of Mahabali. In addition, a sumptuous traditional meal “ONASADYA” will be served to all the members and invitees. All members and their families are requested to participate in the event.

Contact Baburaj (66080256), Bipin (66024732) or visit our website www.edakuwait.com Free medical camp MES conducts their 12th Free Medical Screening Camp on Friday 11th November at Central School Abbasiya in association with Kuwait Medical Association (KMA), Indian Doctors Forum (IDF), Kuwait Heart Foundation and Indian Dentists Alliance in Kuwait. The camp will be from 8 am to 2:30 pm. Around 50 specialized doctors from IDF will lead the examination. Thousands of poor and needy community members were benefited from the past 11 Medical Camps. Doctors specialized in Gynecology, Ortho, Cardiology, Surgical, Pediatrics, Diabetes, Ophthalmology, ENT, Skin, General Medicine and Dental are available in the camp.

Applicant should bring any medical records he/she have i.e. X-ray, Lab Test Report.

Application forms are available at all the Branches of Gulf Mart, Tasty Restaurant, Al-Yaqza Book Shop (Kuwait City), Dress Mart (Fahaheel), Highland Supermarket (Abbasiya), Azizia Book Shop (Salmiya). Duly filled application will be acceptable maximum by 5th November 2011. For details contact Zubair (99826195) & Hassan Managad (99131104).

Classical Indian music concert at Indian Embassy

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n Indian classical music concert featuring Sitar Maestro Niladri Kumar & Tabla Maestro Yogesh Samsi was held at the Embassy of India’s auditorium on 29th October.

Shri Niladri Kumar is the son of the renowned Pandit Kartik Kumar, a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar and gave his first public performance at the age of six years. Shri Yogesh Samsi also born into a musical family is a disciple of the legendary Ustad Allah Rakha.

The function was inaugurated by the Ambassador of India, Satish C. Mehta who stated that music has no boundaries & barriers & it is there for the music lovers to enjoy & appreciate.

A large number of Kuwaiti dignitaries, distinguished Ambassadors and

members of the Indian community in Kuwait attended the concert. Seeing the popular demand, two shows of the event were organized. The vibrant and scintillating performance by Shri

Niladri Kumar & Shri Yogesh Samsi received spontaneous applause from the appreciative audience in the auditorium. The audience gave the maestros a standing ovation upon conclu-

sion of the performance. The event was organized in cooperation with Indian Business Council of Kuwait.

Indian Lawyers’ Forum Onam Indian Lawyers’ Forum will celebrate Onam, the unique, secular, harvest festival of Kerala on 18th November, 2011 Friday 10.30 am at Hi-Dine Restaurant Auditorium, Abbassia. Celebrations will include traditional variety entertainments, with the grand ‘ONASADHYA’. All Indian Lawyers & Law graduates working here in Kuwait are invited with their families.

For details contact Panicker 97203939, Pulikkal 97260159. Email: advpanicker@gmail.com Tulukoota talent hunt Tulukoota Kuwait will hold a “Talent Hunt 2011” a chance to prove an inborn trait in you that confirms your individuality, uniqueness. For more information and registration form kindly log on to our Website: www.tulukootakuwait.org or visit our facebook page - Tulukoota Kuwait Talent Hunt 2011. You could also email your form request to: secretary@tulukootakuwait.org or contact our area coordinators mentioned below. Mangaf, Fahaheel, Abuhalifa : Ronald Dsouza- 60035824, Shalini Alva23726164, Suma Bhatt- 97834578 Salmiya & Hawally: Swarna Shetty- 99006934, Kripa Gatty66044194 Kuwait City, Jahra, Sharq: Rekha Sachu65044521,97862115 Farwaniya, Abbassiya, Shuwaikh & Khaitan: Sathyanarayana- 66585077 Sanath Shetty- 67712409.

NPIS, Hawally celebrates ‘Cleanliness Day’

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leanliness is half of our faith” was well-illustrated by the students of KG to Class 2 when a cleanliness day was held on 20th October. Children exhibited the importance of cleanliness in our life in an impressive and thought-provoking way. The young ones from KG to Class 2 performed different skits and tableaux on different rhymes personifying themselves in different means of cleanliness. They presented themselves like a broom, toothbrush, dustbin, mop, vacuum cleaner etc. They also manifested the need of cleanliness through poems and speeches.

BEC T10 Cricket tournament The BEC T10 Tennis Ball Cricket Tournament will be organized & played from 7th October to 11th November, 2011. The Tournament being organized

by RED N BLACK CRICKET CLUB and sponsored by BEC EXCHANGE will be played out in Abu Halifa cricket grounds. For registration and other queries please mail at mail@rednblack.org or call 66820148/ 66130940/ 66841653.

Memorial meeting A memorial meeting will be held on Friday, Nov 4, at 4 pm at Hi Dine auditorium in honor of late Joy P Thomas, member of Kerala Sports Club and was working in Kuwait.

KGA Alemao Memorial Football Tournament The 3rd edition of Eslinda Alemao Memorial Football 7-a-side tournament will be held on first day of Eid Al Adha Festival (6th November 2011) to be held at the MOH Grounds, Al-Sabah Hospital Premises, Shuwaikh under the auspices of Kuwait Indian Football Federation (KIFF). All KIFF affiliated teams are requested to contact the organizers, Kuwait Goan Association (KGA). For more info, Email: kgakuwait@gmail.com Tel: (+965) 94963677.

Youth Chorus competition Youth Chorus is organizing the sixth Christian Malayalam Group Song Competition on Friday, 18th November 2011 at 6:00 p.m. at the United Indian School Auditorium, Abbasiya. The team has to present one Christian Malayalam song within seven minutes. The minimum number of members in the team should be 7 and the maximum 20, including the orchestra persons.

The first, second and third prize winners will be awarded with rolling trophies and certificates. The following prestigious trophies will be awarded to the winners.

First Prize - Youth Chorus Ever Rolling Trophy Second Prize- Omana Jose memorial Ever Rolling Trophy Third Prize- Youth Chorus Ever Rolling Trophy All the other participating teams will be awarded a Youth Chorus memento. Please register the name of your team with the conveners on or before 10th November 2011. Tel: 66853100, 6651093 or to our e-mail address youthchorus@gmail.com

GIS quiz kids in the limelight

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he Gulf Indian School quiz team staged a glorious performance in the 15th Interschool Quiz contest conducted by Derek O’Brien & Associates and organized by the Bengali Cultural Society on 21st October. 52 students from 13 schools in Kuwait participated in the event. Peter Nikhil David and Praveena Mahesh came out as the second runners up in a neck to neck match of wit and reasoning. Congratulations from the GIS family!

Sahara resort welcomes visitors in Eid he Sahara Resort finished preparations for the Eid Al-Adha holiday in order to provide best quality service to visitors wishing to spend the holiday at the resort’s luxurious villas, or use any of its facilities that include swimming pools, gyms, spas, tennis and squash courts, as well as its landmark Golf course.

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Restaurants of the resort are also ready to serve items from various cuisines around the world, prepared by a team of highly skilled chefs. “The distinguished atmosphere provided by the resort give a special feeling of tranquility to visitors during their stay”, said managing director Hassan Bairly in a press release.

Annual holiday bazaar Bring the family and enjoy a festive day of shopping and socializing!! on Friday, November 18 from 10:30 am - 9 pm at The Salwa Sabah Al-Ahmed Theater and Hall, Gulf Road Entrance, just after the Hard Rock Café and before Marina Crescent. Santa will be there From 11 am - 2 pm & 5 - 7 pm.

Alhadulillah done a lot to support the villages in Pakistan.

Our regular ‘Friends’ are well aware of the hospitality and joyful environment at the function. We are also looking forward to welcoming new friends from all communities.

The venue is at GUST Auditorium, Mishref on Thursday 24th November at 7:30 pm. For details contact: Aziz Mamuji: 99837040 Ghazala Bano: 66385203.

SOS’s annual function Friends of SOS children’s villages Pakistan, Kuwait Chapter are in action once again. The much awaited ‘AnnualFunction’ has been planned. It will be an evening of entertainment for a noble cause. ‘Friends’ are engaged with SOS children’s villages for the past many years. We have

Gala concert Special gala concert celebrating the Polish presidency in the European Union on November 12 at 8pm at Al Hashemi Ballroom at Radisson Blu Hotel performed by Alicja Wegorzewska - Whiskerd (mezzosaprano) with participation of Bogdan Kierejsza (Violin).

Fitness program To All Filipinos In Kuwait ..”Tara Na, Mag-Excersice Na Tayo Tuwing Biernes!! The Filipino Cultural Club (FCC), coordially invites you to attend /participate in” FCC’s beach Clean-up and Physical Fitness” programme dubbed as “A Dance with the Sun by the Sea... Season 2” on 28 November, 7 am, McDonald’s Corniche, Gulf Road. Fitness program will run for four months evry Friday 7:00 am McDonald seaside. Come, join us and tag along your family and friends in this very exciting and stimulating activity. For details contact Bong 99530665, Maria-99079341, Cynthia & Danny99169310.

Upcoming events

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA The Austrian Embassy would request to take note that in respect of the official mourning in the State of Kuwait in memory of the former Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz of Saudia Arabia, the reception of the Austrian Ambassador on the occasion of the Austrian National Day on October 26th has been cancelled. The official reception is now rescheduled to Monday, October 31, 2011 from 19:00 to 21:00. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF BRITAIN The British Embassy - Consular Public Counters will be closed today and will re-open on 02 November 2011. For the latest FCO travel advice please visit: www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-livingabroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-eastnorth-africa/kuwait nnnnnnn

Abdulwahab, Hind Al-Nahedh and Ali Najim discuss Twitter at GUST

H

eavily involved in the social media scene, the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) Media Club, hosted a seminar with social personalities Ali Najim, Abdulwahab Al-Essa and Hind AlNahedh called “Do U Tweet?” discussing the ever-growing Twitter community and the influence it has on the population and society.

Mohammad Al-Ali, President of the GUST Media Club, opened the seminar with a brief welcome talking about the general upsurge of social media in our society. Ibraheem Al-Mutawa, the Club’s Vice President, gave a brief synopsis of the seminar discussion with a lighthearted story about his own parents joining the social media scene and that proved that social media has no age and affects us all. Given that this is the first official event for the club, General Secretary of the club Joanne AlAbduljalil introduced the other members of the club including: Abdullah Al-Ali External Affairs, Reem Tarakji - Internal Affairs, Yousef Al-Malek - Head of TV Department, Hamad Al-Shayji Treasurer and Ali Najim - Head of Radio Department.

Ali Najim, Marina FM radio presenter, GUST student and Head of the Media

Club Radio Department was presenting the event and introduced Abdulwahab Al-Essa and Hind Al-Nahedh to the students. Najim started the conversation

talking about the different ways to use Twitter and asked the students what they preferred and then directed the questions to Al-Nahedh and Al-Essa to talk about how they use Twitter, how many followers they have and how many tweets they’ve managed to tweet in the

T

mentioning the club @GustMediaClub !

Al-Essa mentioned that he thinks of Twitter as a service and because audiences are used to him as a source for news, that is mainly how he uses his Twitter account, while Hind includes more of her personal tweets

on her account.

The conversation flowed and came to Al-Nahedh who touched on the etiquette of retweeting. “You don’t retweet everything. You need to make sure that the piece of information your retweeting has evidence, you check the source, you leave space for people to discuss and not use up all 140 characters available - because at the end, retweeting is about spreading knowledge or information and it will reflect on you personally,” she noted, “It [retweeting] is often driven by cause.”

She elaborated on her point by mentioning the infamous dust storm that Kuwait not too long ago - where TV and newspapers couldn’t inform and warn people fast enough, “but Twitter did.”

Al-Essa mentioned that many rumors can spread through Twitter, which is where Al-Nahedh’s point to check the source and avoid retweeting carelessly comes in.

It is important to mention Najim’s point that Twitter has become a very popular source on information.

The session was very comfortable in the way the speakers spoke and interacted with the audience, which made it not only informative, but a great enjoyment for all attendees.

IKEA serves new healthy meals at IKEA Restaurant & Café

Kuwait Mar Thoma parish convention he annual convention of Kuwait Mar Thoma Parsh will be held from today to 4th November (Friday) at Marina Hall, Jleeb Al Shuyoukh. The convention timing is from 7 pm to 9:15 pm, except on Friday. On Friday, it will be held at 6:30 am along with the usual worship service. Renowned convention speaker from India, Paul Mahesh will preach the word of God. All are invited.

time they’ve been on Twitter.

In keeping with the topic, during the first part of seminar, all the questions were directed to the speakers via Twitter by

I

KEA Restaurant & Café announced today the launch of its new LOW CARB meals which includes main dishes, salads, desserts, snacks & beverages specially designed for better health. The conscious new menu caters to all the members of the family at competitive prices.

Due to the rising demand for wholesome and healthier meals, IKEA Restaurant & CafÈ has developed recipes with varied offerings that are both delicious and nutritious. The low carb diet is especially beneficial for those

seeking to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Customers can now take a

break from their shopping spree and indulge in a tasty course

meal at the IKEA restaurant and cafÈ. Some of the new healthy menu choices introduced for the first time include vegetable pasta salad, smoked salmon on rye bread, vegetables on rye bread, fresh fruit salad and muesli with yoghurt along with sugar free chocolate bars at excellent prices ranging from 0.500 fils to 1.500 fils.

IKEA Kuwait also offers sweet diet delicacies for customers on their way out, at the cashiers to end their day with a treat.

Celebrate the traditional chai al daha at Hotel Missoni

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hai Al Daha, a daytime tea event people knew in Kuwait in the past to visit each other having tea and some snacks and share stories, may be celebrated at Hotel Missoni’s very own Choco Cafe. This traditional event became popular among Kuwaiti women

when their husbands would take part in pearl-diving for long hours of the day. It grasps the symbol of unity and a sense of belonging among women as it can provide them a chance to discuss social matters, religion, family, and politics.

In the past, Chai Al Daha was incorporated into daily life in order to make friends, get to know your neighbours, and build a union among local woman and played a major role in the coherence and cohesion of society. It was a time to socialize and meet new people, while discussing their concerns, hopes, and ambitions.

However, as modernity arose, women have found it hard to incorporate Chai Al-Daha into their everyday lives. Nonetheless, the tradition is still carried on once a week and has taken a modern form in which women no longer have to visit others’ homes, cafes and shopping malls became favourite place to meet and enjoy the meetings Hotel Missoni Kuwait makes it easy for women to continue this ritual by integrating Chai Al-Daha into the modern era at Choco Cafe. Choco Cafe is inspired by the Italian passion for coffee, and is designed as the place to meet, rest, and replenish, as was demonstrated by Chai Al-Daha. Choco Cafe is located on the ground floor of the hotel beside the lobby, and offers a variety of small snacks and beverages to savour.

Available all day at the Cafe, the tradition can be appreciated over a fine selection of sandwiches and pastries made specifically in recognition of Chai Al Daha.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah. Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF FRENCH On the occasion of Eid Al Adha, the French Embassy in Kuwait will be closed on Sunday 6th and Monday 7th of November 2011. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application. Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on the following dates during the month of November 2011: November 6, 2011 (Sunday)- Idu’l Zuha (Bakrid) and November 10, 2011 (Thursday) - Guru Nanak’s birthday. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF PERU The Embassy of Peru announces the formal opening of the offices of the Embassy of Peru today November 1, in Kuwait which is located at Al-Arablya Tower, Sharq, Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, on the 6th Floor. In the same place, as a part of the Chancellery of the Embassy of Peru in Kuwait, also is located the Showing Room of “PeruExpo-Tour, Trade & Invest.” nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF SPAIN On the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, this Embassy will be closed, on 6-7 and 8 November 2011, and will re-open Wednesday 9/11/2011. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF US The Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Leadership for Democracy Fellows Program is now accepting applications - deadline Nov 1, 2011. The MEPI Leaders for Democracy Fellowship (LDF) Program is an exciting, selective 3-month program in the United States for 20-25 young civic leaders from the Middle East and North Africa. The program begins with 6 weeks of academic coursework, where fellows focus on the concepts of leadership, democracy, communication, and conflict resolution among other issues.

After completing the academic portion of the program, participants engage in a 6-week professional assignment with a political, non-governmental, or public policy organization in Washington, DC. For more information about the program, please e-mail: kuwaitmepi@state.gov Visit us @ USEmbassyQ8 http://www.facebook.com/USEmbassyQ8 nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” - (+ 965) 972-79-206.

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Years

03:35 04:30 05:25 05:50 06:20 07:10 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:50 14:15 14:45 15:40 Baker 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:25 19:20 20:15 Baker 21:10 22:05 23:00 23:55

Bad Dog Untamed & Uncut Maneaters Maneaters Dogs 101 Animal ER Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife The Really Wild Show Natural Born Hunters Jeff Corwin Unleashed Breed All About It Dogs 101 Animal Cops Miami Pit Bulls And Parolees Wild Africa Rescue Wild Africa Rescue Planet Earth Weird Creatures With Nick

08:05 08:10 08:30 08:40 09:00 09:10 09:20 09:35 09:40 09:50 10:10 10:20 10:40 11:40 12:25 13:15 13:45 14:15 15:10 16:40 17:30 18:15 18:45 19:15 20:10 21:00 21:45 22:15 22:45 23:40

Spot’s Musical Adventures Me Too: Set 1 Charlie & Lola: Set 2 Fimbles: Set 2 3rd & Bird: set 01 Bobinogs Boogie Beebies: Set 4 Spot’s Musical Adventures Buzz & Tell Me Too: Set 1 Charlie & Lola: Set 2 Fimbles: Set 2 Dinnerladies The Weakest Link: S11: Set 02 New Tricks Doctors: Set 2 Eastenders: set 253 Holby City: Set 1 Dinnerladies New Tricks The Weakest Link: S11: Set 02 Doctors: Set 2 Eastenders: set 253 Holby City: Set 1 New Tricks The Weakest Link: S11: Set 02 Doctors: Set 2 Eastenders: set 253 Holby City: Set 1 The Fixer

Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife The Really Wild Show Natural Born Hunters Jeff Corwin Unleashed Dogs 101 America’s Cutest...

Weird Creatures With Nick Dogs 101 Planet Earth Wild Animal Repo Untamed & Uncut

03:30 05:15 06:50 07:40 08:05 10:05 10:55 11:40 13:25 14:15 15:45 16:30 18:10 19:00 19:30 19:55 20:40 21:30 23:10 23:55

Antiques Roadshow Gok’s Fashion Fix Come Dine With Me What Not To Wear Daily Cooks Challenge Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me Daily Cooks Challenge Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Come Dine With Me The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook Indian Food Made Easy Rhodes Across Italy Come Dine With Me Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt Design Star

03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00 04:30

Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report

04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 Asia Business Report 05:45 Sport Today 06:00 Newsday 06:30 Asia Business Report 06:45 Sport Today 07:00 BBC World News 07:30 Hardtalk 08:00 BBC World News 08:30 World Business Report 08:45 BBC World News 09:00 BBC World News 09:30 World Business Report 09:45 BBC World News 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 World Business Report 11:45 Sport Today 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 Hardtalk 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 World Business Report 13:45 Sport Today 14:00 BBC World News 14:30 World Business Report 14:45 Sport Today 15:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:30 GMT With George Alagiah 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 BBC World News 21:30 World Business Report 21:45 Sport Today 22:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 23:00 BBC World News America 23:30 World Business Report 23:45 Sport Today

03:00 03:25 03:50 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:35 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:15 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:00 09:25 09:50 10:15 10:40 11:05 11:30 11:55 12:20 12:35 13:00 13:15 13:40 13:55 14:20 14:45 15:15 15:40 16:05 16:30 16:55 17:20 Doo 17:45 18:10 18:35 19:00 19:25 19:50 20:00 20:25 20:50

King Arthur’s Disasters The Scooby Doo Show Popeye Classics Tom & Jerry Popeye The Jetsons The Flintstones Looney Tunes Pink Panther & Pals Tex Avery Yogi’s Treasure Hunt The Garfield Show New Yogi Bear Show Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Jelly Jamm Pink Panther And Pals Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show Dastardly And Muttley The Flintstones Tom & Jerry Pink Panther And Pals Top Cat New Yogi Bear Show Puppy In My Pocket Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Bananas In Pyjamas The Jetsons Duck Dodgers Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Tom & Jerry The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races Scooby-Doo And ScrappyDastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Puppy In My Pocket The Garfield Show The Flintstones Pink Panther & Pals Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Top Cat

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 21:15 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:25 23:55

Wacky Races Tom & Jerry The Scooby Doo Show Dastardly And Muttley Tom & Jerry Johnny Bravo Dexters Laboratory

03:10 Best Ed 03:35 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:25 Generator Rex 04:50 Adventure Time 05:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 05:40 Chowder 05:55 Powerpuff Girls 06:30 Ed, Edd n Eddy 06:55 I Am Weasel 07:20 Squirrel Boy 07:45 Cow & Chicken 08:00 Eliot Kid 08:04 Cow & Chicken 08:12 Eliot Kid 08:25 Angelo Rules 08:50 Best Ed 09:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 09:40 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 10:05 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 10:30 Courage The Cowardly Dog 10:55 Cow & Chicken 11:20 I Am Weasel 11:35 Adventure Time 12:00 Ben 10 12:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 12:50 The Secret Saturdays 13:15 Samurai Jack 13:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 14:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 14:30 Skunk Fu! 14:50 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 15:15 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 15:40 Ed, Edd n Eddy 16:05 Camp Lazlo 16:30 Chowder 16:55 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 17:25 Cow & Chicken 17:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog 18:15 I Am Weasel 18:40 George Of The Jungle 19:05 Casper’s Scare School 19:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 19:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 20:20 Generator Rex 20:45 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 21:10 Hero 108 21:35 Bakugan: New Vestroia 22:00 Total Drama Action 22:25 Adventure Time 22:50 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 23:00 Ben 10 23:25 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 23:50 The Secret Saturdays

03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 Call 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00

WYATT EARP ON OSN ACTION HD

World Business Today Piers Morgan Tonight Anderson Cooper 360 World Sport African Voices World Report Backstory World Report World Report World Sport Inside Africa World Business Today American Morning: Wake-Up World’s Untold Stories World One Piers Morgan Tonight News Stream World Business Today International Desk The Brief World Sport Prism International Desk World’s Untold Stories Quest Means Business

22:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

03:25 04:20 05:15 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 08:45 09:10 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 14:10 15:05 15:30 16:00 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How It’s Made How Do They Do It? Dirty Jobs Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Stunt Junkies Time Warp How It’s Made Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Hunters Pit Bulls And Parolees LA Ink Ultimate Survival Swords: Life On The Line Swamp Brothers Cash Cab Us Wheeler Dealers Fifth Gear Overhaulin’ Mythbusters Cake Boss Border Security Auction Hunters How Do They Do It? How It’s Made Cash Cab Us LA Ink Animal Cops South Africa Pit Bulls And Parolees

03:35 Brainiac 04:25 The Gadget Show 04:50 The Gadget Show 05:15 How Stuff’s Made 05:45 Mega Builders 06:40 One Step Beyond 07:10 Nextworld 08:00 Catch It Keep It 08:55 Bad Universe 09:40 The Tech Show 10:10 Weird Connections 10:35 The Gadget Show 11:00 The Gadget Show 11:25 Nextworld 12:20 Sci-Fi Science 12:45 How Stuff’s Made 13:15 Under New York 14:05 Bad Universe 14:55 Stuntdawgs 15:20 Stunt Junkies 15:50 Mega Builders 16:40 Weird Connections 17:05 Catch It Keep It 18:00 Brainiac 18:50 Sci-Fi Science 19:15 The Tech Show 19:40 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 20:30 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 21:20 Powering The Future 22:10 The Gadget Show 22:35 The Gadget Show 23:00 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 23:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman

03:35 Stitch 04:00 Stitch 04:25 Replacements 04:50 Replacements 05:15 Fairly Odd Parents 05:35 Fairly Odd Parents 06:00 Emperor’s New School 06:20 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 06:45 Phineas And Ferb 07:05 Wizards Of Waverly Place 07:30 Suite Life On Deck 07:55 Good Luck Charlie 08:20 Fish Hooks 08:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 09:15 Jungle Junction 09:25 The Hive 09:35 Handy Manny 09:50 Imagination Movers 10:15 Phineas And Ferb 10:30 Emperor’s New School 10:50 Good Luck Charlie 11:15 Phineas And Ferb 11:35 Suite Life On Deck 12:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place 12:25 Sonny With A Chance 12:45 Good Luck Charlie 13:10 Hannah Montana 13:30 Suite Life On Deck 13:55 Wizards Of Waverly Place 14:20 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 14:55 Good Luck Charlie 15:20 Phineas And Ferb 15:45 Fish Hooks 16:10 Shake It Up 16:35 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 17:00 Wizards Of Waverly Place 17:25 Good Luck Charlie 17:50 Fish Hooks 18:15 Shake It Up 18:45 Suite Life On Deck 19:10 Suite Life On Deck 19:35 Good Luck Charlie 20:00 Emperor’s New School 20:25 Fish Hooks 20:50 Hannah Montana 21:15 Sonny With A Chance 21:35 Good Luck Charlie 22:00 Shake It Up 22:25 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 22:50 Sonny With A Chance 23:15 Wizards Of Waverly Place 23:35 Wizards Of Waverly Place

03:00 03:15 03:25 03:50 04:05 04:20 04:40 04:55 05:10 05:25 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:30 06:50

Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Jungle Junction

07:00 07:15 07:45 08:00 08:15 08:45 09:10 09:20 09:35 10:15 10:30 10:45 10:55 11:15 11:45 12:10 12:30 12:45 13:10 13:25 13:40 14:05 14:15 14:25 14:50 15:15 15:40 16:05 16:30 16:40 16:55 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:20 18:30 18:55 19:25 19:50 20:05 20:25 20:50 21:20 21:29 21:30 21:55 22:20 22:35 22:50 23:15 23:25 23:40 23:55

Jungle Junction Higglytown Heroes Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Hive Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny Jungle Junction The Hive Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Little Mermaid Art Attack Imagination Movers Jake & The Neverland Pirates Lazytown Handy Manny Jungle Junction Imagination Movers The Hive Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Jake & The Neverland Pirates Imagination Movers Lazytown Art Attack The Hive Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Little Mermaid Special Agent Oso Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 101 Dalmatians Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Animated Stories Imagination Movers Little Einsteins Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Timmy Time Handy Manny Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

THE ANSWER MAN ON OSN CINEMA 03:15 25 Most Stylish 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Giuliana & Bill 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 The Dance Scene 13:35 The Dance Scene 14:05 Keeping Up With Kardashians 14:35 Giuliana & Bill 15:30 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Khloe And Lamar 17:25 Khloe And Lamar 17:55 E! News 18:55 E!es 19:55 Keeping Up With Kardashians 20:25 Keeping Up With Kardashians 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Giuliana & Bill 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With Kardashians

03:05 04:40 05:25 05:50 06:15 07:10 09:35 10:20 10:45 11:05 11:50 12:40 13:25 14:15 15:00 15:50 16:15 16:35 17:20 18:10 19:00 19:45 20:10 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

The

The The

The

Nightmare Next Door Dr G: Medical Examiner Dead Tenants Dead Tenants The Haunted Mystery Diagnosis Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Street Patrol Disappeared FBI Files Murder Shift On The Case With Paula Zahn The Prosecutors Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol Real Emergency Calls Disappeared FBI Files Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Street Patrol On The Case With Paula Zahn The Prosecutors Couples Who Kill Deadly Women

03:00 Going Bush 03:30 Finding Genghis 04:00 By Any Means 05:00 Endurance Traveller 06:00 Ultimate Traveller 07:00 Banged Up Abroad 08:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 09:00 Going Bush 09:30 Finding Genghis 10:00 By Any Means 11:00 Endurance Traveller 12:00 Ultimate Traveller 13:00 Meet The Natives: USA 14:00 Banged Up Abroad 15:00 Graham’s World 15:30 Eccentric Uk 16:00 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody 16:30 Somewhere In China 17:30 Earth Tripping 18:00 A World Apart 19:00 Meet The Natives: USA 20:00 Banged Up Abroad 21:00 Graham’s World 21:30 Eccentric Uk 22:00 Amazing Adventures of A Nobody 22:30 Somewhere In China 23:30 Earth Tripping

04:00 Rocky v-PG15 06:00 Universal Soldier: Regeneration-PG15 08:00 Ransom-PG15 10:00 Wyatt Earp-PG15 13:15 Bugsy-PG15 15:45 Ransom-PG15 18:00 Deadly Impact-18 20:00 The Gene Generation-18 22:00 The Forsaken-18

03:15 05:00 06:45 09:00 11:00 12:30 14:15 15:15 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Citizen Jane-PG Fly Me To The Moon-PG The Brothers Bloom-PG15 Parlez-Moi De LA Pluie-PG15 Freestyle (2010)-PG15 Shrek Forever After-FAM MacHEADS-PG15 Easy A-PG15 Three Investigators-PG15 The Answer Man-PG15 Takers-PG15 Pete Smalls Is Dead-18

03:00 Friends 03:30 Friends 04:00 According To Jim 05:30 Dharma And Greg 06:00 Weird Science 06:30 Coach 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 According To Jim 08:30 Friends 09:00 Dharma And Greg 09:30 The League 10:00 8 Simple Rules ...

10:30 Coach 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Weird Science 12:30 According To Jim 13:00 Friends 13:30 Dharma And Greg 14:00 Coach 14:30 The League 15:00 8 Simple Rules ...

15:30 The Daily Show Global Edition 16:00 The Colbert Report Global Edition 16:30 Weird Science 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 How I Met Your Mother 19:30 The League 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Bored To Death 22:30 Entourage 23:00 South Park 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00

Revenge The Invisible Man Good Morning America Law & Order: Criminal Intent Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Desperate Housewives Revenge Live Good Morning America The Invisible Man The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice House Big Love Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Desperate Housewives Revenge The Good Guys Law & Order Two And A Half Men Coronation Street Burn Notice Top Gear (US) Desperate Housewives Revenge Two And A Half Men Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Burn Notice Law & Order Outsourced Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Burn Notice Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice House

22:00 Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior 23:00 The Good Guys

19:00 Rugby League 4 Nations 21:00 RWC 2011 Tournament Highlights 23:00 WWE Bottom Line

03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 19:00 21:00 23:00 PG15

03:30 Currie Cup 05:30 European PGA Tour Highlights 06:30 ICC Cricket World 07:00 Rugby World Cup 09:00 World Hockey 09:30 Rugby League 4 Nations 11:30 Volvo Ocean Race 13:00 Golfing World 14:00 Pro 12 Celtic League 16:00 ICC Cricket World 16:30 Currie Cup 18:30 SPL Highlights 19:00 Golfing World 20:00 Beach Volley Ball 20:30 Futbol Mundial 21:00 Trans World Sport 22:00 SPL Highlights 22:30 Scottish Premier League

Rocky v-PG15 The Grudge 3-18 Patriot Games-PG15 The Postman-PG15 Fast Lane-PG15 Top Gun-PG15 The Postman-PG15 Dead Presidents-18 Double Impact-18 A Lonely Place For Dying-

04:00 The Country Bears-PG 06:00 Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement-FAM 08:00 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie-PG 10:00 102 Dalmatians-PG 12:00 Coming & Going-PG15 14:00 How To Go Out On A Date In Queens-PG15 16:00 Stuart Little 2-FAM 18:00 The Allnighter-PG15 20:00 Our Family Wedding-PG15 22:00 Garage Days-18

03:45 Hollywood, I’m Sleeping Over Tonight-PG15 05:30 The Last Song-PG15 07:15 Sweet Liberty-PG15 09:00 The Associate-PG15 11:00 The Last Song-PG15 13:00 When We Were Kings-PG15 15:00 Leaving Normal-PG15 17:00 Adam-PG15 19:00 The Fog Of War-PG15 21:00 Funny Bones-PG15 23:15 Partir-18

03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG Marmaduke-PG The A-Team-PG15 Just Wright-PG15 Sweet Home Alabama-PG15 Bubble Boy-PG15 District 9-PG15 Just Wright-PG15 An Education-PG15 Machete-18 Mercy-18

04:00 06:00 PG 08:00 10:00 12:00 PG 14:00 16:00 FAM 18:00 20:00 22:00 PG

Turtle Hero: Part II-FAM Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Jr.-

03:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:30 15:30 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 23:00

WWE SmackDown UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed WWE NXT WWE SmackDown Powerboats Powerboats Highlights Le Mans Cup V8 Supercars WWE SmackDown V8 Supercars Speedway UFC 137 UFC 137 UFC Countdown

Christopher Columbus-PG Planet 51-PG Columbus III: The New WorldThe Prince Of Dinosaurs-PG Barbie In A Fashion FairytalePlanet 51-PG Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG Columbus III: The New World-

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Classifieds TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Helping hands for feral cats At work, Ella Hilliard is known as "The Cat Lady"

A

fter work hours, she can be found in the woods behind office complexes off Greystone Boulevard in Columbia, S.C., using bags of cat food, jugs of water and wire traps to trap feral cats for the Midlands' Humane Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"I'm a patsy for animals," Hilliard said. "I love them."

The humane society's Urban Cats program, which began in 1997, has captured 2,200 feral cats _ spaying or neutering them, vaccinating them and then returning them to the wild, said Humane Society executive director Wayne Hennessel. The program's goal is to reduce the population of free roaming, anti-social cats in the city, he said.

"There are cats at the State House. There are cats on the USC campus," Hennessel said. "You name a spot, and there are feral cats."

The cats are released back to their colonies because they don't make good pets, Hennessel said.

Everyone who traps cats is a volunteer. Each cat's surgery and vac-

cinations costs $24, Hennessel said.

When volunteers catch a cat, they pay for it. Donations offset their expense. The humane society prefers not to euthanize feral cats.

Animal control experts have found that preventing the cats from reproducing is the best way to curb their numbers.

Feral cats can be a nuisance,

Hennessel said, but they rarely pose public health problems.

"There's been free-roaming cats since the days of Cleopatra," he said. Hilliard has worked with Urban Cats since its beginning.

On a Wednesday evening, as a brisk wind whipped through an empty office parking lot, Hilliard set up a wire trap in some bushes. She

Local humane society volunteer Ella Hilliard carries feral cats that she trapped in the thicket of woods seen behind her, October 19, 2011, in Columbia, South Carolina. The cats will be spayed or neutered and then returned to the wild. — MCT

carefully spooned 9 Lives cat food into the trap.

She caught two young gray tabbys with big, bright green eyes.

"I've never caught two before," Hilliard said.

On Thursday, the cats — one male, one female — were neutered and spayed and given their vaccinations. As usual, Hilliard paid the fees.

In 2010, Hilliard trapped 38 feral cats. This year, she has trapped 10, a sign that the spay/neuter program is keeping the number of cats from growing, she said.

When asked how much she had spent over the years to take care of the cats, she laughed and answered, "I don't want to know."

After setting out food, Hilliard, who has three cats of her own at home, often stands by her car to watch the cats slink out of the thick brush to eat. The cats are skittish and often won't come out if people are nearby. So, it was a thrill Wednesday evening when a grey adult appeared.

"Here's one. Here's one," she whispered. "Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful cats." — MCT

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Airlines JZR RBG JZR SVA ETH THY UAE QTR OMA DHX MSR FDB ETD RJA GFA KAC DHX FAH JZR JZR KAC BAW KAC JZR KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY SVA QTR FDB ETD IRA GFA SVA IRA JZR MEA SVA KAC MSR MSR JZR UAL KAC KAC GFA FDB SVA VOS QTR KNE

Flt 185 3564 539 4173 620 772 853 138 641 370 612 67 305 642 211 544 170 201 555 529 416 157 412 503 206 53 352 302 332 284 855 125 4269 132 55 301 605 213 4239 619 165 404 4235 1910 623 610 201 982 1912 672 219 57 4243 93 140 745

Arrival Flights on Tuesday 1/11/2011 Route DUBAI ASSIUT CAIRO JEDDAH ADDIS ABABA ISTANBUL DUBAI DOHA MUSCAT BAHRAIN CAIRO DUBAI ABU DHABI AMMAN BAHRAIN CAIRO BAHRAIN DUBAI ALEXANDRIA ASSIUT JAKARTA/KUALA LUMPUR LONDON MANILA/BANGKOK LUXOR ISLAMABAD DUBAI COCHIN MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM DHAKA DUBAI SHARJAH JEDDAH DOHA DUBAI ABU DHABI ISFAHAN BAHRAIN JEDDAH LAR DUBAI BEIRUT JEDDAH JEDDAH SOHAG CAIRO DAMASCUS WASHINGTON DC DULLES JEDDAH DUBAI BAHRAIN DUBAI JEDDAH KANDAHAR/DUBAI DOHA JEDDAH

Tim 0:20 0:40 0:50 1:05 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:40 2:50 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:10 3:15 4:40 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:20 6:25 6:40 6:45 7:25 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:05 9:20 9:35 9:45 9:55 10:05 10:50 11:20 11:55 12:05 12:10 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:20 13:25 13:50 14:05 14:15 14:20 14:25

KAC SVA KAC RJA KAC JZR JZR QTR KAC JZR KAC JZR ETD UAE GFA SVA ABY JZR RBG SVA ALK JZR FDB KAC KAC SVA JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC ALK FDB JAI OMA MLR KAC DHX SVA MEA GFA QTR UAE JZR UAL KLM AIC KAC JZR RLB AXB BBC DLH

546 500 1914 640 562 257 241 134 678 561 1916 213 303 857 215 510 127 777 3561 4271 227 177 63 502 542 4241 787 786 618 674 744 166 1918 104 774 506 61 572 647 1405 1920 372 4237 402 217 136 859 135 981 443 981 1922 239 1202 389 43 636

ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH JEDDAH AMMAN AMMAN BEIRUT AMMAN DOHA ABU DHABI/MUSCAT SOHAG JEDDAH DEIREZZOR ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH SHARJAH JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH COLOMBO/DUBAI DUBAI DUBAI BEIRUT CAIRO JEDDAH RIYADH JEDDAH DOHA DUBAI DAMMAM PARIS/ROME JEDDAH LONDON RIYADH LONDON DUBAI MUMBAI MUSCAT COLOMBO/DUBAI JEDDAH BAHRAIN JEDDAH BEIRUT BAHRAIN DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM CHENNAI/HYDERABAD/AHMEDABAD JEDDAH AMMAN BISHKEK KOZHIKODE/MANGALORE DHAKA FRANKFURT

14:30 14:30 14:40 14:40 14:45 15:00 15:05 15:25 15:30 16:10 16:30 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:40 17:45 17:50 18:05 18:10 18:15 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:05 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 19:40 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:50 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:05 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:35 23:45 23:50

Airlines SVA AIC BBC JZR PIA DLH RBG SVA ETH THY FDB UAE OMA DHX MSR ETD QTR KAC JZR GFA RJA JZR KAC KAC FDB BAW KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC JZR JZR KAC UAE ABY FDB QTR ETD SVA GFA IRA JZR KAC SVA KAC IRA KAC JZR MEA KAC MSR SVA KAC JZR MSR KAC

Departure Flights on Tuesday 1/11/2011 Flt Route 5155 JEDDAH 976 GOA/CHENNAI 44 DHAKA 502 LUXOR 240 SIALKOT 637 FRANKFURT 3562 ALEXANDRIA 5173 JEDDAH 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 642 MUSCAT 371 BAHRAIN 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 1909 JEDDAH 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 200 DAMASCUS 545 ALEXANDRIA 1911 JEDDAH 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 677 ABU DHABI/MUSCAT 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 561 AMMAN 1913 JEDDAH 560 SOHAG 242 AMMAN 101 LONDON/NEW YORK 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 5269 JEDDAH 214 BAHRAIN 604 ISFAHAN 212 DEIREZZOR 1915 JEDDAH 5239 JEDDAH 165 ROME/PARIS 618 LAR 541 CAIRO 776 JEDDAH 405 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 624 SOHAG 5235 JEDDAH 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 1917 JEDDAH

Time 0:35 0:50 1:00 1:05 1:10 1:20 1:25 2:35 2:45 3:15 3:45 3:50 3:55 3:55 4:00 4:00 4:55 6:30 6:55 7:00 7:10 7:30 7:40 8:00 8:25 8:40 8:55 9:00 9:00 9:20 9:30 9:30 9:35 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:05 10:10 10:20 10:35 10:40 10:45 10:50 11:00 11:35 11:45 11:50 12:00 12:15 12:55 13:00 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:50 13:55 14:00

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

UAL GFA FDB KAC KNE KAC RJA SVA SVA JZR KAC KAC QTR KAC KAC JZR ETD JZR QTR VOS UAE GFA ABY RBG SVA JZR JZR ALK FDB SVA JZR KAC KAC SVA FDB ALK KAC KAC DHX KAC JAI OMA MLR KAC DHX MEA GFA KAC FAH QTR SVA KAC JZR UAE KAC KLM JZR UAL KAC

982 220 58 673 746 1919 641 5243 501 786 617 773 141 743 1921 238 304 538 135 82 858 216 128 3563 511 266 134 228 64 5271 184 283 361 5241 62 506 343 1925 171 351 571 648 1405 543 373 403 218 381 102 137 5237 301 554 860 205 443 528 981 411

BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DUBAI DUBAI JEDDAH JEDDAH AMMAN JEDDAH JEDDAH RIYADH DOHA RIYADH DOHA DAMMAM JEDDAH AMMAN ABU DHABI CAIRO DOHA BAGHDAD DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH ASSIUT RIYADH BEIRUT BAHRAIN DUBAI/COLOMBO DUBAI JEDDAH DUBAI DHAKA COLOMBO JEDDAH DUBAI COLOMBO CHENNAI JEDDAH BAHRAIN COCHIN MUMBAI MUSCAT COLOMBO CAIRO BAHRAIN BEIRUT BAHRAIN DELHI DUBAI DOHA JEDDAH MUMBAI ALEXANDRIA DUBAI ISLAMABAD BAHRAIN/AMSTERDAM ASSIUT WASHINGTON DC DULLES BANGKOK/MANILA

14:20 14:20 14:35 15:05 15:10 15:30 15:35 15:40 15:45 15:50 15:50 16:25 16:30 16:40 17:00 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:45 18:00 18:10 18:15 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:45 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:35 19:55 20:15 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:55 20:55 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:35 23:45 23:55

34

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

stars CROSSWORD 486

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) The way you deal with necessities and obligations—health and work in particular—is in a state of transformation. Your job situation may change radically. Improvements are in the works. Environmental contaminants connected with your work can be a problem. You will be pleased with your new accomplishments, during which insights and a breakthrough in organization is in order. Things are happening, and your career or path depend upon your own objective, which is strong at this time. You are able to use good common sense to feel the trends and make the right moves. You can progress by taking action. There is a revolution—new ideas and ways to do and use things become clear. You are in touch and in harmony with others. You have good support.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) There are possibilities that you will run into a snag with a person or become blocked in a situation this morning. Quietly and respectfully stating your opinion may not be the answer in this situation. The problem could be a physical illness of another person and letting this difficulty slide may be the wiser choice. In-depth discussions and probing conversations find you at your mental best this afternoon. You may get the feeling that this has turned out to be a very fortunate day. You are feeling successful and able to cope with whatever comes across your path. You may find yourself very talkative tonight. You may even find that a board game or some trivia game brings back old and fond memories. Sentimentalism is present.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS

1. God of the earth.

4. Of a declining industry or technology.

10. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

13. A lipoprotein that transports cholesterol in the blood.

14. A resident of Utah.

15. The 21st letter of the Greek alphabet.

16. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank.

17. Of or relating to theism.

18. An ugly evil-looking old woman.

19. An imaginary elephant that appears in a series of French books for children.

21. Make amends for.

23. Any taillike structure.

26. (usually followed by `to') Having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something.

29. A promontory in northern Morocco opposite the Rock of Gibraltar.

33. Brazilian tree with handsomely marked wood.

35. A person who habitually pretends to be something he is not.

36. The most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on.

37. A pointed tool for marking surfaces or for punching small holes.

38. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

39. A piece of furniture with open shelves for displaying small ornaments.

41. The residue that remains when something is burned.

46. A member of an agricultural people of southern India.

52. In bed.

54. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

55. (botany) Relating to a plant of the family Araceae.

57. A small cake leavened with yeast.

58. A hospital unit staffed and equipped to provide intensive care.

59. Identified with a band especially around a leg.

61. Of a light yellowish-brown color n 1.

62. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

63. On a ship, train, plane or other vehicle.

64. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

DOWN 1. Marked by lack of intellectual depth.

2. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

3. Divulge information or secrets.

4. A member of the lowest or worker Hindu caste.

5. A member of the Shoshonean people of Utah and Colorado and New Mexico.

6. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers.

7. (Judaism) A period of seven days of mourning after the death of close relative.

8. Posing no difficulty.

9. Explosive consisting of a yellow crystalline compound that is a flammable toxic derivative of toluene.

10. An ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure equal to about a bushel.

11. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

12. Port city that is the capital and largest city of Latvia.

20. Type genus of the Aceraceae.

22. United States labor organizer who ran for President as a socialist (1855-1926).

24. Remove a bar from (a door, for example).

25. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

27. A very troublesome child.

28. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

30. Not only so, but.

31. (Irish) Ancient Irish god (probably a god of the sun).

32. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

34. Inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence.

40. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

42. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

43. A machine or person that adds.

44. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

45. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

47. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

48. Material used to daub walls.

49. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

50. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

51. The capital and chief port of Qatar.

53. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

56. United States musician (born in Japan) who married John Lennon and collaborated with him on recordings (born in 1933).

60. A doctor's degree in religion.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Although you could overdo and find yourself feeling cross, you can pat yourself on the back for learning how to rise above the negative. Business levels out later today and yet, another rush on business products may be planned. Perhaps there are decorations to be sold, wedding dresses on special or cars at a low cost . . . your expertise is fine-tuned and you could sell ice to an Eskimo.

Enjoy this busy time but plan your meals wisely and have snacks that are full of protein. You are encouraged in your career advancement as well as your personal progress—you encourage others. You will benefit from analytical insights, getting to the heart of things, penetrating. This evening find time to relax—perhaps a bicycle ride or a massage. Laughter is contagious—laugh a little.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

There is a push to complete your work. Travel opportunities are available all month. This is a great time, when anything is possible. One of the key elements during this time involves your sense of direction. You may want to seriously review your career path. Higher education or philosophical and perhaps religious contacts could have a part in making good things happen. Partnerships, personal relationships or the social scene in general is very important during this time and can have a very decided influence on your career. You may find that a more impersonal attitude is the key. Use the recycling facilities in your hometown; pay attention to waste and excess. These small steps will improve the quality of life for yourself and others.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Your career or life path—the way you make your living or get through life is perhaps quite unique. There are opportunities now, to reach beyond your current situation and to expand your horizons. Your approach to any problem is always original and you could invent things or discover new places or develop new ways of doing things. Communications, computers and the whole electronic revolution are a perfect career choices for you. Close personal relationships are likely to undergo some testing. Now is good for cementing your ties to others. Make sure these relationships are rock-solid— because if they are not, they are apt to crack under stress. Fairness with and responsibility to the other people in your life is emphasized today.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This is a rewarding day. Others may seek you out for your advice regarding very personal and sensitive issues at this time. You have prolific mood-altering and problem solving ideas that others want to know about; consider writing a series on how one might survive or excel in the workplace.

You are more talented than you give yourself credit for and you can help many people with an upbeat, matter-of-fact type of thinking. You are able to cut through the red tape and get at what is beneath and behind the most difficult situations with just the simplest of questions and many want to know your secret. Recognition comes from higher-ups today. Good fortune is available—things open up in a very natural way for you. A loved one encourages you.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This is an easy, calm day that should find everything running in a smooth manner. Ideas and interaction with authority figures or older people may be in the forecast now. Working with, rather than against the flow, should be easy to do. Others may find you especially witty and eccentric just now. You may have insights or breakthroughs regarding your living situation or in life circumstances generally. Others value you for your independence and unique qualities. You can expect pleasant surprises today, along with some sort of extra support or recognition. You may feel that you are in touch and in harmony with others; the lines of communication are open. The support you need is available for whatever direction you want to take.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You have the mind of a lawyer, always able to size up a problem and come up with a solution. Using your mind to negotiate obstacles and handle dilemmas, yours or those of others, is a great talent and you enjoy the challenges. You also have an innate ability to guide and lead others through the hurdles of life. You are good at solving problems and could consider a living in accounting, politics, police or psychology. A part-time job to complete a formal education really will not take very long. At this time, people can get an education over the Internet.

Perhaps you would need communication with a professor or a trip to the university but you will find the educational opportunities are more flexible and affordable than in the past. A budget is good.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Yesterday’s Solution

This whole day gives you the opportunity to bring some focus to the workplace and some understanding to a loved one on the home front. Understand your feelings and take responsibility for them—you will jump many steps ahead in the game of life. There are only two feelings, one is fear and the other is love. Anything else is an indicator of the two. Faith, optimism and a yearning to explore all kinds of new horizons are some of the focal points in your life at this time. Short trips or a vacation may begin today or tomorrow. Travel, education and other ways to stretch your horizons open new doors of opportunity. Making a good impression and putting your best foot forward take on greater importance. Romance takes center stage tonight.

Important financial decisions require more information than you realize. It’s important to gather all the facts necessary to give you a realistic idea of whatever subject is at hand. You have a large imagination when it comes to finances—choosing possessions and the material world. A growing sense of idealism affects your productivity and material concerns. You may work to establish some cooperative, communal goals. Social relationships are a special focus. Travel and animated discussions play a part in this and could be less than satisfying in some respects. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love. General good feeling and a sense of support and harmony make this a happy time.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Do not take chances or risks just now. Be satisfied with the ordinary and the usual. Someone may try to tell you an untruth today but your mind cuts right through all the window dressing and gets right down to the quick. Before anyone knows it, you have the heart of a matter out front for everyone to see. You would make a great investigator—either in scientific research or undercover work—it makes no difference. Your ability to get to the point is all but phenomenal.

You may have some hectic emotional energy just now. It is easy to see what you value and care about these days. Your sense of appreciation is sharpened and in high focus.

If you are shopping today, it is better to compare prices than to purchase an item that you may not like later.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You feel a love of order and law—an appreciation for responsibilities and duty. Problems are valued for the lessons they represent, rather than perceived as obstacles. Your career direction will get encouragement and life’s troubles should find uncomplicated solutions. This just may be the time to take risks and dare to be unconventional. You will prosper through new insights. You could find that you are appreciated for your ability to act and get things done. Your speech is eloquent and persuasive. The situation is a natural for your particular thinking process.

Now is the time to move toward your goals. You take care to recycle and set examples for others. You respect the earth and help others to do the same, ensuring a positive future for your children.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

AIRLINES

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

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stuntman has died and another was injured on a film shoot for star-studded Hollywood action sequel “The Expendables 2” in Bulgaria, the production company said. The incident occurred while the two men were shooting a scene involving an explosion in a rubber boat near a dam on Lake Ognyanovo in southwestern Bulgaria last Thursday, media reports said. The accident “resulted in one fatality and one injury,” said a spokesman for the production in an email to AFP, while the Sofia Echo English-

language newspaper said the injured man underwent five hours of surgery. The main production unit for the movie, written by Sylvester Stallone, was shooting in the mountain resort village of Bansko, two and a half hours away, said the spokesman. “It is with great regret that we confirm this unfortunate accident,” added a statement by producers Image/Millennium Films. “Our hearts go out to the families and those on the production affected by this tragedy. “The filmmakers are working closely with the authorities in responding to

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he reality TV star gave birth to her third child Hattie Margaret McDermott earlier this month but was taken to the Tarzana Medical Centre by her concerned husband Dean McDermott - who is also the father of her other kids Liam, four, and three-year-old Stella - after she complained of a “horrendous migraine”. Before being rushed to the hospital, where she was spotted in a wheelchair, Tori wrote on twitter on Saturday: Anyone else get horrendous migraines right after giving birth? Is it hormones? I’ve had one for a week now. Nothing is working :(: (sic)” It is unclear whether Tori is still in hospital or has returned home. Before her hospital visit, the actress had appeared to be coping well with the latest addition to their family although she admitted her extra baby weight has not gone unnoticed by her other children. She recently wrote on twitter: “Stella touched my belly confused &said “mommy is there another baby N there? Why’s it still big?” #DamnIThoughtILookedGood #HumbledByMy3YrOld (sic)” Tori later added: “Omg! Liam is doing funny voices for and playing with my jiggly post preggers belly saying “Hi, I’m Mr Fat Belly” (sic)”.

Tori Spelling hospitalized

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and investigating this accident,” it added, giving no further details of the incident. “The Expendables 2,” starring “Rocky” actor Stallone as well as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a follow-up to the 2010 action blockbuster.

The sequel is due for release in August next year.

he 21-year-old actress - who is best known for playing Bella Swan in the ‘Twilight Saga’ film franchise - thinks she is often unfairly portrayed as “distant and cold” but believes she has that image because she finds out hard to talk about herself. She told France’s StarClub magazine: “I’m sometimes told I am a very distant and cold person. In real life, I’m very shy. I feel uncomfortable during interviews because I need to talk about myself. But to talk about yourself, you have to know who you are. When it comes to that, I think there are still a lot of things I need to discover about myself.” Kristen - who is in a relationship with ‘Twilight Saga’ co-star Robert Pattinson - also insisted she is exactly the same as everyone else and despite being famous, she shares the same life aspirations as her fans. She added: “Being a celebrity is not really something that bothers me, it’s the way it’s talked about and how actors are perceived by others. “People are convinced that just because we’re known, our aspirations are different from theirs. But if they only knew... Our only ambition is to have friends, a good life and interesting projects. Just like everybody. “People need to stop believing than when I get home, all the doorknobs in my house are made of gold and that I pay someone to make sure my bath’s temperature is just the right one for me.”

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adonna wants to be “swept off her feet” by the “perfect” man. The 53year-old star - who has previously been married to Sean Penn and Guy Ritchie and is currently dating 24-year-old dancer Brahim Zaibat - believes women all have similar expectations about love, though she knows she is responsible for her own happiness. She told Britain’s Hello! magazine: “We women still want what we’ve always wanted.

So much has changed for us over the last few decades, in that we have the opportunity for better education, for many different kinds of jobs, for being independent in ourselves. “But we all still find ourselves wanting the same thing at the same time - to be swept off our feet by the perfect man. “We all think that perfect love is going to change our lives immensely. And of course love does change your life. But what we also have to

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understand is that happiness lies in our own hands, not someone else’s.” The ‘Hung Up’ hitmaker whose directorial debut, ‘W.E’ is released in January - insists no one has ever given up their “kingdom” for her but she wouldn’t want anyone to make big sacrifices for her happiness. She added: “No one’s ever given up their kingdom for me yet. And to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t want them to. “When a man gives up his kingdom for you, then it’s your job to make him feel like he’s still a king for the rest of his life. That’s a tall order.”

llen DeGeneres is opening a vegan restaurant in San Fernando Valley, California. The chat show host and her wife Portia de Rossi have joined The Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde and film producer Steve Bing in investing in the eatery. The menu will be created by celebrity chef Tal Ronnen - who prepared Ellen and Portia’s wedding menu - and the restaurant’s interior design will be designed by Waldo Fernandez, who has decorated homes for stars including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Tobey Maguire.

The name of the restaurant has yet to be revealed. Earlier this year Ellen also launched a diet advice webpage, ‘Going Vegan with Ellen’, with recipes and resources to help users adopt an animal free diet. Ellen is also juggling her new restaurant plans with the latest series of her self-titled TV show, which she says she continues to work on in the hope of making people “feel good” about themselves and others. She told Parade magazine: “I think we’ll get a new audience that maybe didn’t watch me because they only watched ‘Oprah’, and they have a void now. But it’s

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olice were called to Drew Barrymore’s Halloween party after complaints from neighbors. The ‘Charlie’s Angels’ star threw a huge bash at her Hollywood Hills home over the weekend to mark the spooky holiday yesterday but those living nearby were unimpressed with the noise levels and made a complaint to the authorities. After having a word with the cops, Drew agreed to keep the noise down and no further action was taken, gossip website TMZ reports. Drew isn’t the only celebrity to get into the Halloween spirit by throw-

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ing a huge bash. Supermodel Heidi Klum wowed the crowd at her party at Tao Las Vegas by arriving on a gurney in a skinless corpse costume. Speaking about the ensemble, which needed three-and-a-half hours with a makeup artist to complete, she said: “This is my thirteenth Halloween party this year and I wanted something different. I was thinking how it would look if I had all my skin ripped off, and so...voila!

“We started in July. We started with a body suit that was white. And then, basically, everything had to be hand-painted.

Izquierdo used anatomical photos of the human body to accurately render the bones and muscles.”

the same goal whether we have 10 people or 10 million people watching. If we adjust in any way, it’s so we can top ourselves.” On the message she hopes to promote with his show she added: “The world is filled with negativity. I want people to watch me and think, ‘I feel good, and I’m going to make somebody else feel good today.’

Kardashian to file divorce after 72 days of marriage im Kardashian is filing for divorce yesterday after just 72 days of marriage. The 31-year-old reality TV star married basketball star Kris Humphries in a lavish televised ceremony in August but after rampant speculation their relationship was trouble, ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ producer Ryan Seacrest has confirmed a divorce is imminent. He wrote on twitter: “Yes @kimkardashian is filing for divorce this morning. I touched base with her, getting a statement in just a few mins (sic).” Kim - who attended a Halloween party in New York over the weekend but did not bring Kris along - has reportedly hired divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, who has previously represented Britney Spears, Maria Shriver, Angelina Jolie and Ryan Reynolds and will cite “irreconcilable differences” in her divorce papers. Sources close to the pair told website TMZ that their arguments over where to live were responsi-

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ble for the breakdown of the union, with Kris wanting to live in Minnesota while Kim didn’t want to leave Los Angeles. Although this has been a source of tension for some time, they decided to try to figure it out after the wedding because they were so caught up with being in love. Kim has previously revealed her marriage to 26year-old Kris wasn’t ideal because of the publicity surrounding their union and said they were finding it hard to get some alone time.

She said: “It’s not been ideal because you’re newlyweds and you want privacy.” Kim and Kris tied the knot in a fairytale ceremony in front of 440 guests in Montecito, California with her sisters Khloe and Kourtney as matron and maid of honour, and her nephew, 23month old Mason, as ring bearer. — Bang Showbiz

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‘Anonymous’ a welcome change of pace for Rhys Ifans uch of the attention that “Anonymous” has drawn before its release has come from literary scholars aghast at the film’s contention that William Shakespeare didn’t actually write the plays attributed to him. And certainly, there’s plenty to quibble with in the scholarship of “Anonymous,” which treats a thoroughly controversial theory as gospel, and then inflates Shakespeare’s plays into political propaganda crucial to a plot to seize the throne of England. (Even in an Elizabethan-era drama about the theater, director Roland Emmerich, the auteur of destruction best known for the likes of “Independence Day” and “2012,” likes his stakes to be high.)

But the complaints about history aside, “Anonymous” is also tremendous good fun, a crackling story well told by a director who’s stopped blowing stuff up long enough to be provocative and entertaining. And as the Earl of Oxford, a nobleman whose desire to write is stifled by his position in the aristocracy, actor Rhys Ifans is a revelation. The Welsh actor-probably best known as Hugh Grant’s dopey exhibitionist roommate in “Notting Hill”-is subtly tortured and marvelously understated, and just about unrecognizable from any of his previous roles.

The film opened in limited release Friday. Sony downsized its original plan for a blockbuster-style wide release in favor of something that makes more sense for the kind of film this is.

Ifans spoke to TheWrap in September at the Toronto Film Festival, where the film premiered.

The conversation took place first thing in the morning on the first day he did interviews about the film.

TheWrap: This might reflect more on the movies of yours that I’ve seen than on the totality of your career, but there was never a moment watching “Anonymous” when I could associate the person I was seeing onscreen with what I’d seen of you in any other movie. To you, did it feel dramatically different from anything else you’d done?

Rhys Ifans: It did. It’ll probably

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File photo shows Amy Winehouse performs at the Brit Awards 2008 in London.—AP

Label to release posthumous Amy Winehouse album

sland Records, part of Universal Music, will release a posthumous album of Amy Winehouse’s songs on Dec 5. “Lioness: Hidden Treasures” will feature 12 tracks including previously unreleased recordings, alternative versions of existing classics and new Winehouse compositions, a statement on her website said yesterday. The record has been put together by producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, who worked with the British singer before she died in July aged 27.

“It was said by all who worked with Amy that she never sang or played a song the same way twice,” the statement read. “It quickly became apparent to Salaam and Mark that they had a collection of songs that deserved to be heard, a collection of songs that were a fitting testament to Amy the artist and, as importantly, Amy their friend.”

Lioness: Hidden Treasures will be

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Winehouse’s third studio album following her 2003 debut “Frank” and multiple Grammy award-winning “Back to Black” released three years later. The new record includes “Between the Cheats,” a new Winehouse composition recorded in 2008 for possible inclusion on a third album, and “A Song For You,” described as “heartbreaking and emotional.”

It is a new version of the Leon Russell classic also sung by Donny Hathaway, Winehouse’s favourite artist. The recording features Winehouse’s voice and her guitar and was made in a single take in London in 2009 as she “battled her demons.”

Winehouse, famous for her distinctive voice, “beehive” hairstyle and public battles with addiction, was found dead in her north London home on July 23. An inquest into her death found she had more than five times the legal driving limit of alcohol in her blood when she died. —Reuters

take me a few interviews to discover how to talk about it, but really, in terms of transformation, I don’t think I’ve ever done anything so allconsuming. And I guess that’s a combination of many factors.

TheWrap: For instance?

Ifans: Of course the period and the costume and all these things came into play, but it was also largely that I was given an opportunity by Roland to play a part that I would not necessarily have been cast in. And as a result, it was allconsuming.

TheWrap: Was it daunting to tackle something so different?

Ifans: No, it wasn’t daunting. It was a relief. When I went to meet Roland at his beautiful house in

TheWrap: Did you have to sell Roland on the prospect?

Ifans: No. (pause) Well, yes, I did.

I read for him in London, and we did a screen test in Berlin a few weeks later.

TheWrap: For much of the film, your voice barely rises above a whisper. Why? Ifans: I think I just connected with a man who had a lot to say, but could never be heard. (sighs) This is very difficult to explain. The whisper, I think, arrived from a man being in a climate of secrecy, which the Elizabethan court was. I always imagined that court to be a place of whispers and secrecy and of danger. And I think the timbre of my voice reflects those vast, echoey

German director Roland Emmerich, center, and the British actors Rhys Ifans, right, and Joely Richardson, left, arrive for the Germany premiere of the movie ‘Anonymous’ in Berlin, Germany, Sunday. —AP London, he asked me which part I would like to play. And I suggested to him that the natural casting for me would be Shakespeare. That would have been a walk in the park. But I was cheeky enough and brave enough to suggest to Roland that maybe I’d like to play the Earl himself. And thankfully, it worked out.

TheWrap: Why did you want to play Oxford?

Ifans: For some reason, I don’t know, I just connected with him.

There’s a pathos to Oxford that I really connected with, and a loneliness, and a poetry which kind of sang to me.

spaces.

TheWrap: Did you make any attempt to be accurate to the real Edward DeVere?

Ifans: No, no. I just wore the costume and it kind of took care of itself. Those costumes do give you a different sense of spatial awareness, all those cloaks and those ruffs. You move differently. It’s a physical effect, as opposed to an intellectual one. The whole movie, for me, felt like a dance.

TheWrap: Those costumes are certainly a different look for somebody who’s best known for answering the door in his underwear in “Notting Hill.”

Can ‘Tintin’ save motion-capture animation?

even months after “Mars Needs Moms” led to questions about the future of motion-capture animation, Steven Spielberg is showing that audiences might not have totally rejected the technique after all.

Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin” is off to a promising start at the interational box office, opening to $55.8 million abroad this weekend.

It was No 1 in 17 out of the 19 territories it debuted in.

In France, where “Tintin” enjoyed the biggest opening ever for an original, nonsequel Hollywood film, the movie took in $21.5 million on 935 screens. “You couldn’t ask for a film that’s more immersive and incredible to look at than ‘Tintin,”“ said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution at Sony, which shares international distribution rights with Paramount Pictures International. “There’s no doubt about it. It just draws you into it, and it just is quite an amazing feat visually.

Spectacular, actually.”

He noted that the character of Tintin, based on a comic book by Belgian artist Georges Remi (who used the pen name Herge), is better known in Western Europe than in the United States. In “Tintin,” which Spielberg directed and Peter Jackson produced, young adventurer Tintin and his friend Capt. Haddock search for a sunken treasure ship that was commanded by one of Haddock’s ancestors.

“I think Herge would be smiling with the work they accomplished with the character in the film,” Bruer said. The movie enjoyed strong numbers across Europe: It was No 1 in the UK, where it grossed $10.7 million. This weekend alone, the movie grossed $2.1 million from 169 screens in Herge’s home nation, $1.9 million from 297 screens in Sweden, $1.8 million from 174 screens in Switzerland, $1.6 million on 221 screens in Denmark and $1.3 million on 250 screens in Holland and $1.3 million in Italy.

In Spain, it grossed $6.7 million on 798 screens — 50 percent of the country’s entire market and nearly 10 times as much as what that nation’s No 2 film grossed. In Germany, “Tintin” took $4.6 million on 847 screens. By contrast, “Mars Needs Moms” was such a flop that Disney shut down its motion-capture animation division, which was run by the movie’s producer, Robert Zemeckis. And it canceled Zemeckis’ plan to make a motion-capture version of The Beatles’“Yellow Submarine.”

Reaction was so negative, in fact, that the New York Times said the film “may lead to the end for the Zemeckis style of motion-capture filmmaking, which has proven increasingly unpopular with audiences.”“Tintin,” however, is disproving that theory. Bruer said he expects the strong international reaction will translate to big audiences when it opens in the United States Dec 21. Paramount is handling the film’s domestic release. “The press has been very good, of course, and it’s going to make it resonate in the US even that much more,” Bruer said. —Reuters

Ifans: Yeah, a huge difference.

Huge. It was just nice to be fully clothed, for once.

TheWrap: Going into this film, did you have an opinion as to the authorship of Shakespeare’s works?

Ifans: Yes, I did. I’ve done a lot of Shakespeare onstage, and I’m not convinced that the Earl of Oxford was the author of all those works, but I am convinced that the Stratfordian William Shakespeare was not. My feeling is that it was an amalgamation of many writers, in the same way that most films are a collaborative endeavor. And I think the plays certainly were that. I think the film is important, or the question the film raises is important, because it puts the plays in a very specific historical context. And it just opens a healthy can of worms.

As I describe it, it puts a spanner in the Complete Works.

TheWrap: What were your early experiences with Shakespeare like?

Ifans: I went to the Guilford School of Music and Drama, which was affiliated with the Royal Shakespeare Company. I was lucky enough to be taught by a beautiful, wonderful teacher called Patsy Rodenburg, who works a lot with the Royal Shakespeare Company as a voice coach and technician. And I remember a moment in drama school where I was working on a speech from “Richard III”: “Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this son of York; / And all the clouds have low’r’d upon our house / In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.”

When I was taught Shakespeare in school, it was such an alien, sanitized puzzle, it made no sense. And suddenly, just in this one session, I spoke the words, and it moved me so deeply and opened me up so much as an actor. The sense of how words can liberate the body. That might sound highfalutin, but it really did. I remember that moment very clearly. And what moves me about this part is a man’s intimate relationship with words, and how words and language can keep you company. That’s what I think I found in Oxford.—Reuters

Review

Wale shows he’s determined with ‘Ambition’ ith a slew of mixtapes, Wale built a reputation as a witty rapper who delivered quick punch lines. His skills eventually landed him a major-label deal and debut album, “Attention Deficit,” two years ago.

But while his first record received favorable reviews, Wale says he felt artistically stifled under Mark Ronson’s Allido Records, a partnership with Interscope Records. So the rapper parted ways with the label and found a new home with Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group, and so far, the marriage seems to be a perfect fit, as shown with his sophomore album, “Ambition.”

Wale’s clever wordplay meshes well with the high-energy, well-produced tracks typically associated with the Maybach Music brand. The rapper doesn’t waste time showing that on his confident intro, “Don’t Hold Your Applause.”

Throughout the album, the Washington, DCraised rapper shows how his hard work has paid off creatively, with songs such as “Focused” featuring Kid Cudi, “No Days Off” and “Legendary.”

Unlike his previous album, which featured mostly female singers, male R&B crooners are the featured guests, including Ne-Yo, Lloyd, Miguel and Jeremih. Each of the slow-tempo ballads with Wale rapping are easy listens, especially on the album’s single, “Lotus Flower Bomb,” with Miguel. Wale also provides some thought-provoking perspective on “DC or Nothing.” He raps about his concern on how a checkup from the doctor strikes more fear into people from his hometown than the local police.

Check out this track: The album’s title track, featuring Meek Mill and Ross, is a well- crafted track by Canadian producer T-Minus. —AP

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US pop diva Lady Gaga performs onstage at a unique show at this weekend’s inaugural Formula One Indian Grand Prix in Greater Noida on October 30, 2011. —AFP

Bollywood actor becomes Indian ‘prince’ T

op Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was made the new Nawab (Muslim prince) of Pataudi yesterday in a private ceremony at his ancestral home in northern India. Khan became the 10th nawab of the former princely

state after the death in September of his 70-year-old father, Mansur Ali Khan, from a rare form of lung disease. The elder Khan, nicknamed “Tiger Pataudi” for his brilliant fielding, captained India at cricket while his father, Ifthikar Ali

Khan, played for both India and England.

Saif Ali Khan, who was educated at the private Winchester school in England, is one of Hindi-language cinema’s biggest stars and was recently seen in the thriller “Aarakshan”

Village elders present a turban to Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan after he was made the new Nawab (Muslim prince) of Pataudi yesterday in a private ceremony at his ancestral home in Gurgaon, the northern Indian state of Haryana. —AFP

(Reservation). Yesterday’s ‘s ceremony was held at the family seat of Pataudi Palace in Haryana state and attended by relatives and local villagers, said Rohini Iyer, Khan’s spokeswoman in Mumbai.

Village chiefs tied a turban around his head at a ceremony watched by his mother, the former actress Sharmila Tagore, and his two sisters. The 41-year-old actor, who is dating Bollywood pin-up Kareena Kapoor, told the NDTV news channel after the ceremony that “even if it’s symbolic, it’s very humbling... I’m also conscious of some kind of responsibility.”Pataudi was a princely state in pre-independence India while the nawabs, who can trace their lineage back centuries, were its aristocratic rulers. Like the heads of other erstwhile Indian princely states that were taken over after the British left in 1947, the title is now ceremonial with no formal powers. Part of Pataudi Palace is now a heritage hotel.—AFP

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Years

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Vancouver is full of cultural events this fall V

ancouver, British Columbia, in the summer has a civic calendar crowded with open-air arts festivals. In the autumn, the weather shifts and the cultural action moves indoors, but there’s still plenty for visitors to enjoy in this arts-savvy Canadian city. Whether you are planning an adult weekend getaway or a family trip, a full slate of music, dance, comedy, theater and visual-arts events await. Many arts venues are in the downtown area, or can be easily reached by car or by Vancouver’s excellent transit system, which includes frequent buses and the SkyTrain. Here’s a sampling of current and upcoming performances and arts events.

Neon Dreams Learn about the city’s gritty and glamorous past by taking in the “Neon Vancouver/Ugly Vancouver” exhibit at the municipal Museum of Vancouver in Vanier Park. The show displays gems from the museum’s historic photo collection of vintage neon signs, from the outsize, to the outlandish, to the outrageous.

Among the other exhibits is “Bhangra.me: Vancouver’s Bhangra Story,” an interactive exhibition that chronicles music, dance and politics in the South Asian community in Vancouver. Museum of Vancouver, 1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver; $8-$35. 604-736-4431, www.museumofvancouver.ca.

First Nations art The downtown Vancouver Art Gallery, the city’s largest visual-art venue, opened a display on Oct 29 of 170 pieces gathered from the prestigious Audain Collection. Focused mainly on British Columbian artists, “Shore, Forest and Beyond” features vintage ceremonial objects from First Nations tribes. It includes works by the province’s most distinguished painters, including post-Impressionist favorite Emily Carr.

On view from the collection also are some masterful paintings by such famed Mexican modernist artists as Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros.Also at the gallery: works from the permanent collection, and a show titled “The Distance Between You and Me: 3 Artists from Vancouver, Los Angeles and Guadalajara.” Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St, Vancouver; $6.25-$17.50, 604-6624700, www.vanartgallery.bc.ca.

Dance on the edge Vancouver’s thriving modern-dance scene takes center stage during the biennial “Dance in Vancouver” fest (Nov 2326) which celebrates leading local choreographers and companies.

Over this four-day event at the Dance Centre, you can check out moves by such cutting-edge troupes as Wen Wei Dance, the 605 Collective, the plastic orchid factory and MACHiNENOiSY. Dance Centre, 677 Davie St, Vancouver; $18$20 604-606-6420 or www.thedancecentre.ca.

Arts & crafts crawl One of Vancouver’s most popular open-studio art jamborees, the free, annual Eastside Culture Crawl welcomes some 10,000 visitors to wander through 300-plus artists’ studios in a hip East Vancouver, Browse works by local sculptors, jewelers, potters, printmakers, glass blowers and other artisans, meet the makers and shop for distinctive wares. (Nov 18-20; www.eastsideculturecrawl.com) While you’re in this lively neighborhood, find libations and eats along Commercial Drive, which is loaded with small ethnic restaurants.

Vancouver’s Aquabus mini-ferries shuttle between Granville Island and the downtown peninsula, giving easy access to theaters, restaurants and clubs.

S

And just up the street is the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, better known as The Cultch. This happening venue boasts an art gallery and two theaters that host many contemporary dance, drama and comedy shows. 1895 Venables St.,Vancouver; www.thecultch.com.

unlight filters through jars of green tea lined up on a concrete ledge-tea is the essential sustenance for a group of artisans from China who arrived in Seattle this month to build a courtyard in the traditional style of Sichuan province.

They’re paving the floor and fitting the red columns of an elaborate gateway that will serve as the entrance to the Seattle Chinese Garden, believed to be the first Sichuan-style garden in the United States.

The project was started 20 years ago to mark the establishment of sister-city ties between Seattle and Chongqing, now a municipality with more than 30 million people. It’s designed as a space for local organizations to explore Chinese culture, language, arts and horticulture.

The 4.6-acre garden, at the north end of South Seattle Community College, is still a work in progress, but it’s opening for public tours and throwing a welcome party Sunday for the artisans.

To build “Knowing the Spring Courtyard,” the 21 artisans are applying some of the same methods and materials they’ve used for centuries. One marks a line with ink and a brush while two others pull a wooden-handled blade back and forth to make a cut.

Feng Dacheng, an architect with the city of Chongqing and the garden’s chief designer, said the traditional methods have

Rock at the Roxy If clubbing appeals to you, the downtown Roxy (932 Granville St.,Vancouver, www.roxyvan.com) gets it going into the wee hours, with a house rock band, a crowded dance floor and a full bar.

For jazz aficionados, The Cellar (3611 W Broadway St ,Vancouver, www.cellarjazz.com) is one of Vancouver’s prime outlets, known for hosting accomplished local musicians and out-of-town acts. A well-stocked wine cellar and a dining menu are other hallmarks of this club in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighborhood.

Holiday lights To get into the holiday spirit, Vancouver-style, look to the VanDusen Botanical Garden Festival of Lights More than a million lights are strung each December in dazzling, decorative displays at this sprawling garden. Expect community choir performances, a special light show and (of course) appearances by Santa and his merry elves. Nightly, Dec 9-Jan 2, 5251 Oak St, (at West 37th Avenue) Vancouver, 604-2578335 or www.vandusengarden.org

Lions guard the steps at the Vancouver Art Gallery, which opens a display of pieces from the prestigious Audain Collection.

—MCT photos

Granville Island stages Urban Granville Island, with its produce market, eateries and many shops and galleries, is a favorite year-round tourist magnet. It is also the home of several theaters where you can find improv, musicals and plays.

Among the shows running this fall on the three stages of the Arts Club Theatre is “The Penelopiad,” a play by leading Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, based on her novella about the “desperate housewife” Penelope in Homer’s “The Odyssey.” Also on the boards: the Broadway-London musical hit, “Blood Brothers.” For schedule and ticket info: 604-6871644 or www.artsclub.com.

Comic improvisation has long been big in Canada, and if you wonder what gets Vancouverites chortling, look to a new comedy venue on Granville, The Improv Centre. It offers shows based on a variety of improv formats, five nights a week. 604-738-7013 or www.vtsl.com/mainstage/the(underscore)improv(underscore)centre.php ’Romeo and Juliet’ a deux The Vancouver Opera slated two versions of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” this fall (details and tickets at www.vancouveropera.ca) One was the opera’s own production of the Broadway classic “West Side Story,” with the original choreography by Jerome Robbins, which ended Oct 29. The other is the Charles Gounod opera “Romeo et Juliette,” (opens Nov 26) with French libretto and English titles.

Both will be performed at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (630 Hamilton St,Vancouver) a well-appointed downtown auditorium that also will present the Alberta Ballet’s version of “The Nutcracker” Dec 28-31. (Tickets at www.ticketmaster.ca) Bill Reid and friends The late, versatile and much-revered Canadian artist Bill Reid left behind a richly diverse cache of works: drawings, sculptures, gold and silver jewelry and amulets, a towering carved totem pole and his own collection of indigenous tribal art. (His mother was a member of the Haida First Nation.)

The sleek, modern Bill Reid Gallery (639 Hornby St, Vancouver, www.billreidgallery.ca) is a treasure trove, with a current special exhibit that traces Reid’s role in the resurgence of the building of large-scale, ceremonial Haida canoes. Wrote Reid, “Western art starts with the figure _ West Coast Indian art starts with the canoe.”

Another source of native art is the Museum of Anthropology on the University of British Columbia campus, 6393 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver; $7-$14, 604-827-5932 or www.moa.ubc.ca.The museum is displaying artifacts and artworks, ancient and new, from its vast collection in “A Green Dress” (through April 8, 2012).

proven their value over time. In the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, “a lot of the traditional buildings held up pretty well,” he said. “The contemporary ones fell apart.” But to comply with building codes in Seattle, they’ll have extra strength from square metal posts, which will be wrapped with round wood columns to achieve the ancient look.

This structure is among the exhibits of design and craftsmanship shown at the Seattle Chinese Garden.

Pedestrians walk in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver, the city’s largest visual-art venue.

If you go

V

isitor info: Tourism Vancouver (www.tourismvancouver.com) publishes a free travel guide, and provides discounts for hotels, arts events and other attractions, plus maps and other helpful information. Call 604-682-2222.

Where to stay: Many hotels offer discounts this time of the year. Check Tourism Vancouver for various specials. I stayed at the Blue Horizon Hotel, 1225 Robson St,

“It’s an American heart in a Chinese body,” said Yangming Chu, the project’s director. “It feels like wood, but the interior is solid and modern,” he said. “This is like bombproof.” Making a traditional Chinese garden fit American rules was but one challenge in the garden’s history. Others have been raising funds and maintaining momentum throughout economic ups and downs.

The nonprofit Seattle Chinese Garden Society raised close to $8 million from donors.

Chongqing donated the labor of the architects and artisans and the materials, including decorative stones from the Yangtze River, handcrafted roof tiles and wood for the trim, while the city of Seattle, King County and Washington state contributed $2 million over the years for infrastructure costs. The nonprofit has raised 80 percent of the $4.5 million to build the courtyard.

Getting the artisans to Seattle to finish the four-month project is a huge milestone, Chu said. Unlike the private gardens in eastern Chinese cities such as Suzhou, Sichuan gardens tend to be public places, with more abundant space and a style that is “rustic, free and country-like,” Feng said. Rain is one element Seattle shares with its sister city, making the long eaves of the traditional roof good shelter for people strolling under it, he said.

Hand-carved drums of gray stone at the base of each red post are like shoes to add stability and keep water from soaking the wood. — MCT

Vancouver, BC (604-688-1411 or www.bluehorizonhotel.com). The 31-story hotel offers some excellent water and territorial views of the city, and its spacious guest rooms have been recently renovated.

Published rates start at $115 a night, and the parking at $15 a day is a great deal for a downtown hotel. — MCT

Feng, who is here on his third visit to Seattle, is anxious to make progress while the weather is good. The courtyard is only a small part of the entire garden, he said.

“My passion for the project comes from my work over 20 years,” he said. “I hope the whole garden can be complete soon.”

SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN Public tours in August: Hours: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10 a.m.; Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m.

Tour lasts 90 minutes, $5 suggested donation.

Directions and information: www.seattlechinesegarden.org (c) 2010, The Seattle Times.

Visit The Seattle Times Extra on the World Wide Web at http://www.seattletimes.com/.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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Years

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

Storm delivers different type of

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his was the weekend we were supposed to carve the pumpkins, spread the fake spider webs on the bushes and maybe take in a little football as the trees begin their annual fall explosion into brilliant hues of red, oranges and golds. Not this year. A freak fall snowstorm turned my plans for autumn bliss into a nightmare before Halloween, with nearly 6 inches of wet, slushy snow sending leafy branches crashing all around me, slamming into utility lines and leaving me without power for who knows how long.

As I tap this out on my Blackberry by candlelight, I can’t help but think that the one thing I’ve always loved about this suburb a half hour’s train ride from New York City - the mature, leafy canopy of trees - has lately caused me nothing but heartache. Just two months ago, Hurricane Irene’s soaking rains and high winds toppled dozens of trees around Maplewood, sending them crashing onto power lines and leaving me and much of the town without electricity for five days. This time around it was the snow, striking in big, cottony flakes that seemed harmless at first.

My neighbors and I marveled at how odd it was that snow was falling so early in the season. But none of us thought it would stick. It won’t amount to much, we said. It will be gone before you know it, we said. And we happily went about our Saturday plans - soccer, football, last-minute preparation of our costumes for our block’s annual Halloween party that night. (My wife and I were going as cast members from the

reality show “Jerseylicious.” Don’t ask me why.) I drove through those first flakes to play an indoor tennis match about 10 minutes away in Chatham. My first indication something was wrong came about two sets in, when the lights on the court flickered, and then went out.

I stepped outside to see a full-scale, raging snowstorm. It seemed like a good six inches of heavy mush was already on the ground. The wind was howling. I know I’m a transplanted southerner, but this is October, right? This can’t be happening.

I used the strap from my tennis bag to wipe the snow off the windows and then I embarked on a harrowing, slow-speed crawl back across the South Mountain Reservation to Maplewood. Twice I saw big, snow-caked limbs crash in front me. My tires were spinning out as I dodged fallen limbs, other cars and dangling power lines just inches above my hood. Still October, right? I was heading straight from tennis to watch my son’s Columbia High School football team take on Montclair High. My faith in the great game I love was intact when my wife called to say kickoff was still very much on schedule.

The game was barely visible through the whiteout snow and gusts that seemed to blow at 40 mph. Officials kept cleaning off the yard lines so we could tell where the field was.

Players seemed to like running around in the slop but the fans were miserable. I’ve never seen a football game called because of snow and the officials didn’t seem inclined to blow the whistle on this one either. Until, that is, the snow and

Halloween chills

howling wind were joined by booming thunder and the highly unusual nor’easter snowstorm lightning. That did it.

With Montclair up 6-0 in the first quarter, the game was postponed. Official reason: lightning. We got back home to a street littered with branches and an awful symphony all around us- the creak and thwack of more snowy limbs crashing to the ground. Our neighbor’s birch tree bowed all the way over, until its highest branches grazed the ground. Utility lines straining under the weight of the slush bowed low enough to touch.

Amazingly, though, we still had power, and cable and Internet and phone service. We settled in to sit back, stare out the window and watch this odd autumn weather anomaly play out. Then it happened. A massive CRASH, and the power line outside my front window snapped toward the ground like a bungee cord. A tree had fallen across my street, across the power line and across the yard of the same neighbor who had a tree smash his garage to bits during Irene in August. It was also the same neighbor who was hosting the Halloween party that night. Power was out to half the street. Instead of preparing for a party, we started preparing for what looked like a long siege without electricity. A neighbor who had power loaned his generator to a neighbor who had lost hers. A neighbor with power let us run a cord from his house to ours, so we could keep a refrigerator and the sump pump working.

Even without power at the host’s house, a scaled-down

version of the Halloween party went on despite the weather.

No costumes, no fancy DJ or elaborate decorations. Just a warm fire, an ice-cold keg, and good friends and neighbors getting together like we always did. For a little while we could forget the freakish weather, the fallen tree, the dangling power line and yellow police tape just outside. My wife, two sons and our two dogs settled in Sunday to a day in front of the fire. Even with the roaring blaze going, the temperature inside my house hovered at around 55 degrees. My bundled-up boys plinked on their mobile devices and computers until they ran out of battery power.

Then we went completely off the grid. No Internet. No music. No TV. No NFL. The train into work in New York. We all had no choice but to sit in front of the fireplace, chat and read books. My wife heated up some soup and hot chocolate on our still-working gas stove. The dogs curled at our feet. I thought it was one of the nicest Sundays I’ve spent with my family in years. “See kids, this is what life was like before television and the Internet,” I said. Without missing a beat, my 12year-old son Edward looked up from his book and said, “I am sooooo bored.” Happy Halloween, kid. This is one you will never forget. — AP

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utting together a story-writing contest is a piece of cake. Come up with some items that are timely and Halloween-ish, set the round rules and invite one and all to participate.

The challenge is picking the best of the entries, which this year numbered 656. The largest category was high school, with 227 students submitting stories. There were 175 stories in the fourth-to-sixth-grade division.

We looked for originality as well as quality of writing. It is completely subjective, of course, and in some cases three judges picked three different favorites in a division.

We’d agree on a story, then have to move on to another because it was missing one of the required elements or was too long.

What the judges agreed upon, though, is that there are a lot of wonderful, creative writers in the community and their stories made us laugh, shudder or just smile.

We present the final verdict on the best use of a candle, an attic, fog, a skeleton key, a zombie, a tweet and Burns Tower by individuals in each of six divisions. Second- and third-place stories are available at recordnet.com. Enjoy and Happy Halloween.

Kindergarten and First Grade First place: Ciarra Leon Sanchez, first grade, Lathrop Elementary One day there were a lot of zombies that went trick-or-treating. Everybody was terrified by just looking out. Then it was a foggy Halloween night. They had to use a candle.

The zombies looked up. What was that?

It was Burns Tower. They went to go to the attic of the tower and they found a skeleton key. Then they went into the house next to the tower. And they found the attic and they opened the door. Then they heard a tweet. It was the computer. The zombies got scared and ran away!

Second and Third Grade First place: Gabriel Tunsen-Perez, third grade, Larson School Once upon a time in a small town by the Delta, there was a creaky haunted castle. It was built back in the 1700s by a rich man named Mr Adams. He died alone in the castle at the age of 112. His bones remain the attic with all his treasure. He hid a skeleton key somewhere in the Burns Tower that could open the lock to the attic door.

On a foggy Halloween night, three boys named Kayden, Gabriel, and Tristen dared each other to go into the haunted castle. At sunset they headed on their journey. They stopped at Home Depot to pick up a rope, some candles, a hammer and a saw. Then they jumped on their bikes and took off to the castle.

When they got to the castle, it was dark and spooky. They heard birds tweeting in the old trees and the moon was full. They used the saw to get in the front door. Once they were inside they crept up the stairs where they found an old piece of paper that looked like a map. Gabriel knew this was a map of UOP and it looked like the X was in the Burns Tower. Maybe there was a treasure somewhere! Quickly they headed to UOP and found the skeleton key. It was wrapped in a piece of paper that had a riddle on it.

Together they figured out the key was to the attic back at the castle!

When they got back they opened the attic door and a zombie ran out and scared them. They saw a pile of bones and a big chest full of treasure. They decided to use the money to help kids with cancer. It was the best Halloween ever.

Fourth to Sixth Grade First place: Crystal Chum, Wicklund School It was foggy after a long night in Stockton. It was almost Halloween. Alice’s friends said that a couple days before Halloween a zombie would appear in Burns Tower until Halloween, but she thought it was just a rumor.

She got this crazy idea to go to the Burns Tower. So, she went home to get a candle and match for light in the tower.

Alice’s mom wasn’t home yet, so she locked the door and ran toward the tower.

When Alice got to the tower, she found a skeleton key, which she tried and opened

the door to the tower. She lit the candle and the door shut closed.

It was very dark even with the candles.

After a while, Alice found some stairs that probably led to an attic.

Before Alice went up the stairs, she tweeted her mom that she’ll probably be late for dinner. Then she turned off her phone. Alice quietly crept up the stairs. She wasn’t sure it was a rumor now. Then, she heard a noise that sounded like something fell on the ground! When she got in the attic, a zombie appeared out of nowhere!

Alice screamed, but then stopped. The zombie was laughing! The zombie appeared to be Alice’s friend, Jackie!!!

Jackie was laughing so hard, tears were starting to roll down her cheeks until she calmed down. Alice was kind of mad, but she had to admit it was kind of funny too.

So, Alice forgave Jackie and went home for dinner.

Seventh and eighth Grade First place: Amy Lam Her features glowed in the mirror, extracting the liveliness of her vibrant hazel eyes, and matching the subtlety of her brown hair. With her costume, she ran to meet her friend at the front door. She waved bye as her mother bid farewell in confidence Scarlett would be alright, when her fate wasn’t as it seemed.

“Hey, Scarlett! I love your costume,” Scarlett’s best friend, Amber, exclaimed.

“Thanks,” Scarlett replied, walking down the front steps into the cold fog.

Together they walked in the stillness of

avoiding the zombies and tombstones protruding from the lawn.

As they climbed the three steps to the dark porch, my grandmother swung open the door to greet them with such enthusiasm, many of the young children screamed in a startled panic. Bored with the neverending stream of screaming princesses and super heroes, I glanced at my phone. My friends’ tweets kept me updated me on the fun they were having without me. I slipped upstairs to the attic to escape my grandmother’s zealous actions and to sulk in selfpity.

I turned the skeleton key.

The door creaked open. Only Burns Tower, lit by moonlight, was visible through the layer of dust that covered the window.

I picked up the matchbox and candle near the foot of the door and settled on the couch with an old photo album.

As I turned the book’s delicate pages, I recalled my earliest Halloween memories.

Grandma piled my cousins and me into the red wagon with mugs of cocoa and marshmallows. After completing an extensive trick-or-treat route, we parked in the shadow of Burns Tower and she told us stories of the “spooky tower ghost” who played the organ as the clock ticked away each new hour of the night. Swept back in time, I glanced out the window at the tower and listened intently for the sound of the organ music.

The time on the phone read 10:00.

There was no music coming from the tower. Slightly disappointed, I wandered downstairs and found my grandmother, holding

Carved pumpkins are seen on offer at a roadside stall for Halloween near Warsaw, Poland, yesterday. Halloween is a new tradition taking root in Poland, a predominantly Catholic nation. — AP the night. With each step, there was a hint of uncertainty and danger.

The house was lively and bustling with people. They were led to the attic, where the party was. Ten minutes of dancing passed, the lights switched off, and there was a dead silence. Scarlett lit a candle and looked toward a crowd of people near the stairs, where someone had fallen to their death with a note attached to a skeleton key. The note said.

“Go to Burns Tower to fight Diana Foster before midnight, or she shall take over your town on Halloween night.”

“Anyone know who’s Diana Foster?”

Scarlett tweeted.

The comments she got back were unbelievable; they all claimed she was dead and had turned into a zombie.

Scarlett walked up the stairs to Burns Tower with the key. She opened the door to find something unbelievable: A mber.

Amber explained her diabolic plan, and how she was really a zombie in disguise, coming to do the deed of killing Scarlett, which was meant to happen years ago when her soul was tainted by the devil.

Scarlett fought with all her might, and used a match in her pocket to burn Amber’s corpse. Looking out of the beautiful tower, she realized she was going to be alright. high School First place: Emily Ornellas itting at my grandmother’s Skitchen table with my phone in my hand, I watched as costumed children passed through the artificial fog, carefully

a flashlight to her chin. She winked at me and poured a cup of cocoa. I turned off my phone and smiled.

Adult First place: Gerald William Parks The audience at Burns Tower’s grand ballroom was noisy and raucous. Flopsweat dripped to the stage from Stan, who was regretting his choice to try standup comedy at this Halloween party. He grasped for one of his rehearsed jokes through the fog of his memory.

“Hey,” he bleated hopefully, “what do you call a small island of anorexics off Florida’s coast?”

There were grumbles and catcalls, which Stan took as an encouraging sign.

“A skeleton key! Get it?”

He tapped the mic. “Is this on? Hey. Why don’t birds use the phone? Because they tweet!”

A vampire chuckled whiningly.

“Hey, why won’t the cokehead leave the top floor?

Because he’s an attic!”

They chuckled and chirped at that. A heckler threw a dog biscuit at Stan, which raised the hackles on his scruff. He howled in rage, and was immediately pelted by human body parts. A zombie had the effrontery to hurl his own arm, which whacked Stan in his muzzle.

Stan leapt on him and bit his throat, tearing off his head.—MCT

The 17th annual ‘Doggie’ Costume Halloween Party

Haunting tales of All Hallows’ Eve

A dog is dressed up as a fairy during the 17th annual ‘Doggie Costume Halloween Party’ at Riverside Park in New York.—AFP

A dog is dressed up as “Charlie Chien”.

A dog is dressed up with a flower bonnet.

dog is dressed up as a sailor.

A dog is dressed up with a flower bonnet.

A dog is dressed up with a pearl necklace.

Dogs are dressed as a prison guard (R) and a prisioner.

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Label to release posthumous Winehouse album Years

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011

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Models display creations by Russian designer Konstantin Gayday during the Volvo Fashion Week in Moscow, Russia yesterday. —AP

Russia VolvoFashion

Storm delivers different type of Halloween chills T

his was the weekend we were supposed to carve the pumpkins, spread the fake spider webs on the bushes and maybe take in a little football as the trees begin their annual fall explosion into brilliant hues of red, oranges and golds. Not this year. A freak fall snowstorm turned my plans for autumn bliss into a nightmare before Halloween, with nearly 6 inches of wet, slushy snow sending leafy branches crashing all around me, slamming into utility lines and leaving me without power for who knows how long.

As I tap this out on my Blackberry by candlelight, I can’t help but think that the one thing I’ve always loved about this suburb a half hour’s train ride from New York City - the mature, leafy canopy of trees - has lately caused me nothing but heartache. Just two months ago, Hurricane Irene’s soaking rains and high winds toppled dozens of trees around Maplewood, sending them crashing onto power lines and leaving me and much of the town without electricity for five days. This time around it was the snow, striking in big, cottony flakes that seemed harmless at first.

My neighbors and I marveled at how odd it was that snow was falling so early in the season. But none of us thought it would stick. It won’t amount to much, we said. It will be gone before you know it, we said.

And we happily went about our Saturday plans - soccer, football, last-minute preparation of our costumes for our block’s annual Halloween party that night. (My wife and I were going as cast members from the reality show “Jerseylicious.” Don’t ask me why.) I drove through those first flakes to play an indoor tennis match about 10 minutes away in Chatham. My first indication something was wrong came about two sets in, when the lights on the court flickered, and then went out.

I stepped outside to see a full-scale, raging snowstorm. It seemed like a good six inches of heavy mush was already on the ground. The wind was howling. I k now I’m a transplanted southerner, but this is October, right? This can’t be happening. I used the strap from my tennis bag to wipe the snow off the windows and then I embarked on a harrowing, slowspeed crawl back across the South Mountain Reservation to Maplewood. Twice I saw big, snowcaked limbs crash in front me. My tires were spinning out as I dodged fallen limbs, other cars and dangling power lines just inches above my hood. Still October, right? I was heading straight from tennis to watch my son’s Columbia High School football team take on Montclair High. My faith in the great game I love was intact when my wife called to say kickoff was still very much on schedule.

The game was barely visible through the whiteout snow and gusts that seemed to blow at 40 mph.

Officials kept cleaning off the yard lines so we could tell where the field was. Players seemed to like running around in the slop but the fans were miserable. I’ve never seen a football game called because of snow and the officials didn’t seem inclined to blow the whistle on this one either. Until, that is, the snow and howling wind were joined by booming thunder and the highly unusual nor’easter snowstorm lightning. That did it.

With Montclair up 6-0 in the first quarter, the game was postponed. Official reason: lightning. We got back home to a street littered with branches and an awful symphony all around us- the creak and thwack of more snowy limbs crashing to the ground. Our neighbor’s birch tree bowed all the way over, until its highest branches grazed the ground. Utility lines straining under the weight of the slush bowed low enough to touch.

Amazingly, though, we still had power, and cable and Internet and phone service. We settled in to sit back, stare out the window and watch this odd autumn weather anomaly play out. Then it happened.

A massive CRASH, and the power line outside my front window snapped toward the ground like a bungee cord. A tree had fallen across my street, across the power line and across the yard of the same neighbor who had a tree smash his garage to bits during Irene in August. It was also the same neighbor who was hosting the Halloween party that night. Power was out to half the street. Instead of preparing for a party, we started preparing for what looked like a long siege without electricity. A neighbor who had power loaned his generator to a neighbor who had lost hers. A neighbor with power let us run a cord from his house to ours, so we could keep a refrigerator and the sump pump working.

Even without power at the host’s house, a scaleddown version of the Halloween party went on despite the weather. No costumes, no fancy DJ or elaborate decorations. Just a warm fire, an ice-cold keg, and good friends and neighbors getting together like we always did. For a little while we could forget the freakish weather, the fallen tree, the dangling power line and yellow police tape just outside. My wife, two sons and our two dogs settled in Sunday to a day in front of the fire. Even with the roaring blaze going, the temperature inside my house hovered at around 55 degrees.

My bundled-up boys plinked on their mobile devices and computers until they ran out of battery power.

Then we went completely off the grid. No Internet.

No music. No TV. No NFL. The train into work in New York. We all had no choice but to sit in front of the fireplace, chat and read books. My wife heated up some soup and hot chocolate on our still-working gas stove.

The dogs curled at our feet. I thought it was one of the nicest Sundays I’ve spent with my family in years. “See kids, this is what life was like before television and the Internet,” I said. Without missing a beat, my 12-year-old son Edward looked up from his book and said, “I am sooooo bored.” Happy Halloween, kid. This is one you will never forget. —AP

Week

China Fashion

Models wear designs created for the Deng Hao Haute Couture fashion show during China Fashion week held in Beijing. —AP photos